The new PS3 Slim console sports a compact new form-factor, and a lower price to go with it. Priced at $299.99 (USD), €299, and ¥29,980, the PS3 Slim is $100 bucks cheaper than the previous model.

The PS3 Slim will ship with a spacious 120GB hard drive, and is 32% smaller than the previous models. As an added bonus, it consumes 34% less power too. And while the box shot below was leaked a long time ago, it looks like it was the real deal:

I’m none to thrilled with the cheaper looking case design, but if that’s what it takes to get the size and price down to size, I suppose it’s worth it. And I won’t miss the fingerprints.

In addition, Sony also announced the impending release of the their new v3.0 firmware for all PlayStation 3 models. Here’s a sneak preview of what’s new in the 3.0 firmware for those of you who care:

No word yet on a release date for the v3.0 firmware, but Sony says that it should be released “soon”.

You can now pre-order the PS3 Slim over on Amazon for $299.99 (USD).

[image credits: PlayStation Blog and GameSpot]

The subcompact AIRpod runs on compressed air instead of traditional automotive fuels. A set of carbon-fiber tanks sit underneath the passenger compartment, loaded up with 2900psi of compressed air. The tanks power a tiny engine capable of cranking out a whopping 5.4 horsepower and 11-foot-pounds of torque. Woo-hoo!

It takes 2 minutes to fill up the tanks, and a single occupant should be able to go somewhere around 90 to 125 miles on a full set of tanks. And with air costing just €1 (appx. $1.40 USD) for a fill-up, fuel costs are pretty much a non-issue. Of course, that all assumes you can find a place to fill up the tanks.

MDI says the production version will transport up to 3 adults and 1 child, with a single front-facing driver’s seat, and a rear-facing bench for the other occupants. This tiny green car looks awfully cramped – not to mention a bit dangerous for the passengers, but maybe that’s just me.

Want to know how it drives? The guys over at Edmunds Inside Line have actually gotten a chance to test drive the prototype and it through its paces.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While the current prototype car can only hit 30mph, the production model should hit 50mph when it hits at the end of 2009. The 2010 AIRpod is expected to be released by the end of 2009 in France for €6,000 (appx $8380 USD). MDI plans on offering additional compressed-air cars in the not-too-distant-future.

[via WOW-POW via Slashgear]

I’ve all but given up hope for a price cut in the near future, but of course if it comes I’ll be happy. I already have a PS3, but a price cut on Sony’s Grill just might force Microsoft to slash prices on their console as well. If that happens, I’ll definitely buy a 360.

[via Gamespy]

Even though the 3GS looks virtually the same as the iPhone 3G, the 3GS ups the ante on the prior generation by increasing application speed, battery life, camera resolution, memory and more. According to Apple’s WWDC keynote announcement today, the faster processor in the 3GS increases launch times of popular apps from 2.1x (launching messaging), to 3.6x (opening an Excel spreadsheet). Of course, performance improvements will vary from application to application.

There’s also support for OpenGL|ES, which should improve graphical performance. And processing speed isn’t the only boost – the iPhone 3GS also supports 7.2Mbps HSDPA wireless connections. In addition to the speed hikes, the 3GS adds several new features not supported on the 3G. Battery life is also improved. Here’s a handy battery comparison chart from the guys over at Gizmodo:

There’s a brand new 3-megapixel camera, complete with auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-white balance, low light and an auto-macro mode that can capture still images as close as 10cm away.

The camera can also capture video at VGA resolution (yawn) at up to 30fps. There was no mention of digital image stabilization, but the video does take advantage of all the auto adjustment modes that the still camera supports. You can even trim your video shots using a slick on-screen timeline interface.

There’s also a new voice control mode, which lets you not only voice-dial, but select tracks to play in iTunes, open web pages, and control other applications. Hopefully, they’ll open this up to app developers to leverage in their own applications. Also along for the ride is a digital compass, which at first doesn’t sound very exciting, but the addition of a magnetometer to the hardware will enable much greater accuracy in terms of understanding your bearing when in GPS mode – especially on foot.

Of course, the iPhone 3GS takes advantage of all of the features of the iPhone 3.0 OS, including cut-copy-paste, landscape keyboard, app store microtransactions, MMS messaging, stereo Bluetooth and much more.

The iPhone 3GS will be available June 19th in North America and Europe. The 16GB version retails for $199, and the 32GB version is $299, both with a new AT&T 2-year agreement. And if you’re looking for a cheap phone, you can now buy last years iPhone 3G for just $99 bucks. All models are available for pre-order now over on the Apple Store.

The well-reviewed machine is loaded with a powerful Intel Core 2 E8400 CPU, running at 3GHz, with a 6MB cache and 1333MHz front-side bus. Graphics come courtesy of an SLi Dual nVidia GeForce 9800GT with 512MB of memory. And while 2GB of high speed RAM is de rigeur these days, you can easily upgrade as much as 8GB if you want to max things out. And there’s a speedy 7200RPM 500GB SATA hard drive to make sure your games and videos run as fast as possible. As for the pre-loaded OS, you’ll get Windows Vista Home Premium, 64-bit Edition to support all that RAM.

The deal is available over at Dell Home, and is only currently set to run for 1 day. So if you want to get your hands on a great higher-end PC without completely breaking the bank, you should check it out.

Of course if you want the smokin’ Red bezel chassis, you’ll have to pony up an extra $20 bucks – pushing the price just north of $1000.

Microsoft says it will discontinue the current 20GB 360 Premium, and has immediately dropped its price to $299 to make way for the new model. The 360 Arcade ($279/no hard drive) and the 360 Elite ($449/120GB hard drive), will continue to be produced, and there’s no word on price drops for those models.

[UPDATE: It looks like Amazon is already offering the Elite for just $399, a $50 cut].

No images of the new model have been revealed yet, but it’s thought that it will retain the familiar white design as the earlier models. (C’mon Redmond, isn’t it time for that svelte Xbox 360 Mini we’ve all been dying for?)

[Press Release]

Rumor has it that Sony will drop the price on the 80GB PS3 to $499.99 once all the 60GB models are cleared out (which has been expected for a while). But the bigger news is word of a model with 40GB of storage which will retail for just $399, putting the console withing striking distance of the Xbox 360’s pricing. Both models are also rumored to be packing in a copy of SpiderMan 3 on Blu-Ray. The other part of the rumor is that the PlayStation 2 will get dropped to just $99, as the console continues to sell well as the “bottom-of-the-line” choice.

Had Sony launched PS3 a year ago with this pricing and a blockbuster action movie instead of the abysmal Talladega Nights pack-in disc, maybe they would have been more successful. Their chances for the 2007 holiday season certainly aren’t hurt by the fact that the system is starting to get some decent exclusive games too, with Heavenly Sword coming out this week, and titles like Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction slated for release later this year.

Chances are that details on Sony’s plans will emerge at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, which runs from September 20th through 23rd.

Well it’s not like getting $200 back in your pocket, but Apple has announced that they will provide a $100 credit to spend at the Apple Store if you purchased your iPhone prior to the price drop. This assumes you didn’t already manage to eke some sort of deal out of Apple or AT&T already.

Details are still being worked out, but this small gesture should help calm at least some of the ruffled feathers of Apple’s loyal early adopter crowd. (Myself included.)

[Read Steve Jobs' Open Letter to iPhone Customers]

All consoles in the Xbox 360 line will get the cut starting on Wednesday, August 8th, with the Premium dropping to $349.99 (was $399.99), the Elite dropping from $479.99 (was $449.99) and the Core system coming down to $279.99 (was $299.99.)

Microsoft also revealed the pricing on the Halo 3 Special Edition console, which is basically the same console as the Premium Edition, but in Spartan green and gold, for $399.99. The Halo 3 edition will also throw in a Play and Charge cable, and may include an HDMI port, but this is still unconfirmed.

There have been a number of preliminary circulars floating around the Interweb, but this one looks like the most revealing one yet.

Scanned from a proof of the August 12th Circuit City newspaper insert, it shows the new pricing as follows…

• Xbox 360 Core:
  Cut from $299.99 to $279.99 ($20 reduction)
• Xbox 360 Premium:
  Cut from $399.99 to $349.99 ($50 reduction)
• Xbox 360 Elite:
  Cut from $479.99 to $449.99 ($30 reduction)

So if you plan on picking up a 360, you might want to wait just a couple of weeks for the new prices to hit.

[via Joystiq]

There aren’t any further details on what models would be receiving a cut, nor by how much. Xbox-Scene does confirm that the individual who reported the news has provided accurate information in the past, so that could mean something. As is always the case with rumor and speculation, we’ll just have to wait and see what actually comes of it.

In the mean time, if you’re looking for a great Xbox 360 deal, Toys ‘R Us is offering a free $50 gift card when you buy a 360 Premium edition between now and July 28th (in store only.)

Come August, an 80GB model will hit shelves for $599 (including a copy of Motorstorm,) and the 60GB will be no more. That said, if you want a PlayStation 3 with hardware-based backwards compatiblity with PS2 games, this is your last chance. All indications are that the 80GB and any future models will only include limited software-based emulation of older games.

So if I’m understanding this all right, Sony is temporarily taking a loss on the current inventory to stimulate interest in the console, then they’ll release a version that’s not only just as expensive to buy as the original, it’s actually cheaper for them to produce, thanks to the elimination of the PS2 Emotion Engine chipset.

That’s not to say that Sony might not release a lower-end model, or cut the price on the 80GB model down the road. However, for the foreseeable future, your best bet is to pick up a $499 60GB model before supplies are depleted.

[via Reuters]

The sender of the message claims that the stores receive sale circulars about 2 weeks in advance, and that the July 15th through 21st ads show a price of $499.99 for the 60GB model.

The timing of a (much needed) price cut would coincide with next week’s E3 show, so it could make sense. As is always the case with rumors, we’ll just have to wait and see what really happens.

Plans start at $59.99 per month, depending on how many voice minutes you want. Also bundled in are 200 SMS text messages per month. The starter plan includes 450 voice minutes, while $79.99 gets you 900 minutes, and $99.99 lets you yak for 1350 minutes every month. All plans offer rollover minutes, so if you under-use your time, you won’t be penalized.

All in all, pricing is about what I expected. It’s still pricey relative to what you’d pay for a good high-speed internet connection at home, and I’m bummed that there’s no Wi-fi access bundled (yet). That said, the rates are pretty typical for a data/voice plan as mobile phone companies go.

Pricing has been at $479.99 for the new model, and the release date is set for April 29, 2007 in North America. Other markets should get the updated console a little later in the year. To go with the new model, Microsoft will offer black versions of their wireless controller, headset and a charge-and-play cable. No other black accessories are planned at present.

At the same time, a 120GB hard drive upgrade for existing Xbox 360’s will be available $179.99 (rather expensive, if you ask me.) The standalone drive will include a transfer cable and software to copy your data from your old 20GB hard drive automatically.

A full gallery of images can be seen here.

[UPDATE 7/11/2007: This just in... For all of my European friends, The Xbox 360 Elite will be released in Europe on August 24, 2007. Pricing will be about the same as it is in the U.S., around £237/€350.]

Made by Russian electronics maker Gresso, the Symphonia series of media players are handcrafted from rare 200 year-old African Blackwood and gold. Like Apple’s Shuffle, the players have just 1GB of flash memory, but do also add on an FM tuner for good measure. The tiny players are just 1.5″ (w) x 1.5″ (h) x 0.4″ (d) and range in price from $4000 to $6500 USD, depending on the materials selected.

I think I’ll pass and pay my mortgage for the next couple of months instead.

[via gizmag]

These games were retailing for $3.99 when they came out back in November, and are now on clearance for just 99 cents each. Apparently EB Games thinks that a used copy is worth $7.99. I’ve seen these kind of problems with free pack-in games as well. Now I understand they need to make money, but maybe they just shouldn’t even bother trying to resell games that cost less than $10 new.

[via Digg via Destructoid]

When asked about the possibility of upcoming price reductions, Toshiba CEO Yoshihide Fujii was quoted as saying: “At first I thought the price threshold is $499. Maybe coming next is $399 and after that is $299.”

You can currently find the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player at street prices just north of $400, and the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on for $199. However, the idea that a stand alone player could hit shelves for under $300 could give HD DVD another boost over Blu-ray, which still offers most players at $800 and up (except for the Sony Playstation 3).

[via Gizmodo]

This places it head to head with other 30GB media players such as Apple’s iPod. The Zune features a couple of capabilities not present on the ubiquitous iPod including an FM tuner and wi-fi music sharing capabilities. In addition, the Zune marketplace will offer both pay-per-download songs for 79 Microsoft Points each (99 cents) and a $14.99 per month “unlimited” music download option. The Zune will also come preloaded with a handful of music videos and tracks, most of which will likely be disgarded by users. (That said, I’m happy to see one of my favorite bands, Grandaddy, has made the cut.)

While these could definitely be seen as advantages over Apple’s players, it’s way too soon to know if Zune will even make a dent in the market share of other digital music players.

[via CrunchGear]

The folks over at N-Sider have gone through the trouble to build a handy Wii Cost Calculator to help you figure out what the real damage will be. For example, I plan on picking up a Wii, one extra remote and nunchuk as well as a few intriguing launch titles (Rayman Raving Rabbids, Elebits and Red Steel), then add on Illinois tax, my total is $488.69. What’s your total?

Ready to order your Wii? Get your Wii and accessories from Amazon now!