Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

This nifty gadget is one of the most flexible, compact karaoke devices I’ve seen. It includes docking capabilities for pretty much every iPod model since the 3G, and can also pull its data from files on USB storage devices.

This screen capture grabbed from xbox.com today is either a slip-up or Cliffy B’s much-anticipated Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War has an official date of October 2, 2006. It wouldn’t be the first time that a date was posted for a game that isn’t accurate, but I’m marking my calendar just in case.

Marcus over at EvoSapien has not only hacked the trusty Robosapien V2 robot into a flame-throwing machine… But also shot this awesome music video (Lyrics not safe for work) of the beast in action. Enjoy! I need one of these in my office to keep out nagging employees and salespeople.

The folks over at PlayEngine are offering a 19″ widescreen LCD with a case made from Bamboo. Perfect for your tropical or jungle-themed room (are you listening Elvis?), the set actually has fairly decent specs, with a 1440 x 900 resolution and 8ms refresh rate.

Display-makers Sony Corporation and Samsung Electronics announced today that they have signed a deal to build a massive new LCD production facility capable of manufacturing 46 and 50 inch LCD displays. The new facility can crank out up to six 50″ or eight 46″ LCD panels from a single glass sheet.

This week, Kensington Computer Products announced a very cool new FM transmitter for iPods. What’s unique about this model is that it’s the first to use the Radio Data System (RDS) to transmit and display song titles and artist information to car stereos that support this technology.

Toshiba has delayed the release of the first HD DVD recorder until the end of July as a result of inventory shortages of some components. The launch was originally slated for release in Japan on July 14 and is now set for July 27.

Microsoft wants you to have an 80’s style arcade party for free, complete with Pizza, free arcade game downloads and free 80’s tunes. Simply send an e-mail with your Xbox Live Gamertag to xlmail@microsoft.com, subject: “Arcade Party,” and Microsoft will get you your free stuff including a Papa Johns pizza, 1000 Xbox Live gamer points (for downloading Live!

According to this post at Kotaku, UMD format movies have been pulled from the shelves at Target stores this week. The format has struggled for acceptance amid sluggish sales of the only device that can currently play the format, the Sony PSP.

Sega of America has announced the release of it’s mech-combat game, Chromehounds for the Xbox 360. The game features 13 multiplayer modes and Xbox Live support for up to 20 players. In addition, the game has a single player mode where players experience “an alternate future where the Cold War never ended…” (now that’s a premise we’ve never heard before!)

This could be a huge breakthrough (if the manufacturers will adopt it, that is…) The Nikkei Net Interactive reported over the weekend that Ricoh is working on a single device which can play both Blu-Ray and HD DVD disks.

From the “early adopters get screwed” file… The folks over at MaxConsole have received copies of an anonymous and a (fuzzy) image of a purported HDMI port on what looks sort of like the back on an Xbox 360 MOBO.

A report claims that members of the Blu-ray camp, including Pioneer, won’t be ready to launch products in Europe until next year. Further reports show there’s a problem producing enough laser diodes for Blu-ray burners, and consumers will have to wait till January 2007 before Blu-ray really kicks off.

Axion Racing’s robotic Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first computer-controlled vehicle to conquer the complexities of climbing to the 14,110 foot summit of Colorado’s Pikes Peak. The tricked-out SUV climed to the top in just over 47 minutes, certainly not record time, but still quite impressive for a vehicle that has no driver.

I recently stumbled upon this nifty optical filter, called the Tvbeeboo. This device suction-cups onto the front of TVs or monitors up to 23″, and difuses the images in such a way to turn your old TV or monitor into a really cool ambient lighting source.

The folks over at Nintendo/Touch Generations thought it would be a nice gesture to send a birthday gift to President Bush for his impending 60th birthday. The gift: A Nintendo DS Lite and what could possibly be the most appropriate gift ever, a copy of “Brain Age.”