functionality
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Twittering from the World of Warcraft
Just in case you needed any more Twitter in your life (I'm getting to the point where I really don't), enter the PlayXpert Twitter widget, part of the PlayXpert gaming toolset, a free Windows application that you can download to run alongside your PC games (very similar to Xfire and that type of application). It's a little bloaty if all you want to do is run Twitter alongside WoW, but unfortunately, that functionality will never be available in an addon, as addons can't interact with any other outside sites.The poor man's solution here is to just run WoW in windowed mode and have your Twitter browser or client open right next to it -- you don't need a big application if you really need to be connected at all times. But if you want to livetweet your raid without sacrificing screen space to windowed mode, PlayXpert is one way to do it. It'll even do some autotwittering for you if you want.And of course if you're on Twitter already, don't forget to follow our WoW Insider Twitter account. We've already hit our goal of over 9,000 followers (and yes, a video version of the podcast is coming soon), but we're constantly throwing out little pieces of news, discussion and even some giveaways over there, so follow us if you're interested.
LittleBigPlanet adds new search functionality
While scrolling across a patch-covered Earth still isn't the most effective way of finding well-built stages in LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule recently added a few new options to make the "Text" search functionality a bit more ... functional. For instance, you can now search for words in a level title by adding a $ before the search term (as in $Joystiq). You can also search for a specific word by putting single quotes around a search term -- a search for 'Joystiq' will no longer bring results of "Joystick", "Toy's Trick" or the infinitely unsettling "Roy Licks."Similarly, you can use quotation marks to search for specific phrases, like "Extreme Duck Race Version 2.0". However, the most welcome addition is the ability to search for a specific author using an "@", as in @QuincyBoi13. You can use any combination of these new search functions to get more specific results -- of course, in order to do so, you have to know what you're searching for.
Leopard killed these freeware apps?
Here's an interesting list of applications supposedly killed by Leopard. There's no question that there's a huge amount of functionality in Leopard that was taken care of in Tiger by third-party apps (and this is just a list of freeware-- commenters pointed out last week that Jisho was made almost obsolete by the Japanese dictionary included with Leopard), but I'm not so sure this list is all it promises to be. No amount of tweaking to Spotlight will ever replace Quicksilver, and as good as iChat has gotten, I still like Adium for its easy customization. And apps like CenterStage, who used to have a one goal (an open source Front Row replacement), have now been able to spread out and become more their own program instead of worrying about Apple's missing functionality. As always, the best app for the job depends on both the job and the person doing it, so there are probably more than a few places where Leopard stepped up to fill functionality that users used to trust third-party software for. But it's a stretch at least to say Leopard killed these apps-- replication of one function now built into the OS doesn't mean all the apps other functions are useless. [Via Fake Steve]
Wii - now with bonus Bluetooth functionality? [update 1]
You'd think a company like Nintendo would hype up all the features of its new console to the point of abject sin, right? Well, all you savvy tech guys out there, there may be at least one Nintendo isn't telling you about.Some readers over at the Official Nintendo Forums are claiming an interesting ability of the Wii: it has the capability of receiving Bluetooth signals from various devices, including cellular phones. Apparently, one is able to go right into the Photo Channel of the Wii and immediately access pictures from a nearby Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, with no hassle or setup, as long as an SD card is inserted into the system. This is an extremely convenient way to view pictures from a cell phone on a larger screen, and would be a welcome addition to the functionality of the Photo Channel.With the Wii's apparent ability to receive and transmit Bluetooth to any generic device, might we see Bluetooth headset compatibility for voice chat in the future? Not having to buy a proprietary headset would be awesome, no?[Update 1: Alas, this has been proven 100% false. Why are people such jerks?][Thanks, Nick!]
DVD functionality not included?
Matt Cassa-however-you-spell-it over at IGN has posted a rather interesting blog post about the assumed nature of DVD playback for the Nintendo Wii. At E3 2005, it was announced that there would be a "dongle adapter" for optional included DVD playback, and there were rumors over the next year that it would simply be built-in. However, while Nintendo loves to reiterate time and time again the capabilities of its critical darling, any and all mention of DVD playback has been completely removed.DVD playback is a feature we've come to expect not only in next-generation machines, but last generation as well. Since Wii discs are DVDs anyway, would this feature be so difficult to add on? Check out Matt's blog for a slightly more in-depth analysis, and let's hope that Nintendo doesn't take their "games only" stance a bit too far.
Packrat can now edit Backpack notes, too
I don't mean to post an update every time the developer of Packrat sneezes, but this one is for those anxiously waiting for editing functionality (including when offline) with their Backpack account. I just noticed on Packrat's product page that the feature list now says: "New: edit your lists and notes." Sure enough, it works just like the lists update I mentioned a week ago.Packrat offers a free demo, and a license will run you a mere $24.95.
PS3 pad loses DualShock name and vibration but picks up Wii-esque motion detection and wireless connectivity
In a shocking turn of events, the PS3 controller has gone from banamerang to wireless DualShock 3, except without the DualShock name and vibration.If you take a good look at the back of the new control pad (see the close-up above), you'll notice that the DualShock 2 brand name imprinted on the old controller has now been supplanted by a row of LED lights to show which input has been set, either wirelessly or via the wired USB recharge port. Sony's now the only name in-line for PS3 controllers either on the pad or in the press releases (see "the new PS3 controller").
BuddyPop makes Address Book useful
Continuing on my quest for apps that make me go "that should've been in OS X," I found BuddyPop at the ever-useful Hawk Wings. BuddyPop makes Address Book a bit more accessable and useful by offering a searchable pop-up window for your contacts. A user-definable keyboard shortcut calls the highly-configurable pop-up window, and various pieces of contact info are linked to actual applications. Clicking on a phone number can call the contact using Vonage or Skype, while clicking an email address opens a message addressed to the contact. This is the kind of super-handy stuff that really should have been built into operating systems years ago, in my humble opinion. BuddyPop costs 10 € (10 euros) which the Unit Converter widget tells me is just under $12 (USD).Like Tim Gaden over at Hawk Wings, however, Quicksilver does all this stuff for me already, and much more. But for a lot of people who simply need quick access to contacts and not all the (sometimes confusing) extras of Quicksilver, I'm sure BuddyPop is a great, functional solution.
