DigitalBattle.com » Hardware

802.11n Xbox 360 WiFi adapter spotted at the FCC

Jeff Baker — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:23:56 +0000

The current Microsoft licenensed Xbox 360 WiFi adapter only supports 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a which is quickly becoming obsolete due to the prominence of 802.11n. Microsoft has evidentally made note of this as an Xbox 360 WiFi adapter has made its way through the FCC featuring 802.11n compatibility.

There’s no word on when we will see this hardware hit the streets but let’s hope it’s soon.

via engadget

Wiimote Alternative Now Available

Will Prusik — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:18:36 +0000

It seems a little late in the game to be releasing a third-party Wii controller, but Nyko has gone ahead and done it anyways, calling it the Wand. After their lawsuit over the Kama they’ve made sure it’s quite distinguishable from Nintendo’s controller in terms of looks, but the overall shape and functionality is the same.

One of the more interesting features though is that the Wand allows for electronic emulation of existing buttons. With the Nintendo Wiimote if you want some sort of alternate control scheme i.e. a light gun style controller, it can only operate the buttons in an analog fashion. The Wand is set up so that a peripheral plugged into the port on the end can have its own buttons.

There are two packages available, the ‘core pack’ which comes with a Wand and vibration enabled wired Kama; then there’s the ‘Action Pack’ which includes a Wand and a light gun accessory. It’s obviously styled after the Nyko Perfect Shot but functions a little differently. Before slipping the controller into it, you remove the battery cover. It also includes the mandatory orange bit you stick on the ‘barrel’ to indicate it’s a toy, though why you’d take it outside the house is beyond me (well with the exception of maybe bringing it to a friend’s place to play, but then just stick it in a bag).

The Wand is now available in stores for $34.99, the Core and Action packs are available for $49.99

ATI ships 50 millionth Wii GPU

James Hyde — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:44:05 +0000

AMD’s graphics division, ATI, has announced that they’ve shipped their 50 millionth Wii GPU, codenamed “Hollywood”. It thereby becomes ATI’s most successful console GPU. ATI’s Rick Bergman said of the milestone:

“We’re proud to provide the ATI ‘Hollywood’ chip as the cool and quiet graphics engine that factors so prominently in the overall enjoyment for Wii owners. AMD counts Nintendo as a valued customer and we continue to work together to make console entertainment a growing phenomenon worldwide.”

ATI previously supplied Nintendo with GPUs for the GameCube, and are currently supplying Microsoft with GPUs for the Xbox 360.

Pro-Motion Keyboard to Eliminate Carpel Tunnel Syndrome; More Gaming for You

Chris — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:23:38 +0000

I happen to prefer PC games sometimes. A good old mouse and a decent keyboard will do the trick for me. No need for a new console platform to get me gaming. That’s why I noticed immediately the availability of a new ergonomic keyboard from Smartfish. The Pro-Motion keyboard will eliminate the risk of RSI and carpel tunnel syndrome for the user. The Dynamic Positioning Controller studies your usage pattern and makes imperceptible adjustments yo the height, angle and radial position of the device.

Here are the main features of the Pro-Motion:

• Full keyboard layout with number pad
• Sleek design
• Patented 3D movement
• Patented Dynamic Position Controller™
• Automatically move based on your use pattern
• Auto prompt exercise program
• Integrated wrist rest
• Aluminum finish
• Sensor Lights

I wouldn’t mind using one of these babies. When will they become available and how much will one cost?

AMD planning supercomputer for games

James Hyde — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:35:05 +0000

Graphics and CPU maker AMD is planning a big supercomputer for cloud rendering. The supercomputer, titled Fusion Render Cloud, will consist of at least 1,000 Radeon HD 4870 graphics cards.

AMD claims that the supercomputer cloud deliver games and other 3D intensive applications to computers and even mobile phones, where the games will be rendered in the cloud, as opposed to rendering them on the phones, which are usually weak for the complex animations and renders. In addition, AMD claims that even movie CGI rendering will be possible on the new system.

More information can be found here.

It costs Sony $448 to make a PS3

James Hyde — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:29:32 +0000

Isuppli, the market researchers known for taking apart hardware and gadgets and figuring out how much it costs to manufacture them, have calculated that it costs Sony 448 dollars to manufacture one PlayStation 3 console — which would then retail at 399 dollars.

It might seem like a big loss on each console sold, but keep in mind that the original PlayStation 3 (without the new hardware) cost Sony almost $700 to manufacture.

Isuppli also notes that the newest PS3 version is a lot simpler to make, having only 2820 individual parts, as opposed to a first gen PS3 with a whopping 4048 individual parts. They expect Sony to break even on the PS3 sometime in 2009.

Store Displays a Wii Knockoff

Chris — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:25:34 +0000

If you ask me I prefer original ideas but knockoffs exists because other people do buy them. Like the MiWi banner here. The device in the picture is a Wii clone. There’s no doubt about it.

What does the MiWi feature? Well there’s no spec’s sheet there but from what we can observe there’s no disc drive present which means that games are already pre-loaded. The number 41 on the package might indicate the total number of games available. There are two controllers standing by the console. One of them is a Wiimote clone but I guess you were expecting this already.

What’s the price of this monstrosity? Does anyone actually care? Go get yourself the original!

via Engadget

3D Gaming and HD Video Coming to Netbooks?

Chris — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:41:09 +0000

I bet you’ve desperately tried to play games on your newly acquired netbook. Sometimes you might have even managed to make some older games run right? What if NVIDIA or ATI introduced a graphic card in those tiny netbooks? Would you buy netbooks as a gaming device only?

NVIDIA has announced plans to release a mobile GPU, the 9400M to work together with that Intel Atom processors to deliver 3D gaming and HD video to netbooks. The 9400M will get you 1080p video decoding, dual-link DVI out, DirectX 10 graphics, CUDA and OpenGL.

The competition is also going to work out some sort of a solution for netbooks. AMD will roll its Yukon ultramobile platform and it will pair it with a mobile Radeon GPU from ATI.

And let’s not forget about VIA. VIA announced its Trinity platform which will get you a Via Nano processor, the VX800 northbridge and an S3 GPU. It will support too HD videos and DirectX 10 gaming.

It all sounds good, but I don’t see myself playing games on my netbook. How about you?

via Arstechnica

NVIDIA 1.5GB Quadro FX 4800 to Power Up Future Gaming Machines?

Chris — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:58:14 +0000

What graphics card do you currently posses? Do you use it much for playing games or you’re just a console gamer?

Well this NVIDIA 1.5GB Quadro FX 4800 card might make you think twice about switching to playing games on your computer. Sure you might want to choose the 5800 high-end version which costs only $3,499. For those of us on a budget there’s always the 4800 which is the cheaper solution at half the 5800’s cost. The 4800 has a GT200 graphics processor with 1.5GB of memory will handle perfectly the work load on that workstation of yours. But unfortunately it might not be the designated card for your PC gaming.

And if you are looking for a graphics card of any sort make sure you check ATI’s offers. They could get you the same performance for the cheaper price.

Compare the New PSP Screen With the Old

Rajiv Ashrafi — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:35:33 +0000

Want to know just how much better the new LCD screen in the upcoming PSP model is? Look no further, as Famitsu has posted a side-by-side comparison that compares the new PSP-3000 (bottom) and the PSP-2000 (top) models.

The redesigned PSP model, other than featuring a better screen, will feature a built-in microphone for gaming and Skype applications. It is slated to hit stores worldwide this October.

North Americans will get it on October 14 as part of a $199 Ratchet & Clank Entertainment pack bundle, which offers a copy of the game, a download code for echochrome, a copy of National Treasure 2 on UMD and a 1GB memory stick.