Opinion: Why Xbox 360 Still Leads the Market

It isn't just the extra year that puts Xbox 360 on the top of the HD consoles

Last week, IGN's Colin Moriarty published an opinion piecesuggesting that the PS3 will beat the Xbox 360 before this generation is over. Citing worldwide averages and conjecture of lifetime sales, Colin makes a compelling argument, stating that the 360's year head start is the main reason for the system's lead over the PS3. However, as he said, you can't ignore the numbers, so let's take a look at what they really say. 

For sure, some of the 360's current lead in sales versus the PS3 can be attributed to launching a year sooner; but what that argument doesn't mention is the fact that the system was able to achieve more than just a market share handicap; it was real estate in the gaming community. People rushed out to buy the 360 because it was the next big thing, the first HD console, and the first next-gen home to stellar games like the Call of Duty franchise (on console, at least), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and other great titles. 

These early adopters backed the Xbox 360's horse from the beginning, and as Xbox Live continues to build an active and dedicated online community, the system's growth hasn't slowed. According to NPD sales data released two weeks ago, October 2011 sales data showed Xbox 360 hardware up more than 20 percent from last year, with the system poised to be the best-selling console of the year, holding more than 40 percent of the current-generation market share. 

With October hardware sales up 20 percent from last year, the Xbox 360 is not on the decline.

Also in speaking on that year head start, let's look at the time period when the 360 launched. The system's most expensive SKU came out with a $400 price tag; not very cheap, but considerably less than the top of the line PS3 which came out at $600 in the US a year later. First year sales peg each platform at around the 6 million mark with a slight edge going to the PS3, but that can be attributed to supply outstripping demand at the Xbox 360's launch, and the PS3's position in the market at the cheapest Blu-ray player at the time. A look at tie ratios, or the number of games sold per system sold, for the first 23 months of each system's availability, shows the PS3 with 5.3 games per console sold (in third place behind the Wii) and the Xbox 360 with 6.6. It's also worth noting that at the time of the report (the PS3's 23rd month of availability), the Xbox 360 had an impressive tie ratio of 8.1. While each launch had similar unit sales, it's clear that Xbox 360 owners bought more games. 

Had the tables been turned and the PS3 launched first in 2005 instead of the Xbox 360, would their head start have fared better than Microsoft's? Considering that the strength of the PS3's launch relied heavily on its ability to play Blu-ray movies, it's likely not. Here's why; by April 2007, HDTV ownership in American households jumped to a whopping 28 percent, thanks to some aggressive holiday 2006 pricing. Considering that Blu-ray films won't give you any additional benefit when watching on a standard def television and the aforementioned lower tie ratio, it can be safe to assume that many of the early adopters who snagged a PS3 in that early window simply wanted a cheap(er) way to watch high-def movie content on their new HDTV. Had the PS3 launched in 2005 without the support of the HDTV surge, it simply wouldn't have fared nearly as well; real estate as the first HD gaming console or not, it simply wasn't worth the $600 investment for many non-HD gamers. 

Another big point of contention when it comes to the PS3 pulling ahead of the Xbox 360 is console exclusives. Sony has come a long way this generation, offering up some amazing new IP. However, let's turn again to the numbers to see who has really pulled ahead in this particular race. A quick polling of the top 50 games for each platform reveals that the PS3 has 16 exclusives on the list, with total sales of 57.09 million units worldwide of those exclusives. The Xbox 360 has one less at 15 on its top 50 list; but the total sales of these exclusives hits 82.23 million units; a considerable spread. 

Exclusive franchises like Gears of War continue to sell extremely well on Xbox 360.

It's no secret that the Xbox 360 has struggled in Japan. To be sure, the system has failed to gain any foothold in the Japanese market whatsoever, and has been vastly outshined by other platforms. However, the Japanese market in general seems to be shying away from consoles and gaming as a whole has been floundering in the land of the rising sun. As of April this year, the PS3 had sold 6.3 million units total in Japan compared to the Xbox 360's 1.4 million; a healthy margin, but a drop in the bucket compared to worldwide sales where each system has sold well over 50 million units. 

While the PS3 has made some great gains in this console generations, having fought against poor decisions early on and some general marketing mismanagement, the Xbox 360 still looks to be the top dog in the battle of this generation of HD consoles. 

Facebook hit by 'porn' virus

Facebook are investigating reports that some pornographic and violent images are being posted on users' newsfeeds.

The material is thought to have been spread widely in the last 24 hours via a 'linkspam' virus when users click on a seemingly innocuous story link.

Thousands of users have complained via Twitter of the security breach which is allowing photoshopped porn images and, in some cases, pictures of the violent mutilation of animals and people.

No one has yet claimed responsibilty for the breach, although several people have linked the attack to hacking activist group Anonymous after a video appeared on YouTube threatening to "kill" the social network.

However, experts have questioned whether the video was authentic.

A spokeswoman for Facebook said: "[We are] aware of these reports and we are investigating the issue".

Story Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15740798

Google Chrome update addresses high-severity flaw

Google has released an update for Chrome 15 which addresses a high-risk vulnerability. The security issue is the result of an out-of-bounds memory write in the browser's JavaScript engine.

Under normal circumstances such a vulnerability would allow remote code execution and would be considered critical. However, because Google Chrome uses a native sandbox that prevents attackers from executing malicious code, the severity of the bug was downgraded.

The vulnerability was discovered by Mozilla security engineer Christian Holler, who was paid US$1,000 through the Chromium Vulnerability Rewards Programs for reporting it.

The new Google Chrome 15.0.874.121 for Windows, Mac, Linux, also addresses a non-security issue that causes SVG elements loaded within iframes to ignore specified dimensions. This is actually a regression bug introduced by recent code modifications.

Other fixes contained in this release deal with the browser's behavior on Chrome OS, Google's cloud-oriented operating system, and include changes to the default NAT traversal policy used by the Chromoting remote access feature, the downloads folder display, the login process, and the GPU blacklist. The update also includes some minor bugfixes in the V8 JavaScript engine.

Home users are advised to upgrade to the new version by using the built-in Chrome update mechanism, which can be triggered by restarting the browser. Corporate network administrators can deploy it by using the Google Update for enterprise policy.

Nokia confirms the N8 successor is coming next year, sort of

Rest assured cameraphone fans, Nokia is still thinking about you. The manufacturer of the N8 is already working on its successor, which will come out some time next year. The confirmation came at the Nokia Lumia 800 launch event in Russia and was brought by the company VP Eric Bertman so it's pretty official.
According to him, next year Nokia will be releasing something even better than the N8 in 2012. He didn't provide any more details, like the OS that the device will be using. Previously we heard that Symbian is very much on the cards, but Windows Phone certainly seems the more probable platform of choice of the new cameraphone king.

You can check out the full interview in the following video. The N8 bit comes at about 1:36.

So what’re your thoughts on the matter? Is a great camera all that is preventing you from going for a Nokia WP smartphone? Or would you have rather had it in MeeGo flavor? Tell us in the comment section below.

Source

1st Generation Nano recall

Replacements offered by Apple

Apple have recalled their first generation iPod nanos after fears over a battery safety issue.

The 'at risk' nanos were sold between September 2005 and December 2006, the original nanos were only made in black or white and has a plastic front and a metal back.

Apple has determined that, in very rare cases, the battery in the iPod nano (1st generation) may overheat and pose a safety risk.

Customers who think they are eligible for a replacement are being advised to check their model number and fill in the relevant form on Apple's support page at; https://supportform.apple.com/201110/

Story Source: http://www.apple.com/support/ipodnano_replacement/

Intel peaks on PC performance with new six-core chip ....

Intel on Monday announced what it called its fastest chip to date for PCs, the six-core Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor, which is based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture and designed for use in high-end desktops.

The chip is targeted at enthusiasts such as gamers, who usually are early adopters of the latest technologies. More cores and faster clocks speed up PCs and are valued by gamers, who demand peak performance when playing graphics intensive games.

The Core i7-3960X runs at a default clock speed of 3.3GHz, cranking up to 3.9GHz per core depending on performance required. The chip has 15MB of cache and four channels of memory, also the most available on Intel PC chips to date.

The chip is about 52 percent faster in video editing than the Core i7-2600K chip, which is also based on Sandy Bridge and targeted at enthusiasts. The memory performance is up to 114 percent better, Intel said.

The Core i7-3960X will succeed the Core i7-990X Extreme Edition, which was the fastest chip based on Intel's previous Westmere architecture.

The chip is priced at US$990 for 1,000 units. It will compete with the Advanced Micro Devices' eight-core FX-series chips, which started shipping last month and are also targeted at enthusiasts

Intel and AMD are adding cores and ratcheting up clock speeds in an effort to gain the chip performance crown. AMD in September demonstrated its eight-core FX processor running at 8.429GHz in a system, which the company claimed broke the world record.

Intel also introduced the six-core Core i7-3930K chip, which operates at 3.2GHz and can be clocked up to 3.8GHz. The chip has 12MB of cache, four memory channels, and is priced at $555.

Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops ...

Want to take your PC gaming mobile? Then check out the top 10 best gaming laptops out there today.
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Even though companies like Razer may be fighting the cold hard truth that, when it comes to gaming, the platform of choice goes to the consoles. But enthusiasts know that if you want to experience the true quality that a game has to offer, then PC gaming is the way to go. Desktops will give you that extra oomph, but sometimes portability is a necessary factor for LAN party-goers or traveling pros. For those looking to take their game mobile without sacrificing too many frame rates, PCMag has rounded up the best gaming laptops.

Most gaming laptops aren't what we in the business call "ultraportable" (the Acer Aspire AS3830TG-6431 is one exception). The smallest designated gaming rig I've ever encountered is Alienware'sM11xr3; a 3.3-pound laptop. It packs quite a punch, managing 55.6 frames per second (fps) on our Crysis (DirectX 10) benchmark test—a respectable score considering its 11-inch size. However, if you want to bump up your frame rates high-end components need room, which is why its 17-inch brother, the Alienware M17x (Sandy Bridge), can pump out Crysis at 93.3fps on medium quality.

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It's important to remember that what a laptop lacks in high-end components, it makes up for in battery life. Big GPUs and CPUs require lots of power to keep running. That's why the Alienware M11xr3 will give you 8 hours 3 minutes of relative computing life and the Alienware M17x will give you a mere 2:24. Unless you're the type to carry around an extra battery or two, road warriors may want to factor this in when considering what gaming laptop to buy.

For those looking to game on the lighter end of the 3D graphics spectrum there are laptops with lower-end GPUs that cost a little less than the higher-end stuff out there. If you're a World of Warcraft enthusiast, fan of games like Torchlight, or into older titles like Team Fortress 2, you might go for a laptop like the Dell Inspiron 17R (N7110) or Acer Aspire AS3830TG-6431.

Below are 10 of our best gaming laptops. All have gone through our Crysis test and all have come out around 30 frames per second or better. Pick one that will help you get your game on.

Featured in this Roundup:

Dell Inspiron 17R (N7110)
$1,039.98 direct

The Dell Inspiron 17R (N7110) gives you some 3D performance through its Nvidia GeForce GT 525M graphics chip, creative control of both your virtual media and the laptop's physical appearance, and features to make this desktop replacement laptop pop.

Acer Aspire AS3830TG-6431
$750 street

The Acer AS3830TG-6431 is one of the most powerful ultraportables on the market, equipped with an Nvidia GT 540M graphics chip. This laptop will not only play Crysis, it has enough battery power to get you through a coast to coast flight.

Asus K53SV-B1
$990 street

The Asus K53SV-B1 desktop replacement laptop packs high-end performance without the price tag, offering quad-core Intel Core i7 processing and powerful Nvidia GeForce graphics for under $1,000.

Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839
$1,499.99 street
 
Gamers will love the Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839 laptop's big 1080p-resolution screen, built-in Blu-ray drive, and crisp-sounding speaker system. The AMD Radeon HD 6850M powering the system impress, with playable frame rates on Lost Planet 2 and Crysis.

Dell XPS 15z (Microsoft)
$999 direct
 
The XPS 15z (Microsoft) is available from Microsoft's Store and every bit as luxurious as the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch, but it won't cost you nearly as much.

Asus G74SX-BBK7
$1,199 list

The Asus G74SX-BBK7's huge exterior speaks volumes: Intimidating to the casual consumer, but speaks to the gamer saying, "The bigger I am, the better I game."

Alienware M17X (Sandy Bridge)
$2,254 direct
 
With outstanding gaming scores and the most wicked design, the Alienware M17X (Sandy Bridge) is the best gaming laptop, period.

Alienware M11xr3
$1,099 direct
 
Need a portable gaming device to keep you sharp while you're on the road? Look no further than the Alienware M11xr3.

Asus G74SX-A2
$2,000 street

The Asus G74SX-A2 holds its own against top gaming laptops with its quad-core processor and Nvidia graphics, and its stealthy cooling system kicks in when those components get hot.

Samsung QX411-W01
$799.99 list

The Samsung QX411-W01 is a mainstream laptop that includes top-notch battery life and a sturdy design among its features. It's Nvidia GT 520M won't get you far when it comes to high-end titles, but for those who like to play games like World of Warcraft, Portal, and Indie games like Limbo and From Dust, the QX411-W01 will suit your needs.

iOS 5 update released - Includes battery fix ...

Apple has released it's first iOS 5 update which patches a high-profile security bug and fixes the short battery life experienced by some users.
The security issue addressed a kernel vulnerability whereby, according to Apple, “an application may execute unsigned code. A logic error existed in the mmap system call's checking of valid flag combinations. This issue may lead to a bypass of code-signing checks.”
The 55MB iOS 5.0.1 is also the first update released by Apple which will be delivered over it's new built-in free updating service available vis iTunes.
The update also addresses a bug with documents in Apple's iCloud service, a panorama mode in their camera application and a new auto correct menu in the keyboard.