Content and news by Rob Williams

The guys at Hard|OCP are continuing their DX10 coverage with a fresh look at BioShock. Previously, they’ve taken a look at Lost Planet only to find that the benefits are non-existent, but luckily, Call of Juarez deemed itself worthy of some DX10 action. So with a major game like BioShock on the table, hopes were high that our DX10 cards would be getting a good workout.

Through their testing, they never found any real difference between GeForce 8-series and Radeon 2-series cards, a great thing if you own either one of the cards already. They include numerous comparison screenshots, including DX9 vs. DX10, and personally, I can’t really see that much of a difference at all. Though, the downside is that in DX10 mode, you lose anti-aliasing. Why 2K? Why?

We believe that BioShock will ultimately be remembered as a great game with a few flaws, just like its predecessors: System Shock 1 and 2. System Shock’s initial release was marred by many bugs, and in an age in which people couldn’t just pop into FileShack and look for a patch. And yet, it is still remembered as one of the greatest shooters of all time.

Source: Hard|OCP

Microsoft has released the first official version of their Silverlight “Flash-killer” runtime, which means we should be seeing more non-Flash-Flash-like content on the web soon. Originally, support was only slated for Windows and Mac OS X, but someone at Microsoft realized that Linux should be supported as well, as it should be. If you are to release a “revolutionary tool” that makes the web-experience even better, it makes little sense to exclude a large portion of the market.

Novell’s lead Mono developer and GNOME creator Miguel de Icaza and his team will be the people responsible for porting it to Linux. As you’d expect, it will run atop Mono, and since Novell and Microsoft are tight like peas and carrots, it should be a reliable solution in the end. How difficult it will be to install on non-Novell distros is what I am curious about. Linux aside, Windows and Mac OS X users can grab the latest version off the official site and give it a test by finding compatible sites with their showcase.

Microsoft now plans to work closely with Novell to ensure that Silverlight is fully supported on the Linux platform. In a blog entry, de Icaza discusses the scope of Microsoft’s involvement in Novell’s Silverlight development project. “We have had a cordial relationship with many developers at Microsoft for quite some time,” de Icaza writes in his blog entry. “Today we are formalizing a collaboration between Microsoft and Novell with the explicit purpose of bringing Silverlight to Linux and do this in a fully supported way.”

Source: Ars Technica

Seeing advertising in video games was only to be expected, but now it’s gaining momentum incredibly fast. We posted the other day about Ubisoft’s releasing of ad-supported games, and many more are undoubtedly on their way. Personally, I don’t mind advertising if it actually adds to the experience, but those are usually sport games only. I don’t particularly want to see a McDonald’s ad while ridding mobsters down at the docks, or be offered a cold can of Coca Cola from a mystical fairy because I completed a small quest in an RPG.

According to a new survey by GameSpot and the Internet Advertising Bureau, only fourteen percent of men in Britain said that in-game ads spoiled the experience. Only 14%? That seems obscenely low. At least 90% of people I have talked to have said that in-game ads would spoil the gaming experience. You must be one tough bloke if you are able to ignore them.

Forty percent said that ads added realism to the game, while 33 percent said they didn’t even notice the ads. Though just 28 percent felt the advertisement affected the brand, 64 percent of those felt it was a positive effect.

Source: Joystiq

It’s been quite an eventful week for NBC. Last weekend, they packed up their things and left iTunes only to launch a whack of media confusion. Why would they leave iTunes? Piracy aside, their just sitting there would make them more money. Now, either this deal happened really quickly, or this is the true reason for the move, but NBC has fallen into the arms of Amazon.

Amazon’s Unbox service already offers NBC Universal’s movies, so the addition of their television shows wasn’t exactly a difficult process. Prices are currently not known, but what is known is that NBC plans to allow consumers to download free pilot episodes of a few upcoming shows. After that point, episodes can be purchased each week, with a “bundle” available at the end of a shows season.

Today NBC found a friend in Amazon, announcing a deal to sell the network’s digital TV content. Amazon already sells NBC Universal’s movies. NBC shows available on Amazon Unbox will include The Office, Heroes, and 30 Rock. They will also be selling content from their subsidiaries: USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Telemundo, mun2, NBC Sports, and NBC News.

Source: TechCrunch

IOGEAR has begun shipping their Wireless USB Hub and Adapter, which allows you to wirelessly connect to any of your USB peripherals, such as storage, camera, printer, et cetera. As you can see in the image below, the unit itself is a glossy black and looks great, and it should be for it’s $199 SRP.

The usage is quite simple. This is an actual USB hub, so your needed peripherals plug directly into it. Then you take your dongle and use it on any PC in the house to access whatever is plugged in, since the hub essentially adds the device to a network. One of the key benefits of wireless USB is the fact that it’s rated for 480Mbps speeds. By comparison, 802.11g is rated for 54Mbps while 802.11n is 248Mbps. The benefits are there, but the retail price might cause a slow adoption.

The IOGEAR Wireless USB Kit takes advantage of the UWB radio technology to deliver fast wireless communication between your computer and USB peripherals. The IOGEAR Kit wirelessly connects USB peripherals up to a 30-foot range of your computer. It enables wireless connection of many devices for transmission of video, audio, and other high-bandwidth data. Additionally, the wireless frequency range of UWB helps avoid interference with other wireless devices such as mobile phones, Wi-Fi networks and cordless home phones.

Source: IOGEAR Product Page

I am already confused. Intel has a Dual Core brand? It doesn’t matter, because all that matters is that they are being sued by a company known as DualCor, simply because their name is far too similar to that of Intel’s Dual Core technology (AMD also sells Dual Core processors, but whatever). The DualCor name was created in December of 2003 and established in May 2004. Intel apparently knew of this as early as December 2003.

Something tells me that this lawsuit is not going to go very far.

DualCor makes proprietary technology, it said, which improves the processing power, efficiency and portability of computers by using several CPUs working together. It trademarked DualCor on the 14th of May 2004. In the complaint it said that Intel knew about the DualCor name as early as December 2003. Intel’s “use of the name ‘Dual Core’ is likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception among consumers as to the source quality and nature of DualCor’s goods,” it alleged.

Source: The Inquirer

AMD has sent out prices for their upcoming Opteron Quad-Core configurations and DailyTech once again has the scoop. For their 23xx-series two-way processors, pricing will begin at $206 for a low TDP 1.7GHz while top-end will be $372 for 2.0GHz and a 95W TDP. Pricing for the multi-way offerings are found in the image below. The highest-end 2.0GHz settles in at just over $1,000 while the “low-end” is close to $700.

Clock for clock, Barcelona is likely to have a rough time clobbering Intel’s Xeons in benchmarks, but as we have found out in the past, we can’t compare equally-clocked processors of different micro-architectures. One fact that’s difficult to ignore is that these prices jump in drastically, which hopefully means that there will actually be a noticeable performance increase with a small frequency boost. Otherwise, $230 for a 100MHz boost seems like a bit much.

On the multi-way side of things, AMD has four quad-core Opteron 8300 models ready for launch – the 8350, 8347, 8347 HE and 8346 HE. The multi-way models have a $688 cost-of-entry and top out at around $1,000. Unlike the Opteron 2300 series, the 8300 series HE models command an approximate $110 price premium.

Source: DailyTech

I’ll give credit to Sony for one thing… the fact that they are not afraid to release the occasional firmware update for the PS3. As PS3 owners, it helps us feel like we are being taken good care of. I do have one lingering issue, however. Why release a new firmware update and then wait an entire day to let everyone know what has been updated?

That’s essentially what happened over the past few days. The update was released on Tuesday and just last night, a new post was made on the official Playstation Blog explaining that the main fixes were for compatibility and playability, referring to PS1/PS2 games. It’s also mentioned that a special site will be implemented in the near future that will allow you to search for compatible games. Are there really that many non-compatible games? I have never run into an issue with any of my previous-gen PS titles.

As Kotaku, Joystiq and others are pointing out, we’ve released a minor firmware update (version 1.92) for the PS3. This update focuses on some PS3 compatibility and playability issues for select titles. A search site for looking up compatible titles is also in the works, as soon as it’s live, I’ll publish a link to it here.

Source: Playstation Blog

According to a blog entry by Palm CEO Ed Colligan, the Foleo will not have a chance to have a first breath of commercial success. The Foleo was designed to be a compliment to your smart-phone, in the likeness of a small laptop. Essentially, it would allow you to comfortably handle tasks without squinting at a small device.

The good news in all of this is that they are going to shift all of their attention to their next-generation software platform, aka Linux-based products. This is not the end for Foleo, however, as Ed goes on to mention that Foleo II will be based on the upcoming platform.

While the Foleo was and interesting idea, we think the execution was poorly timed and not in-sync with the way the Treo line of smartphones is likely headed. By getting Treo updates out the door faster, Palm will show that it’s not the stagnant company many think it’s become.

Source: CrunchGear

Engadget has received a copy of the new Xbox 360 Messenger Kit and thought they’d give it a spin. I have to say, this is by far one of the most ridiculous gamepads I have ever seen. Ever. The Xbox 360 controller looks like it has a massive tumor… that happens to be lettered and numbered. I can understand the usefulness of such a gamepad, but I am not sure I could handle living with myself while using such a contraption. What’s wrong with voice chat again?

The Chatpad is a little difficult to get on and off, but once engaged it fits perfectly on the controller (duh), and feels like a seamless extension. Unfortunately there are two awkwardly placed screw holes on the underside, but you’ll learn to ignore ’em. Players with longer fingers may be annoyed, this thing kind of prevents finger-wraparound.

Source: Engadget

Is there anyone who actually prefers dealing with AT&T? They continue to give every single segment of their customer base a reason to dislike them, this time: teens. They have begun offering a service called “Smart Limit” at a contract-free $4.99 per month. Once signed up, the parent will have access to controls via a web page where they can allow/disallow SMS and phone calls at varying times of the day. They will essentially have full control over when the phone can be used. I can only imagine how many arguments this service is bound to spark…

The Smart Limits service will be marketed to AT&T’s existing family plan customers and through advertising in parent magazines, Hill said, but because it is available throughout the AT&T network, the service can also be used by business customers or individuals looking to block and limit certain callers or hours of incoming calls. “We expect over time to see other segments open up,” Hill said.

Source: Wired

Intel’s high-end X38 chipset will be launching later this month, but according to DigiTimes, ASUStek might not be one of the first ones out the door with a variety of motherboard offerings. Thanks to last-minute revision changes, their launch may be pushed back upwards of two weeks, while leading competitor Gigabyte is currently prepared for a smooth launch.

The official launch date has not been verified by Intel, but leaks speculate that it will be three weeks from now. Although the new chipset is quite similar to P35 which was launched this past May, it will bring features to the table that enthusiasts will appreciate, including dual GPU 16x PCI-E slots. That’s something that’s been previously only available on NVIDIA boards and also ASUS’ own Blitz boards on the ATI side.

The sources indicated that Gigabyte’s X38 motherboards were showcased at Computex Taipei this year, with the Ultra Durable 2 technology as its major selling point. Ultra Durable 2 features low RDS (on) MOSFET, ferrite core choke, and low ESR solid capacitors. The motherboards also use all-copper heatpipes. Although the costs of Gigabytes’ motherboards are relatively high, the sources said they expect good market acceptability for the company’s X38 motherboards.

Source: DigiTimes

It’s not difficult to see that RFID is becoming increasingly popular and more difficult by the day to avoid, but did you know that there have actually been companies that have planted RFID tags into their employees? It’s a matter of “get tagged or look elsewhere for a job.” Foolish. What’s happening with the world when employees are tagged in the same manner that animals are before they are let back into the pastures?

Well I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous, but you can relax in knowing that the state of California has banned forcible RFID employee tagging. If your employer asks you to get tagged, you don’t have to in order to keep your job. Now we just need to sit back and see if the same legislation will be passed for anal probing.

“RFID is a minor miracle, with all sorts of good uses,” Simitian said. “But we shouldn’t condone forced ‘tagging’ of humans. It’s the ultimate invasion of privacy.” Simitian said he fears that the devices could be compromised by persons with unauthorized scanners, facilitating identity theft and improper tracking and surveillance.

Source: LA Times

Hybrid hard drives are a welcomed innovation because they are low power and very efficient. However, as Ars Technica reports, there may be even better drives on the horizon. A company by the name of Mcell has produced a hard drive that includes a 1GB stick of DDR2 ram, essentially taking the place of the drives cache. By comparison, most standard high-end drives today utilize 16MB of cache, so the benefits of such a steep increase is evident.

The cool thing is that such a device takes up virtually no additional space inside of your PC. Inside a 3.5″ enclosure would be a 2.5″ drive and 1GB of DDR2 ram and also a special chip with a real-time OS and CPU. Although the drive would be rated for 5400RPM, the included RAM and efficient OS would effectively wipe out any potential bottlenecks. This is a strange but very interesting idea. I am looking forward to it actually being developed in larger quantities.

The drive will initially be available in 80GB, 120GB, and 160GB sizes, with the 80GB model selling for Â¥15,800 ($136.15). According to the drive’s product page, it contains a “quick boot up option” as well as a “one-stop software failure option,” although it’s not entirely clear how the latter will work.

Source: Ars Technica

If you happen to be in the mood for gaming this week but are strapped for cash, no worries as both EA and Ubisoft have got you covered. This past week, Ubisoft released four titles absolutely free: Far Cry, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Rayman Raving Rabbids. Free is good, but there is a catch. Each one of them is ad-supported and requires you have an Ubi.com account. That’s fine, but what hurts is the fact that these games are only available to US players.

There are more releases that everyone can enjoy though, courtesy of Electronic Arts. Last Friday marked the 12th anniversary of the first Command and Conquer game, so to celebrate, EA has released the game for free, including both the Global Defence Initiative and also Brotherhood of Nod versions. I remember playing these games when they were new. Multiplayer happened by dialing into your friends machine. Good times, but now I suddenly feel old…

Here are a few Gamers Hell links for the games. This is not the only website to host them, but was the first I stumbled on.

• C&C Gold Part 1
• C&C Gold Part 2
• Far Cry
• Prince of Persia
• Rayman Raving Rabbids
• Tom Clancy Ghost Recon

It’s no surprise that companies whine about things for the wrong reasons, and it’s also no surprise that they’d complain about illegal practices that effect their product, but then go behind everyone’s back and take part in shady practices themselves. Take the MPAA, who constantly complains about the harsh effects of piracy on their business, despite the fact that movie sales are at a record high.

Recently, it came about that they would not be suing movie fans, which helped clean up their image a little bit. Until now, where it has become public knowledge that they paid $15,000 for private e-mails from a prior TorrentSpy employee. As it turns out, the MPAA didn’t do anything illegal, since the ex-employee signed an affidavit noting that they were gathered using legal means. When will the movie industry worry about more important things? Such as continuing to create blockbuster movies that helped it hit a record high this past summer.

When TorrentSpy found out this had happened, it sued the MPAA for violating federal wiretap rules. A judge recently tossed out the case, saying that the MPAA’s actions were legal. The group claimed that its informant, a former TorrentSpy employee, signed an affidavit saying that the e-mails had been acquired legally (turns out that he had hacked into the mail server and forwarded the e-mails to a Gmail account of his own).

Source: Ars Technica

Yes, it appears I couldn’t go a full two news posts without posting even more iPhone related tidbits. Earlier this morning we posted that CNN took a look at the iPhoneSIMFree service, but now even more details have surfaced.

As Engadget has found out, the business is up and running, but not to end-users. Rather, only wholesalers are able to purchase bulk bundles and re-sell them to their customers. This of course means that many will be making huge profit by buying bulk counts and re-selling them on eBay and the like. Prices begin at 50 licenses for $1,800 ($36 each), with overall prices decreasing the more you buy.

Apple news doesn’t stop there, though. Last Wednesday we posted about a special press event that would be occurring this coming Wednesday. Industry site DigiTimes has revealed information on what will be unveiled there. First is a new iPod Video that will feature a widescreen and also WiFi capabilities. The iPod Nano will also be updated with better storage and an iPhone-like interface. Lastly, the lowly iPod Shuffle will also have it’s storage upgraded, but that’s as far as it’s upgrades go.

Source: Engadget (iPhoneSIMFree), DigiTimes (New iPhones)

If you are one of the few people willing to spend $1,500 on an ugly keyboard, wouldn’t you at least expect the packaging to be the best you’ve ever seen? Not in the case of the Optimus Maximus keyboard, no. The project has just posted an unboxing, showing purchasers what to expect when they receive their own copy. Why they would show such bland packaging at all is beyond me. At least it will keep the keyboard safe during shipment. There’s always that.

Package is an essential part of the product for two reasons. First, the product should be wrapped in something to be send by post. Second, is there’s no packaging or there’s one that’s crap, all the reviewers will write about it. In fact, no one cares about the ecology when emotions are concerned.

Source: Optimus Project Blog

It goes without saying that the iPhone has had its share of news since it’s launch, but lately it’s all been about unlocking it and keeping it away from AT&T. Even CNN picked up on it, noting a couple quotes from the iPhoneSIMFree developers and also AT&T themselves. Notable is the quote from Mark Siegal of AT&T, “When you sign up, you’re signing a two-year contract. You’re obligated to pay the bill.”

If you bought an iPhone and got wrapped into a two-year deal, then it’s going to be difficult to get out. But for those who can manage an iPhone purchase without the contract, you might be smooth sailing… once the software sees the light of day. As the article mentions, the developers are waiting on comments from their lawyers before moving forward, so hopefully something will surface before the end of the week.

They [developers] said they are fans of Apple products who thought the iPhone should be made accessible to people who cannot use AT&T. “I’m not in America and I can’t use it,” said Liu, who would not reveal the country in which he lives. “It’s not fair.” Asked if he thought modifying the iPhone was legal, he said “That’s a very good question. I truly believe it is.”

Source: CNN.com

If there is anything that you’ve gained from reading our news, it’s probably that not too many of us on staff enjoy Windows Vista. But who can blame us? Even Microsoft themselves know that Vista is a pain, but the sad thing is that the “fixes” are not coming quick enough. Regardless of how much I personally dislike the OS, I can at least admit that I’ve had no real problem getting online with it, which is more than this Swedish city can say.

According to a Swedish newspaper, the city of Lund has a choice between using Vista or having access to the internet. The reasons are not clear, but the ISP apparently runs Linux and the IT guy doesn’t feel ambitious enough to tweak the configuration. Ridiculous though, considering Lund houses almost 80,000 residents, many who are likely to be running Microsoft’s new OS.

According to this local newspaper, the reason is because Lund is a Linux city which has a a Linux server that doesn’t like Vista. Lundis Energi blamed Microsoft because Vista has got a bug and it isn’t going to change the configuration of the server just to cope with the flaw. A local Microsoft rep said it could probably fix the problem if Lundis Energi got in touch with it.

Source: The Inquirer