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Preorder Nintendo Wii at Walmart.com!
Lik Sang is taking PS3 preorders
- or - If you have a couple of grand, check out the ebay sellers peddling preorders!
Accessing page...December 5, 2008 11:31 AM PST PS3 keypad ready for prime time, new details surface Posted by Jeff Bakalar 2 comments (Credit: Kotaku)A Kotaku hands-on of the PlayStation 3 keypad reveals some new information about the $50 snap-on accessory. Sony has had plenty of time to go above and beyond the Xbox 360 Chatpad and as expected, it does seem to improve on it in a number of ways. We liked the chatpad for its ease-of-use, satisfying performance, and the fact that it didn't require any power. The PlayStation 3 keypad, on the other hand, does require separate charging, as it cannot tap into the PS3 controller. Because of this, it also must connect to the console via a separate Bluetooth connection. As far as we can tell, it's almost as if the keypad is merely a clamp. The keypad attaches for above-the-controller texting, while the Xbox chatpad rests below. We found it manageable to play games with the chatpad connected, but eventually removed it because of comfort issues. It seems the PS3 keypad's placement is a better fit. Feature-wise, the keypad trumps the Xbox chatpad. There are shortcut buttons to access your message box and your friends list. Also, the keypad can turn into a touch pad--think laptop trackpad--for mouse-like movement. This will come in useful if you use your PS3 to browse the Web a lot. The keypad is set to be released mid-month, so check out our full review coming soon. Topics: Entertainment, Games and gear Tags: sony, playstation 3, ps3, keypad, wireless, bluetooth Share: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit cnet_crave854:http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10114404-1.html December 2, 2008 10:00 AM PST PS3 firmware update enables full-screen flash video Posted by Matthew Moskovciak 22 comments Sony issued firmware upgrade 2.53 for the PlayStation 3 Tuesday, enabling full-screen flash video playback. Full-screen flash video for the browser might seem like a minor upgrade, but it's been a highly desired feature for those who use their PS3s for online video services like Hulu and YouTube. We also noticed that the new flash upgrade enabled us to select the "480p" option in Hulu, which provides a significantly better image quality, especially on a big-screen HDTV. The full-screen and 480p options are nice, but we couldn't help but notice that simply watching full-screen Hulu on our laptop looked better. While the resolution looked pretty close between the two screens, motion on the PS3 looked significantly worse, with dropped frames. For comparison, motion was completely fluid and natural on our laptop in full-screen mode--and that was with a wireless connection (the PS3 was wired). Once we took Hulu out of full-screen mode on the PS3, motion was handled about as well as on the laptop and we were able to manually zoom the screen to get full-screen playback without the motion issues. We're not sure what's holding back flawless full-screen flash video playback in the browser, but given the PS3's powerful processor, we expect more. ... Read more Topics: Games and gear, Home video Tags: Sony, PS3, Hulu, YouTube Share: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit cnet_crave854:http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10111129-1.html November 24, 2008 4:52 PM PST Get a credit card, save on a PS3 Posted by Leslie Katz 5 comments Now might not be the best time to be getting a new credit card, but if you happen to be a gamer who's racking up charges anyway, a new PlayStation credit card could be the way to do it. (Credit: Sony) Yes, a PlayStation credit card. The card, issued by Chase Bank and announced Monday on Sony's official PlayStation blog, lets you earn reward points toward the purchase of a PlayStation and other Sony products. Through an introductory offer running from now through December 31, cardholders can save $150 on the purchase of a PlayStation 3. Which hopefully will offset the debt accrued when stocking up on the likes of Little Big Planet, Dead Space, and Fallout 3. You can get the knockdown by going www.sony.com/newpscard to get instant approval for your card, and an immediate $150 credit when you purchase a PS3 directly through the Web site. Or you can go to www.sony.com/getpscard to apply for the card and upon receipt of the card, use it at any authorized PlayStation retailer to purchase a PS3. Topics: Games and gear Tags: Sony, PlayStation, PlayStation 3 Share: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit cnet_crave854:http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10107313-1.html November 24, 2008 12:00 PM PST Roundup: IR-to-Bluetooth converters that let you control your PS3 with a universal remote Posted by Matthew Moskovciak Post a comment The IR2BTci got the highest rating in our roundup, but it's probably overkill for most users. The Sony PlayStation 3 is a game console first, but its Blu-ray playback also makes it one of the most popular home theater devices on the market. The only problem is that because the PS3 lacks an IR receptor, its difficult to integrate with home theaters centered around a IR-based universal remote, like a Harmony. For those who have become accustomed to controlling their gear using simple buttons that say "Watch TV" or "Watch a Blu-ray disc," it's a real pain that the PS3 requires using Sony's Blu-ray DVD remote or the game controller. To deal with this issue, several essentially homemade devices have shown up on the market and we've done a roundup of the top three, plus a low cost alternative that's easier on your wallet. The main takeaway is that all the converters we tested performed essentially equally well, with only some minor differences in how user-configurable and upgradeable they are. And if you're willing to turn the console on and off manually, you might as well save yourself about $60 and go with the Nyko Blu-Wave. Read CNET's roundup of IR-to-Bluetooth converter boxes. Topics: Games and gear, Home video Tags: Sony, PS3, IR-to-Bluetooth converters, ps3toothfairy, IR2BTci, Schmartz PS3IR-PRO, Nyko Blu-Wave Infrared Remote, Blu-ray Share: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit cnet_crave854:http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10105354-1.html November 24, 2008 10:32 AM PST Sony PS3 holiday bundle Posted by Joseph Kaminski 47 comments (Credit: Kotaku.com) Normally during this time of year we stuff stockings; however, Sony has decided to stuff a box. According to Kotaku.com, there will be a new PlayStation 3 bundle just in time for the holidays. This box will include the 80GB PS3 console, accompanied by the Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Casino Royale on Blu-ray, all this while maintaining its $400 price tag. (Credit: Kotaku.com) A Best Buy employee provided this information to Kotaku.com. It's expected to go on sale this week, just in time for Black Friday. Whether it's a Best Buy exclusive has yet to be confirmed. Topics: Games and gear Tags: PS3, Best Buy, Retail, Playstation 3 Bundle Share: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit cnet_crave854:http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10106528-1.html November 13, 2008 8:59 PM PST 'Guitar Hero' mobile: New look, new sound, drums! Posted by Jessica Dolcourt 4 comments When you've got a game as compelling and competitive as Guitar Hero World Tour, you get it on as many platforms as you can as fast as you can, including the mobile phone. On Thursday, the mobile version of Guitar Hero World Tour became available on AT&T phones. We got to try it out. On the PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox, this fourth Guitar Hero installment counters Rock Band's drum and vocal tracks, which themselves had one-upped Guitar Hero's original stringed instrument. Vocals aren't practical for the mobile version--which still rocks, by the way--but a drum track is. Activision and game-maker Hands-On Mobile have introduced a drum choice for every song. There's a lot more news here--the updated game, which has a new look and two fresh game-playing features (can you say "battle mode"?). There are also technical details that could make a difference to how the game looks and sounds on your individual phone. Finally, there's all the practical stuff about when your carrier will stock the game and how much it'll cost you. Let's take one at a time. Note the new purple drum line you have to think about while you play.(Credit: Hands-On Mobile) Gameplay Anyone who has played Guitar Hero III Mobile (video review) will feel right at home with Guitar Hero World Tour Mobile, which begins with fifteen new songs for guitar and drums, and which uses the phone's keypad buttons instead of guitar frets. When it comes to customization, you drummers out there are an afterthought--guitarists can choose their instrument, but not you. Also, when you're playing drums, the bottom row of keys (7, 8, 9) stand in for the kick-drum, which is represented in the game by a horizontal purple line that floats at you along with the notes. I played several songs in the drummer's mode, where the kick-drum line helped keep the game interesting. Also new to the mobile game is the multiplayer battle mode, where Hands-On Mobile has created a good way to pair you up with similar players all over the world. You'll be matched by skill level and by phone type (more on this below.) You'll divvy up picking a song and the instrument, and will have to use your star power strategically (called battle power in this mode) to keep your opponent from scoring. After playing, it'll be easy to track your score from the accompanying Web site (launching Friday). This is neat, but what if you want to play your friend? You should be able to duke it out with personal pals as well as with perfect strangers. ... Read more Originally posted at The Download Blog Topics: PDAs, Games and gear, Phones Tags: Guitar Hero, World Tour, mobile games Share: Digg Del.icio.us Reddit cnet_crave854:http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10097023-12.html prev 1 2 3 4 ... 27 next About Crave The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com Subscribe via RSS Click this link to vieRendering page... |