Wii U and 3DS: games for download at the same price as the box

If logically a paperless game should be cheaper to purchase than a box version, Nintendo not that ear means it.

It is secret, the video game industry slide gently over the years toward digital sale in download, dematerialised games. To the great despair of those who have had the chance to know the 1980s game boxes and as complete books that interesting to read (before embarking on the adventure, always...), the video game will soon be more form and to purchase only on Steam, Xbox Live and other PlayStation Store. As such, it must be recognized that Nintendo has accumulated a certain delay in the matter, its platforms online is not be entered in the habits of players such as those of its main competitors.

Of course, the nippon consolier knows and is committed to do better in the future. This is why it has just announced that it intends to strengthen the distribution of games dematerialized for its console, the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U future. At first, only larger productions will be affected through a sale that will be on the same day in the trade box and download online. This is particularly the case for New Super Mario Bros 2.

But then the sale of games for download is an opportunity for publishers to bypass intermediaries, saving manufacturing the holder of packaging and transport costs, and thus increasing profitability, it is also often the opportunity for players to purchase games at a preferential price. In Nintendo, this is not the case.

Indeed, Nintendo has indicated that prices in her shop online in trade for box versions will be the same. A decision which will be logically criticized by players, but Satoru Iwata - CEO of Nintendo - held to explain: "We realized that the publishers on the tariff for the sale of digital versions views." Some editors believe that the dematerialised versions should be sold cheaper than others, when others want to be they sold exactly the same price (...) We have decided and chosen the latter for the time being. "What no limitation specialty stores sell download codes to preferential prices".

This will not help Nintendo to stuck his popularity while it comes to post for the first time in its history annual losses, but should reassure strings video game shops heavily threatened by the growth of paperless. As players, they would of course prefer that publishers make an effort instead of wanting to maximize their profits. Especially as Satoru Iwata may hide behind the wishes of publishers, Sony succeeded well, for its part, to sell the games PS Vita on average €5 for less on the PlayStation Store on stick memory in shops... It is certainly not great, but at least the effort is there.

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World of Warcraft: always a Metro in advance!

It is say stalled, WoW is still the Rolls of the MMO in terms of playing comfort, and proves it with this new feature: automatic rollback of object.

The principle is simple: If an unfortunate handling made you swing your favorite axe to nettles (recall that play after a night watered, it is wrong), now simply a simple visit to your Battle.net account to repair the error. In fact, it should be noted that this option existed, but that it required to go through the standard procedure for technical support, which could take 2-3 days.

This time, the operation is almost instant, and the lost object is found in your mailbox in under a minute. A system that just add to the long list of tips to simplify life, that it would like to see across so it is practical, and that there is finally as Blizzard. By contrast, BioWare should integrate the transfer of characters between servers on its Star Wars: The Old Republic by the summer. Hum...

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Already gone of the Atom D2700

Intel sealed the fate of its Atom D2700 after a period of relatively short marketing.

It's official, Intel has already signed the judgment of death of the Atom D2700. This processor will therefore had a relatively short life, since it was launched end of 2011 with the platform Atom Cedar Trail. It's a CPU with the 32 nm composed of two hearts and having the HyperThreading (four threads) that is running at 2.13 GHz. Its TDP is 10 Watts, it manages up to 4 GB of DDR3 on a single channel and has long been talk about him for his part, graphics chip PowerVR SGX545 640 MHz dual-core.

A sound chip can decode video streams HD (including Blu - ray) but also be compatible DirectX 10.1, which has proven to be more problematic than expected for Intel was very difficult to provide by Microsoft WHQL certified drivers. This Atom D2700 will therefore disappear in favour of other references, and perhaps new Atom that have not yet been presented, who knows? Is that Intel customers have until June 29 if they wish to order this processor, for deliveries which will be carried out no later than September 28. After that, the Atom D2700 will disappear for good.

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It would be the Galaxy S3 of Samsung...

Leak of rigor before the announcement in good and due form of the Galaxy S3 of Samsung.

Go, history of wait until the Samsung of future Conference during which the manufacturer will throw the veil on its new Galaxy S3, here is a photo which is now the turn of the Web and who would be (you you in would have doubted) this famous Galaxy S3.

The design would look like not bad to the Galaxy Nexus. The screen would be "4.7. The phone would have a LED notification. The embedded processor is a quad-core. The photo sensor would be 12 megapixels. All would be under Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich. The "Home" button would be maintained. And the terminal would be the GT-i9300 reference...

Phew, overdose of conditional! Will in any case, whether the good Galaxy S3, picture or not, the be that tomorrow .

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To a much more stringent Marketplace...

If the Microsoft application shop was quite lenient so far, which marked a real difference with Apple's App Store, the editor intends to change the rules...

Offers Google Play or the App Store for mobile applications, the Microsoft Marketplace is far behind with about 80,000 software available. And if the editor has put in place several campaigns to attract developers to its platform, he will not let them do anything under the pretext that it is lack of apps.

Indeed, Microsoft just announced a toughening of the rules of publishing an application on the Marketplace, with a validation that will now be more strict. The idea of not letting take in a race to the volume, but to guarantee the quality of the catalogue.

Among the things that change, Microsoft made that trademarks are now better protected, since any application subject to a claim will be removed if it is that questions of copyright problem. The use of trademarks, Microsoft will help developers to try to obtain authorization from the undertakings concerned. Also, developers who offer quasi-similaires applications in different categories to increase their visibility will be sanctioned.

Another decision, limit the number of keywords associated with an application. Words key used at the level of research, and whose abuse some developers. Now, only five key words can be indicated by application, and all the additional keywords already available applications will be automatically deleted, which will affect the popularity of certain apps. Finally, and this is more worrisome, Microsoft plans to be more strict regarding applications to the content which may be offensive. Talking of pornographic and violent content including the bloody games... Microsoft moves towards the establishment of a validation procedure as strict as that of Apple, some time taxed censorship?

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The new GPU - Z supports the GTX 690 and... 670

The new version of GPU - Z utility is available in version 0.6.2 and supports, among other things, the GeForce GTX 690 and 670.

Any user wishing to know information on its graphics and its GPU must install GPU - Z. This utility is a real mine of information of any kind on all graphics chips integrated into our PC (fineness of engraving and size of the die, number of transistors, the ROPs, frequencies of the GPU and memory, TDP, rotation speed of the fans etc.).

As each new version, the soft provides its batch news and information about the future upcoming GPU and, in this case, the GTX 690 and GTX 670 this version already supports. GPU - Z 0.6.2 also the GeForce GT 640, 630 GT, GT 605, GTX 675 M, GTX 670 M and Quadro 3000M on the side supports NVIDIA and Radeon HD 7970M and HD 7450 in AMD. Support for integrated graphics of Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge circuits is now effective and the frequencies of the GPU Boost of GPU Kepler detection has been improved.

The complete list of what's new in this version can be found on the dedicated page of the Techpowerup.com site and the download is done via the link below:

> Download GPU - Z 0.6.2

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ASUS ROG G55VW and G75VW, the two monsters for gamers on sale

ASUS plays map "gamer" by launching the G55VW and the G75VW in its ROG range, equipped with the latest processors Intel Ivy Bridge.

ASUS Launches new notebooks in its Republic of Gamers line models. Therefore advance the G75VW and G55VW with their latest processors Intel Ivy Bridge edges and the latest graphics from NVIDIA, the GeForce GTX 660 and 670 M.

On technical specifications, the ASUS ROG G75VW looks as a monster. 17.3-inch diagonal for its screen Full HD matte finish that supports technology 3D Vision 2 (and therefore LightBoost), Intel Core i7-3610QM processor running at 2.3 GHz with Turbo Core 3.3 GHz, 8 GB of RAM in DDR3 1600 MHz up to 16 GB via two memory banks to additional, two drives 750 GB 7200 t / m configured in RAID 0, a graphics card more or less discrete of the firm to the Chameleon, the GeForce GTX 670 M with 3 GB dedicated memory in GDDR5, all cooled by two fans independent with dust filters, is it you please. Two speakers and a subwoofer signed Altec Lansing THX TruStudio EAX support are also part.

On the top of the screen is perched a webcam of 2 megapixel with its juxtaposé micro, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi b/g and n, Gigabit Ethernet, a card SD, Memory Stick or MMC Reader, a Blu - ray player, an HDMI 1.4 output, making VGA and a mini-DisplayPort last. Finally, this machine offers four USB 3.0 ports, a backlit keyboard with its with numeric keypad, a backpack of transport, a mouse and a headset/microphone and of course a pair of 3D Vision glasses, all delivered in the carton with the beast.

The G55VW is almost identical to the G75VW, with just a size smaller screen or 15.6 inches and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 M with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 RAM. For the rest, these two models will have a battery eight-cell 5200 mAh (74 Wh) for a total weight, including battery, 3.8 kg for the G55VW and 4.5 kg for the G75VW.

These portable two ROG Awards will be quite high, since the G75VW is already around €1800 and the G55VW should arrive in store at a rate of €1499. Remains to be seen now if these machines of war are worth their huge of gold.

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SATA/SAS 12 Gbps to...

Of the 12 Gb/s SAS or SATA IV? Unless it is both. Still a few months to wait to find out...

To keep a certain advance on the rise of the bandwidth offered by the disks to flash memory, manufacturers have two possibilities for the moment. The first, not simple, it is wire on a PCI-Express, as the SATA Express bus. This last offer of flows and 2 GB/s, which is already large enough to see the fastest of the current SSD.

The second solution is to change the SATA III of the new generation SAS as Hitachi GST could demonstrate us on May 9. Knowing that the SATA and SAS connectors are identical, and that only the controller is different, a new generation of hard drives could happen with the support of this new high-speed SAS standard. The SAS proposes 2.4 GB/s in both directions and the standard would be about to be finalized.

It must however wait still a little land such flow in his machine. It should be whether the consortium that unites builders of disks is will agree on unification two standards, SATA and SAS, or if the two will be entitled to the same developments as was the case for SATA III and the SAS 2.0. Specific LSI also that there would be a version 24 Gb/s being tested in laboratories, is double of the 12 Gb/s SAS in question here .

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Call of Duty : Black Ops II, la guerre futuriste

Activision reveals Call of Duty: Black Ops II via a 2 minute trailer. The series moves to the futuristic war, reinvent itself again?

The report of a US firm recently gave elements at those who believe that with the series Call of Duty, Activision has eaten his white bread. Indeed, some observers are beginning to estimate that the coming episodes of the saga will no longer fight the established records in the future. And yet, every year the editor surprises his world by proving the contrary. But this time, it's serious, since Modern Warfare 3 is less well sold in March 2012 not to was sold by Black Ops in March 2011 (-5%). This was no more needed to hear a terse "Call of Duty is dying", even if all this is of course largely premature and that it will take a little wait to know if, in fact, fatigue tends to emerge among the fans of Call Of.

This brings us - you you in would have suspected - Black Ops II announced since, not, Activision did not intend to stop in so good way. The episode of the dispute with Infinity Ward and the clash with West and Zampella well behind us, Call of Duty may continue his Matchstick road at the hands of Treyarch, the principle of alternation of development is still renewed studios.

Result, Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be released on November 13, 2012 and the announcement, that night, is already accompanied by a broad campaign of advertising on the Internet and in the media. Not, it does not joke with the com' in ActiBlizz.

The announcement was punctuated by the distribution of a first video about two minutes that introduces the game. The opportunity to see that it is not question of second world war and or Viet Nam. No, if Modern Warfare has made a name in Call Of hunting on the land of modern war, Black Ops reinvents looking in the future. A passage in the Delorean of Doc, and that's in 2025, while machines have replaced men on the battlefield.

In the construction of this Black Ops II, many things change, beginning with the integration of the single player campaign missions "Strike Force". The players will have the opportunity to choose one of these missions in effect at certain times in the game. But attention, in releasing one they close access to others during a given game. The purpose is twofold: power walk the player on the globe at a glance in proposing missions very various, adding changes to gameplay and as much pepper to fool the boredom, but also encourage players to repeat several times the solo campaign for all of the game, and so booster "semi-artificially" life. Note that the outcome of these Strike Force missions can influence the course of history and traditional missions.

Mark Lamia also slipped a word on the multiplayer to PC Gamer. He indicated that Treyarch would like to Black Ops II a game perfect for esports competitions. How? By finding the balance between the comfort of dedicated servers and the practice of the game in the set rules from the outset by the studio, which will be the same for everyone. Then, servers dedicated or not? We do not yet have the answer, but Treyarch knows that this allows more opportunities for cheats, that the studio did not want to encourage. In short, it will be seen well. Finally, note that the famous Zombie mode will return, but that he won't this time above a priori appeal to President Kennedy (Haha). We are told to finish that Black Ops II Call of Duty the more ambitious and huge will never be released. But this, Activision said we each year. Rendez-vous November 13 on PC, PS3 and X 360.

PS: Would forget, but if Treyarch could switch to DirectX 11 on PC and do our beloved platform their development platform, rather we propose a beast portage to the va-fast console version, it's better!

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ASUS competition Kinect with the Xtion

This ASUS Xtion, a sensor of movement for PC-like as two drops of water to Microsoft's Kinect.

It looks like a Kinect sensor, it's the same thing as a Kinect sensor but is not a Kinect sensor, it is the Xtion of Asus. With its head of Wall-E, impossible at first sight not confuse the Xtion with Kinect, motion capture device proposed by Microsoft and available, remember, since February 1 on PC. Asus has just hunt on the lands of the firm of Redmond by also offering a product with similar functionality for PC users.

The Xtion operates in USB 2.0, measures 18 x 5 x 3.5 cm, and its sensors, optics and sensors can detect the movements of one or more users at a distance ranging from 80 cm to 3.5 metres. The Xtion is thought to facilitate the use and navigation, with gestures, in applications such as galleries photos with Flickr and Picasa, videos with YouTube or social networking with Facebook, all of these applications having seen their interfaces specifically adapted to provide a better user experience.

A specific Web, Kylo browser, has therefore been developed by Asus in collaboration with Hillcrest Labs in order to surf the net easily through gestures, a virtual keyboard is displaying on the screen to even text input.

But the Asus Xtion is particularly aimed at video games. It will also ship with 3 programs developed specifically for him, Beatbooster, DanceWall and MayaFit in this case, a racing game, a set of dance and a personal fitness coach as can be found on Xbox 360 or Wii. A dedicated Web portal, the Portal Xtion will acquire of new games and upcoming applications. The device is also compatible with "already available as Virtua Tennis 4" classic titles, Need for speed Hot Pursuit, Street Fighter 4, Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds.

For the moment no tariff or date of marketing, have been announced but just hope that the entry ticket is not too high as the Kinect PC to its output was proposed relatively expensive tariff of €249 even though it may now be at €140 in some shops.

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Windows Phone: analysts by loss of confidence

To the done deal, firms seem finally more believe in the success of Windows Phone. Microsoft would have taken too much delay...

Analysis firms have always been rather confident as to the ability of Microsoft to impose its mobile operating system Windows Phone over the medium term. Enthusiasm renewed when announce the signing of a partnership with Nokia. Two of the leading firms of analysis, iSuppli and IDC, felt grosso-modo that it would take about three years to Windows Phone to Eclipse iOS and position themselves in second place in the market, behind the leader in Android, with a comfortable 16 to 20% market share.

As often (!), these analysts reading appears now as erroneous. Indeed, given the trend by sales of Windows Phone, the specialists of these two firms are well forced to revise downward their estimates, and finally that Microsoft will have big difficulties to position itself in force on the market. Indicating that the growth of Windows Phone remains low despite the arrival of signed terminals Nokia, that the Symbian fade especially helped Android and that the replacement of Windows Mobile business is predominantly through the use of personal smartphones managed by secure it departments, IDC and iSuppli are unanimous: the part will be much more complicated than expected for Windows Phone.

Microsoft, for its part, set a spark caused among consumers by Windows 8, which takes the Metro interface, its adaptation on shelves and the proposal of a multi-platform system converge. This is a priori the best weapon of the Publisher to impose its mobile OS, unless the future Nokia Lumia become true anti-iPhone and other Galaxy S weapons.

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The Samsung 7 Chronos passes to speed

Update of the Chronos Series 7 with processor Intel Ivy Bridge and the Kepler in the mobile version for the graphic part.

Samsung would be about to deliver his new laptop computer equipped with the latest processors Intel Ivy Bridge and coupled to a graphics from NVIDIA, the GeForce GT 640 M. Of a diagonal 15.6 inches and a definition of 1600 x 900 matte finish - finally! -This new laptop will weigh 2.4 kg for correct dimensions (36,21 x 23.85 x 2.39 cm). A hair too thick to be classified Ultrabook the last criteria of Intel, may still slip into a large bag as needed. It is therefore the same as the Chronos Series 7 currently on sale.

       

Moderated by an Intel Core i7-3615QM processor at 2.3 GHz to 6 MB of cache, it will be joined by 8 GB of RAM at 1600 MHz 4 GB directly welded on the motherboard, which offering while a single memory bank of available to increase the size of the memory of the machine. Chipset selected by Samsung is Intel HM76 that supports the WiDi, wireless for a screen display technology or additional TV, but also the ExpressCache technology that uses Korean with a cache of 8 GB also soldered on the motherboard. This will allow the laptop to start very quickly or to come out of hibernation in less than 2 seconds.

For storage, it is a hard disk of 1 To spinning at 5400 t/m. an optical drive is also present for the reading of film or for the installation of various software which still pass on this type of support. On accessories and connectors present on the machine, Samsung provides its new 7 series of two speakers 2 x 2W with a subwoofer additional, a camera of 1.3 megapixel, the Bluetooth 4.0, taken RJ45 supporting gigabit, a sound output to the jack format and its micro with a microphone installed in the packagetwo USB 3.0 ports and a USB 2.0, to complete a farm eight cells (80 Wh) who will happily pass the 1500 cycles of recharge from Korean.

He will be delivered with Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit on this product sheet on the Samsung portal, without indication of the actual sale price of the new model. We now await the official launch of the new Chronos Series 7 rafraichi that we look forward to testing. You can always read our test of the model currently sold, to wait.

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Test : Botanicula

Point & Click nature, Botanicula lives as a brief aside simple and beautiful, a puff of pixels without head in a plant world original.

Botanicula

For:
Original universe
A the cool game
Wonderful atmosphere
The Humble Bundle coming

Against:
Enough short
Some too simple puzzles

After time to wear his excellent penciling adventure Machinarium media game, the small independent studio Amanita Design started in any another project with Botanicula. Nothing to do with a love simulation prohibits the country of flowers, Botanicula place the player to joysticks five small creatures who must save their plant world to die. The whole is still in point & click and the beautiful part to small puzzles to the progressive difficulty. A game to the Green message played without glasses green (Nvidia, Eva, same fight?)...

In view of the liabilities of the studio, was expected to immediately fall under the charm of this small nugget indie. The discovery of the first paintings is a disappointment. The universe has cool air, quite pretty atypical graphics, the small display is led charismatic, but despite a gameplay perfectly nested fresh music via successful sound effects, nothing to do, it remains outside this small world. The black bébêtes that suck the vitality of the leaves of this tree without the slightest qualms leave us almost of marble.

And then eventually understand, point & click is good only when it becomes a little more complicated. The first tables there for the last in the mouth and offering strictly no challenge, our neurons of players were simply not enough jostled to wake up. Just time to realize that the system of indices of Machinarium has been abandoned, and we are nose to live. OK, we're going to do this Botanicula. Fortunately, it is also convoluted that could sometimes be his predecessor. Person will need of walkthrough to take advantage.

This somewhat soft startup is quickly forgotten, since the game is little by little life as it discovers new tables, equates the means to unlock the passages and popular more quickly from one point to another trying to click around to trigger interactions with the decor, sometimes unnecessary, or liberating. We are thus left to conduct general click our small unlikely troupe to the right and to the left, and take pleasure to discover all small animations that Amanita Design artists had fun to conceal in their game. The originality of graphics in contemplation. The word is a little strong, but since Botanicula is also humorous in animation while playing without restraint with its characters, it benefits.

The system of these animations is also very malignant creator of surprise, and gives such real life to the game. Some of them trigger immediately, others require the player to insist and click several times without really knowing if it will happen something different. At times it nothing happens. Other times it click three or four times now to be eligible for the highlight of the show. And often, it is at this price that is crucial to our progress in the adventure.

Botanicula is long and tinkering four to five hours decors green & peace enough to what remembered more as a getaway, relaxing parenthesis in life of player doped with testosterone. Especially appreciate the very colourful side of the game. Small explanation as exchanges with other characters being always in pastel sketches, and without any letter. Similarly, Botanicula is a very polished game. When the player is wrong, it simply has the right to a small additional animation and is given the opportunity to start again. That's also probably why that the game is before all a pleasure of discoveries.

But as stated in intro, the real binder of all these ideas, it is music. It is indeed on the soundtrack, mixed with the gameplay with a certain brio, that the magic of Botanicula operates. And when the music becomes explicitly the subject of some puzzles, it said that Amanita Design is indeed a small studio full of creative ideas, and all this is done with delicacy and parsimony. Botanicula sight to see, but to listen also.

Note that even a little less than a week, Botanicula is available for the Humble Bundle indie initiative. You can then download and three other games for the sum of your choice, and fund the rescue of the forest at the same time. If with all that you do not try, no one knows what to do...

Botanicula - available on PC
Config' minimum: Processor 1.6 GHz / 1 GB of RAM / 730 MB of disk space

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100 pages per minute: attention to deforestation

More 1, exit 6 to the second page, it should be...

Brother has not yet unveiled the price of its new monochrome printer which, according to the manufacturer, is the fastest in the world, able to bring out up to 100 pages per minute... Under these conditions, better to use recycled paper for the eating of trees.

Technologically, the print head is composed of 5198 hawks spread over a surface area of 21.5 cm wide. At the time, it has no need to move and issues flow as it beats all speed records. A capable of printing in a single print head passes on the front but the back also.

Of course, this last has several bins to manage multiple formats and types of paper, while avoiding having to reload too often this beast that will only bite of ramets which will be proposed.

According to Brother, this high-speed printer to divide the carbon footprint and printing costs by two a more conventional model. Present in Berlin to discover this new printer, our colleagues from the digital returned with this impressive presentation video.

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A 200 TFlops supercomputer installed in the Paris region

Bull will equip the CLRB of CEA of a new supercaculateur of 200 Teraflops.

Here is the 50th world place of the ranking of the most powerful supercomputers that should position the machine Bull French is about to deliver to the CLRB (calculation of research and technology). Able to issue a power of about 200 TFlops, this supercomputer will be installed in the computing centre attached to the Atomic Energy Commissioner, in the commune of Bruyères-le-Chatel in Essonne.

Is access including the teams of engineers from Areva, Astrium, EDF Group, saffron and of course of the CEA. Which guarantees that it will be used in many application areas, and including "studies on the operation of power plants, design and safety of nuclear reactors, the development of aircraft and helicopter engines, analysis of environmental risks, the study of proteins and the deciphering of the genome, the climate change or even new matériaux… research".

To implement this cluster, Bull will assemble servers equipped with processors Intel Xeon E5-2680, processors derived architecture Sandy Bridge-E with 8 physical cores and 16 threads 2.7 GHz processors each. Once entered in activity next month, this new cluster will allow the overall computing power made available by the CLRB exceed 500 TFlops.

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For the first time, Nintendo losing money...

Nintendo nippon group recently published annual losses for the first time in its history...

Nintendo yesterday published the results of its 2011-2012 fiscal year ended March 31. In one year, the company still there shortly if successful, capitalizing on the success of the Wii and the DS, has lost EUR 425 million while she mailed still 675 million euros of profit 12 months earlier.

It must be said that on this exercise, turnover fell by 36.2% to € 6.4 billion. Sales of consoles and games are in sharp decline, and this despite the launch of a newcomer, the Nintendo 3DS portable and auto-stéréoscopique (see test). These poor figures can be explained in part by poor sales of this 3DS who forced Nintendo to quickly respond by lowering a few months only after its sale price, of ever.

In total, 13.5 million Nintendo 3DS have been sold on the exercise. In lack of strong games and still too dear (including accessories), the Wii also recorded a large decrease in sales with 9.8 million units over the year. Is that Nintendo, more than ever concurrencé of the casual game market and portable by smartphones and other tablets, moral guard and ambition. The consolier and Publisher plans to return to the green as from 2012-2013 thanks to the democratization of the 3DS and the launch of a new living room console, Wii U and its handle in the form of Tablet. Posted objectives: 7,690 billion euros of turnover and profit EUR 188 million.

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Security Essentials 4.0: minor changes

Microsoft delivers the new version of its virus protection that goes directly to the 4.0.

The Microsoft antivirus jumped on its version number and passes the fourth. Last December, Microsoft proposed a beta version of its anti-virus who was available for members of the Connect program. Today, this new version is available to all. Two ways to get it, or by direct download from the portal of the editor of Redmond by following the link after this article, either while waiting patiently for that Windows Update suggested if the previous version is already installed.

Even if this had little impact for the user, it is still interesting to note the fact that Microsoft goes from version 2 to version 4 directly. In addition, software will collect by default and user-defined manner, the threats identified as such and send them to the editor to understand and eradicate the next threats via its automatic update system.

      

Version 2 on the left, version 4 on the right, the changes are minimal.

On compatibility, anti-virus will install without problems on Windows XP SP3 minimum and up to Windows 7 SP1. There is not mention Windows 8 Consumer Preview support on the official page of the antimalware program, to test. It is free, then there is more than to follow the link to download.

> Download Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0

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Free Mobile, the rate for valid Freebox subscribers even after termination

Free Mobile packages dedicated to the Freebox subscribers reduced tariff is valid even after termination.

Free confirmed information concerning which the preferential tariff applied to subscribers Freebox on its mobile packages, namely €0 or €15.99, is valid even after termination.

Thus any subscriber offer ADSL for Free which is tempted to see in another mobile operator if the grass is greener and later decides to resume package with Free Mobile will always be the reduced rate. Until then the termination and renewal to a Free Mobile offer wavered on the normal tariff to €2 or €19.99 for a Freebox non-abonné.

Offering Free Mobile enhances therefore with time even if it was known and knows still some defects of youth which should quickly narrowed to meet the current and future subscribers.

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Firefox already available in Beta version 13

Milling 12-exit penalty, Mozilla already offers its 13 Firefox browser in Beta version download.

Notice to fans and non-superstitious people, the Mozilla Foundation is lagging and already offers the download milling 13 in beta version of its browser web and this just a few days after the official release of the number 12.

This new edition of the browser to the red panda offers several new features in the GUI with all major first a default homepage that gives quick access to the main features through icons at the bottom of the screen (downloads, bookmarks, history, add-ons, browser settings), and then open a new blank tab is now appear a mosaic of nine vignettes sites most popular that it is possible to rearrange envy by movingpinning or removing very simply.

    

Firefox is therefore a Visual facelift and ergonomic welcome that was poor especially compared to what offer already Chrome and Opera since a little while. Other changes such as the activation of the Protocol SPDY sites the supporting and soft scrolling are enabled by default and, during a restore of session, the loading of the content of all the tabs previously open is automatically but upon request in the selection of one of them, this result a much faster browser startup.

The complete list of changes can be found on the Mozilla site page dedicated to this version and you can download the software by clicking below.

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Microsoft wanted to sell Bing on Facebook

Anxious to get rid of its search engine, Microsoft would have tried refourguer Bing on Facebook...

This is the kind of approaches that multinational companies prefer to keep secret. But the New York Times has decided otherwise and revealed that last year, Microsoft executives came close Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg to the CEO of the first global social network to buy the Bing search engine.

Therefore a large folder, but a demi-surprise when we know the privileged links were woven into these two groups, Microsoft have included participation in the capital of Facebook and him having resold a part of its newly acquired AOL patents.

When these discussed, Microsoft tried to demonstrate to Facebook with Bing in anyway, it would be better cut for Google and its social offensive with Google. However, Steve Ballmer not had apparently not validated this proposal which, in any event, came on nothing since Mark Zuckerberg has just declined the offer.

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Defend against a Zerg Rush Google!

The Zerg from the Starcraft game villains attack the Google page, eliminate them all and made péter scores!

To relax before the long weekend of May 1 and do drop the productivity in all the companies of the world, Google offers a game good fun.

An easter egg (Easter egg) has indeed been concealed on the page of the search engine and will delight fans of Starcraft, among others. Thus typing "zerg rush" in the box you will trigger an attack of "O" red and yellow (those of the Google logo, not those of the Opera browser) Recalling the Zerg of space strategy game from Blizzard vermin.

    

The goal is then to shooter in a maximum by clicking the left button of the mouse with the cursor, transformed for the occasion in sight, until they have completely wiped out the results page displayed on the screen. Well défoulant and not so obvious that because a swarm of O rush on the set of the elements present on the site, feel free to scroll down page because the Zerg rushent on any part.

Once the page is inexorably destroyed by these invaders, the final score obtained can be shared with his circles of friends on Google + to compare results and thus a little more spread the phenomenon as a trail of powder.

At your mouse! And remember, a good Zerg is a Zerg death

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"21.5 LED, Full HD in Acer monitor

Acer launches a new screen in two references. Size of 21.5 ", he is LED Full HD, but very classic.

The manufacturer Acer has presented two new references of PC monitors that offer a brilliant LCD slab of type TN + Film retro-illuminated led 21.5 "a definition of 1920 x 1080 pixels. They therefore share the same screen which the technical characteristics are summarized below:

Response time: 5 maximum msLuminosité: 250 cd/m²Contraste: 1000: 1

These two screens operate the Acer Crystal Brite technology, which allows to achieve the reproduction (?) 100 million colors according to the manufacturer. An Eco mode is also integrated, and this to save energy (without that Acer describes more the latter).

Finally, the one and the main difference between the Acer G225HQLAbmid and G225HQLAbd is in the presence of HDMI input and two speakers 2W for the first, while the second should only DVI and VGA inputs that also has the other. These two screens will be marketed before the end of the month of may, at prices which remain to be defined.

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Free Mobile termination: Word of drive

We thank our readers for their testimony on this case. Our doubts of customer account management have steps been confirmed or reversed by the néo-opérateur, but your testimony give us new light...

Following our article on 24 April concerning the problems of termination of automatic lines for cause of unpaid for some Free Mobile customers, we have received many accounts to offset our doubts about the methods used by the néo-opérateur the "good" computer management of its customers. Before going further, please note that we always expect a response on the part of Free Mobile and Iliad on this subject, that despite our reminders remain silent for the time being.

To better understand what is happening from the point of view of a customer, we selected one of the email we received:

"Hello"

I am writing to bring some clarification to article "Free Mobile: termination of office for outstanding?", part I of the cancelled Office and with the subscription to €15.99.

My RIB was poorly made outset (because of a bug in Free failing key RIB starting at 0). I called 3 times to correct the very thing before receiving my SIM card, which affirmed the customer service not being able to do so and that this would be "quickly as possible" via the heading "My account" in the customer area on the Internet. Of course, that was the most time.

I sent them a RIB by mail, thanks to 4 weeks to process. Result, first denied collection... In the aftermath, an advisor called, to tell me that I could resolve the outstanding credit card, and that he could - finally - correctly enter my RIB.

Result: settled outstanding RIB ok, rectified... situation 2 months so far were collected and there was therefore no unpaid, at most a delay of a few days on the 1 month which, let us recall, is paid in advance.

My line but was cut on April 14, as those of many other customers. I immediately called customer service of Free Mobile, who asked me to send a recommended. This was done in the wake. This is almost 2 weeks I look now. I have called numerous times customer service which told me nothing could do, and that the situation will be rectified "soon"...

They give me the impression of being overwhelmed, my number is lost, and I am the reverse of the NRJ Mobile pub: I have a mobile, but not of SIM card. This suits me well, because I'm currently looking for a new job (the end of CSD requires) and my number is volatilized, I used 12 years and which appeared on my CV.

"Thank you Free…"

Even if all clients are not affected by this problem, those that are will have therefore lost everything in the case. Difficult to understand how this can happen, especially as Iliad is not in its first move to test on this sector. The automatic collection of Free ADSL subscriptions are made correctly, regardless of the used RIB.

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Samsung DVD burner plan

This external burner would be the thinnest in the world. The perfect companion for the ultrabook?

Have a super ultraportable end and having to carry the size of a brick, step top optical reader/writer... At the time, Samsung is brushed metal finish that he loves in this time and applies it to a new ultra-fine laptop DVD burner.

If end that the Korean giant is sure of its move in presenting as "the finest in the world" with only 14 mm thick. Some would say: "It is all beauuuuuuté".

This SE - 218BB has enough conventional specifications. Powered by USB, it has 1 MB memory cache. Its write speeds, they are 24 x for CD-R/CD-RW, 8 x for DVD + R/DVD-R, 5 x DVD-RAM, 6 x for the DVD + R DL/DVD-R DL, 8 x DVD + RW 6 x DVD - RW.

This external DVD burner weighs 255 grams for dimensions of 148 x 14 x 144 mm. It is expected to cost about €50 in France.

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The boost of Tegra 3 seems to be confirmed, pending Tegra 4

Frequencies of functioning identified and GPU accelerated, these are the elements of the SoC Tegra 3 AP37 that Nvidia is going out...

A few interesting details about the new versions of the 3 Nvidia Tegra SoC make their appearance on the canvas and tend to confirm that this all-in-one processor will be entitled to a kick boost at the level of performance in the meantime Tegra 4, code name Wayne, which is now known as the AP40 reference.

Currently, the tablets and smartphones that are equipped with a chip Tegra 3 are of a SoC which reference is AP33. As explained in this article, it is suspected that an AP37 (engraved in 28 nm) quickly make its appearance. And as shown in the table below (borrowed from VR-Zone), this new variation will be more efficient with an operating frequency reviewed higher (between 1.5 and 1.7 GHz), a faster GPU by 25% and the management of screen up to 1920 x 1200 pixels.

It is in any year end, at best, that could be a priori subsequently. Wayne so the Tegra 4 (AP40) which will be based on ARM Cortex A15 hearts. Nvidia partners who will design a Tegra 4 processor equipped products expect to receive the first samples about a month after the Computex, or this summer. Computex that Nvidia could decide in good and due form to its Tegra 4, even if it is a little early.

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Intel Lynx Point: more than RAID, but accelerated boot

Some information about the next range of chipsets Intel 8 series, Lynx Point, coming while the series 7, Panther Point, has just launched...

Processors Intel Ivy bridge that integrate a new Intel HD 4000 iGPU, offer a good overclocking potential. Launched only a few days ago and already tested by us (the Core i7-3750K and i5-3570K), these chips are accompanied by a new series of chipsets, the Intel Series 7 Panther Point.

Even if this launch took place there is very little time, a few eyes are already turning to the next series for code Lynx Point. The introduction of the new range of processors that will be released next year called Haswell, will be also accompanied by a new series of chipsets, as you guessed it, the series 8.

If we stick to the latest information unverified on these upcoming chipsets, the Z85 will lose the RAID, a sacred loss for the unconditional support of clusters of hard drives. What is sure to be of interest to manufacturers of RAID controllers to create a new range of special motherboards RAID. It is also expected that the entire range will give the possibility to users of basic control technology RST (Rapid Storage Technology) according to three possible choices, energy efficiency, maximum power, or in between.

Last information about Lynx Point, the startup of the machine time reduction, more specifically, the time of loading the EFI and the detection of components and peripherals. Intel will offer, in association with a disc SSD of the caster to more quickly detect hard disks used for a much shorter load times that currently. This will of course work with the fondeur… disks There are still a whole year to discover these new chipsets, we still have some time before us.

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