Badass Steel Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 Is US Bound (!) [PS3]

Originally thought to be another one of those obscene Japan-only gamer perks, the limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 gun-metal grey PS3 is going to be infiltrating the US after all. But it might easier to procure an actual Metal Gear than one of these babies—the official Playstation blog warns that the package is going to be a “VERY, VERY Limited Edition bundle!” [Playstation Blog via Kotaku]

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Filed under: Robots

Although other countries have deployed gun-toting robots and there’s no shortage of companies trying to develop weaponized bots for Uncle Sam, it looks like the first test of actual killer robots in battle has ended in a whimper: the Army’s TALON SWORD gunbots, are headed home, after being plagued with control issues. Yeah, that’s right — control issues. Apparently it was too hard to prevent the Army’s gun-equipped robot from moving its gun “when it was not intended to move.” Reassuring, no? The Army doesn’t sound too enthused about another go-round, saying, “once you’ve done something that’s really bad, it can take 10 or 20 years to try it again.” Ouch. On the plus side, at least that’s 20 more years before we’re all put to work in the mines, no?

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Via [Engadget]

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The Style of a Powder Blue Tracksuit Combined With the Comfort of a Bed [Concept]

Don’t get me wrong, I like where the designer behind this tracksuit bed concept is coming from. Having the ability to comfortably rest just about anywhere is definitely a positive feature—but the flaw here is not in the concept, it is in the execution. Powder blue tracksuits are not flattering—and stuffing them with padding does not help matters. Gimme a high tech solution that doesn’t make me look like a crazy senior citizen and I’m all over it. [no puedo creer via Coolbuzz via Gearfuse]

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Kohjinsha’s SR8KPO6S UMPC makes room for optical drive

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Kohjinsha’s UMPCs have remained largely unchanged over the years — an SSD here, Intel CPU boost here — but the firm’s latest has managed to accomplish something few UMPCs would even dream of. That’s right, this 7-incher includes a full-fledged dual-layer DVD writer, which tags along nicely with the 1,024 x 600 resolution LED-backlit panel, 1.3-megapixel camera, 60GB hard drive, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth and 800MHz A110 processor. It’s also filled with 1GB of DDR2 RAM, Ethernet, a duo of USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, audio in / out, 3-in-1 multicard reader and a pair of battery options promising 3.5 / 7.2 hours of life. The 2.4-pound machine looks to be available at the end of this month (albeit rebadged as a Vye Mini-V S37) for around $1,500.

[Via Ubergizmo]

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Apple Virtual Operator Patent Opens Way to Free Carrier Selection [Apple]

Remember the rumors about Apple becoming a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which were constantly buzzing before the announcement of their exclusive deal with the Death Star? Well, the usual USPTO archeologists have discovered a patent showing their system to dynamically select carriers using an iTunes MVNO ID:

The patent was filed on October 2006, so clearly Apple was toying with the idea while they were negotiating with carriers. Does this mean they will go the MVNO way anytime soon? Given the support and conditions that the different carriers through the world are providing, I doubt it. But it definitely means that they have it in mind, perhaps as plan B.

[USPTO via Unwired Review]

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Verizon Restores Voicemail of Man’s Deceased Wife in a Story That is Touchingly Creepy [Cellphones]

In what has to be the saddest cellphone-related story ever, an 80-year-old man spent a part of every day listening to a voicemail recording of his deceased wife saying her name, “Catherine Whiting.” Ever since her death in 2005, listening to the recording offered the man a small amount of comfort. However, when his service was upgraded earlier this year, the message was lost.

To compound the problem, the message was the only existing recording of his wife, so Mr. Whiting blamed Verizon for “taking her voice away.” When Verizon got wind of the situation, they promptly restored the greeting from an archive while simultaneously restoring our faith that there might actually be humans behind our nation’s faceless wireless carriers. [Fox News via MobHappy via BoingBoing]

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Nokia readies iPhone-ish “Tube,” disses Apple’s sales

Filed under: Cellphones

It appears that Nokia is readying its official response to the iPhone, a project grossly codenamed “Tube” that will feature a touch interface. The new handset — which is said to closely resemble Apple’s device (see above, we assume) — was shown during a slideshow at the Evans Data Developer Relations Conference in Redwood City, California. The slide demonstrated the phone’s UI, including a promotional shot featuring Shrek The Third. Tom Libretto, vice president of Forum Nokia, believes that the company can compete for the iPhone’s marketshare, though the phone-maker hasn’t set a street date for the device. Apple has sold more than 4 million units since the iPhone’s launch, but Libretto smugly noted that, “We’ve done that [volume] since we’ve had dinner on Friday,” (though he failed to mention that it was 4 million low-end candybar handsets). He then put on a monocle, puffed on a Cuban cigar, and knocked back a tall glass of Cristal while chortling, “Oh, I do say!”

[Thanks, Alex]

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PlayStation 3 Firmware Update 2.30 Brings DTS-HD Master Audio [PS3]

Today, SCEA announced that the latest PS3 update, 2.30, would bring the ability to decode DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio tracks, that is to say, Blu-ray audio at variable bit rates up to 24.5Mbps, and 7.1 streaming of 96K/24-bit tracks. Does this make PS3 the best Blu-ray player ever? If you’ve got a receiver that can take an uncompressed audio stream of that magnitude via HDMI, then we think it does. The upgrade also contains new PlayStation store functionality—more details after the jump.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that the next system software update for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) system, slated for release next week, will add DTS-HD Master Audio™ and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, enabling consumers to enjoy Blu-ray movies with studio-quality, high-definition audio. The technologies, from DTS, Inc. (NASDAQ: DTSI), provide PS3 users with the complete high-definition Blu-ray movie experience, matching the format’s crisp visuals with rich, lifelike sound. In addition to the new audio capabilities, the free system software update (v. 2.30) will allow PS3 owners to access the revamped PLAYSTATION®Store, as previously announced.

DTS-HD Master Audio brings Blu-ray movies on PS3 to life, delivering everything from explosive sound effects to intricate orchestral scores with pure, high-quality audio that is bit-for-bit identical to the original studio master. DTS-HD Master Audio has the capacity to deliver audio at the incredibly high variable rate of 24.5 mega-bits per second (Mbps) on Blu-ray disc, a rate significantly higher than standard DVDs. DTS-HD Master Audio also offers 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depths. More than 100 Blu-ray movies and concert videos featuring premium DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks are available.

Additionally, the DTS-HD High Resolution Audio codec allows content creators to deliver uncompromised, high-definition audio on Blu-ray, while requiring less disc space than DTS-HD Master Audio. DTS-HD High Resolution Audio streams audio at a high constant bit rate of 6.0 Mbps on Blu-ray discs, and is also capable of up to 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depth resolution, thereby producing outstanding sound quality.

Beyond enhancing PS3’s audio capabilities, installing the latest system software update will also enable users to seamlessly access the new, more dynamic interface and enhanced navigation of the PLAYSTATION Store. As part of a revamp, the PLAYSTATION Store will transition from an integrated online storefront to an application living natively on PS3, enabling customers to more easily and quickly locate and purchase games, and download demos, game videos, Blu-ray movie trailers and other game-related content for PS3.

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Gateway P-172X FX gaming laptop unboxing and hands-on

Filed under: Features, Laptops

If you’re a gamer on the move (and we think that you are), you’re probably eyeing some monster laptops. If you’re looking to bro-down with one in the near future, take a moment to familiarize yourself with Gateway’s latest 17-incher, the P-172X FX. The updated rig (a new riff on the similarly-themed P-171) features a Core 2 Duo CPU (the 2.4GHz T8300), 1920 x 1200 resolution, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800M GTS GPU (with 512MB of GDDR3 RAM), a DVD-R/RW/RAM optical drive, and a nasty mess of ports and card slots. We got to take the dude out for a spin, and performance was definitely up to par (translation: it plays Crysis), though the design left a little something to be desired, like… style. A cheaper, 2.0GHz version with half the drive space, lower screen resolution, and a gig less RAM is available, though it maintains the GPU and graphics memory. The P-172X FX is available right now for $1,999, and kid brother P-172S FX will run you $1,399. Check the gallery below for a full and proper look.

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Screen Grabs: Dahlia Malloy can’t decide how to hold her iPhone

Filed under: Cellphones

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