d&d

At D9, Windows 8 makes debut, and more (roundup)

The gathering of bigwigs puts the spotlight on CEOs and other top execs from the likes of Microsoft, Google, Twitter, and Netflix.

Windows 8, iOS 6 set for tablet face-off in 2012 Microsoft says the next version of Windows will not be out this fall, making 2012 a better candidate. Will Apple be on iOS 6 by then? • Windows 8 premiere raises more questions than answers • Microsoft shows Windows 8 to hardware makers (Posted in Apple Talk by Josh Lowensohn) June 1, 2011 8:20 PM PDT

Sinofsky shows off Windows 8 President of Windows Steven Sinofsky demonstrates … Read more

Jones' D&D-themed soda: Insert nerd pun here

I love soda, but I don't drink it much because I'm not into high-fructose corn syrup. I love Dungeons and Dragons, but I don't play it much because I'm a grown-up with a real job. But I'm excited about a new D&D-themed collection of sodas by Seattle's own Jones Soda Co., which lets consumers personalize sodas with flavors, photos, and messages.

You see, I've always wanted to try an actual Potion of Healing. And now Jones has an array of "Spellcasting Soda," which includes the aforementioned Potion of Healing, … Read more

Keep your 20-sided dice, I have D&D on the Surface

When I initially saw Microsoft's Surface multitouch tabletop device about three years ago, the first thing I thought, as a geek, was how absolutely perfect it would be for Dungeons and Dragons games. One reason these games tend to be the domain of geeks is that they require math, and lots of it. Line-of-sight for attacks; variables for cover and concealment; modifiers for things like how much weight can be carried and whether your character is currently on fire--all these can make the game a laborious process for those who don't have a love of such things.

Then I heard that some whiz kids with Carnegie Mellon's SurfaceScapes team had been developing just what I wanted: D&D for the Surface. After a few e-mails, I got word that the team would be showing it off for the people at Microsoft and that Yours Truly, living in Seattle, would have a chance to try it out. You'd better believe I was excited.

And not just because of the novelty. The Surface did indeed live up to its potential as a gaming platform. There are no cumbersome character sheets with stats, abilities, and so forth; all that stuff is handled in the game's brain so you're free to shoot magic missiles at orcs.

The figurines--optional in regular D&D but great tools here--are "tagged" with dot codes on the bottom. The Surface is able to use its tiny cameras to view these unique codes and determine which character is where on the game grid. This means the game can automatically determine line-of-fire angles and keep track of enemy health.

This really speeds things up. A combat round in traditional D&D can take awhile. Initiative, roll-to-hit, damage, movement, and everything else has to be calculated. The program on the Surface automates all of this. Instead of several minutes, the combat round we tried (in which we killed a couple of weak orcs) took only a minute or two. And it was more fun. … Read more

Buzz Out Loud Podcast 1128: Should Google make its own Netbook?

Rumors are that next year Google will add a Netbook brand along with its phone branding, and possibly begin a line of consumer electronics. Is that a good thing for Google? We kick around that old football. Also, Patrick from France joins us with his distinctly European perspective and we refrain from insulting each other for once. It's a brave new world!

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1128

Obama administration rolls out $2 billion for broadband http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BG1JZ20091217 http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/16/2329201/FCCs-New-Broadband-Plan-Prioritizes-Competition… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 950: Hackers brave bats and dragons

AT&T had an outage yesterday morning in the bay area due to fiber-optical cables being cut. This didn't just affect landlines, but cell phones as well. Rafe describes the dangers hackers would face in trying to cut those cables. We also estimate the distance to New York as 12 worms, and give a plus-five Holy Avenger sword salute to Dave Arneson.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 950

AT&T was vandalized in the Bay Area? http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=26715

AT&T uses Twitter … Read more

Apple gets raw support for Nikon D90, other SLRs

Apple's photography software now can accommodate raw images from some newer digital cameras through the release of Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.3.

Specifically, the update to iPhoto '08 and Aperture 2 means that the photography software can deal with raw images from three prominent new digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras: Canon's midrange EOS 50D, Nikon's video-enabled midrange D90, and Sony's ambitious 24-megapixel full-frame Alpha DSLR-A900.

Also supported is Nikon's high-end compact camera, the Coolpix P6000.

Raw images are taken directly from higher-end cameras with no in-camera processing into a JPEG. That means photographers … Read more

Adobe embraces latest Canon, Nikon, Sony SLRs

Adobe Systems has updated Photoshop's ability to deal with raw-format images from several of the latest SLR cameras with its new version 4.6 of the Camera Raw plug-in. Adobe's John Nack has the download links.

Less than a month after beginning beta testing, the final version is out with support for Canon's newer entry-level EOS Rebel XS, its brand-new midrange EOS 50D, Nikon's freshly released midrange D90 and full-frame D700, Pentax's newest entry-level model, the K2000, and Sony's ambitious 24-megapixel full-frame Alpha A900.

Also released is a new version of the DNG Converter … Read more

Rumor no more: Canon announces EOS 50D

Bringing another rumor cycle to an end, Canon has announced the EOS 50D, a follow-up to the popular 40D, which will remain available at least through the end of the year. Though the timing seems a bit surprising--the 40D is only a year old, and midrange dLSR cycles tend to run closer to 18 months rather than 12--it was probably inevitable once the Rebel XSi, which is very similar to the 40D, shipped.

Built around the identical body as the 40D--the only differences are the name plate and mode-dial bezel--the 50D brings with it a bump to 15 megapixels. According to Canon, the new sensor has smaller pixels than that of the 40D's 10-megapixel version, but the company claims superior noise and image quality; 1.5 stops better, in fact, thanks to an improved manufacturing process and larger, gapfree microlenses that effectively result in the same light-sensitive area, according to Canon.

In combination with an upgrade to a newer version of the company's image processor, dubbed Digic 4, Canon also says that the higher resolution won't impose a significant performance penalty, and that the 50D will be able to maintain burst speeds close to the 40Ds. And now that the camera's CompactFlash supports UDMA, the burst buffer can process more shots--JPEGs, at least.

And though it has a 3-inch LCD like the 40D, Canon has switched to the same higher-resolution display found on the Nikon D300… Read more

An homage to the man behind 'Dungeons & Dragons'

Gary Gygax helped keep me out of trouble when I was in junior high school.

I was saddened earlier Tuesday to hear that Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and the father of modern role-playing games, has died. He was 69 years old. My CNET Reviews colleague Will Greenwald has already written about Gygax's role in the gaming community.

For many of us who grew up before PCs became ubiquitous and long before it was cool to be a geek, Gygax's creation meant Friday nights spent playing games with your friends, not wishing you were someone else. … Read more