Crave

The third-generation Vado HD comes in black or white.

(Credit: Creative)

With Kodak and Flip Video releasing new pocket camcorders this fall, Creative will launch the next version of its Vado HD in December. Simply dubbed "third-generation" Vado HD, the new model comes in black or white and will retail for $179.99. It has 4GB of built-in memory, captures 720p HD video, and offers several improvements over previous versions.

They include:

• Improved quality of video in low light or brightly lit conditions with manual exposure adjustments
• External stereo microphone support for better audio recording
• Headphone output for private listening
• Motion Detection mode will enable users to program the camera to begin recording as soon as motion is detected
• Out-of-the box Mac and PC compatibility
• Still Photo Capture Mode
• New Vado Central 3.0 software with more instant Web-uploading capabilities (Facebook, YouTube, Kinkast) and integrated editing options

Comments?

Sony took some heat for removing backward compatibility from the PlayStation 3 so early in its lifetime, but the elimination of such functionality has opened the door for re-releases of classic PS2 games like the God of War franchise. We already chatted with John Hight, Director of Product Development for Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, at Santa Monica Studio about what to expect from the Collection, so let's see what we think after a week's worth of playtime with Kratos and the final version.

In the God of War Collection, both God of War I and II have received major face-lifts and performance upgrades that are immediately apparent the moment you begin playing. The game's 60 frames-per-second gameplay is incredibly smooth, so much so that it's actually jarring when a cut scene of lesser quality leads into the action.

The games graphics have also been adjusted to fit HD resolution displays and, as a result, look fantastic even by today's standards. Some textures have been bumped up as well, though they may be less apparent.

Like Hight said, there is absolutely no difference in gameplay between the classic PS2 versions and the Collection. If you've played the original titles, there isn't anything new to discover here. We think the first two PS2 titles are perfect as is and we're glad their experiences were kept intact.

So is it worth it for veterans of the God of War franchise who've mastered the previous two games to buy God of War Collection? It's tough to recommend purchasing a rehash of a game to anyone who has played through the original. Sure it's nice that both games--and some additional video footage--are packed into one Blu-ray Disc and priced right at $40, but there are sure to be some PS3 owners who will resent the fact that they are essentially "buying" backward compatibility.

That said, die-hard fans of the series may find value in the technical upgrades and new PlayStation Network trophy support. Also, if you can't wait until March 2010 for God of War III, the Collection includes a voucher that will let you play through the entire E3 2009 demo--which, as it turns out, is one of the best sneak peeks we've ever played.

Dell Zino HD: Mac Mini killer?

(Credit: Dell)

No, The 404 Podcast isn't getting a TV deal with CBS, but it doesn't seem that far out of reach. The network has its giant eye on the witty musings of a cynical old man, posted on a Twitter account created by his son, Justin Halpern. Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are signed as Exeuctive Producers and Justin himself will super the writing along with Patrick Shumacker. Uhh, HELLO CBS, is anyone from our parent company out there? You already got a strategically developed television show just waiting to delight the eyes and ears of America: it's called THE 404.

Next, we take a moment to spotlight the Dell Zino HD, a full-on entertainment PC that looks remarkably like Wilson's firstborn son, the Mac Mini, but can actually do a lot more with up to a terabyte of storage space, 8GB of RAM, and the option to throw in a Blu-ray or DVD drive. Wilson wishes his Mac Mini gave him direct HDMI access and a bigger hard drive, but still defends Apple and its OS to the death--it's interesting to hear him try to wiggle his way out of this one.

Another story from today's episode comes from our own Caroline McCarthy, who tells us that the New Oxford American Dictionary has picked the verb "unfriend" as its 2009 Word of the Year. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the process of removing someone formerly deemed as a friend on a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter. You might recall the Burger King ad campaign that encouraged users to "sacrifice" friends to get a free burger. Systems like these encourage the use of the term "unfriend," and give it value in the everyday lexicon, but when will this stop? I'm scared to think that the 2018 Word of the Year will something awful, like "tweet" or "pwn."

If you haven't had a chance to listen to yesterday's show with Tony Hawk, definitely go back and check it out and keep listening for your chance to win tons of video game prizes, including a free giveaway of Tony Hawk: RIDE. Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

New 3D games are available for Zune HD owners, and they're all free.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Zune HD owners have something to smile about today. The latest firmware update, version 4.3, not only brings a handful of general fixes (including accurate playcounts), but also ushers the Zune HD into a proper 3D gaming device.

To celebrate the new capability, six new games have been added to the Zune Marketplace software, which users can download to their updated Zune HD at no cost. Games include PGR: Ferrari Edition, Lucky Lane Bowling, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, Piano, Checkers, and Audiosurf: Tilt. We're not exactly jumping out of our seat over Piano and Checkers, but the rest of the titles look genuinely fun--and did we mention they're free?.

Just like the existing games available for the Zune HD, the new titles also show a brief advertisement upon start-up.

A news release e-mailed to us from Microsoft also states "we will be delivering additional applications for Zune HD including Facebook and Twitter in the future."

This week, Donald and Jasmine discuss the firmware fix to the Zune HD, which can now count itself a feature short of one-upping the iPod Touch, thanks to a new Gigaware remote that adds HD radio to the omnipresent king of MP3 players. We also get to spend a little one-on-one time with the slick-but-confusing Cowon E2 and the boring-but-shuffletastic Haier America Video MP3 Player. Plus, we direct you to a couple of how-tos you may find worth your while, and we address some listener questions about earphones, podcast management, and iPod speaker docks.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Subscribe in iTunes audio |  Subscribe in iTunes video | Subscribe in RSS audio |  Subscribe in RSS video

... Read more

The iPhone gets HD radio.

(Credit: RadioShack)

Staying competitive in an iPod-ruled marketplace is a challenge, and not just because of the player's built-in virtues (or Apple's massive marketing budget). The reigning king of the MP3 players has an advantage simply because it resides at the top of the heap, and that advantage comes in the form of feature-adding third-party accessories. Case in point: the Gigaware In-Line Remote with HD Radio, an $80 add-on for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

That's right, kids...that would be the iPod addressing a major selling point and advantage of the Zune HD. Please don't act surprised. You knew this day was coming. And yes, the Gigaware remote does allow display of track information on the iPod screen as well as song tagging, which let's you find songs easily for later purchase.

So let's recap: 32GB Zune HD costs $289; 32GB iPod Touch with HD radio addition costs $379. Not exactly apples to apples, but which one do you find more attractive? Does HD radio even matter? Discuss.

The Android onslaught continues with the announcement of Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 and the rumors of Verizon's HTC Droid Eris. Though we will get to see the Droid Eris in our hot little hands--and for the bargain price of $99--the X10 may never see life in North America. We're not thrilled that the Moto Droid skimped on the finger-pinching multitouch. Also in the podcast, Nicole talks rips on the Twitter Peek.

Xperia X10

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Rumor of the week
Leaked docs confirm Droid Eris details: November 6, $99

News
Verizon to raise ETF for "advanced devices"
Android and iPhone price plan comparison
Xperia X10 drawing new lines in Android battle
Motorola Milestone is GSM Droid LG Chocolate Touch to drop on November 5?
HTC HD2 coming to a U.S. carrier in early 2010
Does cell phone design still matter?

Reviews
Samsung Freeform
Samsung Caliber
Sony Ericsson Equinox

Upcoming reviews
Cricket Captr
Twitter Peek
Samsung Code
Nokia 3711

(Credit: HTC)

One of the smartphones that left quite an impression on us at was the HTC HD2. It could have been the massive 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen, its extreme thinness, or that the Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone was powered by Qualcomm's new 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor--whatever the reason, we wanted this device.

Well, it looks like we might be only a few months away from seeing this wish become reality. Already shipping in Europe and now in Taiwan, HTC announced on Wednesday that it plans to bring the HTC HD2 to the United States with a major carrier in early 2010.

Unfortunately, the company did not reveal which U.S. provider would have that honor, or any pricing information, but we should note that the smartphone will be available through T-Mobile UK on November 9 and TmoNews has spotted the smartphone mentioned in some leaked T-Mobile USA documents. We'll let you know as soon as we hear anything official, but certainly something to look forward to in the new year. For a preview of what's to come, check out our from CTIA Fall 2009.

(Credit: Liliputing)

Most Netbooks are unable to render high-definition videos, not to mention run 3D games. In fact, the standard Intel Atom processor and integrated graphics chipset can barely handle Flash-heavy Web sites.

However, it's beginning to seem like the limitation is not on the hardware, but the drivers. Martin Mohring, from the Linux Foundation, was at a Mobile Dev Camp event in Germany. There, he showed an MSI Wind U115 with an Atom Z530 1.6GHz/Intel GMA 500 combo not only playing an HD video clip, but also running Quake III at about 35fps. The secret? This Netbook is using Moblin Linux, which has optimized drivers to push the graphics performance to another level.

If this gets you all excited, you can download a copy of Moblin Linux here and let us know your experience. But while waiting for the download, check out some videos posted by UMPC Portal and Netbook News.de after the jump.