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Square offers 14-day Final Fantasy XIV trial
Square is looking to spread the gospel of Final Fantasy XIV via a newly announced 14-day free trial. The fantasy MMORPG normally features a client fee and a monthly subscription, but you can get a taste of what Eorzea has to offer by downloading the trial software and giving it a whirl. There are a few restrictions to be aware of including a level 20 cap, a currency cap of 20,000 gil, and the inability to join guilds, trade, or use the market. A full list of terms is available on the official Square support website.
Facebook's Buy button lets you purchase products directly from Page posts and ads
Facebook doesn't want you to ever leave Facebook -- not to look at photos, read the news or chat with friends -- and now you don't even have to leave to buy a product. The social giant's new Buy button (and associated e-commerce infrastructure) lets you make a purchase directly on the site. Once you click the button, which is currently being tested with select small business partners in the US, a pop-up will prompt you to confirm payment and shipping info, then complete the purchase, all without leaving Facebook. The tool is only available on select merchants' pages for the time being, including Modify Watches seen in the example above, though it could roll out to more companies if this trial is deemed a success.
Old School RuneScape begins two-week free trial
Old School RuneScape, also known as RuneScape 2007, has begun to offer a two-week free trial for those interested in going back in time to a simpler version of the game. Players can access the free-to-play server by making a brand-new RuneScape account or by using a subscribed account. Jagex said that if the trial is successful, it may become a permanent addition to the game. The one big restriction for the F2P server is that yew trees will not be harvestable in order to combat gold farmers. Old School RuneScape is a 2007-era version of the game that Jagex resurrected following an enthusiastic player vote. Even though it required a subscription to access, it grew to over a million players by October 2013.
Amazon invites customers to try Fire TV free for a month
Amazon is emailing some of its customers with an offer to try out the $99 Fire TV box free-of-charge for 30 days. If they don't get along with the little Android-powered streamer and gaming console, they can return it without obligation and without being left out of pocket -- so long as they follow the conditions of Amazon's returns policy, which includes keeping the hardware in new condition. Of course, a regular customer could get a similar end result without the invite, by dabbling with the Fire TV for a month and then using the normal returns procedure to get a full refund, but they'd have to pay upfront and possibly also pay for return shipping costs. Update: We incorrectly linked the 30-day trial with Amazon's standard returns policy, when the former might have some genuine advantages. The post has been changed to reflect that. [Thanks, Jeffrey]
ZeniMax invites you to watch other people play The Elder Scrolls Online
ZeniMax has just announced a streamed Elder Scrolls Online competition in which selected guilds will rush through one of the brand-new trials launching with the Craglorn patch... and you can tune in to watch them succeed or fail live on Twitch this coming Saturday. Trials are intended as 12-player raids with hardcore mechanics like limited resurrections and complex encounters. "When it's all over," says the studio, "the guild with the best Aetherian Archive completion time (if [it] can finish!) will be declared the winner." Here's the complete schedule of start times on Saturday and Twitch channels for each guild: 2:00 p.m. EDT (8:00 p.m. CEST): German Allstars, Reddithium 3:00 p.m. EDT (9:00 p.m. CEST): BIG Nation, Resurrection 4:00 p.m. EDT (10:00 p.m. CEST): Entropy Rising, Fate 5:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 p.m. CEST): The Noore
Oracle gets another shot at making Google pay for using its code in Android
Oh, you thought Oracle and Google's heated legal battle was over? Not quite: the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) overturned a lower court's decision that Oracle's Java APIs weren't copyrightable. This means that Oracle gets another shot at making Mountain View pay for its alleged transgressions, assuming Google can't prove that its use of the APIs in Android falls under the fair use doctrine of US copyright law.
The Elder Scrolls Online expounds on Craglorn's 12-man trials
ZeniMax has just published a dev diary about the brand-new 12-player trials en route to The Elder Scrolls Online with its upcoming Craglorn patch. Trials, the studio stresses, are more than your average raid experience: One of the first things you'll notice about Trials is that they bring a new experience to ESO designed to test even the toughest veterans. You'll need a group of 12 to take them on, but they're not just dungeons that require a large group-we're applying additional pressure. Your team will only have a limited number of resurrections available, and additional rewards will be granted to those who defeat the weekly challenge with one of the top times across the megaserver. What makes 12 players the sweet spot for these encounters? ZeniMax hopes to downplay the organizational hassle of putting together groups, to telegraph fights without too much distraction, to keep them to about 90 minutes in length, and to appropriately rely on player skill rather than zerging. Another bonus raiders will welcome? No lockout timers! Scope out the video below for a first-hand look at the new trials.
First UK Google Glass trial gives Parkinson's sufferers more independence
Before Glass becomes a publicly available product, Google's quietly embarked on a campaign to get its iconic eyewear into the hands of those who can use it to tackle complex issues. After it gifted five pairs to researchers at Newcastle University, Google's allowed its wearable to undergo its first UK medical trial, where it's being used to support people suffering from Parkinson's disease. Researchers want to help patients live more independently, and they're already seeing results.
According to Samsung, Apple is a slouchy, cool dude
We've heard plenty of internal tidbits about Apple's interworkings thanks to the company's current litigation, but tasty details about Samsung's laundry have been a bit slower to surface. Today brings a humorous look inside Samsung's walls thanks to a company-made slideshow that has been submitted as evidence. The presentation casts stock photo actors to play the roles of each of Samsung's competitors, and it's good for a chuckle or two. First we have Google as the regular young professional, Nokia as the old-but-still-with-it patriarch, Sony-Ericsson as a MySpace model who didn't shower today, and of course Apple as the young dude who doesn't care that his chair is way too low. Samsung is portrayed as a straight-faced, white collar board room king, and then the slide asks who Samsung should really be. The slides were definitely whipped up in short order, and the photos are pretty standard stock fare, but I have to admit I find it pretty funny that the Apple dude is the only one who doesn't seem to give a damn about the camera. He's kicking back with his whatever-it-is-he's-holding and definitely has good taste in art, as evidenced by that painting on the wall. [via Vox]
Killzone: Shadow Fall multiplayer goes free for a week on March 3
Sony Computer Entertainment and Guerrilla Games are planning a party, and everyone's invited, Helghast and Vekta alike. To celebrate the release of Killzone: Shadow Fall's first free map update, the two companies have announced that Shadow Fall multiplayer battles will be free to any and all PS4 owners for a week starting March 3. Those wanting to get in on the fray need neither a PlayStation Plus subscription nor a copy of Shadow Fall, as a free client will be available for download. Those who play the free trial will be able to compete on global leaderboards in Capture and Team Deathmatch, and all clans - including those made up of trial players - are eligible to win the Clan Community Challenge. The details and prizes of said Challenge haven't been revealed yet, but you know how these Helghast are - they don't uncloak until they're good and ready. [Image: Sony]
Apple and Samsung to spar over iPhone 5, Galaxy Note II at next trial
Perpetual court combatants Apple and Samsung have revealed their final list of allegations ahead of a trial starting March 31st. Though each started with five disputed patents, Samsung only has four now since a multimedia sync patent was knocked out earlier by Judge Lucy Koh. She also gave Apple a summary judgement win on its auto-complete IP, putting it ahead before the trial even begins. As for the rest, it's worth noting that all of Apple's patents are related to user interaction, while two of Samsung's are standards-essential (FRAND) patents -- which companies are normally obligated to license out. Samsung did have one point in its favor, however: the USPTO has agreed to take a second look at the validity of Apple's aforementioned auto-complete patent. As for the devices accused of infringing those patents, none are very recent models and many aren't even on the market anymore. However, the historical sales of each will affect the size of any award given by the court if an allegation is upheld. That's a lot of infringement for ultra-popular models like the Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s, which have far outsold disputed models from the previous trial (like Samsung's original Galaxy S). Other names on the list include the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 from Samsung, along with Apple's iPad 2, iPad with Retina display (3rd-gen), iPad with Retina display (4th-gen) and iPad Mini (the original, without a Retina display). Of course, there's always the upcoming negotiations between company CEOs to avoid all that, but... nah, who are we kidding.
US phone companies to explore replacing all phone numbers with IP addresses
Voice-over-IP (VoIP) is nothing new, of course, but so far it's been regarded merely as an add-on to America's regular, analog-based copper and cellular voice networks -- networks that are currently maintained as a matter of legal requirement. The FCC isn't necessarily such a stickler for tradition, however, as it is now encouraging phone networks to explore what would happen if VoIP replaced everything else. In other words, how would the system cope if the only phone numbers were Internet Protocol addresses; if even emergency calls were transmitted over the web; and if remote rural communities became dependent on VoIP, with no other type of network as a backup? Companies that want to participate in the experiment have until late February to submit their ideas, with approvals expected to be granted as early as March -- but don't fear, the tests will only be permitted in "discrete geographic areas or situations," which is the FCC's way of politely reminding telecom providers not to get ahead of themselves.
Get an additional week of free tunes if you sign up for Beats Music soon (update: two weeks!)
With just how popular Beats headphones are, we can't say we're surprised that Dr. Dre's similarly named music service has had a hard time coping with a flood of users during launch. As such, Beats Music isn't accepting any new subscribers until the kinks are worked out, but there is a silver lining. So long as you download the app and reserve your username this week, you'll get an additional seven days to trial the service. Once the issues are worked out, you should get an email giving you the all clear -- hopefully that's before its Windows Phone launch in a few days. It's not like you have to live your life in silence until then, though. Last we checked, Rdio, Spotify, Music Unlimited and Xbox Music were all working just fine. Update: CEO Ian Rogers has put out a blog post indicating the issues should be resolved, and that better yet, anyone who signs up before Saturday evening will get two weeks free trial.
Daily Roundup: Snapchat's adorable captcha, T-Mo's 'Mobile Money' and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Judge voids two Samsung claims before Apple patent trial even starts
A US judge has just awarded Apple two summary pre-trial judgments, significantly reducing Samsung's chances of prevailing in the second patent clash between the two tech giants. Judge Lucy Koh invalidated a Samsung multimedia-synchronization patent and determined that the Korean company breached an Apple autocorrect IP -- meaning Koh thought the infringement was so clear that there was no need for a jury to see it. As Foss Patents pointed out, Google could also be unhappy about the autocorrect decision, since it may affect the entire Android ecosystem. With each party bringing five claims to trial, Samsung's chances have effectively dropped by 20 percent since it only has four of its own claims left and Apple has already prevailed on one. That could also impact Samsung's leverage in upcoming negotiations between the company's CEOs, since it hasn't won a single non-FRAND (standards essential) patent dispute through any of the two proceedings. If those discussions don't pan out, then the Apple v. Samsung, part deux trial will begin March 31, 2014.
Defiance now offers unlimited free trial
Defiance's free trial just got better as Trion Worlds has removed the time limit so that players can explore the game at their own pace. The trial still has a hard cap limit for 500 EGO, however. Trion also posted a dev blog talking about how the team is using stims, spikes, and revamped grenades to make the action in the recent Arkbreaker DLC even better. "Ark hunters constantly ride the dagger's edge between life and death: the addition of resource scarcity makes this danger all the more real when placed into the combat equation," Creative Lead Trick Dempsey explained. "Spikes, stims, and grenades add a huge amount of power to the ark hunter arsenal, but power always comes with the seductive possibility of becoming dependent and thus, vulnerable."
Dish and Sprint to trial fixed LTE broadband in Texas
Dish may already be testing wireless broadband in Virginia, but it's not content to stop there. The TV provider has just partnered with Sprint on an upcoming trial of fixed LTE service in Corpus Christi, Texas. Both companies are shy on details, although they expect to use both indoor and outdoor routers when the test run begins in mid-2014. Service will expand to more areas in the future, although Dish and Sprint aren't being more specific; we've reached out for further details. Whatever they do next, the experiment is good news for those who want more (or at least faster) rural broadband in the US.
Honda starts testing Walking Assist device in large-scale US trials
Honda's Walking Assist is finally getting a large-scale test run in the US. The company has started clinical trials of the leg-boosting device at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where it will (hopefully) help stroke victims regain their mobility. While Honda hasn't said how long the study will last, it could have a significant impact if it proves successful. Up to 80 percent of US stroke survivors have trouble walking quickly or smoothly, and Walking Assist's combination of hip sensors and motors could get some patients back to a normal stride.
Leaderboard: Would you like a criminal justice system in your MMO?
So I've got indentured servitude jury duty this week, and if you've never had it, believe me when I say that it sucks. And, at least where I live, there's no getting out of it unless you fancy a ride in the back of a squad car and another summons during the next call-out. Why am I telling you this on an MMO blog? To vent, mostly, but also because it's an adequate lead-in to this week's Leaderboard. Aside from ArcheAge, I'm hard-pressed to think of an MMO that has implemented a significant criminal justice mechanic. Plenty of games from Ultima Online to EVE let you be a criminal six ways from Sunday, but since sandbox developers have completely dropped the ball when it comes to discouraging crime or otherwise building civilized virtual societies, there are no repercussions for repeatedly unleashing your inner jackhole. Let's say it were up to you, though. Would you implement some sort of criminal justice system in your favorite MMO? If so, what sorts of behavior would you attempt to regulate? If not, why not? Vote and discuss after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
Guild Wars 2 free trial and sale extended
You know that free trial week for Guild Wars 2 that was ending today? Well, guess what -- it isn't! ArenaNet is extending the trial three more days to give new adventurers more time to experience the game. And for those North American and European players who were kicking themselves for missing the chance to jump into Tyria, that extra time affords a full weekend to give the world a whirl. To get started, just head over to the official site and register. But don't put it off too long, because this deal is ending for reals on Monday, October 7th at 2:59 a.m. EDT. Additionally, the $39.99 sale for the Digital Heroic Edition is also being extended; players can now grab their own copy of GW2 at this discounted price until Wednesday, October 9th at 2:59 a.m. EDT. A helpful hint: Unless you are a night owl, you may want to take advantage of the sale the night before to make sure you don't miss out on the deal. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
