autopilot
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The Daily Grind: Is automation preferable to MMO closures?
I'm sure you've heard about this whole automating Guild Wars 1 business, yes? ArenaNet has decided to pull the plug on any further live development in favor of putting the title on autopilot. That means for the Guild Wars faithful -- and yes, people do still play that game even with the sequel out there -- that the future of the title will be more or less the same as the present. The studio says that by doing this it will have ensured that Guild Wars will be able to keep on trucking for a good while yet. I know that when faced with MMO shutdowns, players have begged for studios to put those titles on autopilot rather than close them down. Still, if an MMO isn't being updated and doesn't have a development future, is that a game worth playing? Isn't ongoing development and change one of the hallmarks of this genre? So what do you think? Is automation preferable to closing down an MMO? 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!
Lehmann Aviation's LFPV UAV packs GPS, autopilot, 11MP cam, 1080p video, yours for $2,352
Sure, an AR.Drone 2.0 will afford you 720p HD video recording in the skies for just 300 dollars, but how does 1080p with 11 megapixels of sensor sound in comparison? That's exactly what Lehmann Aviation is offering on its new LFPV civil UAV. This $2,352 (1790€) kit is far less expensive than the company's $17K LP960 from a few years back, but it certainly isn't lacking in the drool inducing features department -- and yes, it'll capture straight up photographs, too. Apart from letting you conduct reconnaissance of your local strip mall, the LFPV packs a "live data connection" to keep you informed about its GPS coordinates and altitude, among others things, like how soon you'll need to recharge. Better yet, it uses the same Ground Control System as Lehmann's other flyers (perfect for when it's time to upgrade), offering an 800 x 480 live video stream of your journey and total control of where you're piloting the aircraft. Best of all, the LFPV even packs autopilot if you need to take a break from the controls . We'd be remiss not to point out Eye3's $999 bring-your-own-camera hexicopter for those already equipped with a beefy ILC shooter, but if the LFPV is right up (or over) your alley, you'll find a full press release and video just past the break.
eye3 hexicopter helps your DSLR take flight for $999
Your camera wants to take flight -- trust us, it does -- and an ambitious new project aims to make your DSLR's aeronautic ambitions a reality. The eye3 hexacopter is a six-armed carbon-fiber unmanned arial vehicle (UAV) that hopes to make aerial photography accessible to the masses. Designed by a couple with a hankering for robotics, the flying machine is modular (for easy repair) and navigates using a combination of Google Maps and open-source code. Those without a pilot license need not worry: the eye3 utilizes the oft-improving APM2 software for a "compact yet powerful" autopilot experience. The UAV can carry a payload of five to ten pounds, boasts three CPUs and has a 350-watt motor strapped to each tentacle. Fly past the break to watch a video from eye3's creators... get to the choppa'!
Driverless vans set off on intercontinental trek from Italy to China (video)
You might not have expected the future to look like your granddad's groovy camper van, but take a closer look here and you'll find that this is indeed nothing like your forefather's people carrier. The VisLab team from the University of Parma have taken a fleet of Piaggio Porter Electric vehicles, strapped them with an array of cameras, lasers and other sensors, and topped them off with solar panels to keep the electronics powered. Oh, and lest we forgot to mention: the vans are (mostly) autonomous. VIAC (or VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge) is the grand name given to their big demonstration: an 8,000-mile, 3-month tour that will ultimately find them arriving in Shanghai, China, having set off from Milan this Tuesday. You can follow the day-by-day development on the blog below, though we're still being told that practical driverless road cars are a measure of decades, not years, away.
Intel Connected Cars will record your bad driving for posterity, take over if you're really screwing up
Intel's latest Research Day has sprung up a new vision for "smart" vehicles; a vision that frankly chills us to our very geeky core. Cameras and sensors attached to an Intel Connected Car will record data about your speed, steering and braking, and upon the event of an accident, forward those bits and bytes along to the police and your insurance company. Just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it? Don't get us wrong, the tech foundation here is good -- having cars permanently hooked up to the ether can generally be considered a good thing -- but what's being envisioned is as obtrusive as it is irritating. Oh, didn't we mention that the cars can become self-aware and overrule you if you try to bend the rules of the road? Because they can.
AutoPilot should be with you on your next trip
USA Today has released AutoPilot for the iPhone and iPod touch, and it looks like a winner. This free app [iTunes link] lets you plan your trip, informs you of flight delays, gives you quick links to hotel, rental car and airline phone numbers, gets you the weather for your destination, and pulls up Flickr photos of where you are going. Whew! There are lots of other travel apps, but I think AutoPilot has hit all the highlights of useful information that people will want in one place. The app even reminds you to check in for your flight, and allows you to email your itinerary to others. If you need to quickly call your hotel or your airline, all that information is there. You can tap on a phone number and the call gets made, or you can save the info to contacts. You can also click on a URL and go to a hotel, airline or rental car website I put in some suggested trips, and everything worked very well except for flights with connections. Each flight had to be entered one at a time. I'd have preferred to be able to enter all the flights at once by typing in flight numbers separated, for example, by a comma. The app integrates with Tripit, so if you have an account there it can pick up your flight information. Tripit, by the way, has an excellent iPhone app [iTunes link] as well. Everything else about this app worked very well. There are ads at the bottom of the screen, but I did not find them distracting or obtrusive. Having the flight tracker is very nice when you are meeting friends at the airport, and the information appeared up to date. The app was developed by Mercury Intermedia, the same firm that did the excellent USA Today [iTunes link] app. It's very slick and reliable for a version 1.0. I can't think of any reason why a traveler wouldn't want to try this app out. I'm thinking about making a trip I don't even need to go on, just for the experience. One other suggestion I'd make. The app shouldn't be limited to just air travel. If I'm driving somewhere, I'd still like the ability to define a trip, have the hotel and weather information and the destination galleries available for me, and maybe add some points of interest whether I'm driving or flying. Check out the gallery for screen shots of AutoPilot in action: %Gallery-74972%
The 10 Commandments of EVE
EVE Online tends to appeal to MMO players who like the depth and complexity of a sci-fi game where players have the freedom to act as they wish in a vast galaxy. But that freedom comes with a price; EVE can be a harsh setting, particularly for newer players trying to get a handle on the game. For the newer player who's recently completed the tutorial, EVE largely remains a mystery... one which only reading, learning from other players, and just 'going for it' can solve. Still, it's always good when someone passes on advice to newer players as many of us learned our lessons the hard way. To that end, we bring you The 10 Commandments of EVE. Truth be told, there are a lot more than ten essential things to know about the game, but this is a good start. Feel free to add your own "commandments" or lessons learned in the comments below. Behold The 10 Commandments of EVE >> %Gallery-30634%
EVE Visual Guide: Before you undock
There are a few essential things any pilot in EVE Online should do before they undock from a station and get themselves into a potentially hostile situation. Come to think of it, anytime you undock there's at least some chance of hostility. Keeping that in mind, think of this as a visual checklist you should go through before entering space, as you're not only risking your ship, but your skillpoints if you bite off more than you can chew. This happens all too often, to novice and veteran pilots alike in EVE. So to help you avoid this fate... Head to the guide >> %Gallery-30109%
Griffin ships iPod / iPhone-compatible iTrip AutoPilot
It's been a hot minute since Griffin Technology loosed a new iTrip, but the newest member of the family is one we can't help but high-five. The iTrip AutoPilot not only charges and transmits iPod audio to your FM stereo, but it also does the same with Apple's iPhone. As expected, the device plugs into one's cigarette adapter on one end while sliding into a Dock Connector on the other; the SmartScan technology will do its best to locate the clearest frequency for transmitting on, and it will then display said station so you can dial in with your radio. Not a half bad piece for $99.99 -- 'tis a shame FM transmitters are all but worthless in even modestly large cities.[Via Macworld]
LEGO Autopilot takes to the skies autonomously
Seems like LEGO mods are gaining quite a bit of steam these days, as not only are the amount of block-based creations growing by the week, but Bosch has even unveiled a dishwasher specifically made for the hopelessly obsessed. Just in case the LEGO-based Wii concoction isn't down your alley, the self-proclaimed LEGO Autopilot could be just what the voyeuristic side of you has been yearning for. Modeled around HiTechnic's NXT Acceleration / Tilt Sensor kits, it's apparently possible to build a UAV for your personal indulgences with less than a grand in cash, and if you add on the optional webcam and Bluetooth controls, you could definitely fetch a sneak peek in faraway locales. The autopilot system reportedly "controls the rudder, which keeps the plane flying level," but manually altering the servo arm can give you a taste of manual controls if you get tired of watching. Of course, this here endeavor certainly isn't aimed at the faint of heart (or budget-minded), but be sure to hit the read link to see what you're in for if you decide to give this a go.[Via Slashdot]
