Byte size news: Shooters soon set firepower record

The blistering sales of the latest Call of Duty show you can't beat a war-time economy.
The first-person shooter game Call of Duty: Black Ops set a record, single-day sales figures of US$360 million ($485 million) on its opening day, going on to make US$650 million in its first five days.
Now it's topped the US$1 billion mark in less than six weeks.
In comparison, last year's Call of Duty, the then record-setting Modern Warfare 2, brought in US$550 million sales in its first five days and US$1 billion in its first two months.
In addition to the whopping cash figures, more than 600 million hours have already been logged with online play.
Activision Publishing says: "Call of Duty is more than a game, it's a true community."
Good drivers rewarded
Wouldn't it be great if safe and cautious drivers could get insurance premiums that reflected their meticulous motoring?
Well, an innovative programme being trialled in the United States offers just that. Insurance company Progressive has a snapshot programme where drivers can save up to 30 per cent on their car insurance based on how and when they drive. After drivers sign up for the programme they are sent a device that plugs into the on-board diagnostic port of their car.
It then records and sends driving data, such as speed, duration times they drive and braking.
At the end of 30 days, the data is crunched and a very competitive premium price produced.
"The Snapshot Discount is transforming auto insurance because, for the first time, drivers can pay for car insurance based on how they drive," says Progressive manager Richard Hutchinson.
Google maps the body
Not content with just mapping the world, Google has launched a project that tackles a new frontier - the human body.
Called The Body Browser, it's similar to their Google Earth, but instead of scoping around the world it looks at the human body.
Described as a detailed 3D model of the human body, the service can be accessed only by Google's Chrome web browser.
The service will allow users to check out tissue and muscle layers of the body and magnify and rotate them.
Every aspect of the human body will be able to be scoped out.
"Body Browser is a detailed, interactive 3D model," Google representative Jason Freidenfelds says.
"You can search, explore different layers of human anatomy, rotate, and zoom in on parts in which you are particularly interested.
"Perhaps it's analogous to the way geospatial imagery has made it easier to explore the world in engaging and informative ways."

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