Computer Information - myOddPc
Games for Zune details, hands-on
Filed under: Features, Gaming
We got a chance to check out the first functioning
games for Zune and were able to answer a few -- but not many -- questions about how this thing's bound to play out.
- For starters, first-gen Zunes don't appear to be ruled out by any means, but it's going to be dependent on the game controls. Zauri, the sample space shooter game demoed today, uses the Zunepad, thus wouldn't work (as well) on a Zune 30. Nothing has been decided as to whether games will universally require 2nd-gen Zunes, though.
- Use of the Zunepad in Zauri was as a trackpad and omnidirectional -- it wasn't just up / down / left / right, as in the menus.
- Right now the system partitions a mere 16MB for storing games, although this might change.
- Right now there isn't a professional-grade SDK to announce; all titles should initially be done up in XNA Studio.
- Means of distribution (i.e. games loaded through an installer, through the Zune desktop app, or through Zune Marketplace?) has not yet been decided.
- The first beta development tools will be out this Spring.
- There are no plans for Zune game sharing (yet), so to play with a friend wirelessly you both must have the game on your Zune.
There was plenty more we wanted to know but Microsoft definitely stressed that this is an incredibly early announcement, and many of the details we're all lusting after are still being hammered out. Again, we'll know more in Spring and Summer.
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Alien or zombie threat averted: the spy satellite has been destroyed... probably
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Just like the Navy
told us, they shot that nasty satellite out of the sky with the kind of laser-like precision they've been claiming they're capable of for years. At right around 10:30 this evening,
expensive missiles were fired from the deck of the USS Erie, traveling into space at an excess of 5,000mph, which then slammed into the Alien / zombie-juice / Russian controlled satellite (which itself was traveling at 17,000mph). Right now details are still sketchy on just how much damage was done to the object, but word on the street (aka, from the Navy) is that just about any hit to the satellite would put it out of our misery, due to the speed and trajectory at which it's traveling. The story is still developing, so if any of the zombie spore does manage to
reach Earth and spark an undead holocaust, we'll be the first to let you know.
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Cobra adds Bluetooth to CB radio, truckers rejoice
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless
Maybe it's just us, but the integration of Bluetooth into a CB radio is long, long overdue. Thankfully,
Cobra is stepping up to the plate and introducing the 29 LTD BT, which will go down as its first ever CB radio to include integrated BT technology. Essentially, it allows users to accept and terminate calls with a simple button press on the radio itself, and also enables handsfree conversations -- undoubtedly littered with 10-4s and good buddies -- via the noise canceling microphone and five-watt speaker. Granted, the transmission was a touch fuzzy, but we heard it'll be available at travel centers and dealers this summer for $189.95. Copy?
[Via
Blast Magazine]
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Armchair Paradise pod puts you in an embryonic state... almost
Filed under: Household
With each passing moment we grow ever closer to reaching the year 2193, thus, having some sort of futuristic pod / chair hybrid in your home is likely more acceptable today than yesterday. Nevertheless, we can't recommend the Armchair Paradise to anyone with any level of self-respect with a straight face, though the amenities do seem quite nice. Besides a totally comfortable place to put your tush after a hard day's night, you'll also find a built-in sound system that quite literally envelops you in sound. Unfortunately, pricing information doesn't seem to be readily available, but fast-forward a few decades and you might find out.
[Via
CNET]
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Novint adds a black Falcon, pistol grip accessory
Filed under: Gaming
There's no denying the coolness of the
Novint Falcon haptic gaming controller, but it looks like realness factor is getting upped a notch -- the company just announced the separate availability of that pistol grip it's been demoing for a while, as well as a black version, pictured above. The pistol grip is a $20 add-on for any Falcon, while the black version will list for $199 -- still pricey, but if you're a gamer, totally worth it. Check out a video of the pistol grip in action after the break.
[Via
I4U News]
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iBand: like the Velvet Underground, but with iPhones
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Portable Audio
Back in our day we had to use these things called "laptops" to make music, but now it seems like any kid off the street can rock out with a jailbroken iPhone and some Red Bull. Put two of these ADD-addled youngsters together with a DS Phat-toting friend and you've got New York avant-garde out the wazoo. We hear Matthew Barney is designing the iconic cover art as we speak. Video is after the break.
[Thanks, Basar]
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Nubrella: tomorrow's fashion mistake, today!
Filed under: Wearables
This is frankly brilliant. A hands-free
umbrella is perfect for walking to work while yapping on your phone with one hand and cradling a cup of coffee with the other. Unfortunately it's just never going to make it past the "my friends will laugh at me" stage, because they will. They will laugh so very hard. It's a cruel, backwards society we live in, and it's no wonder we don't have flying cars yet. That said, you can destroy your own fashion credibility today for a mere $59.99. Maybe the fanny pack types will accept you, but we can't make any guarantees.
[Thanks, Chris]
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WizKid Robot Debuts at New York Museum
ScienceDaily is reporting that a new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York is part computer, part robot, and part child. Part of the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibit "WizKid" is able to focus on human faces and follows your movement allowing you to interact with objects on it's display simply by waving your arms. "Wizkid looks like a computer with a neck. But there the similarities with the familiar personal computer end. Wizkid isn't static. The screen on the mobile neck moves about like a head, and it's trained to hone in on human faces. Once it sees you, Wizkid focuses on you and follows your movement. Unlike a computer, which requires you to stop what you're doing and adapt your behavior and social interactions in order to use it, Wizkid blends into human space. There's no mouse and no keyboard. You don't touch anything. There's no language getting in the way. On Wizkid's screen you see yourself surrounded by a "halo" of interactive elements that you can simply select by waving your hands. If you move away or to one side, Wizkid adapts itself to you, not the other way around. If you're with a friend, Wizkid finds and tracks both of you and tries to figure out your relationship, expressing surprise, confusion or enjoyment when it gets your response."
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Airport Security Prize Announced
Reservoir Hill writes "Verified Identity Pass, a firm that offers checkpoint services at airports, has announced a $500,000 award for any solution that will make airport security checks quicker and simpler for passengers. The cash prize will go to any individual, company or institution that can get customers through airport security 15% faster, at a cost of less than 25 cents per passenger, using technology or processes that will be approved by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Passengers must not need to remove their clothes or shoes, something that slows down processing significantly. "We're looking at moving things that are conceptual or in the lab to things that we can deploy," says company spokesman Jason Slibeck and added that over 150 individuals, start-ups, defense contractors and universities have shown an interest in the prize. One promising procedure is mass spectroscopy, which involves analyzing the mass-charge ratio of ions on a swab sample taken from a passenger's clothing or air collected from around them to spot traces of substances including explosives or drugs. The Pre-Registration Package Information Sheet is available online."
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Hacking: The Art of Exploitation
David Martinjak writes "Hacking: The Art of Exploitation is authored by Jon Ericksonand published by No Starch Press. It is the anticipated second edition of Erickson's earlier publication of the same title. I can't think of a way to summarize it without being over-dramatic, so it will just be said: I really liked it. The book, which will be referred to as simply Hacking, starts by introducing the author's description of hacking. Erickson takes a great approach by admitting that the common perception of hacking is rather negative, and unfortunately accurate in some cases. However, he smoothly counters this antagonistic misunderstanding by presenting a simple arithmetic problem. A bit of creativity is needed to arrive at the correct solution, but creativity and problem-solving are two integral aspects of hacking, at least to Erickson. The introduction chapter sets an acceptable tone and proper frame of mind for proceeding with the technical material." Below you'll find the rest of David's review.
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