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Wii price drop confirmed: $199 starting this weekend
The rumors were true, and Nintendo's knight in shining armor is finally about to see its first-ever price drop. For nearly three years now, the console has sold briskly at $249.99, but beginning on September 27th at Best Buy (and everywhere else, naturally), the happy-go-lucky machine will be offered for just $199.99. Interestingly, it appears that suits at BB expect Nintendo to make an official announcement on the drop this Friday, yet retail stores won't begin selling at the discounted rate until Sunday. Something tells us that won't go over well, but we guess we've but a few days left 'til we find out exactly how the Big N plans to play this.[Thanks, Anonymous]Update: Thanks to yet another anonymous source, we've even more proof that a $199.99 Wii is coming. A crystal clear Toys 'R Us flyer confirms the price after the break, though what's curious is the confirmation that the new price won't go into effect until Sunday, September 27th. It should be interesting to see if Nintendo really announces a price drop two days before retailers actually axe the MSRP, but with this free t-shirt that you get from TRU, we'd suggest just holding off. We mean, it's a Nintendo t-shirt!
Alienware launching new M15x laptop and Aurora / Area-51 ALX desktops at TGS
Wondering what all those teasers were about? So were we, and now we've got the skinny on what exactly is looming at the Tokyo Game Show. For starters, you may have noticed that Alienware has completely removed the option to purchase an Area-51 m15x gaming laptop except in refurbished form, and the only desktop remaining in the store is the Area-51 X58, which is conveniently discounted today. The reason? It's launching five of its most powerful creations yet on September 23rd (that's tomorrow, bub), including the quickest 15-inch lappie in the galaxy (the all-new M15x) as well as the dual-GPU Aurora / Aurora ALX desktops. Finally, a refreshed Area-51 and Area-51 ALX will also be on tap, though exact specifications for the whole lot won't be revealed until the 23rd. Oh, and we'll totally be on hand in Japan to provide all the hands-on media you can stand, so stay tuned![Thanks, Anonymous]
The best of WoW.com: August 4-11, 2009
Exciting times in the World of Warcraft lately -- patch 3.2 is out, and with it comes brand new instances, new items to find, and a multitude of changes to make the game more fun. Oh, and don't forget about BlizzCon -- speculation is at a fever pitch with the event just 10 days away, and as you can see from the first post below, the leaks are starting to come already. Here's a sampling of the news you'll find on Joystiq's WoW.com. News Cataclysm races leakedWoW.com reveals the new playable races in the Cataclysm expansion, to be announced at BlizzCon next week. Player reaction to the 5-man TrialWhat did players think of the brand new 5-man instance? Patch 3.2 Known IssuesHere's what's still broken in the newest patch. BigRedKitty gets his own gun in AzerothOur friend and former coworker BRK gets honored with his own piece of ingame gear. 53 Emblems per dayWant to take advantage of the Emblem changes in the new Heroics? Run this route and farm as many emblems as you can. Features Every kind of player's guide to patch 3.2Not sure what to do in patch 3.2? Let us help. Arcane Brilliance: Good and bad in patch 3.2The Mage column examines the pros and cons of what's happening to them in the recent patch. Insider Trader: Progressive professionsHow to move professions forward in the future of the game. Time is Money: On patrolHave only a little time but want to make a lot of gold? Join the Troll Patrol! World of Warcraft Patch 3.2 Mounts guideThe mount changes have affected the game a lot -- here's the rundown of everything that's new.
New Sony Reader PRS-300 and PRS-600 details leaked
You know the drill -- service manuals get posted for new / unannounced products, the kids in the forums pounce, and then Sony makes 'em disappear (the documents, that is -- Sony doesn't rub people out, at least not yet). In this case, user 'berboris' over at The Electronic Book found details for two Sony Readers as yet unheard of: The PRS-300 features a 5-inch display, roughly 440MB storage after system files are accounted for, and that's about it -- no touchscreen, no audio output, no card slots. The PRS-600, however, sports a 6-inch touchscreen, audio output (presumably for MP3 audiobooks and the like), SD/MS slots, and 380MB storage when all's said and done. The manuals don't mention any sort of lighting for the units or any kind of wireless connection, although both models will apparently be available in silver, red, and black -- which you can peep, conveniently enough, after the break.[Via Mobile Read]Read - Forum postRead - More info and PDFs at Sony Insider
HTC Touch Pro2 brandishes Verizon logo, poses for camera with Cedar
Not that it wasn't without warning, but we've now got some pretty definitive picture proof that HTC 's Touch Pro2 is set to bask in Verizon's CDMA goodness -- we guess your Sprint friends won't be having all the fun, after all. Also caught on camera here is the HTC Cedar, a CDMA version of the HTC Maple / Snap. It's got a slightly different button layout just under the screen than the Sprint version we recently saw, which itself is different from its initial unveiling. According to 474RPR, who leaked these pics, this one's bound for Alltel's network, which while we don't see any proof from the image, we could totally buy that. Of course, none of these pics give a release date of any sort, so hang tight while we all anxiously wait in unison. [Via wmpoweruser]
Plethora of Palm Pre interface videos emerge from leaked emulator
Palm Pre secrets? That's very quickly becoming a thing of the past. After getting some pretty good shots of webOS last week, the "invisible man" from PalmPreForum.org has uploaded an absolute ton of videos -- fifteen in all, at last count -- showcasing the interface from a leaked emulator given out to early developers (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, in case you were wondering). Browser, tasks, memos, YouTube, Google Maps, backup, settings, copy and paste -- frankly, we're still wrapping our heads around all of them, and while it's a shame we can't see any multitouch gesture since he's limited to a mouseclick, we're not gonna be choosy here. Clear your afternoon schedule and check out the video playlist we've embedded after the break -- and not to worry, the audio clears up right around the 9th video. Read - YouTube channel Read - PalmPreForum.org [Thanks, Michael]
Duke Nukem Forever gameplay surfaces, requests we 'come get some'
Unfortunately, it seems that the death of 3D Realms was the best way for us to get our hands on the largest collection of Duke Nukem Forever screens we've ever seen, and now, footage of the game in action. Found on ex-3D Realms employee Bryan Brewer's personal website (found after the break due to its NSFW-ness), we're treated to the ubiquitous pig cops (now with the ability to jump and climb, apparently) as well as a variety of Duke vulgarities you likely won't want your mother to hear.If anything, the footage proves that a ton of different gameplay was actually finished and -- we're not gonna lie here -- looks pretty decent. We didn't spot any jetpack totin' reptilian enemies unfortunately, but we can only presume the folks at 3D Realms were waiting until the last possible minute to show off such nostalgia laden insanity. Wait, isn't right now the last possible minute?%Gallery-63065%%Gallery-32891%
Mio S401 and S501 nav units leak out, due in May
It's been a while since we've seen a new Mio navi hit Stateside -- Mitac seems to be concentrating on the Magellan brand here -- but it looks like there's still some kick left in those boots: say hello to the Moov S401 and S501. Baby brother 401 will sell for $129 and has a 4.3-inch screen and four million preloaded POIs, while the $169 501 bumps it up to 4.7 inches and 12 million. Both have Mio's newish "Spirit" interface, but we're most intrigued by the repeated mentions of gas price searching and Google Send to GPS in the docs we were leaked, which suggest integration with a service like MSN Direct. We'll find out soon -- these are set to land in Radio Shack in mid-May.Update: Mio just pinged us to say that these prices are wrong, but they didn't tell us anything else, so stay tuned.[Thanks, Anonymous]
GDC09: Leaked Uncharted 2 gameplay shows urban gunplay, acrobatics
You might want to stop reading this now, and check out the video posted after the break. You see, when dealing with leaked gameplay footage posted on content-removal-friendly YouTube, time is seriously of the essence -- particularly when that footage was shamelessly yoinked (no, not by us) from a closed-doors GDC panel showing off the highly anticipated Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.In case it gets pulled before you can lay eyes upon it, here's a brief recap: The footage shows the familiar gunplay and monkey-esque environment navigation from the original, though this particular clip eschews the jungles and tombs of Uncharted the First in favor of a war-torn urban locale. The series' sleek animations are even sleeker, and the gunshootery looks a bit more responsive. Also, Nate's apparently developed the ability to survive point-blank explosions. We can't wait to see how this invulnerability factors in to the game's story.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Four previously unknown Acer phones spied in Barcelona
Well, these are not the Acer phones we saw leaked a few days ago -- in fact, there are four new dudes here, all previously unseen. We know little about them, except that they are apparently on hand somewhere at MWC, and we hear that it's possible they're going to be unveiled today, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for them. In the meantime, try to contain yourself and hit the read link for photos of the other two.
Samsung's CES 2009 HDTV lineup leaked?
CES 2009 is literally days away, but it seems that those looking for details on any possible new HDTVs from Samsung may not have to wait to get their fill. A few postings over at AVForums has led us to believe that the outfit will be debuting a number of new sets for a litany of markets. The 2009 lineup will reportedly consist of a few new Series 3, 4, 5 and 6 panels, with the main focus being on their LED-backlit-ness. Everything should be available for purchase during the first half of next year, with sizes ranging from around 40-inches and up. Obviously, there are far too many details linked below to cover in this space, but one mention we found particularly interesting was the promised Internet@TV feature, which should effectively replace InfoLive and instead rely on those Yahoo Widgets we've been hearing about for so long. It's about to get really interesting, folks.[Via Audioholics, thanks Celle]
Unreleased Helio slider surfaces
Described to us once by those in the know as "a project that would've been," this Helio-badged, Samsung-built, multimedia-happy slider just surfaced on the Heliocity forums. Samsung shipped tweaked versions of this handset (based on the Samsung F400) with B&O and Armani branding, but there's no telling if "Helio by Virgin" still has plans to bring this to market. More shots after the break.
Lackluster line-up of new iriver DAPs leaked
It looks like we might have two new iriver DAPs to get semi-not-really excited about in the very near future, if the leaked photos and specs are to be believed. We know very little about the uber-basic T5 (picture above) beyond the fact that it supports MP3, WMA, and OGG formats and has a built-in USB jack. It's quite small, weighing just 25.9 grams, and will come in 2GB and 4GB sizes. The T6 is a little bigger, but also an apparently quite basic 4GB player with an added FM tuner. The rumor mill also reports that the T5 will run €50 (about $65) while the T6 will be €60 (about $77), but nothing's official and we don't know when they'll hit us with these bad boys.[Via Engadget Spanish]
Dell's Inspiron 1425 leaked: like the 1420, but slimmer?
You really never know what you'll run across when sifting through PDF's on Dell's website, so we're not at all flabbergasted to hear that an all new machine has popped up courtesy of a completely random Product Safety, EMC and Environmental datasheet. The heretofore unheard of Inspiron 1425 now has its very own safety sheet on the outfit's official site, and it seems that two variants are listed (FT01 and FT02). Tipster SalientPilot rightfully points out that this machine looks to be just a hair slimmer and lighter than the existing Inspiron 1420, and given the November 18th "effective date," it sure smells fresh. Obviously, we've no clue if or when the Round Rock powerhouse will get around to doling out the official goods on this elusive machine, but we'd say this is probably reason enough to hold off on that impending 1420 purchase until we see what's what. [Warning: PDF read links][Thanks, SalientPilot]Read - Inspiron 1425 FT01Read - Inspiron 1425 FT02
BlackBerry Storm 9530 user manual leaked, totally not boring
Can't get enough info on the BlackBerry Storm? No detail too granular? Well, then you'll surely be interested in the fact that the user manual has appeared -- and from the looks of it, it's a serious page-turner. It's not quite as long as War & Peace, clocking in at 249 pages, but just as action-packed, so cozying up with it might fill the void until the actual device appears.
NXE leaked, installation disables Live until November 19
It took no time at all but the New Xbox Experience has been leaked onto the internet. According to tipsters, someone who was invited to the NXE has made the update available in downloadable form online which -- like all other Xbox 360 dashboard updates -- has the ability to update any console with a USB thumb drive.If you're thinking of grabbing the update, think again. According to Major Nelson using the leaked update disables Xbox Live on a console until November 19, the actual release of NXE. With Gears of War 2 just around the corner, you wouldn't want to take your console off the grid would you? While no reported bans have been handed down since the leak showed up it isn't hard to imagine Microsoft could take you offline for good. You've been warned.[Update: Major Nelson wrote on his twitter, "If you get your hands on NXE and you are NOT in the Preview Program. You won't be allowed on LIVE." We will not be linking any websites with information or links to download the NXE - hence the replacement of Major Nelson from the original source in this story. Users who leave links to such content in the comments will have them swiftly removed.]
Leaked Intel roadmap shows Centrino 2 bump just before Calpella hits
Intel's Montevina mobile processors will get a significant bump in the 2nd quarter of 2009 with the 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo T9900, and the 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo P8800. A completely separate, slightly more suspect Digitimes rumor tells of a possible Core 2 Quad Q9600 CPU of unknown speed and power. Regardless, we won't get to bask in their awesomeness for very long, as the switchover to the Calpella platform (and Clarksfield) will follow quickly in the 3rd quarter of 2009. Will the rumor-mill never cease to torture us? [Via Electronista]Read - Intel Clarksfield & Ibex Peak-M Chipsets In Q3 '09Read - Intel planning Montevina Refresh
New Dell keyboard and mouse leak out
Dell has a ways to go before it can match, say, Microsoft's peripheral acumen -- or the considerable buzz being generated by Blue Track at the moment. That said, the computer giant looks to have a couple new ones in the pipeline, and that's always a treat for the folks too poor or lazy to replace their pre-bundled keyboard and mouse. The keyboard's short-throw keys will be a love it or hate it affair, but the media keys seem nice enough, while the mouse offers sensitivity-denoting LEDs and some laser tech underneath to match those smooth, predictable contours. No word on a ship date, but look for these to show up in your new Dell boxes before long.
Leaked Sprint roadmap reveals Touch Pro, Touch Diamond dates and pricing
From the looks of it, Sprint has gone and gotten a decent chunk of its playbook leaked all over the interblogs, and it's chock-full of titillating information. Thanks to slippery fingers and loose lips, we already knew that the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro were headed to the carrier, but now we have some solid dates (mid-September for the Diamond, October 19th for the Pro), and pricing ($549.99 and $579.99 unsubsidized, $249.99 and $320 with contract). Of course, this is all according to the above document, which admittedly could be the work of an extremely bored Photoshopper -- but this jibes pretty tightly with a lot of other chatter we've been hearing.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Canon's EOS 50D product shots, test photo leaked
It's fairly obvious that the EOS 50D is on its way out into the world, especially considering those pics and specs we just caught wind of. Still, it's nice to see some decent images of the 15.1-megapixel DSLR, and thanks to a brief Canon Japan website slip-up, we're able to do just that. Check out one more view of the device after the break.
