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The feel-good Friday post
Rick Pierce, self-described "mid-level designer moving into senior-level roles," was recently invited to Valve's offices for a second-round interview. He didn't get the job. "You're fantastic, but let's give it a little more time," was Valve's parting encouragement. Rick's story doesn't end there, though: He sent a nifty card (pictured above; full size here) to Valve as both a "thank you" -- Rick says he "loved every minute" of the interview -- and a crafty reminder to the company that he's a talented designer. His generally uplifting account, as told in comments on Reddit, underscores a tough job market and inspires positive creativity in spite of the down economy. As Rick says, "Hang in there, it gets better." In that spirit, we'd like to point you to Rick's Quandry texture pack for Minecraft and encourage you to poke around the site of his indie studio Retribution Games. We'd also like to invite you to share links to any of your own game design-related work in the comments section of this post.
Volkswagen Beetle converted to run on methane headed for the UK streets
Meet the Bio-Bug, a custom modded Volkswagen Beetle which has been converted to run on biogas -- fuel created from human waste. The process of conversion isn't brand new, but this will be the first automobile fully converted to run on biogas in the United Kingdom without any loss of performance. In fact, the car is so reliable that its makers believe it can "blow away" electric vehicles, and that consumers won't even notice the difference. The Bio-Bug is a regular old 2 liter VW convertible modified to operate on both gasoline and compressed methane gas: once the methane runs out, the car reverts back to running on gasoline. The cars run on so little methane that just one regular sized sewage plant could run a car (or cars) over 95,000,000 miles per year. Developed by GENeco, a sustainable energy company in the UK, the Bio-Bug is going into a trial period, and the company plans on converting its entire fleet if successful.
How to cook (and cut) with the iPad
Honestly, we kind of just wanted to post the video above (in which Jake Gyllenhaal uses Apple's magical and revolutionary device as a cooking board, and then decides to make it the main dish), but it turns out that you can use a kitchen utensil on the iPad to some success. Another British man got a 3G iPad from the States, and really wanted to use his Vodafone SIM on it. So he grabbed a meat cleaver, and got to cutting. He chopped off enough of the SIM card to fit it in the iPad's microSIM slot, and when he plugged it in, it reportedly worked. That's a little nuts -- we definitely don't recommend that you foreigners a) start chopping up SIMs, and b) try sticking chopped-up SIMs in the iPad's card slot. But The Register claims it should work, since most of the body of a SIM card is just plastic handle rather than the important electronics. And who knows -- if you do break things, and brick your iPad in some way, at least you'll have a very sturdy glass cutting board.
SanDisk 32GB microSDHC vs. SanDisk 4GB microSDHC... fight!
We know which one we'd rather take -- but alas, we came packing the meager 4GB card in our personal phone as we sauntered up to SanDisk's booth at a CTIA press event this evening, not that juicy 32GB bad boy right above it. At the top there you can see the silicon that goes into each and every 32GB microSDHC to come out of the foundry, and it's pretty insane: 8 layers of 32nm 3-bit-per-cell memory. The SanDisk rep we spoke to said that other companies not capable of pulling off the 8 layer trick will be at a significant disadvantage, since they'll need to go with a higher density at the brutal cost of a lower yield rate -- and as we all know, a chunk of silicon that's failed QA is little more than a paperweight (and not a very effective one at that). We'll take three.
Eye-Fi Pro X2 cards have arrived, and you probably want one
I pre-ordered an Eye-Fi Pro X2 from Amazon a few weeks ago. (Don't be too jealous, I did it when I decided that I was going to have to wait for an iPad for financial reasons.) This is not my first Eye-Fi card, as I bought a 2GB version a few years ago -- and quite frankly, I hated it and thought it was overpriced. We have talked about the Eye-Fi before, but if you are not familiar with it, here's a basic summary: the Eye-Fi cards are Wi-Fi enabled, meaning that you can upload your pictures from your camera without a USB cable or card reader. You can set it to automatically upload to iPhoto, or just to a specific folder on your computer. You also have the option to have your pictures uploaded to MobileMe, Flickr, Evernote, Picasa, Facebook, and many other places (see chart in new window). Videos can be uploaded to Flickr (only 90 seconds maximum, though), Picasa, YouTube, Facebook, Phanfare, and Photobucket. You can even set it up to send notifications via email, Facebook, Twitter, or SMS when transfers start, finish, or are interrupted. The Pro X2, at US$150, is still expensive and it is SD-only (sorry, CF users), but the new card comes with a host of new features which make it worthwhile. The first is the the card is a Class 6 device, meaning that it is fast. The older Eye-Fi card always felt like it was really slow to me, which meant that I didn't always want to use it. This new card is as fast as any card I own, and the limiting factor now seems to be my camera, not the card. There's a whole lot more.
iPad hands-on: Not a full desktop replacement, but the keyboard works
For all of the back and forth about the iPad over the last week, only a handful of people (including Stephen Colbert) have gotten to actually touch one. Fox News, of all the outlets out there, posted a pretty clean and objective hands-on with the iPad earlier this week, and you can get a pretty good idea of what it's like to actually hold the device in your hands from them. They say that it works well -- the keyboard is about the same as an iPhone keyboard (though they don't say whether they try the hunt-and-peck of the iPhone, or actually try to lay their hands down as if on a laptop), and they agree to what we've heard elsewhere: that while the iPad is a nice computer, it's much more of an iPhone extension than a full laptop or even desktop replacement. One of the most interesting notes is that the much-discussed camera might not be the biggest omission from Apple's tablet -- Fox says that an SD slot or a USB port is a much bigger exception, meaning that if you want to actually do anything with files (view photos or print PDFs) from the iPad, you'll have to transfer them to and from another computer first. Of course Apple is introducing an SD addon with the device, and I thought that I'd heard the Bluetooth connection would print from the iPad, but then of course you've got to have a Bluetooth-enabled printer, and as you already know if you've ever depended on Bluetooth, even then it may be a crapshoot. Still, the device sounds about like what we all predicted a tablet would be: a MacBook Air sort of satellite extension to your household web browsing and minor computing. I still can't wait to get my hands on one -- hopefully we'll get to see a unit in person at next week's Macworld. [via MacDailyNews]
Reminder: Fable II Pub Games is Xbox Live 'deal' of the week
Fable 2's Pub Games was a brilliant way to prep players for adventures in Albion before the game's release last year, but its post-launch price of $10 seemed like a bit of a gamble. It's this week's Xbox Marketplace "deal" at 400 ($5). Considering that Pub Games was designed as a glorified piece of marketing, wouldn't it make sense to release it for free to generate renewed interest in the Fable 2: Game of the Year Edition (in which it is also included) or the episodic download? Surely that's the better bet. Add Fable II Pub Games to your queue %Gallery-27142%
Microsoft details October's Xbox Live Deal of the Week specials [update]
Update: Houston, we have prices! As you already know, this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week is none other than Prince of Persia's 'Epilogue' DLC. We're not here to talk about that, though -- instead, we're here to give you the heads up on what the rest of this month has in store for penny-pinching purchasers looking for goodies on Xbox Live. So let's get to it: October 12 Hasbro Family Game Night (Battleship, Connect 4, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Boggle and Sorry! Sliders discounted to 400) October 19 Resident Evil 5's Versus mode (discounted to 240) October 26 Fable II Pub Games (discounted to 400) Pub Games is the only title with its planned discount listed, so you'll have to wait until the appropriate time to know how much the others are discounted for. We're sorry we boggled your mind with savings, only to battle your ship -- ah, forget it, that joke could never work.
BlizzCon 2009: BlizzCon Bingo
It's that time of year again: BlizzCon is almost here, and WoW.com is proud to present our annual game of BlizzCon Bingo. The rules are simple: just print out this year's bingo card, bring it along with you to the show, and then when you see something printed on the card (like Chris Metzen with his sunglasses off, or Ghostcrawler drinking a liquid that may or may not contain gin), mark it off. Observe five in a row (you can have the welfare epics in the middle for free), and you win!You'll notice that the options run the gamut, from an expansion named Cataclysm (a pretty safe bet) to seeing Ozzy play a Blizzard game (not so likely). Almost all of this stuff is probably available somewhere on the convention floor, though you'll have to really look to find everything.And if you do win, make sure to find one of us from WoW.com at the show and show off your finished bingo card. We might just have a nice prize for you, from a pat on the back to something even better.%Gallery-5359% BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there's some great looking costumes.
Video: augmented reality business card sells itself
Does your feeble mind recall those wicked awesome 3D Topps cards from earlier this year? How could you forget, right? It seems as if that very same technology has been shifted over to the wine and cheese crowd, and thanks to one James Alliban, now those all-too-boring business cards can also be equipped with augmented reality. Put simply, these cards have been imprinted with a 3D grid of colored planes on one side, and when placed in front of a PC webcam, a pixelated pop-up arrives to really make that first impression one that sticks. Hop on past the break to see exactly what we mean.[Via GadgetVenue]
First Look: Postman adds social networking to the iPhone ecards mix
In the ecosystem of the App Store, the postcard-sending app occupies a healthy niche; about two pagefuls -- 60 apps -- show up in the store, for a category weighting of 0.125 flatulans. The flatulan, of course, is the unit of measurement of App Store penetration, equaling the 480 individual apps that include the word 'fart' somewhere in their description. Among those postcard apps, there are several standouts for virtual cards (ADA winner Postage, for example) and even a few that let you send physical postcards for a small fee (TapTapCards, goPostal and Postino). With Postman (iTunes link/website), released today by Freeverse and Taptivate for $0.99 for iPhone OS 3.0 devices, the postcard-sending app category gets a social media boost. Postman lets you deliver your two-sided ecards (yes, the app gives you the option of simulating the back of a traditional postcard, complete with stamp graphic) via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, email, or simple upload to the postmanapp.com website for public review. You can already track several tweeted postcards (some which probably should never have been sent.) You can also simply save your postcards to the photo roll on the device. Creating postcards with Postman is fast and easy; all the controls are persistent in a small icon bar at the top of the screen and large front/back and 'share' buttons at the bottom. Postman has style and several handy features. In addition to using your own camera images/photo library or the included stock images for postcard sources, you can locate yourself on a Google map and use that graphic instead (this leverages the Map API in iPhone 3.0). Once you pick a graphic, you've got a choice of one-click filters to apply that spice up the look of your card. You can easily switch fonts and colors for your text input on the card front or back, and then send with a couple of taps. There are a few rough edges with the first release. I found the lack of a portrait mode frustrating, as I'm actually a faster typist on the vertical keyboard; not that you'll be keying in a chapter of War and Peace, but there's quite a bit of room for copy on the postcard back and I'd like to be able to rotate on that screen. The selection widgets seem cramped a bit, particularly the one for the stock templates. It would be nice to save postcards in progress and switch back to them, but for now there's only one card and no way to revert to earlier versions. If you want to have super-slick, email-only postcards from your iPhone, and are willing to spend a couple of dollars more for some added flexibility, you may be better off with Postage or the still-awesome Comic Touch. For $0.99, however, the first pass of Postman delivers ease of use and some very handy delivery mechanisms on the back end.
Fallen Earth Valentine's Day cards offer closed beta keys
Have a special someone in your life this Valentine's Day who just isn't into the conventional pink candy hearts, stuffed animals and chocolates? Someone who would enjoy some good old-fashioned post-apocalyptic humor above all else? Well you're in luck because the folks at Fallen Earth have created a Valentine's Day card creator themed for their upcoming MMO.Simply head on over to their forums and fill out the simple form. You'll need to be registered on their forums first, but it will all be worth it when the love of your life reads those special words, "Love means never having to say 'That's Gross'." In addition to the lovely sentiment, one in ten cards will be chosen for the closed beta program, and any forum member who sends ten or more valentines will receive a special "SuperFan" forum award. Feel free to send away as many as you like, but only one per recipient.
NYT: Music execs operate 'in fear of Apple'
In today's New York Times, Tim Arango tells a story of a heated conversation between Sony Music's Rolf Schmidt-Holtz and Steve Jobs on Christmas Eve -- one that "ricocheted around the music industry." Apparently, before the announcement at Macworld, all the labels except Sony had agreed to a new pricing deal. Sony wanted the new pricing to take effect immediately after the announcement, but Jobs wanted a longer rollout. After the phone call, according to the Times, Sony agreed to the longer waiting period. During this time, Jobs was allegedly on medical leave, recuperating at home from his much-publicized illness. Arango notes that Jobs' point-man on music industry relations, Eddie Cue, and Apple's entire staff "do their best to follow Mr. Jobs's style in their own negotiating." That is to say: Hardball. Music executives, according to an unnamed source, are afraid of angering Apple, as Apple can single-handedly remove a label's catalog from the iTunes store, angering the label's customers. At the same time, Apple can claim that their hands were tied, the decision wasn't theirs, and that all the ire should be directed at the music industry. Such a thing hasn't happened -- yet -- but the threat is there, and real. The labels, on the other hand, feel like they brought Apple back from the dead, blessing the company with content. Even so, David Card of Forrester Research offered an interesting coda to the story: "if it weren't for Apple, God knows how bad the music industry would be," he said. [Via 9-to-5 Mac.]
Send an audio get-well card to Steve
We'll have more coverage and reactions tomorrow to Apple's announcement this afternoon of Steve Jobs' leave of absence while he tends to his health. While we may have different takes on what the news means for Apple's immediate and long-term prospects, I believe we can all join in wishing Steve a full and speedy recuperation. I'm sure we also all send Tim Cook our hopes for Apple's continued success.To that end, TUAW wants to give you a voice as part of our audio get-well card to Steve. You can call in your message to our voicemail hotline at (917) 512-7398 x41469, or record it yourself and upload the MP3 or AAC file to our dropbox at http://tr.im/getwell -- we'll edit the messages together for next week's podcast. Be sure to identify yourself on the call.If you want to do a photo or illustrated card, you can upload it to the same dropbox, or simply tag it with 'tuaw' on Flickr to add it to our pool, and we'll highlight the best in a gallery later this week.If you're blogging your thoughts on today's announcement and Steve's health as it relates to Apple, feel free to leave a link in the comments.
TUAW wishes you a Happy New Year
From everyone at The Unofficial Apple Weblog, we wish you a Happy New Year! May the new year bring you happiness, and plenty of Mac and iPhone goodness.
How to transfer gold and items into Fable 2
If you've spent a few hours building up a mass of gold in Fable 2 Pub Games for Xbox Live Arcade or earned in-game swag through the game's website, our compadres at X3F have created a video tutorial guiding you through the steps of getting the gold and items into the game. Although unconfirmed, we've heard various sources say that those who cheated at Pub Games start the game with full corruption, rendering you quite hideous in appearance. Stay tuned all week to X3F for more Fable 2 coverage, including a guided tour of Albion.
PSN Cards expand to Walmart, Best Buy, Sam's Club and Barnes & Noble
It took some time, but it looks like PLAYSTATION Network cards are ready to hit mass distribution. In October, these prepaid gift cards for use on the PLAYSTATION Store will be available at Walmart, Best Buy, select Sam's Club outlets. In November, they will also be available at Barnes & Noble College Bookstores locations, just in time for midterms and finals."The PLAYSTATION Network Cards are an easy way for PSP and PS3 fans to obtain great games, movies, TV shows and other entertainment through PLAYSTATION Network and we are pleased to offer them at major retailers nationwide," said Eric Lempel, director, PLAYSTATION®Network Operations, SCEA. "With the holiday season right around the corner, these cards are an ideal gift option for friends and family, whether they are movie aficionados, dedicated gamers or something in between."
Fable 2 Pub Games patched, exploit fixed
Taking a bit longer than expected, Lionhead Studios recently released a patch for the Fable 2 Pub Games that not only reset the Fortunes Tower leaderboards but also FIXED the gold exploit. Yes sir, a new patch to fix what Peter Molyneux told us was an "intentional" bug that allowed players to rack up millions in gold. Eh? So, this patch release leads us to one of two conclusions. Either Molyneux told the truth, the glitch was intentional and players will somehow be affected when playing Fable 2 OR we've been lied to, the exploit was completely unintentional and Molynuex was covering up the fact. No matter what conclusion you end up on, we won't know the truth until October. [Thanks, Elite wing Zer0]
Molyneux: Fable 2 Pub Game exploit was intentional
Fable 2 Pub Games cheaters, exploiters and evil doers, we have a special announcement for you. You've been tricked! Yup, tricked and by Lionhead themselves. How so? Well, according to IGN and their discussion with Peter Molyneux during a recent Fable 2 hands on event, Molyneux made it clear that the Pub Games exploit was intentionally added. GASP! Molyneux goes on to warn those who cheated that they'll be in for a surprise when launching Fable 2. What sort of surprise? We dunno, but we're thinking it may have to do with that whole "good vs. evil" thing. Maybe cheaters will be jailed, lashed with a leather whip and forced to eat cabbage for seven days and seven nights. Oh we can't WAIT to see what's in store for cheaters! [Via Joystiq, Thanks Jonah F.]
Molyneux: Pub Games 'glitch' intentional, with consequences
While we're sure you've already constructed your Scrooge McDuck-esque pool of golden, nefariously-obtained Fable II Pub Games earnings, Peter Molyneux might be preparing to pull off the biggest gamer prank since the anti-Spore Rick Roll. According to a quick blurb in IGN's Fable II preview, "Just be warned. Molyneux has said that the cheat was no accident and that those who used it to earn their money will be in for a surprise." Something tells us that "surprise" isn't being filthy rich in-game. Is he bluffing? We'll find out soon enough when our sea of coins is quickly drained from under us. Fable 2 is due out October 21. Need more Fable 2? We can't blame you. Check out our hands-on with the first three hours of the game, as well as our interview with Peter Molyneux, in which he talks about his game, Too Human and Lionhead's "shocking" secret project.
