Software

Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog Races Over to Android

Paul Lilly — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:55:19 +0000

Speedy blue hedgehog teams with a little green robot.

Sonic the Hedgehog is potentially gaining access to a whole new audience and generation of gamers who never got to experience the fast and fun ride on the Genesis. How so? Sega today pointed its iconic game character in the direction of Google Play and told him to keep running until he got there, which he did today. Available now on Google Play, the game costs $2.99 and gives fans a new look at Sonic's world on Android.

It's been optimized with widescreen support and exclusive features for mobile phones. The new update also allows gamers to unlock other familiar characters, including Tails and Knuckles, marking the first time they've been playable on mobile, Sega says.

Prefer iOS? Sega has you covered, as well. Although Sonic the Hedgehog was already available on iOS, the new content will be offered as a free update.

Sonic the Hedgehog on Google Play
Sonic the Hedgehog on iOS

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Road to Redemption? EA Eliminates Unpopular Online Pass Program

Paul Lilly — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:55:57 +0000

You can almost hear a golf clap erupting from GameStop stores.

It's no secret game publishers loathe the second-hand sales market, prompting many of them to have a love-hate relationship with GameStop, the world's most popular used games retailer. But is GameStop really the frenemy that some publishers view it as? Perhaps not. Electronic Arts (EA) has come to the conclusion that its Online Pass program isn't worth pissing off its customers and has decided to reverse course, a move that's perhaps indicative that EA wasn't losing as much money to used game sales as it thought it was.

Battlefield 3, Madden NFL, and a few other titles used the Online Pass system. The way it worked is that gamers would input a code included with new games to unlock online gameplay. The single-use code wouldn't transfer to a second owner, so if you bought a game used from GameStop or anywhere else and the code was already used, you'd have to purchase another one from EA.

Well, not anymore.

"Yes, we're discontinuing Online Pass," EA senior director of corporate communications, John Reseburg, told GamesBeat in an email. "None of our new EA titles will include that feature."

Reseburg went to say that "many players didn't respond to the format," which is the primary reason why EA decided to abandon the program. It was an unpopular program among gamers to begin with, but given EA's sometimes stubborn nature and willingness to put up with criticism, it seemed unlikely the publisher would reverse course.

It looks like Kevin Garnett was right, after all.

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AMD Levels Up Never Settle Reloaded Bundle

Paul Lilly — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

You asked, AMD listened.

Two questions AMD tells us it's always getting asked by customers in regards to its sweet Never Settle game bundles are, "Can you add more games?" and "Why do I have to choose between Crysis 3 or Tomb Raider?" Lucky for you, these questions haven't fallen on deaf ears, as AMD is adding bonus games to its Never Settle Reloaded program as part of a limited-time offer.

It's officially called "Level Up with Never Settle Reloaded," but who cares about the title. What you really want to know is what kind of gaming loot AMD is bundling with its graphics cards, and we have the skinny. Short and sweet, AMD's updated promotion adds Tomb Raider to the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, HD 7970, HD 7950, and HD 7790 graphics cards, and Crysis 3 to the Radeon HD 7870 graphics card.

Here's a tidy breakdown of the updated promotion (Level Up games bolded):

Radeon HD 7970 and 7950: Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Radeon HD7870 GHz Edition: Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Radeon HD 7790: Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

The Level Up promotion goes into effect immediately at participating retailers and is valid "while supplies last." In addition, AMD is still giving away games as part of its regular Never Settle bundle. They include:

Radeon HD 7990: Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Hitman: Absolution, Sleeping Dogs, Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Radeon HD 7850: Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Radeon HD 7770: Far Cry 3, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

So, who plans on upgrading?

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Flashback Fun: Type "Atari Breakout" Into Google Image Search

Paul Lilly — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:28:56 +0000

Google goes old school.

The wily programming nerds at Google are all about Easter eggs, and if you type "Atari Breakout" into Google's image search, you'll spy the latest one. This isn't just a random flashback to an old school arcade game, it's also a shout out to the 1976 title's 37th anniversary, though the timing is a little curious. Breakout (PDF) originally debuted in April, so if someone knows the significance of today's date specifically, feel free to enlighten us in comments section below.

Regardless, Google's Easter egg is a fun excursion into arcade gaming from nearly four decades ago. You may not have been alive back then or even heard of Breakout, which was developed by Atari and heavily influenced by Pong, which came out four years prior.

It's also a historically significant title, as it influenced Steve Wozniak's design for the Apple II computer. Here's what Wozniak was quoted as saying about the Apple II:

A lot of features of the Apple II went in because I had designed Breakout for Atari. I had designed it in hardware. I wanted to write it in software now. So that was the reason that color was added in first — so that games could be programmed. I sat down one night and tried to put it into BASIC. Fortunately, I had written the BASIC myself, so I just burned some new ROMs with line drawing commands, color changing commands, and various BASIC commands that would plot in color. I got this ball bouncing around, and I said, 'Well, it needs sound,' and I had to add a speaker to the Apple II. It wasn’t planned, it was just accidental… Obviously you need paddles, so I had to scratch my head and design a simple minimum-chip paddle circuit, and put on some paddles. So, a lot of these features that really made the Apple II stand out in its day came from a game, and the fun features that were built in were only to do one pet project, which was to program a BASIC version of Breakout and show it off at the club.

Pretty neat, eh? As the late Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story.

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Nvidia Release Game Ready Beta 320.14 Driver for Metro: Last Light

Paul Lilly — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:29:25 +0000

Enjoy a free and easy performance boost in Metro: Last Light.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting pretty with a single Nvidia-based graphics card or rocking multiple GeForce parts in SLI, you should see better framerates in Metro: Last Light (launches tomorrow) after applying Nvidia's latest beta driver, version 320.14. Also included in the newest driver release are all of the performance optimizations and SLI profiles found in the recent 320.00 beta release, which benefits games such as Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, GRID 2, Tomb Raider, and several others.

Nvidia put a lot of time and effort into optimizing its code base for Metro: Last Light, and it also put together an extensive graphics and performance guide related to the 4A Games' title. To provide a single example of the performance boost you can expect by installing the beta driver, Nvidia says Metro: Last Light will perform up to 10 percent better on a single GeForce GTX 660 graphics card and up to 9 percent running two GTX 660 parts in SLI.

You can also expect double-digit percentage performance gains in Dirt: Showdown and Tomb Raider regardless of whether you're running a single GPU or multiple graphics cards.

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Microsoft Pops Its Top on Comparing Windows 8 to a Can of Soda

Paul Lilly — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:56:54 +0000

Can of soda comparison is just hyperbole, Microsoft says.

Richard Carlson advises against sweating the small stuff, and if you're Microsoft, that means not getting your knickers in a knot over sensationalistic journalism, especially when it comes to Windows 8. That's not to say Windows 8 isn't without its fair share of legitimate criticisms and concerns, but is it fair to compare the touch-friendly operating system to Coca-Cola's failed New Coke formula from yesteryear?

Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, had a thing or three to say about the recent comparison.

"In this world where everyone is a publisher, there is a trend to the extreme – where those who want to stand out opt for sensationalism and hyperbole over nuanced analysis," Shaw stated in a blog post. "In this world where page views are currency, heat is often more valued than light. Stark black-and-white caricatures are sometimes more valued than shades-of-gray reality."

Shaw was responding to comments in a recent Financial Times report, in which the author quoted an analyst comparing Windows 8 to New Coke, the difference being that Coca-Cola did a better job of listening to its customers and quickly reversed course.

Seeking sanity in what Shaw likely sees as an insane comparison, he reiterated that's Microsoft's sold 100 million copies of Windows 8 to date. He called that a "good thing," noting that it's also a good thing to listen to consumer feedback and act on it. But to compare Windows 8 to New Coke? He was having none of that.

"Windows 8 is a good product, and it’s getting better every day," Shaw added. "Unlike a can of soda, a computer operating system offers different experiences to different customers to meet different needs, while still moving the entire industry toward an exciting future of touch, mobility, and seamless, cross-device experiences."

Anyone else suddenly thirsty for a carbonated beverage?

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Symantec: Targeted Attacks on Small Businesses Increased Three-Fold in 2012

Paul Lilly — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:35:23 +0000

Small business owners are viewed as easy targets among cybercriminals.

Symantec on Monday published its 2013 Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 18, which provides an overview and analysis of the past year in global threat activity. One of the things Symantec noticed was that cybercriminals are paying more attention to small businesses with fewer than 250 employees. Targeted attacks against these organizations jumped 31 percent in 2012 compared to the year before.

"While small businesses may feel they are immune to targeted attacks, cybercriminals are enticed by these organizations' bank account information, customer data, intellectual property, and the knowledge that they often lack adequate security practices and infrastructures," Symantec says.

It's not just small business owners who need to be on top of their game. Symantec notes in its report that "threats to online security have grown and evolved considerably in 2012," adding that it's "seen constant innovation from malware authors." Overall Symantec noted a 42 percent increase in targeted attacks, 5,291 new vulnerabilities, and an average of 604,826 identities exposed per breach in 2012, to rattle off just a few of the stats.

For more on the topic, grab a PDF reader and comb through Symantec's more than 50 pages of a data contained in its report.

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Slacker Adds Six Million New Listeners Since Relaunch

Paul Lilly — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:44:29 +0000

No slacking at Slacker as it sees millions of new subscribers join in three months.

Have you given the recently overhauled Slacker service a whirl yet? Millions of others have. According to Slacker, more than six million new listeners have joined the streaming music service since its February relaunch, with 3.5 million listeners jumping on mobile. Not only is Slacker seeing an influx of new users, but they're listening longer than before and they're subscribing to the service, Slacker says.

Slacker went for a complete redesign three months ago, shedding its old digs for a fresh new look and feel. You can listen to Slacker's entire library of songs for free, or pony up $3.99/month for Slacker Plus (commercial free streaming with unlimited song skips) or $9.99/month for Slacker Premium (on-demand access to songs).

"We’re thrilled with the results of our relaunch; since mid-February millions of new people are tuning into Slacker, they’re spending more time listening, and our paid subscriber base is growing fast," said Jim Cady, CEO of Slacker. "And with our proven business model, Slacker is the only digital music service that is gross margin positive on every listener – whether they’re ad-supported or a paid subscriber."

I've been using Slacker Premium since the relaunch and have to admit I'm pretty impressed. I'd describe it as the best of Spotify and Pandora rolled into a single service, and with a catalog of more than 13 million songs, it's not too often I find myself jonesing for a melody that can't be found, except for Gangstagrass, unfortunately.

If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a listen and post your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Maxthon Adds LAN Transfer Option to Multi-Platform Cloud Browser

Paul Lilly — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:52:35 +0000

Transfer files easily between desktop and mobile devices.

Like underwear, changing your browser every once in awhile can give you a fresh feeling. If you're at that point where you're ready to try something different, Maxthon's Cloud Browser is an option worth investigating. We bring it up because Maxthon let us know it just added a LAN transfer feature that allows users to transfer files of any size from their browser directly to any device on their network.

"The addition of LAN transfer will make sizable improvements in users’ everyday web experience," said Karl Mattson, VP of International for Maxthon. "Customers with the newest and fastest home Internet services can now move a 1 GB file from one device to another more than five times faster than the alternative ‘up-over-and-down’ cloud services."

It's a pretty neat feature made more useful by the fact that Maxthon's Cloud Browser is available on multiple platforms, including Windows and Android (iOS and Mac coming soon).

If you want to kick the brower's tires, you can download it from Maxthon's website.

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Windows 8 Sales Reach 100 Million Licenses, Should Microsoft Reverse Course?

Paul Lilly — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:52:15 +0000

Steve Ballmer and company have some big decisions to make.

It was bit odd that Microsoft chose not to disclose in its most recent financial report exactly how many Windows 8 licenses it sold, though we now know the number is north of 100 million. Tami Reller, Microsoft's Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer, revealed the figure in a Q&A session that was posted on Microsoft's Windows blog, adding that the figure takes into account Windows 8 licenses that ship on new tablet and traditional PCs, as well as upgrades to the touch-friendly OS.

"This is up from the 60 million license number we provided in January. We’ve also seen the number of certified devices for Windows 8 and Window RT grow to 2,400 devices, and we’re seeing more and more touch devices in the mix," Reller said. "As we talked about in our last Q&A, Windows 8 is a big, ambitious change. While we realize that change takes time, we feel good about the progress since launch, including what we’ve been able to accomplish with the ecosystem and customer reaction to the new PCs and tablets that are available now or will soon come to market."

Reller also touched on Windows Blue, the codename for an update that will be available later this year. She said that Blue represents an opportunity for Microsoft to respond to customer feedback, though stopped short of saying the coveted Start button would make a triumphant return.

Regardless of what Microsoft decides to do with the Start button, you have to wonder if the company would be better served by admitting failure and going in a different direction before it's perhaps too late. Reller, who apparently has been getting around the interview circuit, spoke with the Financial Times and admitted that Windows 8's "learning curve is definitely real." More than that, at least one analyst likened the current state of Windows to that of Coca-Cola's New Coke nearly three decades ago.

"This is like New Coke, going on for seven months -- only Coke listened better," Richard Doherty, an analyst at Envisioneering, told FT.

It only took Coke three months to drop its new formula after consumers reacted negatively, and one could argue that Microsoft should do the same with Windows. Just as Coke tried to reinvent the flavor of its soda, Microsoft drastically changed the flavor of Windows to suit the trend towards tablets and mobile, but iOS and Android slates still rule the day.

What's your opinion on all this? Should Microsoft admit failure and reverse course, or ride it out knowing that consumers sometimes reactive negatively to change in the beginning?

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TiVo Desktop Software Stops Being Free Next Month

Paul Lilly — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:36:03 +0000

TiVo's Desktop platform is about to switch to a paid pricing model.

Ruh roh Shaggy, time is quickly running out to grab the free version of TiVo's Desktop software for PC. Starting June 5, 2013, the free version will no longer be available to download, so if you want to listen to music and view photos on your TV, or transfer shows from your TiVo DVR to your PC -- all of which the free Desktop software allows -- you'll have to download the software before the deadline. Even then you could still end up having to pay a subscription, depending on your operating system.

After June 5th, you'll still be able to use the free software, provided you're running a compatible OS earlier than Windows 8. Those who plan to use their Windows 8 box will have to upgrade to TiVo Desktop Plus for $16, which is $9 less than it used to be.

"TiVo Desktop Plus works with Microsoft Windows 8 and gives you all of the same features of the regular TiVo Desktop software for the PC. Plus it allows you to transfer shows to your portable devices and transfer web videos to your TiVo DVR," TiVo explains on its FAQ page.

For the full experience that TiVo Desktop has to offer, you'll need at least a 2.2GHz Pentium 4 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 5GB of disk space plus an additional 5GB for ever every of HD programs you transfer.

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Adobe Says Goodbye to Creative Suite, Hello to Creative Cloud

Paul Lilly — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:28:28 +0000

It's the cloud or bust for Adobe and its customers.

Can you feel the ground shaking? That's just Adobe, which today made an earth-rattling announcement regarding its plans to go all-in with the cloud. Adobe Creative Cloud is the company's new flagship offering, a re-imagining of the Creative Suite, if you will, which will no longer see new releases (so no Creative Suite 7, which many anticipated would be announced today) but will continue to be supported.

"We launched Creative Cloud a year ago and it has been a runaway success," said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media, Adobe. "By focusing our energy -- and our talented engineers -- on Creative Cloud, we’re able to put innovation in our members’ hands at a much faster pace."

With today's update, files can be stored, synced, and shared via its Creative Cloud subscription service on Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android. Furthermore, a Creative Cloud subscription gives users access to just about every product Adobe offers, including Photoshop, for $50/month (those who own a Creative Suite product are eligible for a discounted $30/month rate for the first year).

Adobe is also releasing an updated suite of cloud applications, now called CC apps, that include Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, Dreamwever CC, and Premier Pro CC. If all you're interested in is a single app, you'll still have the option of subscribing to it for $20/month rather than being forced to pay for the entire Creative Cloud collection.

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The Sims 4 Ships to PC in 2014

Paul Lilly — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:49:03 +0000

The next Sims title is currently in development

Maxis and Electronics Arts today confirmed that they've begun work on The Sims 4 at The Sims Studio. If all goes to plan, the next major installment in the highly popular Sims franchise will launch to PC and Mac systems sometime in 2014, though it's unknown if the Maxis and EA are targeting an early, mid, or late year release. What we do know is that there will be new and intuitive tools to play with, along with the ability to share items with friends.

We also know that The Sims 4 is being designed as a single-player title to be played offline. Maxis and EA say they want players to have a deeper connection with their on-screen characters, as well as be able to personalize their worlds like never before.

"The Sims franchise is fueled by the passion and creativity of its millions of fans around the world. Your continued devotion to the franchise ignites the fire of creativity of the team at The Sims Studio, driving them to continually improve and innovate on one of the world’s most successful simulation game that has sold more than 150 million copies," Maxis and EA stated in a blog post.

One thing that's interesting is that there's no mention of a console release, though such an announcement could come at a later date. If you want to be one of the first to know about The Sims 4, you can sign up for alerts on a special page designed for the game.

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Acer Chooses To Pass on the Current Version Windows RT

Justin Kerr — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:25:45 +0000

Acer planned to release a Windows RT tablet in Q2, but will hold off for now.

Windows RT tablets are of questionable value when compared to the competition, and Acer can’t resist the temptation to pile on. The PC maker has been making some interesting tablet and Ultrabook designs lately, but is choosing the wait and see approach for the ARM version of Windows 8.

"There are still users looking for more versatile products," said Acer President Jim Wong. He went on to add, "To be honest, there's no value doing the current version of RT." In regards to his opinion on Windows 8, Wong’s opinion was mixed. “The launch was not ideal and the Surface tablet created some distraction, but Microsoft is now doing a good job of supporting its partners and explaining the touch-usage model to customers, Wong said.”

When asked about the company’s vision of the future, Wong clarified that a major focus will be placed on hybrids going forward. "We believe Windows 8 has some more chances. That's why we continue to invest in Windows 8 tablets," Wong said.

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Google Play Makes Its Way To The Nook HD

Justin Kerr — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:53:58 +0000

Barnes & Noble welcomes Google back into their version of Android.

Barnes & Noble knows that the Nook is in an awkward position these days. The company’s name has become synonymous with bad news, and getting users to buy into their ecosystem is becoming increasingly tricky. Nobody wants to buy a dedicated tablet from a company that might not be around this time next year. This could help explain the disappointing sales the company has experienced as of late, but at least they finally have a plan. In a free update, B&N is adding Google Play to the Nook HD and Nook HD+, instantly making them viable platforms.

Nook hardware has always been a great value, and with the addition of Google Play, it gets even better. Users now have access to more than 700,000 Android games, along with an incredible catalog of apps, and music. Unlocking this functionality is risky from a revenue standpoint, but the company is left with little choice as it struggles to compete with Amazon.

Android purists will probably still want to wait until we see what Google plans to do with the next generation Nexus 7, but bargain hunters have another decent option for a super inexpensive HD tablet.

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