E3 2010. The new Nintendo game is here: Wii U

From IGN'S Richard George

It's the dawn of a new Nintendo generation. After five years of pursuing a "blue ocean strategy," the Big N is shifting to a new console, one that rivals (and potentially exceeds) consoles currently in stores. After months of having IGN's Nintendo team tracking down sources and bringing you a comprehensive picture of Wii's successor, I've finally had the chance to use the new controller and play demos on the system.

In short, Nintendo's gamble works. The controller is the best of both worlds, mixing traditional button inputs with the advantage of having an interface unlike anything we've seen from a home console.

THE CONTROLLER BASICS

What we've been reporting and suspected is true. The primary controller for Nintendo's next console is tablet based, featuring a 6.2 inch touch screen. This new device also features a very standard array of buttons, including a d-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder triggers, a power button and a camera.

One of the more interesting alterations to conventional design is the system features two analog sliders at the top of the controller rather than traditional sticks. Don't make the mistake of thinking these sliders are like the 3DS "circle pad." The texture and top shape of the sliders are much more akin to Wii's nunchuk, meaning the grip and precision of movement are much better.



The tablet itself appears large, but is actually quite comfortable to grip. The two sliders both being located at the top of the tablet make holding it considerably easier. A staggered configuration would only have worked with a much smaller design. Nintendo was also smart in making the new controller extremely light for its size, resulting in something that might look strange but is not as burdensome as it would seem.

The other major design element is a horizontal "grip" that runs underneath the tablet. The grip, however, is mostly there to house two of the system's triggers, with the remaining two being on the shoulder of the main body of the device.

More important is the fact that the new console is backwards compatible with Wii controllers. Nintendo's demos suggested it is very intent on utilizing its current generation remotes - without alteration - alongside the new tablet. In fact while the number of Wii remotes changed between mini-games, I only ever used one tablet controller.

THE TECH DEMOS

In addition to a few mini-games and one major franchise cinematic, Nintendo's presentation to me included a couple sequences designed to show off the power of the system and the innovative applications of the controller. The first, simply called "HD Experience," featured a hawk soaring through a traditional Japanese setting including cherry blossom trees and a temple. Graphically the scene was far better than Wii, of course, but I wasn't impressed at all with the quality of the textures or aesthetic design. For something that was supposed to demonstrate the power of the system, this particular sequence failed to impress. One noteworthy element was that the tablet controller was replicating the visuals on the TV on its smaller screen, and moving the tablet would cause the camera behind the hawk to move, allowing the player to see more of the landscape.

The rough shape of this demo is no cause for concern, however. At the end of my time with the new system, Nintendo played an interactive cinematic that put all my fears to rest. The difference in quality between that sequence and this was light years apart, making me wonder why I watched the hawk video in the first place.

The second major tech demonstration featured live footage of Japan, with a camera moving down a crowded street, hovering above vehicles. Like the hawk demo, the tablet was also featuring the footage shown on the television. But as I moved the new controller, I was able to see more of the city around me, without altering what was being shown on the larger screen. I could move the tablet upward to see the sky, or downward to see the street moving under me. Even more impressive, I could start to rotate the controller or "aim" it behind me to see where I had been. Pressing a button would also flip the portable display behind me, allowing me to see backwards similar to a rearview mirror. The potential for racing games with this sort of technology is truly impressive.

CHASING AND BATTLING MIIS

I played two Mii mini-games on the new console. In a word, they are both fantastic. In concept, execution, scope and entertainment, they are leaps and bounds beyond what you experienced on Wii. I realize we all had fun with tennis and sword fighting, but Chase Mii and Battle Mii are very, very much capable of selling people on the capabilities of the new system. Most important of all, the concepts are easy to learn, but with some added settings and levels down the line, I'd very much like to see these as some sort of final product.

 

THE NEXT GENERATION OF ZELDA

To be honest, I didn't think Nintendo would be daring enough to show off any sort of Zelda HD demo, despite the fact that the franchise is clearly the one that would benefit the most from a vastly more powerful system. This was based off of the Twilight Princess era Zelda characters, not Skyward Sword, so those of you expecting Wii's last major game to jump ship, this demo wasn't proof of that.

I wasn't able to control Link, but the battle between him and Gohma that I saw was breathtaking nonetheless. Between changing the lighting, camera controls and even the tablet's display, this demo above all the others proved how Nintendo franchises might benefit from increased power. This was gorgeous stuff.
Sources: ign.com

Man cured of HIV

According to The "Lookout" a Yahoo news blog, a man has been functionally cured of HIV.
Since HIV was discovered 30 years ago this week, 30 million people have died from the disease, and it continues to spread at the rate of 7,000 people per day globally, the UN says.
There's not much good news when it comes to this devastating virus. But that is perhaps why the story of the man scientists call the "Berlin patient" is so remarkable and has generated so much excitement among the HIV advocacy community.
Timothy Ray Brown suffered from both leukemia and HIV when he received a bone marrow stem cell transplant in Berlin, Germany in 2007. The transplant came from a man who was immune to HIV, which scientists say about 1 percent of Caucasians are. (According to San Francisco's CBS affiliate, the trait may be passed down from ancestors who became immune to the plague centuries ago. This Wired story says it was more likely passed down from people who became immune to a smallpox-like disease.)

What happened next has stunned the dozens of scientists who are closely monitoring Brown: His HIV went away.

"He has no replicating virus and he isn't taking any medication. And he will now probably never have any problems with HIV," his doctor Gero Huetter told Reuters. Brown now lives in the Bay Area, and suffers from some mild neurological difficulties after the operation. "It makes me very happy," he says of the incredible cure.
The development of anti-retroviral drugs in the 1990s was the first sign of hope in the epidemic, transforming the disease from a sudden killer to a more manageable illness that could be lived with for decades. But still, the miraculous cocktail of drugs is expensive, costing $13 billion a year in developing countries alone, according to Reuters. That figure is expected to triple in 20 years--raising the worry that more sick people will not be able to afford treatment.
Although Brown's story is remarkable, scientists were quick to point out that bone marrow transplants can be fatal, and there's no way Brown's treatment could be applied to the 33.3 million people around the world living with HIV. The discovery does encourage "cure research," according to Dr. Jay Levy, who co-discovered HIV thirty years ago, something that many people did not even think was possible years ago.
You can watch Brown talk about his cure in this CBS video report.

Windows 8 Oficially Unveiled

According to Digital Trends, Microsoft has officially unveiled some key new features of its forthcoming operating system. The next-generation OS, which may or may not be called “Windows 8” (its “internal code-name”), delivers a completely re-imagined user interface, with a heavy emphasis on touch-based functionality that takes a hefty helping of inspiration from the Windows Phone UI.


One of the first major design changes from previous Windows versions is the completely overhauled Windows Start menu, which has been replaced with a colorful tiled design that evokes the Exposé screen of Firefox, or other similar quick-screen-navigation features found in most new web browsers. Rather than web pages, however, the new Start screen shows both static program icons and widgets, called “live tiles,” which provide constant notifications and updates. Windows 8 also allows users to access all the files on their computer in the same visualized way that programs are accessed, which helps make the OS easy to navigate with touch alone.

Since Windows 8 is obviously designed with tablets in mind (but can be used with a standard mouse and keyboard), users switch from application to application by swiping left and right in a similar fashion to mobile phone OSs, like Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android. Apps included with the OS, like a weather app, a stock ticker app, and a built-in news app, all take advantage of the entire screen. Fortunately, Windows 8 still allows for multitasking, and multiple apps can be viewed simultaneously on the same screen simply by dragging and dropping the app window onto the main screen.

Windows 8 also takes advantage of current web standards, like HTML 5 and JavaScript, and is optimized to work with Microsoft’s upcoming web browser, Internet Explorer 10.
Overall, Windows 8 looks like a step in the right direction for Microsoft, as it tries to compete with the touchscreen powerhouse of Apple’s iPad line and its iOS software. Windows 8 is still far from complete, however, and it is not yet clear when the software will be publicly available, though some guess a fall 2012 time frame.

3d Cinemas now in Nigeria

With the announcement of 3d technology at the Silverbird Cinemas Nigeria, on Friday May 13, 2011 at the Silverbird Cinemas on Victoria Island, they become the second Cinema to bring this technology into the country following Genesis Deluxe Cinemas footsteps. As some of you may know, that a 3d cinema cost more than a conventional cinema (2d Cinema). I don't know how Silverbird and Genesis are going to do it without increasing the ticket prices because even in the US, 3d tickets are more expensive than 2d tickets.

 And I know Silverbird to be a great company, will definitely have plans to sell 3d tickets and 2d tickets separately, leaving you movie lovers to either choose to watch the movie in 2d or 3d according to what you can afford and choosing the right 3d movie, because some movie are not just worth watching in 3d (Clash of the Titans was the worst in 2010 according to TotalFilm.com worst-3d-movies). 

CotT was a decent movie, but in 3d, its just a reminder of Yakubu at the World cup.

But for now no announcement has been made by Silverbird of increasing their ticket price which is a plus for them.

Ticket prices are N1,500 for adults on week days and N2,000 on weekends. Late shows on Fridays and Saturdays cost N2,500.
There are special discounts for students with valid I.D cards at N1,000 on week days and N1,500 on weekends. 

"we want to amplify the cinema experience and our focus is the youth
and the young at heart who embrace new technologies" said Taiwo Oke. With Thor and Priest tearing through your stereoscopic glasses at Silverbird Cinemas, I just hope people will not start running out of the cinema with the breathtaking experience of 3d awesomeness.