hardware upgrades
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Motorola Europe repents, restores Milestone XT720 CPU to 720MHz speed with software update
Bought a Motorola Milestone XT720, only to find that "up to 720MHz" processor was actually clocked at a paltry 550 million cycles per second? If you live in Germany or the UK, you're in luck -- Motorola's poised to wash your troubles away with a software update that restores the OMAP3440's full 720MHz potential, and reportedly adds DLNA connectivity to the device as well. The company released the news on its official Facebook page earlier this week, and it was then reportedly available "today," so barring accident or injury you should be able to update your device or wait for the OTA. It feels like just yesterday we were discussing how software-updatable silicon felt slimy, but look -- it's not all bad.
Prototype NTT DoCoMo phone turns into a flute and takes your blood
There are many things an NTT DoCoMo handset can do in the year 2009 -- tune in live television, shoot HD video, tell you whether you need to be wearing sunscreen, and pay your train fare, just to name a few. Inexplicably, though, you can't bust out a white-hot Jethro Tull solo on anything currently in the carrier's lineup, so we're happy to see that its Institute for Advanced Technology is hard at work on a modular hardware system that would allow users to attach all sorts of wacky peripherals to their phones. Billing them as "hardware upgrades," DoCoMo is showing off a blood tester, e-ink reader, and -- yes -- a flute as examples of attachments we could see down the road by the time they commercialize the tech around 2015. We're not sure why Bluetooth isn't a better option for some of this stuff, but we then again, we know better than to question a Japanese carrier's infinite wisdom. Follow the break for video of the prototype in action.
Video: Prototype NTT DoCoMo phone turns into a flute and takes your blood
There are many things an NTT DoCoMo handset can do in the year 2009 -- tune in live television, shoot HD video, tell you whether you need to be wearing sunscreen, and pay your train fare, just to name a few. Inexplicably, though, you can't bust out a white-hot Jethro Tull solo on anything currently in the carrier's lineup, so we're happy to see that its Institute for Advanced Technology is hard at work on a modular hardware system that would allow users to attach all sorts of wacky peripherals to their phones. Billing them as "hardware upgrades," DoCoMo is showing off a blood tester, e-ink reader, and -- yes -- a flute as examples of attachments we could see down the road by the time they commercialize the tech around 2015. We're not sure why Bluetooth isn't a better option for some of this stuff, but we then again, we know better than to question a Japanese carrier's infinite wisdom. Follow the break for video of the prototype in action.
Extended US Maintenance
After much waiting, the time has finally arrived. Patch 1.12 will be deployed on US realms during Tuesday's maintenance (and presumably on EU realms during Wednesday's maintenance). The maintenance has been extended by two hours to give time to apply the patch, so it should start at 3:00 AM PDT and end at the usual 11:00 AM PDT. However, in addition to the extended maintenance required for patch 1.12, a number of realms will be coming down tonight at 11:00 PM PDT for hardware upgrades - to come back online with the rest of the servers when maintenance ends on Tuesday. Servers coming down early for upgrades include the following: Aggramar, Argent Dawn, Arthas, Azgalor, Bleeding Hollow, Bloodhoof, Burning Blade, Burning Legion, Durotan, Earthen Ring, Elune, Eonar, Eredar, Gilneas, Gorefiend, Kargath, Laughing Skull, Lightning's Blade, Llane, Lothar, Magtheridon, Malygos, Mannoroth, Medivh, Shadow Moon, Shattered Hand, Skullcrusher, Stormrage, Thunderhorn, Thunderlord, Warsong, and Zul'jin.Update: Further proof that this is, in fact, a roll out of patch 1.12 is the fact that the public test realms have been closed.
Hardware Upgrades Coming for EU Servers
CM Thundgot has announced plans to retrofit all existing realms with new hardware over the next month - in preparation for the expansion's release. These upgrades should result in an immediate performance improvement - however, the realms involved can expect additional downtime periods in which to perform these upgrades. The realms needing upgrades have been divided into three groups, and will be receiving upgrades group at a time (with specific dates and times to be announced).
