+ + INSIDE: Country musician Phil Vassar TELEVISION 4 enjoys meeting BRIDGE 6 with his fans 3 ANNIE’S MAILBOX 7 THE BLADE, TOLEDO, OHIO SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2006 S E C T I O N D TECHNOLOGY A TOOLBOX FOR TECHNOLOGY Dead Rising TV HEAD It’s about as glamorous as wearing an old-style TV set on your head. But the dome-shaped headgear from Japanese elec- tronics maker Toshiba Corp. isn’t meant to be fashionable. It’s designed to show images in a 360-degree view — synched with the motion of the wearer’s head to deliver the illusion of being someplace else: a cityscape at night, for example, or outer space. The still experimental six-pound bubble- headed helmet has infrared sensors on top that detect which way the wearer’s head is moving. A projector in the back of the helmet displays corresponding images on a 16-inch screen right before the user’s eyes. Toshiba has no plans yet to turn the hel- met into a commercial virtual-reality product. Eventually, Toshiba believes, it will come in handy for computer games or enhancing the impact of movies. DARWIN ONLINE Charles Darwin’s work has evolved again. This Halloween season, there are plenty Now it’s available in an online archive that launched this month. The creators of http: of treats to choose from in video games. //www.darwin-online.org.uk say the Inter- net trove is only half complete. But it already Here’s a coffin-full of some of the creepiest: includes manuscripts, notebooks, and other material, much of which comes from the Dar- — Jake Jones win Archive at Cambridge University. CHILLS These include the first edition of the Journal of Researches (1839) (or Voyage of the Beagle), The Zoology & of the Voyage of HMS Beagle (1838-43) and THRILLS The Descent of Man Dead Rising Death, Jr. 2: ROOT OF EVIL (1871). The archive (Xbox 360, M rating, SRP: $59.99) (PSP, T rating, SRP: $39.99) has multiple edi- (Above) As a photojournalist trapped in Death, Jr., Pandora, and all of their twisted friends tions of On the Ori- a mall for 72 hours, you must use any- are back in an all-new game for the PSP system. This gin of Species. thing and everything you can to survive F.E.A.R. time around, play as either Death, Jr., or Pandora in this The notebook the onslaught of flesh-hungry zombies. death-defying adventure. in which Darwin When we say anything, we really mean recorded his thoughts on seeing the Galapa- anything — baseball bats, teddy bears, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin gos Islands in the Pacific — where he made plates, lawn mowers, purses, cash reg- (Nintendo DS, M rating, SRP: $39.99) many of the observations that formed his the- isters, and much, much more. Get your Release Date: November, 2006 ory of natural selection — was stolen in the zombie on! Celebrating 20 years of vampire hunting action, the early 1980s and is still missing. But the text, legendary Castlevania series is back with an all-new transcribed from microfilm, is available in the Resident Evil adventure. Take control of two heroes: Jonathan Morris, online archive. The Web site also includes the 10th Anniversary Collection a vampire hunter, and his close friend Charlotte Orlean, largest Darwin bibliography yet produced. (GameCube, M rating, SRP: $39.99) a girl with tremendous magical ability. You’ll only find this box set at a Game- Stop, and it includes Player’s Choice ver- Mortal Kombat: Armageddon FINGER FOOD sions of Resident Evil, Resident Evil Zero, (PS2, Xbox, M rating, SRP: $39.99) At West End Elementary school in Rome, and Resident Evil 4. Zombie Liu Kang rises from the grave in this latest Ga., two classrooms of students charge into F.E.A.R. installment of the famous brawler. The seventh entry the lunchroom every five minutes, load their Ultimate Ghosts ’n Goblins (Xbox 360, M rating, SRP: $59.99) in the ongoing fighting series is a full-blown armaged- trays up with corn dogs, steak nuggets, and (PSP, E10+ rating, SRP: $39.99) Shipping on Halloween day, F.E.A.R for don, bringing together every bloodletting character in fresh fruit, and pile into cashier Lydia Galego’s In an all-new, side-scrolling action- Xbox 360 is a fantastic paranormal action Mortal Kombat history as well as some new characters line. adventure game, players star as the thriller. With a proven track record on the eager for violence. Also featured are Create–A–Fighter Ms. Galego, though, has a new tool to help armor-clad Arthur on his quest to save PC, F.E.A.R. on the Xbox 360 will feature mode, Create–A–Fatality mode, and a brand-new Kon- handle the rush. Each student stops at a com- the princess from the evil clutches of frenetic multiplayer support for up to 16 quest mode. puter in front of her and presses an index fin- the mysterious ruler of the Dark Realm players and the new Instant Action Mode, ger up to a reader before trotting off to a table. and his minions. Arthur has an arsenal which is a new arcade-style of action filled Silent Hill Origins The student’s names flash across Ms. Galego’s of magical abilities and attacks, which with close-quarters battles. Player progress (PSP, M rating, SRP: $39.99) monitor, and each student’s prepaid account he must use to fight off ghosts, goblins, is tracked via Xbox Live leader boards. Release Date: 2007 is automatically debited $1.10. giant serpents, skeletons, and more all in The renowned Silent Hill survival horror series Colleges and high schools have used fin- a rich and vibrant world. Nancy Drew: makes its handheld gaming debut with a new adventure gerprint scanners to stop nonstudents from The Creature of Kapu Cave that reveals many of the series’ most hallowed secrets. sneaking into dining halls and gyms. Districts (PC, E rating, SRP: $19.99) Silent Hill Origins sets a new standard in handheld elsewhere in the country use finger scans to Nancy travels to Hawaii to determine gaming terror. dispense medicine, take attendance, check why the population of native caterpil- out books in the library, or ensure that bus- lars has exploded. As Nancy explores the riding students get off at the right stop. island, she finds more than she bargained Silent Hill Origins Jay Fry, CEO of biometrics maker identi- for: beetles are damaging the island’s ecol- Metrics Inc., said elementary school districts ogy. Play as three different characters for are one of his company’s fastest-growing the first time. Choose Nancy, Joe Hardy, or markets. Frank Hardy, depending on the skills and The scanners — part of a pilot program clues required to solve the mystery. recently unveiled in Rome’s 10 schools — have cut West End’s lunch wait in half. Ghosts ’n Goblins FREE PORTALS AOL’s portals targeted at kids and teens are available for free as the company continues its chase for online advertising dollars. Q & A The teen-oriented Red service has for- COMMENTARY mally launched at beRed.com, while KOL for kids ages 6-12 and KOL, Jr., for those 2-5 has kicked off at kol.com and koljunior.com. The cell phone costs $1,275; On the horizon: When AOL started giving away its content nearly two years ago, it kept kids-oriented services restricted, figuring parents would are you in love yet? A Vista upgrade be willing to pay for peace of mind. But after seeing its subscriber base plunge anyway, NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE By DAVID POGUE What does that say home or business comput- the Time Warner Inc. online unit decided in : How can I find out NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE about current cell phones? ing situations. August to make those portals and other fea- if my current com- Want to have some real That they’re claustropho- But with new operating tures free as well. puter hardware fun the next time you’re bic and oppressively com- Q systems come potential Since then, AOL began giving away (including my scanner in a room with geeks plex. That the world craves hardware and software AOL.com e-mail accounts and software such and printer) will be com- and gadget freaks? Here a phone that conveys, like conflicts, because device as parental controls. The company expects to patible with the coming are two words that when Apple’s iPod, a feeling drivers and programs make its Latino site free by year’s end. Windows Vista system? uttered aloud will not only of beauty, elegance, and written for one version of Will this be as simple as get their attention, but set instantaneous mastery. Windows (like Windows merely downloading new off hyperventilation, pupil Now, a cell phone XP) may not work on drivers? dilation, and drooling: matching that descrip- another version of the : Windows Vista, “Apple phone.” tion has finally arrived operating system. (Device Find Sports Editor Frank Corsoe’s weekly Microsoft’s new ver- The Web has been rife — but it’s not from Apple. drivers are bits of software rants on toledoblade.com. sion of its PC oper- with bogus rumors of an Its design comes from A that tell the operating sys- www.toledoblade.com/sports ating system, is expected Apple cell phone since Bang & Olufsen, maker tem how to work with the to arrive in January and 2004, and each ridiculous of expensive, hyper-styl- computer’s hardware.) FROM THE BLADE’S WIRE SERVICES AND STAFF.