WSJ Says Verizon Will Sell iPhone Early 2011

We've certainly been down this road before, but it looks more and more like it may finally come to pass. Yukari Iwatani Kane from The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is set to release a Verizon iPhone with a Qualcomm chip as well as a CDMA radio. Bloomburg reported that Apple is preparing for 3 million of the Verizon iPhones to be mass produced in December, with a possible launch of the device as early as January 2011. There's no word on if this will be a LTE, but it's said that it will be a new fifth generation edition without the iPhone 4 antenna design.

I know that this comes as good news to many, but I have to say that I'm not one of them. I'm upset simply because had I known that this was coming, I would not have sold my cellular soul to AT&T for another 2 years. I'm well aware that this is clearly MY PROBLEM, but there is something to be said about finding this information out 4 months after the launch of the iPhone 4.

Would I have waited had I know Verizon would get the iPhone as early as January.... absolutely!!!

And I know that I'm not the only one who feels this way....... I can see a angry talk between myself and Apple very soon.

[Engadget]

FREEDOM!!!!!........ U.S. Copyright Office Takes The Shackles Off The Peasants

With the new ruling of the U.S. Copyright Office being handed down this week, I have to say that THIS IS A BIG DEAL!!! The fact that now "Jailbreaking" your iPhone is not considered illegal, and other rulings may really change how companies do business. Crunchgear has a rundown of all the changes that U.S. Copyright Office made.

Take a look:

1. Defeating a lawfully obtained DVD’s encryption for the sole purpose of short, fair use in an educational setting or for criticism

2. Computer programs that allow you to run lawfully obtained software on your phone that you otherwise would not be able to run aka Jailbreaking to use Google Voice on your iPhone

3. Computer programs that allow you to use your phone on a different network aka Jailbreaking to use your iPhone on T-Mobile

4. Circumventing video game encryption (DRM) for the purposes of legitimate security testing or investigation

5. Cracking computer programs protected by dongles when the dongles become obsolete or are no longer being manufactured

6. Having an ebook be read aloud (ie for the blind) even if that book has controls built into it to prevent that sort of thing.

So if you would like to back up your DVD so if your kid destroys the original, it's now legal to do so. Most of these rulings favor the big companies, but I think this is the first time in ages that a decision like this was made for the consumer.

Letting consumers use their property the way THEY want to......... What a concept!!!

Indiana Jones Might Suck?

Oh, boy... This was just what I was afraid of about this movie. When I heard that they were making another Indiana Jones movie, I feared that they would not be able to recapture the magic of the previous movies. Well early reports are starting to confirm those fears, in the worst way. From the guys at aintitcool.com:

"This reminds me of waiting for the first of the last three Star Wars movies: you wait for years and years for a new movie to come out and then, when it finally arrives, not only does it fail to live up to expectations, it clouds your view of the originals because it's so bad."

Wow!!! Not good!

But I love George Lucas's respond: "You're not going to get a lot of accolades doing a movie like this. All you can do is lose."

Funny thing is, the trailers that are out didn't make me excited to go check it out. Usually the best parts of the movie make it to the trailers, and that's not good news if this is the case. I somehow think that Steve and George just took a little to long to put this movie together, and I would hate to see this franchise go out like that.

[Daily Mail via G4TV]

'Army of Two' Game Trailer

"Make money online...with extreme prejudice"

Now any game that has this for a catchphrase is just calling for me to buy it. The game Army of Two trailer is out and loaded up for you to check out. Plenty of multi-player action here, and guns..... lots of guns!!!

[G4TV]

EA Pimp Slaps Fox News For Mass Effect Story

Certainly not to step on Malcolm's posts, but EA's Vice President Jeff Brown responds with an open letter to Fox News Live Desk with Martha MacCallum's attack of the game Mass Effect. Check out the Bullet point smack down below:

Ms VanHorn,

I’m writing to request a clarification of serious errors FNC made in a story which aired about the video game Mass Effect. (See attachment) As the parent company of BioWare, the studio which created the game, EA would like you to set the record straight on a number of errors and misstatements which incorrectly characterize the story and character interactions in Mass Effect.

Errors include the following:

• Your headline above the televised story read: “New videogame shows full digital nudity and sex.“
• Fact: Mass Effect does not include explicit or frontal nudity. Love scenes in non-interactive sequences include side and profile shots – a vantage frequently used in many prime-time television shows. It’s also worth noting that the game requires players to develop complex relationships before characters can become intimate and players can chose to avoid the love scenes altogether.
• FNC voice-over reporter says: “You’ll see full digital nudity and the ability for players to engage in graphic sex.”
• Fact: Sex scenes in Mass Effect are not graphic. These scenes are very similar to sex sequences frequently seen on network television in prime time.
• FNC reporter says: “Critics say Mass Effect is being marketed to kids and teenagers.”
• Fact: That is flat out false. Mass Effect and all related marketing has been reviewed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and rated Mature – appropriate for players 17-years and older. ESRB routinely counsels retailers on requesting proof of age in selling M-rated titles and the system has been lauded by members of Congress and the Federal Trade Commission. In practical terms, the ratings work as well or better than those used for warning viewers about television content.
• Other sources used in the segment made similar incorrect statements about the game. Judging by the inaccuracy of their comments, they have had zero experience with Mass Effect and are largely ignorant about videogames, the people who play them, and the ESRB system that governs their ratings and sales.

The resulting coverage was insulting to the men and women who spent years creating a game which is acclaimed by critics for its high creative standards. As video games continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment. But this represents a new level of recklessness.

Do you watch the Fox Network? Do you watch Family Guy? Have you ever seen The OC? Do you think the sexual situations in Mass Effect are any more graphic than scenes routinely aired on those shows? Do you honestly believe that young people have more exposure to Mass Effect than to those prime time shows?

This isn’t a legal threat; it’s an appeal to your sense of fairness. We’re asking FNC to correct the record on Mass Effect.

Sincerely,

Jeff Brown
Vice President of Communications
Electronic Arts, Inc

EA Takes FOX News To Task Over Mass Effect [GameInformer via G4TV]

Marvel Goes On-line

Marvel comics has made history by becoming the first major comic book distributer to offer their vast library on-line.

That's right!

For the low price of $9.99 a month, you can catch up on all the thousands of issues Marvel has, that are 6 months or older. Or you can commit to a full year that breaks down to $4.99 a month, which is a good deal. Marvel has figured that if you're going to invest in seeing the movies that they're releasing, it might help to read about what came before. And they know that most people don't have the cash or time to comic book collect. I'm sure other comic book houses will follow this trend.

So go forth, and check it out my friends.

Marvel, other comics go online [Yahoo! News: via G4TV]

'God of War III' Confirmed For The PS3

Sony's PS3 finally has gotten a real killer app, as the annoucement that 'God of War III' will come to the next gen console. This may not be news, as the developers did say that they had planed on creating the next game on the PS3 back when 'God of War II' was released. The game is sure to be more expansive and beautiful on the PS3, and this is the type of game that could help sell consoles.

I felt that 'God of War II' should have been developed and released with the launch of the PS3. That is the kind of killer app that would have given Sony a better footing in the console wars. No word on the release date, but stay tuned.

God of War III officially PS3-bound [Gamespot via G4TV]

Ninja Gaiden 2 Teaser Trailer

We have a teaser trailer my friends for the newly announced 'Ninja Gaiden 2' by Microsoft. Please forgive me, I think I missed 'Ninja Gaiden 1'.

Oh well... The trailer looks pretty cool. [G4TV]

'Enemy Territory: Quake Wars' PC Demo Available

Oh.....happy day for Quake fans!!!

Our friends at FileFront.com are hosting the demo for 'Enemy Territory: Quake Wars' for the PC. The demo includes bots for offline play, and support for up to 32 players.

So go, and continue the fight against the Strogg my friends. [G4TV]

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars PC Demo

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars PC Demo Server

Microsoft Cuts Price of Zune: And No One Cares

In an effort to head off all of this Apple media hype, Microsoft announced that they will be dropping the 30GB Zune to $199. Microsoft said that the $50 price drop was planed for months now, and they just waited until today to drop the news.

Way to go Microsoft!!!

You really upstaged Apple today with that one!!!

Microsoft cuts Zune music player price by $50 [Reuters via G4TV]

Bug In Vista Slows Network Speeds

Microsoft certainly makes it hard for themselves!!!

Most of the time Microsoft has had to deal with security flaws or patches, but this classifies as a big ass bug!!! In this episode, Microsoft's Vista is front and center of a drop in transfer speeds. Apparently whenever a Vista user listens to music and downloads anything, there's a drop in transfer speeds, with some users seeing their network cards use only 5% of a gigabit network device. The same users report 50% usage while using Windows XP under the same conditions.

Of course Microsoft is working on a fix, but for right now Vista users might what to turn off their music while downloading.

Vista Network Degradation Bug Linked to Streaming [StreamingMedia.com via G4TV]

'Heavenly Sword Not Possible On DVD' States Developer

Ninja Theory, the developers of the up coming game 'Heavenly Sword' for the PS3 recently stated that they "have jam-packed the Blu-Ray disc absolutely full." They also stated that the audio alone takes up 10GB, and they could never fit it on a regular double layer DVD.

Well I love the take that G4TV has, check the quote "Ninja Theory is so quick to brag about how they filled the disc when early reports claim the game takes under 10 hours to complete." They went on to say "Blu-Ray should be used to extend gameplay and give gamers more than 5.1+ surround sound that takes up a third of the space. A lot of sound means what? A lot of cutscenes!"

So they have a game that takes 10GB of music on a 25GB disc? On my ipod, 10GB is about 6 days worth of music, and the rumor is that this game takes under 10 hours to finish? Sounds like a Sony move, putting a lot of effort toward the wrong thing.

Well, at least it will sound good.

Heavenly Sword not possible on DVD [CVG via G4TV]

Nokia To Apple: Stick'em Up!!!

I guess there's no shame in Nokia's game!

This is the new Nokia iphone, and that's not a joke. Nokie is introducing a new phone that is eerily similar to Apple's new device. Check out the quote from Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive VP & General Manager of Multimedia, "If there is something good in the world then we copy with pride."

Wow, that's pretty ballsy to say.

Well the proof is in the pudding, take a look, because you won't believe it!!! [G4TV]

New Batman Dark Knight Pictures!

Ok, normally I don't like long huge posts. But considering that we are unable to create subposts (yet), and because I think Cowbell Tech readers might find these interesting, I'm going to put this one up. Courtesy of Herospy.com

iphone Update Issues!!!

If you own an iphone, you might want to hold off on the newest update (1.0.2). Engadget is reporting that they attempted to update theirs, and lost all data within the phone. They also state that they lost their backup as well. Check the quote:

"Despite the fact that we had a couple of error messages during the upgrade which seemed innocuous, this iPhone update wiped out our device and refused to restore our last back backup, instead creating a new backup based on a fresh restore."

DON'T INSTALL THIS UPDATE PEOPLE!!!

iPhone 1.0.2 update released [Engadget]

$40,000 iPod Shuffle: For The Rich And Stupid

Lets face it, you're rich!!!

But your self esteem is in the toilet, and need to buy something that the normal peasant person couldn't afford.

Here is the perfect thing for you!!!

Pick up a new custom iPod shuffle that's decorated with gold, diamonds, and a price tag of $40,000.

Proving once again that you have more money than taste.

Blinged out iPod Shuffle doesn't come cheap via Engadget

Paramount & DreamWorks Go HD-DVD

Paramount and DreamWorks are giving HD-DVD a much needed shot in the arm, by throwing their weight behind the new format. It will be an exclusive agreement, which will mean that their films will only be available on HD-DVD and not Blu-Ray.

This is huge for HD-DVD because the rest of the world seems to be shifting to Blu-Ray as the HD format of choice. This will begin with Blades of Glory on August 28th, but also will continue with Transformers and Shrek The Third all being HD-DVD exclusives.

I guess the HD format war isn't quite over yet.

G4TV

New Game Release Dates

Just a reminder of some of the games that are being released this week, one being the eagerly anticipated 'BioShock' on August 21st. Check it out below:

BioShock (PC, X360)
Release Date: Aug 21, 2007
Explore the ruined undersea metropolis of Rapture in this hybrid first-person shooter from the creators of System Shock 2.

Two Worlds (X360, PC)
Release Date: Aug 21, 2007
Two Worlds is a fantasy role-playing game for the PC and Xbox 360.

Dragoneer's Aria (PSP)
Release Date: Aug 21, 2007
Take control of Valen, a novice dragoneer, and protect the elemental dragons from a fearsome monster.

There are more release dates after the jump. Good stuff courtesy of G4TV

Germans Break The Speed Of Light?

Can this really be possible?

Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz in Germany, claim that they have broken the speed of light. They say that they've conducted an experiment where "microwave photons - energetic packets of light - travelled "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart."

Einstein's theory of relativity states that it would take an infinite amount of energy to move an object to an 186,000 miles per second.

"For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving."

Read the article after the jump.

'We have broken speed of light' [Telegraph via G4TV]

Alien vs. Predator 2: Oh Lord, Why?

If you saw the movie 'Aliens vs Predator' you know that it was pretty disappointing to say the least. I won't go as far as to call it hot garbage, but it was close to being in the team photo. So I was surprised to find out that 'Aliens vs Predator 2' was in production, with a release date too boot. And when I ran across this at www.sifimoviepage.com, it summed up everything that was going though my mind when I found out. Check it below:

Starring: Reiko Aylesworth, Steven Pasquale, Shareeka Epps, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Kristen Hager

Director: Greg Strause, Colin Strause
Rated: Unrated
U.S. Opening Date: 21 December 2007

They say

In this follow-up to Alien vs. Predator, the iconic monsters from two of the scariest film franchises ever, wage their most brutal battle yet in an unsuspecting Colorado town, where unsuspecting residents must band together for any chance of survival.

We say

Yeah, the first Alien vs. Predator was really really good, so they just had to make a sequel (note sarcasm) . . .

A cast of unknowns, an obscure brother directors team (the Brothers Krause) whose previous work consists of music videos and special effects work for X3 and a Canadian shooting location. It’s official: 20th Century Fox has given up on the Alien and Predator franchises and no longer consider it worth spending any serious money and/or talent on either of them. So forget about ever seeing Sigourney Weaver as Ripley again or original movie director Ridley Scott directing another installment again. Alien vs. Predator has entered the “they should have released it straight to DVD, but instead they gave it a run in the cinemas.” Just like Fox did with Eragon . . .

That about nails it on the head!!!
Read the rest after the leap. [Scifimoviepage via Hero Spy]