Opera 11.60 'Tunny' Released With Ragnarök HT

December 7th, 2011, 03:29 Posted By: wraggster

Version 11.60 of Opera Browser for Desktop was released today. Significant changes: the inclusion of their new HTML5 rendering engine "Ragnarök", a revamped address bar, full ECMAScript 5.1 support, support for CSS3 Radial Gradients (finally), and a very revamped Mail panel. Originally, these features were set to be released with their next major version, 12.00. However, due to more work needed for the hardware acceleration feature also to be included in Opera 12, the 11.60 intermediary release came to be, as they didn't want to hold back the other new features for that long a time.

http://slashdot.org/story/11/12/06/1...ith-ragnark-ht

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PlayBook Jailbreak Tool Released

December 7th, 2011, 03:26 Posted By: wraggster

Trailrunner7 notes that some dedicated hackers who've been working on jailbreaking RIM's PlayBook tablet have now"posted a detailed walkthrough of how users can accomplish the same task on their own. The technique requires the use of a custom tool, but otherwise is fairly straightforward. One of the researchers, known as Neuralic, posted the walkthrough to Pastie.org Tuesday morning. In order to begin the process, a PlayBook user need to first install the beta 2.0 version of the PlayBook software and then install the Dingleberry tool, which exploits a weakness in the PlayBook architecture which stems from the fact that the backups the device takes aren't signed."

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...-tool-released

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Microsoft demos Windows Store, coming to Windows 8 beta in February

December 7th, 2011, 03:11 Posted By: wraggster

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Tactical light, other fixes in Dec. 6 Battlefield 3 PC patch

December 6th, 2011, 01:55 Posted By: wraggster

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Star Wars: The Old Republic beta test attracts 2 million players

December 6th, 2011, 01:52 Posted By: wraggster

It's no secret that Star Wars: The Old Republicis one of the most highly anticipated MMORPGs in recent memory, and the game's recently concluded public testing phase confirms the hype. The game's publisher, EA, announced that the SWTOR test phase drew in over 2 million players, and of those 2 million, 750,000 unique players jumped into the game over the Thanksgiving weekend alone.

EA also shared some interesting statistics about the game's test players. Over the holiday weekend, players averaged about 12 hours of game time each for a grand total of over 9 million hours of playtime across the playerbase. If you didn't get a chance to try the beta, or if you simply couldn't get enough, you don't have much longer to wait. The game launches in about two weeks on December 20th, with pre-order head start beginning on the 15th.
http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12...llion-players/

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Trine 2 puts on its rogue and wizard hats starting December 7

December 6th, 2011, 01:47 Posted By: wraggster

Your favorite physics puzzle solving triumvirate of fantasy archetypes is reconvening December 7. Developer Frozenbyte has announced the impending availability of Trine 2. The wizard, rogue, and knight will launch a three-pronged assault on PC and Mac on December 7, available both on Steam and at European retailers.

It's only appropriate for Trine to have three separate release dates working together, and Frozenbyte acknowledges the game's tripartite nature. Following the December 7 PC release date, the game will arrive on the North American PSN December 20, and on XBLA worldwide the next day. A European PSN release date is still pending, "but we hope it won't be far behind if delayed at all," noted Frozenbyte CEO Lauri Hyvärinen.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/tr...ng-december-7/

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GAME nabs £130 Old Republic exclusive

December 6th, 2011, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster

Retailer GAME will exclusively sell the Star Wars: The Old Republic Collector’s Edition.
The PC?MMO’s £129.99?special SKU includes a statue, map, metal case, journal, soundtrack CD and extra in-game content.
Although EA previously listed GAME, Gamestation, Amazon, Play.com, Zavvi and ShopTo online as retailers stocking the Collector’s Edition, the listings were in error and GAME and Gamestation will be the exclusive stockists.
GAME’s head of UK communications and PR Neil Ashurst said: “Star Wars is one of the biggest entertainment franchises ever, and with so much buzz around the release of The Old Republic, we know the Star Wars community will be wanting to get their hands on the game as soon as it’s out of beta this month.
"It’s great to see so much enthusiasm and anticipation around Old Republic and we’re happy to be able to offer GAME and Gamestation’s Star Wars fans this special edition.”
The game will also be available to download via EA Origin when it hits shelves on Tuesday, December 20th.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-...clusive/088124

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Will Firefox Lose Google Funding?

December 5th, 2011, 21:56 Posted By: wraggster

Mozilla's future looks uncertain. Last week Chrome overtook Firefox's position as the second most popular browser, the new versioning scheme is alienating some Firefox users, and now the advertising deal between Mozilla and Google, the one that almost fully funds Mozilla's operations, is coming to an end. One of Firefox's key managers, Mike Shaver, also left the company in September. 'In 2010, 84% of Mozilla's $123 million in revenue came directly from Google. That's roughly $100 million in funds that will vanish or be drastically cut if the deal is either not renewed or is renegotiated on terms that are less favorable to Mozilla. When the original three-year partnership deal was signed in 2008, Chrome was still on the drawing boards. Today, it is Google's most prominent software product, and it is rapidly replacing Firefox as the alternative browser on every platform.' Recently Mozilla has been trying to get closer with Microsoft by making a Firefox version that defaults to Bing. If Google is indeed cutting funding from Mozilla or tries to negotiate less favorable terms, it could mean Mozilla's future funding coming from Microsoft and Bing."

http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/12...google-funding

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Ultrabooks to revive the PC market says Acer

December 5th, 2011, 21:46 Posted By: wraggster

Acer Chairman JT Wang said that Ultrabooks will revive the stalled Wintel platform and that the difference between laptops and tablets would become more blurred.
Speaking at a press conference in Taipei, Wang also said that the Intel branded super thin notebook category needed to be priced at less than $700, according to the Taipei Times. Somewhat less than even the lowest priced devices on the market which start at around $800.
The company expects to ship between 250 and 300,000 ultrabooks in the fourth quarter but Wang also added that the global IT industry was shifting focus towards emerging markets due to slow growth in the developed world.
Wang said that he believed the Intel ultrabook form factor would become the mainstream tablet and notebook specification within the next five years.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ys-acer/027608

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PrBoom-plus v2.5.1.3.test

December 5th, 2011, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.aep-emu.de/

PrBoom-plus is a Doom source port based on PrBoom.

Quote:
2.5.1.3.test @ 2011-Nov-30 00:07 - win32 build, sources
[+]Added process_priority config variable. 0 - NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS; 1 - HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS; 2 - REALTIME_PRIORITY_CLASS.

2.5.1.2 @ 2011-Nov-25
[+]Added device selection to portmidi player. Controlled by the snd_mididev config variable. See stdout.txt for list of available devices.
[+]Added a progress bar for demo skipping during re-recording.
[+]Added key binding options for start/stop and fast-forward when watching demos.
[+]Added a key binding option to restart the current map.
[+]Added a "Default compatibility level" GUI entry.
[+]Support for 16 sprite rotations. http://zdoom.org/wiki/Sprite#Angles
[+]New HUDs. HUDs definitions are moved to the "prboom-plus.wad/-prbhud-" lump. [*]Fluidsynth player now resumes notes seamlessly after a pause. [*]Speed improvement on maps like sunder.wad map10 and nuts.wad. [*]Force GL_LINEAR for MAG filter for textures with detail.
[-]Fixed buggy music that forgets to terminate notes held over a loop point. SDL_mixer does this as well. Fix tested against Doom2 map14 and FreeDoom2 map01, for fluidsynth, portmidi, and OPL players.
[-]Fixed buffer overrun in OPL2 player.
[-]Fixed crash in video capture code when "Use GL surface for software mode" is enabled.
[-]The screen wipe after pressing the exit switch on a level was noticably jerkier.
[-]MBF-added codepointers worked with any complevel.
[-]Fixed HOMs on skies with transparent pixels. Sky2 @ doom2.wad, for example.
[-]Alpha channel did not work for 8-bit PNGs with alpha.
[-]Transferred standard sky was drawn badly when FOV > 90 (Voodoo Guns - map02).

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VCMI Project - Heroes 3: WoG recreated v0.87

December 5th, 2011, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

via http://www.aep-emu.de/

VCMI Project is a free implementation of the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 WoG engine.

Quote:
CHANGELOG
0.86->0.87
GENERAL:
* Pathfinder can find way using ships and subterranean gates
* Hero reminder & sleep button

PREGAME:
* Credits are implemented

BATTLES
* All attacked hexes will be highlighted
* New combat abilities supported:
- Spell Resistance aura
- Random spellcaster (Genies)
- Mana channeling
- Daemon summoning
- Spellcaster (Archangel, Ogre Mage, Elementals, Faerie Dragon)
- Fear
- Fearless
- No wall penalty
- Enchanter
- Bind
- Dispell helpful spells

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EA registers a battalion of domains for Command and Conquer Alliances

December 4th, 2011, 20:57 Posted By: wraggster

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Battlefield 3 PC update coming December 6

December 4th, 2011, 00:23 Posted By: wraggster

DICE will release a massive update for the PC version of Battlefield 3 on December 6.
This, the developer explains, will coincide with a separate update it will undertake with the game's servers, which will bring down the service "for some hours" from around 8AM UK Time.It'll be a whopping 2GB (because it includes data for the Back to Karkand DLC Pack) and will be mandatory due to its incompatibility with older clients.
Here's the full change log:
Bugfixes
Fixed a problem with spawn timer now showing blue border on startup and lost spawn point
Fixed a problem where player who joined queuing on End of round got spawn screen stuck on screen, but unable to do anything with it untill next round loaded
Fixed a problem where camera would change to 3rd person on killcam when killcam was turned off in server settings
Fixed stat references on several dogtags
Fixed for surveillance ribbon not counting TUGS
Fixed a missing combat area lines on the minimap for Grand Bazaar conquest small
Moved a tank spawn in US base on Caspian Border so it would not be destroyed by a falling tree
Fixed a problem where placing C4 with the russians soldier was playing US faction VO
Fixed a problem where TV guided missiles could be shot into its own helicopter and destroy it
Fixed a problem when attempting to fire lock on weapons without a target
Tweaked the chat, it should now be a bit easier to read
Fixed several vehicles that did not properly shoot rockets and guns towards their predictive sights
Fixed the G17 Supressed Laser not working properly
Added alternate HUD colors to help colorblinds
Added a network interpolation setting. This allows users with good bandwidth reduce latency, but might increase some stuttering. The user can find what works best for his connection by tweaking the slider.
Increased the Spawn protection radius on TDM
Fixed a problem with smoke on land vehicles, Missiles should now miss more often
Fixed a problem where users could end up with IRNV scope in any vehicle
Fixed a problem where player dies if vaulting over a ledge and into water while sprinting
Fixed several crashes and increased general stability
Fixed a problem where the user was unable to revive two players that have the bodies one over the other
Fixed so you can assign an axis and use as a digital input. This makes it possible for the player (on pc) to assign one of the sticks on a gameped to be used for throttle/brake.
Fixed a problem with the Kill camera acting up when suiciding from parachute
Fixed air radar was showing to much. now lasertagged, heatsignature above threshold, enemy missiles and capture points are only visible on air radar
Fixed a problem where the game would enter a technical hang if the user pressed pause menu and tilde at the same time
Fixed a problem where you could get green flashes on screen
You can now reassign cycle weapons
Fixed so the weapon zooms automatically after bipod deploy is gone when using zoom toggle
Fixed a problem where the parachute would stay stuck in air if the owner was killed
Balance Tweaks
Fixed several weapons so they are properly suppressed and hide the player on the minimap when fired.
Tweaked Tactical Light so it is not as blinding over longer ranges.
Tweaked the IRNV scope so it is limited to usage only at close range.
Reduced heat masking effectiveness of Spec Ops Camo.
Fixed a bug where Ammo spec would give additional 40mm grenades instead of Frag spec.
Increased the number of additional 40mm grenades from Frag spec.
Fixed so AT mines only live for 20 seconds after a player dies to prevent infinite mines. (We want to make a different fix in the future, it's in JIRA).
Increased the Time to Live on sniper caliber rounds to allow extreme distance shots.
Fixed several weapon descriptions, calibers, and fire rates. The weapons themselves have not changed.
Fixed so the M9 and MP443 pistol can be equipped by the opposing faction when it is unlocked at 100 kills.
Fixed Laser Guided Missiles missing their targets if the target is moving too fast.
Reduced the effectiveness of Stealth on Air Vehicles.
Reduced the effectiveness of Beam Scanning for Jets.
Reduced the damage done to Armored Vehicles and Infantry from AA guns.
Increased the damage RPGs and Tank shells do to AA vehicles.
Slightly decreased the accuracy for all weapons on fully automatic, burst fire is now preferable at mid to long range.
Increased the effective accuracy of long bursts for LMGs when using a bipod.
Slightly increased the range of the 44magnum bullets.
Increased the close range damage of 4.6x30mm and 5.7x28mm bullets.
Increased the reload time of the Mortar from 3.5sec to 4.8sec and increased the time it takes before a shell hits the ground.
Reduced the aimed accuracy bonus given by a Suppressor for the MP7, P90, PP2000, PP-19, and UMP45.
Increased the range and FOV for designating targets with the SOFLAM and vehicle Laser Designators.
Decreased the effectiveness of 12g FRAG ammo when equipped on semi-automatic and automatic shotguns.
Slightly Increased the power of Fighter Jet Cannons against all vehicle targets, especially Helicopters.
Decreased the power of Miniguns against Jets and Helicopters.
Increased the power of Stingers against Jets.
Flares reload times for Jets and Helicopter Gunners have been increased.
Tweaked the AN94 so its burst fire better conveys the real world advantage offered by this weapon.
Added Single Shot to the AN94 as an available fire mode.
Slightly increased the recoil on the M416 and removed the Burst Fire mode (this weapon incorrectly had burst fire, which was not authentic).
Tweaked the spawns for TDM on Kharg Island, Grand Bazaar, Caspian Border, Seine Crossing, Operation Firestorm, Damavand Peak and Noshahar Canals
Moved a tank spawn in US base on Caspian Border so it would not be destroyed by a falling tree
Tweaked the Gas station Capture area on Conquest on Caspian Border
Tweaked the max vehicle height on Noshahar Canals
Min player requirements
Also, it will once again be possible to reduce the number of players required to start a round to 1 both in ranked and unranked mode. We changed it back after getting a lot of negative feedback from both individuals and the RSP companies.
Our plan is to introduce a warm-up mode, where players can move about and play the game, but with scoring disabled; then, when the number of players goes above the threshold -- that's when the real round starts.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ng-december-6/

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Star Trek Online Season 5: Call to Arms release notes

December 4th, 2011, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster

After months of testing, beefy Star Trek Online update Season 5: Call to Arms has been released.In a nutshell, Season 5 brings a Duty Officer System, the story of The Borg Advancement, Klingon gameplay updates, a skills revamp, a mission revamp, lore missions and economy restructuring.STO executive producer Stephen D'Angelo offered an overview of the changes in a dev blog.Star Trek Online turns free-to-play on 17th January 2012.New and Improved Content

• Borg Invasion of Defera - An all new action ground combat map that features multiple play areas, boxes, and a variety of game play.
• Re-envisioned Borg Strategic Task Force (STF) maps - These were cleaned up and streamlined to improve play. Then they were given a "Normal" version so everyone can experience the content, as well as an "Elite" version for some seriously challenging play. And finally, we threw in some great new rewards and elite gear that you can earn.
• Federation and Klingon Academy - All new academy maps to explore and do non-combat game play.
• Lore Missions - A whole new type of non-combat play. Learn about the Star Trek universe while playing these fun little missions.
• Patrol Mission Revamp - The patrol missions got a new feel, now requiring some exploration to discover them. They also got better Skill Point rewards.
• Event Calendar - A new event calendar that features nearly a dozen new events that happen around the clock.
• Threaded Storyline - The whole storyline for STO has been put together in a cohesive way by threading the Episode content. Now it's easy to know what to do next, and to play through the core storyline.
• Tighter Klingon Storyline - The Klingon game play was tightened up to play starting at level 21, so that the whole experience for Klingon play is improved.

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Super Mario Land remade in Minecraft

December 3rd, 2011, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster

A trio of Minecraft players have painstakingly recreated the first level of Game Boy platformer Super Mario Land.
Engadget reports that James Wright, Joe Ciappa and a third player known only as Tempusmori spent six to seven hours a day for four straight weeks recreating Super Mario Land's opening level, using more than 18 million Minecraft blocks in the process.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/super-m...made-minecraft

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Chrome Becoming World's Second Most Popular Web Browser

December 3rd, 2011, 00:14 Posted By: wraggster

redletterdave writes with news that Google Chrome is in the process of surpassing Firefox to become the second most popular web browser. Pinpointing the exact time of the change is difficult, of course, since different analytics firms collect slightly different data. The current crop of media reports were triggered by data from StatCounter, which shows Chrome at 25.69% and Firefox at 25.23% for November. Data from Net Applications shows Firefox still holding a 4% lead, but the trends suggest it will evaporate within a few months.

http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/12...ar-web-browser

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How a Computer Game Is Reinventing the Science of Expertise

December 3rd, 2011, 00:00 Posted By: wraggster

Cognitive scientists at Simon Fraser University and UCSD are beginning to use StarCraft 2 replays to study the development of expertise and the cognitive mechanisms of multitasking. Unlike similar expertise studies in chess that consider roughly a dozen players, these studies include thousands of players of all skill levels — providing an unprecedented amount of data on how players move from 'chumps to champions

http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...e-of-expertise

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F2P Summit announced for 2012

December 2nd, 2011, 02:08 Posted By: wraggster

Tandem Events has announced that it is launching F2P Summit, a new London-based free-to-play conference.
The one-day networking event will take place in London on March 28, 2012, and will explore free-to-play strategies such as user acquisition, customer retention, community management and monetisation.
“Freemium is a hot topic at the moment sparking a lot of debate and it’s a business model that experts are touting as the way forward for the games industry, " says Tandem Events managing director Andy Lane."F2P Summit is a unique event that will look at all aspects of F2P from the developers point of view, offer practical advice and offer an opportunity to hear from studios who have built successful businesses on this model."
Further details, including the speakers who will be attending the event, will be announced early next year.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/f2p-summit-announced-2012

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Battlefield 3's 'Back to Karkand' expansion arrives on PS3 Dec. 6, 360 and PC on Dec.

December 2nd, 2011, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster

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Aleph One 1.0 Released

December 1st, 2011, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

Nearly 12 year since Bungie released the source code for Marathon 2, the Aleph One team is thrilled to releaseversion 1.0 of the Aleph One game engine. Aleph One is a Free software, cross platform game engine that supports all three original Marathon games with enhancements such as OpenGL and Internet play; as well as numerous third party mods known as 'scenarios.' Easy to install full versions of Marathon, Marathon 2, and Marathon Infinity, now featuring high resolution graphics and modern widescreen HUD support, can be downloaded for free from the project website!

http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...ne-10-released

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