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Today I have brought up Mustang (Ford) Specs details for you.

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Eragon is the newest licensed game to tie-in with a big-budget Hollywood movie (which is based on a book), similar to the LOTR games that came out a few years ago. Eragon is even developed by the same people as LOTR: Two Towers, Stormfront Studios, which gave me some hope for this title, but those hopes were quickly dashed after a couple minutes of play. 

I’m honestly not too sure what Eragon is all about, I know there’s a dragon that fits in here somewhere, but all I’ve been able to discern is that your character enjoys killing people. A quick trip to the internet informed me that Eragon is about a farm boy who finds an egg with a dragon inside and now he has to save the world, or something to that accord. Eragon does a terrible job of presentation, any semblance of a decent story is nowhere to be found, although that shouldn’t matter, since it’s doubtful the game will hold your interest long enough for you to care. In a literal matter of minutes, it becomes clear that the story doesn’t matter, because if the developers don’t care to explain it, than it probably isn’t too important. Cutscenes are better off skipped, since we don’t live forever and wasting time watching them accomplishes nothing, just like playing the game itself!

Eragon is about as basic as you can get, the first level serves as a boring introduction to the ways of the game. Y jumps, X blocks and dodges, while A and B allow you to attack with your sword and holding R and then hitting A shoots an arrow from your bow. While the game has a few basic combo moves for you to try out, they’re completely unsatisfying to pull off and due to the game’s incredible ease, you’ll most likely never even need to use them. Attacking in the game is a clunky affair, with the extremely basic combat failing to immerse you in even the slightest way. If the slow, snore-inducing sword combat doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can use the surprisingly well done bow and arrow combat. Holding R brings out your bow and the longer you hold A, the more powerful and accurate your shot will be. The right thumbstick is used to switch between targeted enemies and it works pretty well, even if you’re being rushed by foes. The bad part about the bow and arrow parts is due to a flaw in the game itself; the fixed camera. Yeah, we know fixed cameras are supposed to be more “cinematic”, but I’d rather be able to see who’s attacking me than being able to look at myself. Eragon is definitely guilty of being a button masher and the game throws a ton of enemies at you, it’s just too bad that they’re no fun to fight. Magic plays a role in the game as well, but the fun factor of it is diminished greatly, because it cannot be used at any time. Despite being a game about dragons, these mythical creatures are seldom present and the few missions where you do control the dragon are just as boring to play as the rest of the game.

Eragon isn’t a bad looking game and it’s decent looking for an Xbox game. It even supports 720p hi-definition graphics, like the Xbox 360 version. With the game being on a fixed path, it probably isn’t pushing the Xbox too hard. Environments are fairly detailed, with a couple destructible items. Character models aren’t that bad looking either, but when the same enemy model is reused over and over, that’s nothing to be boasting about. The sound effects in Eragon are pretty standard affair for this type of game set in the middle ages. Your typical fantasy music is present, as are generic combat attacks, which sound pretty poor by comparison. One point of praise is the voice acting, which is actually well done in both gameplay and the cutscenes.  

Eragon is a painfully easy game to play, whether you’re playing by yourself or with someone else. At one time, I started the second level and did nothing, while my CPU controlled buddy did all the work. I was down to about a third of my health, but dropped power ups refilled my health and by the end of the battle, I was back up to more than two thirds of my health. I suppose it’s convenient that the game plays for you, because I sure don’t want to play it. While the game’s very simplistic combat may seem to be aimed at younger gamers, the Teen rating nullifies it as anyone old enough to play the game isn’t going to find any fun in it. Eragon is an awful game and a chore to play, there really isn’t anything fun or interesting to be found whilst playing it and I can’t recommend it to anyone.

feel free to post your comments whether you like this game or not or what was your experience to play this?

Source: http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r29300.htm

Japan’s large metropolitan areas around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya are served by highly efficient public transportation systems. Consequently, many residents do not own a car or even a driving license. Outside the big cities, however, public transportation tends to be inconvenient, and most people rely on a car.

Read more about renting a car in Japan

Roads and rules

In Japan, cars drive on the left side of the road and have the driver’s seat and steering wheel on the right. The legal minimum age for driving is 18 years. Road signs and rules follow international standards, and most signs on major roads are in Japanese and English. Drinking and driving is strictly prohibited.

>International Driving Permits

>Foreigners can drive in Japan with a recognized international driving permit for up to one year. Recognized international driving permits are valid for one year after date of issue and must be obtained in your home country, usually through the national automobile association, before you leave for Japan.

Japan recognizes only international driving permits, which are based on the Geneva Convention of 1949. A few countries, including Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland, however, issue international driving permits, which are based on different conventions. The permits issued by those countries are not valid in Japan.

Instead, holders of a French, German or Swiss driver’s license can drive in Japan for up to one year with an official Japanese translation of their driving licenses to be obtained from the respective country’s embassy or consulate in Japan. People from other countries, whose international driving permits are not recognized by Japan, must attain a Japanese driving license in order to drive in Japan.

Japanese Driving Licenses

Japan has concluded agreements with more than twenty countries to ease the process of converting a valid foreign driving license into a Japanese one. Among these countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

If you hold a valid driving license from one of these countries, you can get a Japanese license without taking a written or practical exam. All you need to do is go to the local license center with an official translation of your license, take an eye test and prove that, after obtaining your license, you have lived at least three months in the country where your license had been issued.

If you have a driving license from a country, which has not concluded an agreement with Japan yet, such as the United States, China or Brazil, you will have to take a written and practical exam in order to obtain a Japanese driving license, a process which typically takes several attempts even in case of experienced drivers.

Buying and Owning a Car

New and used cars are relatively inexpensive in the home country of Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda, with brand new kei-class cars, the smallest car type, selling for less than a million yen.

Owning and operating a car, however, is linked with various considerable expenses, including compulsory inspections (shaken) every two to three years, various taxes, mandatory and optional insurance, high parking costs in cities, and expensive toll expressways. A liter of gasoline costs roughly 120 Yen.

Shaken is a compulsory safety inspection, which cars in Japan have to undergo every two years, except new cars, for which the first inspection is not due until three years after purchase. The shaken typically costs between 100,000 and 200,000 Yen, and besides the actual inspection includes a weight tax (typically 8,000 to 50,000 Yen) and a mandatory insurance (about 30,000 Yen).

Since the mandatory insurance does not provide full coverage, it is recommended to purchase additional, optional car insurance. Furthermore, there is an annual automobile tax, which depends on the engine size and is typically between 10,000 and 50,000 Yen, and an acquisition tax to be paid when you buy the car.

When acquiring a car, numerous documents have to be filled out, including forms to register your car and to verify ownership of a parking space. If you buy a used car, the process is further complicated by forms regulating the transfer of ownership.

Fortunately, if you buy a car through a car dealer, the dealer will handle most of the paperwork for you, while your main task is signing the forms with your officially registered, personal stamp (inkan).

Used Cars

Each week thousands of cars are sold to domestic and foreign buyers through used car auctions. If you are considering buying a car in Japan, then you could contact a dealer and arrange the purchase of a car from an auction. This can save you a lot of money and time as they will do all the searching for you, and you will get what you want from a national pool of stock rather than your local car yard.

Sites such as used car japan.com offer information about buying from Japanese used car dealers, as well as a useful free car search, which sends details of the car you want to dozens of dealers throughout Japan who will contact you if they find something to match your needs.

Resource: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2022.html

The things you should know to rent a car and drive in Japan:

Renting a car is an option worth considering if you plan to explore rural Japan, where access by public transportation can be inconvenient and service infrequent. A rental car can also be an economical alternative, if you are traveling in groups.

Exploring Japan’s big cities by car, however, is not recommended, as traffic tends to be heavy, orientation difficult, and parking fees high. Trains, subways and buses are generally a better choice in metropolitan areas.

Visit also our pages on Driving in Japan and Japanese highways.

Requirements

In order to rent and drive a car in Japan, you require a Japanese driving license or an international driving permit. In case of France, Germany and Switzerland, an official translation of your home country’s driving license is required.

International driving permits must be obtained in your home country, usually through the national automobile association, before you leave for Japan. They are valid for one year and must be accompanied by your home country’s driving license in order to be valid.

Japan recognizes only international driving permits, which are based on the Geneva Convention of 1949. Some countries, such as France, Germany and Switzerland, however, issue international driving permits, which are based on different conventions. The permits issued by those countries are not valid in Japan.

Instead, people with a French, German or Swiss driver’s license can drive in Japan for up to one year with an official Japanese translation of their driving licenses. Contact the respective embassies or consulates in Japan for details on how to obtain a recognized translation.

The minimum age for driving in Japan is 18 years.

Rental Companies

Among Japan’s leading car rental companies are Mazda Rentacar, Nissan Rentacar, Toyota Rentalease, Nippon Rentacar and Orix Rentacar. They operate hundreds of outlets across Japan, offering cars in all sizes and, in some cases, large vans, buses and RVs.

Most Japanese car rental companies do not provide English websites, and service in English is not usually available.

International car rental companies such as Budget, Avis and Hertz also offer car rental in Japan, typically in cooperation with one of the leading Japanese car rental companies, however, their rates are usually not very competitive.

The cost per day in case of Japanese companies is typically around 6,000 Yen for the smallest car category, around 10,000 Yen for mid sized cars and around 15,000 Yen for full sized cars, including a mandatory insurance fee of around 1000 Yen per day. Rates are usually higher during peak seasons, especially in Hokkaido.

A recommended service for car rental in Japan is ToCoo. The discount travel service does not only offer lower rates on car rental, but also provides an English website and support in English.

Resource: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the two most popular gaming consoles currently on the market: Playstation 2 (PS2) and Xbox. PS2 is a Sony product, while Xbox is owned by the software giant Microsoft. Many different people have worked with these gaming systems inside and out, attempting to determine which system provides the best performance for your hard-earned gaming dollar. Here we take a look at each gaming system and compare the specs and performance of each. We will attempt to answer that age-old question: which is the better gaming system, Xbox or PS2?

You can take a look at a table comparing hardware specs here.

There are many specs in addition to the ones listed above, but these should give you some idea of just how close these two game consoles really are. If you are looking for pure processing power and graphics capabilities, the Xbox appears to have a slight advantage. In addition, its computer-like features, such as a built-in hard drive are nice to have. With the PS2 you must purchase a memory card if you run out of storage room. When comparing raw power and extra features, the Xbox wins - but you have to keep in mind that the PS2 was released first, and there are additional things to consider besides system specs.

What about Multi-player Capabilities?

Both the Xbox and PS2 have multi-player capability. You can hook up a series of both consoles so that you and your friends can play games together at the same time. The Xbox may be connected using a home LAN system, much like your home computers (here’s another example of how the Xbox is more like a specialized gaming computer). The PS2 may be connected using a link cable, not a LAN. This system may be cost prohibitive for some gamers, since you have to own multiple consoles, seperate TVs for each, and several copies of the same game (yep, that’s expensive).

Of course, you can always ditch the local network and play through the internet. Bboth PS2 and Xbox allow you to play online against a random assortment of opponents. Xbox uses Xbox live, a fairly well supported online gaming network. PS2’s network is not as popular as Xbox Llive, but it works fairly well all the same. If you are really into multi-player, it seems that Xbox is probably the best console for you.

Xbox Games vs. PS2 Games

When deciding which of these two game consoles is best for you, you should certainly take into consideration what types of games each offers, and which games you are most interested in playing. PS2, having been around a little while longer, tends to have the larger game library, but Xbox is not terribly far behind. In addition, Xbox tends to produce games geared more towards adults than children. The graphics seen on the new Xbox games are also clearly a step ahead of PS2 graphics. There is, however, nearly a PS2 game for everyone, and there are lot of PS2 games geared towards teenagers. If you are looking for games for kids, the Nintendo Gamecube may actually be a better choice than either of these two - and it’s cheaper.

Other Considerations

Some other things you may want to consider when comparing PS2 and Xbox is the controller provided by each. These may not seem like a big factor at first glance, but people usually prefer one type of controller over the other. The Xbox controllers tend to be slightly larger than PS2, mainly because Xbox is designed with older gamers in mind. You can always buy a converter in order to get one game console controller to work with another.

As far as price goes, PS2 has typically been cheaper than Xbox. As of the time of this writing (Dec. 2004), PS2 retails for about $150 and Xbox $100. Game prices are very similar for both game systems, with most new games costing about $30 - $50.

The bottom line is, PS2 is a little older than the Xbox, and is geared for a younger gaming crowd. If you are buying this console for a teenager, the PS2 may actually be your best bet - they have more games, the console is cheaper, and the games are more appropriate for that age group. The Xbox is a little more expensive, has fewer games, but it out-performs PS2 and has more adult-oriented games.

Google offer takes on PayPal

The Internet search giant introduced Google Checkout in June, with sweeteners such as free ad credits for merchants. In November, it began offering rebates to consumers, $10 off $30 purchases. PayPal quickly matched the offer.

Wednesday, Google ratchets up the pressure by dropping merchant fees through 2007.

“I’m thrilled,” says Lanny Morton, whose Sportscloseouts.com uses both Google Checkout and PayPal. “The online business is really competitive, and every little percentage helps.”

Merchants pay a variety of fees to use the services. PayPal charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction on sales up to $3,000 a month. Google’s fee is 2% of the sale plus 20 cents, less if the merchant is a Google advertiser.

“Google has the potential to own this market,” says Fred Lerner, president of photo print and accessory site Ritz Interactive, which uses Checkout. “PayPal is essentially laying down and letting Google buy market share. “

Google’s consumer rebate can be used many times. The PayPal rebate expired in November, but the company is offering a one-time-use discount to selected customers via e-mail. Some stores may offer extra incentives through either service.

EBay had no comment on Google’s plans.

Benjamin Ling, the Google executive who runs Checkout, says it was not designed as Google’s answer to PayPal but as a way to cut down on the steps (registering, typing in credit card and shipping information) needed for consumers to complete a purchase.

Once consumers sign up for Google Checkout, they can make purchases with one or two clicks.

The company decided to drop its merchant fees for now as a way to induce more businesses to try Checkout. “Once people use our service, they love it,” Ling says.

Ling says “thousands” of merchants use Checkout, including Toys R Us, Buy.com and Ritz.

Google won’t say how many consumers have signed up for Checkout accounts.

PayPal says it has 123 million consumer account holders. It doesn’t disclose merchant account figures.

“In a retail sense, using Checkout as a loss leader to get market share works for Google, because they will make it up with more advertising, which is highly profitable,” says Martin Pyykkonnen, an analyst at equity firm Global Crown Capital.

EBay, however, has reason to be concerned, he says. “Twenty-five percent of eBay’s profits come from PayPal, so any pricing pressure isn’t a positive.”

Here are the official details of what Xbox Live on Xbox 360 will be like straight from Microsoft.Multiple Levels of Service

On Xbox 360, you’ll have a choice of service level. The Xbox Live Silver service means you can connect your Xbox 360 console to a broadband Internet connection and get functionality right out of the box. The premium Xbox Live Gold service delivers the complete online connection package. The breakdown is as follows:

Xbox Live Silver level

• Create an online Gamer Profile
• Access the Xbox Live Marketplace
• Engage in voice and text messaging
• Talk to a single friend at a time using voice chat
• Receive video messages from Gold level members
• Access massively multiplayer online games (additional fees may apply)

Xbox Live Gold level

• Paid level of service
• All the features of Silver level, and additionally:
• Play multiplayer games online
• Video chat
• Multiplayer online tournaments
• Participate in Xbox Live online programming, such as Game with Fame, Play and Win, and Prime Time activities

Xbox Live Marketplace

The Xbox Live Marketplace will provide a one-stop shop for consumers to download new game trailers, demos, and episodic content, along with new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, “skins,” and other types of new content on demand.

The Xbox Live Marketplace is accessible to everyone who connects their Xbox 360 console to a broadband connection and creates an Xbox Live account.

Ubiquitous Voice Chat

You can now chat with your friends anytime, while doing anything on your Xbox 360 system, regardless of subscription level. You no longer have to be playing the same game or be in the same game session to communicate; you can be playing a game while your friend is watching a movie, for example.

Gamer Profile

On Xbox Live, every member will have his or her own gamer profile, which is a summary of their preferences, achievements, and online personality. Your gamer profile can be used for everything from deciding if the person who just sent you a friend request is worthy of addition to your Friends List to creating online matches between players who are more similar in background, styles, and skill. Elements of your gamer profile include the following:

• Gamer card: Get a quick look at the key stats for your friend or that new player who just challenged you to a multiplayer match. Like a personal identification card, the gamer card gives you a quick overview of other personalities on Xbox Live: their Gamertag, Gamerzone, Achievements, Reputation, and Gamerscore. Gamer cards let you instantly connect with people with similar skills, interests, and lifestyles, as well as maintain bragging rights over your achievements and scores.
• Gamerscore: A cumulative score of all achievements allows you to quickly compare profiles between other gamers.
• Reputation: A rating provided by the community indicates how you are perceived by other players. Think of it as the Xbox Live equivalent of a reliability rating.
• Gamerzone: Your Gamerzone indicates your style of social gaming. The choices are R&R, for those who just want to hang out and play without undue competitive stress; Pro, for those who are fiercely competitive and must win at all costs; Underground, for those who take an alternative approach to gaming; and Family, for those who want to make sure the environment they play in is kid-friendly.
• Achievements: Whether offline or on, you can earn achievements and accolades in all Xbox 360 games to indicate progress, skill, and accomplishment. Taking achievements online lets you compare what you’ve accomplished with your friends, or use them as indicators of skill to new friends. Achievements are bragging rights redefined.

Intelligent Matchmaking

Using profile data such as location, Reputation, Gamerscore, and Gamerzone, the matchmaking system on Xbox Live will help ensure that you are matched with the users you want to play with.

Feedback

With Xbox 360, Xbox Live lets you provide feedback on other players that will determine how frequently you are matched with them. Give them a good rating, and matches will happen frequently if you’re both available. Give them a bad rating, and you’re far less likely to play with them online again.

User Safety and Security

The new, more robust safety and security features in Xbox 360 help parents control the online and offline game experiences of their children by determining whether they can play online and whom they play with, and by locking the console to play only games that meet a certain rating.

Analysis

The new Gamer Profile feature is going to be great because it will keep kids out of certain games and allow you to play with people you actually want to play with. We’re also really excited about being able to chat with friends anywhere, anytime. Everything looks good and we can’t wait!

for further details visit xbox official site www.xbox.com or visit the source http://xbox.about.com/od/xbox2/a/xblx360info.htm

Sony Ericsson has unveiled its first 3G phone capable of supporting i-mode, the internet-on-your-phone service pioneered by Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo and offered over here in the UK by the O2 network.

The K610im is a classic Sony Ericsson handset design - it’s cased in black and there’s a landscape-oriented two-megapixel, 2.5x digital zoom camera on the back. The addition of 3G support includes an extra, front-mounted camera for video calls. The screen is a 1.9in, 176 x 220, 262,144-colour job

The handset has 16MB of user-accessible memory on board, expandable using MemoryStick Micro cards - there’s a 64MB card in the box, Sony Ericsson said. There’s all the usual media playback - it supports over-the-air downloads, along with OMA and i-mode DRM technologies. It offers the full range of phone messaging facilities, in addition to the extra mail and messaging tools i-mode offers.

In addition to 3G, the phone operates as a tri-band GSM/GPRS device. Bluetooth is on board too.

Sony Ericsson said the K610im will ship in “i-mode markets” in Europe, Asia and the Middle East in Q3. It did not say which, if any, i-mode carriers will offer the handset. ®

Source: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/19/sony_ericsson_3g_i-mode_phone/

The Nokia N73 offers a multimedia computer in a compact and savvy exterior with photography features and integrated stereo speakers with 3D sound. In addition to a large 2.4-inch display, the N73 includes a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and support for Internet communities like Flickr. Music fans can tap into the N73’s integrated digital music player with playlists and equalizer or tune into the FM radio. Available in 3G or quad-band EDGE/GSM networks, the N73 has all the diversity of a powerful multimedia computer enabled with the S60 3rd Edition Software on Symbian OS.

source: http://www.mobiledia.com/phones/nokia/n73.html