While earlier today we had a quick hands-on with the 3DS, I’ve now had the chance to play a number of actual games. My verdict? It’s a clever, occasionally brilliant system. And no, you haven’t seen anything quite like it. More »
Just admit it: you want this portable boombox modded Sega Dreamcast, don’t you? If the answer is “no,” you blew it. Hit up the source link for way more images and a video.
Dreamcast boombox: why not? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
In the modder scene, smaller is definitely better. We’ve seen a huge line of portable N64s over the years, each successive one claiming to be slinkier than its predecessors, but from what we can see the TrySixtyFource has ’em beat. It isn’t as aesthetically appealing as the Nimbus 64 nor the Kamikaze 64, and the tiny switch buttons on the rear for the Z/L and R buttons don’t look particularly finger-friendly. But, it’s hard to argue that ShockSlayer’s creation is a good bit smaller than the rest (despite its girth). It’s also for sale, if you have the requisite amount of coin, and while the video after the break proves that it works, the lengthy intro will also confuse and befuddle you. We’d recommend skipping ahead to the 3:40 mark.
[Thanks, Woship]
Modder vies for World’s Smallest N64 title with TrySixtyFource, looks to be a winner originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 11:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
For whatever reason, the last great game console to utilize a cartridge over a disc is finding itself in yet another portable form factor, and of course, the Nimbus 64 has been crafted by one of Ben Heck‘s most loyal followers. One cndowning is responsible for this beaut, and it’s actually his second homemade portable; this particular miniaturized Nintendo 64 uses a custom vacuum formed case, D-pads and control sticks from used Game Cube controllers, a Zenith PS1 display and plenty of nuts and bolts that only the hardcore modders in attendance would understand. Per usual, we’d recommend heading down to the links below for more details and images, the latter of which are likely to make you exceedingly envious of the DIY skills exhibited here.
Nimbus 64: the latest in a long line of gorgeous portable N64 mods originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Your notebook’s built-in speakers might be fine when you’re by yourself, but can they do the job when you want to share a song with friends? And what if you’re watching a streaming television show–can the sound reach you when you sit back a few feet?
The answer is to choose speakers that are just as portable as your computer. Hercules is introducing the XPS 2.0 35 USB speakers, which get all the power they need from a USB port, so there’s no electrical cord. They even come with a padded carrying case for when you’re on the go.
Look for them in June for a list price of $19.99. Hercules will also introduce in June the XPS 5.1 70 Slim, a set of four speakers and one sub-woofer, for $99.99 list.
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.
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Scanner-printer combos are one of those gadgets that gather dust in most houses. But Doxie, a lightweight portable, paper scanner that started shipping this week, could just make scanners cool again.
“Document scanners are frustrating and poorly designed,” says Travis J. Hicks, chief operating officer of Doxie in a statement. “Doxie is portable, USB powered, and comes with elegant software that scans paper directly to web apps like Google Docs, Evernote, Acrobat, and Flickr.”
Apparent, the company which makes Doxie, had announced the device at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
The $129 device works with both PCs and Mac. To scan, plug Doxie in, insert the document and the device draws up a PDF copy.
At just about half a pound (10.9 ounces) Doxie is easy to carry around and can scan documents in full color at up to 600 dpi. The software bundled with the device has photo editing features and an easy way to connect with online photo sites such as Picasa and Flickr. And it can save files in PDF, JPEG or PNG format.
The ability to upload files to sites such as Evernote and Scribd is neat and Doxie also offers users a short URL that they can use for sharing files. There’s no wireless connectivity so you will have to plug the scanner into a USB port to upload files or photos.
Still, the Doxie seems like a handy device to have and could probably make itself much more useful than conventional scanners at home.
There’s one weird thing about it. It has Pepto-Bismol pink hearts over it and a button with a large heart etched on it that starts the scanning. We understand Doxie wants to be cute but really pink hearts? It’s difficult to understand why anyone who doesn’t watch Hannah Montana might want that on their gadget.
Photo: Doxie
Occasionally we’ve had strangers — very likely non-Engadget readers — coming up to us and ask, “Sorry mate, but is that the iPad?” To which we reply, “No, it’s the Dell Mini 5.” This may sound like a silly boo-boo to make, but there is this common misconception of the iPad being just “a bigger iPhone” while not knowing how much bigger it is (despite our best effort). To clear this up once and for all, we’ve brought the two devices in question together — the Mini 5 / Streak smartphone on the left, and the iPad on the right. Now it’s up to you guys to spread the love.
As a bonus, we also threw in various phones — HTC HD mini, Nexus One, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, and HTC HD2 — to pile on top of Apple’s latest toy, just to kill the Sunday afternoon. No magical and revolutionary devices were harmed in the making of this article.
[Thanks for the toys, Chris and Andy]
Apple iPad vs. Dell Mini 5 / Streak… fight! (Bonus: smartphone pile-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Hori is a company that’s no stranger to strapping LCDs to consoles and calling them portable, but for some reason we’re quite smitten with its latest monitor docking station. The HP3-87 doesn’t stray too far from the formula — it adds an 11.6-inch screen to a wraparound structure for your PS3, with stereo speakers, two headphone jacks, and composite or component input options. With a resolution of 1,366 x 768, it’s well suited to handling the 16:9 signal coming out of the do-everything console, although its 500:1 contrast ratio, 7ms response time, and 200 nits of brightness are perhaps a tiny step behind the times. On the other hand, it’s compatible with the Japan-only Torne DTV adapter and it’s officially licensed by Sony itself, so it can’t be too bad, right? All you Tokyo-ites will have until May 27 to decide, when the HP3-87 goes on sale for ¥26,040 ($276). International release plans are not yet disclosed, but if you really need the portability, you could always grab a PS3 laptop from your local online auction house. Which option will be more useful (less useless?) we leave up to you to decide.
PS3 meets Hori LCD dock, good things happen originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it would introduce new features to the Zune HD with a firmware upgrade in the spring. No, it’s not ready yet, but Microsoft is back to tantalize with details.
Here’s what you can expect with the free download, which will be available in the next few weeks:
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