Featured Freeware: HotKeyz

Posted by Seth Rosenblatt

it’s a powerful utility that makes it easy to create and manage hot keys that open programs, shut down your computer, and control media applications.

HotKeyz’s intuitive interface divides hot keys into nine preset categories, including Control Panel, Desktop, and Internet. A simple table lists the 11 preconfigured hot keys that perform basic tasks like launching Internet Explorer, accessing the Control Panel, and adjusting volume. Novices will appreciate the step-by-step guide to creating their own hot keys, especially for more complex operations such as opening your Internet Explorer home page or automatically filling in online log-in information. A reliable help guide also eases the learning curve.

Hotkeyz sits in the system tray when not in use, but of course, it has its own hot key combination. This effective freeware application makes it easy for anyone to create customized keyboard shortcuts.

Alchemy Mindworks GIF Construction Set Professional v3 0a28

Posted by Kennii

Lz0 released this GIF creating tool, something I need. Most of you guys probably use Adobe ImageReady. But like me not many people know how to use ImageReady. I usually use GIF Animator. But I think I’ll try this out also.

GIF Construction Set Professional represents the state of the art in GIF animation software. It will assemble your original animations effortlessly through its Animation Wizard; squeeze them down to as close to nothing as possible with its Supercompressor; create eyecatching banners and animated transitions; manage your GIF files; add transparency to existing graphics and a lot more.

Features:

• Build instant animations with Animation Wizard.
• Reduce the size of your GIF files with Supercompressor.
• Build special-effect text banners with the Banner generator.
• Create sophisticated animated transitions between still images.
• Rotate, crop, color-adjust and resize all or part of an animation sequence.
• Implement transparency in still and animated GIF files.
• Export GIF animations to AVI and MOV — animate your PowerPoint presentations.
• Export GIF animations to ANI cursors — animate Windows.
• Create rotating two-dimensional animated graphics.
• Protect your graphics with Protection Matrix.
• Manage the controls of multiple images with breathtaking ease.
• Generate text and animations with soft shadows.
• Create eye-catching electronic signs.
• Export animated GIF files to MNG.
• Export animated GIF files to SWF (Macromedia Flash™) with sound.
• Get up to speed quickly with extensive documentation and tutorials.

Release Name: Alchemy.Mindworks.GIF.Construction.Set.Professional.v3.0a28.Incl.Keygen-Lz0
Size: 11.3MB
Links: NFO – Official Site
Download: Uploadjockey

Alone in the Dark Review (Xbox 360)

Posted By Joe Haygood

Alone in the Dark is suppose to be a return to glory for a game long forgotten. It is also suppose to be a game that returns fortune to Atari’s somewhat tarnished brand. The Alone in the Dark franchise has sat for some time now, its last outing coming in the form of a horrible movie, directed by Uwe Boll. Atari has put a lot of work into reviving this franchise, to the point of making it a flagship release for the company. While it delivers on providing an enjoyable, mature storyline, the game’s mechanics get in the way at every turn, giving the player more frustration than enjoyment.

Alone in the Dark starts off by setting up the mood perfectly, with you coming out of a drug induced sleep, captured by some people that want a stone medallion. While attempting to find the stone, you friend Theophile Paddington releases the evil that is in the stone to free your character, Edward Carnby from its influence. With that one moment, the demons of hell break out of their containment in the stone and release their fury on the human populace of Earth. Quickly, you are delivered into the action and the chase to find out who you are and how you can stop the apocalypse that has fallen upon New York City.

While the story sounds clichéd and rehashed, Alone in the Dark really does do a wonderful job of giving the player bits and pieces of information, slowly weaving them into an elaborate and entertaining tale. Everything from finding out who you really are, to your connection with the chaos that has ensnared New York are told with lots of suspense and a surprising sense of maturity. The story feels like a really good R-Rated drama, although the language does get a bit blue at times. I am all for the work fuck on several occasions, but it might have beaten the record set by Scarface with as many times as it is used here. As I was playing through Alone in the Dark, I realized that the story felt like a really good novel that just captures you, and makes you want to finish reading it in one shot.

Of course, story only carries you so far, and then you have to look at the mechanics of the game, and here is where the train comes off the rails for Alone in the Dark. To learn all the controls that you will have to use in Alone in the Dark will take a thesis in game design. Just know that when you open the manual to Alone in the Dark, you are greeted with four pages of controls for your character. Yes, four pages of controls, for a 12 button controller. You have control sets for moving, for healing, for inventory and even for driving. You get lost in the mechanics of Alone in the Dark, because it is constantly throwing some sort of enemy at you. Nothing can be more irritating than having to control your blinking when you get hit with something in the eyes, while you are knee deep in combat with a bunch of bad guys. Yeah, there is a control for blinking your eyes voluntarily, and it just adds to the list of controls that could have been removed from this game. Driving segments also kill the game due to horrendous control issues and a car that drives like it is on an ice flow. You never have any good sense of control, and again, another segment that is in Alone in the Dark, that could have been removed without hurting the overall approach to the game

When you look at Alone in the Dark you get the feel that two or three teams worked on the game, because it is a graphical hodge-podge of good and bad. While Edward Carnby looks really good, having lots of detail, the other characters you encounter feel a little too smooth and lacking detail. Some of the human zombies, or Humanz as the game calls them, are very similar, with about four to five body types in all. The enemy types are varied with at least 6 to 8 different types of things attacking you from Batz to huge needle shooting monsters, each with their own characteristics. However, they too, feel a little too smooth and without detail. Environments are a mixed bag as well. Building design is very well done, with lots of detail, and each looking quite different from the next. But when you enter the open environments, they just feel a bit too plain and generic, repeating themselves constantly. Alone in the Dark takes place in a park setting, but it just feels like several texture maps were created and then mapped over a topo map.

While puzzles have been a staple of the Alone in the Dark series, they take a big back seat this time around. There are a few puzzles here and there, but mostly, they are environmental puzzles, like trying to figure out how to open a fingerprint door (quite amusing as to the solution), or getting some flame on a nest of bad guys, but the nest is behind a gate. These puzzles are never taxing on the brain, and most are solved within minutes, which really will disappoint long time fans of the series.

The main draw that everyone read about in the magazines and saw in the trailers for Alone in the Dark is its fire effects. The fire in Alone in the Dark, acts very naturally, and interacts with the environment whenever possible. You will need to use fire on occasion to solve puzzles, like making a trail of flammable liquid that you can light, or for opening a passage to another part of the level. The fire is very cool to watch, but a pain to work around when you get trapped in a tight spot with bad guys, and it kills you very quickly. That said, Alone in the Dark does make fire your number one weapon, ranging from firebombs and furniture on fire all the way down to fire bullets. Yep, in Alone in the Dark, you can pour some flammable liquid on your bullets to add some fiery spice to every shot from your weapon.

So where does Alone in the Dark stand? The story line is top notch and well written, with competent actors filling in all the roles and giving strong performances. It is everything I could ask for in a quality mature thriller, but the story is taking a back seat to the controls. You never feel like you are in control of Alone in the Dark, but more like you are fighting it. Taking out some segments like driving and minimizing the controls and you would have a top notch game. As it stands Alone in the Dark gets a 2 out of 5

Mirror’s Edge demo out now on PSN; on XBL tomorrow

Posted By Jeremy Yerby

PS3 owners can go play the Mirror’s Edge demo right now (and really, why are you still reading at this point?) but us slumming it in the Xbox Live Marketplace will have to wait until tomorrow. Either way, I think its safe to say that most of us are anxious to see how this interesting game concept turned out as a real game. Mirror’s Edge comes out next month for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 11th.

Review: Ubuntu 8.10 Is The Real Deal

Posted By Edward F. Moltzen

Without much fanfare, developers of Ubuntu Linux (Download Here) have delivered the latest version of the open source operating system that scores higher than Windows Vista in performance testing, does a better job than Windows in making wireless connectivity easy and, overall, leaves fewer reasons to stick with Windows than any other previous release of Linux.

Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop Edition, nicknamed “Intrepid Ibex,” provides so much functionality and ease of use, at zero cost of acquisition, that it is really impossible to ignore. For anyone or any business not tied to Microsoft legacy desktop applications, Ubuntu 8.10 may realistically be considered a smarter choice in many scenarios.

During initial evaluation in the Test Center lab, Ubuntu 8.10 scored big in both performance testing and in wireless integration – - areas where Linux has had some trouble in the past.

Using the same, custom-built PC test bed loaded with, alternatively, Ubuntu 8.10 and Windows Vista Business, Ubuntu proved to be a quicker installation, scored higher in benchmark testing, managed wireless connectivity easier and booted slightly faster than Vista. Keep in mind that, less than two years ago, wireless integration with Ubuntu was pretty weak and non-intuitive – - especially for Linux newbies – - while Windows XP enjoyed nearly universal market support. Early results show Ubuntu has closed the gap dramatically.

The Test Center’s PC test bed was built with an Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 CPU at 2.53 GHz, an Elitegroup Computer Systems G31T-M motherboard with integrated Intel graphics and 2 GB of SDRAM. First, Windows Vista Business was installed on the PC; using Primate Labs’ Geekbench benchmarking software the system rang up a score of 2838. That’s about on par with other Vista-based systems we’ve reviewed this year with similar hardware specs.

After that, we did a clean install on the same PC with Ubuntu 8.10. Running Geekbench on the PC then, the system returned a score of 3367 – - a measurable and noteworthy performance spike. Geekbench is a multi-platform benchmarking software and scans each system for elements of both hardware and software performance, including floating point CPU performance and I/O. Even apart from the Geekbench score, the PC with Ubuntu 8.10 was noticeably faster when opening or switching between applications. Boot time with the PC running Vista was 56 seconds; with Ubuntu 8.10 it took 50 seconds.

In Ubuntu 8.10, developers have also integrated a simple, intuitive console for managing wireless connectivity, including for WiFi and broadband wireless. After installation, it took two clicks of the wireless console to hook the PC up to a wireless router. The PC was built with a Linksys Wireless-G PCI adapter, nothing exotic, and connectivity worked like a charm. No line commands were needed, no installation of drivers were needed. It just worked.

There are a few other noteworthy improvements in this version versus the 8.04 release. With two clicks of the management console, a “guest” account can be created to permit more than one person to customize a desktop on the same PC. A guest account can then be saved to a thumb drive and then loaded onto another PC. Developers have also provided a streamlined upgrade process to get from one version to the next. (The upgrade process was a little balky when we tried to upgrade from 8.04 to 8.10 inside a Sun VirtualBox VM.)

Canonical, the organization that oversees development of Ubuntu, releases a new version of Ubuntu every six months – - the most recent being version 8.04 in April. That version, nicknamed Hardy Heron, is considered a “Long Term Support” release, meaning free updates will be made available to that version for three years. Version 8.10, which Canonical launched Thursday, will receive updates for 18 months.

It’s also important to note that the ecosystem around Ubuntu has grown significantly over the past couple of years as well. Canonical continues to bundle key application software with Ubuntu, including OpenOffice.org, Rhythmbox (music management software that can integrate with MP3 players including iPods), Firefox 3.0, GIMP photo editing software and more.

The bottom line: Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop Edition easily ranks higher than any other Linux desktop OS we’ve looked at in the Test Center. Based on performance numbers, its Ethernet and wireless management and zero licensing cost, this is an operating system we can recommend to VARs – - not just as an alternative to Windows but as a strong OS in its own right.

Missing teen hooked on Xbox game

Posted by Michelle Meyers

It’s easy for parents to write off video game consoles as just another toy to take away from kids when they misbehave, neglect their studies, or just seem too hooked.
The story of missing 15-year-old Brandon Crisp, however, who ran away from home after his dad took away his Microsoft Xbox console, shows how video games can become far more than playtime possessions. In some cases, they end up intertwined with a teenager’s sense of self, particularly when fed by a larger online community.

“This had become his identity, and I didn’t realize how in-depth this was until I took his Xbox away,” Brandon’s father, Steve Crisp, told the Globe and Mail. “That’s like cutting his legs off.”

The younger Crisp disappeared from his Ontario home on October 13, Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday, after having an argument with his parents, according to the police in Barrie, Ontario. He was last seen riding his mountain bike away from the family home along an old rail line, police said.

Exhaustive searches have proved fruitless except for the discovery of his bike found with a flat tire. A local newspaper, the family’s Internet service provider, and Child Find have offered 25,000 Canadian dollars ($20,556) for information leading to his return. And Microsoft Canada matched that with another 25,000 Canadian dollars.

Microsoft is also fully cooperating with police on the case, a spokesman said. He declined to comment on the specifics of that cooperation because the investigation is ongoing.

“Like everyone, we are deeply worried about the disappearance of Brandon Crisp,” the company said in a statement.

Steve Crisp told local media that he had taken away his son’s Xbox after noticing changes in behavior such as skipping school, stealing money, and ignoring his studies. Brandon had recently started playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, according to reports.

“This is such an issue that hits every parent out there, with video games that are starting to control our kids’ lives,” Steve Crisp said in the Globe and Mail interview.

“I just took away his identity, so I can understand why he got so mad and took off,” he said. “Before, I couldn’t understand why he was taking off for taking his game away.”

Of course, the whole thing could turn out to have very little to do with online gaming–save the fact that it may have led to Brandon’s running away. But some are reportedly wondering whether the teen ran off to join his fellow gamers.

Click here for a site that offers more information on the case, but is reportedly not affiliated with the family or the police.

Kung Fu Panda 2008 1080P BLURAY X264

Posted by Frado

It’s the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five — Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart – and his girth – into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

Genre: Animation/Comedy
IMDB rating: 7.9/10 (32,765 votes)
Directed by: Mark Osborne and John Stevenson
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu

Release Name: Kung.Fu.Panda.2008.1080P.BLURAY.X264-OUTDATED
Quality: BluRay 1920×1080, ac3 English
Size: 4.37 GB
Runtime: 92 minutes

Links: IMDB | Trailer | RT
NFO: here
Torrent: NTi

Gears of War 2 X360

Posted by Frado

The gears of war continue to turn as Marcus Fenix and his squad of Cogs go back into action in the sequel to Microsoft and developer Epic Games’ blockbuster action title. Gears of War 2 continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, locked in an increasingly desperate battle against the nightmarish Locust Horde for the survival of humanity. The game promises to be an epic saga of survival, loss, and retribution. Just as Gears of War set the standard for high-definition visuals, Gears of War 2 raises the bar even further with the amazing technological advances of Unreal Engine 3, delivering a bigger, badder, and more intense experience as the story continues.

Game features:

• Unparalleled gameplay. “Gears of War 2” takes the award-winning gameplay of the original and improves upon it in every way. The genre-defining cover system is further refined, making the “stop and pop” gameplay more intuitive. Dynamic cover is given new meaning as downed opponents can be picked up and used as shields. The intimate violence of the battlefield is heightened when combatants engage in chainsaw duels. Destructible environments and vicious new finishing moves add to the over-the-top experience.
• Jaw-dropping visuals. “Gears of War 2” continues to raise the graphics bar through its breathtaking visual effects, made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3.
• Engaging experience that pulls you in and won’t let go. “Gears of War 2” takes deep and immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Players connect with humanity’s battle for survival on a personal level as they move through a story that introduces new characters and sheds light on the histories of familiar ones.
• Expanded cooperative play. Team up with a friend to fight through the harrowing story of Delta Squad in the enhanced campaign mode, now featuring drop-in/drop-out gameplay, as well as individual player difficulty options. Or recruit four friends to battle in the new game mode “Horde,” where you’ll fight together to fend off a seemingly endless onslaught of Locust forces to attain the highest score.

Release name: Gears.of.War.2.X360-Allstars
Language: English, German, French
Genre: Shooter
Region: PAL (region free)

Links: IGN | Gamespot

NFO: Here
Torrent : NTi

Microsoft Windows 7: first screenshots

Posted by Martin

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) on Tuesday took the wraps of the preview version of Windows 7, which will be the successor to Vista. Julie Larson Green, Microsoft’s vice president for Windows experience, hosted a demo in which she walked attendees through the features of the operating system.At first glance, Windows 7 maintains the streamlined look of Vista, but appears more muted — even Windows XP-like. Mostly, Microsoft seems to be focusing more on functionality, possibly in a bid to put some distance between Windows 7 and the criticisms which have dogged Vista.

Most obviously, a quick tour through Windows 7 reveals its new taskbar, which is sparser than in previous iterations of the OS. From the screen shots, it’s clear that Microsoft has listened to criticism and tuned many features, including search and access to security controls. The look and feel of the user interface is also highly customizable. The version of Windows 7 previewed at PDC is technically a pre-beta release. The official shipment of the final version is expected in about a year’s time.

Screenshots:

Hellboy 2 The Golden Army 720p BluRay x264

Posted by dot

DIAMOND brought us a DVDrip of this the other day (Click here for post) and now group SEPTiC brings us the BluRay rip of Hellboy 2, i havent seen the movie yet but i just downloaded the DVDrip which ill be watching tonight. Enjoy!

In this continuation to the adventure of the demon superhero, an evil elf breaks an ancient pact between humans and creatures, as he declares war against humanity. He is on a mission to release The Golden Army, a deadly group of fighting machines that can destroy the human race. As Hell on Earth is ready to erupt, Hellboy and his crew set out to defeat the evil prince before The Golden Army can destroy humanity’s existence.

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy

IMDB rating: 7.6/10
Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, James Dodd, Seth MacFarlane

Release Name: Hellboy.2.The.Golden.Army.720p.BluRay.x264-SEPTiC
Size: 6.56GB
Quality: Bluray – x264| 1280×688 – kbps | DTS – 1536kbps
Runtime: 120 minutes
Filename: s-hellboy2

Links: IMDB | Trailer | Homepage
NFO: Here
Torrent: NTi | TPB