Game FreakZ

WATCH SKY PLAYER ON XBOX 360 & PC

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:52:00 +0000

I was excited to hear that Sky Player has become available through the Xbox 360 interface.

Sky Player is basically Sky TV, but its online for anyone to watch, and you don't need a satellite dish.

This gives you access to thousands of live streaming channels, that play on demand programmes (Pay as you go). But if your a Sky customer already you can watch for free.

You can expect to be able to watch plenty of Sky Movies and TV titles, that you can rent or buy.

If you have a PC or MAC the system enables you to watch up to 24 live channels.

Here are a selection of the channels you can expect to find:

* Sky Sports *Nickelodeon * Boomerang * Nat Geo Wild
*Sky Real Lives * Nick Jr * ESPN Classic
* G.O.L.D * MTV ONE * History
*Eden * Cartoon Network *Sky Arts 1

You can find out more from your Xbox 360 interface, or visit the Sky Player website.

TORRENT FILE DOWNLOAD DATABASE: Queen Torrent

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:27:00 +0000

When downloading different files and software applications, it can get annoying when you download an empty or incomplete file.

At the Queen Torrent database, you are able to search through thousands of tv torrents, files, music, films, game and more - and for free.

Each day the sites bots scan many sites with torrent files and add them to their database. So all the files are kept up to date making it a powerful search engine.

The interface is simple to use, and makes it a safe system to download from, compared to other download sources that may carry a virus or just be spam.

FILE SHARING SEARCH ENGINE: General Search

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:45:00 +0000

The Internet is a big place, and you are going to find alot of irrelevant things mixed in with your search for what your looking for.

That's why an Instant File Lookup Service is good. This is basically a file sharing search engine, where you can browse and download applications, pictures, documents, videos, audio, CD/DVD and archives.

There is a website called General Search, where you can do a quick Uploading File Sharing General Search just by typing in what your looking for.

As an example if you refer to the screenshot above, i typed in 'games' then the file sharing general search engine brought up everything to do with games. This can be online games, strategy guides and more.

You can type in what subject you want in the search bar, or narrow it down by what type of file your looking for. New uploads are added every day, and users can upload their own files onto the system too.

Have a look round, test it out and see what you think.

Wii FIT PLUS GAME REVIEW

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:13:00 +0000

One of the balance games

Console: Nintendo Wii
Accessories required: Wii Fit Board + Nunchuck
Genre: Fitness / Family
Rated: 3 +

Overview:

* All new enhanced training routines that are targeted to specific areas of your body, including ones for the mind.
* Create your own personalized routine from the muscle and yoga work out menus
* Set yourself a daily, weekly or monthly goal, and check how many calories you have burned after each activity
* Now you can register babies and pets i.e cats/dogs, to take their measurements and have them join in on the fun too!

Training Menu

Gameplay:

This is the 2nd addition to the Wii Fit series. As well as being a computer game, it's something that you and the whole family can keep fit with.

Unlike your traditional exercise videos this game keeps you alot more motivated, as you don't feel like your exercising - Just playing a game. But you will feel it afterwards!

Each person can have their own profile and details like your weight, height, goals etc are entered into the system so you can see your progression day by day.

You have all the games from the first Wii Fit plus 21 new ones, making a total of 65 activities.
You will be spoilt for choice whether to do aerobics exercises, muscle work outs, Yoga or play the balance games.

Calorie Counter

There are many tips to help you as you play such as what an activity is equivalent to i.e One activity could be equal to a round of golf or a stroll.

As well as this you can find out the calories you can expect to burn off by doing half an hour of that particular activity depending on your weight.

And as a family you can play in multiplayer mode, so you are able to play games together.

Muscle/Yoga Workout screens to create own work outs

Result:

This game is something everyone should have in their Nintendo Wii collection. It's fun, simple to follow and the benefits are huge. You will want to play every day!

Rating:

5/5

SEARCH ENGINE RANKING SOFTWARE: Seo Intelligence

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:42:00 +0000

When your looking to get your site noticed and out there with the best of them, there are SEO Tools that you need to consider using.

Some people will employ agencies to do the work for them, but there is a software called Seo Intelligence that allows you do it yourself, making it less expensive to try and improve your rankings.

There are many benefits to using Seo Intelligence's software. This is ideal for website owners that want to keep track of their popularity, ranking and visitors. To name several advantages you will be able to:

* Track your stats and backlinks that are indexed in major sites like Google, MSN and Google
* See what the trends are, so you can emphasize on this to improve your business. This includes page rank and Technarati tracking.
* See how your keywords rank in general, and research how they compare against your competition.

These stats and information are all available for you to view on a simple user friendly dashboard, where you are able to set up reports for daily, weekly or monthly use.

All in all the software basically let's you know where you need to improve to stay ahead of your competitors.

At the moment Seo Intelligence are offering a free 14 day trial. Then afterwards if your happy there are a few packages you can choose from.

THROAT & MIC HEADSET - For Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:23:00 +0000

This is the officially licenced throat and MIC headset for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

You can really get into the military feel of the game with this authentic design and crystal clear sound and communication.

In fact the whole throat and MIC design of the headset allows background noise to be eliminated, as you play with your friends on Xbox Live.

As well as the Call of Duty games, the headset is also compatible with other shooters also, so you can continue to enjoy the benefits.

It's due for release in the UK on 11th November, 2009, but other countries may vary in their timescale.

WIRELESS PHOTO UPLOADS: Eye-Fi

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:57:00 +0000

I'm always taking pictures on my digital camera, but i hate the process of downloading them.

You have to find the setting on your camera to download, plug in your USB cable connection, then select the pictures etc etc. It just takes forever!

Plus i hate it when i misplace my USB cable, and i cant get to see my pictures until i find it!

If you feel the same wouldn't you just love to Learn how to make your camera wireless?

There is a new wireless SD memory card called Eye-Fi that allows you to transfer your photos to your PC or laptop instantly across a wireless network. No cables and No hassle!

You are able to store up to 4GB of memory, and even transfer your photos to your blog or photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Photobucket, Facebook and more.

There is even the option to download when your computer is off, as long as you have a SDHC capable camera and a wireless router.

This is great because it enables you to keep using the camera you have instead of buying a new one. Your simply making it wireless instead.

As well as the key benefit of ease of use, Eye-Fi will automatically back up and organize your photos and videos in folders by date.

You can see a good example of how it all works from the video above, and visit the website direct for more information.

HALO 3 ODST GAME REVIEW

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Console: Xbox 360
Genre: Action/Shooter
Rated: 16

Overview:

* You are in the year 2552, and the Covenant control the city of New Mombasa. They are searching for something beyond it's darkened streets.
* Play as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper and follow your orders, which are to stay alive, meet up with your scattered squad, escape the city and stop the Covenant to win the war.

Gameplay:

This is the prequel to all the Halo Series. From this point in time you find out how all the war started.

You play in the shoes of different ODST's whilst piecing together what happened to your crew.

Because you are not playing Master Chief the gameplay itself has changed. There is no shield and no extra jump, so your battles and fire fights will have to be more tactical to compensate for this. This adds a new twist to the Halo games.

There is an online multiplayer mode called Firefight where you can play with up to 3 of your friends, and fight wave after wave of Covenant.

The game also comes with another disc that will give you the whole of Halo 3 multiplayer experience.

Result:

Probably not the best of the series, but still worth a look.

Rating:

4/5

LEARN ABOUT WEB HOSTING

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:41:00 +0000

I always feel whenever you make a purchase you should make sure that you have read plenty of reviews on it first before buying.

It's the same with website hosting. I understand that it can take a bit of time to find and search suitable companies, but at Web Hosting Geeks all the work has been done for you already.

Here you can see the top ten best web hosts. On each provider you can find a detailed review and rating based on a number of factors, such as price, technical support, quality, reliability, uptime amongst others.

The reviews are done by people who have actually used the service, and not biased ones that you would normally find on a companies website.

As well as the reviews and ratings of the best Web Hosting services, you can find a vast amount of information, news and resources on the site.

For example there is a section on Search Engine Traffic , and how you can boost it in a natural way, without having annoying pop up ads and links in posts that are not relevant to the topic.

Other sections talk about domain names, control panels, CMS, security isssues and more.

If you want to find out and learn all about web hosting from one place, this would be a good place to look at.

CINEMA BOX OFFICE ONLINE GAME

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:36:00 +0000

Fancy being in charge of your own box office? Do you think you can handle the pressure of running one on your own?

Well maybe not in real life, but this fun Cinema Box Office online game will give you a bit of an idea.

In the game you have customers that you have to serve depending on what they are after. It could be cinema tickets, drink, or food or all of them.

Each level gets harder and more manic. You could have one customer turn up then another straight after or even at the same time, so you have to be pretty fast with the point and clicking actions.

The Shop

You have to reach your goal to make so much money or you lose the game. It's the same with the customers - Lose too many and it could be game over. Speed is ultimately what you need!

As you progress in the game and earn more money, you can buy different items for your box office from the shop like better movies, drink & ice cream flavours, VIP tickets & larger drink and food containers.

UNLIMITED ONLINE STORAGE & BACKUPS: Livedrive

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Have you ever had your computer crash on you, only to find that is has completely wiped all your documents and photos?

This has happened to me a few times. But it was my own fault for not backing everything up. You should always back up as no matter how good your PC or Laptop is it will let you down at some point or another.

I had so many documents on my computer i had no idea where to start. Then i saw Livedrive Online Storage system.

This gives me unlimited storage, and i am able to upload and access my files anywhere and at anytime.

On top of this you also get these great features:

- You can view and edit photos, music, videos and MS Office documents directly from your browser.
-Access files from all your computers, just like you would by using an external disc
- Share files with one click on popular networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr and SmugMug. You can also do this when sending over documents or pictures to family and friends.

I also love the automatic online back up and the overall security it gives you in general when using it.

At the moment you can test out the full version on a months free trial, including the unlimited storage space.

Just visit the website for more information and find out about other additional features available.

SNAKEBYTE UNIVERSAL TWIN MICROPHONE PACK

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:43:00 +0000

For all you Rock band, Singstar, Rock Revolution fans out there, a pack of 2 universal wired microphones will be available so you will be able sing your heart out with a friend!

You can simply plug in and play. The set includes a usb connection, on/off switch, premium metal casing and a 3 meter cable length.

The microphones are compatible with Wii,PS2,PS3,PC and Xbox 360 (excl. LIPS).

They are set for release on the UK game market for the 13th November, 2009 but please be aware that other countries may have a different date set.

'WET' GAME REVIEW

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Console: Xbox 360
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rated: 18

Overview:

* You are a gun-for-hire equipped with an arsenal of acrobatic moves.
* Perform over the top sword kills and dual pistols, that give you that interactive action experience.
* Blend 3 types of gameplay with a 360 degree fighting experience.
* Stylized characters and 70's inspired soundtrack

Gameplay:

This is a third person shooting/swordplay game. Imagine Max Payne meets Kill Bill.

You play as a female assassin called Ruby, who can run, jump, slide, swing and run along ledges, all whilst racking up combos and kills for points and pleasure.

It has a big movie storyline, which all adds to the flavour of the game. You can fully upgrade Ruby's weapons and cool acrobat moves, by purchasing with the points you gain through inventive kills and slow motion executions.

There isn't a online multi player with this game unfortunately, and the game isn't what you would call long running exactly.

You may even play it through twice anyway because it will take you a while to get used to all the buttons, moves, combos etc.
To be honest the second time you play it will be much better anyway.

The graphics are done in a 70's style grainy cinematic view, which gives the game a quirky edge.

Result:

I would advise to probably not buy and rent for a couple of nights instead if you can, as the game wont last that long.

Rating

3.5/5

UPCOMING DOTA-CLONE GAME: HEROES OF NEWARTH

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:20:00 +0000

A new DOTA-clone game called heroes of newerth will be released in it's full version soon.
Currently you can play it in Beta mode.

You will need to obtain an activation key to play, which can be discussed at forum RuggedNerds.com, along with other details about the game, tips or just general chat on gameplay etc.

A brief overview of the game is you choose what hero you want to be. Then you have to defend your base and destroy the enemy base too.

Along the way you have to help your Creeps(npc) get to the enemy towers on the lanes that connect all the bases together.

All you have to do if your interested is join the forum to find out more.

NOVELTY iPHONE PROTECTIVE CASE

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:19:00 +0000

I always like the novelty accessories you can get for your technology equipment. This iPhone case it no exception.

Suitably named the Chococase, as well as the novelty factor it is actually a rather good product. It has a high quality protective casing made from silicon.

If you lie it flat it looks like a real chocolate bar to everyone else! It is a rather clever way to conceal your phone to so you can keep it safe.

You can use your iPhone with the casing on it, and it will also stand up on it's own too. This way you can view your video's easily.

PACMAN ONLINE GAME

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:38:00 +0000

PacMan is an 80's classic and i loved it. So i was excited to come across this PacMan Online Game version.

You can enjoy all the original retro sound effects, and soon find yourself wanting to play it over and over again! Even the kids can have a go it's that simple.

If you have forgotten how to play here are the basics:

As PacMan ( A yellow blob with a snapping mouth!) you have to work your way around the maze eating the dots as you go along. But don't get caught by the ghosts who are on the look out for you or you will lose a life.

You can also collect power pills so you can eat the ghosts up to make your path clearer, and collect fruit to give you bonus score points.

To play just use your arrow keys to navigate your way around the maze, and let's see how far you can get!

Do you think you are better than you were at playing it in the 80's? .....

NINTENDO DS BUNDLES & DEALS

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:05:00 +0000

When buying games and bundle packages for a Nintendo DS or other consoles, it would be nice to save some money along the way too.

Most of the time it's cheaper to make your purchases over the Internet. But do you know where to look?

There is a website called Gamestock that bring you the best prices from trusted well known companies across the United Kingdom.

Here you can compare prices from several companies at a time to find yourself a good deal.

It even shows if there will be a delivery charge and how much it is (if any), so you know exactly what your paying for.

You can expect to find brand named stores such as Game, Amazon, HMV, Dixons, Argos and others that are featured for you to compare against.

You can get some great deals from the site for instance Nintendo DS Lite games from £10.75 and
Nintendo DS Lite Console bundles from around £99. You even have the option to pre-order games too if you like.

I find pre-ordering really useful when popular games come out. I always pre-order now so i don't end up being disappointed on the day and risk all the games going.

As well as Nintendo DS products you can browse through deals for Nintendo Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 and the PSP.

ONLINE BRAIN TRAINING GAMES

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Example of one of the games

If you love your brain training games, then you will really like these online brain games from MIND360.com.

The purpose of the games is to improve your memory. They are suitable for all kinds of minds including professionals and kids.

You can sign up for a free trial to test the games out. If you decide its for you you can become a premium member and get full access, track your progress, see stats and more.

NYKO QUAD CHARGING STATION: For Wii Remotes

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:49:00 +0000

The Nintendo Wii's are great but the remote control battery power can get eaten up pretty fast, especially if there are a few of you playing at one time.

Nyko have developed the Quad charging station, where you can charge several remotes at a time, instead of keep buying batteries for them.

You also get 4 NiMH rechargeable battery packs and a 6 foot power cable, that will enable you to put your remotes out the way somewhere whilst charging.

Plus you can still use 1 remote whilst the other 3 charge, so you don't even have to wait for all to charge before you can take out which is really good.

ONLINE JOB TRAINING COURSES

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Click to enlarge

Have you ever wanted to go for that dream job, but felt you couldn't because you lacked the skills needed for it?

I know i would love to be a computer game tester, and tell developers how they can improve the game before its released on the market. I play the games anyway so this would be a bonus to get paid for it too!

There is actually an online Elearning job training platform called Learn.com, for people who are looking to improve their skills for a certain job role. You can do it for a job your in already, or a job you want to go for.

Alot of employees are already using this to hire 'Job Ready employees'.
The way it works is you take different courses on there. You will get skill points added to your profile. This is how employees would rank you for your ability.

This is a great way to put you ahead of other prospective employees applying for the same job.

There are lots of different courses you can select like software, sales, communications, accounting, teaching and more.

Whether your just looking to be more knowledgeable or earn yourself a degree, there is something on there for everyone.

Take a look at the Learn.com website for more information.

CLASSIC ONLINE GAME: XENOCRATE 2

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000

1 player game

The gameplay of this Arkanoid style game classic is quite similar to the Ping Pong game i wrote about, in the way you play with the paddles. The game is called Xenocrate 2

The aim is to destroy the different coloured blocks with your ball, by using your paddle to direct it. But you will have to make sure you catch the ball on the way back down too.

You get 20 levels you can play with, use player made map levels or create your own which is rather cool.

As you go along you get bonuses that will drop down that you can catch to get paddle and ball enhancements. You also get different points and bonuses for different coloured blocks you hit.

The game caters for playing on your own or you can play with a friend on a 2 player level. One uses the mouse and the others the keyboard.

2 player game

I PROPHESY ONLINE GAME: The Future Revealed

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Online games are great fun to play. They are just so simple and highly addictive.

I was fascinated by this futuristic online game called I Prophesy: The Future Revealed. Fascinated because its not like your normal online games, its a bit more 'long running' if you know what i mean. Plus the graphics are alot more decent than the usual basic ones you get.

You play in a story mode, and have to make your journey across the lands. Along the way your challenges are answering different questions about the future. Depending on your answer each one will lead you to a different path.

Some area's enable you to watch a video instead, that can keep you guessing and make you think.

As you journey through you have got access to talk to other players online as you play, as well as unlocking enhancements for your avatar and playing the mini games on there too.

It is pretty much a multiplayer online game, but you don't have to play it that way if your not keen. You can just go solo if you want to keep yourself to yourself.

To make the game more enjoyable you can customize your own character to make it look like you, or not at all if you prefer.

SNAKE ONLINE GAME

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:29:00 +0000

If you love your classic games then you will enjoy this Snake online game. It's a simple game to play.

The aim of the game is to catch each dot with your snake, which will get longer as you progress. Don't touch the snake part or the wall or it's game over!

The only keys you use are the arrow keys and P if you wish to pause. I'm hoping you will only use the P if you have to do something away from the computer and not cheat to look where you need to go!

You have got 3 difficulty levels which are Slug:Easy, Worm:Medium and Python:Hard.
The easy level will start off at a slow pace, and the hardest will be a super fast speed!

It's always best to start on Slug just so you can get a hang of the game, and help your fingers get used to pressing the arrow keys in different directions. It may seem easy, but can get you confused under pressure.

I like this one compared to other online snake games as it gives me a more retro feel, with the old computer style sound effects when you catch a ball etc.

Can you get passed the Slug Level?

NEW TAKETAKE SOCIAL NETWORK SITE

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Example of a 'Want' page

A new social networking site will soon be available this September 09 called taketake

The concept is Want, Have or Had. Basically you can talk about the things that you Want, Have or Had. This could be anything like a video games, gadgets or anything really!

All you do is select which page you want to engage in, and share your thoughts on the subject by commenting, adding pictures, links, status updates and more.

You can find out what experiences people have had or get tips and advice. It really will be a useful place open for discussion.

In the meantime you can follow taketake on Twitter @heymatty

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM REVIEW

mummydgg@googlemail.com (Tina) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Console: Xbox 360
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rated: 15

Overview:

* The joker has launched the most diabolical plot ever, and released inmates of mental institute Arkham inside the asylum.
* It is now up to Batman to bring order to the chaos and take back the asylum, as he explores the depths of this never seen before island, and experience the darkest journey of his life
* Unleash brutal combos with the freeflow combat system and move in the shadows, as you fight against the most notorious lunatics including The Joker.
* Use your detective skills to your advantage and gather evidence and clues.

Gameplay:

This is the first Batman game on the 360, and it doesn't disappoint. It has already won the title for game of the year.

All the classic batman enemies make an appearance such as Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Bane, Harley Quinn, The Penguin and more.

The game takes on a more darker route than the others, and have more in common with the newer films i.e it is slicker, stealthier and darker.

All Batman's weapons and gadgets make an appearance, and are used to good effect. The fighting style and system is spot on. You can take down ten henchmen without being touched, and is all done very cool.

Result:

Another contender for one of the best games i have played this year so far.

Rating:

5/5