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Nokia of phone fame is coming out with a cool netbook with an equally cool name: the Booklet 3G. Just released are the release details, and price for the new device.
Nokia’s Executive VP of Markets, Anssi Vanjoki, announced at Nokia World that the device will sell for EUR575 in Europe (817USD). After subsidies from mobile provider services, Nokia expects that the quoted price will drop significantly, though some aren’t so sure that providers will be willing to invest very heavily in the new device. Windows 7 will be the operating system for the Booklet 3G.
Although we think we’ve seen it all for netbooks, the Nokia Booklet 3G does have some features that deserve some respect, especially coming from a company that is accustomed to working on significantly smaller mobile devices. Looking strangely like a Macbook with black trim, the Booklet boasts an aluminum body packed with powerful innards. As measurements go, it is appropriately netbook-size, and lives up to its name, “Booklet.” It is less than two centimeters thick. The screen is a modest 10 inches (with 1280×720 resolution).
Nothing is too stand-outish about the computer’s speed. The Intel Atom X530 is a nice processor, but won’t be wining any races real soon, clocking in at 1.6GHz. 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive are relatively ho-hum for a just-released netbook.
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Google produce applications at ten to the dozen each month, so it’s not surprising that sooner or later, a browser would be on that list. Google chrome does win where the uncluttered interface is concerned so this does make it much more user friendly. Even though Chrome has surpassed the much more stable Internet Explorer 8, it is receiving mixed reviews from the public.
I figured initially that Google Chrome sets a number of possibly pretentious claims though on testing I did confirm:
- Speed and ease of use
- Being able to Drag links to the search box
- Recently bookmarked pages appearing in thumbnail visual form on a tab for easy selection
- Like Firefox, you can drag tabs and arrange multiple tabs
- Warnings if a site may contain malware or phishing techniques
- Bookmarking can be done at the press of a button
- Less cluttered appearance, much easier to use
- Inconspicuous download manager that sits on the bottom of the browser
- Incognito feature for private browsing, remaining anonymous on the web
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Apple is on a campaign to conquer the technological world, with the iPhone leading the charge. For all its global success, however, the iPhone faces a formidable challenge breaking into the Chinese market.
Security Concerns
With its GPS-savvy technology, the iPhone has furrowed the eyebrows of security-conscious top brass in the Chinese governments. In most Western cultures, knowing where everyone is-at least where their phone is-isn’t that big of a deal. It’s really more of a novelty thing. To the Chinese, however, it poses an understandable concern. Apple’s way around this barrier would be to introduce an iPhone divested of GPS capability.
Bogged Down Talks
China Unicom is the primary telecommunication provider in China. As such, it is a mammoth organization, servicing the majority of China’s immense population with telephone service. Obviously, talking to an organization of such magnitude takes time, lots of it. The larger the organization, the slower the wheels grind. ‘Talks,’ whatever that means, between Apple and Unicom have been going on for months, and so far, no earth-shaking news items have been released. The fact that China Unicom is heavily influence by government leadership also compounds the issue.
 An iPhone clone, the CECT A380i iPhone Knockoffs
Probably the largest foe to the iPhone’s takeover is the ubiquity of iPhone imitations in China. China is no stranger to technology. The country manufactures most of the electronic devices on your desk right now, but they also design and develop them. Chinese techies are some of the most savvy, innovative, and intelligent developers in today’s tech world. With their know-how, they have made their own iPhones-far cheaper, and just as cool-looking. To be sure, piracy and copyright laws are being broken left and right. But finding and prosecuting the copycats is a problem too big and expensive for Apple to mess with. If Apple can get past security and power through talks, they may well have an iPhone in China. But its success may very well be challenged by the fact that everyone already has an iPhone…kind of.
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Filed under: Features, Indie
With the IGF finalists announced, game makers only have a short while longer to find out the best of the best in indie games from last year. From the best overall game to the one with the most impressive art, there’s several different categories for indie game designers to aspire to be the top of. This week we’re going to take a look at a few of the games that have made it to the finals.
One of the lesser categories in the IGF is Technical Excellence. While still important, it doesn’t receive as much attention as some of the other categories. This year, though, there’s a lot of excellent entries in this category. They are all great on each front, but they truly shine in their excellent technical achievements over everything else. These are the games that push the envelope forward and show just what we can do with personal. So take a gander at what these independent developers have to offer to you. You won’t be disappointed!
Continue reading IGF Finalist Showcase: Technical Excellence
IGF Finalist Showcase: Technical Excellence originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: RPG
There have been rumors for months that Lionhead Studios was planning to release a PC port of their acclaimed Xbox 360 fantasy RPG Fable II. The original Fable did indeed get a Computer version about a year after the original Xbox version came out.
But it looks like a Computer version for Fable II is still just a rumor for now. According to a post on the game’s official message board by Lionhead’s community manager “Woody”, “We’re not working on a Computer version of Fable II… If this changes we’ll make sure you know about it on our website(s)” While that statement doesn’t rule out such a port in the future it does seem to state that it’s not currently in active development.
[Via Shacknews]
No Fable II Computer port…for now originally appeared on Huge Download Blog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Downloads, Demos, Features, Hands-on, Mac, Action, Screenshots
While the Mac gaming market seems to bear a preponderance of puzzle/hidden object titles, there are still a few gems that pop up now and again to reward the faithful. Enter: Caster, from Elecorn. Caster is an action shooter that features a pretty effective sense of speed and a VERY effective induction of simulation sickness. This may be the title that finally forces me to test whether or not ginger or dramamine will work to combat the apparent-motion-related nausea that this game causes, because I enjoyed playing it enough that I may want to purchase it. Why? Read on!
Continue reading Mac Monday: Caster
Mac Monday: Caster originally appeared on Huge Download Blog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Simulation, The Sims 3
One of the year’s biggest PC games looks like it will miss its long announced release date. Edge Online reports that Electronic Arts has now removed the previous February 20 release date for The Sims 3 from the game’s official web site. It now states it is coming “in 2009″
In a statement, EA says it is “evaluating the launch window.” for the game, adding “The game looks great and in the near future we’ll have more information.” There’s no clear word on why the game would be delayed but it could be a big blow to EA which is counting on sales of The Sims 3 to help prop up its already troubled financial issues.
Sims 3 release date now in question originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Downloads, Action, RPG
While all of us are still waiting for the long awaited PC-Mac version of Braid to be released, its creator Jonathan Blow is thinking about creating his next game project. In a recent chat with Gamasutra, Blow gives a hint as to his next game (which even he admits might change).
Blow is quotes as saying, “It’s an RPG right now, a 2D RPG that I’m working on.” However don’t get too settled into that concept because Blow then adds, “Next month, it could be a Pac-Man clone or something.” But it seems like the 2D RPG is something that Blow wants to do at the moment, saying, “My newest game I started is looking very promising. I’m very excited to do it.” Meanwhile the PC port of Braid is due out sometime in February or March.
Braid creator thinking about new projects originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Biz
 Like many other states, Oklahoma wants to give some tax breaks to game developers in order to encourage the start of new high-tech business. Game Politics reports that a new bill for that state’s legislature would give such tax breaks..but there’s a catch.
The bill, if passed into law, would keep those tax breaks away from any game that is rated M or higher. Apparently the restrictions were at the instance of state senators, many of whom voted for 2006 law that would have restricted sales of certain games to minors (that law was thrown out in a court battle in 2007). It remains to be seen if this bill will be passed.
Oklahoma bill would keep tax breaks from M-rated games originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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