Assassin’s Creed III Liberation interview with Martin Capel

Martin Capel is the Producer for Assassin’s Creed III Liberation, which is an exclusive title from Ubisoft for the PS Vita, and we had an opportunity recently to interview him, and we also show you some exclusive gameplay footage too.

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Introducing Assassin’s Creed III Liberation, the stunning new chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga designed exclusively for the PlayStation Vita.

In 1765, events leading to the American Revolution are heating up in the north whilst Spanish forces plan to seize Louisiana in the south. Standing in their way is Aveline, a deadly Assassin who will use every weapon and well-honed skill in her arsenal to win freedom for her land and her people. Whether silently eliminating her enemies with lethal chain kills or luring them into deadly traps, Aveline strikes mortal fear into the hearts of those who stand in her way.

As an Assassin, Aveline soon finds herself on an unforgettable journey that will take her from the crowded streets of New Orleans to voodoo-haunted swamps and ancient Mayan ruins. Aveline will play a pivotal role in the turbulent birth of a new nation as she fights for freedom not only for herself, but for her fellow citizens.

CDW Interviews Martin Capel about Assassins Creed III Liberation

So over to Martin:

And here are some screenshots from the game:

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Are you going to buy it? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Ubisoft releases In The Eye of ZombiU Episode 2 video

Ubisoft have released episode two of ZombiU – In The Eye of ZombiU which talks about their forthcoming game for the Wii U.

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It has been foretold that the world as you know it will end in 2012… London is falling! Are YOU prepared?

For the second time in history, a great plague has descended upon London, infecting the human race with a deadly disease. Big Ben tolls as hundreds upon thousands of the unprepared die or are infected by a sickness worse than death…

You are still breathing, for now. But how long will you survive in the labyrinth of London streets and underground as the infected close in around you? The horrifying remains of humanity ravaged by the foul disease shuffle through the streets, waiting to prey on your living flesh at every turn!

ZombiU is designed to take advantage of the Wii U and its revolutionary new controller and will test your will to survive in a zombie Survival-Horror First Person Shooter. So grab hold of the height of survival kits – your new controller – and stock up your Bug-Out Bag with supplies! Make every second count; you only get one chance.

STAY HUMAN, WE ARE A DYING BREED.

And here is episode two:

Are you going to buy ZombiU? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

App Update: DVBLink iOS Client updated to Version 1.2

DVBLogic have just released an update to their DVBLink iOS client for their DVBLink Connect Server, taking it to version 1.2.

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iOS client for DVBLink Connect! Server.

Watch Live TV, browse EPG, view program details, manage timer recordings from your IPhone or IPad.

This app requires DVBLink Connect! Server installation on the server computer.

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What’s New In Version 1.2

– Fixed iOS6 compatibility

Download for free from the App Store now

Compro Technology Announces New IP Camera

Compro Technology has announced a new IP camera, the IP90.  Read on for details.

IP90

Compro Technology has announced a new IP camera, the IP90.  Andrew did a review of a Compro camera back in September, which you can read about here.

Here is what they announced:

One Less Thing to Worry About

Until Meet with COMPRO IP90 Network Camera

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Meet Compro IP90 Day & Night network camera, a 24/7 home monitoring solution that will give you one less thing to worry about. Because life is short, and it’s a terrible waste of time to worry about your home while you are at work or on vacation.

Compro Technology, founded in 1988, a digital audio/video and IP security manufacturer, today launch the Compro IP90 Day/Night Indoor fixed Cube network camera with its clear and sharp video quality can help put your mind at ease. Installation and remote viewing setup on IP90 are as simple as 1-2-3. For all that , Compro IP90 is also endowed with a slew of professional surveillance features, including superb night vision, motion detection, alarm and sensor control, bi-directional audio, etc., all of which make the camera an ideal choice for securing homes, offices, shops, or restaurants.

Wide Coverage with 2 Megapixel Resolutions

The 2 megapixel/HD resolution the camera offers lets you view details and identify people and objects at least four times better than on a conventional CCTV camera. The maximum 1600 by 1200 resolution allows you to capture video from a wide area, and effectively reduces the number of cameras required in a surveillance network.

Day & Night Functionality with Built-in IR LEDs

The camera is equipped with 6 IR LEDs and an ambient light sensor that detects environmental lighting conditions. When low-light conditions are detected, the built-in IR LEDs are automatically switched on to provide additional infrared light that helps deliver clear night-time image.

Mechanical IR-Cut Filter

A built-in mechanical IR-cut filter placed in front of the camera’s image sensor can filter out infrared light in the daytime, producing better color reproduction. At nighttime or when the camera’s light sensor detects low-light conditions, IR-cut filter can be automatically removed to allow infrared light to reach the image sensor, thus achieving better low-light sensitivity.

Infrared-Corrected Lens

Infrared light and visible light have different wavelength and therefore focus at a different point after passing through an ordinary lens, resulting in out-of-focus image. This camera has an IR-corrected lens which can correct the focal point difference and make both infrared light and visible light focus on the same point. As a result, the camera is able to deliver clear, sharp images in various lighting environments.

Plug-n-Play Functionality

Unlike other network cameras, installing this camera does not require any networking expertise. Nor is any sort of router configuration required – simply plug in the cables, install the camera software, and then your Compro camera is ready to be viewed and shared on the Internet.

Feature-Rich Camera Viewer App

The camera offers an exclusive and feature-rich camera viewer app that allows you to view and manage your Compro cameras on the iPhone or Android phone. The camera mobile app also lets you securely share camera video with your friends and families on your Friends list.

Friendly Browser Interface

Gone will be the days when you could not hear what is really going on in your home. This camera’s built-in microphone allows it to stream not only live video, but also live audio, to your PC or smartphone. With this camera, you will be empowered to hear what the video cannot see, such as screams, glass breaking, baby’s crying, etc.

Composite Video Output

The composite video output allows users to view live camera video on a large TV screen, rather than a small computer monitor.

Key Features

  • Wide Coverage with 2 Megapixel Resolution
  • Day & Night Functionality with Built-in IR LEDs
  • Mechanical IR-Cut Filter
  • Infrared-Corrected Lens
  • ONVIF Support
  • Plug-n-Play Functionality
  • Composite Video Output
  • microSDHC Card Slot
  • Two-way Audio Communication
  • Support for Alarms and Sensors
  • Video Motion Detection and Audio Detection
  • SMS & Email Event Notification
  • Support live video watch in FireFox, Safari, Google Chrome web browsers. (with VLC Plug-in installed)
  • Camera profile import and export, it’s easy to install multiple cameras
  • Network Bandwidth Detection to help users better define appropriate video bit-rate for applications
  • Bundle with powerful 32-channel IP video management software — ComproView
  • Support real-time MJPEG video mode mobile connection in iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and PDAs. And support 3GPP mobile phone monitoring
Check Out The IP90 On Compro’s Website

 

Synology Releases the DiskStation DS2413+

Synology has announced the 12-bay DiskStation DS2413+ NAS unit, aimed at photgraphers and with business-related items like LDAP and iSCSI.  Read on for details.

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Synology has announced the 12-bay DiskStation DS2413+ NAS unit, aimed at photgraphers and with business-related items like LDAP and iSCSI. Here is the USA announcement:

Bellevue, Washington—Synology America Corp. is pleased to announce the release of its newest twelve-bay DiskStation, the DS2413+. Along with the DX1211 expansion module, it can scale up to 24 drives for up to 96TB storage in your choice of Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) or classic RAID, making it an ideal answer to the growing data storage needs of today’s photographers. The DS2413+ is Synology’s first 12-bay system to incorporate USB 3.0 for improved transfer speeds to and from external disks.

“The DS2413+ can easily scale its storage to keep pace with even the most prolific photographers,” said Marivel Espinoza, Product Marketing Manager at Synology America Corp. “Unlike other storage solutions aimed at photographers, this one offers excellent performance with Synology’s well-known reliability, while remaining network attached, so there are no issues with proprietary connectors.”

Sheer storage capacity aside, the DS2413+ ships with Synology’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) 4.1. DSM 4.1 brings a number of photographer-friendly features to the table.

• Shared Folder Sync allows keeping folders in sync between DiskStations to minimize downtime

• Support for both Mac and Windows backups

• Photo Station allows for easily sharing photos

• The Media Server package allows for streaming photos, videos, and music to DLNA-compliant televisions or media players

• Synology’s new Web Assistant makes it easier than ever to get started

Additionally, the DS2413+ is well-suited for business environments:

• VAAI support for improved VMware support

• LUN backup software included at no additional cost

• ADS support for domains up to 100,000 users/groups

• Time Backup package allows for point-in-time backups

And some excerpts from the UK announcement:

“For users requiring maximum system uptime to run business-critical applications, the DS2413+ provides an exceptionally high level of data protection and performance,” Chad Chiang, product manager of Synology Inc. The DS2413+ is guarded with a complete set of reliable mechanisms including passive CPU cooling technology, system fan redundancy, hot-swappable drives, and dual LAN failover support, which help eliminate single points of failure and ensure continuous system uptime during malfunction.

Powered by a 2.13 GHz dual core processor and 2 GB RAM upgradable to 4GB, Synology DS2413+ delivers reading and writing speeds at 201.03 MB/sec and 196.87 MB/sec respectively under RAID 5 configuration with Link Aggregation enabled in a Windows® environment. Another enhancement to the DS2413+ is the USB 3.0 interface offering file transfers up to 10 times the speeds of USB 2.0 connection.

With comprehensive iSCSI support, the DS2413+ can be seamlessly integrated with major virtualization solutions, including VMware® vSphere™ VAAI support, Citrix® XenServer™ and Microsoft® Hyper-V™. In addition, it fits easily into a business environment with LDAP, Windows AD and ACL support.

It is interesting to see the different takes on the product.  The UK announcement also mentioned that this unit can take the Synology expansion units, so if 48TB of space is not enough for you, expand away!

GUESS launches GUESSWatches Augmented Reality iApp and you could win with it

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GUESS have launched a new app that not only gives you information about their products but could enable you to win! The iPhone app, called GUESSWatches iApp uses Augmented Reality and is available now and their giveaway starts this Saturday.

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GUESS Watches have taken the lead in the style stakes and launched a brand new UK Fashion iApp. GUESS Watches first exciting free fashion iApp allows you to be one step ahead of the new collections and trends each season, as well as receive regular promotions, brand news and special offers — some exclusive to the iApp holders only!

The iApp created by Brandnation Digital includes previews of new collections; some before they even hit stores. It also offers a built-in, interactive Augmented Reality function with inspirational footage of the new AW12 watch collections and a GPS store locator allowing you to locate your nearest GUESS stockist based on your current location.

From the catwalk to your wardrobe, the new AW12 collection from GUESS Watches includes a capsule collection of exotic animal print styles for ladies and a sophisticated hybrid of sport and dress styles for men. The new eye-catching collection truly embraces the season’s trends making them the ultimate Autumn/Winter accessory.

To celebrate the launch, two of the must have watches for Autumn/Winter from each collection for him and her can be won by lucky customers at the Augmented Reality ‘GUESS Live’ events taking place in key cities across the country. The in-store events will also kick start the GUESS Watches and Jewellery Winter campaign, the Great GUESS Giveaway. The first of these events will take place at the GUESS Regent Street store on Saturday, 6th October. The events will allow consumers to view exclusive Augmented Reality GUESS Watches footage through their iPhone that will result in a free gift via the Augmented Reality interactive function, including the new must have GUESS Watches for Autumn/Winter (featured below) and shopping vouchers redeemable only on the day. The ‘GUESS Live’ Augmented Reality events will also feature a live DJ, styling tips and complimentary refreshments.

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In addition, everyone will be a winner even after the events, with the exciting QR code promotion, Great GUESS Giveaway which will run exclusively in GUESS stores from mid October 2012 and roll out to remaining GUESS Watches stockists nationwide from November through December. Gifts include a two night spa break at Champneys worth over £700, Cloud Nine hair straighteners, OPI nail varnishes, Yearly subscriptions to GQ and Glamour magazines, True Grace Candles, Lemonade crystal phone cases, makeover days from INeedPampering.com, and an amazing Grand Prize exclusive holiday for two people to see legendary DJ Tiesto live in a surprise location in 2013!

So download the app and go visit a Guess store, and be sure to let us know if you win!

I have seen the app in action and it works very well.

Download now from the Apple App Store

Synology Introduces DiskStation DS213air

Synology® has released a new DiskStation, including wi-fi functionality to extend the usefulness of their NAS solutions for small businesses and home users.  Read on for details.

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Synology® has released a new DiskStation, including wi-fi functionality to extend the usefulness of their NAS solutions for small businesses and home users.  Here is what they announced today:

Going Beyond NAS Servers and Unleashing the Freedom of Connectivity with Built-in Wi-Fi Support

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom—October 2, 2012—Synology® UK Ltd. today introduced DiskStation DS213air, a 2-bay NAS server with built-in Wi-Fi support for home and small office users.

“Synology boasts cutting-edge technologies that deliver seamless integration, of which the DS213air is a great example,” said Rosiel Lee, product manager of Synology Inc. “By incorporating Wi-Fi technology into a feature-rich DiskStation, the DS213air has changed the way people think about NAS servers,” added Lee.

With a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, the DS213air provides a wide range of wireless configurations that fit perfectly into different user scenarios. It can be connected wirelessly to network without cumbersome cabling, or be configured as a hotspot to extend the range of an existing Wi-Fi network. Users can even deploy the DS213air as a wireless router to create a wireless environment at no extra cost.

The DS213air features Web Assistant, an intuitive web-based system that completes installation and setup with only a few clicks, and takes the lead to let users install Synology DSM operating system using a mobile device. Combined with the Quick Start widget, users can tour the DSM during installation and begin using it immediately thereafter.

Powered by a 1.6 GHz processor and 256 MB RAM, Synology DS213air delivers reading and writing speeds at 108.07 MB/sec and 58.66 MB/sec respectively under RAID 1 configuration in a Windows® environment. It is equipped with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface, offering file transfers up to 10 times the speeds of USB 2.0. The DS213air is built on Synology’s signature design featuring two additional side ventilation openings and a 92mm rear fan, which can keep the system running cool 24/7 and minimize its noise level to 19.0 dB(A).

The DS213air runs DiskStation Manager (DSM) 4.1, the operating system of every Synology DiskStation and RackStation. DSM 4.1 provides rich features to boost productivity and simplify tasks, all on a sleek interface optimized for multitasking. Synology has received numerous media accolades and the DS213air is no exception. It has been named “Best Storage of Computex 2012” by Computeractive, U.K.

Availability

Synology DiskStation DS213air is now shipping globally.

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This is an interesting take.  For my use, I need to connect NAS units via ethernet for best file transfer performance, but in a small business or home scenario, the wi-fi repeater or integrated router would be of value.  What do you think: are you interested in using your NAS as a router or repeater?

DS213air Press Release

Hitman: Absolution Contracts play through video released

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Square Enix has released a play through showcasing and explaining the new multiplayer-mode CONTRACTS. The 18-minute play through includes commentary from HITMAN: ABSOLUTION game director Tore Blystad and Travis Barbour, part of the community team at IO Interactive.

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CONTRACTS is a new online mode which allows gamers to create and share their own custom hit challenges within the HITMAN: ABSOLUTION game. Players will choose a level, targets, weapons and then set their own rules for completing the contract based on time, style and witnesses. There are no clumsy editors or complicated mechanics to learn; in CONTRACTS you simply play to create. As an asynchronous mode, CONTRACTS allows fans to compete against friends at any time, regardless of whether they are online. HITMAN: ABSOLUTION will also ship with many pre-set CONTRACTS, each designed by the very best assassins at IO Interactive.

Here is the play through:

Hitman: Absolution is scheduled for release across North America, Europe and PAL territories on November 20, 2012 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

Are you getting Hitman: Absolution? If so let us know by leaving a comment below.

StableBit DrivePool for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta 1.0.2.6962 released

There has been another beta build from CoveCube! StableBit DrivePool development marches on – now its version 1.0.2.6962.

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Here is how CoveCube describes this application:

  • Combine all your hard drives into one big storage pool (except the system drive with the OS).
  • Add and remove drives from the pool at any time without re-partitioning or manually moving folders.
  • Create duplicated folders on the storage drive pool that are protected against single drive failure. If a drive fails on which a duplicated file was stored, the contents of that file will remain readable even without the drive.
  • All your data is stored in standard NTFS files. You can always access your files even if the Windows Home Server completely crashes or this add-in can’t be used.

This beta version’s change log:

1.2.0.6962

    • Added byte deltas to re-balance markers.
    • The StableBit Scanner balancer will now respect existing limits and use protected vs. unprotected limits when deciding how to best evacuate files.
    • Changed the drive emptying algorithm to not empty a drive beyond the point which was computed at the time of the balance model calculation. This caused unintentional drive overfill and perpetual balancing under some circumstances.
    • When removing a drive, DrivePool will scan for any local server processes / services that are using any files on that pool part and attempt to gracefully close them (or restart them, if supported).
    • [D] Added workaround for a bug in Windows. The bug seems to manifests itself only on domain controllers (such as the Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials). The user sees “Insufficient resources” error messages when copying files to / from the server. The error is actually coming from the server and not from DrivePool. Apparently, Windows inadvertently exhausts an internal pooled resource when sending network based read / write requests to the file system. This doesn’t typically happen on NTFS because of the different timing semantics there (but it seems possible). CoveFS will now limit the number of “in-flight” requests in order to keep the overzealous Windows component from asking for more data than it can handle. (yes, this one took a bit of doing to figure out)
    • Added polish translation (Credit: Marek)
    • Drive removal would fail if a duplicated file was in-use with a non-descriptive error message.
Download the latest beta version from here

Ubisoft announces Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Khyber Strike DLC Package

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Ubisoft have announced the Khyber Strike DLC pack, the third Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier DLC package.

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Khyber Strike will feature three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game mode called “Takeover,” a new Guerrilla Mode co-op map, new achievements, and an increased level cap.  Khyber Strike will be available for download on October 9th on Xbox 360 and October 10th for the PlayStation 3.

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Khyber Strike DLC features:

· 3 new multiplayer maps

o Switchback: Step off the main road leading down into the city and into a maze of ancient buildings and narrow alleys. The twists and turns of the alleyways turn every corner into a close-quarters deathtrap.

o Palace: There’s no time for reflection even in this magnificent relic. What once was a museum dedicated to showing the glories of the past is now a battlefield, with a massive courtyard at the heart of its contested ground.

o Transit: A Moscow metro station makes for close quarters and close-range combat. Trains pulling into and out of the station add to the danger as Ghosts and Bodark slug it out underground.

· 1 new multiplayer game mode: “Takeover”

o Similar to a classic team deathmatch, score points for your team by eliminating enemies.  Tip the scales by taking control of the enemy’s objective and earn a score multiplier to your team.  Defend your team’s objective to prevent the enemy from gaining the same advantage.  Choose to split your team to defend and attack at the same time, or move as a group and overwhelm your enemy.  When the mission ends, the team with highest score wins.

· 1 Guerrilla Mode map “Village” (4 players online / 2 players in local split screen)

o A peaceful country village finds itself transformed into a battleground, as fighting rages around its central bus station. Long alleyways that run between war-damaged buildings make a perfect hunting ground for snipers, and a shootout near the town’s gas station could turn explosive.

· New Achievements

· Level cap increase of +10

Khyber Strike will be available for purchase for 800 Microsoft points on Xbox Live or £7.99 on the PlayStation Network.

For more news and information, please visit the game’s official website at www.ghostrecon.com.

Do you play Ghost Recon? Let us know what you think of the game by leaving a comment below.