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PC Games (Games)

Submission + - World of Warcraft borderline racketeering?

Submitted by jpolachak
jpolachak writes: I have been playing games for quite some time. I have even played some professionally. So I play World of Warcraft quite possibly the most dynamic and arguably the best game ever written. However I have had a severe problem with Blizzard(The makers of World of Warcraft for those of you who go outside). I woke up one morning and decided to check the auction house on WoW and see if my netherweave cloth had sold. Then I found out that my login did not work. I then decided to check my email and calm down. I then saw an email from Blizzard. It stated that your account was banned for using 3rd party software. I thought to myself are you kidding me. It also stated that if I wanted to dispute this the only way to accomplish anything was via email. So I then emailed account administration. I wrote a whole long article stating that I have never used 3rd party software. Hell I can't stand the people who use hacks in FPS games that I play. Well I then received an email in about 10 minutes stating that my account is being reviewed. Finally, after about 5 days I got a reply stating more or less we have looked at your account and our ruling stands. There was no information as to why I was banned. I then went through the whole process again hoping to get a different result. Hoping someone out there would believe me. Well in about a week after that I received more of the same email. However, none of the email ever told me what I did wrong. I have one question you need to ask yourself. Is it ok for Blizzard to never respond to people with the specifics or something as to why they were banned. I mean if you bought something at Sears you would expect that if you took it back and someone told you no. You would expect some kind of response as to why.

So my dilemma is this. I have started playing again. Not because I think Blizzard is doing things ethically but however because they quite possibly make the greatest game ever and I can help myself. So now how do I keep from getting banned again. Since I know that I did nothing wrong in the past? Thank You, Grotesk Gorefiend formerly Nekavon Burning Blade
Power

Submission + - Peak Coal in 15 years?

Submitted by
mdsolar
mdsolar writes: "Richard Heinberg has written an opinion at Energy Bulletin on two European studies which look at available data on proven coal reserves and consumption patterns which conclude the the 155 year figure for coal use is badly over estimated. Apparently, growth of coal use in China implies peak production there in 5 to 15 years while the US is already in decline in terms of energy extraction though not yet in terms of volume extraction owing to substitution of lower quality coal.

Heinberg discusses a number of implications including for climate change, suggesting that sequestration efforts may be seen as too expensive as coal prices begin to rise. Another idea is that

There is no "business-as-usual" option, even ignoring environmental impacts, given the resource constraints. Nations that are currently dependent on coal — China and the US especially — would be wise to begin reducing consumption now, not only in the interests of climate protection, but also to reduce societal vulnerability arising from dependence on a resource that will soon become more scarce and expensive.
Very few replacement technologies are scalable on this kind of time-scale: bio-fuels are already impacting food prices while the nuclear industry faces permiting, construction and training bottlenecks. Even solar faces a two year energy investment cost despite rapid monetary cost reductions, and , together with wind faces intermittancy issues. This news is unsettling and merits further consideration."
Biotech

Submission + - Biodiesel Brooklyn Bridge?

Submitted by isoscelated
isoscelated writes: I live in Hunterdon County NJ where officials want to build a $10M biodiesel conversion plant from a small German company called Alphakat, which uses some kind of secret technology to turn trash into biodiesel. I'm afraid this company is selling us the Brooklyn Bridge. Does anyone know if this technology really works? It just sounds too good to be true...
Businesses

Submission + - EA considering a shakeup.

Submitted by EWAdams
EWAdams writes: Reuters is reporting, after a correction, that John Riccitiello, the newly-appointed CEO of Electronic Arts, is considering "managerial changes" — shorthand for "someone's getting the chop."

"We will focus on improving execution and predictability," Riccitiello said on EA's quarterly conference call on May 8. "I will be working to align our team for increased accountability, agility and speed to market. My sense is we can be faster and better focused on capturing opportunities, increasing segment share and overall growth," he said.
... which is a fancy way of saying, "I'm planning to fire some people." EA is blaming anticipated revenue shortfalls on delays in shipping Spore, although there's no particular reason for thinking that Spore will be a big seller.

Games Are No Cause For Murder 112

Posted by Zonk from the there-very-rarely-is dept.
An anonymous reader writes "At Gamers With Jobs, Shawn Andrich speaks out against pointing the finger at videogames as a causative factor in a murder cases. He makes the excellent point that, though we may enjoy the metaphor, life is not a game. There is no simple connection between event A and event B. Our actions are dictated by experiences from a lifetime, and they should be addressed that way for good or ill. 'Life can't be framed up like a game of billiards. There is no easy eight ball, corner pocket shot to be made when trying to draw a line between cause and action ... Lasting, positive change will only come when we stop reaching for causes and start creating conditions that will support kids and teenagers who need it. We can't make anyone put the pin back in the grenade, but by supporting active, caring people who want to help, we might be able to influence some of those fateful decisions before it gets that far.'" GamePolitics on Joystiq has an editorial up looking at a similar question.

Feed Redflag to boost OpenOffice.org development (slashdot.org)

From feed by lcfeed
Redflag Chinese 2000, software subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Science, have announced a joint engineering agreement with Sun Microsystems to enhance Red Office. Red Office is the Chinese language version of the OpenOffice.org productivity...
Movies

Submission + - Finnish court rules CSS protection "ineffecti

Submitted by TimoP
TimoP writes: http://www.turre.com/blog/?p=102 Finnish court rules CSS protection used in DVDs "ineffective"

In an unanimous decision released today, Helsinki District Court ruled that Content Scrambling System (CSS) used in DVD movies is "ineffective". The decision is the first in Europe to interpret new copyright law amendments that ban the circumvention of "effective technological measures". The legislation is based on EU Copyright Directive from 2001. According to both Finnish copyright law and the underlying directive, only such protection measure is effective, "which achieves the protection objective." ...
Biotech

Submission + - Magnets May Mend Mice Memories

Submitted by
virgil_disgr4ce
virgil_disgr4ce writes: "NewScientist reports that a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can enhance long-term potentiation in mice, as well as increase proliferation of stem-cells:

TMS uses a magnetic coil to induce electric fields in the brain tissue — activating or deactivating groups of neurons, although the exact mechanism has remained unknown. One theory was that it aided learning and memory by strengthening brain circuits through a process called long-term potentiation (LTP).
The scientists hope the effect can be confirmed in humans, which would open up new ways of treating Alzheimer's and other age-related memory disorders."
Linux Business

Submission + - Dell Starts Selling Linux PCs

Submitted by
yonp
yonp writes: "Dell today announced three systems, two desktop machines and one notebook, with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux factory installation. MobileTechReview posts:

"Available in the U.S. after 4:00 p.m. CDT today at www.dell.com/open, the systems target the Linux enthusiast community and are a direct result of extensive customer feedback received since February via www.ideastorm.com, the company's Web site for fielding customers' suggestions to improve products, services and operations. About 30,000 IdeaStorm community members advocated that Dell offer systems with Linux pre-installed, and more than 100,000 participated in a follow-up survey to help determine customer preferences, including which Linux distribution to offer initially.""
Wii

Submission + - Wii Motherboards Changed to Prevent Piracy

Submitted by Croakyvoice
Croakyvoice writes: Nintendo in an effort to stop piracy on its Nintendo Wii Console is now shipping consoles in Japan with 3-pins that are physically cut from a surface-mounted IC, this latest move makes all present Wii modchips incapable of modding the new consoles. As yet this new motherboard change is only showing up in Japan where it has already pushed the price of consoles up.
Patents

Submission + - Linux vs. Microsoft, the Patent Slander Suit?

Submitted by Hoplite3
Hoplite3 writes: Recently, Microsoft bigwigs Balmer and Gates engaged in some patent sabre rattling directed at the Gnu/Linux operating system, claiming it violated 235 patents. Torvalds, Moglen, Shuttleworth, and others in the Linux community made some responses, but these didn't get the big airtime that the Microsoft claims did. All of these responses were reassurances that Microsoft didn't have a case, wouldn't take action, or wasn't the real threat. But what about a tougher, legal, response? What about a slander suit?

Here's the deal: would you be willing to donate money to a slander suit against Microsoft? Their comments reduced the value of Linux, value that keeps big corporations donating money and the time of their employees. It shouldn't be hard to establish this as the intention of the remarks. Microsoft can always use the standard slander defense of showing their statements are true. Of course, that would force them to state specifically which patents were violated, exactly what they'd like to avoid. If the suit was successful, the money could be stocked away to pay for future patent battles for Free Software. If it fails because Microsoft discloses the specific violations, these can actually be dealt with. This is a win-win situation for Linux, and a put-up or shut-up situation for Microsoft.

There are some wrinkles. Microsoft just has to show that they believe the statements they made to be true. The Free Software plaintiff would have to establish the damage done. This muddies the waters, but isn't it worth a try? The possibility of forcing disclosure is too tempting to pass up.

For me, and for many of you too, Linux is an essential daily tool that makes my life easier. These threats to its existence are odious and upsetting because they raise the possibility of the death of Linux. We need to fight zealously to maintain our favorite OS.

It would also set a precedent that Linux will fight patents head-on, rather than in some licensing deal. It would be the equivalent of ballistic missile defenses in the mutually assured destruction world of patents. It could also be a good landmark case in patent defense. Establishing a legal precedent of slander suits to force patent disclosure could up the ante for baseless patent threats in the marketplace.
Sony

Submission + - New PS3 firmware scales PS2 games to 1080p

Submitted by
JamesO
JamesO writes: "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that PlayStation 3 firmware version 1.80 will enable the console to upscale DVD moves, PSone games and PlayStation 2 games to a maximum of 1080p when viewed on a compatible television set. A 1080p resolution when viewing DVDs is only available when using HDMI.

Version 1.80 also allows users to enjoy Remote Play on their PSP across the internet, making it possible to access their PlayStation 3 from anywhere in the world via broadband.

Another addition with the new firmware is the ability to stream media content over a home network, further enhancing the PS3's abilities as a home entertainment hub. PS3 owners with a compatible Epson USB printer will now also be able to print pictures directly from the PS3.

PlayStation 3 firmware version 1.80 will be available from May 24.

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/news/23-05-2007-5553.html"
Space

Submission + - Orbiter Space Flight Simulator

Submitted by
pile0nades
pile0nades writes: "Orbiter is a Free As In Beer space flight sim. Ever wanted a game where you can fly to LEO, the Moon, Mars or whereever else you want? This is it, and it's done with realistic physics too. You can rendezvous and dock with ISS, reenter and land at Cape Canaveral. You can plot a course for Mars or any other planet using the TransX display. And there's no load screen between planets either. What's cool about this though, is if you go to Mars, you don't have to sit there for 6 months. There's a time acceleration feature that speeds up time by up to 100,000 x realtime (1 day goes by in less than a second), reducing the trip time to just a few minutes. It includes the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the futuristic DeltaGlider space plane, and the powerful cargo ship Shuttle-A (no relation to the Space Shuttle) as flyable ships, plus the tiny ShuttlePB (small personal ship) and the Dragonfly (for moving cargo and space station parts). Orbiter also has a huge number of addon ships and mods. Popular addons include the DeltaGliderIV, an advanced version of the stock DeltaGlider; OrbiterSound, which provides background and engine sounds; the Firefly from the movie Serenity; OuterPlanets, which adds many small moons of the outer planets not included in the base install. And yes, there's a Pluto addon too. For managing addon installs, I use the simple JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler."
Enlightenment

Submission + - Does this video game make my ass look fat

Submitted by Funny Finder
Funny Finder writes: How much more weight will you gain if you play video games all day.Well if you believe a resent Japanese study that just came out it's 6 kilograms (13.2 lbs.).After 60 kids aged 8-14 years old spent 4 hours a day for 6 months playing assorted video games they averaged a gain of 6 kilos more than they should. Rest Of The Story
PC Games (Games)

Submission + - Blizzard makes WoW wish virtual reality

Submitted by mobydobius
mobydobius writes: Blizzard makes young cancer patient's wish come true: He becomes a small part of the WoW storyline.

Okay so this is a little more sentimental than your typical slashdot fare, but the father in this article is my best friend and I just love his kid so much that I want everyone to know his story. And hey, it's WoW; it's Blizzard; so it's tangentially relevant.

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