ie8 fix

electronic

LG overhauls Android phones from top-end to low-budget

BARCELONA, Spain--LG Electronics overhauled its Android product line today, with the flagship Optimus G Pro leading the way.

The company divides its Optimus line into four categories: its G series for deep-pocketed early adopters, the F series with the mission of "4G LTE for everyone," the lower-end L series, and the Vu tablets.

The company announced the Optimus G Pro specifications last week, and now it's showing off the "phablet"-size device with its mammoth 5.5-inch screen. Soon it and its smaller Optimus G sibling will be joined by more in the line. … Read more

LG's 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro to reach U.S. in Q2

After some earlier teasing, LG Electronics fully detailed its Optimus G Pro Android phone today, a high-end model with 5.5-inch screen, LTE networking, and a quad-core 1.7GHz processor.

LG often sells its phones first in its home market of South Korea, and it looks like that's the plan for the Optimus G Pro, too. But it'll arrive in other areas, too, including North America and Japan in the second quarter of 2013, LG said in an announcement a week ahead of the Mobile World Congress show. That's where the South Korean company will show off … Read more

Zynga and EA drop lawsuits

Zynga and Electronic Arts have agreed to drop their lawsuits against each other, according to a court document filed today.

The two gaming companies had been throwing legal punches since August, when EA accused Zynga of ripping off one of its social games. Zynga countersued EA shortly thereafter, accusing EA of unfair hiring practices.

Both parties have decided to dismiss their cases with prejudice, according to the document, which means they can't file future lawsuits about the same accusations. The companies are picking up the tabs for their own legal fees.

Zynga confirmed that the suits were resolved but … Read more

Real Racing 3 accelerates EA's 'freemium' push

PLAYA VISTA, Calif.--Electronic Arts is betting big that it can make more money by giving its games away.

The company plans to offer Real Racing 3, its marquee mobile racing game, for free to iOS and Android customers on February 28. That marks a dramatic shift for the franchise, which previously charged a hefty amount for the console-quality game. Real Racing 2 for the iPhone still costs $4.99.

The change underscores a move toward a business known in the mobile industry as "freemium," or games that are freely offered but have the option of in-game purchases … Read more

Deathly din: How Dead Space 3 sounds are made

If you want the best Dead Space 3 experience, it's nearly necessary to turn off the lights and crank up the sound. Do you ever think about where those bloodcurdling noises originate, though?

To get a better understanding of the scary sounds in Dead Space 3, The Creators Project went behind the scenes at Visceral Games, developer of DS3. It's a fascinating glimpse into the hard work that goes into creating those heart-pumping noises that many people may take for granted (or not really think about at all) when they're busy wiping out a pack of Necromorphs. … Read more

Ralph Nader: Video game firms are 'electronic child molesters'

Not one to keep his opinion to himself, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader has come down hard on video games. In fact, he has gone as far as to call the companies that make them "electronic child molesters."

In an interview with Politico yesterday, Nader blasted President Obama's gun control package that was unveiled last week. The two-time Green Party presidential candidate said that the president's plan needs to go further in regulating video game creators that add violence to their games.

"Television program violence? Unbelievable. Video game violence? Unprecedented," Nader told Politico. "… Read more

Crave Ep. 105: How to clip your nails in space

Subscribe to Crave:

iTunes (HD)iTunes (SD)iTunes (HQ)

RSS (HD)RSS (SD)RSS (HQ)

This week on Crave, we're back from CES with a look at some of the wackier stuff we spotted at the show. Then, Canadian astronaut Christopher Hadfield gives us a highly important grooming lesson on the safest way to clip our nails in outer space, and the Hal 9000 computer replica from ThinkGeek refuses to cooperate. … Read more

LG Optimus G Pro details leak online

A newer and beefier version of LG's Optimus G could be coming to town, at least to someone's town.

A leaked slide sent to blog site Engadget teased a host of alleged details about the Optimus G Pro. If the slide is on the money, the new smartphone would sport a 5-inch 1,920x1,080 pixel display and tap into a 1.7GHz Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon processor for its power.

Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Pro model would include 2GB of memory, 32GB of storage, and support for LTE. Also along for the ride would be … Read more

Samsung's secret weapon in the mobile wars: Tizen

You've probably never heard of Tizen, but the companies behind it are some of the most recognizable brands in the tech industry.

Tizen draws its heritage from the likes of Nokia and Intel through their aborted MeeGo initiative, as well as Samsung Electronics, Verizon Wireless, and Vodaphone through the LiMo Foundation. Now it's under the direct control of Samsung and Intel, two companies steering the development of an operating system that claims to be more open and customizable than Android.

Tizen has come about in some ways as a reaction to the growing dominance and influence of Google'… Read more

FAA seeks to ban pilots' use of personal devices while in the air

The Federal Aviation Administration looks to be tightening the screws on what personal devices pilots are allowed to use while in the air.

A new proposal, which the agency published in the Federal Register today, aims to stop pilots from using electronic devices for any type of personal use while in the cockpit. The proposal comes after a handful of incidents gave the FAA cause for concern.

"The personal use of personal wireless communications devices and laptop computers for non-safety related activities is prohibited by the broad restrictions in the current 'Sterile Cockpit' rule during ground operations involving taxi, … Read more