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ICYMI: Sony's sound necklace, smart music earbuds and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-515226{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-515226, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-515226{width:570px;display:block;} #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-929316{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-929316, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-929316{width:640px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-929316").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Austin played host to SXSW by starting the Interactive portion of the conference with musical tech you didn't know you wanted. We got a tour of Sony's R&D Lab for a look at its new Arc wearable speaker, Sony's interactive tabletop projector that the company is trying to get on the market asap. And we tried out the smart concert earbuds Here by Doppler Labs. There will be two more SXSW-dedicated ICYMI episodes this week, but we'll be back on Thursday from the studio. As always, please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
Sony shows off its first set of weird and wild Future Labs prototypes
Last week, Sony took the wraps off its Future Lab initiative -- an R&D arm of the company showing off early prototypes of products and gathering feedback to help shape their development process. Today at SXSW, Sony showed off some of those prototypes to the press. As expected, the company had a new type of wearable to show off. It's called "Concept N," and its arc-like design reminded me of some Bluetooth headphone sets out there -- but the device is quite a bit different from a simple pair of headphones.
Wearhaus Arc: Is the world ready for 'social headphones'?
Almost exactly a year ago, I received an email about "the world's first social headphones." The main feature of the Wearhaus Arc was their ability to wirelessly connect with other Arcs nearby, letting users broadcast (or listen in to) each other's tunes. Owners of the Arc would be able to create impromptu silent discos, or hyper-local radio stations with just one media player. At a romantic level, I liked the idea. I imagined all the conversations they could start, or connections they might spark, so I wrote about them, suggesting the technology might be better as a "feature" that other brands could license. Despite my reservations, Wearhaus went on to run not one, but two successful rounds of crowdfunding for its bespoke headphones. That product is finally here, and about to go on sale. I've at last had a chance to try it. Has it changed my mind?
Supersonic air keeps train tracks clear when weather sucks
Unlike forest fires, you personally can't do much to stop trainwrecks. With that in mind, the folks over at General Electric took a break from tracking your brain on BBQ and devised a way to keep one of the oldest forms of powered-transport on track in adverse weather conditions. You see, the Ardennes Forest in Belgium is legendary for its inhospitable conditions and to sidestep them and the mountains, trains were taking a longer, flatter and more expensive route. That wasn't too economical. So, GE implemented what it calls the Advanced Rail Cleaner for trains on the route. Essentially, the ARC is a module that sits at a precise spot ahead of the front axle and uses high-pressure air (rather than lasers) moving at supersonic speeds to clear away any moisture and debris.
Let there be Torchlight for free
If you've yet to try it, Torchlight is a decent way to while away the holiday hours this week. A frequent flyer in our 2009 Best of the Rests, Runic's loot-heavy action-RPG is free until Sunday, November 30 on Perfect World's Arc client, and that's for keeps. If you don't have Arc then it's another PC client to clutter up your desktop, but on the flipside... free game. While you're at it, keep the Torchlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul. In other, less obscurely referential words, you can also get the deeper, multiplayer-enhanced Torchlight 2 at a cut-down price. It's reduced from $20 to $5 on Arc, again until November 30. [Image: Runic Games]
Bringing it to Beats: can these 'social' headphones compete?
Music is a social experience. Headphones -- by their very nature -- are not. Except the team behind the Wearhaus Arc you see above never got that memo. If you think these look familiar, that's because I wrote Wearhaus an open letter back in May. I received the press release about the Arc headphones (and its bold idea to unite friends and strangers through proximity music sharing) and thought it sounded like a good idea. In a blue-sky world at least. Ultimately, I was worried it would be limited by one thing -- the buying public's desire (need?) for individuality. But what do I know. Wearhaus broke another convention and hosted (successfully) its own crowdfunding campaign. Those orders will ship early next year (pencilled in for January). Wearhaus then dropped a prototype in my lap to really convince me they weren't messing about, just as the Arc launches on Kickstarter proper. Could these social headphones really be more than just wireless headsets with a party trick? The evidence for that is certainly mounting.
Rusty Hearts shutting down on September 15th
It's been going only for three years, but the action MMO Rusty Hearts is being brought to an early end. Perfect World Entertainment announced today that it will be ending the game's run on September 15th. If you're not playing and were hoping to check Rusty Hearts out before it ends, you're already out of luck. PWE said that the game is no longer downloadable and won't will be accepting new ZEN deposits. It will remain playable until the 15th for current players, however, and PWE is refunding the past six months' worth of ZEN to use in the company's other titles. "We would like to thank all the fans who helped bring life to all the characters in Rusty Hearts. Your loyalty, dedication, and countless hours crawling through dungeons is what made it all possible. Rusty Hearts was a unique experience and will be cherished forever," the studio wrote.
The Daily Grind: Are digital game platforms a convenience or an annoyance?
Everyone wants to be Steam, I guess. These days, it's all the trend for studios and publishers to tie their products down to a digital game platform for the "convenience" of offering news and game access in one place. Glyph and Arc are just two of the more recent high-profile programs taking a shot at Steam's dominant grip on the gaming community, and I suspect that more will come. So do you see digital game platforms as a convenience or an annoyance? I am of a divided opinion on the subject. Yes, it's nice to have multiple game launchers streamlined into one place, but that's convenient only if I'm playing more than one title. More often than not, it's an extra click or two plus an ongoing background program that I didn't really need in the first place. What say you? What say we all? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Wearhaus: If you love your social headphones, set them free
Wearhaus wants to crowdfund its dream, its vision: to create a brand of social headphones that let you share music with other wearers nearby. Essentially, it wants to make the world a silent disco, a world where people can choose to share music between Wearhaus headphones directly, without wires, perhaps creating meaningful interactions, friendships and more. As you can imagine, at Engadget we receive countless emails pitching crowdfunding campaigns on sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Some ideas are great, but, equally, most are lousy. Much more common are those ideas that are merit-worthy, if a little optimistic about the magnitude of the problem they are solving. Wearhaus' idea is definitely not lousy. It's way above merit-worthy, but is it overly optimistic? I'd love to say it wasn't.
Perfect World's Arc application now available
Perfect World wants you to know about Arc. It's a new application that purportedly allows PWE users to "manage [their] worlds, stay connected, and be in the know" regarding the company's suite of free-to-play MMOs. There's an in-game overlay with "quick and easy access" to various tips and game guides, and there's also a website you can visit if you'd like to know more.
Daily Roundup: Xbox One review, Toyota's FV2 concept vehicle, an interview with Sony's Michael Aragon and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Captain's Log: Arc Q&A with Perfect World's Noel Holmes
A week or two ago, I came across a dev blog about the new portal called Arc on the Star Trek Online website that seemed to raise more questions than provide answers. Not unlike most passionate gamers, I reacted emotionally and admittedly with some unfounded anger. I realized very quickly that if I was having that kind of reaction, then there were likely many others who were having similar reactions. So I did the only thing that I could: I contacted the representatives of Perfect World to gain some clarification to the blog and hopefully ease my concerns. Instead of a shoving a palm to my face, Perfect World made available Noel Holmes in the hopes he would be able to clarify not only my concerns but also concerns borne by other Star Trek Online players as well.
Perfect World Entertainment explains more about Arc
Perfect World Entertainment is pulling its games together in a big way. The company's new Arc platform is meant to integrate all of its various titles, from Star Trek Online to Neverwinter to Perfect World International, under a single launcher and a more unified scheme. A new development update explains more about what this will mean for players of these titles and offers a rough idea of when these changes will begin rolling out. First and foremost in many players' minds, the new launcher will not be made mandatory just yet, although a new version of all the various game websites will be launching before the year's end. The change is also creating a new and streamlined format for buying Zen for each game, along with a new set of game guides to help new players understand what they're getting into. For more details on these changes as well as the new profile system, take a look at the full update, and keep your eyes peeled for our interview with PWE on these changes from Terilynn Shull.
Kobo's Arc 7 tablet shows up in NYC, we kind of go hands-on
So we've already spent some hands-on time with Kobo's Aura e-reader and the Arc 10HD. That leaves two more devices, right? Well, here's the thing -- as much as the 10-inch tablet wasn't ready in time for tonight's event, the company at least managed to trot it out. As for the seven-inchers, well, the Arc 7HD didn't show, and while the Arc 7 was here, the slate was running a constant demo, meaning we couldn't take it through its paces. As for the hardware? On the face of it, the tablet looks a fair bit like the original Kindle Fire and a number of other seven-inch rectangular tablets. On the top is the standard red Kobo power button, on the right side of the device is a volume rocker and on the left are the headphone jack, micro-HDMI and microUSB ports. Like its bigger brother, the soft touch rear of the device has borrowed some of the angular design language from the Aura HD around the corners. On the bottom, you'll find a single speaker grille. All three of Kobo's new tablets are set to launch on October 16th -- we're sure we'll be able to spend a bit more time with this guy before then. When it does land, it'll run you $150, with its HD sibling starting at $200.
Kobo goes for the top of the line with 10-inch Arc 10HD tablet, we go hands-on (video)
Love the Kobo ecosystem, but hoping for a tablet that's a little... higher end than what the Arc line currently offers? Boy have we got some news for you. The company introduced a grand total of three new tablets at today's event in New York City, and here's the crown jewel, the 10-inch Arc 10HD. Compared to the offerings we've seen from other e-reader makers, this thing really is a beast. It's also a pretty nice piece of hardware with a solid build. The front of the slate is all screen, plus a glossy, flush bezel that also houses the device's one webcam, a 1.3-megapixel offering that can also shoot 720p. On the top of the fairly thin and light device, you'll find Kobo's standard red power button. On the right side is a volume rocker and along the left is a headphone jack, micro-HDMI and micro USB ports. On the back are two speaker grills, which didn't put out enough power to be heard over the event's music. There's also some subtle angular design language borrowed from the Aura HD on the sides of the otherwise flat soft touch back.
Kobo unveils three reading-focused Arc tablets
We suspect that Kobo won't be too thrilled about us mentioning the Vox tablet in the introduction to its latest product announcement. All companies have their share of misfires, but that one left us seriously questioning whether the e-reader manufacturer really belonged in the tablet space in the first place. The company set things right with the Kobo Arc, scrapping the Vox line and starting anew. At the end end of the day, however, that seven-inch device left us wondering precisely what void the slate intended to fill in a market overrun with budget tablets. The company thinks it has the answer this time around, building a tablet aimed specifically at its user base of hardcore readers. In fact, the company is so confident in that potential space that it's created not one but three new devices to cater to that need. It's certainly not something Amazon's Fire line has sought to address, with devices that are more interested in the broader multimedia experience. And while Barnes & Noble has put some effort into reading on its Nook Tablet line, the future of those devices are in question. Kobo would no doubt be among the first to admit that, for those truly hardcore readers out there, a tablet just can't match the experience of a devoted E Ink device, but the company has taken some great pains here to offer the best possible experience on this class of device. For starters, that means limiting distractions -- a refreshing move in a world of infinite displays, we'll admit. CEO Michael Serbinis suggested that (aside from the fact that tablets are less forgiving on the eye than e-readers), the reason people aren't reading as much on the devices is due in part to the many other things (movies, music, web browsing, et cetera) we can be doing on them.
Champions Online previews upcoming Carrier Wave mission
Champions Online's heroes were instrumental in stopping an attempted hacking, but they're needed again once the source of the hacking attempt is discovered. The second mission in the game's current Fatal Error arc will be available on Thursday, and it sends players straight to the source: Cyberlord's carrier in Canada. Players are tasked with getting on the ship and stopping Cyberlord before he tries again, since that's much easier than just stopping his hacking attempts every single time for another few years. Needless to say, the mission will involve bashing through robots on the decks down to the core of the ship, with new perks and titles available for anyone who defeats enough robots. Players can also earn new Cybernetic Boots for taking part in the operation to prevent another hack attack. For more information on in-game action figures obtainable through this mission, take a look at the official preview, and be sure to finish the first part of the arc before the second comes out tomorrow.
Champions Online's FATAL ERR0R takes the fight to cyberspace
Just when the superheroes and heroines of Champions Online thought they had enough problems to deal with in the real world, it looks like there's some serious trouble brewing in cyberspace. On July 18th, Cryptic Studios will be introducing the first part of Champions Online's latest story arc, FATAL ERR0R. You see, the Champions' semi-sentient supercomputer Socrates is under siege by some sinister hackers, and it's up to players to act as a living firewall. In addition to the usual globetrotting, players are going to have to go all TRON and head into the treacherous territory of virtual reality to fend off the viruses that plague SOCRATES. The cyberspace excursion will take place in a group instance ideal for two to three players, and players of any level can get in on the action thanks to enemy level scaling. Players who successfully stand in defense of SOCRATES will be rewarded in meatspace with snazzy new virtual-reality-themed costume pieces. Part one of the FATAL ERR0R arc goes live on July 18th, but in the meantime, check out the gallery below for a sneak peek at the copious amounts of '80s neon that awaits. %Gallery-17946%
Captain's Log: A new Star Trek Online potpourri
One thing is certain: Many players have returned to Star Trek Online since the Legacy of Romulus expansion was released. Many new players have also given Star Trek Online their first try and are suitably impressed with the game's improvement. Bug patches are forthcoming, and server crashes have been reduced over the past couple of weeks. Many players who have started new Romulan Republic characters and have reached level cap (50) are now turning their attention to the endgame material. Still others have decided to start their very first Klingon character. But what about stuff that isn't about Legacy of Romulus? It just so happens there are lots of "little" items to cover, so join me while I go over some of the news and tidbits that have popped up recently.
Perfect World creates its own gaming platform
Is your gaming world a Perfect World? If you're one of the publisher's legion of players, then prepare to encounter Perfect World's latest initiative. It's called Arc, and it's a gaming platform that seeks to tie together PWE's account system, games, and news. Similar to Steam, Origin, and other such digital distribution platforms, Arc will allow players to install and access games through a unified interface (assuming, of course, that the only games you're going to want to play are PWE's). Arc uses players' current login information to access it and offers access to billing, support, friend messaging, and coupons. There's also a browser so you can check out the forums and whatnot, although if you really need a gaming platform to do that for you in 2013, one has to wonder how you're reading this in the first place.
