Games and gear

You've got a Wii, and you like it. A lot. And you want to show your affection by giving it a new wardrobe.

First, you might want to consider getting out more. Second, you have a lot of options, ranging from various colors to a full chrome job. But if you want something that's practical and pretty, there's the "Wii Crystal Cooler" from ever-prolific Brando. Not only does this console stand give off a blue LED light show, but Techie Diva says it also cools the box with a high-velocity fan. And your beloved Wii … Read more

We think it hardly compares with the "Simpsons" Xbox 360 as far as special editions are concerned, but Microsoft has come out with a promotional Halo 3 Zune, according to Engadget.

The company had said it would release the special 30GB media player next month, and GameStop is already taking pre-orders for a June 15 release at $250.

We'll get out our stopwatches to see how long it takes for them to show up on eBay.

Microsoft said on Tuesday evening, just hours before the Halo 3 beta was about to open, that the much-anticipated game will launch publicly on September 25.

This is the follow-up to Halo and Halo 2, which have been huge hits for the Xbox platform. Microsoft has been hoping it would be the monster hit it has been missing for the Xbox 360.

But reviews from a press event last week were mixed. Still, the fan base is huge and the game is almost certain to generate tremendous amounts of buzz, especially in the early going.

Microsoft also announced that next … Read more

Users of the virtual world There.com may soon find themselves traversing many types of weather as they move around.

That's because There is planning on allowing anyone who owns zones, neighborhoods or property lots to set customizable weather and environments in their area.

For weather, they'll be able to choose from rain, snow or thunderstorms, and they'll also be able to choose from automatically changing weather.

They'll also be able to set environmental moods, including new dawns, high noon, romantic sunsets or moonlit nights, according to There's publisher, Makena Technologies.

The tycoons, Anshe Chung of Second Life fame and Neverdie of Project Entropia riches said Tuesday that they are planning to launch what amounts to the Oscars of virtual worlds.

The so-called Virtual World Awards will celebrate the best achievements in visual artistry, technology, commerce and culture, the two said in a press release.

The idea is to produce the awards ceremonies in the respective virtual worlds. Submissions are being taken from now until November 15. Nominees for the awards will be announced next February, and the awards will be announced sometime after that.

Just when we thought the Tamagotchi was on the way out--it's in its teens, after all--they pull it back in. It's kind of the Michael Corleone of Japan's kawaii culture. And what better way to infuse the aging 'Chi with new life than with the Wii? (We suspect a "Chiimote" can't be far off.)

Atari is bringing its Tamagotchi Party On game to the Wii this summer, according to GeekSugar, a move that threatens to expose an entirely new generation to the once-addictive digital icon. We're surprised that someone didn't throw in … Read more

ATI's new Radeon 2000-series 3D graphics cards (code-named R600) were at one point supposed to ship this January. After a few more months of fine-tuning (and plenty of Internet rumors), today brought the official launch of the 512MB Radeon HD 2900 XT. This $399 card is designed to compete directly with Nvidia's 640MB GeForce 8800 GTS, which at press time you can find for as low as $330 with rebates.

Both CNET and GameSpot will have full reviews of this card up shortly, but for now, you can check out the hard-core coverage over at HardOCP, HotHardware, and … Read more

The unrelenting ravages of time may have taken their toll on many of us aging Boomers, but one aspect of our misspent youth remains intact: the love for ancient video games.

The nostalgia is so strong at Spark Fun Electronics that a crack team of nine professionals came up with a "Picture Frame Tetris," a wall-sized version of the retro game using 720 colored LEDs and 16 microcontrollers. We're not Tetris experts (being of the Asteroids camp instead), but Technabob breaks down the technicalities in plain english: "The game features a unique interface that controls the … Read more

Throw away those beanie babies; they are old news. There is a new sheriff in munchkin town.

Webkinz.com is a Web site children can join and interact in an online society while adopting a physical representation of the pet. The catch is that a Webkinz stuffed animal must be purchased first, followed by entering the "secret code" found on an attached tag. The cute plush toys have been quite popular, grossing over $45 million last year for Canadian gift company Ganz, the creators of Webkinz. Like its TY Beanie-Baby predecessor, Webkinz also has a high collection value, … Read more