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Soul Electronics Party in a Box wireless speaker system: Ludacris' new way to keep your festivities bumping
Can we get a "hey-oh" from all the party people in the CES-house? Soul Electronics (rapper Ludacris' line of audio products) has today unveiled its first non-headphone device, dubbed Party in a Box. The name may seem a bit silly, but this speaker system is packing some serious specs. The PIAB is large enough to dock an iPad, and features both AirPlay and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. On top of ensuring nearly any modern mobile device should be able to stream audio to it sans wires, the mini-rig also comes with 5.8GHz two-way transceiver that'll allow you to play your tunes over multiple PIABs, or even other speakers. Speaking of speakers, internally you'll find a duo of 6.5-inch woofers, to 3-inch mid-purposed drivers, and finally, a quartet of 1-inch tweeters. For wired connectivity, the rig packs an HDMI output, an auxiliary connection for wired hookup, and a best of all, a balanced mic input (XLR?) so you can MC from just about anywhere there's power. Considering that Party in a Box features a carry handle, shoulder strap and will plug plug into wall and car sockets or run off of its own rechargeable batteries, we'd imagine it's a very feasible proposition. For a bit of extra spice, the system also has a a pair of VU meters that'll bump to your jams, and even customizable mood-lighting. Aside from PIAB, Soul is also introducing a few new color-schemes for its SL49, SL99 in-ear headphones, as well as its SL300 over-ear model. There's no specific word on pricing or availability just yet, but if we hear anything from the show floor, you can be sure we'll keep you post. Full press release just past the break.
Google employee creates the ultimate LAN party house, lives la vita local
You don't see many software engineers over on Cribs, but if you did, then Google employee Kenton Varda would probably be first in line. Some people buy fancy cars and hot tubs, Kenton created the ultimate LAN party room. Getting your crew round for a marathon Counter-Strike session might be a barrel, but tangled cables and weeding out connection problems are not, or at least Kenton clearly doesn't think so. No more cable spaghetti for him though, thanks to a permanent installation that includes machines, monitors, many feet of HDMI and USB leads, rack mounts and networking equipment for up to 12 gaming chums. Spread over two rooms, with six stations in each -- ideal for team games -- bespoke cabinets were made to keep it easy on the eye. Anyone wanting to take on a similar project can expect to put a $40,000 dent in their wallet, or a little more, depending on the size of your LAN.
The Road to Mordor: Party planning committee, assemble!
Considering that Fellowship of the Ring begins with a huge party -- thrown in honor of Bilbo Baggins' eleventy-first birthday -- I think it's appropriate that Lord of the Rings Online is conducive to parties. I'm not just talking about dev-designed festivals, although those are great; I'm referring to parties that the community whips up from time to time. Part of the appeal of LotRO to me is that it isn't just all about killing and leveling; it's also about exploring and living in this virtual Middle-earth. Life for the Free Peoples means celebrating even in the midst of oppressive evil, and it's in keeping with the spirit of the enterprise to throw a shindig now and then. Turbine's given us quite a few tools and resources to use when assembling a party, and I thought that today we'd take an unusual detour from the Road to Mordor and go through the steps of throwing a memorable and enjoyable soirée. Ready to cut loose? Footloose? Good! Let's tear up the dance floor!
The Daily Grind: Do you like to level in parties?
Back in the old days of MMOs -- and feel free to insert your own jokes about dinosaurs roaming the earth -- leveling was something that was done in groups. Soloing was for farming or running from place to place, but for the most part, you leveled with several other people, meaning that you knew from a very early level what you needed to do when in a group. It also meant, unfortunately, that it was really difficult to just play on your own schedule instead of the times when everyone else was on and available. To some players who grew up on games like EverQuest, the idea that almost every game can be soloed to max level is a bit jarring. But there are lots of reasons to level in parties anyway, ranging from working with others when you play a group-centric build to just wanting other people around when you level. So do you like to try and level up in groups? Or do you group up for special events and level on your own for the most part? 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!
HTC announces its next party, Beats Audio and 'surprise headliner' in attendance
HTC's Facebook page is inviting fans to a gathering on October 6th at the rock 'n roll Roundhouse in London, ostensibly to celebrate the Beats Audio technology we've been listening to with the Sensation XE. Call us over-excited, but the manufacturer's last party bore plenty of exotic fruit so we reckon those Dre-approved headphones in the flyer might be connected to yet another new handset -- unless the mystery guest happens to be the aging hip-hop star himself. In any case, we'll be there and we won't hit a single canapé or rap pose until we've brought you the news.
Party with the Gods & Heroes devs in Austin
Heatwave Interactive aims to seize the day -- Friday, October 14th, that is -- by offering players of Gods & Heroes a unique opportunity to visit the studio in person. Following the final day of GDC Austin, Heatwave's community team will offer 10 attendees the chance to spend an afternoon and evening touring the offices for "sneak previews" and a Q&A with various panels and team members, including CEO Anthony Castoro, the design team, the art team, the support team, and the community team. Guests will then participate with the devs in hosting a live Ustream chat, after which they'll enjoy the fruits of their labors (or more accurately, the meats) with a BBQ worthy of the gods. Interested parties can RSVP by email on the official site. Have fun!
The Soapbox: Groupthink
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I can pinpoint exactly the moment that the luster of World of Warcraft's big old-game-changing expansion wore off for me. And it didn't take very long, just long enough for me to pick up a quest named It's Raid Night Every Night for my Dwarf. It was an unremarkable quest in every way, with the only really clever-ish bit being the title that slyly winks at players about one of the game's criticisms. Except that it's not exactly an unfair criticism. If you were at the level cap and wanted to keep playing the game with anything approaching forward motion, it was raid night every night. The joke left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course, this isn't an article about WoW except in passing and by association. It's about the temptation and tendency to have group content as the panacea, as the overwhelming focus of any new content. It's about why we get so much content that focuses on large group efforts, and why that isn't necessarily such a good thing -- for the players or even the developers.
Champions Online celebrates two years
It's hard to believe that Champions Online is about to celebrate its second anniversary, but it's true: Cryptic Studios just sent out the invitations to the game's anniversary party! On Thursday, September 1st, our favorite super-heroine Sapphire takes center stage at the Renaissance Center at 1 p.m. EDT to start the festivities. She'll perform her musical set once every hour until Monday, September 5th at 2:59 a.m. EDT. Between sets, the audio automaton DJ Madbot thumps his funky beats all night long. Look for party hosts all about the center for party favors, unlocks, and missions. The party doesn't end at the Ren Center, however: Each of the zone bosses drop anniversary gives as well. What are these party gifts you ask? Developers at Cyptic tell us that favors consist of the standard gift boxes, party bombs, and boosters, but new this year is the Noise Visualizer Device. This device sparks visual effects like "Pow!" and "Bam!" Plus, Cryptic continues giving gifts with DJ Madbot costume and Glitter Heroic Wear unlocks. The event is open to the whole Free-For-All community, so why not stop by? At least you can find out why it looks like that robot has a box for head and maybe get one for yourself.
Engadget NYC Reader Meetup recap
What can we say? It was an amazing night. We filled the joint to capacity, made about a million new friends, smashed (and fixed!) an iPad 2 live on stage, and literally had so much stuff to give away that we ran out of time. The staff is still buzzing (and our ears still ringing) after a fantastic night in the City, and we're hugely thankful for everyone who came out last night to party with us. And, of course, we're hugely thankful to our sponsors that helped to make it possible, including Motorola, Get-a-Game, RIM, HTC, Samsung, and AT&T -- who brought artist Matt Siren to create a little art live. We have a time-lapse video of that coming together after the break, along with footage of what happens when a set of in-line skates meet up with the display on an iPad 2 provided by uBreakiFix. Spoiler alert: it ain't pretty. %Gallery-131803%
Live from the Engadget reader meetup in NYC
Are you in New York City? We sure are, and we want you to join us! Right now! We'll be at Guastavino's, located just under the Queensboro Bridge at 59th Street in Manhattan, until 10:30pm. Plenty of Engadget editors are on hand, along with our friends from Joystiq and TUAW, so be sure to swing on by if you're in the neighborhood. We're walking around with the latest gadgets, and may even have some for you to take home. Can't make it to the party? We have our cameras and laptops in tow, and we'll be adding photos and text throughout the night. Jump past the break to join in on the fun!
Real ID grouping feature out of beta, remains free
The Real ID party grouping feature, which allows players across realms to group up and run dungeons through the Dungeon Finder with same-faction Real ID friends, is officially out of beta and remains a free service. When the service was first announced, a premium price was going to be attached to the service, but since launching, Real ID grouping is not part of the premium package -- it's free for everyone. Blizzard reserved the right to add features to the premium suite of WoW services, but this one is here to stay for free. I was skeptical about the costs associated with the service in the beginning, but after trying out the service with fellow WoW Insider editors, I was hooked. Paying for the service, however, was not something I would have done. Players have a certain expectation about what they get with their monthly subscriptions, and in a world where free-to-play MMOs and games charge small amounts all over the place for items and boosts, a subscription game in the vein of World of Warcraft has a harder time justifying the extra costs because of the nature of the monthly subscription beast. It is nice to see that Blizzard is adding this feature for all players, no cost attached. Hit the jump for the full announcement and FAQ.
The Daily Grind: What was your favorite experience as a tank?
Maybe you have a sword and shield, maybe you have a really high Dodge rating, maybe you have durable force fields. Whatever your qualifications for the role, you take up the mantle of the tank to keep the rest of your party safe against your enemies, whether they're gang members in DC Universe Online, vicious beasts in Final Fantasy XIV, or enemy starships in Star Trek Online. Whatever your game of choice, if you've played MMOs for a long enough stretch, you've had opportunity to tank. Of course, part of tanking is that you wind up with stories, in no small part just because it's such a vital job. You can't fake the experience -- you have to get in close and take the blows for the party members who can't survive them. So what was your favorite experience as the party's meat shield? Was it a specific run, a specific group, or was there an entire game that made tanking feel like the most enjoyable thing in the world? 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!
Nokia and Microsoft hosting special event August 17th (update: no new hardware)
Between the "accidental" unveiling of the Sea Ray, the announcement of Fujitsu's Mango device, and the less-than-stellar Q2 Nokia had, it doesn't take a lot of crazy speculation to surmise that Stephen Elop's quite the eager beaver in ensuring it'll get the most out of its newfound marriage with Microsoft as soon as possible. Thus, hearing word of a special event being thrown at the beginning of Gamescom, an annual gaming conference in Germany, is definitely a good sign; according to press invites sent out today, the party -- to be held on August 17th -- promises "exciting actions and surprises," and we're pretty sure they don't mean a free t-shirt. So join with us in determining what these surprises are, but please... don't try that hard. Update: Well, don't ever say we told you to temper your excitement. We just heard from Nokia itself that this is nothing more than a "local developer event," and to not expect any new devices that we haven't heard of before. But hey, at least the fall edition of CTIA isn't too far out...
The Daily Grind: What was your favorite experience as a damage dealer?
Out of the three roles of the holy trinity, damage dealers (or DPS, depending on personal preference) are usually seen as the most superfluous. After all, you just have to pound something into the ground, right? But that's neglecting all of the work that damage dealers actually do, and it's neglecting the fact that you notice when your resident monster-pounder isn't up to snuff. Just because there are an awful lot of damage-dealing players in certain games (World of Warcraft springs to mind) doesn't mean there aren't some noteworthy members of the role. From EverQuest to RIFT, pretty much every game has some way of allowing players to just rack up huge numbers and lay waste to the opposition. So what has your favorite experience been when piling on the damage? Was there a time that you broke numbers you didn't even think you were capable of hitting? A time when you showed your entire party just how good you were at what you did? Or was it a game where you got to combine your love of breaking things with a more party-oriented utility approach? 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!
PlayStation Vita's Near, LiveArea and other social features outlined
Between its Near, Party, LiveArea and Activity social features, there's a whole lot going on under the hood of the PlayStation Vita. SCEE R&D exec Phil Rogers broke down those capabilities at Develop last week: Near, for instance, will allow Vita owners to look at the favorite games of nearby players, and allow players to drop and pick up "gifts," which could range from special in-game items to high score challenges. Rogers explained that Party will give players cross-game chat capabilities, allowing them to invite friends to groups and launch games directly through the UI, which all party members will be invited to. The LiveArea is a tad more esoteric: it will display information about software as it is launched, and will allow users to "comment on people's activities within the game as well as publish your messages." Sounds like the perfect receptacle for smack talk. Finally, the Activity feed will show the in-game accomplishments of friends (including high scores and Trophy unlocks) in real time. The feed can also be updated by publishers and developers, though Rogers suggested, "it's important not to spam users too much and to use it sensibly." We pray that Rogers' advice is heeded.
Lost Pages of Taborea: What could have been
We always face changes in our favorite MMOs. A new patch comes along and changes multi-click gathering to single-click, a cool pet system gets added or our main class gets nerfed. Sometimes changes happen before the game ever sees them, though. Runes of Magic had some different features planned that were never implemented. Tile-dungeons, a streaming client and party-spells are a few of these features left on the cutting-room floor. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I want to insert a titular line and look at what could have been.
Anarchy Online celebrates 10 years this weekend
It seems like there's an MMO anniversary happening every other day around these parts. While it's indeed commendable for some of these games to last a year or three, Funcom's Anarchy Online has just reached the lofty summit reserved for the likes of EverQuest and Ultima Online: Yep, Rubi-Ka is 10 years old and still going strong. Funcom has issued a press release that's heavy on the innovative aspects of the world's first sci-fi MMORPG. "Instancing, massive player vs. player combat, digital download of games, in-game advertisement, virtual world radio, concerts, virtual items, and freemium business models" are just a few of the initiatives that showed up early in Anarchy Online. The release also serves to accentuate how much has changed since the game's genesis, as it notes that AO's original 1995 design document questioned the future viability of the internet and hoped for 2,500 subscribers. No 10-year anniversary would be complete without a respectable bash, and Funcom's release also outlines the festivities coming your way in the form of events and new content. The party (jointly produced by Funcom and Gridstream Productions) starts tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. EDT and will continue into the weekend. Even if you're not up for virtual dancing, you'll want to check it out for a new birthday raid, new vehicles, clothing, gear, action figures, and pets. Head to the official website to learn more.
DIY iPad photo booth captures the moments you might be too drunk to remember
Tired of the same old PC-enabled photo booth popping up at every wedding, Bar Mitzvah, and Secretary's Day celebration you attend? Well, you're not alone -- a German photographer named Rocco has tapped his apparent frustration over the conventional photo booth rig to create his very own iPad-connected setup. Rocco's arrangement features a Nikon DSLR, wireless flash trigger, and an iPad, using the ShutterSnitch app, stuffed into a little black box and connected to a foot pedal that allows partiers to hit the switch when they see fit. Once captured, the photos are transferred to the iPad's screen, allowing subjects to browse and email their favorite look-how-wacky-I-am shots. If you're looking to upgrade your photo booth setup for your next Rapture BBQ or World IPV6 Day celebration, follow the source link for instructions. [Thanks, Chris]
PlayStation Vita features voice chat via 'Party'
aHey, cross-game chat is coming to PlayStation ... Vita! It's called "Party," and according to a quick explanation by Kaz Hirai, it allows people to talk to each other through the PlayStation Vita system even while playing different games, using either a headset or the microphone built into the Vita device. We're not used to that name yet. "Vita." Will we ever be?
MapleStory invites you to a Jubilation!
It's a stupendous month for MapleStory as the obscenely popular MMO not only dinged its sixth year in operation but also racked up over eight million accounts and 24 million characters created. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Nexon is throwing a joyful celebration for the game code-named Jubilation. As the name suggests, Jubilation is all about partying, and party the players shall. For starters, there's a dual-raid for two teams of three competing to down a balloon first. Those looking for more relaxing activities may want to help grow a small maple sapling into a mighty tree by collecting sunshine, assembling an anniversary jigsaw puzzle by collecting all the trees, or simply logging in every day to earn enough stamps for a loyalty medal with spiffy stats attached. MapleStory's sixth anniversary events are going on now through June 14th, so there's plenty of time to check it all out! You can read the full details of the game's Jubilation at the official site.
