Microsoft has released a new program which allows users to peer into space using images and data gathered from the combination of the Hubble telescope as well several powerful telescopes on Earth. The new Worldwide telescope (dubbed as WWT) program is built on Microsoft’s visual experience engine technologies.
It is said that Microsoft’s worldwide telescope will be better than Google Sky..don’t take anyone’s word for it, chek it out for yourself here: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org
There has been rumours that Apple will be releasing a new iPhone with 3G support. The current iPhone has 2.5G support, which has slower data speeds. This will allow the new iPhone to be suitable for use across all Australian telco carriers and even better news, it is said that Australia will be one of the first countries to experience the new iPhone.
Reported rumours claim that up to 10million 3G iPhone handsets have been ordered and is due to be released around June/July 2008. Australia was one of the countries that missed out on the 1st release of the original iPhone. Sorry, no pics of the new 3G iPhone as yet!
The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) saga continues…With GTA 4 announcing its global release on 29th April 2008, it is said to be one of the most anticipated games of 2008 (or perhaps ever!) and estimated to earn sales in the excess of $400 mil or 6 million units within the first week. Upon the release date, GTA 4 has been heavily marketed around the world in the form of TV, online and print advertising.
Grand Theft Auto 4 has received shining reviews by gaming experts due to its rich environments, improved physics, in depth story plot and gameplay with many magazines giving it a perfect score of 10/10.
For the Australians…It has been confirmed by a spokesperson from Rockstar that an edited version of GTA 4 will be released in Australia & New Zealand to avoid R18+ classification, which does not exist in video games and will result in refusal of classification by the OFLC. This is believed to be due to a certain mission in the game where the main character must seek retribution of a friend who was a rape victim in jail. The mission requires a weapon which is used to sodomise the offender and due to the nature of this, it may be viewed as sexual assault which is a mandatory R18+ classification rating.
Grand Theft Auto IV has been released for both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3
EDIT: Take-Two has posted that the total sales for the first week for GTA IV topped $500 mil USD (that’s right, half a billion!!), well above analysts predictions. This makes GTA IV the biggest gaming release in history, beating Halo 3 which raked in sales of $300mil in its first week of opening.
There has been recent rumours that Microsoft were releasing a Xbox 360 console with Blu-Ray support. These rumours were denied by Microsoft only to have them resurface once more. Aaron Greenberg, product manager for Xbox 360 has responded stating “Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience” in a recent Reuters interview.
The recent war between Toshiba’s HD-DVD and Sony’s Blu-Ray resulted in the demise of HD-DVD and movie studios taking up the new Blu-Ray standard which is supported on the Sony Playstation 3 over the HD-DVD which is supported on the Xbox 360. Xbox is confident that the news will not dampen the sales of its 360 consoles. Microsft boasts that the xbox 360 is the only gaming console that offers digital distribution of entertainment content (including high definition content). Recent supply problems by Microsoft in the US means that the PS3 has outsold the Xbox 360 for its 2nd consecutive month