Hasta La Gadget!

Portable gaming consoles remain within the domain of Nintendo and Sony, with their Nintendo 3DS as well as PS Vita, respectively, but their territory have been encroached upon by other forms of mobile gaming, no thanks to the huge popularity of tablets as well as smartphones. Well, here is another player that intends to bite off a chunk of this lucrative market – the $149.99 GCW-ZERO, which happens to be an open source gaming console. With the GCW-ZERO, you know for sure that you have something good going on here, especially when it has been built by gamers for gamers.

Specially designed with open source games in mind, it will be able to handle a plethora of games that used to run on the NES, SNES, GBA, Sega, PlayStation, PC and plenty more, being basically too many to mention. Powered by Linux, it already comes with a slew of open source software that is ready to rock and roll. Alternatively, you can also opt to change the operating system if you so desire. As for the hardware specifications, you might be pleased to hear that there will not be any pesky thumbs blocking your view, since it comes with a responsive D-pad, an analog nub, two shoulder buttons and tilt controls. Underneath the hood, a 1GHz processor accompanied by 512MB RAM gets the job done, while its 16GB of internal memory can be augmented by another microSD card to hit an additional 64GB.
[ GCW-ZERO, the open source gaming console copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gamers are extremely fussy about the kind of hardware that they use, and most of the time, they would stick to a particular brand for each kind of device. For instance, some folks would swear by Razer for their keyboards, Turtle Beach for the headphones, and ROCCAT for the mouse. Assuming you have yet to give other brands a try, why not open up your heart a little and make sure that other manufacturers have a chance? ROCCAT has just announced that they have made available the Phantom White version of their ROCCAT Kone Pure Color gaming mouse, and this will come in a limited edition format as usual.

The Phantom White variation of the limited edition Kone Pure Color sure sounds like a treat, but do bear in mind that apart from the aesthetic change on the outside, everything else underneath the hood would pretty much remain the same, similar to the original Kone Pure. In fact, the Color edition will arrive with a high-end 8,200 DPI Pro-Aim R3 laser sensor and high quality Omron switches, while boasting of features such as Easy-Shift[+], Easy-Aim and ROCCAT Talk, making the Kone Pure Color is a powerful and potent weapon in the hands of gamers who are duking it out for point-streaks, lanes and bases.

This happens to be one of a series of limited edition products that rolled out to the masses throughout the entire year, which also happens to be the “Year of the Kone”, as part of a celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Kone series. The Phantom White variation of the gaming mouse is not the first to see a color change, as it follows up on efforts by the likes of the Inferno Orange, Hellfire Red and Polar Blue Kone Pure Colors.

Product Page via Press Release
[ ROCCAT Kone Pure Color Phantom White version announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

When it comes to gaming peripherals, you know for sure that one name has ended up as a household recommendation to many gamers, and that would be Razer. Keyboards, mice, crazy claw-like controls, mouse mats and heck, even headphones, have become quite the area of specialty for Razer, and this time around, we have something which has been named after a famed underwater monster – the Kraken. We are talking about the Razer Kraken Forged Edition headphones that will be able to bring a careful balance between the aesthetics as well as performance.

For starters, the Razer Kraken Forged Edition will arrive crafted with ear cups that have been machined out of aircraft-grade aluminum, followed by a finishing of a matte texture. In fact, just like those extremely precise Swiss timepieces, the Razer Kraken Forged Edition too, has been specially hand-assembled to make sure that every single one of these headphones would arrive right out of the box with premium build quality, looks and guts.

Thanks to Razer’s bunch of dedicated audio engineers who have spent countless hours fine-tuning the Kraken Forged Edition’s 40 mm bass-heavy drivers, you can more or less say that perfection has been achieved, or it ranks pretty much high up there. This would mean the neodymium pair will play nice together with the headphone’s acoustic chambers and isolated closed ear cup design that helps to deliver booming bass, accompanied by clear mids and crisp highs. It does not matter whether you are gaming or listening to your favorite tunes, the Razer Kraken Forged Edition will still be able to deliver.

Apart from that, the Razer Kraken Forged Edition would also feature a swappable cable with an in-line microphone, letting users convert it easily into a headset for gaming or telephony. If you happen to reside Stateside, it will cost you $299.99 a pop, while our friends living across the pond will have to pay €299.99 as usual. The Razer Kraken Forged Edition would be available worldwide from next month onward.

Press Release
[ Razer says, “Release the Kraken!” copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If there is a particularly discerning gamer in the midst, then you can be sure that the kind of hardware which he or she has would most probably have been built from scratch, using only the best components that their money is able to purchase while offering the best bang for their hard earned buck. The choice of peripherelas, too, is an important one, and some gamers do have a certain amount of brand loyalty that they would not switch brands for anything in the world. ORIGIN PC has just announced a slew of elite gaming peripherals that are powered by Razer, and they are the ORIGIN PC Edition BlackWidow Keyboard, Taipan Mouse and Goliathus Mouse Pad.

I am quite sure that you would have heard of Razer’s slew of gaming peripherals in the past. Well, the ORIGIN PC editions that are powered by Razer would offer a similar level of legendary performance as though you purchased those peripherals directly from Razer itself, although this time around, it would arrive in an exclusive black and red backlit color scheme that you win brownie points over the opponent simply for the fact that your peripherals look menacing enough from the get go, sort of like a Darth Maul on steroids.

The ORIGIN PC BlackWidow keyboard, Taipan mouse and Goliathus mouse pad are said to deliver the power of an ORIGIN PC at a user’s fingertips, while ensuring that you have the relevant tools in order to obliterate the competition. Do bear in mind that you should not have any more kind of excuses after purchasing this set of unique peripherals, since it would mean the lack of skill and gameplay strategy that led to your downfall, and not because of lousy hardware.

They will not come cheap, however, as the ORIGIN PC BlackWidow Keyboard would cost $140, while the ORIGIN PC Taipan Mouse would start at $80 with the accompanying ORIGIN PC Goliathus Mouse Pad burning another $20 hole in your pocket.

Press Release
[ ORIGIN PC introduces elite gaming peripherals copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The name Logitech itself does invoke a sense of respect when it comes to computer peripherals, as this particular company has certainly come a long way from making functional mice as well as tiny speakers to accompany your computer. In fact, Logitech has also thrown itself into the gaming peripheral scene with a fair number of interesting efforts that are able to duke it out with the very best in the industry. The mobile scene, too, has changed its face over the years and have gotten a whole lot more complicated than the standard issue Game & Watch from Nintendo. This time around, Logitech has announced the new PowerShell Controller + Battery that offers a unique portable gaming perspective.

Of course, you would first need to own an iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, or iPod touch (5th generation) that runs on iOS 7, before you are able to enjoy the Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery. Basically, with Logitech’s latest offering, it will be able to transform your compatible iOS7 device into a pocket sized mobile console. Needless to say, there is one particular drawback for all portable consoles, and that would be a lack of battery life. You would be pleased to hear that the PowerShell Controller + Battery from Logitech would not be a vampire and sap juice from your device, but rather, it will have the ability to double your play time thanks to its on board battery.

This can be considered to be a first-of-its-kind mobile gaming console, where all you need to do is to insert your compatible iPhone or iPod touch into the controller just like how you would do with a standard issue case, and you are good to go. Expect to enjoy a familiar console experience with this puppy thanks to the inclusion of a D-pad, shoulder triggers and face buttons. Delivery of this bad boy is expected to happen next month.

Product Page

[ Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery unveiled for those who want something different in portable gaming copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]