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Dell explains NVIDIA GPU issues, throws out BIOS updates to help


So yeah, quite a few NVIDIA GPUs have been acting up. Nothing new there. However, Dell's attempting to help its laptop owners out by making a few notable BIOS updates readily available for download. Apparently the issue "is a weak die / packaging material set, which may fail with GPU temperature fluctuations." In order to combat the problem, Dell's BIOS flashes "modify the fan profile to help regulate GPU temperature fluctuations," though the Round Rock powerhouse only promises that the updates will "help reduce the likelihood of GPU issues." Hit the read link and give it a go -- it can't hurt... we hope.

[Via Electronista]

Taijia's do-it-all PSP-860S handheld looks, smells cheap


Okay, so we're trying not to judge this book by its cover, but Taijia's PSP-860S just reeks of chintzy. The handheld gaming PMP not only plays back the elusive MP4 file format, but it also snaps presumably lackluster still shots with its 2-megapixel camera. You'll also find 1GB / 2GB of built-in RAM, a USB port, AV in / out, miniSD expansion slot and some form of emulation application. If you're not dozing by now, you may actually care that it'll only run you 399 yuan ($59) / 499 yuan ($73).

[Via PMP Today]

Brando's USB M.A.D. Game Pad has removable steering wheel because it can, darnit

Brando USB MAD Controller
Let's face it: you don't have nearly enough game controllers and accessories adding to the spaghetti that is your entertainment center. This USB M.A.D. Game Pad gives you the option to remove a little steering wheel for those moments when you're not driving about. Compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and 2000, this Brando product is available for $20. So, why? Apparently this thing is meant for the gamer on the move -- it's small and light, measuring only 4 x 2.5-inches and weighing in at a dainty 3-ounces. As for the size of the steering wheel? It's tiny. Really tiny. For tiny people with tiny fingers. Can you feel the love?

NES Belt Buckle: most inelegant, awesome NES-in-a-whatever mod out there


Just as Mr. Adams wrote of the summer of '69, some heralded pop star decades from now will pen a smash hit recalling the summer of two-thousand and eight. Oddly enough, the tune will likely focus on the revitalization of the Nintendo Entertainment System, which has somehow wiggled into just about everything imaginable over the past few months. The latest concoction is a bit different, though, as the NES Belt Buckle doesn't really shove NES capabilities into a buckle; rather, the NES is the buckle, which is sort of weird to be frank. Still, for $300 you can have your very own, but we'd recommend boosting your self-esteem and saving your cash by just making your own with that dusty system that's still in your attic. Tons of laughs await you in the demonstration vid just past the break.

[Thanks, Harrison]

Weemote maker wants Nintendo to buy his trademark, release him from this iron cage

Weemote
We're going to guess you've never heard of the Weemote, a little blue remote control made by a company called Forbis. The egg-shaped remote control and its parent company are reportedly in financial trouble ever since another company came out with something a lot of people are calling the "Wiimote." While the Nintendo Wii Remote's official name isn't that word (we refuse to type it again), evil bloggers and retail chains have taken to the term and Forbis claims its brand has been diluted, confused, and passed up. Owner John Stephen told Game Politics that he would like nothing more than to have Nintendo buy out the trademark and let him move on to something called, oh, let's say, the X Bocks, a new microbrewery project. The big surprise out of all of this? Nintendo isn't interested. In fact, it has no legal reason to do so, either -- it's never officially called the Wii Remote anything else. Of course, that's not to say Ninty shouldn't do the right thing here (and make our jobs just a hair easier) by buying out the mark and sanctioning the nickname, but don't hold your breath.

Wii gets rechargeable battery packs with Sanyo's Eneloop

Sanyo Eneloop
If all the extra accessories aren't making your Wii collection a mess, all the AA batteries you've thrown out have at least caused a lump in a landfill. To help out in the battery department, Sanyo has come up with the Eneloop charging station complete with a battery pack replacement pack for your Wii remote and a charging base that can support as many as four controllers at once. Remotes charge in a respectable 220 minutes and Eneloop will even charge sequentially so you don't have to wait an extra couple hours for your next Smash Bros fix. Available for $73 as an import item, but we wouldn't be surprised if this showed up on our shores for powerless gamers this fall.

UPDATE: Confused about why this is important? The new recharger uses a contact-free electromagnetic system so you don't need to remove your battery pack. Oh - it's also the first Nintendo-licensed recharger.

[Via Akihabara News]

Nintendo loses another round in controller patent lawsuit

Sony and Microsoft may have sorted things out with Anascape (otherwise known as the self-proclaimed ruler of all analog sticks) before things got too out of hand, but Nintendo has been busy fighting it out with the company in court, which resulted in them being ordered to dish out a hefty $21 million earlier this year -- a ruling that Nintendo naturally appealed. The big N is now facing another setback, however, as a US District Judge has rejected Nintendo's request for a new trial, which could potentially result in a ban on sales of Wii Classic Controllers, WaveBirds, and GameCube controllers (not to mention GameCube systems). To avoid that, Nintendo will apparently either have to post a bond or put royalties from the controllers into an escrow account. For its part, Nintendo seems to be remaining defiant, saying that it "was already planning to appeal this case to the Federal Circuit court," and that this new ruling "does not impact that decision."

[Via Slashdot]

Nintendo failed to notify third-party devs of MotionPlus prior to E3


We weren't terribly impressed with Nintendo's recently unveiled MotionPlus add-on, but we're even more disappointed by this. Reportedly, scads of third-party developers revealed at E3 that the Big N's latest Wiimote accessory was just as much a surprise to them as it was to any of us. In other words, Nintendo didn't bother giving its external devs any advance notice in order to get the ball rolling on compatible titles, or so it seems. Unfortunately, this also means that we probably won't see any MotionPlus-ready games hitting shelves from anyone not named Nintendo for months to come, but it's not like Wii Sports Resort can't hold our attention for a solid year, right?

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Java homebrew devkit for the PS3 emerges, nobody cares

PSP hacker "FreePlay" has turned his gaze to the PS3, and come up with a method for the first PS3 homebrew outside of Linux and that little "hello world" proof of concept a few months back. The minimal devkit doesn't seem built to take advantage of the PS3's wiles, however, and is instead working with the Java prowess built into the Blu-ray playback end of the PS3. Who knows how much power that'll lend to homebrew developers, but it's Java, so we're not expecting great things either way. Wake us when we can play PS2 games, would you?

Sony bigwig hints at GPS-enabled PSP games


Only John Koller knows how serious John Koller, Sony's senior marketing manager for PSP, was when mentioning that GPS-enabled games could eventually hit the PSP, but he definitely threw it out there. Speaking about the forthcoming GPS add-on for the PlayStation Portable, Koller stated that said module "changes the dynamics of GPS but also changes the way developers think about games on PSP, because you can start integrating GPS into it." He continued on by mentioning that Sony's own first-party studios were "already looking at a number of things [involving GPS in games]," and concluded by asserting that a GPS game could land on the system as early as next year. Considering just how long we've been waiting for the add-on, we're not holding our breath on the titles.

[Via PSP Fanboy]

Games for Windows Live now free


Interesting that this didn't get announced at E3, but Games for Windows Live is now free for all. Yep, totally free, cross-platform multiplayer with the 360 included -- which obviously raises the question of whether Live will ever be free on Xbox. We think that's a pretty safe no -- unlike Games For Windows, Xbox Live actually makes money, which is pretty hard to turn down, and without a ton of competitive pressure from, say, Playstation Home, it's hard to see why Microsoft would turn that funtime cash fountain off. Still, there's always hoping, right?

NES gets crammed into third-party light gun, plans a 187 on Bowser


Okay, okay -- we get it. So maybe there's just not enough room in a genuine Zapper to fit all the necessary innards of a Nintendo Entertainment System into, but it's just a bit weird to see the Big N's antiquated console crammed into some other light gun. Similar to the NES-in-an-NES-controller mod we peeked earlier this week, this unit includes a plethora of games and all the controls you need; just plug it up to a TV, pop a few batteries in there and you're golden. Is it any surprise this guy was tracked down on Ben Heck's own forums?

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Sony said to be prepping PSP-3000 with built-in mic


There may not have been any word of a new PSP out of E3 as some had suspected, but it looks Sony may have a bit of a late surprise for us, at least if these tantalizing pics from PSPChina are to be believed. Apparently, this new PSP-3000 model remains mostly unchanged from the current PSP-2000, with the notable addition of a built-in microphone and a somewhat less notable PlayStation button in place of the usual Home button. As you can see in the picture after the break, the signature steel ring on the back of the PSP also appears to have been trimmed a bit (there's a pic of the inside of the case as well, for the curious). Not exactly the DS Lite sort of upgrade that'd make everyone ditch their old PSPs to be sure but, as we've seen with the PSP-2000, it would be about par for the course for Sony.

[Via Joystiq, Khattab]

Netflix on the Xbox 360 gets demonstrated on video


Can't wait to understand what Netflix integration on the Xbox 360 will be like? Stop daydreaming and click on past the jump then, as Major Nelson takes you through the entire process on video. We could continue on explaining how easy it looks to navigate to one's Queue, press play and pop some popcorn, but we'd rather let the aforementioned expert handle that.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Dell offers inexplicable Xbox 360 Elite bundle with certain XPS M1730 purchases


There's just one problem with this, the way we see it: most folks with $3000 earmarked for a gaming laptop probably already own an Xbox 360. Just a thought. Other than that we see little to dislike about this little promotion. Dell is offering up its top-of-the-line XPS M1730 system with an Xbox 360 Elite bundle tossed in for good measure. The bundle includes, a pair of faceplates, two game and of course the Xbox itself, and while it's not exactly "free" -- you're looking at a couple hundred dollar premium over a similarly specced M1730 -- it's still a savings of over $300, and should be eBayable, if nothing else. Offer expires July 24th.

[Thanks, Cezar]



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