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Bus driver chooses GPS over gigantic warning sign, plows into overpass
Okay Britons, here's your shot at ripping us Americans who've had quite a few laughs at the expense of your GPS-loving neighbors. Reportedly, the driver of a charter bus carrying a high school girls' softball team decided to casually follow the soothing turn-by-turn directions that were being emitted from the nearby GPS unit rather than actually noticing the enormous clearance sign on the overpass ahead. As you can likely guess, the 11-foot, 8-inch-high vehicle plowed right into the 9-foot bridge -- which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 -- though somehow everyone on board escaped without any major injuries. Oddly enough, the driver apparently isn't alone in chipping away at the landmark, as a local even mentioned that "large trucks hit the bridge every two weeks or so," but couldn't resist noting that "this [instance was] by far the worst."[Thanks, Raleigh]
Trucker blindly follows GPS, gets wedged in farm lane
At first glance, we seriously assumed that we had mentioned this exact same story before. Turns out, one particular Maxi Haulage driver doesn't tune into Engadget, as he pulled the exact same trick in (almost) the same circumstances. Reportedly, this timber haul was cut short as the driver followed his personal GPS system down a "farm lane" suitable only for (presumably small) tractors, and needless to say, the 45-foot vehicle has been wedged ever since. Additionally, the owner of the property is quite irate, as the mishap is forcing her to drive an extra two miles until rescue arrives. Still, the motorist did cruise right by a sign noting that the upcoming road was unfit for heavy goods vehicles, so at least the sat nav can't take all of the blame this go 'round.[Thanks, Carl H.]
Today's hottest animation: Mauvais Role, a villain identity crisis
See if you can spot all the video game references in Mauvais Rôle, an animated French short film, hosted by Boing Boing. The premise is simple: a video game villain is tired of his job and seeks other "employment opportunities." The animation is very well done, as is the voicework.Video embedded after the break. Thoroughly entertaining: make sure you watch the entire video and let's keep track of all the different game references you spot in the comments below.
Stefan Eriksson released from jail, awaiting expulsion
Just as expected, the former Gizmondo Europe director is free at last -- well, almost. Barely a year after Stefan Eriksson was sentenced to "three years" in the slammer, he's now been let loose from behind bars and is currently "awaiting expulsion." Purportedly, everything was nearly in place to ship him back to Europe prior to Christmas, but apparently, the Swedish consulate has taken its sweet time in preparing a new passport. What's still unclear, however, is whether the Ferrari Swede will be flown back to Sweden or Germany, but if all goes to plan, we'll be liveblogging the whole ordeal as soon as that news breaks (we jest, we jest).
Man follows GPS directions onto train tracks, into dummy hall of fame
Once again proving that "people be stupid," a Bedford Hills, New York man allowed his GPS to navigate him onto train tracks... while a train was approaching. Entering a long line of folks like Cherry Tree Guy and the Narrow Lane Invader, this mentat in question apparently followed directions to "turn right" onto a set of tracks, which he then inexplicably became stuck on. Upon noticing the speeding locomotive heading towards his car, the man jumped out of the vehicle and tried to warn the engineer by waving his arms frantically -- to no avail. The train slammed into the truck at 60 MPH and pushed the vehicle more than 100-feet, damaging 250-feet of track. The man was unharmed, though we understand his ego has filed for divorce.[Thanks, Dr. Mark]
Cologne firemen make haste in rescuing crash test dummies
Here's an interesting one. Apparently, a team of engineers failed to shut off the automated emergency calling system on a vehicle being used in a crash test facility in Germany, and as you may expect, it wasn't long after the dummies slammed into a wall that medical personnel were arriving on scene. It was reported that this incident was the first of its kind, as members of the Cologne fire brigade rushed out to what they believed was some sort of "massive" automobile accident. The firemen were able to locate the vehicle due to its integrated GPS unit, and while we're sure they were at least slightly confused upon arrival, at least they got to take the fire engine out for a leisurely spin.[Thanks, Martin T., image courtesy of Edmunds]
Video: Crash of the Titans trailers ... nuff' said
This may be a bit out of the ordinary, but we came across a few new Crash of the Titans trailers featuring our favorite bandicoot doing some dare-devilish stunts. The two commercials (one above and another after the break) involve a random dude dressed up in a Crash outfit who climbs on the backs of extreme sports stars' shoulders and ultimately gets hurt in the process. Odd? Yup. Entertaining? Double yup. Do we know why we enjoy this kind of commercial foolery? Nope.
Welsh village under attack by GPS-blind drivers
We tend to shed a tear or two for humanity each time one of these stories crosses our radar, and unfortunately, this one had us bawling. Apparently, residents in Llangadog have been frustrated time and time again as drivers of large trucks came rumbling through blindly following directions spat out by navigation systems. Wide vehicles have now failed to successfully traverse a very narrow road and not destroy any property in the process not once, not even twice, but three times, leaving a previously restored building in the community damaged (thrice) by recklessness. Reportedly, around £1.5 million ($3.12 million) is being spent to beautify landmark properties in Llangadog and Llandovery, but there's mounting concern that GPS-reliant motorists could reverse any progress by striking buildings as they attempt to squeeze through. It sounds as if signs are being erected to inform drivers of their navigator's cluelessness, but who knows if folks will actually take their eyes off of the LCD long enough to notice.[Thanks, Josh]
Lunar lander lifts off, then promptly crashes
As the sole contestant in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, Armadillo Aerospace's predictably named Armadillo managed to complete two parts of a NASA challenge to win $350,000 in prize money. However, on attempting the top task -- fly 50 meters up, fly 50 meters sideways, and land -- the Armadillo tripped up, plummeting to the ground and losing the chance to win $1 million. It'll get another chance today, although at least the team won't be rushed by the non-existent competitors. Packing 1,800 pounds of thrust to the vessel's 1,500 pound weight, the Armadillo is guided by GPS and other sensors: one day we could be taking trips to the moon in the distant, distant successor to this little beast.[Via Crave]
Around Azeroth: Crash landing
Reader Tyler sent this image our way without any information on its specific location, so we're on our own for this one. However, there's only one place in Azeroth with quite that look -- the Tanaris desert. But where did this little plane come from? Who piloted it and who crashed it? It's one of those little details in the Azerothian landscape that has no story behind it -- it's just there.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing a copy to aroundazeroth@wow.com, with as much or as little detail as you'd like to share with the world! %Gallery-1816%
Fanswag: And the Crash winner is ...
Well, our giveaway came to a close last night and we have chosen our two winners. As you all know, the grand prize winner will not only receive a copy of Crash of the Titans, but a Wii skin from RedBeard. Our runner-up receives the other skin. So, without further delay, let's present our winners: Grand Prize winner: Ponweed, who likes the "the one about the orange rodent guy and the guy with an N on his forehead." Runner-up: Eddie Lopez, who enjoyed Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back And there we have it. Thank you all for entering and be sure to check back with us next week where we'll be giving away another piece of swag. Thanks for entering and thanks for reading Wii Fanboy!
Fanswag reminder: You only have hours left
You like free stuff, right? Well, then maybe you would like to enter our giveaway we have running right now. Today is your last day to do so. And we're dying to give this stuff away, because our closet is too full of the corpses of fallen comrades, who gave their lives for a very good cause.So, be sure to head on over to the contest post (we'll link it again for you) and get your entry in before 11:59pm EST tonight. Oh, and remember: one entry per person. We'd hate for you to be disqualified.
Wii releases for the week of October 1st
Plenty of games releasing this week, so if you're looking for something new to play, especially a sports game, then you should be good to go. Some other titles of note include Crash of the Titans (we're glad to see the bandicoot is back) and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. Titles releasing this week are: NBA Live 08 Spider-Man: Friend or Foe MLB Power Pros Dave Mirra BMX Challenge Crash of the Titans Balls of Fury Hot Wheels: Beat That! Ninja Bread Man So, any of you plan on picking up a new game?
Joystiq hands-on: Burnout Paradise
I recently got sucked into Burnout Paradise, playing about a half-hour of the racing game due for release this Winter. While a half-hour may not seem like much, at hands-on gaming events, we writers rarely have the time or interest to play more than about fifteen minutes of a title before moving to the next.Criterion creative director, Alex Ward chatted while I raced through the realistic city; he was clearly proud and excited by the game's deviation from previous Burnout franchise titles. And I was also impressed.Admittedly, a half-hour isn't enough time to make a complete assessment of a game. But I'm optimistic that the new version of the title will be a smash even if it breaks Burnout traditions.%Gallery-2874%
Mastering Minions in Crash of the Titans
This latest trailer for Crash of the Titans has us damn excited for the game. It's not taking control of minions so much that has us all excited, but just the desire for some platforming action on the Wii. We know we'll get quite the fix when a certain other game comes out, but this might not be such a bad diversion while we wait for that other game.What do you all think?
Surprise: cable companies edging closer to bandwidth exigency
We know, it was a year ago yesterday that we had this very same conversation, but apparently, cable companies aren't heeding the advice of analysts. According to yet another study, this time by ABI Research, "cable providers will soon be faced with a serious bandwidth crunch" as more and more individuals look to online gaming, video-on-demand, and IPTV for enjoying their precious moments of leisure. Compounding the problem is the growing demand for more HD channels in the lineup, and considering that the satellite operators are already raising the bar, cable carriers can only play dumb for so much longer. Stan Schatt, VP and research director for ABI Research, was quoted as saying that "digital switching is key" to releasing some of the strain on current infrastructures, and while we aren't ones to believe that the influx of online TV delivery will debilitate the internet (or cable providers), something seemingly has to give -- and soon.[Via Slashdot]
Network card crash leaves 17,000 stranded at LAX
According to reports, a single computer crash on Saturday in the Customs office of LAX caused hours of delays for more than 17,000 airline passengers. US Customs officials say that a malfunctioning network card on a single desktop created a "domino" effect with its other computers, leading to a total system failure that caused massive wait times. According to a Customs spokesman, "We lost access to our national systems, as well as our local area network." He went on the claim that it took over ten hours to diagnose the problem, halting screening operations and leaving passengers stranded on planes or in the airport -- unable to enter or leave the US. From the sounds of it, Customs need to hire a handful of Engadget readers, who we're pretty sure could have located the source of the problem in considerably less time.[Thanks, Darleene]
The Titans of Achievements Crash [update 1]
Update: x360a has the pictures for the list in case you're interested.MyGamercard.net got their hands on the Achievement list for Crash of the Titans (which explains the slightly jumbled headline) today. The list seems to point at completing various tasks throughout the story, with some extra stuff thrown in for beating the game on the Hard difficulty and earning Gold Idols on all the levels on hard. Hopefully the Achievements will be retroactive so those who want to tackle those can get the other ones at the same time. There are also 5 secret Achievements which account for 75 Gamerscore. In total there are 47 Achievements for the standard 1000 Gamerscore.
Nissan shows off even more safety developments
For those who value ultra-low insurance premiums, Nissan is quickly making a case to be a front-runner in your next car buying decision. Just days after showing off a concept vehicle with anti-drunk driving technology, the firm is now demonstrating a number of other non-alcoholic safety features including a lane departure prevention system, bumper sensors that release a hinge to lift the engine hood slightly and soften the impact if a pedestrian is hit, and a gas pedal that lifts to warn of possible collisions. Granted, some of these devices are already being implemented on a number of rival automobiles in one form or another, but Nissan will reportedly be installing the aforementioned features into its vehicles within the next year or so, and yes, that includes vehicles destined for the US.
AppleHound rounds up iPhone bugs
AppleHound has posted a list of all the (supposedly) reproducible bugs they could find in iPhone 1.0. There's 68 in total, and they range from various system hangs (the Phone app will hang if you start a sync while editing a contact photo) to many different UI/Usability bugs. Some of the usability bugs are a little iffy if you ask me-- many of them, like the "bug" where photo albums with less than 20 images don't display an actual number of images, seem to be "working as intended" (because why would you need an image count when you can easily see how many images are there?), and others have already been shot down according to the Apple HIG.But on the other hand, I can't really fault AppleHound for being such sticklers. First of all, this is a cell phone that costs $600, and you should get what you pay for-- quibbling about interface quirks now means there's a much better chance of getting them fixed in a future firmware update. And second, this is Apple we're talking about. While other cell phone companies get complaints about call reception and service outages, these are complaints about tiny, half-a-second visual inconsistencies. Heck, I love my Razr, and the screen goes nuts without reason almost daily. There's nothing wrong with holding Apple to a higher standard, and maybe if Apple is kept on their toes with the iPhone, hopefully other cell phone companies will find themselves with their feet held to the fire as well.Thanks, Leonard Nimrod!
