Apple passes Microsoft to be biggest tech company

Apple has pushed past arch-rival Microsoft to become the world's biggest technology company.

Changes in the share price values of the two in Wednesday's choppy trading left the total value of Apple at $222bn (£154bn).

Microsoft is now valued by investors at $219bn.

However, Microsoft still enjoys higher profits than Apple. Its most recent annual net profit was $14.6bn (£10bn), compared with $5.7bn for Apple.

Microsoft also reported bigger full-year revenues of $58.4bn, with Apple on $36.5bn.

Apple's shares closed Wednesday trading down 0.4% at $244.11, while Microsoft fell by 4% to $25.01.

iPhone boost

The value of a listed company, known as market capitalisation, is calculated by multiplying the number of shares in a company by the current share price.

MICROSOFT V APPLE

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• Annual revenues: Microsoft $58.4bn, Apple $36.5bn
• Annual net profits: Microsoft $14.6bn, Apple $5.7bn
• Earnings per share: Microsoft $1.62, Apple $6.29
• Price/earnings ratio: Microsoft 12.8, Apple 24.

Apple, which makes computers, iPods, iPhones and now iPads, almost went out of business in the 1990s.

Its growth is partly owing to the launch of the iPod in 2001.

Although the iPod works with computers running Microsoft's Windows operating systems, it encouraged more people to to buy one of Apple's computers.

The big popularity of the iPhone, which has become a big seller since it was first released in 2007, has further boosted Apple's profits and revenues.

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It's a long game, we have good competitors... we too are a very good competitor

Steve Ballmer Microsoft chief executive

The handset has brought internet access on the move to the mass market, and led to an explosion in downloadable mobile "apps" - applications that enable a huge range of activities, from map reading to booking restaurants.

A new version of the iPhone is expected to be unveiled next month.

Meanwhile, this week sees the launch in the UK and eight other countries of Apple's iPad tablet computer.

This has already proven to be a big seller in the US, so much so that the UK launch was postponed to enable Apple to keep up with demand in the US.

Heyday

Apple has to look back to late 1989 to see the last time it was a bigger company than Microsoft.

Microsoft makes most of its money from operating systems and software

Microsoft, whose operating system runs on more than 90% of the world's personal computers, has not been able to match growth rates from its heyday of the 1990s.

Microsoft continues to make the majority of its earnings from its software and operating systems, and has struggled to successfully diversify into other products.

However, Microsoft has achieved success with its X-Box games console.

Questioned on the news that Apple was now a bigger company, Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer said his firm would continue to follow a long-term strategy.

"It's a long game, we have good competitors... we too are a very good competitor," he said.

"We are executing very well and that is going to lead to great products and great success."

Android Phones Available On the Market

The Android OS is the most versatile for the avid social networker. It’s an OS that’s designed for those who wish to stay connected to the net and constantly be in tune with their online lifestyles. If you’re looking for an Android handset, here’s a list featuring a few of the devices that are currently available in the Indian market in an official capacity.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 - Rs. 31,189 (MOP)
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10’s large scratch resistant touchscreen display is coupled with the company’s spanking new user interfaces viz. Mediascape for all of your multimedia requirements and internet integration with the same and Timescape that’s designed to give you updates for all of your online accounts from email to social networking. Running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor, Android v1.6 is a little underwhelming but thankfully an update is soon to follow and should be available anytime soon.    The handset’s 8MP camera features Image Stabilization and Face/Smile Detection. 

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10 features -
4.0-inch touchscreen – 480 x 854 pixel resolution
3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi (DLNA), GPS
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
1GB internal memory + microSD card support up to 32GB
3.5mm handsfree socket
Motorola MILESTONE - Rs. 27,999 (MOP)
The MILESTONE comes off as a beast of a handset in it’s all black shell, large screen (with multi-touch) and slide out QWERTY keypad. Its handset is a powerful looking device and with its ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor and PowerVR SGX530 graphics, it really is. This seems to be the only Android handset that features an audio enhancement option in the form of EQ presets as well as Motorola’s Crystal Talk technology for ultra clear voice calls. Motorola’s MotoNav mapping app has also been thrown in for a more intense and thorough GPS experience.

The MILESTONE features -
3.7-inch touchscreen – 480 x 854 pixel resolution
3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, GPS
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
5 megapixel autofocus camera with Dual LED flash
microSD card support up to 32GB
3.5mm handsfree socket
HTC Legend - Rs. 25,990 (MRP)
The Legend id HTC’s latest Android device to hit India. It runs on a version 2.1 or Éclair and of course, incorporates HTC’s very intuitive and feature rich Sense UI. The devices AMOLED display features multi-touch technology and HTC has taken the trackball and optical navigation system to a new level with their round, touch-sensitive Optical trackpad. Its sliver one piece aluminum casing gives it a classy yet robust feel.

The Legend features -
3.2-inch touchscreen – 320 x 480 pixel resolution
3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, GPS
Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
FM radio
microSD card support up to 32GB
3.5mm handsfree socket

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Call Of Duty: Black Ops Trailer

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Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Sony Ericsson's first Symbian phone was an epic disaster, at least for us. It was by far one of the most annoying phones I have ever used and the software was so badly put together that using the phone was painful. It did not even matter to us that it had a 12 megapixel camera with xenon flash with very good picture quality. The poor software made everything else irrelevant, making the phone almost unusable. Not to be deterred with failure, Sony Ericsson decided to experiment with Symbian again and came up with yet another smartphone, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz.

The Vivaz brings with it a new hardware design with features that are just a notch below than that of Satio. Okay. But the hardware wasn't much of a problem with the previous phone, it was the software. Unfortunately, Vivaz still runs on the same old Symbian S60 5th Edition operating system.

Bundle

• Sony Ericsson Vivaz
• Battery
• Charger
• Headset
• USB Cable
• Stylus
• 8GB microSD card
• User Guide

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Google Android 2.2 Froyo Arrives for Nexus One

Last week, Google announced a significant update - Android 2.2 codenamed Froyo. Phandroid now reports that as per the recentbuzz on Twitter, Google has been rolling it out slowly to select Nexus One users. However, this update is available only to those Nexus One handsets which come with build ERE27. Currently, getting the Android 2.2 Froyo update on Nexus One manually requires lot of custom modifications.

Google had given the Android 2.2 update loaded Nexus One phones to media members at the Google I/O conference last week. Obviously, normal users would have to wait for their version of update through Over The Air method. However, as per Phandroid, Nexus One users with stock and unrooted ERE27 build can trigger manual download by following the eight steps listed on Phandroid blog. First of all, if you don't know what build version your Nexus One has, then go to phone's Settings and select the About Phone option to see the details of the phone.

Just in case you want to go for long steps with number of customizations then head on the XDA Developer forums.

Note: Both these methods require loads of manual modifications to your phone. If you don't know how to go about it, then please don't try it and wait for an OTA update. Also, the update works with select mobile operator SIM cards only.

"World's Smallest Laser Printer" by Samsung

Samsung Electronics has enhanced its printer line-up with the launch of 8 new models in the Laser Printer, Multi Function Printer and Network Printer categories, including what the company claims to be the world's smallest laser printer-ML-1666.

 

The ML-1666 is a compact monochrome laser printer which has a speed of 16 pages per minute. It claims to offer a number of easy to use one touch features into the product design. This petit device is priced at an MRP of Rs. 5,499, which includes a starter toner of 1,500 pages, making it very affordable even for home users or small shopkeepers. At just Rs.399 extra, you get a 2 year warranty in addition to the standard one year onsite warranty.
In addition to the ML-1666, Samsung has launched three Mono Laser printers - ML-1911, ML-2525, and ML-2581N. These stylish Laser Printers boast monthly duty cycles of up to 12,000 pages, 8 MB Memory and Print speeds of 18ppm/24 ppm pages (ML-2526/2581N). All the Samsung Laser Printers launched today sport 'Printelligent' features such as Toner Save, Smart Panel (enables easy trouble shooting), One Touch print screen and AnyWEb Printing. The MRP of ML-1911 is Rs. 6,499; ML-2526 is Rs. 8,999 and the ML-2581 N is priced at Rs. 12,999. These printers come with a one year, onsite warranty.
Apart from these, Samsung has added a range of Laser Multi Function Printers to its current portfolio. These feature rich Multi Function Printers SCX-4601, SCX-4623 FH, SCX-4623 FN boast of high speeds up to 22 ppm and are designed for optimum usability. The MRP of SCX-4601 is Rs. 9,999 while the SCX-4623FH costs Rs.14,499.
The new SCX-4623FN is a versatile 22 ppm Network ready MFP with Print, Scan, Copy and Fax functions, gives up to 1200x1200 dpi effective output for print/scan and Copy functions. It comes with 128 MB memory; a monthly duty cycle of up to 10,000 pages and a 7 MB Fax memory.  An ADF capacity of 40 sheets; Advanced Digital Copy Functions - 2 sides in 1 (ID Copy), Autofit, Clone, Poster Copy and Fax to PC and PC to Fax capability, all contribute to making this printer ideal for SMB and workgroup environments .The Samsung SCX-4623FN is priced at Rs. 15,499.

Super Street Fighter IV

35 characters, all unlocked ;Versatile difficulty settings; Lots of new content

Renders last year's Street Fighter IV completely useless

It's no secret that the oldest fighting game franchise is still the best. Over the years, Street Fighter has done its share of experimentation and re-invention, but Capcom never really altered the core gameplay; and that's exactly what separates Street Fighter from just about every other franchise. Capcom knew right from the start that they had a winner, so instead of messing it up to 'keep up with the times', they kept adding to it. The latest fine tuning experiment done right is Super Street Fighter IV.

Street Fighter IV was not a broken game in any way, in fact there were hardly any flaws that one could pick out in it. That is until you try out Super Street Fighter IV. The additions in the new version, though not drastic, are enough to give you enough new content to play with, even if you've worn out your fingers to the bone with Street Fighter IV.
The first refreshing change you'll notice is a much bigger character roster with 35 characters, all playable right from the start. You have all the Street Fighter IV characters, some of the older and more familiar characters like T. Hawk, Dee Jay and Adon. Cody and Guy from Capcom's own Final Fight series also make an appearance here along with some brand new fighters namely Juri and Hakan make a welcome addition and are flavorful enough to become quick fan favorites.

Considering the difficulty level of Street Fighter IV, especially in the final boss fight, the Super version comes with many more difficulty settings. The easiest setting can make a perfect entry point for noobs, since the CPU controlled opponents here are almost comatose in their reaction level. The hardest level, on the other hand borderlines on the CPU cheating against you. But the point is, that with a very high number of difficulty settings, just about anyone can find one that's just right for him.
The biggest change in the fighting system, however is the addition of a second set of revenge based Ultra Combos to choose from. This adds a whole new level of replayability, since all the characters you avoided in the previous game are now worth another look with their spanking new combo sets.

Just like the previous game, the best console to pick Super Street Fighter IV on would be the PlayStation 3, simply because of the controller. D-Pad is practically the best way to control the game, and in that department the PS3 controller has a clear advantage over the Xbox 360's.
To be honest, when I initially heard of a "Super" Street Fighter IV game in the works, I thought Capcom was pulling off a cheap trick to milk the franchise by selling off an overrated DLC. But after spending some good amount of time with the game, and seeing all the great additions to it, I honestly believe that it's worth the Rs. 2,499 price tag, even if you own the original one. The sheer amount of content, fighting mechanics and incredibly addictive gameplay makes it a must-have for any fighting game enthusiast.

Pakistan Court Orders Block of Facebook Over Caricatures

A Pakistani court ordered the government on Wednesday to block Facebook after press reports of a competition being held to draw the Prophet Mohammad, a lawyer said. Pakistani media recently reported that a caricature competition is being held on May 20 about Mohammad on Facebook.

A spokesman for the official telecommunications watchdog, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, said the government on Tuesday ordered Internet service providers to block websites showing these caricatures, but that they had not received the court orders as yet. Any representation of the Prophet Mohammad is deemed un-Islamic and blasphemous by Muslims. But some warned the court's response could backfire. "Blocking the entire website would anger users, especially young and adults, because the social networking website is so popular among them and they spend most of their time on it," said the CEO of Nayatel, Wahaj-us-Siraj.

On the information page on Facebook for the contest -- which was still visible on Wednesday -- the organizers described it as a "snarky" response to Muslim bloggers who "warned" the creators of the Comedy Central television show "South Park" over a recent depiction of the Prophet in a bear suit. "We are not trying to slander the average Muslim," the Facebook page creators wrote. "We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Mohammad depictions that we're not afraid of them. That they can't take away our right to freedom of speech by trying to scare us into silence."

Publications of similar cartoons in Danish newspapers in 2005 sparked deadly protests in Muslim countries. Around 50 people were killed during violent protests in Muslim countries in 2006 over the cartoons, five of them in Pakistan. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Denmark's embassy in Islamabad in 2008, killing six people, saying it was in revenge for publication of caricatures.

5 Things Cellphones could Replace Entirely

This is something we have been hearing since a long time now - "cell phones have become the ultimate convergence electronic device of the century." While there is much to rejoice over the number of devices a mobile phone has replaced, we can be rest assured that there is plenty more coming our way.
In this article let's look at some of these devices that mobile phones have, or will eventually bring, to a state of oblivion.  
Alarm clocks, Address books, Digital Diaries

Let me take a wild guess: Every man and woman who visits Techtree.com owns a  mobile phone. I don't remember the last time a cellphone user set a separate alarm clock before he or she went to bed. Let's face it, wrist-watches don't have that loud a beep to wake us up from deep sleep, table clocks are loud but have this typical beep that can irritate the crap out of many. However, the speaker on a cellphone is loud enough, and plus you get to wake up to the sound of your favorite song! Done and dusted - alarm clocks are history.

Ah, the infamous "Black book". I still know a few people who like to write phone numbers down in these. But with today's phones that can store more than 1000 contacts, the address book has also met the same fate of the alarm clock. What's the need to write when you can store contacts and search for them with a few key-punches? 

Digital Diaries existed in the era of pagers (a.k.a beepers). They were multi-function devices that would store phone numbers, store calendar and appointment entries, notes etc. A 1500 rupees cellphone does ALL OF THAT today, and makes phone calls! Sayonara Casio!

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Alan Wake (Preview)

One of the most awaited games of 2010 is due for release on 20th of May, and thanks to Microsoft India, we at Techtree were able to get an exclusive early hands-on with the game at Microsoft's office. Although we got limited time with the game it was still enough to give us an impression of what the game is all about. So what do we think of it? Read on to find out.

Let's take a quick look at the story of the game first. The protagonist, Alan Wake, is a famous author but for some reason has not been able to write anything for about two years. His wife, Alice, takes him to a small beautiful town named Bright Falls, Washington, so that he may begin writing again. The day they arrive at Bright Falls, Alice goes missing and Alan discovers all sorts of weird things happening around him. For starters, all inhabitants of the town get possessed by some dark force at night and Alan finds himself being part of a story that he apparently wrote himself, a story that he does not even remember writing.
Now Alan must find the missing manuscripts and piece the puzzle together so that he can find his wife again, all the while trying to escape the creations of his own imagination. The only way to destroy these creatures of the dark is to shine light on them, which is why one of the most important weapons that you will wield in the game is a flash light.

The story is told in a unique episodic manner. If played at a decent pace on the normal difficulty level, each episode lasts about an hour. Think of each episode as a different level. After an episode ends and a new one starts, you get a recap of all that happened in the previous episode. This makes you feel like you are part of a TV series rather than a player in a game.
If it isn't clear already, Alan Wake is an action survival horror thriller game. Your primary enemies are inhabitants of Bright Falls, who have been possessed by a supernatural force. This gives them the ability to take far more damages than your average Bright Fall citizen and even move around at blinding speeds that would leave you spinning around as they move and try to dodge your attacks. The only way to weaken them is to aim your flashlight at them, destroying the evil force in them. But even after they lose their superpowers they continue to attack you, which is when you make use of the games firearms. In the short while that we played the game, we managed to uncover a standard handgun, shotgun, rifle and flare gun.

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Crysis 2 First Look Preview

Last month, I described id's Mad Max-style shooter RAGE as "perhaps the best-looking video game of all time". I take it back.

Last week I saw Crytek's executive producer Nathan Camarillo play Crysis 2 on the Xbox 360, and it blew me away. I shouldn't have been surprised - Crysis still looks incredible some three years after its release. But that game was a PC exclusive that was pretty much unplayable on the maximum graphical settings on the hardware of the time. Crysis 2, a multiplatform game powered by Crytek's CryEngine 3, looks even better, despite running on a console that's nearly five years old.

Crysis 2's trashed open world New York is ridiculously detailed. Crumbling skyscrapers litter the landscape and building interiors are packed with furniture, posters and yesterday's news. Is that the Empire State Building on the right? Certainly that's the Flatiron. It is a gorgeous day, but the brilliant sky is obscured by ash. Sunny rooftops and leafy café gardens, broken glass and twisted metal, upside down taxis and flickering lights: here is a game where slowly panning the camera will provide all sorts of retinal pleasure.

The most impressive thing about Crysis 2's visuals is the somewhat mind-boggling idea that you can go anywhere. And of all the cities in the world to do it in! Rockstar did open world New York first, of course, but with Crysis 2 Crytek is taking urban sandbox visuals to the next level. New York is one of the tallest, densest cities in the world. There is verticality here, aided by the city's world famous skyscrapers, that fits the super cool Nanosuit like the rubber gloves of the… er… Nanosuit. Crytek's recreated New York so accurately and with such vibrancy and detail that it'll surely go down as one of the technical accomplishments of this generation.

Just look at that. Lovely.

Crytek's decision to set the game in New York has - obviously - a lot to do with showing off what it can do with graphics cards (and rekindling the desperate imagery of 9/11). But there are other, more subtle reasons behind the choice. Quick spoiler: towards the end of Crysis a mountain fell apart to reveal an alien structure. At the end of the game the jungle island it was set on was decimated. This, Nathan explains, didn't work at all. "With Crysis being set in a jungle island, it was out in the middle of the Pacific. None of us have ever been there. No-one can ever go there. Even though we tried to make it interesting in the end no-one cared about the island. No-one really cared that it got blown up. We wanted to give context and a location that people would start to care about." Hence, New York.

There is a feeling that Crysis 2 breaks with the past, perhaps even a hint of a reboot. It takes place about three years after Crysis - a deliberate attempt to separate the stories a little bit. The aliens from the first game have expanded their conquest, overrunning the major cities of the world. Nathan promises to resolve some of the questions and plot threads left open at the end of the first game, but, he insists, Crysis 2 tells an entirely new story that newcomers will be able to enjoy without having played its predecessor. For console only gamers, this will be a godsend. Crysis, somewhat surprisingly, was never released on the Xbox 360 or PS3.

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Transformers 3: There Will Be Blood

While at this week's Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Transformers star Shia LaBeouf made some surprisingly candid criticisms of the second film even as he promised the third movie would be better.
"When I saw the second movie, I wasn't impressed with what we did," LaBeouf told Associated Press. "There were some really wild stunts in it, but the heart was gone." The actor said that with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen director Michael Bay "went so big that it became too big, and I think you lost the anchor of the movie." He stressed that the human relationships must take precedence over simply seeing robots fighting robots.
The actor promised a bloodier, more tragic Transformers 3. "There's going to be a lot of death, human death. This time, they're targeting humans," he revealed. "It's going to be the craziest action movie ever made, or we failed."

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Onslaught Four-Player Co-op Mode To Arrive Next Month

 

DICE, an Electronic Arts studio, today announced that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is expanding its award-winning multiplayer experience with the introduction of an all-new mode called ‘Onslaught’. This mode brings co-op gameplay to the Battlefield franchise for the first time ever on console.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Onslaught mode can be played with up to four players across four multiplayer maps – Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes, and Nelson Bay – redesigned with new lighting, time of day, added vehicles and other effects. Each map has a dedicated gameplay focus, requiring different levels of teamwork in order to complete the objectives against an onslaught of enemy AI. Vehicle warfare comes to the forefront in Atacama Desert while Nelson Bay focuses squarely on infantry assault. Players can compete in squads and check individual progress via the dedicated Onslaught leaderboards.

“We’re thrilled to bring something new and fresh to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 while still keeping Battlefield’s signature gameplay intact,” says Patrick Bach, Senior Producer at DICE. “We want to consistently support the over 4 million fans playing the game with new ways to get into multiplayer and also challenge the elite players with new experiences to improve their performance online. Effective squad play is the key to success in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer and this new mode will provide players with a dedicated environment to test their team skills and rank against the competition.”

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is available in North America and Europe for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Second Bioshock 2 DLC Is Available Now

 

2K Games announced today the Rapture Metro Pack, the second installment of post-launch downloadable content for the critically acclaimed BioShock 2 is now available from both the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 for 800 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStation Network for £7.99. All content will be arriving on Games for Windows – LIVE Marketplace at a later date for 800 Microsoft Points. The latest downloadable package extends and enhances the multiplayer experience by adding more glimpses into the award-winning world of Rapture. Future expansions into the world of BioShock 2 are slated to arrive over the coming months and will expand upon the single player experience of Rapture.

The Rapture Metro Pack introduces six new maps that take place over areas from the single player portion of BioShock 2. In addition, 2K Games has also released two separate BioShock 2 multiplayer expansions. The first, which is available to download for free, is an all-new game mode called Kill’em Kindly - a new fast-paced experience where players must fight to the death using nothing but golf clubs. The second, the Character Pack, adds two new characters to the multiplayer gameplay and is available for 160 Microsoft Points or £1.59.

Rapture Metro Pack includes the following:

• Six new maps

• Rank increase to level 50

• Rebirth feature that will give players who have reached 
  Rank 50 the option to rank down to level 1 and receive a   
  special mask

• Three new achievements/trophies

Bioshock 2’s first downloadable package, Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack*, is currently available for download from both the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows-LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, and from the PlayStation Network for £3.99.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Introduces Multiplayer To The Series

 

 

Today Ubisoft announced new details for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, the next iteration of the critically acclaimed, multi-million unit selling franchise. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood will ship late 2010 for the Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 and the PC. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is a worldwide production effort led by the Ubisoft Montreal Studio in collaboration with Ubisoft studios in Singapore, Bucharest, Québec City and Annecy (known for developing Splinter Cell Chaos Theory’s Multiplayer).

The critically acclaimed single player experience of Assassin’s Creed is back and better than ever as Ezio returns in a powerful struggle against the powerful Templar Order. Now a legendary Master Assassin, he must journey to Rome, center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire Brotherhood that will rally to his side. Only by working together can the Assassins defeat their mortal enemies.

And for the first time, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood offers a never-before-seen multiplayer layer. Players can help the Templars by using Abstergo to train in the art of Assassination to eliminate the Assassins once and for all. Players can choose from a wide range of unique characters, each with their own signature weapons and assassination techniques, and match their skills against other players from all over the world in different game modes.

BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 (with video)

 

When the iPhone was first released, it was looked upon as a 'fun' phone for rich people. Hardcore business professionals still preferred their Blackberrys. It was only after an iPhone OS update or two did people realize the potential of it being a business-friendly phone. People got accustomed to typing on the capacitive touchscreen as fast as they could on the QWERTY board of a Blackberry. The iPhone had crossed over to RIM's territory, which had already gained iconic status.  
People realized that along with good e-mail support, they also needed a big screen to browse the web or, for example, use a mapping application. Research in Motion (RIM) realized this too. But mimicking an iPhone wasn't their style. They wanted to create something unique, they wanted to offer the 'clickability' of a button and the real estate of a touchscreen. RIM tried to do all this with the Storm but it pretty much failed.  
The Blackberry Storm was their first full touchscreen phone that implemented a clickable screen. Unfortunately, the effect that RIM wanted to deliver didn't materialize. So RIM went back to the drawing board and brought out a successor, the Blackberry Storm 2 9520. RIM has tried really hard to fix the flaws of the first Storm. Let's see if they have succeeded.  

Video Review

 

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Sony Unveils Blu-ray Player for Rs. 9,990 in India

 

With the advent of blockbuster Blu-ray movies like The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean and lately Avatar, all India needed was more options for Blu-ray players. Sony has introduced new Blu-ray player BDP-S370 costing Rs. 9,990. On buying this device, you get two free Blu-ray titles - Legion and Michael Jackson's This is It. Yes, this new player is a step up version of the Sony BDP-S360 which we reviewed back in December.
Until now, Indian consumers had to spend over Rs. 18,000 on Blu-ray players and hence considered buying PlayStation 3 as a better option. It's true as we've come across several consumers like that. The new Sony Blu-ray Disc player BDP-S370 is a major enhancement over the BDP-S360 version. This new BDP-S370 allows you to play full HD 1080p Blu-ray titles and also improves the regular DVD quality with Precision Cinema HD Upscale feature that converts SD quality (480i) to full HD (1080p) quality video.

New Sony BDP-S370 also offers BRAVIA Internet Video which was missing from BDP-S360 model. This model is also Wireless LAN ready. Audio has been taken care of with internal decoding and bit stream output of enhanced audio codecs - Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio. Up to 7.1 channels of lossless surround sound experience can be enjoyed. Users can also hook their USB MP3 players and flash drives to this player either in the front or rear.
This feature packed Blu-ray player also comes with DivX playback support. What more do you want from a Blu-ray player?
You can buy Sony Blu-ray BDP-S370 player from Sony Center and Sony Authorized resellers across India.

At least 21 miners killed in China colliery blast

An explosion at a coal mine in China's south-western Guizhou province has left 21 miners dead, state media reports.

 

A further 10 miners were rescued or managed to escape following the blast at the privately-run Yuanyang colliery near the city of Anshun, said Xinhua.

Rescue work is continuing at the site as several unregistered miners were also thought to have been working underground.

Despite a safety drive, China's mines are among the world's most dangerous.

A rescuer working at the Anshun pit said five of the 10 known survivors had been taken to hospital suffering the effects of carbon monoxide inhalation.

"We arrived at the mine to carry out the rescue at midnight, and helped bring three of the survivors out of the shaft," the man, surnamed Zhao, told Xinhua.

According to official figures, 2,631 coal miners died in 1,616 mine accidents in China in 2009, down 18% from the previous year.

The government has stepped up efforts to improve safety in the mining industry in recent years, by enforcing regulations and taking measures to close unregulated mines.

In March this year, a massive search operation rescued 115 miners from a flooded pit in Shanxi province. Some had been trapped for about a week.

Officials accused the managers of the unfinished pit of ignoring warning signs and overcrowding the mine to speed up production.

FBI arrests three over New York bomb inquiry

US authorities investigating the attempted bombing in New York's Times Square have arrested three men during searches over four US states.

The justice department said they were being held over alleged immigration violations after raids in Maine, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

The US attorney general said the three were linked to a man already charged with the attempted attack on 1 May.

Pakistani-born US citizen Faisal Shazhad, 30, lived in Connecticut.

There's at least a basis to believe that one of the things that they did was provide him with funds and so we're trying to trace back

Eric Holder
US attorney general

Authorities say Mr Shazhad has waived his US legal rights and is co-operating with federal officials.

Two of the men were arrested in suburbs outside Boston, Massachusetts, and a third in Maine.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press news agency that two of the men taken into custody from a house near Boston, Massachusetts, were from Pakistan.

The official said one of the men had been arrested because he had overstayed his visa.

The second had already been awaiting a ruling from an immigration court hearing on whether he would be removed from the country.

Attorney General Eric Holder said in Washington: "These are people who are connected to Mr Shahzad, we're still trying to determine exactly what the nature of that connection was.

"There's at least a basis to believe that one of the things that they did was provide him with funds and so we're trying to trace back."

He called the arrests a "significant" step.

President Obama on Thursday met police officers who responded to the attempted bombing in Times Square.

"I know folks are busy, but I just wanted to come by and say thank you," said the president.

'No immediate threat'

In its statement on the latest arrests, the FBI said it could "confirm that search warrants have been executed in several locations in the North-east in connection with the investigation into the attempted Times Square bombing".

Faisal Shazhad, 30, has already been charged with the attempted bombing

It added: "This search is the product of evidence that has been gathered in the investigation subsequent to the attempted Times Square bombing and [does] not relate to any known immediate threat to the public or active plot against the United States."

The FBI is carrying out search warrants at locations around Boston, Massachusetts, Cherry Hill and Camden in New Jersey, and Centerreach and Shirley in New York.

Police have also cordoned off a house in Watertown, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb.

Vinny Lacerra, who lives across the street from the house concerned, said he had heard someone yell "FBI! Put your hands up!" at 0600 local time (1100 GMT).

Mr Lacerra told the Associated Press he had seen 15 to 20 FBI agents with their guns drawn outside the house.

He then saw a man taken out of the building in handcuffs about 15 minutes later.

Agents have also recovered a Honda car from a Mobil petrol station on Harvard Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, another suburb of Boston.

The vehicle is reportedly linked to the address in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Dean Boyd of the justice department said the searches were the result of evidence collected during a 13-day investigation.

Mr Shazhad has told officials he acted alone. But investigators have uncovered a possible link over the attempted bombing to the Pakistani Taliban and a Kashmiri Islamist group.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the failed attempt in Times Square. If this claim is true, the attempt would be the group's first act in the US.

Google Chrome beta 5.0.375.29

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the Web faster, safer, and easier. Use one box for everything--type in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and Web pages. Thumbnails of your top sites let you access your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab. Desktop shortcuts allow you to launch your favorite Web apps straight from your desktop.

What's new in this version:

 

-HTML5 Features: Geolocation, App Cache, web sockets, file drag-and-drop.

-Integrated Flash Player Plugin

-V8 performance improvements

-Preferences synchronization

-NaCl behind a flag

This is a beta build of Google Chrome, and may include features that introduce instability to the browser.

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Alien Arena 2010 v7.40

Alien Arena 2010 is a freeware online deathmatch game with fast and furious action for Windows and Linux!
The game runs on the CRX engine, and features modern effects such as real-time lighting and shadows, shaders, light bloom, reflective surfaces and much more, while still being able to run on even modest systems.
The game includes a built in, as well as external server browser and chat client. Players can look up their stats online, chat with other players, and become part of a growing community.
The Alien Arena experience is now a finely tuned, highly polished body of work.
Alien Arena has transformed into a lean, clean, fragging machine, with stunning visual effects that are usually reserved for commercial titles. This isn't your daddy's Alien Arena - it's not even last year's model, with a host of new and improved maps, sounds and music.
Features:

GLSL per-pixel lighting on meshes(now all surfaces).
OpenAL 1.1
Ogg-Vorbis support.
GLSL post process framebuffer effects.
New scoreboards.
New HUD.
Stereo music files.
Seven new maps.
Two new player characters.
Voice taunt system.
Doppler sound effects.
Alien Arena 2010 is open source, free to play, and sets a new standard in freeware FPS gaming!
Note: Click here to download the Linux version. 

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Google Chrome Speed Test

After incorporating every possible feature within their browser, either through built-in feature or through support for add-ons, browser makers seem to be concentrating on one thing and one thing only - Speed.

Every new version of the browser boasts of increased speed compared to its previous version. 10%, 20%, 50% faster, such figures aren't hard to come by. Whether the browser actually delivers these figures or does it really matter in real life usage is a different matter altogether. But one thing is for sure, these browser makers really want you to browse the web as fast as it is technologically possible.
Recently Google released the version 5 Beta for their popular Chrome browser. But instead of just stating that it is fast, they went ahead and did something totally outrageous. They compared the browsing speed to that of a speeding potato shot through a custom-made canon, the waves of sound and a bolt of electricity. As usual, when it comes to such things, we were a bit skeptical while watching their video. To be honest, we do not believe that any browser is as fast as a bolt of electricity, or even a flying potato for that matter! Or maybe we are just used to the terrible Internet speeds here in India.
But we had to test it ourselves. We did not have access to potato-shooting canons or Tesla coils, so instead we decided to take the traditional and more realistic route to testing the browser performance - loading some webpages on it and comparing it with others that are available. We also threw in a couple of benchmarks to get a better idea of the situation.
We ran the test on a Dell Studio 14 with 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700, 4GB RAM and running on Windows 7 Ultimate 32-Bit. For comparison, we took all the major browsers out there, including:

• Internet Explorer 8
• Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview 2
• Google Chrome 4
• Google Chrome 5 Beta
• Mozilla Firefox 3.6.3
• Mozilla Firefox 3.6.4 Beta build 3
• Apple Safari 4.0.5
• Opera 10.53

Note that we were only testing the speed and performance of the browser, not its actual usability and other features. So go ahead and check the results.

Peacekeeper Score (Higher scores are better)

Acid 3 Test Score (Higher scores are better)

Internet Browsing Speed Test (Click on image for high resolution version with actual time in seconds)

(Lower scores are better)

For the test we opened the Techtree homepage, Twitter login page, Facebook login page, Amazon home page, The Big Picture homepage, Wikipedia page for this entry, Softpedia home page, InterfaceLIFT home page, Google Maps homepage, and then we downloaded this high resolution image. All these are sites we use on a regular basis and hence they are the best judge for a browser's speed.
As you can see, Chrome 5 Beta is not really all that fast in real life compared to other browsers, although it did have an edge in the Peacekeeper browser benchmarks. Also, Chrome beta isn't as fast as Google claims it to be.

Steam Client for Mac Arrives with Free Portal Game

Finally, Valve has released first Steam for Mac client. Mac users also get 'free to play' Portal game and a library of 63 games for the Mac platform. Apple Mac OS X users can download the client for free from this link. Steam is a popular game service and an online games store available through the client itself. Valve was testing Steam for Mac client in beta since a while. The screenshots of the same had got leaked on the web last month.
Steam for Mac platform will open loads of opportunities for Valve. It can now expand the customer base for its games distribution service. Also, through Steamworks, Valve can bring over its PC based game developing clients to the Mac platform. Beside that, Mac users would get to play all titles for which they've been using Windows OS via Bootcamp earlier.

Mac users should make the best of Steam Play. The Steam Play feature is expected to allow users to play same game on Windows as well as Mac for free through the Steam Cloud. Basically, a PC game purchased from Steam could be played even on the Mac platform from the same point where you left it on PC.
What we need to see is if we get a better or the same gaming performance on Mac platform as compared to PC.

Asus Unveils ENGTX400 Graphic Cards in India

Finally, Asus has introduced a new ENGTX400 series graphics card for desktops based on Nvidia Fermi architecture based GF100 GPU. The two graphics cards ENGTX480 and ENGTX470 are fully optimized for all modern-day games and watching HD movies without any hiccup. Both these graphics cards carry GDDR5 video memory standard. Asus is offering ENGTX480 for Rs. 44775 excluding taxes, while ENGTX470 is priced at Rs. 31225 excluding taxes.

Asus has brought new graphics cards based on 40nm fabrication process made GF100 'Fermi' GPU architecture . The ENGTX480 has 480 stream processors or CUDA cores, 1536MB GDDR5 video memory and uses 384-bit memory interface. This graphics card has Graphics Engine stock clocked at 700MHz, while the processor is clocked at 1401MHz. However, the memory is clocked at 3696MHz.

On the other hand, ENGTX470 has 448 stream processors or CUDA cores, 1280MB GDDR5 video memory and uses 320-bit memory interface. This graphics card has the memory clocked at 3348MHz.

Both graphics card sport mini HDMI port along with twin dual-link DVI-I out ports. Price parity appears between Asus ENGTX400 GPUs and other graphics card makers.

Use Google Chrome to Drag Images into e-mails

Google now lets you add images directly to emails and Buzz in Gmail by a simple drag-and-drop function. This new feature makes it easy for you to add images to an email instead of adding them as attachments. This way you get to see the image pasted and also check if it was the correct image. Unfortunately, this feature works only in Google Chrome browser.

Gmail had introduced the new drag-and-drop attachments last month. Now extending that feature a bit more, users can add images directly into their messages. The best part is that you don't have to enable any setting. Just use Google Chrome's latest build, which can be downloaded from www.google.com/chrome.

But there's one problem with this feature. People may start sending chain emails with those funny, bizarre, and terrifying images.
Folks, please make the best of this feature but don't abuse it.

Sharp Comes Out With World's First 3D HD Camera for Phones

Sharp Corporation has developed a 3D camera module for mobile devices capable of capturing high-definition (720p) 3D video images, an industry first. Sharp will start shipping samples in July. Mass production of these modules will begin within 2010.

The current 3D camera module developed by Sharp incorporates functions to process the image data output by the left and right cameras, including Color Synchronizing Processing to adjust color and brightness, Timing Synchronizing Processing to synchronize the timing of the video signals, and Optical Axis Control Processing to correct positioning. In addition, Fast Readout Technology rapidly transfers video data from the image sensor, enabling 3D images to be captured in high-resolution HD mode.

Further, in developing this camera module, Sharp applied high-density mounting technology nurtured over long years of experience in camera module development to achieve a compact form. Embedding this camera module in mobile devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones, and smartphones will contribute to the development of a wide range of new, innovative communications tools.
In the future, Sharp will be opening up new 3D markets based on 3D display technologies, including small/medium-size and large-size 3D LCDs, as well as on 3D input device technologies such as 3D camera modules.

Technorati Tags: Gadget,News

Prince of Persia Interview

The Prince of Persia franchise is heading back to its roots ditching the cel-shaded approach taken in Prince of Persia (2008) in favor of the Sands of Time storyline. In an exclusive interview with Tech2, Graeme Jennings, producer of Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands, gives us the lowdown on what to expect when the game hits stands later this month.
So why move away from the Cel-Shaded look you employed with Prince of Persia (2008)? Also why go back to the Sands of Time Storyline?
The Sands of Time universe is one that’s a real favorite of the developers here at Ubisoft, as well as fans. A great thing about the 1001 Arabian Nights setting is that it allows us to tell stories in many different settings with different princes if we wanted to, while always retaining some core elements that fans have come to expect. Returning to the Sands of Time storyline is something that we’ve had in the production pipeline for quite a long time now and always planned to go back to it. This does not mean anything regarding the future of the Prince of Persia game released in 2008.  
Will we see a sequel to Prince of Persia (2008)?
I am currently working on Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands, that is my focus and that is all I know of at this time.

The Forgotten Sands Prince is the same one players controlled in the Sands of Time, Warrior Within, and Two Thrones video games.

Gameplay in Forgotten Sands looks pretty similar to SoT. While this is a good thing what gameplay changes can we look forward to in this game?
Thanks to the power of the Anvil engine, we are able to do so much more in Forgotten Sands than Sands of Time. The kind of things that were only hinted about in Sands of time; huge epic scale battles with enemies up to 40 feet tall and multi-enemy combat with up to 50 characters on the screen at once! Combat is based more around maneuverability and agility as the Prince will have to deal with controlling large mobs of enemies; rolling, jumping on enemies, and shoving enemies away are all part of crowd control and are important elements in Forgotten Sands.

As well, gigantic environments and fast fluid movements mean that the Prince’s acrobatics will be improved as well. Thanks to new powers over the elements in Forgotten Sands, the Prince’s acrobatic feats will become more dynamic. For example, the Prince will gain the ability to solidify water for a short period of time transforming fountains and waterfalls into poles and walls. Now, imagine having to wall-run up a frozen waterfall, jumping to an adjacent water pole then unfreezing the water as you safely jump through a second waterfall. As the game progresses, the level of difficulty found in the acrobatics will ramp up to a great challenge for fans of the series.

Could you give us the lowdown on the game’s new elemental powers?
The Prince will gain control over the elements themselves in his battle against the Sand Army. These powers fall into two areas, navigation and combat. Navigation powers are elemental powers that help the Prince get from point A to point B, such as the ability to solidify water into climbable objects, as well as an air dash that allows the prince to clear large gaps with ease for example.
On the combat side of things the Prince will be able to create trails of fire, protective rock armor, and even a gigantic whirlwind to clear out an area of enemies with ease. These are just a few of the powers available to the Prince in Forgotten Sands.

For More Detail Click Here

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