The concept’s successful pitch was built on the reputation of two game design veterans, Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert, who worked together on several beloved adventure titles in the 1980s and 90s: Maniac Mansion, Day of the Tentacle, The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2.

Originally shooting for a $400,000 budget raised via crowd-funding site Kickstarter, some of the extra cash will go into expanding the game’s availability both in terms of hardware platforms and native languages, Tim explained.

Voice actors will be brought in for the English version, with subtitled translations in French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The project’s backers, of which there are currently over 50,000, will be privy to a private beta test held via the Steam network, and will be able to obtain a version free of copy-protection once the finished product is released.

Since the Double Fine Adventure appeal was launched on February 8, role-playing designer Chris Avellone ( Fallout 2, Baldur’s Gate, Fallout: New Vegas) asked fans what they’d like to see should his Obsidian Entertainment team take a similar course, with a sequel to Planescape: Torment topping the list of responses.

Source:http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/gaming/2012/02/17/double-fine-adventure-coming-to-computer-and-mobile

This is a guest post to the Computer Weekly Developer Network written by Marshal Datkowitz, a senior user experience architect in the ‘user experience’ group at Infragistics.

A mobile device is very different to a PC. Sure they are smaller, but it’s much more than that. People bring to their mobile devices a whole different set of expectations. They use them differently, use them in different places and want different things from them. Mobile devices make different physical and cognitive demands on users. This piece will explore these differences and give you strategies you can put to work right away on your next mobile project.

First the most obvious – display size

The average size of PC monitor is 21 inches, a display resolution no smaller than 1024 X 768. Compare that to the typical smart phone display, 3.9 inches and a resolution of 800 X 480. So clearly there is not as much space to work with. Your screens must be more concise, you can’t show as many options. The paths through your application have to be super clear; therefore you’ll need to spend more time on the functional design than you typically do. Strive to use less text and better icons.

If you want to rely on icons heavily to convey your features, functions and contents, your icons should be more concrete, less complex and represent the concept you’re trying to express as closely as possible. For example, you want to depict the concept of a note. You want it simple, so don’t include much detail – you don’t need lines on the paper or a texture on the clip.

Your text should be as legible and as readable as possible. To make your text more legible, use a font size of at least 10 points and turn up the contrast. Watch for Chromatic Aberration, that’s when you place red on dark blue (or dark blue on red) and cause the colors to vibrate – not good!

Input – how we use it

A mobile device relies mostly on fingers — gestures, on screen keyboard and tapping icons or buttons. The downside to the touch screen is that there is no tactile feedback like we have on a physical keyboard, therefore it is easier to make input mistakes and we are a lot slower using them. To compensate, provide sound or vibration for key presses and minimise text entry. Fingers can be large so make your buttons large (35 pixels square) and visually separated from other buttons or objects to reduce error.

Use innovative ways to input data like photographs Daily Burn’s MealSnap app uses photography’s to add food to its calorie counter, Quick Response codes (links, text and other data), accelerometer to select items by tilting the phone to indicate a choice, use detected location (GPS) so users don’t have to manually enter a current address and lastly voice to input text into fields (Google search). Take advantage of the hardware, Windows Phones have three dedicated buttons (back, start, and search) – use them to reduce clutter on the interface and therefor minimise error.

Context – where we use it

PC’s are used in homes and offices, pretty predictable and stable places. Good lighting, limited distractions and a relatively focused user. Take all those factors we know about PC users and throw it all away for mobile users.

Environmental and cognitive issues that rarely occur at the desktop often appear in a mobile environment. Distractions such as noise will draw the user’s attention away from the device or at least interfere with detecting sounds from your application. Sun glare can obliterate the screen and make it difficult to use your application at all. A cognitive issue such as the overload of information makes it difficult for users to concentrate on your application – they look at the screen, look up at something else and then go back to the screen. Help users by pairing down your application to the bare minimum so they can quickly understand what it is doing for them and allow them to readily find their way back when distracted.

Mobile device users (for the most part) are on the move. They have a limited amount of time and have come to your application for a specific reason. They come with questions that need to be answered immediately. If your application is to be successful it must help the users get to those answers quickly, if you can consistently help users they will come back often, they will spend time in your application.

Your users will be in a rush, so help them get to it! Keep your application to the bare minimum and do it really well.

I hope you have enjoyed this quick look at the difference between a PC and mobile device. Developers who are simply miniaturising the PC experience for the mobile device are missing the point. We need to focus our attention on what users want most from our applications and give it to them – simply but elegantly.

Source:http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/cwdn/2012/02/a-mobile-phone-is-not-just-a-small-computer.html

Wasp Barcode Technologies, a leading provider of small business productivity solutions, today announced the launch of the WWS450 2D barcode scanner with base and the DT10 mobile computer. Designed specifically for small business owners, both products offer ease of use with fast and accurate data collecting features.

Wasp’s WWS450 2D barcode scanner series with base accurately reads 1D and 2D barcodes with its digital imager scan engine. By plugging the USB adapter into a PC, the scanner can read barcodes up to 160 feet away from the base by using wireless connectivity. Outside of the 160-foot wireless range, the scanner can hold up to 160 barcode scans in the buffer memory. Barcode data is instantly added to a spreadsheet, document or database, without time-consuming manual data entries or inaccuracies. The WWS450 is ideal for retailers, post offices, banks and utility companies.

Wasp’s DT10 mobile computer series provides fast and accurate data collection for inventory accountability, communication tasks and activity training. The lightweight, pocket sized mobile computer is built to withstand multiple 4 foot drops to concrete, and with an IP54 rating, it is ideal for dirty environments and occasional exposure to liquids. The DT10 series offers three hardware options to meet specific application needs. Depending on the hardware, the DT10 can accurately scan 1D barcodes, allow for real-time transactions for applications on-the-go and allow for enhanced communication with employees and customers.

“Wasp Barcode Technologies is dedicated to delivering products that increase efficiency within the small business world,” said Brian Sutter, director of marketing at Wasp Barcode Technologies. “We believe that our new series of products, the WWS450 2D barcode scanner and the DT10 mobile computer, will attract business owners because of the products’ ability to collect data quickly and accurately in diverse environments.”

Features of WWS450 2D barcode scanner with base include:
· Read 1D barcodes up to 20 inches away and 2D barcodes up to 12 inches away
· Withstands 4’ drops to concrete
· Holds up to 160 scans in buffer memory should scanner be out of range
· Included base station charges WWS450 from desktop or can be mounted on the wall
· Supports up to seven scanners per base station

Features of DT10 mobile computer include:
· Works on Windows CE 5.0 operating system
· 128 MB RAM and 256 MB Flash
· 240 x 320 QVGA, TFT color touch screen and backlight
· 23-key keypad, includes 5-position joystick
· Integrated laser scanner for reading barcodes from 2 to 25 inches away

Pricing for the WWS450 2D barcode scanner with base starts at $695. The DT10 mobile computer starts at $949. For a complete solution, customers can choose from a wide range of packages with barcode scanners, mobile computers, barcode printers and software.

Source:http://www.pr.com/press-release/386645