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There's an easy way to bet on competitive video games
Competitive gaming is big enough now in the US that it's catching ESPN's attention, so it stands to reason that you'd want a way to bet on those virtual matches, doesn't it? Ex-Microsoft manager (and Engadget Expand panelist) Rahul Sood thinks so. He just launched Unikrn, a site that makes it easy to wager on eSports. If you live in a country where the company will accept bets (currently Australia), you can plunk down real cash and win jackpots, much like you would with conventional sports betting. You could make a tidy profit betting that a low-ranked League of Legends team will defy the odds, for instance. Even if you live in the US and other nations where real bets are illegal, you can still sign up and win prizes.
HP's slim 'Omen' gaming laptop conjures up Voodoo memories
Remember that gaming laptop HP was rumored to be building, the one @evleaks said would rival Alienware's rigs? Well, it's here -- and it's not quite what the retired leaker expected. Instead of a thick, meaty machine to match the Alienware 14 and 17, HP is putting out the Omen, a 15-inch gaming notebook that measures only 0.78-inches at its thickest point. Don't let its svelte chassis fool you, though, there's more than enough under the Omen's hood to compete in today's laptop market.
Razer enlists Rahul Sood of VoodooPC fame as advisor to its board of directors
Rahul Sood is still keeping busy at Microsoft, but he's adding yet another role to his resume: advisor to Razer's board of directors. The VoodooPC founder says he views the gaming-focused firm as the spiritual successor to his PC outfit's previous work, and Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan effectively considers the feeling mutual. "In fact, it was his work at VoodooPC that inspired us to enter the systems business, and I believe his advice will be invaluable to us here at Razer," says Tan. In his new capacity, Sood will help guide the company with everything from product development to sales. We can only hope the collaboration leads to more Ferrari tie-ins and good advice when it comes to gaming hardware like the Razer Blade and Razer Edge.
Microsoft's Rahul Sood says every PC industry exec should use a MacBook
Voodoo founder Rahul Sood has never shied from controversy -- he famously cut a cake with a MacBook Air during his tenure at HP -- and today he's expressing his love for Apple hardware from his pulpit as a Microsoft exec. "Every executive in the PC industry should use an Apple notebook," Sood tweeted today, implying that they were of higher quality than those that come with Windows by default. That certainly sounds a bit like a shot at Microsoft, but according to ConceivablyTech he may actually be pointing at his former employer HP, as a series of private status updates point to HP's unwillingness to compete at the high end of the laptop marketplace. "We could have done it - just need a few years of patience, and investment in our tooling/process," the message reportedly reads, "We really could have done it. [...] ...especially with webOS, what a combination that would have been." We're actually pretty happy with our Envy 14 -- lack of Radiance Display aside -- but we can't help wondering if it coulda been a contender with Voodoo DNA on board.
Rahul Sood leaving HP
HP acquired VoodooPC and its founder Rahul Sood in 2006, and it's been a wild ride ever since. The ever out-spoken Rahul has brought a lot of "Voodoo DNA" to HP products, most notably the Envy line, but also witnessed the slow fade of the actual Voodoo brand. He also went on a lot of extreme cycling trips in-between all the product teases and wild statements. Rahul isn't saying exactly why he's leaving HP, but he has penned a substantial blog post detailing some of Voodoo's history and thanking a whole bunch of people and companies. As for his time with HP: "We merged, we invented, we kicked ass, and we had fun, but then things got a little complicated." What he means by "complicated" is unclear, but whatever Rahul is moving on to next (he says he "can't wait to be directly involved in a product pipeline again," for what it's worth), we're sure he'll do it with his trademark flair for the dramatic that we've come to know and love.
Voodoo's Rahul Sood emerges from hiding, gives us all the low-down
For years now, Voodoo PC's fearless leader (that'd be Rahul Sood) barely went a month without teasing this or that, or better yet, introducing the new hotness. In terms of cutting-edge design, these guys were at the front of the class. And then came the HP tie-in, along with the worry that the Voodoo name (and "DNA") would eventually be swallowed whole. After dishing out a smattering of VoodooDNA machines under the HP label, Rahul and his company went radio silent. In fact, we haven't heard a peep from Mr. Sood for nine whole months, and we really began to wonder what was going on when HP issued the new Envy 13 and Envy 15 with nary an official hint of Voodoo's fingerprints.Now, at long last, Rahul has emerged from hiding, and he's got a story to tell. In short, Voodoo is still alive and well, but it's certainly not the same company that shocked the world with its ENVY m:790 laptop in late 2004. In fact, Rahul's been working on some pretty unorthodox projects, ranging from healthcare (okay?) to futuristic stuff for HP's Innovation Program Office. In a lengthy letter to the world, he explains that the initial push to get Voodoo completely underneath HP's wings was done in order to give Voodoo access to global partners, and in turn, to ship its products to every corner of the world. When speaking about the Envy 13 / 15, he proclaims that HP's own laptop team simply lifted ideas from Voodoo prototypes and designed them internally; the truth is that Voodoo didn't design either machine, it only influenced them. The removal of the "VoodooDNA" tagline -- according to Rahul -- has to do with "the overall design language, the target market, and the fact that [Voodoo] wasn't directly involved in the design." In the end, Sood admits that there's still a chance you'll see another Voodoo-branded machine in your lifetime, but he also confesses that it has transitioned from a desktop and laptop company to "something beyond." He also makes clear that he hasn't forgotten about his promise to change the future of desktop gaming, and that new products from HP will continue to boast Voodoo's fingerprints. Typical Rahul -- it just wouldn't be a formal conclusion without a tease or two, now would it?
How would you change HP's Firebird gaming rigs?
After arguably the biggest hype-fest of late 2008, HP's Firebird with VoodooDNA was revealed as Rahul Sood's ambitious little secret. The miniaturized gaming rigs began shipping out during CES, and we've no doubt that a few of you with space constraints and a lust of high frame rates have already chomped on the bullet. So, does the machine live up to the hype? Is it worth the asking price? What features weren't included that should have been? Has it handled your gaming demands with ease? Feel free to sound off below -- who knows, maybe Mr. Sood will tune in and hear you out.
How would you change the Voodoo Envy 133?
While low-cost laptops are all the rage right now, there's still a solid chunk of folks out there willing to pay a premium for potent ultraportables. The Voodoo Envy 133 is undeniably one of the sexier small machines we've seen of late, and the internals are rather impressive given the size of the enclosure. Still, this here rig costs a pretty penny, and we've all ideas those who splurged have a thing or two to say about it with nearly two months of usage under their belt. Has the Envy 133 lived up to your surely lofty expectations? Are there aspects there you wish were different? How could Voodoo go about tweaking things whenever it finally decides to actually launch another product at all its successor?
Voodoo's Rahul Sood continues to tease new product, calls it "forward-thinking"
Oh Rahul, why must you tease us so? Over a month after you referenced that "some other thing," we're still left to wonder what exactly "that thing" is. In a recent video response (posted after the break) to a question surrounding the HP Blackbird 002 gaming PC, Voodoo's founder closes things out by informing viewers that a product "way ahead of its time" is sitting just behind him, but he confesses that he can't show it off just yet. Of course, he also threw in the "forward-thinking" buzzword and assured us that the industry would "absolutely embrace" it, but as of now, there's simply nothing there to wrap our retinas around besides that smile. The game's growing tired, Mr. Sood.
Voodoo can't just come clean, has to tease yet another new product
Most everyone digs a surprise, but the novelty tends to wear off after the third or fourth iteration of the same trick, wouldn't you say? Rather than just coming right out and showing us the wares, Voodoo's Rahul Sood is playing the tease card again with an obviously undisclosed new product. In an apparent attempt to keep the wave (started by the Omen and Envy 133, by the way) rolling, Mr. Sood has dropped a sliver of a hint on The Next Bench. He states that "there's also this other thing [Voodoo is] working on right now," but he very purposefully fails to elaborate. Just keep it sexy and overpowered and we won't kvetch about the build up... too much.[Thanks, William]
HP merging Voodoo with consumer PC unit
Just weeks after "reinventing" Voodoo with the Envy 133 laptop and Omen gaming desktop, it looks like HP's had enough -- it's decided to straight-up merge the specialty PC shop with its core consumer business, and sell its products alongside the Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion lines. Yeah, that'll make Voodoo seem totally hardcore. For it's part, HP says it's always been planning on this kind of merger, and that the move will make Voodoo product easier to buy worldwide and faster to get with no change in service for existing customers, but it's also oddly ambiguous on whether the Voodoo name will live on -- saying only that it's "likely," but that a decision hasn't been reached. All this means that it's even weirder that HP has both the Voodoo and Blackbird gaming lines, of course -- any bets on which one gets axed first?Read - PC World articleRead - HP CTO Raul Sood's blog entry on the merger
Voodoo's Omen and Envy get talked about on video
Let's face it: a photograph is only worth a thousand words, but a video... well, it's almost always preferred. For those still hungry for (even) more details on Voodoo's latest duo, the HP VoodooPC channel is now home to a host of fresh clips to satisfy your insatiable appetite. The goods are in the read link, kiddos.[Thanks, William]
Envy 133 and MacBook Air duke it out in the flesh
Sure, we've sized these two up theoretically, but how well do Voodoo's Envy 133 and Apple's MacBook Air get along when sharing the same meatspace? There are certainly some striking similarities -- both have gargantuan trackpads, for instance, but Voodoo has taken things in an aesthetic direction all its own. We just hope these two decide to be friends instead of mortal, cake-cutting enemies.
Voodoo PC teaser video hints at new machines
First Voodoo's home page had that little fire problem, and now this super-dramatic teaser video's making the rounds -- we'd say there's probably a new Voodoo desktop and laptop in store for us on June 10, by the looks of things. Vid after the break.
VoodooPC website goes up in smoke... and mystery
It looks like HP is milking its future plans for its Voodoo division for all their worth, with it now following up its tantalizing hints from a few days ago with a not-so-subtle revision of the VoodooPC website. Exactly what that means, however, we can't be sure, but it certainly seems to suggest that the Voodoo brand might not be featured so prominently in HP's "beautiful" future --especially since the only live links left on the site are for support and community.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HP's Voodoo team prepping something "beautiful" for June 10
Our stubborn pocket books and loved ones continue to chime in with a resounding "no" every time we start considering one of those fancy HP Blackbird 002 units, but that doesn't mean HP isn't on to something when it comes to fancy aesthetics and even fancier tech specs -- all courtesy of that VoodooPC buy a while back. Now it appears HP has a big unveil set for June 10 that "could begin to establish the company as a provider of beautiful technology gear" according to a Fortune article on HP. Voodoo founder Rahul Sood likens Voodoo's role as akin to Lamborghini within Audi, and has promised a "huge announcement" on his own blog. He even hinted at a laptop in a birthday post depicting him cutting his cake with a MacBook Air (pictured): "Ahh well, I wouldn't be needing this notebook for long anyways... :) Stay tuned for more..." The subnotebook fanboy within us hopes that means HP has a X300 / MacBook Air killer in the works, but whatever it is we certainly hope it warrants the modicum of buzz HP and Rahul are building for it.[Thanks, William M.]Read - HP reaches for the cool factorRead - Rahul on Audi and LamboRead - Rahul and the Cake Knife
HP Blackbird 002 PC springs from nest
As previously leaked, HP has just launched its Blackbird 002 PC, the first team-produced product between HP and previously acquired VoodooPC. This high-end computer fits in the question mark of HP's food product pyramid, one step below the VoodooPC luxury treatment.The Blackbird 002 is a customizable, built to order system that offers customers a choice of Intel or AMD motherboards and processors. Options from graphics rivals ATI and Nvidia are also available. Buyers even pick between Vista and XP.HP touts the user-upgradeable design as a main selling point; PCI cards, drives, and other parts can be swapped without tools, and the wiring elegantly runs though the back of the aluminum case to avoid tangles.%Gallery-6915%
Joystiq hands-on: HP's mscape
HP showed off several of its gaming research and development projects at a recent San Francisco media event. The company said that many of these technologies had been in progress before the VoodooPC acquisition, but Rahul Sood and other VoodooPC leaders were able to see the gaming applications of previous research.I spent some time trying mscape ("mediascape") and discussing the project with some of its engineers. This gaming platform -- which isn't meant to compete with a hardware-and-software solution like the DS or PSP -- has already been used in the real world, unlike most of the in-progress projects demonstrated.Mscape sits on a PocketPC or other device, presenting an augmented reality game space. Other game designers and companies have tried to bridge the virtual world and the real world, with games that are played on devices by moving around outside. But HP's muscle may eventually help push these new experiences to mainstream gamers.
HP wants to bridge PCs and consoles behind the scenes
HP described how its consumption of VoodooPC has impacted both companies at a media event this week. Shane Robison, an HP VP, said that one of the biggest effects is that HP now has "Voodoo DNA" pumping through its hallways, we think like a virus affecting a host. Should the injection become a problem, HP may someday page Dr. Mario to sort things out; Rahul Sood, CTO of the HP gaming group and founder of VoodooPC, repeatedly said that HP wants to complement consoles and not be a competitor.HP, however, offered few specific plans to bring PCs and consoles closer together from a gamer's perspective. Instead, the company showed a series of game technology demos that may someday be licensed to console makers, generating more income from its annual $3.5 billion research and development budget. One of those projects, mscape, has been called a handheld challenger in other stories, but HP executives told us that it's a platform that runs on certain PocketPCs and other devices; HP doesn't plan to ship an all-in-one hardware-and-software version of the augmented reality gaming tool.HP will continue pushing its computers to gamers, keeping the VoodooPC brand at the top of its price/performance tier, while introducing a new line of PCs that fits between the gap between that ultra-high end and HP's standard machines.
HP intros Voodoo Envy HW:201 gaming laptop
It looks like VoodooPC's still up to its old tricks despite now flying under the HP banner, trotting out its latest bit of laptop excess at CES. Packing admittedly "non-existent" battery life, the Voodoo Envy HW:201 should be more than adequate as a desktop replacement for all but the most demanding gamers, with a 20.1-inch display, AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor, and your choice of 512MB GeForce Go 7950 GTX or Quadro FX 2500M graphics cards in single or SLI configurations. Further filling out the Envy's 18.75 x 13.5 x 1.9-inch frame are two hard drives providing up to 320GB of space (available in RAID 0, if you choose), along with built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and a "theater audio system." While it's supposedly set to begin shipping today, the behemoth hasn't yet made an appearance on Voodoo's website, giving the majority of us a bit more time to pretend we can afford it.
