consoles

Now that smoking is out and gadgets are in, the car lighter has evolved into a different kind of lifeline. But what if you don't have a car?

The TripleCharger can power mobile phones, PDAs, personal media devices and portable gaming consoles from a car, wall outlet or batteries. You do need a converter head for each type of device you want it to charge. There is a small USB connector for an iPod or DS Lite, for example, and other heads for various phone models, but they are not that pricey.

The TripleCharger Bundle from ElectronicMetro for $20 … Read more

Nintendo's online service for the Wii went online over the weekend, and we finally got a look at the Virtual Console. Unfortunately, that was all we could get a look at; the news, weather, and Opera-powered Web browser channels won't be online until at least December 20.

Shopping for old-school games with the Virtual Console is easy. If your Wii is online, just go to the Wii Shop channel and browse. These games cost Wii Points, which can be purchased in card form at stores such as Electronics Boutique, or with a credit card directly through the Wii … Read more

We all know that everything at Costco is big: vats of mayonnaise, crates of detergent, shampoo six-packs. So why should game gear be any different?

The warehouse giant may be one of the few chains with enough space to carry the "Home Pro Racing Simulator," a full-size driver's seat with all the bells, whistles and sirens required for complete gaming immersion.

What separates this game chair from other models is the sound. Red Ferret says its 1,000-watt digital audio system has a 10-inch subwoofer behind the Hunsaker seat, three speakers in front and a "multiple&… Read more

LOS ANGELES--The crowd counted down the seconds to midnight, "Five, four, three, two, one," and then they went wild.

Inside the EB Games store at Universal CityWalk here, a phalanx of reporters awaited the midnight arrival of Jonathan Mann, the first person in line to buy one of Nintendo's new video game console, the Wii.

Seconds after midnight, as an explosion of streamers coated the ground outside, Mann came inside the store, walked up to the counter, and got some bad news from Nintendo senior vice president of marketing and communications George Harrison, who was standing behind … Read more

While the previous few days have been filled with headlines trumpeting the thousands of dollars some people have seemingly been willing to pay for PlayStation 3s on eBay, the same mania doesn't seem to be extending to the Nintendo Wii.

The Wii--which retails for $250--launches tonight across North America. And on eBay, one can buy the rights to one of the pre-ordered consoles for roughly $500.

Now, that's double the retail cost. Which, extrapolated to the PS3's top-end $600 price tag equates to $1,200. And in fact, PS3s are now selling on eBay for just a … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Sony is fond of saying that each new generation of video game consoles doesn't really begin until it launches its entry.

If that's so--and Microsoft would certainly have some quibbles with the notion--then the next-generation console era is most definitely on.

At just before midnight Jack Tretton, Sony Computer Entertainment of America vice president and co-COO, handed over the first PlayStation 3 bought on the West Coast. The lucky recipient? Chris Toribio of San Francisco, who, along with a group of friends, had been waiting in line since 8 a.m. Wednesday.

It was a scene straight … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--There are about 1,000 people waiting in line at the Metreon here, all of whom have their eyes on the prize: Being one of the very first people to be able to buy a PlayStation 3.

Sony tells me that everyone in line will get that chance, but only some people have been given wristbands guaranteeing that right.

So it seems as though there may be a perception, among those at the end of the line, that they won't be able to get one.

And that may explain why, at around 7:30 p.m., a gentleman … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--When the doors to the truck opened and it was possible to see all the boxes inside, each containing the ultimate prize, PlayStation 3s, it looked like there were many, many hundreds.

And that was good, since there have to be around 1,000 people waiting in line here at the Metreon for the official West Coast PS3 launch.

Sony told me that everyone in line would get the opportunity to buy a PS3, so that means that they expected to have at least 1,000 available.

But when the Sony folks finished the hoopla of pulling out the first box, … Read more

The Nintendo Wii goes on sale on Sunday, November 19. Thanks to the inclusion of the simple--but infectiously fun--Wii Sports game, the Wii is the first console in recent memory that lets you have fun straight out of the box. Still, there are a few key Wii accessories you'll want to pick up to maximize your Wii experience--especially if you're buying it as a gift.

Extra controllers: Like all recent consoles, the Wii ships with just a single controller (well, one two-part controller: one Wiimote, plus one nunchuk). But the real fun of the system is playing … Read more