The economy may seem bleak, but the game lineup in 2010 looks promising.
Say what you will about the gaming industry in 2009. Yeah, it was a little rough, with consumers tightening their belts and only a few megahits. However, we did see price drops for all the major consoles, a gazillion new iPhone games, and a smattering of amazing titles, some of which we're still playing.
But forget about the past, it's time to look ahead and search out the most anticipated games of next year. Our list nearly doubles 2009's, so there is a lot to get excited about.
While most of the titles on our list are scheduled for a 2010 release (and yes, several were supposed to come out in 2009), needless to say some release dates are more iffy than others. Check out our slideshow to see if your picks match up with ours.
Click on an image to start the slideshow. (Titles are listed in order of release date.)
Don't see the game you're looking forward to in 2010? Make sure you let yourself be heard by mentioning it in the comments section.
Blacksn0w
(Credit: GeoHot)iPhone OS hacker GeoHot released Blackra1n RC3 Tuesday, an updated jailbreak and unlock utility for the Apple iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch.
This version provides true carrier unlocking for iPhone OS 3.1.2 and baseband 05.11.07 by taking advantage of at+xemm crash exploit discovered by ih8sn0w.
The Blackra1n jailbreak process installs a new app--called Sn0w--onto an iPhone. It unlocks your iPhone, making it usable on any GSM carrier network. More information about the jailbreak can be found on GeoHot's blog.
Please note that by jailbreaking an iPhone, you may be violating your terms of service and voiding your warranty. CNET does not recommend jailbreaking; proceed at your own risk.
T-Mobile announced Monday that it will extend its HotSpot @Home service to include businesses. Right now, the service allows regular consumers to make unlimited calls via a home Wi-Fi network (provided you have a UMA-supported phone), and if they wander out of range, the call will switch over to the cellular network.
Like the consumer model, businesses need only pay a flat monthly rate to take advantage of the unlimited Wi-Fi calls, though it'll likely take place over enterprise-grade Wi-Fi networks instead. This makes sense to us, since businesses have a lot more people wheeling and dealing over the phone. Right now the only real business phone that has the UMA capability in T-Mobile's lineup is the BlackBerry Curve.
(Via Phone Scoop)
Two months worth of Twilight talk has resulted in this homage that we lovingly refer to as "goth-lite." Take a walk on the dark side with the Gadgettes and special guest Natali Del Conte.
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EPISODE 146 |
Skull phone shows just how wild and crazy you are
Report: U.S. military developing robots that eat human flesh
Gory intercom system a savagely funny concept
iKey's AK-39 wearable keyboard is about as weapon-like as it sounds
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
... Read more
On summer nights in Hanoi, people escape to air-conditioned ATM kiosks for relief from the oppressive heat.
(Credit: Viet Dung)Editor's note: CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo is spending several weeks in his homeland of Vietnam and will file occasional dispatches chronicling his adventures. To read stories from Dong's last visit, in December, click here.
HANOI, Vietnam--A word of advice for travelers: turn off your laptop when you leave the room.
This isn't the first time I've been back to Vietnam, but it's the first time since I left the country some 10 years ago that I've come back during summer. It's really hot in Hanoi during the day, often 100 degrees or more. And as it has always been the case with me when traveling, stuff happens.
After about 48 hours of traveling and coming to terms with the jetlag, I turned my laptop on for the first time. There were so many things to download: new episodes of podcasts, RSS feeds of different news sources, videos--and of course the 3.0 firmware for the iPhone.
As the Wi-Fi I got hooked up to was running at just around 60Kbps, these essential updates of my digital life (though most of them I can't find time to enjoy) would require hours to download. Like usual, I had a huge urge to download all of the data right away and decided to leave the computer running and go out for a jog. After all, it was almost midday and sunny outside.
Here is part of my gum supply for the trip. I may never chew gum during summer again.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)I started the downloads, opened a pack of Orbit gum, took a piece, and left the rest on my new loaded Dell XPS M1530 (for this trip, I upgraded from the smaller XPS M1330, mostly because my eyes are worse now). Before leaving the room, being a good citizen of the world, I turned off the air conditioning.
The moment I opened the door of the room, a wave of stifling heat engulfed me. Outside, the sky was high and pure, and it was so sunny I felt I could hear how bright it was. Or maybe it was the sound of my sweat starting to ooze out.
Unlike the dry and lovely San Francisco Bay Area or somewhat humid New York City, it's so humid in Hanoi that once outside there's no way you can escape the heat during hot days. It's hot when it's calm, and it's hot when it's windy, and fans won't do anything. The breeze actually helps the heat traverse to every corner. Once in a while a quick and so-heavy-that-you-can't-see-anything downpour comes, only to accentuate the heat when the sky is clear again.
For a lot of local people, there's no way to stay away from the heat, as air conditioners are still considered a luxurious commodity that most can't afford. (Plus, they have survived many years without one.) The water in outdoor swimming pools gets so hot that by midday you can't swim in them. During some extremely hot days, you'll even find people staying inside air-conditioned ATM booths to enjoy some free cooling.
After just about a few minutes of jogging, my glasses started to get blurred by steam and sweat and I had to take them off. Four miles later, I looked and felt like I had never worked out so hard before: my T-shirt and baseball cap were completely soaked with sweat and my forehead was dripping.
As I slowly walked back, I stopped by a familiar beer stand to enjoy a few well-deserved glasses of "Bia Hoi," under a common makeshift cooling system: a net of copper pipes that spray water mist in the air. Bia Hoi is a kind of light draft beer that the Hanoi Brewery never produces enough of during summertime. It made all of my sweating and sun-hating activities worthwhile.
A couple of hours later, I returned to my room imagining a cool shower and getting my stuff synced to my iPhone. Instead, I was greeted with a sight of horror: the computer displayed a Blue Screen of Death and I heard the CPU fan roaring to life. The worst of all, the sweet mint chewing gum had melted into some mushy and sticky substance that spilled all over part of the keyboard and completely covered the biometric reader. Some even dripped onto the bedsheet. The laptop was so hot that I couldn't touch it for more than a few seconds.
... Read more
These days, it always seems to come back around to food, and analyzing each other's food issues is pretty enlightening. Here are some tools to appease the inner food critic.
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EPISODE 141 |
Flint woman invents Corner Cap to keep boxes of food from spilling
World’s smallest microwave also has world’s worst name
Aero Blue Robot prepares to dish out unemployment to Japanese waiters
Chocolate scented calculator is torture for dieters
Hot Dogs to Go (thanks, engnr_chik!)
... Read moreIt's probably unlikely that any of you reading this don't already have a wireless network at home. But hey, if you don't, it's not too late: I have some quick tips for you on how to get one up with the least amount of money.
The high-performance, low-budge Trendnet TEW 633GR router.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)Go free
This is not always the case but a lot of Internet providers, such as AT&T, offer a free gateway (most likely after rebate). Take it. I have also learned that if you have been a long-time customer who originally got only the modem, you can call in and ask to exchange the modem for a gateway, which is a combination of modem plus wireless router. Obviously this only works on a case-by-case basis but a slight "threat" to switch the service sometimes can be a sufficient push.
Most free routers are Wireless-G. They are generally rather simple and without great performance or range, but for regular casual Internet and networking needs they are good enough.
Upgrade the current router
If your current router is not wireless-capable or a Wireless-G one, you can very easily upgrade it to Wireless-N by adding an access point. Some access points are very affordable, the Trendnet TEW-637AP Easy-N-Upgrader, for example, only costs around $30 and offers great Wireless-N speed and a good range.
Also about add-ons, if you buy a desktop and intend to use wireless networking with it, don't get a wireless card from the computer vendor. You can easily find an add-on wireless card from an online store, like NewEgg for much less than what the computer vendor would charge you for this upgrade.
The Belkin N+ router offers great performance at an affordable price.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)Buy off-brand names
There are three major wireless networking vendors on the market including Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link. Routers made by these vendors tend to be more expensive than those made by Belkin or Trendnet. It varies by model, but some off-brand-name routers can be very good, too. Both the Belkin N+ and the Trendnet TEW 633GR got excellent ratings and cost less than $100.
Avoid fancy features
Generally, I like routers that offer everything including dual-band (both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz), USB port for printers and external storage, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, and so on. However, most of the time you just need a 2.4Ghz Wireless-N functionality. A simple Wireless-N router can be had for just a bit more than $50. Example of these are the Trendnet Wireless N-Draft Router, TP-LINK TL-WR941ND, or any router on this list.
Buy used
Craiglist and eBay are good venues to find used routers that can cost just $20 or even less. Garage sales are good spots too. Just make sure you check CNET Reviews before you decide to make a purchase. Generally, routers are designed to work 24-7 so if you buy a router that have been released for a year or less, chances are it's as good as brand new. Make sure you upgrade the router to the latest firmware, which, along with the instructions, can be found at the vendor's Web site.
Share your hot spot
The best thing about wireless networking is the ability to easily share your Internet connection with your roommates or even neighbors, especially if you live in a condo. If your building is secluded and everybody agrees to pay their part, you can just leave the wireless network open. Otherwise, make sure you encrypt and only give the encryption key to those who agree to chip in with the monthly payment. Most routers can support more than 200 users at a time. Of course, this doesn't mean the bandwidth to the Internet is always enough for 200 heavy downloaders. So, pick carefully those you want to share it with.
That's it. Now you have no excuse not to tuck those wires away and make your computer corner a bit less cluttered. Happy (wireless) networking!
(Credit:
Helen Magg)
We chat with Kevin about some tips on eating well during these tough times and how shockingly easy it is to save money at the grocery store. Kevin also dishes out some of the dirt on his new sponsors and how his own show is in the works.
The second half of the show we dedicate to some questionable applications on the App Store. Trent Reznor is calling Apple the new Wal-Mart because of its questionable censorship practices regarding a Nine Inch Nails application. Next, we laugh at the idea of Sarah Palin on Twitter and Justin explains how your high school yearbook photo tells a lot more than just what was in style at the time.
We're still accepting Star Trek Photoshop submissions for a chance to see the film a day earlier with us in NYC! We've had a lot of great ones so far, so check out the competition below and be sure to send all of your creations to the404 [at] cnet [dot] com. As always, leave us a voicemail, 866-404-CNET.
EPISODE 335
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... Read more
T-Mobile @Home HiPort router
(Credit: T-Mobile)The news has broke that T-Mobile will be offering a VoIP service called T-Mobile @Home in select cities nationwide. However, yours truly had a chance to get some hands-on time with the specially built T-Mobile HotSpot @Home HiPort wireless Linksys router made especially for this service. T-Mobile also sent me an optional VTech cordless phone so I can test it out.
Setting up the router is the same procedure as setting up any other router, save for one difference: You need to install a SIM card. T-Mobile provided me with one, which I then snapped into place in the back of the router. There are two SIM card slots and two phone jacks, so you have the capability to use this with up to two lines. After installing the SIM card, simply attach the Ethernet cable from the modem to the router, and then connect the router to your computer. You can now attach your home phone (or cordless phone in my case) to the router. Note: If you inserted a SIM card in the Line 1 slot, you should connect your home phone to the corresponding Phone 1 jack. If you wish to change settings, such as passwords and WPA security, you can do so via a Web browser. Voila! You're ready to go. The process took maybe five minutes, if not less.
Making calls feels just like any other plain old telephone service. Just pick up the phone, dial, and you're on your way. Call quality was about the same as landline, though we did pick up a tiny bit of hiss the further we moved the cordless phone away from the base. As we mentioned, the VTech cordless phone system is completely optional; according to T-Mobile, you can use the router with any touch-tone phone. If you do wish to get the VTech phone, it's about $59.99.
Overall, we thought it was a great deal. The router does cost $149.99, but you can get it for $49.99 if you agree to a two-year contract. You also have to pay $10 a month for the @Home service, which really isn't too bad. The fee includes unlimited nationwide long-distance, caller ID, voice mail, call waiting, three-way conferencing, and more. You can also port over your home phone number if you like.
Nokia 6301
(Credit: T-Mobile)T-Mobile announced two new cell phones for its HotSpot @Home service today. The Nokia 6301 is a silver candy bar phone and the SGH-T339 is flip phone in bright red. Both handsets offer integrated Wi-Fi so you'll be able to make calls on T-Mobile's standard cellular network and your home wireless broadband network. And like T-Mobile's other HotSpot @Home handsets, the Nokia 6086, Samsung Katalyst, and Samsung SGH-T409, you can switch between regular and Wi-Fi calls without interruption. Features for both phones are functional without being flashy. The 6301 includes a music player, stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, a speakerphone, messaging, an expandable memory slot, and an FM radio. It also comes with a docking/charging station. The SGH-T339 offers a music player, stereo Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a speakerphone, an expandable memory slot, and messaging. The 6301 is $79.99 with service and the T339 is $49 with service.
On Sale Now: $29.99
View the latest prices for Samsung SGH-T339 (T-Mobile)
