Nexus 4 Available at T-Mobile USA for $50 for a Limited Time
US-based carrier T-Mobile has just kicked off a promotional offer for Nexus 4, which is now available for only $50/€40 with a new two-year agreement and after $300/€230 instant discount, $50/€40 mail-in rebate and $150/€115 web-only discount.
As BriefMobile points out, this is limited time offer and could any day given the fact that T-Mobile does not offer an dates on its official website.
There's more to it as the carrier throws in a free car charger to each customers who purchases the Nexus 4. In addition, T-Mobile has waived the $35/€25 activation fee. Check it out here.
T-Mobile Nexus 4 ships with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box. The phone packs a powerful 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, accompanied by an Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM.
Via: Nexus 4 Available at T-Mobile USA for $50 for a Limited Time
iPhone 5S/iPhone 6 Coming in 123 Days, According to Arrival.io
If you’re looking for a way to know when Apple is likely to release its next Mac or iDevice, look no further than arrival.io, a simple web site dedicated to tracking the arrival time of Apple’s next hardware upgrades.
Apparently inspired from MacRumors’ buyer guide, arrival.io was “made with love” by @brandon_weiss and @thejurgy who wished to offer Apple fans a more visual method of tracking down that next big announcement from Cupertino.
Unlike MacRumors’ colorful dots, arrival.io uses progress bars / gauges, along with actual numbers to inform visitors of when the next product release might occur.
That’s “might” occur. It’s not set in stone that Apple will unveil a new Mac Pro within 31 days, as the guide says. In fact, there’s a good chance Apple has abandoned the Mac Pro altogether.
For the next iPhone, you have 123 days left to wait, according to arrival.io. That means the iPhone 5S / iPhone 6 is coming in four months from now, just when Apple holds its annual WWDC conference.
Via: iPhone 5S/iPhone 6 Coming in 123 Days, According to Arrival.io
Linux Kernel 3.0.68 LTS Released with Minor Fixes
Greg Kroah-Hartman announced the immediate availability for download of Linux kernel 3.0.68.
This latest version in the 3.0.x branch comes with an impressive number of driver changes and fixes, but it also brings some very specific commits.
Highlights of Linux kernel 3.0.68:
• Make sure we can boot in case the BDA contains pure garbage;
• Do not leak kernel page mapping locations;
• A workaround in the boot failure on HP ProLiant DL980 G7 Server systems has been implemented;
• The store status for ACRS/FPRS has been fixed.
“I'm announcing the release of the 3.0.68 kernel. All users of the 3.0 kernel series should upgrade.
“The updated 3.0.y git tree can be found at: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git linux-3.0.y and can be browsed at the normal kernel.org git web browser: http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git,” said Greg Kroah-Hartman in the email announcement.
Users of the Linux kernel 3.0.x branch are urged to update to the new version as soon as possible in order to fix any issues.
Download Linux kernel 3.0.68 right now from Softpedia.
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China Kills Plans for Live Execution Parade on TV
Last week, CCTV, the state-run Chinese network, announced that it would air a 2-hour TV special that would conclude with the execution of a vicious drug lord and his lieutenants, convicted of the murder of 13 people, which would air live.
It pulled the plug on airing the execution at the last minute.
ABC News reports that the people initially greeted the announcement with excitement, mostly because of the gruesome nature of the crimes Naw Kham and his people were charged with.
However, the same media outlet notes, as the execution parade proceeded on TV, reactions online became increasingly negative, with more and more viewers saying it was wrong.
“CCTV announced the two-hour special that would feature live reports from the location where the men would be killed by lethal injection in Kumming, Yunnan Province,” ABC News says.
The TV special aired but ended abruptly right before the execution, with CCTV offering no official explanation for the decision to go back on the initial announcement.
Via: China Kills Plans for Live Execution Parade on TV
T-Mobile Prism II Press Photo and Specs Sheet Leak: Jelly Bean and 1GHz CPU
US-based carrier T-Mobile plans to release a sequel to the affordable Prism I Android smartphone. This is the first time we heard about this follow up to Prism, so let's see what it has to offer.
According to evleaks, T-Mobile Prism II will sport a HVGA capacitive touchscreen display, but, sadly, the exact size of the screen is unknown for the moment.
Secondly, the smartphone packs a much better 1 GHz single core processor than the 600 MHz CPU embedded onto the original Prism model. Last but not least, Prism II will ship with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box.
The smartphone is manufactured by Huawei and goes by codename U8686. It is also worth mentioning the first press photo of of T-Mobile Prism II has been provided by evleaks as well.
Via: T-Mobile Prism II Press Photo and Specs Sheet Leak: Jelly Bean and 1GHz CPU
Get Cave Story+ with a 75% Discount on Steam for Linux
Cave Story+, a 2D action platformer developed by Nicalis and Studio Pixel that is available on Steam for Linux, now benefits from a 75% discount.
Regarded as one of the most famous indie games ever developed, Cave Story+ will provide a complete experience for all ages.
Cave Story+ features original (320x240) graphics and upgraded “HD” graphics, remastered music, six new play modes (including Wind Fortress, Boss Rush and more), over 20 epic boss battles through Mimiga Island, 15 levels to explore in the vast world, 10 unique weapons to find and upgrade, and four unique endings.
The game has accessible recommended Linux system requirements: Ubuntu 10.04 or newer, Intel Core Duo 2.0 Ghz and above, 512 MB RAM, 256MB Video RAM, and 200 MB HD space.
The offer will run until 18.00 GMT. If you are interested about Cave Story+ you should check the official Steam website.
Add us on Google+Via: Get Cave Story+ with a 75% Discount on Steam for Linux
A Gamers Week: March 3
For the first week of March our review section includes: Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, a platformer with incredible style, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the action title from developer Platinum Games and publisher Konami, and Star Wars Pinball from Zen Studios.
We also have a series of Gamer Diaries associated with March of the Eagles, the grand strategy video game from Paradox Interactive, and a running selection of news about the PlayStation 4.
As always, gamers can also enjoy the Weekend Reading features: one about the reasons I am already tired about the PlayStation 4 announcements from Sony and another about microtransactions and their uses.
As you already know, we also deliver an EndWeekGame piece about our free time and we have a selection of the most important news of the past week.
On Monday, Ubisoft talked about its desires for the next generation of consoles, including a shorter overall life, while Sony talked about the DualShock 4 design for the PlayStation 4.
On Tuesday, the company pledged to support Walking Dead like experiences and we got an exclusive talk with the producer of Blacklight Retribution, about to cooperative and free-to-play.
Wednesday saw Microsoft register a new slew of domain names linked to the coming Xbox 720 and its associated service, and witnessed the first details of the new Assassin’s Creed 4, which will be called Black Flag.
On Thursday, Obsidian talked about the Engagement melee battle mechanics for Project Eternity just as Ubisoft confirmed the existence of Black Flag via a cover reveal.
On Friday, a new leak talked about the processor of the coming Xbox 720 from Microsoft while the Achievements for the Citadel DLC for Mass Effect 3 were revealed.
Saturday saw one of the makers of Gears of War talk about piracy and R.R. Martin endorse the recently launched Game of Thrones Ascent Facebook title.
Via: A Gamers Week: March 3
SimCity Has No Abandoned City Mechanics, Says Creative Director
The rebooted SimCity introduces a lot of new ideas to the core city-building experience of the series and at least one of them might pose problems for gamers in the long term, if they are not careful about plotting their early moves in the game.
He tells Incgamers that, “if it really bothers you, you could destroy the whole region and start over but if you don’t want to do that you could send the city that is affecting the area a big gift of cash from the adjacent cities and use that to clean up.”
The option was not added because SimCity’s new structure encourages the creation of many specialized small settlements that can serve the needs of others, providing them with specialized goods and resources.
Quigley added, “we’re not ever going to kick you, we figured that would be the worst option. So if I invite you to play in my region and then stop playing, I can formally ask you not to abandon your city, but if you don’t do that, that city is basically yours forever, it is locked as yours.”
Maxis and Electronic Arts have no plans to create a way for players to take over another city without permission or to kick someone out of a region.
This basically means that each SimCity player will have to be very careful about those he invites to his own region, making sure that they are ready to play the game in the long term.
The rebooted SimCity is designed to appeal to long-term fans of the franchise and to newcomers as well, with curved roads and a focus on tracking citizen needs and performance.
Via: SimCity Has No Abandoned City Mechanics, Says Creative Director
Weekend Reading: PlayStation 4 Fatigue
The PlayStation 4 was officially revealed a little more than 10 days ago and I am already getting tired of hearing about the new Sony hardware platform and the amazing things it might or might not do on launch, later during 2013.
But I would appreciate if Sony focused on the core elements of the PlayStation 4 rather than talking about principles, values, openness, player focus, momentum and other marketing ideals.
We do have a list of the hardware specifications for the console, but we lack a clear idea of how powerful its processor is and how the shift to the X86 architecture will influence its performance.
It’s unclear exactly how many third-party developers are actually working on titles for the PlayStation 4, given the European list has shrunk from over 50 to around 30 in less than one full week.
We don’t know exactly how the traditional Move will work with the newer motion tracking capabilities integrated into the controller.
These are not trivial matters that can be clarified before launch.
I can understand why Sony is unwilling to show off the actual design of the console or its price.
But the fundamental features of the device should be revealed in full as soon as possible in order to give the public a clear chance to evaluate it and decide whether it’s worth a future purchase.
At the moment Sony is only offering details that increase the profile of the device and promising that more in-depth information will be delivered in the coming months.
I’m tired of hearing the same talking lines from leading Sony executives and would deeply appreciate a more sincere communication effort for the PlayStation 4.
Via: Weekend Reading: PlayStation 4 Fatigue
How to Install Apple Remote Desktop 3.3 in OS X Mountain Lion
Apple has updated a Support document on its web site acknowledging that users of Lion and Mountain Lion may be unable to install the latest version of Apple Remote Desktop, a software tool for managing Macs in a network.
Customers attempting to install Apple Remote Desktop 3.3 may see an error pop up. The dialog states that it requires Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard when, in reality, it does not.
To work around this issue, Apple has some instructions for users on OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
The idea is to go inside the installer package and locate a file called Archive.pax.gz. Users need to expand (unarchive) the file, locate Remote Desktop and drag it to their Applications folder, then immediately run Software Update.
On Mountain Lion in particular, users must manually download the 3.3 update from Apple’s Support Downloads site. See Apple’s documentation for the full instruction set.
Via: How to Install Apple Remote Desktop 3.3 in OS X Mountain Lion
Ready for OS X 10.8.3 CrossOver Mac 12.1.2 to Improve Gaming Performance
CodeWeavers has released a new version of CrossOver, the company’s flagship software application that runs Windows programs on Apple’s Mac OS without virtualization. CrossOver 12.1.2 features optimizations for the upcoming OS X 10.8.3.
As Apple continues to address bugs in OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion, CodeWeavers has released a fully compatible version of its CrossOver software to include some performance improvements and optimizations.
These have all been fixed, according to the company.
Another bug, which caused Outlook 2010 to fail to open .xlsx, .pptx, and .docx attachments, has been addressed as well.
An error which caused Quicken to fail to connect to Chase Bank online is now patched, and Office 2007 and 2010 will now display help topics.
For Mac users, and gamers in particular, CodeWeavers reveal that its software engineers have managed to make some improvements to windowing in the Mac Driver.
Lastly, the company has tested this new CrossOver build against Apple’s OS X 10.8.3 betas and confirms that your gaming experience will be much improved under that particular version of the Mac OS.
“We are hopeful that changes in this version of CrossOver will mean that gaming performance will improve when Apple releases its upcoming OS X 10.8.3,” says CodeWeavers.
Originally released as a beta to developers in November, OS X 10.8.3 is Apple’s third maintenance update for Mountain Lion.
So far, the Cupertino giant has seeded no less than 12 betas to its sea of developers with instructions to test AirPlay, Graphics Drivers, Safari, and other core areas of the OS.
Apple has yet to release the software to the public. But when it does so, you can expect CrossOver to play along, according to CodeWeavers.
Download CrossOver Mac
Via: Ready for OS X 10.8.3 CrossOver Mac 12.1.2 to Improve Gaming Performance
GNOME 3.8 Beta 1 Is Now Available for Testing
Javier Jardón Cabezas proudly announced a few days ago that the first Beta release of the upcoming GNOME 3.8 desktop environment is ready for download and testing.
GNOME 3.8 Beta 1 has also been delay from the original schedule, six day this time, but it is now available for download and testing on the main GNOME FTP server, bringing many updated components, various improvements, new features, and the usual bugfixes.
GNOME 3.8 Beta 1 comes with the following updated applications: NetworkManager, NetworkManager Applet, Baobab, Caribou, Clutter, Cogl, Dconf, Empathy, Epiphany, Evince, Folks, Mutter, Nautilus, Tracker, Vala, Vino and Yelp. The ModemManager and libqmi packages have been added in this release.
The following main GNOME components have been updated in GNOME 3.8 Beta 1: GDM, Glib2, Glib Networking, Gmime, GNOME Calculator, GNOME Contacts, GNOME Desktop, GNOME Control Center, GNOME Disk Utility, GNOME Menus, GNOME Online Accounts, GNOME Session, GNOME Settings Daemon, GNOME Shell, GNOME System Monitor, GNOME Themes Standard, GNOME User Docs, GNOME User Share, GTK+, and a few other core libraries.
The next development release will be GNOME 3.8 Beta 2, which should be available for testing next week, followed by a Release Candidate version at the end of March. The final release of the GNOME 3.8 desktop environment will see the light of day on March 27th, 2013.
Download GNOME 3.8 Beta 1 (3.7.90) sources right now from Softpedia. Remember that this is a beta release and it should NOT be installed on production machines. It is intended to be used for testing purposes only.
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Alpine 2.5.4 Linux Distro Is Powered by Kernel 3.6.11
The Alpine Team announced a few hours ago, March 1, that the Alpine Linux 2.5.4 Linux distribution is available for download.
Alpine Linux 2.5.4 is just a kernel security bug fix release, powered by a custom Linux kernel 3.6.11 that includes all stable kernel fixes up to version 3.4.34.
Highlights of Alpine Linux 2.5.4:
• Linux Kernel has been upgraded to 3.6.11 with all the patches from 3.4.34;
• Varnish has been updated to version 3.0.3;
• Zabbix has been updated to version 2.0.5;
• Added logrotate support to snmptt;
• Upgraded OpenSSL to version 1.0.1e;
• Pidgin has been updated to version 2.10.7;
• Postfix and Postfix Admin have been updated to version 2.9.6 and 2.3.6, respectively;
• Fixed setup-interfaces vlan-raw-device in alpine-conf;
• Rebuild many packages agains Linux kernel 3.6.11.
More details can be found in the official release announcement.
Download Alpine Linux 2.5.4 right now from Softpedia.
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Mage's Initiation Kickstarter Offers Insane Reward Packs Worth $450 to Lucky Backers
Himalaya Studios, the team that is now struggling to fund their Mage’s Initiation adventure/RPG title via KickStarter made an amazing announcement.
It appears that developers are willing to offer reward packs worth $450/€345 in game-related stuff to two random backers from their global backer pool upon reaching $10K milestones starting at $60K/€46K.
In order to raise the hype around the project, Himalaya Studios offers the following rewards to two random backers for each 10K/€7.6K milestone reached:
- 4 Game boxes (Fire, Earth, Air, and Water) containing game and soundtrack CDs;
- 1 Standard DVD Case/copy of the “Mages Initiation” game;
- 4 D'arc Polyresin figures - Fire, Earth, Air, and Water (4” x 3” x 3”);
- 3 Digital Copies of the “Mage's Initiation” game;
- 1 Digital Copy of the “Al Emmo & the Lost Dutchman’s Mine” game;
- 1 Digital “Al Emmo & the Lost Dutchman’s Mine” soundtrack (53 Tracks);
- 1 “Mage's Initiation” Poster (18” x 24”);
- 1 “Mage’s Initiation” 50-page Hardcover Art book;
- 2 Bronze “Severed Circle” Pendants;
- 3 Complete sets of character trading cards (15 foil packs, 120 cards total);
- 1 Art Lithograph, Signed by JP Selwood (8.5” x 11”);
- 2 Cloth Maps of the Land of Iginor (11” x 17”);
- 2 T-shirts (Mens or Ladies sizes).
According to developers, all shipping and customs duty costs associated with this treasure trove will be covered by them.
Keep in mind that this reward is in addition to whatever tier rewards the lucky winners pledged for. Check out the project on KickStarter here. If you wish to see this game published on Steam, you can also vote for it here.
Via: Mage's Initiation Kickstarter Offers Insane Reward Packs Worth $450 to Lucky Backers
PlayStation Network Will Be Down for 11 Hours Starting Monday, March 4
Sony announces that the PlayStation Network will be down for a scheduled maintenance period starting at 16 PM Greenwich Mean Time on Monday, March 4, with the entire service expected to be back online at 3 AM GMT on Tuesday, March 5.
In an official PlayStation Blog post, the team states that the services to be down include:
- PlayStation Store on PS3 and PSP
- PlayStation Network Account Management
- PlayStation Network Account Registration
Sony says that all those who are playing PlayStation 3 video games during the maintenance period will be able to continue collecting Trophies and that their profile on the PSN will be updated at a later date.
Gamers should be warned that, the last time when the PlayStation Network was down, service was resumed late and Sony failed to offer a reason for the problems that it faced, with some speculating another security breach.
Via: PlayStation Network Will Be Down for 11 Hours Starting Monday, March 4
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