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Shake-to-Undo on the Mac via open source app
This is funny: I've only really ever used the "shake-to-undo" on the iPhone either by accident, or when it wasn't actually available (when I had to undo something, and thought the app I was using supported it). But it can be a handy feature for some, and because of that, someone (named Nate Stedman) has "ported" it over to the Mac, available for download on your laptop MacBook, MacBook Pro, or Air. In other words, install the app, and then whenever you shake your portable Mac, the accelerometer inside will try whatever Ctrl-Z does on the app you're working on, essentially implementing "shake-to-undo." Like I said, funny. This is more of a joke than anything else -- it's not really practical to be shaking your MacBook around every time you want to undo something. But "Shake-to-undo" is pretty cheesy as it is, and it's extra silly to be flinging your device around on a bigger computer. Apple's brought quite a few iOS features over to Lion lately, but this is one that should probably just stick to the smaller devices.
Apple 'petabyte' server is open-source, keeps doctors away
What's this? Looks like the Internet Archive, everyone's favorite repository for online antiquities, has gotten its hands on a fancy new apple "petabyte" server. The new prototype device is open-source and is scalable like the PetaBox hardware that heats it. Its sliced and dried fruit output is also quite delicious, according to David Glenn Rinehart, the artist who installed the server. Though, as anyone who has followed the industry for any amount of time can tell you, there are always a few bad apples in the bunch.
Visualized: jousting on a Segway
Remember the olden days? When honor and valor were the only things that mattered and vast metallic armor suits were less of a laughing matter and more of a practical necessity? Neither do we, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying a good video gaming romp through such settings when we have the time for it. We don't know that we'd necessarily care to reenact medieval battle scenes physically, but that's exactly what a witty new marketing campaign for Washington's Lottery has done. It asks simply "what have you and your friends always wanted to do" and then answers its own query with the nutty answer of Segway jousting. See the resulting video, which was partially shot in Phantom slow-mo, after the break.
iPad licked by gullible anchor, film at 11
Even though April Fools' Day is over and all the Saran Wrap has been removed from the toilet bowl, it is still fun to share some of the notable pranks, especially when the prank involves an unsuspecting news anchor being duped into licking an iPad, live on camera, thanks to the Shock Top app. "Piezo electrics" indeed. The short clip is amusing and uncomfortably awkward at the same time. You so want to step into the video and tell the co-host not to do it, but at the same time can't wait to see what she does. Read on for the video and feel free to share your responses in the comments. [Via Razorianfly]
Guild Wars 2 dev blog exposes the Commando
April Fools! There is no Commando class in Guild Wars 2! Wait, you already knew that was a joke? OK, well, did you know that Cinematics Lead Horia Dociu posted up an article outlining his inspiration for the whole practical joke? ArenaNet developers take not only their work but their fun very seriously. Dociu explains that his work at Valve and his love for games like Metal Gear Solid and Rogue Spear were part of the inspiration behind this April Fools' hit. He was able to get a bunch of developers involved in the project because they believed it would be fun for the fans. In today's ANet blog entry, he tells us that "the key was starting early, so that people could work on this fun stuff whenever they had free time. I also made sure not to involve any designers in hooking up actual game play, since that would have put a major dent in their schedules." If you'd like to find out more about the good times at ArenaNet, check out the rest of the dev blog and the Commando class page.
April Fools: Telltale puts you in the game with Envelotech
Sure, the totally-fake Envelotech device shown off in Telltale's April Fools' Day video below has terrifying properties -- but was Puzzle Agent really the best way to showcase its potential for terror? We probably would have gone with Jurassic Park, or, at the very least, Torturetown.
Developer announces, cancels a new MMO
Earlier today, [developer] announced [type of fish] Online, a brand-new [themepark/sandbox] game set in a vibrant [genre] world, complete with player [verb ending in -ing] and all the [type of furniture] you could eat. The post also [adverb] hinted that the game would involve [character], a fan favorite that many players have been waiting for over a [time interval] to see. [Number] minutes later, the company [verbed] the post to announce that the game was no longer on the table. Due to [game developer]'s enormous [noun] habit and problems with adapting [game engine] to run on [operating system], the project was shelved indefinitely. Players caught up in the maelstrom feel [emotion]. "I can't believe we'd be so easily [verbed]," said [player name]. "I really thought this would be the game for me, like [game name 1] and [game name 2] could have been if the devs didn't [verb]. Or like [game name 3] was before they nerfed [class]. Or like [game name 4] before they [verbed] it down for the casuals." [Player name] continued listing MMOs for the next [number] minutes. Games Journalism sure is hard work, so we've decided to take a break today and let you write your own news! Too many stories about RIFT on Massively lately? Not enough about the game of your choice? No problem! Much in the style of Mad Libs, today is your day to create the news you want to read, all day on the :30s. Simply fill in the blanks and it's yours. Have fun!
Bungie admits to MMO hoax
Are they or aren't they? This is the multi-million dollar question for Bungie Studios, who had all but confirmed that it was working on a MMO of sorts. Apparently, this was either a ruse, a goof or a massive misunderstanding, as a Bungie representative clarified David Aldridge's comments at GDC as being nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek joke. Bungie fans, prepare to have your heart broken, in three... two... one: "In rehearsal Aldridge was convinced that everybody got the joke. It was all in the delivery, he assured us, and he was certain it was clear that he was playfully riffing off of the recent rumors. Unfortunately, most people can't figure David out -- they can't process him. And we don't expect them to. You can't process David Aldridge with a normal brain. You'd need tiger blood and Adonis DNA." While the studio tried to laugh off the miscommunication, this is sad news indeed for MMO fans who had hoped that Bungie was jumping into the ring. Last month we heard unconfirmed reports that this alleged MMOFPS was being developed under the code-name of Destiny.
Man discovers glasses-free 3D tech in the blink of an eye (video)
Who's got two thumbs and needs glasses to see 3D? Not this guy! Francois Vogel's figured out a way to remove those pesky spectacles from the equation, and he's ready to revolutionize the stereoscopic industry forever. Sure, you'll need a monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate, but that's a prerequisite these days anyhow, and the rest is sweet, sticky gravy dished directly to your eyeballs. Get a sneak peek at the game-changing tech in the video above, and keep an eye out for unicorns (we're sure they're around here somewhere). You'll never look at 3D the same way again, we promise. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
BBC comedians ridicule tech naming schemes, make us laugh along the way (video)
They say all good comedy has a modicum of truth to it, and there's no denying that the jargon that's built up around technology is littered with opportunity for mockery, fun-poking, and general satire. Leave it to two old pros from the UK, then, Harry Enfield and Ronnie Corbett, to summarily dispatch Apple, BlackBerry, Orange, Microsoft and everyone in between in one of the better tech-related sketches we've seen. See them do their thing after the break, but be warned: the video contains (a lot) more than your recommended daily allowance of fruit puns. [Thanks, Thanasis]
Watch Blizzard's fake unveiling of three new games from BlizzCon
Blizzard surprised attendees of its BlizzCon 2010 closing ceremonies with the (totally fake) announcement of a trio of new projects -- which, considering the fullness of the developer's dance card, was a pretty solid hint that all present parties were about to be viciously punk'd. If that didn't do the trick, the identities of the games certainly did: Teasing that the reveal of the company's unannounced MMO was just moments away, Blizzard's Paul Sams pulled back the curtain on World of Jersey Shorecraft, Gleeablo and Booty Baywatch. These announcements were followed by waves of laughter from the patient crowd, which were followed by waves of "great joke but what's that new game," which were then followed by waves of "no, seriously guys, we're not playing around, what's the MMO called," which were followed by waves of sadness. Then Tenacious D played! It was an emotional evening, and you can relive it by watching the video posted after the jump.
No Comment: The iPhone of night clubs
We will say kudos to Red Devil -- it's a rare company that can fess up to providing crappy service. A rare company indeed. [via TDW]
Microsoft celebrates Windows Phone 7 RTM with funeral parade for BlackBerry and iPhone (update: Thriller video!)
The iPhone's dead, long live the Windows Phone. That must be the genius proclamation that incited Microsoft to celebrate Windows Phone 7 reaching RTM status with the incomprehensible procession you see above. An elaborate parade, replete with hearses and black capes, was organized last week to denote the passing of the BlackBerry and iPhone into the land of unwanted gadgets. We'd say this is done in poor taste, but we don't enjoy stating the obvious. We will, however, enjoy the fallout from this poorly judged stunt. See our favorite image after the break and lots more at the source. Update: Apparently the team also engaged in a Thriller dance. Words are failing us, so just hop on past the break and mash play.
Innpu's 'wired phone' has retractable headphones, intractable sense of self-worth
This is news to us, but apparently there have been "few noteworthy advancements" in smartphone hardware since the iPhone and BlackBerry came out. Out to fix this stale, plateaued industry is Innpu, with its revolutionarily new "wired phone" (it's bad news when even the manufacturer puts the product name in quotation marks, right?). Setting the new high watermark in cellphone engineering, it comes with built-in headphones and mic, which retract automatically when you complete your call. And hey, we've seen earphones like that selling by themselves for $2, maybe $4 a pop -- luxurious stuff. Lest you think Innpu unambitious, the company's also promising to bring this life-saving functionality to the iPad and netbooks, while noting that its sophisticated technology "can hardly be copied." Probably because no one will ever care to try.
Opera parodies Google's Chrome speed tests mercilessly (video)
This, dear friends, is the height of comedy. Opera's pair of Scandinavian browser testers are back, this time applying some extremely high-tech speed tests to determine whether the Norwegian browser is faster than boiling a potato. Seriously, if you're not laughing at this, you either work for Google or you have a funny bone missing. In more concrete news, the acceptance of Opera Mini to the iPhone has accounted for a cool 70 percent of the Mini's growth over the month of April, with 2.6 million Apple users downloading the software worldwide. But that's not what you're here for, you're here to see the epic video, which awaits after the break along with Google's original. [Thanks, Ian G.]
Ellen pokes fun at Apple... and then apologizes
After watching this video, we've come to one conclusion: Apple needs to learn how to take a joke.
April Fools: Old Republic's final, final class revealed: Sarlacc Enforcer
We can see why BioWare and LucasArts decided to post about The Old Republic's "Sarlacc Enforcer" class in a joking manner, rather than actually including it in the game. Can you imagine the balancing issues which would surface when dealing with an archetype which can't move, but can instantly devour nearby players? That's a veritable PvP nightmare. Check out the game's official site for the full dossier on the sand-mouth's weapons, abilities and planet-destroying psychic lasers. Really, how's a mere Bounty Hunter or Smuggler supposed to stand up against that?
Beware, it's April Fools' Day!
With the iPad launch just two days away and new iPad news flooding the net almost every hour, we want to remind all our readers that today is April Fools' Day -- so take what you hear with a grain of salt. The web is already bursting with April Fools' pranks. Some of my favorites are: Google Translate for Animals -- an Android app that translates animal sounds into human speech using Google's "animal linguistic database." The Dharma Initiative Alarm Clock -- there's only two settings: one-minute warning and electromagnetic cataclysm mode. Google Street View in 3D -- go to Street View on and Google Map and you'll see a 3D icon. Glasses not included. Google Mobile Search "Where am I?" -- you'll be surprised to find where you are. The iCade, iPad Arcade Cabinet -- Donkey Kong never looked so good. Starbucks introduces the plenta and the micra - new coffee sizes for the modern appetite Besides a day for pranks, April 1, 2010 is Apple's 34th anniversary. Apple was founded this on this day in 1976. Happy anniversary Apple!
April Fools' Day roundup: 'let me Topeka that for you' edition
Alright, good netizens of Engadget, it's time for us to bring you the sort of hard-hitting news content you can expect only on the first day of April. First on our slate we have the earthshaking news that Google is to officially rename itself Topeka, with the company's official blog urging all future communications to be addressed to Topeka Inc. This is to honor the Kansas town that renamed itself Google in an effort to curry favor with Goog... excuse us, Topeka's 1Gbit broadband program. We also have exclusive and absolutely official confirmation of the forthcoming Android 2.5 update, an inflatable laptop from Toshiba, YouTube's textual deviance, and the hands-down best iPad dock you will ever see. You'll have to come after the break for all those -- they're too hot to handle out in the open. We'll be updating this post as the day goes along, so keep it locked.
Top Gear team builds EV, shows how complex car production really is
The presenters of Top Gear, among the finer specimens of British television talent (Dr. Gregory House being another), were this past week engaged in designing and building an electric vehicle purportedly intended to compete with the likes of the Chevy Volt. Set a time limit of a mere 18 hours, they produced the marvel of rushed engineering and shoddy workmanship you see above. The Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust (believe us, you'll have no reason to remember the name) was even put through its paces by Autocar magazine, whose video "review" can be found after the break. We won't spoil the details for you, but if you want a conclusion, this one's pretty unequivocal: "there's a really good chance you could kill yourself" riding in this car.
