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Insert Coin: The PowerPot portable electric generator (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Assuming you're not getting through the day with a bounty of fuel cell-powered gadgets, you've probably been in a situation where you needed power and it was nowhere to be found. The PowerPot isn't the most practical solution for every scenario, but it's likely to come in handy at least once. The power-generating pot uses thermoelectric modules to convert temperature differences into a 5-, 10- or 15-watt regulated power stream, sufficient for juicing up USB devices like smartphones, GPS devices and LED lamps. The most traditional method for creating this temperature difference is to put a pot of cold water over an open flame, but the device is adaptable to other configurations -- a pot of snow on a thermal spring, for example. Assuming you've taken the fire approach, you can also use the pot to boil water or cook food as you charge your gadgets. The inventor has created a functional prototype that features fire-proof components and looks quite polished, but now the team is turning to Kickstarter to advance the project to production. Your pledge could net you any of a variety of PowerPots, ranging from a 5-watt portable V flavor for $125 to the 15-watt XV for $500. You can also pre-order a 10-watt PowerPot X for $199. If you're feeling generous, there's also an option to donate a PowerPot to folks in developing nations who may not have the cash to spare, but are in need of a cost-effective solution for power generation. Jump past the break to see the PowerPot V in action, and hit up the source link to scroll through the available configs before making your pledge.
Magellan announces RoadMate RV9145 GPS device, offers campground navigation for $350
Looking to get a jump start on your summer road trip? Magellan wants to help out, with the RoadMate RV9145. This latest addition to the RoadMate family of GPS devices features an "extra-wide" seven-inch display, which drivers can use to locate campgrounds and navigate the open road, even in low light conditions. With the RV9145, you'll have access to the Good Sam Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Directory, which offers information on more than 11,700 campground locations across the US and Canada, including those with WiFi and other amenities. Each route, moreover, can be tailored according to your vehicle's height, width and weight, as well as your own preferences for scenic or expedient traveling. The device also comes packed with Magellan's Smart Detour, which offers alternate routes whenever traffic gets unexpectedly thorny, and offers both 2D and 3D mapping capabilities. No word yet on when this device will hit the market, but when it does, you'll be able to grab it for $350.
Finland, Finland, Finland: it's still the country for Nokia
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has heard what a few little birdies have been talking about lately: the future of the phone manufacturer's headquarters. Enough rumors have been floating around the possibility of Nokia picking up and moving, in fact, that the man in charge made it perfectly clear on Finnish TV station YLE that the company isn't going anywhere. Said Elop: "As long as I'm the CEO the headquarters is in Espoo... That's our home, our sense of belonging." So there you have it -- Nokia will continue to call Finland its home. Now, what can be done about all of those lost jobs from this past year?
Gold Capped: How to deal with AH stalkers
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen and Fox Van Allen aim to show you how to make money on the Auction House. Email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! Camping and stalking are two different things, and I got an email from someone facing both asking for help. I was wondering if you had any advice on discouraging less palatable AH competition? I'm speaking in particular about obsessive AH campers and their stalking tendencies. I know it's pretty standard for competitors to add each other to their friends (or enemies) list in order to keep an eye on when they're around, but over this expansion I've encountered some behaviours which seem to be pushing the boundaries of what is and isn't OK. Earlier in the year I had one competitor follow me across Stormwind, then to Darnassus, then to the Exodar, and finally to Shattrath where I eventually logged because it was getting beyond creepy to cut a gem and then moments later see this guy targeting me and cutting the same thing. I'm not an AH camper, but when I am on I'm happy to list/relist against the guys that are – this one following me now seems to be the dominant one on the server (or the most persistent), but I wanted to know if you had any advice on how to discourage this?
The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of attunement?
Back in the days of EverQuest, my guild spent an inordinate amount of time camping dungeons for keys so that we could get into even more dungeons to camp for even more keys and so on and so forth. In retrospect, I see that the key-grind was SOE's way of slowing us down and gating us from content for as long as possible so that we wouldn't notice how very little there was of it (back then). It's like goetta: a cheap way to stretch out precious pork over more meals. World of Warcraft had keys too, even for basic 5-man dungeons, but it also introduced long, convoluted quest chains that players had to complete in order to become "attuned" to certain raid instances -- witness the quest map above, courtesy of WoWpedia. Both of these games have since heavily toned down these content blockades due to player feedback, but their influence is seen across the genre. What about you folks? Are you a fan of gating content until some grind (be it farming for an item or completing lengthy quest lines) is completed? Or do you just want to push the hokum to the side and get on with dungeoning? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Sealander amphibious trailer lets you (kinda) rough it on the water (video)
With a name like the Sealander Amphibious Camping Trailer, it's pretty clear what you're getting yourself into. This German-designed trailer does double duty as both a place to rest (for those who think roughing it is not having TiVo) and a lake-worthy water vessel. The ultra-light, waterproof hitch rider can be towed by almost any vehicle -- even those cutesy sub-compacts its European creators seem to love so much. And, once you're in the water, a small electric motor ensures you won't have to wait for the currents to carry you back to shore. The Sealander should become available in early 2012 in a variety of configurations, with an expected price of about €15,000 (around $24,000). Of course, for the same cash you could probably just buy a small camping trailer and a separate boat, though that lacks the cool convergence factor. Check out the epic demo video below.
Gold Capped: How to price Cataclysm glyphs
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aims to show you how to make money on the auction house. Email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! Glyph pricing has ignited more internet arguments than any other topic in the WoW blogosphere. Everyone has their own method, and there's always someone who gets offended by it. There is no actual right answer, just basic economics. The goal of any glyph strategy is to make gold, and the only sensible way to measure gold making is by calculating your profits per hour. The glyph lifecycle is herb > pigment > ink > glyph. There can be a lot of hours in that, so let's look at the best way to squeeze some gold from them.
Triforce Johnson gets his Nintendo 3DS first, the legend continues
There are fans, and then there are fans, if you know what we mean, and Isaiah Triforce Johnson has secured his spot in column number two with a Power Gloved fist -- here he is accepting the very first Nintendo 3DS on the east coast from Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America. Johnson camped out all week in front of Best Buy's Union Square location to be first in line at the launch event, replicating his feat of five years prior when he was first to purchase the Wii. Of course, Japanese gamers have had the autostereocopic handheld for over a month now, but we have to give credit where it's due -- we're already imagining Greg Packer and Triforce Johnson duking it out in a little Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition duel. By the way, we snapped a few shots of the 3DS launch event this morning -- check them out below. %Gallery-119822%
Gold Capped: Why deep undercutting on the auction house works
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aims to show you how to make money on the auction house, and Insider Trader, which is all about professions. For Gold Capped's inside line on crafting for disenchanting, transmutation, cross-faction arbitrage and more, check in here every Thursday, and email Basil with your comments, questions or hate mail! This week's gold blogosphere post is Cold's post on Cataclysm profitable commodities. In a thread in the comments on my last article in which I had advised a reader to undercut his glyph competition heavily instead of camping the auction house, I got another comment that got me thinking about pricing. It basically stated that every time the commenter undercut heavily on glyphs, he would immediately get re-undercut by a few copper unless his price was down to the point of no profit. I've written a little about the topic of pricing and undercutting before, but I felt it was time for a refresher. I'm going to start off by quoting what I wrote last March: "If everyone is knocking a copper off the next highest auction, they only way to undercut successfully is to try camp the AH and make sure you're always the competitor who has visited most recently. Needless to say, this is a colossal waste of your time." This is as true now as it was then.
Vindictus gives characters a moment around the campfire
The focus that Nexon has pushed with Vindictus has been one of non-stop, no-holds-barred action. While that's not a bad thing in any sense, it does lead one to wonder if there will be anything but the non-stop slaughter to deal with. As it turns out, there will be a feature in the game not just allowing players a brief rest, but actually encouraging one -- the campfire. Long known as a place where adventurers can congregate and rest, campfires can be built mid-dungeon and provide not just a chance to stop and chat, but also offer vital services. Obtained from an NPC early in the game, campfire kits and books allow players to put a campfire together, giving them small buffs that increase the longer they sit by the fire. The fire improves attack, defense, and health regeneration, with greater bonuses coming the longer you enjoy its warming presence. It also offers a more subtle benefit to players by allowing the repair of any damaged items. Although you can only assemble one per dungeon and gain no protection while sitting at the fire, it seems that Vindictus has built in a mechanic to encourage the party to sit down and chat for a minute or two before resuming the charnel-house slaughter. %Gallery-104223%
First iPhone 4 camper spotted, one week early (update: video)
Let's hope he got his preorder in, and that he's not waiting for the white one. Otherwise, he's going to be one unhappy camper, eh? Sorry, couldn't help ourselves. Update: Video interview with the Yosemite Squatter posted after the break. [Thanks, BT228]
First NYC iPad line sitter also camped for first iPhone: a legend is born (video)
Greg Packer, we salute you. Sure, the weather in New York City is a lot finer now than it was back in the sweltering summer of 2007, but we still feel the need to tip our hat to someone who'd camp out three whole days at Apple's Fifth Avenue store (read: "The Cube") for an iPad. Tipster Tom dropped in the image after the break at around 3:15PM ET yesterday, and after a short nap in Penn Station, Mr. Packer is freshened up and holding down his spot yet again. We aren't anticipating iPhone-esque lines this coming Saturday, but considering that new pre-orders aren't being fulfilled until April 12th or later, we reckon this guy is following that whole "better safe than sorry" thing to a T. Check out a brief video captured on the streets (thanks, Zoltan Kaprinay!) by tapping that 'Read More' link, and head on over to Switched if you'd like to relive a similar interview from the iPhone campout. We'll leave you with a few choice quotes from Mr. Packer on why exactly he's doing such a thing for such a product: Question: "So, nobody took your place?" Packer: "No, nobody... nobody." Question: "So, you are the first one?" Packer: "So far, yep yep!" Question: "So you're going to be the first one to buy one, also?" Packer: "Yep, yep!" Question: "Do you have any number?" Packer: "Huh?! Yes, yes. Well, first come, first serve! They don't give you a number, you queue up for a number." Question: "Do you have something in your bag, to eat or drink?" Packer: "Just mainly a change of clothes. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink." Question: "Why do you want [the iPad] so desperately?" Packer: "Because... it's like a mini laptop! I mean, you just... you know, click it on, just like you click the iPhone on. And you don't have to open it up, and you know, go through, you know, go through everything. " Question: "So, you need to have it?" Packer: "Yes! " [Thanks, Tom and Zoltan] %Gallery-89550%
The Mog Log: Community guide to Final Fantasy XI and XIV
The great thing about being a fan of Final Fantasy XI is that you're not lacking in any sort of resources online. After such a long lifespan, pages have been created to suit almost any need the community might have. And for a game whose mechanics can be obtuse at times, that's a good thing. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? The Mog Log is Massively's new weekly column focusing on all things both Final Fantasy and online, meaning both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. For our first installment, we're taking a look at the multitude of fan pages, guides, and other resources for players. Needless to say there are a few more options for the former game than the latter (due to only one of them actually being released yet), but there's already a community building in anticipation of Eorzea's adventures.
Cashing in at the Darkmoon Faire
I just posted a little while back that the Darkmoon Faire needed a change, but apparently there's still some benefit to be had over there -- Valdesta of WoWGrrl has found at least one way to keep the Faire interesting. She's been keeping a character over there, apparently, and periodically checking in on what the vendors have. They sell not only little pets and miscellaneous items like the Heavy Leather Ball (which often sell for a tidy profit on the AH, since people aren't always aware that the Faire vendors sell them), but there are also vendors there who sell profession items like herbs, motes, eternals, leathers, and so on.And as anyone who's ever levelled a profession knows, those are often worth their weight in gold, not just on the AH, but in terms of leveling up your own alt professions as well. As Valdesta says, it's worth camping an alt over there just to check in during raiding downtime or on a flight path with your other character, for the same reason you should always check and see just what other vendors around the world might have for sale -- sure, you won't make much with just one buy, but over time, picking up cheap crafting mats from the DF can lead to some solid profits on the AH.
Orange's Solar Concept Tent has lots of revolutionary, imaginary features
If the promise of Birkenstock-powered phone chargin' wasn't enough to get your ass to Glasto this year (never mind catching Björn Again perform ABBA's greatest hits on the Pyramid Stage), how about an up-close-and-personal peek at Orange's Solar Concept Tent? Designed with help from an American firm called Kaleidoscope, this guy is a refresh of the original Orange Solar Tent you might remember from 2003. Featuring photovoltaic fabric panels up top, an LCD display for keeping an eye on battery levels, a wireless charging pouch (like Palm's Touchstone but, you know, a pouch), a heating element embedded in the tent's groundsheet, the ability to light up if you should get lost while freaky dancing, and WiFi connectivity, this bad boy could conceivably get even the most nature-phobic Engadget editor out into the wild. That is, if it wasn't just a concept.[Via Textually]
Garmin's Foretrex 301 and 401 navigators are like pixelated breadcrumbs
Get lost easy do ya? Then you'll find Garmin's new Foretrex 301 and Foretrex 401 navigators more handy on the switchbacks than a sack full of Wonder "bread." These wrist-worn GPS navigators feature a rugged, waterproof design and the ability to store up to 500 waypoints and 20 routes that'll help keep you from getting lost in the great outdoors. See, each Foretrex can remember up to 10,000 points of your journey displayed as a dotted trail on the screen. When you've reached your limits, just turn on the TracBak mode and easily double-back to camp or to your vehicle. Both devices are powered by a pair of AAA batteries for about 18-hours of use -- a bit less on the 401 which needs the extra go-juice to power the electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and wireless link back to compatible Garmin devices including heart-rate monitors and cadence sensors. Both incorporate a trip computer, sunrise/sunset and hunting and fishing information with USB tethering to PC or Mac. No word on pricing or release yet but we'll update you when we get it. Foretrex 401 and full press release after the break.
Conceptual self-heating Vertigo container makes Philmont infinitely more bearable
We won't say precisely which Engadget staffer can speak from experience, but suffice to say, having the Vertigo whilst out and about in the New Mexico mountains would've made the epic Philmont adventure a much, much more delectable trek. Dreamed up by Nicolas Bernal, this self-heating container is theoretically constructed from Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) and features a high performance dynamo that heats up food within minutes. Naturally, there's a LED on board that lights up when the contents are ready for consumption, but sadly, we highly doubt this will land in your local R.E.I. / Camping World within the next few years.[Via Engadget German]
Ask WoW Insider: The joy of ganking
I was going to ask a question today about dual-heading (that is, using more than one monitor to play the game), but Amanda has already covered that topic very well. So instead, we went to Twitter for a question, where sw0rdfish came up with paydirt:Hey WoW Insider. What's the joy in ganking lowbies over and over?-sw0rdfishI agree, great topic for you readers to break down for us today. What's with all the ganking? It's just a standby on PvP servers -- you're going to get ganked, and at least once, you're going to get camped again and again and again. I play mostly on PvE servers, so I've never had to worry about this stuff, but if you've ever done it, what exactly is it that drives you to camp lowbies? Are you doing it just for fun, are you just completing the circle of ganking because you were ganked while a lowbie, or are you just doing your part and grabbing your sword to fight the Horde?Good question. And there are definitely certain times when a fragile truce arises -- usually when new content shows up (expect a PvP truce in early Northrend later this week). What say you, readers?And if you have a question for the readers of WoW Insider (we need as many as you've got -- the buffers are low!), drop us an email at ASK at WoW Insider dot com, and you might see it here next week.Previously on Ask WoW Insider...
Peering Inside: How many bots?
Nobody, not even Linden Lab, is able to determine how many bots there might be operating on the Second Life grid. Not without intensive and potentially disruptive per-account data analysis, and even then the results are likely to be flawed. A bot can indicate to Linden Lab at login that it is a bot, but it doesn't have to. It might choose to appear to be a more normal user. We've seen bots with first-life profiles, and Second Life profiles, and picks (people and places), groups, group titles, partner, payment information, prim wigs, custom clothes and skins, and in every way indistinguishable from the avatar of an actual user. While we may not be able to say with any certainty which accounts are definitely bots, which are campers, and which are merely idle, we think we can give you a pretty good estimate of how many bots and campers there actually are. The short answer is around 10,000 of them.
Warning the locals in EVE Online
Grok Newbie has an interesting idea for EVE pilots on the forums there: a gatecamp channel. If you're traveling around the universe, just sign in to a channel meant for reporting gatecamps, hear about trouble on there, and avoid getting blasted by someone sitting and waiting for travelers to warp into gates. Sounds like a good idea, right?Well, kind of. It seems like a good way for new players to avoid trouble, until those wascally pirates get their hands on it. They could easily blast an "all-clear" signal over the channel to try and bait in unsuspecting ships, or send out a false alarm to keep people out of the system for whatever reason. As experienced pilots know, you can't trust players in EVE, so any channel run by players just wouldn't work.But there are ways to keep an eye on what's happening anyway-- the local channels are usually a pretty good source of info on this vein. And the fact is that, for better or worse (to the joy of some players and the chagrin of others), if you're out of station in EVE, you're never truly safe. And that's the way many players, including the ones who can't wait to podkill you, want it
