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So THAT'S what the inside of an iPhone looks like
No word on how this unfortunate iPhone 2G met its demise, but the damage it pretty remarkable and certainly points to something more than a simple drop. I like to imagine it died while being shot out of a cannon from the summit of K2. [Photo credit: Helen K]
A wounded iPhone
There's something about seeing an iPhone with chunks of its front entirely missing -- and the phone still function as intended -- that makes them seem like Terminator robots. [Photo credit: Pankaj Kaushal]
Can you guess what happened to this iPhone?
The internet is filled with photos of destroyed Apple devices, and a simple Google search will display plenty of photos of cracked screens and water damage. But this iPhone, posted on Reddit by user Tstone11, is special. As you can see from the photo, the device is completely destroyed, and I can't imagine there's a single functional part left on the phone. Its frame has been curved; its front and back covers are obliterated; and if not for the Apple logo shining through the cracked glass, it wouldn't even be recognizable as an iPhone. But what could cause this amount of damage? A truck tire? A hundred swings of a massive hammer? Satan himself? No, it was a piece of gym equipment. Tstone11's description of the photo is simply "Look what happened to my sister's iPhone, caught in the belt of a treadmill." Let this be a lesson to all of you: Exercise is dangerous. [Photo credit: Tstone11]
Two arrested for iPad security breach
Two arrests have been made connected to the security breach that exposed thousands of iPad users' email addresses and other info last year. Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer (yeah, that guy again) have been taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and fraud, for allegedly using a custom script (built by Spitler) called iPad 3G Account Slurper to access AT&T's servers, mimic an iPad 3G, and try out random ICC identifiers. Once a valid ICC was found, one could harvest the user's name and email address. Of course, the hackers maintain that this was all done to force AT&T to close a major security flaw, and we'll be interested to see what exactly the company does to make things right.
The Daily Grind: Pranks, busted
Afraid of April Fool's day? Concerned that every single site out there on the web will be spewing forth stuff you can't trust? Have no fear, folks - the Massively team is here! Our leaders have decided that much like last year, today we will use our powers for good. Rather than pranking our readership, we'll work along with you all to hunt down and chronicle any MMO pranks going on out there. Of course, if there's any real news that does somehow land out there today, we'll be sure to report that as well. If you'd like to join the team for today's Prankbusting efforts, all you have to do is leave a comment here with any MMO game or site pranks you run across. That way we all have the chance to either check them out - or know to avoid them. We'll also be running down things going on in different MMOs so those who don't have subscriptions can still check out the silliness each MMO has to offer.
WoW Moviewatch: Ramzienator takes fourth place in Synergy contest, seeks feedback
The second and third place winners of the Synergy contest haven't uploaded their videos to other hosting sites yet, so we're going to feature one that didn't win. Ramzienator, the brave soul that he is, submitted his very first machinima to the contest. As luck would have it, he lost third place by one vote. He requested some (fairly kind) feedback from the Moviewatch audience.Remember that all scripts for the Busted films are the same and that they were asked to follow them faithfully. Ramzienator's version lacks the fancy effects that the winning verson had. You can definitely tell that he used WoW Model and Map Viewers. The characters seem out of place, and in certain scenes where the ground shakes, the background goes out of aspect ratio. Sometimes the music totally disappeared and then reappeared just as mysteriously.There's a long way to go to be on the top of machinima. However, almost placing in this contest with your first machinima is good encouragement. The bulging eyes at the end were a cute touch, too! Don't give up! What say you, critical audience?[Via Warcraftmovies.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Baron Soosdon and Pinkhair win Synergy contest by a landslide
When I wrote about the Warcraftmovies Synergy contest for machinima three days ago, I had no idea just how close of a fight it would be. The results are in and it was literally a battle to the death. Baron Soosdon and Pinkhair beat Martin Falch by a whopping three votes, with final scores of 299 to 296. Over the next few days, we'll be looking at the winners and giving requested feedback to some of the ones that didn't place.Baron Soosdon and Pinkhair's machinima followed along with the Busted script, but there were multiple little touches that really made the film. In addition to weaving his 3d magic throughout, Pinkhair also used a third party program, Crazytalk, to animate the lips of one of the characters. Caruu mastered the sound, while he, Drewbie, Olibith, and Selserene voice acted. There are also tributes to the great Shepiwot, Drewbie's character from The Grind, the Robber Baron of Warsong Gulch, and the cast of Snacky's Journal. Even I played a part in it by ruining their PR campaign -- or so they say! Try to keep in mind that neither script was good, so the contenders didn't have a lot to work with in the way of variation. Now that it's over, I hope that Warcraftmovies will use a different method for their contest next time![Via Warcraftmovies.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
GPS-equipped cellphone nabs lazy New York school system employee
GPS is an amazing tool that we typically celebrate in the newest handsets, and we're assuming John Halpin was likely feeling the same until its data was used against him. Aparently, this construction foreman for New York's school system received a phone from his employers and was subsequently caught on some 83 occasions over five months abandoning ship early and heading home. His employers were able to get at all that handy GPS data and see where he was -- we're really hoping only on weekdays -- at any given time throughout the day. While we admire the Man's clever use of new technology, we can't help but feel for Mr. Halpin and the unfortunate -- and arguably privacy invading -- way he was caught. The data also apparently pointed out that he arrived at work as much as two hours early on some days, though that bonus time didn't seem to help his case. We guess from now on we may all be well served by ignoring the age-old advice and looking that gift horse in the mouth. We'll post up the -- hopefully happy -- ending to this story as soon as we hear about it.[Via TheRawFeed]
Halo 2 Blastacular Map Pack downloads fixed
A brief update for those of you fidgeting with downloading the Halo 2 Blastacular maps: You can stop cursing the screen, put down the mallet, and quietly pick up the controller to try one. more. time. to get those little buggers off of Microsoft's uncooperative servers and onto your yearning Xbox. Bungie explains what the problems were but, to be honest, we weren't listening. We were busy pondering their promise to "accelerate the maps' introduction into matchmaking."%Gallery-2368%
Sony's holiday marketing campaign sniffed out
Whatever flavor of eggnog Sony's marketing gurus are sipping, we'd like a few cartons sent to Engadget HQ. While the PlayStation 3 ads were, um, interesting to say the least, and though the Bravia commercials are somewhat understandable, trying to rip an Apple mainstay isn't likely to catch fire (in a good way). But beyond all that, Sony's PSP advertisements have bordered on zany and offensive for some time, with everything building up to the "all i want for xmas is a psp" campaign. While we noticed something was a tad off kilter with the childishly-worded site, all it took was a few hundred detectives to spoil the company's fun. Unfortunately for Sony, the firm was busted in an attempt to construct an undercover website urging folks to urge their parents to pick up a PSP this December. This most certainly isn't the first time this year that the firm has started a "quasi-official" weblog, but trying to fool all those eagle-eyed readers out there didn't quite work out as planned. Nevertheless, the site remains up to provide "nothing but the facts on the PSP" from here on out, but that just makes you wonder what all the other propaganda before this was.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
For AMD, NVIDIA, nothing says "holiday greetings" like federal subpoenas
You can color us ignorant here, but we sort of figured that after all those regulatory hoops AMD jumped through in the process of getting approval for its ATI acquisition, the DOJ would've wrapped up any antitrust reservations it might have before the $5.4 billion deal went down. But for whatever reason, the Justice Department picked late Thursday to slap AMD with a federal subpoena regarding an investigation into possible antitrust violations in the graphics card biz. As if this wasn't weird enough, we just got word that NVIDIA has been slapped with a similar subpoena, with just as little explanation as to why. Shares are down for each company, both of which hold about 25 percent of the graphics card market, with Intel managing the rest. Intel apparently hasn't received a subpoena yet, but a spokesman said he was checking with the company lawyers just to make sure. According to analyst Nicholas Aberle, "It's a bit of a headscratcher. I don't know exactly what the angle is from the DOJ." We're just as much in the dark, but we'll definitely be keeping an eye on the situation.Read - AMD Receives Federal SubpoenaRead - AMD, NVIDIA hit by graphics chip probe
SanDisk MP3 seizure at IFA overturned
Just a few days back, Sansa-manufacturer SanDisk was shot down by Sisvel and forced to take down its displays at Berlin's IFA expo, but it seems that some fast-acting (and talking) lawyers have somehow reversed the decision just in time for SanDisk to show their products on the final day of the show. Tangled in lawsuits concerning MP3 patent violations, the company still insists its playback technology isn't infringing on any patents, but Sisvel maintains its insistence that SanDisk should be included in the nearly 600 companies that pay royalties to the licensing firm. Apparently SanDisk wasn't the only company forced to put its show on hiatus, as 19 other outfits had products unexpectedly seized for "similar violations." Sisvel isn't going down without a fight, however, as it has already filed an appeal to have the reversed order un-reversed -- while it may seem a bit redundant (to say the least), it's certainly not out of character for the sue-happy Sisvel, who proudly joins the growing list of "you've got to be kidding me" lawsuits.
