Portable Gaming

Nintendo's 3DS has been in the wild for a while, but now that the hype surrounding the device has died down a bit we decided to cast an eye over the console that promised to revolutionize portable gaming when it was released earlier this year. The 3DS follows the clamshell form factor Nintendo first introduced on the Game Boy Advance SP back in 2003 and the look and feel of the console will be pretty familiar to anyone who has used any of Nintendo's DS line, but the 3DS sees a couple of useful design changes in addition to the headline-grabbing 3D capabilities.  Read More

After a good deal of speculation, Dell has announced two new additions to its Alienware gaming brand and one updated favorite. The new flagship M18x desktop replacement notebook – modestly described by the company as the "most powerful 18-inch gaming laptop in the universe" – features a factory-overclocked second generation Core i7 processor, dual graphics and supports up to 32GB of DDR3 memory. The M14x comes in two display options, dual or quad Core i7 processors and an impressive eight hour battery life. The refreshed M11x gets treated to some new processors, USB 3.0 and HDMI 1.4 connectivity.  Read More

Getting caught up in the game depends just as much on immersive audio as it does engaging visuals. Gaming specialist Razer reckons that it's come up with a pair of portable gaming speakers that offer listeners room-filling, omnidirectional sonic enjoyment in a very compact package. The new Ferox speakers feature a rising resonance chamber mechanism, which is sure to prove a talking point in addition to providing some bass oomph.  Read More

Nintendo has announced that its much-anticipated 3DS, which offers glasses-free 3D gaming, will launch in Europe on March 25, closely followed by a U.S. release on March 27. This comes after the previously announced February 26 release date for Japan, where it will retail for JPY25,000 (approx. US$305). In the U.S. the device will be priced at US$249.99, while pricing outside these markets will be set by local retailers – UK retailers are quoting a price range of UKP219 to 229 (approx. US$350 to $366).  Read More

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.  Read More

Okay, hands up all those who spend too much time each day untangling the earbuds on their portable media devices? More than 200 million such portable media players are sold globally each year with numbers increasing, so it makes sense that there are a lot of man-hours being lost untangling earbuds. Now a simple and ingenious USD$5 device, named BudTrap, can save you those precious few minutes each day that you’ll never get back. There is, however, a catch …  Read More

February 19, 2009 The third iteration of the all conquering Nintendo DS will be released in the US on April 5. The new Nintendo DSi, which has been going gangbusters in Japan where it was launched on November 1 last year, crams even more goodies into a package about 12% thinner than the Nintendo DS Lite. Built-in features include two VGA (0.3 megapixel) cameras, SD card slot, a new DSi Sound application and a new DSi Shop application, which is similar to the Wii Shop Channel.  Read More

March 29, 2008 InventorSpot have reviewed eMotion’s new portable media player which is charged by solar panels built into the back of the device. The EM-SOL1GIG not only charges itself from the Sun, but with the use of a charger adapter the EM-SOL1GIG can be used to charge other portable devices such as mobile phones, MP3/MP4 players, laptops, digital cameras and other portable Lithium battery devices. The device supports a maximum SD card size of 2GB and files can be transferred on and off using the built-in SD card reader. The EM-SOL1GIG also comes with a long list of media capabilities including the ability to play music and video, display photos and books and play games – albeit on a 320x240 screen.  Read More

February 12, 2008 One of the biggest problems for travelers who love their gadgets is carrying around all the chargers to keep their mobile devices powered up. Even many a home desktop is covered with a tangle of cords leading back to an overtaxed power point or power board. Recognizing this IonHub has released the Ionhub multi charger, a charger that can simultaneously charge multiple devices including mobile phones, iPods, iPhones, Sony PSPs, Nintendo DS Lite, Canon and Sony camcorders, PDAs, GPS, digital cameras, Zunes, Sansas, Zens and Blackberries, to name a few. The patent pending Ionhub is a palm sized, multiple output port, multiple output voltage, universal multi charger hub that is capable of simultaneously charging up to six portable electronic devices from a single wall outlet, car or airplane outlet. Similar to the recently reviewed IDAPT, the Ionhub connects to the charging devices using interchangeable and self-locking charger tips called IonTips, which are sold separately.  Read More