New App Centre from Facebook to launch soon

Facebook is about three things.One,staying in touch with your friends and family,two,playing games and browsing millions of apps,three, stalking your ex if she hasn't block you.

Up till now, the games and apps that you were exposed to came from the Facebook ''wall'' and were the games your friends were playing.So,to put it simply,you found out a new app once your friends have played it and posted their scores and achievements.

The new Facebook App Centre will have all the apps available for the social networking site under one roof,but it isn't competing with the big guns like the Apple's App Store and Google Play Store.It's more like a central location housing all the apps.The apps that will be visible to you however will still be based on the same mechanics as they are now,i.e.,the apps that are most relevant to you or the apps that are being played by your friends will be highlighted on top.

''Success through the App Centre is tied to the quality of the app,'' wrote Facebook employee Aaron Brady in a Blog post.''We use a variety of signals such as user ratings and engagement,to determine if the app is listed in the App Centre.'' he added.

Zdnet in its report says users can access App Centre on the web as well as in the native Android and iOS Facebook apps.It further says the URL for the App Centre will be facebook.com/appcentre ,which right now takes you to a ''The page you have requested was not found'' error page.The report also features a screenshot of the Facebook App Centre page.

This new App Centre will be a new way for developers to earn money.Till now the developers made money only through in-app purchases.But with the new App Centre, developers will have a chance to offer paid apps to the customers.

This is a win-win situation for both, the developers and the consumers.Consumers will have the access to the new app store and have the potential to interact with numerous more apps.The developers will have a wider scope to monetize their offerings.

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Report:$200, 7-inch iPad Mini Coming in October

Rumors are heating up that Apple is readying a smaller version of the iPad for release later this year.

The website iMore on Thursday claimed to have a ''reliable'' source who said Apple is planning to release a smaller version of its coveted tablet in October for $200 to $250.The Cupertino tech giant is looking to price it so-called iPad Mini aggressively ''to leave absolutely no space for competitors,'' the    site reported.

The iPad Mini will be 7-inches and identical in every other way to the current 9.7 inch iPad.It is even expected to sport a 2048-by-1536 resolution display, just like the new iPad.

Cupertino is said to be keeping costs down on the mini tablet by giving it less storage capacity than it's larger counterpart.The $200 iPad Mini will provide 8GB storage,just like the base iPod Touch, which also sells for currently $200.The current entry-level iPad model comes with 16GB storage.

And to get your head spinning even more, a separate report this week indicates that the iPad Mini is coming even sooner than October.Taiwan-based news organization Digitimes reported that a 7-inch iPad will be released in August, while a new version of the iPhone will launch in this September.According to Digitimes the 7-inch iPad is being manufactured by Foxconn.

Evidence that Apple is planning to launch a smaller version of the iPad has been mounting for months.The rumors first surfaced back in December, with reports that Apple has purchased 7.85-inch panels.

If Apple goes forward with the rumored plans, the scaled-down tablet would likely be a hit with consumers ,a recent survey from PriceGrabber indicates.In the survey of 2,603 U.S online shopping consumers, conducted in late April, 52 percent of respondents said they would consider buying a so-called iPad-Mini.

Source:www.pcmag.com

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The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing due in Q4

NeoCore games has announced it is developing a new action RPG for the PC and XBLA, called The Incredible Adventures of Van Hesing, where the famous vampire hunter's son is the protagonist, trying to fill his fathers shoes.

Van Helsing junior will journey to Borgovia in Eastern Europe assisting ''super natural foes'' against a new ''scoorge'' terrorizing the city, and face off against demons and other members of the villainous hordes famous in common vampire lore.It is based loosely on Bram Stroker's seminal work, Dracula, and apparently will be full of ''wry humor and snappy dialogue''

The concept art of the action-RPG game has been unveiled, showcasing some of the monsters, and interesting steampunk technology. Viktor Juhasz ,lead writer of Neocore games, (best known for King Arthur-The Role playing war game) spoke about how his team's familiarity with the settings will be an added plus: ''Being located in Eastern Europe and having experience developing RPG's, Van Helsing is a natural fit for us; It's a project where we can demonstrate our expertise in both domains and create something novel that RPG fans can appreciate.We've always enjoyed crafting games from legendary tales, but with our own twist, and Van Helsing provide us the perfect game world to experiment with.''

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing has been given a tentative release date of sometime in the fourth quarter of 2012, and should have some preview material for us at E3 before then.

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Kalypso and Realmforge announce Dark for Xbox 360 and PC

Kalypso media and Realmforge Studios have announced a new futuristic third-person stealth-action game, called Dark, scheduled to hit Xbox 360 and PC in early 2013.

Realmforge Studios is best known for it's two Dungeons game, top down dungeon crawlers with a high degree of player and map customization, as well as interesting multiplayer gameplay, introducing Dark in a press release, Kalypso Media said:

''Dark is a stealth-action game with RPG elements that lets you slip into the role of the ultimate killer...a vampire.Stalk your enemies from shadows, then use powerful vampire abilities to attack and silently dispatch them!The exciting story of Dark immerses you in a world full of blood and darkness which the hunter can become the hunted at any time.As you unravel the mystery behind the global conglomerate that seems omnipresent and all-powerful, continually improve.Your character by developing powerful skills to aid you in reminding unobserved, or make quick process or those unfortunate to take too keen an interest in you.''

Players will face off against the evil GeoForge corporation in a cel-shaded world ,combining stealth and melee action elements, while advancing the storyline like an RPG. 

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Microsoft's Bing Gets Major Facelift with Deeper FaceBook Integration

Microsoft has announced a major face-lift for its Bing search engine being more ''personalized search results'' using data from social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.Microsoft is going to integrate a new sidebar that will allow friends on social networks to guide on a search.Bing is also getting an instant snapshot column, which features additional information and links to useful contents such as maps, reviews and reservation tools.

According to Derrick Connell, corporate vice president of Bing, the update will roll out in the next few weeks.Users will be receiving a notification after signing at the Bing site.''Increasingly the web is about much more than simply finding information by navigating a topically organized graph of links'',says Qui Lu ,president of Microsoft's Online Service Division.''We are evolving search in a way that recognizes new user paradigms like the growth of the social graph, and will empower people with the broad knowledge of the Web alongside the help of their friends.''

The new Bing is at test now at www.bing.com/new and is available by registration.The new Bing has three sections,the leftmost pane carries the main search results, the middle page known as ''Snap Shot'' has links to useful content turning a search result into directions, the rightmost pane has been integrated with the social media.

The right side bar has ''Ask Friends'' to seek advise from friends on social networks ,''friends who might know'' to link search with interest of known friends, and ''people who know'' to display results from social networking sites.The sidebar also has an activity feed,letting users interact with their social networks without leaving the Bing page.

The forthcoming Bing update is considered to be Microsoft's another attempt at leveraging it's partnership with Facebook in a bid to challenge Google's dominance in search segment.Google recently integrated social media into its search with Search Plus Your World, which mainly has Google+ content such as photos ,profiles, and posts that are relevant to your keyword.Google however drew flak for not integrating Facebook and Twitter results.

Source:www.thinkdigit.com

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Apple new iPad may get Multi-user Support

The iPad is the most monogamist relationship you can ever have with any device.It syncs with just one Apple account and using a friend's Apple ID to install apps is a messy affair.But all that just may change in the future.Apple insider has reported that Apple is aware of the lack of multi-user support on the iPad as a 'known issue' and it is 'being investigated'.

The Cupertino giant is aware of the request for multi user support that is coming in from developers and their engineers are looking into the matter.The official response form the Apple Developer Connection's Worldwide Developers team to the developer's concern about multi user support says, ''After further investigation it has been determined that this is a known issue ,which is currently being investigated by engineering''.

Multi user support isn't a new concept for Apple.The company has been looking into the matter since the launch of the first generation iPad way back in 2010.

Whether or not the iPad will support multiple users remains to be seen.Apple's annual Developer Conference (WWDC) will take place from June 11th to June 15th and we expect the big A to make quite a few announcements here.For starters we will see more details of their new OS Mountain Lion and hopefully some early preview of iOS 6 and maybe the new iPhone.Maybe we will see multi user support make an appearance in the new OS?

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Samsung Galaxy Note Gets Android 4.0 ICS Update

Samsung has finally begun rolling out the long-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwitch for its Galaxy Note smartphone.The ICS update is being released Over-the-Air for Galaxy Note users.So far there is no official confirmation from Samsung; therefore ,the roll-out schedule is sketchy.

The last ICS update , officially dubbed as the ''Premium Suite'' ,brings a hosts of new features for the Galaxy Note users such as the TouchWiz user interface.The near-320 MB update also includes new S Note app including as advanced note taking feature.The update brings My Story feature that lets you make digital card for your friends.The new Video Everywhere feature allows users to play video anywhere on the screen, while rest of the screen can be used for any other purpose.S Memo has also been upgraded allowing users to record their ideas direct from the homescreen.

The update was first noted by Netherlands-based Note owner Devin Balentina ,who has also posted image of the Android 4.0 update for Galaxy Note on Twitter.

The ICS update for the Galaxy Note was officially announced by Samsung for the first quarter of 2012,however the release was then pushed to the second quarter.The Galaxy Note is Samsung's Note cum Tablet , popularly known as phablet.The device features an HD Super AMOLED  5.3 inch display ,8 MP camera ,2 MP front facing camera and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Dual-Core processor

Source:www.thinkdigit.com

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Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 Launched in India-Rs.29,999

Nvidia yesterday launched the third GPU-based on its next generation Kepler graphics architecture.the GeForce GTX 670,which brings dramatically improved levels of price-performance,power efficiency and whisper-quiet operation for PC gamers.

Engineered form the same DNA as the recently announced GTX 680-Nvidia's top-of-the-line single GPU -the GTX 670 packs a mean punch in its lithe 9.5-inch long frame.It,according to Nvidia,outpaces the closest competitive product in gaming performance by upward of 45 percent, while consuming approximately 18 percent less power.

Plus,according to Nvidia,the GeForce GTX 670 ties the competition's much higher-priced flagship production in 25 of the worlds most popular games and benchmarks, a testament to the overall performance efficiency of the Kepler architecture.

The GTX 670 is built using Nvidia's 28-nano-meter Kepler architecture, as are the GTX 680 and the dual-GPU GTX 690 ,which were introduced in March and April respectively.

India Availability 
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 GPU is available now from ASUS,MSI, Palit and ZOTAC in India for INR 29,999, inclusive of all taxes.More information about the product is available form www.GeForce.com

Source:www.thinkdigit.com

  

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Google+ iPhone app gets a facelift,Android Update on it's way

Google has released an updated version of its Google+ iPhone app,days after the social networking site received a major facelift.

Google says the update brings better fonts,full-bleed photos and videos and more and more intuitive home screen.The updated version of the Google+ iPhone app is said to be easier to navigate and visually more appealing.

''To be clear,we are not interested in a mobile or social experience that is just smaller '', Vic Gundotra,senior vice president of Google's social business, wrote in a Blog post.''We're embracing the sensor rich smartphone (with its touchable screen and high-density display) and transforming Google+ into something more intimate, and more expressive.Today's new iPhone app is an important step in this direction- toward a simpler,more beautiful Google.''

Apart from making the app visually more attractive,Google has also paid attention to the fun and performance parts.The ''+1'' button has been shifted to the top of streams ,helping users to recommend posts much more ease.

Google will soon be rolling out an updated version of the Google+ Android app.According to Gundotra,the updated version of the Android app will feature a few ''more additional surprise''.

Last month,Google updated Google+ ,giving a major facelift and incorporating a number of new features such as new Explore and Profile pages.The updated Google+ features static icons,and a dynamic ribbon,which can be used to bookmark and manage applications,perform quick-actions ,and more.  

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BlackBerry Curve 9320-3G Enabled-To arrive in June-Detailed Review and Specs

RIM has announced their new smartphone-the BlackBerry Curve 9320,an entry level smartphone with 3G capability along with BlackBerry OS 7.1, which according to the latest reports, is expected to arrive this June.Pricing is as of yet unknown,bu it is expected to be between Rs.12,000 - Rs.13,000, looking at where it would fit in the BlackBerry lineup.

The BlackBerry Curve 9320,first spotted in early March ,is essentially the 3G variant (7.2 Mbps down and 5.76 Mbps up) of the recently launched Curve 9220,an shares most of its features, apart from the larger 3.15 MP camera (compared to the 2MP in the 9220) with flash and image stabilization ,as well as the GPS connectivity sorely-lacking in the 9220.

Common specifications include a 2.44 inch 320 x 240 pixel display, 512 MB of RAM, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity,stereo FM radio , 512 MB ROM, micorSD card slot support up to 32 GB and a 1450 mAh battery which is rated to deliver up to 7 hrs of talktime, and 30 hours of continuous FM radio playback.The Curve 9320 should also arrive on the same range of colours as the 9220.

Of course ,like the Curve 9220,the new 9320 will come with the new dedicated BBM button,for one-click access to the platform's many integrated features.RIM has also added Parental Controls , allowing for feature and app access restrictions in BBOS 7.1.When introducing the smartphone, Carlo Chiarello, EVP of RIM's Smartphone Business Division ,said:

 ''The new BlackBerry 9320 is designed to make it easy for users to stay socially-connected.The new BlackBerry Curve 9320 will be especially popular with customers upgrading to a smartphone for the first time and existing Curve customers looking for a step-up in speed and functionality.''

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Fujifilm FinePix XP170-Water Proof and Shock Proof 14 MP Camera-Detailed Review and Price in USA

Seems to be a good time for rugged camera.Hot on the heel of Olympus,Fuji has outed their FinePix Xp170,a 14 MP shooter available in blue and orange outfit.

The XP170 can withstand drops from height of 6.5 feet,while  scoffing off water depths upto 32 feet.Even freezing temperature of -10 degree Celsius are not enough to impact the performance of the camera.

An impressive feature that Fuji has managed to pack into the  XP170 is that the camera can wirelessly transmit photos from the memory card onto an iOS or Android device.All that is required to initiate the  transfer successfully is the Fujifilm Photo Receiver app to be installed on the device to which the photos are being transferred.

The back-illuminated 14 MP sensor is sensitive up to ISO 3200 and also features a sensor-shift stabilization system.With regards to quality,the FinePix  XP170 can record full HD video,even underwater,with sound!Also featuring in the  XP170 is the 360 degree Panoramic Mode that works both in landscape and portrait orientation.All this is made possible thanks to the Fujinon lens that has a 5x optical zoom and an aperture angle of f/3.5 - f/8.

The Fuji FinePix  XP170 will go on sale for $279.99 in the US.

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Fujitsu Lifebook Laptop series-Starting at Rs.21,995-Detailed review of all ones

Fujitsu has launched ten new laptops in India,with configurations that has been designed to meet the needs of a small and medium enterprise customers.For now,five of the ten introduced models have been launched in the country,starting at a price of Rs.21,995,exclusive of all taxes.

All the new Fujitsu LifeBook laptops run on second-generation Intel Core processors,with options for Intlel i3, i5 and  i7 ,depending on the model.

The first of the five,the Fujitsu LifeBook LH531,is called the ''All Rounder'' by the company.It features a 14-inch anti-glare 1366 x 768 pixel LED backlit display ,a weight of 2.2 Kg,a 1.3 MP HD webcam,optional Blu-Ray disc-drive and anytime USB charge.

Fujitsu LifeBook LH531

The Fujitsu LifeBook SH531 is called the ''Compact Companion'' by the company and features a 13.3 inch display and a weight of 1.9 Kg.Apart from WLAN connectivity,it allows an external UMTS solution ,using it's 34 mm ExpressCard slot.

The Fujitsu LifeBook AH531 is called ''The Workhorse'' by the company and features a 15.6-inch anti-glare 1366 x 768 pixel LCD display,as well as WLAN,Bluetooth and embedded 3G/UMTS connectivity.

The Fujitsu LifeBook A531 is called ''The Essential Partner'' by the company and features a 15.6 inch anti glare 1366 x 768 pixels LCD display,WLAN,Bluetooth and 3G/UMTS connectivity,as well as a spill resistant keyboard with a numeric pad and Anytime USB charge functionality.

The Fujitsu LifeBook E751 is called ''The Mobile Top Performer'' by the company,and features a 15.6-inch display,a modular bay for easy battery and memory upgradation,and advanced security features.

Speaking on the occasion ,Mr.Alok Sharma ,Country Manager, Workplace Systems for Fujitsu India said:

''The broad Fujitsu LifeBook portfolio offers a range of entry-level and more powerful,individual solutions for growing organizations.Every Fujitsu LifeBook delivers highest reliability ,driven by a unique combination of German precision engineering and Japanese quality,supported by 30-years of experience.This unbeatable combination is now available at a very affordable price-points,ex-stock in India.''  

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Kobian iXA Tab launched in India-Rs.3,999

The Indian market is flooding with budget tablets these days.Last month we saw quite a few budget tablets such as Micromax Funbook,HCL ME Tab U1,UbiSlate 7C and others launching in India.The latest entrant into the budget tablet race is Kobian ,which has launched an Android-based budget tablet called iXA  Tab.The device,priced at Rs.3,999 will be available for pre-order from May 23.

The iXA Tab runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and is powered by a 1 GHz processor.The new Kobian device comes with a 512 MB RAM and has 4GB built-in storage,which can be expandable up to 32 GB via microSD card.The tab comes with a 7-inch touch screen.The iXA Tab supports WiFi for internet connectivity.It also has a 0.3 MP camera.

Moreover the iXA Tab supports a wide range of audio formats such as mp3,wav,wma,aac etc.It also supports video formats such as avi, mp4, mov , 3GP and many other.

Sushmita Das,Country Manager-India,Kobian Pte LTD says, ''We have has immense success with mTab range ,the launch of iXA Tab is for our young students and generation who would want to have the ownership of a tablet.They are now able to get all the features bundled in one product with a very attractive price tag.Since it is based on Android Gingerbread OS,users have the access to all the Google applications and can have the ultimate experience.If one can get the tablet at the price of a mobile phone,then why not grab it''.

It's notable that the iXA Tab is a limited edition product from Kobian. Availability of the product will be announced on the day booking starts.

Kobian has forayed into the Indian market last year with the launch of it's Mercury series.Since then it has launched quite a few Mercury tablets including one with the latest Android ICS OS.Last month,Kobian launched Android ICS based Mercury mTab Neoz tablet.The Mercury mTab Neoz is powered by 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 Dual-Core processor along with 512 MB of RAM.It has a 7 inch (16:9) capacitive touch screen.Notably it comes with SIM calling function like mobile phones and has Bluetooth,WiFi and GPS connectivity.It has both front and rear cameras.

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Samsung Series 7 Slate-XE700T1A Tab PC Full Review

Samsung has launched a new series of Tablets which offer all the features of a PC or a laptop including Intel Core processor,Intel HD Graphics,Windows 7 Operating system,128 GB SSD etc.Wonder if a tab can support all these?Yes,now Samsung has proved that a full featured PC can be made into a tab.Now that's the real 'Tablet PC' out there.It is the new Samsung Series 7 Slate.

On looking,the Slate is a simple tab.We might think it have an Android or Windows Mobile OS with an ARM processor running on 1 GB of RAM.But that's wrong.The new Samsung Series 7 Slate has a Intel Core i5-2467M Dual Core processor which delivers a good 1.6 GHz speed with a 4GB DDR3 RAM.WOW!Well don't wonder why Samsung has done that,because the Slate runs on Windows 7 Home Premium OS which is 64-bit compatible,just like a PC.Whats more,it have Integrated Intel HD graphics 3000 which we see on most of the Ultrabooks around.The tab has a 11.6''(W) x 7.24'' (H) LED backlit display which which delivers an amazing 1366 x 768 pixels of resolution which Samsung calls its Superbright Plus Technology.

On coming to memory and storage,it have 4GB of DDR3 RAM which helps for the smoothest performance ever experienced on a tab.4GB is the maximum size allocated.For storage the Series 7 Slate XE700T1A offers the latest storage technology,the SSD (Solid State Drive) and have a 128 GB SSD (mSATA) storage.

For connectivity the Slate XE700T1A offers WiFi which supports all the 802.11 a/b/g/n radio frequencies,Bluetooth v3.0+HS,WiDi, and an additional wired LAN with docking system.It also has an HDMI port to connect to HD TV's and a USB port.The other features include a headphone out port (headphone/mic combo),MicroSD card Slot, and has a docking station connector where you can connect your Bluetooth Keyboard which comes with the device.The touch screen is a multi touch one which supports 10-finger sensing.

After seeing all these specs,you may be wondering how the battery can hold all of these specs.Well,don't worry,the Series 7 Slate XE700T1A comes with a 5520 mAh ,40W,4 Cell Li-Polymer battery which gives you the maximum battery life.Also it comes with a 40W AC adapter,so that you can connect and use while you are at home or any other suitable places.

With all these specs the Samsung Series 7 Slate XE700T1A weighs only 1.98 pounds.Currently the tab comes with only black colour option with a 1 year warranty.

Price:$1,349.99
 Source:Samsung Official Website

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Assassin's Creed 3 Coming to PC,PS3 &Xbox 360-Releasing in October

For the past couple of years,Ubisoft has given us the pleasure for being the part of some of the best historic locations through their Assassin's Creed Franchise.With the end of Assassin's Creed Revelations,we saw the Saga of Ezi oAuditore da Firenze and Altair Ibn-La'A has come to an end.

Throughout the four games in the series,Assassin's Creed,Assassin's Crees 2,Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed Revelations-we have visited a variety of locations such as Rome,Firenze and Constantinople to name a few.The Assassin's Creed Franchise has been famous for taking actual historic events and locations and adapting it to suite the game story.

Ubisoft has now confirmed that Assassin's Creed 3 will launch for the PC,PS3 and Xbox 360 in October 2012.If you visit the official website,their is a timer counting down to ''a big reveal''.

From the images we have been unveiled by Gameinformer,it is clear that the game is going to take a dramatic shift in location.

The lead protagonist (still unknown) is seen wearing an Assassin outfit heavily influenced by the Native American culture.In the images he is seen with a quiver full of arrows and a bow on his back along with a gun in one hand and an axe in the other.It is believed that the story of the game will take place during the 18th century (1777) during the American Revolution.Ubisoft has also released the box art for this forthcoming title.

Source: Gameinformer

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Apple patent reveals possible 7th generation iPod Nano Touch with Environmental Sensors and Camera

A patent filed over the U.S Patent Office has revealed Apple's latest design innovation,which will hopefully see the light of production.The patent features images looks like the next or,the 7th generation of the iPod Nano,with some new functionalities that will turn that minute wonder into something more versatile.

From what the patent says,the iPod Nano 7 will have a camera onboard,as well as other new sensors,such as a motion sensor,a microphone,and a temperature gauge.All this for added ''functionality''.How these would be useful on a tiny media player is a little questionable,but the combination might just yield some sort of new interface that combines them all in interesting ways.For now,a screen saver that adapts to the environment -such as orientation,temperature ,sound-to deliver a sound/active ''Chameleon-like screen saver'' experience,is an example application to the patent.

Nothing has been conformed so far,and no one can be sure if any of Apple's many recent patents will make it into the market place in the near future.A new interface seems to be the common theme of most of these patents,though and you can expect it to go beyond just rudimentary gesture controls for sure.The patent in question was filed in 2009,nearly a year before the 6th generation iPod Nano hit the shelves,so it is a little strange we haven't seen it in the market yet,considering Apple's not too slow development cycle. 

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Apple updates iOS to Version 5.1.1-iPad,iPhone and iPod Touch

Apple has released it's updated version iOS version,iOS 5.1.1,for it's iPad,iPhone and iPod Touch devices.The total update file is 750 MB in size.

The updated iOS 5.1.1 comes with various improvements and bug fixes,which includes:

• Improves reliability of using HDR options for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut.
• Addresses new bugs that could prevent the iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks.
• Fixes bug that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances.
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List.
• Fixes an issue where ''Unable to Purchase'' alert could be displayed after successful purchase.

iOS 5.1 users don't need to connect their devices to the computer to update their software.They just need to go to the following path-Settings > General >Software Update.The rest,you can connect your device to your Mac or PC.If you set iTunes to check for updates automatically,then you will be prompted about the new update.If not,then you can plug in your device and hit for the option that says 'Check for Updates'.

iOS 5.1.1 was launched along with the launch of the new iPad.When the iOS 5.1 update was rolled out,it was a good treat as it addressed the following issues:

• Genius Mixes and Genius Playlists for iTunes match subscribers.
• Audio for TV shows and movies on iPad optimized to sound louder and clearer.
• Podcast controls for playback speed and on 30-second rewind for iPad.
• Updated At&T network indicator.
• Addresses bugs affecting battery life.
• Fixes an issue that occasionally caused audio to drop for outgoing calls. 

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Google+ Hangouts on Air Opens to everyone-Share your Videos to everyone!

Google opens up its Hangouts on Air feature to everyone,allowing Google+ users to share their videos with other users in 40 other nations.The Hangouts on Air feature,unveiled September last year,adds another dimension to Google +'s hangout.

With the incorporation of Hangouts on Air,users can now broadcast their videos to a larger web audience in an On Air format.Earlier Google+ users could conduct a video chat with a smaller circle of people.

To start a Hangout on Air broadcast,users need to begin with a normal Hangout and need to choose the option to record the broadcast.Up to nine other can join in the broadcast.During the broadcast users can look inside the hangout to see how many people are watching live.Once finished Google will automatically put the recorded video on the users YouTube channel,along with adding a YouTube link to Google Hangout post in Google+.

''Today we are excited to launch Hangout on Air to Google + users worldwide.So if you have something to say,as an aspiring artist,a global celebrity or a concerned citizen-you can go live in front of a global audience,'' Google said in Blog post.The Hangout in Air is currently only available for desktop,though Hangouts are available for mobile platforms such as Android and iOS.It's notable users cannot use experimental additions such as ''Hangouts with extras'' including screen sharing and a ''sketchpad'' app,with Hangout on Air.

Check out ow the Hangout on Air works in the video below:

Google recently updated its social networking site,giving it a fresh look and adding a number of new features,ranging from a new Explore and Profile pages,to redesigned navigation and Hangout Interface.The new version of the Google+ will roll out globally within few days.

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Cooler Master launches Cosmos 2 Ultra Tower in India-Rs.19,999

Cooler Master has launched the Cosmos 2 Ultra Tower in India ,priced at Rs.19,999 (with 1 year warranty).Supposed to commemorate 20 years of Cooler Master's existence,the Cabinet recently won the Red Dot design 2012 award.

Modelled  on a ''super-cars'' wind-contoured curves,the Cooler Master's Cosmos 2 high grade aluminum chassis is reinforced with steel,air intake-like snap on meshes are placed along the curves,and to complete the car effect,the sides of the cabinet swings open like gullwing doors.

Meant for ''extreme system builders'' the Cosmos 2 cabinet supports an XL-ATX Motherboard form factor.It comes with a 240mm radiator in place of the bottom-most hard drive.Cooler Master says there is plenty of space for AIO water coolers.

Nearly 20% bigger than the original Cosmos flagship cabinet,the Cosmos 2 Ultra Tower can fit up to 13 harddrives,with two X-Docks and a separate cooled section that harbours six HDD's.10 expansion slots are available for up to 4-way SLI/Cross Fire setups,as well as an extra slot for CCFL lighting controls,and other PCI extensions.A fan controller and LED light preset button are also accessible ,allowing for on-the-fly changes.

The Cooler Master Cosmos 2 features a large CPU retention hole,and supports a variety of CPU coolers (including LGA2011 and AMD FM1).The cabinet is available ex-stock and is distributed by Acro Engg.Company.  

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Dell Launches XPS 8500 and Vostro 470 Desktops with Intel Ivy Bridge processors in India

New desktop's have been added to Dell India's enterprise desktop lineup,Dell XPS 8500 and Vostro 470,which comes with third generation Intel Core processors.

The new Ivy Bridge Intel processor promise better graphical performance than the previous generation.The Dell XPS 8500,starting at Rs.53,000,comes with a choice of Core i5 3450 or i7-3770 quad-core processors,and is meant to be a multi media capable workstation,apparently available with up to 2 GB dedicated AMD or Nvidia GPUs.It will come with 4GB of RAM,though up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM can be chosen.A 1TB 7,200 HDD is part of the deal,with up to 3TB available.Ultrabook like option for extra fast boot times,will also be available,with a 32 GB Intel SRT SSD,and an additional 256 GB SSD.

The Dell Vostro 470,starting at Rs.44,900,comes with an Intel Core i5 3450 Quad-Core processor ,with Intel HD graphics,and integrated 1 GB Nvidia GPU options listed.A maximum of 8 GB DDR3 1600 RAM is available (4GB standard),though the 4 DIMM slots are capable of using 32 GB .Up to 2TB of 7,200 RPM storage is available.

Both new Dell enterprise desktops will ship with 32-bit Windows 7 Professional SP1,with the choice of XP mode installed.They also feature integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN,Bluetooth 4.0,WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) card,Integrated 7.1 surround sound,USB 3.) and USB 2.0 ports,HDMI,VGA,headphone and microphone jacks,and a 19-in-1 card reader.Both come with 16x DVD-Burners as standard,though optional BluRay Combo drives are also available.Services like Dell ProSupport and DataSafe Online Backup will apparently also be available.

Source:www.thinkdigit.com

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Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook:Rs.79900-Detailed Review and Specs

The XPS 13 mark the first Dell Ultrabook in the market,and it's one that deserves our attention.It has standard innards like most other ultrabook's out there,but where it differ is with it's feature offering and a build and design that's quite noteworthy.If you prefer Dell as a brand and if you had been waiting for them to launch a worthwhile ultrabook,your wait is over.Read on to see the best features and specs of this machine.

Design and build
Just like the Asus ZenBook UX31E,the Dell XPS 13 is yet another ultrabook that steps very close to mimicking the Apple MacBook Air's look and design.The Dell XPS 13 has a plush silver-grey metal screen lid that complements it's dark coloured base.The Dell ultrabook features rounded edge and minimalistic  design to heighten its overall elegance and appeal.It's a premium laptop through and through.It may not be as thin and light as the 11-inch MacBook Air or the Toshiba Portage Z830 which weighs 1.11 Kg,still the Dell XPS 13 is quite thin and its 1.35 Kg frame is very easy to carry around.

Another interesting highlight about the Dell XPS 13 is its petite frame.The ultrabook's dimension,in terms of width and depth,are smaller than a conventional 13.3 inch frame laptop -eg.the MacBook Air or any other 13-inch ultrabook we have reviewed.This gives the Dell XPS 13 the impression of being a 13-inch laptop in a smaller 12 inch frame.It's a noteworthy achievement and Dell's right to make a big deal out of it.The Dell XPS 13 has a Corning Gorilla glass display,not only this,but the XPS 13's bottom panel is made of carbon fibre-even the finishing and textures on the bottom panel feels rich and premium.The combination of metal and carbon fibre lends the Dell XPS 13's frame a degree of robustness that defies its super-slim profile.From its hinge design to the overall finish of the ultrabook,the Dell XPS 13 blends attractive looks and extremely well with dependable built quality which is simply a cut about the rest.

Screen,Keyboard and Touchpad.
The Dell XPS 13 ultrabook's 13-inch screen is glossy and bright in nature,with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution.It has edge-to-edge Gorilla glass layer,but average viewing angles.Having said that,the Dell ultrabooks performance is good whether its watching movies and video clips for personal entertainment and reading text.There is a 1.3 MP webcam groomed into the screen's top bezel which is great for video chats,and Dell also throws in a webcam utility that promises to add a bit of fun to your video chat sessions.

The Dell XPS 13's keyboard is almost similar to the Dell Adamo XPS 13.which had a very good keyboard.Likewise the Dell XPS 13 features wide chiclet-styled backlit keys that are very well laid on and just a treat to type on.All the alphanumeric keys and frequently used keys like Space,Enter,Shift,Alt etc. are accurately placed.Overall we are very impressed with the Dell XPS 13's keyboard,it's as great as any Lenovo ThinkPad laptop launched last year.

Specs and Hardware.
The Dell XPS 13 comes with a powerful hardware feature set that can rival any ultrabook currently available in the market.Like the HP Folio 13,the Dell XPS 13ultrabook has an Intel Core i5 2267M processor which have a speed of 1.6 GHz,4 GB of DDR3 RAM,128 GB SSD,and onboard Intel HD 3000 graphics.This is slightly less extravagent than the Asus ZenBook UX31E ultrabook,which has a faster Intel Core i7 2677M,4 GB of DDR3 RAM,256 GB SSD,and onboard Intel HD 3000 graphics.Be that as it may,the Dell XPS 13 is still more powerful than any other mainstream 14 or 15-inch laptop out there.

Price:Rs.79900/-
Source:www.thinkdigit.com

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HP Envy 14 Spectre Ultrabook-Rs.99,999:Full Review

HP has launched the Envy 14 Spectre ultrabook in India,giving it a maximum retail price of Rs.99,999.The Ultrabook will be on the shelves on this April.

HP first unveiled the Envy Spectre 14,it's first ultrabook,back at CES 2012,and recently brought it's second,the HP Folio 13 Ultrabook,to India as well.

Like other manufacturers,HP claims it has fit a 14 inch display into 13 inch chassis with the Envy 14 Spectre.It weighs in at 1.7 Kgs and has a coating of scratch resistant glass over it's screen,lid and palm rest.

The HP Envy 14 Spectre bears a 14-inch (1600 x 900 pixel) display and runs on Intel Core i5 246M processor coupled with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD (with a choice of a second 128 GB SSD available.)

HP promises a 9 hour battery life for the Envy 14 Spectre,and on the connectivity side,the Ultrabook features USB 3.0,HDMI,Mini Display Port,Gigabit Ethernet,Intel WiDi and wireless audio,as well as NFC.

Bundled software will include a 2 year subscription to Norton Internet Security,and full versions of Adobe Photoshop elements and Premiere Elements.The Envy 14 Spectre also features CoolSense technology ,HP ImagePad for enhanced multi-touch,an an integrated HP TrueVision HD webcam.

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Toshiba Portage Z830 Ultrabook Review and Price

Lay your eyes on the Portage Z830 and you can immediately like this ultrabook to what the Lenovo ThinkPad for the laptop world-matter to fact looks,that may even border on boring for some users.However if the ThinkPad inspiration goes anywhere beyond the looks,this could be one solid ultrabook.

Look and Feel
True ultrabook form factor-lying on the desk,it won't be a surprise if the notepad sitting next to it may be thicker.And it isn't a surprise that this magnesium alloy chassis draped is by far the lightest ultrabook we have tested so far.Call it finding a niche amidst a niche.Port placement lean toward being inconvenient,since all expect one USB port,are on the rear panel.The idea seems to have been to keep the sides as clean and slim as possible,and utilize the usually thicker area where the display hinge sits to place the ports.Acceptable logic,and probably it is just about getting used to this placement.In fact,my very first laptop,back in the early 1999,had all ports on the rear panel as well! What the left side spine dies have is the dual jack combo for headphone or mic,and an SD card reader.The right spine has the lone USB 3.0 port.

The brushed metal on the lid looks classy,but could have done with a slightly smaller Toshiba logo.The same theme continue for the palm rest and the area around the keyboard.The bezel,however haven't the brushed look-instead has a plain finish.The dash of chrome near the two edges of the display hinge adds a bit of shine to an otherwise understand design.

It is just us,or does the touchpad or the area around it looka but cluttered?Appreciate the real generous estate space,but the fingerprint sensor separates right click and left click keys.Interestingly,just below the touchpad are the bunch of LED indicating the power and battery status,wireless connectivity etc.

If you have placed your Portage Z830 on your lap and are typing out a document,you will notice a very annoying display vibration at times-the hinge isn't very taut.If you push the display a little further back,the problem does reduce considerably.But at the optimum display angle,you will ideally have to type less furiously!

Despite using all the right materials and ideas,the Portage Z830 doesn't feel as premium as it should .Weirdly there is nothing really wrong with the built quality or the materials used.However,it doesn't take the extra step to move above from the classy look to a premium look.
Specifications
 Processor:Intel Core i52557M @1.7 GHz.
 RAM:6 GB DDR3
 Display:13.3 inch LED backlit,1366 by 768 pixels.
 Storage:128 GB SSD
 Graphics:Intel HD 3000
 Ports:3 USB ports (including 1 USB 3.0 port)
 Weight:1.12 Kg
 HDMI:Yes

Price:Rs.96,290/-
Source:www.thinkdigit.com

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Airtel 4G LTE Network to Launch in Bangalore:Punjab to get soon!

Almost a month after it launched it's fourth generation wireless broadband service in Kolkata,telecom giant Bharati Airtel has announced it's launch of it's 4G internet service in Bangalore.Airtel has also come up with a ''Smartbyte'' plan,which features add on packs that allows customers avail 4G services even after exhaustion of the monthly data limits.Airtel's 4G network in Bangalore was inaugurated by Karnataka CM D.V Sadananda Gowda.

Commenting on the occasion,Sanjay Kapoor,CEO-India and South Asia,Bharati Airtel said, ''As we seen the world over,the total data usage is exploding and is doubling each year to grow to nearly 3.6 hexabytes by 2014.With the launch of 4G,India will move from being a follower in technology  to matching the world in this domain.Leading from the front,Airtel is now the only operator that gives citizens of the Information Technology capital in Bangalore,access to entire spectrum of broadband including 2G,3G and now 4G-thereby giving customers never seen before data experience.''

As part of an introductory offer by Airtel,customers subscribing to 4G service will now be given a cashback for the CPE/dongle-thus bringing device cost to customers zero.Airtel believes the offer will help pave way for mass adoption for 4G services.Airtel 4G is also now available in an 30GB pack priced at Rs.2,999.

Airtel is also now offering 10 Bollywood movies free of cost for customers during the first month.With a monthly subscription of INR 149,customers can watch unlimited movies.

Last month Bharati Airtel launched it's 4G service in Kolkatta,becoming the first telelcom operator to do so.Airtel owns 4G licence for Kolkatta,Punjab and Karnataka (excluding Mumbai ) circles.According to reports,Huawei will assist Airtel plan,design,supply and deploy TD LTE in Bangalore.Airtel have similar deal with ZTE in Kolkatta.

Meanwhile the telecom operator said it will soon launch it's 4G service in other circles soon.

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Men In Black 3 and Asphalt 7 coming to mobile platform:Gameloft

Gameloft,one if the leading developers and publishers of games for the mobile platform has announced a few of it's upcoming gaming titles.

First up is the Asphalt 7;Heat,a long running racing franchise was announced during the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S3,hinting that it will take advantage of the powerful hardware found in high end devices.No hint on the price of the game,launch or car details,tracks etc. have been revealed but we expect the game to be available by the end of the year.

Next up,Men In Black 3,the game will be available on iOS as well as Android.The game is expected o launch on May 17th,for free ,a week before the film and we hope to see some quirky references to the movie in the game.The game looks to have a top down view,like the Sim City games.

Movie tie in games haven't been on the hard core gaming platform and they haven't seen a great success on the mobile platform either.Iron Man is the best example of the game gone wrong on both the consoles as well as the mobile platform.

Another anticipated game on the mobile platform is the N.O.V.A 3.The game has some striking resemblance to the halo franchise.The graphics of the game look really good and we hope it take good advantage on the high end hardwares found in some Android devices.

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Acer Aspire Timeline Ultrabook M3-581TG -With New Nvidia Kepler GPU architecture

An optical drive.A 15.6'' screen.A discrete graphics processor instead of an integrated graphics.This is an Ultrabook?

Actually this is a landmark:the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3-581TG meets Intel's 21mm (0.8 inch) thickness linit foe 14 inch and larger ultrabooks,but packs features found in few thin and light laptops -most notably ,an Nvidia GeForce GT 640m graphics chip that makes the debut of new Nvidia's Kepler GPU architecture.

Nvidia volunteered the info that the GT 640 m has 384 processing or CUDA cores running at 625 MHz,and Acer says details on ship date and pricing for the M3-581TG are still a few weeks away.

First,the graphics.Nvidia says the Direct X 11-compatible GeForce GT 640m is not intended to topple gaming desktops or pump put sky-high frame rates on a big external monitor,but to deliver playable (30 or more frames per second) results with demanding game titles on an ultrabook's own LCD -in the Timeline Ultra's case ,at the same ho-hum 1,366 by 768 resolution seen on smaller models.

The ultrabook garnered 30 frames per second on the Alien vs Predator benchmark and 36 frames per second on Unigine Heaven 3.0,along with a score of P1800 on 3D Mark 11's Performance or moderate (1,280 by 720) setting.In our 1,024 by 768 resolution tests,where Ultrabooks Intel HD graphics 3000 integrated graphics usually struggle to reach 20 fps ,the M3 581TG posted 62 fps in Lost Planet 2 and 75 fps in Crysis.

Boosted by a Intel core i7-2637m processor and 256 GB solid-state drive (there will be also a hybrid version available soon),the M3-581TG aced our PC Mark 7 overall performance test with a performance test with a score of 3,468 .And it's battery life blew us away:Helped by Nvidia's Optimus Technology,which switches from discrete back to integrated graphics when no visually demanding apps are active,the Ultrabook's 55Wh battery lasted 10 hours 2 minutes!

We also liked Acer's screen and keyboard,aside from wishing for higher resolution for the former.The display is adequately bright and sharp,and the keyboard (with numeric keypad and dedicated Home,End,PgUp and PgDn keys) has a comfortable typing feel-more comfortable to our fingers than large,buttonless touchpad.Two more serious gripes are the placement of the USB ports-at the rear much less convenient than the sides for popping in a flash drive-and the power button on the ultrabooks front edge,where it is easily bumped by mistake.Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) is not supported either.

There's a broader question how the market will receive the plus-sized successors to the initial crop of 13.3 inch ultrabooks;we have just seen one of the first 14 inch models in the HP Envy 14 Spectre ,and now the 15.6 inch DVD+RW equipped Timeline Ultra comes to blur the distinction between ultrabook's and slim laptops like the Dell XPS 15z and Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch.It's tempting ,but with it's 256 GB SSD,it wont be cheap.

There's also a question on how gameworthy Intel's late-spring or early-summer ''Ivy Bridge'' successor to today's ''Sandy Bridge'' processors and integrated graphics will be -while CPU speed will be expected to be just a modest bump upward,the graphics improvement is rumored to be substantial,though it's doubtful it'll match the GeForce GT 640M.

Nevertheless a system that shaves half a pound to a pound to a lightest conventional laptops while letting owners play the latest games ,even at the expense of turning off eye candy like anti-aliasing,instead of just puttering around with Planet vs Zombies and World of Warcraft?Yes please.Watch this space for our full review of the M3-581TG and coverage of other ultra-ultrabooks.  




Source:PC Mag-www.pcmag.com

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Samsung to launch Galaxy Tab 2 310 this month in India

Samsung announced that the new Galaxy Tab 2 31o will Indian markets early this month.To refresh,the Galaxy Tab 2 310 was unveiled at the Samsung Forum 2012 event held earlier this year.The Tab 2 310 comes with a 7'' capacitive touch screen display and is powered by a 1 GHz Dual Core processor with 1 GB of RAM.The device has a 3 MP rear camera and a front VGA camera for video calls.For connectivity it has a HSPA +21 Mbps ,WiFi Direct and a USB 2.0 host.The battery of the Tab2 310 is a 4000 mAh one.The Tab 2 310 is the first tablet to get Samsung's cloud based AllShare Play service.

The Galaxy Tab 2 310 comes pre-loaded with TouchWiz UI ,AllShare Play app,as well as the Hub apps-Reader and the Game.Google's suite of services including Google Play is also available on the device.The Galaxy Tab 2 310 comes with 8 GB,16 GB and 32 GB of storage capacity.

There is no word about the pricing,but is expected to be around Rs.23,000.

Separately,Samsung has also said that it is unperturbed by the launch of low-cost tablets and price cuts by it's rivals.''We offer widest range in case of handsets to suite consumer needs,enabling then to make a choice.'' Samsung India Mobile and IT applications head Ranjit Yadav told The Hindu.He also pointed out that the company has wide range of tablets ranging from Rs.30,000 - Rs.36,000.

News that Samsung is launching its Galaxy Tab 2 310 come shortly after the company announced the Galaxy Nexus,the reference device for Android 4.0 ICS,is not going to be launched in India.

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Samsung 2012 range of Smart TV Arrived in India

Samsung India has announced the launch of the latest 2012 range of Smart TV's in India.The three series that arrived here are the LED ES8000,LED ES7500 and the Plasma E8000.These televisions comes with Voice Control,Motion Control and face recognition features to add the whole ecosystem of apps and online content.

Announcing the launch of 2012 Smart TV's here in India,Mr.Raj Kumar Rishi,VP and business head,Audio Visual Business,said ''Samsung's global leadership in television has rested on our continued thrust on innovation and excellence.In India too,we have been the first to introduce the latest innovative products such as LED TV's,3D TV's and now 2012 Smart Television Series.Samsung's 2012 TV and AV rest on three pillars:Smart Interaction,Smart Content and Smart Evolution,and our 2012 Smart Television range exemplifies the same.I am confident that the new Smart television range helps us to create new segments and and further fuel the growth of the flat panel television market in India.''

The three televisions are powered by a Dual-Core processor,which also boast of the AllShare feature that will allow wireless sharing of media to the television from Samsung smartphones,tablets and cameras,power new Samsung's Smart TV range.

What we see for the first time is the Smart Evolution Kit,which will allow users to upgrade the hardware on the televisions,without needing to bu another one.This kits will hit markets in 2013.

Samsung's entire flat panel TV's portfolio has models that are priced in the range between Rs.12,800 - Rs.2,73,000.

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Call Off Duty:Black Ops with Record Pre-Orders from Amazon

Treyarch this week unveiled the first full trailer of the much anticipated Call Off Duty:Black Ops 2,which caused first-person shooter fans to circle their November 13th on their calenders-literally.

Amazon revealed to MCV (The Market for Computer and Video Games) that the single day pre-orders for Call Off Duty:Black Ops were three times higher than the one-day pre order total for the games predecessor,Call Off Duty:Black Ops.

'''Set to be one of the biggest games of the year,it is great to see so much enthusiasm and anticipation for COD:Black Ops 2'',said Amazon UK's video game manager,Graham Chambers.

Call Off Duty:Black Ops 2,penned by The Dark Knight scribe David Goyer,takes place in the year 2025 where a terrorist organization takes place of the U.S high-tech,unmanned war machines.Besides the futuristic machinery and weaponry craft that look like they were pulled from the set of Terminator flick,there are also shootouts that occur on horseback,as well as a simmering Cold War between USA and China over rare Earth materials.And,apparently,the undead.

"Bolder and better than before and with everything from a futuristic storyline through to single player mode,Zombies and multi-player,Black Ops promises something Call Off Duty fans have never seen before," said Chambers.

Call Off Duty:Black Ops 2,a PC,PS3 and Xbox 360 title ,will arrive on store shelves on November 13th.Pre-orders are now being accepted via Activision,Steam,Amazon,Best Buy,Gamestop and target for $59.99.

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