Lonelygirl15 Creators Launch Social Entertainment Company

The group behind Lonelygirl15 -- a fictitious video blog that drew millions of viewers who bought into the story -- announced a "social entertainment" production company.

Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried announced through a blog that they received venture capital funding to produce shows that spawn Internet communities and online interaction. The company, Eqal, is said to have drawn $5 million in Series A venture funding through Spark Capital, according to an article in The Washington Post. Investors include Ron Conway and Marc Andreessen.

Eqal said it wants to create new forms of entertainment and interactive shows.

"There are a slew of independent producers, digital studios, and social media companies sprouting up, not to mention the fact that traditional media isn't exactly ignoring this whole 'internets' thing," the pair explained in their blog. "We've always wanted to stay independent and produce interactive shows that we could put our hearts and souls into, and sometime last fall we realized that raising money would give us the ability to remain independent and produce amazing shows on our terms."

They credited Internet fans, including those who boosted Lonelygirl15's popularity on MySpace and YouTube, with helping form a community around their fictitious character, Bree. Fans' obsession with figuring the show out helped the creators make a name for themselves. Fans began to suspect that Bree wasn't real, and their investigation created the buzz that landed Lonelygirl15 in mainstream media outlets like The New York Times.

They are banking on more community support as they prepare for a new online video announcement next week.

Form : http://www.informationweek.com/

Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360, PS3

Grand Theft Auto IV, developed by Rockstar Games, will be released on April 29 for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PS3 video game consoles.

Grand Theft Auto IV begins with Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, hopes to escape his past. His cousin, Roman, enters the scene as together they explore fortune in Liberty City. They are soon dragged into a criminal underworld after they slip into debt by a series of shysters and thieves.

By: Mary Couchman
Apr 19, 2008, 10:24 PM EDT

Rockstar Games announced on Friday that Grand Theft Auto IV, published by Take-Two Interactive, has gone into mass production, and it promises a week opener of more than 6 million copies in North America.

Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to be on store shelves on April 29 for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PS3 videogame consoles.

Take-Two CEO Ben Feder said the game is "in production and in trucks en route to retailers." The company is predicting large numbers for GTA IV, as much as $400 million, during its first week of sales.

GTA IV begins with Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, hopes to escape his past. His cousin, Roman, enters the scene as together they explore fortune in Liberty City.

They are soon dragged into a criminal underworld after they slip into debt by a series of shysters and thieves. The two soon discover that reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.

The game is Rated "M" for Mature on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Form : http://www.newsoxy.com/

Eee PC Coming Up In U.S. Stores On May 12

ASUS confirmed on Friday a U.S. launch date for its Eee PC 900 as well as a price for the lightweight and ultra compact notebook: starting May 12, Eee PC will become available throughout the U.S. and will have a retail price of $549.

Whether consumers prefer Microsoft’s Windows XP or Linux, ASUS said it will accommodate to their demands for the same price. However, the Linux version will benefit from a 4GB SSD and an extra 16 GB internal flash memory, adding up to a total of 20 GB, while the Windows module will have an 8GB internal flash module, due to licensing fees, which adds to a total of 12 GB of storage.

ASUS spokesman Charlton Ho explained the difference to Computer World: “Cost would be one of the reasons, but not the main one,” he said, adding: “Also, [the] Linux version is our main Eee PC model with our unique interface, so the consumer not only can get the great and easy-to-use interface on the Linux version but extra storage space.”

With that being said, Jonathan Tsang, Vice Chairman of ASUS, said last month: “The Eee PC has been a tremendous success since our initial launch in October last year, and feedback gathered from consumers have aided us in providing even greater enhancements with our new range of Eee PCs. With the new Windows-based offerings, a greater amount of work ease is expected through full compatibility with Windows applications, while Windows Live and Microsoft Works features will certainly add to greater online interaction and work efficiency."

ASUS’ Eee PC will feature an 8.9-in 1024x600 display, with 1 GB of DDR2 memory , an 1.3 MP webcam and a multi-touch trackpad, as well as 3 USB 2.0 ports and an Intel Celeron-M processor at 630 or 900 MHz, and it will rival Apple’s MacBook Air or HP’s Mini-Note PC.

Form : http://www.efluxmedia.com

Buying guide: how to buy a low-cost subnotebook

Not long ago I was looking to buy a subnotebook computer, and there
really wasn’t much of a choice unless I willing to spend at least a
couple of thousand dollars. Then, with the arrival of the sub $500 Asus
EeePC, the game changed completely.

I bought an EeePC as soon as I saw it in my local office supplies store, and I have to say, it’s one of the most useful and clever IT products
I’ve ever purchased. That was just a few months ago, and now a number
of companies - including Everex and HP - have jumped onto the low-cost
subnotebook bandwagon. There’s also a new EeePC,
the 900, coming out, in May. So how do you decide on which model is
right for you? Following are the key features to look for. There’s also
a table at the bottom of this post where you can compared the key
features of the Everex Cloudbook, Everex Cloudbook Max, Asus EeePC,
Asus EeePC 900 and HP Mini 2133.

Screen size: These low cost subnotebooks feature
screen sizes of 7″ or 8.9″. Obviously this is smaller than the standard
15″ notebook screen, but the point of a subnotebook is maximum
portability. I’ve had no problems working with a 7″ screen when I’m out
and about, though the small screen size does make working on large
spreadsheets a little problematic. As long as you have realistic
expectations, you won’t have a problem, ie don’t expect to use one of
these subnotebook computers as your main computer.

Keyboard: If you’re going to be doing a lot of
typing, make a point of trying out the keyboard of the model you intend
purchasing, before you buy it. If you have large fingers you may have
problems with some of the keyboards (the EeePC’s keyboard is 83% of
normal size). As someone who’s managed to use a Jornada 680, I had no problem adjusting to the keyboard of the EeePC, but I can imagine that others might have problems.

Operating system: In order to minimise costs, and
maximise features, some models come with loaded Linux. For me this has
been fine. I’ve never used Linux, and never been a particular fan, but
in the case of the EeePC, I’ve had no problems adjusting to the graphic user interface,
and I’ve found the accompanying office suite, Open Office, to be
excellent. However, if you have a particular platform-specific piece of
software you want to run, you’ll obviously need to go for a model with
an appropriate operating system installed (you don’t want the hassle of
installing a different operating system, trust me, though it can be done).

Processor and memory: We’re talking about low-cost
computers, so there do have to be compromises somewhere. Compared to
regular notebooks, these low-cost subnotebooks feature slower processes
and less memory. Again, it comes down to expectations. These machines
are designed for maximum portability at a low or reasonable price, so
you can’t really expect them to run the latest games and processing
intensive 3D rendering packages. Having said all that, my relatively
low power EeePC has no problems playing back video files and accessing
online multimedia content.

Storage: The EeePC is most challenged when it comes
to storage, with the cheapest model coming with just 2GB of flash
storage. If you’re needing to store a lot of data, obviously 2GB is
rather restrictive, though with the use of USB memory, it’s not such a
problem (for example you can easily play video files from a USB memory
stick). Still, if you do need to carry a lot of data around with you,
you’re going to be better off with a model that comes with more storage.

Battery time: Since the whole point of these
products is to provide portability, how long the battery lasts between
recharges is crucial, especially if you’re planning to use the

Here’s an overview of the key specifications of the key low-cost subnotebooks currently available or proposed:

Continues : http://buy.blorge.com/