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Xsyon announces newest Guide-run event: The Grand Cart Race
Earlier this month, we reported on a player-run event being held in Notorious Games' sandbox MMO Xsyon, and bear-fighting was involved. Today, the team has put out an announcement for a new Guide-run event, though unfortunately bear-fighting is not involved. What is involved, though, is cart racing. The event, known formally as The Grand Cart Race, will begin at 3:00 p.m. EST on this coming Sunday, January 29th. Players are encouraged to bring their own carts to race, but if you haven't built or traded for a cart yet, don't worry; the guides will be handing out loaners for the duration of the event. The team doesn't reveal what exactly the race will entail, but mentions that "there will be different stages of the course aimed at taking advantage of each of the features of the carts." For the full details, check out the event's official thread on the game's forums, then prepare to do it up NASCAR: post-apocalypse-style.
SK Telecom's Smart Cart syncs to phones, reminds you to buy milk
Familiar with this scenario? You put off grocery shopping until the weekend, curse your way through the irate Sunday morning hordes, and then schlep your food all the way home only to realize you forgot to buy dish soap and use those coupons. Good thing, then, that SK Telecom is trialing a new service that syncs items from a smartphone app -- like a shopping list -- to its tablet PC-equipped Smart Cart. Hailed by the company as the first of its kind, this real-time aide uses indoor positioning to provide product info, tips and discounts while you peruse those crowded aisles. The WiFi-connected in-cart display also makes use of augmented reality, offering coupon clippers a high-tech solution for their cost-cutting predilections. If the current pilot test in China's Shanghai Lotus Supermarkets proves a success, expect to see this "personalized smart shopping service" doling out recommendations based on purchase history and location. Hear that? That's the sound of marketers licking their hyper targeting chops. Full PR is after break.
Chococat case cuddles up against our heart
We don't have to tell you how cute this case is. It's etched right on the front of the kitty with the big eyes. And, with a see-through pouch on the back (complete with velcro strap for securing precious games), this thing also has "complete package" written all over it. For further evidence of flickr user Michy Michelle's extreme skill at DS crafts, peep the Hello Kitty DS Lite. We just wish we had a bigger picture to drool over. Hello Kitty isn't really our thing, but if someone did the same thing to a DS except replaced the Hello Kitty with, say, He-Man, then we'd totally be down with it.Head on past the break for a look at the Chococat case from a different angle.
Buy it while you can: Blast Arena Advance
Though newcomers to the homebrew scene likely missed Blast Arena Advance when the title was released mid-2005, and even longtime followers of the community probably acted too slow to pick up one of the original 41 cartridges that were manufactured and distributed later on, there may still be a chance for you to make things right.Developer Matthew Carr (Lemmings DS port) has made available 150 more Blast Arena Advance carts for approximately $14, warning timid buyers that this limited run will be the last for this project. Already, over sixty of the semi-transparent, teal-colored carts have been sold. The penny-wise among you could always download the ROM posted on Matthew's site instead, but you'd have one more hole in your collection of rare GBA games.From its minimalist-but-stylish graphics to its immediate accessibility, there's plenty to compare between Blast Arena Advance and the bit Generations' series presentations. You can play the entire game using just the D-pad, collecting flanges and dodging debris from exploding stars while the soundtrack -- music so good you'll try your damndest to survive longer just to hear more of it -- paints in the scenery missing from the black background. Fling yourself past the post break for some video we took of us playing Blast Arena Advance.
Publix grocery stores testing TV Karts
If you want to see cutting-edge technology, but don't have access to, say, a consumer electronics trade show (or this site), just head down to your local grocery store, as we've seen some fairly innovative creations implanted in this most atypical locale. The everyday food market has seen personal shopping assistants, carts that tag along behind you, and an ultra-pimped-out buggy for those who can't leave their flamboyant style aside for even a moment. Most recently, Publix supermarkets have attempted to address an issue that has apparently been nagging grown-ups for years: dealing with kids and maintaining their sanity (and humility) while trying to restock those bare cabinets. By introducing the TV Kart, reportedly shaped like a car and rocking a smallish display, Publix hopes to channel the attention of those rambunctious offspring into a wholesome episode of Bob the Builder, Barney, or The Wiggles. The cart, devised by the New Zealand-based Cabco Group, would cost parents $1.00 to rent while making their rounds, and Publix stores that agreed to offer such transportation would presumably receive royalties from the manufacturer. The kid-controlling carts are stored on "charging mats" while not in use, and though we aren't sure if there will be multiple shows stored for those really long shopping excursions, there's apparently no worry over battery life becoming an issue. Currently, the carts are being tested in five metro Atlanta stores, while stores near the Motor City itself are also showing interest -- but before you plop down your dollar for 30 minutes of peaceful shopping, just remember that all that bottled up energy has to be unleashed eventually.[Via Fark]
