It's that time of year again, where we all rush off to Clinton's for a naff card, a syrupy teddy and a box of Quality Streets for our loved ones. Yep, Valentine's Day rears its sickly head once again, and, like it or lump it, it's here to stay.

But how best to show the extent of your love for that special, nerdy man-child in your life?

If your boyfriend is partial to a bit of tech or some geeky toys, you've come to the right place. Check out Tech Digest's Top Ten Geeky Valentine Presents: For Him. Wedding bells will be ringing in a matter of months with these nifty little gifts, we assure you.

Click the image below to get started

Taplulous' Tap Tap Revenge iPhone app proved a surprise success, taking on the rhythm gaming big-guns like Guitar Hero and Rock Band and beating them at their own game. Tap Tap Revenge proved wildly popular, and now Tapulous are looking to replicate that success with the new Riddim Ribbon game.

A cross between a racer and music mixing app, players use the iPhone's accelerometer to roll a ball down a sloping circuit to a soundtrack by the Black Eyed Peas. Hit an obstacle and the music track grinds to a halt, but take alternative routes and you get a brand new mix of the song.

The game's co-producer, will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas said, "I am so excited about this game. It makes you re-think the concept of playing a song. It makes you re-think the remix".

So far the game is set only to include three Black Eyed Peas songs: Boom Boom Pow, Meet Me Halfway, and I Got a Feeling. Remember though that Tapulous have a reputation for releasing new content for their iPhone games, so if the Black Eyed Peas aren't your cup of tea there's a good chance other artists may get thrown into the mix later on.

Via: Games Beat

Movies based on games are invariably bad. Resident Evil, Mortal Combat; both naff. Don't even get me started on the Chun-Li movie, though I do have a silly soft spot for the Bob Hoskins-fronted Mario Bros. film.

One game that could make a very slick console-to-silver-screen transition however would be the Grand Theft Auto games. They drew heavily from mob flicks like The Godfather and Goodfellas, evolving into cinematic masterpieces in their own right come the release of GTA IV.

And, from the sounds of things, a GTA movie very nearly happened. In an interview with Game Culture, Mark Neveldine, the writer and director of recent video game-influenced flick "Gamer" was approached to get a GTA film off the ground.

"We actually were going to be hired to write GTA," revealed Neveldine "That was after we wrote and directed Crank, so I got involved with GTA pretty heavily, I didn't grow up with it. I came back and dove in...like when you don't watch TV for three weeks, then when you do you watch it for 24 hours straight. I was playing GTA from the first game to the latest edition all the way through."

But complications concerning Ron Howard's 1977 directorial debut "Grand Theft Auto" brought the project to a halt.

"There is a rights issue. It was a movie originally directed by Ron Howard. And because RockStar games made a videogame, there is some battle of who can use the title. You can't make it about the game. It got to be a headache and we said we would rather not get involved in it. I think someone ended up writing some version of it to re-make the movie, but that isn't our interest, ours was bringing a videogame to life."

So close yet so far. Still, while the high-octane tone of the earlier GTA games may suit the style of a director responsible for the ludicrous Crank, perhaps it's a good thing Neveldine didn't get his hands on the GTA franchise considering its now more mature direction.

If we lived in a world where any wish could be granted and a GTA film went into production, who'd fill your director's seat? Who'd be your Niko? Liberty City, Vice City or San Andreas? Let us know!

Via: Game Culture

Controversial statement incoming; I think Fallout 3 is the best game of all time ever. That's coming from someone who, until Fallout 3's release, was adamant that his top spot would never have anything but Mario Kart on the SNES on it. So obviously this teaser trailer for Fallout: New Vegas has me very excited.

We already knew that our post-apocalyptic adventures across the wasteland would take us to the city of sin itself, Las Vegas, with this new title, but what else does the trailer reveal?

Well not much, really. New Vegas (if that's the settlement shown in the trailer), looks pretty well lit for a post nuclear shanty-town, and there is a bloke in armour with a Californian flag (a nod to the settings of the original PC games, no doubt) watching a Wall-E style robot do a bit of sand shovelling.

It does however confirm that the game will be hitting stores by Fall of 2010 though, so you'd better start saving up those bottle caps.

If there's one arrow in the PlayStation quiver that gives it the edge over the Xbox 360, it's that free to use online service. No subscriptions or charges to get online with your mates, just an internet connection hooked up over Ethernet or that built in Wi-Fi.

But that may be all set to change. A Sony exec has today pretty much confirmed that a subscription service is on its way.

Sony's Peter Dille says: "It's been our philosophy not to charge for [PlayStation Network] from launch up until now but [subscriptions are] something we're looking at...that's something we're actively thinking about...no announcements at this point in time but it's something we're thinking about."

Tsk tsk, Sony. I thought you'd rise above this sort of behaviour. I doubt the community will take to this lightly. It's far easier to start off with a paid-for service already in place than to set a precedent with your free service and then alter it.

Change (in this case at least) is BAD. We'll keep you posted with any new developments on this story as we get them.

Via: Destructoid

There aren't many games that can bring brains and brawn together in perfect harmony, but the moral tsunami that was first-person shooter Bioshock managed just that. With the release of hotly-tipped sequel Bioshock 2 just around the corner, publisher 2K games have released one of the finest launch trailers we've seen in years.

Taking control of a Big Daddy this time around, the video shows the lumbering guardian protect a creepy Little Sister from the crazed inhabitants of the crumbling underwater city of Rapture, before new baddie the Big Sister comes along to spoil everyone's fun.

Sure, it's all pre-rendered, but it's definitely got me excited. And you know what surprises me most about the trailer? It made me think that a Bioshock movie could actually be damn good...

For more info on Bioshock 2, click here. We'll also have a full review of the game up in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.

Dell have just announced the price for their great looking Alienware M11X gaming laptop, which caused quite a stir at this year's CES. £749 will make this laptop part of your travelling gaming gear, and that includes VAT and delivery charges too.

Measuring just about 11.6 inches across, it's one of the first truly portable gaming laptops we've seen.

A NVIDIA GT335M does all the lush graphics processing, and thanks to a switchable set up, you can use energy efficient settings to conserve battery life when you're just browsing the net or typing out a document.

Full HD, a respectable 6 and a half hour battery life and HDMI-out round out this man-bag sized laptop to make it pretty tempting.

Still no word yet on when this gaming rig will get a UK release date, but we expect an announcement in the coming weeks.

Wii, Natal and the PS3's Arc controller looking a little out of your price range? Looks like Sega may have an intriguing budget alternative for you.

The classic game stable are set to launch the Sega Zone console, an inexpensive machine packing wireless motion controls.

A measly £50 will bag you 20 preloaded classic Sega titles including Sonic and Knuckles and Golden Axe, on top of 30 extra titles, 16 of which will be motion based. These motion games look to be in a similar vein to those found in the Wii Sports series.

Don't expect this to be a fully fledged competitor to the console big boys (you wont be able to add any new games to your pre-loaded Sega Zone collection), but anyone looking for either a cheap-ish retro fix or a first taste of motion based gaming might want to take a look when it launches in April.

Via: Pocket Lint

Still packing a few extra pounds after the annual Christmas indulgence-fest? Perhaps you might want to take a leaf out of Lara Roberts' book; she's just lost a whopping 112lbs, which she attributes to her time with Nintendo's Wii Fit game

Too body conscious to hit the gym or even sleep with her husband, 38 year-old Lara was caught in a vicious, binge eating cycle. "I knew if I didn't do something, chances are I wouldn't live to see my girls grow up," she said.

So, safe in the privacy of her own home, Lara undertook a vigorous Wii Fit exercise program (supplemented by a healthy diet of course) that saw her shrink from 252 to 140 pounds in just 12 months.

It's done wonders for her confidence apparently, but we bet her daughters aren't too pleased; Lara is set to feature in an episode of BBC 3's "I'm Hotter Than My Daughter".

Yeah we cant believe it either. Like, what's the point of playing a game without zombies anyway? Still, whoever said that video games were bad for your health can eat their calorie-covered hat.

Via: News of the World

I'm still trying to figure out the logic behind this one. Sony's John Koller believes that having the iPad as a major rival in the handheld console territory will actually increase sales of Sony's machine.

Unlike Nintendo's Satoru Iwata who out-and-out dismissed the iPad as a worthwhile gaming console, Koller believes that the iPad will act as a casual stepping stone from the tablet to Sony's handheld.

"Apple's entrance into the portable gaming space has been a net positive for Sony ... when people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP."

Consider this fact though: since the iPhone's first launch in 2007, PSP sales have "nearly tripled". Is the release of killer titles like God of War Chains of Olympus, GTA: Chinatown Wars and new versions of the handheld console the answer, or something more...sinister...?

You can shove your PS3s and Xbox 360s; put yourself in front of a classic Galaxian arcade cabinet and watch as it devourers all the silver in your pockets with old-school gaming joy. Emulators like MAME may keep your piggybank full, but modern controllers don't feel right in the 8 -bit world.

Thankfully, Retro Thing have been quietly working away on their Clear Classic USB Joystick, modelled after controllers familiar to any gamers from the 70's and 80's.

Retro Thing worked closely with Legacy Engineering ( the team behind the Atari Flashback 2 retro console) to get the iconic feel just right, but added their own blue LED light into the mix to give it a Tron-like glow.

The controller, compatible with both PCs and Macs, comes complete with an Atari 2600 emulator and 80 homebrew games to get you started.

The limited edition joystick costs $29.95, and Retro Thing stockists Reflex Audio happily ship to the UK.

Buy one here.

BBC Worldwide have confirmed that plans are underway for the Doctor Who TV show to once again make the transition into the realm of video games.

"We're having a lot of interesting discussions for a variety of ideas around Doctor Who that are complementary to each rather than in competition with each other - boxed product console games, virtual worlds and other experiences," said Dave Anderson, head of multimedia development at BBC Worldwide.

"The deals we are looking at are in different spaces, probably looking at overlapping but different audiences and are certainly delivering a different kind of experience.

"The Doctor Who audience who love that show want to have different experiences around it and it has a huge shelf life going back 47 years - it's about managing and satisfying expectations of both older and younger audiences."

Chances are the games will be a fair bit more advanced than the above video of 1992's Dalek Attack game for the Amiga. But just listen to those synths! Mental!

Via: MVC

Grand Theft Auto IV lover on the PC or PS3? Feeling a little left out by all the DLC heading the Xbox 360's way? Well today's your lucky day, punk! Rockstar have just announced that PC and PS3 owners will be getting the Lost and Damned and Ballad of Gay Tony expansion packs on March 30th.

To call these pieces of DLC expansions isn't really fair. They're more like complete games in their own right, lengthy adventures that each give a new spin on the world of crime in Liberty City. Sure, it's only a year or so after the 360 got its mitts on them, but better late than never, huh?

Here's the lowdown from the Rockstar press release:

"The Lost and Damned is a dark trip through Liberty City's seedy underbelly as outlaw biker, Johnny Klebitz, fights to keep his gang together as a rift in the gang's leadership threatens to tear the brotherhood apart. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, players explore Liberty City's high-end nightlife as Luis Lopez, struggling to balance the temptations of money and vice against loyalties to family and friends. Both episodes feature a slew of new vehicles and weapons, and each episode adds new activities including cage fighting, gang wars and BASE jumping."

No news on pricing yet, but we'd hazard a guess at something around £12 a piece for these two.

Name: Mass Effect 2

Genre: Action RPG

Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PC

Price: £37.73 (Amazon)

I've long since resigned myself to the fact that I'll probably never travel to another planet, never make friends with a cool alien being and never have my own robot servant. It used to keep my up at night, sweating my way through nightmares filled with Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen frolicking in an otherworldly long-grass field, mocking my Earthly imprisonment. But that all changed thanks to the original Mass Effect; I could race across the galaxy in a starship, build a crew of inter-planetary bad-asses and even partake in a bit of cross-species love-making. It rocked. So obviously, expectations are remarkably high for Mass Effect 2. It's a credit then to developers Bioware that Mass Effect 2 doesn't just stand toe-to-toe with its predecessor, but jumps light-years ahead of it.

The plot picks up quite soon after the events of the first Mass Effect. Humanity is once again under attack, this time from a mysterious, insect-like foe named the Collectors, who have a penchant for, well, collecting. Collecting humans to be precise, and in their thousands. When the galaxy's apparent protectors, the Council, fail to address the growing threat, our hero Commander Shepard joins forces with the seedy Cerberus organisation in an attempt to thwart this ancient foe.

Though it's a bit of a slow starter, it's a dark, riveting story once it gets going. Bioware always come up trumps in the voice acting department, and Mass Effect 2 is no exception, with star turns from the likes of Martin Sheen and The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss. It's a good job too, as you spend a hell of a lot of time talking in this game. Ending conflicts and questing across the galaxy is as much about having the gift of the gab as it is the biggest guns. But that shouldn't put you off at all: Mass Effect 2 features some of the most cinematic dialogue exchanges ever seen in a game. Conversations are fluid and full of branching choices, while detailed character models help believably deliver the powerful script. With the pull of the controller's triggers, Shepard can now also interrupt key points in conversations with either positive or negative actions, sometimes to shocking ends. It's a small but welcome interactive addition that helps further engross the player in the action on screen.

But not every problem can be solved with a little chat and a cup of Earl Grey. Nope, when the going gets tough, you're gonna have to bring out the big guns. Literally. Many complained that the original Mass Effect's combat was a little weak, if technically solid. No such qualms in Mass Effect 2; weapons pack a satisfying punch thanks in part to detailed damage modelling on enemies, cover-mechanics are more robust, and flipping through different ammo types is more intuitive thanks to a well implemented pop-up inventory wheel. There's also the addition of heavy weapons, which are a total blast to play around with. Biotic powers get a much needed overhaul, with obvious improvements as they level up. There use results in dramatic and uber-cool effects on your foes, and it's a joy to experiment with them by combining different powers together. Also, squad mates are way more intelligent this time around, making them useful additions to a battle rather than a shot-blocking hindrance.

Part of what sold the original to me was the amazing graphics, and this sequel totally trumps its older brother. In keeping with the darker tone of the story this time around, the art direction has taken a decidedly grittier turn. Not that this means that the game is any less colourful or vibrant; it just all feels a little more natural and lived in. Bioware have certainly set phasers to stunning with this one (excuse the pun).

There are also a ton of smaller improvements here, doing away with some of the niggles from the first title in the series. Drops in the Mako vehicle onto cookie cutter planets have been completely done away with, with side-quests now getting unique locations all of their own. Menu micromanagement has been refined and scaled back, making for faster gameplay, while the inclusion of hacking mini-games makes what would otherwise be routine loot collection an exciting gameplay element all of its own.

If I had any complaints, it's that Mass Effect 2 now veers closer to the gunplay side of its apparent Action/RPG hybrid branding, with fewer class customisation options than before and less important gear and loot drops. The planet scanning mini-game used to find resources to upgrade your weapons is a bit of a chore too. But all in, given the cinematic nature of what's on offer here, I'll gladly sacrifice a bit of stat-tweaking in favour of blockbuster storytelling and set pieces.

Let's not beat around the intergalactic bush here: Mass Effect 2 is incredible, as polished and exciting a game as the many teaser trailers and previews have suggested. It takes the shiny sci-fi glitz of the first game, irons out its few problems and wraps it all in a story as dark and magnificent as the classic Empire Strikes Back. It still has a few minor problems, but rightly earns its place among the stars.

5/5

EA have confirmed today the release of FIFA World Cup 2010, their latest in the long running line of football sims. To be honest though, with the rate at which EA churn out FIFA titles, this was about as inevitable as the sun coming up tomorrow.

Still, it seems like quite a substantial update for what is essentially just a tournament edition. Speaking to Gamespot, EA's Simon Humber revealed that this iteration will be even more like watching a real broadcast than ever before.

As well as a revamped pitch and player/manager models, there will now also be detailed fans with cameras, flag-forming seat cards, populated sideline benches and improved broadcast caption graphics.

As well as competing in a full World Cup tournament online, you'll also be able to take any of the 199 teams that were in the qualifying stages and take them to South Africa.

Time to rip open that space-time continuum and get Ireland in the finals then, eh? FIFA World Cup 2010 will hit the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii on April 27th.

Name: Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition

Type: Book

Price: £9.71 (Amazon)

Out: Now

Guinness, the world's globally-recognised authority on mankind's record breaking achievements have released their Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition. It's the latest in what is now an annual series, featuring stat-crunching facts on all the top names in gaming, as well as some quirky insights into hardcore fans.

Ever wondered what the best selling game of all time is? Or the most played video game of all time? They're all in here, along with fun entries that include the largest collection of Pokémon memorabilia and the most people dressed as videogame characters at one time.

It's great to see that Guinness have also teamed up with Twin Galaxies, an independent body who track gaming records, particularly on old classic arcade titles. In the back of the book you have all the Twin Galaxy records at your disposal to see how your scores stand up against the world's best. (If you're interested, you should check out the King of Kong documentary, a heart-warming and hysterical look at Twin Galaxies and the race for the top score on the Donkey Kong arcade machine - Ed.)

It's a visually sumptuous book, with 216 pages filled with large pictures of each game and their record breaking players. Though you can trawl the web to find out record-breaking facts these days, there's a real hardcore depth in the range of games covered and the details explored in here. Plus, it's all nicely put together in one place, and totally verified by Guinness for authenticity.

There's enough in the Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition for a hearty old read, but also for a quick breather between marathon gaming sessions. It's a must-have for gaming aficionados.

5/5

Gaming is coming under fire once again. But before you brace yourself for the usual arguments concerning in-game violence and sexual content, be prepared for something of a Dickensian twist.

For gaming is not being blamed here for a rise in violence or a drop in exam results. Nope, its being attributed to a sharp rise in RICKETS in UK children, a condition not widely seen since the Victorian age.

The condition which causes bones to soften, leading to physical deformity is directly connected to Vitamin D levels. Professor Simon Pearce and paediatrician Timothy Cheetham, who have written a report on the dramatic increase in confirmed cases, blame the rise on hours spent in front of a screen indoors.

Professor Pearce said: "Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This means their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years."

A quick game of Super Mario: Sunshine should sort that out then, right?

If you're looking for a laugh related to this story, get yourself on Twitter and enter the #gamesblamedforrickets hash tag. There are some real gems on there, my favourites being "Splinter Cellulite", "Halo-tosis" and "Grand Theft Autism".

Via: The Times

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion remains one of the biggest and best single-player experiences available on the current generation of consoles. But in a bold step, it seems the next entry into the series could be about to go all World of Warcraft on us, taking the path marked "MMORPG".

The source for this story? Well it's a bit convoluted, but here goes. Back in 2007, Zenimax Media, the parent company behind Oblivion developers Bethesda, formed an MMORPG arm called Zenimax Online. They were given access to some $300 million in development funds, but other than the registration of elderscrollsonline.com, all went very quiet.

Until recently that is. If you weren't already aware, Bethesda also built Fallout 3. They've been caught in a legal battle with Interplay, the original owners of the Fallout franchise, for some time now.

Now, according to Fallout fansite Duck and Cover, testimony from an early injunction hearing has revealed that the rumoured Elder Scrolls Online project still seems very much alive, with "close to a hundred people" quietly working away since 2007. According to Duck and Cover, the game looks set to have a four-year development period, putting its release sometime in 2011. Zenimax have since asked for the information to be redacted.

Now it may not give 100% confirmation of the MMO title, but lets add this all up; $300 million dollars, the registered URL, a team of 100 working on a secret project, a massive installed fan base ready to lap it up, the redaction of top-secret info. It's got to be true, surely? $300 million is a hell of a lot to risk on a brand new intellectual property, and, if not, it's a licence to print money totally going to waste.

In terms of a final product, this one could swing both ways really. Elder Scrolls games have always succeeded by totally immersing the player in the game world and its lore. The thought of some 12 year old running around and calling me a "noob" while I'm playing wouldn't exactly be a positive addition to that experience. Let's not forget the inevitable monthly subscription costs, too. On the other hand, they are massive, great looking games; the perfect setting for some MMORPG exploration.

Fingers crossed that if this proves true (which to be honest, looks incredibly likely) Bethesda pull it off.

Fancy a quick flutter on the footie? Thanks to Betfair's recent debut on the Yahoo! TV Widget engine, gamblers can place bets from the comfort of their armchair.

But what does this mean for the traditional high-street based bookie? Is it making it all too easy for addicts to engage their gambling vice? And, most importantly, who's going to win the League?!

We had a quick chat with Betfair TV CEO Simon Miller to find out.

Betfair has become one of, if not the biggest betting exchange on the web. What do you attribute to its popularity?

We are by a country mile the biggest betting exchange in the world. It's really down to the fact that we offer 20% better odds across the board compared to a traditional bookmaker. We take the risk out of bookmaking by acting as an exchange whereas a traditional bookmaker will take a view and a stance on each different betting market. Betfair customers bet against each other and choose their own odds. Betfair doesn't take a view on who is going to win, we simply earn a commission from the Betfair customer who happens to win. I think it is that that has lead to our popularity.

And that customer to customer based betting service carries over to the new TV widget?

Yes, it's built directly from the exchange API; we're using the same odds, the same security, the same registration, the same payment and so on.

How does it differ from your web browser service?

There is one important difference and that is that the web is obviously a platform that allows for quite an intense relationship with the user. On the Betfair website you can both "back" and "lay" (meaning to either favour a team in a result, or feel that the opponent will either win or hold them to a tie - Ed.) , a reasonably complex process that works perfectly well on the website. But we think that television, as a causal entertainment experience, is very much a "back" only service. People are not coming on to use their television platform as a sophisticated trading system.

How long was spent testing and developing the user interface? Was the focus of the design to make it as simple as possible for the casual user?

Absolutely. We've paired everything right the way down to the absolute minimum. We spent five or six months learning the technology, building the system and to QA it through Yahoo! and manufacturers. For example, on the web there is about 40 different ways you can bet on any single football match; yellow cards, red cards, the number of corners etc. But adding that level of choice onto a television menu doesn't make any sense. Instead we offer 4 different ways to bet on TV that cover the vast majority of the revenue. We think we're offering the customers the things that they most want to bet on, and balancing that with an interface that makes it easy and quick to find that bet, particularly giving the constraints of being ten feet away and using a remote control.

Right now then it's only football that is covered by the new service?

At the moment it is only football. In the next 6 months we plan to develop a multi-sport widget. And again, rather than offering all the thousands of events that Betfair online features, we will pair that down to about five different sports. We'll also have a sixth slot for "specials" like X-Factor results for the final, and other tele-visual related events such as Strictly Come Dancing.

Do you expect the habits of TV gamblers to be much different from your web users?

I think it will be. I think that the television-betting mentality is far more casual, far more entertainment based. I imagine people will tune in, watch a match on a Sunday afternoon and make it a little more interesting by putting ten quid on it. We've set the maximum stake for now at £25, also offering a £2 bet, a £5 bet and a £10 bet, again the reason being our focus on casual customers. The more serious betters will stay on the web.

What measures are in place to ensure user's details are secured?

We use the same methods as on the web to register and pay, referring them to our website. Data entry for now on a remote control is not so good. We will have a registration and payment Widget in our road-map, but online the security in place is of a banking level, possibly higher. We hold masses of money and client funds so we need that level of security. Also in our business, ensuring that no-one under the age of 18 can access our service is absolutely crucial to our reputation, apart from just being the law. The television service raises an interesting question; "What about my kids? Can my kids get on there?" It's an interesting point but there are measures in place. Not only is a username and password required, but if there has been no activity for 30 minutes, or you shutdown the application environment, that information has to be re-entered. Again, we're trying to balance ease of use with a prudent approach to security. The living room, a communal area itself, offers a level of protection; your 14 year old would find it easier to get onto your laptop which you've accidentally left open with your betting account logged in and create mischief than do it in plain sight in the public space of the living room. However, a degree of individual responsibility is of course involved.

Some people will argue that the ease with which people can place bets through the TV service helps facilitate irresponsible gambling? How would you respond to that?

Firstly we will take the same attitude towards responsible gambling that we take on all platforms and take it very seriously. If we see patterns of behaviours which are seemingly problematic we have very well regimented processes in place. The fact that the vice is there whichever platform you choose to use means that all we are really facilitating is an easier and more convenient mechanism to bet on. We are taking a very prudent approach from a targeting perspective by restricting the stake levels to £25. Problem gambling is all about the moment when people lose control. I think we've got a lot of controls built into the very nature of the product to handle that, as well as the publicness of the living room which itself discourages problem gambling.

With online betting, poker and casinos so mainstream nowadays, do you see the internet and internet connected TV's eventually killing off the traditional bookies?

No I don't. I think that the traditional bookmaker has a place. There will be certain customers who will simply prefer that. We've become an important company in this space, employing a lot of people, developing amazing technology, providing what we think is a very good service. Clearly that has attracted a lot of customers. Internet connected televisions will simply be another platform. There will be some people who will say " I don't want to go to an internet site, I prefer to go to my bookmaker", who will now perhaps say, "This television thing, that kind of fits with how my life works". But do I think that the internet and internet connected televisions will be the final nail in the bookies coffin? No I don't think so.

How do you see services like your own, and other Yahoo! widget services evolving in the future? What do you think the next step is?

Personally, we'll start with football and build up to a multi-sport widget. We'll also develop casino games. Our ambition is to have an appropriate subset of the full sweep of a gambling portfolio available on television. It's not practical to have 250 different slot selections on a television, it'll be a subset of that. Televisions have the advantage of being 42 inches, or 50 inches or so; whatever size screen it is, it's usually the biggest and best quality screen in the house. The exciting thing is, if this platform is as successful as we think it might be, we can then bring real drama to the way that we present casino games. Putting the level of animation and video quality already seen online into a television widget will make it that much more of an invigorating experience.

To round things up, can you give Tech Digest's readers any good tips? The Grand National or football perhaps?

I've never been asked that question before! I am the world's worst better! You're asking absolutely the wrong person. I happen to be a Newcastle fan so my recommendation would be to back Newcastle for the championship title!

Thanks very much for your time Simon.

It's been a pleasure.

Check out Betfair's online service here.

Fans of fake plastic guitars and drums will be happy to hear that Rock Band makers Harmonix are set to open an online store, letting anyone upload Rock Band-compatible tracks for use in-game.

However, it wont come easy. Not just any old MP3 can be uploaded the to Rock Band Network Store. Anyone looking to post a track needs some extensive programming knowledge as the ability to program tablature and lyric charts (as well as choreographing camera, lighting and character models) is needed. Specialist, trained programmers ask as much as £900 for building the game elements of an average 3 minute song.

"We expected this to be an initiative that would appeal to unsigned artists," MTV's senior vice president for electronic games and music Paul DeGooyer told the Wall Street Journal. "What was surprising to us was how many artists with hit records have offered themselves up." Maybe because it's going to prove so expensive to pull-off for unsigned bands, with hit writers being the only ones who can afford it, Paul?

Songs can be listed for anything between 99 cents (roughly 60p) and $2.99 (around £1.80). Developers MTV Games keep 70% of profits made.

Via: Wall Street Journal