spinoffs
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Intellectual Ventures launches Kymeta spinoff, promises slim satellite broadband hotspots
Intellectual Ventures is best known for its tendency to sue everyone, but it's going some distance to mend that bruised image through a newly spun out company, Kymeta. The startup hopes to improve the quality of satellite broadband through mTenna-branded, Ka-band hotspots made from metamaterials -- substances that can boost and manipulate a satellite signal while occupying virtually no space, leading to self-pointing transceivers that are just a fraction of the size of what we use today. That still amounts to equipment the size of a laptop running at a peak 5Mbps, although it's small enough that Kymeta sees hotspots reaching individual customers who want access from a boat, a car or the field. We'd just advise against tossing out the MiFi too quickly. Kymeta doesn't expect the hotspot to be ready before late 2014 at the earliest, and that leaves many questions about how much of a hit we'll take to the pocketbook.
Angry Birds: Space logs 10 million downloads in 3 days
As spotted by The Verge, Rovio said in a Monday morning tweet that it recorded 10 million downloads of its Angry Birds Space in just three days. This is one of several recent iOS-related app milestones. Earlier this month, the iOS App Store climbed to 25 billion total downloads and the new iPhoto for iOS app logged 1 million users. Just last week, popular social app Draw Something announced it hit 30 million downloads and its parent company was acquired by Zynga. [Via The Verge]
Angry Birds Space now available for the Mac, iPhone and iPad
Today is a big day for Rovio. Angry Birds Space, the fourth spinoff of the Angry Birds series, is now available on multiple platforms including iOS and OS X. You can download the US$2.99 iPad version and the 99-cent iPhone version from the iTunes App Store. The $4.99 Mac version is also now available in the Mac App Store. Have fun!
Rovio announces Angry Birds Space, coming March 22
Just when you thought they were finally done -- they're coming back again. Rovio has announced that it will be releasing Angry Birds Space, and unfortunately, all we know about it, per the strange teaser trailer below, is that it'll be out on March 22. Presumably, this is just another iteration on the Angry Birds formula, albeit one that will likely play with gravity and maybe a few other space-related mechanics as well. There's also an official website for the just-announced title, but it's not any more informative than the trailer was. Given the enormous popularity of Angry Birds on iOS and other mobile platforms, it's not hard to predict that this will be yet another enormous hit for Rovio. Still, aren't we at all tired of the Angry Birds phenomenon yet? This will be the fourth spinoff for the game -- hopefully this one will show a little more innovation and growth than Angry Birds Rio, Seasons, or Magic.
The Perfect Ten: Sequelitis
As a long-time movie buff, I've always been fascinated by sequels. I know, they have a terrible reputation and everyone gets this face like he's digesting a porcupine when discussing them, but there's something fun about them as well. I think we always want a good story to continue, to see what happens next, and to answer the question, "What would the first film be like if it were put in the hands of a complete boob?" It would be an entertaining trainwreck, that's what. Even though the MMORPG genre is in its toddler stage, it's seen a number of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, just the same as other types of entertainment. Video game sequels for hit titles are safer financial investments than striking out into new territory, so it makes sense that MMO studios would follow this pattern as well. Right now there are loads of MMO sequels and spin-offs in the works -- including EverQuest Next, PlanetSide Next, Guild Wars 2, Mabinogi 2, MapleStory 2, Phantasy Star Online 2, Dust 514, and even a possible Ultima Online sequel -- so it's safe to say that the trend won't be dying down anytime soon. However, today I want to look at 10 sequels that already made it to release and briefly examine how they stacked up to their predecessors. Oh yes, there will be blood after the jump -- and I will drink your milkshake!
DS Daily: Gotta spin 'em off
Pokemon are playing pinball! They're on trading cards! They're in a video game about trading cards! They're exploring dungeons and, uh, ranging! They're posing for glamour shots! They're racing! They're matching groups of things! They're refusing to understand ineffectual orders! They're doing whatever happens in Pokemon Channel!On their breaks from being crammed into containers and trained to fight each other, Pokemon are doing all kinds of stuff. Are you? Do you go in for these spinoffs? This question is directed at people who like the series, obviously-- if you think Pokemon is, in general, beneath you, then we know how you feel about the extensions to the franchise.
