Crave

Could your PS3 also be your Dreamcast?

(Credit: CNET)

A whopper of a leak shot across the Internet Tuesday, reporting of a Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) meeting that discussed the possibilities of rereleasing classic Sega games as compilation Blu-ray Discs and downloads of PS2 games on the PS3. While we discussed this trend--and even suggested a few great franchises to pursue--when the God of War Collection was announced, an even more surprising and exciting bomb was dropped in these purported meeting minutes:

Dreamcast on the PS3.

Top 10 Dreamcast games we'd love to see on the PlayStation Network--photos

From the wording of supposedly leaked August 6 SCEA meeting notes found on several forums including NeoGAF, it sounds like both PS2 and Dreamcast games will soon be available over PSN, much like PS1 games are already. That is big news. With PS2, PS1, and Dreamcast titles under their belts, it could be argued that the PS3 would have a Virtual Console that, while not as retro as Nintendo's, would be nearly unbeatable in offering the best of the late '90s and early '00s. After all, back then, the Dreamcast and PS2 were the biggest, bitterest rivals in town. It hasn't been confirmed that these notes are real, but they certainly seem too detailed and logical to not be. ... Read more

Now you can type in landscape mode!

(Credit: Screenshot by Daren Darrow/CNET)

The WebOS Internals crew on Friday released a virtual keyboard patch for the Palm Pre.

Now, with the homebrew patch installed (homebrew apps are developed and distributed through third-party sources, not Palm or through the official App Catalog), Pre users can type without opening the slider keyboard.

Having an onscreen keyboard is a godsend for browsing the Web in landscape mode. Instead of rotating the phone and using the built-in keyboard, users can now just double-tap the gesture area and type away--without all the twisting, sliding, and pressing.

The patch modifies the operation of the onscreen keyboard that WebOS uses to insert symbols with the slider keyboard. The patch works well, but has at least one hang-up: You can't use it for all text entry areas. It can be used to type a URL in a Web browser, but not to fill in forms on Web sites. Even with this issue, it's better than not having a virtual keyboard, at least until Palm releases an update that includes one.

While there are a lot of steps to installing homebrew apps and patches, they are not difficult to perform. People new to the homebrew scene should just follow the instructions.

To install the patch, follow the steps that PreCentral posted on its blog. To install WebOS Quick Install, follow the steps in its forum.

Requirements: Palm Pre with developer mode enabled, WebOS Quick Installer or command line access to the phone.

(Source: PreCentral)

When the Nintendo DSi was first announced, flaunting, among other things, an ability to download games directly from Nintendo to system memory or an SD card, our minds leaped to visions of a portable Virtual Console on the Nintendo handheld.

It would be a museum of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, to be chosen from the hundreds of thousands of titles dating back to 1989. Much like the Wii's Virtual Console, it would be a mix of greatest hits and the obscure. Best of all, it could be affordable.

Unfortunately and quizzically, Nintendo still hasn't launched a Game Boy Virtual Console. We have no idea why, honestly: Nintendo handhelds have been locked out of playing classic Game Boy titles for years, and some of them are truly worth revisiting.

Game Boy games we want to see on the DSi Virtual Console--photos

Also, let's not forget the size of these games. Since Game Boy and Game Boy Color game cartridges could only hold a small amount of information (by today's standards), downloading these games to your DSi's SD card or internal storage would be ideal.

We went back in time and plucked a short list that should serve Nintendo well. Check out our picks for the portable Virtual Console To Be (hopefully).

Note: we didn't even dare to dream about Nintendo offering up Lynx, Game Gear, and Turbografx titles for the DS--that's another fantasy altogether.

No matter how clean-cut-looking and convincing the "I am a Mac" guy appears, those switching to a Mac could use some assistance, and Parallels wants to extend its helping hand.

The maker of the popular virtualized software environment that lets you run Windows within a Mac OS announced Tuesday its "complete solution" designed to simplify the process of moving from a PC to Mac.

(Credit: Parallels)

The product combines the company's Parallels Desktop 4.0 and a set of tools and interactive tutorials designed to help "switchers" understand how to operate Mac OS X, transfer all PC data and applications, and run Windows applications on their new Mac computers.

This is interesting, as Parallels, as well as VMware, another maker of virtualized Windows environment for Macs, need both platforms to do their business.

Nonetheless, this seems like a useful solution for many people as, according to Apple, the switch from PC to Mac is on the rise. While the overall PC industry saw declines of 3 percent for the quarter ending in June, Apple sales were up 4 percent year over year and half of the Macs sold were to customers who had never owned a Mac before.

The Parallels Desktop 4.0 Switch to Mac Edition is available immediately at Apple stores and online and cost $100.

Personally, I prefer Boot Camp, which comes free with the Mac OS X Leopard and later and allows for running Windows natively on a Mac (and therefore suffers no performance degradation). Boot Camp can also essentially completely turn a Mac into a PC.

Unfortunately, Boot Camp doesn't allow for running Windows and Mac at the same time. Also, it doesn't come with tutorials so you would have to figure Windows out by yourself.

Rafe and Tom answer tech questions about getting Microsoft software for cheap, the security of bank apps and more.

Rafe and Tom explain what virtualization is and how it works, plus they take your calls and questions on Windows installations, virtualizing Android, and more.

(Credit: Sony)

A small but vocal group of tech enthusiasts is raising a fuss over Sony's plans to disable the hardware virtualization required to run Microsoft's Windows 7 XP virtualization technology.

Answering reader questions on the official Windows Partner Blog, Sony exec Xavier Lauwaert says security issues are to blame (the explanation comes in the comments section of the post):

Our engineers and QA people were very concerned that enabling VT would expose our systems to malicious code that could go very deep in the Operating System structure of the PC and completely disable the latter.

However, all is not lost, as Lauwaert says that Sony has listened to the complaints and will selectively allow XP virtualization mode to run on future systems -- although no specific details about models and timeframes are mentioned.

However, with the advent of XP Virtualization, there is impetus for us to relook at the situation and I can share with you that we will enable VT on select models.

While some have gone so far as to call for a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Vaio purchasers, this is an issue that's generally confined to the periphery of enthusiast PC users -- which is why the outrage has clearly taken Sony by surprise.

We take a walk on the virtual side in today's Gadgettes. Virtual reality museums, robotic kittens, and fusion in your pocket!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 145

Household gadgets we’d like to see

Canon launches virtual-reality dinosaur exhibit in Japan

Robo-Kitty: Sega Toys unveils the Dream Cat Venus

Handheld fusion reactor on the way?

“Design your own clock” clock

A propos (of) nothing
Vroom: Surf the Web with a Ford GT

It's About Time
Eris Planetary Sphere watch goes anywhere but the wrist

Pink Watch
Juicy Couture goes geeky

Tool Time
Ript Fusion body-shaping undershirt (thanks, Sam!)

Reverse Gender Gap
Ostrich three in one chair for sunbathing bookworms

BlingRX
Russel Hobbs RHG2TSW crystal encrusted bling toaster (thanks, Colleen!)

Kill Me
Fantasy coach bed for the budding superiority complex

(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.