According to Opera, today is the day the Web changes. Its new Unite service promises to radically extend what we do online. The basis of the new platform, which is built into the latest build of Opera 10, is to do away with Web servers owned by strangers and instead connect people on a computer-to-computer basis. The developer’s vague advert ( a candidate for the list of worst tech ads ever) fails to convey any of the real benefits of Unite, of which there are many.

Unite is designed to allow you to easily share you data, such as photos, music, notes - in fact, any file you have on your computer. You can share just with yourself (to access your work computer and home, for instance); with selected friends, family or colleagues; or with the whole world. What’s more, Unite works across any browser and even supports mobile browsers. This concept itself isn’t a new one - services such as LogMeIn and Laplink have been enabling remote PC access for years. In the case of Opera Unite it’s the way the service is implemented that makes it so special.

Opera Unite can be accessed from a tab on the side panel in the browser. The first thing you’ll need to do is create a free account with Unite. Once you’ve done this, you can start using the Unite ’services’, which are like mini-apps that allow you to perform certain tasks. There are six services pre-installed into the latest Opera 10 build, though obviously the company hopes that developers will embrace Unite and frantically start churning out new services. Here’s a look at what you get at the moment though: Read the rest of this entry »

Little Wheel is a beautifully presented and animated point and click adventure. It’s relatively short, but really enjoyable. Little Wheel takes place in a robot world, which has lain dormant for 10,000 years dues to an accident that left the robots without power. Waking after a lightening strike, your little robot has to journey through the dormant city and bring it back to life. With its quirky, silent robot protagonist and simple though engaging gameplay, Little Wheel is the most charming browser game I’ve played.

After launching a first set of add-on kits under the suggestive name of Fashion Your Firefox a few months ago, Mozilla have taken a step beyond in themed packs with the so called Add-on Collections. Collections are customizable groups of related add-ons that anyone can create and share on the Mozilla website. In this way you can easily keep track of new updates for your favorite add-ons, create personal packs with your basic add-on kit for quick browser installations and share new exciting add-ons with your friends online.

Collections have now their own section in the Mozilla Add-on official website - which, by the way, has been redesigned. From here you can browse collections by popularity, and also check Editor’s picks and latest additions to the site. You can also subscribe to any collections you like, and create your own. Creating a personal collection is as easy as filling in a form with a name, description and a choice of a few selected add-ons. Plus, they can be made public or restricted to only people you invite.

But the best way to keep track of your favorite collections and manage the ones created by you is probably installing the Collector add-on. This add-on has been especially designed to keep track of any updates in the collections you’ve subscribed to, and let you update your own collections with new additions, all directly from your browser.

This one’s for people with super human reactions! Bullet Time is a super fast shooter from Terry Cavanagh, developer of many wierd and wonderful indie game experiences.  Here, your challenge is to survive as long as you can. You save up “bullet time”, so when you hold the space bar, the game slows, giving you temporary breathing space. You fire automatically, leaving you free to concentrate on movement. So far, I’ve only managed to survive 20.33 seconds. Can you do any better?

Google entered the browsing wars with Google Chrome for Windows just under a year ago and according to a study by Net Applications, it’s already become the fourth biggest browser out there with almost 2% of the market. Mac fans can now try Google Chrome for themselves although it’s worth noting that this is strictly a developer release meaning some features (such as bookmarking and Flash movies) are not working yet.

This release only works on Intel Macs and is prone to bugs and instability but it’s enough to give you a good idea as to what the finished product will look and feel like. The first thing I noticed about Google Chrome is that it’s unbelievably lightweight. While Firefox was consuming anything from 20-30% of my Mac’s CPU, Chrome barely registered on the scale occasionally touching 3%.

For anyone who’s plagued with Firefox memory leaks and crashes, this alone is surely going to be a compelling reason to give Chrome a go. As you’d expect, Google Chrome also features a type of tabbed browsing which improves on Firefox’s slightly cramped user experience.

Google Chrome is also extremely quick. Surfing the Softonic site, page loads took less then a second and all images were loaded very quickly. YouTube in particular loaded with lightening speed but unfortunately, because the Flash player is disabled in this developer release, it wasn’t possible to test watching videos.

However, sometimes, it simply produced nothing when trying to find the YouTube homepage and maybe this is one of the bugs Google are working on. Overall however, the handling of sites using JavaScript in particular was mightily impressive. I also like the way that when you open Chrome, it displays windows of your most visited sites so you can click on them to go straight to them.

If only there were more extensions for Google Chrome, I’d seriously consider converting when the final build is released. Before that happens though, it will need to get much more popular. Based on this first proof, Safari and Firefox may well have a real fight on their hands.

The Sims is the kind of game you either love or hate. I fall into the first category but at the same time I know people who get bored of playing it after two minutes. I’m not sure whether the long-awaited third iteration of the title will make them get to love the game. But I do know that this new version of the popular game franchise will thrill all Sims fans worldwide, and will surely meet whatever expectations they had about The Sims 3.

While maintaining the game’s main structure and storyline, The Sims 3 includes many new features. To begin with, there’s only one town to play with when starting the game - unlike The Sims 2, where you could choose between three. The next logical step is creating your first sim, and the moment you enter the all-new sim editor you begin to realize how much better The Sims 3 is than its predecessors.

The insanely detailed sim editor is a powerful tool with which you can create sims and customize them in every way you can think of. When designing their body and facial shape, you can use simple templates with pre-defined physical characteristics, or go a bit deeper by customizing specific areas: nose, chin, eyes, ears, etc. You can even add freckles, beauty spots and other small details.

As for clothes, there’s quite a wide choice - just like previous editions of the game - only that this time you can customize many of the available pieces of clothing with colors and patterns of your choice. Oddly, bikinis have disappeared from the girls’ swimsuit menu. There are also many more accessories (sunglasses, earrings and the likes) and generally speaking, much more detailed options to create your sim. For example, you can set color highlights for hair, as well as define eyelashes length!

Besides physical appearance, the editor also helps you define your sim’s personality. You no longer need to distribute points among several fixed criteria. The Sims 3 lets you select up to five personality traits from a wide variety of them, regarding different areas in a sim’s life such as the personal, professional or social areas. Some of these traits are brave, friendly, ambitious, coach potato, friendly, charismatic, mean, neurotic, good sense of humor, commitment issue, dislikes children or loves the outdoors, among others. Depending on your choice of traits, you’ll be given a selection of five possible life goals from which you can choose one for your sim. Again, there are many more options than in previous versions of The Sims. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to troubleshooting friend’s and relatives computers from afar, one of the best remote access applications I’ve ever used is CrossLoop. When I switched to Mac, however, I had to dump it but I’m pleased to see the developers have finally launched a Mac version.

The great thing is that the Mac version supports access of both Windows and Macs so you can help out people on both platforms. In addition, Crossloop now serves as an online marketplace, where you can connect not only to friends, but to online experts who, for an hourly fee, will help you with technical issue.

The key to CrossLoop’s appeal is its simplicity. After installing CrossLoop, you are prompted whether you want to create an account although this is optional. Afterwards you are presented with small panel with two tabs. Select the ‘Join’ tab if you would like to connect and control a friend’s Mac. Select the ‘Host’ tab if you would like someone to access to your Mac i.e. to receive technical help.

This host tab contains an important 12-digit access code that your friend will need to enter to connect to your PC. Obviously, the only requirement is that the other person has CrossLoop installed too to initiate a session. Once done, you’re ready to go. A separate window opens on your desktop with your friend’s desktop and you can tinker with it to your heart’s content.

Obviously, the main concern with such desktop sharing applications is speed and security. As regards speed, you can choose whether to share in low or high quality, the former being faster and recommended for slow internet connections. It’s great that CrossLoop now offers this choice because there’s nothing worse than trying to share over a slow connection.

As far as security is concerned, the developer maintains that all sent information is highly encrypted with a 128-bit algorithm using the randomly generated 12-digit access code mentioned earlier. There’s no need to worry about anyone accessing your PC without permission either – a pop-up requesting permission from you alerts you before any information is exchanged. Most recently, CrossLoop has introduced file sending plus an online marketplace of experts which enables you to find professional Mac specialists who can help with your problems with fees ranging from around$50 an hour.

The only minor drawback of CrossLoop is that it doesn’t support multiple connections, although for most people seeking technical help, this is probably neither desirable or practical either. The bottom line is that CrossLoop really is an excellent application for what it offers i.e. simple and effective remote connections. The fact that it is free only adds to its appeal considering similar programs such as Copilot charge anything up to $5 for just 24 hours of use.

When I first heard about Microsoft Vine a month ago I must say I was pretty surprised. Vine was described as “an instant messaging tool to stay in touch during times of crisis, when standard communications are either broken or not working properly”. That description, together with the fact that the program was released as closed beta – which, you know, always contributes to the hype – caught my attention immediately.

Today I received my invitation to test Microsoft Vine and the truth is I’m a bit disappointed. Maybe it’s because I’m lucky to live in an area where earthquakes, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters are only seen on TV, or simply because I expected something else after waiting for the invitation for a whole month. The thing is I didn’t find Microsoft Vine that useful at all.

This is Vine’s main interface, which shows up after installing the program and finishing the correspondent system reboot. Microsoft Vine works with your Live ID account, so if you don’t have any yet you’ll need to create one (not right in the middle of a crisis, hopefully).

After that, the desktop client shows up featuring an interactive world map where you can mark the places you care about. The map can be zoomed in to a quite high level of detail, and also switched from plain drawing to satellite imagery and viceversa.

The two other tabs on the program’s main interface lead you to your personal data (Vitals) and your contact list (People). Regarding the first one, you can fill in a form with some personal information (name and address) plus all the possible ways to reach you (e-mail, phone, mobile). These data can be printed on a PDF emergency card which you can crop and put in your wallet or handbag, so that you always have your important information at hand.

The second tab, People,  is where your contact list is stored. The list can be organized in several different groups, which eases the task of sending alerts to several people at the same time. You can also see the message history for each contact.

Generally speaking, Microsoft Vine serves an honorable purpose: helping people to communicate in real time when disaster strikes and there’s nothing else available. It lets you send reports and receive alerts via its desktop client, by e-mail or text messages. It also displays news regarding the places you care about.

But I’m not sure about the real effectiveness of this tool, or whether it would be a useful way to communicate in middle of a crisis. I just can’t picture someone taking the time of starting their computer, logging into the system and starting Vine, while everyone else is simply running for their lives. In a way it reminds me of that hilarious scene in The IT Crowd where Moss, unable to remember the new emergency number, uses e-mail to report a fire: funny to see, but totally senseless.

It’s no secret that the printing industry is in decline and print outlets are having to find new ways of reaching their readers. The internet is obviously playing a big part in this but the downside is that you lose that authentic broadsheet newspaper reading experience. Having tried the latest version of The Times Reader however, I think the newspaper industry might finally have found a true way forward that balances the best of both worlds.

The New York Times Reader was released over a year ago but it was based on Microsoft’s Silverlight platform and didn’t really impress. Now the company have switched to the far superior Adobe Air platform, it looks like a much more attractive product. Although the reader is free, only subscribers of The New York Times can access all sections but four sections (Front Page, Business, News in Video and a Classic Crossword) are available for free. All sections update every 5 minutes with the latest news.

On using The Times Reader for the first time, print nostalgics will be struck by just how realistic it is to having the paper in your hands. There’s a sense of elegance at the space offered by a newspaper layout compared to the condensed, busy pages on the internet edition. Navigating is simply a case of dragging pages around with the mouse or scrolling through pages with arrows. Hyperlinks are preserved as is multimedia content and even crosswords. Read the rest of this entry »

As Nick mentioned in his post yesterday, Google has launched Sky Map, an astronomy application for the Android mobile system that lets you gaze at stars in a more original way. You no longer have to worry about city light contamination or clouds covering up the sky. In fact, you don’t even need to wait until night comes. With Sky Map you can look at the stars anytime, anywhere, right on your mobile phone screen.

The app takes a while to load, though according to Google developers these slow start-up times have been improved in the latest version. Right after launching, Sky Map shows the star map that’s currently over your head, according to your position – which the phone establishes via GPS.

Thanks to Android’s special sensors and the great compass functionality, Sky Map detects the direction you’re facing or moving, changing the star layout in real time accordingly. The overall effect is really impressive!

If you press the menu button on your phone, you’ll get a menu bar with three options: search, settings and about. The Search function also makes use of Android’s compass: simply enter the name of any sky element you want to locate (planets, satellites, stars) and an arrow will indicate where you should point your phone to in order to find that object.

The settings menu lets you choose which layers to show and which ones to hide, and also includes the possibility to set your location manually, either by entering a postal address or by using latitude and longitude degrees.

Tapping on the screen also gives you access to the choice of layers, as well as to the zoom menu. Unfortunately no matter how much you zoom in, you won’t get any realistic photos: just dots and lines.

Sky Map is a fun app that astronomy lovers will surely love. As for the rest of us, I guess it’s a nice way to show off our phone’s capabilities to other people – and drain the battery a bit more, for that matter.

It’s not officially published on their website yet, but it seems that VLC media player 1.0 RC is about to be released. At least that’s what we can infer from the fact that the news has been leaked across the Internet and the file is already available to download from FileHippo.

While this is not the official VLC Release Candidate – if you understand “official” as coming from the developer’s website – we just couldn’t resist the temptation to download it and take a look. VLC Player has always been one of our favorite pieces of software and we were eager to see all the new features.

At first sight, as you can see, VLC 1.0 hasn’t changed that much. The program still keeps its characteristic plain interface that makes it really simple to use. But going into detail you’ll notice a slight change in the toolbar layout, with “Playback” now next to “Media”, and an important reorganization in menu layouts, to access certain tools more easily and also include some of VLC’s new utilities. Read the rest of this entry »

After a few months of beta testing, Microsoft has finally launched the release candidate of their highly-anticipated new operating system: Windows 7. I don’t know whether this will be the first of a series of RC versions or just the only one before Windows 7 Final is launched in October, but in any case I must say it’s quite similar to the Beta we tested a while ago.

While Windows 7 RC doesn’t introduce any remarkable changes - at least that we can notice – Microsoft developers have fixed loads of bugs and improved the system’s general performance, thanks to the feedback of thousands of beta testers. This means we can enjoy an even more stable, smoothly-running system that doesn’t hog system resources and includes some nice new features that can make your computer experience easier and more enjoyable.

The Release Candidate keeps the same Vista-like appearance, and all the Windows 7 goodies as well: fully revamped versions of Wordpad, Paint and the Windows Calculator, which have become quite powerful apps now; a new toolbar with enhanced functionality; the all-new Windows Media Center and Windows Libraries, that help you manage media files in a better way; and also the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.

The Windows 7 new taskbar is probably one of the most outstanding characteristics in Microsoft’s new operating system. Like the Mac Dock, it features quick launch shortcuts to your most frequently used apps which can also be used to switch between running programs. The similar window grouping tool has also been improved and now requires less mouse clicks to change from one window to another. Finally, the preview thumbnail function is really cool: it lets you have a sneak peek at the window’s content without having to open it. Read the rest of this entry »

If you find regular war games just a bit too realistic these days, you’ll be pleased to hear that the developer of Battlefield Heroes, the cartoony online multiplayer shooter, is giving out beta testing keys. You just have to sign up here, and wait for a key to be emailed to you (it may take a few days).

Once you’ve got your key, after the installation process you’ll finally be able to log in and play. The game itself is really cool, with the emphasis on fun and accessibility. This is a game everyone should be able to enjoy, not just the hardcore gamer. There’s a training mission that’ll take you through everything you need to know, and then you’re off. Players are ranked, so you shouldn’t be outgunned by battle-hardened killers.

It’s completely free, and really well put together. The only criticism I had of it was that you can only play in full-screen mode, meaning you can’t jump out for a second to check your mail and so on. You probably won’t want to be distracted though, as the action’s really fast paced and competitive. We can’t wait for the full release of Battlefield Heroes.

The Windows 7 team made it official a couple of days ago: the first Release Candidate of Windows 7 will be available for downloading and testing on May 5th. That’s only a few days away, so it’s time to take a deeper look and see what this RC may include and if there are any changes comparing to the previous Beta.

According to the developers working on Windows 7, the beta period and all the testers involved in it have been a great help for fixing bugs and improving the overall performance in Microsoft’s new operating system. At some point during this period, they were receiving a new feedback report every 15 seconds! All these suggestions have contributed to tweak and fine tune the Windows 7 taskbar and desktop, the Aero Peek function and the new version of Windows Media Player, among others. You can read more about all these changes in these two posts published on the Engineering Windows 7 blog.

Another interesting feature in Windows 7 RC we heard about is the so called Windows XP mode. In Paul Thurrott’s words, this Windows XP mode is a virtualized version of Windows XP SP3 that will run inside Microsoft’s Virtual PC framework and which will allow Windows 7 users to keep on using XP-only apps. This functionality won’t be built in the Windows 7 Release Candidate, but rather be offered as a separate download for RC users and eventually, Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate users. The idea sounds fine to me, but I’d need to see how smoothly this virtual XP can run inside another operating system.

Now, what about expiration dates? The Beta version was available for download for a whole month, which makes me think that this RC is likely to be available until June 2009 and will last for a few months. Rumor has it that the final version of Windows 7 will be released in October. In any case don’t wait until the last day and be sure to get your copy on May 5th. We are looking forward to hearing your impressions!

The stream of indie games seams to increase by the minute, from big and lengthy developments, to games created in hours. Much of this output is also free, and without commercial marketing constraints there are some truly bizarre experiences out there.

A combination of money and resources mean the 2D scene is alive and well, from the beautiful Braid to short and tough mini developments like Sword Calibre. Some of these bring something new to 2D gaming, and many are resolutely retro in style and gameplay. Either way, what’s on offer is very different to most commercial releases.

There are 3D games too.  Classic 1990s 3D engines, like Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake (the standard bearers for their respective generations) are still producing fun today: Bizarre story telling from cult developers with Judith, joyful uber street violence like Urban Brawl, and probably my favourite experience of the last year: Gravity Bone.  If you want something that looks a bit more modern, college creation Glasshouse is an interesting 3D puzzle game, with presentation and graphics that are incredible for a free game.

Another genre that’s produced a plethora of indie releases is the “physics based game” (which generally mean your success involves using gravity in some way). Crayon Physics is the most obvious example, but there are others like FlickerStrings, Numpty Physics and the excellent And Yet it Moves.