Show #107

[Download Show #107 as MP3]

Charity Plug

• Child's Play

News

• New Version of Java comes with MSN Toolbar...
• Google Calendar Now Supports Apple ICal
• Google Calendar has supported Outlook for awhile now
• There's a setup program and it allows you to sync your iCal with Google calendar
• Having a web calendar is handy in case you don't have your laptop or desktop with you

• CBS Hacked, Malware Distributed
• Sub-Domain hacked (i.e. yoursite.cbs.com)
• IFrame was serving up the domain and subsequent malware
• Russian hackers were responsible
• Vulnerability for users really dependent upon a number of factors including the type of security used on a PC, the operating system, and possibly the browser version.
• Ben-Itzak, who found the hack, "It also highlights the fact that no web portal, no matter how high ranking, can be totally secure against a system hack and consequent infection of its visitors. Web users need to exercise caution at all times."
• Study confirms mobile phones distract drivers
  
• *Husband distracted by phone call of wife giving birth here*
• Passenger conversation fared better than mobiles because they were in the car
  
• Windows Drops Below 90% Market Share
• 89.6% Windows (.84 % drop) (20.45% vista and growing)
  
• Mac OSX - 8.9%
• Linux - .9%
• Caution - this was a poll done by servers monitored by Net Applications and not the whole internet
• APPLE QUIETL Y RECOMMENDS VIRUS SOFTWARE
• For the longest time Apple has sold their PC on it's "invincibility", marketing campaigns, etc.
  
• Quietly released a post on their support forums
• 'Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult.'

Gamer's Corner (Conferences, New Developments, Game Reviews)

• Wii Turns $6 profit for each console sold
• Nintendo continues to outsell all the competitors
  
• Nintendo can't patent term "Wii Remote"
  
• Remote is the sticky point
• already a product out there called a "Wee-mote" (spell it) for kids
• New Games Releases December
• Not the deluge that was available in October - November (Resistance 2, Gears of War 2, Far Cry 2, Banjo Kazooie, Left4Dead, Little Big Planet,
  
• Prince of Persia
• Persona 4
• SingStar Abba - Hyuck, Hyuck (PS3 and PS2)
• Free Game:
• http://www.playauditorium.com/
  
• Bio-Sensory Reactions to Games
  
• Half Life 2, Halo 2, Gears of War, F.E.A.R, Call of Duty 3
  
• Emsense uses brainwaves, heart activity, and even blinking to estimate engagement.
• First 90 Minutes of the games measured of each
• Games do affect emotions. FEAR used adrenaline most effective, Call of Duty 3 used honor, etc.
• Tutorials came with mixed reviews - People don't like to be told what to do. They do like to be engaged and taught subtlely how to operate the game mechanics (cover systems, buddy calls, weapon changes, weapon reloads).
• Tutorials were likely to be skipped by Males (40% more likely)
• Highs and Lows important (brief lulls, puzzles, etc)
• Close Combat is good - Halo 2's energy sword showed a high level of engagement
• Cut Scenes were dicey - Entertainment and action were better than informational - Gears of War does well by relaying information through radio chatter
• Novel vs. Gimmick Weapons -
  

Intarweb Goldmine

• Black Friday Mishaps
• No Wii's available
• Stack of 360's cause a brawl
• Employee trampled to death in NY Mall
• Gun Fight and resulting death at Toys R Us in California