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LG BD550 Blu-ray player manual pops up on support site
We're still eagerly awaiting all the 2010 hardware that debuted at CES to show up on store shelves, so until then we'll take what we can get and today that would be an instruction manual for LG's BD550 Blu-ray player. Filling out the low end of the company's Blu-ray player lineup for this year there's no real surprises here: NetCast access means VUDU, Netflix and the works, but only two channel analog audio out and no video via USB. We're honestly more interested in the BD570 and 250GB hard drive packing BD590 but that shouldn't stop you from discreetly browsing this PDF for now and imagining setting up your Pandora accounts via its sleek remote -- so dirty.
Motorola DROID user guide unearthed in its entirety
We're not sure how much more Motorola DROID tidbits you need to whet your appetite until its November 6th Verizon launch, but in hopes of keeping those cravings at bay, we've got the entire user guide here. No revelations so far, but seeing as we're already in possession of the phone, we weren't really expecting any. See it for yourself either via the gallery below or as a PDF just past the read link. %Gallery-76856% [Thanks, BBLeaks]
GTA's 'Next Stop' teased in Liberty City Episodes manual
We'd thought the Grand Theft Auto franchise had taken us to lovingly rendered simulacra of every metropolitan city-type known to man, but apparently, we thought wrong. In the back of the GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City manual, a fake advertisement points to the series' "Next Stop" (seen above). Of course, the destination being teased is quite obviously the lovely town of Clip Artington, Minnesota. Surely you've heard of Clip Artington! It's renowned for its apple butter festivals. On the off chance the teaser is pointing to a different city, we've ... we've really got no idea. Looks like a desert, though, right? And a mountain? And some conical, obsidian monoliths? What? Trees? Oh, yeah, that makes a lot more sense. We'd love to hear your speculation in a well-written, thought-provoking comment! There's a place for those right after the jump, you know. [Image credit: VGChartz]
Champions delivers manual labor
When it comes to the manual that we've seen so far for Champions Online, probably the last word that comes to mind is 'super' – neither super-long, nor super-informative, especially since launch day has come and gone. Clearly not a heroic effort. However, Cryptic's furnished us with an actual manual at long-last! While not what you would call cosmically complete, it does have the honor of being the largest collection of Champions Online information published in a single document, and sheds a bit more light on some of the more obscure mechanics that are frequently debated on zone-chat. There's a whole lot more it could cover – it is perhaps only half as long as we think it should be, but if you're curious and sifting through forums doesn't appeal, the new PDF manual may just have the answers that you're looking for.
Sony Alpha 850 DSLR manual pops up on Hong Kong support site
Sony's Alpha series DSLR cameras are almost notorious for how often they leak, and as is custom with an introductory assertion like that, we've got another one to show you. The company's Hong Kong support site has an instruction manual available to download for an as-of-then unknown iteration, the α850. The gang at Dyxum forums have gone through it more thoroughly than we have so far, and the Initial reaction is that it's similar to the α900 but with only three FPS, a smaller viewfinder, and still no video (unlike its competition). We've assembled some highlights from the guide, including full specs, in the gallery below. Hit up the read link to grab the full manual for yourself, but just a word of caution, even though the PDF's only 3.54MB in size, the download has proven to be rather painfully slow. [Via Dyxum forums; thanks, Doug]
T-Mobile myTouch 3G gets unboxed, user guide outed
Can't wait until July to check out every nook and cranny of T-Mobile's version of the Ion / Magic? A couple of tipsters, including one anonymously, have lent us a hand in that department with pictures of an apparent myTouch 3G unboxing, as well as an entire user guide dating back to May 19th. We're still rummaging through it ourselves, but so far we're not seeing anything we didn't already know or see for ourselves with the phone's many other releases. Completionists can hit up the 113-page manual in the gallery below.[Thanks, Derek]
Palm Pre retail box and materials leak out
For staying as silent as they are about the product's details, Palm's doing an awfully good job of letting Pre rumors and speculation fly with wild, rampant abandon -- and we've got a new one here that should at least take you through the night. Actually, this one's less of a rumor and more a visual feast of reality: a retail (or near-retail) box complete with pack-ins has been spotted in the wild, where we learn once again that the device will definitely include a pouch among the usual assortment of odds and ends you normally expect to find with a phone (sadly, the Touchstone's still strictly a pricey add-on) -- and yes, the box looks pretty much like the one shown off at CES. Not as interesting as an actual Pre, we admit... but close. Check out a couple more shots after the break.[Via Boy Genius Report and PreCentral]
"Insider" Sprint doc details the Palm Pre for new users, other boring minutiae
If you've been looking for a window into the life of the Palm Pre once you're a real, actual, not pretend user, a poster at Inside Sprint Now who claims to be a rep for the provider may have some answers for you. In what appears to be pretty much the entire "quick start" guide (or whatever kind of connected, web-centric name Palm will give it), the anonymous writer reveals the ins and outs of how to get around on your new phone. Here's some of the more interesting tidbits from the document -- which, mind you, could just be the wild imaginings of someone with way too much time on their hands: Palm / Sprint will provide a "Palm profile," which will allow for OTA updates of software, App Catalog downloads, and online backups of contacts, calendars, apps, and preferences. Interestingly, this sounds like it could be related to web services we've seen mentioned in Palm's SEC filings. There will be some kind of PC-based "Data Transfer Assistant" which will allow users to migrate old Palm OS data to the phone -- but it appears to be a one-way street. The Pre will require a Simply Everything / Simply Everything data plan, or a Business Essentials Plan. Highlighting text (for copy / paste) duties in web pages won't be possible -- which is kind of a huge bummer. The Pre won't support Sprint services such as Sprint Music, Sprint PictureMail, or Sprint Digital Lounge. Finally, one of the more interesting components of this post is pictured up above -- a guide for managing cards (and memory, consequently), and a walkthrough of how to reset or hard reset the device. Okay -- we know, not exactly the juiciest scoop in the world here, but Palm isn't giving us much to work with. You guys about ready for this thing to drop? Update: People, if it wasn't clear enough (or if you didn't take the time to read the post), we don't have confirmation of this being an "official" document -- it looks like a very convincing leak, however. Don't start selling off your stock just yet. [Via PreCentral]
LG's X110 netbook hits the FCC, insightful user manual in tow
LG's X110 netbook has been floating about Europe since last year, but it is apparently still headed this way, and it's now once step closer to availability now that it's passed through the FCC. Not surprisingly, the netbook itself appears to remain unchanged, with it still packing the usual 10-inch display, an unspecified Intel Atom processor, up to 1GB of RAM, a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, built-in Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and, apparently, your choice of a three-cell or six-cell battery. One thing we hadn't caught a glimpse of before, however, is the manual, which offers no shortage of insight into the proper use of a netbook, including reminders to not use it in a sauna or laundry room, to be aware of any potential foul odors, to not use the battery as a pet chew toy and, of course, to not leave any object closer than 15 centimeters from the computer. Head on past the break for just a brief sample of it (including a profound warning for any gamers out there), and hit up the link below for the rest of the FCC goods.
TUAW Bookshelf: Apple II Reference Manual
TUAW BOOKSHELF Apple was kind enough to include a veritable encyclopedia of information with my Apple ][. Inside the big, red manual, you'll find complete step-by-step instructions for setting up the machine, adjusting a tape recorder for optimal use, plenty of programs to get you started, and a handy reference for the hardware inside.I found the manual easy to read, although given the constraints of typing programs by hand using a typewriter, some code was printed using a dot matrix printer. Mr. Wozniak includes excellent code to help you build your own programs, however, and code for interfacing with the likes of a teletype, should you need printed output. There are critical routines for floating point calculations, which I'm sure some will appreciate.Apple introduces a little design philosophy in the manual, which is a welcome break from the volumes used to learn the 5100, for example. Rumors on our sister site Engadget say Tandy is working on a consumer machine with BASIC and a human-readable manual as well, but I'll believe that when I see it. Anyway, the Apple ][ manual has some sample code for making actual audio tones using the built-in speaker (a novel idea, by the way). Why use audio in a program? Here's the design philosophy I found interesting:"Computers can perform marvelous feats of mathematical computation at well beyond the speed capable of most human minds. They are fast, cold and accurate; man on the other hand is slower, has emotion, and makes errors. These differences create problems when the two interact with one another. So to reduce this problem humanizing of the computer is needed. Humanizing means incorporating within the computer procedures that aid in a computer's usage. One such technique is the addition of a tone subroutine."It's like they want to make the computer more *personal*, somehow.Once you've seen how to make graphics, sounds and even interaction and I/O in code, the manual wraps up with a thorough examination of the included hardware. This is a hobbyists' machine, after all. The schematics and diagrams will have you fully understanding how the computer addresses memory and controls video, plus many other miracles I can't believe they crammed into such a small package.This valuable red book of data comes free with your Apple ][, but I wouldn't part with it! You'll find yourself referring to it time and again. Check out the photostat gallery below for a few sample pages.%Gallery-49007%
Amazon posts Kindle 2 user manual
We know, you can't wait to cuddle up with your Kindle 2 and have Tom read you a bedtime story while you turn pages 20 percent faster than before -- and it looks like Amazon wants to alleviate your pain, because it's just posted the entire user manual online for you. A quick skim didn't reveal anything too revolutionary, but we're sure you're itching to pore it over yourselves, so we won't hold you back -- the read link awaits.[Thanks, Michael]
Blast From the Past: Apple patents, ads, and catalogs
A trio of nostalgic finds covers everything from a visual history of Apple patents to the ads and catalogs that marketed these products to consumers.Andrew McConnell received an old mail-order computer catalog from 1980, with the first 12 pages featuring Apple products. For the low, low price of $974.95USD, you could purchase a 16K Regular Apple II that weighed less than 12 pounds! Or, if you're really crazy with your money, you could spend $1123.95USD on a 48K Plus system.The really neat thing about browsing through this catalog is seeing all the accessories available for the system at that time. A $34.95 device called Bright Pen was touted as an alternative to the keyboard or game paddle input, and seemed to be an ancestor of the Wacom tablet. Further in, another accessory called Light Pen appears to be a more expensive Wacom predecessor. SuperTalker added voiceover capabilities to the Mac and SpeechLab allowed for dictation. There was a music synthesizer, the ability to add a real-time clock for $200, basic software, and more. RedLightRunner has compiled a page of some of the best-known Apple ads from the past couple of decades. Its earliest offering is the infamous 1984 ad and there are several early 80's and late 90's offerings there. My favorite is the ad from 1999 for the Airport Base Station. The device sails across the screen like a UFO, complete with creepy B-movie music that is sure to give some people nightmares. It's definitely not a comprehensive collection of ads - it's missing all the current ones and others from the 80's such as this ad from 1986. But, it is a great start at building a collection.Over on the Technologizer blog, Harry McCracken has posted a visual history spanning 31 years of Apple patent filings - featuring everything from Woz's drawings of the original Apple II in April 1977 all the way to the "multi-functional hand-held device" from December 2007 which turns out to be the iPhone. It's not all the patents filed by Apple, but it's a great summary of some of the devices Apple has come up with. You can find more articles about various Apple patents here at TUAW as well.Many thanks to all those who submitted tips!
Blizzard misspells "Arthus" in Wrath's box
In the product catalog that comes with Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard misspells Arthas as "Arthus" on page six. It's pictured above for those of you not digging through your stuff to grab the catalog and see for yourself.I'm not going to criticize the folks at Blizzard for making a spelling mistake. God only knows that I've made a number of them myself. But usually I do them without an editor or reviewer. But that's just me. I don't know enough about the situation at Blizzard to really comment otherwise.None the less there it is, and you're free to make whatever assumptions you may make about it.Thanks to Knuxx and Taeous for the picture and tip.
On the search for Heavy Frostweave Bandages
One of the weirdest changes in Northrend so far is the way First Aid training works, strangely enough. Used to be that once you hit a certain level, you could just go run to the trainer to train up the next wave of bandages (or you could buy a manual from a trainer somewhere), but not so in the expansion: to get Heavy Frostweave Bandages, you have to depend on what seems to be a world drop.The rules are still a little hazy, and the plans to get it seem to be somewhere between experiment and superstition: we know for sure that you need to have 390 First Aid already to get the book to drop (though you need 400 to actually use it), and we know that it can drop from almost anywhere in the world. But apparently there are a few places where it drops more often: in Zul'Drak, sometimes in Sholazar Basin, and sometimes in dungeons. Other than that, everything else is just rumors -- I haven't gotten the book yet, and I've been 400 since I had enough Frostweave to level up. I heard it was on the AH for around 20g, but of course that varies by realm, and when I checked today, it wasn't on the AH at all. And we've also heard that once you learn it, it won't drop for you again, so there may eventually be an AH market for these -- until all potential sellers actually learn the recipe, that is. And then there's this, which just makes my head spin. We may see another level of Frostweave bandages in a future patch.Very strange, and strange choice by Blizzard to do it this way in the first place. It also appears that a stack of Heavy Frostweave Bandages sells to vendors for only 5g, so the days of nabbing lower-than-3g stacks of cloth on the AH and selling them to vendors for a profit may be over. Which is fine, because your guild's tailor could probably use it anyway. But I am bummed I haven't see the manual drop yet -- the better my gear gets, the less the non-heavy bandages do for me.Update: Yes of course they can't be on the AH, because as you can see in the screenshot above, the manual is BoP. Never mind. Thanks, commenters.
RIM unleashes BlackBerry Storm online user guide, still no release date in sight
RIM's just launched an online "User Guide" for the BlackBerry 9530, AKA Storm. Covering everything from basic, operational how-tos to more advanced processes such as syncing, the site is a so-called "interactive" instruction manual. We've already spied a PDF of the manual, played around with the phone in our hands-on, and seen numerous pictures from all ends of the Earth. At this point we're getting a bit impatient for the thing to actually appear and are less than impressed with this newest teaser. Let's just cut to the chase already, can we?
BlackBerry Storm 9530 user manual leaked, totally not boring
Can't get enough info on the BlackBerry Storm? No detail too granular? Well, then you'll surely be interested in the fact that the user manual has appeared -- and from the looks of it, it's a serious page-turner. It's not quite as long as War & Peace, clocking in at 249 pages, but just as action-packed, so cozying up with it might fill the void until the actual device appears.
Wrath of the Lich King manual discovered in WoW patch
World of Warcraft forumite Maeglin made an interesting discovery: hidden deep within the files in the WoW game directory, you'll find the manual for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Presumably it was added in the latest patch. If you want to take a peek, head over to to the folder "World of Warcraft \ Data \ enUS \ Documentation" and open up "Manual_WLK.pdf."In it you'll find a bit of lore, some nice artwork, a map of Northrend, and basic info on many of Wrath's new features. The best part is probably the "Special Thanks" section of the credits at the end, in which many of the folks who worked on the game were given the opportunity to write in whatever they liked. There are some funny entries -- including the Shoegaze band Asobi Seksu, Mountain Dew, and Han Solo "for shooting first."WoW Insider notes that not all the info in the manual is up to date, so it stands to reason that the manual coming with the final game at retail will be slightly different.[Via WoW Insider] One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Wrath manual hidden in latest WoW files
If you just can't wait to read the Wrath of the Lich King manual, Maeglin of Khadgar made an interesting discovery -- it's already on your computer. Inside your World of Warcraft folder, if you go to the Data folder, and then "enUS" and Documentation, you'll see a PDF file called Manual_WLK. It's the Wrath manual in black and white -- there are good writeups in there (spoiler-free, as far as I could tell) on the story so far and Northrend, and some cool concept art for weapons and other sights of the next expansion. The credits are in there, too, and make sure to go to the very end to read all the thanks from Blizzard -- some of them are pretty funny.This likely isn't the final manual -- there's something in the Death Knight description that still says runes can be customized, and while we heard that earlier in development, it's since been removed from the class. And it's in black and white, while we'd expect the full manual to have color when it's finally printed. But it's a cool find, and something to tide you over until you can get the real thing on release day (which, as you can see from our countdown, is growing ever closer).Thanks, Wes R.!
T-Mobile G1 manual leaks out
It's going to be a few weeks yet until your unwashed hands are touching an actual G1, so how'd you like some reading material to pass the days in the meantime? T-Mobile has trotted out its first Android phone's user's manual -- probably not on purpose, if we had to guess -- and there are some interesting little morsels in there that'd be even more interesting if you actually had the phone in front of you. For example, did you know the G1 had a status light? Don't see those too often these days. You've also got a full rundown of the notification icons, apps (including the Android flavor of T-Mobile's myFaves app), and -- get this -- procedure for battery removal. Fancy that! [Warning: PDF link][Via TmoNews, thanks Jose]%Gallery-32763%
Breakfast topic: Fit to print
When I got my recruit a friend account it came with two lovely, full-color Bradygames guide books. Each is a 24.99 16.49 value with the Battle Chest purchase. The books have descriptions of all the races and classes. They go into some detail about the zones and many of the monsters in WoW. The guides contain tips on game play and various mechanics. I found them to be completely useless. They're outdated. They guides don't really give any tips on the nuances of the game. At times they are wildly inaccurate. Granted, they may be helpful to brand new players, though not entirely more useful than small, black and white Game Manual that also comes in the box. As a rookie I never turned toward printed guides. I asked a lot of questions from resources like Thottbot, Petopia, and of course WoW Insider. Most of what I've learned, I've learned on the fly. The beautiful, colorful images must cost a small fortune to print. It all seems very excessive to me.
