iOS 5 Untethered, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 Jailbreak: P0sixninja To Announce Something “Exciting” - by aby benedict

Well well well, look what’s here! Are you wondering when will iOS 5 / 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak will be released? Waiting for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 much waited jailbreak? If so, P0sixninja will tell you today everything. Few minutes ago, on Twitter, P0sixninja announced that he’ll be posting a new blog post today about the current status of jailbreak.

P0sixninja is the main member, with pod2g, in the Chronic Dev Team. P0sixninja and pod2greleased Greenpois0n untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 last year and they’re willing to release something new this year too.

Batman: Arkham City PC Review - by aby benedict

When you speak about Batman: Arkham City, you speak about not only the next chapter in a line of games that’ve redefined the superhero genre of video games, but have taken the ultra-immersive nature of the detective / puzzle solving game and have made it intuitive enough to be enjoyable for all – and the graphics are absolutely unmatched. What we’ve got here is a rig provided by NVIDIA to test this game specifically, an Alienware M17xR3 gaming laptop with a GeForce GTX 580 DirectX 11 GPU inside, this along with the newest set of NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 wireless 3D glasses. It’s a very GREEN situation, needless to say, and playing the most advanced game on the market with the most impressive graphics processor on the planet, this is almost a no-brainer.

Storyline

The storyline here is one that takes place some months after the prison madness of Batman: Arkham Prison, the first game in this series. What’s gone on since then is the city government of Gotham City has created a walled-in miniature town in which all the criminals that would otherwise have been sent to the asylum for the criminally insane have been confined – this city is called Arkham City. This and the fact that a set of corrupt police officers under the orders of the fellow who’s been left in charge of the city have tossed Bruce Wayne in the city to fend for himself make this storyline appear rather familiar.

This is a re-written version of Escape from New York (or Escape from Los Angeles, if you prefer), and Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, is Snake Plissken. Once you’ve been pulled into the city by the sinister Hugo Strange, who is running the city in this storyline, your goal is to continue the investigation you started before you were captured – and with your endless arsenal of gadgets, abilities, and skills in both the combat and detective arenas, you’ll have more than an engaging time doing so. The story does aim at making this a quintessential Batman game as it does appear to try to contain each and every one of the main villains, but of course its unlikely nature is easily trumped by the vastness of the environment and your complete freedom in exploring all of your possibilities.

This is a Batman story, and because it takes on the story started in the first Arkham game and expands upon it by literally turning the asylum into an entire city, it’s great. And not only do you get to move through the main storyline, there are side-stories and tasks you can attain as well. And of course, what good game centered around a city would be complete without Grand Theft Auto free-play, your ability to explore nearly without limit!

Gameplay

When you play this game, you are Batman. You’ll want to put on your movie-quality Batman mask and put on the sharp gloves because you’ll feel like you’re the real deal. You play the part of the real detective Batman, the one with vast sets of maps, decoding tools, and your trusty pal Alfred Pennyworth (aka Bruce Wayne’s butler and Batman’s most valuable helper, for those of you unfamiliar). You also play the part of the fully equipped Batman, complete with every little Bat-tool you’ve ever heard of. Fly to the tops of buildings with your Line Launcher pulling you from the ground all the way up, glide around the town with your cape-cum-Bat-Glider, and traverse the landscape as you discover the ever-changing set of situations in the whole of Arkham City.

You’ve got levels on top of levels of ways to interact with your environment, from punching a bad guy in the face to attaching a line to a horizon scaffold to lower yourself down on top of the enemy head-first. You can attack a villain from above, flipping down to knock him out with your boot. You can make a glide-attack from a half-mile above a group of gangsters directly to a fellow’s face. Toss your Remote Controlled Batarang and make it flip and fly from your hand down the aisle, around the corner, and under a table to hit a notorious fellow in the kneecap. You will know the meaning of a diverse set of views and controls when you work here in the city.

You’ll want to choose your controls wisely. The folks who make the game have some special edition Batarang controllers you can use, but know this: there are many ways. When you see the demonstration video you’ll see your humble narrator using the keyboard on the laptop and a plain ol’ two-button and a scroll wheel mouse. You’ve got many choices, to say the least.

Graphics

Again I must say that this is far and away the most aesthetically voluptuous video game I’ve ever played, and with the NVIDIA graphics processor on the Alienware setup I’ve got running here there’s no waiting for anything. Flowing cape, purple haze, and masses of bats haunt your vision as you move through a very real (yet virtual, believe it or not) world of Arkham City. You’ll walk across a collapsing set of poles over motel metal, gaze over the masses of buildings complete with weather, and move in and out of cinematics without even a moment’s delay.

When you fight a set of gangsters, you’ll know you’ve beaten them all because whichever ends up being your final punch or kick is swiftly zoomed in on shown in ultra slow-motion. It’s just lovely. Have a peek at the enhancements you’ll be working with should you play this game with the same NVIDIA graphics processors we’re having a look at here – lots more floaties!

The 3rd Dimension

I played this game in 3D with the NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 wireless 3D glasses you see in the hands-on video. Notice in the video that you’re not seeing in 3D — that’s not because the 3D glasses don’t work, its because the camera can’t translate the effect. What you’re seeing instead is one of two frames that the glasses would otherwise send to your two eyes for the full 3D effect. And that effect is good. Where I’m by no means a fan of the 3D era we’re in right this moment, these glasses fit my face, the lenses cover my eyes adequately, and I don’t get a headache like I did with the ol’ blue and red glasses or these no-glasses 3D effects we’re seeing with some smartphones this past year.

Those are nasty, this is undeniably good.

Wrap-up

This game is the one NVIDIA and gaming computer giants will be using as their go-to for “look at how amazing this machine is” for quite some time, without a doubt. The folks at Rocksteady Studios have done a fantastic job of both developing and delivering the game, this including promoting the game with several offers on each different iteration of the game – like Gamestop where you’ll find the reviews sitting at 10 out of 10 almost without end. This game is out now for several platforms including Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but as this PC version is without a doubt the most aesthetically powerful, this is the one you should get. Suit up now.

And know this – as with all of our reviews here on SlashGear of products like smartphones, tablets, computers of all types, and even the tiniest of remote control vehicles, you’re welcome to continue to ask questions throughout the future that your humble narrator (or whoever did each particular review) will do their best to answer. In other words – what else do you want to know?

apples-black-friday-sales-goes-live - by aby benedict

As we all know tomorrow is the black Friday and in this day it's your chance to get for yourself a Mac or an iPad 2 because there is a drop sale on everything you can ever think about and Apple's Black Friday one-day sale has started to go live (AUS) in their international online Apple Stores. The U.S. sale should begin sometime tonight.

As you can see iPad 2 dropped price to $543.00 so you save a $45.00, while iPod Touch dropped to $198.00 the discounts appear similar to last year, with expected discounts in the U.S. to be $41-$61 off iPad 2s and $101 off MacBook Pros, Airs, and iMacs. So if you have any other related websites deals you can tell us in our comment section, and happy black Friday to all of you :)...

THANKS GIVING - why-deep+fried-frozen-turkeys-go-kablooie - by aby benedict

As William Shatner can attest, depositing a partially frozen turkey into a vat of hot oil is a very bad—very explosive—proposition. But why do they do that? Don't blame the bird, blame its water content

The technical term for what happens is a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE, pronounced "blevey"). This occurs when an sealed container surrounding pressurized liquid or gas is ruptured, causing an explosive decompression. This is what happens when gas tanks explode (the heat from the external fire causes the gas in the tank to combust and rupture) or when you shoot a fire extinguisher (puncturing the canister again results in decompression).

The problem arises in part because water and oil will not mix with oil being lighter. See, if water is added to the top of a pool of oil, it will immediately sink through to the bottom of the container. This normally isn't a problem unless the oil has been heated above 100 degrees C—beyond the vaporization point of water. As the water sinks—ensconced in its little oily prison—it will vaporize, exponentially expanding in volume and splattering oil all over the place. With the introduction of enough water, the oil can also boil over the fryer and onto the burner below.

Apple’s Black Friday Deals Revealed - by aby benedict

The folks over at 9to5mac could reveal Apple’s Black Friday deals. The Black Friday (November 25th) sales are similar to the ones Apple was providing in the past years. Apple is offering discounts on iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and some accessories.

The site shows the deals:

The Macs will be $101 less, the iPads will go from $41-$61 discounts depending on capacity (16GB, 32GB, 64GB), the iPod nano will shave off $11 for both 8GB and 16GB storage sizes, the iPod touch will follow the iPad’s lead of bigger discounts for bigger capacities, ranging from $21-$41 discounts.

Apple is also offering discounts on some accessories as iPad 2 Smart Cover, Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Wireless Magic Trackpad, AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule, AirPort Express and iTunes gift card.

The best sites to track Black Friday deals - by aby benedict

Are you ready? Black Friday 2011, the day that U.S. retailers and thrifty consumers have been waiting for all year, is just around the corner.

Whether you're looking for a $2 toaster or a $200 laptop, you're going to need a plan of attack to help you succeed. Here are a few sites that will help you develop and carry out your strategy this year:

FatWallet
FatWallet has been around a long time and is a popular destination for deal hunters. It maintains a Black Friday section each year, to help you sort out all the deals. You can discuss deals in its forums, find deals by category or store, and even track deals with its Black Friday iPhone app. Also, if you want to take advantage of its cash-back program, be sure to sign up for an account. It has a large list of participating retailers with some retailers increasing their cash back percentages over the holidays.

Slickdeals
Most Slickdeals members are also FatWallet members and they often cross post deals on both sites. Slickdeals doesn't have a mobile app yet, but it does have a mobile version of its site. It also offers ad scans for those who like to view the actual ads, and Slickdeals editors write up a downloadable Black Friday buyer's guide. Its discussion forum is very active with members who are passionate about great deals.

BFAds.net
BFAds.net has a huge selection of Black Friday ads, scans, and online sales listings. If it's on sale during Black Friday, it's probably been posted on BFAds.net. They also have some usefulbuying guides for laptops, mobile phones, and TVs. If you have an iPhone, check out BFAds.net's own Black Friday iPhone app.

Dealtaker
Dealtaker's Black Friday section contains a list of Black Friday deals and scans of Black Friday ads. With two weeks to go, Dealtaker's already posted leaked ads from Toys R Us, Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears. They have a free Black Friday iPhone app as well.

Amazon
While not a deal site, per se, Amazon's Black Friday deals last the entire week of Thanksgiving. During Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week, its lightning deals often sell out before they expire. If you're not up for the shopping frenzy at a physical store, take a seat, relax, and check out Amazon's deals. You might also want to check out Amazon's growing list of mobile shopping apps.

where every day, you can find some of the best deals on the Web.

That's it. Good luck to all the bargain hunters this holiday season!

Samsung takes shots at iPhone in latest Galaxy S II ad - by aby benedict

“I could never get a Samsung. I’m creative.” says a long-haired, plaid-shirt wearing hipster-esque dude, seated on the sidewalk in line for yet another Apple product launch. “Dude, you’re a barista,” says the equally hipster-esque man standing next to him in line. Thus completes the greatest jab against all things Apple in the latest Samsung advertisement featuring the Galaxy S II Android handset. Yes, the Samsung who’s currently at war with Apple in patent disputes all across the globe.

In the advertisement, there are people standing in line patiently in various urban cities around the nation, outside places that look remarkably like Apple stores. Which they probably are, in fact. And these people? They’re the Apple followers, amusingly portrayed by the Samsung as loyalist fanboys (and girls) who can’t stop talking about the iPhone. And they go on, and on, and on. Until they see the Galaxy S II in a passerby’s hand.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy S II commercial is filled to the brim with some smack talk about the iPhone, ranging from the mercurial nature of iPhone buyers. to gripes about shortcomings on the specs of their beloved phone. Needless to say, there doesn’t seem to be much love between these two companies. Well, this and the multitude of patent disputes they’re now clashing over all over the world. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out our reviews of the Galaxy S II and the iPhone 4S.

YouTube finally gets 1080p support for HTML5, testing Flash features - by aby benedict

Google is continuing its full-fledged push for native HTML5 by adding support today for 1080p full-HD video playback to its HTML5 player on YouTube’s website. And even further HTML5 features released include native fullscreen playback, provided closed captioning, annotations, and a new menu that makes it more easy to embed videos and share videos links. Note that the YouTube HTML5 player is still in trial mode; to try it out, opt in on Youtube’s HTML5 trial page right here.

With the current war on Flash being driven by another technology company, Google themselves hasn’t entirely killed off Flash on YouTube, however. Some significant changes introduced today for the YouTube flash player includes buffer-free playback and seamless transitions between different video-quality settings. These settings haven’t been pushed out to all videos yet, but expect them to be very soon in the coming time.

This is great news for companies who have embraced HTML5 rich content on the internet, and, well, not so good for Adobe, which recently just for their mobile flash player. And full-on 1080P support on the HTMl5 player is yet another thorn in the side of Flash development ans sustainment in general. SlashGear readers, have you transitioned from the Flash to the HTML player on YouTube already? Leave your answers and thoughts in the comment section below.

Install OS X Lion 10.7.2 On Samsung Series 7 Slate [How-To] - by aby benedict

Mac OS X has been run on non-Apple computers before, but today we’ll show you a pretty impressive new port a developer has reported on tonymacx86. He has been able run OS X Lion 10.7.2 on his Samsung Series 7 Slate, or as he calls it now: HacPro Touch. The catch is that an external monitor such as a TV is needed to run Lion successfully.

Before we begin we’d like to warn you that tinkering with the inner workings of any device is a complex process that requires at least a basic understanding of computer software and programming. The port is also a work in progress, currently only allowing Lion to be booted from a USB drive. Proceed at your own risk.
Now that we have that disclaimer out of the way and if you’d like to repeat the process with your own Samsung slate, read on!
To get started you’ll need an 8 GB (minimum size) USB Lion Key. This requires a purchased copy of the OS X Lion software and the UniBeast utility, which you can download here. The download page may require a sign up for an account at tonymacx86.com for the download link to work. Once downloaded, create the USB Key by following the instructions found here. Be sure to also create a second folder on your USB drive with the downloaded MultiBeast file as well. You’ll need it to configure audio options later.
You’ll also need:

• mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter and HDMI cable
• USB Keyboard
• USB Mouse

Step 1: Connect the Samsung Slate to a TV using the mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter and HDMI cable
Step 2: Hold down the windows home button and press the power button.
You’ll know see the BIOS options on your slate. You can toggle through each tab by holding the button below the power button and use the volume keys to move across.
Step 3: We’ll go through each of the four tabs and make sure the settings are as follows:

• Sys Info: No changes
• Advanced: Everything should be ‘Enabled’ except for AHCI Mode Control, which should be set to ‘Manual’
• Boot: Select ‘Option 1. USB Key’ on the Set Boot Priority
• Exit: Save and Restart

Step 4: Press ‘enter’ on your keyboard when you see iBoot load up and show USB
Step 5: Use the Disk Utility to partition the internal SSD to Mac OS Extended. Choose the following option: GUID Partition Table
Step 6: Install Lion, then restart
Step 7: iBoot will load up once again, but show Lion now. Press ‘enter’ on your keyboard
Step 8: Run MultiBeast to select Audio. Select the following option: Drivers & Bootloaders > Audio > Universal > VoodooHDA 0.2.7.3
Step 9: Shut down
Step 10: Power back on then select Lion. There are some glitches, so you may want to wait while they all get worked out. For one, a few restarts may be necessary for Lion to boot up normally. WiFi is also not worked out quite just yet.
You can see what the developer has accomplished so far in the video below!

Following these steps will allow you to use the Lion OS through your slate on your external monitor.

iPhone 4S Already 2nd Most Popular Camera On Flickr - by aby benedict

It may seem like a strange way to judge the success of a smartphone, but the charts Flickr releasesof the most popular devices used for taking photos for the social imaging site are interesting nevertheless.

Apple’s iPhones have always done well when it comes to this particular metric – the iPhone 4 is currently the camera people most use when taking photos for Flickr, not just the most popular smartphone. Think about that for a second and then get back to us when it has sunk in. Done? Right.
With that in mind it was possibly only a matter of time until the iPhone 4S found itself sitting in a spot high on such graphs from Flickr, and less than two months after its release to the public the smartphone has done just that.

According to the latest charts from Flickr’s camera finder web page, Apple’s iPhone 4S is now the second most used cameraphone out there when it comes to uploaded photographs. In fact, Apple’s last four generations of iPhone – iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3 – currently make up four of the top five handsets. Pretty impressive, really.
Google’s Android for its part has just the one handset in that top five, with HTC’s EVO 4G being the one and only representative of Google’s mobile operating system.
The quality of photographs kicked out by the iPhone 4 and 4S handsets is indeed extremely good, and not just for a smartphone. Images taken with the two, and particularly the latter of the models, have led many to suggest that the end of the point-and-shoot is near. While we think there will always be a market for such cameras, it is hard to deny that there is a shift taking place right now, and if we were the heads of the camera companies right now, we’d be taking notice.
While the iPhone 4S may be some way from knocking the iPhone 4 from the top spot, we’re not brave nor stupid enough to suggest that it won’t happen at some point. That said, with the iPhone 4 now available at a knockdown price, Apple will continue to sell them by the truckload moving forward.
It’s a license to print money, that iPhone!