BLACKBERRY STORM OFF TO A SHAKY START

Blackberry storm was specifically designed for Vodafone users.It has got all the features that a smart phone needs tohavelikeWirelessemail,OrganizerBrowser,PhoneCamera (3.2 MP),Video Recording,BlackBerry® Maps,Media Player,Built-in GPSCorporate data access,SMS and MMS.All said and done,the sales of the Blackberry storm is still looking a bit of a bumpy ride.

Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion Ltd. have high hopes for the BlackBerry Storm, which they spent nearly two years developing as their big response to Apple iPhone and have broght on Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton to endorse their product with a overall ad campaign costing around $100 million.Surely any new product is susceptible to a few glitches and this one is no revelation in this aspect.Blackberry Storm has sold roughly 500,000 units in the first month after nov 21 launch but very modest sales when compared to 2.4 million.

Some Storm owners have complained about everything from clunky software for typing on the touch screen to the device's sluggish performance with basic tasks like dialing-by-voice or taking photographs.Infact NY Times called the Storm touch screen a 'dud'.Global economic downturn is certainly not a turn on.But storm has to sort out its issues if it has to face the iphone golliath.

GOOGLE LAUNCHES M-LAB -TO TEST YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

Global Tech Giant Google along with a couple of non profit partners has launched measurementlab.net called MLAB in short to enable users to test their internet connection using google's own list of diagnostic tools.The MLAB aims to check broadband connections by briefly communicating with a server elsewhere on the internet to reveal possible interference and traffic management by service providers.
Apart from helping users to check their broadband connection using its Network Diagnostic Tool,MLAB seems to offer much more including the Glasnost which helps to detect whether your Internet access provider is performing application-specific traffic shaping. Currently, you can test if your ISP is throttling or blocking BitTorrent.The measurement server records the user's IP address, and all data packets received by the server from your computer or sent by the server to your computer. In addition, it monitors errors in the communication with the server and the throughput of the transfers for those communication "flows," and sends them to the server.

The NPAD (Network Path and Applicaton Diagnosis) tool diagnoses some of the common problems effecting the last network mile and end-users' systems. These are the most common causes of all performance problems on wide area network paths.

The Diffprobe which helps to detect if an Internet access provider is classifying certain kinds of traffic as "low priority," providing it with an inferior level of service. DiffProbe actively and non-intrusively probes the network path and tries to diagnose the nature and extent of traffic discrimination.

The NANO attempts to detect whether an ISP is degrading the performance of a certain subset of users, applications, or destinations.NANO will conduct some tests between the client and an M-Lab server, such as generating downloads of different types of application traffic. This data will be sent to the M-Lab server.NANO will also monitor the user's network traffic and collect summary statistics about performance when the user visits popular Internet destinations. Rather than generating tests, it monitors the user's activity in the course of his or her normal Internet usage.

The MLAB is being released only in its beta form and services like Diffprobe and NANO are not yet available fully.Besides providing the users with essential diagnostic tools,google is inviting researchers who would like to help expand the platform and ensure its growth and success.

MOTION SENSING IN MOBILE PHONE! -GAMES IN MOBILE PHONES THAT USE MOTION SENSING

Motion sensing technology in mobile phones is something for here to stay.Just shake your phone to have a truckload of fun.Its only a natural progression that with the advent of motion sensing in mobile phones ,motion sensing games make the whole experience much more enjoyable.
Several mobile giants like Samsung with its F305,Sony with its W90i,K850i and Nokia with its 5500 and not to forget the iphone,have made this segment of the mobile phone market much more competitive and much more exciting to choose from.Basically the mobile phone giants are trying their best to emulate the motion sensing fun element that is being widely appreciated with Nintendo's gaming console WII.

There are several games which harness this motion sensing technology.The popular ones being I-play Bowling,Marble Revolution,Marble Madness 3D really have revolutionalised the mobile gaming field - and this is not a overstatement!.Now lets look at some of these games .

I-play Bowling

Accelerometer



NFS



Marble Madness 3D

HOW TO E-MAIL WITHOUT AN E-MAIL ADDRESS? - SEA MAIL

Feeling tired of typing in those long email addresses? Then look no further , for Semantic e-mail Addressing is your way out.
No need to type in even the recipient's e-mail addresses, or even their names

Semantic email addressing (SEA) lets users send email to a semantically specified group of recipients. It provides all of the functionality of static email mailing lists, but because users can maintain their own profiles, they don't need to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change email addresses. Because of its targeted nature, SEA could help combat unintentional spam and preserve the privacy of email addresses and even individual identities.

Stanford University has revelaed this e-mail system radically change how users specify where their messages are supposed to be delivered.Technical details, such as the need to specify an e-mail address, get hidden inside the system, so that everyday users no longer have to pay attention to them. If a person(say X) wants to send email to another person (say Y), then X could simply type Y's name as a recipient, and his most recent e-mail address would automatically be selected.

This feature can also be extended to delivering mass emails to groups but the limitation being the amount of information thae system has about each recipient of the group.Rich database can seemingly solve this problem but the technical challenge is setting up an integrated version of the data that SEAmail can access easily is still at bay.But this email system cannot be foolproof and we have to wait a bit longer to see it work out more functionally for wider use.

INTERNET TV -THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION -WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE WATCHING IN THE FUTURE?

Internet tv is all set to take over the world in the future.Internet enabled television systems are going to give the traditional tv sets a big run for their money and already several consumer electronics giants such as LG , Netflix, Samsung,Toshiba are working rigorously to promote their own internet tvs.

Recently Toshiba introduced its internet enabled tv which apart from being internet equipped it has also got DVD player and widgets enabled in it- with a little help from Yahoo!, Intel and Microsoft. This means you'll be able to stream video from the web, download movies, watch internet TV and even record them as well.

Samsung also unveiled its version of internet tv and Samsung also used its press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to outline its plans for a "seamless digital experience" around the home, announcing a range of devices that could wirelessly communicate with one another to stream music, photos and movies.

With a Strong backing from Yahoo, internet tv has its list of backers growing by the day.Yahoo has developed what it calls the Yahoo Widget Engine, which displays a series of internet options in a scrolling bar across the base of the screen that can be accessed using a standard remote control."The merging of the internet and television will create what we call the cinematic internet," said Patrick Berry, vice president of Connected TV at Yahoo."This will make TV into something bigger and more exciting than ever. It will allow developers to reach a whole new community."This year's CES saw Samsung unveil its version of the internet tv.

But despite the flashy widgets and tv browsers, the real people pleaser is the video on demand feature which massively outweighs all the customizable tv widgets and wallpapers.Video on demand was closely fllowed by searching the home network for video contentAccess user-generated content such as Youtube,play media from a USB drive,share television experience using messaging services,make video conference or voice calls via the TV.

But wait a second! Ya u guesed right.Microsoft internet tv is said to be on its way.Apple might also set its foot foot on this lucrative future technology.

Microsoft internet tv

ROBOCOP UNVEILED BY JAPANESE COMPANIES - NET HURLING SECURITY ROBOT AKA SPIDERMAN ROBOT

Japanese security firm Alacom Co and robotic firm Tmsuk Co have unveiled a new security robot which is capable of hurling nets at possible intruders and can be controlled via a mobile phone.

This security robot, called the T-34 senses the movement of suspected intruders through well equipped sensors and is built on wheels.It moves at up to 10km/h (6mph), and can be controlled by someone seeing real-time images on a mobile phone.The companies envisage that the T-34 will be used in factories and commercial premises.

According to the companies statement,“Security sensors often set off false alarms but examining the location with the robot will lead to more efficient operations”

Watch the demo of the robot

CONFICKER VIRUS THREAT FOR WNDOWS VISTA AND WINDOWS 7: SECURITY EXPERTS PUZZLED

So you think that you have the latest security software to keep your pc or mac safe?well think again.The Conficker virus has opened a new can of worms for security experts , as low security networks, memory sticks, and PCs without current security updates are in grave danger of being severly damaged by the conflicker virus also known to be Downadup or Kido and was first discovered in October 2008.

Portable storage drives such as USB sticks infected with the virus trick users into installing the worm. According to security experts, a ‘social engineering trick’, which exploits the way humans think and act is said to be the biggest challenge that this virus puts before us. Even though the bogus option is marked as being in the category ‘Install or run program’, many users will see the familiar ‘Open folder to view files’ wording and icon that they click on it without thinking.

The "Autoplay" function in Vista and early versions of Windows 7 automatically searches for programs on removable drives.However, the virus hijacks this process, masquerading as a folder to be opened. When clicked, the worm installs itself.

How does the worm work? - Method of infection

Microsoft says that the worm works by searching for a Windows executable file called "services.exe" and then becomes part of that code.It then copies itself into the Windows system folder %Sysdir% as a random file of a type known as a "dll". It gives itself a 5-8 character name, such as piftoc.dll, and then modifies the Registry, which lists key Windows settings, to run the infected dll file as a service.

The virus attempts connections to one or more of the websites such as getmyip.org ,getmyip.co.uk ,checkip.dyndns.org to obtain the public ip address of the affected computer.As soon as the worm is up and running, it creates a HTTP server and then resets a machine's System Restore point (very hard to recover) and then downloads files from the hacker's web site.Later variants of w32/Confickerworm are using scheduled tasks and Autorun.inf file to replicate on to non vulnerable systems or to reinfect previously infected systems after they have been cleaned.

How does Conficker differ from other virus/worms?

Most malware download files from easily detectable malicious or attack sites, making them fairly easy to spot, and immediately shut down the file download.But the worm uses a complicated algorithm based on timestamps from websites such as google.com to generate hundreds of different domain names every day. Only one of these will actually be the site used to download the hackers' files,making it extremely difficult to trace the target site .

Impact and damage caused by the worm so far

It is estimated that a whopping 9.5m PCs are infected with this virus. Once the Conficker worm is executed in a pc, the downadup virus disables essential security services such as windows automatic updates,security center, defender and error reporting to name a few.Along with downloading and installing malware on your computer and gathering your personal data, the conflcker adheres or sticks itself to key windows processes like svchost.exe, explorer.exe.

Removal

It is of paramount that one should turn off autorun and autoplay features in your pcs to prevent the worm from gaining a foothold onto your syatem.Windows users are urged to download the KB958644 Security Update from Microsoft to mitigate the risk of infection.

Microsoft's amlicious software removal tool (KB890830) and f-secure malware removal tool are some of the software that are available to keep conficker at bay.Keeping your antivirus software updated regularly to keep track of the constantly evolving virus definitions is a good preventive measure that would go a long way to ensure safety to your pc.As they say' better safe than sorry'.

MONITOR YOUR HEART WITH NOKIA N79 ACTIVE FROM POLAR- GETS YOUR PULSE RAISING

Mobile phone giant Nokia recently have announced the N79 Active, which ships with the wireless Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt from Polar, the leader in sports instruments and heart rate monitoring.The N79 is touted to be an excellent fitness companion as it comes loaded with a GPS tracking facility and a new version of the popular Nokia Sports Tracker application.With the Nseries exclusive feature of 'Sports Tracker'you can also share your fitness progress and the tracks you listen while working out with everyone on the web with a builtin web publishing facility.


The N79 active which is the smallest member of the Nseries up to date will take the guess-work out of training and makes your fitness regime that much more enjoyable as it comes in with its sporty headphones and an armband so you can keep yourself plugged in as you work out.A A 4GB microSD memory card holds enough music even for those long endurance sessions. With the option of adding new tracks to your playlists over the air from the Nokia Music Store or tuning in to the radio with the handset's FM transmitter.

PC HEALTH CHECK -IMPROVE YOUR PC PERFORMANCE - OPTIMIZE YOUR PC EFFICIENCY

Improving your pc health revolves around key issues like defragging the hard drive,cache clean up,managing the memory and there are the obuous pc security threats such as spyware, malicious programs, viruses.Improving the pc's performance also is attributed to limitting the various background processes that may slow down your pc considerably.All operating systems work best when at least 20% of the drive is kept free. You can make room by deleting unwanted photos, music and documents or by archiving your data on to removable storage like writable CDs.Alternatively, with the cost of hard drives falling all the time, try buying a second drive to store your documents separately to the operating system. Lets have a look at an indepth analysis for fine tuning ypur pc.

Clean up your Cache

Caching helps us to load a particular web page much quicker when compared to the very first time.What basically happens is the web site data like pictures, scripts etc., are stored on your hard drive thus occupying valuable hard disk space.These cached data are stored in the form of temporary internet files and can be emoved by clearing the private data.for example, in case of firefox it is, tools->clear private date ->ok.Delete the cookies and offline web data too.In addition to these junks of data, pieces of registy keys sometime stick around in your system even after uninstalling a software. You can easily remove them using software like registry cleaner or ccleaner.

Memory Management

With the price of RAMs dwindling day by day, its not too bad if you have atleast 2gb of RAM to boost up your pc speed .But this finite memory can be overloaded due to a large number of processes running in the background .Also some applications run at startup, so its advisable to reduce the number of applications that run at startup as small as possible.In Microsoft Windows this is set in the System Configuration Utility.On an Apple Mac, right-click an icon in the dock and un-tick Open at Login.

Driver Updates

Always an updated driver is sure to boost up the speed especially if you have not done it since your machine left the shop.

Malicious Software

Malicious software like spyware and and viruses that come along with software, also hijacks some of your processing power besides putting your personal data at serious risk.A number of spyware detectors and antivirus software are available for both the Apple Mac and PC.They all work in the same way by searching your system and removing any offending data.For my personal use, i like using Norton Internet Security 2009, but Bitdefender is also not a bad option.A number of spyware busters such as windows defender, norton total security.. are available.Check on our security suite ratings to choose the beat of the lot.

Hard Drive Defragment

Hard disks inherently become clumsy and disorganized over time as data become split up and are stored as junks and pieces, shuffled around the avalable space in different sectors of your hard drive.This significantly slows down the access times of data .A better solution would be to organize data such that data are arranged logically, thus improving the access times dramatically.Windows has built-in defrag tool while Apple's Mac needs commercial programmes to do the job.Windows or Mac,brace yourself for some time as it is somewhat long process.

Shutdown Power

Sometimes, the button in the front your machine sends your pc into sleep rather than actually turning off your pc.The power has to be down for your pc to recover from hours of working time and recouperate .Especially power down option helps to cool off your pc.All you have to do this is go to control panel->power options where you can configure what a thumb to the off button actually does: sleep or shutdown.

TOP 10 GAME BABES: THE MOST SEDUCTIVE- THE MOST ALLURING - THE HOT GAME BABES

Lets have a look at the most sexy game babes of all time

10.Alex Vance(Half Life 2)

Play magazine listed her as their favorite computer game female character in their sixth "Girls of Gaming" special, calling her "the best partner Gordon Freeman could ask for." UGO.com rated Alyx thirty-third in their "Top 50 Videogame Hotties" article, stating "Now here's a girl that you could actually take home to Momma. Alyx has it all: brains, good looks, and a stinging personality that can keep the comers at bay." They later listed her at number eight in their "Top 11 Girls of Gaming" article, stating "there's just something about her that makes her unforgettable", noting her bond with the player and describing her as a "cute post-apocalyptic chick with short hair and a take-no-crap attitude, a rarity in this age of eye candy and cheeseball characterization".

9.Joanna Dark(Perfect Dark)

Joanna Dark is a Bounty hunter and bail enforcement agent and is certified for international operations. Her technical skills stretch as far as wiring up a charge, picking a lock or hacking a basic system. All pretty practical stuff. Jo's not big on theory - like the rest of us she still has to concentrate when some researcher starts rattling off facts.
Her red shoulder-length hair with distinctive blonde streak, blue eyes, pale complexion, and a slender, athletic build has really made men go wild.However, Joanna's red hair colour and a blond forelock was explained, in story, as a genetic flaw.

8.Eva(Metal Gear Solid)

Eva, later known as Big Mama, is a female spy and a femme fatale, who fought alongside Big Boss during Operation Snake Eater posing as a KGB agent. She was actually a spy for the Chinese People's Liberation Army and was on a mission to obtain The Philosophers Legacy which she stole from Big Boss. She is the surrogate mother of Solid Snake and Liquid Snake.She is the most curvilicious lady in video game history!Her curves are simply amazing.Even though she doest hesitate to show her age, this is one hot mama you would absolutely crave for.

7.Bloodrayne(Bloodrayne)

Rayne is a Dhampir looking for her father, and kills any vampires that cross her path. She is now working for the Brimstone Society.Rayne is a very complex young woman. She is intelligent, knowledgeable, witty, seductive (when need be), extremely confident in her abilities, sarcastic, mostly independent, and somewhat dispassionate, rarely showing any sign of anger, alarm, annoyance, surprise, or distress. Due to her upbringing as an assassin, Rayne is also strong-willed, stubborn, foul-mouthed, somewhat tomboyish, tenacious, resourceful, persistent, and enduring.This lovely vampire has surely captured our hearts.

6.Nina Williams(Tekken/Dead By Degrees)

Pick your jaws off the floor boys, before this lethal lovely floors you as well. Fans of the Tekken series already know that Nina is a capable fighter. She's got an arsenal of moves that you can use by slapping the right analog stick in the direction of an on coming enemy. The deadly beauty you're drooling over is Nina Williams, British Secret Agent and all-round stunning babe. You may have seen her high kicking her way through the Tekken games, but this time the screen is all hers.

5.Ada Wong(Resident Evil)

Ada Wong is a red-clad, cunning and formidable secret agent of Chinese heritage with a mysterious past. Initially a private agent, Ada was drawn into the intrigue and treachery that is the corporate world when she was recruited by The Agency to participate in their activities against their primary rival; The Umbrella Corporation. Though Ada is affiliated with unscrupulous and questionable characters and organizations, Ada is shown to have integrity and some measure of mercy and kindness, leaving her true affiliation unknown.

4.Christie (Dead Or Alive)

Possessed of all the characteristics required of an assassin, this cold-blooded woman has undergone the ultimate adaptation - excelling in the art of the She Quan, which she employs to the fullest.In DOA: Dead or Alive, Christie is played by Holly Valance (yeah, that's her in the bra shot you see in the trailer). This Australian has made her name with primarily TV performances, most recently on Prison Break and CSI: NY, as well as National Lampoons' Pledge This!

3.Samas Aran(Metroid)

Although Samus wears the Power Suit throughout most of the Metroid series, most games in the series offer depictions of her in more revealing attire, usually as a reward for satisfying certain conditions (such as co

mpleting the game quickly or with a high percentage of items collected). Samus is considered one of the earliest female protagonists in the history of video games.
GameDaily listed Samus at number seven in their "Top 50 Hottest Game Babes" article, calling her "a refreshing change of pace" in the face of other bounty hunter characters in science fiction. In other articles they noted her as their favorite Nintendo character and one of their favorite female video game characters, stating "...out of all the Nintendo characters out there, there's no one better than this intergalactic bounty hunter," and "Forget Lara Croft. Samus was the video game industry's first dominant female, a femme de force that didn't rely on a man to save her."

2.Lara Croft (Lara Croft:Tomb Raider)

Lara croft - do we need to ay more? Its an Angelina Jolie look alike for heaven sake.Athletic body, peachy lips and a british outlook give this sophisticated , yet gorgeous babe a double thums up.This high class vixen has it all- world class gymnast, able to outsmart traps in ancient civilizaions,able to kick a bear's ass, big guns and..big guns .... Laura with her shorts is great from a gamer's perspective.

1.Rachel(Ninja Gaiden)

With a rediculously voluptious body and a masive workout, Rachel is the definition of knockout.
Rachel is the leading female character, and tragic heroine of the game. Rachel is a Vigoorian fiend hunter. She is continuously searching for her sister who was turned into a fiend. Her genes give her abnormal strength at expense of being susceptible to becoming a fiend. She can also sense where fiends are. She wields the War Hammer as her main weapon.

Watch The Videos!

FUTURE OF TELIVISION! CES 2009 TELIVISION ROUND UP:LED TV-LASER TV-GESTURE CONTROLLED TV

Television as we normally think as a mere box controlled by a remote control is going to take a serious makeover.We take a look at the various future trends in Television technology.

They say bigger is better, as can be seen in the case of worlds largest tv. But more practically, the traditional 4:3 screen tvs are certainlty going to be knocked out by more rectangular 16:9 widescreen tv.The concept of high-definition is also undergoing huge makeovers , so much so that a phenomenal resolution of 7680 pixels by 4320 is now being brought into mainstream tvs.
ou think, the refresh rat of 60 fps is the max- nope! brace yourself for 120 fps- says Bruce Walker from Toshiba.

Laser TV

Lasers are all set to become an ideal replacement for the UHP lamps which are currently in use in projection display devices such as rear projection TV and front projectors. Current televisions are capable of displaying only 40% of the color gamut that humans can potentially perceive. In contrast, proponents of Laser TV technology claim that the standard will be able to reproduce about 80% of the colors visible to the human eye.

A Laser TV requires lasers in three distinct wavelengths seem to: Red, Green and Blue.
Laser tvs seem to be half the weight and cost of Plasma or LCD displays,have a very wide colour gamut. Twice the color of today's HDTVs, have an extra lifespan and require around 25% of the power required by Plasma or LCD displays.Laser Tv technology was introduced to the world by Australian Larry Marshall. Now electronic giants like Toshiba have released their laser tvs in CES 2009.

LED TV

LED tvs are nothing but LCD tvs with LED backlight.But to take that one step further, instead of florescent lights behind the screen there is a full grid of LEDs and now if one corner of the screen is bright the LEDs burn bright.

If the bottom of the screen is dark, the LEDs can turn off so individual zones can be controlled based on the incoming signal.

Organic LEDs(OLED) are another section of the LED tv bandwagon.OLED technology consists of extremely thin layers of organic material applied on a substrate such as glass. When stimulated by an electrical charge, these materials emit light.Active-matrix (AM) OLED displays have electronic circuitry built in, so each pixel is driven independently by a corresponding circuit.Traditional LCD tvs have their future in doubts thanks to their LED enhanced counterparts since LED tvs have the distinctions of being thinner, lighter,clearer, brighter,wider viewing area,lower power consumption typically operating at 2 to 10 volts.The main players in this field include Samsung,Sony andLG.

Gestutre Controlled TV

The days of remote controls is going to be over soon as new gesture controlled TVs are going to rock you.No more there be the need to keep pressing at those buttons on your remote, no more waorrying about having to change the remote batteries- simply show gestures with your hands and wella!
Hitachi were one of the firsts to show off their Gesture controlled tv at this years CES .Various hand gesture-operated TV demos have shown that a user could rotate an image, move one of the video windows to the side, or zoom in or out of video on the screen, simply by changing hand movements (circling, moving to left or right, or forward/backward). Hitachi for instance, use infrared technology (IR) to see user’s hand motions and respond accordingly, while Panasonic uses a new image sensor unit consisting of a near infrared LED, a special charge-coupled device (CCD) and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).This sensor unit detects gestures by measuring "time of flight" (the time it takes for the near infrared light to hit an object and its reflected light to return to the CCD image sensor module). Each "time of flight" is measured per pixel. Its cumulative data calculates the distance, capturing the depth information of the gesture at real time..One can wave to the TV to turn it on, while changing channels was performed by waving horizontally to bring up a channel menu, then moving an open or pointing hand in a clockwise circle to advance through the channels or counterclockwise to go down through them. Adjusting volume levels was done in similar fashion.

RISE OF THE ARGONAUTS REVIEW AND GAMEPLAY VIDEO AND WALKTHROUGH

Published by: Codemasters
Developed by: Liquid Entertainment
Release Date: December 16, 2009
Genre: Action RPG

Review:

Rise Of The Argonauts features Jason and Odysseus who are the heroes that roamed unfamiliar lands, encountered bizarre and powerful creatures, and often received rewards for their trials and tribulations to help them vanquish enemies or otherwise make their travels more convenient.
Although the genre of Action Rpg games isnt new,RPG fanatics might b slightly dissappointed by removing the typical RPG genre complications and adding a simple combat engine with a heavy emphasis on passive abilities and the mechanical repetition of light and heavy attacks, block, and dodge moves, the game can't fully satisfy action or RPG appetites.

The story is a compelling one where, Jason and the Argonauts, aboard his ship, the Argo, still seek the Golden Fleece, but this time to revive his fallen wife, Alceme, who is assaulted by a shadowy organization at the beginning. Since the plot and appearances by famous characters from Greek mythology are some of the best bits of the game, we won't get into many more specifics, save to say you'll encounter plenty of magical beasts and demons, and the tale includes Titans, Tartarus, centaurs, satyrs, and, of course, a prophecy.

A Mass Effect-style conversation system makes the interactions more engaging and much more enjoyable.Repetitive moves like the basic attack, defend dodge is a bit of a downer as there is no enhancement osf skill moves as the game is played along.
IGN have given this game a rating of 6.5, but its definitely more worth than that. i would say around 7.5.

click here to read the full game walkthrough at gamefaq.com

Enough of talking. Now watch the video review!

TECHNOSQUARE TIPS:PROTECTING YOUR PC DATA WITH ENCRYPTION: BITLOCKER REVIEWED

So you think that protecting your pc with password
is secure? what if some one steals your pc and only uses your hard disk to view the contents in a plug and play mode?.......Data encryption my friend is the way ahead which will eat the thief eat dust, for he will see only rubbish bits and bytes.

Lets see how file encryption works!

First and the most important thing is to backup the data before pursuing with encryption and keep the backup secure .A better option is to store your backup in a pendrive.
You can use Encryption software like TrueCrypt or AxCrypt.

Vista users have a built in encryption package called Bitlocker

BitLocker is one easy way to protect data in your computer.This full disk encryption feature included with Microsoft's Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Server 2008 operating systems designed to protect data by providing encryption for entire volumes.

Encrytion does come with its fair share of disadvantages like system slowdown.Also, lost passwords and key files is the end of it.All said and done , nothing is impossible to crack! so is your pc's security

Beware of threats like

• Hardware debuggers
• Online attacks—BitLocker is concerned only with the system’s startup process
• Post logon attacks
• Sabotage by administrators
• Poor security maintenance
• BIOS reflashing
  • Protection against this can be enabled if you wish

Additionally, Bitlocker only protects the windows partition in your hard drive and doesnt allow dual booting of anothe OS on the windows partition and any attempt to do so will spawn booting issues .So Technosquare verdict is Bitlocker on the windows partition and other open source encryption tools like TrueCrypt or AxCrypt on othe volumes.

STREET FIGHTER 4 REVIEW AND GAMEPLAY VIDEO

Release Date: 2/17/2009
Platforms:
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Gamesite: Click here
Genres: 2-D, Arcade, Fighter
ESRB: RP

The much awaited 4'th installment of the Street Fighter 4 series is back and this times it features the return of old time favourites Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile along with new characters created for this game, such as Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus.Seams like Capcom have made it clear that they are bringing the series back to its roots with much more emphasize on martial art techniques rather than being too flashy. For more visit the official Street Fighter 4 page http://streetfighter4.org/.now lets have a look at some gameplay trailers

PS3 Ken vs Vega Gameplay

PS3 Akuma vs Sagat Gameplay

PS3 Vega vs Ryu Gameplay

PS3 C. Viper vs Blanka Gameplay

360 Tournament: Abel vs Ryu

CONSUMER ELECTRONIC SHOW (CES) 2009: GAMING ROUND UP

CES 2009 showed off its fair share of cool gadgets but the ones we review here were especially mind blowing!

Sure Shot Rifle for the Wii

There were some interesting console add-ons like the Sure Shot Rifle for the Wii (from CTA Digital) which can be dis-assembled into three types of guns, or the Cooking Mama Wii add-on, which contains a variety of kitchen utensils, from the Wii spatula to the Wii-frying pan.
Sure Shot integrates both the Wiimote and the Nunchuck very neatly into the top of the device which then takse over the functionality with buttons along the side of the gun.The Price tag is around $60.

Gaming using mind waves!

Mindflex from Mattel, a bizarre game that aped the telekinesis powers we're accustomed to seeing in movies not real life.Using theta mind waves you control the height of a sponge ball and move it around a track.

The ball is placed over a fan which reacts to your level of concentration via the headset that you wear, and the idea is that the harder you think, the higher it rises.

The Mindflex has to be the ultimate gadget of the show, which is no surprise, seeing as the kids section outperformed every other area in levels of interest and innovation. Mattel's Mind Flex comes in the footsteps of Emotiv, a helmet-like headset developed by Emotiv Systems last year, which claimed to let users control game characters with their thoughts.

XRocker Thunder

Thunder is a gaming platform that you stand on while playing Guitar Hero as it actually vibrates with every note you play, increasing your enjoyment no end.

Now you can take the runaway gaming hit on the road. But don’t let its small size fool you—there’s plenty of thunder in this pocket-sized rocker. Includes 10 of your favorite songs from Guitar Hero I & II, including Smoke on the Water, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming and Cherry Pie.

Emperor Workstation

Fully customisable with the kind of seating you get on Virgin's First Class, this featured three 19in LCD screens with surround sound, so you can totally immerse yourself in whatever game you choose.

Add to this an integrated air filter system and the option to change the colour of the LED panels and you'll never want to leave its cosy confines.

The Emperor has three large monitors for a panoramic view, THX Dolby surround sound, air filtering, light therapy (so you can get a tan without having to go out under the sun), webcam, battery backup and other niceties. It can be built to order with a desktop Mac or PC, as well as the biggest docking station ever for laptops. If u are a budget gamer, this is definitely not for you.

TECHNOSQUARE'S TOP 5 FUEL EFFICIENT CARS

Fuel Efficiency - The Need Of The Hour:

With fuel price increasing day by day, Fuel hungry car makers like Chevrolet, GM and other similar car makers are feeling the pinch for not developing fuel efficient cars and they are already behind toyota and honda in the race to build the next generation cars.Lets have a look at our pick for the top 5 fuel efficient cars of 2008.

1.Toyota Prius

Toyota Pirius is a mid sized hybrid electric car.According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 2007, the 2008 Prius is the most fuel efficient car sold in the U.S.Laurels seemed to galore for the Pirius as it became the 4th leat co 2 emitting car in the U.K.

Fuel Type	Regular
MPG (city)	48
MPG(highway)	45
MPG(combined)	46

The 2008 Toyota Prius is a 5 passenger car, with 4 doors. The hatchback comprises of 4-cylinder engine with a battery powered electric motor for 110hp. For fuel economy and acceleration, the Toyota Prius is an intelligent car which automatically uses one of both of gas as well as electric source.With a price range of $22,000 - $24,270, Prius is still leading the pack in the long list of fuel efficient cars.

2.Honda Civic Hybrid

The Civic was first introduced as a small, inexpensive hatchback in 1972 and has increased in size while continuing to offer excellent fuel economy. The Civic Hybrid sedan was added to the lineup for 2003, featuring a fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

Fuel Type	Regular
MPG (city)	39
MPG (highway)	43
MPG (combined)	40

Civic Hybrid is frequently compared to the Toyota Prius. The Civic Hybrid has a smaller but more powerful gasoline engine (1.3L 95BHP), versus (1.5L 76BHP) for the Prius. The Civic's electronic assist motor is (20BHP), while the Prius has a slightly more powerful electronic motor, (67BHP). The Prius is credited as having better fuel mileage.

3.Nissan Altima Hybrid

The Nissan Altima Hybrid is a 5-passenger midsize sedan that offers all the style, convenience, and technology features as the gasoline version but with benefits of enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Fuel Type	Regular
MPG (city)	21
MPG (highway)	29
MPG (combined)	24

Essentially, the Altima hybrid will run on a QR25 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, but should achieve the power and torque of a 6-cylinder engine while achieving the fuel efficiency of a 4-cylinder vehicle.

4.Ford Escape Hybrid

The Escape is Ford’s compact 4-door SUV that joined the Ford lineup for 2001 and the Escape Hybrid model was added for 2005. While the Escape Hybrid appears nearly identical to a standard Escape, it is powered by an Atkinson-Cycle 4-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor.

Fuel Type	Regular
MPG (city)	29
MPG (highway)	27
MPG (combined)	28

With 155 hp (116 kW), the Hybrid Escape has nearly the same acceleration performance as the conventional 200 hp (150 kW) V6 Escape.

5.Toyota Taris

Yaris sedans start at just over $12K, making them bargains both in terms of price and fuel-efficiency. The car's hallmarks are the versatility of its interior and its amenable handling.

Fuel Type	Regular
MPG (city)	29
MPG (highway)	36
MPG (combined)	32