PlayStation 3 launched in silver

Editors' note: The silver 40GB PlayStation 3 and matching DualShock 3 wireless controller will be launched in March 27 at S$559 (US$367.76) and S$73 (US$48.03), respectively. These will also be available in Hong Kong and Taiwan at HK$2,680/TWD$11,480 for the console and HK$349/TWD$1,540 for the controller.

Japanese game console makers have this habit of re-releasing products in different colors. Look at the Nintendo DS and PS2--it's hard to keep track how many different variations those products come in. So it comes as little surprise then that the PS3 isn't spared such treatment, too. Presenting the satin silver version of the PS3, which has just been announced in Japan.

This model will be available in Sony's motherland from March 6 at 39,800 yen (US$374). It is a 40GB version, which means it isn't compatible with PS2 games like the 60GB and 80GB ones are. This is the third PS3 shade following the original black and white models. The console will come with one silver controller out of the box. This DualShock 3 wireless controller will also start to go on sale separately at about US$52 on the same launch day. We have contacted Sony about its availability in Asia Pacific and are awaiting a reply.

Given Nintendo's reputation for releasing its consoles in many colors, it's shocking the Wii still comes in only white, while the PS3 already has three colors. We still want a Wii in red, so Nintendo, stop showing restraint in an area that no one expects you to have any.

Via AV Watch

More cool stuff from Samsung

We don't know about the West, but here in the tropics where it's perpetually summer, airconditioners are doing a blazing (no pun intended) trade. Of course, as long as the aircon does its job, we're happy campers. But Samsung is intent on its crusade to educate uninformed folks like us that it's cooler to protect your health, too. So two new models of its bacteria-killing airconditioners, using Samsung's proprietary Micro Plasma Ion (MPI) technology, are finally make their way to Asia, after debuting last year in the US and Europe.

The Vivace Shadow Mirror (photo above) and Neo-Forte (photo below) pack enough tech firepower to zap those unwanted visitors. According to Samsung's Choi Donguk, MPI is capable of effectively eliminating 78 percent of fungus and 58 percent of bacteria in a 30-minute time frame, within an enclosed environment.

The MPI works in tandem with a carbon deodorizer that removes odors and bacteria, a Silver Nano evaporator and a Catechin filter developed from a green tea extract.


Read more »

Microsoft's HD-DVD fire sale!

The HD-DVD fire sale is on! With the HD format to be terminated, Microsoft is slashing its discontinued S$299 (US$196.71) HD-DVD addon drive to an insane S$69.90 (US$45.99) in Singapore. To give you a comparative figure, that's roughly twice the street price of an internal PC DVD drive. Amazingly, this is also a no-strings-attached deal with a full one-year warranty, not forgetting its value-added PC compatibility via additional software driver.

Editors' note: Revised pricings for the rest of Asia are NT$1,680 for Taiwan, 68,000 won for Korea and HKS$399 for Hong Kong.

Now that this is off Microsoft's inventory, we also took the liberty to check on the possibility of a Blu-ray replacement and this was what the Redmond company had to say from an email response:

"It is premature to speculate but we do know from market data that HD movie playback is not a primary purchase driver for consumers buying video game consoles. It continues to be games that drive purchase and that has consistently been a strong point for the Xbox 360 platform. HD-DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and we will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of the DVD movies they already own."

Translated... we think that means a "maybe".

We're still awaiting information on any price revision for the rest of Asia. Check back for updates.

Connect a second display to your PC

If you hate having to change the video card in your PC to support multiple displays, here's a product that can help save you all the hassle. The Logitec LDE-SX010U, which is expected to be released in Japan in mid-March, is a USB-to-DVI dongle that lets you connect additional monitors to your computer via the USB 2.0 port.

The Logitec dongle supports a maximum resolution of 1,400 x 1,050 pixels, which is the standard native resolution for most 19-inch panels. Up to six displays can be connected to one PC, although a higher-spec'd computer is recommended as more displays are added. Users can choose to activate the multi-display option for larger desktop real estate, or the mirroring mode which essentially duplicates the content on the different screens. A "90 degrees" option also enables the display to be rotated for portrait viewing. Unfortunately for Mac users, the Logitec dongle supports only Windows Vista, XP and 2000.

Via Akihabara News.

Declare war from your desk

Live out your fantasy of being an army commander with the USB wireless rocket launcher from ThinkGeek. Place the launcher within a 5m radius of your command center (well, your computer), position the transmitting and receiving dish within sight of each other, and count down to D-Day saying "hasta la vista, baby". If you miss your target with the first missile, quickly send the command to reposition the launching angle and try again. General, you've only three foam missiles--make careful use of it. To make the experience more complete, dig out your toy soldiers and place them around the launcher.

The pre-recorded sound effects are cool to hear when you launch your missiles, but that would give away its location. So be tactical about where you’re going to place it. You don't want to see your US$44.99 launcher being stomped on by your cubicle nemesis, right?

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