Sunday, 3 June 2012
Blizzard Says It Delivered 4.7 Million Copies of Diablo III on Release Day
Blizzard Entertainment said this week that it sold more than 3.5 million copies of Diablo III on launch day, setting the record for fastest-selling PC game. The company also sold 1.2 million copies of the game to subscribers of the World of Warcraft Annual Pass, meaning 4.7 million copies of the game were in the hands of gamers on day one.
There were a number of server slowdowns and issues for gamers looking to play the game on opening day and, as a result, Blizzard was very apologetic in its statement:
There were a number of server slowdowns and issues for gamers looking to play the game on opening day and, as a result, Blizzard was very apologetic in its statement:
"We’re definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support."
To cut down on cheating and piracy, Blizzard requires the Diablo III client to be connected to their servers at all times during gameplay, even during the single-player campaign.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
iPhone Coming to U.S. Prepaid Carrier Cricket on June 22
Cricket Communications today announced that it will begin offering the iPhone on June 22, becoming the first U.S. carrier to offer the device on a prepaid basis with no contract. Service will cost $55 per month and include unlimited voice and SMS, as well as "unlimited" data with a soft monthly cap of 2.3 GB after which speeds will be throttled.
Interestingly, Cricket appears to be offering a partial subsidy on the iPhone hardware, with the iPhone 4 priced at $399.99 and the 16 GB iPhone 4S priced at $499.99. The discounts of $150 off of Apple's standard pricing for unlocked handsets are in place even though customers are not required to sign service contracts.
The iPhone will be offered in Cricket's existing core markets covering over 60 million people. The full list of iPhone markets is included on the carrier's iPhone site.
Cricket has entered into a three-year deal with Apple with a commitment to purchase at least $900 million worth of iPhone hardware over that term. The carrier also intends to carry new iPhone hardware as it becomes available, although company executives were unwilling to directly address whether Cricket would be able to offer new hardware at the same time as other carriers.
Cricket is generally considered one of roughly half a dozen "super-regional" carriers in the United States, with just under 6.2 million customers as of the end of the first quarter. The carrier offers a nationwide network through roaming agreements and its prepaid model offers simple pricing with no activation fees or overage charges.
Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless services, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, Inc., announced today that it will be the first pre-paid carrier in the US to offer iPhone to its customers. Beginning on Friday, June 22, Cricket will offer iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 with its $55 per-month, all-inclusive unlimited talk, text and data plan. [...]
"Our customers want the best products available and we are excited to bring iPhone to our pre-paid consumers with an industry leading $55 per-month service plan," said Doug Hutcheson, president and chief executive officer, Leap Wireless International, Inc. "Launching iPhone is a major milestone for us and we are proud to offer iPhone customers attractive nationwide coverage, a robust 3G data network and a value-packed, no-contract plan."
"Our customers want the best products available and we are excited to bring iPhone to our pre-paid consumers with an industry leading $55 per-month service plan," said Doug Hutcheson, president and chief executive officer, Leap Wireless International, Inc. "Launching iPhone is a major milestone for us and we are proud to offer iPhone customers attractive nationwide coverage, a robust 3G data network and a value-packed, no-contract plan."
Interestingly, Cricket appears to be offering a partial subsidy on the iPhone hardware, with the iPhone 4 priced at $399.99 and the 16 GB iPhone 4S priced at $499.99. The discounts of $150 off of Apple's standard pricing for unlocked handsets are in place even though customers are not required to sign service contracts.
The iPhone will be offered in Cricket's existing core markets covering over 60 million people. The full list of iPhone markets is included on the carrier's iPhone site.
Cricket has entered into a three-year deal with Apple with a commitment to purchase at least $900 million worth of iPhone hardware over that term. The carrier also intends to carry new iPhone hardware as it becomes available, although company executives were unwilling to directly address whether Cricket would be able to offer new hardware at the same time as other carriers.
Cricket is generally considered one of roughly half a dozen "super-regional" carriers in the United States, with just under 6.2 million customers as of the end of the first quarter. The carrier offers a nationwide network through roaming agreements and its prepaid model offers simple pricing with no activation fees or overage charges.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Apple Prepares to Bring New iPad to China as Cellular Model Gains Sales Certification
MarketWatch reports that Chinese regulators have cleared for sale a new 3G-capable wireless device from Apple, with the A1430 model number specified in the agency's database indicating that it is the cellular-capable model of the new third-generation iPad.
The new iPad is already available in roughly 90 countries around the world, with the company adding the Philippines and Guam just yesterday. Based on information on Apple's site, it appears that the company has also quietly added Honduras and Paraguay to the list of markets for the new iPad over the past few days.
Nicaragua is currently the only Latin American country with official iPad distribution that has yet to begin offering the latest generation of models, but we understand that Apple has just received the necessary certifications there and distributors should begin sales of the new iPad in the near future.
According to China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, an Apple device with third-generation, high-speed wireless data capabilities has been issued the license needed for the company to begin sales in China.
The device, listed as "model number A1430" is compatible with the 3G standard wide band code division multiple access, or WCDMA. The language used by the regulator suggests the device is the new iPad, which has yet to launch in China. Vendors often begin selling new devices within weeks of network access licenses being granted.
Apple previously obtained certification on the Wi-Fi model of the new iPad, and with the 3G model now receiving the required network access license, Apple may move quickly to launch the device in its second largest market after the United States. The device, listed as "model number A1430" is compatible with the 3G standard wide band code division multiple access, or WCDMA. The language used by the regulator suggests the device is the new iPad, which has yet to launch in China. Vendors often begin selling new devices within weeks of network access licenses being granted.
The new iPad is already available in roughly 90 countries around the world, with the company adding the Philippines and Guam just yesterday. Based on information on Apple's site, it appears that the company has also quietly added Honduras and Paraguay to the list of markets for the new iPad over the past few days.
Nicaragua is currently the only Latin American country with official iPad distribution that has yet to begin offering the latest generation of models, but we understand that Apple has just received the necessary certifications there and distributors should begin sales of the new iPad in the near future.
Seagate Buying LaCie for $186 Million
Hard drive maker Seagate has announced it will purchase data storage device maker LaCie for roughly $186 million.The company plans to buy the controlling stake owned by Philippe Spruch, Lacie's chairman and CEO, followed by a cash-offer for the rest of the outstanding shares, reportsForbes. Spruch is expected to join Seagate as the head of the company's consumer storage products group.
"The transaction would combine two highly complementary product and technology portfolios, adding LaCie’s line of premium branded consumer storage solutions, network-attached storage solutions and software offerings to Seagate’s array of mainstream consumer storage products," Seagate said in a statement. "The combination would accelerate Seagate’s growth strategy in the expanding consumer storage market, particularly in Europe and Japan, and add strong engineering and software development capabilities, as well as relationships with several key retailers."
Microsoft Office for iPad Reportedly Launching on November 10
Following last week's report from BGR claiming that Microsoft is planning to launch Office for iPad in November, The Daily follows up by pinpointing the launch date as November 10.
The Daily has been following the Office for iPad story closely, revealing last Novemberthat Microsoft was actively working on the project and claiming that it had hands-on time with a prototype version of the app back in February. Microsoft has attempted to deny the reports, suggesting that The Daily is a victim of a misunderstanding about exactly what it has been shown, but The Daily stands by its reports.
We’ve learned that the development team within Office Mobile finished its work on the project last month, and the efforts of the design group wrapped soon after. The app is now in the hands of a usability team that appraises software that utilizes the Metro design language for “Metro compliance” and suggests changes as needed. When approved by the team, the app likely will go to Apple for app store approval, which could take a couple of weeks.
The Daily has been following the Office for iPad story closely, revealing last Novemberthat Microsoft was actively working on the project and claiming that it had hands-on time with a prototype version of the app back in February. Microsoft has attempted to deny the reports, suggesting that The Daily is a victim of a misunderstanding about exactly what it has been shown, but The Daily stands by its reports.
'Fantastical' Adds iCal and iOS Reminders to Version 1.3
Fantastical, an OS X natural language calendar assistant, has been updated to version 1.3 today. The new version includes support for iCal and iOS reminders.
MacStories describes the new feature:
Flexibits is also the company that we've hired to develop a MacRumors iOS app which is currently in the works.
MacStories describes the new feature:
Fantastical can create, edit, and delete reminders with natural language recognition. In testing the app, I told Fantastical to “remind me to take out the trash”, and the app intelligently parsed the command as just “take out the trash”, interpreting the initial portion of the sentence as a reminder input.
The utility can then sync reminders across iCloud and iOS devices. Fantastical is available as a free trial download from the developer's site, or directly from the Mac App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link] Flexibits is also the company that we've hired to develop a MacRumors iOS app which is currently in the works.
Moshi Releases Ultra-thin MacBook Air Shell Case
Accessory maker Moshi has released a new ultra-thin plastic shell protective case for the 11" and 13" MacBook Air models. This type of plastic case tends to be especially popular among students, protecting their machines from bumps and scratches. Moshi claims its case offers better heat dissipation than competing cases because it doesn't block the rear heating vent.
Many MacBook Air cases offered today feature bulky, obtrusive designs, and are often composed of materials which may not last the life of a device. The iGlaze for MacBook Air is an ultra-thin, stylish case created from the same polycarbonate material that’s been proven for durability throughout Moshi’s iGlaze line of cases for iPhone, iPad and MacBook devices. The iGlaze is surface-treated with a specialized coating that not only offers better scratch resistance than alternatives, but also accentuates the device's elegant design.
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