Microsoft gives peek at new Windows, tablet

SHANGHAI: U.S. computing giant Microsoft on Tuesday gave the key Chinese market an early peek at its new tablet computer and Windows 8 software, promising a "fast and fluid" operating system.

Microsoft will launch Windows 8 and the Surface tablet computer, designed to compete with Apple's popular iPad, in the United States on Friday. The launch of the two products in China is the same day.

Windows remains the dominant platform for personal computers, but it has lost ground to Apple and Google in newer devices which use rival operating systems.

"With Windows 8, we introduced this fast and fluid experience that works across a broad range of different types of PCs (personal computers)," said Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division.

"Windows 8 seamlessly moves between a world of touch-only tablets to laptops that have touch screens to desktops and to portable computers without touch screens," he said in a speech to the media in Shanghai.

Microsoft's new tablet computer was designed to be a platform for Windows, Sinofsky said, as he compared the challenger to Apple's iPad.

"Even though it's bigger than an iPad, it's actually lighter in your hand because of the way the physics of the design work," he said.

The Surface has a full-sized USB port unlike the iPad, a built-in stand and a cover which doubles as a keyboard, he said.

It runs the new Windows RT, a form of Windows 8, and comes with Microsoft Office 2013.

It is not Microsoft's first foray into the tablet market. In 2000 the company unveiled a prototype tablet PC and shortly afterwards began licensing its specifications to various manufacturers.

An analyst said Microsoft's tablet would battle for market share in China, which has the world's largest number of Internet users at more than 500 million.

"It doesn't have a price advantage over the iPad, so consumers who can afford a tablet may still be inclined to choose Apple's iPad," said Gerry Xu, of global information company IHS.

Some who have tested Windows 8 complain about the change from earlier versions of Windows, which could force users to relearn how to operate their computers, the New York Times reported Sunday.

Sinofsky acknowledged the difference with older versions but said Windows 8 was designed for the "modern world".

"It's a completely different feel. It's clean. It's beautiful. It's intuitive," he said.

Sinofsky said Microsoft hoped to add up to a billion new customers with Windows 8, which aims to replace earlier versions of its dominant operating system.

"It's (Windows) used by over a billion people around the world and with Widows 8 we're aiming towards the next billion," he said.

Microsoft has been hurt by piracy in China. Industry group the Business Software Alliance last estimated in 2008 that 80 percent of software used in China was pirated.

Ralph Haupter, Microsoft's chairman and chief executive officer for the Greater China Region, said the mainland was an important market.

"China is a big business opportunity for us. China is also the place where many devices get developed, designed, built, but these days, even more importantly, get sold," he told reporters.

A company spokesman said Microsoft does not release sales and revenue figures for China alone.

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Technology/International/2012/Oct-23/192442-microsoft-gives-peek-at-new-windows-tablet.ashx

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Why winning?or losing?a nail-biter would be historic for Obama

As the last debate approaches, the specter that haunted me a while back still hovers over this campaign: the possibility that we may be faced on Election Night with two, three, many Floridas. I now imagine both parties deploying AWACS filled with lawyers and organizers, circling the country, parachuting forces into New Hampshire, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa and Colorado as state after state deadlocks on Election Night.

Whether or not this nightmare comes true?and I devoutly hope it does not?this campaign has already earned its place in the annals of the unusual. An incumbent president facing a very close election is overwhelmingly the exception, rather than the rule.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, only three incumbents have won close elections.

Woodrow Wilson in 1916 won a 3-percentage-point popular vote margin, but it was California?s 13 electoral votes that gave him the White House?votes he won with a 3,700-vote plurality.

Harry Truman?s 1948 upset was won with about a 4.5-point popular vote plurality, but it was his remarkably close victories in Ohio, Illinois and California?each won by well under 1 percent of the vote?that put him back in the White House.

George W. Bush won in 2004 by about 2.5 points, and a similar margin in Ohio gave him his second term. A 60,000 vote switch there would have produced the second straight election where the national popular vote winner was denied the presidency.

If the Romney campaign takes heart from the infrequency of a close incumbent victory, it should consider the other side of the coin. Only one incumbent has lost a close contest: Gerald Ford in 1976, who lost nationally by 2 points, but who would have won with a shift of some 14,000 votes in Ohio and Mississippi.

These elections are clear departures from the norm, where an incumbent wins either comfortably or overwhelmingly (Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton) or loses in similar fashion (Taft, Hoover, Carter, George H.W. Bush).

There is, of course, the possibility that the ground will shift in the last two weeks. A decisive debate performance, a late revelation, a sudden, seismic event at home or abroad could turn this cliffhanger into a rout.

As of now, though, 2012 looks as if it?s about to join that foursome of elections, one that will require gallons of caffeine on Election Night and the next morning before we learn whether the moving vans will be called to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/the-nail-biter--why-winning%E2%80%94or-losing%E2%80%94a-squeaker-would-be-historic-for-obama-22253307.html

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The 90s strike back! Marvel VS Capcom Origins Review | Video ...

Ever since the console release of Capcom?s Street Fighter 4 in 2009 2d fighters are enjoying a good degree of popularity once again. Trying to ride the success of Marvel VS Capcom 3 and the Marvel Avengers movie, Capcom releases on PSN and XBLA a new collection called Marvel VS Capcom Origins, cointaining two 90s two dimensions fighters: Marvel Super Heroes and the first Marvel VS Capcom.
Do these two games still hold their own after all these years or will Capcom?s collection only attract nostalgics? Let?s find out.

Nostalgia calling

To be completely honest, I can?t really understand why these two games have been choosen for the collection.
The Marvel VS Capcom franchise main feature is the tag team mechanic, where each player chooses 2 or more fighters, can swap them anytime during battle and even unleash some devasting combination attacks; Marvel Super Heroes features the standard 1 vs 1 formula without any tag team option
It?s not like it?s a bad game, but I think including X Men VS Street Fighter or Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter too would have been more appropriate, since they are the first steps of the VS franchise and, nostalgia wise, it would have been a better choice altogether.
And nostalgia definitely is one of the main selling points of this collection and Capcom didn?t even try to hide it!
The Games are identical to their 90s counterparts in every possible way: graphics wise, sound wise and gameplay wise these two games are a trip back in the 90s, when these big detailed sprites dominated arcade cabinets.
To improve the nostalgic feeling of the collection, Capcom added 2 video options, one to simulate old CRT televisions and another to slight distort the image, simulating an old arcade cabinet screen.
These options will probably be fun for a couple minutes and most players will revert to the regular video option after some time.
Gameplay wise, how do the two fighters hold up? Quite frankly, they?re still very fun, despite their shortcomings.

Avengers, Assemble!

As I mentioned before Marvel Super Heroes, the second Capcom fighter featuring Marvel comics heroes, sports a traditonal 1 versus 1 gameplay, where players can unleash special attacks through the usual 2d fighters stick motions and even more devastating attacks called Infinity Combo after charging a special meter bar placed at the bottom of the screen. The fighters roster is quite diverse and feautures many fans? favourites like Captain America, Spiderman, Iron Man, Wolverine, Wolverine and Cyclops and a few villains like Blackheart, Shuma Gorath and Doctor DoomGameplay is enriched by the presence of special gems called Infinity Gems which grant some bonuses for a short amount of time during the fight.Graphics and sound wise we get what we could expect from a 90s 2d fighting game: sprites and backgrounds are nicely detailed and animated and the soundtrack manages to do its job, although some of the tracks sound a bit repetitive.

When two different worlds collide

Marvel VS Capcom: Clash Of The Super Heroes, released in 1998, is a turning point of the franchise: with this game Capcom started to expand the roster way beyond the Street Fighters characters including characters from other Capcom games like Darkstalker, Megaman, Strider and Captain Command. The Marvel roster gets expanded too with the inclusion of Spiderman?s nemesis Venom and a mix of characters already present in Marvel Super Heroes and XMen Vs Street Fighters.
Gameplay wise Capcom refined the tag team formula: players will choose two characters to use in combat and will be able to switch them at will during play. Nice additions are the Duo Team Attacks which allow the player to use both characters at the same time for a brief time with unlimited super moves usage and the Assist Characters which can be summoned for a limited amount of time to assist the player. These characters aren?t normaly usable so it feels like each time is composed by 3 characters, a prelude to the future evolution of the series.
Graphics wise we?re not too far from the other game in the collection except for a bit more details in both characters and backgrounds. The same can be said about soundtrack: it does its job well but there?s hardly anything memorable.

Now it?s time to take them on!

The only modern touch in the collection is, obviuosly, the online multiplayer mode. The online infrastructure is really well done: I experienced very little lag playing with people all over Europe and even when playing with someone far I didn?t experience too many problems.
The main issue with playing online comes from some unbalancing problems of the games: people playing online will try to win at any cost, so you?ll probably costantly fight the powered up versions of Hulk, Iron Man and Venom.
Not being technical fighters, the charm of these games lies in the easy to pick up and play nature and the unbalanced roster but with competitive play this may become an issue.
Final Verdict

I used to play these games when they were released and I had fun playing them again, probably as much as I did back then thanks to online play; nostalgia has probably a lot to do with this.
Players who never played these games in the past are probably better off looking elsewhere since some others 2d fighters are more refinite with more modern and compelling mechanics. Nostalgics like myself are probably going to really enjoying themselves, remembering those times where reading ? Insert Coins? on the arcade cabinets screens made them full of excitement!

The game is available on both PSN (12,99 euros) and XBox Live Arcade (1200 Microsoft points)

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Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Related posts:

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2. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Officially Announced
3. Super Street Fighter IV ? Screen Stage Shots
4. 8 New Screenshots from Super Street Fighter IV
5. Capcom profits tank 90%

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2012/video-games/the-90s-strike-back-marvel-vs-capcom-origins-review/

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The Man with the Golden Gun - Bond 50 Box Set Blu-ray Review ...

?An assassin that?s second to none...?

Keen on avoiding any further stop-start frustrations after the Connery-Lazenby-Connery-Moore seat-changing dance which had been played out over the last four movies, the Studios had contracted Roger Moore for three movies right from the outset. However, despite a mixed response on his first outing ? Live and Let Die ? they were easily convinced that he was the right choice for the job by the overwhelming Box Office success of his first outing, and so pressed on with a follow-up, fast-tracking it to be released the following year (the last time two Bond movies would be released in consecutive years). The Man with the Golden Gun was originally conceived as Moore?s introduction to the role, back when his commitments to The Saint and The...

[Read the complete movie review]

Picture

Roger Moore?s sophomore Bond outing, The Man with the Golden Gun, hits UK Region Free Blu-ray as part of the Bond 50 Box Set having already been released some time back as a standalone title. Although, like its predecessor Live and Let Die, it has undergone ?pristine digital restoration? at the hands of Lowry, this time around it does not appear to have quite had the desired effect. Whilst a decent looking presentation ? arguably the best the movie has looked in years (if ever), the DNR application seems marginally more intrusive than one would have ideally liked, and edge enhancement in noticeable in some sequences. Aside from these niggles, and the issues inherent to the budget and age of the movie itself, it?s an otherwise decent presentation ? just not one that could be championed as a superior, demo-quality remastered restoration.

Complete with a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC High Definition video encode in the movie?s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen (the last of the Bonds to use this scope, returning to the wider format which had briefly been implemented for the later Connery outings), The Man with the Golden Gun offers up decent detail, fluctuating somewhere between impressively excellent close-up shots (not least of faces, but also of clothing weaves and textures) and some softer wider shots which, whilst forgivable, don?t always do the movie?s stunning locations justice. There is a decent sheen of suitably cinematic grain, which leaves you believing that any DNR application on the part of Lowry has been minimalised, but there are still a few brief moments where edge enhancement is visible. Defects and print damage are basically non-existent.

The colour scheme is strong and vibrant, with generally much warmer, more vivid tones on offer than was the case for Live and Let Die ? the locations no doubt helped, as well as the more ?colourful? plot. Skin tones are rich and healthy (even Christopher Lee?s fake tan!) and everything from the deep blue sea to the lush green island plant-life looks gorgeous. Black levels are strong, and there?s no sign of any crush, with the darker sequences retaining a satisfying amount of shadow detail. Overall it?s a good presentation, just not at all demo quality, and not really what you?d expect considering the better job that has been done for some of the other titles that have underwent a similar ?restoration?.

Picture score : 7

Sound

On the aural front, the accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 re-mix is also decent but also unexceptional. Dialogue comes across clearly and coherently, largely dominating the frontal array whenever necessary, and never getting overwhelmed by either the score or the effects. The surrounds get a reasonable workout from some of the set-pieces, but this is a slightly less action-packed Bond outing, and so there isn?t quite as much material to play with. The car and boat chases are high points, as is the explosive final confrontation. Gunshots ring out, but occasionally sound a little hollow, and otherwise we?re left with more ambient observations to round out the atmospherics, and, in this respect, the track isn?t all that impressive.

Certainly we could have done with more rear support, even just channelling a portion of the frontal array?s output, and separation across the channels is often non-existent, indicative of an underwhelming aural remix, as the original mono offering would, of course, have had no distinct channel separation and soundscape imaging. The LFE input is sporadic ? there could have been more ? and the score, which is used basically throughout the piece in one form or another, gets arguably the most prominence on the track, which is no bad thing. Whilst not a fine-tuned track which has been remastered to perfection, and whilst being far from demo material, this is a perfectly serviceable accompaniment to the main feature, and probably still sounds a great deal better than the movie has ever sounded before.

Sound score : 6

Extras

This new Bond 50 Box Set comes complete with all of the old Ultimate Edition DVD extras ported over (as well as some new material on a further disc in the set). Far from bad news, the old UE releases pretty-much offered up definitive background material for each title, and The Man with the Golden Gun was certainly one of the chapters that was particularly well treated.

Sporting no less than three separate Commentaries ? one by the Cast and Crew, one by the Screenwriter, and one by Bond star Sir. Roger Moore himself ? we also had a number of informative background Featurettes and Documentaries, as well as a hefty amount of promotional material (which, with the majority of these older releases, was the only place you could spot the Deleted Scenes). Fans of the film will no doubt know all about these offerings; newcomers couldn?t want for more.

Commentaries

Commentary by Sir Roger Moore ? another great listen with the veteran Bond actor.

Commentary by Director Guy Hamilton and members of the Cast and Crew

Declassified: MI6 Vault

The Russell Harty Show has Moore chatting on the talk-show about his latest Bond outing.

On Location with The Man with the Golden Gun has a very brief look at the Bottoms? Up strip club.

Girls Fighting is a selection of outtakes from the scene where the schoolgirls defeat the dojo. Sigh.

American Thrill Show Stunt Film is a five-minute clip of the key barrel roll in the film as previously performed.

Guy Hamilton: The Director Speaks has the director talking about his work on the project

007 Mission Control

Split into the usual categories of: 007, Women, Allies, Villains, Mission Combat Manual, Q Branch and Exotic Locations

Mission Dossier

Inside The Man with the Golden Gun ? An Original Documentary runs at 30 minutes and charts the background

Double-O Stuntmen ? a half-hour look at the stunts, and the stuntmen, across all the Bond films

Ministry of Propaganda

Theatrical Archive ? has a selection of trailers, showcasing a hint of deleted footage, including unused shots from the closing confrontation.

TV Broadcasts ? adds further TV Spots.

Radio Communication ? offers up some Radio Spots.

Image Database ? The disc is rounded out by a stills gallery.

Extras score : 8

Verdict

?Ours is the loneliest profession, Mr. Bond.?

With an original novel which told a tale of a brainwashed Bond programmed by the Russians to kill M, finally recovering only to be dispatched on one last mission ? to kill the world?s greatest assassin ? there were plenty of great ideas which could have made the film adaptation one of the absolute best Bond outings. Unfortunately, then-topical energy crisis issues; the influence of then-suddenly-popular martial arts movies; and a somewhat misguided approach towards the tone and comedy of the piece left The Man with the Golden Gun one of the weaker entries, with large stretches of the movie utterly devoid of consequence, and the remaining good bits often damaged by the presence of some truly bad characters. Whilst Christopher Lee?s eponymous villain would be a great scene-stealer, Britt Ekland?s cute-but-utterly-vapid Bond girl would cause much of the destruction herself, and Roger Moore ? still on good form ? would be limited by pressure to act more like Connery?s Bond. Still, the movie would be book-ended by great little assassin-versus-assassin sequences and a few fun moments in-between. It?s just a shame because it could have been so much more.

As part of the Bond 50 set, The Man with the Golden Gun comes with another one of those Lowry restorations. Unfortunately, unlike some of the previous entries ? including the last title, Live and Let Die ? the results here would not be anywhere near as impressive. Even more disappointing, the audio would be a lacklustre, hollow accompaniment. Still, it?s a considerable step up from DVD and fans will be pleased that all of the old Ultimate Edition DVD extras have been ported over here.

Bond has been served well by a phenomenal box-set, timed to coincide with the arrival of Skyfall and the 50^th Anniversary of the franchise. The Man with the Golden Gun forms part of the set along with the other twenty-two films in the series, the majority of which look and sound terrific, and contain a wealth of extra material as well as a separate and new disc full of extra features further examining our favourite super-spy. It comes with the highest recommendation.

Overall score : 7

1,581 word review written by Cas Harlow.

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Source: http://www.avforums.com/movies/The-Man-with-the-Golden-Gun--Bond-50-Box-Set-review_11072/blu-ray.html

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George McGovern, an unabashed liberal voice, dies at 90 (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/257147470?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Rodgers sharp, Packers beat Rams 30-20

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Romney Derides Obama's 'Incredible Shrinking Campaign'

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - With just 18 days to go before Election Day, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan rallied a crowd of more than 8,000 at the Daytona Beach Bandshell, with the GOP presidential nominee calling the president's re-election effort "the incredible shrinking campaign."

"They've been reduced to petty attacks and silly word games," Romney said in front of one of the largest crowds of his campaign. "Just watch it. The Obama campaign has become the incredible shrinking campaign. This is a big country with big opportunities and great challenges, and they keep on talking about smaller and smaller things. We have big ideas, bold ideas, a strong agenda. We're going to get America working again and that's why you're going to help elect the two of us. We're going to go to Washington and get this country on track."

Country music singer John Rich warmed up the rowdy crowd, which also had a large contingent of bikers for Daytona's Biketoberfest weekend, a festival for motorcycle enthusiasts.

Rep. Ryan, R-Wis., noted them in the crowd.

"I just came in on town and I saw a lot of our Milwaukee-made Harleys running all around town here," Ryan said.

Romney asked the crowd if it had "been watching the Obama campaign lately?" adding, "it's absolutely remarkable."

"They have absolutely no agenda for the future," Romney said, as protesters could be heard chanting in the distance. "No agenda for America. No agenda for a second term. It's a good thing they won't have a second term."

A new CNN/ORC poll out Friday had the race in Florida in a dead heat, with Romney at 49 percent and Obama at 48 percent. The event wrapped up a two-day swing in the state for Ryan.

Romney will spend the weekend in South Florida. He will be in Delray Beach, Fla., preparing to debate President Obama on Monday in Boca Raton, Fla.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-derides-obamas-incredible-shrinking-campaign-023147249--abc-news-politics.html

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