Guitar Hero coming to Nintendo DS

Activision has announced that it is to bring Guitar Hero to the Nintendo DS complete with a bolt-on fret accessory this summer.

Rock fans looking to strum their stuff to bands like Nirvana, OK Go and No Doubt will be able to plug in the Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral that fits snugly into the DS as well as control the game using a unique Guitar Hero pick-stylus.

Specifically designed for the DS the game will include classic rock, alternative and pop favourites.

Fans can also join together to play co-op mode using a local wireless network, or battle each other in a Guitar Dual using new Battle Items unique to the DS platform.

Activision say that players will also be able to blow into the microphone to extinguish a pyrotechnics effects gone wrong, or use the touchscreen to autograph a crazed fan's shirt in the middle of their set.

Featuring five unlockable new venues, the game lets players personalize their experience by choosing the colour of their axe of choice, selecting to play as one of six characters - two of which are all new and exclusive to Guitar Hero: On Tour - and outfitting their guitarist in numerous styles.

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/

Wii shortage continues, but why?

Still can't find a Wii?

The good news is you're not alone.

The bad news is that locating one of the consoles won't get any easier for at least several more months.Video game retailer GameStop acknowledged the ongoing shortage during a conference call this week to discuss its annual sales results ($7.1 billion, up 33 percent from 2006, so yeah, they did all right).

During the call, executives from the company said that while most of the current batch of consoles and handhelds are in decent supply, the Wii could be scarce for as long as the next six months.

It's bizarre to think that a console released at the end of 2006 remains so elusive.

Nintendo has had plenty of time now to react to the unexpectedly high demand and bring other manufacturing facilities on line. Granted, the Wii outsells the PS3 and Xbox 360 every single month now, so Nintendo is already making more systems than either Sony or Microsoft. But still, the Wii, as was once infamously observed by a quickly-chastised Electronic Arts game developer, is merely two GameCubes duct-taped together.

While there was more than a bit of hyperbole in that declaration, the Wii certainly doesn't incorporate any cutting-edge technology (which is why it's the cheapest of the new consoles), and that should make it easier to build.

For example, Nokia sold 133 million cellphones in the fourth quarter of 2007 alone, proof that it is possible to churn out moderately sophisticated gadgets by the ton.

I'm not sure why Nintendo is having such a hard time. The best guess is that the company is deliberately throttling back its manufacturing capabilities, a conspiracy theory once proposed by GameStop's own chief operating officer.

Why do that?

Even Nintendo was caught off guard by the popularity of the Wii, and there may be some lingering concern at the company that the allure will begin to wear off just when Nintendo starts an expensive manufacturing increase.

And if Wii supply is expected to catch up to demand in six months, then there's no point in launching new production lines now.

Of course, every day that someone can't find a Wii on the shelf represents a potential lost sale, as that shopper opts to get an Xbox 360, PS3 or nothing at all.

There used to be some talk that Nintendo was deliberately holding back production to create artificial hype around the Wii as the exclusive toy of the Christmas season. Of course, that was Christmas season 2006 (and then Christmas 2007).

Even if that theory were true, I think Nintendo is smart enough to recognize that you can only tease gamers so long before they get fed up and go play with something else.

We'll see what happens in six months.

http://www.dallasnews.com/

Super Smash Bros. Brawl rakes in the cash for Nintendo

Last Saturday, the Star's video game critic Bret Dawson heralded Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl as one of the best games of the year so far.

If retail sales are indication, it might also be one of the best-selling.

The popular cartoon fighting game for the Nintendo Wii console has set a new record for Nintendo of America, selling a whopping 1.4 million copies in the U.S. in one week – including 874,000 copies its first day of release, March 9.

Similarly, Super Smash Bros. Brawl became the fastest-selling Wii game in Japan with more than 1 million copies sold in 11 days. Canadian numbers aren't available yet.

"Super Smash Bros. Brawl has made the leap from video game to cultural phenomenon," said Cammie Dunaway, spokesperson for Nintendo of America.

Next up from Nintendo is Mario Kart Wii (April 27), which ships with the Wii Wheel racing peripheral, and the Wii Fit (May 19) fitness suite, which includes the wireless Wii Balance Board.

Nintendo's Next Big Thing?

In related news, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has already hinted at big things to come for the holidays.

In an interview with GameTrailers TV this week, Fils-Aime confirmed a "big game" will be unveiled July at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, adding it will be available for the Wii over the 2008 holidays.

The only clue given is that it'll appeal to both the casual crowd and hardcore players. Hmm, let's hope it's the next instalment in the beloved The Legend of Zelda franchise. Fils-Aime also revealed a new Wii music game in the works would likely be announced at E3.

the top 10 PC games

With all the news surrounding the console scene it's easy to ignore computer game fans. If you're itching to play a new PC game on your new laptop, here's a quick look at the top-selling computer games for the week ending March 1 (source: NPD Group):

1. The Sims 2: FreeTime

(Electronic Arts)

2. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)

3. Sins of a Solar Empire (Stardock)

4. Frontlines: Fuel of War (THQ)

5. World of Warcraft

(Blizzard Entertainment)

6. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest (Blizzard Entertainment)

7. The Sims 2 Deluxe

(Electronic Arts)

8. World of Warcraft: The Burning

Crusade (Blizzard Entertainment)

9. Lost: Via Domus (Ubisoft)

10. Mystery Case Files:

Madame Fate (Activision)

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/349145

Nokia gives mobile application developers their big break

Mobile applications are turning into big business, and Nokia is looking to launch a few start-ups on their way.

Nokia's developer arm, Forum Nokia, announced the results of its Mobile Rules contest Wednesday night at San Jose City Hall. Nine companies were chosen, representing four application categories, best business plan, and four winners of the best technology innovation.

The winners were judged by a panel of Nokia executives, venture capitalists, and media representatives. They'll get a chance to pitch their ideas to Nokia's higher-ups and the venture capital community. With smartphones and mobile phones growing more and more capable, most companies in this market are looking to court developers for their platform. Apple will get around to it eventually.

Without further adieu, the winners:

Best Application - Multiplayer and Connected Games:
Gamica. The Sumo Sumo game is a multiplayer Tetris-like game where you have to build "clusters of colored blocks before you get squashed by a giant spike wall," according to the program description.

Best Application - Multimedia:
Mystrands. This company is building a social-networking music player, of sorts. They say they have 6 million songs available and help people discover new music by hooking them up with other users that share similar tastes.

Best Application - Enterprise:
Upcode. UpCode is building a mobile parking payment system that uses an optical scanner on a cell phone like a parking ticket. Instead of pushing the button for the ticket, and losing it later on, the idea is that you'd scan your cell phone to gain entry, and then pay later from your phone on the way out. Parking businesses then get the ability to track their customers' habits more closely and adjust to peak demand, offer specials, or change pricing.

Best Application - Infotainment:
Earthcomber. These guys are working on ways to exploit GPS technology in mobile phones. Their winning entry involved a partnership with the Travel Channel where a visitor to Chicago could choose to be informed of attractions and sites around his or her current location.

Best Business Plan:
MedApps. MedApps is developing a product that lets patients with chronic diseases submit their most recent vital stats, like heart rate or blood sugar levels, wirelessly over the Internet to a health care provider.

Best Technology Innovation:
Four winners were chosen from the 12 finalists in this category. Genusion has developed a type of NOR flash memory called B4-Flash that is supposedly faster, cheaper, and more reliable than what's currently available. Kannuu's lookup application combs through databases to find likely results.

Kareline came up with a natural and Earth-friendly composite material for mobile phones than today's plastics. And Tiki Labs is probably thinking about iPhone 2.0, having developed a system for interacting with a touchscreen using different combinations of thumbs and fingers.

http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9901104-37.html

A Look at the Nokia N810

A few months ago Nokia released the third iteration of their Internet Tablet N-series, the N810. This model has some new hardware characteristics, and a brand new version of the Maemo interface.

The N810 features Wifi, bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, a miniSDHC slot, 2 GB internal storage, 128 MB RAM, 800x480 4.1" 16bit sunlight readable transflective TFT LCD screen, a VGA webcam, a microphone, a 3.5mm audio jack, a sliding backlit keyboard with an ambient light sensor, a 400 Mhz CPU, a kickstand, and integrated GPS. Compared to the N800 it's missing the dual SDHC card slots, the FM tuner and it uses a microUSB connector instead of the more standard miniUSB. In the box we found a case for the device, a charger, a car stand, a microUSB cable, a second stylus in case you lose the first one, a soft cloth to clean the screen, and the manual.

The device weighs 226gr and its size is considerably smaller to that of the N800's. It fits well in a pocket, while the keyboard keys have the right size to hit them precisely. However, the sliding keyboard plate is too wide for my small hands and I so I have difficulty writing fast on it, although I expect most males or bigger females to not have the same problem as I did. The joystick and "open menu" button are now placed next to the keyboard and are not accessible without sliding that compartment out. This is not too bad though, as the OS2008 is designed with more "finger navigation" in mind than previous versions of Maemo.

On the left side of the screen you can find the webcam, a pulsing notification light used by some applications, a "go back" button, and a "taskbar" button. On the right side you will find the audio jack, charging port, and when you slide out the kickstand, the microUSB port is revealed. On the top of the device you will find the "go fullscreen" button, "zoom in/out" buttons, the on/off button, the stylus compartment, and for the first time, the N810 sports a hardware-based "lock keys" slider button. Speakers are stereo and located on the left and right of the device, while the microphone is located under the kickstand.

The N810's WiFi and Bluetooth connections are strong features. The device has a great signal and with the new version of the OS we now enjoy more Bluetooth profiles, while a recent hack by the community allows for BT PAN (which can be used with Windows Mobile v5+ phones to feed the N810 with a connection). Another hack that the community was able to pull through was making the USB slave port to a host one (so you can connect keyboards or flash readers).

Other differences of the OS2008 over OS2007 is a brand new web browser based on the Gecko engine, better compatibility with cellphones and Bluetooth DUN, a different theme, better email client (although still not ideal), Jabber support, Gizmo and Skype come pre-installed, faster Flash implementation, a much more sane media player, enough settings, and other improvements throughout the included applications. Two things I miss from the software: the supposedly supported media formats are not fully supported (I can't get any h.264 QVGA file to playback for example and I had compatibility problems with some XViD files), and the... webcam makes me look far fatter than I really am (wrong aspect ratio?).

The GPS module worked well (N800 users can use a Bluetooth GPS module to get the same service), and the included Wayfinder application included the maps of Canada and USA. The solution does not have built-in routing or turn-by-turn voice directions, but it can be upgraded by subscription ($130 for 3 years.)

Regarding third party applications, the truth is that the platform has taken a hit. Nokia broke compatibility three times so far, and just like in their Symbian platform, the number of third party applications available are fewer and fewer. There were about 2000 Symbian apps for v2, and there are only 400 for v3 two years after the release of the platform. For Maemo v1 there were about 250 apps released, and for v2 there were only about 210 released. For Maemo v3 the number is similarly low at 165 apps, and I don't personally expect it to get very high. And when I mean "low", I have to compare it to Windows Mobile and its 20,000 apps or PalmOS and its 30,000 apps. If you divide the number of years these platforms have been active in the market you will see about 3,000 apps per year, while Nokia enjoys about 100-200 per year. Nokia must learn to stop breaking compatibility and putting off developers like that. To build trust, extra engineering effort must be in place to not break the APIs and ABIs again. Another thing that's bugging me is that every time there's a new firmware out, I have to reconfigure the OS from scratch (not everything gets backed up). I would prefer an upgrade that doesn't wipe out user's changes and data.

Finally, some good news and some bad news. The good thing is that battery life is exceptional with over 3 hours of intense WiFi usage and many days of standby. The bad news is that I find the screen on the N810 less bright than the one on the N800 (configured the same way). This is a worthy device, evolutionary to the N800, but it's too expensive to make it big. At $400 street price is well situated between cellphones, but it's not a cellphone. It's well situated between laptop prices too, but it's not a laptop either. In reality, it's a modern PDA (oh, excuse me, an Internet Tablet). And $400 for a PDA in this day and age, it's just too expensive. Users are more likely to get an iPod Touch for $299 and a free (via their wireless contract) Nokia S60 cellphone that does VoIP SIP, than buying this device stand-alone. A more realistic price would be $280 to $300. Nevertheless, this is one cool device!

Form : http://www.newmobilecomputing.com/

Intel says U.S. market calls for low-cost laptop

Intel Corp. is expanding its vision for the low-cost laptop that company engineers initially designed for schoolchildren in poor countries.

The company is pushing to bring the second generation of the Classmate PC to schools and retail outlets in the U.S. and Europe this year, according to Agnes Kwan, a spokeswoman for Intel. The company is expected to disclose details about the U.S. version of the laptop in April.

"For the past 18 months, we were very much focused on classrooms in emerging markets," Kwan told Computerworld. "But we do have a select number in mature markets, and we've been getting really good feedback in those mature markets."

Kwan noted that Intel has been getting a lot of interest in the Classmate PC from educators in the U.S., as well as from people interested in buying the laptop for home use.

"The schools in the U.S. are interested in getting a rugged and affordable design, as well as a fully functional PC," she added. "The kids in the mature markets have largely had experience with technology, and they expect more features and memory, more power. We're working those expectations into the new design, as well."

The second generation of the Classmate PC, which was designed by Intel and has been sold by vendors like India's HCL and Indonesia's Zyrex PC, should come in under $500, according to Kwan. The laptop runs on a Celeron processor now, but Kwan noted that in the future it will run on Intel's Atom processors, a new family of low-power chips.

The 45-nanometer Atom chips, which were previously code-named Silverthorne and Diamondville, are based on a new microarchitecture and are designed for small devices and simple Internet-centric computers. The new processors are expected later this year.

Kwan said Intel sees the Classmate PCs as part of the company's so-called netbook category of computers, which consist of inexpensive, portable machines with small screens. The netbooks are largely focused on the education market.

Form : http://www.computerworld.com/

Intel bringing Nehalem architecture to laptops

Intel Corp., the world’s forerunning manufacturer of computer processors, has this week confirmed that its new Nehalem chip micro-architecture is in the development pipeline for inclusion in regular consumer laptop hardware, reports eNews 2.0.

However, the appearance of Nehalem in the laptop market will apparently not come to pass until the architecture has first been integrated into business server systems and top-tier performance desktop computers.

Revealed in an official release on the company’s website, Pat Gelsinger, senior VP and GM of Digital Enterprise at Intel, offered that Nehalem technology will see the introduction of between two and eight separate processing cores on a single chip, which will mark a sizeable upward shift from the California-based chipmaker’s present Core 2 duo structuring.

According to Intel, Nehalem is “scalable with future versions having anywhere from 2 to 8 cores, with Simultaneous Multi-threading, resulting in 4 to 16 thread capability,” while the new micro-architecture will also deliver “4 times the memory bandwidth compared to today's highest-performance Intel Xeon processor-based systems.”

Nehalem will also offer users up to 8MB of L3 memory, 731 million transistors, Quickpath interconnects up to 25.6GB per second, an integrated memory controller and optional integrated graphics.

If that’s not enough temptation for laptop fans everywhere, then Intel is also keen to point out support for DDR3-800, 1066 and 1333 memory, SSE4.2 instructions, 32KB instruction cache, 32KB Data Cache, 256K L2 data and instruction low-latency cache per core and a 2-level Transition Lookaside Buffer (TLB) hierarchy.

The long and the short of Intel’s mollifying but well-oiled technical patter is that the rollout of Nehalem, and its eventual introduction into consumer laptop computers, is a mighty good thing that should lead to significant performance improvements across the board -- not to mention the appearance of a host of other computer products based on the capabilities of Intel’s newest architecture.

While exact laptop-related detailing remains somewhat patchy at this stage, an Intel spokesman has said the chipmaker will reveal more at April’s Developer Forum event in Shanghai, while Nehalem-based chips are expected to start appearing on the market before the close of the year.

Form : http://www.thetechherald.com/

Mixed Reviews Of Intel's U.S. Classmate Plans

Intel (NSDQ:INTC) is ready to push the second generation of its low-cost Classmate laptops into the North American market, but industry observers are mixed about the new initiative's likelihood of success.

The Classmate was initially developed as a for-profit, generic Windows PC for schools in developing countries and positioned against the One Laptop Per Child initiative's XO-1 device, a competition that has been marked by no small amount of sniping between advocates on either side.

With this week's announcement that Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel plans to have Classmates in schools and on retail shelves by the end of the year, the device officially becomes part of Intel's new narrative around the mobile PCs it calls "Netbooks." Netbooks, along with the more clumsily monikered "Nettops" are defined by Intel as low-cost Internet-centric computing devices built around the chip maker's recently unveiled Atom brand of low-power processors set to ship in the coming months.

Intel says the success of similar products like the EeePC from Taipei-based computer builder Asus shows that there is a North American market for its Classmates. Mercury Research analyst Dean McCarron agrees.

"There clearly is a market in developed countries for what Intel's calling the Netbook. The EeePC did so well in the fourth quarter, it shows that there's a very present market for the device in the market," said McCarron.

The analyst added that while he projects broad demand for such low-cost mobile devices, distributors and integrators will likely find the quickest path to success with the Classmate in the education space, for which it was initially built.

But Equus Computer Systems' Joe Toste isn't so sure that such a barebones device meets the computing demands of U.S. users, at least not in volume.

"I just don't think the Classmate, as it's currently built, has a play in the U.S. market. I could be wrong," said Toste, VP of marketing at the Minneapolis-based system builder, an Intel OEM partner.

He said the device could be attractive as an introductory computer at the elementary school level, but guessed it wouldn't have much appeal in the part of the education vertical Equus serves.

"We're selling more to secondary schools and colleges. Those guys aren't going to take a toy like that," he said of the Classmate.

Toste's skepticism reflects doubts raised by several industry observers. Beyond the computing limitations of the low-cost device, the Classmate is clearly packaged to attract young users. Intel, for its part, hasn't said whether it will redesign the look of its North American Classmates to appeal to older buyers.

Form : http://www.crn.com/

Nikon Gets Intel's Preferred Quality Supplier Award

Nikon has been named a recipient of Intel Corp.'s 2007 Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) award for outstanding performance in providing products and services deemed essential to Intel's success.

The company was awarded for its efforts supplying Intel with lithography scanners for TD and HVM. Nikon Corp. and 34 additional PQS award winners were honored at a celebration in Burlingame, California on March 18.

"Nikon Corporation is delighted to be recognized by Intel as a Preferred Quality Supplier, which we believe reflects our commitment to continuous support of Intel's technology needs, flawless ramp support, and systematic improvements in equipment availability. This is a credit to our worldwide Nikon team who contributed to this achievement and Intel people who helped our team," said Ushida, president, Precision Equipment Company.

"Intel congratulates Nikon on achieving the Preferred Quality Supplier Award in 2007," said Janice Golda, director of Lithography Capital Equipment Development, Intel Corp. "Nikon has provided excellent support to Intel to integrate new lithography technology, smoothly ramp new factories, proactively support equipment reuse, and flexibility in adapting to our dynamic needs. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship as we jointly address future lithography challenges."

The PQS awards are part of Intel's Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) process that encourages suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for PQS status, suppliers must score 80 percent on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and responsiveness goals. Suppliers must also manage and deliver on a challenging improvement plan and a quality systems assessment.

Form : http://www.tradingmarkets.com/