Latest Gear Live Videos
Sony Discusses PS3 Upscaling Issue
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, PlayStation 3
Many gamers with HDTV sets that only support the 1080i resolution have been disappointed with the way that the Playstation 3 handles upscaling issues. If a game does not natively support 1080i, the console will output a 480p signal, rather than scaling the 720p output. The officially “unofficial” Three Speech blog was able to talk with Sony about the issue, and find out the company’s viewpoint. Sony’s stance is that 720p is actually a higher resolution than 1080i; they believe that the output that one gets from a 720p signal is better than a 1080i signal. Sony claims that the lack of scaling should not impact that many users, and their ranking of signal quality is as follows:
1080p
720p
1080i
576p (480p for the US)
576i (480i for the US)
Current limitations on the Playstation 3 prevent resolution scaling from happening, but Sony again insists that this issue could potentially be fixed with a firmware update.
Read More 
| Three Speech
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iTTUSB Turntable Converts Old LPs to CDs
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, USB, Music
IonAudio has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s first USB turntable. The iTTUSB takes your old LPs and converts them to CDs or MP3s with included software. Compatible with both PC and Macs, it comes with an Audacity recording application. The iTTUSB also plays nice with other audio software that supports USB audio input sound cards, and can handle both 33 1/3 and 45 records. At a MSRP of $139.99 and arriving at the end of December, check with Amazon to pre-order.
Read More | IonAudio via coolest-gadgets
For those of you who know someone trapped in a sterile office cubicle for endless hours with only wilting dandelions for companions, consider the possibility of cheering him/her up with an E-Revolution stickman. A mini-version of the little guy is placed in the vase with the flowers, and each time you touch it, it will utter such platitudes as “Aren’t they lovely?” Available in mid-December for 4170 Yen (~$35.00) in Japan, the stickman comes in pink, green, or white, and contains over 200 phrases to flatter any gloomy Gus.
Read More | Akihabara News
Verizon To Offer YouTube on Vcast
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Corporate News, Videos
Verizon has announced that its Vcast service will be offering customers videos from YouTube beginning next month. The company claims that only 10% of the 20 million customers who have phones capable of supporting Vcast do so at this time, so Verizon is banking on the premise that we will pay to see cats falling off roofs and children doing stupid human tricks on our lunch hours.
Under the agreement, customers who pay a $15.00 monthly fee for Vcast can not only download videos, but can post them from their phones to YouTube by using a 5 digit code rather than an e-mail address. Undoubtedly, Verizon is considering the possibility that this move will translate into more ca-ching in their cash box.
Read More | CNN Money
2006 Holiday Gift Guide: Nintendo DS Lite
Posted by Andru Edwards -
Categories:
Features,
Video Games,
Kids,
Teens
The Nintendo DS Lite is all about improving the whole Nintendo DS experience. The original was a bit clunky (although some preferred it’s size) and had a fairly dim screen. Not so with the DS Lite. The new model looks great, featuring the same touchscreen gameplay with 33% less bulk. While you get the same in-game functionality as the original DS, we still think it’s worth the upgrade. Forget the fact that the graphics aren’t on par with the PSP - the Nintendo DS blows it away in terms of the selection of games available in it’s vast library. Add in online gaming through the Nintendo WiFi connection, and this one is a winner.
Price: $129.99 (Compare Prices)
Wii Sells 600,000 In Eight Days
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, Nintendo, Wii
Nintendo has released their sales data for the Wii during its first eight days of availability. According to their press release, the company moved over 600,000 consoles, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has sold 454,000 copies. Assuming that Nintendo can re-supply retailers quickly enough, the company should easily sell more than a million consoles this holiday season. Certainly, Nintendo has had more success than Sony in filling the retail demand for the console, and early indications are that the console is attracting more non-gamers. It remains to be seen, however, if Nintendo can sustain this momentum and grow their user base.
The full press release continues after the jump.
Robbie Bach Talks Zune, Xbox, Movies, And Sony
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Xbox 360
Dean Takahashi from Mercury News was able to speak with Robbie Bach a couple of weeks ago, and they talked about a number of the challenges and achievements of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. Bach first discussed the recently launched Zune; as an iPod killer the device has gotten mixed reviews, but Takahashi also investigated why the company chose to enter that arena, rather than challenge Sony or Nintendo in the portable gaming realm. For Bach, the question was a matter of focus, and where the company wanted to put its energies; Bach actually felt that a lack of focus might be hurting Sony in this regard.
Bach also tied the Zune into the company’s efforts with Windows Vista and the Xbox 360, leading the discussion to Microsoft’s next generation console. Bach still feels that they are on track to make their goal of 10 million consoles shipped by year’s end, and with Sony floundering on console availability, this target now seems more likely. Bach also discusses the general financials for the Entertainment division; Microsoft still feels that they are on track for profitability in the division by 2008, but with the diversity of offerings in the group, this doesn’t mean that the Xbox 360 will necessarily hit that goal by then.
Bach also talks about the Halo movie, and the difficulties of managing original intellectual property. Part of the answer seems to be that Microsoft will do things with Halo when it feels right, and that seems to be part of the reason that the movie deal fell apart. While Microsoft would certainly like to see more game releases in the Halo realm, they also seem cognizant of the dangers of saturation. Overall, the interview gives decent insight into the business aspects of the Entertainment division, while not really addressing future developments.
Read More | Mercury News
From Our 2006 Holiday Gift Guide: Apple iPod nano
Posted by Andru Edwards -
Categories:
Apple,
Features,
Music,
Portable Audio / Video
This is an entry from our Holiday Gift Guide. We will be updating it daily through the holidays, so be sure to check it often for some great gadget gift tips!
Read More | Gear Live Holiday Gift Guide
2006 Holiday Gift Guide: Apple iPod nano
Posted by Andru Edwards -
Categories:
Apple,
Features,
Music,
Portable Audio / Video,
Women,
Techies,
Teens
The recently overhauled iPod nano is almost a splitting image of the old-school iPod mini. You know, the anodized-aluminum casing that is available in multiple colors? Yeah, that’s the one. The new casing is much more scratch-resistant than the original nano, and features a brighter screen along with better battery life (26 hours!) and a thinner shell, if you can believe that. The new iPod nano also features updated software which includes a nice search interface. What you aren’t getting, though, is the ability to play movies or the new iPod games that are available in iTunes - however, we think that most people on the lookout to purchase a nano aren’t necessarily the gaming type. Plus, who would want to play Zuma on a screen this tiny? Still, for a flash-based portable music player, we give the nod to the iPod nano. Hey, you can even get the RED nano and help in the fight against AIDS. Feel free to check out our iPod nano unboxing video.
Price: $149 - $249 (Compare Prices)
Fujifilm Pivi Creates Pictures in Less Than a Minute
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Accessories, Cameras, Cell Phones
If you used to own one of those old Polaroids because you couldn’t wait 24 hours for your pictures from Photomat, Fujifilm has released its palm-sized Pivi MP-300 portable printer just for you. The Pivi creates 2.5 x 1.8-inch high quality prints in less than a minute. At about 6-inches and half a pound, the printer features both PictBridge for connection to your digital camera and a USB port.
The printer supports JPEG image format and is also compatible with most Mitsubishi, NEC, Sharp, Nokia, Sagem, Panasonic, Sieman, and Sony Ericsson phones. As of now, the Pivi is only available in Japan and other Far Eastern locations for ~$129.00, so check back to Fujifilm often until they make them available to the rest of us.
Read More | Fujifilm Pivi
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