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Woman plummets onto subway tracks while carelessly texting
Granted, texting just might be bigger than Hollywood these days, but bigger than concern for one's own life? Apparently a Kawanishi woman was taking her well-being for granted during her daily route to work, as she collided with a man in a subway station whilst texting away at 8:30 in the morning. Subsequently, she plummeted a few feet down onto the subway tracks, only to be saved by a station worker who fearlessly hopped down to rescue her SMS-focused mind (and body, too) as the oncoming train screeched to a halt just 20 meters before running her over. Thankfully, the dame suffered just minor injuries in the fall, but an estimated 4,500 employees were blaming her for holding up their progress when clocking in late. Notably, there was no word on whether or not the phone was saved, or more importantly, whether or not the presumably urgent SMS ever got sent -- but considering this is the second case in a matter of days in which a human being nearly lost their life to a cellphone, we beg you: text responsibly, dear friends.[Via TokyoMango]
Spectrobes webisodes to back up DS release
We know you're in pain. There are so few Nintendo games dedicated to collecting and training monsters that you're all in severe withdrawals. After all, it's been at least ... oh ... six seconds or so since another such title was announced!Okay, so maybe we're being a tad sarcastic, but these days, you can't walk into a gaming store without tripping over monster-farming titles. In such a market, what's a company like Buena Vista to do that will make their new game, Spectrobes, stand out? It's not enough these days to have a kick ass developer -- and they do -- and the intergalactic setting might not do it, either. So what's left? Webisodes, of course! Six webisodes, designed to grant a little insight into the characters and their place in the world, will hit the game's official website over the next half year. Wow, maybe they could even put one of them "telly-vision shows" on the magical picture box! Now that would be something really new and fresh.
Common sense training on the DS
Forget training your brain -- what most people need is to learn not to be a complete moron in day to day life. But they don't mean common sense in the "don't set yourself on fire because it's funny" way (which is a shame), but common sense in the "general knowledge" way. Famitsu has several new screens from the third installment in the DS Touch Generations training series, but darned if we can tell what's going on in all of them. Maybe we need a little training.There's been some dispute over the translation of the title, so until we get an English version, we'll just go with Otona No Joushikiryoku Training DS. The game is scheduled for a Japanese release in October.Who can tell us what kind of flowers those are?[Via Go Nintendo]
Brain Age sells 4 million worldwide
Nintendo recently sent out a press release where they went over the latest numbers for their popular brain-trainer DS title Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. In revealing the numbers for the three major regions of North and South America, Europe, and Japan, Nintendo stated they have sold over 4 million units worldwide. 600,000 of the units were sold in the Americas, 500,000 total in Europe, and an insane 3 million units have been sold in Japan."Brain Age is so easy to pick up and play, regardless of your experience level," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "You can play it for 10 minutes or an hour and keep yourself feeling sharp. As a baby boomer, it's like a treadmill for my mind."[Source: Nintendo Press Release]
Caltrain commuter rail pulls WiMAX at 79 mph
WiFi trains aren't anything new, and even WiMAX has made an appearance across the pond, bringing sweet, sweet Internets to those lucky commuters. Well now we're getting our own taste of the action, and the specs couldn't be sexier. The Caltrain commuter rail service has hooked up 16 miles of their track between Millbrae and Palo Alto, using WiMAX backbone from Redline, connectivity from Nomad and in-train WiFi routers from Sensoria to provide speedy connections to commuters while traveling at 79 mph. Tests of the system seemed to work dandy, with several commuters watching streamed video, pulling large file downloads and even answering email simultaneously. Now that the tech has been successfully demonstrated, they're planning on building it out across the rest of their line. The future is indeed nigh.[Via dailywireless]
Densha de GO! Hilarious train riding "game"
While the Japanese may not like Loco Roco, they love the Densha de GO! series. And who wouldn't? By looking at the trailer, it appears that the game simulates the experience of riding one of Japan's great train lines. Yes... you heard me correctly. There's nothing I like to do more on my daily commute on the train than to play a game pretending that I'm on a train. Exciting.If you want some hardcore train riding action, take your pick: there are multiple entries in this series, each focusing on a different train line. Gotta catch 'em all? You can buy either Osaka Kanjousen, Toukaidosen or Chuuousen Hen for $40 each. Or not.
All aboard the rumor train: Sensors, Wiimotes, and headsets
No better way to start off a Monday than with a nice, piping hot cup of rumor, wouldn't you say?Today's is a whopper, actually, in that some pretty interesting comments are made in regards to the Wiimote functionality we supposedly have yet to see, as well as comments that the sensor bar isn't even needed and is there to incorporate some other as-of-yet unannounced form of gameplay. Check your pockets, make sure you've got your grain of salt with you...In an effort to keep you from having to do the work of clicking links, we've included the most note-worthy bits of the rumors into nice, easy-to-read, bulleted format. "Nintendo should show that the movement in 3D space will allow experiences outside of just the TV screen. And its not 3D projection related." "The official launch date has yet to be set in stone but will indeed launch before Sony's PS3" "The first game that will be shown to the public that demonstrates the full scope of Wii controller potential will be Dragonball Z Budokai 4" "The Wii controller can function exactly as we all have seen demonstrated WITHOUT the sensor bar. So ask yourselves, why need a sensor bar?" "Sensor bar was in all actuality in no use at E3 2006" "There is also word that Nintendo in private sessions has big plans for the Wii headset. The headset would be somewhat sensitive to movement that could be translated into the game. Such as if you get up and move to the right of your television something might correspond for that in the game. Such as dodging things, looking around corners etc." "Developer Nibris has received Wii development kits and has partnered with publisher Majesco" That's an awful lot of rumor to choke down. So how do you feel about all of this, fine reader? Some truth buried in there?
The new bacon PSP Fanboy video sandwich
Yes, it appears as if this late-night video update is slowly turning into a regular feature. For those of you with the late night video munchies, have I got a few treats for you. Once again, it's the same format as last time: crunchy video top and bottom with smooth talking by me in the middle. Best of all, tonight's update involves bacon. Seriously. In the top video, a thief must decide what they will steal: bacon or PSP? You'll have to watch the video to find out, but let me ask... who the heck leaves bacon lying around? If this is a common phenomenon, I too will become a bacon bandit.You won't be impressed by the robber's ninja moves, but you will be impressed by this impressive fighting montage created by a fan. It really fits the music well, and I can see Sony wanting to use an ad like this for real. Check it out, because I thought it was pretty cool.The bottom half of my sandwich was deleted by the user. Maybe it was too good for its own good? However, the videos keep on coming when you're on the internet. An inspired fan who saw the Loco Roco station decided to walk around and capture it on film for us not fortunate enough to live in Japan. Check it out, and wallow in your lack of Sony-branded train stations.
Loco Roco takes over Japanese subways
Sony's hoping that with their new subway ad campaign, that people will be going as cuckoo for Loco Roco as the people in this new Japanese CM (below). This new marketing push plasters the walls of the Omote-sando train station and stretches 30 meters long. More interestingly, the ads run the saccharin-sweet theme music from the game. Whether or not this will make the Japanese populace smile gleefully, or get incredibly annoyed, has yet to be discovered.[Via Gamespot] See also: Awesome new LocoRoco ad
Drinktrain
What better way for a group of tireless Apple code monkeys to relax after a week of hard work than to get smashed on the train ride home? According Drinktrain, not much. Thus, a tradition consisting of just that seems to have emerged from within Cupertino. Most Friday evenings, the last car on the CalTrain from Mountain View to San Francisco can be found chock full of inebriated Apple employees partying it up to such themes as: Chuck Norris Train, Snakes on a Mothaf*ckin Train, and my personal favorite; Mac OS X Pirate Localization Train. According to our anonymous source, Drinktrain participants get away with their shenanigans due to the fact that there is no open-container law that applies to CalTrain vehicles. By far the juiciest tid-bit of information in the official wiki is the fact that Drinktrain is continuously looking for new blood, even if it comes from those who don't work at the shiny white mother-ship. Who's up for some locomotive lunacy!?
Dining with Devilsaurs
Anyone who's ever ventured into Un'Goro crater has probably had a run-in with these beasts that didn't end well - and perhaps that's why I'm so amused by this attempt to walk one all the way into the Barrens. While some players are opposed to the disruption caused by kiting dangerous beasts into low level areas, you have to recognize that it takes some amount of patience and skill to pull off this sort of prank.
Information on Brain Age
DS-X2 has some additional information on the forthcoming Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. The upcoming title aims to energize your mind through various minigames and improving your overall "brain age." "When users start a new game, they will take a series of tests and get a score that shows how old their brains are. This number is called the "Brain Age." As they use the software over a series weeks and months, their mental acuity will improve and the Brain Age will drop, indicating a younger, healthier brain. Progress is charted in graph form." Also included is a list of some of the minigames included in Brain Age. Such tasks charged to the player are memorizing words, quickly counting people in a crowd, and reading classical literature aloud as fast as possible.