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HP reveals GPS-infused, Wii-inspired handheld tech
"We want to get kids off the couch," Rahul Sood, chief technology officer of HP's gaming division, said during a presentation on their new Mscape technology. Their handheld technology takes advantage of GPS navigation and accelerometers, similar to the ones found in Nintendo Wii. The basic premise is to allow players to actively play in real environments, such as a park. CNET's Tom Krazit explains: "The early concept involves a handheld and a series of small sensors that a game organizer could lay out around a city or park. Those sensors would trigger certain events in the game, like a bonus level or an attack by the bad guys, based on a small demonstration of the concept here."While HP will most likely avoid actually manufacturing a console to compete against Sony and Nintendo, the technology is certainly intriguing. Will Sony or Nintendo's next portable feature this inspiring Mscape tech? Or will a new portable from Microsoft or Dell take advantage of it?
CNET does '07 Spring HDTV preview
It's new HDTV time! Are you ready to ditch that embarrassingly old 720p, single HDMI-equipped HDTV and pick up one of these shiny new HDTVs. The crazy dudes over at CNET put together a handy-dandy cheat sheet to help you navigate all the new sets that should hit shelves sometime soon. The one we are most excited about you ask. Well, Hitachi's 1080i 50-inch with a MSRP of only $2500 is a heck of a bargain but if Panasonic is telling the truth about their everlasting-lamps in their new LCD RPTVs, that's the one. Eternal lamp, low price, big screen, and if the colors (and blacks) tuned in, they will have a winner on their hands.UPDATE: Dead link now alive and kickin'
Apple's iPhone releasing on June 11?
According to CNET, Cingular [aka, the new AT&T] has "confirmed" June 11 as the release date for Apple's iPhone. Keep in mind that confirmation in this case is unofficial as it supposedly comes from a front-line sales support person. See, after a call to Cingular's customer service, CNET was transfered to sales where they were told of the magical date. Of course, all this makes perfect sense as the 11th also marks the kickoff of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference where Steve and Co are always keen to announce new wares.[Thanks, Adam]
Apple iPhone release on June 11?
According to CNET, Cingular [aka, the new AT&T] has "confirmed" June 11 as the release date for Apple's iPhone. Keep in mind that confirmation in this case is unofficial as it supposedly comes from a front-line sales support person. See, after a call to Cingular's customer service, CNET was transfered to sales where they were told of the magical date. Of course, all this makes perfect sense as the 11th also marks the kickoff of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference where Steve and Co are always keen to announce new wares.[Thanks, Adam]
Best Buy gets 2 week Apple TV exclusive
You should be able to buy an Apple TV at your local Apple Store very soon (I imagine if they don't have them today they'll be getting them over the weekend). What if you are one of the many folks who do not live near an Apple Store? According to CNet Best Buy has worked out a deal to get Apple TVs this Tuesday, a full 2 weeks before other retail outlets. Apple is only shipping them 3000 units, which will be spread out to over 800 Best Buy locations, but if you are jonesing for an Apple TV you might have to 'turn on the fun' at Best Buy.Update: It looks like Best Buy might have been overly zealous with the whole 'exclusive' claim. They are still getting about 3000 Apple TVs though, so check it out if you're in the market.
Microsoft admits uptick in Live account hacking, writes it off to social engineering
Everyone enjoys a good Xbox hack, but they're not so fun when the tables are turned and it's your Live account that's been commandeered by crooks -- who are supposedly draining your credit card while you're stuck on the sidelines with a duplicate, unusable Gamertag. While it's not surprising that hackers would hijack online accounts to snatch valuable personal info, the question being raised in forums and now in the media is how Microsoft has been dealing / plans to deal with these breaches. The company first admitted that "there have [recently] been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place" on Live when contacted by CNET, and went on to say that it is "actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft." However, Major Nelson is now reporting that Redmond has found "no evidence of any compromise of the security of the Xbox Live Network or Bungie.net," and is attributing all of the recent incidents to "malicious users...attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users." It's hard to imagine that the uptick in fraud revealed to CNET is due solely to an increase in gullible gamers, but unless Microsoft plans on tightening security, all you can really do is continue to exercise the usual precautions or cancel your account and get your MMO fix from Yahoo! Bingo.[Via Joystiq]
Official Slacker player pics
The upcoming Slacker player from Broadband Instruments is never gonna win any fashion shows -- it's not ugly, per se, but that big ol' screen makes for a device the size of a late 90's PDA -- so we're more interested in hearing about the functionality than watching it strut its stuff in front of the cameras. Still, the innovative features and copious storage options mean that this chunkster is likely to make some waves in the market, so we're sure that those of you considering a purchase want to peep all the angles. With that in mind, Cnet's got a bunch of press shots of the satellite radio-playin', internet radio-streamin' DAP; hit up the Read link if you think you might be interested in getting your slack on sometime.
CNET's Prizefight results, Xbox 360 the victor!
Yes, we were a little shocked when part 1 of of CNET's Prizefight between the 360 and PS3 leaned towards the Playstation 3 winning out. (We're still not forgiving you CNET for praising the PS3's black exterior ... blah!) But they just released part 2 of the battle and yes, we have a winner. The remaining categories all tilted in the Xbox 360's favor taking home better scores in online service, performance, and available titles. So, the Xbox 360 nudged out a win with 23 points compared to the PS3's 20. We're happy that they got their head's on straight and crowned the right victor, but we will not forgive you CNET for part 1 ... blasphemy we say![Thanks, Darrien]
CNET's Prizefight 360 vs PS3, and we object!
It's time for one of CNET's Prizefights, where they pit competing electronic products against eachother in hopes of declaring one the superior. Their most recent Prizefight has the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 dueling it out for console supremacy, but before you get too excited they haven't crowned a winner yet. It looks like they are splitting this Prizefight into multiple episodes and this is only part one. And wait one second, now that we think of it we're less than impressed by CNET's little Prizefight and how they are awarding points. So far the PS3 is beating the 360, this can't be right ... let the flaming begin![Thanks, Darrien]
Second Life millionaire pummeled with penises
Anshe Chung, the avatar for Second Life millionaire (in real money, not Linden Bucks) Ailin Graef, was giving an interview to CNET at their virtual offices when a griefer sent "animated flying penises" at the building for 15 minutes. After relocating to Chung's own theater, the Prick Assault followed and managed to crash the server.While the perpetrator's intentions are unknown, the article speculates that Chung, who has turned virtual real estate into an extremely profitable venture, has made many enemies in her rise.We don't have any images from the incident, nor do we know the identity of the griefer, but here's an idea. We could put up wanted posters all over Second Life: Have you seen this prick? Report immediately to CNET's Daniel Terdiman . Do not attempt to apprehend this prick, as it is armed and dangerous. It was last seen hanging out at Anshe Chung's theater.[Update 1: SomethingAwful has more on the event, including -- drum roll please -- pictures and video!]
Possible article of James Kim's clothing found in Oregon wilderness
With Kati and the Kim children safely recovered from the Oregon wilderness, the search has been on since yesterday with renewed vigor to find James Kim, the missing and much-missed senior editor at CNET. He left his family Saturday in search of help, and has been missing since. Today apparently trackers found a pair of jeans in the vicinity of the search which are thought to belong to James. It's yet unknown whether these do belong to James, but if so it's puzzling why he would have dropped or shed these pants in the bitter-cold Oregon outback. Apparently James left equipped with a heavy jacket, sweater, and a couple of lighters, although nothing was mentioned about spare pants. More as we get it.Update: Oregon officials in a press conference this afternoon have stated their search is continuing; aside from the article found earlier today, supposedly another article has been spotted, although not yet recovered. The search is primarily taking place right now in the Big Windy Creek drainage area, which is five miles long, and roughly five miles away from the car site.As we understand it, the National Guard is enroute for more searching tonight. Due to the terrain officials are still having trouble getting into at least one particular search area. When asked why he dropped into the ditch: "I don't know, I'm looking forward to asking him that personally. ... We're operating under the assumption that he is alive, and won't stop until we find him.""This is frustrating, we are so close.""We are treating this search like we are looking for one of our own family members.""If I run out of resources I'll call for more help. But we want to stay away from private citizens volunteering."
James Kim -- brief update
Just a brief update in case you haven't caught the latest: Crave reports that James and his family are driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon with license plate "DOESF." The official missing person report can be found here. Officials investigating the case have narrowed their search to a stretch of Oregon's Highway 38, which is on the route that the family would most likely have taken to get to the Gold Beach motel where they had reservations.We're tracking the situation at our post from yesterday, so that's the place to bookmark for now. We'll keep everybody updated as we learn more.Also, our very sincerest thanks to all our readers -- many of whom obviously love CNET and James's work there -- for their support and compassion. We're all hopeful the Kim family will return safely soon.
CNET's James Kim and family missing -- have you seen them?
We've received word that a respected member of our tech community, James Kim (whom many of you may know as CNET's senior editor of digital audio), and his family have gone missing. As we understand it, last weekend James, his wife Kati (above right), and his very young girls Penelope (left) and Sabine (baby), drove from their home in the SF Bay Area to Seattle. They were expected back some time Sunday, but were last seen by a hotel clerk at 5:45 PM on Saturday in or between Gold Beach or Portland, Oregon. We sincerely do hope they are all safe, and our hearts go out to the Kim family.We'll have more information as we get it. If you have any information as to the Kim family's whereabouts, please contact the SFPD at 415-558-5508 during normal business hours, and 415-553-1071 after hours.Update: Crave reports that James and his family are driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon with license plate "DOESF." The official missing person report can be found here.We've moved our updates after the break.
LG planning eco-approved 52-inch wooden HD plasma
Environmentalists take heart, as LG Electronics is out doing some good in the world, and its forthcoming 52-inch HD plasma provides that widescreen beauty you adore with a sense of tree-luvin' satisfaction to boot. While we've seen gizmos encased in wood before (including Hannspree's own HDTV), this particular piece goes one step further by incorporating wood throughout the entire set. While rummaging through the secret lairs of LG in Seoul, CNET UK caught a glimpse of the mysterious set, and while they weren't allowed to film / photograph it, they rendered a look-alike and assured us that the "bezel was made of compressed wood (derived from renewable forests) and finished in white water-based paint." Of course, no piece of AV equipment would be complete without a hint of silver, so LG added an aluminum trim to go along with the "lead-free / low-lead internal components." While the company wouldn't lend any clues to its future release date nor pricing information, we were told that it would eventually be "commercially available," but similar components will probably be found in more peon-friendly models (like the LG LX70) before too long.[Via CNET]
CNET violates Mac Pro warranty, installs eight cores in Mac Pro
Over at CNET labs, they've done gone and stuck a couple of new Intel quad-core Xeon 5355 processors into an Apple Mac Pro and ran copious benchmarks on their new baby. Surprisingly enough, a single 3.0 GHz quad core kicked the bejesus out of the 2.66 GHz oct cores in some of the tasks. Follow the link to see lots and lots of bar graphs. And yes, that is 8 cores hard at work in the CPU monitor. How long will we have to wait until we can pick up this configuration from Apple, instead of having to hack our way to more cores?
PSP Media Manager 2 reviewed
Sony really dropped the ball early on in the PSP's life when there was no official media software available. However, Sony finally came through when they released the PSP's Media Manager, but like many other available software programs, it had problems, too. Well, Sony is giving it another shot with Media Manager 2, and CNET has had a chance to take it for spin.Positives The new interface is "pretty stylish and sleekly designed." Features XMB crossbar. Better access to system's multimedia capabilities. Ability to transfer word documents and view them in HTML. Negatives Most of the functionality is available in other freeware programs. Somewhat high system requirements. Can't transfer copy-protected DVD's or audio files. Won't encode at 368x208 size. Overall, CNET gave Media Manager 2 a 6.3 and said if you have a decent understanding of how to run a computer, you'll be better off with a third-party software, such as PSP Video 9. While it looks like Sony didn't do much better with its latest media software incarnation, its release really begs the question "Do we really need it at this point?" I manage to do all my file transfers and video encoding through freeware just fine, so I see no reason why anyone should spend the $17 to download the software or especially the $25 for the boxed version. But if you really feel the need to pick this up, you can buy it here.
DS = a gadget your wife won't hate
According to CNet.com, the DS Lite ranks number 9 on their list of top 10 products with a high 'wife-acceptance factor.' CNet is quick to claim that women get their game on with the PSP as well (we doubt it), yet say that women prefer the games on the DS and suggests matching his and her units. We concur and suggest you even get them engraved.Some of the choices on the list are a little odd, like a 50 inch plasma TV set. However other choices, such as the digital photo viewer, have a little more thought behind them. Now, we're not trying to be chauvinists by any stretch of the imagination, but we're sure our better half could think of something better to do with the $2,000 US we'd blow on that TV (or something better for her to get, rather).
OSIM's iGoGo MP3 player / personal massager reviewed
Since you can't take your iJoy ZipConnect chair everywhere you go, OSIM has a portable solution to your "musical therapy" needs. Boasting a stylish enclosure and a pair of massage modules, the iGoGo DAP performed its therapeutic magic surprisingly well -- once the kinks were worked out, that is. Reviewers at CNET were quick to praise the uniqueness of the device, but didn't hesitate to knock the "disappointing monochromatic interface, meager 128MB of internal storage," and the complete inability to play back any format besides MP3. While you can add a few more playlists via the MMC slot, they would've preferred a more expansion SD / CF option; furthermore, the player only mustered about 7 hours of battery life with massage mode in full effect. The crew noted that the "massagers suffered from frequent connection drops," but when things went smoothly, they provided a "truly blissful and relaxing massage experience." Still, for over $400 the iGoGo sports too many archaic features to be considered a true contender, and if relieving stress is your primary concern, you may be better off spending that coin in a day spa. [Thanks, Ficky Rick]
Sharp Aquos LC-46D62U 1080p LCD reviewed
1080p LCDs are taking over this fall, and CNET quickly grabbed Sharp's new Aquos LC-46D62U to review. They had a lot of good to say, particularly when it came to the advertised 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, saying that the screen reproduced a deeper level of black than any non-CRT screen they have ever tested, plasma and RPTVs included. From the glossy black frame to off-angle viewing, praise is in abundance. The D62 series was also noted for its Dot-by-Dot mode to enable pixel perfect mapping of 1080-line sources without overscan. The only negatives came in the areas of color accuracy, as well as the lack of a dedicated PC-input and merely average scaling of 480i sources. CNET also mentioned the reports of banding issues with the D62 series, but had no problems with their review unit. Still, for the price, resolution and plasma-fighting black levels, it doesn't seem to get much better than this.
CNET users vote Wii number 1
Surely you'd expect to see the Wii reach the #1 spot on certain niche websites, but on a popular consumer site like CNET? Of course not, which makes it that much more awesome! On its weekly Top 20 list, CNET has seen the Wii present for 2 weeks running, just this week taking the top spot away from some other gadget thing and Microsoft's Zune. This shows us that Nintendo is realizing their goal of getting gamers and non-gamers alike interested in the platform. Hopefully we'll have a repeat next week, when the list resets.
