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  With the Nokia 330 Auto Navigation, there is no need to worry about
where you’re going. Simply enter the destination of your journey and follow
the directions from the large 3.5 inch color touch screen, optimized for
intuitive ease-of-use. You can choose other destinations easily too from
the quick address look-ups prompted by the Nokia 330 Auto Navigation.
    “Consumers are increasingly eager to use personal navigation devices
while driving and we are delighted to introduce the Nokia 330 Auto
Navigation device to meet this demand,” said Razvan Olosu, vice president,
Multimedia Enhancements at Nokia. “Nokia 330 Auto Navigation complements
the recently announced GPS and navigation solutions from Nokia. Finding
your way across Europe is simple with this comprehensive navigation
package, including an integrated GPS receiver and European maps.”

Seems like driving in Europe just got a little easier.
 

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I must say I am very pleased with the phone.  It took a few minutes to get the SIM card installed, about an hour to fully charge the phone, and then I activated it online and it was done!

The phone has a very sleek design, is small, and the camera works pretty well.  I am still learning the different features and how to use them. 

 

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You can start by going straight to the horse’s mouth: the Official Nintendo Website at http://www.wii.nintendo.com. While this might not be the most unbiased news source, many of the other sites are simply reproducing Nintendo’s press releases anyway, so you may as well get them where they come out first. The only really annoying thing about the site is the ESRB warning every time you move to a new page.

The two best gaming sites for Wii news are http://www.gamespot.com, and http://www.IGN.com. They both contain excellent reviews and previews, screen shots and news. GameSpot has more original content, and also video previews, where you can actually watch the reviewers playing the demos. GameSpot also has a nice little Wii launch countdown clock you can put on your own site. IGN specialises more in rounding up links from other sites.

You can find good chat forums on Wii news at http://www.Wiiloaded.com. This is one of the busiest dedicated Wii chat sites on the net, where you can get and give some opinion and analysis of the latest Wii news.

http://www.wii-play.com features more Asian and European content than some Wii news sites, which can be very centred on North America. A division of Totalplay.com, it also links to 360Play and DSPlay, if you’re interested in the other consoles. Currently it features a link to an online diary belonging to one of the developers of Elebits.

http://www.nwiizone.com and http://www.wiigamin.com are both quick with links to news stories, if light on analysis. NWiiZone also offers links to Nintendo Wii contests, and both sites have Wii wallpapers you can download. WiiGamin.com has less irritating advertising, sticking to google ads, with no banners or flash animations.

http://www.nintendowiinews.net is an excellent news site that feeds stories from other websites, usually updating several times a day. It’s intended for gamers and pitched to them in language and attitude, so if that’s not to your taste it’s best avoided. The same things that might turn some people off will ensure that others feel right at home.

For British and European users, http://wii-news.dcemu.co.uk rounds up Wii news from around the net, and then allows readers to comment on the stories. It carries links to Amazon.co.uk’s Wii offers, as well as Lik-sang’s pre-order facility.

The ever-reliable and sometimes deeply controversial http://slashdot.org should already be in every gamer’s bookmarks. This is the place to go for news and discussion that spans multiple gaming platforms or affects the whole gaming industry. To be fair it also attracts its fair share of strong language and idiocy, but its speed and scope compensates for that.

If you’re still looking for a reliable Wii news site, or one that offers something a bit different, then it’s well worth dropping by http://www.gamesites200.com/wii. This is a portal site that ranks other sites by the number of votes they get from on-site links, as well as the number of hits that site gets from Gamesites. Rankings change quite quickly, so popular new sites can get good penetration here, and you may run across something you otherwise would never have found.

 

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I’ve been writing this past week on the Nintendo Wii including info on the launch games as well as where to pre-order.

Game Launch Wii

Nintendo Order Pre Wii

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The CPU, known as Broadway, was developed and manufactured in association with IBM. It operates at 729 megahertz and bandwidth tops at 1.9 gigabytes per second. The graphics processing unit, developed by ATI, clocks at 243MHZ. It comes with three meg of onboard dedicated graphics memory and 24 MB of high-speed main memory. The external main memory is 64megabytes of GDDR3 (MEM2) which can be accessed by both the CPU and GPU at a top speed of four gig a second. The console itself is unusually small, significantly smaller than the PS3 or the Xbox 360. At 8.5 inches high, six inches deep, and a shave under two inches thick (16cm by 21cm by 4.5 cm), it’s about the size of three DVD cases. Even with the stand it takes up less carpet or cabinet real estate than other consoles, and can be stood either vertical or horizontal. In a real innovation, the optical disc drive (which glows blue) supports both the new 12cm single-sided double-layer game discs for the Wii, and the older 8cm GameCube discs.

When a GameCube disc is inserted into the Nintendo Wii, the console automatically adjusts the speed of the GPU to suit the game. The drive reads at a maximum speed equivalent to DVDx6. Inserting a disc automatically turns the console on, and turning it off automatically ejects the disc. The Nintendo Wii console supports a plethora of peripherals. It can process input from four Wii controllers at once. It also has ports, however, to take four GameCube controllers, increasing its backwards compatibility with the older console, as well as slots for two GameCube memory cards. (It’s not, however, compatible with many of the GameCube’s other peripherals, including its Game Boy player.) On top of this (not literally), the Nintendo Wii also sports two USB ports at the rear and one SD card slot in the front.

Nintendo is adamant that the Wii is compatible with all televisions, existing and forthcoming. It produces up to 480p NTSC or 576 pixels PAL. It works with projectors as well, and supports 16:9 widescreen modes. The console is Dolby ProLogic II capable, and the controller has its own speaker, adding a new dimension to surround sound gaming. Intriguingly, the Nintendo Wii console connects wirelessly to the internet, even when it’s off. It can download updates from Nintendo’s WiiConnect24 support service at any time, and you can decide for yourself how paranoid to be about that. It connects wirelessly using IEEE 802.11 or a USB 2.0 LAN adaptor. Mii avatars can also be stored on the internet, or downloaded into the controller for transportation between different consoles.

The Wii also has a parental control mode, where the console can be set to refuse to play games rated above a certain level, highlighting Nintendo’s concentration on the family gaming market. Game discs have their rating level encoded on to them, and ratings are keyed with the requirements for each local market. All in all, even for a seventh generation console, the Nintendo Wii’s specs are impressive.

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Also last month, Verizon Wireless customers shared more than 100
million PIX and FLIX multimedia messages. The trend with TXT Messages also
holds true for Verizon Wireless’ PIX and FLIX Messages as the company also
had an increase of more than 150 percent for multimedia messages for the
month, compared to one year ago.

That is a whole lot of text messages.  I wonder if anyone is using the Verizon Wireless G’zOne Type-V Phone I wrote about a week or two ago.  You know, the water resistent one? 

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The launch of the new Nintendo Wii is now imminent, and will take place in the U.S. just two days after the launch of the PS3. One of the deciding factors in choosing which console to buy will be the game titles available either at launch or shortly afterwards.

Nintendo has ensured that its full line-up of game classics are right there ready to lead the charge. In the forefront is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The Wii version, unlike the GameCube one, will run in 16:9 widescreen, which should make it more immersive, and Zelda takes full advantage of the new Wiimote’s functionality to make sword-fighting a completely different experience. The game hasn’t been made gimicky to accommodate the Wii controller, it just naturally does.

Mario has also been upgraded for the new console with Super Mario Galaxy, a game which takes our favorite plumber into space. It uses the Wiimote and the nunchuck  attachment, though it’s still at base a platform game. Mario travels from planet to planet collecting star shards, moving using the nunchuck’s joystick, while shaking the Wiimote will produce a spinning attack.

Rounding the front line out is the new Sonic game, Sonic and the Secret Rings, which has apparently been in development for two years, and through about three name changes. It won’t be released until March 2007, which should make it available for the South-East Asian Wii launch. The tenuous plot features Sonic and friends retrieving missing pages from The Arabian Nights. Demos have shown two levels, a sand oasis and a dinosaur jungle. The game uses the Wii remote held sideways, in the ‘classic controller’ position. It’s rumoured to contain seventy different missions and thirty levels for multi-player play.

Ubisoft’s Wii launch title Red Steel should also be a big hit, combining first-person shooter dynamics with viciously elegant katana work. This game does seem to have been designed specifically to highlight the qualities of the Wii controller. Demo versions have occasionally  had problems with directional control, but hopefully these will be ironed out by launch.

It wouldn’t be a gaming console without a kicker racing game, and the Wii will have Need for Speed: Carbon. Based on the West Coast of the U.S., Carbon will include the ability to build teams and win territories, new additions to the NFS franchise. Autosculpt will allow you to completely customise your vehicle, and then upload your pimped-up ride to WiiConnect24. So far all released screenshots and video have featured night racing. The game will also star actress/model Emmanuelle Vaugier, no doubt for essential plot purposes.

And it wouldn’t be an Asian gaming console without a Manga-based fighting game. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 returns gamers to the DBZ universe, with a roster of more than a hundred classic DBZ characters. While the game can use the Wii classic controller or a GameCube gamepad, it also uses the Wii controller and nunchuck combination to dish-out ki-powered violence.

The Wii will also be right there with the big multi-platform franchises, notably Call of Duty 3 and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent. The attractions of shooting games on the new Wii are fairly obvious. Double Agent also offers up a bit more plot than your average FPS, as Sam battles conscience issues while an undercover agent. (Hilariously, the beginning of the game features a classic Red Mercury terrorism plot.)

By Spring of 2007, there should be at least a solid fifty titles available for the Wii, from kid-safe family games through party games to dark RPG and action titles that should suck dozens of hours out of a gamer’s life.

 
 

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How And Where To Pre-order The Nintendo Wii

Now that Nintendo has announced the release dates for the Wii console, the question being asked around the gaming world is, how can I make sure I actually get one? Where can I pre-order a Wii?

Under-supply and over-promise with the launch of the Xbox 360 left even gamers who had pre-ordered and paid without a console for Christmas. That experience has left gamers even more anxious to secure a Wii, and retailers more reluctant to allow pre-orders, especially in the U.S.. Still, with Nintendo promising, according to some sources, two million Wiis in North America before the end of the year, is pre-ordering a Nintendo Wii really necessary?

People seem to think so. When Amazon.com opened its site to take pre-orders for the Wii on September 13th, they had to shut down the facility within hours. People who had only just heard about the offer were arriving at the site to find ’sold out’ signs, which only aggravated the fear that there weren’t going to be enough consoles to satisfy demand. Amazon had not, in fact, sold out, so far as they knew. They were simply unprepared to deal with the rush of pre-orders they received, and have closed off the offer until they receive a firm commitment from Nintendo on the number of consoles they’ll have available.

Briefly, from October 13th, GameStop and EB Games stores in the U.S. were taking pre-orders for the Nintendo Wii. Most sold out of their allocation within a few hours. Gamers then found that stores were checking address, name, and phone details on pre-orders to ensure that customers had not pre-ordered more than one Wii through different stores, and cancelling the orders of those that had. Stores were asking for a deposit between US$25 and US$50. This was the first time GameStop stores had taken pre-orders for hardware, and it could well be the last.

The GameStop/EB Games offer has now closed in the U.S., though stores in Canada are still taking pre-orders. Toys R Us stores in Australia and Canada are also taking pre-orders.

 

U.S. Toys R Us stores have just announced in their Big Toy Book catalogue that they will be taking pre-orders from the 29th of October. This should cause a similar rush to the GameStop/EB Games offer.

If you’re prepared to take the risk, many online retailers will take pre-orders for the Wii. EB Games will start taking online orders shortly, and also offer a free VIP card with every Wii pre-order, which will give the user discounts on a different Wii game every month, starting with Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam. You will need to sign up for their newsletter, though.

Wal-Mart’s online site also offers to tell you when they will start taking pre-orders, if you sign up for their newsletter.

Lik-sang.com will take a pre-order online without a deposit, unlike most sites, who will either ask for full payment up front, a deposit, or will take your credit card details and bill you when stock comes in.

If you pre-order through GamePlanet.com, not only do they guarantee that they’ll be able to supply you, and on release date too, they’ll also give you a free Wii baseball cap and t-shirt if you pre-order your Nintendo Wii through them.

In Britain, HMV, Gamestation, PC World, and Argos are all taking Nintendo Wii pre-orders through their online sites, with varying terms. Sites and stores outside of the U.S. seem much more relaxed about taking Wii pre-orders, even though under-supply problems have been just as bad in other countries in the past.

Many sites and gaming blogs are still saying that gamers don’t need to pre-order the Nintendo Wii, but it seems an awful lot of gamers aren’t prepared to take the risk.

 

 

 

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“It’s safe and easy to use while driving, and it comes with everything you need to get started,” said Allan Jason, vice president for mobile electronics and portable audio products at Sony Electronics. “Our aim is to make navigation easy without sacrificing any of the features drivers need to get where they’re going.”

According to Sony,

“Drivers can choose from nearly seven million points of interest — four times as many as its predecessor — and destinations from U.S. and Canadian maps pre-loaded on its 2GB Flash memory. Maps of Alaska, Canada, Hawaii and Puerto Rico also come pre-installed on the device.”

The unit is expected to retail around $500 and will be available this Winter both online and in retail stores.

Pre-ordering is available online at www.sonystyle.com/navu.

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“It’s unbelievable that something as thin as a CD jewel case boasts
both the latest in technology and an array of the industry’s hottest mobile
features,” said Dan Schulman, chief executive officer, Virgin Mobile USA.
“The SLICE’s stylish design, slim profile and unique flat keypad, combined
with Virgin Mobile’s Pay As You Go wireless service, will make this an
incredibly appealing handset for our youthful customer base.” According to
Virgin Mobile’s own research, 33% of current cell phone users(1) say they
want a thin design for their next mobile phone.

This looks like a pretty nifty [mobile phone->] and will come loaded with lots of fun stuff.  Did I already say this was thin? 

“The SLICE comes pre-loaded with hot new games, including Midnight Pool
Players Club and Platinum Solitaire Players Club, from Virgin Mobile. With
a powerful Lithium Ion 900 mAh battery, continuous talk time for the SLICE
is up to 230 minutes (3.8 hours), standby is up to 270 hours. The SLICE
measures 4.3″ (h) x 1.8″ (w) x 0.4″ (d) and weighs only 2.3 ounces. The
seamless keypad, which emits a bright blue backlight when pressed, makes
text messaging a cinch.

“With a built-in speakerphone for hands-free talking, the SLICE features
a 1.5″ 65K Color STN (128 x 128) color screen with 32 MB/8 MB (Flash/RAM)
memory capacity that can hold up to 500 phone book entries. The SLICE also
utilizes Qualcomm’s CMX(TM)-enabled ringtones and screensavers, which
supports popular audio (MIDI, QCP, MP3, MPD) and image (PNG, JPG, GIF,
Animated GIF) formats. Virgin Mobile customers can download superphonic
ringtones, games and screensavers.”

SOURCE: Virgin Mobile USA

 

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