Picked up the new iPhone 4 yesterday and the device is amazing. The screen i something like you have never seen on a mobile phone. So clear, and so fast! I waited in line yesterday for about 3 hours to get the device at the Mayfair Mall Apple Store in Wauwatosa Wisconsin. Compared to last years 3GS launch it was nearly triple the amount of people waiting in line for then for last years model. I have included some photos from the launch.

Apple has done it again with their latest device dubbed the iPhone 4 running their latest software iOS 4. The iPhone 4 will set the standard for all future smartphones that come out this year. In my opinion the device exceeds in every way. From its beautiful Retina Display, to features long awaited by iPhone users such as an LED flash. The device has many key features that make it so great. Apple is able to make a device such as the iPhone 4 so great with their attention to aesthetics, hardware, and software.

Press Release:

IRVINE, Calif., May 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that its highly anticipated real-time strategy game, StarCraft(R) II: Wings of Liberty(TM), will arrive in stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau starting on July 27, 2010. Players will also be able to purchase StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty directly from Blizzard Entertainment shortly after the retail launch.

“We’ve been looking forward to revisiting the StarCraft universe for many years, and we’re excited that the time for that is almost here,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Thanks to our beta testers, we’re making great progress on the final stages of development, and we’ll be ready to welcome players all over the world to StarCraft II and the new Battle.net(R) in just a few months.”

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s 1998 hit StarCraft, which has been hailed by players and critics worldwide as one of the top real-time strategy games of all time. Sporting a vibrant 3D-graphics engine, StarCraft II will once again center on the clash between the protoss, terrans, and zerg, with each side deploying legions of veteran, upgraded, and new unit types. Unparalleled online play for StarCraft II will be available through a new version of Battle.net, Blizzard Entertainment’s world-renowned gaming service. Battle.net has been redesigned from the ground up to be the premier online gaming destination for Blizzard gamers, with several enhancements and new features, such as voice communication, cloud file storage, leagues and ladders, achievements, stat-tracking, and more.

The solo campaign for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will continue the epic saga where it left off in StarCraft: Brood War(R). The story line chronicles the exploits of marshal-turned-rebel-leader Jim Raynor and features both familiar faces and new heroes. Players will be able to tailor the experience, choosing their own mission path and selecting technology and research upgrades to suit their playing style throughout the 29-mission campaign. Several challenge-mode mini-games will also be included, with focused goals designed to ease players into the basics of multiplayer strategies.

For more information on StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, visit the official website at www.starcraft2.com. Further details about the game, including the alternative pricing options previously mentioned for certain regions, will be announced in the coming weeks. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available — visit www.blizzard.com/jobs for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft, StarCraft(R), and Diablo(R) series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (ATVI 11.26, +0.11, +0.99%) , is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes eleven #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net(R), is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” “future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard Entertainment’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment’s products, competition from the used game market, industry competition and competition from other forms of entertainment, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as real-time strategy, action–role-playing and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers who can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6273405=en

SOURCE: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Lisa Jensen
Vice President, Global Public Relations
949.854.6200 dir
949.854.7900 fax
ljensen@blizzard.com
or
Bob Colayco
PR Manager
949.955.1380 x12528
949.854.7900 fax
bcolayco@blizzard.com

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/starcraftr-ii-wings-of-libertytm-in-stores-starting-july-27-2010-2010-05-03?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Press Release

U.S. Government Unveils New Design for the $100 Note
Government to Currency Users: Know Its Features So You Can Know It’s RealWASHINGTON, D.C. (April 21, 2010) – Officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board and the United States Secret Service today unveiled the new design for the $100 note. Complete with advanced technology to combat counterfeiting, the new design for the $100 note retains the traditional look of U.S. currency.

“As with previous U.S. currency redesigns, this note incorporates the best technology available to ensure we’re staying ahead of counterfeiters,” said Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.

“When the new design $100 note is issued in TBD, the approximately 6.5 billion old design $100s already in circulation will remain legal tender,” said Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Ben S. Bernanke. “U.S. currency users should know they will not have to trade in their old design notes when the new notes begin circulating.”

The redesigned $100 note includes two new advanced counterfeit-deterrent security features, in addition to effective security features from the previous design. The features are easy for consumers and merchants to check when verifying authenticity.

The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell.

“The new security features announced today come after more than a decade of research and development to protect our currency from counterfeiting. To ensure a seamless introduction of the new $100 note into the financial system, we will continue global public education of retailers, financial institutions and industry organizations to ensure that consumers and merchants are aware of the new security features,” said Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios.

“For 145 years, the men and women of the United States Secret Service have worked diligently to protect the integrity of U.S. currency from counterfeiters,” said Director Mark Sullivan. “During that time, our agency has evolved to keep pace with the advanced methodologies employed by the criminals we pursue. What has remained constant in combating counterfeiting, however, is the effectiveness of consumer education initiatives that urge merchants and customers to examine the security features on the notes they receive.”

Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S.

“The $100 is the highest value denomination that we issue, and it circulates broadly around the world,” said Michael Lambert, Assistant Director for Cash at the Federal Reserve Board. “Therefore, we took the necessary time to develop advanced security features that are easy for the public to use in everyday transactions, but difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.”

“The advanced security features we’ve included in the new $100 note will thwart potential counterfeiters from producing high-quality fakes that can fool consumers and merchants,” said Larry R. Felix, Director of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing. “Protect yourself – it only takes a few seconds to check the new $100 note and know it’s real.”

The new design for the $100 note retains three effective security features from the previous design: the portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the security thread, and the color-shifting numeral 100.

The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document. Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note.

The back of the note has a new vignette of Independence Hall featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed.

For a more detailed description of the redesigned $100 note and its features, visit www.newmoney.gov where you can watch an animated video, click through an interactive note or browse through the multimedia center for images and B-roll.

Also, visit www.newmoney.gov for information on how to order free training materials for cash handlers, or you may download the materials directly from the Web site. The training materials for the $100 note are available in 25 languages.

Source:

http://www.newmoney.gov/media/release_04212010.htm

http://www.newmoney.gov

For those whom are concerned about privacy, only public Twitter feeds will be included in this national archive of tweets. The goal is to record some of the most important tweets that are shown on twitter, much like how President Obama announced his victory on Twitter in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/14/library.congress.twitter/index.html

You can see WISN’s footage here: http://www.wisn.com/video/23158086/index.html

More news about this event:

http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-100415-midwest-meteor-pg,0,1195758.photogallery

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/90905649.html

The complete Press Release:

All-New Independent Development Studio Signs Exclusive Worldwide Publishing Agreement with EA

Today, Jason West and Vince Zampella, creators of the multi-billion dollar Call of Duty® franchise, announced the formation of a new development studio – Respawn Entertainment. The move positions the Respawn Entertainment leadership team as the owners of the intellectual property they create. The company will focus on creating state-of-the-art gaming experiences for global audiences. The studio is currently assembling a world-class team of designers, artists and engineers. Applicants can submit resumes to jobs@respawn.com.

Respawn is pleased to also announce that it has awarded EA, through the distinguished EA Partners program, exclusive worldwide publishing and distribution rights to future games. Terms were not disclosed. West and Zampella are represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

“Respawn Entertainment marks a fresh start for Jason and me,” said Vince Zampella, General Manager of Respawn Entertainment. “For the past decade we led a great development team and poured our hearts into creating an epic game franchise. We’re very proud of what we built – and proud that so many millions of fans enjoyed those games. Today we hope to do it all over again — open a new studio, hire a great team, and create brand new games with a new partner, EA.”

“We’re excited,” added Jason West, President of Respawn Entertainment. “Now that the team is in control of the games and brands, we can ensure that the fans are treated as well as they deserve.”

Frank Gibeau, President of the EA Games Label commented, “This is the start of a great publishing partnership – one that I expect will develop blockbuster game franchises. Jason and Vince are two of the top creative leaders in the entertainment industry. At EA, we’re honored to be their partners and to give them the support they need to hire a team and return to making incredible games.”

Source: http://www.ea.com/news/jason-west-and-vince-zampella-respawn-entertainment

The game is for both PC and Mac platforms.

Here is the press release:

StarCraft(R) II: Wings of Liberty(TM) Collector’s Edition Announced
Special edition of Blizzard Entertainment’s epic sci-fi real-time strategy game includes exclusive art book, flash drive, soundtrack, behind-the-scenes DVD, and more

IRVINE, Calif., Apr 08, 2010 — Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that its highly anticipated real-time strategy game, StarCraft(R) II: Wings of Liberty(TM), will be available both in a standard edition and in a limited-release Collector’s Edition packed with exclusive bonus materials. Players who purchase either edition will be able to play online for no additional fee through the new version of Battle.net(R), the premier online gaming destination for Blizzard Entertainment gamers.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows(R) XP/Windows Vista(R)/Windows(R) 7 and Macintosh(R). The standard edition will sell for a suggested retail price of $59.99 and will also be available shortly after release as a download through the online Blizzard Store. The special Collector’s Edition package, which is priced at $99.99 and will only be available at retail stores, will include the following bonus items in addition to the game disc:

• The Art of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, a 176-page book featuring artwork from the game
• An exclusive 2GB USB flash drive replica of Jim Raynor’s dog tag, which comes preloaded with the original StarCraft and the StarCraft: Brood War(R) expansion set
• A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, cinematics with director’s commentary, and more
• The official StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty soundtrack CD, containing 14 epic tracks from the game along with exclusive bonus tracks
• StarCraft comic book issue #0, a prequel to the comic series
• A World of Warcraft(R) mini Thor in-game pet that can be applied to all World of Warcraft characters on a single Battle.net account
• Exclusive Battle.net downloadable content, including special portraits for your Battle.net profile, decals to customize your units in-game, and a visually unique version of the terran Thor unit

“We’ve been looking forward to revisiting the StarCraft universe with our players for over 10 years, and we wanted to offer an epic collector’s edition that commemorated the occasion,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “This special version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty — easily our biggest collector’s edition to date — does just that, and we think StarCraft II gamers will really enjoy all of the exclusive contents.”

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s 1998 hit StarCraft, which has been hailed by players and critics worldwide as one of the top real-time strategy games of all time. StarCraft II will once again center on the clash between the protoss, terrans, and zerg, with each side deploying favorite units from the original StarCraft, along with numerous upgraded and brand-new units and abilities that allow for fresh tactics and strategies. The game’s new 3D-graphics engine maintains the speed and responsive control of its predecessor while rendering hundreds of units onscreen for massive battles.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty’s solo campaign will continue the epic saga where it left off in StarCraft: Brood War. The storyline chronicles the exploits of marshal-turned-rebel-leader Jim Raynor and features both familiar faces and new heroes. Players will be able to tailor the experience, choosing their own mission path and selecting technology and research upgrades to suit their playing style throughout the 29-mission campaign.

Several challenge-mode mini-games will also be included, with focused goals designed to ease players into the basics of multiplayer strategies. In addition, dozens of multiplayer maps will be available for competitive play through the new version of Battle.net, which is launching alongside StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. This new version of the service has been built from the ground up to offer an unparalleled online play experience, with new features such as voice communication, character profiles and achievements, stat-tracking, ladders and leagues, cloud file storage, and more.

Additional information about StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, including the release date, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Source: http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?100408

Source: http://us.starcraft2.com/features/collector/

Apple’s press event featuring the updated iPhone OS4 just concluded about an hour ago. To my surprise much of the speculation came true today, and I imagine many iPhone owners will be happy with what they see. The software update is expected to be released this summer for the iPhone/iPod touch, and this fall for the iPad. With some of the older devices some of the features will be cut out due to hardware limitations, such as Multitasking. The multitasking features will only be available with 3GS models/ 3rd gen iTouch, or newer devices.

Another big surprise is that Apple is streamlining a gaming service for the device, much like Xbox Live. The service will offer many features such as leader boards, achievement, online matchmaking, and friend lists. Apple is really starting to take gaming seriously, and this proves it. Hopefully we can expect some better quality games, I mean there are so many out there right now who try and imitate a analog joystick on a touch screen that are just so horrible..

Here is a summary of the features thanks to engadget.

Notable new features for users (“tentpoles” are in bold):

• Multitasking. (3GS, iTouch 3rd Gen.)
• Spell check (like on the iPad).
• Bluetooth keyboard support (again, on the iPad).
• User-defined wallpaper (a jailbreak favorite).
• Tap to focus when recording video, just like with photos, and a 5x digital zoom for the camera.
• Playlist creation and nested playlists.
• App folders for sorting apps! You can even put an app folder in the dock.
• Enhanced Mail! You can have a merged inbox view, switch between inboxes quickly, and sync to more than one Exchange account. There’s also threaded messaging (at last!) and in-app attachment viewing.
• iBooks, just like on iPad, only smaller. You can wirelessly sync books between platforms, a la Kindle.
• Enterprise features, including remote device management and wireless app distribution.
• Game Center. It’s like Xbox Live, but for iPhone games. Includes achievements, leaderboards, and match making. It will be available as a “developer preview,” and out for consumers later this year.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-0-unveiled-shipping-this-summer/

April 6th 2010

Apple is set to preview its latest iPhone OS this week Thursday. Many rumors are floating around about what this new revision may include. Such as Multitasking, unified inbox for multiple email accounts, and the ability to place contacts directly on the home screen.

There is also the possibility of them announcing a new iPhone as well. This update will likely be for all of their current devices running iPhone OS, including the recently released iPad. Of course the various products will have different features striped due to hardware.

What would you like to see in the new iPhone revision?

In a few weeks I am going to give the Windows 7 configuration exam another shot, with the hope that I can squeeze in enough studying. I am also working on finishing up my A+ certification, and will hopefully be able to get that in finished off in the coming weeks (passed the first part).

Other than that I am excited to also be starting my internship in the summer this year. Still don’t have many details on job possibilities, but I should know more this week! Hopefully I can find a good job, it is time for a change. I have been at my current job for too long and need to start focusing on making a career.

I also am looking forward to summer! I am planning on attending some Brewer games, and maybe taking a vacation to Virginia and or Vegas. Hopefully I will be able to get some fun in while working on my internship, and finishing up with my obligations at WCTC!

I really need to update this site more!