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Samsung's Galaxy S II for T-Mobile proves that unicorns do exist (hands-on video)
After eluding our grubby little paws at its launch in New York and again this morning at Mobilize 2011, we're happy to report that we've finally caught up with T-Mobile's Galaxy S II. To recap, the carrier's permutation rocks the same WVGA 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display as Sprint's Epic 4G Touch, but replaces Samsung's in-house 1.2GHz Exynos CPU with Qualcomm's dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 processor. T-Mobile tells us the brain swap was necessary as it wanted its variant to support 42Mbps HSPA+ on the network's AWS band (just like its cousin the Amaze 4G). Oh, and like AT&T's variant it comes with a little NFC glitter sprinkled on top. So is it the same delectable Galaxy S II as its European and Sprint counterparts? From our brief time with the handset, the transplant doesn't appear to have impacted performance at all -- it's just as snappy as ever. In terms of appearance, the phone sports a soft-touch matte black finish in back and its bezel is a lighter shade of chrome than used on its siblings. Check out our gallery below, and peek after the break for our hands-on video.Myriam Joire contributed to this report.%Gallery-134940%
HP's unreleased white TouchPad and Pre 3 for AT&T (hands-on video)
What's this? Some of HP's unreleased WebOS devices? Well yes! Say hello to the white European TouchPad, the black TouchPad 4G for AT&T, the Pre 3 4G for AT&T, and our very own Veer 4G review unit, all gathered on a fine specimen of mid-century modern upholstery. We were able to unbox these devices and handle the hardware, but the software was off limits. The owner of the Pre 3 did activate it for us, but that's as far as we were able to go. While still heavier and thicker than the competition, the white TouchPad -- a 64GB model with the faster 1.5GHz CPU -- is significantly more attractive than its black sibling, and less of a fingerprint magnet to boot. AT&T's TouchPad 4G -- with 32GB of storage and the same 1.5GHz processor -- features a working SIM slot for the carrier's faux-G network (HSPA+), but is otherwise cosmetically identical to the existing WiFi version. The Pre 3 is the same phone we handled during HP's announcement last February, save for the AT&T logo on the back. Check out our gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video. %Gallery-134380%
When two chatbots have a conversation, everyone wins (video)
What did one chatbot say to the other chatbot? Quite a lot, actually -- but good luck making any sense out of it. That's what researchers from Cornell's Creative Machines Lab recently discovered, after pitting two bots against one another for a good ol' fashioned talk-off. It's all part of the lab's submission to this year's Loebner Prize Competition in Artificial Intelligence -- an event that awards $100,000 to the team whose computer programs can conduct the most human-like conversations. Unfortunately for Cornell's squad, their chatbots still have a long way to go before achieving conversational coherence, though they could easily get hired as anchors on most cable news networks. Throughout the course of their frenetic (and often snippy) discussion, one bot raised heady questions about God and existence, while the other boldly claimed to be a unicorn. Basically, they had the exact same conversation we used to have in our dorm rooms every night, at around 4 am. Watch it for yourself after the break. It's nothing short of sublime.
3G MacBook Pro auction pulled, MagSafe antenna detailed
Remember the prototype MacBook Pro on eBay that included a SIM card slot and retractable antenna? Bids for the laptop had reached an eye-watering $70,000 before, inevitably, Apple blocked the auction. Now the seller has posted more images of the device, revealing the antenna was held in place with two magnets -- a MagSafe-like connection that would come away if it was knocked or caught. No news as to what the seller intends to do with the machine now, maybe clutch it to their chest and cry themselves to sleep having missed out on a small fortune. Past the break you can stare mournfully at another new image of the prototype - free of charge.
Prototype MacBook Pro with SIM slot surfaces on eBay, unicorns actually exist
Always dreamt of a Apple notebook with built-in WWAN? Looks like today's your lucky day: a prototype MacBook Pro just surfaced on eBay, replete with a SIM card slot and retractable antenna in tow. Expecting a nonfunctional parts machine off Craigslist, its newfound owner managed to resuscitate the 2007-esque gizmo into booting, but was unfortunately unable to coax any GSM goodness from the thing. According to the seller, regular MacBook Pros from the era contain the same (but unused) solder points for the SIM card as the proto, lending credence to the notion that Cupertino might have seriously considered a 3G variant. Either way, if you've got a knack for rare Apple collectibles, or feel the need to ogle and some red-colored innards, hit the source below.
'Official-looking' pic of white Galaxy S II leaks, unicorns right around the corner
Albino Nexus S, meet your better specced, bleached out, dual-core nemesis -- the mythical white Samsung Galaxy S II. The leaked snap is certainly timely, coming in only one day after a UK retailer promised the colorless beast would go on sale August 15th. We can't vouch for that, but we do know US peeps can now sign-up for "more info" on Sammy's website, so stateside GSII fans should be hearing more from the company soon. Will word come of the LTE-toting, ivory dream phone we've been lusting after? Probably not, but getting the baddest black Android on the planet is still pretty darn good.
Apple actually not looking for additional iPad manufacturers, still BFFs with Foxconn?
Earlier this week, DigiTimes alleged that Apple was considering an additional manufacturer to produce the supposedly looming -- but really more mythical -- next generation iPad. Fast forward to now, and the Taiwanese publication reports that Cupertino has had a sudden change of heart. Foxconn -- who is currently the sole producer of the slate -- has reportedly convinced Apple to keep its manufacturing exclusive until the end of this calendar year. All isn't lost for Foxconn's competition though: the rumormonger suggests Pegatron still has a shot at a ten million production run for the next iPhone, and whatever iPad's 2012 will bring. Unmentioned in the report, however, is whether enough salt exists in the world to cover the next round of claims, later this week.
Realms Online celebrates the 4th of July in style with zombies and unicorns
The British are coming! The British are coming! And they want to... eat your brains? In perhaps the oddest holiday event we've ever heard of, Realms Online is featuring a Redcoat zombie invasion that starts today. Redcoat zombies are swarming over the warzone, and it's up to you to fight for independence from brain-noshing. Participating in the event will give players the chance to earn special Independence Day costumes until July 15th. Zombie invasions aren't the only things going on during the Dawn of Freedom event -- GMs will be throwing firework shows, banners will be playing the American national anthem, and other fun activities will be available. Realms Online is also selling 4th of July-themed items in its item shop for those with particularly strong patriotic persuasions. And what 4th of July event would be complete without... unicorns? Unicorns? OK, we'll roll with that. GameSamba is going to post a code on the Realms Online Facebook page that will let players use a unicorn for free for a week before it goes on sale in the store.
Sharp Aquos SH-12C 3D smartphone hands-on (video)
Towards the end of our recent trip to Taiwan for Computex, just as the hustle and bustle was winding down and we'd settled on a bit of sightseeing, we stumbled upon a rare beast -- a smartphone unicorn of sorts -- the Sharp Aquos SH-12C. This 3D-capable Android handset for NTT's Docomo network was imported from its native Japan by a Hong Kong resident who was also attending the epic trade show. Like the HTC EVO 3D, this device features twin cameras and a glasses-free stereoscopic qHD display, so we decided to combine work and play by getting some hands-on time with this mysterious phone right on the observation deck of Taipei 101. Take a look a our gallery below -- complete with foggy views from the 89th floor at dusk -- and hit the break for our hands-on video, first impressions and some camera samples.%Gallery-125920%
Zynga crowns Lady Gaga as FarmVille's newest cash cow
What better way to market a game that isn't really a game than with an artist who isn't really an artist? Such was the rationale, apparently, behind Zynga's recent decision to partner with Lady Gaga, the freshly anointed face of FarmVille. As of May 17th, FarmVille users will be able to take a much-needed break from wasting their lives and visit GagaVille -- a neighboring but equally fake farm full of unicorns, crystals and terrible life decisions. There, visitors will be able to listen to unreleased tracks from Gaga's forthcoming album, Born This Way, which they can also download for "free," once they've dropped $25 of their parents' hard-earned cash on a Zynga gift card. The campaign will mercifully come to an end on May 26th, but not before Diet Madonna extends her corporate leviathan to every corner of Zynga's gaming universe, including Words With Friends, Mafia Wars and anything else your pre-teen cousin spends far too much time playing. Gaga will win. Zynga will win. The human race, on balance, will lose. If you haven't slit your wrists yet, the PR after the break should do the trick.
RepRap prints transistors, but fabs have little to fear
Budding hobbyists almost have it too easy these days, what with all the ready-made components, Mindstorms and Arduino boards, but there's still a couple of folks out there kicking it old-school... and printing transistors at home. Yes, that's a RepRap 3D printer you see there, with a MakerBot Unicorn pen head, depositing tiny dots of silver ink to form intricate rows of tiny electrodes. Sadly, the printer doesn't currently automate the entire process, as you'll also need to separately apply a dielectric material and a host of chemicals to get a working field effect transistor from scratch, but once the basic process is perfected the possibilities, as they say, are endless. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got a hot date with some vacuum tubes. Find the basic formula for DIY transistors at our source link.
Konami Code Easter eggs dug up across the web
Remember the short-lived Unicornification of ESPN.com which could be viewed by entering in the Konami Code? Turns out that's not the only site that can be modified by entering in everyone's favorite sequence of keystrokes. Check out the extremely aptly named KonamiCodeSites.com to see a list of pages that respond in various ways to the familiar tune of Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start (or Enter).For instance, Facebook adds a lens flare effect once the code is entered. AdventureQuest Worlds shows a short flash clip featuring ... unicorns! (We're beginning to see a pattern here.) The best we've seen? The official site of jQuery, a JavaScript library program, loads up a Java-based Guitar Hero game when you input the code. Oh, and Joystiq? Every time you enter the code here, an angel gets its wings.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Breakfast Topic: Your favorite mount?
Mounts are one of the best parts of World of Warcraft, especially the flying ones. Over the course of levels 30-80 we collect a bunch of them (so many that there's even an Achievement for it -- don't forget to check out our guide) and everyone has one or two tied to their action bars that they use every day. I've got two: the Big Battle Bear) and a Zhevra. But in an ideal world, we all have a list: the Ashes of Al'ar, the now removed Amani War Bear, the Spectral Tiger, the Deadly Gladiator's Frost Wrym ...Top of my list? While I love dragons (and have my eye on a Twilight Drake), the mount I really want is a unicorn. Yes gentle readers, an actual unicorn. Not a striped zebra crossbreed found wandering in the Barrens but a pure white beast of myth. Last week, while exploring the Argent Tournament in Icecrown, I finally found one. Granted it's technically a 'Quel'dorei Steed' but it's a unicorn - with an Azerothian twist. I only hope Blizzard decide to turn this vehicle into an actual mount -- and soon because I will grind anything to get it.Anyway, it got me thinking about mounts (and don't forget we have an awesome guide on the subject). I have a friend who collect everyone going (he's got ninety nine at the moment) and strives for the Ashes to complete his collection, others are still using their race-specific epic mount or gryphon/wind rider. So I ask you, readers, what mount do you want the most? It doesn't matter if it's an old mount now removed, a ridable version of your favourite Azerothian animal or just something straight out of myth, speak up.
Massively goes to WAR: Guide to the Dark Elf starting zone
It's hard to know which area within Warhammer Online is best for you. To that end, we've put together this friendly Dark Elf starting zone visual guide for you to check out before the madness that will be Warhammer Online's launch day. Inside you'll not get a how-to guide, but instead a look at what you can expect to encounter within the most brood-heavy of all the races in the game. Click the image above, or button below, to check it out. Click to Begin >> %Gallery-34148%
One Shots: Unicorns! Everywhere!
So it isn't quite as unicorn-laden as the original Tabula Rasa was, but you have to admit, seeing uniformed unicorns is definitely a strange sight. While Razorwire may not have cared for this three-month veteran reward gadget, it certainly seems to have become somewhat popular amongst players like Mark "Jukovic" Benson (the one who sent this great One Shots) that understand the joke about Tabula Rasa's previous development period. That, and it's just downright silly, which gives it a 10 in our book. We love it when devs do something that shows their sense of humor to the players. Do you have some screenshots of silly things from your MMO? If not, go get some! Then send those screenshots to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. We can always use a good laugh. %Gallery-9798%
Razorwire snaps at TR vet reward
In our daily internet travails this morning we were a bit surprised to see Warcry's razorwire taking a bit of a nasty shot at the Tabula Rasa community crew for having included a joke 3-month-veteran award instead of something "cool" like black armor. He further postulates that one of the artists for the game probably put a lot of work into the model for his furry fandom, and wanted to validate that work by including it in the game somehow. I'm not quite sure if he was trying to be funny or edgy or whether he was actually genuinely angry about having a unicorn mask left in his bag for being a 3-month veteran. Seems a bit of an overreaction either way, and he appears to have missed the point.Anybody who has followed Tabula Rasa for a few years now no doubt remembers when the game's development was rebooted due to a lack of design focus. Back then, the game featured a lot of eccentricities that were more befitting the East Asian audience the game was originally trying to court. One of those eccentricities was an abundance of unicorns in the early builds of the game, which delighted some and confused most. Back in November we found one of the early trailers of the game and were similarly confused by the unicorn to people ratio. It was quite high. Still, I think the unicorn mask is a fun little self-deprecating joke with the fans who are most likely to "get it." Moreover, we know full well we're not getting our charcoal paint for another week, so what's the sense in crying about it?
DS Daily: Dream fighter
Let's face it: there aren't many decent fighters for the DS. Japan received the superb Jump Superstars, featuring an insanely large cast of everyone's favorite anime characters, but was not seen fit for localization. While DS Fanboy is all about hopes and dreams, we're also about violence; with that in mind, what fictional characters would you like to see slug it out? We eliminate standard Nintendo characters; we already have Smash Bros. for those rivalries. We're talking real pirate vs. ninja stuff here. Suggestions among our staff have included Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea against Nemo from Finding Nemo, and the singer of Bananaphone against Charlie the Unicorn.
