Comment Re:Civ was my offline game (Score 1) 295
Stupid formatting... Sorry for wall of text.
Comment Re:Civ was my offline game (Score 1) 295
Can you, with a straight face, and with honesty, claim that any closed source, proprietary game is under your control? Can you answer this last question without "but"s?
For most games, you have to agree to a EULA. This restricts what you can and can't do with that game.
I think you're own criteria will restrict your game playing experience to FOSS games.
And your question implies you HAVE to be online to play CiV, which is not the case. Steam isn't like Ubisoft's new DRM scheme. You can play steam games in offline mode.
On the other hand, you can store your saved games on the Steam cloud, download the game any number of times on any number of computers, don't have to worry about physical media being scratched, don't have to worry about downloading latest patch, and a bunch of other things.
The only thing about CiV that I am not liking is their move to monetized DLC micro-transactions. Preorder "Digital Deluxe" and get and an exclusive civilization??? ARGH!
Researchers Developing Cancer-Fighting Beer 283
CWmike writes "Ever picked up a cold, frosty beer on a hot summer's day and thought that it simply couldn't get any better? Well, think again. A team of researchers at Rice University in Houston is working on helping Joe Six Pack fight aging and cancer with every swill of beer." Thank you science! Now we just need cigarettes that cure baldness.
Comment Re:Actually, this really could be legitimate... (Score 1) 429
But the couch dammit! What of this needless sofa!
Apple, Burst Reach Settlement 74
An anonymous reader writes "In 2005, Microsoft settled Burst's lawsuit for infringements on media player patents for $60 million. Many thought that Apple would be a ripe target next. However, Apple successfully voided 14 out of 36 Burst.com's patent claims in their iPod lawsuit. Apple would have gone after the remaining 22 claims. Today, Market Wire announced that the case was settled out of court: "Apple agreed to pay Burst a one-time payment of $10 million cash in exchange for a non-exclusive license to Burst's patent portfolio, not including one issued U.S. patent and 3 pending U.S. patent applications related to new DVR technology. Burst agreed not to sue Apple for any future infringement of the DVR patent and any patents that might issue from the pending DVR-related applications." The big winner would be the lawyers who reduced the settlement to approximately $4.6 million."
Earth's Moon is a Rarity 202
Smivs writes "Scientists have concluded that moons like the Earth's are actually quite rare. Only 5-10% of planetary systems are likely to contain moons formed by planetary collisions. 'By the time the Earth's moon formed, when the Sun was 30 million years old, the planet formation process in our Solar System should have been approaching its end. In the latest study, Dr Gorlova's team looked at the heat signature of stars using the infrared. This allows astronomers to predict how much of that heat comes from the star itself and how much is re-emitted by dusty material encircling it.'"
