config
Latest
Chromecast config file hints at HBO Go app testing, prodding reveals DIAL details
Google's Chromecast dongle has already blown through its supply of Netflix discount codes and now that they're in the wild all sorts of people are taking a look at how the devices work. For example, CJ Heres of GTV Hacker points out a configuration file that appears to list testing apps for Chromecast. While most of the services named in the file are those already announced (Netflix, Revision3, Google Play Music, Pandora etc.) and other devs working on support for AOL On and Songza, there's also an entry for HBO Go. Google told Wired yesterday streaming from the website should work out of the box, however other sites they mentioned will work, like Hulu and Rdio, are not listed in the file, so we may see official app support sooner rather than later. DIYers may have other reasons to be interested however, as Leon Nicholls posted on Google+ about his findings on how the device works as a DIAL server. His tests suggested there is potential for controlling it from outside of Chrome based on how it responds to some commands. Hit the source links for more info, and let us know if you've found any other services that already work.
Apple references bogus devices in iOS 5.1B1 config file
Apple is getting crafty and peppering an iOS 5.1B1 config file with references to fake devices. These bogus devices were discovered in the USBDeviceConfiguration.plist file and first reported by 9to5Mac. The file is reportedly one that many sleuths examine when they're looking for new device information hidden in iOS. These bogus references are meant to thwart developers from looking any further, but it will probably have the opposite effect. Most developers will have a good chuckle at these fake devices and turn towards the lower level files where the real information can be found.
How to: Share iCal calendars without MobileMe
This how-to over at Gearz.de will help you share your iCal calendar around even if you don't have a subscription to Apple's online MobileMe service (a very forgivable offense, especially since its expected replacement iCloud service is now just a week away). Unfortunately, the writeup is a little technical, as you'll need to actually configure your local web server to share out and broadcast the calendar to anyone who needs to read it. That means you'll need to do a little console typing and config file editing, but as long as you follow directions, it should work just fine. A simpler solution might be to use an app like BusyCal to do the syncing for you, or even just use a service that's already in the cloud, like Google Calendar (which is what I actually do). But if you're already tied to iCal, either because you've got a calendar on there or just because you like the app, following those steps should help you get sharing to anyone up and running.
Bioshock PC demo config file hints strongly at a PS3 version
A member of the GameTrailers forum has found the best evidence so far that the critically acclaimed Bioshock will be coming to the PS3. While poking around in some of the config files for the demo, an interesting entry was stumbled upon: [Console] ;; Console (XBox360, PS3) specific settings ;; StreamingDynamicFloatingLimit: ;; If this is a positive number, then instead of using the fixed per-level ;; limits, the StreamingDynamic resource will use as much memory as is ;; available as long as the total memory allocated by the game is less than ;; the specified number. In other words, StreamingDynamic will grow and ;; shrink to fit to the available memory instead of being locked to a fixed ;; budget StreamingDynamicFloatingLimit=500 The file is locate at C:\Program Files\2K Games\BioShock Demo\Content and is called ConfigINI.IBF for anybody who wants to verify this on their own computers (we've verified it on ours). It will be interesting to see when 2k Games comes out and finally admits that Bioshock is coming to the PlayStation 3. Hopefully it will turn out to be a Q1 2008 release so we don't have to wait that long.[Via PSU]
WTF?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/WTF_Secrets_to_legally_hacking_World_of_Warcraft'; Lurking inside your World of Warcraft folder is a folder called WTF. While this has often prompted me and, I'm sure, others to exclaim "WTF indeed," I have recently learned that it stands for Warcraft Text File, instead of a more colorful alternative. Oh well. Inside the WTF folder, you will find the humble Config.wtf, a plain text file that contains many saved settings from WoW. Specifically, it stores most of your interface preferences, like graphics, audio, camera, and such.And if you wanted to, you could open the document up in WordPad/TextEdit (depending on OS; apparently NotePad is not good to open Config.wtf in), and change the preferences therein, and they would apply to your game. It's pretty simple. For instance, the line for the profanity filter reads SET profanityFilter "0" in my Config.wtf, since I have it turned off. If you wanted to turn it on, you'd change the 0 to a 1, and it would read SET profanityFilter "1"; save the file, and your profanity filter is now turned on next time you run WoW. Note that you may not have a line for all possible options if they're at default values.
