Long-awaited action video game Grand Theft Auto IV went on sale today, with eager fans lining up to be among the first to play.

The launch of Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to be one of the most successful video games in the industry’s history, with sales forecasts to be up to $400 million during the first week.

Take-Two Interactive, the video game publisher and creator of Grand theft Auto IV, said it had worldwide pre-order demand of 6 million copies of the game (equivalent to $360 million worth at the game priced of $60). If the prediction is right, Grand Theft Auto IV launch would break the record set last year by Microsoft’s Halo III after reaching $170 million during the first day.

Strong results could potentially boost the company’s value as it faces a $2 billion acquisition offer from rival Electronic Arts.

Stay tuned for sales figures released later this week or early next week.

Update: Take Two Interactive unveils GTA 4 first week sales

VirtualLogix, a real-time virtualization software startup, has received an equity investment from Motorola.

The amount was not disclosed but Motorola’s investment follows similar moves by companies such as Intel, Cisco Systems, and Texas Instruments, which previously invested in VirtualLogix.

VirtualLogix allows cell phone manufacturers to create mobile devices that run multiple operating systems, sharing the resources in an easier and more efficient way.

VirtualLogix VLX for Mobile Handsets is a high-performance, real-time virtualization solution that is targeted at wireless devices using ARM core-based system-on-a-chip (SoC). VLX for Mobile Handsets allows multiple execution environments to simultaneously run on a single ARM processor core. The secure, fault tolerant architecture enables the isolation of each execution environment, allowing phone services, trusted services or device management functions to run unaffected by potential corruptions in an open operating system (OS) such as Linux and its applications.

Virtualization software enables smart phone functionality to be quickly introduced using feature phone architecture by enabling existing modem software and real-time operating system (RTOS) to co-exist with the open OS and its applications on the same processor core.

VLX for Mobile Handsets maintains real-time operating system (RTOS) performance guarantees, allowing handset manufacturers and wireless operators to deliver more reliable, lower-cost mobile phones with advanced features to the mass market. [VirtualLogix]

As mobile devices proliferate with continued short life duration, “demand for simplified product designs that allow dynamic mobile experiences will intensify,” stated Reese Schroeder, managing director of Motorola Ventures, when announcing the investment.

So far, programmers had to code every application (social networking services, games, email or any other features) for each of the different operating systems, including Windows Mobile, Symbian, or Google’s Android. But with virtualization, Motorola could for instance have a Web-browsing application written for one system, an e-mail application for another, and calling features designed for a third OS, and gracefully integrate them onto one single phone.

Jaxtr, a social communications startup that let users link their phones to the web, is now providing a service that allows sending free SMS internationally, without restrictions, whether or not the recipient is a Jaxtr member.

Recipients can reply directly with their cell phones, or click on a link, sign up to Jaxtr and send a free reply through their cell phone’s Web browser.

The service allows text-messaging directly from the member’s home page to cell phones in 38 countries. Jaxtr’s basic membership is free and includes access to the new international SMS service.

Jaxtr’s new service is ad-supported although they plan to incorporate a premium service for a fee in the future.

Mobile phone calls will be allowed on planes flying in European airspace under new rules established by the European Commission.

The decision took three years of hearings and negotiations, and pressure from business travelers, airlines and manufacturers of new in-flight mobile phone systems, but Europe now has a standardized code to match up technical and licensing requirements across borders.

However, at this time only 6 passengers on any given flight can get a signal at the same time, although there are plans to expand it to 12.

Airlines are currently thinking of ways to offer the new service. Among the ideas considered: mobile-free sections of the aircraft, or use at limited points in the flight.

Cell phones will have to be switched off during takeoff and landing, and will not operate over countries that prohibit passengers from using their cellphones in during flights.

To ensure that the phone calls don’t interfere with the airplane equipment, they will be linked to the ground through a mini cellular network stored in an overhead luggage compartment.

The network’s purpose is to create an area of coverage in the aircraft that connects, via a satellite, to mobile networks on the ground. Cell phone companies are expected to establish roaming rates as if they were international calls; depending on the provider, these could range from €2 to €3 per minute ($3.2 to $4.8).

Aerospace company Boeing announced that it has successfully tested the first manned hydrogen-powered plane in the skies above Spain.

The small (two-seater), propeller-driven craft is powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which produce only heat and water as exhaust products.

Three test flights took place in February and March at the airfield in Ocaña, south of Madrid, operated by the Spanish company SENASA.

During the flights, the pilot of the experimental airplane climbed to an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level using a combination of battery power and power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. The fuel cells create electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen to power the electric motor coupled to the propeller.

With the success of this testing, the company said that fuel cells potentially could power small manned and unmanned air vehicles. However, for large passenger aircraft it could only be used as a secondary source of energy, but the company will continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternative fuel and energy sources that improve environmental performance.

Global cruise company Royal Caribbean International has unveiled the design of a Central Park-like area to be featured on its innovative Project Genesis ship.

Project Genesis’ Central Park will be a huge outdoor space the length of a football field located in the center of the ship.

An exquisite public gathering place featuring serene pathways, seasonal flower gardens and canopy trees, Central Park will provide cruisers with more choices in a unique outdoor space. One of the ship’s most ground-breaking spaces, this new concept is the first of seven neighborhoods to be unveiled on Project Genesis. Each neighborhood will provide vacationers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences in various locales based on their personal style, preference or mood.

Elegant and lively, Central Park’s central piazza will be the ship’s “town square” which evolves from a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere during the day to a gathering space for alfresco dining and entertainment in the evening, where guests will enjoy concerts and street performances. The neighborhood is lined with balcony staterooms rising six decks high with views of the Park below and the sky above. [Royal Caribbean Press]

The new Central Park will be surrounded by different types of bars and restaurants, ranging from elegant fine restaurants to causal bars, as well as stylish selection of upscale boutique shops.

When Project Genesis launches in late 2009 it will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. The 220,000-ton ship will span 16 decks, carry 5,400 guests, and feature 2,700 staterooms. The ship will sail from Fort Lauderdale, FL.

A neuro-technology company called Emotiv has unveiled a revolutionary personal interface for human computer interaction that makes it possible for video games to be controlled and influenced by the player’s mind.

Emotiv Systems, headquartered in San Francisco, California, was founded in 2003 by four award-winning scientists and executives: internationally recognized neuroscientist Professor Allan Snyder, chip-design pioneer Neil Weste, and technology entrepreneurs Tan Le and Nam Do. These founders all shared the same inspiring vision: to introduce the immediacy of thought to the human-machine dialogue. Together they have developed a technology that utterly transforms the way we interact with computers.

While Emotiv is currently focusing on the electronic gaming industry, the applications for the Emotiv EPOC™ technology and interface span an amazing variety of potential industries — interactive television, accessibility design, market research, medicine, even security. Plans for introducing Emotiv into these and other broad realms are already in the works. [Emotiv]

 

The neuroheadset prototype, called Emotiv EPOC, uses a set of sensors to tune into electric signals produced naturally by the brain to perceive player thoughts, feelings and expressions. It connects via wireless with all gaming platforms, from PCs to consoles.

The device will be available later this year and will cost $299. It will be sold with a range of games designed by Emotiv, but users will be able to use it with existing PC games.

Yahoo has announced a partnership with rival Google to start testing Google-generated ads in its website during a period of two weeks. A starting date was not specified.

The test will involve placing Google search ads to about 3% of the queries made in the U.S. through Yahoo’s search engine. After the two-week trial, Yahoo will evaluate whether it generates more revenue by outsourcing ads from Google or through its own ad sales system.

Yahoo’s move is clearly an attempt to show Microsoft that it has other options besides taking its initial bid of $42 billion (or $31a share). Over the weekend, Microsoft set a three-week deadline for Yahoo to begin negotiations, a demand Yahoo declined by restating its contention the offer undervalues the company.

Microsoft fired back saying that a deal between Yahoo and Google would make the search market less competitive.

Indeed, according to ComScore’s MediaMetrix data, Yahoo’s market share continues to drop and accounts to 21.6% in February. In the same way, Microsoft’s share is also down to 9.6% for the month of February. In the meantime, Google’s share has grown to 59.2% for the same time period. If a Google-Yahoo alliance occurred, it would represent a total of about 81% of the total search market.

Yahoo said it would add new voice-enabled features to its mobile platform to make Web search easier to cellphone users.

The new OneSearch 2.0 technology will let consumers use voice commands for search services beyond current mobile voice recognition systems. The service will allow wider searches for locations, restaurants, flight information, Web sites, news or local listings.

Yahoo mobile voice searches may take as little as five seconds to recognize the search and to return the results to the device on conventional networks and from 10 to 20 seconds on slower networks.Yahoo plans to introduce the service on 500 different devices and international markets by the end of the year. Consumers will be able to download OneSearch at m.yahoo.com/voice.The company, which predicts there will be more than 40 times more mobile devices than PCs by 2010, expects to monetize OneSearch and other mobile services such as instant messaging or e-mail through advertising.

Amazon has launched a new service that allows shoppers to compare prices and buy products on their cellphones via text-messaging.

The service, called TextBuyIt, is designed to let users text the name of a product, its description, its UPC or its ISBN to “Amazon” (262966 on the keypad) and then returning matching items as well as prices. Buyers can instantly purchase their selection by texting back the single-digit identification number next to desired item. Amazon then calls to confirm the order and walk the customer through the checkout process.

Amazon will be facing competitors such as mShopper, which launched a similar mobile shopping service in 2007.