CoD 5 Now On Sale

Some of us are just great big kids at heart, and I have to confess to you that I have a little bit of that syndrome too. Besides being a World Renown Tech Journalist and Ace Computer Support Technician and all that other grown-up stuff-- I am also a gamer.

Yes, it's true: looking at a the insides of an "UG rig" (high-performance computer specially built for 3D video game excellence) makes my pulse quicken.

No, I have not ever attended a LAN Party (or convention) and generally never play "multiplayer" games online... and no, I did not spend more on my rig than I did on my car. But I have been a gamer since.. well, let's just call it "the beginning".

"Hail to the king, baby."

Everybody has their favorite game, or at least, a favorite genre. Whether that be cards-- like Solitaire, Texas Holdem, and Pinochle, or puzzles-- like Sudoku, Mah Jong, and Scrabble, or simulators-- like Need for Speed, The Sims, and Combat Flight Simulator 2 or Sports, or Strategy, or Arcade.. or Fantasy/Adventure.. (am I forgetting any?)

Mine happens to be the Call of Duty series, which is a combat simulator of the "first-person shooter" 'genre', and is affectionately known as "CoD".
Infinity Ward rocks.

The latest release of Call of Duty was CoD 4 -- Modern Warfare, which if I remember correctly, was released in time for Christmas last year. I think it did pretty good in sales... (over 7 million units in 2007).

This year, Activision is again releasing its big title in time for the Holiday shopping season, and CoD 5 -- World At War is set to hit the shelves November 11th. But you can "pre-buy" it now.

That's right, I said pre-buy. Pay now, and get the actual game later.

Some of you might find that concept a little odd, but us gamers know that this ensures that we won't have to stand in line or face an empty shelf, and that we sometimes get a special bonus for pre-ordering (and, it gives us something to talk about to our gamer friends/rivals).

I was determined not to let myself get too excited about a game that isn't even out yet.. especially when I had read that CoD 5 was not a Infinity Ward title, but a Treyarch (they were the authors of CoD 3, which was never ported to the PC, and generally received bad reviews). But I have seen the trailer and YouTube videos of gameplay, and I'm hooked.

I know what I'm gonna ask Santa for this year.

Today’s free link: for those of you who prefer arcade style games, download Mega Mario. Featuring the Mario Brothers — first introduced in Donkey Kong — this classic arcade game works on all versions of Windows.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Stop the Security Center's nagging

If you've turned off automatic updates, the Windows firewall, the Vista UAC, or just are otherwise not using the "recommended" settings, Windows will annoy you with messages about checking your computer security via a shield icon in your Notification Area.. and pop-up balloon messages.

Now, normally, I would say this is a "good" thing.. and for the non-geeky (aka not a "power user"), I suggest you stop reading here (be sure to come back tomorrow, though!). Those notices are your friends-- don't ignore them just because you can still check your e-mail, or play online Texas Holdem.

But, if you are an "advanced" computer user, (aka "Uber-geek") you may very well have substituted a stronger firewall for the one built into Windows (I highly reco this for XP users, btw). You may have configured Update to "check and prompt", but not to auto-Install. You may be using an antivirus program that the Security Center doesn't recognize.. etc., and today's quick tip will kill the nag telling you what you already know.

Tip of the day: Advanced users who have customized Windows can disable the Security Center's "alert" notifications.
* Open the Windows Security Center. (Start >Control Panel >Security Center)
* Click the link "Change the way Security Center alerts me".

A new window will open offering three 'levels' of alert notification...

The bottom one is my preferred selection. That's it. You're done. No more pop-up balloon alerts. Close the windows you opened and get on with your life.

Survey: I am a bit curious as to how Tech–for Everyone readers are feeling about the Olympic Games being held in China, and so I’ve created a very brief (one question) survey.
Click Here to take survey.  (I will post the results Friday.)

Today's free link: Posting your photos to the Web and sharing them with friends and family seems to be a popular thing to do these days. There are many sites which allow you to this, and usually all you have to do is "join" (provide a legit-looking e-mail address.. such as nunof@your.biz). One of the lesser-known of these sites is the Kodak Gallery. It offers all the ammenities you'd expect.. and a few more. Check it out.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Grand Theft Auto IV unleashed

There are many happy people out there today. They're happy because the long wait for the next Grand Theft Auto is over. GTA 4 is now available for the Xbox and Playstation game consoles.

Developed by Rockstar North, and distributed by Take-Two Interactive, GTA 4 is the ninth release of this hugely popular title, and the first of its "fourth generation". This reworked and 'new' generation of GTA's features a new environment (modeled on NY city) and has graphics and gameplay that the gaming magazines and review sites are giving their highest scores. (Some have called the game "nearly perfect".)
IGN rated the game a 10 out of 10 in nearly every category, and awarded it its Editor's Choice... and a reviewer says, "Every facet of Rockstar's new masterpiece is worthy of applause."
It is Rated M (for mature).

* This will put parents in a tough spot-- your kid will want this game.. really, really badly.

You may have heard of "Grand Theft Auto".. the name may be ringing some bells. Why? Because Grand Theft Auto (particularly the title San Andreas) is the poster child for video games being too violent, leading to the erosion of civic morality, and being a cause of the increase in crime.
Grand Theft Auto has been called a "murder simulator".. and "How to be a gangster 101". When some ultra-Right winger calls for the banning of video games, they invariably trot out Grand Theft Auto-- San Andreas as their cause célèbre... and point out that in the game, you gain points for killing policemen.

* If you're a parent, and you have a kid not old enough to buy this game himself, and they're begging you to get it for them, they will show you articles about how Rockstar has changed its ways and toned all this down in GTA IV. Such as, "it's gone legit. Oh sure, you'll still blow up cop cars, run down innocent civilians, bang hookers, assist drug dealers and lowlifes and do many, many other bad deeds, but at a cost to main character Niko Bellic's very soul. GTA IV gives us characters and a world with a level of depth previously unseen in gaming and elevates its story from a mere shoot-em-up to an Oscar-caliber drama." (from IGN)

Folks, I have not played any of the GTA series; they simply haven't appealed to me. I am not going to label it "good" nor "bad".

I am not going to tell you how to raise your child.

I am not going to speculate, nor debate, whether there's too much violence and realism in video games.. and whether or not this has some detrimental psychological effect on those who play them.

I am just going to say this: in this particular instance, there are very good reasons why there's a "Rated M" on the box.

Today's free link: for those of you who need to replace the expired "trial" antivirus, and want a free replacement, Avira AntiVir Personal Edition is a good choice (if for some reason you're not happy with the new AVG, for instance).

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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