Gove backs computer science for school curriculum

December 7th, 2011, 03:40 Posted By: wraggster

Secretary of state for education Michael Gove has said that he backs the call for computer science to be part of the National Curriculum.
Replacing ICT with computer science in schools is central to theNext Gen Skills campaign launched last month by UKIE with help from Google, NESTA, and Skillset, who see it as crucial to putting the UK at the forefront of future high tech business.
Talking to students at Catmose College about ICT in schools, Gove said: "What we should have is computer science in the future, and how it fits into the curriculum is something that we need to talk to scientists, to experts in coding, and to young people about, to make sure that that part of what happens in schools which deals with technology and computing is relevant."
Gove's comments are the first since the government said it understood the need to develop skills in the digital and creative sectors, but at the time remained uncommitted in its official response to the Livingstone Hope review.
That review was submitted to the government in February, with 20 recommendations to boost the digital games and visual effects industries in the UK.
The remarks by the secretary of state for education will please campaigners such as Ian Livingstone, who has held meetings with Gove's special advisor Dominic Cummings about introducing computer science to the classroom.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ool-curriculum

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EFF requests loosening of laws on console, smartphone jailbreaking

December 7th, 2011, 03:38 Posted By: wraggster

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has requested a loosening of America's laws on the jailbreaking of smartphones, tablets and consoles, claiming that current legislation "harm(s) competition, consumer choice, and innovation."
The group achieved a relaxation of the previously existing law last year, but is seeking to capitalise on that victory with further requests.
The legislation in question is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA), which the group claims is restricting many valid fields of use and experimentation - far beyond its original remit of preventing the use of pirated games, programs or music on consumer electronic devices.
"The DMCA is supposed to block copyright infringement. But instead it can be misused to threaten creators, innovators, and consumers, discouraging them from making full and fair use of their own property," said the EFF's intellectual property director Corynne McSherry.
"Hobbyists and tinkerers who want to modify their phones or video game consoles to run software programs of their choice deserve protection under the law. So do artists and critics who use short excerpts of video content to create new works of commentary and criticism. Copyright law shouldn't be stifling such uses - it should be encouraging them."
The EFF also published a detailed account of the requests it's making of the US Copyrigt Office in a PDF, listing both the desired changes to law and the arguments supporting them - making specific reference to the removal of the "otherOS" support from PS3s.
"All three major video game manufacturers - Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo - have deployed technical restrictions that force console purchasers to limit their operating systems and software exclusively to vendor-approved offerings, even where there is no evidence that other options will infringe copyrights," reads the report.
"This severely constrains not only consumer choice and the value of the console to its owner, but also the incentives for independent developers to create copyrightable systems and software that would expand the marketplace for these devices and promote the progress of science and the useful arts in these areas."
Every three years, the EFF re-evaluates it's position on current legislation in the light of technological and cultural advances, resubmitting new suggestions to the relevant governing bodies about potential changes to those laws.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...e-jailbreaking

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DCEmu Christmas 2011 Top 10 Dream Gadgets Gift List

December 6th, 2011, 13:53 Posted By: wraggster



Our final Xmas Gift guide will give you the best 10 buys this Christmas for the Gadgets we all Dream of owning.

Enough talking heres the list, with links to both USA and UK versions of Amazon to compare prices etc:
Heres the top 10 list this Xmas for Dream Gadgets - remember that http://gamingandgadgets.com/ is your main destination for gadget news and much more:

1)


This would be great on my wall, 3d tv at its best

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN60D8...174902&sr=8-12

2)


an HD 3D ready projector at a great price, ill get one hopefully one day:

http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-PJD5...3174996&sr=1-2

3)


pricey but awesome quality laptop from apple

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-...3175152&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-MacBoo...175215&sr=8-12

4)


decent non apple laptop

http://www.amazon.com/HP-XU015UT-Dua...175255&sr=1-11

5)

The hottest phone of the last few years in its present form:

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPhone-1...3171593&sr=8-5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-iPhone...6&sr=8-1-spell

6)

The hottest tablet in the world, pricey but nice

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-iPad-2...3171698&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPad-Tab...3171756&sr=8-1

7)


The biggest threat to the Ipad and the cheapest and best Android tablet at this time, sadly US Only.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-M...3172666&sr=8-1

8)

The sony android tablet that lets you play PSN games as well as android, awesome:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SGPT112US...3175500&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Tablet-...3175581&sr=8-1

9)

get this unlocked for homebrew and you have the best phone/gaming device of them all

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Ericsson-...3175633&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Ericsso...3175697&sr=8-1

10)

The new look kindle is the in device this Xmas helps the kids read too, cant be bad

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wi-Fi...pf_rd_i=468294

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wi-Fi-I...3175943&sr=1-1


Thats it for our Dream Gadgets Christmas Gift List.

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EFF calls for console jailbreaks to be exempt from DMCA

December 6th, 2011, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster

Digital rights advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is seeking to make the "jailbreaking" of smartphones, tablets and consoles legal under US copyright law.
The group has filed exemption requests with the US Copyright Office, asking that jailbreaking - the act of bypassing a device's system security to install unsigned software - be exempt from the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), the US law protecting copyrights online.
"The DMCA is supposed to block copyright infringement," EFF IP director Corynne McSherry said in a press release. "But instead it can be misused to threaten creators, innovators, and consumers, discouraging them from making full and fair use of their own property.
"Hobbyists and tinkerers who want to modify their phones or videogame consoles to run software programs of their choice deserve protection under the law… Copyright law shouldn't be stifling such uses - it should be encouraging them."
Last year the EFF successfully lobbied for the jailbreaking of smartphones to be made exempt from the DMCA, and is calling for that to be expanded to cover consoles and tablets as part of the Copyright Office's three-yearly review process.
Earlier this year the EFF hit out at Sony over its handling of the PS3 jailbreak, in which the platform holder cited the DMCA, as well as the Computer Fraud And Abuse Act, in a lawsuit against George "Geohot" Hotz, the man who posted the console's root key online and opened the door not just to homebrew on the PS3, butwidespread piracy. The case was eventually settled out of court, with Hotz donating to the EFF what remained of the $10,000 he raised to cover his legal expenses.
The Copyright Office will consider the EFF's requests next spring, with a decision expected in October.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/eff-cal...be-exempt-dmca

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MW3 sales up 2% this week as #1 spot retained

December 6th, 2011, 00:08 Posted By: wraggster

Modern Warfare 3 has seen its first weekly increase in sales since its release, with units up two per cent over last week. That increase means that Activision's shooter keeps hold of the UK's top software sales spot, despite renewed competition from EA's FIFA 12 in second.

The sales gap between the two games remains significant, however, with Chart-Track indicating a 55,000 difference in weekly sales for the two titles.

Assasin's Creed: Revelations slips below FIFA to third, with Just Dance 3 jumping up the chart from eighth to fourth. Professor Layton's latest, The Spectre's Call, holds onto seventh, ahead of the newly release Mario Kart 7 in eighth. That game is the only new entry in this week's top 40.

Last Week This Week Title
1 1 Modern Warfare 3
3 2 FIFA 12
2 3 Assassin's Creed: Revelations
8 4 Just Dance 3
4 5 Skyrim
3 6 Saints Row: The Third
7 7 Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call
New Entry 8 Mario Kart 7
9 9 Battlefield 3
10 10 Super Mario 3D Land
13 11 Mario and Sonic at the 2012 Olympic Games
11 12 Need For Speed: The Run
12 13 Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo
6 14 WWE 12
16 15 Batman: Arkham City
20 16 Uncharted 3
15 17 Skylanders
22 18 Forza 4
14 19 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
18 20 Zumba Fitness

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-spot-retained

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Gamers rage over expired Online Pass codes

December 4th, 2011, 00:21 Posted By: wraggster

Gamers threw a hissy fit on the internet yesterday when it came to light that EA's multiplayer-unlocking Online Pass codes can expire.
<FIGURE style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; WIDOWS: 2; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 20px 20px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 300px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: ; WHITE-SPACE: normal; ORPHANS: 2; FLOAT: right; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(68,68,68); CLEAR: both; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; background-clip: initial; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-origin: initial" class="article-image article-image-alt article-image-300"></FIGURE>One gamer discovered this when trying to use a code from a new copy of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit recently purchased from Amazon. The system rejected the code as "incorrect or no longer valid". Other gamers chimed in with similar experiences.But don't throw your toys out of the pram; in response to the matter EA has said that while Online Pass codes should generally not expire, some will and new ones can be acquired for free.
Dragon Age 2, for example, contains codes that will expire on March 31, 2012. "Re-downloading or getting a new Pass is free," EA told Joystiq.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ne-pass-codes/

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Should video games respect international war crimes law?

December 4th, 2011, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster

The International Committee of the Red Cross is investigating whether developers should be asked to better respect and reflect international humanitarian law in their video games.As reported by Kotaku, a "sub-event" was held at the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva this week to discuss how games influence the public perception of war crimes."While the Movement works vigorously to promote international humanitarian law worldwide, there is also an audience of approximately 600 million gamers who may be virtually violating IHL," read the event's description."Exactly how video games influence individuals is a hotly debated topic, but for the first time, Movement partners discussed our role and responsibility to take action against violations of IHL in video games. In a side event, participants were asked: 'What should we do, and what is the most effective method?'"While National Societies shared their experiences and opinions, there is clearly no simple answer. There is, however, an overall consensus and motivation to take action."A video montage, reproduced below, was released to publicise the event, highlighting offending scenes from the Medal of Honor, Call of Duty and ArmA franchises.The committee is yet to announce its findings, with an update expected on the ICRC's website at some point in the next few weeks "with a view to stating and explaining our interest in the topic."Of course, the Red Cross has no authority to impose laws or official restrictions but it is a respected group with the power to influence policy makers. What could the possible outcome of its discussions be?"In line with the Conference's aim of strengthening IHL, the event aims at achieving a common understanding of the problem and outlining a course of action whereby the Movement could help reduce these 'virtual' - yet very realistic - violations of IHL," it explained."One possible course of action could be to encourage game designers/producers to incorporate IHL in the development and design of video games, while another could be to encourage governments to adopt laws and regulations to regulate this ever-growing industry."The Entertainment Software Association offered the following response to news of the debate:"We cannot comment on the merits or specifics of the International Committee of the Red Cross proposal because we have not discussed this with them directly or seen any specifics of their meeting. However, we are immovably committed to developers' rights for creative freedom and in achieving their artistic vision."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...war-crimes-law

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Which game won the battle of the TV ads?

December 3rd, 2011, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster

We reveal what TV viewers liked most about some of this season’s biggest games advertisements, including those for Skyrim, FIFA 12 and Modern Warfare 3.
Ensuring a TV?campaign is seen by a large number of people doesn’t always guarantee strong sales. The creative content of a TV commercial needs to encompass a number of factors to engage the audience and enhance memorability.
Generation Media asked its Generation Gaming Panel which games commercials were the best for the following: graphics, soundtrack, content, length, appropriateness, game footage and overall impact.
Spending big on a cast and crew of hundreds (and 30 ravens, of course) paid off for Skyrim as 24 per cent of the panel voted it their favourite commercial. Special mention was also made of Modern Warfare 3’s ‘The Vet & the Noob’ commercial, helping it achieve 22 per cent of the votes for overall impact.
FIFA 12 scored the highest percentage for a particular category in appropriateness of commercial placement, helped greatly by the large number of football matches on our screens at the moment. Despite recording the highest percentage for graphics (26 per cent), Forza 4 was the least liked advert with just two per cent of votes.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/which...-tv-ads/088039

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Downloads CAN go under the Xmas tree

December 3rd, 2011, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster

Who says you can’t wrap up a download? GAME has come up with a solution to the biggest digital dilemma – how to make a download look good under a Christmas tree.
From tomorrow (Saturday, December 3rd) all of GAME’s UK stores (and GAME.co.uk) will stock Xmas gift packs for PSN and Xbox Live. They can be used for a wide range of titles and customers can write a personalised greeting.
“We’re thrilled to be the world’s first retailer to offer a gift solution for downloads,” GAME Group’s commercial strategy director Tricia Brennan told MCV.
“For the last 10 years people have been telling me ‘you can’t put a download under the Christmas tree.’ Well, now they’re wrong. The gift packs look great, and are designed with one purpose – to make sure every gamer gets the perfect present.
“Our digital offering has evolved enormously over the last 10 months, and we’re very excited to have a unique gifting range in place for our first truly digital Christmas.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/downl...as-tree/088026

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Week one or bust? The shocking truth about new releases

December 3rd, 2011, 23:19 Posted By: wraggster

Much like the big Hollywood movies, triple-A games have become all about the opening weekend.
Sales and marketing experts are focusing their efforts on those first few days. Midnight launches – our version of a film premiere – are becoming increasingly extravagant. We’ve had tanks driving down Oxford Street and absailers delivering stock of Call of Duty.
As a result, many of this year’s sequels – Saints Row 3, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, Forza 4, Battlefield 3 – have smashed the week one performances of their predecessors.
Yet these figures mask the truth that, by the time week two arrives, sales drop off. Severely.
Just look at two of those aforementioned sequels. Sales of Uncharted 3 dropped 72 per cent in its second week, while Foza 4’s dip was 52 per cent.
By comparison, in 2009 Uncharted 2’s week two drop off was 53 per cent, while Forza 3 lost just 23 per cent in sales.
“Week two volumes on new releases are dropping off more quickly,” admits GAME CEO Ian Shepherd.
“There’s a core consumer who is coming out very early to buy. But then the wave of customers that might be coming in week two or three are more cautious, maybe they’re waiting for Christmas.”
WHY THE DROP?
So is the week two drop all down to consumer caution? THQ’s European marketing director Jon Rooke says that the propensity to focus on day one sales and pre-orders is having an impact.
“More than ever, retailers base their initial orders on pre-orders, which forces us to engage customers earlier and offer pre-order incentives,” says Rooke.
“As a result we are marketing earlier. It’s been all about creating that blockbuster event weekend.
“And more than ever we now know how to really pin-point our audience. Whereas before it would take a five week media campaign, today smart marketers can be hitting 80 to 90 per cent of a target audience before launch and certainly within the first 10 days.”
Another reason cited for week two sales falls is the sheer quantity of games. It only takes a week before the latest hit becomes old news.
“Gamers are coming out but their wallet is concentrated on fewer titles and they’re spoilt for choice,” explains Codemasters chief Rod Cousens.
“The volumes on FIFA, Battlefield, Skyrim and CoD illustrate that. With the intensity of releases in a narrow time frame, users move on very quickly.”
This rapid release of blockbuster games is aided by the pre-owned sector. Retailers are letting consumers buy the latest titles for just £5 if they trade-in last week’s big release. It means new games are appearing on the second-hand shelves faster.
“Two years ago I remember seeing data that showed it would take until week four or five before sales of used games overtook the sales of its mint counterpart,” adds Rooke. “Now with pre-owned a much larger component of the retail mix, I would argue that happens much quicker, maybe after three weeks, even two for some titles.
“Walk into HMV or GAME today and you will find games that release only a week ago already on the pre-owned shelves.“If you were to add mint and pre-owned together, you probably wouldn’t see such a sharp sales drop-off after the first week.”
THE?BIGGER?PICTURE
Of course, Chart-Track’s data only goes so far. By week five, your typical triple-A may not be performing well at retail, but what about the DLC that was released just a few weeks after launch? Just because a retailer isn’t making any more money off a four-week-old game, doesn’t mean a publisher isn’t.
“Buying patterns for consumers have migrated towards digital offerings and there is no widespread tracking as yet,” adds Cousens. “The bigger picture needs to be measured.”
Rooke agrees: “People are buying into franchises in different ways. Through DLC, micro-transactions, consumables and companion titles. The data we have doesn’t show the full picture of a transitioning industry.”
Not all games are suffering from an ever-shortening retail lifespan. The casual and kids games are still growing week-on-week. Take Activision’s Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. It didn’t enjoy a spectacular launch but sales have grown each and every week since it came out in October.
WEEK?ONE?OR?BUST?
So it is triple-A that’s suffering. But if the big blockbusters are posting huge week one numbers, does it matter that week two is declining so fiercely?
“Matter? If you’re hitting massive day one figures, then no, I guess not,” says a senior UK publishing boss. “But if you limp out of the gate, then you’re ****ed. It becomes almost impossible to recover.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/week-...eleases/088044

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Video Game Consoles Are 'Fundamentally Doomed,' Says Lord British

December 3rd, 2011, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft sold nearly one million Xbox 360s last week alone, but we're nearing the end of the road for video game consoles according to one industry visionary. Richard Garriott, known for having created the fantasy role-playing franchise Ultima, says converged devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets will soon render dedicated game consoles obsolete: '... the power that you can carry with you in a portable is really swamping what we've thought of as a console.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/1...s-lord-british

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Zelda sells nearly 200k in debut week in Japan

December 3rd, 2011, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster

Latest Zelda title Skyward Sword has leapt straight to the top of the Japanese software chart, selling just shy of 200,000 copies and almost doubling the sales of its Wii host console from last week.
Figures from Japanese retail tracker Media Create indicate that the latest in the series sold 194,978 units during its opening week, making it the first of an incredible eight new releases in the top ten.
7th Dragon 2020 from SEGA came second followed by Saint Seiya Senki in third. Super Mario 3D Land took fourth. Modern Warfare 3 remained in the top ten by the skin of its teeth, selling just under 30,000 copies to take tenth.
Despite the Zelda boost, which saw Wii sales jump from 13,613 last week to 20,148 this week, the console still sat behind the PSP, PS3 and standout leader 3DS, which shifted 120,920 units.
All sales data is courtesy of Media Create, via Andriasang.
Japanese software chart 21/11/11 to 27/11/11. Figures in parentheses are lifetime sales.

• 01. Zelda Skyward Sword - 194,978
• 02. 7th Dragon 2020 - 122,498
• 03. Saint Seiya Senki - 66,557
• 04. Super Mario 3D Land - 61,710 (560,960)
• 05. Metal Gear Solid HD Edition - 61,192
• 06. Little Battler eXperience Boost - 60,727
• 07. Weiss Schwarz Portable - 47,586
• 08. Uta no Prince Sama Music - 38,918
• 09. Taiko Drum Master Wii Ultimate Version - 32,098
• 10. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Subtitled Version - 29,726 (210,098)
• 11. One Piece Gigant Battle 2 - 27,379 (143,441)
• 12. Pop'n Music Portable 2 (Konami, 11/23): 20,965
• 13. Ni no Kuni - 20,185 (87,217)
• 14. Kirby Wii - 19,527 (255,566)
• 15. Final Fantasy Type-0 - 16,655 (698,828)
• 16. Hatsune Miku Project Diva Extend - 16,322 (231,037)
• 17. Pokepark 2 Beyond the World - 14,710 (69,740)
• 18. Just Dance Wii - 14,013 (230,268)
• 19. Wii Party - 13,756 (2,036,622)
• 20. Sengoku Basara 3 Utage - 13,233 (163,201)

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Gaming: Top 11 Products

December 2nd, 2011, 02:27 Posted By: wraggster

Heres the Top 11:

Battlefield 3 (Playstation / XBOX360)
Released in October, this game is still moving quickly.
http://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-3-...dp/B003O6G5TW/
2. Call of Duty Series
Out today – 1 of this season’s most anticipated games!
http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Mode...dp/B00503E8S2/
3. Super Mario Brothers Accessories
T-shirts & plush toys were popular w/ readers in Oct.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...others&x=0&y=0
4. Wii Controllers (Nunchuk / Zapper Gun)
Take your Wii gaming to the next level w/ 1 of these.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse/ref=...4248&sr=8-2-tc
5. Batman Arkham City (Playstation / XBOX360)
The Oct sequel to Batman Arkham Asylum!
http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-...dp/B002I0F5M8/
6. Xbox 360 Live Subscriptions
The best in entertainment & games right on your Xbox.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...=xbox+live+sub
7. Forza Motorsport 4 (XBOX 360)
Yet another Oct release your readers are scooping up!
http://www.amazon.com/Forza-Motorspo...dp/B003O6E986/
8. Gears of War 3 (XBOX 360)
Released Oct 24th exclusively for the Xbox.
http://www.amazon.com/Gears-War-3-Xb...dp/B002I0H79C/
9. Xbox 360 Console
Kinect ready — the only console to make the list!
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-4GB-C...dp/B003O6JKLC/
10. Rage (Playstation / XBOX 360)
First-person shooter game released Oct 4.
http://www.amazon.com/Rage-Xbox-360/dp/B00354NAYG/
11. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (Playstation / XBOX 360)
BAFTA award-winner & only 2010 game to make the list!
http://www.amazon.com/Need-Speed-Hot...dp/B003R783IY/

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Top 10 hottest mobile phones, devices & accessories

December 2nd, 2011, 02:24 Posted By: wraggster

Heres the top 10 hottest selling Mobile Phone/device/accessorie at this time:

1.Kindle Wi-Fi 6″ E Ink Display
The least expensive Kindle is Amazon’s #1 best seller and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...kindle&x=0&y=0
2.iPhone 4S
Just when you thought a smartphone couldn’t get any better, it just did — the iPhone 4S is sure to change the way you communicate.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-iPhone...one-/109353398
3.HTC EVO Phone
HTC EVO 4G is a snazzy-looking Android touchscreen phone that houses a 1 GHz Qualcomm QSD 8650 processor for the smoothest mobile multi-tasking experience ever.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/HTC-EVO-4G-1...one-/102331090
4.iPod Touch
Enjoy watching videos on the 3.5-inch Multi-touch Retina display of the iPod touch 4G at a stunning resolution of 960x640p.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-iPod-t...odel-/92352708
5.Earphone Headset for iPhone
Light Weight, compact, stylish, replacement headset for all iPhones!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...eadset&x=0&y=0
6.HTC Sensation
“HTC Sensation 4G is a fashionable touchscreen phone that houses the dual core Snapdragon 1.2 GHz processor.”
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/HTC-Sensatio...one-/108402857
7.iPhone 3G/3GS
The inexpensive iPhone. The 3GS with a full 3.5-inch screen, the iPhone 3GS cell phone gives you a clear view of all the contents and applications.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-iPhone...one-/101828989
8.Motorola Droid
The popular Smartphone powered by Android 2.0 developed in partnership with Google and Verizon wireless.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Motorola-Dro...hone-/99998556
9.iPod Nano
The Smallest iPod – A 1.54-inch color multi-touch display makes navigation unbelievably fast so your music is just a tap away.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-iPod-n...8-GB-/92314629
10.iPad 2
Movies, games & books come alive on the stunning 9.7-inch widescreen LED Multi-Touch display of the Apple iPad 2.
http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-iPad-2...del-/103127916

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Study: half of UK children have toy based on virtual world

December 2nd, 2011, 02:05 Posted By: wraggster

More than half of UK children own a toy based on a virtual world, according to a new study by youth research firm Dubit.
The company surveyed 500 children from around the UK, finding that 55 per cent owned at least one toy based on one of Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin, Build-A-BearVille, Poptropica or Webkinz. Seventy-three per cent had played at least one of the games in question.
Forty-seven percent had played Moshi Monsters, the hugely popular online game which now boasts 50 million users and a successful spin-off magazine. Developer Mind Candy is expanding at such a rate that it expects to double its headcount in the next 12 months and was recently valued at £125 million.
Twenty-five per cent of respondents had a Moshi Monsters toy, making it more popular than Ben 10 (20 per cent) and almost as popular as Spongebob Squarepants (29 per cent).
Dubit's findings show that the increasing popularity of children's online games is beginning to spread to other media, with these rapidly growing virtual worlds taking on the long-established dominance of the licensed toy market by TV and film. The Toy Retailers Association recently named the Moshi Monsters Moshling Treehouse among what it expects to be the most popular 12 toys in the UK this Christmas.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/study-h...-virtual-world

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eBooks market to hit $9.7 billion by 2016

December 1st, 2011, 23:33 Posted By: wraggster

Juniper Research's new report 'Mobile Publishing: eBooks, eMagazines & eNewspapers for Smart Devices' said specialist eReaders will drive the growth.
They will represent 30 per cent of all downloads by 2016.
This analysis implies that for all the progress made by smartphones and tablets as reading devices, they are not the preferred format for digital book fans.
It says that, while mobile handsets currently account for the largest share of eBook downloads, the majority of these are comprised by the Japanese manga market.
However, the report does reference the growing trend for storefront operators to enable synchronised eBook content across multiple devices including eReaders and phones.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...by-2016/016339

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Study claims to prove effect of violent games on brain function

November 30th, 2011, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster

US radiologists claim to have shown for the first time that playing violent videogames has an effect on parts of the brain that control emotion.
The study, carried out by the department of radiology and imaging sciences at Indiana University School Of Medicine, split a group of 22 men aged 18 to 29, none of whom were regular gamers, into two. The first group played a shooter for 10 hours in a week, then refrained from playing at all in the second week. The other group played no violent games at all.
MRI scans were carried out at the beginning, middle and end of the study while the participants completed two tests, one assessing emotional interference and the other cognitive inhibition.
The scans showed that after a week of playing a violent game, the gamers "showed less activation in the inferior frontal lobe during the emotional task and less activation in the anterior cingulate cortex during the [second] task." At the end of the second week, in which no games were played, the effect was diminished.
Yang Wang, assistant research professor in the department of radiology and imaging sciences at Indiana University School of Medicine, said: "For the first time, we have found that a sample of randomly assigned young adults showed less activation in certain frontal brain regions following a week of playing violent videogames at home.
"These brain regions are important for controlling emotion and aggressive behaviour… These findings indicate that violent videogame play has a long-term effect on brain functioning."
Except, of course, they don't appear to indicate that at all: even the Daily Mail notes that frontal lobe activity is affected when we learn any new skill. Michael Lipton, of Albert Einstein College Of Medicine in New York, told Medical News Today: "There have been a lot of studies that expose patients to novel behaviours, and you see changes in brain activity that then go away over time. The problem is, how does that translate into real-world functionality?"
It's a tiny sample, too: why only 22 people, and why only violent games? Why only men? If the change in brain function diminishes after a week, in what way does the research prove any long-term effect? It's a report that poses more questions than it answers - questions we'll be putting to its authors.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/study-c...brain-function

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Skyward Sword tops Japanese Chart

November 30th, 2011, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster

The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the new number one in the Japanese all-formats software chart.
Link's Wii swan-song sold almost 195,000 copies in its first week on sale, comfortably beating two PSP new entries, 7th Dragon 2020and Saint Seiya Senki, which have to settle for second and third respectively.
It was a busy week for new releases, with eight of the top ten making their debuts. 3DS was once again the best-selling hardware of the week, with 120,920 units sold, beating sales of all other platforms combined.
01. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
02. 7th Dragon 2020 (Sega)
03. Saint Seiya Senki (Namco Bandai)
04. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
05. Metal Gear Solid HD Edition (Konami)
06. Little Battler Experience Boost (Level-5)
07. Weiss Schwarz Portable (Namco Bandai)
08. Uta No Prince Sama Music (Broccoli)
09. Taiko Drum Master Wii Ultimate Version (Namco Bandai)
10. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Subtitled Version (Square Enix)

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/skyward...japanese-chart

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Comet opens online store with eBay

November 30th, 2011, 23:20 Posted By: wraggster

Comet has partnered with eBay to create an online store, making its full portfolio available to eBay customers.
According to ERT, Comet claims to be the first High Street retailer to do such a thing, and has pledged that eBay customers will get the same level of support and services as someone who had bought in-store.
As well as the online collaboration, Comet products will also be offered at eBay’s Christmas boutique which will open in London in early December.
“This is the first time a well-known high-street brand has made its full inventory available through the site,” said eBay’s UK retail director, Angus McCarey.
“It will give our customers access to a huge range of electrical products at competitive prices and will enable Comet to benefit from access to millions of potential new customers, so they can sell stock quickly and cost-effectively. Our huge customer base and mobile shopping expertise are key reasons why so many high street brands are opting to sell with us.”

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...th-ebay/027595

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NPD: Sales of dancing games up 326% over last year

November 30th, 2011, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster

<CENTER style="WIDOWS: 2; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; FONT: 14px/22px 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; ORPHANS: 2; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"></CENTER>In the US, dancing game sales are up 326% percent year over year, the NPD told the LA Times. That's for the 12-month period ending October 31. Compare that with overall game sales, which rose 3%.

Of course, at the end of October last year, Just Dance 2 had only started selling. Since then, it's been doing very well for itself, and has been followed by several spinoffs, including Just Dance Kids (and its sequel!), Michael Jackson: The Experience, The Black Eyed Peas Experience, Just Dance 2 Summer Party, and, of course, Just Dance 3.

Too damn many Just Dance games can't claim all the credit for the growth in dancing-machine sales. Dance Central is at somewhere over 2.5 million units, and it's been followed by a sequel; Zumba Fitness has been a phenomenon, and Sony's Everybody Dance is also available.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/29/np...ver-last-year/

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