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Minecraft XBLA update brings the thunderclaps
Minecraft's Xbox 360 iteration just got a mess of fixes in its latest update ("Title Update 4"), including pistons at the world's edge causing crashes and thunder "not being audible." Why, that's no thunder at all, then!Remedies are also given for the newly released skin packs and and several other minor glitches/bugs. And no, there are no content additions this time around, mostly just fixes for the last big update. But that Adventure Update is totally still coming!
Minecraft XBLA gets pistons, much more in tomorrow's 1.73 update
Minecraft's Xbox 360 version continues to march forward, with the latest update (1.73) bringing "pistons and sticky pistons," "stackable fences," and a whole mess of other items, functions, and skins to your handcrafted block world. There are even 40 new character skins, some of which can be seen above. The update doesn't include NPCs, villages, or the much desired Adventure Mode, but 4J Studios promises those will come in time.The patch, which corrects some errors too, goes live tomorrow at 2AM UTC. The full list of changes is right after the break.
Hydromechanical watch concept pumps away the hours for horologists (video)
Vincent Perriard and crew have apparently gone from overseeing the Concord C1 QuantumGravity watch and its fluorescent liquid battery gauge to designing another high end watch that combines mechanical action and fluid measurement with the HYT H1. This hand-wound timepiece has a 65 hour power reserve and displays the time via pumping bellows that push bright green fluorescine past the time markers. A rendered video embedded after the break does more to explain how the watch works, but may not help you figure out its rumored $45k price tag.
Is high-def to much definition?
So there we were watching the Pistons playing like the good 'ol Pistons when my fiancee said something profound. "Look! You can see Dwyane Wades butt sweat." As much as I didn't want to see that, she was right. There it was and it really didn't add much to the game. But then they cut to a camera that showed Shaq's sweaty face. I mean it was dripping and boy did 720 progressive lines of resolution really make it pop out at ya. Gross.Is this really what is necessary anymore. Are we this conditioned to high-def that we need to see these details in order to keep our attention? Yup. Any high-def owner will agree that, yes we need it.Am I right or am I right?
HDTV Listings for April 12, 2006
What we're watching: You know we're watching Lost, why even ask? King James and his band of merry men take on the Detroit Pistons at 8 p.m., unfortunately ESPN left their SkyCams at home. We don't usually watch Veronica Mars, but TVSquad says this is a great episode for new viewers to jump into the series on. Maybe its worth a shot at 8 p.m. on UPN as they replay last night's episode.We need a new Wednesday night fix since (after tonight) Lost is all repeats until May.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
Do you expect high-def now?
Are we are at the point that we expect high definition for major events now? Case in point: yesterdays NBA Sunday game of the Pistons vs the Suns on ABC. Major even but it was not in high-def? (At least for me) I do not have an answer on why major events are not in HD yet but rather something to think about. Do you remember one or two years ago when we were surprised that the event was in HD. Now that surprise is when it isn't. This is a good thing folks as the penetration of HD is rising.
HDTV Listings for March 26, 2006
What we're watching: No new Grey's Anatomy? Nooooo. Where will we get our soap operatic exploits of doctors in 720p? Until General Hospital upgrades to HD and ER becomes the show that it was 10 years ago, nowhere would be the appropriate answer. In it's stead we will accept warmed over episodes of CSI (after watching The Evidence, we appreciate this show much more) and Pistons vs. Nets on ESPN. I went to a couple Pistons games this week and after several overpriced beers experienced considerable compression issues and artifacting, real life isn't all it's made out to be.I haven't seen tonight's episode of Rides before, where four teams of designers take a crack at the Chevy HHR, so that will get at least a look as well.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
NBA & NFL are playing games with(out) my HDTV
It's another Sunday, I'm relaxing with a cold Dos Equis trying to watch more sports in high definition and again my HDTV is left wanting. Yeah theres the Olympics on NBC but seriously, there is no need to show an entire cross country ski race, even in 1080i. They don't show a whole marathon do they?Much like two weeks ago, ABC played hot potato with their HD, the first game between the Spurs and Pacers was not in high definition, although the second game with Detroit at Miami was (btw Dwyane Wade is incredible). Both games came down to the wire, but the first could have been so much better.And now, I'm (trying) to watch the Pro Bowl on ESPN, and it's SD? What a joke. ESPN has two high definition channels going to waste if you're not going to broadcast the all star game properly, and in beautiful Hawaii. Must I remind people where one of the best HD shows (Lost) is filmed? At least the NBA will have that right, not only will they have the All-Star game in high definition on TNT, they'll even broadcast the practices (Saturday February 18 at noon) so crisply it'll feel like the coach is yelling at you.Are they scared by NBC's glitchy Olympics coverage? I just don't get it. Somebody wake me when Grey's Anatomy starts.
What's on HDTV today: Not the NBA
I woke up excited to check out the basketball games today. The stars are out:, Lebron James, Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups and more, but despite an excellent first game to the triple header, today is definitely a bust.Three games: Cleveland vs. Phoenix, Houston at Miami, and Pistons vs. Lakers, but I'm only going to see one of them in high definition, and if you don't live near one of the home teams, you may not even get that. The Detroit Pistons game will be broadcast locally in 1080i by WB20, as many of their home games are, but it will also be available nationally on ESPN, however not in HD. Neither of the two earlier games were broadcast in high definition on ABC. I don't know if this is due to local licensing agreements (what I suspect keeps ESPN from broadcasting the Pistons game in HD tonight) or what, but David Stern needs to take care of this. With no NFL on this weekend, the NBA is the only game in town. Sports fans love their high definition, but with none available my attention is wandering over to the X-Games and Arena League football. If I want to catch some HD sports, my best bet at the moment is probably Gotham TV on my Xbox 360.With all the expenses paid to broadcast and view games in high definition, how professional basketball can simply ignore national high definition broadcasts is a mystery to me. It seems the NFL is taking a page from the NBA's book and broadcasting some games themselves, but maybe more is needed for professional basketball to continue to grow as HDTV adoption does.Update: Apparently the NBA is more on the ball than I thought, the Miami game switched to HD later on, and the Pistons - Lakers game is available in high definition on both WB and ESPN, unlike games earlier in the season which were nationally broadcast only in SD. More later, I'm watching the game. (Go Pistons)
