Wii and PS3: Complete and Synchronized Unboxing

An event that happens less than Neptune colliding with Uranus: two consoles arriving on our doorstep simultaneously. Actually now that we think about it, it's only happened once...ever. The Wii and PS3 have landed, and only Gizmodo has the exclusive unboxing of both next-gen devices. This is the retail PS3, which unlike the test PS3 units everyone else got, is the actual console you'll be getting in stores. More »

Hannspree Does Some Groovy LCDs

We've shown you the child's side of Hannspree with its Disney-inspired LCD models, but here's something a little more sophisticated for the grownups. The Hanns Starlight is a 15-inch LCD TV that, strangely enough, is inspired by the contours of the moon in the starlit sky. I don't know what the Hannspree team was smoking the day they came up with this, but I'd like them to give me a call immediately. It's quite a pretty television, with "curves like orbits" and laser-polished buttons. Runs about $600 and comes with a metal stand designed in an "orbital pattern." Another fave is the Hanns Time Square TV. A 12-inch LCD model, this one is actually designed to look like a men's sports watch. On the front of the TV, it's got a Swiss movement on the right and a thermometer and hydrometer to track temperature and humidity on the left. The stand is wrapped in rubber and it's also got adjustable speakers. And what a bargain at only $450. More »

Aurora Palette—The Magical Curtain

Japan's Banpresto is selling several types of room and bath atmospheric light gadgets, including this one called the Aurora Palette. It is a relaxing, interior light, that projects an aurora borealis-like light on the ceiling or wall at home. Along with the colors, it also wavers as if it were a real aurora. It includes a timer function for 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes and sells for about $30. More »

Marty 101 Speaker — Timedomain

The Japanese company MET began selling the speaker system Marty 101 yesterday, developed in cooperation with the company Timedomain. I guess it is more for the real audio buffs among us, but after reading about its effects capabilities, I'm thinking it sounds quite intriguing. "Time domain theory aims to reproduce the original audio waveform, which contains the amplitude / phase frequency characteristics, through the speaker, without change. This theory is therefore considered to be an effective approach toward the reproduction of truly original sound." Surely someone can comment on this. They're sold as a pair in silver or white for about $250. More »

LG 42" Xcanvas With 160GB Of PR()|\|

LG is releasing the 42LP1DR LCD TV soon. The model number may not be that big of a deal, but the feature set is making me wiggle. The 42" HD-ready LCD TV will feature a built-in 160GB hard drive for recording your HD shows and movies. This is great because it allows you to ditch the PVR box and keep your living room (or bathroom, if you're that cool) looking streamlined and uncluttered. The TV can do 13 hours of HD recording, 63 hours of SD recording, and you can even pull in pics through the built-in 9 in 1 card reader. This of course means you can do your photo viewing, movie viewing, MP3 playing, etc. through the same TV interface. Keep an eye out for this hot number from LG as no pricing or release date is set. More »

USB Turntable (More Vinyl to CD Goodness)

You kind of liked the idea of that TEAC turntable that could rip vinyl right into a CD (though many of you seemed to wonder why it took so long for the combo to be marketed together), so you may also want to take a looksie at ION's ITTUSB. This USB turntable is being touted as the first ever of its kind to let you instantly convert your vinyl to CD or MP3 with included recording software (no special drivers required). Basically, the ITTUSB is compatible with any software that supports USB audio input sound cards, but comes with Audacity software for Mac or PC. On the hardware side, the turntable supports 33 1/3 and 45rpm, has an adjustable anti-skating control for increased stereo balancing, supports high-speed vinyl recording, has adjustable pitch control (+/- 8 per cent) and comes with line level output that lets you connect to your home stereo with CD or auxiliary inputs. Just $139. More »

iTower Looms over Competition

Well, it's big, I'll give you that. And because it's designed specifically for the iPod, the iTower will be bought by at least 3 billion people. The speaker system, featuring a 42-inch-tall and 9-inch-wide tower with built-in subwoofer and four aluminum cone speakers, comes with a wireless remote and several Zipconnect cables for compatibility with any flavor iPod you may have. It's designed to be paired with Apple's MP3 player—as if the "i" didn't tell you that already—but a standard cable allows you to plug in any old digital music player through the headphone jack. Available at Sharper Image for $200. If you want more than one, additional iTowers go for $100 each. More »

Squeezebox Serves Up Your Music Round the House

Your impressive collection of mp3s is nice and all, but it does nobody any good just sitting on your PC s hard drive. Wouldn t you like to be able to play all of those files through your state-of-the-art stereo system that set you back a couple of Gs all those years ago? That s exactly what Slim Devices Squeezebox V3 aims for you to do. Styled like a svelte radio, the Squeezebox streams your digital music files from your PC to any stereo via its analog out, digital optical out, or digital coax or for an extra $50, it ll stream your tunes wirelessly. With its server software compatible with Windows, Mac, and—gasp!—Linux, the Squeezebox makes the task of listening to your awesome library throughout the house a breeze. As an added bonus, the unit s face can display RSS news feeds, perfect for keeping up with the weather, current events, or even Gizmodo. More »

Snowboarding in the Living Room

Haven't had the time to hit the slopes this year and fear you may not be at the top of your snowboarding game? Check out Hammacher Schlemmer's all-in-one snowboard simulator game, a nifty little package that includes a snowboard simulator with four games, all for $59.95. The game modes include time challenge, pipedream and Tokyo megaplex and you'll find a wide range of terrain and weird things to look at as you digitally board. Be on the lookout for half-pipes, forests, mountain ranges and of course, other snowboarders. More »

Epson Shows Off Large Projection TVs

Bucking the trend, Seiko Epson has decided to throw some cash into the TV arena, showing off 2 HDTV projection TVs in Japan. Though other camera companies have been getting into the home entertainment space, many of them have recently come to realize that competition is intense and money is tough to pull, so let's give Epson a hand. Of course, instead of focusing on LCD or plasma TVs, the company has released 1080p rear-projection products, which are still cheaper to manufacture or buy than either of their large, flatter cousins. Look for the 65-inch ELS-65GL1 and the 55-inch ELS-55GL1 which will sell under the G-Series line. Both include a sound system from Onkyo, VGA interface, a USB port to attach a printer, and of course, a slot for a memory card to view photos. More »

TiVo Box Only $16.95

I say it's damn good to see TiVo finally changing its business model. Right now, you'll actually get a free 40 hour TiVo box when you pay the $16.95 per month service fee. Of course, this is only a year agreement, so we can't be sure what the company has up its sleeve. But huzzah for progress. More »