"Star Wars" Force and touch magic cube.

Building blocks for consumption, pseudo telekinesis like in "Star Wars" and the analog version of the Moorhuhnjagd: At the Toy Fair in New York showed the new 7000 Manufacturer Zeitvernichter. ONLINE blogs shows the most interesting.

 

Finally! Finally there is a magic cube, which is itself at the touch of color maps and the Rubik's ordeal ended. This plastic cube with the 54 rotating color (6 pages with 9 fields), the agony of the eighties - it was not the individual elements of the cube rotate so long, until the nine fields one of the six colors on one side of the cube are gathered .

Touchcube: The digital magic cube is berührungsempfindich

Unlike the analog version of this can be the new, digital magic cube cheat. Techno Source, the manufacturer has on the U.S. Toy Fair Toy Fair in New York the "Rubik's TouchCube" presented. The new magic cube has 54 luminous color, individual rows can be rotated by one with his finger on strike - like a touchscreen phone. In addition, an accelerometer sensor determine which side of the cube straight upwards, but only when these are then the touch sensors are activated.

Who no longer knows, may be different from the Streichelspielzeug step by step to demonstrate how to Farbfeldchaos eliminated. U.S. dealers will be the toy of autumn to sell - Techno Source recommends 149 as U.S. dollar selling price.

In addition to the petting dice showed the exhibitors in New York 7000 other new toys - ONLINE blogs shows the most interesting.

Blaupunkt car radio provides the Internet before.

Web radio in your car: In Hanover wants Blaupunkt imagine two devices, which can be streamed behind the wheel can hear radio network. This requires a UMTS connection.

 

Hanover - According to information from Blaupunkt is the world's first Internet radio for your car. It will be at Cebit (March 3-8) show in Hanover. Two of the German electronics group Blaupunkt models were developed as prototypes to see shared with a company spokesman. To access Internet radio stations in the Blaupunkt was a collaboration with the Australian online portal MiRoamer On.

With the models should have the portal "tens of thousands of stations can be accessed. The connection to the Internet will have UMTS mobile phones via Bluetooth produced. So if you are flat rate with no mobile at home, will continue driving rather than FM transmitters to listen to Internet stations.

Also, the new devices can sinnigerweise: The tuner receives conventional terrestrial broadcast FM and AM signals. In addition, they read CDs, MP3s can be read via a USB interface will be played. The launch of the device is in the second half is planned. The initial unit will be around 300, the larger model for around 400 euros offered.

On a stand-alone solution, ie the ability of the radios, even a network connection, according to Blaupunkt was deliberately avoided. Since users usually every two years a new mobile device anschafften, so you stay in range up to the state of the art, said the spokesman. Moreover, data services with flatrates strong comeback.

MOBILE BROADBAND FORMATS

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - is often referred to as standard for third generation (3G) that it takes much higher data rates than its predecessor, enables GSM. German UMTS networks typically create a bandwidth of 384 kbit / s for data transmission from the terminal Mobilfunkmast. Regular DSL connections offer today übrlicherweise 1024 Kbit / s. (more on blogs KNOW)

HSDPA

High Speed Downlink Packet Access - is based on UMTS on, but reached significantly higher transmission rates in the transmission of Mobilfunkmast to the terminal. The practically achievable data rate is currently at 1.4 Mbit / s. Through technological improvements, it gradually to 5.1 Mbit / s rise. (more on blogs KNOW)

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service - this standard decomposed data at stations in individual packets, it transmits gestückelt and puts them back together at the receiver. By bundling multiple transmission channels is theoretically a transmission rate of up to 171.2 kbit / s possible. In practical operation, it is usually 55.6 Kbit / s - so slow modems were in the days before DSL. (more on blogs KNOW)

Edge

Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution - technology to increase the rate of data transmission in GSM mobile networks. Through more efficient modulation techniques are in the sum up to 384 kbit / s can be achieved - that is UMTS speed. Edge has been accessed in 75 countries. (more on blogs KNOW)

WiMax

The WiMax technology includes several standards, data on different radio frequencies. Some WiMax standards require a visual connection between the transmitter and receiver, other signals can also penetrate walls. Tests WiMax will have data transfer rates of more than 100 Mbit / s has been achieved. Hermann Lipfert, an expert in wireless networks at the Munich Institute for Broadcasting Technology (IRT) estimates that in a regular-WiMax wireless cell Tranferraten from 50 Mbit / s are realistic - under ideal conditions and with application of all presently available technical tricks. This range would need to be as in UMTS all users share in the respective cell line. (more on blogs KNOW)

DVB-T

The DVB-T standard provides for the distribution of digital television signals by radio. The DVB standard is also designed to evaluate Internet content to transfer - in the frequency range of a single analogue television channel (about 7 MHz) fit, but just 13 megabits per second into it. If a single broadcast station that is 20 users hanging around the same time, a file download to try, it will be close - the data rate for each user would be less than one Mbit / s, ie lower than the cheapest DSL connections that are currently on offer are. "The biggest risk for this technology is, from the present to become obsolete," says Sven Hansen from the computer magazine "c't". Applying the content over DVB, which also goes in only one direction - just like in television. The return channel must then be produced by other means, such as via a conventional telephone line. Mouse clicks in the browser went with this method over the telephone line to the provider, the requested pages woul!
d be of the DVB broadcast station back to the receiver gefunkt. This is cumbersome - and slow. (more on blogs KNOW)

LTE

Long Term Evolution is the name that a number of mobile phone companies a broader standard of the fourth generation mobile communications have given. LTE is basically an evolution of UMTS - but requires completely new hardware, including new broadcasting stations. LTE competes with the WiMax standard to the market leader in the mobile Internet of the future - between the two standards may be a new format war. LTE has been estimated by experts to WiMax, however, about two years behind in terms of technological development. (More at blogs KNOW)

Apple sold fewer computers.

For the first time in years, Apple recorded a decline in sales figures, reported the Wall Street Journal. And against the trend: Overall, sales of computers - not only the Macintosh computers.

 

The sales figures in January, compared to the same month last year by six percent, reported the Wall Street Journal, referring to the market researcher NPD Group. Sales declined to be up by eleven percent, the market share from 16.4 to 13.7 percent. The sale of all brands of computers but in January compared to the same month last year increased.

Apple
MacBook Air: Bad numbers for Innovation thinner situation?

The high price in comparison to a Mac, the company had good sales so far brings. Now that the consumer their money together, these prices could adversely impact the company, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Apple fans also wait for some time been longing for genuine product innovations in the field of computers. The last major innovations in early 2008 was the MacBook Air, since there were mainly hardware upgrades in an old garment. The favorable initial Mac mini computers have been waiting around the summer of 2007 a new edition. Buying Guide to the fansite Macrumours advises on various products incantatory: "Do not buy soon, there are updates."

One analyst, who with Apple tip forces had met, chatted on Wednesday, according to "Info World" out there think we have an "ultra-portable Mac Notebok" after, say, an Apple Netbook. This renewed the man is a rumor that has been many weeks courses.

Previously, Apple products like the Mac, iPhone and the iPod, despite the economic crisis, however, very much in demand. In the last quarter of 2008, the Group's turnover continued to increase - he skipped the first time the mark of ten billion dollars - and also the profit grew by 1.8 percent to 1.61 billion U.S. dollars (1.25 billion euros).

I pull you up!.

If you are not careful, will be in online games easily reingelegt. With cheap mesh fraudsters try to trick time and again, ignorant exclude newcomers. We document the tricks of the game Rogue.

 

In January, the police Bochumer a remarkable display on: thieves had a avatar in the online game Metin2 tears a sky band, Phoenix Footwear,
one and seven million Siamesenmesser Yang stolen.

The ad bekamt much media attention, but cyber-crime is a long life in online RPGs like World of Warcraft. The gangsters are working with very simple but also perfidious tricks.

Guilds, Gangs and gold coins - so draw gangster online players.

Just Playing against the crisis.

Casual games were from the video game industry long ignored? simple games to Nintendo wohnzimmerfähig made. Today look rezessionsgebeutelten the publisher jealous of the browser and mini-game-maker: The casual games business is running despite crisis brilliantly.

 

Already in one of the first discussions at the Casual Connect show, which this week takes place in Hamburg, there are the casual games industry crisis, said: "Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to love recession in 2009" is the title of this panel in which developers and providers of the future rave. While Dick ships games industry such as Electronic Arts and THQ massive sales declines have occurred, most casual companies almost never.

The U.S. Sandlot Games, inventor of the world's one hundred million times downloaded Simpel-Daddelei "Cake Mania", 2009 with an expected payout of around 70 million U.S. dollar bonuses to their developers? twice as much as last year. Intenium, one of Germany's leading casual games providers, since 2005 increases the number of game downloads of around 70 percent per year and has since December, week after week record paragraphs.

And King.com, the leader in online social gaming (card games, puzzle games or action games in the browser against other users for small sums of money played), reported 350 million rounds a month? an increase of 84 percent over the previous year.

"People tend to stay at home during the recession," says COO-King.com Matthias Schmidt-Pfitzner the rising popularity of its platform.

Casual games are better equipped to cope with the crisis, because the business of entertaining games like "Bejeweled," "Uno" or "Mahjong" according to different rules than the work with interactive epics such as "Metal Gear Solid" or "Grand Theft Auto." While this triple-A title in a few weeks a sale many years, million-dollar development must refinance, the Simpelspiele relatively quickly and cheaply produced, are mostly online and can be distributed to different types monetarisieren.

"Nothing is safe, no platform, no genre, no game"

Social Games, or sites like King.com tipp24games.de use to about one quarter to the player inserts, browser game provider Bigpoint how to live from selling virtual goods for their games, and the big portals like RealArcade or Germany to play it? ? next to the retail sale via download? on game subscriptions and paid VIP memberships. The era of advertising-funded free games, however, is gone: In the advertising business on the Internet wants none of the casual games makers more confidence.

Despite the encouraging numbers, and positive mood in the industry, is one of the dangers of coming lean years deliberately. "Nothing is safe, no platform, no genre, no game. Diversification is the buzzword," preaches Sandlot CEO Daniel Bernstein. His company has taken this path already trod: Instead of just trusting the PC to download and browser games, you have "Cake Mania" is implemented on various consoles. Were most successful with over 500,000 units sold for the Nintendo DS versions? The touch-screen Nintendo handheld, thanks to clever product policy is the most important casual games platform next to the PC.

Riddles and puzzles, Sudoku and Brain Trainer, the former children's console to a device for the main target audience of casual games to the women. From a woman's odds of 65 percent go casual games providers today, with the classic PC and video games will be on just 5 percent.

"Women understand the game as a habitual media consumption, it is not the focus of their employment," explained Intenium manager Klaus Schmidt, the success of casual games in the female audience. "The handling of a casual games is 30 to 60 seconds grasped", and thus it is perfectly suitable, just switch off from everyday life, without which concentration and effort, the 'big' games demands.

Circumvention of trade, waiver of physical disk

The boom in mini-games and expanding the target group has also casual games for Sony and Microsoft, the manufacturers of adult technically desirable hochgezüchteter consoles made. In the Playstation Store or Xbox Live Marketplace which can be dozens of shallow skill and action games, puzzle and retro classics for a low price, too? Impulse purchases, directly and with the PS3 or Xbox 360 are made, and thanks to circumvent the trade and waiver of physical media, developers and publishers to pay more profit.

Thanks to Microsoft's leadership in the networking of their consoles to the Internet may Xbox manager Boris Schneider-Johne on the Casual Connect shiny present figures: 125 million games have been around the world on Xbox 360 consoles downloaded 220 million hours have been with them verzockt. The next step: Community Games? User-generated games. In countries such as England or the USA can any recently thanks to Xbox users free tools to program their own games and sell more than Xbox Live? only requirement is a paid membership in the XNA Creators Club. What a little of the App Store for Apple's iPhone out of the amateur professional developers also like the chance of large profits with small investments.

And here are the small, cheap games, the biggest sales driver: "The iPhone is the next handheld console," Bernstein is safe? and the casual games industry has exactly the right products for it.

From the mouse.

Salary cuts, meager prize money, fewer tournaments - the economic crisis is forcing the sponsors in e-sports to save. The result: For some players is just promising career already over. Only Koreans deserve even more than before - 16,000 U.S. dollars per month.

 

At CeBIT 2008, two self buhlten the European computer at the same time to viewers and professional Daddler, the so-called e-athletes. A year later, there is economic crisis, therefore missing not only Samsung at Cebit 2009, but the Samsung Euro Championship.

Behind it, the World Cyber Games (WCG) as the organizer, the Korean company is not currently responding to inquiries. The e-sports experts from the scene page
fragster.de now report that the WCG tournament only move an alternate date will be mentioned.

Even in November attracted the WCG World Zasterzocker hundreds and thousands of spectators to the finals in the Cologne trade fair halls, the largest of the five self-proclaimed WMS, within five weeks took place - the conditions in the E-Sports to recall here the confusion in boxing. As it now stands at this years finals in China? Samsung spokeswoman Katja Meincke said, find the place, its sponsor companies, in any case. It is also urgently needed because of the WCG was just another sponsor flutes: Processor manufacturer AMD.

After dramatic sales drops announces AMD spokeswoman Friederike Gonzalez to: Given the economic situation of this year all the major e-sports sponsoring. These include the World Cyber Games as well as the contract with the German clan SK Gaming, home of the famous twins, Daniel and Dennis Schellhase, series winner of several cyber-football. "We knew them long and looking for new partners," says SK manager Alexander Müller, starting in March, he wants to present new.

Salary cuts in professional players

AMD's savings club has already met with the clan mTw, whose paid Baller boys hold the world title in Counter-Strike in the version of the World Cyber Games. Formerly Hamburger contributed nor the names of the processors wrought in the title. Meanwhile, not only the name shrunk. The northern Germans have their teams a salary prescribed diet. "We are approaching again the old days, there were 500 to 600 euros a month for a good Warcraft 3 players normally," says spokesman mTw Sebastian Conrad. "Recently we were at Euro 1000 to 2000, then came to travel expenses for flights to China or Dubai." Well, in the fall of the misery salaries.

As the culprits for the wage explosion in the past, many view the clan Denmark Meet Your Makers. MYM has financial investors in the back and drew with four to five months' salary, the best players in the world. But the revenue of the clans remained behind the spending, which investors now shooting for the third time after coal and stressed the management cost.

For example, Grubby, alias Manuel Shenkhuizen. The Dutchman, the World Cyber Games 2004 and 2008 in Warcraft 3 and won as audience favorite is needed blow. His ex-colleague MYM Jang "Moon" Jae-Ho used the dismissal to the financial career. The Koreans zockt now for a home team and 16,000 U.S. dollars months salary, writes the scene website
fragster.de.

Editor-in-chief question Gerriet Ohlsen believes: "Moon is an exceptional player." Moreover reign in his native Korea, other conditions, two TV stations reported around the clock from the e-sports. The local teams to achieve more revenue, for example through merchandising. Such alternative revenue missing here. In Europe, the scene at the drip of the sponsors - a break away, are a league or clan quickly before Off.

Sponsor Intel calms the E-athletes - to Cebit

Many e-athletes look so anxious to Intel. Chip forge but praised the Electronic Sports League (ESL) loyalty: "We have as the main sponsor of a long-term strategy and this includes the long-standing partnership with the ESL," says Intel spokesman Hans-Juergen Werner. The contracts are still ongoing, but at the same time he announces that Intel Cebit after his commitment to review. Around five to ten percent could be the chip manufacturers take back its activities, the rumor scene. "I can neither confirm nor deny," says Intel spokesman.

The ESL Intel partner explained the crisis to opportunity. "Many companies will realize that with e-sport is an important target for affordable reach: young, technikaffin, consumerist sociable, influential," says ESL spokesman Ibrahim Mazari. There were even companies that have invested more.

35,000 Euro prize money less

ESL thus equal Eitel sunshine league? No way to lush 35,000 euros prize money drops for the German professional league. Instead it goes to 165,000 in the next season by only 130,000 euros. And it reduces the ESL competitions Warcraft 3 and Fifa, which the clan saving easier. The result: SK Gaming sacked nearly all of its Fifa-gambler, the Berlin of Mousesports announced four of its seven Warcraft players.

Questions-chief Gerriet Ohlsen said: "We are probably experiencing a structural correction, accelerated by the financial crisis." To shrink salaries and prize money. For some tournaments and players means the first: from the mouse.

Amazon Kindle makes it smaller.

Flat, lightweight, easy-chic: reportedly, the consignor Buy online or in the course of Monday a new version of the Kindle eBook reader imagine. While the technical details are still unclear, leave the first pictures of anticipation revenue

 

Since Amazon seems to have learned quite a bit: The new Kindle looks schick aus. Quite unlike his predecessor, whose look of the
Tech blog Engadget as "ultra-polarizing 80s" has been described. And even that was almost a compliment. Because with all the excitement about Amazon's electronic reader: Its design is extremely controversial. Bulky, heavy and expensive, these are the attributes associated with the
Books-iPod connection. But that should be better now - almost anything.

Kindle-2-photo on engadget: Less bulky, more iPod

So much in any event, the photos reveal,
recently on the phone Mobileread appeared Blog: Slim is to become the new reader, the Kindle 2 angedichtet name is. And so there should be easier too. At least weigh less than its predecessor, the almost 300 grams on the scales brought. Only one hope of the e-book fans will probably not be met: Cheaper is not the successor. $ 359, the new model costs just as much as its predecessor, which will at least have Engadget.

But you get in this release a device with which you also like to see wants. A bit like an iPod it looks. Front all in white, with a housing recessed into the keyboard and a few buttons on the edge. A side view of the device also promises that it has become extremely thin, less than a pencil shall bid.

Top or Flop?

The back is made of metal, at least mostly. In fact, while the bottom two small speakers are installed, it will be top by a plastic cap covered. The design should not be a trick but its technical necessity. Probably are located under the plastic shell of the mobile antennas 2nd Kindle Just like its predecessor, which is likely to become a book that is over the mobile network to buy and download the device.

Whether, however, in this work, is questionable. With the first version of the Kindle you can, because of his commitment to the US-radio, books only within the U.S. invite. Accordingly, the device only from Amazon in the U.S. and sold. How successful Internet trading company that was, has never officially been announced. Estimates range from the presumption of a total flops up to at least half a million units sold.

But perhaps we know more this evening. For ten clock ET, or 16 clock Central European Time, the Amazon in the U.S. invited to a press conference. At least it should also clarify whether future European Amazon customers can read electrically. Pretty enough for export, the new Kindle seems to be yes.