LG abandon the plasma

According to an indiscretion from Korean sources fairly reliable ( 47News ) vice-chairman of LG have announced the intention of the House to stop the production of plasma televisions, Subject to sudden changes in sales and costs, lack of profits. LG is not the first company to abandon the field, but would follow the decisions made by Panasonic and Vizio . What really is the end of a dream for most of the technologies that we have discussed in recent years? Stay tuned to find out.

War Console: Xbox 360 beats Wii and PlayStation 3

Microsoft to conquer the Rising Sun : is the best way to describe the incredible company that Redmond and his Xbox 360 have made the land has always been a monopoly of Sony and Nintendo. For the first time in a long time now, the American company can put his car in front of rivals in the standings weekly hardware sales . And if we think only a year ago, the big box was left behind in the seventh generation console , since the result is even more exciting .

On an effective marketing campaign , a software park and especially the incomparable cunning of intuzione rely on JRPGHas always been the kind preferred by the Japanese. The reason for passing on the two rivals is all attributable to Star Ocean 4: The Last HopeThe epic RPG that dominates software charts for two weeks . A real killer app for the proposed Microsoft has seized the Japanese desire for new adventures. Not by chance , in fact , second place in the top ten games ranks Mario & Luigi RPG 3 for DS (The console that is absolutely the best-selling ) and behind these two superstars , there is a continuous deluge of evidence of the role that is broken only by the excellent Street Fighter 4 ninth. In short , an unprecedented monopoly .

Before posting the charts with sales data , but we do having to specify two: to dominate for the sum of machinery there is always NintendoThat between DS and Wii sells about 60,000 units , closely followed by Sony with over 50 000 , the fact remains that Microsoft competes with one console , the house of Mario Bros with two, and even with the large S 3. Second and no less important detail : The Xbox 360 is fine on other markets. In Europe and America , for example, depopulated on Xbox Live expansion of GTA IVThat in a few days has pulverized all download record .

In conclusion : the war of the consoles is more alive than ever, and this is nothing new … Hopefully things will continue with this trend , because to gain always we gamers. Here are the charts :

HARDWARE

MacWorld 2009

MacWorld undertone ? It was the assumption of many, given the absence of Steve Jobs and Apple’s prolific short period . Nevertheless, the experts spoke last exhibition of San Francisco by Apple has left the main hall with a strong dose of bitter taste. iPhone Nano ? Imae and MacBook innovative ? Or the highly anticipated Mac Mini? None of this .

Schiller was able to disappoint, Demonstrating a charisma light years away from that of Jobs, but more worryingly it was the glaring lack of novelty at the fair , sign in Cupertino obviously some problems there too . Sure, the sales figures of various products are really excellent (10 million computers sold , 3.4 million customers every week in Apple Stores, 6 billion songs sold on iTunes ) , but our impression is that the data are spread out more to autoconvinzione been praised for information.

We come then to the (few ) new . First new services iLife ’09 and ( in particular) iPhoto ’09. No big revolution, mind you , but small improvements and interesting confirmations ( such as compatibility with Facebook ) that users are enticed . Of note in particular the application Faces (Which automatically detects the photos in which people are already identified ) and Places ( in this case there are automatic associations between pictures and location or the selected items , all based on Google Maps). For the rest three-dimensional images , optimization packages such as iMovie and GarageBand nice (which teaches to play a musical instrument ) . Cute, but nothing exceptional . The feeling that remains is that of an already seen a cautious evolution without revolution. Only real positive note , the low price : iLife will be available in late January for $ 79 free and will be implemented in all iMacs .

Let us then to three ads that really matter MacWorld this : iWorks 2009With new transitions for Keynote , the full screen mode for Pages and Numbers for some improvement , the usual price of 49 or $ 99 (Or, even more interesting , in a package which also includes Leopard and iLife is only $ 169 ), the MacBook Pro 17-inch, with a full 1920 × 1200p , 700:1 contrast , glossy finish , weighs less than 3kg and a long life battery ( performance : Core 2 Duo 2.94 GHz , 8 GB of RAM 1033MHz , 320GB HDD or optional SSD from 256GB ) , all offered at no small fee of $ 2,799; iTunes, which is renewed and finally changes in policy rates: tracks from 69 cents to $ 1.29 and less than 8 million titles without DRM. It ‘ surely the novelty it more intriguing , because it promises to revolutionize the music business rapidly online , finally accepting the demands of millions of users of the Network beginning of a new era ? Perhaps, but the political and social debate on what can result from this innovation goes beyond the MacWorld review and we are preparing to give the Apple conference .

Because if the surprise musical guest Tony Bennett warms the hearts of the audience , so we can not say this lackluster MacWorld Cupertino . No Jobs , no hardware , no iPhone. Disappointment across the board , complete and inevitable rejection that should give pause to the upper echelons of the Apple in view of new events business . The saddest thing is to understand that after this conference, MacWorld in 2010 it will not be a failure so great : wanted to destroy a tradition, we have succeeded in full.

Windows 7: here is the beta

It’s not so great news . It is known that for months now , after half flop of Vista, Microsoft has decided to bring forward the timing of Tampa and burn to launch soon a new operating system (Windows 7) . It cononosco images, features and the probable date of publication (November 2009), And runs even a trial version for MSDN and TechNet subscribers or visitors for BitTorrent . Despite the fact that BallmerIn keynote Microsoft at CES 2009 ( where we also talked about the new Xbox – except that we will soon – Windows Mobile and Windows Live Essential ) has formalized the beta version (available free to all from 10 January) is still an event worthy of great consideration , especially for wave reflections which it contains.

Launch Windows 7 mean in fact show that for once in Redmond are in line with the programs and that the errors of the troubled birth of Vista thing of the past . It also means that the great American giant has adopted a policy approach to users, tired and fed up with an operating system too cumbersome and frustrating as Vista. But , more importantly , the ad implies an appreciable increase in quality of life of most people ‘s computing world.

Windows 7 it is not a revolution. Excluding the touch interface, very impressive and undeniable novelty in the post – iPhone Microsoft ‘s new OS is very similar to Vista, but without a lot of bugs that had decimated and ipso facto rejected the current system . No more updates intrusive , lower windows without confirmation at the expense of security, faster and more intuitive interface , loadings less exhausting , and Play to Storage Device . Nothing shocking , but all extremely useful .

Well , for once we are in full support of Microsoft’s market choices . Windows 7 do not change your life , for sure , but definitely help make it less stressful. Which, if we look at the hectic world of today is not a small thing .

CES 2009 : Palm Pre

Technews there had widely Early. The CES 2009 was a kind of last resort for Palm, sucked in debt and beaten on every front from the competition. Needed a change, a revolution, a truly innovative product for the correct route. Everyone expected something new , unique, sensational. And the American company not at all disappointed expectations , revealing to the public the beautiful Palm Pre we are going to cut in the next lines .

This is a device unique , with its ergonomic shape ovaloid bearing the new operating system developed by Palm, called WebOS: the new interface incredibly easy to use touch-screenIt permits easy addition of third-party applications (case striking : in just three days the web radio Pandora has created a program specifically designed for Pre) , and promises continued improvements and software thanks to ‘SDK will soon be made public (Along with an App Store by which Palm will check the validity and effectiveness of the proposed programs ) . Any reference to the iPhone and the long travail of liberalization SDK is not at all random …

The new Pre is in fact as first , only real competitor of Apple’s gem. And not just for aesthetic appeal that exudes and technology at every turn , controls fully touch and real Internet connection( using CSS , XHTML and JavaScript ): What did the Palm is a different product that stands out from the crowd, which wins for its peculiarities , fascinated by its structure . Not just a phone , but even a mini PC , a device unto itself, which will create (along with the iPhone ) to a new category of device.

Is proof of the innovative Synergy aggregatorThat allows you to integrate all contacts of different social networks and instant messaging programs single listRecognizing and combining in a fully automatic names that belong to the same person . Not only that you can watch Calendars different platforms in a single interface , or use the coveted copy / paste and multimedia messages (MMS ) absent on the iPhone. In short , a paradise for you , that within such a project , unlike the Apple customer , will feel heard and considered …

But we Beyond the technical specs andHas always been the cornerstones for our site , why show the real quality of the product and its potential for expansion. The Palm Pre defends more than decent , but … Against size relatively low, 100.53 × 59.57 × 18.95 mm for 135 grams (for comparison, the iPhone 3G measuring 115.5 × 62.1 × 12.3 mm for 131g ) , incorporates an internal technical sector of great importance. The processor is a OMAP 3430 Texas Instruments has a 3.1-inch display HVGA sharp color screen with 320 × 480 pixels, has a QWERTY keyboard hidden (Also a major plus against the iPhone, especially for those who can not digest touch) And a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and extending the depth of field.

And on the opposite connectivity ? Plants tested , reliable and above all complete : there are in fact the high-speed EVDO Rev.A networks or UMTS HSDPA, WiFi 802.11 b / g, integrated GPS and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR stereo support for A2DP . too many doors and exits, between which we want to mention microUSB connector Hi -Speed USB 2.0 and standard 3.5 mm jack for headphones .

Needless to say, well software appears fine within this unique pearl Technology : Web browser desktop -class high performance Outlook EAS personal email account , complete multimedia player plus inevitable proximity sensors , light and accelerometerThree essential must now introduced by rival Apple and now regularly reproduced in this creature Palm.

On average , finally, storage capacity , 8GB, expandable via USB : a right size, roomy , comes into direct conflict with the version of the 8GB iPhone pluricitato . The battery , lithium , is removable and rechargeable .

But we discover the new Pre in the words of Ed Colligan , Palm president and CEO , “The objective of Palm products has always been to simplify users’ lives and offer a great user experience, Pre webOS and offer a simplicity that will change the scenario of the mobile world in constant growth, removing barriers that revolve around user information. This is a technology that can anticipate the most important needs – contact, time and information – all in the simplest way possible. “

Continue Dan Hesse , CEO of Sprint (the chain that will distribute the Pre USA ) “Pre strengthens Sprint ‘s leadership in offering free access to content that customers want , creating a fantastic web -connected experiences . We are very proud to offer this truly innovative device to our customers using the best 3G networks in America. As our lives increasingly revolve around the Web , devices such as Palm Pre able to transform the way we interact with the Web , will be the forerunner. We are focusing on offering our customers a superior experience that includes devices simple to use, affordable and value with all-inclusive all-inclusive Simply Everything and Ready Now , our exclusive program that allows retail customers leave the store satisfied and sure know how to use the new device . “

Pre Palm released in America with Sprint in first half of 2009Then followed a UMTS version for the rest of the world. Prices have not yet been disclosed , but is likely to think that in this Palm will attempt to compete with Apple. Hazard a number? 450 euros. We’ll see . Meanwhile we can enjoy this jewel of technology in Images we offer. Then, as always , the market will determine the success of this little masterpiece and perhaps the fate of the Palm itself.

Steve Jobs is sick : change at the top Apple

“The situation is more complicated than I thought. With this sentence , contained in a letter to employees, Steve Jobs has announced his retirement from driving the Apple at least until JuneTo devote himself to the care of his health problems , probably linked to the terrible pancreatic cancer that had struck him in 2004 ( and which seemed to have recovered ) . His chair will be occupied temporarily by Tim Cook.

Several times in recent months, had discussed the shape of the head of Apple, which seemed increasingly slim and skeletal, and many clues had emerged in the air (the last in chronological order : the deserted Macworld in January) , but Steve had always tried to reassure everyone, even for the good of his society. It is no coincidence that every time a new indiscretion that circulated on the worrying state of health of Jobs, Apple had the titles of the dizzying stock market collapses . Even for this , with admirable dedication and great strength of spirit, the founder of Cupertino was always took the stage the most important events (the last major appearance at WWDC , where he introduced the iPhone 3G) to tow the success of Apple, even finding the courage to joke and irony about his illness.

But now, obviously , can no longer pretend. And we would like to add more. By the staff of the most Technews sincere congratulations Steve because he manages to get back as quickly as possible and to win this tough battle for life .

Resident Evil 5 demo also on Playstation 3

And ‘ the smash on the output of finished Resident Evil 5 demo dell’attesissimo, given by many developing only for the Xbox 360: Sony has made official that the demo also debut on the PlayStation 3 , starting next February 2. A week later, however , the release of the demo for its rival Microsoft, which has won yet another round in the battle. The final game will be available the same day : March 23, 2009. Prepare for yet another clash joypad Sony / Microsoft for a title that looks fantastic.

Antitrust against Microsoft Explorer

They have never loved. And hopes of a reconciliation are increasingly futile . We are talking of ‘antitrust and MicrosoftTwo ” entities ” , thus if we want to define who can always find new points of disagreement . After the known events , with fines and penalties which have interested Microsoft and its browser in the past in America and in the Old Continent ( among which the story linked to the price of the software) , this time is European Commission to bring up Explorer, and to accuse the Redmond violation of rules Antitrust .

The reason ? The fact that the popular browser is implemented within the Windows operating system. Conflict of interests , they say, because you ( if you buy a PC that has certainly inside the OS of Microsoft) would be unwilling to try new options as the navigation interface is ready on your desktop and this , to the detriment of the proposals made by other manufacturers .

Crushed the competition , then? Only partly true . While it is undeniable that Explorer is not the best browser and is used mainly because it remains the best known and most immediate use (no need to install that , just because it is preloaded with Windows ) , you can not omit the fact that In recent years the situation in terms of browsers has changed radically . Mozilla Firefox with her , won the important market share of 20 %Safari starts to look even on Windows systems and there are always the same affectionate Opera and Netscape , just to name the most famous names . People not stupid and uninformed , as perhaps all would have us believe, is aware of the potential and the real value of proposals such as Mozilla , and tends to choose the bestAlthough Explorer , despite everything , continues to hold on.

We do not want to tip the balance further , we expressed our opinion in even clearer in other articles. Instead we are interested to know how things unfold this story : Microsoft faces a heavy fine by the European Community and the procedure is examining the cards he received. is also true that change across the interface of Windows Explorer to be detached from a long and complex . So , curious about the end of this story, we leave you wishing you all a good navigation, whatever the browser used.

Killzone 2 ( update)

Everything was born during the unforgettable experience E3 2005, That he saw for the first time the three giants of the sector approach to the subject of Next Gen. Xbox 2, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Revolution : Revolutionary wave new machines which promised a future completely different, more realistic , incredibly more interactive. The audience went into raptures , breathless to discover and touch the wonders of the new generation . Among the sparkling new, particularly noise caused the movie to one of the first games for the PlayStation 3, a sequel to Killzone not yet nomitato that favorably surprised critics for its graphic and very detailed for its high frame rate . The game in question was the sequel , to be precise, the first-person shooter released some time ago for the PlayStation 2. Not a masterpiece , mind you , little used for power limits of the black monolith : a good title, though, that was fun and captured thousands of gamers. Anyway, what we saw at E3 2005 was something completely different experience from next-generation graphics to scream. From feast his eyes, he said .

Needless to say, when it turned out that the movie was a simple experiment in computer graphics, People will feel cheated and did not hide his disappointment. Killzone 2 and disappeared into oblivion for a while ‘ time he never heard anything. Until Guerrilla not revealed the first official images of the real version of Killzone : few screenshots and the fans were quickly recaptured for so much power and splendor . So , over the months , the waiting became more feverish , so that today Killzone 2 is considered perhaps the first true great killer app Playstation 3 and its release promises to be a business event of 2009.

Killzone 2 will indeed an exclusive for the PlayStation 3, will see the light in Europe next February 25 and provide almost two games in one: a major campaign in a single frantic multiplayer up to 32 players. But Let’s find out in detail …

Set in an imaginary future , Killzone 2 puts players in the role of Sev , a soldier belonging to the Alpha Team Special Forces to respond to the invasion of cruel Helghast aliens , will have to venture with a handful of men in the dry planet Helgan , with the aim of destroying the enemy threat at its root. Needless to say that the task will not be easy : for reason of the invaders will be overcome complicated ten levels set in eight different areas the world, facing cold, harsh conditions and above tons of enemies.

To cope with the difficulties we can count on the support of a special team ( controlled by the IA in single player or other persons in multi-) on 15 different weapons (One of the most explosive ) and a wide range of futuristic vehicles . Even more interesting than the main campaign , should be the multiplayer mode , which will bring a new dimension to the fighting firsthand.

Killzone 2 does not distinguish it from the crowd just for its wonderful graphics : the idea of the developers there is also the hope of completely change the structure of the FPS genre, Giving great importance to the speed of moves , the training of fighter squadrons and timely and strategic exploitation of the surrounding space , and the characteristics of its pg. The operation will fail ? The fans are so convinced and criticism, for now, seems to look favorably on the project.

In short , the premises to be facing a new , great masterpiece (as well as the first really important title for the PlayStation 3 after Metal Gear Solid 4) are all. To find out if the words action will we have to wait until next Feb. 25 , while tasting these wonderful images.

UPDATE : Sony Europe has announced that the demo of Killzone 2 will be downloadable from PlayStation Network starting next Feb. 5 .

Xbox Experience : the whole truth

November 19, 2008Microsoft decides to follow in the footsteps of Nintendo and release to all its customers the renewed Xbox 360 Dashboard. Technews download the same day ‘upgrade and start the test …

December 1, 2008 : After a long test dressed up with online games , performance tests with old Xbox Originals download movies, view content and thorough review of more people, we can finally reveal whether the new found Redmond is truly remarkable or whether it instead of a useless window dressing . But proceed with calm …

Xbox 360 is the next-gen console oldest Batch : submitted in advance of the revolutionary Wii and fearsome rival PlayStation 3, the Big Box has taken advantage of the time advantage to build up a loyal user base , a vast park, software and especially a strong reputation in the world of console succeeding in the mission that had failed the first game machine of Gates . But what gives the time , also takes time : after several years undoubtedly Xbox 360 console has become the most affected by the seniority factor . Hence the decision by Microsoft to refresh your dashboard , offering menus more attractive , larger and more accurate services and using intuition that made the fortunes of Nintendo.

Why deny that the new Xbox Experience avatar monkey Miis on the Wii is really impossible: From haircuts to facial customizations more varied and strange , funny movements from the many games created specifically for these characters , the similarities with their counterparts Nintendo are well above the differences. Never mind : a citation of an idea can be more successful a demonstration of humility and intelligenceRather than highlighting the blatant lack of creativity . Not to mention , then , that the new Dashboard anthropomorphic avatars are little more than a nice cigliegina on the cake.

In fact , at least graphic terms , the dashboard has not only evolved : it has been totally revolutionized, reversed , transformed. The menus are now cascading , with lots of pictures for each function in parallel to this vertical . The main options included in the selection are: SpotlightsWhere you can find the newest content , Personal MenuThe section dedicated to their Xbox and their files (as well as the reproduction of the disc) , the classic Marketplace GamesAlways broader and include more extensive descriptions and images , Inside Xbox, Which tells the new Microsoft , the screen Welcome, which directs the novices use the console and dashboard , the area Friends and Video Marketplace.

And ‘ that the main new feature of the Xbox Experience : with the new firmware it is possible also download movies (Cost tot Microsoft Point) in both loan size ( saved temporarily in the memory of the console and can only be seen in a given period ) and in the final version. Not only films, anyway, but even amateur productions of users, a combination of content and offers that follows the Modern Cable TV even offering a little something extra.

Sure, there is to say that this service is still being structured : several times we ‘ve downloaded or a block in some flicker in the movie experience , but the overall function proves practical , fast and above all helpful.

Xbox Live well , connections and basic settings, the new Dashboard fortunately has not changed nor mandate in conflict. Excellent , finally, Scroll Speed menu, which is not affected at all the heavy graphic animation present.

What about then? Examination passed with flying colors ? Only partially. The new Dashboard is certainly better than the last, and perhaps the most beautiful and comprehensive interface in the park of the three consoles Next Gen. But there are in some that can not be made to pass unnoticed. First, the confusion with which some information is proposedIt is not intuitive for new users , it is often difficult for even the most loyal customers. The new Dashboard is a bit ‘ upset by a series of concepts and piled on each other with feedback that search but you can not find. Secondly , and perhaps more serious , the upgrade takes up about 128MB, which is only half the memory card of those who bought an Xbox Arcade. Too , considering that the update becomes automatic to the first internet connection.

It ‘ true that a player can not be demanding without a hard disk. But it’s still Microsoft to sponsor and sell Xbox Arcade, And a total neglect of this important slice of the market ( which by the way with only the memory card can not benefit from the new videos and demos offered) seems contradictory and utterly superficial to customers .

Not to mention that , between us , important innovations there are few: if we exclude the movie channel, for the rest of the dashboard is the same as always . Just as clean , colorful and lively . And ‘ this really the quality they seek a gamer ? These are very important things to improve ? Or perhaps it would be unfair to focus on more concrete aspects such as lower prices of games and services on the Marketplace, a proposed expansion of online and truly innovative ideas ?

Leaving the answers to these questions to our readers , we conclude by saying that the last news came to the office – that , by implementing processor Jasper, Microsoft would have solved the problem permanently Ring of Death – has made us immensely happier pseudoMii avatars of the new Xbox Experience …