alerts
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New DC Universe video shows off Area 51 alert
It's hard to tell which pending AAA MMO release has folks more worked up around these parts. In one corner, you've got Trion's forthcoming RIFT fantasy opus, and in the other corner you've got perennial contender SOE and its heavyweight intellectual property courtesy of DC Universe Online. Score one for the crusty veteran, then, as DCUO's Facebook page has just updated with a new video that throws a stiff jab at the competition. The clip features game director Chris Cao talking about the title's alert system, a quick-grouping mechanic that allows players to jump in to action-packed scenarios for vital defense missions at locations around the globe. The video showcases the infamous Area 51 research facility and features a group of players breaching the compound in order to fend off Brainiac's nefarious takeover plans. Area 51 is the first alert mission you'll tackle as either a hero or villain character, so be sure to give the video a look-see (on the official Facebook page or right here after the cut) to get a heads up.
Waze still has a 'waze' to go
The free nav app for the iPhone, Waze, has just been updated with a new 2.0 version that sports some new features and some of the same old problems. Waze is basically a navigation app with some crowdsourced features. If you are using the app, Waze keeps track of your location, and if you get stuck in traffic, it will tell others along or near your route that something is amiss. It's a good idea, but only if there are a lot of people using the app on your route. New to this version are commuting groups, which allows you to create groups of drivers and see them on the map. There is an improved 3D view, and a better, simpler, search menu. The app works in landscape as well as portrait mode, and does give voice directions.
Brando's USB mailbox lights up, thrills your heart when email arrives
Is the plastic heap you're peering at above anywhere near as cute as the notifying papercraft Wall-E we spotted late last year? Not even close, but it's equally captivating. Crafted by the geniuses at Brando, the USB Mail Box Friends Alert works with Windows-based machines that happen to have an open USB port. Simply plug it in, install the software and link your Facebook, Twitter or email account; when a new message arrives, the mailbox lights up, a sound can be emitted and the flag can even raise to alert you. Never mind the fact that the flag should only raise when you've got something in the outbox -- you know you're dropping $18 on this, anyway.
Email realm status alerts
This morning, when we started receiving tips that the realms were coming back up early, I eagerly checked to see if my own realm was among those that had been brought up. I have some serious DK leveling to do (75 and my De-raged Waraxe has made the class even more fun). Of course, poor little Shadow Council was not up yet. I didn't want to keep reloading the realm status page, but I did want to know as soon as the server was up. What's a person to do? Enter wowrealmstatus.net. It's a simple service: it sends you one email when your realm is brought up. (It can also be set to send you an email when your realm is brought down, or when its load is low, medium, or high, but I have yet to find a use for this functionality.) Enter your email, pick your realm from the menu, click the "Alert Me" button, and you're done. It only ever sends the one email; if you want another alert in the future, just set it up again then. Simple, effective, not annoying: a great web tool. And if you didn't know already, your mobile phone almost certainly has an email address which translates to text messages (AT&T phones, for instance, are [phone number]@mobile.att.net, like 123456789@mobile.att.net), so you can get alerts that way too, though your carrier will bill you for it if you don't have a text plan.
Realm Status plugin for Firefox
The realms are back up now, but we've all been through that wait before -- you've got things to do in Azeroth, but Blizzard is doing their updating, so you're stuck browsing around WoW Insider in Firefox. And here's a handy little tool to help you get back in the game as soon as possible -- the Realm Status Tool Firefox plugin will let you see the status of all the realms from right in the browser's toolbar, or even monitor a realm for you, and drop a note when its status changes.Of course, if you just need to see what's up and down, the Realm Status page on Blizzard's site will do it for you, but the plugin will actually put up a popup when your selected realm is back up. So you can browse all you want, and know exactly the right time to log back into the game. It's been around for quite a while, though it's only at version .4, but I haven't had any problems with it yet. And it supports both US and EU realms, so no matter where you are, you can have it keep an eye on what your realm is up to.Thanks, Berg!
Bizarre campaign texts parents to check for lice in kids' hair
If you thought sending a SMS in order to gain entry into a public bathroom was on the weird side, get a load of this. An outlandish campaign sparked up in the UK has been sending out weekly text messages to parents in order to remind them of the need to check for head lice on their youngsters. Cleverly coined Beat the Bugs, the program led to the discovery of six cases of lice, and when polling participants at the end of the term, the majority stated that they felt more aware about treatment / prevention and that they were now checking their kids' heads at least once per week. We can hear it now: "C'mon Jimmy, time for me to look through your locks for any critters!" "Ah, bugger." [Via Switched, image courtesy of Interior Health]
PC Gizmo fills IM alerts with rainbows, unicorns, chocolate covered teddy bears
Meet PC Gizmo. Sure, it's a cheapo, USB-interfacing Nabaztag knock-off... but it loves you. Don't make PC Gizmo cry -- let it alert you to IMs, emails, VoIP calls, and its insatiable need for hugs. See PC Gizmo do its thing in the video after the break.
Shoogle feedback mechanisms alert you of mobile messages, battery life
We've certainly heard of (and heard, too) cellphones pretending to be something they're not, but Shoogle ups the ante by adding a level of utility that we wish was already widely available. By utilizing accelerometers, vibrators and internal speakers, the creators of Shoogle have conjured up software that enables users to check their mobile's battery life and for unread / unheard messages by just shaking the handset. Put simply, a variety of sounds and vibrations allow the cellphone to feel as if blocks or liquid is trapped within, and all it takes is a quick shake to determine if any contacts are waiting for your response or if you need to make haste in locating the nearest AC outlet. Currently, only basic trials have been conducted, but more widespread testing is already in the cards. Oh, and just in case you were crossing your fingers for a video demonstration, feel free to straighten your digits and click on through for a glimpse.[Via NewScientistTech]
Fewer prepaid alerts after iPhone 1.0.2 update?
Now that the iPhone 1.0.2 update is out and growing its installed base, do any of you prepaid users notice a difference in the number of "You Last Transaction Cost $0.00" messages? Maybe it's just me but I'm getting the sense they've been cut back significantly. If you have a prepaid account, let me know whether this latest update has affected your useless message count.Update: Looks like this is a server-side fix according to several readers. How has 1.0.2 affected your alerts? No change as far as I can tell Too early to tell Definitely cut down on messages Don't know Prepaid? Who goes prepaid anyway? pollcode.com free polls
Dockstar 2.0 brings screensaver, widget and more badge options to Mail.app
Mail.app junkies who demand more from that little red Dock badge - rejoice! Dockstar, the go-to app for adding up to 5 new notification badges to Mail.app's icon that we've mentioned before, has received some great new features for a version 2.0 upgrade. New in this version are features like counting messages in nested folders, counting flagged, junk or total messages, sound notifications for each badge and even a screensaver and Dashboard widget.Check out the changelog for more details, or snag a new copy. A license costs a mere $8.[via Hawk Wings]
New iTunes alert quick link
Alerts are nothing new. You've been able to sign up for e-mail alerts in iTunes for some time through your account management pages. Recently, a new alert quick link appeared on the main iTunes page, letting you hop over to a page to manage those alerts without having to go through several pages of account management first. Just click the new My Alerts link and you're there. This is not to say that the alerts are particularly good or flexible. I want alerts that let me know when free items appear in iTunes. (Don't you?) Currently, the only alerts you can add are for particular artists (click "Alert Me" on their page) or for when any individual in your purchase history has items added to iTunes.
Laundry alert by TV works better than computer pop-up, SMS
Back in July, we told you about a trio of Atlanta-area families that would take a set of internet-connected washer and dryers, erm, for a spin. For eight weeks, the families lived with Laundry Time, the Internet Home Alliance's trial of washer and driers, which notified families their whites are brighter via television, PC, or cellphone. As much as we'd love to be alerted as to when our spin cycle is done by text message, it turns out that the non-gadget-on-the-brain folks don't really take to it; of the three methods, only alert-by-television seemed to work well, and most found the cellphone messages too confusing. However, one participant, Lisa Gunning of Roswell, Georgia, pretty much summed up what we long for in such a system: "I love the pop-up notifications as I tend to forget everything when I am working . . . even when I'm not watching TV, one of the kids will come and remind me." The trial basically would seem to be pretty much a bust for Whirlpool, HP, Microsoft, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, who funded the whole operation.
Help Dori Smith get her System alerts back
Check out this post over at Backup Brain. Dori Smith is having a very odd problem where her System Alerts aren't playing, although every other sound on her computer sings like a charm. It's like a troubleshooter's puzzle for the holidays. She even posted a Flickr set of her settings to serve as clues. Checking in on the comments reveals a few helpful suggestions like playing with the MIDI settings and zapping the PRAM, but no word on whether any of that has helped yet or not.For those of you who are about to flame this post, asking, "Why is this on TUAW?" The answer: Because I needed to get a post up by 12:30, I like Dori's blog, and it actually stumped me and I thought the phrasing of the whole thing was very mind-bender puzzle-esque. :-b
