We’ve told you about the iTable before, and PQ Labs. They showed off their latest stage in the development process at CeBIT this year, by installing the screen into a coffee table. The newest version can register up to 32 touch points and actually determine the shape of the object being placed on the screen.

But to me, that’s not the real story. The real story is that they installed a game that’s near and dear to my heart, Warcraft III. To me, this is the true future of the touchscreen interface, and the part of the technology that I’m excited about. It’s definitely worth your time to watch the video and see how far they’ve come in the development process, and how they are stacking up against their competitors.

[via Gizmag]

The director of the Spider-Man movies, Sam Raimi, is all set to direct the upcoming Warcraft movie. It’ll be live action, and it’s not expected until 2011, so there’s plenty of time to complain till it comes out.

It’s important to note that the tile of the film, as yet, isn’t World of Warcraft: The Movie, but Warcraft. It’s not exactly possible to make a movie out of an MMO.

And one thing I saw on wow.com that caught my attention:

Yep, there’s a lot of lore. But if we look at the other fantasy work Sam Raimi made, Legend of the Seeker, we also know that he is happy to change practically all lore, storylines and characters from the original story.
(it’s a series based on a popular epic fantasy bookseries.. when Sam Raimi was done with it, all that remained of the original story were basicly the names of the characters, and the tv show was something completely different from the books. Check out the reviews at Legend of the Seeker imdb page..)

So that’s comforting.

And even though I pre-disposed to complain about everything, I can’t say that I have any faith in this movie. I wouldn’t mind being proved wrong, of course, but that’s just how I feel.

The thing about reviewing mice is that you’re actually looking at two separate entities. Yes, you’re looking at the mouse itself, the hardware, but you’re also simultaneously taking into account the software that powers it, the drivers. A mouse without adequate drivers might as well not exist. And as I’ve said this week, SteelSeries hasn’t yet released Mac OS X drivers for its World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse, forcing me to instead rely upon ControllerMate, a $15 application that breathes life into the mouse on OS X. Without ControllerMate, this review would have been delayed by some time.

With that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the girl.

The $99 mouse, officially the SteelSeries World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse, is, as the name implies, designed for Wow (and other MMO) players. There’s a total of 15 buttons present, the mouse’s flashiest attribute, and each one can be programmed and re-programmed to your heart’s content. There’s seven buttons on the top, six on the left and two on the right. (The photo gallery, which took me an awful long time to shoot, shows the exact location and shape of the buttons). The default setup has the buttons controlling the following functions: left click; right click; dismount; bring up the battle map (or mini map); character; assist target; focus; bring up the world map; bring up the character screen (“C”); autorun; select last hostile; stop all; nearest enemy; win button 5; and win button 4. The scroll wheel zooms in and out, as you might expect. But, again, you’re encouraged to re-map the buttons to your own personal playing style.

The mouse also has built-in LEDs that can change color, as this video shows. Nothing more than mere eye candy, I suppose.

So that’s the laundry list out of the way.

A little on the big side, the mouse may take some getting used to if your current mouse is a small one. (I use the smallish Logitech G5 as both my gaming and everyday mouse.) I guess I have tiny, feminine hands—tee hee—but I felt like I had to stretch to reach the left D-Pad thing. Then again, I’m not used to using my thumb as a primary component of my mousing, so maybe this little hiccup is more a result of my own incompetence than anything else.

Despite the size, all the buttons and crazy flashing lights, the mouse is a light one, even though, as a matter of fact, I don’t mind a heavier mouse. (I use several of the Logitech G5 weights to give it some girth.) Moving it around my mousepad takes no effort. You’re not saying, “Man, this mouse is annoyingly heavy,” in other words. The two little fins, or whatever you want to call them, along both sides seem awkward—what purpose do they serve? They’re just sorta there, not in the way or anything, but it gives the mouse a strange look, like an attractive girl wearing a stupid hat.

The buttons do as they’re told, which is the highest praise that can be expected. Using ConrollerMate, eventually, I was able to tool around Shattrath City and Outland all the more efficiently. No more having to take my hand off the mouse just to dismount my Death Knight’s mount, no more having to shift my finger all the way over to the M key just to bring up the map. That type of thing matters to WoW players. Now, I used the word “eventually” a few words ago, which is an allusion to how long it took to figure out how to use ControllerMate. It’s a truly powerful piece of software, but one with an immense learning curve. Configuring SteerMouse and USB Overdrive is much easier. Too bad neither of those work with the mouse.

So that’s about it. SteelSeries has succeeded in creating a mouse that doesn’t suck, and should be commended for it. While not exclusively for WoW (or other MMO) players, I can’t imagine too many other people who need 15 buttons at their disposal. So if you are a WoW you shouldn’t be disappointed

Oh, also! Included in the packaging is a WoW trading card and an offer for a free WoW t-shirt from Jinx.com.

http://www.gamingstore.de/en/shop/index.php?warenkorb_id=54886&domain_id=1&als_liste=&tab_id=&detail=true&produkt_id=332&kategorie_id0=2

[PSGallery=114ky27esq]

Since SteelSeries took over Ideazon, they’ve assumed control of the zBoard brand, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they put out something completely separate soon.

The full release:

SteelSeries Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Keyset Brings Gamers Closer to the Action

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The leading manufacturer of innovative professional gaming gear, SteelSeries, today announced the release of the Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ Limited Edition Keyset for SteelSeries Zboard™. Designed specifically for the highly anticipated Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning PC game by Mythic Entertainment™, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), the keyset will immerse gamers in a rich and chaotic fantasy world where the armies of Order and Destruction battle for survival.

Working closely with Mythic Entertainment, SteelSeries has developed a custom Warhammer Online keyset with dedicated short-cut keys and beautiful game graphics that will enable quick mastery of the game, increase the users’ actions per minute (APM) and deliver unparalleled levels of immersion.

“Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is one of the most anticipated MMO’s in 2008,” said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. “SteelSeries is thrilled to be working with Mythic Entertainment in creating a keyset for the SteelSeries Zboard designed specifically to bring more realism and ease-of-use to Warhammer Online fans everywhere.”

“This Limited Edition Keyset is a valuable offering for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning gamers,” said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer for Mythic Entertainment. “Our collaboration with SteelSeries makes it easy for players to immerse themselves in the game, and to bring their performance to new heights.”

The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Limited Edition Keyset for SteelSeries Zboard gives gamers:

* An intuitive layout for faster reflexes in battle;
* 16 dedicated keys for commonly used chat, group and social commands;
* 12 popular single-press emote keys including Shout, Brandish, Mad and Laugh; and,
* Immersion in the epic war with official game graphics

With every purchase of the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Limited Edition Keyset, gamers receive a bonus in-game item – Kemmler’s Arthritic Hand. When used, this exclusive item will temporarily increase a character’s action point regeneration rate.

The Zboard Gaming Keyboard also comes equipped with gaming terrain and tactical features, including:

* Instant remapping capabilities;
* Gaming Keyset including integrated gaming terrain
* Standard Keyset with Windows and Internet Explorer commands labeled on keys; and,
* USB base with two extra USB peripheral ports.

Also available is the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning FragMat with official game graphics for a retail price of $14.99 USD. The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Limited Edition Keyset retails for $19.99 USD and will be available at game launch; the SteelSeries Zboard retails for $49.99 USD and is available now at all major gaming retailers and etailers.

Blizzard has made Warcraft III (and its expansion, separately) and StarCraft Anthology available for download from its Web site. Both games, originally released in 2002 and 1998, respectively, have won awards left and right. Warcraft III (and the expansion) cost $20, while StarCraft is $15. Mac and PC.

Wanna hear a secret? I’ve never played either game. Does that make me a bad person?

via Macworld

We can close YouTube now. This is the best video that will ever be uploaded to it.

(It’s a parody of the recent WoW ad campaign, in case you’re lucky enough to have a life.)

WoW Moviewatch: Belated pimp parody of WoW commercials [WoW Insider]

What’s the most exciting part about the holidays? There aren’t any, unless you’re 7-years-old and get oodles of presents under a dangerously dry tree or metal pole or some other object. Like, who wants to go through the stress of talking to your relatives about what they want? The only smart way to do is to hand out cash to each and every one of your special guys and gals and let them buy whatever they want. Yes, it would be smarter to realize that exchanging money or gifts is a zero-sum affair, but the holidays are all about the spirit of giving, the spirit of going into mountains of credit card debt.

So, given that cheery (yet logical!) introduction, what could I possibly recommend you spend your hard-earned dollars on this Christmastime?

A few things, as a matter of fact.

So many things came out this year—where to begin?

Music.

I’m gonna assume your and yours already have an iPod. If not get, one. They’re good. Or get a Zune. If you’re like me and grab 99 percent of your music from Usenet or BitTorrent trackers (more on that later), so it really doesn’t matter what PMP you get. Just make sure there’s enough space on there to fulfill your needs. Personally, I use a black iPod nano, for reasons I’ve already gone into.

What could have been

Now, where to get music to fill your PMP of choice? A few months ago I would have said to beg your friends and family for an OiNK invite, but those heady days are long behind us. Now, your two best options are What.cd and Waffles.fm. Both are more or less the same, so don’t feel bad if you could “only” get into What.cd (or Waffles.fm). Just be grateful someone hooked you up. I don’t know, scour IRC, ask your music-savvy friends, or keep reading us; I occasionally give out invites when I’m in the mood.

If you’re really into house and trance and all that nonsense, look into TribalMixes. It could have the ugliest UI design I’ve ever seen, but this side of TechnoMoon it’s the best free resource for DJ live sets and radio shows. It’s also open to the public, with no silly invites required.

Conversely, you could be a terrific Secret Santa and hook your friends and family members up with an unlimited Usenet account: Giganews, Easynews, etc. Just buy him or her a month. If they like it, tell them to pony up and buy their own access from there on out.

There are other, better “private” BitTorrent trackers out there (especially once you get into video downloads), but I’m pretty sure they don’t like too much publicity.

Keeping with our music theme, what if one of your friends or relatives is “into” making music. Say, house music? In this case, I recommend pretty much anything made by M-Audio. I’ve personally used the Torq MixLabto much success and Vince has been all over the Xponenet recently. He says it makes anyone into Paul Van Dyk, which, to our God-fearing American readers, is quite the complement. The Torq software is stupid easy to use (if you can drop and drop files into a program and click a sync icon, you can make a mix) and the hardware at least makes you look competent, especially the Xponent.

Um, so other stuff.

I recently went through a bit of a photography stint and used the Nikon D40X for a photojournalism class here. The entry-level digital SLR was more than adequate for my needs (manual mode, screw around with the aperture and shutter a little, etc.), but if you’re a little (or a lot) more advanced, check out Nikon’s latest SLRs, the D3 and D300. (That’s the D300.) (The D3 is for professionals while the D300 is for prosumers.) Honestly, if all you’re going to do is leave the camera on auto mode, then stick with the D40X (or a point-and-shoot if you’re afraid of making the SLR jump), but if you’re gonna go to New Zealand and need digital photos that you can later sell to the Associated Press or National Geographic, you probably can’t go wrong.

You know, I’d tell y’all to look into getting a GPS device, but my father has had nothing but problems with all of the ones I’ve thrown at him. Trips that could easily have taken a few minutes wound up taking several and we’ve both wanted the throw the damn thing out the window. Did he read the manual? I don’t know. All I know is that he’s the average Joe; if he has problems with those infernal devices lots of folks will.

And that’s my gift guide. I’d recommend World of Warcraft, but I’ve seen it destroy too many lives already as it is.

Today’s a big day for World of Warcraft fans. Once the servers come back online at around 1:00 pm EST, users will experience the ecstasy that is Patch 2.3. This is one of the bigger patches of late, with several changes and additions, including Guild Banks, easier leveling from levels 1-60 (increased XP, less XP required to level up, etc.), changes to pre-level 60 dungeons and the introduction of The Gods of Zulman, a level 70+ instance. Being only level 35, it’ll be a while before I’m able to mess around in there, but I’m sure my friends will tell me what’s up.

An incredible amount of information, as always, can be found at Wowwiki. It’s going to be long and lonely weekend, that’s for sure.

Official Patch News [Blizzard]

More Patch 2.3 Info [WoWWiki]