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iConsole.tv Android gaming PC updated with Intel Iris graphics, consumer units expected to start at $399
Remember the iConsole.tv, Christopher Price's Android-powered gaming PC? It's back, and it's better: Mobile Media Ventures has announced that the project's developer unit is getting a spec overhaul, upgrading to a Haswell-based processor with Intel Iris graphics. The dev hardware is getting a new price too, and will now be available for $699. While the company hasn't released final pricing on the consumer model, it estimates the computer will cost between $399 and $499, depending on the configuration. The final details won't be available for a few months yet, but Engadget spent some time with an early prototype back in May -- discovering a wicked fast Android device with a comforting Linux dual-boot option (for when you want a more traditional desktop, of course). Although we won't know for sure until we see the final hardware in action, the iConsole.tv is starting to look like it might be a fairly versatile Steambox alternative. Check out the company's official announcement after the break.
The Daily Roundup for 05.13.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Hands-on with the iConsole.tv, an Android-powered game system with the heart of a desktop PC
Pry open any Android-powered game console on the market today, and you'll likely find a mobile processor -- an ARM-based chip originally designed for tablets, smartphones and maybe the odd specialty device. It seems to make sense -- after all, isn't Android a mobile OS? Christopher Price, CEO of Mobile Media Ventures, doesn't seem to think so. "Android is the future of personal computing," Price told Engadget. "Even on the desktop." According to Price, developers just haven't had a chance to play with a truly powerful Android gaming machine. So, naturally, he's building one. Despite its Apple-esque name, the iConsole.tv is billed as the most powerful Android device to date. It's a bold claim, but the specs add up: the company's Unit 00 developer kit runs Android on a 3.3GHz Intel Ivy Bridge CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM and two 500GB hard drives. Graphics are handled by Intel's integrated HD 4000 chipset -- a surprisingly capable GPU, though still a far cry from dedicated hardware. Price stressed that these specifications are for the $999 developer version the company announced today. The final product's build hasn't been finalized, but we were told it would ring it at a notably lower price. Still, considering all that power, we had to wonder why MMV chose Android. Price reiterated the potential he sees in the platform. "We're pushing the envelope and adapting it for high-performance gaming, but we see Android being the change agent in personal computing, on the TV and the desktop. People hate walled gardens, and they hate maintaining their PCs. Android can solve that, and we're going to help make that happen."%Gallery-188179%
Rumorang: Apple's game console
Here we go again, another rumorang. AppleInsider is quoting Prudential analyst Jesse Tortora who thinks it's a "distinct possibility" that Apple is looking to enter the video game market in a more significant way than iPod game downloads. His evidence? Apple has recently "hired game developers at both the software and hardware levels." Well that settles it. Expect the iConsole any day now.Tortora thinks that Apple will be forced into the highly competitive console market by downloadable TV and movie offerings from the likes of Sony and Microsoft. We don't buy it though ... the Apple iTV seems focused on a distinctly different segment of the market than the high end gaming machines from MS and Sony. Tortora also said that Apple's brand name and design savvy would help any console they released, but Apple's lack of games experience and connections in the games industry would likely hurt them more. After all, the Apple brand and design weren't enough to save the Pippin.We'd like to buy into the wishful thinking that causes this rumor to pop up every few months, but until something more substantial comes down the pike, we've got to call BS.
