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The Daily Grind: What's your favorite archer class?
I've never been one to gravitate toward bow-and-arrow classes in MMOs, although I've dabbled in them from time to time. I guess I fear that archers and their ilk are far too popular and feature mindless, straight-forward mechanics (shoot... one arrow at a time! Now two at a time! Now a whole bunch rapidly!). But if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Dungeons and Dragon Online's Bard. I equipped her with a heavy repeating crossbow, and being able to man the medieval equivalent of an automatic rifle was strangely satisfying. Plus, crossbows do not get a lot of play in MMOs for some reason. Do you have a favorite archer class, and if so, what was it? 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!
Hyetis promises smartwatch with 41-megapixel camera for $1,200
While we'd love to see Hyetis newest smartwatch in the real world, we're not entirely sure it's not just the product of an engineer's fevered dreams. Aimed squarely at tech-savvy one-percenters, the Hyetis Crossbow claims to pack a 41-megapixel camera that you can carry around at the end of your arm. The sketchy renders and details available promise that the zoom lens will be surrounded by a ring flash and noise-canceling microphone for video. Other features include, WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth, the ability to interact with iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 devices, GPS and wait for it, Biometric sensors. While it may sound too good to be true, or, you know, real, Hyetis is hoping to charge customers $1,200 -- even though you could just strap a 1020 to your wrist for half that price.
DIY wrist-mounted crossbow gets you one step closer to being a super hero (or villain)
When it comes to all things DIY we tend to be drawn in by odd, internet-connected esoterica and Arduino-powered beer distributors. But, we won't lie, nothing gets us going like a home-crafted instrument of destruction. And, in that vein, may we present you with the wrist-mounted crossbow from homebrew weapon artisan Patrick Priebe. Usually Priebe sticks with lasers but, for this project, he went old school -- as in medieval. The bolt firing wristband isn't without its modern accouterments, though -- a pair of AA batteries and toggle switch are hidden in the palm which power a laser sight for better targeting. We won't waste any more of your time, everything you want to see is contained in the video after the break.
Crossbows and ziplines used to smuggle iPads into Hong Kong
Some Asian smugglers tried a creative new method to get iPads and iPhones from mainland China into neighboring Hong Kong. Rather than hire housewives to do their dirty work, this group used a crossbow to shoot a zipline from a Shenzhen skyscraper across the Sha Tau Kok river to a small house in Hong Kong. Once the fishing line was secured, bags filled with iPhone 4s and iPads were shuttled across the river at night using a rudimentary pulley system. Police detected the line, arrested six people and confiscated more than 50 iPhones and iPads worth 300,000 Yuan ($46,600). [Via MICGadget and TechCrunch]
Scientists attempt to predict flu spread, give ZigBee radios to 700 high school students
This is the Crossbow TelosB wireless remote platform, and it did an important job for science in January of last year -- it monitored the close proximity interactions among 788 students and staff at one US high school to track a virtual flu. After collecting over 762,000 sneeze-worthy anecdotes among the module-toting teachers and teens, Stanford researchers ran 788,000 simulations charting the path the virus might take and methods the school might try to keep it in line. Sadly, the scientists didn't manage to come up with any easy answers, as virtual vaccination seemed to work equally well (or poorly) no matter who got the drugs, but that if only we could actually monitor individuals in real life as easily as in a study, prevention would be much easier. But who will bell the cat, when it's so much less political to ionize?
Fallen Earth dev journal focuses on weapon balance
The upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth has the potential to bring a very different kind of setting to the fantasy-dominated landscape in massively multiplayer titles. One of the interesting aspects of Fallen Earth is the variety of weaponry players can obtain. In true Mad Max fashion, the game's weaponry can can often be found and modified objects, bringing a 'use what works' approach to inflicting harm upon your fellow survivors in the wasteland. Then again, other weapon choices will be decidedly high tech. Could this create a disparity between the haves and have-nots in terms of improvised vs. manufactured weaponry? Fallen Earth's system designer Brandes Stoddard has written a developer journal for MMORPG.com that's focused on how the dev team is balancing the game's weapons. Hopefully, he relates, they're creating weapons that fill the right niches -- no one weapon should be the best for every task, but should really be the ideal choice for certain situations. Check out his dev journal over at MMORPG.com for images of some of the weapons players will be able to use in Fallen Earth, and read about why shotguns probably won't be an i-win button once the game's ready for release.
CES 2009: Zapper crossbow lets you shoot Gorons in style
We were impressed by the "WeeP 5" Zapper mod, but did have one reservation: Link would never use an MP5 to mow down a herd of Stalfoses (Stalfi?). Enter CTA Digital, who were displaying this Zapper crossbow shell at the recently finished CES 2009 (which is strange, because apparently this has been around for a while, but it's the first we've seen of it). This bad boy comes equipped with a laser sight (we seriously question the historical accuracy of this) and, as you can see, a fetching "woodgrain" finish. It looks way, way nicer than the fugly crossbow peripheral we previously covered, and is roughly the same price: a rather eye-watering $29.99. %Gallery-42051%
Phat Loot Phriday: Crossbow of Relentless Strikes
BM Hunters, here's something you can spend those Badges on.Name: Crossbow of Relentless Strikes (Wowhead, Thottbot, Goblin Workshop)Type: Epic CrossbowDamage/Speed: 182-339 / 2.80 (93.0 DPS)Abilities: It can strike relentlessly, obviously. Improves hit rating by 14 and crit strike rating by 18, and increases attack power by 32. The hit is very nice for a bow and it takes up a good chunk of the +hit you need to meet the hit cap, which means you probably will have a gem or two free elsewhere to add more Agility into the mix. The crit is nice, and more attack power is always a good thing obviously. But the real stat on this bow is its speed -- while the damage ain't the best, the lower speed makes it easier for BM Hunters especially to match up their Steady Shot/Autoshot rotation, which means more DPS overall. This bow is a gift from Blizzard to Beastmaster Hunters, How to Get It: It's relatively easy -- just lug 150 Badges of Justice (those things have to be heavy, right?) to the Badge Vendors in Quel'danas or Shattrath. There's 22 Badges in a full Karazhan clear, and Heroics have about 3-5 each (plus a few more for the daily quest), so run Kara and the daily Heroics all week long, and it should only take you about two or three weeks to pick up all the badges you need. Throw in some ZA if your guild is running that one, and add in the fact that you probably already have a few badges in the bank, and this baby's almost in your hands. It'll last you at least until Sunwell, too, and even if the expansion rolls around before you can make it in there, you should at least be able to get a level or two under your belt before it eventually gets replaced by a green. If you're looking for something to do ingame before the expansion, this bow's not a bad goal to have -- think of all the rep, other gear, and gold you'll pull out of running all these instances, too.Getting Rid of It: Disenchants into a Void Crystal, but just like most Badge gear, vendors won't buy it back from you. As I said, odds are that if you don't replace it with a Sunwell piece, you'll probably replace it at some point in Northrend. But the thrill of gear isn't in having it, it's in chasing it, right?
Scopes: The optimal optical augmentation option
Or"I seeee you!"It is often said in the workshop here at Hoof & Horn that the Engineer's finest asset is that he can have a little of most classes, and a pinch of all professions. We can float like mages, dash like rogues. We can stun like tauren, we can snare like druids. We can augment one's fishing, or teach one blacksmithing or even alchemy plans. Of crucial importance to many, including many Engineers, is our ability to surpass the enchanters at what they do best: augmenting weapons. For what enchantment can be placed on a gun? None that we have found, and we're tired of buying enchanters drinks to try to get them to talk. [Broke, too! -PG] The Engineers alone can craft the deadly accurate scopes, the only way to augment a ranged weapon. Schemata for scopes can be found throughout the known worlds, and in the dungeons of each. Many can be trained or purchased, while the most powerful are held by the lords of the underworld, or the minions of Karazhan. Herein we will discuss scopes, and related devices.
You can now buy an ugly crossbow peripheral for your Wii
What's the key word in the title Link's Crossbow Training? Many Zelda fans might say that it's "Link," but we're going to say "Crossbow," so let's go with that. At least we can all agree that it's not "Training."Tangent aside, it's possible that you were disappointed by the Wii Zapper bundle. After all, the Zapper is a gun. What kind of crossbow training is that?It was only a matter of time, then, before we saw an actual crossbow peripheral on the market. If you were considering buying this, though, we're sure the plastic ball replacing the arrowhead immediately turned you off. Unless the gun actually lets you shoot arrows (which we doubt), there's really no excuse for that.It's also one of the more expensive Wii "guns" that we've seen, costing a ridiculous $28 dollars. We'll just stick to our Cooking Mama frying pans while playing Link's Crossbow, thank you very much.Wait, um, did we saying frying pan? What we meant to say was Wii Zapper ... oh, damn.[Via Technabob]
The Wii crossbow: for fanatics only
Do you ever feel like your Wii accessories aren't niche enough? Does it seem like fitting your Wiimote into a simple gun-shaped cradle to play Link's Crossbow Training doesn't completely capture the realism you're after? Well you're in luck, because the Wii Laser Sight Crossbow is here! That's right, it's a crossbow meant to lovingly hold your Wiimote, and turn any game into a trip to the Renaissance Fair. C'mon, you've got the Nerf Blaster, lightsaber, and teddy bear add-ons, isn't it time to complete the collection? Available now for the totally odd price of $27.54.[Via technabob]
Asus monitors: your best defense against crossbow attacks?
This one's YouTube caption says it best: "Shooting at the monitor from the arbalest! Striking!" If you replace 'arbalest' with 'fancy European crossbow' you've got a recipe for entertainment. Some Ukrainian crazies got ahold of an Asus LS201 monitor with protective glass and really went all out. The hammer and nails scenes are less than convincing, but the crossbow moment has to be seen to be believed. Think of it as Ukraine's present to you. Video is after the break.[Via Engadget Chinese]
Joystiq hands-on: Link's Crossbow Training (Wii)
Reaching back to the glory days of light guns, the Wii Zapper steals the name of Nintendo's classic NES controller, but the two are fundamentally different. The previous light gun used a mechanic to essentially see what was on-screen, so the gun sight actually corresponded with the action. The Wii Zapper instead is just a plastic shell to hold a Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The Wiimote pointer continues to work through IR triangulation; players can't sight down the new attachment.I recently played the Wii Zapper pack-in, Link's Crossbow Training, and was surprised at how good the Wii Zapper felt and how well the game responded. Shooting from the hip -- sometimes literally -- I maintained good control over the on-screen cross-hair. I still prefer the precision of a light gun's sight, but knocking down Zelda-themed bad guys in a series of game scenarios was still fun.%Gallery-8658%
Microsoft says WM6 coming to T-Mobile in Q2
Microsoft dropped a semi-bomb by stating that its next-generation mobile operating system -- Windows Mobile 6 -- will be coming to T-Mobile USA shelves in the second quarter of 2007, according to Microsoft. This just-released information -- which had previously been embargoed by the software giant -- was given after an extensive pre-briefing on its capabilities to wireless industry analysts and press this week. Based on information from Microsoft officials, the latest version of Windows Mobile will be given first to T-Mobile here in the U.S. before any other wireless carriers get their official mitts on it. The question then becomes: Will T-Mobile USA immediately make the OS upgrade available to owners of current-generation WM5 devices? After all, there are "ten thousand" changes in WM6 from WM5 according to Microsoft. We hear some massive testing by T-Mobile USA in the near future.[Thanks, TJ]
Windows Mobile 6 announced
Microsoft's finally ready to take the wraps off Windows Mobile 6, the long-awaited successor to Windows Mobile 5 (what else?) that's been baking in the oven for a while now as "Crossbow." The platform formerly known as Pocket PC Phone Edition has become Windows Mobile 6 "Professional," while its more pocketable little brother, the Smartphone, has become "Standard" and plain ol' Pocket PCs are "Classic."Major new features include: - HTML support in email - Windows Live for Windows Mobile - File transfer capability in Windows Live Messenger - New versions of mobile Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with rich editing - Remote wipe capability for stolen and lost devices - Call history in contact cards - Tight Vista integration - "Calendar ribbon" for more easily viewing schedule by day or week - New versions of .NET Compact Framework and SQL Server built-inNo carrier or manufacturer announcements have been made at this point regarding availability or upgrades -- all eyes are on next Monday for that. Stay tuned for details to come fast and furious from us ahead of some fanfare at 3GSM in Barcelona, including full hands-ons with the new OS in both Standard and Professional form!
Getting Crossbow on your current WM5 device
Where there's a will, there's a way and these hackers prove it day in and day out. Wouldn't you like to have the latest Crossbow OS instead of waiting around till launch? Well, you won't get the whole OS, but trickin out your current Windows Mobile 5.0 phone to look like the soon-to-be-released doesn't sound too bad either. The latest hack has everything from the welcome screen down to the phone pad to look like Crossbow. As always, be cautious installing the update the let us know how the process goes.
Windows Mobile 6 going official by Valentine's Day?
Although we got a small glimpse of Windows Mobile 6 during yesterday's HTC Vox preview, and we've known this thing was coming for a good while, it looks like some textual slippage has revealed that "Crossbow" just might coincide quite nicely with Cupid's weaponry. In a long list of MSDN Events and Webcasts, it looks looked like we'd be hearing all about WinMo 6 from none other than Jim Wilson on February 14th. Of course, the link has now been updated to hopefully cover up the leak, but thanks to Google's caching abilities and a sweet screencap, we've got the proof in front of us, friends. Unless something goes terribly awry, Microsoft will be making this OS official within a matter of weeks, and you can probably still look forward to hearing Mr. Wilson cover the system during his MSDN geekSpeak on Valentine's Day.[Via Modaco]
Microsoft switches up names for Windows Mobile 6
Some of us are still trying to keep straight in our brains the difference between Windows Mobile Smartphone, Pocket PC, and Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, but with the impending arrival of Crossbow, that ship has apparently sailed. In the realm of new Windows releases, Vista has obviously been garnering the lion's share of the attention, but Windows Mobile 5 is about to ride off into the mobile platform sunset in favor of Windows Mobile 6 -- codenamed the aforementioned Crossbow -- and the naming convention to differentiate between its various flavors is riding with it. Smartphone (read: phones without touchscreens) is rumored to be replaced by the slightly less colorful "Standard," Pocket PC Phone Edition becomes "Professional," and the plain ol' Pocket PC becomes "Classic," perhaps to reflect the fact that phoneless Pocket PCs have been all but shunned to niche markets in recent years. With all due respect to Microsoft and its hardware partners, they could call it "The Stopgap Version To Hold Us Over Until Photon" for all we care; let's just get some product moving in the pipeline, eh?
Windows Mobile AKU 3.3 hacked for Verizon and Sprint 6700
Is your Sprint PPC-6700 or Verizon XV6700 feeling down, running poorly, or are you just sick of the bad performance? Fret not Windows Mobile lovers, hope may be in sight. As both carriers have given up on supporting the device and won't be releasing any updates to correct performance issues, a well-skilled hacker comes in to save the day and release AKU 3.3 for each phone. He's also been working on AKU 3.5 and Crossbow. If anyone is brave enough to install these unsupported updates, drop us a line.
Samsung i760 for Verizon: yep, it runs Crossbow
Every time we see Crossbow, we're reminded of something else... oh yeah, that's right, Windows Mobile 5. Don't get us wrong, it looks a little slicker, but the i760's attraction is more likely to lie the hardware itself -- not the ultra-mild update to the Pocket PC Phone Edition guts we've loved (and hated) for the past couple years. We expect this thing to hit Verizon stores before the first half of the year is out, but with Verizon, Samsung, and Microsoft all potentially weak links in the delivery chain, we're having a bugger of a time staying positive. Don't let us down, folks![Thanks, anonymous tipster] Samsung i760 for Verizon
