Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

No one really knows whether HTC’s May 6 gathering will usher in the age of Android (our guess is still “no”), but let’s look a little beyond that, shall we? We’ve just laid eyes on a handful of documents detailing HTC’s efforts to ready the Diamond and Raphael models — already known to be valid HTC codenames — for Sprint later this year, and things are definitely looking up in the post-Touch world. The Diamond turns out to be the successor to that very device, lacking a physical keyboard and relying almost exclusively on a large, glossy touchscreen for user input; the Raphael meanwhile (pictured) features a full QWERTY deal and is destined to replace the Mogul. The paperwork’s pretty blurry, but it appears that both Windows Mobile devices will feature WiFi, 3 megapixel cameras, and — get this — VGA displays. Goodness! The Raphael is currently lined up to be the first out of the gate, hitting the streets in September if everything goes well, with the Diamond following on in November. Surprised that these devices are CDMA-based and Sprint bound? Us too, we admit — but we’d be shocked if there weren’t GSM twins of both of these hotties getting cooked in the lab at the same time.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

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Filed under: Cell Phones, iPhone

So we’ve got it on authority that the second-gen iPhone is already well into testing, and numerous units are floating around in super secret pockets. A trusted source got a chance to check one out, here’s what we’ve heard.

• The first thing people will notice: the 2nd gen iPhone will be about the same size and shape as the first gen.
• It will, of course, have 3G. And proper GPS!
• The most noticeable physical difference is back of the phone is no longer metal — the whole thing is glossy black, from top to bottom. The volume buttons are now chrome.
• Because it’s got a little less metal to deal with, it doesn’t have quite as many angular edges. The battery is (still) not removable.
• The phone itself will be slightly thicker than the first gen device.
• The headphone jack will no longer be recessed, and will finally be flush with the body.
• The device itself uses roughly the same size and resolution screen as the first generation product.
• No solid word on battery life or capacity.

It could ship (or be introduced) as early as July — but it’s worth noting that none of this is necessarily finalized, and any of it could change between now and its introduction. You really never know with Apple!

[Image via iPod Observer]

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Filed under: Gaming

As we’re all too well aware, Mario Kart can be serious business for some folks, and Mario Kart Wii will certainly be no exception, which makes the right choice of controller all the more important. Thankfully, our pals at Joystiq have now come through with a meticulous comparison of all five driving options at your disposal. That includes the Wiimote on its own, the Wiimote with Wii Wheel, the Wiimote / nunchuck combo, the Classic Controller, and the tried and true GameCube controller. Somewhat surprisingly, while the GameCube Controller and Classic Controller each helped to put in some solid times, Joystiq actually found the Wiimote / nunchuck combo to the best all around option, with it faring particularly well when using a bike. Lagging far behind, however, was the solo Wiimote (which they recommend to avoid at all costs), although the addition of the Wii Wheel did apparently did help to make things a bit more manageable. Hit up the link below for the full rundown.

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Brando has released its USB 3-Port Hub and Mini USB Cable, enabling you to hook up to three different USB devices which enable you to charge or sync data for virtually any electric device - be it a cell phone, PDA or digital camera. Sounds perfect for those who want to maximize their working space. It will retail for $12 a pop.

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Mariah Carey caught lip-synching. (DListed)

Halle Berry, Alyssa Milano or Angelina Jolie: Who has the best celebrity cleavage? (eBaum’s World)

Ashlee Simpson still quiet about pregnancy. (PopSugar)

Brit babe Charlotte McKenna takes it all off. (ZOO)

Madonna is a giver. (Pink is the New Blog)

Lauren Conrad shops at Whole Foods. (Just Jared)

Cameron Diaz is seeking medical attention. (IDLYITW)

Amy Winehouse arrested for assault. (A Socialite’s Life)

Nicole Richie’s pregnant tits are gone. (Dlisted)

Billie Piper is topless. (Taxi Driver Movie)

Mandy Moore wears stupid shoes. (ASL)

Olivia Munn goes bikini cliff diving. (Popoholic)

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Filed under: Gaming

Just when you think Pong can’t be played any other way, yet another creative soul emerges to prove the notion wrong. Mike McCracken has managed to remove all visual aspects of the game yet still maintain the core goal by enabling one’s head to make the motions typically assigned to the hands. Essentially, a sound is emitted from the headphones on one side or the other, and the gamer has to tilt his / her head just so until the noise is centered. This back-and-forth sequence speeds up to intensify the challenge, and if you can’t manage to keep the ringing front and center, an unpalatable buzzer sounds and a light turns on to alert you of your defeat. Really, it’s way more clear how all this works in the video below, so have at it.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading Audio Ping Pong lets your ears, noggin do all the work

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Filed under: Video Games

In a recent survey the gaming site, WhatTheyPlay.Com, asked its visitors, who are mostly the parents, to rate what they found most offensive in video games. The site is an online resource for parents, filled with information about the video games their children might be playing, as well as ratings by the Entertainment Software Association(formerly the ESRB) and ratings voted upon by users. The results of the poll showed that 37 percent of US parents thought a man and a woman having sex was the most offensive act, while two men kissing was deemed slightly more offensive than a severed head, with 27 percent and 26 percent of the vote, respectively.

These results sugggest that American parents have largely given up on their crusade against violence in video games and are now more concerned with sex. It’s not the same around the world, though: A Norwegian gaming site ran the same poll with nearly the opposite results — the severed head won 65.8% of the vote! We remember the days when you couldn’t change the channel without hearing some pundit ranting about violence in mortal combat, and the demoralizing effect it has on children.

What could possibly be gained by keeping our kids from seeing pixelated versions of human sexuality, we may never know, but apparently American parents still think it’s a worthwhile pursuit. So does the ESA. Of the 23 games it has rated Adults-Only, only two were given the rating for reasons other than sexual content, and one of those was an online gambling game. [Source Gaming Today]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Marketing its wares straight to consumers is old hat for HTC in the Old World, but stateside? Not so much. That’s not to say the HTC name is a total unknown in North America; there’s been the odd Advantage here and Shift there, but by and large, we yanks know the Taiwanese firm better for its relatively anonymous efforts in the likes of the AT&T Tilt, Verizon XV6900, Sprint Touch, and countless other carrier-branded devices. That’s about to change, though, with a full-court press of TV, print, outdoor, and online advertising targeted squarely at the US market launching this week. The company’s first ad in the campaign is posted to YouTube — no new products here, sadly, but it’s an encouraging sign to see that one of the world’s most prolific ODMs and smartphone manufacturers now thinks that the American market is mature enough to be dealt with directly. The announcement of the US-spec Touch Dual was a good start, and now, we look forward to seeing a whole heck of a lot more where that came from. Check the first commercial after the break.

Continue reading HTC reveals US marketing push

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Things don’t get any more precise than Formula 1, and the concept F1/Carbon GMT watch is definitely a thing of beauty. Inspired by the world of F1, designer John Pszeniczny has decided to throw in a carbon fiber body, Swarovski crystals, rubber and metal into this timepiece that features 18 identical rubies while telling the time in all 18 cities on the 2008 F1 circuit. Other features include a built-in lap timer function and a stopwatch. I suppose if this was released, it will also be one of the fastest wallet emptiers in history, probably hitting $0 from $20,000 in the time you take to swipe your credit card.

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Filed under: Gaming

Remember when you discovered that you could check out your Xbox 360’s heatsink without voiding the warranty? Yeah, fun times. Now, we’re getting a closer look at the third-generation PlayStation 3 heatsink — and this time, you won’t be required to perform any strange feats of inverted photography in order to take a peek. Furukawa Electric recently showed off the next-gen sink at Techno-Frontier 2008 in Japan, and aside from ditching the copper pipes used in the first two iterations, this one has also split in two in order to cool the Cell and RSX processors separately. Additionally, the latest version sucks down up to 70 fewer watts than the first-gen model, yet manages to still keep your precious console from spontaneously melting. Three cheers for progress, we say.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

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