heroes

Which U.S. carrier will get the HTC Hero first?

The HTC Hero is one of the most sought-after phones among hard-core Google Android fans. It went on sale last month with several European carriers, but it has yet to receive an official U.S. launch date. That lack of confirmation has led many to speculate which North American carrier will land the phone first.

AT&T

AT&T should offer a Google Android phone this year, but the carrier's plans remain unclear. Several months ago, we got a first look at the HTC Lancaster, but there has been no news since. The phone had a target availability of August 3, but AT&T may be fine-tuning the software.

Last month, the HTC Hero was spotted on the FCC site with the WCDMA 850/1900 bands that AT&T uses. We've seen other Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy get the FCC's approval, but still fail to materialize. If you're an AT&T customer who is hoping for an Android phone, you might have much longer to wait.

Sprint

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has taken the wait and see approach for an Android phone. After recent upgrades to the operating system, Hesse said Android was ready for prime time and Sprint would offer at least one Android device this year.

One week after Hesse's announcement, Engadget posted a leak of upcoming Sprint phones that included the HTC Hero and the Samsung Q.

As with any Internet rumor, I wouldn't hold my breath, but this tip came from a mobile software developer who has been making the same claim since April.… Read more

Guitar Hero 5 gets ready to rock

SAN FRANCISCO--The first couple of weeks of September are going to be a banner time for music video games. On September 9 (09/09/09), the much-anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band will hit store shelves, just eight days after Guitar Hero 5 gets its chance to rock living rooms everywhere.

With the Beatles game, it's easy to imagine long lines and huge sales figures. After all, this will be the first time that any of the recent slew of music-oriented video games will feature any Beatles songs, let alone dozens of them.

But with Guitar Hero 5 (see video … Read more

Logitech goes wireless with new high-end guitar and drum kit Guitar Hero controllers

At last month's Logitech preview in New York, we got our hands on some serious musical instrument accessories coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that are licensed by Activision to work with Guitar Hero games.

The Logitech Wireless Drum Controller has fully adjustable drum heads and cymbals. When we quickly demoed the kit we noticed the heads are also fitted with a unique padding--which we're told reduces noise when hit. The entire kit is collapsible, too, which is good when floor space is an issue. The company claims it'll get up to 50 hours of … Read more

How Does The Pre's Size Stack up?

For those that haven't had the chance to pick up a Pre and really see its size first hand, this is for you. In the pictures below from left to right you will see the Apache, (Sprint - WM 6.5) G1, (T-Mobile - Android) Touch Pro, (Sprint - WM 6.5) Diamond, (Alltel - WM 6.5 recently added) And finally the phone we all know and love, the Palm Pre. (Sprint - WebOs)… Read more

When gaming communities go wrong

The more time I spend looking at video games--especially online games and MMPORGs--the more and more strange information that comes out. As with any society, norms and oddities appear as individuals assert their place.

There's a fascinating (and somewhat terrifying) article about Loyola University media professor David Myers "unwelcome" behavior in the game City of Heroes, where he created a character that everyone hated.

Players tried everything they could to get rid of the pariah, but he kept at, apparently as research, but there had to be hint of satisfaction in his role as the most hated player--probably right until someone threatened to kill him for real.

Myers revealed his identity and his character's purpose in "Play and Punishment: The Sad and Curious Case of Twixt," an academic paper on his experiment published in 2008.

If we assume that games are their own communities and have some level of self-policing (just like open source projects) we can also assume that these things iron themselves out. In this case the community turned completely against the individual and game-maker NCSoft had to step in to moderate a bit. … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1008: China delays pr0k-blocker

China has delayed required installation of Green Dam Youth Escort, but we find out it does a better job blocking pork than porn. Whew. Protect those kids from the piggies! Also a big win for remote cable DVRs! And the Pirate Bay got sold. You can sell it?

Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video) EPISODE 1008

Swedish company to buy Pirate Bay http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10275759-83.html http://thepiratebay.org/blog/164

China Delays Mandating Filtering Software http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124636491863372821.html

China also filters Jonny Depp, … Read more

Two fun games go on sale: iPhone apps of the week

Everybody loves a bargain. With the iTunes App Store, it's getting to the point that apps go on sale almost every week. Of course, app sale prices can be either good or bad, depending on your perspective. If you bought that fancy game for $9.99 a few weeks ago only to find out it went on sale later for $1.99, you can't help but feel a bit cheated. But it also gives you the opportunity to swoop in and grab apps you wouldn't ordinarily buy.

This week's apps are both games and are both … Read more

HTC's Sense UI headed to other current Android phones

HTC unveiled its Hero at an event two days back, and the highlight of the launch, without a doubt, was not so much the physical features of the smartphone but its custom Android interface.

According to Pocket-lint, CEO Peter Chou confirmed that the new HTC Sense user interface "will be available on some other existing devices." This will give added capabilities such as an expanded Home screen with unique HTC widgets and tighter integration with social-networking tools like Twitter and Facebook. There's no word on which devices exactly will get this, but it's likely to be … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1006: Butt-nibbling robots

Artists are developing robots that can consume flies and rodents. That means they'll get a taste for flesh. What could go wrong? They come for your butt, that's what. We also take NASA to task, and discuss the effect of Michael Jackson's death on the Internet and what it might mean for future emergencies. All that and some ageism.

Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video) EPISODE 1006

News sites swamped following Michael Jackson’s death http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10273325-93.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10273277-93.html… Read more