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Breakfast Topic: Guilt by association
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. I like to think that I'm a good hunter. I show up to raids on time at least 90 percent of the time, I do my best to bring my flasks and food, I keep my gear properly gemmed and enchanted, I research all encounters, and I do very respectable DPS. But despite all of this, I am not recognized by how good of a player I am. Instead, I am recognized "by association." My best friend is a restoration druid, and he is damn good at what he does. This, of course, means that he gets invites everywhere to various guilds or raids, and I'm simply tagging along as his DPS -- the guy who gets into the guild or raid by association. It isn't all bad, of course. He and I do everything in game together, and we make a pretty good team, so if continuing to stick around with him means staying in his shadow, then that's OK with me. Of course, the problem with being "by association" is how it is taken with others. If my best friend is promoted to an officer, he's going to share everything with me, so I am promoted. "By association." If guild leadership gets too many complaints about his behavior as an officer (which I never found out of line), it would be unfair to still have me as an officer, so I am demoted. "By association." If he leaves a guild over a dispute with guild leadership, I'm kicked out of the guild. "By association." And one time, he was kicked from a guild because he was defending me against some smack-talkers. Guess who also got kicked out? "By association." So, fellow readers, do any of you live in the shadow of another? Or do you cast that shadow? Do you ever wish you could find a way out?
Yoomi and Duo create unique iPad game
Yoomi is an iPad game (free) that, when combined with the Duo hardware, offers a unique tabletop gaming experience. It looks like a fun combination of software and hardware, and it's something we haven't seen before as it requires no dock connector link. Here's how it works. Yoomi is a simple guessing game for three or four players. Each player receives a pile of colored chips, and the Duo is placed on the iPad's screen. The game begins when the iPad displays two pictures. One player selects a picture in secret, as the Duo hides their fingers, and the remaining players try to guess his/her choice by placing a chip on the Duo near the corresponding image. Once all bets have been placed, the correct picture is revealed, and the Duo deposits the winning chips into the bank all on its own, using what we suspect is dark magic -- and batteries. The player who loses all of his/her chips first wins and receives the pot. Best of all, no reading is required, so even the youngest members of the family can play. The Duo is being sold exclusively at Toys R Us for US$40, and is required to play Yoomi. You can watch a demo video on the next page.
Yoomi and Duo join forces for an 'Apples to Apples' esque experience... on your Apple iPad
Because your game board of an iPad can't always be used for heated, futuristic Scrabble matches or perennially peeved pigeons, Discovery Bay Games has devised a divertissement of its own that, in its words (no pun intended), requires no reading. Actually, Yoomi for has a really cool trick in that it uses the Duo, a chip collector that rests on top of the display. Here's how it works: one person picks (the selection hidden from the group by the Duo) between two cards with no criteria whatsoever (e.g. Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot). The rest of the group puts a token into the slot corresponding to their guess. Once the correct answer is revealed, the Duo "magically" (how coy) knows which answer was right and drops the tokens into the connected bin, leaving those who guessed wrong to pick up the pieces and try again. First player to rid themselves of all tokens wins! Interested in actually letting your family drop things on the iPad screen this holiday season? App is free, Duo is $40 from Toys R Us -- and if you're still need more, video is after the break.
Dell Inspiron Duo review
When Dell first demoed the Inspiron Duo and its vertically rotating screen on stage at IDF in September, our mouths nearly hit the floor. It looked like a plain old netbook until its 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen did a magical backflip and folded down over its keyboard to morph into a tablet. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. And we actually figured it would be the sort of system that would stay locked up in Dell's labs, but when its specs were revealed -- a dual-core Atom N550 processor, 2GB of RAM, and Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator -- it became evident that the netbook / tablet hybrid was the real deal. Running Windows 7 Home Premium and Dell's new Stage interface, the $550 netvertible has the potential to successfully straddle both the netbook and tablet world. It also has a real shot at being the perfect device for those wavering between buying a netbook and a tablet. Indeed, the Duo is filled to the brim with potential, but what's the thing really like to use? We've spent the last few days with the Duo (and its Duo Audio Station) to find out, so hit the break for the official Engadget review! Editor's note: The review unit Dell sent us was a hardware production unit, but we were told the software was about 95 percent done. We will update this review with our impressions of the final unit when we receive it. This review was updated / edited on 12.8.2010 to include impressions of the final production level Inspiron Duo. %Gallery-108438%
Dell Inspiron Duo tablet / netbook now on sale, arrives December 15th
We've seen so, so much of the beautiful and crazy Dell Inspiron Duo tablet / netbook hybrid that we must confess we might just need one of our very own. If you're like us, then today is your lucky day, because this wild and crazy laptop (last spotted at the Microsoft Store) is now on sale at Dell. The 10-incher boasts a dual-core Atom N550 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, and some serious attitude. The Inspiron Duo has a starting price of $549, and you can order it right this minute at Dell. Hit up the source if you care to, and expect your shipment to arrive around the 15th of December, only six days too late for Hanukkah. Full press release is below.
Dell Inspiron Duo tablet could be with us next week
Alright, we know AMD's busy showing off its Atom killer, but there's still a little life left in Intel's netbook stalwart, which has been harnessed to its fullest in Dell's screen-flipping Duo tablet / netbook. And the good news is that we apparently won't have to wait too long to see that zany concoction out in the real world. Well placed sources have informed CNET that Dell intends to release the Inspiron Duo at some point next week, potentially on November 23rd, while pre-sale information should be dished out later this week, alongside Microsoft's announcement of a new store opening. Things are moving along nice and swiftly, it would seem. Update: And just to fan those flames of desire a little more, the Duo has shown up in Microsoft's latest cloud computing advert. See it after the break.
Dell Inspiron Duo flips its lid on official video
Blink really slowly and you might miss it. Seriously, though, Dell's 35-second Inspiron Duo teaser plays up the tablet angle for quite a bit -- even prominently showing off a JBL speaker dock -- before getting to the really awesome part. Oh, you know, where it totally flips its screen over and becomes a netbook. Coming soon, and last we heard it was by the end of the year, so that gives them around 57 days to make it happen. Video after the break.
Dell Inspiron Duo hybrid netbook / tablet stars in another film
We'll freely admit how smitten we are with Dell's concept, the Inspiron Duo. While it's supposedly coming to retail by the end of the year, it's so special that every time we spy new photos or video footage of it, we watch joyfully. Of course, Intel doesn't need to watch from afar, as demonstrated in a new video -- they simply asked Dell's Inspiron Product Marketer, Dave Zavelson to show it off on film. The Duo, in case you've been hiding under a rock since before IDF, is a 10-inch netbook with a swivel screen which enables you to use it as a sort of tablet... you know, those things that everybody's cranking out these days. It also boasts a dual-core Atom N550 CPU and Windows 7 Home Premium. Regardless, we still haven't heard any pricing or definite availability info yet, but the video is below.
Dell Inspiron Duo touched for the very first time
Yeah, you made me feel, shiny and new... We digress. That's jkkmobile's finger in the photo above, testing out Microsoft Surface Globe on the Dell Inspiron Duo convertible's swiveling 10-inch screen -- a rite of passage that you can watch after the break in all its low-res glory. We're seriously jealous of this dude right now, but thankful that he discovered a few more facts about the device: for one, that swivel only spins in one direction, and for another, we're looking at a capacitive multitouch screen. We still don't know what those sensors are on the left side of the netbook's clamshell frame nor what resolution that webcam shoots at, but we do see a set of flaps on the left-hand side presumably concealing some ports, and what could be a flat removable battery pack on the bottom of the cherry-red unit. Video after the break.
Dell's Atom-powered Inspiron Duo: 10-inch netbook / tablet hybrid with a crazy swivel (update: more video and detailed press photo!)
Boy, did Dell show just off the craziest device on stage at Intel's IDF 2010 day two keynote. What started as a tablet device converted to a netbook just by opening to the keyboard and literally swiveling the screen from within the frame. This hybrid's got a 10-inch screen, houses a dual-core Atom N550 and runs Windows 7 Premium. And if it looks at all familiar, that's because we saw something eerily similar in a leak from April (hello, Sparta). No price given and Dell isn't providing us any more details, but it should be released by the end of this year. Update: It ain't pretty, but we managed to bum rush the stage and get some footage of the Inspiron Duo during as it made its transformations to and from a keyboard-equipped existence. It's after the break... along with a press photo! Update 2: And now we've got a much clearer video for your enjoyment. Check it out! Update 3: Dell sent over a pretty hefty press photo, so we decided to break it down piece-by-piece. To the gallery! %Gallery-102183%
NetTalk reveals the Duo, we await MagicJack's response
If you've never heard of the NetTalk TK6000, you're certainly not alone -- suffice it to say it's an as-seen-on-TV product that converts a standard ethernet internet connection into a VoIP telephone cord. And to be clear, the new NetTalk Duo doesn't seem to offer anything different than its predecessor, only a shiny bullet case, but that just makes it the perfect salvo across incumbent MagicJack's bow. We can hardly wait to see how the latest chapter in the infinite long distance call saga will play out. However, on the off-chance you've been looking to Fire Your Phone Company®, don't wait, act now -- peep the press release after the break for your ten percent discount.
The Road to Mordor: Shopping for your skirmish soldier
Every Friday, The Road to Mordor brings you the latest in Lord of the Rings Online news, guides and analysis. Breaking up, as the song goes, is hard to do -- but sometimes very, very necessary. I'll admit that I have recently settled into a bit of a skirmish funk, firing up a session here and there merely for the XP and the privilege of filling my bags with 576 different types of marks (seriously, Turbine, couldn't we switch from this confusing British-like currency to something more streamlined, like the Euro?). When I couldn't find a partner for a skirmish, the sessions seemed like a drag, and even though I dutifully stabbed my way through them, I grew to resent their length and my death-prone Herbalist soldier. It wasn't until the other day that a friend challenged my choice of soldier, and in so doing, freed me up for a more enjoyable skirmish experience. "Why are you sticking with the Herbalist?" he asked. I shrugged -- I thought that's what you picked when you were DPS-y and lacked a lot of self-heals. After doing a bit of research on the forums, I made the switch from the decaf healbot to 100% caffeinated Archer goodness, and I couldn't be happier. Pew pew, stab stab, win win. The choice of a soldier companion for skirmishes may be the tipping point between a painful slog and a joyful battle, as it was in my case. If you're still trying to figure out which soldier might work best with your class, then hit the jump and see what other players recommend you try.
Pioneer announces CD ripping, Internet radio playing, DLNA sporting iPod docks
Up until this point, when Pioneer and iPhone were uttered in the same sentence (or the same Engadget post) it's been in the guise of some sort of integration with an existing product (such as a car stereo or home theater hardware). This time around, however, the consumer electronics company is debuting a line of a/v docks that, truth be told, don't look nearly as boring as most do to these jaded blogsters. All of the kit included herein feature 2.1 speakers, HDMI, component video, and composite video out, and Bluetooth audio streaming. Of all of these, the HTD Series (XW-NAV1K-K) is the "jack of all trades," featuring a DVD/CD player, FM tuner, USB connectivity for external storage, CD-to-MP3 ripping, and "scaling of DVD video to 1080p near HD resolution" via HDMI. Available in June with an MSRP of $299. For someone with simpler needs (and greater means) the Audition Series (XW-NAS3/-K) "unparalleled reproduction of compressed audio files" come April, for an MSRP of $449. Last but not least, the Duo Series systems sport dual docking ports for two different iPods or iPhones and a Double Shuffle feature for continuous playback of music between the two docked players. The XW-NAC1-K ($349) is a more modest device, while the XW-NAC3-K ($449) adds a number of features to the basic dock, including DLNA 1.5 home network support, vTuner Internet Radio, external storage support via USB, and more. Both these bad boys will be available in May. PR after the break.
Energizer confirms software vulnerability in Duo charging software
Energizer's Duo USB battery charger has been around for a couple of years now, but the company has just now fessed up to a fairly significant vulnerability in the software for the device after being informed of the problem by CERT. While the software was intended to simply let you keep watch on the battery charging status, it apparently also opened up a backdoor that allowed commands to be executed remotely, including the ability to list directories, send and receive files, and run programs. That vulnerability is only found in the Windows version of the software, and Energizer has already discontinued the product altogether and removed the download from its website. Anyone that already has the software installed is advised to first uninstall it and then remove the Arucer.dll file from the Windows system32 directory. [Thanks, Michael]
Duo brings pen-based computing to almost any display
An intermediate step between Livescribe and a touchscreen, the Duo by KCI Communications lets you use a stylus on your standard desktop or laptop display. It works (on devices up to 17-inches) by using a base station to track the XY coordinates of the pen as it makes its way around the screen. If that weren't enough, the pen also features functionality similar to Livescribe -- you can keep notes on traditional paper and transfer them to your PC later. Currently, this bad boy is only available for WIndows machines, but Mac drivers are in the works. Now, we haven't had the opportunity to play with one of these things, but maybe you'll want to take the plunge? If so, hit the read link -- shipping now for $119.95. But not before you check out the commercial after the break -- it's a classic. [Via CNET]
It takes two to duo content
Spinksville has a great post up about the great benefits and joy of duoing in MMOs, or playing alongside one other person as you level your way up. I haven't been able to duo in a while, but I have done one character with a good friend -- he played a Priest and I tanked on my Warrior, and we shot up through to max level (even before the leveling changes) just because not only did our characters compliment each other, but we knew each others' play styles and were able to take on lots of big mobs and quests without a problem. I agree with Spinks: playing the game alongside someone you know well is the perfect mix of a singleplayer and MMO game.There are certainly issues -- if one of you plays more than the other and pulls ahead or falls behind, it's not quite as fun for either of you. But especially if you're both playing alts and you've got good, regular amounts of time to play together, it can be really fun. In fact, it's kind of surprising that Blizzard and other MMO companies haven't gone in for more of the very-small group play -- singleplayer instances got a pass, but then again, phasing has changed things since then, and the LFG system has improved, so maybe it's time for Blizzard to put some two-player content in the mix.It would definitely be great to see some official support for two-player content -- not everyone has a partner to play with all the time, but I think you'll find way more two-player groups in the game than you will find full raids of 25 people, and that group certainly gets their share of things to do. Spinks makes some great suggestions about duo content, and it's definitely a realm of gameplay that a lot of MMOs haven't yet officially explored.
Hanwha's Duo for Laptop lets you doodle on your standard 15.4-inch laptop
Here's a novel idea -- turning one's standard, non-tablet PC into a tablet PC. Hanwha Japan has just introduced its incredibly useful Duo for Laptop device, which sits gently atop one's laptop display and tracks digital pen movements via Infrared and ultrasonic technology in order to add doodling functionality to LCDs that were never designed to understand touch input. The only limitation -- and it's a big one -- is that this seems to only work with lappies possessing up to a 15.4-inch display. If that's kosher with you, you can snap one up for ¥9,980 ($101), or if not, you can just wait 'til these are announced for netbooks, ultraportables and desktop replacements.[Via Engadget Japanese]
AT&T's Pantech C820 in the flesh, FCC-style
Look familiar? If you've got an eye for FCC label drafts, the shadowy figure here will ring a bell as Pantech's C820 -- perhaps better known as the successor to the Duo. Carried over from the Duo is the pair of slides that offer both numeric and QWERTY keypads for your tapping pleasure, but it could be argued that the C820 owns the original model six ways to Sunday in the design department; in fact, we'd go on to argue that this'll end up being one of the better-looking phones on AT&T when it launches, period. Thing is, we don't know when that launch is gonna be just yet -- so for now, just feast on some newly-updated FCC documentation and dream of a future filled with glossy black capsules running Windows Mobile.[Via Phone Scoop]
Pantech imbues C810 Duo with Windows Mobile 6.1 update
We're still waiting for that C820 to become reality, but in the meantime, we can just rest on our laurels while the poor Duo wastes away on some ancient build of Windows Mobile 6, can we? Of course not, it'd be inhumane -- and happily, Pantech agrees, finally releasing a 6.1 update for owners of AT&T's dual-sliding smartphone. Cheers to that![Via MoDaCo]
Pantech C820 confirmed by way of FCC
Rumors of a successor to Pantech's Duo for AT&T just got a little more believable this week thanks to a new FCC filing for a device matching the model number we'd been told to look out for. The C820's posterior here certainly looks the part of a dual slider smartphone, and the inclusion of WCDMA 850 / 1900 pretty much locks up AT&T as the destination -- so the only question left is whether it's the 2 megapixel Windows Mobile 6.1 baddie we're hoping for, or just some random milquetoast messenger for the low end. The smart money still says it's the former, but Murphy and his stupid law just love to prove us wrong in these sorts of situations.
