Items tagged with really bad ideas
Most of the major television networks—CBS, ABC, and NBC, as well as Hulu.com—have blocked Google TV's from accessing their online offerings, on the grounds that allowing users to watch videos at CBS.com damages the website's ability to earn revenue. The networks' stance almost guarantees that the question of what is and isn't blockable will end up in court—but irate Google TV owners and hackers in general aren't waiting for a legal decision. According to a recent blog post on the subject, the Google TV block isn't based on a browser string or on the technical capabilities of the Google TV in question. Instead, the block apparently checks the Flash version ID. If it sees a version...
Read more...
We'd like to begin our coverage of the latest DRM idiocy in gaming by apologizing to Ubisoft. After reading about some of EA's recent bright ideas and the constant connection EA's Command and Conquer: Tiberian Twilight requires in order to play the single-player game, we realized we'd unfairly painted Ubisoft as being uniquely stupid, out-of-touch, and clueless. With EA on board, this constant-connection concept is something we gamers need to worry about and vote against financially.The one great thing about Ubisoft is that the company doesn't sit on its laurels. It wasn't enough to pioneer invasive DRM in single-player games; Ubisoft now requires a constant connection in single-player game demos....
Read more...
Back in the early 1960s, Bell Aerosystems developed and demonstrated the Bell Rocket Belt. It was the first successful jetpack, capable of reaching speeds of up to 30 mph, could travel up to 30 feet vertically, and had a maximum range of ~400 feet. It weighed 120 lbs loaded and flew for a whopping 21s on a single tank of fuel. Unsurprisingly, the military took a good look at the BBB and asked to be notified if there were any breakthroughs. Said advances have never materialized; the practical limitations of modern jetpack technology limit them to spectacular tech demos and entertainment. At least that used to be the case. The Martin Aircraft Company has just announced that it's taking preorders...
Read more...
Last weekend, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick gave details on what he believes represents the future of gaming—and managed to become the poster child for unhappy workplaces. We'll talk gaming first. Current-generation consoles like the PS3, XBox 360, and Wii have been very kind to Activision and its lucrative Guitar Hero franchise, but Kotick doesn't seem inclined to pay much attention to them over the next couple years. Rather than picking one console to support above the other two, Kotick plans to develop games that bypass consoles altogether and are playable on TV media hubs or equivalent technologies. This could broaden the spectrum of gamers, and bring others into the fold, but it's a rather...
Read more...
