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Lucky Europe receives 'Best of Halo' Xbox 360 bundle
Because Halo Wars is in dire need of more promotion and marketing (not really), Microsoft will be releasing a special edition Xbox 360 console dubbed the "Best of Halo edition". Swedish retailer Webhallen has the listing, mentioning the bundle will ship February 27th and will include all the standard 360 Pro amenities (60GB HDD, wireless controller, headset, cables, etc.) with the addition of both Halo 3 and Halo Wars. And for 2795 kr or about $350 USD, it's actually a decent deal.As far as we know, Europe will be the only market this Best of Halo Xbox 360 will see a release in. But that doesn't mean Stateside fanboys can't keep their fingers crossed and continue to pray to the prophets above.[Via Teamxbox]
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 GPU brings powerhouse graphics to SFF rigs
NVIDIA's Quadro NVS 420 is quite the unique offering -- on one hand, it's rather intriguing that a workstation card has been whittled down to fit within a small form factor PC, but then again, who else outside of advertisers (and their digital signage applications) will even need it? Nevertheless, said card is the industry's only low-profile professional GPU that can sneak within SFF PCs and still power four 30-inch displays at 2,560 x 1,600 resolution via DisplayPort / dual-link DVI. As for specs, it's boasting 512MB of memory, 11.2GB/sec (per GPU) of memory bandwidth and a CUDA Parallel Computing Processor. It'll be available next month for the niche that needs it at $499.[Via HotHardware]
Novatech's X50MV Pro gaming laptop reviewed, SideShow makes surprise appearance
Man, remember when everyone thought their next laptop would have a minuscule SideShow display baked in the lid? Yeah, whatever happened to that fantasy? Apparently the engineers over at Novatech never got the memo that said technology was doomed for failure, as they certainly included a 2.5-inch color display on the lid of the X50MV Pro gaming laptop. That nifty inclusion aside, the unit also packed some pretty stout internals, though reviewers did lament the GeForce 9600M GT graphics chip. Still, the LCD was deemed gorgeous to look at, the inbuilt TV tuner was a welcome extra and performance was highly lauded in every area except hardcore gaming -- which is obviously odd given the nature of the beast. In the end, critics couldn't wholeheartedly recommend this machine over a litany of others for close to the same price, but there just might be a few unique features here that push you over the edge.
Hitachi introduces trio of ultra-bright projectors
Hitachi's latest trifecta wasn't designed for your surely swank abode per se, but we suppose those with enough cash and willpower can do anything they darn well please. That said, the CP-X10000 (1,024 x 768), CP-WX11000 (1,280 x 800) and CP-SX12000 (1,400 x 1,050) can all handle professional (read: lit) settings with ease, featuring 7,500 / 6,500 / 7,000 lumens, respectively. The whole lot also boasts a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 10-bit signal processor, HDMI / BNC connectors, Ethernet, an RS-232 control port and a lamp good for 10,000 maintenance-free hours. Mum's the word on price, but don't worry, these are going on the corporate card anyway.[Via I4U News]
NTT DoCoMo reveals fall 2008 lineup: Bold, E71, 20 others
Hot on the heels of RIM's BlackBerry Bold finally hitting AT&T sales channels comes word that Japan's NTT DoCoMo has also joined in to offer the handset. As the Asian carriers dump their cornucopia of fall 2008 mobiles onto the world, this particular one is serving up 22, all divided into the STYLE, PRIME, SMART and PRO series. Naturally, the latter category piques our interest the most, as it hosts the Bold, Nokia E71, HTC Touch Pro (HT-01A), HTC Touch Diamond (HT-02A) and Sharp's decidedly handsome SH-04A. Feel free to have a look at the entire family (and their respective launch dates) just below in the read link.
Big Xbox 360 deals from Dell
Not so uncharacteristically, Dell.com is offering up holiday Xbox 360 console savings across the 360's entire console lineup. They're selling the newly released Xbox 360 holiday bundles at a discounted price where you can save $30 on a new Xbox 360 Arcade, $50 on a Pro and $70 on an Elite. Click the links below, enter the coupon code supplied and make your purchase before October 23rd. Saving money is a good thing. Xbox 360 Arcade - Coupon code: 6VKNSMJK0PD7L8 Xbox 360 Pro - Coupon code: M69N0GW8WF$71V Xbox 360 Elite - Coupon code: 7H7JHWM8?HQTBR [Via Engadget, Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
MS announces holiday bundles, free Netflix trial
News coming out of the Tokyo Game Show is Microsoft's announcement of the once rumored Xbox 360 holiday bundles that'll be releasing to retail this month. And note that all 360 console SKUs come with at least one free game. The $199 Xbox 360 Arcade holiday bundle comes with SEGA Superstars Tennis and both the $299 Xbox 360 Pro and $399 Xbox 360 Elite consoles come bundled with LEGO Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda this holiday season. Also, after sniffing through press materials, we spotted holiday box stickers and they mention a free Netflix trial. You know, because Netflix is doing that whole 360 streaming thing.%Gallery-34078%
Rumor: Xbox 360 holiday bundles to include family friendly games [update]
Update: Swedish retailer Webhallen.com has the rumored Arcade, Pro and Elite holiday bundles for sale and pictured on their site. It's more proof, but we still have no "official" word from Microsoft. Thanks Dirty Whirlwind.Just as was done last year, Microsoft may be looking to release special Xbox 360 packages that are bundled with a few free games to entice holiday console purchasers. And according to our insider Gamestop tipster, this holiday Microsoft will be bundling family friendly games with all three major 360 consoles. We've been informed that the Xbox 360 Arcade model will come packaged with SEGA Superstar Tennis and both the Pro and Elite models will come bundled with Kung Fu Panda and LEGO Indiana Jones. Sadly, we don't have any picture proof of the new bundles or a solid release date, but we'll keep digging to see whether or not the holiday game bundling is legit. For now, we advise being optimistically skeptical.[Thanks, Travisto]
Deals time: Xbox 360 Pro 60GB for $249, free ship
Through October 6th, Dell.com is offering a $50 discount on both Pro and Elite Xbox 360 consoles AND they're including free shipping too. To partake in the purchasing process of buying $249 Pros or $349 Elites, simply click on over to Dell.com and, at the end of checkout, use the promo codes listed below. Xbox 360 Pro 60GB - Promo code: 7V2DJL$PD6NGWZ Xbox 360 Elite 120GB - Promo code: NP?CKPRH$KTWLL [Via 360-Deals, Thanks Fargo]
JVC launches three Vrit professional HD LCD monitors
We'll go ahead and warn you: these aren't your mother's LCDs. Over in Amsterdam, JVC took the wraps off of three pricey new LCD HD monitors aimed at the professionals in the room, all of which include 10-Bit 4:4:4 video processing and computer automated calibration capability of black level, white level, color temperature and gamma. The 17-inch DT-V17L3DU, 20-inch DT-V20L3DU and 24-inch DT-V24L3DU make up the Vérité family, and the largest of the bunch even includes a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Other atypical features include a rugged all-in-one metal frame construction, two HD / SD SDI inputs, a built-in waveform monitor with over-level indication and ultra-low latency circuitry (less than one second) for lip sync accuracy and an anti-diffusion panel surface for "exceptionally high resolution, contrast and color." It's a shame these will set you back $3,000, $3,495 and $4,695 in order of mention, but like we said, they're for the pros.
Sprint launches HTC Touch Diamond and Pro into officialdom
Yeah, we all knew -- or rather hoped with all digits crossed -- they were coming, and what better venue to make the announcement than at CTIA in San Francisco. We've talked about these two for what seems like ages so we won't bore you with the tech babble, the important bits are Touch Diamond on September 14th, Touch Pro on October 19th. Pricing? Touch Diamond will run you $249 on two years after $100 rebate and the Touch Pro $299 on the same term after the same $100 rebate. Job well done busting these two out Sprint, we can't wait to get hands-on.
Deals: Free MS points with 360 purchase, $15 games and more
It's time to page through the weekly retail adds to uncover a few special Xbox 360 deals. And just in case you forgot, all Xbox 360 consoles have seen a price cut where Arcades are $199, 60GB Pros are $299 and 120GB Elites are $399. If you're going to take advantage of the new price cut, we advise heading over to Circuit City where they'll toss in a free 1600 Microsoft point card with any console purchase. They're also selling GRAW2, Saints Row and Dead Rising for $15 and giving away a free tshirt and $10 gift card with the purchase of Force Unleashed. Sadly, neither Best Buy or Target have any 360 deals worth mentioning. Then again, who needs 'em anyway? Happy spending!
It's official! Microsoft announces North American Xbox 360 price cuts, $199 Arcade
After months and months of rumors, speculation, leaked adscans and insider whispers, Microsoft just announced that the Xbox 360 price cut rumors are, in fact, true. Beginning this Friday, September 5th the retail pricing for Xbox 360 consoles in the US will drop to all time lows. The new console pricing puts the Xbox 360 Arcade at $199 (cheaper than the Wii!), the 60GB Xbox 360 Pro at $299 and the Xbox 360 Elite at $399. Remember though, this is only for the US as any other territories (Europe, Australia, etc.) have yet to announce any console price cuts. We can now also pretty much debunk that motion controlled Arcade bundle rumor. Happy shopping!
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]
The Engadget Review: Palm Treo Pro
The Treo Pro is the first of what is clearly a new design direction for Palm -- a shiny, black mutation of the popular Centro coupled with a few lines from the Treo 500 and a dash of the original Xbox thrown in for good measure. Under the hood is the staid and familiar Windows Mobile 6.1, with few changes save for the typical Palm shortcuts and the inclusion of an HTC-licensed task manager. Is this combo powerful enough to lift the smartphone-maker out of the doldrums of its current lineup, or is it just another half-step along the uneven pavement the company has been treading? Read on to find out.
Palm Treo Pro unboxing and hands-on at Engadget Mobile
You love the new Palm Treo Pro -- right? Not sure yet? Haven't seen enough photos? Okay, we get it. Well if you're really interested (and we know you are), take your bad self over to Engadget Mobile, where we've got some exciting and enlightening pictures of the latest Windows Mobile device from the folks in Sunnyvale. Get over there now! Seriously... what are you waiting for?
Palm Treo Pro unboxing and hands-on
Well we've gotten our hands all over Palm's new Treo - the Pro - and we've documented it all on film... er, disk. Here's what were liking so far - no more recessed screen (finally!), that HTC-licensed task manager, and the extremely slick packaging. Honestly, we think Palm might have one up on Apple with the presentation this time around. Also of note: the new modular power adapter (which Palm tragically forgot to throw into our box), earbuds you might not be ashamed to sport, and no install CD -- it loads when you hook the phone up to your PC. Check it all out in the gallery below (as well as a few size comparisons with the iPhone 3G), and we'll have pics of that power adapter just as soon as they courier it over. No, really.Update: Palm has -- in fact -- couriered over the accessories they forgot the first time around, and we've added some new pics. Huzzah!Update 2: We'll be doing a full review on the device, so stay tuned for that in the near future.%Gallery-30079%
Rumor: Leaked MS email confirms 60GB SKU, more
Well as E3 approaches, it looks Microsoft just can't keep a lid on their announcements. The lowered price on the 20GB unit has been rumored for a while now, and the idea has even been bandied about that its purpose was to clear the shelves to make room for a 60GB unit. While this of course is still waiting on some sort of official word (likely coming around or at MS's E3 press conference), a leaked email supposedly sent out to GameStop and Blockbuster company buyers seems to confirm both the new 60GB SKU as well as a "Live Starter Pack" for Arcade owners, which consists of a 60GB HDD, 3 Months of Live, a Headset, and an ethernet cable, all for $99.99.Additionally, the email states the 20GB HDD is being phased out altogether and that the 120GB stand alone drive will receive a price cut to $149.99 (HA!). Word is that the 60GB Pro Unit will hit before the month is out and the Live Starter Pack will hit late October or early November. Whether or not the new 60GB SKU will be subject to the new price drop is unknown, but doubtful. Likely the 20GBs at $299.99 are a fire sale, and the 60GBs will still be $349.99.The full text of the email can be found after the break.
MS announces Australian Xbox 360 price cuts
Today, the Australian arm of Microsoft's Xbox 360 division announced pretty competitive Xbox 360 price cuts across the board. The price cuts affect not only the Pro console, but also the Arcade and Elite dropping the Xbox 360 Arcade to AU$349 (from AU$399), the Pro to AU$499 (from AU$579) and the Elite to AU$649 (from AU$729). This price cut move makes all versions of the Xbox 360 cheaper than the PS3 in the region and the Arcade console actually undercuts the Wii which is priced at AU$399. Nice!These Australian price cuts obviously beg the question of whether or not we'll see a global Xbox 360 hardware price cut in time for E3. And even though Microsoft's Australian team refuses to acknowledge any other territory price cuts, we have even more faith in the leaked fliers. Global hardware price cuts incoming, keep your eyes peeled.
All the World's a Stage: Pros and cons of total-immersion roleplay
When you decide to roleplay, a whole new world of imagination opens up to you -- soon you realize that all the World of Warcraft is a stage, and all the orcs and humans merely players.There are degrees to roleplaying. Some people like it "light," so that it never gets too intense, you never have to actually "work" to make your character profound or lore-worthy, and it's generally just a fun way to pass some time. Others like it "heavy;" they view their characters as works of art, taking special care to make their characters believable and interesting, and sometimes planning special roleplaying events for their guild to enjoy. Some even try to do everything in-character, from repairing armor to marking out targets with raid symbols.Recently I joined just such a full-immersion roleplaying guild, and have been trying out their particular style. To be fair, I still have a number of friends on my server that I usually speak out-of-character with, because that's what we're used to, but for everyone in this guild, I do my best to stay in character at all times, with everything my character says and does. To some this may seem like an unnecessary pain, but to others it's a fun experience. Here are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of roleplaying.
