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Hyperspace Beacon: Ready to face the Trials
We are often inspired by the Star Wars: The Old Republic videos released on Fridays. I'm not exactly sure why the community team started these weekly treats, but I'm going to speculate that it's a way to show the future players that the team will be there for them when the game releases. It's a kind of comfort. Many newer MMOs have increased community involvement in post-launch game design. Maybe the SWTOR team is looking to tell us, "We want you actively involved in our game development now and after the game is released." Good for the team. This week's video of Jedi progression definitely inspired my colleague on Gamebreaker, Gary Gannon, as evident in Sunday's broadcast. I thought he was going to jump out of his chair. I have to agree with him that there is a lot of stuff packed into that two-and-a-half-minute video; for example, we were shown some of the armor progression milestones for the Jedi Knight class. This inspired me to investigate the story side of Jedi Knight progression. After all, BioWare is all about story, right? So follow me after the break as I set a side my conscious self and let the Force flow through me.
Black Hat security conference offers two-day Macsploitation class
Attention would-be Mac hackers and those hoping to write viruses and malware for Mac OS X! You can bone up on your Macsploitation skills at an upcoming two-day class to be held at the Black Hat security conference July 30 through August 2. This isn't the first time that Black Hat has featured Mac hacker training. The class, which will be taught by Italian security consultant Vincenzo Iozzo and Mac Hacker's Handbook author Dino Dai Zovi, requires registration ($2000 now, $2700 onsite) and has a number of other prerequisites as well. What kind? Well, in addition to bringing your Mac along to the site, you'll want to make sure you have a Windows XP virtual machine running on the Mac, the IDA Pro disassembler and Apple's Xcode tools package. If you want to impress the instructors, you'll also want to grab zynamics' BinNavi reverse-engineering tool. For the most part, the people who attend Black Hat are good guys who are there to learn how to keep our systems safe. As noted on ZDNet, Mac OS X security remains much better than that of Windows. Mac OS X 10.6.6 only included one security fix, while Microsoft's February Patch (released last Tuesday) plugged 22 vulnerabilities. If your work involves Mac security, there's no better place to pick up the skills that you need to be an expert than at Black Hat.
Apple to unveil JointVenture, a small business repair service
We reported last week that Apple had scheduled a meeting for all its retail employees. The meeting was held this weekend, and the Cupertino company reportedly used this meeting to detail a new enterprise-oriented service called JointVenture. The program supposedly targets small businesses and lets them purchase a premium repair and training service for $500 per year. It sounds vaguely familiar to Apple's ProCare service. For this sum, customers will reportedly receive priority Genius bar service, which pushes them to the top of the service queue and provides them with a loaner unit if a repair is to take longer than 24 hours. JointVenture customers may also be able to access a Genius-manned telephone support service and a limited number of group training sessions per year. The new service is rumored to launch on March 2 in the US and March 3 in the U.K. Additional details may be unveiled at Apple's March 2 event slated to be held in the Yerba Buena Center located in San Francisco, California.
iBike Dash turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a cycling computer
There's not exactly any shortage of ways to mount your iPhone or iPod touch to your bike, but there's decidedly fewer options that actually turn your iOS device into a full-fledged cycling computer that's able to replace those from the likes of Garmin. This new iBike Dash device promises to do just that, though. It not only houses your device is a protective, waterproof shell, but it includes an ANT+ speed sensor and is compatible with other ANT+ devices so you can measure heart rate and cadence. It also has room for an extra rechargeable battery to extend your run time, and it naturally makes use of a free app that takes advantage of your iPhone's GPS capabilities (no built-in GPS here to help out iPod touch users). Of course, all that means this one also costs considerably more than a simple bike mount -- look for the basic model to set you back $199, while the deluxe package (including cadence and HR monitors along with an extra battery and charger) runs $329.
MacTech Boot Camp San Francisco 2011, five days left to save
We attended the MacTech Conference in 2010 and we can tell you: they put on a great conference. The MacTech Boot Camp is designed for a different audience. Instead of the hardcore IT pro, the Boot Camp experience is more for the folks who support small businesses and home users. The event is close to selling out, but you can still take advantage of pre-registration pricing ($100 off) until Monday, January 17. As a bonus, if you're interested in becoming Apple Certified, there's a study session and exam the day prior. You can check out more info on the exam and study session here. MacTech Boot Camp is a one-day program, to be held on January 26 from 9 AM to 6 PM at the Parc55 Hotel in San Francisco. You can check out the registration page here and register now for $395 (it goes up to $495 after Monday). Check out the full schedule here, or the list of topics covered at Boot Camp here. It'll be a jam-packed day, and we'll be sure to have some coverage while we're there. Educational pricing is also available. See you in San Francisco!
Ripxx ski app out now for Android, still has no idea what the street value of this mountain is
The closest we have ever come to a ski race is the worn out VHS copy of Better Off Dead we still have in the back of our closets somewhere, but if you're an Android-lovin' ski bunny jealous of all the attention Ripxx has been giving the iPhone, you're in luck. That's right, your fave open source smartphone OS has its very own version of the Ripxx Ski and Snowboard app. Version 1.1 features over 200 mapped out resorts, GPS tracking, stats recording (including speed, distance, and vertical drop) and more. Not bad for $5, eh?
Ripxx ski app for iPhone great for athletes, useless for Epyx Winter Games
We received an interesting email from Ripxx this morning, stating that due to an unprecedented outpouring of comments on our previous post for its sports GPS, the company's gone and developed its very own iPhone app. That's right, instead of planning your ski trips around a piece of dedicated hardware, you can now do it on the same device you use to read Texts From Last Night while sitting on the loo. The Ripxx iPhone Ski App, as it's called, features trail maps from over 200 North American ski resorts, Google Maps integration, the ability to track time, speed, distance, and vertical drop for your various trips down the mountain. Whatever that means. But hey -- it's only five bucks! And it's available now. Video after the break.
New Exilim golf-friendly digicam hitting Japan; the Pro from Dazaifu never had it so good
Golf fanatics will stop at nothing in pursuit of upping their game, and as you know, all sorts of gadgets have been modified to suit their purposes, from PNDs to digicams. Apparently Casio's Exilim line has been a favorite, and now its golf-centric camera is getting something of a spec bump. The Exilim EX-FC160S sports a 10 megapixel backside illuminated sensor, 5x optical zoom at 37mm, and support for 240fps video with an optional 30fps slow-motion playback. Available in Japan come August 27, in a limited production run of 5,000 units.
TUAW's Daily App: Seconds
I've been getting more and more into running lately, and while I've been tending towards long distance running, one of the best ways to beef up your running expertise is by doing what's called HIIT -- high intensity interval training. You sprint at a certain speed for a period of a few minutes in length, rest for another interval a few minutes in length, and then sprint all out again. It's interesting (and effective, I hear), but you've really got to track times and make sure you're moving when you're supposed to be. Enter Seconds, an app designed to either track and run HIIT workouts or any other timed workout periods (boxing and MMA are also fitness pastimes which usually depend on rigidly defined periods of endurance training). With a clean and simple interface, the app comes with a few preset interval-based workouts, or you can set your own intervals. You can even program music and playlists to go along with whatever you're doing. It's definitely not an all-purpose app for working out or anything else -- even with HIIT, odds are that you're combining this type of training with other exercise in some way. Seconds isn't meant to track calories burned or just work as a standard stopwatch. It's specifically designed to work as an interval timer. For that specific purpose, it serves the role well. Rather than fumbling around with a stopwatch and doing the math as you sprint around a track, Seconds makes it really easy to just let your iPhone handle the timing, so you can focus on getting the most of your HIIT workout. It's available for an introductory price of $1.99 in the App Store right now.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Gotta catch 'em all
What an incredible expansion Chapter III: The Elder Kingdoms is turning out to be! In addition to the awesomeness of the new two-seated mounts and the new instance, Runes of Magic also received surprisingly large new gameplay features. Yes, I'm talking about the new pet system that seemed to be overshadowed during the advertising of The Warnorken Castle, but is no less exciting than Warnorken Arena, for which the patch was named. The pet system is so large in scope that it renewed the initial wonder and excitement I had when I first logged in to RoM and saw all the uniquely deep elements it began with. Finding, naming, and caring for pets is an entire game unto itself that bleeds into -- and feeds -- other aspects of RoM as well. It's Pokemon meets Digimon meets MMO, and it's delivered to you by the Easter Bunny. Hop past the jump to reveal all the inner workings of this awesome new system.
Ripxx exercise GPS adds Mac OS support to its other EXTREME! qualities
We're all basically huge jocks here at Engadget </sarcasm>, so anytime we can combine our love of cross training with our love of consumer electronics it's a pretty good day. Only a thousand times less interesting than Dancepants, the Ripxx Personal Measurement Device (as you may recall) integrates a GPS, accelerometers, and gyroscopes for tracking your performance and movement in all three dimensions. And now Apple users can get in on the game (or least train and then sit on the bench), with an upgraded Ripxx Suite Version 2.1 that includes not only full Mac support but Improved activity reports and graphs and lap time measurements. If this is your bag, hit up the PR after the break. As for us, we're going to get back to this quart of Chunky Monkey and VHS copy of BASEketball.
WoW Rookie: More tips, tricks and tidbits
New around here? We've got your back! See all our collected tips, tricks and how-to's for new players in the WoW Rookie Guide. Though I've been playing since open beta, there are still things that I stumble upon that I either didn't know or had forgotten. There are also many little conveniences that took me forever to figure out. So while these tips, tricks and tidbits say they are for rookies -- well, even long time veterans have a few holes in their knowledge of the workings of Azeroth. Lisa tackled some tips just a couple months ago, so I've scavenged in the comments there as well as in this guest breakfast topic. I am also going to touch on some subjects that come up a lot in the WoW.com guild, <It came from the Blog>. Built-in Talent Calculator If you, like me, have a tendency to click the wrong thing when choosing your talents, there is a way to set up a safety net. Just go to Game Menu (ESC), Interface, Features and click the Preview Talent Changes box. After that, you will be able to play with your talents a bit before accepting them.
Polar and Nike announce WearLink+ heart rate monitor for Nike+
Well, it's not June 1st, but Nike+ users now finally have a heart rate monitor to help kick their training up a notch in the form of the just-announced Polar WearLink+. That is naturally compatible with all Nike+ gear, and it will let you see your BPM at a glance on your Nike+ SportBand, or hear spoken feedback of your BPM while you run on your iPod nano. The heart rate monitor will even work with Polar's own range of training computers and Polar-compatible fitness equipment at the same time, and it has a soft textile chest strap that promises to "seamlessly adapt" to your body shape (it's also thankfully machine-washable). Look for the strap to be available in the US this month for $69.95, with a release in Canada and Europe set to follow in July. Full press release is after the break.
HTC EVO 4G training begins at Sprint, reveals a few surprises
The HTC EVO 4G has already turned up in Sprint's inventory, hit the FCC, and pushed away anything in its path, and it looks like it's now hit one more milestone on its way to availability: the all-important Sprint employee training program. While there's still no indication of an actual release date, the training materials do reveal a few new details, including the first real indication that customers who buy the phone will also have to sign up for special "plans designed for the HTC EVO 4G" -- details on those plans remain a mystery, unfortunately. The materials also seem to suggest that both Sprint Navigation and Google Navigation will be present on the device, that the hotspot feature will support WEP and WPA encryption, and that phone does indeed pack an FM radio. Hit up the source link below for a look at the rest of the materials. [Thanks, LOVEisPEACE]
McDonald's Japan trains employees with new DSi game
Nintendo's partnership with McDonald's in Japan has been extended to help train the restaurant chain's employees in the finer details of fast food assembly. Bloomberg visited McDonald's training center in Japan to get some hands-on time with the training simulation (video embedded after the break), discovering that the golden arches-branded DSis will be distributed to McDonald's all over the country for training purposes. Aside from unveiling the training software, Japanese McDonald's reps showed off their undeniably stylish work uniforms and surprisingly friendly demeanors. We can't help but attribute at least part of the latter's explanation to the fact that these folks are playing with Nintendo DSis at work. Better than flipping burgers, no? [Via Kotaku]
Nintendo slipping DS handhelds into schools, McDonald's training sessions
What's a global gaming company to do once they've soundly dominated the portable market? Why, covertly get the DS into schools and restaurants, of course! Shigeru Miyamoto, who created undercover gems like Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, recently informed the AP that his company would be rolling the DS out "in junior high and elementary schools in Japan starting in the new school year," though few details beyond that were available. We do know, however, that this invasion into the education sector is more than just a fluke, with Miyamoto noting that this very area is where he is "devoting [himself] the most." Of course, the Big N already has a nice stable of mind-bending titles, but getting actual teachers to embrace the device in the classroom would be another thing entirely. In related news, select McDonald's eateries in Japan will be using the DS to train part-time workers, though mum's the word on whether the Cooking Mama franchise will be cashing in here.
EVE University turns six years old today
EVE Online has made a name for itself as an MMO with a steep learning curve. Getting into the game can be a daunting experience for new players, particularly if they want to get involved in PvP. Six years ago today, EVE player "Morning Maniac" founded the EVE University corporation in an effort to combat exactly that problem. Since then, they've been EVE's best-known new player training corp, providing free training and supplies to players getting to grips with the game. The program has seen over 10,000 new players pass through and graduate on to bigger and better things. Their success has spawned many other training corps over the years, including those focused on piracy. In his six year birthday announcement, Kelduum Revaan of EVE University talked about how the game had changed over the years, adding that "one thing has remained constant - there are always new players, and there is always more to learn." At last year's five year anniversary, a brief history of the corp graced the EVE news. Since then, EVE University has gone from strength to strength, with some impressive achievements over the last twelve months. Over 3,000 new players entered the program this year, for a time making EVE University possibly the biggest single corp in the game. They were even recommended by PC Gamer magazine as the best place for new players to start their EVE journey. This year also saw the opening of their wormhole operations division and the opening of access to NPC nullsec regions for members. The corp looks forward to expanding operations and we at Massively wish them every success over the coming year.
Philips Activa fitness MP3 player reminds you to move
It's the new year, so what better way for a company to prey upon your insecurities than by offering devices that accessorizes your ambition to really meet your fitness goals this time around. Philips knows this, so it'll be expanding its DirectLife wearable activity monitor to Germany this month and then to the UK a few months later while launching its new Activa personal audio player here at CES. Activa brings along a little trick called TempoMusic; a feature that analyzes your music library to later match songs to your aerobic intensity. That means that Activa can help keep you motivated by shouting out feedback on your progress in addition to words of encouragement while automatically selecting the appropriate music to match the pace of your workout or give you a boost when needed. Later, while cooling down with some cold suds and a delicious slice of warm tobacco pie you can check your progress and caloric burn rate via the bundled PC software. Activa will be available worldwide sometime in April for about $130, suggested.
Pedal Brain iPhone kit smartens up your bicycle
Cyclists already have a range of dedicated devices to choose from that will help them with their training, and it looks like they'll soon have an iPhone app / accessory kit to call their own as well. While the folks behind it are apparently still working on the finishing touches, they've nonetheless decided to get official with their so-called Pedal Brain kit, which more or less promises to be a Nike+ alternative for cyclists. That means it comes with an accessory (a case) that relies on the ANT+ wireless protocol to relay all the necessary information form your bike, which in turn is processed and analyzed by the Pedal Brain app (all of which will also work with an iPod touch). Pedal Brain also goes one step further with a coaching component, which will actually let you make your own training plans and sell them through the app (you'll also be able to determine the price, but Pedal Brain will apparently take a $4 a month cut). No word on an exact price or launch date for the kit itself just yet, but it will apparently sell for somewhere between $130 and $200 (or more if you want the spiffy carbon fiber case).
Verizon begins internal webOS training
We always knew Palm would be bringing the Pre to Verizon sometime in early 2010, and it looks like preparations are underway: check out this leaked internal training slide, which describes a 20-minute Palm / webOS training that runs until January 4th. Interestingly, that's the day before CES, so we're guessing we'll be hearing something about all this during Palm's CES event -- and if we had to guess, we'd wager that that updated Pixi with WiFi will somehow figure into the mix as well.