Wolfenstein The New Order Slated for Late 2013 Release

The game that started the first person shooter craze and made killing Nazis a favorite pastime for millions of gamers is back. Wolfenstein The New Order was officially unveiled by publisher Bethesda and will be released at the end of the year.

The game will follow the same protagonist of the original series, B.J. Blazkowicz, after the Second World War. Wolfenstein The New Order is set in the 1960s but in some sort of parallel universe in which the Germans have won the war. Our favorite American war hero is of course tasked with bringing down the Nazi rule.

Bethesda also announced that the storyline will unfold in Europe. Throughout the game, players will have to infiltrate Nazi strongholds and battle many foes, while also finding and taking control of various super weapons the Germans have used in overpowering their enemies.

The New Order is currently being developed by MachineGames, a Zenimax subsidiary. It will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, but also for next generation consoles, although it was not yet specified for which. Expect more details to be revealed over the following months.

Bethesda opens playtest lab

So all in all, it seems Bethesda is keeping itself busy these days. Besides the new Wolfenstein installment, the developer behind such famed franchises as Fallout or The Elder Scrolls is also working on a new survival horror in tandem with the Resident Evil developers, and on the much anticipated The Elder Scrolls Online.

The company has recently announced that it will open a playtest laboratory at id Software offices in Texas. Any U.S. gamers over 18 can sign up for the tests and give feedback on unreleased games, as Bethesda said it was looking for players with different skill levels and gaming preferences.

Most test sessions will last one hour or two and the volunteers will have to provide their own transportation to Dallas. All game testers will of course have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Those interested can sign up on Bethesda’s website.

Make sure to check out the first teaser for Wolfenstein The New Order below:

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[Image via destructoid]

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Source Code for Linux Kernel Used in Google Glass Released

The highly hyped Google Glass has not yet been released to the masses, yet there is nothing more talked about or anticipated eagerly by fans of the wearable technology field. The high anticipation reached gratuitous levels when the Google Glass team released the Linux Kernel source code that was applied and utilized in the Android based device. Available on the website, code.google.com, the code is available for developers and other users who had access to the first batch of the Google Glass prototype.

Although the Linux Kernel code has been released on Google’s own servers, it is believed that it will soon be moved and housed on a git server. Google itself can be quoted on this matter, stating that “This is unlikely to be the permanent home for the kernel source, it should be pushed into git next to all other Android kernel source releases relatively soon.”

However, there are a few things to be noted and paid attention to in this scenario. One main overlooked feature is that the release of the Linux Kernel source code in no way indicates that all of the source code utilized or linked with Google Glass has been made available. Android code is usually broken down into two parts and each part is released slowly. Nonetheless, this ensures that no variations or new glasses can be made available in the market based on the Linux Kernel source code alone.

In the meantime, although the Linux Kernel has been released, it remains uncertain whether Google will be releasing the remaining section of the code or not although many developers think it is possible for the second half of the code to be released soon. Google also indulged and delighted many developers by allowing them to tinker with Google through rooting or hacking into it and manipulating the device to test what it’s capable of.

However, this did lead to confusion in the tabloids owing to the fact that many developers claimed that it was fairly easy to root into Google Glass which led to many people speculating and questioning the security measures applied on the device. Google was quick to quench all rumors by claiming that they had deliberately left the device root-able for developers.

This fact is lent more credibility when one realizes that Google also took the time to make a “fast-boot OEM unlock” available for anyone interested in rooting the device. While the issue still remains highly debatable over who actually rooted the device and who took a shortcut with the help of the code provided, it is clearly undeniable that Google Glass was deliberately left vulnerable for the sake of the developers.

Stephen Lau, an engineer of Google is quoted as saying, “Not to bring anybody down… but seriously… we intentionally left the device unlocked so you guys could hack it and do crazy, fun shit with it. I mean, FFS, you paid $1500 for it… go to town on it. Show me something cool.”

Either way, the response towards the release of the Linux Kernel source code created much anticipation and excitement for the Google Glass.

[Image via arstechnica]

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NDūR Survival Straw: Clean Water Anywhere

If you’re a fan of outdoor adventures and often go on daring journeys far away from what generally passes for the civilized world, you surely know the importance of having access to clean water. For all of those who don’t take H2O for granted, here is the NDūR Survival Straw, a highly portable water filtering device.

The Survival Straw is the latest from NDūR’s line of innovative survival products and is meant to offer a fast, safe alternative to traditional filtration methods or devices. If you don’t have the time, the patience or the necessary place to build a fire to boil your water, the Survival Straw is a real life saver.

It is easy to use and pack, as it is only slightly bigger than a pen. All you have to do is dip one end of the straw in water and drink, pretty much as you would do with a normal straw. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the end that goes into your mouth.

The Survival Straw is equipped with a highly efficient miniature water filtration system based on special technology developed by Seychelle, a company that already markets a similar product. Manufacturers say the device can filter up to 25 gallons (95 liters) of water before it needs to be replaced.

The device is advertized as the ultimate portable water filtration system, capable of filtering out chemicals, micro-organisms and viruses from your water. It is said to eliminate up to 99.9 percent of microorganism such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium, 99.9999 percent of bacteria and viruses and 99.99 percent of chemicals and heavy metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, chlorine and others. Apparently its only drawback is that it doesn’t work with salt water.

Costing only $30, NDūR’s Survival Straw makes the perfect gift for outdoor enthusiasts who already have everything they need and for travelers visiting places where water is hard to come by. It could be a very efficient tool for widespread use in third world countries where fresh, clean water access is a problem. And it most definitely should be part of the survival kit of anybody preparing for the apocalypse.

[Image via ThinkGeek]

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Combimouse Makes Typing More Comfortable

If you find it frustrating and disruptive whenever you have to stop typing mid-sentence and reach for the mouse, this new invention may be just the thing for you. The Combimouse is an intriguing combination keyboard and mouse system that makes typing more comfortable and faster.

The idea has been around since 1999, when inventor Ari Zagnoev filed the first patent. Since then, numerous prototypes have been built, but none was found fit for commercial development. All that is set to change now, as the Combimouse is up for crowdfunding on Indiegogo, with a $20,000 goal.

The Combimouse is practically a keyboard divided in two, with the right-hand part also serving as an optical mouse. The left side has most of the QWERTY keys usually found on the left hand side of a normal keyboard, plus all the F keys and multimedia control buttons. This part is powered by two AA-sized batteries, which can last more than a year in normal usage conditions.

The right-hand side looks just like you would expect a combination of mouse and keyboard to look like. What’s very interesting about it is that the module becomes a mouse only when you grip it, thus making it virtually impossible to trigger it by mistake.

More specifically, the right hand module has a touch sensor that activates the mouse function whenever it detects your pinky finger. When you move your little finger away, the unit reverts to keyboard mode. Special technology that has not yet been detailed prevents the unit from moving while you are typing. The right side unit is powered by a single AAA-sized battery which can last up to three months.

The Combimouse communicates wirelessly with a USB gadget that you just have to plug into your computer. The manufacturers are looking to develop a Bluetooth connection in future models. The crowdfunding campaign was launched in order to build two units for independent evaluation by Curtin University. There are plans to launch a second campaign later on so as to allow manufactures to begin production and bring the innovative combination keyboard/mouse system to market.

[Image via Gadizmo]

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