Birthday
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Mac Automation: Birthday greetings
I am sure that everyone has forgotten other peoples birthday's from time-to-time (*raises hand*). Luckily, with Mac OS X's built-in Address Book and Automator, you can automate the remembering and sending of greeting cards by e-mail -- thus eliminating the awkwardness of forgetting. In this how-to I will show you how to create a birthday field in your Address Book contacts, and how to send an e-mail birthday greeting when the time is right. To learn how to do this, read on.
Happy Birthday, Vanguard
Well wishes are in order for the newest addition to Sony Online's family of Massive games. Vanguard turns one year old on January 30th, and the dev team is celebrating with in-game goodies for the players. Essentially, every character will be able to choose their one-year anniversary gift by deciding which of the game's three 'spheres' they want to explore.Adventurers will want to grab Avarem's Messenger Bag, which is not only a handy backpack but increases the running speed of the user. Diplomats will grab for Jansan's Valise of Ages, a satchel that increases their Presence in the diplomacy mini-game. Crafters, finally, will go for Silius' Enchanted Utility Pouch. Another container, this will increase the base crafting attributes for those who carry it.Veteran Vanguard players can expect to see titles entering the game soon, allowing folks who have stuck it out the entire time to show their Telon pride. The developers plan for there to be cake available in-world on the day itself, as yet another thank-you to the tried and true adventurers sticking it out in the little game that could.
Verizon celebrates two years of FiOS in New York
Merely months after Verizon dusted off the party hats to celebrate two years of FiOS nationwide, it's throwing an extra special party for the Empire State. As of today, FiOS TV has been available in at least some portions of New York for two whole years, and including the new areas that VZW reached out to last month, over 145 communities can now tap into its fiber-based TV service. Now, watch as the vast majority of the nation forces a grin and congratulates you on having something that we don't.
SMS parties down on 15th birthday... again
Ever wondered what it'd be like to have two birthdays in a single year? If so, just phone up, er, text SMS -- it's living the dream, baby! Apparently, the first "recorded text message" was sent from software engineer Neil Papworth to Richard Jarvis, a director at Vodafone, on December 3, 1992, which is arguably the birthday of SMS as we know it. Granted, the Short Message Service Center has been around just a hair longer, but without an official birth certificate tied to either, who are we to argue? So, here's to you (yet again), dear text messaging, but if you really try to sneak a third shindig in before the year's up, don't look to us to provide another round of hors d'oeuvres.[Via TGDaily, image courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald]
Happy Birthday, Nintendo DS!
It's Alf! Remember Alf? He's back ... in birthday form.With our one-year anniversary event for the Wii in full swing and Thanksgiving only hours away, we nearly forgot that today marks the third year since the Nintendo DS made its debut in North America. Can you believe it's been three years already? Three years since we first brought the GBA's successor home! Three years since Vicarious Visions tricked us into buying Spider-Man 2! In its three years on the market, our dual-screened handheld has gone through one hardware revision, dozens of color variations and limited edition bundles (some of which were actually accidentally released in the US), and about twenty million Mega Man games. The system's software library has managed to cover just about every conceivable genre, even creating a few new ones to expand its money-printing capabilities.We plan to celebrate the portable's birthday by drawing misshapen cakes and genitalia in PictoChat, just like we did during our first few hours of DS ownership. How about you?[Thanks, Llamapalooza!]
Happy birthday, Wii
It may be underpowered, but it's got a big heart. Oh, and we hear it's doing alright for itself in this generation's console war, but that's all hearsay. That's right, Nintendo's Wii turns one year old today, and what a magical year it's been.[Wii cake courtesy of Henry S.]
Celebrate PS3's birthday by winning an 80GB system
Do you want it? Let me hear it! Ladies and gentleman, we're celebrating the one year anniversary of the PS3 by giving away a free system. Yes, you heard right: a free system. Join the PS3 Fanboy ranks by nabbing this 80GB system, which includes Motorstorm and a bonus copy of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune simply by commenting on this page.To enter, shout out "Happy Birthday PS3" in a language of your choice. The comment must be left before November 23rd, 5PM EST. You may enter only once. One (1) winner will be selected in a random drawing. Winners will receive an 80GB PS3 with Motorstorm and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (ARV $559.98). Click here for complete Official Rules. You must be a US resident, age 18 or older to enter.Once again, thanks to everyone that's been reading us for the past year. We're growing as a community, and we have to thank all of you for that. Good luck! Also, don't forget to check out our other anniversary features: The games press looks at PS3's first year Fanswag: Win an incredible Uncharted prize pack PS3 Fanboy review: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune SCEA's Kim Nguyen looks at the PS3's first year One year ago: a look at PS3's violent launch
The games press looks at the PS3's first year
The PS3's first year has come to a close, and we wanted to ask our friends at various gaming outlets to tell us what they thought about Sony's debut performance in this new gaming generation. Obviously, the company has received a lot of flak, but can they turn it around? Read on in this PS3 Fanboy exclusive: SiliconeraSony took a step in the right direction by slashing the price of the Playstation 3 and introducing the 40 GB model. Sure, it doesn't play Playstation 2 games, but the cheaper model will get the PS3 into more homes and that makes it a more viable console for third party developers. Yes, the Playstation 3 needs more games, but more importantly it needs a unique experience that is only on the PS3. Easier said than done right? Perhaps, developers can look at the Playstation 3's underutilized features for inspiration like remote play, the MMC slot for importing media and the Playstation 3's internal web browser. I'm imagining an alternate reality hacking/detective game where players surf websites, carry their PSPs to get data from sham networks around the world and then create their own mysteries with the help of the MMC reader.-- Spencer YipGameTrailersSony's sheer dominance in the prior generation of consoles seemed to pave the way for a clear run at the crown in this generation of gaming, but by not offering the complete online experience or game play innovations delivered by its prime competitors, Sony has taken a significant hit in the current console war. A revamped online presence, key PS3 exclusives and a clear approach to the system as game machine and not just an media centerpiece for high-income families will be essential for Sony to return to it's once dominant position of prominence.-- Daniel Kayser
Nintendo Wii celebrates 1st birthday
Two days after we blew out Sony's candles celebrating the PlayStation 3's first year or existence, Nintendo reminds us that its latest console the Wii turns one today. And with age hopefully comes more experience and knowledge - such as knowing how to keep up with the console's demand. All this week, Nintendo Wii Fanboy is celebrating the console's birthday, starting off with a game giveaway including the hidden gem Zack and Wiki, potentially the last complex game for the Wii. In the interim, dear esteemed and unbiased Joystiq readers, how would you grade the Wii's performance so far?[Image credit: Kristy and Eva's Flickr account]
SCEA's Kim Nguyen looks at the PS3's first year
Happy Birthday PS3! One year down, nine more to go. Sony's first year in the new video game generation has been a rough one. But, what does Sony have to say about it? We chatted with SCEA's Kim Nguyen, Marketing Manager of the PS3, to find out more.PS3 has struggled quite a bit during its first year of release. Why do you think the games media has bashed the PS3 so much?Looking back on year one, we're proud at how far the PS3 has come and are sure that the future will only be brighter. There were some bumps in the road but that's to be expected during the first year of a platform's lifecycle. Regardless, we are very confident in the future of PS3 given our new hardware and pricing, along with the strong line up of upcoming software titles that will place PS3 in a very strong position this holiday and for years to come.What has Sony done to turn things around?We recently launched new PS3 hardware and pricing and are already seeing strong sales momentum at retail--PS3 sales have increased by 192% over the past 2 weeks at major retailers in North America . We have more than 160 games coming to the platform including 19 exclusives. We also recently launched a new ad campaign, our biggest marketing effort to date, that conveys the overall benefits of PS3 including Blu-ray and PLAYSTATION Network. Again we feel PS3 is in a very strong position this holiday and for years to come.
Happy birthday, Miyamoto-san!
He created Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda. He has been indirectly responsible for using up thousands of hours of our lives. We sort of want him to be our Dad. Yes, Nintendo design guru and general gaming god Shigeru Miyamoto turned 55 years young today (hasn't he aged well?), so it felt only right that we took the time to wish Shiggy many happy returns.Here's to a long and prosperous future, sir! One with lots of cake.
PS3 gets a birthday cake
We don't know exactly what Russel does, but his office received a cake from the fine folks at SCEA, celebrating the first birthday of PS3. While it looks pretty, supposedly it doesn't taste too great. Too bad! Of course, we're celebrating next Monday, in time for the launch of Uncharted.
EverQuest II celebrates its third birthday
Thursday was the third anniversary of the launch of Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest II. In celebration of another year of service, the team put together a retrospective video, interviewing the team about their time working on the game. They talk about the process of making the three currently-released expansions for the game, and give a few tantalizing glimpses of the Rise of Kunark, which is slated for release next week.They also had cake, as shown in a series of pictures posted to the official EverQuest II website. Happy Birthday EQ2. Nice MMOGing.
PS2 turns seven years old
It may have been a fat baby, but the PS2 has slimmed down and celebrates its seventh birthday in the States today. GI.biz has a nice little rundown of the unit's life. Since Oct. 26, 2000, the heir to the PlayStation name has shipped 120 million units and a billion units in software. Another 10 million PS2 units are expected to sell worldwide by March 2008. Peter Dille, Sony America's senior vp of marketing says, "Never before has an in-home game system experienced this type of worldwide success on such a long-lasting scale." That's absolutely true, PlayStation gave PS2 a good start in life -- now, about the grandkid.We have the list after the break of the PS2's top-selling titles, but if you ever needed to know how important the Grand Theft Auto franchise is to PlayStation, it becomes quite apparent looking at the list. The top three games are GTA: Vice City (13 million units), GTA: San Andreas (12 million) and Grand Theft Auto III (11 million). Looking at the full list quickly, it's made up of GTA, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Strictly based on PS2 software sales, it appears Sony needs to do what it can to hold on to Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. But this story isn't about the PS3, it's about the PS2, and nobody can argue its success. Happy Birthday PS2, enjoy the rest of your ten-year cycle.
DAoC's birthday gift
While most news surrounding Mythic these days has the words "Warhammer Online" somewhere in the title, today we spend a little time to celebrate their other great fantasy MMO: Dark Age of Camelot. DAoC has recently hit the six year mark, as was recently acclaimed by the game's producer Chris Rabideau in a letter to the readers. The game still has quite a following after all this time, and it is for that reason that he also took the time to talk about a few changes coming into the game in the coming months. Think of it as a DAoC birthday gift from the devs to the players, rather than the other way around. The devs are adding in an experimental test environment to their server structure. While this isn't the most medieval item to bring to a birthday party, it will enable the dev team to test some more robust technical elements that their current test server isn't capable of working with. I was hoping for some party favors and perhaps a hat or two, but I guess a new test server will do, at least for now. But where's the party, Mythic? Where's the party?
Wii Evites invite friends to the birthday bash
Like the last batch of Evites that asked you to invite friends to the Wii party, these newest Evites also allow you to ask friends and family over for a party. This time, though, the focus is on birthdays, allowing thoughtful parents who might be giving their child (or children) a Wii for their birthday to invite friends and family to enjoy the new gift. Or, maybe a family is doing away with the tired cliche of clowns, cowboys or pretty, pretty princesses for a time that can only be described as "more fun than a barrel full of monkeys drunk on laughing gas."
The DS Life: Unrestrained glee
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.Sometimes, everything just seems to be going your way. There isn't a single worry plaguing your usually beleaguered mind, you've got a girl back at home who loves you, and the world is yours to conquer. Then something unexpected comes along and makes your day even better!
Happy 30th birthday, Atari 2600!
See that Wii or Xbox sitting under your TV? The PSP or DS tucked away in your messenger bag? That copy of Pac-man on your cellphone which cost five bucks and expires next month? Each of them owe a debt of gratitude to the granddaddy of all videogame consoles, the Atari 2600, which ushered in an era of unprecedented television usage, and which turns 30 years old this month. That's right, the first 2600 units rolled off the assembly line in October of 1977, delighting both children and kids at heart with games like Pitfall and Pole Position, and helping distract the nation after the untimely death of the King, the tragic crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane, and Pele's retirement. So here's to you, dear 2600: Atari may only be a shadow of its former self today, but you've lived on in our fond memories, in retro Flashback products, and last but not least, in tricked-out mods from the great Ben Heckendorn.
Verizon celebrates two years of FiOS
For some (like the folks who can't get it yet), it may not seem like Verizon's FiOS has actually been around for two whole years, but indeed it has. This month marks the two year anniversary of the fiber-based service, and Verizon is taking time out to boast a bit. Reportedly, "more than 25-percent of the customers [in its first market, Texas] who could subscribe to FiOS TV have done so," and as of June 30, 2007, Verizon FiOS TV "had 515,000 subscribers and was available to more than 3.9-million households in 12 states." 'Course, you could certainly throw a much larger party if nearly four-fifths of the states in our country weren't left out, but hopefully a few more of us will be included for the next bash.[Via TVOver]
Wacom celebrates 25 years with Intuos3 Special Edition pen tablet
Hard to believe that Wacom has been around for a quarter century, but this month marks its 25th year in business. To celebrate, the firm is introducing a trio of Intuos3 Special Edition pen tablets in a variety of sizes including 6- x 8-, 6- x 11-, and 9- x 12-inches. Each tablet touts "a refined and sophisticated black and gun metal gray color scheme," Wacom's Classic Pen to compliment the Intuos3 Grip Pen, an accessory kit, and a transparent overlay "to substitute with the traditional gray overlay." All three units play nice with both Macs and PCs and can be snapped up for $369, $409 and $489 from smallest to largest.[Via PC World]
