This is just too weird for it to be a simple coincidence, in my opinion. Conan’s new monologue backdrop is eerily similar to Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom. Was this intentional or a coincidence? In our first poll, let us know what you think.
[polldaddy poll=1679343]
[Via Gizmodo, originally via SeriousLunch]
Usually I hate Mondays. It means the start of a week, and while I’m out of school, I am home by myself for the majority of the day. This Monday was a little different. It was an exciting Monday in technology. It was the start of Keynote Week! Would I be disappointed? Read on after the break.
[Image via Joystiq]
Continue reading Brian's Byte: E3 09–Wowed? Yes! Excited? Not so much.
The Big Three–Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo–showed off their present and future technologies in the video game and entertainment businesses at this year’s bigger and badder Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California.
In my opinion, Microsoft stole the show with a brilliant keynote presentation that showed off a great line-up of games including tons of first-party (Halo 3: ODST, Halo Reach) and third party (Splinter Cell Conviction, Alan Wake) sure-fire hits. The special presentation by Harmonix with The Beatles: Rock Band definitely has people excited about the next game in the Rock Band series. Xbox’s exclusive song, “All You Need is Love” will surely get people to buy the game for the Xbox over the other consoles. Xbox 360-exclusive games worth mentioning include Forza Motorsport 3, Crackdown 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Shadow Complex. The Xbox 360 plans on stealing Sony’s thunder with legendary PlayStation-exclusives games such as Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid: Rising coming to the Xbox 360 this fall. Tony Hawk: Ride and Modern Warfare 2 also made exciting appearances.
As great as the Xbox 360 game line-up looks, it was the unveiling of Project Natal that made everyone’s jaws drop with amazement. Natal is Microsoft’s way of making YOU the controller. No Wii-motes, nunchucks, or wands. Natal is a device, similar-looking to the Wii Sensor bar. It sits below or above your TV set. It contains a camera, IR sensors, and a built-in microphone. With facial and voice recognition, the technology built into it is extremely advanced. Simply put, Natal can pick up and output your every movement from your head to your feet. It has full-body motion control. Here’s an example of Natal in natural action. You walk in front of your TV, your Xbox 360 recognizes who you are, automattically signs you into your Xbox Live account, and bring you to the New Xbox Experience home screen. You can use hand gestures to play a game, watch a movie, and so on. You decide to play a racing game with some of your family members. Your hands control the steering wheel, your feet the pedals. Take a quick pit stop, and your dad can jump in the action and replace your tired wheels by unscrewing and placing in new tires. Then it is back to the races. Natal opens up a whole new world of interactive gaming. It truly has me excited about the future of video games, especially the Xbox 360. There is no price point and release date for the code-named Project Natal. However, it has been said that it will definitely not be out this year (possibily in 2010), and the price will be under the cost of the console itself (under $250).
Check after the break for videos of Natal in action, as well as quick overviews from the Sony and Nintendo (not nearly as impressive) keynotes.
Continue reading E3 2009 Round-up: Microsoft Takes the Prize
Video game publisher Activision let loose the official website for DJ Hero, their latest effort in bringing musical instruments into the living room for mass audiences. On the website you will find the official E3 trailer for the game, plus new stills and videos of in-game action. The game will ship this fall for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation 2 for $119.99. The bundle will include the game and the turnable/cross fader peripheral. GameStop has started taking preorders. Also of importance is the announcement of Jay-Z and Eminem’s contribution to the game. A special edition of the game will come with “the rappers’ new greatest-hits CDs, possibly including previously unreleased tracks, plus an advanced version of the controller, a DJ stand, and metal traveling case.” Check out IGN’s article on DJ Hero and their exclusive video interview with an Activision rep; he shows off the accessory and how it is going to work.
[Image via IGN; quote via USA Today]
The new version of Sony’s Playstation Portable was leaked today to the public through various sites and blogs. Reminicent of Sony’s aged Mylo “Internet device,” the PSP Go! will feature a large 3.8in. display, a slide out D-pad, the classic PSP nub, the Playstation shape buttons, and start and select. It contains 16GB of flash storage and built in Bluetooth. Interestingly, the UMD drive is gone. There is only a Memory Stick Duo slot–will this be the future medium for PSP games? Only time will tell. Sony is expected to go into more detail with this new device at E3 this week. Check out Engadget for a video of a Sony representative talking about the PSP, and see Gizmodo for official and in-use stills of it. Is that a PSP version of LittleBigPlanet I see? And was it mentioned that portable versions of Gran Turismo and Metal Gear Solid are on the way?!
[Image via Engadget]
On June 6th, Palm will be releasing its brand new smartphone device called the Palm Pre. It will be available for Sprint for $199.99 after you sign up for a 2-year contract. I got a sneak-peak hands-on with the Pre this afternoon. To sum it up, the Palm Pre is simply the first cell phone that will truly rival the Apple iPhone. Both the exterior and the UI are extremely sleek and modern. Although the physical keyboard is rather small, the keys are bouncy and raised to make typing with them not too much of a hastle. I was able to run a number of apps including Calendar, Email, SMS, Photos, Camera, Music, the browser, SprintTV, AmazonMP3, Google Maps, and YouTube. The App Store was open, but I was unable to download apps from it. Synergy, Palm’s signature way of bringing together everyone’s contact information into one entity, is quite impressive. When you search a contact name, you get more than a picture of them, their phone number, email and address information. Tagged with their name is also their AIM, Facebook, and other social networking services, if they have them, of course. Think of it as a a bundle of ways to contact a person, all found in one place. The “cards” are very fluid in motion. You can easily flick an open app to the side for later use, or up and out of the way to exit it. All in all, I am very excited for the launch of the Palm Pre on Sprint. According to some rumors, the Pre will soon be available on other networks, such as Verizon, in the coming months. Here’s hoping Palm will make a move Apple did not take advantage of–opening their device to a number of networks, to get a Pre in as many hands as possible.
Check after the break for the gallery of pictures. They include the front and back of the device, as well as the official packaging of the phone. Continue reading Exclusive: Palm Pre Unboxing & Hands-On
Microsoft’s Zune HD has finally been officially unveiled this week. Packed with a beautiful OLED touchscreen, a smooth accelerometer, and shiny new UI, this new version of the Zune looks like it may creep closer in design, feel, and sales to its highly successful competition, the iPod. No other information, such as price, has been disclosed. Check out Engadget’s hands-on pictures and Gizmodo’s video hands-on. For the first time, Microsoft has me excited about its Zune hardware. With rumors of possible Xbox 360 integration, the Zune HD may just make its big break in the MP3-player market when it launches this fall.
Esquire magazine shot actress Megan Fox for its June 2009 issue. This was the first magazine photoshoot to be shot using video. Photographer Greg Williams shot the cover still with the 4K RED One video camera. Hot stuff. Be sure to check out Megan Fox in action this summer in Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, opening June 24th.
Image of the RED One, photoshoot video link (!), and full cover story with pictures posted after the break. Ah hell, here’s the link: Megan Fox Esquire Video Shoot