BlueStacks really wants to see Android spread across all the disparate screens in the universe, and it's willing to hand out a free gaming console based on Google's mobile OS to help achieve that vision.

Today the company behind the BlueStacks app player, which brings Android apps to other platforms like Windows, and the $129 Android-based GamePop mobile gaming console and service announced the GamePop Mini, a free version of the console available to subscribers who pay a $6.99 monthly fee. … Read more

The 404 1,293: Where it's in that place where I put that thing that time (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- So weird: Bruins fans watched tons of porn after they lost on Monday night.

- A collection of songs ruined by film, TV, and humanity.

- New kiosks at 7-Eleven stores will store your keys.… Read more

Sony reportedly nixed PS4 Eye bundle at 11th hour to cut price

Sony may have called an audible on the robotic eyeball accessory of its upcoming PlayStation 4 console, according to a new report.

Citing sources, IGN says Sony originally intended to include the $59 camera accessory inside a $499 launch system bundle, but changed plans at the last moment by removing it in favor of trimming everything down to $399. All to beat out Microsoft's Xbox One and its mandatory Kinect accessory with its $499 price tag, IGN's sources said.

Sony did not respond to a CNET request for comment on the report. We will update this story when … Read more

The 404 1,292: Where it's a brand-new day (podcast)

Leaked from today's episode of The 404:

- Watch Kate Kendall drop an F-bomb on live TV after gay marriage ruling.

- California same-sex marriage gets a Supreme Court win; San Francisco celebrates.… Read more

Meet Larry Croft: If Lara were a man

Lara Croft is famous for many reasons. As the protagonist in a video game that sees her performing daring feats of archaeology (a field that tends to be a lot less action-packed in real life), she filled a role that much more commonly would go to a male protagonist.

Although her designer, Toby Gard, wanted Lara to break some stereotypes, an accident led to what Lara Croft became very well known for. While attempting to increase her breast size just 50 percent, Gard accidentally hit 150 percent -- and, at the roaring approval of the development team, the change stayed over Gard's protests. Stayed, and grew; as video game technology became more sophisticated, "jiggle physics" entered the scene. Even 2000's Game Boy Color title had them.

Lara Croft, with her jiggling breasts and tight short-shorts, was officially a sex symbol.

But there's no equivalent video game protagonist for someone who likes looking at well-endowed men in tight, sexy clothing. So one artist decided to draw his own.… Read more

Tetris LED tie: Dress for retro-gaming success

Maker and teacher Bill Porter had a very important task ahead of him. He had to impress more than 100 eighth graders at a STEM camp. He had already wowed them with an LED lab coat and an 8-bit tie, but they wanted to know what was next. So Porter invented the Tetris tie, a glowing LED tribute to the classic falling-blocks game.

It took Porter about four hours to get the working prototype up and running. The tie uses 80 LED pixels powered by a DigiSpark microcontroller. It cost about $50 in materials.

Showing ingenuity and the ability to work with parts on hand, Porter fashioned the tie itself from two pieces of card stock and a cheap clip-on tie. The clip-on feature is the nerdy icing on the geeky make-cake. "I plan to revisit the design and embed the strips directly into a fabric tie for long-term use," Porter writes.… Read more