Comment I'd like an Xbox version of all my PS3 titles. (Score 1) 386
That too....
Comment My new overpowered, offline, BD-Player. (Score 1) 386
I'd like some Blu-Ray's. Because that's what my PS3 just became, an offline BD-Player. It's not the fact that my information was compromised, something that nobody can claim they can protect perfectly. It's at risk anywhere I use it. It's what they did that started this. I am by no means a Microsoft Fan Boy, but when their Windows 7 phone got compromised, they invited the team who jailbroke it to Redmond, all expense paid, and sat down and had a pow-wow with the group that did it. They all got the royalty treatment, and the shirts that said "I hacked the Windows 7 phone and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" was a riot. What Microsoft did was classy. I don't condone terrorism at all, but that's what whoever is attacking Sony is doing. They are being Digital Terrorists. In the end, I hope the corporate world looks at this and adds to their mission statement.
"We will not fuck with our customers".
Bookmark Interview with Azuritereaction, YouTube RockBand drumming sensation. (rockgamer.com)
Comment Tag (Score 1) 525
BTW, if you want to get ready for this now, the tag is <acid2test4thewin>
Office 2003 Service Pack Disables Older File Formats 555
time961 writes "In Service Pack 3 for Office 2003, Microsoft disabled support for many older file formats. If you have old Word, Excel, 1-2-3, Quattro, or Corel Draw documents, watch out! They did this because the old formats are 'less secure', which actually makes some sense, but only if you got the files from some untrustworthy source. Naturally, they did this by default, and then documented a mind-bogglingly complex workaround (KB 938810) rather than providing a user interface for adjusting it, or even a set of awkward 'Do you really want to do this?' dialog boxes to click through. And of course because these are, after all, old file formats ... many users will encounter the problem only months or years after the software change, while groping around in dusty and now-inaccessible archives."
EVE-Online Patch Makes XP Unbootable 572
Nobo writes "CCP's latest major patch to the EVE-Online client, Trinity, comes with an optional DX9-enhanced graphics patch that dramatically improves the visual quality of the in-game graphics through remade models, textures, and HDR. It also has an unfortunate bug: the incredibly stupid choice of boot.ini as a game configuration file, coupled with an errant extra backslash in the installer configuration. The result is that anyone who installs the enhanced graphics patch overwrites the windows XP c:\boot.ini file with the EVE client configuration file, bricking the machine on the next boot. Discussion in a couple of forums threads is becoming understandably heated."
Wii 'Popularity Bubble' to Burst? 426
A combination of industry and developer observations has prompted Tech.co.uk to wonder if the Wii's overwhelming popularity is due to end sometime soon. This is based on a report from Japanese business newspaper The Nikkei, which published an article recently entitled 'Software Houses Miscalculate Audience, Demand For Wii'. "The report goes on to discuss the likelihood that many Wiis are gathering dust in owners' cupboards, citing one software house president as saying, 'People bought it out of curiosity, and it's likely a lot of them haven't used it.' Given that September saw Wii sales fall sharply in Japan for the second consecutive month, it seems reasonable to speculate that the bubble inflated by the novelty factor is starting to deflate, but writing Nintendo off at any stage is a perilous course to steer." Is this just worrying, or is there validity to this?
Sex Pistols Reunite For Guitar Hero III 47
1up is reporting that the Sex Pistols are getting the band back together for at least one recording session. They're laying down a master track for the upcoming Guitar Hero III, for the song 'Anarchy in the U.K.'. "Original members John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), Steve Jones, and Paul Cook hit the studio together for the first time in 30 years, hooking up with original producer Chris Thomas to maintain the feel of the recording. Additionally, the original analog sound desk, built in 1969 for producer George Martin at Air Studios in London, was utilized for aural authenticity."
A Retrospective on Planescape Torment 99
Despite the cult status of Planescape: Torment, it was one of the least successful entries in the Baldur's Gate family of games. At the Rock, Paper, Shotgun blog Keiron Gillen has a great look back at the game, with a specific emphasis on the connection between the game mechanics and the story, and the importance of Torment to games as a medium. "While we're a long way from the videogame equivalent of a Tolstoy or a Dostoevsky, for what it's worth, Planescape is as close as we've come, and worthy of real literary consideration. Of course, such dry analysis always turns people away from the Great dead Russians - when it should be remembered these are works full of life and joys and - yes - deep sadness. The same is true here. It's a philosophical buddy-hatey road movie based around the search for the self and the endlessly reiterated question "What can change the nature of a man?". And you find yourself lingering on that. Not just what can change the nature of your character - but what made you and what manner of man are you anyway."
Google's Continued Growing Pains 179
eldavojohn writes "The Mercury News is reporting that Google's 500 percent growth since its IPO hasn't come without a cost. With the purchase of DoubleClick, Google is facing antitrust charges in both the United States and the European Union. And with their rising success, there are open source alternatives springing up."
Comment The name is a double entendre (Score 2, Interesting) 78
The summary mentions that the name is derived from the mythical phoenix, but this is only part of the story. The probe - the first to be launched as part of NASA's low cost "scout" program - was led by the University of Arizona. It's safe to guess that Phoenix also refers to the capital of the arid state. I wonder if I'm the only one who keeps confusing the leadership of this mission with the ubiquitous University of Phoenix.
For this and more information on the Phoenix mission, see the mission page.
For this and more information on the Phoenix mission, see the mission page.
AT&T Vs. Apple Store At the iPhone Launch 375
MBCook tips an article at Gizmodo that begins with a reader's experiences trying to buy an iPhone yesterday at an AT&T store and an Apple store. Many, but not all, of the comments on the post echo this reader's experience: Apple good, AT&T bad. "Day one revealed what all Apple aficionados fear. That AT&T, through the depths of its incompetence, could derail the iPhone."
A Bad Week for Symantec 239
Evan Hughes writes "NeoSmart Technologies has published a scathing editorial regarding 3 high-profile mistakes by Symantec Corp. — all in less than a week. In what seems to be a string of stupid mistakes culminating in the infection of CNN-parent Turner Broadcasting Systems by Rinbot— a virus dedicated to the eradication of Symantec from the known world."
Why the iPhone Keynote Was A Mistake 507
jcatcw writes "Mike Elgan at Computerworld lists six reasons why it was a mistake to make the iPhone keynote at Macworld. He argues that extremely high expectations can only lead to disappointment for consumers and investors. The focus on the phone during the keynote also took away from the Apple TV announcement, put iPod sales at risk, gave competitors a head start, and (perhaps worst of all) ruined the company's talks with Cisco over the iPhone name. From the article: 'The iPhone, despite its many media-oriented virtues and its sweet design, will do far less than most existing smart phones. The problem Apple now faces because of Jobs' premature detail-oriented announcement is that of dashed expectations. When customers expect more and don't get it, they become dissatisfied.'"
Vista Casts A Pall On PC Gaming? 425
simoniker writes "In an opinion piece, casual game publisher WildTangent's CEO Alex St. John (himself a Microsoft veteran and one of the DirectX creators) has sharply criticized some of Windows Vista's features as they related to video game creation, noting: 'We have found many of the security changes planned for Vista alarming and likely to present sweeping challenges for PC gaming, especially for online distributed games. The central change that impacts all downloadable applications in Vista is the introduction of Limited User Accounts. LUA's can already be found in Windows XP, but nobody uses them because of the onerous restrictions they place on usability. In Vista, LUA's are mandatory and inescapable.'" Meanwhile, the word has also come down that games will be on the Zune by Summer of next year.
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