It carries out the commands thanks to built-in sensors, and is able to move the cursor in three dimensions, making it an easy pairing with PC gaming. Normally this sort of interaction is done with the use of a glove laden with sensors, but thanks to the inner workings of the Suma, the PC can translate each squeeze into software-readable form.

It's unlikely to hit the market in its current form, with Cambridge Consultants hoping to license it to peripheral manufacturers. Step forward, NVIDIA and Logitech. [Cambridge Consultants]

Desktop Replacement Notebook: iBuypower M865TU

You want a speedy desktop replacement notebook wrapped in an unassuming, businesslike shell? That's precisely what the iBuypower M865TU delivers, courtesy of an 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo Mobile and a GeForce GTX 260M under the hood. Like the classic mullet, this speed machine lets you work all day then party all night, for a mere $2000. [Review]

Inexpensive Gaming Laptop: Asus G51Vx-RX05

If all you wanna do is have some fun, the G51Vx-RX05 gives you all of the raw gaming performance of the M865TU—it sports the same GeForce GTX 260M GPU—but instead of a spendy 3.0GHz Core 2 Duo, the Asus economizes at 2GHz. While the G51Vx's dual-core is down two cores and about a gigahertz from the iBuypower machine, when it comes to games, the big videocard is all that matters. For a cool grand, you can pick up this laptop exclusively at Best Buy. [Review]

Over-the-Top Crazy-Awesome Desktop: Velocity Micro Gamer's Edge DualX

What do you get when you put a Core i7 CPU overclocked beyond 4GHz, three GeForce GTX 285 GPUs in tri-SLI, four lightning-fast Intel solid-state drives running in RAID 0, and a shiny new copy of Windows 7 Ultimate in one case? Enough computing power to make your Xbox 360 piss itself and run screaming for mommy. This machine doesn't just demolish benchmarks, it rapes and pillages them, leaving nothing behind but a smoking crater and a host of lesser machines. The downside? It costs $9000. [Review]

"Cheap" Crazy-Awesome Desktop: Falcon Northwest Talon

From one of the original boutique PC manufacturer's comes the Talon. Packing 90% of the raw performance of Velocity Micro's $9000 wonder for a mere $4000, the Talon's watchwords are "extreme" and "efficiency." With a new Lynnfield Core i5 CPU and a pair of ATI's hot-off-the-presses Radeon 5970, this rig uses all four GPUs and all four CPU cores to deliver kick ass performance. [Review]

Will Smith is the Editor-in-Chief of Maximum PC, not the famous actor/rapper. His work has appeared in many publications, including Maximum PC, Wired, Mac|Life, and T3, and on the web at Maximum PC and Ars Technica. He's the author of The Maximum PC Guide to Building a Dream PC.

Both the the Shift: Intel P55 and the Shift: Intel X58 are powered by Intel Core i7 900 processors running Windows 7. ATI Radeo HD and NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards are featured, and I'm sure the discerning gamer expects nothing less.

Storage options include up to six mechanical or 12 SSD drives. The two diverge on memory specs, with the P55 containing up to 8GB DDR3-1600 low latency RAM and the X58 up to 12GB DDR3-2000 or 24GB DDR3-1600. DVD or Blu-Ray drives are options for both rigs while a standard Asetek closed-loop liquid cooling system keeps things chilled.

Pricing begins at an optimistic $2,199 and $2,599, respectively, although with all the options listed above that can (and probably will) climb much, much higher. Since Shift is the only PC that Maingear going's to focus on selling from now on, I hope it works it out for them.

Like NZXT's other devices, these puppies were essentially designed to give you a competitive edge at PC gaming. Two adjustable 120mm fans provide powerful cooling, while the rubber finish raises the notebook to remove heat pockets and enhance airflow. To top it off, the thick, brushed aluminum body makes this notebook cooler quite a looker. It can be powered by USB or the included AC adapter. And since you can never have enough USB ports, there are two additional ones in the back. The Cryo S is available now for $49.99.

There aren't a lot of details here (any, really), but from older articles, the PCGA has been wanting these ratings for a while. It'll help people who are trying to buy a PC and need to know exactly which games it'll be capable of playing, which is much different from the process of matching up video cards with benchmark scores that consumers have to do now.

Although their intentions seem to be good, firms like Activision Blizzard (maker of World of Warcraft and many other games) have left the alliance for some reason or another.

For more on the PC Gaming alliance, hit up Kotaku.

In a nutshell: OnLive runs the games on their powerful servers, the output is then rendered as a video stream and then sent to your OnLive set-top box, PC or even netbook, taking expensive, loud, obsolescence-prone gaming PCs out of the picture entirely. 720p HD streams are said to be possible over a 5mbps connection, while SD gaming only calls for a 1.5mbps line.Hardware requirements are virtually nonexistent, meaning that you can play, say, Crysis, on anything from your MacBook to your Aspire One to your Dell Studio to your eMachines shitbox. If you want to hook the service up to a TV, OnLive will sell you a set-top box for "less than a Wii", which shoulders just enough of a load to play back OnLive's HD streams. The service itself will likely operate on a subscription model, but OnLive hasn't given any firm details on how much that'll cost. And before your ask, publishers are already on board, including EA, THQ, Ubisoft, and Epic. Really.

To anyone who has heard of LivePlace—the eye-popping server-rendered Second Life clone for mobile phones—this will all sound familiar, and the same concern will immediately bubble up: lag. If it's plagued client-rendered multiplayer games for all this time, how could OnLive possibly avoid it with such dramatically increased demands on user bandwidth? Well, Kotaku got to try the service, and though it was only hosting a fraction of the users it will when it goes public, they were able to play Crysis Wars without a hitch. OnLive is set for launch later this year, and we'll get to see how the service scales when the beta opens up in this summer, and if their unbelievable 1ms video enocoding claims hold any water.

Check Kotaku's fantastic report for more details. [Kotaku]

It's still powered by that giant effin' K, but the move to PCIe for higher throughput and onboard voice processor supposedly offloads even more networking and processing from your computer, lowering your overhead, meaning your games run will run a bit faster. The networking bypasses the Windows networking stack, and prioritizes gaming traffic—it's essentially a mini Linux computer.

Right now, the voice stuff works with TeamSpeak, but not with Ventrilo (which is actually my preferred voice chat for gaming), though they said they're working out deals with other voice chat clients, so hopefully that's on the way. KIller Xeno Pro has 128MB of onboard RAM, and it's $130, while Killer Xeno Ultra has 256MB, and it's $180. Even if it does drop your big by, let's say 20ms, would that much be worth it to you?

Bigfoot Networks Launches Killer Xeno(tm):
Second-Generation Gaming Network Card

Partners Alienware and EVGA First to Distribute Killer Xeno;

TeamSpeak and Vivox First to Partner for Killer Xeno Voice-Chat
Acceleration

SAN FRANCISCO, Game Developers Conference - March 23, 2009 - Bigfoot
Networks, the networking technology company behind the Killer(tm) line of
gaming network cards, today launched Killer Xeno, the company's
next-generation voice chat-enabled network interface card for online gamers.
The new product comes with more memory, an upgraded network processing unit
(NPU), and integrated audio for hardware-accelerated voice-chat, all
designed to bring gamers the ultimate online experience. The Killer Xeno
platform provides Bigfoot Networks' partners and customers the fastest time
to market with a flexible product design for customizing, licensing and
distributing Killer Xeno.

Killer Xeno's voice-chat acceleration technology addresses the most
requested gamer feature, and will enable the millions of online gamers
worldwide who utilize these chat services to enjoy a "hiccup-free" voice
experience while playing the latest generation of online games. Bigfoot, in
providing voice chat, has partnered with companies supporting leading
products such as TeamSpeak and Vivox as well as utilizing the popular open
source application Mumble.

Killer Xeno is also a flexible product design platform that enables
customers, including Add-In-Board (AIB) vendors and PC OEMs, to license and
differentiate Killer Xeno products for their markets. Bigfoot Networks also
announced today that leading game systems developer Alienware, Dell's
high-performance gaming brand, will be the first exclusive PC OEM to ship
the Killer Xeno Pro.

"The worldwide online gaming market is rapidly growing, and with more
gaming customers come more customer requests, demands and needs. Alienware
works to stay ahead of the curve and Bigfoot Networks helps us do this,"
said Frank Azor, senior vice president and general manager, Alienware. "The
Bigfoot Networks' Killer Xeno gives us the proven technology needed to
guarantee customers' ultimate online gaming experience."

Additionally, the company announced that EVGA Corporation, the leading-edge
3D graphics card and motherboard manufacturer, is Bigfoot's first exclusive
third party AIB partner to license Killer Xeno to be distributed under the
EVGA brand.

"EVGA, from the beginning, has embraced intelligent innovation and
leadership within our product philosophy," said Andrew Han, EVGA president
and CEO. "By partnering with Bigfoot Networks, EVGA can now offer the Killer
Xeno Pro to members of the VGA community. In particular, this new product
will greatly improve the immersive experience and competitive edge for
online gamers. Addressing our customers' real-time networking needs and
empowering them with new products is made possible with Bigfoot's Killer
Xeno technology."

"Bigfoot Networks' products are designed to provide the best experience for
today's new generation of real-time network-dependent applications such as
online gaming, voice chat and file sharing," said Bigfoot Networks CEO
Michael Howse. "Our new high-volume distribution partnerships with Alienware
and EVGA will enable a wide variety of product implementations and price
points for gamers and consumers worldwide."

The Killer Xeno gaming network cards deliver the ultimate online gaming
experience, decreasing latency and offering better framerates, thus enabling
smoother gameplay. Key features of the Killer Xeno include:

* PCIe interface: provides for higher throughput.

* Killer Xeno NPU: dedicated smart packet processor for all network
operations, ensures the delivery of time sensitive data like game control
and VoIP.

* Plug and Play compatibility with all games.

* Windows network stack bypass: provides for direct to game interrupts.

* Integrated audio chip: offloads VoIP operations to Killer Xeno NPU for
'"hiccup-free" voice communications while gaming.

* On board RAM (256 MB/Ultra and 128/Pro): enables applications such as
Firewall, VoIP chat and bandwidth control to run on the card simultaneously
with no system performance degradation.

* Firewall: Stops intruders with zero gaming performance impact. Based on
robust Linux iptable implementation.

* Bandwidth control: Prioritize network traffic for each application by
setting bandwidth priorities and max/min limits through a simple interface.

* Onboard status display: Xeno Ultra model includes a customizable LED
display for caller ID, network statistics, game information or any
user-customized messages.

The Killer Xeno comes in two form factors, Killer Xeno Ultra with 256MB of
on board ram, OnBoard Status Display and Killer Xeno Pro with 128MB of on
board ram. Both models include audio processing for VoIP chat.

The Killer Xeno Pro will be available for $129.99 from both Alienware and
EVGA in April 2009. The Killer Xeno Ultra will be available for $179.99 in
May from leading online retail partners. Check www.bigfootnetworks.com for
more details.

[Big Foot Networks]

He doesn't half-ass the WoW-themed décor either. The entrance is a real-life recreation of the opening animation from the game. The dining area, called the Hall of Snow Storms, features large plasma screens showing in-game action, as well as a towering World Tree in the middle of the room.

The owner said he'd created the restaurant in hopes that "people who share his enthusiasm for The World of Warcraft would find a comfortable gathering place." Well, my account hasn't been active for over a year, but rest assured, I. Will. Be. There. You know, for the Horde and all. [CCTV]

With three game modes and 25 keys, Logitech says you could have 87 potentially programmed buttons at your disposal. The G13 also packs back-lighting on the buttons, the ability to create macros on the fly, and a 160x43 pixel LCD that can show game stats, system info or messages from other players.

Onboard 20MB of memory space is enough for five ready-to-play profiles, though the G13 comes with pre-configured settings for several games already, including WoW, LotR Online and CoD4. And if you don't know what those acronyms are, you probably will never find a use for this keypad. Out now for $80.

LOGITECH INTRODUCES GAME-CHANGING GAMEBOARD
Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard Features Naturally Contoured Design, Onboard Memory, Customizable Backlighting

FREMONT, Calif. — Dec. 10, 2008 — Whether you’re rescuing hostages, on a quest with your guild or saving humanity, you don’t want to worry about hand fatigue or hitting the wrong key. Today, Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) introduced the Logitech® G13 advanced gameboard – a hybrid gaming keyboard designed to complement your Logitech keyboard and mouse – giving you game-changing comfort and control on a Mac® computer or a PC.

“If you’re into serious gaming, there’s no better feeling than playing with the G13 gameboard by your side,” said Ruben Mookerjee, Logitech’s director of product marketing for gaming. “Unlike other gameboards that focus only on programmability, the G13 advanced gameboard incorporates the principles of our award-winning Comfort Wave design. So whether you’re getting into World of Warcraft® or walking into your next LAN party, the G13 gameboard gives you a powerful advantage over those forced to work with less.”

With its sculpted, ergonomically inspired shape and pushing-the-envelope functionality, the Logitech G13 advanced gameboard completes your search for gear, augmenting a Logitech® G15 keyboard for gaming and a Logitech® G9 Laser Mouse.

Delivering increased comfort, the iconic contoured design complements the natural shape of your hand and fingers, while the smooth, concave home-row keys make it easy to locate buttons by touch. With three game modes, 25 programmable keys and a programmable analog stick, the G13 gameboard offers up to 87 ways for you to control your game (software installation required). And you can set up custom button-profiles for each one of your favorite titles. You can even create macros on the fly without having to pause your game.

And for another tactical advantage, the 160-by-43-pixel GamePanel LCD shows live game stats, system info and even messages from other players.

With the G13 gameboard, you’ll also get backlit keys that help you easily locate the right key in low-light conditions or lights-out play. And you can select from hundreds of available backlight colors, so your gameboard looks just the way you want it.

A handy solution for the laptop gamer, the G13 gameboard includes onboard memory, letting you program up to five ready-to-play profiles and take them with you to your next LAN party. The G13 gameboard also offers pre-configured settings for many popular games, including World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ and many others.

With its sturdy weight and strategically placed feet, the G13 gameboard won’t move during gameplay, giving you rock-solid support all the way to victory.

Pricing and Availability
The Logitech G13 advanced gameboard is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in December for a suggested retail price of $79.99 (U.S.).

About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in personal peripherals, driving innovation in PC navigation, Internet communications, digital music, home-entertainment control, gaming and wireless devices. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

More and more games are adding support for haptic controllers, so gamers interested in the experience will have a lot of choices down the line. However, we are still waiting for the pistol grip add-on. Let's just hope that it makes it out of the gate by the end of the year. When it is finally released, the grip is expected to retail for $20. [Wired]

Fearing that the system came as a bag of components, they were relieved to hear that it was actually a fully built and tested system. Fearing a white-box scenario where you have to add on your own OS, they again were happy to hear it comes with Windows XP Pro installed with the latest service pack—though it doesn't appear the game comes in the bundle. Ultra claims that the Optimized PC will run Crysis Warhead at the highest DX9 setting, at 30 frames per second, and that the game was actually "fine tuned" to work with Nvidia 9800 GT video card.

Pre-orders at TigerDirect.com start next week. Sounds like a sweet deal to me—even if you still have to buy the game and a monitor and speakers—but give me your thoughts... You buyin' this? [GameCyte]

The most irritating aspects of current twin-card configurations (well, aside from the fact that you had to buy two cards in the first place) are the high cost and disappointingly low performance gains. HYDRA, which Lucid claims could scale to up to handle four unique GPUs, could remedy both of these issues if it ever comes to market. The company says it'll be soon, but that's as specific as they're getting for now. Visual learners can check out a detailed diagram of the system below. [PcPer via Slashdot]

AMD GAME! Ultra will support higher end hardware to define its standard (current specs above). And while both AMD GAME! and AMD GAME! Ultra hope to play all major games at 30fps via in-game autodetect settings, confused PC buyers need to decide, "Am I an ultra gamer?" And chances are, they will not know, since the term is meaningless (and the real purpose is probably one big hardware upsell).

Then again, maybe we are just jaded and this new line of logos is a really good thing. After all, AMD GAME! is easier to understand than "HD 3650"—which also ultimately means very little to most people. And the standards will be updated every six months to stay relevant among current hardware options. Wish your parents luck. (They are probably not ultra, but it's not your job to break their hearts.) [CrunchGear]

The FragBox is the first gaming system I can recommend without reservations for playing Crysis at 1,280-by-1,024 resolution. Previous "DX10-ready" systems couldn't hit this level of performance, even at this less-taxing setting.

It provides ample space for keyboard and mouse, plus MP3 player, headphones, headset, cell phone, energy drink, airline-sized bag of pretzels and of course Dust-Off brand anti-dust spray (they're not stupid).

Best quote from the press release:

Until now, gamers have had no real dedicated solution for taking their most trusted gear with them when heading off to a LAN event or competition. Standard backpacks are simply not long enough to hold a keyboard and other interesting methods of transport, including hauling along the keyboard in its original box, are just not cool and can easily tarnish a gamer's image.