Brink

Set in a nearby future, Brink attempts to do something different with multiplayer gaming by focusing on free-running and parkour. With some good ideas, Brink borders on fun, but its repetition, lack of depth, and graphical problems keep it from being a real contender. Brink is set atop a floating city called The Ark that has been isolated for over twenty years. A bastion for surviving humans, the Ark is split into two zones, one guarded by security forces, the other by rebels. Brink immediately asks you to choose a side, but, you can take your persistent character through both sides of the bland story, making it pointless. In fact, during character creation, the only permanent choice is a character's facial appearance and their tattoos. Beyond...

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Posted in: Games

Killzone 3

With its soldier banter and incredible level of violence, “Killzone 3” plays not unlike an outer space edition of “Call of Duty.” Like those games, most of “Killzone 3” is not about finesse. It’s about complete destruction, finding cover, and blowing up the enemy. The more firepower, the better. You will kill hundreds of Helghast and fire millions of bullets to do so. And you will die over and over and over again, often after being shot by an enemy so far behind cover that you can’t even see them. “Killzone 3” can be frustrating, especially in the early chapters when it feels sometimes like little more than chaos for the sake of chaos, but the game improves significantly after the second hour and the way it delivers in both single-player and...

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Posted in: Games

Crysis 2

Crysis 2 bears the weight of heavy expectations on its shoulders. PC gamers want a new system-crushing game to show off their hardware, and console players were promised the "best-looking game ever." In the wake of Modern Warfare's ascension, Crysis fans worried that the series' expansion to consoles would lead to a narrow, dumbed-down experience. Thankfully, Crysis 2 sidesteps the excessive simplification of recent shooters with Nanosuited grace. It mixes destruction with beauty, and manages to deliver a more focused experience than its predecessor while retaining the building blocks of what made the original Crysis unique. Crysis 2 is the kind of game that speaks in superlatives -- and even when it stumbles, it's quick to recover, always...

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Posted in: Games

Splinter Cell: Conviction Review

Sam Fisher is back, and he is not in a good mood. Of all the smart decisions made in crafting a new Splinter Cell title, this might be the best one developer Ubisoft Montreal made. Sam's angry and you hear it in every grunted line of dialogue, can see it in the brutal takedowns and interrogation moves and feel it pulsating through Sam with every step. That anger, that aggressiveness is built not only into the story but the gameplay changes as well. It was a huge risk deviating from the trial-and-error style that made the series famous, but it paid off. Splinter Cell Conviction is awesome. The story takes place a few years after the end of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Don't worry, if you never finished that game, you'll get caught up quickly...

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Posted in: Games

God of War III

After three years of development and three very long years of waiting, the end is finally upon us. God of War III marks the finale to Kratos' search for revenge and properly caps off a trilogy that ranks near the very top of the best action games ever list. Yes indeed, everything does come to a complete and decisive close by the end, and though it may not be the last that we've seen of the franchise, this really is the end of this tale. Well, probably. Taking the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule at face value, Sony Santa Monica has done very little to alter how things work, though there's been a bit of welcome polish on nearly every facet of gameplay. That is, if you were expecting a revolution in terms of design, you'll be sorely...

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Posted in: Games

Killzone 3

With its soldier banter and incredible level of violence, “Killzone 3” plays not unlike an outer space edition of “Call of Duty.” Like those games, most of “Killzone 3” is not about finesse. It’s about complete destruction, finding cover, and blowing up the enemy. The more firepower, the better. You will kill hundreds of Helghast and fire millions of bullets to do so. And you will die over and over and over again, often after being shot by an enemy so far behind cover that you can’t even see them. “Killzone 3” can be frustrating, especially in the early chapters when it feels sometimes like little more than chaos for the sake of chaos, but the game improves significantly after the second hour and the way it delivers in both single-player...

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Posted in: Games

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

CHICAGO – I’m nervous that future generations will remember “Prince of Persia” more for the awful Jake Gyllenhaal movie than the massively-influential and beloved video games on which it was based. To combat this possibility, Ubisoft has released the trilogy that really turned the franchise into a phenomenon in the mid-’00s in one value-packed release called “Prince of Persia Trilogy HD,” now available in stores exclusively for the PS3. Video Game Rating: 4.0/5.0 As Sony did with the excellent value release of “God of War” and “God of War II” in one package, Ubisoft has gone back and upconverted three of their best PS2 games for the PS3 generation — 2003’s “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” 2004’s “Prince of Persia: The Warrior...

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Posted in: Games

Asus Lamborghini VX7 gets Intel Sandy Bridge CPU

 Sports quad-core Intel CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics and USB 3.0 port Asus has refreshed its Asus-Automobili Lamborghini VX7 laptop with new Intel Sandy Bridge processor. The co-branding joint venture laptop Lamborghini VX7 now sports a quad-core Intel processor, has Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics and also gets SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports. This time, this massive laptop will be made available in Orange, Black and Carbon Fiber color options. Just in case you have a heart to hear the price then it is $3,000 (Rs. 1,32,000 approx.) for this ultra-lux Italian supercar like laptop. Beastly Italian sports car like Asus Lamborghini VX7 packs quad-core Intel Core i7-2630QM mobile processor coupled with Intel HM65...

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Posted in: Computers,Technology

2011 Yamaha FZ8 First Look

Yamaha’s sporting line of motorcycles grows with the introduction of the new 2011 Yamaha FZ8 street bike; a streetfighter-style machine that offers European styling and a conventional riding position with a sporting engine and chassis character. At an MSRP of $8490, it slots in directly between the FZ1 and FZ6R, Yamaha’s two current streetfighters. Beneath the 4.5-gallon fuel tank lies a liquid-cooled and fuel-injected 779cc Inline-Four. The engine uses the same cases as the pre-crossplane crankshaft-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1, but gets an entirely new crankshaft and top end. The engine operates with a conventional engine firing order, unlike the current R1, while the powerband has been specifically tuned for the rigors of urban...

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Posted in: Automotive,motorcycle,Yamaha

2011 Victory Vision Tour Comparison

Victory’s 106/6 Freedom V-Twin provides plenty of usable power early in the rev range, registering just shy of 80 lb-ft at 1900 rpm on the dyno. All it takes is a good twist of the throttle to realize the four-valve, SOHC 50-degree V-Twin has a revvier nature than the Harley’s pushrod-operated mill. Even with the Twin Cam 103, the Harley doesn’t match up to the 92.17 lb-ft of torque the Victory Vision  put out at 2700 rpm on the dyno. Topping the horsepower and torque charts helped the Victory Vision Tour win our 0-60 test by 0.06 seconds. Both bikes produced similar power curves during the 0-60 runs with the biggest gains in miles-per-hour coming in between one-two seconds. The Vision did top our scales, though, weighing...

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Posted in: Automotive,motorcycle,Victory

Kymco Scoot 2 TX Ride Picture 12 of 25

The third day of our Scoot2TX trip was a rain day. It wasn’t a nuisance rain, but a multi-hour downpour that soaked us all and caused flooding in many of the low laying areas here in southern Louisiana. The inclement weather was Mother Nature’s fault of course, but Robert, Justin and Guido were a bit at fault, too. You see, this morning they caused a delay when they decided to visit Mobile’s Battleship Memorial Park to tour the USS Alabama battleship, USS Drum submarine and dozens of decommissioned airplanes, helicopters and tanks. They brought back some great pictures, though! The entire group ultimately hit the road at around 10:30 am, followed by two and a half hours riding stoplight to stoplight on the coast road leading from...

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Posted in: Automotive,Kymco,motorcycle

2011 KTM RC8R Superbike First Look

Cylinder head changes to the KTM RC8R Twin churn out more horsepower and torque, for a claimed 175 ponies and 93.7 lb-ft of torque. KTM brings more power to the table with its 2011 RC8R Superbike. The Austrian marque had previously announced a race-ready version of its Twin-powered superbike, dubbed the 1190 RC8R Track, at the earlier INTERMOT show in Cologne. For Milan, the Orange and Black announces changes to the base RC8R with  horsepower up to a claimed 175. The structural architecture of the 1195cc 75-degree Twin is unchanged, including the 105mm bore and 69mm stroke. Internal modifications to the four-valve heads feature a “newly developed dual-plug ignition.” Other changes includes a new crankshaft spinning...

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Posted in: Automotive,KTM,motorcycle

2011 Honda CBR1000RR Street Comparison

When Honda set out to build the latest generation CBR1000RR, who knew that it would become one of best sportbikes ever made? Not only is Honda’s $13,399 liter-bike a two-time Superbike Smackdown Track and Street champ, it’s reputedly one of the primary benchmarks used when BMW engineered its own S1000RR. Although it’s been a few years since the bike received any major technical updates the 2011 Honda CBR1000RR continues to make an impression on us. Physically the CBR appears to be one of the more compact motorcycles in this group, however, when you jump into the saddle the cockpit layout isn’t unusually tight. In fact, next to the RC8R, the CBR offers the most accommodating ergonomics package in this test, which is surprising...

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Posted in: Automotive,Honda MC,motorcycle

2011 BMW S1000RR Street Comparison

It’s hard to imagine, but up until a couple years ago the words BMW and Superbike were about as relevant as Ferrari and station wagon… oh, how the times have changed. Today, the German brand has established itself as an omnipresent force with its 2011 BMW S1000RR. This technological masterpiece, with its surprising MSRP of $16,630 as tested here, features optional Dynamic Traction Control, Race ABS, Gear Shift Assist and Motorsports colorway. Throw a leg over it and the BMW S1000RR cockpit feels remarkably similar to the Kawasaki and Suzuki. The 32-inch seat height is identical to the ZX and it offers adequate levels of sportbike comfort. However, it is not quite as luxurious as the GSX-R1000 seat. Reach to the controls and ...

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Posted in: Automotive,BMW MC,motorcycle