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Microsoft confirms dates for BUILD 2012: October 30th to November 2nd in Redmond
Microsoft just announced the big launch date for Windows 8 last week, and it's now also confirmed the dates for another of the company's key events this year. The next BUILD conference will take place between October 30th and November 2nd, with the company's Redmond campus serving as the host location. Registration will open up at 8AM Pacific on August 8th (hint, hint), at which point the company will also start dishing some details about speakers and events taking place. Naturally, we'll be there to report on all the goings-on if you can't make it yourself.
iOS 6 beta 3 available to developers
The third beta version of iOS 6 has been handed out to developers running the new mobile OS as an over-the-air update this morning. The new versions of Xcode haven't quite made their way out into the world yet, but they should soon, giving iOS and Mac developers the option to test and build their apps on the upcoming operating system. Unfortunately, for those of us not using the latest and greatest developer builds, this only means that iOS 6 is still in progress, and there's still some work to do on it before the release to the public later on this fall. We're going to have to be satisfied with the upcoming version of Mac OS X instead -- Mountain Lion's gold master was just handed out to devs recently, which means it's closer than ever for us. Update: The Xcode updates have just dropped, and should be available in Software Update right now. The Xcode 4.5 developer preview will allow developers to put apps together for the latest beta of iOS 6, so they can be ready to go on release day.
A roadmap to The Secret World's ability wheel
After months and months of warning us that dark days are coming, Funcom's new horror-sprinkled title, The Secret World, has finally arrived. The game brings a number of new twists to the tried-and-true MMORPG formula, but its character progression is its biggest departure from the MMO formula. While many modern titles rely on class-based systems or other linear progression paths, TSW takes a considerably more open-ended approach with the ability wheel. However, this freedom of progression comes with a price. With more variety, there's more choice, and with more choice, there's bound to be more indecision. But don't fret: I'm here to help pull back the curtain on the mystery of the skill wheel and its many offerings. Want to know which route to take to dish out damage, take the hits, or heal and support your allies? Then follow along with me as I delve into the many intricacies of The Secret World's ability wheel.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Items and runes for League of Legends' attack damage champions
Attack damage is a universal thing for most League of Legends champions to build. Even characters that do not normally build AD are commonly played as AD in "joke builds." AD champions also have some of the widest variety of items available. There are a fair number of caster and tank items and a handful of hybrid items, but items that bolster physical attacks are everywhere. This can cause some confusion in what to build, and today we're going to talk about what gives you the most bang for your buck. This article will focus heavily on offense rather than defense for AD champions. We'll cover defense in a later week.
Lego and Google Chrome team up, want to cover Australasia in your models and plastic bricks (video)
Lego has allied itself with Google's Chrome browser, creating a web app that lets users craft their own houses, creatures and models, and then delicately place them across the whole of Australia and New Zealand. Celebrating 50 years of pre-teen Lego architecture in the Land Down Under, you can grab a plot of land from the source, start throwing some bricks together now and share your creations on the very public map and Google+. According to Australia's Daily Telegraph, Lego Build hopes to roll out globally through Chrome later this year, but one continent should keep us busy until Google's I/O conference kicks off later this week.
The NOFAN CR-95C: a fanless copper CPU cooler for your next-gen build
Interesting times to be shopping around for a processor, but what about a new cooler to go with it? This unassuming little work of art is the copper special edition of the NOFAN CR-95C, which is rated to cool CPUs of up to 100W TDP without the need for a fan. Judging from all the Intel and AMD leaks, that level efficiency ought to have you covered regardless of whether you opt for Ivy Bridge or Trinity -- so long as you don't mind hanging around until June, because FanlessTech reckons we won't see it go on sale any sooner.
Google pushes IMM76I ICS build to HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, reportedly quells connectivity woes
If you've been facing signal issues with your HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus since that recent Android 4.0.4 update, you'll be happy to know that Google's apparently readied another minor update that might help. A small amount of owners have noticed a new build of Android 4.0.4, listed as build IMM76I, showing up on their devices. As The Verge notes, Google hasn't publicly come out with what's been changed from the previous IMM76D build, but many folks over on the forums at XDA-Developers and Android Central have noticed that their handsets' cellular connectivity has improved. Furthermore, Android Central says that devices set to auto brightness aren't experiencing lag on the lock screen as some have had issue with. Mum's the word on when the update will hit every HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, but move your cursor over to links below for all the information that's currently available.
Linux Tycoon game lets you 'create' your own distro, neck beard not required
If you've always wanted to create and manage your own Linux distribution, but lack the talent and skill necessary to do so, today is your lucky day. A new video game, titled Linux Tycoon, now affords Windows, Mac and -- obviously -- Linux users the opportunity to select software packages, squash bugs and manage a highly skilled virtual development staff, all while trying to keep the size and scope of your *nix distro in check. The game, which is currently in beta, can be yours for a paltry $4 and is available for download from the source link below. What are you waiting for? Grep going!
PlanetSide 2's classes undergo flexible combat training
Everyone loves choices, especially when it comes to roleplaying games and the character building that goes on during the course of a game. While PlanetSide 2 may look, sound, and smell like a FPS shooter, SOE is doing all it can to ensure there's just as much choice when it comes to how players will be building their combat-hardened veterans. For starters, there are six classes from which to choose, although the decisions don't end there. Depending on a soldier's whims, she can train in certifications to tailor the class to her play style. Similar to EVE Online's skill system, cert training takes place in real time no matter if the player is online or off. Finally, players can modify -- or "sidegrade" -- their weapons for that last level of customization. Choose a class or playstyle that ends up not working out for you? SOE will even let you change your build without having to start over. Creative director Matt Higby explains: "You can switch back and forth anytime you respawn, any time you're at an equipment terminal. You can constantly try out each one of those classes and figure out what about the classes you want or what your empire needs."
Nokia shows off how it makes the N9, Americans watch with envy
We're not ashamed to say it, we love Nokia's MeeGo-running N9. We love its stillborn (but still awesome) OS, its liquid-looking display and gorgeous machined polycarbonate shell. Now, we can see how that glorious bit of Finnish hardware gets put together in the newly released video seen above. So sit back, relax and let the precision manufacturing wash over you.
Xbox Live for Windows 8 shown at Build 2011, is basically Xbox Live for Windows 8
As was revealed by the Major earlier this week, Windows 8 touts heavy Xbox Live integration among its Metro layer's key features, but beyond the fact that it exists, little else was mentioned about the PC implementation of the console ecosystem. Thankfully, Microsoft's Build 2011 developer's conference has shed some light on the app, and it's pretty darn Xbox Live-y from what we can tell. The app utilizes the Metro UI found on Windows Phone devices and features pretty much what you'd expect: friends lists, leaderboards, fauxhawk-sportin' avatars, etc. Music and Video tabs were spotted but not demoed, and while real-time cross-platform multiplayer is still anyone's guess, Microsoft did laud the architecture's asynchronous multiplayer "between two Windows PCs, between Windows and a phone or between Windows and the Xbox 360." Pretty slick stuff for those out there who've had to suffer the slings and arrows of Games for Windows Live.
Developers get a new build of 10.7.2
As 9to5Mac reports, there's a brand new build of Lion 10.7.2 out there in the wild for developers, featuring focused work on iCloud, the Mac App Store, MobileMe, and a few other places like Mail, Spotlight, Time Machine, and even things like the AddressBook and graphics drivers. This is build 11C57, coming only a few days after the last build, 11C55. We'd like to think that the increasing frequency of releases (along with the fact that there are no known issues in this build) means that a public release is right around the corner, but of course Apple is going to take its time. At any rate, devs, go check it out and make sure it's ship shape so the rest of us can see it soon.
Microsoft shows off Xbox Live on Windows 8 (video)
Yeah, we knew it was possible, but knowing and seeing are two very, very different animals. Just before closing the doors at Build 2011, Microsoft's Avi Ben-Menahem took the time to briefly showcase what would be possible with Xbox Live and Windows 8. It's obviously in a very early state, but already we're seeing signs of cross-platform multiplayer game support, and an (unsurprisingly) Metro-style universe supplanting the existing Games for Windows Live. We get the feeling that Microsoft's thinking this one through; rather than just shoehorning a gaming element in, things like "cloud saves" and dedicated Music / Video panes will be around to enjoy. Moreover, participation in the Xbox Live development program will purportedly be free, and if Ben-Menahem has his way, this will bring "everything you know and love on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live to Windows." Bold. Peek the pair of videos just after the break.
NVIDIA's Kal-El reference tablet running Windows 8 at Build (eyes-on)
This may not be the first the world's seen of NVIDIA's Kal-El reference tablet running Windows 8, but it does mark our first up-close and (sort of) personal run-in with the much ballyhooed quad-core ARM processor powering the equally anticipated OS. As we reported yesterday, NVIDIA's just launched its Windows 8 developer program, in eager anticipation of the new operating system's release. That eagerness carried over into our short sit down with the outfit's spokesperson, who wasn't giving us much in the way of details. However, he did give us a clue about future benchmarks: NVIDIA expects to see significant battery life gains on Kal-El notebooks -- as in days, not hours. Unfortunately, the reference tablet on display was locked away in a plexiglass cell, but we did manage to grab a few shots of the now familiar device running Microsoft's latest. Those, as you can see, are in the gallery below. %Gallery-133774%
Steve Ballmer touts 500,000 Windows 8 downloads in less than 12 hours
We've already heard that quite a few of you have downloaded Windows 8 since the developer preview became available last night, and it looks like plenty of other folks have as well --- about 500,000 in the first 12 hours, to be specific. That's according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer himself, who took to the stage at Build earlier today to dish that particular bit of news and recap the past two day's events. Hit the source link below for a video of the full keynote if you missed it (Ballmer's appearance is around the 2:32 mark).
AMD Fusion tablets running Windows 8 at Build 2011: hands-on with video
You've already seen our in-depth hands-on with Samsung's Series 7 Slate, boasting an Intel processor and running Windows 8, and now it's time to give the other guys a little love. We got a chance to sit down with the folks at AMD, masters of the Fusion APU, before the Expo doors opened here at Build, and it would be an understatement to say that they're excited about getting their x86 chipsets running on Windows 8 machines. As with Samsung's Slate, AMD was showing off a pair of slates we've seen before, specifically the Acer Iconia Tab W500, running on the company's C-50 APU, and MSI's WinPad 110W, sporting the Z-01 APU. This is the first the company's seen of the Metro UI running on its chipsets, and like them, we're impressed with its performance. You'll get the same speedy boot-up here, as well as fast and fluid touch navigation. Unfortunately, they aren't giving up details on future devices, but we should see Brazos powering Windows 8 tablets, desktops , and notebooks in due time. For a look at AMD powering Windows 8, check out our video after break. %Gallery-133736%
Windows Server 8 and Azure platform introduced, Metro-style app building starts today
Server and Tools Business President Satya Nadella, amongst others, took the stage at Build today in order to showcase something a bit less consumer-facing: Windows Server 8 and the revised Windows Azure platform. Fret not, though -- this all plays a vital role in how you'll be enjoying Windows 8 in the months to come. A Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview will be made available to coders starting today, enabling devs to concoct Metro-style applications with HTML 5, JavaScript, C#, Visual Basic and C++. We're told that the Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview is available today for Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers and will be made available to the public on Friday. Microsoft also announced that Server 8 would provide multi-tenant infrastructure for cloud services, while the Azure Marketplace would expand to 25 new nations in early October. Those hoping to dig deeper can head on past the break (and visit the source links below). %Gallery-133730%
Windows 8 developer preview: when and where to download (update: right now, here!)
Got a brain full of Windows 8? Can't stop obsessing about it? Fret not -- as of 8PM PT this evening (just under eight hours from now), you'll be able to download a copy of the Windows Developer Preview to your 32- or 64-bit x86 machine (no activation required) from dev.windows.com. Sorry, ARM hopefuls! Per usual, we'd recommend doing so on a separate partition (or a spare machine altogether) in order to prevent unforeseen conflicts, and we'd also suggest having a stiff glass of patience waiting nearby. Something tells us Redmond's servers are going to be hammered. Update: The download is live! Click here to try it out yourself, while the slightly less daring can hang on for our first impressions of Microsoft's latest and greatest once we've installed and given it a try. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between
Today, Windows Division prexy Steven Sinofsky treated Build 2011 attendees to a walkthrough of the various tweaks, subtle or otherwise, Microsoft's made to Windows 8. Staying true to its roots, the new OS implements the familiar keyboard commands users have become accustomed to over the years -- you know, like CMD and Ctrl+F. And as for its update to Internet Explorer, MS has imbued its tenth iteration with the ability to switch between the much-hyped Metro-style UI and plain old desktop view -- all according to your whimsy. Of course, Redmond's instituted other sweeping changes across the platform, and you can check some of the highlights after the break. %Gallery-133511%
Microsoft gives Samsung Windows 8 developer PCs to Build attendees, AT&T throws in 3G service
It's just not a developer conference these days without a big giveaway, and Microsoft's now come through on that front at Build. The company announced during its keynote that it's giving away 5,000 Samsung-built developer "PCs" to attendees, and that AT&T will throw in a year of 3G service (2GB per month) for good measure. And, yes, if you haven't noticed, Microsoft is intent on calling every Windows 8 device a "PC," even tablets. In this case, that PC comes complete with a second-gen Intel Core i5 processor, an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 Samsung Super PLS display, a 64GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, and a dock with a USB, HDMI and Ethernet ports.
