We aren’t only talking about desktop/console gaming though, but also about in-browser gaming.

In-browser 3D gaming isn’t new. This was previously possible through other plug-ins like Adobe ShockWave. A nice example of this can be found here; the 3D first person shooter ‘Phosphor’.

ShockWave isn’t the only competitor however. Unity, a gaming engine accompanied by a much more powerful browser plugin has all needed power to conquer the field. Did you think browsers and great 3D graphics didn’t go hand in hand? Think again.

Unity

I started the Unity demo Tropical Paradise to get a peak of Unity’s in-browser gaming capabilities. After ten to twenty seconds of loading time, I get dropped somewhere in the South American wilderness. Birds are singing. After walking around for a while, I decide to jump into the water. While I’m swimming, I get to thinking of Far Cry. A group of birds fly over my head. This is Unity.

Try out the Tropical Paradise demo for yourself here.

Unity is a “multi-platform game development tool”, with a great 3D engine. It can be used to develop games for Windows, Macintosh, wii, Web or iPhone (though all development is done on Macs). For more information on the development part, check this page.

Games

Several Unity games were released for free. We’ll have a quick look at the major ones below.

Avert Fate (Win + Mac)

“Fight off killer droids and airborn drones with heavy weaponry, while exploring a next-gen environment. Can you beat the gigantic boss robot in a final, earth-shaking battle?”

Avert Fate is Unity’s graphical showcase. It’s to be downloaded on your PC or Mac (88 MB), and can be played in resolutions of up to 1680×1050.

Off-Road Velociraptor Safari (Web)

Nope, you did not misread that. This is a game in which you drive big terrain vehicles with dinosaurs in them. People will never run out of crazy video game ideas.

It’s a vehicle combat game in which you have to collect as much points as possible within a given time by performing extreme stunts and hunting down other velociraptors.

This game requires the Unity plugin, which can be downloaded on the website.

Gooball (Mac)

Gooball was one of the first games to be developed using Unity. It has been released on Mac OS X.

In Gooball you play the role of an alien, stranded on earth. When discovered by the CIA, you crawl into your protective protoplasm ball and try to get the heck out of there.

In Gooball, the player tilts the world and tries to navigate the ball through the environment. Several other similar games have used this concept, like Super Monkey Ball.

Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall (Under Development - Win + Mac)

FusionFall is an under-construction game by the Cartoon Network. It will be a Massive Multiplayer Online game, with kids from 9 through 14 as its main audience.

The game will be released in January 2009 and will feature famous characters from Cartoon Network cartoons.

Please let us know what you think of Unity and which game(s) you prefer.   What other in-browser 3D games do you like?

(By) Simon is a student from Belgium who wastes his time relaxing, gaming and surfing the net. He would tell you to check out his blog, only he doesn't have one (yet)!

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George Sawyer, who describes himself as “raised in a wood shop,” fashioned the Podbark case from flexible veneer adhered to wood-look paper with a protective screen sandwiched between. They wrap around the iPod with a finger joint, adding an authentic touch.

Sawyer started making them a few years ago, when the fifth gen iPod came out. Podbark currently fits those and the iPod classic 80gig, a comfort to those of us who have older models hanging around. They cost $15-$18, available in your choice of maple (pictured) or walnut.

iPhone (iBark?) and newer iPod models are in the works.

Podbark at Etsy

TUAWUser review: 3 Marware iPhone cases originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Many of us fully understand the importance of running antivirus and anti-spyware programs and hopefully all perform updates and patching for our operating systems. However, while we take the necessary measures to protect ourselves from frontdoor attacks (viruses) as well as backdoor attacks (spyware), most of us do not safeguard our systems from sidedoor attacks (application patching).

Application Patching

The problem with patching and updating tools for any operating system is that they do not (and cannot) check third party applications. Microsoft and Apple can only patch and update their own OS and applications, which leaves a great deal of applications vulnerable and exposed. This in turn renders your system vulnerable and exposed as well.

While there are some apps that are good at self-updating and patching themselves, such as Adobe with its popular Adobe Reader and Flash Player, most applications simply don’t patch themselves automatically. In most cases, this is a tedious manual process. You can go to each and every application’s website to check for any security patches or updates, download them and apply them, but who has time for that? That explains why this security hole has become a favorite target for malicious types.

Windows Application Protection

Thankfully, there’s an excellent solution available from Secunia. They provide the ability to scan and update over 7,000 applications and utilities. The good news is that you can perform these scans for free online via their OSI (Online Software Inspector), which can help you patch over 70 applications including popular apps such as Winzip, Adobe Reader, Yahoo messenger, Firefox, etc. Once a scan has been performed, you will see the status of each application with download links to any patch updates that are available for applications that are vulnerable.

They also provide (PSI) Personal Software Inspector, a downloadable program that you install on your system. It’s also free for home use and scans over 7,000 applications. If you want to protect your desktop at work then you’ll need to purchase a license for their NSI (Network Software Inspector). In most cases, you’ll need to let your Information Technology department handle that one.

Mac OS Application Protection

CNET’s VersionTracker for the Mac OS tracks application updates and provides daily updates for easy identification of the apps you need to patch or upgrade. There’s a free online version which requires manual patching of your apps.

There’s also VersionTracker Pro, which automates the entire process much like Secunia does for Windows applications. There’s a version for both Mac OS and Windows should you need to protect both platforms from one place.

iPhone Application Protection

Believe it or not, you should take the same protection measures for all those tiny iPhone apps you’ve been installing. Just because they’re small and there haven’t been any widespread malware attacks on any particular iPhone apps yet doesn’t mean there won’t be. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of keeping whatever apps you have installed updated.

There aren’t any ways to automate this process yet so all you can do is keep an eye on the App Store icon on your iPhone home page and watch for the notifications of application updates. Once you see the notification simply go to each app and install the newer version which will replace the outdated version. The number 25 in the red circle means there are 25 updates waiting.

Conclusion

We must make the extra effort to setup our lines of defenses and include application patch management as part of our protection procedures. This will allow you to enjoy your experience online more because of greater peace of mind. Your return on investment (time) will be well worth it.

Image courtesy of iStockPhoto, dra_schwartz

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The store has also recently added a OEM sized extended battery for the Treo 800w. The Seidio 1350 mAh battery provides approximately 15% more capacity in the same sized package as Palm's original 1150 mAh unit. It sells for $39.95.

If you think about it it’s kinda funny that we love our high tech goods in leather. We’ve got all this shiny plastic and metal and we protect it with ridiculously old technology. But somehow it works, and it does a heck of a job protecting the device, too.

Today JAiB’s microscope falls upon the two cases from Sena for the iPhone (and iPhone 3G — for one of ‘em). One is a simple leather slip case and the other lets you dock without ever having to take the phone out of its protective shell. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Sena from friends of mine, so I was pretty anxious to check these cases out.

Hit the jump for a full review with lots of pictures.

So let’s split this review up into two parts and attack the docked case first! GO!

Dockable Case

The design consists of a vertical flap that protects the screen when closed, and an almost full-body design that leaves only the corners open to scratches. Once inside, the iPhone is very secure and it won’t come out even if the case is held upside down. There’s also an optional belt clip (Sena gives you a tool to add or remove it at will), but more on that later.

The texture of the leather really shows the quality of the case. I’ve owned a few leather holsters before this, but I’ve definitely joined that crowd of Sena fans that says “ooo, what a difference it makes!”. The case is a pleasure to hold in the hand, and the added thickness from the leather makes the iPhone very easy to grasp in your hand.

This was my first time ever using a flip style case for any device and the design certainly took a bit of getting used to. It looks stunning when you keep the lid closed and it’s on your belt or on the table, but my iPhone has basically become a clamshell in terms of usage. Having to open the flap every single time was a bit of a pain at first, and I also didn’t like the way the flap just hung there while I used my phone, so I’ve taken to just cupping the phone and flap in my hand while I use the device. On the other hand, resting the device on a desk is better than ever, since the flap will keep the device resting at an angle so the screen is easier to see.

While I’m now used to the idea of having a flap, I definitely wish there was some way to secure the whole thing. The flap is magnetically sealed at the front and is quite secure, but I wish the magnet would also attach to the back of the case so I don’t have to hold it there while it’s in use. That would be my dream flip case design

Speaking of holding, though…one thing I discovered one week into using this case is that it has a pocket right behind the lid. It’s a very tight squeeze, but you can put cards and bills in there if you want to.

The screen is a little harder to access from inside the case, but I’ve found that there’s plenty of space to hit buttons on the side of the screen (like in to do list programs), so this isn’t too big a deal. Typing is also quite easy, although, the top bar in programs like Safari are definitely more difficult.

Now to the flap itself: it offers great protection and style, but it gets in the way of the camera. There is, of course, a cut-out for the camera lens, but it’s always blocked by the flap unless you take the trouble to hold it up and out of the way. There’s also a bit of a snag if your earphone plugs are higher than normal, as the flap will end up hitting or getting blocked by your earphone jack when you try to open the case. Not a big problem, but worth mentioning. I have to adjust my Shures a little when I open the case up.

As for the claims of dockability, Sena ain’t lying, folks. The docking can be a little stiff, but it definitely works. You just have to press down on the iPhone more than you would if it were naked.

Last but not least, we have the belt clip. I have very little experience with these plastic belt clips (I prefer them to be made out of metal), but this one is pretty awesome. It seems to be a two-stage locking mechanism. You click the case into the clip once and it will rotate freely, but remain locked on your belt. Click it in one step further and it will be locked at that angle. I love this design because I don’t really like having my phone rotating as I move or sit down, and it’s great to hear and feel both clicks as you place your iPhone on your belt. The only negative here (and it’s a small one) is that the top of the belt clip is just a little sharp and would dig into my side when I first received the case. I took it upon myself to file the corners down (willing them duller didn’t seem to work) and this hasn’t been a problem since.

UltraSlim Pouch

Alright, this case is a lot simpler, but it’s scoring all the same quality points as the dockable case in my book. The colour is not quite my favourite, but there’s some intelligent design at work here in a seemingly simple case. Unlike the dockable case, this pouch fits both the 2G and 3G iPhones.

The slim pouch has an opening at the top and speaker holes at the bottom. The front shows the Sena logo and the rest is richly coloured leather. It slips into your pocket quite easily, and its insides are very soft to the touch so there’s no worry about bits of dust scratching the iPhone up. Putting the case in your purse or a large pocket full of iPhone-scratching objects is another case altogether since the top of the phone is completely exposed.

In terms of fit, the iPhone is quite secure when it’s inside. To take the device out you just have to squeeze the bottom of the case and it will appear like, well, like ice cream (unless I’m the only one who remembers those ice cream bars you squeeze up from the bottom…). I also liked how the case has enough of a form on its own, so that it’s easy enough to stuff back into your pocket when you’re using your iPhone. Other pouches in this form factor can be just a little too thin, so they can be like trying to jam a handkerchief back into your pocket with just the tips of your fingers.

I’ve had both cases for three weeks now and I’m really, really impressed with the quality and the design here. Sena has their bases well covered with these two offerings, and this experience has made me really want an iPhone 3G just so I can keep up with their latest designs.

If you’re even remotely interested in leather cases, look no further than Sena’s designs. They’re not the cheapest ones out on the market, but they’re definitely leagues beyond the competition!

Sena Dockable Case – fits 2G iPhone, $52

Sena UltraSlim Pouch – fits 2G/3G iPhones, $30

It works for both audio albums and movies as long as you're accessing their information from either Netflix or AOL Music. Once on the album or movie's page you simply click the bookmarklet, then print out the page (while making sure to keep the page scaling to 100 percent).

There is a little bit of elbow grease involved to make your printout actually useful. You can either take the easy way and cut out the square to put into a standard CD jewel case, or you can take this origami approach, which gives you a very slick envelope-like enclosure:

If you're trying to do this with a few dozen albums or movies it's clearly not the easiest way to go about it, but assuming you have a printer, some paper, and a lack of jewel cases--this is the next best thing. Coming in future versions is support for Picasa Web albums.

The passcode settings block the display of incoming text messages, showing an alert saying “New Text Message” if an SMS comes through while the phone is locked. Although the same does not occur if the phone is set to ‘emergency call mode’. In fact, the incoming text messages can be viewed, in that case.

What’s funny is that… protective parents can use this to invade their children’s privacy. So, beware kids!

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SpywareGuard 2008 is yet another fake spyware remover designed to steal your money. It usually infects computers via trojan masked as video codec. After installation SpywareGuard 2008 will display fake malware detection messages to trick you into buying “full” version of this software. Remember that SpywareGuard 2008 have no ability to fix reported problems and remove spyware threats. SpywareGuard 2008 can slow your PC and secretly install more malware. We recomend to remove SpywareGuard 2008 using automatical remover with free scan or manual removal guide. Make sure that process of manual removal can not be interrupted or make such risk extremely low, because any protraction is undesirable as Antivirus Advance contains dll-files responsible for starting of protective schemes. However, following the guide below strictly you have to remove Antivirus Advance manually, unless you have made some errors during the malware removal process.