BT Openreach is rolling out a new 'fibre to the premises' cabling network in the UK which it promises will bring internet speeds of 300Mbs to homes by 2012.
The service launched commercially this week, giving homes access 'up to' 11Mbs immediately, but the 300Mbps download service will become available in spring.
The company is also doubling the speed of 'fibre to the cabinet' services to 80Mbps.
"These are significant announcements and good news for the UK, " said DCMS minister Ed Vaizey.
"High-speed broadband is essential for economic growth, which is why we want the UK to have the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015.
"Improving the UK's broadband infrastructure will help our high-tech, digital industries grow. It will ensure the UK is an attractive place to start-up and base the businesses of tomorrow."
Openreach chief executive Liv Garfield was keen to stress that the service would not be limited to the UK's larger towns and cities.
"No-one is keener than us to extend these super-fast speeds to rural areas and so we will be bidding for public funds to help extend these services even further," she said.
"The challenge is a tough one but by working with the public sector it is within our reach."
Until now, nearly all UK broadband packages have been sold under an agreement of maximum speed, or an 'up to' rating. Over subscription and inferior infrastructure have meant that many of these connections never reach the advertised speeds, especially at busy times.
Recently, BT teamed up with OnLive as the streaming service's UK launch partner, offering discounts and special offers to customers. Connection speed is considered to be one of the major hurdles in streaming services' path to success.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-in-uk-article
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We just got some very, very sad news. Steve Jobs has passed away. As confirmed on Apple's site, Mr. Jobs has died at the age of 56 after recently stepping down from the position of CEO and naming Tim Cook his successor. Steve has had a profound effect on the world of technology, both at Apple and through his many other endeavors. Our thoughts go out to his family.

Update: All Things D has posted a memo sent out by Tim Cook to Apple employees stating that there will be an internal celebration to honor Steve's life soon. Those words can be found after the break, along with statements from Apple's Board of Directors, his family, and Bill Gates.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/05/s...is-dead-at-56/ ...

Blame it on the economy, or simply chalk it up to a better way of earning revenue, but physical distributors of new video games are beginning to feel some major heat from the scrappy competition. While this mainstay segment still comprises the bulk of sales with $1.44 billion earned in the previous quarter, the combination of digital purchases, subscriptions, downloadable content, social network and mobile games -- along with help from rentals and used purchases -- now tops $1.74 billion dollars. This news comes from the NPD Group, and while we're still scratching our heads at the logic of combining second-hand purchases with electronic distribution, it provides a strong indicator of consumers' changing tastes and preferences (along with their willingness to spend). Does this industry titan simply need a new console or another Call of Duty to maintain supremacy? Perhaps a modest uptick in GDP? Or does this signal the changing of the guard for our favorite electronic pastime?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/06/d...ortar-camping/ ...

Sony is getting tired of sitting idly in sixth place in the battle for cellphone supremacy. Sure, there have been a few noteworthy devices from the company's joint venture with Ericsson (i.e. the Arc), but for the most part it has struggled since its inception in 2001 to run with the alpha dogs. The Japanese manufacturer's new strategy involves buying out Ericsson's stake in the company and having its tablet, smartphone and handheld gaming units work closely together to develop future products. According to the Wall Street Journal, a deal for the Stockholm company's half of the venture is nearing completion. Some difficulties remain, such as properly valuing the company and settling on a price for Ericsson's roughly $1.3 to $1.7 billion worth of mobile technology patents, but a deal is expected to be reached sooner rather than later. And maybe, just maybe, the new found flexibility will allow Sony handsets to keep pace with the Samsungs and Apples of the world.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/06/s...house-buy-out/ ...

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Sony has detailed what PlayStation Plus subscribers can look forward to receiving this month.

Obviously the most mouth-watering of the bunch is the 'Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Experience', but free downloads Double Fine's Costume Quest and PSone import Arc the Lad sweeten the deal.

Here's the full list.

PlayStation Plus Content
Costume Quest - PSN Game - 100% discount until 19th October
Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Experience - Exclusive until 19th October
1000 Tiny Claws (mini) - 100% discount and exclusive until 19th October
Speedball 2: Evolution (mini) - 100% discount and exclusive until 19th October
Street Smart (SNK mini) - 100% discount until 2nd November
Arc the Lad - PSOne (Import) - 100% discount until 2nd November
Armageddon Riders - 40% discount until 2nd November
Topatoi: Episode One - 70% discount until 2nd November
The Marbians - mini - 25% discount until 19th October
Stripes: Part One (Dynamic Theme) - Exclusive and 100% discount until 2nd November
Halloween (Dynamic Theme) - Exclusive and 100% discount until 2nd November
Ico Avatar 1 - Exclusive and 100% discount until 2nd November
Ico Avatar 2 - Exclusive and 100% discount until 2nd November
Shadow of the Colossus Avatar 1 - Exclusive and 100% discount until 2nd November
Still available:
Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- 50% off until 12th October

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...sident-evil-4/ ...

We've seen a lot of custom Xbox 360s before, but never one that looked like it was in so much pain. The Official Tomb Raider Blog is currently running a contest to give the Xbox, featuring a bruised and battered Lara Croft, away -- and it's clear that it could use a good home. And just look at that Xbox controller! Poor little guy must have fractured a handle.

Winning isn't quite as easy as filling out a form, as the blog is asking folks to answer trivia questions, which can only be found via Twitter, Facebook and during the last five minutes of Crystal Habit, the Crystal Dynamics podcast. Once you have the answers, you can enter the contest here.

Do it quickly, because someone needs to get that mistreated console away from those monsters.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/05/to...uld-use-a-hug/ ...

Xbox 360 owners will soon be impervious to physical assault thanks to the latest entry in Ubisoft's Coach series.
My Self Defence Coach will be exclusive to Kinect and arrives in the UK on November 11th. The game follows the success of the publisher's My Fitness Coach series, but focuses on teaching players how to protect themselves.
Exercises are split into different fitness workouts and self defence drills across four primary categories: technique, stamina, composure and reflexes. All self defence techniques are taught by an experienced, real-life self defence coach.
Fitness routines have been inspired by kickboxing and martial arts. There will also be a collection of mini-games to help users improve their reflexes, and a Tai Chi workout to instruct them in keeping calm and composed during stressful situations.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/kinec...defence/085864
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BBC content, Channel 4's on demand service, Channel 5 and LoveFilm are amongst the biggest services now coming to Xbox 360.
The services are due to be rolled out over the next three months and will take the number of TV and entertainment providers available on Xbox Live to over 40.
Some of these services are free and do not require an Xbox Live Gold membership to be used. Many have also been adapted to use Xbox' unique selling points, such as Kinect.
"Today’s announcement is a major step toward realising our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
“Combining the world’s leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360 and the intelligence of Bing voice search will make TV and entertainment more personal, social and effortless.”
New services due for the UK include:
AlloCiné
BBC
blinkbox
Channel 4
Channel 5
Crackle
Dailymotion
Lovefilm
MSN
Muzu.TV
VEVO
YouTube

"This is an exciting and important deal for our customers and is the next move in LoveFilm's strategy of helping as many homes as possible connect to our service," says LoveFilm CEO Simon Calver.
"We want to be the first choice for UK and German customers to get the best entertainment. Xbox LIVE already has a large consumer base of all ages - all of whom will now be able to connect with our great content, whether TV series', exclusive digital films or DVDs, Blu-rays and games by post, all for one simple price.
"We are pleased to announce this partnership as both parties really focus on giving customers exciting and innovative services. We are proud to be a part of Microsoft's expansion into the entertainment space and confident it will help fuel our ambition to become Europe's largest membership entertainment service."
Sarah Milton, Head of VoD at Channel 4, said: “Continuing our strategy of making content available, on demand, where our viewers most want to watch it, we’re delighted to be able to offer 4oD on Xbox 360 – Britain’s best-selling console in 2011."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/xbox-...annel-5/085876
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