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3D printer saves you money by using pellets instead of plastic filaments
If traditional printers use ink and toner cartridges, most commercial 3D printers use plastic filament spools to create the objects you want. These filaments, however, are typically made from plastic pellets, so an Ohio company called Sculptify thought: "Hey, why don't we make a 3D printer that uses pellets straight up?" Thus, David, a 3D printer loaded with open source software, was born. David can print objects using a number of soft and flexible materials, such as Polylactide (PLA) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), though it can surprisingly use wood, as well. Since pellets are usually much cheaper than filaments (according to Sculptify, a 2-pound bag of pellet costs around $18, while a 2.2-pound spool costs roughly $48), you'll be saving quite a bit of money.
Encrypted Text: Mastering Tricks of the Trade macros
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me with any questions or article suggestions you'd like to see covered here. Tricks of the Trade is a strange ability for rogues. Why would we sacrifice our own damage (by spending energy) to boost the damage of someone else? Aldriana and Pathal have both spoken out against TotT's misguided benevolence and its boring mechanics. Rather than being a situationally-useful ability that we pull out when the time is right, TotT has become a set-and-forget chore that we just auto-cast on the second-highest DPS in raid. Lore issues aside, Tricks of the Trade is a pretty good ability. Used properly, it can greatly accelerate the rate that tanks pick up aggro, which makes dungeons and raids just a bit easier. While it's a DPS loss for the rogue casting TotT, it's a net gain for the raid's DPS, and that's a sacrifice that we'll have to make. It's also incredibly potent in PvP; granting an ally a 15% damage boost is a pretty big deal.
David Braben is kickstarting a new multiplayer Elite sequel
Elite and its sequel Frontier: Elite II were arguably two of the most influential early space games ever made. They dropped the player into an immense sci-fi sandbox with just a tiny ship and a handful of credits. You could work your way up to larger and larger hauling ships, fight off pirates intent on taking your loot, travel the stars in search of lucrative deals or just wormhole into deep space. If that sounds familiar, it's because Elite was part of the inspiration for sci-fi MMO EVE Online. Space in Frontier was especially deep, with a full-scale galaxy containing 100 billion stars and several empires with their own legal systems and trading outposts. Players could choose to raid other ships or play it straight, mining moons, scooping fuel from gas giants, and landing on planets to survey them for materials. The magic that made this colossal universe possible was procedural generation and some incredibly good programming by developer David Braben. Today David took to Kickstarter to launch possibly the most anticipated sequel in the history of sci-fi sandbox games. Elite: Dangerous promises a Frontier-style sandbox with modern 3D graphics, a ton more content, and a seamless peer-to-peer multiplayer experience with no lobbies. Whether this will qualify as an MMO or not remains to be seen, but the project promises to blur the line between what is and isn't massively multiplayer.
One Shots: Look out below!
When it comes to being a freshly minted superhero, there seems to be a fairly common trope of the hero doing all manner of crazy, dangerous things to test just what they can do. When it comes to Champions Online, it's even more fun -- after all, if your character gets messed up, there's no real harm done. Today's crazy One Shots comes to us from David, who decided to push the envelope of just how much he could get away with. He writes in: My name is David and right now my game of choice is Champions Online; this is my shot from the top. I was in Millennium City waiting in the hero games queue for the zombie PvP instance. I got bored and went to explore how high I could go with my trusty grappling hook. After reaching the top of the Renaissance Center I decided to take the short way down.Are you fond of flinging yourself off the edge of buildings, cliffs, etc. in your MMO of choice? If so, why not capture a screenshot of your crazy stunt and send it in to us at oneshots [at] massively [dot] com. Be sure to include your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out for everyone to see -- and make "splat!" comments at. %Gallery-9798%
Gamestop offering pre-order bonuses for Dragon Age: Origins
Hey, David. (We figured the nature of this post would only interest one person on the planet. We took a shot in the dark and went with David. If your name is David, and find this post interesting, WE'RE IN YOUR MIND.)You know how you're looking forward to BioWare's upcoming fantasy RPG Dragon Age: Origins -- enough to drop a Lincoln to ensure your copy is readily available come launch day -- but you're afraid said game will be too difficult? Great news, David! Gamestop is giving two in-game items to the game's pre-orderers: A "Memory Ring," which hastens XP acquisition, and a "Memory Band," which will "help apprentices retain their lessons." We don't know what that means, but we bet you do, David.Go ahead, David. Go pre-order it now. Your wallet is on the dresser. Your keys are in your left work shoe, sitting by the front door.
The gold standard: A WoW economics course proposal
If you're like me, you're ... well, you're probably incredibly handsome and charming. But you're also probably interested in WoW's economy, given that it's the biggest and most involved metagame in WoW and a fascinating microcosm of a free-market economy.I personally think that the how and why of WoW's economy is worth a deep look, and it appears there are a lot of people who agree with me--even some academics. It might even be worth just as much as any other book-learnin'.At least, that's the basis of David Friedman's World of Warcraft economics course proposal. Friedman is an academic economist from San Jose, CA who's assembled this article as a think-tank for what a WoW economics course would entail if you had to fill it with a semester's worth of content. There's a lot of neat stuff in here, talking about relative prices of ore based on character level and rarity of ore and supply/demand, but he also asks for your input as to possible course material, which I'm sure you could gladly provide in the comments section of his page.Good idea with sound academic basis, or another in the long list of high falootin' academia's attempts to justify playing WoW on the government's dime? WE REPORT. YOU DECIDE.
One Shots: A monument to evil
Many Chaos players will recognize the above image as being from inside Warhammer Online's Inevitable City, a place where many players can revel in the darkness that Mythic sought to create there. Unless of course, you're an Order player, in which case, this landscape is perhaps a bit too twisted for your liking. Today's image comes to us from David, who actually sent this picture in at the very tail end of the open Warhammer Online beta. Luckily, the landscape hasn't really changed, so we bring it to you today to enjoy.Hey Order players! We haven't seen too many of your cities, so we send out a challenge -- send us your screenshots! After all, One Shots is more fun when we have community submissions. Of course, if you aren't playing WAR, we gladly welcome your screenshots as well. Just send them to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your character name, server, guild, and a description of what we're seeing in the picture. We double dog dare you.%Gallery-9798%
One Shots: Inevitable City aurora
For all the awesome screenshots that are beginning to come in from the front lines of Warhammer Online, this is probably one of our favorites that we've seen so far. Today's One Shots comes in to us from David, who said that he took this particular screenshot while he was walking around near the Inevitable City. The aurora in the background is absolutely breathtaking on its own, but when coupled with dark and sinister-looking towers, that's a fantastic bit of in-game art design. Are you currently running around in Warhammer Online, enjoying the pre-launch festivities? If so, we want to see some screenshots from your adventures! Just send those to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name and a brief description of the scene. We'll take it from there and you'll get the credit for showing off such a cool spot.%Gallery-9798%
About the Bloggers: David Bowers
Twice a week, our writers will tell you more about themselves, and let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more About the Bloggers.What do you do for WoW Insider?I blog about whatever seems interesting at the time, and I also write the roleplaying column, All the World's a Stage. I'm especially interested in writing about roleplaying and PvP, too, because they're the things I participate in most often. Everything and everyone in the game is interconnected, though, so even if I'm not a big raider, for instance, I still care a great deal about the things raiders are going through.What's your main right now?My current main is a draenei hunter, pictured above, but I'm spending just as much time with other alts right now, trying to decide which one will be my main Horde character. My most-played Hordie is currently a warlock. Previous mains I don't play as much anymore include a druid and a rogue, both Alliance.For the Horde or Glory to the Alliance?Heh. For both! I used to be all for the Alliance because I couldn't relate to the whole deformed and inherently violent look that many Horde characters have, but I'm one of those people for whom blood elves really opened up access to the Horde and see them in a new light. I like to appreciate the stories of the monstrous Horde races without actually having to play a monstrous character myself.
Letterman snags free DS and Brain Age
Nintendo occasionally feels fit to send certain ailing minds a free Nintendo DS Lite and a copy of Brain Age, to shake off the rust. This time, however, they sent a perfectly functioning and quite hilarious mind the very same gift, commemorating the sixtieth birthday of none other than David Letterman. From what we know, he isn't much of a gamer, but perhaps Nintendo'll hit the marketing jackpot and make an addict of the man.The jury is out ... and will most likely forever be out ... on whether Brain Age actually works or not, but hey, as long as we think it's working, good enough. Take a close-up look at the letter after the break (they even sent his mom one!).
Acclaim's democratic MMO project
David Perry (Earthworm Jim, Enter the Matrix) is working with Acclaim on an MMO that will incorporate gamer's input. The project is currently named "Top Secret." Players will have the opportunity to participate in the entire video game development process. Perry will choose a winner from the contributors to the game and they'll receive a "Video Game Industry Directorship" and work under Perry on a new MMO."This is the only chance I know of to jump start a directorship career in the video game industry," says Perry. "They get to learn how to make professional games, and if they get anything in, they get a real professional credit on their resume ... if they win, well then they get their life changed."If this sounds like a game show, it is. Acclaim doesn't hide the fact, comparing this whole scenario to the likes of The Apprentice or American Idol. All we know is if people do good work on the project that is some amazing free labor for Acclaim.
DAVID software turns your webcam into a 3D laser scanner
Those snazzy laser-based scanners that just have to make at least one appearance in every science-fiction film worth its salt are now available for your home, and it'll cost you quite a bit less than what Hollywood presumably shelled out for theirs. Thanks to folks who see value in "free," a few clever programmers have crafted the DAVID Laserscanner software, which turns your webcam into an ultra-sensative laser recorder and then reconstructs the object on-screen based on the breaks in the beam. Reportedly, all your need is a PC, a halfway decent webcam, a perfect 90-degree angle in the corner of your wall, some foreign object(s), and a street-corner laser pointer to go along with the software. DAVID computes the beam length as you "brush over the object with the laser" in order to render the object on your display, and while it can't quite do 360-degree renditions just yet, the developers hope to add that functionality soon enough. So, if you're the proud owner of all the above prerequisites, be sure to hit the read link and get your laser scanning on.[Via hack a day]
Elebits delayed, no longer a launch title
Ah, some fairly rare bad news from Nintendo's camp this morning. It turns out that the potential-sleeper-hit Elebits, which won best-of-show at TGS 2006, will be delayed in America until mid-December. The quirky "gravity gun" title seemed to capture the hearts of those who played it (and David, too), so this comes as a blow for many.This may not turn out to be such a horrible move for Konami or gamers, as the Wii's launch is just about the strongest in the history of video games; having to compete against the likes of Zelda and Red Steel is sales chart suicide. Heck, the game may turn out to be a nice gift for the holidays, since the rabid gamers in your family will have probably already spent nigh half a thousand on various launch expenses. Maybe now Elebits will receive the attention it deserves, and not turn into yet another case of Beyond Good and Evil.
Macworld on healthy computing
Most people know that the right ergonomic setup is important to maintain not only good productivity but good health. Far too many otherwise healthy and intelligent people, including Mac pundit and New York Times columnist David Pogue, succumb to painful, sometimes even debilitating, RSI or back pain caused by flawed work environments. Lucky for those of us who don't have the time to do a full re-configuration of our computing areas, Macworld has a two succinct and informative articles on small but important things you can do to improve the ergonomics of your desk. The first article touches on methods for improving over-all physical ergonomics such as screen and keyboard positioning and best practices for how to set up your chair. Once your big picture is all comfy and healthy, it's time to look at the software tools such as TextExpander which can help reduce the amount of repetitive actions one takes in their daily computer usage.
My Dream App Round 3 voting ends tonight
With only twelve concepts still in the running to be turned into someone's dream Mac OS X application, the My Dream App competition ends its third round of public voting tonight at midnight. As a reward for your input, everyone who votes will recieve a free copy of Musicast which allows anyone to stream music from their iTunes library over the web. And just incase you can't decide which of the ideas you like best, a panel of guest judges including Adam Betts and David Lanham share their opinions on each app up for votes.
David Yarnton speaks on UK launch
Nintendo UK's David Yarnton recently said during an interview on Eurogamer TV that Europe would receive the biggest launch in the company's history. He's quick to cover his keister, however, by stating that even "20 million [units] wouldn't be enough" to cover the demand for the system.David says that with the Wii "we're looking at about four million units before the end of the year globally and Europe will get a reasonable proportion of that. The stock that we're looking to get we believe will probably be more than we've ever had for any console launch. But from the feedback we've had from our retailers, whatever we have won't be enough as the demand from people is really heating up for it."Yarnton absolutely expects there to be shortages at retail come this holiday season. Considering Nintendo has had the finalized Broadway chips for some time now, are we to expect the types of shortages the Xbox 360 suffered from and the PS3 will undoubtedly face?[Via gameindustry.biz]
