New Just Cause 2 trailers dissect the ‘Anatomy of a Stunt’
Feb/100
We love that Just Cause 2’s trailers have simply devolved into demo reels showing off the ridiculous destructive powers the player can harness using a hookshot, a parachute and a bit of ingenuity. Two such videos were recently released by Square Enix, subtitled “Anatomy of a Stunt.” The first, which shows a rather exhilarating car jump over explosive-lined jet fuel tanks, is posted above. The second, embedded after the jump, shows all the clever ways one can dispatch enemies using gravity.
Sorry, Square Enix marketing team, but we’re not comfortable classifying “murder” as a “stunt,” no matter how creative said “murder” might be.
Continue reading New Just Cause 2 trailers dissect the ‘Anatomy of a Stunt’
New Just Cause 2 trailers dissect the ‘Anatomy of a Stunt’ originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Takeuchi: Lost Planet 2 faced difficult content cuts
Feb/100
When you finally play Lost Planet 2 after it launches on May 18, you’ll explore and uncover more of the misplaced celestial orb than ever before — but you won’t see everything. In an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu (transcript; Kotaku translation), producer Jun Takeuchi explained that, although development on the co-op shooter proceeded without trouble, a “significant” amount of content had to be cut before the final product took shape.
Takeuchi noted that “the edited content was way too much and dealing with that was more difficult than anything.” Whether it was difficult to say goodbye or simply to get it to work in the first place is unclear, but it’s a story that has become familiar as games grow in intricacy and developers share information with more candor. “This time, truly, the content that was cut was significant and at the end, we had to wrestle with disc space,” he said.
Since the Xbox 360’s DVD drive offers the least amount of storage space — compared to the Blu-ray drive on the PlayStation 3 — it’s easiest to assume that disc space was the cause of the cut content, and not an additional issue. However, in a note to Joystiq, Capcom described the process as standard practice. “Editing the amount of content released with the final version of any game is a standard practice during game development. Edits to the initial concept of a game can come from a number of sources including the amount of time given to develop the title, hardware constraints, story elements, or other factors that can detract from the experience. We are confident that consumers will not be disappointed with Lost Planet 2 and the variety of massive Akrid, powerful vital suits, beautiful environments and deep level of customization included in the final product.”
The final product may be expanded through DLC in the future (just like Assassin’s Creed 2, which lost several sequences to a deadline), but for now Lost Planet 2’s excised terrain will remain on ice.
Takeuchi: Lost Planet 2 faced difficult content cuts originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Add Shareaholic Goodness to Google Chrome
Feb/100
Have you been waiting to get that Shareaholic goodness in Google Chrome? Then your wait is over. Join us as we take a look at the Shareaholic for Google Chrome extension.
Note: Shareaholic is also available for Firefox, Internet Explorer, Flock, Safari, and Songbird (see Shareaholic homepage link below).
Shareaholic Setup
After the extension has finished installing you will see your new “Toolbar Button” and a new tab will open with information about Shareaholic. You should leave this “Information Tab” open for at least a few minutes because of the “login/create an account links”.
Note: There are no “in-browser” options to worry with.
If you click on the “Toolbar Button” this is what the drop-down window will look like. You can go ahead and start using the extension if desired at this point but you will be limited to the services shown here. Customization of the “Services List” does require an account and is definitely recommended.
For our example we decided to create a new account and having the “Information Tab” open helped get the process started very easily.
There are only three things required for an account: a user name, an e-mail address, & a password.
Once you have created your new account you should go ahead and check your e-mail first. You will find a “Confirmation Request E-mail” waiting for you…click on the link provided to finish things up and you are ready to start customizing your “Services List”.
Here is a complete list of the services available at the moment. You can see the default set of services “highlighted/shaded” here. Changing what services are displayed is extremely easy…click on your choices to select (highlight/shade) a desired service or to deselect an unwanted service.
A better look at the “Shareaholic Account Window”…
Here is our “Services List” ready to go after making some changes.
Shareaholic for Google Chrome in Action
We decided to test Shareaholic on one of the great tutorial pages here at the site. To share just click on the “Toolbar Button”, select the desired service, and have that service open in a new tab (or window depending on your personal settings).
We started with Google Mail…we were really pleased to see that the entire tab was focused as a “Compose Window”. The “Subject & Letter Areas” were auto-filled for us…all that was left to do was choose an e-mail address, add any additional desired text, and send the letter out.
Next we chose Twitter. Once again everything was auto-filled and the webpage link was automatically converted to a shortened URL using bit.ly.
Our final test was choosing is.gd. The webpage address was also auto-converted for us…all that was left to do was copy and paste our new shortened URL. This extension is a pleasure to use and will definitely become one of your most favorite (and useful) browser add-ins.
Conclusion
The Shareaholic for Google Chrome extension will make a great addition to your Chrome browser…useful, convenient and fun to use. This is definitely a recommended install. Be sure to add Shareaholic to all of the other browsers on your computer so that you can enjoy that sharing goodness to the fullest.
Links
Download the Shareaholic for Google Chrome extension (Google Chrome Extensions)
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JBO: Joystiq Box Office, February 1 – February 5
Feb/100
Recommendation of the Week:
Zombieland (Blu-ray: $39.95, much lower at retailers)What goes perfectly with Zombieland on Blu-ray? Twinkies. Or Sno Balls, depending which side of the Hostess line you fall on. Although I have to agree with Woody Harrelson on this one: Sno Balls are disgusting. When I first heard about Zombieland, I didn’t think I’d care for it much, but it ended up being fairly irresistible. The combination of Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin fighting zombies is a post-apocalyptic, abandoned United States just works extremely well, and it makes you wish you had the same playground to explore. (Zombie-free, of course.) Between Eisenberg’s essential rules for zombie survival and an extremely hilarious cameo appearance (don’t spoil it for people who haven’t seen it yet!) this movie rides the comedy-horror line perfectly. There’s also a sweet Zombieland PS3 theme on the disc, just move to the game tab and you’ll see it there to download. It’s not advertised on the package, but it’s a nice extra.
Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, and let us know what you’re watching!
Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, February 1 – February 5
JBO: Joystiq Box Office, February 1 – February 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Add OS X Styled Stacks to Your Computer with 7Stacks
Feb/100
Do you love how Stacks look in Mac OS X and want to add that kind of functionality to your Windows system? Here we look at 7Stacks which gives you a similar experience.
Note: Stacks attach to the Taskbar in Windows 7 and to the Quick Launch Toolbar in Vista and XP.
Setting Up Your New Stacks
Installation of 7Stacks is simple and straightforward. As soon as you start the app you can immediately begin creating stacks using this window. Notice that you will need to choose between two browsing options to “add” the appropriate folder for your new stack.
The “SF Button” is for “special folders” and the “… Button” is for adding any regular folder that you desire. We decided to begin with a regular folder first.
Note: The default “Stack Type” is “Vertical Stack”.
We browsed until we found the Internet Browsers folder from our start menu, selected it, and clicked “OK”.
As you can see more details are filled in now such as “Target Path” and the “Caption/Name” for this particular stack. Once you have things sorted click on “Create Shortcut on Desktop”.
Note: You may want to deselect the “Show Explore Item” option if you do not want to access the “stack’s originating folder” using Windows Explorer and wish to cut down on “clutter” in your stacks.
Here is our new “Stack Shortcut” on the Desktop…
In Windows 7 right click on the shortcut and select “Pin to Taskbar”. For those using Windows Vista and XP drag the shortcut to your “Quick Launch Toolbar”.
There is our first stack full of browser shortcut goodness.
If you want access to the shortcuts in one of the folders in the stack click on it and it will open (“shift into focus”) as shown here.
Whenever you are ready to create a new stack right click on any existing “stack icons” and select “Create a new stack”.
This time we decided to create a stack for a “special folder” and use “Grid” as the “Stack Type”.
When you click on the “SF Button” you will see a “classic start menu styled” menu. You can choose one of the preset choices in the main area or browse through the “Start Menu, Common Folders, & Other” sub-areas. Here we chose “My Pictures”…
Once again click on “Create Shortcut on Desktop” to finish your new stack and add it to your “Taskbar or Quick Launch Bar”.
Here is our “Pictures Stack” using the “Grid Setting”. Looking good…
For our final addition we created a stack for “My Documents” using the “Menu Stack Type”.
Not bad at all. Notice how the folders are set up for easy content browsing.
A look at our three stacks pinned to the “Taskbar”.
Preferences
There are only a few preferences to sort through for 7Stacks…”Text Appearance, Behavior, & Stack Closing Style”.
Conclusion
If you have been wanting Mac OS X Stacks style functionality in your Windows system then 7Stacks is definitely worth taking a look at.
Thanks to HTG reader Realitizer for the great tip!
Links
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[MISC GEEKERY] How To Get Rid of the wmpscfgs.exe Virus, a Reader Contributed Guide
Feb/100
How-To Geek reader Kan wrote in with a full guide to getting rid of the nasty wmpscfgs.exe virus, and we figured we should just share it with everybody, just in case anybody else comes across the same problem in the future.
Note that this is a specific guide to getting rid of a specific virus, and was tested by a specific reader. We’ve not tested these steps personally.
Symptoms of the wmpscfgs.exe Virus
- If you have Malwarebytes or Superantispyware software, these guys will detect it on every scan and will try to remove this virus. But the virus will just come back after a reboot. Even a safe mode boot (with or without network) will not work.
- A warning about IE not being your default browser will always popup without even clicking or opening up IE. I would not advise to click either yes or no on it. Just move the window in one of your monitor corners and see solution below.
- Windows UAC will misbehave and will keep on prompting whether you want to execute a previously executed startup program. This is gave the virus away for me hence i start scanning and investigating. If you try to allow one, UAC will be disabled. Strangely enough, if you enabled it, windows doesn’t prompt you to reboot which is also a giveaway that something is wrong! As changing the UAC settings will definitely ask for a reboot.
- Microsoft Security Essentials will detect that? your startup programs (virus software, anti spyware/malware software, etc are viruses) and flag it as a virus. Another giveaway that something is awfully wrong!
If you have the above symptoms, you pretty much have the virus I had yesterday. Here is what you can do to get rid of it. Don’t bother about scanning as scanners cant fully fix your problem and will end up corrupting your applications.
- Boot in safe mode. The reason for this is that in safe mode there is not much processes running. You need this setup in step 9 below as this virus is a nasty one.
- Open up windows explorer and go to Tools -> Folder options .
??? a. Make sure the following are TICKED -> Show hidden files and folders
??? b. Make sure the following are UNticked? -> Hide Extensions for known file types - Go to the following directories (this is for vista home premium):
???? C:Program FilesInternet Explorer
???? C:UsersuserAppDataLocalTemp??
And you will see there a file called wmpscfgs.exe. Delete them. - Open up your task manager, make sure the ’show all processes’ is ticked and look for the same process. If it is running. Kill it.
Starting this part, steps needs more technical experience. If you are not comfortable in doing the below steps, look for someone that can help you.
- Open up regedit and go to:? HKLM->Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion –> Run
- Look for Adobe_reader entry with data: “Internet Explorerwmpscfgs.exe“. Delete it. For me from this point almost all of the things written in the NET currently don’t have the steps below. And its the reason why this virus keeps coming back.
- Hopefully you dont have much applications under “HKLM->Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Run”. Because you have to visit each one of them literally because this virus hijacks almost every application in the RUN list above.
- Basically it renames the old exe file from say “mcagent.exe” to “mcagent .exe”. With a space between the filename and the “.exe” or extension. It will then create a copy of itself with the same filename as your executable file so that when someone executes your file, the virus will be executed first then your file. It will do this for every apps you have in your Run list.
Thus if you go to the location of say of McAfee mcagent.exe application you will see two to three files with almost the same filename:
- mcagent.exe???????????? -> which is a 39 KB file, and very recently created and which is the virus that keeps adding back that wmpscfgs.exe file.
- mcagent .exe??????????? -> the original mcagent file, renamed.
- mcagent.exe.delme
???? -> delete this one as well. I don’t see this occurring every time, but i have seen some apps with this file in them and very recently created. - You first need to kill the corresponding process of? the infected file if they are running in task manager, manually remove the existing .exe file which is around 39KB only and rename back your old executable file to its former filename. Repeat this for every application you have in your Run list above. The only thing that i saw this virus didn’t infect was the windows defender application. The rest in my Run list were screwed. Uninstalling and reinstalling them doesn’t help as well as the former Trojan exe file will be retained in the application directory.
This is the reason why Microsoft Security Essentials was complaining that your startup executable files are viruses.
- Once you have verified that each application in your run list has been restored. To be fully sure that you don’t have any such files lingering in your system, do a drive search for any file that has 39KB size and has just been recently created and examine each one carefully if they are just copies of your original executable file. Follow step 7 for each occurrence of it. So far, i only saw this virus attach itself into executable files.
- If you want to be 100% sure, next thing you need to do is double check every process running in? your task manager if they are legit. Some process specially those started by system wont be able to take you to its process file, its ok, but most of them if you do a right click in them,? you should see an option there called “Open File Location”. Then follow steps 7 above.
- Reboot and that’s it!
Thanks to reader Kan for writing in with this guide, and hopefully it helps somebody else!
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[MISC GEEKERY] How To Get Rid of the wmpscfgs.exe Virus, a Reader Contributed Guide
View Your GReader RSS Feeds the Easy Way in Firefox
Jan/100
Do you want an easy way to view your RSS Feeds throughout the day while you work? Then join us as we take a look at the GReader Popup extension for Firefox.
Before
Viewing your RSS Feeds usually requires either having a separate tab/window open or using an external software. It would certainly be nicer (and a lot more convenient) if you could accomplish the same thing with a “there when you need it and gone when you do not” popup window.
After
After you have installed the extension you will need to make certain that your “Status Bar” is visible so that you can access the “Popup Window”. This is what the “Status Bar Icon”? for the extension looks like…click on it to open GReader and click on it again to close it. Definitely easy access…
Note: For those who prefer keyboard shortcuts you may also open the “Popup Window” using “Ctrl + .” (Ctrl + Dot/Period).
If you are like most people then you like to keep up with your RSS subscriptions throughout the day. Perhaps you are excited about a software release or major update that is happening sometime during the day. You still need to get your work done but it sure would be nice to take occasional “quick peeks” to see if there are any fresh news articles about it available. For our example we decided to take a “quick peek” while sorting through some e-mail…
It took only a moment for the the “GReader Popup Window” to appear after clicking on the “Status Bar Icon”. As you can see there are no differences in what you see here versus a regular tab/window. The “shaded border” certainly helps to “tone down” any background distractions and lets you focus on that important reading.
Note: You can resize the “Popup Window” by grabbing the lower right corner and expanding it to the desired size.
Scrolling through those news feeds is so quick and easy…
Options
The only option for the extension is the ability to modify the “Popup URL”.
Conclusion
If you love periodically checking your GReader RSS Feeds throughout the day then the GReader Popup extension can provide a very convenient way to do it.
Links
Download the GReader Popup extension (Mozilla Add-ons)
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View Your GReader RSS Feeds the Easy Way in Firefox
Just Cause 2 pre-order bonuses revealed in latest trailer
Jan/100
Listen, we’re pretty sure we’re only going to need two things to complete our first playthrough of Just Cause 2: A hookshot and an arm on which to attach it. Still, we admit that the bonus equipment that the game’s pre-orderers will have access to looks pretty intriguing: A skull-emblazoned parachute? An outrageously powerful handgun? A hovering deathtank? Yes, please. (Check out the trailer above to see these bonuses in action.)
Even if you’re vehemently opposed to pre-ordering a game, you need to watch this trailer, if only for the last 20 seconds. It’s a real — wait for it — drag.
Just Cause 2 pre-order bonuses revealed in latest trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A video explanation of why Aliens vs. Predator was temporarily banned in Australia
Jan/100
Be forewarned: Unless you want to see a ton of humans, aliens and predators get murdered (our count was 24 kills in 21 seconds!), you should probably shy away from watching the Aliens vs. Predator trailer we’ve posted above. There’s no developers talking about how excited they are to release the game, or any details about the plot — it’s basically just a demo reel of the title’s horrific carnage.
Wait a minute: No direction, no story and tons of violence? Are we sure this isn’t a trailer for the next Saw movie?
![Joystiq [Xbox]](http://semibeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/0f1bef197fedlogo.gif.gif)
A video explanation of why Aliens vs. Predator was temporarily banned in Australia originally appeared on Joystiq [Xbox] on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Add keyboard languages to XP, Vista, and Windows 7
Mar/100
Do you regularly need to type in multiple languages in Windows?? Here we’ll show you the easy way to add and change input languages to your keyboard in XP, Vista, and Windows 7.
Windows Vista and 7 come preinstalled with support for viewing a wide variety of languages, so adding an input language is fairly simply.? Adding an input language is slightly more difficult in XP, and even requires installing additional files if you need an Asian or Complex script language.? First we show how to add an input language in Windows Vista and 7; it’s basically is the same in both versions.? Then, we show how to add a language to XP, and also how to add Complex Script support.?
Please note that this is only for adding an input language, which will allow you to type in the language you select.? This does not change your user interface language.
Change keyboard language in Windows 7 and Vista
It is fairly simple to add or change a keyboard language in Windows 7 or Vista.? In Windows 7, enter “keyboard language” in the Start menu search box, and select “Change keyboards or other input methods”.
In Windows Vista, open Control Panel and enter “input language” in the search box and select “Change keyboards or other input methods”.? This also works in Windows 7.
Now, click Change Keyboards to add another keyboard language or change your default one.
Our default input language is US English, and our default keyboard is the US keyboard layout.? Click Add to insert another input language while still leaving your default input language installed.
Here we selected the standard Thai keyboard language (Thai Kedmanee), but you can select any language you want.? Windows offers almost any language you can imagine, so just look for the language you want, select it, and click Ok.
Alternately, if you want, you can click Preview to see your layout choice before accepting it.? This is only the default characters, not ones that will be activated with Shift or other keys (many Asian languages use many more characters than English, and require the use of Shift and other keys to access them all).? Once your finished previewing, click close and then press Ok on the previous dialog.
Now you will see both of your keyboard languages in the Installed services box.? You can click Add to go back and get more, or move your selected language up or down (to change its priority), or simply click Apply to add the new language.
Also, you can now change the default input language from the top menu.? This is the language that your keyboard will start with when you boot your computer.? So, if you mainly use English but also use another language, usually it is best to leave English as your default input language.
Once you’ve pressed Apply or Ok, you will see a new icon beside your system tray with the initials of your default input language.
If you click it, you can switch between input languages.? Alternately you can switch input languages by pressing Alt+Shift on your keyboard.
Some complex languages, such as Chinese, may have extra buttons to change input modes to accommodate their large alphabet.
If you would like to change the keyboard shortcut for changing languages, go back to the Input Languages dialog, and select the “Advanced Key Settings” tab.? Here you can change settings for Caps Lock and change or add key sequences to change between languages.
Also, the On-Screen keyboard will display the correct keyboard language (here the keyboard is displaying Thai), which can be a helpful reference if your physical keyboard doesn’t have your preferred input language printed on it.? To open this, simply enter “On-Screen keyboard” in the start menu search, or click All Programs>Accessories>On-Screen keyboard.
Change keyboard language in Windows XP
The process for changing the keyboard language in Windows XP is slightly different.? Open Control Panel, and select “Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options”.
?
Select “Add other languages”.
Now, click Details to add another language.? XP does not include support for Asian and complex languages by default, so if you need to add one of those languages we have details for that below.
Click Add to add an input language.
Select your desired language from the list, and choose your desired keyboard layout if your language offers multiple layouts.? Here we selected Canadian French with the default layout.
Now you will see both of your keyboard languages in the Installed services box.? You can click Add to go back and add more, or move your selected language up or down (to change its priority), or simply click Apply to add the new language.
Once you’ve pressed Apply or Ok, you will see a new icon beside your system tray with the initials of your default input language.
If you click it, you can switch between input languages.? Alternately you can switch input languages by pressing Alt+Shift on your keyboard.
If you would like to change the keyboard shortcut for changing languages, go back to the Input Languages dialog, and click the “Key Settings” button on the bottom of the dialog.? Here you can change settings for Caps Lock and change or add key sequences to change between languages.
Add support to XP for Asian and Complex script languages
Windows XP does not include support for Asian and Complex script languages by default, but you can easily add them to your computer.? This is useful if you wish to type in one of these languages, or simply want to read text written in these languages, since XP will not display these languages correctly if they are not installed.? If you wish to install Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean, check the “Install files for East Asian languages” box.? Or, if you need to install a complex script language (including Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Hebrew, the Indic languages, Thai, and Vietnamese), check the “Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages” box.
Choosing either of these options will open a prompt reminding you that this option will take up more disk space.? Support for complex languages will require around 10Mb of hard drive space, but East Asian language support may require 230 Mb or more free disk space.? Click Ok, and click apply to install your language files.
You may have to insert your XP CD into your CD drive to install these files.? Insert the disk, and then click Ok.
Windows will automatically copy the files, including fonts for these languages…
…and then will ask you to reboot your computer to finalize the settings.? Click Yes, and then reopen the “Add other languages” dialog when your computer is rebooted, and add a language as before.
? Now you can add Complex and/or Asian languages to XP, just as above.? Here is the XP taskbar language selector with Thai installed.
Conclusion
Unfortunately we haven’t found a way to add Asian and complex languages in XP without having an XP disc. If you know of a way, let us know in the comments. (No downloading the XP disc from torrent site answers please)
Adding an input language is very important for bilingual individuals, and can also be useful if you simply need to occasionally view Asian or Complex languages in XP.? And by following the correct instructions for your version of Windows, it should be very easy to add, change, and remove input languages.
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Add keyboard languages to XP, Vista, and Windows 7