The controller is probably the gamers’ most important tool. The controller that was first released for the original PlayStation back in December 1994 has remained largely unchanged in design through the release of the PS2 and the current PS3 to become a classic and instantly recognizable to gamers the world over. Despite its iconic status, some PS3 gamers prefer the feel of the the Xbox controller in their hands and, while there are plenty of third-party controllers floating around, there are few that cater to this market as well as the Raven from Nyko. ..
Continue Reading Raven controller brings a touch of Xbox to your PS3
If you’re a fan of the military strategy game Risk, then you definitely might be interested in this: on October 13th, Bonhams Auction House in London will be selling off an “extremely rare” copy of The Game of War, a complex military board game dating from 1890. Unlike Risk, which is played for amusement and to shed excess friends, The Game of War was designed to be played by real military officers, to train them for the upcoming First World War. It was based on Kriegsspiel, a war game invented by Lieutenant Georg von Reiswitz in the early 19th century for training officers in the Prussian army. If you’re interested, however, be sure to stop by the bank machine on your way there – the game is expected to fetch between £1,500 to £2000, or US$2,330 to $3,100...
Continue Reading The British Army's 'Game of War' circa 1890 coming up for auction
Hardened first person shooter (FPS) veterans know that your ears can be as important as your eyes when battling hordes of enemy combatants. Such veterans will also be aware that the staccato of gunfire and the sound of exploding body parts aren’t always appreciated by other members of the household – particularly in the early hours. In response to extensive research to show what different gamers want from their headsets, Sony has unveiled its DR-GA500 and DR-GA200 headsets designed to maximize spatial awareness without waking up the neighbors. ..
Continue Reading Sony takes aim at gamers with new Ultimate Weapon Gaming headsets
This may be hard to believe, but driving a real race car is actually not all that much like sitting on the couch and watching your TV. It’s a lot louder, shakier, and just generally a lot more immersive - qualities that are emulated by the VRX iMotion racing simulator. This man-boy’s toy features an Italian Sparco racing seat, customizable Clubsport accelerator, brake and clutch pedals, a force feedback steering wheel, a Bose 5-speaker surround sound system designed for 5.1-encoded games, and three-screen-wide NVIDIA GeForce 3D Surround Vision. Best of all, it also utilizes the D-BOX Motion Code, that uses an actuator to tilt and shake the cockpit according to what’s happening in the game...
Continue Reading VRX iMotion racing simulator puts your driving games on steroids
Video games and beer – together at last! Actually, a visit to just about any college dorm or rec room will show you that video games and beer can regularly be found together, but now they’re available from the same machine. It’s called the Gamerator, and it combines a classic 80s-style video arcade machine with a mini fridge capable of holding a pony keg of beer and a five-pound aluminum CO2 tank. Bring on the blue ghosts!..
Continue Reading The Gamerator serves up arcade classics - and beer - in your home
In the early days of PC gaming most people got their gaming fix from games delivered by mail order. As sales increased, retail distribution of games on media such as floppy disks, CDs and eventually DVDs took over. Now further evidence of the changing gaming market landscape has been provided by market research company, The NPD Group. According to its PC Games Digital Downloads: Analyst Report, digital distribution is close to overtaking retail as the most popular form of distribution of PC games. The report says that 21.3 million PC full-game digital downloads were purchased online in the U.S. in 2009 compared to 23.5 million physical units purchased at retail in the same period – a difference of just 2.2 million. ..
Continue Reading The rise and rise of digital distribution for games
Microsoft has just announced the successor to the storage-less Xbox 360 Arcade, the creatively-named Xbox 360 4GB, which features 4GB of internal flash memory, built-in 802.11n WiFi and a casual-friendly price of US$199.99...
Continue Reading Microsoft announces 4GB Xbox 360, gives Kinect a price
Nintendo has done very well out of its innovative motion controllers but maintaining its spot at the top of the console sales charts was always going to be an uphill battle once rivals caught up (or overtook) with their own brand of fully-interactive gaming. Project Natal seemed a little ambitious when it was first demonstrated last year, but 12 months and a rebranding later, Kinect appears to be ready for pre-order and most importantly, we have a price...
Continue Reading Xbox Kinect pricing, release date surface
Ever since it was first announced earlier this year the Nintendo 3DS has been the subject of much speculation and rumor – mostly centered on its ability to display games in 3D without the need for dorky eye-wear. At E3 Nintendo has finally provided some concrete details for the device and actually shown of some demonstration units for eager hands to get a hold of. Although details as to how the 3D effect is actually achieved were still not forthcoming it was obvious to those who managed to get up close and personal that, as expected, it was thanks to parallax-barrier technology...
Continue Reading Nintendo reveals details of 3DS – glasses-free 3D plus 3D camera on board
Looks like Sony has been saving up announcements for E3 with the company revealing a number of PlayStation-related nuggets at the annual computer and video game trade show in Los Angeles. The announcements included the details of a premium subscription service for the PlayStation Network (PSN) called PlayStation Plus, release details for Sony’s motion controller, the PlayStation Move, and a list of upcoming games, including 3D compatible titles, headed for the console. ..
Continue Reading Sony announces PlayStation Plus, Move release details and 3D game lineup at E3
The new era in gaming which began when Wii remotes started showing up in living rooms just four years ago is about to be taken to the next level. That’s because Microsoft has premiered its Kinect for Xbox 360 – a motion control system that allows players to take part in full-body physically-interactive games without the use of any remote. First coming to light a year ago under the code name Project Natal, it utilizes a CMOS camera, infrared projector and multi-array microphone to track the movements and voices of players. Kinect is set for release later this year...
Continue Reading Microsoft motion controller to hit stores as Kinect for Xbox 360
Part of the reason for the drop in popularity of rhythm games in recent times may be because the appeal of the plastic, button-oriented peripherals is starting to wane, and indeed avid fans of the genre have been crying out for a way to play "real instruments" alongside a game. The solution could already be here in the form of You Rock Guitar, a multi-use peripheral that acts as a MIDI controller, can be plugged into an amplifier, headphones, or directly to a computer via USB for use with software like GarageBand and Cubase. Most interestingly it's compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero on all three platforms.
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Continue Reading You Rock Guitar brings real strings to rhythm gaming
After a disappointing year of sales for the industry’s leading rhythm games it would seem as though it’s time for a bit of a shake up, and from what we’ve read so far, Rock Band should be getting the upper hand. Following Harmonix’s announcement of Rock Band Network beta, it has now revealed details of Rock Band 3. Set to bring a whole new level of realism to the genre, the most immediate and exciting improvement is its compatibility with “real instruments," thereby offering budding musicians an exciting interactive platform on which to learn...
Continue Reading Rock Band 3 brings real instruments to rhythm gaming
If you belong to an avid Nintendo Wii gamer family chances are someone will keep forgetting to charge their Wiimote and ruin the fun for the others (or start WWIII). Thankfully, Konnet has come to the rescue. The company’s new charger lets you store and charge up to four controllers wirelessly, using advanced induction technology.
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Continue Reading PowerV Quad wirelessly charges four Wiimotes at once
Google's front page today pays tribute to the iconic video game, Pacman. It's just 30 years ago today since Pacman was first released in Japan, indicating the warp speed at which gaming has become part of the global social fabric. Fittingly for such a landmark date for a landmark game, Google's front page is more than just an idle tribute – it is actually a fully playable game of Pacman and will be seen around 3 billion times during this 24 hour period. ..
Continue Reading Google's front page Pacman tribute - a fully playable game
Following the release of the iPad the online rumor mill now needs to find something else to focus on. The product most likely to fill that gap is Nintendo’s successor to the Wii. Since its launch in 2006, speculation has steadily been mounting about what features the next-gen Wii will pack and when it will appear. As usual, Nintendo hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with any details about its follow up console, prompting information hungry fans to gobble up any morsel of gossip. So we decided to put our ear to the ground in an attempt to glean just what the next-generation Wii will offer...
Continue Reading Wii 2 news and rumor roundup
Zi Ye and Hammad Khalid from the Human Media Lab at Queen's University in Canada have created a truly flexible, portable gaming interface called Project Cobra. Users of the system interact with images projected onto a handheld board by physically bending and twisting sections or applying pressure to areas containing sensors...
Continue Reading Gaming flexibility takes on new twist with Project Cobra
It might not exactly be a revolutionary idea, but we think Ubisoft should be commended for announcing it is doing its bit for the environment by eliminating paper game manuals for its PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 video games. The paper numbers will be replaced with in-game digital manuals for all games that will also make it easier for gamers to access game information, as well as providing gamers with a manual that won’t get lost or ripped to shreds by the family pet...
Continue Reading Ubisoft kills the printed game manual
Seeing as we recently told you about the stunningly-goofy HaptiHug, which allows you to receive the physical sensation of a hug via your computer, here’s a similar but much more macho product – the 3rd Space FPS Gaming Vest. With its game-activated internal pneumatic pockets, the FPS has no interest in hugging you, but it will gladly simulate a gunshot to your torso...
Continue Reading 3rd Space FPS Vest lets you feel the gaming action
Remember when the simple paddle game Pong generated a world-wide buzz of excitement? Those days may just have returned with the announcement that students from Imperial College London have created an interface using off-the-shelf components which tracks eye movement and enables a bespectacled user to play the game hands-free...
Continue Reading Playing computer games with the blink of an eye
I'm still rocking a launch-era PS3, and it's always felt like an investment rather than a money sink. Since launch, Sony has added DivX/Xvid playback, improved PSP Remote Play functionality, the affordable PlayTV PVR, and in Australia, support for the ABC's catch-up TV service called iView. So it pains me to report on the upcoming firmware update, which removes the Other OS feature from the non-Slim PS3s which were available until Q4 2009 - adding nothing in return...
Continue Reading Upcoming PS3 3.21 firmware update removes Other OS functionality, adds nothing
Most of us are now familiar with 5.1 surround sound systems that allow us to enjoy (almost) cinematic audio experiences in our living rooms when watching movies or playing games. The Psyko 5.1 gaming headset aims to offer a similar experience by using air tubes to direct sounds to the ears from five speakers fitted in the bridge and subwoofers within each ear cup...
Continue Reading Psyko 5.1: radical gaming headset
The rumor mill has started again. Does it ever stop? But this time (for once) Apple is not at the center of it - this time it's the turn of Nintendo to bathe in the blinding light of speculation and is, to a large extent, the company's own doing. In what has to be amongst the shortest releases I have ever seen, Nintendo has announced the forthcoming availability of a new portable gaming device where users will be able to enjoy 3D effects without glasses...
Continue Reading Nintendo 3D DS portable gaming device announced
There's a Battle of the Bands scenario brewing now that a new contender has arrived on the "play along to your favorite tunes with a game controller instrument" scene. Seven45 Studios has just released details of its new gaming system called PowerGig where the buttoned and plunger interface of the familiar Guitar Hero and Rock Band gaming interface has been tossed out in favor of a real six-string guitar...
Continue Reading Power Gig game uses real guitar controller
Sony’s motion controller for the PS3 first unveiled at E3 in 2009 now has a final design along with an official name. At the Game Developer Conference (GDC) 2010 the company officially announced the PlayStation Move motion controller touting its precision and calling it the “next generation of motion gaming”. The controller works in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye camera that tracks the controller’s glowing “light sphere” in three dimensions and that is the key to the Move’s accuracy. ..
Continue Reading Sony Playstation Move motion controller official
LG is expanding its OLED TV line-up with a 31-inch, 3D capable model on show at IFA 2010. The new, super-slim 3D TV will join the company's existing 15-inch model on the market next year and LG says it plans to extend the range even further during 2011...
Continue Reading LG to unleash 31-inch 3D OLED TV
Amongst the plethora of displays out to tempt our eyeballs at IFA 2010 in Berlin were some nice looking new release plasmas from Panasonic. There was the 42-inch TX-P42GT20 that marks the addition of yet another series to the company’s 3D VIERA line-up, along with two new 3D plasmas to join its high-end VT20 series. The new 42-inch and 46-inch models, the TX-P46VT20 and TX-P42VT20, sees the VT20 line-up expand to cover the gamut of 42- to 65-inch screen sizes. The new 42-inch models also mark a world first for 3D plasmas...
Continue Reading Panasonic unveils world’s first 42-inch 3D plasmas amongst new line-up at IFA 2010
The “one more thing” at Apple’s September 1 event was an updated Apple TV. Apple has certainly cranked up the ol’ shrink ray for a form factor that is 80 percent smaller than the previous generation. The rumored addition of apps didn’t eventuate nor did the rebranding to “iTV” but, as predicted, the update sees the device sporting an A4 chip and it will only be able to handle a maximum resolution of 720p. Because the new Apple TV does away with local storage altogether in favor of cloud-based storage and streaming of content, Apple says the choice of 720p was more a balance between quality and bandwidth than any rumored difficulties the A4 chip may have with Full HD content...
Continue Reading Apple unveils new slimmed down, streaming-focused Apple TV
UPDATED There’s no doubting Jean Michel Jarre’s enduring talent as a musician and showman, so it’ll be interesting to see how he goes in his new role as an AV entrepreneur with his new speaker system AeroSystem One. Launched Thursday at IFA in Berlin, the EUR 800 (US$1000) stand-alone HD multi-directional sound tower contains a 60 W sub-woofer and two 30 W speakers all integrated to deliver a roomful of sound. How good is it? Sensational!..
Continue Reading Jean Michel Jarre's AeroSystem One speaker
Sony has added to its range of 3D BRAVIA HDTVs with the announcement of the availability of three new NX810 LCD models. In screen sizes of 46-, 55- and 60-inches the sets all feature Full HD (1080p) resolution and 3D capability. DynamicEdge LED Backlighting with local dimming is employed for improved contrast while Sony’s Motionflow PRO 240Hz Technology is on board to ensure smooth motion for fast moving images...
Continue Reading Sony bolsters 3D BRAVIA lineup with new NX810 series HDTVs
DVD rental and video streaming company Netflix has announced an exclusive multi-year deal with U.S. premium pay TV channel Epix, which will allow Netflix subscribers access to Epix’s array of new releases. From September 1st Netflix will release live Internet streaming of titles from Epix’s library, including movies from Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM to significantly expand Netflix's library of content available for live streaming...
Continue Reading Netflix gets access to Epix library of new release movies
With the advent of 3D glasses with polarizing filters and LCD shutters you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d seen the last of the archetypal numbers with different colored filters. Well, think again because European researchers have come up with technology they say can display 3D images at a monitor’s full resolution, with no darkening of the ambient light, no restrictions on viewing angle and with less strain on the eyes than other 3D technologies – and yes, it relies on glasses with different colored filters...
Continue Reading New 3D technology looks to the past to overcome the problems of present systems
Despite Apple’s recent string of successes sparked by the iPod and following through to the iPhone and iPad, there’s one device that stands out for it’s less than stellar performance in the marketplace – Apple TV. Hardly surprising given the unit’s lack of features that can be found on devices much cheaper than Apple’s offering. Now, it seems the company is set to give the insides of its digital media receiver a going over and rename the device to better fit with its line of iDevices...
Continue Reading Apple set to update and rebrand Apple TV?
Got a piano sitting in your house gathering dust because no one will come around and join you in a good old-fashioned sing-along? Why not give it a new lease on life by converting it into something that’s sure to get some use, like a TV cabinet? That’s just what German company Craft Line has done with its Mediano, a white upright piano that has had all its musical innards removed to make way for an LCD TV that slides out of the top of the piano at a push of a button on a remote control. ..
Continue Reading The Mediano piano TV cabinet: not for music lovers
Toshiba has unveiled its new line of CELL REGZA 3D LED TVs. The new 3D TVs, CELL REGZA 55X2, CELL REGZA Slim 55XE2 and CELL REGZA 46XE2 all include "3D Super Resolution Technology" for upgrading the resolution of 3D content along with 2D-3D conversion. The 55X2 has dynamic contrast ratio of 9,000,000:1 while the other two models have 4,000,000:1. All feature 240 Hz refresh rate, support DNLA, are web enabled and feature a 3 TB hard drive with 2 TB dedicated to CELL REGZA’s Time Shift Machine, which allows you to record up to eight channels simultaneously. ..
Continue Reading Toshiba unveils three new CELL REGZA 3D LED TVs
It's been a good while since Magnepan International updated its audiophile-pleasing and critically-acclaimed Magneplanar 1.6 speakers and the new model marks a technology departure for the company. For over 40 years, Magnepan has used planar magnetic drivers for the bass or lower midrange in its speakers but with the Maggie 1.7's the company has switched all the speaker drivers to something called quasi-ribbon technology...
Continue Reading Quasi-ribbon technology used for all drivers in Magnepan's new speakers
LG may have been beaten to the 3D TV punch by the likes of Samsung, Sony and Panasonic but the Korean manufacturer has still managed to claim a first with its new Infinia HDTVs – namely the world’s first Full LED 3D HDTV. This seems to be splitting hairs a bit as both Samsung and Sony offer 3D TVs in edge LED backlit flavors, but LG’s new LX9500 series are the first with LED backlighting that supports localized dimming for improved contrast and blacker blacks. LG’s entry into the 3D market also sees the release of the edge backlit LX6500 series and the company’s first 3D-capable Network Blu-ray player...
Continue Reading LG introduces new Infinia 3D-capable HDTVs and Blu-ray player
Earlier this year we reported on an announcement from Vizio that would see 1080p “wireless HD” integrated into its new range of LCDs, and we’ve now got some information on the set-top boxes that will offer a similar array of support. Three new Blu-ray players have been announced, with the VBR210 and VBR220 utilizing 802.11n single-band 2.4GHz wireless and the more powerful VBR231 upgrading this to dual-band for improved reliability, making it the first dual-band Blu-ray player. ..
Continue Reading VIZIO expands integrated wireless range with three new Blu-ray players
Casio is taking aim at the growing gaming market with its new GREEN SLIM projectors. Showcased at this year’s E3, the projectors feature a mercury-free, laser and LED hybrid light source capable of high-brightness projection of displays 100 inches and larger for a truly immersive gaming experience. All offerings in the GREEN SLIM line are lightweight and extremely portable, which, Casio says, makes them the perfect option for taking some big screen interactive entertainment on the road...
Continue Reading Casio targets gamers with mercury-free GREEN SLIM projectors
The now ubiquitous iPod docking station continues to appear in an ever more imaginative number of guises, with the iCrystal from Speakal being no exception. Serving up a stylish dose of retro aesthetics with a futuristic twist, it combines unique looks with multiple control options and portability.
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Continue Reading Futuristic design done retro style - the Speakal iCrystal iPod dock
When it comes to TVs, size really does matter. Panasonic is taking this theory to extremes by announcing the release of the world’s biggest Full HD 3D plasma display. The Japanese manufacturer showed a prototype of the 152-inch behemoth at CES this year where it was understandably drawing quite a crowd. Back in January Panasonic wasn’t confirming whether the TV would ever be commercially available, but it has now announced that it will start taking orders from July, with shipments starting in Japanese and American markets later this year...
Continue Reading Panasonic to release world's largest Full HD 3D plasma display
Are you one of those people who like to have the TV on just for a bit of background noise? Or perhaps you'll leave it on while you're surfing the net or reading a book, in the hope that whatever comes on next will be a bit more interesting. If this sounds like you, then you might stand to save a few dollars on your power bills should you decide to get one of the new Sony Bravia TVs with Face Detection and Presence Sensor technology. These new features, which will dim or turn off the screen if you look away or leave the room, are included in the new Sony LX900 3D TVs due out any day now. Whilst Hitachi also appears to be researching facial recognition technologies for televisions, it looks like Sony is going to be the first to release a product with these capabilities...
Continue Reading Sony's new Bravia 3D TV is watching you
Sharp is set to unleash its new LV Series of 3D-compatible AQUOS Quattron LCD TVs into the Japanese market. The four new LV Series models will be bundled with 3D glasses and feature the company's "four-primary-color" technology which adds yellow to the conventional red, blue and green primary colors to improve the reproduction of colors like (yes) yellow, gold and emerald green. Sharp has also announced new LX Series and super slim XF Series 2-D AQUOS Quattron LCD TVs and two new AQUOS Blu-ray recorders that support 3-D Blu-ray...
Continue Reading Sharp debuts AQUOS four primary color 3-D televisions
Earlier in the week we covered Microsoft’s agreement with Australia’s Foxtel that will see pay TV content streamed to Xbox 360 consoles. Now Sony has announced that PS3 and PSP owners in the US will now be able to access programming from premium cable TV network HBO on their consoles. Using the PlayStation Network’s (PSN) video delivery service PS3 /PSP owners can now purchase shows from HBO’s popular lineup, including True Blood, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Flight of the Conchords, to name just a few. ..
Continue Reading HBO content arrives on PS3 and PSP
Microsoft has signed an agreement with Australia’s dominant pay TV provider, Foxtel, to stream over 30 channels to Xbox 360 consoles through Xbox LIVE. The Foxtel by Xbox LIVE service will allow Xbox 360 owners in Australia to access Foxtel channels without the expense of a Foxtel installation and set-top box. Instead, to access the subscription service users will need an Xbox 360 console, Xbox LIVE Gold subscription, broadband connection and a Foxtel by Xbox LIVE subscription...
Continue Reading Microsoft joins with Foxtel to provide pay TV over Xbox LIVE
Aside from the obvious fashion concerns arising from donning 3D glasses (which is already being addressed with the release of designer 3D eyewear) the biggest drawback of active shutter glasses is crosstalk. This refers to the ghosting of images when the right eye sees some residue of the image intended for the left eye and vice versa. Toshiba has now developed new high-response LCD panels that can be used in active shutter glasses to reduce crosstalk. ..
Continue Reading Toshiba develops low crosstalk 3D glasses
The prospect of more affordable large screen OLED TVs has taken another step towards becoming reality with the announcement by DuPont that it has developed a manufacturing process that can be used to print large, high-performance OLED TVs cost effectively. The announcement could see OLED TVs become more widespread and affordable than the pint-sized and prohibitively-priced offerings that we have been restricted to until now...
Continue Reading DuPont breakthrough could mean bigger OLED TVs that don’t cost the earth
A chance meeting at 35,000ft some three years ago between a movie studio executive and a Polaroid eyewear product development manager has resulted in the first Designer 3D collection of frames that are RealD approved and certified (RealD technology is used in most 3D applications). During an international flight, Rhett Adam from Look 3D Eyewear was given a “heads-up” by a studio exec about the impending 3D onslaught and quickly identified a new market. By the time he’d landed in his native Australia, the then 35-year-old had put in place plans to quit his job and embark on a new adventure. From those humble beginnings, Look 3D Eyewear was born and the company now has four series of passive 3D viewing glasses that come in a huge variety of styles. Say goodbye to looking like a nerd while viewing 3D content...
Continue Reading Designer 3D glasses for the fashion conscious
Western Digital (WD) has announced that its WD TV Live HD media player is the first network media player compatible with Windows 7. Thanks to a firmware upgrade users can now initiate and control the streaming of video, music or photos to the WD TV Live HD media player and home entertainment systems from any Windows 7-based PC on their network...
Continue Reading WD TV Live HD media player first to boast Windows 7 compatibility
While LaCie's new tiny flash drive certainly shares some characteristics with the bothersome insect with a similar name, it's safe to say that the MosKeyto is a very different beast altogether. Sure, they're both lightweight and very small and you may have difficulty seeing them in certain lighting. But whereas the high-pitched buzzing from one is usually followed by some serious irritation, bytes from the other are actually a good thing. Available in storage capacities of up to 16GB, with extra online storage included, the MosKeyto has to be one of the smallest USB flash drive's around, doesn't it?..
Continue Reading So small you'll forget it's there: the MosKeyto flash drive from LaCie
IBM has announced details of its most powerful commercial system ever. The core server of the new zEnterprise System mainframe – called zEnterprise 196 – contains 96 z196 processors, which IBM touts as the world’s fastest, most powerful computer chip. IBM is aiming the system at businesses such as banks and retailers dealing with the skyrocketing amounts of data resulting from the ever increasing amount of business transactions carried out in an increasingly inter-connected business world. ..
Continue Reading IBM unveils new zEnterprise System featuring 96 of the world’s fastest microprocessors
Only a few short days ago, Commodore USA announced its intention to launch a modern version of the legendary C64 all-in-one keyboard computer. Now the company has revealed an exclusive licensing agreement with Amiga Inc. that should result in the company releasing upgraded Amiga-branded machines. As well as a technical overhaul, the new computers are to be fully compatible with the updated version of the AmigaOS operating system...
Continue Reading Amiga All-in-One is next in line for Commodore USA release
Microsoft has revealed the next stage in the development of its Arc Mouse, the Arc Touch. As the name implies, the company has incorporated some touch sensitivity into its upper surface and also designed it to flatten out at the touch of a finger, for convenient transport while not in use. Its wireless USB transceiver also fits snuggly in the peripheral's underside to help ensure that everything you need is in one place when you're on the road...
Continue Reading Microsoft makes Arc Touch mouse official
Are you the sort of person who loves touch screen technology but yearns for the mechanical feel and security of a real keyboard? You may be interested to hear that Toshiba’s Libretto w100 dual touch-screen mini notebook will be the first device to hit the market that incorporates Immersion Corporation’s TouchSense 2500 solution that provides touch feedback effects when hitting keys. The haptic effects help to minimize the chance of mis-keying, provide immediate tactile response and allow you to get all touchy and feely at the same time...
Continue Reading Immersion's new haptic effects solution heads for Toshiba's Libretto w100
Sony continued to build out its entire 3D ecosystem at IFA in Berlin last evening when it showed a number of new 3D capable devices, including plans for a 3D IPTV network, a new 3D Home Projector (VPL-VW90ES) and three new network-capable, 3D-ready AV receivers. The biggest hoohah from the media though was undoubtedly a 3D VAIO laptop prototype which will become available in spring 2011, only six months from now. ..
Continue Reading Sony unveils 3D 240fps laptop due in 2011
Back in the halcyon days of the 80’s, my siblings and I were lucky enough to receive a VIC-20 computer for Christmas. As much fun as I had whiling away the hours on such classics as Missile Command and Lode Runner, I was always insanely jealous of friends who had the power of the Commodore 64 at their fingertips. Now, some 20 plus years later, I may finally be able to satiate my jealousy with the news that the good ol’ C64 could soon be back on the market – and with some much more impressive specs...
Continue Reading Commodore USA to release updated Commodore 64
Viking Modular has unveiled a novel approach to adding a solid state storage boost to a computer or server. Instead of being bound by the familiar 2.5 or 3.5 inch (63.5/88.9mm) form factor, the company has introduced SATADIMM - storage on a memory module. It's shaped like system RAM and slides into DDR3 slots on the motherboard but connecting up its onboard SATA interface results in up to 200GB Enterprise Class Solid State Drive storage being made available. Although likely to find its way into business systems and data center servers in the immediate future, system designers may well find the module useful for creating even thinner mobile devices, such as tablet computers...
Continue Reading Viking Modular introduces an SSD in a DIMM memory form factor
For most of us, storing and accessing the vast majority of our computer data involves using either hard disk or solid state drives or perhaps a combination of both. Each method boasts its own advantages and while the battle for storage supremacy between the two rages in public, research at Japan's Tohoku University has revealed another option. Using a pulse generator to alter the electrical state of tiny dots on a ferroelectric medium, Kenkou Tanaka and Yasuo Cho have successfully recorded data at around eight times the density of current hard disk drives...
Continue Reading New record set for ferroelectric data storage
Ultra-thin tablets, laptops and other mobile devices could be set to look even slimmer with the development of SATA solid state drives no bigger than a postage stamp. SanDisk's new integrated SSD (iSSD) device is just 0.072 inch (1.85mm) thick, tips the scales at a mere 0.029 of an ounce (0.83g) and is currently available in sizes up to 64GB. It's not the fastest SSD solution currently available but hey, it's got to be the smallest...
Continue Reading SanDisk reveals the postage-stamp-sized integrated SSD
The trickle of USB 3.0 devices hitting the market is steadily increasing and will no doubt be a flood before too long. Portable hard drives are likely to be big sellers and Samsung is helping to get the ball rolling by announcing its new 2.5-inch external HDD, the S2 Portable 3.0. The drive features an on-board SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface and a 7200RPM spindle speed to slash the time spent watching a progress bar crawl across the screen when moving files...
Continue Reading Samsung's S2 Portable 3.0 external HDD with USB 3.0 and 7200RPM spindle speed
Other World Computing (OWC) has announced that super fast data transfer rates have been achieved during performance testing using four of its SSDs. Its drives were simultaneously connected to a Mac Pro via a couple of FirmTek eSATA controller cards, and 10GB read and write tests were performed. The test configuration managed to notch up some rather brisk data transfer rates of 853MB per second write and 1GB per second read, which should be more than enough to keep even the most active high definition video editors relatively grumble-free...
Continue Reading OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD achieves 853MB/s write and 1GB/s read in performance tests
NVIDIA has revealed its new range of Fermi-based Quadro GPUs that the company says deliver performance that is up to five times faster for 3D applications and up to eight times faster for computational simulation. The Quadro Plex 7000 Array is a complete system solution whereas the Quadro 6000, Quadro 5000 and Quadro 4000 are aimed at desktops and workstations. They are all compatible with NVIDIA’s new 3D Vision Pro active-shutter glasses solution, incorporate the new NVIDIA Scalable Geometry Engine and take advantage of NVIDIA Application Acceleration Engines (AXE). ..
Continue Reading NVIDIA unveils new Fermi-Class Quadro GPUs
As its name suggests, Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology delivers electrical power via Ethernet cabling. The technology is typically used to power VoIP phones, wireless LAN access points, cameras and other low power, network-related devices. SkinnyBytes has now announced a line of computers engineered for low voltage and extremely low power consumption that are able to receive all their power over a standard network cable via PoE...
Continue Reading SkinnyByte launches line of Power over Ethernet computers
Logitech has unveiled three new products aimed specifically at gaming enthusiasts. The new G-Series low friction gaming mouse features 13 programmable controls and pixel-perfect laser tracking. The keyboard has a GamePanel LCD display, user-customized color backlit keys and delivers 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound, plus up to 10 hours battery life... and there's a wireless headset too...
Continue Reading Game on: Logitech unveils new gaming series headset, keyboard and mouse
MSI has launched its latest performance gaming laptop, the MSI GX660. This laptop is designed with high performance and ease of use in mind. It features MSI’s TDE (Turbo Drive Engine) technology and Dynaudio sound. It also comes with dual 500GB SATA hard drives, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 discrete graphics card and has three DDR3 RAM slots which allows up to 12GB of RAM. MSI has built two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports into the machine as well as an eSATA port...
Continue Reading MSI launches MSI GX660 performance gaming laptop
Five years ago, Frog Design founder Hartmut Esslinger envisioned a technology that “could influence notions of community, identity, and connectivity with minimal impact on the physical environment.” Using an online design portal, users would select and try out a customized electronic processing device that they would then print onto their own skin. The DNA Tattoo, or Dattoo, could include printable input/output tools such as a camera, microphone, or laser-loudspeaker - it would be up to the user, as would the Dattoo’s aesthetics. Most intriguingly, it would capture its wearer’s DNA, to ensure an intimate user/machine relationship...
Continue Reading Dattoos would be the ultimate user/machine interface
Rather than rely on noisy fans to cool computer systems, overclockers and gamers have been using the chilling power of water to keep processors from overheating for quite some time. Now Kingston is offering three new flavors of water-cooled DDR3 memory modules to help keep the temperatures down while users try to squeeze even more performance from their machines...
Continue Reading Kingston introduces new liquid-cooled memory modules
If you're looking for a powerful, space-saving personal computer that's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand then the new LPC-100 from Stealth might just tick all the right boxes. Despite its diminutive dimensions, the little computer is claimed to outperform most desktop and mobile computers available today. There's up to 2.53GHz of processing power on offer, some 500GB of hard drive storage with solid state options too and up to 4GB of memory...
Continue Reading Stealth Computer unveils its smallest Mini PC to date
With Apple selling three million iPads in just 80 days it’s no surprise that some companies are after a slice of the tablet comuting pie. According to a report on Bloomberg, Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry, is planning to introduce its own tablet computer this November. The report cites two unnamed sources who say that the device, to be known as the Blackpad, will have roughly the same dimensions as the iPad and will include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that will allow users to connect to the Internet through their BlackBerry...
Continue Reading Makers of Blackberry to challenge iPad with its own Blackpad tablet
The organization that oversees the Internet's unique identifier naming system has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Commerce and secure infrastructure specialist Verisign Inc. to try and make our online lives a little safer. The Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has revealed that a solution has been found to a flaw in the security of the domain name system. The collaboration has announced the deployment of a new security extension to make sure that our website addressing requests are not hijacked by dishonest types looking to steal our savings...
Continue Reading Internet gets security upgrade
Flash memory specialist SanDisk has just unveiled its smallest USB Flash drive to date, the Cruzer Blade. About the size of a paper clip and weighing in at just 2.5 grams, the drives come in storage capacities starting from 2GB right up to a 4,000 MP3-capacity 16GB. ..
Continue Reading SanDisk goes micro-size with the Cruzer Blade USB Flash Drive
It seems that barely a day goes by without some new 3D product hitting the shelves. With 3D technology having obvious applications for engineers, designers, architects and computational chemists it’s not surprising to see NVIDIA is set to bring out a new 3D stereoscopic solution aimed at just these markets. The company’s 3D Vision Pro brings true stereo 3D to the desktop along with support for LCD panels to offer a practical way to provide a 3D viewing experience for large scale visualization environments like video walls and collaborative virtual environments (CAVEs)...
Continue Reading NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro has professional market in its stereoscopic sights
A bunch of space-saving, ultra-thin LED monitors has just been announced by Acer. The trio of stylish LED displays benefit from a huge contrast range, brisk response times and a movie-friendly aspect ratio. The S1 series also has the green check-box covered with low power credentials and a manufacturing process which the company says does not use harmful substances...
Continue Reading Acer S1 series ultra-thin LED monitors unveiled
If someone had suggested 20 years ago that a fully working computer with up to 1GHz of processing power would fit on a board the size of a SODIMM memory module (2.66 x 1.44 x 0.2 inches), some lighthearted mockery may have followed. Yet embedded hardware specialist Toradex is about to do just that with its new Tegra T20, a teeny computer module based on NVIDIA's latest Cortex A9 processor that offers full high definition video support, 256MB of onboard memory and a gigabyte of Flash storage...
Continue Reading Colibri's Tegra T20 module is a dual-core 1GHz computer the size of a SODIMM
