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Marvel Heroes adds Venom, throws 50% off sale
'Tis the season for deep discounts and disturbing heroes, as has come to pass in the merry lands of Marvel Heroes. The jolly figure known as Venom has come to distribute pain, suffering, and alternative dental plans for those who pick this new playable figure. The Marvel Heroes team is also offering a half-off sale on most -- but not all -- of the in-game store. This includes many of the title's heroes, costumes, team-ups, and pets. And even if you don't want to spend money, you'll still be getting treats all month with the game's Winter Wonderland & Season's Givings event. Presents and buffs will be available all over the game, in addition to new daily log-in rewards.
Reminder: Help us build a gadget room for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital!
#enGIVEget means you give and they get -- "they" being the brave and wonderful kids going through life-saving treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. And knowing you're busy with the holidays, let us take a moment to remind you about our sweepstakes ending this Friday, December 19th.
Amazon's got a new app for lazy gift givers
We all know that one person who, in lieu of a present, hands you a voucher and tells you to get yourself something nice. Whatever your feelings on that strategy, it's clear that Amazon wants to be the one-stop shop for that type of gift-giver. That's why the company has quietly launched Surprise! an app that enables you to send seasonal e-cards alongside vouchers for the everything store. For added convenience, you can even link the app to your Facebook timeline, enabling you to send cash-based gifts to loved ones just in time for their birthday in a way that won't make you look like you did it all at the last minute, no sir.
Tell everyone what you want for Christmas with Instalist
Without wishlists, your holidays will be full of gifts that you don't like but are forced to say that you love so that you don't offend your loved ones. Instalist, free in the App Store, attempts to avoid holiday gift-giving debacles. You pick the items you want and then send the list to your friends and family via SMS, email, Twitter or Facebook. The app is fun to use, but not very practical. It's based on Tinder's concept of swiping right to like and left to dislike. This makes it easy to use, but creates several drawbacks. There were a few times where I had gotten into the habit of swiping left and accidentally disliked an item that I wanted to put on my list. While you can remove items from your list, you cannot undo a dislike. Another negative is that you cannot search for subcategories. Everything is a random mashup of items. If you know you want a pair of jeans, you may have to swipe through dozens of items before even one pair shows up, and it probably won't be a pair that you like. This makes the app a bit of a waste of time. Then again, if you're bored and feel like doing something mindless, Instalist isn't a bad way to kill some time and possibly find some interesting gift ideas. All of Instalist's items come from Amazon. There are the standard categories of toys, clothes and gadgets, but it also has a large selection of books, both Kindle and paper. Books often get left off of lists like these. As an avid reader, I was glad to see so many of them pop up in my recommendations. There were some movie selections, but they did not show up often. Unfortunately, no home décor items popped up, neither did any shoes. I'd like to see the developer add those. There were a few kitchen items, like coffee makers and other small appliances, but not much else. There are some customization options. You can view gender specific gifts, or view gifts for both men and women. You can also omit all toys from your search, shop only for toys or include them along with the rest of your items. I first tried out the app with both genders and all toys selected. Then I switched to only women and toys. I wanted to see if Instalist would still give me the same tech and toy recommendations as it would if I included men. It did. If you're like me, you know how frustrating it is to click on "gifts for women" and discover that there is zero tech, comic book or gaming related merchandise. Major kudos goes to the developer for giving me tons of tech items and accessories, plus plenty of dresses and the like. Special thanks for giving young girls a range of toy options from Barbie to LEGOs and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (Of course, some of the LEGOs went on my list, too.) I am so happy to see an app avoid gender gift-giving stereotypes. Instalist is worth downloading for that reason alone. But, if you're looking to create a comprehensive wishlist to send to your friends and family, you would be better off creating a regular Amazon wishlist.
Engadget presents #enGIVEget: benefiting St. Jude!
Now that our readers (and most Engadget editors) have stuffed their pie holes full of food and done some serious damage with their credit cards over the biggest shopping weekend of the year, it's time we gave a little bit, too. Here's where our #enGIVEget sweepstakes, benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® comes in.
Microsoft celebrates Xbox One's first year with gifts to lucky fans
Early Xbox One purchasers: Today might be your lucky day. A post on Major Nelson's blog explains that in celebration of the Xbox One's first year on the market, console owners will be "selected at random to receive a special gift from us." The blog post offers a full list of potential prizes, but highlights include the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Sunset Overdrive console bundles and a one-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Free copies of Limbo, as seen in the above image tweeted by Xbox's Jeff Rubenstein, are also planned as a thank-you to Day One console adopters. Luck won't be the driving factor for everything related to the anniversary, however. Fans 17 or older that have used their console for more than 10 hours, reside in one of the original 13 markets for Xbox One and made their purchase between November 22, 2013 - November 11, 2014 will receive The Year One Celebration box. The bundle contains a Year One-themed gamer picture, dashboard background, desktop image and free rentals of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn and Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods. Those living in the US and Canada will also get a sampler pack of Dragon Ball Z episodes. Aside from free stuff, Xbox crunched a few community-wide statistics to see what Xbox One owners accomplished in their first year. The communal Gamerscore total earned on Xbox One has surpassed 11 billion, which was earned throughout two billion hours of play. The year's four most-earned achievements include Forza Motorsport 5's "Welcome to Forza Motorsport," Titanfall's "Build Yourself," Destiny's "Ship Rite" and Call of Duty: Ghosts' "Spatial Awareness." Happy birthday, Xbox One. [Image: Microsoft]
Presenting Engadget's 2014 Holiday Gift Guide
Smartphones, tablets and laptops are standard fare in 2014, but living in an always-on world isn't just about the essentials. So this year, we looked beyond the gadgets that fit in your backpack or briefcase to compile our Holiday Gift Guide. We've collected a veritable feast of devices to cater to everyone from the amateur bartender to the DIY tinkerer, and made sure to offer a wide-ranging menu that hits every price point. We don't advise eating your gadgets, but playing with what's on your plate is a must. So grab a bib and dig in!
Have you received a gift in the mail from Blizzard?
There's been scattered reports on places like Reddit and Twitter of players getting random gifts in the mail from "The WoW Dev Team." @Skarn_ on Twitter reported getting a Flawless Aquatic Battle-Stone along with instructions on how to use it. The poster on Reddit received 4 Warforged Seals. I've checked the mail of my max level characters and found no gifts waiting for me. There's been some speculation on what the criteria is for getting a gift. The person who received the Warforged Seals identifies themselves as a PvP player who has only used Warforged Seals a couple of times in the past. One recipient of the Battle-Stone claims they've barely done any pet battles, another says they've been active in the past but not as of late. Perhaps it's something to entice inactive players back into the game? Or try an element of the game they otherwise would have not? Or maybe it's just random. Have you received any unexpected gifts in the mail lately?
Get free gifts for Wizard101's birthday
The magical world of Wizard101 turns six years old today, the perfect age for reveling in gifts and fun! Along with the in-game festivities that include decorations and secret hidden gift-giving packages (even the chance to catch a rare mystery fish!), all players can get a free birthday gazebo for their homes as well as 6,000 gold in honor of the game's sixth birthday. But the presents don't stop there: A new candle on the Wizard101 cake will reveal yet another free item each week throughout the month of September! Additionally, there will be special offers available to in the Crown store, including two brand-new items: the six-year-wizened Grampa Piggle pet and an updated Birthday Snack Pack. To join in the revelry, jump in game and visit the official site to grab your special gifts.
Buy Secret Ponchos on Steam, give another to a friend
Spaghetti western shooter Secret Ponchos is best enjoyed with a friend Lady and the Tramp-style, like a plate of pasta. While you won't need to do any smooching with your bestie, those playing the game on Steam can now show a little love by gifting a copy to one friend. The "Secret Ponchos Double Down" promotion grants all buyers an extra Steam code, providing they pick the game up before August 5. The game arrived on Steam in mid-June via Early Access, and is currently available for $14.99. Whether you buy a copy for yourself or are the recipient of one of the free codes, you'll have access to the full version of the game when it arrives later this year. While there's no set release date for Secret Ponchos, it is expected to launch in full on both PC and PS4 this fall. [Image: Switchblade Monkeys]
Lord of the Rings Online turns seven
Happy birthday Lord of the Rings Online! Today marks the seventh anniversary for LotRO, and as such, Turbine is handing out presents. All players who log in today will get fireworks, with premium and VIP players receiving extra gifts. The new seven-year gifts include a new portrait frame, a shield-cloak, a loot box key, and a dancing emote for your monster play character. LotRO's in-game anniversary festival begins tomorrow, April 16th, and will continue through April 29th.
Add your new toys to your Engadget profile
Throw out all the wrapping paper, finish eating the leftover turkey and have the last of the eggnog, because Christmas has come and gone. It's time to take stock of all your fancy new loot. Yesterday, you told us what you received. Today, you should show all of it off. Head over to your Engadget profile and add the new gear to your have list. If you're not sure how to do that, check out this helpful primer on the new Engadget.
Officers' Quarters: 8 gift ideas that won't break the gbank
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook. The holiday season is all about giving. It's the perfect time of year to hold contests and giveaways. Doing so can be a great way to build morale in your community or attract new players. Giving gifts to your officers as a guild leader is also a heartfelt way to show appreciation for their hard work throughout the year. However, many of the most desired items can cost a fortune in gold. For officers, manpower is often much easier to come by than raw currency. Here are eight items that make great gifts or prizes without bankrupting your gbank. 8. Discombobulator Ray Where to get it: An engineer can learn the schematic in Gnomeregan. Wowpedia has a walkthrough. It also has a small chance (0.5%) to drop from Mekgineer Thermaplugg, the last boss of the dungeon. What it costs: A small amount of gold for materials: bronze bars, silk and wool cloth, and jade. Why it's a good gift: Many players don't even know this vanilla-era item exists. It has a unique and hilarious effect, and you don't have to be an engineer to use it. It's also a devastating item for low level players to unleash in PvP.
The 12 Days of iMas, Day 12: This one is downright eggcellent
Today is the 12th and final day of a 12-day feature where we'll show you the strangest Apple-flavored gifts we can find. Check out the previous days here: Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Day 12: An iPhone-enabled egg tray... wait, what? There are strange iPhone accessories, and then there are straaaaaaange iPhone accessories, and then there's the Egg Minder off in a category of its own. The Egg Minder is an electronic egg tray that keeps track of the age of your eggs and syncs with your iPhone so that while you're on the other side of the Earth on an epic adventure, you can still check back home to see just how many eggs you have left. Ok, so the Egg Minder is one of the weirdest "smart home" devices I've ever seen, and it's a super-specialized device for a very, very small "problem." However, this is just the kind of thing your crazy aunt (who just bought an iPhone) will love, and it'll probably make her feel like some sort of a grocery-shopping superhero, so if you're willing to throw down the US$69.99 for it, you could really make her 2014 a year to remember. Thanks for joining us over the past 12 days while we embarked on a surreal adventure into the stranger side of gifts for Apple fans, and if you missed any days be sure to check them out above!
5 things you still need to buy before Christmas
There's a good chance that your next five days will be filled with frantic last-minute gift buying, all culminating in your family's holiday celebration. You might even think your shopping list has been conquered, but I beg to differ. Here are a handful of items you still need to pick up to make sure your gift recipients truly have a happy holiday. iTunes Gift Card A holiday standby, an iTunes gift card is one of the few items that can fit just about everyone on your list. Worried that your gift won't carry the same punch as the one you might be receiving? Toss an iTunes gift card on top and you'll never hear a complaint. iPhone/iPad charging cord The perfect bonus item for Apple fans, no one can ever have too many iOS charging cords. They get lost; they get forgotten; and they get eaten by pets, so if you're looking for a cheap (less than US$20 at most stores) add-on, these cords are like gift-giving gold. EarPods Everyone loves music, and Apple's new-ish earphone evolution is a great stocking stuffer. You can pick up a pair for roughly $29, and there's no chance you won't get a smile. In fact, if anyone wants to gift me a pair (or 30), that would be great, because my cats like to use them as dental floss. Adapter You probably know at least one or two friends or family members who upgraded to new iOS devices this year, and that means that their old-style charging cords are now almost useless. That is, unless you save the day and toss them a few 30-Pin-to-Lightning adapters. For around $30, it's like giving the gift of eternal life. Batteries Ok, I know there are very few Apple products or accessories that sport replaceable batteries these days, but you know what does? Just about every electronic toy, ever. So in the interest of helping those of you who don't have Apple devotees on your gift lists, make sure you pick up about a dozen AAs and you'll be the savior of any holiday gathering. [Image credits: Heather Kennedy, Hermanturnip]
RIFT celebrates Fae Yule with festivities
It's holiday time in Telara, and that means the Fae are back to their old tricks of hiding, stealing, and re-hiding gifts during RIFT's Fae Yule celebration. Will players find all the gifts stolen from the dragon cults that are scattered across the zone? If so, they can collect and complete six different artifact sets! This year's celebration also includes a Very Merry Warfront, tours of Telara's holiday Dimensions, and plenty of special festive zone events, Instant Adventures, rifts, footholds, special gifts, and more. Even raid bosses are in a giving mood during the season, occasionally dropping an extra loot chest for adventurers. Get a peek of the wintry wonders in the trailer below. Fae Yule lasts until January 9, 2014. [Update: Fae Yule has been extended a week until the 9th, and store items will be available for purchase through the 15th. Thanks to Potaco for the tip!] [Source: Trion press release]
Mac and iOS users can now gift iBooks
Your chances of buying tangible gifts for the holidays may be fading fast, but your digital options are now wider than ever. Apple has just enabled full gift support on the iBookstore for both iOS and Mac users; you can buy someone a specific book rather than giving them iTunes credit. As with apps and media, it's simple to either time the gift delivery or attach a message. An iBook may not be quite as elaborate as a present under the tree, but we doubt that many iPad-toting readers will mind.
The 12 Days of iMas, Day 8: An iPad your dog can really sink its teeth into
Today is the eighth day of a 12-day feature where we'll show you the strangest Apple-flavored gifts we can find. Check out the previous days here: Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Day 8: Who needs an iPad when you can have an iPawd? Normally, if man's best friend gets his mighty jaws around your pricey Apple tablet, it would end in tears. But not so with the iPawd! The iPawd is a plush dog toy modeled after everyone's favorite tablet, and it's guaranteed to be more gentle with your canine's gums than any chunk of glass and aluminum ever would. Oh, and did I mention it comes with a bunch of free "apps" installed on its home screen? It's true! You'll be treated to built-in versions of "SaFurri," "FaceBark," "DogTube" and "Bark Street Journal." OK, so the puns are pretty bad, but the toy itself seems to be pretty high quality. The iPawd has fantastic reviews on Amazon, and at just US$9.80, it's currently being sold at less than half its normal price.
The 12 Days of iMas, Day 1: An iPhone flask and a holiday hangover
You're going to see a lot of gift guides this year with things like the iPad Air, iPhone 5s and MacBook Pro gracing their pages, but you already know those devices are drop-dead awesome, right? So what do you get an Apple fan that already has all the Apple gear they could ever want? You get them weird accessories and Apple-inspired gifts that they never even knew they wanted, of course! Behold! Today is the first day of a 12-day feature where we'll show you the strangest Apple-flavored gifts we can find. Day 1: An "iPhone" flask The holidays are stressful, and there's a good chance you'll be in a number of situations over the next month where four ounces of your favorite adult beverage would ease your nerves. But you can't exactly whip out a bottle of Scotch at a family gathering without getting some weird looks, so avoid the awkward conversations and potential intervention and conceal your tasty treat within a fake iPhone lookalike! The "iPhone Flask Smart Phone 4 Oz. Pocket Flask Realistic Smart Flask Design" (yeah, it's a generic product with an SEO-grabbing name) is priced at a rock-bottom US$5.95 and features rubber lining and a "realistic look." Ok, so that last bullet point is pretty questionable, but maybe you'll believe it's a real phone once you've emptied the contents into your belly.
Google refreshes Shopping site with extended previews, 360-degree photos, 'visually similar' search
It's set to be a holly jolly holiday season, especially if you're keen to do your gift shopping online. Google's browser-based Shopping tool just scored a pretty comprehensive refresh, complete with a handful of new features designed to make it easier to browse, search for and select a variety of items. A new preview pane lets you view colors, sizes and a product description, along with online and retail store availability, while an updated Shortlist tool gathers "maybe" items in a temporary cart that resides at the top of each page. You can also get a good look at everything from cameras to handbags to toys with the interactive 360-degree viewer, now available for select items. Google hopes that last tool will help deliver an "in-store feeling," but to complete the experience, you might also want to climb aboard an RV and set up shop in a Walmart parking lot the night before Black Friday with a "free restrooms" sign on the door. Happy holidays!
