Wisconsin library loans iPads for at home e-reading

If you thought hitting up the local library was far too Web 1.0 for your avant-garde lifestyle, you may want to check out the Eau Claire public library in Wisconsin -- it's not only lending books, but also, iPads. Each one of the 44 available tablets will be stuffed to the digital gills with 1,000 books, ten audiobooks and various apps for your reading (or, not reading) pleasure. Although other houses of learning have launched similar programs, this is the first of note to go with Apple slates for its e-reading experiment. If you're the proud owner of a library card and have less than $10 in fines, you too can get in line for one of the loaners. We wonder, does the old saying "you break it, you buy it" apply here?

engadget.com

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Modern Warfare 3 is not about sales believes Infinity Ward

With one of the biggest gaming showdowns about to happen all eyes are on Infinity Ward and DICE as to who will be crowned victorious. That said, Infinity Ward feels there isn't even a competition going on.

Speaking at a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer conference creative strategist Robert Bowling has revealed that Infinity Ward isn’t about hitting the charts but about making a game for the fans.

Speaking to IGN Bowling responded to questions on whether they were concerned about competition (Battlefield 3 being the main example) by saying:

“We don't care about sales numbers, we don't care about competition, we don't care about beating anyone. Our 100 per cent focus is making a game that we're going to love to play, that we're going to be proud of, and that we know that our fans are going to play.”

Battlefield 3 vs Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

These questions have come after it’s been widely acknowledged that the upcoming release of Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 will be the showdown of the year.

Naturally this doesn’t concern Infinity Ward who say that their primary focus is on making the best Modern Warfare yet, and making a game that both fans and newcomers will love.

In conclusion..

With online being such an integral part of the game there’s been huge speculation about what new features Modern Warfare 3 will bring to the table with the Spec Ops mode being the newest feature.

But what does all this mean to the developers, not the customers, well Bowling summarises by pointing out that “to us, we don't care if there are three people playing it or 30 million people playing it. If there are three people having a great time then we've done our job correctly and we will be happy."

t3.com

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Windows Phone 7 Mango update in "a week or two"

Microsoft’s head of apps for the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system has revealed the company’s much anticipated Mango update is to land within the next couple of weeks

Windows Phone 7 Mango, the next-generation of Microsoft’s current mobile operating system is to begin rolling out across devices within “a week or two,” the company’s head of apps has revealed.

With a ‘fall’ arrival for the Windows Phone 7 Mango update confirmed by Microsoft earlier this year, the eagerly awaited update, which is set to bring more than 500 new features to the hub-based OS, looks set to make an appearance on existing handsets early in October.

Making the announcement via his official Twitter feeds Brandon Watson, Microsoft’s head of apps and developers on the Windows Phone platform said: "Boom… no more rumours. Mango to start rolling out on Windows Phone in just a week or two."

Windows Phone 7 Mango features

With more than 500 new features set to spoil WP7 users rotten, the cream of the Mango flavoured crop will see multitasking introduced alongside improvements to the system’s browsing experience with Internet Explorer 9 capabilities set to hit mobile devices.

Tasked with making the fledgling OS smarter and easier to use the Mango update will introduce Threads, linking all person-to-person communication across all mediums into one seamless stream, as well as marking the arrival of Group hubs.

Windows Phone 7 Mango update: The full story

Whilst a number of Mango launch handsets have already been unveiled including the HTC Radar, Microsoft’s new mobile partner Nokia has yet to officially unveil its first WP7 handsets with recent reports suggesting the Finnish company has had to delay the device’s arrival until January.


t3.com

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