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Orange’s combination PC and guitar amp gets specs and price

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 04:30 PM PDT


Like you, I was skeptical when I saw the headline. It doesn’t really even make sense. Amps and PCs are completely different things — but then again so are beavers and ducks, and yet we have the platypus. So bear with me.

The OPC is being put out by Orange, for a reason only they can fathom. It was announced a couple months back but it’s now got final specs and a price. I was hoping for something a little more beefy: it’s sporting a truly budget CPU from last year, a Pentium E5400. Why, when Core i3s can be had for peanuts? Why, I ask you? Probably because this is really more of a mega-budget PC built into an amp, not the other way around. The GPU, an integrated GeForce 9300, confirms that. Sure it’s got plenty of RAM and all the ports you need, but running Windows 7 on it, even if you’re just doing audio editing, is going to be a chore.

The final blow: it costs $1500. To be fair, Orange amps aren’t cheap, and that’s probably 80% of the price right there. Plus you’re getting a bunch of audio software included, which can be used to modify guitar inputs on the fly. Nice, but is it worth the money? It’s hard to say. I like the 1/4″ jacks, but will I really want to be using such a low-spec system to edit my music? It’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself, Mr. I’m-considering-buying-a-$1500-amp-and-computer.

[via Crave]

Amazing Twitter World Cup mash-up needs to be seen right now

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 04:00 PM PDT

Whew! Day One of the World Cup is now behind us, and I wanted to take a moment to point y’all in a particularly awesome direction. The Guardian, one of my recommend sites from yesterday’s catch-all post, has a truly amazing Twitter mash-up that needs to be seen to be believed. What it does is analyze tweets that occur during a game, then it creates a dynamic chart that corresponds to said tweets.

For example, when South Africa scored the opening goal of the tournament, which is borderline poetic, Twitter blew up with tweets containing the word “goal.” Hence this screenshot.

An entire game’s worth of tweets takes about a minute to cycle through so consider this a fun, quick way to see how the Twitterverse reacts to each match.

Will Twitter survive the onslaught of “USA” tweets tomorrow? Now there’s a question!

It’s time to settle lawsuits and chew bubble gum – and I’m all out of bubble gum

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 03:27 PM PDT


Duke Nukem Forever, a title subject to more delays, controversies, and lawsuits than Rockstar’s notorious Grand Theft Baby, may finally see a release. Well, there’s actually no reason to think that will happen, except that now there’s nothing actively preventing its release — except, of course, the fact that the game was never finished. The lawsuits between Take Two and 3D Realms has been dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning the plaintiff can no longer pursue the issue.

Whether they settled for money, love, or just out of sheer exhaustion is not clear, but if the former team members wanted to complete the game on their own time, nothing stands in the way of their releasing it. I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a full game, personally, but I’d say there’s a 90% chance that we’ll see a playable version of what they did complete.

Could this mean we’ll see this on even more vaporware lists? I thought Episode 3 and the Phantom game console were going to be pretty much king of the hill now. It’s a comeback!

Eyes-on with Sony’s new 3D TVs reveals image issues

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 03:00 PM PDT


You may remember that Sony recently unveiled its new line of 3D LCD TVs. All well and good, I thought. I think active shutter glasses are a transient technology, but hey, if they work, they work. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to work in this case — or so thought HD Guru at a recent demo.

Make no mistake, active shutter glasses can work just fine in other situations, but it’s a technology that demands extreme precision, as evidenced by the continual revision of the components. Timing trouble on the level of microseconds can result in ghosting, double vision, and other issues, and it seems that the units HD Guru got to look at weren’t quite up to snuff.

It seems that even a slight tilt of the head resulted in double vision, and a red or blue shift depending on which way you tilt. Lord! Imagine if you had to sit straight as an arrow through a whole movie! I’ll hold off for now, thanks.

[via Gizmodo]

Like algae? Love lamps? Please read.

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 02:30 PM PDT


Just now you were wondering, “how can I get more algae in my day-to-day life?” Well, maybe not then, but you are now. Now. Now. See? So now that you’re wondering it, I have an answer for you. I know! Such a lucky coincidence! Or maybe it was meant to be. You and this algae-powered lamp are a match made in the epipelagic zone.

The concept, which in all seriousness I like very much, was made possible by a recent discovery: a small current can be pulled from photosynthesizing algae, as long as they are healthy and provided with the necessities. Those are: sun and CO2. In the Latro Lamp, the sun provides the sun, obviously, and you provide the CO2 by exhaling into it every once in a while. In this way the little buggers are kept happy and a battery is slowly charged by their excess energy.

Unfortunately, the concept is strictly sci-fi for now: the research project cited as making this possible was tapping each algae cell individually with a nanoelectrode, a technique that is completely unfeasible for implementing on a macro scale. At least, for the next couple years. When nanobots can be manufactured quickly and easily enough (perhaps by themselves) to sell on a consumer level like this, you can bet we’ll see way more impressive applications than a green lamp, though.

[via Designboom and Inhabitat]

North Korea: The new outsourcing capital?

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Is North Korea the next Silicon Valley? PC World seems to think so, with a story that explains how the country is the new hotspot for outsourcing (among other IT initiatives). Apparently North Korea is the pound-for-pound best place for IT talent in the world. That is, you won’t find a country with a better, more educated collection of computer programmers and engineers, software designers and the like in such close quarters.

The deal is that North Korea kick-started its work with IT in the 1990s, especially so after Kim Jong Il decreed, "My people! Please learn how to use computers!" (He may have said that a bit more eloquently.)

Of course, because of various sanctions, American companies aren’t allowed to take advantage of North Korea’s talent. And while other countries may not have explicit restrictions against the country, there’s still a sort of stigma attached to doing business with the North Koreans.

Pretty interesting. Not like, stop everything you’re doing interesting, but worth a quick once-over.

Flickr’d

Huawei’s E585 portable 3G router is like a MiFi with an OLED screen

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 01:30 PM PDT


There’s something to be said for the “featureless lozenge” style — it’s nice for single-purpose devices like portable hard drives, for instance — but when you have to communicate rather complicated information like device status, battery life, and data throughput via a single LED, things get kind of confusing. That was my trouble with the MiFi, useful as it was: you had to learn its little code, and even then you weren’t sure whether you were going to go over in data usage. This new 3G WiFi sharepoint from Huawei, with the slightly less catchy designation “E585,” includes an OLED screen so you can see exactly what’s going on inside the little guy.

It’s only available in the UK right now (via 3 for ~$75 w/plan) but I get the feeling we’ll be seeing similar devices soon, if not this one specifically. I mean, how nice would it be to have a little network monitor with signal, total data transferred, battery, and whatever else you like on there?

The only issue is that, even being an OLED, that display might drain the battery a bit. Why not a tiny e-ink display like the one on this hard drive? It only needs to update every 10 seconds, or every minute, or whenever you press a button. Someone: make that.

[via Electronista]

Weekend Giveaway: An HTC Incredible from Skyfire

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 01:00 PM PDT

You know you want it. You know you need it: A Droid Incredible running on Verizon of your very own. How can you get one? Well, our friends at Skyfire totally want to give you one. Click through for more information.

Skyfire, the company that released the first Flash-video enabled Android browser last month want to celebrate the browsers success in style, watching some of their favorite videos on a mobile device. And, they’ll let you do the same thing, even for one lucky TechCrunch reader who might not be incredible enough to have an Android.

Skyfire’s gotten pretty big on Android already, it’s one of the most popular third-party browsers on the market. Plus, they want to bring it to iPhone soon. If they do – they’ll be the first and only company to calm Steve Jobs issues with Flash by coding all video into HTML5 in the cloud before it hits your phone.

While all you Skyfire fans hit your favorite Flash video sites and let Skyfire do the heavy data-lifting, we’ll update one of you with the incredible news that you’ve won an HTC incredible thanks to Skyfire.

And, keep your eyes peeled – Skyfire might just be the ones to give the world some Flash on Apple devices.

To win, just comment. We’ll pick one lucky winner. Comment only once – duplicate comments or commenters – even comments from the same IP address – will be thrown out. We’ll pick a winner on Monday at 9am Eastern. They’ll ship the Incredible anywhere in the world, but you’ll only be able to use it in the US of A.

Stargate Universe season finale trailer and teaser

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 12:50 PM PDT

We’ve made it. We’ve made it to the end of the Stargate Universe’s first season and it’s finally starting to look like the Stargate of old. I have high hopes for tonight’s finale, too. Hopefully I’m not let down like I was with Warehouse 13’s final episode. Trailer up top and teaser after the jump.

[via GateWorld]

Best Buy’s @Gamer print mag hitting in-store newsstands this month

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 12:25 PM PDT

We heard about @Gamer, Best Buy’s planned in-store games magazine, last month when it was confirmed as being real. The rumor was that the first issue would hit in June, but the first issue has “July/August” on the cover, so it looks like it will be a bimonthly mostly monthly job, for sale later in June. Their hook is that the magazine will not just be game reviews and previews, but will be full of delicious and nutritious savings:

The annual subscription price for 10 issues of @Gamer is $19.99 while the in-store edition is priced at $5.99 per issue. The first issue will include nearly $150 worth of exclusive offers for discounts on games and gaming accessories with subsequent issues including at least $20 worth of exclusive offers in each issue. Anyone can subscribe or purchase a single issue of the magazine. However, customers must be enrolled in Best Buy's free gaming loyalty program, Reward Zone Gamers Club, in order to redeem the @Gamer offers.

My question is how we are supposed to reconcile ourselves with the fact that they are selling the same games they’re reviewing?

The objectivity of games reviewers is already being called into question in cases where the writers have nothing more to sell than pageviews to advertisers (though the advertisers may put out the games), so I suspect there may be a good faith barrier to overcome before Best Buy will sell many of these mags. Especially at $6 per issue. If the magazine is designed as a loss leader, a gateway product for buying more expensive items like games and so on (with the exclusive coupons), they should be letting it go for significantly less than what competing magazines are charging.

That’s just my opinion, though. The truth is the magazine has yet to hit the shelves, and it’s totally possible that the contents and coupons inside will be worth the $6 or $20/year. They do after all have real writers and editors, and the people in charge (Future) of the magazine also run quite a few worthwhile publications. We’ll do a follow-up as soon as we get our hands on one of the issues.

Update: Future US and Best Buy wanted to address some of the issues I brought up. They assure me that the editorial team is totally separate from Best Buy, which is reassuring. Although they won’t be offering full reviews so much as recommendations of the best games out there. This raises a different issue, of course: what value does the magazine have other than in coupons if it is mainly offering summary and generalized recommendation? Perhaps customers will find adequate value in the money-saving offers inside, but that depends a lot on the offers themselves. If you’re a frequent Best Buy shopper, though, you might be able to save quite a bit with the combined offers from a year’s worth of issues.

Also, it’s a mostly-monthly publication, with 10 issues a year; the July/Aug and Feb/March are combined issues. A factual mistake on my part.

Here’s the full press release:

Best Buy Launches @Gamer, A New Magazine for Gaming Enthusiasts

First Issue Available in Stores and by Subscription This Month

Minneapolis, MN., June 11, 2010 – Leading gaming and entertainment retailer Best Buy today announced the launch of a new publication for gaming enthusiasts. Developed in partnership with Future US, @Gamer will be available by subscription and in all Best Buy locations in the United States this month.

@Gamer will focus on providing both hard-core and casual gamers with relevant information on the hottest games and gaming hardware. Additionally, subscribers to @Gamer will receive exclusive offers, worth hundreds of dollars in savings annually, towards their future gaming purchases at Best Buy.

Each issue of the multiplatform games magazine will contain at least 100 pages, covering roughly 30 of the best gaming products. Industry veterans William O'Neal and Andy Eddy lead the editorial team as Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor. O'Neal formerly acted as G4TV's gadget and technology correspondent on "Attack of the Show," while Eddy has been a journalist and consultant in the game industry for more than two decades. Chuck Osborn, Group Editor-in-Chief of Future Plus, and Julian Rignall, Future Plus’ Editorial Director will oversee @Gamer. Combined, their experience includes PC Gamer, NVISION magazines, and the launch of the World of Warcraft Official Magazine.

"By developing @Gamer, with its compelling content and exclusive offers, we hope to create a trusted go-to resource for gamers," said Chris Homeister, senior vice president and general manager for the home entertainment group at Best Buy. "We're thrilled to partner with Future to provide fresh, knowledgeable and expert industry insights for our customers."

"We've assembled a stellar editorial team – a who's who in gaming – to ensure @Gamer is an independent and modern multi-platform magazine that will engage the most enthusiastic gamers," said John Gower, Vice President, Future Plus. "By combining easy-to-digest games coverage with a cutting-edge design, we aim to make it really easy for readers to find games they’ll love to play.

The annual subscription price for 10 issues of @Gamer is $19.99 while the in-store edition is priced at $5.99 per issue. The first issue will include nearly $150 worth of exclusive offers for discounts on games and gaming accessories with subsequent issues including at least $20 worth of exclusive offers in each issue. Anyone can subscribe or purchase a single issue of the magazine. However, customers must be enrolled in Best Buy's free gaming loyalty program, Reward Zone Gamers Club, in order to redeem the @Gamer offers.

2011 Ford Mustang: A driver’s perspective

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 12:00 PM PDT


Let’s not call this article a review. I’m not going to drone on about interior creature comforts or available options. I’ll just state up front that they are on par for a $22k+ car and besides, other outlets have covered those items extensively.

No, what follows is a description of what the 2011 V6 Mustang feels like to drive. This car is something special. It’s a rare amalgam of real power, affordable price and driving excitement that hits you hard and makes you beg for more.


Before I lay out my heart for this car, let’s set the scene. The Mustang I drove for a few days is the Mustang Club of America edition – a mostly appearance package for the V6 model that adds a billet grill, fogs, side stripe, rear decklid spoiler and 18-inch stainless painted aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero rubber. The engine is the base-level all-new aluminum block 3.7L V6 that outs 305HP and 280 lb.-ft. of torque and 31MPG capable while cruising on the highway. My tester was fitted with the smile-inducing six-speed manual transmission. Simply put, this car wants you to have fun.

The interior (I know, I said I wasn’t going to do this. Hang in there.) is as retrotastic as the exterior sheet metal. A warm leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel draws you in and keeps you firmly grounded while the stick begs you to take advantage of it. The dual-gauge cluster with tall and monolithic numbering helps complete the time warp.

Truth be told, the interior and exterior are simply an evolution of the previous design. Nothing is radically different — that’s a good thing — but softer lines replace the almost-trying-too-hard design found in the 2005-2009 models. It’s almost as if Ford simply stopped using mid-’60s Mustangs as design inspiration, and moved on to the 1967-1970 models.

That’s just fine. This series, thanks to the awesome new engine and transmission options, finally completes what Ford has been attempting since the 2005 throwback design was announced: a true-to-the original everyman’s sports car.

There was a time when American muscle rumbled through the streets of suburbia every Friday and Saturday night. A time when factory workers could afford the sports cars they were building. A time when an enterprising high schooler could work hard for a couple of summers and actually afford a car nearly as good as his dad’s. That’s what this new Mustang offers.


The 305HP V6 mated to its optional six-speed transmission is more than capable of breaking the tires loose when thrown even into third. It has plenty of power to slam its occupants into the leather seats. The standard dual exhaust produces such a throaty rumble that unknowing gas station onlookers will look on with envy even though there’s only a V6 underneath the (somewhat deceptively large) hood.

Forget about buying the 412HP V8. You’ll rack up plenty of excessive noise and speeding tickets with the smaller block — and it’s 7k less.

That’s sort of my point. This car is a bargain. The fun starts out at $22,995, which includes all the important hardware of the V6, six-speed manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, and stainless-steel dual exhaust. That’s a cheap mid-life crisis remedy right there. A few more thousand and you can fit the car with several different appearance packages, including the Mustang Club of America edition that I drove.

But that’s not what the Mustang is really all about. The Mustang was the original pony car that championed the process of a low-cost “family” sports car. The first generation utilized many items from Ford’s parts bin to keep suggested retail price down to $2,368 — a price tag easily reachable by many households. The Mustang might not be that affordable now, but it is, and has been, one of lowest costing sports cars available. The 2011 model, though, offers so much more power, ability and fun than any previous generation that you really should give the new crop of Mustangs a second look.


The Mustang has long been a comfortable daily driver. The advent of proper traction control a few years back even allows the Mustang to be cold weather capable. The new models don't break that mold. The 2011 Mustang makes a fine cruiser, one that’s actually gentle on the gas with an EPA highway rating of 31MPG. (see my averages below) It’s just fine in the city, as well. The new six-speed transmission makes for a bit more wrist work, but it’s smooth enough.

Yeah, the 2011 Mustang is a fine city car and probably wouldn’t mind living out its days in a quiet suburb, porting someone back and forth to work for years. However, living this way for the Mustang is like how an English Setter can survive chasing birds in a large fenced in back yard. It’s just not proper. Both need a wide-open space to live in the way their creators intended.


The Mustang was born to run free. It lives to tear up a gravel road and exploit its live rear axle. It wants nothing more than to power slide through corners, throwing dirt and rocks off its rear tires. It knows that this same live rear axle and rear-wheel drive configuration will keep it from winning any sort of off-roading rally race, but is fine with that fact. The older Mustangs proved over and over again having fun is just as important – and like I said previously, this car is simply fun.

I might go as far to say that this newer and more powerful Mustang is such retro fun that it would make even the most straight-laced banker grow out his hair, don a Twisted Sister cut-off t-shirt, and jam to some Grand Funk Railroad. But I won’t. We’re talking about the Mustang, not the Camaro, after all, and its drivers tend to derive from a Lynyrd Skynyrd sub-culture. Still, there’s no doubt that either of these next-gen pony cars will stir something up that you thought you left in high school.

Joking aside, the 2011 Mustang has a lot in common with the 2011 Camaro. They both offer six speed trannys mated with a 305HP engine (31mpg) in the Mustang's case and a 304HP (29mpg) engine in the Camaro. They both start at $22k and both sport retro designs. They are, however, different beasts geared to slightly different demographics. But both are great vehicles worthy of at least a test drive. That is, of course, unless you were born with Ford-blue blood or received a Heartbeat of America tattoo before kindergarten.

It’s erroneous to say that the sports car has returned because, well, we’ve always had sports cars. American car makers have pumped out the Mustangs, Camaros, and countless other muscle cars since the ’60s. What has returned is the low-cost and high-performance mixture that was missing for so long. The 2011 Mustang is full of annoying quirks that bug the hell out of me — 80 mph is at the top of the speedo instead of 70, the cup holders are in-line with the stick, the USB port doesn’t charge, the backseat is nothing more than an open storage compartment — but none of that really matters. This is a pure pony car and the only thing that matters is the large engine under the hood and the amount of fun it produces.

Drive stats:
Miles driven: 660
Average highway fuel economy: 27.1
Average city fuel economy: 21.5
Number of impromptu gas station conversations: 3

Strange iPhone charger looks like the iPhone charging icon

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 11:13 AM PDT


The aptly named Icon charger appears to look like the battery icon on the iPhone. When you plug it in, it starts shining like a National guitar and shows the current battery level until the juice is juiced. Charlie at Wired has been looking for this strange beast but was unable to find it in stock, which suggests, sadly, that it’s just a concept.

You can check out the product page here but you won’t find much comfort as they don’t have a “Buy” link. Luckily, the device “has been entitled by the Taiwan Good Design (GD-Mark).”

Shock study: Adult Web sites are filled with malware

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Wow, who would have guessed that visiting adult Web sites would be dangerous to the health of your computer? I mean, of all of the genres of sites out there—sports, tech, politics, books, etc.—the last I would have predicted to be dangerous was adult ones. Thanks, International Secure System Lab!

The deal is that scammers and hackers and whatnot know one thing: people sure do look at a lot of adult content online. (One-third of all downloads is adult-related!) So what better way to target people to grab them when they’re the most vulnerable?

What’s going in is that a lot of these sites are desperate for traffic, so they’ll stop at nothing to keep you hanging around. Things like tricky Javascript that locks you into a site, that sort of thing.

Even worse is the so-called "free sites" that are loaded with malware: trojans, viruses, keyloggers—just garbage.

If there’s one piece of advice I can give, it’s this: use Firefox and install AdBlock Plus and No Script. You can still do whatever, but the odds of getting bitten by some piece of malware is greatly reduces.

Or use Mac/Linux. I can’t imagine too many of these pieces of malware affect Mac or Linux.


SCO/Novell suit is over, SCO loses

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 09:01 AM PDT


It is over. The SCO’s long-running lawsuit against Novell over a number of patents involved around Unix copyright. In short, SCO claimed to own Unix even after Novell bought it back near the turn of the century. SCO’s patent-trolling has been shameless. The once great company reduced itself to a lawsuit machine and essentially attacked IBM and Novell for years. You can read all about the mess here, but trust me, this has been one of the nastiest patent wars in recent history.

The judge’s final decision was based on a number of false claims by SCO as well as “financial interest in the litigation.”

“The jury could have rejected the testimony of SCO’s witnesses for a number of reasons, including their lack of involvement in drafting the APA, the fact that there was little testimony on any actual discussions concerning the transfer of copyrights, or that many of the witnesses had a financial interest in the litigation.”

“The Clerk of the Court is directed to close this case forthwith,” Stewart writes in the final judgment. I believe that means SCO v. IBM is essentially over now, unless IBM wishes to pursue its counterclaims.

Eventually, the case even led to slander charges agains Novel and IBM. You know when you’re pulling the slander card you’re at the end of your litigious rope. Incidentally, they’re now at 5 cents in over-the-counter trading.

This matter came before the Court for trial on March 8, 2010, through March 26, 2010. Based on the Jury Verdict and the Court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Final Judgment is entered as follows:
1. Judgment is entered in favor of Novell and against SCO on SCO's claim for slander of title pursuant to the Jury Verdict.

2. Judgment is entered in favor of Novell and against SCO on SCO's claim for specific performance pursuant to the Court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

3. Judgment is entered in favor of Novell and against SCO on Novell's claim for declaratory relief pursuant to the Court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. Specifically, the Court declares:

a. Under § 4.16(b) of the APA, Novell is entitled, at its sole discretion, to direct SCO to waive its purported claims against IBM, Sequent and other SVRX licensees;
b. Under § 4.16(b) of the APA, Novell is entitled to waive on SCO's behalf SCO's purported claims against IBM, Sequent and other SVRX licensees, when SCO refuses to act as directed by Novell; and

c. SCO is obligated to recognize Novell's waiver of SCO's purported claims against IBM and Sequent.

4. Judgment is entered in favor of Novell and against SCO on SCO's claim for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing pursuant to the Court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. The Clerk of the Court is directed to close this case forthwith.
SO ORDERED.

DATED June 10, 2010.

BY THE COURT:

______[signature]__________________
TED STEWART
United States District Judge

via Groklaw


Kudos to ESPN’s World Cup live stream

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 09:00 AM PDT

Here’s a slight update to my World Cup “all you need to know” post from yesterday. I completely forgot to mention that ESPN3.com is streaming all the games live and totally for free. No need to mess around with shady P2P streams.

But of course there’s a catch: you either need to be on a college campus or need to have an ISP that’s has a deal with ESPN. The nation’s largest ISP, Comcast, does have a deal, so for once it’s good to have Comcast!

The full list of ISPs are here.

Another note: the stream works just fine on Linux, as seen in the supplied screenshot.

Oh, also: Uivision has the Spanish-language rights, and it’s in HD this time.

Have DirecTV? You can watch the games with different language commentaries, including Arabic (it’s like I’m watching YouTube clips!), German, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean.

Carry on, sports fans!

Civ V landing on September 21

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 08:30 AM PDT

Say, friends, are you excited as I am? Civ V is coming for PCs on September 21 in the US and on September 24 internationally. I love this game so much that I will totally be willing to marry it.

Sid Meier's Civilization V reinvigorates the classic turn-based strategy genre with an astonishing new engine built from the ground-up for this flagship edition of the Civilization franchise. Players are introduced to a heightened tactical combat system; vast, realistic landscapes to explore; deeper diplomatic interactions; and an array of expanded features that deliver a fully immersive experience providing hours of entertainment as players build and defend their empire on their quest to become the greatest ruler the world has ever known. Additionally, the new in-game community hub allows Civ fans to share content and compete against each other without leaving the game, marking a new era that will forever change the "one more turn" addiction of the franchise.

Product Page via EvilAvatar


Adobe fixes critical Flash flaw (so upgrade right now)

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 08:16 AM PDT

Adobe has fixed that critical flaw that afflicted so many versions of Flash. So if you’re interested in not being on the wrong end of a malicious attack you would do well to upgrade to the latest version of Flash, version 10.1.

The update brings an additional 32 fixes to various issues afflicting Flash.

The update is available for all versions of Flash, so this isn’t an example of Windows users getting an update then the rest of the world has to wait.

Of note: there’s still vulnerabilities in Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat, which means that malicious PDFs (yes, they exist) can still affect you. Adobe says it will release a fix later this month.

The wonders of closed-source software!

M3-Kindy and Noby: Japan gets two scary kid robots (video)

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 07:23 AM PDT

Remember M3-neony and M3-synchy, two humanoid robots from Japan we’ve shown you back in March? Well, it seems Japan still doesn’t have enough of creepy kid-like robots, as the so-called JST Erato Asada Project in Osaka today unveiled [JP] another two: M3-Kindy and Noby.

Similar to neony and synchy, the purpose of the new robots is to help scientists explore human cognitive development processes in children and infants through human-robot interaction and communication.

Weighing 27kg, M3-Kindy (“Kind” as in “Kindergarten”) is supposed to look like a 5-year old child (he’s pictured above). The robot boasts 109 touch sensors, 42 joints, two cameras (one for each eye), and two microphones (one for each ear).

Noby (“Noby” as in “New-born Baby), on the other hand, is an infant-like robot who even looks creepier than M3-Kindy (see pictures above and below). He weighs 7.9kg and stands 71cm tall. Noby even has 600 touch sensors in his body, next to two microphones and two cameras.

Noby is supposed to help scientists understand how a 9-month old baby develops over time.

NODE [JP] has shot many scary videos of the robots, one of which I embedded below:

Via Plastic Pals

Getting Iced-Out With CrystalRoc

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 07:18 AM PDT

Showing that you are opulent and tasteful often go hand-in-hand. Then there are those who simply think in excess. I mean, you need to show that you are, in fact, royalty right?

Take for example CrystalRoc. They are already offering an iPhone 4 cover with over 1,500 Swarovski crystals on the back. Sure, it's flashy, but why would you want one? Yes, it signifies you can 'spend' a lot of money, but most importantly it shows you are good at wasting a lot of money. Look to spend more than a 16GB iPhone 4, or $288.75 for the rear cover.

If you buy one, try not to break off the crystals with your late-night tomfoolery, but that doesn’t matter as long as daddy foots the bill.

[via Luxury Launches]
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