PlayStation Network Next Big GamesThe release of SOCOM Confrontation via the PlayStation Network this fall may have the mass appeal to be a digitally distributed "killer app" for the PlayStation fan base, but Sony has plenty of unique offerings over the next few months, some of which we are already intimately familiar with. Echochrome and Wipeout HD haven't been lacking in exposure, but MTV's Stephen Totilo goes hands-on with two more PSN originals, Elefunk and PixelJunk Monsters Encore to get a handle on what's next for the Store.

The dates MTV provides for the next four PSN showpieces match up pretty well with the leaked release schedule from a few weeks ago.

According to the report, it would appear that Echochrome may very well be bypassing a UMD release, opting for a download from the PC and PlayStation Stores. The hard copy release in Japan didn't exactly light a fire under the PSP community.

Source- http://kotaku.com/373651/the-playstation-networks-next-big-games
Read more on "The PlayStation Network's Next Big Games"!
Bookmark and Share
Sonic unleash platformWhen we first saw screens of Sonic Unleashed, it was pretty clear that we were looking at something that was only feasible on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. No offense intended to the GameCube Turbo, but Sonic and the Secret Rings didn't look this good. Chatter about a sensible Wii version has been making the rounds since first screens and video sneaked out, but it would appear that Sega is planning to unleash more Sonic love on every viable platform.

Retailer GameStop is currently listing Sonic Unleashed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as the Wii and PlayStation 2. All listings are labeled with November 4 ship dates, along with platform appropriate pricing.

Source- http://kotaku.com/373660/sonic-to-be-unleashed-on-wii-and-ps2
Read more on "Sonic To Be Unleashed On Wii and PS2?"!
Bookmark and Share
Incredible Hulk Debut TrailerThe Incredible Hulk by SEGA "features key moments from the film, as well as additional plotlines and characters from the character's rich comic-book universe."

Players smash through New York City, battling gigantic enemies amidst soaring skyscrapers in a massive open world. Players can demolish anything in their path and also use it as a weapon -- pieces of a crumbling building�a passing car�a light standard.

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/the-incredible-hulk-ps3-xbox-360-debut-trailer
Read more on "Incredible Hulk (PS3 / Xbox 360) Debut Trailer"!
Bookmark and Share
3G Apple iPhone in JuneApple is expected to launch a high-speed wireless version of iPhone in the second quarter and produce as many as 8 million of the devices in the third quarter, according to Bank of America.

Apple shares closed up $2.76, or 2%, at $143.01 after the prediction in a research report about the third-generation phone from Bank of America analyst Scott Craig. Shares in AT&T Inc (T.N), the exclusive U.S. carrier for iPhone, closed up flat at $37.66 after rising to $38.39 earlier in the day.

"Our latest channel checks point to a significant production build of a 3G iPhone beginning in the month of June after an initial small build in May," he said.

AT&T said last year it expects to be able to sell a 3G version of iPhone in 2008, but it declined comment on specific launch dates on Friday.

Apple representative Jennifer Bowcock declined comment.

Craig said that now he expects production volume to be much higher than his previous estimates. He said Apple planned to build more than 3 million high-speed iPhones in May followed by more than 8 million in the third quarter of the year.

Craig, who had previously estimated 8 million iPhone units for the whole of 2008, said that was starting to look conservative unless some of the plans were pushed back.

Many other analysts have said they expect Apple, which is holding a developer conference in June, to launch an advanced iPhone around that time.

Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said it would make sense for Apple to bring out its high-speed iPhone in June around the time it launches an upgrade to iPhone software.

Apple has said it expects to have sold 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. It said in January that it had sold more than 4 million iPhones since the phone was launched in June.

Source- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080328/tc_nm/apple_iphone_dc;_ylt=AroudYUJX8nXm6C_yXJwvJkjtBAF
Read more on "3G Apple iPhone launch seen in 2nd quarter"!
Bookmark and Share
Microsoft future health caseMicrosoft Office Labs produced this bit on their future vision of personal healthcare for the MIX08 session last week.



Having said all that, you can still get a pretty good idea of what Microsoft foresees as the future of personal health management with some advances in natural interface interactions.

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/video-microsoft-s-future-vision-of-personal-healthcare
Read more on "Microsoft's Future Vision of Personal Healthcare for MIX08"!
Bookmark and Share
The last time we heard someone proclaim the death of the game console, it was EA's head of international distribution saying that an open gaming platform distributed within cable and satellite set-top boxes would take over within 15 years -- a prediction at which we laughed pretty heartily, given that most cable companies can't even manage to get a functional DVR out the door. So it's fairly surprising to hear the former VP of Xbox Europe make the exact same prediction, and bump up the timeline pretty dramatically: Sandy Duncan, who was with MS for 15 years, recently said that dedicated game devices "will die in the next five to 10 years," and that "most of this stuff will be 'virtualized' as web services by your content provider."

Of course, Duncan's now with YoYo Games, which is a web-based gaming company, so he might be a little biased, but there's truth in his statement that the console gaming market is risky and that launch costs of new hardware are incredibly high. Still, as Duncan should know first-hand, it's an investment that can definitely pay off, and we think consumers are always going to demand choice and quality -- two things that aren't exactly synonymous with cable and satellite hardware.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/28/former-xbox-europe-vp-says-consoles-will-be-dead-in-5-10-years/
Read more on "Xbox game consoles will be dead in 5-10 years"!
Bookmark and Share
Inside Line pits the 2008 BMW M3 coupe against the 2008 Audi S5 coupe in this comparison test. Which vehicle comes out on top? Find out in the below video...



In terms of aural pleasure, we give the Audi a few points for its sexier exhaust note. But for sheer power, honors go to the BMW at both low and high rpm. Unlike the M5's V10 on which the M3's engine is based, this V8 shows no such want of torque and feels full-bodied and tractable at any rpm.

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/2008-bmw-m3-coupe-vs-2008-audi-s5-coupe-video-
Read more on "BMW M3 Coupe vs Audi S5 Coupe 2008"!
Bookmark and Share
Bourne conspiracy gameThe Bourne Conspiracy, slated for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, "gives players the experience of becoming a 30 million dollar elite agent, fusing an experience that delves deep into Jason Bourne's character with gameplay and game presentation inspired by the aggressive filmmaking and frenetic action found in the films."

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/the-bourne-conspiracy-ps3-xbox-360-gameplay-blowout
Read more on "The Bourne Conspiracy (PS3 / Xbox 360)"!
Bookmark and Share
iPod Clone Onda VX767The iPod may soon found its match in the Onda VX767 PMP. Resembling the iPod Touch externally in more ways than one, the Onda VX767 is loaded with goodies and features that consumers may want to consider before buying their next portable media player.

The VX767 is useful device that is packed with features that could match or surpass than those of the Touch. The VX767 features a 4.3-inch 16:9 widescreen display with a 480 × 272 resolution.

It is powered by a 400MHz processor and can play MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, FLAC for audio files, along with RM, RMVB, ASF, FLV, MOV, WMV, AVI, MP4, 3GP, MPG for video files and has support for JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG images. There is an FM radio, TV out port, built in microphone and a microSD card slot with support for up to 32GB cards. The VX767 also has built-in support for Flash.

Unfortunately there was no information about pricing or a release date, however I would not expect this to land in the States anytime soon.

Source- http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/onda-vx767-pmp-an-ipod-touch-clone-with-upgrades/
Read more on "iPod Touch Clone- Onda VX767 PMP with upgrades"!
Bookmark and Share
MicrosoftFacing pressure from hosted productivity suites such as Google Docs and Google Apps, Microsoft is planning a new package of low-end productivity software and hosted services through a secretive project code-named Albany.

Project Albany puts together a combination of Office, Office Live Workspaces, Windows Live OneCare and the Windows Live suite of services in one package that eventually is expected to be available in retail outlets such as Best Buy, sources familiar with the company's plans said Wednesday.

The sources, who asked not to be named, said Microsoft is asking select testers to try out the Project Albany beta, but is requiring them to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to participate in the test. The main focus of the initial beta is to test the unified installer for the package, they said.

Office is Microsoft's enormously successful productivity suite, and it's unclear how much of that product will make it into Albany. Because of its price points and functionality, Office Home and Student 2007, which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint, is the most likely candidate for inclusion in the new suite, which is expected to be fairly low-cost. Office Home and Student 2007 retails for US$149.95, about $250 less than Office Standard 2007 -- which in addition to Word, Excel and PowerPoint also includes Outlook and has a list price of $399.95.

Other products that are expected to be a part of Project Albany are hosted services Microsoft has developed over the past few years. Office Live Workspaces is Microsoft's hosted service for storing and sharing documents online, while Windows Live OneCare is a security service that includes firewall and antivirus protection. Windows Live services include hosted e-mail, search, photo-sharing and other services; it is also not certain at this time which of these services will be a part of Albany. However, one source said the Windows Live products included in Albany will be client-side applications such as the desktop version of OneCare, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Writer, not hosted services.

Through its public relations firm Wednesday, Microsoft confirmed that it sent out beta invitations for a product code-named Albany, but declined to share additional details.

Because of its history of selling packaged software, Microsoft is adopting a software-plus-services approach to providing applications online to compete with Google's free and low-cost hosted services such as Google Docs and Apps, which are beginning to encroach on Microsoft's historical packaged-software territory. Other companies such as IBM also offer free productivity applications, although IBM's Symphony suite is not a hosted service.

Microsoft executives have said that the company eventually will offer a hosted version of Office, even as the various packaged versions of Office continue to be successful in the consumer and business markets. With Albany, the company could be trying to create a hybrid product that wouldn't cannibalize its software business even as it moves Microsoft's services strategy forward.

Source- http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,143873-c,webservices/article.html
Read more on "Microsoft 'Albany' to Compete with Google"!
Bookmark and Share
Windows Mobile 6.1This is the prediction from Pocket Lint [via Gizmodo]. Sounds pretty good to us. We would normally be a little gun shy about this sort of prediction, especially since we whiffed our prediction it would be unveiled at MWC2008. However, CTIA just happens to start on April first. And Head-of-The-Division-That-Contains-Windows Mobile Robbie Bach just happens to be giving the keynote. And WMExperts just happens to be planning on heading over to Las Vegas for the show.

So file this one under “Very Likely.”

Speaking of CTIA: expect wall-to-wall coverage. We'll live-blog Bach's keynote, we started up a Twitter feed for WMExperts, and heck, we will even post up direct from the show floor via our trusty Motorola Q9h.

Windows Mobile 6.1, if you'll recall from the many leaks, features a much-improved Today screen experience and (FINALLY) native threaded SMS, among other improvements.

Source- http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/rumors/windows_mobile_61_to_arrive_ap.html
Read more on "Windows Mobile 6.1 to Arrive April 1st?"!
Bookmark and Share
Modu world's lightest mobile phoneSome folks are just straight up spotlight hogs. As if Modu didn’t recieve enough press about its modular phone, yesterday the handset was announced as the “world’s lightest mobile phone” according to Guinness World Records.

The Modu weighs a mind numbing 1.41 oz and measures just 2.8 x 1.4 by .3 inches. If you don’t recall, the Modu phone can be slipped into a variety of ‘jackets’ essentially creating a new phone - a phone per outfit, a chick’s dream.

Source- http://www.gadgetreview.com/2008/03/worlds-lightest-phone.html
Read more on "World’s Lightest Phone- Modu"!
Bookmark and Share
Wii cost 89.99$According to a blurry screenshot (as well as a few rounds of independent confirmation), Nintendo's forthcoming Wii Fit will set you back a cool $89.99, and pre-orderers will be asked to hand over ten whole US bucks (up from five) to reserve their copy.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/24/wii-fit-to-cost-89-99-at-gamestop/
Read more on "Wii Fit to cost $89.99 at GameStop"!
Bookmark and Share
MS office live workspaceMicrosoft is synonymous with the ubiquitous Windows operating system. But its Microsoft Office productivity suite pulls in more revenue than any version of Windows. Competition from Web-hosted productivity applications like Google Docs and Zoho Office has changed the rules of the application-suite game, however, threatening Microsoft's desktop application revenues and forcing it to address the growing popularity of Web-hosted applications with new features and products.

The obvious move would be to offer free, ad-supported, feature-limited online versions of Office's flagship applications designed to compete head-on with Google's and Zoho's word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs. Microsoft's free Office Live Workspace, however, takes a different tack by providing private and public shared online file areas, or workspaces, that are tightly linked to Office's desktop applications via a downloadable plug-in.

Though it lacks advanced workflow, communications, and project management features, Office Live Workspace has more in common with collaborative Web services like Basecamp and Central Desktop than it does with Google's or Zoho's online suites. Currently ad-free, Microsoft says the site may eventually include advertising.

Microsoft office live workspace demoOffice Live Workspace anticipates the kinds of jobs you're likely to collaborate on, providing prefab workspace templates geared to specific business, school, and home tasks such as organizing a group meeting, launching a product, writing a term paper, throwing a party, or managing a little-league team. Individual templates contain document templates designed for the task, such as a project proposal outline in Word or a presentation in PowerPoint.

Office Live Workspace supports Excel files, too, though none of the templates available when we reviewed the site were Excel files. On the other hand, the service doesn't support Microsoft's Access database format, which is too bad--Access users looking to delegate data entry and to simplify reporting tasks might benefit greatly from an online database-sharing arrangement.

You can view documents in the three supported Office file types online, but to edit the files, you must download and open them in your local copy of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, or in a compatible suite such as OpenOffice.org, and then reupload them when you're done editing.

Emulating a handy feature pioneered by Zoho Office, the service also lets you open, edit, and save files directly from your Microsoft Office 2003 or 2007 applications to your online folders, using a downloadable toolbar plug-in. Besides working in the supported Office file types, you can create, view, and edit several other types of files--Events, Contacts, Task Lists, and Notes--via the Web interface, and sync these with the corresponding information types stored in your local copy of Microsoft Outlook. The site lets you create one other file type--a spreadsheet-like list--and export it to Excel format if you wish. You can upload other file types, too. The site simply displays an error message if you try to view or edit unsupported file formats.

MS office live workspace demoIf you work with only a few collaborators, Office Live Workspace provides just the right combination of file-sharing controls and ease of use. As the workspace administrator, you create a new shared workspace and then invite other users by e-mail to join it, either as viewers (who can see but not modify files) or as editors (who can see, create, and modify files). You can share workspaces with invited users, make them public, or keep them private. Files are easy to move from one workspace to another. Though you can't share individual workspace files, you can share individual files that are stored in the default 'Documents' folder.

Office Live Workspace displays a log of file creation, editing, and deletion activity, and the administrator can retrieve an earlier version of a file if an editing snafu occurs. If you add the SharedView utility, a small download that's still in beta, you can share your screen and its applications with other workspace users--a feature that several other collaboration services offer as well. Only one user at a time can control and edit a document via SharedView, however. If you need tighter controls over file access, or other workflow tools like e-mail reminders of project milestones and due dates, choose a more powerful collaboration service.

You'll also want to look elsewhere if your projects involve lots of large files. While other online storage services--including Google, Zoho, and Microsoft's own Windows Live Spaces--offer gigabytes of free storage, Office Live Workspace gives you just 500MB, with individual file size limited to 25MB. But if you and a few of your coworkers or family members want to collaborate in a lightweight fashion using Microsoft Office apps, Microsoft's unique response to Web-hosted applications could be a free and easy no-brainer.

Source- http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/143519/hands_on_microsoft_office_live_workspace.html
Read more on "Hands on with Microsoft Office Live Workspace..."!
Bookmark and Share
Play Station 3 firmware 2.2PS3 Firmware 2.2 has just been made available for download. The update adds the Blu-Ray 2.0 standard, otherwise known as BD-Live, and will enable downloadable movie content, such as games, wallpapers and ringtones.

Source- http://gizmodo.com/371694/ps3-firmware-22-now-available
Read more on "PS3 Firmware 2.2 Now Available"!
Bookmark and Share
Peerflix logoThe DVD swapping service Peerflix is closing, according to an e-mail sent to users this evening. The service enabled its members to request DVDs from other members. It let users print prepaid fold-it-yourself mailing containers on 8x11-inch paper, and charged a fee for each swap.

Source- http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9902546-7.html?tag=nefd.top
Read more on "Peerflix is shutting down..."!
Bookmark and Share
XP may not EOL until this June, but that doesn't mean it's not in need of the same kind of tender lovin' update packs as OSes of every variety occasionally receive. And according to CRN, the long awaited XP SP3 could be due out as early as tomorrow, or possibly later this week.

Update: We hate to be the bearers of bad news but we've already heard that things might not be so optimistic for such an early release. Sources tell us that there still might be some show-stopping issues with SP3 that could prevent it from staying stable (and thus seeing immediate rollout).

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/23/microsoft-releasing-xp-sp3-this-week/
Read more on "Microsoft releasing XP SP3 this week?"!
Bookmark and Share
Grand theft auto4 Xbox 360 eliteMicrosoft has partnered with Rockstar to produce a limited edition (500 units) Grand Theft Auto 4 Xbox 360 Elite package, complete with briefcase crammed full of accessories. Unfortunately, these units were only shipped to select press outlets.

Grand theft auto4 Xbox 360 elite snapshotThe guys at Xbox took an Elite system and, using automotive-quality paint, touched up the sides of the 360 with the GTA IV box art and a serial number. Not a bad way to welcome the first title in the franchise that didn't drop as a Sony exclusive.

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/pictures-microsoft-s-limited-edition-grand-theft-auto-4-xbox-360-elite
Read more on "Microsoft's Limited Edition Grand Theft Auto 4 Xbox 360 Elite"!
Bookmark and Share
Slim Sony PSP Gadget ModelHey, All you cool people, check this out- Slim Sony PSP gadget model. The model is really slim as the Sony PSP....

We are curious to know, what do you think, who is more slim & slutty, whether SONY PSP OR it's model.

http://community.i4u.com/Picture/Slim+Sony+PSP+Gadget+Model/041FBFFFF000EF5A40007000474FB
Read more on "Slim Sony PSP Gadget Model"!
Bookmark and Share