Image: Sony Online Entertainment Massively multiplayer online games have gotten a bad rep over the years, but those who play them know the joys of an immersive, adventurous world. Thanks to a sweeping scale, many MMOs can offer players whatever experience they want, be it raiding, questing or battling. A quick look at the titles due for release in 2014 show the genre is still alive and well, with fresh ideas and ever-improving hardware. To add to the excitement, many studios are giving gamers behind-the-scenes looks at their creation progress. Thanks to beta sessions, developer chats and lots of trailers, the landscape for MMOs looks very promising. Here are seven new games slated for 2014 launch that are taking risks and pushing the definitions of what an MMO can be. In other words, plan to lose all your free time diving into these fun, creative worlds. 1. Elder Scrolls Online Bethesda Softworks has maintained a cult following for its Elder Scrolls series for years. These sweeping sagas let players roam across various regions of Tamriel, learning magecraft, joining the Dark Brotherhood or just harassing city guards who took arrows in the knee. That open-world mentality seems like a natural fit for an MMO. With Elder Scrolls Online, players will get a chance to wander the snowy mountains of Skyrim and the mysterious Black Marsh. Bethesda has a reputation for great storytelling in its games, so expectations are high for the online game. It is set in a time before the RPG games, so expect to see different struggles between the races and lots of new villains to take out. The latest betas have been making big strides in polish; the art style will not disappoint franchise fans. 2. EverQuest Next Landmark The original EverQuest title was one of the early entries in the MMO genre, and it’s getting a long-awaited overhaul. Some elements of the upcoming EverQuest Next will probably look familiar from those first days, but David Georgeson and his team promise a revolutionary approach to the game style. Although EverQuest Next probably won’t hit shelves for at least another year, we’ll get our hands on EverQuest Next Landmark quite soon. Landmark is a blank canvas that gives players powerful in-game tools to build just about anything they can dream up. These creations in the game will be available for purchase by EverQuest Next players, through the Player Studio. Sony Online Entertainment will take a cut, but the players with the most impressive items will also pocket some cash for their inventions. EverQuest Landmark is winding down a promising alpha stage, and we’re hoping to see Landmark’s official launch at some point in 2014. 3. World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor It’s not exactly a new game, but the new expansion for World of Warcraft marks a big change in the granddaddy of MMOs. On the visual side, the Blizzard team is revamping the player character models to bring the nearly decade-old game more in line with contemporary graphics […]
You’ve read all about the perils of sexting and the etiquette of whether and when you should change your relationship status on Facebook. But really, what are the rules? With all the new terminology, online dating apps and digital protocols, what’s happening as the worlds of love and technology collide? Mashable will begin airing a new video series called Love in the Time of Robots that explores these areas. Mondays at 10 p.m. ET the hosts and expert guests will identify trends and answer questions on the week’s topic. You can join the interactive dating advice show by submitting questions via email, Facebook or Twitter. The show’s topics will run the gamut from online dating dilemmas to how to plan the perfect YouTube marriage proposal. I mean, really, what are you supposed to do when your date looks nothing like the profile picture you saw online? The theme for the first episode is about a phenomenon called “Cyber-celibacy.” To find out more, watch the Ustream video here at 10 p.m. The show will be available exclusively on Mashable, Ustream.tv and HowAboutwe. To get a sneak peek at LITTOR, check out the exclusive Mashable trailer above, and ask us your dating etiquette questions, in the comments below. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/29/love-in-the-digital-age/
Image: Flickr, Camera Eye Photography Authors from all over the world came together last week to celebrate the best and brightest in contemporary literature at the 2014 PEN Literary Awards. The ceremony honors both recently published authors and those whose work has been pivotal in crafting the modern literary scene. Prize-winning books ranged from deep dives into the world of sports medicine to playful children’s stories to enchanting literary fiction. These books are all must-reads, but in case you need more convincing to check out these titles, here are seven reasons why you should be reading this year’s 2014 PEN Literary Award winners. Reasons Why You Should Be Reading This Year’s PEN Literary Award Winners 1. They empower children This year, storyteller Bil Lepp won the PEN/Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing with his children’s book The King of Little Things. By following the King of Little Things and his tiny subjects in their struggle to stop the devious King Normous, readers learn the value of simplicity and the power held by even those who are small. The book is made even more endearing by Lepp’s inspiration for the story — a whimsical playtime misadventure with his own son. Image: leppstorytelling.com 2. They let you travel the world Part of the power of literature is its ability to take you somewhere new. It’s this very virtue that PEN America celebrates with its PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. This year, the award went to The Diaries of Exile by Yannis Ritsos, translated by Karen Emmerich and Edmund Keeley. The Diaries of Exile details the life of a prisoner during the Greek Civil War, transporting readers to 1940s Greece within the bounds of this collection’s diary poems. Image: Archipelago Books 3. They celebrate diversity This year, PEN America awarded two authors — Ruth Ellen Kocher and Nina McConigley — the PEN Open Book Award. Kocher’s poetry collection domina Un/blued is simultaneously tragic and touching as it depicts various forms physical and mental of slavery. Likewise, McConigley’s Cowboys and East Indians addresses diversity and identity by looking at an eclectic cast of characters inhabiting Wyoming and India. Image: theaerogram.com 4. They advocate for social good Every year, PEN America spotlights social good with its PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. The prize is always awarded to an unpublished novel that addresses issues of social justice and comes with $25,000 and a publishing contract with Algonquin Books. This year, Ron Childress won the Bellwether Prize with his manuscript “And West Is West,” which explores corruption in both the military and Wall Street. Image: penamerican.tumblr.com 5. They are confronting violence in the NFL With the recent NFL controversies, much has been said about the brutality found within football, both on and off the field. But in their new book League of Denial, brothers Mark Fainaur-Wada and Steve Fainaru expose another type of violence perpetuated by the NFL — brain injuries incurred by players while playing football and how the NFL sought to cover […]
Automaker Renault unveiled a new electric car designed to counter perceptions that eco-friendly vehicles can’t be fun. The Twin’Z, which made its first appearance at the Salon Internazionale del Mobile, echoes naturally occurring forms in its design and can travel as fast as 50 mph. The compact Twin’Z is modeled after more conventional city cars. Image courtesy of Renault Design. Renault decked out the Twin’Z in LED lights that biomimic, or imitate forms and movements that one might see in nature. Image courtesy of Renault Design. Images courtesy of Renault Design This article originally published at NowThis News here Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/06/10/renault-led-electric-car/
These days, it’s not just print and television that secure dedicated campaigns — Instagram and Vine are getting them, too. Earlier this week, Polo Ralph Lauren began rolling out a series of nine 15-second videos on Instagram as part of its “Polo Ralph Lauren Survival Guide.” As of Sunday, seven of the videos have rolled out, demonstrating, for example, how to pitch a tent (see below), how to start a fire and how to chill and uncork a bottle of champagne. The videos aren’t practical guides, of course. Rather, they provide a backdrop to Polo Ralph Lauren’s cable-knit sweaters, down jackets and leather boots. A company spokesperson said they’re designed “to capture the essence of the new Polo collections — the Explorer’s Club and Country Gentleman,” collections that are both “rugged yet wearable.” The entire campaign was shot and edited on an iPhone, according to the company. And judging by the image, below, it had an impressive iPhone rig to work with. Although Ralph Lauren denied any connection, the videos remind us of Lowe’s wildly popular Fix in Six Vine campaign, which offers a series of home-improvement tips in six-second videos. (The campaign recently won Mashable‘s Best in Show award at The Mashies.) Image: Polo Ralph Lauren Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/10/13/polo-ralph-lauren-instagram/
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, meaning turkey, football and one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. To make sure your holiday stays focused on family, friends and food and less on airport delays, traffic jams and missed exists, we’ve rounded up seven essential tech travel tools to ease your holiday plans this year. All you have to do now is sit back, enjoy your time with loved ones and be thankful. 1. Waze Unless you want to get caught in bumper-to-bumper highway traffic this Thanksgiving, make sure you’ve downloaded Waze onto your iPhone or Android. It’s no surprise Waze is the fastest-growing traffic and navigation app, because it shares road information and updated traffic updates. Waze lets you know when you’re approaching police, accidents, traffic jams or road blocks so you’ll know to reroute before it’s too late. You’ll save time and gas money with this handy app by your side. 2. Vonage Mobile Vonage Mobile is a new calling app that lets you make free calls from your iPhone or Android smartphone. Holidays, for many of us, mean lots of time to catch up with loved ones — even the ones you can’t see in person. This app ensures you won’t go over minutes, because it lets you call for free. If your friends or family are out of the country, Vonage Mobile offers lower rates than Skype for international calling — even if they haven’t downloaded the app. Just select to call “someone who doesn’t yet have Vonage Mobile.” 3. TomTom VIA 1605 TM If you prefer to stick to a traditional GPS device rather than a smartphone app, be sure to consider TomTom’s latest, the VIA 1605 TM. If you think your smartphone is too small, you’ll surely prefer this device, which has an extra-large six-inch screen, bigger buttons and menus and a vibrant display. Planning a long road trip for the holiday? Try out different navigation voices to add some entertainment, including Homer Simpson, James Bond or Han Solo. You may also choose the most fuel-efficient routes to save gas money and minimize your damage to the planet. The TomTom VIA 1605 sells for $299.95, so it could also be a nice holiday gift for someone special on your list. 4. Connectify Don’t be stifled by a slow Wi-Fi connection on the road — use the Connectify router for Windows computers, which speeds your Internet by connecting to multiple networks at once. The software router uses your PC’s built in Wi-Fi card to create a hotspot you and nearby friends can use. Connectify is a great tool for people trying to get work done remotely, stream movies from a relative’s sub-par network or upload a big batch of holiday photos. Mobile fans can upgrade to Connectify Hotspot PRO to share their phone or tablet’s 3G or 4G connection with all other devices. The Pro option sells for $29.99 for one year or $49.99 for a lifetime package. 5. GasBuddy The holidays are enough […]
Think about it: How many hours do you spend researching where to go, what to do and where to eat when you’re planning a vacation? The information you need is spread across dozens of travel sites and local vendor sites, which can be hard to navigate, especially if they’re in another language. Ruzwana Bashir feels your pain. That’s why she launched Peek, what she describes as “OpenTable for the activities market,” in 2012. The site curates activities in cities around the world — London, Chicago, Napa and more — and lets you book activities, including wine tastings, hot air balloon rides and tours on the Seine. Perhaps the most fun element of the site is “Perfect Days,” which are 24-hour itineraries curated by celebrities and tastemakers with local knowledge of various cities. Jack Dorsey (a Peek investor) describes his perfect San Francisco Day, the band Neon Trees curates a day in Santa Barbara, and designer Cynthia Rowley shares her favorite Miami hotspots. Not only is Peek’s one-stop shop for activities booking a welcome addition to the $27 billion activities planning industry, but Bashir has business chops to make it a success. She’s an Oxford alum (a former president of the Oxford Union) who did private equity at the Blackstone Group and investment banking at Goldman Sachs, then went on to do business development at Gilt Groupe and helped to found Art.sy. Bashir earned her MBA at Harvard in 2010, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. So it’s no wonder she got Twitter and Square co-founder Jack Dorsey and Google CEO Eric Schmidt to be part of Peek’s $1.4 million seed round. We spent a day with Ruzwana Bashir and one of Peek’s other early investors, Todd Kimmel of Montage Ventures, to learn how Peek is scaling smarter (hint: more cities). Homepage image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/10/15/peek-scaling-smarter/
As someone who has gone through the terrible ordeal of getting bed bugs in their home, I am constantly on high alert at any hotel I visit — no matter how many stars it has. Unfortunately, not everyone knows to look before they put their bags down or take a nap on the bed. Elgin Ozlen and his girlfriend were victims of this lack of knowledge. When Ozlen’s mom bought the couple a trip to NYC, they never thought they’d have to deal with the horror they experienced at a chic Upper West Side hotel they stayed at. After being moved from two other rooms in the Astor on the Park hotel (due to lack of heating and power to the outlets), they landed in a third one. They went to sleep but woke up the next day to their worst nightmare. Warning: this video is not for those with weak stomachs. While the hotel refunded their stay, there’s no way they can assure Ozlen and his girlfriend that they won’t bring a few critters home with them. In order to avoid this happening to you, here’s what you should do: Don’t put your bags on the floor — place them in the bathroom or on a tiled surface. Bed bugs cannot traverse slippery spots. Pull the sheets back before you get in bed — look along the edge of the mattress for black spots. This is a sign of bed bugs. Look behind headboards, hanging pictures, and nightstands near beds. The bugs hide there, too. If you spot any signs of bed bugs, take a photo and immediately leave the room. Show the front desk your proof and they should move you to a new room. Always, always, always check these spots. Bed bugs travel in your clothes and can live through harsh conditions. They will come back home with you! When you’re home, wash and dry all your clothes right away. If you can, put your bag in the dryer, too. Good luck and safe travels! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/hotel-bed-bugs/
10 Photo a Day Videos 1. Walking through China 2. A journey, one step at a time 3. Man over 5 years 4. Man over 12.5 years 5. Woman over 5.5 years 6. 100 years 7. 200 days of hair growth 8. Four years in college 9. Puppy to adult over 1 year 10. Girl from birth till 10 years Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/12/timelapse-self-portraits/
The Nuna Pepp is sure to make you wonder why Americans need to have everything so big. The European stroller, which only recently debuted in the United States, is compact and incredibly light, weighing in at just 19 pounds. Despite its smaller size, the stroller still has a shade, storage basket and five-point harness. We had a chance to test drive the Pepp stroller, and found it to be snappy, compact and very chic. Assembly was a breeze, and it folds incredibly flat for easy storage. The compactness of the stroller is probably its best feature; place it side-by-side with a typical American stroller, and you’ll definitely see the difference. The Pepp is also made for one-hand navigation, so no more coffee-stained shirts while pushing your baby. The five-point harness, however, is something to get used to. Because it requires so many clicks into and out of place, prepare for a greater struggle with your writhing little one. What’s more, the basket underneath is reminiscent of typical European car trunks — very small without much room for storage. The Nuna Pepp retails for about $300, so it isn’t the cheapest stroller on the market, but urban dwellers will appreciate what it has to offer. Read more Crash Test Mom gadget reviews on Mashable Image: YouTube, Crash Test Mom Natali Morris Natali is a technology reporter and host/editor-in-chief of Crash Test Mom, a parenting product review show. She is a regular contributor to CNBC and The TODAY Show, as well as an MBA student at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. She is …More Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/09/29/nuna-pepp-stroller/
