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Reminder: Come meet WoW Insider at the midnight launch
Today's the day! After years of speculation and months of waiting, Blizzard is finally officially releasing Wrath of the Lich King. More than a few people have grabbed their copies already, but the vast majority of us are heading out to midnight launches all over the country (and indeed, the world) to pick up the game's second expansion.Blizzard has their own launches planned (there's a rumor going around that the NYC event is canceled, but we've confirmed that's not true -- everything is still on as planned), and so do we here at WoW Insider -- in all the places that we're going out to take pictures and grab our own copies, we're inviting you to come along with us and say hi. We've reprinted all the meetups after the break -- I'll be in Chicago, we'll have people at the Blizzard events in Anaheim and Austin, and in North Carolina, California, Maryland, Minnesota and Florida, and our own Jennie Lees is hosting an event in Scotland. Take a look after the break, and if you happen to be in the area, definitely come out and meet us.No matter where you are, good luck getting the game, and have a terrific time. We'll be around tonight with coverage of the event as it happens, interviews with devs on the scene, and of course in-depth coverage of our (and your) first steps into Northrend. Today is the day!
MGM HD replacing MOJO HD on Time Warner Cable in Raleigh, NC
No word yet on whether this is a national / regional change, but Time Warner Cable has informed Raleigh, NC-based subscribers that it won't just let users lose an HD channel when MOJO HD vanishes on November 20th. Instead, it's slotting in MGM HD on the HD Tier (channel 291), which we feel is a pretty fair trade. And for those wondering, yes, this one is in addition to the 20 high-def newcomers announced for the area late last month.
Meet WoW Insider at the Wrath midnight launch
Blizzard's holding official launches across the world, various retailers in all sorts of places are planning out midnight launches, and we here at WoW Insider are no different -- we'll be covering the release all across the world, and we're inviting you readers to come out and join us wherever we are.We've got a full list of meetup locations after the break -- I'll be in Chicago, co-lead Dan O'Halloran will be at the Fry's in Anaheim covering the Blizzard event there (Chase Christian will be in Santa Barbara, also in CA), and Elizabeth Harper will be in Austin, where Blizzard devs will be meeting and greeting as well. We've also got reader meetups planned in North Carolina and Minnesota (where BBB will be passing out buttons), and our own Jennie Lees will be picking up Wrath in Edinburgh, Scotland. And if you're in Orlando, BRK and Mania from Petopia are holding their own event down there.Stay tuned to this post for more updates (if we've missed anyone on the team, they'll add their information here), and feel free to organize your own meetups and events in the comments. The second expansion launches next week -- let's party!
TWC gets official with HD expansion in the Carolinas
Hot on the heels of TWC's Greensboro expansion announcement comes some official word from the carrier itself on how it'll be handling new HD rollouts in the Carolinas at large. For starters, many Raleigh-area customers received an e-mail proclaiming that 20 new high-def stations would be coming soon, though it mistakenly claims ESPN2 HD as a newcomer. At any rate, the director of digital communication at Time Warner Cable chimed in to clear things up, noting that the company is "rolling out up to 20 HD channels over the next several months, depending on the division." From the looks of things, Raleigh and Charlotte will be getting just about everything TWC has, while Greensboro, NC and Columbia, SC will receive smaller allotments. Curiously enough, the Wilmington area wasn't mentioned at all, but here's hoping they'll be on the same wave as Raleigh. For the full report from Jeff Simmermon, jump on past the break. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
TWC adding 11 HD channels in Greensboro, NC, Triangle seen fuming
You can't be serious. No, really -- this cannot be happening. Merely days after Time Warner Cable did its best to appease rightfully frustrated Raleigh-based subscribers with four new HD channels, in flies word that our pals up I-40 are getting set to receive 11. It's been no secret that TWC favored the Triad in the high-def department, but this is just blatant. Beginning on Wednesday, Greensboro, NC-area customers will see SPEED HD and Bio HD hit the lineup, with Fox Sports Network South HD, Cinemax East HD, Cinemax West HD, Starz HD, The Movie Channel HD, Weather Channel HD, FX HD, Hallmark HD and Pay Per View HD joining that duo "in the coming months." Suffice it to say, Triangle dwellers everywhere are hoping and praying for that U-verse investment to amount to something sooner rather than later. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]Update: A new source asserts that TWC will begin the rollout of 20 new HD channels in its "Carolina Region" starting on October 29th. Unfortunately, there's no mention of what areas will get what channels, we'll remain cautiously pessimistic that the entire state won't see all 20 until we hear otherwise.
Time Warner Cable finally recognizes Raleigh, adding 4 HD channels
We're struggling to believe this is real, but it appears that Time Warner Cable has finally woken up and realized that it serves a great number of increasingly frustrated people in the greater Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina area. While locales like San Antonio have upwards of 70 HD channels on TWC, the poor citizens of the Triangle have been suffering with just a handful for years. Sure, TWC gifted the area with Big Ten Network a few weeks back, but seriously, who's watching that in the heart of ACC territory? Nevertheless, the carrier is gearing up to add Discovery HD (260), SPEED HD (273), ESPNU HD (288) and Bio HD (296) on October 29th, all of which will be listed in the "Free HD" lineup. We still feel the people of Raleigh deserve a few more, but so long as this is just the beginning of lots more, we'll be content. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Bill]
ATMC Cable adds PBS HD to ever expanding HD lineup
A month is a long time to go without ATMC Cable adding a new HD channel, but just as it promised earlier this year, PBS HD has finally hit the lineup. With the addition, the North Carolina-based cable company has grown its high-def lineup to 37 channels, and those with an HD receiver or HD DVR can tune in now for no extra charge on slot 908.
DISH Network unloads HD locals in a handful of new markets
Of late, it's been DirecTV doing all the dishing of HD locals, but at long last, we've got its biggest, most bitter rival stepping to the plate and doing some damage, too. As it's fall HD locals rollout continues, DISH Network has gone live with 'em in a bevy of new places. We're talking Florence / Myrtle Beach, SC, Fort Myers / Naples, FL, Greenville / New Bern / Washington, NC, Madison, WI and Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA. As it stands, the satcaster now offers locals in high-def in 70 markets reaching 71% of the US, but really, all that matters is if you're in that 71%, right?
Charter brings Food Network HD and HGTV HD in Western Carolinas
Charter just gifted Asheville, NC with five new HD channels in July, but considering how bleak the HD lineup was there, these two couldn't have arrived soon enough. As of this week, Food Network HD and HGTV HD have been added on slots 756 and 757 (respectively) in the Asheville, NC and Greenville-Spartanburg, SC systems. Trust us, the carrier is still struggling over there, so we'll totally understand if you customers in the area start bickering for more in a week or so.[Thanks, PopWeaverHDTV]
Sony Ericsson laying off 450 employees in Research Triangle Park, NC
"Planned" and "executed" are two very different things, and while we knew Sony Ericsson was mulling the idea of hacking 2,000 jobs, the hammer has finally fallen in Research Triangle Park, NC. The company will soon be axing 450 employees at its North American headquarters as part of a large reorganization, with most everyone knowing by the week's end whether they'll stay or go. According to Aldo Ligouri, Sony Ericsson's head of global communications and public relations, the RTP cuts are "part of company-wide changes that Sony Ericsson announced in July," and in whatever context, he added that "this is our map of how we see things moving forward." Just to put things in perspective, the outfit only has about 750 workers in the North Carolina-based facility, which is primarily seen as an R&D hub. Tough news to hear, no matter how you spin it.[Image courtesy of Flickr]
Big Ten Network coming to TWC in the Carolinas, Raleigh / Durham included
It's with a heart full of enthusiasm and a mind full of frustration that we share with you Time Warner Cable's latest addition to its Carolinas lineup. After landing a deal with Big Ten Network late last month, the carrier has announced that it will soon be launching BTN in Raleigh / Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Statesville / Iredell, Wilmington and South Carolina. The station will be available in both SD and HD flavors on different slots based on location (details are in the read link), and we're told to expect it on the air this Thursday. Sure, we'll take any high-def station we can get here in the Tar Heel Wolfpack state, but we still feel the operator owes us a few more given the absurd prices it feels fine with charging. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Justin]
AT&T U-Verse cabinets pop up in Winston-Salem, NC
It's the case of the mysteriously appearing U-verse cabinets all over again, and this time it's taking the Triad by storm. The images you see above are of an AT&T utility cabinet at the corner of Peace Haven Road and Mountain View Road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Our tipster (and photographer) dug a little deeper and asked a local AT&T store manager to "explain" the in-store U-verse display, only to find that the manager was expecting AT&T to launch U-verse services in the area by "early next year." We knew AT&T was spending some serious dough in the Carolinas, and truthfully, we'll be stoked to see said investment finally lead to something tangible. Now, how soon before the company strings U-verse on down to the Triangle?[Thanks, Prime]
Western North Carolina's WLOS takes local news to high-def
The Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson DMA just netted itself another local station with HD news: WLOS (ABC). Starting this week, the station -- which serves the western parts of both North and South Carolina -- will be broadcasting from its new set and studio, which features a "rotating desk with two different back drops, more than two dozen HD monitors, new HD studio cameras, HD graphics, and the advanced HD 'Sky Watch' Weather Center." The station is just about a year late on being numero uno in the market, as rival WSPA-TV (the local CBS affiliate) took its local news HD in September of last year. Nothing wrong with choices, though.[Thanks, PopWeaverHDTV]
TWC adding ESPNU HD / Planet Green HD in Greensboro, NC
One word Time Warner Cable: pathetic. Look, we're as stoked as we can be for our pals up in the Triad area of North Carolina -- after all, ESPNU HD and Planet Green HD are coming just months after a trio of others arrived -- but the lack of attention in the Triangle is sickening. While the Raleigh area limps along with an absolutely anemic HD lineup, Greensboro is being promised two more on Friday. The stations will be available on slots 570 and 559, respectively, and at least the former should provide plenty of entertainment as the football season really gets going. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Wilmington, NC kills analog dead as broadcasters go all-digital
Wilmington, NC had the pleasure of being the nation's first DTV transition test market, and now it has officially become the first market in the nation to flip the kill switch on analog. As of noon ET today, the Wilmington area entered the digital frontier, and initial reports suggest that things are going fairly swimmingly. Granted, "a few" viewers were still "struggling" to see the signal (read: not at all prepared for the change), but at least the world didn't completely implode or anything. Not like we can really avoid that scenario come Wednesday, but hey, an extra 24 or so hours to live it up ain't half bad.
Not so much to do with us
While the story of Kimberly Jernigan really has nothing much to do with the virtual environment of Second Life, you're probably going to read and hear a lot over the next week or two from people who would desperately like you to think that it does. Jernigan from North Carolina and an unidentified older man from Claymont, Delaware met online, but their relationship didn't last out in the physical world. Jernigan reportedly became increasingly unstable when things didn't work out and then allegedly stalked and attempted to kidnap her ex-boyfriend at his home. Jernigan posed as a postal worker in order to obtain information about his home address. Charges include attempted kidnapping, burglary and aggravated menacing. Just what is the lesson here? People from North Carolina can't be trusted? Watch out for people who seem to be postal workers? That you should always remember that everyone behind an online avatar or toon is an ordinary person? Actually, probably the lesson is that many ostensibly 'respectable' media agencies would walk through fire to demonize your online pastimes, interests and hobbies unnecessarily. Pay attention to whom. Probably, at the end of the day Jernigan's ability to get the man's address by posting as a postal worker is the really scary part here. If you've ever had a stalker, that alone will give you the chills. Privacy and anonymity are only the thinnest of shells, and can be pierced by those who are determined. Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.
Time Warner Cable implementing SDV in Charlotte, NC
Time Warner Cable is keeping the SDV deployments a-rollin', and it sounds as if the next market to get hit is Charlotte, North Carolina. A local chimed in to let us know that he just recently received a letter in the mail from the carrier which informed him that the switch to SDV was coming on September 23rd. As predicted, the letter told him that he's pretty much out of luck being the CableCARD user that he is, and while TWC is supposedly working with TiVo on a tuning adapter, the best it could offer was a "hope" that it would be ready by "the end of the year." Gee, thanks. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Shawn]
Craigslist ad hints at U-verse in Raleigh / Durham, NC
Just over a year ago, we heard that AT&T would be sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into the Carolinas in an attempt to "upgrade its fiber network, further broadband deployment, and deliver internet-based technologies to customers in North Carolina and South Carolina." Now, we're beginning to see signs of life. According to this nondescript job posting on Craigslist, AT&T is scouting residential field agents specifically for U-verse in the Raleigh / Durham, NC region. Sure, this could very well be a hoax of some strange kind, but we can't possibly be more hopeful that it's not. Hey TWC -- is this enough to get you to add a few HD channels to your absolutely abysmal selection in the Triangle?[Thanks, Jonathan]
Charter ruffling feathers in Reno, NV / McDowell, NC
Why does it seem that Charter, out of all the cable carriers in the world, finds itself intertwined with so much mischief? The latest forehead-pounding episode is actually a two-fer, with gripes arising from Reno, Nevada and a rural section of North Carolina. In the Silver State, Charter is apparently looking to pull four public access channels to retrieve bandwidth for the launch of 12 new digital channels. The company's George Jostlin proclaims that the "majority of consumers are calling it on a daily basis and asking for more HD / digital programming," but the City of Reno has announced its intentions to sue the provider if an agreement can't be reached on the matter by next Wednesday. Across the country in McDowell County, NC, Charter is catching flack for wanting to strip Marion of its information channel (and combine it with the county's government channel) in order to add three HD stations. We like the intentions here, but seriously, you folks should work on the execution. [Thanks PopWeaverHDTV, image courtesy of TSLPL]Read - Issues in RenoRead - Stirring the pot in rural NC
Wilmington, NC plans one minute analog TV shutoff next week
In an effort to reduce the ZOMG surely to be experienced by whatever percentage of Wilmington, NC residents are unprepared for their early entry into a digital television-only world September 8, the city will perform a one minute Las Vegas-style "soft test" August 19 at 7:30 p.m., prompting customers with analog to upgrade their equipment to receive digital broadcasts. Readers have already reported seeing ads mentioning the upcoming early analog-shutoff, and it looks like the regions main broadcasters (WWAY, WECT, WILM and WSFX) appear to be doing all they can to get the word out, so everybody tell a friend, okay?
