Hasta La Gadget!

My, what a difference a couple years makes. As we suspected, Sony is updating its old Bluetooth headset design with a decidedly more elegant model. Here’s what we’ve got: dual mics, USB pairing, in-game status indicator, a charge cradle that doubles as a desktop mic, and of course, a giant mute button for when you have only moments to smack yourself in the ear and curse loudly about your good-for-nothing teammates. It’s also smaller and glossier — and rocking the same $49.99 price tag. When’s it arriving? Soon, later this month. When is that, exactly? Have patience.

PlayStation 3’s Bluetooth headset slims down, shines on, adorns ears later this month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sad, dreary day at your place? Fret not, as the Boob Tube is just about to get even better. Hulu has just revealed a movement to get Hulu Plus stocked with more content and onto more devices, STAT. Making sure those words aren’t empty, we’re learning that all 2010 Sony BRAVIA HDTVs will today have access to the subscription programming service, with it bleeding over to Sony’s various Blu-ray players, home theater systems, network media players and even the Dash — yeah, that Dash — in due time. In related news, Hulu will be soon yanking the invite requirement to get Hulu Plus on the PlayStation 3, and as of next week, any ole PlayStation Network member (as opposed to PlayStation Plus, as it stands today) will be able to grab it. ‘Course, even those freeloaders will be forced to pony up $9.99 per month if they’re interested in using it, but hey, it’s not like Raising Hope is financed with pixie dust, right?

[Thanks, Brian]

Continue reading Hulu Plus hits 2010 BRAVIA HDTVs, coming to all PS3 users next week

Hulu Plus hits 2010 BRAVIA HDTVs, coming to all PS3 users next week originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The official Bluetooth headset for the PS3 has been around for a few years, still rocking the same $49.99 price point, still wearing the same “Wow, look at me, I’m a Bluetooth headset” design while others have gotten fancier, artsier and, well, better. Now Sony looks to finally be making an update, whittling the sides down make the new model look a bit more modern — while not actually going too far. The price is said to stay the same and overall the design looks much the same too, just pointier and featuring a daintier clip that should be somewhat less taxing on your ear as you spend hour after hour screaming at your SVER teammates who insist on staying back and sniping while you throw yourself at the Valor lines. If only they could see your cool new headset, maybe then they’d listen.

Sony’s PS3 Bluetooth headset sheds a few ounces and gets a slinky new outfit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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“There is nothing more sad or glorious than generations changing hands,” John Cougar Mellencamp wrote in the liner notes to his classic album, Scarecrow.

And so it goes with the handover from the Gamecube and PS2 to the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360: Gaming systems that we once loved are thrown into the dustbin of history, while strange new devices take center stage.

Here’s one way to look at those market shifts: With an interactive infographic from Tableau Software.

In addition to the console trends, you can watch Nintendo gain market share at Sony’s expense (while Microsoft hangs in there at a steady level).

The data, from NPD Group, is not particularly new, but the visualization is. If you ever wondered what a generational shift in technologies looks like, here you go.

What other tech data would you like to see visualized? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks, Ellie!

See Also:

• Zillow Analysis Reveals Prime Trick-or-Treating Neighborhoods
• Wired.com's iPhone 3G Survey Reveals Network Weaknesses
• Analyst: We Could Be in the Final 'Console Cycle'
• Microsoft, Sony Trade Volleys as Console Wars Heat Up
• Triumph of the Wii: How Fun Won Out in the Console Wars

Follow us for real-time tech news: Dylan Tweney and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

For the holidays, Sony is releasing a standalone Playstation 3 with a 320 GB hard drive, retailing $350. The same PS3 with a Playstation Move controller, Eye camera and Sports Champions game will cost $400; a standalone unit with a 160 GB hard drive costs $300.

The extra hard drive space is purportedly for games, video and other content distributed over the Playstation Network, but I’ve got to say that I agree with this Playstation Blog commenter:

You know I understand that with DLC content increasing at an alarming rate, we do need the extra space. What I don’t understand is why you don’t just keep all systems across the board with the same amount of memory and have consistent price drops (as technology gets cheaper) instead? 160GB would be ample space for most owners and for those who do a lot more downloading, I’m sure those are the people fully capable and comfortable swapping out hard drives. Honestly if I were a basic user, I’d prefer to spend $300 for a 160GB PS3 than spend $350 for a 320GB. It also causes more confusion for many “non gamer” types. What is the difference? Hard drive size. Really? That’s it?

Many other commenters point out that it’s easy to upgrade the internal hard drive of the PS3, making the savings relative to the 160 GB model nominal. On its own, the Move Starter Pack (controller, camera, game) costs $100.

Meanwhile, Nintendo’s offering bundled units at steep discounts and Microsoft Xbox is selling Kinects and new Xboxes like crazy. Either Sony’s margins don’t permit a price drop or they think they’re fine with the price points they have.

Offering a new package with a bigger hard drive makes sense if you’re cutting prices across the board. All this does is make the high-end bundle with the Move controller look like a marginally better deal.

See Also:

• Why PlayStation Move Could Give '3-D Games' a Whole New Meaning …
• We Were Not Ready: The PlayStation Turns 15
• Leaked Photo: Is This the Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone …
• PlayStation 'Move' Controller is Like a Smartphone Inside
• Mario's Anniversary Brings Remote Plus, Red Wii and DSi Bundles …
• Why Xbox Might Be Microsoft's Future — and Computing's, Too …