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Swiss van driver gets stuck up a 'glorified goat track,' blames GPS
It's reassuring to know that while some things may change dramatically, others will and do stay the same. Overreliance on GPS is one of those highly consistent trends, as exhibited most recently by one Robert Ziegler, a full-time van driver and part-time goat track explorer. The unfortunate gent found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable with the directional instructions his satnav unit was handing out, but his hope was that "each little turn would get [him] back to the main road." Eventually, after having its fun, the GPS guide told Robert to turn around, but by that point he wasn't in a position to do anything other than call the local rescue services, who kindly airlifted him and his van back to more hospitable terrain. See a picture of the van's delivery to ground level after the break. [Thanks, r3loaded]
Namco talks Game Center
It's funny -- right in the middle of all of the fervor during the Game Center launch this week, the first company to the fore didn't happen to be one of these big new startups that's making headway in iPhone gaming. It turned out to be Namco, as one of the oldest brands around, Ms. Pac-Man, became the first title on the App Store to support Game Center. Now, of course, there are a few more games that support Apple's service (and more every day), but Macworld has a great look at what's coming next from Namco. Turns out Namco's planning to go all-in on both iPhone and Game Center -- in addition to bringing a sequel to the Time Crisis on-rails shooter, it will bring a hidden object, ghost-catching game called Mishap; Gaijin Games' great Bit Trip HD (already a hit on Nintendo's WiiWare); and of course Puzzle Quest 2 very soon. There's no official release dates or prices yet, but all of those should be out in the next few weeks. With full Game Center integration, there will be plenty of achievement-chasing and leaderboard competition to be had, no doubt. We'll look forward to all of those releases soon.
GPS leads couple into Oregon wilderness, snow and lack of common sense keep them there 3 days
So you're cruising along, in your GPS-equipped SUV, taking your dear wife back home to Reno. The trusty onscreen guide instructs you to "turn right" and you follow its typically reliable instructions. At what point in the next three days of plowing deeper and deeper into snow-covered Oregon do you start suspecting that maybe something is amiss? Alright, so this isn't quite on par with others driving buses into low-clearance tunnels, dipping their cars into rivers, or jamming heavy load trucks into unsuitably tight farm lanes. But we don't discriminate here, all instances of idiotic GPS dependency deserve their moment in the sun, so here's to Mr. John Rhoads and his tastefully named wife, Mrs. Starry Bush-Rhoads, who are now safe and sound after their phone pinged out its coordinates to emergency services when it began losing signal.
Juno's Digital Copy causing headaches in Canada?
Apparently a number of Canadians who have purchased Juno in hopes of downloading a Digital Copy and hauling it around on the go are coming up empty handed. We're seeing reports of failed attempts to redeem the packaged code, resulting in error messages indicating that "This product is not available in the Canadian store." Initially, users were generally assuming the blame needed to be placed on Fox, but according to an e-mail reply from the Fox Digital Copy Support team, it indicated that "Apple [was] working" to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Any of you in the Great North dealing with the same issue? Have you seen this on more than just one occasion?[Thanks, Nick]
DISH Network's AMC-14 satellite "a total loss"
Despite hopes to the contrary, it looks like SES AMERICOM is treating the AMC-14 satellite mishap like the time you rear-ended that bus full of nuns in your Suzuki X90. Stranded at a less than advantageous orbit after an anomaly in its second burn of the fourth stage on March 15, the company decided that trying to reposition it at this point was too risky, and would result in a severely shortened lifespan. As a result, SES is cashing in on a $150 million insurance policy, and coming out of this smelling like a rose. DISH Network has more satellites planned for later this year and claims the failure won't affect its plans, so HDTV owners shouldn't lose out badly either. The only real loser here is AMC-14 itself, destined to decades of floating around as space junk, or a quick and fiery end in Earth's atmosphere -- plans for its retirement are still being "explored".
DISH Network's AMC-14 satellite may not be totally lost
Just in case you haven't had your fill of satellite launch news in the past 72 hours, here's yet another spoonful. In a release posted today on SES AMERICOM's website, it not only affirms that the recently launched AMC-14 satellite didn't reach its intended orbit, but that things may not be as bad as previously expected. 'Course, the company could just be trying to paint as rosy a picture as possible here, but Martin Halliwell, President of SES ENGINEERING, is quoted as saying that the satellite "is healthy and is operating nominally in a stable orbit under the control of Lockheed Martin." Furthermore, he notes that "[company] engineers are currently exploring various options for bringing AMC-14 into its proper geostationary orbit," but does concede that regardless of what option is exercised, excess fuel will have to be utilized in order to "propel the satellite to its correct orbital position, thereby reducing its service life." Nevertheless, the outfit's CEO closed by stating that it could not "speculate on the impact of the orbit raising activities on both the in-service date and the service life of AMC-14," but at least all hope isn't lost just yet.[Thanks, Joe J.]
AMC-14 mishap apt to delay DISH Network's HD rollout
Not like it comes as any real surprise or anything, but it seems as if the unfortunate failure experienced by DISH Network's AMC-14 satellite over the weekend will leave those waiting anxiously for more HD in a world of hurt. According to an 8-K filing with the SEC, the company has stated that the "launch anomaly will result in a delay of its rollout of some high-definition channels, including some local network channels." Of course, some analysts have already pointed out the obvious -- that DirecTV now has even more time to stretch its lead in HD quantity -- but given that the launch of its DirecTV 11 was delayed today for unspecified reasons, not all is well in that camp, either. The bottom line is that DISH subscribers (or would-be customers) will now be waiting even longer for another major boost in HD, and regardless of what carrier you use, that's awful news.
DISH Network's AMC-14 satellite fails to reach orbit
Tough news, DISH Network subscribers. The AMC-14 satellite that lifted off from Kazakhstan just hours ago failed to reach orbit. Reportedly, an "anomaly occurred during the second burn of the Breeze M upper stage," causing it to never reach its final destination. As it stands, a Russian State Commission has begun an investigation to understand what caused the mishap, but unfortunately, we've no idea when a replacement will be ready for liftoff. Here's to hoping the DirecTV 11 has much better luck when it blasts off in just a couple of days.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Toshiba's v2.0 firmware for third-gen HD DVD players causing jaggies?
This most certainly isn't the first time we've heard of a firmware update causing more harm than good, but apparently, the latest version -- which supposedly enables 1080p24 output on the HD-A30 / HD-A35 -- is creating all sorts of headaches. According to a lengthy thread over at AVS Forum, the HD DVD faithful that are hanging tight to their players are growing increasingly frustrated by the addition of jaggies on MPEG4 / AVC discs when played back in 1080p24 -- a problem that was also present in the last HD-XA2 firmware. Worse still, it seems as though Toshiba isn't stepping up to address the issue, and considering that its format has now passed away, many are wondering if a bona fide solution will ever surface. If you've been battling this very quirk, head on down to the read link to check out a few workarounds -- here's to hoping a real fix emerges in the not-too-distant future.[Thanks, Colin H.]
Alienware Area-51 m15x owners outraged by overheating, cracking issues
We've been inundated with e-mails from Alienware m15x owners who have shelled out thousands of bucks in order to take home a serious piece of gaming hardware, only to find that their machine is overheating and / or developing cracks in the frame for no apparent reason. If you'll recall, this isn't the first time the laptop aficionados over at Notebook Review got all worked up over an issue with the m15x, but it seems the latest round of quirks have pushed the community over the edge. So, have any of you out there awoke to see your machine slightly more damaged than it was the night before? Are things getting way too heated for anyone's comfort? Let us know what's up in comments below.Update: Alienware pinged us to say that the linked response below is in fact authentic, and that the company is "aware of the issue and working hard to figure out what's going on." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - Area-51 m15x owners experience overheating and cracking issuesRead - Alienware's reply to the issue (confirmed as authentic by Alienware)
Samsung's Auto Motion Plus so fast, so real it requires expletive to describe
It's not like we haven't seen HD-related websites hacked up before, but we're most certainly hoping some wiseguy (or gal) at Samsung didn't deliberately whip this one up. On a promo website for the firm's 120Hz Auto Motion Plus technology, it nonchalantly explains that said innovation enables the display to "keep it fast and real," but closes things out with a word typically reserved for less public settings. We're hoping someone cleans this up real quick like, but we've screen-capped the offending image above for the sake of comedy.Update: It's been fixed -- fun's over, kids.[Thanks, Wendell]
iPod nano sparks bedroom fire, no humans harmed
Oddly enough, this isn't the first time we've seen a product proudly designed in Cupertino erupt, but it's pretty safe to say this story could have had a much more tragic ending. Reportedly, an iPod nano owner recently awoke to a blaring fire alarm around 2:00AM, only to find his beloved PMP wrapped in flames on the bedroom floor. Thankfully, the fire was tiny enough to be extinguished without any major trouble, and no substantial damage of property or human flesh was tallied. As of now, we've no idea if the unit simply exploded or if surrounding circumstances are at least partly to blame, but you can bet your bottom dollar that be sleeping with one eye open (and on our media players) tonight.[Thanks, Sandy]
Digital realignment in Ohio could wreak havoc on TWC DVRs
Although Time Warner has been handing out heaps of HD channels in the state of Ohio here lately, some subscribers could face a few headaches in the coming days. As of this week, the carrier is realigning its digital channels in order to "create a uniform lineup across all of its systems, including those it acquired from Adelphia." Unfortunately for customers, this means that they'll have to reprogram their DVR to record shows / series after the changes occur, and worse, it could affect some of the content already on there. When asked if the change would erase stored programs, a TWC spokesman (unsurprisingly) replied: "We're not sure." Weirder still, the company has actually gone so far as to post a how-to guide of transferring saved television shows from your DVR onto another medium (VHS, DVD, etc.), and it's encouraging subscribers to do so to ensure they don't lose any content. Um, thanks? [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Shark Shield experiences epic fail, gets chomped by great white in test
As we're certain you know by now, there are fails, and then there are epic fails. This case most definitely falls into the latter category, as Sea Change's shark-deterrent system (affectionately dubbed Shark Shield) was actually bit into by a great white when tested off the coast of South Africa. Reportedly, the device sends out electronic fields that are meant to deter sharks from coming near surfers, but according to the company's CEO, the botched trial was "due to a problem with the electrode's configuration." Furthermore, he noted that the thing is only "guaranteed to work when it's stationary, not when it's surfing in the wave or paddling." Needless to say, the effectiveness of these type devices have now been called into question, and regardless of whether this thing actually works as advertised, the lack of total protection -- you know, while actually surfing -- is enough to make us steer clear.[Via UberReview]
Samsung P10 laptop battery "melts" in South Korea
Merely days after LG put the brakes on sales of its Z1-AE007 laptop due to suspicions of a faulty battery within, yet another lappie in South Korea is making headlines for its overheating, er, abilities. Reportedly, the battery in a P10 computer, produced in 2002, "melted" after inexplicably emitting smoke during use. The device managed to burn a bed and a certain part of the floor, but thankfully, no "big fire" was started. According to company spokesman James Chung, Samsung is now "checking details of the incident," but the actual manufacturer of said battery has yet to be revealed.
Trucker blindly follows GPS, gets wedged in farm lane
At first glance, we seriously assumed that we had mentioned this exact same story before. Turns out, one particular Maxi Haulage driver doesn't tune into Engadget, as he pulled the exact same trick in (almost) the same circumstances. Reportedly, this timber haul was cut short as the driver followed his personal GPS system down a "farm lane" suitable only for (presumably small) tractors, and needless to say, the 45-foot vehicle has been wedged ever since. Additionally, the owner of the property is quite irate, as the mishap is forcing her to drive an extra two miles until rescue arrives. Still, the motorist did cruise right by a sign noting that the upcoming road was unfit for heavy goods vehicles, so at least the sat nav can't take all of the blame this go 'round.[Thanks, Carl H.]
Microsoft gets RRoD at GDC
Just days ago, we heard that Microsoft's Xbox 360 failure rate was at a staggering 16-percent. Not helping Redmond's cause in making you believe otherwise, one of the hand-picked machines used at the 2008 Game Developers Conference was actually suffering from the infamous Red Ring of Death. Comedic gold? Yes, indeed. Check the video after the jump!
Activision cranks up Wii Guitar Hero III disc replacement program
Select owners of Guitar Hero III for Wii have been moshing uncontrollably as best they can in mono for months on end, but it seems as if Activision has finally got its interconnects sorted and will start issuing replacement discs. According to direct end-user reports and the (admittedly blurry) shots in the gallery below, the firm is now dishing out pre-paid envelopes in which customers have to ship back their faulty GH III disc and wait "3 to 4 weeks" before getting a new, stereo-enabled one free of charge. Live sans your favorite game for a month, or keep rockin' in the monaural world? Tough call, indeed.[Thanks, Sam K. and Michael S.] %Gallery-16203%
Canon brewing yet another autofocus fix for EOS-1D Mark III?
Unfortunately, details are extraordinarily scant at the moment, but it appears that Canon is readying one more fix for the EOS-1D Mark III, which has been plagued with an autofocus issue for what seems like ages. Apparently, the forthcoming fix -- which could involve hardware and / or firmware alterations -- will make improvements even over last year's tweak. Reportedly, the firm's AF engineers are confident that they have now realized the "root cause" of the problem, hinting that this solution may in fact be the last. Per usual, there's been no clues handed out as to when users will actually be notified that a fix is available, but we're sure official word will stream out soon enough if there's anything to this.
Sprint halts sales of LG Rumor?
We're not planning on seeing any sort of confirmation from Sprint on this, but word on the street has it that the carrier has actually halted shipments of the LG Rumor to its retail outlets. Apparently, the handset has a "known issue where certain sets of key presses during startup can trigger a complete erasure of the phone's firmware." Purportedly, the device cannot be restored once triggered save for at the factory, but LG is hard at work creating an updated firmware that "removes the code from being accessible." Once that's completed and approved, existing users can expect an over-the-air download to be made available, and users to-be can expect the mobiles to start showing back up with the update already loaded on. [Via PhoneScoop]
