Netflix to Adopt HTML5 for Video

Netflix has announced plans to adopt the emerging HTML5 video format in place of Silverlight. The subscription service has been exploring new plugins since Microsoft confirmed that it would end support for Silverlight in 2021.

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The move will also solve several issues for Netflix, such as the limited support for browser-based plugins on mobile devices.

“We’re interested to solve these problems as we move to our next generation of video playback on the Web,” said Netflix in a blog post.

“Over the last year, we’ve been collaborating with other industry leaders on three W3C initiatives which are positioned to solve this problem of playing premium video content directly in the browser without the need for browser plugins such as Silverlight.”

Netflix has already begun testing what it calls ‘HTML5 Premium Video Extensions’, but is yet to announce when Silverlight will be dropped entirely.

Rumour Apple iPhone 5S with 12-megapixel Camera

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Apple’s rumoured new iPhone the iPhone 5S will feature a 12-megapixel camera, according to a report. The Vietnamese site Tinhte claims that the Cupertino firm is upping the smartphone’s camera capabilities by 4 megapixels.

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The jump from 8 to 12 megapixels would have implications for how large images can be printed and cropped, as well as how much space they take up on the handset.

Tinhte has a strong track record of obtaining inside Apple information, having obtained the iPhone 4 before it was officially announced, outed the 64GB iPhone and leaked the iPhone 5’s earpods.

Japanese blog Macotakara recently claimed that the Cupertino firm is planning to offer the seventh-generation handset in a similar array of colours to its iPod Touch line.

The website also stated that the iPhone 5S will bear a similar design to the current-generation iPhone 5, with an improved camera and processor, as well as fingerprint recognition technology.

Apple is also strongly rumoured to be launching a budget iPhone alongside the flagship model, with previous reports indicating that this could also be available in a variety of colours.

Google Glasses Tech Specs revealed

Google have revealed the tech specs for Google Glasses – their augmented reality glasses.

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Here are the specs:

Fit
  • Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face.
  • Extra nosepads in two sizes.
Display

High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.

Camera
  • Photos – 5 MP
  • Videos – 720p
Audio
  • Bone Conduction Transducer
Connectivity
  • Wifi – 802.11b/g
  • Bluetooth
Storage
  • 12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.
Battery

One full day of typical use. Some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive.

Charger
  • Included Micro USB cable and charger.

While there are thousands of Micro USB chargers out there, Glass is designed and tested with the included charger in mind. Use it and preserve long and prosperous Glass use.

Compatibility
  • Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
  • The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.

Would you wear them? I know I would! Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Dishonored The Knife of Dunwall DLC out today

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Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall, the second add-on pack for the critically-acclaimed first-person action game developed by Arkane Studios is out today.

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In Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall, you take on the role of Daud, the legendary assassin who killed the Empress. This second add-on pack for the award-winning first person action game from Arkane Studios gives you a new perspective on Daud, and access to his weapons, gadgets, allies and supernatural abilities.

After assassinating the Empress, and forever changing the fate of Dunwall, you embark on a search for redemption. The Outsider reveals the key to your atonement, but who—or what—is Delilah? Accompanied by the Whalers, your loyal band of mercenary assassins, your search will take you through never-before-seen districts of Dunwall as you face off against new and terrible foes. Employ a unique arsenal that enhances Dishonored’s dynamic combat, mobility and stealth systems. In the struggle to hang onto the last shred of your humanity, the choices you make will ultimately determine your fate.

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New Powers, Weapons and Gadgets

The mark of the Outsider empowers you with unique supernatural abilities. Call upon the Whalers to assist in combat with ‘Summon Assassin’, track down hidden Runes and Bone Charms with ‘Void Gaze’ and learn to use new variations to powers, including ‘Blink’. To aid in your dangerous exploits your customized arsenal of weapons and gadgets will include Chokedust to daze your enemies, whale oil powered Stun Mines to shock your targets, and a concealed Wristbow to launch sleep darts and explosive bolts.

Explore More of Dunwall

Make your way through the Legal District and infiltrate the Rothwild Slaughterhouse, a steaming factory filled with colossal whale carcasses and their hulking butchers. Revisit the decaying Flooded District, the location of Daud’s hidden base, first seen in the original game. Return to the scenes of key events in Dishonored with a new perspective, including the fateful moment that sets off Corvo’s journey.

Choose Your Path

On your search for answers, approach each mission with your own style. Your redemption – or your turn towards darkness – depends on your skills and the decisions you make. Discover the mystery behind Delilah in this stand-alone chapter, and then conclude Daud’s story in the upcoming final add-on, The Brigmore Witches.

It will be available in Europe on April 16th for Xbox 360 and PC, and on April 17th for PS3. The add-on is priced at £7.99 / €9.99 (or 800 Microsoft Points).

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

Call of Duty : Black Ops 2 Uprising DLC out today on Xbox 360

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Call of Duty fans are set to receive another premium offering of Downloadable Content (DLC) with Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising today.  The game’s second, epic DLC pack of the year from award-winning studio Treyarch and Activision Publishing will be available first, exclusively on Xbox LIVE for the Xbox 360 beginning on 16th April, with other platforms to follow.  Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising will include four new exotic multiplayer maps, plus an exciting new Zombies experience called “Mob of the Dead” that takes players to Alcatraz with four of the actors behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic mobsters, including Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen.

Following tradition of the original Call of Duty: Black Ops fan-favourite Zombies mode “Call of the Dead,” Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising’s wildly creative new “Mob of the Dead” Zombies experience finds the four prohibition-era mobsters, Billy Handsome (Liotta), Al “The Weasel” Arlington (Pantoliano), Salvatore “Sal” DeLuca (Palmentiri), and Michael “Finn” O’Leary (Madsen) serving time in Alcatraz Prison, only to discover that being behind bars is the least of their problems.  With plans to break out of Alcatraz foiled by the rise of the undead, the quartet of inmates will have to lean on their mob-derived skills with firearms, blunt instruments and improvised weaponry as they battle the zombies infesting and overrunning the island.  In order to survive, players must work their way through the steel cells and aging concrete buildings while fighting off a multitude of zombified prisoners and guards trapped on the island with them.  Additionally, if a player becomes an unfortunate victim, “Mob of the Dead’s” new feature known as “Purgatory” sends players into the afterlife.  This new twist on Zombies gameplay is ripe with its own set of objectives and offers fans a truly new and unique experience.

Uprising also delivers another four new, exotic and diverse multiplayer maps set around the globe for fans to jump into.  “Magma” is a modern Japanese village with volcanic eruptions carving multiple paths throughout the town.  “Encore” takes place in the aftermath of a deserted London music festival and leaves numerous opportunities for run-and-gun, close quarters combat. “Vertigo” is a futuristic high rise in India housing a high-tech lab featuring dizzying vistas and multi-tiered pathways.  Finally, “Studio” is a contemporary remake of “Firing Range,” a fan-favourite multiplayer map from the original Call of Duty: Black Ops.  “Studio” is a Hollywood movie back lot with a variety of cinematic themes that range from Sci-Fi to the Old West.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising is available first, exclusively on Xbox LIVE for 1200 Microsoft Points.  The Uprising DLC Map Pack is also included in the Call of Duty: Black Ops II DLC Season Pass, where fans can purchase all four epic DLC Map Packs planned for the year, and also receive the Nuketown Zombies bonus map, and an exclusive in-game calling card as part of the discounted bundle offered at 4000 Microsoft Points – a discount of 800 Microsoft Points off the individual purchase of all four DLC Map Packs.

Get your name in The Last of Us with contests from Naughty Dog

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The Last of Us is out very soon, and you have the chance to get your name in the game with a trio of contests from developer Naughty Dog.

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This is what Naughty Dog posted on their site:

We’re heads down putting the finishing touches on The Last of Us, launching June 14. Your excitement and devotion has kept us going strong as we’ve seen you make some amazing fan content. Now we want to give our most dedicated fans the opportunity to be a part of our hard work. So get thinking creatively about The Last of Us and show us what you’ve got.

We’re holding a trio of contests that will allow you to get your name into the game. All three contests reward you with your name being stamped on a Firefly pendant that will be collectible in-game. Carve your name in video game history as a member of the Fireflies!

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Check out the Naughty Dog site for more information on the contest and the rules.

Let us know what you think of the game by leaving a comment below.

And here was the video I took of The Last of US Q&A session at Gamescom last year:

 

First teaser trailer for the official ASHES CRICKET 2013 game released

As we are getting closer to the release of the Official Ashes Cricket 2013 Video Game, the rivalry’s heating up with the launch of the first teaser trailer.

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Here is the teaser trailer:

Further details on ASHES CRICKET 2013 will be revealed exclusively over the coming weeks via the official website community forums at www.ashescricket2013.com,

Play Guild Wars 2 free this weekend

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If you haven’t yet played Guild Wars 2 then this weekend you can play for free!

The Guild Wars 2 free trial weekend begins at 12:01 AM PDT on Friday, April 19, 2013 and ends at 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, April 21, 2013.

Check out the Guild Wars 2 site for information on where to get your free key.

And in case you missed it, we recently interviewed the Guild Wars 2 Game Director Colin Johanson:

Check out our review of Guild Wars 2

Are you playing Guild Wars 2 or will you play this weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Rise of the Triad 18 minutes of multiplayer footage

18 minutes for multiplayer footage for Rise of the Triad has been released, and we have it here for you!

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And here is the footage:

Developer: Interceptor Entertainment
Publisher: Apogee Software
Platform: PC
Genre: Over-the-Top FPS Madness
Release Date: TBA very soon
Price: $14.99

Are you going to play it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

App Update: Spotify for iOS Updated to Version 0.6.4

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The Spotify app for iOS has been updated to version 0.6.4.

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Get free access to Spotify Premium now! With Premium you’ll get access to 15 million tracks from thousands of albums and artists on your iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad. If you haven’t tried Premium before, you can try it on your mobile for 48-hours, completely free. You don’t even have to enter credit card details. Simply download this app and log in.

Great features

– Instant access to over 15 million tracks
– Stream online
– Listen offline – no mobile connection needed
– Share music with your friends
– Star your favourite tracks
– Wirelessly sync your own MP3s to your iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad
– Create and sync playlists
– Send the tracks you listen to direct to Last.fm & Facebook

* If you don’t have log in details – simply register for a free Spotify account on the Spotify website. Full mobile terms of Use & 48-hour free trial terms and conditions can also be found on the Spotify website.

What’s New in Version 0.6.4

Fixed: Regular crashing for some users when trying to play music

Download now from the Apple App Store

Wargame AirLand Battle shows off German combat units

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Our recon teams are informing us about a huge troop movement in Germany! Wargame AirLand Battle, the sequel to the spectacular real-time strategy game Wargame European Escalation, today presents its German combat units, through 6 new screenshots.

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After unveiling its British units, today’s spotlight is now the vehicles and the combat units from West-Germany, but also those from East Germany. Wargame takes place in the middle of the Cold War, while Germany is still torn in two : on one side, the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) siding with NATO. On the other side, the GDR (German Democratic Republic), siding with the Warsaw Pact.

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Today’s screenshots show us units from the two Germanies. Connoisseurs will easily recognize some of the new units of the FRG, especially its aircraft composing its air force, the Luftwaffe, such as the F-104G “Starfighter” and the Panavia Tornado; we can see them flying over the immense urban areas of Wargame’s new maps. On the GDR side, we can observe that most of the vehicles are of Soviet origin. This allows the GDR to access tried and tested equipment, known for its efficiency and reliability, such as its own variants of the T-72 main battle tank. The GDR has also access to a large number of combat aircraft, such as the Mig-17 we can see in the screenshots, and among other aircraft, including variants of the Mig-21 that, even though they are not the most advanced planes in the conflict, can be useful in a broad range of situations when used wisely.

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On both sides of the Iron Curtain, German troops are now departing to Scandinavia, in order to be the first at the frontline when the conflict starts with Wargame AirLand Battle’s release in May.

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Released in early 2012, Wargame: European Escalation by Eugen Systems managed to become the new benchmark in real-time strategy games, praised by critics and players alike. Wargame: AirLand Battle is about to bring the series to the next level as a full-fledged sequel!

Between 1975 and 1985, war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact is still raging, reaching Northern Europe, notably Scandinavia, whose architecture magnificent landscapes are faithfully recreated in the game. While the first Wargame made quite an impression with its powerful engine, Wargame: AirLand Battle is making a huge leap forward with its visuals, bringing a level of detail never before seen in a real-time strategy game. Flat relief and lack of variety is now a thing of the past, as the new version of the IRISZOOM Engine(tm) displays spectacular graphics, with a huge variety of units, scenery and impressive topography reproduced from satellite maps.

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Command all the military resources of the Cold War era, from tanks to planes which make an outstanding entrance in the series! A total of 150 planes strengthen the playable arsenal of the game, from fighters to bombers to electronic warfare planes. Four new nations and their vehicles join the original eight from the first game, making a total of over 750 vehicles and combat units rendered in realistic detail with new textures! In Wargame: AirLand Battle, realism is also strengthened thanks to a new weapons system, better handling of fire and its effects, and a new Urban Combat Interface (UCI) allowing for battle inside cities block by block to take them over.

The solo part of the game is composed of several new dynamic campaigns, during which you will manage all aspects of the battle. Lead each squad of the Theatre of Operation, and make good use of your reinforcements and strategic support. Each decision you make has an impact on the tactical outcome of battles, and also impacts the evolution of the global conflict! Wargame: AirLand Battle still allows you to customize your own army in solo and multiplayer modes, thanks to the ‘Deck’ system, which is now being enhanced with an integrated ‘viewer’.

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Visit the official website for more information.

App Update: Google iOS 6 YouTube app updated to version 1.3

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Google has just updated its standalone iOS 6 YouTube app to version 1.3.

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As we told you back in August, the YouTube app was removed, and this was the reason:

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

What’s New in Version 1.3

* Quick access to new uploads from subscriptions via “My Subscriptions” feed on the Guide
* Access to Live streams
* Queue up videos to play on TV
* One Channel branding for video creator channels
* Stability and performance improvements

I really like the new app, it’s faster, more responsive and it looks great! You can download it from the Apple App Store.

And why not subscribe to our YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/usingwhs

Gazillion Celebrates Marvel Super Hero Squad Online’s Two-Year Anniversary with New Features, Heroes and Challenges

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Gazillion Entertainment is celebrating the two-year anniversary of Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, the family friendly free-to-play online game featuring Super Heroes from the Marvel Universe.

With more than 5 million registrations since launch, Marvel Super Hero Squad Online is kicking off the two-year anniversary celebration with a series of in-game events, new feature releases, challenges, and heroes including:

·       New Playable Heroes – Bombastic Bagman, Venom, Spider-Man: Ends of the Earth, Spider-Man Noir and many others make their debut as playable characters.

·       Expanded Challenges 20 new challenges highlighting Mayhem Mode bosses including Loki, Green Goblin, and Doctor Doom.  By completing all of the challenges, players will unlock a powerful new playable villain – M.O.D.O.K.

·       Enhanced Abilities Players can unlock five new levels for each character and power up their special abilities by purchasing Medallions.

·       New World Events Compete daily for a chance to win Spider-Man Noir by collecting Infinity Fractals from the game world or from the store.

Since the game launched in April 2011, Marvel Super Hero Squad Online has added countless hours of exciting new game content including new game modes, fan-favorite playable Marvel Super Heroes, and unique achievements and collectibles.  The past twelve months saw the arrival of over 30 new characters – including 2 new playable villains! Dozens of new missions, challenges and special events offer thrilling new gaming experiences drawn directly from the Marvel Universe.  With the recent launch of Mayhem Mode, players are challenged to explore Super Hero City for dangerous villains to battle.

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online is a free-to-play, family-friendly game where players can team up with friends and adventure as legendary Super Heroes from the expansive Marvel Universe. Players can engage in exhilarating combat, explore interactive environments, and collect thousands of items. Marvel Super Hero Squad Online has over 100 playable heroes to choose from, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and more. Marvel Super Hero Squad Online offers more than 30 exciting missions across four zones, arcade games, and a head-to-head collectible card game starring Super Heroes from the game!

For more information on Marvel Super Hero Squad Online visit: http://www.heroup.com.

DARK SOULS II shield design contest kicks off

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NAMCO BANDAI announced that a DARK SOULS II shield design contest will begin today on the game’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/darksouls.

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Channel your inner medieval craftsman and create the best shield design; showing off your skills as a warrior artist. Then, submit your works of art, and watch the votes tally up from every corner of the globe from fellow Dark Souls II fans.

The submission and voting period for shield designs will begin on April 15th and run through May 13th. Beginning May 14th no further submissions will be taken and the contest enters into a “voting only” phase until May 20th. On May 20th the shield designs that receive the most fan votes will be submitted for a final round of judging by the Dark Souls II development team at FromSoftware in Japan. The FromSoftware development team will select the final six winning shield designs to be included within the final Dark Souls II game. The winners will be announced at San Diego Comic Con taking place from July 18th through the 21st.

The six lucky winners will be able to engage in battle with their friends online while proudly bearing the shield of their own design. Other players will also be able to carry the shields designed by their compatriots into battle.

How to enter the Dark Souls II Shield Design Contest:

● Become a fan on the official Dark Souls II Facebook page at www.facebook.com/darksouls

● Check out the Shield Design Facebook application

● Download the blank shield template

● Create up to three original masterpieces of heraldic design

● Submit your finished designs via Facebook before May 20, 2013

Sign up today for this unique opportunity and carve your name indelibly in Dark Souls II.

Dark Souls II will be available on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360, and PCs.