Fujifilm Instax Mini 50s to capture impromptu moments

Yes, we know that summer is the time when you spend your time outdoors instead of being cooped up at home, zapping aliens and saving the earth yet again from another extra-terrestrial threat. For those who know that summer days can be extremely fleeting, it makes perfect sense to capture all those wonderful moments using a camera. Granted, most of us already have a digital camera in some way or another (phones count too, you know), but how about turning back the clock and going old school for once?

We are talking about the Fujifilm Instax Mini 50S, where it will be able to deliver beautiful, high quality instant photo prints. Being the latest addition to the popular Instax family, the Instax Mini 50S will rely on Instax Mini Instant Film that results in credit card sized photo prints, where these can then be shot anywhere and developed on the spot – letting you experience a retro take when it comes to sharing memories on-the-spot with friends and family.

Coming in a sleek yet compact design in a shiny black finish, the Instax Mini 50S is no slouch when it comes to creative photo taking. After all, you do benefit from a couple of shutter release buttons that are located on the front and side of the camera for portrait or landscape prints. To keep up with the times, there is also a handy self-timer which will let you take one or two images simultaneously – one for you, while the other is for a friend, with a blank strip at the bottom of each print leaving some space for you to write a message capturing the fun of the moment.

Additional features of the $129.99 Instax Mini 50s include :-

Macro lens for close-up shots up to 30cm away
Intelligent flash for brighter backgrounds
Exposure indicator display
Brightness control to lighten or darken photos
Tripod mount
Shiny black finish

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide finally announced

T-Mobile has at long last, announced their latest myTouch 4G Slide smartphone which will be part of T-Mobile’s exclusive line of myTouch devices. The myTouch 4G Slide is said to deliver the most advanced camera of any smartphone with zero shutter lag – now this is something that is surprising since Android-powered smartphones tend to fall behind the iPhone when it comes to camera technology.

Having said that, you can’t just waltz into any T-Mobile store at the moment to bring home a myTouch 4G Slide since it is expected to be available only in July – now, now, that isn’t too far away, is it? It is already the end of June, and you can sniff July out around the corner. The naming convention of the myTouch 4G Slide also gives the game away when it comes to 4G connectivity support, so you know what you’re getting with this smartphone right from the get go.

It is said that the myTouch 4G Slide will be accompanied by an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash, coupled with a bunch of other advanced digital camera features such as improved low-light performance, zero shutter lag, SweepShot that lets you capture panoramic shots by sweeping across an entire scene in a single motion, ClearShot HDR to shoot objects in bright settings without being affected by high-contrast lighting, BurstShot to capture multiple photos in a quick burst, support for America’s largest 4G network, and a dedicated dedicated camera button and one-touch access amongst others.

Heck, you can even shoot full HD video if you want to, while all your videos can be edited straight from the device without having to hook up to a computer prior to that. This is a device that will roll off HTC’s production lines, sporting a 3.7″ WVGA super LCD touch-screen display, a slide-out full-QWERTY keyboard if a Swype-enhanced virtual keyboard is not your cup of tea, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and HTC Sense 3.0. A 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor will run proceedings from within in the myTouch 4G Slide.

You can choose from black and khaki colors for the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide when it finally arrives. Any takers?

Four Intriguing New Smart Phones

At Consumer Reports, we're continually testing the latest smart-phone offerings. And recently, several of the most promising and even ground-breaking cell phones we've seen in a while have come into our labs for testing: The Samsung Infuse 4G, T-Mobile G2x, Sony Xperia Play, and Nexus S 4G. Here's a rundown on each phone and why Senior Editor Mike Gikas thinks it stands out from the crowd.

Samsung Infuse 4G

T-Mobile G2x

This AT&T phone features a big, brilliant display at 4.5-inches. And in our tests of the Infuse 4G, colors popped, and videos were smooth and sharp. The phone also features an 8-megapixel camera with 720p video recording and HDMI playback, so you can view videos on your TV. The Samsung Infuse has accomplished an impossible task: Squeezing one of the largest and perhaps best displays in telecom land into an incredibly slim, pocket-friendly package—seemingly without making any compromises regarding performance. $200 after rebates with a two-year contract.


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T-Mobile G2x

This sharp-looking device is one of the first smart phones with the ability to record video at 1080p. And it has one of the best HD video recorders we’ve ever seen on a phone--on a par even with some standalone camcorders The camera, which includes a flash, has more than the usual amount of manual controls, including ISO adjustments and other image settings. And the G2x has an HDMI connector—so you can hook it up to your TV and view your photos and video. $200 after rebates with a two-year contract.


Sony Xperia Play

This hybrid gadget combines a portable gaming console with a smart phone, and does an admirable job of balancing those disparate demands. Gaming on the Play is very much like using one of the non-phone Sony portables: Its controls will be instantly familiar to PlayStation veterans. It also offers built-in Wi-Fi, so you can engage other gamers via the Web. Over 50 games were available at launch, and more are on the way. And it’s a top-notch Android phone, as well. $200 after rebates with a two-year contract.

Samsung Nexus S 4G

The Nexus S 4G give Sprint customers a leg up for key Google services. Significantly, it’s the only device that will work with Google Wallet—the company’s upcoming pay-by-phone system—at launch. Another is Google Voice, which lets you manage up to six different phones through one number with intelligent call routing. The phone also features a 4-inch touchscreen and a 1-GHz Samsung processor with a dedicated graphics processor, which can enhance performance for mobile games, Web browsing, and videos. And finally, the Nexus S 4G can serve as a 3G/4G mobile hotspot for up to six Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. $200 after rebates with a two-year contract.

Ten must-haves to play from E3

The holiday shopping season might be a good six months away, but thanks to the E3 2011 extravaganza, video game Christmas lists are already taking shape.

While many of the biggest titles and hardware shown off at this year’s game geekfest aren’t coming until well into 2012 — including the innovative Wii U, the gorgeous Tomb Raider reboot and the downright awesome Bioshock Infinite — a wealth of top tier titles will be out in time for your holiday shopping sprees. Start balancing your checkbook, because it’s going to be a busy 2011. Here are ten you absolutely won’t want to miss:

Batman: Arkham City

Release Date: October 18

The follow-up to 2009′s superhero spectacular Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Dark Knight’s next caper breaks out of the prison of linear gaming and into an open-world city run by Gotham’s most vile villains. You’ll soar from the rooftops as the Caped Crusader, using a variety of awesome bat-gadgets as you tussle with The Joker, get stumped by The Riddler and duke it out with The Penguin. Even cooler? You’ll alternate between Batman and fellow misunderstood costume-wearer Catwoman, who lets you explore Gotham’s underworld in search of shiny baubles.

Playstation Vita

Release Date: Holiday 2011

Plagued by one of the biggest online security breaches in U.S. history, Sony’s had a rough go recently. But the winds of change are blowing, and they’re bringing good tidings in the form of the company’s next portable machine, the Vita. Not only does it pack loads of impressive tech – a brilliant OLED touch-screen, dual analog sticks and a rear touch panel – but at $250, it’s actually reasonably priced. And with some terrific games already demoed for the system, including a gorgeous take on their Uncharted franchise and an innovative music game called SoundShape, it’s looking like a real contender.

Mario Kart 3DS

Release Date: Holiday 2011

Got a 3DS but already bored with the launch games? You’re not the only one. The good news, though, is that Nintendo is set to release a metric ton of cool games in the coming months, and having played through most of them, none got us excited as much as this stellar take on Mario’s legendary racing series. Already a graphical treat, the racer adds new elements, such as a deployable glider to help your kart soar over big gaps and fully customizable karts.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Release Date: November 1

Poor Nathan Drake can’t seem to keep himself out of tight spots, though after spending some time with his next adventure, it’s clear that his trouble are our treats. The resilient star of Sony’s hit franchise is in top form in Uncharted 3, which somehow manages to go even bigger than its award-winning forbear by pushing the boundaries of white-knuckle action-platforming. Placing Drake in perilous situation (tumbling about a sinking cruise ship, for instance) after perilous situation (leaping from a moving car to the slowly rising landing gear of a cargo plane, for another), it’s as close to Indiana Jones as any of us will get.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Release Date: November 8

Grumble away about how Call of Duty is an overexposed franchise, but there’s a reason why it sells a bazillion copies ever year: it’s really quite great at what it does. And what it does is provide some of the most intense, blistering, and downright fun first-person shooting in town. The next installment takes the fight around the world, letting players fight terrorist groups in cities like Paris, London and New York while all hell breaks loose. Countless upgrades to the game’s class-leading multiplayer will likely keep you playing it for years…or at least until the next Call of Duty comes out.

Battlefield 3

Release Date: October 25

Of course, you might well be sick to death of Call of Duty. We wouldn’t blame you – and neither would EA, who’s hoping to convert more than a few shooter fans with its jaw-dropping Battlefield 3. A showpiece for the epic Frostbite 2 game engine, the war game is an absolute stunner, boasting some of the most impressive graphics you’ll lay your eyes on all year. It’s got the gameplay to back it up, too: revamped classes, compelling modes and brilliant details (shine a flashlight in someone’s eyes and you’ll temporarily blind them) make it a force to be reckoned with. Call of Duty, watch your six.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Release Date November 11

Prefer swords and sorcery to guns and ammo? Bethesda’s got you covered with the massive Skyrim,. Built by the same team behind Fallout 3, it’s as big and beautiful as role-playing games get. But it’s not just about scope – Skyrim also features fantastic design, including a streamlined interface (no more time wasted digging through backpacks for potions), hundreds of abilities, over 80 spells that can be combined in a myriad of ways, and, well, dragons. Big ones. Lots of ‘em.

Rage

Release Date: October 2011

Speaking of Fallout, if you dig post-apocalyptic mayhem, Rage is your next buy. The big winner of last year’s E3, this shooter/racer/role-playing hybrid can do it all, and it looks pretty incredible doing it. Behind its big, brash bluster lies what might be the smoothest shooter to ever appear on a console, though that’s what we’ve come to expect from the shooter experts at developer id Software.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Release Date: Holiday 2011

Wii U this, Wii U that – you know, the regular, boring old Wii is still in the room. The least we could do is pay attention to it a little, which exactly what the next Legend of Zelda game will make us all do. Link’s latest boasts bundles of goodies for fans, from rock solid sword-swinging to a new flying system that sees the green-clad hero seamlessly transitioning between air and land. Add traditional Zelda puzzles, items and enemies and you get an intriguing new entry in one of gaming’s best-loved series.

Gears of War 3

Release Date: September 20

You’ve been itching for it for ages, but come this September the perpetually-postponed action romp finally stomps into stores. And we’re betting the stores will be crushed, because it’s got some serious firepower. Not only does Gears 3 wrap up the trilogy, but it’s loaded with enhancements – including a rebuilt Horde multiplayer mode that critics are already insisting is one of the coolest multiplayer experiences around.

Preview: Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded

Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded

Classification: PG

Platform: Nintendo DS

Test Platform: Nintendo DS

Details

Developers: Square Enix, h.a.n.d.; 

Publisher: Square Enix

For fans of action RPGs, Kingdom Hearts is a pretty huge title, and the newest game in the series is out today for Nintendo DS.

I've played most of the games in the series at one point or another, and from what I can tell after playing a couple of hours of Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded, Square Enix has decided to amalgamate the best features of the series into their latest game.

The story starts after the end of Kingdom Hearts II, and begins in classic Square Enix style with full motion video. I was impressed; it was some of the best looking video I've ever seen on my DSi. The video helps Re:Coded do a pretty quick run-through of events in Kingdom Hearts and its sequel, so you don't have to have played a game in the series before to pick up this one. That said, I would advise you do because the story isn't exactly easy to follow without having played them.

There are a lot of things that are pulled almost directly from previous games - you play as Sora, and go to a couple of familiar worlds in the first few hours. The layout of those worlds doesn't appear to have changed much at all from the PS2 games, except for the dark, crate-sized blocks that have sprouted up everywhere - it's your job to find out why.

Most of the gameplay is pretty familiar, too, except for a few changes to the battle system. They've introduced "overclocking" - bit of a nerdy reference there - which basically means that rather than having Magic Points, you need to attack to recharge abilites, and each time the overclock bar fills up you earn a new ability to use in battle. Skills you can get are dependent on your weapon. It seems cool now, but I need more time in-game to figure out whether it becomes annoying in the long run.

One dubious change is the camera setup. I'm weird about camera control - I want complete manual control, especially on the x-axis, without having to use the touchscreen. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, the other game in the series I've played on the DS, you could at least control the x-axis using the bumpers. Now, if you don't want to use the touchscreen, you have to hold down the right bumper and look around with the directional keys. (This also snaps the camera behind you on the default settings, which I hated - I'm not always trying to look at the things Sora is facing.) Of course, you can't look around and run at the same time if you want to do it this way, because to run you use the same up-down-left-right buttons. So I was basically forced to use my thumb on the touchscreen to look around while moving.

Relatively minor annoyances aside, I'm looking forward to exploring Re:Coded further. The story so far is pretty strange - this is Square Enix, after all - but I'm intrigued enough to want to know more.

If you're unsure about whether you want Re:Coded, hang in there for a month or so and wait for my full review, coming in March’s issue of PC World .

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

World of Warcraft : Cataclysm

Classification: M

Platform: PC

Test Platform: PC

Details

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment; Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

A great expansion which breathes new life into an aging game.

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The fictional world of Azeroth has had its fair share of problems over the years, having suffered through invasions of blood-thirsty orcs, demons, and the undead. And if all that wasn't bad enough, now an ancient dragon named Deathwing has burst forth from the earth, and he’s not pleased. With anything. At all. Cataclysm is the third and latest expansion released for the hugely popular MMO World of Warcraft, and it introduces two new playable races, a new secondary profession, a raised level cap of 85, and enough high level content to keep players busy for quite some time.

The two new races both complement each other nicely – the Goblin quests are fun, silly and let you blow up monkeys, whereas the werewolf-like Worgens’ quests are much darker. As a Goblin, you start out as an up-and-coming Trade Prince, and will spend your time suiting up, driving around in your hot rod, and entertaining guests at wild Goblin parties. Of course, things quickly spiral out of control when a certain anti-social dragon makes an appearance and starts blowing things up. The Worgen story starts with you playing as one of the last remaining humans fighting alongside the king of Gilneas against a never ending stream of wolf-men, until – spoiler – you get bitten and become one yourself. The Worgen are a lot more doom and gloom than their Horde counterparts.

For high level characters, the new 80 – 85 zones do a great job of keeping the over-arching Cataclysm storyline flowing coherently whilst giving each area its own distinct look and feel. You'll summon up ancient gods on the peak of Mount Hyjal, ride giant seahorses through the gorgeous sunken city of Vashj'ir, and attempt to stop the whole world from collapsing in on itself in Deepholm. You've really got to hand it to Blizzard's graphical wizards for managing to keep a game with such an out-of-date graphics engine looking so pretty. The music is fantastic too, although the voice acting is for the most part sub-par. One gryphon-riding loud mouth dwarf, in particular, made me want to punch my computer right in the sound card.

Archaeology, the new secondary profession in the game, is basically a World of Warcraft themed game of hot and cold. You go to randomly assigned dig sites in search of ancient treasures which for the most part are completely worthless, although they will often reveal a little bit of lore. Every now and then you'll get a rare item – the only items of note I have received thus far are a pet raptor skeleton and a statue which...makes my character's head shiny, as far as I can tell, but apparently there are some cool and powerful items you can obtain this way. It's a relaxing way to take a break from slaughtering monsters, at least.

Cataclysm is a fantastic addition to World of Warcraft, and despite a couple of annoying glitches I've run into, it's a definite must-have for any long time player. It's a lot harder to recommend it to new players – you'll need not only the original game, but both of the previous expansions to play Cataclysm – but on the upside, the original game content has had a major overhaul, so even new players who only own the original game can get a fresh experience.

Chinese Hackers Targeted U.S. Officials in Gmail Phishing Attack

Google has revealed that U.S. government officials and activists in China have been the target of a phishing attack that Gmail recently came from China.

"With the strength of our security and cloud detection systems from abuse, we have recently discovered a campaign to collect user passwords, probably phishing," Google director of engineering Eric Grosse said the Blog of the company. "This campaign, which is apparently of Jinan, China, hit what appeared to be personal Gmail accounts to hundreds of users, including, among others, senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several countries Asia (mainly South Korea), military personnel and journalists. "

Google said that the attack was focused on monitoring the content of e-mails targeted users by secretly transferring compromised accounts. The attack is reminiscent of the famous last year Google security flaw prompted by Chinese pirates.

"Google has detected and disrupted the campaign to take the passwords of users and control their e-mails," Grosse said. "We informed the victims and secure their accounts." The search giant is now encouraging users to activate a verification process in two steps to prevent unauthorized access from new computers.

That, at least the second attack targeting the Google Accounts by Chinese pirates. The first time it happened, Google has released close to China and caused a huge controversy by refusing to censor its search engine. This time Google has tried to bury the lede, and not turn this into another fiasco Google vs. China. Maybe it's the wisest move: after all, people are fooled by phishing scams at all times, even senior U.S. officials.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Arrives at New York City Best Buy Store on June 8

After Samsung’s recent announcement that the new version of its tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, is coming “in a few days,” the company has now given us an exact date: June 8.

On that date, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will only be available for pre-order through Best Buy, and only a limited quantity of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi version will be available for purchase in the Union Square Best Buy store in New York City.

The new Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a remake of the original device with the same name, which Samsung deemed unworthy of competing with the iPad.

The new device will be the thinnest tablet around, measuring just 8.6 millimeters thick and weighing 1.25 pounds. It sports the latest version of Android for tablets, Honeycomb 3.1, and has a dual-core, 1 GHz CPU, a 10.1 inch, 1280×800 pixel screen, a 3-megapixel back camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chats.

The 32 GB version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi edition will cost $599, while the 16 GB version of the device will cost $499.

More iCloud Details Emerge

On Tuesday, Apple created the unusual choice to pre-announce its software lineup for next week’s Globally Developers Conference (WWDC), which consists of its long-rumored cloud-based providers offering, iCloud.

The Wall Road Journal has reported further information about the cloud services, which includes the standing of Apple’s agreements with major new music labels. iCloud, which Steve Work is anticipated to announce in conjunction with iOS five and Mac OS X Lion, is described in component as a digital musical locker, similar to Amazon’s Cloud Player as well as the new Google Audio. The distinction, according to the Journal, is the fact that Apple has struck deals using the file labels that can make it simpler for users to accessibility their libraries.

Each Google Songs and Amazon Cloud Player need consumers to upload their existing audio libraries for the companies prior to content material may be streamed or accessed from a secondary machine. Amazon does automatically shop new Amazon MP3 purchases inside a consumers Cloud Player library, but any Amazon purchases made prior to the Cloud Player account was activated have to be uploaded manually.

What Apple will be performing - based on the Wall Street Journal - is what is referred to as “scan and match.” In essence, a user’s pc or iTunes library will probably be scanned for song files that are acknowledged from the new music labels. Then, rather than uploading these files to a server, users will gain entry to these tracks or albums from other compatible units.

Whether or not iCloud’s scan and match function will extend past files purchased in the iTunes Audio Retailer is not distinct, but we have a hunch that users may have the capability to immediately access all of their previous iTunes music purchases utilizing the service.

Apple certainly has the ability to give customers entry for the entirity of their iTunes Songs accounts. About two many years back, I accidentally deleted my whole iTunes audio library. Soon after contacting Apple, I was granted the chance to download every single song or new music video clip I had actually purchased from your iTunes New music Retailer in 1 gigantic download. The resulting download was far more than 25GB in dimension and much more than 2600 files. Nonetheless, every song, free single from the week and unique edition iTunes bonus track that I had ever before purchased was offered back to me.

Frankly, if Apple could offer that type of access from a internet browser, iPhone, iPad and Apple Television, we believe the firm could possibly be onto something.

New music lockers are an excellent concept but are frequently marred through the truth that uploading every album you need to the cloud can be a long, unpleasant method. If Apple needed to sweeten the pot even much more, it could make iTunes playlists syncable with the cloud as well as sharable, Spotify style, with friends.

The Wall Street Journal says that Apple has signed agreements with 3 from the 4 key record labels. It's anticipated to finalize its agreement with Universal Songs Group later on this week.

If Apple is in a position to rollout a genuinely cloud-based iTunes encounter to users, it will give the firm a huge advantage in the emerging space. iTunes will be the quantity 1 audio retailer inside the globe; getting prompt entry to previous purchases would only solidify that lead.

What do you consider iCloud? Allow us know.

Sony Promises All PlayStation Services Will Return This Week (Again)

Forty-one days soon after Sony shut down its PlayStation Network and Qriocity music services in response to a hacker attack, the business finally declared on Monday that it's going to fully restore all services through the finish of this week.

This isn’t the very first time the business has set a deadline for full recovery.

On April 21, a PlayStation weblog publish cautioned that it might be “a complete day or two” before PSN was restored. On May one, Sony Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai advised reporters that the service could be restored from the end of that week. But it wasn’t until finally Could 14 the organization announced it had began restoring some companies.

“We have already been conducting further testing and additional safety verification of our commerce capabilities as a way to carry the PlayStation Network entirely back again on the web,” Hirai stated inside a statement.

The approximately 77 million buyers who've been affected by the outage will likely be welcomed back again with a bundle of cost-free services and premium content, which depending on exactly where they reside and what device they very own, might contain two totally free video games, a choice of cost-free film rentals and a lot more than 100 free virtual goods.

Sony expects the assault to cost $170 million this financial yr. Study data through the Ponemon Institute is much less optimistic. It estimates that total cost of the breach, which includes an attack on Sony On-line Amusement which was found Could 2, could get to $24 billion.