iPhone Firmware 1.1.3 Video and Evidence Confirms Update Is Real, Breaks Unlock, Third-Party Apps

damn!

iPhone Firmware 1.1.3 Video and Evidence Confirms Update Is Real, Breaks Unlock, Third-Party Apps [Breaking]

via Gizmodo by Jesus Diaz on 12/29/07

Here's a video of the iPhone Firmware 1.1.3. Update: It is very real, according to Natetrue and the evidence he has provided to us. Knowing that the mighty Natetrue has recorded it and the details he has shared with us, we are inclined to think that the new 1.1.3 leak is very real indeed. Like before, the update breaks the unlock and the third-party apps, patching previous vulnerabilities at the same time. The battle between Apple and the iPhone Dev Team continues. The video shows how to move icons around in the Springboard, wobbling to indicate they can be dragged and dropped around, which is kind of an Apple-meets-Nintendo touch:

(UPDATED 9:40PM - Originally posted at 7:05PM: We talked with natetrue and he has given us a lot of new information about the firmware upgrade. Full update after the jump)

We had some doubts, but now we can tell you we are sure: the new firmware 1.1.3 is real. Or like Nate says: "if it is a hoax, they did a buttload of work." The fact is that it installs normally and it works perfectly, according to all the evidence that Natetrue has brought to our attention. We believe this evidence because it's technically sound and it has been provided by one of the most respected and veteran iPhone hackers and the author of the popular app iBrickr.

Nate says that "it installs on the phone no-questions-asked and for that you need to have Apple's private key, which i can confirm that the iphone hacker community does not have—as much as we would love to have it." Indeed, Apple's private encrypted key, used to authenticate all accesses to the iPhone most-private guts, hasn't been uncovered yet by anyone in the world.

In other words, no firmware upgrades can be installed without the knowledge of this key. Furthermore, the idea that someone would have access to this key and spend months to create a fully functional firmware update, with key new features and without any documentation whatsoever seems just absolutely silly.

Effects on unlocks and Third-party applications
According to Nate, the update breaks AnySim's unlocks. Logically, you can't unlock this update using AnySim and there's no alternative to iTunes for activation. If you want to activate, it will only work using iTunes and a standard AT&T account. As he points out: "that is the only way we have been able to activate so far." Nate tried to upgrade an AnySim 1.2u iPhone and it failed. Even while he was able to force it to boot, the phone refused to activate even with a normal AT&T SIM card. "I suspect it's due to the fact that the baseband could not be upgraded to the 1.1.3 'required' version", he pointed out.

Nate didn't try other updates or solutions, like iPhone Sim Free or any of the hardware-based ones, like TurboSIM. In theory, these should work just fine, but jailbreak and activation would be absolutely impossible for the time being. We would have to wait until the update gets released in the open to try new alternative activation methods.

Your favorite third-party apps will be gone too, with no possibility of return for now. The update fixes the bugs which allowed "the jailbreak method we were using for 1.1.2, locking us out again, as expected."

Other effects
Like previous firmware upgrades, whatever is in the user partition remains unchanged. Only the Apple-owned part is affected by 1.1.3. So for those of you who claim that this is a fake because it says "Nate" in the network instead of "AT&T," that's the reason. Nate changed the network name in 1.1.2 using Erica's Make It Mine program. The changed network name, like with 1.1.1 and any other previous firmware, is kept through firmware upgrades.

New features and future releases
The list of new features are confirmed too: all are correct, but he couldn't confirm if they are the only ones or not.

Many of you would be wondering how this could have happened, knowing the extremely tight security around the iPhone firmware updates. We don't know, but apparently the leak has occurred because "someone wanted to help the unlock effort." The source of the leak is completely anonymous, even to Nate and the rest of the people who have had access to the upgrade.

Why the update hasn't hit Torrent yet? According to Nate, the code could be watermarked to catch any leaks "so for now it's screenshots and videos." Also, distributing it won't make much sense at this point: according to Nate the iPhone 1.1.3 Firmware update could hit as soon as next week.

Stay tuned for more updates. [Cre.ations.net - Thanks Nate for your insight and Markus for the tip]

OHLALA THE TUDORS2

OHLALA THE TUDORS2

via Ohlala Mag by Steph & Alek on 12/30/07

The Tudors will be back on March 30 ... I know it seems like so far away, but here is the first look at the poster for the second season. Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry with Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn. source

+ JRM is Henry VIII
+ Henry Cavill Naked in The Tudors
+ The Tudors by Francois Rousseau

The end of an era as AOL officially retires Netscape

Wow... I've actually gotten used to using Netscape 9, which is a nice version of Firefox v2...
That is just too bad!
=(

The end of an era as AOL officially retires Netscape

via BetaNews.Com on 12/28/07

As we bid adieu to 2007 and prepare to enter the new year, AOL is also saying goodbye to memories: the company has finally killed off the Netscape Web browser - or what was left of it, anyway.

Sim Card Backup Gadget

Now this is something that should have been in the market when SIM's was first introduced!

Sim Card Backup Gadget

via Popgadget: Personal Tech for Women by Evan on 12/29/07

Why didn't I have this BEFORE I dropped my cell phone in the toilet, BEFORE my daughter lost hers at the movies and BEFORE my huband's phone was stolen from his car? All that lost time re-entering our info.

If we'd had the Sim Card Backup gadget we could have replicated our contacts onto another SIM card. The device has 16KB of storage which is enough for 500 telephone records. The memory is organized in 2 different SIM Cards data storage banks.

I'd pay hundreds of dollars for this gadget but you can pick it up for only $14.99 at Think Geek

Nintendo DS Tops PS2 in Lifetime Sales (Japan) [Sony Vs Nintendo]

Gotta love that Nintendo!

Nintendo DS Tops PS2 in Lifetime Sales (Japan) [Sony Vs Nintendo]

via Gizmodo by Mark Wilson on 12/29/07

Every once in a while when you study those weekly sales charts out of Japan you catch something interesting. And that happened when last week's numbers came out: the Nintendo DS has overtaken the PS2 in lifetime console sales in Japan.

But when Nintendo sells over 200,000 portable units a week in one country alone, it's hard to believe that their DSs have not yet assembled into a giant, gajillion-screened monster with a vicious stylus attack that would stop even the likes of Ultraman. Outsell the PS2 in Japan? That's just another day at the office when you have nuclear laser attacks in the brain.

[mediacreate via kotaku]

PS, we know that picture is a PSP, not a PS2. But we love the picture and rarely get a chance to dust it off.

Returning A Defective Home Theater To Circuit City Makes You Bang Your Head ...

Thought passing on the word on one of the big guys is always a good thing.
Keeping things real! And the more people know, the better!

Returning A Defective Home Theater To Circuit City Makes You Bang Your Head Against A Wall [Complaints]

via Consumerist by Carey Greenberg-Berger on 12/28/07

"On November 29th, 2007, I purchased a Phillips HTS3544 HTIB (Home Theater in-a-box) online at circuit city.com for $197.47. This included the extra that I paid for expedited 3-day shipping. Done. I thought with the weekend coming up I would receive it around December 3rd-4th. And thats when the problems started rolling on it. The first problem was that the circuit city warehouse didn't even notify FedEx until December 4th, and I didn't receive the item until December 7th (which is 3-day on FedEx's part). Okay, fine, I think Ill just call and have the extra charges refunded. But no way did I know this would spiral into what it has become."

Once unpacked, I proceed to wire everything up and, after all that work, plug the receiver in. Hmm... no red standby light... no fan... no nothing. I try another outlet... great... I got a defective unit. Okay, thats fine, things happen, I'm sure Circuit City's customer service will work things out with me. Not.

I called the customer service number, went through the usual prompts, and was put on hold... for 10min... 20...30...40...50...1hr... someone picks up. Okay, I'm tired of waiting but now I can get this resolved. I explain what has happened, and "I'm sorry... you have to talk to the returns department, please hold". Son of.. no, no, just wait.

10...20...30...1hr...and an hour and a half rolls by and someone picks up. I explain the situation and the fact I've been on hold for over 2hrs cumulative now... they take all my information and..

"I'm sorry sir, but this item is an online-only offer, so it will have to be returned via fed ex express. The charges for this will be $60.43 and there will be a 15% restocking fee; your balance to return the item is $87.42; would you like to use your previous payment method to fund this?" --WHAT!? I'm speechless.... you can't be serious. First... the product CAME LATE and DEFECTIVE. Second... ME pay for the shipping charges? No way. I try and get things resolved... no go. They wont budge. I then request a supervisor and get this response: "I'm sorry sir, but my supervisor is going to tell you the same thing; this is our policy and we cannot change it for you. Your account has been noted." I demand a supervisor a second time. "Sir, a supervisor is not going to change this." Deny me a supervisor once? Wrong. 2 times? Now I'M getting severely upset. I demand a third time. "Sir, I'm sorry but I cannot do that. Your account has been noted, have a good night." Click. What... hung up on!? Now I'm furious.

I call the number again...hold for over an hour again.. I get another rep... and I demand a supervisor immediately... "Sir, what is the issue you are having? I am sure that i can assist you with it and a supervisor will not need to be contacted." What is wrong with this company? Why do they deny supervisors? I request again... deny... again... deny...again...and deny. I finally am outraged and demand a supervisor and FINALLY, they tell me they will transfer me. Hold again... 30min...45...1hr... "Hello, I'm a supervisor what is the issue?" Finally.. I explain... and... "I'm sorry...but this is our policy and we cannot change it". You have got to be kidding me. I request their corporate office and she gives me another 1-800 number. She hangs up, without saying anything more.

By this time, I have spent almost 5hrs on the phone cumulative and it is very late and I am irate to say the least. I head to bed and call corporate tomorrow; surely this has to be a bad luck thing.

Tomorrow comes and I call the corporate office... within holding for 5min someone picks up... amazing... no hold? Maybe this is a good thing. I speak to a lady and plead my case. She apologizes for everything that has happened and agrees to expedite shipping of a new product for me and says she has to verify some information and puts me on hold for about 5minutes. Good,things will get fixed. She comes back on the line... "I'm sorry sir but we cannot ship this product 3-day for you and you will have to pay the shipping to us to return in and we will ship you a new one in 14-21 days." WHAT!?!?! I explain this request is outrageous and question if I am able to do ANYTHING through a store location. She informs me that I, in fact, CAN return it to a store and have a new one shipped to me. Amazing the lack of communication here, isn't it? Good, I say I will do that and the conversation ends.

I call up my local store and ask for a supervisor and get one. I explain the situation that I have been going through and the supervisor understands and I head to the store. I return the item to them and they set up the new shipment... but there is still an issue. Remember how I paid for 3day? They refuse to honor that for this new shipment... by this time I'm so done with this company I just tell them to ship it to me and be done with it. I get the receipt and shipping info and leave.

December 10th comes.. and I have a package? Whats this? 2 days? Amazing. I finally think this process is over... but no, it's not. I open the package and this time, before unwrapping ANYTHING, I plug the receiver in, laughing, thinking there is no way I could possibly get a SECOND one that doesn't work. ... no...red light... no fan... no...nothing. You have to be kidding me. ANOTHER defective unit. I immediately call the store and explain what happened and at this time, I am infuriated. They understand and want to ship ANOTHER one to me.. but by this time this is not going to work. I demand that the supervisor find a comparable product that they can exchange IN STORE TONIGHT for me. She agrees and finds me a Panasonic 5 Disc HTIB with the same features, minus and plus a few. Good, I bring the product in, exchange it, bring the new item home, plug the receiver in and... IT WORKS! We're done!

Now... lets recap... I received two defective products... wasted over 7hrs of my time via phone and driving to locations, was told contrasting information on return policies, and was told I would have to furnish shipping for a defective product? During the phone conversations with their 1-800 #, I had to struggle to understand EVERY rep I had, INCLUDING the supervisors, I assume due to outsourcing. I then FINALLY get the product exchanged and.. IT DOESN'T WORK! I get a comparable product after having to cohort the supervisor into this and finally, I have a working product, 2 weeks of waiting and 7hrs of phone conversations PLUS having to drive to and from a store location TWICE and I wound up with a product that I didn't want but suffices. Now, you're probably wondering why I didn't just get a refund and go elsewhere? $125 of the purchase was on gift cards I bought at a local store for the fuel perks prior to shopping... burned on my part for that. The moral of this story? I will NEVER shop at this company again and I will make sure my family does the same. I have contacted the BBB regarding this but I don't expect to have a reply. Take your business elsewhere... often-times, an ad price you see here can be matched somewhere else that will actually give you something called Customer Service.

What a nightmare, made all the more frustrating because the store could have instantly exchanged the unit, rather than made you wait for two weeks—for another defective unit. We like to simultaneously pursue multiple avenues when dealing with thickety customer service issues. If a CSR tells you to wait two weeks, call the store and ask for faster response, or to provide an alternate resolution. Just because customer service agents are bound to a handbook, doesn't mean you can't try to outflank them.

(Photo: alaspoorwho)

Water Bar: Just Looking at It Makes Me Want to Take a Leak [Not Your Average...

via Gizmodo by Sean Fallon on 12/28/07

Imagine drinking copious amounts of alcohol, all while staring at this "waterfall" optical glass bar designed by Tokujin Yoshioka. You would be heading to the bathroom every 15 minutes. In reality though, no actual water is used. The effect is created using an optical glass block that is crafted in such a way that it gives the impression of flowing water. An interesting design concept for sure, but if I were a bar owner I would think twice about installing it. Water bills from frequent flushing can be a bitch. Additional image after the break.

[Tokujin Yoshioka via Yanko Design]

Optimus Tactus, the next big keyboard idea from Art.Lebedev Studio

Sent to you by UnoDude Thinking via Google Reader:

via DVICE by Charlie White on 12/28/07

Here's the next forward-thinking keyboard idea from the Art.Lebedev Studio—this Optimus Tactus is a keyboard that has no keys. Along with its touchscreen substituting for physical keys comes flexibility, giving you choices of how big those graphic keys can be. When you're not typing, you can even substitute a video screen instead of the images of keys in front of you.

Not a real product yet, this is a design concept from Art.Lebedev, with no pricing or release date attached thus far. That might mean a long wait for such an innovative keyboard, if the company's Optimus Maximus keyboard is any indication. That one's been in the works for nearly two years, and is just now in the pre-order stage. We really like this design, but we're not holding our breath waiting for it to be available.

Via Art.Lebedev Studio

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Intel demos iPhone-like MID of the future

Intel just keeps banging out the hits from IDF. After the handful of McCaslin "next-quarter" and "coming-soon" UMPCs we saw from the chipmaker (and associates), Intel started busting out prototypes from its forthcoming Menlow chipset, using smaller, 45nm Silverthorne CPUs, and the 2009/2010 offering Moorestown... which is the bad-boy you're looking at in these photos is based on. In a rather obvious homage to the iPhone, the chip-kingpin presented this do-anything, go-anywhere MID (provided you can cram this French-bread-sized device into a pocket). The device will feature a 45nm CPU as well, plus all kinds of goodies like integrated WiFi and WiMAX, and apparently 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. Obviously, this product will probably never see the light of day (at least not in this form factor), but then again -- you never really know.

Read -- Intel shows concept iPhone running on Moorestown platform
Read -- Intel's iPhone clone, we're not joking
Read -- Intel Details Next Generation "Menlow" MID, UMPC Platform

[originating url]

ASUS' M930W brings E90 style to Windows Mobile

via Engadget Mobile by Chris Ziegler on 12/24/07

Right down to the color scheme, pretty much everything about the ASUS' just-leaked M930W is reminding us of Nokia's E90 business superphone, save for one very important detail: this one's running Windows Mobile 6 instead of S60. The specs reveal 3.6Mbps HSDPA, a pretty capable 3.2 megapixel autofocus cam, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, microSDHC slot, 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM. That's the good news; the bad is that we're lacking GSM 850 and 3G 850 / 1900 here. What else is new, right? France's GPS&Co has it pegged for a Q1 '08 release at a yet-to-be-determined price.[Via Unwired View]

No, this is not a harp. Yes, it is a radiator. Really.

Radiators are ugly. Harps are pretty. If you want to make a radiator that's pretty, make it look like a harp. That must have been the inspiration behind the Adagio radiator. (Either that or the person who designed it must really like harps.) And of course what good would a harp-looking radiator be without a remote control to help you use it? None. So let's throw that in and we're done. No, wait, that's not enough. What else does it need? Oh, right, color changing LED lights. Because you want your gold plated, stainless steel harp to be pimped out with lights.

Carisa via Trendir

[originating url]

Texts Keep You Posted

It’s an annoyance to keep checking a site or your RSS reader every now and again to stay on top of the latest news, right? Instead, wouldn’t it be great if you could just receive a text message every time it’s updated? It’s Web-Alerts.com, and what it does is let you punch in a website with an RSS feed or the site directly, and then updates get forwarded to your phone. You get a preview, therefore you only need to go online if its worthy of your time. There’s also a really neat feature that lets you use keywords to nit pick just what you fancy. Sounds expensive? Not all all, it’s free. The again, you might have to talk to your carrier about being charged for incoming text messages, but if you aren’t, you’re in the clear! Now you’ll never have to miss out on the breaking news as it happens.

[originating url]

PS. I did not get paid to post this! I actually could use the service.

Giant Pac-Man spotted in waters off Manhattan, residents prepare to flee

One of our Blog spies sent us this top-secret subway radar map that shows a giant submerged Pac-Man lurking just off the shore of Manhattan. At this time its intentions are unknown, but given that Pac-Man is just a giant mouth that exists only to feed, the outlook for New York City is not good. The mayor's office has told us that residents are preparing to flee, while diversionary lines of yellow taxis are being placed in the streets to draw him off. It's thought the taxis will remind Pac-Man of the yellow dots he eats to survive, thus sparing human lives.

[originating url]

Axiontron beats Apple to the Mac tablet punch

Are you tired of waiting for Apple to release a MacBook tablet for you to fawn over? Sure, there have been rumors about them for months now, but there's nothing coming out of Cupertino currently that looks anything like the tablet so many Apple fans want so badly. What are you to do?

Just get the next best thing, the ModBook Mac Tablet. Sure, it's not an official Apple computer, but if they aren't gonna release what you want you need to take matters into your own hands. This tablet is a modified Apple MacBook that has a touchscreen and no keyboard, but it does have an iSight camera, a DVD burner, ForceGlass on the screen to protect it from scratches and the like, and WiFi. It looks pretty slick, although with no price announced as of yet you can assume this one will be very, very expensive. But hey, if Apple released one officially it'd be very expensive too, so what's the difference?

Product Page, via UberGizmo

[originating url]

Mozilla needs a few good beta testers

The company is looking to reach out to the community of users of its software by building a mailing list of those interested in beta testing software.

Mozilla is currently in the midst of testing out its next release of Firefox, however the company is apparently planning ahead for future products. Testers will be responsible with putting release candidate and developer builds through their paces before shipment.

"Our community is a valuable resource, and we hope to build a network of trusted testers who we can count on to help us make the web experience great for all of our users," quality assurance team member Marcia Knous said.

Those with experience in advanced web development are especially welcome to the program. It should be mentioned that these are not betas per se, but rather developer builds, which mean that problems with these applications could be more troublesome than the average beta.

From the beta call, it appears that Mozilla is attempting to keep the program out of the general everyday tester, mentioning that there are other programs for that.

"There are Bug Days and Test Day events that you can participate in if you are interested in becoming a nightly tester or interested in general testing," Mozilla said in an FAQ.

[originating url]

Latest Firefox beta passes Acid2 test, IE8 claims to pass also

After a screenshot on MSDN appeared to show an IE8 beta passing an accepted Web standards test, some came to the only conclusion they could: that the test had to be broken.

yeah right!

Patch to a patch of a Microsoft patch needs patching

UPDATED - In the latest incident of a now-chronic problem that has been bugging Microsoft all year, a recent security patch now causes IE6 to crash in Windows XP...again.

Unusually apathetic response from Google to 'sharing' complaints

An experiment started two weeks ago by Google to leverage its Talk application as a way of sharing news feeds from Google Reader, has been met with some derision. What may be more surprising, though, is the company's response.

Read about it!

Assassin's Creed for Xbox 360 Review

[originating url]

This was a tough one. I desperately wanted to love this game: The setting, the plot, and the presentation are all excellent. The stealth-oriented action is first rate. But as this increasingly tedious game wore on and on, and the horrifically balky controls betrayed my onscreen character again and again, I realized there was no way I could give this game four stars, let alone five. Like Bioshock before it, Assassin's Creed gives up all of its admittedly wonderful surprises in the first hour or so of game play. After that, it's just repetition and frustration, as the game gets harder by simply making the control system more untenable over time. And this is a shame. Done right, Assassin's Creed could have--and should have--been nearly perfect.

One heads-up I should admit right up front: As I write this review, I'm only about two-thirds of the way through the game, so I will reserve the right to adjust the overall score accordingly as I continue through to the end (which I will). But make no mistake: For all the wonder of discovering the world of Assassin's Creed, what you're eventually left with is pure frustration. It's just too repetitive and too long of a game to be any fun over time. I can't believe I'm arguing that a game should be cut short, but like most recent Neil Stephenson books or Peter Jackson movies, sometimes you need someone to tell you when to stop. And Assassin's Creed would have worked better as a much shorter game, so the wonder never had the chance to turn into full-blown tedium.

Plot

You play Altair, a member of a group of assassins operating in the Middle East during the Middle Ages. After a fall from grace at the beginning of the game, you're conveniently stripped of your assassin powers and forced to earn them back, one by one, by completing various missions in three major cities, Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem, and, to a less extent, in the area between these cities, simply called the Kingdom. There's also an annoying and pointless side-plot involving you as Altair's present-day descendent, who is reliving Altair's life through a machine that resuscitates memories from genes. Or something.

Anyway, most of the game takes place in these cities, where you are sent, three times in succession, to each, in order to assassinate a valuable target. Along the way, you'll explore each city section, the Kingdom, and the area in and around Masyaf, where the assassins are headquartered. As you complete each mission, a power is returned and you become more formidable.

Game play

As in Bioshock, your onscreen character gains a tremendous number of powers over time, all of which require unique button combinations. Unlike Bioshock, however, this is handled reasonably well here, as the game slowly returns your powers and abilities, and you optionally train to use them. I never really felt overwhelmed by controls, which is a huge problem in 360 version of Bioshock.

There are some stunning sequences. You need to scale the heights of the tallest buildings in each city in order to get a better lay of the land and locate targets, and the scenes in which reach the apex of these buildings and then, optionally, leap down into some bale of hay like a circus act--called "the leap of faith," incidentally--are gorgeous. These bits of the game, and the time you'll spend jumping from rooftop to rooftop, are very reminiscent of Crackdown (see my review), albeit a more medieval version. (Even open-ended missions based around three cities in Assassin's Creed follow the progression of Crackdown.) I mostly enjoyed the jumping and scaling aspects of the game quite a bit.

You battle enemies in a variety of ways, sneak attack guards, battle on horseback, and spend a lot of time simply exploring and finding small milestones in the forms of various flags. There's a lot to do in each section of each city, and out in the kingdom, and you can blow through it or stick around and savor each, sucking every last possible bit of game play out of it, all according to your wants. Credit the game makers for at least padding it out so that even the most completist gamers will have something to occupy many hours of time.

Unfortunately, the game is just too frustrating to merit this kind of time. As you run through the city streets looking to escape from the guards, you will often find yourself latching onto ladders or jumping up to protruding areas of buildings when you don't mean to. Conversely, as you try to scale buildings or ladders to escape, you will annoyingly stop moving sometimes, as the guards hurl arrows and rocks at you, knocking you down when you should have been blocks away. And if you should be drawn into a fight with the guards, an increasingly dangerous proposition as the game progresses, it's often difficult to break out and continue running. And many of these fights are simply unwinnable.

But it gets worse. I can't count the number of times I'd successfully assassinated a major or minor milestone character only to have the guards be perversely alerted to my presence, presumably because it was just getting late in the game and things just had to be made arbitrarily more difficult. This leads to an annoying and repetitive sequence of events where you run away and/or scale buildings to try to escape, attempt to hide and thus escape the guards for good using one of a few available techniques, and then restart the whole thing over again. Rinse, repeat. Rinse, repeat. Rinse repeat. Let me know when that gets boring.

I never actually threw the controller at the wall while playing Assassin's Creed, but I wanted to. I did, however, curse out loud more times than I'd like to admit. It's just frustrating, and again, it's seems arbitrarily difficult. You go to a lot of trouble, for example, ensuring that no one can see a particular assassination and then the alarm is sounded just the same, making the previous five minutes worth of work moot. You just have run around like an idiot until you escape and then do it all over again. Oh joy.

Graphics and sounds

The graphics and sound, and overall atmosphere of Assassin's Creed are first rate. The game is broad and deep, with huge and believable cities, each of which is alike enough to establish a theme, but different enough to seem like discrete places, alive and breathing. The world here is just so fully realized and is apparently historically accurate. It's gorgeous.

Where this all falls apart is in the repetition. While the voice acting is mostly fantastic, for example, there's not enough of it and the same dialog is used again and again. Every single accused thief in each of the three cities--and there are hundreds of them--is accompanied by the same exact dialog. Each of the beggars that you run into, all too often, say exactly the same thing to you. Each of the guards that discover you on the rooftops warns you with exactly the same language. The repetitiveness of the whole thing just wears on you, and while I'm sure it's an issue of disc space more than anything else, this game would have been better served with a lot more dialog and fewer missions. At the very least, the dialog repetitiveness should have been constrained at the city level. But the dialog is consistent across all locations.

Multiplayer and replay value

Assassin's Creed offers no multiplayer options at all, though that could have potentially been an incredible option: Imagine slinking along the rooftops of Damascus or Jerusalem seeking out other assassins as they, in turn, looked for you. That said, the single player campaign is incredibly lengthy (if frustrating) and I'm sure the more anal retentive will spend a lot of time in each city, and out in the kingdom, seeking to find every single flag. In this way, the game also resembles Crackdown, because it gives you a reason to keep playing even after all of the game's major objectives have been completed.

Final thoughts

So close and yet so far: Assassin's Creed should have been a superstar of the 2007 holiday season, taking its rightful place next to such titles as Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3. But thanks to some overly-frustrating controls and game play, and a too-lengthy, repetitive, and tedious campaign, the game quickly becomes tiresome. And that's a shame, because all the pieces are in place, this game could have been a classic. But I've rarely cursed out loud at a game as often as I have with Assassin's Creed, and it's just impossible to overlook how frustrating this game really is. Ultimately, it's just a huge disappointment, a game that should have been great but is not.

--Paul Thurrott
December 9, 2007

Windows XP Service Pack 3 FAQ

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t's time to say goodbye to an old friend. Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), due in the second quarter of 2008, will be the final XP service pack , according to Microsoft. It can't come a moment too soon: XP SP2 (see my review) shipped over three years ago at this writing, and the company has since shipped hundreds of hot-fixes for the OS, giving users a painful updating experience, with multiple reboots. XP SP3 will consolidate all of these fixes into a single package and, surprisingly, add a few new features, including some that--go figure--debuted first in XP's successor, Windows Vista. Here's what I know about Windows XP Service Pack 3.

Q: What is Service Pack 3?

A: Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is the final Windows XP service pack, a collection of previously-released fixes and product enhancements, as well as a few new features that are unique to this release.

Q: Does SP3 include everything from SP1 and SP2 or do I need to install those first?

A: Because XP SP3 aggregates all of the previously-released XP fixes, you will not need to install SP1 or SP2 first: XP3 includes everything that was in those updates as well. That said, the same SP3 installer will work fine on any version of XP, regardless of which service packs and fixes were previously installed.

Q: Windows XP SP2 was released over three years ago. Why the delay on SP3?

A: While Microsoft is an enormous company with over 77,000 employees worldwide and over $50 billion in annual revenues, its organizational structure actually constrains which products are actively developed in some cases. For example, while a large team of developers, product managers, and program managers are involved during the ramp-up to any major OS release, Microsoft then pushes the product into its support organization for follow-up development in the form of hot-fixes, service packs, and so on. Other teams work on out-of-band updates that are typically shipped via the Web and, eventually, a new or existing team is constituted to work on the next major release and the entire process begins anew.

With Windows XP, however, Microsoft was forced to temporarily halt development on XP's successor, Windows Vista, in order to complete XP SP2. That's because this release, though provided to customers for free as a typical service pack, was in fact a major OS upgrade and was developed outside of the company's support structure, a first for any service pack release. After XP SP2 was completed, the people involved with that project moved onto other things, typically Vista or Windows Server 2008.

In the case of Windows XP SP3, Microsoft simply dedicated every available employee it could to completing Windows Vista, which by that time was years behind schedule. So it's only been since the beginning of this year that anyone turned their attention back to XP's next and neglected service pack.

Q: What are these new features I keep hearing about?

A: Windows XP Service Pack 3 will not include any major new features, but it will include four minor new features that improve the system's reliability and security. Contrary to reports, Microsoft has been very up-front about these functional additions for quite some time now.

These new features include:

Network Access Protection compatibility. Announced years ago, this feature allows Windows XP machines to interact with the NAP feature in Windows Server 2008. This functionality is built into the RTM version of Windows Vista as well.

Product Key-less install option. As with Windows Vista, new XP with SP3 installs can proceed without entering a product key during Setup.

Kernel Mode Cryptographics Module. A new kernel module that "encapsulates several different cryptographic algorithms," according to Microsoft.

"Black hole" router detection algorithm. XP gains the ability to ignore network routers that incorrectly drop certain kinds of network packets. This, too, is a feature of Windows Vista.

And that's about it. Nothing dramatic, as promised.

Q: That's it? Is there anything else?

Nothing else new. There are updated applications, which shipped long ago as separate downloads, like Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Media Player 11. And there are even some features that have been removed, like the taskbar-based Address Bar option.

Q: Why is Microsoft even bothering to release this update? Isn't everyone moving to Windows Vista?

A: Given the relative security, stability, and reliability of XP with SP2, and the subsequent release of Vista, XP SP3 may seem like a pointless update, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many businesses will roll out new XP-based PCs in the coming years, and as anyone who's had to update an XP SP2 system can tell you, the 100+ updates that Microsoft has shipped since SP2 can be a nightmare to deploy. If you're already running XP and have been regularly updating your systems all along, the release of XP SP3 will be a minor event. But if you have planned XP deployments in the future, look very carefully at this release and consider it the baseline for your next generation of PCs. Or, you could always consider Vista, which will of course be updated with genuine new features far longer than will XP.

Q: When will Microsoft ship XP SP3?

A: The company says that Windows XP Service Pack 3 will ship in the second quarter of 2008, or about three months after Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008. However, you can now download a near-final version of XP3, the Windows XP SP3 RC refresh.

--Paul Thurrott
October 12, 2007
Updated October 21, 2007; December 5, 2007

Just not for gaming!

While the format war gets the most attention these days, our old favorite, -- no, not 720p vs 1080i -- is still kicking: Plasma vs LCD. With each new generation a manufacturer improves its previous best model and with the latest Samsung LED powered LCD (LN-T5281F), Sound and Vision Magazine thought it was time for another technology shoot out. The wait was in LCDs court, as the last time both went head to head, it wasn't even close, and while LCD is still no match for Plasma, it was closer than ever. In fact, even though both sets sell for almost the same price, the Plasma (Pioneer DP-5010FD) bested the best LCD they ever tested in every category -- including glare -- except detail, which was a tie. The biggest discrepancy between the two was viewing angle, which is labeled Uniformity on the scorecard and requires one to sit directly in front of the set, or suffer an inferior experience. The real irony here is that although the three seasoned AV experts on the panel agree on which produces the best picture, the average consumer probably prefers the "LCD's dynamic pop" and unrealistic bright colors to the almost perfect realistic colors of the Plasma.

[originating url]

Apple revs security updates to fix Safari crashing bug

If you already installed either Security Update 2007-009 or Safari 3 Beta 3.0.4 Security Update for Windows, you may have noticed a wee bit of instability in Safari post-update. The behavior in question is euphemistically described by Apple as "an unexpected termination of the Safari application when browsing to certain web sites," or translated into English: Safari go boom now.

Fortunately, before heading out to celebrate Christmas with their long-suffering families, Apple security engineers cranked out 1.1 updates to both the recent security patches, available for download now. If your Safari experience hasn't been all it can be since the updates, try the new patch versions and see if they improve matters.

[originating url]

ImgBurn: Free CD/DVD image burning for Windows

Looking a way to burn a disc image to a CD or DVD but don't want to shell out the money for a copy of Nero? ImgBurn is a free Windows app that does just what it's name would suggest: it burns images. You can also use it to create images from CDs or files on your computer.

ImgBurn isn't the only game in town. CDBurnerXP or InfraRecorder are also both free, and they also support burning images to a disc. Both programs are also a bit easier to use if you want to create a compilation, audio CD, or pretty much anything other than a disc image. But ImgBurn's focus on disc images makes it ideal if you're happy with the built in Windows XP/Vista disc burning utilities, but simply need a solution for burning ISO, NRG, or BIN files to disc.

[via AppScout]

Poen Kiled the Radio Star - PS3

If there is one thing that PlayStation 3 owners like even more than games -- it's porn. Okay, well maybe not *all* owners, but enough to convince the formerly HD-DVD exclusive porno company Digital Playground that they should be releasing their titles on Blu-ray as well, starting with the big budget smash hit, Pirates. As DP founder Joone (yes he has a one word name, evidently he doesn't want his mommy to know what he does) explained, "A lot of people were e-mailing that bought a PlayStation 3 and they were basically saying, 'When are you guys going to release Blu-ray?'"

While the news of naughty films on Blu-ray isn't exactly breaking news, it is interesting for a number of reasons. First off, Joone is the fellow that oh-so-long-ago said that Sony was blocking them from releasing their 'adult entertainment' movies on Blu-ray. Evidently, this isn't the case any more as Joone has changed his tone and said the real problem originally was the price of producing Blu-ray movies (which is quite a bit higher than HD-DVD movies).

The other thing that is interesting is that this is the first time that we have heard of the PlayStation 3 explicitly causing such an increased demand for HD movies that a studio changes its exclusivity stance in the HD format wars. For a long time, the HD-DVD camp has said that PlayStation 3 owners don't buy movies. Well if porn is any indicator, looks like PlayStation 3 owners luuuv their high-def movies -- as long as there are naked people in them at least.

[Via High-Def Digest]

MadCatz Xbox 360 HDMI Conversion Kit, $90 in Jan

We're not sure who the market for these things is. On the one hand, every new Xbox 360 comes with an HDMI port built-in. On the other hand, if you've got an older system, it's more or less guaranteed to fail and the system you get back just may have an HDMI port in it. Process of elimination leaves people who've already had their 360 replaced and are left with fully functioning – yet cruelly HDMI-less – consoles, so we'll direct the remainder of this post to that no doubt highly lucrative demographic.

If staring longingly at your pal's HDMI connection has you feeling like less of a man, then consider MadCatz's HDMI Conversion Kit, available in January for the low, low price of $89.99. The device supports resolutions up to 1080p, includes an optical audio port, and comes with both HDMI and optical audio cables. Isn't that worth it for a strong, thick digital video signal?

[Via Engadget]

Sno-baller is about 4 billion years overdue

So the earth is around 4 billion years old? Well, that is 4 billion sad and unfortunate years that this device has not existed, but it should have. The Sno-baller is the cherry on top of the lazy sundae that is the human civilization. Rather than having to ball up awkwardly shaped snow balls on your own, this quick device will do it for you.

The Sno-baller operates similar to a pair of scissors. Use it to pick up snow and it will pack the snow it into a perfect sphere, ready for the throwing. And with those winter storms blanketing the country with snow, this is a must-have on those glorious snow days. The Sno-baller is available for $8.95.

Sno-baller, via TechDigest

[originating url]

Google Android Prototype In the Wild

Here's the first gorgeous shot of an Google Android prototype in the wild. It looks HTC-ish in build, similar to the grainy versions we've seen in the official videos and the renderings in the SDK emulator. Our source, a Giz reader, had some feedback to add to the prototype, which he used for a day: Even in early form, it's light and fast, much faster than the desktop emulator at times. And as a longtime programmer, he thinks it's a lot more put together than Window Mobile 5 on the back side of things. It's a prototype, so things will obviously change, but these are all great signs. I just pray that hardware by other makers is a lot more adventurous. In my mind, those HTC designs remind me a little too much of WM and will for a long time.

[originating url]

PlayStation 3 XviD Playback Update: It Works, Kinda

Huzzah! I've discovered why XviD files didn't work in the PlayStation DivX Playback test. Apparently, streaming over Windows Media Player 11 does not work for any XviD files and most DivX files, but it does work fine if you load the files onto an external USB drive or burn it to a DVD. But there's a workaround, kind of.

The best alternative to get "streaming" to work with Windows Media Player 11 is to first locate the file you want to watch over the network, then press the triangle button and copy it to your PS3. The same file that couldn't play back a minute ago will happily render itself when viewed off the PlayStation 3's hard drive.

It seems to us that the fault may either lie with the way that WMP11 streams files or the way that the PS3 plays back streamed files over the network—we're not sure. If the PS3 supported SMB networking, this problem might be eliminated. We'll have to check back in the future if and when they do add this feature.

Sorry for the confusion everybody! When I got DivX, and not XviD, to stream correctly, I assumed that XviD does not work. I should have tested it on an external drive as well. But hurray, XviD works fine on PS3. Thanks for checking up on us.

Update: I just did another test, and EyeConnect on Macs seem to stream DivX and XviD just fine for me. So it looks like a WMP11 problem. Has anyone else gotten it to support streaming w/ WMP11? TVersity seems to stream alright on PCs too, according to some users.

Update 2: Just re-confirmed that TVersity works for me, but the same files that work in TVersity don't work streaming over WMP11. Very strange.

[originating url]

Wave Farming for Power is Going Commercial in California

California's Pacific Gas & Electric has signed an agreement with Finavera Renewables to supply 2 megawatts of electricity that will be generated by a "wave farm" set 2.5 miles off the coast near Humboldt County. This move is expected to offset 245 tons of carbon dioxide annually. At the heart of the project will be Finavera's AquaBuoy —a fairly simple set involving a floating buoy that generates electricity by bobbing up and down, forcing a piston to drive seawater into a pressurized chamber. The pressure then cranks a turbine.

A full-scale buoy is capable of generating enough electricity to power 80 homes. In PGEs setup, 8 buoys will be used in total. If the project succeeds, the wave farm will be expanded to 100 megawatts —but don't expect any of this to happen soon. According to CNET, the farm will produce electricity starting in 2012..."ideally." And we all know what that means.

[CNET]

[originating url]

Microsoft Offers Free Software in Exchange for Your Privacy

Want a free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate direct from Microsoft, no piracy required? Don't care about your privacy? Have I got a deal for you! Microsoft is offering up free copies of Vista Ultimate, Office Ultimate, Money Plus Premium, Student with Encarta Premium and Streets and Trips, all for free. All you've gotta do is allow them to track your every move for a few months.

Yes, Microsoft is looking for people to help test its new "Windows Feedback Program," and isn't afraid to reel people in with bribes. You'll have all of your computer usage tracked for three months, and you'll also need to submit to surveys every two weeks. As long as you don't mind Papa Gates and his menagerie knowing just how often you look at your ex-girlfriends Facebook profile, it's actually a pretty serious amount of free software for almost no work at all on your part. Not that I'll be taking part, mind you. I respect myself and my privacy. But hey, don't let me stop you. I won't tell; your computer will do that for me. [Windows Feedback Program via Notebook Review]

[originating url]

So This Is How It Ends; Microsoft Xbox 360 Live ID Escalation Team :-(

Apparently my last email regarding my Windows Live Messenger /Xbox 360 connectivity issue

Check out my original issue here!

-------------------------------------------

Hi Mr Lohan,

I have heard back from our Live ID team, however they have been unable to give us any further aid in this situation. There is nothing beyond that which I have currently provided, and I'm afraid neither Live nor Live ID support had any further advice to give. I'm sure if someone comes up with something better it will be posted on Xbox.com, but for now this is where we stand. Any further communciation will be met with the same answer.

The good news, of course, is that we know there is a way to fix it, and that the messenger still works. I understand the inconvenience, but at this point it's the only resolution that can be given.

Please watch Xbox.com for any further update on the issue, and perhaps passport.net for an update on the FAQ there.

Also, please understand that as there is no further resolution to give here I will need to close this case. If there is anything else you wish to discuss not regarding this case, please contact 1-800-4-myxbox. Enjoy the console regardless. We appreciate your patience.

Thanks for choosing Xbox,

Adam
Ext xxxx
Xbox Escalations
1-888-236-0927

---

--- Original Message ---
From : "Lohan Roberto"
Sent : Monday, December 10, 2007 1:35:54 PM UTC
To : "xxxxt.00.pi@css.one.microsoft.com"
Cc : "xxxx@aol.com" , "steveb@microsoft.com" , "steveb@microsoft.com"
Subject : RE: SRX1050448846ID - Your Xbox Experience

Hello Adam,

I applied the fall update to my 360 and the issue that I was experiencing originally still unchanged.

I would very much like if you, or someone from your ream would give me a call in regard to my issue and the status of it.

At this point I am willing to try almost anything.

Please get in touch with me.

Lohan Roberto

Xbox Gamer Tag: zxo200

Windows Live ID: xxxx@hotmail.com

212-400-xxxx x46x

---

From: Lohan Roberto [mailto:xxxx@hotmail.com]
Sent: 2007 - December - 03 7:49 PM
To: xxxxt.00.pi@css.one.microsoft.com
Cc: zxxxx@aol.com
Subject: RE: SRX1050448846ID - Your Xbox Experience

Adam,

Any news from your end? Have you had any luck with coordinating my particular issue with other MS departments?

i am able to see my own status online, as online, from within the Xbox, but my friends still don't see me online when i logged in.

|Lohan|

---

To: xxxxT.00.PI@css.one.microsoft.com
Subject: Re: SRX1050448846ID - Your Xbox Experience
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:20:04 -0500
From: xxxx@aol.com
CC: xxxx@hotmail.com

Hello Adam,

And thank you for getting back to me. I too look forward in speaking with you on regarding this particular issue.

Just for your records, i do have a case ID that was given to me: 'Case ID # 105-044-8846'.

Additionally, i would prefer if you would call me on my office #, this way the call will be transferred to my cell in case i am not around.

Lohan Roberto

Gamer Tag: zxo2000

WLID: xxxxx@hotmail.com

212-400-xxxx x469 (there will be a short pause but the call will be transferred to my cell)

-----Original Message-----
From: Xbox Customer Support <xxxx.PI@css.one.microsoft.com>
To: xxxx@aol.com
Sent: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 7:09 pm
Subject: SRX1050448846ID - Your Xbox Experience

Dear Mr Roberto

This email is to confirm we have received your email regarding your Xbox experience. My name is Adam and I will be contacting you in the next 1-2 buesiness days via phone number (917) 375-xxxx to discuss your experience and work toward a resolution. Thank you for your patience and I will look forward to speaking with you soon,

Adam, Xbox Escalations

---

MacBook Pro really was PC World's fastest tested laptop... until the Phantom-X

So there's a bit of grumbling on the internets that PC World, like, totally sold out and lied about the MacBook Pro being the fastest Vista laptop they ever tested (presumably just so they could get mentioned in that new Apple commercial, right?) shortly before the staff went cow tipping and passed out drunk in a public park. The reality is PC World apparently hadn't tested a laptop faster than the MacBook Pro at the time, and it wasn't until weeks later they tested the Eurocom D900C Phantom-X, which handily bested Apple's lappie by a broad margin. At least that's what PC World's editor Harry McCracken told us, but then again we did hear he recently got an Apple tat and is planning a hostile takeover of Macworld magazine in '08.

Read - PC World's statement about the MBP
Read - ... and their review of the Eurocom
Read - The punter doing the grumbling
Watch - The Apple ad

[originating url]

MDA Upper Management

Best management video ever!

I'm a Gangster

OMG... how sad!!!

But funny shit!!!

Futuristic Wii Mod Is Worthy of 'Best...Mod...Evar' Title

It's easy enough to throw a few lights and a clear door on your PC or console and declare it a mod. But to make it look like this modded Wii takes an aesthetic eye. Put together by a modder who calls himself Kypes, the Wii features a black face and stand, clear sides, painted Disk Drive and LEDs that feature enough neon goodness to get a hipster excited.

What makes the LED arrangement so nice is the way the purple lights cross to highlight the disk drive and the green lights illuminate the rear fan. Kypes also included an additional SD slot in the back, a built in Game Cube memory card, and a new light for the load slot. Check out the video below for a better idea.

[Acid Mods]
[originating url]

Return of the flying toasters

Remember the flying toasters, from the early 1990s? C'mon, cast your memory back, I know you know what I'm talking about. That's right - After Dark, by Berkeley Systems! Those whimsical winged kitchen appliances charmed my parents on my Mac Performa 635 and, I think, helped to chip away at their Luddism just a bit. They flew right into my heart, that's for sure.

As the days of screensaver obsession faded away with the twentieth century, though, the toasters were all but forgotten. But now they're back, thanks to the ingenuity of the good folks at Uneasy Silence. ToasterClone is available for Windows and Mac OS X (Mac users may choose between "modern" and "classic" toasters). So download it today and relive the good old days!

[originating url]