We kid, we kid. MGS4 and GT5 are going to rock and you know it. Still, that doesn’t excuse the existence of Messiah Entertainment’s “Hardwear Console Armor,” which apparently enables your PS3 to deflect bullets in addition to playing games and Blu-ray movies. Don’t forget to add the controller armor, which’ll actually probably impart some much-needed weight to the SIXAXIS and also let you break the crap out of your TV when you toss the thing in frustration. Seriously, take the $30 these things’ll cost you and put it towards a DualShock 3, alright? You’ll be much happier, your console will look less ridiculous, and no one will make fun of you. Okay, so two out three ain’t bad
While we patiently wait for Nokia’s current, “no major new products” fiscal quarter to expire, we’ll have to trudge through releases like these 5320 (left) and 5220 (your other left) candybars. As members of the XpressMusic range the devices themselves are fine. Unfortunately, fine isn’t going to win back that 1% lost market share. The 3G HSDPA 5320 (€220 / $351) features dedicated music and N-Gage gaming keys, a 3.5-mm headphone jack, up to 24-hours of play time, up to 8GB of expandable storage, and a “Say and Play” voice controlled playlist; speak the name of the artist or song you want and the phone will play it. The (€160 / $255) 5220 removes the HSDPA but adds a lanyard… hoorah!? Expect both to land in Europe sometime in Q3 2008.
Chances are, that JB-100 you picked up ’round Christmastime last year isn’t even broken in yet, but JayBird’s already launching the aforesaid device’s proper successor. The just-introduced JB-200 features complete AVRCP music / call controls, an improved fit (25-percent narrower ear-tip), better sound isolation, higher-grade silicon tips, boosted bass performance and a 1-inch longer behind-the-neck cord. For those rolling without an A2DP-capable handset / handheld, the company still offers up its Bluetooth Adapter for iPod or the Bluetooth adapter for MP3, the latter of which functions with practically any DAP or PMP. You’ll also get around 5.5-hours of music listening time, 6.5-hours of talk time and 110-hours in standby mode. The JB-200 should be shipping out as we speak for $129.99, but folks needing one of the previously mentioned adapters will be coughing up an extra $30.
I’ve been avoiding the 3G iPhone rumor mongering as much as possible recently. After all, i know it’s coming as both AT&T and Apple have confirmed. Now this: one of Italy’s most respected newspapers, La Repubblica (like the WSJ with red sauce), is claiming in no uncertain terms that the 3G iPhone is coming shortly to Telecom Italia without a revenue sharing deal and without long-term exclusivity. If true, this change in strategy opens the doors for a true, global, 3G iPhone launch on UMTS networks around the world come summer time.
Sure, there’s a clip-on display for gaming on-the-go made for basically every console out there, but for whatever reason, Sony’s PlayStation 3 just doesn’t lend itself to being the perfect candidate the way Nintendo’s Wii does. Who knows, maybe it’s that curvaceous design or something. Anyway, Clearvision is hoping that you don’t much care how unsightly your console becomes when strapping its PS3 gaming monitor on, which adds a 7-inch LCD, a pair of speakers and little else. Unfortunately for those actually interested in picking one up, it seems you’ll have to put in an inquiry with one Shenzhen Madcow Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Good luck with that.
Rest assured, we’ve seen some seriously sophisticated takes on the famed Post-It Note, but Girton Labs may have the most ingenious twist of all. The Ixp-Note, which is listed as “currently in development,” is little more than a recyclable, reusable Post-It with oodles of intelligence. The device relies on low-cost electronic circuit printing technology, enabling users to select a time / date via the printed scroll in which they’d like to be reminded of whatever they just jotted down on the highlighted strip. When the time comes, an alarm similar to that found in a musical greeting card will sound, jolting the memory of the note holder and potentially saving the day. As it stands, there’s no telling how much each of these will cost, but considering that the battery should last at least a year, you won’t have to have too many spares around, anyway.
This one’s been available for a tick, but ivyskin’s brilliant new iPhone case is just too marvelous to ignore. The Xylo Touch-Thru (T2) claims to be the first case to put a hard shell atop the iPhone’s touch panel which can remain in place as you check your email, respond to a SMS or dial up the local pizza joint. By utilizing Surface Xylo Wave technology, ultrasonic waves are able to permeate through to the display without interference, allowing users to simultaneously keep their precious panel protected ’round the clock while not inhibiting their ability to touch and feel. Not a bad investment for $34.99, eh?
Last time we saw the Gibson Robot Guitar it was in the hands of Yngwie Malmsteen, who was laying down gorgeous, undulating waves of pure classical-metal fever. The first version of the self-tuning Les Paul was a rather limited edition, but now Gibson is sharing the wealth by introducing two more widely available models. The guitar-maker will issue the original iteration of the axe, but it will now be joined by Gibson’s other familiar face, the SG. Both models will apparently be available in a funky, purple-metallic finish (which we suspect only Prince could truly love), and will go on sale for a “limited time” — though Gibson hasn’t said what the cutoff will be. So, if you’ve got $3,999 for the Les Paul, or $3,599 for the SG, now might be the time to buy.
Rewind back to late 2006. The PS3 was launching alongside the Wii new laptops. People already managed to convince our good pal Ben Heck to build another Xbox 360 laptop and the Wii Laptop, so it was only a matter of time before we started brainstorming on how the hell we could possibly fit a PS3 into a “portable” enclosure. That’s the part where Ben stepped up his game and worked his magic — on and off for almost a year and a half — to build… the PS3 Laptop!
The essential specs:
The Grand, to treat card playing as an exciting spectator sport rather than, say, about as thrilling as watching fishing for two hours, 21 is an offbeat cautionary tale basically warning all those impulsive casino-bound eggheads out there that losers come in all IQ’s. Adapted from the Ben Mezrich bestseller Bringing Down The House and directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Monster-in-Law), 21 is loosely based on the true story of six MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) math geniuses who took the Vegas casinos for a ride in the 1990s, and suffered the consequences.