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You may be able to make in-flight calls next year, but not on Delta
In a company-wide memo sent to 80,000 Delta employees this morning, CEO Richard Anderson put his foot down on the issue of in-flight passenger calls. His definitive statement, "Delta will not allow cellular calls or internet-based voice communications onboard Delta or Delta Connection flights," will apply regardless of updated regulations from the FCC. That agency is considering lifting the ban on in-flight calls come 2014, but the Department of Transportation may follow up with its own ruling to maintain the phone-free environment many of us have come to enjoy at 30,000 feet. Meanwhile, powerful in-flight internet services, like JetBlue's recently launched Fly-Fi, take communications a step further, enabling VoIP and video chat services with performance that makes using these tools more than a novelty. Delta, for its part, will support non-voice cell services pending FCC and FAA approval: "if the FCC lifts its ban on cellular use in flight, Delta will move quickly to enable customers to use text, email and other silent data transmission services gate to gate." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Europe to allow gate-to-gate electronics use by the end of November
Certain air travelers in Europe will soon be free to use smartphones, tablets, e-readers and music players during all phases of flight. An announcement today from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) states that the organization will extend new guidelines by the end of this month, enabling the use of such devices during taxi, takeoff and landing as long as they're switched to "airplane mode," when applicable. Laptops must be stowed during those periods, just as they're required to be in the US. Curiously, the policy will specifically apply to European airlines -- it's not clear if carriers based overseas will be permitted to allow electronics' use while operating within Europe. The EASA also stated that it's researching methods for certifying phones for voice-call use, though we don't expect to see a ruling there for quite some time. Phone calls remain banned on US carriers, even though services like Gogo's Text & Talk utilize FAA-approved technologies.
Rise and Shiny recap: Planet Calypso
Planet Calypso is another one of those titles that has a perplexing reputation. Granted, in the past I have actually slammed the game -- and I mean slammed it -- but for different reasons. Normally -- and I have seen this over the last week as I told people about the game -- people bring up that they have "heard" that the game is nothing but a gambler's paradise, filled with thieves, liars, and the addicted. Back then, I had an issue with the revamping of the game. I tried it on the day after release, bugs and all, and it was so unplayable that I couldn't move. Taking my own advice of looking back on games that we might have tossed aside, I can now say not only that the game has proved to be one of the most beautiful games I have played, but that the stereotype of the Planet Calypso player seems completely baseless. I looked, trust me, but all I found were nice people. Of course, I did only play it over six days or so.
Man buys virtual space station for 330k real dollars
Welcome back to Joystiq's Flip This House, finding you the best deals in gaming real estate! This week, we're looking at a doozy of a fixer-upper: it's a beautiful space station called the Crystal Palace, with multiple fine amenities, including four bio-domes (full of alien species to hunt), Trade and Revival Terminals, a working auctioneer, and the universe-famous Stahlsteiner's bar. In case you haven't figured it out yet, it's a virtual place, and did we mention the asking price? 330,000 real world dollars. That's what MMO Planet Calypso (formerly Entropia Universe) player "Buzz Erik Lightyear" paid to "own" an in-game hub. As you can see above, he paid 3.3 million "Project Entropia Dollars" for the virtual real estate, and those PED were purchased with real dollars -- 330k of them. What does he get for his money? The station is one of the nicer setups in the virtual universe, and since players pay PED to shop, hunt, and hang out there, "Erik" can set tax rates on the payments, and turn fake bucks back into real cash. We're not sure how much real cash (depends on where he sets the rates, and that will affect the place's popularity as well), but it'll probably be a while before he can ... flip... this... house! [Thanks, Kreyg]
Who wants to buy a virtual spacestation?
You sir! Can I interest you in this pristine virtual space station? No? Ma'am! Over here ma'am! How would you like to live amongst the stars in a brand new virtual space station? If you think this post is a silly post, then think again. Planet Calypso (formerly Entropia Universe) really is auctioning off one of their virtual space stations to their players, making this the third time that a major piece of Calypso property has been auctioned off to a private party. This time it's the Crystal Palace Space Station that's up for auction, one of Calypso's long time prime off-world hunting grounds. What makes this auction so newsworthy is the fact that it will be conducted through Planet Calypso's auction systems using PED (Project Entropia Dollar), which basically makes the virtual space station worth real money, as the PED needs to be purchased by the player with real world currency.
Go out and steal oil in Planet Calypso's 10.1 update
In a move to make our virtual lives eerily more like our real ones, the First Planet Company has re-opened the oil pumping station on Planet Calypso with patch 10.1, offering all players the chance to make a quick profit by grabbing oil from the pump -- if you can make it out alive, of course.The pumping station is not only in the middle of the wasteland, but it's also surrounded by angry NPCs (the wastelanders) and it's right in the middle of an open PvP area. Sure, you can make a tidy profit by grabbing oil from the station, but you have to be efficient and sneaky about it. Otherwise, you'll just end up with a bullet in your back and your blood mixed with the oil.
Entropia Universe to operate real-world bank with virtual world presence
Most of our virtual world coverage at Massively is focused on Second Life, but we're still keeping an eye on what's happening beyond the walls of Linden Lab. One significant development revealed this past week is that Entropia Universe will be the first virtual world to have a bank that's actually backed and regulated by a real-world government, called Mind Bank AB.We received word on this from MindArk's PR: "The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen) has granted a license to conduct banking activities to virtual universe developer MindArk PE AB's wholly owned subsidiary Mind Bank AB. The unique step of integrating MindArk's virtual universe Entropia Universe with the real world will allow Mind Bank AB to function as a central bank for all virtual worlds within the Entropia Universe."
Linden trademark for credit cards
Linden Lab has been granted another trademark on their hand-and-eye logo. This time for a credit card. Specifically, trademark registration 3378449 covers "Online financial services, namely, offering a fictional-dollar-denominated credit card to charge online purchases". Of course, 'fictional-dollar-denominated' would mean Second Life Linden Dollars (L$). Exactly what sort of card this might be is uncertain. You may recall that in 2006, MindArk released an ATM card for Project Entropia (now called Entropia Universe) allowing access to Project Entropia Dollars (PED) and supported by the Versatel cash-card network. There's no indication whether Linden Lab is (or was) planning a physical card, or some sort of non-physical card, how it would be backed or where it might be honored. Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.
Entropia Universe bidding war leads to $12,000 payout for newbie
How would you like to wake up and find that you made $12,000 overnight? Seems like a dream, doesn't it? How would you like to have that $12,000 come from a single drop you found one day while farming in your favorite MMO? Now it seems even more like a dream.But this is the reality for Timon "Stuka" Miles, a relatively new player to Entropia Universe, the game where the fictional currency is linked to real world money, akin to Second Life. Stuka's fortune stems from a piece of DNA from the extinct "Letomie" monster -- an item that can resurrect the creature if all of it's DNA fragments are found inside of the game. After a brief placement on the Entropia Universe forums, Stuka moved the auction to the official in-game auction house where it attracted the attention of Zachurm "Deathifier" Emegen, owner of the 26,000 real world dollar Treasure Island, and Jon "NEVERDIE" Jacobs, owner of the 100,000 real world dollar space station.
From gaming teen to virtual entrepreneur: how to cover college tuition [update 1]
Despite devoting much of the past three years to hunting and mining, Ogulak Da Basher, or Mike, a 17 year-old from Durango, Colorado, rarely breaks a sweat. Ogulak is Mike's Project Entropia avatar who has earned more than $35,000 through hard work in the Entropia Universe, becoming captain of the "ck Coat Killers" hunting society, and creating a potentially lucrative new business model based on Ogulak's mastery of crafting weapon and mining attachments.The next step in this young virtual entrepreneur's budding career is to donate $12,000 to pay for parts of his siblings' college tuitions. Lovely story, right? But wait, before you go and sign up your future collegiate kin for Entropia accounts, know that MindArk's inspiring tales have a history of being manufactured. Think of Entropia like Poker, you might have fun playing, but chances are, you're spending dough, not making it.Update: added "Ogulak Da Basher" image.[Via Terpin Communications press release]
