Filed under: Video Games Rockstar, maker of the ever popular 'Grand Theft Auto' series, got in on the Halloween action yesterday and released its new ultra violent and extremely controversial title 'Manhunt 2.' After being banned in Britain, twice, a greatly toned down version of the game is seeing the light of day in the US.In the game you play a patient in a mental institution with some, um... violent tendencies. Some are in fact claiming that 'Manhunt 2' is the most violent video game ever. The Wii version might be the most disturbing, requiring you to pantomime the deadly acts with the motion sensing controller.Feel a need to rip out a skull with a sickle? Beat a cop to death with a his own night stick? Or perhaps caving in a person's head with a fire extinguisher is more your style. If any of these three things sounds exciting to you, then you are a sick person.The title is rated 'M' for mature audiences, meaning that no one under the age of 17 can purchase it. However, these rules are easy to circumvent and rarely enforced. We normally don't buy into the dangers of video games mumbo-jumbo, but the idea of small children physically acting out acts of such brutal violence is a little shiver-inducing. Parents may want to be extra vigilant and keep their young away from this title.What do you think? Is this just over-hyped hysteria about what is essentially a fictional game? Or do you think 'Manhunt 2' has gone too far?From CBS.Related Links:'Manhunt2' Banned Again in UK Judge Strikes Down Violent Video Game Law Violent Video Games a Visual History  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/VideoIn the war of Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD, each of the opposing camps seems to think that having an exclusivity deal is a powerful weapon. It started in June, with Blockbuster making a big deal about going exclusive for Blu-ray in its brick-and-mortar stores (despite still offering both formats in its Netflix-like online rental service). Most recently, it was Paramount going exclusive to HD-DVD, meaning that, at least for the moment, the only place to get 'Transformers' in high definition is with that format. Now comes an intriguing new twist. According to BetaNews, It looks like Kmart has chosen to stop selling Blu-ray players. The discount retailer cited the high cost of Blu-ray players (compared to HD-DVD players), which doesn't end up being a good value for its customers.As we reported earlier this week, you can currently buy an HD-DVD player for under $200, and before the end of the year, they should be available for under $170 (you can get one for $100 tomorrow only at select Wal-marts). By comparison, the cheapest Blu-ray player currently clocks in at around $375.Given that both formats offer the same video quality, Kmart is of the opinion that Blu-ray just doesn't make sense. Of course, given that this announcement is being made by the HD-DVD Promotion Group also suggests that some of this might be spin. Also, when it comes to influencing the minds of many shoppers, the name "Kmart" doesn't exactly have quite the ring it used to.What is clear is that this war, if it can be called that, is destined to rage on for quite some time yet. HD-DVD players are definitely taking the value route while Blu-ray advertising seems to be targeting higher-end customers. Still, with Blu-ray players finally adding the ability to have tricks like picture-in-picture and other next-gen extras, which HD-DVD players have long-since offered, it looks like these formats are only getting more alike. With that in mind, the question of cost may be the deciding factor for many in the long run.From BetaNewsRelated Links: HD-DVD Players Drop to Sub-$200 Price Tag Xbox 360 With Built-In HD-DVD Capability On Its Way? Headaches for Blu-ray Owners  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TV No that photo is not doctored. The Toshiba HD-A2 that we reported just a few short days ago had dropped to $200 is being marked down even further at select Wal-Mart stores. Check here to see if the sale is coming to a store near you. The sale is this Friday (tomorrow) only.Price-wise, Blu-ray's back is against the wall at this point. The fight for HD supremacy is far from over, but with the cheapest Blu-ray players coming in at almost $400, HD-DVD has scored a clear victory just in time for the holidays.From EngadgetRelated Links:HD-DVD Players Drop to Sub $200 Price Tag Headaches for Blu-ray Owners Xbox 360 With Built-In HD-DVD Capabilities On the Way?  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersNot content to sit back and bask in the praise for Leopard, Apple has given its MacBook line a bit of a freshening. None of the specs are a huge boost, but they will bring some welcome performance increases to the slick portables, and, like so many of Apple's surprise updates, will be enough to make anyone who purchased last week wish they'd waited. All the MacBooks have moved to the Santa Rosa architecture. This is a new(er) offering from Intel that offers a better blend of performance and power efficiency for mobile computers. More important, though, is the shift to a new graphics processor, the GMA X3100, which should offer much better performance in games and other graphics-intensive applications than the GMA 950 processor found in older MacBooks. Finally, the MacBook Pro series top speed has been upped to 2.6-gigaherz from the previous 2.4-gigaherz, though that upgrade comes at a $250 premium. The base MacBook still starts at a quite economical $1,099. The MacBook Pro starts at $1,999, though if you want that 2.6-gigaherz chip, you'll have to spend at least $2,749.So, if you were thinking of moving on to a new MacBook, now would probably be a good time -- before Apple upgrades again and you're one of the poor suckers who bought a week too early.From EngadgetRelated Links: Apple's New Leopard Hits Illegal Download Sites Leopard Out Tomorrow, and the Reviews Are Positive iMac Touch-Screen on the Way?  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, iPhoneThe Linux revolution is making a run for the smart phone market. This isn't exactly new news. In fact, Linux started taking off in the cell phone market in about 2003. Major companies from NEC to Samsung are shipping phones loaded with the open source OS, though primarily in China, and Motorola seems to be slowly-but-surely letting Linux take over its hand-held line up. Certain versions of the RAZR 2, the ROKR, the SCPL, and the China-only Ming all run a custom version of Linux designed by Motorola.The problem is that all of these companies run their own customized, closed, and incompatible versions of Linux. Luckily, two companies are working on open, standardized, and in the case of OpenMoko (pictured above), completely free and open sourced versions of Linux for hand-helds. This doesn't mean much to those of us who can't program, but all those intrepid programmers and hackers out there are usually very willing to share the fruits of their labor with the rest of us. A standardized mobile Linux would have many advantages. For one, an almost endless supply of applications are bound to pop up, and no convoluted hacking is required (as is the case with the iPhone). Additionally, the low overhead required for Linux means a much faster and more responsive device than anything out there running Windows Mobile. As for Palm OS (which has an oft-delayed Linux based successor in the works), well, it's showing its age and simply unable to compete with the capabilities of a Linux phone.Wired writer Paul Adams ordered himself a pre-alpha (which means it's just past the conceptual stage) version of the OpenMoko Neo1973. The Neo1973 is currently intended for developers, but anyone can order it for $450. The device is small and rounded on both ends, and features a large bright touch screen. It doesn't skip on other features either, Bluetooth, GPS, MicroSD slot, and globe-hopping quad-band GSM so it can work on all five continents. In essence, these are all the goodies you've come to expect from high end smart phones. Future versions of the phone will feature Wi-Fi as well.Sadly for Adams, and OpenMoko, the first "tussle" with the Linux-based supposed iPhone-killer was less than smooth, to put it lightly. At first, the phone wouldn't boot at all. Then Adams discovered he had to download the software separately to install on the phone. Once booted, he found the GPS only functioned through obscure text commands from the terminal, and that the phone couldn't connect to his T-Mobile network for some reason.In the end, Adams opted to install OpenMoko's primary competitor, Trolltech's Qtopia, the more mature, but partially proprietary hand-held Linux variant. After installing Qtopia, the phone worked almost perfectly allowing Adams to send text messages and make calls. So, OpenMoko's software platform isn't quite usable yet, so we certainly don't suggest buying one any time soon. However, the ability to simply replace the OS on the OpenMoko is certainly an attractive feature. Imagine picking up the latest LG handset, deciding you don't like preloaded interface, and simply downloading a replacement that seems more your style. That's a cell-phone future we can get behind.From WiredRelated links:Intel Shows Off Prototype iPhone Killer Are Your Ready to Ditch Windows? Dell Selling Linux Based Computers  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, TVHumans are a weird species. Check this out: NEC has just announced its wideband wearable antenna, which essentially turns a a person (wearing a special suit) into a high-performance mobile antenna. The prototype apparently works in either open space or when using the human body for conduction. The plan is to use it for digital terrestrial broadcasts, so presumably for live TV broadcasts to your cell phone? Seriously, though. You don't see goats or chimpanzees pulling these sorts of shenanigans. At least we know what we're dress up as for Halloween next year. (A human antenna). From EngadgetRelated Links:William Shatner to appear in next Star Trek movie Regis and Kathy Lee go 3D  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Top Lists, Google, YouTubeIt's no secret that the Web's heavy hitters like to show their seasonal spirit with mods of the subtle and not-so-subtle variety to their brand identities. Google's logo has become especially known for its Google Doodles, and this year's full-on ghoulish painting logo continue that fine, quirky tradition.The search giant has even dressed up its significant new addition to the family in some festive holiday threads (though if our TV became a pumpkin we'd be a little upset). BooTube, anyone?Our last spooky Google shoutout comes via our friends at Geeksugar - we've been flying a witch through Google Street View all day! Head over and give it a try - a little rehearsal of the trick or treating route through your neighborhood for the evening can't hurt!Google's not the only one having fun with logo ornamentation, though. In fact, our research indicates that Halloween logo competition may be just as fierce as competition for your search queries. Yahoo, for one, has made their logo the center of an entire bone-rattling animation. We only have a still to show you here, so check out its homepage for the show!However, we think that Ask has won our haunted hearts by placing its entire homepage in a Jack-O-Lantern lit night. Can you think of a better setting for your last minute costume questions?Until next year (or Thanksgiving, at least), thanks for indulging our logo lust, and stay safe out there tonight!Related Links:How to Print Your Own Halloween Mask Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Top ListsThere's plenty to love about the Internet. But there is also plenty to loathe. Ridiculous banner ads, the crappy quality of the vast majority of Web video, and complex Web 2.0 services without any support.PC World surveyed its readers and found out what they think the Top 10 Web Annoyances are. From Ticket Master to trolls (those people who post annoying, nonstop comments on forums), there's plenty of annoying stuff you'll recognize in this piece.Online forms -- a pet peeve of ours -- makes the list. These overly complex forms that ask for a head scratching amount of personal information just to read an article or post on a forum are, to put it lightly, a bit pain in the ___. We can't count the number of times we've spent five minutes filling out a form, only to have missed a "required field" that wasn't marked clearly. Or the instances where we've input an answer in an unsuitable format that had no instructions, only to have the form clear itself completely and tell us we messed something up (but not tell us what!).For all the convenience it has brought us, the Internet sure is annoying.How about you? What do you think is the most annoying stuff on the Internet?From PC WorldRelated Links:Top 11 Celebrity Messes Online Top 11 Geek T-Shirts Best Gadgets for New Moms  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersSo you may be able to earn college credit learning to speak Klingon, and you can order yourself replicas of many bits of Klingon weaponry. But even though you may wish it otherwise, you have to face facts: Klingons are not real. That other bane of the Starfleet's existence, the cloaking shield, isn't real either. That said, it seems we may be getting closer to invisibility becoming a reality, at least if results from a recent British test are to believed. According the Daily Mail, British forces recently demo'd technology that can "make a vehicle seem to completely disappear."Unlike the Klingon technology, which is said to form a field that bends light around the ship, the British cloaking technology relies on cameras and projectors to actually project a picture of what's behind the vehicle onto the vehicle itself. The tanks, such as the ones pictured above, are said to have been painted in a highly reflective paint that effectively turns them into big, rumbling movie screens. In true science-project style, the technology is loosely demonstrated with what looks like a small volleyball in this random video from Japan.The system is being developed by QnetiQ, which has worked on other random cool tech projects that range from a long-distance solar powered aircraft to a machine that can measure your feet in 3-D. Cloaking apparently is just the company's latest experiment ... at least the latest one that we've been allowed to hear about.From Daily Mail (via Engadget)Related Links: Video Game Trains Airport Security Guards Gay Bomb Makes Love, Not War The Defense Department's New Robot Dogs  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video Games'The Simpsons' game has finally touched down at retai (well, tomorrow, anywayl, and the reviews, such as GameDaily's, are starting to trickle in. Meanwhile, IGN says it's got "a sense of humor that can only be described as equal to Simpsons episodes of old," and 1up notes that "while the action can be uneven -- though never bad -- creativity and charm carry the game to a higher level."Our hands-on take? It's easily the best Simpsons game since the original arcade rendition Konami put out in 1991; Simpsons fans will find tons to love, as the game is peppered with an amazing number of characters, references, and in-jokes from the show. Those simply looking for a great action game may have some better options, though; The combat is a bit simplistic, and there are quite a few obtuse puzzles that will slow your progress (read: frustrate the living daylights out of you).Definitely worth a rental for casual fans, and if you're a Simpsons junkie, go ahead and spend the sixty bucks. Related Links:'The Simpsons' On Your Cell Phone 'CSI' and 'The Office' Coming to Second Life 'Guitar Hero III' Is Ready to Rock, Say Reviews  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, TV, Green Tech You may not know it, but your electronics use electricity even when they're "off." Most home electronics, including your microwave, TV, and DVD player, continue to consume small amounts of power even after you're done using them. Why? Because rather than switch off all electronic circuits, gadgets and devices often switch into "standby" mode.This small amount of power adds up over time. It's estimated that five percent of all electricity in the United States is wasted powering devices that are not in use, and that figure could rise to 20 percent by 2010, according to the Department of Energy.California, which is usually at the forefront of conservation efforts, passed the Vampire Slayers Act last year, which requires that electronics have a tag detailing the amount of energy used not only during normal use, but also in standby mode, as well as when turned off.Even chargers, such as those for cell phones, are a major drain on the system. They use up a trickle of energy after the phone is completely charged, or even if the phone is disconnected.You can avoid adding to the problem with some simple tips:Unplug any devices you can when not in use. If you're done charging your phone, don't simply disconnect the phone, but unplug the charger completely. The same goes for laptops, electric razors and toothbrushes. When you're done watching TV, unplug the set from the wall. Utilize power strips. Plug your home entertainment system, as well as your computer, monitor and other peripherals into power strips or surge protectors so that you can easily shut off the whole set up when you're done. You can try "Smart" power strips, which shut off automatically if a device isn't on for a certain period of time, as well as shut off, say, all your peripherals if you turn off your computer. (That said, make sure to keep your cable box plugged in to a separate, always-on power strip, since the cable box often de-authorizes itself if left unplugged for too long.)Look for the Energy Star logo. The government backed program rates electronics on energy efficiency. Looking for electronics with the highest Energy Star rating possible will guarantee you waste as little electricity as possible. Vampire electronics not only drive up your electricity bill, but also drive up the price of energy in general and pollute our environment. These tips along with switching your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs will make sure you contribute as little as possible to global warming.From AOL News (AP)Related Links:Earth-Friendly TechEarth-Friendly Tech TipsiPhone Bad for Environment, Says Greenpeace Internet Eats Up Nearly 10% of US Electricity Ford Developing 100 MPG Escort Hybrid  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: CamerasYou've probably seen dust devils swirling about on a windy day. They're basically mini-tornadoes that form when turbulent air sucks up some dust or snow or other debris into a column. Usually they're only a few feet high, but sometimes they can be much, much larger. On Mars, apparently, they can apparently be several kilometers high, as attested by the above image captured by Spirit, one of the Mars Rovers. The animation (based on a series of pictures and available in a larger version here) shows a dust devil travelling from left to right across the Martian landscape. The surface there is so dusty that these columns of air are particularly noticeable, even from sattelite images as shown in this NASA article on the subject.This is a graphic display that Mars does indeed have an atmosphere, and a strong one at that, despite having less than one percent of the pressure of our atmosphere here on earth. The footage is a few months old, but we're huge Mars nuts and haven't seen it yet. If anybody's got any other similar clips or links to similar videos, let us know below.From NASARelated Links: William Shatner to Appear In Next 'Star Trek' Movie X-Wing Rocket Succumbs to The Force (Of Gravity) Real-Life 'Star Wars' X-Wing To Launch Next Week  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Editor's Picks, Interviews, Celebrities, MySpace, Switched Video For a professional blogger, how much is too much when it comes to sharing the private details of your life? Where do you draw the line between what you share with the world and what you keep to yourself? How much does it cost to show some skin? What does the future hold for social networks? For vacuums? What should you do if your boss finds the naked pictures on your Facebook page? Will it ever be possible to truly love a Roomba? These are the burning questions, and Mo Rocca has the burning answers...Related Links:Mo Rocca Invades the iPhone Line Top 11 Celebrity Messes Online Facebook Employees Know Whose Profiles You Look At  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersApple's new version of Mac OS X, version 10.5, a.k.a. "Leopard," launched last week to a good bit of fanfare ... and a strong dose of piracy, too. It's already sold more than two million copies.That said, things aren't entirely going well for the new cat. Many users are suffering from a wide range of problems when installing and configuring the new operating system (OS), ranging from random errors about Swedish language packs (oh ja?!?) all the way up to lost profiles. According to reports, the problems are generally non-terminal, as in you probably won't wind up permanently losing any data, but some are complaining that their existing user profiles, along with all their preferences, are not being imported by Leopard. (So, starting up the new OS for the first time users are frighteningly asked to create a new account!) All the profile information is still there and data can be copied over to the new account, but that's a bit more work than you'd expect from an OS that prides itself on being extremely user-friendly.Part of the problem apparently surrounds a program called the Usanity Application Launcher, or APE, which is somehow causing issues with the upgrade. If you use the program on your Mac (which apparently installs itself along with a number of Logitech devices), you're advised to uninstall it or upgrade that to a new, Leopard-friendly version before doing the full Leopard upgrade. Or, you could maybe wait for the next update, which hopefully won't be quite so problematic.From ars technicaRelated Links: Apple's New Leopard Hits Illegal Download Sites Fastest PC Notebook...Is a Mac? Apple Founder Steve Wozniak Calls For Open iPhone  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments