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Comment: I think they may actually be able to do it (Score 1) 62

by Tinman_au (#32910688) Attached to: 'Weekly Episodes' Coming To <em>Star Trek Online</em>




+ - Australia Internet Filter Fails Speed Tests->

Submitted by nathanh
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PlayStation (Games)

+ - Can the PS3 be the new TiVO?->

Submitted by r_jensen11
r_jensen11 writes "According to the BBC, European consumers will be able to add on DVR capabilities to their PS3's. FTFA:

Sony has unveiled a TV tuner which plugs into the PS3 and turns it into a personal video recorder like Sky+. The company has held a press conference at the Leipzig games show in which it highlighted key multimedia capabilities for the PS3 and handheld PSP... PlayTV for PS3 is a twin TV tuner that will launch in early 2008 in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain with other countries to follow.

Link to Original Source

+ - Is There a Theory of Everything?->

Submitted by
Raver32 writes "Ancient philosophers thought wind, water, fire and earth were the most basic elements of the cosmos, but the study of the small has since grown up. Physicists continue to carve the known universe into particles to describe everything from magnetism to what atoms are made of and how they remain stable. Yet striking similarities in the world of quantum mechanics, as the study of particles and their forces is known, has led to a one of the most important questions in modern science: Is there a single theory that can describe everything? "We understand a lot about the universe up to the first few energetic microseconds, but earlier than that our physics break down," said Mark Jackson, a theoretical physicist at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. "But those first moments are where the really interesting things happened." If a theory can be designed to withstand the incredible energies of the early universe as well as incorporate gravity, Jackson said, then a universal theory of physics could become a reality."
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PC Games (Games)

+ - Only 2 activations of Bioshock ever?

Submitted by Tinman_au
Tinman_au writes "Theres a lot of people posting on the 2k Games forums that the copy protection used in Bioshock, (SecuROM), only allows 2 activations.

How many installs do we get? Transfer of ownership?
Re-use of activation code on new PC?

I'm all for companies protecting their income/IP, but only allowing 2 activations seems a tad draconian.

The company has yet to respond to anyone in the forums about the activation issue (though they have responded that they are looking into some of the other problems that usually go with a new release).

Hopefully they'll address the "2 activation's" issue somehow, as it's the only reason I'll be waiting before getting a copy of what looks like an absolute cracker of a game otherwise."

NYT Confirms Movie Studios Paid to Support HD DVD 441

Posted by Zonk

+ - Cell phone and internet phone privacy and security->

Submitted by catraptions
catraptions writes "As most everybody these days, I have a modern cell phone with the latest digital technology. So I've been thinking about getting rid of my landline. I'm hesitant, however, because I really don't trust the security of telephone banking over a cell phone or an internet phone. Do you feel secure in communicating your most personal banking information (account numbers, SSN, birth date, mother's maiden name, password, etc.) over your cell phone or internet phone?"
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+ - Chernobyl Mushrooms Feeding on Radiation

Submitted by cowtamer
PlayStation (Games)

+ - PS3 price drop finally here?

Submitted by Tinman_au
Tinman_au writes "GameDaily is reporting the Sony Playstation 3 price drop thats been rumoured for a while may finally be here.

Although Sony has yet to confirm a price drop officially, GameDaily BIZ has received confirmation from the retail sector that the PS3 will be dropped to $499 next week. Sony itself recently talked about "refining" the PS3 price. Now it appears to be happening.
Report: PS3 $499 on July 12"

+ - Kids, games, homework and fitting in

Submitted by Tinman_au
Tinman_au writes "Medpage Today has an interesting report on a study that suggests "gaming" kids aren't all that much different to "normal" ones!

"These findings do not support the notion that adolescents who play video games are socially isolated," Cummings and Dr. Vandewater wrote.

Another popular notion of how video game play affects adolescents is "displacement," which assumes that gaming time takes away time that would otherwise be spent in more appropriate activities, they added.

"Although our findings are relevant to the magnitude and direction of the relationship between video game play and time spent in other activities, they cannot determine the direction of effects," they wrote. "We cannot assume that if adolescents were not playing video games, they would be interacting with their parents or friends or spending more time doing homework."
I remember my mother being concerned that I used to read too much sci-fi...I wonder if every generation worries about what the next does for entertainment?

The full article can be found here:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPedi atrics/tb/6069"
PC Games (Games)

+ - RMT as a legitimate business model for MMOG's?

Submitted by Tinman_au
Tinman_au writes "gamesindustry.biz has an excerpt from an interview with LotRO's executive producer Jeffrey Steefel who thinks that "MMO business models will change in the next five years to accommodate using real-life money to buy in-game currency and items".

"While some players see this as a form of cheating, others argue that time constraints can hold back a persons enjoyment of a game, especially in a genre as famously time-consuming as MMORPG's."

"That's the endless philosophical discussion," Steefel continued. "If I can find a way for every type of person in my game to play the way they want to without adversely affecting anyone else, then that's win, win, win. And that's what we'll try to figure out."

Full excerpt and a link to the full article it is from at:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid= 25369

I'm interested to know, are we ready as gamers for win, win, win? Can /.ers think of a model that would allow all gamers to be happy with RMT, or is it something that will always boil down to "cheating" for some, "convenience" for others and neither side being happy with the others view?

If RMT is built in to a MMOG, is it still a "game" if you can buy your way to the top, or are things like arms/armour/items just "trimmings" to the main game?"
