Uggghh!

Nothing other to say than, "Uggghh!" Thanks for reading.

Photosynth demo

This is another great video from TED, it's a bit old (one year) but it's amazing.



If you want to try this technology out, head over to the Microsoft labs website. (Requires Internet Explorer.) Let me know what you think in the comments.

Lost Generation: work is more important than family

Omni-directional treadmill allows individuals to sashay through virtual cities

Though not the first omni-directional treadmill we've ever seen, this version crafted for the EU-funded CyberWalk Project is entirely more interesting. The 6- x 6-meter device features an active walking area of 4.5- x 4.5-meters, and later this month, individuals anxious to prance through a virtual city will be able to strap on a head-mounted display, lace up their LA Lights and indulge in escapism. Aside from giving curious persons the ability to walk through a recreated version of ancient Pompeii, the device could also be used to meander through buildings not yet created or give firefighters a way to train without placing them in harm's way. Now, if only there was an option to dissolve into pixels and teleport to locales you find particularly intriguing, we'd be sold.

 

[via Engadget]

Xbox 360 Version Of Wii Remote In Development Since Summer | MTV News

MTV News has an apparent insider who claims that Microsoft is developing a motion controller for the Xbox 360. I thought that this mole, if you will, sounded pretty legit until he claimed that they are also copying the idea of personal avatars similar to the mii's on the Nintendo Wii. I don't think MS would blatantly copy something cheesy like these mii's. We'll have to wait and see. Click the link below for the full article.

Xbox 360 Version Of Wii Remote In Development Since Summer | Game News Story | Multiplayer Gaming | MTV News

Click here for the informants sketch of the controller.

Pachter: EA could delay GTA IV's April 29 release - Joystiq

Mr. Michael Pachter – everyone's favorite clairvoyant video game analyst – has a knack for making headlines. Whether it's "Pachter snubs pal Lohan in Viper Club debacle" or "EA could delay GTA IV's April 29 release" we tend to take notice. On the latest episode of Bonus Round, Pachter told host Geoff Keighley, "I think if EA takes over Take-Two, they have an economic incentive to delay [Grand Theft Auto IV]." What economic incentive might that be? Why, to hold the release until the far more lucrative fourth quarter. As for why Take-Two isn't simply doing that itself, the Pach explains, "Take-Two, financially, has to get that game out ... they need the money. They need to get it out."
That's all well and good but, you see, it's just that we've had April 29th circled on our Strauss Zelnick pinup calendar (in permanent marker no less) for over two months and, since Peter Moore really dropped the ball, we also went ahead and got that date tattooed on our far less impressive biceps. So, to recap, if EA manages to merge their giant family with Take-Two's impressive roster, your plans for May are shot and we're going to have a funny tattoo story to tell the grandkids.

[via joystiq]

Ubisofts Ghost Recon Page Covered With Burning File

When visiting Ubisofts Ghost Recon site visitors are presented with a burning file folder overlay. No other information is given. One could assume that this is a teaser for something to come, or that someone is trying to burn the inter-webs to f*ck.


UPDATE
Here's what all the hullabaloo was about. Yawn...



Tom Clancy's HAWX. Nice name....

Theo Jansen: The art of creating creatures

Dutch artist Theo Jansen demonstrates his amazingly lifelike kinetic sculptures, built from plastic tubes and lemonade bottles. His "Strandbeests" (Beach Creatures) are built to move and even survive on their own.

 

 

Ouch! Microsoft takes action against Achievement Cheaters

In an attempt to curb the never ceasing onslaught of Achievement whores cheaters, Microsoft has implemented a new system to humiliate said cheaters into retirement.

Read all about it over at Mr. Larry Hyrbs blog.  Whadda you think?  Will it work?

Freebie: Get a Free Gun in Rainbow Six Vegas 2

Hushed Casket points out that people who purchased Rainbow Six Vegas 2 from Best Buy were given a code to unlock a free gun in the game. The thing is the code was printed on a sticker on the outside of the game. Better still it can be used by anyone who owns the game.

To unlock the gun go to the main menu of the game and do the following:

(Hold RB) Down, Down, Up, Up, X, B, X, B, Y, Up, Up, Y

This is almost as good as that free Comcast map.

[via Kotaku]

EA Charging For Bad Company Weapons?

Word from the Battlefield: Bad Company beta test is that several weapons in the game's arsenal are locked, with "Available for purchase on Xbox Live Marketplace" notations next to them. In total 10 weapons are listed as for sale, with five of them also available in the Gold Edition of the game. What this basically means is that people willing to drop a little extra cash, be it in the store or on Xbox Live, will have more weapons to choose from than someone who scrapes together just enough to pick up the game itself. This is not the way microtransactions should be used. Cosmetic additions and extra maps are all well and good, but allowing players to pay in order to get a leg up on the competition is just slimy. Multiplayer games suffer from enough balance issues without this sort of thing going on. Where will this lead? Perhaps eventually they'll allow you to purchase a much better surrogate player to represent you in matches, taking the term "professional gaming" to an all new level. Maybe we can pay for ammo next! "Everybody down! He bought extra clips!" *sigh*

[via Kotaku]

Sadly, the only real way for us consumers to combat this practice is to vote with our wallets. By not purchasing the game and or not purchasing the microtransactions it could send a message to EA and Microsoft that we're not going to take it. Also these "Microtransactions" seem to me to not be so micro anymore. We'll have to wait and see if this is the case.

Battlefield: Bad Company Multiplayer Beta

 

Starting March 25th EA will open up Beta testing for Battlefield: Bad Company.  To get in the Battlefield: Bad Company Beta click this Battlefield: Bad Company Beta Link.  Obviously you'll need a Gold Account on Xbox Live and live in North America.  See you there.

CoD4 Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack Dated and Priced

A new page over at xbox.com announced of the Call of Duty 4 variety map pack will be available for download Thursday, April 3 for 800 MS points.

The Variety Map Pack includes four new multiplayer maps. "Creek" is a
wide-open village ravaged by combat where concealment is the difference
between life and death. In "Broadcast," fight throughout an enemy
communications building with confined corridors and wide-open parking
lots. "Chinatown" is a foggy downtown district, lit only by a full moon
and the neon glow of the city. "Killhouse" features a desolate training
warehouse filled with a variety of building mock-ups and soft and hard
cover points.

These new maps can't come soon enough for me, I've pretty much had my fill of the current playlists. Hopefully these new maps will be integrated in a way that helps these maps occur in the hoppers more frequently.

Kinetic Robots

People who truly know me know that there are two things in this world I can not tolerate. One, are people who don't respect other peoples cultures. The second, is the Dutch. Truthfully you have to admire Dutch ingenuity and perseverance. Take for instance Theo Jansen, he calls himself a "Kinetic Sculptor." I think this is f'ing sick.

Creepy Chinese Woman

This is kind of creepy. I don't know what the use for this site is, other than being creepy. But... Yeah... Check it out.

Call of Duty 4 Gun Sounds

An ode to the Maltese (Video)

Thanks for the inspiration R080T and MxEighty!

Maltese (RIP)

An ode to the Maltese

Rest In Peace, oh grand Maltese.
Your light shone so bright, it burned out in one night.
We put you in a grammy-que. We mistook you for a chupacabra too.
We sprinkled you with cheese. You went best with our favorite cantonese.
You intimidate us with every sight. You piss us off almost every night.
Soon Zirik will be one too, until then we will all miss you.

Activision May Be Considering A Massively Multiplayer Call Of Duty

The head cheese at Activision, Bobby Kotick, recently made headlines for his assertion that, in order to compete properly with World of Warcraft, publishers may need to invest nearly a billion dollars in such a venture. Fortunately for Kotick and crew, they now have access to the big brains at Blizzard and Vivendi, a group of folks who know quite a bit about the MMO business. How then, can Activision exploit its biggest earners into even bigger financial monsters?

The Activision CEO says that during the first few months of integration planning with Vivendi, they asked themselves some serious questions about what they consider "the fastest growing markets in the world", including Asian markets and MMOs.

As an example, Kotick said to investors at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference, "What would be the natural evolution of a property like Call of Duty into a massively-multiplayer environment and how do you monetize that?"

Kotick parlayed that into a thought on in-game advertising, in which he pointed to Starcraft as a model for short-session, ladder tournament play that can easily support ad spots. While a Call of Duty MMO may be a long way off, if it ever gets off the ground, it's starting to sound like Activision execs may be giving it serious thought and we'd expect it to be a big focus for the publisher's ad revenue model.

[via kotaku]

Kid gets punk'd into thinking he's getting an Xbox 360

Apparently after his mom purchased the Xbox this kid peaked and learned about it early. He supposedly received the Xbox later. Kind of harsh, but it'll teach him to not mess with mama.

World Wide Telescope

When I was in the fourth and fifth grades I wanted nothing more in the world more than to be an astronaut when I grew up. I was enamored with astronomy and most of all discovery. So, when I watched this video it really took me back to that time. I read a lot of things on the web, I peruse hundreds of stories everyday, it's rare that I find one that moves me, inspires me, or makes me feel that the world we live in is great. Lame, right? My personal feelings. I hope you enjoy this video and that it impacts you like it has me.

I recommend that you download the High Res .mp4 (QuickTime). But you can watch the flash version below if you don't want to go to the trouble.



The website mentioned in the video is here. I can't wait to see this.

Music using only OS sounds

Music using only Windows XP and Windows 98 sounds.


And a version for our Mac OSX brethren.

Thanks Geek Squad!

Geek Squad: For those too stupid to install 360 games by themselves. Link to Flikr

3D Gaming Effects using the Wii Remote and Sensor Bar

It seems to me that there would be some limitations to this, considering the way that most of us currently play games. However, it definitely would give game developers more creative options for games. To see more projects from Johnny Lee, he's clearly a bright individual, visit his research page.

[Edit]
A version of this will be added to Steven Spielberg's game Boom Blox as an "easter egg."

[thanks R080T]

Gears of War 2 Teaser Trailer

Video: Gears of War 2 GDC Teaser

Gears of War 2 Oficially Announced

Via TeamXbox.com

CliffyB has officially announced Gears of War 2. He just said on stage that Gears of War 2 will be "bigger, better and more badass" than the first game, which was just a set up for all the things that we are going to see in Gears of War 2.

The game will feature massive crowds of characters, dynamic fluid effects, structural degradation of solid objects, ambient occlusion to improve shadow highlights and many more features.

On a side note: I cant wait to see more of every bodies favorite game developer, Cliffy B., in the news for the next year. Also, be sure to check out the GoW2 Theme, Gamer pics, and Trailer in the Xbox Live Marketplace. "CLIFFY MUTHATRUCKIN B!"

Prototype

If you want to know more about what Prototype is all about, check out this link over at Xbox 360 Fanboy. This game looks like it could be interesting.

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

Recent rumors confirmed. Toshiba, creator of the HD DVD format, has conceded defeat to Blu-Ray.

Press Release

19 February, 2008

Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content

TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.

There has been no word whether Microsoft will release a Blu-Ray player for the Xbox 360. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't, considering Microsoft's stance on digital downloads and rival Sony's inclusion of Blu-Ray in its PS3. Then again, they might release one to show that they are on par with the PS3. I'm sure there is more to come.

Achievement Whore

Do you know an Achievement Whore? I thought that I did, until I watched this.



[Thanks MxEighty]

360's failure rate now pegged at 16 percent

Via Xbox360 Fanboy

It's no secret that early Xbox 360 hardware breaks and breaks often. So much so that last Summer, Microsoft had to pony up a few billions to extend the 360's warranty just to make consumers happy. Now, with new failure estimates hitting the news-wire, we learn how bad it (potentially) was.

A recent report coming from electronics warranty analyst SquareTrade has estimated that 16.4% of all Xbox 360 consoles has a hardware defect. A huge number when compared to the estimated 3% failure rate of both the PS3 and Wii. The estimate was calculated from a sampling of 1000 consoles as SquareTrade reports that overheating problems were the main cause of hardware failures. They also expect the failure rates to climb over time as more and more 360 owners encounter the eventual effects of overheated consoles. The bright side at the ends of this gloomy, monochrome rainbow is the fact that 16.4% is a lot less than the once rumored 30% failure rate. So, that's kind of good. We guess that's the best job we can do at putting a "good news spin" on this.

Call of Duty 4 Patch Now Headed to Microsoft for Certification

Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward Community Relations Manager, has announced that the new feature patch for the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4 has finished it’s internal testing and development and has officially been sent off to Microsoft for Certification. Below is a list of some of the new features found in this upcoming patch:

New Kill Cams

We’ve added new Kill Cams for everything. So now those “WTF!” grenades that seemingly come from no where, you can see that a guy threw it over the house, it hit a tree branch, bounced off a rock, into a tiny window, where you happened to be pointing out of, and say…… whoa. Follow behind RPGs and M203’s kill cams, claymores, Airstrikes where you can follow the bomb from the plane until it hits you.

Host Migration

Now you won’t have to be dropped back by yourself when a host leaves. Instead, everyone will stay together, a new host will be assigned, and the game will auto-start back up. Keeping everyone together, no more re-inviting, re-joining games because some host leaves. This has been a tall order and something that we’ve put a lot of work into which has allowed us to really optimize online play all around not just specifically with Host migration.

Improved Sniper / ACOG Accuracy

Sniper and ACOG scopes have been tweaked and are really improved. I use to not snipe at all (mainly because I’m a horrible sniper), but now it’s so much more fluid and natural, while still having the same difficulty to use, it has no more “WTF I know I hit that guy!” moments.

Upgraded Spectator Cam

Now when you’re in spectator mode you can follow them in 3rd person, switch to their first person view, or rotate the camera in a full 360 degrees around whoever you’re watching.

Quick Mute Option

Users will now be able to quick mute players on the fly by pulling up the scoreboard in-game or via the lobby by simply going to their name and hitting the mute assigned button. As quickly as calling in and designating an airstike. So no longer getting killed while trying to make your way through the Xbox blades for the mute option so you can shut up the guy who always seems to find it funny to sing into his mic or cover up for his lack of skill by telling you how to play Domination his way.

Netflix coming to Xbox 360 and PS3?

Via Engadget

According to a blogged up blog post on the interblogs, a Netflix survey that's supposedly been making the rounds suggests that the service may be coming to both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. If you believe what Seanbajuice has to say, the survey asked, "If as part of your Netflix membership you could instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your TV with your PS/3 or XBOX 360, how likely would you/anyone in your household be to do that?" The survey then goes on to state that both the PS3 and the 360 will be able to play streaming media by using a "special Netflix disc." Here's the kicker: there won't be any extra fees besides the $3 charge for the disc. Of course, nothing is mentioned about how the PS3 will handle the Microsoft-based DRM, and while the whole thing sounds too good to be true, there have been rumblings about this recently, so let's just cross our fingers and make a wish, okay?

I for one would be stoked to see this happen, that is if it's integration with the Xbox 360 is designed right.

Apple applies for trademark protection on gaming devices

Via Engadget

We're not gonna read too much into this just yet, but when everyone's favorite fruit-flavored consumer electronics company files to protect its trademark as it relates to a wide range of gaming devices, well, we feel you'd want to know. The USPTO sleuths over at Trademork just gave us the heads up on this recently-filed application from Cupertino, which requests protection of the word "APPLE" for products that classify as "toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games." And come to think of it, we did see Apple file for a videogame-related patent not too long ago, so who knows: perhaps the iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV will soon have even more friends among the company's ever-expanding non-PC ecosystem. Then again, we've heard this rumor in one form or another countless times before, and right now pining for a resurrected Gizmondo is already giving us enough headaches.

Remember the Apple Pippin? I remember that it sounded pretty cool back in the day. If Apple does make the leap into the video game market it could make things pretty interesting.

Casino (NSFW)

Amazing CoD4 Flashbang Headshot

In a world where someone gets a headshot kill with a flashbang on their PC version of CoD4.

Zero Punctuation: Call of Duty 4

I've been a big fan of Zero Punctuation for awhile now, and I've wondered if he'd ever get to CoD4, so I was pumped to see this.

Mass Errect err. Mass Effect DLC inbound

I know a lot of people were disappointed with some elements of Mass Effect I still think it's a decent game. Don't get me wrong, it's not game of the year by any stretch of the imagination (sorry R080T), but it does have a compelling storyline and a strange draw to it. AKA, hot blue chicks.

Anyways, today Bioware announced the first download content information to the masses. Get it MASSes, I digress. Here is the post from Bioware's Community Coordinator, Chris Priestly.

To date, over 1.6 million gamers have explored the engaging sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. Beginning on March 10, fans everywhere will be able to expand the “Mass Effect” experience with the release of the first ever downloadable content for the award-winning saga.

The Bring Down the Sky downloadable content pack will be released to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Monday, March 10 at 2 a.m. PST, and will be available for 400 MS points. This is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that further expands the Mass Effect universe and continues the adventures of Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew.

Bring Down the Sky includes a new uncharted world that introduces the notorious and feared alien race of the Batarians. A Batarian extremist group has hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

Bring Down the Sky contains approximately 90 minutes of heart-pounding action and a new Achievement worth 50 Gamerscore points.

How to spot a Falcon 65nm 360 in the wild

Thank goodness I'm not in the market for a new Xbox 360, but I thought that this article could be beneficial to those of you who maybe looking for a new one. It seems pretty easy to pick out, without opening the box. Let's hope that the new chip-sets are more reliable than their older counterpart.

New Call of Duty 4 DLC to release this Spring... Wait, WTF?

According to Xbox 360 Fanboy, new download content will be released via XBLM starting in the spring. The download content will consist of "a few new multiplayer maps." I was hoping to see some DLC sooner rather than later, but it looks like we'll have to wait just a bit longer. There was no word in the article about the bug patch that was supposedly to be released before the end of last year, we'll probably have to wait for that too.

Black Holes & Revelations

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a writer. Nor do I know a lot about some of the things I love. But I do want to write about things that I love. Those things being music, video games, books, television, cars, technology, internet.... Let's just say I love lots of things, o.k.? Anyway, my friend Ryan just introduced me to a band called Muse, specifically the album Black Holes & Revelations. Now that I've heard the album in its entirety, a few times, ,I feel somewhat comfortable in giving a rating of sorts. I understand that I'm treading on sticky ground here, due to the varying tastes of peoples music. I do however have the best taste in music. J/K. Just take my reviews with a grain of salt and try it if you like what I have to say.

In general I really enjoyed the experience. The album seems to be a commentary of sorts sprinkled with reminders (to me) of other bands, such as U2, The Killers, Radiohead, Pet Shop Boys, and Robb Zombie. Some of the songs seem too political, such as Soldiers Poem and Exo-Politics. I respect their views but I don't usually want to be reminded of such things when I'm enjoying music.

Invincible, Assassin, and City of Delusion really made me feel like jamming. Nice guitars and beats sweetly intermixed with synthesizers gave these songs depth as well as variety. Starlight kind of took me back to simpler times of my life, really reminding me of feelings of falling in love (I know, but I'm a lover deep down).

Knights of Cydonia is a rocking song that is featured on the Guitar Hero III videogame. Playing the song in the game is technically challenging but fun to play. Most importantly it's a good listen and is a great climax to the album, if you will.
7.5/10