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iPad 2 benchmarks show impressive gains over original model
One of the first things many iPad 2 upgraders noticed was that the new device seemed very fast in comparison to the original iPad. Over at GigaOM, blogger Geoffrey Goetz ran benchmarks on an iPhone 4, an iPad and an iPad 2 (all running iOS 4.3) to show how speedy the new iPad really is. As you can see in the chart above, the iPad 2 consistently outperformed the Apple A4-powered iPad and iPhone 4 in every test. Using the Geekbench tests from Primate Labs, the iPad 2 was about 64 percent faster than its predecessor in overall results. Likewise, the Gague benchmarks showed an overall performance gain of about 56 percent, while BenchTest clocked in with a 63 percent improvement. Goetz noted that he personally believed that his iPhone 4 was faster than his original iPad, a belief that the benchmarks proved to be incorrect. He also compared iOS 4.3 benchmarks submitted by a large sampling of Geekbench users, all of which supported his assertion that the iPad 2 performance gains are "stunning." The Geekbench numbers show the iPad 2 to be roughly as powerful as a G4-based 15" PowerBook or Mac mini, but as Goetz summarizes in his post, "I really don't think that raw performance alone is where the focus needs to be anymore."
Report: RIAA pressured Apple into creating iTunes LP
This feature over at GigaOM has quite a few interesting insights about the iTunes LP program -- while Apple sells it wholeheartedly as "the visual experience of the record album," it appears the story behind the story is not quite so clean. According to an anonymous source in the industry (note, not Apple themselves), the service didn't come from Cupertino. Instead, it was designed by record companies, and agreed to by Apple as a "concession" to "make a gesture in favor of album sales." The piece also states that Apple subsidized the creation of the first few "LPs," some of which cost up to $60,000 to assemble and license. As you might expect with any other less-than-popular product at Apple, iTunes LP isn't exactly being thrown into the spotlight, either. While a much more visual music experience would be perfect for the iPad, GigaOM notes that it didn't even merit a mention by Jobs at the iPad announcement. It's certainly possible that iTunes LP could find a new home in the future, if bands really get behind the service and make their own (a few have, as noted, but the cost seems pretty prohibitive, especially if sales aren't that impressive), but from what this anonymous source says, the LP service is a record company concession that hasn't paid off for Apple even in the way its originators hoped. [via iPodNN]
Survey says: Nearly half of MMO gamers bought virtual stuff
One of the interesting things we at Massively find about statistics and surveys is how people react to surveys and research results about games, virtual environments and MMOGs. Unexpected results automatically attract criticism of every aspect of the report and data no matter how the results were obtained, from the political leanings of the researchers, to the way the charts are drawn. On the other hand, when the results of surveys or research agree with our expectations, people rarely question the results, again, no matter how they were obtained. Therefore, we wonder what you all might make of this report, that 12% of Americans have purchased at least one virtual item in the last item within the last 12 months, and almost half (46%) of MMO gamers/virtual world users have done so within the same period. Obviously, that would include assorted free-to-play games, so-called 'freemium' games and environments, Facebook and all-sorts. The survey was commissioned by global payment solutions provider, PlaySpan. The results are only available in summary, but we're interested in your reaction. Are the results what you expect, or not? And either way, do you dispute or accept the data? [via GigaOm]
WoW and SL not all there is to MMOs
GigaOM has posted up a fascinating feature by Wagner James Au which claims that World of Warcraft and Second Life, the two best known of the MMO major players, are not the be all and end all of virtual worlds. Far from it. The post was Inspired by the release of a report by Engage Digital which claims investors 'poured $237 million into virtual world-related start ups and payment systems last quarter'. That's quite a large number and not actually that surprising given the number of new MMOs and virtual worlds which have been popping up on the internet.The post goes on to explain that an MMO's success does not depend entirely on vast subscriber numbers or players. Rather, it's more to do with the platforms. Au cites examples of MMO and virtual worlds only available on specific platforms or social networks including Facebook and MySpace which are just as popular as either WoW or SL, they just might not be as well known. Regardless, the post is quite a surprising read and definitely worth a peek if you need reminding that Azeroth and Second Life are not the only virtual worlds out there in cyberspace.
Obama's FCC transition team includes MMO gamer, virtual world resident
Among the people President-elect Barack Obama has appointed to his FCC agency review transition team are Net Neutrality advocates Kevin Werbach, assistant professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton, and Susan Crawford from the University of Michigan, who teaches communications and internet law. Werbach, as it turns out, is a World of Warcraft player, according to Wagner James Au at GigaOM.Werbach has written about MMOs on his blog (back in 2006), that games "provide an incentive for people to develop new software and ideas for collaborative production. Many of those ideas will translate to other group activities, including those within the business world. I think MMOGs will be, at minimum, a significant testbed for these new technologies, because users see a direct benefit and are willing to experiment with new things." Werbach plays in two WoW guilds, one started by a friend, and the other is comprised of academics whose interests or work focus on virtual worlds. While Werbach is more of a traditional MMO gamer, Crawford is a fan of Second Life, judging by what she's written on the virtual world in the past on her blog. At the very least, it's a positive sign that individuals connected with the FCC and its policies really understand how people are using technology to socialize, collaborate, and play.
The revolution in the news
Unlike Second Life's 2003 Tax Revolt, which (at the time) went unnoticed by the mainstream media, the current revolt over void/openspace simulator server pricing is drawing attention in places where a lot of potential customers are being exposed to it -- and it's early yet. More words are doubtless being drafted over the weekend to run on mainstream Web-sites and newspapers. By mainstream (a word that has an awfully slippery definition), we mean widespread. There are at least three other effective and correct definitions of the word at least one of which conflicts with that, but let's just go with what we have and leave those other definitions for another time. You know what we mean.
Linden Lab CEO on openspace/void price increases
Mark Kingdon, Linden Lab's shiny new CEO, made a statement to Wagner James Au at GigaOm about the announced openspace/void simulator price rises that have so many Second Life users up in arms, 'this price adjustment affects only a portion of land in Second Life; it does not apply to private islands or regular mainland property. We made this change to ensure an optimal Second Life experience for all Residents.' We're not sure if this gets points for being intentionally misleading, or unintentionally misleading. Either way, it scores a lot of points. Lets break it down a piece at a time.
WAR's anti-gold-selling policy challenged
We're well aware of Mark Jacobs' and Mythic's views on gold sellers in Warhammer Online, but what about the opposite side of the fence? Could gold sellers in a young, potentially top-selling MMO actually help the game develop and attract the adult working class? That's what Gigaom's Wagner James Au argues in a recent article."When launching a big-budget online game, it doesn't strike me as a very good idea to risk alienating nearly a quarter of your user base right out the gate. That, however, is likely to be the consequence of an extreme anti-gold selling policy at Mythic Entertainment," writes Au. He also cites research by Nick Yee, who is fast-becoming the most popular gaming-related research scientist, stating that gold-buying is done mostly by those ages 35 and older, who don't have the time to play as those younger gamers.
Cinemassively: GigaOm interviews Philip Rosedale
(Disclosure: Some of the raw footage in the background was commissioned by Linden Lab for news agencies. I was the machinimatographer on the project.)Before Philip Rosedale announced his intention to resign as CEO of Linden Lab, he sat down with Chris Albrecht, of the GigaOM Show. Chris starts off with other news, so to tune in to Hamlet Au and Philip Linden, skip ahead to about 2:45. The duo discuss what SL was like back in the day, how large it has grown, and whether there's a backlash.Proving that you can't believe everything you read on the internet, the show reports that, according to Wikipedia, Second Life has over 20 million accounts. However, if you check out the economic statistics page on the official site, SL is at just under 13 million. Again, they mention transparency. That word is starting to sound like fingernails on a chalkboard.[Thanks, Melissa!]
SageTV bringing place-shifting to Linux
Despite Major League Baseball's disdain for the practice, place-shifting is a hot feature that will only get more popular as it becomes easier for people to stream their content -- and software company SageTV is at the forefront of the movement to make that happen. Less than two months after adding the feature to its media center package for Windows, the company is supposedly on the verge of offering similar "slinging" functionality to open-source fanatics, with GigaOM reporting that we can expect to see SageTV Media Center for Linux V5 announced within the week. Until the official unveiling, not much is known about this product save for its Media Extender support, although we've also learned that Mac users will be getting their own version at some unspecified future date. There are certainly other ways for the Linux faithful to place-shift their content -- we recently saw a rather convoluted how-to on Engadget Mobile which uses MythTV -- but if you're willing to pay for commercial software, it sounds like Sage's upcoming solution will be the easiest way to go.
Commuter shirt with iPod pocket
Someone at Thomas Pink must be really hip to the iPod. First it was the Thomas Pink tie with secret iPod pocket, and now Thomas Pink has the Commuter shirt. What makes this shirt so special? It has a hidden pocket for your iPod (or other MP3 player, I suppose) as well as 'hidden casings' for your headphone wires. All of this, plus the high quality craftsmanship of a Thomas Pink shirt, for $140.[via GigaOm]
