Japan and its alarm clocks. We just blogged the bizarre Clockman on Monday, but major Japanese toy maker Banpresto’s two new models aren’t too normal either. The company has designed alarm clocks using wrestling and boxing gongs as the design motif. The idea actually kind of makes sense but is cruel at the same time.

The way both devices work is that first a referee’s or broadcaster’s voice tortures you with a count down before the bell rings. The only way to stop it is to hit the clock within ten counts in the boxing version or three counts in the wrestling model (with the small hammer you see on the pictures). Otherwise the bell will go on ringing and ringing. The idea is to test the user’s reaction early in the morning.

Banpresto will start selling both version in Japan in the middle of next month. You can get both the boxing and wrestling model shipped to addresses outside Japan over at Geek Stuff 4 U for $49.84.

Via Akihabara News

Are you stoked about Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2? Dude, I am, but I don’t know if I’m willing to go out at midnight on November 10 to buy the damn game. If you are, click through for the full list of Best Buy locations that will be open to support your gaming addiction.

ALABAMA
Alabaster
Auburn
Hoover
Huntsville
Mobile
Montgomery
Oxford
Trussville

ALASKA
Anchorage

ARIZONA
Ahwatukee
Arrowhead
Avondale
Camelback
Casa Grande
Chandler
E. Tucson
Fiesta Mall
Flagstaff
Goodyear
North Scottsdale
Paradise Valley
Prescott
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Superstition Sprg
S.W. Tucson
Thunderbird Rd
Tucson
Yuma

ARKANSAS
Fort Smith
Rogers

CALIFORNIA
Apple Valley
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Westminster Mall
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Yorba Linda

COLORADO
Arapahoe and Parker
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Westminster

CONNECTICUT
Manchester
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Christiana
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Millenia Mall
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Winter Garden

GEORGIA
Alpharetta
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Atlanta (Midtown)
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HAWAII
Aiea
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IDAHO
Nampa
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ILLINOIS
Algonquin
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Butterfield Road
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North Avenue
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INDIANA
Apple Glen Cross
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IOWA
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Iowa City
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KANSAS
Lawrence
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Oak Park
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KENTUCKY
Bowling Green
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Florence
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Lexington
Outer Loop
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LOUISIANA
Baton Rouge
Lafayette
Lake Charles
Shreveport
Veterans Blvd.
Westbank

MAINE
Bangor

MARYLAND
Arundel Mills
Frederick
Germantown
Glen Burnie
Hunt Valley
Lexington Park
Rockville

MASSACHUSETTS
Brockton
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Taunton
Worcester

MICHIGAN
Allen Park
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Farmington Hills
Flint
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Gratiot
Kalamazoo
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Madison Heights/Troy
Novi
Port Huron
Saginaw
Southfield

MINNESOTA
Apple Valley
Baxter
Blaine
Duluth
Maple Grove
Minnetonka
Northtown
Oakdale
Richfield
Roseville
Shakopee

MISSISSIPPI
Gulfport
Hattiesburg

MISSOURI
Cape Girardeau
Columbia
Lees Summit
Manchester
Mid Rivers Mall
South County
Watson Road

MONTANA
Billings
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NEBRASKA
Lincoln
Omaha
W. Omaha

NEVADA
Carson Valley
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Maryland Parkway
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S.W. Las Vegas

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Manchester
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Salem

NEW JERSEY
Cherry Hill
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E. Hanover
East Brunswick
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NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
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W Albuquerque II

NEW YORK
Albany
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Hartsdale
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Patchogue
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W. Nyack
Westbury

NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville
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NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo

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OKLAHOMA
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OREGON
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PENNSYLVANIA
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RHODE ISLAND
Middletown

SOUTH CAROLINA
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SOUTH DAKOTA
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TENNESSEE
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TEXAS
Abilene
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Pasadena
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UTAH
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VERMONT
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VIRGINIA
Charlottesville
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W. Broad
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WEST VIRGINIA
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WISCONSIN
Bluemound Plaza
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WYOMING
Casper

[via Kotaku]

Oh well. The watches are still expensive. But the iPhone app is free.

Let’s say you’re minding your own business. Maybe you’re playing WoW, or maybe you’re walking the dog. You go about your business, when, suddenly, an electromagnetic pulse strikes, destroying our way of life as we know it. Electronic bank records, traffic lights, netbooks—all gone in a matter of seconds. What to do?

Well, you can thank your lucky stars for the existence of EMPACT Aemrica, Inc., an organization that “works with local citizenry, civic-minded companies, and grassroots activists to help prepare communities in New York and across America to prepare for an EMP attack.” Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate (and current Fox News host) Mike Huckabee will be the keynote speaker at the group’s upcoming conference in Niagara Falls, NY. While I’d question the man’s scientific credentials—he doesn’t believe in evolution, for one—perhaps his experience as a governor could be applicable when it comes to crisis management. Then again, governing Arkansas, population 2.8 million, versus figuring out how to manage a terrorist attack in New York City, population 8.3 million, isn’t exactly the same thing. Still, that’s a discussion for another Web site. (And I do see a few Ph.D.s on the speaker list, so it’s not all grandstanding politicians.)

The point is, EMPs are a threat to our very way of life. Can you imagine a world where your MacBook doesn’t wake up from sleep? Or a world where the red ring of death is the leas of your concerns? That one scene in GoldenEye rings a bell…

You know, I seem to remember an article in 2600 that had the schematics to build a tiny EMP device, for the express purpose of knocking out a noisy neighbor’s car radio.

Of course, a giant meteor could smash into Earth, wiping out all life before we have the chance to EMP ourselves into oblivion, so this could all be moot.

via Wonkette

Whatever the case, the Zune HD is making its way around the US so everyone can get their hands on it. I think Microsoft understands that not many people are just going to pick their device based on specs, but the screen and interface will probably turn a lot of heads in real life. They’re taking it around to a bunch of Best Buys for people to check out, so check this (extremely long) list of locations to see if you’ll get a chance to have a hands on.

Look for the swanky Zune HD “van” (pictured… more like SUV but okay). The areas they’re visiting, so you don’t have to search are (in order of listing): Chicago, San Franciso, Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, DC, Boston, Minneapolis, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, and Seattle.

CHICAGO AREA

Naperville IL (Store 310)
4400 E New York St
Yorkshire Plaza
Aurora, IL 60504

630-851-0122

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Burbank IL (Store 311)
7600 S Cicero Ave
Burbank Town Center
Burbank, IL 60459

708-229-0065

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

John Hancock Ctr IL (Store 1381)
875 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611

312-397-2146

Sunday, August 23, 10am – 2pm

Old Orchard IL (Store 334)
9625 Skokie Blvd
Skokie, IL 60077

847-982-1263

Sunday, August 23, 4pm – 7pm

SAN FRANCISCO AREA

Emeryville CA (Store 499)
3700 Mandela Pkwy
Oakland, CA 94608

510-420-0323

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

San Francisco CA (Store 187)
1717 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94103

415-626-9682

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Pleasant Hill CA (Store 135)
3260 Buskirk Ave
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

925-988-0256

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

LOS ANGELES AREA

West Covina CA (Store 102)
950 Lakes Dr
West Covina, CA 91790

626-919-3249

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

Mira Loma CA (Store 775)
12281 Limonite Ave
Mira Loma, CA 91752

951-360-0817

Saturday, August 22, 12pm – 4pm

NEW YORK CITY AREA

86th And Lexington NY (Store 835)
1280 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10028-2109

917-492-8870

Saturday, August 22, 12pm – 4pm

44th And 5th NY (Store 1028)
529 5th Ave
New York, NY 10017-4608

212-808-0309

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

ATLANTA AREA

Columbus GA (Store 843)
2925 Manchester Expy
Columbus, GA 31909

706-322-3541

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

Turner Hill GA (Store 389)
2940 Turner Hill Rd
Lithonia, GA 30038

678-526-8199

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Kennesaw GA (Store 501)
850 Cobb Place Blvd Nw
Kennesaw, GA 30144

770-424-7868

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

DC AREA

Laurel MD (Store 265)
14160 Baltimore Ave
Laurel Lakes Centre
Laurel, MD 20707

301-497-1890

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Arundel Mills MD (Store 1053)
7000 Arundel Mills Cir
Ste F1
Hanover, MD 21076

410-540-8340

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Pentagon City VA (Store 276)
1201 S Hayes St
Ste #b
Arlington, VA 22202

703-414-7090

Sunday, August 23, 10am – 2pm

Potomac Yard VA (Store 493)
3401 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Alexandria, VA 22305

703-519-0940

Sunday, August 23, 4pm – 7pm

BOSTON AREA

Holyoke MA (Store 418)
50 Holyoke St
Holyoke, MA 01040

413-533-4443

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

Framingham MA (Store 532)
1 Worcester Rd
Framingham, MA 01701

508-872-2223

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Braintree MA (Store 530)
550 Grossman Dr
Braintree, MA 02184

781-848-1100

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL AREA

Mall Of America MN (Store 1000)
340 W Market
Bloomington, MN 55425

952-853-1359

Sunday, August 23, 10am – 2pm

Oakdale MN (Store 15)
8301 3rd St N
Oakdale, MN 55128

651-739-1899

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Richfield MN (Store 281)
1000 West 78th St
Richfield, MN 55423

612-861-3917

Sunday, August 23, 4pm – 7pm

Maplewood MN (Store 10)
1795 County Rd D E
Maplewood, MN 55109

651-704-1901

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

DALLAS AREA

Arlington TX (Store 57)
1730 Pleasant Pl
Arlington, TX 76015

817-467-3155

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Ridgmar TX (Store 234)
6750 West Fwy
Fort Worth, TX 76116

817-731-9983

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Grapevine TX (Store 148)
1515 W State Hwy 114
Grapevine, TX 76051

817-442-9912

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

HOUSTON AREA

Gulfgate TX (Store 233)
510 Gulfgate Center Mall
Houston, TX 77087

Sunday, August 23, 12pm – 4pm

Greenspoint TX (Store 215)
10777 North Fwy
Houston, TX 77037

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Willowbrook TX (Store 214)
7318 FM 1960 Rd W
Houston, TX 77070

281-444-5768

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

PHILADELPHIA AREA

NE Philadelphia PA (Store 589)
9940 Roosevelt Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19115

215-676-7206

Sunday, August 23, 10am – 2pm

S Philadelphia PA (Store 898)
2300 S Christopher Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19148

215-336-2212

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Springfield PA (Store 582)
642 Baltimore Pike
Springfield, PA 19064

610-604-7474

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Willow Grove PA (Store 576)
1130 Easton Rd
Fiesta Motor Inn
Willow Grove, PA 19090

215-784-7020

Sunday, August 23, 4pm – 7pm

MIAMI/FORT LAUDERDALE

Aventura FL (Store 558)
21035 Biscayne Blvd
Aventura, FL 33180

305-933-9025

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

Fort Lauderdale FL (Store 543)
2829 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306

954-564-7733

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Tropicaire FL (Store 553)
7751 Bird Rd
Tropicaire Shopping Center
Miami, FL 33155

305-267-9913

Sunday, August 23, 4pm – 7pm

Cutler Ridge FL (Store 556)
19191 S Dixie Hwy
Point Royale Plaza
Miami, FL 33157

305-256-9552

Sunday, August 23, 10am – 2pm

SEATTLE AREA

Bellevue WA (Store 498)
457 120th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98005

425-452-8060

Saturday, August 22, 10am – 2pm

Lynnwood WA (Store 477)
19225 Alderwood Mall Pkwy
Lynnwood, WA 98036

425-670-2670

Sunday, August 23, 10am – 2pm

Seattle-northgate WA (Store 470)
330 NE Northgate Way
Seattle, WA 98125

206-306-7663

Sunday, August 23, 4pm – 7pm

Tukwila WA (Store 447)
17364 Southcenter Pkwy
Tukwila, WA 98188

206-574-4617

Saturday, August 22, 4pm – 7pm

DAMN. They couldn’t have just put it on a web page?

But until their labors bear fruit… you’ll have to go to Urban Outfitters.

700 limited-edition Polaroid ONE600 cameras will be sold at UO stores across the country, along with the Type 799 instant film we all know and love. These aren’t impostors or remakes, these are the last cameras and film stock to roll out of Polaroid’s factories. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to stand outside in the rain if I have to in order to get one.

Sorry. I’m just a crank. Every time Apple comes out with a new version of OS X I expect bells, whistles, and dancing dogs. This is an incremental upgrade, as we described it back at WWDC, and it’s a strong one. However, it’s not nearly as exciting at first blush – at least visually – but it does give countless IT guys some serious tentpole action especially considering built-in Exchange support.

This review is based on the purported Gold Master, 10A432, the version that will be shipped to stores world-wide this September. It may or not be the official final version but I’ve been using versions of Snow Leopard for about two months now.

This release is described as a “refined” Leopard. What does that mean? It means everything you like about Leopard has been made faster and more responsive and, in a way, this is just a huge bug fix. QuickTime has been turned completely Pro with screen capture, audio capture, and movie capture built in along with an editing/trimming ribbon right in the app. Shutdown is faster as is wireless connectivity. There is automatic printer driver download (WOOT!) as well as automatic timezone setup (DOUBLE WOOT!). See where I’m going here?

It also has Chinese character input, faster installation, and faster Time Machine backup. It also is 6GB smaller than the original Leopard. Then there’s Exchange support in iCal, Mail, and Contacts. I can keep going but you get the gist – lots of improvements under the hood.

Stacks has been updated as well with a new icon style and menu color. Previews are much more powerful now and you can cut intelligently from PDFs.

You’ll be able to install it on most modern Macs. It requires an Intel processor – no PowerPC support – 1GB of memory and 5GB of disk space. If you bought a Mac on or after June 8, 2009 it will cost you $9.95. Leopard users will pay $29 while a family pack for five computers will cost $49. Generally any Mac purchased within the past two years should run this OS.

So how does it run? I’ve noticed very few differences in my user experience on a Mac Pro 2.66GHz dual core Intel Xeon with 7GB memory. I have experienced some software problems with VMWare and SuperDuper, two utilities I use. I suspect these problems will be fixed upon official release but it is a bit disconcerting when your backup program breaks because of an update.

I haven’t used Expose’s new “show application” feature much. It seems like a good idea when you think about it but most of the work I do involves only one window. Video, photo, and music folks will love it, however, because it lets you find buried windows while you’re working.

In terms of speed I haven’t see much improvement. The new Grand Central Dispatch system is a thread management system which is supposed to spread out multi-threaded apps over your full processor array. Apple says:

More cores, not faster clock speeds, drive performance increases in today’s processors. Grand Central Dispatch takes full advantage by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors. Grand Central Dispatch also makes it much easier for developers to create programs that squeeze every last drop of power from multicore systems.

All of the applications are also 64-bit and OpenCL allows you to use more of your GPU. Finally, QuickTime is built Core Audio, Video, and Animation and all of the major apps are rebuilt in 64-bit.

So again, what does that mean? An ostensibly faster computer. Again, I didn’t notice anything amazing between the old Leopard and the new, but stress testing this machine is a bit difficult considering the current speed and RAM. I did notice a slight improvement in video conversion – the above video took about 4 minutes versus five or six minutes usually – but nothing to call the president about.

Apple knows they’re not going to excite Joe and Jane Average-Home-Office-User with this release. That’s why it’s $29 in a box and essentially for upgraders. Devs and IT guys will be able to point to OS X now and say it’s ready for the office environment, but I’m almost positive that any CEO with an iPhone also has a MacBook on his desk and IT guys in most major corporations have been supporting something in the Apple family for the past few years. This is the release for those still on the fence about OS X’s business-ready features, however, and that means a lot on the corporate side.

As for us fanbois I’m sure an upgrade is in the cards. However, I think the upgrade will come sooner in the form of a new MacBook purchase than in a boxed version of the software. Apple wanted to release plenty of bug fixes and add some great features and so they rolled them into into a new release. To call this a new version, per se, is incorrect. It is more of a major update.

So don’t line up outside of the Apple store for this one, lads, but rest assured that you will notice some little differences and the nerds among you will notice a lot of differences. Just don’t tell me that Exchange support is really exciting for end-users who use Gmail and hopefully OpenCL will create a huge ecosystem of amazing games for OS X. But I doubt it.

Bottom Line
Leopard… refined. Don’t rush out to get this but rest assured it’s chock-full of improvements you’ll rarely consciously notice.

The opportunity to see a group of local freelancers and entrepreneurs coming together to make such an incredibly professional product was extremely valuable — technology has democratized and accelerated the independent film and music community to a degree I hadn’t realized. I was brought on because I had access to some special locations (most of the aerial and forest shots are near some family property in the San Juans) and so I could shoot a little behind-the-scenes video of the production. Go ahead and check out that video below.

The above contains video shot by me as well as production stills by both myself and the director, Matt Daniels of ThinkLab. Matt edited it, since I was taking forever.

We had two RED Ones to shoot with, which is rare to find anywhere, really. With careful lens selection, this allowed for some really great multi-angle shots without change in continuity or video quality. For instance, we had Marshall, the drummer of the band, wading in the water in extremely low light (torchlight). One camera was shooting handheld, up close with a wide angle, and the other was about 30 feet away, with a longer lens in a more stationary position. It allows the director and editor to work freely with the scene without worrying about continuity errors, and can also drastically cut down on the time a poor drummer has to be standing in freezing cold water at midnight.

Lastly, the all-digital process makes for such a streamlined workflow that, if we didn’t have to catch a ferry, we could have had a rough cut put together the next day — a huge benefit when you’re working directly with a client, as we were with the band. As one might imagine, this can lead to sloppy productions put together without the caution and care that comes with working in a valuable medium like film — and some people assume that because it’s possible, it’s expected. But that’s as far from the truth as the idea that a film medium guarantees a quality end result. Digital cinema tools simplify the workflow, but they don’t simplify the product.

The helicopter you see is owned and operated by AerialPan Imaging’s founder, Tabb Firchau. I subjected him to a brief interview:

So the camera on the heli is a Panasonic HVX, which accounts for the difference in texture and tone you see in the video. I noticed a similar effect while watching Planet Earth; the Varicams they used for much of the series weren’t able to be used under water, so they used some sort of smaller Sony (I believe) camera for those sequences. The video quality isn’t as high, but the Sony and HVX are far more light and compact than a Varicam or RED One — handy in those underground caverns, or when you need to fly it at 50MPH over water in an RC helicopter.

I was struck by the amount of specialized gear used by both Tabb and the RED operators (Mike Prevette on heli and DP Michael Ragen). Jury-rigged solutions for missing or broken parts, custom fast-charging battery packs, and the lenses… oh, the lenses. And of course, it was interesting seeing the familiar forest and beach we were tramping around on metamorphose into the evocative landscape of the video.

It’s amazing how democratized high quality stuff like this has come, with the advent of (relatively) affordable HD cameras like the RED and pro editing and effects software that can be brought with you to the field. Thanks, crew — it was a fun and interesting look at the soft underbelly of cinematic production.

The HTC Hero just landed at my humble office/abode and I’m pleased to report that it is, in fact, all that and a packet of crisps. The phone is slim and sexy with a great UI – one of the best I’ve seen on a smartphone since the phone that starts with ‘i’ and ends with Phone – and it’s quite snappy, a huge improvement over my experience with the G1.

I’m going to put this old girl through her paces this weekend and I’ll report back on my findings. Until then, feast your eyes on these photographs taken in my back yard.

Initial findings? I love the widget systems, especially the Bell & Ross-style clocks and the 5-megapixel AF camera is a real treat. The onscreen keyboard takes some getting practice. To type numbers and special characters you’re expected to hold down the letter until a small window pops up. You can then let go to make the number appear. I’ll do a video later to show you.

Otherwise, I’m finally excited about Android. This is running Cupcake with an amazing skin.

Bloomberg,

Acer “might have a similar unit volume to Dell, but their gross margin dollars are six to seven times less than Dell, and I wouldn’t swap our business with theirs under any circumstance,” he said. “We’re focused on profit share, not market share.”

Dell is hunting around for more acquisitions like the 2007 $1.4 billion purchase of EqualLogic Inc. that helped boost margins and increased revenue about 60 percent. Purchasing Acer, who owns the brands eMachines, Gateway, Packard Bell, E-TEN, Glofiish, would likely increase the market share for Dell considerably, but not necessarily make shareholders more money. So there is no reason to fret if you’re an Acer fanboy, Dell isn’t interest.

Ah, the netbook. Back in 1999 or so I remember one of my co-workers spent over $3,000 for a mini Sony Vaio PCG-C1, the kind with the tiny keyboard and woefully underpowered processor. Fast forward a decade and we’ve come full circle with the netbook. These still woefully underpowered laptops still have tiny keyboards but they cost a pittance and, for a certain subset of users, they’re some of the most compelling pieces of hardware to come out ofTaiwan and Japan in years.

Origin Story

The netbook was supposed to save the PC industry. Cast your memory back to 2007. We were just on the edge of the global financial precipice. Desktop sales were flat and laptop sales were soaring. All seemed fine. But there was a problem: the laptop market was considerably different than the desktop market. Desktop PCs sat comfortably in a den and were upgraded over time. Junior wanted to play The Sims so he installed a new graphics card. Sis wanted a scanner – she added an all-in-one. Dad was going through a mid-life crisis so he bought a new case. PCs generated sales in peripherals and, once the PC was maxed out, it was relegated to the basement and a new one purchased. PCs cost a pittance to make and could be sold at a slight profit.

Laptops, on the other hand, were stagnant. You bought a laptop and held onto it. For many it became a main computer, but one you never upgraded. You could add some memory and plug in a printer, but you weren’t purchasing overpriced graphics cards or hard drives.

In the years preceding the netbook, laptop manufacturers played with a few possible upgrade paths. First, they stuffed desktop hardware into laptops to create the Desktop Replacement. These massive laptops weren’t portable, had horrible battery life, and were prohibitively expensive. They knew that this was the wrong route towards riches.

Then they played with mini-PCs for the living room. These PCs fit in teeny-tiny cases and were supposed to sit next to your TV. Windows Media Center promised a 10-foot TV computing experience for all. I doubt many of us have actively used Windows Media Center – let alone Apple’s Front Row experience on the Mac Mini – in the intervening years.

These two branches of hardware manufacturing looked like dead ends. However, by learning how to stuff more technology into a tiny package, laptop manufacturers were able to use fairly low-power desktop chips inside tiny cases.

In about 2007 the OLPC suddenly appeared. The OLPC, if you’ll recall, was the proto-netbook. It was a woefully underpowered laptop for developing countries with a hand crank to charge it. It was great for kids who have never seen a computer but not so great for power-hungry Americans. I once saw a man who could be charitably called a massive geek – in a good way – whip out an OLPC at a conference. He started it up and its speaker began to quack like a scalded duck. It was, in general terms, useless as a real laptop.

Then Asus, a heretofore unknown PC company, hit upon an idea. Why not take cheap processors, stuff them into some of the small motherboards they had been working on, add a laptop screen and keyboard, and make a mini-laptop? They could stuff in Intel’s cheap new Atom processors and make something that is essentially a peripheral laptop. In a strategy that can be attributed to Pimp My Ride, laptop makers knew that consumers loved laptops so they decided to add a laptop to their laptops. The larger, more expensive laptop would sit quietly in the den while the netbook would scoot around the Internet, while you were on the couch watching TV or in the kitchen making pizza bagels.

Thus the eee PC was born. It was amazing. Laptops were now less expensive than some graphics cards. A $400 laptop was something the average consumer could stand behind. Sadly, manufacturers didn’t stand behind the consumer.

The Terrible Truth

The netbook will die soon. They were a cynical play by an industry in panic. They knew they couldn’t get people to buy expensive hardware so they sold inexpensive hardware at a massive discount, hoping against hope that they would sell enough units to make a profit. And profit they did. But, almost three years later, people are discovering the awful truth: netbooks are horrible. Devices like the Macbook Air, for example, are on par with hardware that came out at the turn of the century and the tiny notebooks we tested were fine for most purposes but try to get any real work done and you run into a wall. While they are striking, they’re unacceptably slow for most applications.

But, in a way, it doesn’t matter. You’re not supposed to run desktop apps on your netbook. In fact, you can bypass most of the major issues simply by focusing on web-based apps like Gmail and Zoho Office.

Also, try telling a cash-strapped consumer not to buy a netbook. It’s futile. Nintey-nine percent of computing time at home is spent on the web. Unless you’re a gamer, you probably fire up the laptop for porn or recipes and little else. So, on the aggregate, netbooks are just fine. But woe betide the netbook user who suddenly wants to do some video editing. Interestingly, many netbooks are going back to the store for exactly this reason: consumers feel conned by their relative uselessness.

What’s Next

The next logical step in the netbook world is the ultralight. These ultrathin laptops – think a better MacBook Air rather than eee PC – appeared briefly in about 2006 but disappeared when folks realized they still wanted optical drives. I remember bringing a Gateway ultralight to an IT shop once in about 2006 and the team thought it was an “old” notebook because it didn’t even have an optical drive.

Now, however, optical drives are all but useless. Streaming and downloading are the way to go. Therefore, expect to see ultralight laptops with screens 12 inches or bigger. The netbook will turn into what can only be described as an iPod Touch and manufacturers will fall over themselves trying to replace their mid-tier laptop line – the kind that you’d carry with you on a business trip – with ultralights that can actually do a little work. The prices will rise and crap notebooks like the Cloudbook will blow away.

Think ChromeOS will appear on netbooks? Think again. It may appear on devices similar to the CrunchPad but the netbook as we know it will soon be running Windows 7 and liking it.

Where Does That Leave Us?

It leaves us on the edge between notebooks and ultralights and so we dug up the best of the current crop of what we’d still call notebooks yet can actually run a few apps. The current MacBook Air is much more powerful than its predecessors and new processors from AMD and Intel will supplant the runty Atom with something like the Athlon Neo, a more balanced chip with a bit more speed.

However, the days of $200 laptops are numbered. There’s no profit in it. This race to the bottom has to stop and, although you will see laptops like the Lenovo Ideapad S10, below, netbooks will slowly migrate to faster – and more expensive – hardware. If this year’s COMPUTEX was any indication, this is the year of the ultralight.

This is not to say that $200 laptops will go away. Manufacturers have already opened that Pandora’s Box and can’t close it. But they will be marginalized by manufacturers and distributors.

That said, here are a few hotties that we played with over the past few weeks. N.B. Apple didn’t get back to us about the 13-inch MacBook or new Air in, but I’m sure Apple makes fine hardware, right?

To test we ran an AVI movie on repeat for a full battery cycle and then ran PrimateLabs Geekbench.

But I’m Shopping for a Netbook

What should you look for? Lots of memory – 2GB at least, and a 2GHz or better processor. A Core 2 Duo is probably your best bet at this point. Unless you’re absolutely sure you won’t even be watching video on your netbook, anything less is a waste of money. I’ve seen some netbooks that can barely surf YouTube let alone run Final Cut Pro.

Don’t be fooled by price. The cheapest netbook is the worst one. A laptop manufacturer can’t sell something for $350 and still add in any bells and whistles. Windows itself takes up a large percentage of a laptop’s cost.

Avoid Linux, at least the pre-installed versions. Sorry, Linux nerds, but it’s true. Buy an XP model and install Ubuntu or whatever later, but don’t get the Linux netbook because it’s cheaper. Maybe Chrome OS will change all that, but Linux-based netbooks are usually running some wonky, kiosk-oriented installation, making them nigh-on unusable.

Go major manufacturer. If there’s anything China is good at it’s creating OEM devices and badging them for sale in the US. All of those Sylvania, Everex, and CloudUnicornNotebooks you see online are exactly the same netbooks with a different sticker on the front. It may look like a bargain but it’s garbage.

Reviews

Click to read

Lenovo Ideapad S10-2

Price $349.00
Screen Size 10.2″
Processor Intel N270 1.6 ghz
Memory 1 GB
Benchmark 861
Battery Life 4:05
USB 3
Display out 1 VGA
Keyboard Tiny, but usable
Mouse A bit too small, side scroll
Bottom Line Priced to move. B

This small netbook uses its patterned gloss top to add a little pizzazz to an otherwise standard appearance. Despite its light weight (2.65 lbs according to Lenovo) it feels very solid, not flimsy or delicate.

Like all notebooks, its keyboard is rather small. However, it’s surprisingly usable. The key layout is very standard feeling, and with a little practice, or small hands, it would be just fine for any daily use. The touchpad is also cramped, though it also is intuitive after the first few minutes. It makes up for its small size by being sensitive. Not only that, it has some multi-touch features as well as standard side scrolling. The 1.3 Megapixel camera also works as a facial recognition system for logging in. An interesting feature sure to wow the ladies.

Hardware wise this machine is pretty standard, based on a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom, it packs 1 gig of RAM for pretty standard netbook performance. Its battery life at 4:05 minutes while watching a movie also seems standard. Its 10.2” screen is very readable, and the colors are acceptable. The included Windows XP works great for its OS, and it will already be familiar to almost any purchaser.

MSI XSlim X340

Price $899.99
Screen Size 13″
Processor Intel U3500 1.4 ghz
Memory 2 GB
Benchmark 1248
Battery Life 2:18
USB 2
Display out 1 HDMI + 1 VGA
Keyboard Flimsy, standard size
Mouse unremarkable, no scroll
Bottom Line Nice styling, underpowered. B

Although this is an ultra-thin very light laptop, and it’s definitely sleek, I couldn’t help my immediate impression of cheapness. With plastic chrome accents on its ports that seem to have been put there in an attempt to distract from its ultra-bland, uniform gloss black finish, to complete its blandness all of its status lights are plain white. It almost looks like a laptop I could buy in a shady market somewhere in China. In the interest of fairness I tried to look past that. Aesthetics, after all, have little impact on the utility of a laptop, and it is weight and thickness are definitely impressive, especially at its price just under 900$. It may be the only sub-grand ultra-thin out right now.

Unfortunately I was immediately disenchanted again when I attempted to open it. A magnet holds the lid shut, and to open it, you have to grip the lid by the narrowest of lips, then suddenly, its vaunted lightness is working against you because the bottom wasn’t heavy enough to separate the magnet. I had to use my fingernails to open it the first time. After the first time though, the problem seemed to get less and less extreme every time I opened it. Now it seems to open just fine. So again, I forgive it, after all everything has a break-in period.
Once opened, I like the screen, its colors are 13.4” screen looks good. Its colors are bright and vibrant, brought out by the glossy screen. The keyboard looks good with large un-crowded keys. Unfortunately they also have a problem. The whole keyboard flexes alarmingly. While unsettling, and in general adding to my impression of cheapness, it doesn’t actually interfere with typing. The keys are large, and have a satisfying amount of resistance, which makes up for the flex after the first few minutes of typing. The touchpad is acceptable, its smooth plastic finish is very usable and familiar, and the uni-piece button has a satisfying press and subtle click. The pad itself seems to be missing any scroll features though, no side scroll or 2-finger, it brings back fond memories of Windows 98 when I had to click and drag the scrollbar down.
On the hardware side, this laptop runs on a single core Intel Ultra Low Voltage processor, which along with a much better than netbook integrated Intel GPU means it benchmarked significantly higher than a netbook. Along with this comes higher power consumption, and when your keeping it as light as this (2.7 lb) that means short batter life. In our test it lasted 2:18. Honestly, despite its shortcomings, using this laptop was fine. It’s definitely quicker than a netbook, even running Vista. Its large screen and keyboard make it feasible as your main computer, while still maintaining great portability. The price is even pretty good, and if you are want a netbook supersize, they even make a model that runs on an Intel Atom.

Dell Adamo

Price $1,998
Screen Size 13.4-inches
Processor Intel U9400 1.4 ghz
Memory 4 GB
Benchmark 2010
Battery Life 3:07
USB 2 + 1 eSata/USB
Display out 1 Displayport
Keyboard Backlit, Large, good
Mouse Nice pad, bad buttons, side scroll
Bottom Line Amazingly slick, expensive. B+

This sleek ultra-thin laptop looks great. Its black-brushed aluminum body is accented by a strip of high gloss plastic. When you open it, the first thing you notice is the large backlit keys with huge futuristic font glowing at you. When you type on them they are satisfying, and probably my favorite feature of this whole machine. The touchpad also is really nice, one of the best textures I’ve come across. It’s an ultra fine-brushed metal that feels incredibly smooth. The mouse buttons I am much less sold on. They click loudly, and require a deceivingly firm push, deceiving because of a slight play in the buttons. The high-gloss, 13.4” screen looks great, very vibrant, but that’s inside. Its so shiny, I suspect if you tried to use this in the sun, it had better be to do your make-up. That’s not the only problem with this laptop. It’s all about the appearance. The hardware inside it is less than exciting, especially for the base model’s starting price of just under $2000. Its processor is an Intel Core 2 duo running at 1.4 GHz. Although it has 4 gigs of RAM, it acts sluggish constantly. Its battery life is its most impressive performance point, and in our test it lasted 3:07 hours. This laptop was clearly designed to look good, and it definitely does, but for the kind of money you have to pay for it I would have expected better performance.

Lenovo Thinkpad T400s

Price $1,599
Screen Size 14.1″
Processor Intel P9400 2.4 ghz
Memory 2 GB
Benchmark 2753
Battery Life 2:22
USB 2 + 1 eSata/USB
Display out 1 Displayport + 1 VGA
Keyboard Very standard, good, Top lit
Mouse Nice texture, satisfying, 2 finger scroll
Bottom Line Excellent build quality, speed. A

This laptop looks just like Thinkpads for years. It does because that look is utilitarian, logical, and well thought out. Its keyboard feels perfectly standard, requiring no getting used to, my one small complaint is that the control key is not the bottom corner, it is one in from the corner, and as a result I have hit the function key accidentally often. The touchpad has an interesting texture that I like, a fine grid of tiny bumps. It makes using the touchpad very tactile. The touchpad also allows you to 2-finger scroll. There is of course also the ThinkPad’s signature “trackpoint” nub.
An interesting feature is the built in keyboard light, which makes so much more sense to me than backlit keys. With the LED keyboard light you get some ambient light that you could read by or whatever you need. The 14” monitor looks fine, it can get quite bright, to the point it hurts my eyes inside, but that combined with a matte finish screen makes this laptop feasible to outside use on a sunny day. Those combine to make this a laptop that is useful virtually anywhere I would normally be. Combine that with its light weight (3.9 lb) and you have one of the most useful laptops available. Hardware wise it’s also very capable, based around a 2.4 GHz Intel Core2 Duo, it has 2 or 3 gigs DDR3 of memory. Of course running all that while keeping the weight down means that the battery life is less that phenomenal, and during our tests died after 2:22 hours. This laptop is the one for you if you need a powerful easily portable laptop you can use almost anywhere.

with Berkeley Beyers

In this new series we’ll be offering you a list of cool things to do in cities across America and around the globe. This Geek Weekend we present Philadelphia, the city of geek love, where you can check out ENIAC, a Star Trek exhibit, and buy a geeky faucet.

For questions about Philly, Tweet VisitPhilly.

Want your city featured? Drop us a line at tips @ crunchgear.com.

THINGS TO DO

· University Pinball: classic arcade in University City, 4006-08 Spruce Street, (215) 387-9523,

· The Hacktory: Josh Kopel is a techy of techies. A co-founder of Make Philly and an all around master of things made by hand to beep, blink, and transmit ones and zeros, Josh has started “The Hacktory.” The Hacktory promotes the use of technology in the arts and is incubated as a project within Nonprofit Technology Resources: providing classes for artists / craftspeople / makers, community events, shared facilities and equipment, artist-in-residents programs, art sales, and materials exchange. 1524 Brandywine Street

· Fat Jack’s Comic Crypt: Withstanding the test of time and technology, for 30 years Fat Jack’s Comic Crypt has been the place for old-school and fresh-off-the-press copies from all major and independent companies. There enough tees, action figures and old-school lunches for ever comic-lover. 2006 Sansom Street (Rittenhouse Square area)

· Brave New Worlds Comics: With action figures, designer vinyl toys, giant Silver Surfers, and of course, comics, this place has it all. (Check out Geekadelphia’s video). 45 N.2nd Street (Old City)

· The Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia: The Museum’s display of 20,000 provocative items is designed to give a beneath-the-surface perspective of what physicians study — and it’s not always pretty. You’ll find a wide smattering of abnormal body parts preserved in fluid. You’ll encounter skeletal formations — like that of a 7’6” man — that don’t seem quite possible. Diseased and enlarged organs are tastefully displayed within glass-encased oak frames. Connections to the famous include Marie Curie’s electrometer, Dr. Benjamin Rush’s medicine chest and, most spectacularly, the death cast of Chang and Eng, the original “Siamese Twins,” whose autopsy was performed in the museum. The preserved body parts of the famous include John Marshall’s bladder stones, a piece of Grover Cleveland’s cancerous jawbone and a section of John Wilkes Booth’s neck. The non-squeamish will be fascinated by the collection of 139 skulls, the exhibit on conjoined twins and objects retrieved from people’s throats and lungs. 19 S. 22nd Street, (215) 563-3737,

· ENIAC (world’s first computer): ENAIC was built at the University of Pennsylvania and parts are still on view there. At 150-feet wide, with 20 banks of flashing lights, ENIAC fills a whole room. The School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, 220 South 33rd Street

· The Franklin Institute Science Museum: An innovator in designing hands-on exhibits before “interactive” became a buzzword, the Franklin Institute is as clever as its namesake. Its eminently touchable attractions explore science in disciplines ranging from sports to space. Highlights include The Sports Challenge, which uses virtual-reality technology to illustrate the physics of sports; The Train Factory’s climb-aboard steam engine; Space Command’s simulated earth-orbit research station; a fully equipped weather station; and exhibits on electricity. 222 N. 20th Street, (215) 448-1200,

· Simeone Foundation Museum: One of the world’s most remarkable collections of race cars is located just five minutes from Philadelphia International Airport — perfect for international visitors hoping to see the Simeone’s vast collection of European race cars. Within the walls of the newly opened Simeone Foundation Museum — the only museum of its kind in North America — you’ll find 60 of the world’s rarest and most famous race cars. And if luxury is your style, names like Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Maserati are pretty tough to beat. As you walk through the museum, you’ll see how technology has evolved in just seven decades of racing.
6825-31 Norwitch Drive, (215) 365-7233,

· The underground SEPTA and PATCO tunnels – especially around City Hall – are one of the greatest engineering marvels of all time.

SHOPPING
· Omoi: Omoi boutique brings the trendy styles of Tokyo to Philadelphia. Filled with kitschy-chic clothing, jewelry and accessories, Omoi reflects the colorfully streamlined sensibilities of Asian fashion. And now Omoi has evolved to include other quirky and punk-inspired fashions from around the world. Keep an eye out for Japanese toys, tea ceremony sets and hand-printed stationary. And for those who speak the language, feel free to leaf through Japanese magazines to inspire your shopping. 1608 Pine Street, (215) 545-0963,

· Abakus Takeout: a new footwear spot in Philadelphia’s Chinatown with a Chinese takeout joint atmosphere. 227 N. 10th Street Philadelphia

· Ubiq: This hipper-than-thou Philly-owned sneaker gallery—built inside a Victorian-era townhouse—stocks couture-level Nikes and classic to cutting-edge Vans (renovated & reopened May 2007). They even have a blog. 1509 Walnut Street, (215) 988-0194

PLACES TO EAT

· Pod: Philadelphia’s renowned restaurateur Stephan Starr is behind University City’s pan-Asian Pod. The space is almost right out of a Sci-fi movie — stools that light up when you sit down; private egg-shaped dining spaces (or “pods”) that change neon colors as you eat; and a conveyor belt that moves colorful plates of edamame, maki and sashimi around an elongated sushi bar for you to pick up when one strikes your fancy. Pod now has a new, invisible component: free wireless internet access is available to diners throughout the restaurant. 3636 Sansom Street, (215) 387-1803.

· Yakitori Boy: Yakitori Boy, opened in December 2007 in Chinatown, serves “Japas” (Japanese tapas) alongside a sushi bar and a yakitori bar, where cooks grill skewered meats. Upstairs is the karaoke bar, with special sake and cocktails and private karaoke rooms. 213 N. 11th Street (Chinatown), 215-923-8088

· National Mechanics: A restaurant owned by a web company and operated by tech geeks? Kiiinda awesome. The menu is fun to peruse, full of nostalgic favorites and innovative mash-ups. Sample throwback items include corn dogs, grilled cheese and Campbell’s tomato soup, and the “Frito Taco Extravaganza” — a split-open bag of Frito’s topped with a heavenly medley of chili and cheddar cheese. The restaurant’s décor pays homage to all things mechanical. Metal devices adorned with Christmas lights illuminate the dining room, while the restaurant’s bathrooms are worth a trip for their artistically designed sinks and light fixtures. 22 S. 3rd Street, (215) 701-4883

UPCOMING / CURRENT EVENTS

Schuylkill Banks Movies: On Philadelphia’s other riverfront, film fans take a seat on the grass with their picnic food and blankets to take in the free movies along the Schuylkill River Trail by the Walnut Street bridge. The movies show every other Thursday, June 25-August 6, 2009. Schuylkill River Trail at Walnut Street, (215) 222-6030, ext. 103.

· Hollywood Classics Under The Stars: The outdoor concert venue The Mann Center has summer picnics. On July 21st, the Philadelphia Orchestra performs music from Star Wars.

· Star Trek: The Exhibition (Through September 20, 2009) This exhibition will highlight 200 authentic objects from this groundbreaking television and motion picture series. The Exhibition allows visitors to connect with iconic Star Trek moments and characters while celebrating the creative spirit of science fiction that gave rise to many of today’s modern marvels. The Franklin Institute Science Museum, 222 N. 20th Street, (215) 448-1200,

OUT IN BUCKS COUNTY, PA…
· NASTAR CENTER: At the National Aerospace Training and Research Center, pilots can fly a centrifuge-based flight simulator, to practice flying skill and discover the boundaries of the aircraft’s performance limits. NASTAR also readies private space travelers for their flights into space by conditioning them to the rigors of space flight, which gives them the confidence that they can handle the stresses of space launch. (Including Richard Branson!) NASTAR Center has a wide variety of “serious entertainment” experiences: puts you in a high-fidelity cockpit, and sends you skyward into engagements against skilled pilots. Your co-pilot is there to assist you during your engagement, and coach you through the high G turns and maneuvers. If you want to fly higher and faster than a jet pilot, our Space Launch experience will launch you into a suborbital flight, with all the G forces of an actual launch. There’s also a GYROLAB, a full-motion flight simulator, and an Altitude Chamber, is a hypobaric vessel which can simulate atmospheric conditions up to 100,000 feet. The Ejection Seat System and Night Vision Goggle Training. 125 James Way Southampton, PA

The latest fiend to come out of DARPA human-extinction research money is this Nano Air Vehicle, which flies like a hummingbird, at least for the few seconds it’s managing to stay up at this stage of research.

The idea, of course, is to create something like the hunter-seeker from Dune, floating silently in through the air vent and executing you while you sleep. Do not fear… fear is the mind-killer…

[via Wired Danger Room]

We came, we saw, we played.

Sega

Alpha Protocol: We first saw AP at last year’s E3 and things are looking quite good for Sega’s upcoming “modern-day spy RPG”. It’s currently in Alpha and is scheduled for a late Fall launch on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It plays like a shooter with sprinklings of RPG thrown in to mix it up.

To recap: the main protagonist is Michael Thorton and he’s still out to save the world. As Thorton you can upgrade weapons in the “black market” like you would in Dead Space. Mini games are also in effect throughout the game and they’re akin to the mini games you might find in BioShock. There will be roughly 25 hours and the last mission has various endings depending on which path you choose to take. A “Fury” mode slows down the gameplay that allows Thorton to close in on enemies for hand to hand combat.

Aliens vs Predator: Rebellion makes a comeback on this upcoming Sega title that revisits and improves on their first AVP title that came out in 1999. AVP takes place 30 years after Aliens 3. Behind closed doors I saw a bit of the Marine campaign mode while E3 attendees checked out Predator campaign (or was it Alien?). To be honest it looked like any other FPS, but with Aliens and Predators hunting down your Marine ass. In other words, I liked it. There are three separate campaign modes that let you experience the thrill of the hunt from each side, but they all follow the same narrative story. Rebellion confirmed that AVP will have online multiplayer but failed to divulge any other details during the private demo. It’s set for an early simultaneous 2010 launch for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

The Conduit: Without a doubt, the best FPS for the Wii with amazing graphics that would have you think you’re on an Xbox 360 or PS3. Online multiplayer is fantastic and the weapons in the game are badass. What sets the title apart from other Wii FPS titles is the amount of in-game control you have over controller settings. You can tweak the settings to make them as precise as you want. Just like you would on a PC. But the comparisons end there. It’s a start, though. And a damn good one at that.

EA

NHL10: I’m not a hockey buff or fan, but EA had a compelling demo to make me want to play their upcoming hockey title, NHL 10. I especially enjoyed the first person fighting. If you’re getting whooped on your screen gradually gets darker and darker to indicate that you’re about to lose the fight. If your star player gets hassled then the team’s tough guys come in to protect him. On the board play was also improved and lets players protect the puck like you would in real life. You can kick the puck away; pin an opponent to the glass and AI even comes over to help out. The fans also bang on the glass to replicate a real life hockey game. EA stated that passing was also improved from past releases with a full control passing scheme that lets you control speed and accuracy. The default setting is a hybrid control scheme between full control and assisted control. There have been over 200 improvements that include the ability to shoot from your knees and leg kicks to fake a shot.

FIFA 10: You might not believe it but the US ranks second behind the UK in sales for the FIFA franchise. The FIFA teamed scoured the forums to find out what gamers wanted improvements on for FIFA 10 and the 70 percent of the work went into improving the game based on those criticisms and critiques. Manager Mode features 50 new improvements, but the biggest improvement has to be the 360 degrees of dribbling. You can push the ball anywhere, make small lateral touches, and make minute directional changes. There’s also a bit more contact when going for the ball so it feels authentic!

Dragon Age Origins: Set to launch on October 20th of this year. I’m not big into RPGs like this, but making video game characters do the humpty hump intrigues me. During my private demo, the BioWare devs bedded loner, sorceress, hottie Morrigan pissing off a fine red-headed Irish lass by the name of Leliana. If it’s from BioWare it has to be good, right?

Dante’s Inferno: Video game adaptation of the Divine Comedy (duh). Your goal is to save Beatrice. Your weapons include Death’s scythe and a cross that Beatrice once gave us a gift. As you can imagine, each level is one of the nine Circles of Hell and you begin in Limbo with unbaptized children terrorizing you among other beastly creatures. Graphics were stunning and at 60fps, gameplay is quite smooth. Dante collects souls as currency in the game and has the ability to absolve or punish characters that pop up throughout the game. Reload times in between deaths is amazingly quick. Fun fact: protestors were on hand at the EA booth handing out flyers to get the game banned.

Mass Effect 2: Is Shepherd dead? Well, BioWare made it clear that ME was a trilogy, so you should be able to figure that one out assuming you survived the first game. If you did then you can import your ME game into ME2. So make sure you survive ME2 so you can import it into ME3. Weapon effects, like head shots have been improved and there are now 90 weapons classes to choose from. An “interrupt” option has been implemented in the real time dialogue system that pops up in the bottom left corner of the screen. What I saw during my demo was a confrontation between Shepherd and a mercenary (or something, I don’t remember what he was) that resulted in Shepherd pushing him through a window that he was leaning up against. In this scenario, the player has the option of acting on the “interrupt” whether he/she/it chooses to do so.

So the question remains whether or not Shepherd is dead. BioWare debuted a short cinematic trailer with the Normandy going down and Shepherd trying to save a crewmember. In the process, the ship gets hit one more time and Shepherd is seen floating off into space with very little oxygen. BioWare promises numerous endings based on the team you pick, so you best be picking a strong one.

Lucas Arts

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Three new features were revealed last week at E3 and that includes a new class, cover system and multiplayer dialogue, but I won’t go into the latter since it’s a bit dry and you can probably figure out what happens.

New class: Han Solo-like character that’s a gunrunner for the Republic. Weapons at his disposal include flash bang grenades, pistol, and nut kicking moves, literally.

Cover system: For the first time in an MMO, TOR has a cover system that works much like cover systems you’ll find in console FPS games. However, there are multiple points in one section, behind a boulder for instance, that give players better coverage or a better shot on enemies.

2K

BioShock 2: OMG!!! Multiplayer on the Xbox 360 for BioShock 2 is the new hotness. The demo I saw took place at the Kashmir Restaurant and pitted six players against one another in a deathmatch. Weapons, thus far, aren’t anything new and include a pistol, shotgun and three elemental plasmids (Winter Blast, Incinerate and Electro Bolt). I just started playing through BioShock again and I kind of like the fact that it’s a single player shooter. It’s my hope that 2K reveals a multitude of multiplayer exclusive weapons. But playing as a Big Daddy is pretty damn cool in and of itself. Just be sure to find the suit before anyone else.

WB

Scribblenauts: A quirky DS game that makes you think outside the box. It’s simple, really. You have one simple task each level and that is to obtain a Starite. How you obtain it is up to you. For example, one level might have a Starite dangling from the ceiling so you have to figure out what objects you might need to get it. Type or scribble “ladder” or “lasso” and you just might have yourself a Starite. You can use anything you can think of to get the object of your desire. It’s a simple game, but probably one of the biggest titles to come to the Nintendo handheld this year.

Capcom

Lost Planet 2: More or less the same thing we saw in the first LP. I didn’t notice anything different, but that’s not to say it wasn’t fun to play. I also didn’t play for very long.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles: I can’t really say anything negative about the Darkside Chronicles. It’s a Resident Evil title and it’s good, but any other FPS besides The Conduit is pretty meh at this point.

We’re live at Nintendo’s press conference at E3 in Los Angeles…

• 10:50 AM: Doug Aamoth Conference starts at 9am Pacific, 12pm Eastern. Stay tuned for live updates…
• 12:03 PM: Doug Aamoth and away we go…
• 12:04 PM: Doug Aamoth various shots being shown of people playing Wii bowling, DS(i), etc.
• 12:04 PM: Doug Aamoth “Every generation, the game in everyone, everyone’s game — Nintendo”
• 12:04 PM: Doug Aamoth Cammie Dunaway takes the stage
• 12:05 PM: Doug Aamoth everyone here at E3 has one thing in common — a professional connection to video games
• 12:05 PM: Doug Aamoth how are we trending?
• 12:05 PM: Doug Aamoth last year video games were just as big as home video, toys, and music + movie box office put together
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth video games are different now
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth maybe you’ve noticed a woman on the plane playing the DS, or your uncle asking you for tips
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth it’s now “everyone’s game”
• 12:06 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo’s goal: create, surprise
• 12:07 PM: Doug Aamoth today we will bring you innovation in the next leap forward in game control and surprises in games where you may have thought there was no surprise left
• 12:07 PM: Doug Aamoth video playing showing old NES, Super NES, footage
• 12:07 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth Everyone remembers Mario in 3D
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth we admit we haven’t quite figured out how to move Mario into the fourth dimension
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth but the number four is the key to Mario’s next adventure
• 12:08 PM: Doug Aamoth Myamoto is working on new Super Mario Bros for Wii
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth all new
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth more players
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth four people holding Wii-motes take the stage
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth simple play control
• 12:09 PM: Doug Aamoth one to four players, item boxes generally produce one item for each player
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth looks like a sidescroller, like Mario 1 or 3
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth seriously, looks like Mario 1 with Wii graphics
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth warp pipes, coins, etc.
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth players are holding Wii-mote sideways
• 12:10 PM: Doug Aamoth like old school NES controller
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth you can play single player or co-op with up to four players
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth new item: propeller suit
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth shake Wii-mote to go up in the air
• 12:11 PM: Doug Aamoth screen zooms out if players spread out
• 12:12 PM: Doug Aamoth propeller suit makes players look like Teletubbies
• 12:12 PM: Doug Aamoth flagpole at end of levels
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth launches holiday 2009
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth “New Super Mario Bros. Wii”
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth seriously looks like four-player Super Mario 1 for the NES
• 12:13 PM: Doug Aamoth now onto the Wii Balance Board, Wii Fit
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Fit best selling fitness game in the world
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth 15 million Balance Boards sold
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth looking at ways to make Wii fit more attractive to household
• 12:14 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Fit Plus
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth next version moves in added direction from “something for everyone”
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth main menu, you enter Locker Room
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth six new strength and yoga activities
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth key is how you mix and match individual elements
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth can omit interludes between exercises so your routine can move fluidly
• 12:15 PM: Doug Aamoth (thank god)
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth looks more like an extension to Wii Fit, not an entirely new game
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth 15 new balance games
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth juggling, skateboarding, one called “perfect ten”
• 12:16 PM: Doug Aamoth swing hips between numbered balls to equal “10″
• 12:17 PM: Nicholas Deleon Nicholas/Carlos here, just checking in. I’ll add color commentary where appropriate.
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth one game where you leap from platform to platform dodging swinging balls
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth “so you can feel what it’s like to be Mario”
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth available as package with Balance Board or standalone for current Wii owners
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth no price given
• 12:17 PM: Doug Aamoth Fall 2009
• 12:18 PM: Nicholas Deleon There really should be a drinking game revolving around the word “innovative”
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo is great, etc.
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo has good word of mouth
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth the interface is key
• 12:18 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii-mote and nunchuck changed the game
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth Balance Board has opened up a separate path for millions of players
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth the next advance in game control is…
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii MotionPlus
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth new sense of realism in gameplay
• 12:19 PM: Doug Aamoth Not one that looks more real, but feels and plays more real
• 12:20 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii MotionPlus adds precision control
• 12:20 PM: Doug Aamoth video demo showing spinning Wii mote with MotionPlus adapter
• 12:20 PM: Doug Aamoth ping pong player hitting slo-mo ball
• 12:21 PM: Doug Aamoth basketball player taking slo mo shot, ball turns into Wii mote
• 12:21 PM: Doug Aamoth samurai sword turns into Wii mote
• 12:21 PM: Doug Aamoth as a Wii owner and an Xbox 360 owner, Microsoft is winning so far
• 12:22 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario looks like a dumbed down movie remake, Wii MotionPlus has already been announced
• 12:22 PM: Doug Aamoth more slow mo sports shots for Wii MotionPlus
• 12:22 PM: Doug Aamoth video over, polite applause
• 12:23 PM: Nicholas Deleon Very polite applause
• 12:23 PM: Doug Aamoth golf claps, really
• 12:23 PM: Doug Aamoth some guy here to demo Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort
• 12:23 PM: Doug Aamoth “it knows all there is to know about where and how you’re holding your controller.”
• 12:24 PM: Doug Aamoth shot of a Mii on an airplane getting ready to skydive
• 12:24 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii MotionPlus superimposed over Mii
• 12:24 PM: Doug Aamoth I can position my Mii to grab other skydivers, twist, etc.
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth guy is using Wii mote as Mii, tilting, tipping, spinning, etc.
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth “as you can see, it’s a lot of fun”
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth it does not, in fact, look that fun
• 12:25 PM: Doug Aamoth I own a Wii and like it, by the way
• 12:26 PM: Nicholas Deleon Who else got all the gold metals in Pilotwings 64 in 1996?
• 12:26 PM: Doug Aamoth so if I come off as negative, it’s because I want the Wii to be awesome. If I were a parent right now, I’d be saying to my kid (named Wii), “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.”
• 12:26 PM: Doug Aamoth demo of guy shooting bow and arrow
• 12:26 PM: Doug Aamoth even minor shakes push the arrow off target
• 12:27 PM: Doug Aamoth showing that the MotionPlus is very accurate
• 12:27 PM: Doug Aamoth “it’s not about learning the control, it’s about doing what comes naturally”
• 12:28 PM: Doug Aamoth Fils-Aime and the demo guy are “vamping”
• 12:29 PM: Doug Aamoth now they’re going to play basketball together
• 12:29 PM: Nicholas Deleon That’s an incredible amount of awkward laughter right there
• 12:29 PM: Doug Aamoth three point contest
• 12:29 PM: Doug Aamoth shooting with Wii mote in hand like a basketball
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth Reggie wins 19-17
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth for those of you keeping score
• 12:30 PM: Nicholas Deleon And yet not as fun as NBA Jam was
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth I would let my boss win, too, though
• 12:30 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Sports Resort launches on July 26th
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 demo coming up
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth I have high, high, high hopes for this one
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth Grand Slam Tennis will use MotionPlus, too
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth Sega’s Virtua Tennis will have MotionPlus, too
• 12:31 PM: Doug Aamoth “every little mistake you make in the real world will be faithfully reflected in the game”
• 12:32 PM: Doug Aamoth “you’ll mutter the same bad words in real life”
• 12:32 PM: Nicholas Deleon And as we all know, Virtua Tennis was a fine, fine game for the Dreamcast
• 12:32 PM: Doug Aamoth available in the next few weeks
• 12:32 PM: Doug Aamoth Red Steel 2 will only work with MotionPlus (Ubisoft)
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth RPGs coming up
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth Square Enix
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth Final Fantasy
• 12:33 PM: Doug Aamoth exclusively for Wii
• 12:34 PM: Doug Aamoth Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers
• 12:34 PM: Doug Aamoth Kingdom Hearts to DS on September 29th (exclusive to DS)
• 12:34 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look pretty good for DS
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth shot of Bowser
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth “Bowser really does suck, and I mean that in a good way”
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth Bowser’s Inside Story: Mario RPG
• 12:35 PM: Doug Aamoth for DS
• 12:36 PM: devin Hmm
  Signal is blowing it. Pictures incoming.

  /sent from my G1

• 12:36 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario and Luigi go to work exploring Bowser’s pipes
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story available this fall
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth in North America and Europe
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth one more piece of important news for RPGs
• 12:37 PM: Nicholas Deleon I’d like to see a Mario plumbing simulator. Dealing with homeowners, paying unions dues, etc.
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth a franchise that’s been gone for quite a while…
• 12:37 PM: Doug Aamoth Golden Sun DS
• 12:38 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look great
• 12:38 PM: Doug Aamoth demo over, more money talk
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth DS is a great platform, lots of people have it, good money, etc.
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth October 13th, James Patterson interactive novel
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth Why join a book club when you can join the Women’s Murder Club?
• 12:39 PM: Doug Aamoth Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth uncover hidden clues, analyze evidence
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth you play a lady detective of some sort
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth for Nintendo DS
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth new stuff from Ubisoft…
• 12:40 PM: Doug Aamoth Cop: The Recruit for DS
• 12:41 PM: Doug Aamoth young NY cop forced undercover to unravel the conspiracy that’s gotten his partner in trouble
• 12:41 PM: Nicholas Deleon And, really, who doesn’t love grittiness?
• 12:41 PM: Doug Aamoth looks like GTA
• 12:42 PM: Nicholas Deleon That woman’s pants are straight out of Saturday Night Fever
• 12:42 PM: Doug Aamoth run your own boutique, customize your shop
• 12:42 PM: Doug Aamoth works with DS Wi-Fi
• 12:43 PM: Nicholas Deleon I can’t imagine too many of you guys are interested in a clothes/modeling simulator
• 12:43 PM: Doug Aamoth “Style Savvy”
• 12:43 PM: Doug Aamoth should have called it Teen Girl Squad
• 12:43 PM: Doug Aamoth no onto the DSi
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth interviewing tweens, etc.
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth “it’s a very on-the-go system”
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth “the internet’s gonna be awesaaahme”
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth lots of middle schoolers drawing out their vowels
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth the camera is greeeaaate
• 12:44 PM: Doug Aamoth etc.
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth DSi sales have surpassed one million units since launch
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth plus 400,000 DS lites
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth the lady speaking has a handsome pantsuit
• 12:45 PM: Doug Aamoth it’s all white
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth nice two-button blazer, white bell-bottom pants
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth okay, back to business
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth animation game for DSi
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth simple movie maker
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth FlipNote Studio
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth like a flip animation video maker
• 12:46 PM: Nicholas Deleon Oh God, enough with user-generated content
• 12:46 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario Donkey Kong level creator
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth yeah, DSi = personalization basically
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth available only as a download on DSi on June 8th
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth “that’s right, this coming Monday”
• 12:47 PM: Doug Aamoth WarioWare DIY
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth “as in, do it yourself”
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth every element is user controlled
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth characters, storyline, meaning, etc.
• 12:48 PM: Doug Aamoth when your micro game is completed, you can share it with other WarioWare owners
• 12:49 PM: Doug Aamoth DSi camera
• 12:49 PM: Doug Aamoth automatic photo uploads to Facebook coming this summer
• 12:49 PM: Doug Aamoth because if you have an electronic product, it MUST connect with Facebook
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth new game
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth The Legend of Zelda, Spirit Tracks
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth playable on the show floor this week
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth but little information beyond that
• 12:50 PM: Doug Aamoth the crowd is eerily subdued, your thoughts Nicholas?
• 12:51 PM: Nicholas Deleon Everyone’s game indeed
• 12:51 PM: Nicholas Deleon I’m trying to think if this woman has improved over last year
• 12:51 PM: Doug Aamoth Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president takes the stage
• 12:51 PM: Nicholas Deleon Because she was dire last year
• 12:52 PM: Nicholas Deleon Now this guy I like, Iwata
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth the global gaming population has greatly expanded
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth Nintendo has been doing a lot of research
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth three population groups
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth active game players, people who say they’ll never play, and people who say they might play
• 12:52 PM: Doug Aamoth future growth has to come from the “maybes”
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth 295 million active players
• 12:53 PM: peterha
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth in Japan, US, and six European countries
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth 149 million “maybes”
• 12:53 PM: Nicholas Deleon That may be, but you’re annoying your Active fans with all this casual hogwash
• 12:53 PM: Doug Aamoth you don’t like Cooking Mama?
• 12:54 PM: Doug Aamoth “we still have a long way to go to expand the gaming population”
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth previously the best games were considered those that required the most advanced skills
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth makes it harder for newcomers to join, though
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth if we lower the bar, we won’t satisfy highly-skilled players, though
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth hard to determine experienced player vs. novice
• 12:55 PM: Doug Aamoth we were all new gamers once, though
• 12:56 PM: Doug Aamoth need to be intuitive enough to be enjoyed by everyone
• 12:56 PM: Doug Aamoth make both skill levels happy simultaneously
• 12:57 PM: Doug Aamoth MarioKart with Wii Wheel is a good example of a game that’s easy to pick up yet appeals to experienced gamers as well
• 12:57 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Sports Resort will be a similar game
• 12:57 PM: Doug Aamoth “Everyone’s game”
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth Brain Age and Wii Fit have attracted the most new players
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth what’s next? sneak peek…
• 12:58 PM: Nicholas Deleon mind, body and soul?
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth Wii Vitality Sensor
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth you put your finger in it like a pulse monitor
• 12:58 PM: Doug Aamoth is it April Fool’s Day?
• 12:59 PM: Nicholas Deleon I dare him to test the audience’s vitality!
• 12:59 PM: Doug Aamoth measures nervousness
• 12:59 PM: Doug Aamoth the sensor, on any audience member, would register outrage
• 12:59 PM: Doug Aamoth use the Vitality Sensor to achieve greater relaxation
• 1:00 PM: Doug Aamoth so fire up the Wii, stick the sensor on your finger, and try to get your stress level to fall
• 1:00 PM: Doug Aamoth I’m assuming there’d be some sort of breathing exercises
• 1:00 PM: Nicholas Deleon Unless Nintendo has a game where Link and Abraham Lincoln team up to race the Indy 500
• 1:00 PM: Doug Aamoth that’s all we get to see, though, just the Vitality Sensor
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth lady back on stage
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth “We still have some stimulation to show you.”
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth there’s more Mario news…
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth for the first time ever…
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth a SECOND FULL 3D MARIO TITLE
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth on a single Nintendo console
• 1:01 PM: Doug Aamoth this one looks much better than the first one they showed
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth more like Mario Galaxy
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth may be Mario Galaxy 2, there’s a fair amount of space stuff
• 1:02 PM: Nicholas Deleon Well this is more like it
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth running sideways across globes, etc.
• 1:02 PM: Doug Aamoth similar to Mario Galaxy
• 1:03 PM: Doug Aamoth wait for it… wait for itttttt.
• 1:03 PM: Doug Aamoth Super Mario Galaxy 2
• 1:03 PM: Doug Aamoth Reggie Fils-Aime back on stage
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth SMG 2 looks a lot like the first one
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth but the first one was a good game, so that’s okay
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth “I read the blogs, too” — Reggie
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth people are saying “I want more”
• 1:04 PM: Doug Aamoth and more is generally publishers not named Nintendo
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth exclusive titles from third-party publishers
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth three weeks: The Conduit – Sega
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth first person shooter
• 1:05 PM: Doug Aamoth was that Will Smith’s voice?
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth The Conduit
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth looks like a futuristic, apocalyptic FPS
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles
• 1:06 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look superb
• 1:06 PM: Nicholas Deleon Does Leon punch boulders? I think not
• 1:07 PM: Nicholas Deleon Yeah, this looks pretty good
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth guns + Wii MotionPlus = good
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth Deadspace…
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth Dead Space Extraction
• 1:07 PM: Doug Aamoth exclusive to Wii
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth kind of a prequel to Dead Space
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth graphics look great
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth people finally clap
• 1:08 PM: Doug Aamoth politely, again
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth end of third-party publisher announcements
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth an edgy game coming from Nintendo? absolutely says Fils-Aime
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth preview of…
• 1:09 PM: Doug Aamoth Team Ninja + Nintendo
• 1:10 PM: Doug Aamoth yama hama, this looks nice
• 1:10 PM: Doug Aamoth Metroid: Other M
• 1:10 PM: Doug Aamoth a grittier, darker Metroid
• 1:10 PM: Nicholas Deleon Satisfied, hardcore gamers?
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth I still didn’t see any blood
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth maybe in the future, people don’t bleed
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth coming 2010
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth people finally clapping normally
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth sort of
• 1:11 PM: Doug Aamoth “Passionate Metroid fans may have found surprise in that trailer” — Reggie
• 1:12 PM: Nicholas Deleon Speculate: what does M stand for?
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth deeper into Samus’ story
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth MURDER, muwahahahaaaa
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth no idea
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth Mintendo
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth MotionPlus?
• 1:12 PM: Doug Aamoth Myamoto?
• 1:12 PM: devin /sent from my G1
• 1:12 PM: devin
• 1:12 PM: peterha
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth “We remain committed to making Nintendo everyone’s game.”
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth thank you and good bye
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth wow, that was… um… not all that great
• 1:13 PM: Doug Aamoth where’s the Wii Zelda?
• 1:13 PM: Nicholas Deleon They should have just showed the last 10 mins
• 1:14 PM: Nicholas Deleon Instead of all that other nonsense that I’ve already forgotten about
• 1:14 PM: Doug Aamoth they should have had James Cameron come out and talk about his new movie for an hour and a half
• 1:14 PM: Nicholas Deleon Oh that was really great
• 1:14 PM: peterha
• 1:14 PM: Doug Aamoth okay time to wrap it up, thanks for stopping by everyone
• 1:14 PM: Nicholas Deleon With his Meryl Streep haircut
• 1:15 PM: Doug Aamoth we’ll let all of Devin and Peter’s late-ass photos trickle in
• 1:17 PM: peterha
• 1:18 PM: peterha
• 1:18 PM: peterha
• 1:20 PM: peterha
• 1:20 PM: peterha
• 1:21 PM: peterha
• 1:22 PM: peterha
• 1:24 PM: devin
• 1:26 PM: Doug Aamoth Quick Update: Super Mario Galaxy 2 won’t be available until 2010

We’re live at Ubisoft’s conference at E3 in Los Angeles…

We expect to see a lot of AssCreed 2, Red Steel 2, Tom Clancy and possibly DLC for Far Cry 2 from Ubi tonight. Stay tuned.

• 7:49 PM: Doug Aamoth Event starts at 5PM Pacific, 8PM Eastern. Stay tuned, we’ll be underway shortly.
• 7:56 PM: devindotcom Yo ho ho and a bottle of fun!
• 7:57 PM: devindotcom People are still sitting down. This huge, beautiful theater is packed to the rafters.
• 7:58 PM: devindotcom Ubi was the belle of the ball last year, so let’s hope they kick ass this year too. We know we’re gonna see some Assassin’s Creed 2… oh the announcer is piping up now
• 8:01 PM: devindotcom Okay!
• 8:02 PM: devindotcom It’s on, fools. We’ve just gotten a little taste of what’s to come.
• 8:02 PM: devindotcom “Good evening fellow nerds!”
• 8:03 PM: devindotcom This guy’s doing a “I’m a gamer .. but I have kids” schtick
• 8:03 PM: devindotcom The coolest thing in the room right now is this sweet crane cam.
• 8:03 PM: ThePeterHa Joel McHale is the Ubi MC for tonight
• 8:04 PM: devindotcom “Everyone at Ubisoft is a star. That’s why I don’t get to work there.”
• 8:04 PM: devindotcom One of the most recognizable athletes of all time coming up, apparently.
• 8:05 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:05 PM: devindotcom Also a movie star coming on… but they’re being coy.
• 8:05 PM: devindotcom Lots of strangling coming up. And animals. Hopefully not both at the same time.
• 8:06 PM: devindotcom President and CEO, Yves Guillemot on stage
• 8:07 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:07 PM: devindotcom Lots of talk about interconnection. Corporate strategy or new game tech?
• 8:08 PM: devindotcom From Convergence to confluence. Very exciting stuff here.
• 8:08 PM: devindotcom Uplay: brand new online destination
• 8:08 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:09 PM: devindotcom Allow consumers to create and share screenshots, videos, walkthroughs, hints for friends, etc.
• 8:09 PM: devindotcom Screenshot’s username was “EwokLover”
• 8:10 PM: devindotcom Why not join forces with moviemakers? -instead of just adapting
• 8:10 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:10 PM: devindotcom Avatar: the Game for instance
• 8:10 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:11 PM: devindotcom Working with Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg….
• 8:11 PM: devindotcom working on Tintin!
• 8:11 PM: devindotcom Tintiiiiiiin
• 8:11 PM: devindotcom Tintin + Assassin’s Creed would be the greatest game of all time
• 8:12 PM: devindotcom They’re very proud of their use of accessories and non-standard controllers – EndWar, Shaun White snowboarding etc.
• 8:13 PM: devindotcom Next step: making the interface disappear. What does this mean?!
• 8:13 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:14 PM: devindotcom President of Montreal Studio talking about ‘confluence.’ He’s really excited about something they’ve been working on.
• 8:15 PM: devindotcom “Ubisoft Digital Arts,” crossing over into Hollywood. 300, Sin City etc.
• 8:16 PM: devindotcom They’ve been working closely with James Cameron on Avatar. More details tomorrow.
• 8:16 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:16 PM: devindotcom They’ve worked on 100 effects shots for Avatar.
• 8:17 PM: ThePeterHa Ubisoft knows how to run a press conference
• 8:18 PM: devindotcom Using Ubisoft’s in-game effects and tools …. Assassin’s Creed movie using real game assets and in-engine stuff?!
• 8:18 PM: devindotcom An Assassin’s Creed movie would be…. mmm, withholding judgment.
• 8:19 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:19 PM: devindotcom Guess who….
• 8:19 PM: devindotcom James Cameron!
• 8:19 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:20 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:20 PM: devindotcom James wrote the treatment for Avatar 14 years ago. The folks in charge said they couldn’t be done.
• 8:21 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:21 PM: devindotcom Pioneering lots of different technology like special mocap stuff
• 8:22 PM: devindotcom 22nd century… on the “not a planet” Pandora… lush rainforest environments with incredible life-forms (beautiful and terrifying)
• 8:22 PM: devindotcom This guy is secretly (maybe not so secretly) a huge nerd
• 8:23 PM: devindotcom Human-alien hybrids called Avatars, hence the title
• 8:23 PM: devindotcom “Just to be clear, it’s not a Matrix type story”
• 8:24 PM: devindotcom Remote control human beings… wounded humans living vicariously through Avatars… man this is getting complicated as all hell
• 8:24 PM: devindotcom Sounds like the plot of a Space RPG. Smokin’ hot 10-foot blue aliens
• 8:24 PM: devindotcom “this battle at the end of the movie is the mother of all battles”
• 8:25 PM: ThePeterHa Did Cameron just make up his own elvish/klingon language?
• 8:25 PM: devindotcom Alien giants, flying “kraaa” vs. helicopters and guns, who would have guessed he was working with a video game developer on this thing?
• 8:25 PM: devindotcom Cameras took 9 years to develop
• 8:25 PM: devindotcom how is that possible, film has only been in production for 4 years
• 8:25 PM: devindotcom maybe it’s on Pandora time.
• 8:26 PM: devindotcom “We wanted to choose our video game partner verrrry carefully.” Decided on Ubisoft, and why not?
• 8:26 PM: ThePeterHa I change my mind about Google being Skynet. Ubisoft is Skynet.
• 8:26 PM: devindotcom Good point Peter. They’re going to hook up with iRobot and take over
• 8:27 PM: ThePeterHa *touches nose
• 8:27 PM: devindotcom *touches Peter’s nose
• 8:27 PM: devindotcom SHOW SOMETHING ALREADY
• 8:27 PM: ThePeterHa SHOW SOME VIDEO OR SOMETHING
• 8:27 PM: ThePeterHa SWEET JEEBUS
• 8:27 PM: ThePeterHa The game is not a slave to the movie
• 8:27 PM: devindotcom I am a slave to the movie
• 8:28 PM: ThePeterHa JC is totally nerding out over this thing.
• 8:28 PM: devindotcom Peter did you see the crane cam almost dink that camera guy? That’s trust
• 8:29 PM: devindotcom If we got a couple drinks in this guy he’d show us the whole thing
• 8:29 PM: devindotcom I think he can’t wait to get his baby out there. Hope it’s good or he’ll disappear forever.
• 8:29 PM: ThePeterHa OK, now I’m over it. SHOW SOMETHING!!!
• 8:31 PM: devindotcom I just checked under my seat for 3D glasses…. wishful thinking unfortunately.
• 8:31 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:32 PM: devindotcom No spoilers in the game! It won’t be like King Kong then.
• 8:33 PM: devindotcom Cameron says it’s “the coolest game out there.” Thanks dad
• 8:33 PM: devindotcom Viper wolves?!
• 8:33 PM: ThePeterHa We’ll see the demo when E3 opens up the doors tomorrow at Ubi’s booth
• 8:33 PM: devindotcom And he’s outa here!
• 8:34 PM: devindotcom “there are so many French people backstage… it’s a little scary” Same thing out here.
• 8:35 PM: devindotcom He’s saying Red Steel 2 is way more exact. Mmm, we saw some of that with that tennis game in EA’s thing. Not quite, but decent.
• 8:35 PM: devindotcom Red Steel 2 trailer…. this one’s new.
• 8:36 PM: devindotcom I like the look of this game waaay better than the last one. It’s like Afro Samurai crossed with … I don’t know, Red STeel.
• 8:37 PM: devindotcom And there’s still no blood. I think that’s kind of ridiculous, especially with the otherwise stylized graphics.
• 8:37 PM: devindotcom Janson Vangenberghe and Roman Campos Oriola, Creative Director and Lead Game Designer respectively for Red Steel 2
• 8:37 PM: devindotcom They’re gonna demo it. Sweet.
• 8:38 PM: devindotcom This guy looks craaaazyyyy
• 8:38 PM: devindotcom Trigun, that’s what it reminds me of. Trigun with swords.
• 8:38 PM: devindotcom Okay, live demo running now. We’ll have video up ASAP after the event.
• 8:39 PM: devindotcom Opening sequence is tight. You’re being dragged behind a motorcyle
• 8:41 PM: devindotcom Sword position is mapped 1:1 to the position of the controller
• 8:41 PM: devindotcom The harder you actually slash, the more damage you do. Thank you, no more flicking
• 8:42 PM: devindotcom Guys blink and disappear like River City Ransom after you stab them to death
• 8:43 PM: devindotcom There’s simplified controls for noobs, more ‘customizable’ controls for experts
• 8:43 PM: devindotcom Bullet time stuff, looks fun.
• 8:43 PM: devindotcom Not to be macabre, but really it looks kind of weird without blood.
• 8:44 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:45 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:45 PM: devindotcom Fatality!
• 8:45 PM: devindotcom Red Steel 2 available at launch of Wii Motion Plus.
• 8:46 PM: devindotcom Sports stuff now. Get to the Creed!
• 8:46 PM: ThePeterHa That’s *bundled* with Wii Motion Plus, Devin.
• 8:46 PM: ThePeterHa I interviewed Shaun White!
• 8:46 PM: devindotcom Oops, I misspelled bundled as “available”
• 8:47 PM: devindotcom New Shaun White game. We’ve got a skit intro here.
• 8:48 PM: devindotcom Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage
• 8:48 PM: ThePeterHa Available this coming holiday season
• 8:48 PM: ThePeterHa Ubi soccer game coming
• 8:49 PM: ThePeterHa Pele on the Wii, I think.
• 8:49 PM: ThePeterHa Pele is here!
• 8:49 PM: devindotcom Pele, he’s here
• 8:50 PM: devindotcom Everybody’s cheering and stuff but this guy is probably used to even more fanfare
• 8:50 PM: devindotcom Pele 3d model looking preeeeetty weird
• 8:51 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:51 PM: devindotcom Pele: “I don’t speak english.” MC: “Well you’re doing a pretty good job right now”
• 8:52 PM: devindotcom Pele: “I’m very happy to be here… I’m very happy to be working with Ubisoft” Well that’s good
• 8:52 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:52 PM: ThePeterHa Why isn’t Nicholas here translating for us?
• 8:52 PM: devindotcom You mean Carlos?
• 8:52 PM: ThePeterHa Yes
• 8:54 PM: devindotcom Seems like a nice guy.
• 8:54 PM: devindotcom Academy of Champiooons
• 8:56 PM: devindotcom Soccer philosophy. Too much to transcribe. Sneak preview of the game playing…………now
• 8:56 PM: devindotcom what, this looks insane
• 8:56 PM: devindotcom it’s like those GBA sports games crossed with… harry potter, crossed with the corpse bride
• 8:57 PM: devindotcom cinematic trailer though. no gameplay
• 8:57 PM: devindotcom Academy of Champions Football, only for Wii
• 8:59 PM: ThePeterHa
• 8:59 PM: ThePeterHa Coming in 2009
• 8:59 PM: ThePeterHa
• 9:00 PM: devindotcom We’re covering this way better than the other guys by the way.
• 9:00 PM: devindotcom Producer and Creative Director of Splinter Cell, Alex Parizeau and Max Beland
• 9:00 PM: devindotcom Talking about Splinter Cell: Conviction
• 9:01 PM: devindotcom Trailer showing now. Spoiler warning since I haven’t played Double Agent
• 9:03 PM: devindotcom Looks good. I always wanted to tear around as Sam Fisher instead of creeping.
• 9:04 PM: devindotcom All the Ubi guys have the same general fashion sense
• 9:04 PM: devindotcom untucked, dark sport coat, non formal shoes… is that the dress code in France?
• 9:05 PM: devindotcom They’re going to play it now. Demo time, we’ll get that up for you shortly. MC: “I’m gonna go backstage and freak out.”
• 9:06 PM: devindotcom Interrogation mini-game. very sadistic. Urinal smashing. Breaking of stall doors…. story elements being told to you are “projected” on the surroundings.
• 9:07 PM: devindotcom Real gameplay starts now. Looks great. Good lighting. Very cinematic.
• 9:07 PM: devindotcom That was brutal. You move a lot faster.
• 9:08 PM: devindotcom Nice climbing. Not as good as Altair though. Ooh, shooting through window while hanging onto it. You’ll see the video soon.
• 9:10 PM: devindotcom Has a sort of “augmented reality” look to it. Less immersive but possibly better for gameplay.
• 9:11 PM: devindotcom He just did something to a guy’s face, twice.
• 9:11 PM: devindotcom Very thrilling! Nice bookcases in this mansion too.
• 9:12 PM: devindotcom Oops. captured. It’s over! Looks great.
• 9:12 PM: ThePeterHa We’ll have over six minutes of gameplay footage coming soon
• 9:13 PM: ThePeterHa Available this Fall for the Xbox 360 and PC
• 9:14 PM: devindotcom Trailer for a … I’m not sure. I’ll get back to you.
• 9:15 PM: devindotcom Steely-eyed men mug at each other! Tanks roll under your fingers! I think this is a “concept”
• 9:16 PM: devindotcom What, it’s real? “Ruse”
• 9:16 PM: devindotcom Looks like Battleship on a Surface.
• 9:17 PM: devindotcom Battery is suffering. Come on Assassin’s Creed!
• 9:17 PM: devindotcom Ah. Ubisoft is leading the way in casual games. We’ll just take a brief break here.
• 9:25 PM: devindotcom That was… tweeny.
• 9:25 PM: devindotcom They’re still going.
• 9:30 PM: devindotcom Camera-based fitness game… I’ll believe it when I see it though. Looks sort of idealized.
• 9:30 PM: devindotcom The lady in the movie didn’t need a lot of work though.
• 9:31 PM: devindotcom
• 9:31 PM: devindotcom More raving rabbids.
• 9:31 PM: devindotcom Rabbids Go Home. We’ve got dancing rabbids here.
• 9:32 PM: devindotcom We’ll have video of that later… in the meantime, BRB.
• 9:37 PM: devindotcom Not sure what’s going on, we’re abusing these little rabbids living inside the Wiimote. It’s actually pretty funny.
• 9:38 PM: devindotcom Hmm, you’re rolling around collecting things, and the moon is involved. Not like Katamari Damacy at all…
• 9:39 PM: devindotcom Battery warning. We’ll have video, don’t worry.
• 9:49 PM: devindotcom Nice long press conference. Battery almost gone. TMNT smash brothers-type game, some project from the creator of Rez and Lumines.
• 9:50 PM: devindotcom Okay. Assassin’s Creed 2 being talked about. Come on little battery!
• 9:50 PM: devindotcom November 17.
• 9:50 PM: devindotcom HERE WOe
• 9:50 PM: devindotcom go
• 9:51 PM: devindotcom Takes place in Venice during the Renaissance…!?
• 9:51 PM: devindotcom Festival… ladies…
• 9:51 PM: devindotcom it’s a cinematic trailer, no gameplay yet
• 9:52 PM: devindotcom Masque Ball. Just saw an assassinish boot.
• 9:52 PM: devindotcom Oh he’s so dead
• 9:53 PM: devindotcom Lots of Altair-looking guy running around in Italy…. looks stylish.
• 9:54 PM: devindotcom He’s got a gun!
• 9:54 PM: devindotcom Assassin’s got a gun. No less lethal than the throwing knives i suppose.
• 9:54 PM: devindotcom it’s over!
• 9:55 PM: devindotcom The whole thing is on video. We’ll get it uploaded toot sweet.
• 9:55 PM: devindotcom Thanks for reading, everyone. We’re off to find food and an outlet.

Pop over to their store right now to grab the watch for $485. More specs after the jump.

# 44-mm stainless steel case.
# Swiss Unitas hand-wind movement.
# Domed sapphire crystal glass.
# Anti-reflective coating.
# Mineral exhibition window.
# Special “Cote de Geneve” engraving.
# 24-mm x 24-mm leather strap.
# Sweeping Second Hand.

You can get 30 gigabytes worth of refurbished Zune for just $80 over at Woot.com today. Available in black, white, or brown, the Zune “stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video (128 Kbps).”

And in typical Woot! fashion, whoever whipped up the product description once again shows that he or she can write circles around just about anyone else on the web, tying in the Zune leapyear shutdown fiasco with the proposed end of the world on December 21st, 2012:

Hey, naysayers. You think this Microsoft Zune 30GB Digital Media Player is a waste of money? You think you can still make jokes about that worldwide Zune shutdown? Well, get this through your thick naysaying skull. The next leap year incident, if it even happens, will happen on the final day of 2012. And you know what? No one will even care. Because we all know that the world is going to end ten days before that.

That’s right, naysayers! The thirteenth b’ak’tun comes to a close on December 21st! Worlds will live! Worlds will die! Nothing will ever be the same! And as you ascend into the belly of the bird shaman as he facilitates our planet’s forward motion across the dimensional plane, your Zune will still be working perfectly!

As a writer and as a fan of metaphysical and ancient mystery literature, were I wearing a hat I would tip it in your general direction, dear Woot! product description specialist. Keep up the good work.

Microsoft Zune 30GB Digital Media Player [Woot.com]

iPhone be burning up
Your bucket of Bell&Ross crazy just arrived
Floating iceberg is the perfect eyesore for your lakefront property
Toilet kneeler cuts down on splashback, dignity
A smart meter in every UK home come 2020?

Not content with making me happy with their GMT, Bell&Ross has just released this weird piece for Colette, some sort of artsy shop in Paris. This is some kind of tribute to Airborne Rangers, I suspect, with a little skull and two sword hands. Not sure how much it would cost in Earth money but I’m willing to bet a few grand.

Is it just me or are these guys releasing a new model every fifteen seconds.