Gadgets Blog

Nintendo Wii Remote: From: $35.99

One of the best things about the Wii is its wide appeal across age groups.  Adding a whole new level to family game night, the wireless, motion-sensitive remote has fast become a household standard enjoyed by kids and their parents alike.

One of the most versatile designs for interactive game play on the recent market with its many applications, it can be used as a bat, sword, steering wheel, drumstick, tennis racket, etc.  Equipped with Bluetooth technology, it puts you right in the middle of the action where you belong from as far as 30 feet from the Wii console.

The only drawback, if it can be called one, is the need to exchange back and shoulder rubs after a night of highly competitive play.  With this remote, there’s no sitting on the couch as you must perform the motions to play.  And, don’t forget the wrist straps!  You definitely don’t want to get carried away during an intense competition and send your remote flying across the room.

But, if something should happen to your remote or you’re just looking to get another one, you can find them for affordable prices at Smarter.com.  Get four for a complete set and connect for maximum multi-player enjoyment.

*Get it at Newegg and get free shipping on select items and a free gift with select purchases.

Find Nintendo Wii controllers and more deals on gaming accessories at Smarter.com.

There was this little get-together called E3 going on this week… you may have heard of it.

It’s a small thing really, only thousands of gaming and computer entertainment peeps gather at the L.A. Convention Center for a few days of gaming and announcements and all around showing off.  And yes, we love it.  Please, show us more!

Tons of news so here’s a few highlights:

Project Natal — Hands-free, wire-free, motion-sensitive control for your Xbox. Competition for the Wii-style controller, only there’s no controller, ergo nothing to be thrown at the screen by mistake (those Wii wrist straps aren’t just for decoration). Check out the video on CNET. No release date was given yet. Let’s hope for soon.

Facebook, Netflix & Twitter — Because connecting from my desktop, laptop, cell phone, etc., aren’t enough.  Coming to Xbox Live service.  Link your FB page to your gamer account and update your status to things like “Johnny is kicking ass and taking names” and “shooting zombies in the face” from your Xbox.  Browse through your movie queue and oh yeah, that annoying “tweet” thing too.  However, this could mean a whole new level to Twitter parties.

Halo 3:ODST and Beatles Rockband — Coming soon to a living room near you. Oh, and a skateboard-shaped controller for Tony Hawk:Ride.  Half-pipe not included.

A Multi-Platform Crysis 2 — Not just for PCs anymore. Whoohoo for multi-platform, the great equalizer.  Scheduled to be released on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Sony’s PSP GO – Nice little upgrade to its PSP3000, it’s smaller, lighter and has the trick slide-up screen.  16GB of built-in flash memory, no UMD drive, no touch screen.  Will be available October 1 for $249.

Nintendo Vitality Sensor — Uhhh… say what now?  I love Wii, but just not sure how this will up the game play.  That said, it is a cute gamey gadget that reads your pulse from your finger, so maybe after a few rounds of Wii tennis or boxing you can take a reading and calculate the calories you’ve burned?

New Super Mario Games — A 2D four-person co-op for the Wii, and a follow-up to Super Mario Galaxy with 3D gaming.  In all fairness, I haven’t played Super Mario Bros. in, I don’t know, years?  So this could be enough to pique my interest once again.

Left 4 Dead 2 — Riding the success of the first edition, Valve is smart to be quickly on top of the sequel.  Scheduled for this November, a zombie uprising in New Orleans?  Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Okay, seriously, this list could go on for miles.  The designers and producers are working hard to wow us and we love them for it.  Keep it coming, lads (and ladies).

Shop more Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation, and Xbox consoles, games and accessories at Smarter.

Sources: E3, G4, CNET

Dude. This is just cool.

Microsoft gives us Project Natal, a hands-free, wire-free, motion-sensitive control for your Xbox.  Competition for the Wii-style controller, only there’s no controller for this webcam-based system, ergo nothing to be thrown at the screen by mistake (those Wii wrist straps aren’t just for decoration).

Check out the video on CNET.

You are the controller.

Step in front of the “dashboard” and the system instantly recognizes you and signs you in using a facial recognition tech that hasn’t been seen on a consumer product before.  Definitely aiming to get you off the couch and into the action; to kick a ball you kick your foot, to hit the ball you swing your arm, the player moves freely in real 3D space and the avatar does it on screen.   It also accepts commands by voice. Can’t wait to try it! Unfortunately, no release date was given yet.  Let’s hope for soon.

To which Nintendo replied, they plan to release Super Mario Bros 28.

Just kidding.  Nintendo’s up to bat tomorrow so we’ll see what awesome surprises they have in store for us.

Sources: E3, G4, CNET

Does your idea of a good time involve high tea packed with intense psychic séances and vacations spent taking haunted tours?  Are you an ardent viewer of anything with the prefix of “Ghost” on TV a la Ghost Whisperer, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures…?  If so, it is time to take your game to the next level.

The Swedish games studio, A Different Game, just announced that they are developing a reality game called “Ghostwire” intended for the new Nintendo DSi platform.  Nintendo DSi is the latest version of the hand held game console that was released by Nintendo.  It already has picked up an extensive following thanks to its enhanced features such as two LCDs ,two interactive digital cameras that let you modify photos extensively, connectivity with an online store, provision for downloading games, internal/external storage of music, movies, games and a sophisticated audio player that can rival any latest MP3 player.  According to the Ghostwire website, the DSi will be your psychic medium to communicate with the world beyond.  Its built-in cameras will allow you to find and hunt down ghosts seen through the camera lens and project them onto the real world.  The game will help you “find and collect” ghosts that exist all around you with the aid of the built-in camera and microphone.  To add to the spookiness factor, it even incorporates a special tool called “frequency modulator” for tuning into ghosts.  No, it does not stop there either.  Additionally you can conduct your own research on the spirits you have discovered by documenting them, find why they haunt you and even play the good Samaritan by helping them find eternal peace.  According to Anders Bergman, lead designer of Ghostwire, the DSI platform’s state of the art high tech provisions perfectly complement the nature of the game to give you a thrilling real world window into the spirit world.

Check out this You Tube trailer, for a cell phone preview of how the game works. It’s so much fun, you may enjoy it even if you are not into ghosts. The game is set for release later this year though no precise date has currently been provided. Nintendo DSI can be purchased at Nintendo US website at around $165 .

YouTube - Watch 

This week in gadget blogs and news from around the Net:

• Sharing earphones is not a healthy choice - Gizmodo
• Wiimote turned into a deadly coil gun turret - Engadget
• Mattel’s Mind Flex Game - OhGizmo!
• Man accused of stealing Sony Ericcson prototypes - Ubergizmo
• Rock-Paper-Scissors: The Best Shirt Ever - Technabob

And this week in the Smarter Gadgets Blog we talked about:

• Crutchfield Coupons: New Crutchfield January Deals
• Let the Force Be With You: Now You Too Can Become A Jedi
• Bose Headphone Deal: Save 10% on Bose QuietComfort 3
• Get Some Street Cred With These Hand USB Flash Drives
  

This week in gadget blogs and news from around the Net:

• Nokia asks you to design your own headsets - Boing Boing
• Criminal uses Craigslist to pull off bank robbery - King 5
• Pick up this $100,000 Electric DeLorean - Engadget
• The worst mp3 player ever! - Technabob
• Club Nintendo is coming to North America! - OhGizmo!
• Man flies across the English Channel with self made wing - Machines that Go Bing!

And this week in the Smarter Gadgets Blog we talked about:

• Discount Laptops Refurbished: Save 15% on a Sony VAIO
• USB Volcano Looks Cool, Serves No Purpose
• Sears Savings: Save 10% at Sears
• Cool Stuff: A Grenade Mouse to Protect Your Cubicle

This week in gadget blogs and news from around the Net:

• Toyota’s Winglet looks to overtake Segway - Engadget
• Nintendo to launch new handheld by year’s end - Gizmodo
• U.S. can now seize laptops at border without cause - Reuters
• Fresh bacon ready for you in the morning - OhGizmo!
• GPS Tracks domestic violence suspects - Ubergizmo
• Man purse deters criminals, captures cops attention - Technabob

And this week in the Smarter Gadgets Blog we talked about:

• Buy Laptop: Free Timbuk2 Bag with Select Laptop Purchase
• Beverly Hills 90210 iPod Now Offered for Limited Time
• HP Deal: 20% off Single Function Mono LaserJet Printers
• LG BD300 Blu-ray Player Can Stream Netflix Movies
  

I want one! He’s cute, he’s techie, he’s the Wall-E Animator Robot!

Model created by Angus MacLane who actually helped animate the film. Pretty much makes any personal attempt to create one out of Legos an exercise in futility!

Source: Gizmodo

Meanwhile let’s Go-Go-Gadget Smarter Blog!

New Cell Phone Laws in California - Effective July 1st - No Exceptions!

Don’t be caught unaware, read more details about the new cell phone laws.

Check out the Worldwide Reveal Trailer for “Call of Duty: World of War” Trailer.

Miss the good ol’ days of Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt? Well so do I. Which is why you must check out the Retro Duo Gaming System.

This affordable console allows you to play both classic Nintendo Entertainment Systems and Super NES consoles.

Read the latest release rumors about the new 3G Apple iPhone

I am going to just throw these words out there and if you were a child of the 80’s every single one of them will make sense to you. Ready?

Thundercats..
Snorks..
He-Man…

and of course… NINTENDO! (By the way I could have gone on for pages, but you get the point…)

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems (SNES) were thee gaming consoles in my day! Well for my fellow nostalgic gamers who suspect there family, friends or spiteful spouses of getting rid of your “classic” Nintendo console, I found just the solution!

Say hello to the Retro Duo Gaming System !

So what is the Retro Duo gaming system? It’s basically a tiny console from Innex that accepts both NES and SNES cartridges.

As an added bonus, it’s Region Free, so you can play import games that never got released in the USA as well.

The best part about the Retro Duo? It costs $45.99 USD and comes with two controllers.

There you have it, dust off your old NES & SNES games and get cracking!

A quick recap of gadget blogs and news around the Net:

• Looks like another Nintendo Wii Knock Off - Engadget 
• Apple Grants Vodaphone iPhone Deals in 10 Countries - Machines that Go Bing
• NES Coffee Table Controller - Technabob
• Native Orb App Brings Live TV to your iPhone - Gizmodo
• HTC Diamond vs. Apple iPhone - Shiny Shiny
• Check out the new screenshots for SOCOM Confrontation - Kotaku
• Russia’s Zubr is the world’s largest Hovercraft - Naval Technology
• Architect’s home is less than 8 feet wide - Treehugger

And this week in the Smarter Gadgets Blog we talked about:

• Epson Deal: Save 25% off Select Epson Papers
• The Time Burton Batmobile is on Sale on eBay
• Crutchfield Savings: Save $25 off Purchases of $150
• AT&T Now Offering Free Wi-Fi Hot Spots for iPhone