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Misfit's $250 Vapor 2 smartwatch adds GPS and NFC
Misfit's Vapor 2 touchscreen smartwatch is ready to join the company's line of fashionable fitness trackers. Unlike the original, the Wear OS-powered Vapor 2 will be equipped with GPS and NFC, making it appealing for those who like the option of leaving their phone at home during workouts. Misfit also upgraded the smartwatch's optical heart sensor which tracks active and resting heart rates.
Hulu considers a skinnier live TV bundle
A year and a half after getting into the live TV game, Hulu may make some changes to its live offerings. In a new "skinnier" package, Hulu could offer less live channels but more shows on-demand. Hulu CEO Randy Freer told The Information that reshuffling the programming mix could help improve the company's bottom line.
Apple fires back at Australian encryption bill
In a seven-page letter to the Australian government, Apple criticized the country's proposed Access and Assistance Bill 2018. Apple claims, among other complaints, that the legislation raises cybersecurity concerns and give the state power to abuse users' privacy.
Apple bought real-time video editing startup to boost its AR push
Apple has doubled down on AR by acquiring Danish machine learning company Spektral, whose software erases backgrounds from videos instantly. The purchase remained quiet until Danish newspaper Børsen broke the news today. Fortune notes that the deal closed in December 2017 for a cool $30 million.
Apple: Imitation or innovation?
"Can't innovate anymore, my @$%!" Those were Phil Schiller's famous words as he showed off the new Mac Pro back in 2013. The crowd roared and clapped as we, once again, became mesmerized at the engineering feat that Apple has accomplished in personal computing hardware. Yet, no one could disregard the lingering question of whether Apple could still be as innovative as prior to the passing of Steve Jobs. Over the past few years, we've seen how Apple has developed under the new leadership from Tim Cook and the expanded role of Jony Ive. But the mobile and personal computing markets are much more crowded these days, let alone the emerging market of wearable tech. Does Apple have what it takes to remain an innovative company? Or must it borrow ideas from competitors in order to satisfy customers and maintain their loyalty? And if so, is that necessarily a bad thing? Since when did "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" turn into "imitation is just being lazy and unimaginative"? To look at this question of imitation vs. innovation, we have to look at both Apple hardware and software. Hardware innovation is relatively easy to assess. There is little debate that Apple is leaps and bounds ahead of its competition. Its computers, phones, tablets, and now watches, have always had good build quality and often led the industry in categories such as long lasting batteries in laptops and strong performance in tablets. The latest innovation? Butterfly keys, Haptic Tap (however gimmicky it may be), and layered battery design are just some examples of how Apple is leading the industry in making solid, innovative hardware. Hardware makes money, but, and perhaps now more so than ever before, user experience is what makes a customer take out the credit card and buy your product (over and over again). The question that must be answered is, how does your software feature make my user experience better, and does it achieve that with so much better visual and emotional stimulations that my neurons will fire off with glee. Android, and even Microsoft, have introduced some really nice features that were or still are lacking in Apple's software experience. On the Android side, there has been better 3rd party app integration, more customization options, and a better notification system and assistant. Microsoft has had the "snap" feature since early builds of windows 7. Perhaps the most innovative single piece of software experience from Apple has been the "Slide to Unlock" feature. Remember when Steve Jobs demoed that on stage? We all wanted and did see it twice back in 2007. Where has that magic gone, you may ask? Have we been excited as much as that single slide across the piece of glass had done in the past few years? There are certainly some cool features, like Continuity, where you can begin and continue to work on various documents and emails on your iPhone, iPad and the Mac. Then there is the messaging system where you can now answer not only texts on your Mac but also make and receive phone calls. And, finally, the latest iOS9 features will usher us into a world of true multi-tasking on the iPad. Yet, something is different this time. All of these features have been done already on Android or Microsoft, in one way or another. Just like in the window snap feature, Apple is no longer the first to do an innovative, easy to use software enhancement. Yet, Apple was never, is never, and will never be concerned with rushing a feature in order to get it first to market. It's about enhancing and polishing features until it is easily and comfortably integrated into its software ecosystem. We are biased in our judgment of innovation because we only get to see the product, whether hardware or software, when they are released to the public or demoed during trade shows. However, we rarely have a clue as to when these ideas were first conceived. Yet, when Apple demoes some of their features, and when we use them ourselves, we feel that they are more polished and user friendly compared to their competitors. Sure, Apple has had its fair share of mistakes, such as Apple Maps, which recently was mentioned as a measurement to quantify terribleness on Silicon Valley. Perhaps we should introduce or, rather, re-introduce the concept of "iteration." Apple is obsessed with details (remember those videos showing how a camera takes a number of pictures and then a robot chooses one out of many different versions of the same part in order to create a seamless fit of parts in the iPhone?). With only a handful of exceptions, Apple has delivered very well polished software enhancements to its users. It's the little things that matter, and that's what makes the Apple products' users experiences better. When people complained how much space a software update took on their iPhones and iPads, Apple responded this year by cutting down the size of their software update drastically (though the better choice would've been to increase the baseline storage options... but that's not going to increase the bottom line). When was the last time we saw Windows brag about how their new Service Pack is now 2/3 smaller or that their updates are going to be less frequent? Gradually, Apple improves on their designs and software. This year, we are seeing more of an improvement cycle rather than the drastic visual overhaul that we saw in iOS and OS X last year. Apple has learned to introduce features gradually rather than all at once in order to make sure that the users can adapt to those features and integrate them into their daily workflow without feeling overwhelmed. Remember when Samsung introduced Smart Stay, Smart Scroll, and bunch of other Smart features all at once? I turned them off and never bothered becoming Smart. Was there a drop in Macbook sales when Windows had "snap" and Apple didn't? What about full screen app management with multiple displays? Or when the iPhone didn't have the slew of features that Android phones did and still have? Sure, Apple lost market share when it didn't have a larger screen phone. But if the best features offered by Android, some of which are more advanced and innovative, are so important to users, then why was there such a big switch from Android users to the larger screened iPhone 6? What is it about Apple that makes people like using their products more even though it may not have the coolest and latest and, sometimes, much more useful features? While a large part can be attributed to Apple's amazing marketing team, the majority can be thanks to Apple's integration of software and hardware and an almost flawless user experience. So what does this all mean? For one thing, and perhaps the most important one, the customers will stand to benefit tremendously. Technology, no matter how advanced or innovative, doesn't do much good if we can't use it to solve everyday problems. There are many great innovative features that can benefit our daily routines, and, yet, it takes iterations and improvements in order for us to truly be the beneficiaries of using those features. Most tech companies understand this. But Apple also understands that customer loyalty is key to surviving and thriving in this fast paced, ever changing sector. The best way to build customer loyalty is to have products that work well and provide a friendly user interface, without too much fuss. And we have come to expect this level of polished and well thought out user experience when we use an Apple product. Perhaps this can explain why so many users and tech blog writers have mixed (and often negative) feelings about the Apple Watch. This is a brand new product category, let alone a product, from Apple that requires a new OS with entirely new ways of interacting with a touch screen interface. There, as expected, is a steep learning curve. Yet, most reviews have highlighted that this steep learning curve might be too much for most users. Was it not hard to learn how to use an Android smart watch or the Pebble the first few days? Why do we suddenly feel uncomfortable and almost repulsive when Apple produces a product with a steep learning curve? I would argue that it's also because we expect Apple to make magical products with magical user experiences. But you can also argue that this is because this is a first generation product, and usually there are lots of kinks that have yet to be worked out yet. Whoa, okay, you got me there. If Apple is all about being iterative and only push out products when they have the features fully polished, then what the heck are they doing with the Apple Watch when everyone thinks they should have pushed out a product with much less of a learning curve? Isn't this very much un-Apple like? Market forces is the unlikely culprit or hero of that story. As the various sectors of technology become ever more lucrative and competitive, Apple cannot simply wait and perfect their products before releasing them. Samsung didn't become a mobile technology juggernaut overnight. It did it by making a few big bets, from making supersized phones for the business world to cheap Androids for emerging markets. For Apple to remain dominant, it has to also be able to push out products at a similar pace. The products still have to be extremely good, but they may not have to be the most perfect versions. This really only applies to new products like the Apple Watch, which was introduced at the very moment when the wearable sector is getting competitive and, not coincidentally, iPod touch sales have been dropping. Each Apple product is produced to make a more cohesive ecosystem and a more loyal customer. iPod touch used to be the best gifts for younger kids and teens. But now, a lot of them have iPhones, which makes iPods a moot point. But here comes the Apple Watch, an exclusive accessory to your iPhone and the perfect way to replace that iPod as a Christmas or graduation gift. So for Apple, it makes perfect sense to enter the market with a less-than-perfectly-polished product but at the right time. Confused yet? It's a complicated love affair. On the one hand, Apple strives to produce the perfect product that makes technology blend effortlessly into our daily lives. On the other hand, it has to respond to increasing market forces to remain dominant. Without the profits garnered from being the dominant player in the market, Apple may lack or be limited in their pursuits in perfecting products or having innovative R&D efforts. Yet, too much focus on market forces will limit the creativeness and imagination that has driven much of Apple's success. Sure, the customers will remain the number one priority and will definitely benefit no matter how this plays out. But, what about us, the technology enthusiasts? Are we ready to accept that iteration can be just as important as innovation? And, are we ready to perhaps even abandon the innovation vs. imitation debate and focus on how these companies' technologies and ideas truly benefit those surrounding us? Phones, tablets, and laptops are better than ever before, and wearable tech, sharing economy, smart homes, electric sports cars, driverless cars, drones, and so much more are happening all around us. I know what my answer will be. Do you?
Judge: NCAA's likeness compensation rules violate antitrust laws
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled yesterday that NCAA rules prohibiting student athletes from receiving compensation for the use of their images, names and likenesses violates antitrust laws, CBS Sports reported. NCAA rules do not allow colleges to pay athletes when their images are used in a video game series such as EA Sports' NCAA Football games, and Wilken said those rules "unreasonably restrain trade." Wilken is the same judge that ordered settlement talks between the NCAA and Ed O'Bannon in February, after EA agreed to settle its own likeness lawsuits with student athletes to the tune of $40 million in September 2013. EA canceled its next NCAA Football game at that time and began "evaluating [its] plan for the future of the franchise." The publisher later reported an additional $8 million in expected expenses as a result of the lawsuit settlement, which amounted to roughly $1,000 per athlete, per appearance in the games.
DevJuice: Three useful Xcode tricks
Some Xcode challenges seem to crop up repeatedly. Today, I thought I'd share a few solutions that you might find helpful to integrate into your workflow. Challenge: When you move an Xcode project to a new folder, all your file references die. Solution: Avoid those red "can't find" file references by changing the way each group defines its location. If you're pulling in a suite of code from another folder, select it and open the File inspector (View > Utilities > Show File Inspector). Choose "Absolute Path" from the Path pop-up. Now, when you move the folder, those files remain fixed to the original location. You won't "lose" them in the update. Challenge: Your project is jam-packed with groups and subgroups and you want to find a file in your project. Solution: Start with File > Open Quickly (Command-Shift-O). Enter enough text to locate the file name you're looking for. Once you find the right name, for example "BezierFunctions.m", select the name and click Open. The file now appears in the workspace editor. Right-click within the editor and choose Reveal in Project Navigator from the contextual pop-up. Presto, Xcode finds that file for you, opens its parent group or groups, enabling you to manage the file and within its group setting. Challenge: You're using a function or type and want to quickly reference the original declaration. Solution: Move your mouse to the item in-code, and Command-click. Xcode immediately jumps to the original definition file. Alternatively, press the Option key. The cursor switches to "?" and a dashed highlight appears under the item name. Click to reveal a pop-up menu. Choices on this menu vary, depending on whether the selected item is custom or system supplied. In this screenshot's example, you can click on BaseGeometry.h to open the file that declared the POINT_IS_NULL macro, providing an equivalent result to command-clicking. The option-click trick also offers more info in addition to the move-to-declaration option, particularly for system-supplied items. Yes, you can jump directly to the CGPath.h header file using this little trick, but you can also read a description summary or hop to the class reference document.
ArenaNet's Jon Peters talks Guild Wars 2 competitive PvP
Gaming can be a great way to wind down and relax, but as any real gamer knows, relaxation is for sissies. Competition is where the real action's at! Don't worry, Guild Wars 2 designer Jon Peters knows all about competition, and he even took some time out of his certainly busy day to sit down and talk a bit about Guild Wars 2's competitive PvP. Anyone who played the original Guild Wars knows the heavy focus the game put on balanced, competitive PvP. Well, ArenaNet is taking that to the next level in Guild Wars 2. Peters even goes on to state that the devs "consider it to be one of the primary goals of Guild Wars 2 competitive PvP to make it into an eSport." Peters goes on to discuss how the team is focusing on bringing players a balanced-but-exciting PvP experience. For the full details, just click on through the link below to the full interview at ZAM.
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: The Warrior of 2009
The Care and Feeding of Warriors is WoW.com's column about aromatic essential oils for use in baths and to spruce up the house. Unfortunately I don't know anything about those so I'm going to have to talk about playing a warrior in World of Warcraft instead. My hands are tied, I'm afraid. Wow, that was a year, huh? From the dizzying highs of fury spec in Naxxramas to the somewhat less dizzying highs of Ulduar, arms' constant evolution and protection spec's astonishing makeover as the expansion launched, 2009 was a year that saw warriors sway from top DPS and solid tanks as if in some kind of gale force wind. Armor Penetration went from a stat we'd take if we had to and is now one of our top DPS stats, Block got a makeover that led to changes in how abilities like Shield Block and Shield Slam calculate, and in general we saw the effects of stat inflation on gear really have an effect on us and how we stack up to other classes as tanks and DPS. If you were a tanking warrior in Naxx on January 1st. 2009, for example, you may have had upwards of 35k health. (To be honest, it's hard for me to remember, it may have gotten up to 38k if you stacked stamina.) Now, a geared TotGC tank walking into ICC can pretty easily hit 54 to 55k health fully raid buffed. And it's only going up from here. Icecrown Citadel promises much improved itemization as well as crazy old school procs that should have warriors, be they DPS or tanks, salivating. Warriors have definitely had their ups and downs this year, but I think we can say we're ending the year on a fairly high note. Fury DPS has managed to get back to a competitive place with the new weapons, arms still lags behind but has solid PvP and PvE uses, and protection is quite possibly the single strongest tanking class by virtue of sheer flexibility: other tanks may have more health, more armor, or more AoE threat, but protection's suite of abilities includes standouts like Shockwave, Vigilance, Spell Reflection and Warbringer, making it possibly #2 in every single tanking category when no class can claim to be #1 in them all. Let's look at some changes and how they shook out for warriors.
Totem Talk: The Shaman of 2009
2009 has been a year of almost continuous changes for shamans. It seems that not a patch has gone by without some changes to the class, some major, some not so severe. The class has seen mysterious DPS shortfalls, a minor controversy about health in PvP that then carried over into PvE content with the high levels of AoE damage in Ulduar with patch 3.1. Flametongue Weapon saw changes to prevent enhancement shamans from using caster weapons. Resto got a fairly substantial review and some significant tweaks. Elemental also saw some talents redesigned. While all of this was going on, shamans also saw some controversy about itemization, gear scaling and having to share caster mail between two specs that value different stats, as well as the constant battle with holy paladins to keep their grubby, grasping mitts off of our mail. Yeah, we know you don't want that MP5 plate, but since you're the only ones who can possibly get anything out of it, go away and leave our precious alone. (Cue the pages of discussion on why it's perfectly acceptable for holy paladins to take caster mail and explanations in detail of why I'm an inhuman monster who drowns fish. Yes, fish, That's how evil I am.) Now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way (remind me to tell you the story of the year my mom beat Santa Claus up in front of the extended family) we move on to shamans in 2009.
Breakfast Topic: When you were there
From time to time it occurs to me that my character, were I a better roleplayer, has actually been to a whole lot of places. He's seen a ridiculous amount of things and would have a really hard time settling down on a farm somewhere on Azeroth or whatever it is old adventurers do when they're tired of killing old gods, elemental monstrosities, Dragon Aspects, ancient liches, and Illidan Stormrage, to name just a few. It really occurred to me on a visit to Darnassus, in fact, to turn in the quest "A Cautious Return" that I should be able to do more than just hand the dude a note. I mean, I killed Illidan! I've kicked Kil'Jaeden's butt back down the Sunwell myself! I went back in time and fought Archimonde. (By the way, Tyrande, thanks for the slow fall item and all.) Lore wise, I've pretty much seen everything at this point and soon, I'll be running off to fight Arthas. You'd think I could say "hey, take it easy" to that Sentinel for the poor guy. When you think about all our characters have seen (even new characters leveled from 1 to 80 with this expansion have traveled to an alien world and then to a frozen wasteland stuffed with titan relics and undead like the worst pizza crust ever) these are some really experienced folks (hence that bar on your interface, I guess) and I find myself wondering what kind of stories they'd tell. So now I ask you, what stories would your character tell? What lore moments were the ones you think he or she would be more moved by, impressed by, or pleased to have been a part of? For that matter, which ones were the best for you as a player?
Scattered Shots: Patch 3.3 - What's on the horizon for hunters
Welcome back to the Scattered Shots. Instead of continuing the So You Want to be a Hunter series, this week I thought it would be good to take a break and review the changes in Patch 3.3. So join me, Eddie "Brigwyn" Carrington from the Hunting Lodge as we explore the ins and out of what's instore for us hunters. Patch 3.3 is on the PTR and as we download the patch we've been busily reviewing the patch notes along with the unofficial information from posted up over on MMO-Champion. Without giving everything away in the first paragraph, let's just say that this is looking to be one awesome patch. Without going on about how good it is, let's take a look at what's being said.From the PTR Patch notes we got to see some insight where Blizzard's development team is taking our class. Hunters Misdirection: Redesigned. Instead of having finite charges, it now begins a 4-second timer when the hunter using Misdirection performs a threat-generating attack, during which all threat generated by the hunter goes to the friendly target. In addition, multiple hunters can now misdirect threat to the same friendly target simultaneously. Now I'll admit when I first saw this change I was a bit hesitant. Changing one of core abilities is always disconcerting. But then I started thinking about it a bit more.
Scattered Shots: So you want to be a Hunter - Part 5 Levels 31-40
Welcome back to the Scattered Shots, So you want to be a Hunter series. This guide is intended to help new Hunters better understand how to play the best class in the game. So join me, Eddie "Brigwyn" Carrington from the Hunting Lodge as we explore the ins and out of how to be a Hunter. Welcome back to the fifth installment of the So You Want to Be a Hunter leveling guide. This week we'll take a journey from 31 through 40. As you journey through these 10 levels you'll have the opportunity to see many of the great vibrant landscapes that will be changed in Cataclysm. Also, if you want you can quest in Dustwallow Marsh and see brave adventurers tackle the revamped Onyxia courtesy of Patch 3.2.2. As every week we'll recap what we have covered up to now. Part 1: We reviewed racials and their impact on the hunter class. Reviewed each of the current races and what the benefits were of each racial. Part 2: We quickly talked about the first nine levels. We also went on to talk about each of the three hunter talent trees and their basic play style. Part 3: Last week we discussed what happened from levels 10 through 20. We also went over the quests to learn how to tame your first pet. Part 4: We covered some of the covered attacks, buffs and spells. We also began looking at how to teach your pet new skills by applying pet talents. With that out of the way, let's mount up and head on out of here.
Patch 3.2.2 sees stealthed Hunter nerfs
I guess it was all just a dream after all. Here I thought that maybe, just maybe we could see the beginning of Cataclysm and somehow see Blizzard sneak worgen hunters into Patch 3.2.2 and give them the ability to tame dwarves. (Just in case my attempt at sarcasm fell flat, you need to know I fully understand we won't see worgen hunters until Cataclysm.)Although worgen didn't manage to sneak in, we did see some other changes that somehow slipped under the radar. Their is only one downside to these undocumented changes. There's some good news and bad news. Since it's always better to end on a happy note, we'll start off with the bad news.It seems that what we all noticed on the PTR and hoped beyond all hope actually managed to make it into the recent patch unscathed.
Patch 3.2.2 Hunters see changes to Bestial Wrath
Ghostcrawler has reached into his mysterious bags of tricks and drew out the Hunter card once again it seems. Last week we discussed the recent change to Armor Penetration. While we all agree that it is a nerf to Marksman Hunters and will reduce their DPS. The jury is still out on whether it is a game mechanics correction (which I tend to believe) or some evil plot to cause Hunters to spend more gold.Well the changes continued to happen. Last Thursday we heard more from Ghostcrawler regarding a new change that will be hitting Beast Master Hunters in Patch 3.2.2. The interesting thing about this recent change is it is both a buff and a nerf. To help explain what I mean let's take a closer look at how Ghostcrawler explained the change on the Damage Dealing Forums.
Scattered Shots: So you want to be a Hunter - Part 3 Levels 10-20
Welcome back to the Scattered Shots, So you want to be a Hunter series. This guide is intended to help new Hunters better understand how to play the best class in the game. So join me, Eddie "Brigwyn" Carrington from the Hunting Lodge as we explore the ins and out of how to be a Hunter. Welcome back my Hunter compadres! We've made it to Part 3 of So you want to be a Hunter. I know we have had lot's of things happening of late with BlizzCon and Cataclysm, so it's probably a good time to give a quick recap on what we've done so far. Part 1: We reviewed racials and their impact on the Hunter class. Going over each of the factions races and what the benefits were of each racial. For now we haven't talked about the new races that will be added to the Hunter class in Cataclysm (Worgen and Goblins). We'll have to address that when the new expansion is released. Part 2: We discussed each of the Hunter talent trees and their basic playstyle. We talked about Beast Mastery being the partnership between Hunter and pet. We also reviewed the Marksmanship and Survival trees and how they are more about the individual Hunter, their offensive power, utility and flexibility. We also discussed what stats you will want to consider as you level. Though this might seem a bit out of place, knowing what to expect early on will hopefully help you make better decisions later on. However you shouldn't worry, we'll make sure to give a refresher course later on. Now we are in Part 3 of our weekly series. We will continue reviewing leveling your Hunter from level 10-20. We'll talk about taming your first pet. We'll also review some of the more interesting pets and where they can be found. Having a unique is one of the perks of being a Hunter. We'll also talk about placing those first talent points. Building on the lessons we learned last week. We'll be able to make a decision on how to craft a solid leveling talent build. One that will offer us enough power to down mobs, but also enough bonuses to help protect and keep our pet alive as it plays the role of tank. As a reminder, here's some guidelines for using this guide. So you want to be a Hunter is for the new player and/or a new Hunter. This guide is not a "How-to get to 80 in less than 3 days" leveling guide. It's more of a "What to expect as you level" guide. Except where highlighted, this guide does not take into account Recruit a Friend or heirloom bonuses. Since most players tend to level by themselves, all talent build suggestions will focus on a solo leveling/grinding build. This guide focuses on the leveling the PvE Hunter. We will discuss PvP and raiding in other guides. One of the joys of being a Hunter is being able to run around with your best friend right by your side. And believe me, your pet is truly your best friend. I can't tell you the number of times that my turtle FatElvis has charged back and rounded up several elite mobs giving me the crucial few moments I needed to survive. The only drawback to having a pet is you can't tame one until level 10. What's up with that Blizzard?
Scattered Shots: So you want to be a Hunter - Part 1 Racials
Good day folks and welcome to Scattered Shots. The column that takes a good look at what it takes to be a Hunter in the World of Warcraft. I am Eddie "Brigwyn" Carrington from the Hunting Lodge. This week we'll be starting our "So you want to be a Hunter" class guide series. I have to admit something, I'm a chronic leveler. I do it over and over. Yes, I know it's not the typical play style. Yes, I also know it's highly unorthodox. By now you are probably thinking, "Who in their right mind would want to be a chronic leveler?" That someone would be me. See when I get bored, and the game starts to become a bit of a drag I can't help myself. It only becomes a matter of time till I feel the need to scratch an itch to start over. Yes, I know it's crazy. But you can look at it this way, at least I know how the game works for the beginning Hunter just as well as the raiding one.Having done this a few times now, I thought it would idea to put this experience to some practical purpose. It seems to be a waste and not at least write up a Hunter guide for new Hunters. So I thought I'd create a new series of posts entitled, "So you want to be a Hunter."Before we get started, I need to make sure we're all on the same page by setting some ground rules. This series is intended for the new player and/or a new Hunter. Since most new player won't have a rich uncle in game, nor does everyone use Recruit-A-Friend, I'll just focus on leveling up the old fashioned way. When discussing zone and levels, I'll only highlight some key quests along the way. Except for when we reach the "getting ready to raid" guide, all guides will focus on using a solo-leveling/grinding build. So there, with some ground rules set. Let's get started on making you the best Hunter possible.
World of Warcraft Patch 3.2 Hunter Guide
WoW.com has covered patch 3.2 extensively. Everything from the surprising changes to flying mounts, to the latest and greatest loot, and all the changes in between. In our patch 3.2 class, raiding, and PvP guides we take a look at exactly what changes and how the changes will affect your playing. Patch 3.2 will be on the live servers sometime today (or as Blizzard might say, "Soon®"). Given all the hype and excitement with the release of the different Class Q&A's, Hunters have a bit to look forward to.. Seeing that the inevitable changes has either already, or is about to happen on the live realms, I decided to go back and re-read the patch notes and revisit my initial thoughts about them. As I re-read the changes in the recent light of the Hunter Q&A, I think the changes make even more sense than they did originally. Not that I necessarily agree with all of them, but just that they make sense. See, it seems to me, that the changes are in line with Ghostcrawler's strategy laid out in the Hunter Q&A. And with that in mind I thought it would be a good time to rethink the changes and discuss them below.
Essential addons for Patch 3.0.2 [Updated x6]
Let's take a look at what addons are working for patch 3.0.2. First a simple rule taken from the UI forums post done by Kaydeethree: "Any 'Wrath beta' compatible mod will work in 3.0.2." With that said, there is a long and comprehensive listing of 3.0.2 compatible addons over on WoWWiki. But the fun doesn't end there. The next step is obtaining all those new addons. I've compiled a large set of the essential addons and linked to at least one direct download source after the break. Each download source is either trusted beyond doubt – or tested and confirmed to be virus free. Finally, you'll want to combine the addons into a nice looking UI. Check out our special edition of Reader UI of the Week for a look at five complete 3.0.2 compatible UIs. We're posting this list now, and will continue to update it throughout the day. Begin your addon downloads as quickly as possible to avoid hangups later in the day when download servers become overloaded.
PSP Fan Art Fridays: Metal Gear
Do you want to share your PSP-related fan art? Send us an e-mail. A new piece of fan art will be shared every Friday. It's Friday and that means another night of Russian Roulette with my friends and that it's Fan Art Friday. This week we have a Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops art piece that depicts Null fighting Big Boss. It's brought to us from Edward. The look on Snake's face as he narrowly dodged that lunge is as frightened as that time I saw that site with the girl in the tub. Great work Edward, way to bring back those nightmares. No seriously, glad to have the fan art and good taste in games. I'm totally gay for Metal Gear. Leave your feedback on this art in the comments, check out Edward's deviant art account and see us back here next Friday!%Gallery-3450%
