Nintendo WiiWare launches

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Casual, Nintendo, Release Dates, Role Playing Games, Strategy, Wii,

Finally, Nintendo‘s answer to the original game experiences in the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network has arrived in the form of WiiWare. Unlike the Virtual Console titles we are used to from Nintendo on the Wii, all WiiWare titles are original games. Small developers can get to work on creating some of these smaller casual games. WiiWare titles cost between $5 and $15, and as of today, you have six to choose from. We have full descriptions of each after the break.

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Spider Named After Neil Young

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Music, Science,

This just proves it pays to be a rock star. We have already told you about asteroids that have been named after celebs. Jason Bond, an ECU biologist, discovered a new arachnid last year in Jefferson Co., Alaska. Although there are some rigid rules to follow, he managed to name the trapdoor spider Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi because he likes the man’s music and his work as an activist. This is not the first time that a creature has been named after a rocker. A whirligig beetle was named Orectochilus orbisonorum in honor of Roy.

Read More | Live Science

Panasonic Blu-ray DMP-BD50

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies,

Panasonic has unveiled its new 3rd generation Blu-ray player DMP-BD50. It features DolbyTrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, PIP, and BD-Live to connect to the Net. The company has included an SD card slot for viewing images on an HDTV from video or still cam with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a VIERA link to control to home theater components with one remote. Available this spring, save your quarters as this one will set you back $699.95.

Read More | Panasonic

NES Zapper Lamp

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Video Games,

What does one do if she/he still has some of their old Nintendo games and a Zapper gun lying around? In the case of “fluffypants,” you turn them into a lamp. Using an inexpensive lampshade, a pack of fun foam, and a cardboard base designed to look like the original Duck Hunt cartridge, she shows you full instructions to create your own. Maybe next week she will turn other Nes games into coasters or bookcases.

Read More | Craftster

Unboxing Live 034: Mio Moov 310 GPS

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, GPS, Videocasts,

The thing about GPS devices nowadays is that they all pretty much do the same thing. They point you in the direction that you want to go (usually.) So, any small differentiators they can provide will normally be what sells the device, if it isn’t selling on brand name alone. In this episode, we unbox the Mio Moov 310 GPS unit. What is Mio doing to make this device stand out from the crowd? Well, for starters, the Moov 310 includes one year of real-time traffic updates - something you typically need to pay an extra subscription fee for on other GPS units. Also, it costs $249.00, and can be found online for even less.

Of course, there’s more to it than that. Check out the video above for the full unboxing of the Mio Moov 310.

orbitsound T3, Music in the Air

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Music, Portable Audio / Video,

The orbitsound T3 is a device that you wear around your neck, plug in your MP3 player, iPod, music phone, PSP, or PMP, and you get what the company calls “music in the air.” Battery powered, it is about the size of a cellie, is portable and lightweight, and features full airSound stereo. We were a bit curious about how it worked and discovered that the gadget “uses your chest cavity as a resonator to reinforce the sound from the unit when worn around your neck.” Uh-huh. We understand it will also work with a PC, TV, or desktop stereo and suspect that this is not an inexpensive gadget, as no price was available. Contact orbitsound for more details.

Read More | orbitsound

Echo Free USB to Phone adaptor

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Internet, PC / Laptop, USB,

CuPhone’s Echo Free USB to Phone adaptor allows you to make both Skype and land line phone calls globally at no charge. You can choose whether to use your PSTN line to route the call to your Skype or start from the Skype with the phone key pad. You can also use it to conference with a local PC, remote Skyper, and a public phone. The CuPhone works with Windows, Mac, and Linux operated systems and it has an independent sound card so it won’t occupy your sound channel. Get one for $34.00.

Read More | CuPhone

Stream 202 DAB/FM/ WiFi Radio

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Broadband, Internet, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi,

Roberts has come up with the nifty Stream 202 radio that plays DAB, FM, and WiFi if you have a broadband connection with wireless router or Ethernet. Stream your computer’s stored tunes, listen to stations all over the planet, and save your faves with 15 presets. The Stream also features an intuitive menu, 2 alarm timers, an aux. input for MP3 player, and a socket for headphones. At a size of 300 x 174 x 115mm and a weight of 1.47kg, the radio comes with an AC adaptor or can run on 6 D batteries (not included.) It carries a price of £149.99 (~$292.00.)

Read More | Roberts

Pixelmator updates to 1.2, adds bunch of features

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Software,

Here at Gear Live, we are big fans of Pixelmator. In case you haven’t heard of it, Pixelmator is an image editor for OS X that takes advantage of a bunch of different OS X features in a way that few apps do. We love it because, while not as powerful os Photoshop, it has just about every feature the average person needs in their image editing/manipulation app, at a price that is far, far easier to swallow at just $59. Oh, and it does support PSD files, and is the world’s first image editor powered by your graphics card. Anyway, they’re calling this one “Pixelmator 1.2 Draftsman,” and there are a bunch of new features that we look forward to getting our hands on. We’ve got the full release notes for you after the jump.

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Parallels Desktop for Mac update adds complete Vista SP1, XP SP3 support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: PC / Laptop, Software,

For those of you who religiously use Parallels for the WIndows virtualization needs in OS X, you should be aware that there was a new update released today that has the appearance of being fairly important. After all, it now completely supports Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1, including full Boot Camp support in both. In addition, MacBook Air compatibility has been greatly improved, too. Of course, there are your other generic bug fixes and and performance enhancements as with any new release. Anyhow, definitely a recommended upgrade.

Read More | Parallels Download