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AT&T handing over 1000 free rollover minutes to all of its customers
Well, would you look at that. A day after the Verizon iPhone goes on sale to the general public, AT&T is dishing out 1000 free rollover minutes to all of its customers. The catch? None that we know of -- the wireless company apparently just wants to thank all of its awesome customers for, you know, not making the switch to some other carrier with Apple's smartphone. Simply text "yes" to 11113020 to be awarded the talk tokens -- which will probably just pile up on top of the thousands you've undoubtedly already accumulated. Too bad they can't prevent dropped calls. [Thanks, Danielle]
One Shots: Behind the scenes
Do you know what today is? No? Well, I'll tell you -- it's One Shots number 1000 since we started writing these three years ago! Personally, I love writing these because every day I get to open up our mailbox, look through all the great screenshots and stories from all over the MMO community that come in to us, and pick one to post. Today, I thought it would be fun to share another story from behind the scenes here at Massively, courtesy of our very own Jef Reahard, news writer and resident Age of Conan columnist. "Figured I'd send in this shot of my Age of Conan assassin in a bit of peril. Sharp-eyed Hyborians can see the Iron Tower as well as King Conan's castle in the background, and if you squint really hard, you can make out the walkway that Aquilonian newbs fresh off the boat from Tortage first experience upon zoning into the huge city. Funcom has added quite a bit of explorable area since I played at release, including this nifty new section of Tarantia called, appropriately enough, Tarantia Commons. It makes the city feel much larger, and much more alive, than I remember. As for my for the fate of my assassin, well, let's just say that he did his best Richard Kimble impersonation. Whether he lived, well, that's a story for another role-play event." Would you like to be part of the next 1000 One Shots here on Massively? We think your screenshots would be a great addition to our ongoing archive of images and stories from around the MMOverse. However, you have to send them in to us to take part! Just email them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. It could wind up being the next one featured here. %Gallery-85937%
TomTom Go Live 1000 taken for first test drive (video)
We've just returned from a ride with the TomTom Go Live 1000. In general, the device met our relatively high expectations set by a purported flagship navigator from the likes of TomTom. Unfortunately, the prototype unit guiding our vehicle was limited to a scripted demonstration on pre-selected routes. And when we did veer off course thanks to an unhelpful, but rather posh, voice guiding us to turn left a bit early, it took about 8 seconds for the ARM 11 device to reroute -- not bad but not exactly the 0 seconds we were promised during the pitch. Again, we were told that this was the result of using a prototype device... though it must be a near production-ready model given the summer launch timeframe. The unit also wasn't equipped with the automatic volume adjustment that raises and lowers volume based on the ambient noise around it. We did witness the Webkit UI in action and it does seem significantly improved based on our brief 15 minute test ride with it. However, it was still cumbersome enough to give our tour guide (a TomTom quality manager) fits as he tried to jump between 2D and 3D navigation modes. And the capacitive touchscreen was a mixed bag: at times it seemed to require the kind of finger mashing usually reserved for resistive screens; at others it was a bit too sensitive to effectively target street names from a pick list while being jostled about on a Dutch road (accidentally brushing the display selected the entry either above or below the street desired). As bad as all this sounds, we had the good fortune to have a Garmin nuvi 1690 in the vehicle with us to go head-to-head, flagship-to-flagship, and the Go Live 1000 was the clear winner in getting us back to our starting location. Check the Go Live 1000 in action after the break.%Gallery-91899%
Microsoft loads up 56 Achievements in Game Room
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Microsoft_loads_up_56_Achievements_in_New_Game_Room'; Inside MGC has posted a list of achievements for Microsoft's upcoming Game Room for the Xbox 360. If you're surprised to hear that a series of "interactive menus" has Achievements attached, you're not alone -- we didn't really expect there to be so many points hooked into this thing. There are a full 1,000 achievement points to be had in 56 achievements, and they seem squeezed in there pretty tight -- you'll get points every three medals, and even some points for just spending time in the arcade (36 hours total). In short, Microsoft really, really wants you to play in the Game Room a lot. There's less than a week left until it releases on March 24, so we'll see then if an enticement like this pays off. [Thanks, Jason Y!]
Verizon HP Mini 1000 to run $199 on a two-year contract at launch
Yep, it looks like Verizon's subsidized HP Mini 1000 will indeed launch on May 17th -- and if these leaked screenshots are any indication, launch pricing will be set at $199 after a $50 rebate two-year contract and $299 after rebate for a one-year commitment. (The prices are marked "at launch ONLY" so we're guessing they'll go up sometime after.) As for specs, it's nothing special, just a 80GB Atom machine with 1GB of RAM and a WWAN card, so really, we'd much rather take the subsidy on a USB 3G stick and spread the mobile broadband love to all our machines than be stuck with an underpowered netbook, but hey -- it's your call. One more pic after the break.
Verizon's HP Mini 1000 due to launch May 17th?
Sure, the hot buzz right now is centered on Verizon and Apple teaming up to release a unicorn-built iPhone tablet that runs on marshmallows and cuddles, but Boy Genius Report says that Big Red's actually-real partnership with HP is about to bear fruit -- the long-rumored subsidized Mini 1000 is apparently due to launch on May 17th. The specific model will be the Mini 1151NR, and if that leaked product-comparison sheet we saw earlier holds water, we're looking at a pretty standard Atom / XP configuration with a 3G modem built in. Pricing hasn't been locked down, but according to BGR, it'll be just as ridiculous as every other subsidized netbook: $299 after rebate with a mandatory two-year data contract. That's more or less $200 off standard MSRP, a discount we're sure you'll pay back twice over the course of the contract. Seriously, we'd much rather fiddle with a USB stick that we can use on multiple machines than spend around a grand on data fees just for a netbook -- what about you?
How would you change HP's Mini 1000 Mi?
Judging by recent PC shipment reports, HP's had a pretty good run in Q1, and we fully suspect that a good chunk of those sales are in the netbook category. The outfit's Mini 1000 Mi was highly anticipated and chock full of promise, though we're not totally convinced the whole Mi interface lived up to the mile-high hype. So, now's your chance to tell us -- did it? Are you pleased with the software? Do you feel the user interface attracts or detracts? Could the hardware use a retooling? Are you totally looking forward to the 2000 Mi (or 1000 Mii, whatever HP settles on)? Feel free to blast our your really real opinions in comments below -- we'll be listening.
Verizon's subsidized HP Mini 1000 leaks out
Hey, look at that -- Verizon employee training materials that prominently feature the HP Mini 1000. That's exactly what we predicted after we heard the two companies were talking about offering subsidized 3G laptops last month, and while we won't congratulate ourselves too much, well, we told you so. Sadly, there's no pricing on these slides, but we'll go out on a limb and say it won't blow minds when it's finally released. Hit the read link to check out the rest.
Ammo stacks in 1000, sells in 200
Whoo, boy. When the news came out that ammo was changing big time in the game, Hunters everywhere pretty much praised it -- no longer would we have to worry about carrying around tons of ammo, with one bag slot spent on just one consumable. But since then, things haven't been so peachy. First, we heard that consumable ammunition wasn't going anywhere, and then we noticed that none of the other changes were happening either. Then, ammo stacks were fixed to 1000 in a recent hotfix on the PTR, but now there's a whole other issue: while it stacks in 1000, it still only sells in stacks of 200. Which means you have to buy, and buy, and buy, and buy, and buy just to fill one slot. And what's more, Dresorull says it's not a bug -- we'll likely see this on the live realms.And as BRK points out, the "1000" stacks aren't even labeled on the PTR yet. He says you can fill your quiver with 28,000 rounds of ammo (of course, you'd have to hit buy 140 times just to do that), but what happened to the quiver changes? Aren't Hunters supposed to get that bag slot back in 3.1 anyway?It's all very confusing, and this smacks of a missed followthrough: the original Hunter changes as suggested were popular, but we're guessing something came up in their way (either the team was needed on another task, or some flaw in the system as designed kept them from turning consumable ammunition into a permanent item). Either way, we hope this gets fixed -- we know this is the PTR and everything is subject to change, but as it stands, it looks like we're getting a half-finished ammo system when patch 3.1 goes live.
FiOS HD video on-demand library tops 1,000 title mark
Make room Comcast, Verizon's barged in on Project Infinity territory, staking its own claim of 1,000 high definition video on-demand titles available, two months earlier than it had previously planned. That puts it well ahead in the choices/channels debate, with the latest additions courtesy of Starz, Showtime and Sundance Channel. If you're willing to accept something less than HD for your VOD, there's a total of 11,000 items available every month (8,500 without an additional charge), but we're just settling in as the race to 3,000 high definition watch-anytime choices begins.
iRex's 1000SW e-reader won't have 3G -- no matter how much we say otherwise
If you've been following the new iRex reader, the 1000 series, you'll be disappointed to know -- as we were -- that the high-end 1000SW will not come equipped with 3G connectivity as we previously reported. Apparently jkOnTheRun got in touch with iRex rep Loeki van der Lee after unsuccessfully searching for hard evidence on the feature, and he confirmed that the device will sport WiFi and Bluetooth, but nothing more. Honestly, based on his short responses and the information we snagged from Forbes the day before the announcement, it sounds as if plans might have changed at the last minute. Still, it won't alter the fact that the $849 device won't provide the same functionality as a $359 Kindle... though it does have that snazzy Wacom stylus.
iRex intros the 1000, 1000S, and 1000SW e-readers to a symphony of yawns
Oh, fabulous day! The new iRex Digital Reader is pretty much what we expected: a 10.2-inch, Lithium Ion battery-powered, black and white e-ink device that still leaves us hungry for that snazzy reader that Plastic Logic has coming down the pipe. Geared towards business users, prices start at a hefty $649 for the Digital Reader 1000, and if you want a stylus thrown in -- you know, something else to lose -- be prepared to spend $749 on the 1000S. Still, the big daddy 1000SW -- with WiFi, Bluetooth and that 3G data connectivity -- adds some new functionality that will be welcome, though it's hard to say who's breaking off $849 for those aforementioned features.[Thanks, Matthew]
Video: SSD-infused Eee PC 1000 boots in 30 seconds
Even with Express Gate installed, it took ASUS' Eee Box a good 35 seconds before an application could be used. On this particular Eee PC 1000, it took around half a minute for the entire system to load. The secret? An ultra-speedy 40GB SSD packed within. Hop on past the break for proof of the feat, but don't blink for an extraordinarily long period of time.[Thanks, Roman]
Leaked Eee PC roadmap shows 23 models, redefines brand dilution
Engadget Chinese received the slide image above showing ASUS' Eee PC roadmap. Go ahead count 'em up, we'll wait... Right, 23 Eee PCs before they're done, some of which we've already seen. The "extreme slim and light" S101 and S91 models, however, are new and tantalizing Eee PC "Ultimate" series additions and should compete nicely with the Dell E Slim. Really though, 23 models ASUS? Guess we shouldn't be surprised, after all, this is the same company that offers more than 50 models (not just configurations) of laptops. Read -- Engadget Chinese Read -- ASUS Notebook list
ASUS continues to mercilessly flog Eee brand with Eee PC 1000HD
ASUS must think that best way to make the Eee PC stand out in the overflowing netbook market is to crank out minor, uninteresting variants of the same models, because otherwise we're at a total loss to explain today's appearance of the Eee PC 1000HD. Yeah, that's the 1000HD, not the 1000H, which we've already seen. Ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is that it's basically the same machine as the Pentium M-based Eee 904, only with the 1000's 10-inch screen. Right. So now not only are there an endless variety of Eee models, the model numbers themselves don't indicate anything logical: the Eee 901 is faster than the 904, which uses the basic case of the 1000 but shares a processor with the 900 and 1000HD -- but not the 1000 or 1000H, which are Atom-based like the 901. Hmm, Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play -- not easy to buy might be your big problem here, ASUS.[Via Mobile Stylus]
Eee PC 1000H gets a $100 price drop
It's only been on sale for six days, but the pricetag on the Eee PC 1000H just dropped by $100, down to $549. We're not sure if early buyers will get that extra Benny back, but it certainly can't hurt to ask -- and ASUS, while you're at it, how about taking a little off the 901 as well?[Via Mobile Stylus; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
The ASUS Eee PC 1000 shows up for pre-order at Amazon
If you've been tearing your hair out, pacing wildly around the room, and sweating bullets over the availability of the ASUS Eee PC 1000 (and we know you have), you'll be pleased to know that the grown-up sized version of the company's mini-laptop is now available for pre-order on Amazon. The site doesn't provide specific release dates for the systems (the $699.99, 40GB SSD equipped 1000, and the $649.99, 80GB HDD equipped 1000H), though we're figuring it can't be too long till these models hit shipping centers. In the meantime, we recommend going for long jogs.Read - ASUS Eee PC 1000 40GRead - ASUS Eee PC 1000H 80G[Via I4UNews]
Eee PC 901, 904, and 1000 get UK pricing
We still think ASUS should cut the number of available Eee laptops down to something a little more reasonable, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon -- the company just made with UK pricing on the 901, 904, and 1000. The Atom-based 901 will come in at £299 ($592), while the slower 904 (which is essentially a 900 in the 1000's body) will set you back £269 ($533). The Atom-based 10-inch 1000 itself will run £349 ($691) for an 80GB hard drive version or £369 ($731) for a 40GB SSD edition. We'd say the sweet spot here remains the 901 if you can handle the smaller keyboard, but it's not like you're hurting for netbook options.[Via Slashdot]
Eee PC 901 and 1000 to ship in US on July 8?
We've gotten just about as much info on the Eee PC 901 and 1000 as we can handle, but we've been missing that most important piece of data until now: a US release date. That might be about to change, though, as ASUS's pre-sales department has apparently been telling people that the 901 and 1000 will ship on July 8th. Of course, that's not a firm commitment, and ship dates have been known to slip, but if you've been waiting to cold-cock that piggy bank, well, let the countdown begin.
ASUS Eee PC 1000H already unboxed on video
Okay, so that was eerily fast. Merely two days after ASUS' Eee PC 1000H went on sale in Taiwan, the cats over at TweakTown managed to secure a unit and curb their excitement long enough to unbox the thing, snap some photographs along the way and even capture the experience on video. Here's a hint: it's an Eee PC, it has a 10-inch display, and it's leaving its original packaging. Video after the break.
