GeekSugar

Polaroid Creating Video Game Controllers, Accessories

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:47:42 PDT

Now that Polaroid is back in action - and with Lady Gaga at the creative helm - it isn't wasting any time branching out into new markets. According to a report, Polaroid will be creating a line of video game peripherals and accessories, like Wii sensor bars, docks for the Nintendo DS, wireless controllers, and microphone headsets, which will begin rolling out in the UK next month. I'm excited for the Polaroid invasion, but I'm wondering how these accessories will translate the true Polaroid feel. I have a few ideas, and some thoughts about what I'd like to see. Find out what they are after the break.

Get Your Game Controllers in Order With the Gear Board

GeekSugar — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:15:00 PDT

There are plenty of ways to conceal your gaming controllers with secret storage systems, but why not allow them to come up for air? Let your gamer flag fly with the Gear Board ($40), which stores all your controllers, Wii Fit boards, lightsaber attachments, and Wii Sports equipment. But instead of tucking them away, it puts them on display like works of art on your wall. And why not? This way, your cords won't get tangled, and you'll be ready for that tennis rematch at any time. Talk about a Spring cleaning overhaul!

The gear board is brought to you by Cambre Products, which offers a ton of other video game storage solutions, so your living room can be a sleek and organized representation of your favorite past-time, instead of looking like GameStop came in and threw up all over your house.

You Rock Guitar Brings Your Gaming to Life

GeekSugar — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:30:16 PST

OK, so how many times have you bragged to a group of friends that you beat your all-time high score on Guitar Hero after a monster jam session, only to be blasted for not learning to play a "real" instrument? Yeah, I've been there too, friend. Now you can take your rock prowess from the console and blend it with actual chord knowledge with the You Rock guitar.

This USB controller does so much more than make you feel like a rock god when playing a video game - it's also a MIDI controller, so you can play and record songs on your iPod, MP3 player, or audio recording software, hook up some headphones to play in silence (to the outside world, anyway), and still rock out to Guitar Hero or Rock Band. The You Rock guitar has colored keys so you can strum along with your video game, and real strings so you can take things to the next level at home. Priced at $180, it's the perfect gateway from gaming to real-life rocking.

Hori Joystiks: Where Have You Been All My (Adult) Life?

GeekSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:30:22 PDT

I'm totally blown away that I have not purchased both of these Xbox 360 and PS3 fighting joysticks already! Where's my credit card? If you spent as much time as I did trolling the neighborhood pizza-joint arcade, you recognize my excitement. The Hori Fighting Stick for the Xbox 360 and PS3 ($60 and $50 respectively) totally bring back the joy of banging on buttons and thrashing the joystick during Mortal Combat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - or whatever your fighter of choice was back in the day.

Amazon reviewers are saying to stick with fighting games if you want to get the best results with these bad boys. So unfortunately, that means if you're looking forward to a rousing session of Burnout Paradise, it's wise to stick with your usual controller.

Love It or Leave It? Blue and Pink Xbox 360 Controllers

GeekSugar — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:30:51 PDT

After learning that a majority of women prefer sleek and sophisticated tech products over feminine and girlie pink products, I'm curious to know how many of you are loving these new Xbox 360 wireless controllers? Featured on Joystiq, these new controllers are set to be released on October 2nd and cost $50 each. With a 30-foot range, up to 40 hours of life and two-way voice communication when connected to the 360, these controllers may boast more than just their good looks.

Watch Out, Siri: Vlingo May Beat You to the TV

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:10:13 PST

Steve Jobs said he "cracked the code" on TVs, which led analysts to believe that there will soon be a voice-controlled Apple TV set on the horizon. Only thing is - Vlingo may beat Apple to the punch.

Seen at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, Vlingo (most known for its voice recognition software on the Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows, and other smartphone platforms) had a video demo of what its software will soon be able to do on the big screen, thanks to app platforms being stocked in so many "smart" TVs in 2012. It's very Siri-like, as you use your voice to control channel changes, DVR recordings, messages, social media, and more. Imagine Siri partnered with your Xbox Kinect, and you start to get an idea of how it would work. I only wish there had been a live demo to try out, but Vlingo has me very excited for the future of TV. Well, that and the amazing LG 55-inch OLED TV.

See what Vlingo's onscreen action really looks like from the screencaps in the gallery!

6 Gadgets to Look Forward to in 2012

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:42:07 PST

We've covered 2011 over the past few weeks, but now it's time to take a look forward and get excited about the gadgets of the future. What's coming up in 2012? Here, six gadgets we can't wait to get our hands on.

Nokia Lumia 800 - I love the Windows Phone Mango OS, and the Nokia Lumia 800 seems to be the perfect marriage between style and function. Expect to hear more about the US arrival of the Lumia 800 at the 2012 CES conference.
Windows Tablets - Speaking of Windows, once Windows 8 ships in 2012, we can also expect to see lots of tablets running the sleek "Metro" interface that works so well on Windows phones and the Xbox 360.
Apple TV - Steve Jobs told Walter Isaacson that he "cracked" the TV in his biography. Will we see a TV from the company, complete with some sort of Siri-based voice controls? One can only hope.
iPhone 5 - Since we're talking Apple, let's mention the iPhone 5. While we didn't get the "radically redesigned" device in October, all eyes are set on the Fall of 2012 to see a brand-new iPhone design with 4G, a bigger screen, and a recently rumored built-in rubber bumper.
Wii U - Announced at this year's E3, the Wii U will bring the touchscreen to gaming. The Wii U is expected in the latter half of 2012, but keep your eyes and ears peeled at the 2012 E3 conference for more details.
15-inch MacBook Air - Eleven and 13 inches too small for your liking? Rumor has it, there might be a 15-inch travel-friendly MacBook Air hitting the scene in 2012, or a redesigned 15-inch MacBook Pro coming with high-res screens and lighter bodies.

Xbox Live Pushes Major Updates Tuesday

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:17:16 PST

This Tuesday a major change (for the better) takes place on Xbox Live. With a revamp of the dashboard and the addition of media content partners, Microsoft hopes to turn the Xbox into the living room's primary entertainment hub. The free upgrade will push to all Xbox Live accounts Dec. 6, opening the gate to a larger world of media applications to be released in waves.

The initial media partners released alongside the software updates are Today from MSNBC, Epix, and changes to the Netflix and Hulu Plus dashboards. Look for other well-known partners and apps including TMZ, Verizon FiOS TV, Vevo, Vudu, and YouTube (finally!) to hit Xbox Live later this month. As with Hulu Plus and Netflix, many of these programming options will require a paid subscription.

The addition of a smartphone remote and voice-controlled Bing search bring an extra dash of competitive technology to Xbox. The Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone syncs to the larger onscreen console display and searches across the program partners for content, updates social statuses, and does something as basic as fast-forwarding through a movie. Kinect owners can also choose to speak their search queries and navigate the entire dashboard through voice.

Check out a gallery of images highlighting Xbox Live's new features and sleek dashboard here.

Best Black Friday Deals Roundup

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:08:53 PST

It's hard to believe that we're halfway through November already, but it's true. Not only is it time to start thinking about your guest list for Thanksgiving dinner, but also your Black Friday shopping list. Get a head start on your planning by checking out these Black Friday ads that are already posted online for your browsing pleasure.

Amazon

Motorola phones will be on sale for just a penny. Some of the available models include Droid Razr 4G, BlackBerry Torch 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Rhyme, Samsung Focus Flash 4G, and more. This sale is available now through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.
Verizon and Sprint customers are eligible for some extras. If they activate a mobile hotspot data plan on their hotspot-capable smartphone, they will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Apple

Apple's sales will take effect on Friday, Nov. 25 at physical locations and online.

Get $101 off MacBook Airs, Pros, and iMacs. The 11-inch MacBook Air will be on sale for just $898!
Save up to $41 on iPods, including iPod Touch and Nano
iPads (first and second generation models) will be discounted up to $61.
Accessories for Macs, iPods, and iPads will be discounted as well.

Best Buy

Stores will be opening at 12 a.m. on Black Friday. Get a closer look at the Best Buy Black Friday ad here.

An insane deal, the Sharp 42-Inch LCD 1080p TV is only $200. Better get in line early for that one.
Capture precious moments with the Canon Power Shot ELPH 300HS Digital Camera for $150.
Alternatively, you can grab the Kodak PlayFull 1080p HD Camcorder for just $70.
Insane prices on DVDs - just $1 and up.
Or, grab Blu-rays starting at $5 and up.

GameStop

Stores will be opening at 12 a.m. on Black Friday.

Trade in your old DSi XL and get a 3DS bundle (that includes the system and a game) for $100.
The black Wii bundle, which includes Super Mario Bros. Wii and the official Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack, will be selling out at $150.
There's also a Xbox Kinect Bundle, which includes 250GB Xbox 360, Kinect, wireless controller, three-month Xbox Live membership, and two games for $300.

Kmart

If you're looking for a camcorder to capture family moments, snatch up the Sony Compact Camcorder with 60x Optical Zoom, which is on sale for $170.
Listen to your tunes on the cheap with Maxell Color Earbuds that are going for $2.50 a pair.
I love the Samsung PL120 DualView digital camera for self-portraits and videos, and on Black Friday, you can get one for yourself for just $99.
Looking for an affordable tablet that will let you surf the Internet on the fly? The Archos 8GB 101 Internet Tablet will be priced at just $219 on Black Friday.

Office Depot

The 17-inch HP g7 laptop is going for $350, but if you buy any HP laptop you can also get the HP Touchpad for $149.
The "tech bundle" from Office Depot offers a laptop sleeve, wireless mouse, and 500GB hard drive for $80.
8GB SanDisk SD cards are only $9 each.
All M-Edge Kindle accessories and cases are buy one get one free.
All tablets are on sale during the Black Friday sale. The BlackBerry Playbook is only $200, while the Lenovo IdeaPad is $300.
The Canon Power Shot A22 14.1MP digital camera is $90 and comes with a free 4GB SD card.

Sam's Club

Stores will be open starting at 5 a.m. on Black Friday and will include a complimentary egg sandwich breakfast for members!

It could be better, but for the price of this Samsung 51-Inch Class 720p 600Hz Plasma HDTV ($498), it's a nice upgrade for someone with a smaller screen.
If you don't already have one, the Sony PS3 160GB Bundle is going for $239.
Or, get a Nintendo Wii Limited Edition Blue Console for only $99.
Need a laptop? The HP Pavilion 17.3-Inch Notebook is $499.
And though model numbers haven't been released, select 4G Android Smartphones are going for just $1.

Target

Stores open at midnight on Black Friday.

Get your game on with the PS3 gaming bundle, that comes with a 160GB PS3 Slim, two games (including Little Big Planet 2 and a 30 day PlayStation Plus membership for $199.
The Acer 10.1-inch netbook is $72 off and priced at $157 on Black Friday.
Get a Westinghouse 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $298. That's $250 off the regular price of $550!
Select video games start at $5 a piece and DVDs starting at just $2.
Other gaming bundles include the Kinect sensor bundle (Kinect, two games and two game downloads) for $99, and a 3DS bundle (red 3DS and a copy of Super Mario 3D Land) for $180.

Walmart

Walmart's Black Friday ad is available to view online. Electronics will be going on sale starting at 12 a.m. on Black Friday, while toys and other departments will be open for shopping at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Get your hands on an LG Blu-ray Player for movie-watching fun for just $49.
Or, if you're in need of some sweet sounds to go along with your flicks, the Philips WiFi Blu-ray Home Theatre is going for $178.
Upgrade your movie-watching experience with the Samsung 51-Inch Plasma TV, priced at $498.
Keep the fun coming with DVDs starting at just $2 and up.

7 Ways to Stream Video on the Xbox 360

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:01:14 PDT

Microsoft announced some major additions to the streaming media options available on Xbox Live, which may see the Xbox 360 platform become your main gateway to at-home entertainment. Beginning this holiday season, Microsoft is teaming up with nearly 40 media companies, networks, and web destinations to get global entertainment in one spot. As they say, "Gone are the days of managing a handful of remote controls." Details on exact subscription costs for each service within Xbox haven't been released.

While services and entertainment options vary by region, these six streaming options are bound to make you Xbox's biggest fan.

HBO GO - If you're already an HBO cable subscriber, this will stream your favorite HBO programming directly into the Xbox dashboard.
Hulu Plus - Catch up on a broad selection of network television programming and movies at $7.99 per month.
Comcast Xfinity - Available to Xfinity TV subscribers, Xfinity On Demand brings the most current episode of shows, along with season archives, and movies to the Xbox Live dashboard.
Vevo - Check out the latest music videos without cramming around a computer screen or worrying about software plug-ins.
Verizon FiOS TV - Available in time for the holiday season, Verizon is slated to bring a selection of live TV channels to Xbox 360 that will also be integrated with Kinect.
Netflix - Netflix has long been available on Xbox Live, but it's a classic complement to the slew of new programming on the platform. This may be the call to drop the DVD subscription as well.
Youtube - Don't forget the viral videos. You can still view the buzz-worthy videos of the Internet with YouTube on Xbox.