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Full Circle

EA Chief Says Black Friday Completed Next-Gen Console Transition

Two years after the Xbox 360 kick-started the next-gen console race on a Black Friday week, EA chief John Riccitello says this year's Black Friday completed the transition to the (now) current-gen consoles:

"It's been the longest, hardest transition in the history of the industry...Last Friday marked one of those points where you can say something's changed...Around the world, based on the data I've got, it was pretty clear that the transition is now over.

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9:00 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Matt Buchanan
9,234 views, 34 comments

Latest by Geeum: @aec007: Seeing as my 3 year old Athlon64 4000+ with 2gb ddr1 ram and ATI x1800XL all of which which was a $500 upgrade now has to run Crysis in 800x600 with almost everything turned off except color to get more »

'home

Is It a Soccer Ball or a Remote? Actually, It's Both

Soccer may not be the most popular sport in the US—but don't tell that to millions of minivan-driving suburban mothers. Chances are, the kids they are constantly hauling back and forth to practice would love this soccer ball remote. Not only will it handle your TV, DVD and satellite controls, it is also a full-size, functional ball. So you can kick it around, do headers and let the TV channels fall where they may. I just hope you are a fan of English soccer. Available for around $41. [Product Page]

8:40 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Sean Fallon
2,681 views, 14 comments

Latest by LittleJon: "Soccer" is an English word. It's a strange contraction of "Association Football". It's just not the most popular name for the sport in the UK. Association Football refers to the standardized-rules game that was set up in 1863 under the control more »

Bluetooth

Bluetooth Wristband: Better Than the BlueQ?

This is not the first time we have come across a wristband that alerts you to incoming calls. Some of you may recall the BlueQ from earlier this year. It worked—but not all that well. Could this device, dubbed the LM957, be a better alternative? According to the product site, the LM957 will not only discreetly alert you to an incoming call, it will also let you know when you have wandered more than 15 feet away from your phone. More »

8:00 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Sean Fallon
7,588 views, 13 comments

Latest by rickb7370: OK after reading all the negative comments about this device let me tell you why I was specifically looking for such an invention. I recently bought an iphone. While the phone itself is great (functionality and clever design) it is more »

No More Flintstones Vitamins

The FCC Cuts Comcast Off at the Knees

Comcast is pissed. Per the FCC's latest vote, it can't provide cable to more than 30 percent of the country. It has a 27 percent market share right now with 26.2 million subscribers. With the FCC's 30 percent market cap, it can add fewer than 3 million new subscribers before it hits the wall, pretty much ruling out acquisitions of other cable companies or any major growth. More »

7:40 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Matt Buchanan
11,180 views, 44 comments

Gaming

Upside-Down XBox 360, Sofas Kill Fat Children

According to the Health Care System Foundation, a lack of diet and exercise combined with a sedentary lifestyle (that includes playing an upside-down Xbox 360) leads to childhood obesity and an untimely death. Yeah, the kid is definitely fat—but if I were his parents I would be more worried about the fact that he is playing games with a controller that isn't plugged in. Could it be that an abundance of fat and Xbox 360 playing leads to insanity? [Kotaku]

7:20 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Sean Fallon
7,290 views, 73 comments

Latest by LadySparx: Although it doesn't appear that anyone has commented in this forum recently and therefore my comment may never be seen (or maybe that is why I feel brave enough to make it) I feel I should confess to something that more »

The Slow Lane

PS3 HD Video on Demand Service Crashes Into Japan Next Year

The PS3's still got a long ways to go to catch up to the Xbox 360 in the online space, and their next step toward it with an HD VOD service seems kind of lackluster. It's launching next year in Japan only. And the launch content seems pretty anemic unless you're into cars and racing: "motor-racing vids" and a BBC car documentary. Sony's hoping it'll get people's motors running for Gran Turismo 5. Uh, vroom vroom? [Variety via Game|Life]

7:15 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Matt Buchanan
3,187 views, 8 comments

Latest by prodigal_son: Bagging topgear is HUGE, ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HUGE, 350 million viewers worldwide, topgear on demand is just so amazingly good, its nearly unbelievable. I can pretty much bet, that every single one of them 350 million people would love to sit down more »

Home Entertainment

Hack a Neuros to Play Nice With TiVo: $3500 and Simultaneous Mobile Recording Will Be Your Reward

This isn't the first time someone has offered a bounty to hack the Linux-based Neuros OSD, but if successful, this hack could have some very interesting implications. The goal is to get the Neuros to piggyback on the TiVo's recording schedule and make MPEG-4 recordings that can be simultaneously transferred onto a portable device like a laptop or an iPhone. There are two segments to the bounty, with a cash reward that totals $3500. It sounds pretty cool, but whether it can be done is up to you. [DVRupgrade]

7:00 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Sean Fallon
1,784 views, 3 comments

Latest by tivoupgrade: @LITTLEJON - take another look at the bounties, especially bounty #2 (the $2500 one); there is also a TiVo component to it and that most definitely will require some hacking, or a sufficiently 'programmed' TiVo so that you can access more »

Hacks

DIY Can Cooler Upgrade For Even Frostier Brew

The CoolIT USB beverage chiller is certainly one of the more common gadgets of this type on the market, but it does have one major flaw. The fact that the bottom of the can is the only area that comes in contact with the cooling element can result in a drink that is less than thoroughly chilled. More »

6:40 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Sean Fallon
6,222 views, 1 comment

One BILLION

Pepsi and Amazon Giving Away 1 Billion MP3s

The Great Pepsi MP3 Giveaway returns, but this time with...Amazon? Yup. Starting Superbowl Sunday (Feb. 3), Pepsi's stuffing 5 billion bottles of ~~Coke~~ soda with download codes, but you need five of 'em to get a free song. That's right, there will be no casual Pepsi drinkers getting free songs on Pepsi/Amazon's dime—which is about 40 cents a track, down from the 65-70 cents Amazon usually places in labels' pockets. Consequently, not all of them may participate, which is lame-o on their part. More »

6:40 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Matt Buchanan
6,388 views, 19 comments

Latest by Galley: MP3? What is this, 1998? more »

scrooged

$250 Flat Fee Producers Offer Writers Guild for Internet Distribution Is Way Lame, Still Screws Writers

The Writers Guild strike languishes on: Heroes ends for the year next week. In a bid to end our suffering, the producers' trade group has made a "groundbreaking" offer to the Writers Guild, grandiosely titled the "New Economic Partnership." The deal's a mind-blowing less-than $250 flat fee for an hour-long show to be re-broadcast on the internet for up to a year. If you recall, internet distribution's sort of the sticking point and writers asked for 2.5 percent of the "distributors' gross revenue." Let us count the ways writers get screwed by the producers' Scrooge-y offer. More »

6:30 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Matt Buchanan
5,668 views, 40 comments

Latest by Kered: @Clammy42: Your response is exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I was getting at, thank you! These writers might be getting cut out of the loop but they still make a shitload of money and are asking more »

shameless whoring

The Best iPhone Book Ever Is Now Shipping

If you're planning on buying or gifting an iPhone or an iPod Touch this Christmas, might we suggest the book How to Do Everything With Your iPhone to go along with? It's got lots of tips, tricks, and will even teach you how to jailbreak and SIM unlock your iPhone. Oh, and did we mention that it's written by Jason Chen and Adam Pash? Yeah, that's the same Adam from Lifehacker, and the same Jason that you've grown to love here. ME! More »

6:20 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Jason Chen
9,137 views, 36 comments

Latest by Worf: SO, does it cover hacking 1.1.2? more »

Luxury Pooping

Japanese Aquarium Bathroom Makes You Feel Like a Mermaid While You Go #2

You think your bathroom is awesome? It's not. Check out this Japanese bathroom that's built into an aquarium, featuring a peeping tom of a turtle and a bunch of fish with no dignity. It's a ladies' room, so there are no dudes allowed, unfortunately. It cost $270,000 to build, which is a lot for a bathroom but not that bad for a gigantic aquarium. And you thought running the faucet made it easier to go. [Pink Tentacle]

5:40 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Adam Frucci
28,704 views, 38 comments

Latest by StarChaser Tyger: @Nintenboy01: Hopefully no candiru.... [www.straightdope.com] more »

Gadgets

Tag Heuer's Cellphone is a Watch Phone?

The announcement earlier this week that Tag Heuer was designing a luxury cellphone didn't inspire shock as much as a raised eyebrow, but Biggs the watch fetishist over at Crunchgear dug through his old archives and found this rendering. Dated January 18, Dialaphone.uk found these renders of a possible Tag Heuer cellphone watch that's both classy and able to call people. Whether this is the actual Tag Heuer phone is uncertain and unlikely, but we'd actually really love a cellphone watch that doesn't look like something we'd wear in the third grade. [Dialaphone via Luxury Launches via Crunchgear]

5:39 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Jason Chen
4,472 views, 5 comments

Latest by banmojo: I hope they actually put together something sweet. Tag is just as much about precision and functionality as they are about form factor. Personally I think the Prada phone is mostly bling and little sting, so I'd like more »

Clips

How to Eavesdrop on Bluetooth Headsets

Our experience with Bluetooth headsets tells us that you first have to place it into discoverable mode before any other device can connect to it, but this video claims otherwise. More »

5:30 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Jason Chen
28,619 views, 48 comments

Our OLED Odyssey

Exclusive: The Secret Sauce That Goes Into an OLED High Def TV

UDC is one of a handful of companies pioneering OLED development and manufacturing techniques for the big boys such as Samsung, Sony, LG and of course, the US Department of Defense. No one's written about how they make these displays, panels that'll make up our next generation of super-slim HDTVs, until now. This week, Benny and I visited Universal Display Corporation's headquarters in Princeton, NJ for an exclusive tour of the factory, where we witnessed just how they make 'em. More »

5:00 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Wilson Rothman
22,247 views, 13 comments

Latest by andyomomma: I loved this story. I want to know more. I want to see more video. I want to know when this is going to be a reasonable cost large scale display technology. And I expect you, Gizmodo, to do all more »

Gaming

Nvidia to Launch GeForce 9 in February?

According to DigiTimes sources, Nvidia is planning on rolling out GeForce 9 this February. They also noted that the first chip in the family will be the 65nm D9E —complete with support for DirectX 10.1 and Shader Model 4.1. As with all rumors, this should be taken with a grain of salt, so I wouldn't put your holiday plans for the 8800GTs on the backburner just yet. [DigiTimes via RegHardware via Gearfuse]

4:59 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Sean Fallon
3,860 views, 8 comments

Gadgets

Amazon Kindle Gutted, Splayed, Violated

Readers who enjoy the Amazon Kindle e-Book reader's concept for letting you consume literature in electronic form—but won't purchase one until they see what's inside—will love this post. RapidRepair's taken apart the Kindle bit by bit, showing you exactly what's inside. Unless you're a hardware engineer, seeing the internals probably don't add much to your enjoyment of anything, but it does saves yourself from having to void the warranty on your own. [RapidRepair via TheRawFeed]

4:40 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Jason Chen
3,748 views, 16 comments

Latest by NeoPoliticus: There's not really anything inside products any more. more »

In Brief

Why Would You Marry a Robot?

It's Friday, and that means one thing: sex. Or shower. I can't remember what, but the always-fab Regina Lynn's Wired Sex Drive column is out, and while commenting on David Levy's new book Love + Sex With Robots she gives us 10 reasons why she would consider a robo-marriage. Some of them are quite interesting, beyond the obvious vibrating snap-on accessories. Now, would you marry a robot? And if yes, why?
More »

4:20 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Jesus Diaz
10,565 views, 49 comments

Gizmodo

Steve Jobs Says He Doesn't Have Cancer (And Why It's Not Your Business...

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