Filed under: Hands-on

Click for high-res image.

The light gun genre may be a dying breed, but Time Crisis 4 ignores all warnings. In spite of some sloppy graphical and presentation issues, it’s clear that Time Crisis 4 is the best, if not only, option for fans of the genre.

Right now, the game doesn’t have that “next-gen polish” we’ve become so accustomed to on the PS3. Textures and character models don’t really pop out. However, the framerate seems pretty solid, and the action flows at a brisk pace. At the very least, it looks better than the other light gun port, Ghost Squad on Wii.

The new FPS mode is where the game features the most potential, adding some depth to the arcade experience. Right now, the AI is fairly unintelligent, and the level design feels similar to the original on-rails mode. What may come as jarring for some is the lack of a gun model on-screen. FPS players have long been used to the gun being on screen, but because this game requires players to aim with the Guncon 3 (G-Con in the PAL territories), the indicator is unnecessary.

Right now, Time Crisis 4 looks like it needs some polish. However, Guncon 3 is an excellent peripheral that has us keeping high hopes for future light gun titles.

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iRobot introduces its ConnectR robot, a “virtual communication and interaction” device designed for use for the whole family. ConnectR has a zooming and tilting video camera, a microphone, speaker and headlight. The robot uses your home WiFi connection to allow you to place video VoIP calls to other members of your family. iRobot is launching a limited pilot program which will make the device available for $199 before its initial release. At the time of consumer release, the price is expected to be somewhere under $500.

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Filed under: Cell Phones, MySpace

The barrage of new iPhone killers continues on a pace with updated versions of the popular and user-friendly T-Mobile Sidekicks. Though specs and rumors have been floating around the blogosphere for the past couple of months, the new Sidekick LX and Sidekick Slide are at last official and should be available from T-Mobile’s Web site and retail stores in a couple of weeks.

True to their iPhone-killing essence, both new Sidekicks are significantly slimmed down, almost to the point of being as slim as the iPhone itself. But unlike the iPhone, these two quasi-smart-phones — popular with teens, hipsters, and Hollywood types — have actual keyboards that are among the more comfortable out there.

The Sidekick LX (pictured, above) retains the phone’s signature swivel screen, but adds a WQVGA screen high-def LCD, mood lights that flash in different patterns depending on whether you’re getting an SMS, IM, e-mail, or phone call, an improved Web browser with better JavaScript support (so more animated Web sites will work), and a custom MySpace app. Out on October 17th for $299.99 with a two-year service agreement, the LX comes in brown or blue.

The black and deep purple Sidekick Slide (pictured, right) eschews the swivel screen for a more traditional slide, but it’s got the most sophisticated and sleek looks of any Sidekick so far (no surprise, given that it’s made by Motorola, home of the RAZR). It’s smaller than the Sidekick LX and has a little bit less battery time (5.9 hours of battery time versus the LX’s 6.9 hours). The Slide is out on November 7th for $199.99 (with a two-year service agreement).

Both phones will feature the same cartoonish, user-friendly interface the Sidekick is famous for, as well as built-in, real-time, AOL IM, Windows Live and Yahoo! Messenger support. Also: Bluetooth, support for up to 4-gigabytes (GB) of external memory, and quad-band world phone capability.

The bulky size of previous Sidekicks was a big drawback, so we’re loving these new slimmed-down handsets, but we’re also a bit disappointed that the built-in cameras are still only 1.3 megapixels. And though the improved Web browser is welcome, it won’t make much of a difference since neither device has Wi-Fi, so you’ll have to depend on T-Mobile’s less-than-broadband-idyllic EDGE network for data.

Then again, the Sidekicks have always been about those easy-to-use keyboards. If you’re a heavy text-message- or e-mail-sender, you may want to pick one of these up next month.

Related Links:

• My Space Coming to T-Mobile Sidekick
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The superstar couple seems to be much in love with each other. It has been just five months and the couple cannot live without each other. The Bachan couple has been spotted in Boston together, they are not even separable by their professional commitments. For the last few weeks Aish has been shooting in Boston […]

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Filed under: Features, Gaming

Despite the Xbox 360’s lackluster sales in Japan, Microsoft’s mammoth Tokyo Game Show booth still managed to turn out a huge crowd, especially on the appeal of forthcoming titles like Lost Odyssey. Of course, it’s no surprise that Redmond dedicated a fair bit of kitted out demo space to Halo 3, what with all those limited edition consoles (like the one we got our hands on) being used to pound Covenant foot soldiers into submission. Check it on out in the gallery.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: News

Even before they’ve reached store shelves, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts have nominated a number of PS3 exclusives for its annual Video Game Awards. Notably, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction is picking up a nomination for best Action & Adventure game. Heavenly Sword is competing for best Artistic Achievement. SingStar is going for best Casual game. Warhawk is getting a nod for its Gameplay, while both fl0w and The Eye of Judgment are getting nominations for Innovation.

Yes, even Lair picked up a nomination on something that’s hard to deny — the soundtrack. For the complete list of nominations, click here.

[Thanks, LJKelley!]

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Filed under: Deals, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Media World

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in talks with Facebook about making an investment, according to the Wall Street Journal. (subscription required).

The deal would value the hugely popular social networking site at $10 billion, the paper said, citing sources familiar with the talks.

If this happens, it would be huge for Microsoft, giving it the competitive boost it so desperately needs against Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO). The key word is “if” because Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg has dangled his company in front of big Internet and media companies before and not done any deals.

Who knows if this time it’s for real?

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Filed under: Action & Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Remakes and Sequels, Posters

Yup, it’s about that time again for our favorite Aliens and Predators to meet up, swap yearbooks, talk about cute boys and absolutely friggin’ annihilate one another. This time, however, they’ll be doing it in our own backyard. JoBlo has snagged the first teaser poster for Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (or AVPR) (click on the poster for a larger image), a follow-up to 2004’s Alien vs. Predator in which the Alien from the Aliens films and the Predator from the Predator films battle it out on the big screen in an attempt to win the coveted title of “Best Kick Ass Monster Movie Villain Ever!” In my household, the Predator has always maintained a healthy lead over those Aliens, but only because it seems to have more of a personality … and better weapons. And so help me God, if that Predator doesn’t use its invisibility technique to sneak into a girl’s locker room and subsequently blow those birthday suits to bits — well, I just won’t pay any money to see a third one, is all.

And how about that tagline: “This Christmas There Will Be No Peace On Earth.” Gee, thanks. As if it wasn’t bad enough having to lug boxes around to seven different holiday parties — now I have to worry about some slimy beast showing up to kill me and impregnate my wife!? WTF? Directed by Colin and Greg Strause (they did the visual effects on films like 300 and X-Men: The Last Stand), AVPR finds our two nasty villains descend upon a small town in the middle of America. Those smart enough and ballsy enough (not me, I’d be dead in three minutes) then team up and, together, try to find a way to rid themselves of these creatures. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem hits theaters on Christmas Day.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

T-Mobile teamed up a while back with a bunch of fashionistas to design elaborately redone Sidekick 3s to benefit Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, an organization raising money to benefit breast cancer causes worldwide to the tune of some $40 million since its inception in 1994. The results are in — and while we can’t comment on the usability or aesthetic goodness of what we’re seeing, we’ve got to stay focused on the fact that it’s all going to a very worthy group. Some of the names on the list of participating designers are big enough to drive prices way up on the auctions, we’d imagine, which all end today. So go place that massively generous bid of yours, and if anyone can figure out what the heck is going on with the Duckie Brown one, do let us know!

[Thanks, Jade C.]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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