Tuesday, January 23, 2001

Virtual ISS -- 10:03 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

NASA has made the Virtual International Space Station available for download. It uses Unrealty (a modified version of the Unreal Engine) to enable you to "spacewalk" in and around the ISS. You can't get much cooler than that. Thanks Voodoo Extreme.

Reading Linux from Win32 -- 9:47 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

For a while now I've been looking for a utility that would allow me to read files off my Linux drive while I am in Win98. After reading this article (thanks Linux Today), I discovered a group of utilities called LTools that will do just that. LTools works in DOS, Win9x, and WinNT. It even includes a mini web server that will let you use your browser as a GUI. Pretty slick.

One caveat: there are security implications. Anyone who can use LTools can edit any file on your Linux drive, although I'm not sure if you can change anything that is owned by root.

We're Live! -- 7:57 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

Yes! At last! The Haus is an official AvantGo channel! We added the new AvantGo button to this page. To add The Haus to your channel list on your PalmOS or WinCE device, click on that button or click on this link. The Haus will be added the next time you sync. If you do not have AvantGo yet (what are you waiting for?), you will be prompted to sign up and download the software.

The AvantGo version of The Haus has all the news from today and yesterday, as well as the most recent articles we've written. Take The Haus with you wherever you go. Add our channel!

More Unreal Warfare -- 11:43 am CST, Update by A.T. Hun

Blue got word of a Q&A with Epic's Mark Rein about the recent updates to the Unreal engine which will power Unreal 2 and Unreal Warfare. The Unreal technology page has also been updated with a complete list of improvements in the latest version of the engine.

Today's the Day! -- 9:36 am CST, Update by A.T. Hun

By the end of today's business day (U.S. Pacific Time) The Haus will be an official AvantGo channel! Stay tuned for the channel link once it goes live.

Monday, January 22, 2001

Technology Gone Mad -- 7:33 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

An Italian company will soon market an Internet-connected espresso machine. Seriously. Do we really need to be wasting IP addresses on stuff like this? I like cappuccino as much as the next guy (if not more) but come ON! Thanks Slashdot.

Firewalling with Linux 2.4 -- 5:10 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

The Bastille Project' Jay Beale wrote an article on firewall improvements with the Linux 2.4 kernel. Certainly this not the last word in intrusion detection and DDOS prevention, but Linux boxes have just gotten a whole lot more secure. Thanks Slashdot.

Star Wars: Galaxies Impressions -- 4:23 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

Normally, I don't like posting much about a game that is so far in the future, but this bit from the Star Wars: Galaxies website made me change my mind. Here's a snip:

The demo was beautiful, but one thing really stood out: as Andy wandered a stretch of Tatooine desert, an AT-AT appeared on the horizon. The AT-AT lumbered toward Andy's character and as it approached, I saw that it had been built to scale - it was massive. The AT-AT came to a stop directly over Andy, whose character looked up to see the underside of the mammoth vehicle, then looked at the AT-AT's huge feet. At that moment, I felt like I was truly exploring the Star Wars universe, face-to-foot with one of the Empire's most dangerous weapons. And then, a few seconds later, the AT-AT asked Andy's character "What's up?" and I was told that the vehicle was being controlled by another team member located elsewhere in the building. Although the AT-AT's sudden ability to talk temporarily ended my sense of immersion, that feeling would overtake me again and again throughout the presentation. When the lights came up again, I realized that I hadn't touched my soda, and all I wanted to do was see everything again. I felt like I had just watched The Empire Strikes Back for the first time, all over again.

Will this game change my mind about paying a monthly fee to play a game? Maybe not, but it looks like it might have a chance. Thanks loonyboi.

The Joys of Broadband -- 4:14 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

Raven's John Scott updated his .plan with a pseudo-rant on his attempts to get decent service from his cable provider or, failing that, to get DSL. So far, he has been unsuccessful at both. Unfortunately, he is not alone. Thankfully, I don't have such problems with EZ-Net. It helps if you know the guys personally and if they aren't some corporate monolith.

The Master comments: EZ-Net is the best. I wish they'd put some broadband access in Green Bay just so I could switch. It would be nice to work with people who (a) know what the (bleep) they're talking about, and (b) will actually WORK with you when there are problems. Wow, Customer service; What a concept!

Next for Epic: Unreal Warfare -- 12:17 pm CST, Update by A.T. Hun

FGN got confirmation from Epic's Mark Reid that their next game will be called Unreal Warfare. He also gave a bit of news on Unreal 2. Here's a snip:

FGN Online spoke to Epic VP Mark Rein, who explained, "Unreal Warfare is the title of our next game and one of our worst kept secrets. Aside from the title, we're not ready to say anything else about the project at this point."

Regarding Unreal 2's release date and E3 appearance, Rein added, "Unreal 2 will be playable behind closed doors at E3, and it will be done when it's done."

Currently, Unreal 2 is listed as a Q1 2002 release. Take that with the world's largest grain of salt. Thanks Evil Avatar for the news of the confirmation of this much-publicized rumor.

OMM Best of 2000 -- 10:25 am CST, Update by A.T. Hun

Old Man Murray presents their Best of 2000 Awards, the "edgiest" awards on the 'Net. OMM isn't for the faint of heart, but it is worth a read. Thanks Blue's News.

The Master comments: OMG! I just about died with laughter reading this-and I'm at WORK! The Game of the Year section commentary on the insanity of video games=real violence alone just about wiped me out.

BarrysWorld closes -- 10:11 am CST, Update by The Master

BarrysWorld, the BIGGEST gaming site in Europe, is closing it's doors due to lack of cash. This is quite a shame, since BW was a huge source of good info, mods, and other "stuff", especially back in the Quake2 days. I'm posting a nibble from the news post, but you can get the full skinny in Ted's statement.

BarrysWorld are to cease all operations from 5 February 2001, and have already gone into voluntary liquidation. Basically, we have run out of money and, with the current state of the market, have been unable to secure sufficient alternative funding/revenue.

Thanks Blue (I think :-()

Past Two Days' News

The Haus is powered by:

All original information on this website is copyright © TheHaus.Net, 1999-2005. The use of original images, text, and/or code from this website without expressed written consent is prohibited. The authors of this site cannot be held responsible for any damage, real or imagined, which comes from the use of information presented on this site. All trademarks used are the properties of their respective owners. This site is not to be used as a floatation device (but if you try, I want a video tape of it).