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New info and screens for upcoming Star Trek Online content
Earlier we got a small taste of what's to come in Star Trek Online through the State of the Game feature, but already Cryptic is treating the community to a brand new "What's Next" page that lays bare their free update plans for the next two months. While all the major points themselves are old hat, it's the details of those major points that are in fact, new. We've got a breakdown of the coming updates after the break, plus new screens in our gallery.
The Digital Continuum: Federation stands for 'fighting'
A new fragrance is out, and it smells exactly like the old one. It's the gentle waft of something I'm quite familiar with: Star Trek fandom. Let me preface this by saying I've been a fan of Star Trek ever since I saw an episode of The Next Generation back when my parents used to tape it every week so we could watch it as a family. So when I declare that people griping about Star Trek Online's emphasis on combat aren't true Trek fans, I know the amount of weight that statement carries. And you know what? They really aren't true fans.
Lenovo teases IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops, D400 home server
There's not a lot to go on here, but Lenovo's official Twitter account posted pictures of two products that are purportedly being revealed in more detail later this week. The IdeaCentre Q100 / Q110 nettops are said to be "some of the thinnest nettops in the world," and while the teaser image is certainly a looker, for better and for worse we can already smell the Atom processor from here. Also on the menu is the IdeaCentre D400, the company's first home server. We Got Served did a little digging, and as it turns out, the D400 was released in Asia at the beginning of this month, with four hot swappable bays, four USB ports, and an eSATA port. It'd be nice to know when this week Lenovo was planning to lift the veil of secrecy, but at least we won't be worrying about it come Saturday. [Via ThinkPad; thanks, Mark] Read - Q100 / Q110 nettops Read - D400 home server Read - More details on the D400
Motorola Napoleon lives, still on track for a Verizon release?
The Q11's more or less a complete bust, so the Q fans of the world deserve something -- anything -- to hold their interest and reward their loyalty, don't they? We first saw the so-called "Napoleon" for Verizon eons ago, and by now, we'd pretty much assumed it'd been canned somewhere along the way -- but phoneArena has new shots of the thing in the wild that gives us hope that it might yet be released. Considering that it's a GSM / CDMA dual-mode set, it should garner particularly intense interest since Verizon's range of world-compatible phones is limited by nature, and truth be told, the thing doesn't look half bad. We could do without the biometric sensor -- and Windows Mobile 6.1 has us pretty bummed out at this point with 6.5 around the corner -- but it'll see a few sales if they can get it out the door soon. Sadly, it's still anybody's guess when that may be.
Rumors: Rez sequel, Spielberg's LMNO on hold and more from EGM
Beyond Gears of War 3 for 2010, the January 2009 issue of the future-uncertain EGM contains a handful of other rumors to pique your interest (via NeoGAF). Top of that list? A spiritual sequel to Rez is coming from creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, who can't make an actual sequel beacuse the IP is owned by Sega. Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment recently announced a music-infused project codenamed "QJ" for Wii, though it may be unrelated.Additionally, the issue also asserted that Spielberg's mysterious EA Project LMNO is on hold at the moment. At the end of October, EA denied speculation that there had been layoffs related to the title. The remaining rumor-mongering includes a new Rifts-licensed game in 2010 (the last one was on N-Gage) and a large co-publisher for Tecmo's PlayStation 3 exclusive Quantum Theory.
Meteos Wars and PowerUp Forever on XBLA this Wednesday
Looks like the rumor was true, as both Meteos Wars and PowerUp Forever are officially heading to Xbox Live Arcade this week. Meteos Wars is an XBLA version of the Q Entertainment puzzler title with expanded multiplayer (including Xbox Live play), while PowerUp Forever is a shooter from Blitz (the folks behind SpongeBob Squarepants Underpants Slam) and published by Namco Bandai. PowerUp Forever features procedurally generated environments, a unique "growth mechanic" (whatever that is) and, get this, power-ups.Both PowerUp Forever and Meteos Wars will be available this Wednesday for 800 points each. Gallery: Meteos (XBLA) Source -- Meteos Wars page on Xbox.comSource -- PowerUp Forever page on Namco Bandai Games
Motorola's Q11 gets official: WinMo 6.1, WiFi, 3MP camera
Not that Motorola's Q11 comes as any big surprise, but it's nice to see the Windows Mobile 6.1-packin' smartphone get all official on us. Now boasting its very own dedicated page on Moto's website, the Q11 comes to us with quad-band GPRS / EDGE (no 3G, for whatever reason), a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, 64MB of RAM, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 2.1, a 320 x 240 resolution display, integrated GPS and a multimedia player with support for all sorts of file formats. You can also expect up to 450 minutes of talk time and up to 195 hours in standby, but you won't be able to wrap your paws around it until December. As for carriers and pricing? Patience, friends, patience.[Via UnwiredView]
The Daily Grind: Which Star Trek races do you most want in the MMO?
There are many races within the Star Trek universe to choose from when it comes to your favorites -- and we say that in plural form because lets be honest, you can't pick just one -- so of course we're curious about your personal choices. If you had the power to choose four or five races for Star Trek Online, what would they be? Vulcan? Cardassian, Bajoran, Ferengi, Klingon, or Romulan? Or maybe something less expected like the Voth? We'd totally roll some bipedal hyper-dinosaur characters. Obviously we're assuming that Humans are included in this list, but hey if you want to exclude them feel free.There's certainly a lot of room for discussion on this topic, seeing as there have been six Star Trek series (if you count the animated series) and ten -- but soon to be eleven -- movies. One thing we personally thing is that all Game Masters should be forced to be the Q race, because come on... that just makes too much sense!
Sprint's Motorola Q9 / Q9c gone for good?
First things first: this isn't the first time (in the past quarter) that we've seen a handset vanish from Sprint's website, only to get fanboys riled up and it reappear days later when stock refreshed. That being said, quite a few Q9 / Q9c users are thinking the smartphone may be gone for good from The Now Network. For starters, neither phone is listed on Sprint's website. Furthermore, we're hearing reports that "discontinuation" has been confirmed by a number of Sprint representatives, though no official word seems to have leaked out just yet. Curiously enough, the carrier just posted the Windows Mobile 6.1 update for the Q9c earlier this month, giving us at least a reason to believe the lights aren't shut out entirely just yet.[Via GearDiary]
Motorola to unveil a slew of new handsets at CTIA?
It's been a rough couple months for Motorola's handset division -- rumors of a sale, two high-profile executive departures, layoffs, and that pathetic showing at Mobile World Congress -- but today it looks like the company might have some tricks left up its sleeve for CTIA. We're not sure where it came from, but this supposed marketing video popped up on YouTube with shots of several new handsets, all of which jive with rumors we've heard about Moto's upcoming devices, like the Linux-based Ming 2 and the 5 megapixel cameraphone developed with Kodak (pictured above). Other notables are a Q variant running Windows Mobile 6.1 and an odd new music slider that could be the ROKR E10. Of course, none of this is official (and Moto did release a hype-laden video just before MWC only to fall totally flat), but we'd be lying if we said we weren't hoping to see Moto try and come back around at CTIA -- we'll see what happens. Video after the break.[Via Unwired View]
Lumenlab's Q42 finally loose for under $4000
Not even a month after Lumenlab loosed its luxurious Qmax on the world, the firm's Q42 has finally escaped beta and is ready to tackle your living room. This PC-in-a-TV features an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 processor, an optional NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 1TB of hard drive space, gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel surround sound, optional Hotwire networking technology, a silent cooling system, all aluminum frame and an optional (but totally necessary) Blu-ray drive to boot. As expected, everything's housed behind a 42-inch 1080p LCD panel, and for those still in shock over the Qmax's $10,000 sticker, the $3,850 starting price on this bugger should be a sight for sore eyes.
Rez HD and Chessmaster Live land on XBLA
If you've been waiting impatiently ever since Rez HD was first announced for Xbox Live Arcade, then today is your lucky day because it's finally here. If, on the other hand, you haven't been waiting for the game with bated breath, then we'd say it's still probably your lucky day because Rez just so happens to be a good game. We suggest you crank up the synesthetic, vibratory goodness as soon as possible. If, however, all that sounds like too much stimulation, perhaps you'd rather play a leisurely game of chess. It's still your lucky day then because Chessmaster Live is also available today. Both games can be yours if the price is right. The right price, incidentally, is 800 MS Points each.%Gallery-13037%%Gallery-14900%
Joystiq plays Rez HD, releases next week
If, like us, you missed out on Rez the first time -- it was originally a PS2 and Dreamcast title -- then you may want to check out Joystiq's recent hands-on session with Rez HD (complete with extra vibrating controllers). For those that are unaware of the trappings of Rez, it is one of several musically inspired games from Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Q Entertainment. 360 owners would know their work from the Xbox Live Arcade game Lumines Live. Imagine the musical qualities that Lumines applied to the puzzle genre and then imagine the same properties being applied to an on-rails shooter and you'll have some idea of what Rez HD has in store for XBLA. If that sounds like fun to you, head over to Joystiq to learn more.Oh, and we should probably mention that the game is releasing on XBLA next week (January 30 to be precise).%Gallery-13037%
Rumor again: Rez hits XBLA next week
When rumors begin to pile up, you begin to ask yourself whether it's because the rumor is true or because you want it to be true. Keeping that in mind, we present you with a modified rumor, the original version of which we ran earlier this week. The rumor goes a little something ... a-like-a this: Rez HD could be hitting Xbox Live Arcade next week. Yes, only two days ago we were reporting that Rez could have been out today, but this time ... we're serious. A Q Entertainment spokesperson recently told Eurogamer that the game is "being prepped" and only awaits the proverbial green light from Microsoft, to which the spokesperson added, "Maybe next week?" Could it be true? Yes. Do we want it to be true? Affirmative. Thus, a rumor it remains.%Gallery-13037%
Lumenlab's Qmax PC-in-a-TV gets detailed, $10000 price tag
Last October, not much was known about Lumenlab's elusive "Q," but now it seems the firm's all geared up to dish out the deets and accept obscenely large checks. The Qmax still maintains a 42-inch 1080p LCD display, but we now know that you'll find an overclocked Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 processor (humming along at 3.3GHz), 768MB GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics card by PNY (also overclocked), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a trio of 1TB hard drives, the company's own Hotwire powerline networking technology, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and a fairly swank cooling system for good measure. Additionally, you'll find HDMI, component and VGA inputs, 8.1-channel audio, optional HD DVD / Blu-ray drives and an optional $1,500 touch screen for those with plenty of cash to burn. Reportedly, this beast is handmade in Asheville, North Carolina and can be tweaked to your heart's content, but the general configuration will set you back around $10,000. The only question left, it seems, is why?
Windows Mobile 6.1 gets pictured, detailed
So this weird Motorola Q9 that Boy Genius Report came across is turning into quite a gold mine. First it revealed AT&T's apparent intention to let its guard down just a tad and start bringing more devices into the WiFi fold -- despite the obvious risk to data revenue -- and now it turns out that she's dressed to the nines with none other than Windows Mobile 6.1. A fleeting glance at most of the screens doesn't indicate any obvious changes from 6 (it is a .1 release, after all), but the devil's in the details: goodies like threaded SMS (Yahtzee!) and cut-and-freaking-paste on Standard (double Yahtzee!) alone should make it a worthwhile upgrade. 'Course, it's up to the carriers and manufacturers as usual to ultimately decide whether to push updates to existing devices, but it would be pure, unadulterated torture if the lion's share of devices didn't see official releases. Seriously, we'd cry.
STO devlog 4.0 reveals nothing except the dev team's geekiness
Star Trek Online news is still sparse. We've heard nothing since we read the third devlog over a month ago. Now the fourth devlog is out, and it completely lacks new information about the game itself. However, it does eliminate any fears you might have had that the team at Perpetual Entertainment were not true Star Trek fans. We already assumed they were. After all, they're computer programmers and/or sci-fi artists. Plus, they're making a Star Trek MMO.The individual members of the development team answered questions like, "What's your fondest Star Trek-related memory" and "If you could bring one character from the Star Trek universe into Star Trek Online, who would it be?" The latter of those was the most amusing question. "We got a lot of requests for Q, Data, and Khan," the devlogger writes. "That explosion you just heard was the design team's brains trying to figure out how to integrate two dead guys and an omnipotent space god into the game."Indeed. As for the omnipotent space god, though, we think Richard Garriott might have a big enough ego to roleplay the part. Just a thought!
Motorola prepping Palm OS-based Q2 for Sprint?
Palm began life as a software company (anyone remember bailing out their Newton's testy handwriting recognition by installing Graffiti?), and who the heck knows -- perhaps a software company again it will be. Okay, okay, it's way too early to be sounding the death knell on Palm's hardware operations, but let's be honest, wouldn't a Motorola Q9 running Palm OS instead of Windows Mobile make for an absolutely fabulous device (read: Treo / Centro killer) for the Palm OS faithful? We think so, and this Sprint promotional site makes mention of a "Q2" that, by all appearances, seems to be the aforementioned Palm-based Q9. We can't verify the legitimacy of this thing for a couple reasons: one, we've heard nary a peep about a Q2 on Sprint's or Motorola's roadmaps, and two, this same site makes no mention of the Q9c, a device that we do know is coming to Sprint in the next few weeks. Who knows, maybe this is all some well-executed ruse by a Sprint staffer -- but if not, we say kudos to Moto, Sprint, and Palm (and ACCESS, for that matter) for putting together what may be the best Palm handset on the market come the holidays.[Via Boy Genius Report]Update: Sure enough, the detail view for the Q2 lists Windows Mobile 6 among its specs, so it seems the Q9c will be officially known as the Q2 when it hits; the 'shopped Palm screen is nothing more than a major league screw-up on Sprint's part. Thanks, commenters!
Lumenlab shoves PC inside 42-inch 1080p display, calls it Q
There's all-in-one PCs, and then there's the Q. This behemoth sports a unique identity crisis, as it attempts to pose as an aluminum-framed HDTV while featuring a full-fledged computer within. Nevertheless, the 42-inch Q packs a 1080p panel, compatibility with the Lumenlab's own Hotwire PnP powerline networking technology, a fanless design, 1TB of HDD storage, 2GB of RAM and an Intel Core Duo processor. Unfortunately, details beyond that are fairly slim, but we should get a better idea of specifications and pricing when its ship date draws closer.[Thanks, Scott]
Hands-on with the Motorola Q9m for Verizon
The first time we had our grubby little paws on the Motorola Q9; it was the 3G version for GSM. We recently had the chance to play around with the CDMA variant for Verizon Wireless labeled the Q9m. The device primarily focuses on being a multimedia centered device first and a Smartphone second. Even though this device is no replacement for your PMP, we feel the device does a pretty good job managing, downloading, and playing one's media library.
