When the game begins Lara is trying to escape her mansion which is engulfed in fire. The level looks very impressive with flames, heat haze and embers. The lighting is done really well and one version benefits from dynamic shadows. Yes, you read that right. One version. That would be the PlayStation 3. For some reason the engine team decided to make the shadows and lighting static in the Xbox 360. The only lighting effects you will see are on Lara. And this is a shame because the flicker of the flames light on the architecture and the dancing shadows really look great in motion. We were really hoping that this was just an isolated case, but unfortunately it wasn’t.
After escaping the mansion you jump back one week earlier and are treated to Lara in a wetsuit aboard her yacht. Lara climbs down a ladder and enters the hull of the ship. This is where the games shadow system has some more problems on the Xbox 360. In the PS3 version everything in the room is shadowed nicely. Whereas on the Xbox 360 version it appears like everything is in broad daylight. Not a hint of shadow.

On the surface the ocean water looks amazing in both versions, some of the best I have seen in a game. Even under the water looks impressive with light rays piercing the deep. The second level takes you to the ruins of an underwater temple. Once inside you discover the temple’s main rooms are in an air pocket. But don’t think you will stay dry, water is everywhere – running down walls, dripping from the ceiling and shining caustics on the walls. Well, at least in one version. Yup, déjà vu. The Xbox 360 is missing the animated caustics (light reflecting off water) on the walls and the water sheeting down walls and onto the floor. When you look at the areas that should have water rolling down the wall, it almost looks like it is there…just paused. And this brings up an interesting glitch.

Once you make your way to the end of the level and see the “explosive” cut scene you will find out that you need to escape the temple. Enter everyone’s favorite play mechanic – backtracking. On the trip back we did notice something that wasn’t there before in the Xbox 360 version. Running water. Something in the cutscene triggered the water sheeting effect to come online. It also appears that the PlayStation 3 is running antialised whereas the Xbox 360 is not. Some areas on the Xbox 360 is simply jag-tastic.

Roll over image to see the differences. Please be patient as the image loads.
Tomb Raider Underworld controls well on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And by well, I mean identical. The PlayStation 3 version does not offer any kind of SIXAXIS control, which isn’t a bad thing. I like controlling Lara the way she is.
And the last bit of earth to uncover is the load times. Tomb Raider Underworld doesn’t have an installation on the PlayStation 3. The initial load times aren’t quick, but restarting the level only takes about 5 seconds on both versions.

www.ps3forums.com

DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. will tell Congress that it plans to return to a pretax profit or break even in 2011 when the Detroit Three automakers’ CEOs appear before lawmakers this week to request $25 billion in government loans.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally said he’ll work for $1 per year if the company has to take any government loan money.

After grilling the CEOs at hearings last month, Congressional leaders demanded plans from the automakers by Tuesday to show that they will survive if they get federal funds. The plan Ford submitted said the company will cancel all management employees’ 2009 bonuses and will not pay any merit increases for its North American salaried employees next year.

The company also said it will sell its five corporate aircraft. The CEOs of all three Detroit automakers were harshly criticized during last month’s hearings for flying to Washington in separate corporate jets.

Mulally said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that Ford will give much more detail to Congress than it did previously, and the company will emphasize the steps it has taken to cut its labor

news.yahoo.com

Tracklisting:

01. The Roc Stars
*Produced by DJ Unexpected For Diggers Union Local 1200*
02. Jadakiss Feat. Seau – Y.O To North Click
03. Jay Z – Get My Shit Off (Unreleased – Produced By Timbaland)
04. Jadakiss Feat. Hot Ones – All That Counts
05. Jay Z – Hova Song (Unreleased Version – Extra Verse)
06. Jadakiss – Who Runs This
07. Jay Z Feat. Da Ranjahz – Bullet Proof (Unreleased)
08. Jadakiss – Straight Fire (3 Verses)
09. Jay Z Feat. Da Ranjahz – Event Horizon (Unreleased)
10. Jadakiss Feat. Busta Rhymes & Sauce Money – Get That Paper Remix
11. Jay Z Feat. Gotti, Fordy & Neila – 20 Bag Shorty (Rare)
12. Jadakiss Feat. Snoop Dogg, Pusha T & The Alchemist – Lose Your Life (Produced By Alchemist)
13. Jay Z – Get Money Remix Freestyle (Rare Radio Freestyle)
14. Jadakiss – Welcome To The R.O.C (Produced by Buckwild)
15. Jay Z – In My Life Time (Original Version)
16. Jadakiss – Jada’s Got A Gun (Original Version)
17. Jay Z – Heart Of The City (Sunday Bloody Sunday Remix) (Live In Dublin)
18. Jadakiss – Don’t Start Nothing
19. Jay Z – Hey Papi (Original Version – Extra Verse)
20. Jadakiss Feat. Dr. Dre & Bilal – Fastlane (Alternate Version – Includes Dr. Dre Rap Verse)
21. Jay Z Feat. Shai – I Don’t Wanna Be Alone (Marley Marl Remix)
22. Jadakiss Feat. Big Punisher, Maze, Musalinni, Angie Martinez, Capone & Noreaga – Oh No Remix
23. Jay Z – H.O.V.A (Super Hero Music)
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD NOW

http://www.zshare.net/download/512878020756130b/

www.thisis50.com

By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY
Free broadband for America has inched closer to reality: The plan, after two years of debate, is finally on the calendar for a full vote by the Federal Communications Commission.

Assuming the plan is approved at the FCC’s Dec. 18 meeting, one of the agency’s last before President-elect Barack Obama takes office, free broadband could become reality within a year.

First proposed in 2006, the plan calls for a chunk of airwaves called AWS-3 (now idle) to be used for wireless broadband across the USA. Under terms contemplated by the FCC, the winner of the AWS-3 auction would have to reserve at least 25% of network capacity for free broadband.

The winner would be allowed to charge for other services, including premium broadband that would offer faster speeds.

Assuming there are no last-minute snags, the AWS-3 auction will take place next year.

The FCC plans to impose several conditions. Among them: The winner will be required to launch free broadband with a filter that automatically blocks adult content. Users can remove the filter once they’ve confirmed that they are at least 18 years old.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has championed the idea of free broadband. Martin is particularly concerned about rural areas, where dial-up and satellite-based Internet still rule. Dial-up isn’t fast enough to handle interactive fare, including video streaming. Satellite has the muscle, but broadband-strength speeds can cost $100 or more a month.

About 38% of rural households have broadband. In urban and suburban areas, where competition for customers can be fierce, the numbers are a lot higher, 57% and 60%, respectively. Martin says free broadband can help bridge the gap. “This initiative brings with it the promise of a free basic broadband service to hundreds of thousands of Americans who currently have limited or no access to the high-speed Internet,” Martin said in a statement prepared for USA TODAY.

Big wireless carriers, which stand to lose customers — and profits — if free broadband takes off, have criticized the FCC’s plan.

The harshest critic is T-Mobile. The carrier paid $4 billion two years ago to buy the spectrum that abuts the AWS-3 block. T-Mobile claims the FCC’s plan will cause service disruptions for its customers. The FCC disagrees.

Despite opposition from incumbents, the plan has a number of strong supporters. Chief among them is the company that dreamed up the idea initially, M2Z, a wireless start-up backed by Kleiner Perkins, the big Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

Milo Medin, M2Z’s co-founder and a broadband pioneer, says that in addition to being a big positive for consumers, the plan is consistent with Obama’s belief in the power of private-public partnerships. While free broadband alone won’t close the divide between digital haves and have nots, Medin says it’s a good start.

WWW.USATODAY.COM