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Packard Bell Dot S4 netbook spied in Italy
Packard Bell's launched a refresh of its Dot line -- at least internationally -- with the 10.1-inch S4. The company's thinned it down considerably here, and stuffed an Intel Atom N450 Pine Trail CPU, GMA 3150 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, and an up to 250GB hard drive. Other than that it's got 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an up to 6-cell battery, and comes with Windows 7 Home Starter edition pre-installed. There's another image below -- one that shows off the fashionable design elements a little better -- plus a quick demo video. No pricing information yet.
Mvix intros HDHome S2 and S4 media servers: HTPCs, with a capacious twist
You know, HTPCs never did anything to deserve the worldwide shunning that they're dealing with right about now, and Mvix apparently couldn't care less about the overall lack of interest in buying a PC that's chained down to the den. Rather shockingly (given the company's past endeavors), the HDHome S2 and S4 are the latest to emerge on the living room scene, but unlike most other pre-built HTPCs, this one has an atypically weak processor and an unusually large amount of storage capacity. Both boxes get powered by a dual-core Atom 330 CPU, yet you'll also find a Blu-ray player, HDMI output, Bluetooth 2.0, a half dozen USB 2.0 sockets, WiFi, an embedded TV tuner and your choice of NVIDIA's Ion or ATI's Radeon 3200 HD on the graphics front. The main differentiating factor is the amount of hot-swappable drive bays; the S2 moseys along with just a pair, while the S4 can handle four drives at a moment's notice. Frankly, this thing looks more at home in a closet or server room than beside your HDTV, but either way, they're both available to customize starting at $999 and $1,599, respectively.
Symbian^4 makes video debut, fails to wow
Maybe it's the lack of a banging soundtrack, but we're finding ourselves somewhat underwhelmed by these first video appearances by the highly anticipated Symbian^4 user interface. What we're shown is a now familiar layout for touchscreen devices, with a trio of home screens that can be customized with widgets and live information trinkets such as a clock and a weather app. It is, as promised, very touch-centric, but it is by no means revolutionary. Both videos are titled as mere "first glimpse" offerings, however, so the eternal optimist in us likes to believe that there'll be plenty more to get excited about as we move closer to that early 2011 launch. See them after the break and let us know what you think.
Klipsch's black / white Image S4i and S4 earbuds filtering out to stores
We told you they'd be coming (as we discovered during our tour of Klipsch's Indianapolis campus), and now those deliciously black / white colored Image S4 and Image S4i earbuds are finally making their way out to the general populace. Vann's already has the Image S4 in white up for pre-order, while Apple stores are set to receive their Image S4i (includes an in-line microphone for iPhone yappin') any day now. The former will sell for $79 while the latter demands an extra Jackson, but it's safe to say that either will put Apple's own white earbuds to shame. %Gallery-86496%
Exclusive: Klipsch introduces iPhone-friendly Image X10i and black / white S4i and S4 earbuds
We recently had the opportunity to tour Klipsch's headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while we're currently working up a walk-through showing off gobs of behind the scenes footage from the design lab and quality assurance facilities, we gathered two particularly juicy tidbits that simply couldn't wait. The outfit informed us that since the Image S4i earbuds have been such a success, it will soon be adding its three-button iPhone microphone / remote to the top-of-the-line Image X10, and as you may expect, the resulting product will go by the name Image X10i. They'll officially debut in the same gold and black motif at CES, and they should ship to consumers in early 2010 for $349 (while the original X10 will remain at $349). The other discovery was that the hot-selling S4i earbuds (which we tested out a few months ago) will soon be shipping in a fresh color scheme (black and white, as seen above) and with the same metal tin that the S4 currently ships with. This is actually the first third-party headphone set with an integrated Made for iPhone remote / microphone that Cupertino has agreed to sell in white, and we can safely say that this two-tone look will probably have the Apple zealots drooling. Everything else about the $99 set remains the same as the standard S4i (including the cable material, electronics and price), and while we couldn't confirm, we'd say that chances are high for future color options to sneak out in the S4 / S4i range. Check out the new wares in the gallery below. Update: The S4 earbuds will also ship in the black and white color scheme pictured above. %Gallery-80628%
Klipsch rewarding wisecracks with sweet gear
Especially these days, a witty sense of humor and a quarter won't even get you a cup of coffee, but Klipsch is giving funny-makers a shot at some its S4 headphones and a HD Theater 300 speaker setup. That's right -- those snarky remarks you normally give out for free can now score you some gear! Here's the bracket breakdown -- four caption contests will be run (each lasting two weeks) and the winning entry from each caption contest will win a pair of S4 in-ears; and a random entry from the final four will score a HD Theater 300 speaker system. Long odds and lots of competition, so now's the time to break open that war chest of audiophile taunts you've been building up. Full PR release after the break.
Klipsch Image S4 impressions
Klipsch has never really been a company to cater to the low-end, but there's likely never been a time in the outfit's history to better introduce a lower-end pair of earbuds than right now. The Image headphone line, which started in August of 2007 when the X10s launched at $349, has grown a few members since. Today, we're talking a look -- er, a listen, actually -- at the $79 Image S4 in-ear headphones, and while these are far from "cheap," they're definitely in the realm of feasibility for anyone considering a set of 'buds that are marginally more awesome than the stock ones bundled with PMPs these days. Head on past the break for a few impressions.%Gallery-51558%
Anti-Aliased: I can kill dragons, but I can't dress myself pt. 2
Take egg, insert onto faceOne of the biggest blunders of the "I can't dress myself" type had to have been The Matrix Online. Take The Matrix franchise -- a world that is washed in a deep cyberpunk atmosphere and slick, luxurious styles. Morpheus's purple vest and yellow tie, Trinity's catsuits, Neo's coat -- all of these defined the culture that was, undoubtedly, The Matrix. How you dressed was as much of the game as the game itself.Then, the game rolled out, people jumped in, and everyone was excited over all of the options. They had trenchcoats, dresses, boots, vests, shirts, jumpsuits, hats, gloves, corsets, you name it. Clothing vendors had a very serious appeal upon launch as everyone ran around, getting dressed exactly how they wanted to look. Finally, the world looked right. "The combinations of clothing that worked diminished until everyone looked like they had fallen into a display of paint cans at the local hardware store." Then, just a few days in, people found upgraded equipment. Clothing that carried stat buffs instead of just sitting on your body. Soon that slick style began to quickly degrade as people were combining green shoes with dull yellow shirts and red pants. The combinations of clothing that worked diminished until everyone looked like they had fallen into a display of paint cans at the local hardware store. An aspect of the culture that was so undoubtedly The Matrix had been swiftly crushed by the player's instinct to maximize benefits and minimize losses. Let the creativity fall to the player It's easy to say something like, "Well, just take the stats off of the clothing," but the fact is that our culture is now attuned to having equipment that boosts stats. When they don't have that, they get a little antsy because they may not "feel" the progression of the game. Take City of Heroes, for example. A game where you could wear basically anything from level 1, and look exactly the way you wanted to. What happened down the road? They added items that had stats because players wanted them. On a creative level, I disagree with that decision, but on a design level I can fully support it. You want to give the players the comfort they want. But, I don't think the idea of separating stats from appearance is dead. If more developers would find ways to embrace that system, more people are going to find it an easy system to navigate. This way people get to wear what they want without having the game force them into outfits they may not like to see. If you want a few games for examples, City of Heroes and Phantasy Star Online are two that come to mind. And if you're worried about still having players armor look better and better as the game progresses, then that's still very doable. Clothing items can still be rare drops -- perhaps as a token that everyone can loot and turn in for a piece of the outfit. Clothing items could still be level restricted as well, so a level 1 can't be dressed up in the max level look. Progression is left intact while still giving players enough freedom to not look like rodeo clowns. Just, simply, let the stats come from somewhere else. Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who wants his fashion to look cohesive for once. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's rambling on his personal blog, The Experience Curve. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com. You can also follow him on Twitter through Massively, or through his personal feed.
Anti-Aliased: I can kill dragons, but I can't dress myself
So, I recently got the chance to run a panel at Tekkoshocon, the local semi-large anime convention in the area of Pittsburgh. This wasn't the first panel I've run at a convention, but it was the first panel where I got to speak on the topic of MMOs. The topic was free anime MMOs -- games people could pick up for little to no payment and actually play a quality game, rather than being tricked into another endless, rewardless grindfest.After the panel, one of the viewers came up to me and shook my hand, thanked me for my panel, and asked if I had ever heard of a game called S4 League. I told him I hadn't, but he urged me to look it up as it might be something I would be interested in. Well here I am, playing Stylish eSper Shooting Sports (S4, get it?), and I'm actually enjoying the experience. But, S4 triggered a bit of a realization in me. It's something I've touched on before, but I've never really engaged.Why do we all look completely stupid at level one? Is it because of the "journey?" Or is it more of an incentive mechanic these days? And why the heck do developers force us to look like we woke up on the wrong side of the bed when adventuring?
The Colosseum: Reflex, Vengeful Gladiator
The Colosseum takes us inside the world of the Gladiator (Brutal, Vengeful, Merciless and otherwise), to interview some of the top Arena fighters in the battlegroups. Our goal is to bring a better understanding of the strategy, makeup, and work that goes into duelling it out for fame, fortune, and Netherdrakes.At the time of this article's posting, Passive Enemies is the #1 team in the 2v2 ladder on the Reckoning Battlegroup. SK Gaming's arena ranking tool reveals that they have third highest rating in the USA region. So, Passive Enemies is indisputably a strong team, with a powerful showing in the 2-person Arena. And this isn't their first season doing so -- Reflex carries the coveted "Vengeful Gladiator" title.WoW Insider was able to catch up with Reflex while he was rocking out in Warsong Gulch, and he was willing to take the time to answer some questions for The Colosseum. Take a look after the jump to see what he had to say.
Blood Sport: Gear decisions for S4
We're now a few weeks into Season 4. And, we've known even before it started that Season 4 gear would carry some rating requirements. And while we're all hopefully enjoying the new challenges of the new season, there are some folks who are starting Season 4 relatively fresh.They don't have much Vengeful gear, or even Merciless Gladiator's gear -- they might be starting out in some quest greens and blues, with only a smattering of PvP gear across the character. Heck, some players might be in all Vengeful and Vindicator's gear already, and still facing the same question. Where should you start with the Season 4 gear?Rating requirements and high point costs can make the gear curve seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Don't worry -- WoW Insider is here to help. Let's chart a basic path of gear accrual -- via PvP only -- that will help every fledgeling PvPer grow into an Arena powerhouse. We're going to follow two paths, actually. One will assume that you do have the ratings required for each piece of gear. The other will assume that you do not have the ratings. In either case, our goal here is going to be to be sure you have a plan to pick up the available gear as you gain the available points.
The inevitable loss
Around every 4th of July I reread Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels, which is a book about the battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. There's an early passage about the Southern general James Longstreet's unease over the Confederate push north to Pennsylvania: He had never believed in this invasion...He did not believe in offensive warfare when the enemy outnumbered you and outgunned you and would come looking for you anyway if you waited somewhere on your own ground. Longstreet, one of the finest military minds of the age, spends much of the subsequent bloody fight knowing that Union forces had a terrain advantage impossible to overcome.There's been a lot written about battleground strategy (particularly Alterac Valley) but I think all of us have known the sinking feeling you get when you realize that your side isn't going to win. Some causes of failure are relatively easy to pinpoint; starting a battleground with a heavy numbers or healing disadvantage often seals the fate of a match. And of course the collective quality of a team's gear will always play a role; people in Season 4 are unlikely to lose to those in Season 1.All other things being equal, what I find most fascinating are the matches -- PuG versus PuG, or premade versus premade -- where the battle can swing either way depending entirely on each team's degree of foresight and strategy. Rarely, single players can sometimes decide the outcome; I once saw a protection paladin in a 2-cap versus 2-cap Eye of the Storm prevent the opposing side from taking any flags by parking himself in the middle and simply taking forever to die, and one of my own favorite techniques is to suicide/harass heavily-defended nodes in Arathi Basin and EOTS while Horde quietly caps elsewhere (you'd be amazed at the number of players who prefer an easy kill over responding to "Inc!" calls elsewhere). But failure and success are usually collective and hard to pin down. How do you convince people to do the less-glamorous jobs -- defense, distraction, crowd-control -- more likely to result in a victory? How do you know when the battleground is lost for sure?
Season 3 in World of Warcraft grinds to a halt
Season 4 begins Tuesday, June 24th, leaving World of Warcraft players one last day before the ultimate PvP time-sink resets. What comes with it is a brand new ruleset that makes the grind for gear a lot more competitive and inaccessible to the battleground bots because many of the new battleground items that are purchasable with honor will require an Arena rating also. As for the soon to be obsolete Season 1 gear, Gladiator's items will be moved to Sun Reach's Harbor on the Isle of Quel'Danas and will no longer be purchasable with honor but with Tier 4 tokens instead, ironically these are acquired by PvE raiding. The idea was recently introduced in the 2.4 patch and you can also turn in Tier 5 tokens for Season 2 gear. Speaking of Season 2, the Merciless-Gladiator's gear will be the new clearance epics purchasable with honor points and have no arena or personal rating requirement.
End of Season 3 reward requirements
Season 4 starts next week. As a result, this coming weekend is going to be a gladiatorial weekend for many folks, fighting to get their Arena rating high enough to score end of season rewards. Blizzard has posted (on both US and EU forums) a reiteration of the criteria to be considered for those rewards -- they look pretty much the same as they have before. The requirements for a team to be considered for end of season rewards are: The team must have played at least 20 games during the season. The team must have at least one player that has played in 20% or more of the total games for that team. Players on a team that qualifies for consideration, must do the below to be counted: The player must have played in 20% or more of the total games for that team The player must have a Personal Rating that is not more than 100 points lower than the Team Rating (your Personal Rating may be higher, however). So, there it is. If you want to be considered for one of the coveted Arena titles, you must meet the above criteria. Good luck!
Pentavision moves from DJs to Shooters
Pentavision gained fans worldwide with their DJ Max Portable series, but Ruliweb is reporting that their latest game is quite a departure. S4 Portable is a third person shooter. S4 stands for Stylish eSper Shooting Sports, though something tells me Pentavision's definition of sports will be loose. The action title will have guest appearances from DJ Max Portable characters and feature music from some of the DJ Max composers. Fans of Pentavision should be happy to know that they plan on releasing S4 Portable worldwide. [Via Kotaku]
