Gaming

Philips' Wireless HDTV Link transmits up to 1080p

By Jeff Salton

19:33 October 22, 2009 PDT

Philips' Wireless HDTV Link (SWW1800/27) replaces the cables that connect the HD cable set-top box, HD satellite receiver, Blu-ray player or gaming console to a HDTV and delivers up to 1080p picture quality at a range of 75 feet. This solution should appeal to viewers who have suffered from a lack of flexibility with their set-ups because of unsightly or too short cables. Read More

Blaze ‘Wiimote’ for PS3 could beat Sony to the motion sensitive controller punch

By Darren Quick

23:07 October 12, 2009 PDT

Sony might want to pull the lead out with European video game accessory maker, Blaze, announcing its very own motion-sensing controller for the PS3. The Blaze PS3 Motion Freedom Controller sports more than a passing resemblance to a Wiimote and promises to bring Wii-like motion sensing capabilities to any PS3. Read More

PS3 Motion Controller set for 2010 release

By Mick Webb

20:48 September 28, 2009 PDT

Watch out Wii! Nintendo’s hugely popular console, which made motion sensitive game play a household fixture the world over, could have some serious competition on the horizon. As well as Microsoft continuing to develop its impressive looking Project Natal concept, Sony has announced that its own tentatively titled “Motion Controller” is due for a second quarter release in 2010. Read More

Up to six screens from one AMD Eyefinity graphics card

By Paul Ridden

04:39 September 28, 2009 PDT

Forget high definition, AMD claims its ATI Eyefinity multi-screen technology has up to 12 times 1080p resolution, breaking into almost true eye-definition video quality. It's able to power up to six monitors from one card, is Windows 7 ready and positively champing at the bit to unleash the power of Direct X 11. Users can look forward to a much improved immersion gaming experience, or to taking advantage of one huge desktop workspace for better multi-task management, or to being able to keep an eye on breaking Internet news while also playing a game or watching a DVD. Read More

Five new Alienware PCs invade the gaming market with aggressive looks and specs

By Dario Borghino

17:40 September 24, 2009 PDT

Demanding PC gamers could soon see their wildest dreams come true with the five new Alienware gaming rigs — a laptop and four desktop PCs — recently presented by Dell. From overclocked, liquid-cooled Intel Core i7 processors to the latest-generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics, these machines combine the very best of the industry for blazing fast performance and an unprecedented gaming experience. Read More

The puzzling Revomaze is a maze wrapped in metal - updated

By Darren Quick

00:40 September 23, 2009 PDT

Ever since the Rubik’s cube took the world by storm in the 80’s there has been a steady stream of puzzles looking to capture the public’s imagination – even Prof Erno Rubik has tried to recapture lightning more than once. The latest brainteaser to take a stab at puzzling glory is the Revomaze, a cylindrical device that has been individually milled from a solid block of metal, and that features an internal labyrinth which must be navigated to remove the metal core and solve the puzzle. Read More

Altec Lansing's 200W Expressionist Ultra MX6021 computer speaker system

By Jeff Salton

19:29 September 7, 2009 PDT

Some people like their PC gaming experiences big. They spend big money on big games, big monitors and big gaming accessories but suffer from SSS (small sound syndrome). Well, listen up! Altec Lansing has released the Expressionist™ Ultra (MX6021), a distinctively styled and powerful three-piece home speaker system for computers, MP3 players and more that delivers 200W RMS. And with this quality of sound, it won’t be just the gamers taking advantage of all that power. Consumers who keep their music on their PC will greatly benefit from these speakers. Read More

Elonex introduces radical new motion-sensing TV Games Dock for the iPod

By Paul Lester

21:35 September 6, 2009 PDT

When it comes to over-saturated markets in gadget circles, the iPod Dock surely wins hands-down. The massive range of varied designs for a product that’s primarily intended to port audio or video to another source is staggering, but Elonex is about to buck this trend with something truly innovative. Its iGAME dock may not look too inspiring at first glance and, indeed, it's capable of handling music, videos, podcasts and video podcasts in the usual way. What makes it special is that it’s primarily a games console, or more specifically a TV Games Dock, designed to utilise the advantages of Apple’s newest players. Read More

TOOB dome screen delivers IMAX experience at home

By Jeff Salton

23:12 August 27, 2009 PDT

Alexander McDonnell, founder of TOOB (Think Out Of Box) confesses to a fascination with the Mugar Omni Theater in his hometown, Boston – so he decided to build a mini-version for himself. The result is much smaller plastic half-dome screen that’s big enough for a couple of people to sit in front of to watch a movie or enjoy a video game. Read More

Robotic gaming gets on a roll

By Darren Quick

00:42 August 26, 2009 PDT

Robots have uses beyond packaging, production lines and the imminent overthrowing of humanity - or at least South African/U.S. start up Robonica thinks so. It’s aiming to ‘redefine the entertainment robotics market’ with a line of robotic gaming products that fuse elements of robotics, remote controlled vehicles and electronic gaming. The core of the Robonica’s introductory product, Roboni-i Action Games, is a fully programmable remote controlled robot with sensors that make it aware of its environment and that enable it to interact with other robots. Read More

Sony Playstation fights back with the smaller, cheaper PS3 Slim

By Mick Webb

18:37 August 24, 2009 PDT

In a move set to shake things up in the ongoing gaming console war,

Sony has unveiled the overhauled Playstation 3. Dubbed the PS3 Slim, the unit features a revised cell processor, 120GB hard drive and is smaller, lighter and – yes – cheaper than its predecessor. Read More

High definition universal gaming cable for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii

By Jeff Salton

19:42 August 23, 2009 PDT

Gamers with more than one high definition console should be able to take full advantage of the new Blaze 3-in-1 component cable, with three connectors that enable you to use a single, high quality cable for Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii. Read More

PrimeSense paints future of home-tech interaction

By Paul Lester

19:21 August 17, 2009 PDT

Nintendo certainly created a stir when it introduced motion-sensing controls to the video game industry, but subsequent developments that are no more than a year or two from fruition are already threatening to confine this relatively new technology to the proverbial scrap-heap. The latest of these is PrimeSense, a 3D camera that allows devices like televisions to ‘see a view of the surrounding area’ by scanning a room to determine who is present through a combination of shape recognition and thermal imaging. Read More

NVIDIA graphics cards with 'no fuss' BFG liquid cooling

By Mick Webb

17:27 August 11, 2009 PDT

The availability of increasingly powerful computer graphics cards is placing ever-greater demands on keeping things cool “under the hood”. Certain to have gaming enthusiasts sitting up and taking notice is BFG Technologies' announcement of the release of two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 200 series graphics cards featuring their built-in liquid cooling solutions. Designed to be installed “out of the box and maintenance-free”, the GTX 285 H20+ and GTX 295 H20C offer high performance water-cooled video cards without the fuss. Read More

Logitech adds new mouse and headset to G-series

By Darren Quick

00:04 August 10, 2009 PDT

Logitech has made a couple of additions to its G-series line of high-end gaming peripherals - the Gaming Mouse G500, which updates Logitech’s G5 Laser Mouse, and the Gaming Headset G330, which is lightweight and features an adjustable, behind-the-head design. Read More

Wink Glasses - there won't be a dry eye in the house

By Mick Webb

19:49 August 4, 2009 PDT

The eye strain and resulting damage that often afflicts those who forget to blink while on a gaming marathon or glued to the Internet is a widespread problem. To combat this, Japan’s Masunaga Optical Manufacturing has unveiled Wink Glasses, which feature blink-sensing lenses that start to fog if the wearer neglects to keep their peepers hydrated. Read More

The computer-controlled Climbstation vertical treadmill

By Jack Martin

01:34 July 11, 2009 PDT

Now here's one of those ideas that leaps out at you with its commercial potential. Climbing offers extreme exercise with a nuclear fun factor and teaches fundamental coordination skills but it can be dangerous and scary with the heights involved, and besides, a climbing wall requires a serious commitment to locate and build. The computer-controlled ClimbStation is like an intelligent vertical treadmill for climbers, so it provides real climbing without the need for a safety harness because you never got more than a metre off the ground. ClimbStation hydraulically tilts between +15 degrees and minus 39 degrees, the holds are interchangeable, and the most significant thing about the ClimbStation is that it can be transported with a normal car trailer, making it an ideal relocatable owner-operator or amusement attraction. Read More

GameBone Pro game controller for iPhone

By Darren Quick

20:28 June 29, 2009 PDT

With the ever-increasing number of games available for the iPhone and iPod Touch through the App Store it seems many users find the Apple devices an acceptable gaming platform. One of the major downsides for gamers though is the lack of any real physical buttons. 22Moo is looking to provide mobile gamers with a solution in the form of the GameBone Pro, an OS 3.0 compatible, 8-way D-pad, 6 button game controller that connects to an iPhone or iPod Touch via Bluetooth or Apple’s 30-pin dock connector. Read More

Belkin boosts HD streaming with Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit

By Paul Best

18:32 June 23, 2009 PDT

As web viewing figures begin to put on serious weight, so grow the demands on households’ internet connections. Recent stats show that more than four in five people are watching more internet video than a year ago and the number of videos being viewed has ballooned 10-fold in a couple of years. But speed and bandwidth, which are critical to quality video streaming, remain issues. Belkin’s new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit adapter is helping the challenge of delivering mass entertainment over the internet, achieving 1000Mbps using the home’s existing powerline network. Read More

Maingear Axess-HD Gamer: Get your game on in the living room

By Darren Quick

21:34 June 21, 2009 PDT

Maingear has added some gaming grunt to its line of high end Home Theater PCs (HTPCs) in the form the Axess-HD Gamer. Just like its stable mates, the Axess-HD and HD PRO, the HD Gamer sports a low profile design with aluminum case and optional OLED Front Panel Display that is designed to blend in with other home theater components. However, behind that stylish exterior lies a system built for gaming, an intention made more obvious by the inclusion of the Phantom Lapboard as standard. Read More

Sony goes into battle with its motion controller for PS3

By Paul Best

01:21 June 4, 2009 PDT

A day after Microsoft took the wraps on its Project Natal motion control system at the E3 expo in Las Vegas, Sony Computer Entertainment has followed suit, showing off its own motion controller prototype for the PlayStation 3. And while the announcements have been popularly characterized as something of a “controller wars”, they're really a signpost pointing the way gaming has been heading since Nintendo stole the show with its Wii motion-sensing game console in 2006 – the need to capture the hearts and minds of the growing gaming audience, especially the moms, dads and similar less hardcore gamers. Read More

Sony officially announces PSP Go

By Darren Quick

21:58 June 3, 2009 PDT

Sony has confirmed the rumors and officially announced the updated, slimmed down version of its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming console at E3. The new PSP go features a sliding form factor with the ability to play video and music when closed, or transform into a gaming console when the familiar PlayStation controls are revealed. Read More

Microsoft shows off Project Natal motion-sensing control

By Darren Quick

00:58 June 3, 2009 PDT

“You are the controller.” No, it’s not some new Zen proverb for gamers, it’s how Microsoft describes its new motion-sensing, controller-free technology code-named Project Natal. Following details leaked a few weeks ago when the US patent office released documents, Microsoft has given a demonstration of the technology that looks and behaves a little like a Sony PlayStation Eye on some serious steroids. Read More

Forensics toolkit cracks open the Xbox gaming console

By Darren Quick

21:58 May 5, 2009 PDT

Those who think the Xbox game console may be the perfect place to hide illicit material from prying eyes – principally because it isn't seen as a regular-joe PC – had better think again. Computer scientist David Collins has developed a toolkit that allows police and other law-enforcement agencies to recover criminal data more easily from hard drives like the Xbox Read More

AMD claims world’s most powerful GPU with the ATI Radeon HD 4890

By Darren Quick

19:57 April 2, 2009 PDT

To meet the ever increasing graphical demands of modern games AMD has introduced the ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics card that boasts a staggering 1.36 TeraFLOPs of compute power, GDDR5 memory, and engine clock speeds capable of nearly 1GHz. Read More