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Ripplemaker brings modular synths to all skill levels with an iOS app
There are plenty of apps that can turn your phone or tablet into a synthesizer, but they tend to fall into two camps: they're either affordable and simple or pricey and robust. While that's sometimes due to the nature of the instruments they're replicating, it can frustrating if you want an app that covers all the bases. However, music app developer Bram Bos may have managed just that. He recently released Ripplemaker, a patch-based modular synth for iOS that's designed to ease you into the West Coast synth method (where you add harmonics to a waveform to produce an effect) while still giving you room to grow.
Path of Exile explains its open beta transition
If you're looking forward to Path of Exile's open beta (possibly in the wake of our own first impressions), you don't have much longer to wait. The testing will start shortly, giving everyone a chance to get in on all of the clicking and looting. For everyone looking forward to the next step, old hands and new players alike, the development team has provided a handy walkthrough of what will take place as the game's gates creak open. All characters will be returned to level 1 and all items will be removed outside of special promotions, but this will be the last character reset the game will undergo. Players with existing closed beta clients will be able to download the open beta patch directly, but the game's servers will go down for about two hours before the changeover happens. The post also warns everyone to expect that there may be login queues or latency issues given the game's popularity, so consider yourself fairly warned.
The Daily Grind: What was the best patch ever?
There are three responses to every patch released by every game, no matter what the patch does or doesn't contain. There will be people who decry the patch as something horrible, those who act indifferent, and those who enthusiastically gush about how wonderful it is. But there are some patches that stand out as being real game-changers, from Star Trek Online's enormous Season patches to the various content-and-system upgrades doled out regularly for World of Warcraft. If you've been playing long enough, you can reflect on the patch history for your favorite game. What was the best patch that you can think of in terms of its individual impact? Was it one of the major overhauls introduced to Final Fantasy XIV? One of the story updates for Lord of the Rings Online? Or some of the large epilogues added to Guild Wars? What has your nod as the best patch ever, and why? 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!
New EVE Online launcher will simplify patching
EVE Online developer CCP Games has dedicated this winter's expansion to small features, balance changes and small quality-of-life improvements. Most of the changes we've heard about so far have been gameplay features and graphical improvements, from starbase tweaks and blaster balance changes to magnificent new nebula graphics. In a new devblog, CCP Topknot shows off a brand new launcher program designed to simplify the patching process. Currently, players launching an out-of-date client get a pop-up about the latest patch and have to restart the client. This becomes a nuisance when frequent optional updates are released. The new patcher will work like a standard MMO launcher, detecting which files aren't up to date and downloading new versions. "A big-ass progress bar will tell you what's going on and how much work is left," explains Topknot, "and an unnecessarily huge button allows you to play the game once it is ready." The new patcher is currently on the test server and should be making its way to the main game with the winter expansion. In the future, the patcher will be able to download updates in the background and may be able to download content in stages, giving new players access to character creation while the game content downloads.
EverQuest reduces downtime with faster patches and expanded hotfixes
While behind-the-scenes logistical tweaks may not get the glory that other news does, they can and do have a huge impact on the game. This looks to be the case with EverQuest, which has undergone "substantial server side changes" to allow the team to update the game more efficiently. The bottom line is that now Sony Online Entertainment can apply EverQuest updates much more quickly than before while reducing the potential for issues to pop up during file transfers. As a result, players should be seeing reduced downtime in the future during these updates. The changes have also expanded the team's ability to apply hotfixes on the servers without bringing them down for patches: "While we still aren't able to hotfix everything, the hope is this will reduce the number of times we have to bring the servers down between our regular monthly updates." You can read the full notice at EverQuest Players.
Two arrested for iPad security breach
Two arrests have been made connected to the security breach that exposed thousands of iPad users' email addresses and other info last year. Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer (yeah, that guy again) have been taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and fraud, for allegedly using a custom script (built by Spitler) called iPad 3G Account Slurper to access AT&T's servers, mimic an iPad 3G, and try out random ICC identifiers. Once a valid ICC was found, one could harvest the user's name and email address. Of course, the hackers maintain that this was all done to force AT&T to close a major security flaw, and we'll be interested to see what exactly the company does to make things right.
iPad still has a major browser vulnerability, says group behind AT&T security breach
You know that tiny little security snafu that allowed over a hundred thousand iPad users' email addresses out? The one that the FBI felt compelled to investigate? Well, Goatse Security -- the group that discovered that particular hole (stop laughing) -- isn't best pleased to be described as malicious by AT&T's response to the matter, and has requited with its own missive to the world. Letting us know that the breach in question took "a single hour of labor," the GS crew argues that AT&T is glossing over the fact it neglected to address the threat promptly and is using the hackers' (supposedly altruistic) efforts at identifying bugs as a scapegoat. As illustration, they remind us that the iPad is still wide open to hijacking thanks to a bug in the mobile version of Safari. Identified back in March, this exploit allows hackers to jack in via unprotected ports, and although it was fixed on the desktop that same month, the mobile browser remains delicately poised for a backdoor entry -- should malevolent forces decide to utilize it. This casts quite the unfavorable light on Apple as well, with both corporations seemingly failing to communicate problematic news with their users in a timely manner.
Sophos decries XP Mode vulnerability, Microsoft offers chill pill
If you're keeping score at home, Microsoft needs to bring two heavies to a fight with Google, but it can lay the smack down on an AV software firm like Sophos all by itself. Richard Jacobs, chief technology officer and master of inflammatory rhetoric at Sophos, points out that Windows 7's XP Mode makes computers vulnerable to attack due to it operating independently from the underlying OS and therefore not having the same firewall and anti-virus protection. For those who actually go to the trouble of buying and updating security software -- like say, most businesses -- this essentially doubles costs for each new Windows 7 machine. Microsoft has countered with the fact that big businesses will be using its MEDV management software, while smaller shops will be able to update the virtualized XP in the same fashion as they would a physical PC. Storm in a teacup, then? Absolutely, but you'll want to give these a read if only for the passive aggressive silliness that ensues. [Via The Register] Read - Richard Jacobs on XP Mode Read - MS chief security adviser for EMEA Roger Haibheer retorts Read - Jacobs retorts to the retort Read - MS developer James O'Neill threetorts
The Daily Grind: Browser-centric MMOs
The other day, I watched this demo of Gaikai, a new service being spearheaded by the legendary games developer David Perry. The idea is a simple one: using a browser you can access everything from MMOs to racing games and even the memory-hog that is Photoshop with all the actual software installed on a remote server and accessed via the cloud. Now it seems like an awesome undertaking but I came out of it feeling really impressed. WoW and EVE were running at lightening speed and the prospect of not patching or updating got me a little excited. Now browser-based MMOs are now new. Just look at Free Realms and the plethora of free-to-play titles. But the idea of playing seriously intensive games like EVE? Wow, just wow. You still need some kind of graphics card in your computer but the cloud seems to do the vast majority of the work.So readers, what do you think? You might well have used browser-centric MMOs in the past and their ease of use is encouraging. Would you play WoW on a browser if it could mimic your current setting or even improve on them? Would it make your life easier knowing that someone else was dealing with all the patches? On the other hand, cloud-based technology is still new and shiny, would you rather stick with actual discs or your own hard drive? Tell us, readers, and drop your thoughts in the box below.
WoW Rookie: Keeping your account safe and sound
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.It doesn't take keyboard gymnastics to prevent your account from getting hacked. As a new player, you're bound to be concerned – and if you do any digging at all, you're also bound to uncover a tangle of acerbic, rather arcane-sounding comments (many of them on posts right here at WoW Insider) about what operating systems, browsers and browser add-ons are most secure.You really don't have to change your entire computer system simply to keep your WoW account safe. This week, WoW Rookie rounds up a selection of WoW Insider posts that show you how (and why) to keep your WoW account from being hacked and prevent your computer from spilling its beans to the world at large.
The Queue: But there are cats in Azeroth
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today. I feel sorry for Alex and his significant other. They can't have pets in their apartment so they got a Roomba. Now I can have pets in my place, and the girlfriend and I have a nice little kitty named Max. In fact, Max was talking to me last night as I wrote today's Queue and told me he'd like to eat Alex's Roomba.He only started talking after I fed him some Papa Hummel's Old-Fashioned Pet Biscuits.Actuality asked..."I was wondering how the Argent Tournament will work with phasing in Icecrown. Will the Tournament be open to all, or only those who have made it to the final Icecrown?"
WoW Insider's Guide to Patch 3.1
Unless you're living under a rock (in which case we'd suggest you put up some buttresses to secure your ceiling), you've no doubt noticed that Blizzard has released a bunch of patch 3.1 information.Today the releases have mainly focused on changes to classes and ways that the classes will interact with each other. Mana replenishment has been a big thing today in this regard.For the past couple patches we've been putting together patch guides. Our 3.0.2 and 3.0.8 guides have been a big hit around the net, and we thought we'd get the patch 3.1 guide out early. As more information for patch 3.1 comes around, we'll update the guide with the latest.Of course, you'll find all the breaking news and everything else on our front page – but head to the guide for all of it rounded up in a nice little place.So what are you waiting for?Continue on to read WoW Insider's Guide to Patch 3.1!
Bruce Maclean's WAR dev diary is crazy but awesome
The latest Warhammer Online developer diary is up on the official site, and we've got to say, Bruce Maclean's eccentricity is infectious. The subject of this dev diary is an explanation of Mythic's patching schedule, which could well have been a very boring topic, but if you visit the page you'll soon see that Bruce is just brimming with AWESOME! HOT! FIXES! and SEXY! COOL! NEW! FEATURES! that he simply must share with the WAR-playing world.It sounds like Community Coordinator Missy Hatch had a hard time getting Bruce to cough up his input to the dev diary series -- she'd been chasing it up for the better part of two months -- and perhaps it is because he and his team were working non-stop to bring that sexy content out, improving WAR for current and future subscribers. He mentioned that, without including smaller things like server maintenance, there have been ten proper patches since the game's launch, which really wasn't that long ago. We've got no idea how Bruce got so zany, but if this is one of the secrets behind Mythic's patching schedule then we hope that he stays that way.
Patch 3.0.3 as good as confirmed for November 4th
About that whole hat eating... thing. Hahaha, we're all going to forget about that, right? It was just a joke. Haha! See? Laughter! Oh gosh, please don't make me eat my hat. Hats are so... hatty.In all seriousness, Patch 3.0.3 has been as good as confirmed for tomorrow. As was pointed out to me, while the breaking news announcement about tomorrow's maintenance doesn't explicitly say it's an extended maintenance, the timeframe for it is definitely longer than the norm. Moreover, Boubouille over at MMO-Champion says it's tomorrow, and that's as close to confirmed as it gets without... you know, a confirmation. When he opens his mouth, blue crayons fall out.As always, WoW Insider will be here in the morning to help you through the patching process, from the hours of boredom to the stretch of discovering just what the heck is different. And as I mentioned before, if you're a US citizen, you have other things to do as well.
When will we see patch 3.0.3?
The devs have said all along that we'll be getting patch 3.0.3 before Wrath of the Lich King launches, and it's pretty obvious that we will. It's a pretty important patch overall. The game is playable without it, but there is a lot of balance fixes in the patch that is crucial to the launch of a whole load of new content. I don't doubt we'll get it before we hit Northrend. The question is... when?Will we get it tomorrow? It's a possibility, but from the sounds of things it's kind of unlikely. I don't think we've ever had a patch didn't happen on a Tuesday (though I may be mistaken), so if it's not tomorrow that only leaves November 11th for a patch prior to launch. Alternatively, maybe they'll roll it out the night of Wrath's launch, so when you pop in those install discs you get to patch, too. Considering midnight launches though, it would be really unusual if they rolled out the patch the evening of November 12th. Personally, my money is on patch 3.0.3 being pushed live on November 11th, and if the devs announced patch maintenance for tomorrow while I write this I am going to eat my hat.%Poll-21849%
Blizzcast Episode 4 reveals Warcraft information and insights
Blizzcast episode 4 is now live and available for listening, and with it, of course, has come a wealth of new World of Warcraft Information. Some of it is stuff we've gotten wind for before, but there's some interesting insights into the whole game. You can listen to it here and read the transcript here, or join us after the break for a breakdown of the juiciest information from the Interviews
Conan's female avatar DPS bug will take weeks to correct
A few weeks back our own Adrian Bott took a close look at a very ... unique ... bug in Age of Conan. It seems that differing animation cycles in the game have resulted in an unforseen side effect: female avatars do less damage then male ones. At the time, the Funcom developers said they'd let us know as soon as they could about a fix. Today they let us know, but the news is mixed. The good news is that 'straight damage' (what they call white damage) has been fixed. Simple autoattack routines use few animations and they've all been fixed and pushed to the live servers.The problem comes in with the much-vaunted realtime combat system, which requires heavy use of combos and unique animations. There are almost a thousand of those animations, and every single one will apparently have to be tweaked by animators and then retuned by a designer. "I know that many of you will probably be disappointed to hear that it might take us as much as another three to four weeks to solve this issue, for which I can only apologize, but we want to make sure that we devote the amount of time that an issue of this magnitude and importance deserves ... I have to stress that even with our internal goal set and everything currently proceeding on schedule I cannot currently promise that this will be patched to Live at the projected date." Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Age of Conan destination page, including all of our interviews, hands-ons, galleries and original features!
New patching schedule for Age of Conan
While it initially seemed like good news that FunCom were patching twice a week, and thus doing their best to nail the wheels back on the Age of Conan wagon as it bumped unsteadily down the trail, it didn't work out quite so well in practice. The frenetic pace of updates has meant that new bugs got added even as old ones got found and fixed, and the recent calamity in which a patch had to be rolled back altogether has possibly convinced FunCom that fewer, more rigorously tested updates are preferable. The additional testing, as we've mentioned, comes with the opening of the new TestLive server. Patches will also be slowed to the rate of one a week; Wednesdays will be the day to watch out for new updates. These two measures ought to make the unfolding progress of Age of Conan much smoother. Of course, FunCom also need to deliver a balanced, fun game as well as a bug-free one. There's a lot more subjectivity involved in that assessment. We've seen some exciting-looking announcments for the game's future; now we just have to see if they can deliver. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Age of Conan destination page, including all of our interviews, hands-ons, galleries and original features!
Turbine plotting something special for the 100th Asheron's Call patch
The forums depths of Asheron's Call have been churning and swirling of late, in a tizzy about the imminent arrival of the 100th patch to their beloved game. Asheron's Call has been around for some time now, released as it was back in 1999; it will be sharing its 10th anniversary with EverQuest next year. In the meantime, the Turbine developers are teasing and poking at the players, offering up some tasty hints about what might be in that next patch. Without a doubt, the patch will be building on the game's ongoing story; just last month the Introductions chapter of the game opened up some new game elements, storylines, and even rewards for patient players.Some of the hints the developers have dropped touch on treasure chest rewards, and the mechanics with the treasure system. They also have plans for a new landscape hunting quests. The most firm new information comes from Frelorn, with the AC community relations team, about an incoming tier of loot and its role in the landscape hunting game. Says he, "One of the ways we are looking at [adding this loot] is to use the Direland Champions mechanics. So that players who like to outdoor hunt would have a random chance of spawning a "Boss Creature" which would then either have this new profile or a key that would allow a pull on one of the new chests. This is of course, not set in stone, and we may go with another way of doing this, which we will explain when we begin releasing all of the information on the 100th update."
Age of Conan beta delayed until 4 PM EST
[Update: Observant reader Phobic99 has see that the developers have pushed the beta launch back again. This time, we're set for 5:00 PM EST (22.00 GMT). Thanks Phobic99!]The title says it all. The Age of Conan FilePlanet beta has been pushed back until 4 PM EST (20.00 GMT) for a few more spit shines and polishes before it throws itself into your loving arms.The reason for the delay stems from the developers wishing to get in that one last hotfix onto closed servers before opening them up to the public. So, if you haven't logged onto Conan yet, we recommend you do so to get your client up to date. Only the game servers are down, the patching servers are not.If you completely haven't attempted to log in yet, you will be presented with a 300 mb patch, so if you're a rabid Conan fan and want to get into the beta the second the servers go live, it's recommended you try to start the client now to get yourself ready. Especially if you want to hit that level cap for the FilePlanet power levelling contest.In the mean time, why not go watch some television or something? You know, Law and Order is on at 2:00 PM EST on TNT. That should get your blood thirst up while you're waiting for 4:00 PM EST.
