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Engadget Distro Issue 12 -- Now with more exclusive content!
You asked and we answered. Engadget Distro Issue 12 is here, and it's full of original content. We've got not one, not two, but three never-before-published features for you this week. Michael Gorman takes you on a tour of NASA's next-gen spacecraft, Brad Molen goes behind the scenes at AT&T to reveal what it takes to make a smartphone, and analyst Ross Rubin makes his Distro debut to pose the question: What's next for the nano? This week we'll also bring you our Nokia Lumia 800 and Motorola Droid RAZR reviews and follow HotHardware's Dave Altavilla in his ascent to geekdom. And last, but certainly not least, Box Brown gives you a healthy helping of iPad 3 rumors in the Distro comic. So, pick up that iPad or hit the PDF link below and get ready for a nice long read. Distro Issue 12 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Engadget Distro Issue 11 is go! Download it now
You've been waiting all week, and the 11th Issue of Engadget Distro is finally here. For those of you experiencing that nasty crash bug overseas, the fix is in. We released version 1.0.2 of the app earlier this week, so if you've got an iPad (or a way to view PDFs) go on and download it. Taking center stage this week is the half-phone-half-tablet hybrid with a stylus -- pardon, S Pen -- the Samsung Galaxy Note. We'll also take you on a ride with the Grace One City e-motorbike; pick apart HTC's lady phone, the Rhyme; find out what's inside the Motorola Atrix 2; and take a couple shots at (and with) the Pentax Q, a tiny ILC with a massive price tag. But that's not all, if you've been dying to tell us how it is, we're giving you a soapbox to stand on. Yup, we're opening our little weekly to your scrutiny, so if you've got something to say about Distro send your thoughts to distroletters@engadget.com. Provide your name, city and state / country and you might just make it into Issue 12. So, hit that PDF download link below or pick up your iPad and give Engadget Distro a go. Distro Issue 11 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Engadget Distro Issue 10: It's alive! And ready for download
They're creepy, they're kooky, they're your favorite Frankengadgets and they've invaded the latest issue of Engadget Distro. But fear not, this edition of our fine weekly isn't all about chopping and screwing the devices you love, we've got plenty of other real-life gadgets on hand as well. See that tiny silver sliver on the cover? That's ASUS' Zenbook UX31, perhaps the most viable candidate for the Ultrabook throne. It may not be as thin and light, but we're also bringing you a review of Dell's lightweight XPS 14z, an ergonomically sound laptop with a sizable asking price. On the mobile front, Myriam Joire says hello and goodbye to Nokia's N9 MeeGo phone and Zach Honig gets his hands on its brother from another operating system, the Lumia 800. Nokia's claiming its latest is the "first real Windows Phone," but Sharif Sakr's review of the HTC Titan might just prove otherwise. We'll also bring you a look into Tech News Today host Iyaz Akhtar's geeky upbringing, our latest installation of In Real Life and an exclusive comic from Ed Piskor. So what are you waiting for? Hop on that iPad or hit the PDF download link below, and soak up all that Distro goodness. Distro Issue 10 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Engadget Distro Issue 9: the Android Invasion is upon us!
They're here! We gave Apple's latest some face time in Distro's first special edition and now it's time for Google's little green robot(s) to get the cover treatment. If Cupertino's strength is in its concentration on a single device, then Android's is in its diversity, and this week we're bringing you our thoughts on not one, not two, not three, but four new smartphones sporting Mountain View's OS. We'll bring you all the dirty details on two hotly anticipated and recently released phones, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Motorola's Droid RAZR, dive deep into Beats in our review of HTC's Sensation XE, and find out if the Amaze 4G can live up to its name. We've also got a review of the first Ultrabook to make it to market, Acer's Aspire S3, and a glimpse at how Tech News Today host, Tom Merritt became the Geek he is today. The Android Invasion is upon us, but don't run for your life. Pick up that iPad or hit the PDF download link below and get your Distro on. (And for those of you diehard Android fans, we are indeed still working on a Honeycomb version -- hang tight!) Distro Issue 9 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Engadget Distro Issue 7 is ready for download!
Come and get it! The very first, fully fresh issue of Engadget Distro is ready for you to consume, and it's not just for the iPad anymore -- a PDF version is available for download below. So what's on the menu this week? We've got a very thorough review of iOS 5 by Dante Cesa, a look at Nikon's first mirrorless camera by Zach Honig, Brian Heater's thoughts on the fourth generation Kindle, Ben Heck's journey to geekdom, Tim Stevens' take on T-Mo's Galaxy S II, and so much more. So if you haven't had a chance to gobble up absolutely every last word that's crossed your monitor this week, let us do the honors of bringing you the very best of what Engadget had to offer, bundled in a beautiful package and absolutely free of charge. Either hit the appropriate link below or check your app for the download -- we promise it's yummy. After all, we baked it ourselves. Distro Issue 7 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 11, 2011
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of July 11, 2011: Samsung launched an ad campaign for the Infuse 4G which claims its colors are "so good, they fool Mother Nature." Each ad features a different animal that mistakes the Infuse's Super AMOLED Plus screen for real nature. [via Gottabemobile] T-Mobile's MyTouch 4G is now available on Cincinnati Bell as the HTC Panache 4G for $200 with two-year agreement. [via MobileBurn] We got a sneak peek at some of Symbian Belle's UI changes, thanks to the refreshed Design Guideline docs on Nokia's developer website. [via All About Symbian] Inductive charging battery covers are now available for the HTC Thunderbolt and Incredible 2, Motorola Droid 3, and the LG Revolution. [via Droid-Life] Motorola officially announced the Fire, aka XT316. It's a portrait QWERTY handset with Gingerbread and is currently available in China. In the coming months it should work its way to Taiwan, Latin America, and Europe. The XT316 is going for $230. [via Unwired View] The popular GroupMe messaging app is now available for Windows Phone and can be downloaded for free in the Marketplace. [via MobileBurn and Gizmodo] Romanian carrier Cosmote has launched a 21.6 Mbps HSPA+ broadband service. (thx lonel) [via ZF Business Hi-Tech]
Left 4 Dead 2 mutation plays Follow the Liter this week
The Left 4 Dead blog has revealed this week's mutation of choice, and it's another round of Follow the Liter, in which only one character can carry a gas tank at the time, and they always spawn together (meaning that Infected know where the survivors are going to be). Should be a grindfest, but Valve thinks you'll like it -- they're bringing some old modes like this back to see if they can "take" a second time around. And just for kicks, you Left 4 Dead fans can head past the break for a (NSFW due to language) fanmade mashup between Pixar's Toy Story (the original one!) and your favorite zombie headshot game. We won't ruin the surprise, but after what happens below, Woody's going to need some pills here.
AT&T's new DataConnect Pass plans serve up data a la carte
AT&T is following Verizon's lead today with the introduction of new prepaid broadband plans targeted directly at netbook and laptop users who find themselves out of WiFi range (and in desperate need of email) every once in a while. The so-called DataConnect Pass plans exactly mirror Verizon's pricing, which means you can get 75MB as a "day pass" for $15, 250MB as a weekly deal for $30, or a half gig per month for $50. Like Verizon, you're far better off getting the 5GB postpaid plan if you're a heavy user here -- but if you find yourself needing wireless once in a blue moon, this may very well be the way to go. The packages are available now; follow the break for the full press release.
How often should we do repeatable content?
Blessing of Kings asks an excellent question: how often should we be running repeatable content? Certainly Blizzard has considered this issue before -- they've gone with daily quests in the first expansion, and recently they've been rethinking just how often we'll be rerunning dungeons, too. But both of those time periods are fairly arbitrary to us: is it possible that we should start running things twice a week (once during and once on the weekend), or maybe do weekly quests instead of daily?BoK says: possibly. Rohan suggests a weekly quest that rewarded 70g instead of the daily 10g reward we usually get (not including the XP bonus which kicks it up to 13g). Players who don't have time to run every day, but do have the weekly availability (like me -- I play mostly on the weekends), would be able to still pick up the reward. I'll go one step further, in fact: what if we had an option? What if we could choose to run a quest daily (and get a bigger reward overall), or run it once per week, using up all of our daily chances for that week, and getting a smaller total reward? That seems to be the best way -- those who could log in every day would get a larger reward, while those who couldn't could still get more than just the single daily.Rohan also says that Heroic and BG quests should remain daily, and on that we agree: those quests are perfect for creating variety every day, and getting people to run those instances. In fact, those would be fun to see expanded -- maybe Blizzard could create weekly series of daily quests that followed a small storyline across dungeons or BGs. Blizzard has done a pretty good job balancing out repeatable content periods, but it's always nicer to have more options.
Steamwheedle Cartel holding a "Black Market" crafting event
I love this idea a whole lot. A group of folks on Steamwheedle are holding an RP even (which they've done before), but it's a different kind of event than the usual party or dueling tournament. Instead, it's going to be completely peaceful -- they're having a Saturday morning crafting bazaar. Down in the empty vendor stalls of Undercity, they'll have crafters of all types and levels, some with their mats, some where you'll have to bring your own mats, making items aplenty for players. On January 24th, they're holding a "Black Market", where you'll be able to get almost anything crafted that you want (providing you've got the goods). They're also having a raffle, and they'll be serving food and drink as well. What a great idea.In fact, I'd love to see something like this come to the game at large -- maybe Blizzard could provide a bonus to crafting when it's done at a certain time in a certain place, like create a "crafter's market" weekly on Saturday mornings (scheduled just like the Sunday fishing tournament), where crafters can make sure to be in a certain area ready to craft for any players who might need it, and can get bonus items or currency or mats for their trouble.For such a social game, combat seems to always end up being the only way for players to connect regularly (not that there's anything wrong with that, but the only way to bond in game seems to be killing things). It would be nice to see more of this type of connection encouraged by Blizzard, with players using the skills they've earned to help each other and both sides getting a nice reward for it.
WoW Insider Show live this afternoon on Ustream
Yes, our weekly podcast is going live again today, and it should be a great show: BRK is returning to us again (though I promise there won't be nearly as much Hunter talk in the show this week), and our own Amanda Dean will join us on the virtual airwaves. We'll be talking about Winter's Veil, how to take down Loken, good deals gone bad, Blizzard's new ads, and everything else that happened in the World of Warcraft this past week.And as usual we'll be chatting live and answering your emails -- you can send us questions, comments, insights or insanity at theshow@wow.com, and if you send something right now you might even hear it on the show today. It all starts at 3:30pm Eastern over on our Ustream page, or I've embedded the feed right here on this post after the break. And as usual, we'll have a quick aftershow right after we turn off the recording, so if you tune in live, that's about 10% more show to listen to (and that's when we say all the fun stuff).See you this afternoon, and hope you enjoy the show.
The best of WoW Insider: December 2-9, 2008
Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider celebrated our third anniversary this week, just after the game we play celebrated its fourth. So it was a week of looking both back and forward, as we checked out our top 10 most popular stories of all time, and covered all of the latest and greatest secrets in Northrend and the new expansion. From polar bears to proto drakes, here's to many more years of both World of Warcraft and WoW Insider. News Loken the most dangerous mob in the gameA look at the game's stats pages shows we've got a new player-killer in town. Storm Peaks daily quests reward a polar bear mountDo your dailies, get a mount. Blizzard legal targets private serversBlizzard lays the smack down on anyone running an unauthorized server. Ghostcrawler's thoughts on Death KnightsA dev tells us what he thinks of Death Knights and where they're at. Seeking the Time-Lost Proto DrakeHere's a practically free mount, a 100% drop from a soloable mob. The catch? Good luck finding it. Features WoW Insider's top ten stories of all timeOn our third anniversary, we take a look back at some of the biggest stories we've posted so far. Wrath 101: The sons of HodirAn endgame reputation grind that's "God of War meets WoW." The Queue: Trinkets, sigils, and death by OrcsOur Q&A column has instant insight every day on what players want to know about most. WoW, Casually: 7 reasons to make a Death KnightSeven reasons for casual players to try out the newest class in the game. Know Your Lore: DalaranHere's a look at the history of the game's new Northrend hub, and these are some historic streets we're walking.
Ask WoW Insider: Minimum raiding requirements
Every Monday, we put a question back to you readers, and see what you have to say about a current issue in the World of Warcraft. This week's question actually comes from our Guildwatch column -- Lugbruz is an officer in Reforged on Runetotem (they just downed M'uru -- grats!), and he has a question about how much you need to raid to be successful:Are there other guilds who have a 3 night/week raid schedule (or less) who have enjoyed success in high-end raiding? We killed Mu'ru before the nerf and don't know of any other crew has gone so far with so little time. Our primary competition of the server was at equal progression with us pre-nerf and they're a 5 night/week crew.We assume that 3 nights (4 hours per raid) is the minimum, but can endgame be done with less?Lugbruz
WoW Insider Weekly
Miss out on some of these columns the first time around? Worry not! Here's your weekly chance to catch up on some of the best feature content coming out of WoW Insider. If you missed these earlier this week, don't make the same mistake twice. Guildwatch: Open your face jellyfishYour weekly look at guild drama, downed news, and recruiting from all around the realms. Illusionary Tactics: Orb of DeceptionOur new column about items that can disguise you hits on one of the most popular. Know Your Lore: The Scarlet CrusadeWhen good Crusaders go bad, that's where you find the Scarlet folks. Tank Talk: Do you feel lucky, punk?Seriously, do you? Because we really need some lottery numbers -- this whole "4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42" thing isn't really working out. The Art of War(craft): DotA-style battleground in WotLKA new battleground in Wrath might borrow a little influence from an old mod for Warcraft III. More of our best weekly content after the jump.
The best of WoW Insider: April 22-29, 2008
Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider is dedicated like a Night Elf Hunter's pet leveled up to the highest loyalty to bringing you news from all over Azeroth. From the upcoming patch 2.4.2 to everything you need to know about the next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, we've got your your back just like that sneaky Shadowstepping Rogue. Ok, well not quite in that way, but you know what we mean. Here's our top posts from the last week in Warcraft. News Patch 2.4.2 notes released Blizzard announced what's coming down in the next (bugfix, not content) patch. Undocumented changes in 2.4.2 And we cover what they didn't announce. Blizzard to Boll: Thanks, but no thanks Well at least we can say one good thing about the Warcraft movie: Uwe Boll won't be directing it. Macro for a prettier WoW Type this into your console, and spice up the look of Azeroth's environments. Drysc reveals Arena Season 4 ratings requirements and rules News about the Brutal Gladiator gear coming in Season 4, and how Blizzard is fighting win trading. Features Guildwatch: "officers dont do officers like u did" Drama, downed and recruiting news from around the realms -- oh my! Blood Sport: No scrubs allowed in Season 4 Our Arena PvP column lays out the changes to requirements in Season 4, and if you're not good, you're not getting gear. Spiritual Guidance: Three priest specs your raid shouldn't leave Shattrath without Tips for holy priests, or raids who want their help. The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Are Warriors underpowered? Matthew Rossi might be crazy -- but he also might be right. Five tips to minimize raiding downtime Five ways to keep the mobs coming while raiding with a larger group of players.
X3F Week in Review: March 21, 2008 - March 28, 2008
This week at X3F, listen to the strangest Rock Band guitar replacement story on the Xbox 360 Fancast, download a sweet new race map for Halo 3, and nab your shot at winning Turok. Oh, and we've got the usual dose of news for your immediate (albeit belated) consumption. Enjoy.Community Stuff Xbox 360 Fancast 061 -- The Height of IdiocyWhy people hate customer support Video Marketplace Weekly: not so Easter editionWhat, no Easter movies? Community Content: Drivers Wanted EditionRacing is fun Fanswag Weekly: TurokWin a box filled with dino killing fun News RSV2's private first class achievement problemVegas 1 players get shafted Rumor: Gears of War 2 beta in the wildIs it April already? Bully patch making things worsePatches are supposed to fix things, right? Xbox thief thwarted by community and Live idiocyCrime doesn't pay, kids Major Nelson offers up 100 Bad Company beta codesHe's nice like that Ninja Gaiden II goes back to college and on tourFun Fact: Ninjas travel in buses
Announcing the new TUAW Desktops Flickr group and series
Fire up your screen capture software and keyboard shortcuts TUAW readers, as we are announcing a new Flickr group and post series titled simply: TUAW Desktops. That's right ladies and gentlemen, in addition to immortalizing you in our archives with the Rig of the Day series, we want to dive a little deeper into just what makes your Mac, your Mac. Are you a wallpaper connoisseur, or perhaps you have the busiest Dock this side of Cupertino? Is your workspace decked out with utilities like iPulse, Konfabulator widgets and ShapeShifter themes, or do you want to share you mastery of clutter-free desktop feng shui? Join our new TUAW Desktops group on Flickr and upload your screenshots. On Saturdays, we'll pick out and round up the best of the desktops to share here on TUAW, complete with credit attribution and a link to your site, if you have one.Speaking of credit, we should probably lay down some rules here: First rule about TUAW Desktops: you do not talk... If you can (or would like), please attribute any work like wallpapers or icons to their original authors, and we'll do our best to include those attributions in our posts. It's fine if you don't know who that is when you post your shots - trust us, we have hundreds of wallpapers and we don't remember where we found every single one - but at the very least, don't take credit for someone else's work. This is the internets, and the readers *will* call out stunts like that. On the other hand - if something *is* your original work, by all means - let us know, and we'll be sure your creativity gets a mention in the spotlight. Try not to overload the pool with submissions that are too similar to your previous submission(s). We're looking for fresh desktop shots; that little 'extra something' that really makes them leap off the display. Desktops that have that element which is difficult to describe, yet impossible to miss. Keep it clean. This is a family blog, and we like to keep our Flickr groups and other community endeavors family-friendly as well. Last rule (for now): Unless you went all-out using products like Stardock's to make your Windows desktop look and act like Mac OS X (it's do-able - I used to, before I actually got my first Mac), we'd like to stick with Mac desktops only. After all, you are reading The Unofficial Apple Weblog. With that said, get on to showing off your desktops and let the submissions begin!
Insider Roundup: April 9-23
Guiding us through Noblegarden, a minor patch, and several food-for-thought questions, WoW Insider is a shining light: The Nostromo n52 Speedpad was listed by several readers as an essential WoW tool, so we're putting it to the test. more» Blizzard has opted to bring the public test realm online for a round of testing for patch 1.10.2. more» ... doesn't it break down the immersiveness of an alternate reality when you see someone who looks suspiciously like Santa Claus sitting in the middle of Ironforge? more» ...Blizzard has announced that the Mac version of WoW will indeed continue to recieve native support. more» ...My first character was, maybe predictably, a Night Elf. I chose a Druid because shape-shifting sounded unbelievably cool... more»
Insider Roundup weekly: March 9-18
The last week-and-a-half's happenings from Azeroth courtesy of WoW Insider, Joystiq's very own World of Warcraft blog: Blizzard will be fielding a Horde team in Warsong Gulch on the US Honor Contest realm, so if you'd like to try your hand against the game's creators, roll Alliance and be ready for a fight! more» ..researchers at Brunel University counter that modern online games such as WoW can actually help prepare children for social & business interaction within the real world. more» ... He programmed a few shortcuts into his keyboard ... and spent a day trying to raise his weapon skills by fighting low-level monsters, using the programmed macros. Blizzard spotted this ... and consequently banned his account. more» I waste enough actual money in my life to ever be able to live with myself if I were to buy fake money. more»
