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DS Daily: Colors
Depending on where you live (or whether or not you want to import), you have different choices when it comes to DS Lite color, and a wider selection of shades if you're still wielding the Phatty model. Maybe you even shelled out for a limited edition. We already talked about how many you have -- now we wanna know: what color are you sporting? Are you happy with it? What available color would you want instead, and if you could have any color (without modding) or a special edition, what would it be?
Black and red Nintendo Wiis already confirmed?
We're going ahead and tossing this one in alongside all the other probable-but-not-official rumors out there, as apparently "an anonymous Nintendo representative revealed that black and red Wii consoles have been confirmed." No, there wasn't any followup about other colored offerings, nor any questions about when this colorific duo would hit stores (skeptical yet?), but we will admit this isn't the first time we've gotten wind of colorful Wiis (not to mention a price drop) being on the horizon. So while it's definitely in the Big N's character to pump out old hardware in a variety of colors, we've still got little to go on with regard to its latest machine, but we're sure there's a few talented people out there that could create a vivid version for you if you don't feel like waiting around (or cherishing your loot).[Via Joystiq]
DS Daily: Seeing double
You can have a pink one, or a pimped out black one. You can go with phat or sleek. You can turn it into a turtle shell or a tank. You can tattoo it or you can go for plain, sparkling white. With the DS, the choice is yours ... and some people like to go for multiples. For DS owners, it seems less is definitely not more. So what about you? Are you packing more than one DS? Was it the lure of a new color, or did you yearn for a special edition? Did you make the transition from phat to lite? We'd love to know if you have more than one DS lying around the house. And while we're on the subject ... anyone else just itching for the blue ones to make their way outside Japan? Import costs are just no fun.
Sony PSP faceplates add color to US units
Nevermind all those PSP2 rumors swirling about, as the real beef all you PSP owners (at least, one's that don't demolish them for fun) have with Sony is the lack of colored units here on American soil. Apparently, someone finally figured out that blessing foreign lands with a rainbow-like assortment of PSP colors wasn't exactly fair to us North Americans, and now we're seeing blue and silver Sony faceplates pop up for those who don't mind a bit of DIY action. So if you're yearning to get a dash of color on your current PlayStation Portable, and aren't too keen on dropping 35 large, you can snag either blue or silver right now for $28.50 apiece.[Via PSPFanboy]
Half-Life 2 is black, orange, and priced
Valve has released some pricing details on their upcoming Half-Life 2 sets, affectionately dubbed Orange and Black. The packages and prices are as follows: Black, for PC only, is $39.99 and includes only Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. Orange, for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is $59.99 and includes all of the above plus Half-Life 2 and Episode One. With a set like Half-Life 2: Orange being one of the few titles out there we feel merit a $60 price tag, we're eagerly anticipating the sets' release. Now if Valve would finally release them!
Samsung offers up DS200 speaker dock for YP-K3
Just days after Samsung's uber-slim YP-K3 DAP got all official on us, here comes news of a docking speaker attachment to give it the built-in sound projection capabilities that the YP-K5 already has. Although Samsung has also announced that the K3 will be landing in lime green and red flavors here shortly, the DS200 apparently only comes in black, and while it's admittedly less sexy that the integrated speaker on its larger sibling, it'll still get the job done when push comes to shove. We wouldn't expect this here horn to deliver anything awe-inspiring, but the battery-powered DS200 should provide your ears with a little rest when you're tired of wearing those earbuds. Reportedly, the speaker adornment should hit shelves sometime in March, but since it'll run you right around $50, it's probably a bit much for an impulse buy.
My goodness, that's pretty
We've seen some Wiimote mods before, but certainly none were quite as aesthetically pleasing as this. Not only has the modder-in-question placed a bright LED behind the transparent A button, but he actually changes the color of both the button and the lower LED based on player position. This mod is apparently quite difficult to pull off, but if you've any electrical savvy in your body, we all think you owe it to your Wiimote to at least take a look at how it's done.It's so pretty.[via 4cr]
Luxeed keyboard goes disco, sports programmable color keys
We can't think of a much better way to compliment your disco-inspired mouse than, you guessed it, a psychedelic keyboard. While we've seen our fair share of colored keyboards, Luxeed's latest elevates the game by letting you program each individual key with one of 512 colors, "be it a single hue, a spectrum rainbow," or your own distinct / tacky creation. Reportedly, users can even download color skins / patterns directly from the firm's website, or you can save your own design for future reference, and actual brightness levels can also be adjusted right alone with tone. Moreover, users can make the keys light up and dim based on the beat of the music surrounding it, sure to create quite the dance-floor experience right in your studio. Of course, Luxeed is marketing this as a way to relieve stress via light therapy, but everyone knows this here is best used with all the lights shut out.[Via CNET]
Japan gets "champagne gold" PSP, U.S. gets jealous
Just when we thought they couldn't top pink, Sony Japan announced today that a "champagne gold" PSP will be available in the country on Feb. 22 for ¥20,790 (about $175). The system will also be sold in a limited edition (22,222 unit) bundle with Monster Hunter: 2nd Edition for ¥27,300 (about $230). A hilarious Google translation of the announcement highlights how the system "has the noble shining" and lets users "adjusting to your own baggage and fashion... in accessory feeling." It also stresses that this new PSP color will be "promoting the further enlargement [of the PSP] platform powerfully in the future in the Japanese country." So take from that what you will. [Via IGN, thanks Febry]
PCN readying colorful line of PlayStation 3s
We all know how difficult (and hazardous) it was to locate an oh-so-coveted PlayStation 3 during the launch mayhem, and while things have calmed down somewhat, just happening upon Sony's latest console isn't likely for quite some time. If you're dead set on forking out $eBay for a fresh new PS3, you might as well get something that hardly anyone else has, right? The same folks who delivered that snow white PS3 console just a few days back have quickly realized the goldmine they've struck, and as Colorware is to iPods, MacBooks, etc., PCN is becoming to PlayStation 3s. The paint-wielding gurus are already gearing up to post a shiny red unit up for sale in the coming days, with a silver edition to follow suit, and while we can't be for certain, it seems they just might keep kicking out colored PS3s until the lucrative market dies down. So if you're interested in picking up one of these uber-limited units, be sure to hit the read link and keep an eye out for sale dates.[Via Engadget Japanese]
White PS3 maker expands line to red, silver
Encouraged by the positive reception and high eBay sales price fetched by his white PS3 mod, Michal Berecki is expanding the operation to include silver and red system cases. The new colors are still in the concept stage for now, but Berecki has promised the brightly colored PS3s will be on sale in the coming weeks. We can't help but be tickled by the idea of a home hobbyist filling in a market niche that a console maker seems unwilling or unable to fill. With three colors planned already, the sky's the limit. What kind of designs would you like to see on a future PS3 case?
Proton bringing LED backlit LCDs to CES 2007
Even though Toshiba's SED technology will be a no show at CES this year, Proton let us know that its LED backlit LCDs will be on display. The last time we saw these HDTVs (the 42-inch 1080p P42L1 and 32-inch 720p P32L1) at Computex they were expected to hit this year but now are slated for a second quarter 2007 release. In case you've forgotten during the long wait for this technology to reach reasonable prices, LED backlighting (like SED) promises more accurate color reproduction than current CCFL-based LCDs. We'll have to wait until next year to see which one actually delivers.
Verbatim adds background color to LightScribe discs
Nothing adds a dash of holiday cheer like a little color to brighten things up, or at least that's the mantra Verbatim is banking on you believing as it "ramps up shipments" of its recently-unveiled LightScribe-compatible CD-Rs. While we figured color would come this way awhile back, we were honestly hoping for actual color etching technology to be a part of LightScribe by now, but we guess a spindle of "red, green, blue, yellow and orange discs" will have to suffice for the time being. Notably, these discs utilize the same ole LightScribe burner you've already got, but adding color silkscreens to your laser drawings certainly won't prove cheap, as these stocking stuffers will run you $19.99 for a 25-pack.[Via Chip Chick]
Pink PSP proves pretty popular
ITmedia is reporting that the pink PSP is doing quite well, with a 70% female audience, aged 20 to 40. This is a market largely ignored by Nintendo's efforts: younger than the Brain Age-obsessed moms, and older than the Nintendogs-loving girls. Accessories, like the pricey Samantha Thavasa pink PSP case sold out "instantly," proving that a simple color change can expand the PSP's market quite a bit.Of course, Sony seems to understand that everywhere except the US, where gamers have been limited to one PSP color: black, and black alone. When will Sony realize that this is just limiting their ability to sell more systems? Certainly, the upcoming Silver system which hits Japan this week will also help boost sales.[Via PSP-Vault]
Fancy Wii skins
We like the white. It's classy, Apple-like, and pleasing to the eyes. Still, many fans were quite perturbed at the lack of color options at launch, and without varying color schemes for at least the Wiimotes, it can become difficult to differentiate consoles and controllers if you ever get some friends over with their own controllers.We know you cheated by reading the headline, so yes, there are fancy skins available for your Wii! (For the portably minded, they also have quite a few DS Lite skins.) There are currently 99 designs available, made of a thin material designed to cover as much of the console as possible. Moreover, for a few extra bucks (the console skin itself costs $14.99), you can get matching skins for your Wiimotes and nunchucks. Awesome? We think so. Also, after contacting the company, we've learned that they plan to open up the floor to custom designs sometime in December. So you can, you know, put a picture of your hot girlfriend on the Wii, or something. Whatever.
Motorola's KRZR K1 to get snazzy new colors?
Ah, there's nothing like adding functionality additional color schemes to a cellphone in order to generate more sales, and nobody's better at getting it done than Moto. While the KRZR had plenty of hype backing it, it hasn't been around quite long enough to get Motorola's oh-so-typical color-changing treatment (a dash of white notwithstanding), but that's apparently about to change. While details aren't certain just yet, it looks like the company may have two new variants coming down the pike for "Q4 2006" (just in time for the holidays?), but all specs should remain exactly as they current are. Purportedly aiming to hit the market in both black and "silver quartz," the newfangled KRZRs are actually fairly mild considering some of the variations we've seen, but we all know that lime green, fairly tale pink, and candy apple red are (probably) waiting just around the corner.[Thanks, RandomStranger]
Silver & Metallic Blue PSPs are a go
Sony showed off new colors for the PSP at Tokyo Game Show a month ago, and it looks like they're all heading to stores... in Japan, at least. The Camo PSP was recently packaged as part of a Metal Gear Solid bundle. The new Silver and Metallic Blue colors for the PSP are hitting Japan, sans bundles. Except for color, they'll be identical to the current White and Black PSPs, including price (unlike the Signature line).Europe gets the pink PSP, and Japan gets a whole assortment of colors. Why is the US stuck with just plain ol' black?[Via Kingplayer]
Real pics emerge of the VX8500's spectrum
Ever wonder what a metallic, phlegm-green LG Chocolate might look like? Well, wonder no longer. We've managed to score press photos for Verizon's VX8500 in all three of its new colors, and although it's difficult to argue the hotness of the white and red varieties, the green just is not doing anything for us. Ah, well; vive la variété, eh? Look for the new shades to drop any day now.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
DS versus PSP: the battle for the best LCD
PC Magazine got a "display expert" from DisplayMate Technology to evaluate the screen performance of the DS Lite and the PSP. To a casual observer, both have stunning displays. But how do they fare when they're analyzed by the same methods used on high-end HDTVs? The report is incredibly thorough, so I'll just give you some key highlights:
