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iPhone 101: A user guide to take with you
If you're going to be a new iPhone 3G owner this week, you might want to make a note of this site to help you get acquainted with your new mobile device. Apple has a guide to the iPhone available at http://help.apple.com/iphone/guide that you can view directly in MobileSafari, so you'll always have it when you need it. The guide has help for Phone, Mail, Safari, iPod, Applications, Settings, the Wi-Fi Music Store, and some Troubleshooting tips. I even learned something new: you can scroll to the top of web pages by double-tapping the title bar. Nice! Thanks, Rubinnz! Update: Major poopie! Apple has taken down the site for some inexplicable reason. I'll try and find out where it's moved to (or a mirror) and get back to you. Update 2: It's back, and its contents are updated for the new iPhone software. The new guide includes tips for enterprise users, and for using the App Store. It seems to be oddly not fitting in MobileSafari's display window very well, but hopefully that will get sorted out soon.
Panasonic extends Concierge service to plasma and LCD HDTV owners
Owners of Panasonic LCD HDTVs can finally enjoy the same luxuries afforded to the plasma owners, ending a two-year phase of panel discrimination. The outfit's "exclusive" service has been rechristened VIERA Concierge and is now available to both LCD and PDP owners. Per usual, callers will be connected with subject matter experts to answer any questions they have, and there's also an HDTV loaner program which "makes HDTV loaners available at no charge to customers who have a plasma or LCD undergoing repair." It's about time LCD users got some respect around here, yeah?
Samsung launches Blu-ray resource center
Samsung's been pretty good about keeping its HDM players up to date with the latest protocols, and now it's launching a dedicated site to keep prospective consumers and current owners alike informed about the Blu-ray format. The aptly-titled Blu-ray resource center is split into two sides, one of which includes topics for existing BD addicts and one with information for those "looking to buy Blu-ray." Interestingly, the forum packs some pretty noteworthy questions, with the latest explaining how upconverted DVD just isn't as good as bona fide Blu-ray. Head on over and swallow some knowledge -- just be sure to watch for falling propaganda.
Breakfast Topic: Addons requests and recommendations
Lileah on Livejournal was looking for some help with an addon the other day, and her request gave me an idea. For this morning's Breakfast Topic, we're going all out with the addon requests. If you've got a need for an addon (like custom timers, an addon for keeping track of food, or any other weird needs you might have), ask in the comments below, and if you're an addon expert, show off your expertise by letting the requester know if there's an addon that will fill their needs.And if there's isn't an addon that can do what they're asking, maybe this comments section will be the impetus for someone out there to create one of their own. Think we can find a need out there for an addon that doesn't yet exist? Of course, there are some things that addons can't do (choose targets or spells for you is a big one), but otherwise, consider this thread your clearinghouse for addon service requests.If you can't get an answer here, feel free to tip us, too -- we at WoW Insider always love finding out and writing about new addons. Whether you need help finding an addon that does what you want or you know of a great addon that could use some coverage, let us know and we'll be thrilled to take a look at it.
The Daily Grind: Who's got the best support team?
We like to think we'll never need help. That everything will run smoothly, your account won't get stolen out from under you, that you won't be the subject of routine griefing. Hope springs eternal, but there are whole fleets of people just waiting to help you when you need assistance. However, that doesn't always mean that you'll get it, or that it will be the kind of help you were expecting.With that in mind, then, I know that most of our readers are multi-mmo -- you've all got experience with many different games and companies. When the fewmets hit the fan, who's there for you? Which game has the best player support? Which has the worst?
Solving recent connection issues
Many of us, both in and outside of the United States, have been having serious connection issues with the game recently. Not only can we not connect to the game, but we can't even get on the main World of Warcraft website. This can be particularly infuriating because we can't go and find help. When I got dropped in the middle of Kael'Thas (the real fight, not the weeksauce one in Magisters' Terrace), I wanted to take my computer out to a field and yell obscenities at it about PC load letter.WoW Insider feels your pain! After all, imagine having to write about WoW only to find out you can't get into WoW.I wanted to answer a lot of the comments about what people can do. First and foremost, we're not Blizzard. So we can't really say for sure what's going on. We can make educated guesses through. Continue reading after the break for what you can do and where you can go to solve this problem.
GPS-enabled helmet calls for help post-accident
We've seen some pretty well equipped helmets in our day, but UMass Amherst student Brycen Spencer seems a touch more interested in safety advancements than integrated speakers. His concoction, dubbed the Wireless Impact Guardian (WIG), looks like your average helmet at first glance, but a quick look inside reveals electronics designed to sense an impact, judge if you're conscious and dial for help if necessary. Essentially, an alarm is triggered upon impact, and if you're not cohesive enough to disable it after 60 seconds, it automatically rings up 911 and beams out your location via GPS so that medical personnel can get moving. Currently, the device is quite a ways from going commercial, but considering that Mr. Spencer has already invested in a provisional patent, we'd say it's well on its way.[Via textually]
Breakfast Topic: When they are not prepared
It is very rewarding to help new players adjust to World of Warcraft. It can also be extremely frustrating. In some cases, I wonder if we may ruin players by giving them too much help, like helping a butterfly from its chrysalis. I remember when I first started playing WoW, I made some serious rookie mistakes. For example I didn't know how to repair my gear until I was level 17 and had no idea that one should train all three talent schools. I got a lot of advice along the way, but I kept more or less to my IRL companions even in game. I never really experienced the MM part of MMORPG until I was level 60 and running Zul'Gurrub. It was exciting and exhausting, but for the first time I really felt like I was experiencing the entirety of the game.
CNN on WoW addiction
Last week CNN ran an editorial story about online game addictions. Its the typical story about how bad online games can be, and how this addiction can destroy a person's life. The article itself has some good examples of this, from both Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft. In particular, a specialist at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital, talks about a young man in his twenties. This poor fellow has lost numerous jobs, his girlfriend, and is quite the recluse since he became addicted to World of Warcraft. It's quite the unfortunate tale, and I'm sure we're all sympathetic to his plight.Many of us have someone in our family, or otherwise know someone who has dealt with an addiction. They can be a difficult period in everyone's life to deal with. Addictions to WoW and other games in the genera can be no less serious than an addiction to gambling. The results are all the same: people loose their jobs, their families, and can become severely depressed. When that happens disastrous things take place, such as the young man that lost his life in South Korea last year.The article on CNN doesn't go into any great detail about what you can do if you think you or a loved one has an addiction to WoW. It does give some tips to family members, but CNN is hardly the place to go to for medical advice. Instead, don't bother with anything else then going right to your doctor. Any doctor, at any clinic, anywhere, can at least point you in the right direction.I'm sure a few of our readers out there have dealt with this in the past, either directly or indirectly. What have you done? What stories do you have to tell?
TUAW Tip: Use Help to select menu items in Leopard
Over at Mac OS X Hints I recently ran into this doozy of a hint that I somehow missed on its first go around. Basically the idea is to capitalize on a great new feature in Leopard's help. You can get to any menu item without your mouse by activating the help menu with the keyboard shortcut ??? + ? (i.e. ??? + shift + /). Then type the name of the menu command you want and scroll down to it with the arrow keys. That command's menu will automatically drop down with the item highlighted, hit enter and you're done! If you're a keyboard maven this is a really easy way to get to your menu items (though you can also activate the menubar from the keyboard with ???F2).Thanks Brandon!
Panasonic reopens Plasma Concierge to the masses this holiday season
Read enough horror stories lately to get you all scared about diving into the world of HDTV? Fret not, as Panasonic is reopening the phone lines to its toll-free Plasma Concierge service during the holidays. Usually, this line is reserved for those who already own a Panny PDP, but starting today, absolutely anyone can ring up the help line for a little one-on-one Q&A about flat panels. Reportedly, those on the other end will be happy to field any general / technical questions you may have, and unlike last year, the service will remain open until February 3, 2008 -- a full two months longer. Hit the read link for the digits, and be sure to grab some paper and a pen before you just start rattling off inquiries.
LotRO in-game help demands extra login credentials
Reports are coming in on the award-winning Lord of the Rings Online's official forums that players are being prompted to enter their username and password when trying to use the in-game help facility. This thread contains posts from some people worried about security issues, some saying that in-game help has always asked you to login, and others disagreeing with them.It is all cleared up, however, on the second page, when Turbine's Community Manager makes a post confirming that it should not be happening. The quote from CM Patience: "it's definitely borked, and we'll get it fixed as quickly as possible". So if you're worried about entering your login details twice, hopefully there will be a fix going live soon. Just add the name of that annoying gold spammer to your list, and start a voodoo ritual fire the whole thing off when the issue is resolved.
Helping newbies, errrm, noobs, errrm, nubs, errrm...
Private Hudson over at Wife Agro wrote a very thought-provoking article about new players. While on one hand he complains that the lower level areas are becoming ghost towns, he also reports that he's actually seen some genuine new players on his server recently. I remember reading a story a few months ago in the short-lived (now deceased) MMO Gaming Magazine about one of the writers who attempted to play the original Everquest for the first time, starting from scratch. The author spoke of the attitude he got from the established high-level players and how difficult it was for him to get his feet under him when there seemed to be nobody on the server who would help him with even the simplest task because nobody believed he was truly "new" to Everquest. Private Hudson goes on describe and differentiate between two kinds of new players, and proposes that the good of the game is best served by helping them rather than mocking them or ignoring them. We were all new once, right? A year ago when I was on Thorium Brotherhood (before The Burning Crusade), I remember guild events where we used to help new players, where we'd give away free bags to at least try to help them minimize the number of trips they'd have to make into town. Now you can shoot a cannon off in most of those zones, or if you do see people in them they are leveling at warp speed with their eyes closed because they have done the quests so many times. Do you go out of your way to still attempt to be helpful? Or is there no point in wasting time on low level players when most of them are just re-rolls? How do you balance your availability to your own in-game goals with the task of welcoming new people instead of turning them away?
Leopard screensaver, Help menu video leaked
When I posted the new System Preferences pane in Leopard earlier this week, I was a little disappointed to see that while the desktop had changed (here it is online, if you want to make it your own already-- thanks, Ryan D!), the screensaver had not. I figured this is because Apple wasn't bringing any new screensavers to the fold in Leopard, but that was premature-- here's a "Falling Photos" screensaver sent to us by Christian BS (thanks!). I would be very, very surprised if it didn't automatically pull photos from iPhoto for you, as apparently "you can display any photos this way." Also notice the clock-- we're told that it can be displayed on any screensaver you choose.And he also sent us this video of the new Help system, which has a Spotlightesque bar in it that will actually let you search for clickable options. That's terrific-- no more browsing through a Help system to find a tutorial about how to increase the text size: in Leopard, you'll be able to type "text size" into the bar, and automatically get the commands right within that menu.
Time Warner Cable, Cisco team up on new HD website
While we've seen companies go out of their way in the past to provide customers with HD assistance, it looks like Time Warner Cable (partly owned by Time Warner, parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) has teamed up with Cisco to give consumers yet another venue to have their questions answered. A variety of flashy help buttons enable befuddled individuals to select the kind of HDTV most suited for their viewing habits, learn the definitions of commonly used high-definition terms, and of course, goes on to plug TWC HD services. Sure, it's simply an interactive advertisement at heart, but at least it's giving consumers a drop of knowledge whilst fishing for their business.[Via BroadcastingCable]
SPOT personal GPS tracker: the argonaut's lifeline
We've all heard horror stories about being stranded sans a cellphone (or a signal), and while we doubt the majority of you break out into the wilderness on a regular basis, a little peace of mind for when you do won't hurt. SPOT Inc. has introduced the simply-titled SPOT, which operates as a personal GPS-enabled tracking device to inform relatives, friends, and emergency personnel of your status. Among the features are a 911 button that automatically calls in help and gives them your exact location, an Ask for Help button that beams up friends / family, a Check In selection that informs contacts that you're a-okay, and a Track Progress option that sends your location to a Google Map that relatives can monitor. The unit itself is powered by a pair of AA cells, weighs just seven-ounces, floats on water, and is rugged enough to handle most any encounter. Price wise, the SPOT will run you $149.99 along with a $99 "service fee," but monthly and multi-year options will purportedly be available soon.UPDATE: Check out a few more details provided directly by SPOT on how this thing actually works along with a closer look at each button.
Confessions of a Warrior Noob [edit]
How well I remember the day I that created my warrior. I had seen a gnome walking around with an adorable name, a cute hat, and all that plate armor much too big for her, and I was suddenly inspired with a character idea that I just had to make real. As a roleplayer, I was fiercely excited to play this undauntedly brave gnome who would proclaim in an adorably child-like voice: "I am NOT cute! I'm the most fearsomest warrior you'll ever see!" The character was wonderful fun to roleplay for a long time, and brought plenty of laughs with my friends, but after finally reaching level 40 and getting my cute mechanostrider mount, I realized I was getting killed way too often, killing monsters way too slowly, and just not having that much success at the actual "war" part of being a warrior. I had heard of a number of warriors complaining in the forums and it seemed that the class was just way too weak. So I gave up and blamed Blizzard for my bad experience -- but oh, how I was wrong...
Breakfast Topic: Why is it so hard to help strangers?
When was the last time you helped someone you just met in-game? I don't just mean helped finish a quest, I mean helped at a time when no one else would. That's what Falcore on the European servers did.He met a very young player who was getting bullied in-game and out. Falcore decided what this kid needed was a little morale boost. He bought the player some in-game shiny (epic mount, etc.) and then talked him up to other players. The boost to this player's self-esteem was immeasurable. So much so that Falcore later received a letter from the player's father explaining the boy's situation and the effect of Falcore's selfless deeds.Did Falcore have to do this? No. He could have been farming for his own epic mount or yet another exalted faction or whatever was on his to do list. Instead he took time out of his own schedule to help a stranger to no benefit of himself.
Adium devs need YOU
Adium 1.0.1 is a great (and long-awaited) release for the free & open-source multiplatform chat client. The work, however, continues, and the Adium developers are politely asking for your help. First, there are a slew of items that need user feedback, and you can do that, right? Second, additional skilled devs are wanted so that some of the "cool but challenging" features on deck (video and audio chat, anyone?) can be tackled. Let's show the fine folks behind the quacking some TUAW love.Thanks Nik!
Siemens AySystem utilizes GPS / GRPS for emergency tracking, alerting
While Siemens HQ is probably still dusting itself from last year's invasion, that's not stopping the whole show 'round those parts, as the firm is introducing a new form of emergency communication with its AySystem. By utilizing worldwide GSM / GRPS networks (and optionally, GPS), the pocketable device can be tracked, modified, and used as a channel of communication between a caregiver and patient, parent and child, boss and subordinate, or any other useful combination of individuals. Essentially, the Ay token is given to the person who needs monitored, and the other party can adjust various "thresholds" such as motion (or the lack thereof), temperature, and sound, and if that limit is surpassed (i.e. a patient stops moving), the token will sound an alarm whilst simultaneously texting / calling a user-selected individual. Moreover, it can be remotely controlled and tweaked via a web-based interface, and users can add "SnapOns" such as GPS receivers and cameras to extend its functionality even futher. Thankfully, the platform in which the device runs on is entirely Java-based, which should please those looking to code their own programs to take full advantage of what's being offered. As of now, we're not exactly sure how much this fancy panic button will end up costing, but it is slated to be made available "via mobile carriers or through pre-paid plans" in the not too distant future.[Via Gizmag]
