console

OnLive brings PC gaming to the iPad

The iPad doesn't need any gaming help, in one sense: iOS games are thousandfold and selling like hotcakes, making Apple's tablet an already-rich platform for games of all sorts. Still, I (and many others) have had a dream: what if you could add a Bluetooth controller and play real, PC/console-quality games on the iPad? Would that be a game-changer?

Check out the above video and the hands-on gallery below, and decide for yourself.

Short answer: Yes, it could be, especially if those said games weren't even stored on the device itself. OnLive, which we've written about many times, is a cloud-based gaming service that streams remotely stored PC games, while the local user controls the game via keyboard or controller. It sounds like magic, but OnLive actually works, creating a valid option for laptop owners who have underpowered Netbooks, or via last year's TV-connected MicroConsole, a console alternative. Games are saved in the cloud, and titles can be played via subscription or individual purchase license.

Now, here's the long answer.… Read more

Handy Windows 7's utilities you may not know about

Many PC users love to tinker with the hardware and software on their machines. Other people consider any time they spend using Windows' built-in system tools a total waste. In between are those of us who understand the value of a little preventive maintenance--as long as it doesn't take all day.

Windows 7's arsenal of maintenance and system-tweaking utilities has been enhanced through the addition of new tools and improvements to existing programs. Unfortunately, one of my favorite Windows utilities isn't available in the Home Premium version of Windows 7: the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) is … Read more

Get a refurbished Xbox 360 Pro 20GB for $99.99

I'm just going to go ahead and apologize right now for this being sold out, which it inevitably will be by the time the Cheapskate newsletter arrives in your inbox. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I say so, but if you want to catch the deals while they're in stock, you have to visit the site in the morning. I almost always post before noon, ET, and more often in the 9-10 a.m. range. OK, end of rant.

Looking for an inexpensive media-center extender? Check this out: GameStop has the refurbished Xbox 360 Pro 20GB for just $99.99, … Read more

Nintendo: Wii U won't have DVD, Blu-ray playback

Don't expect to pop a movie disc into the Wii U next year.

Speaking to analysts during a question-and-answer session last week at the E3 gaming expo, Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata said that his company's upcoming game console will not support DVD or Blu-ray playback.

"The reason for that is that we feel that enough people already have devices that are capable of playing DVDs and Blu-ray, such that it didn't warrant the cost involved to build that functionality into the Wii U console because of the patents related to those technologies," Iwata told analysts … Read more

Study: PS3, Xbox 360 energy use improved

The Natural Resources Defense Council offered kudos to Sony and Microsoft last week for what the organization sees as a significant improvement to their gaming consoles: reduced energy consumption.

A 2010 Sony PS3 and 2010 Xbox 360 each consumes approximately 90 Watts of power during gameplay. That represents a 50 percent energy reduction compared to the 180 Watts the 2006 models consumed during gameplay, according to the results of a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy group.

However, gaming consoles still suck down 80 percent of their full power level when they are in menu … Read more

Our Nintendo 3DS wish list for 2011

At last year's E3, the Nintendo 3DS was arguably the headlining tech of the whole show, if for nothing more than its successful use of glasses-free 3D in a handheld game system.

Nevertheless, since the launch of the 3DS this March--just a few short months ago--the system's been luffing in a dying breeze. While the 3DS' capabilities show promise, the actual games, price, and battery life (or lack thereof) have soured the equation. Add to that the fact that the 3DS still doesn't have its Web browser, online e-shop, or last year's promised Netflix streaming … Read more

Kinect, 2011: Where art thou, motion?

I haven't plugged my Kinect into my Xbox 360 in nearly six months.

The reasons are, to some extent, mine. But not mine alone. Still, whatever excitement I might have felt during the Kinect's debut has withered. It's not essential, not compelling. It's not why I play my Xbox 360. And if I don't have mine plugged in, I'm wondering how many other Kinects are suffering the same fate.

The Kinect's motorized movements get annoying. The Kinect camera is meant to sit under my TV and be innocuous, but it isn't. The … Read more

Evolution of the console: Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii

Six years. That's nearly how long it's been since the Xbox 360 first debuted back in the fall of 2005. The next year, the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 followed.

Typically, new consoles emerge no later than five years after the debut of the last iteration. This generation seems to be the exception. Perhaps that's because of the ripples of a recession, but we can also credit the Wii, PS3, and 360 for being hardy, versatile consoles. In fact, looking back at what these systems were compared with what they are now, it's hard not to … Read more

Managing large log files taking up disk space

If you usually keep a known amount of hard-drive space clear, and suddenly find your system running low on space, a problem with the way the system handles log files may be to blame. You can use a tool like DaisyDisk or GrandPerspective to check the relative file sizes on disk, and if the problem is because of large log files then you may see these programs report one or two files using a large proportion of the hard drive. Many times a random increase in disk usage can be attributed to a problem with OS X's log management … Read more

Nintendo drops Wii to $149

Nintendo is dropping the price of its Wii game console to $149 and including a Mario game in the bundle, the company said early today.

Industry observers have been expecting the company to slash the price of the device--which has been $169 with a bundle. Their expectations grew further with last week's announcement that Nintendo will release a successor to the Wii next year.

Many observers thought Nintendo needed to do something to revitalize the console, which for years was unbeatable but in recent months has struggled to maintain its momentum. Sales have slowed, even as Microsoft and Sony … Read more