Hasta La Gadget!

It’s certainly been a while since Bang & Olufsen’s given any love to its gorgeous (but pricey) BeoSound 5, but refining self-proclaimed perfection takes… well, about three years. The more affordable $3,350 BeoSound 5 Encore carries over the svelte 10.4-inch LCD / scroll wheel toting controller from its predecessor, but nixes the BeoMaster music server requirement, allowing it to run headless (and in turn save you bookodles of cash). So how does one play tunes if it rides solo? With a bevy of new connectivity options: content can now be slung over USB (be it via a “mobile device,” thumb key or hard drive), from a NAS, over A2DP Bluetooth, or from one of 13,000 internet radio stations. It’ll ship in August, which’ll leave you plenty of time to count those pennies, and perhaps to ponder why it couldn’t spring for finer graphics in the video that awaits you beyond the fold.

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound 5 Encore redefines ‘affordable,’ looks good doing it (video)

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound 5 Encore redefines ‘affordable,’ looks good doing it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s VAIO UX UMPC may have been a bit of a tough sell at $2,500 back in its heyday, but those still hanging onto one (or able to find one cheap) do now at least now have plenty of mods to consider if they’re looking to breath a bit of new life into the device. One of the latest is this makeshift contraption from YouTube user pochowandpoch, who cut a PS3 controller down to size and attached it directly to the UMPC — perhaps to tide him over until the PlayStation Vita. Great for typing or web browsing? Not so much. But it’s certainly far better than a touchscreen or pint-sized keyboard for a game of Metal Slug. Head on past the break for a trio of videos.

Continue reading Modder attaches PS3 controller to VAIO UX UMPC, forgoes PlayStation Certification

Modder attaches PS3 controller to VAIO UX UMPC, forgoes PlayStation Certification originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen this sort of preposterousness before from BigBen, and we’re no closer to falling in love now than we were back in 2009. This behemoth allows you to get the full experience in the console’s Cyber Cycling Sports title, and the feeling of actually accomplishing something in the process? A presumably marketable side effect. The updated Cyberbike Magnetic Edition is available in North America this time around, relying on — surprise, surprise — magnetic resistance to offer a costly workout for those under 286 pounds. This oversized peripheral is available now for $199.99 (bike and game combo), which puts it a bit too far above the cost of an actual console ($150) for us to consider giving it a shot. Plus, we’ve already committed to biking downtown for our eventual Wii U pickup — and frankly, that’s enough to cover our yearly workout quota.

Continue reading Wii Cyberbike gives you a workout, costs more than the system itself

Wii Cyberbike gives you a workout, costs more than the system itself originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In case it somehow snuck in under your radar, E3 just happened. The LA-based gaming extravaganza is where Nintendo introduced its next generation of home console, the Wii U, also served as the location where our buddies from Joystiq caught up with Hideki Konno, the company’s 3DS hardware chief. When queried as to why the 3DS uses the same, nowadays archaic, resistive touch technology as in the original DS, Mr. Konno answered candidly that “it’s all about the backwards compatibility. We have to play DS games on this and we want to make sure they work.” Not an unreasonable assertion by any means, however those same Joystiq sleuths also determined pretty conclusively that the Wii U’s bodacious 6.2-inch controller also uses a resistive touchscreen — could the primeval tech be getting recycled again for similar reasons? Nintendo’s made no announcements about game compatibility on the Wii U beyond confirming that it’ll play all Wii titles, but this at least it gives us some extra food for rumination (and speculation) while we wait for the new console’s 2012 release.

Nintendo 3DS has resistive touchscreen for backwards compatibility, what’s the Wii U’s excuse? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whoa! The rumors turned out to be true: a 6.2-inch screen will be built into the controller for Nintendo’s next-generation Wii U console. It’ll also feature a microphone, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons and two triggers, a front-facing camera, a stylus, and yes, it’s a touchscreen, too! Satoru Iwata was careful to forewarn that the Wii U’s controller was “not designed to be a portable game machine,” even if it shares some characteristics with handhelds. You will, however, be able to game and video chat even without a TV. Screen resolution isn’t given yet, but the display ratio is stated as 16:9, matching every other widescreen in your living room. Check the video after the break while we go try to hunt down some hands-on time with this multifunctional new beast of a controller.

Continue reading The Wii U controller, revealed! (video)

The Wii U controller, revealed! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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