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Lord of the Rings

Hobbit Film Trailer Posted Online 257

bonch writes "The trailer for the film adaptation of The Hobbit by Peter Jackson has been posted online by ComingSoon. The film, due December 14, 2012, is subtitled "An Unexpected Journey" and will be followed by a second film in 2013 that will tie the story with the Lord of the Rings trilogy." I'm glad to hear that they've kept the Misty Mountains song and I'll be greatly disappointed if an updated version of "Funny Little Things" or "Down, Down to Goblin Town" doesn't make the cut also.

Comment Re:Great Setting (Score 1) 148

As someone who has lived in the Southwest for the past 20 odd years, I wholeheartedly agree with respect to the attention to environmental detail that Rockstar has given this game. They have created an entertaining escape through a beautiful setting and an interesting plot, which in my book is more than enough to be a success as a game. There are certainly plenty of nits to pick as far as gameplay issues, although (for me) these aren't so detrimental as to warrant anything but a thumbs up for the title.

Comment Re:Don't like it? Don't pay them. (Score 1) 221

Didn't a bunch of folks buy a game, with a stated pricing and gameplay model?

The game is free, so nobody bought anything as far as a gameplay or pricing model. The only thing they could have bought into was an in-game item that does a specific thing and still does that same thing as promised today.

And then later, EA changed the pricing and gameplay model to something that makes more money?

Sounds like classic bait and switch to me. They probably need to be sued for this one...

I don't see what you would sue them for, changing the prices of some unnecessary in-game items after you agreed in the EULA that they could change things in their game, which they are allowing you to play for free, whenever they wanted? Go ahead and try that.

Comment Re:The gameplay (Score 1) 125

Gameplay is something we haven't figured out for non-handicapped players. My gf was complaining about a game, all movement is controlled by using the mouse. Move it forward to walk, move sideways to turn, restore to where it was to stop turning.

If you're disabled and would rather use keyboards, it's not an option in this game. If you're not disabled, it's still not an option.

Ensuring all controls are programmable would go a long way to helping everyone, not just the disabled (or just my gf, which would improve my standard of living).

Early in the process, someone decides the game should be controlled this way, and it affects a lot of other decisions. You can't make a WII game that suddenly requires a keyboard to solve a puzzle, or switch weapons fast enough to defeat a boss, so the gameplay sits on those decisions.

Is it possible to lock onto a target and walk around? Or do you omit locking and strafe instead, making the user strafe and rotate simultaneously to avoid being hit while remaining on target? Are the fire and strafe/lock buttons ones you can hold at the same time (preferably different hands) or do you have to hold both the triangle and x buttons while pushing L2? These things need to be abstracted away so anyone can play any game with any input device. A NES controller with USB hack on the end, or mind reading, or voice, or keyboard, or mouse plus anything else, should be equally possible. Not equally successful as I've pointed out, but possible.

If one particular board or puzzle requires certain faculties, that should be clearly labeled (parkinson's might cause problems playing because the aiming system sucks, blindness might leave out details because it's supposed to be a surprise reveal but we didn't include subtitles because no one's talking).

Technology

Silent Microchip 'Fan' Has No Moving Parts 136

Stony Stevenson writes "Researchers in the US have developed a microchip fan with no moving parts that operates silently and generates enough wind to cool a laptop computer. The solid-state fan, developed with support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), is touted as the most powerful and energy efficient fan of its size. The device produces three times the flow rate of a typical small mechanical fan and is one-fourth the size. The technology has the power to cool a 25W chip with a device smaller than one cubic-cm and can someday be integrated into silicon to make self-cooling chips, according to the researchers."
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - MacBook Pro line gets Santa Rosa chipset

frdmfghtr writes: TechNewsWorld is reporting that Apple has updated the MacBook Pro line with the Santa Rosa chipset from Intel. In addition, Apple is also introducing mercury-free displays with some models. FTA:

When Apple presented new editions of its MacBook line last month, the company excluded the latest Intel Centrino chips, dubbed "Santa Rosa," which had been released just days prior. The chips have found their way into Apple's new high-end MacBook Pro notebooks, which the company revealed Tuesday. Certain models use mercury-free displays, falling in line with the company's recent ecological promises.

Feed Cell Biology: Asymmetry Due To Perfect Balance (sciencedaily.com)

Cell membranes are like two-dimensional fluids whose molecules are distributed evenly through lateral diffusion. But many important cellular processes depend on cortical polarity, the locally elevated concentration of specific membrane proteins. A new mathematical model allows elucidation of universal principles in cell polarity.

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