nintendo

If you had trouble finding this post, that's probably because you were using Apple's new Maps app. With the release of iOS 6, Apple replaced the awesome Google Maps with an app of its own. The result? A lot of frustrated, lost iPhone users.

Also this week, we check out a rumor that the Wii U will be region-locked, just like all the previous Nintendo consoles, and Nuance may be developing software that will allow you to wake up your phone by yelling at it. Great, just what we need.

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Heard a tech rumor you … Read more

The tinkerers at North Street Labs retrofitted an NES zapper with a ridiculously powerful laser capable of catching vulnerable objects like matches on fire.

The laser is strong enough to max out a 2W laser meter. That's some serious strength. As North Street Labs points out, goggles are an absolute must at all times when handling the zapper. There is a physical turn key safety switch to keep it from accidentally going off.… Read more

Nintendo's Wii U is following in its predecessors' footsteps with region-locking.

A company representative reportedly told famed Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu recently that the Wii U won't allow gamers to play titles imported from other regions. The news was published today by posters on gaming forums NeoGaf. Nintendo then appeared to confirm its Famitsu statement to CVG.

Region-locking is common in the gaming space. The restriction stops gamers from playing titles available in other regions on their respective devices. Nintendo's Wii, along with all of its predecessors dating back to the Nintendo Entertainment System, are region-locked. Microsoft … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Nintendo turns on TVii for Wii U.

- The closest thing we've got to a Nintendo Wii U launch list.

- Nintendo Wii U arrives November 18 starting at $299.

- Is the iPhone 5 worth cutting off your penis?

- London theater employing volunteer ninjas to confront rude moviegoers.

- Enter CNET's Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes for a chance to win a home theater set!

- Bathroom break video: Hop! The Suitcase That Follows You… Read more

Is Nintendo's Wii U delivering the right value to consumers? The company's chief operating officer Reggie Fils-Aime certainly thinks so.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in an interview published today, Fils-Aime said that the Wii U Basic Set, which will retail for $299 when it goes on sale on November 18 in the U.S., "is a really strong value, and it's a value that's going to be strong for a long time."

Nintendo announced details of the Wii U at a press event yesterday in New York City. The device comes in two sets … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Ho-hum. The iPhone 5 isn't going to wow anyone

- Don't kid your selves, Apple's dock connector change is awful

- Planning for winter: the worst accessory for your new iPhone

- "Tupac hologram" maker Digital Domain files for bankruptcy

- Emoticon creator says emojis are "ugly"

Bathroom break video: 770 pounds of eggs spill onto the road in China, gets looted… Read more

As expected, Nintendo finally announced pricing and a release date for the upcoming Wii U, but the biggest surprise of the company's press conference was the announcement of TVii -- Nintendo's pitch to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment experience.

It's no shock that Nintendo is integrating streaming-video services like Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, and YouTube into the Wii U, but TVii is a far more ambitious platform, capable of cross-platform search through both streaming-video services and live TV listings, providing complementary second-screen information on the GamePad screen, and controlling your DVR and other home … Read more

A lot was learned at the Nintendo Wii U preview event in New York this morning, but surprisingly enough, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime did not deliver a definitive launch list of Wii U titles available alongside the console on November 18.

Instead, much to the attending crowd's chagrin, Fils-Aime said "it's still a little too early to guarantee exactly which games will be here for you on launch day itself and which will come shortly thereafter." Mind you, the "launch window" Fils-Aime is referring to spans from November 18, 2012, all the way to March 31, 2013.… Read more