omg
Latest
Autographer wearable camera takes the whole taking pictures thing out of taking pictures
Sure, we've all got a camera on us at all times, thanks to the prevalence of smartphones and point-and-shoots, but these devices present an issue when it comes to that modern human desire to electronically capture everything that happens everywhere ever: having to actually take the pictures. That's why the unsettlingly giddily-named OMG Life is working to unleash the Autographer, a hands-free, wearable camera that promises to take "thousands of photographs a day" via its wearable lens. Just drape it on your person and it will uses its six on-board sensors (GPS, color, accelerometer, motion detector, magnetometer and thermometer) to determine the right moment to snap one of its unwieldy volume of images. Says the company, For instance, Autographer might capture an image when the wearer speeds up as they run for the bus, moves from a warm pub to a snowy street or turns around to greet a friend. Also, you know, stuff like your wedding and the birth of your child. The camera's got a five-megapixel sensor, OLED display, 8GB of on-board storage and built-in Bluetooth for sharing those pictures. The company's currently aiming for a November release, just in time for capturing every single moment of the holiday season. In the meantime, the press info is after the break.
OMG, FYI, and LOL enter Oxford English Dictionary, foreshadow the apocalypse
In an acknowledgement of the internet's overwhelming influence on the triviality we sometimes refer to as "real life," the Oxford English Dictionary doyens have decided to add a few of the web's favorite pronouncements to their lexicon. Among them are the standouts OMG, LOL and FYI, joining their compatriots IMHO and BFF among the proud number of officially sanctioned initialisms (abbreviations contracted to the initials of their words) used in the English language. Shockingly enough, the expression OMG has had its history tracked all the way back to 1917, while LOL used to mean "little old lady" back in the '60s, and FYI first showed up in corporate lingo in 1941. Not only that, but the heart symbol -- not the <3 emoticon, the actual ♥ graphic -- has also made it in. Just so long as Beliebers and fanpires are kept out, there's still hope for the future. A tiny, twinkling ember of a hope.
Exploring Eberron: Neverwinter nightcaps
Depending on how much stock you put in the rumors or in Cryptic in general, this past week's announcement of a second Dungeons & Dragons MMO -- pardon me, an "OMG" -- either rocked you back on your heels or cooled off your heels. Something to do with heels, at any rate. In a Daily Grind this past May, I asked readers how they would make another D&D MMO. There were a lot of thoughtful responses, a few instances of keyboard gibberish, and a contingent adamant that the D&D license was locked up in DDO and couldn't be handed out elsewhere. I guess the latter argument is a moot point right now -- obviously, Turbine doesn't have a monopoly on an online D&D -- although its existence brings to mind not just a few questions. Is the world big enough for two online D&D titles? What does this announcement mean for our beloved DDO? Is Neverwinter positioning itself to be direct competition, or a different entity altogether? Has the Cryptic crew learned its lessons? In my final Exploring Eberron (Rubi returns next week, so you may start doing your happy dance... now), I'm going to answer all of these queries in such a way that your world will forever be rocked. On its heels.
Irrational Games event on August 11th in NYC, game reveal probable
We don't know much about "Project Icarus," the still-codenamed and much-anticipated new game from Irrational Games, the Boston-based dev behind BioShock. While BioShock 2 has come and gone out of spinoff 2K Marin, and we've already gotten our hands on 2K Marin's followup, XCOM, we still don't have a shred of information on what Irrational's been working on over the last three years. That's all likely to change on August 11th when Ken Levine and company are holding an event in New York City. We received the above invitation today and, while it's short on details, it promises that "details and formal email invitations" will be arriving shortly. Until then, peruse the above image for any hidden secrets it might hold. New York City, is that a clue? August 11th? That's the 223rd day of the year but what does it mean? It's Hulk Hogan's birthday ... are you seeing what we're seeing? It all makes sense now!
Nvidia CEO loves Apple, possesses mysterious alien device
Talk about burying the lead -- Shufflegazine did a piece on Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Hwang during a visit to Dubai recently, in which he talks about how much he and his family love their Macs, and Apple's machines add value, and in his house it's just "Mac, Mac, Mac," and OH MY GOD, what is that SITTING ON THE TABLE in front of him? OK, it's probably not definitely not an Apple tablet (yet), as there's no clear Apple logo on it, but man that's a nice looking tablet device, and even Engadget says they have no idea what it is. The thing is, this picture just appeared with Shufflegazine's piece, and while Hwang did go on and on about how much he loves Apple stuff (and yes, the two companies have a long history of sharing some hardware), there's not word one about that tablet or anything like it in the piece, no hint of any other hardware or partnership announcement. It could be a prototype, it could be another tablet we're just not recognizing, or yes, Hwang could have just thrown it down on the table during the interview, and Shufflegazine could have just completely missed it. [They didn't. -Ed.] Though if that last one is true, we have no idea how it happened. How do you cover Apple and their gadgets and avoid being drawn to that tablet. It's so... thin and well-designed. We'll be honest, if we were in the room, we might have licked it then and there to claim it as our own. Thanks to Nemanja for the tip.
Mega64 and special guest use CQC on Metal Gear Solid 4
No matter how many times the Mega64 guys dress as beloved video game characters and go into public, we never fail to be entertained. But their take on Metal Gear Solid 4, which debuted at the GDCAs last week, takes a turn towards the surreal and becomes something far more epic than simple spoof.We want to tell you more, but, frankly, we've said too much already. You should probably just watch the whole thing for yourself right after the break.
Trailer: Uncharted 2 revealed
Heya Nathan. Long time no see! Looks like Uncharted 2 is REAL. Check out the frosty new setting in the teaser trailer, after the break. Then, tune into the Spike TV Video Game Awards on December 14th at 9PM to catch the full debut trailer.But wait, there's more! Game Informer's January issue will also feature Uncharted 2 -- and they're calling it: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. According to GI, the sequel will involve the 13th century explorer Marco Polo and his voyages. New mechanics in the sequel include a free climbing mechanic and stealth gameplay. Check out the cover, also after the break.
Cave Story coming to WiiWare this year
Okay, we thought we had seen the best possible announcements out of Nintendo. Sin & Punishment 2. Punch-Out!! We were so spectacularly wrong. Buried unassumingly in Nintendo's press release about the conference is confirmation of a WiiWare release of Cave Story.If you're not familiar with Cave Story, we're very sorry. Also, it's a freeware PC game created by one designer named Pixel; we happen to think that the tile-based action/platformer is the best example of the "Metroidvania" genre ever created -- better than Super Metroid, better than Symphony of the Night. And now it's going to be on WiiWare by the end of the year with "new, exclusive content and features created only for the WiiWare version."We desperately hope it's Pixel himself doing all the creating, but in any case, this is the best news ever and we're going to go roll around on the floor.
Thus goeth down the Apple Store
Shall I compare thee to a yellow sticky note? Thou art more foreboding and less indicative of closure. Rough winds do shake retail commerce before May And downtime hath all too short a date. Sometimes too excited the yellow sticky shines And often is his gold complexion dimm'd And sometimes when credit-cards decline By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd; Thy momentary downtime does not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair new product; Nor shall Apple introduce what wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou waitest; So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, Fair 3M's scrap of parchment shall cheer thee. Thanks, verily, to all ye who have sent tidings of this news.
Apple Store team busy installing extra noise, additional funk
As has been widely emailed by our crack readers, the Apple Store is down as of midnight. We'd chalk this up to actual maintenance, but since it is officially Tuesday on the US East Coast, we'll give it the new-product benefit of the doubt. Some items, including Airport Express units and the Mac Mini, have been reported in limited availability mode for a while, so it's possible that we'll see some revisions come daylight. We also have been told that the iPod touch January Update is mysteriously unavailable for purchase at the moment (thanks Will!) so perhaps that's in play as well. Of course, it could just be, you know, maintenance.The question must be considered: are the Apple Store outages really technically necessary to update the store content, or are they a form of grass-roots marketing that primes the buying audience for something new? After all, Amazon, Dell and Newegg add products constantly and never seem to stall into these extended cones of silence. Is the Tuesday lacuna just a passive-aggressive way to get our attention, like a child throwing a sulk? Recently, former Apple staffer Chuq von Rospach suggested via a Twitter response to Shawn King that the architecture of the Apple Store really, truly does require extended downtime to make changes to the product lineup. If that's the case, then this is an astonishingly powerful argument for the existence of the RDF -- only a marketing force capable of warping the fabric of space could turn an engineering flaw into self-generating hype with every minor tweak of the product line.Update 7 am ET: Looks like it was only maintenance after all.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
The Apple Store is... up? Isn't it Tuesday?
Walk back with me through the nostalgia of the past two months: January 8. New Mac Pros and Xserve January 15. Macworld Expo, MacBook Air, Apple TV 2, etc. January 22. Pink nanos January 29. New iWork updates February 5. Storage boost for iPhone and touch February 12. Aperture 2 February 19. New shuffle pricing and new 2 GB model 2008 has been updaterriffic for Apple, every Tuesday like clockwork. So what about today? The store is up, and nothing new has dropped. Maybe this Thursday's special event counts for the week -- or maybe we've been deluding ourselves about the longevity of Apple's run of Super Tuesdays. Tell us what you think in the comments.
OMG! 26 scary minigames!
Well, the extremely plausible rumor turned out to be true after all. UFO Interactive is releasing a minigame collection called O.M.G. 26 - Our Mini Games. They've got the web page, boxarts and screens to prove it.Bizarrely, it's a somewhat horror-themed minigame collection, which doesn't strictly follow from the title. It takes place in a haunted mansion, and features "over 25 mini-games that will have you fend off flying dishes, search for keys, escape from ginormous boulders and more." And, apparently, piles of hamburgers.If we had to guess, we would say that this is a localized version of some Japanese minigame collection that we have been unable to identify. Anyone have an idea?
In the wee small hours of the Hey! The Apple Store is down
With Nik covering the early-morning East Coast shift from his perch on the way, way East coast, I rarely get to do this anymore... but since I already stayed up way past my bedtime, I'll share with you all that the Apple Store is down. It's almost certainly routine maintenance. Really. Almost 100% certain. Could be new laptops. No. Too close to Leopard. But maybe something.OK, sure, not much to get excited about... but it's 1 am here in NYC, and I should have been in bed two hours ago, so why not let you all know?Update 8 am ET: As noted below, the store has gotten a new look overnight.Thanks David & Chase, you sleep-thieving rats.
OMG: could this rumor be true?
The answer is yes. We have no reason to doubt the prescient Gamefly, and we have absolutely no reason to doubt the existence of more minigame collections. According to the rental service, a new game called O.M.G. -- Our Mini Games 26 is being published by UFO Interactive, for an October 25 release. No idea what any of the games will be like, but if they're as cute as the title, we might be on board. Finally, the DS has its answer to WTF on the PSP, LOL on the Dreamcast, and AFKBRB... oh, that last one wasn't a game title. We were making a sandwich-- sorry about that.[Via Siliconera]
Japanese software sales, August 21 - August 27: OMG edition
Commentary will follow after you regain control of your jaw. Software - This Week | Total Sales 1.) Final Fantasy III (NDS, Square Enix) - 503,051 | NEW 2.) New Super Mario Bros. (NDS, Nintendo) - 65,556 | 2,901,264 3.) Rune Factory (NDS, Marvelous Interactive) - 42,210 | NEW 4.) Brain Training 2 (NDS, Nintendo) - 41,784 | 3,073,195 5.) Cooking Navi (NDS, Nintendo) - 37,326 | 384,045 6.) Tamagotchi 2 (NDS, Bandai Namco) - 30,504 | 430,934 7.) Mario Basketball 3-on-3 (NDS, Square Enix) - 30,355 | 233,762 8.) Animal Crossing Wild World (NDS, Nintendo) - 30,023 | 3,149,130 9.) Brain Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 22,866 | 2,736,150 10.) English Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 17,465 | 1,401,669 That's right. Every single game in the top ten is on the Nintendo DS. I mean, we knew this thing rocked faces in Japan, but this is ridiculous. Leading the pack is the sold-more-units-than-pancakes-at-IHOP Final Fantasy III, selling over half a million in a few days. Rune Factory, another newcomer, is doing well at spot number 3, and the rest are familiar faces. We truly believe that if the political party of Nintendo were to run for office in Japan, they would win in a landslide victory. [Thanks, DownloadingData!]
Wingnuts 2, an original Mac game, takes off
Freeverse has announced that Wingnuts 2, a top-down aerial arcade shooter game, is now available for online purchase and download. The title benefits from being an original and exclusive Mac game, developed and playable exclusively on the Mac. Freeverse co-founder Colin Lynch Smith mentions the advantages of developing games solely for the Mac over on Inside Mac Games:"This is the biggest game to be written specifically for the Mac in years. Targeting just the Mac means no performance compromises (and lower system requirements)-- and we can design in cool OS X specific technologies like CoreImage and iSight integration."It's about time that game developers woke up to the benefits of creating games specifically for the Mac platform. Hopefully this will be the first title of many in a resurgence of big name Mac-exclusive titles.You can grab a demo of the game at this link and a video of the game (complete with an example of the fancy CoreImage effects) is available here. A DVD boxset of the game will ship in early July, but if you can't wait that long the game is available as a whopping 550MB download for $29.95 over on the Wingnuts 2 site.[Via Joystiq]
Wingnuts 2 released
Freeverse has released Wingnuts 2, a $29.95 OMG (original Mac game) that has been billed by the game's creator as the "ultimate arcade game." Based on the time we've spent with a pre-release version of the game, we're tempted to agree. Wingnuts 2 is a bucket of fun to play, and it happens to look great too.According to Freeverse's minimum system requirements, you'll need at least an 800MHz G4, 32MB of VRAM, 512MB of system RAM and just under 1GB of Hard Drive space to run and store the game. You can download the demo here and watch a movie of the game in action here. Expect a full review of the game from us in the next few days.
Wall o' 30-inchers
We rarely take the time to highlight someone's rig -- and when we do, it's usually not their rig, per se, but their heads. Well, step aside, oh masterful 24 display Virginia Tech workstation, you're old news with your 31,457,280 pixel array of twenty four 1280 x 1024 displays. No, the new crown goes to a man known only to us as Crazy Jon (trust us, that's no misnomer). Dude cobbled six NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX 512MB video cards and three 1,000-watt power supplies to take on a wall o' what appears to be Dell 30-inch 3007WFPs. Twelve, to be exact. By our math that's 49,152,000 pixels -- and about $26,400 just for the displays alone. Oh, and did we mention that Crazy Jon already had five Apple 30-inchers on his desk? We love you, Jon. Seriously though, can we come over sometime?[Via Make]
