Hasta La Gadget!

It looks like Nintendo may have managed to run an early prototype of its upcoming 3D handheld, the 3DS, through the FCC without anyone noticing — well, for a few weeks, anyway. The filing was made available on April 30 and Wireless Goodness spotted it, posting the image above showing what looks more like an ATX motherboard than a handheld gaming platform. But, what wasn’t noticed at the time was the aspect ratio of the top screen (in the middle of the circuitry): it’s 16:9, while most every other Nintendo handheld to date has of course been 4:3. That aspect ratio matches the 3.4-inch parallax barrier display from Sharp, the one that just about everyone is expecting will be featured in the device. Connecting the dots, this could be a prototype 3DS in the flesh, dubbed the “CTR.” Given that Nintendo called the DSi the “TWL” the XL the “UTL,” even the naming scheme fits in. Sadly the FCC images have since been pulled, but we look forward to seeing a rather more petite version of the thing at E3 next month.

Is this a prototype of the Nintendo 3DS? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 May 2010 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Kotaku  |  FCC  | Email this | Comments

Never given much thought to owning something with an iiView label on it? Think again, vaquero. Teased here beside two of Apple’s most well-known cash cows, the M1Touch packs a rather delicious list of specifications. Behind the 10.1 multitouch display (1,024 x 600) is a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, integrated webcam, USB socket, 4-in-1 card reader and an inbuilt accelerometer. She’s running Windows 7 Home Premium and should last around three hours (sad, we know) on a full charge, with pricing set for just over $500 when converted to Greenbacks. Further details are few and far between, but given that it’s expected to ship by the end of May, we suspect we’ll know more as Computex kicks off in Taiwan.

iiView slates M1Touch Windows 7 tablet for release later this month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 05:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Crave  | Email this | Comments

It was pretty much implied when “backward compatibility” was listed as a feature of Nintendo’s new 3DS handheld back in March. But it’s good to hear that 3D gameplay can be easily switched off, direct from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, when headaches or nausea set in during marathon sessions. This should also ease concerns from parents over any adverse effects that long term exposure to parallax barrier gameplay could have on their children’s developing eyes. Besides, a 2D mode is desirable in that we expect it to offer a brighter image (especially when viewing off-center), better text reading experience, and a wider angle of view for sharing the display.

Now, we know what you’re wondering: what about that new 3.4-inch glasses-less 3D touchscreen display from Sharp, is it 2D switchable? Yup, lending more credibility that we’ll see it on the 3DS when the handheld gaming console is fully revealed at E3 next month.

Nintendo 3DS handheld to offer switchable 2D mode, thankfully originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 06:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Eurogamer  |  Forbes  | Email this | Comments

The quest to build the perfect portable Nintendo 64 continues, but we imagine we’ll stop seeing so many disparate designs soon. That’s not because Bacteria’s latest bulbous handheld has achieved perfection — far from it — but rather because he’s provided a 2.5-hour, step-by-step video guide to help you build it from the ground up. And hey, the system isn’t too shabby, either. The “iNto64” portable features integrated Controller, Rumble and Expansion Paks for complete N64 functionality, built-in speakers and a headphone jack, rechargeable batteries for up to three hours of play, even a video-out port if you get tired of staring at the ubiquitous 5-inch Sony PSone LCD. The only obvious oversight is controller ports for more inputs — seems our buddy Bacteria wasn’t a big fan of GoldenEye. See it play some of N64’s other best games after the break, while we dust off our gamebit screwdriver. Obvious though it may seem, know what you’re getting into before you do likewise; ripping up classic cart-based consoles isn’t for the faint of heart.

Continue reading Bacteria’s back with portable Nintendo 64, complete how-to guide

Bacteria’s back with portable Nintendo 64, complete how-to guide originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo, Retro Thing  |  Bacteria (1), Bacteria (2)  | Email this | Comments

You’ll recall, wise and knowledgeable as you are, that we weren’t exactly bowled over by Sharp’s keyboard-equipped PC-Z1 portable when we got to play with it at IFA last year. Coming back for another bite at the cherry, the Japanese company has just announced the NetWalker PC-T1, which does away with the disappointing keyboard but retains the crazy pixel density (1024 x 600 resolution on a 5-inch display) and Freescale i.MX515 CPU of its predecessor. Also on offer are Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless options, Ubuntu 9.04 as the OS, and USB and MicroSD ports for a nice bit of expandability. An Anglo-Japanese dictionary comes pre-installed plus you’ll get access to Sharp’s e-bookstore, which has over 25,000 titles on offer. Of course, all that good stuff is tempered by a mediocre 6-hour battery life and a ¥47,000 ($510) price tag. Look for this MID archetype to hit stores in Japan next month.

Sharp’s NetWalker PC-T1 is the very definition of a MID, coming in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PC Watch Impress  |  Sharp  | Email this | Comments