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The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's latest Live Letter
As of this writing, the Letter from the Producer LIVE took place yesterday, and that means we have a whole bunch of Final Fantasy XIV news to discuss! It's a happy time for people like me, because it's at least a couple weeks of very chewable information to discuss. And at just the right time, too, we were in the middle of a serious drought there. Not that all of the information is good, mind you. Every time I think about Atma my hands instinctively ball into fists. Still, there's stuff to chat about, there's good stuff in with the bad, and perhaps most importantly there's enough to fuel some speculation and some off-the-cuff reaction before we dive into the meat of E3 and we learn even more about the future of the game. So let's get right into it, starting with the bit of news that I already foreshadowed in the intro.
The Daily Grind: Does instant travel trivialize MMO worlds?
Among hardcore MMO fans, there's a theory that instant-travel is a bad thing. If you can just click a map or teleport somewhere instantly, they say, you lose your sense of place in the world along with your appreciation for the setting. Everything feels close together when you didn't have to meander there by foot, and sooner or later, you won't bother exploring at all. But the opposite's been true for me in practice. I've done far more exploring in (and have a much deeper nostalgia for the landmasses of) titles like Ultima Online and Guild Wars, which boast Recall spells and map travel, respectively, than I have in less-travel-friendly titles, and I'm guessing it's because the ability to get to strange and out-of-the-way places quickly means you'll actually go there by choice -- because you can. If it takes me two hours to walk to that cool oasis hidden away in a secret corner of your map, I'm probably not going to bother going at all. What do you think -- does instant travel trivialize the MMO world experience? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Facebook's Open Compute takes on data storage, designs a better home for your photos
Facebook wasn't kidding when it said it wanted to build better backends for the digital world -- after sharing the plans for its customized data center, it's looking to do the same with storage hardware. "We're taking the same approach we took with servers," Frank Frankovsky, Facebook's director of Hardware Design, told Wired. "Eliminate anything that's not directly adding value." Frankovsky says they are working on a completely tool-less design, eliminating the need for mounting screws and plastic handles on hot-plug driver carriers. The goal is to get the outfit's new storage digs to run as efficiently as its previous efforts, streamlining hardware to be more serviceable, cost less and use less energy. The new storage designs are set to debut at the Open Compute Summit in early May, and hopes that sharing the designs will help redefine how storage hardware is made. Check out the source link below for Wired's in-depth look at the project.[Photo credit: Jon Snyder/Wired.com]
Engadget interviews Dwyane Wade: the technology behind the Fly Wade (video)
It's not all that difficult to peer at some gadgets without fully understanding the wizardry and magic that assists in driving them from concept to reality. Did shoes ever cross your noggin as being technologically eye-opening? Sure, a few pairs of kicks have caught our attention over the years, but could a pair of sneakers be more than just that? To answer that question, we sat down with NBA star Dwyane Wade and Jordan Brand designer Mark smith to figure out what goes in to a modern pair of kicks. Read on to introduce your brain to the latest in shoe technology. %Gallery-120428%
Facebook's Open Compute Project shares plans for energy-efficient data center
We know, you've seen an awful lot of Zuckerberg and crew here lately, and the Facebook news just keeps rolling in. This time the social networking giant is doing some sharing of a different sort by offering public access to the specifications and best practices behind its new, more efficient data center in Prineville, Oregon. According to the company, the center, built in collaboration with AMD, Dell, HP, and Intel, has boosted energy efficiency by 38 percent while lowering cost by 24 percent. The information now available through the Open Compute Project includes technical specs and mechanical CAD files for everything from servers to building design. Basically, if you want to erect your own multi-million dollar Facebook-style data center, you've got the go ahead. Full PR after the break.
So why did Facebook just trademark 'Face'?
Some hilarious overexcitement around the web today in response to the Trademark Office approving Facebook's application to register "Face" as a brand for online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards -- obviously, this is Zuckerberg's grand plan to prevent any and all use of the word "Face" by mere mortals ever again, right? Right? Yes, you should all know better by now -- a quick look at the application history reveals what's really going on. The "Face" mark was originally applied for on December 1, 2005 by a UK company called CIS Internet Limited, which does business as Faceparty.com. (We're not making this up.) The original application covered everything from festival planning to dating services to text message systems, and around October of 2008 CIS filed to split the various categories up into separate applications -- one of which was for online chat rooms. That application was then immediately taken over by Facebook on November 7, and on November 17 Facebook officially swapped in its attorney. Two years later, here we are. That looks to us like Facebook's trademark team saw another social networking company go after the "Face" mark and decided to cut a deal to avoid any conflict in the future -- Facebook hasn't yet filed the Statement of Use required to actually register the mark, so it's not like they're doing much more than holding onto it right now. Plus, it'd be a pretty hard fight for Facebook to claim that any use of the word "Face" alone causes consumer confusion, so we don't see them starting a major legal offensive here. In fact, if you really wanted to get worked up about Facebook trademark shenanigans, you'd ignore "Face" entirely -- it's much easier to point out that the company's actually registered "Wall," and has multiple overlapping applications for "Poke" and "Like," all of which seem like much more generic (and abusable) social-networking terms. But what fun would that be?
One Shots: Do a little dance
Sometimes, a little time and distance from an MMO can completely change our opinion of a game. This appears to be especially true of our readers when it comes to Age of Conan. While many may not have cared for the game at launch, the polish and care that the Funcom team have put into the game since then is often remarked on by our readers. That's why we're not surprised to see a screenshot from the tutorial like this one from Mark. As his note is a bit long, we'll simply say if you'd like to join the fun, email your images to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a note about it. Now, here's what Mark had to say: "I had just loaded up Rise of the Godslayer and could not resist levelling a new Khitai character. While getting back into the flow of the game after nearly one year away, I started playing with the emotes to see what the new race had to offer fluff-wise. She seems to be having a good time dancing with her undead minions. Personally I think Jintana could give Lady Gaga a run for her money!" "I had forgotten how beautiful and rich the world was in Age of Conan. I am so glad I came back to the game after suffering from general MMO burnout. Even with loading screens now and then, it is for me the most immersive MMO I have ever played. Sometimes I can practically smell the sea air and the fires burning." %Gallery-85937%
Apple rejecting apps with "Pad" in the title
Apple is extremely protective of its trademarks, and has begun rejecting App Store submissions with "Pad" in the main title. 9to5 Mac notes that Jesse Waites, the developer behind ContactPad, has recently had an update for his app rejected because of its name (note that ContactPad is currently available; it's the update that was rejected). Apple has established a policy meant to eliminate confusion over which products were actually produced by Apple. Among the criteria is "...You may use Apple, iPad or any other word mark provided that...the Apple word mark is not part of the product name." True, "Pad" isn't "iPad," but it's close enough in Apple's opinion. This isn't the first time we've seen Apple request such a change. Website iLounge was previously named iPodLounge, and several years ago the makers of the iPed iPod stand were asked to reconsider their device's name (in no uncertain terms). More recently, the Little App Factory were told to change the name of iPodRip; a fix that Steve Jobs suggested was "Not that big of a deal."
New Canon EOS 5D Mark II firmware to add manual exposure control for video recording
Hey, it's no autofocus, but Canon's sent word that a free firmware update is coming for the EOS 5D Mark II that'll enable manual exposure control while shooting video, including ISO and aperture settings and shutter speed. Excited? Yeah, us too. No word on what else the update might entail, but it looks like we won't have to wait long either, as the company's saying to expect the download sometime in early June. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
All the World's a Stage: Background story
All the World's a Stage is a source for roleplaying ideas, commentary, and discussions. It is published every Sunday evening.Your character is like an arrow. He was launched from the birthplace of your imagination with the aim of creating spontaneous stories with other creative people. Your character's personality is the particular direction he travels in, and his background story is the bow which set him on his way.The bow-string tension that gives a good backstory its momentum is its lack of resolution. The desire to find resolution propels your character forward into the game, but it doesn't predict with certainty where your he or she will end up. Realizing this can free you of a great burden: your story doesn't have to make the New York Times Bestseller List. In fact, the whole idea here is to purposely leave your backstory unfinished, ready to be resolved through roleplaying. Too much emphasis on a dramatic background leaves you with not enough room for an interesting foreground, and little else to contribute other than the saga of your epic past. Obviously, people aren't logging into WoW to read your miniature novel. They generally won't want to hear your backstory unless they specifically ask you about it (which they might!), but even then they'll care less for its narrative value and more for its ultimate impact on your character as a person. It's best to think of it less as a story in itself (e.g. "How I got to be this way"), and more as a prologue to the story you want to roleplay (e.g. "How do I get out of this mess?"). Its purpose is to set up challenges for your character to overcome with other people, and it should establish a direct line to your character's desires and aspirations.
Perler bead crafting evolves
This question mark block has extended its form into the fabled third dimension! This mysterious realm of depth is unexplored by either 8-bit explorers or Perler bead artists. This bold scientific discovery promises to usher a new age for Super Mario Bros. crafts!Shown above, an artifact from the third dimension, looking very much like one of our own question mark blocks, but somehow composed of many two-dimensional blocks working in tandem to form a strange array of squares. These squares exist simultaneously in the normal two dimensions and in the newly-discovered third! This is a hypersquare.[Via Wonderland]
Cuban teams with Dell to offer bundled HDNet Blu-ray content
Now that Dell's riding high on the Blu-ray bandwagon, what more could you ask for when picking up that now-BD-equipped M1710? How about a free flick from Mark Cuban? While we can hear the groaning in the back, ole Mark has decided to plug his very own HDNet by partnering with Dell and tossing in a free Blu-ray title -- "HDNet World Report Special: Shuttle Discovery's Historic Mission" -- with each XPS M1710 notebook. Although further details on the deal weren't readily available, it was implied that future Blu-ray equipped machines would also grace buyers with free BD titles of Cuban's choosing, and while you might not agree with Mark's antics, you can't really complain with free.
Mr. Mark Cuban wants to own the largest plasma in America -- FIRST
Oh, how that Mark Cuban loves his high-def. First, he goes out an starts a premier high-def network, HDNet way back in 2001 and then has tons of HDTVs installed at his basketball team's stadium, and now, he wants one of those fancy, new 103-inch Panasonic plasma TVs. But the only thing is, he wants it before anyone else. Apparently, he has been calling the big boys at Panasonic trying to get his hands on one before they go on sale in October and before the thousands of pre-orders already in place for the $70,000 plasma. Chances are that he will get one, but the first one is set to go on sale via a charity action so Mark, why don't you pony up and buy your first one through the auction. That way, you can probably write-off the expense, plus, it you make you look chartable, but all of us around here know the truth about your love with HD. It's cool, we would do the same thing in your position.
Mark/Space releases Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 2.5
Mark/Space, purveyors of the Missing Sync line of software which allows all kinds of non-iSync compatible devices shake hands with your Mac, has released Missing Sync for Windows Mobile version 2.5. This update includes support for a wide array of Windows Mobile 5 devices. This update also includes improvements to syncing with Address Book, iCal and Microsoft Entourage 2004.I helped test out the alpha a couple of months ago, back when I temporarily lost my senses and *gulp* actually owned a Windows Mobile 5 device (the Cingular 8125, if you're interested). While I ditched the device because I couldn't stand the Windows Mobile OS (or: 'regained my senses'), I must say: the syncing worked well, and I would realistically recommend this app for anyone who wants or needs to make a Windows Mobile device work with their Mac.Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 2.5 is a free upgrade for owners of version 2.0, and a $20 upgrade for owners of version 1.x. A fresh licenses costs $40.
