vancouver-2010
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Aliens vs. Predator facehugs UK charts, Just Dance not going anywhere
Like seasoned hunters, Aliens vs. Predators quickly and efficiently concluded BioShock 2's brief dominance atop Chart-Track's UK all-formats sales chart. The prior week, BioShock 2 unseated Mass Effect 2. Meanwhile, Just Dance refused to give up that #2 spot. Ubisoft's dance-a-thon title saw a 55 percent sales increase as BioShock 2 took a 77 percent dive into third place. Thanks to the Winter Olympics going on in the great semi-white north of Canada, Sega saw a ski-jump boost in sales for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, which made its way back into the Top 10 in the eighth spot. Anthropomorphic and mushroom-tripping Olympians weren't the only ones to benefit from the hype, as Vancouver 2010 received a 274 percent increase and broke into the Top 40 at 11th place -- which is, like, a tin medal? Perhaps one of those chocolates wrapped in gold foil? Source – Aliens vs. Predator invasion [GFK Chart-Track] Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
Panasonic's Lumix DMC-ZR1 catches Olympic fever
Well, it's Olympic season once again, and that can only mean one thing: a new round of tie-in products. One of the first to arrive on the scene is a new version of Panasonic's Lumix ZR1, which boasts an eye-catching red paint job complete with the official Vancouver 2010 logo. Otherwise, this one looks to be the same 12-megapixel point-and-shoot as before, with it packing an 8x optical zoom, a 25 mm wide-angle Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens, a 2.7-inch LCD, and the usual face detection and image stabilization features we've come to expect. No word on US availability for this one, but it looks like it's now available in Canada with an MSRP of $349.99 (or about $330US).
NBCOlympics.com using Silverlight 3, Smooth Streaming for Winter Olympics video
The Beijing Olympics broadcast benefited greatly from high quality streams available on the NBCOlympics.com website, and it looks like the 2010 Games in Vancouver will be no different. To that end, Microsoft's released server side enhancements like Smooth Streaming technology for adaptive streaming with Silverlight to keep the video streams moving smoothly, and even enable DVR-like features in a live stream without requiring dedicated video servers, all so viewers can get smooth 720p throughout the event. By then Silverlight 3 should be out of beta, which promises support for up to 1080p resolution, native playback of MP4 formats like h.264 and hardware graphics acceleration. Honestly we'd expect nothing less, and while word is CTV, HSN and others will be among the first to take advantage, we're waiting for Netflix to pick up the baton and deliver browser based PQ that rises to the level of Xbox 360 and other players, plus more HD.
Ice those thumbs, Sega announces Vancouver 2010
Get excited kids, Sega -- unsurprisingly -- has announced Vancouver 2010, the official game of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The game is being developed by Eurocom, the studio company Beijing 2008. We're sure the developers have already come up with new and exciting ways to mash buttons and twirl sticks, so you'd best get your thumbs prepared. Don't forget your palms either; those calluses hurt! If you'd rather waggle Wii remotes, it looks like you'll have to wait for the next Mario & Sonic because Vancouver 2010 has only been announced for PS3, 360 and Windows.Check out the teaser trailer above and the first screens below.%Gallery-47596%
