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Boxee Box officially announced: under $200, Flash 10.1 support
The Boxee Box has already been semi-announced once, but it's making a much more grand debut here at CES -- and it's coming with a spec list this time. Just as we'd heard, the asymmetrical streamer will be sold by D-Link for under $200, and it'll support a wide range of formats, including DivX, VC-1, WMV, H.264 MKV, and Flash 10.1. Service support is equally broad, with Pandora, Last.fm, Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, and Flickr all integrated -- and there's obviously Boxee's app platform for additional apps, plugins, and games. Unfortunately we don't know what's powering all this under the hood just yet, but we've got a sneaking suspicious there's some NVIDA action going on here -- we'll keep digging. Full PR after the break.
The Daily Grind: Do you need the box?
One could easily argue that game boxes are quickly becoming a thing of the past. These days you have what feels like an endless variety of options to receive your favorite game right away, without leaving your seat, let alone your house. Steam and Direct2Drive are huge, and pretty much every company out there has the option to purchase and download their latest game or expansion directly from their site. The rapid increase in free trials and limited free-to-play options make it an even more attractive option. But on the other hand, there's something very enticing about having that box in your hands, and most game companies will make it worth your while to purchase the box by adding extra goodies, particularly if you pre-order or purchase a collector's edition. So where do you fall? Do you like that box, those discs, and all the other goodies, or do you prefer just to download it so you can get to patching that much faster?
Apple updates patent for magic wand remote
Apple has updated a patent that they already held featuring a sort of a Magic Wand -- a remote control for operating a media system by controlling an on-screen cursor. That might sound familiar if you own a Wii -- even the pictures look very similar to the way the Wiimote currently works. And the pictures tell us something else: not only does the patent itself mention a "media system," but the user interface looks very similar to the current Front Row interface on the Apple TV. So it's likely that if Apple is updating this patent, they're working on a new remote to control their set-top box. But that doesn't mean it's the only thing they'd use a motion controller for -- I speculated a long time ago that Apple might want to put their now substantial App Store library into play on another platform, and a motion controller would go a long way towards replicating the touchscreen and accelerometer capability of the iPhone. Of course, this patent only means Apple is playing around with these ideas, not actually releasing hardware based on them. But it just shows that they're thinking along the same lines in terms of improving the browsing and interface experience.
Boxee Box pictured in the wild: it's small!
Whoa, we sort of guessed the Boxee Box was going to be small from those press pics we saw the other night, but we didn't know it was going to be freaking tiny -- check out this shot of the asymmetrical set-top next to a Coke can just posted up on the Boxee blog. Sadly, neither Boxee nor D-Link has updated us on what's actually powering this little guy, but we do now know that it'll have an RF remote control and S/PDIF and RCA audio outputs in addition to HDMI, SD, USB, WiFi, and Ethernet. Sounds like a tiny little chunk of awesome -- we're looking forward to finding out way more at CES.
Boxee Box coming Q2 2010, D-Link revealed as hardware partner
Like a good one-two punch, now that Boxee Beta has been unveiled, here comes a glimpse of the company's first hardware unit, the Boxee Box. D-Link takes the honors of being the inaugural hardware partner and Astro the designer. The Box, more like a submerged cube, boasts HDMI, SD card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, WiFi, and ethernet for old school internet connectivity. Unfortunately, we don't know at this point what's powering it under the hood, but we're hoping that NVIDIA collaboration on the beta software might suggest some Ion here. Target release sometime in the second quarter of 2010 for about $200. %Gallery-79796%
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate Box Art of All-Stars
Capcom has finally uploaded the massive box art for its latest Vs title onto the internet: Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. It's very similar to the Japanese box art for the original release, in that it's a bunch of the game's characters set against a white background. The difference between the two is that our localized version shows the characters staring each other down, likely thinking about how they're going to kick the crap out of each other. What a violent world these folks live in, eh? Head past the break for the full box art. %Gallery-32421%
Motorola CLIQ's box filled with excitement, hope
Remember how exciting the original G1's box was? It had all these colorful squares on it and laser-cut "G1" text across the top -- a true packaging classic. Of course, T-Mobile had to raise the bar yet again with the materials on the myTouch 3G, so it came in a nifty hard-shell nylon zippered carrying case. Is it even possible to top that? Probably not -- and it looks like they're not even trying with the CLIQ, which looks like it'll just be coming in a conventional cardboard box with exciting graphics teasing MOTOBLUR's social capabilities. Realistically, the odds of holding on to the packaging for more than about 30 seconds -- the time it takes to tear everything out of it -- are slim to none anyway, so really, they could've put a picture of a Renew on there and we would've been just fine. [Via Cell Phone Signal]
New Xbox 360 Arcade and Elite boxes shot once again in the wild, spelling doom for the middle sibling
Come on Microsoft, just fess up. We know you're killing off your middle Xbox SKU, you know you're killing off your middle SKU, so let's drop this pretense of secrecy, alright? The latest in this overwhelming heap of proof comes from tipster David R., whose local Best Buy had the two new Xbox 360 Arcade and Xbox 360 Elite SKUs in stock. He brought home the Arcade SKU and snapped some shots, while that new white-boxed Elite is still out there in his Reno store, confusing customers and blue shirts alike. Interestingly, Microsoft's announcement "pattern" was quite similar when the Arcade was originally introduced -- we actually had an unboxing of a store-bought system before it became official -- and most other 360 price cuts have been widely publicized before Microsoft gives in. At what point will this company just admit it's licked this time around and drop the official word on us already?
Zune HD box spotted?
According to one tipster, the Zune HD was a no-show today at both of his Houston-area Best Buys, so hopefully this little tidbit can make it up to that loneliest of all Zune fans. According to CrazyphoneGuy of Twitter and his prodigious Twitpic account, the picture above is of the Zune HD's new box. It looks quite a bit like existing Zune boxes, but that's certainly no slight. Anyone else track down the Zune HD at a Best Buy today, or was NVIDIA just fooling with us? [Thanks, Brayan]
Amazon.co.uk unveils EyePet box, bursting with cuteness
Our love for EyePet should be clear. Why? Not only does it take advantage of the Eye in unique and innovative ways, it is absolutely adorable. It looks like London Studios, responsible for SingStar, has another casual hit on its hands. European retailer amazon.co.uk has posted what looks like the official box art for EyePet, and it looks oh-so-inviting. The titular mascot has its paws pressed against the box, beckoning for you to play with it.Kotaku also points out that the box for this upcoming PS3 game looks rather different from other PS3 titles. Notice the lack of the PS3 banner on the left-hand side? The PlayStation Network is prominently featured, but were it not for the PS3 logo stitch atop the clear plastic, you'd be hard-pressed into noticing it was even for the PS3. Is this a subtle marketing change on SCEE's part, or is it something the online retailer is doing for what could be placeholder art?
Microsoft rolls out Windows 7 packaging
We could swear we've seen this before, but nonetheless, Microsoft's Windows blog has unveiled what it's calling the official Windows 7's packaging -- as in, this it what we'll be seeing in stores when it launches this fall. It's apparently 37 percent lighter and has a 50 percent better econometrics score over the Vista box, which we can't help but draw mental parallels to the platform's overall performance and mindshare improvements. See it for yourself in the gallery below -- couldn't hurt to get a peek now at what you'll be picking up come October 22nd.
Brando's Paper Storage Box inconspicuously hides your HDDs
Oh, Brando -- how you make our hearts flutter. One day, you're pumping out new kit fit only for our Crapgadget roundup; the next, you're delivering gems such as this. The 5-bay HDD Paper Storage Box with Cover covertly hides up to five of your precious 3.5-inch hard drives, and it likely provides more security for your personal information than a fireproof lock box. 'Cause really, what data thief is going to shuffle through a cardboard container looking for valuable platters?
Palm Pre retail box and materials leak out
For staying as silent as they are about the product's details, Palm's doing an awfully good job of letting Pre rumors and speculation fly with wild, rampant abandon -- and we've got a new one here that should at least take you through the night. Actually, this one's less of a rumor and more a visual feast of reality: a retail (or near-retail) box complete with pack-ins has been spotted in the wild, where we learn once again that the device will definitely include a pouch among the usual assortment of odds and ends you normally expect to find with a phone (sadly, the Touchstone's still strictly a pricey add-on) -- and yes, the box looks pretty much like the one shown off at CES. Not as interesting as an actual Pre, we admit... but close. Check out a couple more shots after the break.[Via Boy Genius Report and PreCentral]
EVE Online interview confirms details of retail release
One of announcements that came out of EVE Online's most recent Fanfest was news that the game will be sold on retail shelves this March, with the release of the Apocrypha expansion. A publishing deal struck between EVE's developer CCP Games and Atari means that the game may well see an influx of players in the coming months. MMORPG.com's Managing Editor Jon Wood caught up with Ryan Dancey, Chief Marketing Officer at CCP Games, and the two discussed how EVE's shift away from being a purely digital product will affect the game. Also notable is that Dancey gives the details of what that $39.95 (€39.99) for the box will buy: Mac and PC versions; a Career Guide for new pilots; 60 days of game time that can be converted into PLEX; automatically have needed standings for factional warfare; a VIP pass which functions like the Buddy Program; and a shuttle with expanded cargo capacity. These extras were previously rumored to be included with the EVE retail purchase, but Ryan Dancey's comments in the MMORPG.com interview would seem to confirm those rumors. Have a look at the rest of the interview focused on EVE Online's retail release for more on how the publishing deal between CCP Games and Atari is shaping up.
Next EVE Online expansion named Apocrypha, launches March 10
The other day we picked up on a video interview with the CEO of CCP Games, who announced a firm March 10th release date for the next EVE Online expansion -- but until today, that expansion wasn't given a name. CCP Games announced the "Apocrypha" expansion this morning, and a bit of what it'll bring to EVE.The Apocrypha feature page isn't up yet -- so more details are likely to emerge -- but thus far they've confirmed two new game mechanics will be coming to EVE in March. Wormhole exploration is an upcoming feature that will allow EVE's explorers to discover new technology, used to create the next iteration of ships in New Eden -- Tech III. These modular ship designs will potentially allow for thousands of different configurations of ships to suit different purposes, and are a far cry from the Tech I and Tech II ship hulls currently flown in New Eden. In addition, Apocrypha will bring Epic Mission Arcs. The release states: "These branching, far-reaching mission strings are full of meaningful stories and more intelligent and deadly adversaries."
Killzone 2 cover revealed, unsurprising
The cover of Killzone 2 has just been revealed on the PlayStation.Blog ... and well, it's hard to write about. It's what you'd expect it to look. Helghast eyes stare ominously at you, with the "Only On PlayStation" banner proudly displayed at the top. It may not be surprising, but that's a good thing, right? (Do you want the Killzone 2 cover to have bunnies instead?) Now, we're waiting for info on the please-make-it-happen Limited Edition. [Thanks, TRIX_BOL!]
WotLK will only be available on DVD
We discovered a little while back that Wrath was going to ship on DVD in both the collector's edition and the regular edition. This is great news for anyone with a DVD drive in their computer, because swapping discs is annoying. However, I'm sure there are still a few people playing WoW that don't have DVD drives; its system requirements are, after all, very forgiving. We haven't had any solid information thus far on whether the expansion will ship or be available on CD as well, like the BC collector's edition. It turns out the answer to that is no; Vaneras states quite clearly that WotLK will "only be available on DVDs, not CDs," for both the regular and the collector's edition. This implies that those of you who don't have DVD drives may well be out of luck on launch day. I say "on launch day" because I'm assuming the expansion will be available for digital download eventually, as both classic WoW and BC are. However, it may not happen right away; the digital download for BC didn't become available until about two weeks after launch. Now I'm curious: how many of you are going to be affected by this? %Poll-20165%
Nikon D90 box in the wild, anticipation is palpable
No matter where you fall in this crazy DSLR war between Canon folks, Nikon folks, Sony folks and "how do you turn this thing on?" folks, there's no denying the D90 has sparked quite a lot of interest from all the right places. The video feature is just plain exciting, as is Live View and that 3-inch LCD (oh, and we hear it also takes pictures), and Nikon could very well have a hit on its hands when it actually starts shipping the thing. Which is where this box comes in. A tipster says it popped up at his Best Buy, but he's getting the impression from inventory that it won't actually be for sale this week. We hope he's wrong, but we're almost out of week. Anybody manage to nab one of these yet? Another blurrycam pic after the break.
Apple, Amazon offer boxed versions of MobileMe
Early Tuesday morning, Apple started offering boxed versions of the much awaited MobileMe web service. While buying from Apple costs $99 for the boxed version, Amazon is offering MobileMe for $89.99 (US). According to Amazon, MobileMe has been on sale since "July 1, 2008," however, they also say "This item will not be released until July 12, 2008." We did learn last night that MobileMe is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, July 9th around 6 p.m. pacific time. Stay tuned to TUAW for the latest information regarding the .Mac to MobileMe switch, iPhone 2.0 software, and the iPhone 3G coverage. Thanks, Jay!
WoW's Wrath of the Lich King box art leaked
What is with all these World of Warcraft leaks? If you knew where to look everything you wanted to know about WotlK was already exposed before Blizzard Entertainment's World Wide Invitational extravaganza. For shame, not even the WotlK box art is safe from prying eyes and camera phones. WoW Insider already exposed the box art for the Collector's Edition, and the same source has also obtained snaps of the basic box art.Is it the real deal or a mocked-up forge? The WotlK box layout has many exact elements used on The Burning Crusade box. The placement for the Blizzard logo and ESRB rating line up exactly, and the font used to spell 'expansion set' is identical to its cardboard predecessor. In another photo that lends to its authenticity is a printer's mark. The box also notes that you need The Burning Crusade to play Wrath of the Lich King which means no free TBC bundles.Hopefully, it won't be long until those boxes are stuffed with the goods and shipped to retail where we can pick them up because what comes on the inside of the box is what matters. Unless you're one of those weirdoes that save game boxes and treasures them for eternity. If you are feeling lucky skip the box altogether and try your hand at the WotlK beta-lottery.
