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Robotics

BattleBots Delayed, Will Go Brains Over Babes->

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes "We got all excited earlier this week about robo-combat returning to TV with ESPN, but now PopMech super geek Erik Sofge talks to the folks at BattleBots and finds out that because of so many early entries, the competition will be delayed until at least November. The reason? Gone are the babes and predictable wedge fights, in are eager engineering students, a crazy ramp arena and lots of new rules. Worth the wait, or do we miss the Comedy Central version?"
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Security

Your Sewer on Drugs->

Submitted by rabbit
rabbit writes "Sewage is more than just filth. It's evidence of our worst habits, everything from caffeine to cocaine, all ingested and flushed down the toilet. Now scientists are using wastewater to drug-test entire cities, and the results are sobering. The bulk of the article follows Jörg Rieckermann, a Swiss-trained environmental engineer, who is one of a handful of scientists in the world pioneering a controversial new field known as sewer epidemiology. The goal — to provide the first truly objective estimate of illegal-drug consumption."
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Engadget: Netflix picks Blu-ray, good luck renting an HD DVD soon->

From feed by engfeed

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

In what can only be classified as yet another crushing blow to the embattled HD DVD camp, rent-by-mail giant Netflix has just announced its intention to only stock Blu-ray titles in the future. Netflix justified its decision by pointing out the fact that most Hollywood studios seem to be converging solely around the Sony-backed format -- a fact that's all too familiar to Toshiba and friends. With both Blockbuster and now the 'Flix having eschewed HD DVD for BD, it's gonna get harder and harder to even find a place to rent those former discs in the first place, let alone one that has a decent selection.

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Games

GTAIV Dated to April 29th 61

Posted by Zonk
from the grand-theft-awesome dept.
Joystiq is reporting that Take-Two has nailed down a final release date for Grand Theft Auto IV . When they delayed the game last year, they said they were aiming for a February to April target, and they're making it ... barely. "If you've checked out the multitude of previews that dropped this week, you'd know that game is looking really, really awesome, so we're counting on Rockstar to hit its date this time around. What more is there to say, really? GTA IV. April 29."
Games

THQ Acquires Big Huge Games 8

Posted by Zonk
from the big-for-them dept.
Gamasutra reports that Rise of Nations (and Catan) developer Big Huge Games has been purchased by publisher THQ. Last May we discussed their RPG alliance, and the Gamastura article notes that this 'getting to know you' period was instrumental in the purchase. "We asked THQ's [executive vice president of worldwide studios Jack Sorensen] if, when working with developers to publish a title, they regularly consider bringing those developers in-house. 'We're not unique there," he conceded, "but yeah, every external group that we work with, it's always in the back of our minds. Rather than it being purely financially driven -- although that's a big component -- it's more about [finding] the next group of game developers that can really add a unique take on the studio system, either from a genre or platform perspective, but also fit in well so that we can continue the culture that we built.'" Additional commentary from RPS.
XBox (Games)

townhall.com slanders Mass Effect

Submitted by
ObiWanStevobi
ObiWanStevobi writes "Although this is yesterdays news, the "news" site townhall has still refused to tkae down an article that describes the game Mass Effect thusly:

And because of the digital chip age in which we live — "Mass Effect" can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however, the game player wishes.

With it's "over the net" capabilities virtual orgasmic rape is just the push of a button away.

It's called "Mass Effect" and it allows its players — universally male no doubt — to engage in the most realistic sex acts ever conceived. One can custom design the shape, form, bodies, race, hair style, breast size of the images they wish to "engage" and then watch in crystal clear, LCD, 54 inch screen, HD clarity as the video game "persons" hump in every form, format, multiple, gender-oriented possibility they can think of.

The regular, site supported columnist goes on to make more ridiculous claims about the game and gamers in general that are completely false and offensive. If you missed it, it's a must read. This guy makes Jack Thompson look reasonable by comparison."
Databases

Journal: TD Ameritrade found unauthorized code in its database

Journal by WanaBeGeek
TD Ameritrade is releasing some interesting findings going back to complaints over the past year of selling customer info to pump and dump spammers. The article goes on to state that: UserIDs, personal identification numbers and passwords were not stored in that particular database, and so client assets remain secure, it added. Information that was taken from the database includes email addresses, names, addresses and phone numbers of both retail and institutional clients.

Who messed with my anti-paranoia shot?