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Nintendo 3DS XL with 4.88-inch 3D display hits stores August 19 for $199

Nintendo 3DS XL

This morning Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo 3DS XL (or 3DS LL in Japan.) The console takes everything about the standard Nintendo 3DS, and makes it bigger. What you end up with is a 4.88-inch 3D display on top, and a 4.18-inch standard touch display on the bottom. Buyer also get a free 4 GB SD card included. In Japan, the 3DS LL will hit stores on July 28th for about 18,900 Yen ($235) while us 3DS XL buyers will have to wait until August 19th to get in on the action, where it'll cost $199.

Read More | Nintendo

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Ask Andru: Is Wii U really a next-generation console?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Editorial, Features, Video Games,

Wii U

Today we received a question about Nintendo's upcoming console release, Wii U, with GeekWire reader Alex wondering why the company continues to release new peripherals for a console that's seen better days.

Question: What's up with the Wii U? Why is Nintendo releasing yet another expensive peripheral for the aging Wii?

Nintendo originally announced Wii U in June 2011 in a vague manner, leaving much of the pertinent details left to the imagination. Because of this, many assumed that Wii U was the name of the new tablet-esque controller, and that it would interface with the Wii console that originally hit stores in November 2006. Thankfully, nothing could be further from the truth.

Click to continue reading Ask Andru: Is Wii U really a next-generation console?


Nintendo confirms Wii U launching in ‘Holiday 2012’

Wii U launch

It's official, folks! This morning at the Nintendo E3 Media Briefing, the company confirmed that Wii U will hit stores this holiday season. No specific price or date was given, but we're guessing that it'll cost about $400 sometime in November. In addition, NintendoLand (the title that will be to Wii U what Wii Sports was to the original Wii) will be available on launch day.


Nintendo Wii U can support two GamePads at a time

Wii U GamePad

During the Nintendo E3 Media Briefing, it was casually mentioned that the Wii U console will be able to support up to two GamePad accessories at the same time. It's nice to know that some games will be able to allow two players to use the more advanced features that the GamePad has to offer, but there is one catch: when using two GamePads, the frame rate of the Wii U will drop to 30 frames per second. It's not horrible, but it is a performance decrease, so it should be noted. You'll also be able to turn off the second GamePad and get that performance back on the fly.

Check out the video tour of the Wii U GamePad for more on the peripheral.


Sony Playstation Move Racing Wheel for LittleBigPlanet Karting this fall for $40

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, E3, PlayStation 3, Sony,

Playstation Move racing wheel

Sony may not have made mention of the Playstation Move Racing Wheel during its E3 Media Briefing, but the Playstation Blog has all the details on the accessory that's targeted at LittleBigPlanet Karting and other Move racers. The company says that the oddly-shaped Move Racing Wheel, saying that it will offer "precise motion tracking" despite its weird looks. You can pick one up in the fall for $39.99, but you'll need to supply your own Move controller to make use of it.


Unboxing Live 088: Plantronics GameCom 780

We show you the Plantronics Gamecom 780 7.1 surround sound PC gaming headphones in this episode! Powered by Dolby technology, the Gamecom 780 delivers 7.1 surround sound with Dolby Headphone and Dolby Pro Logic IIx. The speakers in the earcups are 40-millimeter and provide thumping bass and immersive stereo sound. For chat and in-game communication, there's a built-in noise-canceling microphone that eliminates background noise so that the people you're playing with can hear you clearly, and for those times when you want silence (or when you want to remain stealthy,) there are volume controls and a microphone mute switch right on the earcups. One other nice touch is the swiveling earcup joints that make for easy storage. You can pick up the Plantronics GameCom 780 on Amazon for $79.

Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting with HDFaces provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


Bleeding Edge TV 421: Xzibit on Monster Game T1 headphones

We chat with hip-hop superstar Xzibit about Monster's upcoming line of gaming headphones. The Monster Gaming T1 headphones feature 7.1 virtual surround sound, 40mm drivers, Monster's most advanced noise isolation earcups, an LED Light Drive System, and even a built-in ControlTalk for use with the iPhone and other smartphones so you can take phone calls. The T1 gaming headphones will be available in February 2012. This was recorded at CES 2012.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


AMD Radeon HD 7970 review

AMD Radeon 7970

The perpetual war for supremacy between AMD and Nvidia constantly leaves enthusiasts dodging shrapnel: When you want the best video card you can afford, why buy one now instead of waiting for the better one the competing chipset designer will undoubtedly release in a few months? This leaves reviewers in a tough spot, too, as we're constantly proclaiming that nearly every new card is the fastest ever. But because you can only live in the world you live in, we're obliged to go there. So, here goes once again: The just-released AMD Radeon HD 7970 ($549 list) is the latest fastest and most feature-rich single-GPU card ever, surpassing our previous Editors' Choice winner, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 580.

Though we have little doubt that Nvidia will yank back that title with its next generation of cards, the 7970 is an impressive achievement for the moment.  (It's rumored to become widely available by early January of 2012.)  The inaugural member of the Southern Islands family, it utilizes a fresh architecture AMD refers to as "Graphics Core Next." Based on a new 28nm process technology and utilizing more than 4.3 billion transistors, Graphics Core Next uses a revised instruction set architecture, gives each compute unit the ability to simultaneously execute instructions from multiple kernels, and delivers an increased number of instructions per clock cycle per square millimeter of GPU space. The result, so AMD claims, is "designed for high utilization, high throughput, and multitasking."

Click to continue reading AMD Radeon HD 7970 review


Nyko Power Grip for Nintendo 3DS review

Nyko Power Grip

A few months ago, we reviewed the Nyko Charge Base for Nintendo 3DS ($29.99, 4 stars). This clever, yet inexpensive, accessory boosts the battery life to the Nintendo 3DS, but requires you to remove the back panel of your 3DS to attach it. The Nyko Power Grip ($29.99 list) clips onto the 3DS and provides all of the battery-boosting of the Charge Base for the same price, without the need for a tiny screwdriver. Is it worth it? Read on for our full review!

Click to continue reading Nyko Power Grip for Nintendo 3DS review


Top 10 Tech Deals of the Day

dell vostro 3750 saleWe've got your latest list of items that fall under the best tech Deals of the Day for you, separated out into laptops, desktops, monitors, gaming, and home entertainment. The laptop deals are right here, but be sure to click through to get a look at all the rest of what we determined to be today's top 10 deals in tech, including that lovely Xbox 360 Kinect bundle up there!

Laptops

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals, or you can Like TechPromos on Facebook.

Click to continue reading Top 10 Tech Deals of the Day


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