Hackers Dodge Xbox Live Shutout
May 31, 2007
An Ars Technica post at their games column Opposable Thumbs points out that, despite Microsoft’s best efforts, hacked Xbox 360s are once again playing on Xbox Live. “Steadfast in their pursuits, the hackers of the Xbox 360 scene have managed to best Microsoft’s Xbox Live Banning protocol: a system of checks in place to identify hacked Xbox 360s and deny them access to the Xbox Live Network. The current method of hacking the 360 involves exploiting the firmware of the DVD drive (the preferable method), and this latest patch does just that. In fact, the creators are so confident in their breakthrough that the info file remarks that the new firmware ‘defeats all current and some future Xbox Live detection attempts.’”
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Why Is the Mac OS More Secure than Windows?
May 31, 2007
PC Magazine - Opinion: PC users should forget their outrage and come to understand that life isn't fair. The Mac platform is more secure than Windows and will continue to be so.
Videogame Prescription Helps 12-Year-Old Beat Cancer
May 31, 2007
TechWeb - His treatment consisted of, among other things, chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and permission to play "Re-Mission" as often as possible.
A Look Beneath the ‘Surface’
May 31, 2007
Hajsky writes “Ars Technica takes a closer look at Microsoft’s new “Surface” tabletop device. Turns out that Surface isn’t actually a touchscreen at all, but uses five cameras located in the table’s base to record movement and touch. ‘The five cameras are near-infrared devices, but that’s not because they are trying to read heat signatures from fingertips (or other body parts) on the table. Instead, it’s because the entire surface of Surface is bathed in light; by illuminating the top of the table, the cameras can easily see when things are placed on it. Shining colored light across the surface of the table would spoil the effect that Microsoft wants, so near-infrared light is used for invisible illumination.’ The whole setup runs on a Core 2 Duo and off-the-shelf hardware, and can handle 52 simultaneous touches.” jfanning wrote with a link to an overview of similar technology used in the Helsinki ‘CityWall’. The article she provides discusses the unique public display, and has an in-depth video on the way these kinds of setups work.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
A Look Beneath the ‘Surface’
May 31, 2007
Hajsky writes “Ars Technica takes a closer look at Microsoft’s new “Surface” tabletop device. Turns out that Surface isn’t actually a touchscreen at all, but uses five cameras located in the table’s base to record movement and touch. ‘The five cameras are near-infrared devices, but that’s not because they are trying to read heat signatures from fingertips (or other body parts) on the table. Instead, it’s because the entire surface of Surface is bathed in light; by illuminating the top of the table, the cameras can easily see when things are placed on it. Shining colored light across the surface of the table would spoil the effect that Microsoft wants, so near-infrared light is used for invisible illumination.’ The whole setup runs on a Core 2 Duo and off-the-shelf hardware, and can handle 52 simultaneous touches.” jfanning wrote with a link to an overview of similar technology used in the Helsinki ‘CityWall’. The article she provides discusses the unique public display, and has an in-depth video on the way these kinds of setups work.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Good Humor at Rare Gates and Jobs Meeting
May 31, 2007
NewsFactor - Think Elvis and Sinatra, King Kong and Godzilla, Captain Jack Sparrow and Peter Parker, or the most obvious: "I'm a Mac" and "I'm a PC." Looking remarkably like their on-screen counterparts, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates walked onto a stage at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital conference, and sat down together for a 90-minute stroll down a long and winding computer-history road.
Warhammer Online Beta Application Now Open
May 31, 2007
Eurogamer reports that applications for the Warhammer Online Beta are now open on the official site. The Beta will be open for both American players as well as folks in the EU, and each have their own site available for signup. We had a chat with the Warhammer team late last year, which should give some insight on the game. Eurogamer as a hands-on preview available from January, if that’s more your thing. “‘Empire is a world about the End of Days,’ bellows Paul [Barnett]. ‘A world on the brink of extinction. No matter what they do, the Humans must keep fighting or they’ll all die. Breed and fight, expand or die, that’s all they can do.’”
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AT&T to Offer Internet TV on Apple TV?
May 31, 2007
Engadget claims that AT&T is working on plans to offer IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) through the Apple TV:
A well-connected source tells us that AT&T and Apple are working on adding IPTV capabilities to the Apple TV beginning sometime n…
Parallels 3.0 supports 3D games, 'SmartSelect'
May 31, 2007
Macworld.com - Parallels on Thursday announced Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac. This new version supports 3D gaming and adds a new feature called SmartSelect.
First GH III Video Displays Differences
May 31, 2007
Joystiq has up one of the first videos of Guitar Hero III , and links to an IGN article discussing the changes. As they point out, there are quite a few differences. The UI has been overhauled in several ways, which may or may not be to your liking. “The HUD has been completely revamped, with lights replacing the Star Power meter and a new chain counter that tells you how many notes you’ve hit in a row. According to this IGN feature, the timing has also been changed, which may explain the early Wyld Stallyns-level performance in the videos. It’s hard to blame the team from Neversoft if the game’s playing a little differently at the moment, as they didn’t have access to the code (created by Harmonix) from the original two games. Besides, there’s still time for tweaking.” The changes don’t bother me that much, but the twanging butchery of “My Name is Jonas” made my eyebrow twitch.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
