Monday, December 14, 2009

Blizzard announces Rise and Fall of the Lich King screenshot contest

Blizzard's community team is working like crazy before the holidays -- just a few days after the dessert contest kicked off, they've now announced a screenshot contest, this one centering on "The Rise and Fall of the Lich King." Basically, they want you to take a screenshot of your character somehow fighting the Scourge, and in return, they're giving away 11 steins. Ten lucky winners will pick up Rise of the Lich King steins from Taverncraft, and one lucky grand prize winner will win the #1 of 750 out of the limited quantity of signed Legendary Collection Rise of the Lich King steins released. That's actually pretty awesome -- I haven't been enticed to buy a stein yet, but I will definitely submit a screenshot to win one.

And we can even help you win -- check out our recent post on how to screenshot for tips and tricks on how to do it exactly right. Keep your photographer's eye open as you play against the Scourge this month (the contest ends on midnight January 1st, 2010), and one of your captures might pick up some real-life loot.

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Blizzard announces Rise and Fall of the Lich King screenshot contest originally appeared on WoW.com on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arcane Brilliance: How to be a good PUG mage

Welcome to another installment of Arcane Brilliance, the weekly mage column that is incredibly proud of mages. We are, after all, the only class in the game that can conjure our own 5-man group, as evidenced by the picture above. And though our mirror images may not be too bright, I'd still take them over about 3/4ths of the folks I PuGed with last night.

Holy crap. I'm not even kidding. It was like some kind of idiot convention, and I was the keynote speaker. I came in with some prepared remarks, like "Don't stand in the green stuff that looks like poison, because it is poison," "when he begins spinning his giant sword around like a whirlwind, it's because he's doing Whirlwind and you should get out of the way," and "Warlocks drink their own pee," but ended up just sighing and shaking my head a lot.

This whole Dungeon Finder tool is incredible, right? My head has been spinning since the patch dropped, marveling at the ways it has already changed the game, both for good and ill. Suddenly, PuGs are the norm, not the exception. Each instance is a complete unknown, and not just because you don't know which one you're going to get. Is that rogue going to inexplicably decide to eschew his formerly stealthy ways and take up tanking? Who knows? Is the pally healer who just joined specced ret? It's not as unlikely as you think. Did that warlock really just go afk during the boss fight, then return only to need the Frozen Orb and drop group? Yep, he did. Outstanding.

It works the other way, too. There I was, minding my own business, happily spamming Arcane Blast on some kind of giant disgusting undead guy, only to see him turn and begin lumbering over in my direction. OK, I thought, I'll just stop casting, let the tank snatch him back up. Only that doesn't work. I look over at the threat meter to see that I have like three times more threat on that mob than anybody else. In fact, the only two other names on the threat list were the tank and the healer. That's right, I had been pew pewing the wrong giant disgusting undead guy. The fight ends with me reduced to a stain on the floor, and nobody to blame but my own stupid self. Sometimes, when you can't spot the nub in the room, it's because the nub is you.

Continue reading Arcane Brilliance: How to be a good PUG mage

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Arcane Brilliance: How to be a good PUG mage originally appeared on WoW.com on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stocks gain ground as energy stocks rally on Exxon Mobil's $31 billion deal

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Easing concerns over global credit problems and more signs of corporate dealmaking are giving stocks a moderate boost. Major stock indexes rose less than 1% in late afternoon trading Monday following news that Abu Dhabi had extended $10 billion to Dubai to help the Middle Eastern city-state stay afloat. Markets had been worried in recent weeks that debt problems in the struggling former boomtown could send ripples through global credit markets.

Investors were also encouraged by Exxon Mobil's (XOM) $31 billion purchase of XTO Energy (XTO), which sent energy stocks sharply higher. The deal will help Exxon tap into the growing supply of natural gas in the U.S. and could signal more consolidation in the energy industry.

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EVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints

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While it's most often lauded for its PvP, not everything in EVE Online is about shooting people. Research and manufacturing are two of EVE's most popular PvE professions because of the small time commitments they require. A lot of things in EVE are built from blueprints and through research, you can be one of the people supplying those blueprints. Whether you want to improve your own blueprints to increase manufacturing profit margins or make blueprint copies for sale, it's worth looking into doing your own research. Jobs can be set up to run for days on end, taking you as little as a few minutes per week to manage. This can augment your income from active sources like mining, trading or mission-running.

In this article, I look at the basics of tech 1 blueprint research, the skills required to make the most of your time and how you could run your own research labs in the relative safety of high security space.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Research: Tech 1 blueprints originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBC's iPlayer streams to Cello iViewer HDTVs, those iElsewhere get iNothing

BBC's iPlayer streams to Cello iViewer HDTVs, those iElsewhere get iNothingHopefully you haven't exceeded your daily allowance of the letter 'i' yet this morning; this post could push you into CamelCase overload. British electronics maker Cello has announced iViewer, a line of LCD HTDVs available in £399 ($650) 26- and £499 ($815) 32-inch models that will directly stream BBC's iPlayer, no silly gaming console or set-top box required. They'll also stream a variety of other digital channels, including YouTube and American CNN -- so why is it that Americans still can't stream content from the Beeb? Sets will be selling soon exclusively at Marks and Spencer stores, and would have been available months ago if not for a delay thanks to an unidentified but apparently American chip maker. Sure, blame the US. Everything's our fault.

BBC's iPlayer streams to Cello iViewer HDTVs, those iElsewhere get iNothing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Classicist: The Equinox, Updating An American Icon in Vermont


Presiding over the picturesque Vermont village of Manchester, The Equinox has played host to the well-heeled and well-traveled for nearly 250 years. Established in 1769, the archetypal grand old New England hotel has served as a meeting place for the fathers of the American Revolution and hosted American presidents including Taft, Grant, Harrison and Teddy Roosevelt. Now part of the Luxury Collection, the iconic 195-room resort recently underwent a $20 million restoration, adding luxury amenities, luxe accommodations, and a new restaurant and bar to update an American icon and uphold its legacy going forward.

Designer Geoffrey Bradfield was put in charge of the redecoration, and fitted out the new guestrooms with a muted palette of slate blue, dark brown and beige accented with hand-carved furniture. One wall of each guest room features a large black and white photograph of The Equinox from the early 1900's. Custom-made beds, marble vanities, dramatic floor length curtains and plush leather armchairs add the finishing touches. The lobby seating areas and library, both with fireplaces, have also been spruced up.

The Falcon Bar and Chop House are the new additions to the drinking and dining scene. The Falcon Bar features French doors opening onto a terrace with incredible mountain vistas and an open-air fire pit. Inside there's dark wood paneling and plush leather chairs, as well as an extensive collection of single malt Scotch and a comprehensive wine list. There's also a menu of locally sourced cheeses and gourmet chocolates. The Chop House, located at the original site of The Equinox House Hotel built by Franklin Orvis in 1853, features the original stone hearth and is designed in the manner of a refined hunter's lodge complementing the gourmet steak house fare. Leather banquettes and rugged palette are accented by old hardwood floors.



The adjacent Marsh Tavern, which has been the favorite watering hole of presidents since 1769, has been given a new menu of sophisticated, New England-style cuisine full of nostalgic flavors and simple, farm fresh ingredients. The bar specializes in an extensive selection of beers and ales and features snacks such as pretzels served with Raye's Mustard from Maine, the last stone ground mustard mill in the country. And of course there's lots to do besides eating and drinking: the indoor pool and spa, for starters.

The Equinox also offers the ultimate outdoor Vermont adventure experience with a variety of activities such as golf, falconry, archery, fly-fishing, shooting and Land Rover off-road driving. You can spend your morning maneuvering a Land Rover on rough terrain, midday practice your aim with recurve bows on the archery field, play golf on the lush course, and in the afternoon try field hunting alongside a majestic hawk, with some of the country's most scenic vistas as a backdrop.

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The Classicist: The Equinox, Updating An American Icon in Vermont originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Glorious Chandeliers of the Escher Museum


On my recent visit to Holland, sponsored by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, we ventured up to The Hague (Den Haag) for the Dutch Fashion Awards and some museums. Though it wasn't originally on the itinerary, everyone on the trip was dying to see the Escher Museum (Escher in het Paleis).

The museum is located in the royal Lange Voorhout Palace, and features well kept original fixtures as well as several rooms dedicated to showing what the winter palace of Queen Mother Emma used to look like. Since then, the legendary Dutch graphic artist who's still blowing our minds almost 40 years after his death has been moved in, and the juxtaposition of decadence and mind-bending art is surprisingly harmonious.

If you're taking a trip to Amsterdam, a 45-minute trek up to The Hague is worth it just to see the museum, which not only has a far more extensive Escher collection than any of us believed was possible, but which also features a stunning array of crystal chandeliers in almost every room.

The chandeliers, like the enormous "Rain Cloud" in the foyer (above), are all works by Hans van Bentem (1965), a ceramics and glass artist from Rotterdam who happens to have a penchant for designing elaborate and unusual chandeliers. How unusual are they? Check out the gallery for a crystallized firefly, shark, trophy, umbrella, seahorse and more. The Hans van Bentem chandeliers are an exhibit all their own, and have appeared in the museum's formerly royal rooms since 2003. This is the full collection:


This trip was paid for by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

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The Glorious Chandeliers of the Escher Museum originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon's Disc+ program tosses in a free VOD with your Blu-ray or DVD

In a move that could help counter the instant gratification valley that currently separates online shopping from heading to the local retailer, Amazon is pushing a "limited time offer" called Disc+ On Demand that pairs 300 or so of its movies with a free Amazon VOD copy. That digital version pops into the buyer's Video Library instantly after purchase and still has to play by all the usual video on-demand rules of 24 hr / 30 day windows, U.S. address, and is currently only available in standard-definition. Still, this combination of the digital and physical purchase worlds means the online giant has beaten Best Buy's similar plans to the punch and approaches the convenience of Netflix's Watch Instantly. Just its usually lower prices has already driven many of you to be come online only disc buyers, we'll see if this helps Amazon grab the rest.

Amazon's Disc+ program tosses in a free VOD with your Blu-ray or DVD originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II announced [Update]

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The Spike TV Video Game Awards has revealed that LucasArts is working on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, the sequel to their best selling 2008 console action game that finally made its way to the PC last October (that's the game pictured above). A URL (www.unleashed2010.com) hints strongly that the game is due for released sometime next year.

The CGI trailer showed the lead character of the first game, Starkiller, fighting a massive creature in an arena-like setting. It also looks like Starkiller is going to have to deal with the voices of Darth Vader and Yoda in his head. Hopefully PC gamers won't have to wait a year to get the sequel.

Update: The Unleashed2010.com teaser site has launched with the above image

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II announced [Update] originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Around Azeroth: Deep-seated issues

In spite of his many years of study and apprenticeship, deep down, Kathanor of Arthas never really wanted to be a blood elf mage. He wanted to be ... a lumberjack gnome pirate! Leaping from ship to ship throughout the mighty seas of Azeroth! The Defias! The Southsea! The Bloodsail! The plucky little Blackwater! The smell of freshly oiled cannons! The clink of gold coins! Kathanor has long suppressed these urges, but doing The Cleansing and fighting his inner turmoil has brought it all back to the surface. How soon until he starts attacking Booty Bay Bruisers?

Do you have any unusual, beautiful or interesting World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see them on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!

Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. Please include the word "Azeroth" in your post so it does not get swept into the spam bin. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more battleground scoreboards, Val'kyr on mounts, or pictures of the Ninja Turtles in Dalaran. Older screenshots can be found here.

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Around Azeroth: Deep-seated issues originally appeared on WoW.com on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gingrich Launches Spanish-Language <b>Conservative</b> Web Magazine � The <b>...</b>

Here's a new conservative magazine you probably haven't heard of: The Americano, a product of Gingrich Communications. Edited by Sylvia Garcia, who moonlights as �Hispanic Outreach Director for Speaker Newt Gingrich,� the site has ...
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Health Care Progress Report: December 14 - CBS News


Reuters

Health Care Progress Report: December 14
CBS News
Last week, it appeared the Senate could very well do so, as a group of key liberal and conservative Democrats worked out a plan to get past divisive issues ...
The latest batch of health-care adsmsnbc.com
Why Lieberman Hates The Health Care BillAtlantic Online (blog)
WaPo blogger: Lieberman wants to "directly kill" uninsuredWashington Examiner (blog)
Wall Street Journal -The Spokesman Review -The Associated Press
all 2,759 news articles »

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Scott Walker, that STINKS!

Yes, I'm the conservative you only wish you could be. Imagine how much fun the left will have with you on this. BTW, MJS, you're stupid if you don't start crediting bloggers who break your news. Does Dan Cody get the applause for this ...
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Fishers school adjusts holiday program after conservative group protests - Indianapolis Star


Fishers school adjusts holiday program after conservative group protests
Indianapolis Star
... A Hamilton Southeastern elementary removed a mention of Allah in its holiday show after it drew the anger of a national conservative Christian group. ...

and more »

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Splinter Cell Conviction goes inside 'Third Echelon' for latest trailer

We've got another two months to go before the release of Splinter Cell Conviction. That's plenty of time, it would seem, for Ubisoft to tease us relentlessly with more information and gameplay snippets, as evidenced by the latest trailer. It's filled with a mess of information for returning Splinter Cell fans, and capped off by the realization that, "For the first time, you'll feel what it's like to be one of those NPCs hunted by a Splinter Cell." And yes, that prospect looks just as terrifying as it sounds.

JoystiqSplinter Cell Conviction goes inside 'Third Echelon' for latest trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Liveblogging the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards

Well, we've been watching UFC for the past hour, and we're totally ready to knee the Spike Video Game Awards in the face. By which, of course, we mean "give our expert analysis, keeping you informed on breakout news that comes from the event while occasionally making fun of the oblivious celebrity presenters."

Joining me for this event is Benjamin Gilbert and Xav de Matos. I'm not entirely sure they've covered a gaming awards show before, so I wholly expect one of them to be broken by the end of the proceedings. Kevin, our fairly seasoned veteran, is on the show floor, giving us first-hand scoops. Jump past the break to follow our coverage, and make sure to leave a comment with your own clever, possibly even pithy observations.

Watch: The 2009 Spike TV Video Game Awards

Continue reading Liveblogging the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards

JoystiqLiveblogging the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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