2009 E3 Expo: Dates and More

E3 Expo

The Entertainment Software Association has announced the official date for the E3 Expo. The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) will be held in the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 2nd to June 4th, 2009.

This event gathers professionals and companies focused primarily on the video games industry, and helps them showcase their new and upcoming products and services to the general public. Much like a car show, but for video games.

The event suffered in the last few years from less and less traffic (because of smaller locations), so this year, the event organizers decided to make things more appealing by thinking BIG.

From the ESA press release: …these changes include increased booth sizes, increased qualified audiences, and an intensified focus on reinforcing the high-octane growth, innovation, and captivating entertainment that are driving the computer and video game industry.

E3 Expo
The Entertainment Software Association

Autodesk Acquires Softimage

Autodesk & Softimage

Softimage, the Canadian company behind the visual effects in movies such as Jurrassic Park, Titanic, The Fifth Element, Happy Feet, 300, and many other movies and video games has been acquired by Autodesk. The acquisition will cost $35 million to Autodesk.

Autodesk are the makers of widely used 3D design software like Maya, and popular CAD software know as AutoCAD. Both companies share simalar goals and work in related markets. This acquisition should strenghten both companies and diversify their product lines to become more competitive in their respective markets.

Edge Online

Microsoft is Still The Software Leader

Microsoft

Microsoft kept it’s title as the world’s software leader by posting optimistic results for the 3rd quarter that closed on September 30.

Revenues were up by 9% on one year at $15.06 billion. Profits were up by 1.8% at $4.37 billion ($0.48 per share).

Although Microsoft posted fairly positive results in the 3rd quarterd comparted to the same period last year, the company has revised their year-end forecast from between $67.3 to $68.1 billion to something between $64.9 and $66.4 billion. This announcement was made because of the slowdown in U.S. and global economy.

The Globe and Mail

TiVo on your PC!

TiVo

Coming Soon! Nero LiquidTV™ | TiVo® PC will allow you to have all the great features of a TiVo box (live recording, pausing, scheduling, etc. but minus the streaming over the Internet) on your Windows PC.

Some say it’s a little too late and that there are many options available already to consumers but nothing’s like the familiar TiVo interface. In fact, the interface and navigation will be the same as on TiVo boxes so it should be easy for people to learn how to work it out.

You can get a complete package including a Tuner card, software, remote control, and 1-year TiVo services subscription for $199.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Nero

Mac users: Pirate Like a PC!

uTorrent

Since BitTorrent bought uTorrent back in 2006, they’ve been working on a Mac version of their software but it hasn’t seen the day since yesterday.

A pre-release version of the software is now available through various torrent-download trackers.

The company says that this version should never have been leaked and they discourage Mac users from even using it since it is not stable enough to be released to the public.

TechCrunch

Adobe CS4 Released. First Look. Prices.

Adobe CS 4

CNET has your first look at the new Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection that was just released.

On the video, you’ll see a quick overview of the new and improved features of the different software components that make up Creative Suite Master Collection: Acrobat 9 Professional, After Effects Professional, Bridge, Contribute, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash Professional, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop Extended, Premiere Professional with Encore and OnLocation, Soundbooth.

The Master Collection will be priced at $2,499 or $899 if you have the previous Master Collection CS3. More on pricing for all the suites at CNET.

CNET

Adobe CS 4 Coming September 23rd

Adobe

I don’t know what it is about September 23rd but Adobe is going to be revealing version 4 of it’s flagship product: Creative Suite (CS).

There will be a webcast for this event and you ca subscribe to view it if you follow the link bellow.

Adobe CS Webcast

Google Street View now on Blackberry

Street View

If you have a Blackberry phone, a Java-Based phone or better yet an Android phone (soon…) you will be happy to know that Google is now making Streetview mobile!

Google Mobile Blog