Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Brian Reynolds answers 10 Questions from the Academy

And now, 10 Questions from the Academy: A weekly feature from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences wherein significant figures in the video game industry provide their input on past trends, current events, and future challenges and goals for the entertainment software community.
Brian Reynolds is a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and will speak at the D.I.C.E. Summit in 2010. After working with Sid Meier at both MicroProse and Firaxis, Reynolds went on to create Big Huge Games, where he served as CEO until the sale of the company to 38 Studios earlier this year. He now heads up the newly established social gaming team at Zynga East in Baltimore.

AIAS: What's your favorite part of game development?
Brian Reynolds: The last 25% of the project, when you're polishing and tuning the thing to make it perfect for release. Of course it's never actually "perfect," but the game starts to feel like a real game rather than a prototype - all the parts start working well together and you finally realize "hey now we have something I want to play!"

What game are you most jealous of?
Half Life 2 - totally wish I had meaningful skills for making games like that. It's got such an amazing combination of good writing, good technology, good level design, and just overall great craftsmanship.

Continue reading Brian Reynolds answers 10 Questions from the Academy

JoystiqBrian Reynolds answers 10 Questions from the Academy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gerry Nicholls: One-time <b>conservative</b> lion now a pussycat - Full <b>...</b>

Here at Full Comment, you'll find an eclectic mix of commentary on news, politics and pop culture � plus the occasional dig at a Star or Globe pundit who's gone off the rails.
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FCC Fridays

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we've gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don't need). Enjoy!

Phones
Read - Samsung B5722C
Read - Samsung E1086L
Read - Samsung E1155L
Read - Samsung S3650W
Read - ZTE X990
Read - Pantech P2000
Read - LG LN620
Read - Kyocera S2300

Peripherals
Read - Sierra Wireless W801
Read - ZTE MF633T
Read - ZTE MF688

FCC Fridays originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WiGig Alliance completes multi-gigabit 60GHz wireless specification: let the streaming begin

The WiGig Alliance captured our imaginations back in May, but now it seems that the world of multi-gigabit streaming is so close, we can taste the data slipping over our tongues on their way to the next access point. Put simply, the specification that the group has been toiling on over the past few months is finally complete, and while some of its members have been prototyping wares along the way, this 1.0 announcement effectively opens the flood gates for partnering outfits to implement it into their gear. In case you're curious as to how 60GHz will help you, have a listen: WiGig enables wireless transfer rates more than ten times faster than today's fastest wireless LAN, and it's completely backward compatible with existing WiFi devices. As we've already seen with those totally bodacious dual-band (2.4GHz / 5GHz) routers, having another band with this kind of speed potential can only mean great things for the future.

We had a talk with Dr. Ali Sadri (the group's chairman and president) as well as Mark Grodzinsky (board director and marketing work group chair) in order to get a better idea of what's at play here, and frankly, we're anxious to see this get implemented into... well, just about anything. WiGig v1.0 supports data transmission rates up to 7Gbps, and if living in a house full of WiGig-enabled devices, you could finally envision streaming HD content from a bedroom PC to an HDTV and a living room netbook without any wires whatsoever. In the case of the netbook, there's even a chance that the embedded WiGig module could support faster transfer rates than the sockets around the edges, which would simultaneously enable wireless to be faster than the wired (at least in this scenario) and your brain to melt.

Finally, the group has picked up four new members -- NVIDIA, AMD, SK Telecom and TMC -- though unfortunately, WiGig wouldn't comment on the future availability of 60GHz products. We were told that they would be shocked if anyone had a prototype 60GHz device on the CES show floor, but you can bet that won't stop us from looking. Oh, and if we had to take a wild guess, we'd surmise that companies interested in speeding up their own offerings will be jumping on this quick, so hopefully you'll be ditching 2.4GHz once and for all come next summer(ish).

Continue reading WiGig Alliance completes multi-gigabit 60GHz wireless specification: let the streaming begin

WiGig Alliance completes multi-gigabit 60GHz wireless specification: let the streaming begin originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tory lead cut to nine points in Guardian/ICM poll - guardian.co.uk


Channel 4 News

Tory lead cut to nine points in Guardian/ICM poll
guardian.co.uk
After 12 months of unbroken Conservative dominance in the polls, today's figures � showing the Tories on 40%, down two, Labour on 31%, up two, ...
Tory lead 'falls to single figures'The Press Association
UK Conservative Lead in Poll Narrows, Sparking Election TalkBloomberg
Trouble For The ToriesNewsweek (blog)
BBC News -Financial Times -Telegraph.co.uk (blog)
all 182 news articles »

Read More... [Source: Conservative - Google News]

Conservative group eases its opposition to Salt Lake City ordinances - Salt Lake Tribune


Conservative group eases its opposition to Salt Lake City ordinances
Salt Lake Tribune
A conservative Utah think tank now says Salt Lake City's anti-discrimination ordinances can stay on the books as long as the Legislature ...

and more »

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Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Beta

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Microsoft Releases Beta of Internet Explorer 8These days, the Internet browser wars are hotter than they've been since the late-90's (when Microsoft challenged Netscape and, eventually, killed the competition). Today, the battle is between Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox. Mozilla is currently putting the wraps on its 3.0 version of Firefox, a major update with many stability and usability improvements, but Microsoft isn't sitting idle. Yesterday it released the first public beta of Internet Explorer 8.

IE8 promises a suite of improvements, with the usual visual refresh that major releases receive, but of course going much deeper than that. IE8 will now include integration with Facebook and eBay out of the box, meaning you can make and check status updates quickly and keep tabs on a set of auctions right from a browser menu. You can view maps from Microsoft's Live service just by highlighting an address on any page, and the browser can remember its current set of displayed pages so if you close the browser (or if it crashes) it'll come right back to where you were.

As of now, unfortunately, that functionality is apparently especially useful as, according to early reports, the browser isn't very stable at this point. It seems that many of the problems are related to incompatibilities with Yahoo's and Google's popular toolbars. So, like many betas (early and largely untested versions of software), the thing isn't quite ready for prime-time. But, if you're brave and want to give it a shot head on over to Microsoft's IE8 page.

From Digg, Read Write Web, and Washington Post

Related Links:

SwitchedMicrosoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Beta originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Here comes your nineteenth system meltdown

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We play enough games on the computer to know better than your average user. We're fully aware that the machine doesn't hate us, for one thing. But we sometimes turn it on, and suddenly find that our graphics card has decided to turn into a miniature sun within the plastic case, melting all of our valuable components into a reasonably-sized dinner plate at a time when we can't really drop the thousand-odd dollars on a new machine. Thus begins the process of pulling things out, confirming that they're dead, calling tech support and being told that you should buy a new computer, and you wondering where your pleasant evening has gone.

Perhaps you didn't find your computer going nova. Maybe it decided to just fail to boot for no reason, necessitating a hard drive replacement. Or perhaps it was your connection erupting in a shower of failure followed by a string of support techs claiming to dispatch new people and lying. Whatever the case, in a hobby that seems to be constantly subject to a particularly draconic form of Murphy's Law, we ask you: what's the worst meltdown you've had? Was it the most costly to fix, the most inopportune time, or just frustrating and stressful for some other reason?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Here comes your nineteenth system meltdown originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix teases something 'stylish' for FFXIII

As if the wait for Final Fantasy XIII wasn't already difficult enough, Square Enix's assistant PR director, Sonia Im, is making it even more torturous. On her Twitter account, Im teased "something cool most of you can participate in a few days from now" within a mysterious Square Enix memo. Im later added that the memo "eluded [sic] to something stylish." If you squint, the date in the memo seems to be December 17, which would coincide with a PSN update.

It's anybody's guess past that, but we're hoping for a totally magical Final Fantasy-themed fancy dress party for us and a few of our closest friends, set inside PlayStation Home. Can you even imagine?

That, or a demo like the one our Japanese friends already have. Either way.

JoystiqSquare Enix teases something 'stylish' for FFXIII originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Queue: What red totem u have

Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Mike Sacco will be your host today.

Patch 3.3 is just awesome. The new Dungeon Finder means that not only are you able to run dungeons faster and easier than ever, but you also get the dubious honor of running into any of the myriad crazy people that play this game. Some of those crazy people are me (see above). And, for somebody else, the crazy people might just be you.

Speaking of the Dungeon Finder, we've got an actual topical question for The Queue today. Everybody gather 'round by the fireplace, grab some cocoa, and be educated.

Spriesty asked...

I have a question. Is the new looting system working as intended? I was surprised to see in a group the other night a person win DE mats over a person greeding for an off-spec. So what, we all have to need now, even if it's off-spec, and then trade if needed??

Continue reading The Queue: What red totem u have

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The Queue: What red totem u have originally appeared on WoW.com on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo II beta patch now on Blizzard's test server

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While all of us wait patiently for Blizzard to finish Diablo III (even though we know we won't get to play the game until 2011 at the earliest), some fans of the franchise's last outing Diablo II have also been waiting a long time for a new patch. This week Blizzard announced that a beta version of the 1.13 patch is now available on Blizzard's test server.

The patch notes on the Battle.net message board give info on how to access the test server as well as a list of what's new and improved in the patch. In addition to bug fixes and game balance changes the 1.13 patch will give players "new and challenging tests" to deal with.

Diablo II beta patch now on Blizzard's test server originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metropolitan Home Shuts Down

metropolitan homeWe've lost another great home decor magazine. MediaBistro has the press release from Hachette Filipacchi which says that the December 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home will be its last. The publisher has decided to focus all of its shelter mag energy on Elle Decor, the spin off from Elle magazine. In the press release President and CEO Alain Lemarchand said that at this point "the best strategy in the upscale shelter segment is to boldly focus our resources and investment on Elle Decor, which is the ad-page leader within the U.S. market."

Fans of design magazines are reeling especially after Conde Nast shut down the beloved Domino earlier this year. As with the case with the closure of Gourmet over Bon Appetit last month, there are some who feel that Metropolitan Home was the superior title and the one that should have been saved.

MediaWeek reports that ad pages for Metropolitan Home have fallen 34 percent in 2009. Hachette will also be shutting down Pointclickhome.com, the site that was once the online presence of its three shelter magazines: Home, Metropolitan Home and Elle Décor. Now just ElleDecor.com, which is currently part of Pointclickhome.com, will remain.

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Metropolitan Home Shuts Down originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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315-ft. <i>Project Orca</i>, Megayacht of the Future


We've seen a lot of futuristic superyacht designs that look extremely cool and avant garde, and have no chance at all of ever being built. The 315-ft. Project Orca (above) by UK-based designer Michael Leach is an exception; it's currently under construction at the famed Blohm + Voss shipyard, scheduled for delivery in spring 2010. Leach's 220-ft. Anna for Feadship, one of their largest ever, won a World Superyacht Award for best displacement motor yacht. The Orca features a futuristic exoskeletal curving superstructure, aggressive lines and innovative glazing. Its enormous entertaining and private spaces will feature bespoke furniture from British firm Silverlining, with each piece handmade by a single craftsman and stamped with their signature silver hallmark. Metrica will handle the interior execution, and Cougar Marine will provide two custom limousine tenders stored on the yacht's sports deck.

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315-ft. Project Orca, Megayacht of the Future originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget HD: What's the best way to stream DivX from NAS to my HDTV?

Who doesn't love some mini home server action? The only problem with storing all your media on a convenient networked drive is when it comes to playing it back, since not all streamers will play nice with one of these. That's the case for our friend Chris, but we'll let him tell it:

"I have been watching for a review of a product that will solve my movie streaming needs, even waiting for Sonos to do a video product. I have a lot of DivX movie files on an NAS, and would like to be able to view them on my TV (without needing my PC to be on as a media server), I would prefer a wireless solution, but could do a cat5 cable if needed. Any ideas on the best way to do this?"

Now, we might suggest a box that pulls double duty as NAS and media player, but he's probably looking for a solution that doesn't require importing from Japan. Let us know how you get it done.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Ask Engadget HD: What's the best way to stream DivX from NAS to my HDTV? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan and San Francisco team up on EV charging in Bay Area

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2010 Nissan Leaf - Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan is steaming ahead at full speed on its electric car plans but it's not ignoring the infrastructure elements required to make those vehicles a viable proposition. This week, the automaker announced a partnership with the city of San Francisco to help create the elements needed for success. The city is a part of the Bay Area EV corridor that covers the entire region from the Golden Gate bridge down to Silicon Valley and up through Oakland and Berkley on the east side.

The governments in the region will work to streamline the approval process for installing charging stations both in residences and public places. In order for electrics to appeal to the mainstream, a region like the Bay Area will need thousands of publicly-accessible charge points to help ensure that drivers of the early-generation, shorter-range EVs don't suffer range anxiety. This will be less of an issue in the future if battery capacities and costs improve, but that time has yet to arrive.


[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan and San Francisco team up on EV charging in Bay Area

Nissan and San Francisco team up on EV charging in Bay Area originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SCBT sees conservative philosophy as key to success over 75 years - The Times and Democrat


SCBT sees conservative philosophy as key to success over 75 years
The Times and Democrat
... the 100 mark in October, South Carolina Bank and Trust continued to buck the trend by holding to the conservative philosophy it has had for 75 years. ...

and more »

Read More... [Source: Conservative - Google News]