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Recommended Reading: Trump's own polling models prove accurate
Trump's Big Data Mind Explains How He Knew Trump Could Win Izzie Lapowsky, Wired While it could take some time to uncover the finer points of why the polls were so far off in the 2016 presidential election, the head of President-elect Donald Trump's data team knew the candidate had a good chance of pulling out a stunning upset. Wired talked with Cambridge Analytica's Matt Oczkowski to get some details on their internal polling models which correctly predicted how most of the states would vote.
BBS version of Google takes you back in time, won't hog your phone line
If the third digit of your birth year is a nine (or heck, a zero), you'll likely never have experienced the true agony joy that was BBS or Bulletin Board Systems. Well, thanks to nostalgic developer Norbert Landsteiner, you can take a glimpse at how your dad got online with an HTML / JavaScript emulation BBS Google. Likewise, more seasoned travelers of the internet can take a trip down memory lane and see what Mountain View's search engine might have looked like "back in the day." All the details are there, right down to the familiar modem tones and ASCII graphics, it's even somewhat functional (when the API isn't over its limit.) So, want to appreciate that browser you complain about on twitter all the time over your LTE connection? Tab on down to the source link for a lesson in gratitude.
The Game Archaeologist dials up Phantasy Star Online: The highlights
The Dreamcast was a brief but shining aberration in the gaming world. Coming along years after Sega had fallen out of its position as a top-runner in the console market, it represented the company's big attempt to reclaim its former glory. While it failed to succeed in that respect and ultimately closed up shop in 2001 (ending Sega's interest in the console market), the Dreamcast became a gaming cult favorite responsible for some of the most innovative titles ever made. Games like Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, and Shenmue have remained fan favorites long after the Dreamcast's demise, which shows the legacy that these dev teams left behind. But perhaps the Dreamcast's greatest gift to the gaming world wasn't crazy taxis or space dancing but a surprisingly forward-looking approach to online gaming. In 2000, the Dreamcast took the first steps to bringing an online console RPG to market, and while it wasn't a true MMO, it certainly paved the way for titles like EverQuest Online Adventures and Final Fantasy XI. It was bold, it was addictive, and it was gosh-darned gorgeous. Ladies and gentlemen: Phantasy Star Online.
World Wide Web turns 20, finally shakes that acne problem
Happy birthday, World Wide Web! Hard to believe you're turning 20 already. It seems like just yesterday we were hearing the pitter patter of little dial-up, delighting at the words "you got mail," and getting frustrated when calling our friends and receiving that dreaded busy signal. You're all grown up now, helping people learn how to farm and become overnight pop sensations. What, we wonder, will the next 20 years bring? At the very least, you'll eventually have to move out of your parents' basement, get a real job, and settle down. It's hard to pay attention to that kind of stuff, though, when you've got another year of sneaking beers ahead of you. So go ahead, World Wide Web, enjoy yourself tonight -- just make sure to be home by midnight.
Broadband claims another: France Telecom putting the kibosh on Minitel
'Tis a sad, sad day for fans of all things retro. In a developed nation dominated by high-speed connections, near-ubiquitous 3G and sub-$€300 computers, it's more than a little astounding that the Minitel is just now being axed by France Télécom. Originally, the aforesaid machine was ordered by the French government in the 1970s "as part of an initiative to get people to share information and, eventually, reduce the consumption of paper." In a bid to rapidly increase adoption, the terminals -- complete with a monochrome screen and bantam keyboard -- were actually doled out to denizens free of charge, with access billed on a per-minute basis. It obviously required a phone line, and things were kept understandably simple; users rarely did more than shop for train tickets, check the occasional bank account and peruse the phone directory. Astonishingly, France's precursor to the internet still raked in €30 million in revenue last year, but the time has finally come to push existing users onto more sophisticated solutions. As of June 30, 2012, "the Minitel will die." 'Course, the service itself will be the only thing shuttered -- those memories are bound to last a lifetime.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Rethinking server transfers
Last week's big RIFT news was that free server transfers were on the way with the next major game update. Players who have been stuck on lower population servers have been clamoring for the ability to join up with higher population servers, and now they'll finally have the ability to do just that. But any time things like free transfers and server mergers are brought up, the immediate conclusion is that it's a sign that a game is losing players, and as a result, is failing. Free transfers are usually only seen as an act of desperation, and they usually come on the heels of drastic server mergers, as we've seen in games like Vanguard, Warhammer Online, and Age of Conan. But if a game is believed (by the masses) to be doing OK, transfers are seen as a service that comes with a price, as in games like World of Warcraft or EverQuest II. So how do we interpret the news of free weekly transfers in RIFT? Read on for a look at why it's actually great for the game and why they're more than just a shrewd marketing campaign.
Rise and Shiny recap: The Realm Online
Playing elderly games is a great way to experience what it was like "back then." Of course, I was around back then, and "back then" was only slightly over a decade ago. Still, things have changed a lot. Even in all of my history, I missed some titles or didn't experience them until much later. This is the case with The Realm Online, one of the oldest bits of MMO goodness. I heard about it and have even looked at the site once or twice before -- it just never occurred to me to actually try it. To keep up with my tradition of trying anything that is put before me, I decided to download it. I have to admit being a little shocked to see a seven-day trial on the homepage. Not only do I rarely see seven-day trials anymore, but why on Earth is this game not free-to-play at least? It's $7.95 a month, as well? I was flabbergasted. Still, I signed up and downloaded the game. What did I find? Well, some good and some bad. Click past the cut and let me tell you all about it.
NuTech Digital trying to deliver HD content over landlines?
We've seen HD slung around on a variety of mediums in our day, but piping high-definition programming through a vanilla phone line would certainly be a new one on us. 'Course, NuTech Digital's website looks might dodgy anyway, and even the wording in its press release seems purposely ambiguous; nevertheless, the firm is apparently aiming to "utilize a standard household phone line for secure content delivery." More specifically, the system will reportedly "enable digital video compression and the management and delivery of video, audio, and data over a fully switched or routed network configured for ATM and Ethernet protocols utilizing connections speeds as low as 64Kbps to deliver high-definition content." Granted, the outfit may just be looking to send its proprietary DRM software over the line while the actual content is delivered via something a bit more speedy, but we're filing this one in the way-too-sketchy file for the time being.
Efonica VoIP service supports dial-up too
Fusion Telecommunications of Dubai has just entered the already crowded VoIP market with a beta version of its SIP-powered Efonica service. Registered users can chat amongst one another for free using standard telephones connected to an analog phone adapter or dial POTS lines on the cheap, with calls to the US from other countries costing under two cents a minute. What sets Efonica apart from some of the other services out there is its claimed ability to work even on dial-up connections -- still a rarity these days -- allowing people in areas with low broadband penetration to get in on all the fun offered by Internet telephony. Although the basic version of the service is free, calls to landlines or cellphones and voicemail functionality require signing up for the Efonica Plus option, which will avaiable at the end of the public beta test in about two months.[Via Personal Tech Pipeline]
Nintendo WiFi over dial-up; works well enough?
A recap of the basic networking necessary to share your dial-up connection with your wireless Nintendo DS. The instructions are for Windows, although Mac OS X offers the same functionality, as does *NIX (although we suspect they probably won't need the guide). Requirements include: a computer with a pokey internet connection, a wireless router or Nintendo's USB WiFi dongle, a DS, and a WiFi compatible game. The big question is whether or not the speeds are high enough to game without lag. The author of the guide claims, "At normal dial-up speed (56KB) it will go just about as fast as high speed internet; the only thing that will happen if you have a really slow dial-up connection or if you're downloading on the internet at the same time you will just see the other characters of the other people you are connected to go slow or bounce and the other people will just see your character go slow or bounce on their screen.""As fast as high speed internet," eh? Let's just say we're skeptical. It's a good thing the DS currently doesn't have voice chat 'cause if a cutthroat bout of Mario Kart gets trashed cause someone's using dial-up.... Any brave Joystiqers using this method to get their NiWiFi fix?[Via MAKE]
