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Bit.Trip Beat bouncing to iPhone
Gaijin Games' retro-synaesthetic Bit.Trip series is no longer a WiiWare exclusive. The developer announced that it has partnered with Namco Bandai to release an iPhone and iPad version of Bit.Trip Beat. It seems likely that the iPhone game will employ the tilt controls used to move the paddle in the Wii version, but that wasn't detailed in the brief, enthusiastic announcement -- and neither was a release date. We're checking with Gaijin Games to see when you'll be able to fail repeatedly to complete stage 2 on the go.
Beat poet digs Macs
New York Times columnist John Markoff recently interviewed Beat-era poet Gary Snyder, who usually writes about the American wilderness. Markoff found that the 79 year-old Snyder, who confesses to writing his poetry on "whatever was at hand," is an avid and devoted Mac user. According to Markoff, Snyder wasn't aware of the upcoming announcement of an Apple book replacement, as he lives in the California back country and apparently doesn't have the interruption of broadband noise to bother him. Snyder rarely uses a mobile phone and is quoted by Markoff as considering texting "abhorrent." But he waxes poetic when he uses his Mac. Snyder noted about his Mac, "I like the storage space it has," he said, "and I like the ability to have back files accessible to me wherever I go." Those weren't the only words he had to say about the Mac. In a short, previously unpublished poem titled "Why I Take Good Care of My Macintosh," the "poet laureate of Deep Ecology" describes why he says that personal computers feel like sentient beings. Fans of poetry and Macs can read the poem by visiting the title link in the previous paragraph. It's crazy, daddy-o!
Kodak touchscreen Slice camera, underwater Playsport camcorder, and friends hands-on
Where do you show most of your digital photos to friends? Probably via Facebook or Flickr or the like, but many consumers simply do the most logical thing: turn their camera around and squint at the dinky LCD. That was the idea behind the Slice, announced yesterday and more or less designed around a lovely 3.5-inch touchscreen that may not be quite as big as a 4 x 6 print, but it's far more versatile. The 14 megapixel camera has a solid feel in the hand and looks great. For those feeling a little more adventurous there's the 1080p Playsport camcorder, which looks and feels more or less like a beefy Flip. To prove its disrespect toward moisture, the camera was unceremoniously plunked into a fish bowl, where it seemed hardly perturbed. Finally is the Pulse digital photo frame, a somewhat pedestrian-looking seven-inch, 800 x 600 model that sports the ability to receive photos via e-mail, so you can shoot those pics of the grandkids off to nanna without her having to touch a thing. Pictures of all that and a pair of new EasyShare models in the gallery below. Oh, and a crab, too. %Gallery-81864%
Video hands-on: Samsung's YP-M1 media player is Tegra-based but no Zune HD
An NVIDIA Tegra chipset pumping away at the heart of a portable media player is no guarantee of success. See, there's this little thing called software and Samsung's YP-M1, aka Beat Player M1, still needs some tweaking. It's not awful, but the performance isn't even close to being Zune HD-like. Perhaps Samsung's using a weaker Tegra system-on-chip. We don't know. We're told that these are hand-made engineering prototypes so there's hope that Sammy can work out the kinks before these players go production. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a real sense for the audio quality from the show floor due to the DJ mixing his decks not 10 feet from our position. What we can say for sure is that it's a fingerprint magnet, the volume buttons are hopelessly small and far too tightly packed into the upper-edge of the player, and the Gingerbread Man is dead... Fa La la lalalala la, dead. Watch the fatal pummeling from our massive beef hammers in the video after the break.
Video: D-Touch drum machine keeps heads, hands bobbing
Oh sure, we've seen countless drum machine hacks over the years, but there's just something special about one that's so simple, yet so fulfilling. D-Touch is hailed as a visual markers recognition system "that enables the development of low-cost tangible user interfaces and mixed reality applications," and here, we're seeing it used to create movable sounds. Users simply print out the cubes, fold 'em up, add lentils and arrange them on the highly sophisticated A4 sheet of paper. We get the feeling this one won't cost you much to replicate, so why not hit the read link for more instructions after digging into the vid just beyond the break?[Via Engadget German]
Samsung's M7600 Beat DJ music phone on sale at O2 UK
Quite a bit has gone down in the cellular realm since Barcelona opened its beautiful doors to host Mobile World Congress 2009, but how could we ever forget this gem? Samsung's M7600 Beat DJ is about as close as we'll ever come to a real live Pilotfish Ondo, and after months of waiting, it's finally on sale across the pond. Available for purchase right now at O2 UK, the Bang & Olufsen-infused handset packs a 2.6-inch OLED panel, perfect for mixing, scratching and texting your mum when you stay out too late. It's all yours for between £0.00 and £146.80 ($233) depending on your choice of contract, and if any of you kind, gentle Britons feel like importing a few for the deprived Yanks over here, drop us a note in comments.[Thanks, Todd]
The Bit.Trip.Beat stops on WiiWare this Monday
Ready to go on your first Bit.Trip? The folks at Aksys have confirmed to us that the hard-as-nails retro-themed WiiWare-exclusive music game will make its US debut on Monday, March 16th. The concept is rather simple: just tilt your Wii Remote to slide your Pong-esque paddle up and down. Deflect oncoming bullets to create some pretty rad chiptune music. As easy as this sounds, the wild barrage of notes that soon floods the screen will lead to many, many game overs. With support for up to four players on one screen, Bit.Trip.Beat has us pretty excited. It's the kind of game that you can just play and get into a trance. %Gallery-43105%
Samsung Beat Disc hands-on
Having already taken Samsung's Beat DJ for a spin, the mixers at Engadget Spanish tried out its not-quite-finished younger brother, the Beat Disc. The two handsets are pretty similar, with the most notable differences being a slide-out keyboard and the Bang & Olufsen speakers placed closer together at the bottom of the device. All in all, it comes off as a cheaper version of the DJ, so take that as you will. Check out the moving pictures version of the hands-on after the break. Gallery: Samsung Beat Disc
Leaked Samsung M7600 phone sports Bang & Olufsen sound, Helio looks
We don't know exactly where this one came from... but these leaked photos appear to be of an Ocean-esque Samsung M7600. Here's what we know about it, spec-wise: it's an HSDPA phone which will have a 3 megapixel camera, GPS, a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, and yes, a Bang & Olufsen amplifier. We understand that it'll also sport some kind of of DJ scratching app -- which should make your nightlife way more interesting -- and that it's supposedly set to appear sometime in May of this year (though we'd be surprised if we don't see more of it at MWC). Check a few more shots after the break, and hit the read link to see the device in all its glory.
Samsung intros twelve (yes, twelve) phones at IFA
IFA typically isn't considered the strongest show in the mobile world, which Samsung apparently saw as an opportunity to grab just a little more spotlight than it'd normally have. Okay, maybe "a little more spotlight" is an understatement, seeing how it trotted out no fewer than a dozen handsets at the show -- and granted, none of them are groundbreaking taken alone, but the collective ends up making for a mighty showing. Highlights include the S7330 slider, featuring a Soul-like display in the d-pad; the rumored D980 DUOS which adds an extra SIM slot to the F480's design language; the music-centric M3510 Beat; and this here beast of a phone, the B2700, looking like it's more than ready to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. Overall, we would've liked to have seen a little more high-end fare in the mix, but we'll take it.
How many end games have there been?
Today on the WoW Insider Show Mike Schramm, Turpster, Daniel Whitcomb, and BigBearButt were talking about the number of times the game has been beaten. This got me thinking, what exactly is that number? Off the top of his head Mike said 5 or 6 times, and I think that sounds about right. Let's take a closer look though at how many times the game has been beaten, and who's claimed the top spot.Molten Core – The first end game instance. For a while this was truly the end game. The first guild that beat Ragnaros was Ascent on the Medivh server.Blackwing Lair – Added in patch 1.6, it existed for a short time as the pinnacle of end game raiding. Drama of the Shattered Hand server was the first guild to kill Nefarian, the end boss of BWL.Temple of Ahn'Qiraj – Added in patch 1.9, and was opened up after the server completed the opening of the gates of Ahn'Qiraj. C'Thun is the end boss of AQ 40, and was first killed by Nihilum.
T-Mobile launches Samsung Beat
Attention, lovers of bizarre rings of color: your phone has arrived. Samsung's "Beat" for T-Mobile -- the SGH-T539 -- launches today, complete with that wild green ring of a speaker up front that we'd peeped before. The midrange, music-friendly flip comes bundled with a 1GB microSD card, two preloaded songs (hopefully not variations of that infernal T-Mobile theme ring), and stereo Bluetooth, along with a 1.3 megapixel camera and the now-standard myFaves support. Look for the Beat to drop today; we'll update with pricing information when we get it.[Via Phone Scoop]Update: The Beat runs $99.99 on a two-year contract.
Tokyoflash's BPM watch: for DJs and runners alike
Cramming a heart rate monitor into a wristwatch isn't all that difficult, but Tokyoflash's BPM watch does the trick in style. This multipurpose timepiece dons a stainless steel face, spits out the time in digital fashion, keeps track of the date, and includes a "mini-torch" backlight to find your way to an empty seat when entering a theater seven minutes late. The standout feature, however, is the built-in beats-per-minute mode, which allows you to "tap the button to the rhythm of the beat" or monitor your current heart rate. Additionally, BPM mode brings out textual inspiration in the form of random DJ phrases that are presumably meant to get you even more amped up. Not too shabby for ¥7,900 ($65), eh? Check the closeups after the jump.[Via PlasticBamboo]
Decent sale on imports at Renchi
We love region-free consoles! Not only does it allow us to play games that never get released in the US, but it also gives us freedom to choose the cheapest version of worldwide-release games. Renchi.com has marked down a load of DS games, and there's plenty of stuff for US gamers to enjoy. First, the Japanese versions of US games. You can get Yoshi Touch & Go (Catch! Touch! Yoshi!), Mega Man ZX (Rockman ZX), Star Fox Command, the just-released Honeycomb Beat, and a few others for $10. If you want a uniquely Japanese experience, there's a bunch of stuff including Mawasunda!!, a lot of miscellaneous non-games and puzzle games (including an amusing-looking coloring game), and a nice selection of D3's Simple Series stuff. Stock is rapidly diminishing, so go browse right now.[Thanks, joe!]
Ontama shows random Dreamcast influence
This is probably more of a coincidence or an unintentional influence than anything else, and there's always the possibility that we're imagining things, but doesn't Ontama's protagonist Beat look somewhat familiar? He looks like a cross between Sonic Adventure-era Sonic (look at the poses!) and Jet Set Radio's main character, also named Beat. Well, if you had to pick two games to resemble, you could do a lot worse than these, both of which had fantastic art. The actual game, a rhythm-puzzle thing that we totally want, doesn't look like anything else. We've got new screens after the break.
Beat Blocks melds wood and MIDI in rhythmic harmony
No doubt we've seen quite a few attempts to mesh MIDI with, um, just about everything, but Jess Hoefs' Beat Blocks creation certainly brings back fond memories of our childhood days. Based around basic wooden blocks, colored with blue tape and adorned by bottom-mounted sensors, the system functions when a block is placed into a sensor-laden cube on the board, sending a signal to generate a specific loop. The "tangible interface for a rhythm sequencer" utilizes MIDI and contacts in order to generate sound signals, and by re-arranging the blocks on the fly, users can mix up the beats and create quite the musical masterpiece whilst reliving their days of innocence. Jeff is looking to ramp up two different flavors, with one being of a smaller, more performance-oriented design, and a larger matrix board to accommodate "multiple users." So if you're still curious just how fiddling with toy blocks can actually create musical delight, be sure to hit the read link and surf over to the video demonstration.[Via OhGizmo]
Cheer up! More Ouendan 2 scans are here!
Every day we get to see even one more frame of Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 is a good day. Just getting an excuse to type the awesomely overblown title out makes us smile. And today we have two nice, big magazine scans to stare at. The scans show two of the new levels, and we have descriptions of the objectives thanks to the language wizards at NeoGAF, who can instantly make small amounts of Japanese become English. The first level involves Tsuyoshi Hanada, the student from the first level of the first Ouendan, and his job search. The second involves a salesman who wants to peddle sneakers in space. The screenshots from this level indicate that the rival Ouendan team will be playable! The full scans are available after the post break. Click them (rhythmically, of course) for larger versions. [Via NeoGAF]
Alex Ward flips out during MTV interview
Did you play EA's notoriously over-hyped shooter, Black? We mean, did you really play it? Enough to understand the subtle geopolitical message that gelled together the very fabric of the game? Would you say you beat the game? If so, don't tell Alex Ward that. As MTV News' Stephen Totilo found out, using such common terminology for completing a game in the presence of Criterion's creative director is enough to warrant a long-winded rant against Western gamers. Between finding hidden messages in Pac-Man and taking absurd leaps in logic when analyzing the speech habits of Americans, Ward spits fire for just under five minutes of insanity. Totilo attempts to get him back on track regarding the plot (or lack thereof) of Black, but even after a few zingers Ward just keeps on trucking. Let's see. An arrogant British man grandstanding about the stupidity of Americans? Yeah, that's real creative. About as creative as Black.
Beat the blues with a new Tank Beat trailer
Are you depressed? Not enough cannon fire and war in your life? Well, we've got the cure! Yes, ladies and gentleman, Tank Beat from O3 Entertainment looks to blow the hell out of your blues and set fire to apathy, sparking new waves of interest in all things gaming from you. Check the video out, embedded past the jump, and let us know what you think!There are also screenshots for the game available at DS-x2 here.See also: Tank Beat brings the noise[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii + DJ = WiiJ (Duh!)
OK, we'll admit it, we have no idea what is going on in this video (also embedded below after the jump). All we see is some guy waving his arms in the air (like he just doesn't care) while the computer drops some funky beats. Supposedly, the Wii controllers in his hands are actually activating the various looping samples, but we can't make hide nor hair of which motions are supposed to do what, even with the helpful descriptive text on the video. If this is a fake, though, it's an extremely elaborate one. The video's maker, DJ Shift 1 has set up an elaborate web page page that lays out the fundamentals of his patented technique. The WiiJaying master is also promoting his first live performance of his at Bootie San Francisco on May 12. Now that's devotion to a hack.
