next time i’m paying the extra for an aisle seat.
Picture by: dunno source Caption by: Chris10a via Advanced Lol Builder
It's been quite some time since we've heard any news about the Neuromancer, but director Joseph Kahn is apparently still working on it. He tweeted about it over the weekend — and William Gibson tweeted back.
Kahn wrote on his Twitter feed:
Epiphany. I finally figured out how to end the movie.
To which Gibson responded:
Scroll, or voiceover?
Kahn responded:
LOL. Freeze frame.
So that probably doesn't really give any insight into how Kahn will end the movie — unless he really does plan to end it with a freeze frame, possibly complete with cheesy grins and 1970s "Starsky And Hutch" style music.
Keep your eyes peeled for spice-loving bald men this week, especially if you live in New York, L.A., Atlanta, Boston or Chicago. It's Fringe's Observer week. To celebrate, see if you can pick him out of these historical pictures.
Real-life Observers will be out and about this week in the previously mentioned cities, looking creepy and handing out Tabasco sauce. But never fear if you don't live in these cities, because the Observer cameos on Fox will be greatly increased as well. All this hype is for the Fringe episode this week, "August," in which all the Observer mysteries will supposedly be cleared up.
I’m a little disappointed, internet, that this video of Vladimir Putin attending a rap battle doesn’t actually feature Putin rapping (kind of a viral c*cktease), but the video is still completely worth it for Putin’s RAGING apathy during the rap performances, bookending a speech about how important urban culture is to Russia.
I think this dude just raised the bar too high for Russian politician viral videos…
“Hey everyone, I’m Gerard Butler so I even effed THIS ONE!!!! Haha just kidding it’s me mum. But I effed most’ve her friends.”
(via Socialite Life)
We've always suspected that many of our readers weren't all that keen on Twitter, but after last week's poll, it's pretty clear why. 47 percent of Lifehacker readers who responded said they never use Twitter, nor would they ever care to.
As for the rest, 26 percent of you regularly use Twitter and really like it, 20 percent use it occasionally, 5 percent use it only for search, and 3 percent of you have some other use for Twitter not listed in the poll. We'd still argue that Twitter is worthwhile even if you don't tweet, but 47 percent of you don't seem to agree.
If you missed out on the Orionid meteor showers in October, you're in luck. The Leonid meteor showers will be peaking on November 17th.
While the absolute peek will be most visible to viewers in Asia—they'll luck out with an astounding 300 meteors per hour!—North American viewers won't be left out. The shower will start around 4AM EST and will have around 20-30 meteors at that point.
Viewing is best far from city lights. If you live near near a dark sky preserve you're in luck and can get a really clear view of the showers. Additional information is available from Nasa at the link below. If you've got an astronomy tip or trick to share let's hear it in the comments.
Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the firefight is so delightful, and since the planet's about to blow, let us show you six new multiplayer screens from Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight.
I apologize wholeheartedly for that intro. I just can't seem to escape Christmas music these past few days, and I saw no reason why I shouldn't share my pain. Still, what better way to get into the mood for the holiday season than screenshots for a game that's not coming out until March? These shots have everything you need to ring in the holiday cheer: bright lights, snow, pine trees, and futuristic vehicles shooting at other futuristic vehicles. Ho ho ho!
This Thursday gamers, hopefully lots of gamers, will be gathering in Denver to help raise money for Child's Play... and to empty out my guest bedroom.
The silent auction items and door prizes have so packed the room next to my office that I can no longer close the door. And I'm told Totilo has four more boxes of goodies heading to Denver as we speak. Among the things he's included is a Modern Warfare 2 edition Xbox 360, which we will be giving away to a lucky attendee.
If you're planning on coming, and you really should, here are the details:
Kotaku Child's Play Fundraiser
Where: Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
When: Thursday, Nov. 19 6 p.m. to midnight
Who: 16 years and up. Need to be 21 and have ID to buy alcohol.
How Much: $10 donation
What: Rock Band, DJ Hero and tons of console games up on stage and in a console arcade.
Why: To raise money for Child's Play... and have fun doing it.
Special thanks to:
Adam Barenblat
Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Colorado Cutthroat Connection
Death of the Arcade
NetDevil and studios to numerous to mention.
Mad Catz's Wireless-N Gaming Adapter is not only $20 cheaper than Microsoft's own Xbox 360 adapter; it works on the PlayStation 3 as well.
Earlier this month, Microsoft released a Wireless-N network adapter for the Xbox 360, bringing faster speeds to users who've up until now been stuck with 802.11g. Now Mad Catz is shipping its own adapter with a suggested retail price of $79.99 to Microsoft's $99.99. The Wireless-N Gaming Adapter connects directly to your console's ethernet port, allowing you to position it for the best possible. And since it uses an ethernet cable, it can be plugged into the PlayStation 3 as well, giving PS3-owners a bit of a speed boost as well.
Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, "With more HD entertainment content and online gaming being delivered via Xbox Live® and PSN™, we anticipate the need for Wireless-N gaming adapters will increase. Our Wireless-N Adapter allows Xbox 360 users to access the network wirelessly and for PS3 users to upgrade their wireless technology to the faster N standard."
I actually have my apartment wired, as I cannot stand the slow speed of wireless when compared to a direct connection, but for those of you averse to tripping over cables, this seems a fine way to go. The adapter should be shipping to retailers in North America and key European territories as we speak.
A new study has determined which Wii Fit and Wii Sports activities actually qualify as moderate intensity exercise, as defined by the American Heart Association. Are you actually exercising?
The Nintendo-funded study, led by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo, measured the metabolic equivalent values, or METs, generated by participating in Wii Fit and Wii Sports activities. METs are a standard way of measuring energy expenditure, with moderate intensity exercise defined as any activity with METs of 3.0 or above.
By far the most effective exercise in the study was Wii Fit's single-arm stand, which at 5.6 EMTs was just under the AHA's definition of vigorous activity, which kicks in at 6.0.
The loser? Wii Sports Golf didn't make the cut, falling in at 2.0 METs, which isn't really surprising when you consider that most of your exercise in golf comes from walking and drinking.
Here are the results as they stand:
Wii Fit Single-Arm Stand: 5.6 METs
Wii Sports Boxing: 4.5 METs
Wii Sports Tennis: 3.0 METs
Wii Sports Baseball: 3.0 METs
Wii Sports Golf: 2.0 METs
So aside from single-arm standing, the study proves that hitting imaginary people is a healthy way to spend your day. Good to know!
Nintendo Wii may provide actual exercise: study [Reuters]
EA brings its over-the-top real-time strategy series to the iPhone, allowing on-the-go gamers to wage war wherever they please.
Despite being streamlined and stripped-down for portable play, Command & Conquer: Red Alert for the iPhone still manages to pack in much of the series' signature style and addictive strategy-driven gameplay.
Loved
Style to Spare:From its live action cutscenes to its crazy-ass battle units, the C&C series is famed for its intentionally cheesy excess. And while the silly cinematics didn't make it into the iPhone version, the title still retains much of the franchise's wacky trademark charm. Screen-swallowing Russian zeppelins rain death from the skies, armored war bears charge enemy strongholds, and the sexy-accented Natasha quips "You like my scope?" and "The pleasure's all mine." while laying waste to never-had-a-chance infantry. Impressive explosions also engulf the tiny display, and all units, despite their shrunken presentation, are drenched in eye-pleasing detail. Furthermore, a crunchy guitar score keeps the action-and your adrenaline-appropriately amped.
Tactile Warfare:While the RTS genre still struggles to find its sweet spot in terms of control schemes that match traditional mouse-and-keyboard set-ups, there's no question the iPhone's touch screen is a good fit. Like a general positioning pawns on a war map, you'll delight in the tactile satisfaction of fighting with your fingertips; simply touch units, then their target or destination, and watch them go to work. You can also draw a small box around multiple units to move them together, and save specific groups to tabs to easily access them again. Additionally, a swipe of your finger on a mini-map swings the camera to any desired location. Everything, from commanding and training units, to constructing buildings and navigating the map, is a simple intuitive touch away.
Hated
Minus the Multi-player:Given the platform's limitations we can totally forgive the omission of some units and even the Empire of the Rising Sun faction (only Russians and Allies are available.) However, the absence of multi-player is sorely missed considering the competitive nature of the genre. I generally think of any RTS's solo campaign as a warm-up to the online action, so, while C&C's handful of solo play chapters and two skirmish maps are a blast, they only feel like half the total package. Thankfully, EA is reporting that a future download will remedy this, adding the much-missed multi-player mode. Despite the shrunken presentation, Command and Conquer: Red Alert retains much of the series signature style and charm. Additionally, the touch controls make for a satisfying tactile RTS experience. Give us some multi-player, and we'll happily jump back into this fight.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert was developed and published by EA Mobile for iPhone on November 1. Retails for $9.99. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game's campaign and played skirmish modes.
Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 isn't just the biggest video game launch in history, it's the biggest launch across all forms of entertainment, beating out the likes of Harry Potter books, The Dark Knight and band 'N Sync.
But at least one other military video game has their sights set on the popular first-person shooter, getting a bit of added traction thanks to some controversial design decisions made in the Activision blockbuster.
For the uninitiated, Electronic Arts' upcoming first-person shooter Battlefield: Bad Company 2 may sound an awful lot like Modern Warfare 2.
Both military games are set in modern times and pride themselves on realistic settings, weapons and combat. But where Modern Warfare 2's single player story is a narrative that leads players through the action along a scripted plot, Bad Company 2's developers say their game is a more open-ended experience.
"Battlefield: Bad Company 2 delivers an all-out war experience unlike any other FPS with its wide, open sand box environments, tactical destruction and of course the full range of player controlled vehicles," said Karl Magnus Troedsson, the executive producer of the Battlefield Franchise at Digital Illusions CE. "The game stands on more legs than this but these are the key areas which elevate Battlefield: Bad Company 2 above the rest of the pack."
While Troedsson calls Modern Warfare 2 and Bad Company 2 direct competitors, he knew better than to launch EA's up-and-coming shooter at the same time as titan Modern Warfare 2. Instead, Bad Company 2 will be hitting the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 about four months later, in early March.
"These games are direct competitors while still being different games with different experiences," Troedsson said. "The gamers who like one will probably like the other, at least if they could get into the groove of the different second-to-second experiences.
"Obviously I wouldn't want to launch at the same time (as Modern Warfare 2). However, we've seen a huge uptake in interest for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 even during the height of their marketing campaign. And we're just getting started."
Much of that increased interest in Bad Company 2 has been driven by gamers unhappy with some of the decisions made in the development of Modern Warfare 2. Most contentious among gamers was developer Infinity Ward's decision to limit the control PC gamers have over how they play Modern Warfare 2 online.
Shortly after news broke that Modern Warfare 2 wouldn't support the ability for gamers to run their own online games on dedicated servers, Digital Illusions CE announced that Bad Company 2 would have dedicated servers.
It may sound like a small issue, but the Infinity Ward's decision spurred an online petition that currently has more than 210,000 signatures. It also created a movement among some gamers to shift their game purchase from Modern Warfare 2 to Bad Company 2.
One gamer mailed a check to Digital Illusions CE, telling them to use the money he had earmarked for Modern Warfare 2 to improve Bad Company 2.
Troedsson wouldn't say how big a factor dedicated servers will be for gamers come March.
"I can't answer since it's up to the audience," he said. "What I can say is that we've always considered this a key factor to deliver the best online experience available and anyone caring equally much about this will probably get more out of the multiplayer experience in Battlefield: Bad Company 2."
And he notes that while there are plenty of vocal gamers currently pledging support for Bad Company 2 at the cost of Modern Warfare 2, it's still a small percentage of the entire audience.
"So far we've gotten a lot of positive feedback based upon what we've announced regarding Battlefield: Bad Company 2," he said. "Some of it has come in the form of proper fan dedication from new as well as old diehard fans. We greatly appreciate this. These are the people that are at the core of our audience, the players we often listen to and who can help shape our games into something even better.
"However, comparing to the vast number of people that will buy the game it's still a small percentage of people that actually get in direct contact with us. As for the fan mail, what we've gotten recently I can only hope is a sign that we're doing something right."
And there's always a chance that a fan base so fickle, so easily swayed by design decisions, could decide that something about Bad Company 2 isn't a good fit either.
Troedsson realizes the risk of winning over such die hard fans, gamers who could be intolerant of change.
"We can't fulfill everyone's wishes but we always build games that we truly believe our players will love to play," he said.
With Bad Company 2 that means new game modes, new weapons and a much higher level of polish. Improvements that Troedsson believes makes Bad Company 2 the better of the two games.
"Well, obviously I believe Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is better, especially looking at how our game incorporates an all-out war experience with vehicles, destruction, etc," he said. "But not without a large amount of respect for our competitor, they have a great product with a huge fan base. Don't expect us to be intimidated by sheer volume of sales though."
In the first 24 hours alone, Modern Warfare 2 pulled in an estimated $310 million in North America and the United Kingdom alone, selling 4.7 million copies.
"No matter what market or what products I'm a strong believer that there's always space for competition," Troedsson said. "It helps keep people on their toes and it helps drive development."
As long as Man polishes stones to woo women, the diamond will rein supreme. But diamonds are expensive and hard to find. And teeth? I've got plenty of free teeth right here.
By Australian silversmith Polly van der Glas, this teeth jewelry, well...it's kind of like ivory with a touch of plaque—I mean—patina. And the "stones" make a fashionable defensive alternative to brass knuckles.
Look, we know this stuff is horrendous. But really, it's only just as offensive as Kay's latest heart crossed with lips cross with angels pendant. So there. [Van Der Glas via ecoutree via inhabitat]
Sony Ericsson, which is apparently narrowing down the release date for their Snapdragon-powered Android phone in stages—it was Q1 before—has posted a new release date(ish)! The X10 will make your Droid feel inadequate in February. [Slashgear]
Back before radar, dudes in the military had to rely on their ears to detect incoming enemy planes. So they enhanced them with these flat-out crazy "sound locators." [Noise for Airports via NotCot]
"A brand-new sleeping aid. No pills. No fuss. Just sleep," says the sales pitch. Oh really? And where is the fun in that, exactly?
The manufacturer says that, by projecting a light moving in circles on your bedroom ceiling, this magic egg will make you fall asleep. The Great Zamboni agrees. I have serious doubts. [Techdigest]
So, how exactly did Microsoft—those bastards!—end up patenting Sudo, a years-old Linux command line tool, without someone stepping in to stop them? Easy! They didn't.
The story inspired widespread hyperventilation last week, most of which revolved around a few impassioned quotes:
Here it is, patent number7617530. Thanks, USPTO, for giving Microsoft, which is already a monopoly, a monopoly on something that's been in use since 1980 and wasn't invented by Microsoft. Here's Wikipedia's description of sudo, which you can meaningfully compare to Microsoft's description of its "invention".
This from Groklaw, a site that specializes in free and open source software legal affairs, i.e. exactly this kind of thing. But for whatever reason—zeal? clicks?—their reading of the patent, which we picked up, turn out to overblown. Says Sudo maintainer Todd Miller, via Ars:
I've already received a number of questions about US patent 7,617,530 that some people seem to believe might cover sudo. I don't think that is the case," he wrote. "Sudo simply doesn't work this way. When a command is run via sudo the user is actively running the command as a different user. What is described in the patent is a mechanism whereby an application or the operating system detects that an action needs to be run with increased privileges and automatically prompts the user with a list of potential users that have the appropriate privilege level to perform the task.
So, if not this, then what does the Microsoft patent cover? Back to Ars:
Specifically, it describes a user interface which displays accounts that have the necessary rights to perform an action when the user is blocked from performing an action that requires higher access privileges.
These are similar, but not patent similar.
Turns out, though, that there is a Linux tool called PolicyKit just like what Microsoft patented, which prompts users to switch to a higher-level user account when they hit against a permissions barrier. It was created after the patent was filed, but before it was made public. So, Microsoft, on all counts: not guilty. [ArsTechnica]
Enjoy this beautiful image of the space shuttle Atlantis, ready for today's 2:26pm EST launch, because you are not going to see it many more times: Sadly, it is Atlantis' second to last launch. You can watch it live here:
This phone, the BlackBerry Bold 9700, you can buy today on T-Mobile or Sunday, Nov. 22, on AT&T. It's the standard $200 with a two-year blood contract (and on AT&T, mail-in rebate shenanigans required). Update: Yes, AT&T Premier customers can get it today. Everybody else has to wait until the 22nd. [T-Mo, AT&T]
One user over at NeoGAF claims a copy of Assassin's Creed II on Xbox 360 came with said insert, while further evidence from HipHopGamer shows what appears to be the alleged insert (it's since been removed from the original video; but Kouppa-Network Live still has it up). Logic points to the demo being the same portion of gameplay we checked out back at E3, though there's no evidence to verify that.
We've contacted Ubisoft for comment and will update this post when we hear back.
[Thanks, tmacairjordan87]
Source - NeoGAF post
Source - HHG video with insert reveal removed
Source - Pulled video showing insert
Rumor: Splinter Cell: Conviction demo voucher in Xbox 360 Assassin's Creed II originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
All the better to stab you with.
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Last updated: Monday, 12:20 PM
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Continue reading Now Playing: November 16-22, 2009
Now Playing: November 16-22, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
To make sure this report stays as "fair and balanced" as possible, we've contacted Activision and Infinity Ward for comment. Any Russia-based readers that can shed a little bit more light on the situation should feel free to contact us.
[Via Edge]
Rumor: MW2 recalled in Russia due to 'No Russian' scene originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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icanhaschzbrgr : next time i’m [+0] - io9feed : Want To Know How The Neuromancer Movie Ends? So Does William Gibson [Neuromancer] [+0]
- io9feed : Spot Fringe's Observer On Your Street And Through Time [Fringe] [+0]
- failblog_rss : Rope Swing Fail [+0]
- bestweekever : VIDEO: Vladimir Putin Attends Rap Battle, Sadly Doesn’t Actually Rap [+0]
- bestweekever : CAPTION THIS: Gerard Butler Points Out His Latest Conquest [+0]
- lifehacker : Lifehacker Readers Are Split on Twitter [What You Said] [+0]
- lifehacker : Catch Leonid Meteor Showers Early Tuesday Morning [Astronomy] [+0]
- kotaku_gg : Six Snowy Scenes From Command & Conquer 4 [Screens] [+0]
- kotaku_gg : A Room Full of Loot [Event] [+0]
- kotaku_gg : Mad Catz Ships Its Own Wireless-N Adapter [Wireless-N] [+0]
- kotaku_gg : Wii Fit And Wii Sports Exercise Weighed And Measured [Study] [+0]
- kotaku_gg : Command & Conquer: Red Alert Micro-Review: Palm-Size Power Trip [Review] [+0]
- kotaku_gg : All Out War (Games) [Well Played] [+0]
- pennyarcaderss : Comic: Ne'er The Twain Shall Meet [+0]
- gizmodo_full : Diamonds Are Forever, But Human Teeth Are Disgusting Beyond Any Temporal Classification [Art] [+0]
- gizmodo_full : Sony Xperia X10 Landing Sometime In February [Rumor] [+0]
- gizmodo_full : Old-Timey Sound Locators Enhanced Hearing in Times of War [Retromodo] [+0]
- gizmodo_full : LightSleeper Will Hypnotize You Until You Fall Sleep—or Give You a Headache [Gadgets] [+0]
- gizmodo_full : Microsoft's Pseudo Sudo Patent [Patents] [+0]
- gizmodo_full : Atlantis at Dawn (Launch Live Feed) [Image Cache] [+0]
- gizmodo_full : BlackBerry Bold 9700 $200 Today on T-Mobile, Sunday on AT&T [BlackBerry Bold 9700] [+0]
- joystiqall : Rumor: Splinter Cell: Conviction demo voucher in Xbox 360 Assassin's Creed II [+0]
- joystiqall : Now Playing: November 16-22, 2009 [+0]
- joystiqall : Rumor: MW2 recalled in Russia due to 'No Russian' scene [+0]