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Posts with tag world of warcraft

High voltage "antivirus" halo protects your laptop, keeps you vigilant


Here at Engadget HQ, we have a certain respect for tesla-based DIY endeavors. That being said, we still can't fathom who in their right mind would actually fling sparks around their laptop just to feel a little closer to that WoW raid. Nevertheless, the High voltage "antivirus" protection project claims to play nice with Macs or PCs and utilizes a ZVS flyback supply driving a 4-stage CW multiplier. According to the mad scientist who arranged this thing, the shot on the right was taken by a camera forced to hold its shutter open for ten seconds before capturing, and he even took a number of shots (check 'em all in the read link) to defuse the "Photoshopped!1one!" arguments. If you can't sense the fear in our fingertips, trust us, it's there.

Dell reveals XPS M1730 World of Warcraft edition

We're not exactly sure what kind of impression they'd make during a presentation or business meeting, but luckily for sales of Dell's upcoming World of Warcraft edition XPS M1730 laptop, most folks who would purchase such a product have long ago fled corporate America for the privacy and creepy ambiance of their basements. Seriously, though, the pair of special edition Horde and Alliance notebooks are a hardcore fan's dream come true, featuring WOW artwork all over the place along with all the current games and patches preloaded. What's more, the bonus swag here is off the hook, including a special box full of items related to the game and an envelope containing such goodies as beta tester privileges and a free in-game pet, whatever that means. Dell also claims that the minimum configuration specs have been bumped as compared to the plain Jane M1730, but like pricing for this package which goes on sale next week, specifics remain a mystery.

Update: As commenter Ryan points out, specs and pricing are now up on Dell's retail site. The good news is that even a barebones rig gives you a 2.2GHz T7500 Core 2 Duo, 2GB of DDR2, and 160GB of storage; the bad news is that such a configuration starts at $4,500 and only goes north.

Extravagant World of Warcraft setup includes 47 PCs, seven monitors


And you thought adding a trio of displays to your mobile gaming rig was hardcore. To be frank, calling this setup "extravagant" could be the understatement of the month (or year), but it's a tad hard to articulate how mind-blowing a 47 PC, seven monitor World of Warcraft installation actually is. According to the original poster, all but two of the machines are "diskless" to cut down on load times and energy consumption, and both he and his SO threw down for oh-so-comfy recliners to kick back and raid in. Of course, envious (and understandably skeptical) commenters have questioned the true motives behind such a momentous rig (farm much?), but it's not like this is the first time we've seen a fanboy take things to the extreme. Click on through to catch the full gist.

[Via Core77]

Video game addiction "not a mental disorder"

If you've been thinking lately that your video game habit is getting a bit excessive, don't worry. According to reports this week, doctors backed away from a proposal that would have designated certain types of video gaming as a mental disorder (similar to alcoholism or gambling addiction) -- so you can rest easy knowing that whatever it is that you're doing to yourself probably isn't that big of a deal. We attempted to speak to two avid gamers concerning the decision, but one was busy fighting Razorgore the Untamed in WoW, and the other claimed that he didn't have a problem and could quit whenever he wanted.

Dell to auction off custom World of Warcraft XPS M1710 laptops

Dell's in your laptop, airbrushing your WoW art -- in honor of the upcoming World of Warcraft Burning Crusade expansion release on January 16, they again commissioned artist Mike Lavalee to airbrush two limited edition XPS M1710 laptops with BC-inspired art; the lappies will be auctioned off to benefit World Harvest, an international humanitarian relief organization. For the non-addicted uninitiated, the artwork depicts the two new Blood Elf and Drainei races to be released in the expansion in the process of totally pwning each other. It'll be interesting to see how much these actually fetch on auction, as ironically the people who'd want them most may be unemployed and living in Mom's basement financially challenged.

Rehab center for video game addicts opens in Amsterdam

If you're worried your World of Warcraft habit might be getting a little out of hand, you might think about checking yourself into the Wild Horses Center in Amsterdam. Their video game rehab program, which was started by addiction specialists Smith and Jones, is designed to help you replace the excitement of the fantasy world with real world experiences such as therapy sessions and group interaction. The 16th century town house, in which the patients reside, has no access to gaming of any kind, making it the perfect place to take in the non-polygonal sights the real world has to offer. Unlike the novelty cellphone addiction program being implemented at a Chicago Hotel, Wild Horses is staffed with certified psychologists and addiction specialists that can offer legitimate help to those unwilling to leave their games to have a social life or even use the bathroom. With impressive next-generation consoles like the Wii and the PS3 promising an even more engrossing gaming experience in the near future, we can't help but think this kind of facility might start popping up in other parts of the world as well. Since there probably isn't one in your area yet, we suggest you follow these instructions for making your own game addiction patch. First, tear off two pieces of duct tape. Second, place one piece of the duct tape over the A/V inputs on your TV and the other over the ASDW keys on your keyboard. Then go outside already, would you?




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