Skype? There's an App for That

The iPhones FaceTime function will now be vastly improved with the addition of Skypes iOS 4 update released the middle of last week. As opposed to the prior need for a Wi-Fi connection to speak via face-to-face video conferencing, Skypes updates will allow users to connect to mobile video over both Wi-Fi and 3G.

This update will come free and is already available for download. Users will be able to call anyone able to use video conferencing, including those using PCs, laptops, and other iPhone 4 devices. Furthermore, users with the iPad or the older versions of the iPod touch (without the camera) will be able to receive video chats, but

Game Music Industry News on - Harmonix

Harmonix has lived the ultimate dream of any wannabe musician. They've gone from nobodies, to rockstars, to washing out as has beens in less then a decade. But don't be sad for them, they're probably exactly where they want to be.

Harmonix started out as a small independent studio that created and published their own games. Starting on consoles with Frequency and Amplitude which were both well received critically while not selling that particularly well they did leave an impression on the industry. The only people making music games before them was Japan. When Harmonix teamed up with Red Octane to make Guitar Hero shortly after those titles, they

Game News - Dead Space 2

Dead Space 2 is schedules to release in America on Tuesday, January 25 2011. (Europe: 01/25 Australia: 01/27) EA and Visceral released another primer for the game, which can be viewed on YouTube.

Dead Space 2

In this video clip you are able to see more of the mysterious red marker, along with other visuals. The description of the game from EA is as follows,

Engineer

Games / Industry News -
Warcraft Expansion to be Fastest Selling PC Game out there.

Blizzard announced that they have sold over 4.7 million copies of Cataclysm (with 3.3 million on its opening day/midnight release). While technically it isn't a full game, as it is an expansion, it did beat out the previous holder of the title. Guess what it is? No, not Hello Kitty's Island Adventure (sorry Butters), but the previous expansion Wraith of the Lich King.

This is a surprise, when an expansion is beating out full games. I guess Blizzard knows how to keep the PC people happy, by responding immediately to community demand and making us give into our addiction. Now if you excuse me, I gotta find out why I'm not geared enough for my Holy Human Paladin to get into Heroic Deadmines.

League of Gaming Continues in Video Game Industry

If you've followed competitive gaming at all, then you've heard of MLG. Major League Gaming has been around since 2002 fighting tooth and nail for the legitimacy of competitive gaming. The uphill battle of bringing competitive gaming to the mainstream has since been won. While MLG doesn't necessarily bring in the ridiculous large market shares like the NFL, MLG has come a long way.

It was announced a few weeks back that MLG has raised over $50 million dollars in funding. For a company that's been around for only 8 years, that's quite an achievement. According to MLG's own research they reach over 4.5 million users a month with over 600,000 unique

Finding love with XBOX LIVE

Many parents dread the life of video games for their children, mostly because they fear it will lead to an anti-social life style. Fortunately there are companies like Gaming Passions, and Game Crush and there is even a facebook group, Xbox Live Dating , that are here to help take the burden off of meeting new people through video game social networking.

The

Industry News - Stupid Burglar caught due to Facebook

All I can say is wow. You have to be pretty thick to be a criminal in my case, but this just about tops it for dimwittedness.

Apparently, a D.C. burglar thought his victims Facebook to be the best outlet to proudly flaunt his stolen prizes. Somehow, authorities have yet to catch the perpetrator, although of all the dumb things he could have done to give himself away and solidify the evidence, taking a picture of himself smirking with the stolen cash and winter jacket he took is probably at the top of the list.

The burglar broke into Washington Post writer Marc Fishers home last Friday, running away with Fishers 15 year old sons laptop, iPod, some saving bonds, cash, and a pretty nice winter coat. He then proceeded to take a picture of himself with the laptops webcam, posing and smirking with the stolen goods, and then posted it on Fishers sons Facebook page.

Canada using video games to boost morale

A while back, the Canadian military had a garrison outside of Montreal opened a requisition for $25,000 (Canadian, that would be nearly $24,800US) worth of video games. People in the military scratched their heads in confusion wondering why they would ask for such an unusual proposal, but the info has now been made public. They're gifts for soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Canada's Ministry of Defence (that's how it's spelled) followed up with the Canadian Press, who reported the story about the earlier experience, to inform the public that they wanted to buy 500 video games

Mobile Phone provider not doing so well service-wise

Bummer for you, iPhone users. According to a recent Consumer Reports study, AT&T is ranked the worst cell-phone carrier in the United States when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Consumer reports surveyed 58,000 readers, and of all major United States carriers, fell dramatically from last year and now ranks far behind all others. The detailed report has yet to be released, but, essentially, there was little chance for AT&T.

Ranking highest in customer satisfaction is U.S. Cellular

Industry News - Console's memberships are 50% Paid

Most people that have a Xbox 360 are likely to be connected to the internet. What you probably don't know is that most of them aren't on the Gold subscription list for Xbox Live.

Yep, half of them are Silver according to a quote from Microsoft's Dennis Durkin at the Credit Suisse Annual Technology Conference here in Arizona.

"Of our 25 million members, about half of them are subscribers to the business and pay us about $60 dollars a year for that. It's a very large business for us and our partners."

While he is emphasizing the GOLD membership's revenue being great, people are wondering exactly what is the internet-based breadwinner in this part of Microsoft.