consoles

The system console lists much of the output of running programs as they perform various tasks, which includes errors and warnings that are not otherwise shown to you. For instance, if you can't start up Web sharing on your system but don't see any error messages, then you can check in the Console utility to see if any console messages are generated there when you try to enable Web sharing.

Even if you do not know what the error messages mean, you can copy them and ask people about them to get more insight into how to troubleshoot … Read more

A lot has changed since the Xbox 360 debuted in November 2005. After what has seemed like dozens of upgrades, improvements, omissions, price drops, motion controllers, and bundles, the dust has settled (once again) and we're left with three competitively priced consoles.

Editors' note: This console buying guide was updated on November 23, 2011, for the holiday season.

Such an evenly matched trio of hardware brings up the ultimate question for prospective video game console buyers: which home console should you buy?

This question doesn't necessarily have a definitive answer. Quite frankly, the answer could be any of the three depending on what you're looking for. In other words, there is no default "best console." It's about finding the one that's right for you--and what will be the deciding factor in your case will ultimately depend on what you plan to use the console for. That said, in lieu of detailing every last bit of functionality that each console offers, let's discuss the type of person we think would benefit most from each console. … Read more

OK, the above headline is admittedly a little dramatic, so maybe we should knock it down a peg: "GAEMS G155 aids a marriage by letting an overgrown-kid husband get his gaming in without hogging the TV."

The GAEMS (Gaming and Entertainment Mobile Systems) G155 is a self-contained gaming unit that essentially transforms any Xbox 360 or PS3 Slim into a console in a briefcase. It combines a sturdy carrying case with a 15.5-inch 720p LED-lit monitor, an HDMI connection, stereo speakers, and dual 3.5 mm headphone jacks--all for $299.

Unique so far in design and function, it's advertised as a way for young gaming fanatics to take their Modern Warfare with them wherever they gather with other gadget-obsessed hipsters. I wouldn't be surprised to find one at the core of Occupy Wall Street. But I wanted to see if I could put the GAEMS unit's capabilities to use another way. … Read more

Video game consoles have become the most popular way for U.S. consumers to watch online entertainment content on their TVs, according to a new report from market researcher Strategy Analytics.

While the PC remains the most popular device for watching stuff online, more people are turning to game consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation 3. Some 12 percent of U.S. households use the game platforms to watch online movies, TV shows or videos--more than the percentage that connect PCs to TVs via HDMI, researchers found.

The report also found that 65 percent of … Read more

Throw in the towel, Sony and Nintendo; it's game over. Portable console gaming no longer has a practical place in the current landscape of casual flick, drag, and swipe games. There is no room for the 3DSes and Vitas of the world when all-in-one functionality is now more important than high-tech, gaming-focused mobile systems.

Current consumers are more concerned with brief sessions of stimulation than they are with playing a complex 25-hour RPG. Take it from me, I've played those games on a Nintendo DS and Sony PSP before. I know how great they are.

But gaming is a serious business, and if consumers are content with an iPhone for music, video, and games, there is absolutely no practical need to carry around another bulky piece of hardware that is more than twice a smartphone's size and needs to be recharged after five hours of play time. The audience--or attention span--for hard-core mobile gaming may be shrinking. … Read more

Whoa! Check out these fancy new digs! Don't know about you, but I'm seriously liking the CNET makeover. Hubba-hubba!

When it comes to mobile gaming, I don't know how much longer dedicated devices like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP can survive. The average iPod Touch or smartphone can play a zillion more games, most of them priced from free to $3, with no cartridges to schlep around.

That said, the kids sure do love the DS--and I'll admit it's a pretty sweet gaming gizmo. Hence today's deal: today only, and while supplies last, … Read more

Obsessed with Battlefield 3?

On October 25, custom-case maker Calibur 11 is set to drop PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 cases that give the consoles a BF3-themed vibe. The cases cover the console, requiring no disassembly. It's worth noting that once fitted, the Calibur 11 mod requires one to keep the console vertical. While some may find this type of product gaudy, there is a certain cool factor. … Read more

As the popularity of digital games continues to increase, there are some people who might wonder if consoles can survive much longer--just don't count GameStop President Tony Bartel as one of them.

Speaking to IndustryGamers in an interview published yesterday, Bartel acknowledged the importance of digital content in today's gaming industry, but said that over the next several years, it's hard to see a way in which consoles will lose their value in the marketplace.

"We continue to believe that the console is a strong platform and will continue to be the gold standard," Bartel … Read more

Your hairdresser knows everything about you. So does your shrink. Soon it could be your PlayStation. Sony executives are apparently looking to give game consoles abilities that go far beyond tracking your movements.

During a panel discussion on the next 10 years of gaming at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, last week, the executives described the possibility of consoles that track players' emotions. According to a transcript posted on Develop, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said that within 10 years games will be able to offer "almost dangerous kinds of interactivity" with players.

A second participant, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) Worldwide Studios Europe Vice President Mick Hocking, said cameras are capable of recording a player's biometric data and tracking where the player is looking. He elaborated on how Sony might be able to use this data. According to the transcript:… Read more