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Ubisoft Reflections creating new Driver game
Obvious automobile news now, with the shocking revelation that the people inside Ubisoft's Reflections studio, nabbed by the French publisher in 2006, are hard at work clicking buttons, typing code and making "VROOM!" sound effects in order to service a new Driver game. You may remember it as the getaway car sim that you liked before Thelma and Louise took the wheel for most of the sequels.Aside from its in-development status, not much is revealed about the new Driver in a BBC News clip, though it does show a man modeling a red (then blue, no, yeeeelllloooow!) sports car. That's a good start, we suppose.
Emergency Heroes to put out fires on Wii this May
Ubisoft has announced plans to race to the Wii scene this May with "an open world rescue driving game" called Emergency Heroes. While details remain sketchy, Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will feature two-player co-op and 16 different police, fire, and EMT vehicles to drive about while protecting the city of San Alto.Strapped into the driver's seat on this Wii-exclusive project are both Ubisoft Barcelona and Ubisoft Reflections, the latter of which has more than a few racing games to its credit. Even so, we remain unsure of how to feel about Emergency Heroes, as while Reflections struck gold in 1999 with Driver, since then the company has become better known for having driven the franchise off a cliff with all of the gusto of a man with a death wish. Gallery: Emergency Heroes
German trucker uses mobile as "ear warmer," court believes it
Oh sure, we've seen alleged criminals wriggle out from under the strong arm of the law, but this one takes things to an entirely different platform. Reportedly, a truck driver in Germany was pulled over for yapping on his cellphone while cruising, but apparently, said trucker actually wasn't talking when the boys in blue saw his handset upside his melon. As the story goes, the 43-year old was actually using the freshly recharged mobile to "warm his ear" in an attempt to alleviate an earache. Astonishingly enough, he was even able to provide "an itemized telephone bill proving he had not been using the phone at the time he was stopped," thus, a court in Hamm accepted the excuse and let him go sans penalty. Something tells us this guy's got friends in low places.[Via Switched]
Fix coming for HTC's drivergate, sort of
When CEO Peter Chou himself declares that there's a fix en route for the video problems plaguing several of his company's devices, that's a pretty good sign -- there are a couple of catches, though. One, we still don't know which devices will be patched, and two, it turns out that the fix to improve video acceleration performance still won't involve an actual driver for the ATI silicon within the Qualcomm chipsets. Our mommies always told us never to look a gift horse in the mouth, so we're going to stay cautiously optimistic here until we get the actual patch out in the wild (in March, if we're lucky) for some testing.
HTC chimes in on video driver controversy
So there's been a relatively weighty grassroots effort the past few weeks to convince HTC that there's something horribly flawed with its Qualcomm MSM7xxx-based devices -- essentially that video acceleration isn't nearly as well off as it could be because the company isn't taking advantage of the chipset's ATI Imageon circuitry. HTC has weighed in on the hullabaloo today, and in short, the news isn't good for anyone hoping to get a software update out of the deal: "HTC believes the overall value of its devices based on their combination of functionality and connectivity exceeds their ability to play or render high-resolution video. These devices do still provide a rich multimedia experience comparable to that of most smartphones and enable a variety of audio and video file formats," reads the official response, in part. Furthermore, the company has officially confirmed that Imageon drivers are not in use on the affected devices, but that it "plans to include video acceleration hardware in future video-centric devices that will enable high-resolution video support." To be totally fair, HTC never promised Imageon acceleration to begin with -- but it's a shame that we'll apparently be looking at buying new hardware to get it.
Driver trouble makes angry mobile owners rush castle HTC with burning torches
We're seeing a serious flow of tips from people upset with supposed performance issues on a good pile of HTC's newest sets. Handsets like the HTC TyTN II, Touch Dual, Touch Cruise, Wings, Titan, Vogue, Libra, and Iris are all apparently affected by underperforming video drivers which in turn slow the device significantly. The list -- and length -- of threads covering this is snow-balling at the well known XDA-Developers forum pages, as is talk of class-action suits. A site has now been set up called HTCClassAction to help people sort through all the buzz and get the nitty gritty details, so hit the read link if you're inspired to learn more. Of course we'll hopefully hear something official from HTC on this in the near term and will be sure to fill you in as we do.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows Mobile 6 SDK reveals GPSID config utility for Standard devices
If you're pleased as punch with the BlackJack II's in-built (and non-free) TeleNav app, you can go ahead and skip over this blurb. Otherwise, take note: the latest release of Microsoft's SDK for Windows Mobile 6 has revealed a little gem that'll change everything. The GPS Intermediate Driver, or GPSID as the cool kids are calling it, now has an on-device configuration utility that allows you to specify that the GPS chipset on your WinMo 6 Standard device be exposed on a particular serial port, allow third party location-based apps to get in on the fun. Of course, downloading, installing, and sifting through the actual SDK doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, but never fear -- MoDaCo has done us all the favor of boiling it down to the utility alone. Click on!
Silent Hill screenwriter arrested for suspected manslaughter
Film director and screenwriter Roger Avary, whose game-related work includes the Silent Hill, Driver and Return to Castle Woflenstein adaptations, has been arrested in Ventura, California on suspicion of driving under the influence and manslaughter. Avary was driving the car with his wife Gretchen and friend Andreas Zini when the car crashed. Avary's wife was injured and Zini later died at the hospital from injuries related to the crash. Avary is also known for co-writing Pulp Fiction and Beowulf. He has been released on $50,000 bail. The film adaptation of Return to Castle Wolfenstein has been on hold since the beginning of the Writer's Guild of America strike.
On sale: Driver and other games of little import
These aren't exactly the best Amazon deals we've featured here, but you can't have gold every time. Perhaps your kids will enjoy these games? Or if you've got a pet robot, you could maybe feed him these discs? Not if you're actually fond of him, though. Driver: Parallel Lines - $14.99 Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action - $15.79 Arctic Tale - $19.99 Do robots even eat CDs? Or is that just a myth? We might never know![Via CAG]
Company claims its system hunts down phoning drivers
Every once in a while, a device comes along whose stupidity is exceeded only by the individuals advocating its use; a device so confusing and controversial, it creates twice as many problems as it solves. Enter Highway Safety & Technology's "Cellular Detection System" (or as we like to call it, the "Automatic Civil Unrest Creation System"). The idea is this: through some magical, thoroughly unexplained array of "electronic sensing equipment," the system can somehow detect drivers talking on their phones and set the subsequent legal process in motion without any law enforcement involvement whatsoever. Never mind that other people in the car might be using their phones and the fact that headsets are almost always legal when handsets are not, we guess. The product is actually so ridiculous that we're leaning toward it being an elaborate hoax -- or we're hoping as much, anyway -- otherwise it'll allegedly be available to overzealous municipalities this fall.[Via Techdirt]
Continental telematics safety system alerts drivers of impending hazards
It's fairly safe to say that Continental Automotive Systems isn't the only company out there conjuring up an in-car safety system to alert motorists of impending hazards, and while a certain sect (we jest, we jest) would likely ignore whatever great advice it's sure to give, we can still admire the effort here. Dubbed a "car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure telematics application," the system's goal is to alert drivers in advance of potential perils such as poor traction conditions, an approaching ambulance / emergency vehicle, or a road-block ahead that could induce fits of frustration. The developments are reportedly right in line with the US government's Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) Initiative, and we're sure officials are mighty proud of the E-Flare, which provides optical and acoustic warnings coupled with a force-feedback gas pedal, and E-Horn, which accepts incoming warning signals from emergency vehicles and alerts the driver via (presumably distracting) in-cabin lights and sounds. No word just yet on when our next whip will sport a few extra senses, but rather than make things easier on us to control, why not jump straight to autopilot?[Photo courtesy of Continental]
SoundofMotion keeps cyclists safe, morphs phone into motorcycle
It may not be legal in most civilized nations to ride a Segway on the sidewalk, but for those still risking their lives on a two-wheeled machine, things are about to get a lot safer. SoundofMotion has developed a clever new warning system that turns your phone into what sounds like a roaring motorcycle, and not content with just playing a pre-recorded loop over and over, it's actually designed to rev up and down based on the speed and acceleration of your bicycle. The application will run on "any Bluetooth- and Java-capable phone," and it interacts with a "wireless BT sensor" that gets mounted on one of your wheels. Unsurprisingly, the device responds to the motion sensor and lets the carefree motorists around know you mean business when crossing an intersection. The app is currently sitting in beta, but the creators hope to have a final rendition ready to go before you make too many summer treks, but you better be willing to face total embarrassment (and have one loud speakerphone) to save your skin before picking this up. Click on through for a demonstration.[Via Slashphone]
Xbox 360's Guitar Hero II axe: now shredding in OS X
Ah, the sequence of events is nearly complete. First, we get the Xbox 360 axe rockin' on the console itself, and then comes the inevitable hacks to get it rollin' on Windows, and without further adu, we present the ability to melt those plastic frets on OS X. Thanks to an impressive development from TattieBogle (v0.5), a USB driver which purportedly "allows the use of wired Xbox 360 controllers via USB" on your OS X-based machine is finally available. Apparently, it actually works fairly well to boot, so if you've been pouting over your Mac not being able to enjoy the same face melting Guitar Hero II niceties as the other guys, be sure to hit the read link and get your download on.[Via Joystiq]
Driver 76 to bring GTA-styled NYC to PSP
The gaming world has been raving about Rockstar's incredibly accurate portrayal of New York City in Grand Theft Auto IV. While PSP won't be getting served with a tiny version of Rockstar's next-gen crime game, fans may want to look towards Ubisoft's upcoming PSP-exclusive Driver 76 for some NYC run 'n gun play. It's been a long time since we last heard about the game, but with the release only a month away, Ubisoft has opened a new official website, filled with new screenshots. We're getting mixed feelings about the presentation: while it looks good up-close, it appears to have the draw distance of an N64 game. Ouch. We're hoping for the best, and for fans of the genre, this may be the only game we'll have to play until Rockstar inevitably adds another GTA game to our library.
A few good Driver screens
The Wii may not be the powerhouse that some wish for, but it's capable of more than some people would have you assume, and these Driver: Parallel Lines screens prove it. Hit the jump to see not only the rest of the screenshots, but a comparison shot from the version that released last year (for Xbox and PS2). The Wii version looks crisp and smooth -- and even without the comparison, pretty good. Now let's hope we see more games that look like this, and fewer games that look like, say, GT Pro Series.
GPSPrevent intros GPS-enabled G200 speed zone warning detector
Sure, the higher-ups in Switzerland aren't exactly fond of GPS devices that sniff out speed cameras, but that's not stopping France's own GPSPrevent from kicking out a rendition of its own to fight The Man whilst driving. Presumably similar in function to Cobra's own forthcoming (and controversial) red-light camera / radar detector, the G200 integrates a GPS receiving into a typical detector in order to warn drivers about "fixed radars, danger zones, and mobile radars" throughout France and Europe. In an effort to get extra fancy, it even informs the driver of the distance until a zone is reached, what the authorized speed limit is, what type of radar it is, and how frequent the given camera looks for victims. The device signifies that you're coming up on a speed trap by beep or robotic yelps (read: male or female vocal cues) from up to 600-meters away, and the volume can be adjusted depending on how frightened you'd like to be when this fellow blasts out your faults. Additionally, drivers can program in their own alarm points thanks to the built-in memory, adjust the brightness of the digital display, and save themselves from quite a few tickets starting right now for €129 ($170).[Via NaviGadget]
Apple (officially) supports Novatel HSDPA and EV-DO cards -- finally
It sure took 'em long enough but Apple finally got right with the Lord WWAN. The latest software update brings official Novatel ExpressCard and USB modem driver support (like the XU870 HSDPA card pictured) for HSDPA and EV-DO cards. The drivers work with the latest intel-based MacBook and MacBook Pros on Cingular, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless networks. Just give your Software Update a nudge and say goodbye to those suspect driver hacks you've downloaded from the forums. P.S. -And yes, for those paying close attention there's an unannounced Verizon Rev. A ExpressCard, the V740.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
UK posts signs to ignore navigation systems, avoid perils
Once upon a blue moon, we can only assume that the advent of GPS meant easier navigating for all, as humans thought less about finding a map and more about focusing on the road. Apparently, blokes (and dames) over in England need to revert back to the paper-based method, as the government has been forced to erect warning signs in specific areas in order to get folks to pay attention to their surroundings. Odd as it may sound, the "Do Not Follow SAT NAV" cautions have actually quelled accidents on a narrow road in which drivers of wide vehicles were blindly driving themselves into a literal pinch. The vivid yellow signs have been posted in Exton, near Winchester in Hampshire, and embarrassingly enough, we wouldn't doubt if more make their way around given the Brits' long history of choosing outdated GPS instructions over common sense.
Ubisoft reveals Driver port
Turns out Driver: Parallel Lines is going to receive an enhanced port to the Wii, complete with updated graphics and gameplay changes. The game will take place during the late seventies, yet upon being imprisoned for 28 years, you're released to a new decade. Game features will include: Open New York City: 35 missions spanning the years 1978 - 2006 There is to be over 30 different actions for the Wiimote, including driving and targeting Features over 80 customizable vehicles such as cars, trucks and motorcycles Upgrades have been made to the AI, graphics, physics and an as-yet-unannounced Wii exclusive special effect The game didn't receive favorable scores on the PS2 or Xbox, so do you think some extra time being polished for the Wii will make a difference?
Mac-compatible USB MIssile Launcher at Last
Continuing the spirit of Erica's crazy USB peripheral posts from last week, now comes news that one of the most tragic of Mac deprivations is finally at an end. I speak, of course, of the lack of Mac drivers for the USB Missile Launchers released back in 2005, and available from ThinkGeek.com. Refusing to stand for the gross injustice of the Windows-only software, David Wilson has hacked his USB Missile Launcher driver for OS X. His driver seems to work both for the original USB Missile Launcher and a similar USB Rocket Launcher.David's USB Missile Launcher Software is Open Source and a free download, though of course you'll need the launchers which run about $40 and are sadly out of stock at the moment at ThinkGeek. Nonetheless, the day has finally dawned for Mac cubicle warriors to compete with their Windows counterparts on an even playing field. A big TUAW 'attaboy for David!
