virtual

As of November 2011, the Nintendo Wii will be 5 years old. That's a long time in game years; in fact, it's nearly a console generation. To no great surprise, then, Nintendo has already announced the Wii's successor, the Wii U, with a likely release date of 2012. Until then, the Wii still survives, but as a lame duck console. That doesn't mean it should be overlooked. Nintendo's latest Wii console bundle--the fourth since the Wii's debut--is the lowest price ever, at $150, although the components in the bundle since last year's $200 have changed.

Gone is Wii Sports, the perennial Wii console pack-in. Gone, too, is Wii Sports Resort. Instead, the new Mario Kart bundle includes a Wii Remote Plus, nunchuck, a copy of Mario Kart Wii, and a Wii Steering Wheel plastic accessory. Mario Kart's a fun casual racer, but Nintendo has taken its most popular motion-control game, Wii Sports, out of the equation, forcing people to buy it separately. It doesn't make much sense, especially considering the game's 5 years old. Those interested in multiplayer games will also have to buy an extra Wii Remote Plus and nunchuck, $40 and $20, respectively.

Europe has announced an even less expensive redesigned Wii bundle, but the $150 Mario Kart version remains the least expensive Wii console in the U.S. We'd love to see this system drop down to $99, but that's just wishful thinking for now. That said, it can be found for under $135 at such major retailers as Wal-Mart and Amazon.

So the question remains: at those prices--about half that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360--is the Wii worth the investment for first-time buyers?… Read more

We see a lot of poorly done software that is ostensibly meant for a specific business purpose but that looks like it was designed by someone who had no actual knowledge of the business in question. AutoSmart Dealership Management System, however, is refreshingly different. This attractive software program is easy to use and contains features that could be very helpful in managing an automotive business.

The program's interface is sleek and easy to navigate, with screens for sales, purchasing, and maintenance, as well as configuration options for contacts and other important information. We found it quite easy to record … Read more

I'm going to take entirely undeserved credit for improving the laser-powered virtual-projection keyboard offered by Celluon and ThinkGeek.

In a pinch to turn my iPad into a fully functional writing tool, I tried out a variety of Bluetooth-capable, iPad-compatible keyboards on deadline. One of them was ThinkGeek's original Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard, which projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface.

It paired. It worked. But it threw me off as a writer because--for whatever neurotic reason--I needed that ole-fashioned keyboard "click" to prevent me from hunting and pecking my way through articles.

Now, Celluon and ThinkGeek are lauding the arrival of the Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard. Not only does it use a prettier, almost liquid interface for its laser projection, but it brings the "click" as the gesture recognition software employs sounds to indicate keystrokes and control gestures. … Read more

Two years after its official debut, Windows 7 will finally become the leading operating system around the world by the end of 2011, says a report out today from Gartner.

Before the year is over, the current flavor of Windows is expected to show up on 42 percent of all PCs globally. Further, Gartner's latest research shows that 94 percent of all new computers shipped this year will come with Windows 7, leading to almost 635 million new Windows 7 PCs in 2011 alone.

Recent stats from Net Applications found that Windows XP was finally losing some of its … Read more

Following the release of OS X Lion, Parallels issued a few updates for its "Parallels Desktop" virtualization software that allows Windows and other operating systems to be run in tandem with OS X. The latest update for Parallels 6 and Parallels Server (both version 4.0 and the Mac Mini edition) will run on Lion, so if you have these products be sure to install these updates if you have upgraded to Lion.

Parallels encourages people who are upgrading to Lion to keep their Parallels Desktop installations at the latest versions. While older builds and versions of the … Read more

Sony built its Consumer Electronics Show 2011 press conference around a massive push into the 3D space, going so far as to ask attendees to wear the medium's polarized glasses throughout its presentation. In addition to games, movies, and TVs that boast 3D compatibility, the studio trotted out a headset that resembled Cyclops' headgear and called up nascent virtual-reality technology.

That 3D head-mounted display may be used for more than just viewing passive entertainment. Speaking with Develop, Sony Europe group studio manager Mick Hocking said the company is currently researching ways to integrate the 3D headset into virtual-reality-type games.

Read more of "Sony toying with virtual reality gaming headgear - Report" at GameSpot. … Read more

VMware today reported second-quarter earnings of $220 million, or 51 cents a share, on revenue of $921 million, up 37 percent from a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings were 55 cents a share. Wall Street was looking for earnings of 47 cents a share on revenue of $873 million.

The company's second-quarter sales were almost evenly split between U.S. ($450 million) and international revenue ($471 million).

In a statement, VMware CEO Paul Maritz said the company's results indicate "the continued adoption of virtualization."

As for the outlook, VMware projected a strong third quarter. The company projected … Read more

Would you wear this digital sombrero for a better gaming experience?

Japanese imaging equipment dealer Crescent recently showed off its head-mounted display at the 3D & Virtual Reality Expo (IVR) in Tokyo.

As seen in the vid below, the Immersive Digital Entertainment VR system provides a high-def, 360-degree display showing virtual objects that users can manipulate with their hands. User motions are tracked with high-def motion-capture cameras from Vicon.

The VR experience seems very realistic and smooth. Takahiro Akiyama of collaborator 4D Brain suggests the helmet could also serve as a brain-machine interface and react to what the user is thinking. If BMI technology were incorporated in the device, it might be able to display scenes matching certain brain wave patterns. For instance, a beach when the user is trying to relax.

That would be cool, but the entire concept is dubious. … Read more

For people who aren't musical, the process of composing and playing music seems almost magical. Virtual Musical Composer is a program that aims to bring the joys of musical creation to the tone-deaf masses. Although the program is fun to play with, be prepared to have very little control over the actual results.

The program's interface is somewhat abstruse, without any obvious menus or buttons. We finally realized that tiny arrows within the interface were what we were supposed to use to select our settings. To create a piece of music, we used the arrows to select our … Read more