Tag Archives: handheld

Rumor mill says Nintendo DS2 might be headed for E3 unveiling

Hot on the heels of the recent DSi XL appearance, rumors are swirling that Nintendo is preparing to announce a second version of the DS -- the DS2 , if you will -- at E3 in June. Over on RPad they're spilling the beans about the supposed device, including the fact that it'll boast two larger, higher resolutions screens, an accelerometer, and it will also supposedly run on an NVIDIA Tegra chip. Finally, RPad is also reporting that they spoke with developers who say their games will be finished by the end of the year... leading us all to speculate the unannounced successor could, possibly, be announced at E3, then available by the end of the year. Of course, this info's all 100 percent unofficial, so take everything with a grain of salt, relax, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear something more solid
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Toshiba will have its own family of slates by this time next year

Before the iPad and before the Slate , the most exciting touchy tablety thing in our lives was Toshiba's JournE multimedia tablet . Now that the Japanese compu-maker has seen what the competition has on offer, it's proudly proclaimed itself back in the running with an entire family of slate devices it's planning to introduce near the end of 2010 or in early 2011. "It has proved to be a mistake to underestimate these new categories" is the word from Toshiba's Jeff Barney, which indicates that not even he sees that much potential in the form factor, but his company is pushing ahead with its plans for fear of being left behind. Also quoted in the Fortune piece is ASUS' inimitable Jonney Shih , who makes sure to remind us that without multitasking, Flash support, or a webcam for videoconferencing, the iPad leaves plenty of room for devices richer in features to grab market share.
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Zibits mini remote control robots spin right ’round, baby

We've seen plenty of toy robots at the International Toy Fair this week, but none quite have moves like Senario's Zibits. The salt and pepper shaker-sized bots, which will be available for $9.99 a piece at Toys R Us in March, come with a small AA battery powered remote that lets you drive the three wheeled little guy forward, but also spin him around in circles. Apparently these R/C toys are meant for eight to ten years olds, but us really mature adults are itching to buy a couple of these Zibit characters along with some Hexbugs , and stage the ultimate battle of $10 bots. Stop judging us and our Star Wars lunch box and watch the handheld bot in action after the break
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EPIX brings movie streaming to mobiles courtesy of Adobe’s Open Screen Project

Already offering video to your TV and computer, EPIX is ready to unveil the third part of its "Big On Any Screen" service when it demonstrates a mobile version of the channel today at MWC 2010. It's teamed up with Adobe and the Open Screen Project for a Flash Player 10.1 implementation that it claims offers "highest mobile viewing quality available on mobile devices today," if it can match up with the Flash player available on PCs then it has a chance. The ability to pause a movie on the TV or PC and pick up later on your handheld is in the works as well. No word on where we'll see this launch or if your cell carrier will need to be tied to your TV service for access, but we'd figure Verizon's VCast will be near the top of the list.
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Bill Gates thinks the iPad needs a keyboard, Disney CEO loves it as it is

Here, finally, is one point on which the two giants of computing, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, completely disagree on. Steve says netbooks are better at nothing , whereas Bill's view is the polar opposite: "You know, I'm a big believer in touch and digital reading, but I still think that some mixture of voice, the pen and a real keyboard - in other words a netbook - will be the mainstream on that." Unimpressed by the iPad, Bill goes on to say that he considers it a "nice reader," but not something that made him wish Microsoft had done it first. Don't tell that to Disney CEO Robert Iger though, who brings out the dreaded "game changer" tag when describing the potential he sees in the iPad for the creation of "essentially new forms of content." Lest we forget, Steve Jobs also sits on the Disney board, so this could be just a friendly tip of the hat by Iger. Either way, we're curious to see what new content Disney might scratch up, as well as to find out who's right in this newfound binary question: keyboard-equipped netbooks or longevous, ultrathin tablets -- what say you
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Handheld US rolls out rugged Algiz 7 tablet

It's been quite a while since an Algiz tablet last popped up on our radar, but Handheld US is now back with another model: the Algiz 7. In addition to a fresh new white enclosure, this one packs a 7-inch touchscreen display, along with a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, and Windows 7 Professional for an OS. To help you out in the field, you'll get a hot-swappable 2400 mAh dual battery pack, built-in GPS, and optional 3G -- not to mention ruggedization to MIL-STD-810G standards. No word on a price just yet, but this one will apparently start shipping next month.
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JXD V3 handheld is confused, confusing and altogether interesting

We won't front -- there's little chance we'd actually use JXD 's V3 handheld, but it's not for lack of interest. This here PMP / game player hybrid isn't apt to leave the shores of Asia, but for those in that neck of the woods, this unit offers up emulators for a slew of game consoles, a 4.3-inch display, a 5 megapixel camera and plenty of file format support to handle your favorite music and video. Reportedly, the device even features an FM radio tuner, and in case you're curious as to why there are two D-pads on this thing, it's because you'll need 'em to get through certain Game Boy / NES titles. Or so they say. We can't say we're stoked about the $112 price tag, but in a way, we're kind of in love with the whole flip-top design
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Sony PSPs enlisted as study aids by the Royal Navy

Whoever it was at Sony HQ that decided to pursue "military contracts" as a revenue source, kudos! Mere days after the US Air Force expressed interest in expanding its PS3 supercomputer , we're hearing glorious Britannia's Royal Navy has conscripted 230 PSPs into duty as revision aids for its trainee sailors. Loaded with maths and physics materials, the PSPs can be used in a bunk, have familiar controls for the young and mostly male recruits, and are considered pretty tough to break. The underlying reason for this move though is cost cutting: by making the training course more intensive, the Navy is saving on teaching time. Given that the UMD drive won't come disabled -- which is hoped to encourage the sailors to take better care of the device -- the future this paints is of marines who've spent more time with a freebie handheld console than with a pro instructor. At least they'll have a great stable of captured monsters to show for it
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DSi downloads can be moved—with a little help from Nintendo

When the DSi was unveiled last year , one of of the biggest selling points for the unit was that it allowed gamers to shop for applications via an online store. This was great, as it allowed users to buy their games online, which meant they could bypass the middleman without any hassle. But this strength is also a weakness, because Nintendo's EULA only allows gamers to keep the software they've purchased on one console, meaning that if a user somehow breaks his or her handheld, there's the distinct possibility that the only option to recover their purchases is to pay for them all again. So what happens when the console gets smashed, electrocuted, or is accidentally drowned in a toilet
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Nokia Gives Up on N-Gage Mobile Gaming Phone

On October 7th, 2003, Nokia made a splash as it attempted to challenge Nintendo’s dominance of the handheld gaming market. Its entry was the N-Gage, a dual mobile phone and gaming system. However, the funny look it had when you used it as a phone (”taco phone” was a popular comparison), as well a weaker game library doomed it from the start.
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