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Route 66 enters car GPS market with Chicago series
It seems that yet another mobile electronics outfit is diving head first into the GPS arena, and this time its Route 66. The company's Chicago series GPS units is its first venture into automobile navigation, and although they manage to include a dash of unmistakable Americana in both the company and device's name, these units are strangely and ironically restricted to our pals across the pond. The Euro-only Chicago series sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, SD / MMC slot, MP3 player, integrated speaker, 4.5 hour battery life, and a variety of European maps depending on model. The low-end 6000 (€299.95; $384) and 7000 (€349.95; $448) units are tailored for the "regional traveler," and pack mostly major highways, while the 8000 (€399.95; $512) and 9000 (€449.95; $576) flavors house broader, more descriptive NAVTEQ maps. The 6000 / 7000 versions can be upgraded to match their more continental siblings via the Route 66 "Map of Europe" DVD (€79.95; $102), and the 7000 and 9000 units support free traffic information thanks to the integrated RDS-TMC receiver. The foursome also comes with automobile hookups and a (presumably) ho hum carry case, and are slated to hit stores far, far away from Chicagoland in November.[Via GPSLodge]
Nokia E70, N93 semi-officially available in US
Besides opening their second flagship store this side of the pond, Nokia had a couple other tricks up their sleeve in preparation for what has turned out to be an exciting weekend for Nokia fanboys of the American persuasion -- namely, the US releases of the E70 and N93. We can personally attest that E70s have been quietly flying off shelves of the Chicago outpost (see picture above) for the past week or so; Nokia's been unable to keep them in stock, in fact, though we don't know whether the release was supposed to have been synched with New York's grand opening today. At any rate, the model being sold is the US-friendly E70-2 variant that swaps out 3G support in favor of a GSM 850 radio, and features a black face that (in our humblest of opinions) looks better than its European counterpart. Meanwhile, the N93 is the same ol' model Europe gets, lacking 850; caveat emptor for peeps with marginal 1900 coverage. Oddly, these handsets are both still listed as "coming soon" on Nokia USA's website, and rumor has it that they may never officially be released here outside the flagship facilities, so book your flights now, folks -- they say the Midwest and the East Coast are nice this time of year.
Get a free PSP game at Lollapalooza
All the cool kids are hanging out at Lollapalooza, happening today & tomorrow in Chicago's Grant Park. 130 bands will be performing during the ticketed event, which costs $65 per day. If you happen to be going, make sure you bring your PSP, because you'll score a game out of it:The first 50 people each day to show their personal PSP system to the staff at the PlayStation tent will receive one (1) PSP game from the PSP Greatest Hits Collections (a.r.v. $19.99).If any of our readers are attending the show, feel free to drop us some photos in our tips section. You'll be internet-famous.
"Forget those other guys, I want a Wii" says journalist
Journalists are tough. I mean, us gaming journalists are about average when it comes to the ability to take an ass, no matter the size, and kick it, but journalists in far off lands covering atrocities or who-shot-who down at the local laundromat are in a class all their own. That's why when they talk about the Wii, we listen."To tell the truth, I'm looking forward to the Wii more than the PS 3. Why Wii? Because it has built-in interactivity. It comes with a remote-control wand that will read your physical motions. If you're playing some baseball games, for instance, you'll be able to swing the wand, and the game will read your swing."As a writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Doug Elfman (not to be confused with Danny Elfman) has won many awards and is also a well-respected TV critic at the Chicago Sun-Times. That list of credentials pretty much guarantees him chicks clout with us and helps strengthen an already rock-hard stance of support for Nintendo's console here at Wii Fanboy. Serious human beings are looking forward to it, so it must be good![Via Codename Revolution]
Nokia's Chicago flagship: exclusive walkthrough
Both Motorola and Nokia have tried hard to play down the idea of a heated rivalry, despite the fact that they've both opened their first US stores within a month of each other and in the same city. We all like the idea of phone manufacturers scrapping head-to-head on the mean streets of Chicago, but from Motorola's perspective, it's probably for the best that we not call it a rivalry after all -- Nokia's effort wallops Destination Q soundly in every category. We'd go so far as to say it rivals Chicago's impressive Apple Store just a couple blocks north for style, clean design, and clever use of technology. But judge for yourself, and take a the tour with us as we take a look around after the break.
Video Games Live seats in Indy up for sale
Tickets are now on sale for the two Video Games Live shows planned in conjunction with Gen Con Indy Friday & Saturday, August 11-12.After a stop in Philly earlier this month, the VGL tour is moving on to Houston July 14th, Chicago August 5th, and then Indianapolis the weekend after that. More on reserving seats for the Hilbert Circle Theatre can be found on the official announcement page (via the pic to the right or the Read link below).Judging by the reviews of the Philly show so far, Video Games Live sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If they keep providing public access to Guitar Hero II, they may have sold this blogger on going already. We hope Midwestern gamers not attending the Chicago show can make a pitstop in Indy to keep Tommy's show on the road. So, yeah ... rock on.See also: Official VGL report from Philly (with some local links to boot) Video Games Live ticket purchases opened a bit early The official page for Gen Con Indy PS2 impressions: Guitar Hero II
Moto preps "Destination Q" in hometown
We've known for a while now that Motorola's been throwing together the plans for Operation: Don't Get Embarrassed By Nokia In Our Hometown, but they're just now starting to make some deets official for their Chicago boutique -- now known as "Destination Q" -- one week before the scheduled grand opening of June 8. From the press release, it sounds like the storefront is going to be something of a shrine to Moto's love affair with Verizon, putting their Q, V3c, and V325 front and center. Heck, they're even importing a handful of Verizon reps to hassle you while you sample the goods. We also know that Destination Q is being labeled as a glorified kiosk popup store. In fact, the boutique's home, the former location of the Terra Museum of American Art, is scheduled to be replaced by a residential building next year, leaving Moto precious little time to do battle with the more-permanent Nokia facility across the street. So, where can you find Destination Q, you ask? 666 N. Michigan Avenue on Chicago's Magnificent Mile -- the perfect location for Verizon to test-market its "$199 with a 2-year contract or your soul" promotion on the Q.
Chicago signing for Uematsu, Aki, & Roth tonight
Are you in Chicago tonight for the big PLAY! concert tomorrow, but weren't willing to shell out $125 for the VIP meet-and-greet at the event? Well, you might be in luck (even if you're not attending), as a few famous folks from the concert will be on hand to sign autographs in Chicago proper for free tonight.From 7 to 9 PM (presumably Central time) at the Tower Records store on 2301 N. Clark St., Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, bilingual songstress Angela Aki (who wrote and sang the theme song for FFXII), and Principal Conductor and Music Director of PLAY! Arnie Roth will be signing autographs to promote the world-tour premiere of 'PLAY! A Video Game Symphony' and the CD for More Friends - Music from FINAL FANTASY.While this blogger is sadly occupied with prior engagements tonight, gamers in the area are more than welcome to mob that Tower Records and cause the store's employees much consternation and bewilderment. If you don't have any imported CDs to sign, however, don't fret: the store's web site claims to have "some awesome Japanese imports available for you to purchase and have autographed at the event." Not only that, Angela Aki will be performing live as well. Score! Anybody wanna tell us how this evening turns out when it's all sung and done?[Via The Daily Northwestern; image culled from Angela Aki's blog, Nobuo Uematsu's Squenix profile, and Arnie Roth's 2005 interview with IGN]See also: Official page for Tower Clark Street (with details on the signing) Ticketmaster site for the PLAY! concert debut tomorrow Sonic and Chrono composers to join PLAY! in Chicago
Nokia to open US retail stores, offer high-end phones
Taking a cue from other design-obsessed companies such as Apple and Sony, Nokia has announced plans to open a line of retail locations in the U.S. -- the first ones outside Russia and perhaps Finland that we're aware of -- and even better, will be offering models not available from carriers or traditional channels. The flagship store is set to open in Chicago on June 21, and will sell "virtually anything that could possibly be available in this market," according to a Nokia spokesperson, including such high-end handsets as the recently-launched N93 and N73 3.2 megapixel cameraphones, N91 4GB musicphone, and UMTS-enabled N80 smartphone (which happens to sport a three megapixel CCD as well). PC Mag's article on the upcoming stores, the second of which is scheduled to hit New York before the end of the year, also includes an update on the N91, which will apparently receive a key software upgrade sometime after launch that enables playback of DRM-protected content.Update: Several readers have very kindly pointed out that Nokia has stores in much of Europe and Asia.
THQ Superstar Challenge in Chicago tonight [update 1]
WrestleMania 22 may still be 3 days away, but that isn't stopping WWE Superstars from taking to the virtual squared circle tonight in Chicago.The fourth annual THQ Superstar Challenge will begin in less than an hour at 6 PM at the House of Blues. It'll be SmackDown vs. RAW on SmackDown vs. RAW with reigning Challenge champ Shelton Benjamin defending his gamer title in a 16-player bracket-style tournament.If it's too late to snag $20 tickets to the opening WrestleMania weekend event, perhaps you can hang around until tomorrow, when THQ will "announce the next addition to the WWE video game family." Would a next-gen announcement be too much to hope for before E3? And will the Undertaker continue his undefeated WrestleMania streak? Answers to your manly soap opera questions will be coming at ya this weekend.[Update: It turns out that the new game's already been confirmed--WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 will hit the PS2, PSP, PS3, and even (a non-Sony system for once on) the Xbox 360. 10 "next-gen" screens of the game to hit later this year are also available via the Update link. Thanks, Master X 24!]See also: Official WWE page for WrestleMania 22 Load time from HELL! PSP game takes its sweet time [SD! Vs. RAW] WWE sues THQ Rumble Roses XX promises hot girl-on-bear action
8bit musicians announce world tour
Former cellmates Nullsleep and Bitshifter have announced plans to embark on a world tour, blasting their blend of bleeps, bloops, and blizzasts from Boston to Brussels and back again. If you're not an 8-bit believer yet, nothing will win you over except trying it out for yourself. To that end, here are links (1, 2, 3, 4) to some MP3s these torturers of Gameboys, Famicoms and other old-school video game consoles have kindly provided for downloading. If you like what you hear, check the tour page and maybe even drop a few dollars in the donation bucket to help make it happen.
Sonic and Chrono composers to join PLAY! in Chicago
It appears that PLAY! A Video Game Symphony will be hosting yet another guest from Japan as well as another musical exclusive. Yasunori Mitsuda, main composer on Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and a number of other epic Japanese RPGs, will be attending the opening PLAY! concert in Chicago on May 27th. An "exclusive suite" of his music from the two Chrono games will be featured in every PLAY! concert worldwide. Mitsuda will join his compatriot Yuzo Koshiro, whose "special suite" of arranged music from the Sonic the Hedgehog series "will be heard live for the first time at the world-premiere." They will engage in a meet and greet with fans--who fork over the $125 needed for VIP tickets--along with Jeremy Soule (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind), Marty O'Donnell (Halo), and Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft). [Via 1UP]
Game On exhibit back on at Chicago museum
Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is extending the "Game On: the History, Culture, and Future of Video Games" exhibit from February 3rd until April 30th. Containing over 100 games, including classic arcade titles and vintage game consoles, to current Xbox hits, the newly dubbed Game On 2.0 adds even more games to the show (but why play Star Wars Battlefront II in a museum when there's a class Donkey Kong cabinet?). To entice you further, they're also raffling off a PSP every day through February 28. Chicago has their gaming culture down: when Game On closes—for the second time—it's only another month before the debut of PLAY!, the much-anticipated gaming concert. What's the trick Chicago?[Via Siliconera]
No emergency center is complete without HDTV
It seems like everybody is getting a video wall. Now Chicago has invested $4 million in their new City Incident Center, to coordinate traffic, towing, firefighting and snow removal. The best feature is an 18 foot tall high definition video wall. Considering some of the issues they've had with towing recently, hopefully this will help them out.My only question is why doesn't Jack Bauer and CTU have one of these?
Chicago residents: Win a HDTV from CBS 2
Starting today, a lucky Chicago resident could win a HDTV from their local CBS station. CBS 2 is starting their news webcast today, January 23rd, and will be giving away a high-def TV at the end of the week! We are sure that there is some residency requirement but other then that, all you have to do is watch the webcast for a secret code and then enter that code here. At the end of the week, they will be doing a drawing for a 42-inch Sammy DLP. It would be sweet if one of our readers wins that DLP. If you do, upload a pic of it at our Flickr pool!
Chicago library to trial video game lending
A public library in the Park Ridge area of Chicago has revealed that it will soon be trialling a video game lending service, representing similar schemes taking place across the world. Starting with a collection 50 games purchased with a requested $3,000 worth of funding, the pilot program will last two year during which time "circulation and patron comments will be measured". The library is hoping to focus on "high demand" games for PlayStation and Xbox systems in order to draw in a younger demographic. We certainly can't think of a strategy more effective at increasing the number of younger visitors than lending games for free. To deter older gamers that may get word of this scheme, they'll be limiting the collection to "games that are rated E for all ages or T for teens" although there's no strict age limit for lending the games.So how do you get your local library to start lending games ? Simple, just ask. According to a librarian working at the library, "kids throughout Park Ridge kept coming up to me and asking why we didn't have video games for circulation." We feel very cynical for suggesting it, but we wouldn't be surprised to find that a large percentage of those kids were bribed by gaming moms, dads and older siblings. We'll hold off from judging them, because there aren't many things we wouldn't do for free games![Via digg]
Is that a yule log on your iPod?
WGN9 Chicago has the perfect holiday treat to go along with your video capable iPod, their famous Yule log! Available for download in an iPod compatible format, you'll (get it it?) be the talk of Christmas day with this little fire in your pocket.Best of all? This little nugget of Christmas nostalgia is free.
