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HP shows off MetaWatch concept (video)
Give yourself a cookie if you can still remember as far back as August 29th of last year. That was the day when HP's Phil McKinney teased the world with images of three new prototypes being developed in his company's labs -- there was a tablet, now known as the HP TouchPad, a smartphone that's since taken on the name of Pre 3, and something snaked around his wrist that looked suspiciously like a watch. Today, we learn more about this MetaWatch, as HP calls. It's a continuation of the company's overarching theme of mobile interconnectedness, however unlike its webOS devices, this connected watch is nowhere near ready for prime time (or maybe it's just like them since none are actually shipping yet!). The new Meta fella is still a research project as much as anything else, but it's seen as a key part of our future, acting as an easy-to-use information aggregator. It looks just like any old watch to us, but why not jump past the break and let HP's CTO enlighten you on what makes it special? [Thanks, Obstacle-Man] Update: Turns out this concept device is actually called MetaWatch, not Metal Watch. We've updated the post accordingly, but hey, Metal Watch doesn't sound too bad, either.
Patch 4.0.6 PTR: New DPS meta-gems and requirement fixes
Good news for people who've been sick to death of Cataclysm's terrible meta-gem requirements (read: everyone): Blizzard has made its promised changes to Chaotic and Relentless gem types in patch 4.0.6, making both require three red gems. But that's not all! There are also three brand new meta-gems coming with the new patch, giving DPS classes a boost to their main stat and 3% increased crit damage. Good changes all around. The full text of the announcement is below. Check out the full 4.0.6 PTR patch notes (so far) here. Jewelcrafting Meta gems with the Chaotic and Relentless prefixes now have a requirement of 3 red gems. New meta gems have been added: Agile Shadowspirit Diamond (Agility/3% critical damage), Reverberating Shadowspirit Diamond (Strength/3% critical damage), and Burning Shadowspirit Diamond (Intellect/3% critical damage). These new recipes are unbound and can drop from any Cataclysm creature. The new meta gems have a requirement of 3 red gems equipped. source World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
DCUO's Jens Anderson unveils the Meta origin story
So you want to be Superman? That is an extremely lofty goal for you. There is no way you can... Wait, what's that? According to the Creative Director of DC Universe Online, Jens Andersen, it is possible for you to follow in Superman's footsteps. If you choose the Meta-Human storyline in DCUO, you will follow either the Man of Steel or -- if you are the villainous type -- Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The team at Sony Online Entertainment just released a video on its facebook page outlining just what it takes to don Supe's heroic cowl. However, if you are in a more nefarious mood, Massively has a special treat for you. Wednesday, Contributing Editor Krystalle Voecks joined me for a run-through of the first instance in the Meta-Human villain line. In SOE's official video, Andersen mentions assisting Parasite. Well, we can show you exactly what that looks like with this video. Take a peek after the cut for both the Meta origin story and the Livestream video. Or you can pop over to DCUO's official facebook page for more information.
Three years of Massively: A few of our favorite things
Three years ago today, Massively cartwheeled into the MMO blogosphere, providing fresh fields on which its writers could ruminate (and a credible reason for its editors to go prematurely grey). If you don't remember those earliest days, it's probably because you were too busy "actually gaming" to "read about gaming." But if you're here reading this now, then you understand the unavoidable, irresistible lure of the gaming meta and why we writers do what we do (protip: it's really, really not for the money). To commemorate the occasion of our having existed three whole years without being thanklessly defenestrated, dethroned, or otherwise decommissioned, we asked the Massively staff members to reminisce about their past articles and offer up their favorite posts from the site for your amusement. Join us after the break for a retrospective of our very best work -- funny, sad, ranty, weird. Then hit the comments and let us know which of our posts really made a splash for you this year. Happy birthday, Massively! Let's eat internet cake!
18-button WarMouse Meta mouse shipping June 28th
You've seen our review of the WarMouse Meta mouse (once more infamously known as the Open Office mouse), and it looks like you'll soon be able to get your hands on all eighteen of those buttons yourself -- the company has just announced that the mouse will finally start shipping on June 28th. As expected, it will set you back $79.99, and give you an analog joystick and a 5600-CPI laser sensor to go along with all those buttons and endless configuration options. It doesn't exactly look like it'll be widely available just yet, though -- especially considering that the WarMouse website still requires that you fill out a .doc file and send it in to place your order.
This day in Engadget: waiting in line comes to an end as the iPhone 3GS launches
Welcome to 'This day in Engadget', where we crack open the archives and take a whimsical look back at the memories and moments of our storied past. Please join us on this trip down random access memory lane. Try to recall if you will, June 19th of 2009, a rainy, ugly day, when the iPhone 3GS launched. People had pre-ordered, sure, but a few hundred people lined up at the cube in New York City anyway, and our very own Paul Miller braved the elements to document the proceedings for us lovingly. And here we are, in 2010, on the cusp of the launch of the iPhone 4, which has pre-sold about 600,000 units by last count. We've heard random reports of a few people already waiting in line (see the photo below of two early birds snapped by a reader in Santa Monica), but we're going to stay inside for now and take a look back at June 19th in the history of Engadget below. Also on this date: June 19th 2009: The Zune HD was confirmed to have a Tegra processor, Microsoft extended Windows XP's downgrade availability to 2011, and Nokia's N86 MP and N97 launched to great fanfare in the United Kingdom. June 19th 2008: The Mars Phoenix lander discovered ice on Mars, Chevrolet's Volt plug-in hybrid got priced at $40,000, and Dell launched its UltraSharp 2709W 27-inch LCD. June 19th 2007: A man was confirmed to have gotten two Zune tattoos, Sony's Ken Kutaragi, father of the PlayStation, stepped down, and Apple was rumored to have a cheaper (and possibly smaller) iPhone in the pipeline. June 19th 2006: Taiwanese company Foxconn denied operating sweatshops, Steve Jobs was rumored to be fighting for $9.99 iTunes movie downloads, Verizon sued Vonage for patent infringement, and we caught sight of a Batman Begins casemod. June 19th 2005: Monks were reported to have started using hyperspectral imaging to retrieve ancient texts, and Engadget took a little aggression out on the mainstream media. June 19th 2004: We checked out the SciFi Museum in Seattle, Washington, caught sight of a 70 megapixel, panoramic camera, and were introduced to a product called the Pixie. [Thanks to Craig for the photo of the store in Santa Monica]
The new Massively.com Code of Conduct
Well hey there readers! Today I come to you with a brief but important announcement -- we have a new code of conduct! What does that mean for you? Well, in short, we want to take care of our comment section a little more closely than we have in the past. You're going to see us more frequently in the comments, discussing the news with you guys, and you're also going to see us moderating the comment section from time to time. What does this not mean for you? Well, we're certainly not going to squelch your opinions. We're doing this to make our comments section a great place to discuss games, news, and MMOs at large, no matter your opinion. We just want to put a few ground rules into place, and let you all know what is and what is not acceptable to write down in our comments section. For most of you, you're already abiding by the new code of conduct, so don't go worrying yourself. However, we certainly invite you all to go check out the new home of the Code of Conduct and familiarize yourself with the five basic rules of commenting. Plus, if you have any comments, questions, or concerns about any of this, you can always contact me personally at seraphina AT massively DOT com. So no worries! Comment away, dear readers! We can't wait to see what opinions you have to share with us!
The purest form of the MMO and the destruction of society
There is the design for a game out there that would truly be the end of all other games. It would be perfectly balanced, with content enough for lovers of PvP and PvE to enjoy the game equally. There would be no questions of developer ploys to trick us out of more money, of unequal loot distribution, or of whether it rewarded time or skill more evenly. There would be no option but to play it... which is why we should be happy that it currently only exists as the centerpiece of an SMBC Theater short. Whether you're a veteran since Ultima Online or still new to MMOs as a whole, you're likely to recognize the behavior on display in this short -- and even if you can guess the joke, the execution is still spot-on. So if you could use a chuckle or two (possibly at your own expense), take a gander past the cut. After all, we can take heart that such an insidious game doesn't actually exist... or does it? (Editor's Note: I'm level 250. Someone send help. ~Sera)
WarMouse Meta review
A mouse with eighteen buttons! Does the WarMouse Meta – or what used to be known as the OpenOffice Mouse – need any further introduction? We didn't think so, and ever since we laid eyes on this thing we've been dying to know how you'd even go about using the programmable point-and-clicker. There's no doubt that the $79.99 Meta with its 512K of memory is the most advanced mouse we've ever seen – each of its 18 buttons along with their double-click functions can be configured for different applications, and its analog joystick can be customized to perform eight different commands. Indeed, it's as overwhelming as it sounds, but have we always needed an extra sixteen buttons on our mouse? The answer may shock you. Or it may not. You'll never know unless you hit the break for our full review. %Gallery-92100%
This day in Engadget: RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis talks about his first 'touch product'
Welcome to 'This day in Engadget', where we crack open the archives and take a whimsical look back at the memories and moments of our storied past. Please join us on this trip down random access memory lane. Earlier today, RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis laid down a doozy when he implied that full touchscreen phones aren't that popular -- but last year at this time (on April 16th!) he was scrambling to explain why the BlackBerry Storm failed to live up to high expectations. Speaking to Laptop, Mike explained that the Storm was RIM's first "touch product," explaining that "nobody gets it perfect out the door." RIM's head honchos are well known for their candor, so it's no surprise that he's now talking trash on tablets. Still, you have to admire any company that proclaims buggy software the new reality, right? Also on this date: April 16th, 2009: Apple hit back at Microsoft's Laptop Hunter ads, Nokia's profits were reported to have dropped 90 percent in the first quart of the year, a hellraising carrier pigeon was reported to have been caught red handed smuggling cellphone parts into a prison, and a new atomic clock claimed to be the most accurate in the world. April 16th, 2008: Microsoft hatched a Bruce Springsteen-laden promo vid for Vista, Republican lawmakers accused Google of gaming the 700Mhz auction, and a computer synthesizer gave voice to Neanderthal man. April 16th, 2007: A few screenshots of Leopard Beta 9a410 shocked the internet, Microsoft admitted it was possible the Xbox 360 was scratchin' discs, Vonage admitted it was pretty much screwed, and the RED ONE got a hands-on. April 16th, 2006: Noelle the Robot gave birth (sort of), a Darmouth professor was reported to have invented instant de-icing film, and the Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player got disassembled, possibly predicting its death. April 16th, 2005: Future-minded peeps started thinking past Tiger, the AirScooter II was shown off, and a disgusting Hello Kitty (seriously, this thing couldn't have been officially licensed) BE@RBRICK set was unleashed. April 16th, 2004 : Phil Torrone showed us how to read RSS feeds on an iPod, the man behind Nokia's N-Gage got interviewed, and mobile social networking seemed like something that could take off.
HTC posts EVO 4G video, has great taste in news sources
There's really nothing in HTC's recently-posted video about the magnificent EVO 4G that we didn't already know from our time with it at CTIA, but we couldn't help but notice something very, very important: they're following yours truly using the phone's News widget. We might recommend that they refresh considering they're looking at news that's nearly a year old, but we think the old mantra applies here -- old Engadget news is better than no Engadget news at all. Follow the break for the video. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Live from the Joystiq Podcast at PAX East ... right now!
click to BBMT-size You may not be here with us in person, dearest Joystiq reader, but you're with us in our hearts. We're just as sad as you that you couldn't make it all the way to Boston's first ever PAX East, but we've got a whole bunch of pictures of the Joystiq Podcast trio (and the hundreds of people who showed up to the Manticore Theater this evening) for you right now ... live! No, seriously, we're sitting here in the front row. No, we can't stop working. But lookie! Pictures! %Gallery-89159%
Joystiq vs. GDC 2010
GDC generally isn't packed with the "oohs" and "ahs" that are typically exuded during E3 or the Tokyo Game Show. The name says it all, really, what with it being the Game Developers Conference. That doesn't mean their aren't hot scoops to be found though. This year we got our first taste of the PlayStation Move, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and, of course, the hamster ball-inspired future of video games. Now, with GDC over and done, it's time for us to say goodbye. You'll see a few more GDC stories popping up over the next few days but, for now, watch the video above and see how the Joystiq team spent the week in San Francisco.
Breakfast Topic: Did you accomplish your Love is in the Air goals?
It's official. I'm a Fool for Love. Now all I need is the Lunar Festival, Children's Week and Midsummer Fire Festival metas in order to get What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been. What about you? Are you still going for the Violet Proto-Drake? Did you get a Big Love Rocket Mount? What were your goals for Love is in the Air and did you get them accomplished? Also, did you like the changes to the quests and achievements this year? My favorite change was the Goblin Detective quest chain. Goblin running FTW! What was your favorite part of the new event?
Palm says long taps are 'meta-taps,' impresses Solaris admins worldwide
What do you call a long press in the gesture area on a webOS phone? Well, it doesn't matter, because unless you said "meta-tap" you're wrong. That's what Palm has decreed such a touch will be called and so it shall be called -- at least officially. A long press in that area plus a key, like X, C or V to cut, copy, or paste, has been given this moniker by Palm in something of a nod to the concept of a UNIX meta key, a keyboard modifier that works like the Apple Command key or Windows Alt and Ctrl keys. Why bother with the clarification? Well, for one thing, "meta-tap X" is a heck of a lot easier to type than "hold your finger in the notification area and then press X on the keyboard," and that's the sort of efficiency we can get behind.
Joystiq set to overtake G4 in Folding@home leaderboards tonight
Were you aware that Folding@home (now called Life With PlayStation) isn't just an altruistic distributed computing network, but also a brutal team sport? It's true -- reader Chilly_Willy recently pointed our attention to Joystiq's ranking on the F@h leaderboard and reported the delightful news that Team 'Stiq is set to overtake fellow games media outlet G4TV within the next 24 hours. We received the news with dignity, knowing that rankings don't matter -- all we care about is contributing to the scientific community's fight against disease. We're kidding, of course -- we're purely in this thing for the thrill of victory. In fact, it would be great if you guys could go turn on your PS3s and lend a hand in destroying G4. We want Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb to feel absolutely crushed with defeat at some point during the day, but not know why. We want to run into Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira at PAX East, and have them be too afraid to make eye contact with us. Please, please, dear readers -- won't you help make our dream a reality?
n'Gadgets store has us pondering a name change, new line of business
Engadget's iconic and recognizable logo has a long history of being used in unauthorized ways. We should probably be appalled or something, but we'll leave that to the lawyers -- because we can't help but find it amusing. This time around, it's Batteries n'Gadgets -- a store at a mall in Toronto -- that saw fit to take liberties with our logo. Nice work, Canada! [Thanks, David]
Big Download picks best PC games of 2009, previews 2010
If you're not already directing your eyeballs to our PC sister site Big Download for all your PC gaming news, well ... why not? Hmmm? That sounds like a personal problem, if you ask us. Anyway, they've recently posted their rundown of 2009's best PC games (as well as writing up a whole mess on what you can expect from 2010), and we figured we'd give you a heads up. Looking for a list of vaporware titles from this year? They've got you covered. How about the top PC games of the past decade? Done. Top 10 consoles games that should be on PC? You betcha! Lessons on how to speak in Na'vi? Okay, not so much. They've gotta draw the line somewhere, right?
Reminder: Today's Engadget Show to feature Joystiq's Chris Grant!
Are you in New York City today wondering what to do at 5PM? We suggest you head to the below address in NYC's beautiful East Village where The Engadget Show is being taped, featuring not just HTC's Drew Bamford, but also Joystiq's very own head honcho Chris Grant! They'll be talking games and giving out an Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 bundle to one lucky attendee. Seating is limited to 450 and tickets are available ... right now at the Tishman Auditorium. We're serious! Head over this minute! Tishman Auditorium at Parsons The New School for Design 66 W. 12th Street New York, NY 10011
Happy 3rd birthday Engadget HD!
Yes we can't believe it either, but as of today Engadget HD is officially done with the terrible twos. The EHD crew's made us proud ever since their first post 36 months ago by bringing all of you the best HD news coverage they can, and in that time they've written over 11,672 posts and recorded 125 podcasts, which is pretty crazy. We're looking forward to many more years of HD goodness, but of course none of this would be possible without all of you Engdaget HD readers, so go ahead and give yourselves a pat on the back -- and then get back to reading.
