Toys & Gadgets

The fine people at iFixit have taken the extremely awesome step of tearing down some very retro gear this week, and up first, they’ve got the Magnavox Odyssey 100 which dates from 1975. The gaming console, which boasted two (count them ) games — Tennis and Hockey — was built around four Texas Instruments chips and powered by six C batteries. It was also the first home gaming console, so we were pretty interested in seeing its insides. What struck us in looking at the photos was the most obvious thing: how much emptier it is than modern gadgets. It was also completely dismantled in just seven steps. Hit the source for more photos and keep your eye out for more vintage disassemblies as the week progresses.

iFixit tears apart a Magnavox Odyssey 100, doesn’t find a disco ball inside originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When a beloved console like the Sega Dreamcast rises from the ashes it’s not a huge surprise, but we never thought we’d see the day when the homebrew community would unearth Nintendo’s Virtual Boy. Behold: the Flashboy Plus, the second of two flash carts developed specifically to spur development for Nintendo’s original stereoscopic system, featuring a new backup battery (unlike the 2007 original) and a full 16Mbit of memory, reportedly enough to fit any one of the system’s 22 commercially released games. Since the battery only keeps one save state stored at a time and there’s no way to read the battery-backed memory, you’ll still have to finish one game before you start another, but at least this way you don’t lose your progress every time you shut the system off. Believe it or not, the first batch of 50 units has already been spoken for, but you haven’t necessarily missed out yet; €90 (about $113) is your ticket to an elite (read: tiny) virtual utopia of piracy and homebrew when the second set ships at year’s end.

Flashboy Plus revives Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, literally one game at a time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/microsoft/Xbox_Live_launch_titles_for_Windows_Phone_7_finally_revealed’; Hey, just a reminder that we did a full preview of Xbox Live gaming on Windows Phone 7 last night, complete with a list of launch titles — it’s looking like Microsoft will come out of the gate with a pretty killer single-player gaming experience on their new mobile platform, but multiplayer will have to wait. Go check it out right here if you missed it!

Hey, go check out our Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7 gaming preview! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Sony takes aim at iPhone gaming in new PSP ad

Sony takes aim at iPhone gaming in new PSP ad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We tell ya, these game bundles are getting completely out of hand… and we love it. If you reckoned that Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition bundle was hot stuff, wait till you get a load of this. Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition (promo video beyond the break) just went up for pre-order at select retailers in the US, and if we had to guess, we’d surmise that every last one of ‘em will claimed in just a few hours. Aside from getting a beastly box, the game itself and some sort of medal, the package also includes a fully functional RC spy car, complete with a camera that sends back video and audio to the owner’s LCD-equipped controller. There’s absolutely no telling what the MSRP on this thing will be, but our comrades over at Joystiq are pegging it at $149.99. Mom, dad — go ahead and add this to our holiday wish list.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition ships with full-blown RC spy vehicle

Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition ships with full-blown RC spy vehicle originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not like it matters much now — after all, Project Natal has had time to incubate and come out as Kinect — but those wondering about the inner workings of the motion sensing system now have more one outlet to investigate. A patent application filed on February 23, 2009 was just made public today, describing a “gesture keyboarding” scenario where users can make gestures that are caught by a “depth camera” and then converted into in-game controls. Of course, those paying close attention could’ve read between the lines when we toyed with a camouflaged PrimeSense demo at GDC, but here’s the fully skinny in black and white. And a bit of blue, if you count the buttons. Give that source link a tap once you’re settled in.

Microsoft’s Kinect patent application goes public, reveals gobs of fine print originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logitech’s been making quality peripherals for as long as many of us have been computing, introducing some of us to our first wheel, wireless and infrared mice in the process. But when it comes to the latest in gaming peripherals, the company’s not always ahead of the curve. Razer and Microsoft have had high-end hybrid wireless mice for over a year now, and the 2.4GHz wireless headset isn’t exactly a new concept. That said, the company’s reputation is strong for a reason, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that Logitech’s created a mouse and headset that leapfrog — rather than just catch up to — what competitors have offered. See what we mean in our review after the break.

Continue reading Logitech G700 mouse and G930 headset review

Logitech G700 mouse and G930 headset review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let’s face it: despite the new Xbox 360 being joyously quieter and more efficient, the previous model still manages to seduce some of us with its sexy curves. Speaking of which — according to Joystiq’s source, Best Buy’s going to kick off August by lowering the prices for the Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII previous-gen Xbox 360 bundles. For just $299 — $50 off the current price point (and $100 off the launch price) — you still get a copy of the corresponding game title, a 250GB HDD, and two wireless controllers. So that’s gaming sorted for the summer; now put that $50 towards some cooling aid and you’re good to go.

Update: and the new prices are live. Grab them while they’re hot.

Best Buy to slash prices for old Xbox 360 special edition bundles tomorrow? (Update: yes) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, it’s summer break. What better to do than learn a little piano in preparation for the upcoming release of Harmonix’s Rock Band 3? The next installment — which promises to bring all sorts of new kit to the market — was finally given a release date today, and not surprisingly, it’ll be quickly climbing the Santa Lists of rug-rats the world over. According to the company, the title will ship on October 26th in North America, with the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions priced at $59.99 sans hardware and the DS rendition at $29.99. Hop on past the break if you’re interested in learning about your wealth of pre-order options.

Continue reading Rock Band 3 crashing into living rooms on October 26

Rock Band 3 crashing into living rooms on October 26 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NTT DoCoMo looks to sell handheld game manufacturers on 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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