Intel wants fair and balanced online gaming

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--There's always one guy who seems a little too good at mowing down players in a Quake 3 session. Intel thinks future PC gamers might be interested in technology that helps level the playing field.

The company showed off a research project into "anti-cheat technology" during its Research@Intel Day at Intel headquarters. The idea is that Intel and the PC gaming industry would build technology into gaming rigs that could detect when common cheats--such as "aimbots" that handle targeting while the player just holds down the trigger--are used in an online gaming session, said Travis Schluessler, a researcher at Intel.

Cheats such as aimbots or "wall hacks" that expose players lying in wait send data to online gaming servers in unnatural patterns that could be detected by other PCs connected to the same server, Schluessler said. PCs equipped with this technology would notify a server that someone in the game is using a cheat, and then the game administrator could set a policy of kicking the cheat offline or some high-tech method of saying "nyeh, nyeh, cheater cheater," shaming the cheater and warning other gamers not to enter into sessions with that particular player.

Intel is still working out the details; don't expect to find this in a high-end gaming PC anytime soon. This also being Intel, there's more practical business-related implications for the technology as well, such as click-fraud detection. But with the amount of money that serious PC gamers spend on their rigs and software, there could be a market among those who don't want to see their investments ruined by cheaters.

Choose your side in the Transformers DS games and fight on the web

OK, movie tie-in games tend to suck. It's a sad rule with few exceptions, but most movie games feel phoned in and generic.

Hope springs eternal, though, and the allure of giant transforming robots is keeping me at least a little bit hopeful for the Transformers games. Yesterday we received copies of Transformers for the Nintendo DS. I can't really give it anything beyond my first impressions yet (keep an eye on Gamespot for the inevitable review, though), but it seems like a fun game. The graphics are extremely blocky, thanks to the DS' relatively low power, and it doesn't have the destructible environments promised in the Xbox 360 and PS3 Transformers games, but it's still an entertaining shooter/driver/brawler.

The DS game comes in two flavors: Transformers: Autobots and Transformers: Decepticons. This isn't the first time we've seen two versions of a game come out (Pokemon Diamond and Pearl come to mind), but this is the first time we've seen significant differences between two game versions. The basic gameplay for both versions remain generally the same: you're a Transformer on Earth, and you have to run, drive, shoot, and fight the opposing faction. You can scan over 30 vehicles to decide your vehicle form and combat abilities, from a station wagon to a utility truck. Depending on the version you get, you get a different interface, different missions, and even different characters to play besides your own Transformer (you can play Bumblebee and Optimus Prime only in Transformers: Autobots, while evil robots like Brawl and Blackout are exclusive to Transformers: Decepticons).

Still, these are all pretty superficial differences. The big draw to the two versions is the game's online component, Battle for the Allspark. Both DS Transformers games can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to go online and participate in the battle for the mythical Allspark. Every day, you can go online and download a mission, like destroying a certain number of enemy drones, or doing as much property damage as possible. After you do those missions, you can go back online and upload your progress, which is then updated on the Spark Wars Web page. Depending on your version of the game, it adds points to either the Autobot or Decepticon side. At the end of each day, a winner is declared and that side gets a piece of the Allspark. Better yet, your participation gets you online tokens that can be used to unlock new, special forms in the games.

Okay, it's not a perfect system. You can't actually go online and fight other Transformers through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; it's only for Spark Wars missions. It's still a fun detail that adds a little bit of immersion to the game. I would have preferred online combat, but this sort of Web-based interaction with stat-tracking and competition between factions is a pretty welcome change. It isn't perfect, but it's pretty creative.

Check out CNET's iPhone App Directory

By Rafe Needleman
The iPhone is hardware for Webware. But there are way too many new iPhone "apps" (sites, really) for Webware.com. It'd be overwhelming, especially for those of us who aren't gonna stand in line to get a rev 1 version of this thing (although, frankly, I'm tempted).

So we've launched a new blog, the iPhone Approll. Check it out. Subscribe to the RSS feed. We'll cross-post the most interesting and innovative iPhone sites to Webware, but the Approll is where you'll find the full feed.

Bookmark this link to stay up to date.

See also: CNET's iPhone Central.

GetMobio: Twitter, Digg, and more on your mobile phone

By Josh Lowensohn
Mobio has just added a handful of new services to their GetMobio phone app including Digg, Twitter, Kaboodle, and an RSS reader. Users download the small app on their AT&T or Sprint handset and get access to 11 different Web service widgets. It's reminiscent of uLocate's Where widget offerings, although there's no GPS support or monthly charges.

The Digg implementation is a little underfeatured, as there's no way to actually Digg a story from your phone. You can still browse through popular stories on the front page, as well as user's profiles. The company is also working on a way to share stories found on Digg with other GetMobio users without leaving the app. If you're looking for a better mobile Digg solution, there's always Digg River, a lightweight version of Digg that lets you sign in and Digg stories.

The Twitter widget, on the other hand, is as full-featured as the service's official mobile portal. Users can browse Tweets from the public or their friends, as well as write one right in the app, saving some SMS usage in place of data.

Mobio originally launched the GetMobio service at the Demo conference in early January.

YouTube mobile now available for everyone

By Josh Lowensohn
YouTube's mobile site has been live and available as of a few days ago. The service offers a hand-picked selection of videos users can watch on their mobile devices. Users have access to just the bare essentials, such as running time, rating, and a link to a video's page with more details. There is, however, no community aspect--no user comments, ratings, or video responses--the kind of things that make YouTube so interesting. Also missing is a dedicated video uploader, as mobile users are still required to submit their mobile videos via MMS messaging.

Instead of running in Flash, like regular YouTube videos, the clips have been downscaled and converted to the 3GP format for streaming. Despite this, I've had a heck of a time trying to get them to run on two of our test phones. It seems that instead of playing right in your browser, the service will simply piggy back on to your phone's built-in media player.

YouTube mobile was previously relegated to Verizon V-Cast subscribers in the United States under the guise of an exclusivity deal between the two companies. Considering there are no ads in the mobile version (yet), any kind of money being made is likely on the carrier side from cellular subscribers who are paying for premium data plans.

You can give it a spin in your browser at m.Youtube.com, although the videos won't play.

Anyone can now access the mobile version of YouTube, although you might stumble into a few problems along the way.

iPhone to feature special YouTube player

Apple's made it official: the iPhone will have full-blown YouTube integration. According to the iPhone Web site, the much-anticipated handset will include "a special YouTube player that you can launch right from the home screen." iPhone owners can now load and browse videos from the video-sharing site as well as e-mail them to their friends.

This comes less than a month after Steve Jobs announced that the company's Apple TV set-top box would also have built-in integration for the wildly popular YouTube.

The iPhone, as we all know by now, hits stores at 6 PM ET on June 29. That's next Friday!

iPhone campout guides on GridSkipper

On your way to REI to pick up a camping equipment and provisions for your long wait in the iPhone line on June 29? Also check out travel community GridSkipper, which has city-specific campout guides for your expedition.

The guides include all-important food and restroom locations near the stores, plus recommended nearby hotels, and locations of nearest free Wi-Fi hubs.

I imagine it won't be long before store-specific Jaiku groups will form up, too, so people waiting in lines can talk among themselves. And organize revolts when their stores run out of phones.

If your local store isn't covered by the guides, you might want to double-check that it will be selling the phone. Only certain AT&T stores will. See AT&T's store directory. Search for "stores," not "kiosks." Or just call your store today, fanboy, and ask.