shields

Xbox rumors ramp up before unveiling

CNET Update needs to make better lunch choices:

In this episode of Update:

- Get ready for the unveiling of the next Xbox, and join CNET's live coverage of the Microsoft announcement on Tuesday. Among the latest Xbox news is the rumor that Microsoft will no longer use Xbox Points.

- See if Yahoo can get its groove back with tweets in its news feed, and the possible purchase of the blogging site Tumblr.

- Be among the first to stream your PC game in the bathroom by preordering the Nvidia Shield.

- Make a difference with how you … Read more

Nvidia Shield preorder date moves up, starts today

Preorders for Nvidia's Shield will begin today, May 17, at Newegg, GameStop, and Canada Computer. Preorders are also available on Nvidia's Shield site.

Earlier this week, Nvidia announced that preorders for Shield at the aforementioned retailers would begin on Monday, May 20, but now cites "growing buzz" as its reason for making the portable console available sooner.

The Nvidia Shield is an Android-based portable gaming console using the company's Tegra 4 processor. The device is scheduled to ship in June. You can check out my hands-on impressions here.

The 404 1269: Where rad goes viral (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Follow Spotify's Shanon Cook!

- More on the Deadpool videogame.

- The story goes deeper on The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

- Nvidia's Project Shield comes closer to reality.

This week's Viral Top 10 list from Spotify:

1. "Royals" by Lorde 2. "#Beautiful" by Mariah Carey 3. "Alone" by Falling In Reverse 4. "The One" by Tamar Braxton 5. "Rattle (Sexy Lady)" by Bingo Players 6. "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke 7. "Young And Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey 8. "Spring Break Anthem" by The Lonely Island 9. "Get Lucky - Radio Edit" by Daft Punk 10. "Dear Mama" by 2Pac… Read more

Nvidia Shield slams into stores in June for $349

Nvidia's Android-based portable gaming device known as Shield will be released in June with a $349 price tag, the company said Tuesday.

Preorders for Shield -- no longer dubbed "Project Shield" -- began Tuesday for those who had signed up to receive Shield updates from Nvidia. The general public can preorder Shield starting Monday, May 20.

Nvidia debuted Shield at CES 2013. The portable gaming system comes in the shape of a console gaming controller and includes a 5-inch capacitive touch screen with 1,280x720-pixel resolution. The device runs all Google Play apps and can stream full … Read more

Joss Whedon joins Twitter

Joss Whedon fans can now catch the latest musings of their favorite creative guru in 140 characters or less.

Whedon finally hopped onto the Twittersphere early Monday using the nom de Twitter of @JossActual. Displaying his usual deadpan sense of humor, Whedon describes himself as a "ladies man, man's man, man about town... Java man, Isle of Man, Mandroid, Man Who Would Be King Ralph, girly man."

As of late Monday, the writer and director known for "The Avengers," "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," "Firefly," "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" … Read more

Why your next Android tablet will be more powerful

Your Android tablet sucks. At least compared with what's coming. Later this year we'll see the release of three new Systems on Chip (SoC). SoC is simply the name used for the collection of silicon that makes up the brains of the tablet and includes the CPU, GPU (graphics processing unit), onboard memory, and other processors.

The new chips will no doubt be used to power many high-end Android tablets and are expected to deliver better-looking games, faster Web surfing, increased battery life, and in at least one case, could allow you to take better-looking photos.

Of course, … Read more

Second push in Congress to force patent trolls to pay up

A couple of congressmen today reintroduced a bill that will likely command a standing ovation throughout Silicon Valley. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) are taking aim at so-called patent trolls with a proposal that would force them to pick up the tab for a defendant's legal costs if their patent lawsuit fails to prevail.

This is the second time around for the Saving High-tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes, or SHIELD Act. The co-sponsors first submitted the bill last August, but the provision withered on the political vine for a couple of reasons. The bill faced strong … Read more

Console Wars 2013: Sony PS4 and its competitors

Sony PlayStation 4 The current hot topic in console gaming, the just-announced PlayStation 4, is still largely an enigma. We don't know how much the PS4 will cost, when it's being released (beyond "holiday 2013"), or even what it looks like.

For now, it's still the next-gen hardware to beat, and what little we do know sounds impressive, with an entirely new system architecture based on an X86 AMD CPU/GPU that should make the PS4 easier to develop for and more flexible (and, frankly, more PC-like).

But 2013 will take the traditional three-way console … Read more

Nvidia teases Borderlands 2 on Project Shield

Imagine a world where PC gamers don't need to go AFK (away from keyboard) again, a mystical place where you never need to pause or keep your friends waiting in a multiplayer game.

While it may take some time before we truly reach that pauseless place, at least we can enjoy a video from Nvidia that reveals a solid view of its Tegra 4-powered Project Shield streaming a full version of Borderlands 2 from a GeForce GTX 680-equipped PC. The 3-minute-long video shows just how easy the Shield -- equipped with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) -- can access an already-running PC game in mere moments. … Read more