Hasta La Gadget!

CNET editors Jeff Bakalar and Scott Stein take a look at the highly anticipated Xbox Live Arcade side-scrolling action platformer from Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, Shadow Complex.

Jeff:
Shadow Complex may look like your typical side-scrolling action game, but it does a lot of things that separates it from most platform exploration titles. The unique “2.5D” style takes a bit of getting used to, but you’ll soon realize the genius behind the design.

Shadow Complex takes you through an intricate underground military facility where you must rescue your girlfriend who’s been kidnapped during a camping trip. With a grid map as your only companion, you must explore the complex all while finding secret items and passageways. You’ll also gradually unlock new weapons and ammo and upgrade your character’s health in order to fight the mysterious regime.

We fully embrace the developer’s choice to build Shadow Complex in such a way. Not only is it a tip of the hat to classic 2D games like the Metroid and Castlevania franchises, but introduces the genre to an entire generation of gamers who may not have been fortunate to play such titles.

With this 3D twist on a classic 2D genre, you’re able to shoot at enemies in the background and foreground even though you cannot physically go there. The 360-degree aiming mechanic will automatically target your enemies who aren’t necessarily in the same plane that your character is only able to navigate through.

Shadow Complex is truly a unique take on an older genre that will appeal to gamers young and old. It’s available now for 1,200 MS Points (or $15) exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade.

Scott:
One of the best trends in all of gaming has to be the rise of low-cost original downloadables, and Shadow Complex is a great example of why it works. …

The Storm now has V Cast.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

When the RIM BlackBerry Storm debuted last year, there were quite a few things about it that made us scratch our heads. One of the biggest was the 3G handset’s limited support for Verizon Wireless services. Though it could …

Wired.com recently got a chance to test the Newcastle DraughtKeg, a 5-liter self-contained mini-keg of Newcastle Brown Ale.

Shaped like an actual keg, only much smaller, the DraughtKeg contains an internal CO2 pressurization system. All you have to do is attach the included plastic tap, hold a glass under it, and lift the lever on top.

Verdict: This is an excellent, convenient way to serve up more than a gallon (1.33 gallons, to be precise, or about 10 pints) of delicious beer.

There are some caveats. One, whether you regard Newcastle as delicious or repellent depends on whether you’re English, whether you’re from the northern or southern part of England, and whether you were a punk in the 1980s when the best way to be cool was stealing food, squatting in abandoned buildings, and buying the cheapest beer possible. Or something like that — we’re not all that clear on the exact valence of Newcastle Brown Ale among the British. Suffice it to say, as Americans and beer drinkers, we like it, even if it’s no Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. From the DraughtKeg, it tastes like a proper tapped beer, with a good head and no off flavors.

Second, the little instruction sheet that comes with the keglet (right) rivals Ikea assembly instructions for graphic elegance and inscrutability. Something about chilling the keg, attaching the plastic parts, and pouring the beer? Yeah, we could figure that out on our own; these instructions didn’t add much. Also missing was a warning about that little jet of beer that shot out as we were attaching the tap. Not a big deal, but a little embarrassing since it landed on our pants.

After that, it was all dreamy though. Incidentally, the little bit of beer left after our initial test was still good almost a month later, so Newcastle’s claim that it will last 30 days after being tapped is credible.

The Newcastle DraughtKeg will cost about $23 (that’s $2.30 per pint), and is currently available in just a few U.S. markets (Southern California, Minneapolis, Chicago). If you’ve got a Krups BeerTender, it’s compatible with that.

Disclosure: Yes, the PR firm for Newcastle sent the DraughtKeg to us for free. What were we going to say, no? Our journalistic mission required — demanded, really — that we test out this beer delivery system so we could report the results to you, our readers.

Photos: Dylan Tweney / Wired.com

Below the jump: One more photo of the DraughtKeg.

Next to a 5-gallon and fullsize keg, the DraughtKeg is puny. But its built-in compression and plastic tap are convenient.

The pitch may claim that your life will be easier with 2 easy payments, but most As Seen On TV gadgets end up being a colossal waste of money. It’s a good thing Billy Mays isn’t around to see this.

That’s right folks, pressing on this resistance gadget for just minutes a day will miraculously redefine your bone structure to build a chin where there was no chin before. [Neckline Slimmer]
Amazingly enough, people continue to be duped by the Flowbee vacuum hair cutting system some 20 odd years after its initial release. [Flowbee]
If you have ever seen vintage footage of some flabby flapper girl strapped on a vibrating belt machine, you already have a pretty good grasp of the Hawaii Chair. A 2800 rpm motor rotates the chair seat to simulate a Hula motion with the hips. Theoretically, this will help to slim down your waistline while you sit on your ass doing nothing. [Hawaii Chair]
Are you tired of rolling meat into little round balls? Sweet baby Jesus…yes, YES I AM! If only there was some sort of magic press that would allow me to make uniform-sized meatballs in only 4 steps. [Best of As Seen On TV]
Ironically, the Amish are probably the only group of people in the world that would need a gadget that melts down the tops of old candles to expose the wick. [Taylor Gifts via Link]
Just because you don’t have a problem walking around looking like a monk doesn’t mean your dog feels the same way. [Snuggie for Dogs]
It’s a jump rope…without the rope! One easy payment of $29.99 plus SH gets you the Cardio Jump workout system. But wait, there’s more! For a limited time, we will throw in a 1-page instructional leaflet teaching you how to jump in place absolutely free!
Last but not least, I give you the infamous Tiddy Bear: the most absurd product ever promoted on television. It’s supposed to be a cute and cuddly way to prevent seat belts from digging into the skin—but it ends up being an endless source of “tiddy” jokes. [Tiddy Bear]

Holy moly. We thought Sprint’s ad explicitly targeting iPhone customers was a desperate move. But Canadian carrier Bell’s TV commercial for the Pre wins first place for the nipping-at-Apple’s-heels contest. It looks so much like Apple’s iPhone TV ads that you’ll think it’s a joke. Nope, it’s real, and after you’re done laughing it’s actually kind of sad.

See an iPhone ad below the jump for reference.

Via TUAW