Games for Windows Live, that free Microsoft service for social gaming stuff on your PC, has gotten a face lift–partially because the original version, being more or less an Xbox Live port, wasn’t actually PC-user friendly. Now the new interface is supposed to be designed “with PC gamers in mind.” GWL will keep Achievements, TrueSkill matchmaking, voice and text chats and gamertags, but adds a special marketplace (similar to Xbox Live’s Marketplace) for buying trailers, demos and add-on game content. Check out a multitude of pics of the updated interface at Kotaku. [Game Daily via Kotaku]
See that box? It’s currently sitting in my spare room, hogging up space, waiting for you to enter our Gizmo-grow competition so you can win it and I can get rid of it. Inside the box is a 42-inch LG LCD TV, which has only been used once when we were reviewing it.
So what do you have to do to win 42-inches of TV goodness? Help us grow. Get the Gizmodo logo out there in the real world, and then send us the evidence. There have been a few really clever entries, but there’s still time for you to blow us away and win the TV. Check out our original post here to get a copy of the logo and read the terms and conditions, and then start getting creative.
There’s just over a week left to get your entries in, so you should get cracking…
With help from its moon photographing probe, the Chang’e 1, China’s created the country’s first full map of the lunar surface and they’re calling it the best one yet. According to the heads of the space program, the map is the most complete image of the moon’s surface, as well as the richest in detail, in the world.
Did you know you could make glass on a regular charcoal grill? Sure it’s incredibly flamey and pretty dangerous, but according to the folks at Pop Sci, it’s possible! All you need to do is add washing soda, lime or borax to white-silica beach sand and a grill overclocked to reach temperatures of 2000°F. Check out Theodore Grey feeding a concoction of silica and washing room regulars into a cast-iron pot over a flaming grill and getting two pretty medallions out of it. Try to resist doing this at home afterwards. [Popsci]
Nintendo fanboys and fangirls rejoice! Future publishing has decided to flex their local publishing muscle by announcing the launch of the Official Nintendo Magazine in Australia. They already publish an official Nintendo mag in both the UK and the US, so they’re hoping to leverage the relationship they have with Ninty overseas to enjoy the same success locally.
Managing Editor of the upcoming mag Nic Healey (who also edits my old baby, T3 Magazine, and is the finest online shopper I have ever known) says the mag will blend Future’s international content as well as add local material from some of Australia’s leading game journos.
The mag is set to target not just the hardcore Nintendo fans, but also the new audience that has been captured by the Wii’s easily accessible nature (read: old people). It’ll be interesting to see how the mag shapes up when the first issue hits newstands on December 10.
Not content with focus groups and analysing market trends, research firm Nielson and California-based NeuroFocus have launched a service in Japan that scans the brain waves of potential customers to help companies improve marketing. Their service basically measures how much ads actually grab the attention and tug at the emotional heartstrings of the people they’re targeting–rather than asking you to check a box next to “needs more baby animals,” they’ll be checking graphs to see how each additional baby animal makes your brain spasm. Ooooh, I love it when advertising gets blatantly brainwashy! [Japan Today]
Every webcam girl worth her salt knows that there’s nothing sexier than the “oh my, is there a breeze in here causing my hair to be all windswept” look, which makes this new accessory from Chinavision absolutely genius. It’s a 1.3mp webcam and fan, with both pieces mounted on separate adjustable arms. And in case you need more lighting to really make it seem like you’re starring in your own 90s girl group music video, it comes with two extra white LED lights as well. No listed price, but Chinavision offers a discount if you buy it in bulk. [Chinavasion]
Sometimes, I wish I was back in high school so I could make the most of the technology advances that have occured over the past ten years. Seriously – if I could have studied Ancient Rome on Google Earth back when I was in year 8, I probably would have loved history, gotten A+ grades on every assignment and been even more of a nerd than I was back then.
I mean, who wouldn’t want the freedom to fly through an accurate 3D representation of the buildings and architecture of Rome back in 320AD, including over 6,000 buildings and some with high-detailed interiors? Plus, the Googs have worked with the Rome Reborn project to provide detailed historical information on each monument.
To check it out, head into Google Earth and select the Ancient Rome 3D layer under Gallery. And if you’re still in school and happen to get an A+ on your ancient Rome assignment because we told you about this, make sure you remember us come Christmas time…
According to an anonymous Engadget tipster, Verizon is supposedly launching their own version of the HTC Touch Pro on November 24th, following in the wake of Sprint and AT&T. According to the rumours, the phone would be available online starting on the 24th, but wouldn’t be in stores until December 1st. Touch Pro pricing is said to be $US350 after a two-year contract and mail-in rebates, which is $US50 more than what AT&T and Sprint are offering the phone for. But what’s odd is that it seems Verizon will also reducing the specs on the Touch Pro, ditching the accelerometer and reducing the RAM to 192 MB. If that’s the case, it will really bring new subscribers and customers flocking to Verizon stores for sure… Can you hear me now? [Engadget Mobile]
