Fresh from San Francisco where she was covering last week's Apple announcements, Natali Del Conte joins us on the today's pop-culture-y episode.
Of course, the big Twitter and Facebook news of the day is Kanye West's unwelcome outburst at last night's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) show. The producer slash performer just can't seem to keep his head above water. In case you haven't heard, Kanye rudely interrupted Taylor Swift's award acceptance speech to announce that Beyonce should have won for her "Single Ladies" video. Whether that's true or not (some of us think it is), the millions of Tweets and status updates indicate that the public isn't on his side, despite his half-hearted apology that someone should probably post on this Web site.
Speaking of celebrity freak-outs, Serena Williams has her own apologizing to do, but this time it's to a line woman who became the object of her public outburst after a call was made in Serena's error. The charitable Williams, albeit unsatisfied with the result of the match, managed to keep her composure and must have thought the woman looked a little hungry, because she offered to feed her a tennis ball down the esophagus. She politely declined the meal. Watch the disaster unfold.
Finally, we do actually have some good news to report today: Captain EO is making its triumphant return to Disneyland! Even though the classic 80s movie has already made its way to YouTube, watching it on a computer doesn't even compare to wearing those cheesy pink 3D glasses and watching it in a giant theater with all the physical effects. We're not sure what changes are in store for the film, but rest assured that you'll be the first to know once we get more info.
Unfortunately, no Calls from the Public segment today because, well, we didn't get any! None that were good, anyway. So give us a call and tell us how much you like/love/hate/despise the show. You know how it works- call 1-866-404-CNET and you might get played on the air. We also accept e-mail submissions (preferably of you holding a 404 sign or something) like the one we received from our buddies Ammi and Samri in Sweden over the weekend. Send 'em our way at the404(at)CNET[dot]com.
EPISODE 424
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Tennis, anyone? The 2009 U.S. Open app gives you tons of tournament goodies.
Good news, tennis junkies: The 2009 U.S. Open iPhone app is the next best thing to being courtside.
Available now from the App Store, this American Express- and IBM-sponsored freebie serves up tournament news, live scores, and schedules. It lets you view the draws on an interactive bracket and read player bios.
Alas, you can't watch live video of the actual matches, but the app does offer prerecorded videos of the players, special events, past highlights, and the like. A photo gallery is on tap as well.
You may not be able to watch the Open, but you can listen to it live courtesy of USOpen.org radio, which streams from within the app. (A tennis match on the radio? Better than nothing, I guess.)
Anyone lucky enough to be in Flushing for the actual matches can view a venue map, seating charts, and even dining and transportation options.
Bottom line: This is a must-have app for anyone with even a passing interest in the U.S. Open. Game, set, match!
Last month, we got some hands-on time with Wii Sports Resort, the first-party Nintendo game that comes bundled with Wii MotionPlus.
While most of the minigames are new, you'll recognize a few classics from the original title such as golf and bowling. That aside, there's a lot of new activities in Wii Sports Resort, all of which take advantage of Wii MotionPlus (which we reviewed earlier this week).
During our demo, we especially enjoyed our time with Table Tennis and Archery. After playing with the final version for about a week now, Table Tennis remains among the highlights of the game. The capability to perform top spin and fades on the ball makes for a very satisfying experience.
We also enjoyed the Frisbee game where MotionPlus really shines. You have complete 1:1 control over your character's toss, in which you must have a dog catch the disc in a bull's-eyed area.
Wii Sports Resort comes bundled with one Wii MotionPlus attachment and rubber sleeve and is available July 26 for $50. Additional Wii MotionPlus units are available now for $20 each.
On Sale Now: $46.99 - $48.99
View the latest prices for Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
On Sale Now: $17.96 - $21.99
View the latest prices for Wii MotionPlus
(Credit:
Eyes on Tech)
I like to play tennis, especially on the Wii where I don't have to leave the couch to score an ace. But while Wii Sports tennis is a very fun game--and it uses the Wii's accelerometers well--it's not the real thing. Some people want to play real tennis in the real world. And some people like to win.
Because of this, Mans Shapshak, an avid tennis player as well as a gear hacker, has come up with a novel way to combine fake tennis with real tennis to improve his real-world game using a hacked Wiimote.
The Wiimote uses Bluetooth as its wireless connection; thus with a little work it can communicate with other Bluetooth devices, like laptops. Then, combining the wireless aspect with some open-source Wiimote libraries, some basic coding, and a bit of simple math, Shapshak was able to start tracking his toss and serve. Then he started graphing his results.
By using the data as performance feedback he can practice more efficiently and, hopefully, get a more consistent serve. The same idea could be used for bowling, golf, or any other sport. I'd like to use it for kickball (my sport of choice) but can't fathom running around with a Wiimote taped to my leg.
Actually, yes I can. I am that guy.
As we mentioned previously, this week we got all close-up and hands-on with Nintendo's E3 lineup for the holidays, courtesy of a meeting in a NY hotel room deep in midtown Manhattan. And to our surprise (and clearly, Nintendo's delight), they've gone a little hardcore competitive on us all of a sudden.
We told you about New Super Mario Bros. Wii (a.k.a. "Super Mario Smash Bros."), and now we'll let you in on our three-game session with Nintendo's ace-in-the-hole, Wii Sports Resort.
While you've probably heard a lot about this game, did you know it's including updates of classics like bowling and golf? While we didn't spend time with those, we took on whole new challenges that provoked a bit of smack-talking between Jeff and Scott. ... Read more
When Nintendo announced Wii MotionPlus at last year's E3 2008 press conference, it certainly raised a few eyebrows. First off, we wondered why this technology wasn't included in the original Wii remote to begin with. Would every game be able to take advantage of MotionPlus?
We've had a few days to play around with Wii MotionPlus along with a few games that take advantage of what it offers. That said, we're not convinced that these games maximize its capability and therefore we're not giving it a score yet. We're going to wait until Wii Sports Resort is released--the first game that is supposedly fully optimized for MotionPlus--before we make any final judgments.
Regardless of a final score, we got to experience what MotionPlus is mostly all about, and for the most part, it does offer an impressive 1:1 representation of your movements on screen. We tested it out with two early games that can use it, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis.... Read more
On Sale Now: $17.96 - $21.99
View the latest prices for Wii MotionPlus
(Credit:
Kotaku)
Last week Nintendo announced a June 8 release date for MotionPlus, an attachment device that promises more accurate and precise motion control. While you can't use the technology with preexisting Wii games, you'll certainly be able to take advantage of it with the 2010 EA Sports lineup of titles.
In fact, EA has just revealed that MotionPlus will be bundled with select games from the publisher. In the U.K., you'll be able to purchase Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis with the accessory, but only with the Tiger Woods game here in the U.S.
We'd imagine the bundled games will go for a bit of a premium and, of course, you'll be able to purchase the game separately without MotionPlus. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 ships on June 15 and looks like it will be the first game available to make use of MotionPlus.
(Via Kotaku)
Both WiiWare and the Virtual Console get a pair of additions this week.
Virtual Console
- City Connection (1985, NES, 500 Wii points): City Connection is one of the first "chase" games to have you running from the law. Use your arsenal of various road-weapons to throw them off track in this unique action game based on the arcade classic.
- Metal Slug (1996, NeoGeo, 900 Wii points): Metal Slug is the classic side-scrolling shooter where you take control of either Marco or Tarma and destroy everything in your way. Battle through a vast amount of levels as you try and take back the actual Metal Slug weapon.
WiiWare
- Dr. Mario Online Rx (Nintendo, 1,000 Wii points): Dr. Mario is back and with a next-gen makeover! In Dr. Mario Online Rx, you'll be able to take Dr. Mario online or up to four players locally. There's also new game modes and co-op features that'll have you blasting capsules with friends.
- Family Table Tennis (Aksys Games, 500 Wii points): Enjoy three modes of table tennis action including single player, versus, or mini-game. Family Table Tennis is fun for the whole family and can support up to two players simultaneously.
What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off here!
(Credit:
Sony Ericsson)
She's turning 21 in April this year, so it's apparently time for a change.
Ending her three-year run with Canon, Maria Sharapova today pledged her allegiance to Sony Ericsson. Besides undertaking a series of new consumer-brand campaigns off the court, the international tennis star will also be working with the Japanese-Swedish company's designers on "a range of products and accessories," according to the press release.
And guess what phone she's using now? The Sony Ericsson W350i. What did you expect?
(Source: Crave Asia)
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