Filed under: PC, Peripherals

Is your desk just not looking enough like the dashboard of an Imperial TIE fighter? Logitech is seeking to solve what it evidently sees as a common dilemma with its new G-Series gaming peripherals.

The offerings are headlined by the G19 keyboard ($199), which features an integrated 320×240 color LCD, presumably for targeting Rebel scum. There’s also a 5000DPI G9x mouse ($99) for really accurate kills and a G35 voice headset ($129) that simulates 7.1 audio and, taking a cue from the insanely popular Xbox 360 feature, changes the pitch of your voice, should you so desire. Look for the keyboard and headset in March; the mouse is set to follow in April. For more details, contact your designated supply officer or Sienar Fleet Systems directly.

[Via Engadget]

Logitech’s new PC gaming peripherals go over(key)board originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After being fired through Facebook, esthetician Crystal Bell has spawned several debates and discussions regarding the use of electronic communication for employment termination.

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

The new PlayStation 3 bundle, accompanying the release of Yakuza 3 in Japan, comes with two silver dragons etched into the system’s white exterior. We don’t know how the effect appears in person, but judging by the images that Siliconera extorted and laundered from Sony, it looks quite sexy.

The bundle, which comes with a 80GB PS3, retails for ¥45,980 ($495), an approximate savings of ¥2,000 ($21.50). Sega only plans to make 10,000 of these units available, so importers had better act fast and ruthlessly. We contacted Sega about a possible North American release of the console, but a company spokesperson confirmed it’s “only slated for release in Japan.” Considering Yakuza 3 hasn’t even been announced for North America, we can see how such a bundle might not make it stateside.*

*Fun fact: Yakuza 2 took 21 months to localize.

Japan-only: Sexy ‘Yakuza 3′ PS3 with dragon etching originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No sooner does HP announce the Mini 2140 than we get reviews from two lucky outlets who seemed to have fallen in love with the netbook. While it retains the sturdy case, ExpressCard / 54 slot, and not-quite-full-sized keyboard that reviewers loved with its predecessor, it also has the awkward, narrow touchpad and side-mounted vertical buttons. Performance is said to be on par with other Intel Atom N270 machines, and while high marks go to the larger screen, Computer Shopper says the 1024 x 576 resolution gave some smaller letters a bluish “halo” effect when compared to the Eee PC 1002HA’s 1024 x 600 screens. Also, the $30 optional six-cell battery sounds like a must-have, as that added bump gave Laptop Magazine over 7 hours of web-browsing time. Both sites are heralding this as one of the best netbooks on the market — is that enough to get your attention?

Read - Consumer Shopper review
Read - Laptop Magazine review

Filed under: Laptops

HP Mini 2140 reviewed, very loved originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every year we stop by and talk to HDMI and every year there’s not much new. But finally we are happy to say there are some cool new things coming to the HDMI spec in 2009. Of course it will carry more pixels than the old version and then there is a new smaller connection — no not that one — but neither of those really get us excited. The real interesting additions once again fit into the “why wasn’t that there before” category. This includes an actual real high speed data Ethernet connection, and we’re happy to report that unlike the current data HDMI supports, this isn’t in the blanking interval. But that isn’t the most interesting feature — although it might end up being the most, depending on how it’s implemented — the most welcome addition is the audio return channel. Any who’s attempted to use their TV’s internal tuner knows all too well that currently although you have an HDMI cable running from your AVR to your TV, you still need another Toslink cable running back from your TV to get the surround sound out of your TV. Thankfully this will be the thing of the past, well, that is after the spec is implemented in upcoming products and you replace all your HDMI cables.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

The next generation of HDMI actually adds some welcomed features originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

We’re as tired as you are of getting missives from the front lines of the console wars, so we’re relieved to hear that they’ll finally be behind us after this week’s Consumer Electronics Show. Capcom will settle the fight once and for all on Saturday in Las Vegas, pitting the best Microsoft rep against Sony’s pick in a battle for Street Fighter IV supremacy. The loser has agreed to stop making their console forever and ever, so the stakes are pretty high.

… Yes, we made that last part up, but we’re going to keep our fingers crossed.

Console war to be settled this week in Street Fighter IV originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve talked about the svelte silver — and a black version is in the works — MiFi card and of course CES gave us a chance to put one to work. And, well, what can we say, it works as advertised. While we’ve not had a chance to speedtest it, hide it in the darkest corners of the temporary Engadget Mansion or otherwise abuse it, we know we want. Launch is expected sometime midway through 2009 on some US CDMA carrier with two GSM / HSDPA variants coming shortly after. Short video of it doing its blinky thing after the break.

Continue reading Hands-on with Novatel’s MiFi 3G hotspot

Filed under: CES, Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals, Networking

Hands-on with Novatel’s MiFi 3G hotspot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen so much of the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds already that our first time getting hands on the machine felt strangely familiar. The slide-out screen felt sturdy, and it’s capable of swiveling 30 degrees forward and any steps in between. The tablet isn’t going to replace a Wacom anytime soon, but it’ll get the job done in a pinch. The laptop itself is rather bulky, but what do you expect when you’re packing this much power? Check out the gallery below for pics.

Update: Added video after the break.

Continue reading CES 2009: Hands on with Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds

Filed under: CES, Laptops

CES 2009: Hands on with Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Culture, Business

While Ziff-Davis CEO Jason Young’s message to his company — including current 1UP Network staff — today, along with coordinated press releases regarding 1UP’s sale to UGO, painted a picture of strength in (and growth of) the 1UP brand, we’ve begun to hear reports quite to the contrary. Several key members of the 1UP staff have announced their termination via Twitter messages and posts to the NeoGAF forums.

There’s very little in the form of official word as to changes at 1UP at present, apart from Young’s assertion that “more scale is necessary [for 1UP] to effectively compete in this market segment.” Based on what we do know, the only scaling going on is in a backwards and downwards direction. Joystiq — and many of our readers — are great fans of the 1UP team’s work, and care about what happens to these folks. We’ll be keeping you posted after the break with the latest as it develops.

Continue reading Assessing the damage at 1UP [update]

Assessing the damage at 1UP [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Biz, Survival horror

Australia has been known for some time as one of the hardest countries to get an adult-oriented game approved by the local ratings board. The lack of an adult rating for games (unlike their movie industry) is the main cuprit. Now a title that was once banned for sale in the country, Silent Hill: Homecoming, has had that decision overturned.

According to a Gamespot AU story, Australia’s Office of Film and Literature Classification has now given Konami’s survival horror game a MA15+ rating, the highest a game can get without being banned for sale. It’s currently unknown if the publisher made a push to release the game as is or if any edits to the game’s violent content were made. Last month a simiar ban on Monolith’s upcoming horror shooter F.E.A.R 2 was also overturned.

Australia lifts ban on Silent Hill Homecoming originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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