Budapest restaurant diners will soon have a new way to find new restaurants in that city, and to make reservations at those restaurants. A new Budapest restaurants service, TableFree.hu, is in pre-launch and will soon bring a level of technical sophistication to the Budapest dining scene that has never been seen in that market before, [...]
The subscription price for Xbox Live Gold is going to be increased starting from November of this year. Major Nelson had announced that the in the coming months the memberships of Xbox Live Gold will be increasing. From November 1st the prices are going to vacillate each month onward. One month the prices will fluctuate [...]
Google has introduced some good service; want cheap calls to be made from Australia to U.S? Well, now with Google Voice you can! Yesterday Google announced that they will be combining their Google service with their email network Gmail, rivaling Skype. Good news for the Aussies, Google has unfolded this service starting from today. The [...]
HTC Desire could be a dream buy, if you love touch screens.
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For most geeks, the only thing that can trump video games is, well, porn. Which is exactly why so many companies are exploring the world of sex based video games. For those old schoolers, you may remember games like Sierra’s Leisure Suit Larry Series, which was a computer adventure game about a guy trying to get lucky in any way possible. Of course we are talking about pixelated cartoonish sexual imagery but hey, back in the day this stuff was awesome! Certain game development companies continue to make straight out porn focused games, but there are also some ‘mainstream’ games including sex as part of a storyline like Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2 (again), and the always controversial Grand Theft Auto series. With the advent of the video game rating system, it seems like mainstream games that really push the envelope are becoming less and less prevalent. Partly because any game slapped with an “AO” rating practically means suicide for the developer because no brick and mortar store will stock the game. With this move towards keeping our games clean, it seems almost counter intuitive to bring back sex video games a la Lesiure Suit Larry and Benny Hill. It’s a surprise to see new sex-based games hitting the market like Bonetown, Project X, and Digital Playground’s new 3D world, that bring players into a world where they can pretty much do whatever they want without judgement. All of these games feature well known porn stars (helllllooo, Ron Jeremy is in Bonetown), which is cool for fans because they can interact with them virtually like never before. Unlike Bonetown and Project X , Digital Playground’s Utherverse focuses more on leisure and social networking rather than gaming. Users aren’t expected to complete missions or earn points, rather, they’re expected to roam around the world, have fun, and do all the things they can’t really do in real life (because unless you’re Tommy Lee, it’s doubtful you’re hooking up with porn stars). The Utherverse creates a place for fans to interact and play, making this new genre of sex games a rule free social networking experience. “We don’t refer to the virtual world as a game, but rather as the 3D Web, or the Virtual World Web. It’s really is less of a game and more of the Internet in 3D. It’s a place where users come to have social networking in real time, to watch movies together, to shop for real-world goods and services, as well as virtual goods and services – but there is no objective,” said Brian Shuster of Utherverse. Basically the goal is to have sex, hook up, and do all the naughty things you can’t do in real life without getting yourself in trouble. While Bonetown and Project X both feature well-known porn stars, Digital Playground’s Utherverse is the first game to feature all Digital Playground branded pictures, videos, and characters, possibly marking a new frontier for porn. Aside from screenings of their DP porns, the game features the contract star, Raven Alexis, a self-professed geek and WoW gamer. For Raven, this new avenue is an obvious choice, “It’s been so cool and exciting so far, getting to know the ins and outs of the game took a little while, and I’ve already met some amazing people. I don’t think that Digital Playground could be teamed up with a better company to begin putting virtual characters of their contract girls into a game.” The technology behind this emerging trend is what’s really interesting. Utherverse , the company that created Digital Playground’s 3D world explained that the creation of virtual worlds can take upwards of four years and cost up to 10 million dollars. Utherverse took the technology that goes into making these games and created a tool set and prop editor that allows companies to completely customized and create their own world without much coding or time. The way it works is that a company will choose from basic landscape and surroundings and then can further customize with a prop editor, cutting down on time and making the world of 3D games available to many companies. “The prop-editor also allows the user to pull images from the web, web pages, flash object, flash streams or any of the scripts that need to go onto objects. Scripts can include a wide range of tools, including the ability to inter-link objects, so that when a user clicks, they are transported from one are of the virtual world to another, or from one world to another.” For Digital Playground, this meant that they would import lots of fun things like videos, pictures, and toys. Raven was also able to create her own character in the game, “I did make my own character, which took about a week in total – and she has all kinds of customized outfits that she can wear. For a gamer, it was completely fun for me, and I’m totally addicted to this game! I’ve already been told by many people in game that my character looks just like me!” The world of online sex games marks a new chapter for the adult industry. Where previously adult stars were only able to interact with their friends through video and a hand full of in-person appearances, companies are now exploring different ways like online games. Are the family collations like MAVAV, Mothers Against Videogame Addiction and Violence that complain about games like Grand Theft Auto going to come after these truly hardcore sex focused video games? Only time will tell. Guest columnist Lydia Leavitt writes about sex and, oddly enough, social media. For more information on the latest intimate technology, check out 69adget.com and check out check out Digital Playground’s Utherverse (NSFW)
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All that talk of UFC not “getting” the Internet? Yeah, it’s time to put that idea to rest. The company’s longtime TV partner, SpikeTV, launched ultimatefighter.com earlier today, a place where mixed martial arts fans can watch the entire Ultimate Fighter library online. For free. Let that sink in—still think Dana White hates the Internet? In addition to serving up all 231 fights in the show’s history, fans can also interact with each other on social networking services like Twitter and Facebook . Not a bad job, really. The site mirrors MTV Networks other “verticals,” like those associated with The Colbert Report and The Daily Show . Full episodes can be streamed, or fight fans can pick out individual fights from the 11-season library. Perhaps you fancy seeing Kimbo Slice’s first fight again? Or maybe you’re a newcomer to the sport, and want to see how Forrest Griffin made his name? It’s all there for you, free of charge. Oh, and the videos are fully embeddable. Handy. The site serves advertisements à la Hulu , so be prepared for the occasional U.S. Marines commercial. Gotta pay the bills somehow, folks. Web sites don’t build themselves. One thing to note: season 11, which begins next week on SpikeTV, won’t be available on the Web site for a little while. The current rough plan is to make the episodes available after the season’s conclusion, to sorta bridge the gap between season 11 and 12. In the meantime, though, fans can check out the Web site after every new episode that airs on TV to watch exclusive coverage of said episode. Terribly constructed sentence, yes. You know, things like post-show analysis (Dana White chips in after the first episode), unseen footage, etc. And not just “meh, lame” bonus footage, either. We’re talking full fights that, for whatever reason (time constraints, I’d imagine) never made SpikeTV in their entirety. Twitter, darling of the Internet, has been integrated into the site pretty visibly. On the right-hand side is a small box that monitors UFC-related hash tags, including #UFC, #TUF, #DanaWhite, etc. This might not seem to exciting on a random Thursday afternoon, but during UFC events—pay-per-views, The Ultimate Fighter, SpikeTV Fight Nights, and so on—the trash talking should really fly. Just as easily accessible is the show’s Facebook page, where you can view photos and post comments about, I don’t know, how amazing GSP is, or whether or not you think Frank Mir is a jerk. (He is, but he’s the greatest jerk in history.) The very idea of UFC giving away fights is pretty much unthinkable, when you consider that three-quarters of the company’s revenue comes from pay-per-view buys. In the kick-off meeting this morning, SpikeTV explained that it took “many meetings” to convince UFC brass to go along with the idea of putting fights—any fights!—online for free. We all know that UFC actively pursues people who go offer illegal streams of their events—the company just recently sued the owners of two Web sites that were offering illegal UFC 111 streams —so finally making at least some of its content available online is a move that should be applauded. Remember, this is a company that lived and died (well, mostly lived these days!) on its pay-per-view buys, so giving away fights for free may felt a little strange at first for Dana White & Co. And now we wait for Frank Mir to choke out Shane Carwin, setting up Lesnar v. Mir II. That has pay-per-view buys written all over it.
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The internet was abuzz with Samsung NX10 rumors for quite a while last year, due to it simply being displayed at a trade show behind glass, with no specs or information at all. I don’t know why more companies don’t do mysterious stuff like that, it starts the equivalent of a wildfire on the internet. At any rate, the NX10 came out and is apparently only the first in a whole line of NX-mount cameras, the next of which will be the NX5, if this slip-up on a Samsung flash compatibility notice is to be believed. The NX5 is rumored to be a competitor with the Olympus E-PL1 (which we just reviewed), just as its big brother competes with the likes of the Panasonic G2 and GH1. Note these are all digital shutter cameras, not to be confused with DSLRs, though they share some similarities, most important of which is interchangeable lenses. Here are the rumored specs for the NX5: 14MPx CMOS sensor ISO 100-3200 3FPS burst shooting Built-in flash and obviously a shoe for the flash shown 3″ LCD (640
This fella seems to be Leo Laporte mashed up with Office Space’s Milton. Here’s his YouTube channel . You’re going to want to clear your morning schedule and watch a few of these jems. God bless the Internet and all its weirdos.
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Live in New York? Pop over here and register for your free Wi-Fi! If you have a RoadRunner cable account, you can connect to free WiFi in “several” locations around New York including Bryant and Madison Square Parks and some parks in Queens. If you’re thinking to yourself “Hey, a few parks in Manhattan, some DMZ out in the boonies, and some spots in Port Washington (probably where the uncles of Time Warner executives live) do not make overarching WiFi access for the masses,” then you’re probably right. But when’s the last time Time Warner Cable did anything nice for you? Maybe you could be appreciative? Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi Zones Now Available To New York City Area Road Runner High-Speed Online Customers Time Warner Cable and Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi Partner to Provide Free Seamless Wireless Internet Connectivity to High-Speed Internet Customers of Both Companies New York, NY (Vocus/PRWEB ) March 25, 2010 — Time Warner Cable’s NYC Region today introduced Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi service, giving its one million local Road Runner residential customers unlimited access to a fast and free wireless Internet connection at several locations in the NYC area. Through a partnership with Cablevision, Time Warner Cable customers will also have access to thousands of free Optimum WiFi locations throughout Cablevision’s service area. Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi is now available at several Wi-Fi zones in Manhattan and Queens, including several parks and some Long Island Railroad platforms and their respective parking lots in the company’s service area. High-Speed Internet customers of both Time Warner Cable and Cablevision will be able to access free, unlimited Wi-Fi services in each other’s New York City metro service areas, allowing for a fast Internet connection at designated Wi-Fi zones. Time Warner Cable Road Runner customers will have access to Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi network, and Cablevision’s Optimum Online customers will have access to Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi zones when they travel out of their service area. Time Warner Cable’s New York City service area includes Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, western Brooklyn, Mt. Vernon, parts of the Hudson Valley region, and Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. Cablevision’s coverage area includes Long Island, parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, Westchester, Rockland, Northern Hudson Valley, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. “Our sophisticated network is a combination of wireless and wireline services, bringing a wide spectrum of products and services to our customers. This free new Wi-Fi option adds another dimension for Road Runner customers, bringing even more convenience,” stated Howard Szarfarc, Executive Vice President of the company’s New York City Region. “Road Runner customers can experience a fast, simple and easy connection from their laptops or portable Wi-Fi-enabled devices in Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi zones, meeting their growing need for mobility.” According to Kevin Curran, Cablevision’s Senior Vice President of Wireless Development, “Optimum WiFi has become a valuable and popular enhancement for our high-speed Internet customers, who appreciate the ability to take their Internet connection ‘to go’ when they are out of the home or office. We are very pleased to help mark the launch of Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi by linking our networks and expanding our customers’ access to fast and free wireless Internet, especially as demand for mobile data continues to increase.” Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi zones include: Eight commuter rail platforms on the Long Island Railroad Port Washington line: Woodside, Flushing Main Street, Murray Hill, Broadway, Auburndale, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck; Manhattan: Bryant Park, Madison Square Park and 79th Street Boat Basin; Four parks in Queens: Bowne Park and Kissena Park in Flushing, Baisley Pond Park and Railroad Park in Jamaica. Road Runner customers will also have access to thousands of Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi zones. For a complete listing of Time Warner Cable Wi-Fi zones, visit TimeWarnerCableWiFi.com. A user-friendly Q+A is available on the site too. For a complete listing of Optimum WiFi locations, visit Optimumwifi.com.
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Pretty much spot-on, this . There’s an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal that argues that Americans should badger Congress and the president, asking them to hold off on doling out stimulus dollars to electronic medical record systems that don’t have appropriate privacy safeguards in place. As it stands, electronic medial records aren’t exactly sealed—insurance companies can peek at them, as can pharmaceutical companies. So, let’s instead focus on creating an electronic medical record system that’s as foolproof as possible. Slight issue: when is your data, medical or otherwise, ever truly secure? Before I get into this, let the record show that I’m pretty much in full agreement with the op-ed, which was written by a psychiatrist. Thirty-five years on the job gives her a pretty strong leg to stand on. The main argument is that today’s electronic medial records, as set by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act , are as porous as something porous . High-minded, yes. Not every Joe can see what medicine you’re taking, but in some cases your employer can, or your insurance company can. “What? Johnson’s on Prozac? Keep an eye on him, Mack.” “Will do, boss.” Granted, that’s a Doomsday scenario, but it’s certainly something that can happen given the nature of electronic medical records. So that’s that part of the equation, that electronic medial records as we have them today aren’t fully respectful of the privacy that every patient expects. Here’s the thing, and again I say that I agree with the op-ed: your data is never safe, anywhere. Electronic medical records falling in the hands of, well, anyone other than you and your doctor, is simply par for the course. How many times do we hear of big box merchants losing credit card records? How many times do we hear stories of dumb kids putting comprising photos of themselves on Facebook , then their schools or employers find out? For that matter, how many Facebook accounts have been hacked in recent months? (Ever get a Facebook message from a “friend” saying that he’s stranded in London and needs $2,000 as soon as possible?) How many e-mail and bank accounts are phished every day, creating a complete nightmare for the victim? It’s sorta the nature of electronic data as a thing , that makes it easier for it to fall into the wrong hands. It’s pretty much impossible for The Man to get a hold of your medical records when they’re physically in a safe at your doctor’s office. Unless the insurance company, or your icky boss, Metal Gear Solid s his way into the office, you can pretty much assume that no one untoward is going to see said records. That’s not the case when these records are a mere few keystrokes away from anyone on the planet. Of course, the benefits of electronic medical records are manifest: your primary care physician can zip them on over to the specialist you’re going to see later today in no time at all. Storage costs go way down: how much does it cost to store reams of paper versus a couple of files on a hard drive? I should probbly mention that I haven’t been to a doctor in years, so they might be using robots and dark matter to look at patients these days for all I know. So yeah, it’s tricky. Electronic medical records, by their very nature, as far more easily accessible than paper-based ones. We need to ensure that the proper safeguards are in place before embracing them full steam ahead, while keeping in mind all of the advantages of an electronic system.
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