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Warhammer Online streamlines trial transition
It's been a while since Warhammer Online moved to an unlimited free trial, allowing players to experience the Tier 1 game without any time restrictions. It seems to have been a pretty good move for the game, and they're obviously happy enough with how it's been going to sweeten the deal for trial players. Previously, players would have to purchase a full copy of the game to continue with their adventures; now, they just need to start up a monthly subscription. The first month will be billed and the player's account will immediately be unlocked for the entire game. Of course, it's not quite the same as buying an official copy -- you don't get the extra free month of gameplay, nor any of the actual peripherals in the box. But it's a good step to making Warhammer Online more accessible for players who enjoy the trial and want to jump right in. Considering that there's been recent positive talk about both the reaction to the unlimited trial and the possibilities of an expansion, here's hoping that the easier barrier to entry is a step toward revitalizing the game.
The Queue: Keeping it classy
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. We haven't kicked off The Queue with reading music in awhile, so let's change that. Once upon a time I posted some Rhett and Link for you, an internet-based musical comedy duo, and people seemed to enjoy it. So here's more! Behold, the T-Shirt War. T-Shirt War was actually my second choice behind the far more hilarious Butt Drugs, but perhaps Butt Drugs aren't as safe for work. Still, funny stuff. Butt Drugs. The Queue is actually a bit short today, since a majority of the questions we've been receiving require rolling bones and gazing into a crystal ball to answer. If you have a non-Cataclysm question for us, please ask in the comments below! busuan asked... "Why is there almost no sound effect for a warrior's shouts? In Diablo II, the similar shouts come with awesome sound effects. But in WoW, warrior shouts merely generate a visual cue. If Blizzard though effect were annoying to other people, they could have restricted the effects as self-only."
First Look: Minimalist time tracking on Mac using Minco
Mauritius is a minimalist island nation in the Indian Ocean, and from that tiny set of spots on the map comes a new Mac time-tracking application for anyone who needs to keep track of how much time they spend on tasks. Minco, now in public beta from Celmaro, is a minuscule Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard app that works with any application that supports iCal. When Minco is launched, all you'll see is a tiny clock icon in the menu bar. Clicking the icon opens a glossy transparent black display that shows either the time you've spent on a project or the revenue you've gained from doing billable work on that project. Clicking on the time or revenue counter starts the counter, which then disappears from view. When you stop the timer, a new calendar item is placed into iCal so that you can keep track of how your day was spent. The iCal integration works the other way as well. Creating a To-Do item in iCal adds it to your Minco timer so that you can start tracking time. When you start up the timer, the iCal item shows up in your calendar with the phrase "...working" attached. Publishing that calendar could be used to show co-workers or clients what you're currently working on. If you want to keep a log of what you do during your work days, Minco also writes your time log to a standard .csv file that you can import into Numbers or Excel for analysis. The company is considering writing other export adapters, although the existing adapter is amazingly flexible. Celmaro provides a 14-day free trial download, and the software is available for US$9.95. I found it very unusual for a company to be charging for beta software, but then again, Minco is much more stable and usable than a lot of beta software I've used.
5 Apps for the lawyer
It's official. The iPhone has come into its own in the legal world. It took a little time, and lawyers are notorious Luddites (you can pry the WordPerfect out of their cold, dead hands) but they do like Bright Shiny Objects, and nothing fills the lapel pocket like an iPhone. The iPhone finally cracked the law-firm standards stranglehold by virtue of its compatibility with Microsoft Exchange, which freed lawyers from the non-choice of "would you like a Blackberry, or a Blackberry?" Granted, the Blackberry still seems to have a better handle on business needs, but for some, the iPhone is worth getting to know. It should go without saying -- I will say it, though -- many of the productivity apps that are useful to everybody are useful to lawyers, so two of these apps are not strictly law-related. (See if you can spot them! It's a brain teaser and a post!) Also, certain obvious apps don't exist yet, such as a standalone LexisNexis or WestLaw legal research app. That said, the web will suffice for now. In fact, though I've artificially constrained myself to only standalone applications, the iPhone really shines for accessing web research sites given that Mobile Safari is (mostly) a full-featured browser. So, without further ado, here are five apps that give a glimpse into what the iPhone can do for attorneys. 1) DataViz's DocumentsToGo. Nobody expects to write a brief or a memorandum from start to finish on an iPhone (though I am waiting for a good enough voice-recognition app so that getting a draft started is feasible), but any legal writing usually goes through more revisions than your average pre-1.0 beta software. Often this happens right as you were planning on leaving for the day. DocumentsToGo allows you to edit and change documents, as well as email them over Exchange (requires $9.99US Exchange version) to other team members. Of course, iPhone OS 3.0's cut/copy/paste was a prerequisite to making any word processing application workable, but now document editing has become at least moderately feasible. Nothing replaces your desk, covered in open books or a large monitor with LexisNexis or WestLaw opened to 18 different searches, but this gives you just a bit more flexibility and just may save you a panicky trip back to the office at 11:30pm on Saturday night.
A Decade of Divination...
My first writings here at Massively were a look back at the last ten years of MMO gaming, much of which I'd taken some small part in, and a comparison of how early MMOs had been then, against how they seem to have shaped up today. I expect if I was going to grow out of these things it would have already happened by now, so am fully expecting to be playing an MMO of some description in 2019.Much of the year 2019 is already known to us, and detailed extensively in the documentaries 'Bladerunner', 'The Running Man' and 'Akira', but what will MMOs be like, a decade from now? Join me as I charge up the flux capacitors, spin the big brass and crystal whirley thing with no obvious purpose and hop in my little blue box in a bid to divine...the future!
iBiz 4 adds new invoice templates, iCal sync
Yesterday, IGG Software announced iBiz 4, an update to its flagship timekeeping and billing software that adds several new features for freelancers and small groups. iBiz 4 includes an all-new library of invoice templates, payment reminder and expense tracking functionality, faster editing and entry, and a new way to back up and restore your iBiz data. The software extends its Mac OS X integration to include creating billing events from items in iCal. Previous versions of iBiz were already integrated with Address Book, but iBiz 4 lets you further organize clients into groups. It also has a spiffy new charting engine based on Core Animation. iBiz Professional has also been updated, and includes a server component and two client licenses. iBiz Professional allows small teams to coordinate their time and to-do items across a Bonjour network. iBiz 4 is $40, iBiz 4 Professional is $100, and both are available for download at IGG Software's website. Both include a 10-day free trial. Users who purchased iBiz 3 after January 5 also qualify for a free upgrade.
Ryzom reverting to paid subscription
Ryzom, originally slated to be shut down, was saved from going offline by Winch Gate Property, Ltd. From there, there have been two large updates to fix bugs and add new features to the game over the last 8 months. Now, the team behind Ryzom have let us know that they're ready to move the game back to a subscription model. By doing this, they hope to be able to fund further development on the game for the community, and also allow for more events.The subscriptions will start at $10.95 per month, with a discount for multiple-month subscriptions. Added to that, they're also planning to offer a three-week free trial for current Ryzom players to hook their friends in with! The new trial also doesn't restrict play or levels, allowing any interested new players to really see what Ryzom's 'science-fantasy' world is all about. We're glad to see another MMO staying online, and hope to hear about more exciting things happening in Ryzom's future.
Nokia loses carrier billing for US Ovi Store launch
Nokia needs to pull out all the heavy artillery -- major device launches, carrier support, impressive software, and a seamless user experience -- if it wants the Ovi Store to succeed on a grand scale, and by all accounts, they're serious about making that happen with the recent integrations of MOSH and WidSets. Here's the thing, though: for many, direct carrier billing could be a big part of that "seamless user experience" thing, and recognizing that, Nokia had planned to offer it from the get-go in the US (along with eight other countries) when it launches next month. That's now been called off for the States for an undisclosed reason -- carriers around here are notoriously finicky in their relationships with manufacturers and we wouldn't be surprised if it all came down to a few heated boardroom discussions with the big wigs -- but whatever the cause, users will need to roll with a less-integrated payment option to start. Of course, alternatives from RIM, Apple, and Android aren't offering carrier billing here either -- but this was a cool opportunity to get a leg up, so here's hoping they end up getting this one worked out.
TWC moves consumption-based internet billing to more markets
No, folks -- this is no prank. Time Warner Cable really is throwing caution (and public opinion) to the wind and moving forward with its evil consumption-based internet billing. If you'll recall, we heard that the operator was trialing the method -- which imposes premium rates on big broadband users -- back in early 2008, but now it seems it's quietly hoping to roll it out into more major markets. Starting this month, TWC will start gathering information on its customers' internet use in Austin, TX, San Antonio, TX, Rochester, NY and Greensboro, NC; if all goes "well," consumption billing will hit those markets this summer or sooner. We'll point you to the read link if you're interested in just how outrageous these capped plans look (particularly for internet TV viewers), but we'd be remiss of our duties if we didn't share this gem of a quote from TWC CEO Glenn Britt: "We made a mistake early on by not defining our business based on the consumption dimension." Thanks for clarifying, Glenn-o.[Thanks Kevin, image courtesy of Corbis]
Ryzom switching to billing 'soon'
While the players of Ryzom have enjoyed playing for free for the last while, it appears that the time is approaching for that to end. An announcement on the Ryzom forums indicates that they're working on changing the game back over to being under a pay-to-play monthly subscription. After initially seeing the game taken offline last year, then bouncing back, It's been a hell of a ride for the Ryzom faithful. While this most recent reincarnation seems to be doing well, only time will tell if the move back to a monthly subscription model will help it grow further in terms of new content and players or not. That said, if you've wanted to check out Ryzom, you'd better get on the ball. From what their forum message indicates, you only have a few weeks left before its free-to-play status is history. Who knows, you might find yourself enjoying it so much that you roll to a monthly subscription when the time comes too.
T-Mobile launches 'My Account' app for tracking minutes, sweating bills
Tired of logging into your T-Mobile account in order to check your G1 usage figures, existing bill status and plan information? Just too lazy to even do it? If you've somehow managed to remain on the carrier as a customer despite your lackadaisical approach to paying up on a monthly basis, you just might want to give the 'My Account' app a look. Freshly loosed on the Android Market, the app gives G1 users easy access to current activity, bill summary, plan information, online payment, help guides, forums, battery info, storage info, etc. Anyone sucked it down yet? Is it amazing?
A copy of Darkfall: More evasive than a cheetah on speed
Darkfall may have launched, but that doesn't mean you're going to be able to get your hands on it. The team at Aventurine is still holding a tight grip over the game's population and the sale of the game through the online store.Each day, the store is opening at an unannounced time to offer a limited number of copies of Darkfall to the players. Once their goal for the day is met, the store shuts down immediately and the prospective buyers with empty hands have to go home pouting until the next day. This has lead to some players becoming demoralized while others use their expertise to suggest solutions to Aventurine. It is an odd time on the forums indeed.Now, we here at Massively understand that finding the Darkfall shop is like finding a unicorn. If you're having trouble finding where the button to go to the shop is even located, it's on the account page after you sign in. After that, however, you're on your own. Good luck though!
Caption contest: the most depressing thing we've seen all day
We've seen many wonderful, exciting things at Mobile World Congress this year.This isn't one of them.Chris: "Listen, you (expletive), I'm only two months behind on the Easy Bake."Darren: "Hawha? Iaowe u six five dolars? Huh? Moommiieeee!"Josh: "It will be a $35 charge to reinstate service, and no, you can't have a cookie."Richard: "How could I have sent that many SMS? I can't even read. Put your manager on."Joe: "Is this what they mean by 'the future underwriting the present?'"Jose: "Sshhhh! I'm talking to my marketing consultant - he loves the banner!"Paul: "Sure, the hold times suck, but at least they play tunes from The Wiggles in the background."Nilay: "I'm sorry, but they just haven't taught us the difference between .002 dollars and .002 cents in math class yet."
Linden Lab misuses Reuters employee credit card
What's worse than having a service provider slap a fat charge on your credit card that's not supposed to be there? It's having it happen a second time, after they've assured you that your credit-card details have been expunged from their records. News agency Thomson Reuters employee, Evan Maloney, is in just that position in his evocatively titled email to the public regapi list "Linden can't be trusted with your credit card information". Maloney's been slapped with the US$500 fee for the Reuters Second Life surname not once, but twice. Last time it took many weeks to sort out -- Maloney isn't eligible for customer support, not being a premium account -- so trying to reach someone at Linden Lab via the mailing list seems to be his primary support option for getting things fixed.
App roundup: Timekeeping and billing (Part II: The Quickening)
I got a lot of feedback from commenters yesterday about the app roundup of timekeeping and billing software. Turns out that little part about not having a comprehensive list didn't satisfy anyone! So let's add to our list, and include five more apps and services to make you a billing maestro and timekeeping maven: iBiz Billings TimeLog OfficeTime Harvest
App roundup: Timekeeping and billing
When I started freelancing last November, I knew I needed to get my act together about billing. I have a love/hate relationship with billing: I love getting paid, but I hate doing billing. Thankfully, there are many, many apps that help you do this. If you're just starting out, you might be a little overwhelmed at just how many ways there are to track your time. This little post here isn't meant to be a comprehensive list, but instead a place for freelancers to start looking for a small-scale billing solution that works best for them. Follow me for a look at a handful of apps and services that will help you keep your time tracking and invoicing in line: Billable Fanurio On The Job WorkTimer Tempo LiveTimer Freshbooks
Blizzard website updates complete
A blue poster on the forums today announced that the updates to Blizzard's websites are now complete. These updates have caused all of Blizzard's sites to work either poorly or not at all for the past few days.They were doing these updates to provide greater security and new features. While we might never know what the new security aspects are of the site (we can guess at stronger encryption, etc...), we expect to see some new features on their site in the future. Personally I'm glad their update is done. My credit card recently expired and I had to put in a new number, but wasn't able to because the site kept messing up. However this afternoon I was able to update my billing information without a hitch. Back to the multi boxing for me...
Peering Inside: Linden Lab's new billing provider
Some of you may have noticed that your billing for Second Life is no longer being done out of the United Kingdom but is now being done from the USA. Since there was no announcement of a change, we asked Linden Lab about that, back in the first week of January -- especially as it seemed that some users were still being billed from the UK, and others from the USA (and a few users with multiple accounts, from both countries). There seemed to be little consistency. Within a week, we had a basic answer. Linden Lab's John Zdanowksi (Zee Linden) responded, "There was shift in billing, though the change only happened for new customers or existing customers who re-entered their billing information, so that there would be no chance of disruption."
EU turns its attention to per-minute billing
Having just come off a win in the international roaming department, the European Union is looking for other ways to cut the wireless bills of its many citizens -- and it thinks it knows exactly where to start. The practice of rounding up to the next nearest minute when billing calls is common to a great many carriers across the globe, and the EU says it could be costing folks an average of 20 percent more minutes per month than they're actually using. It's not prepared to take action against carriers just yet, but it says it'll "watch developments very closely" and decide what to do -- if anything -- by the end of the year.[Via textually.org]
Time Warner Cable to trial consumption-based internet billing
If you thought Comcast's alleged data throttling caused a ruckus, get a load of this. Reportedly, Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) is gearing up to trial "consumption-based billing with subscribers in Beaumont, Texas later this year," which it hopes will "reduce congestion of its network by a minority of consumers who pay the same monthly fee as light users." According to a company spokesman, just five-percent of TWC customers suck up "more than half" of the bandwidth, but such a billing scheme could have some very nasty consequences. It's no secret that fetching television from the 'net is becoming entirely more mainstream, and with Apple pushing out "HD" rentals through its Apple TV, streaming video becoming more viable and Netflix freeing up its Watch Instantly feature, even consumers not considered lords of P2P could be hit with unexpected fees. 'Course, no prices have been divulged just yet, but seriously, does this not reek of paying for mobile time by the minute during the early 90s? Talk about taking two steps back.[Via The New York Times, image courtesy of JupiterImages]
