ReClip

Golem character: the Morrigan illustration

2009-12-29T19:08:00.001-05:00

Big thanks to Chen as always. There is a link to his blog at the bottom of the clip. Enjoy!

A new character walkthrough by Chen. Here he is testing a much faster and more direct work flow. Look over the steps and feel free to discuss it when you want to.

As always this is just meant as a brain teaser and to get inspired or notice a new way of approaching a piece.

Subscribe in a reader

Follow on Twitter
Become a fan

The Artificers Lab

Cu Chulainn Digital Painting Tutorial

2009-12-15T23:33:00.001-05:00

A cool little process piece.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

How is everyone doing this fine monday morning? As, somewhat, usual here are some process steps for another image by Chen. Hopefully some inspiration and ideas for the coming week. Chen creates his digital paintings almost exclusively in Corel Painter but lately he has joined the trend of starting his sketches in Photoshop. If you want to know where this character is from take a look at this Wiki entry: Cu Chulainn. As always feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions. He will be happy to answer them!

Sakura in autumn digital painting tutorial

2009-12-10T03:10:00.001-05:00

A new tutorial by Angeline M. Kudos to her for making it!

clipped from lightwyrm.com

A new tutorial by Angeline! Here she shows her steps for a unique digital painting design.
In this tutorial she works in Manga Studio and Photoshop together to create the final result.
You will learn which brushes she uses, how she decides her colours and how to create a realistic watercolour effect using Photoshop.

Subscribe in a reader

Digital Painting Tutorial - Zhang Ziyi

2009-11-27T23:34:00.001-05:00

Awesome tutorial by a member of the community.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

A great tutorial of Zhang Ziyi by 9095 on Deviant Art. Big thanks to her for sharing it with us.

Here you will get a good idea of how to paint a female figure from reference in Photoshop. This tutorial can be applied to most other programs that support pen pressure.

The author does a very good job of describing how they create this image, and you will get a good idea on how to use blending effectively to create believable form. If you like this tutorial do the artist a favour and favourite it here: Original DA Submission.

9095 is a part of our community, so join in if you want to ask her any questions and get some more advice!

Me on how to properly use tutorials

2009-11-27T16:51:00.001-05:00

Oh my, something that I actually made! Enjoy the read

clipped from lightwyrm.com

What people tend to forget is that most of us can only recall about 20% of what we learn passively. What do we learn passively? Well pretty much everything, from trying to study to trying to analyze data at work. How does this relate to tutorials? By the time you are done watching or reading a tutorial, you are only 100% ready to do step one, and that probably doesn't help most of us as step one is usually opening a new document.

Not very effective is it? I certainly think so. Here are three ways you can maximize the amount you get out of tutorials.

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Concept art for a warrior character.

2009-11-27T16:47:00.001-05:00

Even more great work from Chen! He is relentless

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Another one of Chen's characters. Here he designs pseudo concept art for a bulkier individual. As usual this is for you to see the way he works and what steps he takes to complete a piece. This is not meant to be an illustration tutorial, rather a concept art tutorial because the character is rough and conveys only the important aspects instead of a fancy rendering. This is a good process to work through when you have to get a set of characters completed by a deadline. As it allows you to develop a routine when working with them.

We are always looking for further tutorial suggestions, so feel free to register and leave a comment. Lightwyrm will soon launch user portfolios, groups and much more, join in and claim the first spots!

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Digital Illustration of an Underwater Creature

2009-11-27T16:46:00.001-05:00

Yet another digital painting walk-through by Chen.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Here is another step by step walk-through tutorial by Chen, here he creates an illustration of an underwater creature. As always this is intended to help you visualize the process that he takes when creating a piece of art. Notice that he creates numerous sketch versions of the creature before starting his render, and even when he has the final sketch he still redraws it one more time editing the pose to fit the theme. Yes for most of us thats basic practice, but it is important to remember that you should never settle until you truly like one of your sketches.

We hope that you enjoy this tutorial, if you have any questions just leave a comment.

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Digital Illustration of a Beast from an Arid world.

2009-11-27T16:43:00.001-05:00

More hard work from Chen

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Here are some process steps for another one of Chen's paintings. Here you can see what steps he has taken to creating a unique creature. How can you use this tutorial? I would recommend looking over the steps he took and using them as a process for your next image. Also take a look at the final result and try to think of a variation of this creature maybe the next step in its mutation or evolution. Paint that in a simmilar style and setting.

This image was done completley in Corel Painter, but this process is application independent.

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Character design – From sketch to Digital Greyscale

2009-11-27T16:35:00.001-05:00

Big thanks to Ciro for making this

clipped from lightwyrm.com

First of all I'd like to explain how you can use this tutorial. Either you're going to read through this, if you're like me probably crash through it, and garnish what you want from it. That's cool and I hope you get something from it. The other approach to this tutorial could be that you treat it as an assignment. So for those who would like to take up the assignment challenge I'll give you an assignment brief in this tutorial and you can follow the tutorial through the different stages and at the end of the tutorial post your work on the Lightwyrm community board for constructive crit from the good people who run the site, myself and of course other people that want to contribute to the process.

This tutorial was provided by Ciro Correia

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Digital Painting Rogue [#2] Concept Art Tutorial

2009-11-27T16:31:00.001-05:00

Yet another character by Chen.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Another Rogue concept art piece by Chen,this one with some more unique design elements and clothing style. Chen uses a very simmilar technique as to what he did with his last image. As you can see getting into a routine like this can speed up your work flow and the design process. Just as a note this digital painting was done in Corel Painter, but you should not have trouble duplicating the results in photoshop.

Hopefuly you will find this interesting, inspiring and helpful!

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Digital Painting Rogue Character Design Tutorial

2009-11-27T16:29:00.001-05:00

Here is a concept art tutorial from Chen.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Our native Mythril Golem here decided to go on a character concept spree. These short concept steps are meant as food for thought and inspiration. As you will notice the next 'tutorials' in this series will follow a very simmilar path, but with very different outcomes.

Hopefuly you will find this interesting, inspiring and helpful!

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

Humanoid Portrait Concept Art Tutorial

2009-11-27T16:25:00.001-05:00

Ah seems like I am back! Going to focus more on art related clips from now on.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

The first tutorial of the 'new Lightwyrm'. Thank you for being patient while we tinkered with the site. A lot has changed but we think it is for the better. If you have any questions don't hesitate to post them on the forum, or send BorisKourt a private message. Anyway on to the tutorial!

Here David Tran gives you a quick step-by-step of how to rapidly design a humanoid head concept. He uses basic Photoshop techniques and doesn't waste a single stroke.
When making quick rough sketches like this keep in mind, that you should not get bogged down on building a shape from the ground up with thousands of 'sculpting' strokes. But rather think ahead and try to make each stroke count. If you have questions about this tutorial, ask them on our forum or in the comments below.

Top Tutorials

Dark Priestess Tutorial

Pirate Assassin Tutorial

Head Design Tutorial

Vehicle Concept Tutorial

Seamonster Tutorial

The Chase

Bigmac Character Tutorial

Fishing

Proportions

Eggbert

[Art] Rock Lobster Tutorial

2009-09-01T01:22:00.001-04:00

A surprise tutorial by Parcel Sisters! Great use of Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop. Big thanks to her for sharing ^^

clipped from lightwyrm.com

This tutorial was created by ParcelSisters [DA:[link]] Don't forget to say thanks!
The tutorial demonstrates how to create an interesting creature design in Corel Painter. And will help you establish colour, lighting and texture effects.

For more artwork by parcel sisters check out her Deviant Art Account: [link]

You can chat with her and see more of her art on our Community Forums

[Tech] Opera 10 nears final stages

2009-08-25T13:23:00.001-04:00

I might be considering switching when this is out.

clipped from news.cnet.com

Opera Software has completed its first release candidate of Opera 10, a browser that the company says has better performance, a Turbo mode for slow Internet connections, support for a variety of Web standards such as Web fonts, and improvements to the Opera Mail feature.

"Now, we are very close to releasing the best browser in Opera's long history," Jan Standal, Opera's vice president of desktop products, said in a statement. "We hope everyone who has helped us test our browser thus far will put the release candidate through its paces."

The new Carakan JavaScript engine, which is used to run Web-based applications such as Google Docs, isn't done yet.

"It won't be ready for (Opera) 10 final, but rest assured that it will be impressive when it comes," spokesman Thomas Ford said. He said Opera won't comment on the timing of the new engine's release until it enters alpha testing.

Jobs devoting "almost all" time to Apple tablet

2009-08-25T13:21:00.001-04:00

Nice

clipped from www.electronista.com

Apple chief Steve Jobs has spent "almost all" his time since his return to work developing the heavily rumored tablet device, according to sources close to the company. Those "people familiar with the matter" tell the WSJ that the executive is committing a level of attention to the project not seen since the original iPhone's development. The sheer control has reportedly been a shock to some workers, who during Jobs' roughly six-month medical leave had some relative freedom on projects.

The tipsters behind the story also back stories of the tablet having a rough creation cycle as it was supposedly first canceled due to battery life and then later due to a lack of memory. In one more reliable rumor, it was understood that Apple had originally tried building the tablet on Intel's x86 architecture but eventually switched to ARM's architecture (also used in the iPhone and iPod touch) to solve battery problems.

[Games] Top 10 Free MMORPG Games

2009-08-25T13:15:00.001-04:00

Woo anarchy online is still going strong! Have not played it in quite some time though. Time and MMOs don't mix well.

clipped from www.mmorpg-center.com

Last Update: 2009-06-01

While there are many mmorpgs out here, not all people like the subscription models, so they play free mmorpgs. They are not exactly free because they all have shops that can offer you an advantage if you buy special items from there, but it’s not mandatory and in some, it’s not necessary at all if you know what you’re doing. Developers must get money someway in order to maintain the servers and the game, so that’s why we have the shops.

1. Runes of Magic

2. Requiem

3. Free Realms

4. Mabinogi

5. Atlantica Online

6. RF Online

7. Anarchy Online Classic

8. Project Torque

9. Navy Field

10. Dungeon Runners

[Web] Neal Stephenson Responds With Wit and Humor

2009-08-23T04:13:00.001-04:00

An old interview, but its still very good and for the most part relevant. Interesting insight on writers there.

clipped from interviews.slashdot.org

There is nothing better than a Slashdot interview with someone who not only reads and understands Slashdot but can out-troll the trolls. Admittedly, the questions you asked Neal Stephenson were great in their own right, but his answers... Wow! let's just say that this guy shows how it's done.

1) right to keep and bear code - by arashiakari

2) The lack of respect... - by MosesJones

3) Singularity - by randalx

4) Who would win? (Score:5, Funny) - by Call Me Black Cloud

5) What are you reading these days? - by IvyMike

6) storygramming -by Doc Ruby

7) Money - by querencia

8) BeOS - by Coryoth

9) Travel tips for modern primitives? - by timothy

10) Confidential Proposal, Off shore data haven (Score:5, Funny) - by
SlashDread

11) Blue Origin - by Concerned Onlooker

12) Do new publishing models make sense? - by Infonaut

[Art] Twins Walkthrough

2009-08-17T14:27:00.001-04:00

A neat little step by step image by David Tran

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Twins is a Walkthrough tutorial by David Tran. Here he shows the steps he took to create an abstract digital painting. This walkthrough is meant as a quick visual guide to establish a routine when working in Photoshop. David is using basic brushes for most of the image so you can duplicate this result in your future creations.
We hope you find this walkthrough helpful!

For more Photoshop tutorials by David make sure to check out our archive here: Archive

You can also seek direct help from David on our Community Forums!

Harmless sweetener or obesity culprit?

2009-08-15T21:23:00.001-04:00

Now that is something I didn't know.

clipped from www.takepart.com

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sugar’s cheaper and sweeter competition, is creating debate over its ability to “reprogram” bodies toward obesity. Hitting the scene in the 1970s as a profitable solution for struggling farmers’ corn surplus, high-fructose corn syrup eventually found a market as a sugar substitute in soda, bread, and even pasta sauce.

When the body consumes high levels of HFCS, it becomes resistant to Leptin. Leptin regulates metabolism. Once broken down by the body, HFCS doesn’t signal the brain to say the body’s full; the stomach “thinks” it’s still hungry. Opponents of the “reprogramming” theory suspect we’re all just eating too much HFCS—in addition to everything else. Regardless of its effect, HFCS has brought attention to obesity as a national problem.

The Past Two Weeks!

2009-08-14T23:42:00.001-04:00

The first tptw article on Lightwyrm.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Hello there, let's start off with a thank-you from the team. The past little while has been awesome and we really appreciate all the participation here! Please keep spreading this Community to your friends so that we can build a much better network!

Major Contests

We have two contests running so far! Take a look:

The Run for Elite: You can win an exclusive commission worth 150$

Lightwyrm Contest: Numerous possible prizes, software, tablets and graphics cards!

Quick Updates on the Run for Elite:

The top-placed member happens to be Gabriel Yanagihara, that being said Parcel Sisters is fairly close by! There is still plenty of time to catch up! Remember the winner is the first to reach 2400 points. So get inviting and posting!

Latest Members

The latest two [Active] members happen to be: RockyGargoyle and Darkling take a look on the Forums for their sketchbooks and artist threads!

Speaking of contests, the featured member for this article is: Gabriel Yanagihara!

[Art] Lightwyrm: Digital Art Community and Contest

2009-08-09T17:09:00.001-04:00

An awesome contest with great prize possibilities!

clipped from news.deviantart.com

Just putting up a notice about my Lightwyrm contest and some possible prizes!

If you want to join in, come and join us at lightwyrm. It's a close nit and friendly digital painting community and a quick resource to tutorials, tutoring, challenges and industry discussion.

The mission goal of the community is purely to learn digital art, it's not a place to show off your skills, rather it's designed to show your progress.

Check out the other news about it on DA. [link]

If you like the site be sure to register using this link so I know who registered through me for the contest.

[link]

And for fun, here are 2 of my WIPs for the contest! Come and join in!

[Art] Seamonster Tutorial

2009-08-06T01:18:00.001-04:00

Yet ANOTHER great tutorial by David Tran. He is as awesome as you get!

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Another tutorial from David Tran. This Seamonster tutorial is meant to demonstrate the process that David takes to make a unique scene. This is meant for intermediate digital artists as you need some basic knowledge of digital painting in modern software. Although, once again, done in Photoshop the concepts can be applied to most painting applications.

The tutorial should help you establish a dramatic scene in an image with both colour and scale. It also demonstrates David's method of creating a speed painting while still establishing all the required details.

We hope this tutorial will provide you with some new information and ideas. Don't forget to check out our Community Forums if you need help!

For more Photoshop tutorials by David make sure to check out our archive here: Archive

You can also seek direct help from David on our Community Forums!

[News] Britain To Put CCTV Cameras Inside Private Homes

2009-08-04T02:04:00.001-04:00

WOW, just wow. This is unbelivable! I had to read it a few times, a little late for april fools. Can they even DO that? Or are these homes AGREEING to it.

Damn, was just arguing with my father about this a few days ago! Saying that that wont happen for a long while. I guess I owe him some cash.

clipped from www.wired.com

£400 million ($668 million) will be spend on installing and monitoring CCTV cameras in the homes of private citizens. Why? To make sure the kids are doing their homework, going to bed early and eating their vegetables. The scheme has, astonishingly, already been running in 2,000 family homes. The government’s “children’s secretary” Ed Balls is behind the plan, which is aimed at problem, antisocial families. The idea is that, if a child has a more stable home life, he or she will be less likely to stray into crime and drugs.

As an ex-Brit, I’m well aware of the authorities’ love of surveillance and snooping, but even I, a pessimistic cynic, am amazed by the governments latest plan: to install Orwell’s telescreens in 20,000 homes.

[Tech] Apple tablet hands-on claims analyst

2009-08-03T15:50:00.001-04:00

I wonder if it will have pressure and tilt sensitivity needed for digital painting.

clipped from www.slashgear.com

The Apple tablet runaway rumor train continues, with word from Barron’s that an unnamed “veteran” analyst has seen first-hand the upcoming touchscreen slate. In keeping with earlier speculation and leaks, the device is tipped to arrive in November after a September announcement, and is potentially being positioned as a home media and gaming platform. According to the analyst, “it’s better than the average movie experience, when you hold this thing in your hands.”

The final decision is now said to rest on Steve Jobs, with whose “final blessing” the factories will begin manufacture. “It’s close enough now to a final design that in Asia, there’s no other product in the waiting room or in the bullpen” suggested the analyst, going on to fuel speculation that development of the device is an “open-secret” among ODMs there who are “all waiting to see what the Apple product is.”

Making Light Bulbs from DNA

2009-08-02T23:10:00.001-04:00

Now THAT is a novel idea! I like it, and I think it will see a great many uses in the near future.

clipped from www.technologyreview.com

By adding fluorescent dyes to DNA and then spinning the DNA strands into nanofibers, researchers at the University of Connecticut have made a new material that emits bright white light. The material absorbs energy from ultraviolet light and gives off different colors of light--from blue to orange to white--depending on the proportions of dye it contains.

The researchers, led by chemistry professor Gregory Sotzing, create white-light-emitting devices by coating ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with the material. They are even able to fine-tune the white color tone to make it warm or cold, as they report in a paper published online in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

The new material could be used to make a novel type of organic light bulb. The light emitters should also be longer-lasting because DNA is a very strong polymer, Sotzing says. "It's well beyond other polymers [in strength]," he notes, adding that it lasts 50 times longer than acrylic.

[Art] Thundering Magic: The Prophecy

2009-08-02T17:21:00.001-04:00

A fantastic novel by a good friend, check out the previews available on the site!

clipped from lightwyrm.com

This great novel by Yukimi Mills [Lumaris of these very Forums] is now available! A fantastic piece of writing that deserves your attention.

Here's what the back cover reads:

In the
cramped, overcrowded village of Ganailtun, each day for a bondservant
consists of taking orders from the Lord and Lady, until their debt is
paid. For one servant, though, his routine is about to change.

James
Ashendar is briskly taken away and thrust into a world beyond his
comprehension. Soon, the peaceful valleys take on a bloodied
appearance, and the comforts of home are no more. With a sorcerer
hunting him and an elven commander summoning him for unknown reasons,
James finds himself swiftly losing the life he knew to a life he does
not wish to know.

Without a choice, the shackles of Fate force
the young man to face a cold truth that may very well haunt him the
rest of his days.

- Book I, The Prophecy

The novel is available for purchace in hardcover, Paper back and E-book

[Science] Drug That Could Give You Perfect Visual Memory

2009-07-26T15:06:00.001-04:00

Absolutely insane. Implications are incredible, but I still want it!

clipped from io9.com

Imagine if you could look at something once and remember it forever. You would never have to ask for directions again. Now a group of scientists has isolated a protein that mega-boosts your ability to remember what you see.

A group of Spanish researchers reported today in Science that they may have stumbled upon a substance that could become the ultimate memory-enhancer. The group was studying a poorly-understood region of the visual cortex. They found that if they boosted production of a protein called RGS-14 (pictured) in that area of the visual cortex in mice, it dramatically affected the animals' ability to remember objects they had seen.

Mice with the RGS-14 boost could remember objects they had seen for up to two months. Ordinarily the same mice would only be able to remember these objects for about an hour.

[Art] Animation Tutorial: Bloo Walk

2009-07-19T00:17:00.001-04:00

Yet another awesome tutorial by David Tran.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

This is an old tutorial that was supposed to be published with the Animation article a few months ago, but ended up being lost along the way. But don't worry! The Bloo has been found.

Here David Tran will teach you how to create a basic walk tutorial in flash. This is intended for beginners who have used the program once or twice before. If you have any questions just post them as a comment.

[Art] Vehicle Design Tutorial

2009-07-16T12:28:00.001-04:00

David is just pure awesome.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

In this tutorial David Tran guides you through the making of, you guessed it, vehicle concepts. Often when asked to design something new you will need to start from the ground up with a series of proposal sketches. There are many ways to approach this, and David's tutorial will demonstrate one of the more efficient ways. This tutorial was done in Adobe Photoshop, if you have questions on how to apply this technique to other programs just ask on our forum.

[Art] Incredible 3D Pencil Art! ... sculpture?

2009-07-09T22:38:00.001-04:00

Very cool, I really like the repeating shapes.

clipped from www.webdesignerdepot.com

Jennifer Maestre creates stunning sculptures out of pencils. Yes, you read right: pencils!

Her work is hard to describe and difficult to compare with anything else that I’ve seen before.

She was originally inspired by the form and function of sea urchins:

“The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences.”

I interviewed Jennifer and asked her about her stunning art, her sources of inspiration and her beginnings.

I’ve also included a selection of her incredible work. A true designer with limitless imagination…

Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started with this form of art?

I didn’t start making sculptures from pencils until 1999. I had gone to Mass College of Art, majoring in Glass, in the 90’s.

When I graduated, I couldn’t afford to do Glass anymore, so I started to experiment with other materials.

[Web] Twitter Business Tool CoTweet Raises $1.1 Million

2009-07-09T22:00:00.001-04:00

Thats good! I like that it is having a local and global effect.

clipped from www.businessinsider.com

CoTweet, a web-based Twitter service for companies, raised $1.1 million in financing, the company announced today.

Investors include some of the guys who also invested in Facebook and Twitter -- Baseline Ventures, Founders Fund, First Round Capital, SV Angel, Maples Investments, and Freestyle Capital.

CoTweet has been built specifically for Twitter-based customer relationship management. It provides tools to help companies manage marketing activities on Twitter, the company explains:

A sophisticated workflow engine enables users to manage multiple accounts from a single dashboard, support multiple editors for each account, track conversations, assign tasks, create follow-up tasks and schedule posts. It also supports the automatic addition of “cotags,” that designate who is replying on a company’s behalf.

[Tech] Microsoft releases Silverlight 3.0

2009-07-09T21:58:00.001-04:00

I think that this is good progress. Its clearly showing attempts to pull the web forward.

clipped from www.neowin.net

Today Microsoft launched its latest effort to "Light up the web", Silverlight 3 which is now available for download.

Silverlight has come a long way since its version 1.0 launched in 2007. It has even attracted big players like Netflix who use it as their primary video player. 3.0 brings a host of improvements such as "Smooth Streaming" and "out of browser experiences". Web developers will also appreciate the built in support for GPU acceleration.

Silverlight 3 introduces more than 50 new features, including 3D support, GPU acceleration, H.264 video support and out-of-the-browser capabilities to Silverlight.. The out-of-browser support will enable developers to build applications that work like Adobe's AIR plugin. Dramatic video performance and quality improvements are also included.

[Games] Team 17 Announces Alien Breed Evolution

2009-07-09T21:55:00.001-04:00

Maybe it will be slightly fresh.

clipped from www.gamespy.com

Team 17 is best known these days for its excellent Worms series, most recently releasing Worms 2 Armageddon for the Xbox 360. Nearly 20 years ago, Team 17 released Alien Breed for the Commodore Amiga which quickly garnered critical acclaim.

Today, the UK-based developer of digitally downloadable games announced that Alien Breed Evolution -- the new addition to the franchise -- will return in the near future. There's no word on what which platforms ABE will hit, or when it will release.

The Unreal3 powered next-gen title, part of Team17's quality, independent digital line-up is a drop-dead gorgeous "retro-modern" remake of the game that helped Team17 burst onto the Amiga scene 18years ago.

Featuring an action packed, tense single player adventure and an absolute blast of a co-op game, Alien Breed Evolution helps raise the production bar on download-only titles and underlines Team17's re-energised momentum since deciding to become an independent publisher in the digital distribution era.

[Science] Simulations Illuminate Universe's First Twin Stars

2009-07-09T21:48:00.001-04:00

A very interesting simulation, there are so many fictional novels with these that I thought they were commonplace. I wonder one of these duos can actually become a host for a life sustaining planet.

clipped from www.physorg.com

This computer-simulated image shows the formation of two high density regions (yellow) in the early universe, approximately 200 million years after the Big Bang. The cores are separated by about 800 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun, and are expected to evolve into a binary—or "twin"—star system. (Image courtesy of Ralf Kaehler, Matthew Turk and Tom Abel.)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The earliest stars in the universe formed not only as individuals, but sometimes also as twins, according to a paper published today in Science Express. By creating robust simulations of the early universe, astrophysicists Matthew Turk and Tom Abel of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, located at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Brian O'Shea of Michigan State University have gained the most detailed understanding to date of the formation of the first stars.

[Tech] Google Lists HP, Acer Among Chrome OS Partners

2009-07-09T21:45:00.001-04:00

Well its looking more legit now.

clipped from www.pcworld.com

Google is already working with several companies to develop devices around the new Chrome OS, including Hewlett-Packard and Acer, the company said in a blog post late Wednesday.

The list displays a vast regional spread among PC vendors, from the world's largest PC maker, HP, to China's biggest, Lenovo, and two of Taiwan's top vendors, Acer and Asustek Computer. Noticeably absent was Dell.

Google also listed three mobile phone chip developers in the posting, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Freescale Semiconductor. The world's biggest chip maker, Intel, was not on the list.

"The Google Chrome OS team is currently working with a number of technology companies to design and build devices that deliver an extraordinary end user experience," the Google posting says.

HP could not immediately be reached for comment.

[Games] Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Hits XBLA on July 29

2009-07-09T21:44:00.001-04:00

One can hope that it will be good

clipped from www.shacknews.com

The wait is almost over, as Capcom has announced that the downloadable re-release of cult classic crossover fighter Marvel vs. Capcom 2 hits Xbox 360 on Wednesday, July 29.

No date was provided for the PlayStation 3 edition, of which a demo is already available, with Capcom's Twitter noting that the date will be "announced soon". Later, it added that the "PSN version of Marvel VS Capcom 2 is not coming at same time as XBLA."

Priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), the re-release adds online multiplayer, an optional widescreen view and filters for upscaled visuals courtesy of porting studio Backbone.

[News] Tivo strikes marketing alliance with Best Buy

2009-07-09T21:41:00.001-04:00

Well thats too bad for tivo subscribers.

clipped from digital.venturebeat.com

Silicon Valley video recording pioneer Tivo and Best Buy have struck an alliance in which Tivo’s digital video recorders will be heavily promoted at the electronics retailer’s stores, the New York Times reported.

Tivo is developing a version of its set-top box, which records TV shows and lets consumers skip commercials, to be sold in 1,100 Best Buy stores. Those digital video recorders will allow Best Buy products and services to be advertised to Tivo subscribers on their home TVs.

Best Buy is making a multi-year commitment to market Tivo. Best Buy is also financing a project to bring Tivo’s software and video search tools to Best Buy’s own brand of electronics, including its Insignia TVs.

The benefits for Best Buy include extending its relationship to customers outside of its stores. Best Buy moved down that path when it bought the music service Napster in September. Tivo is going to make Napster music available to its subscribers on their TVs.

[Games] First image of the Modern Warfare 2

2009-07-09T21:39:00.003-04:00

Until gamers stop buying this shit in a box they wont stop milking the call of duty cow.

clipped from www.vg247.com

For fuck’s sake. Infinity Ward’s Rob Bowling has just Yfrogged the first image of the Modern Warfare 2 pack art, and guess what? It says “Call of Duty” on it.

Guess the reality of making less money by going it alone was a little too tough on the knees.

Please, God. Let this be an end to it.

[Games] First image of the Modern Warfare 2

2009-07-09T21:39:00.001-04:00

Until gamers stop buying this shit in a box they wont stop milking the call of duty cow.

clipped from www.vg247.com

For fuck’s sake. Infinity Ward’s Rob Bowling has just Yfrogged the first image of the Modern Warfare 2 pack art, and guess what? It says “Call of Duty” on it.

Guess the reality of making less money by going it alone was a little too tough on the knees.

Please, God. Let this be an end to it.

[Tech] Sprint Nextel signs networking deal with Ericsson

2009-07-09T21:36:00.003-04:00

Wow big bucks to be made.

clipped from tech.yahoo.com

Sprint Nextel Corp. on Thursday announced it will transfer operation of its wireless and wireline networks to Swedish telecommunications equipment maker LM Ericsson.

The seven-year deal, valued between $4.5 billion and $5 billion, will transfer about 6,000 Sprint employees later this year to an Ericsson-owned subsidiary, based at Sprint's Overland Park, Kan., headquarters. About 2,000 of the employees are currently based in the Kansas City area with the remainder spread across the country.

Sprint officials stressed that the nation's third-largest wireless provider will maintain ownership and control of its network, including future investment and strategy, while Ericsson provides day-to-day maintenance and monitoring of the network of cell towers and call switching equipment.

[Tech] Sprint Nextel signs networking deal with Ericsson

2009-07-09T21:36:00.001-04:00

Wow big bucks to be made.

clipped from tech.yahoo.com

Sprint Nextel Corp. on Thursday announced it will transfer operation of its wireless and wireline networks to Swedish telecommunications equipment maker LM Ericsson.

The seven-year deal, valued between $4.5 billion and $5 billion, will transfer about 6,000 Sprint employees later this year to an Ericsson-owned subsidiary, based at Sprint's Overland Park, Kan., headquarters. About 2,000 of the employees are currently based in the Kansas City area with the remainder spread across the country.

Sprint officials stressed that the nation's third-largest wireless provider will maintain ownership and control of its network, including future investment and strategy, while Ericsson provides day-to-day maintenance and monitoring of the network of cell towers and call switching equipment.

[Games] Mechwarrior is BACK!

2009-07-09T13:23:00.001-04:00

Awesome, I like the new approach. I hope its not all fallout looking though.

clipped from arstechnica.com

After a string of teaser trailers got fans excited about the possibility of a new MechWarrior game, it's now official: a new entry in the franchise is under development. However, this won't be a sequel to 2002's MechWarrior 4, but instead will be a reboot for the long-running series.

The game is being jointly developed by Vancouver-based Piranha Games and Smith & Tinker, a company made up of former members of the now defunct FASA. After forming the company in 2007, Smith & Tinker co-founder Jordan Weisman was able to secure the rights to the MechWarrior franchise from Microsoft, along with other prominent intellectual properties like Shadowrun and Crimson Skies.

[Games] The Witcher Enhanced Edition... 2?

2009-07-08T15:04:00.001-04:00

Well at least its free! I hope they fixed the editor >..> if not... well thats too bad. And where is deception D:

clipped from www.actiontrip.com

CD Projekt's RPG just received a new update. You can download
the 368MB patch (v1.5 Patch) for The Witcher: Enhanced Edition right here.
The changes are as follows:

Patch 1.5:

Modifications:

copy securities (DRM) are removed

playing the game no longer requires the game disc in the drive

patch solves problems with EAX and blurred graphics

Additionally:

5 bonus adventures made by the Witcher community: ‘Deceits’, ‘Blight of
the Bogs’, ‘Wraiths of the Quiet Hamlet’, ‘Wedding’, ‘Merry Witchmas’.

When are they gonna announce a sequel to this game already?

[Science] Human sperm created from embryonic stem cells

2009-07-08T14:59:00.001-04:00

Thats it! Nobody needs guys anymore D:

clipped from www.eurekalert.org

Human sperm have been created using embryonic stem cells for the first time in a scientific development which will lead researchers to a better understanding of the causes of infertility.

Researchers led by Professor Karim Nayernia at Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) have developed a new technique which has made the creation of human sperm possible in the laboratory.

The work is published today (8th July 2009) in the academic journal Stem Cells and Development.

The NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) is a collaboration between Newcastle and Durham Universities, Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust and other partners.

[Games] Monster Hunter Freedom Unite breaks retail records

2009-07-08T14:57:00.001-04:00

Hehe thats cool, it is a good game

clipped from www.gamesindustry.biz

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has become the first PSP game to ship over 3.5 million units, according to Capcom.

Released in Japan in March 2008, Monster Hunter became the best selling PSP game of 2008. In October, an enhanced 'Best' version of the game was released and shipped a further one million copies. The 3.5 million figure takes into account both versions of the game.

Following its popularity on PSP, Capcom will release a new Nintendo Wii instalment to the series on August 1 entitled Monster Hunter 3(tri-).

The game will be the first third-party title to be bundled with the Nintendo Wii and sold as a special pack. In addition, Capcom is planning a series of special preview events in July and 'Monster Hunter Festa '09' in August, where fans will take part in Monster Hunter themed celebrations.

[Games] Peggle WoW

2009-07-08T14:55:00.001-04:00

And... that is not copyright violation? Or is there an agreement lol.

clipped from kotaku.com

800x600
|
Full Size

[Tech] Introducing the Google Chrome OS

2009-07-08T14:39:00.001-04:00

Way cool! Glad they are doing it!

clipped from googleblog.blogspot.com

It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser. Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.

[Tech] Sonos CR200 to get capacitive touchscreen, $350 price

2009-07-07T23:59:00.001-04:00

A pretty cool gadget, the price seems a little hefty to me though.

clipped from www.electronista.com

Confirming an earlier image leak showing Sonos' upcoming CR200 remote control, the company accidentally slipped the product page ahead of schedule. The device features a smaller profile than its predecessor, but with a considerably larger display. The 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen will now serve as the primary control interface, enabling users to flick through content or search for items by using an onscreen keyboard.

The CR200 utilizes a brushed aluminum housing, along with a glass screen and backlighting that is claimed to be suitable for outdoor use. A light sensor enables the screen and button backlights to be automatically activated, while a motion sensor wakes the device when it is picked up. The company lists a battery life of between two and five days, although users can swap the battery if needed.

[Games] Halo 3: ODST Maps Revealed

2009-07-07T23:56:00.001-04:00

I really like the level design, I think that this is where halo artists always excelled.

clipped from xbox360.ign.com

July 7, 2009 - Today is Bungie Day, meaning we can expect a few snippets of news and goodies from the maker's of Halo. And so it's begun with three screenshots revealing the new multiplayer maps included in Halo 3: ODST.

Coming September 22, ODST takes place shortly before Master Chief arrives on Earth in Halo 3. You don't play as Master Chief, instead taking on the roles of several ODST marines. The single-player looks to be quite a different experience than Halo 3, but the multiplayer will be very familiar. You'll get all the previously released Halo 3 maps and these three new ones: Heretic, Citadel, and Longshore. Along with these new maps is a new multiplayer type, Fire Fight, which is a cooperative survival mode.

Heretic

Citadel

Longshore

[Web] Federal Web sites knocked out by cyber attack

2009-07-07T23:54:00.001-04:00

The Internet is such a violent place!

clipped from news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON – A widespread and unusually resilient computer attack that began July 4 knocked out the Web sites of several government agencies, including some that are responsible for fighting cyber crime, The Associated Press has learned.

The Treasury Department, Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission and Transportation Department Web sites were all down at varying points over the holiday weekend and into this week, according to officials inside and outside the government. Some of the sites were still experiencing problems Tuesday evening. Cyber attacks on South Korea government and private sites also may be linked, officials there said.

[Science] Arctic ice thinned dramatically since 2004

2009-07-07T23:51:00.001-04:00

And more and more official data piles in, while less and less people want to care about it.

clipped from www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arctic sea ice has thinned dramatically since 2004, with the older, thicker ice giving way to a younger, thinner kind that melts in the northern summer, NASA scientists reported on Tuesday.

Researchers have known for years that ice covering in the Arctic Sea has been shrinking in area, but new satellite data that measure the thickness of ice show that the volume of sea ice is declining as well.

That is important because thicker ice is more resilient and can last from summer to summer. Without ice cover, the Arctic Sea's dark waters absorb the sun's heat more readily instead of reflecting it as the light-colored ice does, accelerating the heating effect.

Using NASA's ICESat spacecraft, scientists figured that overall Arctic sea ice thinned about 7 inches a year since 2004, for a total of 2.2 feet over four winters. Their findings were reported in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans.

[Web] Michael Jackson Memorial Results In More Facebook Traffic Than U.S. Inauguration

2009-07-07T23:49:00.001-04:00

Shows us what seems to matter more...

clipped from www.allfacebook.com

Facebook has posted the statistics so far of Michael Jackson’s memorial and the initial results are phenomenal. As his Facebook page surpassed 7 million users, 500,000 status updates were being posted and 300,000 users were logged in to discuss the memorial. The numbers are nothing short of spectacular with over 6,000 status updates being posted per minute.

The live stream widget is also being implemented on E! Online, MTV and ABC News. The Michael Jackson virtual gift of his glove has been distributed to over 800,000 users. During the Obama inauguration in contrast there were 600,000 status updates for the entire event and 4,000 status updates being posted per minute. With Michael Jackson being the most popular person on Facebook, it’s clear that this memorial has had a more significant reach.

[News] Online radio stations strike big deal on royalties

2009-07-07T23:47:00.001-04:00

Very strange, but as always: expected.

clipped from www.google.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of Internet radio appears more secure after a handful of online stations reached an agreement Tuesday to head off a potentially crippling increase in copyright royalty rates.

The deal is the product of two years of negotiations between webcasters and copyright holders. In March 2007, a ruling by the federal Copyright Royalty Board dramatically raised the rates that Internet radio stations must pay artists and recording labels — leading many online radio stations to warn that the new rates would put them out of business by eating up as much as 70 percent of revenue.

At least one popular online radio service — Pandora Media of Oakland, Calif., which derives much of its revenue from advertising — said the new agreement will help ensure its survival.

"For us, it's hard to overstate how significant this is," said Pandora founder Tim Westergren. "It was either this or an ugly alternative."

[Games] Watchmen: The End is Nigh Pricing and Release Date Information

2009-07-07T23:43:00.001-04:00

Interesting! I will definitely take a look at this one.

clipped from pc.ign.com

July 7, 2009 - Developed by Deadline Games A/S and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Watchmen: The End is Nigh is a hardcore mature action brawler featuring bloody visceral combat in settings reminiscent of the film. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 1 takes place more than a decade before the film's main story, delving into the partnership of urban vigilantes Rorschach and Nite Owl before the hero-banning Keene Act. In Part 2, the duo team up again as Rorschach contacts Nite Owl to help solve the case of a missing girl, Violet Greene.

Providing Watchmen fans with a variety of purchase options, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is proud to announce that Watchmen: The End is Nigh will be offered in the following formats:

[Art] The CA and Massive Black are now on facebook and twitter

2009-07-07T21:26:00.001-04:00

If you care

clipped from conceptart.org

Heya,

Now that the whole world is headed to facebook and twitter let's all be friends.

Plz add us and we will do the same. Post your fb link in here so others can add you too!

Add me if you like! At least join us on the CA and MB facebook group! Will update that soon!

1. Here is my own FB http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/cr...ms?ref=profile

2. Here is the offical CA and MB facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2208803085

3. and here is the CAandMB twitter: http://twitter.com/MBandCA

What's yours?

Jason

[Art] Pirate Assassin Tutorial

2009-07-07T17:24:00.001-04:00

A great tutorial by Stephen Hinds on how to create a unique character in Adobe Photoshop.

clipped from lightwyrm.com

Step 01

As in my previous tutorials, I start off with a silhouette shape of whatever subject matter I am painting. For this tutorial I will be painting a quick 40mins painting of a Pirate Assassin using a calligraphy brush and a soft/hard edged brush with a falloff. Start off painting your pose by using a silhouette to make your shapes readable. Also keep in mind when choosing a pose that different parts of the body should be readable as a shape. Try to avoid putting arms in front of the body, unless the pose requires a specific gesture, as they will disappear and bleed into your silhouette, making your drawing difficult to ‘read’. Also try to create negative spaces with your drawings to make it more dynamic and readable as a pose.

[Web] Andreessen: Facebook revenue to top $500 million in '09

2009-07-06T17:38:00.001-04:00

Well thats good news for facebook!

clipped from news.cnet.com

Facebook board member Marc Andreessen, who just launched a new venture fund, said in an interview with Reuters (published Monday) that he expects the company's revenue to be in excess of $500 million in 2009, and that in five years it'll be well into the billions.

"Generally speaking, people who are selling their stock in Facebook now are making a mistake," he told Reuters regarding the fact that since an initial public offering is still a ways off, Facebook is permitting some employee stock sales to Digital Sky Technologies, the Russian firm that invested $200 million in the site in May. Andreessen himself is not a personal investor in Facebook, and said that "I probably could have if I had tried hard but I didn't."

If Facebook worked the ad-sales front a bit harder, Andreessen added in the interview, revenue could already be over a billion.

[News] Ubisoft Opening New Ontario, Toronto-Based Development Studio

2009-07-06T17:35:00.001-04:00

Good news!

clipped from www.gamasutra.com

Paris, France-headquartered Ubisoft said Monday that it is opening a new "full development studio" in Toronto, Ontario, marking the company's first development presence in the province and creating 800 new jobs in the next decade.

Ubisoft called the opening "significant", as the government of Ontario is investing CAD$263 million ($226 million) over ten years. Ubisoft said its own net investment will amount to over half a billion Canadian dollars in the new studio, whose operations will start in late 2009.

"Today's announcement marks a strategic move for Ubisoft as we continue to expand our internal development force," said Yves Guillemot, president and CEO of Ubisoft. "We are in an excellent position to grow and after extensive analysis we are thrilled to have reached an agreement with the government of Ontario to open our new studio in Toronto."

Guillemot called Toronto "one of North America's economic and cultural epicenters," and expressed excitement for the local talent pool.

[News] New U.S. stem cell rules loosen some restrictions

2009-07-06T17:32:00.001-04:00

We will see where this takes us now.

clipped from www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government released final rules Monday governing federally funded research on human embryonic stem cells, loosening some requirements that scientists said could have cost them a decade of work.

But the new rules, which take effect Tuesday, keep many of the restrictions on the research. U.S. federal funds may not be used to actually make the cells using human embryos -- only to work with them after someone else has made them.

But the National Institutes of Health agreed with arguments that proposed regulations published in April could have forced researchers to throw away work done with stem cell batches, or lines, created over the past few years.

"We allow a case-by-case review," acting NIH director Dr. Raynard Kington told reporters in a telephone briefing.

In March, President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research that had been put into place by his predecessor, former president George W. Bush.

[Games] LucasArts Bringing Classics to Steam

2009-07-06T17:28:00.001-04:00

Go go steam!

clipped from www.shacknews.com

LucasArts has partnered with digital distributor Steam to bring "digital adventurey goodness" to the masses, with the first batch arriving Wednesday July 8.

Left, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Right, The Dig.

"This series of launches continues LucasArts' new mission to revitalize its deep portfolio of beloved gaming franchises," the studio said in a press release, adding via Twitter that "this is just the beginning." The ten PC games contained in the initial batch are:
Armed and Dangerous
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
LOOM
Star Wars Battlefront II
Star Wars Republic Commando
Star Wars Starfighter
The Dig
Thrillville: Off the Rails

[Web] Communication and Combination

2009-07-06T16:04:00.001-04:00

Another one of my articles created to help establish a better sense of design for the web.

clipped from wickedones.net

Vital to any design and designer. If you cant talk to your customer, well sadly you wont get many. If you can’t talk to your target audience, well you wont get many customers ether. But more importantly this hits hard when design time comes around.

Communication is your site, the main goal of any website is to push one subject to another. Empty your mind of the design, constraints and subject-matter and just look at what is where, do the areas call out to you? Does it tell you where you are? Can you get around to where you want to get to?

Communication

[Art] The Guide

2009-07-06T01:50:00.001-04:00

clipped from laxon.deviantart.com

Why hello there! Have not posted much for a while. Been too busy working on Lightwyrm

Did this one in Adobe Photoshop in exactly two hours. This is my entry to =Lumaris's contest here: Speed Paint Contest

I hope you like this piece!

[Science] New Discovery Key to Supermassive Black Holes

2009-07-06T01:48:00.001-04:00

I am a big fan of space discovery, I will never cease to be.

clipped from www.dailygalaxy.com

A new class of black hole, more than 500 times the mass of the Sun, has been discovered by an international team of astronomers 290 million light years from Earth providing a key clue to the formation of supermassive black holes that exist at the centers of all known galaxies in the universe.

Until now, identified black holes have been either super-massive (several million to several billion times the mass of the Sun) in the centre of galaxies, or about the size of a typical star (between three and 20 Solar masses).

The new discovery is the first solid evidence of a new class of medium-sized black holes. The team, led by astrophysicists at the Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements in France, detected the new black hole with the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope.

[News] Marc Andreessen Forms Boutique Venture Capital Firm

2009-07-06T01:45:00.001-04:00

Very interesting expenditure at this time. Ill try to follow it and see where it ends up.

clipped from www.wired.com

Marc Andreessen and business partner Ben Horowitz launched a boutique VC fund Monday with an initial capitalization of $300 million that the pair intends to invest in “anything that involves chips and computers” at a clip of $50,000 to $50 million per startup.

The firm, Andreessen / Horowitz, makes a business of what has been a consuming private enterprise of the two, who have made angel investments all over Silicon Alley. While the money they have at their disposal now is considerably more than they had as lone private investors their approach will remain essentially the same, Andreessen and Horowitz told Wired at a recent briefing. That is to say, they they won’t invest in anything they don’t understand, period. This includes a lot of “cool stuff,” the eternally-boyish Andreessen explains, like clean and nano technology.

[Web] Firefox, IE. Tech journalists are a disgrace

2009-07-05T22:50:00.001-04:00

I can not agree more with this author. There is a big problem with journalism of today, before you had the government cooking up all the propaganda for the press. Now it is the press itself that is choosing the next scapegoat to bait. Remember to always seek at least two opinions in any argument.

clipped from www.tgdaily.com

vote
nowBuzz up!

Opinion: Let's imagine for a moment that we're in a strange parallel universe. Many things appear the same, but there are subtle differences. Today, for example, Microsoft launched the new version of its web browser, Internet Explorer 8…

In this other universe, Microsoft is still the leading software company on the planet, but still has rivals, just as it does in our world. IE8 is launched on time, but the company has rushed it out in order to meet its committed launch date. As a result, it contains a few bugs and unfinished bits of code. Nearly 60 of them.

But in this strange alternate reality, technology journalists are, for some reason, reasonable human beings and praise the innovations built into IE8, while explaining that no one can expect complex software to work properly first time and that fixes for the most serious bugs will be ready in a month or so's time.

[Tech] CrunchPad Web Tablet Landing "As Soon As Possible" for Less Than $300

2009-07-05T22:19:00.001-04:00

I wouldn't mind one of those. I think its what we are missing so far.

clipped from gizmodo.com

Mike Arrington's CrunchPad web tablet, already several prototypes in, is quickly bubbling to reality reports Bits: There's going to be an announcement in July or August, and it'll be available "as soon as possible."

Arrington's incorporated a separate company, called CrunchPad, and has apparently spent two-thirds of the last six months working on it with his 15-man team from Fusion Garage.

It's been iterated a bunch before, but worth saying again, that the Atom-powered touchscreen CrunchPad is strictly for internet consumption—it boots directly into the WebKit browser and there's no hard drive or keyboard, though you can plug in a keyboard if you want. It does support for Flash, so Arrington's claim that compared to netbooks, "most people will find it works as good as a netbook or better" for getting their internet on sounds pretty reasonable, given its 12-inch screen. Pointedly, it's not meant to compete with Apple's mythical tablet, whenever it graces the world.

[News] Wife of new MI6 chief spills personal details on Facebook

2009-07-05T16:35:00.001-04:00

Ah good old wives, and facebook.

clipped from tech.blorge.com

The The Mail on Sunday discovered that Lady Shelley Sawers posted numerous personal details of her family life on Facebook including the location of the family’s London flat, pictures of them on holiday, the names & locations of their three adult children and pictures of famous friends. Once the newspaper contacted the Foreign Office with the information, all traces of the personal pictures and identifying information was removed from the site, but the damage may have already been done. Not only had Lady Sawers posted this potentially damaging information, she had left it open to be viewed by any member of the London network on the site. Seeing as you don’t have to provide any proof of your connection to the city of London to belong to the group, this information could have been viewed by any of the over 200 million members of the social network.

[Tech] IPhone 3GS owners bemoan its battery life

2009-07-05T14:05:00.001-04:00

They probably didn't want to make the case a millimetre thicker.

clipped from www.latimes.com

The new, high-octane iPhone 3GS is loaded with features that could light up your life -- but its battery isn't one of them.

Buyers are finding that the device, introduced two weeks ago, has trouble making it through a workday without a rest stop at the electrical outlet. It's proving to be something of an Achilles' heel on Apple Inc.'s flagship device, more than 1 million of which were sold in the first weekend.

Even the company suggests on its website that users disable some of the phone's most vaunted features, including the faster 3G network itself, to keep it from shutting down during the day.

Industry officials and outside experts sketched a complex picture of the technical and bureaucratic limits that might explain why, after two years and three generations of the device, the newest iPhone has less stamina than the first.

[Science] How Martian clouds create snowfall

2009-07-05T02:14:00.001-04:00

A very interesting read. To me this is indicating a distinct water cycle, although minor it means that there is a chance it was once a very dominant thing on the planet.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com

...And snow
The snow didn't come until close to the end of the mission. It too is similar to the snow that falls to the ground at Earth's poles, sometimes called "diamond dust." Whiteway describes it as "ice crystals sparkling in the air."

The observations show that "precipitation is a component of the hydrologic cycle" on Mars, which was not suspected before the Phoenix mission, Whiteway said.

How the finding might impact our understanding of the global Mars water cycle — both now and in the distant past, when the planet is suspected to have been warmer and wetter — is not yet known.

The new information can be used to modify Martian climate models, which currently don't feature these newly discovered clouds and precipitation, "and then we'll see what the implications are," Whiteway said.

[Games] Alpha Protocol Gets Official Release Date

2009-07-05T02:02:00.001-04:00

I think that this will be something interesting to play.

clipped from www.1up.com

The News: Sega has announced an official release date for espionage-based RPG Alpha Protocol. The game is set to hit shelves on October 6, which as previously reported puts it right in the middle of the holiday season. Sega has also added a descriptive subtitle: "The Espionage RPG."

Our Take: Alpha Protocol has us intrigued, but the title of the game doesn't seem very distinctive, and new RPGs can have a hard time catching audiences in the holiday rush. We're hoping Alpha Protocol doesn't find itself lost in the crowd. Check out our latest preview for more details on the game.

[Games] How One Man Spent $17,500 On A Video Game

2009-07-05T01:58:00.001-04:00

Whoever sold it is a one lucky guy haha.

clipped from kotaku.com

JJ Hendricks, an avid games collector, recently paid $17,500 for a single video game. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to spend that much on a video game, Hendricks has written all about it!

The game in question is one we actually featured a few weeks back: a gold Nintendo World Championships cartridge, which had originally been listed on eBay for $25,000.

There were only ever 26 of these ever made, and despite the fact they're not actually gold - it's just gold paint - they're safely the most expensive, valuable video games on the open market.

Having failed to sell at that price, Hendricks got in a lowball offer, one which was eventually accepted by the seller. And on VGPC, has written about it. The ups, downs, the obstacles, the ecstasy. Every sentence makes the knot in the pit of your stomach grow ever tighter.

It's a fun read! Fun because he's the one that spent $17,500 on a game, and not us.