shocks

Super Talent Techonolgoy's Pico D series: Larger capacity thumbdrive, smaller size

Super Talent Technology, a manufacturer of Flash storage and DRAM memory modules, on Wednesday announced the Pico D, the newest member of world's smallest USB thumbdrives.

Though tiny in size, measuring only 1.4-inch in length and weighing less than 0.2 ounces, the new Pico D series are shock- and water-resistant.

According to STT, these drives can transfer data at speeds up to 30 megabytes per second. Like the Cosair Flash Voyager Mini, the Pico D achieves the miniature size by using chip-on-board technology. However, the Pico D series offers storage capacity up to 8GB, twice that of … Read more

Two 'Metal Gear Solid 4' PS3 bundles are arriving in June--but only one's a good deal

By most accounts, the release of Grand Theft Auto IV helped move quite a few game consoles--both Xbox 360s and PlayStation 3s--in the past few weeks. But there's another four--Metal Gear Solid 4--that's eagerly anticipated by many gamers as well. No, MGS4 isn't going to shatter sales records like GTA did, but it's safe to say that Konami's PS3 exclusive is the reason that many forward-looking gamers chose Sony's console over that of archrival Microsoft. And with the game's June 12 release date fast approaching--after a hype buildup that stretches back to at least 2005--the waiting for those faithful PlayStation fans is almost over.

But what about those gamers who still haven't taken the next-generation plunge?… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 720: Lovin' Out Loud

Announcing the launch of our new dating podcast, Lovin' Out Loud! Also, Microsoft may or may not build content filtering into the Zune, by which we mean "probably will." Also, should judges decide the intent of technology in awarding boffo-size judgments against P2P search engines? And on that note, we're off to order some pizza online. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 720

Revoked NSL aimed at Internet Archive shows need for reform http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080508-revoked-nsl-aimed-at-internet-archive-shows-need-for-reform.html http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/07/211255

Zune to build copyright … Read more

Casio suckers bloggers into writing about upcoming G-Shock event

I got an this e-mail Wednesday afternoon from the Casio PR team, suggesting that if I did a really good, creative blog post about Casio's upcoming 25th anniversary G-Shock Watch event on May 14 in New York, I might win a prize. Here's the whole tawdry e-mail:

Hey all!!

By now you should have received your invitation for our upcoming G-Shock anniversary celebration. This is going to be a very exciting evening for everyone and we are looking forward to having you join us. Please remember to wear your wristbands, as that is your ticket in the door … Read more

Electrocute yourself for a better you

The Compex Sport is one of the scariest, but also most oddly compelling, devices I've ever tried.

The device sends electrical shocks, via electrodes attached to your body, to nerves. Your nerves then stimulate specific muscle groups. As a result, when you work out with the Compex, nearly 100 percent of the muscle fibers get into the act. Ordinarily, you might only use 50 percent, said Heiko Van Vliet, a European marketing manager for Compex and a coach/trainer who works with the CSC bicycling team and the Norwegian national skating team.

Thus, by using it, you can bring … Read more

Dell laptops in electric-shock shocker

We've discovered a worrying new feature in some Dell laptops: If you touch them, you may get an electric shock. This discharge can vary in strength from a gentle tingle to a sudden jolt. Disturbingly, you could also be shocked when connecting printers, PDAs and other peripherals to the offending laptops.

We know this because several CNET staff were hit with an electrical charge while using Dell's new XPS M1530--and we're not the only ones. Dell's forums are littered with user complaints about the shocking experiences they've had with some systems.

The problem only … Read more

More details on the Dual Shock 3 PS3 controller

The official announcement of the vibration-enabled Dual Shock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 was the biggest news from Sony's otherwise lackluster Tokyo Game Show keynote address. Since the broad strokes of the original announcement, GameSpot was able to glean some additional details on the new controller--and get some hands-on testing of the unit as well. Here's what they found: … Read more

PS3 rumble controller now official

One of gamers' biggest beefs with the PlayStation 3 will soon be a thing of the past. At the kickoff press conference for the Tokyo Game Show, Sony Computer Entertainment President Kaz Hirai confirmed longstanding rumors that a rumble-ized version of the PS3 Sixaxis controller is on the way. The Dual Shock 3--which looks essentially identical to the existing Sixaxis PS3 controller--will hit Japan in November, then make its way to North America and Europe early in 2008. Devil May Cry 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4 are two of the first 11 games that will support the new Dual Shock's vibration function, and existing titles can be retroactively updated to support rumble via online updates.

Other notable announcements from Hirai's keynote:… Read more

Sick of endless game sequels? 2008 might be your year

In a year dominated by game sequels, movie tie-ins and brand extensions, original video game ideas (referred to as original IP, or intellectual property) are hard to come by. Grand Theft Auto IV was on target to be one of 2007's biggest games before its recent delay, but two other franchise entries, Halo 3 and the latest Madden game, will clearly dominate the holiday shopping season. One of the reasons 2K's BioShock, released at the end of August, has generated such positive buzz among gamers is that it represents a rare high-profile stab at an original game.

Fortunately, … Read more