Timeline
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Acer Aspire Timeline thin-and-lights priced for the US: $600 to $900
Acer's Aspire Timeline inexpensive thin-and-lights have been popping up here and there around the world since we first laid eyes on 'em in April, and now the CULV machines are ready to hit the States. Pricing is actually a little lower than we initially heard, with the base 15.6-inch 1.3GHz Pentium SU2700 machine coming in at $598, but you're more interested in the two smaller machines: the 14-inch, 4.2-pound 1.4GHz SU3500 Core Solo unit is $699, while the 13.3-inch, 3.5-pound 1.4GHz SU9400 Core 2 Duo pictured above is $899. All three machines feature 16:9 1366 x 768 LED-backlit displays driven by Intel 4500MHD graphics, and battery life exceeds eight hours, aided by a PowerSmart energy-saving switch. So -- anyone still thinking about an Adamo? Full press release and two more pics after the break.
Acer Aspire Timeline out of the box and loving life
While it's always a fun rush to see an unopened box in a Canadian store room, we're much more excited about what's inside the box, and friendly tipster James somehow managed to buy himself an Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TZ-4657 in Iowa about a week ago. For a scant $598 he got a 15-inch display, DVD drive, Intel U2700 1.3GHz processor and 3GB of RAM -- which makes most similarly specced "thin and lights" seem a little silly in comparison. He says he's gotten around 7 hours of battery on max power saving mode, and about 4-5 hours on max use, finds the 720p webcam comparable to a Flip camera, enjoys the keyboard and multitouch trackpad, and overall finds the system to be very quick and responsive running Vista. Acer still hasn't confirmed an official lineup, price or availability for these things, but we've gotta think it's gonna be soon -- if this is right, it's almost too good not to share.
Acer Aspire Timeline found in the wild, chilling in Canada and up for pre-order in UK
Acer's been largely mum about its new Aspire Timeline laptop since its initial unveiling back in early April, but now it looks like the company's getting ready to roll out the portable to the customer base at large, if these spy shots from a from a Canadian-based Future Shop store are any indication. The list of specs is a bit hard to read, but from what we gather, the 14-inch Aspire 4810TZ-4129 is packing a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU2700, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, a DVD drive, WiFi, WAN, a touted 8 hour battery life, and Windows Vista Home Premium. No indication on the price or official street date, however, but if they're being sent to retail, we can't imagine we'll be waiting too much longer. Feast your own eyes on the specs sheet in the image after the break. Update: Reader Oleg has written in to let us know it's also up for pre-order at UK retail site PC World -- 14-inch for £550 and 15.6-inch for £600. [Thanks, waterboy99troop]
Where in time is Azeroth?
There's a great question fluttering around the community lately: just when are we anyway? It's a good one for the Lore Nerd, actually, and maybe he can answer it in more detail than I can, but it's almost a question of relativity as much as it is of lore. The official lore says that World of Warcraft takes place four years after Warcraft III (hence the reason for the "four years have passed..." in the opening cinematic). And since then, we've heard from Blizzard that they consider every expansion to be another year in the history of Azeroth -- Burning Crusade takes place a year after the original game, and Wrath of the Lich King two years after that. But when, for example, did Van Cleef fall? Has it been just under two years since his plan to attack Stormwind was defeated? And what about our characters -- you'd assume that if you started from level 1 today, the story would be beginning four years after the events of Warcraft III again, so have our characters aged two years since they first stepped foot out of Elwynn or Durotar? And we'll ignore that when you get to Orgrimmar, you might see Death Knights walking around, who technically won't join the Horde until two years in the future.See how confusing? Of course, the right answer to all of these questions is "it's just a game," but there are plenty of interesting thought experiments here. Time and story in the World of Warcraft aren't necessarily connected, which is why Blizzard can get away with things like having Kael'thas in two places at once, but still tripped up by things like getting Onyxia out of Stormwind. Phasing helps a little bit (and who knows what WoW would be like if Blizzard designed it from the ground up with phasing -- we'll have to wait for the next-gen MMO to see how that works). The official timeline has Arthas brooding in Icecrown for around six years. But just like real relativity, our characters have experienced that time period in all sorts of different ways.
Hints of the Smuggler class in new SWTOR timeline update
Who broke the Mandalorian blockade on Coruscant? Why, it was those wily Smugglers, that's who! The Sith weren't expecting the Galactic Republic to find assistance with that particular criminal aspect, but find it they did -- and you can learn all about it through the latest Star Wars: The Old Republic timeline update.Of course, if this second update doesn't just scream, "Smuggler class!" then we're not sure you were paying close enough attention. Then again, BioWare could just be trying to throw us off the trail by making the Smugglers such an obvious component to the back story. The problem is that, either way, you really cany have Star Wars without these guys somewhere in the story. Who knows, maybe they'll be called Scoundrels instead?And of course there's the possibility that Mandalorians will be featured as an Empire class, or at least the new update seems to loosely imply as much. Either way, we should expect some kind of shady character classes to be announced sometime in the near future.
Engadget Podcast 141 - 04.10.2009
That's right everyone -- it's the Engadget Podcast. If you're down with gadgets, chatting, and just kicking it ill, you're in the right place. Hear your friends Josh, Paul, and Nilay discuss the week in technology, and expound on their belief that the P.U.M.A. is a dangerous rickshaw, Acer has stepped up to the netbook plate in a big way, and Microsoft might not be totally on the level with its new ads. Ready to get the blood boiling? Dip your toes into the jacuzzi of chat that is the podcast, and enjoy! Note: There appears to be some very weird timing issues going on with our audio in this installment. If it seems like we're talking over each other more than normal, don't be too alarmed. We're looking into it now. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Back In Black 01:40 - Engadget's wild ride in the P.U.M.A. 15:35 - Peapod the friendly Neighborhood Electric Vehicle in the flesh 24:40 - Acer launches first NVIDIA Ion-based nettop: AspireRevo 35:15 - Acer announces Aspire Timeline thin'n'lights -- $699 to $899 46:15 - Microsoft's second Laptop Hunters commercial: Giampaulo buys an HP HDX Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
Acer's Aspire Timeline gets its own splash page and press shots, like a real laptop
While Acer had slides aplenty to tout its new Aspire Timeline series of laptops last night, we were a bit short on actual press shots. All is forgiven however, with Acer's new smooth jazz fusion-infused promo site for the laptop. Not only can you read riveting PR copy on the thing ("Time is your most precious possession, and as with all precious things, you can never have enough") and check out some press shots, but the soundtrack will take you back to the last time you were watching PBS in between programs -- Charlie Rose is on at 11PM, just in case you were wondering.Read - Aspire TimelineRead - Full spec sheet
Acer announces Aspire Timeline thin'n'lights -- $699 to $899
Acer's announcing a ton of new gear right now (we're live at the event in a New Jersey IMAX theater, of all places) and the hottest new products so far are the new Aspire Timeline laptops. Hard specs are a little light at the moment, but what we do know sounds pretty great: 13.3, 14.1 and 15.6-inch LED-backlit 16:9 screens in a one-inch thick chassis, Intel ULV processors, multitouch touchpads, HDMI and S/PDIF out, and eight hours of battery life -- 10 hours with an SSD. The real killer is pricing, however: $699 to $899. Ouch -- poor Adamo. We're still at the event, but we'll be trying to get as much info on these as we can, stay tuned.Update: We got some more detailed specs, and things are still looking good -- like, built-in WiMAX good. The processors will be ULV Core 2 Duos, and the 13.3-inch model will weigh 3.5 pounds while the 15.6-incher will tip in at 5.3 pounds. RAM is DDR3 and drives top out at 500GB spinners and 64GB SSD. We're angling for clock speeds, we'll let you know when we go hands-on
The Old Republic's timeline as voiced by Lance Henriksen
If there's one thing a self indulging Star Wars fan knows, it's that lore is bountiful in our favorite science fiction pastime. So it comes as little surprised that a series high quality weekly webcomics just isn't enough for Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare has gone the distance and begun to put forth an audio timeline leading up to the current peace between the Galatic Republic and Sith Empire.The historical record will be spoken by Master Gnost-Dural, Keeper of the Jedi Archives, who is in turn voiced by actor Lance Henriksen. BioWare fans will recognize him as the voice of Mass Effect's Admiral Hackett of the Human Systems Alliance. As for how many of these we should plan for, looking at the timeline reveals several more historical points (we counted 18) that took place before this inaugural first.We'll try to feign a little surprise when "history" from the Knights of the Old Republic RPGs crops up somewhere in here, although hopefully it'll be more than a recap of those game's storylines.
Macworld Expo: Bee Docs Timeline 3D makes complex timelines easy
One of my favorite things about Macworld Expo is the "stealth" apps for the Mac that make appearances on the show floor, addressing a specialized need or a focused market that bigger companies overlook. Some might deride these programs as unitaskers, but the investment of a few bucks in a tool that does one thing and does it very well should be weighed against the time and effort that the single-purpose app will save you compared to doing the same thing in a more flexible environment. Case in point: BeeDocs Timeline & Timeline 3D, a couple of unitaskers with style if ever I saw some. Timeline first takes event data, whether manually entered, or imported/subscribed from a variety of calendar formats and apps. Then it lets you add your art for backgrounds and specific events, and it creates a beautifully formatted 2D or 3D timeline ready for print or online output. Teachers, presentation pros and even lawyers can leverage fast and easy timeline production to enhance their content. During the show, you can get Timeline for the "lowest-ever" pricing of $30. If you teach, train or demonstrate, and your content includes historical overviews or change-through-time data, you should give it a look. See our video interview in the 2nd half of the post for a quick peek at the software.
Star Trek Online timeline update covers the year 2382
Cryptic has updated the Star Trek Online timeline that leads up to when the game takes place. Just to refresh everyone's memory, Star Trek Online is set in the year 2409, which is thirty years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. The newest update on the official website covers the events of the year 2382, or 27 years prior to the game.The biggest part of this updates deals with the Romulans (biological cousins to the Vulcans) who are heading down a path to civil war, as political in-fighting continues to grow. Meanwhile the Unification movement, represented by Ambassador Spock, once again attempts to push their agenda by seeking the support of the Federation Council. Ultimately though, the Federation declines to support the movement to unify the two races, as the Vulcan members of the council aren't too keen on such an uncertain and essentially illogical idea.%Gallery-28615%
Path of a Hero lets you blog your character
Reader Aaron sent us a link to his new site called Path of a Hero earlier this week, and it's an interesting little endeavor. Basically, you just punch in your realm and character, and then you can add entries to your character page by putting in a screenshot. The system itself also grabs your stats from the Armory, and puts it all in a nice readable format, so what you end up with is basically a blog/timeline of what your character has been up to lately.You can even follow your friends (or create rivalries with other players), and you can check "gear scores" as well, so you can track your and others' progress over time. And the whole thing is actually controlled with a slider interface with a cool fade animation -- if you update often, you can watch your character grow from level 1 up to 70 and beyond.The only issue with the site seems to be that it's a little shakey -- it takes a while to deal with all of that data, and I wouldn't be surprised (even on a Saturday like today) if we bring the site down by linking it for you readers. But it is a good idea, and if Aaron can make sure it scales well (and maybe throw a few ads in there, just to make sure his work pays off a bit), it could turn out to be a nice place to keep track of what your character's path has been like so far.
You can take it with you: Nintendo handheld retrospective
Tomorrow is the big day -- Nintendo's E3 2008 media briefing. Will there be a new DS? A new handheld altogether? A new array of DS Lite colors instead? Nearly anything is possible, and while we wait, bouncing up and down on our toes and struggling to remember to breathe through the excitement, it's a good time to look back at the history of Nintendo's handhelds. From the extensive Game & Watch collection to a few portables you may have forgotten, Nintendo has a rich and storied handheld history, and it's one we celebrate every day -- just not like this. Step forward into the past
Forthcoming BD-Live rollout gets inspected
Our favorite database of Blu-ray statistics has gone above and beyond the call of logging data and has detailed the forthcoming rollout of BD-Live titles. Granted, we already knew of -- and played with -- some BD-Live-enabled films, but this list goes beyond Saw IV and War and touches on flicks landing anywhere between next week and later this summer. Let's just hope designers come up with something a touch more riveting than Yakuza Fighter. Hit the read link and dig in!
A look back through time: Sadness
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Sadness_a_chronology_of_disappointment'; There were several things in 2007 that made us sad. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was delayed, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. got canceled, then it didn't, then it did, and now we're just stuck with rumors that it might exist, somewhere, in some form. People told us that the Wii Zapper would make us kill our families. We got no hard drive love. Reggie didn't kick any ass, though he might have taken (down) some names (we're not sure). But the thing that's made us saddest of all is the ongoing saga of the aptly-named Sadness, the Nibris vaporware game. For all we know, we could be playing it right now; their idea of a game may be centered around stringing us along for a couple of years. It's fun for the whole family!Or, y'know, sad. So grab your tissues and journey with us through a timeline of Sadness.*Not actual Sadness concept art, because Nibris hasn't bought/commissioned it yet from artist Mark Ryden.%Gallery-12425%
President's Day surprise: Jefferson (?) in Twilight Princess
Even after the day, the spirit of President's Day (sure, why not) continues in Videoland. Zelda Dimension posted this picture of a painting found on a wall in Zelda: Twilight Princess, and it looks an awful lot like Thomas Jefferson ... or maybe George Washington? Or maybe dust? Apparently, one of the NPCs is a student of American history. We love finding secrets in Zelda, but we don't like being confronted with a blurry texture in a Wii game. Maybe the Zelda Dimension blogger was using composite cables, and that's why the picture is blurry? Yeah, that's the ticket!We look forward to seeing the Zelda timeline theorists chew on this one.[Via digg]
Sexy games: a rich and racy history
If you want a refresher course in the history of sex and games, 1up and OPM have just the thing. Their illustrated timeline gives a quick rundown of the seedier side of gaming, hitting important milestones such as the advent of Tomb Raider and Rez's infamous vibrator.Like some games' attempts at sex, it's ultimately shallow and unfulfilling, charting mainstream milestones for the most part. The advent of realistic "jiggle" technology isn't necessarily on a par with the GTA "Hot Coffee" mod in the history of sex and gaming; however, sexual content in games continually skirts the boundary between mainstream acceptability and outright scandal. The increasing acceptability is demonstrated by a recent sex-based advergame for Running Scared--it seems the motto "sex sells" has well and truly found its place in video games.See also:If you're looking for a special gift this Valentine's, the Sex and Games shopping list is a good place to start, and there are several sex-based MMOs in the pipeline if you're still mulling over the idea.
