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Get a free PSP game at Lollapalooza
All the cool kids are hanging out at Lollapalooza, happening today & tomorrow in Chicago's Grant Park. 130 bands will be performing during the ticketed event, which costs $65 per day. If you happen to be going, make sure you bring your PSP, because you'll score a game out of it:The first 50 people each day to show their personal PSP system to the staff at the PlayStation tent will receive one (1) PSP game from the PSP Greatest Hits Collections (a.r.v. $19.99).If any of our readers are attending the show, feel free to drop us some photos in our tips section. You'll be internet-famous.
TDMW interviews DefectiveByDesign
Remember those crazy DefectiveByDesign kids in hazmat suites trying to give customers the 411 on DRM outside Apple Stores? TDMW (The Digital Music Weblog) snagged an interview with the DbD collective on the state of DRM, what their beef really is and where they believe things are headed. The group has been snagging some major news coverage as of late, and this interview is a really interesting window into their stance on DRM and what it's doing to our culture (example: ooh, sorry - your mom isn't authorized to borrow that CD).In the interest of avoiding another bloody war over whether we should be shopping at the iTMS, however, I'll just direct your attention to TDMW's interview for your reading enjoyment.
Timesplitters devs think Wii is underpowered?
Free Radical Design, which was formed from key members that left Rare after working on Goldeneye 007, has a new title in development for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 known as Haze. In the FAQ at their website, when asked if there will be a Wii version of the game, the company states "There are currently no plans for a Wii version of Haze. Sadly, the cutting-edge technology we're using requires more power than the Wii has available. If we could, we would." This got us to the thinkin' over here at Wii Fanboy.Would this be the case for titles in the future that are being developed on all platforms? Think about Ubisoft's Raving Rabbids, which Michel Ancel has stated during a preview that it is primarily being developed for the Wii, followed by ports to the PS3 and Xbox 360. How would it work the other way? Sure, we know that Call of Duty 3 is another title that will be present on all consoles, but is the game being built on Xbox 360 or PS3 architecture, then ported to the Wii? Is this the wall that Free Radical has hit? The comment brings up some questions, sure, but we doubt that a company who could give us one of the greatest console FPS games ever made could be so disinterested in such an innovative console. Hopefully, the next time we discuss Free Radical, it'll be in regards to their newest project on the platform.
Nintendo documents Toys 'R Us goodies
We just can't stop covering this game! We love it and we aren't afraid to admit it. Our parents forbade that love, but we eloped and now they're forced to accept it. With the recent partnership between Toys 'R Us and Nintendo, there has been plenty of reason to keep plugging away in our towns (well, maybe not for some). In an effort to save you time and some of your life span as sunlight undoubtedly causes you pain, Nintendo of America employee Chloe felt she should document what exactly the 6 free gifts available are at your local Toys 'R Us. So maybe you've been holding back, thinking that dangerous star in the sky is not worth enduring for fabulous free gifts to place in a virtual home. Well, maybe this list of available gifts will change your mind: Green Pipe Flagpole 1-up Mushroom Starman Fire bar ? Box
Free Mac OS history PDF
Amit Singh (the same guy who hacked the 'book motion sensor), author of the newly released "Mac OS X Internals: A Systems Approach," has made an expanded version of first chapter of the epic 1700 page tome available online as a free PDF download. Entitled "A Technical History of Apple's Operating Systems," the piece covers the entire gamut of operating systems that Apple has ever shown the least bit of interest in since its birth 30 years ago. Weighing in at 140 pages and 3MB, the chapter delves pretty deeply into the technical aspects of Operating Systems, and might be a bit dense for some less tech savvy readers. I haven't yet read much more than the first few pages yet (other than skimming), but I can tell this will be an interesting and invaluable read that will give me a better grasp on OS X by showing me where it has been.Via MacUser
Facebook begins iTunes promotion, giving away 10 million samplers
Facebook, the MySpace of the EDU world (and the 7th most trafficked site in the US), has announced a back-to-school promotion involving the iTMS and 10 million music samplers. They will be giving away 1 million 25-song samplers each week for the next 10 weeks, with genres including Alternative, Rock, Hip-Hop and Electronica. It appears that one only needs to visit Facebook to see banners like this, which are linked to the download at Apple's site, so go forth and download, iTunes and Facebook users.[via iLounge]
Web site runs contest where prize is free Wii
Now this is actually a pretty cool idea.A web site decided to run a contest where they would give away 3 free Wiis to shoppers. Now, there is no entry form or any of that nonsense, all you need do is buy things from their site. Basically, for every $50 (we assume US dollars) you spend, you'll get one entry in the drawing for a free console. It's possible for you to have more than one entry in the contest, so the more you spend, the better your chances are.Also, if you pre-order the console from their site and win one of the free consoles, you'll get the equivalent of that amount in accessories and/or games for the system. Personally, it would be a lot nicer if they just refunded your money, but with what is sure to be a very cost-effective console, it's not all that big a loss anyway.
iLounge releases The Free iPod Book 2.2
Those iPod-obsessed kids over at iLounge have updated their Free iPod Book to version 2.2 (yes, books can have version point updates too). Four all-new sections are included in this updated version: Nike + iPod Sport Kit Troubleshooting Your iPod U2 iPod + iPod Pack-Ins Backstage at iLounge You'll also find the typical kinds of updates to previous content you would expect. This 200+ page "free manual on getting the most from your iPod" is available from iLounge's update post, as well as from the iLounge Library. Enjoy.
Psych pilot free on iTunes
Hey all you free loading Americans out there (which including yours truly) the iTunes Music Store has a free goodie for you (and yes it is US only, don't shoot the messenger). You can download the pilot of the USA Network's newest show 'Pysch.'I don't know how long this will last, so get to downloading whilst the downloading is good!Thanks, Philip.
Virtual PC goes free - but not for Mac OS X
Good news everyone: Microsoft has released Virtual PC into the wild for free - but not for 'the rest of us'. That's right: an announcement on a MSDN blog (Microsoft Developer Network) has released Virtual PC 2004 as a free download for Windows users, and it offers details of VPC 2007 along the lines of support for Vista and improved performance over version 2004 (who on Earth thought it was a good idea to use years as a versioning system?). Of course, there isn't even an ETA that Microsoft can start delaying for version 2007, so we're guessing around 2010/2011 for the new version. This move makes sense in light of Parallels making headlines virtually overnight (pun intended), sparking what seems like a renewed interest in the virtualization market.[via Daring Fireball]
Chronos replaces StickyBrain with SOHO Notes 5.5
StickyBrain, one of the leading 'digital junk drawer' apps that recently entered a 4.1 beta testing phase, has been officially discontinued by Chronos in favor of SOHO Notes 5.5. Current registered users of StickyBrain 4.0 will receive an upgrade to SOHO Notes for free, while users who own licenses for any previous StickyBrain versions (1.x, 2.x and 3.x) can upgrade to SOHO Notes 5.5 for a mere $25, the price offered in the past for upgrading from StickyBrain 3.x to 4.x.Why is StickyBrain being dissolved in favor of SOHO Notes, you ask? Chronos has published an announcement and FAQ explaining the decision, but here's the short version: SOHO Notes is basically the big brother of StickyBrain; they're almost the same app, derived from the same codebase, except SOHO Notes included three key features that Chronos used to charge extra for: SOHO Notes can synchronize notes between multiple computers using a .Mac account (seamlessly, in the background). SOHO Notes can access multiple note databases simultaneously. SOHO Notes is multi-user capable which means users can share notes with others over a network using the product's client/server technology. Now, with SOHO Notes taking the helm, its price has dropped to $39.99 to keep it more in-line with StickyBrain's previous price, as well as the competition like Yojimbo and DEVONthink. Feature-wise, this new version of SOHO Notes 5.5 offers some powerful new goodies, such as the ability to import and catalog almost any kind of file, send notes to your blog, a DockNote that makes it easy to get info both in and out, audio recording notes, full-screen editing of notes, a Daily Journal/Diary category that can automatically date/time stamp notes and much more.Whether you love your hate StickyBrain SOHO Notes, this should be good news for the 'digital junk drawer' market, as this price drop and the new features should help keep everyone's innovative juices flowing.
iClip is Free Today
MacZot is offering Inventive's iClip as a free download today. It's version 3.7 and isn't a universal binary but version 4.0 is about to ship and the company has long offered free upgrades, so grab it now and watch for version 4.0 to ship. I'm not personally a user of multiple clipboards, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to give this a whirl. Who doesn't like free stuff.Thanks Jonathan for the tip.
i-concert's 24/7 HD concert network hits France IPTV
French ADSL provider Free has partnered with i-concerts to create a 24/7 high definition concert network, i-concerts HD. Beyond the IPTV channel, they also feature i-concerts Jukebox for VOD access, although it is not clear if that content will be HD or not. The network launched yesterday, and will feature content from all genres, including performers such as Beyoncé, Seal, Radiohead, James Brown, and Gorillaz. The IPTV rollout is happening much faster in Europe compared to the US, in fact the i-concert network is already available to Belgian subscribers over IPTV and in France direct to a PC. As telephone companies expand IPTV offerings here, hopefully we'll see more options for high def programming like this become available.
Macgamefiles offers free game hosting
Macgamefiles.com has announced free game hosting for shareware and freeware game developers (but not for things like maps, mods, etc.). The only catch is that the game's developer needs to point their download links to the game's product page hosted at Macgamefiles.com. This, I assume, is so MGF can make up their (probably astronomical) hosting costs with ad hits.Given some of the bills I've heard of for hosting large files like podcasts and software downloads, I would imagine this is a huge bonus for garage-based game developers. Three cheers for internet advertising business models!
Chicago signing for Uematsu, Aki, & Roth tonight
Are you in Chicago tonight for the big PLAY! concert tomorrow, but weren't willing to shell out $125 for the VIP meet-and-greet at the event? Well, you might be in luck (even if you're not attending), as a few famous folks from the concert will be on hand to sign autographs in Chicago proper for free tonight.From 7 to 9 PM (presumably Central time) at the Tower Records store on 2301 N. Clark St., Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, bilingual songstress Angela Aki (who wrote and sang the theme song for FFXII), and Principal Conductor and Music Director of PLAY! Arnie Roth will be signing autographs to promote the world-tour premiere of 'PLAY! A Video Game Symphony' and the CD for More Friends - Music from FINAL FANTASY.While this blogger is sadly occupied with prior engagements tonight, gamers in the area are more than welcome to mob that Tower Records and cause the store's employees much consternation and bewilderment. If you don't have any imported CDs to sign, however, don't fret: the store's web site claims to have "some awesome Japanese imports available for you to purchase and have autographed at the event." Not only that, Angela Aki will be performing live as well. Score! Anybody wanna tell us how this evening turns out when it's all sung and done?[Via The Daily Northwestern; image culled from Angela Aki's blog, Nobuo Uematsu's Squenix profile, and Arnie Roth's 2005 interview with IGN]See also: Official page for Tower Clark Street (with details on the signing) Ticketmaster site for the PLAY! concert debut tomorrow Sonic and Chrono composers to join PLAY! in Chicago
Offer for one free year of EGM ends today
"Free" offers on the internet often come with annoying trials and lengthy cancellation procedures, but this one here's legit -- it's actually running from the subscription web site of the publisher of EGM, Ziff Davis Media.You may have seen this offer for 12 free issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly on Joystiq or other game sites out there. Basically, what's happening is the Ziff Davis Game Group is running a subscription drive for the mag, sponsored by the World Cyber Games. Free subs are only on offer through today, however, so get a move on if you want a piece of the printed action.Of course, EGM may be no OPM, but it's helpful for even the healthiest fanboy to get a balanced diet of multiplatform news and information on a regular basis. Also, please note that you're under no obligation to sign up for the World Cyber Games page which follows the EGM subscription one, so you can absolutely get your free mag without registering with the WCG.[Via Joystiq]
Get yer free EGMs here, get em while they're hot
The good people at Ziff-Davis have pointed us towards a limited-time offer for a free one-year subscription to their flagship gaming mag, Electronic Gaming Monthly, a $20 value. The deal is being sponsored by World Cyber Games USA, so don't worry about old, Uncle ZD going bellyup after you all grab free subs. The only catch: you gotta do it by Friday or "while supplies last."How to get it: go here, fill out your info, and hit the "Order FREE Subscription" button. Afterwards, you'll be taken to a an optional registration page for the WCG which you do not have to fill out this to get the free subscription.
Acclaim's MMO strategy examined
Next Generation brings us the lowdown from Howard Marks -- CEO of the newly-reopened Acclaim -- on Acclaim's MMO strategy. His plan is to bring Eastern games to the West with no subscriber fee, but instead to make money via in-game ads and micropayments.Next Gen's feature asks if this will work in a market with no real precedent. By dropping the phrase "free game" and instead focusing on games as a service, Marks intends it to. However, his strategy doesn't come across with a lot of confidence in this article. It'll be interesting to see if Acclaim manage to set a good precedent for an East-to-West business model, and more importantly whether others follow suit.
Free domestic out calls with Skype
Speaking of free stuff, Skype has announced that you can now place free calls from Skype to a mobile or land line. It only lasts until the end of the year and it only covers calls in the US and Canada, but it is still very cool. Couple this with the Universal client and you're set to call people from your MacBook Pro willy nilly for the next few months.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
Napster is now free... kinda
The big news of the day regarding your local digital music purveyor is that Napster has announced that it is now free. Sort of. After you register for an account you can listen to any of their 2 million tracks (in their entirety) five times, the sixth time you are prompted to either buy the track or subscribe to Napster.I think this is a brilliant move on Napster's part, though I doubt it will really help them that much. However, I do hope that this forces the iTunes Music Store to do something similar (those 30 second clips just don't cut it).
