|
1. What does Disc Read Error mean? Disc Read Error can basically happen due to many factors, such as scratched disk, DVD drive problem, dust on the laser reader, and incorrect region. I will explain further on all this problem below. What does it mean? In simple terms, it basically means that your Xbox 360 console cannot read or play the disc inserted into the DVD drive. Read below to see what could cause this. What caused it? Couple of factors contribute to this problem as explained below: Disc is scratched
Disc is dirty/dusty
Incorrect region disc
How to fix it? Firstly, don’t start hitting your console as it will only make matters worst. Disc Read Error fix varies inline with the factors below. If the disc is scratched, you can try cleaning it with a piece of cloth. If the scratches are extreme, then you would need to replace it. If it’s dirty, then just clean it up and make sure to place it in a case or folder. Be careful when buying disc that are meant for different regions. Return it to the shop or retailer if you happen to buy one and get them to give a correct region one. If you want more information on Xbox 360 Problems and how to fix them, Click here Good Luck Gaming
1. What does Disc Read Error mean? Disc Read Error can basically happen due to many factors, such as scratched disk, DVD drive problem, dust on the laser reader, and incorrect region. I will explain further on all this problem below. What does it mean? In simple terms, it basically means that your Xbox 360 console cannot read or play the disc inserted into the DVD drive. Read below to see what could cause this. What caused it? Couple of factors contribute to this problem as explained below: Disc is scratched
Disc is dirty/dusty
Incorrect region disc
How to fix it? Firstly, don’t start hitting your console as it will only make matters worst. Disc Read Error fix varies inline with the factors below. If the disc is scratched, you can try cleaning it with a piece of cloth. If the scratches are extreme, then you would need to replace it. If it’s dirty, then just clean it up and make sure to place it in a case or folder. Be careful when buying disc that are meant for different regions. Return it to the shop or retailer if you happen to buy one and get them to give a correct region one. If you want more information on Xbox 360 Problems and how to fix them, Click here Good Luck Gaming! |
Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway waves the green flag – RGT Online
 Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway waves the green flag 3 February 2012
KANSAS CITY, Kansas & WYOMISSING, Pennsylvania — (PRESS RELEASE) — The green flag is waving today at Kansas Speedway. The thrill of racing, the excitement of gaming and the glamour of Hollywood have come together under one roof with the grand opening of Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City’s first land-based, Las Vegas-style casino. “Just seconds from I-70, the facility’s luxurious design, modern grandeur and extensive amenities provides guests with a range of memorable experiences in an unparalleled, high energy setting on Turn Two of Kansas Speedway, a world class motorsports facility and host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events annually.” The new casino was developed and is operated by Kansas Entertainment, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture of Penn Hollywood Kansas, Inc., a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN: Nasdaq) and Kansas Speedway Development Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISCA: NASDAQ Global Select Market; ISCB: OTC Bulletin Board) (“ISC”). All of the casino games at the facility are owned by the state of Kansas. Penn National Gaming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Peter M. Carlino, and International Speedway Corporation CEO, Lesa France Kennedy, opened the casino at a ribbon cutting ceremony today alongside Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., Joe Reardon, a representative from Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s office, NASCAR drivers Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne as well as other local elected officials and executives from Penn National Gaming and ISC. “As the first new casino in the Kansas City market in 15 years, Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway offers guests a state-of-the-art destination with premier gaming, dining and entertainment options,” commented Peter Carlino. “Just seconds from I-70, the facility’s luxurious design, modern grandeur and extensive amenities provides guests with a range of memorable experiences in an unparalleled, high energy setting on Turn Two of Kansas Speedway, a world class motorsports facility and host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events annually. “The facility’s 2,000 slot machines and 52 table games are complemented by the extraordinary red carpet service that is the hallmark of the Hollywood Casino brand. The property is another drawing card for Wyandotte County, which is already the top tourist destination in the state with more than 11 million visitors annually. Guests from near and far, including Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa can play in style on a single gaming floor and dine at five different restaurants, several with views of the track. “We are grateful to the Kansas Lottery Commission and Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission for their efforts in ensuring that Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway is opening on schedule. In addition, we welcome the partnerships we have established with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas and the many other local and state government officials and entities who have worked closely with our team throughout the planning and construction process. The facility opening will result in more than 1,000 new jobs as well as significant tax revenue and other sustainable economic benefits for the community, county and state.” The casino sits at Turn Two of the Kansas Speedway, overlooking the racetrack and is the first trackside casino in the ISC family of facilities. “The combination of a world-class sports facility with the premier Hollywood-branded casino will set a new standard in gaming entertainment excellence,” stated Lesa France Kennedy. “We appreciate the collective confidence and support of state and local leaders that recognized the tremendous benefit that Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will provide for the citizens of Wyandotte County and the state of Kansas. “ISC and Kansas Speedway have been a collaborative partner with the community to increase area tourism and create jobs for more than a decade. We continue to make significant investments in the facility, most recently with the start of the speedway’s permanent road course construction. This partnership started with a mutual vision to create a true destination for visitors and residents, anchored by a premier motorsports racing facility. Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will build upon our successful track record.” Economic Impact Approximately four million guests are expected to visit Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway annually, bringing increased tourism and tax revenues to Wyandotte County and the state of Kansas. The total estimated economic benefit of the casino is $220 million annually. Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway employs more than 1,000 workers from the greater Kansas City region and is seen as a significant driver of employment in the area at businesses that support the facility. Slot Machines Throughout the Gaming Floor The casino offers nearly 100,000 square feet of gaming. “It’s an inviting and spacious casino floor with easy access to all the games; no turnstiles or space limitations here,” says Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway Vice President and General Manager Bob Sheldon. Hollywood Casino features many player-popular games including high-profile TV show and movie themes such as Wheel of Fortune, Mission Impossible, The Hangover and Tarzan, as well as the area’s first Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers machines in honor of the casino’s Kansas roots. Machines span from penny slots up to $25 and $100 denominations with a top award of a $100,000 jackpot. The higher limit machines are located near the Executive Producer’s Lounge, offering VIP players’ club members exclusive amenities and easy access to the slots they desire. In addition, Hollywood Casino has a wide variety of video poker machines with competitive pay tables, including several located directly at the Sunset Bar. Table Games and Poker Blackjack, craps, roulette and carnival-style games are among the 52 live table games featured at Hollywood Casino with a wide range of minimum bets. Specific tables feature Craps-Free Craps, Mini Baccarat, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Fortune Pai Gow, Let it Ride Bonus and Three-Card poker. The casino’s tables up the ante by offering a Royal Match side bet on blackjack and a progressive jackpot on select table games — both unique features in the Kansas City market. The high limit table game area is adjacent to the Executive Producer’s Lounge on the casino floor, making it easy for players to take a break from the action. Designed for maximum guest comfort, the modern Hollywood Casino Poker Room is trimmed in rich woods, provides drink holders for players at every table and includes seven LCD screens showing sports programming during play. Hollywood Casino’s Poker Room features 12 live tables with games including Texas Hold’em — with a bad beat jackpot — Pot Limit Omaha, traditional 7-card stud and high limit options. Marquee Rewards Hollywood Casino’s multi-tiered Marquee Rewards card allows guests to win whenever they play. Players earn points to redeem for downloadable promotional play, rewards, casino promotions and exclusive access to casino events, parking and lounges. Guests who play at Hollywood Casino as well as Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa in Riverside, also owned by Penn National Gaming, earn tier points at both casinos and can combine them to achieve a higher tier status faster. Soon after opening, players will have the ability to combine their earned rewards and use them at restaurants and outlets at both casinos. Design The casino floor oozes Hollywood glamour. Elegant chandeliers and art deco columns combine with the latest video technology to transport guests to the Golden Age of Hollywood. A giant serpentine video wall projects movie trailers, vintage commercials and animation. Numerous plasma screens and video trees interspersed between slot machines and table games allow guests to enjoy entertainment programming and live sports as they play. “The Hollywood name says it all,” according to Bob Sheldon. “From the moment they walk in the building, our guests are immersed in the comfort and sophistication of the classic style of 1930s Hollywood.” Dining Hollywood Casino’s five restaurants provide great options for a range of tastes. The 103-seat Final Cut Steakhouse takes casino dining to a new level by combining the staples of a Kansas City chop house with a balanced menu of specialty dishes, homemade pastas, seafood and shellfish. The upscale restaurant is under the helm of Chef Marshall Roth, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York who’s worked at several James Beard award-winning restaurants around the world. The fine dining establishment, located right off the casino floor, offers sweeping views of the speedway. Guests dine among elegant glass display cases filled with gowns, tuxedos and accessories worn by Hollywood stars. Final Cut features an intimate cocktail lounge and 20-seat private dining room. Casual diners will enjoy the variety and made-to-order attributes of the 282-seat Epic Buffet. Guests can enjoy a carving station, homemade pizza station, Asian station, salads, soups and sweets right on the casino floor. Speedway lovers can have a drink or a meal while looking over the racetrack at Turn Two Lounge, a sports bar easily accessible from escalators on the casino floor. The roomy, 176-seat cocktail lounge is designed to offer every bar patron multiple views of sporting events on numerous flat screen televisions. An outdoor patio offers more than 40 seats on warmer nights. Access to Turn Two Lounge will be limited on race weekends. Additional dining options include the Marquee Café, a casual and contemporary restaurant with 164 seats; the 24-hour Hollywood & Grind Coffee Bar, which also sells a range of speedway and Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway merchandise; the Sunset Bar, where guests can choose from 12 video poker machines located on the casino floor; and the VIP Lounge, an upscale player’s lounge offering food, cocktails and Hollywood’s signature red carpet service. About Hollywood Casino at Kansas City Speedway Hollywood Casino sits on Turn Two of the Kansas Speedway and is adjacent to The Legends Outlets Kansas City at Village West. It is the most accessible casino in the Kansas City market, just seconds from I-70 (110th Street exit) with a dedicated entrance that is separate from the speedway and does not require driving through Village West. The casino can also be reached by I-435 (State Avenue exit). With 2,300 gaming positions, Hollywood Casino is the Kansas City market’s only land-based, Vegas-style casino with gaming on one floor. Nearly 3,000 parking spaces and valet service are available. For more information, go to hollywoodcasinokansas.com/. About Penn National Gaming Penn National Gaming owns, operates or has ownership interests in gaming and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The company presently operates twenty-six facilities in nineteen jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National’s operated facilities feature approximately 29,700 gaming machines, approximately 640 table games, 2,400 hotel rooms and 1.2 million square feet of gaming floor space. Penn National is also developing casinos in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, with openings targeted for 2012.
|
Bart Simpson joins Barbie in Iran ban – Weird News – Canoe.ca
TEHRAN – The Simpsons are corroding the morals of Iranian youth, an official said on Monday, as dolls based on Bart, Homer and the rest of the American cartoon family joined the shapely Barbie among Western toys targeted by a new crackdown in Tehran. “The Simpsons dolls are merchandise from an animated series, of which some episodes are even banned in Europe and America,” Mohammad Hossein Farjoo, whose agency oversees what Iranian children can play with, told the Sharq newspaper. He did not elaborate on what episodes might have been censored elsewhere. “We do not want to promote this cartoon by importing the toys,” added Farjoo, whose full title is Secretary for Policy-making at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran. Though Iran’s economy is laboring under Western sanctions against its nuclear programme, foreign goods, including genuine and counterfeit toys like Barbie and the Simpsons, are widely sold. Merchants say new efforts to implement bans that have been in place before mean the merchandise is getting harder to obtain from wholesalers and shops prefer not to display the wares. The Islamic Republic’s morality police, fighting “Western intoxication” as the dispute over nuclear technology has raised fears of war, last month went on a drive against Barbie. The American doll’s full figure and revealing wardrobe particularly offend Iran’s leaders, who decree that women must be fully swathed in loose-fitting clothes in public. “Imports of all kinds of dolls that display full adult figures are banned because they promote Western culture,” Farjoo said. It was not clear in what regard the irreverent Simpsons family had offended Iranian regulations – most versions of the cartoon dolls are hardly anatomically accurate. However, while Farjoo said that all-American super-heroes like Superman and Spiderman were still welcome in Iran – because they do battle for the oppressed – the values of the Simpsons, a famously self-centered and irreligious bunch, were not. Their popularity in Iran is hard to gauge; those with access to foreign satellite channels are familiar with the Fox Television cartoon. But it is not shown in Iran, relieving local networks of finding a translation for Bart Simpson’s singular response to tiresome instructions of all kinds: “Eat my shorts!”
|
Compact Discs
This is one of the longest living storage media found in the market today. It is primarily used to store data and is widely used by all sectors of society. Cost efficiency is the main reason, it is still used as it is relatively cheap to manufacture. It was invented in 1981 and was launched in 1982. In 1985, the CD -ROM was developed and this new media began to be used for storing data generated on a computer. It quickly became the default standard for computer storage media. It is the physical manufacturing of your compact disc from small poly carbonate beads. One of the components in the production of the beads is crude oil. Audio or CD ROM data is burned onto high quality CDRs and labeled using either a laser printed label or black thermal printing directly on the disc face. The main advantage of the CD-R discs is that they work in almost all CD players and CD-ROMS, which are among the most prevalent media players today. They are even relatively inexpensive. The main drawback is once you have burned in the digital pattern, it can’t be erased and rewritten. Packaging is generally termed into 2 groups. 1. standard packaging Standard packaging includes the standard CD jewel case, slim jewel case, clam shells, ejector case, DVD case and plastic wallets which fall under the mailing and storage category. Creative packaging includes the digipak, printed card wallets, mail packs, 3 packs, slipcases, and more. These are created mostly from card and can be printed, or glass laminated and even embossed. A CD is a fairly simple piece of plastic consists of an injection-molded piece of clear polycarbonate plastic. Once the clear piece of polycarbonate is formed a thin, reflective aluminum layer is sputtered onto the disc. Then a thin acrylic layer is sprayed over the aluminum to protect it, the label is then printed onto the acrylic. SHORT RUN CD DUPLICATION.: In this modern age of competition you need an affective, affordable and reliable method to draw in a steady stream of customers. CDs are copied and winged not exceeding 500 units. It offers quicker turnover times and 1. It saves time and money if you only need a small quantity of Cds. Duplication process is done to a CD in duplication towers where many CDs are burnt simultaneously, instead of being injection molded as in CD replication. MUSIC CD DUPLICATION: Duplication refers to burned CDs — like the CD burner that we’ve all seen on personal computers. Burned audio CDs have playability issues in some CD players, particularly car stereos, portable CD players, and older CD players. Replication refers to pressed CDs. For replication projects, the first thing to do is a bit test on the master to make sure that there are no uncorrectable errors. The master might very well play in your CD player, but fail this test. This is one of the most frustrating experiences that can happen. To capture on film the faces of those who must repeatedly turn in new masters because the used cheap burning software, or burned their master at 32x, would be a story of great interest to those who never experience this frustration Duplication has faster turn times, since a stamper does not need to be made. The duplication process can literally start as soon as a master is received, whereas the replication process doesn’t begin for about 5-7 business days, during which time both a glass master and a stamper are made.
|
Mike's Bloggity Blog » Download this: Michael Bernard Fitzgerald’s ‘Follow’.
I don’t really consider myself a bossy person. Controlling, manipulative and whiny, sure, but bossy, not so much. But can you please download this new song by one of my favourite singers? I have no investment in this, other than the fact that I want you to have good, no great, music on your iPod. It’s called Follow and it’s by Calgary’s Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. It’s the lead single off of his upcoming album and it’s good. So great. A fun mix between pop, rock and folk. But this isn’t Rolling Stone, so just download it now. Do yourself a favour and send me gifts of gratitude later. And I mean really, at 99¢, what’s the point in not downloading it? And if I’m wrong, well I won’t pay you back, but I will recommend that you get better taste in music. Click here to download it.
|
After Years Of Near Obscurity, Atari Turns To Copyright Trolling
 from the when-you-hit-rock-bottom dept
A long, long time ago, Atari was king of the gaming world. It was the manufacturer of the first mainstream home video game console and was making a ton of money. That was until the video game crash of the 80s. Even though Atari was king of the world, it was not able to manage the prospect of home gaming very well and the market became saturated with terrible games that were extremely overpriced. The inability for Atari to rectify the problem ended up with gaming lying on its death bed. While the rest of the gaming world moved on after the video game renaissance, Atari was not able to keep pace with the new generation of consoles and games. After several failed consoles, it fell into obscurity. Since then, Atari has never been itself. It has been sold and resold many times over the last 3 decades. Eventually, it became nothing more than a name and a legacy portfolio. It has never been able to regain that household name status of its wonder years and like all obsolete companies it has fallen to the only thing left to do, trolling. Not just any trolling, but copyright trolling. Atari’s latest owners recognize the value of its legacy portfolio. It knows that a number of developers today grew up playing the Atari 2600 and have fond memories of those games. Like many people who love the culture of their childhood, they want to pay homage to that memory. Enter Black Powder Media, the makers of the iOS game Vector Tanks. These guys wanted to pay homage to the classic arcade game Battlezone and made Vector Tanks in its image. Black Powder tried to make it unique and were fairly successful at it. However, even Black Powder’s best efforts to avoid copyright infringement were not enough for Atari.Anything that has even a passing resemblance to an Atari classic has been issued a copyright infringement claim. So – thanks to their special relationship with Apple – Atari has successfully scrubbed the app store of their perceived competition. It looks as though Apple complied without so much as a rebuttal or independent evaluation. Atari decided that because it was no longer able to compete in a fair market, it would clear the market of any perceived competition. The fact that Apple was complacent and cooperative in all of this is also troubling. This is the type of world we live in today, where the claims of a copyright holder are taken at face value and no chance for a rebuttal is given to the victims. This is the current world of the DMCA, where in order for a platform to avoid liability, it resorts to a shoot first, ask questions later philosophy. What makes this even worse is Atari’s attitude about the take downs. In response to a query by Develop, Atari brushed off any concerns by stating little more than, “We need to protect our IP”.While we have great respect for the indie developer community and greatly appreciate the enthusiasm that they have for our renowned properties, we need to vigorously protect our intellectual property and ensure that it is represented in highly innovative games. Is that how you show respect? You think that indie developers enjoy having their work killed off with no questions asked and no chance to respond? In what can be seen as an even bigger slap in the face to indie developers, Atari still wants to work with them.We look forward to further developing strong relationships with the indie app development community through additional games that we will be releasing in the future.How can you build a strong relationship with indie developers when you are killing off their games? Why would any game developer want to work with you if this is the attitude you will take? If Atari was really interested in working with indie developers, it would probably be better to actually respond to their inquiries for licensing deals. As Black Powder told Venture Beat:The cruel irony here is that I tried for years to get ahold of Atari to license their IP but they seemed to have fallen off the planet. Now this. It’s very depressing. So instead of working with the game developer to license your IP, you wait for that developer to waste its time and money making the game it wants anyway and then killing it once it hits the app store. While the games themselves may have a strong resemblance to the games in Atari’s portfolio, Atari cannot hold a copyright on ideas. These games would have to have more than a passing resemblance to Atari’s games for this to fly in any court. Which is probably why these takedowns were done privately through Apple. Of course, this behavior of lashing out and then coming in saying they want to work with the companies attacked is nothing new for Atari. So are these the final death throes of a dying game company or is Atari poised for a retro game come back? Considering that Atari has been trying for many, many years to revive its legacy portfolio, I don’t think this is any indication of new life within this shell of a company. 47 Comments | Leave a Comment.. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in…
|
Al-Qaeda seeks new alliances, new conflicts
 13 February 2012 Last updated at 15:11 ET Share this page By Frank Gardner BBC security correspondent While a Somali rally signalled support for al-Qaeda's merger with al-Shabab, the former has few operatives within the country
Despite the media focus on events in Arab states, al-Qaeda has been largely absent from the headlines. But could recent announcements herald the group's resurgence in the region? Largely ignored by the recent reform movements sweeping over much of the Arab world, al-Qaeda's core leadership has responded to developments in the Middle East and Africa with two major announcements within days of each other. First came the statement on 9 February by Osama Bin Laden's successor, Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, that al-Qaeda had now merged with Somalia's insurgent group, al-Shabab. Then, on 11 February, an eight-minute video by the same al-Qaeda leader was posted on the internet calling for a jihad to overthrow the embattled regime of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. ‘Safe havens’ So what is behind the announcements and will either have any impact? Regional analysts have greeted the Somali merger with a degree of cynicism, pointing out that al-Shabab already announced it was merging with al-Qaeda in 2009. Zawahiri may hope to repeat Bin Laden's recruitment of foreign jihadists This time it was al-Qaeda that announced the merger, a sign – say some – of the heavy pressure it is under and its need for new partners and new fields of conflict. Last week, the London think tank Rusi (Royal United Services Institute) put the number of non-Somali jihadists fighting alongside al-Shabab at 200, of whom it says a quarter are British. The number of actual al-Qaeda operatives inside Somalia is probably very small indeed. Recent drone strikes by the CIA as well as military incursions by Kenya and Ethiopia have sought to restrict its use of "safe havens" in Somalia. But the country is sufficiently fragile, lacking in effective government and endowed with such porous borders that it could still become a magnet for foreign jihadists. Somali peace ‘remote’ For core al-Qaeda, struggling to present itself as relevant to fast-moving events in the Arab world, it makes sense to shore up a strategic alliance with a still-powerful regional movement bitterly opposed to the weak, western-aligned government in Mogadishu. But for al-Shabab, accepting and welcoming this merger is a strange move. True, it too is under huge pressure; driven out of central Mogadishu, pushed back from the south-west border by the Kenyans and under attack from African Union forces elsewhere. But al-Shabab is still the single most powerful Somali force in much of Somalia and it was assumed that sooner or later it would have to lay down its arms in a peace deal. Yet now, having publicly and unequivocally allied itself with al-Qaeda, that prospect seems more remote than ever. For many of the world's governments engaged in seeking a long-term solution to Somalia's problems, al-Shabab has effectively put itself completely beyond the pale. Rallying cry Al-Qaeda's call to arms in Syria makes perfect sense from its perspective. In Saturday's taped address, Zawahiri urged Muslims in the neighbouring states of Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon to rise up and support the rebellion against President Assad's rule. He told Syrians not to rely on the West or Arab governments; there was no mention of Russia or China which blocked intervention at the UN Security Council. The Syrian opposition may not welcome al-Qaeda today but what of the future? Core al-Qaeda is now in a similar position to where it was in February 2003 when, having been driven out of Afghanistan, losing support and in search of a cause, Osama Bin Laden issued a rallying cry to fellow Muslims to come to the defence of Iraq. In an audio statement at the time, he said: "Regardless of the removal or the survival of the socialist party or Saddam, Muslims in general and the Iraqis in particular must brace themselves for jihad against this unjust campaign and acquire ammunition and weapons." While this did nothing to stave off that year's US-led invasion, it did help usher in a constant stream of foreign jihadists that provided the sharpened tip of Iraq's subsequent insurgency. Al-Qaeda will now be looking to exploit Syria's sectarian tensions, playing on the resentment by many Sunnis at the supremacy of the Alawite minority. And yet Zawahiri's message has attracted surprisingly little attention on social media sites, at least from those opposing the Syrian government. Two days after it was posted on the internet, Syrian Facebook pages calling for President Assad's downfall had still not reported it. New foothold? On the micro-blogging site Twitter, it was either ignored or condemned by major users. There was marginally more interest from Assad supporters on social media sites, who warmed to the suggestion that al-Qaeda's message somehow proved it was in league with the US and Israel. But, as has been seen in Egypt and Tunisia, trends on Twitter and Facebook do not necessarily project the situation one year down the line. While al-Qaeda's message may be unwelcome to most in the Syrian opposition today, there could still be scope in the future. If, say, Syria descends into protracted anarchy, al-Qaeda could establish a new foothold in a country that for years imprisoned and tortured its members.
|
Need Christmas Gift Ideas? How About Games
If you are having trouble coming up with a good gift idea for Christmas this year, don’t fear. There is a good chance that games are somewhere on the list of everyone you are going to get a gift. You will still have to know a little bit about the person’s gaming preferences, but if you’re buying them a gift, this is something you should know. If you don’t know the gift recipient very well, we have some tips for buying games for them as well. By the time you’re done reading, you should have a good idea of the perfect game for your Christmas gift. Buying Video Games for All Ages There are other things you should know when buying video games as gifts, but these two tips should get you headed in the right direction.
Old School Games as Christmas Gifts If you don’t know what video game system your gift recipient has or aren’t sure of what types of video games they like, there is another solution available. Board games aren’t flashy, but they’re still around for a reason – they’re fun. Not to mention they usually don’t cost as much as the latest and greatest video games. As with video games, you want to make sure you stick to age appropriate games. Games as Gifts for Different Ages
|
iPad Enclosures and Socket Mobile Partner to Offer Securely Mounted, High-Performance Barcode Scanning Solutions With the Apple(R) iPad(R)
NEWARK, CA, Jan 31, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –Socket Mobile, Inc. /quotes/zigman/112593/quotes/nls/sckt SCKT +9.75% , an innovative provider ofmobile productivity solutions, today announced a partnership withiPad Enclosures, a company that designs, engineers and manufacturestamper-proof and theft-resistant mounts and stands for the AppleiPad. The partnership combines iPad Enclosures’ robust tablet mounts andstands with the Socket Bluetooth(R) Cordless Hand Scanner (CHS) 7X, asmall and lightweight portable barcode reader, and the CHS 7Xi, aversion of the scanner that has been certified by Apple for the iPadand other iOS devices. The combined solution makes it practical forbusinesses to deploy the Apple iPad in both mobile and kiosk-basedapplications by preventing theft and tampering of the iPad,protecting the iPad during heavy use, and adding commercial-graderapid and robust 1D and 2D barcode scanning capabilities critical tomany mobile business applications. The iPad mounts can be installedat a fixed location or on a mobile picking cart to enable freedom ofmovement. “Many of our customers in retail, logistics, manufacturing, and otherindustries require barcode scanning for their mobile operations,”said Tyler Lyon, vice president of product development at iPadEnclosures. “After testing several Apple compatible barcode scanners,iPad Enclosures found Socket Mobile to provide the best combinationof performance, ergonomics and battery life, and we exclusivelyrecommend the Socket CHS as our barcode scanner of choice for theApple iPad.” “Socket Mobile is pleased to partner with iPad Enclosures to offerour Apple customers secure and robust mounting solutions for theiPad,” said Mike Gifford, executive vice president at Socket Mobile.”By reducing the risks of device deployment, iPad Enclosures enablesbusinesses to confidently deploy the iPad with our CHS barcodescanners, while also accelerating return on investment.” Warehouse Mobile Solutions (WMS), a sister company of iPadEnclosures, will market Socket barcode scanners as part of aninnovative, extremely affordable solution for warehouse orderfulfilment that enables businesses ranging from start-ups to largecorporations to integrate barcode reading with iPads into theiroperations. The Socket CHS 7X and 7Xi barcode scanners are available with anoptional Software Development Kit (SDK). To learn more, please watchthis video or visit the SDK webpage. About iPad Enclosures iPad Enclosures designs, engineers, andmanufactures mounts and stands for the Apple iPad and Android tabletssuch as the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle Fire. The company isa division of ArmorActive Inc. For more information, please visit ipadenclosures.com . About Warehouse Mobile Solutions Warehouse Mobile Solutions designs,engineers, and integrates a robust barcode scanning solution for usein warehousing and distribution centers utilizing Apple iPads mountedto mobile picking carts managed by an innovative software solution toprovide accurate and efficient order fulfilment. The company is ajoint venture between ArmorActive, HOJ Engineering and Sales andBoxworks Software. For more information, please visit warehousemobilesolutions.com . About Socket Mobile, Inc. With more than 19 years of experience inthe Automatic Identification and Data Capture market, Socket makesmobile computing and productivity work. The company offers a familyof handheld computers and an extensive portfolio of AIDC peripheralsdesigned specifically for business mobility deployments and to enableproductivity increases and drive operational efficiencies inhealthcare, hospitality and other vertical markets. The company alsooffers OEM solutions for the mobile device market. Socket isheadquartered in Newark, Calif. and can be reached at 510-933-3000 or socketmobile.com . Follow Socket Mobile on Twitter @socketmobileand subscribe to sockettalk.socketmobile.com, the company’s officialblog. Socket and Socket Bluetooth Cordless Hand Scanner are trademarks orregistered trademarks of Socket Mobile. Apple and iPad are trademarksof Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All othertrademarks and trade names contained herein may be those of theirrespective owners. Copyright 2012, Socket Mobile, Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Socket Mobile, Inc. Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
|
US game retail industry tanks in January – NPD
The US retail game industry has taken its first step into 2012, and it appears to have resulted in a broken ankle. Today, the NPD Group reported dismal January retail sales, with total consumer spend in the US falling 34 percent to $750.6 million. “One factor for the double digit declines in new physical software was the lack of new launches. New launches in January 2011 represented 13 percent of dollar sales and new launch performance dropped 99 percent in Jan 2012. Games like Dead Space 2, Little Big Planet 2, and DC Universe Online ranked within the top ten last year,” commented NPD analyst Anita Frazier. New software sales for console, portable, and PC games fell 37 percent during the month to $379.6 million. However, NPD did note that it expects sales outside the new physical channel, such as full-game and add-on downloads, social games, subscriptions, and rentals, brought in an additional $350 million to $400 million in January. The top game of 2011 maintained its number one position, as Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 led January’s sales charts. In fact, there was no change at the top over December. Ubisoft’s Just Dance 3 again finished second at US retail, with Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim securing third place. Take-Two’s NBA 2K12 emerged to edge out EA’s Battlefield 3 for fourth- and fifth-best-selling games. Hardware took an equally hard hit in January, falling 38 percent to $199.5 million. Though NPD does not release its sales figures, Microsoft independently announced that its console was the best selling of the bunch for the 13th month in a row, having shifted 270,000 units. Sony and Nintendo had not disclosed hardware sales figures as of press time. JANUARY 2012 US GAME SALES OVERALL DOLLAR SALES Total retail sales: $750.6 million (-34%) Non-PC hardware: $199.5 million (-38%) Non-PC software: $355.9 million (-38%) Total software: $379.6 million (-37%) Accessories: $195.2 million (-18%) TOP 10 GAMES FOR JANUARY 2011 Title (Platforms) – Publisher 1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360, PS3, PC) – Activision 2. Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3) – Ubisoft 3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC) – Bethesda Softworks 4. NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, PC) – Take-Two 5. Battlefield 3 (X360, PS3, PC) – EA 6. Madden NFL 12 (X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP) – EA 7. Mario Kart 7 (3DS) – Nintendo 8. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, PC) – Activision Blizzard 9. Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii) – Majesco 10. Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3, PC) – THQ
|
