(Credit:
Benjamin Heckendorn)
The original PlayStation 3 was one huge machine, and modding it into a laptop was probably unsuitable. But when the smaller PS3 Slim came about, modder extraordinaire Ben Heckendorn decided this was the right time to change his gaming console into a portable.
Granted you'll probably need a large backpack to transport the unit, and it does not sport a battery pack. Nonetheless, it's impressive how he managed to integrate an HD-ready 17-inch display into the gaming console. Heck claims he could have made it smaller but wanted to keep the screen size usable. Check out a video of his laptop/gaming console mod below.
(Source: Crave Asia via Gizmodo)
(Credit:
Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Sony Computer Entertainment America on Thursday announced that a new 250GB variation of the PlayStation 3 Slim will be available beginning November 3 for $349.99. The PS3 hardware will otherwise remain the same as the 120GB flavor of the Slim, which costs $50 less. The console maker will also continue to sell the physically larger, previous model of the PS3 which comes with either an 80GB or 160GB hard drive.
The extra 130GB of storage in the 250GB model gives PS3 owners more room for downloaded movies, game installs/saves, music, and photos. According to Sony, "more than 600 million pieces of content have been downloaded from [the] PlayStation Network as of September 2009." (Note: "content" could be anything from 5MB themes to HD movies which can take up gigabytes of storage.) For most though, the extra storage will keep users from having to offload these files onto external drives when they run out of space, or manually replace the included hard drive with something bigger.
The increase should not be a surprise to most gamers though. It's coming just in time for the holiday season where console makers stand to sell more hardware than at any other time of year. Also, at the Tokyo Game Show last month, the company announced a special 250GB version of the console to coincide with the release of Final Fantasy XIII. Shortly thereafter it said Australia would be getting a 250GB variation of its own. There had also been purportedly leaked shots of holiday bundles acquired by blog Engadget, depicting 250GB versions of the consoles with games like Uncharted 2, which was just released this week.
(Credit:
Sony)
As expected, Sony has finally unveiled a 250GB version of the new PS3 Slim, though for now it will appear in Japan only.
The upsized console, shown off at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, will be offered as the Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Edition for 41,600 yen ($459) due in mid-December. Besides doubling the storage capacity, this model will be available in white and features a Final Fantasy character printed on the console's chassis. A copy of Final Fantasy XIII is bundled in the package, too. We'll have to wait to see whether this kit will subsequently make its way out of Japan to other regions. We're keeping our fingers crossed for now.
On a separate note, things are looking bright for the PS3 Slim so far with a whopping 1 million units sold worldwide in just three weeks.
(Source: Crave Asia via Joystiq)
(Credit:
ColorWare)
Interested in giving your PS3 Slim a fresh coat of paint? How about a unit in fruity hues? ColorWare is offering the sleek Sony console in 46 solid, metallic, and pearl tones, as well as different color combinations--right down to the DualShock 3 controller. Users can send in their PS3 Slim consoles for a custom job starting at $249 or purchase a fully tailored set from the company at $714.
(Source: Crave Asia via Newlaunches)
(Credit:
Sony)
With its new $300 price tag, the PS3 Slim has been selling like crazy, and the fact that it's an excellent Blu-ray player is at least part of the reason.
Since Blu-ray's inception, the PS3 has been our reference Blu-ray player, only recently getting edged out of the top spot by the Oppo BDP-83. Now that the new 3.00 firmware has been released, we've had some time to put the PS3 Slim through our Blu-ray testing suite.
Editors' note: This story has been updated since publication to reflect that the PS3 Slim can now stream Netflix.
The good
Blu-ray performance
Testing the image quality of the PlayStation 3 has always been a challenge, mainly because it does not deinterlace native 1080i content to 1080p at 60 frames per second. That means test discs specifically designed to assess Blu-ray image quality--like HQV, Spears and Munsil, and Qdeo--aren't helpful; they all feature 1080i content and the PS3 just passes it along without processing. The PS3 Slim is no different in this regard. Not much Blu-ray content is available in 1080i, however, so this quirk of the PS3 isn't a huge problem in real-world scenarios.
Without the comfort of our reliable test discs, we switched to our favorite challenging passages from actual program content. The kitchen scenes during chapter 2 of "Sunshine" are often difficult for lesser players, but the PS3 Slim had no problem rendering the ridged cups or striped shirts. It also handled the end of chapter 6 on "Ghost Rider," where we sometimes see moire in the grille of the RV on players with faulty 1080i deinterlacing. A couple of select scenes from "Spider-Man 3" looked flawless as well.
... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
(Credit:
Dell)
Dell offers a tantalizing sneak peek at a revamped Adamo laptop today, with a photo and brief teaser description of the new system:
9/9/09 comes only once and today Dell is offering a glimpse of its highly stylized, thin 9.99-millimeter Adamo By Dell concept that's as beautiful as today's date is unique.
You'll recall the original Adamo was similarly teased at CES 2009, and we brought you a first-ever hands-on look of it back in March. At the time, we said: "Dell's upscale Adamo is a 13-inch laptop for those who value design and finish as much as performance, but its luxury price will limit the potential audience."
Details on the Adamo 2.0 (our nickname) are scant right now, but if you want a sneak peek at Dell's new "world's thinnest laptop" candidate, head over to www.dell.com/AdamoXPS.
Asus' new displays are stylish, if nothing else.
(Credit: Asus)If Asus is to be believed, its new line of ultraslim monitors, called the Designo MS Series, was inspired by the binary state. Viewing the monitor from the sides leads credence to this, as it looks like a number "1" standing next to smaller "0." Actually, it looks more like an "o" than a zero, but I think I get the point.
The monitor's profile measures a purported short 0.64 inches, which is only slightly thicker than the LED-based Samsung XL2370. Asus' Ergo-Fit Technology allows a user to adjust the tilt of the monitor supposedly with just one finger. Hmmm, now I'm at least intrigued to see how this little feature actually works.
The screen is designed to sit at the user's eye level--unless, of course, the user has an extremely long or short torso--and by acting as a second screen, Asus says the monitors perfectly complement a laptop computer. I think Samsung would have a little something to say about how "perfectly" they do so, though.
Asus will be offering the monitor in the following sizes: 20-inch, 21.5-inch, 22-inch, 23-inch, and 23.6-inch. The monitors range from 16:9 to 16:10 aspect ratios and from 1,680x1,050 to 1,900x1,080 resolutions. Take a look here for tons more details on connections options and other specs.
Unfortunately, there's no word just yet on when these waify monitors will be arriving Stateside.
What's better than a brand-spankin'-new Sony PlayStation 3 Slim for $299.99? A brand-spankin'-new Sony PlayStation 3 Slim for $199.99, of course.
I suspect I'll get an earful for this, but the deal comes courtesy of our old friend, the Sony Visa card. When you make a purchase of $299 or more, you get a $100 credit in 8 to 12 weeks. Final price: $199.99.
All you do is sign up for the card, then head over to SonyStyle and drop a sweet, sweet 120GB PlayStation 3 in your cart. (I know it doesn't say "Slim" anywhere, but this is definitely the new model.) Watch CNET's video review if you want to learn more about it.
When your Visa card arrives, stick it in a drawer until the $100 credit appears on your statement. Then spend the money like you would cash. Then cut the card into pieces and burn the pieces.
Not interested in this kind of hoop-jumping just to save $100? That's cool. But think about it: This isn't much different than filling out a rebate form and waiting on a check in the mail. In fact, it's quite a bit easier overall, and you're much less likely to get burned.
Still not convinced? Then try this: Sony just lowered the price on refurbished consoles! Now you can pick up a 40GB PlayStation 3 for just $219.99 shipped. If you can live with a 90-day warranty, that's one of the best PS3 deals to date.
Of course, a new PS3 for $199.99 is even better. What do you think? Did you already pull the trigger on last week's deal (long since expired), or did your Cheapskate senses tell you something better was just around the corner?
The PS3 Slim may not have backwards compatibility, but owners of the newest Sony console can get a taste of what it feels like when the God of War Collection releases this holiday season.
The collection will include both original PlayStation 2 God of War and God of War II games on one Blu-ray disc. Also, each title has been completely revamped with antialiasing graphics (less jagged edges), 60-frames-per-second performance, and a 1280x720 resolution (720p). The disc will also enable trophy support for both games.
The God of War Collection is set to launch this holiday season for $40. God of War III is still on schedule for a March 2010 release.
Episode 47 of the Digital City, where we install Apple's new Snow Leopard OS update; discuss the current round of game console price cuts; check out some Netbooks with HD displays; and find out why Time Warner Cable's new "Mystro" cable box firmware update makes us want to give up on TV altogether.
Related links:
>>All things Snow Leopard
>>New price cuts upend console value landscape
>>Rise of the high-def Netbooks
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