The Last Guardian ‘Exists’ Says Developer

BY

The Last Guardian was first announced in 2009, but since that time Sony has shown off very little of the PS3 title. While it’s been confirmed that Fumito Ueda has left Sony, he is still working to finish it as a contractor, as the project continues.

“I give you my word that it exists,” said an anonymous Japanese developer. “We are working on it.”

The developer noted that the project is ambitious, and was almost certainly announced too soon. “There are lots of pieces to the puzzle,” said the developer. “It’s a matter of getting them to fit together.”

Source: Kotaku

 

iOS 6 Replaces Google Maps

BY

Apple has released iOS 6 and by far the largest difference in the experience for many is the fact that Google Maps has been replaced by Apple’s own map service. Previously, the mapping app from Apple was powered by Google since 2007, but that has been dropped as acrimony grows between the two companies.

Many early adoptors say the app is attractive but it has some issues. Some have found that searches for an in-town destination can pull up an entirely different city, and there is no built-in information about public transportation.

This move has been a long time coming, as Apple has purchased three mapping companies and Google doubles down on its own mobile OS. There are some new additions to the Apple-powered Maps app including spoken turn-by-turn directions and Flyover, a feature that shows 3-D models of buildings in major cities.

Google Maps is currently available for consumers that don’t upgrade their iPhones and those with iOS 6 will still be able to access it from a web browser. Apple’s maps should become as good as Google’s for most people, said Scott Rafer, chief executive of Lumatic, a company that has developed a transit app for iPhones. “What no one’s talking about is map usage is a lot more important than any of this crazy software [that Google’s maps may have],” Rafer said.

Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg said Apple was clearly not the market leader in maps, lagging both Google and Nokia, but that most consumers would not be bothered by what was missing in Apple’s maps and that, on the whole, they would be more pleased by the addition of turn-by-turn navigation. “The granularity of how good mapping is on one platform versus another doesn’t seem like it’s going to matter a lot to consumers,” he said.

Source: New York Times

 

Twitch Raises $15 Million

BY

Twitch announced that it has secured $15 million in funding led by venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners with Alsop Louie Partners and Draper Associates also participating. Twitch will use the investment to enhance its core product of streaming video content experienced by over 20 million people.

“We launched Twitch a little over a year ago, and already we have more than 20 million unique viewers per month. We have also partnered with more than 2,000 incredible broadcasters and have integrated our product with leading game publishers,” said Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch. “I’m very proud of our accomplishments, but there’s so much more to do. Our current team has put us at the forefront of the live video game streaming movement, and we can now invest aggressively to support our growing community with new ways to stream, watch, and chat.”

“Twitch is exactly the kind of company that we seek for investment,” said Ethan Kurzweil, vice president at Bessemer Venture Partners. “Twitch is not just a game changer: they created the game and are creating new experiences for their community. We’re looking forward to them accelerating their lead, and continuing to change the rules as they go.”

Rule The Realm

BY

Enter to win a trip to Dublin Ireland in the Snow White and the Huntsman Conquer The Kingdom Instant Win Game. Win instant daily prizes day like a box of Balance bars or Target and Best Buy gift cards.

To win, players must create an account and explore the Kingdom and complete four challenges (at the Queen’s Lair, Dark Forest, Sanctuary and Castle ) to earn spells for your spell book.

Watch videos and explore the Huntsman’s Allies to uncover bonus spells. The spells you earn will be inscribed in your spell book. Visit the mirror daily to submit your spells for more chances to win the grand prize trip to Ireland and to discover if you’ve won an instant prize.

Different mini-games like a photo hunt to find a raven, pledging your allegiance by sharing to either the Dark Army of the Queen or the Rebellion, or answering trivia will unlock spells.

Unlock additional spells and chances to win by visiting partner sites that will be distributing codes on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Facebook Toes Towards Ad Network Status In Mobile

BY

Facebook is testing in-app mobile ads that look nothing like Facebook ads, using an undisclosed number of ad networks to serve banners and interstitials. It takes the company and its trove of personal information one step closer to forming an ad network of its own. Facebook said the ad exchanges won’t be able to access its users’ personal information. The move in mobile is in line with recent comments by Zuckerberg, who said at TechCrunch Disrupt, “We’ve transitioned now and we are a mobile company.”

Find out more at Ad Age.

 

The Rumble 2012

BY

Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly have agreed to participate what is being called “O’Reilly v Stewart 2012: The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium”. Look forward to the comedic approach to politics in 2012 when it is streamed live on Saturday, October 6 at 8pm ET from Lisner Auditorium at The George Washington University.

Zynga Loses Chief Security Officer

BY

Zynga has reportedly lost its chief security officer Nils Puhlmann, who resigned from the company. The co-founder of the Cloud Security Alliance, Puhlmann was responsible for managing all security risks for Zynga, having previously worked at Qualys, Electronic Arts, Robert Half International, Mindjet Corp, Adobe Systems and Nortel Networks.

After Zynga’s stock lost nearly half of its value and dropped to roughly $3, several key executives have fled the company. Chief operating officer John Schappert left after being demoted August 8, followed by chief marketing officer Jeff Karp, chief technology officer Allan Leinwand, chief creative officer Mike Verdu, vice president of studios Bill Mooney, vice president of marketing Brian Birtwistle, and, just yesterday, former OMGPOP chief revenue officer Wilson Kriegel.

Source: TechCrunch