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Iced-out diamond planet catches astronomers' eyes
If you thought Kim Kardashian's engagement ring was a ridiculous rock, you haven't seen the ludicrously large diamond planet, J1719-1438. Scientists at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne recently spotted this celestial body that's so dense, it's believed to be crystalline carbon -- i.e. a ginormous diamond similar in size to Jupiter. Since the '60s, astrophysicists like Marc Kuchner have theorized that carbon-heavy stars can burn out, crystallize and form diamonds under the right pressure. Supporting the idea, a white dwarf star spotted in 1992, BPM 37093, had cooled and crystallized over the course of 12 years -- even copping the nickname "Lucy" after the Beatles jam. Although astronomers in Australia, Britain and Hawaii have all identified the newly spotted precious planet J1719-1438, they are still unsure if the crystallized carbon rock will be all sparkly mountains up close -- dashing the hopes and dreams of material girls everywhere.
Blizzard debuts new products at San Diego Comic-Con
Blizzard's Chris Metzen graced the floors of the San Diego Comic-Con today to talk Blizzard licensing partners and show off some awesome new merchandise coming this year featuring Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo wares. Diablo merchandies looks to include knee-high Diablo socks, a Diablo face belt, new shirts, and two hoodies modeled after Diablo's demon hunter class and the angel Tyrael. StarCraft's line is expanding with new shirts, a first look at the MegaBloks Viking, a leather wallet, and StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres, which has been confirmed by Metzen to be a novelization of StarCraft: Ghost, the game that was and then never was. Warcraft's wares continue along a familiar path with a slew of new T-shirts as well as what appears to be a beverage called the Forsaken Elixir of Undead ... I really have no idea, since it's most likely a joke slide. Metzen also previewed the covers for the forthcoming original graphic novels Horde and Alliance, coming out later this year. [Thanks, Kotaku, for the tip and images.]
Lost Pages of Taborea: A history of Diamonds
It's been a long time since we've heard anything about Diamonds being reinstituted into Runes of Magic's auction house. Since that fateful day they were removed, a lot of new players have joined, veterans have left and some things that should not have been forgotten... were lost. Having Diamonds in the auction house is an important feature that was planned from the get-go. It allows for seamless trading and player-controlled price fluctuations that keep all items obtainable for everyone. It's about having the freedom to play multiple ways. Options are more numerous than simply paying and having everything opened up or not paying and being stuck. With RoM's cash-shop items being integrated into the title's gameplay, there's a grayscale that lets players have many more options in how they want to play. It's not an overly complex issue, but one worth looking back on. Getting Diamonds back in the auction house isn't a lost cause, but the issue has dragged on to the point that long time players may have given up all hope. This edition of Lost Pages of Taborea is all about looking back at the beginning and bringing players up to speed on diamonds in (or not-in) the auction house.
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.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Comparing EVE's PLEX and PvP to RoM's
I was prepping for a Guild Wars 2 comparison with Runes of Magic, but in light of the current buzz in the air, I'm moving my EVE Online comparison up. A couple of interesting blocks fell into place this week that fit well with a look at how EVE and RoM allow money to circulate through the economies, and how PvP works in conjunction with it. While there's no contest as to which MMO has the more robust economy, there are still similarities that fit the pay-to-progress comment Mr. Simon Ludgate made in a recent Gamasutra article. Swarming around the above topics is the question of how much it costs to stay competitive in RoM, which I've also been working on. What does Gamasutra's article have to do with RoM, how much does it cost to be competitive and how are economies similar in these two MMOs? You can also read my memorandum to all EVE PvPers. Set your jump-point past the break to see.
Vertu Signature Precious is awash in sea of sapphire...and regret (video)
It may not feature GPS, an accelerometer, or even a camera, but if you've run out of disposable items to encrust with jewels, then Vertu's Precious -- the latest revision to its aging Signature lineup -- may be the mobile phone for you. While its basic array of quadband GSM, 2100 / 850 MHz 3G, Bluetooth and WiFi may seem a touch modest, varieties come slathered in platinum, three types of gold (yellow, white and red), leather, ceramic, and enough jewels to make Her Majesty blush. Its face, known as the "sea of sapphire," is mostly obscured (save for the OLED display), but you high rollers can take comfort knowing it spent more than two weeks in a 2000°C oven to appease your discerning taste. Also hidden are 4.75 carats of ruby bearings, which are said to give the keys a frictionless, satisfying click. The ring tones are exclusive compositions by Dario Marianelli and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra -- though we were bigger fans before they sold out. For a quick glimpse of how the Precious comes together gem by gem, just follow the break. There's no word on pricing or availability, but if you're considering putting up your first born as collateral, you might want to reconsider this cringe-worthy creation. [Thanks, Radi]
Lost Pages of Taborea: Safer diamond gifting
The crazy, fast-paced leveling done over the second anniversary raised safety concerns over player-to-player diamond trading. There were droves of players reaching either level-cap or close to it when Frogster multiplied experience gain by five for Runes of Magic's second birthday. I'm sure it made a lot of players happy (including me). I gained over 20 levels on my secondary. As a residual effect, it has allowed many new players and diamond swindlers to get multiple new characters to very high levels. Until Runewaker hashes out a way to allow diamond trading back on the auction house or creates an alternative system, players have to enter agreements involving trust. This work-around is the gifting feature that lets players buy and automatically send cash-shop goods to another player. Two players agree on a gold-to-diamonds price, one gifts the item directly to the other player, and the buyer has to mail the gold to the player. There's no security blanket on this approach. The buyer could send his gold and never receive the item, or the sender could gift an item and never receive payment. There are some natural deterrents to being ripped off, and players have taken it upon themselves to reduce the risk factor. A player can very quickly get a bad reputation for dishonesty, and that makes it nigh impossible to get into a guild, siege war, pick-up-group or any content with others. Players liberally share info and keep track of reputations to help ensure they don't lose any diamonds or gold. New players will still come and go and not always fully grasp these unwritten safeguards. Today, I want to take a look at ways to better protect yourself, ways that can reduce frustration and allow you to concentrate on enjoying your time in Taborea.
Diamonds plus nano plus watch equals this $18k monstrosity
There is, it has to be admitted, a market for diamond-encrusted Apple products. Having the good taste to buy something magical and revolutionary doesn't necessarily mean you have good taste full stop. So, for those of you with more (way, way more) money than sense who live at the blingier end of the Apple marketplace, we present the ZShock Lunatik iPod nano watch case (the clue's in the name). Yes, for a mere US$18,000 and a three- to four-week wait, ZShock will "hand-set the diamonds into pave settings on the white gold watch case" of your iPod nano watch, Boy Genius (who seems to quite like this, strangely) tells us. Is it just me or does the nano in this picture look sort of embarrassed?
Minecraft video shows us what we're made of
Minecraft creator Notch posted a video on his blog today, sans title or description. We present it here in the same fashion, as it really should be witnessed without any undue expectations. Let's just say that this dapper gentlemen has no idea what's coming. Now watch it.
Luxury iPhone 4s, iPads a great idea for well-heeled givers
Looking for a Christmas gift that is so unique that only a handful of people on the planet will find it beneath the Christmas tree? If you happen to have a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, then you might want to contact luxury electronics designer Stuart Hughes. Liverpool, UK-based designer Hughes recently created a £5,000,000 ($7.9 million) rose gold and diamond encrusted iPhone 4, but he has a bargain available for holiday gifting. For a mere £39,995 ($63,200), you can pick up one of ten iPhone 4s that have had the everyday glass back replaced with materials from a 65 million-year-old T-Rex tooth and a meteoric stone. This lovely iPhone has a bezel made of 8.5 carat diamonds, and the Apple logo is made of platinum and diamonds. If you miss out on picking up one of these iPhones for whomever you're trying to impress, you can always pick up one of the luxury iPads that Hughes has designed. The Supreme Fire iPad (£109,995, $173,814) is made from a 64GB 3G iPad draped in 2.5 kg of 24 carat gold. If that seems like it would be a cheap gift for your loved one, you can always upgrade to the £299,995 ($474,053) Solid Platinum iPad Supreme Edition. The casing is made of 2.7 kg of pure platinum, encrusted with 173 diamonds weighing in at 85.5 carats. For many of us, these products are slightly out of reach, but we have video on the next page featuring Mr. Hughes and some of his earlier designs for you to drool over. [via Computerworld UK]
Stuart Hughes strikes again with world's most expensive, diamond covered iPhone 4
We've already established that if you're filthy rich, you probably don't want the same cell phone as common folk. No, if you're looking for something higher end, you'll probably end up talking to Stuart Hughes, who customizes electronics by plating them in gold and diamonds. We've already seen his work on a $20,000 iPhone 4, but his latest achievement is downright ridiculous. Called the "world's most expensive phone" (we'll see how long that lasts), Hughes made two identical models for an Australian client. Each handset includes over 500 diamonds and totals over 100 karats, and comes in its own special granite box. Its total cost is £5 million -- nearly 8 million dollars. Just don't bother crying when you leave it on the seat of a cab.
Diamaze diamond-tipped razor blades can literally split hairs (video)
At last, a sign that we're advancing from our caveman heritage into a brave new world. Gone are the days of rough-hewn blades, the world of modernity does its cutting with "plasma-sharpened" implements polished off with a layer of synthetic, industrial-grade diamonds. Okay, we're not quite there yet, but we're en route, thanks to a small German outfit named GFD, which has recently debuted a diamond-tipped, tungsten carbide razor blade that promises to retain its sharpness 1,000 times as long as regular steel and to be precise enough to slice a human hair in half. Hell, that latter bit isn't even a promise, it's a fact, which you can verify in the video after the break. GFD is looking for a manufacturing partner to bring this ingenious prototype to market, and given its years of experience applying the technology to industrial uses, we reckon it has enough of a pedigree to stand a decent chance of success.
Lost Pages of Taborea: What's $15 worth?
Hello everyone! This week, Jeremy Stratton (your usual Lost Pages of Taborea host) and I are swapping columns for variety -- so thanks to Jeremy for allowing me, Beau Hindman, to take over his column for the day! I have to admit that I am relatively new to the game, never having really given my character time to grow into a proper hero. Fortunately, the game's free-to-play status allows for this type of reckless avatar growth. But how free is it? Runes of Magic is not a "freemium" game, one that literally asks for payment at some point in order to level higher or to explore new content. It's my favorite type of free-to-play: the kind that gives you the client, gives you a free house, and even loans you a mount to make early level travel much easier. Critics of free-to-play will say that most free-to-play games trick, convince, or even force players to spend large amounts of money in the cash shop in order to "succeed," often without defining what "success" means. While I admit that I play at the speed of molasses, I do maintain a few titles in which I slowly, but surely, obtain higher levels. Runes of Magic isn't one of them, yet, so I want to take a look at how much I will get for a typical subscription amount: 15 US dollars. So, how much does it buy me?
Gresso's Las Vegas Jackpot phone costs a million dollars, seriously
When you make it your business to deliver outlandish new looks for mobile telephony, it can sometimes be a challenge to just outdo your last effort. So Gresso's decided the only way forward is to collect all the fine materials it had lying around -- black diamonds, pure gold, diamond-cut sapphire crystals, and 200-year old African Blackwood -- sprinkle them atop an otherwise nondescript featurephone, and slap on the spectacular price tag of $1,000,000. Only three Jackpots are being made, while there'll be a Las Vegas handset without the black diamonds and sapphires for the more mundanely rich among us, priced at $20,000. Oh Gresso, just one tip: next time, try to align your earpiece to your fancy designs, we hear wealthy folks appreciate some attention to detail.
Queen dons Swarovski-encrusted 3D glasses, shows us how bling is done
It's a tough life being a monarch nowadays. The halcyon times of extravagant debauchery and debauched extravagance are all but over, having been replaced by expectations of stoicism and perfectly measured hand waving. Trying to subvert this trend of royals boring us to tears, Britain's Queen has come out with a pair of Q-emblazoned 3D glasses that frankly redefine the way we look upon bling. Articulated with some good old Swarovski crystals, the spectacular spectacles were thought up by her majesty's dresser, Angela Kelly, and were brought out during a state visit to Toronto's Pinewood Studios. Now the only question left is which gangster rapper will try to outdo Queenie from the block?
iPhone 4 Diamond Edition: white, unlocked, and $20k
Looking for something a bit more eye-catching than a iPhone 4 with a wooden veneer? Then it looks like you can once again thank Stuart Hughes for throwing any subtlety to the wind and going all out with the so-called iPhone 4 Diamond Edition. As you can see, not only does the phone pack a smattering of diamonds (including a bedazzled Apple logo), but it's a white iPhone 4 (32GB, naturally), and unlocked for good measure. Of course, there's no guarantees you'll actually get it before white iPhone 4s become commonplace, but we're pretty sure this is $20,000 well spent either way.
Why you should be playing Runes of Magic: It's free!
"Why you should be playing ..." is a free form column from Massively.com intended to inform you about our favorite parts of our favorite games. We want you to know why we're playing them, so you can know what to play. It's no secret that free-to-play MMOs have gained a permanent foothold in the MMO landscape. With some titles garnering millions of players and others reporting record profits, it's clear that this business model is here to stay. Like most free-to-play games, Runes of Magic is supported by a micro-transaction system. Players spend cash on "diamonds", which can be used to dye equipment, unlock extra backpack space or buy items in the cash shop. Available items for purchase include tools for upgrading equipment, skill reset stones, XP gain potions, cosmetic pets and costumes. In addition to the usual conveniences and cosmetic options, the Runes of Magic cash shop contains some items that could be considered essential. Yet of the few free-to-play titles I've tried that are supported by a cash shop, I find it the most supportive to players who don't want to spend any money. The method Frogster uses to keep Runes of Magic open to free players is highly effective. While cash can be used as a short-cut or convenience, free players are still able to acquire essential items and make full use of the game. In fact, there's very little a cash-wielding player can do that a free player can't. In this article, I look at how Runes of Magic can be played without spending any cash.
The Diamond trade gets destroyed in Runes of Magic
There's an understandable problem with selling game currency in subscription games, where it's generally considered verboten for good reason. While some subscription games will sell you things in addition to the monthly fee, there's a general sense that you should earn your advantages. But in free-to-play games that have a cash shop allowing players to purchase items directly... well, the very idea of gold selling seems kind of silly. But it can happen, and Runes of Magic has experienced a bit of a problem of late with the trade of Diamonds (their cash shop currency) for gold. The game has traditionally treated the currencies as interchangeable insofar as players with lots of Diamonds and not enough gold could sell their excess to other players. Unfortunately, the current spate of RMT activities have called for draconian measures: they've taken away the ability to trade Diamonds for gold. They've also temporarily removed the ability to send gold through the mail. The official announcement stresses that this is a temporary measure to combat unacceptable behavior. While less gold spam is a good thing, fewer features are a negative, so this new is a mixed bag for Runes of Magic players.
Wait. How much did you pay for your iPad?
Economic hardship? What's that? If the recession affected you as much as it did that rock on your villa grounds, have I got an iPad for you. For a mere US$20,000 you can order the Diamond iPad. The 64GB 3G iPad is modded by Mervis Diamond Importers and features 11.43 carats of diamonds set in a micro-pave styling. If you're the kind of guy that wants to one-up the friend who's always bragging about the latest tech he got on launch day, this is how you do it. Besides, is $20,000 that much? Not when you compare it to the $3.2 million dollar gold iPhone. And the Diamond iPad's screen is so much larger... Still not enough for you? Check out the gold-plated MacBook Air (a mere $5,000) and MacBook Pro ($1,200). [via SiliconAlleyInsider]
Runes of Magic offering diamonds for surveys
Looking for a way to stock up on some Runes of Magic diamonds, but a bit short on cash? Well, the folks at Frogster Interactive have taken a page from things like Facebook games, and are offering a method to trade a bit of your time for some diamonds. Through their new partnership with Sponsorpay, Runes of Magic players are able to take surveys and check out products and score a certain amount of free diamonds per offer. All you have to do is to log in to the RoM site, go to the diamond purchase page, select your server, and then select the free diamonds option. From there, you'll be taken to a page that will offer several different surveys or trial offers you can check out. With that said, as with any 'lead generation for in game cash' scenario you run across on the Internet, always make sure you read the fine print. The last thing players will want is those free diamonds hitting them in the wallet later because they didn't.
