The LG Chocolate VX8500 debuted in the United States to much fanfare. Verizon pushed it as the next big thing in mobile entertainment phones, and even went all out with a television commercial campaign. Focusing on a cool music playing experience along with V-Cast entertainment over 3G EVDO, the hype machine seems to have paid off, as quite a few people that we know have ended up with an LG Chocolate phone. We took the VX8500 for a spin, and report back with our full review which you can check out after the break.

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Gallery: LG Chocolate VX8500 Review

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We just picked up one of the new 2G iPod nanos for your unboxing pleasure. The little bugger is definitely sexy, and the brighter screen helps out quite a bit. Jump on over to our 2G nano unboxing gallery for a bunch of images, and feel free to let us know what you think. Oh, and why the pink nano? We can’t explain it, but while perusing the new models at the Apple Store, this one kept calling our name. Go figure.

Read More | Pink iPod nano Unboxing Gallery

Gallery: Unboxing the Pink 2G iPod nano

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In an effort to give back to our viewers, this Byte focuses on a giveaway we are doing. We are giving away a Port Authority Windows Vista rain-proof jacket to the one person who can explain to us why they want it - or need it - the most. Head to the forums to tell us why we should send it to you, and you may walk away with this one. So, get creative, and tell us why you should be chosen as the winner. Whichever response we deem to be the best wins.

Oh, and you must have a United States mailing address to be eligible for this one.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 028: Windows Vista Jacket Giveaway

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Unless you dropped off the face of the earth a few weeks ago, you probably ran across our own Nate True’s Time Fountain. In case you missed it, do a quick search and you will find it all over the Internet. We decided to take a closer look at what makes the Time Fountain tick. If you were amazed by the original video, consider this your “behind the scenes” look, explaining how the DIY project works.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 027: The Time Fountain, Behind The Scenes

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The Nintendo DS platform has simply taken off like no one could have imagined. One of the draws is the games that challenge the mind in ways that don’t involve needing to memorize button combos or require lightning fast reflexes. Some games claim to even make you smarter. In the interest of developing a sharper wit, Andru and Jake go one-on-one in Big Brain Academy for the Nintendo DS. We give you a detailed look at the game, and provide our thoughts in our full review.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 026: Big Brain Academy Review

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The Sony PlayStation 2 had a lot of things going for it when it launched in October of 2000. It would launch more than a year before Nintendo’s GameCube console, a head start that proved to extend the lifespan of the console far longer than the usual five years. Normally, launching a game console outside of that five-year cycle spelled disaster (just ask Sega), Sony managed to make it work, but it wasn’t by virtue of their games. The launch lineup for the PS2 was laughable, and would not improve for the majority of that first year. No, the PS2 sold for one reason and one reason only: including DVD movie playback cheaper than a dedicated DVD player.

At the time of the PS2 launch, a home DVD player retailed for about $399. Sony was selling the PS2 for $299, taking a significant loss on the hardware and expecting to make it up on software sales (often described as the standard game industry model, despite Nintendo not following that model themselves). For the first year, Sony was taking an absolute bath on the PS2 hardware, since the initial software selection was pitiful, yet the installed user base for the machine would pay dividends in the years to come, allowing Sony to secure many exclusives.

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Gallery: Why PS2 Succeeded, and Why PS3 Will Fail

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We know many people who are wary of discarding their old hard drives, especially after the drives have died without offering the option to reformat. We know people who have opened them up and scratched up the platters manually, and others who just have a drawer full a bunch of drives. At Gear Live’s Seattle Mind Camp, Pablos of the Shmoo Group asked everyone to bring their old hard drives so that we could give them a proper burial. The result? An 8,000-degree hard drive meltdown, thanks to a little thermite.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 025: Melting Hard Drives With Thermite

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Hey Dave…still want to know why there’s no real journalism in the video game industry?  It’s because of stories like this, and like this, and like this.

How on earth are you supposed to have a “free press” in the game industry when the companies that admittedly support its existence are constantly trying to keep all of the news under wraps?  I suspect that in at least one of these recent cases of IGN pulling content, a deal was brokered for an exclusive in exchange for pulling the content, but when are these companies going to learn that you can’t put the genie back in the bottle?

The games industry is one where companies have seen rampant “idea theft”, concepts shown early to generate buzz which proceed to get ripped off eight ways from Sunday by less talented development houses able to rush a competing product to market.  Nintendo was such a victim of this particular tactic (specifically after showing off Super Mario 64 for the first time), that they have become the most secretive company in all of the game industry.  So I get it, I understand why these companies want to keep their secrets under wraps ... it’s a matter of securing their revenue stream, and I can respect that.

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Gallery: No “Free Press” In Game Industry

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Trends have shown that a lot of you guys watching our show and into games. In fact, a few people on our Xbox Live friends list are there because of this show. We have received requests for more cool game footage, and we think we have delivered with this one. In this episode, Andru and Sparky head down to the Xbox Studios in Redmond to get a tour of the facilities and operations center. We also sit down with Major Nelson to talk about the Xbox 360, Live Arcade, and a bunch more. If you want to get a first-hand look at what goes on behind the scenes with the Xbox crew, check out this show.

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Gallery: The Bleeding Edge 020: Xbox Studios Tour, Major Nelson Interview

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In this Bleeding Edge Byte, Nate shows why the Walit doesn’t work when used in the real world, and instead creates his own better, brighter version. The Walluminate (get it? Wallumi-NATE?) was constructed using a standard folding wallet, some LEDs, and a few miscellaneous electronic components. The result? A wallet that brightens up your cash, and only lights up when the wallet is open. Check out the video, and let us know what you think.

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Gallery: Bleeding Edge Byte 024: The Walluminate, a DIY Light-Up Wallet

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