Gaming and Culture - The latest in the geek life - CNET News

Curt Schilling's video game company cuts entire staff

Dara Kerr — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:42:17 PDT

Screenshot from the game "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning."

(Credit: 38 Studios)

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's 38 Studios gaming company is crumbling around him.

As news spread over the past week that the company was hurting for cash, spending $49 million of a $75 million state loan, the Boston Globe reports that the young video game publishing house laid off all of its nearly 400 employees as of today.

"I'm stunned, and I'm heartbroken," Leominster fantasy author and consultant to 38 Studios R.A. Salvatore, told the Boston Globe. "This is one of the best teams I've ever seen assembled. They were doing amazing work."

The downward spiral began in 2010 when Schilling took the $75 million loan guarantee from the state of Rhode Island to set up shop in Providence. State officials hoped that 38 Studios would bring in new jobs and turn Providence into a high-tech hub.

When the company was two weeks late on a $1.1 million payment and requested more money from the state earlier this month, Rhode Island officials held an emergency meeting, according to the Boston Globe.

"It's an un... [Read more]

Science-y love blooms into 250-tulip proposal

Amanda Kooser — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:07:56 PDT

Sometimes life is a bed of tulips.

(Credit: John Gottula)

John Gottula is a patient man. His proposal to girlfriend Kelly Voll took more than six months. No, this wasn't the slowest knee-lowering in history. It was a carefully hatched horticultural plot.

When it comes to geek love, we've come across proposals involving Super Mario, iPhone apps, "Back to the Future," and Twitter. Gottula, a graduate research assistant in plant pathology and plant-microbe biology at Cornell University, turned to his science background in horticulture for inspiration.

"I've heard of men proposing by hiring a pilot and popping the question with a banner. That's expensive; plus I don't have a flair for aeronautics," Gottula tells Crave. "Planting flowers to spell out a proposal seemed more like a horticultural way of doing it."

Meet the tireless entrepreneur who squatted at AOL

Daniel Terdiman — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:00:00 PDT

19-year-old entrepreneur Eric Simons spent two months secretly living at AOL's Palo Alto, Calif. campus, sleeping each night on a couch like this one.

(Credit: Eric Simons)

It was 6 a.m. when Eric Simons was jolted awake by the yelling.

After working until 4 a.m, the 19-year-old entrepreneur had finally passed out. A few hours of sleep would help with the day ahead.

But unlike most people working at AOL's Palo Alto, Calif., campus who were surely still hours from showing up at the sprawling complex, Simons was already there. He'd been living there for two months, hiding out at night on couches, eating the company's food, and exercising and showering in its gym. And now, with an angry security guard bellowing at him, it was all over.

Eric Simons

(Credit: Eric Simons)

The story of how Simons, just two years removed from a Chicago high school, came to be living in AOL's Palo Alto campus could well become part of Silicon Valley lore, especially because it highlights the lengths some entrepreneurs will go to make their dreams a reality. And though stories abound these days of startup founders barely old enough to drink swimming in venture capital, far more have to get by on packaged noodles and the good will of friends with extra couches.

Chicago You hear it all the time, but Simons, now 20, was a medioc... [Read more]

Commodore 64 bass guitar: Revenge of the keytar!

Amanda Kooser — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:24:54 PDT

Jeri Ellsworth displays a unique bass while on roller skates.

(Credit: Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET)

Keytars used to be cool. Then they were lame. Now they're cool again, thanks to Jeri Ellsworth and her Commodore 64 bass guitar.

The unique instrument debuted at the Bay Area Maker Faire over the weekend. It's essentially a bass guitar grafted onto a Commodore 64, creating an unholy alliance between the thudding bottom end of a rock song and the raw retro power of an iconic computer.

The computer part isn't just for decoration. The original Commodore 64 sound chip handles all of the audio processing. Both the keys and the strings trigger sounds through a portable amp. The wave forms can be changed at the push of a button.

Unabomber offers a joke in Harvard alumni report

Chris Matyszczyk — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:58:31 PDT

The music on the video is Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were." I hope they paid for the rights.

(Credit: Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

"So what did you end up doing with your life?"

Such, I am sure, will be the question asked at the 50th reunion for Harvard's class of 1962. One absentee, though, still wants everyone to know what he's been up to, just in case anyone missed it.

According to The Boston Globe, Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, is listed in the 1962 Harvard Alumni Report.

What might you imagine that the mathematician who went to Harvard when he was 16 -- before killing 3 and injuring 23 with mail bombs -- would have to say about himself?

Well, he lists his occupation as "prisoner" and his home address -- should anyone care to visit as "No. 04475-046, U.S. Penitentiary--Max, P.O. Box 8500, Florence, CO 8126-8500."

It seems that many old Harvardians wax lyrical about their vast successes when asked to list them for this report. Kaczynski's entry is a mere nine lines.

However, he cannot resist the section that asks him to list his a... [Read more]

How Curt Schilling's video game dreams turned toxic

Jim Kerstetter — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:21:11 PDT

For retired Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, the Legend of the Bloody Sock is taking a back seat to the tale of bloody dumb loan his videogaming company received from the Rhode Island state government two years ago.

I say this as a diehard Red Sox fan (as you can see from my bio below this post). I say this as someone who popped champagne when the Red Sox won a World Series in 2004. I say this as someone who appreciated the guts Schilling brought to that post-season when he continued pitching through the pain of an open wound in his ankle. Who in New England will ever forget the Bloody Sock?

Kingdoms of Amalur

(Credit: 38 Studios)

Now when I see Schilling on TV, he's surrounded by cameras and reporters outside the headquarters of 38 Studios, his videogame company in Providence, R.I. The questioning is hostile: Can his outfit stay afloat? Is he feeling pressure? His answers are routinely vague, the pat cliches of a man who spent his adult life answering mostly adoring sportswriters' questions in front of a locker.

But there's more to this than another sad tale of a former jock who got in over his head in the business world. Schilling, you see, has spent years using his platform as a baseball star to advocate for smaller government. Then, he bolted from Massachusetts when Rhode Island offered a sweetheart, $75 million loan guarantee to prop up his young videogame publishing house, ... [Read more]

Oxford making scientific search for Yeti, Nessie

Chris Matyszczyk — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:20:17 PDT

A sample from a Yeti video of the past.

(Credit: Butchykid624/YouTube Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

There are those who believe that Yetis exist, most especially Georgians.

All too often when these claims are investigated, though, they turn up a gorilla costume and a couple of rogues.

However, someone is finally bringing scientific credibility to the search not only for Yetis, but also the Loch Ness Monster and, for all I know, unicorns.

Oxford University's Wolfson College has decided to invite every human being in the world to send in samples of animals that appear to be something of a mystery.

More Technically Incorrect

Lego for girls, this time hardware-hacker style

Daniel Terdiman — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:00:00 PDT

The full display of Ladyada's Workshop, a proposed Lego set intended to show that girls can be hackers and makers, and not just stick to stereotyped gender roles.

(Credit: Adafruit Industries/Bruce Lowell)

For Limor Fried, a hardware hacker and leader in the booming maker and do-it-yourself movements, there was never a question of waiting for someone else to jump in and do a better job of inspiring girls than Lego has done with its widely-panned Lego Friends set.

The product was featured on the cover of Bloomberg Business Week last year and drew worldwide attention as the global toy company's first major attempt at showcasing girls in a new set. Still, many Lego fans were upset that the company had focused on well-worn stereotypes and had ignored the modern reality that girls can do pretty much anything they want, whether or not there's pink or purple involved.

For Fried, who runs open-source hardware developer Adafruit Industries, it sounded like it was time for a little culture hacking.

Will Lego produce a hardware hacker's idea of a set for girls? (photos)

1-2 ... [Read more]

How Zuck is boosting an executive hoodie maker

CNET News staff — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:23:02 PDT

Own your own executive hoodie

Spend money in the real world, get cash in the Zynga world

Don Reisinger — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:24:16 PDT

A look at the Farm Cash that can be earned from the Serve program.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Zynga and American Express have come up with a plan to combine physical and virtual commerce.

The companies today announced a program called Zynga Serve Rewards. The program allows FarmVille players to earn rewards after making purchases with a prepaid card from American Express.

In order to take advantage of the offer, users will need to jump through some hoops. To kick things off, FarmVille players will need to plant a Serve Money Tree on their farms. After doing so, they will need to register for Zynga Serve Rewards to receive the prepaid card in the mail. After adding money to the card and activating it, they will be able to make purchases wherever American Express is accepted.

BioWare cuts 'Star Wars' staff

Christopher MacManus — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:56:34 PDT

An image from the Alderaan player versus player battleground in Star Wars: The Old Republic. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: BioWare)

Several weeks after the surprising announcement of losing 400,000 players in mere months, BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka and co-founder Greg Zeschuk noted in a forum post that the company is bidding "farewell to some talented, passionate, and exceptionally hard-working people who helped make Star Wars: The Old Republic a reality."

The layoffs affect the Austin, Texas, division of BioWare an Electronic Arts-owned studio largely responsible for the creation of the game. The announcement lacked any specific information regarding the number of employees let go in the restructuring, and EA did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.

Magnetic football perfect for butterfingers

Tim Hornyak — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:49:43 PDT

The gravity-defying Ultimate Reception ball sticks to glove magnets.

(Credit: Ultimate Reception)

I'm not one to watch an NFL game on TV or toss around the pigskin in the park, but if I did I would probably benefit from this magnetic football.

Ultimate Reception is a campaign on crowd-funding site IndieGoGo aimed at developing a magnetic football and gloves that improve catching ability.

Actually, the gloves are embedded with powerful magnets that attract a special layer in the football's skin. They're strong enough so that the ball will stick to the glove when the arm is outstretched and palm down.

Apple again the world's most valuable brand; Google third

Don Reisinger — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:39:41 PDT

(Credit: Milward Brown Optimor)

Another day, another Apple victory.

At $183 billion, Apple is the world's most valuable brand, according to Millward Brown Optimor's annual BrandZ study. Apple was last year's most valuable brand, as well, though the company's value jumped 19 percent over last year's $153.3 billion tally.

Millward Brown Optimor's findings, which were released today, are based on a company's financial data, market intelligence, and consumer opinions related to brand equity.

Aside from Apple, technology firms fared quite well in the BrandZ study, with IBM taking the second spot with $116 billion in value. IBM, which took the third spot last year, swapped places with last year's No. 2, Google, which tallied brand value of $108 billion this year. Unlike the leaders, Google watched its brand value sink 3 percent year over year.

After 35 years, SETI celebrates its most-famous alien hunter

Daniel Terdiman — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:00:00 PDT

Some of the many individual antennas that make up the Allen Telescope Array, SETIs best tool for hunting aliens in the cosmos.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

For anyone who's seen the film "Contact," the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is a very noble cause. And over the last 35 years, Jill Tarter, who was the inspiration for Jodie Foster's character, has become known as the world's most famous alien hunter.

Center for SETI Research director Jill Tarter

(Credit: SETI Institute)

For years, Tarter has been the director of the Center for SETI Research, and in that position, she has worked harder than almost anyone on the planet to try to find new friends in the skies. So far, her work, and that of her many colleagues around the world, has been unrewarded. Yet, in spite of constant battles for funding and the skepticism of those who believe we're alone in the universe, Tarter has persevered, and SETI has continued.

Now, at SETICon II on June 22 in Santa Clara, Calif., the 68-year-old Tarter will hand over her directorship reins to Gerry Harp and move into the next stage of her career -- trying to find not aliens but perhaps something even more elusive: stable funding for the institute. As her colleague, SETI Institute senior astronomer Seth Shostak, put it, "Ther... [Read more]

iPhone-powered gTar shreds digitally

Christopher MacManus — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:01:38 PDT

The digital gTar never needs tuning.

(Credit: Incident Technologies)

At first glance, a digital guitar with the brains of a super-powered smartphone and illuminated fretboard seems like a product that could change everything about guitar instrumentation. The digital dynamo by Incident Technologies aims to work as "the first guitar that anybody can play," as noted in description of the gTar on Kickstarter.

To start, one merely needs to plug an iPhone 4/4S in to the digital guitar. After selecting a song in the gTar app, illuminated frets await your fingertips to help you start playing along.

We admit this rocks, but still recommend you learn about music theory, tab reading, and so on. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Incident Technologies)

Selectable modes of difficulty make it easy to learn progressively. For example, budding musicians merely need to pluck the right strings in easy mode, while the medium setting requires the player to press down on the right notes. Both of... [Read more]

God seems fine with Babel-like Lego tower

Tim Hornyak — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:14:01 PDT

(Credit: Video screenshot by Tim Hornyak/CNET)

It's the tallest Lego tower ever, soaring to the heavens at more than 104 feet and setting a geek world record last week.

The Lego World Tower brought joy to the hearts of Koreans last week when it went up in Seoul's Olympic Stadium.

At 104 feet and 7 inches, it edged out a similar tower erected in France last year at 103 feet. It took some 4,000 Korean kids five days and half a million bricks to put it together.

Stein of Science: Liquid nitrogen-grade booze container

Amanda Kooser — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:27:42 PDT

The Stein of Science comes in a variety of sizes.

(Credit: Funranium Labs)

Meet Funranium Labs founder Phil Broughton.

He's a radiation safety specialist at the University of California at Berkeley. He was once a cryogenics technician for the Amundsen-Scott South Pole scientific research station. He's really into coffee and beer and finding the best way to deliver those products into his system, and he has boldly offered himself up as a guinea pig for science by personally testing and developing products for discerning geek customers.

The Black Blood sampler features different types of coffee. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Funranium Labs)

Let's start with the Stein of Science. Each stein is crafted from a bench top liquid nitrogen dewar flask. That means it will keep your beer frosty cold for quite a long time. That also means it's not cheap. A 655-milliliter Stein of Science costs $230. Your fellow lab rats will be insanely jealous when you show up to the next party with one of these bad boys.

Funranium Labs has also developed a way to blow espresso completely out of the water with a highly concentrated cof... [Read more]

Hasselblad lops $9,000 off pro camera price

Stephen Shankland — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:20:38 PDT

Hasselblad's HD4-200MS medium-format camera

(Credit: Hasselblad)

Hasselblad has lowered the price of its high-end medium-format cameras from the upper stratosphere to the lower stratosphere.

The 60-megapixel HD4-60's list price is now $30,995, down $9,000, the company said Friday. And the HDR-200MS, a "multishot" model can combine four 50-megapixel shots into one higher-quality image to compensate for image sensor shortcomings, was cut $8,000 to $35,995.

For Silicon Valley VC, a Leap from great advice to big rewards

Daniel Terdiman — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:07:45 PDT

Andy Miller, a VC with Highland Capital Partners is betting that his expertise can help his portfolio company Leap Motion make a very big splash with its new hands-free 3D motion control technology.

(Credit: Leap Motion)

SAN FRANCISCO--Sitting in the windowless basement level of a nondescript building in the shadow of the Bay Bridge, Andy Miller is doing one of his most essential -- and rewarding -- jobs: helping smart and talented, but young and inexperienced, entrepreneurs navigate the crucial steps needed to move their new company forward. After all, great technology can only get you so far. It takes great business strategy and decisions to build a truly successful company.

Miller, a general partner at Highland Capital Partners who once reported directly to Steve Jobs as Apple's vice president of mobile advertising, is seated across from David Holz and Michael Buckwald, the co-founders of Leap Motion. Earlier in the morning, the company announced it had closed a $12.75 million Series A round, led by Highland, and that it was leaving behind its original moniker, OccuSpec.

Leap Motion, which today pulled back the wraps on ... [Read more]

Leap Motion: 3D hands-free motion control, unbound

Daniel Terdiman — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:06:37 PDT

With the Leap, from Leap Motion, developers will be able to create apps that can translate the movement of users hands -- and even their fingers -- onto the screen.

(Credit: Leap Motion)

Hands-free motion control, a technology pioneered by Nintendo's Wii and later improved upon by Microsoft's Kinect, just took a very big leap forward. Industries from gaming to surgery to architecture, engineering, and design may never be the same.

With the unveiling today of its Leap 3D motion control system, a San Francisco startup called Leap Motion has, well, leapfrogged the state of the art in this young field, giving users the ability to control what's on their computers with hundredth of a millimeter accuracy and introducing touch-free gestures like pinch-to-zoom.

Control your desktop with a wave of your hand

Leap, which comprises both a small USB input device and a sophisticated software platform, is expected to cost $70. But while users will have to wait until early next year to get their hands on it, what the company is showing today seems likely to get developers and users in a wide range of industries very, very excited.

By now, most people have seen Kinect in action. The Microsoft system has become a ... [Read more]

Gaming and Culture - The latest in the geek life - CNET News

Curt Schilling's video game company cuts entire staff

Science-y love blooms into 250-tulip proposal

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Meet the tireless entrepreneur who squatted at AOL

Commodore 64 bass guitar: Revenge of the keytar!

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Unabomber offers a joke in Harvard alumni report

How Curt Schilling's video game dreams turned toxic

Oxford making scientific search for Yeti, Nessie

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Lego for girls, this time hardware-hacker style

Will Lego produce a hardware hacker's idea of a set for girls? (photos)

How Zuck is boosting an executive hoodie maker

Own your own executive hoodie

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Spend money in the real world, get cash in the Zynga world

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BioWare cuts 'Star Wars' staff

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Magnetic football perfect for butterfingers

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Apple again the world's most valuable brand; Google third

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After 35 years, SETI celebrates its most-famous alien hunter

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Stein of Science: Liquid nitrogen-grade booze container

Hasselblad lops $9,000 off pro camera price

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For Silicon Valley VC, a Leap from great advice to big rewards

Leap Motion: 3D hands-free motion control, unbound

Control your desktop with a wave of your hand