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Diablo III Launch Marred by Server, Login Issues

The infuriating trend of requiring a constant online connection to play even single-player game modes desperately needs to go away.

Few games have been as hyped as Diablo III. A dozen years had passed since Blizzard Entertainment released Diablo II, and fans lined up on May 15 for midnight game sales, or to download the title online from home; Amazon.com saw the highest ever pre-order sales of a videogame, as well. And what happened? Did Diablo 3 offer tons of amazing gaming? Not so much. Instead, fans spewed vitriolic anger across gaming forums, Twitter, and Facebook over not being able to play the long-awaited game. Blizzard’s servers were overwhelmed, and that hampered all play. Even people who just wanted the single-player campaign were stymied in their attempts to play, because players are required to be connected to Blizzard’s servers at all times. That meant …

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'Game of Thrones' Game Hits Shelves Tuesday

The role-playing adventure for Xbox 360 and PS3 was inspired by author George R. R. Martin's bestselling "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series.

  George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series is one of the hottest media properties out there. With five books (plus a sixth being written and a seventh planned) and the white hot Emmy-winning HBO adaptation Game of Thrones in its second season, its popularity shows little sign of waning. With a superb setting, great characters, and lots of fantasy tropes to borrow from, adapting Martin's worlds and unique storytelling style to a role-playing video game seems like a no-brainer. Teaming with both Japanese game publisher Atlus and Martin himself to do so makes that decision even smarter. Atlus brings a wealth of RPG experience to the table; Martin ensures that the game retains the feel of his books and makes sure everything …

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Southampton Community Band Presents Concert to Honor Military

The band will close out its season with a tribute to the armed forces on Saturday, May 19.

The Southampton Community Band will conclude its season with a tribute to America's armed forces at Klinger Middle School, 8 p.m., Saturday, May 19. As a way of honoring military personnel, all members of the armed forces, past or present, will be admitted to the program free of charge. “The band members and our community look forward to this concert with great joy and anticipation”, said Charles Pinkow, general manager of the band. “It is rewarding to see so many veterans in attendance and it is a tradition we plan on continuing."  For this performance, the band will welcome special guest narrator Steve Highsmith to the program. Highsmith is PHL17's director of community relations, host of PHL17's community affairs program “In Focus”, …

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Photographing a Super Moon

Some expert advice for getting the perfect photograph of the moon.

If the moon looks a bit bigger and brighter Saturday, you aren't just seeing things. Tonight the moon, a 'super moon', will be closer to the earth than it has been in the past 20 years. What better time to try and capture a picture of one of nature's finest subjects? We talked to New York Camera & Video's Canon Expert Steve Stief, who offered some tips for getting a shot of the moon that is out of this world. Stief said the most important tip he can offer is to use a tripod. This tip applies to everyone, no matter how fancy your camera. "You need to use a slower shutter speed to shoot at night," he said. "Coupling this with shake from your hands does not make for a sharp photo." Next, Stief said to take multiple shots of the same picture …

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Tom Sofield

8:32 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012

The moon still looked pretty super on Sunday evening.   more ›

BCCC Hosting Free Events as Part of Annual Arts Celebration

Bucks County Community College is hosting several free events as part of its Arts at Bucks celebration.

Enjoy free concerts, demonstrations, exhibitions and more in a series of upcoming events that are part of Bucks County Community College’s Arts at Bucks Celebration. On Sunday, the college’s Department of the Arts will have an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will feature free demonstrations, gallery receptions, studio workshops and more. Demonstrations include woodturning, glassblowing, and a bronze foundry pour.  Also on Sunday, an awards ceremony for the Annual Student Exhibition takes place in the Hicks Arts Center Gallery at 2 p.m. That show is open until May 8. Admission is free. For gallery hours, visit www.bucks.edu/gallery.  According to the college, the Student Art Exhibition is a showcase of the best work made by students …

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BCCC Hosting Free Student Concert Series

Free performances start Monday and include concert choir, madrigal singers, percussion, jazz orchestra and jazz ensembles.

Bucks County Community College’s Department of the Arts will be showcasing student talent at six free concerts starting Monday.  The performances, part of the Arts at Bucks celebrations, will culminate in a big-band style jazz orchestra event on May 3. Here is the full list of free concerts: All concerts take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Presser Music Room in the Music and Multimedia Center. The free concert series is part of Arts at Bucks celebrations, running through May 8. For a complete list of events, visit www.bucks.edu/artsatbucks or call 215-968-8425.

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Tennent and MBIT Student Opens Home Recording Studio

Local musicians are invited to check out Rabbit Stone Studio, located in the basement of Connor Lepre's home in Warminster.

It used to be, that if you were a serious musician and wanted your music to hit the masses, certain things had to happen first. You needed to get a band together, record a demo, get a contract with a label, maybe hire a manager, play late night shows in underground clubs or bars, go on long road trips to get word of mouth to grow, etc. With the continued availability of online file sharing, that process is changing dramatically. The filter created by labels deciding what is and is not "marketable" is disappearing, evidenced by the viral popularity of artists such as Lana Del Rey and Karmin. Members of the old guard are naturally resisting the shift, but the success of up-and-comers like Connor Lepre depends on their embrace and mastery of …

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Library Celebrates 10th Annual Book Contest

Thirty student authors will have their submission bound and the titles will be added to the library's permanent collection.

It was standing-room-only in the basement meeting room of the Southampton Free Library for the library’s 10th annual Book Contest Awards Ceremony. Approximately 170 entries were submitted, authored by children representing more than ten different schools throughout the area.  Thirty winners were awarded a certificate and a ribbon as family members and friends looked onward Monday afternoon. All were treated to cookies and punch at the conclusion of the 30-minute event.  The award-winning entries will be professionally bound and will become a part of the library’s permanent collection later this summer.  “It’s just a neat idea to have the kids write,” said Head of Children’s Services Lora Terifay. “It’s exciting to me to see each year what …

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