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Guild Wars 2 celebrates Dragon Bash festival by giving us stuff to break
If you're a fan of ArenaNet's parties (no, not those epic PAX parties -- in-game parties!) then we have a treat for you. Starting June 11, Guild Wars 2 will be celebrating the Dragon Bash festival in game where players can build and destroy giant dragon effigies for candy and boosts, compete at mini-games like Dragon Ball and Moa Racing, win special rewards including exclusive weapon skins and holographic dragon wings, shoot off fireworks, and more. The grand finale will culminate in a lighting ceremony on June 18 in Lion's Arch. To help kick off this year's event, ArenaNet sent around a few real-life piñatas for various gaming website staff to break open themselves and record on video. You can bet that we went a little... overboard with this one. Follow along in the gallery below for images from the festival and after the cut for some piñata bashing, Massively style.%Gallery-190175%
Samsung receives patent for music player that lets you add your own riffs
Though patents often never amount to anything, we sincerely hope this wacky one from Samsung does. It's an approved idea for a portable music player that also contains keys and motion detectors to let it function as a "musical instrument," too. While listening to that epic jam, you could play along by pressing keys on the side of the device as if you were fingering a guitar's fretboard. You'd be able to change position on the "guitar neck" by moving the player back and forth, and a motion detector on the side would sense the fingers on your other hand as you strum chords or pluck out a solo. Your GarageBand-style noodling, along with the original music would all blare through a speaker and amp combo on the device, to the amusement / horror of your friends. That's assuming Samsung ever builds one, of course -- but if not, our John Q. Engadget will be the first name on a petition to get it to market.
Storyboard: The first stage of madness
Madness is a very powerful narrative tool. Unfortunately, it also gets used horribly, taken out back, and worked over with brass knuckles until it bleeds. Instead of diving into madness, players are most often more content to flirt with the surface elements, have a character who spits out funny non sequitors, or behaves with eccentricities. Let's talk about madness. Let's talk about using that effectively. Let's talk about making a character who's something more than just a crazy happy random quote machine, someone who is at once fascinating and disturbing and quite possibly unpleasant to be around because that is what madness is. There's a lot of potential for roleplaying there, a lot of stories to be told, a lot of consequences to be explored. So many consequences. What, then, is a madman? Where do we start when we discuss insanity in roleplaying? How can we impersonate it? What can playing that role accomplish?
The Summoner's Guidebook: Part random, part mid, all LoL
One of the most popular alternative gametypes in League of Legends is All Random All Mid, or ARAM. ARAM is a simple concept; it involves a single lane on which all 10 players must fight, rather than the three lanes of Summoner's Rift or two paths of Dominion. Additionally, all champions selected are randomized; you're never sure whom you'll be playing in an ARAM match until champion select begins. ARAM began life on Summoner's Rift, hence its name. The single lane used for ARAM was the middle lane, and traveling into the jungle or other lanes meant immediate disqualification of one's team. It was fraught with the normal trappings of an alternative ruleset; the rules for ARAM were not enforced by the game, so players were expected to play within the community-created rules. It evolved into ARAB, played on the Crystal Scar, with two teams fighting over the bottom capture points. ARAB proved to have its own flaws, most notably that games went on for a bit longer than normal, but the passive gold and experience as well as the health relic helped to add interesting spice to the game mode. Finally, ARAM became a more or less supported gametype with the addition of the Proving Grounds. That addition streamlined ARAM gameplay while keeping some of the elements of the Crystal Scar version of the game such as health relics and Dominion items. Today, while there is no matchmaking for ARAM, it is extremely popular in custom matches.
Why I Play: RIFT
For those of you who desperately need to know why I play RIFT in one line, I'll make it easy for you: I play RIFT because I really used to like World of Warcraft. When World of Warcraft first launched, it was difficult to explain just how astonishing the game really felt. The innovations that it brought to the table have become so commonplace over the years that we forget how stunning they really were. And when I first logged in, I had visions of what the world could support, the things that could be done, and the ways that players would get to explore hidden vistas and small corners of the world. As it happened, World of Warcraft went along quite well for several years, but somewhere along the line the magic faded for me. I can point to exactly when, but that's not the goal because RIFT seems to catch a lot of those dropped promises and put them into the game. And it's a game of extremes, with summits and valleys aplenty, but there's enough to like that I don't mind the bad so much.
Jetman soars over Rio, flies circles around historical landmarks (video)
Why would you want to leap out of a perfectly good aircraft? To fly a winged jetpack over the city of Rio de Janeiro, of course. It sounds nuts, but it's just a day in the life for Yves Rossy, the self proclaimed "Jetman" who flew over the Grand Canyon last year. Since soaring over the Rio Grande, Rossy has pitted his carbon-fiber wings against a rally car on Top Gear, taken to the skies over Abu Dhabi and, most recently, buzzed Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Jetman rocketed past the monument on an 11 minute flight earlier this week, beginning his journey by dropping out of a helicopter over Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Rossy pulled his Rocketeer trick and eventually parachuted to safety on Copacabana beach. Sound fun? Head past the break to see the man in action. Us? We'll keep our feet planted on terra firma, thanks.
Man skydives from 13 miles above Earth, isn't satisfied (video)
Your worst nightmares? Felix Baumgartner's breakfast. Determined to cement his legacy in the Pantheon of Daredevilry, the famed skydiver successfully leapt from an altitude of more than 70,000 feet last week -- and that was just a trial. It's all part of Baumgartner's attempt to complete a record-breaking 120,000 foot "spacedive" later this year and, based on early returns, he seems well on his way. His latest jump, completed on March 15th, saw the fearless Austrian carried up to more than 13 miles above the Earth, protected only by a pressurized suit and capsule that hung from a 165-foot high helium balloon. Not long after jumping out, he reached a maximum speed of 364.4 mph, with the entire free fall lasting a little over eight minutes, according to Red Bull Stratos, which is sponsoring the effort. The idea behind last week's run was to test out the balloon and pressurized capsule, though Baumgartner is apparently hoping to complete another jump from about 90,000 feet above ground, before attempting the record breaker sometime this summer. Somewhere, Yves Rossy is furiously polishing off his jetpack. For more details on the equipment used to pull off the feat, check out Red Bull Stratos' video, after the break.
New Year reveler crafts Kanye-approved EL Wire glasses: light up as the bass pounds (video)
The bar-laden spectacles that Kanye West popularized have just been reborn, and dare we say, they're harder, better, faster and stronger. YouTube user ch00ftech decided to borrow a few good great ideas while adding in a few twists of his own, resulting in the creation of EL Wire Kanye glasses that actually light up when the beat pulses. There's a deep, deep dive into the technicalities down in the source link, but for the 99 percenters in attendance, the video just below says it all.
Gresso flaunts $30,000 white iPhone 4, holds more ice than a skating rink
Sure, you probably waited longer than you should have to get the elusive white iPhone 4. But, you know what's better than a boring regular model? One with diamonds, crystals and pearls... of course! Known for its ridiculous custom mobile devices, Gresso may force you to refinance your house and hock a kidney to afford its latest creation, the Lady Blanche. A solid diamond-coated mineral glass backing, three independent Swiss clocks and pearl dials replace the usual body on this iced-out iPhone. If the $30k diamond model is a bit out of your price range, the much more affordable Swarovski crystal version will only set you back 7,000 bones. Release details are unclear at this point, but when they drop you better act fast -- only 150 of these gems will be available. Heck, if you have that kind of cash lying around, just get the salesman to throw in one of these for your iPad, too.
Swiss rocketeer jetpacks above Grand Canyon, lives to tell the tale (video)
There's "crazy" and then there's "craaazy." Crazy is going swimming five minutes after eating, or wearing white after Labor Day. Craaazy, on the other hand, is Yves "Jetman" Rossy -- a Swiss flight fanatic who jetpacked across the Grand Canyon at 190-mph yesterday morning. Rossy's suicide mission began inside a helicopter hovering some 8,000 feet above the canyon's floor. After hurling himself out of the chopper, Jetman ignited his four-motor jetpack and, using his body as a rudder, gently steered himself across the abyss. The daredevil proceeded to coast for a full eight minutes at just 200 feet above the canyon ridge before he presumably realized that he was flying above the Grand Canyon and decided to parachute down to the bottom. Rossy completed the flight with his physical health fully intact, though his mental condition remains up for debate. Blast past the break for a video that'll throw your acrophobia into overdrive.
Pica-Pic brings retro handheld games back to life, purpose to the internet
Brace yourself. You're about to be guided to the best website in the history of the universe, and if you dare doubt it, your universe may very well be ripped to shreds. Every so often, a new and improved reason for surviving emerges on the world wide web, and it's safe to say that Pica-Pic fits the bill. For all intents and purposes, it's a drop-dead gorgeous portal for accessing retro handheld games -- the very vessels that carried you through your childhood. Simply toggle through the myriad options with your left / right arrow keys, and then mouse over each game to learn of the keyboard controls. Venture on down to the source link if you're looking to occupy yourself for the next week month. Now, if only they'd build an app for porting this to the mobile side...
Verizon locking WiFi on Motorola Xoom until you buy one month of data service?
Call us crazy, but we're having a hard time interpreting this line of fine print in any other way: "To activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of one month data subscription is required." That's listed under Best Buy's most recent ad highlighting the world's first Android 3.0 tablet, and it most certainly sounds both ominous and ridiculous. Hardcore Verizon followers may remember the days of Big Red crippling Bluetooth radios in phones in order to "coerce" users to purchase ringtones and such from them rather than snagging one on the subway from Tom, Dick and / Jane, so we definitely wouldn't put something like this by the company. It's hard to say how this will be implemented once the $800 Xoom hits retail shelves, but it's certainly hard to believe that this is a Best Buy policy (and not a Verizon mandate). We'll be digging for more details (after all, this could all be some strange, terrible dream), but we'll be straight with you -- we don't like the potential implications here. Update: We're hearing from some Best Buy Mobile employees that these simply won't be able to be sold without being first activated on Verizon's network, so even though you could theoretically cancel the same day, you'll still likely get hit with a one-time activation fee (and possibly one month of data). Then again, there appears to be typos on the flyer, so you may want to wait for Verizon's official word before getting up in arms. [Thanks, Michael]
Intel hires Will-i-am as 'director of creative innovation,' whole world is nonplussed
You know a job title is tenuous when even the guys who announce it have to put it in quotation marks -- Intel's just signed up the Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am as a "director of creative innovation." The hip hop star responsible for flooding CES 2010 and every BlackBerry event since with an irritatingly cheery tune (which we're sure we don't have to name) is about to commence a long-term, "hands-on" collaboration with Intel on its development of "new technologies, music and tech advocacy." Basically, it sounds like he'll act as an ambassador for the chip company, who'll in turn pretend to listen to his zany ideas about mega-giga-bass. Then again, Lady Gaga's similar partnership with Polaroid produced these glasses, so what the hell do we know?
MSI reveals mad Sandy Bridge motherboard with eight PCIe slots, eight USB 3.0 ports, and three BIOS chips
Straighten up and salute the Big Bang Marshal, MSI's attempt at redefining the term "overkill." This XL-ATX board packs a total of eight PCI Express lanes (though it only has the bandwidth to simultaneously feed four x16s or eight x8s -- relevant if you're crazy enough to think about using more than four GPUs), three separate BIOS chips, extra 8-pin and 6-pin 12V power intakes, and a thoroughly excessive set of power regulation components. The less extremely minded among you will appreciate having a full array of eight USB 3.0 ports on the back, though we can't get over the measly four DIMM slots on offer. Word is that features might change before the Marshal goes to market in the first quarter of next year, so let's hope more room for your RAM sticks is among the tweaks between now and then.
Steorn peddles Orbo development kit, snake oil optional
With Steorn's track record, you'd think that the company wouldn't be in such a hurry to put its "free energy" technology under a microscope. Then again, maybe once it has your €399 (roughly $550) your thoughts on the subject really aren't that important anyways. Regardless, we're a wee bit skeptical of anyone who claims to have made a miraculous scientific breakthrough, refuses to explain said scientific breakthrough, and then asks you to cut them a check. But maybe you're a more trustworthy type: In that case, to build an Orbo device for yourself and access to the Steorn Knowledge Development Base, hit the source link. But don't say we didn't warn you.
Munk Bogballe debuts Classic Bespoke luxury laptop line: $7,000 and way, way up
With a name like Munk Bogballe, it has to be pricey... right? Right. 2.5 years after launching what's likely the most expensive MacBook of all time, the aforesaid purveyor of fine, fine mobile computers has introduced its Classic Bespoke collection -- at the Millionaire Fair in Moscow, no less. So, what does a base price of €5,200 ($7,180) buy you? A 5.1 pound slab of aluminum, accented with lush leather, a mahogany screen frame, freshwater pearl on / off button and oodles of gold. Oh, and a single line of diamonds, presumably for squeezing out six to ten more frames per second in Portal. You may also expect to get only the latest and greatest when it comes to technology, but you'd be badly mistaken; the standard configuration ships with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a paltry 500GB hard drive. If you're hot for an SSD, ostrich leather or an 18 carat gold power button, that'll be extra. Not like you really care, Mr. Millionaire. %Gallery-106090%
Found Footage: Case-mate will freak you out with iPhone case commercials
Case-mate has decided to promote its new iPhone and iPad case-making site (one tip, Case-mate: Don't create an iPhone case site that requires Flash) with some videos, and rather than put together images of how great the cases work or how good they look, the ad people decided to just jump right into the deep end of the insane pool. As you can see above, the first concept involves some kind of mystical girl in the mountains who can create objects with her mind, and has six arms, and ... well, just watch it for yourself. I already have a case on my iPhone (and it's not a Case-mate, I just use the iSkin Revo), but honestly, I prefer some crazy ads like this to, say, the FaceTime commercials. I can only take that "Baby, it is so short" commercial so many times. Case-mate tried to tell us that the second commercial they made wasn't quite as nuts, but man, it's even crazier. It's also kind of not-safe-for-work, too (some mild gore and implied nudity), so I'll just link to it by name: Living With Steel Wool Hands (How I Lost My Nipple). No, really. Watch if you dare. I don't know what they're putting in the water over in the marketing department, but maybe they should splurge for bottled.
Nonstop gaming world record has been shattered, victors sleep right through their parade
Prior to this past weekend, the world record for nonstop gaming stood at 40 hours. As of today, you'll need to rock 'n roll for 51 hours in a row if you'd like to claim this crown. A half dozen lunatics managed to game for 50 straight hours over the weekend in Rotterdam, playing Red Dead Redemption on Sony's PlayStation 3 until their eyes gave way. Of note, they utilized the TwistDock in order to keep their controllers juiced the entire time, and they walked away with €1,000 for their trouble. Last we heard, though, they're all in hibernation for the foreseeable future. Plenty of Dutch celebration awaits you in the video.
Camera-equipped digital billboards scan humans in Tokyo, serve up tailored ads
Marketing managers, you best take a seat. This right here is your future, like it or not. According to a new report from one Earth's most mesmerizing cities, digital advertising billboards are being trialled in Japan that are not only equipped with cameras, but with an ability to scan passers-by for gender and age group. Once that data is collected, the billboard then flashes an advertisement that best fits the type of human walking by. So, anyone care to guess which ad gets shown when the 6PM central station train lets out?
Gresso gussies up iPhone 4 with rare wooden veneer
From the front it looks like any other iPhone 4, but flip it around and a glint might catch your eye -- that's the doing of Russian technology tailor Gresso, who's embedded Swarovski crystals and an 18-karat golden Apple logo in a sheet of African Blackwood attached to the device. As usual, one wonders why anyone would bother, but honestly we can't complain -- the design is worlds more tasteful than the solid gold and diamond-encrusted contraptions we're used to seeing. Expect the dainty dillantante to arrive in December at a surprisingly reasonable $3,500, or $3,000 for the male-targeted version at right. Of course, if you've got that kind of money to spend, you want one now, right? Good news: the iPhone 3GS gets the same luxurious treatment -- and price -- in July. [Thanks, Bob]
