Saturday, July 7, 2012

EA SimCity Social On Facebook Review

Facebook on Thursday opened its doors to SimCity Social, integrating the fan favorite features of the computer game into a city-building simulation for the Farmville-wary and SimCity Social is about playing with friends and watching unique sprawling metropolises come to life in unexpected ways. SimCity Social has no set linear paths to follow and cities grow as a direct result of the choices the players make, players are forced to deal with issues like crime, fire, and pollution. The game also boasts an evolving friend or foe system that allows players to set up rivalries and friendships with neighboring cities and those looking for a change of scenery can purchase the digital deluxe edition with British, French, or German-inspired neighborhoods.



SimCity Social cuts the ribbon on the world's largest social network! Electronic Arts Inc. announced that SimCity Social is now live on Facebook. A close collaboration between many talented people at Maxis and Playfish, SimCity Social takes the hallmark features that SimCity fans have loved over the past two decades and integrates them with advanced social features, bringing the real social city-building simulation to the masses. "SimCity Social will entice a new generation of urban planners with its easy-to-use tools that allow anyone to expand and grow their own unique sprawling metropolises and watch as it comes to life in fun and unexpected ways," said Jami Laes, Vice President of Global Studios for Playfish. "SimCity Social is about playing with your friends. Whether you do that with kindness by helping put out a fire or through mischievous acts like helping a criminal escape, the decisions you make with your friends will determine how the story of your cities plays out." In SimCity Social, there are no set linear paths to follow; cities evolve as a direct result of player-driven choice allowing for more creative freedom. As mayor, players will deal with unforeseen issues like fires, crime and pollution, and will make crucial decisions that will help them discover how their cities take shape. Social interactions in SimCity Social go far beyond just visiting friends' cities or using them as resources to complete tasks.


Players can choose to build friendly relationships with other cities or form an intense rivalry through a dynamic and ever-evolving friend and foe system. With multiple options for city growth, unexpected gameplay events that shape the destiny of the city, and city-to-city relationships, players will see recognizable changes that bring forth aesthetic and gameplay alterations based on the decisions made in the game - for better or for worse. SimCity fans can visit www.facebook.com/simcitysocial to "Like" the game and join the more than 750,000 fans. Players of SimCity Social who Like the game get access to free in-game exclusive content. Following the success of the integration in The Sims Social, Dunkin' Donuts will be integrated into SimCity Social at launch where players can gift Coffee Boosts and Donut Boosts to enable friends to enhance their game play experience. Dunkin' Donuts will continue to launch new features and gifting campaigns in the game throughout the year, including exclusive SimCity Social items available to players who choose to visit and "like" the Dunkin' Donuts Facebook page.

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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Archos 97 Carbon Android 4.0 Elements Slate Review

Archos introduced the first in its new Elements line of Google Android-based consumer tablets, a 9.7-inch device priced at $250 and the 16GB Archos 97 Carbon running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich sports a 5x multi-touch screen, front-facing and rear-facing camera, expandable storage up to 32GB courtesy of its microSD card slot, and a graphics engine capable of decoding full 1080p HD video and playing it on an HDTV via an HDMI port. The tablet is 0.45 inches thick and weighs 1.36 pounds--a little thicker, but lighter, than the new iPad, which measures 0.37 inches thick and weighs 1.44 pounds and the Archos 97 Carbon is a fairly attractive tablet with a brushed aluminum finish on the back. Other features include a front and back camera, 1GB of RAM, full access to Google Play for Android apps, and the Office Suite Viewer preloaded for opening office docs and the single-core 1GHz processor is a disappointment, considering most new tablets have dual- or quad-core processors.



ARCHOS, an award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, is pleased to introduce the ARCHOS 97 carbon, the first of its new tablet range called "ELEMENTS", an entry-level line up of 7, 8, and 9.7 inch tablets that combine ARCHOS design and engineering with full access to Google Play and a full suite of Google apps at an affordable price. Equipped with the latest mobile technology and an elegant aluminum finish, the ARCHOS 97 Carbon is only 21.8 ounces and 0.45" thick. Its sharp and clear IPS multi-touch screen delivers amazing vivid colors and impressive wide viewing angles. For the smoothest interface experience, ARCHOS has powered this tablet with a fast 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM while running Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". Combining very high performance hardware, intuitive software and affordability, this Google Play supported device will be available starting in July 2012 for $229.99 - $249.99 SRP. "We wanted to introduce a new series that not only combines affordability with a new slim design, but features the best that Google has to offer," says Henri Crohas, ARCHOS Founder and CEO. "With the ELEMENTS series we have done just that. It's the perfect balance of hardware, software optimization and content through the Google Play ecosystem."


Key Features:
  • 9.7-inch 5x Multi-Touch Screen with IPS technology
  • Optimized for Google Play: Over 600,000 apps and games, the world's largest collection of eBooks, millions of songs, thousands of movies, and a growing selection of TV shows and magazines
  • A complete media device, the ARCHOS 97 carbon can decode full 1080p HD video and can send a 1080p HD video to an HDTV via the HDMI-out port
  • Stylish design with premium aluminum finish and a 0.45” thickness
  • Front and back camera
  • Includes 16GB of internal flash memory, expandable both via the microSD slot (supporting SDHC cards up to 32GB) or via a USB flash drive in its full-sized USB host port
  • Includes access to Android apps from Google, including Gmail, Google Talk, Google+, Google Maps, YouTube and 5GB of free cloud storage with Google Drive
  • Pre-loaded with Office Suite Viewer for reading office documents, a demo of World of Goo–-the critically acclaimed puzzle game, as well as News Republic and Brief Me to manage your world news and customized social media feeds

Specs:
  • Tablet
  •  
  • Android (Ice Cream Sandwich [4.0])
  •  
  • 9.7 inches
  •  
  • Internal storage (16 GB, Flash),...
  •  
  • 2 megapixels
  • 9.41 x 7.24 x 0.45 in
  •  
  • 1.37 lb
  •  
  • July 5, 2012

General

  • Handheld
  • Tablet
  • Android (Ice Cream Sandwich [4.0])

Input

  • Yes

Networking

  • 802.11 b, g, n (2.4 GHz)
  • WEP, WPA, WPA2

Media

  • Yes
  • FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA
  • AVI, h.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
  • BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG

Camera

  • 2 megapixels
  • Yes

Sync

  • OTA sync

Display

  • 9.7 inches
  • 1024 x 768
  • 131 PPI
  • LCD (Active, Color, Backlit)
  • Capacitive [finger]

Storage

  • Internal storage (16 GB, Flash), Memory card
  • microSD (microSDHC)

Power

  • Rechargeable
  • Li-polymer

Audio

  • 3.5mm

Connections

  • 2.0 (Micro-USB port, USB charging)

Hardware

  • 1 GHz
  • 1 GB

Size & weight

  • 9.41 inches (h)
    7.24 inches (w)
    0.45 inches (d)
  • 1.37 pounds

Pricing & availability

  • Pre-release
  • July 5, 2012
  • $229 USD

Colors

Skytex Skypad Gemini And Protos Android 4.0 ICS Tablets Review

Skytex announces Gemini and Protos: ICS tablets that sound like X-Men and the Skypad Gemini is a 7-inch tablet with a $179 price tag and your standard fare of Android features. Inside are a 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and the Gemini offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 3,000mAh battery, and microSD expansion The Skypad Protos offers a 9.7-inch 1,024x768-pixel IPS display with a 4:3 aspect ratio and both the Skypad Gemini and the Skypad Protos provides users with 5GB of cloud storage and include access to the 1Mobile Market.



SKYTEX Technology Inc., developer of cutting-edge Windows and Android tablets has announced its 9.7-inch SKYPAD Protos (MSRP $279) and 7-inch SKYPAD Gemini (MSRP $179) Android 4.0 tablets will be released in early July. In addition, users will have access to productivity suites, premium and free cloud services including 5GB storage. At the heart of each tablet is a powerful 1.2 GHz Arm Cortex A8 processor paired with a Mali-400 graphics card for superior performance. Features include Bluetooth, 8GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM that provides smoother navigation, better video streaming, and superior gaming performance, along with access to over 200,000 must-have Android apps through the 1Mobile Market. The SKYPAD Protos 9.7" tablet, available in either glossy black or white, is highlighted by a wide-view IPS screen (4:3 aspect ratio). It houses an extended 6000mAh battery, with an estimated 10-20 hours of continuous web usage, optimized Wi-Fi, a 5MP camera and 2MP front facing webcam. It also supports 1080p HD video and 3D through HDMI, comes with a mini USB port, and micro-SD card slot for up to 32GB for additional storage of favorite games, movies, photos, and documents. The SKYPAD Gemini 7-inch capacitive multi-touch tablet (16:9 aspect ratio) with its rubberized "slip-proof" coating is perfect for gaming & media. Additional features included a 2MP webcam, optimized Wi-Fi, an HDMI output with support for 1080p and 3D through an HDTV, mini USB port, and a micro-SD card slot for up to 32GB of additional storage. For users of SKYTEX Android tablets purchased prior to the availability of its free cloud storage offer, value added apps and productivity suites, they can be downloaded at www.skytex.com.


Speces:
  • Tablet
  •  
  • Android (Ice Cream Sandwich [4.0])
  •  
  • 9.7 inches
  •  
  • Internal storage (8 GB, Flash),...
  •  
  • 5 megapixels
  • Up to 10 hours
  •  
  • July 3, 2012

General

  • Handheld
  • Tablet
  • Android (Ice Cream Sandwich [4.0])

Input

  • Yes

Networking

  • 802.11 b, g, n (2.4 GHz)
  • WEP, WPA, WPA2

Media

  • Yes
  • AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA
  • h.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
  • BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG

Camera

  • 5 megapixels
  • 2 megapixels

Sync

  • OTA sync

Other features

  • Yes

Display

  • 9.7 inches
  • 1024 x 768
  • 131 PPI
  • Capacitive [finger]

Storage

  • Internal storage (8 GB, Flash), Memory card
  • microSD (microSDHC)

Power

  • Up to 10 hours
  • Rechargeable
  • Li-polymer (6000 mAh capacity)

Audio

  • 3.5mm

Connections

  • 2.0 (Mini-USB port, USB charging)
  • 2.0 + EDR

Hardware

  • 1.2 GHz
  • 1 GB

Pricing & availability

  • Pre-release
  • July 3, 2012

Colors