Monsters and Critics

Nook finally free of the Christmas pre-order cranny

9. Feb 2010, 07:26

Prospective buyers of Barnes & Noble’s Nook electronic book reader will be thrilled to learn that the U.S. bookseller has officially announced the device’s return to retail after massive pre-Christmas demand caused a slight delay in availability.

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Fence-sitters beware: Apple already considering iPad price drop

9. Feb 2010, 06:18

Apple hasn’t even officially unleashed the recently unveiled iPad tablet computer upon the world, and yet rumours are already circulating that the Cupertino-based gadget giant is preparing to hack down the device’s price points.

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Endeavour astronauts checking for foam damage

9. Feb 2010, 05:44

According to the U.S. space administration, the six-strong crew aboard the Endeavour have unfolded a 100-foot boom arm equipped with a scanning laser, which will be used to inspect the delicate heat shielding tiles coating the vehicle’s underside.

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China closes training ground for cybercriminals

8. Feb 2010, 16:40

Police have closed a known training website in Central China's Hubei province, which was used to teach an astounding number of would-be hackers how to use Malware and other techniques to pillage the masses online. ... more

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Four missions remain as Endeavour blasts towards ISS

8. Feb 2010, 10:16

Successfully fuelled and free of any weather-based hindrances, the space shuttle Endeavour has completed the final night launch scheduled for NASA’s aging fleet and is presently winging its way towards the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

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More gaming temptation via BioShock 2 and Dante's Inferno

8. Feb 2010, 09:51

Although perhaps not as widely anticipated as SEGA’s Bayonetta or EA’s epic RPG Mass Effect 2, 2K Games’ BioShock 2 promises more underwater thrills throughout the submerged city of Rapture, while EA’s demonic Dante’s Inferno is likely to appeal to cross-platform hack-and-slash aficionados and those PS3 owners struggling to suppress their hunger for God of War III.

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Windows Mobile 7 details leaked ahead of Mobile World Congress

8. Feb 2010, 06:07

Although Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed the existence of WinMo 7, the emergence of leaked aspects supposedly connected to the new mobile operating system isn’t likely to quell the surge of related chatter. ... more

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Boeing 747-8 jetliner ready for flight test

8. Feb 2010, 05:29

Aircraft manufacturing titan Boeing has said its new 747-8 jumbo airliner is ready to take to the skies and stretch its newly designed wings after successfully completing a series of ground-based taxi tests this past Saturday.

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Mission controllers Endeavour to achieve Monday launch

8. Feb 2010, 04:34

Although moving to fill the shuttle’s massive external fuel tank indicates that the U.S. space administration expects to benefit from a gap in the weather, a spokesman said a 60 percent chance of launch-friendly conditions meant mission controllers were only “cautiously optimistic” of getting Endeavour away.

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Google turns to the NSA for help - should you worry?

6. Feb 2010, 16:05

The news that Google has turned to the NSA for help in the aftermath of the attack on their systems has earned mixed reactions both on and offline. Pundits have come out on both sides of the fence, but the ultimate question is, should the average consumer worry about this team-up? ... more

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Amazon eBook prices look set to skyrocket

5. Feb 2010, 18:15

The $9.99 USD price point attached to Amazon’s eBook publications could soon be the cheaper marketplace exception to an otherwise inflated price rule following news that yet another prominent publishing house has revealed a desire to set its own prices via the online retailer. ... more

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Sony Ericsson's Aspen first to offer WinMob v6.5.3

5. Feb 2010, 17:40

Seeing as we provided you with a breakdown of exactly what Microsoft is offering in its new Windows Mobile update (version 6.5.3), we thought it best to detail the first handset out of the gate that will be carrying the overhauled operating system.

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Microsoft oddly quiet after decent Windows Mobile upgrade

5. Feb 2010, 12:38

Given the quiet release, you’d be forgiven for thinking v6.5.3 of Windows Mobile is a cursory addition that fixes little and introduces less. Actually, it’s a pretty decent package… and once again we’re left scratching our heads regarding Microsoft’s subtlety. ... more

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NASA and GM unveil new robotic astronaut

5. Feb 2010, 12:02

NASA has this week revealed that its scientists are currently working with experts from engineering giant General Motors (GM) to accelerate the development of Robonaut, a line of robotic astronauts that could serve as Mankind’s explorers of tomorrow. ... more

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Microsoft closes the Live casket on original Xbox

5. Feb 2010, 11:34

With Microsoft’s focus in the videogame arena firmly centred on its Xbox 360 platform, the Redmond-based software giant has announced it will soon withdraw online support for its ageing 2001 Xbox console.

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Palm Pre Plus – Review

4. Feb 2010, 17:00

For a couple weeks now, The Tech Herald has had our hands on the Palm Pre Plus from Verizon Wireless. Now that our testing is complete, this review will cover some of the good and the bad. Overall, we were impressed with the Pre Plus, as it’s a solid Smartphone. ... more

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Microsoft hits DECAF with DMCA take-down notice

4. Feb 2010, 17:00

DECAF, an application that defends a system from forensic tools such as EnCase and Helix, as well as Microsoft’s COFEE, earned a good bit of attention towards the end of 2009. Apparently, it earned too much attention, because after the initial hype died down, Microsoft finally acted and served the team behind DECAF with a DMCA notice, causing their hosting provider to pull their site. ... more

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BioWare: Mass Effect series is NOT coming to PlayStation 3

4. Feb 2010, 15:35

Speaking through the studio’s official forum, BioWare community coordinator Chris Priestly has indicated that persistent rumours pertaining to a PlayStation 3 port are unfounded and that the Mass Effect series will remain exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PC formats.

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Motorola Devour is hungry for success

4. Feb 2010, 14:56

Supported by Verizon Wireless and expected to arrive at retail this coming March, the Devour features a 3.1-inch touch screen (320 x 480), a touch-sensitive navigation pad, and is the latest in a steadily growing line of phones to be powered by Google’s Android operating system.

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Nintendo dominates 2009 software sales

4. Feb 2010, 12:53

The unprecedented consumer momentum enjoyed by (Call of Duty) Modern Warfare 2 may have blasted Activision and Infinity Ward’s juggernaut military shooter to the top of 2009’s software chart, but it’s Nintendo-branded software that emerges as last year’s true retail force. ... more

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