Does Apple hate connectivity standards? Always seems that way. So OWC is now offering an inexpensive option to fix yet anothet Apple design flaw. For just $169, plus shipping, the company will cut a small hole in the bottom grill and install the missing eSATA port.

The only problem is that the port isn’t port-multiplication-compatible so it won’t work properly with most multi-drive RAID enclosures. Still, if you want it, they will do it. Like Burger King, you can have your iMac your way.

We will never know without Microsoft fessing up if this rumor is true or not, but it has more than a tinge of believability. Raul Sood from HP-owned Voodoo has stated that sources have told him that the reason Microsoft killed off its cross-platform gaming service that was in testing was because console gamers were smeared by PC gamers.

According to Sood, console gamers lost every single match during testing of the cross-platform service when paired against a PC gamer. This is an interesting claim and explains why after Microsoft talked up the service and went to testing it never came to market.

Sensgard has rolled out its ZEM headphones. They come with a simple amplifier that will reproduce purer sound and cancel background noise using a proprietary technique from acoustic researcher Dr. Jozef Zwislocki. The noise cancellation doesn’t require any power, instead using a physics-based sound filter which reduces noise in low and high frequency ranges.

Since there is no electronic gear involved with that, the cost and weight of the headphones are reduced. A few small, electro-magnetic receivers work as electro-mechanical amplifiers, delivering a frequency response between 20Hz and 20,000Hz and a sensitivity of 110.5dB at 1,500Hz.

On Wednesday night, speaking with NewTeeVee, the Chief of Hulu, Jason Kilar mentioned that he would be comfortable adding a more expensive tier to Hulu Plus, which would completely remove all ads. As it stands now, Hulu Plus doesn’t get rid of ads while you pay that $9.99 per month, it just gives you access to a wider selection of your shows.

Many people are accustomed to ads while they watch shows, but some people have a different outlook on watching shows/movies on their computer and they don’t want ads. Hulu makes its money from those advertisements. And so do the broadcasting partners who provide those videos. This could be another way for HULU to make money.

JayBird has been making wireless Bluetooth headphones for a while now. The company has announced its latest set called the SB2 Sportsband headphones. They promise CD quality audio with Bluetooth streaming for active types not wanting wires.

The headphones are offered in nine different colors with some specifically for the ladies. Audio is tuned for deep bass and for good all around sound according to JayBird. The new headphones promise better call and audio quality than previous generations from the company.

The NBA Championships may be officially over, but you can still show your devotion to your favorite team. You can get either the Celtics version of this Bluetooth Headset or the Lakers version. The company is offering two designs for each team, with each model costing $59.95.

Each headset will use Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR with noise cancellation and last number redial. And if you weren’t a fan of either team, they will be announcing the full line of NBA headsets on July 4th, so there will be something for everyone.

I have tested and gamed with more Razer peripherals over the years than I can count. The stuff is fantastic for gaming with no issues with lag or ghosting in any of the offerings from the company.

Razer was showing off some of its new StarCraft II Wings of Liberty branded peripherals at E3 this week. Among the offerings are the Spectre Mouse, the Marauder keyboard, and the Banshee headset. The mouse has 5600 dpi resolution, adjustable button force, and more for $79.99.

I like my iPad and I have taken it with me many places for reading and playing games when I get bored. Lots of folks are finding that the iPad is good for a great many things, including a group of surgeons in Japan.

These docs used the iPad during surgery apparently to view images to help during the procedure. The iPad was held by an assistant during the surgury. I imagine it went something like this — scalpel, suction, iPad, landscape please.

CTA, makers of all manner of strange Wii peripherals, is back. This time they are offering a plastic drawbar / foot pedal combo that is “very similar to a rowing machine you would find at the gym,”. Somehow we doubt that, but whatever.

It’s designed for games like Wii Sports Resort and will no doubt begin collecting dust immediately, like the rest of your exercise gear. You can pre-order it now at Amazon if you like.

The thing I remember most about video games from my youth was that the graphics sucked and the music was just as bad. I still hear the music from Mario Brothers in my dreams. A senior project from a guy named Mike Davenport has created the perfect instrument for playing those old game soundtracks stuck in your head.

The project is dubbed the 8-bit arcade guitar and is built from the buttons of an arcade game and other gear. Exactly how the project was pulled together is unknown.

LG is offering another Cookie in the form of the LG Cookie Gig GM570 that’s geared toward music. It packs in some good specs like a 3 inch WQVGA display, resistive touch-screen, 5MP camera, 3.5mm headphones, microSD card slot, 7.2 Mbps HSDPA support and Bluetooth.

Right now, we have no idea about the price and availability on this one. AT&T? Hopefully they put it in the cookie jar soon with some more detailed info.

I love my DVR, but the worst thing about it is that it only has a 20GB HDD and I can’t do anything with the programs I record other than watch them on the TV. Dish Network has announced a new DVR that frees your content and hold lots more of it.

The new DVR is called the VIP 922 and the thing has Slingbox tech built-in. Slingbox tech inside the DVR is a first and should let you shoot that content to your PC for viewing and possibly to other devices as well.

There’s only a few days left before you get your very own iPad. Now Apple has gone and posted some tutorial videos on their site. This way, by the time you get it in your hands, you can feel like an expert and impress your friends.

The tutorials cover pretty much everything you need to know, like the native iPad applications, from Safari to Videos, along with several applications you’ll have to download from the iPad App Store. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers make an appearance as well. They’re not super detailed, but they do a good job of covering all the bases.

I know exactly what my wife would say if I were to bring home the Gearboard concept and try to hang it in the living room. She would say, “You’re not putting that ugly thing in my living room.” Apparently, having ovaries entitles you to ownership of the living room unless a picture needs to be hung or a spider squished.

The Gearboard is sort of cool with groves cut in it that accepts the little hooks of various shapes and sizes for hanging up your controllers. I think the concept would work well in a kid’s room or a game room where controllers are ok in the open.

I have been playing computer games since I was a kid and have always preferred computer gaming to consoles. If you are a dedicated Mac user, you can still be a gamer. However, Mac game software and peripherals are not nearly as prolific as gear for the PC.

Gamine peripheral maker Razer has announced at GDC that it will increase its support for Mac gamers. Razer states that it will be offering a new line of drivers for Mac users for all of its upcoming products.