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Archerfish Quattro video monitoring and recording system now available at Amazon
Cernium's just announced something that should really please the 'I know the cat is putting my stuff on Ebay while I'm at church' crowd. The Archerfish Quattro is a full scale, no messing around video monitoring and recording system that pays attention to the little details while you're not around. Analyzing info in real time, if the Archerfish Quattro spies something funky, it'll send a message to your mobile phone or email. The system is expandable so that you can have as many cameras in the setup as you want (well, up to four), and best of all? It's available at Amazon now, so you can order it without having to leave home -- which you don't want to do yet. It's just not safe. The Archerfish Quattro system can be purchased now for a starting price of $1700. Full PR is after the break.
The challenges and rewards of espionage in EVE Online
Goonswarm spymaster The Mittani took a different approach with his latest EVE Online column at Ten Ton Hammer, and conducted an interview with a corporate saboteur titled "The Most Dangerous Agent". While it should be stated that most players in EVE do not engage in espionage, it's a career path of sorts that any player could potentially engage in, provided they have the combination of intelligence, social skills, and dedication needed to succeed. It's that aspect of dedication which often goes unmentioned -- the challenge of maintaining long-term duplicity. The Mittani's interview with a player anonymously referred to as "Darwin's Accelerator" explains how a player with destructive aims greater than simply engaging a few enemy ships at a time can use intel to devastating effect, wiping out entire fleets. Maintaining a persona that fits in with the target organization and thus won't arouse suspicion, however, can be difficult if the infiltrator genuinely dislikes the members that comprise the corporation or alliance.
DocuPen X hits earth for all your pen scanner needs
Thinking maybe you can't live another day without finally breaking down and purchasing a pen scanner? We can sympathize. There are plenty on the market, but the newly hatched DocuPen X Series is mildly more interesting than most out there. They've managed to cram 64MB of memory, Bluetooth, a tiny OLED screen and a lithium ion battery all in that tiny package, and if you're the sunflower seed-eating, alien-hunting type, you probably want one of these for scanning your files at up to 600 dots per inch. DocuPen's teensy X Series scanners start at $370.
Jedi Knight officially steps into The Old Republic spotlight
Rumors and speculation have been floating around this week about the Jedi Knight, so no big surprise when BioWare reveals that, yes, Knights of the Jedi persuasion are in fact a player class in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The news comes with all the expected class page accoutrements such as screens, concept art and a few videos showing off three Jedi Knight attacks. It's all standard practice information release at this point, which only slightly dilutes the excitement of the announcement. The videos all show the proper level of Jedi powerhousing that you'd expect, although we're not entirely cool with all the droid destroying that's happening. Sure, we're aware that unlike Sith, Jedi are limited to disabling droids and pushing things around but that's no excuse to pick on the little helpless mechanical people. Yes, we said people -- robots are people too! In all seriousness, this is probably the class reveal everyone has been waiting for and/or expecting all along. Jedi and Sith were a given, so from here on out it's almost entirely anyone's guess. Spy? Rogue? Droids? Wookiees? Albino Ewoks? Okay, that's a little silly, nobody wants to play a rogue over a spy.%Gallery-35034%%Gallery-35033%
Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?
Major EVE Online roleplaying alliance Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA) disbanded today, possibly the result of a traitor within their ranks, leaving a power vacuum in the Providence region they once held. It's possible for high-level directors of an alliance to disband the organization, and this is exactly what happened today to Curatores Veritatis Alliance. CVA was an alliance loyal to the game's NPC faction the Amarr Empire and had a long history of enforcing rule in lawless space and resisting rival player organizations of Minmatar freedom fighters -- notably Ushra'Khan -- who they branded as terrorists. In short, CVA has played a significant role in the player-driven setting of EVE Online. At this point, speculation as to how CVA was disbanded is rampant. The concept of a mole using high-level access to destroy an alliance from within is not unprecedented in the game, although some players are asserting an account hack took place. EVE pilot "BULLETPROOF 50CENT" of the corporation Traceless Representatives of Anonymous Players (TRAP) has claimed credit for the disintegration of CVA. He stated: "I am known as bullet, just a small, relatively unknown member of a covert organization, created by and dedicated to the taking down of what we saw as the single largest evil in EVE -- CVA."
Earthrise developers seeking community input on alts
Earthrise is an indy-developed science fiction MMO on the way from Masthead Studios in Bulgaria. The developers have stated that Earthrise will be a sandbox game, with a large part of the player experience based on what guilds try to accomplish in the post-apocalyptic setting of Enterra. Given this emphasis on player-driven content, Masthead Studios has been running a Community Consensus over the past few weeks where the devs seek input from Earthrise fans on various aspects of the game's design. Today Masthead Studios wants to hear what the community thinks about alts. In most MMOs having extra character slots is expected, but alt play in a sandbox game where players will engage in espionage could get out of hand. Would the ability to easily for any player to create a cell of spy alts unbalance the game, or should there be a tight limit on character slots per account?
Mysterious HTC Android phone spied, might lean the way of the Dragon
In an almost perfect world, this spy shot would be of the rumored HTC Dragon, reminiscent of the HD2 with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and packing the latest version of Android / Sense UI -- in a more perfect world, this would all have been confirmed last week and in our hands today delivered via unicorn express, but that's obviously not happening. Still, there's something new and exciting about this device, but we're grasping at straws beyond the handful of pics The Unlockr managed to obtain, several more of which can found just beyond the read link. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
EVE Evolved: Corporate Infiltration for fun and profit, part 2
end-legacy-contents -->Planning the dirty deed: Once you're in the corp, you absolutely must
EVE Evolved: Corporate Infiltration for fun and profit
Of all the EVE Online stories I've heard over the years, none have impressed and inspired me as much as those detailing a well-planned corporate heist. These aren't your run-of-the-mill contract scammers or corp hanger thieves. A professional corporate spy can earn the deepest levels of trust, destroy a corporation from the inside out, rob its members of their most prized possessions and then disappear without a trace. They're the people that pull the strings of war in the background, pitting alliances against each other to meet their own ends. The Guiding Hand Social Club's famous 2005 heist remains to this day possibly the single most impressive story in EVE history and serves as a benchmark of value and style for a heist that has seldom since been matched.When I'm not busy writing about EVE or running sleeper anomalies with my buddies, I find myself delving more and more into the dark side of EVE. From wormhole piracy and courier contract theft to full-blown corporate infiltration, this year has bestowed on me a great deal of experience in the dirty underworld of EVE. In this article, I explain how to infiltrate a corp successfully and capitalise on the opportunities it throws at you.
HTC Leo Windows Mobile 6.5 slate is capacitive? (update: video!)
The Leo is fast becoming HTC's latest worst kept secret. Pics and video are popping up everywhere with the latest set giving a full visual walkthrough of what appears to be TouchFlo 3D 2.6 riding Windows 6.5. Even better, ai.rs blog claims that Leo is indeed capacitive -- something strongly suggested by the multi-touch video leaked a few days ago -- and not some fancy resistive touchscreen tech. We've got backside action now too, sporting a big "HTCPRO.Three" stamp we presume heralds Pro3 branding whenever this 1GHz Snapdragon handset launches. But man, that 4.3-inch, 800x480 display's looking positively massive next to the 3.2-inch version found on the Touch Diamond2. Check the back after the break.Update: Video showing Leo's very snappy, finger-centric UI added after the break.
Sony Walkman S740 spied in Japan
Sony has a new Walkman S-series device in the chute as demonstrated by this S740 model seen hanging out at the Sony Dealer Convention in Japan. Hard data is scarce but visually we can see a slightly tweaked industrial design with beefier earbuds and a lack of stereo speakers -- at least on the front. Otherwise, we're told that these will ship in 8GB and 16GB capacities.Update: Looks like a few more images have leaked out -- it must be true, right? Thanks, Glenn!
Former Maxis employee working on new project, SpyParty
If you enjoyed the bioengineering action of Spore, you owe Chris Hecker a debt of gratitude. He was a contributing developer for the title, and is a six-year employee at Maxis -- rather, he was an employee, until he was let go from the company during Maxis' recent round of layoffs. However, he's not recovering from the downsizing by crying into his ice cream -- instead, he's using his newly found free time to develop one of the most interesting-sounding independent games we've heard of in a while. Hecker's project, SpyParty, pits two players against each other in two different roles -- one plays the eponymous Spy, who must move around a party, discreetly completing objectives and blending in with the other guests. The other player is a Sniper who must identify the Spy's movements, and, well, snipe them. The game was received fairly well when demoed at GDC earlier this year -- now, we hope Hecker will have the time he needs to crank out a finished product. Best of luck, Chris! [Via Big Download]
Possible Palm Pre, Eos, Storm 2, and more revealed in Verizon database
Well would you look at those. Six snaps from Verizon's internal inventory database showing the BlackBerry Storm 2, Touch Pro 2, Omnia II, the Samsung Convoy and a pair of previously unseen Palm devices tagged with "P101" and "P121" monikers. It's just a guess, but we, like PhoneArena, think there's a very good chance that these are the Pre (already shipping on Sprint as model P100 according to the FCC) and its little Eos cousin, respectively. Now, anyone still doubting a Q1 2010 release on Big Red?
Etisalat BlackBerry update was indeed spyware, RIM provides a solution
Um, yikes? An unexpected (and unwanted) surprise struck some 145,000 BlackBerry users in the UAE this time last week, when an official looking prompt coerced many of the aforesaid Etisalat customers to follow through with a software update. Rather than bringing about performance enhancements, the SS8-built app enabled the carrier to keep tabs on customers' messages. According to RIM: "Etisalat appears to have distributed a telecommunications surveillance application... independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could then enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone. Independent sources have concluded that the Etisalat update is not designed to improve performance of your BlackBerry Handheld, but rather to send received messages back to a central server." Like we said, yikes. The zaniest part is that Etisalat isn't backing down, still assuring the world that the upgrades were "required for service enhancements." At any rate, RIM has made remarkably clear that the update wasn't one authorized by the company, and it's even providing an app remover for those who'd prefer their BlackBerry to be in working order and, you know, not forwarding all their email to some dude in an Etisalat supply closet. Good on you, RIM. Bad on you, Etisalat.[Thanks, Gerald]Read - Confirmation of spywareRead - RIM app remover
Thanko's Spy Button video camera, because you've already failed
So what if Thanko's ¥5,980 (about $62) Spy Button Camera doesn't look exactly like the other buttons on your shirt. Anyone inclined to wear such a device to covertly record VGA video at 15fps (or 1280x1024 stills) to 4GB of internal memory isn't likely to get noticed in a crowd anyway. At least the magnetic on/off switch gives renewed purpose to your wedding ring while offering evidence of your continued poor decision making skills. Just be sure to bring your inhaler to keep your breathless excitement in check.[Via Akihabara News]
Ask Engadget: What's the best GPS tracker for under $300?
Think fast! You've just stumbled upon this week's episode of Ask Engadget, and just like those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books from yesteryear, you've a few choices here. One is to leave like a coward; another is to really dig in and contribute; and another is to drop some knowledge and send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com. While you ponder which route is best for you, here's Matthew's plea: "There are so many GPS trackers on the market today to choose from. I'm just looking for basic monitoring abilities and decent battery life, and of course I want one that's as small and discrete as possible. Which is the best one for less than $300?" No need to confess in comments what you use your own tracker for (trust us, we could narrow it down on our own), but do tell if you've found a winner. Bonus points if your module has landed your scandalous SO on a recent episode of Cheaters.
E3 2009: Massively's day 2 roundup
We thought the first day of E3 2009 turned out pretty well, with announcements for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Final Fantasy XIV, and All Points Bulletin. That's in addition to the packed interview schedule we lined up so we'll have plenty more to show you in the coming days. While the Massively team frantically taps their fingertips down into little bloody tater tots to bring you more fresh E3 goodness, have a look at some highlights of what day 2 of E3 2009 brought in MMO news. Massively's day one video from the E3 floor In-game footage from The Agency Platform release info for Final Fantasy XIV The Dares concert in Free Realms sets Guinness World Record Hands-on with Global Agenda Friends fix coming to Free Realms Want to see more? We've got E3 galleries to flip through for these titles and events after the jump.
E3 2009: The Agency in-game footage
As part of our extensive E3 tour through SOE's newest games, launched and upcoming, we got a fairly good look at some gameplay footage in The Agency. Of course, you know The Agency as the spy MMO that had everyone talking at last year's E3. With this new gameplay footage, you lucky readers (or, viewers) get to see what to expect when the game launches.Click through after the jump to see the game's lead producer, Lorien Gremore, show us around a bit with combat, stealth, minigames and even a bit of female persuasion tactics*.* Not from Lorien%Gallery-64902% Massively is on the ground in Los Angeles this week and covering all the latest E3 MMO news coming from the convention. Check out our breaking coverage (or all the Joystiq network E3 reporting) and keep your eye on Massively's front page for the latest developments.
The Agency declassifies intel for revamped game site
One of the new titles on the way from Sony Online Entertainment is The Agency which promises to bring espionage into the world of MMOs. There were no announcements for The Agency at today's Sony press event at the E3 Expo, but we've noticed that there's new content to be found on the game's official site. A quick search of The Agency site reveals some new screenshots and wallpapers, concept art, info about both playable factions -- U.N.I.T.E. (spies) and Paragon (mercenaries) -- and a tongue-in-cheek 'evaluation quiz' for recruitment to each faction. In addition to the new art assets, they've also got their latest trailer up on the site as well. If you've been looking forward to some spies-and-mercenaries gameplay in an MMO, check out what's new on The Agency's revamped site.
Spy Ear power strip lets you listen from the floor
Yeah, it's not the wildest power strip design we've ever seen, but the Spy Ear has a secret: a hidden SIM card slot and cell radio that allows you to monitor what's happening in your absence. Just dial in and listen away -- we're not sure how much you'll hear from the usual places a power strip is hidden, but it'll be better than nothing, nosy.[Via Red Ferret]
