neuf-cegetel
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Exalight brings a new term: MMORG
In the world of MMO development, the pursuit of The New is a hard road to travel. French broadband provider Neuf Cegetel, however, is not only driving down that road, but racing along it. Jointly developed with virtual world development company F4, Exalight is a massively multiplayer online racing game -- an MMORG -- with an aesthetic and game mechanics that differentiates it from, say, Nexon's Kart Rider.From the referring site: 'Each player takes on the identity of a racing driver chosen to personal taste from the members of the three clans that populate the Exalight universe. A highly sophisticated customization system means that each player's avatar gets a unique appearance. Players' experience, talent and skills increase as familiarity with the Exalight universe builds up, and as more races are run. The very challenging racetracks require drivers to show tactical intelligence, making perceptive use of special powers and, above all, outsmarting the traps laid for them and the manoeuvres of rival runners.'More information is available at exalight.fr, but keep in mind that the site is in French only.[Via easybourse.com]
Archos working on SIM card-equipped players?
There's not a whole lot to go on here, but according to France's Challenges magazine, Archos is set to further expand its linup-up of players next year with some new SIM card-equipped models. While there's no indication that the devices will actually double as a phone, you will apparently be able to at least get in some 3G-enhanced web browsing, which would certainly be more convenient (albeit pricier) than tracking down WiFi hotspots each time you're out and about. Also according to Challenges, it seems that both France's SFR and Neuf-Cegetel are "starting to look very closely" at Archos' gear, although that's obviously still as up in the air as the rumored device itself.[Via Archos Lounge, thanks JohnBe]
Easy Gate PC gets you online for cheap (in France)
Believe it or not, there are some people in major European countries that still lack internet access, or even computers. (Yes, we're still recovering from shock, too.) According to the French analyst firm Médiamétrie, half of the homes in France don't have a computer, and 60 percent don't have net access. In order to solve this problem, the French ISP firm Neuf Cegetel has launched its new internet access plan called Easy Neuf, in conjunction with its new cheap computer, the Easy Gate. This Linux box and internet service package can be yours for €40 ($50) per month, plus a €150 security deposit, and if you need a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and webcam, you'll have to fork over an additional one-time fee of €100 ($126). The Easy Gate packs an Intel 852GM chipset (no word on exactly what speed) and comes with six USB ports, 512MB of RAM and 512MB of flash memory, although we're not nearly enough to do anything but some light surfing and email (though we assume you can expand on that half gig with an external drive or two). Easy Neuf claims to serve up the internet at speeds of up to 8Mbps and includes unlimited VoIP calls to French landlines, so you can call your grandmother in Biarritz all you want. Beyond that, there's one more feature that we raise an eyebrow at -- Easy Gate's "proactive service monitoring" lets the company keep a remote eye on your PC and will fix it "without the customer having to call the help line." We're not sure we like the idea of automated remote surveillance on our computers, but what do we know, we're just paranoid Americans.[Via Engadget Chinese]
