The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has turned some heads since its initial debut, and now that it has been in the hands of developers for a few months now, the creators of Oculus Rift have received some incredible feedback. One of the biggest requests, however, was 1080p. And with the snap of a finger,
Over the course of this past week, gaming-minded geeks descended upon Los Angeles for the industry’s annual summer shindig. In the latest issue of our slate magazine, we hit the show floor at E3 2013 to offer up impressions of the latest gaming gadgetry. We also chat Wii U with Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma, examine the uphill climb for said console and look back at the history of the entire event. There’s loads more of game-centric goodness packed into this edition, so we’ll let you get to it via the usual download sources.
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Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile
Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store
The Daily Roundup for 06.13.2013
Posted in: Today's ChiliYou might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Sony PS4 revealed at E3 2013
Posted in: Today's ChiliIt looks like the world of next generation gaming is about to take off pretty soon – at the end of this year actually, where the two behemoths of Sony and Microsoft have showed their respective hands at the recently concluded E3 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Microsoft has their Xbox One, while Sony’s latest release is a logical progression from where the PS3 left off, where the upcoming console would obviously continue with the PlayStation line, and they have dubbed it the PS4. The Sony PS4 would also be known as the CUH-1000A series, where it will initially arrive in a jet black color, and will be out later this holiday season. Folks living in the USA will be able to get one for $399, while those in Canada, Europe and the UK will have to pay the equivalent numerical figure, except in their local currencies.
The new PS4 boasts of a totally new look, where its internal design architecture has been trimmed down drastically, ranging from the optical drive to the power supply unit as well as cooling mechanism, in an effort to ensure that the body remains as slim and light as possible, all the while helping to enhance the flexibility of the design in a dramatic fashion.
With its simple and yet modern design that has been accentuated by its linear flat form factors, the PS4′s body willbe subdivided into four different sections, as though there were four blocks which have been stacked together in order to make up a single figure, complete with a disc slot, buttons, power indicator and vent that has been placed within the slim interspace which was created between the sections. There will be the usual slew of PS4 peripherals to choose from as well, where they include the stand-alone Wireless Controller for PlayStation 4 (DUALSHOCK 4) and PlayStation Camera, and either one will arrive in jet black at $59 a pop. Any takers for the new Sony PS4?
Press Release
[ Sony PS4 revealed at E3 2013 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
MSI’s 14-inch GE40 gaming laptop priced at $1,300 with specs to take on Alienware
Posted in: Today's ChiliSure, MSI can build hunky, nine-pound gaming notebooks, but what about lightweight rigs? It’s traditionally left those to the likes of Dell and Razer. Now, though, MSI has an ultra-light gaming laptop of its own. After teasing the 14-inch GE40 at Computex last week, the company is now shipping it, with prices starting at $1,300. What’s interesting is that this announcement comes hot on the heels of Dell unveiling the new Alienware 14, and as far as specs go, at least, MSI comes out on top. For $1,300, you get a 2.9GHz Core i7-4702MQ processor, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX760M GPU, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200RPM hard drive, a bigger 90Wh battery, a sharper 1,600 x 900 display and a much lighter frame (4.4 pounds vs. 6.1 on the Alienware 14).
If you like, MSI is also selling a $1,400 version that combines a 128GB mSATA solid-state drive with a 750GB HDD. Now it’s true, the Alienware can be had for a hundred dollars less than the lowest-end GE40, but it’ll mean settling for a 1,366 x 768 display, a lesser CPU and half the VRAM. Naturally, spec sheets don’t tell the whole story, and we hope to eventually review both of these, but if you’re in the market for a lightweight gaming laptop that won’t break the bank, this guy could be it.
Gallery: MSI GE40
Nintendo sees Mario and Zelda giving Wii U a big boost, 3DS continuing to grow
Posted in: Today's ChiliThere’s no question that Nintendo is hurting these days, mostly owing to the lackluster reception for the Wii U. The company’s Scott Moffitt is upbeat, however: he tells CNET that the Wii U should enjoy a 3DS-like sales renaissance this holiday now that games in bigger franchises, like Mario and Zelda, are on the way. Of course, the 3DS also had the advantage of a dramatic price drop — but never you mind that. As for the handheld’s own performance this year? Moffitt claims that the 3DS is the only dedicated console whose sales are still growing, and he expects the system to have its best holiday yet. His positions on the 3DS and Wii U strike us as optimistic when Nintendo is up against two major console launches and the ever-present threat of smartphone gaming, but the gaming giant has defied the odds more than once in its history.
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Nintendo
Source: CNET
The Daily Roundup for 06.12.2013
Posted in: Today's ChiliYou might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Another Android gaming console at this year’s E3? Kind of, sort of, yeah. But Unu’s (née Snakebyte) looking to set itself apart from the OUYAs, Gamesticks and M.O.J.O.s of the world (to name but a few) by becoming the “Swiss Army knife” of the space. The device isn’t so much a console as tablet that plugs into your TV, meaning that you can do pretty much whatever you can do on a standard Android slate (which, arguably, you can also do with Mad Catz’s device, but we digress).
The tablet itself runs Android 4.2, display through a seven-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS screen. The rear sports a brushed aluminum surface and a 5-megapixel camera (with a 2.0 module on the front). Inside, you’ve got 8GB of storage and a 1.6GHz quad-core chip. Unu does Bluetooth 4.0 and has two micro-USB ports, a microSD slot and, most importantly, a mini-HDMI port, which lets you turn the thing into a living room console of sorts, by connecting it to your HDTV. If you’re feeling fancy, you can go in for the docking station, which does video out and charging — and also props the tablet up nicely, so you can watch the same thing on two displays at the same time.
Gallery: Unu gaming tablet hands-on
Polk’s at E3 showing off two new devices it’s showing off at E3 this week that aren’t half bad looking. Granted, they’re not as slick as some of the higher end products the audio company has shown off in the past, but as far as gaming-centric devices go, they’re not too shabby. According to the company, Microsoft approached it specifically to create peripherals for the Xbox, leading Polk to give the world the 133t Gaming Headphones and N1 sound bar.
The 133ts eschew the standard external gaming mic for a little nub that juts out from one ear. To mute it, you just click it back up inside the cup. The headphones also feature a mixer that plugs directly into the controller to help eliminate cords and lets you adjust sound settings on the fly. The Surroundbar, meanwhile, was designed specifically with the Xbox in mind, featuring four modes: Racer, FPS, Music and Cinema, so you can switch between gaming and standard media consumption. The N1 is set for a fall release, with the 133t coming some time in Q4. More info in a press release after the break.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment