Alien and robot on mission for Playstation 3 (Reuters)

Published in November 1st, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - A fox-like alien and his robot sidekick on a mission to save the galaxy could also help save sales of Sony's PlayStation 3, which has struggled to find a game so good that it gives people reason to buy the pricey console. ADVERTISEMENT

Microsoft's Xbox 360 has had several, including this year's "Halo 3," but Sony is still trying to find a megahit of its own as games like "Heavenly Sword" and "Folklore" have failed to make the kind of splash needed to convince holdouts. Now comes "Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction," a beautifully crafted game that is being compared to Pixar animated films and touted as a must-have for Sony fans. "We're using lots of the same techniques that would be used in a Pixar film," said Brian Allgeier, creative director on the "Ratchet" titles at developer Insomniac Games. Seasoned video game fans can be forgiven for rolling their eyes — claims by industry executives over the years that their games are "Pixar quality" have turned out to be just so much marketing bluster. But the "Ratchet & Clank" that hit stores last week comes closest to delivering on that promise. "The new 'Ratchet' is a watershed for gaming because it provides the first interactive entertainment experience that truly feels like inhabiting a world-class animated film," the New York Times gushed this week. The game is also evidence that Sony's bet on its powerful new Cell processor is starting to pay off as developers get the hang of tapping its capabilities. "We never could have had this level of action on the screen before," Allgeier said in praise of the PS3 hardware. , which combines ratings from review sites and magazines, has given the new "Ratchet" a score of 90, the highest so far for any game exclusive to the PS3. "'Tools of Destruction' is an amazing PS3 game that fully leverages the power of the console. It sets the bar high for not only the series but for all PS3 games to come. It is, without a doubt, reason enough to buy the system," said in its review. Sony badly needs a hit for the PS3, which has lagged the Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii. By the end of September, the PS3 had sold about 5.6 million units, compared to more than 13 million each for the Xbox 360 and Wii. The game, the seventh for the franchise since 2002, stars the fox-like Ratchet and his robot sidekick Clank as they try to defeat the evil Emperor Tachyon. Their adventures lead through 15 locations and involve space combat, skydiving and railgrinding sequences. "All along we've gone in more of a shooter direction and we've decided to go back to our roots with a platformer, with more exploration, more adventure," Allgeier said. The game levels are stitched together with short animated clips that elaborate on the story and amount to about half the length of a feature film. With an industry rating of E 10+, the game should be suitable for everyone but small children. "This is one of the few epic adventure games this holiday that will make people laugh," Allgeier said. "It's kind of a bright spot amid a lot of darker-themed games."

DXG’s DXG-110 gives you 10 megapixels for (well) under $200

Published in November 1st, 2007

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Yeah, sure it’s no Canon or Nikon, but those heavy hitters aren’t offering you a 10 megapixel point-and-shoot for under $200, and ’s new DXG-110 can even boast a brand name Panasonic CCD in its drab gray housing. With an MSRP of $170, you can almost predict all of this model’s specs without reading the press release, so the 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, ISO 800, and 32MB of internal storage should come as no surprise. Also supported is VGA video at 30fps, perhaps the highest-end feature you’ll find here. Some might suggest that spending a few more bucks for a few less megapixels would be a better move, but we’ll simply tell you that the 110 –with its bundled Mr. Photo 3 software and AA batteries — is available immediately.

Verizon reveals plan to launch 150 HD channels by the end of ‘08

Published in November 1st, 2007

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Verizon customers have been feeling left out of the great HD race lately. Sure they have access to some of the , but at a time when are goodness in record number, FIOS customers only got in . Well the big V has finally broken its silence and promises that starting in the spring it’ll deliver more 60 new HD channels, — on a market by market basis — and will have more than 150 HD channels by the end of 2008. Of course this begs the question, why is it going to take so long? Seriously, it’s not like they have to wait for a satellite to launch or something. It’s almost as if there’s .

MadCatz announces iPhone-compatible AirDrives headphones

Published in November 1st, 2007

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Sony XEL-1 OLED TV may hit US this year, sez Glasgow

Published in November 1st, 2007

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We’re sure you’ve been drooling over Sony’s sexy little 11-inch OLED TV since the official launch last month, and though we thought that only the Japanese would be lucky enough to snap one up this year, Sony Electronics President Stan Glasgow has just revealed that US customers may actually have a shot at the 3-millimeter thick waif by holiday time. At a roundtable discussion this morning at the Sony Club in New York, Glasgow told the assembled journalists that “OLED could come [here] before the end of the year,” but that the decision would be based significantly on foreign demand and panel supply — an area where yields are still reportedly quite low. In other words, while you shouldn’t go squirreling your ~$1,800 away just yet, you should start praying to the gods of consumer electronics that the XEL-1 hits Tokyo with little more than a whisper.

Masi Oka of Heroes signs up as OLPC ambassador

Published in November 1st, 2007

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Masi Oka of Heroes signs up as OLPC ambassador

Posted Nov 1st 2007 11:50AM by
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What’s better being the nerdy guy on a nerdy hit TV show? Being a nerd in real life, of course. Masi Oka — you probably know him as Hiro from NBC’s Heroes — has it all going on, and has now signed up to be ’s “ambassador” to really flesh out his resume. The guy majored in Math and Comp Sci at Brown University, and did odd acting gigs while working at ILM programming special effects, so he’s no pretender to this nerd throne. Masi’s role as global ambassador pretty much means he’ll be doing some TV spots to “promote the importance of empowering children with learning tools and Internet connectivity,” but we’re sure he can put some of those time-bending powers to good use to erase all that of yesteryear.

CE-Oh no he didn’t! Part XLVIII: Mandriva CEO slams Ballmer in blog rant

Published in November 1st, 2007

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CE-Oh no he didn’t! Part XLVIII: Mandriva CEO slams Ballmer in blog rant

Posted Nov 1st 2007 11:31AM by
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Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer is certainly to our CE-Oh no he didn’t! series, but Mandriva’s CEO François Bancilhon now looks to have turned the tables, with him targeting Ballmer in an open letter on his blog. Causing all his ire is a recent deal Mandriva made to install its Linux distribution onto 17,000 sold to the Nigerian Government, which Nigeria says they will follow through on, only to replace the OS with Windows afterwards. Bancilhon, as you might have guessed, is laying the blame for the sudden change of heart squarely on Microsoft, and Ballmer specifically, saying “Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? It’s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone.” Bancilhon went on to ask, “How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live?,” adding that, “In my place, they give it various names, I’m sure you know them.” Bancilhon then busted out the ever-reliable “how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?” line, before closing things off by saying, “You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.”

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