| Google Working On Real-Time Translator Technology Posted: 28 Jul 2013 03:36 PM PDT  Google can translate, but tact will still be on you
Do you run to your smartphone to translate phrases when faced with a language you don't speak? Is Google Translate part of your usual app arsenal? You might want to keep your ear to the ground then, as Google seems to be preparing a real-time translation device. PC Mag reports (via The U.K. Times) that Google is in the process of building prototypes that could one day allow travelers to interact fluently with anyone speaking a foreign language. Android vice president Hugo Barra is enthusiastic about how close this technology could actually be. "We've got tons of prototypes of that sort of interaction, and I've played with it every other week to see how much progress we've made," Barra gushed, and for good reason -- this could revolutionize the way we communicate with each other. Google Translate is an exciting service that offers instantaneous translation services and is great for simply playing around with, but this could mean great strides for you globetrotters out there looking to fraternize with locals or use the tech for business purposes. |
| The Internet Map Creates A Universe Out of Your Favorite Websites Posted: 28 Jul 2013 03:28 PM PDT 
Giving a whole new meaning to "the world wide web" The Internet has been mapped out like a technological solar system, with the most-visited websites across the globe acting as the largest "planets" and constellations. The map, created by Ruslan Enikeev, a data visualization engineer, has over 350,000 different planets that measure the sites we visit most often. Of course, Google, Facebook, and YouTube are among the largest, but others are a little surprising. The online map, via the Daily Mail, assembles data from 196 countries and acts as a gorgeous smattering of rainbow hues, offering interesting insights into where the world spends most of its time on the good old Internet. 
While the ordering may seem random, however, there's a method to the madness here: the circles are connected via links between one destination and the next. It's wild to see how so many of your favorite continual online destinations are so closely bonded. Check out the The Internet Map for a satisfying Wikipedia-like clickfest. |
| World of Warcraft Subscribers Plummet to 7.7 Million Players Posted: 28 Jul 2013 02:55 PM PDT WoW players continue to jump ship  World of Warcraft seems to be losing subscribers at an exponential rate, and the unstoppable force may be seeing continual losses. According to GamesIndustry.biz, Activision Blizzard has revealed the game has lost 600,000 subscribers in the latest quarter of 2013, putting their subscriber base at just 7.7 million.
The beginning of the year saw just over ten million players exploring Azeroth, though that number has plummeted steadily since the release of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. Though the Pandaren expansion supplemented the dwindling subscriber camp with a small boost, players continue to be jumping ship. Contributing factors could be hardier competition, improved gameplay, and languishing players with top-tier characters and little to do with them. Whatever the reason, it's bizarre to see a powerhouse that peaked at more than 12 million players in 2010 struggling to retain gamers. Are you still a WoW fanatic? Do you think it's high time Activision Blizzard works on a sequel? Let us know, and tell us if you're still hardcore Alliance or if it's all for the Horde. |
| Saints Row IV Ups The Ante With Game of the Generation Collector's Edition Posted: 28 Jul 2013 02:36 PM PDT  Keep calm and Dubstep Doomsday.
Saints Row IV is getting another new special edition, and it's even grander than before. The Game of the Generation Edition is a collector's item to covet if you're a fan of the franchise's distinctive style, and it's packing a few extra features for Saints Row enthusiasts to drool over. Check out the specifics and a larger image of the goods inside! There are only 5000 copies being produced of the new $129.99 collector's edition, hopefully keeping this set out of the video game store bargain bin purgatory. It brings with it everything found previously in the $99 Super Dangerous Wub Wub Edition and more. For $30 extra dollars you can give your copy the truly presidential treatment. The full rundown is as follows: a light-up rotating display case with individually numbered plaque, a velvet pouch to keep the game in, a replica of the in-game Dubstep gun that plays music, 8-inch Johnny Gat Memorial Statue, pocket-sized Dubstep Doomsday Button, and DLC including the Screaming Eagle rocket launcher, 'Merica Gun, and the horrifyingly patriotic Uncle Sam uniform for your Saint.
While Deep Silver states this edition is available for preorder now, curiously it's not available at any retailers we were able to find, and even Amazon appears to be a no-go as well. Deep Silver's Aubrey Norris has confirmed, however, they are still working on getting this resolved. |
