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NVIDIA's Quadro GV100 GPU will power its ray tracing tech
Last week, NVIDIA unveiled its RTX real-time ray tracing technology at GDC. It has the potential to change the way artists and developers work in 3D, by letting them quickly render realistic scenes. The only downside? It was meant for video cards the company still hasn't launched yet. At its GPU Technology Conference (GTC), NVIDIA announced the first GPU that can power RTX, the Quadro GV100. Like the recent $3,000 Titan V, it's a powerhouse card built on the company's next-generation Volta architecture.
RIP, AOL Instant Messenger
We knew this day would come. One of the major parts of our formative years on the worldwide web -- we called it that back in the day -- will cease to be. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) came to a close a few hours ago. While we've already eulogized it, it doesn't make the moment any less bitter. Sunrise, sunset.
AIM 🔴 AFK 4EVA
For the better part of two decades, starting in the mid '90s, AIM (previously AOL Instant Messenger) was the way to communicate online. For a certain generation, which most of the Engadget staff happens to be a part of, it defined their youth. Those of us who experience high school and college in a world before Twitter, Facebook and, yes, Gmail, Instant Messenger was how we kept up with friends after class and well into the night. We made friends from across the globe, and a few of us even found love. But around 2010 AIM's popularity started to decline. Fast. Now the OG of instant messaging apps is being put out to pasture. On December 15th AIM will finally shut down. But first the Engadget staff wanted to give it a proper send off.
AOL Instant Messenger is shutting down on December 15th
It's the end of an era. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is officially shutting down on December 15th, Oath announced this morning. AIM started out as the built-in chat application in America Online's desktop client, but it really took off after it was broken out as a separate application in 1997. The app, and its iconic messaging sound, were staples for anyone who spent too much time on the web in the '90s and early '00s. Really though, the writing was on the wall for AIM since AOL laid off most of the division in 2012. AIM also started cutting off third-party access earlier this year, which was a big sign the service was on its way out.
Aol starts to shut down third-party AIM apps
Aol has revealed that it will soon block third-party apps from accessing its aging AIM messenger service. According to reports from 9To5Mac, the internet provider has notified Adium users that the app will stop functioning on March 28th. So far, Adium is the only service to be affected, but from the look of Aol's statement it seems as though this could just be the first casualty of ye olde AIM's imminent shutdown. The current iteration of AIM runs on the more modern TOC protocol, so third-party apps were the only way to access the older version. That system ran on an Aol platform called OSCAR, which also provided the backbone to Apple's iChat service back in the day.
Engadget giveaway: Win an Apple Watch Sport and Aim fitness tracker courtesy of Skulpt!
If you're serious about fitness (or want to be), stepping up your game beyond basic activity trackers couldn't hurt. Products like the Skulpt Aim let you quantify your workout beyond steps by directly measuring body fat and muscle quality. Used in tandem with a wearable like the Apple Watch Sport, you can ascertain detailed correlations between exercise regimens and physical results. To do this, the Aim uses Electrical Impedance Mypgraphy (EIM) to measure the resistive and capacitive properties of the tissue via electrodes. With the holiday season upon us, the struggle to stay fit in the face of seasonal snacks is challenging. Skulp has provided us with a Skulpt Aim and Apple Watch Sport this week to help one lucky Engadget reader get over that hump and start the new year healthier. It's also adding two Exhibitor Plus passes to the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in January. So, if you win and you're able to swing by Las Vegas, you'll be able to check out all the new upcoming gadgets. Just head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this fitness and technology combo.Winner: Congratulations to Roger M. of Santa Monica, CA!
Facebook and Instagram get knocked offline... for about an hour
Snowmageddon might not be all that fun those experiencing it on the East Coast, but it could well be affecting the rest of us too. Starting around 1am ET, Facebook and Instagram were both inaccessible, as well as apps that require FB credentials. Tinder, for exmaple, also went down in the process -- globally. (We saw problems accessing servers across the US, Europe and Asia.) We've also seen Hipchat and, er, AIM also knocked offline at the same time. Snow in the servers? Or maybe it was a DDoS attack? We don't know just yet. Facebook and Instagram have just come back after an hour. Interestingly, as TechCrunch noted, Facebook's other app, WhatsApp went strong through out.
MSN Messenger will finally, definitely be dead in October
Microsoft's 15-year-old MSN Messaging service will soon be a part of computer lore. It has been shut down in most places for over a year, but Microsoft kept it running in China where it was still quite popular. However, with the advent of Tencent's QQ, Line and other services, Redmond recently emailed Chinese users (on their Hotmail accounts, naturally) that the service would ride into the sunset on October 31st. To give you an idea of how old it is, the service was created in 1999 by Microsoft to compete against AOL's AIM chat service (disclaimer: AOL is Engadget's parent company). However, we doubt too many users will get misty-eyed about its demise -- the only nostalgia we have is how difficult it was to get rid of.
Here's how Microsoft tried to win the early instant messaging wars
The battle between modern chat services like LINE and WhatsApp is fierce, but it has nothing on the war between Microsoft and AOL (Engadget's parent company) at the turn of the century. Former Microsoft developer David Auerbach has revealed that his MSN Messenger team fought hard for compatibility with AOL Instant Messenger in the summer of 1999, all in the hopes of attracting some converts. At one point, Auerbach was in a daily struggle -- AOL would break MSN support by the morning, and he'd have a fix in place by the evening.
WildStar's newest video takes aim at... well, aiming
There's an element of fire-and-forget in a large number of MMOs, a sense that all of the hard work of targeting is done for you by the game. You click on your target, you activate your ability, and that's all the thought you need to put into aiming. But WildStar is looking to change that, as outlined in the newest Dev Speak video. Aiming your abilities correctly is a big part of playing the game, and failing to do so means missing your target about all of the time. Lead class designer Hugh Shelton and lead combat systems designer Chris Lynch took the time to talk a little more about the particulars of aiming with several media outlets because this is something that takes a large amount of consideration. So head past the cut not only for the video, but also for more valuable details on the art of making abilities go where you want.
iOS code hints iChat functionality coming to mobile
Developer John Heaton found some code in the latest version of iOS that hints iChat functionality could finally be coming to the mobile operating system. The code mentions various chat services like Jabber and AIM, and while it doesn't specifically mention iChat, there's certainly some strings in there that aren't yet included in any of Apple's standard apps. We've heard rumors of something like this before -- the revamped iMessage in iOS 5 is essentially iChat for iOS, though it still doesn't directly connect to the IM services mentioned in this code. Apple may not bother calling it iChat, but it's clear that at some point, the company was at least testing more functionality on mobile. We'll have to see -- it would be nice to have the messaging app on the iPhone send messages out to a number of different services, but obviously Apple hasn't announced any of this just yet.
AIM integrates with Google Talk for cross-platform chatting, teenagers worldwide shrug
For eons two realms have been divided: AOL Instant Messenger and Google Talk. AIM debuted among America Online employees in 1995; Google Talk premiered just a decade later. By 2007 you could combine your buddy lists, but that required also logging in twice. Children wept; women gnashed their teeth and rent their garments. Men tried to remain stoic, but inside their hearts were breaking. But now our long global nightmare has come to an end, and as AOL says "in the next few days" users of both services will be able to chat without logging in twice. One login to rule them all is the promise, though there's little explanation of just how this will work -- presumably something involving hobbits. Hit the source link to catch a glimpse of our harmonious, united-chat future.
Massively talks with Raptr's Dennis Fong
Raptr is a pretty ambitious project, even if you think about what has been accomplished so far. Essentially, the service is connecting all of your gaming-related services under one profile, one messenger, and one new iPhone app. Think of it as your Trillian messenger for gamers. I have a short history with Raptr but never really warmed up to it until recently. I wanted a service that would allow all of my friends, across all of the different networks that I visit, to see what and how much I am playing. Now that I have made a newer profile and have really started adding a few friends, I am sort of shocked at it's usefullness. Not only does it let me sign in to most of the major messaging services, game networks and social services like Facebook, but it allows me to see what my friends are doing as well, in some very specific ways. I was excited to get a chance to talk to Raptr CEO Dennis Fong and was impressed by how such an ambitious idea has now turned into a real, working application.
Microsoft prepping Yahoo, AIM, and Windows Live Messenger support for Kin?
The list of conspicuously missing features on Microsoft's Kin devices is a lengthy one, but considering the target demographic, there's at least one particularly egregious omission: instant messaging. Well-established ROM spelunker Conflipper is now reporting that Microsoft intends to add IM support in the future, though -- a belief he's presumably gleaned from looking through the latest firmware. Specifically, he mentions support for Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and AIM, a three-pack that would come close to covering the main services most of the Kin-owning world cares about; Google Talk would be nice, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if Microsoft went without -- especially considering that they're starting from zilch.
iPad apps: Twitter and social networking essentials
As you might've notice, either here on the site or likely elsewhere on the internet, we at Engadget have somewhat of an affinity to social networking. With a new screen sitting here saving us some screen real estate, we decided to give a number of Twitter and other pro-social apps a go for perennially staying connected to our online friends -- so long as there's a decent WiFi connection nearby. Here's the highlights from what we've toyed with, and stay tuned for even more roundups on the horizon. Twitterific for iPad (free; $4.99 for Pro account) - Definitely the best Twitter app on the iPad so far (pictured above). It works great in portrait and landscape, contextual links conveniently pop out and photos even get special format treatment. No option to upload photos when tweeting, but we're guessing with a lack of a camera, it didn't seem as necessary an addition -- we like to show off our screen captures and saved browsing images, but hey, that's just us. The only deterrent for power users is that you can only view one column at a time, but with lists, saved searches, and all other thread options easily accessible from the leftmost column, we didn't find it too inconvenient whatsoever. [See in iTunes]
Walk and talk feature added to Agile Messenger for iPhone
There have been some important upgrades to Agile Messenger [iTunes Link] since I last wrote about the multi-client chat app. Notably: a "walk and talk" feature that uses an iPhone camera to give you a view in front of your phone if you want to chat and walk at the same time. That's useful if you're going to type and walk around, but the under-the-hood upgrades are worth a mention as well. The biggest update for me was the ability to search contacts. If you have dozens of contacts, being able to search by name is essential; scrolling a huge set of lists is a chore. Searching works great in Agile Messenger, I'm happy to report. Push notifications work exactly as they did before. There are some cosmetic tweaks and performance tweaks, and I noticed the performance seemed snappier overall. Still, BeeJive recently added (somewhat limited) chat room support, which Agile still lacks. The iPhone IM wars are still on! Agile Messenger is only $1.99 for the next couple of weeks, which is a steal for the normally $9.99 app. If you use IM a lot, it's a great experience.
Bitlbee and Rooms: Accessing AIM Chat Rooms from your iPhone
We're a pretty AIM-based blog around these parts. The fact that Weblogs, Inc. is owned by AOL may or may not play a role in that. Regardless, we TUAWians spend a lot of time in AIM chat rooms. The App Store's lack of AOL chat room support has been a real burden when we're out on the road with iPhones. I was delighted when a recent tweet put me in contact with Björn Teichmann, author of the iPhone IRC application Rooms [iTunes link]. Rooms, claimed Teichmann, could bring AOL chat rooms to our iPhones. Teichmann sent over a promo code for his app, which normally retails for $1.99, and spent a few hours getting me up to speed on AOL chat rooms using his software. Let me explain: It's not that setting things up ended up being difficult to accomplish, but rather there weren't a lot of clear and available instructions for doing so. What Teichmann worked out over those hours was a somewhat reliable way to access AOL chat rooms via IRC. Read on to learn more about his solution...
Anomalous AIM Activity Afflicts Adium, Aggravating All
For the past several weeks I've noticed some rather strange behavior with Adium, the free and open-source multiservice IM client. On random occasions I suddenly appear invisible or offline to contacts in my buddy list while logged into my AIM account. And I'm not alone. Not a day goes by that I don't find myself asking a friend or co-worker why they are not online, only to learn they share the same problem. Either that or they're all making this up in effort to avoid conversing with me -- I have that effect on people. The only cause to this problem, or pattern to its occurrence, I can come up with is a loose theory that it happens during periods of inactivity. My hunch is that when you appear "idle" AIM somehow misinterprets this as a disconnect. Locally you remain logged in, but AIM thinks otherwise. Luckily I may have discovered a workaround. Launch iChat (quitting Adium is not required) and go into Preferences. Click on Accounts. Make sure your AIM account is selected, then click on the Security tab. Changing any of the settings in this options panel, then returning them to their original state, somehow magically vexes the problem, at least so far as I can tell. I don't know whom to point fingers at in this case; AIM or Adium. Both begin with the letter A, so that makes each of them equally culpable in my opinion. Wherever the guilt may lie, I just want the problem fixed ASAP.
Looking for cheap alternatives to SMS for the iPhone? There's an app for that.
Imagine that you're at home one night and want to send a message to your partner or roommate or someone else, but you really don't want to get out of your chair, and you don't want to yell loudly enough for them to hear you. So pick up your iPhone, but you don't want to send an SMS or call them. Surely there's an app for that... Actually, there are several; some better than others. Take Texter for example. For 99¢ you can send messages back and forth with other people on the same Wi-Fi network. Sounds promising, right? After all, SMS costs are ridiculously expensive, so why not pay a $1 fee to buy an app to send messages back and forth. The idea isn't bad, but the implementation is. First of all, Texter only works over Wi-Fi. And not just any Wi-Fi. Both users must be on the same Wi-Fi network. But maybe everyone in your family has an iPhone or iPod touch, so you're still willing to give it a try. Well, don't open your wallet just yet, because there's one more detail that we need to mention -- Texter doesn't support push notifications. Since Apple doesn't allow third party apps to run in the background, the end result is that you can only communicate with other Texter users if they already have the application open on their iPhones. I can't even imagine a "use case" for this application. Who would sit around with their iPhone on, running an application in the hopes that maybe someone in the same home/office with the same application might want to chat with them? It simply is never going to happen. If you want to avoid SMS charges, but still want to send quick messages to other iPhone users, why not use AOL's free (ad-supported) AIM iPhone app? It works over EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi, supports push notifications, and also allows you to connect with a slew of other people besides iPhone users. Maybe you don't like AIM or SMS. Maybe you really like the idea of having an iPhone app that is quick and easy and doesn't require any login or giving away your cell phone number (like SMS does). If that's the case, checkout the 99¢ Ping! app for iPhone. It also works over EDGE, 3G, and Wi-Fi and supports push notifications. You'll also have that healthy self-satisfaction of knowing that you are only communicating with other red blooded iPhone/iPod touch users. I'm sure there are a slew of other alternatives to SMS for the iPhone that work over EDGE/3G or Wi-Fi and support push notifications. Tell me about your favorites in the comments (bonus points for including an App Store link).
AT&T unleashes Real Time IM Relay for the hearing impaired
As our hearing impaired readers are no doubt aware, AT&T has been offering its Instant Messaging Relay service since early this year, allowing folks to use AIM to communicate through an operator over the telephone in a manner similar to TDD devices. Now the company has announced an upgrade to the service that will allow real-time communication between callers. Instead of waiting for the relay operator to input long strings of text, users receive the messages word by word as they're typed. "To hearing users, this may sound like a trivial enhancement," said Claude Stout, Executive Director of TDI. "But for many callers with hearing or speech disabilities, this creates a wireless and online communications experience that is much closer to what hearing people encounter when talking with others on the phone." Except, you know, with more emoticons and LOLs.
