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Rumor: 'Left 4 Dead' coming to PlayStation 3

The news seems to be getting better and better for the PlayStation 3 in terms of game titles in 2009. Possibly joining the list of games is the popular Xbox/PC zombie shooter Left 4 Dead.

EA is known for releasing game titles on multiple platforms; however, some would say that this is just wishful thinking. With that being said, you make the call. HMV has a link where you can preorder for a June 5, 2009 release.

Whether this is fact or fiction remains to be seen. I guess we will just have to wait until June to find … Read more

Digital City: Episode 18

On this week's installment of the Digital City podcast, we discuss Christian Bale rant remixes, Windows 7 security problems, PlayStation 3 pain, and a gaming boot camp for moms.

Also of interest -- photos and video from the annual New York Comic Con!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Rumor: The Sony switch to Intel's Larrabee chip

Here's the silicon scuttlebutt of the weekend, if not the week: Sony will use Intel's Larrabee graphics chip in its upcoming PlayStation 4. (Let's not forget the other tantalizing piece of speculation this week: the Nvidia-powered Microsoft smartphone rumor, which Microsoft apparently put to rest.)

We know for a fact that Jeffery Katzenberg at DreamWorks likes Larrabee--a lot. That apparently was one of the reasons DreamWorks dropped Advanced Micro Devices.

So, chalk that up as one big win for Intel's somewhat-murky next-generation graphics chip due late this year or 2010. Now Sony? A report this week in the U.K.-based technology Web site The Inquirer … Read more

Lafayette, La., finally gets its fiber network

After nearly five years of planning and fighting with local cable and phone companies, the Lafayette Utilities System opened its fiber-optic broadband network for business.

The utility began offering service this week, according to the Lafayette, La. local newspaper, The Daily Advertiser. A small number of customers already have phone, TV, and Internet service. And beginning Friday, LUS will begin marketing the service to customers in the first phase of the roll out. LUS plans to roll out service gradually in three phases and expects to offer a triple play service to all residents throughout the city by 2011.

The … Read more

Is Sega planning a return to the console market?

If you've read the Digital Home for the past two years, you probably know that I hold a special place in my heart for Sega. I was always a heavy Genesis user and subsequent to that, I owned every console Sega released. That's precisely why a report from Siliconera has me excited.

According to the publication, Sega has trademarked two names, "Ringwide" and "Ringedge," as well as a logo containing rings. The trademark clearly says that the names will be used for "arcade game boards...stand alone video game machines, [or] arcade game machines with built-in screens."

So what can this mean? Obviously it's too early to tell, but some are saying that it could be Sega's return to the arcade business. I'm sure they would get excited about that, but the arcade business is a shadow of its former self. Since console gaming became a mainstay, it has lost much of its importance. I just don't see Sega investing in the arcade business.

But what if this filing is for a top-secret console the company is developing to compete with the next-generation of hardware? Will Ringwide or Ringedge take on the Wii 2, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 720?

I certainly hope so.… Read more

Bad economy means lame games

The video game industry is being hit hard by the economy, just like every other industry. And although I believe it's potentially recession-proof, it won't be easy for gaming to stay that way.

Things are looking bleak for game creators. In a statement Tuesday, Electronic Arts, the world's largest video game developer, announced that it was forced to lay off about 1,100 employees and close 12 facilities worldwide to streamline its business operation and cut operating expenses by $500 million to prepare for uncertain economic times.

Microsoft Game Studios was hit hard by Microsoft's recent announcement of 5,000 layoffs. Avalanche Studios, another prominent developer, cut nearly half its staff late last year. And Take-Two Interactive, a former EA acquisition target, announced in its last quarterly filing that it incurred a $15 million loss for the three months ending October 31, 2008.

On a macro level, oddly, things look just fine in the video game industry. But when we look closer into sales data (from NPD), it becomes blatantly clear that that's mainly due to the Wii's success and the popularity of established game franchises. So as the recession worsens during 2009, I think we can expect a slew of third-party Wii games, and many more sequels, as developers try to capitalize on the best ways to make a lot of money from very limited resources.… Read more

The Digital Home 49: It's time to get connected

In this episode, Don discusses Windows 7 and its possible impact on the world of tech. After that, he examines Panasonic's recent layoffs and sits down with Qwest Technologies to hear about the Connected Home. Check it out!

And as always, follow Don on Twitter!

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 49 … Read more

Why $100 is the perfect Blu-ray player price

Lite-On might be releasing a $150 Blu-ray player at some point in 2009, recent rumors suggest. There's not much more information available now, but I don't think it seems out of the question to expect Lite-On or another firm like Memorex to release a player for that price sometime during the year.

But is $150 the sweet spot for Blu-ray players? For those who want Blu-ray anyway they can have it, that might be perfect. But for others, $150 is still a steep price tag for a device that would conceivably offer less quality than other, more expensive Blu-ray players on the market.

And as I consider a $150 Blu-ray player, I find myself in the latter grouping. It's not that a $150 Blu-ray player doesn't appeal to me. But for that price, I'm not getting enough that would make me want to spend the money.

For me, the perfect price tag for a Blu-ray player at this juncture, given the economy and the format's shortcomings, is $100.… Read more

Get more out of cut-and-paste

Play With Pictures takes one of the most essential image editing features and expands it into an entire program. It is not a photo editor, at least not in the mold of Photoshop. Play With Pictures takes the cut-and-paste feature and simplifies the process while building out supplementary features for creating online avatars, greetings cards, and other projects that require image mash-ups.

The interface presents a re-imagining of the image editing toolset, gearing users towards projects instead of stand-alone edits. The left nav toolbar even notes the steps needed to take a user from start to finish. Tools are categorized … Read more