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Microsoft renews alliance with SUSE, throws $100 million in pocket change at Linux
Microsoft and Linux haven't always had the friendliest of rapports but, a few years back, the folks at Redmond decided to cozy up to Novell and the enterprise-focused distro SUSE. The German arm of the company even wished Tux a happy 20th birthday last week, in an attempt to further thaw their notoriously chilly relationship. Now the Windows crew have decided to renew their partnership with SUSE and have committed to purchasing $100 million in technical support for Microsoft Enterprise customers who also happen to be running Linux boxes as part of their operations. It's not about to stop claiming that the open source OS violates several of its patents, but at least they've learned to get along with out suing each other into oblivion... unlike some other companies we could name. Cough. Check out the full PR after the break.
Blood Sport: Finding your PVP playstyle in arena, part 2
Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 Gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more in Blood Sport. We talked last week about finding your PVP playstyle in an attempt to find better partners. People with the same view on how an arena battle should be won usually find themselves doing much better than otherwise. The strategy doesn't have to be necessarily the best strategy or tactics used, as long as everyone is on the same page. I've seen inferior strategies work wonders when everyone on the opposing team is in sync with each other. While we went over a variety of topics, including offense vs. defense, crowd control vs. damage, and leader vs. follower mentality, I don't believe I've quite done justice to healers or overarching views on arena. So we'll be discussing this for a bit more today, then moving onto something else next week.
Nokia commits to N9 support, gives MeeGo a reprieve for 'years' to come
Stephen Elop is certainly over MeeGo, but considering Nokia's promised commitment to Symbian, you didn't really think the company would simply abandon the infant OS and star of its flagship N9 handset, did you? No, it seems that Nokia will be supporting MeeGo for years to come, with several software updates and ample positive vibes coming from Espoo. The goodwill arrives courtesy of Nokia's Head of Portfolio Management, Klas Ström, and is an important step toward assuaging the "dead end" perception that Mr. Elop may have instilled. Whether the developer curiosity otherwise known as the Nokia N950 will receive a similar outpouring of love has yet to be established, but if not... perhaps the MeeGo community can pick up the slack. Hey, it never hurts to dream, folks.
Wyse PocketCloud aims to get your desktop anywhere you are
If the name Wyse sounds familiar, it's probably because the company has been doing remote access since the days of acoustic couplers and 300-baud modems. Founded in 1981, it has evolved from its early days of creating 'dumb terminals' to become an industry leader in virtual desktops, giving users access to servers or virtualized PCs through protocols like VNC, RDP or VMware View. Expanding the Wyse offerings to the smartphone and tablet space wasn't that big a leap, and it's been pretty successful. Last week the company announced that its PocketCloud products for iOS and Android have been downloaded over a million times. The current version of PocketCloud Pro for iPhone and iPad (US$14.99) delivers both local connectivity and a handy Google App Engine locator service for remote machines. You can install the desktop client on your Mac or PC, authenticate with your Google account, and immediately operate all your active computers as though you were sitting in front of them. With a $0.99 monthly in-app purchase, you can also get file browser/file transfer access to your PCs, AirPrint printing, video streaming from the remote RDP server or VMware View service, slimmed-down browser mode (including Flash and audio) and more. (Compare to the $29.99 LogMeIn Ignition app, which I'm also quite fond of.) PocketCloud also comes in an ad-supported free version, which only allows you to keep one computer in your destinations list among other limitations; for everything except VMware View, however, it's a good way to test out the app and see if it suits you. The PocketCloud UI is about as friendly as I've seen in remote access apps, with a clever 'smart pointer' tool that gives you precise mouse positioning, left/right click and rapid keyboard access. Like all the apps in this category, it takes a while to configure it and get comfortable with operating the remote machine, but once you get your legs (or fingers) under you, it becomes second nature. Obviously, remote access tools are vital to system administrators or IT support folk -- even for supporting family and friends -- but Wyse is interested in expanding that audience. I spoke to David Nagy last week, Wyse's mobile unit director of product marketing, and he pointed out that mobile businesspeople and small business owners don't really want to bring their laptops everywhere when they can manage with an iPad. Still, there are moments when they need access to specific desktop apps or files, and tools like PocketCloud (combined with file storage options like Dropbox) can make that happen. There's also a growing market for virtual desktops provisioned for business, student or home users; Nagy suggested that the long-anticipated rental market for desktop applications ("Need Excel for the day? That'll be $2, thanks!") could be kickstarted by ubiquitous, inexpensive remote access on devices like the iPad. That'd certainly bring new meaning to the term 'thin client.' There's a brief PocketCloud overview video below.
Apple updates support page with more "tap-friendly" layout
Apple's support web page has been re-designed with several large, easily-clicked and tapped areas, less text and a more product-centered focus. Here's a brief look at what's new. The most obvious change is the page's layout. The text-heavy sidebars are gone from the main page, as is the "All Products..." drop-down menu. Now, a horizontal row of products dominates the top of the page. Support pages for the Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes and "other products" are a tap away. Additionally, links to "Video Tutorials" and "Downloads" have been given a more prominent location, joining the "Manuals," "Tech Specs" and "Communities" jump off points from the previous design. Those pages are well-designed, too. For example, the Video Tutorials page features seven videos (as of this writing), presented in large, clickable squares. Here's a comparison of the old support page (left) vs. the current design. The new layout is well-suited for iOS devices. Each main section is large enough to be tapped without zooming on the iPhone, and on the iPad actually resembles the iPad-powered information kiosks running in Apple Stores. Most of the information is the same, but the layout is much more tap-friendly. Try it out and let us know what you think.
Eden Eternal turns the spotlight on the Cleric
Despite being deep in the beta process -- or perhaps because of it -- Eden Eternal has emerged to highlight another one of its 15 classes: the Cleric. Master of buffing and heals, the Cleric promises to be a welcome addition to any team (not to mention a very solo-capable class). Clerics are unlocked at level 5 and are the first characters to be capable of healing and supporting others. The class has access to seven Cleric-only skills as well as five skills available to all support classes. And while Clerics -- like all classes in the game -- can wield any weapon, they do the best when equipped with a mace. You can check out the class trailer for the Cleric after the jump, and make sure to check out our first impressions of Eden Eternal if you haven't done so already!
Microsoft, Facebook, RIM, and others write to the FCC in support of AT&T-Mobile merger
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has mail. It's only a page and a paragraph long, but the letter he's received this week has much gravitas attached to it, coming as it does from a select group of the tech industry's biggest companies, all of whom are lending their support to AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile. Of the eight new proponents of the deal, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo form a sub-group of software / web content distributors, whereas Qualcomm, RIM, Avaya, Brocade, and Oracle will have been motivated to speak up because they see the takeover as expanding opportunities to sell their mobile and networking hardware. The entire octet agrees that the melding of AT&T and T-Mobile's networks into one is a requisite move for broadening mobile broadband availability in the US and for keeping the country competitive with the rest of the world. In their words, "an increasingly robust and efficient wireless network is part of a virtuous innovation cycle." Virtuous for them, perhaps, but what about consumers faced with an increasingly binary choice of mobile carrier? Who shall protect their virtue?
Gameloft's Order and Chaos MMO for iOS makes $1M in 20 days
Some people might have chuckled at the resemblance of Gameloft's Order and Chaos Online to the popular World of Warcraft. It's actually a near clone of the very popular Blizzard Entertainment title, squeezed down into the iPhone. But it turns out Gameloft will be the one who laughs last. The game has reportedly already brought in a million dollars in revenue, just in its first 20 days of existence. That's pretty impressive. I presume that total includes the game's actual sale price of US$6.99, along with any other in-app purchases made. Of course, that initial revenue will probably be hard to replicate, but there's definitely a following for this one. That will encourage Gameloft to support it (more on that in a second), and it may even encourage other companies to step up with their own MMO titles for iOS. Including Blizzard eventually? We can only hope. Speaking of that support, Gameloft has also announced that an update for the game is coming that will add new quests and a few metagame features, like new chat channels and the ability to transfer around servers. Future updates will also bring PvP gameplay and new dungeons to explore, so O&C players can look forward to that.
Intel's Ivy Bridge coming Q1 2012, growing festive moss while you wait
If you were religiously awaiting the fruition of last month's Intel leak, brace yourself: we've got another one. Although Intel's updated roadmap hasn't changed anything per se, it does offer a few specifics. Whereas the previous schedule only suggested we'd be crossing the Ivy Bridge in the first half of 2012, the new roadmap shows the 22 nanometer processor penned in at the end of the first quarter. The Sandy Bridge E series is still on schedule for Q4 however, so unless you just have to have native USB 3.0 and DirectX 11 support, you still have plenty to look forward to. Otherwise, we'll see you in April.
New Blizzard support site lets you track, edit, and update your GM tickets
Submitting a GM ticket has always been sort of an arcane process -- you're not really sure where your ticket goes, or to who, or what steps have been taken to resolve your particular issue. It's a pain! Thankfully, it's always been a long-term goal of the support department to demystify and improve the support process for players, and Blizzard has unveiled a big new step in that direction: a new support website. What's so great about it? Well, it collects all lines of communication for support in one place and attempts to provide automated help for your request where applicable, while you wait for a representative. The biggest improvement, though, is that the site lets you track the progress of your support requests. This includes tech support emails, billing inquiries, and yes, GM tickets. You can edit your ticket while it's in the queue, track it, and even update your ticket and place it back in queue after it's been closed if you feel it wasn't addressed properly. The full text of Blizzard's announcement is after the cut.
Opera Mini lands on the iPad in version 6.0
Been loving the Opera Mini experience on your iPhone and wishing for it on your larger iOS device? Opera is today turning that desire into reality with the release of v6.0 of its Mini mobile browser, which now has support for all iOS portables, including the iPad and iPad 2, plus a specific shoutout for the iPhone 4's retina display. The overall design of the web explorer has also been freshened up, with a "new look and feel," while a social sharing function will let you blast URLs into Twitter and Facebook directly from the app. Additionally, the new version includes the ability to load tabs in the background and improves support for non-Latin alphabets like Arabic and Chinese. Hit the source link for the download. [Thanks, Chris]
Microsoft rebuts Intel's claims about Windows 8, calls them 'factually inaccurate'
Bad Intel! Microsoft has issued a strongly worded response to comments this week from Intel SVP Renee James describing the future of Windows 8 on ARM as fragmented and backwards-incompatible. Those statements, says Microsoft, were "factually inaccurate and unfortunately misleading," though we're left without clarification as to what specifically was untrue. James claimed that legacy x86 programs won't be running on the ARM architecture, requiring a re-write for developers and probably a re-purchase for users. She also went on to suggest that each of the four hardware suppliers for Windows 8 systems-on-chip will have a different code stack, incompatible with the rest, which sounds like a far worse allegation to us. Now the issue is to try and figure out which of those two big accusations Microsoft has taken offense to. The Redmond team had nothing more to say on the matter, offering only a reminder that Windows 8 is still at the tech demo stage and there's still a long way to go.
Google adding Netflix, Hulu support, offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs to Chrome OS this summer, prices hardware at $20 per month
Google's currently in the process of detailing Chrome OS' latest improvements and there are a couple of big 'uns: Netflix and Hulu support will be available right out of the box for the pair of new Chromebooks -- one from Samsung and one from Acer. An improved file manager has also been added to the upcoming version of Chrome OS, plus offline versions of Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs -- all will be made available for Chromebook users this summer. You can learn more about these improvements in the video after the break. Far more monumental, Google's also just announced the cost of these Chromebooks and there's no upfront payment to speak of. Instead, Chrome OS laptops will be distributed on the basis of a recurring monthly subscription, which will cost $28 per user for businesses and $20 per user for schools. That includes regular software and hardware upgrades. Hardware as a service, folks! %Gallery-123369%
EVE Spotlight: An interview with GM Guard
EVE Spotlight is a new bi-weekly feature in which we interview prominent members of EVE Online's player community or development team. Twice each month, we'll be shining the spotlight on a player or developer who has a significant impact on EVE to highlight the efforts of EVE's most influential people. It's an inherent part of MMO development that certain employees must take on a very visible role in the game's online community. This is especially true in EVE Online as developers are encouraged to communicate with players through the forum and write detailed devblogs on what they're working on. In that sense, GM Guard needs very little introduction. Along with GM Grimmi and others, Guard has been a very public face for GMs in the community for as long as I can remember. While Guard has made huge contributions to EVE behind the scenes as a lead GM, he's probably most well-known for his role in CCP's internal band Permaband. He has now moved on from the GM team to become EVE's new Community Developer. The role of GMs in any MMO is pivotal, and yet they so often come under fire from players who don't get the response they're hoping for or who have to wait too long for an answer. Many EVE players are also unaware of the procedures for escalating petitions, reporting exploits, contacting internal affairs or other important activities. In this EVE Spotlight, we got together with former Lead GM Guard to pick his brains on these topics, find out a little about CCP's support division, and ask about Permaband's next song.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Looking for groups
Like some of you, I feel that RIFT's Update 1.2 can't get here soon enough. A good content update, in my opinion, has a little something for everyone, and in talking with Trion Worlds last week, I definitely got that feeling from this patch. The team is catering to endgame players with Slivers, build-enthusiasts with a fifth role, rift-runners with new types of dynamic events, and people who aren't content to merely spam my Twitter feed with accomplishments but must now do so from inside Facebook as well. I'd be lying if I said I'm not planning on spending huge amounts of time assembling dashing and fashionable outfits for my characters once the wardrobe is in the game, too. I'm all about outfits in Lord of the Rings Online, so it's great to see RIFT bring this type of system into the game (unlike some other stubborn studios, which shall remain nameless). Players like to feel powerful while looking incredible, and this outfit system will hopefully allay some of the complaints of similar-looking toons. Above all this in Update 1.2 towers one of the biggest changes to the game yet: the Looking for Group (LFG) tool. Designed to assemble teams of players to tackle dungeons and group quests, the LFG tool will certainly change how we play RIFT. Will it be a good change or bad? That's the $1,000,000 question, which I will tackle after these brief messages, by which I mean, "after the jump."
Possible fix for font issues in 10.6.7
Late last month, a troubling font issue came to light after Apple rolled out version 10.6.7 of Mac OS X. The update appeared to cause problems with the printing and PDF handling of OpenType PostScript fonts. Apple has not officially acknowledged the problem, but a growing thread on Apple's discussion boards details the issues Mac users are experiencing. Good news for those affected by this font problem as forum member KJK555 claims to have a fix. KJK555 has released an installation package that replaces the affected 10.6.7 ATS.framework binaries with the previous 10.6.6 versions. The ATS.framework is involved in the font layout and management of Apple Type Services Before you jump for joy, the initial success rate of this fix is mixed. Some folks claim font issues in apps such as LiveType disappear, while others are still reporting problems with Adobe apps like Acrobat distiller. If you are plagued by this problem and don't want to wait for Apple to roll out an official update, this solution may be worth a try. As always, proceed at your own risk, as there is always the chance of a negative outcome when you start mucking around with system components, such as fonts and printing. If you do bravely forge ahead and apply the fix, give us a shout in the comments and let us know how it works for you. Thanks, Laurie!
Apple revamps/rebrands discussion forums as Apple Support Communities
Throughout the day we've had a number of readers contact us to say the Apple Discussion Forums were down. Now we know why. Apple has just launched Apple Support Communities, a revamped discussion forum with the focus on allowing Mac and iOS users to find answers to their questions quickly and easily. Don't worry, if you've started or replied to any topics in the past, all your old posts are still there. What the Apple Support Communities redesign does is add nifty little features, like an easier-to-browse forum, the ability to "like" any post, and even the ability to upload images so that you can show everyone just what it is you are talking about ("See! I get two beach balls, not one!"). Head on over to the support communities and check them out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Also, you can check out a walk-through of all the new features here.
HTC Sense 3.0 will only support Sensation, EVO 3D, Flyer and newer devices; older hardware left behind
Unfortunate news for anyone who saw HTC's Sense 3.0 UI and started dreaming about seeing it on their Desire HD, Incredible S or any other handset that doesn't ship with it preloaded. HTC has said that because of the hardware requirements of the fancier new Android skin, only the dual-core Sensation and EVO 3D smartphones and the 1.5GHz Flyer tablet will be benefiting from it for now. The company's expected to introduce more tablets in the summer and its inevitable march forward with smartphones will continue, but Sense 3.0 -- and those delectable multifunctional lock screens -- will remain the exclusive privilege of its highest-end devices. Update: Those older devices may be missing the boat, but they will at least get a set of floaties. HTC left a message on Twitter that the company is "working to incorporate other aspects" of Sense 3.0 that will come to older devices. Hopefully this includes that flash new weather app.
What is 'ix.Mac.MarketingName' and why is it listed as a supported device for iOS apps?
On today's session of "things to ponder before lunch," we have a strange new text string added to the iTunes preview of some iOS apps, which identifies an "ix.Mac.MarketingName" as one of the compatible devices with software designed for iOS. We're seeing it listed alongside a whole bunch of apps, but importantly not all of them, which hints that it might not be just a stray piece of code or a bug in the system. The location-aware and voice-centric MyVoice Communication Aid and Microsoft's Bing for iPad apps do not include that funky MarketingName code, suggesting that it's there as a placeholder for a new supported device of some sort -- could apps finally be coming to the Apple TV? For now, we'd rather not stack speculation on top of uncertainty, so we'll just jot this down as another interesting development in the walled garden of Cupertino and wait patiently to see what (if anything) comes from it. [Thanks, Daniel, Chris and Nick]
LG Optimus 2X to be upgraded to Gingerbread in summer, says Danish support site (updated)
Other than saying Gingerbread will be forthcoming for its dual-core Optimus 2X Android handset, LG has been pretty mum on the subject of software updates. It's good, therefore, to finally extract a timeframe out of the company, albeit from a somewhat obscure source. LG's Danish support site tells us that the P990 (the internal code number for the 2X) will be updated to Android 2.3 "in June-July 2011." That's a fair bit later than we might have expected or hoped for the upgrade to happen, particularly given the various software foibles that the device we reviewed suffered from, but the summer of 2011 will always be preferable to the summer of never. A final warning is perhaps merited here to say that LG has been a bit inconsistent when it comes to software roadmaps, so consider this one scribbled down in pencil until we hear more concrete confirmation from the company. [Thanks, Michael] Update: LG's marketing chief for Denmark and Iceland, Morten Aagard, has responded to this intel by saying that actually the Optimus 2X will be updated to Android 2.3 in "mid-May." Update 2: Morten's been misquoted, apparently. LG has now told us directly that it's targeting this summer.
