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Klipsch revamps Image One series headphones, intros first Bluetooth variant (update: ears-on)
As if updating and expanding its in-ear headphone lineup wasn't enough, Klipsch has gone ahead and unveiled its revamped Image One on-ear set here at Irving Plaza in NYC. As we're told, the new Image One is acoustically similar to its predecessor, but now it has a more stylish and robust design that should hold up better over time. Notably, the headphones only have a single cable leading into the left earcup (rather than splitting into both cups like the original), and it's also of the flat variety to prevent tangling. The earcups can still fold flat, but now they can fold into the headband as well, making a smaller footprint for storage in a stuffed bag. In terms of comfort, the leather earpads are now a totally flat to provide an improved seal and better comfort. Beyond that, an Apple-certified inline remote / mic will help you control your music and calls on the go. An airliner converter, a 1/4-inch adapter and soft-shell carrying case are naturally included, and best of all, its price will remain set at 150 bones. Rather than just tweaking the original, however, Klipsch has decided to finally enter the wireless headphone game by offering a $250 Bluetooth-equipped variant for those who hate cords. This version looks nearly identical, with the subtle tweak of having the playback and volume controls positioned as buttons on the outside of the right earcup. The Image One Bluetooth also sports a built-in rechargeable battery, yet the set only gains 10 grams of weight (180 grams total) on top of its wired sibling -- should the battery die, a detachable cable allows for passive functionality. What's more, audiophiles will pleased to know that aptX and A2DP are both baked-in for high-quality lossless audio streaming. If your ears are already tingling with excitement, the new Image One and Image One Bluetooth are set to hit shelves by the end of the month. We're already putting both sets of cans through their paces here at the event, so check back soon as we'll be updating this post with our initial impressions. Update: You'll find images of the headphones below and our brief ears-on after the break. %Gallery-162134%
Jace Hall is out for Blood, asks fans what they want in a remake
Jace Hall, founder and former CEO of Monolith Productions, is looking to bring back 1997's original gore-fest of a game, Blood. Hall brings the idea up on The Postmortem, a Blood fan forum, gauging interest and asking for wish lists in a potential Blood remake."To be clear, I am thinking of bringing the ORIGINAL Blood game back as it was, with functionality alterations/enhancements that are similar but superior to ZDAEMON's," Hall writes. "I would also make it work on all platforms, and not just PC."Hall has all of the legal rights and issues "handled" and will get support from anyone with a legal investment in Blood, he says. Hall will be the one footing the bill the new game as well: "One thing to also know is that if I go ahead and attempt to bring Blood back, I will be the one actually paying the bill. It is certainly going to cost money to do this, and I will not likely be getting my money back. It will be all for the fun of it. Just something to know."Hall has reservations about releasing the source code for Blood, writing, "Part of what I'm hoping to achieve with this potential project is a game that really allows people to build measurable value in their cummulative game accomplishments." The conversation is on-going at The Postmortem if you'd like to share your blood-soaked dream list with Hall himself.
WiFi Direct headed for a revamp: simpler integration, better support
We love WiFi Direct, we do, but there's no denying the standard has failed to take the world by storm. The WiFi Alliance is going back to the drawing board and looking to streamline its system of connecting devices. A new Wi-Fi Direct Services task group was formed last month, charged with building new tools for helping apps and devices work together. The plan is to have what amounts to a complete revamp of the WiFi Direct standard within 12 to 18 months. One of the keys will be exposing the feature more directly to end users. Often it hides in the background, but the alliance is working on a way for apps to advertise their capabilities to each other and consumers. Developers have also struggled with poorly defined hooks that often lead to incompatible products. Will 2013 finally be the year that WiFi Direct takes off? Who can say. Considering the break-neck pace our technological world moves at, something better may have come along by the time the WiFi Alliance gets its act together.
EVE Online reveals ship revamp details, shows off new mining ship
Back in march, EVE Online developer CCP Games announced its ambitious plan to revamp EVE Online's entire range of ships. Dozens of new ships have been added over the game's nine year history, and now developers are reorganising them into specific ship lines that fulfill most distinct roles. A big part of the system is the removal of ship tiers for tech 1 ships, a change that will see all of the currently underused low-tier ships boosted and given new roles. In a new devblog today, CCP released the first concrete details on how that will take place. Miners will be happy to know that all barges will be given a hitpoint increase to make them harder to suicide kill, and that all three mining barges will be specialised to support a particular style of mining. The Covetor and Hulk will have the biggest mining yield but their small cargo holds and poor defenses will limit them to mining ops with haulers on hand. The Retriever and Mackinaw will have smaller yields but huge specialised ore bays, making them better ships for AFK mining and ninja mining. The Procurer and Skiff will have the lowest mining yields but their battleship-sized tank will make it difficult to suicide gank. Finally, a new entry level ORE mining frigate will be released for new players.
Flyff getting revamped with Flyff Gold
The world of gPotato's long-running free-to-play MMO Flyff is about to change in a big way. In a press release today, the studio announced the upcoming July launch of Flyff Gold, which will add a whole slew of features and revamps, many of which have been requested by the community. According to the press release, players can look forward to "a fresh new look and dynamic interface," as well as features such as "achievements redeemable for item shop goodies" and a "set-and-forget consignment marketplace for easy trading," plus much more. To celebrate the update's imminent release, gPotato is beginning "game-wide log-in and level-up events" that will reward players for, as the name would imply, logging in and leveling up. These events make for the perfect time for new players to jump into the game and get some shiny loot in preparation for the Flyff Gold release. For more details on the game's upcoming additions, you can go check out Flyff Gold's teaser site. [Source: gPotato press release]
The Road to Mordor: Five ways LotRO should be streamlined
You would think that growth and expansion is nothing but a good thing for MMOs -- after all, those are the hallmarks of the genre. But as these games get bigger, issues emerge as the developers add new zones, features, and systems. In short, maturing MMOs gravitate toward complexity, and this can have an adverse effect on the game as a whole. The problem is that there is eventually too much a brand-new player has to absorb and master, not to mention the hassle of rolling alts and having to navigate all of that content once more. If developers don't stay on top of the situation, then the game starts to lose overall cohesion and becomes a befuddling mess. With three expansions and numerous updates under its belt, Lord of the Rings Online is venturing deep into this territory. I have friends who are leveling up for the first time and finding themselves overwhelmed with everything that needs doing as well as all the systems that are not clearly explained. So today I want to play backseat developer and talk about five ways that LotRO should be streamlined for the good of all players, old and new.
German studio SilentFuture resurrecting Earthrise
Fans of Masthead Studios' late sandbox MMO, Earthrise, have cause to rejoice today. The Wuppertal, Germany-based studio SilentFuture announced in a press release today that it will be taking over development and operation of the title, which was shut down in February earlier this year. According to the press release, the studio is currently working on a complete overhaul of the game, from backstory to gameplay to technology. SilentFuture plans to have the game up and running again sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Earthrise will return as a free-to-play title in which players "no longer find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world" but rather are "part of the apocalypse itself." Sounds promising! Hopefully we can look forward to more details in the coming weeks, but at least we know one thing for sure: Earthrise is back! [Source: SilentFuture press release]
LotRO Update 7 to add new skirmish, revamp old content
Even a good anniversary celebration can't delay Turbine from delivering the content through snow, rain, and volcanic ash from Mount Doom. The team has posted an outline of Lord of the Rings Online's next content patch, Update 7, with word that it will go to the test server soon. Update 7: Shades of the Past promises to add a new endgame skirmish called Storm on Methedras. The skirmish will be free for VIP players and tasks groups of one to 12 players with taking on Saruman's ally, Gwyllion, in the Misty Mountains. The update will also contain two huge renovations to existing content. Turbine will be divvying up the massive Fornost dungeon into four scalable instances accessible from levels 30 on up. More importantly, the team is renovating great parts of Moria with better graphics and a smoother quest flow.
Google+ gets a major update, simpler UI and heavier focus on Hangouts (video)
Google isn't quite calling it version 2.0, but today's update to its flagship social product is just that. As with most Mountain View projects, the new Google+ will rollout gradually, but as it does it may just lure back some of those who jumped ship early on. The UI has been greatly streamlined with a customizable ribbon of shortcuts on the left and your buddy list moved to the right. The main interface has been tidied up quite a bit and a new focus has been placed on one of the universally beloved features of the beleaguered social network -- Hangouts. The video chat party lines will be getting their own dedicated home page too, allowing you to quickly peruse any Hangouts that are available to you. Even profiles are getting a dramatic facelift with larger photos and Sparks have officially been retired in favor of an Explore tab. Perhaps most welcome though is the enhanced multimedia sharing. To see all the fancy new features in action check out the videos after the break. And, of course, let us know if you're seeing the shiny new layout on your end -- we're still waiting on Google to flip the switch for us.
Final Fantasy XIV previews its revamp to food and medicine
Final Fantasy XIV's foods and medicines have always been a major part of the game -- after all, both Culinarians and Alchemists focus on producing precisely those items. Unfortunately, the items have been awkward to make, unwieldy to use, and frequently unclear in their effects. That's why the game's next major patch is bringing along a major overhaul to the system, giving the two categories of item clear roles and more transparent effects. While the full list of item changes is not unveiled in the preview, the general philosophy is laid out in detail. Food items provide long-term buffs (including a small experience gain) with lesser overall values and a very short cooldown between uses. Medicines, on the other hand, provide a short-term buff with a long cooldown, but the buff is significantly larger. These changes will also tie into a revamp of several recipes to account for ingredient locations and overall synthesis difficulty. It's something to look forward to in the game's next major patch, and it promises to make your character's eating habits much easier to manage.
Rumor: MacBook Pro line getting revamped with MacBook Air style designs
There's rumors of a shakeup going around in Apple's laptop lines. AppleInsider claims, according to "people familiar with Apple's roadmap" (cute -- it's Friday, so we'll let that through), that Apple is aiming to completely revamp its notebook lines sometime this year, basically making the MacBook Air's style the standard. MacBook Pros would essentially be discontinued as we know them, and instead, the MacBook Pro would take on the Air format: Super thin, no optical drives, centered almost completely around digital distribution and portability. This is a story we've heard before. There has been word from overseas of a MacBook Air style notebook with a 15 inch screen coming out of the manufacturers in China, and this murmuring would seem to support those rumors. It's not much of a stretch, either -- the MacBook Air has been extremely popular (I've seen them almost replace any other Mac notebook models already at the two electronics conventions I've been to this year), and clearly customers have shown that they're ready to go with a slimmer model designed around downloading software rather than installing it from a disc. Of course, there will always be holdouts: It's hard to believe that Apple will release a 17" MacBook Air-style model, and certainly there are plenty of users who would rather have a huge laptop that's almost used more as a desktop computer than something more portable. But this is Apple we're talking about -- have they ever waited for users to be comfortable with the new before moving forward? At any rate, don't get too excited yet, as these are just rumors for now. But it does seem likely that by the end of this year, we'll see thinner, lighter laptops in Apple's portable computer lines.
Aventurine 'sprinting' toward Darkfall 2.0
As Darkfall "sprints" down the road toward its second incarnation, bloodthirsty PvPers are looking to Aventurine for more information about how their favorite game world is being remolded. Tasos Flambouras came forth today with word that not only is the project still powering forward, but the development team is growing as new hires are brought on to assist in the efforts. Flambouras uses the post as a progress report and To Do list all in one. Perhaps the most exciting teases that he mentions are new methods of progression in the game. "These are significant and exciting changes to the way the game is played because they add more purpose to player freedom," he writes. Currently the art team is adding and revamping many of the game's objects and animations, while the world builders are hammering away at Mahirim. As part of Darkfall 2.0, introductory dungeons will be integrated into the game to help newbies get a foothold in the cutthroat MMO. The team is also experimenting with "alternatives" to player respawn time after deaths, as well as a brand-new market system and improved trading experience.
EVE Evolved: Resurrecting faction warfare
I think it's safe to say that most EVE Online players have never tried their hands at faction warfare, the state-sponsored bloodbath that pits Minmatar and Gallente pilots against their Amarr and Caldari rivals. When the system launched almost four years ago during 2008's Empyrean Age expansion, it was an immediate and colossal success. CCP ran news stories leading up to the expansion to show the growing tensions between the four nations, with several videos highlighting major flashpoints like the Malkalen incident. The stage was set for the war to end all wars, and players were brought to the front lines to die for their nations. Faction warfare was originally designed to be a stepping stone for empire-dwellers who wanted to get into nullsec and to give fleet-based PvP to pilots without nullsec contacts. The first few months saw some spectacular action, with fleets of over a hundred rookie pilots happily smashing each other to bits. For over a year, faction warfare provided practically instant-action PvP on any scale you could want, from solo roaming and small gang warfare to full-on fleet battles with several capital ships. Unfortunately, CCP didn't iterate on the feature, so after a year with broken capture mechanics and no real purpose or reward for fighting, faction warfare began to grind to a halt. In this week's EVE Evolved, I speculate on how faction warfare could possibly be resurrected.
Dawntide temporarily closes beta server
Dawntide's beta server is officially closed for business. As we told you earlier this month, indie studio Working as Intended has decided to suspend the fantasy sandbox's open beta phase in order to focus on a large-scale gameworld revamp. WAI says that the servers will be offline "for a period of one to two months," and the company intends to keep players posted via weekly news updates and screenshots of the work in progress. Dawntide is a non-linear open-world title featuring skill-based advancement and a deep crafting system. You can check out our first impressions of the beta client via Some Assembly Required.
Dawntide closing beta server for massive world revamp
The curious saga of Dawntide continues, and the next chapter includes a wipe, a world revamp, and two weeks of sheer unadulterated mayhem. The fantasy sandbox has had a rough go of it in 2011, first with funding issues and then with all of the trials and gameplay tribulations that come with bringing an indie MMO project to fruition. Due to the large-scale world re-design, the title will be going dark for a couple of months beginning on December 19th. The game's open beta server will be wiped, and the devs at Working as Intended will be constructing and populating "a new, more interesting, detailed and visually appealing world." Prior to the wipe, players will enjoy skill gains at five times the normal rate as well as no-holds barred PvP in every corner of the game world save for the starting towns. WAI is also allowing players to keep their equipment upon death until wipe day, but the official website notes that these changes are only temporary and will not be returning when the server reopens in January or February.
New Flyff expansion grants players a New Beginning
The dust only recently settled on the Flyff World Championship, and Gala Networks Europe has announced a new update coming to the game. The expansion, known as New Beginning, brings a load of new content for European Flyff players. Many of the game's mechanics -- such as the loot system, legendary quests, and the upgrade system -- have been entirely revamped. Meanwhile, three new dungeons are available for players looking to test their mettle, and of course new, powerful rewards for said dungeons will be available. Over 100 new scenario and dungeon quests have been added as well, ensuring that players won't lack things to do. The update will be hitting the French and German servers in December. [Source: Gala Networks Europe press release]
Google spills the beans on Gmail revamp a bit early (video)
You've already gotten peek at it... heck, if you're anything like us you've already been using the preview version of it. What are we talking about? Why the newly redesigned Gmail, of course. In late June Google started offering a vision of your web app future. It was a bit sparser, a bit more monochromatic and (dare we say) a bit more finger friendly. Well, it seems like the interface is about to become a lot less optional. A video was accidentally posted to YouTube today by Google (since pulled), offering a tour of the revamped email service. Most of it will probably look a bit familiar, but the Mountain View crew still has a few tricks left up its sleeve. For instance conversation views now more closely resemble IMs (with profile pictures) and the advanced search options are more easily accessible and prominently displayed. The themes are also getting updated with higher resolution wallpapers to better match the spartan UI. Not that you need any encouragement, but you should definitely check out the video after the break.
Dark Age of Camelot quest revamp in the works
Big changes are in the offing for Dark Age of Camelot fans. The latest Mythic dev diary sets the stage for a "return home to the Albion, Midgard and Hibernia of old." While the diary is long on pseudo in-character prose, it's short on specific details. What we've gathered, though, is that extensive revamps are in the works for many of the game's quests and more than a few of its classic adventuring locales. Mythic's Kai Schober says that new and returning players "may be hard-pressed to find their way at the outset of their journey," and as such the devs have set about revisiting many of the game's famous towns and villages with an eye towards modernizing the progression path. New types of quests are also in store, and the diary describes them as full of "moral deliberation" that will make for "diverse gameplay experiences as well as provide unique item rewards." Read more at the official DAoC website.
Existing Windows Phones to get Mango update within the next two weeks
We've already witnessed the launch of a Windows Phone with Mango and seen several others announced, so when's the update rolling out to devices still operating on NoDo? According to Microsoft's official Windows Phone Blog, we need only wait another week or two before the update begins rolling out. The Windows Team indicates it won't be pushed to your phone OTA when the time comes, so you'll want to ensure you have the right software (Zune for PC, Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac) installed on your computer before this all goes down. Now, a word of caution: we'd be completely taken by surprise if every phone received the update on the same day -- after all, the NoDo rollout spanned several weeks before it was delivered everywhere -- so it's best if you exercise a degree of patience if your particular handset isn't ready the very first day, just in case. Update: WPCentral reports the roll out will start on September 27th for AT&T's HTC Surround, LG Quantum and Samsung Focus handsets. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Pandora rolls out HTML5 redesign to everyone, drops 40 hour listening cap
Remember that Pandora redesign that we told you about, way back in July? Well, it's finally done testing, and is ready to bring its HTML5-based goodness to the Internet radio-loving masses. The revamp offers up a number of new features like improved socialization, easier station creation and additional information about artists, including lyrics, bios and larger album art. Coolest of all is the ditching of the 40 hour music listening limit for non-premium users -- a welcome change in light of similar announcements from MOG and Rdio.
