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iPhone turns five today: a smartphone launch worth remembering
It's been said that Apple has managed to "steal" every CES for the past five years, and without a doubt, it all started on January 9th, 2007. In a day that'll live on in Engadget lore as being one of the zaniest, most overwhelming 24 hours in our history, we can fondly recall shipping Ryan Block a few hours northwest from the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to the MacWorld Expo to cover what would go down as one of Apple's most memorable keynotes. What happened after that is evident to just about anyone who has even heard of a mobile phone, with Apple's singular smartphone (yes, the iPhone) going on to but pressure on the likes of Microsoft, RIM and even Google. In fact, we're wondering if humans are still alive today to remember a time before the iPhone. Is that even possible? Will we one day say the same about Siri? Has anyone thought to ask Siri that very question?
iPhone icon cupcakes look touchable, tasty
We haven't posted a really good iPhone cake in quite a while now, so here we go: Reader Tim sends in this set of cupcakes that his girlfriend made him for his 21st birthday, and boy do they look good. There are a few things that, as Apple obsessive, we would call out in there, including the fact that this cake uses the old iPod logo instead of the new Music app logo, and the fact that the phone happens to be tilted the wrong way in these pictures. But hey, that's just us nitpicking -- these look great, very nice job, and I especially like the custom day and date, as well as the special message on the Notes icon. Happy belated birthday, Tim, and you've got one very talented and sweet lady there.
Verizon lights one candle for LTE, confirms Xyboard Droid tablet name, December launch
Today marks one full year after Verizon first flipped the switch on LTE, with 365 days of 4G speeds for customers in 39 markets. By the end of next week, Big Red will light up a few more cities, bringing the total number to 190, with access available to more than 200 million Americans. Buried below the PR cake, however, is an even juicer tidbit -- two "hot new Xyboard Droid tablets from Motorola coming out this month." And what might those be? Well, if this weekend's accessory leak is any indication, the Xoom 2 is headed to VZW -- before the year is out. And we're not surprised to see the Galaxy Nexus getting some love as well, though you'll have to make due with a "coming soon" release commitment for at least a short while longer. Jump past the break for the PR.
Iris Online celebrates its first birthday
Iris Online publisher gPotato has a very optimistic outlook on sharing a birthday with a holiday, saying that "you can either be sad that all your friends are busy doing holiday things or you can throw such a tremendous party that they make time to drop by and visit you!" Of course, the studio is choosing the latter (we still feel for you, people with late-December birthdays) to celebrate Iris Online's first birthday. The celebration begins today and runs until November 26th. For the duration of the festivities, players will be granted experience, skill, and battlefield point boosts. Drop and enhance rates will also be increased, and to top it off, any player who's been part of Iris Online since September will be given a unique costume just for logging in. To get in on the celebration, just head to the game's official site. [Source: Gala-net press release]
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: Starting a Fire for @verso's birthday
We're going to have some fun this afternoon on TUAW TV Live. My very special guest will be TUAW Talkcast regular and proprietress of the House of Crackpot Theories™, Kelly Guimont (that's her on the left in the photo above, in case you were confused). Today just so happens to be Kelly's birthday, so all of you are invited to the virtual party on TUAW TV Live. I'll also have a handful of new goodies that have show up in the TUAW Labs lately, as well as a non-Apple tablet -- the Amazon Kindle Fire. Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know my opinion about this device (it's definitely not an iPad-killer), but it does have some redeeming features that are kind of interesting and the integration with Amazon's content farms is incredible. As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. The chat is now available as well on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.
Intel 4004, world's first commercial microprocessor, celebrates 40th birthday, ages gracefully
Pull out the candles and champagne, because the Intel 4004 is celebrating a major birthday today -- the big four-oh. That's right, it's been exactly four decades since Intel unveiled the world's first commercially available CPU, with an Electronic News ad that ran on November 15th, 1971. It all began in 1969, when Japan's Nippon Calculating Machine Corporation asked Intel to create 12 chips for its Busicom 141-PF calculator. With that assignment, engineers Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff and Stanley Mazor set about designing what would prove to be a groundbreaking innovation -- a 4-bit, 16-pin microprocessor with a full 2,300 MOS transistors, and about 740kHZ of horsepower. The 4004's ten micron feature size may seem gargantuan by contemporary standards, but at the time, it was rather remarkable -- especially considering that the processor was constructed from a single piece of silicon. In fact, Faggin was so proud of his creation that he decided to initial its design with "FF," in appropriate recognition of a true work of art. Hit up the coverage links below for more background on the Intel 4004, including a graphic history of the microprocessor, from the Inquirer.
WRUP: WoW Insider's first children's book
Every week, just at the start of the weekend, we catch up with the WoW Insider staff and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" -- otherwise known as: WRUP. Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game, and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too! Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very important weekend we are about to undertake. Important, you see, because it is the anniversary of Mr. Mathew Genzer McCurley's birth. Mat's having a birthday party down in New York City this weekend, and I'm driving down to attend. But what's a birthday without presents, right? That's why I've written and illustrated my first-ever children's book, titled Mat's Birthday Wish. And because I figured you'd want to see it, too, I'm giving the book its world premiere right here, tonight, in WRUP. So, without any further delay: Mat's Birthday Wish.
EverQuest II celebrates its seventh birthday with free things
EverQuest II just celebrated its seventh birthday a few days ago, and we all know what that means: time for a celebration! In order to commemorate seven glorious years of Norrathian adventures, SOE is giving players a lovely statue of Lucan D'Lere free of charge for a limited time. The new eight-year veteran reward is also available for players who are nearing the mark, and it includes a number of nifty bits like XP potions, a new title, and more. For the full details, head on over to the game's official forums, and don't forget to check out our own Karen Bryan's seven year retrospective.
Tattered Notebook: EQII turns seven, time for a retrospective
You can say a lot of things about EverQuest II's past year, but I'm sure everyone will agree that it's been memorable. A year ago, I had just begun my turn at the helm of this column, and it seems like the game is in a similar position now as it was back then, with a lot accomplished but even more unanswered questions. For a look back at the first six years, be sure to check out my retrospective column from last year. In this week's Tattered Notebook, we'll play catch up and look back at the past year in EverQuest II and the events that shaped the game.
Vindictus: A one-year retrospective
It's time for a celebration, y'all. It's been a year since Nexon's popular physics-based hack-'n'-slash title, Vindictus, officially launched, and what a year it's been. Between constant content updates, seasonal events, awards, and more, Vindictus has had a rather successful first year, and it doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping. So exactly how far has Vindictus come since the title's inception a year go? Well, follow along past the cut and join us as we take a short look at the game's history and find out how it holds up today.
League of Legends turns two this Thursday, celebrations planned
The relatively new MOBA genre has seen a massive surge in popularity over the last few years, due mainly to the popularity of DotA remakes like League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth. It's hard to believe it, but League of Legends is already almost two years old. The free-to-play giant celebrates its second birthday this Thursday the 27th of October, and the developers at Riot Games aim to make sure the day goes down in players' memories. Celebrations have been planned for the big day, but Riot is keeping the details a secret until the day. Players are urged to keep an eye on the LoL website on Thursday. To help celebrate reaching the two year mark, Riot has released an interactive development timeline page showing the game's development from launch day all the way up to last week's Graves patch. The timeline shows when each of LoL's champions was implemented, as well as major developments like the Twisted Treeline 3v3 map, the player-mediated banning tribunal and the recent release of the Dominion game mode.
The iPod turns 10, celebrates a decade of destroying physical media
It's hard to believe, but it's been exactly ten years since the iPod was first unveiled, ultimately changing the music industry forever. The iPod wasn't the first, it wasn't the smallest, it didn't have the largest hard drive, but it did have an iconic style and simple to use interface that led march away from CDs. When the history of Apple is written the iPod (perhaps more than the iMac, OS X or the iPhone) will be credited with helping spearhead the company's second coming. Over the years the music player has seen countless iterations and redesigns, and an expansion of the product line to include smaller devices and touch screens -- but for most it's the scroll wheel and white earbuds that define the iPod. Sure, what is now called the iPod classic hasn't seen a serious update since about 2007, but it still holds a special place in our hearts, especially for those of us who don't measure their music collection in a few dozen iTunes downloads.
Ubuntu turns 7, Canonical gets to work on Precise Pangolin
It was exactly seven years ago today that Warty Warthog, the very first release of Ubuntu (despite its 4.10 version number), hit the internet and became an almost instant success. In the course of those years Canonical has built the world's most popular desktop Linux distribution and a powerful presence in the server industry thanks to its LTS (Long Term Support) releases. With Oneiric Ocelot in the books, it's time for the team to set its sights on yet another enterprise-friendly and super stable release, 12.04 LTS -- Precise Pangolin. Don't expect any big new features or drastic UI changes, the LTS releases are all about fine tuning what's already there. Hit up the source for a few more details on Pangolin and the more coverage link for the original Ubuntu announcement.
Atlantica Online celebrates three years with in-game events
Atlantica Online, Nexon's quirky tactical MMORPG, has been running for three whole years now. You know what that means, right? Anniversary celebration time! From now until November 16th, players can celebrate Atlantica's third anniversary by participating in a variety of in-game events. For starters, there's the Hunt for the Warlord's Poem. Players have to hunt down monsters that have stolen fragments of Khun Phaen's poetry. Completing this task will net players "Khun Phaen's Carrier Pigeon, a Title: People's Champion, Khun Phaen Skill Books, and other essentials." If you'd rather put your combative skills to the test, you can take part in the third anniversary Grand Championship Battle Royale, which will take place on October 31st at 6:00 a.m. EDT and again at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The top four players will receive a prize of precious NX Credit. Lastly, Nexon is asking players to take a picture of either themselves or their avatars with a sign reading "Happy Anniversary Atlantica!" Players who submit such a picture will be entered into a drawing for 20,000 NX. For the full details, head on over to Atlantica Online's official site.celebrates three years with in-game events
Uncharted Waters Online celebrating first anniversary with special events
Birthday cakes and kazoos are the order of the day in Uncharted Waters Online. The nautical MMORPG is celebrating its first anniversary, and the team at gPotato has prepared a series of events designed to reward long-time players and entice new captains into the fold. First up is the premium ticket blast, and funnily enough, it rewards players with a premium ticket, provided that they are logged in at precisely 8:00 a.m. on October 8th. The ticket is, well, your ticket to trying out a "coveted sailing vessel or other valuable prizes." There's also a three-week marathon event in which players will receive daily boosts and free items simply by logging into UWO. Beginning on October 5th, you'll want to check in once a day to claim your prizes, skill proficiency buffs, and extra fame points. Finally, the devs are hosting a UWO writing contest, and there are 13 prizes up for grabs (including a few custom ships). [Source: gPotato press release]
Ultima Online celebrates 14 years
Happy birthday, Ultima Online! In an era when some games last not even a year and others seek to continually reinvent themselves, the grand-daddy of the genre has made it to 14 years. To usher in the anniversary, Mythic Entertainment released publish 72.0 to the live servers last week. The patch introduces another round of the Clean Up Britannia event, which allows players to trash their junk items (thus cleaning up the servers of wasted data) in return for lucrative rewards. The devs also tweaked the Honesty virtue mechanic and added new anniversary gifts that are claimable through Halloween. Finally, the UO team has promised a high-resolution art update, one of many graphical overhauls in the game's long history. Here's to 14 more, old girl. [Update: After the break, we've embedded an anniversary video by Sosaria Reels over on the official forums at UO Stratics. Enjoy the stroll down memory lane!]
Captain's Log: What's your (energy) type?
Captain's Log, Stardate 65244.9... Hello, computer (and players)! Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear meeeeeee, happy birthday to me. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Yes, today is my birthday, and the best present I could receive is being able to share this week's Captain's Log with you all. As we get closer and closer to the F2P re-launch of Star Trek Online, I expect that there will be new captains tuning into this column each week, so to help support our new comrades in between the weeks that feature an influx of breaking news and developments, I am going to be taking some time to educate everyone on a few of the game's mechanics. When I first started playing STO, I often found myself wondering about many of the choices available to my different characters. From armor to shields, deflectors to engines, and kits to weapons, there is an endless array of options that we can decide to play with and use. One of the most frequently asked questions I get from new players is, "What is the best energy type to use for my ship's weapons?" In the past, when I really did not know much, I would choose my type by the color it emitted. I now know that "pretty" does not equal "power." While each type has its own special bonuses, it's up to you to decide which to use and why. Here's to hoping I can aid in that decision. Ensign, warp 10! Let's take a look at the spectrum of colors and their abilities...
Wings Over Atreia: Aion anniversary, take two
Time to double the candles on the cake for Aion! That's right -- just two short years ago on September 22nd, the world of Atreia opened its skies to a swarm of aspiring Daevas. After a rocky start including horrendous launch week queues, some Daevas folded their wings and left for bluer skies (*cough cough* nothing to see here, move along) while others stuck it out through thick and thin and grind. But even of those who flitted off, many found their way back into Aion over the last two years. And why not? Much has changed. In the past year, NCsoft has added and tweaked the game to make it a better experience for veteran and returning players alike. And that is on top of the many additions brought about in the game during the first year! This is not your 2009 game; Aion has more content and more options. Sometimes, less is even more -- there is even less grind. Now what's a celebration without... celebrating? NCsoft is offering goodies galore to citizens of Atreia throughout the month-long anniversary celebration. And so that no Deava is left out of the festivities, a 10-day reactivation event will take place beginning at 11:00 a.m EDT on September 22nd and running until 11:00 a.m. EDT on October 2nd. All inactive accounts in good standing on or before September 14th are eligible for reactivation. Wondering what exactly you are missing? Catch a breeze and float past the cut as Wings Over Atreia looks at how Aion has evolved over the past 12 months as well as what gifts, goodies, and events await Daevas during the celebration.
Behind the Mask: Two years and two thousand miles
Some of you will recall what Champions Online was like at launch. I think that a lot of readers here at Massively still remember that soreness. The first year of CO was kind of a rough, rocky ride. At some point or another, I think all of us expected the game to fail. It was really only in the in the last few months of that year that Cryptic started to turn the game around. The second year of Champions has been a lot more successful. I'm pretty sure that from a bottom-line perspective, the F2P launch helped turn the game into a profitable venture. However, that hasn't been the only major change. If Cryptic had held this kind of attitude from day one, I think things would have turned out differently.
Enter at Your Own Rift: A party guide for the fashionably late
Last week, Justin presented a great overview of what's on the horizon for RIFT via his interview with Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman. On August 25th, everyone is invited to celebrate RIFT's six-month birthday, with special events and prizes for the next seven days. New and returning players get to play for free, while subscribers get lots of special perks like extra experience, increased drops, and even a special birthday gift at the end of the celebration. Curious about why players names are certain colors? Having a hard time deciphering an acronym? Wondering how you can find the calling and level of someone talking in open chat? Read on for some helpful game tips for those who are thinking of checking out the game (and perhaps a few tips that even veterans might appreciate)!
