I have been interested in astronomy since childhood, but the situation now is a bit different: now I know where I should pay effort to and where not. Anyway, the discovery of a new Earth-like planet really attracted me. Astronomers claimed that they had found the most earth-like planet outside our solar system, with balmy weather which could support water and, potentially life.
This planet was said to be the first at the same time probably rocky, with water and in a zone close to the star which it orbits water coould exists in liquid form. The temperature on the surface was estimated to lie between 0 and 40 celsius degree under which water could be liquid.
Although scientists gave us a similar announcement (I didn't notice this because I didn't read newspapers when I was only 9 years old) 12 years ago claiming that they had found a would-be planet which would be the target of us to seek extra-terrestrial life, this one seems quite unique.
Gliese 581, which the newly-found planet orbits is among the 100 closest starts to Earth, just 20.5 light yearsaway in the constellation Libra. Hence, even if this is another copy of Earth, we don't have technology advanced enough to enable us to travel there yet. Hmm.. think about the craft described in Angels and Demons - a masterpiece written by Dan Brown. That monster, which looks like a space shuttle and we couldn't imagine to possess it in the following *** years, isn't fast enough to travel in outter space to seek our dream though.
Saturday, 28 April 2007
A new Earth?
Thursday, 12 April 2007
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Tenth Anniversary - Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider 10th Anniversary - In 1996, the original Tomb Raider was launched
The 3D game design, controls and graphics were truly ground breaking for their time
Furthermore, gamers were also presented with a unique, female human playable character with which they could become emotionally attached, Lara Croft
The original Tomb Raider sold over seven million copies and is still heralded as an absolute classic and one of the best action adventure games ever
Tomb Raider defined the PlayStation and changed the way that people played games.
In tribute to this and to celebrate and commemorate the continuing development of the Tomb Raider franchise and its central character, Crystal Dynamics are developing a new Tomb Raider adventure for Lara
Inspired by the original Tomb Raider video game Lara Croft Tomb Raider Anniversary faithfully preserves the elements which made the original Tomb Raider game such a classic.
Using an enhanced Tomb Raider Legend game engine, the graphics, technology and physics bring Laras adventure and pursuit of a mystical artefact known only as the Scion right up to todays technology standards and will offer gamers a completely new gameplay experience.
Tomb Raider follows the adventures of Lara Croft after she is hired by a powerful syndicate to retrieve a mythical object called the Scion
After discovering that she has been used as a pawn in some larger scheme, Lara takes matters into her own hands deciding that she must uncover the mystery behind this ancient artefact.
Celebrate and commemorate ten years of Tomb Raider and Lara Croft with Tomb Raider Anniversary, an entirely new gameplay experience inspired by the first ever Tomb Raider adventure
Tomb Raider Anniversary uses an enhanced version of the Tomb Raider Legend game engine to apply Crystal Dynamics latest PS2 technology.
Play the living Lara Croft, the worlds greatest action heroine of all time use all of Laras guile, athleticism and gadgets in her quest to conquer the unknown and uncover ancient artefacts.
Includes classic environments from the original Tomb Raider as never experienced before Crystal Dynamics latest technology allows you to fluidly manoeuvre Lara using her latest moves and gear, through all the worlds from the original Peru, Greece, Egypt and more
The dynamic world allows multiple playthrough options and also opens up new places and wa
PS3 review from NINEMSN
Are you a believer?
With Sony's answer to the next generation of video gaming now out in PAL regions such as Europe and Australasia, gamers finally have the chance to discover what North America and Japan have been enjoying since 2006.
The first thing those you'll discover, as American and (to an infuriatingly lesser-extent) Japanese gamers have, is that the PS3 doesn't come cheap. In Australia, where only the top-end model of the console is available, it costs a bank-breaking $999. This already prices the system beyond much of the impulse buyer's market.
Sony are of course gesticulating wildly in the direction of the Blu-ray disc drive, the PS3 being the cheapest way to own the next-gen DVD format. However, the jury is still out on the appeal of Blu-ray as a whole and whether gamers are taking its inclusion on board when comparing the PS3 to the Xbox 360 and the Wii.
The power of the CELL CPU driving the system makes the console the most mighty of the next-gen trio, though it will take time to see how important this technology is. Debut titles fail to out-shine rival Xbox 360 offerings, despite the hardware at their disposal. That said, Sony can't be faulted for ambition, having taken their third-gen system in an entirely different direction from the mass-market PS2, opting instead for a system which will appeal to technophiles and those looking to be the first with Blu-ray.
For those of you deliberating about whether to hot foot it down to your local game shop, one of the most important factors to consider is whether you will buy or already own a HD television set and whether you'll also therefore be interested in taking advantage of the Blu-ray drive. If you do want to be an early-adopter of the new DVD format, then the PS3 could be your best route in, especially with the array of games available or forthcoming.
Then there's the PlayStation Network to consider. It may be in its early stages, but the online service of the PS3 is completely free (unlike Microsoft's rival Live service) and that includes online gaming too. Today's 1.6 update also ushers in background downloading and with Gran Turismo HD free to download, fans of the racing genre may find this is incentive enough. The range of titles heading to the PS3 store also looks set to grow at pace, with Sony promising more original games alongside conversions, as opposed to the retrograde ports favoured by Microsoft and Nintendo.
The PS3's future is about that, ultimately ... the future. Without exclusive games such as GTA IV and Assassin's Creed, and now even Final Fantasy XIII a doubt, Sony's ability to secure or develop compelling games will be vital to justifying the system's high price point. That and Blu-ray's victory over HD-DVD. A smorgasbord of multiplatform EA sports and movie tie-ins is unlikely to be giving Microsoft execs the shivers any time soon. But then there is, of course, Metal Gear Solid 4 ... can Kojima's return elevate the PS3 single-handedly?
Lest we forget, Sony have unveiled plans for the PS3 Home and LittleBigPlanet in recent weeks, both of which could easily entice the MySpace generation of game players so enamoured with the PS2. But can such sociable gaming experiences persuade people to part with $1000 when the Wii also appeals to the party crowd but costs under $500?
While you deliberate over whether to make the investment in Sony's ambitious next-generation vision, here's a few "day one" facts about the new machine...
Specifications:
PS3 PAL console
Price: $999
Cell CPU/RSX GPU/256 MB RAM/256MB video RAM
60GB HDD/Dolby 5.1 surround sound
Ethernet/Wi-fi/Bluetooth support
SIXAXIS Wireless controller
HDMI output/1080p max resolution
CD/DVD/Blu-ray supported
Weight: 5kg
Launch games:
Resistance: Fall of Man (Sony)
MotorStorm (Sony)
Genji: Days of the Blade (Sony)
Formula One Championship Edition (Sony)
Ridge Racer 7 (Sony)
Call of Duty 3 (Activision)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Activision)
Tony Hawk's Project 8 (Activision)
Gundam: Target in Sight (Namco Bandai)
Full Auto 2: Battle Lines (SEGA)
Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA)
Virtua Fighter 5 (SEGA)
Virtua Tennis 3 (SEGA)
World Snooker Championship 2007 (SEGA)
NHL 2K7 (2K Sports)
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Ubisoft)
Enchanted Arms (Ubisoft)
Def Jam: Icon (EA)
Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
NBA Street Homecourt (EA)
Need For Speed Carbon (EA)
The Godfather: The Don's Edition (EA)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 (EA)
Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PlayStation Network)
Blast Factor (PlayStation Network)
Lemmings (PlayStation Network)
Gran Turismo HD Concept (PlayStation Network)
GripShift (PlayStation Network)
PS3 game review from NINEMSN
At last, the time of reckoning is here, a time when the moaning about overdraft shattering price points, delays, backwards compatibility and online services can finally be weighed against the most important factor in all of this: the games themselves. It's fair to say that Sony haven't endured the smoothest of entries into the next generation console arena but now the console's pre-launch problems will be firmly in the past and Australian consumers are at last able to get their sweaty mitts on a PS3 for themselves and, Sixaxis controller in hand, make their own judgments.
So, if you're already planning on joining the early adopter bandwagon and have secured a PS3, the next question becomes what to play on your shiny new slab of gaming hardware to show it off to those sceptical 360 owning friends of yours? The launch line-up, while commendably broad, contains a large amount of cross platform titles some of which have been available to those very same 360 owners for months. However, worry not, Sony's new baby has its fair share of launch exclusives too and, because we're nice like that, here's the lowdown on some of those titles.
Resistance : Fall of Man
MotorStorm
One of the first PS3 games to have a public showing back in 2005, the footage shown was so impressive it was greeted with almost universal scepticism as people doubted Sony's ability to keep the visual promises the footage showed. Two years later and credit where credit's due, it looks like they may just have pulled it off, MotorStorm is an off-road racer that sees the player picking a vehicle from a selection that includes bikes, ATV's, trucks, rally cars and buggies before taking part in some seriously fast paced racing on some of the most impressive off-road tracks ever seen in a game. One of MotorStorm's most impressive features is undoubtedly the tracks themselves, not only do they look very pretty but they naturally evolve over the course of each race. Drive a truck through an area of mud and besides having the expected effect on your own speed it'll also leave deep ruts in the ground causing all kinds of problems for the unfortunate person driving the motorbike behind you. Such mid game landscaping is integral to the way the game plays as each road surface is affected by the vehicles driving over it, enabling Sony to boast that no two laps of MotorStorm will ever be quite the same. Add to the party an impressive physics engine that sees vehicles bouncing off both the track and each other all the while hurtling around at high speed through a variety of canyons and gorges and it's no wonder that MotorStorm is one of the most eagerly awaited of the PS3's launch titles, one that may just become the system seller Sony is looking for.
Genji : Days of the Blade
Yes, we all the remember that embarrassing E3 demo where 'MASSIVE DAMAGE' was inflicted on the underbelly of a giant crab, but a lot of time has passed since then and Genji is now all finished and raring to go. While essentially not promising to ever be much more than a very pretty looking button basher of a slash-em-up Genji does have some tricks up its sleeves. One of the more interesting ones is the ability to swap between any of the four playable characters on the fly with a touch of the d-pad. With each character offering different abilities and fighting styles this has the potential to add an interesting tactical element to things, the prospect of using one character to break through an enemies defences before switching swiftly to another more suited to delivering the final few blows to finish things off is an interesting one. Upgradeable moves and weapons look to add an element of character progression to the mix and Game Republic promise some puzzles to test the grey matter now and then too, all of which could make Genji the perfect choice for people looking for a bit of puzzle and arcade action to show off their new toy.
Formula One Championship Edition
If you have even a passing interest in the world of F1 this game is no doubt up there on your list of launch titles to buy. First thing you notice is that it looks stunning, a phrase that gets banded around all too often but is honestly appropriate for this title, it really is a thing of beauty. It also promises to be accessible (well, as much as F1 can be) with a host of driving aids that can be turned on and off, ranging from lines on the track showing you the best route and speed through corners to the more expected automatic gearbox. The single player career mode sees you try and work your way up from test driver to world champion over the course of five championship seasons and there's always the single quick race options to fall back on when you don't want the hassle of the qualifying stages and all the fuss that comes with a full race. F1 as a sport isn't for everyone and as such F1 games tend to be a love 'em or hate 'em experience, something Formula One Championship Edition is unlikely to change, however, if you fall into the former category then this could just be the greatest F1 game around.
Ridge Racer 7
You mean it's a new Sony Console, and it's got a Ridge Racer launch title? Whatever will they think of next! Ridge Racer and the PlayStation brand have become almost inseparable since Sony nabbed the exclusive console version of the original to help launch the first PlayStation, in the process converting a whole generation of racing fans to Ridge Racer's crazy drifting-driving style. It's therefore a little bit of a shock for Sony fanboys to realise that this new Ridge Racer is actually almost identical to number six, the one Namco sneaked out as an Xbox 360 exclusive when Sony wasn't looking, all be it with the added bonus of a funky 1080p mode, slipstreaming, some new tracks and finally in a series first, a degree of car customisation. Surely by now most people will have played a Ridge Racer game at some point and experienced their unique and gloriously unrealistic approach to cornering, specifically how rather than actually breaking to get round a corner you instead send your car into a high speed slide around the bends, the real skill coming in avoiding other cars in the process and being able to regain control as your car exits the drift. Such an exaggerated arcade take on driving means that gamers more used to their Gran Turismo's and Project Gotham's sense of realism may find such a relaxed attitude to the laws of physics enough to put them off but for existing fans or anyone looking for some high speed arcade driving Ridge Racer 7 could well be an early PS3 must-buy.
So, there you have it. It is really all about the games, so now you, the consumer, finally get to decide.