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Ars server logs show iPads using iOS 6, high-res displays
Another piece of interesting evidence of a higher-resolution iPad has been exposed by Ars Technica. Looking at web server logs for February, Ars staffers found that the site had been visited by devices running iOS 6. Additionally, some of the devices had a screen resolution matching the alleged specs of the next iPad -- 2048 x 1536 pixels. The Ars visitors came from Apple; staffers were able to match the device IP address with Apple's corporate IP block. While it is very unlikely that iOS 6 will be announced simultaneously with the new iPad on Wednesday, it appears that Apple is beginning to test early versions of the next mobile OS in-house. The screenshot (shown above) also show that the iOS 6 devices are running a slightly newer version of WebKit, the layout engine that powers the Safari web browser. Devices running iOS 5.0.1 display a WebKit version number of 534.46, while the iOS 6 devices are displaying 535.8. We're in agreement with Ars on one point -- iOS 5.1 will most likely be introduced on Wednesday at the Apple event or shortly thereafter, while iOS 6 will arrive in the late summer or early fall on a next-generation iPhone.
Penny Arcade to cover the game industry with help from veteran game journo Ben Kuchera
We're just gonna go ahead and call 2012 "the year that a million new game sites launched," as this morning Penny Arcade announced its intentions to get into the world of video game news delivery. Hiring on at least one seasoned vet in Ars Technica's Ben Kuchera (whose position of "senior gaming editor" at Ars will be taken over by notorious freelancer and ex-Joystiqer Kyle Orland), the site will deliver game industry coverage. If Kuchera's past work at Ars Technica's Opposable Thumbs blog is any indication, he'll be producing a variety of news, previews, features and reviews with plenty of the flair we've come to expect from him. The site will be "starting in the next few weeks," and we'll likely hear more details as today progresses. Update: Kuchera has taken to Penny Arcade's forums to answer some questions about his coverage. "To start you can expect great, in-depth stories every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. After that we'll think about what else we can do while keeping the standards high," he said. Additionally, it looks like it'll just be him working on coverage, at least for a bit, as was the case with Ars. "For now it will just be me. I think it's going to stay that way for a good while until we get a better idea of how we want things to work. I did the majority of gaming writing at Ars by myself, so it won't be a huge change for me. Expect fewer, longer stories," he added. [Image credit: Penny Arcade]
Support for quad-core ARM CPU shows up in Apple's Xcode
The default compiler in Apple's Xcode developer tools is the LLVM-based Clang. Ars Technica reports that they received a heads-up from a developer who works on low-level ARM assembly coding that the latest version of Clang in Xcode adds support for a quad-core, ARM-based processor from Marvell -- the Armada XP. Ars confirmed that the source code for portions of Clang includes definitions (highlighted in the source code listing shown above) for an architecture type of "armv7k" and a CPU type of "pj4b." According to Ars, PJ4B is a specialized CPU design used in the Armada XP embedded processors. So, what does this all mean? The most likely interpretation is that Apple is using the Marvell chip in prototype iOS and MacBook Air devices. As Ars notes, a prototype logic board powered by the Armada XP would let Apple software engineers experiment on optimization of the two operating systems while the hardware design team finishes work on a future quad-core ARM design. Is this the A6, successor to the existing A5 processor? Most feel that the A6 is just a smaller and more efficient dual-core processor, but Ars comments that the smaller design would allow Apple to add more cores if necessary.
Tim Cook email to Apple employees: "Apple is not going to change"
In an email designed to reassure Apple employees who might be a bit trepidatious after the Steve Jobs announcement yesterday afternoon, Apple CEO Tim Cook told workers that "Apple is not going to change." The email, leaked to Ars Technica by a reputable source, includes Cook's reassurance that the company will "continue to make the best products in the world" under his guidance. The text of the email is included in its entirety below. Team: I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I've ever made and it's been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve's optimism for Apple's bright future. Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve's ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman. I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple's unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that-it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do. I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is. Tim
PlayStation Network credit card info appears to be safe: 'No unauthorized activity relating to Sony'
It looks like the beleaguered Sony finally caught a break. The company, which has struggled for over a week following a hacker attack that stole massive amounts of player information, says that it looks as though user credit card information remains secure and encrypted. It turns out that Sony had encrypted some personal info but not all of it. Gamespot also reports that several financial companies, including MasterCard, WellsFargo and American Express, have witnessed "no unauthorized activity relating to Sony." Sony's Patrick Seybold passed along the positive news: "The entire credit card table was encrypted and we have no evidence that credit card data was taken. The personal data table, which is a separate data set, was not encrypted, but was, of course, behind a very sophisticated security system that was breached in a malicious attack." Sony's PlayStation Network is still offline while it's rebuilt with a higher level of security. The company saw its shares drop 4.5% today on the Tokyo exchange to $27.71.
iPad killing the competition
With the iPad 2 hitting stores across the U.S. today and worldwide within a couple of weeks, Ars Technica published a report today showing that the iPad should remain the market leader for tablet devices through 2011. Citing data from market research firm IDC, Ars blogger Chris Foresman notes that Apple had about 83% of the tablet market for 2010, with most of the competition coming from Samsung's 7" Galaxy Tab. The Amazon Kindle, which is considered to be an eReader rather than a tablet, dominated its market with almost a 50% share in the fourth quarter of 2010. The Motorola Xoom was widely expected to take on the iPad, with better specs and the Android 3.0 OS. Unfortunately for this pretender to the throne, it was lacking some promised hardware and software features when it shipped, and is priced higher than most iPad 2 models. Forrester's Sarah Rotman Epps blogged that all of the upcoming competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the HP Touchpad, and RIM's PlayBook, have serious problems with their product strategies. Many are priced higher than similar iPad models and/or come with carrier contracts to subsidize the high price. Most of Forrester's research points to consumer disinterest in having to sign a long-term contract for a tablet. Forrester expects 24.1 million tablets to sell in 2011 in the U.S., and close to 20 million of those will be iPads. Another market research firm, ChangeWave, is also predicting that 82% of people planning to buy a tablet in the next 90 days will buy an iPad. And with that news, it's time for me to go get in line for my iPad 2.
Ars Technica takes a look at the surprising drop in retail game prices over time
When we're not spending $150 on "collector's edition" versions of games or buying $50 worth of post-launch DLC, we're spending less than ever on brand new retail copies of video games. Ars Technica explores the history of game prices in comparison to the current climate in a recent piece, astutely pointing out that when adjusted for inflation, game prices of yesteryear are vastly higher than today's Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games (by as much as $40). As seen in the image above, Streets of Rage 2 brand new would've run $64.99 in 1993, amounting to $98.19 in 2010 dollars. EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich offered an explanation for the declining cost for brand new games at retail, saying the cause is the continually growing audience for video games. "Our industry continues to grow, and as such, so does the revenue, which increases competition in the market and generally results in bigger development budgets," Divnich posited. Of course, publishers are finding other ways to get our cash -- namely the aforementioned collector's/limited editions and various downloadable content. Still, though braving your local used game retailer might not be the most pleasurable experience every time, it offers another opportunity to pay less for games than ever before. As Ars says, "This is a fine time to be a gamer." [Image credit: Ars Technica]
What really happened with Wi-Fi on the iPhone 4
WWDC is wrapping up here in San Francisco today, and after a week of having most of the best Apple developers in the world all in one place, we're hearing some speculation and solutions for what happened to Steve Jobs on stage Monday. He had Wi-Fi issues while accessing the New York Times website during a demo with iPhone 4, and of course it led to the awkward pause where he asked the over 500 Wi-Fi users in the room to please unplug their computers and stop liveblogging (of course, not everybody complied). But were those users the problem? NPR cornered Glenn Fleishman for an explanation, and he says while that many Wi-Fi users might not have caused problems, many of the people in the room were using MiFis, the personal wireless network devices that aren't necessarily designed to be used so closely together. It wasn't a bandwidth problem then, Fleishman suggests, but an interference problem, with local Wi-Fi likely giving way to the vast noise from other devices. Fleishman also says over at Ars Technica that there might have been another issue: the iPhone 4's pre-release network drivers. If you look at how the iPhone actually behaved, it's apparent that the software might not have been ready to deal with everything happening during the keynote. Of course, that doesn't mean that iPhone 4 will have issues at release -- Apple tests these devices thoroughly, and we couldn't imagine Steve releasing subpar drivers on the iPhone. Even if the drivers were the issue, obviously we'd never heard that from Apple. But Steve's irritation at Monday's keynote may have been slightly misplaced -- there were probably a few different factors going into the reason he couldn't load a page in Mobile Safari.
Ars Technica awards recognize Mac app distinction
Apple ducked out of awarding Mac design laurels at WWDC this year in favor of iPhone and iPad apps, so the geeks at Ars Technica jumped into the pool with valor and distinction. Ars Technica solicited nominations from readers, then used staff to cull the list to get some well deserved winners. The winners in each category are: Best New OS X App: Transmit 4 by Panic (FTP client) Best Mac OS X User Experience: Tweetie for Mac (Twitter client) Most innovative OS X App: Dropbox (file sync tool) Best App for Education: Papers (digital document management) Best student-created App: Schoolhouse 3 (student database) Readers' Choice Award: 1Password 3 (password management) The winners get a laser engraved cube which looks quite spiffy. It's nice to see these apps recognized. Apple seems to expending a lot of energy on all things iPad and iPhone. We love our Apple mobile gadgets, but we still love our Apple desktops and laptops too.
Are the Sith 'good guys' in Star Wars: The Old Republic?
Is it possible to think of the Sith as good guys in Star Wars: The Old Republic? Well, according to the game's lead writer Daniel Erickson it's all about perspective. One of the many pens behind BioWare's first MMO spoke with Ars Technica on the topic of telling the Sith Empire's side of the story in a way that makes them more than just simple villains. Erickson explained that growing up in the Sith Empire, a person would know there is an Emperor and that he saved their people's very existence. They would also know there is a much larger society out there who, "deemed your people and your religion not worthy to exist." In fact, Erickson even went so far as to say, "[The Sith] get chased out of the galaxy. In fact, in the lore, chased to the point where the Jedi believe they are dead. This is very close to genocide! The Jedi believe these people to be unredeemable." It's very interesting explanation of a culture and people that could've otherwise been portrayed as mustache-twirling villains. Obviously, this is only a taste of the lore waiting for us all once Star Wars: The Old Republic launches but it's quite the preview if you ask us.
Ars: Apple A4 CPU is a "feature-stripped ARM Cortex A8"
While much of the speculation over the iPad's Apple A4 CPU has been focused on the fact that it was a system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed by the minds acquired from P.A. Semi, Ars Technica's Jon Stokes has another take on the story. In a Sunday post, Stokes (who claims to have an inside scoop) notes that the chip really isn't anything more than an ARM Cortex A8 that has been stripped of much of its I/O functionality. The ARM Cortex A8, running at 600 MHz, is the SoC that powers the iPhone 3GS. Stokes goes on to note that the "A4 is a 1GHz custom SoC with a single Cortex A8 core and a PowerVR SGX GPU." What Apple appears to have done is to improve both battery life and speed by eliminating any functionality that isn't specifically required by the iPad. Common Cortex A8-based SoCs often have more onboard functions than are really required by mobile phones so that manufacturers don't need to design a special chip. As the article states, the usual Cortex A8-based SoC has infrared, RS232 serial, USB, keypad controller, and camera blocks to handle multiple input and output devices. The iPad, of course, will only need one USB port and one serial UART, both wired to the 30-pin connector at the bottom of the device. By stripping the A4 to the essentials, the heart of the iPad expends no CPU cycles or power doing anything that is unnecessary to the function of the device. Stokes believes that the real power of the device comes from the software, not from the A4, and in his conclusion he compares the iPad to the Nintendo Wii - "... another product that relies for its success not on its processor, but on its novel interface and broadly accessible software. I'm sure that if the iPad can do for mobile computing what the Wii did for console gaming, Apple will consider it a resounding success." With less than a month to go until the first iPads begin to make it into the hands of users, it's likely that other revelations about the hardware used in the devices will begin to make their way to the online media. [via AppleInsider]
Devs show Steam love as Pitchford defends his criticism
Just under two weeks ago, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford let out his less than pleasant feelings regarding digital distribution platform Steam and its owner, Valve Software. Today, Ars Techinca posted a rundown of developers from World of Goo's 2D Boy to Sam & Max's Telltale Games who all feel ... the exact opposite of Pitchford. "If this is exploitation, more please," Audiosurf creator Dylan Fitterer said.According to Telltale CTO Kevin Bruner, "Steam may be one the greatest things to happen recently ... we put Steam as one of the A-list distribution channels; up there with XBLA and WiiWare." The praise doesn't stop there -- Ars points out that it was unable to find even one developer who would "admit to feeling exploited" by Valve's business practices concerning Steam. We reached out to Pitchford, who told us, "As a gamer, I love Valve ... as a customer, I love Steam." He clarified, "From an industry perspective, Steam would be even better off if it were a separate company ... trust issues that result from conflict of interest could be mitigated." To Pitchford, it's a question of appearances rather than actual impropriety. "It's just perception within segments of the publishing and development community that, I guess, no one is really talking about."We've posted Pitchford's entire (and quite lengthy) response after the break. Hopefully we're not alone in hoping everyone will just hug it out.
Ars' mole predicts holiday Xbox 360 bundle, network adapter price cut
We hope at this point we don't have to sell you on the validity of Ars Technica's mole. Whoever the guy/girl is, their track record is fantastic, after correctly predicting everything from the Resident Evil 5 360 bundle to the price cuts the 360 and PS3 just enjoyed. Now, the mole says that Microsoft will be sweetening the deal this holiday season, packing Pure and Lego Batman in with the Xbox 360 Elite. The mole went on to claim that the 802.11n adapter Microsoft has confirmed will debut for $100, while the 802.11g will drop to $79.99. ... Yikes, $20 off a device that should cost $20 in the first place? If true, it's pretty darn cold.
Activision Blizzard's CEO is a funpire
Bobby Kotick isn't just the CEO of Activision Blizzard. He's also the CEO of Activision Blizzard who recently said, "You have studio heads who five years ago didn't know the difference between a balance sheet and a bed sheet who are now arguing allocations in our CFO's office pretty regularly," Then again, as Ars Technica has pointed out, his incentive program that, "rewards profit and nothing else." may have something to do with that.That's not all Bobby Kotick recently said, however. He's also known for this uplifting little diddy, "We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games." Now that quote may be out of context, but what kind of context can make that look... well, good or even mildly acceptable?Something smacks of bad omens here. Sure, things are going good right now for the company that puts out Blizzard games and Call of Duty, but when a company's Chief Executive Officer is saying things like, "We are very good at keeping people focused on the deep depression," it may be time to double-check your neck for bite marks and then get the hell out of Irvine.
Rumor: Ars Technica Mole foretells PS3 and 360 price drops in fall
Yes, we know -- another console price drop story. Our contempt rivals your own, we assure you. However, this time around, the report comes from a source that's proven to be eerily accurate on hardware announcements in the past -- Ars Technica's unnamed "mole," a prophetic figure who managed to predict the capabilities of the PSP Go, the release of the red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle and, most notably, last fall's universal 360 price cut. On the Sony front, the mole is claiming that the 80GB PS3 will become scarce over the next two months, being mostly replaced by the 160GB model. As the larger model continues to sell into the fall, Sony will supposedly simultaneously announce the oft-rumored PS3 Slim and the even more oft-rumored price cut. The mole was unable to discern the exact amount that would be shaved off the price of the console, but was confident it would provide Sony with a much-needed sales boost.For Microsoft, the mole expects the Pro system to be ushered off store shelves with the help of a few attractive Pro bundles which will crop up over the next few months. The Pro will be replaced by the 120GB Elite, which will supposedly undergo a price cut in September, followed by the release of its own bundles in October. With downloadable titles becoming a focus for both companies, turning the spotlight on consoles with larger hard drives makes sense -- but only time will tell if the Ars mole's sterling predictive reputation will persevere.
Ars' mole says slimmer PS3 coming in August or Sept.
Thanks to his or her flawless track record, when Ars Technica's mole speaks, we listen. So you'll understand why rumors of the PSP Go! and slim PS3 seem just a little more likely to us this morning. The mole says that (though it won't necessarily be announced at E3) the slimmer PS3 will arrive in August or September, after the regular-sized PS3s have dried up a skosh.The mole's also pushing the PSP Go!, saying it will feature "lower power consumption and possibly a lower price." Read all of the shifty rodent's musings right here.
Rumor: Apple working towards putting background processes on the iPhone
Apple's push notifications sure are neat, but they aren't the brass ring for developers on the iPhone. That, so far, would be background processes. And while Apple has said that background processes would just be too much of a drain on the iPhone's battery, that doesn't mean they don't want them, too. Ars Technica reports that Apple is still trying to figure out a way for certain apps to do it. There's two options laid out here: one is user-based, in which the user actually approves certain apps to run in the background, with the consequence (if you do choose to enable that) of lower battery lifetime. The second has Apple approving apps for background action, allowing certain developers to run based on limits of "resource usage such as RAM or network bandwidth."Obviously, there are pros and cons to each plan -- giving the power to the user means they will be able to choose when the battery is drained (on a particularly busy day, for instance, or when the iPhone is plugged in), but it also means that users will have the ability to crash their own phones (allowing too many background processes could cause issues). And of course, while leaving the choice in Apple's hands will make sure background processing is only used in the "right circumstances," we all know how great Apple is at app approval. Ars concludes on the same point that I would: if background processes are really going to make a difference, they'll likely rely on a future iteration of the iPhone, as the one we've got now is just not built to run apps all the time, no matter who chooses them. Even if Apple is working out a way to run certain apps in the background, they are almost certainly spending more time beefing up the iPhone hardware as well.
Patapon 2 won't be sold on UMD, retail to sell PSN vouchers [Update]
An ArsTechnica "source" -- who has apparently given the site solid intel in the past -- claims Patapon 2 won't have a physical, UMD-based existence when it releases May 5. The game will allegedly be sold on the PSN for $15, with the retail copy, which will be nothing but a PSN redemption code, priced at $20. Customers will also apparently be able to purchase the game through the websites of "certain retailers."If true, this UMD-less Patapon sequel's invasion appears to be a test run, for not only for digital distribution, but for Dave Perry's anti-UMD PSP2. We've contacted Sony for comment and will update if we hear anything.Update: Sony's senior director of corporate communications sent us the following statement: "We're considering a digital only format for the Patapon 2 release as a one time test case as we continue to explore consumer preferences for digital content. The downloadable game will be available on May 5th at both retail and via the PlayStation Store. We remain focused on providing superior games and entertainment experiences in both the UMD and digital formats and are working closely with our partners to deliver the best PSP line up in our history. "%Gallery-27797%
Metamorial: Game writers remember Dave Arneson
Somewhere between co-creating Dungeons & Dragons and teaching at Full Sail College, Dave Arneson left an indelible mark on the gaming landscape. Every time we roll for initiative or challenge the dungeon master's ability to adapt, Arneson's guiding hand can be felt. We've gathered sentiments shared by our colleagues around the internet for you here, and encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments section below, about the man that helped move role-playing into the limelight of gaming.Ars Technica: "Get out your classic rule books. Invite some friends over. Keep a chair empty for a fallen friend, and play for a few hours. Not online, in person. Order a pizza ... Remember Dave Arneson, a man who wasn't satisfied with the game when his parents brought home an Avalon Hill title. When he began changing the rules, he began changing the world."
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."
