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DARPA's C-Sniper program to detect, neutralize enemy snipers
Defense institutions have been attempting to find the secret of detecting snipers before they strike for a good while now, but DARPA's latest initiative seeks to not only pick up on enemy snipers before they attack, but to "neutralize" 'em while we're at it. More specifically, the "objectives of the C-Sniper program are to develop a system and supporting technologies for the detection and neutralization of enemy snipers before they can engage US Forces," and while plans for the installation are still foggy, officials are hoping to create a system that "operates day and night from a moving vehicle, and can provide the operator with sufficient information to make an engagement decision" in due time. Of course, once detection is made, the choice to react will still be left up to a human (at least for now, anyway), and there's even hints of utilizing lasers so long as operators are kept safe from their blinding ways. Per usual on DARPA-headed projects, there's no set timetable as to when our boys will be geared up with sniper-sniping technology, but we'd love to get this stuff into the latest first-person shooters as soon as feasibly possible. [Via Wired, image courtesy of PLIG]
Like the Pokerap, but it doesn't rhyme and has no music
If you'd like a crash course on the 107 new Pokemon in the Diamond/Pearl generation, which includes the new DS games and Pokemon Battle Revolution, then this GamesRadar article might come in handy. It's an exhaustive Pokedex of the new creatures, and includes name, type, abilities, location, and information about evolution. What strikes us as we look at this list is how weird the names of Pokemon have gotten. Maybe it's because we've had ten years or so to get used to the older names, but the new ones are jarringly nonsensical. See Bidoof above. Unfortunately, Game|Life's Chris Kohler beat us to the "Let Me Show You Them" headline for his post about the article. We'll try to get the next one![Via Game|Life]
New details to feed your Dragon Quest IX addiction
It seems some people were concerned that in trying to keep Dragon Quest fresh, the upcoming iteration might be heading too far away from the basics of the franchise -- specifically, by moving away from a turn-based combat system in favor of something a little more action-oriented. But don't worry, DQ buffs; the rumors were just that, and according to the latest Shonen Jump, DQIX will in fact retain a turn-based combat system. Also, players will be able to customize the appearance of their characters, from height and weight to hair and face, and even their costumes. There's no word yet on how extensive this system may be, but even a small dose of customization can go a long way. Next month, we hope to see more than a trickle on the upcoming DS exclusive at the Square Enix party.
Guidelines for autonomous killbots proposed
Suggestions in regard to robotic rights seem to be flying off the shelves these days, but an engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Centre has concocted an interesting set of guidelines catering to autonomous killbots of the future. Most likely, it's just a matter of time before machine-on-machine violence becomes commonplace, and John Canning's "Concept of Operations for Armed Autonomous Systems" outlines just how lethal robots should handle themselves when faced with potentially deadly conflicts. Interestingly, the document suggests the the bots should be allowed to make their own decisions when it comes to blasting or forgiving fellow robots, but before they pull the trigger on a human, it should request guidance from a flesh 'n blood friendly. Still, a definite loophole exists in the fact that these simple-minded killers could aim for a "human's weapon" without asking permission, and when his awful auto-aim programming leads to a costly casualty, it'll simply be deemed "collateral damage." Can't say we like the sound of that. [Warning: PDF read link] [Via El Reg]
Data shows Blu-ray leading high-def disc battle
Ever since two of the major console manufacturers picked sides in the high-definition movie disc war, gamers everywhere have taken an unnatural interest in the home video market. High-Def Digest has unearthed some new, detailed data on this battle from a recently leaked Sony report (PDF ZIP link). As of March 18, the cumulative sales numbers show Blu-ray (844,000 total units) holding a slight edge over HD-DVD (708,600 units) in the United States. These overall numbers are less interesting than the historical trend, though -- HD-DVD sales were strong through the end of 2006 but have fallen well below rising Blu-ray sales in 2007. Could the slow growth in PS3-equipped homes finally be having some effects on the movie market?Worldwide dominance for Sony's new format isn't settled yet, though. Next Gen reports that a growing number of independent studios in Europe have decided to back HD-DVD to the exclusion of Blu-Ray. So if you like European art house flicks, the choice is clear.Read - Sony Report Reveals First Look at Absolute Blu-ray and HD DVD Disc Sales FiguresRead - HD-DVD Winning the European Race
UK scientists testing air-conditioned vests for military use
Air-conditioned vests have certainly graced the bodies of armed men and women before, but an elusive new breed is being tested in the multi-million dollar Spinnaker Building at the University of Portsmouth to ensure that it'll keep soldiers cool from the brutal conditions in Iraq. Scientists at the school weren't at will to disclose all the nitty gritty details about the classified gear, but we do know that these bad boys utilize "a combination of air, liquid, and new applications of old technologies such as converting paraffin wax into liquid in chambers within the vests to absorb heat from the body." The gist of the testing is to create a suit that actually improves one's ability to make sound judgments while in the field and under extreme conditions, and it was also mentioned that a mysterious US defense contractor is hoping to tweak these and have 'em out "within one to two years." Now, if only these things were available en masse for our poor laps, we'd really be in business.[Via Gizmag]
Solid state laser sustains 67-kilowatts, approaching battlefield status
We know what you're thinking: when you've got eight-Megajoule railguns, aircraft-mounted tactical lasers, and xenon-based paralysis inducers, what good is a feeble solid state laser blaster? Presumably hoping to see a Star Wars-esque warzone in the not too distant future, a team of researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have crafted a Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL) that can sustain 67-kilowatts of average power in testing, besting their previous record of just 45-kilowatts. Chemically powered lasers, on the other hand, have been able to achieve megawatts of power for some time now, but the solid state variety is much less burdensome and could be used on the battlefield without a constant source of chemical fuel flanking the soldier's belt. The SSHCL is said to generate a "pulsed beam which fires 200 times a second at a wavelength of one micron," and the "magic 100-kilowatt mark" that would enable it to become a satisfactory weapon could purportedly be reached within the year. While we're down with giving our troops crates of real-world rayguns to beam down the baddies, we've got a sneaking suspicion that someone's going to put an eye out while oohing and aahing at the light show these things emit. [Via Slashdot]
US Air Force getting Matrix-style camera to see bullets in slo-mo
Apparently, the US military forces have hired some seriously good R&D help, as we've seen the Navy's 8-Megajoule railgun, the Army's war-tested iRobots, and now the Air Force has something of their own to boast about. Nova Sensors of Solvang, California has designed the Variable Acuity Superpixel Technology (VAST) system, which is reportedly capable of tracking "anything slower than a bullet," but the shifty part is that this camera can home in on speeding shells as well, hopefully lending a hand in protecting soldiers in the years to come. The machine focuses on heat bursts emitted in the infrared range by moving bullets in order to detect an incoming projectile; ideally, it would be connected to "active armor" that could move, expand, or otherwise protect an individual or a entire platoon if a stray (or purposeful) bullet was headed their way. The system includes software that "mimics the fovea in human and animal eyes," and essentially provides high-resolution focal points of the incoming shells while making everything else low-resolution in order to showcase what's really important life-threatening. While we're fairly certain these guys won't be coming out with a commercial rendition suitable to block those laser-guided office missiles that nail you in the kneecap every morning, be sure to click on through for a short demonstration of VAST in action.
VideoScan releases HD DVD / Blu-ray "charts," results still inconclusive
Okay, so we're not waxing rhapsodic about a conspiracy theory just yet, but seriously, why can't the general public get a few hard numbers regarding the HD DVD / Blu-ray format war? Since both formats hit the market, we've all been wondering who would be the leader in terms of disc sales once the holiday season was behind us, and although Nielsen VideoScan has finally loosed the deets, we're still (relatively) in the dark. We've wondered exactly what was taking so long for these data to surface, but instead of VideoScan perfecting their report, it has apparently delayed the information only to release several inconclusive "charts" and "ratios" that, quite frankly, aren't what we all want. For whatever it's (not) worth, it looks like Blu-ray titles outsold HD DVD titles by a 2:1 margin during the admittedly slow first two weeks of 2007, but overall, we're still stuck analyzing Amazon's sales figures while trying to piece together the truth. Still, if you're more interested in having the best of both worlds regardless of which is on top (or still around) in a couple years, you know where to go.[Thanks, Jed]
Pirate Battle en route
Advance Wars is one of our favorite franchises. But despite an excellent turn-based battle system and charming sprite skirmishes, we can't help but think what would have made it irresistible ... ninjas pirates. And though developer Orbital Media has been promising the turn-based strategy title Pirate Battle since like forever ago (mid-2004ish), very few droplets of hope remained.Some recent news, however, says otherwise. Though the GBA version has been canceled (uh ... whatever), the DS version is still on the way. Also, though no other details were given, the game will also appear on "another platform". Hmm. In any case, Pirate Battle looks like an excellent strategic outing, so we'll keep an eye out for ya. For bonus awesome, check after the break for our top three pirate pickup lines.[Thanks, Andy!]
Steve Ballmer laughs off the iPhone, deems it "most expensive" in the marketplace
We'll be the first to give props to Steve Ballmer for accomplishing what he has at Microsoft, and we will agree that the iPhone is one expensive (and probably overpriced) little machine, but during a recent interview where he was questioned about the iPhone, he proceeded to not only compare Apple's forthcoming handset with the "$99 Motorola Q," but insisted that the iPhone was "by far the most expensive phone in the marketplace," which couldn't be further from the truth. Sure, most of the long, long list of mobile phones priced above (sometimes well above) the $500 price point aren't exactly mainstream handsets, but as the luxury phone market continues to bloom, Apple is looking to take advantage of those willing to shell out half a grand to have the hottest gizmo out. Additionally, Steve did mention that the iPhone was absolutely "not suitable for business purposes" due to its complete lack of a keyboard, but considering its half-hearted attempt at Push mail and lack of 3G, we doubt Mr. Jobs is out fighting for the corporate market just yet anyway. Nevertheless, it's always entertaining to see one head honcho completely mock another company's product, so click on through for the YouTube'd interview.[Via Digg]
51GB triple-layer HD DVDs in the pipeline?
Just after Verbatim announces that it's shipping 30GB dual-layer HD DVD-Rs our way, here comes some more news to slightly deflate that bubble. At an HD DVD presentation held at CES, at interesting PowerPoint slide caught our eye, as it (very briefly) described plans to "expand HD DVD disc capacity from 15GB to 17GB per layer, and moreover, to add a third layer as well, eventually resulting in a 51GB HD DVD disc. Aside from upping the ante on Blu-ray's capacity by a measly 1GB (currently, at least), it's also noted that "technical feasibility" has yet to be confirmed, and that standardization wouldn't occur until Q4 of this year at the earliest, but it's a novel idea to say the least. So if you're looking to pick up an HD DVD player right this moment, and can't wait to embrace all the potential compatibility issues with a drive never made to play these newfangled, triple-layered discs, have at it -- of course, all those conflicts rely on this pipedream ever being realized. It should be interesting to see how (if at all) the BDA addresses this potential new disc in their press conference later today, and if they'll pay any attention to possibly being leapfrogged in an area they currently lead. Pfft, and you thought the HD DVD / Blu-ray war was settled.
South Korea hearts Full HD, Samsung and LG to square off at CES
While we Americans tend to seem satisfied with the 720p / 1080i content that flows through our set-top boxes and ATSC tuners every single day, South Koreans are apparently up in arms over which TV truly is "the best." Sure, Mossberg says that 1080p isn't a big deal when scoping out a set, and even though Seoul's only chance at even getting 1080p content comes from gaming consoles and their highly-overpriced HD DVD / Blu-ray players, it's that "Full HD" sticker that (seemingly) counts. While Sony has apparently launched a marketing campaign that "insists its Bravia TV is the only one that meets the Full HD standards," both LG and Samsung are out to disprove that at this year's CES. Sammy is planning to unveil a trio of new plasmas alongside two new LCD HDTVs "under a new brand name" in hopes of shaking the bad image, with all units boasting about its 1,920 x 1,080 resolution; LG, consequently, is purportedly planning a similar attack, as it introduces three new Full HD models up to 60-inches in size and partners with Sega to loop some fun-filled 1080p content and hopefully wow the skeptics. While we don't know just how serious this battle's going to get, we're packing our of forms of protection just in case that buzzword barrage gets too heated to handle.
Tactile display could convey signals on soldiers' backs
Although glitzy, stat-filled jerseys are certainly sufficient ways to get information off your chest (ahem), a new vibrating vest could give "body language" an entirely new meaning. Joining the air-conditioned and insulating renditions, this snazzy vest features a "tactile display" on the back, which is created by 16 small vibrating motors that are connected to an internal wireless control unit. The jacket "writes symbols and messages on its wearer's back," and while the actual writing resembles Braille more than text, it can supposedly be used to "send important commands to soldiers or firefighters, warning them of imminent danger when ordinary radios cannot be used." Commands are beamed to the vests via a wirelessly-enabled computer, and can stealthily inform platoons to stop, look in a specific direction, run, or slow down. The US Army is partially funding the research, as it hopes to investigate different ways to communicate when hand signals and / or radio transmissions aren't effective. During initial testing, results have shown nearly flawless interpretation by participants, and while we're not exactly sure when we can expect rumble-equipped gear to grace our armed forces, the problem of "excess noise from the motors" has to be quelled before hitting the battlefield.[Via BoingBoing]
Charter cable customers in St. Louis could lose KMOV HD signal
Apparently, love isn't the only game that requires a bit of give and take, as just months after Charter blessed its St. Louis, Missouri customers with two new sparkling HD channels (TNT-HD and MHD), the firm is now about to remove one. Charter Communications has reportedly hit a wall in discussions with Belo. Corp. (which owns KMOV) in regard to the fees that the station wishes to collect from Charter. Although Charter hasn't had any issues receiving permission from other locals to broadcast their HD signals, KMOV is playing hardball, suggesting that Charter pay up to compensate for the "value gained" by having the HD flavor of their station available to users. Of course, the cable company complains that charging for signals that can be received over the air gratis is absurd, and neither party seems to be budging just yet. St. Louis Charter subscribers could lose the signal "as early as tomorrow" unless any band-aids get applied today, but either way, you'll soon be receiving a letter in the mail explaining why there's a sudden black hole where KMOV used to be if things aren't permanently resolved.
Blu-ray / HD DVD stalemate boosting interest in combo player?
Nothing like a little false hope to brighten your Saturday, right? Of course, we hope the current stalemate in the Blu-ray / HD DVD war actually yields a combo player, but after the on-again / off-again (and again) love affair with the idea, we're not holding our collective breath. Nevertheless, it seems that the current state actually doesn't have one format trouncing the other as many believed would happen after a few months unfolded. Essentially, consumers are "generally indifferent" to the two, and considering there's just seven more HD DVD titles currently available than BD titles, it doesn't look like one or the other will win on sheer studio popularity. While we've seen the Blu-ray-equipped PS3 outsell Microsoft's HD DVD drive 5 to 1, there isn't much substance in such a statistic, but apparently Taiwan-based manufacturers are rethinking their previous denials of unleashing a player that handles both discs. DigiTimes has it that Samsung is "planning to offer dual-format recorders that can record and play back BD and HD DVD movies," while Hitachi (a devout member of the BDA), is also "considering production of dual-format devices." They also went so far as to point out the obvious when noting that a "dual-format device would be more expensive than a single-format unit" -- but hey, it's likely cheaper than buying one of each, eh?
Time Warner gets fussy with DirecTV over "false advertising"
There's nothing like a warm, heartfelt lawsuit to really spread that holiday cheer, and we've got yet another battle in the courtroom about to get cranked up, and this time it's between rivals DirecTV and Time Warner. While TWC still can't claim the ability to offer the fledgling NFL Network on its cable systems, DirecTV felt the need to boast not only about its "superior coverage," but to also rub a little salt in Time Warner's wound by informing folks in NFL towns that games shown on the NFL Network "couldn't be seen" on Time Warner. Although the claims seem somewhat legitimate, Time Warner insists that "all eight games featured on the NFL Network will also be available to local fans over broadcast networks," which apparently wasn't the message being conveyed to pigskin-loving consumers. Regardless, DirecTV dug its hole a tad deeper by hiring Jessica Simpson to state that the firm's HD quality "beats cable," which is quite the laughable statement to anyone familiar with "HD Lite." In the end, however, we're sure the ads will be removed (or at least reworded), and the two firms will continue to bicker in future bouts, but what fun would it be if these two actually decided to get along, right?[Via MultiChannel]
Survey points to Blu-ray negativity, attributed to Sony's "heavy handed" approach
While some folks just can't make up their mind, and other have already leaned one way or the other, a recent independent survey points to Sony's format being the one losing ground and interest, but we can't say we're surprised. Betamax, ATRAC, MiniDisc, and UMDs were all crafted by Sony, and all fell (basically) flat before ever really catching on, and it seems the costly Blu-ray format may be headed for the same fate. Cymfony, a market influence analytics company, found that "positive discussions" about HD DVD were "46-percent higher" than talks about Blu-ray, with over twice as many post authors being "impressed with HD DVD" rather than "impressed with Blu-ray." A good deal of the negativity shown towards Blu-ray was attributed to Sony's "heavy handed" approach of forcing Blu-ray upon PlayStation 3 owners, not to mention the notoriously delayed (and pricey) standalone players. Although it's still far too early to tell which format will rise victorious (you know, since peace talks have all but ceased), there's no denying the high costs associated with both next-generation discs, but Sony's track record with these proprietary ideas definitely doesn't bode well for it.[Via TechDigest]
PSP Fanboy review: Warhammer: Battle for Atluma
When I first heard of Warhammer: Battle for Atluma's pending release on the PSP, I got really excited. I've never played a Warhammer game, but I am a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and have been waiting for a good collectable card game for the PSP for a long time.Unfortunately, it looks like I may be waiting a little longer for that game.Now don't get me wrong, Battle for Atluma isn't terrible game, but I don't think it's going to win over many newcomers to the Warhammer universe.
Pokemon site rolls out the updates
The site dedicated to all things Pokemon has just shoveled out a whole ton of updates regarding the latest, and first on the Wii, Pokemon adventure. While all of the updates are media-related, they still manage to reveal some secrets the game was hiding. We've done the responsible thing and busted out the bullet points because, frankly, there are a lot of updates. Battle images Shop screen Roster Trainer customizations New trainer Battle stadium So, does this get you pumped for the game or turn you off? Any Pokemon haters out there thinking the game might not be so bad or vice versa?
