Neowin.net

Some bits from the interview on HomeLan Fed:

"Making UT2 a better game than the original is what Digital Extremes (DE) has planned to do all along. From a graphics standpoint alone they're already working with 100 to 200 times more details than the original had but obviously making a better game is as much about gameplay as it is about graphics and their building on a game that had outstanding gameplay to begin with."

"Everything appears to be on track. Unreal Tournament 2 should hit store shelves around the end of June. As we did with UT we're planning to release a demo/test version of the game before it ships so we can get user feedback and testing results in time to incorporate what we learn from that into the final game."

"First of all, Unreal2 looks absolutely spectacular on a massive scale. Legend has done an amazing job. I think a lot of people are going to be happily surprised when this game comes out."

"So to answer the question multiplayer will disappear from Unreal 2 in exchange for it being a bigger, better and more focused single player game. What will happen to the multiplayer assets already developed for Unreal2 is still a question."

News source: HomeLan Fed

Part of the home

Electronic appliance maker Frigidaire recently tested a concept refrigerator with an integrated computer and touch-screen display in 50 Danish homes. Connected to the internet, the fridge allows people to browse the web and read e-mail in the kitchen.

The built-in computer also lets people store recipes, check their appointments, and even scan products with a barcode reader to put them on a shopping list. Telephone manufacturers have for years been offering devices with small displays for call-waiting and interactive address-books. But recently, several telephones have begun offering the ability to surf the web and do e-mail on larger screens. MDTel's iPhone integrates a web browser and e-mail software with a touch-sensitive colour display and keyboard so you can surf from the sofa. It is a sign of how the living room is changing. Many television makers such as Phillips and Sony have offered flat panel televisions for several years now. With prices ranging from £2,000 to £15.000, they are expensive. But they also offer sharper and brighter images, as well as consuming less energy.

Invading the home

Flat panels will spearhead the spread of electronic gadgets throughout the home. As they are small and need little power, they are being built into two-way messaging devices, security alarms and even electronic photo frames. For example, an American company called Ceiva sells a five-by-seven-inches (18 by 13 centimetres) digital photo frame with an internet connection. The frame lets you download and see a new picture everyday.

Sci-fi look

The desktop computer market, the main market for traditional cathode ray tube monitors, is also poised to explode. Only around 10% of the 108.4 million displays hipped in 2001 were flat panels. But this still amounts to a 131% growth in a year. Flat panels are expected to become more prevalent, making up more than half of all the displays sold. Several companies such as IBM and Compaq have been offering integrated flat panel computers with offerings like the NetVista and iPaq. Apple Computer, with the introduction of their latest iMac, has gone one step further, and committed itself to producing a line-up of flat panel computers. Both consumers and enthusiasts see flat panel monitors as attractive replacements over bulky monitors. The allure of flat panels is their size, as they take up less than a third of the space of traditional monitors and are a quarter of the weight. Their slim Star Trek look has led them to quickly become a fashion statement that is practical as well.