DmC: Devil May Cry

Digit Rating: Excellent

4.5/5

 

Features:

 

Performance:

 

Value:

 

Design:

PROS

• Good story
• Great variety of weapons and moves
• Great environments
• Varied enemies
• Good level design
• Good character design

CONS

• PS3 version is sluggish, and bad-looking when compared to the 360 and PC
• Boss fights stick to the tried and tested mechanics

• Boss fights stick to the tried and tested mechanics

MRP: 2999 Rs

Summary

DmC is the perfect reboot and should be set as a benchmark for other action game reboots. The story is simple yet entertaining thanks to the great execution of characters. The combat is fantastic and friendly to newcomers as well as challenging to veterans. At the end of the game you have a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. I haven't had so much fun playing a game since Batman Arkham City! The game will take about 12 hours for the first playthrough and there are unlockables as an incentive to go through the journey once more. Not to mention the varying difficulty levels. A must buy for all the action adventure fans out there. A free Bloody Palace DLC, providing endless more hours of time spent honing one's skills, will also make its way...

Resident Evil Revelations to hit store shelves on May 24

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The next chapter in the Resident Evil franchise will hit store shelves on May 24 on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Wii U. The story this time around takes place between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5.

Capcom has confirmed today that the next game in the Resident Evil franchise will hit store shelves on May 24. Resident Evil Revelations will launch for the all the platforms out there – PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii U. There were rumours circulating the Internet about a PS3 and an Xbox 360 version of the game but what comes as a surprise is the fact that the game will also be available on the Wii U and the PC. The game will be available as a digital download for all the platforms and will be priced at $49.99 (Rs. 2,700 approx.).

The story of the game takes place between the timeline of Resident Evil 4 and 5. Revelations was first launched for the 3DS. The story of the game is same on the consoles and the 3DS but the graphics and gameplay elements will be bumped up to HD for the console and PC release. You can take a look at the debut trailer of the game below.

The Resident Evil games defined the survival horror genre when they launched on the PS One. In todays day however, other franchises such as Dead Space have taken that crown. We have seen a number of games launch in the survival horror genre such as Alan Wake, Silent Hill and more and they have all been relatively successful, but Resident Evil is the only franchise that has made its mark on all the gaming hardware launched till date.

Google Slides gets offline editing support

Google's PowerPoint-rival, Slides now gets offline support.

 

 

Google has rolled out an update to its Slides service, making more features of the service accessible to users offline. Slides, similar to PowerPoint, is one of the important services offered by the search engine giant to users via Drive. Slides could be used earlier offline, but several features had to be used with an Internet connection.

With the update, Google Slides users can now create presentations, edit presentations and give presentation as well as leave comments. “You can now create, edit, comment and (perhaps most importantly) present without an internet connection—just like you can with Docs. Any new presentations or changes you make will be automatically updated when you get back online. So you can continue polishing slides on your next flight, and head to your upcoming presentation without worrying about whether there's going to be Wi-Fi,” says Google in a blog post.

Users who have already offline editing for Docs enabled, they do not need to change anything to work with Slides offline. If still disabled, users can turn it on for Slides by instructions posted here. Google points out that users will need Chrome or ChromeOS to work offline.

The fresh update is likely to provide a huge boost to the service which otherwise had seen very limited usages due to need for Internet. The offline editing is likely make the usage of the service more convenient. It's notable Google Docs already has a range offline editing features. Google will be soon rolling out offline editing support to its spreadsheet app.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 images and specifications leak online

Images and specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8 have leaked online. It is expected to be officially unveiled at MWC 2013.

 

Images have leaked on the Internet that showcase the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (also known as the Note 8.0) along with its specifications. The device is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress that takes place in February in Barcelona. The model number of the Note 8 is thought to be Samsung GT-N5100.

From the leaked images it is clear that the Note 8 looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Note II. It has a white border surrounding the screen, a front facing camera on the top, a physical home button and the capacitive menu and back button. The rest of the look of the device is on the same lines as the currently available Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

As the name suggests, the Galaxy Note 8 tablet is expected to have an 8-inch Super Clear LCD display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The Note 8 will also supposed to have a 5MP rear camera, a 1.3MP front facing camera for video calls, and 2GB of RAM. In terms of storage, it will have 16 or 32GB built-in, with microSD card support for expansion. A 4600mAh battery expected to power it.

The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to feature a variety of connectivity options such as Bluetooth version 4.0, USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and A-GPS. The dimensions of the tablet are supposedly quite svelte, at 211.3×136.3×7.95mm, and it weighs 330 grams. The Note 8 will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean straight out-of-the-box.

Soon, unlock your car by waving your smartphone

Melbourne: Keep misplacing your car keys? Just wave your smartphone to unlock the door!
Engineers at South Korean automobile major Hyundai have invented a new system that will allow your smartphone to double as your car keys, and the technology will be made available to buyers within two years.
Rather than using Bluetooth, the system by Hyundai uses wireless Near Field Communication (NFC), allowing you to lock and unlock the car by waving your phone over a small tag on the car window.
Inside the car, you place the phone on a pad in the centre console that wirelessly charges it while the content is synced and streamed to the car’s infotainment system and touchscreen.

Representational Image

The system can also store in-car preferences, including radio stations, seating positions and even mirror adjustment — with multiple profiles able to be saved for different drivers.
The system was demonstrated on a concept version of Hyundai’s popular i30 in Germany. Hyundai said developing the system was part of the carmaker’s aim of producing technology for the mainstream consumer, website carsguide.com.au reported.
“The Connectivity Concept showcases Hyundai’s philosophy of making tomorrow’s technology accessible to a wide range of customers,” Hyundai Motor Europe chief operating officer Allan Rushforth said.
“With this technology, Hyundai is able to harness the all-in-one functionality of existing smartphone technology and integrating it into everyday driving in a seamless fashion,” Rushforth said.

Sony to launch new Xperia Tablet Z in Japan soon

Sony Corp’s Sony Mobile Communications Inc said it will sell the new version of its Xperia tablet in Japan this spring, the Nikkei reported, citing Kyodo News.
The Xperia Tablet Z, whose price has not been announced, has a 10.1-inch display, is 6.9 mm thin and weighs 495 grams, according to the company’s website.
Rival Google Inc’s Nexus 10 tablet is 8.9 mm thick, while Apple Inc’s iPad mini measures 7.9 mm.

A product image of Sony Xperia Z tablet.

Sony halted sales of Xperia in October, a month after launch, after discovering gaps between the screen and the case that made some of the machines susceptible to water damage.
The Nikkei reported on Sunday that Japanese smartphone makers seem to be regaining some market share they lost to companies like Apple and Samsung Electronics Co.

Apple chart: Why iPhones, iPads are key to future results

A chart depicting the products that Apple sold for this quarter.

Apple Inc on Wednesday announced its results for Q1 2013 and the company posted a quarterly revenue of $54.5 billion and a quarterly net profit of $13.1 billion. While these numbers are a record by themselves for Apple, for Wall Street these numbers were just not good enough as Apple missed forecasts for the third time.
In q1 2013 Apple sold 47.8 million iPhones, up 29 percent from the year-ago period where it sold 37 million iPhones. This was however below the 50 million number that was forecast.
In the tablet category, Apple sold 22.9 million iPads during the quarter, compared to 15.4 million in the year-ago quarter. The company did not reveal numbers for iPad mini separately though so it’s not clear how well the iPad mini did.
As far as Macs were concerned the sales declined and Apple sold only 4.1 million Macs, compared to 5.2 million in the year-ago quarter. iPods too saw a decline with company selling only 12.7 million compared to 15.4 million in the year-ago quarter.
Clearly as the chart above shows, Apple’s biggest selling products are the iPhone and iPad. Here’s a quick look at some expectations from both.

iPhone: There’s no doubt that the iPhone has been the jewel in Apple’s kitty, and the one device that revolutionised the smartphone industry. But with the rise of Android and Samsung, the iPhone is often seen as too expensive and lacking some features. Rivals have created smartphones with bigger screens; the Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch screen while Apple has only increased the size of the iPhone’s screen with the latest model. iPhone 5 has a four inch screen and some feel Apple needs to change this.
Then of course there is the high-price of the iPhone which makes it a very expensive smartphone to buy, especially in developing countries. In China, the world’s most populous nation with over 60 percent smartphone users, Apple is currently at number 6 in the market, according to research firm, IDC.

The iPhone 5 and the iPad mini seen in this combo. AFP

There were reports earlier this year that Apple could launch a cheaper iPhone with less expensive materials, such as a shell made of polycarbonate plastic. However Apple’s marketing chief Phil Schiller dismissed such rumours, stating that Apple wouldn’t resort to such tactics to grab a larger market share.
Interestingly the iPhone 5 is the top phone in the US market with a share of 48.1 percent according to Kantar Worldpanel, which measures smartphone sales data.
But this is a narrow lead and for most analysts the demand seems to be clear. If Apple wants to challenge Android, it needs to push out more versions of the iPhone, say perhaps with bigger screens and maybe a cheaper device. Tim Cook however feels that the current size of the iPhone works just fine.

iPads: The tablet market is one where Apple is still the global leader. Although Apple did not reveal the number of iPads and iPad mini devices sold for the quarter, this is one device where Android tablets haven’t overrun the market. According to research firm IDC, Apple has a 53.8 percent tablet market for the year 2012, and while this will slip to 49.7 percent in 2016, the Android army won’t catch up. In fact IDC expects Android’s tablet share which is 42.7 percent for 2012, to fall to 39.7 percent in 2016.
The truth is that the iPad still doesn’t have a serious rival. Google’s recently launched Nexus 10 tablet is still facing supply issues. Moreover Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, believes the iPad is already cannibalising sales for Macs, something he doesn’t see as a problem. He also said that the iPad is posing a serious challenge to Windows sales and expects the growth in tablets will lead to pressure on PCs.
However there have been reports that Apple cut supply orders from supplier Sharp for the screens of the 9.7-inch iPad as it attempts to deal with demand for the iPad mini.
Will iPad mini have a negative impact on the sales of the iPad in future? For now that doesn’t seem to be clear but there’s no doubt that 7-inch tablets could pose a serious challenge to the iPad and mini in the future.