LG has announced that it will launch its Optimus G smartphone in 50 more nations this month.

It looks like LG is going global with its Optimus G smartphone. The electronics maker officially announced that the Android-powered device will make its way to more than 50 countries this month.

“As 4G LTE availability expands on a global scale, we will leverage our strong LTE technology and expertise to offer consumers the best 4G experience through our devices,” Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company said in a statement. “With the latest Jelly Bean OS and improved software, Optimus G will make a strong case for the title of ultimate premium 4G LTE smartphone.”

LG has not unveiled any formal plans specific to any country, but Gizmodo Australia reports that the smartphone will arrive in the continent “down under” this March. However, it will be exclusive to Telstra upon launch.

The 4.7-inch device made its official debut in the United States, South Korea and Europe this past fall, and it will soon expand around the globe. LG appears to be touting its 4G capabilities as the flagship feature of its Optimus G.

“LG’s long history of LTE know-how is evident in the DNA of the Optimus G,” Dr. Park also said. “As such, we hope consumers will take a deep, hard look at Optimus G when deciding which smartphone will give them the best 4G experience.”

This news comes just as excitement begins to mount for the Optimus G’s rumored successor - simply dubbed the Optimus G Pro. Just last week, a tipster sent Engadget what appears to be images and a potential specifications list for the Optimus G Pro. The forthcoming LG device is expected to come with a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. Other rumored specs worth mentioning include a whopping 3,000mAh battery, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of memory and 4G LTE connectivity.

The LG Optimus G marked a significant step for LTE, seeing as it was the first device to incorporate this speedier connectivity with the Snapdragon S4 Pro processing unit. Check out our review of the handset here.

THQ’s attempts to rebuild itself after a catastrophic financial collapse prove a positive for players as almost everything the company has published over the last decade can now be yours for only $25.

We’ve been reporting on the financial difficulties of publisher THQ for months now. Most recently, the games publisher had its bankruptcy plan rejected by a judge who saw the scheme as willfully attempting to bamboozle firms and individuals who might otherwise opt to enter a bid for THQ’s assets. For the most part, our record of THQ’s fall has been naught but doom and gloom. Though the company is not yet dead, it’s certainly on life support. Even those gamers with a focused fetish for schadenfreude are growing depressed at watching the once-mighty publisher gradually dissipate. Fortunately, there is a bright spot among all this darkness, and it’s particularly luminous for those looking to pick up a ton of quality games on the cheap.

If you pay a quick visit to Amazon, you’ll notice a listing for an item titled the “THQ Mega Pack.” Given the publisher’s dire financial straits and the contents of the Pack we have to assume this is an attempt at scrounging up some extra, last minute cash, and oh, what an attempt it is! For a mere $25 those of you with functional gaming PCs can download every single game listed below:

• Company of Heroes – Tales of Valor
• Company of Heroes Game of the Year
• Darksiders II
• Darksiders
• Homefront
• MX vs ATV Reflex
• Metro 2033
• Nexuiz 
• Red Faction Armageddon
• Red Faction Guerrilla
• Saints Row 2
• Saints Row: The Third
• Supreme Commander
• Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
• Titan Quest Gold
• Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War II – Gold Edition
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
• Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War Gold
• Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II Retribution

Recent rumors have indicated that RIM could launch the N-Series of its BlackBerry 10 phones this month in addition to the L-Series.

Research In Motion is gearing up to make its comeback with BlackBerry 10 at the end of this month, and anticipation is clearly building among the tech community. While we’re largely certain that RIM will unveil the BlackBerry Z10 L-Series on January 30, recent rumors indicate that another line of new devices will premiere on that same day.

The BlackBerry X10 N-Series may make an appearance at RIM’s New York City event this month, according to BlackBerry news blog N4BB. Furthermore, RIM will announce two flavors of the L-Series BlackBerry phones – 3G and LTE models. The blog didn’t cite any specific sources to back this claim, but BlackBerry fans will have to wait until the end of the month to see what RIM has in store.

No specific pricing information has been released, but we’ve heard whispers that RIM could be targeting value smartphone buyers with at least one of its devices. The company is allegedly planning to launch the BlackBerry Z10 at a price point below its standard $200, an inside source reportedly told BGR on Monday. We’re expecting this to fall into the $150 cost range, but this information has yet to be confirmed.

These rumors come amidst a string of BlackBerry 10 clues that have mounted in recent weeks. Last week Verizon allegedly leaked the product page for the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone before quickly removing the listing. Just before that, a video surfaced online showcasing a detailed walkthrough of the new touch-centric BlackBerry 10 OS. Now, that same website has posted footage of the Z10 battling head-to-head with Apple’s iPhone 5.

The video, which was initially posted on telekom-presse.at, showcases features such as voice command and social notifications. The German clip’s narrator gave both devices the same task via voice control at the same time, and BlackBerry’s variant smoked Apple’s offering. In addition, the Z10 seemed to beat the iPhone 5 when it comes to checking notifications, receiving text messages, switching between apps, and more.

The size difference between the two competing phones was also evident in the video. The narrator places Apple’s iPhone 5 on top of BlackBerry’s handset, outlining the discrepancy in length and width between the two smartphones. To no surprise, the purported BlackBerry Z10 was the larger contender here.

It’s clear that the video is partial to BlackBerry, but we’ll be looking forward to what RIM has to offer this month. Take a look at the video below to see for yourself. 

The PlayStation Network is about to host another big sale, and this time both major games and films can be had for up to 75 percent off of their regular retail price.

Come Tuesday, January 22, the PlayStation Network will play host to Sony’s latest promotional: The aptly-named “13 for ’13 Sale.” Now that we’re all living in the year 2013, Sony feels that it should somehow commemorate the event and has decided to do so by discounting one video game and one film each day for the next 13 days. See how that’s almost clever wordplay? It would have made far more sense to kick off this sale on New Year’s Day, but who are we to stare this gift horse in the mouth?

The list of games going on sale over the next two weeks isn’t necessarily a roll call of blockbuster hits from the previous year, but it does offer a little something for everyone. Take a look at the handy, conveniently organized list Sony put together for the official PlayStation.blog:

• LittleBigPlanet Karting – Regular $39.99, Sale $19.99, PS Plus $10.00
• The Unfinished Swan – Regular $14.99, Sale $7.49, PS Plus $3.75
• Ratchet & Clank – Regular $14.99, Sale $7.49, PS Plus $3.75
• Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – Regular $7.99, Sale $3.99, PS Plus $2.00
• Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds Complete Collection – Regular $24.99, Sale $12.49, PS Plus $6.25
• Warp – Regular $9.99, Sale $4.99, PS Plus $2.50
• Shank 2 – Regular $9.99, Sale $4.99, PS Plus $2.50
• NiGHTS into dreams… – Regular $9.99, Sale $4.99, PS Plus $2.50
• Jet Set Radio – Regular $9.99, Sale $4.99, PS Plus $2.50
• The House of the Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut – Regular $19.99, Sale $9.99, PS Plus $5.00
• Psychonauts – Regular $9.99, Sale $4.99, PS Plus $2.50
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 – Regular $39.99, Sale $19.99, PS Plus $10.00
• Machinarium – Regular $9.99, Sale $4.99, PS Plus $2.50

In the newly-revealed Tekken Card Tournament, Namco Bandai’s flagship pugilists will once again trade in kicks and punches for a stack of playing cards.

Namco Bandai’s public relations team is having a very productive day. This morning, they offered word that the Namco Bandai/Sega/Capcom crossover roleplaying game Project X Zone will receive a welcome, if unexpected, release here in America. Then, a short time later, they made another announcement: The first public revelation of Tekken Card Tournament.

As the name might suggest, Tekken Card Tournament is a title focused on turn-based virtual card games. The Tekken element, though not explicitly stated, is expected to mirror the gameplay seen in games like SNK Vs Capcom: Card Fighter’s Clash. If that doesn’t ring a bell, basically it boils down to characters and situations commonly seen in a fighting franchise being transformed into cards of varying power levels that then serve to effectively simulate the action of a fighting match. Think: Magic the Gathering, only in place of creatures blatantly swiped from Gygax and Tolkien, your card-based forces consist of sixteen members of the extended Mishima family.

Those who’ve played the aforementioned SNK Vs Capcom: Card Fighter’s Clash are no doubt aware of how addictive this formula can prove to be, but the selling points preferred by Namco Bandai all revolve around the modern gimmicks the company has added to this recipe. Unfortunately, these modern gimmicks also include a rather insidious revenue scheme. Courtesy today’s official announcement:

The physical game booster packs available at retailers later this year can be played as a standalone card game, or added in players’ virtual game card deck by unique QR Code scanning. Scanning the game cards will give upgrades to online game characters or add a new character to the roster. In addition, an Augmented Reality feature lets TEKKEN characters populate the real world simply by pointing a smartphone or tablet camera at the game cards.

The digital game can also be played as a standalone, allowing players to enter the King of Iron Fist tournament by competing in this unique free-to-play game set in the TEKKEN universe. The digital game will offer a unique gameplay experience but also amazing visuals on all devices. Strategically prepare your card deck and compete against players across all platforms anytime and everywhere.

While we appreciate that the game is scheduled to launch on “mobile, tablet, and web browsers” at some point this Spring, and that the game itself is technically “free to play,” we’re unsure about the rest of the feature set listed above. Yes, Tekken Card Tournament itself won’t cost you any money to download and fire up, but a card game quickly becomes useless without any cards. This would seemingly necessitate the purchase of those “physical game booster packs.” We don’t expect these to be expensive, but we’re sure Namco Bandai has a plan that pushes players toward buying as many packs as they can afford/justify to their significant others.

Further, while augmented reality sounds neat, we’ve been burned by such promises so many times in the past that AR as a concept is a warning flag. Do we want to fill our meatspace reality with fictional martial artists? Sure, who wouldn’t? But that said, we have little faith in Namco Bandai’s (or anyone’s) ability to make Tekken Card Tournament AR features anything more than a useless extra that players glance at for a few moments before forgetting they exist.

Expect more information to emerge from Namco Bandai on Tekken Card Tournament very soon.

Looking to put Microsoft Office behind you? Here are our picks for the five best, free alternatives that will leave you wondering why you waited so long to make the switch.

Microsoft Office was once the go-to source and industry standard for office productivity applications. As the office suite landscape continues to change and evolve, we’re seeing more and more open source software springing up that lack little in the way of features and provide free alternatives to the productivity king that dominated the market for years on end. 

Whether you’re at home or on the road with your mobile device, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and more are now all accessible anywhere you have an Internet connection. It’s been a long time coming, but the reign of Microsoft Office is drawing to a close.

If you’re looking for a way to do your basic office tasks without paying a cent, we’ve rounded up five of our top picks for some of the best free Microsoft Office alternatives. These resources will make it easy to continue hammering out those word docs, spreadsheets, and presentations while keeping your wallet at bay.

Google Docs

Google Docs is at the forefront of open office software for many reasons. It has all the basic perks of Microsoft Office – word processor, spreadsheets, and presentation capabilities – but it’s completely free and accessible online through Google’s cloud-based storage service, Google Drive. It provides a nice, central hub for all your documents, and the sheer potential for collaboration makes the software a stand out among the rest. You can create, share, and edit documents with anyone, regardless of whether they have a Google account. Also, the ability to view document changes in real time – even those made by several people at once in the same document –  has its advantages.

From Microsoft Word documents to PDFs, Google Docs supports a wide array of file types, all of which can be downloaded for offline use. Added perks include image editor Google Drawings, and online form creator Google Forms. Plus, Google Docs works well with other Google services like Google+, Gmail, and Google Calendar for greater integration capabilities and convenience. Although the program is free, you can upgrade from the allotted 5GB of space for a mere $2.50 a month.

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OpenOffice

OpenOffice is one of the more renowned pieces of open source software on the market and has been so for more than 10 years. The bundle contains tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases, and a slew of other capabilities. The software can be downloaded and used completely free of any licensing fees and stores your data in an international open standard format. It can also read and save Microsoft Word documents so you don’t have to sweat over any compatibility issues.

The current version of OpenOffice offers a treasure trove of developer extensions and supports most common operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux. It’s not as advanced for collaboration as Google Docs, but the package offers a solid line of productivity tools that are frequently updated with new features.

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LibreOffice

LibreOffice is essentially an open office suite that parted ways with Apache OpenOffice back in 2010. It uses the same underlying source code under the hood, features the same basic productivity tools as OpenOffice, and even works in a similar manner. The major difference between the two is the increased amount of development the Document Foundation has poured into the LibreOffice software over the years. LibreOffice showcases a few more advanced features, such as a Wiki publisher, and offers greater functionality given the available extensions and customization options. It’s fairly intuitive, simple to use, and dons a modern design that comes up just short of Microsoft Office.

The current version of LibreOffice supports most common operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux. The software can even be installed on a portable drive or SD card so you can throw it in your pocket before you head out. A mobile app for Android and Apple devices is also in the works.

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Kingsoft Office

If Kingsoft Office often seems like a Chinese knock-off of Microsoft Office, that’s because it essentially is. The software, developed out of Hong Kong, runs like a stripped version of Microsoft’s program and houses the three basic Microsoft Office counterparts for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Although its features and interface almost seem to directly reflect Microsoft Office at times, there are enough variations and customization options for it to stand on its own. The software is quick, compact, and compatible with a laundry list of file formats. Aside from the basic features, it also includes a PDF converter and tools for adding watermarks to documents. However, you will have to look elsewhere for some of the more robust features such as note taking and publishing.

The current version of Kingsoft Office only supports Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8. There is also a fantastic mobile version of the software available exclusively for Android devices.

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Zoho Docs

Zoho Docs is another Web-based office suit that follows in the footsteps of Google Docs. Its basic package offers 1GB of free online storage, a word processor, and tools for creating spreadsheets and presentations. Secure sharing and real-time editing between users and groups is a plus, but the software often feels a bit cumbersome and not as user-friendly as it boasts. However, it serves as another great cloud-based storage opportunity should you decide to bypass Google Docs or somehow manage to utilize all 5GB of space.

The Web-based suite can be accessed from any common browser including Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, but you will need to sign up for the software before you can use it. There is also a mobile app for both Android and Apple devices.

What do you think of our list of the best Microsoft Office alternatives? Did we miss a great alternative? Let us know in the comments below.

Foundational video game maker Atari has struggled for decades to find the financial footing that made it an industry trailblazer in the 1970s, but after a period of consolidation, the company plans to sell its assets after filing for bankruptcy.

Atari is the Lynard Skynard of video game companies, a group with a recognizable name that started in the 1970s but whose modern incarnation bears little to resemblance to the original. The company has merged with and been sold to other companies so frequently over the last forty years, that it’s hard to keep up. In almost every case, Atari has joined with other companies in order to survive rather than grow. Most recently, Atari parent game publisher Infogrames changed the name of its entire operating to the old brand, part of a consolidation movement after a decade of massive losses. It’s over, though. Atari will now be sold off to yet another band that will take up the mantle, as Atari Inc. has declared bankruptcy.

Atari Inc., the video game-developer and Western publisher subsidiary of Atari SA, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization with US Bankruptcy Court in New York on Sunday according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. Atari has actually been recovering since consolidating four years ago, releasing mobile games based on its most recognized properties like Pong and licensing out its iconic corporate logo for clothing and other products. The company’s survival, however, was reliant on a UK financial company called BlueBay Assets. Atari’s $28 million credit facility with BlueBay lapsed in December, leaving it with almost no cash and crippling their ability to release new products.

Atari SA will now look for something to either buy Atari Inc. in full or look for a buyer for its myriad classic gaming properties like Asteroids, Defender, and others. Even now, Greatest Hits compilations as well as plug-in-and-play Atari machines are reliable sellers. The logo also, as previously mentioned, has quite a bit of value. According to the Times report, Atari relied on logo licensing for 17 percent of its revenue.

From the beginning, the foundational video game company started by Nolan Bushnell has been plagued by bad business decisions and worse luck. Starting with Warner Communications’ (today known as Time Warner) acquisition of Atari in 1976, the Atari name gave the video game industry its first boom before all but collapsing it in the United States by 1983. Since then, Atari’s gone through various shapes. It survived as a console maker until the mid-90s, putting out failed machines like the portable Lynx and Nintendo 64 competitor Jaguar, before it was acquired by Hasbro. Infogrames purchased the company in 2000, and despite publishing some decent titles in the decade since like Ghostbusters: The Video Game, it has been little more than a money sink.

Leaked images give us an advanced look at the 2013 models of two Lenovo laptops. Take a look at the comparisons below.

Lenovo has started the new year running. From a new touch-screen monitor to its first Chromebook, the company has been busy announcing new projects all around the computing sphere. The latest news from Lenovo isn’t an official announcement, but a sneak peak at a pair of familiar gadgets. The user manuals for two revamped ThinkPad computers – the T431 and X230 – were leaked and posted to Lenovo’s Chinese website. The manuals for the ThinkPad T431 and  ThinkPad X230 are still online if you want to get a look at the illustrations yourself. Be prepared, though; all the text is in Chinese.

Unfortunately, there’s no information available yet about the technical specs, but thanks to the manuals, we now know some of the design changes for the T431 and X230 laptops. According to Engadget, both machines have removed the dedicated TrackPoint buttons and integrated them into a larger trackpad. It’s a design similar to the upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad Helix and Edge notebooks. The function keys also harken back to the Helix, with those buttons now serving as the secondary use of hotkeys for controlling brightness and audio. 

The leaked images also show alterations to the hinges of both models. Again, they are falling in line with the rest of Lenovo’s upcoming launches with the use of hinges that will set the screen panel behind the body of the computer when it is open. This is a change from the 2012 versions of the T431 and X230, but looks similar to the Helix as well as the X1 Carbon. The screen sizes and basic resolutions for both computers appear unchanged; the X230 still has a 12.5-inch 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, and the T431 has 1,600 x 900 resolution for its 14-inch screen. 

There are no formal release dates yet for either of the laptops, but, according to Electronista, Lenovo is expected to launch the new models in late spring or summer. In the meantime, we’ll be waiting for the official word from the company with the hardware rundown.

Image via Acid Pix

For all you Nokia Lumia owners, we have some great news. Nokia has released an official case for your phone so you aren’t forced to purchase a third party aftermarket case.

Nokia has two different cases available for the Lumia 920. One is a soft case that leaves your screen uncovered. The other is a leather flip cover that not only will protect your screen but also will prop your phone up on its side for landscape viewing of websites or watching movies. You will be able to get the soft cases in a variety of different colors, however red and cyan are the only versions ready to ship at this time. The rest are expected to follow very soon.

So how much will these set you back? They are marked at a reasonable $16.99 a piece. For the leather flip cover, it is ready to ship and will cost you $27.99.

When it comes to United States smartphone sales, Apple is clearly king controlling a record 53 % of US smartphone market.

Looking at the bigger picture of all handset sales (feature and smartphone combined), Apple has solidly kept in second place ever since the release of the iPhone 4S– until now. A new report suggests that LG has taken the 2nd place spot, knocking Apple to third overall.

The report released by Hong Kong’s Counterpoint Research on Sunday said that LG had captured 13 % of the U.S. phone market sales last month, while Apple recorded only 12 %. Both LG and Apple are trailing big time however to longtime leader Samsung with a 33 % share of the market in December.

So what’s going on to push LG over Apple overall? While their feature phone marketshare probably hasn’t changed a whole lot,  LG just recently had announced 1 millions Optimus G units sold worldwide, and that coupled with sales of the Nexus 4 added to the rise in total sales last month.

Still, holding 3rd place in all feature/smartphone sales in the United States is pretty impressive for Apple nonetheless, when you consider that Apple only sells smartphones. What do you think of this market leader change, does it surprise you or not?

Intel gave Stephen Hawking a very special birthday present and is also working on a project that could help him communicate faster.

Legendary physicist Stephen Hawking celebrated his 70th birthday last January. At the State of the Universe symposium, Intel promised Hawking a special present in honor of his momentous birthday. A year later, Intel has completed its ambitious gift. Presented by Martin Curley, Intel vice president and director of Intel Labs Europe, Hawking received a special 300mm silicon wafer.

The wafer, which would normally be used to produce Intel chips, is inscribed with the words “Happy Birthday Stephen Hawking” hundreds of times by nano-scale copper lines. The width of each letter is about ten microns, or ten times smaller than the width of a human hair. 

The ceremony took place at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology in Cambridge, UK, where Hawking is the founder and director of research. The research base features the COSMOS Mk IX supercomputer, which runs on 1,856 of Intel’s Xeon E5 processors cores and 31 of the company’s Xeon Phi coprocessors. The combined processors give the supercomputer a theoretical top performance of about 75 TFLOPS (one trillion floating-point operations per second). Right now, the COSMOS Mk will dedicate its significant power to investigating the origins of our universe, possibly unravelling the first few moments of the Big Bang. Intel announced that it will sponsor 2013′s annual Conference on Particle Physics and Cosmology (COSMO) in Cambridge this September. 

According to  Slashgear, the birthday present isn’t all that Intel’s working on for Hawking these days. As Hawking’s degenerative motor neuron disease progresses, the physicist has lost control over more of his muscles, which makes it harder for him to communicate. With Hawking’s current system, he uses twitches of his cheek to control a cursor that spells out words one letter at a time. He can only speak about one word each minute. Intel Chief Technology Officer Justin Rattner said that since Hawking is still able to control a few other features, he may be able to communicate more quickly through Morse code in a system that responds to multiple facial cues. Intel is working on a new setup for Hawking that would allow him to speak faster by registering inputs from his eyebrow and mouth movements as well as movements in his cheek. 

Sega, Namco, and Capcom’s mascot smorgasbord RPG for Nintendo 3DS, Project X Zone, is making the trip from Japan to the world market this summer, letting people from all over the world make Mega Man fight the cast of Virtua Fighter.

Bringing video games from Japan to the United States has never been an easy process. Even at the apex of the Nintendo DS’ popularity at the end of last decade, when publishers like Atlus were localizing niche titles like Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: The Endless Frontier, just because a game existed in Japan didn’t mean it would be translated for the US and Europe. Plenty of excellent games like 7^th Dragon, an RPG by the creator of Phantasy Star, have languished in the language they were written in rather than get the worldwide exposure they deserve.

Project X Zone for Nintendo 3DS looked like it would be one of those games when it released in fall 2012. Not only was it a Japanese strategy RPG, but it’s also a crossover between Namco, Capcom, and Sega, making it a niche title that’s also a licensing nightmare for IP holders. Project X Zone is beating the odds, though. Namco Bandai announced the game for a worldwide release on Monday.

“Project X Zone is the first title to ever combine such a large cast of characters from a varied list of game franchises into one grand adventure,” said Namco’s VP of marketing Carlson Choi. His enthusiasm for the game is appreciated, since it means that Namco Bandai has decided that there’s enough of an audience for the game outside Japan to justify its release.

Zone isn’t technically the first game to feature this sort of massive IP crossover, though. It’s not even the first in the series. Namco and Capcom have collaborated on a number of the X (which stands for cross) games, including last year’s Street Fighter X Tekken. Project X Zone’s progenitor, though, was an excellent PlayStation 2 RPG called Namco X Capcom, that pitted characters as disparate as Klonoa and Morrigan against each other. The only RPG in the series to make it to the US before now was Cross Edge, a PS3 exclusive that featured characters from Darkstalkers and more obscure RPGs like Disgaea and Maha Khemia.

Project X Zone features characters from franchises both popular and deeply obscure. Ryu from Street Fighter appearing alongside Ulala from Sega’s Space Channel 5? Strange, but fantastic.

Welcome to Digital Blend, your one-stop shop for coverage and recommendations of all things relating to mobile gaming, digital marketplaces, and indie titles (for the week ending January 20).

Happy new year! Welcome back to Digital Blend, our weekly look at the world of downloadable video gaming that exists at the fringes of the mainstream. That means we look at the hottest new mobile game releases, downloadable content drops on consoles and PCs, indie darlings that deserve your love and attention, and the best gaming values out there for under $20.

Keep your comments and feedback coming. We want to hear from you! Did you try something you read about here and enjoy it? Is there a particular game you think we’ve overlooked or news you want to share? Any questions you are dying to ask? Let us know! Your thoughts, feedback, suggestions and (constructive!) criticism are welcome, either in the comments section below or directed at yours truly on Twitter, @geminibros.

Making headlines…

* Starting next week, on January 22, 2013, CCP Games will swing the doors wide on the free-to-play PlayStation 3 FPS, Dust 514, with the launch of its open beta. The game’s EVE Online universe setting only recently hooked into CCP’s actual sci-fi MMO, which plays out on a single “shard” unlike other multi-server MMOs. This creates a unique cross-game dynamic, with players on the FPS side taking contracts from and being aided by players on the MMO side. The launch of the open beta is great news for fans who have been waiting to take the F2P action for a spin.

* Disney made a lot of noise earlier this week with the announcement of Disney Infinity, an upcoming game that sounds like it’s equal parts Skylanders, LittleBigPlanet, and Minecraft. There’s quite a lot to it, so your best bet is to check out Anthony’s preview. While you’re at it, take a peek at our chat with Avalanche Studios CEO John Blackburn. Avalanche is handling development of Infinity and Blackburn offers up a lot of useful information about how the game works and what some of the future plans involve.

* The National Rifle Association made the questionable move earlier this week of releasing the NRA: Practice Range reference app, an info resource for the organization that also includes a shooting range mode that allows users to fire a variety of guns — with others available as microtransactions — at virtual paper targets. The release turned heads because of NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre’s recent skewering of violent entertainment forms as one of the elements that led to Adam Lanza’s horrendous actions in Sandy Hook, Conn. Yes, there’s a world of difference between a game about shooting paper targets and a game about shooting people. Speaking as an ardent supporter of our Second Amendment rights, I still think it’s in poor taste that this shooting range wasn’t removed from the NRA app.

* The Cave arrives next week! That’s right, Double Fine fans: Ron Gilbert’s Sega-published, side-scrolling adventure game is coming to a video game platform near you on January 22, 2013. PlayStation Network and Wii U eShop come first, followed on January 23 by an Xbox Live Arcade release. Not caught up on what’s happening with The Cave? Check out our 2012 interview with Gilbert!

* The Behemoth is back. Castle Crashers was first released for Xbox 360 back in 2008, and while the game has since been ported to a number of other platforms, we’ve seen little from the developer beyond a couple of iOS offerings. That all changes next month. Starting at some undetermined point in February 2013, a select group of players will be able take The Behemoth’s upcoming Battleblock Theater out for a spin, compliments of a beta test. You can sign up now, and you probably should since only 10,000 candidates will be selected. Check out Anthony’s report for a rundown of participation requirements and a link to the sign-up page.

Top buys for the week…

Borderlands 2 – Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt DLC :: PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 / PC :: $9.99 / 800 MS Points

A very light week for Digital Blend-y releases is highlighted by the Xbox 360 launch of Gearbox Software’s latest Borderlands 2 DLC pack, Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt. Travel to the Pandoran continent of Aegrus where you’ll hunt all manner of big game, take on a devoted Handsome Jack fan, and have your ass handed to you by a pair of new raid bosses. It’s glorious, and an easy choice for pick of the week. Just check out our review.

Temple Run 2 :: iOS :: FREE

Second verse, same as the first. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the fact that Temple Run 2 largely amounts to “more Temple Run,” though it’s hard not to be a little disappointed at the lack of evolution here. There are new characters and new character-specific abilities, along with some new environments, but one has to wonder why all of this content justified the sequel treatment. Oh, what’s that? Temple Run 2 is free-to-play and uses a microtransaction-based pricing model that allows players to spend money rather than time on content unlocks? There you go. Sequel justified.

Recently Samsung has been gearing up to move into the business world in a big way. The company has mentioned in the past that it sees strong potential in the BYOD model, and believes that its products could be perfect in these situations.

Now Samsung has a new commercial out that promotes the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 in a business. For a change, this ad isn’t pitted against Apple’s iPhone, but the formula is pretty similar – this time going after RIM.

The ad follows a game development studio that has now switched to a BYOD policy. It shows how some users are clinging to their Blackberry devices but Samsung shows how their devices can do more. The ad indicates not only a shift by Samsung into business targeting, but it also shows that RIM is truly back on the radar, in large part due to the upcoming Blackberry 10.

What do you think of the new commercial? Would you (or do you already) use a Samsung device for business or do you think that Blackberry is still the better solution? Additionally, what do you think of BB10, excited or not?

A Samsung executive has apparently confirmed the rumored Galaxy Note 8.0 will be announced during Mobile World Congress. The tablet is the latest S-Pen equipped device from the manufacturer, and was initially expected to arrive at CES.

Samsung’s mobile division boss, JK Shin, has apparently confirmed the existence of the Galaxy Note 8.0, and that it will make its official debut at Mobile World Congress. Initially rumored for CES 2013, the latest addition to the Galaxy Note family was a no-show in Vegas, but provided Shin has been accurately quoted, the new tablet will be with us next month.

The news comes from Korean website inews24, which as you’d expect is written in Korean, so some of the details are a little hard to follow once Google Translate has worked its magic. However, it’s clear the Galaxy Note 8.0 is one of the devices which Samsung will unveil at the Barcelona show. There is some discussion of the Galaxy S4 too, and as far as we can make out, the highly anticipated phone won’t be making an appearance at MWC.

As for the Galaxy Note 8.0, previous leaks have hinted at two models, one with Wi-Fi and the other with cellular connectivity, and that the tablet will have an 8-inch screen and a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. Of course, the headline feature of Samsung’s Galaxy Note devices is the S-Pen stylus, which has improved considerably since its release with the original Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet hybrid.

The Note 8.0 has been linked to a set of benchmark figures for a device with the model number GT-N5100. The Galaxy Note, Note 2 and Note 10.1 all have N series model numbers, so this is logical, and if it’s correct, the Note 8.0 will probably use a 1.6GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor. Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was installed on the benchmarked machine, leading us to wonder if the Note 8.0 will come with the Premium Suite of features recently added to the Galaxy Note 10.1.

It’s all still speculation on the specs, but thanks to JK Shin, it looks like we can put a tick in the box next to the Galaxy Note 8.0 arriving during Mobile World Congress.

Come all ye road ragers and Nintendo gamers: Waterloo Labs have outfitted a race kart course with RFID tags so you can play Mario Kart in real life – power-ups and all.

True fact: Mario Kart will always be one of the best Nintendo 64 games of all time. It’s just not disputable. It’s so awesome that a bunch of robotics nerds at Austin-based Waterloo Labs decided to outfit race karts with RFID tags so they could play real life Mario Kart. I know where I’m having my next birthday party.

The modded race karts run on a RFID Wi-Fi system that helps each player communicate with new items picked up and their usage over the air. During the race course, players could pick up power-up boxes suspended over the track and receive a randomized item. With RFID, the individual karts can read which item was picked up, and gives each kart a new ability to use any time the player desires.

When the players use their selected item, the race karts can recognize the actions of each power-up, such as accelerating the kart to 100 of its throttle power when a mushroom is used, spinning other karts and slowing their motors when they run into a banana, or temporarily induce brakes on all players at the use of a lightning bolt. We could only imagine the scene of an 8-person race when everyone is running away from the ever-ferocious Chomp.

In addition to power-ups, players can also physically launch attack items (such as green and red turtle shells) by stuffing the power-ups inside a cannon attached to their vehicles. Let’s hope the drivers go slow at this process, as it could get dangerous to drive fast while multi-tasking. Who knew Mario Kart would make such a complicated real-life game? All the lengthy and technical details, including the source code, are discussed at the Waterloo website, meaning you can build your own if you so incline. But since we’re no technical geniuses (and are rather lazy), we’re just gonna sit here and wait for someone to figure out how to put this all in a nearby amusement park. It will be the best use of RFID general consumers have ever witnessed.

Watch the video below to see the Waterloo Labs real-life Mario Kart in action.