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Read the LittleBigPlanet manual ... because you won't later
Considering you know you aren't actually going to look at it after buying the game, why not read the LittleBigPlanet manual now? Might actually learn something.The 25-page manual covers all the things that it should, hopefully answering any outlying questions people might have left in the massive amounts of information released about the ambitious title. LittleBigPlanet will be available in Europe on Oct. 29 and we're still waiting for the official North American release date, but we've been told it's "October" as well.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
A public service announcement regarding Mag Kid and cinder blocks
This just in: if any of you were curious enough to import Nintendo's Slide Adventure: Mag Kid, complete with its unusual "slide sensor" peripheral, then do not play it while resting your DS on top of your cinder block. We are deadly serious here: as far as we can ascertain, playing the game on your other individual masonry units is safe. This advice is brought to you by the Slide Adventure: Mag Kid instruction manual, which also recommends you don't play the game atop a grand piano, and avoid pointing the slide sensor's laser directly at your eyeballs. Head to Aeropause for more hilarious scans of the manual (which totally reminded us of the ker-razy Japanese Wii safety pamphlet).
Sprint's Treo 800w manual goes online, all 436 spellbinding pages of it
Very rarely does a Palm handset go fully under the radar all the way through to the official announcement (if ever?), and now that we have a user's manual, we can pretty much declare the impending Treo 800w fully, completely, and utterly scooped. This is definitely the real deal, too, coming straight off Sprint's site -- not to say anyone would go to the trouble of faking their own -- and unveils no real surprises that we can see. The usual Windows Mobile 6.1 interface with Palm customizations, conservative styling (we're being generous there), and typical array of Sprint add-ons like Sprint TV are going to make this a safe, easy choice for the well-starched suit in your life, and that's about it. Not to say we have a problem with well-starched suits; Engadget corporate policy requires that we wear them at all times, actually. [Warning: PDF link][Thanks, Josh]
Sidekick Gekko manual pages leak out
Alleged pages from the Sidekick Gekko's user manual offer little in the way of new details, but confirm some suspected and rumored features and offer the best idea yet (shy of a real photo) of what the front of the phone looks like. Most importantly, it looks like we can now say with certainty that the Gekko will offer replaceable shells, a key detail of the Sidekick iD not seen in a Hiptop model since. The device is also lined up to offer video capture, microSD expansion (we should certainly hope so!) and a 2 megapixel camera -- so if this thing is really the spiritual successor to the iD that we've heard it'd be, it's a definite step in the right direction.
Layton manual reveals answer to the sequel question
Even though Professor Layton and the Curious Village is only sort of out (as in it is just now officially coming out, but some people already shuffled on down to Wal-Mart and picked it up), a fairly official statement has already been made confirming the sequel. That's one major riddle solved!The back page of the manual gives information about a password entry screen that is unlocked by ... playing the sequel! Which means that there's probably going to be a sequel. This isn't too much of a surprise since Professor Layton and the Devil's Box is selling really well in Japan, but it's certainly nice to have some confirmation of a localized version.
Mini-review of Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Leopard Edition
If you're trying to figure out what to buy yourself with the gift card you got this holiday season, let me recommend David Pogue's Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Leopard Edition. I was fortunate to get a copy of it for Christmas this year (thanks, sweetie!) and it's 866 pages of sweet, Leopard-y goodness. The book is divided into six sections that cover just about every conceivable thing you could ever want to know about the OS. It takes a look at how to maneuver around the desktop, how to use the native apps to their fullest potential, what to do with once your online with your Mac, and everything in between.If you already know your way around OS X, this manual is a terrific reference tool for looking up obscure things you don't do very often, like tweaking onscreen colors to mimic a Windows PC monitor. At the other end of the spectrum, if you're a switcher there are roughly seven trazillion tips and tricks to help you learn how to get the most out of your new operating system. Pogue's writing style is upbeat, easy to understand, and sometimes downright hilarious. The book is well laid-out and progresses fairly intuitively, although the editor seems to have gone a little crazy with the headings, sub-headings, and sub-sub-headings on many of the pages. Also, while I'm sure Pogue touches on all 300 of Leopard's new features, it's not always immediately clear which features he's describing are different from the previous version, Tiger.Despite these minor shortcomings, I love this book and think it's a great addition to any Mac users bookshelf. This manual is one you don't want to miss.
Precautionary measures for your new Wii
We know there must be a few new Wii owners out there taking a break from their video game playing to research their Christmas console. While there are a number of routines you can practice to ensure your system's longevity, please remember to keep these three things in mind: If you expose it to the light, you may hurt it If you get it wet, it will multiply Most important, no matter how much it begs, never, never let it eat after midnight If none of this makes any sense to you, or if you just want to relive your 80s youth, peek past the break for a video explanation.See also: Because you can never be too safe
Open man pages from Xcode
Toxic Software's posted a useful little script if you spend any amount of time in Xcode-- because manopen is having trouble with Leopard, John punched up a shell/Applescript to open man pages directly from within Xcode's command line. It's tiny (and doesn't really do much-- just opens an Xcode Help menu item), but it seems useful-- straight from the command line, you can break out the man page within a GUI, and just keep right on coding.Because the script uses UI scripting, you've got to enable an option in Universal Access preferences, but then just toss the script in your PATH and you're good to go. I can't imagine it's hugely relevant for everyone out there (I haven't put anything together from the command line in Xcode in a while), but anyone building stuff there will probably appreciate it.And if viewing pretty man pages from the command line is your thing, Atomicbird Software came up with a script that breaks out man pages in PDF form. If you love working from the command line but love reading man pages in something a little easier to browse, today's your lucky day.
Wii Warm Up: Manual? We don't need no stinkin' manual!
We admit it. Sometimes we just jump right in to a game without busting out the manual first. We figure, hey, we're professionals here. We've been doing this gaming thing for years. We've progressed far beyond reading the manual before getting into the game.Of course, we're also often wrong, and we retreat, tails between our legs, and start flipping through the little booklet, grumbling all the while. The thing of it is, we remember way back in the way back, in the days when we were smaller than we are now, reading the manual was one of the best parts of getting a new game! The useless character profiles that we pored over, the descriptions of monsters, the control schemes ... it was all part of preparation. Maybe we've just grown impatient in our old age. What approach do you take? Do you read the manual before you start a new game? If not, did you ever, or have you always been a risk-taker?
Tiny little papercraft iPhone
DS Fanboy's Alisha Karabinus sent us this one, and I have to agree with her. While I'm not normally a man to call things cute (except in that derogatory sense: "Oh, you only beat Halo 2 on Normal difficulty? That's cute."), this papercraft iPhone is so tiny that it is, in point of fact, "cute."I'm not sure why Junyang chose to make it so small (other than the obvious fact that smaller things are cute), but it's pretty impressive that he got a papercraft item that size to look so much like an iPhone. He even made a scale charger and cradle for it, and the box it came in. He even replicated the instruction manual for it! He's a madman!But it does look cool. If a more to-size iPhone is your pleasure, there are a few different print-and-cut models floating around. And I'm pretty sure you're just one Photoshop scale away from shrinking it down to a size like this. Of course, in just a few years, they'll be this size anyway ("the iPhone Pico"), but until then we've got papercrafters to show us the cuteness.
Apple posts iPhone for Web Developers guide
Well, would you look at this. Yet another way to entertain yourself with that newly purchased iPhone, if you understand web development jargon, that is. Apple has now posted a guide that gives web developers the tools to design and create their very own web-based applications. The tutorial runs through a basic understanding of the user-iPhone interactions, integration with Phone, Mail, and Maps, page optimization techniques, AV guidelines, and of course, the low-down on what Safari for iPhone supports. Now, get to work -- there's hordes of non-techies just waiting to indulge in the fruits of your labor.[Via TUAW]
iPhone lookin' roughed up in FCC filing
We're willing to bet that quite a few fanboys were drooling over the sexy photos being snapped of the iPhone soon after its launch, but the FCC edition sure wasn't finely groomed before posing for the camera. Of course, discovering the iPhone's FCC documentation now isn't exactly enthralling, but hey, at least you can peruse the documents that got it green lit for US operation if you've nothing better to do. Best of all, the testers did their duty and dissected the thing for the world to see, so be sure and click on through if you're stomach is built for it.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
MacBook DIY hard drive replacement from Apple
If you've got a MacBook with a cramped hard drive, and you're kind of handy, check out this official DIY manual from Apple. As someone who has changed the drives on beastly Nubus Macs and 1st generation iMacs, I can tell you that the process described here is a breeze. So pick up a drive and save yourself some labor fees. This one is a piece of cake.
Apple posts Apple TV manuals
Who is ready for more Apple TV news? I am, I am! Apple has posted both the User Guide and the Safety Information for the Apple TV. in PDF form. This is a great way to check out the Apple TV without having to plunk down your cold hard cash. To the right you see everything that your $300 gets you: The Apple TV An AC power cord (which might look different than the one pictured) An Apple Remote Lots of people are making a big deal that there are no AV cables with it, so just make sure to pick up the appropriate cables for your TV before, or at the same time, you are getting an Apple TV.Paging though the user guide makes it crystal clear that Apple is positioning Apple TV as an iTunes Store add-on. Very clever, if you ask me.
Typo: vibration function cited in PS3's NBA 2K7 booklet
Keen eyes have spotted this careless passage published in the PlayStation 3 version of the NBA 2K7 instruction booklet: "Once you start feeling your heart rate pumping (via controller vibration), you'll be ready to begin! Shooting free throws in 24/7: NEXT is just like shooting free throws in a normal quick game" (page 15). The rumble citation is an amusing relic of pre-Sixaxis days when the manual's authors must have assumed (or were told) the final PS3 controller would feature a standard vibration function. Guess 2K Games didn't bother to hire a knowledgeable copy editor.Please, let's not assume this means PS3 games have 'hidden' vibration features. A typo's a typo. And PS3 launch titles won't be a'rumblin.[Thanks, Xenokai]
Today's hottest gaming video: Wii Warnings!!!
Today's hottest game video is from the GameVideos.com "Funny" category, and is presented newsreel style with Wii warnings from the manual and extremely colorful language. This bears repeating so here we go again -- language-wise, this video ain't even close to being safe for work. Where else are you going to hear the Wii called an asshat? Probably not many places except right here at Joystiq.Check out the NSFW video after the jump, and be sure to be careful around your Wii.
Wii safety docs spoofed
With the recent Japanese Wii manual scans being passed around the web like a super-resistant virus -- we kept saying not to use antibiotics for every meme, but noooo -- it was only a matter of time before a spoof. The Iconfactory took the challenge, creating some delicious mock-ups of Wii safety icons that should have made the manual.Our favorites include, don't get the Wii drunk before proposing to it, and butter your bread after toasting it in the Wii, not before.See also: Nintendo email encourages safe Wii-ing[Thanks, Dan. Via Penny Arcade]
Because you can never be too safe
You've heard the stories. Seen it on the news. Nintendo Wii consoles, on a rampage. Decimating joints, impaling innocent television screens, and taking candy from babies. We here at Nintendo Wii Fanboy place your safety at the very tippy-top of our list (but right below Twilight Princess), and thus, we'd like you to peruse this new and improved safety catalog for the Wii.Some things on this list were obvious, like not skydiving with the Wii and attempting to use it as a parachute. But did you know that the Wii cannot toast bread? Fooled the hell out of us. We beg of you: for your own safety, take a glance at these helpful pictures.The more you know.[via GameBrink; thanks to all those that sent this in!]
The info you need from the Wii manual
When we were going over the manual looking for tips on transferring save data, we found several other key items that looked to be of great importance to those dying to get their hands on the Wii and the moderately interested. In super-smooth, bullet point form, we've broken them down for your convenience and stashed them past the break. It's kind of a long list ...
Wii console manual reveals its secrets
Since all four of us can't play Zelda at the same time, we passed the Wii-less hours by poring over the 69 page "systems and settings" manual that came with the Wii (not to be confused with the 105-page, trilingual "system setup" manual that's also included). Here are some of the odd and/or interesting things we noticed: "Up to 100 Miis can stay in your Mii Plaza." (pg. 11) "The Photo Channel can display a maximum of approximately 1,000 photos. If your SD card has more than 1,000 photos, remove the card from the Wii console and remove or reorganize your photos in your camera, cell phone or computer." (pg. 15) "You can not save or overwrite photos or videos on the SD card." (pg. 20) "Any of the options in Fun! mode [doodles, etc. -Ed.] can be applied to individual frames of a video." (pg. 21) The photo channel supports JPGs of up to 8192x8192 resolution and QuickTime files of up to 848x480. (pg. 22) MP3 audio is listed under supported formats. After quite a bit of searching, we figured out how this feature works, but we didn't like what we found (more later.) "NOTE: Your use of the Wii Shop Channel is subject to your acceptance of the Wii Users Agreement, the Wii Privacy Policy and the Wii Code of Conduct. Copies of the most updated versions of these agreements may be found at support.nintendo.com. [not yet - Ed.]" (pg. 24) "NOTE: Some Virtual Console games can only be played with a Classic Controller. (sold separately) [this seems to contradict previous confirmation that Gamecube controllers would work on all Virtual Console games -Ed.]" (pg. 25) "Software downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel is licensed to you, not sold" (pg. 25) "NOTE: The calendar displays dates from January 2000 to December 2035." (pg. 31) "NOTE: You will not be able to send photos from your Wii console to the PC/cell phone user." (pg. 36) "NOTE: The Wii console uses a 24 hour clock. For example, 1:00 pm is displayed as 13:00 pm" (pg. 42) The parental control features "does NOT control access to Nintendo GameCube games" (pg. 46) "If you use the messaging features of the Wii console, you need to understand that Nintendo may monitor your use and share certain information (i) as required by law, (ii) where necessary to protect the company, its customers or its employees, (iii) as necessary to provide the services. [Big Brother is watching -Ed.]" (pg. 47) "NOTE: The initial recommended distance for using the Wii Remote Pointer is 3 to 8 feet from the sensor bar ... Also note that the influence of direct sunlight and various light sources can make the Pointer operation less optimal. [Oh really... -Ed.]" (pg. 50) By formatting the Wii Shop Channel from the Wii's system menu, you clear all "records of your transactions and rights to download software." (pg. 61) "NOTE: You should format your Wii Shop Channel data first, then your Wii System Memory, prior to selling or otherwise transferring your Wii console to any third party." (pg. 61) "NOTE: Adjusting the speaker and Rumble settings will affect all Wii remotes currently connected to the Wii console. [I hope everyone likes the same settings. -Ed.]" (pg. 63)
