New Voice Search on Google Chrome


Last week Google showed off its new voice search for Google Chrome at its I/O conference and it is now up and running. The new voice search feature means that you can carry out a conversation with Google by asking it questions using your voice and having it speak your answer back to you. To get the new feature and begin making conversation with Google, you need to update your Chrome Web browser to version 27, and make sure you give Chrome permission to have access to your microphone, otherwise it will not work.

Google’s conversational search is really very clever and will speak back to you with answers to your questions. All you have to do is click on the microphone in the search box of Google.com and then ask a question. For example, if you were to ask, “Who is the president of the United States of America?”, Google Chrome will reply back to you in a female voice, “The president of the United States of America is Barack Obama.”

Another cool feature of the voice search is that you can ask back to back questions and Google will remember your previous questions and will continue to answer you back. The conversational search feature is relatively new and Google plan to offer its users the ability to say “OK Google” instead of always clicking the microphone for every new search.

At this time, Google’s new voice search has some flaws and does not seem to be functioning as it should be, with many users saying Google does not respond verbally and instead answers back with a list of links. Also right now the feature only works in English. Hopefully Google will resolve the issues so that we can start having fun with the voice search and have real conversations with Google.

- Evie Chrysostomou


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Call of Juarez: Gunslinger: Game Review



Good ol’ fashioned fun

After the disappointment that was Call of Juarez: The Cartel, hopes weren’t too high for the next in the once highly regarded series. However, it is with great pleasure that the series returns in style, not with glorious graphics or breakthrough game mechanics. It doesn’t even have a terribly fantastic story line. It is quite simply entertaining.

Our protagonist goes by the name of Silas Greaves and he tells the story of his adventures in the Old West through a series of flashbacks. As he does so history is re-written and you’ll come across some famous names like Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As it turns out Silas can be a little forgetful and parts of his stories involving said outlaws mean they’ll come and go at will. But that’s okay, because this is a game that doesn’t take itself seriously at all and the main focus here is on the shooting.

Remember those shooting games at the carnival or circus? Remember how much fun they were? Well, that’s perhaps the nearest thing to compare Gunslinger to. Enemies appear as if you were in an old school pop-up shooting gallery and there are usually plenty of them to aim at. When you are faced with a number of enemies there’s a lot of fun to be had in seamlessly linking one shot to the next and racking up some serious multiplier points. Each level see’s the bad guys getting a little quicker so pulling more of those combos feels even more satisfying. In story mode the points you earn are converted into experience points which allows you to purchase new skills like faster reloading or slow down time when aiming down your iron sight.

Impressively it is the games use of height and available cover that adds to the experience. Not because you’ll be in awe of how it looks but because you’re always on the lookout for the next enemy; is he behind that barrel or up on that cliff top?

Gunslinger does well at catering to personal preferences. If you’re the type that loves to take long distance shots then arm yourself with the rifle. If you do need to get a little closer then pull out the quick-fire six-shooter. If that’s not your style then perhaps the sawn off shotgun is more to your taste. If neither of those takes your fancy then just grab some dynamite and go crazy. Why the weapons work so well is not because there are an abundance of them to choose from, but because the selection available allows you, and encourages you, to adopt your own style.


Once you’ve cleared out all the bad guys in a level you it’s time to face the boss. This usually happens in the games trademark style of a quick-draw duel. To make sure it’s him that goes down and not you, keep him in your reticle whilst keeping Silas’ trigger finger as close to his gun as possible. This acts as a nice addition to the game and has the ability to slow things down a little after a fast- paced level. Sadly, not every boss bites the dust in this fashion. Some of them are firmly rooted behind Gatling guns and your best hope of survival is to bombard him with dynamite from behind cover. Coming out from behind cover usually means a quick death for you.

Gunslinger also boasts arcade mode and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Even quicker and even more action packed you’re up against the timer and the goal is to get the highest score possible. Sounds pretty simple right? It is, but so much fun. Each level won’t take long to finish but you’ll be replaying over and over again in order to get that massive combo and really rack up the high scores. If duelling is more your thing then you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a mode dedicated to that too. Here you’ll be judged on the accuracy and speed of your shots. Both arcade and duel modes link up to online leaderboards, so if you’re the type that doesn’t like to be beaten then this’ll feel like home for you.

Don’t go expecting outstanding visuals coupled with a compelling story line here. Instead concentrate on the basics of plain old simple fun with a gun. It’s mindless but very satisfying and that all comes down to its simple arcade pop up shooting gallery style. If you’re apprehensive because it’s a digital download only title then fear not. Give it a go; it’s rootin’ tootin’ fun.
Reviewed on Xbox 360 but also available on PS3 and PC

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ_d-C5UsLo

- Adam Omar





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Yahoo redesigns Flickr with 1 TB of free storage

Yahoo recently announced a redesign of Flickr, the photo-sharing site and is now revamped and open to its users. The revamp of Flickr sees the lifting of photo upload limitations. Yahoo bought Flickr back in 2005 and Yahoo’s SVP Adam Cahan stated that the redesign of the new Flickr will include 1TB of free storage to its users:

“We want to be incredibly partner centric. Upload once, send to any device, any screen, any friend, any follower, on any service, and make it absolutely beautiful. A lot of sites have been talking about providing 15 GB of space. We thought what would happen if we offered you one terabyte for free. That’s 70 times bigger than what anyone else is offering.”

The unveiling of the new Flickr site sees a much more aesthetic and visually pleasing look including: high-resolution photos, longer video clip uploads of 1GB per video and playback of three minutes, the user photo gallery is set out in a mosaic style, and user profiles now have header banners. The new Flickr comes with a new Activity Feed and user interface that is covered with photos and is not simply white space as it was before.A new app was also launched for Android devices, which includes infinite scrolling through photo feeds and a more photocentric appearance.

The news for the redesign of the site goes hand in hand with the Yahoo Tumblr takeover. It can be seen that while the amount of users on Flickr has increased, it fails in comparison to its other photo-sharing rivals such as Instagram and Facebook whose sites have better quality social features, which may be the reason for the big changes on the site. Yahoo can be seen to be fighting the storage capacity war, as Google offers its users 15GB free storage in all its cloud services, while Facebook does not require a limit to photo storage but downplays high quality photos. Flickr now offers its users 1TB of free storage space for high-resolution photos, enabling its users to share and upload more of their photography and art, getting the best out of the photo-sharing site.

- Evie Chrysostomou





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Microsoft unveils Xbox One - The Next-Generation Console


Microsoft has just revealed its next generation console, the highly anticipated Xbox One, which will go on sale later this year. The Xbox One games console also doubles as a set-top box. Microsoft describe it as an all in one console featuring 8GB of RAM, an 8-core CPU, a Blu-ray drive, 1080p Kinect and access to live TV, movies and music with voice command. These new features allow the user to multitask between gaming, Skype, Music and TV. So be ready to get chatting to your console.

The Xbox One gaming machine includes many brand new features such as Blu-ray drive and Skype. The new Xbox One controller has vibrating impulse feedback into the gamepad’s triggers so that you can feel the feedback directly. The controllers therefore have a better control at analyzing body movements and can even read users heartbeats. It also includes an upgrade to the Kinect camera’s sensor to 1080p high definition resolution. The gaming machine will not require an always on internet connection. However, game developers can choose to have online connectivity.

The machine’s new and improved specifications are believed to “reinvigorate the industry” Microsoft’s chief executive, Yves Guillemot has told the BBC. Unfortunately, it has been revealed that the Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with either the Xbox 360 or the Xbox, owing to the different core architecture, meaning that any of the old controllers won’t work, only ones designed for the Xbox One will work with the new console.
It has also been announced that the Xbox One will have 15 exclusive games in its first year, with 8 being new franchises.

Microsoft has said the new Xbox One will be released later on in 2013, with the price yet to be announced. With the E3 conference just three weeks away, more details will be revealed then as to whether there is hope for the Xbox One as a great gaming machine or if it marks the end of high end gaming due to the rise of all in one entertainment consoles.

- Evie Chrysostomou




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Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: Game Review



More fun than a barrel of bananas

2010 saw the return of a Nintendo favourite and his partner on the Wii. It was fun, vibrantly colourful and masterfully offered in a modern style. It was fondly received and has now been ported onto the 3DS. But does it live up to the 2010 Wii hit?

Going mobile the title was handled by Monster Games, the same guys responsible for Pilotwings, and for the most part it’s pretty much a carbon copy of the console version other than its lower difficulty level available for intermediate gamers. They’ve also removed those nightmarish motion controls like ground slaps.

Lowering the difficulty level has been dressed up as “New Mode” which makes one think that there might be something new and exciting to get your hands on. Perhaps lots of additional levels or characters? Sadly not, just think of it as “easier mode”, it’s much more fitting. To make it easier Donkey and Diddy get three life hearts instead of two whilst being given five opportunities to complete each level. The chances of failing completely are pretty slim as each level is littered with 1up balloons.

Cranky Kong makes a return and his shop has received more deliveries it would seem, other than the standard extra life balloons and inventory items. There you’ll be able to pick up bumpers which make that mine cart and rocket barrel stage much more manageable. Those familiar with the Wii version will have memories of those levels simply because they were so darn difficult. You’ll also be able to grab some additional green balloons which can help you should you fall into a pit.

All of this makes for a noticeably easier experience. Things will tip in the players favour but you’ll still die knowing it was your fault; you just won’t 20 times in a row.

It’s hard to say whether or not the easier mode is better because it was the difficulty of the Wii version that made it what it was. Some games are too easy, some are too hard and some are simply unfairly difficult. Donkey Kong on the Wii struck a fair balance where the stages weren’t so hard it turned you off and there weren’t any traps that resulted in the game finishing unfairly. It was just exceptionally challenging.

If you’re the type that loves the challenge and the thought of lowering the difficulty is just a no- no then don’t worry. You can still play the game on “Classic Mode” instead. Untouched, this is the Wii version as it was in all its toughness. The only thing that has changed is those insufferable motion controls. Sure, they seemed like a good idea at the time, but the 3DS is able to offer that original gaming method and it has a striking resemblance to older systems like the NES or SNES. A nice touch is the choice of either the D-pad or Circle Pad, whilst the Y button allows our primate friend to perform rolling and ground-slaps. Picking up barrels is simple too with the use of the shoulder buttons.

It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Donkey Kong Wii was made with a 3D port in mind. Throughout the console version we saw Donkey Kong flung around inside a barrel blasted away into the distance. It was a simple effect and it looked great and on the 3DS it looks even better. Not many games have been able to fully utilise the 3DS capabilities but Donkey Kong sits nicely next to the few other like Super Mario 3D Land as a worthy addition.

If you owned the Wii version then there’s not much here to encourage you to pick this hand held version up. There are a few new levels that mix it up but other than that there’s not much to offer. On the flip side, if for some reason you didn’t get your hands on the Wii version then this is a must, especially for those of us that have a special place for those 16-bit days.

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KVX82n2UzY

- Adam Omar




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