Posted Mar 13th 2008 9:10AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds
See that? You’re looking at a picture of the printed circuit board for Pandora. Ok, it’s hardly a completed product. In fact, it’s chipless. Still, it’s a measurable step away from product vapor and one step closer to the $320 (damn dollar!) $330 GP2X gaming computer we’re expecting to land in March or April.
[Thanks, Argor]
Do you happen to run some sort of business from your home that involves shipping? Well, instead of busting out even more dollars to pick up a shipping scale, here’s an idea that costs less than a dollar which converts the humble electronic bathroom scale into a shipping scale. Apparently, the former is pretty accurate as long as the weight remains within the 7kg to 150kg boundary. All you need is some basic DIY knowledge to rewire the weight readout display’s output to another LCD display placed in a viewable position.
Up until now, vudu doing quite well alone, but we all know that it is important to have third party accessories, integration and support in order to have a thriving ecosystem. This is what vudu is announcing today: many partners are going to support the vudu by creating compatible hardware and services around the vudu box. Each partner will announce their own solution, but here are the names: Control4, Crestron, Logitech, NetStreams, Philips, Universal Electronics Inc., and Universal Remote Control, Inc.
That way, vudu can focus on the on-demand experience, while others take care of the customization aspect. Let’s wait and see.
If you like the Sony VAIO, but deem the designt too mundane for your taste, take a look at this.
Presenting Sony VAIO’s Expression Collection. There are no major changes to the laptop, but the mere fact that you could actually customise it would surely please the fashionistas. Here are the choices you have to choose from:
Colours:
Pattern:
Keyboard fonts:
Customisation of the the VAIO’s looks incurs no additional fees, but customisation of the specs will cost you additional charges. Granted, many people buy a laptop because of its specs and not its looks, but then again, looking pretty won’t hurt one bit.
Gaming chairs aren’t exactly the newest peripheral on the block, but I find them to be perpetually cool. The Rumbleseat from Boomchair helps spread the fun of immersing yourself in the game with another person since it comes in a two-seater form factor. Not only that, it features wireless connectivity to virtually any A/V device, ensuring that your living room floor won’t be a tripping hazard in the process. You will be able to choose from Black/Red, Blue Microsuede, and Gray Microsuede colors with each Rumbleseat retailing for $249.99.
An ideal choice for small business, Vostro 1200 laptop from Dell is a power packed equipment. Customized with advanced features and software applications, Dell Vostro 1200 laptop is specially designed for ultra-mobility. It sports a 12.1-inch display screen with a tint of style. This lightweight laptop is easy to be carried during business travel. So, bring on Dell Vostro 1200 laptop and avail high performance from its array of exceptional features.
You can easily maximize hot spot connectivity of Dell Vostro 1200 laptop with available next generation Wireless-N-WiFi for up to 5 times faster output and up to 2 times the range using a Wireless-N router. With its up to 160 GB of storage space and up to 4 GB of memory space, Dell Vostro 1200 laptop is an end-to-end solution for all your small business needs. Weighing just 1.9 kg, this laptop from Dell is known for its outstanding mobility.
The box comprises of Dell Vostro 1200 laptop, adapter and users manual.
Dell Vostro 1200 laptop is available at a price of $1,249.00.
Source: Dell
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Here’s yet another bag that allows you to carry your iPod inside, and providing you with the necessary controls on the outside so that you will be able to head over to your favorite songs in a hiffy. The iBlaze iPod Intelligent Bag features a waterproof silicon control panel with On/Off buttons, track skipping and volume adjustment. The earplug cables are retractable and can be stowed away safely when not in use. In addition to lugging around your ipod, the iBlaze iPod Intelligent Bag has enough room to carry around laptops up to 17″ in size. This nifty bag retails for $100 thereabouts.
Take-Two announced its financial results for the 1st quarter ending January 31. The company was less than spectacular with net revenue down from US$277.3 million this time last year to $240.4 million. The net loss for the company was $38 million compared to $21 million last year.
There was good news for gamers, however, with the top announcement/confirmation being that BioShock 2 is definitely in development and scheduled for a 4th quarter 2009 release. Illusion Softworks has also been purchased, giving the company exclusive access to series such as Hidden & Dangerous. The newly acquired studio will be renamed to 2KCzech.
Strauss Zelnick, chairman on Take-Two, commented:
We are pleased with Take-Two’s stronger than expected top and bottom line results for the first quarter. Our performance benefited from a diverse range of hit titles in the first quarter, and we are eagerly awaiting the release of Grand Theft Auto IV in the second quarter. We believe that our extraordinary creative assets and improving operational efficiency will be sources of significant value for shareholders as the interactive entertainment industry moves further into the current growth cycle.
A lot is riding on GTA IV selling very well for Take-Two, and there aren’t many games where you can guarantee it will just sell loads of copies. Having one game bail you out of a situation is no way for the business to function, though, and the company seems to be taking action to ensure it is more stable in the future.
Read more at Gamasutra.com and the Take-Two press release.
LucidTouch, Microsoft’s see-through touch screen concept is definitely going to be revolutionary when it comes out, although it remains to be seen just how much of an impact it can make in the consumer electronics industry. In order to further aggravate our Pavlovian response to all things gadgety, Microsoft has released a photoshopped mockup of a tablet pc that uses LucidTouch and I can say that I’m sold. The only problem with mockups is this - the final product is rarely as cool and tantalizing as what was shown in renderings, and as we all know, there will be a camera located at the back to detect your hand and finger positions. Hopefully Microsoft engineers will be able to come up with an infrared sensor mounted at the back to do away with a bulky camera. Are you looking forward to LucidTouch?
O2 has rolled out a new Windows Mobile smartphone known as the Xda Atmos. Smartphones of similar calibre are pretty much in the same boat these days when it comes to specifications and form factor - you find the hidden QWERTY keyboard when the unit remains closed, revealing itself by sliding outwards. The Xda Atmos is actually the HTC S730 repackaged, and has also seen action in Japan as the X03HT courtesy of Softbank. Some of the features are :-
