EA Sports nearly knocks "NCAA 10" out of the park

While we're waiting on the new (and supposedly improved) “Madden NFL 10,” due Friday, it's a good time to take a look at EA Sports' “other” football game: “NCAA 10.”

Upon putting in the PlayStation 3 version, it's readily apparent that EA Sports has stepped up the details. There are a lot of new animations, which add to the realistic feel – and when you create a player with a tough-to-pronounce name, the announcers tend to get it right. Amazing.

“NCAA” has a high level of difficulty, but there are a couple of gadgets that help you keep pace.

The new “setup” control allows you to bait the defense into coming closer to the line of scrimmage. So, for example, if you call several run plays in a row, the opposing line will creep up – allowing you to run a play-action pass play, get your receiver behind the defense, and try to throw to him for a big play.

On defense, you can hold down the “win” button and magically watch as your cornerback turns into Deion Sanders or as your linebacker becomes Mike Singletary. It's almost foolproof.

A couple of other new features add an incredible amount of depth.

You can create your own team using a free Web site on your PC, customizing everything there and then transferring it to your console. (I saw people had created a few area high school teams in exquisite detail online.)

And the new “season showdown” mode is a true innovation. During the season, you play the same schedule as the real-life team of your choice – against a computer or online opponent – and you can follow your standings online or in game.

You can earn points, via online play or against the computer, during the four-month regular season that begins Aug. 31. The only way to lose points is for sportsmanship, so no running up the score. The season ends with a championship round. EA Sports will post weekly podcasts with updates. It's a wonderful addition, and I hope it's in “Madden” as well.

There are some bugs in “NCAA 10” – players running in circles for no reason, cheerleaders wearing shorts in snowstorms. But all in all, this is another strong game.

And Madden says: Panthers in playoffs in 2010

EA Sports annual simulation of the NFL season predicts Carolina as a wild card entry into the playoffs, which would mean a little team history with back-to-back postseason appearances.

The simulation also revealed these factoids:

-- After missing nearly the entire 2008 season due to an injured left knee, Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to the best overall record (14-2) as he compiled over 4,500 yards and threw for 47 touchdowns – also being named the season MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

The rest of the AFC played out similar to last season, as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers won their divisions, while the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens secured the AFC Wild Card spots. The biggest surprise was the performance of New York Jets rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It was not enough, however, as the Jets once again failed to make the playoffs.

-- In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles returned to prominence, winning the toughest division (NFC East), thanks to a 12-4 record. Andy Reid was awarded Coach of the Year. The Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons prove that last year wasn’t a fluke as they took home their division crowns. The Jay Cutler-led Chicago Bears will also rebound in a big way, taking the NFC North division. The New York Giants and Carolina Panthers grabbed the NFC Wild Card spots.

NFL 2009 Season Awards (as simulated by Madden NFL 10):

* NFL MVP – Tom Brady, New England Patriots
* Offensive Player of the Year – Tom Brady, New England Patriots
* Defensive Player of the Year – Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
* Offensive Rookie of the Year – Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
* Defensive Rookie of the Year – Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
* Coach of the Year – Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles.



NFL 2009 All-Pro Team:



* Quarterback – Tom Brady, New England Patriots
* Running Back
o Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
o Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
* Wide Receiver
o Randy Moss, New England Patriots
o Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
* Tight End – Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
* Offensive Line
o Matt Light, New England Patriots
o Shawn Andrews, Philadelphia Eagles
o Chris Snee, New York Giants
o Logan Mankins, New England Patriots
o Michael Roos, Tennessee Titans
* Defensive Line
o Trevor Pryce, Baltimore Ravens
o Haloti Ngata, Baltimore Ravens
o Kris Jenkins, New York Jets
o Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants
* Linebacker
o Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
o Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphins
o James Farrior, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Defense Back
o Brandon Meriweather, New England Patriots
o Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders
o Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens
o Donte Whitner, Buffalo Bills
* Kicker – Josh Scobee, Jacksonville Jaguars
* Punter – Brad Maynard, Chicago Bears
* Kick Returner – Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
* Punt Returner – Josh Cribbs, Cleveland Browns

Buick to release plug-in hybrid SUV next year

I've said this before, I think Buick is going to be GM's best brand moving forward.

The company's new designs are eye-catching and if the 2010 LaCrosse sedan delivers anywhere near what it looks like Buick will have a hit on its hands.

Now, the company is announcing that GM's plug-in hybrid technology will be introduced in a new Buick crossover vehicle in 2011. The nameless car, for now, will launch late next year with what the company calls "a family of fuel-efficient direct-injected gasoline engines, followed in 2011 by the plug-in hybrid model."

The new five-passenger crossover will build on the success of the Buick Enclave, offering the brand's finely crafted execution and premium driving experience in a fuel-efficient package.

The Buick crossover will be powered by an Ecotec 2.4L direct-injected four-cylinder engine with an optional 3.0L direct-injected V-6, and is expected to deliver 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway.

The Buick plug-in hybrid version is expected to be the first commercially available plug-in hybrid SUV produced by a major automaker.

GM claims that the Buick plug-in hybrid has the potential to achieve double the fuel economy of comparably-sized SUVs on short trips. It will use same battery cells as the upcoming Chevy Volt. The lithium-ion battery can be fully recharged in four to five hours by simply connecting the vehicle to any standard 110V household electrical outlet. By recharging rather than refueling, the Buick plug-in hybrid significantly improves fuel economy and reduces petroleum use. In early testing, the plug-in hybrid is capable of electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles at low speeds.

On the road, GM's 2-Mode plug-in hybrid system can use any combination of electric or gasoline engine power to move the vehicle, depending on the driving conditions. This differs from GM's Voltec technology, which provides the Volt with up to 40 miles of emissions- and petroleum-free electric-only propulsion, and an overall range of more than 300 miles with its flex-fuel engine-generator.

In addition to the lithium-ion battery pack, the Buick plug-in hybrid's powertrain features two powerful electric motors, sophisticated electronic controls and battery management systems and an efficient direct-injected 3.6L V-6 flex-fuel engine.

New ATM scam to be on guard for

A reader sent me this link and I thought I should share. This is not the kind of gadget you want to fall prey to:

Madden 10 Xbox 360 download available and....

The new Madden is much slower than previous versions. And this is a good thing. Being in the pocket actually feels like being in the pocket.

PS3 users have to wait until Friday. But download the demo and let me know what you think.

Harding sports standout now videogame star

Harding High boys basketball coach Walt Aikens Sr. is a little lonely these days. His best friend, son Walt Jr., is up at Illinois getting ready for football season.

"It was like somebody died around here when he left," Aikens Sr. said. "When I was cutting grass in the front yard. He was doing the back. When I was in the garage working out, I'd call him to come with me. We were always together."

Last year, "Little Walt" was a three-sport star at Harding who enjoyed one of the best seasons in Mecklenburg County sports history. He was named conference player of the year in football, basketball and track. He had Division I college offers in each sport, ultimately choosing football and Illinois.

"Little Walt," who won the state track long jump with a leap of nearly 24 feet, reports he's already seven pounds heavier than his prep playing weight of 195 pounds. Little Walt is 6-2 with 4.4 second speed. He also called home last week to report that he's been digitized into the new EA Sports NCAA Football 10 game.

Aikens is seen as No. 23 for Illinois. "He made sure to call me," Aikens Sr. said. "But several other people beat him to it. They called and said, 'We're playing with your son now.' I didn't even play the game before. Guess I have to go get one now."

Joe Jackson to Larry King: "I don't know where Michael's body is""

Interesting interview. What do you think?

GM/Chevy on the right track with new Equinox SUV

So, GM is not making cars people want to drive, right?

Well that's changing. The General's current model lineup looks like the best in its history, and the new Chevrolet mini-SUV, the Equinox, fits right in.

I got to drive the redesigned 2010 model this week in not quite fully decked out trim. The test model was black with black leather interior. Walking up to it, I thought it was an Acura MDX, and driving it, I noticed people couldn't stop staring (an impression a friend told me he had while driving Ford's new 2010 Taurus).

Inside, the truck had all the gadgets to make it feel right at home in this blog: Bluetooth, GM's excellent OnStar system, full iPod intergration (why can't Honda and Toyota do this on all cars; stinks to buy the tech-happy new Accord and not have it control the iPod), a solid stereo system with a built-in hard drive, XM radio; basically, the works.

Inside, what really impressed me was the build quality. There was an odd piece of plastic in a storage bin at the top of the dash, but everywhere else the car felt pretty well put together, at least as good as most foreign brands I drive. Rear seat room is good. The truck is a tad narrow, so you lose some width in the trunk, but of course the rear seats fold down enough to put just about anything behind you.

But what I was curious about was how she'd drive.

The previous Equinox drove too soft. If you just nudged the steering wheel in any direction, the car made a much stronger response to move that way.

Basically, the power steering was overdone. This one is much better, though, it could still be tuned a little better. The car still drives a little soft and it's a touch bouncy, but what SUV do you know that's bigger than a RAV-4 and a CRV that can get 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 22 in the city? GM doesn't stand for Gas Monger any more.

GM's new 2.4 liter inline four cylinder fooled me until I really tried to push it. It was much more quiet than you'd expect -- especially if you have driven previous GM 4 bangers -- and delivered power smoothly. You could pass and get up to speed reasonably well. If you like, you can equip your 'Nox with a 6-cylinder engine, give up about 5 MPG, but gain some horsepower. The 4 banger is 182; the 6 is 264.

Shocked as I am to say this, I'd skip the 6 cylinder and use the extra $1,500 on some options, like a sunroof. Any truck this nice needs one.

Toyota to offer Prius to GM?

According to a Bloomberg article, Toyota is in apparent talks with GM to offer a version of its Prius hybrid car to the American automaker.

The report quotes anonymous sources who report that Toyota President Akio Toyoda and GM’s Fritz Henderson will meet in Michigan in August. A GM version of Prius could be built in California where GM is ending assembly of the Pontiac Vibe as part of its bankruptcy filing.

Toyota is considering the California plant as a Prius production site after shelving plans to make the gasoline-electric car in Mississippi, two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg earlier this month.

IMAX Theater at Stonecrest, "Transformers II" are hits

Critics have universally panned "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," taking issue with the script, the acting and some have questioned the need for pair of racially insensitive robots -- and all of the sexual innuendo.

I think the critics have it mostly wrong. Apparently, you do, too.

After five days, the movie has raked in more than $200 million domestically and is well on its way to the $400 million club, the kind of U.S. business only eight films in history have done.

And the thing is, this movie isn't directed at the critics. It's directed at the pre-teens and teens who will enjoy all the shots of Megan Fox bent over motorcycles or in white jeans that appear painted on; kids who will enjoy the Animal House humor and the reefer jokes. They're not for those of us with 401Ks and a need to check the dependent box on our 1040s every spring.

Taken in that context, I'd say the movie hits its mark -- with a bullseye.

Tuesday afternoon, I took my son and his friend to see the film. The kids are both nine. I actually thought all the sex talk and sex play -- and there was a lot of it -- might be a little much. Then I thought maybe all the violence -- and there was an awful lot of it -- might be a little much. Many, many people die, and die spectacularly. The special effects in this one, particularly a huge U.S. warship going down after being slapped by a bad robot, are eye-dropping.

Both kids loved it. My son told me he's not sure if he loved (the critically praised) "Star Trek" or Transformers II more. But one thing he did like better: seeing the robots in IMAX. We saw Star Trek at Phillips Place, on a regular surround sound screen.

I'm not sure how Transformers plays in normal theaters, but in the IMAX at the Stonecrest Theater on Rea Road, it is spectacular. You walk in the theater and there's hardly any room for that brown curtain to cover part of the screen. The screen runs wall to wall and nearly floor to ceiling. You have to sit back a little to take it all in.

You remember the first time you saw a really good HDTV picture, when everyone had square TVs? That's kind of like the feeling you get walking into the IMAX for the first time. Everything is sharper, bigger.

The experience isn't as mind-blowing as at Discovery Place, where you're laid back and the IMAX screen nearly wraps around you, but it's close. The sound is amazing. And loud. The images are crystal clear and huge.

The only part I really hated was paying $37 to get in. That's $15 for adults and $11 for children. At the 12:20 matinee.

So after I bought the kids two Cookie Dough candy boxes for $8 total -- and those little things are devilishly good -- I was set back darn near a car payment.

At that point, I probably would've enjoyed "Fried Green Tomatoes." But Transformers was what I expected. A light, if somewhat predictable story with great special effects and a few loud out loud funny moments.

I could've done without the two jive talking robots, who claimed they couldn't read (a little too stereotypical). I was surprised this movie got past all the screeners and nobody ever said, "Hey, you think we might be upsetting folks for no reason here?"

Thankfully, those bots don't dominate the screen time, and thankfully this movie wasn't as bad as I was led to believe.

Critics “forget what the goal of the movie was. The goal of the movie is to entertain and have fun,” Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount told the Associated Press. “What the audience tells us is, ‘We couldn't be more entertained and having more fun.'”

According to Paramount's exit polls, 91 percent of the audience thought the sequel was as good as or better than the first “Transformers,” which got far better reviews.

All I know is on Imax, Transformers II, for me, was mindless fun, a nice getaway on a hot Tuesday afternoon: exactly what I wanted it to be.

Rockers R.E.M. releases live digital EP

R.E.M. will release a live digital EP, entitled Reckoning Songs From The Olympia, through iTunes and all digital service providers on July 7th, 2009.

The EP features live versions of four songs from the band's beloved second album Reckoning that were recorded during R.E.M.'s "working rehearsals" at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in July 2007. The track-listing is "Harborcoat," "Letter Never Sent," "Second Guessing," and "Pretty Persuasion." In its five-star live review, Q magazine said: " Eleven new songs are played each night, while the remainder are a changing complement of oldies that pointedly contextualize the virgin material." ( http://remhq.com/news_story.php?id=585).

The EP will give fans a preview of what's to come when the band release R.E.M. Live At The Olympia as a two-CD set this fall. R.E.M., which is singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, and bassist Mike Mills, performed a special five-night residency — dubbed "working rehearsals" — at the fabled Irish venue to test out new songs for their 2008 studio album Accelerate, which was produced by Grammy-Award winning producer Jacknife Lee and topped multiple charts its first week of release.

Reckoning Songs From The Olympia comes on the heels of the 25th anniversary of Reckoning, which was released on April 9th, 1984. On June 23rd, the band released a deluxe edition of the album, featuring a bonus disc with eight of its 10 songs recorded live in Chicago in 1984, to celebrate the occasion.

Will Buick's new ads help change brand perception, sell cars?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Buick's new sports sedan, the eye-catching LaCrosse. I think it's a car that could really turn GM's fortunes.

Buick has long appealed only to old folks, right? Well, here's a car that goes straight after the Lexus/Acura-driving crowd and, to my 42-year-old eyes, it's the best looking design on the market right now.

The car is set to hit showrooms in the next two weeks -- full of techno gadgets like bluetooth and an available mile-per-hour meter that registers in the windshield so you don't have to look down to see how fast you're going (we've got to include that, right, because this is a blog about games and gadgets).

I have read some places where people questioned the opening ads (as seen above) for the LaCrosse and Buick's excellent Enclave crossover, which I think is the best-looking SUV/crossover on the market right now along with Toyota's Venza. I liked the new message in the spot of having a hip young movie director, however quirkly, really falling in love with Buick, the old man's brand.

"You've changed," he says as the appropriately titled "Here Comes The Hotstepper" plays in the background.

I think that's a great message to put out now. Buick's reliability ratings are up and the new LaCrosse has gotten plenty of positive press for almost everything except its smallish 13 cubic foot trunk. As I said before, I think this is a car that can help save GM, along with the upcoming Chevy Cruze hybrid and the electric Volt. The LaCrosse is the kind of car, if it drives and maintains as well as it looks, that will attract foreign car buyers and younger buyers to the brand (especially if there are some incentives attached).

One of these days, I'm going to trade the old Honda, and for the first time in my life, I think I might consider the old man's brand. It's like guy in the commerical says, Buick has changed.

Apple sells one million new iPhones over the weekend

Even in a down economy, people still appear to like Apple's iPhone.

The company's new iPhone 3GS model debuted last weekend, for $199 or $299, and Apple reports it sold one million of them in the first three days. It also said that six million customers downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software for older iPhones in the first five days of its release.

The Palm Pre, in comparison, sold about 100,000 in its first weekend.

Click here for a speed comparison between the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

Glass Joe is back and Wii Punch Out rocks

“Punch Out” ( ***1/2): Glass Joe is back. This was one of my favorite games on the old 8-bit Nintendo machine, and playing this boxing title with the Wiimote is realistic and fun. The premise is simple: You see your guy's hands and some big lug in front of you, and you trade blows. If you have a Wii Balance Board, you can also incorporate your feet into the gameplay; very cool. The new “3-D look” didn't really do much for me – it still pretty much looks like it used to. But that's fine. It's still one of my favorite titles of the year.

“The Legendary Starfy” ( **): This big Japanese hero is another Mario-like character, albeit one shaped like a star, who swims, jumps and bounces through a maze-like world defeating enemies. Starfy can morph into a dragon, a seal, a ghost or a chicken. It's well-done, but I just didn't really get it.

“Let's Tap” Nintendo Wii ( ***): Place your Wiimote on a flat, stable surface and simply tap it to make onscreen characters sprint, play songs, swim or paint. It's another one of those simple collections of minigames that will hook you quickly. Great family fun.

Cool, a live game show that you play on Xbox 360

Microsoft recently launched on Xbox Live a beta version of a massively multiplayer online game, “1 vs 100,” based on the TV game show of the same name. It's a bold new move for video-gaming, offering a live game show played on the console that engages the entire family.

Selected players receive entries to win prizes like a 52-inch plasma TV, $3,000 cash and Microsoft Zune music players.

Each episode is a two-hour game show that features real-time play between players. A host conducts the action. There's a featured player called The One who tries to win the game outright by eliminating all 100 members of The Mob by answering questions correctly.

When you sign in to play, you are assigned to The Mob, or to be The One. (Your Xbox Live avatar appears on screen when you're selected, which is cool.) If you're picked as neither, you can play as The Crowd.

The game tracks your answers, and the more correct ones you get, the better your chances of being selected to “come on down!” – to coin a different game-show's phrase. But if you get a question wrong, you're no longer a member of the Mob (or The One), and are sent into The Crowd. Don't worry, though, you can still play – and win stuff – from there.

Live games are going on each day; you can check www.xbox.com for the schedule.

I think Microsoft has a big hit on its hands with this, and I can't wait to see what other types of live community-based games might be coming next.

iPhone 3GS in action (videos)

Here's one showing the new iPhone 3GS against the older 3G.



This video is made from the new iPhone's video camera (not bad).

Here's what the Panthers look like on Madden 10

EA Sports sent me some screen shots of several Panther players from the upcoming Madden 10. What do you think?

Overall the Panthers are rated an 83 overall as a team, which leads the NFC South.

Next gen screen shots:




Here are some shots from the Nintendo Wii version

Demo for NCAA Football out today

EA Sports NCAA Football 10 drops July 14, but the company put out a free demo on Xbox Live and the PlayStation store today. The demo shows off new features like:

§ Defensive Keys—Prior to the snap during the pre-play, hold the left trigger while pressing the analog stick in the direction you think will stop the run. If you think the offense will pass the ball, press upward. Or, you can press the icon associated with a receiver (X, Y, A, B, LB, RB) to spotlight that individual. This will focus the defense on making sure that the chosen offensive player does not make a play.

§ Defensive Player Assist—By holding A (on 360) or X (on PS3) on defense your player will be put under CPU control so you have time to read a play and decide the best course of action.

§ Enhanced Defensive Lineman Moves—With new animations, take control of your defensive linemen using the right stick to fight pass blocks and put pressure on the quarterback.

§ Gameplanning—There are six defensive and five offensive individual game planning options, or you can globally set your offense and defense. Each option changes the way your team will perform. For example, be aggressive and try and strip the ball every time and you run the risk of getting more facemask penalties.

§ Player Lock—Player lock allows you to lock on to a specific player in order to control that position during the play. When you lock on you'll get a whole new camera angle that puts you closer to the action.

§ Set Up Plays—Set up plays allows you to run one play in order to set up another. When picking a play, you will notice that some plays have a chain link between them, which indicates that one play can set up the other. Every time you use one particular play throughout the game, you are setting up for the play that is chain linked to it. Once the play is 100% set up (as shown in your playbook), the defense is at its highest likelihood to fall for that play action.

§ 1000 new animations like throw out of a sack, new shotgun snaps/hand-offs, WR/DB interactions, tackles, double team run blocks, catches, broken tackles, and slipping in bad weather.

You can also log into teambuilder.easports.com to create custom teams that can be shared and used in-game when the full product launches on July 14th. TeamBuilder is an all-new, online create-a-school feature that gives gamers the capability to upload logos and numerous customization options for uniforms, fields and rosters.

DirecTV offers bonus U.S. Open golf coverage

Golf fans who have DirecTV are in for a treat. The satellite company is offering free bonus coverage Thursday-Sunday.

There will be three additional channels (702-705) in addition to the national feeds on ESPN and NBC.

DirecTV offered this type of bonus coverage from the Masters and will also offer it during the British Open and the PGA Championship, covering all of golf's four major championships.

This weekend, a "Mix Channel" will show the network feed and all three bonus channels on one screen. The first bonus channel will follow a group of golfers around the course (Hello Tiger!). Another channel will focus on a particular area of the course. A third will provide live updates, highlights and interviews.

Each of the extra channels will be offered in both standard- and high-definition and are fully produced with their own production crew and announcers. Customers with interactive receivers can view all four channels in the Mix and use their remote to listen to any channel’s audio or tune directly to the full-screen channel. The Mix also features a real-time leader board to keep tabs on all the action.

The interactive services, available by pressing the red button on the remote, include a look at the top five leaders; the full leader board, with the ability to select any golfer for in-depth, hole-by-hole stats; a five-question, daily trivia contest on the history of the event; and a “Tune To” menu item that allows the viewer to tune directly to the Mix Channel (701) and any one of the four channels (702-705), including the main network feed.

A dilemma for iPhoners, or those that want to be

The new iPhone 3.0 software is out for existing users and it is good. The internet moves faster. You can cut and paste. You can turn the phone sideways to type email (finally) and there's a neat voice recorder now included that allows you to leave a tape recorder at home. It all works seamlessly, like many Apple products, and all of a sudden I'm not hearing so much about the Palm Pre anymore.

The new software, combined with a Mobile Me account from Apple, allows you to track where your phone is at any time. You can even have it display a message and/or beep to help you find it.

If need be, you can even wipe its data remotely, removing all your emails and sensitive information.

This was a brilliant addition.

But here's the thing, there's a new iPhone coming this week and it does everything better.

The battery lasts longer. The camera is sharper and autofocuses. It also takes video, which the current phone does not. AT&T is making it harder on current users by widening the window for available plan discounts to get the new phone for as low as $199 (16 gig version) if they re-up for two years.

Now, users whose contracts won't expire for three more months are eligible.

If you're thinking of jumping and getting a new iPhone, the new version is $199 or $299 (32 gigs). The current iPhone is now $99, and with the new software, it does everything better than any other smart phone out there -- except the new iPhone 3GS.

And one of the biggest bugaboos about the current model is battery strength. It ain't good. The new model improves on that -- greatly.

So what are you guys going to do? Stand pat, enjoy the new software and wait on the next iPhone revision, which would probably be more of a quantum leap than this; or go grab a 3G-S now?

New iPhone software due today (6/17)

While many wait for the iPhone 3G-S this weekend, other current iPhone user are going to get some features they've waited a long time for with the release of new software today.

iPhone users can get it via iTunes.

The 3.0 software includes new search features that will search your entire iPhone, peer to peer gaming and the ability to cut and paste or buy and view movies and TV shows from the handset. The new software will also allow users to turn the handset sideways to make typing emails and texts a little easier. Other features include a voice memo recorder, better internet browsing and Bluetooth support.

For those that grab it, would love to hear your experiences.

More fitness games drop for the Wii (and they're good, too)

Wii Fit – a truly revolutionary Nintendo add-on that provides users with a personal trainer and workouts – has led to the development of many exercise games.

Nintendo recently released “Personal Trainer Walking,” which comes with a small device you can put in your pocket or clip on your belt. The DS title comes with an “activity meter” that records how many steps you take during the day and can send the data wirelessly (or via synching) to your handheld console.

The game then converts this information into interesting facts about your activity level and invites you to increase it. Ultimately, the unit can track up to five years of performance/progress.

I hooked it up to a friend's dog for a day and found that even though he mostly lays around in the yard, he was more active than me.

“EA Sports Active” for the Wii is another “game” that takes you through traditional exercises that target different muscle groups – and has one heckuva cardio routine.

To get started, you slip the Wii nunchuk controller into a special leg strap and follow the lead of your on-screen trainer. You run, do lunges, box, and dance as your trainer – Bob Greene from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” – keeps you motivated.

Overall, the workouts on “EA Sports Active” are a little more intense than the Wii Fit's software. It definitely had me sweating.

Wii-Mote competition from Sony, Microsoft on the way

I was surprised it took Microsoft and Sony – which both recently announced motion-based controllers – so long to respond to industry-leading Nintendo's Wiimote.

Nintendo's motion-sensitive controller has become so popular that nongamers are buying Wiis and Wii Fits for the novelty and for the fitness benefits.

But competition is on the horizon:

Microsoft plans to deliver a hands-free controller system called “Project Natal.” It allows gamers to use their hands and body to control Xbox 360 games and movies without touching a controller, a definite one-up to Nintendo's Wiimote.

With the Wiimote, if you want to throw a ball, for instance, you hold the controller and make a throwing motion. With Microsoft's new system, you can do the same thing just by making the motion.

If this works, it'll be the biggest video-game breakthrough since the original Sony PlayStation introduced us to realistic-looking graphics. The release date is up in the air, but expect the system to cost about $100.

Sony's new motion controller is a lot more traditional. It's a handheld device that resembles a wand with a ball at the end. It will use the PlayStation EyeToy to track the ball to capture motion as you play. Sony says gamers will be able to write or draw using the wand, due to increased sensitivity. It's due early next year.

Will "Backbreaker" challenge Madden for football supremacy?

A new video football game, Backbreaker, is due this fall. These highlights looks pretty good. Is it the Madder-killer some gamers hope it will be?

No real teams or players is hard. At best, it'll be a Madden alternative. What do you think?

Video Games | BackBreaker | E3 09: Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

New software helps Chinese block internet porn

Chinese parents won't have to worry about their kids accessing adult web sites.

China is requiring all domestically sold PCs to carry software called "Green Dam--Youth Escort." GDYE prevents computers from accessing web sites with adult photos or language, Zhang Chenmin, general manager of Jinhul Computer System Engineering Company told the Associated Press. Chenmin's company is compiling a list of sites to block.

Zhang said his company signed a $3 million contract with the Chinese government to develop the software last May. China has more than 250 million Internet users and the country launched a crackdown on adult web sites, which are banned in China.

Parents will be allowed to add to the blacklisted sites and the software could be used to block any type of web site, depending on keywords. The Chinese government, according to AP, routinely blocks political sites, like those that challenge the ruling of the Communist Party.

"If a father doesn't want his son to be exposed to content related to basketball or drugs, he can block all web sites related to those things," Zhang told the AP.

Zhang said users could also unblock web sites, but they will not be able to see the full database. He said the software does not monitor or send IP addresses to third parties.

Prototype launches today

Activision announced today that Radical Entertainment’s "Prototype" has shipped to retailers.

In the game, you play as genetically mutated Alex Mercer -- a man without memory, armed with amazing shape-shifting abilities, hunting to discover what created him, and determined to make those responsible pay.

As Alex, gamers tear through a densely populated contemporary New York City, moving with free-roaming Parkour-style fluidity, consuming anybody that gets in his way … assuming their physical form, memories and abilities.

New software helps Chinese block internet porn

Chinese parents won't have to worry about their kids accessing adult web sites.

China is requiring all domestically sold PCs to carry software called "Green Dam--Youth Escort." GDYE prevents computers from accessing web sites with adult photos or language, Zhang Chenmin, general manager of Jinhul Computer System Engineering Company told the Associated Press. Chenmin's company is compiling a list of sites to block.

Zhang said his company signed a $3 million contract with the Chinese government to develop the software last May. China has more than 250 million Internet users and the country launched a crackdown on adult web sites, which are banned in China.

Parents will be allowed to add to the blacklisted sites and the software could be used to block any type of web site, depending on keywords. The Chinese government, according to AP, routinely blocks political sites, like those that challenge the ruling of the Communist Party.

"If a father doesn't want his son to be exposed to content related to basketball or drugs, he can block all web sites related to those things," Zhang told the AP.

Zhang said users could also unblock web sites, but they will not be able to see the full database. He said the software does not monitor or send IP addresses to third parties.

Wolverine PS3 version claws its way to the top

Every big superhero movie needs a big video-game franchise to go with it, right? So Activision released this game to coincide with the Hugh Jackman movie of the same name.

I tried it on Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PlayStation 3, and I enjoyed the PS3 version most – in large part because of the superior graphics (very cool to see all the detail as Wolverine uses his famous powers of regeneration to come back after some particularly lethal attacks).

The game follows the movie pretty closely, tracing the origins of Wolverine. It's intense all the way, with fight after fight after fight. And the combos weren't as difficult to use as they are in other superhero games I've played.

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is also bloody – I wouldn't allow anyone under 16 near it – but it should be a big hit for Activision.

Zune HD coming in fall

In case you missed the recent big news, Microsoft is finally releasing a long-rumored HD version of its Zune handheld device this fall.

The Zune HD will be able to support up to 720 lines of resolution – although that power isn't unleashed unless you connect it to an HDTV using a special docking station on an HDMI cable. When you watch high-definition video on the Zune HD's otherwise beautiful touch screen display, the picture will be converted to 480 lines of resolution.

The Zune HD also comes with a Web browser, HD Radio and Wi-Fi compatibility. Users will be able to access TV and video content via Xbox Live.

Speaking of Xbox… no word on whether we'll be able to play games on the Zune HD. It should, since other handheld game systems – including the iPod Touch and Nintendo's new Dsi – are really touting their gaming features these days.

Is Palm Pre an iPhone killer? We find out now

The Smart Phone wars are about to kick into high gear with Sprint's introduction of its "iPhone killer," the Palm Pre.

The Pre is exclusive for Sprint and goes on sale Saturday (6/6) for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement. You can buy the Pre at any Sprint store as well as Best Buy, Radio Shack and select Wal-Marts.

Several media reports claim that Apple's response will come Monday when it is expected to announce either a $149 or $99 iPhone, down from the current $199 8-gigabyte model.

Apple is also expected to release a new iPhone this summer as well as a new iPhone operating system that will work with existing phones.

Most smart phone companies may be playing a little catch up with the Pre.

The Pre runs on the new Palm webOS mobile operating system and features a drop-down QWERTY keyboard, unlike the totally touch screen iPhone.

Sprint also promises to deliver a phone that is equally at home handling your business or your casual conversations and usage needs.

“The argument that you need one phone for work and another phone for play, or that you have to make compromises between business and lifestyle productivity, is over,” said Dan Hesse, president and CEO of Sprint. “With Pre, compromises of the past are history.”

I can't say if that's true, but what is true is how you can save nearly $1,500 annually over two years with Sprint's simply everything plan at $99.99 per month versus plans costing nearly $50 more from AT&T and Verizon for smart phones.

The good news for consumers is that AT&T, which exclusively sells iPhone, and Verizon, which has the best network in the country, may lower prices to compete with the new product, which packs a big technological punch.

"The Pre's dynamic 'activity cards' approach to handling and navigating multiple applications is a great advance, but the core breakthrough is the integration of information across multiple applications on and off the phone," said Andy Castonguay, director of Mobile & Access Devices Research, Yankee Group. "With social networking and messaging being so important to consumers, the device’s new ‘Palm Synergy’ functionality – which gives Pre the ability to automatically pull friends' contact details, messaging addresses and personal calendars from different applications online and on the phone – will greatly simplify people's ability to communicate with their friends and colleagues the way they want."

A key feature of the Pre is "Palm Synergy," a feature that brings together your personal and professional calendar, contacts and e-mail into one centralized view, making transitions between work and personal life smooth and easy to manage.

For example, if you have the same contact listed in your Outlook, Google and Facebook accounts, Synergy recognizes that they’re the same person and links the information, presenting it to you as one listing.

Layered calendars allows you to view work and personal calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view. Combined messaging lets you see all your conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, even if it started in IM and you want to reply with text messaging. You can also see who’s active in a buddy list right from contacts or e-mail, and start a new conversation with just one touch.

Cover boy Kobe Bryant loves to play games

Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers, star will be the cover athlete for 2K Sports' NBA 2K10.

After leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a remarkable 65-17 regular season record and a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals, Bryant has established himself as one of the best players in the game.

“I’ve been playing sports video games for as long as I can remember and honestly, I’ve never seen one come so close to replicating real basketball," Bryant said. "What 2K Sports has done is truly incredible. (They are) constantly improving and adding something new to their game every year that makes them better and better, and that’s exactly what I try to do each season with my game. It’s as if 2K Sports has been on a sports video game championship run for several years now, and I’m not even sure there’s a word for that kind of dominance.”

To support this announcement, 2K Sports brought on legendary, award-winning film director and die-hard New York Knicks fan, Spike Lee, to produce an exclusive TV spot that aired Wednesday night to reveal Kobe Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2K10. Lee, who recently directed the highly publicized documentary on Kobe Bryant, Kobe Doin’ Work (ESPN Films), is famously known for his intense love and passion for the game of basketball.

“It's quite obvious why 2K Sports put Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K10, which is the best NBA video game,” said Lee, whose recent documentary on Bryant has earned high praise. “One day Kobe and I will go 1 on 1 playing NBA 2K10.”

In conjunction with the reveal of Bryant as the cover athlete for NBA 2K10, 2K Sports will invite fans to vote on their choice for the official box cover. A dedicated voting site will offer fans a selection of NBA 2K10 box covers to choose from, and the voting period is open now through June 15. The box cover that receives the most votes at the end of the voting period will be unveiled as the cover of NBA 2K10 on June 16th. More information on voting can be found at the official NBA 2K10 voting site, www.2ksports.com/vote.

Sony adds new motion controller

Following Microsoft's Project Natal announcement for totally hands free gaming, Sony has announced its own motion controller.

Sony's is a hand held device that resembles a wand with a ball at the end. It will use the PlayStation EyeToy to track the ball to capture motion as you play. It's due early next year. Sony says gamers will be able to write or draw using the wand, due to increased sensitivity.

You can easily imagine its application with things like baseball or sword-fighting games. Some publications who saw a live demo at E3 weren't too impressed with this early beta saying it was buggy and wasn't as seamless as Microsoft.

The guess here is that PlayStation will start marching onto Wii territory with its new toy and Microsoft may take gaming to new places and become the must-have unit. Talk about a comeback.

Who will be on NBA2K10? Kobe? LeBron?

2K Sports will reveal the cover athlete for its much anticipated basketball simulation game, NBA 2K10, Thursday night during a 30-second spot that will run during the pre-game show for the NBA Finals (9 p.m., ABC).

Playing videogames with no controller? Revolutionary.

The biggest videogame news in a long time came out Monday when Microsoft announced a new totally hands-free controller system called "Project Natal" (See video below).

Announced during Microsoft's annual E3 press conference, Project Natal allows gamers to use their hands to control Xbox 360 games and movies without touching a controller, a definite one-up to Nintendo's Wii-mote, which you hold in your hand to mimic real life motions.

Nintendo's motion-sensative controller has become so popular that non-gamers are buying Wiis and using them as Yoga stations and other types of workout machines as well as gaming systems. The controller is key. Want to throw a ball? Hold the controller and make a throwing motion.

In Microsoft's new world you can do the same thing, but without holding the controller. If this works, it'll be the biggest videogame breakthrough since the original PlayStation introduced us to realistic looking graphics.

No one is sure when Natal will be available and what games it will work with. Microsoft officials did say the new motion-control system would work with every Xbox 360, but didn't commit backwads compatibility (which I doubt we'll see). You can expect to see costs in the $100 range.

I'm very anxious to see where this goes. The demo video below shows the system talking to you using voice recognition software and people turning off the system using their voice.

This is very exciting, don't you think?

D-Link Network Adapter wins Choice Award

If you have been reading this spot for long, you know we consistently praise the D-Link PowerLine HD Adapters, which allow you to create fast and easy wired network solutions in your home by plugging these devices into two or more outlets.

Today, the PowerLine Network Starter Kit won the Computer Shopper Editors' Choice Award and the PC World Best Buy Award.

In product reviews from both publications, the unit received top editorial recognition for features such as fast transmission speeds, easy installation, simplified management, push-button security and affordability.

Computer Shopper said: "Ease of use and speedy performance are two good reasons to choose the D-Link PowerLine HD Network Starter Kit DHP-303 if you're thinking of using your existing electrical wiring to provide Ethernet connectivity throughout your home. In our tests, installation was a breeze. We plugged one adapter into a wall socket close to our router and connected it with one of the included Ethernet cables, then plugged the second adapter into a wall socket in a room located on the other side of the house. Next, we connected our Lenovo ThinkPad notebook to the second adapter. Within seconds, the notebook was assigned an IP address from the router, and we were up and running.

The unit was also named "Top Pick" in the PC World Best Buy Awards. Editor Becky Waring noted: "its throughput was more than 30 percent higher than the competition's, and it carries a lower price tag."

This is one piece of technology that just works.

First Metal Gear Solid for Xbox 360 due soon

If you've been waiting for a Metal Gear Solid title for Xbox 360, your wait is over.

On Monday, Konami Digital Entertainment announced today that Metal Gear Solid: Rising is currently in development for the Xbox 360.

Raiden, one of the most popular characters in the Metal Gear Solid universe, will star in the all-new title. Raiden first debuted in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty as a playable character (PS2 version) and appeared as a non-playable cyborg in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the PS3

No firm release date was given.

Ice Age actors lend voices to "Dinasours" game

The talent from Twentieth Century Fox’s upcoming Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs feature film will reprise their roles in the upcoming video game from Activision). The game, like the movie, features the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah and Josh Peck as members of an unlikely herd of prehistoric pals on a rescue mission across the tundra and beyond as they meet new friends and discover a mysterious world teeming with lush vegetation and fierce dinosaurs.

For the first time in an Ice Age game, players take on the roles of multiple characters such as big-hearted Manny the mammoth (Romano), the earnest but goofy Sid the sloth (Leguizamo), Diego the saber-toothed tiger, fan favorite Scrat and more. Gamers also get gameplay tips from the wacky possum duo, Crash and Eddie (Peck), and Ellie the mammoth (Latifah). Each character features its own strengths and abilities, resulting in a wide variety of gameplay experiences as players work through more than 15 action-packed levels. Players can also team up with friends and family in eight competitive multiplayer mini-games, another first for the game franchise.

The Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game is being developed by Eurocom for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii console systems. A Nintendo DS handheld version is also in development.

Meet Buick's new LaCrosse, the car that will save GM

Well at least I think it could help out the struggling automaker.

GM is aiming for the Lexus ES350/Acura TL buying audience with its smartest looking sedan in years. Buick's Enclave started the change. The Enclave was a beautiful sports ute that did everything right, including the thing that had been escaping Ford and GM in recent years - fit and finish.

This new GM was introduced at the January car shows and looks like a winner. It should be in showrooms next month with a price tag starting in the high 20s and topping out in the high 30s if you opt for an All Wheel Drive 280 horsepower version. I think the stock motor, at 255 horses, will be plenty.

The car will have every bell and whistle, every gadget, you could imagine, from Bluetooth support, in-dash navigation, an electronic head-up display in the windshield to track speed and even a system to warn you when objects are in your blind spot.

The LaCrosse will also offer internet connectivity, DVD headrests in the rear, and GM's industry-best On-Star system. Ambient lighting in the cabin just looks cool and hand stitching on the dashboard screams luxury.

This may be a game-changer for Buick, which used to be your father's brand.



LaCrosse Specs

Exterior
Length: 196.9 in. Width: 73.1 in.
Height: 59.2 in. Wheel Base: 111.7 in.
Curb Weight: 4019 lbs.
Interior
Front Head Room: 38 in. Front Hip Room: 55.2 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 57.4 in. Rear Head Room: 37.3 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 56 in. Rear Hip Room: 53.9 in.
Front Leg Room: 41.7 in. Rear Leg Room: 40.5 in.
Luggage Capacity: 13.3 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 13 cu. ft.
Maximum Seating: 5

Performance Data

Performance
Base Number of Cylinders: 6 Base Engine Size: 3 liters
Base Engine Type: V6 Horsepower: 255 hp
Max Horsepower: 6900 rpm Torque: 217 ft-lbs.
Max Torque: 5100 rpm Maximum Towing Capacity: 1000 lbs.
Drive Type: FWD Turning Circle: 38.7 ft.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 18.4 gal.
EPA Mileage Estimates: 17 mpg / 28 mpg
Range in Miles:
Automatic: 312.8 mi. / 515.2 mi. / mi.

Microsoft's Zune HD could be a game changer

Microsoft has announced plans for its Xbox Live online network to support the Zune, positioning it as a PSP of sorts for the Xbox. The Zune itself will go head to head with the iPod touch.

Here's a sneak peek video.

Zune HD Video Hands On from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Your Harris Teeter VIC card on your iPhone?

Got emails from quite a few of you today who have successfully installed a new iPhone app that brings up your store rewards card codes on the screen.

This lets you take off those old bending plastic VIP cards off your keychain.

The new app, called CardStar, lets users store and retrieve these cards right on the iPhone or iPod touch so they be scanned directly from your screen.

There are nearly 200 merchants supported.

iPhone app lets you ditch store reward cards

Tired of carrying all those store "rewards" and membership cards?

You know, the Harris Teeter VIC card and your Blockbuster membership and a CVS store card?

A new iPhone app, CardStar, lets users store and retrieve these cards right on the iPhone or iPod touch so they be scanned directly from your screen.

There are nearly 200 merchants supported. Can't wait until they add the YMCA.

Microsoft's Zune HD coming this fall

Microsoft's long rumored Zune HD will hit store shelves this fall. Users will be able to surf the Web, play HD movies and listen to digital radio.

The unit will come with an HD radio tuner, is based on Windows CE and will use a version of Internet Explorer customized for its touch screen.

Pricing was not announced.

AT&T to double speeds on wireless networks

AT&T plans to upgrade its 3G wireless network with the hopes of doubling speed by completion in 2011. The upgrades start later this year.

With its network built on the 3G UMTS technology that is commonly deployed throughout the world, AT&T can boost the speed of its mobile broadband network and offer a wide variety of devices to take advantage of it well in advance of 2011-2012, when most industry observers expect 4G LTE networks and device availability to be widespread. AT&T plans to begin LTE trials in 2010, with deployment beginning in 2011.

In addition to the planned speed upgrade, AT&T is enhancing its mobile broadband coverage by nearly doubling the wireless spectrum dedicated to 3G in most metropolitan areas to deliver stronger in-building reception and more overall network capacity.

The upgraded network platform could allow for theoretical peak speeds of 7.2Mbps. Typical real-world downlink and uplink speeds experienced by customers with upgraded 3G will be less than the theoretical peak and will vary based on a number of factors, including location, device, and overall traffic on the local network at a given time.

Guitar Hero offers a chance for free concert tickets

Guitar Hero has a new online scavenger hunt today that invites fans to scour websites, TV shows, blogs and online media sites to uncover the full list of artists that will appear on Guitar Hero 5, the next version of the most popular music game in the world.

Fans are invited to start their search at GH5.GuitarHero.com and register to participate in the sweepstakes for a chance to win a set of 5 tickets to 5 different concerts in a major metropolitan area venue near their hometown.

Once registered at GH5.GuitarHero.com participants will be given clues leading them to a series of blogs, TV shows and online media where every day, for the next five days, a selection of bands from the Guitar Hero 5 set list will be revealed. Once entrants have uncovered the bands from the designated locations, they must go to GH5.GuitarHero.com to verify the information found and will then be eligible to enter to win. Entries for the sweepstakes will be received through June 25, 2009. Registration is now open.

Guitar Hero 5 debuts this fall.

Star Wars Battlefront coming to PSP, DS

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is due this summer for the PSP and Nintendo DS and promises to let players fight on multi-level battlefronts, on the ground and in space. Players can start the fight on foot, commandeer a vehicle to battle on the ground or dogfight in space, and land their craft and fight on capital starships. The battles waged on each front are all directly effected by the player’s actions, creating a combat experience where every shot fired and every enemy defeated can affect the outcome of a battle on another front.

The game features a single player campaign that spans the entire Star Wars Saga – and beyond. Gamers assume the identity of X2, a clone trooper created from the DNA of a Jedi Master. Originally tasked with eliminating Jedi during Order 66, X2 decides to leave his blood-stained past behind and joins the Rebellion. X2 isn’t the only Force-sensitive clone, however. X1, his clone brother, chooses a much more sinister path, leading to a confrontation that could determine the fate of both the Empire and the Rebellion.

Additionally, players will have at their disposal massive amounts of pick-up and play action for seemingly endless replay value. The PSP provides the deepest customization options ever seen in a Star Wars Battlefront title, allowing players to personalize and build their character with more weapons and items than ever before, including the weapons characters carry into battle, the armor they wear on their backs, their species, gender, appearance and physical strengths. Players can also unlock hundreds of other items and bonuses to help even the odds. On Nintendo DS, players can experience a unique class-based gameplay experience that allows them to outfit their characters with pre-determined weapon armaments, including heavy weapons, blasters and even lightsabers.

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron on the PSP supports 16-player multiplayer, complete with in-depth stat tracking, and intense 4-player skirmishes on Nintendo DS across a wide number of modes, including the all-new “Heroes and Villains.” Take up arms as some of the most iconic Star Wars characters, including Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Kit Fisto, Darth Maul and other familiar faces from Star Wars Battlefront®: Renegade Squadron™ and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed™. And battle for the fate of the galaxy on some of the most memorable Star Wars planets of all time, including the forest-covered landscape of Endor, the frozen wastes of Hoth and even the mysterious Yavin 4.

Ministry, Cranberries, Zombies join Rock Band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three tracks from industrial metal pioneers Ministry will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii.

Also coming next week: music from The Cranberries and The Zombies.

Ministry played together from 1981 until 2008 and, during this time, laid the foundation for American industrial metal. The “Ministry Pack 01” will feature “Cuz U R Next,” from The Wicked Soundtrack by Al Jourgensen, the Ministry frontman-scored soundtrack to the 2008 film, Wicked Lake, as well as “The Great Satan” and the Grammy-nominated“LiesLiesLies,”both from the band’s 2006 album Rio Grande Blood. This three pack marks Ministry’s first appearance in the Rock Band catalog.

Also making Rock Band soundtrack debuts next week are 60s English rock band, The Zombies, and Irish alternative rock band, The Cranberries. “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No,” both from The Zombies self-titled 1966 album, will be made available, as will “Linger,” from The Cranberries 1993 album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? The song was named by VH1 as one of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.

Tiger Woods 10 demo now live on Xbox Live and PS Network

The Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 demo is now available on Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network.

Gamers can play a couple of holes in the demo, which includes digital replications of this year’s U.S. Open on Bethpage Black and Turnberry, which will be hosting the 2009 British Open. Gamers will also get a chance to check out the all-new Tournament Challenge mode as the demo features a playable event from the famous 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course - TPC Sawgrass.

In addition, tournament atmosphere has been ramped up this year and players will experience dynamic weather conditions and its effects on gameplay, huge galleries, a new commentary team and broadcast style introductions.

A new practice round mode, included in the demo, allows you to place the ball anywhere on the course and work on your shots and distance control.

Is Palm Pre an iPhone killer? We find out June 6

The wait is over for Sprint's highly anticipated Palm Pre phone. It debuts nationwide June 6 in Sprint Stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com

The phone will cost $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Sprint claims the device will "consolidate your important information – professional, social and personal – into one revolutionary device using an operating system that redefines the experience of living and working wirelessly."

A key for the Palm Pre is that users will save up to $1,430 over two years for the all-everything plan -- unlimited minutes, text and internet -- versus similar offerings on AT&T and Verizon, though Sprint's 3G network is routinely panned by critics.

A little about the Pre, from Sprint's press release:

The new webOS platform introduces Palm Synergy, a feature that brings together your personal and professional calendar, contacts and e-mail into one centralized view, making transitions between work and personal life smooth and easy to manage.

With Palm Synergy, users get:

-- Linked contacts – a single view that links your contacts from a variety of sources, so if you have the same contact listed in your Outlook, Google and Facebook accounts, Synergy recognizes that they’re the same person and links the information, presenting it to you as one listing.

-- Layered calendars – Your calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view, combining work, family, friends, sports teams, or other interests. You can toggle to look at one calendar at a time, or see them all at a glance.

-- Combined messaging – Synergy lets you see all your conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, even if it started in IM and you want to reply with text messaging. You can also see who’s active in a buddy list right from contacts or e-mail, and start a new conversation with just one touch.

-- Palm's operating systems lets you keep multiple activities open and move easily between them like flipping through a deck of cards. You can move back and forth between text messaging and e-mail, or search the web while you listen to music. You can rearrange items simply by dragging them, and when you are done with something, just throw it away by flicking it off the top of the screen.

Finding what you need is also easy with universal search – as you type what you’re looking for, webOS narrows your search and offers results from both your device and the web.(4) WebOS crushes the barriers to true mobile computing.

Oprah's personal trainer delivers video workout for Wii

EA Sports Active is the latest fitness game for the video game console known as the Nintendo Wii.

Developed exclusively for the Wiiby EA Canada, Active is an innovative, virtual fitness product that offers personalized, customizable workouts that can be done from the comfort of home. Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene – renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah’s personal trainer – Active will be the first in a new line of EA Sports virtual fitness products to improve the well-being of people of all ages.

Users will get their heart pumping through interactive circuit workouts from more than 25 different activities and exercises that target the upper and lower body, as well as cardio. Similar to a personal trainer, the program provides clear instruction, feedback on technique and encouragement with visual and oral cues, while also providing calories burned in real time. Preset workouts are designed by fitness experts to target specific workout results. For optimal personalization, circuits can be customized based on interests and fitness level and there is complete flexibility for the duration and intensity level.

Active includes software, a specially-designed leg strap that holds the Wii’s Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to increase the intensity to upper body exercises. The program can support two players at one time, and the EA SPORTS Active Accessory Pack containing one leg strap and one resistance band is available for an MSRP of $19.99 in North America. The product is compatible with the Wii Balance Board, which will add components to the sports drills.

Pilates on the Nintendo Wii, with Daisy Fuentes.

Coming this summer: Wii Pilates.

Well, sort of.

SEGA announced today that it plans to release "Daisy Fuentes Pilates," the first Pilates workout program for the Wii, during the warmer months.

Footage was shot at what the company calls "a lush tropical resort," and uses the Wii Balanced Board.

During the game, the Wii's controls will monitor movements and offer instant feedback. On on-screen timing bar and real-time feedback from Fuentes will help keep users on track. There is an English and Spanish version included in each game.

So kids, don't get mad when Mom is stealing your Wii time.

“This is a great way to get Pilates training that fits your schedule and lifestyle,” Fuentes said. "You can start out as an absolute beginner then move into intermediate and advanced levels--all at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home, and with responsive feedback that helps ensure you’re mastering core skills correctly before you advance."

VIDEO: New features for Madden 10.

Here you go guys. What do you think?

Toast Titanium 10 is must have for Mac users

The best about Sonic's new Toast Titanium 10 Pro for the Mac is its ease of use. But before we begin, you must have Mac OSX 10.5 or later (this is Apple's operating system, it's version of Windows, if you will).

The program is designed to work with Apple's killer iLife '09 suite of programs that includes DVD authoring and burning software, web designing software and photo manipulating and handling tools.

Toast 10, which supports Blu-Ray, can also instantly download and convert flash video from YouTube. Firefox can do this with a free add-on, but Toast will convert the file in the background and have it ready to burn to disc (or transer to a TiVo or portable device) for you instantly.

One of the coolest features, to me, was how you can back up the original footage from your high def camcorder (the kind with the hard drive built inside) using the program. You don't have to move your files from the camcorder to computer anymore, which was a time-consuming step.

You can also use Toast to extract clips from your DVDs (not encrypted ones, though).

The best thing is the interface. You move the files you want into the Toast window, whether they are data or music or video, put in your media and click burn. Done.

Some of the new features include:

-- Extract clips from any DVD-Video and convert to the format of your choice.

-- Save web video from your favorite video sharing sites to enjoy on TV and on-the-go Archive AVCHD camera footage to DVD or BD media with a single click

-- Stream and watch television programs, such as EyeTV recordings and TiVoToGo transfers on your iPhone or iPod touch over Wi-Fi with the new iPhone native application Streamer

-- Build your MP3 library with automatic capture and tagging of Internet audio
Convert audiobook CDs for playback on your iPod

-- Transfer standard definition and HD video from your Mac to your TiVo DVR to enjoy on your TV

If all that sounds like technobabble to you, don't worry, this program is super simple to use and will definitely enhance your experience with your Mac. For me, this is a must have for the Apple computer. I grade it an A plus.

High Definition Zune handhelds on the way?

Some images of what is apparently a high-definition version of Microsoft's portable Zune music player hit the internet this week.

It appears the new device would go head-to-head with Apple's iPod touch.

The new Zune is said to have a multi-touch screen (sound familiar?) and a 16x9 screen ratio. It will have a TV port on the side and will sync to a computer via WiFi. There has been some speculation that the new device will support Xbox games.

The new Zune, available with 8, 16 or 32 gigs of memory, allegedly will ship with a web browser and may launch this fall. It will also deliver HD radio.

Talk about your all in one device.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Due next month

Parents, get your wallets ready.

Electronic Arts will release the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" video game June 30, just ahead of the Warner Bros. Pictures’ film based on J.K. Rowling’s sixth book in the Harry Potter series.

In the game, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.

The game will be available for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP, Nintendo DS and Windows and Macintosh computer systems.

Art wants a home gym, which one should he get?

OK, guys, I got an email today from a reader named Art. Actually I got three.

Art says he looks like the "before" picture in one of those get-in-shape informercials and he's sick and tired of it. Art's 41 and he writes he's at least 50 pounds too big. He works crazy hours at night and getting to the gym isn't possible. So he wants a home gym.

He asked me what I thought about several different products. I thought it might be better to pose the question in the blog and see what folks out there have to say.

Art is interested in a cardio machine and a weight training machine and says he'll have to do payments to get it but figure he can spend at least the $100 he would spend per month for, say, a YMCA family membership.

So Art is open for some suggestions and I'm curious myself.

"Peggle" and Amazon's Kindle store debut for iPhone

PopCap Games has released the popular "Peggle" game for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's a $4.99 download from the Apple App Store. The casual game has been downloaded more than 50 million times to date.

“Our new adaptation of Peggle for iPhone and iPod touch was truly a labor of love,” said Andrew Stein, director of mobile business development at PopCap. “We spent huge amounts of time specifically optimizing this version of one of our favorite games to one of the world’s coolest devices, so that it was just right.”

To play, gamers fire a metallic silver ball from the top of the screen, relying on gravity to propel the ball downwards while it ricochets off unique arrangements of orange and blue pegs. The goal is to clear all the orange pegs from the screen, while earning as many points as possible, before running out of balls. A moving bucket at the bottom of the screen offers free balls, while green power-up pegs unlock special abilities via ten unique and memorable Peggle Masters who guide players through dozens of levels of gameplay challenges. Power-ups include explosive area-clearing blasts, lobster claws that serve as pinball-like flippers and “fireballs” that cut through all pegs in their path.

Also, Amazon has launched a special Kindle Store optimized for the Safari Web browser on iPhone. Now when users of the Kindle for iPhone app click on “Get Books,” the new Kindle Store tailored for the size and shape of the iPhone and iPod touch screens automatically opens in Safari. This optimized Kindle store offers iPhone and iPod touch app users quick and easy access to the Kindle Store’s 280,000 books, including 106 of 112 New York Times Best Sellers and most New Releases that are available for $9.99 or less.

iPhone users can shop Kindle’s selection of books on the iPhone and iPod touch using Apple's Multi-Touch user interface. Amazon's Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes Kindle customers’ bookmarks across Kindle, iPhone and iPod touch, so you always have your reading with you and never lose your place. Kindle customers can read a few pages on their iPhone or iPod touch and pick up right where they left off on their Kindle, if they choose.

And now the iPhone helps you pick out toilet paper, too

Greenpeace's iPhone app is called “Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide.” The tool created by 3rd Whale, gives consumers a quick and easy way to choose the greenest toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, and paper napkins sold at the local supermarket.

The guide gives a thumbs-up to Green Forest, Natural Value and Seventh Generation, while recommending that shoppers avoid products like Kleenex, Charmin, Angel Soft, Cottonelle, Brawny, and Scott.

Greenpeace recommends companies manufacturing paper products that: 1) contain 100 percent recycled content; 2) at least 50 percent of which is from post-consumer materials); and, 3) avoid the use of chlorine or chlorine compounds in the whitening process.

The guide rates facial tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, and paper napkins with a “Recommended,” “Avoid,” or “They Can Do Better” ranking.

Features of the application include:
• The ability to quickly compare household paper brands while in the grocery store;
• A list of environmentally preferable tissue, toilet paper, paper towel and paper napkin brands.
• Brand specific information including the percentage of recycled content, the percentage of post-consumer content, and the bleaching method.

“Tissue products made from recycled content help to reduce our impact on ancient forests, protecting forest ecosystems and wildlife habitat,” said Greenpeace Forest Campaigner Lindsey Allen. “Customers who download the iPhone or Android version of the Greenpeace Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide can compare brands available at their local grocery store to find which brands are most environmentally sustainable. For those interested in protecting ancient forests from clearcutting and supporting truly sustainable companies, this application makes informed decision making even more convenient.”

New Tiger Woods game lets you play against the pros

A new online tournament mode in the upcoming Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 will allow players to post their scores against actual PGA Tour leaderboards.

Game online tournaments have daily, weekly and Play the Pros tournaments. Gamers can jump into a new tournament each day, play 18 holes and see if their round stays atop of the leaderboard, or play in a weekly tournament and post scores from four rounds that span over an entire week of play.

Play the Pros is an extension of the daily and weekly tournament systems, but instead of a gamer-submitted leaderboard, players will be posting their scores against the real life scores of PGA TOUR golfers during an actual professional event. EA SPORTS Live Tournaments is available on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii versions of the game.

Gamers can also look for digital versions of Anthony Kim and Rocco Mediate to the franchise and join digital versions of players like Luke Donald, Jim Furyk, Natalie Gulbis, Rory McIlroy and Vijay Singh.

DISH claims lead in HD race with several new hi-def channels

DISH Network(R) Introduces New National HD Channels

--Leads All TV Service Providers with More Than 140 National HD Channels


Satellite provider DISH network, in a hot battle with DirecTV over which offers the most HD networks, announced it was delivering HD fees of FX, SPEED, Fashion TV (FTV), Logo and MavTV.

DISH, which now claims 140 HD channels, will now host the complete 24-hour feed of The N on DISH Network Ch. 181, its new permanent location. Additionally, DISH Network will launch MSNBC HD in June.

FX HD and SPEED HD are located in DISH Network's Classic Silver 200 HD programming package and above, available to consumers starting at $22.99 per month for the first six months, along with free installation, a free HD DVR and three months of free premium channels, including HBO and Showtime. FTV HD, Logo and MavTV HD are available in PlatinumHD, an HD add on package available to subscribers for just $10 per month.

iPhone monthly fee$ going down, down, down?

Several industry reports, including one from Cote Collaborative industry pricing analyst Mike Cole, say AT&T is considering a $10 reduction in the iPhone monthly service plans, when a new version of the phone debuts, perhaps as early as next month.

The iPhone fell behind the BlackBerry in the latest smartphone sales reports and AT&T, the reports say, would make the move to try to boost sales of the iPhone, which many users -- and potential users -- feel is too expensive month-to-month.

Current iPhone prices range from $69 to $129. iPhone users who do not have a texting plan pay $0.25 to receive and $0.50 to send individual messages. Individual text plans range from $5 to $20.

So to go "whole hog" with the iPhone with unlimited everything is $149 per month. Sprint, meanwhile, offers the same features for $99 per month (but Sprint does not have the iPhone).

Is Nintendo recession-proof?

Talk of recessions and layoffs loom for many businesses worldwide. Just not Nintendo.

The videogame giant reported highs for sales and operating profit in the fiscal year ending March 31. The company posted sales of more than 1.83 trillion yen and operating profits of more than 555 billion yen.

Worldwide annual sales of close to 26 million Wii home game systems in this past fiscal year brought lifetime totals to over 50 million, while more than 31 million portable Nintendo DS systems were sold in the same period, pushing the lifetime amount past 100 million units.

Fiscal year retail software sales also rose for each platform from the previous year, reaching 197 million units for Nintendo DS, and over 204 million for Wii.

Fiscal year global financial performance, stated in millions of yen, was as follows (percentage changes vs. previous year):

Sales, ¥1,838,622 (+9.9%)
Operating Profit, ¥555,263 (+14%)
Recurring Profit, ¥448,695 (+1.8%)
Net Profit, ¥279,089 (+8.5%)

For the current fiscal year, beginning April 1, 2009, Nintendo projects sales of another 26 million Wii hardware systems and 220 million software units, while Nintendo DS sales are projected at 30 million hardware systems and 180 million pieces of software.

New Guitar Hero titles hope to expand genre, with pop, hip-hop and R&B

Gaming guitar heads can look forward to Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero and Band Hero. DJ Hero hopes to expand Guitar Hero’s social gaming to all-new consumers with the addition of diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance. Introducing an all-new innovative turntable controller, DJ Hero transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world’s most exciting artists and DJs.

Guitar Hero 5 features the hottest rock and roll artists today as well as classic rock bands and gives players an unprecedented level of control over the way they play the game with the ability to drop in and out of songs and change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly.

The franchises’ first E10+ rated console game, Band Hero, features top-40 hits designed to expand the experience to a new genre and appeal to a broad family audience who can play together on the guitar, drums, bass and microphone.

New game promises to teach your kids to sing

Disney Interactive Studios today announced that Disney Sing It: Pop Hits, the third game in the video-based karaoke video game franchise, will be released this fall.

It will feature 30 master recordings and popular music videos from fan favorites, including Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat, Demi Lovato, Hannah Montana, Jesse McCartney, Coldplay and One Republic.

To play, you sing solo with the music, or do duets or go head-to-head with a friend. A new "Sing It Pro" mode claims to help teacher players to actually sing by teaching vocal exercises as well as showing players how to control breath and teaching the basics of pitch.

Astro Boy releasing this fall

Look for Astro Boy, the video game this fal on Wii, PS2 and PSP.

It'll allow players to control the title character, a young boy robot with incredible powers. Your mission will be to save his home, Metro City, from evil President Stone and his robot army. To do battle, you'll use Astro's arsenal of weapons which includes, seriously, butt machine guns as well as finger lasers and an arm cannon.

The game is based on the upcoming feature film of the same name.

Elite Forces Unit 77 drops for DS systems

Deep Silver Inc., a publisher of interactive entertainment software and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media, today announced that Elite Forces: Unit 77 for Nintendo DS is now available.

Developed by Abylight and co-published by Gammick Entertainment, Elite Forces: Unit 77 is an action-driven, squad-based shooter. Featuring a unique blend military action, strategy and tactics style gameplay, players will traverse the globe to save hostages and put an end to the terrorist threat.

A series of mysterious disappearances of high profile personalities from the worlds of science, industry and entertainment reveal a horrific global terrorist threat. With the clock running and the lives of the hostages and millions of others in danger, the international community's last hope lies with an extremely covert and highly specialized military team: Unit 77. Made up out of four professionals who are the best in their respective field, Unit 77 must combine their skills to stop massive world destruction by the hands of the terrorists.

Features

An intense combination of action, military strategy and tactics for Nintendo DS. Shoot your enemies while you tackle all the challenges that stand between your team and the hostages!

Control four characters whose specialized skills are well-defined: the quiet and effective sniper, the fearless explosives expert, the brilliant hacker and the devastatingly powerful gunner.

You work strategically uniting your forces into a squad when enemy forces outnumber you, or can control one character at a time for greater tactical moves.
Pursue your enemies around the world through detailed 3D environments that move the action from the dense jungles of the tropics to the labyrinths of abandoned arctic ports and to the sweltering sands of the desert.

Defeat your enemies by relying not only on your firepower, but your brains as well since you must explore your surroundings carefully to utilize anything you can find!
Disarm mines and bombs, drive vehicles such as armored military trucks and tanks, access encrypted files or use stealth to infiltrate the enemy bases, all by simply utilizing the touch screen. All the power of Unit 77 is at the command of your Stylus.