God of War 3 review (Picture & Trailer)

When God of War arrived on the PS2 in 2005, it changed 3D action games forever and became one of the most highly acclaimed titles on the console. The gory action, brilliant presentation and sex mini-games made God of War and its sequels a must have on the PS2 and PSP. Naturally, we were all excited to see the first HD avatar come to life on the PS3. Well, the wait is over now and GOW 3 is a reality with the first batch of screenshots out. As expected, they look stunning. The game adds a lot more to the tried and tested GOW formula and does so at 1080p glory.



The first thing you should do is start streaming the video below, and witnesses the glorious visuals. This is running real-time on the PS3 and isn't a pre rendered trailer. The video showcases some major changes in the gameplay, which includes hooking onto enemies and wall running.





Let's get into the details:

True HD: The game looks really good, and I guess most of you will agree with me. Kratos on the PS2 was made up of approximately 4000 polygons, this time he is made up of 20,000. According to a Sony exec, you couldn't even load the new Kratos on the PS2, forget slicing and dicing enemies.



Scale: The game is huge in terms of scale. I am talking about more enemies on screen (15 in the last game, this time around about 50!). Not only do you fight against Cyclops's and Centaurs, but you also get to control them. You see when fighting against a horde of 50 enemies, Kratos can use a little help and what better than a one-eyed brute.




Titan Combat: In simple words, you can control humongous Titans and fight against other titans, enough said.

Smarter AI: The game will put you against 50 enemies at a time, which is kind of unfair. What's worse is that once a commander steps into the field, the usually dumb AI will act smarter and attack as per his command. This leads to a very exciting proposition, wherein your primary objective is to kill an enemy commander first, so as to dumb down the AI.



Weapon Switch: The game will boast of some really cool weapons and each will be as exciting and intense as the Blades of Chaos. The coolest aspect is the instant weapon switch, so you can start a blades combo and end it with Cestus (those shiny lion-head gloves).




New Moves: Kratos can now grab enemies and rush through a large horde, using the enemy unit as a battering ram. You can also hook onto enemies and pull yourself closer to deal damage.



The game looks really promising. It's still months away from release, but what I have seen till now is good enough to make me want it real bad. This is the epic finale and the last in the series, and its shaping up very good. Enjoy the video, savor the screens and keep watching this space for more info.

via techtree

Mozilla Says iPhone Jailbreaking is Legal

Mozilla is now actively backing a movement that, if successful, would essentially nullify copyright infringement charges against individuals that ‘jailbreak’ their Apple iPhones – a practice that Apple considers illegal.

Mozilla, the makers of the widely popular open source browser project Firefox, said in comments submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office that it supports the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in its request for an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The EFF wants the Copyright Office to let users ‘jailbreak’ their iPhones without fear of copyright infringement issues.

Apple naturally opposes this request claiming that the act of ‘jailbreaking’ an Apple iPhone is in direction violation of copyright laws which protect its software.

More

6 ways that an iPod is not an iPhone (and vice versa)

1. iPods have no cameras

2. 1G iPods have no speakers or microphones

3. iPhones have an external volume rocker

4. Some iPods are fast. Some are slow

5. iPhones get phone calls. iPods don't

6. iPhones have less free memory

More at arstechnica

Study: Most Free iPhone Apps Have One-Night Stands

An analytics company recently conducted a study that found most free iPhone apps are rarely used after the first day they're downloaded.

In fact, only 20 percent of users use free apps again after the first day they're downloaded, according to Pinch Media, who based its analysis on trends seen in 30 million downloads. And within a month, most users stop using the app altogether.

The problem for developers? Advertising revenue. Advertisers shell out cash not just based on the number of downloads, but also how often each app is used. In other words, if you're hoping to make it big like iShoot developer Ethan Nicholas, just know it's extremely difficult to rake in money with a free iPhone app given the quick drop-off.

I can certainly vouch for the analysis. I'm especially picky about what stays on my iPhone springboard, and I'd say I delete about 90 percent of free apps a day after I download them. What are your thoughts?

Via blog.wired

New U2 album makes early P2P debut

Some bands welcome the exposure that P2P file sharing gives their music. U2 is not one of those bands. They recently announced plans to release just one single from their upcoming album, "No Line On The Horizon" as a free download. Before they were ready to do that it seems the entire album has made it way onto P2P networks.

It apparently started with an Australian online music store putting the tracks up for sale early. Someone at the store, GetMusic, noticed and it was removed, but not before several people had managed to buy it. As you would expect torrents quickly appeared on trackers like The Pirate Bay.

This isn't the first time a U2 album has been available via P2P before its official release. In 2004 "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" appeared on the internet more than two weeks ahead of its official debut. The new album isn't slated for release until March 2.

Perhaps their management will see this as another opportunity to call out ISPs, for not spying on their customers.



Via afterdawn

Night Vision Shows the Unseen iPhone

iPhone under Night Vision from Flunky Carter on Vimeo.


Cult reader Flunky Carter shares this interesting survey of his iPhone shot using a webcam’s Night Vision.

Small cracks and stress fractures he says are not visible to the naked eye under normal lighting conditions show Apple’s mobile device takes significant wear and tear in the real world.

cultofmac

Skype integration headed to Nokia, Ericsson phones

Today at the Mobile World Congress, Skype, Ericsson and Nokia have announced that they will enter into a partnership that will place the Skype software on a few Nokia and Ericsson smartphones.

The first Nokia handsets to to have Skype integrated will be N-Series smartphones, and the upcoming N97 will be the first handset to have it when it launches in June.

According to Electronista, "the software for Nokia handsets will allow N97 owners to make and receive free Skype-to-Skype voice calls over Internet hotspots or their 3G data connections. They will havethe ability to make low-cost Skype calls to landlines and mobile devices. Users will also be able to see which of their Skype contacts are online and instantly message them."

Owners of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 will be able to download the Skype software next month for free, added the company.

The VoIP company has been striking deals recently, bringing Skype integration to Android-based phones and noting that integration may hit the iPhone soon as well.


Via: afterdawn