German
Latest
Rumor: iLife '11 to be 64-bit, iOS compatible
iLife, the software suite that is included on every Mac and is made up of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD, hasn't been updated to a new version since January, 2009. That, of course, is making many of us in the Apple world curious about when the next version of the suite will appear on the market. Many Mac pundits believe the next edition will be iLife '11, and we've already seen several of the rumored release dates fly past without sign of the new iLife. Now some sharp-eyed Apple fans have noticed that there's a book listed on the German Amazon site with the title "iLife '11: Digital pictures, movies, music and more" and a release date of December, 2010. The translated description notes that the suite is entirely 64-bit, and that iPhoto will receive integration with social networking. iWeb has been "rewritten" from the ground up, and iDVD is no longer included with the suite. There's mention of a "new application," but no word on what the function or name of the new member of the suite will be. The red banner on the cover mockup at left reads "iPhoto, iMovie and more, with Apps for Mac, iPhone 4, iPod and iPad," which implies that iOS versions of the applications will be available as well. At this time, of course, iMovie is available for iOS, and it would not be much of a stretch to assume that iOS-compatible versions of the other applications could be developed. After all, Apple made an iPad version of iWork available on day one. The book is written by Uwe Nerger, who has no other published titles to his name. That brings up the question how an unpublished author has been given access to a suite of applications that many published authors of Apple tomes have not seen. Take this rumor with a fist-sized grain of salt. [via AppleInsider]
Ewee-PT is how you say 'Segway' in German (video)
Billed as "the Segway's little sister," this self-balancing electro scooter comes from a small German company called Ewee. The idea behind it is pretty simple: file down all the extraneous bits, keep the stuff that keeps you going, and presumably try to sell it to hardy macho types who like the barebones aesthetic. You accelerate by leaning forward and decelerate by doing the opposite, while steering is handled by a joystick (apparently "driving pleasure is gauranteed"). We're not sure how much trust we're willing to invest in either the company or its product, but exclusive retailer fun-components does have it ready for pre-order today, so if you're feeling adventurous with your €799 ($1,039), feel free to pay their site a visit. The rest of us are going after the break to watch the video.
Interpad's 10-inch Tegra 2-toting Android tablet may make Germans merry later this year
We've seen a number of promising Tegra 2 Android tablets at this point, but precious few solid release dates, so forgive us if we're jumping for joy to hear even an unheard-of German challenger is slated to arrive this holiday season. Should you believe the company's website, December will see the launch of E-Noa's Interpad, a 10-inch capacitive multitouch Android 2.1 device with a laundry list of desirable features. €399 (about $518) may seem a bit steep for an Android device, but it buys you a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 T20 chip in a package only a half-inch thin, plus 1GB of DDR2 RAM and 16GB of flash storage (expandable via microSD) to put your PlayStation ROMs in. Connectivity includes 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0 and HDMI out, and it's all powered by a 3900mAh battery reportedly good for 8-12 hours. If you're willing to drop a little extra, MobiFlip reports that Android 2.2, GPS, camera and 3G modules will appear in an upgraded version for under €500 ($649), but we don't want to get you too excited before we can verify the potency of the original, eh? We're hoping to see it in person at September's IFA in Berlin.
RoboCup Soccer 2010 finals show impressive realism by feigning injuries (video)
The World Cup may still be ongoing (despite what the US, England, and a handful of others may think), but the RoboCup 2010 in Singapore has just closed shop with an edge-of-your-seat display of autonomous action. The final game came down to two German teams, the Darmstadt Dribblers and the FUmanoids. As seen at numerous points, both android teams have even learned the ancient art of diving, toeing the uncanny valley a little to close for comfort. Video after the break -- we won't to spoil the ending, so let's just say Germany won by a sizable margin. If fierce competition isn't your cup of tea, we've also got footage of DARwIn-LC, a low cost (hence the name) humanoid from our friends at Virginia Tech's RoMeLa. These adorable little guys cost about $2,500 apiece and will be going out to 11 of VT's partner universities. Update: Dr. Dennis Hong himself sent us a few clarifications. The DARwIn-LC is a collaboration between RoMeLa and the company Robotis. No price has been disclosed, but the $2,500 is incorrect. Additionally, the robot is being planned as a "true 'open platform.'" In Hong's words, "we are "planning" to post all CAD drawings, fabrication and assembly manuals, and also the basic software on-line for free. Thus any one with certain equipment, budget, and skills will be able to make one them selves - or purchase the entire thing or parts from Robotis. We want to form a community of DARwIn-LC users to share new ideas for improvement, hack it, etc. and use the robot for research, education, outreach, and of course, an easy entry point for the RoboCup humanoid division." Also hit up More Coverage to see how RoMeLa fared at RoboCup! [Thanks, Stefan]
Muon the humanoid robot is our ideal best friend
We don't speak German, and machine translation continues to be an intermittent and annoying bundle of failure, so bear with us on this one as we try to cobble together what exactly is going on here. This is Muon, the humanoid robot who is apparently being developed in Berlin by Frackenpohl Poulheim at the ALEAR Laboratory of Neuro Robotics at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Like other humanoid bots, Muon is about the size of an eight year old child so as not to creep out his human companions by being too threatening, and his design, while reminiscent of previous robots we've seen, is pretty original. It's actually hard to tell what stage of development Muon is in -- certainly many of the photos we have spied were concepts -- but we're going to keep our eyes peeled for him moving into the future. If you hit up the source link, you can check out a video of Muon's development. There's one more amazing shot after the break.
ASUS Eee PC R101 surfaces in Deutschland with Atom N450, carbon fiber flair
It ain't the first Eee PC we've seen with a carbon fiber finish, and if the second one in as many months is any indication, we get the feeling we could see quite a few more of these surface at Computex in just a few weeks. The latest netbook from ASUS has found itself plastered on a German e-tailer's website, with the R101 proudly boasting a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 250GB hard drive, a 10.1-inch LCD, native 1,024 x 600 resolution, Intel's GMA 3150 graphics and a battery that's good for 9.5 hours (if you use it sparingly, we're sure). The only other nugget we're made aware of is the €299 ($379) price tag, but it's pretty obvious we won't be treated to a chiclet keyboard and a trackpad bar with a split in the middle. Fiddlesticks.
Neofonie's WePad tablet shown to German journalists, seems legit (update: now with English!)
Though "Neofonie" is the most apt name for a vaporware company we've heard since "Phantom," it's looking like that very firm's 11.6-inch WePad tablet is actually the real deal. Fed up with all the skepticism it has received of late, the German firm just held a press conference in Berlin to show off a pair of working devices and allay our fears. Netbooknews.de was on the scene, and they took a pair of high-res videos that prove the tablets do, in fact, have a working (though somewhat laggy) touchscreen, and that fancy-pants vertical UI is quite functional. Full screen YouTube videos were choppy, but they played, and the Atom N450 CPU loaded OpenOffice and flipped through browser windows without a hitch. But don't take our word for it -- watch the whole 25-minute demonstration after the break, plus a bonus video from AndroidPIT. Then, if you'd be so kind, tell us what the nice company reps are saying. Update: AndroidPIT was kind enough to dub over their entire demo in English -- hear everything after the break.
Fantasy action game Ravensdale steaming up 360, PS3 and PC in 2012
Click to enlarge, punk Fans of steampunk fantasy don't have many choices when it comes to video games which adhere to their beloved genre. Right now, it basically boils down to Arcanum, Penny Arcade Adventures and ... Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts? Maybe? However, German developer Spellbound Entertainment recently announced a new entry into the category: Ravensdale, a "fast paced fantasy action game in a very unique 'steam powered' setting featuring cool and outrageously over-powered gadgetry." The game, which is expected to launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, is targeted for a 2012 launch. For now, all we've got to sate our curiosity are two pieces of concept art, posted in the gallery below. Make sure you take your time while analyzing them -- you've got about two years to kill. %Gallery-91449%
Supposedly legit WePad video gives us a case of the JooJoos
Ok, so the 11.6-inch WePad was launched running a video and not the real UI. Big deal, at least now we know it'll run Windows 7 in a pinch. In an attempt to save face, the lads at Neofonie posted a video showing what appears to be a real-live working WePad in action. Unfortunately, touch is not yet enabled so the navigation is accomplished with a USB mouse assist. Having been burned once, we're not sure what we can believe about this €450 Atom N450-powered slate. See the video after the break. Update: Video was removed. [Thanks, Mauro]
Apple, Siemens and Sisvel patent infringement leads to CeBIT booth raid
Mama always said that some folks just never learn, and we reckon there's plenty of wisdom to be had from that very statement. Year after year, German police are called in to raid select booths at CeBIT (and IFA, to be fair), and yet again we've seen a booth cleared out at the request of powerful lawyers from a few companies you may have heard of. Word on the street has it that Apple, Siemens and Sisvel were all kvetching over patent infringements made by an unnamed company exhibiting at last week's show, and within an hour or so of the fuzz showing up, the whole thing was stripped and a hefty fine (€10,000) was levied. Unfortunately, the exact details of who was violating what remains clouded in mystery, but for whatever reason, we get the feeling that something extremely similar will be going down in Hannover next year. We blame KIRFers determination. Updated: Turns out one of our editors at CeBIT saw this whole situation go down at the FirstView booth. Within minutes the entire booth was surrounded by the Polizei, and though we tried to dig further on the situation our inability to speak German caused some communication issues so we decided it best to move on to the next craptablet on the floor. We will, however, always have the shot above to remember the confusing experience. [Thanks, TheLostSwede]
Intel's six-core Core i7-980X Extreme Edition 'Gulftown' chip goes on sale in Germany
Intel's existing line of Core chips just not potent enough for your tastes? Sicko. For those who just can't sleep without longing for the next best thing, it seems that said "thing" is just a few days away from a proper reveal. Germany's own Alternate has already listed Intel's six-core Core i7-980X Extreme Edition chip for sale, enabling moneyed consumers to snap up a piece of Gulftown for the princely sum of €1,049 ($1,430). Yeah, that's a stiff premium for a six-core chip that's ready to do more than sit snugly within some under-appreciated server box, but do you have any idea how much more bodacious you'll be than your dual- and quad-core owning contemporaries? Way. [Thanks, Peter]
Nanopool's spray-on liquid glass could keep bacteria, water off of pretty much anything
You know, we're beginning to wonder exactly what's genuine anymore. Our foods are being built in laboratories, our glass panes are being unwillingly converted to touch panels, and now, exposed objects don't even have to get grimy over the course of time. It's a travesty, we say. All disappointing rants aside, we have to confess that we're actually enthused about a newly developed spray-on silicon dioxide solution that promises to protect just about any surface from water, bacteria, dirt and UV radiation. The so-called "liquid glass" is said to be completely harmless to the environment, and creator Nanopool hopes that it can be used eventually on car coatings, clothing and even the nose cones of high-speed trains. Here's hoping it comes in a spray can -- our decade-old keyboard and mouse could probably use a coat of this. [Thanks, Pierre]
Germany advises its citizens to say 'nein' to Internet Explorer
Autsch! In light of the recent attacks on Google China and Microsoft's revelation that an Internet Explorer security flaw served as an impetus in the assault, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security has released a warning to its population: avoid IE. Specifically, the report calls out the latest three versions -- 6, 7, and 8 -- but let's face it, those older versions should be avoided on grounds of usability alone. Boy, bet the Bonn-based agency is happy about that Windows 7 web browser ballot screen, eh?
Galileo sat-nav system back on the map, said to be 'up and running' by 2014
Remember Galileo, Europe's proposed GPS-like satellite navigation system? It's back in the headlines, and according to the Telegraph, UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology and Germany's OHB System have jointly secured €566 million (that's $815 million in US currency) to build 14 more satellites. The funding continues until 2013, whereby 22 satellites will be order. Full satellite navigation requires 27, and ultimately the European Union wants 32 technological waypointers. Launch date? Apparently 2014 -- we're hopeful, but this road has been wrought with delays before.
Tom Chilton on Cataclysm additions and the upcoming world event
Our friends over at WorldofWar.de (who were listening live to the podcast this past weekend) recently got an interview done with Lead Designer Tom Chilton, and you can read it over on their site right now. There's not a lot of news in there (though Chilton does gush over the Dungeon Finder, just as players have for the past week or so), but aside from the usual player housing deny and the old "we don't know what the future holds" back and forth, but there is one fun thing he reminds us of in the second half of the interview: Blizzard is adding on to the old Blackwing Lair instance in Cataclysm. It sounds like kind of what they've done with VoA: Blackrock Caverns, which we heard about at BlizzCon, will be a new area (supposedly level 85 5-man, though Chilton says "lots of bosses") inside Blackrock Mountain that's connected to all of the Black Dragonflight bosses in Blackwing Lair. Finally, Chilton sorta-kinda re-confirms that there will be a new content patch before the expansion -- he says it probably won't be a numbered patch like 3.4 or 3.5, but he says there may be some more class balances in there, new Battle.net features, and possibly even a new raid boss. But mostly it'll just be the patch that brings us all of the world events previous to the Cataclysm shakedown that we'll all go through. Sounds like fun. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.
German Borderlands importers encounter incompatible DLC
German Borderlands players who just had to import the gory, uncensored version of the title from another region are getting their comeuppance. According to a lengthy thread on the Gearbox forums, players who purchase the Zombie Island of Doctor Ned expansion from the German Xbox Live Marketplace can't access the new content from their imported copies of the game. We've contacted Gearbox to find out if anything is being done to refund the DLC's 800 cost to these depraved, violence-crazed importers. They certainly don't seem like the type of crowd you'd want to upset.
Germany ousts BlackBerry for government VIPs
RIM may have recently opened a facility in Bochum, but that apparently wasn't enough Bavarian love to save it from being canned as the German government's platform of choice for its high-security needs. Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems has been selected to lead up an effort to procure "several thousand" customized handsets with mega-uncrackable encryption, winning the deal over the old BlackBerry standby thanks to concerns that state secrets are being transmitted overseas -- to Canada, specifically. Canada has always struck us as a pretty trustworthy bunch of good, hard-working folks, but then again, it's all fun and games until Canadian Motor Works, Canadawagen, Canada-Benz, and Canadorsche all come out of nowhere. [Thanks, Toby]
Official Settlers of Catan out now on App Store
Just in case you missed it, I got my wish from a while back: there is an official version of the classic board game Settlers of Catan, called just Catan, on the App Store right now. I'm still playing Kolonists, the unofficial knockoff that got kicked off of the store for infringement, but if you've got wood for sheep, this official version should get you your portable fix. If you're unfamiliar with the Catan juggernaut, check out this thorough piece from Wired.com. There's hot seat multiplayer gameplay (I assume you just can't cheat by looking at what resources other people have), or a few AIs to tangle with if you don't have friends at hand, and the game includes a scrollable board to play on, game stats to track, and a tutorial for those of you who haven't rolled the dice and tried to build the Longest Road yet. The game is created by United Soft Media, a German company that's also ported the game to the DS, and while it's not quite as shiny as the Xbox Live port (my personal favorite version of the game, outside of the real thing, of course), the reviews on iTunes say it gets the job done, at least while you're waiting for the next board game night (and while we're talking about board games, can I recommend Dominion? Best table game I've played in years). The game is $4.99 and available right now. Anyone have any ore?
ASUS Eee PC T91MT multitouch tablet listed on Amazon.de for October 22nd
Surprise! Another "new" computer coming out October 22nd alongside Windows 7, or at least rumored to be. This time it's the previously-rumored ASUS Eee PC T91MT, which has wound up as a listing on Amazon Germany. Same processor and 8.9-inch screen size as the T91, but with a 160GB HDD instead of solid-state. Since it's Windows 7, there's now multitouch support, hence the "MT." The color options are black and white and it'll set you back about 506 euros ($754). Oh, you wanted US prices and release dates? Show a little more patience, why don't ya? [Via Netbooknews.de]
