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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the
geeks.
Disney to buy Lucasfilm and
Lucasarts, will release new
Star Wars movies
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/disney-to-buy-lucasfilm-and-
lucasarts-will-release-new-star-wars-movies/17674.html
October 31st, 2012
In a surprise move that has shocked the industry and
fans alike, Disney has bought Lucasfilm and all of its sub-
divisions, including gaming company Lucasarts, and plans
to release a seventh Star Wars film in 2015, with at least two
more to follow.
In a surprise move that has shocked the industry and
fans alike, Disney has bought Lucasfilm and all of its sub-
divisions, including gaming company Lucasarts, and plans
to release a seventh Star Wars film in 2015, with at least two
more to follow.
The stock and cash deal, worth a whopping $4.05 billion,
effectively hands over the reins of the Star Wars universe
from creator George Lucas to Disney, opening the way for a
slew of new Star Wars productions.
Everything under the Lucasfilm name will now be under
the Disney banner, including special effects and audio
production firms Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker
Sound, and not to mention LucasArts, the studio that
oversees dozens of Star Wars games, including the recent
Star Wars The Old Republic MMO by BioWare.
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will
become President of Lucasfilm, answering to Alan Horn,
Chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Disney said the present
intent is for employees to remain in their current locations.
Perhaps the biggest revelation made during the deal is that
Episode 7 is a reality, with a targeted release date of 2015.
Lucas will serve as creative consultant, while Kennedy will
serve as executive producer. This is only the first of several
new films too, with Robert A. Iger, Chairman and CEO of
Disney, promising Episodes 8 and 9 too, with even further
plans to release more movies every two to three years.
Iger talked about “maximizing the value of our strategic
acquisitions,” suggesting this is a franchise that will receive
a lot of attention over the coming years, and likely not just
on the big screen, given previous plans for a Star Wars live-
action TV show.
“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been
to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,”
said George Lucas, Chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm. “It's
now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation
of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could
live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up
the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with
Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and
having a new home within the Disney organization, Star
Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations
to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the
opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive
media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer
products.”
Disgaea D2 coming to PS3
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/disgaea-d2-coming-to-
ps3/17673.html
October 31st, 2012
The latest title in the Disgaea series “Disgaea D2” will be
released for Playstation 3 in Japan on March 20th
2013
for 7140 Yen (around $89 USD), with a first press limited
edition available for 11340 Yen (around $142 USD).
In this brand new simulation RPG from Nippon Ichi
Software, players will be able to once again play as the
popular characters Laharl, Etna, and Flonne from the
original Disgaea.
What is Disgaea?
• A realm where devils and angels soar the skies. A realm
where heroes and villains lock swords in battle.

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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This is not the world as you know it. This is the Makai –
a world of magic and sorcery where normal logic does not
apply, where almost anything can happen. In this fantastic
world, many characters will set out on the road to their
destinies, and on the way meet others from distant lands.
They may become the best of friends, or they may become
sworn enemies – only time will tell.
• The same Disgaea style we all know and love.
Nippon Ichi has kept a consistent style throughout the
series of Disgaea games, thanks to character designer Takehi
Hasegawa and music designer Tenpei Sato’s participation
in the development of each game. Without their efforts,
Disgaea just wouldn’t feel the same!
• Are you a noble or a scoundrel? It matters not if you’re
having fun!
Disgaea’s characteristic turn-based combat is back;
complete with tutorial modes which welcome players who
may be new to the series. However, seasoned veterans of the
simulation RPG genre need not be scared away by the low
learning curve of the game, as there are plenty of intricate
and original elements speckled throughout the game which
will provide even more entertainment to those who put in
the effort to master their secrets.
• Open-ended character creation & training
It is possible to customize several aspects of your teammates
such as job class, personality, and skill set. Players can
produce a unique character that won’t be found anywhere
else thanks to the unlimited combinations of features that
are available for each character.
• Refreshing gameplay with puzzle elements and
extravagant visuals
In addition to the thrill of defeating powerful enemies,
puzzles dotted throughout the world will also provide
players with as much pleasure as watching the exciting
visuals which play every time your characters blow away an
enemy with a powerful special move.
If you’re still not excited for the game yet, check out what
bonus stuff you get!
(Note: don't get too excited unless you live in Japan or can
play imports on your PS3...)
Pre-order bonus content:
Legacy outfits for Laharl, Etna and Flonne (original outfits
from the first game downloadable from PlayStation Store)
First print limited edition bonus content*:
Etna & Flonne set of 2 figures from Niitengo
Hard-cover impressively detailed design booklet
OST set of 2 CDs
*All of the above come in an exclusive limited edition
box designed and illustrated by character designer Takehi
Hasegawa.
Activision launches
Transformers Prime on
Nintendo systems
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/activision-launches-transformers-
prime-on-nintendo-systems/17672.html
October 31st, 2012
Activision has launched Transformers Prime on Nintendo
game systems, bringing the world of the animated TV show
to life in an interactive brawler experience.
Activision has launched Transformers Prime on Nintendo
game systems, bringing the world of the animated TV show
to life in an interactive brawler experience.
The game will feature everyone's favourite Autobots
and Decepticons, including Optimus Prime, Bumblebee,
Arcee, Ratchet and Bulkhead, as well as Megatron and

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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Thunderwing, along with the human characters of the show
like Jack, Miko and Raf.
The single-player game focuses on the Autobot adventure,
while multiplayer (not available on DS) will allow players to
choose from 11 different Transformers from both factions.
The gameplay involves brawler-style combat and numerous
driving sequences.
“The Transformers Prime television show is a fantastic series
and we're excited to bring this new adventure to Nintendo
and Transformers fans alike,” said Kurt Niederloh, VP of
Activision. “We've worked hand-in-hand with Hasbro and
the TV show producers to bring this all-new storyline to life
with the spirit and trademark gameplay Nintendo gamers
have come to know and love.”
The game is now available on the Wii, 3DS and DS, and will
be a launch day title for Nintendo's next-generation console,
the Wii U, on 18 November.
Google loses Australian
defamation lawsuit
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-loses-australian-defamation-
lawsuit/17671.html
October 31st, 2012
Google has lost a lawsuit in Australia where it was accused
of defaming a man by linking his name with gangland crime
in search results.
Google has lost a lawsuit in Australia where it was accused
of defaming a man by linking his name with gangland crime
in search results.
62-year-old Milorad (or Michael) Trkulja, who moved to
Australia from Yuogslavia in the 1970s and hosted a TV show
in the 1990s, sued Google after it refused to remove search
results that Trkulja claimed were damaging his repution.
In 2004 he was shot in the back at a restaurant by a
man wearing a balaclava, with the crime never resolved,
but police did not believe it was linked to the criminal
underworld.
Despite this, Trkulja's name started to appear in Google
searches linked with alleged murderers and drug traffickers,
as well as with the words “Melbourne Crime,” which he
claimed might give people the wrong impression that he was
a criminal.
With such an uncommon name in Australia, Trkulja found
that when he searched for his name the first result that came
up contained the words: “Melbourne Crime – Underworld
– Ganglands,” adding: “Former music promoter Michael
Trkulja was shot in the back by a hitman wearing a balaclava
while dining at a St Albans restaurant in June 2004.”
He claims that this suggestion that he was involved in crime,
resulting in a hitman being hired against him, has damaged
his reputation, resulting in people publicly avoiding him and
even refusing to sit at the same table as him at a wedding.
Trkulja's lawyers asked Google to change the search results
in 2009, but Google refused, claiming that its search
results were automated and was therefore a case of
“innocent dissemination,” an argument that the jury said
was reasonable only up until Google was contacted by
Trkulja.
Google has the option to appeal, but Yahoo also previously
lost a case taken by Trkulja, making it diffult to see how
the search giant might overturn the verdict. It will need
to remove the offending search results and the amount of
damages to be paid to Trkulja will be set over the next two
weeks.
The case, and similar cases taken against Google, show how
potentially damaging search results can be, even if there
is no malicious intent behind how certain keywords and
names are linked together. As Google loses more cases like
this, it is likely it will be forced to change its approach and
remove allegedly defaming material as soon as it receives a
complaint.

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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2K Games and Gearbox
release Borderlands Legends
game on iOS
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/2k-games-and-gearbox-release-
borderlands-legends-game-on-ios/17670.html
October 31st, 2012
2K Games and Gearbox Software have launched
Borderlands Legends, a mobile gaming experience for iOS
devices set in the same world as the console titles.
2K Games and Gearbox Software have launched
Borderlands Legends, a mobile gaming experience for iOS
devices set in the same world as the console titles.
Brick, Mordecai, Lilith and Roland are all back from the
original game, fighting off endless waves of Skags, Bandits,
Psychos, Bruisers and a slew of other enemies in a mix of
action-RPG and strategy.
There is an easy to navigate menu, important for
small smartphone screens, randomised maps, randomly
generated weapons, shields and utilities, and dozens of skills
and abilities to unlock. The same unique artistic style as the
original games is also present.
The game is limited to iOS devices for now, but the team
behind it mentioned there is a possibility of extending it to
other mobile devices in the future.
Borderlands Legends costs $4.99 on the iPhone and iPod
Touch and $6.99 on the iPad.
Let's just hope people's characters aren't inadvertently
deleted, like in a recent bug for Borderlands 2.
Injured worker's father sues
Foxconn
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/injured-worker-s-father-sues-
foxconn/17669.html
October 31st, 2012
Zhang Guangde, father of factory worker Zhang Tingzhen
brought electronics manufacturer Foxconn to court this
Tuesday after his son suffered severe injuries while working
at Foxconn’s Shenzhen factory. Mr. Zhang expressed to the
court his extreme dissatisfaction with the transfer of his son
to a comparatively cheaper hospital in Huizhou to receive
treatment. He also stated that Foxconn should continue
payment of his son’s medical fees.
(Zhang Tingzhen undergoing treatment after obtaining
severe injuries)

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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(Zhang Tingzhen before injuries obtained at Foxconn)
Zhang Tingzhen was injured while fixing a spotlight at the
Shenzhen factory, where he suffered severe trauma to the
brain after being electrocuted and falling to the ground.
Tingzhen was saved from near-death after part of his left
brain was removed.
Directly after the incident, Foxconn had originally paid
Zhang Tingzhen’s medical fees, however starting from this
month the company notified the family that payment of
medical fees would cease unless Tingzhen was transferred
from the expensive Shenzhen to Huizhou, which is situated
some 69km away.
Zhang Guangde’s plea stated that Tingzhen’s fragile state
could not bear long distance travel, and that Foxconn should
continue payment of medical fees for treatment in Shenzhen.
Zhang’s lawyer presented to the court several items of
evidence including his time of hospitalization, his salary
record, and affidavits from coworkers which proved that
Tingzhen did indeed receive injury while working at the
factory.
Chinese factories have a long standing trend of hiring
workers from areas with a lower average salary, and having
them work in areas with higher commodity prices, in an
effort to lower expenditures. Foxconn denied allegations of
using such a strategy when employing Zhang.
Earlier this month Foxconn made a statement to CNET
expressing: “Chinese companies are required to purchase
insurance for their workers via a government social security
system. This makes it impossible for any company to gain
a profit by giving workers low wages or employing people
from areas with a lower median salary. Government issued
social security compensation is different in each area, and
Foxconn have already guaranteed Zhang Tingzhen’s family
compensation for any difference in social security which
arises as a result of their moving to Huizhou. We have
guaranteed this regardless of the fact that we have no legal
obligation to do so, simply because it represents the best
interests of Zhang Tingzhen.”
Samsung to mass produce
28nm 'Adonis' processor for
Galaxy S4
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-to-mass-produce-28nm-
adonis-processor-for-galaxy-s4/17668.html
October 31st, 2012
Samsung is gearing up to start mass production of a
new mobile application processor (AP) with increased
performance and lower power consumption compared to
previous models.
According to related sources, Samsung Electronics’ System
LSI operation division produced a test model of an original
28nm High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process based mobile AP
named “Exynos 5400” (codename: Adonis).
The Exynos 5400 utilizes ARM’s latest Cortex A15
architecture, and packs 4 CPU cores with a low power-
consuming GPU as a bonus.
Thanks to process miniaturization and an upgraded GPU,
the Adonis gets not only a boost in power but also burns
through a battery a lot slower than the existing 32nm HKMG
based Exynos 5250 (Cortex A15).
Should Samsung keep on schedule with mass production,
this chip is set to be the first mobile AP on the market which
utilizes a 28nm HKMG process. TSMC are collaborating
with Samsung Electronics to provide a foundry to fabricate
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon iteration; however this
product will not be HKMG based. Instead it will utilize a
traditional SiON silicon based process.
HKMG enables the manufacturing of low power-consuming
chips as ultra-miniaturization of the fabrication process
can take place without the side effect of current leakage
associated with shrinking processes based on the regular
SiON approach.
According to market analyzers Strategy Analytics, Samsung
Electronics took 2nd
place with 25.9% market share of the
mobile AP market in the Q2 of this year, compared to market
leader Qualcomm who possessed 38.8%.
The product is expected to reach market in the first half
of next year, and analysts predict it will be used in the
next iteration of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy smartphone
(Galaxy S4) for some localities. Mass production is slated to
commence at the end of this year.
Arndale Exynos 5 with Mali
T604 board offers Android
developers all the goods
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/arndale-exynos-5-with-mali-t604-
board-offers-android-developers-all-the-goods/17667.html

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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October 31st, 2012
ARM development boards such as the Raspberry Pi and the
VIA APC are fun to tinker with, but those are kids' toys
compared to the Arndale board featuring Samsung’s Exynos
dual-core Cortex A-15.
(VIA APC board ~$50)
While Raspberry Pi will go for around $50, the base Arndale
board will cost enthusiasts and developers $250 a pop, and
will come with 2GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a
plethora of connectivity options. Add on some modules such
as the Wi-Fi/BT/GPS, audio, touch panel, and camera and
you may have to shell out around $750 for the total package.
The Exynos 5 with the Mali T604 in the Arndale is the same
beast that powers Google’s Nexus 10 tablet. Samsung’s spin
on this board offers 12.8GB/s of memory bandwidth, 1080p
60FPS video with VP8 codec decoder, and USB 3.0.
This time around, Samsung will provide developers with
information on the Exynos—something Samsung has kept
on the down low in past Exynos hardware. There is a site
that’s dedicated to this particular board and accessories for
it. Additionally, there will be documentation and instruction
on how to build Android and flash it, and the source code for
the device will be available in December.
Scott Forstall ousted
because he didn't sign Maps
app apology letter
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/scott-forstall-ousted-because-he-
didn-t-sign-maps-app-apology-letter/17666.html
October 31st, 2012
Drama among Apple’s managements may be the reason why
iOS chief, Scott Forstall, will leave the company at the end
of this year.
The change in management will be a massive shake up for
Apple, and apparently it’s out of stubbornness that Forstall
has decided to jump ship. According to various reports,
Forstall refused to sign the apology letter regarding the
faulty Maps app in iOS6, which Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, had
publicly acknowledged while also suggesting alternatives.
Apparently, Forstall’s history within the company seems to
have a part in foretelling his ultimate departure later this
year. Bloomberg reported in a recent story that Forstall
wasn’t always “cooperative,” and that he would brag about
his relationship with Steve Jobs on more than one occasions.
Apple announced Monday that its current chief designer,
Jonathan Ive, would step in to fill the void that left behind
as a result of Forstall’s ousting. Also in the announcement
was the news regarding Apple’s head of retail to accompany
Forstall in the departure.
The Wall Street Journal reported that without Steve Jobs
around to mediate the tension between the execs, the
inevitable happened. Jobs was notorious for his hot
headedness and stubbornness, but according to sources
familiar with the matter, Jobs did his part to retain talents
within the company.
Google releases competitor
to Siri for iOS
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-releases-competitor-to-siri-
for-ios/17663.html
October 31st, 2012
Three months ago, Google introduced us to it's new voice-
search system, and now it's finally been released on iOS
as a competitor to the native Siri. The new voice search
replicates a lot of the features found in the new voice-search
capabilities for Android's Jellybean. The software provides
voice queries with spoken results and provides web searches
for anything it doesn't have knowledge about.

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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Google's approach, during initial testing by CNET, proved
to be faster than Siri in many regards. Google's approach
also displays your spoken words as text while you speak,
something which Siri doesn't do until you've finished
speaking. The new feature was released in an update to
Google's search app, and added support for the iPhone 5. iOS
users with version 4.2 or above will be able to use the new
feature. Google stated earlier this year that it plans to expand
this functionality to Google Calendar and Drive, though no
date has been set for when this might happen.
ARM Introduces Its 64-bit
Processors: Meet the Cortex-
A53 and Cortex-A57
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/arm-introduces-its-64-bit-
processors-meet-the-cortex-a53-and-cortex-a57/17652.html
October 31st, 2012
At the ARM TechCon which is being held in Santa Clara, CA
the company introduced its first processors based on 64-bit
ARMv8 architecture. Under the name Cortex-A53 and -A57,
the company plans to usher itself into the microserver era,
where it won't face competition from Intel until 2016.
The ARM TechCon 2012 conference is being viewed as a
pivotal event for the company. While previous conferences
were always quite poor, both in content and the way how
they were organized (a complaint we heard from several
large ARM partners) - the 2012 conference is flooding
the news channels with quite important announcements.
Everything is gearing up for a major attack on the market in
2014, with Intel scheduled to launch its microserver parts in
fourth quarter 2013 or first quarter 2014 (Bay Trail platform
with Valleyview processors, which we exclusively disclosed
here).
The News
First off, AMD announced that the company will ship hybrid
64-bit x86/ARM processors for servers, all carrying the
Opteron brand name. While details about the parts remain
hidden, we were assured that AMD will mix the 64-bit
low-power "Jaguar" cores with ARMv8 cores, SeaMicro's
Freedom Fabric and most probably with the Volcanic Islands
GPU.
Secondly, Cadence and IBM successfully demonstrated a
test chip with ARMv8 based 14nm process node with
both IBM FinFET (Tri-Gate, so called 3D transistors) and
next-gen Fully Depleted SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator). The
combination between FinFET and FD-SOI is viewed as
advantageous over competitors that use bulk silicon (Intel,
all TSMC clients), and you can expect IBM, GlobalFoundries
and Samsung Electronics to fully utilize the two technologies
once 14nm hits in 2014. Three foundries in question are
members of the Common Platform Alliance, which shares
the resources in order to accelerate development. 14nm
FinFET / FD-SOI wafers will be available from IBM East
Fishkill (NY State) GlobalFoundries Malta Fab (NY State)
and Samsung's Foundry in Austin (Texas).
ARM's 64-bit products for 2014 take shape
With the manufacturing set in place, the time came for
ARM to unveil a true successor to the popular Cortex-
A9 (2009) and Cortex-A15 (2012) models. The two new
models come under the name Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57.
These two are first parts based on the eight generation
ARM architecture (ARMv8), targeting superphones, tablets,
convertible designs and high-density servers.
According to ARM, the Cortex-A53 and -A57 should offer at
least three times the performance of Cortex-A15 parts, while
keeping the full compatibility with existing ARMv7 code.
As the name goes, the two parts have different roles,
even though the look in their internals reveals that not all
the numbers play in hand of the higher numbered part.
According to the press release, Cortex-A53 is "most power-
efficient ARM application processor," while the Cortex-
A57 is "most advanced high-performance applications
processor."
Cortex-A53 at a Glance
• Out-of-Order ARMv8 32/64 Core
• Up to Quad-Core Design
• 40-bit Physical Memory Address
• Up to 1TB RAM (LPDDR3 to DDR4)
• 8-64KB L1 I-Cache (w/parity)
• 8-64KB L1 D-Cache (w/ECC)
• NEON SIMD Engine
• FPU
• 128KB - 2MB L2 Cache (w/ECC)
• 128-bit CoreLink Interconnect (CCI-400 and
CCN-504)
Furthermore, we have a product overview:

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October 31st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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Cortex-A57 at a Glance
• Out-of-Order ARMv8 32/64 Core
• Up to Quad-Core Design
• 44-bit Virtual Memory Address
• Up to 16TB RAM (LPDDR3 to DDR4)
• 48KB L1 I-Cache (w/DED parity)
• 32KB L1 D-Cache (w/ECC)
• NEON SIMD Engine
• FPU
• 128KB - 2MB L2 Cache (w/ECC)
• 128-bit CoreLink Interconnect (CCI-400 and
CCN-504)
Just as with the Cortex-A53, we obtained an overview of the
Cortex-A57 silicon, thanks to PR team at Race Point Group:
ARM announced six vendors that will utilize Cortex-
A53/A57: AMD, Broadcom, Calxeda, HiSilicon/Huawei,
Samsung Electronics and STMicroelectronics. We'll address
AMD's strategy in a separate article, while you can expect
A53 and A57 to be the center of quad-core designs
from HiSilicon (paired with Mali-T604 or T628 graphics),
Samsung Exynos 6000 Series, while Broadcom, Calxeda and
STMicroelectronics will use the concepts above for their
respective markets (embedded - automotive, networking,
etc.).
All in all, Intel's 32-bit Out-of-Order mobile architecture
codenamed Silvermont will have a battle royale on their
hands, with ARM entering the server space with AMD and
Samsung.

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November 1st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the
geeks.
Study finds smartphones and
tablets extend work days by
two hours
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/study-finds-smartphones-and-
tablets-extend-work-days-by-two-hours/17691.html
November 1st, 2012
The rapid growth of smartphones and tablet computers had
led to working days increasing by up to two hours for some,
according to a survey by Pixmania.
The rapid growth of smartphones and tablet computers had
led to working days increasing by up to two hours for some,
according to a survey by Pixmania.
The research found that the average working day is upwards
of 12 hours long, with nine to ten hours in the office and a
further two hours making phone calls or answering emails
after clocking out. That number jumps to three hours for one
in ten people surveyed.
Close to nine out of ten office workers have email access on
their phones, with two-thirds checking their email on waking
and before bed, which means they probably dream about
work too. A third of people check their emails between the
unholy hours of 6am and 7am, while a quarter log in between
11pm and midnight. The average user checks for new emails
a whopping 20 times a day.
“Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24
hours a day, seven days a week, and smartphones mean
that people literally cannot get away from work,” said
Ghadi Hobeika, Marketing Director of Pixmania. “The more
constantly in contact we become, the more is expected of us
in a work capacity.”
Of course, users can turn their phones off, turn off 3G or 4G
connectivity to stop getting emails, disable notifications, or
in some cases set their smartphone to blocking mode, which
restricts incoming calls and messages to certain allowed
numbers between certain times of time. Unfortunately many
employees will feel obligated to add work numbers to the
whitelist, ensuring work forever haunts their home life.
Human-controlled car beats
self-driving car in race
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/human-controlled-car-beats-self-
driving-car-in-race/17689.html
November 1st, 2012
Self-driving cars are becoming a growing phenomenon,
touted by many as a safer way to travel, but when it comes to
racing, humans still have the upper hand – for now.
Self-driving cars are becoming a growing phenomenon,
touted by many as a safer way to travel, but when it comes to
racing, humans still have the upper hand – for now.
The race was held at the Thunderhill Raceway in California,
with an automated Audi TTS developed by the Centre for
Automotive Research at Standford University facing off
against a human driver.
There were 15 turns on the track, presenting a challenge for
the robotic car which adjusts to surroundings thanks to a
number of sensors fitted to it, and the driverless car reached
speeds of 115 miles per hour.
In the end the human driver won, but only by a few seconds,
suggesting that it is likely only a matter of time before robotic
racers beat us to the finish line.

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The experiment will be pivotal to future development of
self-driving technology, with the researchers at Stanford
analysing data collected from the race, including from
human drivers, in order to incorporate better controls into
the car.
The ultimate aim is to take what is learned and developed
from this research and bring it into safety systems for cars,
particularly for dealing with unpredictable scenarios like icy
roads. Google has already been boasting about the safety
of its self-driving cars, explaining that most crashes are
caused by human error, while Nissan is developing similar
driverless technology.
“As we set up these systems in the future, it's important not
to build autonomous vehicles that are merely a collection
of systems designed for human support but to think a little
bit more holistically about making them as good as the very
best human drivers,” said Professor Chris Gerdes of Stanford
University. “It's not so much the technology as the capability
of the human that is our inspiration now.”
Megaupload founder unveils
file-hosting replacement
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/megaupload-founder-unveils-file-
hosting-replacement/17688.html
November 1st, 2012
Megaupload made headlines earlier this year after it was
taken down by the FBI and the US Department of Justice,
but its founder, Kim Dotcom, has unveiled a replacement
service called Mega, set to launch in January.
Megaupload made headlines earlier this year after it was
taken down by the FBI and US Department of Justice, but
its founder, Kim Dotcom, has unveiled a replacement service
called Mega, set to launch in January.
In order to avoid a similar fate to Megaupload, one of
the world's largest file-hosting services, Mega will adopt a
number of changes to how it works, first of which is avoiding
US companies for hosting any data.
“The new Mega will not be threatened by US prosecutors,”
Dotcom told Reuters. “The new Mega avoids any dealings
with US hosters, US domains and US backbone providers
and has changed the way it operates to avoid another
takedown.”
Encryption will also play a huge role in the new service,
with users able to encrypt their files and hand out unique
decryption keys to share them with others. This will not only
make the service more secure, it will ensure Mega is not
liable if the files breach copyright, since it will not actually
have access to the files themselves.
“Content owners can still remove infringing material and
they will even get direct delete access if they agree not
to make us responsible for actions of users,” Dotcom
explained, marking a major shift from the approach used at
Megaupload, where the website moderators would have to
look for and remove infringing content.
Dotcom claimed that the FBI was flooding the new Mega
website with traffic as it was unveiled, delaying the unveiling.
He still faces charges of copyright infringement, fraud and
money laundering, with an extradition hearing planned for
not long after Mega's official launch.
Fujitsu ARROWS Tab Wi-Fi
QH55/J delayed
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/fujitsu-arrows-tab-wi-fi-qh55j-
delayed/17687.html
November 1st, 2012
Fujitsu announced today with much chagrin that their
ARROWS Tab Wi-Fi QH55/J tablet originally slated for
release on November 2nd is going to be delayed for several
weeks.
Fujitsu announced that their 10.1 inch Windows 8 tablet,
the ARROWS Tab Wi-Fi QH55/J originally slated for release
on November 2nd is going to be delayed. The tablet is now
scheduled for a mid-November release.

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The ARROWS Tab Wi-Fi QH55/J has a 10.1 inch wide IPS
liquid crystal display with a 1366x768 resolution and comes
pre-installed with Windows 8. The unit has been described
as a “pure tablet PC”, with a weight of 574g.
The tablet stands out from other models with its waterproof
and dirt proof body, which is the thinnest in the world
at 9.9mm. Hardware-wise, the ARROWS boasts Intel's
latest Atom Z2760 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 memory, and a
hefty 64GB SSD. It also has full connectivity features with
support for IEEE802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and
users will get about 10.5 hours of video playback on a single
charge. Addtional features include GPS, accelerometer,
magnetometer, ambient light sensor, and gyrometer. The
device also has a single USB 2.0 port and a single microSD
memory card slot, as well as a microphone jack.
There are two built-in cameras, an 8MP camera on the back,
and a 2MP camera on the front. Full dimensions of the tablet
are 264.4 (length) x 169.4 (height) x 9.9 (width) mm.
The tablet is scheduled to go on sale for 99.800 Yen ($1,245
USD). Yikes!
Sneak peek of Shenzhen's
first Apple Store
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sneak-peek-of-shenzhen-s-first-
apple-store/17686.html
November 1st, 2012
Apple will be unveiling their first ever Shenzhen based Apple
Store this Saturday at 9 am in Shenzhen’s YT Holiday Plaza,
but today the media got first dibs on a sneak preview of the
store.
YT Holiday Plaza entrance to store
Opposite entrance to store in shopping mall
Tryout area for devices
360 degree Genius Bar

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A mountain of iPhone 4S and iPad 3 devices.. (but no iPhone
5...)
This store is the first (official) Apple retail outlet to be
opened in Shenzhen, and the 7th
in China following Apple’s
Wangfujing store in Beijing. This occasion also marks the
third Chinese city to have an Apple store, after Beijing and
Shanghai.
Situated in the entertainment center of Shenzhen, the new
store lies opposite the city’s famous ‘Window on the World’
district, which is chocked full with luxury goods retailers.
Apple Store China’s director Denny Tuza introduced the YT
Plaza store to the media today as a special preview for what’s
in store for would-be buyers starting this weekend.
Situated in the first floor basement of a shopping mall, the
outlet covers an area of 1000 square meters and lies entirely
on one floor. This unfortunately means that there is no
trademark spiral staircase in the store (yet). There are two
entrances to the store, one facing the YT Plaza itself, and
one which leads directly into the shopping mall in which it
is situated.
Apple have gone all out in its search for staff and hired a
whopping 250 employees from a total of 41 different cities
across China. Workers at the store can speak a combined
total of 6 different languages and should have no trouble
pushing their wares onto visitors from any nation.
Apple fans in the region may also be pleased to hear of the
triumphant return of the 360 degree open bar – the Genius
Bar. Although somewhat common place in US stores, this
is only the second time a Genius Bar has been set up in a
Chinese store (the first being in Beijing’s Wangfujing outlet).
The rest of the store is broken up into several areas, and users
can easily find their way to the accessories section, iPad/
iPhone section, or one of the trial areas (divided into child
and adult space) where consumers may try out the latest
iPhone and Mac computers.
The latest iPod touch and nano devices which debuted this
September will also be on sale at the new store, and the iPod
touch will start out at 2298 yuan (around $368 USD).
With another weapon to take on the Chinese market in their
arsenal, Apple’s next move is to build a new Apple Store in
the city of Chengdu.
Apple forced to remove
statements about Samsung
verdict from their website
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/apple-forced-to-remove-statements-
about-samsung-verdict-from-their-website/17684.html
November 1st, 2012
After Apple was ordered by UK courts to display a message
stating that Samsung did not infringe upon it's patents, they
have now been ordered to change their message and remove
parts of the statement which were untrue.
It's been less than a month since the Apple vs Samsung
verdict in the UK ended with a loss for Apple. Samsung
was not infringing upon Apple's patents, and as a result of
the lawsuit, Apple was ordered to put up a notice on their
website, stating this fact clearly. However, Apple felt the
need to embellish and add things to the statement, and as a
result, the courts are forcing them to change the statement.
Apple asked for two weeks to make the changes, but the court
shot down their request, stating it had to be altered within
24 hours.
The statement was originally a very specific, 56-word
paragraph laid out by UK High Court Judge Colin Birss:
"On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of
England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic
(UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the
Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do notinfringe
Apple’s registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A
copy of the full judgment of the Highcourt is
available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/
cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html."
However, Apple then decided to add a further four
paragraphs to justify the statement and put Apple in a good
light. Among these paragraphs was a reference to a judge in
the original Apple vs. Samsung case stating that one of the
differences between Apple and Samsung was that Samsung's
devices "are not as cool." Apple then went on to describe
how, despite the verdict, Apple had won in other cases
around the world.
The statement was concluded with "So while the UK court
did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts
have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy
tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular
iPad."
UK Appeals judge Robin Jacob responded with saying, "I'm
at a loss that a company such as Apple would do this".

13.
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Indeed, this seems like a particularly irresponsible way for a
multi billion dollar corporation to handle a loss.
Microsoft sued over new user
interface
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-sued-over-new-user-
interface/17683.html
November 1st, 2012
SurfCast, a small company making operating systems, has
sued Microsoft for infringing on one of it's four patents, a
user interface design built around the concept of tiles.
In keeping with the spirit of tech companies suing each
other over patents, a small OS developer called SurfCast is
suing Microsoft for Windows 8's tile design. The company
filed a complaint with the US District Court in Maine for
"making, using, selling, and offering to sell devices and
software products" protected by the SurfCast patent.
Mobile phones, PCs and Tablets using windows phone
7, as well as windows 8/RT, are supposedly violating
the patent. Microsoft is also accused of contributing to
copyright infringement by encouraging other developers of
producing app tiles for their operating systems. SurfCast
wants Microsoft to pay damages for any direct and indirect
infringement, while Microsoft remains adamant that the
lawsuit is unfounded and that the case will be dropped.
SurfCast is stating that it thought of the idea of dynamically
updating tile first, and applied for a patent as early as
2000 (it received the patent in 2004). They also claim
that Microsoft was aware of the patent at the time of
the development of their LiveTiles, and that they even
referenced the technology as "relevant art" during the
development of the new user interface.
GeChic unveils 2501M
& 2501A 15.6-inch USB-
powered monitors
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/gechic-unveils-2501m--2501a-15.6-
inch-usb-powered-monitors/17685.html
November 1st, 2012
GeChic Corporation presents their new On-Lap 2501M and
2501A mobile display models. These are 15.6-inch LED
monitors that can operate efficiently using only power from
a USB port.
GeChic Corporation had just unveiled recently two new
mobile display units for commercial distribution. The On-
Lap 2501M and the On-Lap 2501A are 15.6-inch portable
LED monitors that can be simply powered via USB port.
These will be available starting November 9, 2012 in Japan,
and the retail price will be set at around 24,800 yen (300
USD) for the 2501M, and 19,800 yen (254 USD) for the
2501A. Distribution and sale of the units will be managed
and taken care of by TekWind.
To give you a clearer idea on just how low both units'
power consumption rates would be, we'll provide a direct
comparison. A standard LED monitor of the same size (15.6-
inch) usually has a power rate of 15 watts. The USB port
delivers only 2.5 watts at maximum, which means that these
mobile display models are potentially 6 times more energy
efficient.
The display resolution of both units is set at 1366x768
pixels, response time at 8ms, brightness at 200cd/sq.m, and
contrast at 400:1. Some of their connectivity options include
HDMI, MicroUSB, and D-sub. The dimensions are both set
at 395x16.3x260 mm. For their weights, the 2501M is set at
1.3 kg, while the 2501A is at 1.1 kg. In addition, the 2501M
will also be installed with a 9300mAh battery, allowing it to
still continue functioning for 10 hours even when it is not
connected.
Earlier this year, GeChic released the On-Lap 1301 and 1501.
The 1301 had a 13.3-inch screen while the 1501 has the same
15.6-inch screen. While both were functionally the same as
the 2501M and 2501A, they had fewer features, and had
considerably lower specs. Brightness for example is very
noticeably lower on the 1301.
Source: PCWatch (JP)

14.
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Hitachi launches new
robot to inspect building
foundations
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/hitachi-launches-new-robot-to-
inspect-building-foundations/17680.html
November 1st, 2012
Human workers need no longer crawl under buildings to
perform inspections. Hitachi Advanced Digital announced
today that they are now accepting orders for a new crawling
robot with an attached camera that can squeeze underneath
buildings and inspect foundations, pipes and floor supports
remotely.
Although Hitachi is best known for their factory assembly
and maintenance robots, in 2007 they received a lot of media
attention for a cute roller skating companion and support
robot called EMIEW 2.
The new robot announced today may not be as huggable
but it is arguably more useful, and engineers overcame
formidable design challenges in making it. In the past
workers would have had to crawl under buildings, entering
tight spaces with poor air quality, in order to check the
foundations for weakness or damage. Hitachi's new robot
can enter those spaces and take photos and video, allowing
technicians to judge the soundness of the building from a
comfortable distance.
It may sound like a no brainer but engineers like
Eiji Koyanagi, deputy director of the Future Robotics
Technology Center at the Chiba Institute of Technology,
couldn't just stick a camera on any remote controlled vehicle.
They ran into trouble making sharp turns; and the plastic
sheet, which protects the building from excess moisture,
would often get caught in the wheels.
These challenges have been overcome and the robot can now
smoothly crawl over plastic sheet, make turns, ascend and
descend stairs, and go over objects up to 15 cm high.
Hitachi have stated that they expect to find more uses for
the robot and develop it to handle a wider range of tasks. In
addition to home builders they are also actively marketing
the robot to construction companies for use under buildings
and around piping.
Source: mynavi (JP)
Sony and Sharp fighting to
remain profitable
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sony-and-sharp-fighting-to-remain-
profitable/17681.html
November 1st, 2012
After some troubling times for Sony and Sharp, the two
technology giants are taking drastic steps to cut costs and are
refocusing their businesses to get back to turning a profit.
Sony has been losing money for a while now, and last year,
they reported a loss of 1.6 billion yen (20 million USD), but
this year, it is expected they'll manage an operating profit of
nearly 33.8 billion yen (425 million USD). Still, Sony is not
out of the water yet; that profit is somewhat inflated and the
company is still cutting costs at every corner.
Currently, Sony's stocks have dropped in value by 16% since
mid-June and is currently valued collectively at 12 billion
USD. Sony's five year cost for ensuring against debt default,
the so called credit default swap, has jumped up by 60%.
Much of the sudden profit comes from the recent selling of
their chemicals unit for 58 billion yen and the closing of their
Shinagawa Technology Center, a 31-story Tokyo commercial
building. There's also talks of closing the Sony tower in New
York. In addition, the company is expected to lay off 10,000
employees before March.
These sudden changes come after the new Sony CEO, Kazou
Hirai, took over in April. He's making some drastic changes
to the company, including shifting focus to gaming, mobile
devices and digital photography, as well as emerging new
technologies such as medical imaging. It will subsequently
be moving away from televisions, which has given Sony a
9 billion USD loss over the past eight years. "The areas in
which Sony is continuing to focus are of course high-risk,
high-return markets," said JP Morgan analyst Yoshiharu
Izumi.
Meanwhile, Sharp is also taking steps to cut costs and boost
profits, and for them, the situation is even more dire. They
recently received a 4.6 billion USD bank bailout, and has
pledged to cut, like Sony, around 10,000 jobs, and sell assets.

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After adding restructuring, and with loss of valuation losses
on stocks for LCD displays, they expect a loss of 400 billion
yen between April and September, nearly double of what
they had predicted.
To boost profits, Sharp is increasing production of their new
HD power-saving IGZO screens, which they hope to sell to
laptop manufacturers, such as Lenovo and HP. They are
expecting a much milder, yet still substantial loss of 50.4
billion yen, for their second quarter. However, it is expected
that the charges incurred in the April-September period,
frees the company up to pursue profits, and puts it in a better
position to bounce back.
Microsoft claims to have sold
4 million Windows 8 upgrades
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-claims-to-have-sold-4-
million-windows-8-upgrades/17679.html
November 1st, 2012
Developers that are looking into taking a chance on Windows
8 will be happy to know that Microsoft has managed to sell
4 million upgrades to the latest Windows OS.
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, announced the news at
the Build 2012 conference yesterday. He also claims that
Windows 8 is outpacing Windows 7 in terms of initial
adoption, and it is only proper that Ballmer dropped the
good news in front of developers that are looking for reasons
to develop software for Windows 8.
(Steve Ballmer at Build 2012 in Redmond. | Image: TNW)
“The level of enthusiasm and desire to learn about the new
Windows 8 computers has really been remarkable,” said
Ballmer.
The impressive adoption rate for Windows 8 is perhaps
largely attributed to the ‘discounted’ and ‘promo’ strategy
that Microsoft has launched in an attempt to lure consumers
into switching from previous versions of Windows. In one
such promo, Microsoft offered recent Windows 7 PC buyers
the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 8 for a fraction of
what it will cost in retail.
In terms of corporate partners, Ballmer claims that ‘tens
of millions of units’ have already been sold to corporate
customers. These corporate customers may have purchased
millions of units, but at the same time they are in no way
obligated to actually install the new OS onto their hardware.
DoCoMo, one of Japan’s major cellular carriers, has also
announced that it will be partnering with Microsoft to
promote Windows 8 through LTE-enabled tablets. To show
that DoCoMo has faith in Windows 8, the Japanese carrier
will collaborate with Microsoft on the hardware and software
as well as share the marketing costs to ensure that Windows
8 will be in the hands of as many consumers as possible.
DoCoMo wrote in a statement:
“Tablet devices are being used increasingly in the
corporate world to raise the efficiency and value
offerings of sales activities. DOCOMO’s Xi LTE
service enables corporations to use tablets with
enhanced flexibility and diversity, while the new
Windows 8 operating system realizes permanent
connection to wireless networks and enhanced
mobile experiences using the touchscreens of tablets
from various manufacturers.”
Within all this hustle and bustle around Windows 8, it’s
easy to forget that Apple also experienced a similar success
with its Mountain Lion OS, with 3 million copies sold in
just four days after launch. Microsoft’s control on the PC
market is currently experiencing a shakeup in light of the
growing tablet/mobile market, and if consumers approve of
Windows 8 then that will demonstrate that the Redmond-
based software maker still has what it takes to remain on top.
Facebook employees dump
shares as company's stock
prices continue to tumble
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-employees-dump-shares-
as-company-s-stock-prices-continue-to-tumble/17678.html
November 1st, 2012
Facebook has been taking a beating from Wall Street since
its IPO in May, and now the social networking service is
facing yet another dilemma. Many employees that had their
shares locked up until Monday dumped a lot of shares on
Wednesday.
In May, Facebook’s initial offering price was $38, but that
has fallen by nearly half. Employees that were supposed to
be millionaires and even billionaires became less and less
inclined to hold onto their shares as the company’s value
continued to decline.
Back in August, co-founder of PayPal and an early bird
investor in Facebook, Peter Thiel sold the majority of his
shares and netting over $1 billion in cash (not bad for a
$500K initial investment). He also made $640 million after

16.
November 1st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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selling 16.8 million shares during the IPO. IPO investors, on
the other hand, are not so lucky compared to Thiel.
So instead of waiting it out and risking further devaluing of
their shares, many Facebook employees have decided that
they’re better off cashing in now before the social networking
giant dips to an even lower level.
It was rumored shortly after Facebook’s IPO that perhaps
the firm would dive into hardware with a smartphone, and
prove to investors that there’s something ‘tangible’ to keep
the company sustainable. That, however, quickly became
an afterthought when CEO Mark Zuckerberg came out and
said that a Facebook-powered smartphone wouldn’t make
any sense, and that the firm would continue with its core
business model—that is, profiting from ad revenues on its
social networking platform.
Facebook will face the possibility of another massive dump
on November 14 when employees can sell 777 million more
shares. ‘777’ can either make it or break it for a lot of slot
machine players, but it doesn’t seem like Facebook will be
hitting the ‘jackpot’ at this rate.
Impressions: ECS eZ Bun -
Conference Speakerphone on
the Go
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/impressions-ecs-ez-bun--conference-
speakerphone-on-the-go/17677.html
November 1st, 2012
The ECS eZ Bun is a nifty little contraption that adds
conference speakerphone functionality to your favourite
mobile devices while on the go.
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) is one of the
largest Taiwanese based OEM/ODM of motherboards and
peripherals, best known for its components inside branded
PCs and entry retail offerings. Recently they have decided to
venture into the rather saturated realm of "mobile widgets",
creating nifty little devices like the eZ Bun to target the
digital masses.
With the advent of long-range wireless communication and
the Internet, more work and meetings can be done on the
road rather than only in a traditional office. For these users,
it might be useful to carry a companion device to have video
conferences with managers or customers. Since the majority
of tablets, smartphones and laptops have less than ideal
microphone input and speaker output for these situations
(lack of volume and clarity), ECS has made the eZ Bun to
address this usage model.
The ECS eZ Bun is a portable video conference speaker
and microphone. Its palm-sized frame allows you to easily
carry it around. The ECS eZ system has two similar-looking
product models: the eZ Bun and the the eZ Bun BT. The
regular version that uses a micro-USB cable to connect to a
Mac or PC, and an included Apple dock connector for the
iPad/iPhone. The BT model has Bluetooth connectivity, so
you can avoid the hassle of wires. Battery life is rated up to 10
hours of video conferencing and 4 hours continuous music.
The idiotproof eZ Bun has only 3 buttons to operate. The
top part with the ECS logo is the microphone receiver button
that allows the user to switch between receive and mute. The
center is the phone answer button. While using an iPhone,
you can use the middle button to call or hang up a phone call.
The other button with the eZ Bun lucky charm is the volume
control.

17.
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At the side of the eZ Bun we find the power button and
a micro USB port to charge the device. Headphone audio
output and microphone input is on the other end.
The bundled 2-in-1 cord to attaches to a smart phone or
tablet computer.
When attached to a PC or MAC, the appliance is detected as
a USB audio device with software volume controls.,
The eZ Bun has many essential features built into its
design. For instance, it can isolate static noise and increase
microphone sensitivity. With an audio receiver range of up
to 3 meters, you can have multiple participants in a video
conference.
Image and Review Credits: Chinese VR-Zone

18.
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eBook Japan to launch their
own 7-inch tablet
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/ebook-japan-to-launch-their-own-7-
inch-tablet/17676.html
November 1st, 2012
eBook Japan, a very long time distributor of electronically
published content on the web, now plans to directly go
where they really belong, by releasing their own e-content
optimized 7-inch tablet.
eBook Japan, a website that mainly deals with the electronic
distribution of Japanese published materials and content,
has announced yesterday (October 31, 2012) that they will
be launching their very own 7-inch tablet model. eBook
Initiative Japan, the company that manages the website,
considers this as a natural and an eventual step up from the
services that they already have.
The 7-inch size may be considered as a standard screen size
for smaller tablet units, but there is actually a slightly higher
significance to it that made them choose such screen size.
Most of the e-contents that eBook Japan distributes, when
presented in their original paper form, are already near the
size of a 7-inch tablet. This goes perfectly in line with the
theme of the unit to "place e-books closer to their real form".
While the concept and main scope of their project has been
revealed to the public, there is yet any information available
about the tablet model's specs and overall design schemes.
The only thing that is certain as of now is that it will be
installed with the Android OS. The release price of the unit is
also yet to be announced as of this moment, although eBook
Japan claims that it will have a price that's "easy on the
hands".
Modern e-books of the "pre-tablet era" as we know it
today were already widely distributed and used ever since
electronic content gradually became widespread in the late
2000's. For eBook Japan, they have been distributing e-
books and other e-content since the year 2000. Their usual
specialities are electronic manga (Japanese comics) titles,
which can be conveniently read and accessed with a web
browser using the Trunk Room, a personal account that
stores bought e-books via cloud storage. Today, they have
over 65,000 titles that is under the category of manga alone,
all of which are universally accessible to PC's, smartphones,
and tablet computers.
Their 7-inch Android tablet is expected to be commercially
available at around December of this year.
Source: Androwire (JP)
Crysis 3 Alpha key giveaway
extravaganza!
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/crysis-3-alpha-key-giveaway-
extravaganza-/17675.html
November 1st, 2012
Crytek is back with a new installment in the Crysis series -
and one generous site has 3000 alpha keys up for grabs!
"The award-winning developer Crytek is back with Crysis
3. Return to the fight as Prophet, the Nanosuit soldier on a
quest to rid the world of the invading Ceph; eliminate the
corrupted CELL Corporation. Adapt to any situation with
the stealth and armor abilities of your unique Nanosuit as
you battle through the seven wonders of New York's Liberty
Dome. Unleash the firepower of your all-new, high-tech
bow and alien weaponry to hunt both human and alien
enemies. And uncover the truth behind the death of your
squad while establishing the power of human will in a rich
story full of exciting twists and turns."
..Or so the story goes.
If you just want to jump in to the game, go here and follow
the instructions: http://www.gamingdeluxe.co.uk/crysis-3-
giveaway.html.
For those of you still here, let's discuss Crytek's latest
endevour in depth shall we? But first a little on Crytek's
background:
Small Beginnings
Crytek started out not as a games company, but as a
small German graphics company in 1999. Founded by two
Turkish brothers with the last name "Yerli", Crytek wowed
participants of the European Computer Trade Show (ECTS)
in 2000 with a tech demo they made for NVIDIA. Several
years later this tech demo evolved into Crytek's first venture
into the games industry - Far Cry.
After Far Cry
Soon after Far Cry, Crytek released their game engine
into the wild. Dubbed 'CryEngine', the new engine was
showcased at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2003
trade show. Back in those days, the stunning physics and
polybump visuals of the engine were a huge leap ahead
anything out at the time - even Crytek's arch enemy Epic
could not compete with their Unreal engine.
In Februrary 2004, after allegations of using pirate software
in their offices and being raided by the police, Crytek
coincidentally (?) joined hands with EA, and started work
towards a new plateau of graphical superiority that would
even blow Far Cry out of the water.
Crysis

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In January 2007, Crytek for the first time revealed to the
world the fruits of their labor over the past few years -
CryEngine 2. Evidently their engine wowed not just would
be consumers of their next game, but also other developers,
as multiple studios rushed at the chance to get their hands
on the engine for use in their own games. In November of
the same year, Crysis was unleashed on PCs worldwide, and
gamer's machines would simply melt in contact with the
game, such were the system requirements for playing it so
high (OK, I made that last bit up).
After what seemed like an endless flood of 'but can it run
Crysis?' jokes, the rest of the world finally caught up to
Crytek's digital prowess and played the game long enough
to get to the part where the aliens arrive.. and it went all
downhill from there really.
Hurr look at me I'm a bad ass nanosuit dude!
Revenge
Crytek were mad. Really mad. They had made a decent
profit with Crysis, but it wasn't the multi-million dollar
hit they had anticipated for all these years as they toiled
over perfecting their monstrous CryEngine 2. The reason
for this, they figured, was not the alien levels in their game,
or lacklustre multiplayer mode. No, no, the reason for their
mediocre sales was of course.. piracy!
Vowing to never again trust the filthy scum of the PC gaming
world, Crytek secretly started work on a new project ... one
that would be a blockbuster hit ... one that would run on all
systems... one that people would have to pay for this time.
Crysis 2 was going multiplatform.
Betrayal
Nerds everywhere were outraged. How dare Crytek, the last
bastion of PC gaming, the flag flier of the PC master race,
betray its own kind like this! How dare they develop for
Xbox360 and Playstation 3!
"It won't sell anyway"
"It will look like crap"
"I bet the alien levels are back"
Such were the sounds of sour grapes which emanated from
masses of PC gamers around the globe. But Crytek didn't
care, because they had a hit on their hands. They were going
to beat Gears of War. They were going to beat Call of Duty.
They were going to beat Halo!
To Crytek's credit, they did try pretty damn hard this time.
Employing professional sci-fi writer Richard Morgan for
the story, and the legendary Batman Trilogy/ Inception
composer Hans Zimmer to create the soundtrack, Crytek
were sure they were going to blast the world away. But would
they. Would THEY be the ones to finally run Crysis?
..A jungle guerilla warfare game set in.. New York??
Seriously, Crytek?
Aftermath
The short answer is no. Crysis 2 did OK considering it was
Crytek's first ever multiplatform game. But it's total 1.6
million sales were miniscule in comparison to the 3 million
sales of Crysis (4.5 including sales of Crysis: Warhead).
Something was missing. The graphical prowess had been
toned down a lot in order to get the game running on the
consoles, and the PC version suffered a lot because of it. The
most important factor here was that Crysis 2 was natively a
Direct X 9 game, and at the time of its release Direct X 10
games had already begun to dazzle PC gamers with their new
sparkly features. This did nothing but further aggravated PC
gamers who were already feeling betrayed by Crytek. It also
didn't help that the game had no graphics settings menu,
and the PC version merely came with the console version of
the menu, complete with 'press X to continue' style console-
centric help messages. To use the parlance of the Internet, it
was almost like Crytek were 'trolling' its audience.
Return of the Prodigal Developer
After being slapped in the face with their console iteration,
Crytek finally got the message and decided it was time
to bring back the tired 'but can it run Crysis?' meme, by
developing Crysis 3 with PC as their main target audience.
(Yes, the CEO himself actually used that stupid phrase).
However, only time will tell whether or not this will prove
to be an effective strategy. For one, the game is still going
to be multiplatform with current generation consoles, which
means that it is debatable whether or not the next iteration of
CryEngine will even be that impressive. (At this stage of the
console lifecycle, it is doubtful). Some demos were thrown
about during E3 this year but personally they didn't really
impress. It seems like Crytek wants to have their cake and
eat it. Will PC gamers buy into their so-called 'return' to the
PC arena?
It's free, just take it, PLEASE!
And so what this all boils down to is this: Crytek probably
BENEFITTED from all the popularity they got when
benchmarkers around the globe tested out their beefy rigs
with pirated versions of Crysis. Without people testing the
game and showing their results to the world, it is dubious
whether or not anyone would have really cared about the
game to begin with. And then it wouldn't have sold much at

20.
November 1st, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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all. Kind of like another game with the word 'Crysis' in the
title *ahem*. But this time around, its not certain that pirates
will use Crysis 3 as their new benchmarking tool du jour. So
what are Crytek to do? Well give the game away for free of
course. Well.. kind of.
Well, that's my theory behind Crytek's decision to throw out
free copies of their (albeit alpha-stage) game. What do you
guys think?

21.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
1
VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the
geeks.
Android dominates third
quarter with 75 percent
smartphone market share
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/android-dominates-third-quarter-
with-75-percent-smartphone-market-share/17704.html
November 2nd, 2012
Google's Android mobile operating system is just four years
old and has managed to grow at an incredible rate, ruling a
whopping 75 percent of the smartphone market in the third
quarter of this year.
Google's Android mobile operating system is just four years
old and has managed to grow at an incredible rate, ruling a
whopping 75 percent of the smartphone market in the third
quarter of this year.
A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) found
that of the 181.1 million smartphones shipped in the third
quarter, 136 million ran Android, marking a 91.5 percent
increase on the 71 million shipments and 57.4 percent
market share it held at the same time last year.
To see how much the smartphone industry has boomed, and
how well Android is doing within it, Android's shipments
in the third quarter of 2012 are higher than the total
smartphone shipments of 2007, when Android was first
announced.
Apple's iOS is far behind Android, with 26.9 shipments in
the third quarter, giving it a market share of 14.9 percent.
This is substantially higher than other rivals, however, and
represents a 57.3 percent growth over last year, when it
shipped 17.1 million units and held a market share of 13.8
percent.
BlackBerry is still in third place with 7.7 million third quarter
shipments and a market share of 4.3 percent, a drop of 34.7
percent on its 11.8 million shipments last year, when it held
a market share of 9.5 percent.
Windows Phone shipped 3.6 million units, giving it just a
two percent market share, but that is 140 percent growth on
the 1.5 million units it shipped in 2011, when it had a market
share of just 1.2 percent.
By contrast Android is skyrocketing ahead like only a little
green robot can. In 2008 it shipped just 0.7 million units,
giving it a tiny 0.5 percent market share. A year later it was
at 7 million units and four percent. 2010 saw that boom to
71.1 million and 23.3 percent, while 2011 saw a further boost
to 243.4 million and 49.2 percent. So far this year, with a full
quarter yet to go, Android is sitting at 333.6 million units
and a total market share of 68.2 percent.
“Android has been one of the primary growth engines of
the smartphone market since it was launched in 2008," said
Ramon Llamas, Research Manager of Mobile Phones at IDC.
“In every year since then, Android has effectively outpaced
the market and taken market share from the competition.
In addition, the combination of smartphone vendors, mobile
operators, and end-users who have embraced Android has
driven shipment volumes higher. Even today, more vendors
are introducing their first Android-powered smartphones to
market.”
High Power Astro PT 700W
PSU Review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/high-power-astro-pt-700w-psu-
review/17702.html

22.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
2
November 2nd, 2012
High Power is the retail branch of Sirfa, a large and
well known power supply OEM manufacturer. Last year
we had the chance to take a look at their most popular
products at the time, the powerful Direct12 BR and the
versatile Performance Pro. Since it has been over a full
calendar year since we had the opportunity to examine
the performance of one of their products, High Power has
released many new and interesting power supplies, with
perhaps the most interesting one being the Astro PT 700W,
an 80Plus Platinum power supply featuring a futuristic
appearance and with a power meter embedded on it. How
does it perform though? We will find out in this review.
High Power is the retail branch of Sirfa, a large and well
known power supply OEM manufacturer. Last year we had
the chance to take a look at their most popular products
at the time, the powerful Direct12 BR and the versatile
Performance Pro. Since it has been over a full calendar year
since we had the opportunity to examine the performance
of one of their products, High Power has released many
new and interesting power supplies, with perhaps the
most interesting one being the Astro PT 700W, an 80Plus
Platinum power supply featuring a futuristic appearance and
with a power meter embedded on it. How does it perform
though? We will find out in this review.
Manufacturer’s features and specifications
• 80 Plus Platinum Certified
• Patented D- VRM technology,Digital Control for a
Precise Voltage Regulation
• Eagle Eye – The patented Real Time Power Meter
• Silent Design
• Advanced DC to DC Converter
• Intelligent Fan Control
• Off- Delay Fan (Fan Stays On After System Off)
• Single +12V Output Rail
• 100% Japanese-made Capacitors
• Reliable Japanese-made Solid-state Capacitors
• Easily Detachable and Flexible Flat Modular Cables
• Patented Easy Swap Connector
Facebook security flaw
allows account access
without passwords
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/facebook-security-flaw-allows-
account-access-without-passwords/17701.html
November 2nd, 2012
Facebook has disabled a feature that contained a security
flaw allowing access to some accounts without a password.
The vulnerability affected as many as 1.32 million Facebook
accounts, with direct links to those accounts that bypass the
password requirement featuring on a Google search.
Matt Jones, security engineer for Facebook, said that the
links in question are designed to be sent directly to the email
addresses of account holders to log back into their accounts
more quickly, such as in the case of email notifications
for status updates. However, some of these links had been
shared in the wild, thanks to hacked emails, throwaway
mail websites, and services with poor protection of archived
messages.
Most of the links can only be clicked once, which means
many of them have already expired, but Facebook decided to
disable the quick access feature until better security is put in
place. It is not clear how it will address the issue of allowing
easy access without potentially compromising accounts.
Facebook was keen to stress that it never made any
of those links “publicly available or crawlable,” blaming
the situation on external websites who had made the
information available to search engines.
Most of the users affected by the vulnerability are in Russia
or China, and Facebook said it has taken steps to secure the
accounts of these users and anyone else who recently used
the feature.
Microsoft working on own
smartphone design, suppliers
claim
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/microsoft-working-on-own-
smartphone-design-suppliers-claim/17700.html
November 2nd, 2012
Asian component suppliers working for Microsoft claim that
the company is designing its own smartphone, a move that
might cause tensions with partner Nokia.

23.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
3
Asian component suppliers working for Microsoft claim that
the company is designing its own smartphone, a move that
might cause tensions with partner Nokia.
Anonymous officials at the suppliers told the Wall Street
Journal that the company is already testing a smartphone
design, with a display of four to five inches. No other
details are known and Microsoft has refused to confirm the
rumours, except for a potentially revealing comment from
CEO Steve Ballmer.
“We're quite happy this holiday going to market hard with
Nokia, Samsung and HTC,” Ballmer told the Wall Street
Journal. “Whether we had a plan to do something different
or we didn't have a plan I wouldn't comment in any
dimension.”
So no confirmation on a new device, but definite
confirmation that Nokia is now as much a rival as it is
an ally. Since Microsoft's recently-launched Surface tablet,
powered by Windows 8, has no competition from Nokia,
it begs the question if Microsoft will get a smartphone out
before Christmas.
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform has failed to take off
with the support of Nokia, which is likely making it eager
to try its own approach. It still seems keen to keep Nokia
on board, however, having just announced the Nokia Lumia
920 with Windows Phone 8, but if it can emulate even a
fraction of Apple's success, which involves keeping control
of both the hardware and software, then it might not need
the Finnish mobile firm for long.
Need for Speed Most Wanted
PS Vita Review
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/need-for-speed-most-wanted-ps-
vita-review/17695.html
November 2nd, 2012
The Need for Speed franchise has released it's latest game,
and this time, they've made the jump to the Playstation Vita.
Can the handheld version hold it's own against the home
console versions, or should you do all your driving from the
living room?
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the latest game in the NFS
franchise, and is developed by Criterion, who previously
worked on the Burnout series and Need for Speed: Hot
Pursuit back in 2010. The new game, though sharing it's
name with a previous NFS title, departs in many ways from
it's predecessor, discarding the underground street racing
scene and storyline for something closer to the Burnout
franchise.
VITA VS HOME CONSOLE
One reason I chose to review the Vita version of this game
is because the developers have made some bold promises:
Most handheld versions of games turn out to be cheap,
bare-bones versions of the "real" game, but Criterion has
promised that Most Wanted for the Vita will be the same
game as for the consoles. The Vita's powerful hardware
certainly allowed for the possibility of a full Need for
Speed game, but even more promising is that Criterion has
developed this version themselves, without outsourcing as
so many other developers do.
Indeed, the Vita version is the full game. The gameplay, the
HUD, the size of the city... all are like the home console
version. There are some differences, but they have less
to do with the content of the game and more to do with
compensating for Vita´s hardware capabilities. There's less
anti-aliasing for example, textures have a somewhat lower
resolution and car headlights also look oddly pixilated. The
overall impression though, largely thanks to the smaller
screen, means you won't notice this very much. The game is
quite gorgeous anyway, and the game plays smooth as silk
with a decent framerate too.
Most Wanted on PS Vita...

24.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
4
...and PS3
A difference which kind of affects gameplay, and kind of
doesn't, is that the number of cars on the road has been
reduced. This includes both race opponents and general
traffic: The opponents have been modified, according to
Criterion, to ensure that the challenge remains equatable.
The reduced traffic not only puts less strain on the hardware,
but helps gameplay too. Most wanted is a fast-paced game,
and on a small screen like the Vita's, it would most likely
work against the enjoyment of the game if there were more
cars to avoid.
Something I originally thought was a cut-back was the crash
animations, which hardly seem to deform the cars, but I've
since learned that this is no different on home consoles or
pc. This is rather odd, considering the destruction visible in
previous Criterion games.
Google Translate updates
dictionary with new features
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/google-translate-updates-dictionary-
with-new-features/17699.html
November 2nd, 2012
Google has just released an update for Google Translate,
which adds a smarter dictionary for the translation service;
something which will help you choose the right words with
greater ease for your translation.
Google has released an update for Google Translate;
three new features to their dictionary, which should make
translations much more accurate. The first of these features
is known as "Reverse translations" and will help you choose
between various alternatives to a translation. This will help
you weed through differences such as those found in various
dialects. This would otherwise be very difficult to do without
intimate knowledge about the language.
The next feature, "Frequency" helps you pick correct words
by how commonly they're used. It will instantly rank
translations for certain words based on how commonly the
language uses them. The rarest translations will be hidden
by default, but can be unlocked.
An example of the synonyms and frequency features
The final feature, "Synonyms" will group translations of a
word into groups to ensure that all synonyms for one word
will be easy to navigate to and that words which have only
nearly the same meaning, do not get mixed up with them.
Synonyms is currently only available when translating into
English, but Google is planning to update and expand the
feature in the future.
To try out the new dictionary, head over to Google Translate!
Galaxy Note 2 on a roll
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/galaxy-note-2-on-a-roll/17697.html
November 2nd, 2012
Samsung Electronic’s Galaxy Note 2 is on a roll. It has sold
more than 3 million since it was last released 37 days ago.
Samsung Electronic’s Galaxy Note 2 has sold more than 3
million since it was last released 37 days ago. If it continues
to be as popular as it has been so far it is expected to easily
sell over six million items within the next three months. This
is more than three times the original Galaxy Note sold for.
Galaxy Note cumulative sales was just over 2 million three
months after the launch of the product.
Galaxy Note 2 has a large screen and fast multi-tasking.
It also comes with Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS. It
also sports two cameras -- an 8MP rear-facing camera with
1080p HD video, a 1.9MP front-facing camera. The Galaxy
Note comes in two sizes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal
storage.
The Galaxy Note 2 has received high praise from many
quarters. A Chinese weekly called the phone the most
‘creative of the year’. The US Tech Magazine Wired gave it 9
points out of ten and named the phone the swiss army knife
of phones due to its broad array of functions.
Rakuten light up your
Christmas with the Kobo Glo
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/rakuten-light-up-your-christmas-
with-the-kobo-glo/17693.html
November 2nd, 2012
Yesterday, Rakuten announced new additions to their Kobo
brand of electronic book readers: the 6 inch Kobo Glo, and
the 5 inch Kobo Mini.
The Kobo Glo has a frontlight (which is like a backlight,
except it’s on the front, I guess), allowing users to enjoy
books in dark places like bedrooms and underground prison
camps (ok maybe not that last one). It also has received a
huge bump-up in storage space, so it is perfect for reading
comic books and Manga. Which, according to Rakuten CEO
Hiroshi Mikitani, is a good thing, because “Japanese people
really like Manga”.

25.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
5
"Japanese people really like Manga" - Hiroshi Mikitani,
Rakuten CEO
So just how much of a boost in memory are we talking
here? Well the Glo will come with an embedded 2GB of flash
memory, and will support microSD cards of up to 32GB.
Apparently this translates to roughly 600~1000 comics, or
30,000 books. Which is how they measure things in Japan.
So much for the metric system!
The Kobo Glo possesses a 16 gradient grayscale touch screen
with 758x1024 dot resolution. The device itself is sized
114x157x10mm, and it weighs 185g. So maybe you can fit it
in your pocket, if you have like reallybig pockets. I dunno,
once I fit a Sony PRS-T1 in my pocket, but it scratched the
hell out of the frame. So maybe buy a case if you’re planning
on doing that? Anyway, moving on…
Connectivity-wise, the Glo supports IEEE 802.11b/g/n
wireless, so you will be able to download new books to it
(which is a relief, because that electronic instruction manual
gets pretty boring the 300th
time you read it). At full charge
its battery lasts for up to 30,000 page flips. The battery is
also said to retain charge for up to 1 month, which is cool if
you’re like me and can’t be bothered plugging stuff in.
The device will be available in black or white.
Kobo Glo (Right) and Kobo Mini (Left)
Kobo Glo will be priced at $99 USD, and preorders in Japan
started Nov 1st
, with a planned shipping date of Nov 15th
.
The Kobo Mini is available for $87, and should be shipping
mid December. The old Kobo Touch also got a price cut and
is now the same price as the Mini. The Kobo family is now
available from Rakuten Market, Rakuten Books, and several
electronics stores (at least in Japan).
Future plans for an Android based device named Kobo Arc
were also hinted at.
Rakuten Homepage (English)
Kobo Product Information (Japanese)
Thanko bring your Minority
Report dreams to life with
new gesture-based mouse
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/thanko-bring-your-minority-report-
dreams-to-life-with-new-gesture-based-mouse/17692.html
November 2nd, 2012
Japanese company Thanko have released a glove shaped
mouse which responds to midair gestures. Dubbed the
“Gesture Glove Mouse”, this device consists of a strap-on
sensor for your index finger and a fingerless glove which
carries the brains of the controller and its battery.
The mouse works not only on Windows (XP/Vista/7/8) but
also on Mac OS X (10.5 or later) and even Android. iPhone
compatibility has yet to be announced, but at present is
unavailable.
Users can manipulate the glove by wearing it on their right
hand (sorry southpaws!), and the embedded sensor will read
the movements of the user’s wrist, translating it into mouse
movement. The strap-on part worn on the index finger reads
finger movements, allowing users to perform a ‘virtual click’.
Unlike similar products in the past, this device does
not require a Wii style sensor bar, and instead of using
Bluetooth, it communicates with your computer over
2.4GHz wireless via a USB dongle included with the
mouse. This gives the device a range of about 10~15m. The
embedded battery in the device gives a good 12 hours of
usage after charging over USB for 1 hour.
The glove’s dimensions are 200x110x50mm, and it has a
weight of 35g. The mouse is currently on sale in Japan
at 4,980 Yen (around $62 USD). No US release has been
announced at present, so you will have to import if you want
to get your mitts on it. (see what I did there?)
Thanko Homepage
Product Page
Sega team up with tavern
chain Izakaya Hanako in
Yakuza promotion
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/sega-team-up-with-tavern-chain-
izakaya-hanako-in-yakuza-promotion/17690.html
November 2nd, 2012
Sega hosted a press meeting / free tasting event at Izakaya
Hanako’s Japanese-pub in Shibuya to promote the release
of Yakuza 5 in Japan (aka Ryu ga Gotoku 5: Yume,
Tanaeshimono) on December 6, 2012, and to discuss their
new collaboration with the pub chain. Attending the event
was Japanese talent Saki Suzuki, who is recreated in the
game as a bar waitress.
To celebrate the release of the latest Yakuza title, Izakaya
Hanako pubs are offering a special “Yakuza 5 Banquet
Course” menu from Oct 30th
to Dec 13th
, which consists of
the following dishes based on the 5 main cities which appear
in the game:
Zangi
Tsukimino, Sapporo
Spring chicken deep fried in a special sauce. Goes well with
lemon juice.

26.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
6
Cheese Curry Pot
Kamurocho, Tokyo
A pot of cheesy curry with pork and seafood. Good for
sobering up.
Miso Cutlets
Kineichou, Nagoya
Pork cutlet covered in red miso, lightly seasoned with
sesame seeds.
Takoyaki
Aotenbori, Osaka
Large chunks of octopus deep fried for a crunchy sensation.
Fried Ramen
Nagasugai, Fukuoka
Fukuoka’s specialty fried ramen. Rich pork-flavored ramen
served on a metal griddle.
In addition to the above menu, Izakaya Hanako is also
offering their mail magazine subscribers the chance to win
one of 20 limited edition Hanako Original Ryu ga Gotoko T
Shirts by applying through their site.
The press event was attended by Sega’s producer of Ryu ga
Gotoku 5 Masa Yokoyama, Izakaya Hanako’s Manager and
Section Eight PR Official Minako Sakaue, and the previously
mentioned talent Saki Suzuki.
Saki Suzuki is well known for being a video game addict gave
her thoughts about being digitally represented in Yakuza’s
latest installment: “I wanted to give my friends a shock by
appearing in the game, and I was amazed at how lifelike my
CG model was”.
Ryu ga Gotoku 5 Producer Masa YokoYama
Section 8 PR Official Minako Sakaue
Also appearing at the event was the Sapporo finalist of the
previously hosted “Miss Ryu ga Gotoku 5” contest, Kaori
Okamoto. Miss Okamoto is actually a waitress at Izakaya
Hanako in real life, and this was the reason she was chosen
to be digitally represented as a bar waitress in the game.

27.
November 2nd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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Saki Suzuki
Kaori Okamoto (left) and Saki Suzuki
Finally, Mr. Yokoyama gave his thoughts on the game:
“When looking for a way to accurately portray the local
cultures of each of the 5 cities appearing in the game, I
realized that ‘food culture’ was an important aspect of each
region.” It is possible to walk the streets of the game while
eating specialties from all around Japan, but according to
Mr. Yokoyama, “Izakaya Hanako gives you the chance to eat
local specialties from each region all at one place, that’s why
I like it. I hope to merge the realms of the game world and
reality through our collaboration with Izakaya Hanako.”

28.
November 3rd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
1
VR-Zone.com | Tech News for the Geeks!
VR-Zone | Stuff for the Geeks is a bi-weekly
publication covering the latest gadgets and stuff for the
geeks.
Special Edition HTC One S -
Finally coming to China!
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/special-edition-htc-one-s--finally-
coming-to-china-/17715.html
November 3rd, 2012
The HTC One S is the dual core successor to HTC’s popular
Sensation series of phones, and is being touted as one of the
best Android products from the Taiwan-based smartphone
maker this year. Although previously released in the West,
the phone is finally making its way to China, but with an
extra surprise.
The HTC One S utilizes a Qualcomm S4 dual core processor,
and is designed on a brand new architecture, with bigger
pizzazz thanks to its hefty 1.5GHz of processing power and
1GB RAM. The phone is finally making its way to China, and
with a relatively low price of 2170 Yuan (around $347 USD
for the non-Special Edition One S), the One S is shaping up
to be an attractive choice for cautious buyers.
The Special Edition comes in a glamorous white model
Going into more detail on the specs of the phone, the One S
has a sleek simplistic style designed to be easy to grip, with
a thickness of 7.8mm. Instead of HTC’s traditional choice
of SLCD display, the One S instead possesses a nifty Super
AMOLED screen 4.3 inches in size, whose 540x960 pixels
drives a stake between it and older models in terms of display
quality. The One S has an iPhone-esque aluminum alloy
unibody casing, which feels great to hold.
It's so thin you'd snap it if it weren't for the ultra-strong
aluminium alloy unibody casing!!
Additional features of the phone include an 8MP camera
with an F2.0 aperture lens, and support for 1080p video. The
operating system is based on Android 4.0 and incorporates
HTC’s Sense UI. The MSM8260A series processor also
boasts lower power consumption than previous members of
the Sensation series, so it should give your battery a little
more leeway too.
While the look and feel of the phone is identical to the US
version, the Special Edition will feature a humongous 64GB
of storage space, a huge improvement from the orignal 16GB,
which should be plenty for storing your videos and mp3s.
The exact release date for the phone has yet to be announced,
but the phone should be out by the end of the year.
Exposed: A day in the life of a
Taobao Shopkeeper
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/exposed-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-
taobao-shopkeeper/17714.html
November 3rd, 2012
Ever wonder what its like to run an online store? A local
journalist went undercover to get the down and dirty on the
truth about the driving force behind China's biggest virtual
retailer.
Taobao has over 1,000,000 “virtual stores”, all bustling
busily 365 days a year. A majority of these are small to
midsized in scope, and run by individuals or a small handful
of sellers. A local journalist documented the workings of one

29.
November 3rd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
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of these small stores and found that almost everyday they
worked around the clock like a 24 hour workhouse. While
the life of a virtual shopkeeper may seem relaxing to the
uninitiated, only those who have tried it can truly appreciate
what a laborious job it is.
“I gave my youth to Taobao.”
Eating, talking to friends and family, even washing is a
race against the clock for Taobao store owners before their
store starts to stagnate. In addition to pacifying impatient
customers, Taobao shop owners must spend their time
renovating their shop design, photographing new products,
looking for defects in products, photoshopping pictures,
taking orders, preparing goods for delivery, wrapping them,
sending deliveries, returning items, and so on, and so on…
Let’s take a look at a regular day in the life of Ms Yue, a
Taobao seller who specializes in women’s clothing.
-10:05
Photograph new items in stock
Ms Yue awakens to the shrill sound of the alarm clock. After
working the previous night until 3am, Yue is reluctant to get
out of bed. But duty calls. Yue stumbles out of the bedroom
and quickly washes up, before heading down to a high rise
riverside apartment.
Yue opens the door to a well lit south facing room. Two
young customer service reps briefly give Yue a courteous
smile, but their fingers never stop their agile dance across
the keyboard beneath. “Ding Dong”. A chat window pops up
on the customer rep's screen. Another customer interested
in purchasing from Ms. Yue’s clothing store. More business.
More work.
Yue heads to the photography area, where a large mirror
is set up beside two professional lamps and 40-50 items of
new apparel lie waiting to be photographed. One-by-one,
Yue places each item of clothing on the podium, finds a good
angle, then crouches down to take a picture. After an arduous
couple of hours, Ms. Yue finally finishes taking photos of all
new items for the store.
A typical Taobao storefront
-12:30
Ten minute lunch
There is a knock on the door; lunch has arrived. 1 Soy Beans
with Chicken, 1 Spicy Tofu with Rice. Total $5. The two
customer service girls momentarily chatter as they eat their
take-out. But time is ticking; around 10 minutes later, the
girls quickly finish up and return to their desks. Yue has
finished photographing new items, and also returns to her
desk to check out the new orders received that morning.
-13:30 ~ 18:00
Hi-ho, Hi-ho, to buyers they must go
Yue meticulously opens each of the 50 pieces of clothing to
be delivered and checks for any flaws, pushing the defected
items into a pile for returning to their factory of origin
later on. Clothes that pass visual inspection are packed into
plastic and stored in a larger sack for outgoing mail. Ms.
Yue finishes this task by 16:00, and calls the delivery boy
to collect the sack she just prepared. While waiting for
the delivery boy, Yue as always sits steadfast before her
computer, answering as many buyers’ questions as possible
in order to spur their purchase. You can never have too many
new orders.
A typical outlet for a Taobao store
-19:30
Nightshift
Yue and the two customer service reps leave the office. The
company has no-one working nightshift, so after hurriedly
taking a few bites of dinner. Yue once again turns on the
computer and starts answering buyer questions. Sometimes
Yue has personal issues to solve, and has to rely on friends
to answer questions in her absence, but this is a rare event
for the diligent Ms. Yue. After 22:30, the tumultuous wave of
curious buyers starts to wane. Yue uses this opportunity to
upload the new pictures she took that morning to her online
storefront.
-02:00
No rest for the weary

30.
November 3rd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
3
Yue rubs her sore neck and blinks her aching eyes. It’s 2 in
the morning already. Yue originally wanted to sync the new
clothes to her Weibo blog, but she no longer has the energy
for it. Yue staggers into the shower and washes off the day’s
tension. Collapsing into bed, Yue’s exhausted body breathes
a sigh of relief. But her brain keeps working, simmering each
unresolved issue; how will they continue to cope with just 2
customer service reps? How will they meet client demand in
the coming season with their remaining stock? Yue rolls over
and shuts her eyes tight, trying to push such thoughts from
her fatigued mind. Tomorrow after deliveries Yue still has
to visit the factory to choose new products. The landlord is
going to come for the monthly rent of $720. At 29 years of
age Ms. Yue already feels like retiring. But such is the life of
a Taobao shopkeeper.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
comes to a close
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/halo-4-forward-unto-dawn-comes-
to-a-close/17713.html
November 3rd, 2012
343i's immensely popular live-action series set in the Halo
universe seamlessly blurs the lines of gaming and film, but
Forward Unto Dawn has run its course and closes the circle
with its recently released final episode.
"Stay close to me. It's your best chance at survival."
--Master Chief, Forwad Unto Dawn
Halo 4's live-action mini-series has been hailed, celebrated,
and beloved by Halo fans worldwide. Not only does the series
give a personal and intimiate look at the life of an ordinary
group of cadets, but it also gives a first-hand look at the
original war against the UNSC and the Insurrectionists as
well as how the war against the Covenant united humanity
together.
Forward Unto Dawn chronicles the daily lives of Hastati
Squad, a fresh group of cadets training to become soldiers
at UNSC's Corbulo Academy of Military Science. The series
starts off with everyday drama wherein viewers see the
interactions of the characters as they stuggle to become
soldiers, then Hastati are thrust into a brutal and chaotic
war between a hostile race of unknown aliens who suddenly
attack the planet.
Seeing the Halo universe come alive with fully fleshed
characters who have personalities and emotions is a real
treat, especially since it brings a whole new level of
realism to the franchise. Not since the live action Halo
Landfallvideos has the universe seen such caren taken to
represent the fan-favorite saga.
This series is a monumental shift from Halo 3's live-action
snippets and promos: Forward Unto Dawn shows the total
evolution of live-action gaming fiction and how its grown
into an amazing medium that blurs the lines of gaming and
film.
One of the most enjoyable and iconic moments of the
series is the appearance of Master Chief, who saves the
survivors and dispatches Covies with ease. Forward Unto
Dawn exposes Master Chief's role as a savior and a beacon
of hope for humanity, which is something that isn't always
adequately represented in the games.
The series breathes new life into the franchise, allowing
fans to experience an in-depth view at a living adaptation of
Halo. It has everything from Warthogs to ODST pods, orbital
elevators, Covenant cruisers, needlers, energy swords,
Sangheili warriors, and of course Master Chief, and it
honestly is like watching a feature film on the big screen.
With the recent release of the fifth episode, the series
comes to a close, but it has done its job with an exemplary
performance and has been exceedingly enjoyable, building
the anticipation for Halo 4 even more. 343i's newest chapter
of the Halo franchise goes above and beyond, and Forward
Unto Dawn has helped push it over the edge and become one
of the most anticipated games of 2012.
Watch all five episodes of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn via a
playlist on Machinima Prime's YouTube page, and check out
IGN's official mini-Wiki on the series for a rundown of cast
and credit info as well as a few other interesting tidbits.

31.
November 3rd, 2012 Published by: VR-Zone
4
Japan gets Charizard-version
Nintendo 3DS LL
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/japan-gets-charizard-version-
nintendo-3ds-ll/17711.html
November 3rd, 2012
The Pokemon Company plans to release limited-edition
Charizard-version Nintendo 3DS units to lucky customers
who are lucky enough to win the company-sponsored raffles.
Here’s another potentially great addition to your Pokemon
fan collection items. The Pokemon Company has just
unveiled a limited edition black Nintendo 3DS LL that is
design-themed with a gold-lined Charizard (Lizardon in
Japan) image. It will not be available for general sale though,
but will be available to a few lucky customers who will win
their special promotion raffle.
To avail the special raffle, interested participants in Japan
must go and register at the nearest Pokemon Center branch
in their area. Those who are not near any Pokemon Center
branch may alternatively register for the mailing/delivery
version of the raffle contest. There is a specific fill-out form
that will be exclusively used for the promo. Direct Pokemon
Center applicants would of course get the physical fill out
form, while those registering for the mail/delivery version
must download the official form at this link.
Take note, though, that although the units will be raffled, it
is not actually free. The customers will only get the privilege
to purchase the unit when they are chosen in the raffle. That
said, this limited edition Nintendo 3DS LL, if you ever got
the chance to buy one, will cost you at around 18,900 yen
(240 USD).
The registration period to avail these special Nintendo 3DS
LL units starts from November 3 up to November 26, 2012. If
you are selected as the winner in the raffle, you may purchase
your unit at the shop that is indicated in your fill out form.
The purchase period for the units will last from December
15, 2012, to January 14, 2013.
Source: 4Gamer (JP)
Qihoo 360 target of security
controversy
Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/qihoo-360-target-of-security-
controversy/17710.html
November 3rd, 2012
Qihoo 360, a China-based antivirus software company, has
been accused of collecting users' personal information. Was
this the company's fault, or is someone outside responsible?
There is currently a war of words between Qihoo 360
and Fang Zhou, a well-known anti-counterfeiting expert in
China. Fang accused Qihoo 360 collecting users private
information through its antivirus software. In China, users
are concerned about their own privacy online and some are
considering other security products. Qihoo 360's stock has
taken a slight drop since the "Fang Zhou Wars" started in
October, but not nearly enough to cause serious worry.
A spokesperson of the Ministry of Industry and
Communication Development Division says that Qihoo 360
will launch an investigation into the alleged security failures,
and that the company takes the matter very seriously. Shi
Wenchang, a professor of information security at Renmin
University, said that, if such a breach of privacy occurred, it
was most likely a malicious theft of an outside hacker, never
the intent of Qihoo 360.
Expert members of the Policy and Resources Committee of
the Internet Society of China have noted that, as technology
advances, it becomes more and more difficult for the
government to regulate Internet companies and monitor
security. As investigations continue, internet users should
remember to avoid suspicious websites and keep their
private information secure.