Freezing
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Google fixes random Pixel freezing with latest update
Google's Pixel and Pixel XL phones debuted to strong reviews, but not all has been perfect since -- supply has been a problem, as has quality control. Case in point -- some smartphones have been freezing at random times, requiring a complete reboot to clear the problem. Luckily, Google has just released a new OTA update that "should address many of the freezing issues that have been reported."
Scientists use lasers to understand how water stays liquid below its freezing point
We only remember a few things from science 101, but we're reasonably certain that water boils at 212 degrees (Fahrenheit) and freezes at 32. Scientists at Stanford's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, armed with a Linac Coherent Light Source X-Ray Laser, however, have shown us otherwise. Should you be armed with such a device, the normal rules of physics no longer apply, and -- for the first time -- it becomes possible to observe water right down to its molecular level, even while it is supercooled as a liquid to minus 52 degrees Fahrenheit.
ZooGue cools an iPad by freezing it (video)
Tim Angel and the crew at ZooGue have been working on a followup to their wildly successful iPad case, and they expect to have it out by the end of this summer. The new case apparently features a thinner, completely reworked design with all of the flexibility of the old case and without all of the Velcro. In the meanwhile, they decided to test both the mettle of their existing case and the iPad by freezing one in a block of ice. Yes, that's not recommended by Apple, but the iPad was wrapped in a plastic bag to prevent water damage and had an attached Dock connector cable for power during the freezing process. In case you're wondering how you get an iPad safely out of a block of ice, it turns out that dropping it from eight feet or so onto asphalt works just fine.
Nikon confirms woes with D4 and D800, joins Canon in high-end doghouse
Okay Nikon owners, stop laughing at your 5D Mark III cronies for their leaky problem. That might be a drip in the pail next to your own worries -- namely, possible "lock-up", focus and viewfinder hitches on your D800 or D4. Nikon verified that a "small number" of units of both DSLRs can lock up and become unresponsive, but until there's a permanent patch you can prevent this by disabling both highlight and RGB histogram displays. The company also verified that a "run" of D800s is suffering from a viewfinder bug, although it has yet to confirm another emerging problem with autofocus in some units, which apparently requires a factory fix. So, if you've noticed any of this with your pricey new D800, or really pricey D4, your best bet might be to reach out to your Nikon repair center post-haste. And don't let the Canon guys see you. [Thanks, Thinh]
Gears of War 3 causing some Xboxes to grind to a halt [Update: Epic responds]
Gears of War 3 players are flooding the Epic forums with complaints of freezing issues, which occur when players attempt to load a game mode. Specifically, it seems to be limited to splitscreen Horde play with two profiles -- when the glitch hits, it permanently alters one of the profiles, making it impossible to enter any game mode. So ... that's not a great bug. Epic is aware of it; in fact, Epic rep Rykard posted a questionnaire attempting to nail down the exact issue. We're checking in with Epic for an ETA on the fix. Until then ... try not to play Horde mode in splitscreen. Update: Epic Games tells us, "Getting this resolved is a priority for Epic. We are collecting information internally, sourcing as much as possible from the community and exploring potential fixes. We do not have any recommendations to share with players just yet." [Thanks, CJ]
Massively exclusive: Luvinia Online equipment education
Gear in MMOs isn't just about making a fashion statement; it's often the difference between life and death, success and failure, envy and pity. So it is with Luvinia Online, as gear will be a primary focus of any adventurer who doesn't want his lifespan to be measured in minutes. Outspark has been gracious enough to treat us to a comprehensive introduction to how gear works in Luvinia. On top of the expected stats and rarity values, Luvinia has a few interesting ideas about how to modify gear and trade it between characters. Luvinia Online finished closed beta last month, but is heading for open beta fairly soon. Hit the jump to start your edumacation in the fine art of equipment, courtesy of the development team at Outspark.
UFC Personal Trainer includes free Undisputed 2010 from Best Buy, freezing glitch everywhere
Good news and bad news about UFC Personal Trainer. The good news is that if you buy the Xbox 360 version online or in store from Best Buy, you'll get a free copy of UFC Undisputed 2010. That way, if you get tired of actually performing all those deadly combat moves with your body, you can take a break and engage in some virtual grappling, and then let Brock Lesnar's improbably overmuscled frame on the box art inspire you to get back to your workout. Now, the bad news. That copy of Personal Trainer might need to take a periodic, unscheduled break of its own -- users are reporting freezing issues with the training game, at least on Xbox. THQ is aware of the problem, which it attributes on the UFC Personal Trainer blog (currently offline) to "unforeseen server issues." The publisher is working on a fix, expected "shortly." And then you can get back to your training regimen, which is definitely guaranteed to make you as inhumanly, inconveniently beefy as Brock Lesnar. Update 9pm – THQ sent us the following statement letting us know the issue has been resolved: We have successfully resolved the hitching issue recently impacting UFC Personal Trainer, including potential interference with online and offline play. Yesterday, our third party data support center encountered a technical issue that halted all server support. This issue affected many games, including UFC Personal Trainer, as the lack of server support made the product periodically hitch and interfere with the user experience. THQ's technical support and development teams have resolved the issue by transferring data support to a new server facility. UFC Personal Trainer has been tested thoroughly, and we are currently not experiencing issues with the product or online connections. We will continue monitoring activities with the new server facility. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage players to hit the mitts, take on the 30-day challenge and experience everything UFC Personal Trainer has to offer consumers. Good luck on your fitness journey! [Thanks, D!]
DC Universe Online updates fans on console freezes
If you've been playing DC Universe Online on the PlayStation 3, you've probably either experienced or heard of the freezing problems experienced on the platform. Executive producer DeadMeat has posted an update on the situation to the game's official Facebook page, and while it's not a fix, it does help explain what the issue seems to be from the development side. In short, the issue is less a matter of not being able to fix it and more of an issue of nailing down the precise problem. According to the update, the common out-of-memory error that's causing console freezes requires a very specific set of conditions to be met, and while the team is doing its best to replicate the conditions for freezing, the live environment is very different from the in-house testing environment. DC Universe Online players who are trying to enjoy the game on the console might not be mollified by this update, but it's a clear sign that the developers are trying to keep an open line of communication.
Homefront PS3 patch met with poor reviews; stats reset unaddressed
Kaos Studios responded to reports of "freezing" issues and other bugs in Homefront by pushing out a patch for the PS3 version of the game last night at approximately 8PM ET. In its announcement, the developer claimed that "far fewer issues" had been reported in the Xbox 360 version, though a title update was in the works nonetheless. Additionally, a "small hotfix" was released for the PC version yesterday, to be followed by "a patch with full change-list in the near future." Following the update's release via PlayStation Network, a few worrisome comments began to appear below the announcement post. "I thik [sic] they broke the game," observed one commenter complaining of lag. "I hadn't had any lock up problems till this update, now all it does is lock up making the game unplayable for me," posted another. "I too have lost my rank (PS3)," reads a more alarming comment, "I was rank 24 and i played a game and noticed i was back to 2." This issue of reset player ranks and XP appears not to be an unintended side effect of the patch, but rather an ongoing issue since the game's launch earlier this week, acknowledged by Kaos yesterday afternoon. "We are aware of the buggy leader boards and stat tracking issues and it is being addressed in an upcoming patch," promised Kaos' Dan Matlack in response to one of the many, many forum threads on the issue. While the stats reset bug was not addressed in last night's update, Kaos' patch notes did highlight the introduction of "several fixes for reported freezes." In the main "PS3 'Freezing' Issues" thread, posters have reported mostly failed results. In the "Multiplayer Status Update" thread, similar complaints about freezing have appeared following the patch's release, in addition to reported server connection and party system failures. Still, some forum-goers remain optimistic: "great patch, the only problem im still having is my ps3 is freezes usually after every other game," posted a cheery St0rMiN_X_NoRMaN. [Thanks, Gwynne]
Homefront devs looking into 'freezing' issues, THQ did not support price drops 'in any way, shape, or form'
Homefront developer Kaos Studios notes on its forums that it's currently investigating reports of the game "freezing" on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. The company asks for patience, as it "will need a bit of time" to figure out what the problem is. Of course, if they do figure it out, then comes the console certification process (fun times). THQ and Kaos Studios can't seem to catch a break during the high-profile Homefront's launch week. Despite solid initial sales of 375,000 units of the game, bad review scores have punched THQ's stock price and yesterday's pricing "race to the bottom" by Amazon and Walmart didn't help perception. For its part, THQ issued the following comment on the price drops: Amazon and Wal-Mart.com have raised the prices back up and it was a one day play to gain market share on the biggest title in the industry right now. THQ did not support this in any way, shape, or form.
Call of Duty: Black Ops gets major patch, PS3 gamers suffer connection issues
Treyarch recently gave its blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops its biggest booster shot to date on Xbox 360 and PS3, adding some neat new functionality while initiating some oft-requested server stability fixes and various gameplay tweaks. The biggest changes include: the addition of over 400 new Contracts (perfect for folks who are still on that paper chase); the new option to play offline with AI practice dummies; split-screen multiplayer; and a new "Dolly Cam" for the game's Theater mode, giving machinma-makers a bit more cinematographic flexibility. Unfortunately, not every player seems to be a fan of the update so far -- a growing thread on the game's official forums is filled with complaints from PS3 owners who say the patch has worsened freezing, crashing and other connectivity issues that have plagued their console's version of the game since launch. Treyarch has stated that it's constantly working on fixes for the game, so if you're suffering from the PS3 networking blues, you might want to add your voice to the pile. For now, check out the full, super esoteric list of changes from the new patch posted after the break.
Suspended animation shocker: lack of oxygen could be the key to surviving a deep freeze
Researchers in Seattle are coming closer to discovering the secrets of suspended animation. Experimenting with yeast and worms, Dr. Mark Roth has been able to determine that a significant decrease in oxygen before the deep freeze of an organism makes surviving the thaw much, much easier, and may account for several cases where people have appeared to be frozen to death but were later revived. Dr. Roth's aim, he says, is not to be able to freeze people for long periods (such as is the case in the classic film Encino Man), but to help medical professionals "buy time" and advance their understanding of the effects of freezing on the human body. Sure, but if it means we might get to meet up with Pauly Shore in like, a thousand years, why don't we just shoot for the stars on this one? Video is below.
Bioware working on fix for Dragon Age PS3 freezing issue
BioWare is in the process of developing a patch to fix Dragon Age: Origins' game crashing bug caused by the PS3 firmware 3.3 update. If the thread on the BioWare forums is any indication, the developer was just as flummoxed and frustrated by the situation as the players. It appears that BioWare, after much collaboration with the community, has a patch in the works that should fix the problem. The bad part is there is currently no timetable for the patch to make its way to the masses. If the code changes work internally, then it's off to EA for "publisher side certification testing." After that, it goes to Sony for testing. We sure hope Sony takes the BioWare team who ended up having to work extra on this out for a nice steak dinner. [Via Kotaku, IncGamers]
Video: Splinter Cell: Conviction freezing glitch and workaround [update]
Update: Both Xbox Support and an Ubisoft representative have confirmed the issue has been resolved. Happy badassing! Original: If you've played beyond the first mission of Splinter Cell: Conviction while connected to Xbox Live, you've likely run into a freezing glitch. A few minutes into the single-player campaign's second mission, the game just locks up -- but there's hope! Thanks to a pretty comprehensive thread on the Ubisoft Forums, a temporary workaround has been discovered, which requires clearing the system hard drive cache and logging out of Xbox Live. "I assure you everyone is hard at work to resolve the issue," posted an Ubisoft technical support representative, who could not confirm when players can expect an official patch. Check out the glitch and workaround in action above.
BioShock 2 players report multiplayer freezing issues [update]
We've received a number of reports from readers who've been participating in BioShock 2's multiplayer component and succumbing to a variety of game-crashing bugs. The reported causes of the freezing are widespread -- some Xbox 360 players encounter it during the post-game recap, while some have reported freezing up while in their apartment hubs. We've contacted 2K to find out if anything is being done to patch whatever issue might be causing the breakdowns. We were going to make a joke about the freezes being caused by the overzealous use of the Winter Blast plasmid, but that would have been one of the dumbest things we'd ever written. Update: A 2K Games representative responded to our query, and explained, "we are aware that some users are experiencing an issue that could cause the game to freeze during the multiplayer component. We are in direct contact with our first party partners and are working around the clock in order to provide a fix as soon as possible." [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Winter screenshot contest for Champions Online
We're approaching the winter solstice yet again, known in some parts of the world as "that time when it gets so cold your eyes frost over." In order to take at least some of the sting off the weather, Champions Online is offering players a reason to get in the mood of dressing in seven layers of clothing and turning the heat up high enough to melt plastic. After all, even heroes can get cold on occasion, and being able to project beams of force from your eyes doesn't necessarily help you drive through a whirling blizzard, so it's high time for the game's first winter screenshot contest. The contest runs until 11:59 PST on December 20th, and to enter, all that one must do is post a screenshot with a winter theme to this thread on the official boards. It could be a costume that's suited to the chilly weather, a hero traipsing about in a winter wonderland, or whatever else you can come up with that fits the theme. The winners will receive an in-game Retro Destroyer action figure for their efforts, which won't help keep you warm, but might help keep you smiling anyway as you scrape seventeen inches of ice off the front windshield of your car.
Fight Night Round 4 DLC pulled due to freezing issues
Boxing fans who were hoping to enhance their sweet, sweet scientific exploits in Fight Night Round 4 for the Xbox 360 were recently stricken with disappointment -- the game's latest DLC, the "Champions Pack 2," hit the Xbox Live Marketplace with a fairly problematic issue which caused the system to freeze up while downloading the content. This is doubly troubling, because as we understand it, downloading is actually a pretty important step in the DLC process. EA Sports commented on the error on its official forums, stating that the DLC has been pulled from the Marketplace until a non-glitched version can be rolled out, hopefully "before the Christmas holidays." People who managed to download the DLC without freezing can still play the game, but won't be able to access the pack's locked content until the revised DLC is released. People who managed to download half of the DLC pack before freezing can play as Evander Holyfield's torso.
Poll: Has your Zune HD screen been unresponsive?
While penning our Zune HD review, we were initially quite baffled by our inability to do much of anything with it after installing Microsoft's newest firmware update. Our concern had been properly kiboshed by assurances from the company that we'd gotten a fluke unit... and by the properly working replacement we received to finish the review with. Now, however, it seems as if we weren't alone in our glass cage of emotion, with gaggles of irate Zune HD users emerging from the woodwork in order to express their disappointment online. Hop on past the break for a video of the issues we were having, and if you're seeing something eerily similar on your own device, drop a vote / comment below.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] %Poll-34795%
Poll: Has iPhone OS 3.1 screwed up your phone?
It's pretty much as reliable as the sun: a new iPhone OS update generally leads to at least a handful of issues. But iPhone OS 3.1, which was made available on September 9th, seems worse than most. We've seen tip after tip pour in, and we've watched Apple's support forums grow increasingly ugly with irate iPhone users dealing with horrid battery life, random shut downs and the occasional screen freeze. A few of our own have also experienced some of these quirks, though others have escaped without a scratch. So, we're putting it to you all -- has the latest iPhone update borked your handset? If so, in what way? %Poll-34495%
Frozen iPod returns from the grave
Andrew sent us this great story -- he found an iPod classic in the melting snow of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It had apparently been there "since early winter," and was frozen solid... as is the case, we'd imagine, with most things left outside there between September and April.Incredibly, though, once taken home, cleaned up, and given a warm cup of tomato soup and a grilled cheese, it started right back up again. Everything was completely intact -- he says it even displayed the correct date. Pretty impressive for Apple's little music player (and mine's even stuffed in a Vaja case, so I know it'll always run for me -- assuming I don't drop it in a pile of snow somewhere). He says there is a name on the iPod, so if you've been around the Whitehorse area and have recently dropped your iPod near a place called Takhini School, leave him a note and he will probably be able to get it back to you. But do it quick -- he's giving things about a week, and then it's finder's keepers. We don't blame him: who wouldn't want an indestructible iPod?
