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Video series focuses on Mac mini as server
Brian at FreeMacBlog works for a company called Macminicolo, which will store your Mac mini in a nice, friendly server cage where it can sit with its friends and distribute web pages, email or whatever you want. After setting up and maintaining a large number of minis for clients, Brian decided to take what he has learned and create a video series on the nuts and bolts of setting up your mini (or any OS X Mac for that matter) as a server. The first video can be found here, and focuses on the initial setup. Check it out, and put that Mac of yours to work.
Apple bumps Xserve line with "quad Xeon" action
Alright, we're going to clear this up right here: "quad processors" is different than dual dual-core processors. Despite the best efforts of Steve Jobs and his Reality Distortion Field. But with that said, we're not complaining. Dual dual-core chips sure is plenty of juice to be getting on with, and Apple's Xserve line sure manages a lot of power for its 1U rackmount design. The configurations mirror that of the Mac Pro, ranging up to dual 64-bit dual-core 3GHz Xeon "Woodcrest" chips. Apple added in redundant power with the space savings from losing those steamy G5 processors, and also made room for 2.24TB of storage. Configurations start at $2,999, range beyond the amount of cash we'll see in our lifetime, and should be available in October.
Medal of Honor Q&A confirms online play
Yesterday, we rushed to show you the first ever video footage from the newly announced PSP-exclusive Medal of Honor: Heroes. As some intelligent people on the internet pointed out, 32 player multiplayer wouldn't be possible over ad-hoc... and they were right. Peter Choi, producer at EA, was grilled by Gamespot about the new game and here are a few of the juicier questions: GS: How did you approach the multiplayer modes in the game? Will they offer both ad hoc and infrastructure connectivity? PC: Multiplayer is one of the most exciting features of Heroes. We have 32-player infrastructure support with continuous joining so players can simply pick a server and jump in anytime. There are 15 different maps and six different multiplayer game modes, which are mostly team based. We also have a new innovation on the PSP that allows players to download a user-hosted server to their own PCs and run their own dedicated servers. Both user-hosted servers and EA Nation server games are fully customizable, and we have very detailed leaderboards and stat-tracking. Players can also play all these multiplayer game modes and maps with up to eight of their friends in a local ad hoc multiplayer game.
WiLMa - location-based settings
WiLMa is a utility for adjusting various settings like Mail servers, default printers and even desktop wallpaper based on which Location you're using (check your Apple menu if you're unfamiliar with the Location menu). WiLMa can even open and close applications and set a default network to join. If you're a nomad who bounces from places like work, school, home and who knows where else, this could be quite a handy utility, though it isn't without at least one disadvantage: it runs as an application, which means you need to have it in your dock if its corresponding menubar item will be accessible. Location X, by comparison, is more of a daemon that runs in the background, watching which Location you're using and automatically adjusting these settings to your preferences, without the need for an app to run in the dock.Of course, with WiLMa's more attractive $12 price tag (Location X is $20), Universal Binary status and unique features, WiLMa definitely has a good thing going for it. A demo is available from Codehackers.
Lag Monster Respawns Again
As you have all probably noticed, and as we've been reporting, there has been a mysterious increase in the amount of server downtime lately, with official "maintenances": being scheduled with little notice & players becoming incresingly more disgruntled as visions of outages from months past creep back into their brains like carrion worms...I guess it was only a matter of time before the ubiquitous "SERVER OUTAGES CAUSE MASS CHAOS" news posts started to creep up, and Gamespot is one of the first major sites to renew the scrutiny.Apparently, the official story from Blizzard is that server upgrades in June, undertaken to increase stability, have in fact done the exact opposite, and let loose some more ghosts in the machine. There is an official thread on the subject over at the Blizzard forums as well, with plenty of rabid responses to the boys in blue. Have you all noticed the recent increase in downtime? Has it affected your playtime? Does it seem as bad as it was before? Chime in...
Character Transfer Controversy Continues
The announcement that Blizzard will now be offering paid character transfers for $25 has been met with more than a little controversy within the community. Many people, including many who have commented on it here, feel that Blizzard is milking customers out of more money for a service that they could easily provide for free. Others defend Blizzard's descision, claiming that the character transfer fee is nothing more than a way to discourage players from moving servers willy nilly in a never-ending game of musical realms, which I happen to agree with.If players were allowed to freely transfer between servers as often as they wished, then it could potentially open up a huge can of worms; one scenario I can imagine is players possibly griefing or otherwise causing problems on one server, only to move to another when they wind up on too many peoples 'ignore' lists. What about you readers? How many of you are planning to take advantage of the transfer service? Why have you chosen to move realms? population? Friends on other realms? Want to start anew with a fresh reputation? Let us know...
Patent hints at wireless iPod video conferencing
As we gear up to launch a study on how long it takes patents like this to actually reach market (if ever), feast your eyes on the latest iPod-related patent that Macsimum News tracked down. Now it apparently isn't from Apple, but that doesn't stop what might be some sort of an iPod accessory from boasting capabilities like iChat AV-esque video chats, acting as a video server and *gasp* we think there's even a mobile phone-like keypad in this shot - make of that what you will. Check out the full patent if you're into that kind of stuff, but don't whip your credit cards out just yet - we still need to get moving on that aforementioned study.[via Engadget Mobile]
Analyst "confirms" AMD desktops for Dell in September
We wear a little thin with analysts always doing their analyst thing and telling us what companies are up to with no proof whatsoever, but it sure seems Citigroup Investment Research is pretty confident this time about Dell going AMD in September. They're claiming to have "confirmed from industry sources that Dell will offer an AMD based desktop in September of this year." Dell just added AMD chips to their server line after holding out for years, and also recently bought the AMD-friendly Alienware, both of which has helped continue the constant rumors of Dell using AMD across the line. As for this rumor, there aren't any deets on the actual desktop model, but Citigroup's Glen Yeung is saying that AMD's smarminess about market share expansion this year stems from a deal cut with Dell. Alright, Glen Yeung of Citigroup, we're holding you to this one!
What's in a Server Name?
One aspect of having over six million subscribers that Blizzard probably never anticipated was having to come up with names for the many dozens (if not hundreds) of different game servers. Luckily, the lore of the Warcraft universe is pretty rich, and there were plenty of names to choose from.Did you ever wonder just where your server got it's name? Well, Blizzplanet has posted a list of the WoW servers, with an explanation of the lore behind the names of each, so you can finally find out what the heck Destromath really means (and no, it's not a G.I. Joe program to help kids learn arithmatic). I am a little disheartened, however, to hear that Blackmoore is not, in fact, named after the guitarist from Rainbow....
Intelligently backup your Mac
Backing up your Mac (and PC, if you have one) is very important. Many of us only keep our music, movies, photos, and writing in digital format now adays, tucked safely away on a few magnetic disks. We hardly give it another thought, that is, until our hard drives start grinding.Tyler Hall has written a great post about backing up that you should read now. It isn't a how to, but rather a great way to start thinking about your own backup regimen. I must admit that I have been lax in my backing up but I intend to change all that. I have a Cube in my closet that will make a great backup server.
Dell goes AMD -- in servers at least
It's been a long time coming, but Dell finally managed to cram an AMD chip into a system of theirs, ending years of Intel monogamy (other than their recently acquired Alienware lines). They're starting off slow, with a just a few Opteron Dual-Core processors in high end servers, but it could be a sign of things to come. Dell CEO Kevin Rollins sure played things down, mentioning "it's a fairly small category in terms of units," and that "we will still be launching this year a broad line of Intel products." But with recent AMD successes, especially in the desktop market, it's been long rumored that Dell is going to give up their AMD boycott. We'll keep our eyes peeled.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Intel renames next-gen dual-core chips "Core 2 Duo," unveils quad-core Tukwila
Intel's been busy in the realm of multi-core processors lately, first unveiling their quad-core replacement for the Itanium Montecito, named Tukwila, and today -- taking a page out of MC "2 Legit 2 Quit" Hammer's book -- renaming the next-gen mobile Merom and desktop Conroe dual-core chips "Core 2 Duo." What's more, the company announced that another version of the processor will be released for performance junkies, called, not surprisingly, "Core 2 Extreme." As for Tukwila, the deets on this server-targeted chip came to light thanks thanks to a little digging by Real World Technologies, who found a set of slides that Intel recently presented on the topic at a conference in Asia. According to RWT, Tukwila will run at an estimated 40 gigaflops, sport 6MB of L3 cache for each core, and feature other additions that IT-types will likely be into, including an on-die FB-DIMM memory controller and Common Systems Interconnect (CSI) router. First called "Tanglewood" and scheduled for a 2007 rollout, Tukwila will now be released in 2008 and go head-to-head with other enterprise offerings from Intel and Sun, probably making it an exciting year for those aforementioned IT-types.Read- Core 2 Duo [Thanks, Dave Z.]Read- Tukwila [Via The Register]
Hospital server crashes under weight of music downloads
Don't look now, but the same folks that brought us the evils of podslurping, bluesnarfing and cellphone ID theft are at it again. The culprit this time: devious iPod users who stuff their workplace servers with downloaded music and videos. According to the Sun, a paragon of journalistic expertise, a UK hospital's server was brought to its knees by employees who filled it with so much music that there was no room left for crucial patient data. As one patient told the paper: "It’s a disgrace. How can they sit around downloading music when they should be looking after patients?" We couldn't agree more. We suggest that, in the future, hospital staff should only download music while looking after patients. And share the files with them as well. Nothing like a bit of Gnarls Barkley to brighten up the ward.[Via Network Endpoint Security News]
NetNewsWire 2.1b36 fixes server/network, news updating issues
As if Ranchero employed hundreds of little coder gnomes who work around the clock, the company has cranked out yet another beta release of NetNewsWire 2.1 to fix news updating issues. Turns out NNW's ability to grab news might experience some quirks if NewsGator syncing became flaky, so this release is targeted at fixing the issue.By now you probably know the drill; you can grab your copy at their beta page.
Blizzard to revamp WoW Battlegrounds
Gaming Steve — "the man with the game information" — has the scoop on Blizzard's plans to dramatically enhance Battlegrounds, World of Warcraft's PvP mode. The first update, expected in patch 1.12 or 1.13, will effectively link 16 realms per Battleground server, in turn speeding up queues and opening up the playing field for inter-realm action.But Steve reports that Battlegrounds will undergo its biggest makeover with the release of The Burning Crusade expansion. Players can look forward to features like worldwide rankings, tournaments, and ladders when the expansion drops later this year.
How-To: Rackmount your gear for cheap
Our simple network rack is an easy project that can really clean up a home network installation. Just a few square feet of floor space now keeps our cable modem firewall, Ethernet switch, server, wireless AP, KVM, monitor, keyboard and UPS neatly tucked away -- in a (decently well ventilated) closet, for example. It's also built to support rack mount hardware of shallow depth, like a router (the real kind) or network switch, so if you want to clear off that folding table in the basement, check out today's how-to.
Login Server Down for Emergency Maintenance
I knew I should have just gone AFK when I went to get something to eat. Because, sure enough, as soon as I come back & try to log on, I get the good ol' "unable to connect" message.There is a message from Blizzard on the login screen that states 'We will be performing emergency maintenance on our login server this evening which may result in an inability to log in to the game', along with a bunch of other stuff that doesn't make me feel any better. Apparently, the maintenance is extended until 11PM PST. And there's not a darn thing on TV....*UPDATE* The message has been changed to read 1:00 PDT, as of a few minutes ago. Totally weak...*UPDATE* Make that 4:00 PDT. Yippee...
China threatens mass boycott of WoW
Unstable servers have prompted Chinese World of Warcraft players to take action. Game unions have threatened to quit playing WoW, as players continue to post their complaints on Internet forums and make personal calls to fellow members to join the cause. In China, WoW's servers are maintained by The9, which charges gamers by the hour to play WoW. The9 is incapable of solving technical issues related to the game without Blizzard's help, but is currently investigating the server issues. Gamers have cited "severe time delays, long-queue times, and frozen servers" as the primary causes of concern. In the fourth quarter of 2005, WoW's concurrent user count in China peaked at 530,000 players.
Rig of the Day: mini RAID
One Mac mini plus four 400GB drives. omdot uses this set up as his backup server. If his Linux box goes down, the mini RAID can immediately (just about) take over. Plus, the blue LEDs look cool."mini_RAID" posted by omdot.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
Apple offers Podcasting server
Apple is positioning OS X Tiger as a 'podcasting server' for education markets. Basically they are touting the built in blog software that comes with Tiger as transforming a Xserve into a 'podcasting server.' While technically this is correct, given this reasoning any server that has blogging software installed on it (i.e. Wordpress or Movable Type but in OS X's case it is Blojsom) is transformed from a mundane server into a podcasting server.Apple does mention that this 'podcasting server' is powered by Blojsom, but the whole thing smacks of trying to pull a fast one on someone who may not know that any old server can do what Apple is claiming is unique to Tiger.[Via Micro Persuasion]
