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Author: Team TD

Splinter Cell: Blacklist – A New 10 mins Gameplay Footage From Gamescom

Splinter Cell: Blacklist, the newest addition to the widely known Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series, gets a new gameplay video released by publisher Ubisoft featuring tortures and moral choices. Maxime Béland, Creative Director for the game, takes the role of narrator for the video.

The footage, which is an expansion of a trailer shown at E3, showed the return of the “Mark and Execute” feature from Conviction, where you can mark multiple targets and execute them all at once at the touch of a single button. Also introducing is a new ability to perform “Kill and Drag” melee takedowns.

The footage also became the center of controversy due to a scene in which Sam Fisher thrusts a knife into a man’s clavicle and the players are to ‘rotate the analog stick’ to interrogate him to get information.

“Sam will do whatever it takes to retrieve crucial information before it’s too late,” Beland explained during the scene.

After the torture, players are left with a moral choice, whether to kill the enemy or knock him out.

Sam Fisher, as the head of Fourth Echelon, will have access to some serious firepower in the field. He can call on airstrikes for heavy targets and also can control a UAV to wipe out enemies with its machine gun. All these moves may not exactly be stealthy but should give players some tactical edge in the game.

Beland noted during the video that they wanted to offer the player “tons of choices”. Which means the player can either take the stealth approach or dive straight into the action. Pretty much like Metal Gear Solid 4, no?

Check the footage below:

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is all set to ‘invade our privacy’ sometime next year for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms.

January 31, 2013
Shots Fired! Samsung Continues To Make Fun Of Apple With Their “It Doesn’t Take A Genius” Ad

After losing a $1 billion lawsuit against Apple last month Samsung is still not ready to back their anti-Apple campaign. After numerous “Samsunged” ads their latest campaign shows how “it doesn’t take a genius” to choose the better phone between the iPhone 5 and Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III.

The specs sheet comparison released by Samsung (pictured above) isn’t totally fair though with the Korean company referring to the Lightning connector as “a totally different plug,” and so on.

Which smartphone do you think is better? The Galaxy S III or iPhone 5? Let us know in the comments below.

January 31, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 Review
Samsung has been taking over the mobile market by storm after moving on to manufacturing smartphones based on Google’s Open Source Android operating system. The company recently took over Apple as the world’s top smartphone manufacturer. Keeping up the momentum Samsung announced a couple of new phones last August which included the budget friendly Galaxy Y.

Samsung has a lot to live up to, after releasing the highly successful Galaxy S II customers have started to expect nothing but excellence from the electronics giant. The Galaxy Y aims to offer the latest smartphone capabilities at an affordable price making the phone perfect for students, but is it? How does it compare against other phones at same price point and does it live up to the Galaxy name? Find out in our review below.

The Box:

The factory unlocked Galaxy Y which we received comes in a small white box pictured above, yours may vary. As you open the box you’re greeted by the phone, as you go deeper you find the instruction manual, warranty card and rest of the accessories including the charger, USB cable, earphones and an included 2GB micro-SD card.

The battery included is a 1200mAh unit, which does make the phone last quite a while which we will discuss in fine detail later. The charger included has a fixed microUSB connector unlike the Galaxy S II which had a removable cable, luckily Samsung has included a separate USB cable which is quite redeeming.

Specifications:

The Galaxy Y features the following specifications:
* Quad-Band GSM and dual-band 3G support
* 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
* 3” 256K-color QVGA TFT touchscreen
* ARMv6 830MHz processor, 290MB RAM
* Android OS v2.3 (Gingerbread) with TouchWiz UI
* 160MB of internal storage, hot-swappable MicroSD slot, 2GB card included
* 2MP (1600×1200) fixed focus camera with in-built geotagging which records QVGA@15FPS
* GPS receiver with A-GPS
* Stereo FM radio with RDS
* 3.5mm audio jack
* Document viewer
* Accelerometer and proximity sensor
* Swype keyboard comes with the phone
* MicroUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth 2.1
* Social network integration

Hardware:

The Galaxy Y has a 3-inch display, lets get one thing straight this ain’t no Super AMOLED. The TFT LCD screen on the Galaxy Y has a super low resolution of 240*320 pixels which in this day and age should be extinct. The low resolution in-turn results in a lower quality display and poor colors. The screen proved to be pretty responsive though which kind of makes up for the poor display, it’s a budget phone after all. A proximity sensor is present right above the screen but unfortunately there is no light sensor so you will have to adjust the brightness manually.

The Galaxy Y has a design similar to the original Galaxy but smaller, the front features one main home button and two capacitive back and menu buttons. The front is a typical black face with silver accents. The back is something we don’t see everyday, a bright silver back cover with a very good texture that makes the phone very comfortable to hold.

Moving to the sides now, the left side of the phone sport’s the volume up and down button which are silver just like the back. Unfortunately there is no dedicated camera button like the Galaxy S II which is a shame. The right side of the phone has the the power button like many other Samsung phones. The top of the phone has the 3.5mm headphones jack and microUSB port placed inside a rubber enclosure.

The phone has a 2 megapixel camera which is way below the minimum in this day and age, but as we’ve come to know megapixels aren’t everything. The sensor on the Y is a mediocre at best; the colors a dull, pictures have very little details and the exposure is very erratic as sometimes you will get a very bright or very dark picture. The software bundled in the camera app is very good though, the UI is great and many of the picture options like Panorama mode and smile shot are great to use. Video quality on the phone is pretty much the same, great UI but very poor QVGA video capture at just 15fps shouldn’t be used for anything other than MMS’ing. The Galaxy Y isn’t meant to be a camera phone, not by a long shot so we can’t really blame the phone here.

The Galaxy Y comes with a 830MHz ARMv6 processor which performs pretty good, the phone performed very smoothly during my time with it. The one time I experienced sluggishness when I had more than 5 programs including the web browser and Skype open at the same time. RAM is on the limited side though at just around 290MB which doesn’t give huge room for overclocking but it’s substantial for the casual crowd.
Storage is pretty limited on the Galaxy Y with just 160MB of internal storage, while is almost nothing for apps. I would defiantly recommend getting APPS2SD or a similar app to increase storage for your apps. A 2GB microSD card comes packed with the phone which is pretty substantial.

Speakers on are very poor, you can’t even hear your ring tone if you’re in a crowded place like a park or a shopping mall. Quality is a bit better if there’s less background noise but it isn’t the best experience ever. If you want to listen to music or watch a movie on the phone a headset or earphones are definitely recommended.

Software:

The phone comes with the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with Samsung’s own excellent TouchWiz UI which is my personal favorite Android skin. Navigating through the Menus is very snappy with almost no lag at all due to the light skin. TouchWiz features full Social Network integration so you’re always connected, perfect for them youngsters. Gingerbread’s most annoying feature, at least for me has always been the battery life. The Galaxy Y surprisingly holds itself pretty well with the phone lasting around 11 hours of heavy WiFi, Skype calls, Internet browsing and watching videos. On a normal days it would last a bit more than a day which is excellent.

Samsung has started packing three keyboards with all it’s phones, one is the stock Samsung keyboard, the Gingerbread keyboard and the ultimately awesome Skype keyboard. An FM radio app is included as well, the phone doesn’t have a radio chip though so you have to use your earphones.

The TouchWiz themed music player is pretty good for a phone this size, it’s perfectly optimized for the Galaxy Y’s smaller screen. The app includes both an equalizer and 5.1 channel surround sound option which makes the audio pretty good on headphones but on proper HiFi systems it’s nothing to write home about.

Pre-installed apps on the Galaxy Y include YouTube, Quick Office, Android Market, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Talk, Places, Navigation, Samsung Hubs and other Samsung Apps.

Conclusion:

Overall the Samsung Galaxy Y is a very nice package for the price, expect the phone to be very popular with the young ones out there. The specs might not blow you away but if you’re trying to get started in the world of smartphones and don’t want to take a huge risk then the Galaxy Y is for you.

TechDeville gives the Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 3.5/5 stars.

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January 31, 2013
Nokia HERE now available on iOS App Store

When iOS 6 was announced, the single biggest feature was the new Apple Maps. Apple had successfully ousted Google from their mobile platform to make way for their new mapping service. Things could not have gone more disastrously in the coming months. Choke full of bugs, incorrect point of interests, embarrassingly bad 3D and what not, it was clear that Apple Maps was nothing but an unmitigated disaster. A disaster that will take some time to be fixed.

This gives way to other mapping services to make their mark. We’re already aware that Google is working on their maps app. But today Nokia has unveiled theirs. Conveniently named HERE, this new app brings Nokia’s expertise to iOS. Powered by Navteq, it offers cool new features such as Facebook integration, turn-by-turn directions, the ability to save maps for later, transit directions etc. In addition to this Nokia HERE also offers step-by-step voice-guided walk navigation and public transportation and driving directions. Nokia HERE will also let you download maps for a particular geographical location for offline viewing.

Nokia HERE is available in the iOS App Store for a price of ‘free’. Now the wait continues for Google to brings its prowess back to iOS.

January 31, 2013
Crysis 2 PC Demo to release on March 1.
Crytek has announced the PC Demo of their upcoming FPS shooter “Crysis2″ to be released on March 1. The demo will feature 2 maps which would be playable in 2 gameplay modes for hours of multiplayer action. Another great news is that those who’ll buy Crysis 2 today will get a free upgrade to the Limited Edition of the game.

The two mapsÂ availableÂ in the multiplayer would be “Skyline” and “Pier 17″ in which the players can either play “Team Instant Action Mode” in which teams would be putÂ againstÂ each other to kill as many opponents as possible to win the round or “Crash Site” where two teams would have to fight their way to control Alien Crash sites to gain points.

For those of you willing to buy Crysis 2Â today, Here’s what the Limited Edition will unlock for you:
- Bonus XP – Players will jump into multiplayer battles with an edge by starting with enough experience points to gain early access to all preset class load-outs.
- SCAR Hologram Decoy – This special attachment to the SCAR will project a hologram image of the player, allowing them to confuse their opponents with the decoy.
- SCAR Weapon Skin – This digital camouflage skin will allow players to add a personalized touch to one of the more popular assault rifles in the game.
- Platinum Dog Tag – This special one-of-a-kind dog tag is one of over 250 that will be collectible in Crysis 2 multiplayer, helping to separate you from the rest of the field.
January 31, 2013
HTC Unveils 1.5GHz Tablet Called Flyer!

Well folks finally HTC has pulled off the curtains from the long rumored and anticipated HTC Tablet Flyer. The tablet shall feature 7 inch screen, 1.5 GHz Processor, 1 GB Ram, 32 GB internal Storage(expandable through microSD Card, 1024 x 600 resolution, 4000 mAH Battery(capable of 4 hours continuous video playback) and a 5 MP back camera along with a 1.3 Front Camera. The tablet would be powered by Android 2.4 Gingerbread. HTC claims that they didn’t have enough time to customize Honeycomb. The aluminium body feels pretty solid in hand compared to other tablets and the Pressure Sensitive capacitive Stylus is quite an experience. There’s no word on pricing currently, we hope that this tablet is cheaper than the other ‘Honeycomb’ powered tablets!
Tune in later for more news.

January 31, 2013
Origin Quietly Releases A Core i7 990X Equiped Monster

Move over Alienware there’s a new bad boy in town. Custom PC maker Origin just released their Eon 17 PC equipped with a massively overclocked 990X. The processor at stock run at 3.46Ghz but Origin has managed to run it at 4.6Ghz which is 200Mhz faster than their previous 980X laptop. We’re still wondering what temps it would run at, Maybe a little LN2 would make it better. The laptop has a 17.3-inch full HD display along with two Nvida GeForce GTX 480m running in SLI and up to 24gb of ram. The Core i7 990X is available from major retailers for around $1,050 and the laptop starts from a smooth $2,499.

January 31, 2013
Black Ops 2 Peacekeeper SMG Details Revealed
Black Ops 2′s Game Design Director David Vonderhaar went on Twitter after the release of “The Replacement” trailer for the upcoming Revolution DLC Pack to talk about the DLC pack’s bonus weapon – the Peacekeeper SMG.

The Peacekeeper will be added into the game via an upcoming patch allowing all players to pick up the weapon in custom and public matches but you will only be able to put the gun in your loadout if you have purchased the DLC pack making the system very similar to Battlefield 3. Also to get the Diamond camo for the Peacekeeper SMG all you need to do is get it to Gold after you have completed all of the camo challenges for the other SMGs. We still don’t know at what level or how the gun will be unlocked in Multiplayer or if it will be available in Zombies, guess we’ll find out in a few days.

You may also be interested in:
- Black Ops 2 Double XP Weekend Starting January 25th
- Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC Pack Is Finally Official; Includes New Weapon, New Zombie Game Mode And Maps
The Assault Rifle SMG hybrid gun called the Peacekeeper is the first DLC weapon to be implemented in a Call of Duty game and will be available as an added bonus with the Revolution DLC Pack in Black Ops 2. The Revolution DLC pack hits Xbox Live on the 29th of January for 1200MSP and Wii U, PS3 and PC sometime after.
January 31, 2013
Google Might Be Planning To Incorporate Google TV Into The Next Version Of Android

Ice Cream (The next version of Android) is said to be a mixture of Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Android 3.0 Honeycomb which sounds awesome but it seems that Google might also be planning to add Google TV to the mix. Google TV failed to radically capture markets but incorporating it will the popular smartphone operating system might prove to be a very smart decision.

This decision could lead tablets, phones and TVs running on the same OS which would offer a much streamlined experience, heck we could even be able to have Android powering our house if this keeps up. This rumors sounds really good but we’ll have to wait till Google IO 2011 for the official announcement.

Source: GTVSource

January 31, 2013
Final Fantasy 13 Review

Final Fantasy the king of the JRPG scene revolutionizes the genre with each installment. The series always strives to offer graphics, music, gameplay and presentation at a higher standard and succeeds to give an unforgettable experience every time. Final Fantasy XIII is the first of the series to come out on the current gen consoles and just as expected it is a fantastic game but not without its flaws.

XIII takes place in the protected society of Cocoon which lies above the world of Pulse. Cocoon is the highly civilized world while Pulse is filled with the so called “Savages” and dangerous monsters. The citizens of Cocoon are always under threat from an invasion from Pulse so they rely entirely on the Fal’Cie, god like creatures that provide cocoon with food, weather and even light. Cocoon’s Fal’Cie are considered as protectors while Pulse’s Fal’Cie the enemy. In Final Fantasy XIII players take the role of 6 Cocoon residents who in unexpected events are turned into Pulse l’Cie enemy of Cocoon. Now our Heroes, servants of the Pulse Fal’Cie must fulfill the tasks or suffer a fate far worse that death.

The first half of the game is pretty dull and confusing. A lot of the story is thrown at you without any context or explanation. Also in the first few hours you get a stripped down battle system with easy encounters. The player doesn’t even need to concentrate, just press the Auto-Battle button a couple of times and you’re done. Apart from that the game stays so frigging linear in the first 3 hours that it gets almost boring.

Later when the Paradigm and Crystarium systems become available the game really gets started. Characters win Crystarium Points in battles and then use it for stat boosts, skills, magic etc. Learning new skills opens paths to stronger ones for instance learning Thunder opens paths to learn Thundara.The available commands/moves in battles vary from character to character, but old favorites like Attack, Summon, Defend and series staples like Fire, Lighting, Blizzard are available. Magic cannot be used outside of battle so HP is fully restored after every battle, also players cannot escape from battles although there are items that help avoiding battles. If a player loses the battle they have either the option to try again or return to the last save point.

A new element in the game never implemented in the previous Final Fantasy games is the Padagrim shift system. They are basically classes or stances the characters temporarily take on during battles. They are a bit different from the job system as the in the Padagrim shift system attacking classes can only attack while healers can only heal. There are a total of 6 classes first limited to some characters but later available to all of them. The commando is the main attacker of the party, they deal high non elemental damage, the Ravagers are the Black Mages, they deal elemental damage and chaining combos is easier with them. The other four are Sentinels, they protect other party members and take less damage, Medic the healers, Synergists buff up the party while the Saboteurs inflict status aliments.

Summons my personal favorite element of the final fantasy series make a return as Eidolons, which can only be used by the L’Cie. All the summons have been given a futuristic overhaul and the power to change shapes (called Gestalt mode). Summons use Summon Points instead of Health points to indicate their health, after the Summons points are reduced to zero the Eidolons would disappear.

Moving along to the graphics sections now. The PS3 version runs at native 720p at around 25-30fps while the Xbox360 version runs at 576p at constant 30fps. The differences are very minimal otherwise, I just felt that the Xbox360 controller was more comfortable to use for the game and the Xbox360 version was available bit earlier so I got that. The lighting effects and shadows are brilliant on both versions. Graphically the game is a visual masterpiece just as expected from the franchise. A lot of effort has also been put in the character models as each and everyone of them look unique and extraordinary.

I really liked the music score, one of the best sound tracks of the year. The music blends perfectly with the mood of the story. I really loved Snow’s theme which features a beautiful upbeat melody.

Final Fantasy XIII is a game which some people will like while others will hate. The developers have tried something fresh leaving behind all the other JRPG copycats. In my opinion the game’s craftsmanship cannot be denied, so get the game I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Score: 8.5/10

January 31, 2013