Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

It looks like Dell is finally readying a followup to its M1710 speedster with the XPS M1730. The 17-inch laptop will of course be packing some Santa Rosa muscle, but according to rumors Dell’s also going to provide that new Core 2 Extreme X7800 chip for the real speed demons / big spenders out there. For graphics the base models will be getting an NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GS card with 256MB of memory, with a 512MB GeForce 8700M GT waiting in the wings. Other rumored specs include 4GB max of RAM and a 512MB or 1GB Intel Turbo Memory option, Bluetooth 2.0, Blu-ray and that welcome numeric keypad addition. The word is this one will go on sale August 27th, and while the paint job is bordering on “crime against humanity,” hopefully Dell will have a few more acceptable options to decorate this gaming beast whenever it does hit the market.

[Thanks, Matthias]

Continue reading Dell XPS M1730 spotted in the wild?

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

Leave it to Ben Heck — warranty thrasher and modder extraordinaire — to point out an incredibly simple (and warranty-friendly) method of checking out your Xbox 360’s heatsink. Put simply, you invert your console, snap a photo (or three for good measure) through the mesh, and compare your image with the above picture in order to determine if your box is rockin’ the beefed up heatsink we’ve been hearing about. Go on, give it a go yourself, and make sure you report back with details of your findings (and photos for extra street cred).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

We’ve already seen the Wiimote straps survive one revision, but now it seems that the oft criticized bands that keep your Wiimote from delving into your television screen (or window) could be seeing yet another improvement. Judging by an image showcasing what appears to be a brand new Wiimote wrist strap, Nintendo has added locking clasps in order to keep the controller snug around your wrist. Currently, there’s been no word on whether existing Wii owners will be receiving any free upgrades, but considering how few Wiinjury reports we’ve seen of late, hopefully this precaution is at least somewhat unwarranted.

P.S. -Any new Wii owners out there seeing this same surprise upon unboxing?

[Via Joystiq]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

While US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement are remaining tight-lipped about what exactly they have seized thus far, a certain modder has come forward to depict his story and explain the experience of getting raided by the fuzz. After agents woke up his grandmother and perused her domicile with a warrant in hand, they confiscated a number of consoles and spare parts around the house before heading out to find the man behind FallsInc. Once locating him at his girlfriend’s dwelling, they persuaded him to hand over everything even remotely related to modding, and he was left with “nothing of worth” outside of a computer monitor and his vehicle. Unsurprisingly, the culprit (or victim, depending on perspective) feels that his “life was taken away by a ludicrous interpretation of the DCMA” as the “little guy” was taken down while mass piraters remain at large. To read his whole account, be sure and tag the read link.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

Man, Sony must really love teasing us: just a couple days after we got word that rumble-enabled SIXAXIS controllers were leaking out to developers, Sony’s director of corporate communications Dave Karraker told GamePro that the company has “not added rumble [to PS3], and have no announcements regarding this feature.” That’s a non-denial denial, if you ask us — way to be sly, Sony. Karraker also confirmed that updated SIXAXIS controllers with refined motion-sensing features were shipping out, but characterized that as “part of the normal development and evolution of controllers.” Here’s hoping the SIXAXIS evolves itself a rumble unit sooner rather than later.

[Via PC World]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

Yep, it’s August, that means the 80GB PlayStation 3 is due to go on sale. Sony didn’t previously give us a date or anything, but it looks like GameStop / EB Games is stocking the $599 80GB console (bundled with MotorStorm), and claims shipment in 24 hours. Granted, we’re now officially back to square one with a lower end PS3 priced at $499 and a higher end PS3 priced at $599 (and no option to compete directly with the Xbox 360 Premium’s $399 $350 price tag), but if you’re thinking about upgrading that PS2, at least your options are better than they were a couple months ago.

[Thanks, Steve and vidGuy]

Read - GameStop
Read - EB Games (same thing)

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

While it still has its share of Xbox 360-related lawsuits on its hands, it looks like Microsoft can now at least rest easy about one of them, as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that the company has resolved the suit it faced over its 360-trashing Fall Update. The lawsuit had been brought by Xbox 360 user Kevin Ray, who alleged that the 2006 Fall Update had bricked his console and that Microsoft had refused to repair it. According to a motion in the case, however, Microsoft says its records showed that Ray called the company for repairs again once it extended the warranty, after which Microsoft says it shipped out a replacement console at no cost to Mr. Ray, who apparently has had no further complaints. While the terms of the settlement are confidential, the two sides have apparently agreed to settle it as an individual action and not a class action as had been proposed, leaving anyone else looking for a piece of the action out of luck.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming, Transportation

While we’re sure a number of you have a Yellow Dog Linux-equipped PS3 around for leisure’s sake, Axion Racing is using a similar setup to “manage one of seven autonomous vehicle cameras.” The San Diego-based team is reportedly eager to show onlookers “things [other than gaming and Blu-ray playing] that can be done using a PlayStation console,” and expects the device to mesh well with its array of Dell computers, SICK laser finders, Bumblebee stereo cameras, and FLIR infrared cameras.” Of course, who knows what could happen if a stray android climbs on board and fires up a round of MotorStorm while it’s trying to concentrate.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

We’re not sure what it’s going to take for Microsoft to admit to itself that the cat’s out of the bag on this one, but that Xbox 360 price drop “rumor” just got a bit more ammo in the form of a leaked GameStop memo sent out on Tuesday. Apparently the stores are supposed to get some Microsoft signage on August 8th, and if for some reason they get it before that they’re not supposed to put it up until the 8th because it’s super pinky swear top secret. A trustworthy source has further confirmed with us that a 360 price drop is in the cards, and that prices will match up with that Circuit City catalog from the other day: $450 for the Elite, $350 for the Premium and $280 for the Core. In even better news, we’ve also gotten further confirmation that the Premium will be adding HDMI out sometime soon, which we wouldn’t mind in the slightest.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

Hide away that soldering iron, Nintendo is on to you crazy kids. The company has issued a press release “in support of” recent raids by US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, which executed 32 search warrants in 16 states to weed out those responsible for the distribution of “illegal modification chips.” Apparently this is the largest enforcement action taken against video game piracy, and Nintendo has been working hand in hand with the Department of Homeland Security to pull it off. Since April, Nintendo claims to have seized more than 91,000 counterfeit (er, “backup”) Wii discs globally. Of course, the whole issue of whether mod chips, when used harmlessly to enable homebrew and backups, should be illegal in the first place is still a sticky issue (the DMCA seems to frown on the idea), but it looks like if you are indeed trading in the illicit stuff, Nintendo and the fuzz are hoping to track you down for a little chat.

Update: Looks like Wii modders aren’t the only ones on the run. No console is safe!

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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