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Cox bringing flurry of HD channels to Fredericksburg, VA
Cox has been beefing up the HD lineup in Eastern Virginia for some time now, but for whatever reason, residents of Fredericksburg have been casually overlooked -- until now, that is. According to a tipster, the aforementioned area will be gifted with not one, not two, but fourteen new high-definition channels "by mid-April." When all's said and done, the newcomers will bump the total HD options in the area up to 34, and if you're eager to know exactly which networks are on the way, head on the past the jump.[Thanks, Terrance N.]
Comcast gifts Arlington, Virginia with 9 new HD channels
For those that escape the hectic D.C. work day and travel back to Arlington / Alexandria in order to catch your favorite shows in HD, here's some good news. As of this week, the same channels received by Reston residents -- Discovery Channel HD (239), TLC HD (240), Animal Planet HD (241), USA HD (235), Food Network HD (231), HGTV HD (229), CNN HD (234), Sci-Fi HD (236) and History Channel HD (237) -- have made their way to your nook of Virginia. We know, that commute is hellacious, but knowing that you're heading home to nine new HD channels has to make things somewhat better. Right?[Thanks, Brian D. and Sam P.]
Cox Northern Virginia gets Travel Channel HD and Cinemax HD
Just days after Cox dished out ten new HD channels in the Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach area, folks up in the Northern half of the state are being treated to a new pair. And we don't want to hear any grumblings of unfair treatment -- after all, you Fairfax County subscribers got 11 newcomers of your own back in December along with HD VOD in January. Nevertheless, Northern Virginia subscribers should now have access to Travel Channel HD and Cinemax HD on slots 732 and 733, respectively -- Happy Leap Day, indeed.[Thanks, Tim]
Cox adds ten new HD channels in Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach
Well, would you look at that. Nary 48 hours after we heard that Cox Communications was getting set to upgrade its fiber optic network in the Hampton, Virginia area, subscribers in said region are already reaping the benefits. Reportedly, Cox has dished out not one, not two, but ten new high-def options to customers in Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach. Wondering what those newcomers are? Try The CW HD, CNN HD, NHL Network HD, TLC HD, Versus / Golf HD, Animal Plant HD, Science Channel HD, Travel Channel HD, Food Network HD and yes, NFL Network HD as well. Talk about a solid way to start the weekend.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon gears up for even bigger Chesapeake, Virginia FiOS TV rollout
As it stands, Verizon offers its fiber-based cable service to some 6,400 households in the Chesapeake, Virginia area. Soon, however, upwards of 81,000 homes could have access thanks to a unanimous vote by the Chesapeake City Council which blessed the provider with a proper cable franchise. Previously, Verizon was operating in the area under "ordinance franchise rules," but now the coast is clear for "all households in the company's initial service area" to be covered within three years. Unfortunately, we've no idea when the expansion will actually begin, but needless to say, you can start sitting on pins and needles anytime.
Cox upgrading fiber optic network in Hampton, Virginia
In an apparent attempt to fend off competition from Verizon, Cox Communications has just announced its intentions to upgrade the fiber optic network in and around the Hampton, Virginia area. If you'll recall, the company already upgraded its network in Newport News and began deploying switched digital video in certain locales, but this latest initiative will reportedly provide "additional capacity to expand its digital television programming" and boost internet speeds in Hampton. For subscribers that may see brief outages as the work takes place, you'll reportedly be notified two days prior -- you know, so you can mentally prepare for living sans cable for a few moments that afternoon.
Sprint packing up, moving HQ to Kansas
Unhappy with the lack of cultural integration between Sprint and Nextel since the companies' fateful merger several years ago, new CEO Dan Hesse -- who conveniently already lives in Kansas, having come from Embarq -- is moving corporate headquarters from Reston, Virginia back to Kansas City suburb Overland Park. While 4,400 peeps currently inhabit the Reston location (which it inherited as Nextel's former HQ), the Overland Park campus already employs a much larger base of 13,000. The chief says that Sprint will maintain a "significant" presence out in its Reston offices, but the big boys and girls in the boardroom are going to find themselves back in the land of Toto, tornadoes, and Garmin in the not-too-distant future.[Via mocoNews]
Comcast readies new batch of HD channels for Reston, Virginia
Considering just how many locales in the Southeast have been hit up with new HD additions from Comcast of late, you may get the impression that doing so was its job. Nevertheless, we're quite pleased to hear that one particular subscriber parked in Reston, Virginia just received an FYI card from the cable provider stating that a new round of high-definition channels would be landing on March 4th. Granted, we'd heard whispers that Discovery HD, TLC HD, Animal Planet HD, USA HD, Food Network HD, HGTV HD, CNN HD, History HD and SciFi HD would actually hit Reston late last month, but we suppose a month (and change) late is better than never. So, who else is receiving these cards, and more importantly, where in the wide world are you?[Thanks, Silvio]
WWE RAW: live in HD for first time tonight
Not that rabid professional wrestling fans really needed a reminder, but WWE's first high-definition broadcast of RAW does indeed start tonight. Set to air from Virginia's Hampton Coliseum on USA HD, we can expect to see crystal clear glimpses of Triple-H, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho (among others) -- sweat beads and artificial blood included. Gather up the fam, the party starts at 9:00PM EST.[Image courtesy of WWE]
Cox brings HD VOD to Northern Virginia
Not even a month after Cox Communications blessed those in Northern Virginia with 11 new high-definition channels, the cable company is now giving NoVa residents even more HD options. Similar to the rollout seen last summer in Southern California, Cox is giving customers in Fairfax County access to over 20 Starz! and Showtime on-demand flicks in HD. Interestingly, it's still a bit unclear whether any additional HD VOD content was added aside from films on those two channels, so for any Cox subscribers located in this here region, why not fire up your service and give us the skinny?
MarsCon landing for CoX
The Stars of Paragon are hosting a booth at MarsCon 18 from 18-20 January 2008. If you're going to be in the vicinity of Williamsburg, Virginia, it may well behoove you to check it out. They're currently planning panel discussions -- based on interest and participation, of course -- and an LCD projector to show City of Villains and City of Heroes goodness to the other participants who have, sadly, not embraced NCsoft's gaming glory.Whether you're attending in order to sip Superadine and Rage punch handed out by glamorous super heroines, or get some assistance in building a character for teaming or soloing, feel free to drop by. It is, after all, a combination of educational forum and meet & greet, so you never know who you might see there. Incidentally, if you're an experienced player, please let Mike Halo know if you're available to assist with character builds and walkthroughs. Kudos to the Stars of Paragon for setting this up, and here's hoping to see some of you at MarsCon.
Comcast beefs up HD lineup in DC Metro area
We could certainly get used to hearing all these HD expansion stories, but the ones most excited about Comcast's latest additions are housed all around our nation's capital. According to tipster Casey, customers in and around Baltimore, Maryland and Northern Virginia are just now receiving six new high-definition channels: Discovery Channel HD, CNN HD, TLC HD, USA HD, Animal Planet HD, and yes, Sci-Fi HD, too. Interestingly, it's said that subscribers in Washington, D.C. have yet to see the newcomers, but feel free to toss a comment in below if that status changes.[Thanks, Casey B.]
Verizon's FiOS TV comes to 3500 homes in Chesapeake, Virginia
Just as soon as AT&T announces that it's bringing U-verse to yet another region, Verizon fires back by trumpeting expansions of its own. The latest on the list is Chesapeake, Virginia, which becomes the newest locale to gain access to Verizon's fiber-based TV service. Apparently, installations are slated to begin anytime, and while we do know that some 3,500 households in a myriad communities will soon be eligible to receive FiOS TV, the actual list is far too long for this space. 'Course, that's why you'll be heading past the break hoping and praying to see your area listed.
V-Tech game creator willing to abort game for a price
Australian Ryan Lambourn could have made his flash game based on the Virginia Tech Massacre and left it at that. However, the ensuing outrage and press coverage caused him to do something quite unusual -- hold the game for ransom. On his website he states that he'll take the game down from website Newgrounds if he receives $1000 USD, he'll take it down from his personal website if he receives $2000 and he'll apologize for creating the game for $3000.Danny Ledonne, creator of Super Columbine Massacre RPG, writes on Lambourn's site, "It would appear to me that Ryan has no intention of doing much other than making money and gaining immediate recognition after the Virginia Tech shooting. Inevitably, comparisons between SCMRPG and VTech Rampage are being made right now. Some bloggers despise both games equally whereas others recognize a level of commentary that SCMRPG attempted which was not evident in VTR. For myself I wish to point out that SCMRPG was never a for-profit endeavor and thus I never posted statements like that which is on the VTR game's homepage"The only thing gamers can hope now is when this news hits the mainstream press they take a restrained approach and recognize that this is not an "industry game," and it never went through the ESRB process. Lambourn responds to Ledonne's statement saying, "Danny, the donation thing is there as a joke against all the people commanding me to take my game down. I didn't think anyone would donate money to it and so far my paypal account has proven me right."
Virginia Tech football helmets monitor hits wirelessly
While the Virginia Tech Hokies tend to rely more on dazzling special teams teams play than sheer defensive prowess, the players take a lickin' regardless. In a presumed extension of Beamer Ball, the sparkly helmets donned by the football squad will sport internal accelerometers and wireless transmitters that beam (ahem) information about the seriousness of each blow to a Sybase database in order to tell if and when a certain player has had enough. The primary objective is to prevent any long-term injuries and detect concussions before individuals can even realize they're hurt, and an interesting byproduct of the system has shown what types of thwacks are typically sustained at different positions. The HITS (head impact telemetry system) technology could reportedly be used in places like the battlefield as well, or moreover, rigorous rounds of Wii Boxing -- but we're sure WVU's Punchstat system is already on top of that.[Photo courtesy of VT]
Navy develops 8-Megajoule railgun, Nukem bows down
The mere mention of the word brings back visions of the original first-person-shooters to grace our now-antiquated machines, and now the US Navy is getting real personal with a realized version of the pixelated railgun we all love and adore. Presumably ripped straight from the (admittedly lacking) storyline of Quake, an 8-Megajoule railgun has been officially created, fired, and deemed worthy of flanking our naval ships, which should strike fear in the hearts of anyone wishing us harm. The gun was showcased this week at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren, Virginia, and utilizes massive quantities of electricity rather than gunpowder to propel "nonexplosive projectiles at incredible speeds." The weapon is powerful enough to equal the damage inflicted by a Tomahawk cruise missile, and the device's project director compared the impact to hitting a solid object "going 380 miles-per-hour in a Ford Taurus." Moreover, the railgun touts a 200 to 250 nautical-mile range, compared to the 15 nautical-mile range that current five-inch guns sport now. Interestingly, the weapon should "only" cost around $1,000 per shot once loaded onboard, which is chump change compared to the cool million that vanishes each time a cruise missile is deployed, and if everything goes as planned, we'll be seeing a 32-Megajoule prototype in June, with a 64-Megajoule rendition adorning our ships by 2020.[Via Slashdot]
GamerBUS provides mobile Xbox 360 LAN parties
If you're incensed about wasting your weekend (and part of last week) cruising around in futility trying to locate a Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii, the GamerBUS can provide the ultimate painkiller -- provided you live around the Virginia Beach area, that is. If you've got 63 friends or so, and you're not claustrophobic, you can pack your posse into the 37-foot customized RV and get your game(s) on. Sporting a bevy of comfortable seating options, sixteen Xbox 360 "gamer stations" (pictured after the jump) with their own 23-inch Philips HDTV, and all the CAT5 cable / electricity you could ever need, this redefines the party on wheels. Essentially offering a mobile gaming LAN, the bus operators will gladly wire up a 16-person system-linked round of Halo 2 (or a variety of other titles) while you provide the Cheetos and air fresheners. Although weekday hours boast an understandable discount, weekend rates range from $125 to $150 per hour, depending on how long you occupy the vehicle. Notably, no connection has been drawn between this newfangled gaming service and the Va Beach entrepreneur trickster hitting it big on vulnerable ATMs.[Via Digg]
Virginia e-voting machines truncating candidates' names
We're not sure what the bigger story here is: the fact that some Virginia e-voting machines have been "broken" since they were purchased four years ago, or the fact that Diebold wasn't the manufacturer. It seems that three jurisdictions in the state -- Alexandria, Falls Church, and Charlottesville -- use machines made by Austin's Hart InterCivic, all of which cut off candidates' names and party affiliations on the summary screen used to verify a voter's choices before the ballot is cast. Since names are displayed properly on the pages of the individual races, this is admittedly not the world's greatest threat to democracy, but it does highlight the ridiculous amount of red tape required to fix a problem with these devices -- in this case, making adjustments for the larger font size being used. Even though this flaw was evident as far back as 2002, secretary of the State Board of Elections Jean Jansen said she only recently became aware it; meanwhile Hart InterCivic can't touch the machines until it performs a system-wide firmware upgrade next year, and even that is contingent upon certification from state regulators. The good news is that recent publicity about the issue has seemingly jostled Jansen out of her stupor and encouraged her to go on the offensive, as evidenced by her comment on the likelihood of fixes being in place by the 2007 elections: "You better believe it. If I have to personally get on a plane and bring Hart InterCivic people here myself, it'll be corrected." Hey, we're all for kidnapping programmers to fix these problems too, but bragging about it in the Post seems like a surefire way to get your felonious plans thwarted.
The Political Game: The Virtual Candidate
Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:Is it youthful and hip -- or just geeky and weird -- for a major political candidate to shake hands with a furry or kiss a baby avatar in the virtual world?We'll find out in 2008.When presidential hopeful Mark Warner visited Second Life last week, it represented a milestone for both online gaming and American politics.For the online game community, the former Virginia governor's Second Life stop was a definite boost. Most notably, it marked the first time anything but negative political attention -- violence! addiction! -- has ever been paid to an MMO. Moreover, Warner's visit was a tacit admission that there is something worth tapping into within the Second Life space -- that, despite the game's virtual landscape and offbeat avatars, SL is a real place, populated by gamers with genuine concerns, and, most importantly, gamers who vote.
New York, Virginia Apple Stores open this weekend
Make way, Quebec, you aren't the the only ones getting an Apple Store this weekend. Apple Store Smith Haven will open in Lake Grove, NY this Saturday, September 9th at 10:00 AM. This store is located at 313 Smith Haven Mall (in the town of Lake Grove) in the Lifestyle Center Wing of the mall. You can find complete travel directions here. Likewise, Apple Store MacArthur Center will open in Norfolk, VA this Saturday at 10:00 AM. This store can be found at MacArthur Center at 300 Monticello Ave, Space #276, on the second floor, next to Harry and David. As usual, the first 1000 visitors to both locations will be rewarded with commemorative t-shirts. Visitors can also enter to win the "Grand Opening Sweepstakes," which will award one winner with an iMac, an iPod nano, a Canon digital camera and camcorder and an HP inkjet printer.If you're going to attend any of these openings, please send us links to your photos and reports! Good luck and have fun.
