by James Pikover Feb 23, 2010 2:24 PM CST
filed under hardware, news

Ever imagine yourself hitting keys and not all of them registering as pressed? Like, in a time of utter crisis, when you're hands are sprawled all out on your keyboard, the tool of your enemy's destruction? That's perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a gamer, so Microsoft has unleashed the SideWinder X4, which allows, according to Tom's Guide, up to 26 consecutive keystrokes.
Check out their full review, but you may find that ghosting isn't an issue...or, considering the rig you're on now, it may be your worst issue.
Tom's Guide
by James Pikover Feb 16, 2010 12:18 AM CST
filed under hardware, news, technology

In a bold move by Microsoft, their upcoming SideWinder X4 gaming keyboard will feature media controls that work specifically for iTunes instead of their own Zune media software. While investigating using our own X4 received for review, we found that this is indeed true: Whenever using the multimedia keys, iTunes is prompted to open instead of Zune responding to the actual key configuration shown in the Microsoft Intellitype Pro software.
After rebooting, reinstalling, rolling back the drivers and doing everything reasonable for a human being to do, I give up. I only use iTunes to sync my iPhone, and use Zune for all my music needs. I don't know if Microsoft decided they were afraid of another lawsuit, this time for hogging the media keys to their own software. But seriously, this is just a joke.
by Alex Rubens Feb 13, 2010 11:50 PM CST
filed under features, hardware, reviews

After a long wait, I finally got my hands on the Sennheiser PC 350. Needless to say, it was well worth it.
I have found that I am playing more and more games online lately, yet using my headset less. I attribute this to the fact that I don't enjoy people screaming mindless garbage into my ear instead of using their microphones for teamwork. Then came the Sennheiser PC 350 gaming headset, demanding that I rethink that position and believe me, I did more than just that.
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by Alex Rubens Feb 9, 2010 5:23 PM CST
filed under features, hardware, ps3, reviews, xbox 360

When Performance Designed Products first told me that they were going to send me Energizer Power and Play Controller Chargers for 360 and PS3, I was highly skeptical. My reason for being so was that all I could picture when I heard "controller chargers" was those Wii remote chargers by Nyko. While those are ugly and poorly designed, these products are the exact opposite.
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by Bret Morace Jan 3, 2010 11:34 PM CST
filed under ds, hardware, industry, news, nintendo, ps2, ps3, psp, sony, wii, xbox 360

Media Create posted their hardware sales for the last full week of 2009 (December 21 - 27) . Remember, these are Japanese sale numbers.
Wii - 215,129
DSi - 113,984
PS3 - 110,159
PSP - 105,801
DSi LL - 81,430
DS Lite - 17,695
Xbox 360 - 6,489
PSP go - 4,192
PS2 - 3,747
(via Nintendo Everything)
by Tyler Treat Dec 30, 2009 10:30 PM CST
filed under hardware, industry, news, xbox 360

Engadget compiled a list of ten gadgets that defined the decade. The list included such names as the iPod, the Razr, and Windows XP. The only gaming console to make the list? The Xbox 360, although the PS2 and Wii made honorable mentions. They had this to say about Microsoft's gaming system:
You don't remember a console for the chips inside or the case design, but the games you played. For me those games were Gears of War and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I bought the 360 in 2006, and always felt a little out of step with what my friends were playing -- particularly as the catalog has ballooned in 2008 and 2009. But these two games forged the perfect intersection with my Xbox Live friends list. I spent untold hours hopping from match to match with a group of peers, shouting cries of despair into my wired headset as I continually fulfilled my role as "the weakest link" on my team. Those two games were everything I'd ever tried to emulate growing up with a game of laser tag, a pair of walkie talkies or an elaborately constructed Lego battlefield, and I got to share them in real time with real people thanks to technologies so complicated and market forces so beyond me that I'd really prefer not to even think about them.
Does it deserve it? It seems to be a bit of a surprise, at least to me.
by Jacob Nelson Dec 21, 2009 11:29 PM CST
filed under cool stuff, editorials, features, hardware

So, it’s time for you to do some last-minute holiday shopping for the geek on your list, or maybe you’re looking to buy yourself a little present for all the hard work you’ve done this year. This holiday gift guide will walk you through the must-have toys of 2009.
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by Staff Dec 18, 2009 1:29 PM CST
filed under cool stuff, hardware, pc

Tom's Guide did an excellent writeup of some of this year's biggest and best gaming mice, for all types of gamers. For the PC gamer in you all (or even for anyone looking for a good mouse), they go into excruciating detail about each of the nine tested mice, to the point that it's sickening. But in a good way.
by James Pikover Dec 9, 2009 7:01 PM CST
filed under cool stuff, hardware, pc, unboxing
Thought we were done unboxing? Pfft, don't be silly. We just got piled up on work and didn't have a chance for it (laziness took over and work is an excellent scapegoat). This time, we open up Razer's Orochi mouse, the first wireless Bluetooth gaming mouse on the market. Come take a look!
by James Pikover Dec 5, 2009 10:57 PM CST
filed under cool stuff, features, hardware, unboxing
Another Unboxing! Woohoo! This one's a triple threat, with two mice and a mosuepad from SteelSeries, including the Kinzu Optical, Xai Laser and 9HD mousepad. Enjoy, and post any questions here if you'd like to know more.