Internet Connection Archive

  • Oh, neat: Command & Conquer 4 requires a constant Internet connection, too

    Oh, neat: Command & Conquer 4 requires a constant Internet connection, too

    Let's make one thing clear: I wouldn't play Command and Conquer 4 if it was the game on Earth. It's just not "me." So pardon my blase attitude while I drop this bombshell: the game uses the same stupid DRM that Ubisoft now uses, which I complained about on CNN. Add this to your list of games not to buy, then.

    Full Story

  • Why are people against the FCC’s National Broadband Plan?

    Why are people against the FCC’s National Broadband Plan?

    Up until a moment ago, this was going to be a standard "newsy" post: the FCC will announce its National Broadband Plan on Tuesday, here's what it's all about. Then I read the comments of a PC World article discussing that very same plan—many people are outraged that the government would muscle its way into the free market! If Americans wanted fast broadband then the market would provide it on its own terms. That, of course, is complete nonsense: plenty of Americans live in one-ISP towns, and if said ISP provides terrible service, well, though cookies, chico. This is America! Love it or leave it~!

    Full Story

  • What would you even do with a 100 mbps Internet connection?

    What would you even do with a 100 mbps Internet connection?

    About a year ago I signed up for Cablevision's Optimum Online Ultra, and aside from a little snafu that I'm trying to fix right now (don't ask!), it's been great. How could you go wrong with a reliable 100 mbps down/15 mbps up connection? Only $100/month, too. Other ISPs are getting close to offering similar speeds, thanks to Docsis 3.0, but some people are wondering: will people even need that sort of speed, and if so, then for what?

    Full Story

  • FIOS the first to get HBO Go

    FIOS the first to get HBO Go

    I read something the other day that argued that Netflix has not a chance in hell of becoming "this century's HBO." Netflix may be popular, but don't expect it to achieve the type of penetration and success of the cable channel. Hollywood politics and whatnot. Another reason is that HBO has designs on the on-demand market with HBO Go, a service that lets its subscribers see "anything they want to see, anytime, anywhere, over their laptop, iPhone, tablet, PlayStation." The first cable system to get HBO Go is Verizon FIOS. Supposedly HBO Go will eventually be available to all HBO subscribers, but deals need to be put in place between your ISP and the cable channel.

    Full Story

  • Assassin’s Creed II DRM proves that Ubisoft hates your guts and wants to beat you up after school

    Assassin’s Creed II DRM proves that Ubisoft hates your guts and wants to beat you up after school

    Fellow PC gamers: it's time to freak out. You're familiar with Ubisoft's newfangled DRM scheme that requires you be online in order to play its games, right? It's 100 percent as awful as we had thought it would be. PC Gamer recently played Assassin's Creed II, and discovered what a pain the in the ass the DRM really, truly is. Get this: every time you lose your Internet connection the game boots you to the main menu, and all progress made from the last save point is thrown out the window. This isn't an MMO, mind you, but a plain ol' single player game. In other words, no Internet, no game. Bravo, Ubisoft.

    Full Story

  • Netgear & Ericsson team up, concoct MBRN3300 3G router

    Netgear & Ericsson team up, concoct MBRN3300 3G router

    Here's an interesting fact, if you really stretch the definition of the word "interesting." Team CrunchGear often used the Novatel MiFi during CES to bring you all that great content. The concept is simple: it takes a 3G signal and then outputs that signal via Wi-Fi. You then connect to the Wi-Fi network. Instant broadband, cell signal depending, for everyone. The same concept applies to the MBRN3300, a router that's the product of a Netgear-Ericsson partnership.

    Full Story

  • Ubisoft’s new DRM scheme requires you to be online whenever you’re playing its games

    Ubisoft’s new DRM scheme requires you to be online whenever you’re playing its games

    In other, non-Apple news: Ubisoft has lost its mind. Its latest DRM scheme—the first game to use it will be The Settlers 7, curently scheduled for a Marchrelease—will require that you always be online in order to play its games. That's not a good idea for many reasons. For example, look at poor ol' Devin. He's been fighting Comcast for God knows how long. Needless to say, he'd be SOL if he ever wanted to play the PC version of a Ubisoft game ever again.

    Full Story

  • FIOS packages strike your fancy?

    FIOS packages strike your fancy?

    Verizon has a bunch of new FIOS packages that may interest you. The top of the pile is the Ultimate package, which gives you "90 or more" HD channels, plus an Internet connection of 35/35, which is 35 mbps download, 35 mbps upload. The upload speed is impressive, but I still have triple the download speed. (I seriously run at 11 MB/s when downloading from Usenet. It's almost unnecessary how fast it is.) This top package is $149 per month.

    Full Story

  • World of Worldcraft in China: The story that never ceases to befuddle

    World of Worldcraft in China: The story that never ceases to befuddle

    Clearly nobody has any idea what's going on in China regarding World of Warcraft. The rules over there are such that Blizzard just can't open up shop, but has to contract a local company to run the game for Chinese users. Fair enough, and Blizzard has contracted NetEase to do such a thing. The problem is that NetEase keeps running into problems getting the game's expansion pack, The Burning Crusade, approved for public consumption.

    Full Story

  • Love Vibes iPhone App ranks how awesome you are.. in bed.

    Love Vibes iPhone App ranks how awesome you are.. in bed.

    Much like everyone thinks they’re the best driver in the world, everyone thinks they’re great in the sack. Maybe you’ve got the Kama Sutra down like the back of your partner’s… hand; maybe you’ve used that internet connection to amass a few external drives full of “training material”. Whatever arts you’re trained in, the question [...]

    Full Story

  • Attention those of you wanting to ding 80 in World of Warcraft: Zygor 2.0 guide is out today

    Attention those of you wanting to ding 80 in World of Warcraft: Zygor 2.0 guide is out today

    Really, really big news today for World of Warcraft players. Today's the day that Zygor's leveling guide hits version 2.0. Leveling guides are used by players to hit level 80 (or, soon, 85) as quickly as possible so they can more quickly enjoy the endgame content. Think of them like GameFAQs or the old school Brady Games or Versus Books strategy guides.

    Full Story

  • Advice: If your Internet connection drops out while playing an online game, don’t stab a random person

    Advice: If your Internet connection drops out while playing an online game, don’t stab a random person

    Oh, dear. We've all been there: you're playing your favorite game online, and then WHAM-O~! you lose your Internet connection. The usual course of action is to mutter “Gosh darn it” to your self, then go about your business. An unusual course of action is to grab a knife, then stab a random person walking in the street. Apparently that has happened, yes.

    Full Story

  • Don’t look now, but the Fonera2n router is now available

    Don’t look now, but the Fonera2n router is now available

    The Fonera name doesn't really mean much here in the U S of A, but it's a little more popular in Europe. (I know I occasionally ran into Fonera Wi-Fi networks in Barcelona last year, and I had never seen one in Manhattan or Queens in New York.) In any event, Fon has, indeed, released the Fonera 2n router here in the U.S.. The big thing is that it works with 802.11n. I guess that's what the “n” is for.

    Full Story

  • TC50: Spawn Labs Is Slingbox For Video Games

    TC50: Spawn Labs Is Slingbox For Video Games

    Slingbox owners love their devices. They allow you to watch your home television content anywhere you are in the world with an Internet connection. A new startup, Spawn Labs, launching today at TechCrunch50 wants to extend that concept to video games.

    Full Story

  • Giganews crosses the 400-day binary retention mark (but won’t stop there)

    Giganews crosses the 400-day binary retention mark (but won’t stop there)

    Six months ago, Giganews announced that it would expand its server capacity to 365 days of retention. It passed that barrier some time ago, and just yesterday reached the magical 400-day mark. In plain English, that means if someone posted Some File to alt.binaries.boneless back in July, 2008, you should be able to find it on Giganews' servers. And to think, back in my early days of Usenet use (2001ish), I was putting up with two days retention.

    Full Story