luigi

Vroom vroom: Mario Kart gets real-life run

When stuck in traffic, I often feel tempted to launch a red turtle shell at a slow car in front of me so it blows up and gets out of my way. Felonious temptations aside, perhaps I'd be better off living vicariously through the gentlemen of Waterloo Labs and their ingenious real-life re-creation of Mario Kart.

The project, led by Texas-based engineers Hunter Smith and Ben James, features four technology-infused go-karts that dynamically respond to the action on the track -- meaning that if someone picks up a power-up, they actually gain an advantage (or sometimes a disadvantage) over the other racers. For added effect, each kart contains a 120 psi cannon capable of launching green turtle shells at other participants in the race, causing the target to wipe out.… Read more

EU telcos defend UN Internet takeover plans

A trade association of 41 European telephone companies responded last week to mounting concerns over its controversial proposal to turn Internet traffic management over to the International Telecommunications Union, a regulatory body of the United Nations.

The European Telecommunications Network Operators Association, or ETNO, made its proposal in June, part of a year-long process to revise an ITU treaty known as the International Telecommunications Regulations. Changes to the treaty, which has not been revised since 1998, will be finalized later this year in Dubai at the World Conference on International Telecommunications.

Only national governments can vote on the new treaty. … Read more

Euro ISPs defend new fees as 'business class' Internet (Q&A)

ASPEN, Colo.--Luigi Gambardella is an amiable, effusive Italian businessman, who seems almost bemused that anyone would object to his proposal to give a United Nations body more authority over how national governments may or may not regulate the Internet.

Gambardella is chairman of the executive board of the European Telecommunications Network Operators, or ETNO, which submitted a proposal to a U.N. body in June that would establish the principle of sender-party-pays for Internet traffic. Not-so-coincidentally, a lot of Internet traffic is sent to Europe from the United States.

"We believe that this situation is putting at risk … Read more

Listen to old-school Mario sounds

Mario & Friends Lite is a soundboard app--that is, a sound-effects player--featuring over a dozen sounds from popular, old-school Nintendo games like Super Mario and Legend of Zelda. Unfortunately, the App Store currently lists this app under Games, not Entertainment. Make no mistake: it is not a game.

This is the Lite version of the full Mario & Friends app (which has more than 60 sounds), so you get just a handful of sounds, some just a second or two long. Examples include fun, iconic effects like Street Fighter's classic "Hadouken!" or the bouncy Mario 1UP trill.… Read more

The next best thing to New Super Mario Bros. 2: Jeff and Scott uncover Bowser's Inside Story

After a long hiatus, there are suddenly a handful of memorable, worthwhile titles for the Nintendo DS: Chinatown Wars, Rhythm Heaven, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and most recently Scribblenauts. It took Nintendo, however, to save the best for last.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story might sound, at first read, like a kid's title. It's not; in fact, it's the third in a series of unique role-playing games featuring Mario, Luigi, and the rest of Nintendo's immortal cast of Mushroom Kingdom characters. The last in the series, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, came out for the DS back in 2005. In case you've never played before, you have to understand that it's barely a role-playing game at all: yes, Mario and Luigi level up, collect items, and go on an adventure, but battles unfold as real-time quick-reflex minigames, and much of the story unfolds with a completely absurd sense of humor. This series of games might be Nintendo's best-kept secret in its first-party lineup. We played it, and yes, we loved it. Here's why.… Read more

Nintendo debuts new DS and DSi Shop titles at E3 press conference

On display at the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference was a handful of yet-to-be announced portable gaming titles for the DS and DSi Shop.

A new Kingdom Hearts portable game was announced, the first DS version of the Square Enix and Disney collaboration franchise. RPG fans have even more reasons to be excited as Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Golden Sun DS were also announced. Expect Bowser's Inside Story this fall, while Golden Sun DS should arrive in 2010.

Nintendo showcased a desire to appeal to fans of James Patterson novels as Women's Murder Club: … Read more

Another QuickTime RTSP flaw announced

There is a new exploit that affects how Apple QuickTime handles the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial-of-service attack on a vulnerable system. The condition is similar yet different from a QuickTime RTSP flaw reported in December. This new vulnerability can occur on a fully patched QuickTime version 7.3.1, running on Windows and possibly Mac OS X.

Discovered by Luigi Auriemma, details can be found here, and here. Auriemma provides an exploit example on his site and writes: "For exploiting this vulnerability is only needed … Read more