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Happy 10th Birthday, Roomba! (video)
It's been a full decade since the first Roomba scuttled off the assembly line and onto the floors of slatternly geeks. Understandably, iRobot's looking back over the period, revealing that since then, it's sold over six million of the units -- with each one covering an average of 705 miles in its lifetime. Along the way, that army of Wall-Es-in-the-making have consumed around two million pounds of dirt, including the odd Lego brick, pet snake and wedding bands -- although, as the videos below demonstrate, it's normally quite friendly to children and animals.
Pink feather boa time! Fusion-io throws surprise birthday party for Woz
Apple co-founder and legend Steve Wozniak won't officially turn 62 until August 11, but that wasn't enough to keep flash memory tech company Fusion-io from holding a surprise birthday party for him last night. Ina Fried from AllThingsD was in attendance and provided a photo record of the event. Woz is the chief scientist for Fusion-io as well as an investor, and AllThingsD reports that the party was held at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art, and that pink feather boas and noisemakers were handed out to the attendees. The party for Woz remained secret despite Woz's wife allegedly needing to delete a "drunk text or tweet" from his pocketful of devices. Fusion-io also used the party as a vehicle to announce its ION Data Accelerator software, which is used to improve server speeds by optimizing flash memory processes. The software is being tested by Apple and Facebook. [via AppleInsider] #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Google fetes 40 years of Landsat with new timelapse videos of Earth
Compared to Landsat, which has been beaming photos of our planet since 1972, Mountain View is a cartographic newb. But Google Earth drove geospatial interest into the stratosphere when it launched in 2005 and, with a billion downloads and counting, the company is well placed to celebrate 40 years of Landsat imagery. To do that, it has collaborated with the US Geological Survey and Carnegie Mellon to create a collection of timelapse videos ranging from seasonal snowcover changes across North America to Amazon deforestation. Though the search giant is gradually shifting from relatively low-res 100 feet per pixel Landsat imagery to 8 feet SPOTImage maps, its Google Earth Engine was used to process the vast archive and make it available to the public. To watch a video of the history of the grand dame of satellite imagery and its liaison with Google, head after the break -- or check the source for all the timelapse goodness.
Spotify marks its first anniversary in the US with 13 billion listens, a whole lot of sharing goin' on
They grow up so fast, don't they? Spotify's US launch was just over a year ago, and the streaming music outlet wants us to know just how big its baby is getting. Americans listened to more than 13 billion tracks on the service in the first 365 days, and they shared more than twice as many -- 27,834,742, to be exact. Not surprisingly, just over half of that socializing went through Facebook, as you can see in the company's sugar-coated chart. Spotify is likewise flaunting 2,700 years' worth of time spent skulking around its app platform. Don't feel any pangs of regret if you forgot to buy something for Spotify's birthday, by the way: the company isn't holding any grudges and says you'll "love" what it has gift-wrapped for year two. We're hoping that involves more free radio stations and fewer holdout musicians.
Happy birthday, Intel -- celebrate like the rock star you are
Any idea what was going down in 1968? Preparations for Woodstock. Oh, and the birth of Intel -- a giant of a company that somehow raked in $2.8 billion in its Q2 earnings yesterday. We're guessing it'll find a way to splurge a bit to celebrate yet another year of silicon production, and maybe -- just maybe -- it'll publish a spin-off series on AMC based on the masterpiece embedded above. Happy birthday, Intel. Here's to CPU.
Facebook redesigns Events listings, makes you an even bigger jerk for forgetting someone's birthday
Facebook, that tenuous connection between ourselves and the many casual acquaintances we've amassed over the years, has just rolled out a better way to keep track of events. Now it's possible to plan that witty annual birthday greeting months in advance, thanks to the new calendar and list views on the social network's Events page. You can also see suggested events and respond to invites from the comfort of the same page. The roll out follows the introduction the new Google+ Events page late last month, so now the two social networks can avoid awkwardly bumping into each other at parties. Update: Looks like weddings and celebrations are getting overhauled, too. Clearly, it's time to get down.
iPhone 5th anniversary flashback: Welcome to 2006 and the height of Apple Phone predictions
Happy 5th birthday, iPhone. Looking back, 2006 was an awesome time to be rolling in predictions. The drumroll for the iPhone was steady, furious, and demanding. As the tempo grew as Macworld 2007 grew near, everyone was hoping for something amazing, and Apple delivered. Five years after the device finally debuted, and customers got their hands on this amazing device, we raise a toast to the iPhone. Cheers! Recent Apple patents for phone, PDA, new cube? Here we go with the Apple patent game again, and this time around it looks like we have blasts from the past and the future. Engadget first tracked down a patent filed by Apple yesterday (pictured... More Apple tablet rumors Here's the rumor that won't go away. United States Patent Application #20060026536 (which features the signature of Jonathan Ive) concerns "...Methods and systems for processing touch inputs are... Taiwan manufacturer gets order for Apple "iPhone" handset Hon Hai, aka Foxconn Electronics, won't comment or confirm, but the cat seems to really be out of the bag now. This latest batch of iPhone reports feels like less of a rumor than previous... Also of interest: Rumor: Apple iPhone could be sold unlocked? Rumors: Google and Apple sitting in a tree? iPhone not going to be called iPhone? Concept-iPhone Compendium Would you buy an iPhone? More 'evidence' of a looming iPhone uncovered TUAW predictions for Macworld 07
YouTube blows out seven candles, cuts birthday party short to log 72 hours of video per minute
Ah, YouTube. It wasn't long ago that it was pumping out around 60 hours of content every 60 seconds, but nothing can stop the video juggernaut. Celebrating its seven years of existence with a video charting its rise, rise and rise, YouTube's official blog has also announced that it's now dealing with an eye-bleeding 72 hours of video every minute. We're still finding all this content as pervasive as ever though, with over 3 billion hours now watched every month. Catch the site blowing its own trumpet in the tribute vid right after the break -- which is all well and good, but where's the free game?
IBM celebrates the 15th anniversary of Deep Blue beating Garry Kasparov (video)
It's been 15 years since IBM's Deep Blue recorded its famous May 11th 1997 victory over world champion chess player Garry Kasparov -- a landmark in artificial intelligence. Designed by Big Blue as a way of understanding high-power parallel processing, the "brute force" system could examine 200 million chess positions every second, beating the grandmaster 3.5-2.5 after losing 4-2 the previous year. It went on to help develop drug treatments, analyze risk and aid data miners before being replaced with Blue Gene and, more recently, Watson -- which recorded a famous series of victories on Jeopardy! in 2011. If you'd like to know more, we've got a video with one of the computer's fathers: Dr. Murray Campbell and a comparison on how the three supercomputers stack up after the break. As for Garry Kasparov? The loss didn't ruin his career, he went on to win every single Chess trophy conceived, retired, wrote some books and went into politics. As you do.
EVE Evolved: Nine years of EVE Online
Last week I celebrated the fourth anniversary of the EVE Evolved column with a competition to win one of two 30-day pilot's licenses. Congratulations to winners Dong Yi and Atrameides Denard, whose prizes have been contracted in-game. Today EVE Online itself turns nine years old, and so this week's EVE Evolved column takes a look back at the top EVE stories of the year. It's been a rollercoaster of a year for CCP, with the infamous monoclegate scandal hitting subscriptions hard during the summer and only recently starting to recover. The drama kicked off as the much-touted Incarna expansion drew close and CCP revealed that it would contain no multiplayer elements and would introduce a microtransaction store for vanity items. Players didn't seem to mind the cash shop as long as it contained only vanity items, and CCP had previously promised that microtransactions would be limited to those types of items. When the Incarna expansion finally launched and players got a first-hand look at the cash shop, however, it became apparent that something was fundamentally wrong. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at the top EVE stories of the year, from the incredible videos and scams to the story of how CCP brought EVE Online back from the brink of disaster.
Morrowind and Oblivion GOTY editions half off all week on Steam
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is celebrating its 10th birthday by giving everyone else a present, the little gentleman. This week, Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion game of the year editions are half off, or even two-for-one if that helps justify your purchase. The sale runs through Monday, May 7 at 10 a.m. PT.Now the real question: What does one get an elderly 10 year old whose only wish is to make everyone else's day a little brighter and wallet slightly lighter? Answer: A Nerf gun. Everyone loves a Nerf gun.
Guild Wars: What keeps fans coming back
Spring is in the air in Guild Wars! I can hear the pitter-patter of speed-enhanced feet coming from the Dragon Arena, the roar of the crowds watching Rollerbeetle races, and the endless grunts of unlucky players on the Nine Rings. It's a celebration -- the celebration of the seventh anniversary of Guild Wars, to be precise. In and around the annual birthday cupcake hoarding that's going on for the duration of festivities, this year has a few other exciting tricks up its proverbial sleeve. For one thing, a new and limited-edition pet has been made available; the Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by having a brief chat with Ceira, Sworn to Fire, in Embark Beach. For another, the bonuses from all weekend events are active for the anniversary, so players will have to go pretty far out of their way to not reap sweet, sweet rewards for any time spent in-game between now and May 8th. Seven's a pretty nice number, don't you think? This is something of a special event, as ArenaNet's promise to get Guild Wars 2 shipped before year's end means that this'll be the last birthday that Guild Wars gets to have before the sequel comes along and grabs everyone's attention -- if, indeed, that's not already happening, what with the beta weekend that's going on right this moment. Even with Guild Wars 2 soaking up some limelight, though, Guild Wars is doing its creators proud and aging with grace and dignity. Let's take a look at some of the building blocks of the game's longevity.
Guild Wars celebrates its 7th anniversary [Updated]
It's that special time of year again! Despite the amount of effort that has got to be getting poured into the upcoming Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event, ArenaNet isn't neglecting the baby game's elder sibling. The Guild Wars site has been updated with some information about festivities for the in-game celebration. From April 24th through May 8th, players will be able to enjoy the time-honored traditions of Guild Wars' birthday celebrations: Players can stroll down the Shing Jea Boardwalk for some festival games, race Rollerbeetles, unlock birthday hats, and collect some sweet, sweet treats. In addition, a new pet is being made available. The Hound of Balthazar can be unlocked for free by visiting Ceira, Sworn to Fire in Embark Beach and then traveling to the Zaishen Menagerie and tracking down the fiery beastie. After the anniversary has drawn to a close, the Hound will still be unlockable, but at the cost of 100,000 Balthazar Faction or 20 golden zaishen coins and 100 gold -- so maybe don't dawdle if you're interested in a shiny new pet. The updated page also promises "drops and activities never before seen in anniversary celebration," so join in the fun to find out what's new! [Update: According to a Gamebreaker TV special, all of the normal weekend events observed in Guild Wars will be running simultaneously for the anniversary celebration!]
Apple II turns 35, doesn't bother with midlife crisis
It was 35 years ago today that two Steves and a handful of employees introduced the world to a game-changer: the Apple II. Easily recognizable today as one of history's first truly accessible personal computers, it's a bit odd to think that the iconic rig was almost overlooked at its debut at the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire. Even so, the beige box weaseled its way into our homes and schools. $1300 bought the most basic model of the machine that taught a generation of children the dangers of fording a river, rocking a paltry 4KB of RAM and a 1MHz processor. Despite its age, the old Apple II is doing its best to keep up with the times -- making music, going to concerts and even trying out those hip Bluetooth protocols its grand kids are always talking about. Feeling nostalgic? Check out Time's in-depth tribute to the Apple II's history, influence and legacy at the source link below.
RuneScape: Seventh anniversary retrospective
Although RuneScape officially launched in 2001, today marks the seventh anniversary of the end of the RuneScape 2 beta. This was a complete gameplay and graphics overhaul that signaled the rebirth of the game, and it's a date well worth celebrating. The past year has been filled with massive content updates that added clan support, upgradeable clan citadels, a new website, and countless new quests. Player-made battlefields put game design in the hands of players, who have used the system to produce ton of content. Understandably, most people will likely remember this year for one thing: This was the year that RuneScape beat the bots. Following the momentous Bot Nuking Day, players logged in to find a distinctly emptier world but one filled with real people. RuneFest 2011 was a success, with presentations from the game's developers and a special focus on breaking the bots. This year also saw the interesting story that the Dutch Supreme Court ruling that stealing RuneScape items is the same as theft of real life goods. In this anniversary retrospective, I look back at some of RuneScape's top news stories and game additions of the year.
Runes of Magic on its third anniversary
Runes of Magic's third anniversary is finally upon us. Frogster has been gearing up for the event by holding diamond sales and cash-shop specials. Each anniversary, you can also take part in multiple frog-related quests and events. Frog-bashing, frog disguises, and more frog-bashing have long been a staple. Frog-racing and frog etiquette have been added to the roster. What's frog etiquette? Why, it's either insulting or complimenting frogs, silly. During the festivities, various freebies are usually handed out to players who log in, as well. The real question is what's new in the land of Taborea, but if you wanted to know about new lands or dungeons, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. There's no official word, but given the time that's passed and the unofficial images and information that are floating around the Internet, we know Chapter 5 can't be too far off. There are still players out there who are far from making their way through the Chapter 4 content, but many guilds on the cutting edge are starting to trample Tomb of the Seven Heroes into a well-worn path. During this intermediary period, Runewaker added the random attribute extractor and the costume interface. This isn't a replacement to aggregating; it's more like an extension. Most recently, the team introduced a patch containing bug fixes and a sprinkling of changes to the user interface, guilds, pets, vendor NPCs, quests, crafting, and skills. Some of the most exciting information is sketchy but does point to two possible new classes. And what class (or race?) could possibly have skills with names like "forge" and "runecraft" in them? Hmm...
The MMO Report: Where the mobs raid you
The MMO Report returns this week with a special RIFT edition in celebration of the game's first birthday. In this extra-long show, Casey visits the Trion Worlds studios in Redwood Shores, California for a beard's-eye view of the game as it turns one. He meets up with such Trion notables as Scott Hartsman, Hal Hanlin, and Russ Brown as they chat about the Carnival of the Ascended, the anniversary events, the mobile app, and the record-breaking 20,000 marriages recently performed in-game. The devs also discuss how they balance fan feedback (endgame players are apparently the loudest) and claim that the latest patch features the "greatest balloons ever put into a game." Eavesdrop on Casey's tour in the HD video after the break!
Enter at Your Own Rift: Looking back at RIFT's first year
As I ran around smacking loot piñatas (finally, someone acknowledges these things for what they are), I wondered how on earth RIFT's first year went by so fast. The Carnival of the Ascended is just around the corner, and on March 1st, the game officially celebrates its first birthday. In just one year, RIFT has seen seven game updates, a handful of world events, and all sorts of new additions and improvements to the world of Telara. Rather than being a straight-up retrospective, this week's Enter at Your Own Rift is looking back on the first year with a Justin-style list of highlights and even a glimpse of what's coming in 1.8.
It's the 57th anniversary of Steve Jobs's birth
Today would have been Steve Jobs's 57th birthday. In memoriam of the man who inspired us to think different, we've assembled a few of Jobs's most memorable moments. Get out the tissues as we remember the life and achievements of the Apple co-founder in the videos below. For even more memories, you can visit the Computer History Museum's tribute page to Steve Jobs, the Ultimate Steve Jobs Collection and Folklore. Steve Jobs introduces the Mac Steve Jobs talks about thinking differently after his return to Apple Steve Jobs and the Death of Mac OS 9 Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address Steve Jobs visits a Palo Alto store in 2007 Steve Jobs and Bill Gates on stage together at AllThingsD 2007 Steve Jobs: One More Thing And Boom! Steve Jobs's Funniest Moments
A Vanguard fifth anniversary year-in-review
It's that time again -- time to look back on a year of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and see what changed and what stayed exactly the same. The game is now five years old, and the last year has been relatively exciting for the community. Vanguard is just one of those titles that seems to want to last forever. The playerbase is loyal, mature, and truly dedicated to this aging title. Will the players' efforts pay off? We took a look back on the last year to see what the larger announcements were. There were some surprises and even updates (yes, actual updates to the game), something that is still affecting the community. While other games might publish monthly or even weekly updates, the Vanguard players are the camels of the greater MMO community and have learned to live off very little development fuel. Bear in mind that as I type this, an update is being played through on the test server.
