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DISH Network launching HD locals in four more markets
After the onslaught of rapid-fire HD locals launches in March, all has been quiet on the DISH Network front -- until now. Four more markets can gleefully celebrate the homecoming of HD locals via DISH: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Tampa, Florida, Cleveland, Ohio and Richmond, Virginia. Each of the aforementioned locales will be receiving their respective local ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX stations save for Milwaukee, which will sadly miss out on CBS. You're all giddy, aren't you? The HD locals go live for these four regions on April 10th at 6:00AM ET -- yeah, tomorrow!
WoW TCG March of the Legion event dates and locations announced
As you may recall, Upper Deck recently announced the March of the Legion tour, a series of tournaments against their own legionnaires for fabulous prizes. They've updated the tour page today with information on the first leg of the tour, including the identities of the legionnaires and the places they'll be visiting, including Northern California, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Philadelphia, Florida, Michigan, and Ontario (Canada). The events last through June, so there's sure to be more locations and dates added later. The legionnaires are no slouches, though. We're talking lead developers and high class judges for the TCG here, so it sounds like you'll have your work cut out for you if you want to win yourself a Varimathras extended art card and a Leeroy Jenkins T-shirt by defeating them. Of course, as mentioned, just showing up gets you that Weeble extended art card, and it sounds like the event should be fun. Let us know how it goes if you show up to one!
Charter rolls TLC HD and Discovery HD to Northeast Wisconsin
Just a month after Charter Communications served up TLC HD and Discovery HD to its subscribers in Madison, Wisconsin, said carrier has pushed these two jewels Northeast. Including the new pair, which has arrived on slots 763 and 762, respectively, Charter has 18 high-definition channels in the area -- two more than Time Warner offers in the same region. At least you can look forward to catching the Brew-crew in HD, right?[Thanks, Mark]
Brewers HD onslaught leads Charter to add FSN Wisconsin "this summer"
Behold, the power of high-definition. Just days after FSN Wisconsin announced that it would be airing 65 Milwaukee Brewers games in HD this season, Charter has acquiesced and decided that it would finally add the channel to its high-def lineup. Prior to this season, the carrier had held back on adding the HD feed of the network because -- according to Charter regional spokesman John Miller -- "over 95 percent of its programming [wasn't] in HD." Mr. Miller recently noted that Charter felt that there would be "significant interest in the Brewers this season, [along with] more HDTVs in the marketplace," which was apparently good enough to land the channel on the "to be launched this summer" list. Catering specifically to the HD crowd? Now that's what we like to hear.[Image courtesy of RightFieldBleachers]
FSN Wisconsin serving up 65 Brewers games in HD
The good news for MLB fans just keeps on coming. Hot on the heels of a number of regional announcements to broadcast oodles of MLB matchups in high-definition this year comes a similar edict from FSN Wisconsin. The network is gearing up to broadcast 65 of the Milwaukee Brewers games in HD this season, which is up from 17 last year but still less than half of the club's total games. Fans in the area can catch the first Brewers HD telecast when it opens the season against the Chicago Cubs, but alas, Charter subscribers still won't be able to join in. As it stands, DirecTV, DISH Network, Time Warner Cable and Tri County Cable are all signed on to serve up FSN Wisconsin content in HD, but we can only hope that this pledge to put more high-def material on the channel will convince Charter of its worthiness. Check out the read link for the full HD schedule.[Image courtesy of New York Times]
TWC brings National Geographic HD, History Channel HD to Green Bay, WI
With Time Warner Cable blasting out quite a few new HD channels of late, folks in Green Bay / Appleton, Wisconsin are probably feeling a bit left out. After today, we have all ideas they'll still feel slighted, but at least they can frown and grumble while watching one of two new HD channels. Effective immediately, subscribers in the area can tune into National Geographic HD and History Channel HD on slots 723 and 724, respectively. Here's to hoping for a few more up your way, eh? [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Mark]
Charter adding TLC HD and Discovery HD to Madison, WI lineup
While not the most impressive of additions, we're hearing that Charter is gearing up to bless subscribers in the Madison, Wisconsin area with a new pair of HD channels. Reportedly, messages are flying out to DVRs now informing customers that TLC HD and Discovery HD will be added on March 25th. Sadly, that means you've got quite awhile to sit around wishing these would go live, but at least you can go ahead and cancel any plans you may have had coming up on that fateful Tuesday, right?[Thanks, Joe H.]
Wisconsin politician proposes 1% tax on video games
Another year, another silly bill that'll probably end with taxpayers having to pay an overzealous state's legal bills. Wisconsin Senator Jon Erpenbach is proposing a bill that will raise a child's age to be considered an adult in the state's criminal court from 17 to 18, but the way he wants to pay for "driving up costs [in] counties that administer court procedures" is by placing a 1% tax on video games and video game consoles.The Entertainment Software Association obviously went straight to the battle chest with an eye-roll and a sigh. Joystiq received comment from ESA prez. Mike Gallagher (full statement after the break) where he says, "[The bill] unfairly burdens all Wisconsin consumers by imposing a double tax on video games and game consoles ... there is no public policy support for the bill: The fact is that national juvenile crime has decreased as video games have soared in popularity." If the Wisconsin legislators don't shoot this bill down, the judges will probably do it for them later -- Wisconsin taxpayers should prepare to foot the legal bills soon after.[Thanks, Ed]
Gaming takes it in the shorts again from yet another ill-informed politician
Filefront's Gaming Today is reporting on a story that recently appeared on Madison, Wisconsin's WISC-TV. It looks as though video games are once again bearing the brunt of society's ills. This time state Senator Jon Erpenbach wants to add an extra sales tax to electronics and video games. Why? You wouldn't guess the answer even if I gave you 1,000 tries and a page full of hints.Senator Erpenbach thinks the money raised from such a [absurd] tax will help cover costs to move some 30,000 (you read that right) 17-year-olds, who are currently treated as adults when convicted of non-violent crimes, back into the juvenile system. Excuse me? Why are video games being targeted for this exactly? Erpenbach says the tax isn't to dissuade gamers though. His reasoning? "The idea being that this is kind of a kids-kids thing, in other words, if we're going to do this for kids maybe this would be a good way to go about it."And this guy is state Senator? I'm getting increasingly angry at what amounts to blind shots in the dark aimed at the video game industry. I hope you are too. Sooner or later we're going to have to fight back against the stupidity running rampant through this country as people try to lay blame on someone or something other than themselves. For the whole illogical blow by blow, check out the entire report on Gaming Today.
Comcast gives Twin Cities 11 new HD options
It is the season to give, you know, and while we've heard that Comcast will be on the receiving end of things when it hikes rates in 2008, at least users across the nation are receiving a boost in their HD lineup before having the family over this holiday season. Up next on Comcast's list is St. Paul / Minneapolis, Minnesota (and western Wisconsin), which is receiving 11 new channels to complement the 22 already available. Among the newcomers are CNN HD, Animal Planet HD, Discovery HD, Food HD, Sci-Fi HD, TLC HD, Universal HD, USA HD, TBS HD, History HD and FSN North HD. Reportedly, customers in the area are already able to view USA, Sci-Fi, Universal and Food, and the rest of the gang is slated to go live on or before December 17th.[Thanks, Ed]
Madison, WI Apple Store: Your Reports
Apple opened a new retail store in Madison, WI this weekend. As usual, we asked any TUAW operatives who may have attended to share their reports and/or pictures. So, did you go, and if you did, how was it? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping you scored a T-shirt, the Opening Day Contest's grand prize and, dare we say it? An iPhone!If you haven't gone down to the store yet, show us a little love and set the in-store Macs to TUAW!
Wisconsin Apple Store opens this weekend
It seems like only yesterday that a new Apple Store was opening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (OK, so it wasn't yesterday, it was last Friday). Now, another Wisconsin store is set to open, this time in Madison.Apple Store West Towne will open on Satruday, July 7th at 10:00 AM. The store is located at 66 West Towne Mall, between Williams Sonoma and Coldwater Creek. You can get full travel directions here.As usual, we're asking any TUAW operatives who visit this weekend to send us stories and photos. Good luck, have fun and we're hoping you score a T-shirt!Thanks, Kevin!
Milwaukee, Tulsa Apple Stores: Your reports
Apple opened two retail stores this weekend; one it Milwaukee, Wisc. and another in Tulsa, OK. As usual, we asked any TUAW operatives who may have attended to share their reports and/or pictures. So, did you go, and if you did, how was it? Let us know in the comments. Here's hoping you scored a T-shirt, the Opening Day Contest's grand prize and, dare we say it? An iPhone!
Milwaukee, Wisc Apple Store to open this weekend
All you cheese heads in Wisconsin can drive to Milwaukee on Friday, June 29th at 6:00 PM to check out the newest Apple Store at Bayshore Town Center. The store is located in that newly expanded mall of yours. As usual, there will be T-shirts and a grand opening giveaway. If you attend, let us know!So, let's see. We've got the Milwaukee store opening this weekend. There's an Oklahoma store opening as well. Hmm, is anything else happening on the 29th? We can't think of anything off the top of our heads...
Human Head survives fire, no data loss reported
Early Friday morning (late Thursday night for most), a devastating fire feasted on a historical building in Madison, Wisconsin. Local news coverage identified the multi-use building as home to Human Head Studios, developer of last year's long-incubated shooter Prey. Thankfully, the level designers had been released from their shackles for the night. No one was harmed in the fire.But what of the precious MEE data? Had Marc Ecko's rags-to-renders dream gone up in ... smoke? According to today's update from Human Head, no. "[Though] we suffered some equipment and furniture loss due to smoke and water, we suffered no significant data loss," reports the studio. A temporary relocation plan seems to indicate that Human Head is eager to get back to work on the Ecko-endorsed project, shedding any stigma earned from Prey's 5-year development cycle.
RIAA lists top 25 universities handing out piracy notices
The "good guys" have tried to tempt college kids with free legal music for far too long to no avail, and after continuous failed attempts at gaining traction here in the US, it's no surprise that the RIAA would devote precious man-hours to concocting a most-wanted list of pirating schools. It should be noted that the top 25 is based on the amount of warnings sent out from the university to its students, and some schools may be omitted simply due to a lack of response on the administration's end. Nevertheless, it's reported that over three times as many infringement notices have been sent out during the 2006 - 2007 school year versus the year prior, but the RIAA did attribute some of that boost to its heightened awareness and tracking capabilities. Interestingly enough, the top spot holder doesn't seem to be overly concerned about its position, as Purdue feels the "service provider" shouldn't be the one lashing out at "criminals," essentially brushing that RIAA grief right off its shoulder. Still, we all know what you're here for, and that's to see if your alma mater made the dubious cut (full list after the jump), and while some here at Engadget can proudly proclaim to be in the top ten (ahem), drop us a comment and let us know where you stand.[Via TWW]
Samsung launches HL-S5686C iDCR DLP TV, TWC goes OCAP
Although last year's lovefest with OCAP was short lived after CES concluded, it seems that we're actually seeing the fruits of Samsung, Time Warner, and Advance/Newhouse Communications' labor towards getting OCAP in the home. Today Samsung unveiled its OpenCable-compliant HL-S5686C iDCR DLP HDTV alongside Time Warner's shiny new SMT-H3050 HD set-top box (for folks without the aforementioned set), and the group announced that "interactive digital cable services are now live" in TWC's New York City systems. Furthermore, the cable provider stated that it would soon embark on the expansion pathway, blazing trails to get the goods to Milwaukee, WI and other cities covered by Advance/Newhouse's Bright House Networks cable systems. The new cable services include TWC's OCAP Digital Navigator as well as its in-house-developed interactive program guide, and should be available to interested customers right now in the selected area(s). Moreover, Time Warner is opening up the wonders of OCAP for all to discover as a part of its "Home to the Future" exhibit, which is a four-story interactive installation within the firm's center in NYC's Columbus Circle. So if you're eager to give this OCAP thing a whirl, the newfangled display will be open to the public starting today, and will continue to be for three weeks.
Human Head CEO quit in Nov, talks now
FiringSquad reports that Human Head CEO Timothy Gerritsen has left the studio; in fact, he did so shortly before Thanksgiving last year. When questioned, Gerritsen said he departed on friendly terms, but was driven to leave because of creative differences. Gerritsen did not like the direction the other owners were steering Human Head in.Gerritsen confirmed that he would remain in game development, though he declined to give specifics. Human Head co-founder and president Paul MacArthur has been acting as interim CEO.
HDTV coming to Sheboygan Tuesday...really
Engadget HD Sheboygan chapter you can stop calling the mayor's office, Charter Communications has confirmed that despite the information given by some of its representatives, HDTV set-top boxes will be available for area residents beginning Tuesday. Despite a computer mix-up resulting in misinformation that HD wouldn't be available next week, after civil unrest nearly broke out in the streets of Sheboygan, Charter manager Jessie Hlad set the record straight, customers will be able to order HD services either over the phone or at the local office beginning Tuesday. Once the service is installed customers will have access to 14 HD channels, plus two more unspecified stations coming November 7th. We would like to congratulate the fine people of Sheboygan and The Sheboygan Press for their courage and perseverance and making sure their cable provider delivers the HDTV which we're pretty sure was first promised in the 1836 Treaty of the Cedars.
