Info Tech Guide

Mozilla has released the all new Firefox 11.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux. This release has got many fixes for HTML5 video related problems and has new features for developers.

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking, tab-browsing, integrated Google search, simplified privacy controls, a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.

The Web is all about innovation, and Firefox sets the pace with dozens of new features to deliver a faster, more secure and customizable Web browsing experience for all.

Source: spicytricks.com/

Mozilla Thunderbird 11.0 final has been released for Windows, Mac and Linux. Now Thunderbird is based on the new Mozilla Gecko 11 engine. Thunderbird, an Email Client has been improved lot which has new a UI, many bugs are fixed.

Thunderbird is a great email client from the same people who brought you the Firefox browser.

Thunderbird gives you IMAP/POP support, a built-in RSS reader, support for HTML mail, powerful quick search, saved search folders, advanced message filtering, message grouping, labels, return receipts, smart address book LDAP address completion, import tools, and the ability to manage multiple e-mail and newsgroup accounts.

Source: spicytricks.com/

Microsoft regularly updated and fixes the security holes when they find any new vulnerabilities in Windows. Today, Microsoft posted in its Blog post, which noted that  ”the update, MS12-020, should be downloaded and installed by Windows XP, Vista and 7 users right away”.

Security Update MS12-020 addresses two vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The exploit could allow any hackers to run malicious code on your Windows PC ” … if an attacker sends a sequence of specially crafted RDP packets to an affected system.”

RDP is commonly allowed through firewalls due to its utility. The service runs in kernel-mode as SYSTEM by default on nearly all platforms. The good news is that the Remote Desktop Protocol is disabled by default.

Microsoft is still recommending strongly that all Windows users grab and install the security update, saying:

Developing a working exploit will not be trivial – we would be surprised to see one developed in the next few days. However, we expect to see working exploit code developed within the next 30 days.

How ever, Microsoft urges all Windows users includes Windows XP,Vista and 7 to update this security fix using Windows update center.

Source: spicytricks.com/

A number of Mass Effect fans are upset with the way the latest entry in the series ended, and they're voicing their displeasure by giving to charity.

Members of the Mass Effect community have set up the Retake Mass Effect ChipIn fund, collecting PayPal donations for the Child's Play charity in order to call attention to their request for BioWare to make alternate Mass Effect 3 endings.

As of press time, the fund had raised more than $35,000 from more than 1,400 contributors. The donation drive will run until April 11.

Founded in 2003 by Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, Child's Play works to improve the lives of sick children through offering toys and games at a network of over 70 hospitals worldwide. For more on Child's Play, see the organization's official website.

Source: asia.gamespot.com

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves delivered a monumental leap over the first game in the series, and it might be easy to fall into the trap of assuming the same advancements would take place in every subsequent release. If that's your state of mind going into Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, you might walk away slightly disappointed. But that's not a fair response. Though the third entry in this treasure-hunting franchise offers a similar experience to its revered predecessor, it's no less magical. Just about every element showcases the care and craftsmanship you would expect from the series. Combat is even more versatile than in previous entries, combining incredible shooting encounters with advanced hand-to-hand takedowns set in lavishly designed areas. When you need a break from the taxing physical endeavors, thoughtful puzzles allow you to explore your more contemplative side. And these two elements are punctuated by exhilarating set-piece events that leave you gasping. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is another superb entry in Nathan Drake's ongoing quest to find the world's many lost treasures.

Once again, Nathan Drake is in search of lost treasure in a mysterious land. The story encompasses many of the same tropes from previous games--deception, twists, camaraderie--though the nuts and bolts of the plot have never been one of Uncharted's strong points. Rather, it's the realistic portrayal of characters--their lively back-and-forth discussions and snide jokes--that give you a reason to care about the tale. Drake, Sully, and the supporting cast sport detailed animation that makes them almost look real, and their playful dialogue further cements this image. Tempers flare, threats are made, and you can feel the tension during heated moments. But these lifelong friends always make up, and it's their believable relationships that make it so easy to become invested in their struggles.

Source: asia.gamespot.com

This model’s main claim to fame is Smart connectability. The brand’s online community, called Toshiba Places, is home to a reasonable selection of ‘net TV (including BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Dailymotion and assorted PPV services), plus some social media malarkey.

DLNA media streaming is a bit bumpy, though. Across a network, video file compliancy is effectively restricted to MPEGs, but from USB you can play everything from MKVs on down.  There’s also support for MP3s, although album art isn’t displayed.

All RL screens have a brushed silver finish, rather than common or garden gloss black, which looks very chic to our eyes. An exceptionally thin bezel adds an air of sophistication.

The TV features three, rather than four HDMIs, one of which is side-mounted for casual gaming use; this may slow you down if you have more than a couple of permanent HD sources on the go.

Legacy connections include Scart, component video, a PC VGA input, CI card slot and an optical digital audio out.  There’s no resident Wi-Fi, although you do get Ethernet and USB for local media playback.

It may lack the cutting edge picture processing available higher up the Toshiba range, but once calibrated this screen is capable of a decent enough visual performance.

Colours are not particularly accurate (the set suffers from sun-bed syndrome, with reds rendered a TOWIE orange), but motion resolution is good and clarity is high (once you tame the over-eager Sharpness control). Blacks are deep, but levels have been crushed to exaggerate dynamics.  

To see the 40RL858 at its best, hook up a Blu-ray player or external HD source such as Sky+HD or Virgin Media TiVo. The Freeview HD channels don’t really do the set justice.

One area where this TV really does falter is audio. The wafer thin cabinet hides anaemic speakers capable of only the thinnest of squeaks. An external sound system is highly recommended.

Soul Calibur 5 still plays in a similar style to its predecessors and Namco beat-em-up brethren Tekken. Eight-way-run combat is the order of the day, with combos based around this and three types of attacks: horizontal, vertical, and kick. Many characters have as many as 16 different moves for each type of attack, so we're talking about an extensive move-list, not to mention the numerous attack strings and combos on top of that.

Namco seems to have a penchant for creating characters and then giving them an old character's moveset, and Soul Calibur 5 is no different. Granted, Soul Calibur has more of a story arc than many fighting games and the changes are largely for this reason, but story canon aside it would have been nice to see some more of the old guard playable in Soul Calibur 5.

That said, the new versions of characters such as Kilik, Xianghua and Taki are well balanced and are different enough to justify their presence. 

Fans of the series will be relieved to know that many of Soul Calibur's more iconic characters have still made the cut. Bullet-slicing growly man Mitsurugi, razorwire-wielding dominatrix Ivy and hulking executioner Astaroth are all included, as is Namco ever-present Yoshimitsu.

Again, their movelists have been simplified somewhat but if you've played them in previous games, you'll find that they are much the same, save for a few tweaks. 

Namco has allowed itself a degree of fan-service by bringing in Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Assassin's Creed as a playable character. There is always a danger that guest characters simply won't fit into the style of the game, We've already mentioned the disaster that was the inclusion of Yoda in Soul Calibur 4, but Ezio is well suited and accompanies the rest of the cast well.

In short, fans of the series may be disappointed to lose a few characters, but the new cast are well balanced and have enough new tricks to keep both newcomers and series vets interested.

Soul Calibur 5 has the best character creation facility of any fighting game ever. That's not an overstatement, it really is excellent, and other than modelling your character's fighting style on one of the already-present cast, you have total freedom to make your blade-wielding battler look as crazy as you want.

Then, you can take him or her (or it) online to fight players around the world, either in ranked or player matches, or in the 'Global Colosseo' - effectively a giant player match where players can face off against each other.

And as for the experience, Namco has absolutely nailed this one.. Until now, fighting game online lobbies have been dark places, filled with bitterness and thoughts of revenge.

Soul Calibur 5's are brilliantly designed, allowing you to watch the current fight while text chatting with the rest of the lobby and checking out your opponents' records and statistics. So much so that you can easily miss your turn to fight if you aren't paying attention.

The single player modes are extensive, but at the same time they feel a little bit lacking. Arcade mode is very well done, giving you lots of options and a reasonable difficulty curve should you so wish. The story mode is not so good, and actually feels unnecessary to Arcade mode.

Everything about the Sony PS Vita reeks of refinement. Looking initially rather disconcertingly like the original Sony PSP - it is, in fact, even bigger - the Vita is actually a strong mix of style and substance. Like the Apple iPhone 4, the problems with the first PlayStation portable were certainly not aesthetic, so its sleek and black chassis is unsurprisingly and reassuringly familiar.

An evolution of Sony's first handheld, this addresses a lot of its flaws – a terrible single analogue stick, drop-it-and-it'd-shatter product vulnerability, reliance on dead-on-arrival UMD software – and takes more steps on than you'd expect.

For a start, this is Sony's first handheld you don't have to wrap up in cotton wool, its reinforced shell making it more robust to knocks without diminishing its sexiness or making it too weighty.

Arguably the most impressive thing about the PS Vita is its five-inch OLED display, which kisses everything that graces it. Let's not understate this: it's bloody enormous, but never feels bulky.

Colours are vibrant, images sharp - you almost want to ignore its capacitive multi-touch functionality in fear of sullying it (which unfortunately, in true smartphone style, your fingerprints very much will).

The PS Vita's quadcore processor is a whizz, powering through spectacular graphical feats with rare slowdown. Audio is strong, though just as with the PSP, is best played through headphones.

The iPhone 4S-alike 512MB RAM isn't huge, and it's noticeable that while it can multi-task on the lesser services, each game has to be shut down to open another (at least it means you won't find someone quietly deleting your files in the background because you've carelessly left every game you own running simultaneously).

Sony PS Vita availability: Out now on Japanese import, or from 22 February in the UK

Sony PS Vita price: £230 for Wi-Fi-only, £280 for 3G model