AirCombat
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Contour+ vs. GoPro HD Hero 2: through the desert and into the skies
Engadget Show segments come about in any number of ways. Sometimes it's a no brainer, with some awesome new gadget just aching for some air time. Other times it's a matter of our wanting to do something cool, like, say, flying a plane. The GoPro / Contour segment from the last Engadget Show was a little bit of both. The ultra-rugged camcorders were a perfect fit for our desire to take on some extreme activities in the Nevada desert. We started out by taking Polaris RZR for a spin on some sand dunes around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. And while we didn't really anticipate that it would be windy enough that day to ground planes at nearby McCarren Airport, the 50MPH sandstorms certainly did their part in testing the mettle of the devices -- and our camera crew, for that matter. We strapped both to the roll bar of the all-terrain vehicle and took off into the desert. Things were thankfully a bit calmer when we took to the sky the following day with help from the folks at Sky Combat Ace. The camcorders joined us in our respective cockpits, proving that they could take the punishment of a several G ride -- even if we didn't hold up so well. So, which of the two camcorders fared better? Tim and Brian hash it out after the break.
Air Combat: new Tom Clancy franchise takes to the skies
With Ubisoft's EndWar still months from release, the company has once again pulled at Tom Clancy's supple teat, announcing Tom Clancy's Air Combat, the latest game to be counted among the longstanding military action brand's ranks. Promising to take it all skyward, Air Combat is being handled by Ubisoft's Bucharest studio, the folks behind Blazing Angels as well as, of all things, Chessmaster XI. The aerial combat is expected to ship in 2008 for unspecified consoles and PC.We don't know much about the game at this point, though Ubisoft's managing director hints at the game's online focus, stating that the company is confident that Air Combat will be "an instant online multiplayer hit." Like other Tom Clancy games, Air Combat will be set in the near future, as players will fly a variety of jet fighters, complete with hi-tech piloting assistance to help players shoot down bad guys. In addition, as players get better at the game, Ubisoft notes that they'll be able to shed the assistance, no doubt offering more challenge for seasoned flyboys. I feel the need, the need for speed!
