I realize that while my last few posts have been on PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo gamer convention in Seattle, there is a bigger tech convention going on in Berlin. I have been getting a lot of info about IFA, but I find it difficult to write about conventions happening overseas. I guess I like the idea of covering conventions close by. This is something that I would … [Read more...] about It is a mouse and a scanner, I like it!

Yes, that is me with Warren Spector. If you are not familiar with Warren, you should know that he is the man who designed some very cool video games like the Wing Commander series, Deus Ex, System Shock, and yes, Epic Mickey. We reported on Epic Mickey 2 when it was first announced, and I got a chance to see it and play it over the weekend. I also learned, from the mouth … [Read more...] about A closer look at Epic Mickey: The Power of Two at PAX

It seems like every time I get a chance to play the Wii U, I always have to wait in line for a way long time. More time then I am willing to wait, as it were. This was not the case at PAX, where I was able to walk up to the Nintendo booth and get an idea of what it is like to play the Wii U. For those who don't know about the Wii U, it has a touchscreen on it, a first … [Read more...] about What’s it like to play the Wii U, and why you should care

As I mentioned before, I am at the Penny Arcade Expo here in Seattle, a big video game convention. Sure, I like reporting on video games as much as the next guy, but what Trion Worlds and SyFy are doing is very different. Defiance is a game that is a "multi-platform shooter MMO". For those that aren't familiar with video game terms, it means that you are playing a game … [Read more...] about Defiance game combines MMO with television

Right now, I am at a big video game convention in Seattle known as the Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX. Yes, there are a lot of big video games companies showing off their stuff, and occasionally you will see something that even non-gamers will love. Such is the case for the Zotac ZBox. These are stand-alone computers that come in a box that is quite small, taking up less … [Read more...] about Zotac Mini-PC Series

When I was first learning to type, I did so on an electric typewriter that had an LED screen so you could see what you were typing before you hit "Enter". This enabled you to catch mistakes before they were typed. In the same manner, this Smartype keyboard from KeyView displays exactly what you are typing to see exactly what you type without having to move your head, and … [Read more...] about Smartype keyboard has a little screen for typing

Though I did not see this for myself, I am told that Sony had a Personal 3D Viewer at CES in January. This Personal 3D Viewer is essentially a virtual 150-inch display with two 0.7-inch OLED screens. There were many complaints that this 3D Viewer was too heavy, and the Sony HMZ-T2 Personal 3D Viewer is much lighter without ear cups. In its place are ear buds, and it also … [Read more...] about Sony HMZ-T2 Personal 3D Viewer

I have seen some interesting iPad accessories that look like they can be used on gameshows. For example, the Duo Pop from Discovery Bay Games. The AppQuiz iPad accessory is much like the DuoPop, but the buttons are not wireless. As you can see, this octopus-shaped thing puts the iPad in the center, while up to four contestants hit the buttons to answer questions. … [Read more...] about AppQuiz iPad Accessory

In case you were not thrilled with the ARCHOS 101 XS tablet with Coverboard, you might want to check out their first gaming tablet, the GamePad. The GamePad has a 7-inch capacitive screen, and it has a bonus for those that don't like the touchscreen. It has access to Google Play for Android gaming, and it has physical control buttons as well as analog sticks. In … [Read more...] about ARCHOS unveils the GamePad for Android gaming

I have never been a big fan of Twister before, and I suppose it is about time that it is about time it got technological. I'm sure that you could easily turn the spinner into something electrical, but what about combining the power of Twister with dance? This is exactly what Twister Dance is designed to be. The game that you see here comes with a speaker and spots that you … [Read more...] about Hasbro takes Twister into Dance Mode

I think we all know that our kids are going to have all kinds of cellular phones. If you can't afford a smartphone, you might want to pay a small price so the kids can have a "dumb" phone. This OwnFone is probably a "dumb" phone, but it is unique and it is prepared for the real world. Chances are, you have a kid who wants a cellular phone (like I do). You probably don't … [Read more...] about OwnFone could be the future of kid’s cell phones

I remember when I was a kid I rode my bike to school, and it was often before the sun rose. I had a bike light, but it was battery powered, and these batteries tended to drain rather quickly. Here is the thing I don't understand: a bicycle has pedal power, and there is a lot of energy going to waste by just pedaling. Shouldn't this energy be used to power a bike light? How … [Read more...] about EcoXPower lights a bicycle light, charges a cellular phone, with pedal power

I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that someone has developed an Instacube, the issue I have is that this device isn't already available. Yes, this is one of those Kickstarter projects, which means you have to pledge a little, or in some cases a lot of money to get one for your own. Let's just get the price of the pledge out of the way and say that $149 will get you … [Read more...] about Instacube, for Instagram!

I always like to see what ARCHOS is up to, and they make some pretty cool Android tablets in the past few years. They recently announced the Gen10 XS tablet line which features the tablet that you see here with the ARCHOS 101 XS. It is a 10.1 inch tablet that is less than a third of an inch thin and weighs 21 ounces. I'm going to get the internal specs out of the way … [Read more...] about ARCHOS announces the 101 XS tablet with Coverboard