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Confirmed: Nintendo DS headset
Confirmed by the big N, this external microphone/earpiece (we'll just call it a headset) will be releasing to the Japanese gaming public come September 14th for roughly $10 American. Rumor has it that the headset is going to be utilized by the upcoming cash cow Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, which will allow for full voice chat. Personally, we'd like for it to release a bit earlier, say right around the time Starfox Command comes out. Now there's a game that could benefit from the use of a headset![Via Go Nintendo][Note: That is not an actual shot of what the final product will look like. If you have access to such top-secret pictures, please send them to us.][Double Note: That is, in fact, NOT my father, despite popular belief. He just plays him on the internet.]
Microsoft announces two Live-optimized webcams
Xbox 360 owners aren't the only ones who have a Microsoft-brand webcam to look forward to later this summer, as Redmond will also be gifting Windows Live Messenger users with models of their very own. First in a planned series of cams designed to dumb-down the videoconferencing experience, the LifeCam VX-6000 and VX-3000 both feature built-in noise-canceling microphones, a "Live Call" button which brings up the Buddy Picker window, and software integration with Messenger for camera control and one-click photo uploads to Windows Live Spaces. Consumers looking for better image quality will want to go with the $100 VX-6000, which offers 1.3 megapixel video and stills up to five megapixels (using interpolation, obviously), while the $50 VX-3000 should suffice for those who need only standard VGA resolution. Pre-ordering has already begun on Amazon, but neither of these products will ship until sometime in August.
Belkin's TuneTalk Stereo does 16-bit iPod recording
We've already seen XtremeMac step up and court the mobile podcasting community with its 16-bit MicroMemo microphone adapter for the iPod with video, and now Belkin has announced a similar product with CD-quality audio recording, the TuneTalk Stereo. Like the MicroMemo, Belkin's omnidirectional model also clips into your device's dock connector, and includes a 3.5-millimeter jack for hooking up an external mic, if that's your thing. You also get a little stand for looking more professional in those sit-down interviews for your podcast, and the design ensures that you can leave your 'Pod's fancy case on while recording. Seventy bucks will get us lucky North Americans one of these units -- in either black or white -- sometime this month, but the rest of you suckers will have to wait just a little bit longer.
Nintendo snags wiikaraoke.com, built-in mic rumor heats up
The latest Wii rumor, which speculates that the Wiimote has a built-in mic, is starting to heat up with news that Nintendo has registered the 'wiikaraoke.com' domain. Currently, the address redirects browsers to the Nintendo homepage, but we have to assume that this will all change, in time. Of course, Nintendo hasn't confirmed a thing, so the domain could end up remaining dead space or used for other purposes, like a contest.Still, we can't help but point out that the Wiimote makes for a perfect impromptu microphone.
Wiimote to have mic, VOIP support?
The idea of a mic for the Nintendo Wii controller -- in addition to the speaker they announced at E3 -- isn't too far fetched. After all, the DS is already using such functionality quite successfully, and Nintendo included a microphone with their recent Mario Party games for the GameCube. There's still no official word from Nintendo, but after some careful examination of Nintendo Wii patents, NRevolutionA has spotted some pretty strong hints to a mic. The patent mentions two audio sources, one obviously being the game disc, and the other being a mysterious "audio in" that is hanging out with a pair of audio outputs. It seems like a mic to us. There are also details within the patent regarding the processing of analog audio to digital, and mixing it all together with a bit of Wii magic. Other sources around the interwebs are pushing the rumor of VOIP support, which seems easy enough for Nintendo to do, and matches well with their "always on" Internet strategy. Purists might be scared by the PS3-ish convergence, but Nintendo doesn't seem in any danger of dropping off the deep end in this regard.[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Wiimote with mic, VoIP support
Nintendo has hinted that there are still Wii functions that have yet to be revealed. One of the latest rumors suggests that one of these functions is built-in microphone support.We know that the Wiimote houses a speaker, but what if the controller also contains a microphone? And if that should be the case, could the Wiimote also double as a VoIP-supported communication device? Sure. Throw in a voice-activated phonebook and we're talkin' universal functionality (i.e. an incentive for "non-gamers" to buy in).
Varibel glasses sport eight conversation-enhancing mics
Any gadget that enhances two of your senses at once is worth at least a mention in these pages, so we hereby present you with the not-completely-unattractive-looking Varibel hearing aid eyeglasses. The manufacturers would take issue with calling it a hearing aid, however, as regular in-ear models pick up conversations as well as ambient noise, while the four mics on each arm of Varibel's glasses supposedly separate the two types of sound, enhancing the former while dampening the latter. Developed by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, these devices will initially be limited to a Dutch release, but because of Varibel's partnership with Phillips and Frame Holland, they may end up seeing a wider release. Integrate these with a pair of those bifocal-eliminating LCD glasses, and you've got something that actually makes us look forward to old age (well, kinda). [Warning: foreign language link, may be confusing to some.][Via Roland Piquepaille]
