Hasta La Gadget!

Console gaming is big business; there’s no doubt about it. But the industry actually saw a pretty steep decline in sales last month. Research firm NPD Group reported that total US video game sales hit $848.3 million during September. While that might seem like a respectable number, that’s down 24% from the same time last year, which was over $1 billion.

By category, hardware sales (consoles, etc.) took the steepest loss, with a 39% slump to $210.9 million. Software sales (games, etc.) were down 18% from $609.7 million last year to $497.4 million this year. Accessories fell by 11% to $139.9 million. So, it seems the past year hasn’t been a good one for gaming companies.

However, Microsoft was quick to toot their horn, claiming that last month was the 21st consecutive month that the Xbox led the console race by selling 270,000 Xbox 360 units and owning 49% of the console market share, making that the 19th month in a row that Microsoft owned at least 40% of the console market share.

However, Nintendo‘s upcoming Wii U console will soon be the newest and hottest console on the market, and if the launch goes well, it could end Microsoft’s streak. The Wii U may also bring the gaming industry out of its slump and encourage more gamers to buy its products. We’re guessing that the lack in new hardware was the reason consumers weren’t spending much on gaming products in the first place.

[via CNET]

Gaming sales down 24% from a year ago is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

History remembers technology progressing at the speed of Moore’s Law, galloping between semiconductors and clock speeds. But the real challenge has always been getting people to accept it into their lives. And as Alexis Madrigal at the Atlantic reminds us, that has, from time to time, meant overcoming ingrained prejudices. More »

Once upon a time, Wikileaks and Anonymous were best friends. Wikileaks would get bullied by “the man,” and Anonymous would bring down government websites in retaliation. They seemed to make a good pair, like chocolate and peanut butter or Mario and Yoshi (sorry Luigi). Today, however, it seems that Anonymous wants out of this relationship, despite the fact that Wikileaks could use a lot of help right about now.

It isn’t much of a secret that Wikileaks and founder Julian Assange are strapped for cash these days. Assange is facing a lot of legal bills, and Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal all decided cut off service to Wikileaks a couple years back, which did a lot to block funding to the site. Needing to raise cash quickly, Wikileaks imposed a paywall on October 10, which blocks out the page users are trying to view with an overlay requesting donations. Once users donate, they gain access to the site, although disabling Javascript will get rid of the overlay as well.

This paywall has Anonymous – once one of Wikileaks’ biggest allies – angry. In a new statement, Anonymous says that it has been concerned about the direction of Wikileaks for some time now, but this paywall is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Anonymous has apparently had enough of Wikileaks, saying that it can no longer be associated with the site it fully supported in the past:

Anonymous has had enough. The conclusion for us is that Anonymous cannot support anymore what Wikileaks has become. We will NOT attack the web assets of WikiLeaks, as they are media. We do not attack media. Any future attack on the WikiLeaks servers attributed to Anonymous is a lie. But what we will do is cease from this day all support of any kind for WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. No longer will Anonymous risk prison to defend WikiLeaks or Julian Assange from their enemies. No longer will Anonymous risk prison to supply material for WikiLeaks disclosures. Anonymous turns it’s back on WikiLeaks.

And just like that, Wikileaks has lost the support of an organization that has come to its aid many times in the past. Anonymous members have been arrested while attacking government websites in the name of Wikileaks and Assange, but it’s clear from this statement that Anonymous members won’t be willing to put themselves in harm’s way for Wikileaks any longer. Anonymous says that it will have a more detailed statement on its history with Wikileaks coming in a few days, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled for that. Stay tuned.

[via Ars Technica]

Anonymous cuts ties with Wikileaks over new “paywall” is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It seems that the modern day touchscreen has taken over just about most computing aspects – ranging from smartphones to tablets, portable media players and of course, computers – notebooks and desktops alike. Well, the Magic Finger which is the brainchild of Autodesk Research, the University of Alberta and the University of Toronto, might usher in a new future as well in terms of interacting with the computer. The Magic Finger comprises of a small micro camera and optical flow sensor which will be attached to your finger. This particular device is capable of telling the difference in surface, such as distinguishing a desk, a sheet of paper or even skin, while recognizing 2D data matrix codes in addition to supporting a pinch function which can be programmed to trigger computer commands.

Apart from input and control functions, the Magic Finger is also capable of acting as an intermediary between other Magic Finger units when it comes to data transfer. In summary, the Magic Finger is sensitive enough to sense 22 textures with an accuracy level of 98.9%, opening up a whole new world of multimedia controller possibilities. No idea on whether the prototype Magic Finger will eventually end up as commercially available, as only time will be able to tell.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Robot wheelchair “grows” legs, climbs stairs, What’s inside the Wii U,

Dell has certainly remembered that Windows 8 is going to be released at the end of this month, which is why it makes perfect sense to be prepared to receive the operating system. What better way to do so than to come up with a piece of hardware that will support Windows 8? This is where the interesting looking Dell XPS 12 hybrid tablet notebook comes in, where it is essentially two devices in a single form factor. You can opt to use it as a fully-featured, full-powered notebook when the situation calls for it, and should you need a tablet to get the job done, then the Dell XPS 12 can easily be transformed to suit the occasion, turning into a fully-featured touch-powered tablet. The hinge for the display does seem to look rather fragile – we sure hope it has been put through its paces beforehand!

Obviously, while in tablet format, you will not find some special nanotechnology at work that automatically trims down the size of the Dell XPS 12 to make it super thin, so this will be nowhere near the thinnest tablet claim. On the other hand, when it is in tablet mode, the display will ensure that the keyboard is completely covered to protect it from dirt and spills. You can pick up the Dell XPS 12 from $1,199.99 onwards. [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Dell reveals OptiPlex 9010 with Windows 8, Dell Latitude 6430u Ultrabook will be targeted at enterprise users on the go,