gold
Latest
Drowning in Timeless Coins
I've been happily completing the daily over on the Timeless Isle every day -- it's an easy 50 valor points, after all. And while farming the 20 elite mobs needed for the quest, of course I've been hopping from rare mob to rare mob in search of pets or interesting toys. In the meantime, I've piled up a lot of Timeless Coins. I mean, a ridiculous number. I'd noticed people complaining that they had all these Timeless Coins, but I didn't really understand the problem. I mean, they aren't sitting in your bags taking up space in your inventory, they're just ... there. Incorporeal currency. But it's slowly begun to sink in that there's a legitimate problem with the Timeless Isle and its bizarre form of currency -- namely that the only place you can spend that currency is on the Timeless Isle itself. Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy buying trinkets and unusual things, but at the same time, if all those Timeless Coins pictured above were actually gold in my bank, I'd be ecstatic. Instead, I'm slightly nonplussed and wondering what the heck to do with all these incorporeal things I've gathered.
Is your guild bank going dry?
I raid with an extremely generous 25-man raiding guild that is chugging along quite nicely through the Siege of Orgrimmar. They are kind enough to provide not only guild repairs, but potions, flasks, and feasts -- now noodle carts -- as well. The guild is pretty good about keeping everything managed, and raiders do a pretty good job about keeping the guild bank filled with materials for all the stuff that the guild supplies on a typical guild run. But we've had a problem recently that picked up in patch 5.4. Someone mentioned that the guild bank wasn't making quite as much gold as it used to, and player repairs are bleeding the guild bank of gold almost faster than it can be put in. This seemed odd to me at the time, but I re-doubled my efforts to continue sticking herbs, gems, and whatever other useful items I came across into the guild bank, figuring it would all balance itself out. It turns out, however, that we aren't alone with our weird little problem.
O2 plays Willy Wonka with 18-carat gold HTC One
Mobile phone makers are really going for the gold lately, and some in a more opulent fashion than others. In keeping with the gilded trend, UK provider O2 is giving away an 18-carat gold HTC One to one lucky customer. Each HTC One sold at O2 stores between today and Sunday will come with a golden ticket containing a code that can be entered online to win. More details after the break. Oompa-Loompas not eligible to win.
Daily Roundup: HP Chromebook 11 review, Samsung's Galaxy Round, a gold HTC One and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Hands-on with the 18 carat gold-plated HTC One
It turns out that 18 carat gold is slightly too soft to be a sensible material for smartphones. We've been hands-on with one of just five MOBO-branded gold HTC Ones, which are evidently a lot less subtle than the gold iPhone 5s (shown top right). While the exclusive $4,500 handset definitely wasn't as heavy as we were expecting, its delicate surface had already suffered a multitude of tiny scratches by the time we picked it up -- and that's despite a special protective coating that doesn't seem to be helping much. Meanwhile, our regular aluminum HTC One (shown on the left) still looks as good as the day it was born. Update: We've just added our hands-on video after the break. Apart from the glossy finish (mainly due to the clear protective coating) and the extra 4 grams in weight, the 18 carat gold One is essentially identical to its aluminum counterpart. And since this is an "official" phone from HTC, it's also passed the usual radio performance tests to ease our minds. But did it pass our taste test? Find out in our video.
Out of nowhere, Samsung hits us with a gold GS4
And just like that, Samsung Gulf has announced the gold-trimmed Galaxy S 4, complemented by either brown or pink plastic for the guys and girls, respectively (dare we say it). We don't know whether these fresh editions will ever come to markets outside the Middle East, but Samsung's timing couldn't have been better. Meanwhile, we're still waiting on that gold HTC One.
Gold iPhone 5s in short supply as Apple only ships 'tens' of units to stores
Many scoffed at the notion of a gold iPhone, but it seems that metallic champagne is the color everyone's trying to buy. While online orders are being pushed back to next month, sources have told Engadget directly that some of Apple's flagship stores only received "tens" of gold iPhones, which sold out the moment doors opened. In a statement to AllThingsD, the company said that demand for the new hardware has been "incredible," and that supplies are already limited. On the upside, Cupertino is said to have already increased orders for Auric Goldfinger's favorite iPhone by up to a third, but until those devices make it out of the factory, it's probably easier to knock off Fort Knox than to get a gold iPhone.
Daily Roundup: Distro Issue 107, iPhone 5c pre-orders, Gold-colored HTC One, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Gold-colored HTC One part leaked in China, we're sensing a trend here
We're usually quite skeptical when it comes to leaked phone parts, especially those that just show a new color, but this one seems fairly reliable. Courtesy of the same Sina Weibo user who previously showed us a blue HTC One (which has since been announced along with its mini counterpart), we're now looking at what appears to be the front-half of a gold-colored One. Call it impeccable timing, but given the August 12th date stamp on the part, chances are HTC also had this planned some time ago. In fact, a 24-Carat gold One already exists. In addition to the leakster's track record, the hand-written marks on the parts lend credence to their authenticity. The One series' designer Justin Huang (who's sadly in a bit of trouble right now) previously told us that the letters grade the form of the front-side frame, in order to help pick matching parts. It's also worth pointing out that we've yet to come across any fake custom HTC One parts in the Huaqiangbei market, which is likely because of the difficult manufacturing and disassembly process. That said, the phone's relatively lower demand than, say, the iPhones and Samsung devices may be a bigger deterrent for those part makers. Let's see if this new color option will change HTC's course.
Creative launches a trio of audiophile-grade headphones for Europe
We like strapping things to our heads that replace the bad sounds with good ones, so we're very excited about Creative's new headsets. The company is launching a pair of audiophile-quality cans, as well as one for the audiophile on a limited budget. First up, there's the Aurvana Platinum and Gold, which come with active noise cancellation, NFC and HD Voice. Then there's the ShareMe technology, which lets two users wirelessly listen to one audio source, which'd be ideal for watching a movie on a long train journey. The Platinum will retail for £250 and the Gold for £180, while the more modest Live! 2 -- which packs leatherette ear pads and 40mm Neodymium drivers -- will set you back £110, with all three launching in October.
Gold iPhone 5S poses with current model in leaked group shot (updated with more shots, dual-LED flash?)
Yes, new rumors about iPhone colors seem to come along every day now. But these images from Weekly Ascii in Japan show an intriguing look at the champagne version of the alleged iPhone 5S model allegedly coming September 10, next to black and white iPhone 5 models... allegedly, of course. If real, they match up with previous images, while also showing a bit more refinement in the design and quality. The new color would be far from the blingy gold we saw before, though, perhaps ruining the dreams of the Chanel-bag-and-small-dog crowd. Grab your salt shaker and check after the break for another shot, or hit the source to see them all. Update: Yet more photos have surfaced, this time over at App Advice. The site's got some close-up shots to share with the world, offering a better look at that gold option and, if you look close enough, evidence of that once-spotted dual-LED flash. A slightly expanded hole now resides next to the camera lens, likely making space for a pair of LEDs on the incoming iPhone refresh. Scrutinize for yourself right after the break.
Daily Roundup: Xperia Z Ultra review, Connecting Cape Town, Gamescom 2013, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The gold iPhone is a done deal, says AllThingsD
Go on, reject the notion. Work yourself into a tizzy. Then, grab an Orange Crush and a bag chair, 'cause you're going to need some serious support to handle the realization. The gold iPhone is coming, and it'll be launched during Apple's upcoming event on September 10th. As AllThingsD reports, a new flagship iPhone will be unveiled with an "elegant gold tone," which is said to be more like champagne in actuality. If the rumors prove true, we should see a white face with a gilded rear... which will never be seen by anyone once you strap a case on it. Best of all? We're sensing a golden opportunity for Macklemore to score a product placement promotion in a future music video.
Daily Roundup: Laptop buyer's guide, Apple's gold-colored iPhone, Withings Pulse review, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Photos of reported gold-colored iPhone 5S surface
Tired of Apple offering iPhones solely in black or white? If photos obtained by MacBoutic are accurate, you'll get some variety soon... and some bling, for that matter. The repair shop's images reportedly show an iPhone 5S shell in a simulated gold color, supporting recent spec predictions from KGI analyst (and frequent AppleInsider tipster) Ming-Chi Kuo. While it's difficult to verify the snapshots when MacBoutic has erased all logos, this doesn't look like an aftermarket project; the hue extends to normally inaccessible parts of the phone, for example. As a result, we won't be surprised if we see a flashy gold iPhone at Apple's rumored September 10th event.
Actual gold stolen from virtual gold farmer results in ugly court battle
In Australia, where gold farming is perfectly legal (and income from such must even be filed on your tax return), Katrina Fincham had managed to earn $75,000 by farming and selling gold in World of Warcraft. As we know from farming our own gold, grinding for in-game cash takes time and effort, and Fincham was running her operation like a business -- which we're guessing takes most if not all of the fun out of things. But when she decided to turn her newly made loot into actual gold bullion, her nest egg became a problem. While on vacation, her house was robbed and the safe containing the gold taken -- and her insurance company has refused to pay up, claiming that she was trying to swindle them by converting the cash into gold so it could be stolen. The legal battle is ongoing, but Fincham has already had to sell her house in order to pay court costs associated with fighting the insurance company. And in a final terrible twist of fate, it turns out it was an inside job: her boyfriend helped arrange the theft. While we have no love for farmers, it's hard not to feel sorry about this: Fincham wasn't hacking or exploiting the game and had done nothing legally wrong, but farming gold has led to her financial ruin anyway. Yikes. [Via GamePolitics]
Patch 5.4 will not bring epic gems to Mists
Patch 5.4 is bringing a ton of exciting content, as we've recently discussed in video and several articles. One thing it's not bringing, though, is epic gems, as Blizzard Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street recently confirmed. @B_Cogs Not happening for 5.4. - Greg Street (@Ghostcrawler) August 2, 2013 Note how he doesn't say "not this expansion", rather just confirms that, as many expected given their total absence from the PTR, the epic gems are not coming right now. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It will certainly ensure that the value of the blue-quality gems stays high, for now at least. But could this be another indication that there is a patch 5.5 coming? Epic gems would certainly be one way to push players into additional content without devaluing the Siege of Orgrimmar final raid content, and many are growing concerned that, with the next expansion likely to be announced at Blizzcon in November with a beta to come shortly thereafter, we could be besieging Orgrimmar for a long old time.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Wealth and power in League of Legends
Although it's nothing unusual to see commenters complain about something I wrote in the Summoner's Guidebook, last week I noticed a trend. A lot of people explained things like "Karthus is good with a Tear," which led me to believe that there were some bad assumptions that were held by some of you. Sometimes we take certain things we know for granted. It's why people say League of Legends is an easy game when it's actually very difficult and complex. In the same way, I mostly assumed that people understood the basic idea of using wealth to get you ahead in the game. However, it seems like for the most part people do not. Everyone understands the idea that getting gold gets you items and items make you stronger. However, it doesn't seem to be widely understood that because you can turn wealth into power, you want to turn it into as much power as you can right now and leverage it to put you ahead. Power now is always better than power later.
Patch 5.4 PTR: First look at the Endless Healer Proving Grounds
Olivia wrote up a great overview of the Proving Grounds for tanks, healers, and DPS. Today I'm going to be going a little more in depth on the healing side of things. Bronze and silver were excellent warmups. I wiped once on gold due to my over confidence on the final wave but managed to overcome it. This is what the Endless difficulty on Proving Grounds looks like for healers. You'll gain a certain amount of points per round and it will continue to tick upwards until either you or a party member dies in battle. Thankfully, the NPCs will appear in your party frames. There's a spiffy achievement if you're able to reach Endless Healer: Wave 30 which nets The Proven Healer title. Watch the video above as I play through the Endless Healer for the first time! I also narrate my spell choices and reasoning as I heal through the assorted waves.
Bank of England releases app to show off all its gold bling
The Bank of England has released an interesting educational app called Bank of England Virtual Tour. The app gives users a virtual tour inside the Bank of England via panoramic interactive photos. The coolest part is that it lets you go inside the Bank of England's gold vault. The BoE stores over 400,000 gold bars weighing 13kg each and worth an estimated US$525,000 a piece. Here's the full release notes: The Bank of England's Virtual Tour is an app that lets you explore the famous Threadneedle Street building in the heart of the City of London. Discover the architecture, history and current role of the UK's central Bank through a series of stunning 360° panoramic images. Visit 10 locations including a gold vault, committee rooms, a hidden garden and the Bank's museum. You can also check your banknotes using the 'Know Your Banknotes' feature located in the cash vault. Bank of England Virtual Tour is a free download.
