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Crackdown 2: First Play!
Ovi Maps: Reach the locations other satnavs can’t
Nokia Ovi Maps free black cabs incoming: hail one tomorrow
Ovi Maps: Take a short cut with free walking navigation
HTC Wildfire registration on Vodafone open now
Ovi Maps: How to dodge roaming fees with free satnav abroad
Ovi Maps Navigation: Free satnav for your car, forever!
Rockband 3 keyboard confirmed: fingers crossed for a keytar!
Motorola Droid Shadow leaked and detailed
iPhone 4.0: what’s in a codename?

Posted: 25 May 2010 10:01 PM PDT

Crackdown 2 won’t be bounding its way to UK stores till July 9th. But that didn’t stop us getting our hands all over the highly-anticipated sequel to the Xbox 360 classic at a secret preview.

Crackdown 2 is a direct sequel to the original. It follows the events of Pacific City where a virus has spread throughout infecting its population, turning them into city-ravaging ‘Freaks’.

Complicating things further, an underground resistance called The Cell has taken matters into its own meddling hands, having lost faith in the Agency and its ability to restore order. The Cell plan to sabotage the Agent program and attack your side – the Agency. As in the prequel, players reprise their role as Agents to bring peace to Pacific City. But with a three-way free-for-all between the Agency, The Cell and the Freaks, things get a little messy.

But before we got our hands on Crackdown 2, we got to hear from its producer, James Cope on the developer’s thoughts and ambitions for the sequel.

As we sat down, Ruffian Games booted the game up from somewhere in the middle of the game’s story, before telling us that Crackdown 2 will be one of the most “immersive fun action experiences” around. As per the original, players can expect over the top action and destruction.

The original had plenty of hidden extras for players to locate. Crackdown 2 follows in the same vein. Cope explained how Crackdown 2 will reward gamers according to how they play. As usual, players will level up depending on how they attack Crackdown 2’s challenges. For example, use a melee combat often and you’ll enhance your strength stats.

The day/night cycle will also have an impact on gameplay. It’s not just an aesthetic touch. Cope told us that Ruffian Games doesn’t do mere aesthetic touches. Every design choice has to affect the gameplay. During the day Agents fight against the Cell. Nightfall is when the freaks come out. According to Cope it’s an attempt to deliver a gameplay contrast, and to humble players. During the day players feel like superheroes. But at night, with hundreds of Freaks emerging from the sewers players are soon overwhelmed despite the enormous array of firepower at their disposal. The Freaks just keep on coming. The more you kill, the more they come back at you.

And what about the weapons? There’s plenty. And vehicles. We were shown the Agency Helicopter as one example of the way players will explore the vertical gameplay of Crackdown 2. It has twin rocket launchers and is good for co-op we’re told. “We like explosions”.

The Wingsuit lets players jump out of helicopters to glide through the air like Superman to drop in on unsuspecting enemies. It seemed a tad unfair, but of the Wingsuit, Cope said it’s a “game rewarder, not a game breaker” requiring skill to navigate with. “We wanted that sense of limitless vertigo”, Cope explains.

Everything you loved about the original features in Crackdown 2. Cope was the first to admit that the gameplay has changed very little. For fans of the franchise, that’s no bad thing.

During the day you’ll find yourself getting into occasional gunfights with the Cell whilst you go about clearing the game’s missions. They’ll even give chase in their automobiles. At night the Freaks are just as bothersome as Cope told us. No matter how you kill them, they keep on multiplying. We found ourselves running away from them more often than not. Likewise, the sense of scale and vertigo is just as dizzying as it appeared at first glance.

Some of the missions we played had us leaping off massive sky-piercing towers and other structures. Mistime your jump and you’ll have to ascend all the way up again. Luckily there’s plenty of Agility Orbs floating around the city to collect in order to increase your jumping skills – 500 in total. Collect enough and you’ll soon be bounding around the city as if it were a bouncy castle.

As you’d expect with the game’s three-way power struggle, street skirmishes are typically frantic. Luckily there’s plenty of new weapons to get stuck into. Among those we manhandled was the UV Shotgun. It uses electromagnetic bursts to shoot shockwaves at enemies, sending them flying through the air. It comes in particularly handy for fending off large numbers of freaks simultaneously, as we found during one mission where keeping them away from us was imperative to achieving our objective.

Another new weapon we tried out was the Mag Grenade. It’s a sticky grenade that forms a magnetic bond with other Mags once another is thrown. They’re great fun for sticking to objects, and making cars hang from their bungee-cord like grip for maximum devastation. How you use them is up to you and your twisted imagination.

Other confirmed new playthings include a Turreted Minigun and Rocket Launcher. New rides include the Agency Helicopter we played with, Agency Buggy, a high-speed Supercar and The Truck – used by The Cell as an armour plated defence unit.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to try out all the new things that’ll appear in Crackdown 2. We started our hands-on at the beginning of the game, so naturally we didn’t get to tinker with all The Agency’s weapons and skills you’ll get once you’ve levelled up your abilities. It’s worth noting that the build we played was not the final retail version, but debug code missing plenty of extra features that should appear in the finished version you’ll soon see dotted along retail shelves.

So how’s Crackdown 2 coming along? From what we saw and played Crackdown 2 has more than enough to keep fans of the original satisfied. It might have players returning to the same city, but with lots of original missions, storylines, weapons, vehicles and enemies it’s shaping up to be just as fun.

More on Crackdown 2 when we get it. Till then, we’ll be expecting Crackdown 2 to deliver more of the same, but better than the original when it arrives on July 9.

Out July 9 | £TBC | Microsoft Game Studios

Ovi Maps: Reach the locations other satnavs can’t

Posted: 25 May 2010 09:00 AM PDT

Ovi Maps has revolutionised mobile navigation, bringing free maps to users of the latest Nokia mobile phones. There's loads to know about Ovi Maps, so we've been looking at the software in depth. Unlike many satnav devices, there's a dedicated pedestrian mode, taking you where few people have been before – at least, not if they’re taking directions from a bog standard satnav. Read on to find out more about navigating on foot with Ovi Maps.

See it in action!

What you'll need
To use the latest version of Ovi Maps, which offers completely free navigation, you'll need one of Nokia's smartphones. You can use touchscreen or non-touchscreen handsets. We chose the Nokia X6 and Nokia E72.

The Nokia E72 is one of the latest non-touchscreen smartphones in Nokia's range and is perfect for mobile navigation. The big benefit it offers over most touchscreen handsets is the ability to use it your gloves on which can come in handy in chillier conditions.

The Nokia X6 is even better at showing the way with Nokia navigation, since it has a huge capacitive touchscreen display. The larger screen means it can genuinely rival dedicated sat-navs and is great for viewing free maps. There are plenty of other devices you can use Ovi Maps with, including the following handsets:

Nokia X6. Nokia N97 Mini. Nokia N97. Nokia N86. Nokia E72. Nokia E71. Nokia E66. Nokia E55. Nokia E52. Nokia C5. Nokia 6730 Classic. Nokia 6720 Classic. Nokia 6710. Nokia 5800. Nokia 5235. Nokia 5230.

Find your way
The first thing you'll need to do when using free navigation from Ovi Maps is to set up your Nokia's digital compass. This helps the device know which way you're facing and makes it easier to navigate. Waving the phone around in a figure of eight calibrates the sensors.

Pick a place
To set up a route using Ovi Maps, either type in the destination or open the map view and click the area where you want to go. It doesn't matter if it's in the middle of a pedestrian area, a park or a shopping centre – the free maps inside your Nokia will do their best to get you there, using routes other satnavs can’t, such as tunnels, bridges or walkways.

As the crow flies
Nokia offers a Straight Line mode for Ovi Maps, providing 'as the crow flies' navigation which lets you take advantage of tracks and fields. To activate it, go to Settings, select Walk then Straight Line as a preferred route. It’s really useful in the countryside because it doesn't take buildings, rivers or other physical barriers into account. It’ll also come in handy when you’re navigating sprawling shopping centres too. As long as your Nokia can receive a GPS signal, it’ll always point the way back to your car!

A 3rd dimension
As one of the most advanced satnav products on the market, Ovi Maps is as attractive as it is usable, with stunning 3D landmarks highlighted on the move. Head towards somewhere built-up like London’s Piccadilly Circus and it makes it very clear which route you need to take. 3D landmarks are also available in other countries.

Retrace your steps
Ovi Maps watches your progress, leaving virtual footprints on the map to show where you’ve been. Use them to retrace your steps if you get lost or simply want to go home. Your past steps are highlighted as red dots onscreen. Using Ovi Maps really couldn't be easier.

More about Ovi Maps for pedestrians:
Ovi Maps: Take a short cut with free walking navigation
More about Ovi Maps for drivers:
Ovi Maps: How to dodge roaming fees with free satnav abroad
Ovi Maps Navigation: Free satnav for your car, forever!

Nokia Ovi Maps free black cabs incoming: hail one tomorrow

Posted: 25 May 2010 08:30 AM PDT

Nokia is sending a fleet of Ovi Maps branded black cabs out on Britain's roads for one week from tomorrow to promote its navigation smarts. Read on to find out which cities the Ovi Maps free black cabs will be descending on and the tech you'll discover inside…

Nokia's fleet of free Ovi Maps branded black cabs will be on the roads in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Glasgow. All you need to do to nab a free ride is spot one and flag it down.

Inside the cab, you'll find a Nokia X6 packing Ovi Maps navigation which you can use to track your journey using the turn-by-turn directions. And rather than jawing with the cabbie, you'll be offered the chance to use Own Voice for Ovi Maps to record your own sat-nav directions.

If you don't manage to hunt down one of the Nokia Ovi Maps free black cabs, there's also 5 Nokia X6 16GB up for grabs every day for a week from tomorrow. You just need to tweet #NokiaFreeSatNav for a chance to win.

Let us know if you spot a Nokia Ovi Maps black cab.

Out tomorrow | £free | Nokia

Ovi Maps: Take a short cut with free walking navigation

Posted: 25 May 2010 08:25 AM PDT

Ovi Maps is a great tool for free navigation on foot, bringing free maps to owners of Nokia handsets. It's ideal for getting around under your own steam, and has more features than you can shake a leg at. We've put this handy guide together to help you get to grips with the Nokia maps. Read on, and put your best foot forward.

See it in action!

Ovi Maps brings a host of innovations to mobile navigation, including plenty for pedestrians. With a dedicated bipedal mode, you'll be steered along pavements rather than motorways and main roads. You’ll also be able to ignore one-way systems, head across parks and generally follow a much more direct route.

Ovi Maps is also great for hunting tourist attractions with Lonely Planet guides built into some versions, turning it into a tour guide without the annoying chitchat. Directions from Nokia’s free navigation software can be purely visual, consist of beeps when it's time to turn or be delivered as true turn-by-turn spoken directions through a pair of headphones.

What you'll need
We took the Nokia X6 and Nokia E72 on our travels as both are perfect for mobile navigation. The Nokia X6 screen is large and makes the free maps easy to view but we also liked the button-only interface of the Nokia E72, letting us jab at keys quickly while hurrying along. You can also get the free navigation with the following phones:

Nokia X6. Nokia N97 Mini. Nokia N97. Nokia N86. Nokia E72. Nokia E71. Nokia E66. Nokia E55. Nokia E52. Nokia C5. Nokia 6730 Classic. Nokia 6720 Classic. Nokia 6710. Nokia 5800. Nokia 5235. Nokia 5230.

Get walking
Fire up Ovi Maps, select the Walk function then choose your destination. You can do that either by address, postcode or by clicking an area on the map and selecting 'Walk to'. You can also choose points of interest on the way, taking in tourist attractions or just plotting a route that includes a stop for lunch.

Take the next left
There are several ways to get directions with Nokia's free maps and they're not all visual. Along with free 2D and 3D mapping, there are audio directions. It's a bit embarrassing having your phone talking away while you're walking down the street, however, so we recommend plugging in a pair of earphones. You can choose between beeps – letting you know when to look at the phone and take a turn – or full verbal directions, telling you when turns are coming up and what direction to take.

Find a new route
It's all too easy to take the wrong turn, even with the very best mobile navigation applications. Don't worry though, as Ovi Maps will quickly reroute, either telling you to turn round and highlighting your previous steps or offering up another quicker route.

Make your way home
When you walk anywhere using Ovi Maps for navigation, the free mapping software marks out a trail of your route. This means that when you want to go back, you can simply retrace your steps.

Take a break
As much as we love walking, it’s easy to rest your legs using Ovi Maps as you can hop on a bus and it'll continue to track your progress, so you'll know when to get off. Just the ticket after a long day trekking across town.

More about Ovi Maps for pedestrians:
Ovi Maps: Reach the locations other satnavs can't
More about Ovi Maps for drivers:
Ovi Maps: How to dodge roaming fees with free satnav abroad
Ovi Maps Navigation: Free satnav for your car, forever!

HTC Wildfire registration on Vodafone open now

Posted: 25 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The HTC Wildfire is headed to Vodafone. The network has just announced that it's opening registration for the affordable Android phone. Wondering whether to go for the HTC Wildfire? Read on to remind yourself of all the hot details…

As well as packing a 3.2in multitouch screen and a 5MP camera, the Android 2.1 powered HTC Wildfire includes HTC's Friend Stream UI to pull together your social networking info from sites including Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

And while HTC only highlighted the HTC Wildfire's more sizeable sibling, the HTC Desire, in its announcement about Android 2.2 Froyo updates, the newer phone is sure to make it onto the list later.

We were pretty taken with the phone when we did our HTC Wildfire hands on. What do you think of it? Are you planning to head over to Vodafone now and put your name down?

Due TBC | £TBC | Vodafone

Ovi Maps: How to dodge roaming fees with free satnav abroad

Posted: 25 May 2010 07:50 AM PDT

Ovi Maps brings free turn-by-turn navigation to the masses and is made to make driving to new places easier. Unlike rival products, it's also possible to download all the maps you need in advance – all for completely free – to help avoid data charges. Read on to find out more.

See it in action!

One of the best things about Ovi Maps is the option to download maps you'll need before you leave, wherever you're going in the world. Where rival satnav systems need an always-on connection, you don't even need a SIM card installed to use free Ovi Maps navigation, so you can avoid roaming fees when traveling abroad.

What you'll need
We've been navigating the busy streets of London, and further afield in France using Ovi Maps navigation on the Nokia X6. It offers lots of features that make it ideal for in-car navigation: the large screen is colourful, bright and easy to read when traveling at speed and the touchscreen interface is a godsend. With 16GB or 32GB of storage space built-in, there's also plenty of space to download the maps you need.

You can get free maps for plenty of other handsets as well. The following Nokia phones all support Ovi Maps:

Download and go
Nokia's free mobile navigation has one massive advantage over rival sat-nav products and that's the ability to download maps for free. Install Ovi Maps Loader on your PC or Mac and you’ll be able to download and sync maps for the relevant countries. You can even pre-load new navigation voices before your roadtrip.

Pick a place
The easiest way to enter your destination into Ovi Maps navigation is via the postcode search, but there are a number of other ways you can get to where you're going too. You can enter part or all of the address, search for an attraction by name, or pick the location on the map itself.

Seek guidance
Lane guidance is a great inclusion considering Ovi Maps is a completely free navigation system, and really makes it perfect for in-car use. Nokia’s free mobile navigation also recognises when you’re not in the UK, and directs you accordingly so you’ll be sure of obeying the local speed limits, lane directions and other foreign traffic laws.

A point of interest
Ovi Maps doesn’t just pack free maps: it also includes local points of interest whatever country you’re in. That’s especially handy when you’re searching for petrol or a hotel for the night and don’t speak the lingo.

It's a Lonely Planet
Offering a premium service completely free, Ovi Maps also packs in a full Lonely Planet guide. With comprehensive tourist attractions, details and information, it's the sort of detail that's often lacking in sat-nav products costing hundreds of pounds. With Ovi Maps, everything’s free, and bundled without limits.

More about Ovi Maps for drivers:
Ovi Maps Navigation: Free satnav for your car, forever!
More about Ovi Maps for pedestrians:
Ovi Maps: Take a short cut with free walking navigation
Ovi Maps: Reach the locations other satnavs can't

Ovi Maps Navigation: Free satnav for your car, forever!

Posted: 25 May 2010 07:00 AM PDT

Ovi Maps is in its element when it comes to providing free maps for your car. It provides comprehensive turn-by-turn navigation with attractive, easy to use and completely free maps. It's also very responsive and has a host of features that make it a perfect day-to-day sat-nav solution. Ovi Maps has tons to explore under the hood too. Dive in, and see the future of mobile navigation!

See it in action!

We've been using Ovi Maps to get around London, making the most of the features which make this great free navigation system ideal for city life. From speed camera warnings to a full-on Lonely Planet guide, it’s geared up to better much more expensive solutions. Many Nokia devices are even sold with free car cradles, but even if you've already got a handset it's a cheap and easy upgrade.

What you'll need
We chose the Nokia X6 to act as our in-car sat-nav. The large screen makes it ideal for glancing at quickly while driving, and the touchscreen interface gives you simple controls that are large enough to tap when you're stuck in traffic and not moving. The built-in GPS is also quick to get a fix on your position.

But it’s not just the Nokia X6 that offers free Ovi Maps. All of the Nokia phones below also offer free navigation, making it easy to find your way, wherever you are:

Ready, set, go
It's easy to choose where you're going with Ovi Maps. Nokia’s free mobile navigation gives you the option to enter your destination by address, post code or by manually locating it on the map. You can also browse through a huge list of points of interest (POI), which includes a full Lonely Planet guide.

Don't get stuck
Another great Ovi Maps feature is the ability to use your phone's connectivity to grab the latest traffic updates. Head to Settings then Navigation to turn them on. When activated, traffic updates help you avoid congestion and get to your destination a lot quicker.

Get on the right side of the road
It can be tricky driving in built-up areas, especially if you’re somewhere unfamiliar. Ovi Maps has lane guidance alongside its free maps, which makes it a lot easier, giving you advanced warning of where you should position your car when approaching roundabouts and junctions.

Don't get caught out
Nokia has built speed camera alerts into its the free Ovi Maps service. They’ll let you know when you’re approaching one, so you’ve no excuse for getting a ticket. You can also select warnings to let you know when you’re about to exceed the speed limit, helping you stay legal without having to glance at your speedo every few seconds.

Find yourself
Despite the excellent free navigation provided by Ovi Maps, it's still possible to take a wrong turn. Don't worry too much though, as Nokia is quick to reroute you. If you do go wrong, Ovi Maps will provide an alternative route, using its free maps to get you back on track as soon as possible.

More about Ovi Maps for drivers:
Ovi Maps: How to dodge roaming fees with free satnav abroad
More about Ovi Maps for pedestrians:
Ovi Maps: Take a short cut with free walking navigation
Ovi Maps: Reach the locations other satnavs can't

Rockband 3 keyboard confirmed: fingers crossed for a keytar!

Posted: 25 May 2010 07:00 AM PDT

Rockband 3 will come packing a keyboard peripheral. The Green Day: Rock Band demo has hit Xbox Live and reveals some clues about who'll be in the band next time and it seems ivory tinklers will be welcome. Read on for what we know so far and to suggest your favourite keyboard powered tunes…

We had a Green Day: Rock Band first play recently and now the virtual antics of the pop-punkers have hit Xbox Live. If you're not interested in cranking out American Idiot but are looking forward to Rock Band 3, the demo holds a little treat. When you quit, a Rock Band 3 graphic is revealed.

The usual icons are there – bass, drums, guitar and vocals – but with three mics suggesting that the harmonies added in The Beatles: Rock Band are going to carry over to Rock Band 3 and most excitingly, a keyboard.

There's no clues yet as to what the Rock Band 3 keyboard peripheral will look like or how many songs it'll be used in. We've got our fingers-crossed for a strap attachment so we can rock an '80s style keytar arrangement. Hopefully Guitar Hero 6 will up the ante and add one.

Let us know what songs with keyboards you'd like to see on the Rock Band 3 tracklisting. Our big requests would be Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer and Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting by Elton John. And no, we're not ashamed…

Due TBC | £TBC | Rock Band

Motorola Droid Shadow leaked and detailed

Posted: 25 May 2010 06:30 AM PDT

The Motorola Droid Shadow, the follow-up to the Motorola Milestone, has been caught on camera…at a corporate gym…owned by Verizon. We can't help but think that's a little bit fishy. Anyone else think Motorola might just fancy a bit of the attention all those iPhone 4.0 leaks have been getting?

The Motorola Droid Shadow popped up a few weeks back in a submission to the Wi-Fi Alliance and the story of this new leak seems to confirm the specs. It'll come packing an 8MP camera, shoot 720p video and have a gargantuan 4.3in screen. We're also promised it'll be running Android 2.2.

The tale over at Gizmodo is that the Motorola Droid Shadow was accidentally left behind and that when it was retrieved, the gym employee got told the following additional juicy specs: there'll be 16GB of internal storage, it runs a Snapdragon processor and has an HDMI port. That seems like an odd amount of detail for someone who's just lost a prototype to go into.

Motorola has yet to confirm the Motorola Droid Shadow but we're pretty certain it'll be arriving officially soon. We just hope we don't have to wait as long for it as we did with the Motorola Milestone.

Let us know what you think of the leaked Motorola Droid Shadow specs. Does it dislodge the HTC Desire from your affections or stop you dreaming of iPhone 4.0?

Due TBC | £TBC | Motorola (via Gizmodo)

iPhone 4.0: what’s in a codename?

Posted: 25 May 2010 06:00 AM PDT

iPhone 4.0 is apparently known within the walls of Apple's Cupertino HQ as Mammoth. That got us thinking about gadget codenames. Do the pseudonyms manufacturers slap on their secret tech live up to the products that finally emerge? Read on for our take on four of history’s most intriguing gadget codenames including iPhone 4.0's prehistoric placeholder…

Nintendo Revolution
Before it became the Nintendo Wii, the motion controlled console was known as the Nintendo Revolution. Explaining why it ditched the original name, Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime said: "Revolution is not ideal, it's long and in some cultures, it's hard to pronounce." Wii seemed custom built for juvenile puns but it turned out to be revolutionary in the end – just look at Microsoft and Sony chasing their own motion sensing successes with Natal and the Playstation Move.

Project Natal
Natal hasn't actually nabbed a final name yet but we're set to see it unveiled at E3 in a few weeks. Microsoft has a history of using cities as codenames (Natal is on the coast of Brazil) but this time it also packed in a double meaning. Natal also mean "relating to birth" and Microsoft is hoping it will be "the birth of the next generation of home entertainment." We think it might just be right but let's hope Natal is less troublesome than a baby, we don't want it messing up our carpets or drawing on the walls.

Project Needlemouse
Sonic 4 is about bringing the high speed hedgehog back to his 2D platforming roots so Project Needlemouse was pretty much the perfect codename. Mr Needlemouse was what Naoto Oshima originally called the character when he presented the concept to Sega. Needlemouse is a direct translation of the Japanese word for hedgehog but makes our hero sound less friendly and more like the lead in a woodland remake of Saw.

Mammoth
The iPhone 4.0 codename seems very appropriate. There's been mammoth interest around the new iPhone but it's also caused Apple mammoth headaches with multiple iPhone 4.0 leaks spoiling the surprise. And with Android on the rise, it's a risky name to plump for. While the iPhone is a big beast just like the wooly mammoth, its namesake is long extinct. On the other hand Apple could simply be going for the same effect as the HTC Incredible, picking the biggest superlative possible.

Let us know: what do you make of iPhone 4.0's Mammoth code name? Will it be a beautiful beast or end up as a forgotten fossil?

Due TBC | £TBC | Apple

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Wednesday 26 May 2010

Electricpig.co.uk - tech news fast!

Electricpig.co.uk - tech news fast!

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