Mario & Sonic Team Up For The 2012 Olympics

Trak Lord | Gaming | Apr 25, 2011 11:26 PM CDT

I guess Sonic would be a sure thing for the 100m dash. Or you know, any running event. I guess Mario could high jump? The upcoming 2012 London Olympics will welcome the reuniting two of retro and modern gamers' favorite iconic mascots, Nintendo's Mario and SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog. These two don't generally play together (miles and miles of red tape), but the Olympics (for some reason) means they're going to be hanging out.

Their suite of special games will be hitting the Wii (probably the Wii 2/Stream/Project Cafe by that point, no?) and the 3DS, so stay posted for more news on this.

Also, do you think the Sonic games will have Olympic rings everywhere? Just a thought.

Continue reading: Mario & Sonic Team Up For The 2012 Olympics (full post)

Temporary Surgical Implant Allows Patient To Operate Computer With Mind, Order Take-Out

Trak Lord | Science, Space, Health & Robotics | Apr 25, 2011 10:54 PM CDT

From the people that brought you the crops that farm you, scientists in Russia were able to surgically implant a temporary device that allowed a patient to operate a computer- with the mind. This news comes to us from the aptly-named Singularity Hub, reminding us that one day, whether we like it or not, robots will take over the world. Also, something's telling me they're going to be able to override the Prime Directive.

The operation was overseen by Dr. Eric Leuthardt, a man previously responsible for developing another Brain-Computer Interface that allowed patients to control video-games with their minds. Clearly, the good doctor's philosophy has taken a turn from "Let's play Space Invaders with our minds!" to "Let's invade Space with Cyborgs". This particular BCI is a net of ECoG (electrocorticographic) electrodes that was temporarily placed beneath the dura, a layer of connective tissue in the brain. Scary? Scarier is that it took some of the patients a mere 4 minutes to get used to the interface and operate a computer with ease. Leuthardt believes this will be instrumental in the operation of bionic prosthetics- I'll be damned if this doesn't get creepier by the word.

Here's a promotional video with more details. Hit the link above to read more about the technical stuff.

Continue reading: Temporary Surgical Implant Allows Patient To Operate Computer With Mind, Order Take-Out (full post)

TechWatch Report: New Whitepaper On Mobile Augmented Reality Now Available

Trak Lord | Virtual & Augmented Reality and 3D | Apr 25, 2011 10:07 PM CDT

JISC Observatory has released a brand-spanking-new whitepaper detailing the uses of Mobile Augmented Reality with smartphones. If you're a developer and/or content publisher (like myself) you're going to want to get your hands on this piece of literature, because it's chock full of nifty information regarding the creation of new interactive and immersive experiences.

Even better, JISC isn't releasing the final version until May 6, so if you want to take a look at it and revise it or comment on what should and should not be there, they will take it into consideration. Who knows- your wisdom may make the final cut.

JISC originally commissioned the report, which was written by a one Ben Butchart of EDINA, based out of the University of Edinburgh. Check out the press release, and make your voices heARd.

Continue reading: TechWatch Report: New Whitepaper On Mobile Augmented Reality Now Available (full post)

Dual SIM Dual Core Motorola XT882 Smartphone Hands-On

Nicole Scott | Mobile Devices | Apr 25, 2011 1:43 AM CDT

Motorola XT882 has two of everything! This four inch smartphone has an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, access to UMTS and EVDO networks with its Dual SIM, I mean the powerhouse even has a dual LED flash!

The stand out feature besides the NVIDIA processor is the dual SIM card slots which are targeted at different networks so you'll be able to have one SIM running on the UMTS network and the EVDO network, basically GSM & CDMA. In addition to this feature that is taylored at the Chinese market, the other physical design change that's region specific is the ports are covered to streamline the phone. The other thing is that CDMA phones here have SIM cards, this was the first time I'd seen this ability live in a hand set.

This four inch smartphone is running Android 2.3 or Gingerbread on its HD display, no other detailed specs were given as Motorola is pushing the concept of the phone rather then the specs at the moment. No word on what day this smartphone will be hitting the streets or at what price point, but we imagine its going to be competitive for this market.

Continue reading: Dual SIM Dual Core Motorola XT882 Smartphone Hands-On (full post)

Nintendo's next-gen console codenamed Project Cafe, faster than the PS3, will look like a modernized SNES

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Apr 24, 2011 1:12 AM CDT

Nintendo's next-gen console codenamed Project Cafe, aka Wii 2 has had some leaked details, estimated pricing, release dates, console design, processing architecture and of course, the name. According to people close to the project, Nintendo's next-gen console should have a retail price of between $350 and $400 and will ship from Taiwanese manufacturer, Foxconn in October of this year.

Things of course could change at any time and Nintendo could choose to delay the release until 2012 to build a mammoth supply of the consoles so there would be no stock restrictions for salivating customers wanting a new Nintendo-branded console. The console is set to be powered by AMD's R700 GPU architecture which should throw some seriously large punches at the NVIDIA 7800GTX-based processor in the PlayStation 3.

Like the Xbox 360, Nintendo's new console will feature a custom-built triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset but with faster clock speeds. The system will be capable of 1080p output with the potential for stereoscopic 3D - this has not been confirmed as a staple feature yet.

Continue reading: Nintendo's next-gen console codenamed Project Cafe, faster than the PS3, will look like a modernized SNES (full post)

Come To Dolores Park With Capcom 4/23 To Frolic, Tatsumaki Senpyuukyaku

Trak Lord | Gaming | Apr 22, 2011 10:46 PM CDT

Hey San Franciscoans, if you bother to check your RSS feeds tomorrow when you're hungover from gearing up for the holiday weekend, make sure to swing over to Dolores Park in San Francisco's Mission District with your Nintendo 3DS and copy of Street Fighter IV in tow.

Capcom and Destructoid are teaming up for a day in the park together, with lots of SF IV swag and even SF IV themed pizza! Wait, really? Like pizza in the shape of Blanka's head or something? That's incredible. Full post after the break!

Continue reading: Come To Dolores Park With Capcom 4/23 To Frolic, Tatsumaki Senpyuukyaku (full post)

Chrono Trigger To Hit PS3- Hell Yes

Trak Lord | Gaming | Apr 22, 2011 9:25 PM CDT

According to a report by IGN , the Super Nintendo classic Chrono Trigger will be headed to PlayStation 3 an PlayStation Portable. Chrono Trigger, originally published by Square Enix, has seen a few platforms since its SNES days, including the PlayStation in 2001 and most recently the Nintendo DS. Still, giving that amazing RPG a go on the PS3 is going to suck- all of your free time, that is.

IGN had noticed the following on the ESRB ratings site, and noted that it was listed for the PS3 and the PSP. As you can see, the ESRB listing is painfully empty of any information other than the systems for which Chrono Trigger has been rated, but we can imagine we'll see more news in the future. You know, as soon as the PlayStation Network is back up.

Continue reading: Chrono Trigger To Hit PS3- Hell Yes (full post)

Microsoft and Sony looking at 2014 for new consoles, continue to milk the current consoles (and their customers) in the meantime

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Apr 22, 2011 1:11 AM CDT

Looks like current rumbles are right, Microsoft and Sony will continue to milk the current generation of consoles for another few years at least - even though they're at the boundaries of what games can offer. Both companies are waiting the fight out and looking to Nintendo for the launch of their next machine by the end of next year. An insider who has worked with the first-party companies like Sony and Microsoft has said:

Both MS and Sony are telegraphing to each other that they're delaying, to milk the current [generation] and fill in previous craters better.

Kotaku's insider believes that any new Xbox in 2013 would only be a Kinect-upgraded 360 and not the next-gen console that would be expected in 2014. The same source says that Microsoft doesn't even know what parts will be put into the next-gen Xbox (which I find very hard to believe, surely things are being sourced or at least talked about now).

Continue reading: Microsoft and Sony looking at 2014 for new consoles, continue to milk the current consoles (and their customers) in the meantime (full post)

The Dream Of Google's Groupon Clone Will Be Alive In Portland

Trak Lord | Internet & Websites | Apr 21, 2011 11:49 PM CDT

Damn. I guess this is what happens when you turn down a $6 billion bid from the most successful search engine in the country. Google had announced it will be deploying it's thinly-masked Groupon competitor, dubbed "Google Offers", starting in Portland, Oregon.

Is it me, or is the name itself kind of a stab at Groupon, re: the $6 billion offer to buy the company? Either way, the service will be launched soon, and after Portland will expand to New York City, San Francisco and evidently the greater Bay Area, according to the map in the background of the above photo, which depicts the Oakland/Berkeley region.

Google revealed the service back in January of this year, but you can now sign up at a page that claims it will begin to notify you of deals that offer, minimum, 50% off or more at local businesses. And unlike Groupon, these deals will not, I repeat, not require a minimum number of people to register in order to get the offered deal.

Continue reading: The Dream Of Google's Groupon Clone Will Be Alive In Portland (full post)