Gears of War: Judgement's Campaign mode details revealed ... - Digit

Epic Games has made some interesting revelations about the upcoming Gears of War: Judgement, the 4th game in the Gears of War series, but the chronologically the beginning of a second trilogy. If you?re a fan, the the announcement from Epic Games is sure to get you all excited for the game, which comes out in March.

The Campaign mode details of the new Gears of War game come in the form of a video narrated by none other than Lt. Baird, the main character of this new trilogy. The game will include a bunch of new things, including a whole new set of characters.

The gameplay has also been significantly enhanced, with the campaign mode getting a ?declassified missions,? sort of like side quests. Successfully complete the declassified missions to earn higher ratings in the campaign to unlock more cool stuff! The good guys at Epic have also figured out how to tweak the AI of the game so that every time the player respawns, the enemy greets him with a new strategy. This is absolutely great, seeing how it will keep the game challenging throughout the playing cycle, regardless of how many times you die.

New weapons like the Breachshot make sure that you?ve got enough firepower to take out the pesky Bloodmounts in a single shot, while the trusted sawed-shotgun can now hold two whole rounds per magazine. However, being able to fire off any standard weapon while wielding the Boom Shield is probably our most favourite addition to the game. It seemed kind of stupid to be shooting off a tiny pistol at big enemies while holding a giant shield in the previous games and we?re glad that Epic has fixed this.

If this little teaser of goodies wasn?t enough, Microsoft and Epic have jointly announced that a certain number of the early copies of Gears of War: Judgement will ship with a code to download the original Gears of War game for the Xbox 360, free of cost. Yes, you get a $20 game for free when you buy the $60 game. Microsoft provides the rationale for this by saying that they discovered that many who played Gears of War 3 did so without having played the original game, so they wanted to provide those people with an opportunity to enjoy the first game, on the house. These special copies of the game will be available worldwide, so make sure you grab the first copy off the shelf.

It has become tradition for Epic Games to include a bunch of new features into every iteration of the Gears games and it looks like Gears of War: Judgement will continue to thrive on that trend. There?s a host of new features in the Campaign mode - new weapons, new characters etc - but even the Multiplayer mode has seen a significant overhaul. Suffice to say, Gears of War: Judgement has got us pretty damn excited, and you should be too, seeing as how it tells the story of the smartass Lt. Baird and Kilo Squad, and takes you back to the events of E-Day, the day the locust erupted on the surface and waged war against humanity.

Gears of War: Judgement is slated for a March 19 release in the US, and we expect the game to hit Indian stores on March 21. In the meantime, you can enjoy this video right here:

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Gaming/Gears-of-War-Judgements-Campaign-mode-details_13169.html

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Microsoft reports Q2 2013 earnings: posts record revenue of $21.5 billion, $6.38 billion profit

This isn't the end of earnings season, but this is the final member of the unholy trinity. Microsoft is reporting that during the second quarter of its 2013 financial year it set a revenue record by raking in $21.5 billion. Of that $6.38 billion was pure profit, lining shareholder's pockets to the tune of $0.76 per share. While EPS was down year-over-year, net income was up dramatically from $5.87 billion a year ago and $5.31 billion last quarter. The Windows division accounted for roughly $5.9 billion of Redmond's revenues, up 24 percent from a year ago, largely thanks to the release of Windows 8. Interestingly, while Windows was surging, its business division was suffering a not inconsequential drop off -- seeing revenues fall 10 percent to $5.7 billion year-over-year. But the Server & Tools department also helped offset some of those declines, with revenue jumping up 9 percent to $5.19 billion.

In a sign that it might be time for a bit of a console refresh, the Entertainment and Devices division saw revenues continue to sink, despite the strong holiday sales. While the $3.77 billion in revenue was a stark increase over Q1's paltry $1.95 billion, it's still a 7 percent fall from the same time period last year. That division is also home to the Surface, which still hasn't seemed to gain much traction with consumers. Thankfully, its Online Services continued to grow, reaching $869 million in revenue -- an 11 percent growth year-over-year, and a sign that it's various web services aren't sinking ships. Most notably ad revenue was up 15 percent thanks largely to an increase in revenue-per-search.

Revenue growth over Q2 2012 wasn't huge, but it was certainly notable and net income didn't drop dramatically. And, perhaps most importantly for investors, results were pretty much inline with Wall Street expectations. It's also worth noting that some revenue has been deferred, $1.3 billion to be exact, thanks to various upgrade offers and video game deals -- though, the company did report previously deferred revenues due to pre-sales of Windows 8. There's PR after the break but, if you want to dig through all the detailed tables of financial data you'll have to hit up the source link. And check back in for updates when the earnings call gets under way at 5:30PM ET.

Developing...

Updates:

5:36PM CFO, Peter Klein says that 60 percent of computers worldwide are running Windows 7 while the company has managed to push out 60 million Windows 8 licenses.

5:40 Microsoft doesn't seem particularly worried about the declining PC market as Windows revenues outpaced sales of x86 machines by a significant margin.

5:45 Windows Phone sales were four times what they were last year.

Show full PR text

Microsoft Reports Record Revenue of $21.5 Billion in Second Quarter
Strong business demand and key product launches drive record revenue.

REDMOND, Wash. - Jan. 24, 2013 - Microsoft Corp. today announced quarterly revenue of $21.46 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2012. Operating income, net income, and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $7.77 billion, $6.38 billion, and $0.76 per share.

These financial results reflect the net deferral of revenue for the Windows Upgrade Offer, Office Upgrade Offer and Pre-sales, and the Entertainment and Devices Division Video Game Deferral, partially offset by the recognition of previously deferred revenue for Windows 8 Pre-sales. The following table reconciles these financial results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to non-GAAP financial results. We have provided this non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding the company's performance.

"Our big, bold ambition to reimagine Windows as well as launch Surface and Windows Phone 8 has sparked growing enthusiasm with our customers and unprecedented opportunity and creativity with our partners and developers," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. "With new Windows devices, including Surface Pro, and the new Office on the horizon, we'll continue to drive excitement for the Windows ecosystem and deliver our software through devices and services people love and businesses need."

The Windows Division posted revenue of $5.88 billion, a 24% increase from the prior year period. Adjusting for the net deferral of revenue for the Windows Upgrade Offer and the recognition of the previously deferred revenue from Windows 8 Pre-sales, Windows Division non-GAAP revenue increased 11% for the second quarter. Microsoft has sold over 60 million Windows 8 licenses to date.

"We saw strong growth in our enterprise business driven by multi-year commitments to the Microsoft platform, which positions us well for long-term growth," said Peter Klein, chief financial officer at Microsoft. "Multi-year licensing revenue grew double-digits across Windows, Server & Tools, and the Microsoft Business Division."

The Server & Tools business reported $5.19 billion of revenue, a 9% increase from the prior year period, driven by double-digit percentage revenue growth in SQL Server and System Center.

"We see strong momentum in our enterprise business. With the launch of SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012, we continue to see healthy growth in our data platform and infrastructure businesses and win share from our competitors," said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft. "With the coming launch of the new Office, we will provide a cloud-enabled suite of products that will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility."

The Microsoft Business Division posted $5.69 billion of revenue, a 10% decrease from the prior year period. Adjusting for the impact of the Office Upgrade Offer and Pre-sales, Microsoft Business Division non-GAAP revenue increased 3% for the second quarter. Revenue from Microsoft's productivity server offerings - collectively including Lync, SharePoint, and Exchange - continued double-digit percentage growth.

The Online Services Division reported revenue of $869 million, an 11% increase from the prior year period. Online advertising revenue grew 15% driven by an increase in revenue per search.

The Entertainment and Devices Division posted revenue of $3.77 billion, a decrease of 11% from the prior year period. Adjusting for the Video Game Deferral, the division's non-GAAP revenue decreased 2% for the second quarter. Xbox continues to be the top-selling console in the United States. During the quarter, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8 with a broad array of carriers and devices.

Business Outlook

Microsoft reaffirms fiscal year 2013 operating expense guidance of $30.3 billion to $30.9 billion.

Webcast Details

Peter Klein, chief financial officer, Frank Brod, chief accounting officer, and Chris Suh, general manager of Investor Relations, will host a conference call and webcast at 2:30 p.m. PST (5:30 p.m. EST) today to discuss details of the company's performance for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The session may be accessed at http://www.microsoft.com/investor. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on Jan. 24, 2014.

Adjusted Financial Results and Non-GAAP Measures

For second quarter fiscal year 2013 GAAP revenue, operating income, and earnings per share growth included the net deferral of revenue for the Windows Upgrade Offer, the Office Upgrade Offer and Pre-sales, and the Entertainment and Devices Division Video Game Deferral, and the recognition of previously deferred revenue for Windows 8 Pre-sales. These items are defined in our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2012. In addition to these financial results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), we have provided certain non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding the company's performance. Presenting these measures without the impact of these items gives additional insight into operational performance and helps clarify trends affecting the company's business. For comparability of reporting, management considers this information in conjunction with GAAP amounts in evaluating business performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

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Source: Microsoft

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NASA's veteran Mars rover ready to start 10th year

Jan. 22, 2013 ? NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, one of the twin rovers that bounced to airbag-cushioned safe landings on Mars nine years ago this week, is currently examining veined rocks on the rim of an ancient crater.

Opportunity has driven 22.03 miles (35.46 kilometers) since it landed in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars on Jan. 24, 2004, PST (Jan. 25, Universal Time). Its original assignment was to keep working for three months, drive about 2,000 feet (600 meters) and provide the tools for researchers to investigate whether the area's environment had ever been wet. It landed in a backyard-size bowl, Eagle Crater. During those first three months, it transmitted back to Earth evidence that water long ago soaked the ground and flowed across the surface.

Since then, the mission's team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., has driven Opportunity across the plains of Meridiani to successively larger craters for access to material naturally exposed from deeper, older layers of Martian history.

Opportunity has operated on Mars 36 times longer than the three months planned as its prime mission.

"What's most important is not how long it has lasted or even how far it has driven, but how much exploration and scientific discovery Opportunity has accomplished," said JPL's John Callas, manager of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project. The project has included both Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, which ceased operations in 2010.

This month, Opportunity is using cameras on its mast and tools on its robotic arm to investigate outcrops on the rim of Endeavour Crater, 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. Results from this area of the rim, called "Matijevic Hill," are providing information about a different, possibly older wet environment, less acidic than the conditions that left clues the rover found earlier in the mission.

Timed with the anniversary of the landing, the rover team has prepared a color panorama of the Matijevic Hill area. The image is online at: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/pia16703 .

JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL also manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and its rover, Curiosity.

For more information about Opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov . You can follow the project on Twitter and on Facebook at: http://twitter.com/MarsRovers and http://www.facebook.com/mars.rovers .

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Poll: Hillary Clinton Favorable Across Lines - Business Insider

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is viewed in a highly favorable light across party and ideological lines, according to a new ABC/Washington Post poll released Wednesday.

The poll found that 91 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Independents and a high of 37 percent of Republicans view Clinton favorably. The poll comes on the day Clinton testified before House and Senate committees on the September terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.?

She is also seen favorably by a majority of all ideological groups, including 49 percent of conservatives. An astounding 79 percent of self-identified moderates also said they viewed her favorably.?

The poll also showed that Clinton is in a much better position for a theoretical 2016 run for president than current Vice President Joe Biden. Clinton is viewed favorably by a 67-26 split. Biden, meanwhile, was viewed favorably by just 48 percent of respondents and unfavorably by 37 percent.

Here's a look at the difference between Clinton and Biden:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-hillary-clinton-favorability-2016-joe-biden-president-2013-1

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Lazada, Rocket Internet?s Amazon Effort In Asia, Gets Nearly $20M More From Rocket Regular Tengelmann

Rocket Internet, the Samwer brothers' e-commerce startup incubator, is today announcing yet more money for one of its portfolio companies. Lazada, an Southeast Asia-based online marketplace akin to Amazon, is picking up a round of strategic funding from Tengelmann, the German retail group. Sources close to the deal tell TechCrunch that it is close to the $20 million mark.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/OAQm7wm4FFU/

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Human-tiger conflict: Are the risks overestimated?

Jan. 21, 2013 ? A new study finds a complex web of factors increases perceived risk of tiger attack in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh.

Wildlife conservationists are well aware of the potential conflicts that exist between the endangered species they seek to protect and the human populations which inhabit areas where the animals live. Carnivores, such as tigers, pose a risk to humans and their livestock and can be killed because of this potential risk. Previous research has found that killing of animals can be motivated as much by social and psychological factors, such as perception of danger, as by any actual real risk posed by a species.

A new study published in the Springer journal Human Ecology has identified several key factors which may contribute to perceptions of risk from tigers in a conservation area in Bangladesh. The study, by Chloe Inskip and her colleagues from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology in Kent, UK, and WildTeam, Bangladesh, is the first to use participatory risk mapping (PRM) and in-depth interviews to explore the wider socio-economic context of human-tiger conflict.

The survey was carried out around the Sundarbans mangrove forests of south-western Bangladesh, home to one of the world's largest remaining tiger populations. Although there are no human inhabitants of the Sundarbans, eight sub-districts with a total population of around 1.7 million people lie directly adjacent to the forest boundary. Records indicate that approximately 30-50 people are killed annually by tigers in the area.

The researchers held 54 semi-structured interviews in six villages which border the Sundarbans forest, followed by 385 questionnaires in a further ten border villages. Of all the issues related to lives and livelihood, tigers were the most commonly reported problem. Other issues recorded were largely poverty-related including low incomes, dependence on natural resources, poor infrastructure and services and a lack of clean water together with soil erosion and weather. Inskip and her colleagues identified the fact that these issues had a direct impact on villagers' perceptions of risk from tigers. The respondents' perceived susceptibility to and their ability to mitigate human-tiger conflict was influenced largely by their poverty related-problems.

The authors suggest that any actions taken to improve these socio-economic issues will also reduce the perceived level of risk from tigers and help to reduce the rate at which tigers are killed. For conservationists, this would mean a shift from traditional models of conflict reduction to holistic models which also incorporate situation-specific actions to reduce risk perceptions. In many poor, rural communities in conservation areas such as the Sundarbans, risk perception reduction is likely to be tied strongly to poverty alleviation.

The authors believe that the abatement of killing endangered species will only be achieved if the human dimensions and social context of human-wildlife conflict situations are well understood and appropriately managed. They conclude that "participatory risk mapping (PRM) and qualitative research are valuable tools for enhancing understanding of and identifying actions to address the wildlife-related risk perceptions which can influence killing behavior." Addressing risk perceptions will require long-term commitment and funding.

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Journal Reference:

1. Chloe Inskip, Martin Ridout, Zubair Fahad, Rowan Tully, Adam Barlow, Christina Greenwood Barlow, Md. Anwar Islam, Thomas Roberts, Douglas MacMillan. Human?Tiger Conflict in Context: Risks to Lives and Livelihoods in the Bangladesh Sundarbans. Human Ecology, 2013; DOI: 10.1007/s10745-012-9556-6

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Self Improvement Times: Arnold's Goal ... - decorated going

Copyright (c) 2013 Joe Vitale

Recently I posted the following on my Facebook Fan Page:

"Action attracts motivation. Get moving and you get motivated."

That insight was driven home while I was reading Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography, Total Recall, a book I love. Even at over 600 pages, I'm reading every word of it. There are lessons on life, fitness, marketing, achievement, politics, service, and so much more. It's fascinating. You might say -- as Arnold often does about life -- it's "Fantastic!"

I LOVE Arnold's book!

One of the methods Arnold uses to achieve such legendary success is setting goals. Nothing new there, but do you do it? And do you do it the way Arnold does?

Arnold declared he would be a famous Hollywood movie star while still a youth in Austria who couldn't speak English. (!)

Talk about thinking BIG.

Throughout Arnold's incredible book I see the reoccurring theme that big goals lead to big results.

Arnold doesn't appear to have deadlines on the goals (unless it's something like a bodybuilding contest with a specific date already attached to it). Instead, he has the goal in his consciousness and simply works toward it, trusting it will manifest in its own good time. This is different from what most people do: most set goals with drop-dead deadlines.

Not Arnold.

Judging from his astonishing life and all his record-breaking success, his goal setting process works.

What I've also noticed is that once he stated a goal, he began to move toward it. He started to take action. Lots of action. He's one of the hardest working people I've ever heard of. When he saw his calves were weak, he started doing 1,000 calf raises exercises per day.

One thousand.

A day.

Talk about action!

There's a real secret here: action leads to motivation, and motivation leads to action.

You can test it out for yourself.

What do you have to do or want to do?

I need to write a blog post here for you every few weeks to stay current. I don't always feel motivated to do so, because I don't always have something to say when I first start writing. But my intention is to do my best to stay current, relevant, and interesting to you.

But how do I do that when I don't feel motivated?

Here's my secret: I simply go to my computer, fire up my blog, and start writing.

Yes, even when I have no clear idea where I'm going.

I take action anyway.

I know motivation will catch up later.

Same thing happens when I write songs. I may have no idea for a song and little motivation to write one. But I know I want to have one written.

So what do I do?

I start strumming my guitar.

I take action.

Yes, I love to have motivation first. But you don't have to depend on it. You can call it out.

I just finished reading Neil Young's autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace, and learned that's how he writes most songs: pick up a guitar and start playing. Invite the songs to arrive with action.

Here's what I invite you to do:

1. State a goal. Just declare it. What would you love to have, do or be? (Be honest.)

2. Decide to go for it. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to attract it? (If not, you haven't stated the goal you really want.)

3. Take action. Whether you feel like it or not, just start moving. Let motivation catch up. (What can you do right now?)

All of the above requires a certain level of faith.

You have faith that stating a goal is going to make a difference.

You have faith that your decision is going to stir energies seen and unseen in the universe, in and around you.

You have faith that your actions will lead to the expected results.

You have faith that all of this will work out for your highest good, and in its own sweet time.

That said, it shouldn't surprise you that the title of one of my next books is Faith.

Meanwhile, here's another example for you:

After the completion of my fourth album, The Healing Song, I sat and felt at peace. I was relaxed, felt good, but didn't have any motivation or goal to create any more music. As a result, no new songs came to me.

When Daniel Barrett came by my studio for our twice weekly sessions, I told him how I felt. I said I think my music is over, as I don't feel inspired or compelled or motivated to record any more.

As we explored the issues and my concerns, I suddenly felt I could do another album. I grew excited about it. I then declared, "I want to create one more CD by the end of the year. Let's record five new songs."

This was a pretty bold goal, especially when I had just said my mental well was dry, and the end of the year is only a couple of months away, but Daniel went with the energy and agreed we could do it.

In fact, he upped the ante and challenged me to create ten new songs for it.

I then declared that I would make it so. I made the decision.

And guess what?

As a result, a song came to me later that day.

And another the next day.

And a third a few days later.

Wait!

There were no songs before the goal, and three songs after it?

Hmmmmm. Maybe there's something to this goal setting secret.

Note the insight:

Goals trigger action.

But you don't need motivation to take action; you can start doing and the motivation will catch up.

Let me sum it up like this:

Goals are how you start a fire within yourself. You might be feeling "blah" and have no desire for much of anything but living in the moment and vegging. But let an inspired idea become a goal and suddenly you ignite the pilot light in your soul. Now you have direction, purpose, and energy. The goal triggers the release of new powers, and even begins to attract opportunities and more to bring the goal into reality. Welcome to the world of miracles.

Is this exciting or what?

Arnold knows this.

I know this.

Now you do, too.

What are you going to do with it?

----------------------------------------------------
Dr. Joe Vitale is the star of the movie, "The Secret." He is also the author of way too many bestselling books to mention here. To name a few: The Attractor Factor, Zero Limits and his latest, Attract Money Now. He's also recorded many Nightingale Conant audio programs,and most recently, "The Abundance Paradigm." He also created a Miracles Coaching program! Please visit http://www.mrfire.com

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Source: http://selfimprovementtimes.blogspot.com/2013/01/arnolds-goal-setting-secret.html

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Source: http://decorated-going.blogspot.com/2013/01/self-improvement-times-arnold-goal.html

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