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Does Apple have a case against Palm?
There's been some growling and teeth-baring between Apple and Palm lately, but Engadget wanted to know: does Apple really have a case against Palm for their patented technology? They put their (and our) legal correspondent, Nilay Patel, on the case, and in this long but very interesting analysis piece, he answers: probably.But things, as usual, aren't that simple. Apple's patents don't just cover "multitouch" -- they cover very specific behaviors using the multitouch feature, and if Palm's Pre phone doesn't use those behaviors, there's no infringement. Of course, Patel is only going off of video of the Pre -- they don't have it in hand yet -- so things could change before the unit is released, but they do find significant evidence that Palm may have stepped on some lines it shouldn't have.Then again, as Patel and patent attorney Mathew Gavronski discovered, Palm's got some tricks of their own -- they've got a whole slew of easily findable patents that the iPhone appears to infringe upon, including using an ambient light sensor to define brightness, looking up contacts just by using initials, and a number of other functions. Then again again, Apple's got pending patents in the fire that it can revise in case they think Palm is really trying to hone in on their business.So bottom line, this could be really messy or it could be really simple, and Engadget concludes that the ball is in Apple's court -- if there's going to be a war, they say, the first shot will be from them. Personally, I think it's all corporate posturing -- as Patel points out, Palm has much less to lose, not having sold a single unit yet, and Apple is just making sure they know what's what. But there is a lot of money here, and if one side decides it'll cost less to go after the other, the fur could fly.
THQ Wireless releases Chop Sushi to the App Store
Chop Sushi is a brand new game from our friends at THQ in the App Store that combines a love of the Japanese raw fish dish with an interesting twist on the kind of gem-matching battle gameplay that Puzzle Quest made famous (and addictive) a few years ago. It's still a matching game, except you're matching wasabi and rolls instead of gems and skulls, and instead of choosing one gem to switch another, you choose a piece and then swipe it to the end of a row or column, making a match anywhere on the board (as the rest of the pieces fill in for the one you moved). It's hard to explain, but easy to pick up, and tough to master -- the different movements make this one worth a look even if you've played Puzzle Quest or any of its spiritual successors 'till exhaustion. Like other match-3 RPGs out there, there's both an adventure and a quick battle mode, as well as a challenge mode where you've got to match everything on the board together until it's all gone, so there's plenty of gameplay to go around. And the "slide" instead of "switch" mechanic keeps things fresh enough that you'll be looking for lots of new ways to make matches while playing. Chop Sushi is definitely worth a look -- it's in the App Store right now for $2.99.
MIT concocts semi-autonomous forklift for war zone unloading
So, envision this -- a Mars rover of sorts, but on the battlefield. In a nutshell, that's what engineers and researchers at MIT have created. The so-called semi-autonomous forklift could be loosed in war zones in order to unload cargo and move supplies for soldiers. Obviously, having humans behind unwieldy crates isn't the most ideal scenario when bullets are flying, so enlisting a robot for such duties is clearly preferable. The bot can even be remotely controlled, and an array of inbuilt sensors help to direct it around objects that can't be seen from in the brush. Gurus behind the project are hoping to include voice / gesture recognition in future iterations, so that simply yelling "unload the truck!" could give the machine all the direction it needs. Come to think of it, we could use one of these buggers around the office -- reshuffling hefty HDTVs can take a toll on one's back, you know.[Via PC World, image courtesy of OneMansBlog]
Fragile battle montage is very Hitchcockian
Well, maybe not really, because there's only a brief segment at the tail end of this video for Fragile that shows several attacking birds on a sunny beach. The parts of the video leading up to that segment mainly focus on battling other creatures, such as glowing, floating jellyfish. Check it all out in the video above.%Gallery-26285%
WoW Insider Show Episode 69: Azeroth's Next Top Models
This week on the podcast we welcomed back BRK to talk about some things that didn't involve Hunters, including (but not limited to) Winter's Veil and how to take down heroic Loken, and Amanda Dean also joined us to talk about why she's Scrooge-y on the Winter's Veil stuff (I am too, though I am excited about the presents we're going to get on Thursday) and why people may or may not be civil when PuGging. And we talked about the Sons of Hodir quest chain, answered some questions from the email, and just had a great time talking about World of Warcraft.It was a nice, relaxed show, and hopefully you'll enjoy it -- you can listen below, or use one of the myriad ways that we have to listen, including subscribing to the show in iTunes (and reviewing us if you do head over there -- some of the reviews on our listing are a little old).We'll be back next weekend after the holiday, and if you are handy with a mic and a computer, we've got a little favor to ask after the break -- check it out if you want to try to get your voice on our show.Get the podcast:[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.[Ustream] Listen to the unedited recording in Ustream.[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.Listen here on the page:
One Shots: The smoke clears
The thunderous rumble of footsteps fade; an echo in the hills. The battles this land has seen have been numerous and hard-won, as the bones in the foreground lay as a silent testimony to friends and enemies who did not escape the fray. Today's dark and foreboding Warhammer Online screenshot comes to us from Massively regular contributor, ScytheNoire, showing the strong walls of a keep, standing silently in a blighted, ravaged landscape. If this land could talk, the battle tales it would tell!Are you fond of battle? Why not show us your favorite battle scenes - or ravaged landscapes? One Shots relies on reader contributions, so we need to hear from you! Just send a screenshot (or a bunch) to oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a quick description of the scene we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to check out and give you the credit for showing it off. %Gallery-9798%
One Shots: The agony of defeat
Ah, the glorious sweetness of victory - so wonderful when it is ours; so bitter when it is not. Today's Warhammer Online One Shots breaks our normal guideline for screenshots without UI, but we feel in this case it fits the frenetic battle framed in all that busy information well. That, and we're down to only a few reader-submitted screenshots, so if you've been thinking about sending some screens in, now is an excellent time! This screen comes to us from Doula Doom, who is from the Knights of Terror. Doula writes in and sets the scene for us: Here we are defending a keep from the sickly sweet goodness that are Order forces. There were at least 60 players in attendance (at least 40 on order and 20 on Destruction), and Order eventually overcame our defence and took the keep. We know there are oodles of you out there reading, and we're betting that at least some of you are playing/have played MMOs - otherwise, why would you be here, eh? One Shots needs your screens, dear readers! So while you're out playing, or digging through your hard drive, grab some screenshots for us. Send them to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, server, and a brief description of what's in the screenshot. (Please, turn your UI off if possible.) In turn we'll give your screenshot and note to us a moment to shine, right here on Massively. How cool is that?%Gallery-9798%
Tigole: Blizz wants to bring BGs back, baby
Reader Thomas pointed us to this forum post by Tigole, which contains some fun news for battleground fans, even if it is a little early in the design process to really expect anything yet. Tiggy basically says that while Arenas have gained some station in the world of PvP, the focus will eventually shift back to battlegrounds -- Blizzard would like to make BG content that "could be of higher quality with a higher degree of accessibility." They're still working on that competitive BG idea, and they want the focus to go back to the solid Horde vs. Alliance idea that's at the foundation of Warcraft.Additionally, they're planning to let us queue up for the BGs from anywhere in the world (which, no doubt, would increase participation from both factions), and Tigole also suggests that eventually they may offer XP through battlegrounds, giving players yet another way to level up (twinks may not like that suggestion, but these changes are a long way off anyway).This last change there -- offering players a way to level up with PvP -- is seen by many forumgoers as a direct stab at Warhammer Online. That game makes a big deal out of offering battleground-style PvP, and letting players choose it as a way to completely avoid PvE and earn XP and levels. So it may be that Blizzard saw their launch, and plans to turn back in that direction to compete. Which isn't a bad thing for us anyway -- as good as WoW is, some slightly-more-serious competition will only make it better. Being as I'm a BG fan, Tigole's hints that BGs are coming back is music to my ears.
Monkey Island on EU Aggramar this Saturday
Here's a fun event for the EU folks (as opposed to all the action on Steamwheedle) -- this Saturday, September 13th, on EU Aggramar, a guild called Deeprun Pest Control (funny) is holding an event called Monkey Island. They're all meeting up in Stranglethorn, and holding an Arena battle, putting on a costume contest, doing a little treasure hunting, and just having what sounds like a good old time.We have to say -- the trailer is awesome. It makes Stranglethorn Vale look like a place we want to visit again, and that's saying something. Everything kicks off around 2:45 server time, and while most of the events will be for the Alliance, we're told that there will be Horde translaters available. Always awesome to see really well coordinated player events -- if you're able to jump on the Aggramar realm this Saturday, do check it out (and be sure to tell us how it went).
New Mario Kart tournament debuts for Wii Wheel racers
A fresh tournament is about to spring on Mario Kart Wii fans. Starting September 1st and concluding on September 10th, this latest tourney is only for those that rock the Wii Wheel and will take place on the N64 Skyscraper Battle Stage. It's a straight up race, so you've got to bring your best time to the course, all the while dodging the explosive Bob-omb cars that are racing towards you. Sounds like a tense race!%Gallery-19823%[Via WiiFolder] A fan of Mario and the gang? You should check out our weekly feature, It's-a Mario World, in which we discuss Nintendo's portly plumber and the world he calls home. Or, if Mario Kart is your only reason for loving the guy, check out our week of features celebrating the franchise leading up to the release of the latest game right here.
Latest Lock's Quest trailer shows off build, battle phases
For those of you that got a kick out of Drawn to Life, you've likely been watching Lock's Quest. Following up the video that was released back at E3, we've been sent a new trailer which details the premise of the game and shows off some of the things you can do in it. It's a really interesting title, if we may say so. What do you all think? %Gallery-19901% [Via press release]
Debut footage of Kimi no Yuusha
SNK Playmore unleashed footage from their recently-announced Kimi no Yuusha, an RPG slated for Japanese release this winter. The good news? The battles look three billion times better (we counted) in motion than they did in the recent scans. We still don't know a lot about what's going on here, but we do know there is violence of the roleplaying variety afoot ... and that's pretty much all we need.
Say 'Hi' to new Saihai no Yukue info
Ever since our scout came back with information from the enemy lines, we've been wondering how we would gain more information on upcoming Saihai no Yukue (The Baton's Whereabouts). Thankfully, we remembered we had a whole closet full of the little guys, so we just plucked one out and sent 'em off. According to him, Famitsu has a rather lengthy look at the title, documenting the different stages of the game. Initially, there is a strategy stage where the players sets up all their pieces, which then transitions into battle. There's also a Persuasive mode, which looks to us like a way to move the plot along. It's kind of an interactive chat with the NPCs.%Gallery-27407%
Remote controlled bots do battle at RoboGames 2008
Not like we haven't seen hordes of humanoids fight to the death (or malfunction, whichever comes first) before, but this agile duo is really something. Seriously, just watch those feet scamper about and try not to smile. We'll bet you lose it when the big fella drops that massive left hook (but fails to connect). Video after the cut.[Via MAKE]
EVE Evolved: Faction warfare unleashed
When talk of how Faction Warfare was going to work began, the goals it hoped to achieve were laid bare for all to see. EVE Online developers CCP wanted to encourage small-scale PvP combat and make the experience easy for even new players to get involved in. Now that Faction Warfare has been live for several days, the dust is beginning to settle and the question of whether or not those goals have been achieved can be examined. In this article, I will examine faction warfare based on my experiences of it since launch. The early days:The first two days of the Empyrean Age saw a flood of news posts and some in-game events, carrying on with the momentum generated by the trailers and build-up news stories. Early reports showed that the Caldari militia organised itself well to begin with, leading fleets of over 100 ships. Since then, comparable fleets have been organised by the Gallente and Minmatar militias, with multiple gangs of over 80 ships being a daily occurrence. The Caldari faction retains its size advantage for now but statistics show that the Gallente militia is the most deadly, having over twice the number of confirmed kills per pilot. Epic fleet battles and tactical manoeuvres that were once the sole domain of 0.0 alliance warfare now rage across EVE in the border zones between faction territories. Read on as I discuss the state of faction warfare and examine whether or not the goals announced earlier have been met.
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best combat?
The upcoming release of Age of Conan has brought this question farther into the light, with its foray into real-time battle. Sure, there have been others -- the late, not-so-lamented Fury being a great example -- that have tried to redefine what MMO combat can be like, but many games are content to offer the tried-and-true click to attack model, with slight variations.When it comes to fighting in games, surely the biggest defining factor is, or should be, "Is it exciting?" Given that singular criterion, then, which game has the best combat? Which one gets your blood racing? Which MMO really lets you, as the kids used to say, throw down?
Microsoft's Greenberg claims victory in battle for 'core user' over Sony
Less than two years into what some see as a ten-year battle might seem like an odd time to declare victory, but not to Microsoft's Xbox 360 Group Product Manager Aaron Greenberg. In an interview with Next-Gen, Greenberg stated that, in his opinion, "the battle for the core user is sort of over, if you will. ... I feel we've secured that core buyer, and that gives us quite a bit of an advantage versus PS3, which is late to the game and still at a price disadvantage relative to the Xbox."Greenberg did offer one slight caveat to his claim, acknowledging that Sony is "a very formidable competitor in Europe," (indeed) but overall he scoffed at the idea that upcoming PS3 exclusives would make a dent in the Xbox 360's lead in installed base and mindshare. "They're trying to go after a consumer that has already bought an Xbox 360," Greenberg said. "You could say that they showed up with too little, too late." Or you could say that Microsoft is declaring too much too early. We report ... you decide.
Army brings armed robots home from Iraq over control issues
Although other countries have deployed gun-toting robots and there's no shortage of companies trying to develop weaponized bots for Uncle Sam, it looks like the first test of actual killer robots in battle has ended in a whimper: the Army's TALON SWORD gunbots, are headed home, after being plagued with control issues. Yeah, that's right -- control issues. Apparently it was too hard to prevent the Army's gun-equipped robot from moving its gun "when it was not intended to move." Reassuring, no? The Army doesn't sound too enthused about another go-round, saying, "once you've done something that's really bad, it can take 10 or 20 years to try it again." Ouch. On the plus side, at least that's 20 more years before we're all put to work in the mines, no?
Two Karas Enter: Karathress vs Kara Thrace
Our weekly column "Two Bosses Enter" pits one boss against another in a do or die battle of force. You, the reader, decides who wins and who is banished to the pits of wowlolcats hell. However for today, I want expunge some of that nerd in me and do something different. Let's pit Karathress, the multi-mob boss fight from Serpentshrine Cavern again Kara Thrace, her namesake from Battlestar Galactica."Why on Azeroth are you having these two fictional characters fight each other, Adam?" you ask. Because tonight at 10:00 p.m. EDT the final season of Battlestar Galactica begins. There's a lot of fans, including the WoW developers, who are in love with this show. After a year's absence I think many of us are sitting on the edge of our seats to learn who the final Cylon is. (It's going to be Billy, by the way. You heard it here first.) But enough of my fan bois loving. Let's get down to these two bosses fighting it out.
Blizzard locked in legal battle with WoW bot maker
The BBC today has a nice little summary of the ongoing legal battle between Blizzard, maker of World of Warcraft, and Michael Donnelly, maker of bot program MMO Glider. In short, Blizzard says MMO Glider violates its copyrights and the end-user license agreement that players agree to when they install the game. Donnelly says he isn't breaking copyright because he isn't selling a copy of the game client itself, and that no one reads those stupid end-user license agreements anyway (we may have made up that last part of Donnelly's defense, but that doesn't make it any less true!).WoW Insider also has an update on the latest round of legal wrangling in the case, which seems to be a somewhat split decision that leans towards the side of the bot-makers. Ethical issues aside, we definitely don't have the legal acumen necessary to work out which side is in the right here. If any commenters out there think they can untangle this one, have at it.
