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Tech Review: Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Laptop

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:07:00 GMT

Get your gadget fix three times a week, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday right here on TheFeed. Today’s tech item is the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Laptop. Find out if this portable PC’s right for you!

Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Laptop

What You Need to Know

The Macbook Air is 0.16 to 0.76” thick, and the X300 is only 0.73” thick
The Air weighs a bit lighter at 3.4 lbs while the X300is about 4 lbs.
Lenovo has almost matched the dimensions of the Air, and is even thinner at some points
The Thinkpad has always had a responsive keyboard, and this one is no different; it's very responsive, and it has an LED light
There's the the trademark red nubbin trackpoint as well as the trackpad, which is the only thing that could be a little bigger
The screen is not nearly as bright as the Air, although they are exactly the same size
3 USB ports
Stereo speakers
Ethernet port
VGA out
A, G, and N wireless and Bluetooth
No expansion card slot but built-in mobile broadband
GPS
DVD burner
It beats out all other competition except for the Air, which was a bit faster and had longer battery life
The X300 has a slightly slower processor, but other than that, the specs are exactly the same between the two laptops

Price

Here's the thing: the X300 comes standard with a 64 gig solid state drive at only $2,800; if you want the solid state on the Air, it'll cost you $3,100
If you can sacrifice solid state, buy the Air for $1800
If you need the best ultraportable, buy the X300

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'GTA' MMO?

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:19:00 GMT

Realtime Worlds, a development house that used to be under the Rockstar roof, is now hoping to partner with or sell it's APB (All Points Bulletin) work in order to give the world GTA Online, the rumored MMO that would further expand Rockstar's e-domination.

With the multiplayer going the way its going, we're expecting GTA to house its own MMO with its own technology as it seems so close already. But with a few MMOs in trouble, the fad may be slipping away and Rockstar is not one to hop onto sinking ships.

joystiq.com: Rumor: Realtime Worlds hopes APB becomes GTA Online

For a little taste of that multiplayer action in GTA IV watch this:

Watch the large version of this video

'Rock Band' Drops New Wave Tracks

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:08:00 GMT

New Wave time, kids: Rock Band has three tracks for ya, all new wave-tastic:

The Songs:

“Hanging On The Telephone” (Blondie)
“Train in Vain (Stand by Me)” (The Clash)
“Kool Thing” (Sonic Youth)

The Date:

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 (Xbox LIVE® Marketplace)
Thursday, May 15, 2008 (PLAYSTATION®Store)

The Price:

$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the 3-pack or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track.

'Gran Turismo' Ships 50 Million Units

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:08:00 GMT

Sony Computer Entertainment has reported that the Gran Tourismo franchise has shipped over 50 million units worldwide since its inception just over 10 years ago, which is a pretty staggering number. Especially given the idea that Gran Tourismo was initially planned as a niche racing game, and now is all over the place.

What about you out there? Are any of you big time Gran Tourismo fans? Is it the best racing franchise on the block, or should we be out getting something else? To be honest, I, personally, have not been much of a racing gamer over the years, but I could use the advice.

Next Generation.com: Gran Turismo Races Past 50 Million Sales

'Guitar Hero 4' the Holidays

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:49:00 GMT

We could have a Guitar Hero 4 as early as this coming holiday season, which according to Activision's Mike Griffith, will represent a "significant leap forward in innovation." It's presumed that part of that innovation will be the other instruments and vocal component that other Activision employees have mentioned publicly.

Additional music licenses will further expand the number and quality of playable songs and the game should only get better. We're apparently 2 weeks out from specific details about the game's release.

eurogamer.net: Activision: Guitar Hero 4 this "holiday"

New 'Top Spin 3' Gallery

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:48:00 GMT

Check out our brand new gallery of shots of Top Spin 3. The tennis sim comes out on the Wii, PS3, 360 and Nintendo DS on June 23rd.

New Wrath of the Lich King Details

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:29:00 GMT

Blizzard has revealed some new details of the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Along with the new information they've posted some brand new fly-over footage of the new areas and a few other interesting details. What we know you can expect from Lich King so far:

A new icey zone called the Borean Tundra, populated by many new beasts, including a race of Walrus people NPCs
Large dungeons called Zul'Drak, Dragonblight
New zones called the Grizzly Hills, the Howling Fjord
A lush, jungle area called the Sholazar Basin that looks to be a miner's dream
VEHICLE COMBAT!!!!
The Death Knight will have the ability to raise the recently fallen from either side of a fight as Ghouls, which will then fight for you
Death Knights will have a new Disease ability

We'll upload the videos and link to them in this post as soon as humanly possible. Stay frosty.

Rumor: 360 Motion-Controller Next Week?

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:12:00 GMT

Here's a huge rumor: Microsoft is releasing their rumored-but-not-confirmed motion controller next week. Here's how kotaku.com is posting it:

"According to sources that will go unnamed, Microsoft may be showing its Xbox 360 motion controller as early as next week to press, a controller geared specifically for Banjo Kazooie 3 gameplay. In fact, we've heard that select members of the press have already seen the controller—in use on the next Banjo Kazooie title—in action."

Furthermore:

Microsoft's event next Tuesday, at which the new Banjo Kazooie is confirmed to be shown to North American press, comes with an embargo that lifts before the event kicks off proper. That means that whatever is on display for press will be revealed next Tuesday morning to everyone.

There you have it. Stay tuned!

kotaku: Rumor: Microsoft May Debut New Xbox Controller Next Week

Tying Fitness To In-Game Performance

Fri, 09 May 2008 09:30:00 GMT

In this age of derivation and endless sequels, it's not often that a clean, clear new idea is presented in videogaming, but I think kotaku's Brian Crescente has one:

Tie real-life fitness to in-game performance.

Not one of those "You have to pedal a bike to move your guy" things, but imagine an MMO or a FPS where your character could only run as fast and as long as you can run in real life. At the start of the game, a monitor checks your heart rate, and bases your characters "stats" on that. The technology is there already--USB heart rate monitors, the Wii Fit "Balance Board," etc.--all the world needs is the killer app that would make it work together.

Having watched people grind MMOs for hours and weeks to find a sword that boosts damage .03%, we think an hour in the gym a day wouldn't be too much to expect to keep an avatar in peak physical condition.

What do you think? Good idea, or just too much effort to be worthwhile?

Kotaku: What if you character was only as fit as you were?

'X-Play' Looks At Top Adult Games

Fri, 09 May 2008 08:47:00 GMT

In case you missed it on teevee last night, here's X-Play's look at the top ten games for adult eye's only. (Cue Sexy Music!)

Watch the large version of this video

Universal, Take Two Making 'Bioshock'

Fri, 09 May 2008 08:03:00 GMT

Long rumored to be in the works, today it's official: Universal and Take Two are combining forces to bring us a Bioshock movie.

Director Gore Verbinski, (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring) is slated to direct and produce the film. John Logan, writer of Gladiator, The Aviator and Sweeney Todd, is in talks to write BioShock’s screenplay.

"We are excited that 2K Games' vision for BioShock will be carried forward in a new medium," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. "BioShock has been hailed as one of the most highly cinematic and richly plotted titles in interactive entertainment, making it extremely well-suited to film. In partnering with Universal and Gore Verbinski, we have assembled a team that respects the uniqueness of BioShock and will translate it into a powerful movie experience."

Hmm... two talented, creative people and one incredibly awesome videogame story: Could this be the movie that breaks Hollywood's curse on videogame flicks?

Next Call of Duty Details Revealed

Fri, 09 May 2008 07:43:00 GMT

Speaking during a conference call yesterday, Activision Publishing CEO and president Mike Griffith dropped a few tantalizing details about the next Call of Duty game.

The unnamed sequel will arrive on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS later this year, and it looks like it won't be set in World War II, the series' go-to setting.

ShackNews: Next Call of Duty Due This Year on PC, Consoles; Takes Place in 'New Military Theater'

'GRID' Demo Gameplay

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:06:00 GMT

The makers of DIRT are back with a new game, GRID. This game is all about drifting and arcade style racing. I took the demo for a spin and put my drifting skills to the test (I failed).

Just to prove there are no hard feelings, I chose the PS3 demo over the Xbox 360 demo.

The full game will release on June 3, 2008 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Watch the large version of this video

Online Subscriptions Up To $1 Billion

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:52:00 GMT

When NPD said they were doing to start tracking online gaming, we all chuckled. It's always funny when media dinosaurs try to get in on something gaming related about 5 years too late. Well, NPD's Online Subscription Tracker has come up with some results, and they're not terribly surprising...to us at least.

NPD claims they can now estimate that online subscription fees total over $1 billion a year, making us all question our career choices. This wad of cash comes from the 11 million subscribers they claim log on each month, but when Blizzard claims that World of Warcraft alone has 10 million active subscribers, someone's a little off. NPD also listed the top 5 MMO and gaming websites based on first quarter numbers from 2008. Hit the bump for the lists.

MMO/PC Game Subscribers

1.) World of Warcraft
2.) RuneScape
3.) Lord of the Rings Online
4.) Final Fantasy XI
5.) City of Heroes

Gaming Website Subscribers

1) Pogo.com
2) Realarcade.com
3) Bigfishgames.com
4) Gametap.com
5) Disney.com

One more piece of interesting information from the NPD; the majority of gaming website players are women over 35, while MMO players are usually males under 35. Again, that's no surprise to us. Now where's our check?

Next-Gen.biz: Online Subs Exceed $1 bln Annually

Games For Health Event Held In Baltimore

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:35:00 GMT

The fourth annual Games For Health Conference began in Blatimore today, showing how their organization has adapted certain video games and gaming peripherals to be used as a for of physical therapy for people with health issues. Both attendance and sessions have nearly doubled from last year's numbers, proving this isn't just a fad hyped up by the media.

The conference focused on games that were "playable by everybody", especially those with physical limitations. What exactly does that mean? Well, hardwar modder Benjamin Heckendorn created a Guitar Hero axe that you can play with one hand. Slide your foot into a special housing and you can strum the guitar by flicking your big toe up or down. Wanna get some extra points for your whammy action? Just lift up your heel. Combine this with booths focused on EyeToy, Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution, and My Weight Loss Coach, and that's one enjoyable workout my friend.

Gamasutra: Games For Health Conference Kicks Off in Baltimore

SuperDeluxe Folded Into Adult Swim

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:23:00 GMT

SuperDeluxe couldn't fail. It was funded by the people at Turner, connected to super hip Adult Swim, and had money and stars all over it. So, it was a huge surprise when SuperDeluxe announced that they were closing up shop and folding all of their content into Adult Swim, saying they were "tired of competing with themselves."

What they were likely tired of was paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars to get online content and not having the traffic to support it. Yes, there was good stuff on SuperDeluxe, and, yes, it was the kind of stuff you couldn't naturally get anywhere else, but people just didn't seem to respond, and, thus...the end.

R.I.P. SuperDeluxe...you will be missed.

NewTeeVee.com: SuperDeluxe Sinks Into Adult Swim

PSP Skype Headset Confirmed

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:18:00 GMT

Remember all those photoshops of a Playstaion branded cell phone, or the iPhone/PSP mash-ups? Well keep dreaming kid, it'll never happen.

For now, you'll have to settle for this new Sony headset designed specifically for use of Skype on your PSP. It's everything you'd expect it to be with soft earbuds, adjustable microphone, and a thirty dollar price tag. Not exactly cheap, but we're talking about something that will allow you to make free phone calls with the internet from your handheld gaming device. Now go be a good Sony fanboy and buy one, right after you scream about how we get paid by Microsoft to tell you not to buy this.

PSP Fanboy: Skype Headset Finally Available

Geek Out: BSG Live!

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:54:00 GMT

This past Tax Day, April 15th, a very special event took place at the Roxy in Los Angeles, California. Nerds from all over crowded together for a sold-out show where composer Bear McCreary brought the music of Battlestar Galactica to a live concert venue.

We were the only ones given full access to everyone and everything inside the club. Sure we could be selfish and keep all the BSG-sweetness for ourselves, but we're not like that. We're about sharing.

Bear, his brother Brendan, the lovely Raya Yarbrough, and the Galactica's own Kandyse McClure all found time to sit down with us and talk about this unique concert event that brought musicians, performers, and geeks together like nothing has before.

Watch the large version of this video

This is the only place where you can see this footage! Also, be sure to check back next week, where we'll have some more BSG Live surprises up our sleeve.

'GTA' Multiplayer De-mystified

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:21:00 GMT

Some of us have started to venture into multiplayer modes in GTA, while others of us here on TheFeed are still working the missions before going postal on noobs and the like. But for those who have gotten to the multi-action, there's been some confusion and the instruction manual, which typically for GTA games is just loaded with jokes and song credits, is equally devoid of info on the multiplayer modes.

So, Rockstar has released a document explaining it in great detail. You can find it at our compadres' ole Kotaku site. It's extensive.

kotaku.com: Rockstar explains GTA 4 multiplayer

'Everyday Shooter' Now Available for the PC

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:06:00 GMT

You can download the highly decorated award-winning Everyday Shooter via Steam at this very moment, but only if you're interested in being addicted to a game so simple, you can't believe how much mileage you're getting out of it.

It's $9.99 and worth every coin. That almost rhymes.

gaygamer.net: Enjoy Everyday Shooter on your PC via Steam