Hasta La Gadget!

Google unveiled the Nexus Q streaming device yesterday alongside the Nexus 7. Taking a look at the specs, you might see an all too familiar processor, with the device featuring a dual-core OMAP4460 CPU – the same chip that’s inside the Galaxy Nexus – along with PowerVR SGX540 graphics and 1GB of RAM. Google also hinted at the Q’s hackability thanks to the inclusion of a microUSB port, and it looks like developers are starting to see what the device can really do.

Christina Kelly, an Android app developer, has managed to get Swords and Soldiers to start on the device, although that’s apparently where the fun ends. The game won’t actually run, and even if it did, the lack of touch controls would put a damper on things pretty quickly. It does mean, however, that the Nexus Q is a flexible platform that developers can have some fun with.

The fact that the orb is running Android and has an architecture comparable to the Galaxy Nexus gives developers a lot of freedom, as well as the opportunity to explore the possibilities of the device. Kelly notes that while Google TV devices also run a version of Android, porting an app over to the platform is a difficult affair.

Google has dubbed the Nexus Q a social streaming media player. The orb can only be controlled using Android devices, with content streamed from Google’s content services via the cloud instead of across a local network. Users can also create social playlists, adding songs or videos to be queued up and played up the device. The Nexus Q doubles as a 25 watt amplifier that you can plug your speakers into, and plugs into your TV via HDMI.

Google Nexus Q hacked to run games is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Forty years. That’s a long time in the tech industry and Atari knows it. Today it celebrates four decades in the game, and quite the tale it is. Highs, lows and everything in between, Atari has been there. As one of the most influential brands both in gaming and technology, it only seems right to take a look over the company’s history and chart some of the more significant twists in its less than straightforward journey. After the break we speak to the man that started it all and the one currently at the helm, as well as some of the many people whose lives were irreversibly changed by its influence. Happy birthday to you, Atari!

Continue reading Atari: celebrating 40 years on the dots

Atari: celebrating 40 years on the dots originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo’s new 3DS XL was just revealed last week, but we didn’t have to wait long for the plus-sized handheld to get put through its paces. Puissance Nintendo got its game on with Nintendo’s newest, and if Google’s translation is to be believed, the added screen real-estate is, naturally, a welcome addition, and the panel is plenty bright with excellent viewing angles. Also, any negative effects from the bigger pixels present in the display — it’s the same resolution as its baby brother — have apparently been ameliorated by an anti-aliasing filter of some sort. As for folks concerned about gripping the 3DS XL, fear not, as ergonomics are reportedly spot on, with an even weight distribution that feels no heavier than a standard 3DS. Still not ready to rush out and grab one this August? Head on past the break to see the XL in action, and pop on over to the source link to see if the full French spill will persuade you.

Continue reading Nintendo 3DS XL caught on video, gets manhandled abroad

Nintendo 3DS XL caught on video, gets manhandled abroad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If an enthusiast-built Portal 2 turret piques your interest, Gaming Heads’ Valve-licensed miniature replica may very well force your wallet open. Modeled using Portal 2‘s in-game assets and cast in “high quality poly-stone,” these mini-turrets aim to intimidate intruders with a motion activated light-up eye. In addition to the stoically silent basic model, the company’s offering an exclusive edition, which plays sounds and voice samples from the game. Only 1,100 of these hand painted facsimiles will be produced (350 with sound, 750 without), but the company notes that other figures based on the adorable death machines are in the works. Pre-orders have already begun, so collectors will want to act fast — provided they’re ready to pony up $300-325, of course.

Licensed Portal 2 turret replica to arrive later this year, leave ammo at home originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 04:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fans of Black Ops have something to be very happy about. The latest map pack titled “Rezurrection” will be coming to the Xbox 360 followed by PC and PlayStation 3 later. Sadly these maps will not be multiplayer maps though.

You get a new map level called “Moon” along with four re-mastered zombie maps: “Nacht der Üntoten,” “Verrückt,” “Shi No Numa” and “Der Riese.” They should be released on August 23rd for the XBox, with PS3 and PC following later.

[Ubergizmo]