Wired published an interesting look at the recent trend of Japanese videogame banks—essentially, a means for the thrifty gamer to save the quarters that could otherwise be lost forever to an arcade machine.
Adding to the already impressive pile of Vista-deflating features we’re expecting to see in Windows 7 is WARP, a tech which will allow your PC’s CPU to act as a graphics accelerator, possibly doing away with the need for integrated graphics hardware to render user interfaces and low-end games. Not-so-seductively described as a ‘fully conformant software rasterizer’, WARP requires nothing more than an 800MHz processor for complete—if comically slow—DX10 compliance.
Netflix streaming has been making waves with its wide, fast integration into just about anything that’ll have it, and the reception has been generally positive. As has been the pattern for the last decade, Blockbuster is slightly but embarrassingly behind: according to company Chairman Jim Keyes, we’ll be seeing Blockbuster’s download-to-rent service in a Blu-ray player by Q1 of next year. It’s not clear if this will come in the form of a firmware update for existing hardware or as part of a new player, but it’ll need to be fairly ubiquitous (and probably lower its rental prices) to have a fighting chance against the ‘Flix. AU: Important to note that here in Oz where we don’t get Netflix, BlockBuster is partnering with TiVo for their video on demand service which is already running in limited form and is set to expand in May next year.
We’ve only just been getting excited about MSI’s U120 3G-packing netbook, but now it looks like MSI has even more interesting machines just around the corner. Apparently due sometime in January, the U110 and U115 will run Atom Z530 chips, drawing less power than the “typical” N270 netbook processor. And they’ll pack a hybrid drive system, with the OS on fast SSD and conventional HDD for user storage. Plus they’ll run the Poulsbo US15W chipset instead of the usual Intel 9456G. If that’s not interesting enough, there’ll also be Draft-N Wi-Fi, and up to 250GB HDD for the U110. The price is unknown, though a guess around $US700 seems sensible, given the higher price of the Z520 Atom. [UMPCPortal]
The screen-based controls and rich visuals that make a device like the iPhone an attractive option for deaf users aren’t of much use to the visually impaired. By employing a combination of an embossed “Moon Type” alphabet casing, a custom home screen and a screenreading app, the InVision solution could (awkardly) provide most of the core functions of the iPhone, including almost bearable browsing, text input and music navigation, to the blind.
Modding your laptop to add a touchscreen is certainly possible, though you’ll need to be pretty competent with tools: with the Duo gizmo all you need to be able to do is clip it to your screen. The two-piece device has a sensor you pop on top of your monitor or laptop screen and a wireless pen sensor—in combination they can give you that tablet-PC-alike pen-control performance you may have been yearning for, though only if you’re running a PC with XP or Vista. Still, it’s just $US44, which isn’t going to wound your wallet. [RedFerret]
Portable speakers for MP3 players are two a penny, but not many are not far off a penny in size: Landport’s Cubes are though. They’re just an inch cube, but fit in stereo speakers, 3.5-mm jack plug, rechargeable batteries and a mini-USB port. They’ll run for 4-5 hours on a charge, too. Just don’t go expecting bone-rattling volume as they pump out a similarly tiny 0.8-watts. Out soon in Japan for $US25. [Slashgear]
Even though The Simpsons has a history of satirising tech culture, and even Apple specifically, last night’s episode felt like it was making up for a bit of lost time. It’s not just iPods and iMacs getting reprefixed and animated: it’s Apple Stores, the G4 Cube, past and present fanboys, vintage advertising and even Steve Jobs himself. Groening and co. aren’t exactly breaking new ground here (though they seem to reserve most of their venom for Mr. Jobs), but there are more than a few great lines buried in the sketch. [Teencast—Thanks, Shivi]
The rumours pointed pretty firmly to it, and then some leaked specs detailed what it’d be like, but now Nikon’s new pro-level D3X DSLR has arrived officially. Touting it as a 24-megapixel “Digital Masterpiece,” with exceptionally low noise sensor, 5fps full-frame shooting speed and with file sizes of 138MB, Nikon’s saying the camera’s available now for an estimated selling price of $US8,000 for the body only. Full press release below. galleryPost('d3x', 3, '');
With only 24 more sleeps until Christmas, I guess it makes a lot of sense for companies to start offering discounts. IceTV today joined the discount party, offering some pretty decent savings through their online store, including up to $200 off the top of the line Beyonwiz PVR with a bonus 12 month subscription to the IceTV EPG. You can also pick up a Media Center PC from $399, or save $50 on a HDTV tuner for your PC or Mac. Check out the IceTV store for all the available discounts and remember that if you order by December 15, you’ll get everything delivered in time for Christmas.
