JR Central Bringing Mag-Lev Train to America?

Japanese Railway Central is bidding to bring it’s awesome magnetic-levitation trains to America for a proposed route that would link California to Florida. The trains can reach speeds over 360 miles per hour. That’s frickin’ fast by any standard, but especially so when you consider the sorry-ass trains currently roaming the country. CrunchGear served up more details:

A major requirement for these funds is that the products be American made. JR Central worked up a plan that involves major parts of the $3.5 billion project would be made locally. This would included infrastructure such as the signals, and track, while just parts of the rolling stock would be built by U.S. companies.

I’m pretty big on public transportation (grew up in NY). I’ve also taken a lot of train rides in Japan and love JR’s products. I would love for America to get futuristic mag-lev trains that look like they should have a wave-motion cannon. Come on America! Modernize your railways!!!

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Coffee Talk #74: Apple iPad and the Return of Gaming Magazines

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Roger Federer’s chances at the Australian Open, the wonderful mic skills of The Miz (he’s awesome), or a possible mag-lev train from Florida to California, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

While most consumers are focused on the hardware aspects of the Apple iPad tablet, a lot of analysts are amped for what it can do for the book and magazine industries. Assuming the screen is readable for a long period of time, I can see the device killing in the book market. Considering Apple’s longtime outreach in the education market and a rumored deal with a major textbook company, I can see the iPad killing at universities. I’m fairly certain the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook will get stomped.

What I’m not certain of is if the iPad can “save” newspapers and magazines. I’m sure the hardware and format will let designers use the best elements of print and online, but I don’t know that it matters. The Internet has changed the way people look for and absorb information. Consumers are no longer tied to once voice like they were with one magazine or one newspaper. The Internet allows readers to cheaply jump from voice to voice, picking the content they like best.

That said, I miss the days when EGM, GamePro, and (especially) Next-Gen were the top sources of gaming information. I hope devices like the iPad kick-start a print Renaissance. What do you guys and gals think? Will the iPad help bring gaming magazines back? Would you even be interested in subscribing to an iPad magazine? Or has the Internet changed your reading habits forever?

Haxxor: PlayStation 3 Hacked By Geohot?

Renowned iPhone hacker George Hotz (aka Geohot) has released a hack for the PS3 that will allegedly allow tinkerers to use the system for potentially fun, mischievous, and nefarious purposes. He stated:

This is the coveted PS3 exploit, gives full memory access and therefore ring 0 access from OtherOS. Enjoy your hypervisor dumps. This is known to work with version 2.4.2 only, but I imagine it works on all current versions.

Sony’s system has held up well for three years, but it was only a matter of time before hackers cracked it. It will be interesting to see if Sony launches a volley of firmware updates to counteract the hackery. For consumers, it will be interesting to see if the homebrew and emulation scenes become as big as they are on the PSP.

Some of you use old iPhone firmware or jailbroken iPhones to take advantage of…unofficial software. Would you do the same with your PS3?

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David Crane Receiving “Pioneer Award” From the AIAS

The legendary David Crane (Pitfall!, A Boy and His Blob) is being awarded the new “Pioneer Award” from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Here are more specifics from Wired Game|Life’s Chris Kohler:

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, the industry group which puts on the prestigious DICE Summit each year, would choose Crane as the recipient of its first Pioneer Award, which recognizes videogaming visionaries who took the first steps in the early days of the industry. The academy will present Crane with the award at its 13th annual Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony Feb. 18 in Las Vegas.

Crane is a legend and absolutely deserves the award, though I am a bit confused as to why the AIAS needs this award and the hall of fame. That aside, Crane had a huge influence on the industry and it’s fantastic that he’s being recognized. The AIAS is one of my favorite organizations in the business and its DICE Summit is — by far — my favorite industry event of the year. A truly great game developer being lauded by an excellent organization? That is excellent news.

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Upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace Goodies

Microsoft marketing tool Major Nelson has posted a bunch of upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace goodies that are hitting the service between now and early February. Check ’em out:

Xbox Live Deal of the Week:
Feb. 1: Splosion Man, 400 Microsoft Points

Xbox Live Games on Demand:
Jan. 26: Dead Rising and Halo Wars
Feb. 2: Medal of Honor: Airborne

Xbox Live Arcade:
Jan. 27: KrissX, 800 Microsoft Points
Feb. 3: Chime, 400 Microsoft Points

Xbox Avatars Marketplace:
Jan. 28: Assassin’s Creed
Feb. 4 : Valentine’s Day and Carnival collections

Game Add-Ons:
Jan. 27: Pinball FX Excalibur Table, 240 Microsoft Points
Jan. 28: Assassin’s Creed II: Battle of Forli, 320 Microsoft Points
Feb. 2: Halo 3 Mythic 2 Map Pack, 800 Microsoft Points

Anything on the list interest you?

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Apple Tablet Most Important Thing Steve Jobs Ever Did?

“This will be the most important thing I’ve ever done.”

That’s (allegedly) what Steve Jobs has been telling senior Apple executives and colleagues in regards to the Apple Tablet. Those are bold words from a man that helped launch so many “insanely great” Apple products and helped Pixar become a movie powerhouse.

Is this more of Jobs’ Machiavellian marketing? Or does he really believe that the Apple tablet will change the world? Not to be morbid, but I think it’s a case of sentimentality caused by a near-death experience.

What do you think of Jobs’ words? Will the Apple tablet be the most important part of his storied career?

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Portal: Still Alive is the Xbox Live Deal of the Week

Microsoft’s Xbox Live Deal of the Week is Portal: Still Alive for 800 Microsoft Points. Originally part of The Orange Box, Portal received a ton of critical hype and all of it was deserved. Blending puzzles, action, and great storytelling, Portal wasn’t what I was expecting at all (and I mean that in the best way possible). If you haven’t played this game, I highly recommend it. It’s unique, fresh, and inventive — just an amazing experience.

The good news is that it’s on sale for $10. The bad news is that it might be a better deal to just buy The Orange Box for less than $20.

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Heavy Rain “Four Days” Online Game Details

Can’t wait for Heavy Rain for Sony PlayStation 3? I’m sure a lot of you are in that boat (me too!). To help market the game and add some hype, Sony has launched the Heavy Rain: Four Days online game to help tide you over until its release. Sony Computer Entertainment of America product marketing manager Jefferson Dong (aka “The Donger”) served up some details on Four Days Challenge:

You can experience “Four Days”: The Heavy Rain Online Experience, a live online mystery that plays out in real time across three weeks, drawing you into the mystery and lore of the Heavy Rain universe. Between Tuesday and Friday every week there will be daily tasks for you to complete (leaving you the weekend to catch up if you fall behind). Each task will lead you to the next part of the journey. At certain key stages you will be prompted, while on other occasions you will need to deduce the right thing to do.

I like that publishers are using online games to create excitement for console games. EA and BioWare did a fine job with Dragon Age: Journeys, though that title offered items that could be imported into the main game. With the wizardry of HTML 5, I’m sure these online games will get even cooler in the future.

Any of you going to give Four Days a spin?

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Today’s Poll: Tomorrow’s Apple Presser and You

Apple is holding a press conference tomorrow and it’s rumored to be unveiling quite a few new products. Some of the updates are expected (iLife), while others are like the Love Boat — exciting and new (iPad). I wanted to see which possible announcement has you the most excited. So please vote!

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Coffee Talk #73: Are You Single Player or Multiplayer?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, tomorrow’s potentially huge Apple press conference, this excellent “Pants on the Ground” cover, or if Shawn Michaels will end The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned yesterday, MAG is available for Sony’s PlayStation 3 console. A lot of people are into the game simply because it supports 256 players. It’s a notable achievement, for sure, but for the most part it doesn’t interest me. For me, playing is a game is similar to watching a movie — it’s something that I enjoy by myself.

Certainly there are exceptions and I’ve definitely played my share of competitive multiplayer games. I went through a pretty big Quake/Unreal phase and I did have an EverQuest addiction at one point. I definitely enjoy playing cooperative games with a friend too. However, at the end of the day I love story-driven single-player games. When I watch movies at home or in the theaters, I pretty much shut everyone out. When I read comic books, it’s all about me getting absorbed into another world. This is my preference for gaming too.

How about you ladies and gents? Do you prefer multiplayer titles or single-player ones? Are games a solitary experience for you? Or do you enjoy sharing the excitement with a group of friends and strangers? I want to know what you’re thinking (pure energy)!