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iPort: Wall-mounted home automation for iPad
I have already seen the iPad used in home automation -- Savant is using an iPad app to hook up to some of their home automation systems, using Apple's tablet to control the TV, a whole entertainment system, or even do some remote control of house lights or HVAC, or even monitor cameras remotely with a video feed. And here's another system that does the same type of thing: iPort is a home automation system centered around an iPad, providing an in-wall port where the iPad can both charge and work as a multi-use touchscreen control. On its own, it's basically just a wall-mounted dock, but in conjunction with a home automation system, the iPort turns the iPad into a touchscreen-based interface for the home. Prices on these things are always weird -- because most high-end home automation systems are sold as solutions rather than products, they tend to run into the "if you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it" range. But I give the iPort folks a call, and they told me that while each dealer has their own setup and pricing, the recommended price is around $500. Some of you may scoff, sure -- $500 is a bit steep for what's essentially a port with a frame around it. But like Savant told me when I saw their products, the iPad is actually a revolution in this industry. For what the same-sized touchscreen interface with similar functionality would have cost a few years ago, sticking an iPad in a wall and building an app to control an automation system is actually a bargain. [via Macsimum News]
Nintendo Wiimote RVL-036 mysteriously clears the FCC
We can't say for sure what's new here but that wireframe outline is most definitely a Wiimote. The Nintendo-branded Bluetooth device just passed through the FCC courtesy of Hon Hai Precision, aka Foxconn. There's very little in the way of detail here other than a new RVL-036 model number reminiscent of the console's "revolution" roots. Perhaps the new Wiimote finally integrates the MotionPlus add-on? Who knows, but it certainly makes sense given Miyamoto's recent comments. At least we can be certain that it's exactly 12 times better than the model RVL-003 Wiimote shipping today. Another FCC document grab after the break.
Red Dead Redemption looks 'revolutionary' in new trailer
We want everyone to be in the right frame of mind when watching this new Red Dead Redemption trailer, so first we'd ask that you to watch this gameplay clip from Mad Dog McCree. Now, had you told us back in 1990 that this is where we'd be in 20 years, we're not sure we could have handled it. A Western-themed game with digital characters, and not real FMV actors? Are you insane, sir? Alas, here we are, as the digital John Marston somehow finds himself embroiled in revolution. The trailer doesn't explain exactly who is revolting from what (it sounds a bit like the Mexican Revolution, which began around the time Redemption takes place), but it does look like train heists will be involved, so we're completely down.
Sam and Max voted as next Telltale franchise on the Mac
When Telltale Games kicked off their Mac revolution at Macworld a few weeks ago, they also set up a poll on their website where players could vote on the next franchise in their company to get a full release on the Mac. The vote is now over, and the Sam and Max franchise was chosen as the next group of games to see a full Mac release. The original characters were created by Steve Purcell a few decades ago, but since then, the franchise has created a storied gaming history, starting at LucasArts and moving on to Telltale's classic titles. The series of point-and-click adventures is known for its stories and humor, and it's definitely a worthwhile choice by fans. Rumor has it that there's a brand new Sam and Max season (the games are released in "seasons" of smaller episodes) around the corner -- we're hoping to see Telltale at GDC 2010 next week, so we'll let you know if we get to see anything new from them there.
Found Footage: Woz on coloring computers
This video of Woz talking about the "revolutionary" idea of putting color into computers is amazing. It sounds like an LSD trip -- he says he was awake for four days in a row, plunged into some sort of television screenglow madness, and somehow emerged from this zeroes-and-ones induced frenzy with a cheap way to create color screens (which we presume eventually found its way in the Apple II). This is why Woz is really the preeminent geek for our times -- he's done some brilliant things with computers, really helped revolutionize the industry, and invented from scratch some of the most amazing things in this already amazing age, and when asked how he did it, he doesn't credit his own intellect or any personal insight. He says he stayed up for four days, and "sometimes, you're not sure if it's going to work because it didn't follow all of the methodology, all of the science that's in the books... but in this case it did." That is quintessential Woz -- way before marketing types put together the "Think Different" slogan, this guy was living it. [via Cult of Mac]
Beneath a Steel Sky Remastered nears 20K sold; Revolution expects 100K lifetime sales
The modern jazzification (totally not a made-up word) of retro adventure title Beneath a Steel Sky has been a fairly lucrative move on Revolution Software's part, as managing director Charles Cecil says (via GI.biz) iPhone remake Beneath a Steel Sky Remastered is on track to sell 20,000 copies in its first month -- and that's not including the first week of the month, as it wasn't available in the App store until October 8. But it's just a stepping stone to greater financial success, Cecil says. He anticipates the game will sell around 70,000 copies in its first year of release, eventually peaking at 100,000 copies sold in its lifetime. Cecil credits the Apple model (cheap, easy to use and easier to purchase content than it is to pirate) and Revolution's ability to exploit its own games "in a way that you could never do at a mainstream publisher." He also says that daily sacrifices to the almighty Lord Kromdor certainly didn't hurt.* *Yes, we made up that last one, silly. Revolution worships Cthulhu, duh!
Fable 3 will question the foundations on which Fable is built, says Molyneux
Hot off the announcement this morning of Fable 3 coming to Xbox 360 in 2010, Microsoft Game Studios of Europe head Peter Molyneux sat down to discuss the franchise a bit with GamesIndustry.biz. Though the acutely over-promising developer kept tight-lipped about details on the upcoming sequel, he did let slip that Fable 3 will question "some of the foundations that Fable [the franchise] is built on." We're not sure exactly what that means, but we already know that the gesture system has been given a major facelift. The moral choice aims to be a lot deeper than in Fable 2 as well, with Molyneux saying promises you make in your rise to power will affect your position as the people's ruler. We'll be sure to remember these promises when the game releases next year (that's three promises so far, Molyneux!). %Gallery-70430%
Found Footage: iPhone Consumer Revolt (NSFW)
Forget about everything else. The cool consumer rage is currently directed at AT&T. Pat Lee, a Chicago iPhone user, is asking the iPhone community to petition Apple to drop AT&T exclusivity. In this biting 30-second video, Lee suggests that disgruntled users voice their displeasure about "less bars in more places." He points viewers to Apple's feedback page to get their AT&T hate on. Created in Adobe After Effects, the video has great production values and a stinging message. Oh, and it's not especially safe for work. So you might want to bookmark this for later.
Ijji.com users can now access Atlantica Online
Users of ijji.com will be happy to know that as of today their ijji accounts can now be used in tandem with Atlantica Online, letting them jump into the game without any new signups or or registration processes. Any current ijji.com member can simply jump on over to Ndoors and grab the game's client and sign in with their ijji.com account, no strings attached.Well, there are strings attached, actually. Good strings. This opening also marks the start of the "A New Recruit" event, which awards new players with bonus mercenaries in their party when starting out and item bonuses for every new mercenary they get.While we realize that this may not be a story of earth shattering importance, it is interesting to note that the publisher, Ndoors, is letting another website enter the game's servers without actually creating a brand new version of the game. This isn't a group of stand alone servers, meaning ijji.com users will be entering into the already vibrant North American Atlantica community. Not a bad way to add more people to your servers, if you ask us.
Revolution considering new Beneath a Steel Sky, Broken Sword games
Revolution Software is stepping up efforts to bring back some of its classic adventure IPs. Founder Charles Cecil currently has two games in mind: Beneath a Steel Sky and Broken Sword. The latter series is already undergoing a revival via next month's Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars (Director's Cut); however, Cecil tells VideoGamer this might only be the beginning. If the Director's Cut of Shadows of the Templars for Wii and DS are successful, Revolution might consider doing more Director's Cuts for the other Broken Sword titles. This might even entail completely overhauling the 3D Broken Swords (numbers three and four in the series) into 2D versions for Nintendo's systems. A movie tie-in game could also be in the works, as Cecil reveals that Radar Pictures is interested in doing a Broken Sword film. In the case of Beneath a Steel Sky – another adventure title from the '90s – Cecil says it's "probably going to happen." He's just claiming everyone's too busy to work on it right now. Well, of course; with all those possible Broken Sword projects, it sounds like Revolution will be busy for awhile.
QED's Revelation speaker cable is probably really expensive
QED's cabling is better known over in Britain, but Lenbrook America is hoping to get the strands into American homes. The cable is said to be a fusion of the company's high-end Genesis and X-Tube technologies, essentially pushing top-tier cable philosophies into a "mid-priced" product. The cable itself relies on a "figure 8" configuration and packs ten 99.999% oxygen-free, silver-plated cores, and while exact figures aren't disclosed, we're told that it's priced between the Genesis Silver Spiral and X-Tube. Which probably means "between expensive and outrageous."
WoW Moviewatch: The Gnomeregan Revenge: Red Alert
The Gnomeregan Revenge: Red Alert is an original tale told in pre-Arthas Azeroth, the first of a new trilogy by filmmaker Odessa. The Gnomish race is cast in the role of Soviet revolutionaries against the Alliance. In this episode they use their technological superiority to stage a surprise attack on Ironforge. The Gnomes even speak Russian, albeit with English subtitles. The machinima is excellent and the handheld out-of-focus shots work superbly to convey the surprise and confusion of the first wave of copter attacks. Since I don't speak French or Russian, it's difficult to tell the quality of the voice acting but the other sound effects are deftly done. (The English subtitles need some work; there are a lot of typos.) Still, I think it's possible to follow the story just from the visuals. The cliffhanger at the end prepares us for the next two episodes which promise to show us the war and its outcome. From just this first episode, it's difficult to tell if the film will have an allegoric theme with a larger message or if this was merely a creative tangent invented by the filmmaker. The follow-up episodes should come before the end of the year, so I guess we'll find out soon enough. [Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
Eco Media Revolution keeps the wind-up PMP alive
Just like gasoline-powered automobiles, the Li-ion-powered DAP is a fading gem. Okay, so maybe that's grossly inaccurate, but at least it gives us a warm fuzzy feeling to think that Trevor Baylis' Eco Media Player Revolution has a sizable budding fan base. The follow-up to the smashing Ecodigital wind-up PMP takes on a glossy black motif and features 4GB of built-in storage space, an SD card slot for capacity expansion, an FM tuner and support for a whole litany of audio / video formats. Best of all, you can connect your dead mobile to this thing, give it a few cranks, and boom -- your cellie now has enough juice to make one very urgent call for more lunch money. Sure justifies the £129.99 ($241) asking price, huh?[Via SmartPlanet]
Tannoy intros Revolution, Revolution Signature speaker lines
We're used to waiting for speakers to establish themselves before "signature" editions are issued, but Tannoy has skipped that convention by bringing out both its Revolution and Revolution Signature lines out at the same time. Both make use of the Dual Concentric point source drivers and rigid cabinetry the British firm is known for, but spring for the Signature upgrade and you'll also get treated to curved cabinets and a WideBand tweeter that extends out to 54kHz. In either lineup, you'll find DC4-named stand-mounted, floorstanding and LCR models that have a 0.75-inch tweeter and 4-inch mid/bass drivers; the Signature line also adds in DC6 models with 1-inch tweeters and (you guessed it) 6-inch mid/bass drivers. It's all available now, but this is Tannoy, so don't expect any bargain pricing.Read - Tannoy Revolution Read - Tannoy Revolution Signature
'Wii' before Wii
It's been well over two years since Nintendo unveiled its "revolutionary" console name (2 years, 3 months and 17 days to be precise). But, much like truthiness, it'd be silly to think it had been the first time the term had been used. Just ask Wii Yatani, a 26-year old New Yorker who experienced all the oh-so clever urine puns decades before the House of Mario. MTV's Stephen Totilo has a profile on Yatani and how the waggle-inducing name has changed his name's perspective. Additionally, according to Totilo, there were over 1900 pre-Nintendo Wii references in the newspaper and magazine database Nexis. From a Singaporean record-setting stair climber to a Papa New Guinea lieutenant, Wii has traveled the globe. And although Nintendo hasn't attributed an exact definition, Yatani's Wii is derived from two Kanji characters meaning "universe" and "willpower."
Broken Sword dev continues to mercilessly tease us
Evidence of a Broken Sword game for the DS is mounting. First, there was a petition posted by Revolution Software designer Tony Warriner to register player interest (which, predictably enough, was sky high). Then, a Broken Sword game cropped up in the database of the rarely wrong GameStop. And now, Revolution Managing Director Charles Cecil has dropped some heavy-handed hints about such a title.Speaking to Videogamer.com, Cecil admitted that the petition was "really inspirational," and that the DS was "an ideal platform" for the point and click genre. His final comment on the matter was far more suggestive, however: "I just wish that we were having this interview in about a month's time," he told VideoGamer.com's Wesley Yin-Poole. "Then you'd be asking me much more direct questions!" Hmm.Even though Broken Sword for the DS remains a rumor, we're struggling to think of other ways in which Revolution can hint at the game without, you know, announcing it. Petition posted by developer? Check. Appearance of Broken Sword in GameStop records? Check. And now Cecil's comments? Frankly, you don't have to be a heavily pixellated, world-saving law graduate called George to figure out where this might be going.
Future Retro's Revolution synthesizer sports circular layout
While certainly not the most bizarre (nor elaborate) musical apparatus we've seen, Future Retro's intriguingly designed Revolution synthesizer still manages to stand out. Apparently, its creators firmly believe that "music is cyclic," and it's definitely practicing what it preaches on said device. The analog monophonic synthesizer is contained in a rugged aluminum chassis and is laid out in a way that makes "dividing a measure of music into equal parts" much easier -- visually, at least. 'Course, this bugger will put a $750 dent in your wallet, but it is shipping now for those simply enamored with the design.[Via BornRich]
Civilization Revolution has no alibi (it's ugly)
While DS development for Civilization Revolution continues (and progress on the Wii version, uh, un-continues), we can't say it's looking too great based on the initial batch of released screenshots. Check out this janky image on the right; it's almost as if someone tried to mash together Fire Emblem with Age of Empires: Age of Kings, but somehow messed it up.Of course, no one plays Civ for its graphics, and, according to a recent interview with IGN, Firaxis made sure to leave in the strategy title's core mechanics. The DS release will, for the most part, have the same mechanics as the 360 and PS3 versions, except with a mostly 2D presentation. You'll still have 16 civilizations to choose from and a robust online multiplayer experience with two-player head-to-head, four-player free-for-all, and team battle modes. End your turn and head past the break for a couple more screenshots.
Riddell starts shipping concussion-monitoring football helmets
We've seen a couple helmet systems that monitor impacts -- including prototype football helmets -- but Riddell is bringing the tech to market with the Revolution IQ HITS (Head Impact Telemetry System) helmet, which contains a system of sensors that stores data about the last 100 impacts, which can later be wirelessly transmitted to a laptop for analysis. Up to six $999 helmets can be linked to each $299 HITS receiver, and players and trainers can access data via a web app for later evaluation. The helmet is shipping now, and apparently the University of Missouri and several other NCAA schools have already placed orders.[Via Technology Review]
Wii Warm Up: Civilization -- are we squealing alone?
Are we alone in our extreme enjoyment of the Civilization franchise? Well, we're probably not alone, since it's a big seller, but we mean here. Are you guys on the boat, especially now that we know it'll offer online play? We've played console versions before and have been less than impressed, but we can't help but hope that this time, it'll be as smooth as, say, snot on glass. Which is pretty darned smooth for such an icky image.
