Drivers Ed Portable coming to the Nintendo DS

Posted in Nintendo DS by Conner Flynn on May 1st, 2008

Drivers Ed Portable coming to the Nintendo DS
It seems that the days of drivers ed courses and gory safety videos are becoming a thing of the past. Soon teenagers will be able to prepare for the written portion of their driver’s license exam with the Drivers Ed Portable for the Nintendo DS. It was developed by DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD Productions. The idea is to give people a fun way to study the material. Let’s just hope that this title conveys the seriousness of the rules of the road and doesn’t have teens expecting to shoot red or green shells at their opponents.

The game will feature two modes: Test and Train. Test mode will have some sample tests for the written part of the driver’s license examination for all 50 US states, 13 Canadian provinces and territories, as well as Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. User progress is tracked, so the player will know where they need to improve in order to be successful in the real life test. Train mode will include three fun and educational mini-games. I think it might be a good idea to get off the road very soon. Damn kids and their Nintendo.

FC Mobile console plays original NES carts

Posted in Handheld Entertainmnet by Conner Flynn on April 27th, 2008

FC Mobile console plays original NES carts
We’ve seen our share of Nintendo NES clone systems, but as far as we know, this is the first mass-produced portable that can actually play those huge cartridges from the classic 8-bit gaming system. The FC Mobile portable plays original NES game carts. Take it and your huge cartridges everywhere and play.

You can play on the built-in 2.4-inch LCD screen, or on your television with the included AV cable. It takes three AA batteries, and plays audio through internal stereo speakers or using the headphone jack. Despite the obvious Famicom reference, seems like the console plays North American NES games, not Japanese Famicom games. Get one in black/silver or red/white. Sure, it looks silly playing NES games on a small portable, but what the hell.

The PS3 and the Wii get LCDs

Posted in LCD by Conner Flynn on April 17th, 2008

The PS3 and the Wii get LCDs
Why in the hell you would want to port around a PS3 I have no idea, same thing with the Wii really. But I guess we needed more accessories. Thanks to Clearvision’s new LCD attachment for the PS3 and China Vasion’s version for the Nintendo Wii, you can.

Both screens measure 7 inches and have integrated speakers along with a flip-top design that makes your console look like an oversized handheld. I can’t imagine playing any Wii game with the Wii version. You would have to stand about four feet away and good luck making out anything on that screen. If you wanted to use your Wii as a laptop I guess it would be cool.

Soundwagon portable record player

Posted in Turntables by Conner Flynn on March 30th, 2008

Soundwagon portable Record player
If you love old records, but don’t have the space for a turntable, then the Soundwagon Portable Record Player is for you. It’s the smallest portable record player in the world, and it’s an officially licensed Volkswagen van that will drive around the record as it plays your favorite vinyl records.

The sound is via an integrated speaker. I wouldn’t expect top notch sound, but watching an old VW drive along your old record will probably take you back in time. It will cost $90 and will give those old records another shot at life.

Pix-L mini PC & alarm clock

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on March 20th, 2008

Pix-L mini PC & alarm clock
Designer Jean Hong has a slightly different vision for the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC), and that vision is the Pix-L. The device functions as both an alarm clock and a browser for your bedside. If you want to view it on your nightstand, you can prop up the mini-screen or turn it around for a better angle from above, that way it’s ideal for viewing while you’re lying on your stomach.

Just let it wake you up in the morning, then detach the PC from its stand for portable computing. Even the color scheme shown here is super nice. I would be very surprised if this designer isn’t working for Microsoft very soon.

Guitar Grip: your Nintendo DS may now rock

Posted in Nintendo DS by Conner Flynn on March 19th, 2008

Guitar Grip: your Nintendo DS may now rock
DS owners will love this. Guitar antics are not just for those stay-at-home consoles anymore. According to Video Games Zone, the upcoming Guitar Hero on Tour title can be enjoyed with this Guitar Grip.

It might have four buttons instead of five, but who cares! You’ll be rocking out with your DS by holding the DS upright and tapping the buttons of the peripheral in the GBA slot. You can strum the touchscreen for the pickin’. It may not be a full sized Gibson, but hey it’s portable rockin’ at your fingertips. Of course, strumming on a portable of this size may make you look more like Tiny Tim then Slash.

O2-B portable oxygen bar

Posted in Health by Conner Flynn on March 18th, 2008

O2-B portable oxygen bar
If for some reason you feel like this rotating blue marble doesn’t have enough oxygen to suit your needs, why not get this portable oxygen bar for $729. Maybe you just want cleaner air. It’s lightweight and portable, even offers timed blasts of 10 to 30 minutes via a headset, five nose hoses and 12 mouthpiece filters.

You also get a free additional intake filter so you can have an O2 shot whenever you need a kick. The Oxygen Bar promises to increase energy, stamina, concentration and alertness as well as help with relaxation and rejuvenate athletes. It would also help your breathing in higher elevations and in cities. Basically, it’s a breath of fresh air.

Navistar 3522 portable GPS and docking station

Posted in GPS by Conner Flynn on March 17th, 2008

Navistar 3522 portable GPS and docking station
The Navistar 3522 has a pair of speakers located on either side of the screen. The screen is 3.5”, so overall it must be a bit large, which means it can be used at home and in the car. It looks like a nice simple and clean unit.

It comes with a home docking station so you can charge the sat nav system and connect to a pair of speakers that are better than the integrated ones. With a remote control, this device can also be used as a mini entertainment center wherever you like. It runs Windows CE.Net OS, uses Centrality Atlas GPS receiver, and is compatible with TMC traffic information. Maps are from either TeleAtlas or Navteq depending on what the distributor wants.

Slide digital media player plays NES games

Posted in Portable Meda Players by Conner Flynn on February 24th, 2008

The Portable Slide Panel Digital Media Player
The Portable Slide Panel Digital Media Player has a design that makes it look like a game handheld. It’s a video player with a 2.8inch LCD display capable of playing back MP4 and 3GP files. It also works as a MP3/WMA player, FM tuner, has ebook function, built-in speaker, and JPEG viewing abilities.

The coolest function is it’s ability to play games, and it claims to support NES, GameBoy and GameBoy Color. Apparently via an emulator. The device also has a built in mic and a digital video camera. That’s alot of cool features. Plus it comes with audio and video out cables so you can connect it to a TV. The only downside with this device is that they only give you 1GB of internal memory, but there is the typical SD slot for expansion. It will cost you $59.99, and they even give you a pouch.

MyRacer portable console plays flash games

Posted in Handheld Entertainmnet by Conner Flynn on February 20th, 2008

MyRacer portable console
Here’s a pocket gaming system that’s not from Nintendo or Sony, but from Korean company called MyRacer. The MF101 portable looks like a media player, but it’s actually a pocket-sized game machine. It’ll play music and video files in several formats, but it will also play a number of Adobe Flash-based games, like the ones from Korea’s Play4U or Com2uS catalog.

It sports a pair of directional controls, even shoulder buttons. The user interface is even Flash-based. The system has a 320×240 resolution 2.4-inch color LCD screen, and comes with 1GB of on-board memory, which is expandable with an SD slot. It’s not available in the US yet, of course. But if you want to try to score one from a Korean retailer, it will cost you around $104.

Guitar Hero gets portable & silly

Posted in Handheld Entertainmnet by Conner Flynn on February 15th, 2008

Guitar Hero gets portable
I guess if you want Guitar Hero on the go or if you are a Leprechaun wanting to play the game in your size, you are in luck my friends. This miniature version was created by Basic Fun, and it looks like they got Activision’s approval. It’s called the “Guitar Hero Carabiner,” and it will make it’s debut next week at the International Toy Fair in New York.

It measures in at only 7.75 long and 3 inches wide, though the neck can fold down to cut its length in half. The carabiner also has the ability to dangle from your bag or backpack, in case your pocket real estate is already full with a DS and the like.

WD My Passport Essential drive - now shinier

Posted in Storage by Darrin Olson on January 30th, 2008

Western Digital 320GB Passport Essential USB hard driveWD launched the new My Passport Essential USB hard drive today with a new glossy look created to go along with the design of the company’s popular My Book hard drives. Like the My Book, the small new Essential drives have that “book” look to them with a bull-nose “binding” on one side.

But, aside from the new glossy digs this drive is still pretty much the same small pocket-sized portable drive that’s powered solely from its USB connection. It comes in sizes of 160GB, 250GB and 320GB with the largest capacity launching with a price tag of a penny under $200. They also come with some software to automatically sync up and store data from your computer along with some Google tools.

Polaroid DPJ takes iPod movies to the next level

Posted in Polaroid, Portable Meda Players, iPod, iPod Accessories by Conner Flynn on January 28th, 2008

Polaroid DPJ takes your iPod movies to the next levelPolaroid’s DPJ-08580B is only one of a hundred gadgets that go with your iPod, but it manages to stand out admirably. The device is basically a portable DVD player with an embedded iPod dock, which will allow you to view videos stored on your iPod in a larger format. Not huge mind you, but larger. The screen is 8.5 inches.

It retails for just 28,000 yen, which is about $252, but if you absolutely have to buy an accessory for your iPod, you will probably get more enjoyment out of this one then most of the other gadgets out there.


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