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ASUS UL30Vt-A1 pops up on Amazon for pre-order: silver, 5600mAh battery, $849
ASUS' UL30Vt-X1 was largely hailed as the CULV machine to get when it finally went on sale just a few weeks back, and it has a Core 2 Duo CPU alongside a switchable graphics solution to thank. Still, the main two gripes on it were the inability to choose a color and the (comparatively) lackluster battery. Thankfully for those who managed to hold off, ASUS has quietly pushed its UL30Vt-A1 onto Amazon's pages, complete with a silver paint job, a capacious 5,600mAh battery (good for "up to 12 hours" of usage) and an asking price that's $50 higher than the X1. All other specs have seemingly remained constant, from the 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 CPU to the 4GB of DDR3 RAM to the 500GB hard drive. You'll also get a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Home Premium and an NVIDIA G210M (512MB) + GMA 4500MHD GPU setup, but there's no telling when your order will actually ship. Here's hoping for sooner rather than later, yeah? [Thanks, Paul]
Motorola Calgary / Droid Devour spotted in silver, Bluring it up
There's another Motorola "Calgary" device (also known as the Droid Devour) making the rounds, and this time it's showing a silver paint job and an obvious Motorola Blur home screen. Word is that the trackpad to the upper right of the keyboard is great, and the keyboard supposedly bests the Droid -- not a challenging feat, to be sure. Obviously it's headed for Verizon, and Boy Genius confirms that WiFi and GPS are onboard, but it's still a little unclear what the low-end differentiators between it and the Droid might be, outside the three megapixel camera and what appears to be a smaller, lower resolution screen.
1 vs. 100 free for Xbox Live Silver members from Dec. 24 - 28
Looking for a cheap way to stave off that post-holiday depression that we all immediately experience as soon as the last present is unwrapped? (You do experience that, right?) Microsoft's got new Xbox 360 owners covered -- from December 24 to December 28, 1 vs. 100 will be free-to-play for Xbox Live Silver subscribers. What's more, the show on December 26 will be deeply saturated with holiday spirit, featuring "Holiday-themed trivia, a decked out set, and laughs with Chris Cashman." If you're still on the fence about subscribing to Live, you should give this free 1 vs. 100 trial a shot. After all, nothing can better distract you from the fact that you won't get to open more intricately ribboned gifts for another 364 days like taking part in an interactive game show.
Twitter and Facebook for Xbox Live will be free for Gold members, 'free trial' for Silver
This shouldn't really come as too much of a surprise, but anyone wanting to enjoy Twitter and Facebook on Xbox Live will have to pony up for Gold member subscription, the same premium prerequisite currently needed for Netflix Instant Watch and pretty much all online gaming. Silver membership will be given a "free trial," but exactly what limitations that entails, or if they'll be an option to "upgrade" to the full version, is anyone's guess.
Xbox Live's Twitter and Facebook free for Gold, for trial by Silver members
Always read the fine print. Part of a footnote from this morning's Xbox 360 price cut press release bore this little oh-by-the-way: "Xbox Live Gold Membership will be required for Twitter and Facebook when they are available." When MCV followed up on the tucked-away tidbit, a Microsoft spokesperson suggested that the press release's statement was "inaccurate" and that the company was "still formulating its plans" for integrating the social networking services into Xbox Live. A few short hours later, those plans appear to be formulated. A Microsoft representative has clarified for Joystiq, "Facebook and Twitter on Xbox Live will be free to Gold members, with a free trial period also available for Silver members." Specific details on what's included in the trial are not currently available, but clearly Microsoft is continuing its policy to reward Gold subscribers for, well, their subscriptions, despite what must be a tempting motivation to make Twitter and Facebook free-for-all features. Social networking's the killer app, after all (right?) -- and Microsoft could use some new ammo in the console war.%Gallery-65321%
Blizzard starts selling gold (coins)
I don't have a lot of detail on this, but the news from Comic-Con is that Blizzard is finally starting to sell gold! Collectible WoW-inspired gold, silver, and copper coins, that is. What did you think I was talking about? They'll come in both Horde and Alliance versions, and are being made by DC Unlimited. DC also handles the WoW comic, so that's unsurprising. If we hear anything more on pricing and/or availability, we'll be sure to let you know.
GameStop offers up silver DualShock 3 controller for North America
If that all-black DualShock 3 controller has just grown stale, and you're not about to drop any coinage to have Colorware liven things up, GameStop has a fantastic solution -- so long as you're a fan of silver, that is. As of today, the firm's website has a clear listing for a satin silver version of the wireless SIXAXIS, and anyone familiar with the silver PS2 controller will no doubt notice the striking similarities. Just so you know, this one's been available in the Japanese market for eight centuries now, but it looks like the North American crowd can finally yell "me too!" when parting with $54.99 on June 24th.[Via Joystiq]
Silver DualShock 3 controller spotted at GameStop
Tired of your black DualShock 3 controller? Well, it looks like SCEA may finally start introducing new colors of the rumble-ready PS3 controller. Games retailer GameStop now features a listing for a silver DualShock 3 controller, with a MSRP of $54.99 and a June 24th release.A retail listing is far from official confirmation, but GameStop has been a rather reliable source of early product listings. We're all for controller color diversity, so we're hoping this one is real.[Via NeoGAF]
Sony Ericsson Idou, now in silver?
So far, we've only seen the Idou in black, but Sony Ericsson does like to play with the palette -- and sure enough, we're now seeing a shot of a silver model for the first time. SEMC Blog doesn't know whether this is a canceled or to-be-announced version, but like everyone, we're hoping it's the latter.
Saving for that horse: a mid-level guide to making money in LotRO
Over at MMORPG.com, their Lord of the Rings Online correspondent Jim Braner has written a comprehensive guide to finding riches in LotRO entitled "Lord of the Rings Online: Making and Keeping Silver in your 20s." This is a great little guide, as it explains many of the common-sense nuances of the game that can be used to your pocketbook's advantage. For example, instead of paying for a ride from the Forsaken Inn to Ost Garuth, why not just run there? Sure it will take some extra time, but think of the drops and resources you'll be able to gather along the way. One of the most underrated points of this guide is one that I firmly believe, yet can rarely convince others to trust. Keeping up with new armor every 5-6 levels will actually help you save money. Of course this only applies if you are a Tailor or Metalsmith, or know one fondly, as buying armor from a merchant is a complete waste. As stated in this guide, that new armor is more durable, and with a higher armor rating, you'll die less. This will cut down significantly on your item repair bills, and ultimately keep more money in your pocket.While these suggestions are all great, I couldn't help but add a few more to the list. Check out some of my own tips on making and saving money in mid-level LotRO just after the cut below.
HP's Silver smartphone in the wild
After missing its July release target by a country mile, we'd thought the Silver may have been canned -- but nope, she's alive and well, strutting her stuff for a few privileged hands around the world. The HSDPA 7.2Mbps handset with GPS and WiFi takes the original candybar Pearl's wildly successful format and applies a hearty dose of Windows Mobile Standard -- not a concept that's going to appeal to everyone, but for the S740 shoppers of the world, a totally viable alternative. So we know Vodafone has a keen eye on releasing this; anyone else?%Gallery-33173%
BlackBerry Pearl 8220 coming in silver, too
We've already known about burgundy and black versions of RIM's first flip, but silver? Sure looks like it from new images posted on Spanish site miblackberry.com, and frankly, we think it's the most flattering color combo we've seen to date. Then again, the phone is so frickin' huge in person that it could end up being a totally excessive amount of shiny, metallic plastic in your face when you crack it open -- but from the press shots, at least, color us impressed (pun intended). T-Mobile, any interest in this one, too?[Via CrackBerry]
Shield your eyes: Premium DS Lite spotted in the wild
Remember those Club Nintendo "Premium" DS Lites that were revealed back in June? Well, Nintendo has now sent out the limited edition systems to the 3,000 lucky winners, and Japanese blogger Hatimaki decided to torture us by smugly photographing his Premium Silver model, which just so happens to be unbelievably, blindingly shiny. But pfft, like we care! Seriously: just imagining the finger prints on that makes us feel totally okay about not owni -- gaaah, who are we kidding?If you're feeling flush enough, a selection of these have already appeared on eBay, priced around the $500 mark. It's an investment ... probably.%Gallery-26441%[Via Kotaku]
All that glitters is not gold: Silver DS confirmed for North America
Even though evidence for its arrival had become overwhelming, Nintendo has officially confirmed that the Metallic Silver DS Lite will become a dazzling, shiny reality in the U.S. on September 7th.Not including limited editions, this will become the seventh color in the North American DS rainbow, though it has been available in Europe, Japan, and South Korea for around a year; and very nice it is too, in this European blogger's opinion. Any of you lovely people got an eye on this?[Via press release]
Insider Trader: To prospect, smelt, or let alone?
Recently, a reader wrote in with a question that everyone ponders from time to time. When trying to make money from a profession, it can be difficult to determine what to sell, what to convert, and what to avoid doing all together. Here's what she asked:Hello, When making gold from Mining, is it better to Prospect the Ore? Or is it better to just sell the Ores and Bars?Thank you!Regards, Kristy. Taking a break from the faction recipe series to shake things up a bit, let's take a look at how this breaks down.
Phat Loot Phriday: Star's Tears
"Water?" I hear you asking. How could plain old mana water be Phat Loot? But this is no ordinary water, my friends -- it's also known as Cheater's Juice. This, dear readers, is Arena water.Name: Star's Tears (Thottbot, Wowhead)Type: Common ConsumableDamage/Speed: N/AAbilities: Requires level 65. On drinking, restores 7200 mana over 30 seconds. Which isn't that great -- you can get this water from any Mage, right? But this water doesn't come from a Mage, and that's what's so special about it. It's the cheapest vendor water you can buy -- just 25s and two (that's right, two) Honor points per 5, in stacks of 20. Just one BG will earn you enough to not worry about the Honor points, and overall, you'll save money (probably even cheaper than that Mage you're tipping every time you log in) every time you buy it. And, as Arena players all know, this is the only non-Mage water usable in the Arenas. As the tooltip says, it's "carefully extracted for warfare use," so Arena players who can duck out of combat (Hunters, for example, can Feign Death out of combat and drink) can get back some mana fast even without a Mage in the group. Plus, as all Warcraft players (and bloggers) know, tears are the tastiest drink of all. Mmmmm tears. QQ moar pls. How to Get It: This tasty drink is just a vendor away -- you've got to run to the Officer Accessories Quartermaster in each capital city to pick up your couple of stacks. That's Brave Stonehide in Orgrimmar, and Master Sargeant Biggins in Stormwind City. Give them your money and a couple of Honor points, and the drink is yours. Who needs Mages anyway?Getting Rid of It: You could, um, drink it? Otherwise, you can sell it back to the vendor for 1s 25c, which is suprising -- these are the tears of stars, people! Famous people cried their eyes out just so you could have these!
Forum post of the day: A monetary slap in the face
Every once in a while we do nice things for other players out of the goodness of our hearts. More often we do things in game in exchange for gold or other necessary services. Feevah of Shattered Hand is unhappy that he was given a two silver tip for a portal. He feels that the acronym "WTB" implies that the tip for the service will be at least enough to cover the cost of materials. Thus defining the distinction between a purchase and a gratuity, which is usually given to members of the service sector above the advertised price. Some suggested that the tip was mistyped in either the wrong coin slot or missing a digit. Others suggested that Feevah should have immediately disbanded his group so that the penny pincher could simply stare at the portal without being able to use it. Perhaps the poster was unaware of the material cost of the spell, or maybe he was just a jerk.
DS Daily: If silver, then no redesign?
This weekend's rumor of a Gloss Silver Lite releasing the U.S. this fall has put the tingle into our spider-sense. If we're getting another new color -- and we just got one, as well as Europe getting several -- does that clinch it? Will there be no redesign announcement this week at E3? Of course, Nintendo may well announce a new DS model, and simply hold the release until next year, but it still seems like the thing that would put a damper on sales of a new color. Or does the (rumored) release of a new shade mean nothing at all?See also: Our redesign prediction, as well as all our other predictions.
Rumor: USA to be awarded Silver
The Gloss Silver DS Lite has been shining in Europe and Japan for some time now, but it hasn't made an appearance in North America as of yet. Well, that's not entirely true: half of the Metallic Silver DS Lite makes up the Guitar Hero: On Tour special edition system. But we never got the back part.An unspecified "source" has suggested to GoNintendo's RawMeatCowboy that this tragic omission will be corrected this September, with the release of an all-silver DS. That sounds perfectly plausible to us, especially since its partner in shininess, the Metallic Rose, has been released. It's nice to have such a low-impact rumor so close to E3. We may get a new color, and that would be nice; if not, that's okay too! It's certainly a lot tamer than all those other rumors we've been dealing with.
Birdo & Silver & Jet & Donkey Kong at the Olympic Games
As if Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games wasn't already home to enough abysmal characters, a group of hackers have discovered a way to unlock numerous other unused playable characters in the title, including Silver the Hedgehog, Jet the -- ugh -- Hawk, and Donkey Kong (who would have been a welcome addition, actually). Birdo is also available, though comes with some sort of hideous facial deformity, as though the model never had its nose finished. It looks kind of wrong, truth be told. Not as wrong as this, mind.There are plenty of other background characters that can be played with (some of which are fairly obscure), though only in certain events (such as trampolining). These include Shy Guy, Toad, the gut-churning Charmy, Espio, Cream, Boo, Bullet Bill (!), Goomba (!!), "Heroes Enemy 1," "Heroes Enemy 2," "SA1 Monkey," and -- nooo! -- Big the Cat. Sprint through the tape and into our gallery for a couple more screens.%Gallery-4697%
