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Monday 12 September 2011
Monday 12 September 2011
- 29 Comments
Video games have come to a long way since their original conception. Most people would agree that games today with their plethora of diverse features and visuals are more or less at par with Hollywood movies. Heavy Rain is an interesting fusion of these two mediums of entertainment. It is hard to determine whether the title qualifies as the next level of video gaming or as an intriguing movie with avant-garde interactive sequence of a dark film-noirplot. Whatever the case maybe, the game feels invigorating and will keep you glued to it.
Plot
Heavy Rain has an engrossing and powerful story that will have you hooked. The plot is a murder mystery that center on the Origami Killer, a psychopathic serial killer whose modus operandi is to abduct and kill children and leave them in the rain with a folded piece of paper (origami) in their cold, dead hands. The story is told from the perspective of the four playable characters, each with their own reasons for uncovering the murderer’s identity. Gamers can assume the roles of Norman Jayden, an FBI investigator with a drug addiction, Scott Shelby, a private investigator hired by the victim’s families, Madison Paige, a photojournalist who suffers from chronic insomnia or Ethan Mars, an architect trying to save his son from becoming the next victim. Each character is a very well developed and contributes significantly in weaving a dynamic storyline. Several mindboggling clues that are scattered all over the place, prevent the killer’s identity from being easily disclosed and since the killer can be just about anyone, the element of suspense keeps you guessing until the end.
Gameplay
The flow of the game is mostly linear with a fair amount of divergence around the middle and the end. Perfectly-sized chapters with frequent checkpoints make it easy for you to replay complete chapters which let you take full advantage of the save-game option in each chapter. This is a welcomed feature indeed, since even the slightest change can alter the storyline and affect the game’s outcome.
The gameplay is unique and devoid of a constant heads-up display (HUD). Instead it relies on the context-sensitive input and prompts relevant pop-ups as the player encounters the different situations.
The Verdict
To say that Heavy Rain in a league of its own is not an exaggeration. Although the task of creating a title with minimal interaction yet significant effects is daunting, Heavy rain impressively delivers on all fronts. If you demand a cinematic experience from your games, then this title definitely fits your bill. The Heavy Rain is only available on PS3.
Video Review
Tuesday 30 August 2011
Wednesday 3 August 2011
Wednesday 3 August 2011
- 27 Comments
Long rumored to be secretly in development, the Sony PlayStation Phone (as it is unofficially called) is alleged to be a joint collaboration between Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Ericsson, rumored to take mobile gaming to a whole new level. Not with standing initial denials by the hands at Sony, the new Smartphone, codename Zeus, is said to have the ability to download and play games much like the PlayStation Portable. The device is encased in a sliding from factor, housing a 1GHz snapdragon processor, 512MB of Ram (rumored to be upgraded to 1GB in the final version), 1 GB internal memory with support for micro SD cards, a 5 megapixel camera, touchscreen display and will be powers by Android 2.3 (Ginger bread). Jugging from the prototype, the device slides out to reveal a standard control pad for the PlayStation, with directional and face buttons along with a trackpad for analog movement and two shoulder buttons. Although most executives are still dodging questions about the existence of such device. No words on whether the deice supports the Sony PlayStation or Sony Ericsson Xperia brand names or both, but one thing is certain, the entire gaming world now has its eyes on Sony.Sony PlayStation Phone Specifications
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100, HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800
Announced 2011, February
Status Available. Released 2011, March
Announced 2011, February
Status Available. Released 2011, March
Size Dimensions 119 x 62 x 16 mm
Weight 175 g
Weight 175 g
Display Type LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 480 x 854 pixels, 4.0 inches
- Touch sensitive gaming controls
- PSP like gaming buttons
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Multi-touch input method
- Timescape UI
Size 480 x 854 pixels, 4.0 inches
- Touch sensitive gaming controls
- PSP like gaming buttons
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Multi-touch input method
- Timescape UI
Sound Alert types Vibration, MP3 ringtones, Loudspeaker with stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack
Memory:
Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Practically unlimited
Internal 400 MB, 512 MB RAM
Card slot microSD, up to 32GB, 8GB included
Call records Practically unlimited
Internal 400 MB, 512 MB RAM
Card slot microSD, up to 32GB, 8GB included
Data GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA, HSUPA, WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
USB microUSB v2.0
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
USB microUSB v2.0
Camera Primary 5 MP, 2592Ñ…1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality
Features Geo-tagging, image stabilization
Video Yes, WVGA
Secondary Yes
Features Geo-tagging, image stabilization
Video Yes, WVGA
Secondary Yes
Features OS Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
CPU 1GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon
Messaging SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Radio No
Games Downloadable, motion & gesture gaming
Colors Black, White
GPS A-GPS support
Java Via Java MIDP emulator
- Dedicated game store
- SNS integration
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Digital compass
- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player
- MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk
- Track ID
- Organizer
- Document viewer/editor
- Flash Lite support
- Voice memo/dial/commands
- Predictive text input
Battery
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh CPU 1GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon
Messaging SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Radio No
Games Downloadable, motion & gesture gaming
Colors Black, White
GPS A-GPS support
Java Via Java MIDP emulator
- Dedicated game store
- SNS integration
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Digital compass
- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player
- MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk
- Track ID
- Organizer
- Document viewer/editor
- Flash Lite support
- Voice memo/dial/commands
- Predictive text input
Battery
Stand-by Up to 425 h (2G) / Up to 413 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 8 h 25 min (2G) / Up to 6 h 25 min (3G)
Music play Up to 31 h
Video Review
Sunday 17 July 2011
Sunday 17 July 2011
- 24 Comments
Home > Gadgets > Samsung ST550 Digital Camera
Although digital photography and digital cameras have been around for quite some time, the constant evolution of this technology has managed to lure professionals, amateurs and hobbyists, who are eager for new and updated tools. The sleek and compact 12.2 megapixel Samsung ST 550 Digital camera is big on innovation and surprise features and is also quite reasonably priced.
First Impression
Dressed in bright reddish-orange strip running along one side, the design of the Samsung ST550 is visually appealing. The front camera is clutter-free, sporting only basics, a neatly placed Schneider Kreznach lens, flash, a tiny AF-assist lamp and an unassuming 1.5-inch front facing LCD screen. The width of the camera is ideally structured to fit one’s grip while taking photographs. How ever, the small and flat power button can be inconvenient to operate. One needs to consciously to power on the camera ensure that it is depressed adequately to power on the camera. The zoom button takes a while to get used to, but once you are familiar with its range, it is fairly easy to manage. As the user interface is entirely touch-based, you may find yourself backtracking a lot. The rear screen is entirely touch screen, prone to fingerprints and smudges. However, the extremely responsive haptic feedback is a pleasure and can be customized to suit one’s comfort level.
Auto, Smart and Dual IS
The Auto mode, as the name suggests, is perfect for quick and convenient snapshots, as it automatically adjusts flash, focus and settings. Smart Auto is a step above and recognizes the scene, adjusting the settings accordingly, for example, it will automatically provide face detection features and adjust focus for the snapshot. Dual image stabilization (DIS) mode combines digital and optical image stabilization to produce clear and blur-free images.
Specifications
Product Type: Digital camera - Compact
Width: 3.9 in
Depth: 0.7 in
Height: 2.4 in
Weight:5.8 oz
Main Features
Resolution: 12.2 megapixels
Optical Sensor Type: CCD
Total Pixels: 1.24E+7 pixels
Effective Sensor Resolution: 1.22E+7 pixels
Optical Sensor: Size 1/2.33"
Digital Zoom: 5.0 x
Special Effects: Cool, Color Filter, Noise, Classic, Vivid, Negative, Retro, Soft, Elegant, Calm, Forest
Image Stabilizer: Optical
Max Shutter Speed: 0.00050 sec
Min Shutter Speed: 8.0 sec
Face Detection: Yes
Digital Video Format: H.264
Still Image Format: JPEG
TV Tuner: None
Video Capture: H.264 - 320 x 240, H.264 - 1280 x 720, H.264 - 640 x 480
Memory
Supported Flash Memory: microSD card, microSDHC card
Integrated Memory: 55.0 MB
Optical Zoom: 4.6 x
Display
Type: LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3.5 in - Color Connector Type: 1.0 x USB,
1.0 x Composite video/audio output,
1.0 x DC power input
Expansion Slot(s) 1.0 x microSD
Battery
Supported Battery Samsung SLB-07A, 1.0 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 720.0 mAh (Included)
Other features
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Camera orientation detection,
Built-in speaker,
Direct print,
Resizing an image,
Digital image rotation,
720p HD movie recording,
DPOF support,
In-camera red-eye fix,
In-camera movie editing,
Smile Detection technology,
Date/time stamp,
Touch-screen control,
Dual image stabilization
Video Review
Tuesday 28 June 2011
Tuesday 28 June 2011
- 36 Comments
Home > Games > Call of Duty: Black Ops
The Call of Duty: Black Ops is the peek of the gaming world. The Call of Duty series have been world’s one of the most popular first-person shooter video game, which are released on PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii consoles. The series started from the Call of Duty: Cold War and Black Ops stands at seventh part. The game was released worldwide on November 9, 2010 and Announced on April 30, 2010. It has four different and unique multiplayer maps.
The game is published by Activision and developed by Treyarch as third series. More than 7 million copies sold within 24 hours since it was available for sale, which broke the record of Modern Warfare 2 with approximately 2.5 million copies. The 5.6 million sold in US while 1.4 million in the United Kingdom and earned 1 billion in sales.
Game Overview
Being a first person shooter game, the Call of Duty: Black Ops is a fully action game with same as the war head situations. The player is fully equipped with the modern weapons and tools such as grenades, assault rifle and crossbows with bolts, Dragon's Breath rounds and ballistic knives. Call of Duty: Black Ops offers the advanced war situation at sixty frames per second and also include streaming texture technology for maximum graphics where need such as when player operates the helicopter. The lighting and shadows have been amazingly improved for getting close to the reality. It is also equipped with the 3D imaging rendered but this feature is applied on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Conclusion
The Call of Duty: Black Ops secured the positive response from the gamers and gaming fans so far due to offering the most advance gaming experience and modern war features. You will not be disappointed after spending handsome amount on this game.
System Requirements
Operating System: Windows Vista / XP / 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 or better
Memory: 2GB
Hard Drive Space: 12GB
Video Adopter: Shader 3.0 or better 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT / ATI Radeon X1950Pro or better
Sound Adopter: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
Conclusion
The Call of Duty: Black Ops secured the positive response from the gamers and gaming fans so far due to offering the most advance gaming experience and modern war features. You will not be disappointed after spending handsome amount on this game.
System Requirements
Operating System: Windows Vista / XP / 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 or better
Memory: 2GB
Hard Drive Space: 12GB
Video Adopter: Shader 3.0 or better 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT / ATI Radeon X1950Pro or better
Sound Adopter: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Video Trailer
Sunday 19 June 2011
Sunday 19 June 2011
- 23 Comments
Home > Gadgets > Kodak Zx1 Pocket Video Camera
Designed with action and adventure in mind, the Kodak Zx1 Pocket Video Camera can record high definition (HD) videos in extreme weather conditions and boasts an impressive IP43 weather-resistant rating. Shaped like a small mobile phone, its stainless steel represents strength and style. Rubberized jacks and lining secure open ports and keypad on the camera and though the camera claims to be waterproof, recording underwater is not advisable. You can record HD record at 60fps, 30fps or VGA with complete ease. The internal memory is only 128MB, but wit a SD/SDHC card slot can be expanded up to 32GB, allowing almost 10 hours of recording. Its low distortion microphone helps you to capture clear audio, and the playback feature helps you to view videos and images on a two inch screen. The captured media can easily be transferred from the camera to PC via USB cable. After stalling the video editing software on the Kodak Zx1 Pocket Video Camera, you can even edit your videos.
Specifications
General
Product Type: Camcorder - 720p
Digital Zoom2 x
Optical Sensor: Size1/4.5"
Optical Sensor: TypeCMOS
Digital Video Format: H.264
Shooting Modes: Digital photo mode
Widescreen Video Capture: Yes
Main Features
Camcorder Sensor Resolution: 1.6 megapixels
Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution: 3 megapixels
Memory / Storage: Supported Flash MemorySD Memory Card
Integrated Memory: 128 MB
Media Type: Flash card
Type: Lens - 4.1 mm - F/2.8
Focal Length: 4.1 mm
Lens system typeLens
Focus Adjustment: Focus free
Min Focus Range: 27.6 in
Additional Features
Digital Still Camera Function: Yes
Additional Features: Weatherproof, Built-in speaker, YouTube capture mode, USB 2.0 compatibility
Type: LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2 in - Color
Microphone
Type: Microphone - Built-in
Connections
Connector Type: 1 x USB, 1 x HDMI output, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x DC power input
Expansion Slot(s): 1 x SD Memory Card
Audio Input
Audio input type: Microphone
Microphone type: Built-in
Microphone Operation Mode: Mono
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating System SupportMS Windows XP SP2, Apple Mac OS X 10.4 or later, MS Windows Vista, Peripheral DevicesUSB port, CD-ROM drive, XGA monitor
Battery
Supported Battery: 2 x AA NiMH rechargeable battery ( Included ), 1 x Kodak KLIC 8000 Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Optional ), 1 x Kodak CRV3 Lithium battery ( Optional ), 2 x AA Alkaline battery ( Optional )
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support: 1 year warranty
Physical Characteristics
Width: 2 in
Depth: 0.8 in
Height: 4.2 in
Weight: 3.2 oz
Video Review
Video Review
Home > Gadgets > Dell Inspiron 14 (1464)
Design and construction
Laptops in Dell’s Inspiron series are popular with consumes for several reasons, one of them is their design. Sticking to the traditional Inspiron design, the Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) features a few cosmetic adjustments, combining some of the design elements of Dell’s Studio series. The body is tad slimmer, with fewer bezels. Vendors offer consumers an option of four glossy colors for the lid. The 1.3-megapixel webcam sits at the top-center of the inside lid, above the screen, which is framed by the thick bezel.
The basic unit is black with smooth, polished, metallic carbon-grey palmrest that melds into the fine matte touchpad almost indistinctly. The keyboard features the dedicated arrow keys and layout navigation keys such as Home, Page up, Page down and End. The power on button sits on the base, above the keyboard.
The left side sports a single USB 2.0 port, a HDMI connector, an Ethernet port, a VGA port, the heat vent and the AC power jack. The right side carries the headphones/line-out and microphone jacks, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a 7-in-1 memory card reader slot and the DVD writer. Both SRS Premium Sound speakers are situated below the front edge of the base.
Performance
Featuring the generation Intel Core i5-430M mobile processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics processor at its core, the 1464 is a performance-based mainstream machine. The dual-core Arrandale processor features hyperthreading and turbo boost. This means that, in effect, the processor can handle four simultaneous threads and push its processing speed up to 2.53 gigahertz when task require more horsepower. The 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Ultimate and Ubuntu 9.10, fully updated and with the complete range of UI effects enabled.
Mobility
Weighting in at 2.2 standard 6-cell batteries, the inspiron 1464 is lighter than previous 14-inch laptops. The Dell Inspiron 14 (1464) also gives you 2 hours and 15 minutes under average use, it comes nowhere near Dell’s claim of 4 hours and 4 minutes.
Bottom line
The Dell Inspiron 14 (1464-0004) is finely designed for basic home usage, entertainment, gaming and work loads. Dell Inspiron 14 (1464-0004) is well balanced system, with the right amount of computing capability for most average tasks. There is not much else to be said about it.
Specifications
Processor: Core i5-430M 2.27GHz
Graphics Processor: 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HDD 4330
Chipset: Intel HM55 Express
Memory: 1GB 1066MHz DDR3 (Up to 4GB)
Hard drive: 320GB 2.5 -inch 5400rpm SATA
Display: 14.1 -inch 16:9 widescreen LED, VGA, HDMI
Optical drive: DC/DVD-RW 24x (tray-load)
Audio/Video: Built-in 4W stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jacks (mic and headphones), integrated 1.3MP webcam and microphone
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11g, Ethernet 1./100, 3 USB 2.0, 7-in-1 media card reader slot
Dimensions: 13.39x1.27x9.55 inches (WHD)
Weight: 2.19kg (excluding power adaptor)
Package Contents: Laptop, AC power adaptor, FreeDOS disk, manuals, warranty and licensing information.
Monday 13 June 2011
Monday 13 June 2011
- 11 Comments
Home > Information Technology > Motherboards > AMD Phenom x4 9500 Quad core
Intel’s quad core processor has been in the market for sometime now, presents a great stops gap between dual core and multi core processing. By combining two Core 2 Duo processors into one processor, Intel has pushed a hybrid product that might not be better than a single dual core processor, but has more long term potential.
Conclusion
AMD, as of late, has been slower to market than Intel and its upcoming Phenom line of processors has only just arrived. In a nutshell, AMD Phenom x4 9500 Quad core is answer to the to the Core 2 Quad line up from Intel. Phenom is an evolution of existing Athlon 64 X2 architecture, and comes along with support for cutting-edge, new platform from AMD called Spider which includes the previously reviewed HD 3850 chipset as the primary graphics chip. With a relatively higher end and complete solution in place, AMD intends to take the processor race one notch higher.
What’s difference
The critical difference between the Core 2 Duo and the AMD Phenom x4 9500 Quad core processor is that the AMD variant is a true blooded-quad core processor. This is to say, its resources are actively shared between the four cores present in the processor. AMD achieves this with a common L3 cache that is shared between all four cores allowing dynamic load processing to occur under one roof.
Conclusion
There a lot of expectations with AMD’s latest quad core CPU, and although it does present a significant step in a right architectural direction, it quivers when it come to roe performance, especially in comparison to Intel’s Quad core offerings. It would be safe to say that AMD is betting that the new Spider platform and the Phenom bundle will present the value proposition which is better that what Intel has to offer, in terms of feature and row graphics processing power.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Wednesday 8 June 2011
- 22 Comments
The new Apple iPod nano is a compact, yet stylish, jukebox which is available in vivid colors and features a 2-inch (diagonal liquid crystal display, LED backlights and huge storage capacities (four and eight gigabytes) holding up to a thousand to two thousand songs respectively. Users can copy entire albums to their iPod nanos and scroll through them to view the track listings separately. Moreover it lets users to view up to seven thousand photos in slideshows, features three built-in games, a contact list and a calendar. Once charged, it plays music up o four hours in a go, It is shipped with a pair of earphones, docking adopter, USB cable and a user manual.
Specifications
Size and weight
- Height: 3.6 inches (90.7 mm).
- Width: 1.5 inches (38.7 mm).
- Depth: 0.24 inch (6.2 mm).
- Weight: 1.28 ounces (36.4 grams).
Capacity
- 8GB or 16GB flash drive.
- Holds up to 2,000 or 4,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format.
- Holds up to 7,000 or 14,000 iPod-viewable photos.
- Holds up to 8 hours or 16 hours of video.
- Stores data via USB flash drive.
Accessibility
- Spoken menus allow listeners to hear many of the names of menus, song titles, and artists without viewing the screen.
- A high-resolution LCD display with adjustable contrast and backlight settings makes it easier to read in low light.
- Captions in video are displayed when they are present using a legible, high-contrast white-on-black font.
Display
- 2.2-inch (diagonal) TFT display.
- 240-by-376-pixel resolution at 204 pixels per inch.
Audio
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz.
- Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV.
Video Capture
- H.264 VGA video, 640 by 480 pixels, up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio.
Battery and power
- Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
- Playback time
- Music playback time: Up to 24 hours when fully charged.
- Video playback time: Up to 5 hours when fully charged.
- Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately).
- Fast-charge time: about 1.5 hours (charges up to 80% of battery capacity).
- Full-charge time: about 3 hours.
Mac system requirements
- Mac computer with USB 2.0 port.
- Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later.
- iTunes 9 or later.
- iPhoto 6.0.6 or later recommended for use with Mac OS X Tiger.
- iPhoto ’09 recommended for use with Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard.
Windows system requirements
- PC with USB 2.0 port.
- Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later.
- iTunes 9 or later.
Accessories
- In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
Engineered for extreme clarity and audio accuracy, these headphones let you hear musical details you’ve been missing. - USB Power Adapter
Use this ultracompact USB-based adapter to charge your iPhone or iPod whenever it’s not connected to a computer. - Earphones with Remote and Mic
These earbud headphones have convenient buttons that let you adjust volume and control music and video playback. - Universal Dock with Remote
Get easy access to a USB port for charging and syncing your iPod or for connecting to a TV or speakers. - Apple Composite AV Cable
- Apple Component AV Cable
- Apple Dock Connector to USB Cable
- iPod Universal Dock Adapter 3-Pack
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