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A Holiday Cocoa Duel
Jason Harris over at Unsanity announces A Holiday Cocoa Duel at ten paces. It sounds to me like some kind of make-up between a few Mac devs over the "unpleasantness," as Jason called it, regarding the whole Macheist thing. Apparently inspired by old TUAW favorite Snö, it's a contest similar Ironcoder to write the best holiday-themed application and release it as Open Source software. The winner will be determined by voters contributing money to various charities chosen by the participating developers. According to the site, "the winner is picked by whichever charity got the most donations. And the winner gets the gift pool from the other devs." If you're a Cocoa developer interested in participating you must be willing to contribute "a gift of a $20 value (or two six packs of good beer) for the winner" and you must contact Jason by midnight MST Dec 20th. The winner will be determined by the contribution total as of midnight MST Dec 26th. I'm interested to see what "useless" applications well-known Mac devs like Jason, Gus Mueller, John Casasanta, and others can cook up.
2AM: The Wii/PS3 lines form and spots are for sale
In front of stores all across the country the lines are forming for today's down-to-the-wire purchases of Wii and PS3 for the holiday. Rumor had it that many stores were holding on to their shipments from last week to begin selling tomorrow morning to coincide with the Sunday flyer advertisements -- an archaic concept for sure, but that was the rumor.We stopped by the Dedham, MA Best Buy this evening to see what was going on. Although there was no confirmation of any PS3s on premises, they did have a printout with a confirmed count of 24 Wiis. At 1AM there were only 14 people waiting outside, however three of them were willing to sell their spots. Alicia, Morgan and Norman are ready to give up their spot for $75. Alicia says, "As college students you're going to be doing stupid stuff anyway, at least this way we'll be making money off of it."On the other hand we met Joe who was waiting outside in the 31 degree (-1 C) weather because of the Wii's good buzz, he says, "I'm gonna be completely honest, I didn't want the Wii, but my friend got one at launch and he can't stop talking about it. So, I figure, for $250 -- why not?" Joe already purchased Zelda, now he just needs the system to play it on.You reading Joystiq out there in the cold on your mobile device? Planning to go out? Let us know! Good luck campers!
A Snowman Surprise from Xbox
Last night, we received a friendly holiday greeting from Microsoft and the Xbox team. In the emailed greeting Microsoft thanks all of us for being part of the Xbox community and all that jazz, but most interesting is the piñata snowman (as seen to the right). Of course we had to click the "Crack open your gift" button, which brings you to Xbox 360 Snowman. Sweetness! We get to beat a snowman with a stick! And after whacking, whacking, and whacking you'll find yourself a little Zune deal, a link to Next Gen Now, and Clearification (what the hell is that?). Thanks Microsoft for that nice email, it gave us warm fuzzies. Time to cuddle up next to the fireplace with a big blanket and a warm cup of hot chocolate and play a good game of Geometry Wars.
Looking for Nintendo
So, we already heard that Best Buy may be holding their in-stock Wiis until Sunday ... and a number of sources are reporting that GameStop is doing the same. What's more? All of our sneaky anonymous sources within the two retail giants are saying that the hold is absolutely true. December 17 is the new Wii day. Expect a holiday frenzy if you're out shopping this weekend, and if you want to snag a Wii, get there early and cross your fingers. Anyone up for camping?
PSP December Content Pack now available
Every month (except last month, for some strange reason), Sony offers an EXE file they call the "Content Pack" which contains a variety of files, like videos, music and wallpapers for your PSP. In typical Sony style, this pack comes late into the month, but at least they have the courtesy to get rid of that silly "calendar" feature that pointed quite fruitless. This month's content pack features tons of promotional material from ATV Offroad Fury Pro, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2, and more.The real highlight is the Loco Roco demo that was released a few days ago. The holiday-inspired music is also included in this content pack, along with other samples from other PSP soundtracks. Feel free to visit Sony's official US website to download.
LocoRoco Christmas demo arrives [update 1]
Sony has posted a Christmas-themed downloadable level of LocoRoco on its Japanese website. The demo does not require players to own a retail copy of LocoRoco, but PSPs must be updated to firmware v3.02 to play. Here's the step-by-step install guide: Download the EBOOT.PBP file Connect PSP to PC (via USB) Open the PSP/GAME folder Create a folder named "NPJG90001" Place EBOOT.PBP file in the folder See also:LocoRoco Halloween demo [requires firmware v2.81 or higher]Update: corrected required firmware version.
Loco Roco Christmas downloadable demo
Get in the holiday spirit with Loco Roco. It appears, as promised, a Christmas themed version of Loco Roco has hit the net for your downloading pleasure. If you've downloaded demos before, you know what to do:1. Download the demo ZIP file.2. Extract the contents of the ZIP file.3. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable.4. Go to the PSP/GAME folder.5. Copy NPJG90001 folder into directory. Check out our new demos site:demos.pspfanboy.com
Nintendo's advent calendar: Snowdriftland
Nintendo has a nice gaming advent calendar online called "Mission in Snowdriftland." Each little window opens a minigame into a snowbound Mario-esque world, and you guide a snowman around collecting snowflakes. It's simple and fun, and the music ain't half bad either. Sure, there are ads pimping Nintendo games in the bottom right hand window, but it's a small price to pay for a sweet little gaming diversion in your web browser.[Thanks, Paul]
Hello Kitty gets ritzy, dons platinum outfit for the holidays
We've seen Hello Kitty hit the low-end, the mid-range, the high-end, and everywhere in between, but this here rendition has to be some sort of record. In a feat that's sure to be outdone relatively soon, the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo will be selling a 21-ounce miniature rendition of the cat donned in platinum. The shiny feminine feline reportedly comes with seven different hair ribbons made of "diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems" that can be worn by Hello Kitty or used as a pendant. This hope diamond of Japanese cuteness can be snatched up (if it hasn't been already) for a mere ¥18.9 million ($164,291) if you so desire, but we can think of much more practical uses for all that extra disposable income to be quite honest.[Via Hello Kitty Hell]
The Wii holiday buyer's guide part 2: the casual player
After our first part in an attempt to help you introduce someone else into the wonderful world of gaming, part 2 is aimed more at the casual type. Someone who already owns the system, maybe a game or two, and finds themself occupying a few hours each week gaming it up. This part in our 3 part guide is aimed at helping them expand that small fascination. Read on for some thoughtful ideas on what to get them this holiday season!
Mom-of-the-year calls cops on son who opened "PlayStation GameBoy" pre-Xmas
As the PS3 crime spree chronicles continue to unfold, a zany mother in South Carolina apparently got a few wires crossed (and an incensed son, to boot) according to a recent police report. After claiming to purchase a "PlayStation GameBoy" for her mischievous 12-year old son to open at Christmas, the woman filed a petty larceny incident report to have the youngster arrested for opening it this past Sunday. Reportedly, the woman came home to a haphazardly opened box, and found the unit after the child claimed he "didn't know where it was," sending the mum into a fit which led to her son's arrest. While the boy was known to be a troublemaker in school, purportedly "attempted to assault a police officer" in the past, and has a thing for "stealing," the mother's soft heart still found it possible to purchase the coal-deserving brat an object that hasn't even been released (nor created). Whatever it really is, we hope it ends up on eBay so some deserving kiddo can give it a whirl.[Via Digg]
Got cash in the new phone budget? Do some good
'Tis the season for giving, which leaves the rabid phone fans among us in a tight spot: how do we get in on a little new mobile tech for ourselves and help those less fortunate at the same time? Our friends over at Phone Scoop are hoping to fill the bill by auctioning off a handful of hot, current handsets graciously provided by carriers and manufacturers with all proceeds going to benefit The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria -- the same fund (RED) benefits. Loot includes a T-Mobile Dash, LRG Sidekick 3, Motorola MOTOKRZR K1, unlocked Samsung i320, M500 for Sprint, and BlackJack, and a Helio Drift (see, we told you the goods were hot). Bidding will take place via Phone Scoops' forums, with all auctions ending this Friday. Bid generously, and bid to win!
Christmas up your icons
The Iconfactory does great work, and no self respecting icon enthusiast can disagree with that. Just in time for the holidays they have gathered up a number of their past holiday icons (and other things) for you.Head on over there and deck the virtual halls of your Mac. 'Tis the season, after all.
Download Squad running '12 days of holiday downloads'
On Friday our friends at sister blog Download Squad began a new series titled 12 Days of holiday downloads, rounding up holiday and Christmas-themed downloads for both Mac OS X and Windows. Day 2 was posted today, and so far it looks like a neat series for those of you who like to get their Mac (and Windows PC) into the holiday spirit. Day 1 covered Snö, an app we've mentioned before, can create a snowfall on your desktop (though, as of this writing, Snö's site seems to be unavailable). Day 2 for Mac (today) covers X-MasTree, which we posted about a few days ago.Frivolous, cycle-wasting apps? Sure. Fun, holiday spirit nonetheless? You bet. Stay tuned to Download Squad for the rest of their 12 Days of holday downloads series for more ways to get your Mac in the holiday spirit.
NYC Virgin Megastore dominated by 360
360 Fanboy reader, Nick, sent us some pictures he took of the New York City Virgin Megastore's revamped videogame section (and a few shots of the HD DVD drive at Circuit City). Looking at the pictures, it seems like the 360 practically is the videogame section. Our tipster points out that there are six(!) demo kiosks and that the 360 has most of the prime shelf space -- note the 360 themed pillars in the above image. We'd like to see some shots of the competition for comparison, but either way, this is a mighty impressive showing for Microsoft's white box. To be fair, this doesn't mean that Virgin prefers the 360. More likely, the company knows that 360s will actually be in stock this holiday and hopes to sell as many as possible. It's a subject that's been beaten to death, but the sell out nature of the PS3 and Wii means that plenty of 360 purchases will be made by desperate gift givers.Has anyone else been to this store? Send us some pictures of the Sony and Nintendo sections, and we'll post 'em.[Thanks, Nick]
Apple love in the EW Pop Culture Gift Guide
My old buddies at Entertainment Weekly (hi Wook!) have put out a holiday shopping guide with a twist: the concept is "what would you buy for your favorite TV characters?" Unfortunately, only shows currently on the air were eligible, so my dream of sending Buffy Summers the million-candlepower flashlight she SO NEEDED must remain unfulfilled. *sigh*Anyway, the EW crew did include a bit of Apple kit in the gift mix, but perhaps not the item you'd think of first. Shopping for Dr. Christian Troy of the plastic surgery nauseodrama Nip/Tuck, they suggested the black MacBook along with a Slingbox AV as a roaming MD's ideal video combo.So where were the iPods in this gift guide? Absent: not an iPod was featured, not even a Shuffle. There is another DMP from another vendor, in a fetching shade of brown, listed as a gift for The Office's Jim Halpert... but this is the Unofficial Apple Weblog, and we don't need to mention that product again. (Today, anyway.)Update 11:28 am: As noted by several readers, the Jim Halpert (not Halpern) character on The Office already uses an iPod. So, that "other" music player, really not such a great gift for him.
Top ten gift ideas for the Wii owner ... or not?
Oh boy -- it's that time of the year again when everyone and their brother gets on the recommended gift bandwagon (tip: ours will, of course, be way better), whether they know what they're on about or not. This latest list of recommend gifts for Wii owners was shaping up nicely until we got to the number one item. Then it became more of a top ten gifts for the apparently broke and trapped under a rock Nintendo fan. Why? Any list that declares Twilight Princess as the ultimate gift for people who already own the system is immediately suspect -- because those of us who love all things Zelda already rushed out and scored a copy. Some even grabbed multiples. Just, y'know, in case. And for the five who didn't, we're sorry, and we hope that support group is working out for you. It gets better with time.It's not all bad. The SD card that comes in at number three makes a solid gift, and we're big fans of most of the recommended games. But when it comes to buying gifts for those who already own a Wii, don't go for the obvious -- go for the unusual. [Thanks, Mike!]
Surprise of the day: HDTVs top holiday shopping lists
Okay, so it's probably not exactly shocking, especially considering the skyrocketing sales of RPTVs in the most recent quarter, and the (presumed) riots over cheap LCDs and plasmas on Black Friday. But the fact still remains that even though Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are off tooting their own (console-based) horns, consumers are still eying those big screen televisions above all else. Reports suggest that TVs don't seem "very complicated, and they're not terribly expensive," which makes sense considering the plummeting prices of HDTVs over the past few months. Notably, the holiday's dust collectors are none other than "DVD players / recorders," presumably including those still pricey HD DVD and Blu-ray units. So if a svelte new set is atop your holiday wish list, rest assured, you're not alone.
Get your gift on: Holiday gamer shirts
Check out all of the different Way of the Rodent t-shirt designs while you're searching for stocking stuffers. Sure, they aren't all holiday themed, but this Katamari t-shirt where the Prince is rolling up a snowman is the bomb. Although the Q*bert Christmas tree trumps them all in terms of nostalgia, and that Pac-Man Christmas Carol shirt, "Tonight you will be visited by three ghosts ..." is priceless. Well, priceless to the tune of $22 plus shipping and handling. But don't let that turn you into a Scrooge, share some holiday gaming love this season.[Thanks, Trina]
Apple posts 3 new Get a Mac ads
What's that smell in the air? Ah, fresh Get a Mac commercials. Apple started airing three new commercials tonight, and they just posted them on Apple.com. Gift Exchange (featured above) shows the PC in his finest holiday wear as the Mac and PC exchange gifts. The Mac give the PC a photo book made with iPhoto, though he was hoping for a C++ book. The second ad, called 'Sales Pitch' has the PC trying his darnedest to get people to buy him (he eschews his traditional greeting, 'And I'm a PC' for 'And buy a PC.' So clever). Finally we have 'Meant For Work' in which the PC laments the fact that 10 year olds don't have checking account (if you watch the ad that'll make more sense).All in all a good batch of ads, and they are all pushing iLife pretty heavily. What's your favorite out of this new batch?Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
