Preview of the Nintendo Wii U

Andrew Edney
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2
Preview of the Nintendo Wii U

Later this year, Nintendo will launch the Wii U hand-held gaming console, and we managed to get some information on it.

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Size: Approximately 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long.

New Controller: Approximately 5.3 inches high, 9.0 inches long and 0.9 inches deep (not including buttons and other projections). The new controller incorporates a 6.2-inch, 16:9
touch screen and traditional button controls, including two analog Circle Pads. This
combination removes the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV by
creating a second window into the video game world. The rechargeable controller includes a Power button, Home button, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons. It includes a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble feature, camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, a sensor strip and a stylus.

Other Controls: Up to four Wii Remote™ (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once. The new console supports all Wii™ controllers and input devices, including the
Nunchuk™ controller, Classic Controller™, Classic Controller Pro™ and Wii Balance
Board™.

Media: A single self-loading media bay will play 12-centimeter proprietary high-density
optical discs for the new console, as well as 12-centimeter Wii optical discs.
Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Compatible cables include HDMI, component, S-video and composite.

Audio Output: Uses AV Multi Out connector. Six-channel PCM linear output through HDMI.

Storage: The console will have internal flash memory, as well as the option to expand its
memory using either an SD memory card or an external USB hard disk drive.

CPU: IBM Power®-based multi-core microprocessor.

GPU: AMD Radeon™-based High Definition GPU.

Other: Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible
with Wii games and Wii accessories.

All of the above details are subject to change, and we don’t yet have a release date or a price, but we will keep you updated as and when we hear more.

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CES 2012 – A Tour of the iLuv Booth

Andrew Edney
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0
CES 2012 – A Tour of the iLuv Booth

At CES we were taken on a tour of the iLuv booth which had quite a lot on display and they even won 5 Innovation awards at the show!

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iLuv Creative Technology, the premier provider of the most comprehensive accessories line for the Apple and Smartphone markets, rapidly delivers innovative designs, and award-winning products for today’s discriminating consumers. Since the company’s inception, and for five years running, iLuv has amassed an impressive total of 16 prestigious CES Innovations awards.

Sweet Cotton Headphones

These are a new range of headphones aimed at girls – the sound quality was excellent.

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ModernBox

This is a portable speaker stand, and it really is small for such sound quality!

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Mo’Beats

This is a portable stereo Bluetooth speaker stand that streams music from any Bluetooth A2DP enabled device. There is also a built-in mini-USB rechargeable battery and an Aux-in if your device doesn’t support Bluetooth.

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SmashBox Pro

This is a “one button” hands-free portable stereo speaker for smartphones. You can place your smartphone inside the case and away you go!

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BYOB Podcast Episode 74 Out Now

Andrew Edney
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0
BYOB Podcast Episode 74 Out Now

The guys over at the BYOB podcast, including our very own Tim Daleo have just released episode 74.

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Here is what is included in this weeks show:

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]This week we comment on what CES 2012 had to offer. Thunderbolt, Highpoint hybrid RAID, Fractal & LianLi, Passive 3D, Smart TVs and Ceton Q and Echo. What’s up with Netflix?[/box]

As usual you can listen to the show from here.

XBMC 11.0 Eden Beta 2 Available Now

Andrew Edney
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0
XBMC 11.0 Eden Beta 2 Available Now

The guys over at XBMC.org have just released the XBMC 11 Eden beta 2.

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Here is what they posted:

It’s been a productive few weeks in the race to release Eden. Since Beta 1, unencrypted bluray, dvd player, startup problems in OSX, airplay, subtitle issues, unofficial addon repository installations, and the frustrating TMDB scraper problems that have made it difficult for everyone to scrape new movies have all seen fixes. In addition, a great deal of progress has been made in the new XBMCBuntu build, which should be ready for the next preview release. Finally, all Beta 1 users are encouraged to update immediately to fix a scraper error that causes XBMC to crash.

The same warnings from beta1 still apply. Eden is quite stable already, but don’t forget that it is in beta. Builds for all platforms except XBMCBuntu are uploaded and ready to go. Download the latest in mediacenter goodness right here.

Let us know what you think of it!

Turn off music in Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) on PC

Dan James
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2
Turn off music in Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) on PC

I play Call of Duty, and have done since the early versions. Up until recently, there have been separate volume sliders in the options for music, ambient sound and voices (both voice commands and multiplayer voice chat). In MW3, for some reason Treyarch have decided to lump all the sound (except player chatter) into ONE volume control. The result is that you have to have the music at the same volume as the sound effects, and consequently can’t hear anything while in the menus and lobbies, and also towards the start and end of each match. I find it most annoying when playing private matches with friends – you’re trying to have a chat and figure out what type of game to play, but you’ve constantly got “DUMM DUMM DUMM, DUMM DUMM DUMM” in the background; well, more like the foreground really.

Well if it drives you crazy too, and you’re on the PC, you can silence it.

All you have to do is navigate to the “miles” directory and rename mssmp3.asi to mssmp3.bak. That’s it. Restart the game in blissful peace and quiet; until the ‘nades start flying, anyway! For the full directory path, see the image below:

I should say that although this doesn’t appear to trip any cheating triggers with Steam, I haven’t had it set up like this for very long. I’ve seen this trick and variations on it around various forums, and no-one seems to be reporting any issues.

Happy hunting!

Deal – HP ProLiant MicroServer with WHS 2011 for $249.99

Andrew Edney
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0
Deal – HP ProLiant MicroServer with WHS 2011 for $249.99

Newegg are doing another one of their great deals on the HP ProLiant Microserver wtih WHS 2011 – grab it while you can!

HP Microserver

Buy the HP ProLiant MicroServer with WHS 2011 now!

Check out our video review of the HP ProLiant MicroServer.

And thanks to Gary for the tip!

CES 2012 – A Look at the ION iCade Jr, Mobile and Core

Andrew Edney
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0
CES 2012 – A Look at the ION iCade Jr, Mobile and Core

Last year saw the release of the iCade, a device that you could put your iPad into and it was like a mini arcade cabinet. This year at CES, ION were showing off the iCade Jr, the iCade Mobile and the iCade Core.

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We all like to play the occasional game on our iPhones and iPads, and how cool would it be to relive your childhood by having your own personal arcade cabinet, controller or mobile gaming device?

This is where the new products from ION come in, and I had to literally drag myself away from them.

iCade Jr

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The sequel to the smash hit ION iCade controller for iPad, iCade Jr. brings the arcade excitment to your iPhone or iPod touch. Game-on with great iPhone and iPod touch games with this pint-sized arcade powerhouse. iCade Jr. gives you a joystick and four front buttons, plus four rear trigger buttons for ultimate control over tons of iPhone and iPod touch games. This mini-arcade cabinet will give you a novelty gaming experience like no other!

iCade Jr.’s specially designed cradle ensures safe loading and unloading of your iPhone or iPod touch, while also providing a solid, secure fit for even the most intense game-play sessions. Its top-quality controls connect directly to your iPhone & iPod touch using Bluetooth wireless technology—no cables, no mess, just hours of retro-gaming fun. The cable pass-thru slot turns iCade Jr. into a dock with your 30-pin cable. Once your iPhone or iPod touch is in place, simply launch any compatible app and it’s game on!

Take command of iCade Jr.’s classic joystick and mash its eight buttons for ultimate control over the on-screen action. iCade Jr. is compatible with 100 Atari classics including Asteroids, Centipede, and Battlezone. All are available as in-app purchases when you download the free Atari Greatest Hits app. Plus, new and existing apps can be easily updated to work with iCade Jr.

iCade Mobile

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Gamers using Apple’s iPhone or iPod touch finally have a serious controller thanks to iCade Mobile: the ultimate handheld game controller for iPhone or iPod touch.

Touch screens are great for some games, but when it comes to mastering intense combat, racing, or adventure games it helps to have more than a touch screen. Since gamers prefer tactile buttons, iCade Mobileis the perfect solution for serious gaming on-the-go.

Gamers of all ages will love iCade Mobile’s classic controller configuration, designed to play modern and retro games the way they were meant to be played. iCade Mobile’s four-way directional pad, four front-facing action buttons and four shoulder buttons are designed to withstand even the most fierce button mashing. iCade Mobilegets your fingers out of the way and gives you a full view of the action with a specially designed cradle that ensures safe loading and unloading of your iPhone or iPod touch, while also providing a solid, secure fit even during the most intense game-play sessions.

Not only does iCade Mobiledeliver a full view of the iPhone or iPod touch screen, it also provides the ability to view the screen in either portrait or landscape format. iCade Mobile’s cradle conveniently swivels and locks into horizontal or vertical viewing positions, allowing each game to be played and viewed properly. Like iCade, iCade Mobileconnects to the iPhone or iPod touch via wireless Bluetooth technology.

iCade Core

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iCade Core is a streamlined version of ION’s acclaimed iCade arcade cabinet that equips the iPad with authentic, arcade-style joystick and buttons that are ready for fierce non-stop gaming. iCade Core allows iPad users to challenge their friends, throw retro-gaming parties and achieve their highest scores yet. iCade Core offers an incredible arcade experience, bringing all the fun of classic arcade gaming to the iPad in a compact form factor.

iCade Core’s specially designed cradle ensures safe loading and unloading of a user’s iPad, while also providing a solid, secure fit for even the most intense gameplay sessions. Beneath the cradle is a custom-designed pass-thru slot, which allows users to charge the iPad with their standard 30-pin cable. The cradle also swivels to allow either portrait or landscape so that orientation is never a problem. iCade Core’s top-quality arcade controls quickly connect to the iPad using Bluetooth wireless technology. Once the iPad is in place, simply launch any compatible app and it’s game-on.

iCade Core is compatible with great classic games including PAC-MAN, Asteroids, Centipede, and Battlezone. Plus, it’s compatible with tons of modern games, over 200 games in all. Users can take control of iCade Core’s full-sized joystick and smash its eight arcade buttons for complete command of their favorite games. This truly unique game-controller provides hours of nonstop gaming action.

Learn more from the ION website

CES 2012 – A Look at the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone

Andrew Edney
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2
CES 2012 – A Look at the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone

Last week at CES, Nokia announced their next Windows Phone – the Lumia 900. We managed to see one up close, so let’s take a look.

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Nokia had a very large booth at CES – you couldn’t miss it!

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And they really wanted to you see their Lumia 800 and 900 series Windows Phones.

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There was a small area dedicated to the Lumia 900:

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But they were all being plastic so that we couldn’t actually touch them or look at them closely.

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A few Nokia staffers had the Lumia 900 to look at, however we were not allowed to actually touch it, and as you can see, the Lumia 900 was securely fastened to the staffer so that it couldn’t be stolen!

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From what I saw, it looks rather nice, and I really want to get my hands on one for a proper play.

We tried to get some information on a UK release date, but Nokia were tight lipped!

So what do you think of the Lumia 900?

Dell Announces Alienware X51 Desktop

Andrew Edney
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0
Dell Announces Alienware X51 Desktop

This week, Dell announced the latest Alienware desktop – the X51.

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Alienware, Dell’s high-performance, PC gaming brand, invites customers to join in the ultimate gaming experience with the Alienware X51, its smallest gaming desktop ever with outsized performance capabilities. The latest in Dell’s PC gaming portfolio, the X51 is designed to deliver an exhilarating 1080p high definition and 3D gaming experience of today’s top-tier game titles while the new, smaller chassis design offers the flexibility to turn nearly any living space, from the living room to the dorm room, into an entertainment and gaming mecca.

The Alienware X51 gives customers the freedom to focus on the game with the performance expected in an Alienware gaming PC and a thoughtful, future-proof design for post-purchase upgrades, and the latest in performance technology. The versatile design of the X51 enables customers to achieve high performance computing in virtually any living space with a dual-orientation chassis supporting 7.1 surround-sound audio.

“The Alienware X51 allows us to bring the exciting nature of high-definition, immersive gaming within reach of more gamers than ever before,” said Arthur Lewis, vice-president, Alienware and Product Management for Consumer, Small and Medium Business. “With the X51, we’ve expanded our gaming desktop offering to cater to all gamers in addition to our core enthusiast and competitive gamers. Now everyone can enjoy the latest games on a sleek, powerful, compact and customisable system. The X51 desktop delivers an incredible feature set for its size and price.”

High Performance Gaming and Sophisticated Design

Alienware X51 features powerful 2nd generation Intel Core i processors, NVIDIA GeForce GT or optional GTX class graphics cards for intense gaming performance, Wireless-N technology for easy Internet access, HDMI 1.4 for connecting to 3D TVs, two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports for fast data transfer, High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio and GDDR5 graphics memory – the most advanced graphics memory offering available. At its entry-level configuration with a Core i3 processor, 4GB memory, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 graphics,  and a 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive, the raw power of the X51 yields an average 34 frames per second in Battlefield 3 at high settings and a resolution of 1080p, starting at £699 including VAT and delivery.

The Alienware X51’s intelligently designed chassis blends function and style. The desktop’s sleek matte black finish with dark chrome accents and three customisable lighting zones, controlled by AlienFX® software, create a distinguished appearance. The gaming desktop’s thoughtful design with an ultra-quiet dual orientation chassis allows for a horizontal or vertical set-up, allowing flexibility in the X51’s footprint without sacrificing performance. The intuitive internal layout with a mini-ITX motherboard allows customers to perform their own hard drive, graphics card and memory upgrades quickly and easily, giving them peace of mind for the system’s longevity.

Complete Control and Support

All Alienware laptops and desktops come with Alienware Command Center, which provides intuitive, user‐friendly access to exclusive applications and controls, including AlienFX™ lighting effects and the AlienFusion power management system. AlienAdrenaline, a new module for the Alienware X51, enables gamers to create unique profiles that launch a series of customisable events when activated, such as opening specific programs, changing AlienFX themes, opening key web links and more.  Updates and new releases download directly into Command Center, creating a constantly evolving tool for users to modify and personalise their system.

Product Leadership

Alienware is recognised throughout the industry and with customers alike for performance, functionality and design. The Alienware M17x gaming laptop with Intel Sandy Bridge processors recently won a “Performance Award” from Hardware Heaven, and the Alienware M11x R3 laptop secured the “Gold Award”.  As new technology is released, Alienware will continually offer the latest in PC gaming hardware, partnering with other industry leaders to deliver an optimised gaming experience.

Alienware X51 Product Specifications:

· Intel Core i3 Dual Core (standard) and Intel Core i5 and i7 Quad Core Processor Options

· Intel H61 Express Chipset Architecture

· Mini-ITX Motherboard

· Powerful NVIDIA Graphics Card Options

o 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545iii (Standard)

o 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 555iii

· Configure with up to 8GB of DDR3 Memoryiii (4GB Standard); 2x 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM Slots

· Fast 7,200RPM 1TB Hard Driveiv

· Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

· Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (Standard)

· Internal High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio with Waves MAXX Audio Software

· Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet NIC and Integrated 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Wireless LAN (standard)

· USB 2.0 (6x); USB 3.0 (2x); Microphone In; Headphone/Speaker Out; HDMI 1.4 Output; RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet; Front, Rear and Center Speaker Ports; SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK); SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)

· Alienware 240 Watt Power Supply (Standard) or optional 330 Watt Power Supply

· Dual-orientation tower system dimensions: h: 13.5” (343mm) x w: 3.74” (95mm) x d: 12.52” (318mm)

· Starting Weight: 5.49 Kg (12.1 lbs.)

 

Availability and Pricing:

Alienware X51 is available now on Dell.co.uk and Alienware.co.uk with a starting price of £699 including VAT and delivery.

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We hope to have our hands on one for a review soon!

How to List your Small Business Server and Windows Home Server Add-Ins on Microsoft Pinpoint

Andrew Edney
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0
How to List your Small Business Server and Windows Home Server Add-Ins on Microsoft Pinpoint

Sean Daniel has posted a great article on how to get yours Add-ins listed on Microsoft Pinpoint.

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This is how he starts:

Are you a developer or developer firm that’s built an application for SBS 2011 Essentials, SBS 2011 Premium Add-on, Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, and Windows Home Server 2011? Then you should list your application in Microsoft Pinpoint. Listing here will give you greater awareness of your application to your target audience.

For example, these links are inside the product:

So if you are a developer, this article is definitely for you and you can finish reading it here.

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