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Leaked Windows Mobile 7 Screenshots Reveal a More Streamlined UI

Ryan Whitwam — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:47:29 -0500

Some screenshots have surface that purport to be from Windows Mobile 7. The interface looks cleaner overall, and has completely lost the trademark Windows start button from the corner of the screen. The pics cover a wide variety of the system’s basic functions. Confusingly, the shots are listed as WinMo 6.5.1. The interface is, however, significantly different from previous 6.5.1 leaks, leading most to speculate that these are the first moves into the WinMo 7 development tree.

The call screen has taken on a very iPhone-like aesthetic with a large contact photo. The calendar has been cleaned up dramatically, looking downright usable. The changes to the keyboard may be the most telling, though. Whereas the previous version was cramped and stylus friendly, the new version looks spacious, finger-friendly, and very similar to the Android keyboard. If authentic, these screenshots certainly indicate that Microsoft is moving in the right direction.

More Maybe-Screenshots of Google's Chrome OS Surface

Paul Lilly — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:09:09 -0500

Here we go again. TechCrunch on Monday said it received a pair of screenshots claiming to show what Google's upcoming Chrome OS will look like. But this isn't the first time screenshots of the OS have purportedly been leaked, and likely not the last.

Google announced the browser-based OS back in July, prompting no shortage of alleged screen grabs surfacing on the Web. At least one of the incidents were confirmed fake, when a graphics designer who posted the false images admitted doing so on his blog.

So what makes these latest shots any different? Nothing, other than no one has confirmed or debunked them yet, so take these images at face value. Should they turn out to be legit, it would appear Google is taking a minimalistic approach to GUI design, just as it did with its Chrome browser. The supposed screenshots show a dock on the right-hand side with large icons to a handful of Google apps, along with an integrated search bar on the bottom of the screen. And that's it.

Image Credit: TechCrunch

Mozilla Teases Us with Firefox 4.0 Mockups

Pulkit Chandna — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:40:59 -0500

Mozilla is already ruminating on the look and feel of future Firefox versions. It shared a few Firefox 3.7 theme mockups last week. The common denominator across those mockups was the absence of the all-too-familiar title bar, a design feature that summons to memory the name “Google Chrome.”

Mozilla is certainly in love with Chrome’s minimalist design, if the freshly released “Firefox/4.0 Windows Theme Mockups” are anything to go by. It has released two Firefox 4.0 theme mockups in all and both of them closely mimic Chrome.

The position of the tabs vis-à-vis the address bar is what sets them apart. The first mockup features the address bar on top of the tabs, whereas the second one has the tabs placed above the address bar – again reminiscent of Google Chrome.

Image Credit: Mozilla

Screenshots Reveal the Next Microsoft Office

Mark Edward Soper — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:37:39 -0600

What will the next version of Microsoft Office look like? Leaked screenshots of an alpha version recently released to testers suggest that, in short, ribbon menus rule. However, the Office 14 ribbon menus seem to have been influenced by the ribbon menu used in some of Windows 7's accessories, rather than being simply a rehash of Office 2007's version.

How long before we'll have a release version? According to alpha testers cited at Neowin.net, Microsoft is looking at a 2009 release and - you guessed it - the suite might be called Office System 2009. However, with the Microsoft roadmap unearthed earlier this month showing "2009" and "12-31-2009" for release dates, maybe it's too early to worry about the name.

Exclusive: High-Resolution Left4Dead Screenshots and Gritty Source Engine Upgrade Details

Norman Chan — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:06:22 -0500

Read our interview with Zombie Master Michael Booth here!

You've read our in-depth interview with the designer of the game, but here's a chance to you to get a clear look at the awesome zombie slaughterfest in Left4Dead. Valve has given us four exclusive screenshots from its upcoming multiplayer shooter, along with a detailed briefing explaining the graphical enhancements they've made to the game engine since acquiring Turtle Rock Studios. The new post-processed filmic effects and advanced shadow rendering makes the game look like nothing you've seen before. It sure doesn't look like Half-Life 2!

Left4Dead Source Engine Details:

The infected hoard in Left4Dead are realistically animated so they anticipate and lean into turns based on the curvature of their AI navigation paths.
The physics are simulated with a blending of traditional animation and ragdoll physics. In addition to location-specific damage, shoves and gunshots are physics interactions, based on the location of impact and what the infected hits afterward.
Even if zombies are brain dead, the AI driving them is smart. The infected will climb and path-find over objects, not just around them. They'll even break down walls and doors to get to you.
Filmic effects: Color correction allows the developers to maintain a specific palette while controlling saturation and visual elements based on their importance to the player and the scene.
Film grain is enhanced in dark areas, and contrast is ramped up to sharpen areas with high visual detail. Subtle reduction of brightness at the top and sides of the screen draws your attention toward the action and increases the tension.
Self-shadowed Normal Mapping locally alters surface orientation to cause detailed lighting effects. This feature incorporates local self-shadowing information to add greater surface richness. Surfaces will react to lighting from radiosity as well as dynamic lights in the scene, like your flashlight (which cast dynamic soft-shadows in the level).

E3 2008: A Ton of New Screenshots From Left4Dead and Spore!

Norman Chan — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:59:40 -0500

Just for you, because you're awesome: new screenshots from two of our most highly-anticipated PC games of the year. Spore and Left4Dead look much more polished and graphically improved since we've last seen them. In the case of Left4Dead, all the character models have been revamped as well. The L4D screens don't actually show the new character design. For a peek at those, you'll have to hit up our liveblog of the EA press conferenc e.

Hit the next page for the Spore screens!

Make sure to check out our E3 2008 EA press conference liveblog for more game details and images.

Follow our E3 2008 coverage here!