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Android PC gets wrapped in maple, hits that premium sweet spot
If you feel that a typical barebones Android PC really won't do alongside your chaise longue and stack of hardback first editions, you may be interested in Jeffrey Stephenson's latest case mod. Underneath the birds eye maple, acrylic panelling and mesh, the Acero houses VIA's humble $49 Neo-ITX-based system card, running an iteration of Android 2.3 ready for mouse and keyboard add-ons. Up to 720p graphics is possible, which can be output through its VGA or HDMI ports and although that 800MHz processor may not be up to delivering the greatest gaming thrills, we've already got our joystick picked out.
MapleStory Europe's economy collapses due to currency exploit [Updated]
Despite its huge financial success, MapleStory Europe has had more than its fair share of problems. Last month, controversy hit MapleStory Europe when double-xp cards lasting for 90 days, instead of the intended 24 hours, were accidentally placed in the cash shop during the new year sale. The latest issue to hit MapleStory Europe has done serious and potentially irrecoverable damage to the game's economy. The exploit involved the Chief Bandit and Shadower classes, which both have a skill called "Meso Guard". This causes them to lose mesos, the game's currency, when hit instead of hitpoints. Packet-forging exploits have been used for some time to alter the damage players deal to monsters or receive from them. Combined with Meso Guard, hackers were able to fool the game into hitting them for -2,147,483,648 damage (the largest negative value a signed 32-bit integer can hold). Since the damage was a negative value, the Meso Guard skill then granted the player over two billion mesos. Hacking players used their ill-gotten gains to buy up practically everything in players' market stalls, massively inflating the game's economy by pouring untold billions into the hands of random players. Nexon attempted to patch the exploit last night and responded by permanently trade-banning countless accounts. Reports from players indicate that the exploit is still possible and that many of the offending accounts were not banned. To make matters worse, a large number of legitimate players who were traded ill-gotten currency were also allegedly trade-banned. The follow-up to another meso exploit found last year was similarly lackluster, with no server rollback performed in either instance. [Update: Scott Yoo from Nexon Europe got in touch with us to provide an update on the story. He had the following to say: "[W]e did 'trade-ban' suspected accounts temporarily in order to conduct an internal investigation but we also had to make sure no-more illicitly gained Mesos (in-game currency) are going out to the in-game market and contained in the meanwhile. We do admit that a certain amount of legitimate players can be included in the trade banned list and that's what we are going to reveal through the investigation carefully. [...] The reason why we didn't perform a rollback on our servers was because we detected the exploit too late which may make the players lose even more of their gains if we were to turn everything back. Another announcement that includes more details on this incident will go up live shortly (either today or tomorrow as the latest)."]
Yoshihiko Satoh's Wooden iPod speaker bags are definitely re-usable, possibly biodegradeable, totally chic
You can spend a lot of money on a handbag, so why not get one that's functional? These co-Mobile Speakers designed by Japanese artist Yoshihiko Satoh are not just styled to look like a bag, they are a bag, sporting room for your iPod to serve tunes and maybe a bento box to serve lunch -- but admittedly not much else. They're available in dark wood or maple and will set you back ¥31,500; about $335. Sure, that's not cheap for a 30 watt speaker dock, but we've seen far more expensive purses that are far less tastefully designed. [Via Engadget Germany]
T-Mobile Dash 3G slips into availability on T-Mobile's website
Well, there wasn't exactly much mystery left around this one, but it looks like the HTC-made Dash 3G (or Maple, or S522, or Snap) has now finally rolled its way into availability on T-Mobile's website, just as expected. While its full suggested price is $349.99, T-Mobile will gladly let this one go for just $169.99 on a two-year contract, which'll of course get you a Windows Mobile 6.1-based device with a full QWERTY keyboard, and plenty of niceties like built-in WiFi, GPS, Exchange support, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, and some nifty red accents and refined touches that certainly make the original Dash look a bit dated in comparison.[Via Mobile Burn]
HTC Dash 3G for T-Mobile gets pictured
If you're longing desperately for that T-Mobile Dash replacement, you don't have that much longer to wait, because the Maple / S522 / Snap / Dash 3G (and yes, sadly, those are all pretty much synonyms) is right around the corner. All signs point to a release this summer -- and we're now seeing the phone for the very first time in T-Mobile branding, which is a good sign as far as we're concerned. We've had chances to play with the unbranded Snap in the past, and while it's definitely a great looking handset in the flesh, it doesn't typically photograph well; strangely, we're digging this fuzzy, dirty, out-of-perspective shot as-is. Something about the T-Mobile logo just does it for us, we guess?
HTC Touch Pro2 brandishes Verizon logo, poses for camera with Cedar
Not that it wasn't without warning, but we've now got some pretty definitive picture proof that HTC 's Touch Pro2 is set to bask in Verizon's CDMA goodness -- we guess your Sprint friends won't be having all the fun, after all. Also caught on camera here is the HTC Cedar, a CDMA version of the HTC Maple / Snap. It's got a slightly different button layout just under the screen than the Sprint version we recently saw, which itself is different from its initial unveiling. According to 474RPR, who leaked these pics, this one's bound for Alltel's network, which while we don't see any proof from the image, we could totally buy that. Of course, none of these pics give a release date of any sort, so hang tight while we all anxiously wait in unison. [Via wmpoweruser]
HTC Cedar portrait-style WinMo smartphone for CDMA hits FCC
Look out, Palm -- you've got what's apt to be a formidable opponent creeping right up on your next big thing. A frustratingly vague FCC filing has just appeared, which details (if you can even call it that) an elusive new HTC CEDA200 smartphone that's apparently portrait-styled, Windows Mobile-powered and ready to rock on a (gasp!) CDMA network. The filing clearly asks the dear ole FCC to hold photos until July 30th, which lines right up with that Q2 launch date we've heard about for a so-called HTC Cedar (or Willow). Obviously, it's too early to tell just yet if this is that very phone, but either way, you can count on something good from HTC crossing the CDMA airwaves in the not-too-terribly-distant future.
HTC's QWERTY-packin' Maple rumored for April release
Not that it's really far-fetched or anything, but the Chinese-language Economic Daily News is reporting that HTC's QWERTY-packin' BlackBerry rival is gearing up to launch at CTIA in April. Codenamed Maple, we're left to wonder about most of the details, but we do know that it'll arrive with some sort of Windows Mobile operating system and should draw loads of attention from faithful 'Berry users. Needless to say, we'll be on the ground in Vegas when the show kicks off next month, and we'll be watching intently for this thing to surface in official fashion.
HTC's rumored 2009 lineup gets fleshed out with specs, dates
Remember HTC's huge lineup leak from earlier this year? Apparently somebody has trickled a few more details about the sets out, as we get a better look at the when, the where, and the all-important how much. Of course, we have to preface the info on the following six sets with the fact that we've no way to know the absolute truth or if we'll see them land as things have a way of changing. So until you hear it from HTC, consider the following leak a thing of dreams. First up, the Firestone, a 3G set that replaces the Touch HD with a 3.6-inch WVGA display, an 8 megapixel -- HTC's first -- camera, runs Windows Mobile 6.5, and is slated to appear in August this year. Next, a slate-style set called Whitestone with the same display as the Firestone, a 5 megapixel camera, Windows Mobile 6.1, and is apparently a dual-mode GSM / EV-DO number due to launch with Verizon in the September timeframe. The Thoth -- Athena's replacement -- is also present with a 4.8-inch display, a 5 megapixel shooter, the Qualcomm 8250 CPU at 1GHz, and will also run Microsoft's newest Windows Mobile 6.5 when it lands in September. HTC's Twin is another dual-band candybar set with a 3.2-inch VGA interface (no date), the HTC Maple is an HTC Cavalier successor with a 2.4-inch screen, 2 megapixel camera, Windows Mobile 6.1 device that appears in May. Last up, the HTC Cedar, which was originally touted as debuting on Verizon in June and has potentially been canceled. OK, that potentially sorts Windows Mobile for the year with HTC, so now lets get some details on Android sets, mkay HTC?[Via WMPoweruser]
Meet Maple: HTC's Cavalier successor caught in the wild
It's been a long time coming, and it looks like HTC's finally gearing up to drop another portrait QWERTY device -- a dominant smartphone form factor that HTC has historically given surprisingly little love. Following the Excalibur (T-Mobile types know this one better as the Dash) and the 3G-capable Cavalier, CNET's Deutschland outpost has learned a bit about "Maple," and what the device lacks in beauty, it looks to make up in pure, raw, unadulterated productivity. You can't rightfully anoint it until you get your hands on it, but from a distance, this thing looks like it has one of the more usable portrait keyboards ever created, a trackball, and a cool new feature HTC is called "Inner Circle," which seems to aggregate communication with people you care about depending on the time of day and day of week. HTC had really been keen on what it's calling "people-centric communication" at MWC, so Inner Circle would certainly fall right into that -- and if you can get over the frumpy exterior, this sucker looks like a solid WinMo-based choice for the suits out there. No word on a release just yet.[Thanks, Phil]
Maple Story headed to the DS
The online aspect of the DS is, though not without its flaws, a rapidly growing and very successful service. And while connecting to several players around the globe is all well and dandy, it was uncertain if the tiny handheld had the capabilities to support a true MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game). Allay your fears, nobles! South Korean publisher Nexon has announced a DS version of their popular casual MMO Maple Story, which to our knowledge appears to be a cross between a side-scrolling action game and a traditional RPG.Can you imagine if something like WoW was portable? People could have social lives and play the game at the same time! Maple Story might not be on the same level as those over in Azeroth, but it's a good start. Also, check out Maple Story's trailer, which might just be the greatest video game trailer of all time. Seriously.[Thanks, Eric!]
DS Phat mod shows patriotism
If it were possible, we'd probably just go ahead and rename this blog DS Mod Fanboy and switch to posting about all of the fantastic mods the community has performed on DS Phats and Lites alike. If we did that, however, we'd probably only be able to post one mod a week and would quickly fall from what little grace we currently have into Internet Hell (it's a lot like eastern Montana).That won't stop us from posting one of the more inspired mods we've seen submitted to DS Fanboy, however. With a sense of patriotism Rambo himself could not even rival, reader and Canadian citizen Dean Welsh went ahead and "Maple'd" the crap out of his DS Phat. Good job on the mod Dean!See also: DS Phat promiscuous mod DS Lite Crystal Navy mod DS Phat light mod Koopa mod Game and Watch mod Old School mod Tank mod Famicom mod [Thanks for sharing Dean!]
