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ESRB: Joe Danger popping wheelies on the PC
Hello Games always planned to release Joe Danger on all digital distribution channels (Xbox 360, PSN and PC) but, as of right now, the game is only confirmed for release on PSN. However, according to an ESRB certification, the time for Joe to shine on the PC could be nigh -- a move we endorse entirely. Based on our time with the title back at GDC, we think the game should be on every platform imaginable (y'know, because it's fun), but the ESRB listing makes no mention of an Xbox 360 release. We've reached out to Hello Games for clarification on which platforms Joe will light up with that million dollar smile of his. We'll keep you posted.
hacksugar: Hiding Apple's built-in applications
TUAW reader Joe Thompson pointed us to this hint over at Mac OS X Hints that helps you hide the standard applications that ship with the iPhone, without jailbreaking. This allows you to use those spots for your preferred 3rd party alternatives without sacrificing valuable home screen real estate or messing with a lot of ugly application rearrangement in iTunes. Thompson writes, "I've removed Stocks, Weather, and Notes, as I have better 3rd party apps for all three." You'll need a Windows-based system to sync your iPhone and at least a trial copy of iBackupBot. The technique involves enabling parental restrictions and editing your springboard property list (the file that controls how your iPhone home screen behaves) to flag the application and update the icon layouts. The iBackupBot program allows you to replace that property list file on your iPhone after modifying it on Windows. The Mac OS X Hints write-up has complete directions. At this time, we haven't yet found an OS X solution to do the same for an un-jailbroken phone, although we are consulting with some of our favorite sources to see if they can come to the rescue for non-Windows users.
Lichborne: Buttons more death knights should push
Welcome to Lichborne, WoW.com's weekly death knight column. Daniel Whitcomb sort of wanted to call this week's column "Neener neener, I can stand in the fire and you can't," but the editors weren't too enthused with it. One of the most important things you can do to become a good death knight is to solidify your damage (or threat) rotation or priority system so that you can consistently keep your runes on cool down and your damage high. That said, it's far from the only thing that marks a good DPS or tank. Another thing is flexibility. Death Knights have a wide variety of tools and tricks that can turn the tide of a battle. These tricks can be hard to weave into your existing system without giving up your rotation, but there are tricks to making it easier, and sometimes the benefit outweighs having to mess up your rotation for a few seconds. Let's take a look at 5 specific buttons that more death knight should be pushing.
Eliminate the blue outer glow in Exposé
One of the more questionable changes that was introduced in 10.6 Snow Leopard was a soft, blue glow that appears around application windows when using Exposé. Previously, in 10.5 Leopard, the entire Window was highlighted blue; now, however, the Exposé window previews are able to update their contents on the fly and obfuscating them with a blue highlight negatively affects the user experience. Unfortunately, the blue glow that Apple's designers have chosen to overcome this gap is somewhat garish and just plain lacking in style. In response, creativebits has posted a tip for changing that glow into something a little more eye-catching and a little less flashy. The process is fairly simple and involves replacing two PNG image files within the Dock application. Creativebits has the full explanation as well as a sample set of replacement files that work pretty well and look very tasteful. Follow the break for a preview of the tip in action and decide for yourself whether the difference is worth the effort.
TUAW How To: Downgrading your 3.1.3 iPhone to 3.1.2
Last week I downloaded (but did not install) the iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware for my 3GS. I wanted to have a copy of the firmware on hand, but didn't want to upgrade right away. I checked "Do not ask me again" and clicked Download Only. I thought that was the end of the matter. Unfortunately, this Sunday, I plugged in my iPhone and left the room to grab some tea. When I returned, the iPhone was 50% of the way through the 3.1.3 firmware upgrade procedure. It did something I had no idea that it would do: it upgraded me without asking. How frustrating! What's more, I didn't have a copy of 3.1.2 on-hand to downgrade to because iTunes automatically deleted the old firmware files and I was using default Time Machine settings; Time Machine does not normally back up ~/Library, the folder that contains the iTunes ipsw files. Fortunately, I had several resources. First, because I had jailbroken my phone and registered my device signature with Jay Freeman's caching service, I knew I could downgrade my phone. As Jay and I discussed in this LiveChat from a few months back, Apple no longer allows you to freely downgrade your iPhone software. All firmware installations must be verified with Apple's signature servers. By jailbreaking your phone and registering your device signature with Jay's system, you'll be able to bypass Apple's verification system and return to the firmware you prefer -- or at least to the earliest firmware whose signature you have stored on the caching site. To make this happen, you must both register your device and update your /etc/hosts file. Jay's site has complete instructions on how to comply. Second, I could grab a copy of old firmware from sites like Felix Bruns' http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/ and iClarified's http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=750. These sites provide Apple download links for old firmware releases. I downloaded a fresh copy of the 3.1.2 ipsw (iPhone software archive) and installed it onto my system. Using a standard option-restore trick, I was able to put that firmware onto my iPhone. iTunes verified the upgrade with Jay's server and installed it onto the device. Note: If you receive the "The iPhone could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (3004)." error, make sure to quit iTunes and flush caches at the command line: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache. If your device updates properly, you will receive a 1015 error and your unit will now enter a semi-permanent recovery mode, the mode in which your device shows an iTunes logo and will not boot further. To proceed, you'll need to use iRecovery. Download a copy from this site. (It requires libusb, so read the entire post before running.) Run iRecovery from the command line and supply the -s flag. Wait for the "]" prompt, and do not type anything until you see that prompt appear. Enter the following commands: ] setenv auto-boot true ] saveenv ] /exit After, you will return to the command line. Reboot your phone by pressing the home and sleep buttons for 10 seconds, per the instructions on the site, and your iPhone should boot back to standard 3.1.2. Note: Be aware that this method does not downgrade your baseband. It remains at the 3.1.3 setting. Thanks Jay Freeman, Sjoerd (aka WiFone), and Paul "PhoenixDev" Griffin
Found footage: Jailbreak BTstack support extended to 1st gen iPod touch
The BTstack project that we've covered before on TUAW, offers a way for iPhone and iPod touch units to communicate with arbitrary external Bluetooth devices. To date, it's been used to connect keyboards, mice, and wiimotes with iPhone software. This system has now been extended to the first generation iPod touch, bringing all six iPhoneOS models into the Bluetooth arena. Since the 1st gen touch does not provide its own built-in system, it requires an external module. This video uses the dongle described at this blog post to demonstrate the keyboard connection functionality. Although the 1st generation touch is an increasingly deprecated system, it's nice to know that it hasn't been left out of the Bluetooth picture. Old touch units make excellent hobbyist systems. When jailbroken, access to a full suite of Unix tools offers a budget-priced platform with great prototyping potential. With this new Bluetooth stack support, the 1st gen touch has just become an even more exciting system for projects like remote monitoring.
Mac 101: Eject a stuck disc
Now that the holidays are approaching, you'll probably be asked to service your relatives' computers. "You like computers, right? Will you take a look at this for me?" Prepare yourself, it's coming. Some fixes are easy, including the stuck disc. It can happen for a variety of reasons that we won't go into here. After all, when the Titanic is sinking, you don't stop to yell at the iceberg. So let's just eject the disc. The fix is simple. After trying the obvious (hit the eject key, drag the disc into the trash), restart the machine and as it starts up, hold down the mouse button (or trackpad button if the offending Mac is a laptop). The disc should now eject as the Mac continues to start up. If not, you may have optical drive issues to worry about. But chances are you'll get mom's extended edition Murder, She Wrote DVD ejected safe and sound.
Dungeon Finder tricks and tips
When we last talked about this on the podcast, I said we'd basically have to wait and see how it all worked, but now that players have had their hands on the Dungeon Finder out on the live realms for a while, they're learning a few more tricks and tips about how to use it. As Rohan brings up over on the WoW Ladies LJ, it's easy enough to keep a good player once you've found them through the system: as long as none of you drop group once you're done with an instance, you can go back in and run as many as you want. Unfortunately, you can't friend them yet (hopefully that will show up whenever Battle.net functionality does), but the comments on that post point out that if you both sign up for an unpopular instance at the same time, chances are good you'll end up in the same group together (of course, that requires coordination, but maybe you can set up a time out of game). More tips and tricks for the new system after the break.
The Daily Quest: How to fail the Trial
We here at WoW.com are on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere. Fel Fire is a new warlock blog that just started up recently, and they've already got a good overview of the Auction House up. Larisa at the Pink Pigtail Inn is definitely one of those who doesn't think that Mr. T represents her game. Pwnwear examines the issue of tank numbers and balance in game design. Too successful in Trial of the Grand Crusader? Let Caer Morrighan help you out with a few surefire ways to fail the instance. PC Games Hardware nabbed a shiny new Radeon HD 5970 video card, and they ran benchmarks with World of Warcraft, among other games. 76 FPS? Yes please. Click here to submit a link to TDQ
5 Smart Playlists to help you manage your iTunes library
Smart playlists have been a feature of iTunes since version 3.0 (circa 2002), and they provide a means for you to create automatically-updated playlists that fit a certain criteria. For me, they serve as a hands-off way to stay up-to-date on my latest music and Podcasts, as well as a repository for a certain genre of music. To create a smart playlist, click on "File" and select "New Smart Playlist" (or you can use the command-option-n keyboard shortcut). If you want a playlist that contains only holiday music, you could specify that the playlist include all songs with either the "Christmas" or "Chanukah" genre tag on it. Because smart playlists auto-update, you needn't worry about adding songs to it: as long as the track's tags meet the criteria, it is automatically included in the playlist -- unless, of course, you choose the "limit to" option, which limits the the tracks in the playlist based on your choosing. Read more for five of my favorite smart playlists, as well as criteria for how to create them. Share
Tips for surviving Marble Saga: Kororinpa
Having trouble successfully navigating the twists and turns of Marble Saga: Kororinpa? Hudson was kind enough to send along a handy little guide containing some tips and tricks to surviving the saga of marbles. So, click on the image above this text or dive into our gallery below to up your game in the world of Marble Saga: Kororinpa. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } %Gallery-50101%
Blood Pact: Warlock tips for Naxx-10 part 2
It's time again for Blood Pact, your weekly Warlock column, detailing the dastardly deeds of Warcraft's demonologists! Nick Whelan returns once again this week, to finish what he started. And this time, it's personal!Last week, I wrote a column filled with tips for Naxx-10. Specifically, tips for Warlocks, because that's who Blood Pact is written for. But my list ended up being so long that I was only able to write about the Spider and Plague wings of Naxx before the article started to feel a little bloated. So I chopped it in half, and now it's time to conclude our tour of the dread citadel with the more difficult sections of the instance: the Construct, Military, and Frost wings!
iTunes makes your life better
UsingMac has posted an exhaustive look at iTunes from the perspective of making your working life better. From basic tips like shuffling songs and shuffling movies to more advanced tips like using Terminal to set a half-star rating, it's well thought out.My favorite tip involves browser mode. Many people (in my experience at least) overlook this feature. I find it to be a killer way to categorize and find just what you're looking for, across genres, years, styles, etc. Of course, I'm that annoying guy who gets all excited over tags, charts and graphs, so keep that in mind.Check out the article and feel free to share you own.
[Updated] Blood Pact: Warlock tips for Naxx-10 part 1
The time for Blood Pact has come again! This week, we delve into the dread citadel itself, the very stronghold of mighty Kel'Thuzad's power: Naxxramas! Following meekly behind the rest of the group, documenting his experiences for your entertainment, is Nick Whelan. With Ulduar getting closer every day, I thought this would be a perfectly inappropriate time to write up some helpful hints for all the Warlocks out there who are clad primarily in pre-raiding gear, and would like to start moving forward with their progression. This post is aimed toward helping Warlocks who haven't done much raiding in the past, and would like to try it out now that Blizz has made it so much more accessible. Furthermore, since it's unlikely that such a person has a spot waiting for them in a group which full clears weekly, I also assume in this post that the rest of the people in the raid are similarly geared. By using these tips, new raiders will be doing their part to ensure that their group gets a full clear as soon as possible. This guide isn't meant as a substitute to an overall Naxx guide. For something like that, be sure to take a look at Ready Check. Rather, this guide is intended to cover the information specific to Warlocks which won't be included in the raid leader's pre-boss explanations. As such, some of this information might be difficult to decipher if you've never participated in the fight before. I would recommend reading Ready Check's Naxx guides first, or even just referencing this page right before the start of a boss fight.
TUAW Tip: Stop Backup.app from bouncing
TJ Luoma recently shared the solution to an annoying problem. Specifically, he wanted to keep Backup's icon from frantically jumping in the Dock like so many hepped-up toddlers in a bouncy castle. The Backup icon typically bounces in the Dock for a minute two before it even begins backing up any data. We know what you're thinking, "Just go to the application's preferences and disable the Dock animation." The problem is that Backup has no preference pane! Fortunately, TJ found a fix. While browsing "defaults read com.apple.backup" in Terminal (as suggested by a Twitter helper), he found "Backup Timer" = 120Realizing that's how long the app is supposed to wait (and toss its icon up and down) before executing a backup, he entered defaults write com.apple.backup "Backup Timer" 1which forced it to bounce only once. Alternatively, you could install Dockless, which prevents running apps from showing up in the Dock (or vice versa). Check out TJ's post and enjoy!
Very useful iPhone tips
The blog Tap Tap Tap has posted a wonderful list to 10 iPhone tips and tricks you should know, including taking a screenshot (here's our how-to on that trick), enabling caps lock and customizing the home button's function. Definitely check it out.While we're on the topic, here are a few of our own favorites The homescreen shortcut in firmware 2.2. With a click of the home button, you can jump to your first home screen. How to enable passcode protection. It's bad enough that you left your iPhone at the post office. At least the shmoe who finds it won't be able to call China. Pause an application download. Because sometimes you just don't have a free 90 seconds. Go Geocaching with an iPhone 3G. Who needs an additional GPS device? Is your favorite trick not on either list? Let us know!
Your iPhone and salty language
Some of you may have noticed that your iPhone or iPod touch is a bit prudish. Type a salty word and you'll likely be presented with a benign and completely inappropriate alternative (see screenshot at right). The problem (if you want to call it that) isn't that one can't swear, but that quickly-written sentences often have their meaning completely changed. Here's how you can knock your iPhone off of its moral high horse.While we haven't found a way for end users to easily add a word to the iPhone's dictionary, there's a great & NSFW post at T'N'T Luoma (be warned, there are saltier words than "hell" over there) describing a clever trick using your contacts list. Of course, you could either click the little "x" to dismiss the suggestion or disable auto-correction completely (under OS 2.2), but what's the fun in that? We hope you find this trick handy. Just be careful when printing contact labels for your holiday cards.Thanks TJ![via Daring Fireball]
Mac 101: Keywords in iPhoto
It's easy to fill your iPhoto library with pictures. However, the task of finding the ones you're after isn't. The Events feature of iPhoto '08 is helpful, and you can improve it with Keywords.Think of keywords as tags. You can assign any keyword(s) to any photo, like "Suzie," "Summer" or "Beach." Then, simply search "Suzie" to find relevant photos, sorted by event. Here's how to do it.From the "View" menu, select "Keywords" (or hit Shift-Apple-K). Next, click beneath your photos to reveal the keyword text field. Enter as many comma-separated keywords as you like; previously used keywords will auto-complete.Here's an added bonus. You can also search by keyword via the Image Browser in Pages (see above).
TUAW Tip: Create an OS X admin user without a disc
Recently, I had to create a new admin user on an older 500mhz Power Mac G4 running OS 10.3.9. Needless to say, there was no 10.3 install discs to be found. What to do? Follow these simple (but powerful) steps.First, restart the Mac while holding down the Command and "S" keys to start in Single-User Mode. Next, you'll see the UNIX boot sequence in white text on a black field. Don't worry, that's what we expected. At the prompt, type the following commands, hitting "Return" after each. mount -uw / rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone shutdown /h now Please be sure to type these commands exactly as presented here (sans bullets). "rm" is a powerful little command and if the syntax isn't right, you might unintentionally delete something important. Next, your machine will shut down. Turn it back on and you'll see the "Welcome to OS X" video, and be prompted through the process of creating a new admin user.Other users on that machine -- including other admin users -- will remain intact. This is also a good way to change the password on an older admin account without the disc. Simply follow the same steps and, once you've logged in with the new account, change the password on your old account. Then, log in as the old account and delete the new one.
The Daily Grind: do traps and puzzles make content more fun?
In a showcase of coming Age of Conan content, Erling Ellingson pointed out new traps as a main feature of the revamped dungeons. The dungeons would feature cunning Indiana Jones style hazards, with non-obvious solutions, such as firing an arrow into a huge stone eye in order to slay an otherwise unkillable snake. However, everyone who's seen the video will now know what to do in that event. That's the thing with puzzle-type content: once you know the trick, you've solved it. A tough boss is just as tough each time you encounter it, but you only ever have to solve a puzzle once. Having said that, puzzles can offer a level of satisfaction that boss-fighting and minion-crushing just can't. Some players welcome an intellectual challenge in an MMO. The original tabletop roleplaying games that preceded MMOs still feature puzzles and pitfalls, so why not MMOs?Should content designers include puzzle-type content as well as the tactical challenges of combat? Do you enjoy finding a puzzle in the course of a quest, or does that sort of thing detract from the pace of play? Is trick-and-trap content that has a clever solution a waste of developer resources, or an important facet of MMO gaming?
