• Remote: Control your iTunes or Apple TV over the network from anywhere inside your house. I've got a great setup for this that basically broadcasts music to every room of my home, which I will detail in a review next week.

• AIM: It's no iChat and it's not multi-service capable, but it is AIM and it does exactly what you think it does. We covered its shortcomings in the App Marathon, it's still quite a good product.

• Pageonce: The personal assistant that keeps all your online accounts synced to one place for easy reference.

• Twinkle: The Twitter app that we loved on Installer.app makes its way to the iPhone. Why do we like Twitter? Because we're Twitter Shitters.

• Facebook: It's like regular Facebook, but with less functionality! It's fast though, and you can see what that guy who randomly added you is up to.

• Fulpower Motionx-Poker: The realistic dice game gives you something to do when you really, really need to shake things.

• Yelp: Its current location-based search helped us find some good eats when we were down in LA for E3, and should be a good go-to tool if you're visiting a new city.

• Midomi: The free song recognition app can tell you what tune that is on the radio or blaring out of the speakers down at A&F. Beats having to call in to ask.

• Pandora: It's Pandora (the smart radio station) on the iPhone. Makes up for only having 16GB of your music at once.

• NYTimes: Read the NYTimes from the comfort of your iPhone, because Safari isn't quite good enough.

• EverNote: The note-taking app that makes it super easy to jot down or record random thoughts you want to remember later.

• Zenbe: A to-do list that you can sync to a webapp online or share with others. Great way to make collaborative shopping lists that both you and your wife can check off while in the supermarket. Divide and conquer makes grocery time twice as fast.

• MooCowMusic Band: You can fake play instruments.

• CityTransit: A guide to the NYC subway. Obviously, only useful for some of us.

• UrbanSpoon: Its like Yelp, but has a random slot-machine feature that can pick a restaurant for you to eat at. Pretty neat if you want to vary up your dining experience.

• BoxOffice: Look up show times for movies in theaters that are within X distance of your current location.

[Current]

Actually, with the USB port right on the back, this wheel could make for a pretty snazzy DIY add-on to existing hardware. If only it were mini USB, the modders could really have some fun. Pick yours up for $20. [Brando]

I use the iPhone myself. I know that it's an attractive product, but when I look carefully at the iPhone's users vs. the users of our Nintendo DS, I understand there are some overlaps. And if you ask 'Is the overlap too big?,' my answer is no, not so much.

Iwata's argument may be true, but the real reason that Apple can't touch the DS market is that Nintendo has sold like a bajillion of the things already. Oh yeah, and the iPhone still has some control issues... [Forbes via DSFanboy]

The Price: About $2 per pair.

The Verdict: Pretty good! I usually hate this rubbery add-on stuff that fattens up a sleekly designed gadget, but I have to admit, playing both the PS3 and Xbox 360 felt better with the caps than without. The texture isn't just more sticky, it also has a few nubs that support your thumbs as they push the sticks farther off center. (In picture above, left stick is capped, right is normal.) And the covers don't add too much bulk, either, even though the first few minutes of testing were definitely a strange sensation.

So do I play better with the Caps4Stix? No clue. But they aren't just a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. They are more like a subtle improvement on something that you'd never have realized was broken. Like a fix to a carbon monoxide leak if carbon monoxide just burned off a few brain cells instead of killing you.

Now if only you could buy them in a color other than black to match the 360 controller... [Caps4Stix]

The points are used on blueprints and magicbooks, just timed versions of the mining game. They are supposed to enhance your power, but so far I haven't noticed any difference. Still, the game is fun and I'm hooked.

As the name implies, the makers claim this is is just the beginning of a complete iPhone MMO, and I'm looking forward to what games and interactive features will be added next. [App Marathon]

The current Xbox 360 dash (the blade version) has a problem. While there is plenty of functionality under the hood, the development team can't simply add a new blade any time they wanted to bring new content. Meanwhile, Xbox LIVE hopes to bring users more dynamic content on a daily basis. Something had to give, so Microsoft ditched their dashboard.

"There's no reason we have to decide what we did originally was the right thing," Whitten explains.

Under the new dash, a simple list including categories like "Games" and "Video" will be maliable at any time without a firmware update. And, hopefully, users will also have an easier time discovering features like iPod support with larger, prettier icons and a simpler layout.

And so far, it's all looking pretty good—and very different from Sony's XMB, an interface that we're pretty fond of as well. So what's the one thing Whitten would change about Sony's system?

"I'd ask why some icons are 3D and colorful and others are 2D and dull."

The Price: $9.99

The Verdict: Tetris isn't exactly the most ambitious project for a company like EA Games. That's probably why the company's iPhone port is just, well, overdone. A good Tetris implementation - one that would have been wildly successful on its own - wasn't enough for EA, who've loaded this port up with so much crap that it sometimes doesn't even run. EA obviously wanted to use a bit of the iPhone's rendering capabilities, but the graphics are gaudy to the point of distraction. Starting or resuming a basic game takes quite a while because of the layers of menus and loading screens, and the secondary gameplay modes and Magic Mode tools will be ignored by most. On our 3G iPhone, the app would often freeze at startup, a problem that has been reported elsewhere among iPhone and iPod owners. An update is forthcoming that should address stability issues as well as introduce a feature that allows you to draw your upcoming shape directly.

These inspired features, though, are sullied by the showy, buggy execution. Anyone looking for a simple, clean port like Tris (from the jailbreak days. See you soon, Tris...) should probably pass on this $9.99 monster as you can expect a decent competitor to pop up at a lower price point, if not for free. Also, there are already web apps that offer a traditional (though gestureless) Tetris experience in your browser that don't have a 40 second startup time. One more sticky point: if you exit out of the game to check email or take a call and return, it will save your game state. But to start playing again you have to sit through 10 seconds of the intro movie. Freaking annoying and a waste of battery.

[iPhone App Marathon Review]

HARMONIX AND MTV GAMES UNVEIL SETLIST FOR ROCK BANDTM2 - THE ULTIMATE MUSIC GAME

Game to Feature Unrivaled Blend of Classic, Developing and New Artists

Rock Band Platform to Encompass More Than 500 Songs by End of 2008

Los Angeles, Calif. – July 14, 2008 – Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company, and MTV Games, a division of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with marketing and distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today revealed at the 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit the song set list for Rock Band™ 2, the next evolution of the groundbreaking Rock Band music platform. The Rock Band 2 soundtrack will feature over 100 songs with over 80 songs on disc plus an additional 20 bonus tracks which will be made available for free download this fall. This builds upon the unparalleled depth and diversity of Rock Band’s original set list and its ever-expanding library of downloadable tracks. Comprised entirely of master recordings from some of rock’s most prolific and untouchable artists, including AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, Metallica, Pearl Jam and more, Rock Band 2 will deliver the most impressive and largest music catalogue of any music-based videogame ever.

• After 14 years since Guns N’ Roses last official music release, Axl Rose selects Rock Band 2 to debut official new track “Shackler's Revenge” from the highly-anticipated album Chinese Democracy.

• Rock Band 2 is the first and only video game to feature the music of AC/DC. It includes their epic rock anthem, "Let There Be Rock.”

• For the first time ever, music from American music icon, Bob Dylan, is featured in a video game with “Tangled Up In Blue.”

• Rock Band 2 will feature backwards compatibility with all Rock Band downloadable music content released to date.

• Owners of the original Rock Band will have the ability to export most of the Rock Band disc tracks and upgrade them into Rock Band 2 gameplay-the first time ever in videogame history! [1]

• With ongoing weekly DLC releases including individual tracks, track packs and full albums, the Rock Band music library will feature more than 500 songs by year’s end!

“With Rock Band, Harmonix and MTV Games set out to create a powerful music platform for music fans, their friends and families to discover music in a way unlike ever before,” said Paul DeGooyer, SVP Electronic Games and Music, MTV. “We are honored that such legendary artists as AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan and more have chosen Rock Band 2 as a new platform for fans to experience their music. As our catalog of disc and downloadable songs continues to grow, we are determined to continue to provide the Rock Band community an unmatched ability to customize their musical experience with the artists and songs they love.”

Rock Band 2 On-Disc Track List:
Artist Song Title Decade
1. AC/DC “Let There Be Rock” 1970s
2. AFI “Girl’s Gone Grey” 2000’s
3. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” 1990’s
4. Alice in Chains “Man in the Box” 1990’s
5. Allman Brothers “Ramblin’ Man” 1970’s
6. Avenged Sevenfold “Almost Easy” 2000’s
7. Bad Company “Shooting Star” 1970’s
8. Beastie Boys “So Whatcha Want” 1990’s
9. Beck “E-Pro” 2000’s
10. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” 1990’s
11. Billy Idol “White Wedding Pt. I” 1980’s
12. Blondie “One Way or Another” 1970’s
13. Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” 1970’s
14. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” 1980’s
15. Cheap Trick “Hello There” 1970’s
16. Devo “Uncontrollable Urge” 1980’s
17. Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain” 1990’s
18. Disturbed “Down with the Sickness” 2000’s
19. Dream Theater “Panic Attack” 2000’s
20. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” 1980’s
21. Elvis Costello “Pump It Up” 1970’s
22. Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” 1970’s
23. Foo Fighters “Everlong” 1990’s
24. Guns N’ Roses “Shackler’s Revenge” 2000’s
25. Interpol “PDA” 2000’s
26. Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” 1980’s
27. Jethro Tull “Aqualung” 1970’s
28. Jimmy Eat World “The Middle” 2000’s
29. Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1980’s
30. Journey “Anyway You Want It” 1970’s
31. Judas Priest “Painkiller” 1990’s
32. Kansas “Carry On Wayward Son” 1970’s
33. L7 “Pretend We’re Dead” 1990’s
34. Lacuna Coil “Our Truth” 2000’s
35. Linkin Park “One Step Closer” 2000’s
36. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” 1990’s
37. Lush “De-Luxe” 1990’s
38. Mastodon “Colony of Birchmen” 2000’s
39. Megadeth “Peace Sells” 1980’s
40. Metallica “Battery” 1980’s
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Where’d You Go” 1990’s
42. Modest Mouse “Float On” 2000’s
43. Motorhead “Ace of Spades” 1980’s
44. Nirvana “Drain You” 1990’s
45. Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” 1960’s
46. Panic at the Disco “Nine in the Afternoon” 2000’s
47. Paramore “That’s What You Get” 2000’s
48. Pearl Jam “Alive” 1990’s
49. Presidents of the USA “Lump” 1990’s
50. Rage Against the Machine “Testify” 1990’s
51. Ratt “Round & Round” 1980’s
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” 1990’s
53. Rise Against “Give it All” 2000’s
54. Rush “The Trees” 1970’s
55. Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye” 2000’s
56. Smashing Pumpkins “Today” 1990’s
57. Social Distortion “I Was Wrong” 1990’s
58. Sonic Youth “Teenage Riot” 1980’s
59. Soundgarden “Spoonman” 1990’s
60. Squeeze “Cool for Cats” 1970’s
61. Steely Dan “Bodhitsattva” 1970’s
62. Steve Miller Band “Rock’n Me” 1970’s
63. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” 1980’s
64. System of a Down “Chop Suey” 2000’s
65. Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” 1970’s
66. Tenacious D “Master Exploder” 2000’s
67. Testament “Souls of Black” 1990’s
68. The Donnas “New Kid in School” 2000’s
69. The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat” 1980’s
70. The Grateful Dead “Alabama Getaway” 1980’s
71. The Guess Who “American Woman” 1970’s
72. The Muffs “Kids in America” 1990’s
73. The Offspring “Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)” 1990’s
74. The Replacements “Alex Chilton” 1980’s
75. The Who “Pinball Wizard” 1960’s
Bonus Artist Bonus Song Title Decade
76. Abnormality “Visions” 2000’s
77. Anarchy Club “Get Clean” 2000’s
78. Bang Camaro “Night Lies” 2000’s
79. Breaking Wheel “Shoulder to the Plow” 2000’s
80. The Libyans “Neighborhood” 2000’s
81. The Main Drag “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter” 2000’s
82. Speck “Conventional Lover” 2000’s
83. The Sterns “Supreme Girl” 2000’s
84. That Handsome Devil “Rob the Prez-O-Dent” 2000’s

** The Rock Band 2 on-disc track list is comprised entirely of master recordings.

More news about music on the Rock Band platform will be announced during the coming months.

Rock Band 2 will make its debut on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft this September and have an exclusive launch window in North America. Rock Band 2 will be available for the PLAYSTATION® 3 and PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment systems and Wii™ later this year.

The Rock Band online Music Store recently surpassed 16 million paid downloads since the game’s launch in late November 2007.With more than 200 tracks available to date on disc and via download purchase (complete list of tracks at http://www.rockband.com/dlc), the massive Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks, packs and albums from the vast selection of offerings available as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band 2 is rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB.

[Kotaku]

The interface looks somewhat similar to Vista Media Center in its basic structure, but with more emphasis on visuals. Also, a new "party" mode will allow an 8 person chat to be carried out regardless of where you are within the Xbox Live community. This party can also move as a group through different games in XBLA and their new Primetime feature, which has multiplayer-oriented party games. The update is expected to come in the fall. [Microsoft E3 Liveblog]

Instead of just four heads, the badass looking kit gives you four heads, hi hat, crash, and ride cymbals. This kit, which will come with Rock Band 2 certainly beats the Guitar Hero: World Tour offering, but it also signals something unusual: the start of a music games arms war. I hope they bring it hard.

[Kotaku]

The Price: $9.99
Verdict: Simple, addictive fun, but a bit frustrating. If you're used to Monkey Ball's motion-sickness-inducing control setup (and you don't mind looking like a jackass on the subway) you'll have a blast. You can roll your way through 5 worlds of 11 stages each on two difficulty levels which are unlocked linearly. You've got your pick of four monkeys of varying ages and genders to put in the ball, but after that, it's a whole lot of rolling to the goal without falling off the edge.

But get ready to fall off the edge. A lot. The accelerometer control scheme does get better as you get used to it, but after about 30 minutes of play I was still having a lot of trouble finding the neutral point. But if nothing else, the graphics are definitely on the high-end for a cellphone game, which sets the tone nicely for the iPhone as a serious gaming platform. [Super Monkey Ball]

So I guess this means that Microsoft has some other things to talk about at E3. [Kotaku]

Update: Video after the jump.

The PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) system software version 2.41 is now available for update from July 8, 2008. With this update, we have fixed the problem that prevented a limited number of PS3s from activating properly after updating to version 2.40, when certain system administrative data were contained on the HDD...

...We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you and appreciate your understanding and continued support.

Damn that system administrative data! It gets us every time. [ThreeSpeech]

But the best part may be what the designer used to create the sleek black frame around his computer screen—it's just plain old black cardboard. And to further the simple mod theme, the joystick simply pulls out from the table's built-in drawer. There's no mounting, but maybe that's actually a good thing. [Mamebook cocktail via Unplggd]

The developer is aiming for an August release and a price of $9.99, but both of those issues are still subject to change. [Rolando via TUAW]

We were excited for the merger talks between Blockbuster Video and Circuit City, as that union could create a probable entertainment behemoth, and we don't mean like Paula Abdul. Sadly word is coming down that Blockbuster is pulling its offer for Circuit off the table. Apparently it was ultimately decided that the match wasn't a good fit for Blockbuster's shareholders, so the plans have been scrapped. What could have been an awesome two-front retailer now means Blockbuster has to find new ways to catch up with Netflix, and Circuit City has to keep its head above water without any help. Bets on what happens next? [Forbes]

The effect works thanks to a board made out of a glass material with embedded LEDs (LightPoints) and chess pieces made from clear glass with the negative shape of a traditional, delicate Staunton chess piece enclosed within it. Placing the chess piece on the board completes a circuit that illuminates the negative shapes, making them visible. There is even a clever nod to a passage in the book where the White Knight talks about being able to think better when he is upside down. In the Alice chess set, all of the white knights on the board will not illuminate unless placed in the upside down position. All-in-all, the 'Alice' concept is interesting new twist on the traditional game. With any luck, a real world product will come down the line sometime in the future. [Project Page via Pan-Dan via DVICE]

Apparently, Bhutanese politicians are addicted to computer gaming and "pictures," whatever that may be. They have protested, arguing that laptops are more convenient than carrying around bundles of papers, but they would have to go back to the porn mags and real poker cards. [Reuters via South Asia Biz]

1, Better Hardware

According to Harmonix: "Quieter, more realistic, and more reliable instruments"

2. Third Party Hardware

"We're also actively welcoming new peripheral makers to make instruments for our game. Just like real instruments, we want players to be able to choose what instruments they use..."

3. Backwards Compatibility

Songs you purchased for RB1 will work for RB2. Future RB songs will work for both games.

4. More Meaning

"We have several new modes that not only provide new ways for you to experience your music library, but also new ways for you to transition from Expert to real instruments.

Jason Chen and I will bring you more when the game is more officially unveiled at E3 in July. Until then, who out there is kicking themselves for buying the "Louder, less realistic and less reliable instruments?" [IGN via Kotaku]

That means for every one game sold, people download 15 to 20 pirated copies. It's an amazing number when you realize that as of February, the game had sold 1 million copies and it could alter who makes PC-exclusive games going forward. In other words, just look for console gaming to get even bigger Mr. I Spent Too Much On My Computer But It Glows."

Then again, 20:1 is probably fairly paltry when compared to the free download rate on Adobe products...yes, we're looking into your computers and we can see their black, stolen hearts. [IGN via Maxconsole]

Simply put, users can arrange the tables in any configuration that they desire. You can even retro fit a traditional table to add wild new elements to your game. Currently, Arndt's table is up for a Next Big Thing Award for 2008, and a book is in the works that outlines configurations and rules for serious multi-player games. If it ever does go up for sale, all you would need is a really long Foosball table and some 3-player chess to complete the ultimate game room. [Project Page and Next Big Thing via Crunchgear]