It's not all that often that gaming publications get excited over a fishing game, but at least one is saying that The Strike is "shaping up to be the best fishing video game ever created." In fact, after playing a preview of the game, which is due out this fall, Patrick Shaw of GamePro thought it was so good it gave him "tingles" after playing it for less than an hour.
The game is being developed by Griffin International and features "realistic lake bottom topography, advanced graphics, lifelike fish behaviors, fully customizable characters and an abundance of boats, lures, rods, and reels." Griffin also has The Hunt, a realistic hunting game in the works.
Both games are sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and offer accessory options like the sweet-looking XBox 360 fishing pole controller you see below (the bundled cost of the XBox 360 controller and game will be $69.99). The Hunt and The Strike will be available for the Xbox 360, Wii, and PC later this year.
G4's video preview appears after the jump.
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Now, that's value!
Apple quietly released a new iPod Shuffle on Wednesday, and much to the surprise of tech pundits and Apple fans, the company moved the controls of the device from the face of the Shuffle to the cord of the earbuds it bundles with the iPod.
According to Apple, anyone who wants to use their own third-party headphones will be required to purchase a third-party Shuffle-controlling dongle that will attach to both the iPod and the headphones.
It didn't take long for the blogosphere to erupt and start saying that this is like the recessed iPhone jack of 2009, in reference to the first-generation iPhone earbud jack that required an adapter for some headphones. When that was announced, Apple caught fire until the second-generation iPhone featured a standard jack.
And now it's happening again. I spent 30 minutes last night looking around the Web, trying to find reactions to this so-called "debacle," and more often than not, I read posts on blogs or complaints on Twitter saying that an additional $15 to $20 for a dongle is ridiculous and that it eliminates all the value of the iPod Shuffle.
I considered that argument and found it flawed.
... Read moreDon Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Does your iPod really need a steering wheel remote?
Donald and Jasmine are back and ready to catch up on FLAC-compatible MP3 players, speakers that use "twoofers," headphones that use speakers, and a handy way to control your iPod while keeping your eyes on the road.
Plus, Jasmine offers some tips for taking your iTunes music collection to a non-Apple MP3 player, and Donald reviews an oldie but goodie.
Listen now:
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Griffin Navigate is a remote with an FM radio for iPod and iPhone
(Credit: Griffin)Griffin Technology showed off the Navigate at a CES press event yesterday, though it was announced officially at Macworld several hours before. The Navigate may seem like just an ordinary iPod remote, and indeed it can be used that way. A nice bonus is that you can also use it with the iPhone, which could ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Griffin SmartTalk Bluetooth headset
(Credit: Griffin Technology)Griffin Technology released the SmartTalk Bluetooth headset yesterday in conjunction with Macworld Expo 2009, marking the first ever Bluetooth headset from the company known for its iPod and iPhone accessories. The SmartTalk Bluetooth headset has a dual microphone design that promises great noise cancellation, with the ability to tell the difference between your voice and background noise. It also offers human voice confirmations ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Click the picture to see a slide show of the Griffin Clarifi and sample side-by-side comparison photos.
(Credit: Griffin)One of the more common complaints about the Apple iPhone is that the 2.0-megapixel camera on it isn't that great. There aren't a lot of camera settings, there's no auto-focus, and not much image editing in general. You can get third-party image editors via the App Store, but you can't fix the lens hardware itself.
Or can you? Enter the Griffin Clarifi, an ingenious protective case for the iPhone with a built-in close-up lens. At the face of it, it looks like a normal black polycarbonate case for the iPhone. But on the back is a sliding close-up lens that you can slide over the iPhone's camera for a better close-up shot. Simply slide it back out if you would rather take a wider shot.
We got the chance to play around with the Clarifi for several weeks, and we're overall very impressed. The case itself is nice and sturdy--it's a black polycarbonate case that fits the iPhone 3G like a glove (Only iPhone 3G compatible though--older iPhones are out of luck). Griffin even supplies a protective film/screen protector that you can slap on the iPhone's display. We found it hard to apply the screen protector without any air bubbles and dust, so make sure you clean the display thoroughly before applying it.
Before and after the use of the Griffin Clarifi
(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET)As for the sliding close-up lens, it works like an absolute charm. We tested it out on business cards, print documents, and everyday objects, and as you can see in our little slide show gallery, the Griffin Clarifi works as promised. Blurry text becomes legible, and fuzzy objects turn sharp. The image quality itself probably still needs some color adjustment, but for sheer clarity on macro shots, the Griffin Clarifi delivers.
We can see how this is very useful beyond snapping nicer photos. As we said earlier, using the Clarifi to capture business cards means you may never have to forget a contact. And with note-organizing applications like Evernote, it's easy to find your contact with Evernote's text recognition abilities. There's also a third-party application called Snappr, that lets you scan barcodes for cost-comparison. Without the Clarifi, it's almost impossible to scan the barcodes because the iPhone doesn't have macro focus. With the Clarifi, it can be done.
Perhaps my only complaints are my aforementioned problems with the screen protector, and that it's only available in black. The Griffin Clarifi is available for $34.99 and would probably make a great gift if you know someone who likes taking photos with his iPhone 3G.
The Simplifi combines a bare-bones dock with a bare-bones-card reader.
(Credit: Griffin Technologies)It's hard to make an iPod dock sizzle, but Griffin's Simplifi barely approaches room temperature.
By consolidating a memory card reader, USB hub, and iPod dock, the Griffin Simplifi has good intentions. Unfortunately, its card reader only accepts three formats, you only get two USB ports, and the dock doesn't offer a stitch of audio or video connectivity. The Simplifi is pretty looking, granted, but $70 can buy you a lot of pretty things.
Part of me was also hoping that the Simplifi would allow some sort of direct transfer between my memory cards and my iPod (like the old iPod Camera Connector). I guess some wishful part of my brain presumed that the card reader and iPod dock had something to do with each other, instead of being a random kludging of products. For what it's worth, the capability to offload photos from my camera directly onto my 120GB iPod Classic would be a feature worth paying $70 for, but the Simplifi won't get it done.
There are some good things going for the Griffin Simplifi. First off, it's iPhone 3G compatible. Also, while it may not read 62 types of memory cards, it does read the three most common card types for consumer cameras (SD, CompactFlash, and Memory Stick).
To find out more, read my full review of the Griffin Simplifi over at CNET Reviews.
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EPISODE 107 |
Pottery Barn makes 'Star Wars' bedsheets cool again--kind of
Moldy bag prevents your lunch from being stolen
Vacumm in style with the Issey Miyake + Dyson Limited Edition (thx Richard)
Hello Kitty Watch
Hello Kitty robot coming to clean you with cuteness (thx Sheala and Gregory!)
FUG!
Ferrari station wagon is a crime against cars
Kill me.
PMS Buddy isn’t at all offensive to women. Oh, wait…
What a concept
AI helicopters. Awesome.
Pink Watch
Memorex miniMove boombox
The USB-powered Griffin iTrip Universal could be just the thing for broadcasting music around the home.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)FM transmitters don't see a ton of traction on Crave, and for good reason. Strict regulations over broadcast power and frequency range have effectively stalled product innovation. The designs may change, but most of the new FM transmitters we see are just a rehash of last year's model.
Which is why we're happy to see Griffin's latest iTrip Universal, an FM transmitter with a rechargeable battery that uniquely aims to fill the void of FM transmitters designed for use beyond the car. Sure, the iTrip is as underpowered and interference-prone as any other FM transmitter, but if you're looking for a cheap way to route wireless audio the room, it's hard to beat the iTrip Universal's USB-powered design and $30 price. Read our full review.
Several new iPhone apps are bringing Vegas-style poker to the mobile world. With them, users can deal and draw without toting around a deck of cards.
Deal and bet on iPhone poker app "5 Card Touch."
(Credit: Griffin Technology)One new poker app is Griffin Technology's "5 Card Touch" video poker. Released along with the iTunes 7.7 App Store Thursday, the application works like any other video poker game, except it's available on the go and on a touch screen.
Players bet between one and five credits, tapping the screen to deal, discard cards, or draw for new ones. A royal flush earns the most points, and jacks or better win the minimum prize. Users can also keep track of winnings, hands played, and hands won or lost. Gamers are given 1,000 virtual dollars to start playing.
The new iTunes App Store has a total of nine video poker games ranging from the "5 Card Touch" price of $1.99 to games that cost $9.99. iTunes also offers two Texas Hold'em poker games for $4.99. Either way, gambling on the iPhone will probably be considerably cheaper than betting at the casino.
