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OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- In the four years since Hurricane Katrina swallowed Barbara Lambert's Gulf Coast house, her family has slowly rebuilt its life - moving out of a FEMA mobile home and to another city, finding a job for her husband and enrolling the kids in new schools. Then, the recession hit. The Lamberts and others in the hurricane-stricken region are struggling through renewed hard times as federal recovery dollars dry up and the recession chokes off jobs and charitable help. For the Lamberts, paying next month's rent is the latest worry as a federal hurricane assistance program ends....

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark Pools Alexandra Zendrian, 05.18.09, 04:00 PM EDT While the term dark pool might sound mysterious, they can provide price improvement and better quality trades for retail investors. Dark pools are venues where trading is done off of an exchange to obtain price improvement and not move the price if a large block of stocks is being traded. While the term dark pool conjures up visions of dark alleys and one broker passing another broker stocks in a silver suitcase, they can be helpful for moving tough-to-trade securities. Still, why should dark pools matter to...

Sony confirmed in the early hours Tuesday that it will be dropping its price by $30 for the Playstation 2 to $99.99. The price drop was previously leaked by an insider at retailer Kmart, who spotted a price change in his system and tipped off gaming blog Joystiq about the news. Playstation 2 Playstation 2 Under $100? Price cuts are always welcome, but it's not quite what hardcore gamers were hoping to hear.

Rabbi: Playing 'Call Of Duty' Videogame Helped Me Conquer My Fear Of Nazis Eric Krangel|Mar. 8, 2009, 2:18 PM|11 Tags: Gadgets, Activision, Gaming Typically, we only hear clergy talk about violent videogames in a negative way.But Brooklyn Rabbi Micah Kelber has an op-ed in Jewish media outlet The Forward this weekend, in which he describes, at length and with a lot of subtlety, how Activision-produced (ATVI) World War II-themed videogame 'Call of Duty: World At War' helped him confront his life-long fear of Nazi persecution.The whole thing is worth reading, but a taste of what the Rabbi has to say:As...

The Bush administration is moving in its last weeks to complete regulations to enforce a controversial law that seeks to block Internet gambling. The move is drawing hot protests from Democratic lawmakers and supporters of online betting.

For many people, a 'second life' can become just as real as the first one. Take the Japanese woman who killed her virtual husband after he divorced her in a game called Maple Story, and now finds herself under arrest in the real world. Maple Story is a free to play South Korean MMORPG which has been tailored for an international audience via country or region specific play portals. The 2D side-scrolling game is hugely popular, with some claiming as many as 50 million subscriber accounts around the world.

Florida Supreme Court Overturns Indian Gaming Deal The Tribe Has Already Given The State $50-Million As Part Of The Negotiations TALLAHASSEE (CBS4); The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday has overturned an agreement Gov. Charlie Crist signed with the Seminole Tribe to expand gambling at its casinos. The court ruled that the governor doesn't have the constitutional authority to enter into the agreement that allows Las Vegas-style slot machines, black jack and other card games at facilities like the Hard Rock Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood. Attorney's for the Florida House of Representatives made their case before the Supreme Court earlier...

AMD today announced the ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3800, tripling top-of-the line graphics performance in comparison to the previous generation ATI Mobility Radeon™ GPUs1. Joining the previously announced ATI Mobility Radeon™ 3000 family, the new ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3800 series offers notebook manufacturers the ability to deliver fast graphics performance, energy-efficient 55nm graphics processor technology, amazing video playback, and, for the first time ever, ATI CrossFireX™ technology for a mobile graphics solution. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3800 series coupled with the AMD Turion™ X2 Ultra Processors, the AMD 7-Series Chipset, and industry-leading wireless technologies like 802.11n Draft 2.0 form...

Outrage comes easy at the sight of 15-year-old Disney Channel billion-dollar phenomenon Miley Cyrus -- known to screaming 8-year-old girls as Hannah Montana -- appearing barebacked with a come-hither smile in a photo shoot for Vanity Fair. Did no one understand how the slinky satin-sheet photo would be greeted by the eyes of teenage boys -- or men twice her age? Parents are covering the eyes of their Disney-drenched little girls while their role model has a train wreck. Do we need another Britney Spears Show? But teenage boys are going wilder this week over a more dangerous cultural low:...

Most gamers have to make do with a drab setup comprising couch and standard plasma TV. There’s nothing wrong with that but on the other hand, take a look at nine of these ultimate games rooms below. These are some of the most elaborate and expensive, home gaming setups and video arcades ever. Playing PS3 or Xbox 360 at any one of these awesome gaming rooms would be like immersing yourself right into the game, rather than just playing it. You can literally feel like you’re in the cockpit, on the battlefield, or surrounded by zombies at any of these...

Keno machines would come from Rhode Island company. COLUMBUS) - The Ohio Lottery plans to spend almost $18 million on equipment to operate its new keno games. The Ohio Lottery commission is asking a legislative panel that approves unbid contracts to release the money at its meeting next monday. The contract would go to Rhode Island-based GTECH Corp., which provides the machines for current lottery games. The state anticipates making $73 million a year off the new game and putting that toward reducing an anticipated $733 million shortfall in the state budget. Critics characterize the keno game as similar to...

Several of California's largest gaming tribes have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a little-known body to successfully speed up their land applications - a necessary step for casino expansion, Capitol Weekly has learned. The California Fee to Trust Consortium was established under the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs Pacific Regional office in 2000 in order to expedite land claims, many of which have languished for years. The consortium arrangement allows tribes to pay into a fund that pays the salaries of the BIA employees who evaluate these claims. Documents about the little-known governmental organization came to light following...

The first factor that needs to be put completely to one side is picture quality. Unless you are a technology geek with a television the size of a multiplex cinema screen, there is no difference between the output of HD DVD and Blu-ray machines. Both offer high definition DVD playback superior to standard DVD players. Where Sony had the killer edge is that its Playstation 3 (PS3) computer games console comes pre-fitted with a Blu-ray player. So as Sony has sold 10.5 million PS3 consoles since it was launched in late 2006, that is 10.5 million Blu-ray machines already in...

Even for voters in a state as accustomed to direct democracy as California, the four propositions involving Indian gambling on the Feb. 5 ballot have to be a bit bewildering. What are these measures doing on the ballot, what would they do if they pass and how should you vote? In this column I'll provide a primer answering the first two questions. But to answer the third – how you should vote – you will have to apply your own values to those facts. In the end it depends on what you think of gambling and Indian casinos. Propositions 94...

Think playing video games is little more than a great way to waste time? Then you haven't met Paxton Galvanek. Last November, the twenty-eight year-old helped rescue two victims from an overturned SUV on the shoulder of a North Carolina interstate. As the first one on the scene, Galvanek safely removed both individuals from the smoking vehicle and properly assessed and treated their wounds, which included bruises, scrapes, head trauma and the loss of two fingers.

Sometimes I feel like I am a Jetson equpped as a Flintstone (or is that, Flintstonowitz?) in a Jetsons' world. An example: Even though I'm very good at video games and have excellent hand-eye coordination, I do not have any Wii stuff or other similar gamer software or equipment. That said, I still keep up with it all. And the hottest gift--stores can't keep it on the shelves--is supposed to be the Nintendo Wii console. If you're looking for one, WiiTracker and WiiChat have the tips and info. Customers are reportedly waiting early in the morning outside stores a lot...

Speaking at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas today (Thursday) former Senator Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the Poker Players' Alliance pressure group, said he expects the legalisation of online poker in the United States within 18 months. Other panelists in today's State of the Industry: Internet Gambling at the Crossroads keynote session at G2E said pending sanctions by the World Trade Organisation due to current U.S. policy on Internet gambling could be the major driver for legalisation. This is because non-gaming corporations likely to be affected by the sanctions could put pressure on Congress to make a change in...

Check this out. There's one with Quadaffi right after the one with Dear Leader.

A major US retail chain yanked "Manhunt 2" from its shelves after hackers published ways to resurrect gory scenes blurred to make the ultra-violent video game tamer. Shortly after "Manhunt 2" was released this week, hackers found a way to restore obscured scenes, but only on Sony's PlayStation2 and PlayStation Portable devices modified with "hardware hacks". After hackers posted their techniques on the Internet, Target Stores removed the video games from store shelves. Target routinely stocks video games with "mature" ratings but does not sell "adult-only" rated video games. "We received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered...

Call of Duty 4 ReviewInfinity Ward's World War II shooter comes to the modern era and blows us away. by Tom Chick Call of Duty 4 is enough to make a jaded gamer's jaw drop. You might think you've seen it all, but then Infinity Ward's latest war pageant rolls out some new trick, and it's like discovering the joy of gaming all over again. With a single player experience this spectacular, and with this much multiplayer content, here's a shooter you won't want to miss. The gunplay is as good as it's ever been, with a new emphasis on...

All bets are on Fred Thompson, well at least enough to push Rudy Giuliani from 3-1 to 5-1, thus no longer making the one time New York City Mayor a favorite. This announcement from Sportsbook.com comes in conjunction with the slashing of Ron Paul odds from 8-1 to 6-1. Fred Thompson opened with 4-1 odds even before his Presidential candidacy was officially announced, however, this is the first time that Giuliani is not listed as the favorite. John McCain remained with 5-1 odds and Mitt Romney sat with 8-1 odds. McCain is believed to have enjoyed early action at Sportsbook.com...

Plenty of gamers would give their left arm to be included in Grand Theft Auto IV. Miami attorney Jack Thompson, however, claims that he's depicted in the game and wants out. And he threatens to block the release of GTA IV if Rockstar doesn't comply....

BILOXI, Miss. — This seaside gambling resort along a stretch of the Gulf Coast, sometimes called the “redneck Riviera,” has 40 percent fewer hotel rooms and only two-thirds as many slot machines as it did before Hurricane Katrina. A major bridge that connects the casinos in this popular tourist destination to Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and other points east remains closed, and Mayor A. J. Holloway estimates that as many as 15 percent of the city’s pre-Katrina residents still have not returned. Yet business in the gambling halls of Biloxi has reached all-time highs in recent months, so much so...

For all the Battlefield 2 fans out there, Here's a little funny movie I put together that demonstrates the benefits of getting even instead of getting mad.

In what is thought to be the first comprehensive, empirical study of online-gambling behaviors, Harvard Medical School's Division of Addictions characterizes a majority of online gamblers' behavior as "moderate," concluding that its findings do not support previously-made claims that online gambling has "an inherent propensity" to cause problem or "excessive" gambling. The study, "Assessing the Playing Field: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Internet Sports Gambling Behavior," was conducted with the support of the Austrian online-betting group Bwin in order to guide the company in its efforts to implement and promote responsible gambling. As its authors explain, the study responds to...

Last Wednesday, a company called Falling Leaf Systems announced the availability of an alpha of something called the Alky Project. The Alky Project has a lofty goal: to liberate DirectX 10 gaming from the confines of Vista and bring it first to Windows XP, and then to Linux and OS X. The project plans to do this by building a converter that can take in a DX10 game executable and spit out a modified version that can be run on a (non-Vista) target OS. The target OS must be x86-based, which rules out the PPC version of OS X, since...

Sony really knows how to party. It wasn't enough to have topless ladies at the God of War II European unveiling, they had to go and decapitate a goat and put it on display. Not only that, they invited visitors to stick their hands down the neck, grab out some intestines (not the goat's own, they were procured elsewhere and shoved inside), and eat them. Fantastic. Best yet, the entire thing was documented in their official PlayStation magazine, whose 80,000 print run has been recalled thanks to the stunt. Nice work Sony. Next time, just call it a day after...

Until two weeks ago, Ruth Ebert never had the slightest interest in the video games favored by her one and only granddaughter. "I'm 82 years old, so I missed that part of our culture. Soap operas, yes. Video games, no," chirped Ebert, who recently started playing a tennis game on Nintendo's new Wii video game console at the Virginia retirement community she calls home. "It was funny, because normally I would not be someone who would do that," said Ebert, who picked up the console's motion-sensing Wiimote and challenged the machine to a match. "I played tennis, if you can...

China has issued restrictions on the use of "virtual money" from internet games, warning such currencies could threaten real-world financial stability. The ban on using virtual money to buy "material products" is part of a wider tightening of controls that includes a renewed crackdown on the cafes where many of China's estimated 137m internet users go online. Beijing’s move highlights the blurring boundaries between online and offline worlds. Governments and judiciaries elsewhere are also struggling to decide how to regulate online economies that have spawned multi-million dollar businesses trading virtual items and currencies for hard cash. But few view them...

Sure, the PlayStation 3 got off to a rocky start and is now only number 3 in next-gen console sales, but Sony Computer Entertainment claims that things couldn’t be better. Well, it could definitely be better, but in any case, Sony is happy with its current status in the market. NPD sales data reported Thursday that the sale of 243,443 units in North America during the month of January contributed to a record $550 million in revenues. Strong sales of the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable, which earned sales of 299,352 and 210,719 units respectively, was also a major...

SCEA spokesman tells New York Times that Nintendo's new console doesn't belong in the same category as the PlayStation 3. In the past, Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesman Dave Karraker has been fairly critical of his gaming rivals at Microsoft. In September, Karraker called Microsoft's decision to release an HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 that only plays movies "unfortunate," adding that the company's 1080p update for the system wasn't "full HD." Two months later, he slammed Microsoft's decision to offer high-definition movies and TV shows for download over Xbox Live as "a disservice to their consumer base" because...

LAS VEGAS - Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest casino company, has agreed to a $90 per share buyout offer from two private equity groups, said a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The agreement with Apollo Management Group and Texas Pacific Group came late last week but lawyers for both sides have been working out the details, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. An official announcement on the deal could come as early as Tuesday, the person said Monday. A Harrah's spokesman declined to comment. The company owns the...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- We all know the new Nintendo Wii is the number one present to give this holiday season. You've heard the stories of those who camp out in front of stores the night before shipments come in, or those who pay double the cost on eBay. It's obvious that people will do almost anything to get their hands on this hot new item. I found myself waiting for a Nintendo Wii one late afternoon. A massive shipment had just come in that morning and the line didn't look too unbearable, so I decided to wait and try...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A new video game, which depicts Christians on a mission to spread their faith by killing non-Christians who refuse to convert, has caused a religious uproar, according to WJXT-TV. The manufacturer of the game Left Behind described it as a portrayal of the classic struggle between good and evil. However, critics, including a Florida clergyman, have demanded the game be banned, and one leading retailer has already pulled it from its shelves, WJXT-TV reported. The game is based on a book, also titled Left Behind -- a popular series set in a time just after the rapture...

Players and creators of video games could face imprisonment for acts of virtual violence under draft legislation being drawn up by two of Germany's state governments. Politicians in Bavaria and Lower Saxony have proposed a new offence that will punish "cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters" inside games. Early drafts suggest that infringers should face fines or up to 12 months' jail for promoting or enacting in-game violence. The scheme comes in response to a shooting last month in the town of Emsdetten on the Dutch border, where Sebastian Bosse, an 18-year-old games fan, stormed into his former school...

A friend of mine asked back in May "Can you build an Xbox 360 laptop?" And I responded "Sure, can you pay for it?" He agreed, and thus I set forth on what was surely to be my most complex and insanely ridiculous videogame project yet. (I say videogame project as I highly doubt I'll ever manage anything as complex as Port Washington again, though at times this project sucked my will to live about as much)

-U.S. auditors claim relations with state tribes still good- Federal auditors fear they are losing the authority to regulate newer, fast-paced gaming machines that are taking over some Oklahoma tribal casinos. Tribal casinos in other states have started shutting out government inspectors after an October federal court ruling that limited the National Indian Gaming Commission's authority over certain games. However, the commission's chairman, Philip Hogen, said the ruling hasn't soured his agency's relationship with Oklahoma tribes. "There have been a lot of tribes that said ‘don't bother coming here,'" Hogen said, but such a move would be unlikely for an...

The game of Internet poker is not just a pastime -- increasingly, according to the latest poll, it is a profession. The online card game is viewed as "a viable means to make a living," according to a study released this week by the Responsible Gambling Council, based in Toronto, Canada. Gene Koprowski, UPI

John Edwards buys Playstation 3 from Wal-Mart … after bashing it posted at 6:41 pm on November 16, 2006 by Ian Send to a Friend | regular view Former Senator and failed candidate for Vice-President John Edwards obtained the new video game system Playstation 3 from his local Wal-Mart today: Just like the millions of Americans who turn to their neighborhood Wal-Mart for their holiday shopping needs, Wal-Mart announced today that former Sen. John Edwards is seeking to be one of the first to get a Sony PlayStation 3, one of the most coveted holiday gift items this Christmas season....

Sony's PlayStation 3 made its highly anticipated debut in Japan to long lines on Saturday, with local stores selling out their supplies of the video game console in a pattern that's expected to be repeated around the world. Throngs of people lined up for hours around Bic Camera, an electronics retailer in downtown Tokyo, to get their hands on one of the consoles. The enthusiasm was so great, clerks with megaphones asked the crowd to stop pushing, warning that all sales would end if there were any injuries. "Standing in line today is the only way to make sure I...

Cartman's latest obsession is literally killing him in an all-new episode of "South Park" tonight, Wednesday, November 1 at 10:00 P.M. on Comedy Central. Cartman's plan to propel himself into the future goes horribly wrong. South Park Elementary faces strong opposition to the topic of evolution being taught to the 4th graders. The most vocal protests are from Ms. Garrison who has to teach it. Eric Cartman can't be bothered with what's going on in class. He's busy manipulating his own personal time-line to align with the precise release date of the newest, hottest game. You may view or download...

Internet gambling companies are preparing to cash in their dollar chips as the impact of a new US law sinks in, with many preparing to suspend access to real money gambling by US customers. Last week Congress passed the Safe Port Act, which also included the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, aimed at cracking down on online gambling companies by making it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites. After the act was passed, senate majority leader Bill Frist said: "Although we can't monitor every online gambler or regulate offshore gambling,...

LAS VEGAS - Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest casino operator, said Monday it has received a $15.05 billion offer for the company from private-equity firms Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group. The private-equity firms are offering $81 per share in cash, a 22 percent premium to Harrah's closing stock price on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. After the news, Harrah's shares surged $9.52, or 14.3 percent, to $75.95 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Harrah's said it has established a special committee of independent directors to review the offer and has retained UBS Securities...

It's official: The Elder Scrolls IV is coming to Sony's newest consoles. Though given long-circulating rumors, it may not be shocking to our regular readers, Bethesda Softworks today announced that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the acclaimed RPG which has already wowed Xbox 360 and PC gamers, will arrive for the launch of PlayStation 3. Further, the company is adapting the game for portable play in the form of The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion for the PSP. The Elder Scrolls IV arrived for PC and Xbox 360 in March, and quickly nabbed numerous high scores and Game of the Year...

The headquarters of Rockstar Games, a thin 6-story building squeezed between Best Buy and Adidas, stands just north of where Broadway cuts through Houston Street flowing downward into a mecca of trend -- or shopping for trends -- known as SoHo. A few blocks away Sony has erected one of the world's largest PSP displays (seen here), which towers over the intersection of Lafayette and Houston. But it's not just neighboring downtown-Manhattan real estate that connects Rockstar and Sony. "Rockstar + Sony" boils down to "Grand Theft Auto + PlayStation 2," or its derivative, "Grand Theft Auto + PSP." Few...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Commercial space entrepreneurs are developing rockets to take tourists to the moon someday. But a software maker has gotten a head start on the adventure by simulating a lunar ride for the PC user. Virtue Arts, based in Los Angeles, has developed software that renders the exact physics and topology of the moon in a 3D game, letting players drive the lunar surface, gaze at the galaxy or study objects that were left by NASA astronauts on real missions. Virtue Arts The company showed off its application for the first time Thursday here at NASA Ames Research Center....

A new study released this week shows that a “substantial” number of American adults would rather play casual online games -- online fare like Bingo --than watch television during their free time. Casual Gaming Replacing TV Viewing, Survey Says The study – commissioned by the firm Real Networks and conducted by Harris Interactive -- determined that 31 percent of those over18 preferred online gaming to TV.

It appears that it is rigged (at least at this one website). One player backed by evidence of hand history has shown that he was dealt the same hand on the same table against another player in under 5 minutes losing a full house to a higher full house twice. The odds of this happening are 1 in 333 trillion. It appears they are juicing hands to encourage more betting and employing robot players to steal from real players. They made the mistake of giving the same hand to the same player so quickly indicating that he was one of...

Reno-based International Game Technology (IGT) this week beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations, increasing sales by six percent and gross profit by eight percent year-over-year, analysts told OnlineCasinoCrawler.com. Online gaming technologies – specifically sales from the online software division, WagerWorks (www.wagerworks.com), an online gaming casino software supplier, offering regulatory compliant online gaming solutions, helped IGT beat the odds.

A pair of motorised roller skates that cancel out a person's steps could let users naturally explore virtual reality landscapes in confined spaces. The "Powered Shoes" were developed by Hiroo Iwata, Hiroshi Tomioka and Hiroaki Yano at the University of Tsukuba in central Japan. The shoes will be demonstrated at the SIGGRAPH 2006 conference on computer graphics and interactive technologies, which takes place in Boston, US, between 30 July and 3 August. Each shoe is mounted on top of a set of three motorised rollers and is connected by cable to a computer on the user's back. This computer controls...