Need For Speed ProStreet Preview

Electronic Arts made the big announcement just months ago and Need For Speed ProStreet is already shaping up into one of the best, if not THE best racing game ever developed. We've watched the game's evolution right from the first released developer's diary and ever since then, EA had promised to deliver la crème de la crème as far as the racing genre goes. Trying out the demo the giant publisher and developer has made available for the Xbox 360, we were able to fully understand what they meant by competing "at the highest level of street racing". Indeed, the latest installment in the NFS series lives up to its name and what we've seen so far, confirms it.

This time around, the company responsible for the most popular racing game franchise on the market decided to add a touch of simulation to NFS ProStreet. We're talking about what EA has revealed about the full product, just so everyone can make a better picture of why some things now are more difficult to do than in other NFS installments. Players will not only have to customize their cars for looks, but also for great performance on track. For example, using the wind-tunnel, gamers will be able to check out drag and downforce efficiency, while the slightest modification done well to the car's body will have a direct impact on its aerodynamics, which will eventually shave off seconds during a race. But let's get back to what we've been able to experience hands on so far.

EA is Giving us a Mere Taste of What's to Come
There are just two game modes available to take on with the NFS ProStreet demo, one of which is Nitrocide. Here, gamers need to do whatever it takes to reach their car's top speed while passing checkpoints and of course avoiding getting totaled. The player with the highest recorded speed at the end of the race wins. Easy, right? Wrong! And you'll soon understand why. The second game mode available within the demo is React: Team Seesions. There's some interesting racing to be done here as well, as gamers learn how to drive skillfully by attacking corners and slopes at just the right moment, running along the optimum traveling line to achieve perfection. But just as with the first game mode, we'll be discussing more aspects about React: Team Sessions later on.

The Fast and the Legal



The atmosphere before the beginning of each race is absolutely frenetic. The music, to which the crowd cheers and the girls move their luscious bodies, almost forces you to press the A button immediately, so you can take on your opponents as fast as you can. But wait, why do that when the announcer has something very important to share with the audience? That's right: racing is now legal! But that doesn't mean that you won't be meeting with the cops in the full game. After all, there are rules to be followed even when racing in video games.

'Nitrocide' and 'React: Team Seesions'
Just two game modes, but more than enough to make an impression. Of course, not letting players change as little as the car's paint job, or even choose a different car is somewhat of a disappointment, but we're surely grateful that they rolled out the demo the way it is. So, care to know why Nitrocide is not that easy to beat?

First of all, before starting a race (whether it's Nitrocide or React: Team Seesions, it makes no difference), you can select the level of driver aids to match your playing style and of course, experience with racing games. Take them as difficulty levels if you will. First, you have the option to choose 'Casual' style, which manages your braking and assists to the best racing line. The second level is 'Racer.' Racer helps you brake in difficult corners, so if you're the type of gamer that likes stepping on and coming off the brakes and gas a lot, this is you. Then there's 'King.' Now King is a different matter altogether (even though non-experienced gamers will feel little difference), as this option lets you feel the raw power of the car, not assisting you much, but instead allowing you to test your might against the track itself, using a more realistic control system.

Here's what the two game modes are all about:



Nitrocide - (The winner will have the highest combined speed recorded at the track's checkpoints; Car is a BMW M3 @ 512 bhp): The NOS boost is somewhat sudden, but once it's activated, the feeling of speed is like no other. Truly, the game lives up to its name from this point of view alone. The camera zooms out immediately when pressing the NOS button, letting you know that the command was successful, also enabling you to see the track from farther away as you'll need to start moving the analog stick long before entering a corner at such high speeds. But there's a side effect too. By pressing B for the big boost, the car becomes a speeding rocket which can't be stopped in under 4 seconds; so when you decide to use the NOS, do it wisely and only when you have a straight line ahead.

Another minus is that it can become frustrating when your performance is perfect up to the point where you touch the dirt with one of the rear tyres. While steering hard to get back on the tarmac, if there's even the smallest bump in the road, control over the car becomes virtually impossible until it stops hopping, so there's a great chance that your car will flip upside down and get totaled. It's spectacular, we can't argue with that, but losing a good progress so easy is going to annoy a lot of gamers and especially true fans of the series who can't wait to take the racing online.



React: Team Seesions - (The first car to complete two laps wins; Car is a 2009 Nissan GT-R): You'll notice a green line appearing along the track and mostly at corners, showing you the optimum solution for each and every one of them – something that every Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo fan should be very familiar with. The respective line also lets you know when to hit the gas and brakes, by becoming either green or red (you can guess for yourself when it's time to hit the gas and when you need to apply the brakes).


'Compete at the Highest Level of Street Racing'
Overall, the demo offers too little to make a solid impression of what NFS ProStreet can really do and since there's no taking it online, we can only hope it delivers even more top-notch gameplay. Still, ProStreet's damage system is something that cannot be described in simple words and so we're going to detail this aspect within the full game's review. Also, gamers will surely notice the gorgeous smoke effects as they spin their wheels waiting for the green light. Thus, since we've run out of metaphors and epithets to describe NFS ProStreet's visual and gameplay qualities, all that remains for you to do is download the demo via Xbox Live Marketplace and experience everything we've shared with you today, hands-on.

The full version of NFS ProStreet launches November 14.

Military VR Simulator Is Closest Thing Ever to Real-Life Halo 3

This is a super cool HD projector really super amazing

see it here http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/military-sim-almost-brings-halo-3-to-reality/military-vr-simulator-is-closest-thing-ever-to-real+life-halo-3-315435.php

iPhone everything

How do you make a phone call with the iPhone

To make a call using the iPhone, you start by clicking on the Home button takes you to the main window. At the bottom left corner is an icon depicting the phone application. A tap on that with your finger activates the iPhone’s calling features. Type a number on the virtual keypad that appears at the bottom on the screen, or chose a number from your list of contacts, favorites, or recent calls.

Does the iPhone have a flight mode

Yes, the iPhone has a flight mode that allows you to turn off the wireless service when traveling on airplanes.

Does the iPhone support removable media

The iPhone comes with either 4GB or 8GB of internal memory.

The iPhone does not support external flash based memory cards.

Does the iPhone support 3G

The iPhone will support EDGE when it is released in June.

Apple has the ability to upgrade the iPhone to support 3G. No confirmation or word from Apple if this will happen in the near future.

Does the iPhone offer a removable battery

The iPhone features an internal battery and it is not removable.

Does the iPhone come with a stylus

The iPhone does not come with a stylus. The iPhone supports "multi-touch" input, a technology that has been patented by Apple.

What operating system does the iPhone run

The iPhone runs Mac OS X. It is a version that has been optimized for the iPhone.

Can the iPhone record video

The camera on the iPhone is capable of recording video, but it has not yet been implemented. The current feature set does not include video recording, but this could change when the iPhone is released in June.

iPhone is the Best

Best phone in the world



Use this phone for 5 minutes and you will quickly notice that is the most advanced and entertaining phone you've ever used. There isn't even a question in my mind that it's the best phone in world. The price is a little steep, but consider that you're getting an iPod and a really nice Phone in one, including mobile internet, and the price is justified. As of now, it's missing a few simple features like picture messaging, mass texting, and changing alert sounds but we all suspect that these will be added in a future update from Apple. I'm completely happy with it.

iPhone review

Manufacturer: Apple, Inc.
Price: $499 or $599
Capacity: 4GB or 8GB flash drive
Display: 3.5 inch widescreen multi-touch featuring 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 160 dpi
Operating system: OS X
Wireless data: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Camera: 2.0 megapixel.

Description

iPhone is a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and features the Internet in your pocket. It features a revolutionary user interface based on a multi-touch display and software that lets you control everything with your fingers.

The Apple iPhone is available for purchase via Apple retail stores , AT&T Wireless locations and the Apple Store online . View available rate plans .


Overall rating 4.4
Phone 4.5
iPod 4.7
Internet 4.4
Bundled Software 4.0
Value 4.2

OCZ Displays Carbon Nanotube Cooler

The first heatsink to make use of directional carbon nanotubes, the OCZ Hydrojet, was on display at Computex 2007. Carbon nanotubes, an allotrope of carbon, are widely regarded as the next major thermal interface material because of their superior thermal conduction properties.

The contact base of the OCZ Hydrojet is made completely of carbon-nanotubes, which OCZ claims is five times more efficient than copper. Carbon nanotubes have been looked upon as a strong alternative to traditional copper based heatsinks. They are very ideal for application in heat transfer products because of their impressive heat-conduction properties. Carbon nanotube based interfaces have been shown to conduct more heat than conventional thermal interface materials at the same temperatures. In addition, they have shown to be ballistic conductors at room temperature, which means electrons can flow through CNTs without collisions.

Carbon nanotubes are small wire-like structures made out of a sheet of graphene. The sheet of graphene used to construct CNTs is roughly one-atom thick, and have been rolled up into a cylinder. The diameter of the cylinder ranges in the nanometers.

Unlike most other thermal materials, carbon nanotubes are able to move heat in one direction. On the other hand, copper, which is looked upon as one of the more superior thermal materials, moves heat radially. In the case of CNTs, heat is moved along the alignment of the nanotubes.

http://www.dailytech.com/OCZ+Display...rticle7571.htm

3 Million iPhones Ready for Launch Day; Apple plans to ship them all in one day

Worried about not being able to grab an iPhone when it launches on June 29? Don’t be. According to BusinessWeek’s sources, Apple plans to have a whopping 3 million iPhones for sale on launch day, dwarfing nearly all other consumer device launches in history.

While the iPhone’s pricy entry of $499 may initially scare off enough consumers so that the device won’t immediately sell out, Apple still maintains a goal of selling 10 million units by the end of next year. Analysts are pegging the iPhone to sell only 3 million this year, which could mean no further iPhone shipments until 2008, when sales are estimated to surge to 10 to 12 million.

Piper Jaffray Cos. analyst Gene Munster believes Apple could sell 40 million iPhones in 2009, majorly boosting Apple’s bottom line, but that may not happen without a lower-cost model intended for the more casual phone user.

The iPhone’s June 29 date was revealed last week through a series of 30-second television spots, with one ad even showing the device’s superiority over the iPod. At the end of each spot is the reveal of the June 29 launch date, along with the AT&T smaller print reading, “Use requires minimum new 2 year activation plan.”

Last month, a report stated that the iPhone would be an AT&T network exclusive product for five years. Verizon, who turned down the chance to carry the iPhone, says it will have a comparable product announced late summer.

http://www.dailytech.com/Report+3+Mi...rticle7596.htm

AMD introduces Sempron with 9W TDP

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- May 30, 2007 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced an expansion of its Embedded Solutions offerings to include the new AMD Sempron™ Processor Model 2100+ and the AMD Geode™ LX 800 @ 0.9W Processor, which can now support designs to be deployed in harsh temperature environments. The addition of these new features in AMD’s broad embedded product portfolio showcases AMD’s commitment to delivering processor options that address the expanding and often unique needs of the embedded market. At the same time, AMD is delivering innovation on an industry standard platform, helping shorten design cycles and time to market.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/V...117765,00.html

DRAM Prices Start to Soar in June

With prices already below the manufacturing costs, major DRAM makers have expressed an unwillingness to cut their prices further in clearing out their excess inventory. Current market observations show the DDR2 chip price possibly bottoming out. If this occurs, it should drive up the chip demand, and spur a rebound in the spot price, says DRAMeXchange.

Last week, DDR2 eTT chips leapt 12.5%, hitting a weekly high of USD 1.65. On May 23rd, it experienced a daily price jump reaching 10%. This helped increase the branded chip price 2.3% to USD 1.75, resulting in much stronger market transactions in the DRAM spot market. Despite the fact that Taiwan DRAM makers posted a gross profit of nearly 50% in 4Q06, and 30% in 1Q07, DRAMeXchange believes the persisting DRAM price declines in May will cause them to post a loss in 2Q07.

Although DRAM makers must still ship their chips in May, they indicated no additional price cuts would be made, due to the continuing losses. Prices have thus started to increase for last week. Yet, the end market demand is not expected to pick up in May and June, and PC shipments have been performing worse than expected in May, in the wake of a weak seasonality. Furthermore, PC OEMs, major spot market buyers, and module houses still have inventory levels lasting for more than a month. DRAMeXchange believes that by only relying on buyers in purchasing cheaper chips, the DRAM price increase will be limited at least before June.

http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?...me=0&endtime=0

Over clocking to 8180MHz

OC Team Italy does it again this time 8180MHz.They pushed the Pentium 4 631 to 8180MHz. A super amazing result.Look HERE for screenshots

Microsoft ships its one millionth Zune ahead of schedule

Microsoft shipped its one millionth Zune MP3 player after nine months on the market according to Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division. The company had originally expected to top the one million mark in June, but the company achieved the feat a month early.

"We're very pleased with the progress. We've sold a little over a million Zunes. In the category we're in, the hard-disk-based category, we've got about 10 percent market share," said Bach. "It's a good start. It's not an overwhelming start. I'm not going to pretend it's some gigantic move."

Even though Microsoft shipped over a million Zunes, it's still well behind segment leader Apple which recently celebrated its 100 millionth iPod sold after nearly six years on the market. As of February 2007, the iPod commanded 73.7 percent of the MP3 player market. Microsoft's 2.4 percent share was good enough for fourth place behind SanDisk and Creative Labs.

Microsoft is expecting a rather large uptick in sales leading up to the 2007 holiday season. The company is building a new manufacturing plant in China which will produce a second-generation HDD-based Zune along with a flash-based Zune.

In the mean time, Microsoft is likely to add firmware updates to existing Zunes to further enhance their capabilities. New MP3 player entries on the market such as SanDisk's Sansa Connect offer wireless downloading functionality that many assumed the Zune would feature from the start.

"As to the Wi-Fi, we think the idea of these devices being connected where you want them connected is very important. That's why we shipped the original Zune with Wi-Fi built in, remarked Bach. "The cool thing about that is, the innovation can all be in software. Wi-Fi is an important area. We'll see how that SanDisk project does."


http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+P...rticle7458.htm

Nvidia DX10 Chipsets In Q4

Nvidia Corp., a leading supplier of graphics processors and chipsets, confirmed at a recent quarter conference that it plans to release a core-logic with built-in DirectX 10-compliant graphics core. Despite expectations, the new chipset will be aimed at processors by Advanced Micro Devices and will sport some new features besides graphics core too.


“I would expect that Nvidia will have DirectX10 and high-definition video in a motherboard GPU earlier than any other company in the world. That would be my expectation. So that ought to be, I hope, this year,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, at the most recent conference call with analysts.

Following acquisition of ATI Technologies by AMD, it was widely expected that Nvidia would refocus its chipset business on the market of Intel processors, as AMD has much smaller microprocessor market share and it will inevitably try to maximize sales of its own-brand chipsets, which, as a consequence, will affect sales of Nvidia’s core-logic products dramatically. But Nvidia seems to think that there is still enough space for it on the market of AMD processors and prepares code-named MCP78 offering, its first core-logic that sports built-in DirectX 10 integrated graphics processor (IGP).

Nvidia’s MCP78 will feature Hyper-Transport 3.0 bus as well as PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot for add-in graphics cards, two leading-edge interconnection technologies. The new graphics core will, apart from DirectX 10, sport third-generation PureVideo HD engine that accelerates H.264 and VC-1 as well as D-Sub, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI and TV-out outputs. Like all Nvidia’s core-logic sets, the novelty is also projected to support up to six Serial ATA-300 connectors with RAID capabilities, two Parallel ATA connectors, Gigabit Ethernet controller, 12 USB 2.0 ports and so on. With the new chipset the company will add pressure on AMD's in-house designed IGPs.

Nvidia plans to start mass production of the new core-logic in October using 55nm or 65nm process technology, according to Nvidia’s chief executive.

“All of our new designs are going to 65nm and 55nm,” Mr. Huang said at the recent conference call.

Nvidia officials did not comment on the specifications of the product or its production timeframes.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipset...525163505.html

AMD Phenom CPU Samples In July

AMD has let slip that it will start sampling the Agena and Kuma core CPU's in July. First up are the 2.6 and 2.8GHz version of the Agena FX, which should also be the ones to arrive in retail first.

The Agena FX will be available in both for socket AM2+ and 1207+, although you'll have to make do with the 2.6GHz version if you don't want to use socket 1207+. This CPU will also be limited to single processor systems, as the AM2+ socket doesn't support multi CPU configurations.

The standard Agena range will initially be available at 2.4 and 2.2GHz, while the entry level Kuma processor will clocked at 2.5GHz.

We've provided some proof of the pudding below, but do note that these schedules are for sampling, not mass production. Expect to wait at least a couple of months before you can purchase one of these processors and the Agena FX will be the first chips on sale.

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?op...172&Ite mid=1

Microsoft fixes Windows Vista Office 2007 patch issues

Microsoft has admitted that users of Microsoft Office 2007 on Windows Vista missed out on some of the security patches released this month, as its security update services had failed to deploy the fixes. But the software giant has addressed the problem with the release of a new update.

“We have updated the detection logic for the May 8th security and non-security updates for Office 2007,” said Mark Griesi, a program manager with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), in an entry on the team’s blog.

“In some cases, the original detection logic may not have offered the updates or the updates may not have been installed successfully on systems running Windows Vista.”

The updates that may not have been deployed two weeks ago included ones for Excel 2007 and Office 2007 in general. All were rated “important,” the second-highest ranking in Microsoft’s four-level threat system.

Administrators of Windows Vista will see new versions of the updates and will need to approve them.

“If you have already successfully installed the updates using Microsoft Update, you will not be offered the update again,” Griesi said.

Aside from Microsoft Update service, updates are also available through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Systems Management Server (SMS) and Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU).

Griesi urged users to run Windows Update or WSUS again to guarantee that Office 2007 is up to date.


http://vista.blorge.com/2007/05/25/m...-patch-issues/

Barcelona Ronaldinho Chosen for FIFA 08 Mascot

Despite Barcelona's up and down season, the Brazilian's stock remains sky high, and he will lead the line of international superstars to be featured by the videogame producers.

Players of various nationalities will be chosen to partner him in regional versions, particularly in Spain, Germany, France and Greece, with Ronaldinho leading the world-wide English release.

The other players are:

Sergio Ramos (Spanish, Real Madrid, to feature in Spain), Miroslav Klose (German, Werder Bremen, Germany) Andreas Ivanschitz (Austrian, Panathinaikos, Greece), Tranquillo Barnetta (Swiss, Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Florent Malouda (French, Olympique Lyonnais, France), Franck Ribery (French, Olympique Marseille, France).

"We are proud to call some of the world’s best football athletes our partners," said Joe Booth, senior producer for FIFA 08.

"The access, guidance and insight they give us means that FIFA 08 will create a next gen experience that not only looks authentic, but that captures the emotion, finesse and beauty of the game."

"Ronaldinho and all the FIFA 08 cover stars bring a passion for the sport that is raw and true. They enjoy helping us bring that real-world experience into the game," continued Matt Bilbey, International Director, EA SPORTS.

"Their expert skills, commitment to success and passion for football inspire our development team and help us make FIFA 08 the most natural-feeling football videogame in the world."

Ronaldinho himself took the opportunity to reiterate his desire to continue with Barcelona.

"I am very happy at Barcelona, and I do not imagine going anywhere else," he said. "I want to win the league, and then look at the future.

"I want to continue here, to be a part of this club's history, and to fight for trophies."

Speaking about Berlusconi's recent comments, he said it gave him "joy" to be acknowledged, and simply served as "a motivation to continue playing well."

"After our latest win, we are very motivated to continue in the same way," he said, speaking about the title race. "We will not look at Real Madrid, only at ourselves."

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=311535