1149 Xfire – Instant Messenger for online gamers

Xfire is a free tool that is capable of recording, at which time it has played that computer game, allowing players to understand clan in this way, where their comrades to stop just so that they can join the game of specific colleagues.

The software also has a number of interesting features. One can, for example in the game in the usual manner for Instant Messenger to communicate with each other. For some time, a voice-chat is installed, it allows players to directly talk to each other by voice.

All in all, Xfire combines instant messaging application, server and browser software makes a gaming service and so far the necessary programs individually unnecessary. It supports the latest games, whether first-person shooter, strategy or role-playing game is a damn.

Xfire

In addition, with Xfire also make screenshots and videos that can be published later. Other users have the ability to evaluate published content. Thanks to the built-in Live Broadcasting function allows you to look at the gameplay of other users.

From the changelog to Xfire 1149 shows that the developers have done a variety of problems in the world and have made some minor improvements. These include a crash problem with Battlefield 3 and a better frame rate for broadcasts.

Picasa 3.9 Build 136.02: Free image management tool

The U.S. Internet giant Google has been making for quite some time, the in-house tool Picasa , which can be used to manage images and offers numerous features for free.

For example, if a digital camera connected to your computer, Picasa can take their stored images with one click. The found images are then automatically arranged.

With version 3.9 , Google has a few more options and effects for photo editing tool integrated into the corresponding. An overview of Google willing to hold a companion website. In this context, the simultaneous editing of photos is possible. This feature allows you to compare several images side by side.

Since Picasa 3.9 Google has also provided for a direct link to the Google Social Network +. If you’re logged in Google +, then the content can be shared on request with the members of certain groups and given name tags. Alternatively, you can share the pictures with people who are not registered with Google +. To this end, is then set to an e-mail.

For new users, Google Picasa, a guide prepared in which the most important steps are summarized at the start.

The creators of Google have so far not commented on the closer to the version 3.9 Build 136.02 modifications of Picasa.

Ford plans to use Windows 8 & Metro well in cars

The automaker Ford apparently wants a version of Windows 8 future use in its vehicles. According to sources familiar with the plans of the company, will use Microsoft’s operating system for a new infotainment system.

As the U.S. technology portal ‘ DailyTech ‘, citing people close to Ford reported to Windows 8 form the basis for the successor of the currently used by the American automakers infotainment system MyFord Touch. Even now comes Windows Embedded Automotive is used, which is based on a slimmed-down edition of Windows 7.

Ford wants to set, among other things on the Metro-interface of Windows 8 in order to facilitate the operation of its entertainment and navigation system now available on the touch screen. Ford probably will again use the specially adapted cars for automotive version of Windows.

The U.S. manufacturer is in addition to Hyundai and Fiat for some time one of the auto manufacturers that rely on their onboard entertainment systems on Windows. Supposedly, Windows 8, with its metro-surface ideally suited for use in cars because the manufacturers are already present touch surface just have to adapt to their needs without having as yet developed at great expense their own interfaces from scratch need.

HP, Dell and ASUS could eliminate the optical drive in their next ultrabooks

If the previous generation of Intel Core ultrabooks proliferation was rapid, with the new Core i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge landing new equipment will be unstoppable.

After wiping out the range of 13-inch laptop, the diagonal next in popularity is their goal for this 2012. According to Digitimes says, manufacturers like Dell, HP and ASUS could start removing the optical drive in future models of ultrabooks 15-inch screen.

The objective is not to eliminate other minor components at present to achieve reach thicknesses and weight similar to 13-inch models despite the increase of the diagonal of your screen, but this form factor of these future laptops would have to touch up.

Wikipedia reaches one million first-author edits

As Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales announced that Wikipedia first author has ever reached the value of one million edits the online encyclopedia. In honor of the author, said the Wales yesterday called for “Justin Knapp Day.”

When Justin Anthony Knapp is according to his own profile page for a 30-year-old Wikipedians from the U.S. state of Indiana. He is said to have earned degrees in philosophy and political science, but rather worked in odd jobs. Almost every day use at least three hours for changes to Wikipedia, he says. Most of his edits involve routine tasks such as sorting items into categories or customize the file name.

Knapp has been involved for about seven years as a registered Wikipedians on the pages of the online encyclopedia. Before he was even a guest on the go. Maybe his achievement as an incentive for other Wikipedia writers, whose numbers in recent times, decreases slowly but steadily.

Facebook will launch in May a test web support IPv6

The next will occur on June 6 the official launch of the IPv6 protocol . For this reason, Facebook enabled a website compatible with IPv6 test on May 18. Last year, to mark the World Day of IPv6 , corporations Network tested for one day enable connections under the new protocol successfully.

In fact Google enabled a site for us to see if we were ready for the “Future Internet” site that still works if you wish to verify your installation. The largest social network in the world wants to have done the homework and be prepared to offer IPv6 connectivity permanent on most servers.

Since IPv6 is released on June 6, 2012, Facebook has decided to offer IPv6 access to our users in most of our protocols HTTP and HTTPS
Based on the results of IPv6 testing last year, we are confident that the activation of IPv6 on our platform will be successful. Let beta.facebook.com enable IPv6 on May 18, before the worldwide launch of IPv6, so that our developers have time to spot problems and report bugs.
Among large firms, and Internet sites that support the rapid deployment of IPv6 are also Facebook: Google, Bing, Yahoo! and YouTube, to name some of the most relevant. Remember, the website address is beta.facebook.com evidence.

Diablo 3 Beta is ready for the weekend

Developer Blizzard has today announced that the beta version of Diablo 3, which was previously only accessible with a key that can be played by anyone who has a Battle.net account. The open weekend starts today at 21.01 clock and ends on Monday 23 April, by 19 clock.

In an article on ‘ Battle.net Blizzard has announced that the closed beta test will be a long time for a weekend completely open. This is Diablo 3 in preparation for publication on 15 May an extended stress test are subjected to “test the game and the servers through their paces” as Blizzard writes.

Diablo 3 – Beta Gameplay Full Party ( HD version )

The open beta weekend starts tonight at 21.01 clock and ends next Monday at 19 clock. Available here is the entire beta-specific content, ie all five heroes classes. The campaign ends, after defeating the Skeleton King, then you can continue playing at least until stage 13.

To participate in the beta event can, only one (free) registration with the Blizzard Battle.net network is necessary. When the beta starts, everyone should find his account in game list is a Diablo 3 beta license. Then the client can be downloaded and installed.

Game consoles consume 70% of their electricity in idle mode

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have the energy consumption of the three current consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony in the U.S. viewed and came to the conclusion that produce the games consoles most of their electricity consumption in idle mode. This circumstance could this be dealt with easily.

In their article (PDF) “Electricity consumption and energy savings potential of video game consoles in the United States”, the researchers examined the Carnegie Mellon University, the energy requirements of the Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. The study applies only to U.S. households, using data from the year 2010. It was noted that the majority of the energy needs of all three consoles in idle mode – ie when switched, but “idle” state – comes about. Since the console in this mode, unlike the stand-by, still have a very high energy requirements, the cumulative proportion of total energy consumption to just 70 percent, according to the researchers.

In detail in the study, the following consumption figures are calculated:

Consumption of game consoles (U.S., 2010, baseline scenario, data in GWh)
Operation mode Microsoft Xbox 360 Sony PlayStation 3 Nintendo Wii
Standby 370 90 1100
Active 1600 890 80
Idle 6800 4100 1000
Total (approx.) 8700 5100 2200
Depending on the observed proportion of the console is idle consumption of total energy consumption 50 percent (Wii) to about 80 percent (PlayStation 3). Included in the calculations, including the usage of each console owners as well as the sales figures for the corresponding brackets (considered here, the different revisions of a console, which led in part to reductions in consumption) a. The result is quite shocking, but it says that about 70 percent of energy demand and resulting in absolute values ​​about 12 TWh by leaving consoles switched between the various phases of use, but standing around unused.

The solution to this problem would be fairly simple: Both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 offer an auto-off feature that can automatically shut down during prolonged idle mode the console. This feature is not turned on by default. The authors of the study suggest the console manufacturers, just by changing the firmware update and the user to “force” so if he does not want the auto-off feature to disable this via opt-out rather than have to activate it first. Even with an automatic shut-off after an hour in idle mode could be so much of the energy savings requirements of the console.

However, and this must also be pointed out: Although the Wii has in comparison with the other two game consoles from Sony and Microsoft are a low consumption in idle mode (11 watts compared to 75 to 170 watts (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 per after revision), its standby power consumption is significantly higher than the competition. This is due to the default feature enabled “WiiConnect24″ together, which will permanently receive a wireless connection up to be able to receive status reports and updates in standby mode. In Nintendo’s Wii console would be next to an auto-off feature, a revision of the standby mode is desirable.

To conclude that the assumptions made in the study may not apply to every single person must make a consideration per console and probably never will be a great horror. In sum, however, to suppose that an absolutely huge demand for energy – even the half of the estimated 70 percent would be huge for unused time (!) – Created for free, and where everyone can meet for themselves.

New Toshiba Satellite 2012

Toshiba said in the notebook market has fallen 40%, but the Japanese seem to do well. The company has improved its position and announced today its new range of portable Toshiba Satellite 2012, an extended family that plays all styles and all budgets but not yet integrated platform expected Ivy Bridge.

Although benefits vary according to the range, the new Satellite opt for aluminum carcass, by incorporating Bluetooth wireless WiDi and 4.0, and USB 3.0. So are these new families.

Toshiba Satellite C and L

We start with the Satellite range C, the lowest and affordable, with prices hovering between 500 and 600 euros. The family C of these laptops is formed by models such as the Satellite C850, C855 or C870.

With screen sizes between 15.6 and the 17.3-inch Toshiba has specified very little about this new equipment unless housings are made ​​of textured plastic of different colors, which include two USB 3.0 ports, SRS and conecectividad Bluetooth 4.0.

In the presentation, many of the units in this series C were mere models so I have to wait to Toshiba announces its final characteristics.

The midrange Satellite family is L, formed by L850, L855 and L870. All of them have already anodized aluminum and different finishes. The screens display the Satellite L 200 Nits of brightness and graphs without specifying that it shall be borne by ATI.

we reach Toshiba Satellite P, higher performance computers P850 and P875 are, the prices are around the 899 and 1,399 euros respectively.

The Toshiba Satellite P875 is able to equip the first 32GB of RAM. The standard model, in fact, it comes with 16GB of memory. This is a great laptop with 17.3-inch screen and 1600 × 900 pixels resolution. Toshiba tries to overcome the lack of resolution FullHD ujna coin a system that is supposed to be reproduced in this resolution with improved quality. The amount of RAM Butal accompanying two 1TB hard drives and Nvidia graphics with 2GB of RAM.

The enclosure has enough space to integrate four Harman Kardon speakers with HD audio and SRS Premium 24 bit. A media level, the P875 adds Blu-Ray optical drive and Freeview tuner. Connections include HDMI, WiDi and Bluetooth 4.0. The USB 2.0 have disappeared and are now all USB 3.0.

The P875 has a little brother equipped with 15.6-inch display, the P850. The second member of the P range is half a kilo lighter and features 8GB of RAM, a single 1TB hard drive and two Harman Kardon speakers instead of 4. Both Satellite are able to convert 2D to 3D content and connect to compatible TV via WiDi.De currently unknown release dates

Production set of the GeForce GTX 580

After Nvidia, at least unofficially, the production of dual-GPU GeForce GTX has stopped 590, it is now just after the launch of the GeForce GTX 680 ( Computer Base Test ) and the GTX 580 ( Computer Base Test have taken).

After the fastest single-GPU card from the 500 generation, which is the title deserved a better GTX 480 really, now has been available since November 2010 and represents about one and a half years should, according to colleagues of Sweclockers this graphics card is also the end-of-state – have achieved – in other words “End of Life.”

It was the beginning of 2012 from the AMD HD 7970 Computer Base Test replaced as the most powerful graphics card with one GPU. The successor to GeForce GTX 680 out of the house which in turn sparked off as the fastest graphics card. It sat in the manufacture Nvidia still on the old 40-nanometer process, which has now been replaced by a finer 28-nanometer feature size of AMD’s Kepler and Tahiti.

Surprisingly, the end comes the GeForce GTX 580 is not, however. Due to massive price cuts in recent weeks, this step was already in sight.