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LaCie CloudBox: Down-to-earth cloud storage, for a price

Online storage, recently and aptly called "cloud storage," is not new. Most, if not all, of the services share the same hurdle: the Internet connection. This means that if you use the computer to upload the backup files, a process that could take days depending on the amount of data to be uploaded, you'd have to let the computer run for a long time, not ideal for those wanting to conserve energy.

For this reason, LaCie, a storage vendor that's known for making stylish devices, introduced today a new cloud-based backup solution called the CloudBox. This is the first hybrid LAN/cloud-based storage service since the company acquired online backup service Wuala more than two years ago.

Essentially, this is a small NAS server that you connect to your existing network. Included software will then automatically back up important files of your choice from your computer to the device. As this is done locally, it takes much less time than when you upload it directly to the Internet. The CloudBox then will upload its content to LaCie's online storage service, by itself. This allows users to operate the computer like normal while still having a online backup solution. … Read more

The cutting-edge animation tech used in L.A. Noire (video)

To get the visuals it was looking for in L.A. Noire, its new detective game, video game maker Rockstar Games used 3D motion-capture technology called MotionScan.

In this video, GameSpot's Dan Chiappini sits down with Oliver Bao from Depth Analysis, the company that makes MotionScan, to get a deeper look at how the technology was used--and where it can go from here.

The 404 843: Where we got the band back together (podcast)

After a week of trips back and forth from LA, all three of us are back together again, and I'm personally glad to be back because somebody has to step up and defend Los Angeles!

After sticking up for the West Coast, we're also talking about a dating Web site that's for beautiful people that's been getting hacked, KFC's latest monstrosity, and five fake sounds in tech to make stupid people feel better.

Plus we review some of the latest movies in theaters now, including "Green Lantern," "Kung Fu Panda 2," and "Super 8."

The 404 Digest for Episode 843

" Green Lantern": Revenge of the lame superhero movie. KFC supports diabetes research with an 800-calorie, 56-spoonful-of-sugar "Mega Jug." Dating Web site for "beautiful people only" dumps 30k members. Five fake sounds in tech to make stupid people feel better.

Episode 843 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

2012 Buick LaCrosse, with eAssist, to start at $29,960

General Motors today announced that the 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist will have an MSRP of $29,960 plus $860 destination charge.

The U.S. automaker announced the "mild hybrid" earlier this year. The new LaCrosse is expected to deliver 25 percent better highway fuel economy than the current model.

According to GM, eAssist will be the standard power train for LaCrosse. It works by using a lithium ion battery to help propel the car with up to 11 kilowatts of power from a stopped position. The eAssist system has an electric motor-generator that enables regenerative braking capability, … Read more

Buick offers better fuel economy with direct injection

The new Buick lineup will offer big-engine performance with small-engine fuel economy thanks to the use of direct injection.

Direct injection works by using high-pressure direct injectors that deliver fuel to the point of combustion in the cylinder so fuel doesn't get left behind on manifold walls or evaporate up out of a carburetor. This process also reduces the temperature of the compressed mixture as the fuel evaporates, which enables a higher compression ratio, allows for more spark advance, and reduces fuel consumption.

"The beefier low-end torque and improved drivability of the direct-injected 2.0L turbo makes it … Read more

Rockstar Games debuts 'Pass' with L.A. Noire DLC

In keeping with today's trend of gaming pay services, Rockstar Games has announced L.A. Noire Rockstar Pass, a one-time DLC preorder that will lock in all the game's current and upcoming DLC.

L.A. Noire is a massive 17-hour or more undertaking, but players will now have the option to take on additional cases, challenges, and unlock new suits today and throughout the summer.

Until June 14, the L.A. Noire Rockstar Pass will be discounted ($10) on both the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. Afterwards, items return to their normal individual prices.

Click through for a breakdown of each DLC item's release date and price.… Read more

LaCie unveils Windows Server-based 5-bay NAS

It's been a while since I last had opportunity to take on a Windows Server-based NAS server, such as the Acer Aspire EasyStore or HP's MediaSmart series. And now when Microsoft fanboys are starting to worry that the company has abandoned the NAS server market, LaCie has announced its first network storage server that's based on an NAS-specific operating system (OS) from the software giant, the 5big Storage Server.

The new NAS server is powered by Microsoft's Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Standard operating system, which was introduced in October 2010 and is based on Windows … Read more

L.A. Noire and the state of interactive storytelling: Are we there yet?

For all the accomplishments of the video game industry, there are still barriers that interactive entertainment has yet to break. Many games look fantastic and play well, but with few if any exceptions, there remains a stubborn wall between the player/observer and the characters in the game world (sometimes linked to the evolving "Are games art?" debate). There are many symptoms of this phenomenon, from stiff animation to stilted dialogue to unconvincing voiceover work, and the situation now is only marginally better than it was when I started writing about games more than a decade ago (many players can name a handful of choice performances, but these are the rare exception, rather than the rule).

Coming closest, in recent memory at least, to bridging that gap (which is much deeper than the typical explanation of an "uncanny valley" between near-photographic images and reality) is L.A. Noire, a gritty detective story set in 1940s Los Angeles. The combination of careful writing (much rarer in interactive entertainment than it should be), a cast of competent professional actors, and a few bits of new technology, puts the game leaps and bounds past the typical action/adventure experience, where it usually feels like most in-game conversations exist only to push the kind of dull exposition that would make David Mamet's head spin.

I've criticized some of my otherwise favorite games for this very problem, saying of Dragon Age, for example, that the game was buried under uptight, wooden characterizations that come off like the dated, stagy delivery of an old fantasy film. Arguably among recent games the inventive detective thriller Heavy Rain probably came closest to surmounting these obstacles--or at least bravely attempting to.

So, why is effective storytelling, as seen in television programs such as "Mad Men" or "The Wire", such a difficult task for video games, where paradoxically nearly any setting, character, or event imaginable is just a few keyboard strokes away for an able team of programmers and artists? … Read more

preGame 52: L.A. Noire

Tune in to today's episode of preGame for an extended demo of the 1940s thrilling crime drama L.A. Noire. We'll play nearly an entire case to give you an idea of what all three types of gameplay include, and how to make your way through investigations, interrogations, and more.

Need more coverage of Rockstar Games' blockbuster? Make sure to read our review on Crave.

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame every Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT.

Got an idea for preGame? E-mail us! … Read more

preGame 49: Call of the Dead; PSN outages; L.A. Noire

What a week for video game news! As PSN outages continue to plague PlayStation 3s, Sony has finally declared the incident a "compromise of personal information" and a "malicious act." Does this mean our credit card info has been tossed into the Internet void? Nevermind that, we just want to be able to play Mortal Kombat online again.

Last night's Tribeca Film Festival screening of L.A. Noire marked the first time a video game was spotlighted at the big event. Jeff was there for the screening and Q&A that preceded; plus he'll give us some thoughts on an entire case he played a few weeks ago.

Since Nintendo has confirmed that the successor to the Wii will debut at E3 2011 and go on sale next year, we'll play an interesting voicemail that speculates on how players will interact with the new console.… Read more