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The After Math: It all adds up
Microsoft and Dell added a slew of new products to their portfolios this week. But those aren't the only additions to the industry over the past seven days. Netflix added a dollar to the price of its popular streaming service and Verizon added $20 to its grandfathered Unlimited Data plan's monthly fees while NASA dropped more than 8,000 Apollo-era images into Flickr for your viewing pleasure. If you've got a nose for numbers, check out the rest of this week's After Math lineup.
PSA: Holiday-themed DLC hits Borderlands 2
Tis' the season to blow aliens to pieces, and to aid in that effort developer Gearbox has unleashed the third entry in its Headhunter DLC series, aptly dubbed "How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day." Not quite a full-fledged DLC offering, How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day will only set you back $3. As we reported earlier, the adventure is holiday-themed, pitting players against arctic temperatures and an eventual battle with the Abominable Mister Tinder Snowflake, a character whose adorable name belies the posse of killers he's employed to protect his grim winter wonderland. Kill Snowflake, and you'll be rewarded with a custom snowman head for your character, almost daring snipers to aim for the huge white blob attached to your skull. This latest Headhunter DLC joins Thanksgiving- and Halloween-themed DLC with similar bonus prizes.
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to Drakensang Online the dwarves go
Do you like guns, machinery, and beards? Then Drakensang Online's newest addition is exactly what you want to play. The dwarven Steam Mechanicus has just been added to the game, offering a new play option for those who prefer to reach out and touch someone with projectile death rather than the more traditional fantasy options. In lore, the dwarves are purely fascinated with mechanical gadgets for their own sake, not usually concerned with the larger world's politics. But a swarm of evil dragons descending over the land kind of forces even the gadget-happy to take notice, since they'll probably trash the local Fantasie Beste Buyye. The Steam Mechanicus carves his gameplay niche in the mid-range area, using a variety of projectile attacks, self-built turrets, and rocket-powered jumps to pull together a victory. This new class is exclusive to subscribers for two weeks, at which point it will lose its exclusivity but retain its overall fiddly qualities. [Source: Bigpoint press release]
Defiance spotlights a new kind of arkfall
If you've played Defiance for a while you're pretty familiar with how the game as a whole works. There are rules, an ordered nature to the whole thing. Arkfalls happen a certain way. Except the game's latest DLC pack has introduced a new wrinkle in the form of Dark Matter arkfalls, events pitting players against waves of Dark Matter enemies with the goal of being the only side left standing. Which is easier said than done. Players will encounter four types of event in both Minor and Major categories; the former lasts 20 minutes and the latter runs for 60. Extractor and Mayhem events pit players in an escalating shootout with Dark Matter forces, Obliteration tasks players with destroying an arkfall core, and the Extraction Force event pits players against the strongest of the forces that the Dark Matter troops can rally. Take a gander at the video past the break for some of the feel contained within these new events.
Daily iPad App: Numerosity challenges children to learn their math facts
Math drills for elementary school children can be dry and boring, but they are a necessary part of learning math. One way to liven up this repetitive process is through Numerosity: Play with Addition!, a math facts app from ThoughtBox that recently landed in the iOS App Store. Numerosity starts off with basic addition like 4 + 5 and gradually gets more difficult with each level that is successfully completed. There are 20 levels that'll challenge most K-2 children. The app's main screen is a whiteboard-like slate that has math facts in the center and a cute character, Skruff The Streetwise Dog, on the side. Skruff cheers when your child answers a math problem correctly. When your child is not doing so well, Skruff's demeanor becomes sad. Skruff will even lay down when your child is taking too long to answer. Skruff is cute enough that he will entertain your child, but he is not the focal point of the app. Math is at the heart of Numerosity and each level presents your child with an addition problem in the middle of the screen. It also places several possible answers in a row at the bottom of the screen. Your child then taps on the correct answer to select it and drags it on top of the equation to answer the math statement. Each correct answer earns your child points. One thing you will notice right away is the timer at the top of the screen. To make Numerosity even more challenging, your child has a set amount of time to answer all the questions in a level. They must answer each question without too much delay or risk failing the level. They can pause, but the length of the pause is also limited by a timer. Each time you pause, that amount of time you are allowed gets a little shorter. It's a clever way to really challenge your children to memorize their math facts and not just count on their fingers. One aspect of Numerosity I really appreciated is that it mixes up the equations and doesn't always present your child with 10 + 2. Sometimes your child is given one addend and the answer, such as 10 + X = 15. Your child then has to select the addend that'll solve the problem correctly. This breaks up the monotony of addition and forces your child to think a bit more about the math problem in front of them. Another useful feature is the ability to setup four profiles, so you can easily use the app with multiple children. You also have the ability to print up a certificate showing that your child completed the game and mastered their math facts. Numerosity is mostly child-friendly -- there are no ads and no in-app purchases, but there is an option to send an email to the developer. Numerosity: Play with Addition! is available for US$1.99 from the iOS App Store. It's compatible with any iPad running iOS 5.1 or later.
Vindictus cuts out a place for new character Vella
She slices, she dices, she eviscerates, and she's the newest character in Vindictus. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Vella and her dual blades. She's the star of the newest video from the game's team at Nexon, which shows off her penchant for quick maneuvers and swinging arcs of destruction. In the game's lore, Vella is a mariner renowned for her skill with blades and her agility. In play, she more than lives up to the reputation, possessing a variety of attacks that either help her close the range with her opponent (such as Typhoon Slash) or help her get out of range as necessary (such as the spinning attack Slipaway). While she's obviously a melee character, her ability to dart in and out of range and vent around larger opponents should help keep her versatile on the battlefield. But don't take our word for it -- check her out in action just past the break. [Source: Nexon press release]
Famitsu previews upcoming additions to Final Fantasy XIV
Discussion about Final Fantasy XIV of late has centered around the coming November version update, currently slated for today. But there's more coming beyond simply a host of UI fixes and system improvements, some of which have been previewed by Famitsu recently. The translation crew at FFXIVCore has put together a gallery of images as well as small descriptions of what's coming for the game, albeit without much contextual information about when these additions can be expected. The new retainer outfits are a cosmetic addition that's welcome without being overwhelming, but the previews of monsters show off familiar foes from the series as a whole, familiar faces from Final Fantasy XI, and new enemies to fight. And the weapon preview seems to hint at some of the equipment players can look forward to from the notorious monsters slated for implementation before the end of the year. Final Fantasy XIV players are encouraged to take a look at the preview -- and possibly put some time aside for play today.
Mental health clinic treats children for cellphone addiction
Not like we haven't seen individuals diagnosed with cellphone addiction before, but two kids in Spain were so badly obsessed with their mobiles that they weaseled money from relatives to buy more airtime, began to fail classes and eventually wound up in a mental health clinic. The kids, aged 12 and 13, were reportedly spending around six hours per day talking, texting or playing games, presumably making them the perfect candidates for Sprint's Simply Everything plan. All jesting aside, doctors in the institution suggest that it could take a full year to wean them off of the "drug," as they each have become practically incapable of living a "normal" life without constantly interfacing with their handsets. Ai caramba.[Image courtesy of PocketPicks]
More details on Comcast changes / additions in New Jersey
As February closed, we got word that Comcast users in unspecified parts of New Jersey would be getting nine new HD channels on March 27th. Now, we're finally getting a touch more information on the whole ordeal. Reportedly, Comcast is gearing up to "reorganize its channel lineups in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties" in order to compress six channel lineups in southern New Jersey into two and to bring AMC, Cartoon Network, The History Channel and Turner Movie Classics to the all-digital side on April 12th. As for Ocean County, Cartoon Network, The History Channel and Philadelphia broadcasters KYW-3 (CBS) and WPHL-17 will make the leap to digital. For a breakdown of which high-definition channels are being added in which locales, head on past the break.
Charter adds WealthTV to 11 Louisiana cities
Although WealthTV has been available in select areas for awhile now, the channel is finally making its way down to the Bayou. Reportedly, Charter Communications added the station to the HD lineup in 11 Louisiana cities, including Thibodaux, Bourg, Slidell, Hammond, Marksville, New Roads, Pointe Coupee, Opelousas, Jennings, Church Point and Eunice. Unfortunately, Charter failed to mention if it would be rolling WealthTV out to other areas, but as we always say, we'll take any additions that we can get.
Korea's internet addict camp breaks dependence with crafts, drumming
We apologize in advance if any of what follows hits a little too close to home, but unless you're camped out in South Korea, you don't have to worry about being ripped from your computer and sent to the Jump Up Internet Rescue School. Much like the facility seen earlier this year in China, this compound attempts to rehabilitate citizens from their dependence on the intarweb by forcing coaxing them into less digital activities such as pottery and drumming (Rock Band, anyone?). South Korea, which boasts "nearly universal" internet access, offers up the camp free of charge to those admitted, and currently, around four to five habitual net users are applying for every one available spot. While there, campers engage in social activities and participate in group functions like horseback riding and wall climbing, but it remains to be seen if graduates of the program can really resist the temptation of relapsing once they return home. [Via NewsFactor / Yahoo]
