Christmas
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Apple's Jony Ive helped design a Christmas tree with no lights
Jony Ive and Marc Newson have designed a range of products that have little to do with their work at Apple, but their latest is something... different. They've worked with set designer Michael Howells on the Claridge's Christmas tree for 2016, and it largely lives up to your "if Jony Ive designed this, it would..." stereotypes. Just as your new Mac or iPhone is devoid of ports, there are no conventional tree lights in this hotel display -- you'll see 13-foot light boxes beaming images of snow-covered birches, but the actual tree arrangement is bare. It's like Ive was sent on a mission to destroy your holiday memories with his signature minimalism.
12 gifts for the gaming geek in your life
Whether they've got a fully tricked out PC gaming rig or just looking to get a little retro button mashing done on their new 4K TV, we've got the gift for the gamer in your life. Obviously, with some new consoles on the scene, there's an obvious upgrade out there for the hardcore in the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S. But you don't need to drop $300 - $400 to upgrade your favorite geek's gaming experience. A high-end mouse, top notch controller or a new headset can make a world of difference for those glued to online battles. And, for those in your life that prefer their gaming be a little more... let's say physical, you can't go wrong with a board game like Mechs vs. Minions or King of Tokyo. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
The 12 best tech gifts for sports fanatics
Chances are there's at least one die-hard sports fan in your life. And look, even if your idea of game-time small talk is "Hey, how about that local sportsball team" you can still get them the perfect gift. Whether they're big NBA addicts, avid runners or trying to perfect that spiral and become an NFL quarterback, we've got you covered. And you don't even have to betray your tech-geek roots to do it. There's plenty of ways to get your game on while simultaneously getting your geek on. High-end TVs deliver football in 4K glory while wearables like the TomTom Adventurer let you turn that epic hike into epic reams of data. Check out the gallery below to see our 12 techie gift recommendations for sports fans and athletes. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Netflix picks 'Stranger Things' scene for first 360-degree video
Netflix has shown an interest in creating virtual reality content, from releasing a dedicated VR app that creates a screen inside a virtual environment, to experimenting with a virtual video store. Now, Netflix has released its first 360-degree YouTube video that's compatible with 360 VR viewers, like Google Cardboard, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The clip, which lasts under two minutes, is a recreated scene from Netflix's latest hit, Stranger Things.
Amazon's holiday hits included instant film and turntables
You'd think that an internet retail behemoth like Amazon would primarily sell a lot of cutting-edge tech during the holidays, but nope -- that wasn't the case this year. The company has posted its annual holiday bestsellers, and it turns out that some of the hottest purchases were decidedly retro. The best-selling camera tech this year, for example, was Fujifilm's Instax instant film. A digital camera, the GoPro Hero4, was only a runner-up. Likewise, the top home audio gear was a Jensen turntable, eclipsing a Yamaha receiver and Sonos' Play:1 two-speaker kit.
Kid opens PS4 on Christmas day, finds block of wood instead
It's always a little awkward when a well-intended Christmas gift is a bit off target. But it's down right cruel what happened to little Scott Lundy from Wakefield, MA. After (we imagine) weeks, maybe months, of anticipation and avoiding the naughty list, Lundy was rewarded with a PlayStation 4 under the Christmas tree. Or so he thought. Instead of unboxing a sick next-gen console (his parents opted for the Teen-rated Uncharted bundle), Lundy found a PS4-shaped bit of wood. What's worse, instead of a quick start guide to read, the malcontent penned a surly seasonal greeting.
Getting Christmas right was never this hard for my parents
The most my parents generally had to do for a Christmas present was remember to buy batteries. Okay, maybe I'm underselling their role. One year they got me a bike, and somehow kept it hidden from me until the big day. I would've been five at the time, and it was worth it, I'm sure. I don't actually recall my reaction but it was probably joy interrupted by despair at being told I couldn't ride it indoors. Some 25 years later, and I've spent what seems like a lifetime setting up Christmas presents this year.
Boston Dynamics wishes you a terrifyingly happy holiday
Whether you think holiday greeting cards are touching or annoying, Boston Dynamics is celebrating the season just a little differently with this new video. Its robots have shown they are capable of navigating almost any environment with surprising speed and agility, so now a few Spot units have been pressed into service as sleigh-pulling reindeer. As usual, I'm torn between wishing one of those was waiting under my Christmas tree, or treating this as an early warning sign of a holiday-themed Judgement Day robot takeover.
Santa's village comes to life as Google's holiday tracker goes online
Now that Thanksgiving is complete and the holidays are officially upon us, Google has unveiled a new and expanded Santa's Village for 2016. The dedicated website is part of the company's annual Santa Tracker app promotion. This year, visitors will have plenty to do including learn about various charitable organizations while coloring in digital ornaments, play games, discover holiday traditions from around the world -- even learn a bit of basic coding. More features will unlock daily as we get closer to Christmas.
Shyp will now deliver your eBay packages, with no fee
Delivery startup Shyp has teamed up with eBay to deliver items, just in time for the holiday shopping season. The process seems fairly straightforward: Sellers simply need to connect their eBay account to the Shyp app, select the sold items that need to be delivered and a Shyp worker will be around in 20 minutes to "take care of the rest." The best part is, the delivery service will be waiving the standard $5 fee up until January 31st. As TechCrunch notes, eBay users tend to rate sellers based on the timeliness of package delivery, so the incorporation of such a quick and convenient service would help in maintaining seller statistics and customer satisfaction. Shyp will be available to eBay merchants well after the holiday season, but post-January 31st, the promotional period will end and you'll have to pay the standard fee.[Image credit: Shyp]
Amazon UK Prime members get free same-day deliveries
In its bid to get more products to customers quicker, Amazon UK has today added another delivery option for customers. Prime Same Day offers (you guessed it) same-day delivery on one million products, as long as you're already signed up to the company's £79 annual membership. Unlike Prime Now, which costs £6.99 and gets your items to you within an hour, Amazon's new shipping option is free.
How PayPal stole Christmas (according to 233 Brits)
Halloween has passed and November is here. For advertisers, that means it's about time to debut this year's festive adverts. PayPal jumped straight in, airing its own during an X Factor ad break on Sunday night, but for hundreds of Brits, it's already destroyed the magic of Christmas. The Guardian reports that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received 233 complaints from viewers arguing that PayPal's advert implies that Father Christmas isn't real.
Apple Watch is coming to Target stores on October 18th
If you're shopping at Target, you'll soon be able to buy something other than picture frames and bedding. The Apple Watch arrives October 18th and be available in every store by October 25th. The retailer said it will stock 20 different models, with prices ranging from $349 for the 38mm Watch Sport, up to $599 for a stainless steel 42mm Watch model. Target is the second retail chain to get the Watch after Best Buy, and apart from Apple, only high-end department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris have carried it. The Target deal makes sense, however, since the chain already carries the iPhone, iPad and most other Apple products.
Google open-sources its Santa Tracker a few months late
Google might want to improve its timing a bit. You see, the search giant has released the source code for its Santa Tracker apps... in April. In other words, right when the snow has finished melting in many corners of the world. That's a little too late (or alternately, too soon) to help create holiday apps, Google. As you might gather, though, the festive theme is beside the point. The open source content is really meant to show how the folks in Mountain View make a lively website that works on everything from phones to desktops, not to mention a host of Android games and smartwatch faces. Hopefully, you'll see at least a few apps and sites in the near future that have an extra amount of polish, whether or not Kris Kringle is involved.
Gloria Victis plays host to Santa
Over this past weekend, Santa Claus had the opportunity to visit the in-the-making Gloria Victis and delight testers. In the newest pre-alpha patch, Santa appeared on Stoneholm Island and regaled listeners with his... rather unusual adventures. The patch also implemented a new gathering system, animations for said gathering, added in a few new locations, and buffed bow-and-arrow attacks. The team also had a special message for the game's supporters: "Thanks to all of you who put your trust in ourselves. You gave us the chance to continuously create the project of our dreams. You are our everyday Santa Clauses and support the Gloria Victis developing in any possible way." [Thanks to Chrysillis for the tip!]
So, what did you get?
The Christmas tree is kindling, the HoneyBaked ham is destined for two slices of white bread and, with any luck, you've already wiped your old devices to make way for new ones. For most of us, the annual gift giving spree is over and while we can think of a veritable feast of gadgets and gizmos we'd be happy to receive, we're curious to find out what you got (and gave) over the holidays. So, follow us into the comments for our annual post-holiday show and tell. [Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images]
Christmas brings 'Madden 15' demo to Xbox One and snow to 'GTA Online'
You know what goes really well together? Christmas and video games. This year we've noticed a bit of a trend: games giving away free stuff in light of the holiday. Weather, err, whether it's snow covering Los Santos in GTA Online, a six-hour trial of Madden or online multiplayer for Killer Instinct Classic, there's no shortage of goodies to keep your console (maybe you recently unwrapped a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?) busy for the next few days. Let's recap, shall we? In addition to the aforementioned inclement weather southern San Andreas is experiencing, for a limited time you can don a gingerbread mask in GTA Online and start lethal snowball fights in addition to getting a few unspecified gifts for your inventory tomorrow.
Chaos Theory: A guide to TSW's Christmas Conspiracies event
Silver bells, Krampus and Hel, It's Christmas time in The Secret World Ring a ling, hear them scream, Soon you will see a Christmas play! Ahh, it's the holidays. A time when other games pull out the stops on cute and cuddly, flinging festive colors and joviality about like Christmas confetti to make a joyous celebration. Then you have The Secret World. In TSW, the season is dark, twisted, and fiendish; nightmares are brought to life, and conspiracies worm their ways throughout even the most revered of traditions. And we wouldn't have it any other way! I always wonder how on earth the devs are going to top themselves each new event, and this season's Christmas Conspiracies definitely does not disappoint! From the story to the puzzles, this mission chain fits right in. It even incorporated my favorite new element introduced this year -- music -- and literally makes you play for your reward. Want to experience it? You've got until January 5th to thwart the conspiracy and collect all the treasure you can. (Of course, even if you have done the two previous Christmas' events, you'll want to do them again just to get the special goodie bags!) Here's a not-quite-a-guide to help nudge you through. As always, I won't offer a direct step-by-step walkthrough but instead will just drop hints (in italics) to help you along. That said, here's your warning: There will be spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk! If, however, you want even more spoilers, watch Massively TV tonight, December 25th, at 9:00 p.m. for a Stream Team walkthrough special.
One Shots: Mandy the Christmas Whale
Last year in our household we started up a new tradition, the legend of Mandy the Christmas Whale. Mandy, I told my children, was a green-and-red whale with lights on her tail that would swim through the first snow of the year to deliver cookies to the bedsides of good little boys and girls. Sometimes she even brought a snowsuit (an actual suit of snow) when it came to houses in warmer climes. Maybe reader James' Guild Wars 2 picture here isn't of Mandy, but one never knows what she might look like in disguise during the other days of the year. Have you been good enough to deserve cookies lately? Want to be featured in a future edition of One Shots? Send your favorite MMO screenshots to oneshots@massively.com, and don't forget to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of the scene. Large, colorful, UI-free shots that tell a story and really show off the game make for the best images. Look ma, we brought back One Shots!
The Daily Grind: Did you get any good gaming gifts this week?
In both real life and in MMOs, gifts have been flying back and forth at such an astonishing rate that you might think that there's some sort of holiday going on or something. While I haven't had time to "work" for rewards in seasonal events, I've been more than happy to take in-game gifts that several titles, including Marvel Heroes and RIFT, were willing to give to me. So as you're sitting there in an eggnog haze, do you have any gaming gifts that you'd like to boast about this week? They could either be things you've gotten in MMOs, digital gifts, or real-life goodies. Spill! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
