Tomb Raider – Una nuova Lara

La saga di Tomb Raider, che recentemente abbiamo riassaporato grazie a una collection contenente tre dei suoi principali titoli in salsa hd chiamata Tomb Raider Trilogy, è una delle più longeve di sempre. Con la sua protagonista, Lara Croft, da anni oramai diventata una icona mondiale dell’universo dei videogiochi e la sua giocabilità, ritocchi a parte, sostanzialmente rimasta immutata nel tempo. Ma proprio per un gameplay che ormai mostra la sua età, e in parte a causa anche dall’enorme successo ottenuto in questi anni dal suo erede spirituale, Uncharted, la produzione ha ritenuto che era giunto il momento di aggiornare il franchise.

Microsoft rebuts Intel's claims about Windows 8, calls them 'factually inaccurate'

Bad Intel! Microsoft has issued a strongly worded response to comments this week from Intel SVP Renee James describing the future of Windows 8 on ARM as fragmented and backwards-incompatible. Those statements, says Microsoft, were “factually inaccurate and unfortunately misleading,” though we’re left without clarification as to what specifically was untrue. James claimed that legacy x86 programs won’t be running on the ARM architecture, requiring a re-write for developers and probably a re-purchase for users. She also went on to suggest that each of the four hardware suppliers for Windows 8 systems-on-chip will have a different code stack, incompatible with the rest, which sounds like a far worse allegation to us. Now the issue is to try and figure out which of those two big accusations Microsoft has taken offense to. The Redmond team had nothing more to say on the matter, offering only a reminder that Windows 8 is still at the tech demo stage and there’s still a long way to go.

UCube speakers run off USB, are coming to an Amtrak quiet car near you (Video)

You can use these USB-powered UltraLink UCube speakers on a bus, on the beach, or on the table at your favorite McDonald’s, but please — for the love of god — don’t. Remember: with great convenience comes great responsibility, and if these speakers are as impressive as the dramatic marketing video below implies, disruption of the peace is about to know no bounds. At $150 per pair, these sleek sound machines aren’t cheap, but each speaker is able to pump out 15 watts of peak power — you won’t be filling a large room with crisp, distortion-free sound, but they’re probably loud enough to play your tunes or flicks for a group of friends, or to annoy strangers in a park. UltraLink claims that the speakers use DSP-controlled power supplies to “store energy during quiet passages,” allowing the 3.25 inch cubes to reach their 15 watt peak output with 170-degree listening angles. We haven’t had a chance to go hands on, but if these speakers sound half as good as they look, we may have a better solution for playing music in the CES trailer next year.

Logitech outs a pair of keyboard cases, gets into the tablet accessories game

Technically, we suppose Logitech already made a play for the tablet accessories market when it launched a rebranded Zaggmate keyboard case earlier this year, but today the peripheral manufacturer’s getting serious about slates with the launch of two new portable products. Lacking a Smart Cover to keep your iPad 2 on edge? You could try the $70 Logitech Tablet Keyboard pictured above, which comes with a hardshell sleeve that doubles as a tablet stand and dedicated iOS or Android shortcuts. The keyboard itself is slick, roomy and somewhat plasticky, with a definite Notion Ink Adam vibe. There’s also a redesigned Zaggmate, now known as the $100 Logitech Keyboard Case, which comes with “a more intuitive keyboard layout and improved keystrokes for even more comfortable typing” — a claim we weren’t able to test — as well as a rebranded $100 Logitech Z515 Bluetooth speaker system, and a $50 Bluetooth mouse. Pricey? Definitely. Worthwhile? Decide for yourself later this month, when they’re scheduled to hit shelves.

Infinity Blade Multiplayer Arriving On iPad 2

The fantastic graphical and highly popular Infinity Blade game on the iPad 2 will soon be receiving a new update that will bring with it new multiplayer support.

Infinity Blade recently received a few tweaks specifically designed to enhance the gameplay on the new iPad 2, but this latest update called Infinity Blade: Arena will surely bring even more excitement to an already fantastic game.

Within Infinity Blade: Arena new players can choose between playing either as a Titan or Knight to challenge their friends or enemies via the Game Center online service. If you already own Infinity Blade on your iPad 2,  you will receive the update at no additional cost, and the new update will be arriving Thursday this week.

Acoustic Research ARS20i iPad Dock

We have featured a number of different iPad Docks here on Geeky Gadgets, but its not very often you see a dock that allows you to keep your iPad in landscape mode and charge it at the same time via an integral sync port.

Well the new Acoustic Research ARS20i iPad dock allows just that and its equipped with a few extra features, and promoted as an app-enhanced dock.

The ARS20i has an intergrated digital FM radio, and is compatible with Apple’s iPod, iPhone, iPhone 4 and iPad and it will allow you to easily switch between portrait to landscape viewing.

BitDefender For Android Keeps Your Device Free Of Malware

In beta as of this writing, BitDefender Mobile Security is a comprehensive anti-malware application for Android that, with an assortment of user-activated and passive (background) tools for system protection, “keeps your Android device safe on the move” with negligible effect on battery and performance.

The app features a cloud-based, on-demand Malware Scanner that sifts through all installed apps while tallying their security status with online BitDefender servers and an on-install scanning service that automatically scans newly installed apps. In addition, it allows users to view scan history (Event Viewer) and a Security Audit of all installed applications with the option to filter by permissions.

Tron lightcycle case mod is totally awesome, 100 percent 3D

So, we already have a street-legal Tron lightcycle, but why stop there? After weeks of work, Bods Mods just completed its 40-inch long lightcycle PC, complete with ATX motherboard, liquid cooling, and plenty of blue light strips. The designer started the from-scratch custom build in SketchUp, Google’s 3D modeling app, followed by loads of foam shaping and Dremel work. Judging by the dozens (if not hundreds) of images posted to the Cooler Master forum, this is one of the most complex case mods we’ve seen, with incredible details down to the translucent Crucial and SSD logos painted on the lightcycle engine. Bods Mods entered its lightcycle case in Cooler Master’s 2011 Case Mod Competition, though the entries themselves are far more exciting than the first place prize: a boring, non-modified case full of components.

Apple gets cozy with EMI, Universal, and Sony over cloud music licensing

Ah, so it’s all coming together now. Following a report on Warner Music inking a cloud streaming deal with Apple, CNET is back with fresh information that sees three more major record companies jumping on board. Citing “multiple music industry sources,” we’re told that EMI is the latest addition to Apple’s cloud music portfolio, while Universal and Sony are close to sealing the deal to permit this rumored iCloud service. If true, such endorsement will no doubt add pressure on Google and Amazon over their cheeky, license-free cloud streaming offerings — not a bad way to fend off competition, though it’s not clear how much money’s involved. Guess we’ll know more at WWDC next month.

NVIDIA driver page outs 3D Vision support for Dell XPS 15z, surprises no one

Michael Dell may aim to tease, but NVIDIA is just giving it away: a recent driver update lists Dell’s upcoming XPS 15z laptop as one of several snagging 3D Vision 3DTV Play, scoring prospective buyers 3D gaming via NVIDIA-supported 3DTVs. Little surprise here, considering the 15z’s predecessor rocked a GeForce GT 540M (also 3DTV Play supported), which we’ll note, falls under this driver update. Although we’re still short on official hardware specs, we won’t be shocked if the 15z has the graphical chops to handle Duke Nukem Forever, Portal 2, or any of the other 3D Vision games whose profiles were added in the update. Now, the real question: would the Dell dude approve?

Evidence of webOS netbook and keyboard-less phone pop up in developer logs

Well this is interesting: a webOS dev spotted a pair unnamed devices in his log files — one sporting a 1024 x 768 screen and a non-sliding keyboard, and the other a smartphone with no physical QWERTY input. Don’t look so surprised: it was all but confirmed by leaked training materials that webOS was coming to netbooks and HP has already announced its intention to bring desktops and laptops into the fold. Of course, this could also just be a TouchPad connected to a certain special keyboard. All we know is something bigger than a phone with physical keys is out there running an unannounced version of the OS dubbed Nova Dartfish. The second mysterious “device” showing up in the logs may be that keyboard-less handset that posed for Mr. Blurrycam back in April. Whatever it is, it’s running webOS 3.0 and has a measly 480 x 320 screen like the Pre 2 — so it’s certainly not a high-end smartphone. The logs also reveal that neither is packing a removeable battery, which is sure to disappoint some of you. If you prefer your rumors delivered with lots of quotation marks and colons the full log reports are after the break.

Samsung's 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV shipping next week, eyes-on at SID 2011 (video)

We weren’t actually allowed to get our hands on Samsung’s 22-inch Transparent BLU LCD TV — the showcase was accompanied by a “Do not touch” label — but we were able to get our first in-the-flesh look at the see-through display at SID this week. According to Sammy’s rep, the monitors, which can operate with or without a backlight, will start shipping to manufacturers as soon as this week, but consumers will have to wait until Q3 to get their hands on one. While our hands remained mostly at our sides during our little meeting, we did sneak them behind the display to see just how transparent these things are. Sure enough, we could see our phalanges wiggling quite clearly through the ghostly panel. When the backlight was flipped on, the screen became a touch more opaque, but didn’t fully obstruct the view of the potted plants lurking in the background. For now, the screens are focused on the commercial market — specifically advertising — but we wouldn’t mind adding one of these things to our living room. Hop on past the break for a little video love.

Toshiba Qosmio X770 gaming laptop surfaces, 3D optional

The Toshiba Qosmio X770 is the direct successor of the Qosmio X500 , which finally will retire after more than a year of service. The news does not only involve the design, but also the hardware equipment, incorporating the latest components. As for the lines and materials, the new Toshiba Qosmio X770 gamestation (a variant is also available equipped with Nvidia 3D Vision, called the Toshiba Qosmio X770 3D) has a design very similar to the recent Satellite P770/P750 series, but with more colors aggressive and processed, called Urban Red Metallic (red) and Black (black).

Fujitsu's LifeBook T901 tablet PC now on sale in the US, starting at $1899

That machine looming large at the top of this page is Fujitsu’s LifeBook T901 tablet PC and it’s now for sale in the US of A. Powered by an Intel Core i5-2520M processor, the T901 features a 13.3-inch, 1280 x 768 LCD that supports NVIDIA’s Optimus graphics. The display also rocks an active digitizer, though you’ll have to pay an additional $100 for the dual digitizer that enables five-finger capacitive multitouch. For those in need of some extra life, there’s a modular bay that allows you to swap in a second battery or hard drive, along with an integrated fingerprint sensor that’ll keep your kids away from your precious TPS reports. Prices start at $1899, so hit the source link if you’re interested in adding an yet another tactile dimension to your digital existence.

MiLi slims down and shuts up with Pico Projector 2

MiLi’s earlier attempts at pocket projectors not pico enough for your tastes? The company has shaved off a few precious millimeters, putting the straightforwardly named Pico Projector 2 at somewhere around the thickness of two iPhone 4s — all said, the thing seems to look a lot like its predecessor to us, in spite of its “massively reduced bulk.” The company has also dropped the fan — rendering it effectively silent — and has given the thing better battery life, at around two and a half hours of 10-lumen mini video projection on a charge, according to distributor, BeamBox. The bantam iPhone magic lantern is set to start shipping in the UK on May 25th for £280 ($452), with a US version coming in the next few weeks, because everyone loves a sequel, right?