If you're into graphics and are distracted by the bugs found in Blizzard's World of Warcraft, you can wage war against it (like the guys on the left) or you could simply heed the words of blue poster Tigerclaw.

in the forums, he listed down the guidelines that you guys can use when reporting on the bugs found in the game's graphics. Head on over to full article to know more.

If you've been playing around with JoyToKey for your secret "controller fix" on PC games that otherwise didn't have such support, you might want to try Blue Orb's Switchblade. The free software is loads heavier than the little joystick to keyboard utility but is more inclined for use with the Xbox 360 controller. Plus, it just got more download mirrors.

Big upgrades on your system - especially ones associated with your unit's operating systems - will almost always have a conflict with a pre-existing program, device or accessory. It's an unfortunate fact of life, and this seems to be the case with using voice on Blizzard's legendary MMORPG, World of Warcraft.

Vista users have been complaining of their microphones not picking up any audio while playing the game. Fortunately, it's one of those conflicts that, while certainly annoying, has a quick and easy fix users can apply themselves - that is, until the official patch for it comes along.

The fix itself comes from Vista's handy Compatibility Mode feature. It enables users to set their programs to be run in an emulated operating system that they previously worked perfectly on. This means that whatever issues World of Warcraft now has with Vista will be removed, as it would be running on a simulated OS that it has no issues with.

To use this fix, one only has to locate their World of Warcraft program file, right-click on it, and then click "Properties" on the drop-down menu that would pop up. This will launch the Properties window, where you can look at the game executable's...well, properties.

From the Properties window, click on the "Compatibility" tab. You'll see that there's a checkbox option to run the selected program in Compatibility Mode. Check that, and then you'll be able to select an OS from the drop-down menu for Vista to run World of Warcraft on. In this case, select "Windows XP SP2". Click Apply, then OK.

Congratulations! You should be able to use voice in World of Warcraft now, as Vista will be running it on the Windows XP SP2 OS. Try it out and see for yourself, but do remember to take care when messing around with your game executable's properties. Other than that, enjoy being able to use voice on WoW.

 

Some players have complained about a problem with regards to the handshaking process in World of Warcraft. Those who have been affected by it shouldn't despair though as Bloodshot from the Death and Taxes guild and Triselly posted a fix on this for users who use XP, Macs, and Windows Vista. Sorry Linux people, if you're being plagued by the handshaking problem, just flush your DNS cache and hope for the best. Anyway here's the fix:

For Windows XP:

1. Close the game.
2. In Windows click Start, run..., in the window type cmd and press enter.
3. In the new window type: ipconfig /flushdns

Alternate Fix: Go to "My Computer" -> "Control Panel" -> "Network Connections" -> right click your LAN or Wireless Connection -> Select Disable, then re-enable it.

If you are still unsuccessful, reset your modem/router, then perform the instructions again. As explained below in the thread, some ISP's hold the cached DNS data for longer periods of time; therefore, this will not work for you, YET. There isn't much you can do apart from trying again later.

Mac version (Triselley)

1. Close WoW.
2. Open Terminal.app in /Applications/Utilities
3. Type: lookupd -flushcache

For Windows Vista:

1. Click the Microsoft Vista Start logo in the bottom left corner of the screen
2. Click All Programs
3. Click Accessories
4. RIGHT-click on Command Prompt
5. Select Run As Administrator
6. In the command window type the following and then hit enter: ipconfig /flushdns

That said go forth and play your problems should be solved. If not, then you'll have to contact Blizzard on this one. Keep checking back here for more news on World of Warcraft.

Blizzard Entertainment, as we previously reported, is planning to wreck havoc in the mobile arena. With a news like that, one's thoughts can't help but wonder if World of Warcraft (WoW) will ever appear on a handheld device. It sounds impossible at first but YouTube user viaarena123 has shown that it is actually very plausible.

The videos below show how the user was able to install WoW on OQO Model 2. The device was first shown during this year's Consumer Electronics Show back in January. Model 2 is actually a six-inch PC with a five-inch screen that runs either Windows XP or Vista.

Some of its technical features include 1.2 GHz or a 1.5 GHz processor, up to 1GB of RAM, up to a 60 GB hard drive, has Bluetooth 2.0, and tri-mode WiFi (802.11a/b/g).

WoW on OQO Model 2 Part 1

See the other video after the jump!

Grabbing from Vista's tag line since launch, we decided to give it a little twist of sorts. Why you ask? Well, you'd think that the geeks at Redmond were thinking of World of Warcraft when they spruced up this one-liner, but WoW Insider thinks otherwise. So WoW Insider checked into whether a compatibility issue arises from a WoW fan's shift from Windows XP to Windows Vista. After all, keeping up to date is quickly becoming the only way to go. It seems they found enough varied answers to rest the issue as a resounding yes.

So how is WoW's performance? Results conclude that...it depends. There are some who've found performance improved, others say it really sagged. Some think it really doesn't affect WoW at all. Seems the only way to find out is to grab a copy of Vista and try your luck in the WoW and hardware performance lottery. Remember to check on the requirements first before installing.

So you've been wanting to visit the Outland (on a more regular basis), or you want to try out being a sexy Horde member (read: female Blood Elf) for a change, or you're thinking about riding to the danger zone on a flying mount. The only question you need to ask now is, can my computer take all of that (and a bag of chips you're bound to be munching on in the process, eh, Cartman)?

Well, Blizzard has recently announced, through its FAQ pages, exactly what Outland, sexy female Horde members, flying mounts, and everything else packed into The Burning Crusade expansion will take. So check what you've got under that casing of yours, and see if it can grind to the following stats:

For Windows-based PCs:

• OS: Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4); Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
• Processor: Intel Pentium3 800MHz or AMD Duron 800MHz
• Memory:
  • 512 MB RAM,
  • 1GB RAM is recommended
• Video:
  
  • Minimum: 32MB 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as an NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card or above.
    
  • Recommended: 64MB VRAM 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability, such as an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 class card or above.
• Sound: DirectX compatible sound card

For Macs:

• OS: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or newer required
• Processor:
  • 933MHz G4/G5 processor,
  • 1.8GHz G5/Intel or better recommended
• RAM:
  • 512MB RAM,
  • 1GB DDR RAM is recommended
• Video:
  • NVIDIA or ATI graphics processor with 32MB VRAM,
  • 64MB VRAM recommended
• Controls: A keyboard and mouse are required. Input devices other than a mouse and keyboard are not supported

Blizzard expects to release The Burning Crusade late this year in Europe, Korea, and North America, with their regions quickly following suit. Further details will be released by the company in the months ahead. No word on whether the Sword of a Thousand Truths will be included in the final release package.