GTA 5 - All the Game Informer details (Video)

GTA fans, the time has come.

Game Informer has blown the lid off of Grand Theft Auto 5, revealing a tonne of previously unknown details about Rockstar's hugely anticipated crime game.

We know you're desperate to learn the facts, so while we type up something in more detail, we thought we'd summarise everything there is to know from Game Informer's preview in the list below.

GTA 5 "evolves nearly every mechanic" found in previous games in the series.

Features the biggest open world in the series' history - GTA 5's world is bigger than the worlds of Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas and GTA IV combined.

Three playable characters who you can switch between "at nearly any time".

Each character has their own specific abilities and story arc, with all three stories intertwined.

Camera zooms out to a "Google Earth-style" perspective when switching characters.

Character 1 - Michael, an ex-bank robber in his early 40s who retired after making a deal with the FIB. He has two teenage children and hates his wife Amanda. He's also the narrator of the original GTA 5 trailer.

Character 2 - Trevor, a former war veteran and a "drugged out psychopath". An experienced pilot.

Character 3 - Franklin, a repo man in his mid 20s described as a "young and ambitious hustler".

Certain characters from GTA IV and Episodes From Liberty City will also make an appearance. Rockstar's Dan Houser says we'll never see characters from the PS2 era, though. "The five PS2 games are one universe, and this is the high definition universe, so they don't co-exist," he says.

No major actors cast as any of the main characters.

Focus on making more diverse missions.

Heists and bank robberies are a big theme to the game.

Characters will work together during missions, and you can switch between characters mid-mission to fulfill different roles. For example, during a chase sequence you can pilot the getaway helicopter as Trevor, snipe pursuing pilots as Franklin, or fire an assault rifle as Michael.

Missions will have a "very diiferent tone depending on who's on them, how many people are on them, and how much we're using switches", says Houser.

Even when you're not controlling them, each character will still go about their own business across Los Santos. "You may be surprised by the situations they find themselves in should you switch back to check up on them," says Game Informer.

Big advances to lighting and shader model. Greater draw distance.

Improved vehicle handling and physics - "The cars hold to the ground better... It feels more like a racing game," Houser says.

More vehicles than in any GTA to date, including BMXs, mountain bikes, road bikes, dirt bikes, cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, ATVs and Jet Skis, but vehicle manufacturers are still fictional.

Fighter jets appear to be in. One screenshot shows a fighter equipped with missiles, as a helicopter explodes in the background.

Improved shooting and melee combat. Melee combat "never going to be as big a deal as shooting," though, warns Houser.

Pedestrians are fully mo-capped and more interactive.

You can rappel down buildings, although it's not confirmed whether this is specific to certain missions.

Los Santos is described as a "huge and diverse city", combining the best of Red Dead Redemption's "large open expanses" with GTA IV's "densely packed urban environment".

Areas in the game world include beachfronts, mountains, the wilderness, a "Salton Sea" region, a military base and the suburbs.

GTA: San Andreas was about gang culture. GTA 5 is about capturing the "contemporary culture of LA".

There will be a "vibrant and fun" economy, but you won't be able to buy property.

A variety of different side missions and "more sophisticated" minigames, including yoga, triathlons, Jet Skiing, base-jumping, tennis and golf. There's a full golf course in the game. You can go scuba diving along the coastline of Los Santos, or go to the gym on the seafront.

Each character will have unique hobbies, including "one or two key minigame activities per character".

San Andreas' RPG-like player customization is still absent, but you can customize the clothing of each character.

GTA IV's romance feature has been removed.

Like in GTA IV, players can make friends and hang out with certain NPCs, including Michael's wife Amanda and son Jimmy, Franklin's "crazy friend" Lamar, and Trevor's mate Ron.

GTA IV's mobile phone returns, but a lot of its features have been altered. You can use it to access the internet.

Dynamic missions - hidden missions dotted around the game world. "Going off-road in the desert, you may come across two parked cars and a sea of dead bodies around them... Investigate if you want." 

Source : videogamer

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Wishtel To Launch Linux Tablet @$50

The tablet will be able to perform basic computing tasks such as e-mails, Web browsing, media and office applications.

Saturday, November 10, 2012:  Ever fancied a Linux tablet? Well, Wishtel will soon be launching a Linux based tablet which will be able to support 85 global languages, right from English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic and many more. Not only that, it will also support 23 Indian languages. Another highlight of the tablet, which will be named ‘PrithV’ is its price. The company is developing the tablet for $50 in association with Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education under Prof Nagarjuna.  

The tablet will be able to perform basic computing tasks such as e-mails, Web browsing, media and office applications. It will also come loaded with educational suite to offer self learning software's for pre-primary, tertiary, higher education for languages, science: physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geography, math: algebra, calculus, geometry, medicine, economics, computing etc.

The company is known for launching low cost tablets in the market. They have launched a few models under the IRA brand and claim to have already shipped more than 150,000 devices till now. The company has plans to extend their solutions to universities and schools all over the world and intend to empower every student with a PC enabled knowledge.  

Source: news.efytimes.com

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Top 5 IT Skills To Have In 2013

These are the skills that companies look for in a candidate to compete in the dynamic business world.

Saturday, November 10, 2012:  Recession is slowly and gradually settling in once again and IT industry is expected to be the worst affected sector as far as job hiring is concerned. Every year, projections are made as to which avenues would escape the wrath of the turmoil and continue to progress rather than regress.

Computerworld recently released a list of IT skills that companies will seek in 2013 and we bring you the top 5 profiles, that companies see helping them compete in the dynamic business environment.

So, as per the survey here are the top 5 skills to have;

Programming and Application Development: According to the survey, 60 per cent of the respondents wanted to hire employees with programming and application development skills by next year. Those who have experience in Java, J2EE and .Net are at an advantage as these skills will be heavily demanded by companies in the coming time.

Project management: Project management will be in huge demand next year as 40 per cent of the companies questioned in the survey said that they will recruit project managers in the next 12 months. The rising demand for candidates with this profile is due to the jump in the number of as well as increase in the complexity of such projects as applications are now more connected.

Help Desk/Technical: 35 per cent of IT recruiters surveyed by Computerworld said that they will hire IT help desk professionals within the next one year. Such companies' focus is to not only develop modern systems and solutions but also to help end users to access them easily, hence the emphasis on the technical support skills.

Security: IT security also seems to be high on IT companies' agenda as 27 per cent responded that they were on the lookout for professionals with skills for safeguarding systems and data. Therefore, it's time that candidates in IT security industry brush up their knowledge on deploying firewalls, threat detection tools, encryption technology and other security systems.

Business Intelligence/Analytics: Big data is a major concern for IT firms, which is why many companies are looking for business analytics professionals. In the survey, 26 per cent of the respondents stated that they will hire business intelligence/analytics professionals in 2013. Recruiters will keep in mind technical know-how, business knowledge and strong statistical and mathematical backgrounds while hiring personnel for this domain.

Source: news.efytimes.com

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Angry Birds Star Wars Now Available on Multiple Platforms

Game developer Rovio announced on Thursday that Angry Birds Star Wars is now live. The new casual title is an awesome mixture of Rovio's genre-defining character design and gameplay, and Lucasfilm's trademark sci-fi universe filled with memorable characters like Luke Skywalker, Ben Kenobi, and the faithful droids Artoo (R2-D2) and Threepio (C-3PO).

Angry Birds Star Wars is simply brilliant, and could possibly be the best Angry Birds title to date. It's almost as if Rovio was setting the stage for this release by ironing out the foundation in the first three land-based slingshot-launched versions before moving out into space to tackle zero-gravity physics. Angry Birds Star Wars combines the best of both worlds as gamers would expect, finally bringing balance to the Angry Birds franchise.



In this installment, players are still launching birds with slingshots, except this time they're equipped with Star Wars outfits, weapons and Jedi tricks. Luke Skywalker (played by Red Bird) carries a lightsaber and can slash his way through the objects to squash the Trooper pigs on the other side. Ben Kenobi (played by Black Bird) can use his Push Force power and Artoo can electrify objects, making them explode. Later on gamers can unlock Han Solo (aka Yellow Bird), Chewbacca (aka Big Brother Bird) and more.

The game starts at the beginning of Episode IV as Luke Bird and Ben Bird make their way through the dry Tatooine desert. The second stage is set on the Death Star, and the third stage – a free update arriving soon – takes place on Hoth, the ice planet seen in the first chilly act of Episode V. The fourth stage takes place on Yoda's swamp-based hideout Dagobah, and the fifth is a droid-themed bonus area filled with thirty-three stages.





"Ultimately, this Angry Birds/Star Wars mash-up pushes all the right fandom buttons," said NBC News in its review of the new Angry Birds release. "It's full of clever Star Wars references and it's a blast to play. Most importantly, this isn't just a faux Star Wars finish slapped atop an Angry Birds interior. Two beloved properties have been carefully melded in ways that are sure to please – and amuse – those who love both."

"Rovio's latest entry in their video game franchise coats the birds you love and the pigs you hate in new Rebellion and Imperial duds, with special features and levels crafted to follow the original Star Wars movie's narrative and aesthetic," MTV said. "On the surface, the game is little more than a new way to spice up your daily commute. But if you look deeper, you'll see hidden value in Angry Birds Star Wars — specifically, that it holds a few important lessons that Disney can and should apply to their upcoming Star Wars sequel."

In just a few hours, Rovio already has a classic game on its hands. But don't take our word for it: find out for yourself by heading here and choosing your preferred platform. There's even a Modern UI version for Windows 8 that's packed full of Xbox achievements like Jedi Initiate (50 blocks smashed with saber), Force Learner (2000 blocks thrown with Force) and more.

Source: tomsguide.com

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Facebook Friendships Get a Timeline Upgrade

There’s a page for just about anything you can imagine on Facebook — including every friendship. Whether you knew they existed or not, friendship pages have been there since October 2010, displaying every jot of information the network has about you and any given friend.

Now Facebook is giving those friendship pages an upgrade, in order to make them look more like Timeline profiles. And as a bonus, it’s adding a new page for you and anyone you’re in a relationship with: the adorably-named facebook.com/us.

To see the friendship page you share with anyone else, go to their profile page. Then click the gear button on the right, next to “Message,” to reveal a menu with a list of options; Friendship page is the one you want.

Facebook is slowly rolling out the Timeline-style pages over the next few days, so you may not have it yet. If you do, you’ll notice you have the opportunity to edit the page, removing photos that are unflattering to that relationship. (They won’t be removed from Facebook as a whole, though; you’ll have to untag yourself in them.)

Like much else about the social network, it’s a revealing and slightly disturbing look at just how much information has been gathered on you. I tested it with a few friendships where I was sure that friend and I hadn’t been tagged in pictures together — but sure enough, there we were, often on opposite ends of the table at large dinner parties, in the Timeline-style cover photo.

What do you make of the new friendship pages? Does this soften your attitude towards Timeline? Let us know in the comments. 

Source : mashable

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Modbook Pro OS X tablet gets a pre-release upgrade

If you've long given up on Apple to ever release an OS X-powered tablet, the Modbook Pro might be just what you're looking for, and the device has seen a much-welcomed pre-release upgrade.

The Modbook Pro is a tablet that's built around an existing Apple hardware system. Modbook Inc. takes a MacBook Pro system and converts the system into a tablet using its Modbook Pro Build Kit. The main part of the kit is a specially made 13.3-inch Wacom pen-controlled screen which, along with other custom components, converts the notebook into a tablet.

The first Modbooks are expected to ship by the end of this month, but the company has announced that the base specification of the device has been significantly upgraded. Pen pressures have been upgraded, making the screen more responsive to pen inputs. The solid-state drive has been increased from 64GB to a more spacious 120GB, and the RAM memory bumped from 4GB to 8GB.

The base price of the system is unchanged at $3,500.

The base system comes with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor -- upgradable to a 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 for an additional $300 -- and there are optional RAM and storage upgrades, with 16GB RAM costing an extra $240, and 240GB and 480GB of storage costing an added $390 and $780 respectively.

Modbook Inc. will also install Windows 7 onto the system into a Boot Camp partition for an extra $200. It's worth noting that as this is not an official Apple product, all warranty issues will have to go Modbook Inc.

This upgrade will apply to new units and those that have already been pre-ordered.

 Source : zdnet

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iPad 4 benchmarks put rivals to shame

If you are planning to pick up the new Apple iPad 4 and are interested to checking out a few benchmark results first, we have just the analysis you are looking for. A new study has been compiled, concluding that the iPad 4 can clearly hold its own against a collection of rival products on the market.

If benchmark tests are really important to you before splashing the cash on a product, you will definitely appreciate the detailed analysis on the iPad 4 that is now available for viewing courtesy of AnandTech.

In a total of twelve different benchmark tests, the study has concluded that the iPad 4 has come out on top in every single benchmark minus one, with the new A6X processor put to the test against the likes of the iPad 3 and Google Nexus 10, and also a range of top smartphones as well such as the Nexus 4, iPhone 5, HTC One X and Galaxy S3.



Apple had claimed at their recent iPad event that their new iPad 4 offers double the processing power of that seen in the iPad 3, which sadly has now been discontinued. Based on all of the results seen in the tests, Apple were not exaggerating and it is pretty impressive that the device has come out on top against all these different devices.

Is the A6X chip really that good though? In one particular test, we saw the iPad 4 go up against the rest in a GL Benchmark Frames Per Second analysis using ‘Egypt HD’. The iPad 4 was top with a score of 41.9, while the closest challenger was the iPhone 5 on 39, followed by the LG Optimus G on 37.5 – for those wondering, the Nexus 10 was in 5th place with a score of 25.9, while the Nexus 4 smartphone was further down the chart with a score of 25.6.

Let us know what priority you give to benchmark tests. Do they really factor in the decision making process for you or not so much?

Share this story below.
Source: product-reviews.net

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Samsung’s Galaxy S III overtakes the iPhone 4S as the world’s best-selling smartphone in Q3 2012

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III handset usurped the Apple iPhone 4S as the world’s best-selling smartphone in the third quarter of 2012, according to a new report released by market research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics.

The figures show the S III to have shifted 18 million units in Q3, compared to the iPhone 4S’ 16.2 million. Meanwhile, the S III commanded a 10.7% share of the global smartphone market compared to the iPhone 4S’ 9.7%.

It’s worth noting that sales of the 4S were tempered by the launch of the iPhone 5 in Q3. Apple’s latest handset sold 6 million units and grabbed 3.6% global smartphone market share, Strategy Analytics says.

Samsung’s claim to the smartphone crown is unlikely to be maintained though. The iPhone 5 launched close to the end of the third quarter of the year and suffered limited availability at first.

The S III is still selling healthily, having sold 10 million units in the past two months alone, and has sold more than 30 million units this year, according to Samsung. Still, it won’t be surprising if Q4 sees the now widely available iPhone 5 rise as rapidly as the S III did. In Q2, the Samsung’s flagship sold just 5.4 million units according to Strategy Analytics, so such fast increases are certainly possible. Indeed, Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, says in today’s press release, “We expect the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung’s Galaxy S3 in the coming fourth quarter of 2012 and Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world’s most popular smartphone model.”

With Samsung and Apple the undisputed kings of the smartphone market right now, releasing flagship devices once per year, six months apart from each other, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the top spot in studies such as this one flip between the two companies regularly.

Image credit: Getty Images 
Source: thenextweb.com

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Apple Granted 29 Patents, Awarded Rights to First iPad Design

Other patents granted relates to photo management on iOS devices and crack-resistant glass.

Apple has been granted 29 patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including one crediting late co-founder Steve Jobs and other Apple employees for the original iPad design.

The majority of the patents awarded relates to components and techniques, with the standout patent being one pertaining to the original iPad. No. D670,286 covers the "ornamental design for a portable display device." It credits Apple lead designer Jony Ive, Jobs and several other employees.

Other patents Apple was granted includes two wireless patents the firm acquired from Nortel and a patent based on FileVault, a method for carrying out encryption and decryption on Macs. Another design patent relates to retail packaging, which is called "the ornamental design for a display apparatus."

Elsewhere, Apple received a patent for crack-resistant glass for portable devices, a few for hardware cooling systems, and one relating to photo management for iOS devices. Techniques to adjust the audio output of devices joins the granted patents for Apple, as does the following:

• 8,307,287 -- Heads-up-display for use in a media manipulation operation
• 8,305,125 -- Low latency synchronizer circuit
• 8,305,897 -- Quality of service control in multiple hop wireless communication environments
• 8,306,034 -- Method for updating and managing synchronization identifier by using release messages or status request and response
• 8,306,367 -- Method and apparatus for managing image-processing operations
• 8,306,475 -- Method and apparatus for configuring a wireless device through reverse advertising
• 8,306,772 -- Method for estimating temperature at a critical point
• 8,306,918 -- Use of media storage structure with multiple pieces of content in a content-distribution system (Relates to Digital Rights Mgmt. System)
• 8,307,107 -- Titled "Methods and apparatuses to extend header for transferring data." Apple's invention relates to the field of multimedia data transmission.
• 8,307,134 -- Multiple communication interfaces on a portable storage device
• 8,307,146 -- Communication between a host device and an accessory via an intermediate device
• 8,307,224 -- Methods and apparatuses for dynamic power control
• 8,307,236 -- Oversampling-based scheme for synchronous interface communication
• 8,307,366 -- Post-processing phase in a distributed processing system using assignment information
• RE43,796 -- Receptacle connector
• 8,307,292 -- Method and apparatus for binding user interface objects to application objects
• 8,307,004 -- Manipulating electronic backups
• 8,306,252 -- Integrated microphone assembly for personal media device

Source: tomshardware.com

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So Did Social Media ‘Predict’ the Election?

Nate Silver’s being hailed as a Big Data hero after correctly predicting an overwhelming majority of states in Tuesday’s presidential election. But how did social media sentiment fair as a barometer of the electorate?

Before the election was called, Mashable reported that Twitter sentiment in the hotly contested battleground states was split: it favored Barack Obama in Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire and Iowa, while Romney had the lead in New Mexico, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada.

So did the Twitter sentiment “predict” the election? Not really: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa, New Mexico, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada and likely Florida — where the results haven’t yet been called — went to Obama, while only North Carolina went to Romney.

This does, however, depend on how you look at the data: Twitter’s pre-election chart showed a trend in Obama’s favor across the board just prior to Election Day:

According to social media analysis frim Attention, powered by Tracx, Obama also dominated the online conversation at large, taking up 64% compared to Romney’s 36% across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, blogs and message boards.

Social media sentiment is far from a scientific poll — after all, only a minority of registered voters in the U.S. are actively posting about politics.

However, Twitter is fond of the fact that its Political Index tends to track Gallup polls, a sign that it could potentially be taken seriously sometime down the road as more voters use the platform to talk politics. And as sentiment analysis gets smarter and better every day, we could be looking at a new and valuable data point for campaigns sometime not too long down the road.

Do you think social media can ever be taken seriously as an elections predictor?

Source : mashable

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