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Apple announced today the device the world was waiting for: the iPhone. The iPhone is a phone/iPod/Blackberry all-in-one set for store shelves this June. The iPhone will come in two flavors: a 4Gb ($499) and a 8Gb ($599) version both with 2-year contracts from Cingular.

Steve didn’t stop there, he also premiered Apple TV, which he displayed briefly at the Showtime event in September:

It’s real folks: we got 802.11 b/g AND 802.11n, USB 2.0, Ethernet, WiFi, HDMI, bunch of standard outs, plus a 40GB hard drive — all powered by an Intel CPU.

Microsoft released some details at CES yesterday of there upcoming Windows Home Server platform. This application, which will ship in late 2007, will function as a file and multimedia server for Windows connected PC’s. Backing up is something everyone hates to do, and most people do very little of. WHS is designed to make this easier by automatically backing-up the contents of Windows connected PC’s every night. It also will be Internet accessible, meaning you can connect remotely and access your files over the Internet.

The server will be sold as a software package and also it will be bundled with WHS certified home servers. HP demonstrated a home server at CES. See SuperSite for more information on this unique product.

Linden Labs announced today that they are releasing the Second Life client source code under the GNU General Public License (2.0). This move will certainly help boost developer relations with the company, and strategically place it in a unique position as one of the only (major) open source MMO’s out there. You can grab the source code from this page.

It was widely reported last week, that the ACCS protection scheme used on all HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs was cracked by an anonymous hacker. Ars Technica reports today that this is not entirely true. The “crack” that was released, simply decrypts AACS discs based on its own decryption implementation. The crack requires keys, unique to each disc, be used to break the encryption. The crack does not work around the AACS encryption but uses its decryption algorithm to play the discs. These keys are used by DVD playing programs to decrypt the disc and read it. The method by which the keys are obtained is being called into question. The author of the program apparently found them in memory after loading the discs using PowerDVD Ultra. So far, nobody has been able to locate these keys which effectively makes his program useless. As of today, the AACS encryption scheme has yet to be cracked.

Computer and Video Games reports today that Cyrsis, a next gen shootem’ up will be PC only: “It crossed our minds,” said Yerli on the next-gen question, “but we’re sticking with PC. One thing about our company is that we want to focus, we don’t want to do multiple things, we want to do one thing and do it well. PC is our focus right now, we were born there and we want to showcase what we can do there, before we made any move onto consoles.”

And who said PC gaming was dying? Thats right, its stronger than ever. I for one personally can’t wait for Crysis, it looks sweet. In case you haven’t checked out the HD preview, you can over at GameSpy.

Escapist magazine reports today that of all things, that Wal-Mart plays a very important part in the development of video games: “Publisher sales reps inform Wal-Mart buyers of games in development; the games’ subjects, titles, artwork and packaging are vetted and sometimes vetoed by Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart tells a top-end publisher it won’t carry a certain game, the publisher kills that game. In short, every triple-A game sold at retail in North America is managed start to finish, top to bottom, with the publisher’s gaze fixed squarely on Wal-Mart, and no other.”

Looks like they have their own underground layer full of people controlling what gets published. Check out the full article over at The Escapist.

Over four years ago was the first time we had heard rumors
that Quake 4 was indeed under development and that it would be developed
by Raven Software while of course working closely with id Software.
Quake 4, which runs off a modified version of the Doom 3 engine, is
finally available today – October 18, 2005. However, the Linux binaries
for the client and server remain curtained.

I can’t wait to play this one. Check it out at Phoronix.

Earlier today, web surfers discovered Electronic Arts had updated the official website for NHL ’06, the latest installment in their hockey franchise. Strangely, however, several graphics on the site were imbued with the text ‘Exclusive License,’ implying the company had picked up the official rights to produce NHL based games. Currently, this…..

NC Soft announced today that Beta signups are now underway! Currently, you must be living in the US to access the page, but they promise that others will soon have access as well. Check out the signup page here. Update: People outside of the US can now sign up! Three new interviews! Comment (0) -->