Hasta La Gadget!

GameStop is shuttering its PlayStation 2 trade-in business as of June 1st, a company spokesperson confirmed to Engadget. “We can confirm that as of June 1st we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades,” the statement reads. Several of GameStop’s retail locations confirmed to our sister site Joystiq that the June 1st date was accurate after a Reddit posting showed what appeared to be an in-store sign saying as much, and the statement today offers a bit more detail.

For instance, GameStop won’t end sales of used PlayStation 2 hardware, software and accessories — both in store and online — until “several months” after the June 1 cutoff. Those sales, of course, depend on “remaining stock from trades.” Additionally, GameStop reminded us that it’s totally pumped for the upcoming PlayStation 4. “We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall,” the statement says. And hey, with all the extra space available in GameStop stores by “holiday 2013” (when the PS4 is expected to land at retail), it looks like GameStop will be ready for business. For GameStop’s full statement, head below.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony

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Denon‘s just added to its lineup of network-capable AV receivers with new IN-command models that bring 4K, streaming and surround sound options aplenty. The flagship model is the $1,300 AVR-X4000, which supports 4K passthrough for the few lucky owners of such sets, along with HDTV to 4K upscaling, Spotify, AirPlay and DNLA 1.5. Other features include 7.2 surround sound output with Audyssey DSX, Dolby Pro Logic IIz or DTS Neo:X encoding, 125 watts of power per channel, seven HDMI inputs and three outputs, a remote control app for iOS, Android or web browsers, home automation compatibility, multi-room control and MP3 audio restoration. The $900 AVR-X3000 and $650 AVR-X2000 pack similar features but dial back the watts, surround sound and decoding capability, while the $450 AVR-X1000 is limited to 1080p output and carries the smallest amp. All the models are now up for grabs, while the copious list of specs can be found at the source.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Via: HDTV Space

Source: Denon

As if bringing the Nook HD and HD+ access to Google Play this week wasn’t already a sweet deal, Barnes & Noble is temporarily slashing the prices for its two reading-focused tablets. The reductions will last until the end of Mother’s Day, putting the 7-inch Nook HD 8GB at $149 and the 16GB at $179 (a $50 discount), with the 9-inch HD+ set at $179 for 16GB and $209 for 32GB (with $90 off). Compared to other options like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 tablets, the deal may be enough to make up for lack of cameras and UI shortcomings on the Nooks. If your interest is piqued, you check out our reviews of both the HD and HD+, and hit up the source link if you’d like to snag one.

Update: We’d also like to remind our UK readers that a similar limited-time offer was put in place a few days ago, dropping the price of the Nook HD from £159 to £129 and the Nook HD+ from £229 to £179.

Filed under: Tablets

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Source: Barnes & Noble

Google has begun shipping the Explorer Edition of its high-tech headset to a select few over the past week. In a brand new edition of our e-magazine, Tim Stevens gives Google Glass the full review treatment, chronicles life behind the lens for a week and sits down with Google Ventures’ Bill Maris for a chat on the device. We also get cozy with Google Now for iOS in Hands-On, ogle more of Mission Workshop’s goods in Eyes-On and PlayJam CEO Jasper Smith tackles the Q&A. You can probably take it from here, but just in case, all of the download sources are down below for snatchin’ up a copy.

Distro Issue 89 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store

The début Google TV device from ASUS included several firsts for the platform, but a feature that slipped by our Cube review is the built-in ASUS Movie Player app’s AirPlay support. GTVSource noticed it in the YouTube for iPad app and a few others, but in our testing YouTube and Netflix only displayed content via their own AirPlay-like features. We were able to watch videos from within the iOS Photos app (ones we took with the built-in camera) using standard AirPlay, but not still images themselves. Digging into the settings of the Cube reveals options to disable the service or to change the display name that shows up on AirPlay sources. Overall, more doesn’t work than does, like AirPlay mirroring from iPads or Macs. That sort of inconsistent compatibility probably isn’t enough to push it past downloadable options like Airtight, but it is a welcome out-of-the-box treat that we hope sees improvements over time.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, ASUS

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Source: GTVSource