PlayStation enthusiasts will now have the opportunity to enjoy all the latest PlayStation releases and other PlayStation favourites on brand new PS3 consoles in Dublin City Centre’s newest gaming centre.
PlayStation has agreed to partner with Xtreme Internet and Gaming Centre to co-host a number of PS3 events and tournaments throughout the year.
Well Tonight Tony and Mick went along to the Launch Party for The RAW Sessions with Sony Ericsson. The Music was brilliant, the Pints of Erdinger were flowing and the nibbles were only deadly! This show is going to breath new life into Irish Music and it is a welcome addition! From the 12th of May on RTE2 each week we will see eight talented Irish music acts write, record and mix an original song in front of the cameras in 12 hours or less. Thanks to Nicola Watkins for inviting us along to yet another fantastic event and We wish the Show all the success over the coming weeks, even though we know it wont need it as its pure class. WATCH IT!!
RAW MUSIC - 8 IRISH ACTS - 12 Hours – 8 Weeks
SingStar fans can now do karaoke versions of their favourite Delorentos tracks, as three of the band's songs have been made available to download for the game. Fans with a PlayStation3 can now download three of the band's songs to croon along to on SingStar.The tracks, 'Basis Of Everything', 'The Rules' and 'Do You Realise', cost €1.49 each and come with the original videos.
The lads join The Undertones, Ash, The Divine Comedy and Cathy Davey, each of whom already has tracks available on SingStar.
To celebrate the launch of Canon’s new Legria High Definition range, Canon & Connector have teamed up to run a competition for Irish digital filmmakers. The competition judges will include Hollywood actor Liam Cunningham, star of ‘Hunger’ and ‘The Wind that Shakes The Barley’.
Contest
We’re looking for three minute long short movies based on freecording. Freecording, put simply, is capturing your world in your own unique fashion and from your own perspective.
Prizes
Prizes include a Canon XH A1 and runners up will receive €500 & €250 respectively. Plus, the short-listed top 10 entries will be showcased at a very special Connector event in June attended by Liam Cunningham.
Entry Details
Entrants can submit their admission by uploading their video to YouTube.com and register on Connector.ie. Closing date is 1st June 2009.
http://www.connector.ie/sponsors/canon/
…. a concept that suits the creative being in all of us whether you’re looking to create your own little piece of art, make a statement or just film your friends mucking about.
When a video has been pre-planned, everything can seem a little bit stilted and staged. No one acts naturally and if you’re the one doing the filming, you’ve probably spent so long trying to capture the right shots, you’ve missed out on all the fun yourself. Not with freecording. Spontaneity is at the heart of this style of video making. You could be out and about doing anything and the moment takes you. You live it, you shoot it.
RTÉ player, a new catch-up web TV service on RTÉ.ie was today launched, giving Irish broadband users a chance to catch up on their favourite RTÉ television shows for up to 21 days after broadcast.
Soap fans can catch up with all the drama in Fair City, Eastenders and Home and Away for seven days after they have aired. Or if you have missed any of your favourite entertainment shows, the Late Late Show, Tubridy Tonight, Podge & Rodge, and Brides of Franc among others will be available for 21 days after broadcast.
When viewers visit www.rte.ie/player it is a "click and play" service, which requires no registration, installation or download. The player has been developed to deliver a new and improved service to reflect audience needs and offer viewers more choice in how they watch programmes.
More than 200 hours of programmes from all categories of the RTÉ broadcast schedule are available to view.
Commenting on the launch, Múirne Laffan, Executive Director of RTÉ Publishing, said: "This is an exciting new opportunity for Irish viewers to access their favourite programmes whenever they want to.
"RTÉ player will enhance our service to existing and new RTÉ audiences, extending the availability of our programmes and addressing the challenge to consumers viewing habits beyond traditional appointment to view."
Irish Based Gala Networks Europe Ltd have just announced that Dragonica is the brand new arcade-style 3D side-scrolling MMORPG that is roaring into life across Europe during the Closed Beta Test (CBT) during mid-May 2009. It will be published in Europe as a free to play MMORPG in English, French and German at the www.gpotato.eu gaming portal.
With tens of thousands of players already pre-registered and growing by the day, there is growing anticipation for Dragonica’s combo-based combat that is ready to take netbooks, notebooks and desktops across Europe by storm. In play tests conducted in Ireland during March and April, players have applauded the precise combat which is a vast change from clicky mouse-based combat which dominates MMORPG’s. Dragonica has also lots of potential for competitive gaming with a strong competitive component in the multiplayer modes.
During the ten day Closed Beta test, the Dragonica team will be on hand to welcome players into the world and run a whole schedule of in-game events to keep players entertained. There will be lots of in-game prizes up for grabs, and the players will have the opportunity to ensure that their character names are kept for the Open Beta, following a few weeks after the Closed Beta in June.
Registration for the Closed Beta lottery, as well as information about partner sites running beta key competitions can be found at the official European Dragonica website at http://dragonica.gpotato.eu
Philips has cranked up the anticipation of its new Cinema 21:9 TV by releasing a new website for the ultra-widescreen device.
The 21:9 is the first telly of its kind, which shows off movies the way the director intended – in 2.39:1 format.
The 56-inch set is out in June with a reported price of around 4200EURO. This may sound steep, but those of us who have seen the TV in action want one and want one now.
Clowning around
The website in question demos what movies will look like in 21:9. There's a short film playing which looks like a homage/rip-off of the 'clown' robbery scene in The Dark Knight. It also uses the Watchmen's trick of adding movement to tableaux-like images.
You can toggle between viewing the clip in 16:9 and 21:9 and Philips has even added Ambilight into the mix as well. Nice check it out!!
UBISOFT® UNVEILS ASSASSIN'S CREED® II
Ubisoft has announced that Ubisoft Montréal is developing Assassin's Creed II on all current-generation platforms for a scheduled Holiday 2009 launch. The initial installment of Assassin's Creed® was released in November 2007 to popular and critical success, selling 8 million copies worldwide, and garnering awards such as Best Action Game 2007 from 1UP and Outstanding Achievement in Animation from the AIAS.
Assassin's Creed II is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Assassin's Creed brand. In a vast open world environment, the game invites players to incarnate Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who's been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. Ezio's subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new gameplay elements, diverse weapons and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin's Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.
"Our creative team is working hard to top the experience of Assassin's Creed," said Patrice Desilets, creative director at Ubisoft. "We've made improvements to every aspect of the game. And we've plunged ourselves into the stunning history of the Italian Renaissance so that we can offer fans a unique, varied and innovative Assassin's Creed experience."
Check out the teaser video for Assassin's Creed II here http://uplay.uk.ubi.com/index.php?video=zaby37ru
Ubisoft has announced the launch of R.U.S.E., a new intellectual property developed by Eugen Systems, creators of the critically acclaimed strategy title Act of War: Direct Action™. R.U.S.E. is scheduled for release on Windows PC, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for fiscal year 2009/2010.
R.U.S.E. is optimized for Intel’s latest core processors, including the Intel® Core™i7 processor, and will be demonstrated for the first time in public at the Intel booth during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) at Moscone North Hall, booth #6006 at 5:00 PM Pacific on Wednesday March 25 in San Francisco.
R.U.S.E. is a one-of-a-kind real-time strategy game that allows players to bluff their enemies to lead their nation to victory, controlling the action using views that range seamlessly from the heart of the battlefield to the full theatre of war. Players will be plunged into the action thanks to the exclusive IRISZOOMTM Engine which offers an intuitive interface that allows for smooth, rapid transitions from a birds-eye view of the entire conflict, down into the heat of the battle and vice versa.
“With R.U.S.E., Ubisoft is once again shaking up a genre, offering an RTS with a twist that will thrill gamers,” said John Parkes, EMEA marketing director at Ubisoft. “Ubisoft is known for innovation and R.U.S.E. continues that tradition, offering the most immense and detailed maps ever seen in an RTS. Players can explore the maps using IRISZOOM Engine, which provides an aerial, smooth interaction unlike anything ever seen before.”
Ubisoft and Intel are committed to working together to ensure R.U.S.E. takes full advantage of Intel technologies. “Ubisoft and Intel are demonstrating some of the benefits gamers will experience when playing R.U.S.E. on the Intel® Core™i7 processor based platforms,” said Elliot Garbus, vice president Intel Software and Services Group, general manager Visual Computing Software Division. “Gamers will experience more immersive game play with smooth zooming from satellite to ground view, superior AI delivering more complex unit movements and more realistic physics throughout the game.”
In R.U.S.E., players use their brain as the ultimate weapon, fighting a war of perception, where the ability to deceive and mislead the enemy determines success. A first in a strategy game, R.U.S.E. reinvigorates the genre by using deception to give new-found depth to the game play.
To learn more about R.U.S.E., visit www.rusegame.com
Shenzhen AEE Wireless Technology Co Ltd of China exhibited what it claims is the world's smallest video camera at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition).
The fair, which is organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, is taking place in Hong Kong from April 13 to 16, 2009.
The dimensions of the camera, "Mini DV," are 55 x 20 x 18mm. Its volume and weight are 20cm3 and 50g, respectively.
"Only an ultra-small camcorder like ours can enable people cycling or skiing, pet animals and radio control toys to shoot video," AEE said. "We developed this product to allow people to shoot a wider variety of scenes."
The company reduced the size by focusing on image recording function. The Mini DV is not equipped with a monitor for checking images, and recorded images can be viewed only after they are transferred to a PC.
The camcorder employs a 2-Mpixel CMOS sensor. It shoots 640 x 480-pixel images at 30fps, compresses the images with the JPEG format and stores them in the AVI format by using a microSD memory card of up to 8 Gbytes.
The interface for PC connection is USB 2.0. When the camcorder is connected to a PC, images can be output to a PC in real time. Its Li-ion secondary battery has a capacity of 260mAh, allowing two hours of continuous shooting.
The Mini DV is equipped with a clip for attaching the camera to clothing. And AEE offers a version including a mount that allows users to attach the camera to a helmet, etc, and is intended for shooting while playing sports.
If you want to send a link to your buddies mobile, then you most definitely need to give Mobile Tiny URL a go.
It does pretty much exactly what it says on the tin, converts URL into Tiny Format and makes them Mobile Friendly.
What is meant by “Mobile Friendly” I hear you ask, well, it actually minimizes the number of key presses required on a mobile keypad to access to the URL.
For example, the link here:
ad.ag/wtmawm
might not make any sense, but try typing it in you’re phone’s browser!
You’ll notice that you don’t have to repeat press a key, and normally one press of the key is enough!
The site claims that they have “saved” nearly 85 thousand keypresses.
The link above claims to save 55 keypresses over the original URL.
Give it a look, should make sharing ULR’s for mobile much easier!
More music and more fun with your first Walkman™ phone
The W205 Walkman™
Fill it with pop and make it rock with the following features:
· Enjoy your music with the Walkman™ experience
· FM radio – catch up with the latest news and views
· TrackID™ - name that tune at a press of a button
· 1.3 megapixel camera – capture your favourite moments on film
· Bluetooth™ - share your favourite songs, pictures and video clips, or connect to a wireless headset
· Multiple phone books – keep your contacts in order if someone needs to borrow your phone
If you want to hear your music even louder then the Sony Ericsson MS410 Snap-on Speaker Stand is the accessory for you. Don’t let its size fool you – the speaker features amazing stereo sound, and is the perfect little companion for the W205. Attending a party? Become the centre of attention with the MS410 when showing your favourite music videos in surprisingly good sound.
MS410 Snap-on Speaker Stand
The W205 Walkman™ supports GSM/GPRS/900/1800 and W205a supports GSM/GPRS 850/1900. W205 Walkman™ will be available in selected markets from Q3 in the colour Ambient Black. The MS410 Snap-on Speaker Stand will be available in selected markets from Q2 2009.
| Camera | 1.3 megapixel camera Up to 2.2x digital zoom Video recording |
| Music | Walkman™ player Album art Playlists Shuffle mode Loop mode TrackID™ Music tones (MP3/AAC) |
| Web | Opera Mini Web browser WAP 2.0XHTML |
| Communication | Speakerphone Polyphonic ringtones Vibrating alert |
| Messaging | Picture messaging (MMS) Predictive text input Sound recorder Text messaging (SMS) |
| Design | Picture wallpaper Wallpaper animation Torch functionality |
| Entertainment | Games Java FM radio with RDS Radio recording Video viewing |
| Organizer | Alarm clock Calculator Calendar Notes Multiple phone books Stopwatch Tasks Timer |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth™ technology USB mass storage |
| Accessories | In-Box: § W205 § Battery § Battery Charger § Stereo portable handsfree § User book |
| Facts and Figures 1)2) | Size: 92 x 47 x 16.4 mm Weight: 96 grams Colours: Ambient Black Main screen: 65,536 colour TFT, Resolution: 128 x 160 pixels Size: 1.8 inches Phone memory: Up to 5MB Memory card support: Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) up to 2GB Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 9 hrs Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs Music listening time: Up to 13hrs 30 min |
| Availability and versions | Networks W205: GSM/GPRS/900/1800 W205a: GSM/GPRS/850/1900 Available in selected markets from Q3 2009. |
The Sony Ericsson Snap-on Speaker Stand MS410 at a glance
| Design | Colours: Black Materials: Coloured plastic Size: 110x26x40mm Weight: 55.9g |
| Availability | Available in selected markets from Q2 2009 |
Capture daily moments the easy way with the Sony Ericsson S312
Be one click away from recording life’s special moments – all it takes is a sharp eye and a click on the dedicated video camera key.
Want to highlight the moment with a picture instead? The two megapixel camera can be used horizontally and with the help of the illuminated imaging shortcuts on the keypad you can change the settings and get the shot you want quicker. Not quite what you were after? Use the integrated Photo fix function to get the best picture quality in one step – picture taking has never been this easy
Take the hassle out of capturing daily moments:
· Dedicated video camera key – just one click away from recording your best moments
· Two megapixel camera – can be used horizontally to take picture perfect stills
· Illuminated imaging shortcuts – take great shots with ease
· Photo fix – enhance the picture quality and share with family and friends
· Picture blogging – upload your images to the web with just a few clicks
· Get organised – calendar, alarm and 1000 contact phone book
The Sony Ericsson S312 at a glance
| Camera | 2.0 megapixel camera Up to 2.5x digital zoom Dedicated video camera key Illuminated camera shortcuts Photo fix Picture blogging Video recording Photo light Video light PictBridge printing |
| Music | Media player Equaliser Stereo widening PlayNow™ TrackID™ Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP) Music tones (MP3/AAC) |
| Web | Openwave™ |
| Communication | Speakerphone Polyphonic ringtones Vibrating alert |
| Messaging | Email Picture messaging (MMS) Predictive text input Sound recorder Text messaging (SMS) |
| Design | Picture wallpaper Wallpaper animation |
| Entertainment | 3D Games Java FM radio with RDS Video viewing |
| Organizer | Alarm clock Calculator Calendar Phone book Stopwatch Tasks Timer |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth™ technology Modem USB mass storage USB support |
| Accessories | In-Box: § S312 § Battery § Battery Charger § User book |
| Facts and Figures 1)2) | Size: 100 x 46 x 12.5 mm Weight: 80 grams Colours: Dawn Blue Honey Silver Main screen: 262,144 colour TFT, scratch-resistant Resolution: 176 x 220 pixels Size: 2.0 inches Phone memory: Up to 15MB Memory card support: Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) Talk time GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Up to 8 hrs Standby time GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Up to 400 hrs |
| Availability and versions | Networks S312: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/900/1800 Available in selected markets from Q2 2009. |
The Sony Ericsson Clip-on Bluetooth™ Handsfree VH300 at a glance
| Design | Colours: Stellar Silver Argentum Black Materials: Plastic Size: 48.5x18.0x18.5mm Weight: 20g |
| Technology | Talk/Standby time: 10/250h Bluetooth™ version: 2.0+EDR Bluetooth™ range: 10m Bluetooth™ simple pairing: yes |
| Compatibility | Most Bluetooth™ phones from SEMC and other brands |
| Availability | Available in selected markets from Q3 2009 |
LEGAL:
1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant.
2) Talk and standby times are affected by network preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.
© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2009.
The liquid identity, TrackID and PlayNow are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony, Walkman, Mega Bass and Smile Shutter are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation.
Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.
TrackID is powered by Gracenote Mobile MusicID. Gracenote and Gracenote Mobile MusicID are trademarks of Gracenote, Inc.
Bluetooth is a trademark or registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG Inc.
Microsoft and Exchange ActiveSync are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. Subject to change without prior notice.
