| WoW Lead: PC “Re-Emerging” Because of Complexity – Not Despite It Posted: 01 Sep 2011 07:41 PM PDT  The rumors of our humble Greatest Platform in the World's death may have been greatly exaggerated, but the causes of its recent "resurrection" are a bit muddled. Typically, though, we get a repetitive song-and-dance composed of echoing praises for social gaming and a slide-to-jazz-hands flourish that's somehow supposed to represent casual titles and simpler interfaces. That's a double-edged sword if we've ever seen one. World of Warcraft lead developer Tom Chilton, however, isn't ready to let the Farmvilles of the world turn PC into their infinitely milkable cash cow just yet. Complexity, he says, is actually a selling point.
"In a lot of ways I see the PC as potentially a re-emerging sort of platform," Chilton told PC Gamer. "I think that the PC has always offered ways to approach games that you can't necessarily approach on console, even if it's just because of UI restraints." "Keyboard and mouse opens up options that you can't get replicate as easily with a controller in RTS games like Starcraft 2. If you look at the way we do an MMO like World of Warcraft, our communication method and all that kind of stuff, it kind of implies a level of UI complexity that would be really hard to pull off on console. I think that combined with the digital distribution in a lot of ways has the potential to me to make the PC a really strong gaming platform going into the future," he concluded. The man has a point. Say what you will about Blizzard, but its games work like a charm on PC and PC alone. Sadly, though, it's the exception – not the rule – in the big-budget sector. Console ports rule the roost, and then they venture beyond it and fight, like, a lion or something just 'cause. Here's hoping Chilton's right, and that trend turns around in a big way. Because seriously, if we can't obsessively hotkey every action in existence, what's even the point? |
| Could Google be Resurrecting GDrive? Posted: 01 Sep 2011 03:22 PM PDT  Back in 2006, Google began work on an internal project codenamed Platypus. The core of the program was to provide every Gmail user with a cloud-based hard drive akin to Microsoft Skydrive or Dropbox. It was later revealed as GDrive, but it never launched. The project was quietly killed in 2008. But some new code in the Chromium project makes it seem like the service might be making an unexpected comeback.
GDrive was axed by senior Googlers for fear that it did not fit with the simple cloud-centric direction of the company. They didn't want people storing physical files in the Google cloud, they wanted people to just use web apps. This seemed to be the final word on the topic until a ticket referencing drive.google.com was found in Chromium recently. The URL appears to have been added to the high security transport protocol (HSTS) in Chromium along with Docs and other services. This leads many to believe the service is important, and not just a fragment of the past. Google isn't talking, but cloud storage has gotten big in recent years. Could Google have changed its mind on this? |
| Reminder: New Netflix Pricing Goes into Effect Today Posted: 01 Sep 2011 03:02 PM PDT  That rumbling you hear off in the distance is not thunder. Rather, it's the sound of millions of Netflix users quietly cursing as the new higher rates kick in. It was mid-July when the disc and streaming supplier announced the updated plans, and this is the day it all goes down. Will there be fallout?
For the last few years, users enjoyed free streaming included with most Netflix disc plans. As the company shifts more toward streaming, it became apparent that they needed to extract more value from what was to become their core business. So starting today, there are separate streaming and dics plans. Streaming goes for $7.99 and the disc plans vary , but start at $7.99. The obvious result is that the cheap single disc and streaming option jumped from $9.99 to $15.98. Many users have vowed to cancel the service, or at least ditch discs, which is just what Netflix wants. Are you planning to make a change before your next billing cycle starts? |
| Worst of the Worst: 50 of Our Most Poorly Reviewed Products Posted: 01 Sep 2011 11:50 AM PDT Here at Maximum PC we appreciate quality. We love seeing top-notch products get the high scores and florid praises they've rightfully earned. It's not all smiles and sunshine in the testing labs, though. In fact, many of the products we've reviewed over the years are more Ass Kicked than Kick Ass. You know the Best of the Best? Well, these are the worst of the worst. While we thankfully haven't had to deal with too many terrible products lately, we didn't have to dig all that deep into the archives to find a (not-so) healthy 50 photo sampling of some of the worst we've seen, from 2005 to July 2011. What are some of the worst products you've ever used? Let us know! Edit: Some readers have mentioned that it's difficult to read the text in some of the images. We appologize for the inconvenience--it's a limitation of the current gallery format that we're looking in to. In the mean time, you can view any picture at maximum size by right-clicking it in the gallery, and selecting to open the link in a new tab or a new window. |
| Hackers Breach Kernel.org, The Linux Source Code Repository Posted: 01 Sep 2011 10:27 AM PDT  Linux end users may not have to worry about malware too often, but apparently, folks who like to roll their own code still draw the attention of hackers. Kernel.org, the online repository of the Linux kernel, is reporting that it fell victim to a security breach in August. Don't start screaming and unplugging your Ubuntu PCs just quite yet, though – the administrators believe the attack only compromised users who accessed the kernel.org site, and not the Linux source code itself.
Kernel.org discovered the breach on August 10th. The attacker gained root access on the website's Hera server, probably via a compromised user credential. According to the website's announcement, the attacker then modified ssh-related files, added a Trojan file to the system startup scripts, and logged the interactions of users who accessed the site. The exploit was discovered when developers began getting Xnest errors without Xnest installed. The compromised systems have all been yanked offline and are currently being restored from pristine, Trojan-free backups. Every box on kernel.org will receive a full reinstall, and kernel.org is in the process of changing the credentials and ssh keys of the 448 users registered with the site. Kernel.org is digging through the source code repositories with a fine-toothed comb to ensure that everything's kosher, but they feel it's unlikely that the attacker altered any of the 40,000 files in the Linux code, thanks to the git distributed revision control system that's in place. "A cryptographically secure SHA-1 hash is calculated to uniquely define the exact contents of (each) file," the site explains. The kernel system is designed to build upon the revisions before it, and thanks to that and the corresponding file hashes found on the hard drives of Linux developers across the world, it's virtually impossible to secretly change older versions. Basically, the only Linux end users who may have something to worry about are people who were testing or compiling kernels in the past month, and that's only if the source code itself was infected, which don't seem likely at this point. |
| Toshiba Unveils Portege Z830 Ultrabook Posted: 01 Sep 2011 10:19 AM PDT Are we going to have to petition Congress to change Thursday to Ultrabookday? If the flood of announcements keeps up like this, we might just have to take that drastic step. First, Lenovo unveiled three different Ultrabook models… Wait, did we say first? Actually, Toshiba managed to squeak in under the wire and yank the curtains off of its Ultrabook prior to Lenovo's announcement, making the Portégé Z830 series the first Intel-based MacBook Air clones out of the gate. Officially, at least. 
Toshiba's press release doesn't reveal many hard details. The Protégé Z830 series will sport a 128GB SSD and a second generation Intel core processor, and oh yeah, it'll start at under $1,000. It's plenty slim, too, ay 0.63-inches thick and 2.5 lbs. Those cursory specifications weren't enough for our tastes, though; fortunately, TechCrunch and Engadget were able to snoop out a few more facts. The publications report that you'll find the following components shoved into the Portégé Z830's skinny little case: - Intel Core i3, i5, i7 processors
- Onboard Intel HD 3000 graphics
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi radio
- Magnesium alloy chassis with "honeycomb structure" for rigidity
- Backlit, spill-resistant keyboard
- 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, HDMI and VGA out
- 1.3-megapixel webcam
- Fingerprint reader (optional, on B2B model)
- 1366x768 display
- Up to 6GB of RAM
- Eight cell 47Wh battery
Expect to find the Portégé Z830 series in stores in November, but don't rush out and preorder the notebook just yet. We expect other companies to unveil plenty of other Ultrabooks in the upcoming days, so keep reading to stay informed of all your options. |
| Lenovo Launches Three Ultrabook Models Posted: 01 Sep 2011 09:55 AM PDT  Don't fight it folks, Intel's Ultrabook revolution has already begun and is getting a boost today from Lenovo, which just unveiled three Ultrabook models. These include the IdeaPad U300s, U300, and U400. All three are luxury laptops that attempt to fuse style with performance in a new breed of notebook Intel envisions taking over the mobile computing scene.
"People will be wowed with the new U Series systems from Lenovo that combine incredible performance in beautiful and stylish designs," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of Intel's PC Client Group. "Powered by our 2nd Gen Core processors, this system will deliver great capabilities with a wonderful user experience and long battery life that people increasingly want. We're particularly excited by Lenovo's innovation and as one of the leading time to market partners in the new Ultrabook category with the U300s device that combines a no-compromise, must-have mobile experience with performance, security, responsiveness and style." The U300s Eden talks about is a 13.3-inch notebook featuring up to an Intel Core i7 processor, a bootup time in as little as 10 seconds with Enhanced Experience 2.0 RapidDrive SSD technology, 4GB DDR3 memory, up to a 256GB SSD, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, 1.3MP webcam, and a slim profile made from a single piece of aluminum that measures 0.6 inches thick. Lenovo's U300 (13.3 inches) and U400 (14 inches) sport HD displays, second generation Core processors, bootup times of less than 17 seconds, AMD Radeon HD 6470M graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 1TB HDD (or up to 256GB SSD), and a slot-loading DVD burner (U400 only). The U300 and U400 will go on sale in November starting at $1,200 and $850, respetively. Image Credit: Lenovo |
| Germany No Longer Considers Doom "Harmful" to Youths, Removes 17-Year Ban Posted: 01 Sep 2011 09:26 AM PDT  Gamers living in Germany are finally able to purchase (legally) Doom and Doom II, a pair of software titles previously placed in an index of banned titles by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (Bundesprufstelle), the same index reserved for pornography.
Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing for Betheseda Software, the publisher whose parent company scooped up id Software in 2009, explained to Joystiq.com that index appeals are permissible after 10 years. Both Doom (released in 1993) and Doom II (released in 1994) were placed in the index in 1994. "We are obviously very pleased with their decision," Hines told Joystiq.com. "Can't give you details yet on when they will be available in Germany. We'll let everyone know as soon as we know." Doom's graphics are no longer cutting edge like they were almost two decades ago, but according to a BBC report, the decision to remove both titles from the index wasn't based on graphic quality alone. As explained to the BBC, the panel looks for "drastic portrayals of violence directed against human or human-like beings. If the game does not contain any real alternative scenes which might on the whole 'neutralize' the violent parts, then the game is likely to be found to have a harmful effect on minors." That's still an issue with Doom and Doom II, but the panel now considers those games "of historical interest" and less likely to fall into the hands of children, partially because it will only be available to gamers at least 16 years old. |
| NEC Unveils 20-inch EX201W Ultra Slim Monitor with PVA Panel Posted: 01 Sep 2011 08:36 AM PDT  We just received word from NEC that it's adding a new monitor to the its MultiSync EX-Series, the EX201W. This latest addition is a 20-inch ultra-slim widescreen display with a premium-grade PVA panel and LED backlighting. It has a bezel depth of around 0.65 inches, with an overall profile measuring 1.9 inches.
"The success of the MultiSync EX Series has been phenomenal, and we're excited to introduce a new size category into this series with the 20-inch, widescreen MultiSync EX201W," said Lynn Gu, Product Manager for NEC Display Solutions. "Most customers are finding the minimalist design and LED-backlight power efficiency to be beneficial. Smart technologies like the human sensor and ambient light sensor automatically detect human absence and ambient light intensity and brightness to save a significant amount of power for corporations with large rollouts." Other specs include a 1600x900 resolution, 25,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, DisplayPort and DVI-I inputs, USB port, quick-release stand with height-adjust, tilt, swivel, and pivot, touch-sensitive OSD, ambient light and human sensors, and 21W power rating (typical). The EX201W will ship later this month for $229 street. Image Credit: NEC |
| Anti-Piracy Lawyers Drop Case Against 70-Year-Old Grandmother Posted: 01 Sep 2011 08:18 AM PDT  A 70-year-old grandmother and retired widow from San Francisco accussed of illegally downloading and sharing a porn movie via BitTorrent had the case against her dropped. According to reports, the over-aggressive law firm that pursued the case admits they targeted the elderly woman by mistake and claims to have now found the real guilty party.
"It is such good news as this lawsuit has been hanging over my head," the unnamed woman said, according to SFGate.com. "But at the same time, there's a certain bitterness about the whole thing." Steele Hansmeier PLLC, a law firm filing cases for the adult entertainment industry, turned their attention towards the 70-year-old woman back in July. She was one of thousands to receive a strongly worded letter encouraging her to settle out of court for a few thousand dollars, or risk having to pay attorney's fees and have her name made public in a court case involving pornography. "They had an unwinnable case, and I called them on it," the woman said. "And I hope other people do, too." SFGate.com reports there was no apology on behalf of the law firm, only a somewhat defiant letter that, as an aside, let the woman know it isn't swayed by defendants talking to newspapers, as it raises publicity about its efforts. "Also, a movie producer hired our firm after reading the article and for that I thank you," the letter said. Stay classy, Steele Hansmeier, PLLC. |
