Pre-order Wiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!

Yes! The Nintendo Wii is officially on preorder! And the best part? It looks like you don't have to put any money down - at all. Many sites have had Wii game preorders for quite some time, but Liksang may be the first to allow pre-orders on the console.

With no money down (just like the Real Estate) I'm not sure how committed Liksang will be to getting you a console right away at launch, but for those who can't wait to play with the Wii, this may be a good option. – Mark Wilson

Preorder Wii

40gb Nintendo DS - Eat Your Heart Out Sony

Modders are really just geekier versions of Tim Allen. Take Natrium42 - if he weren't adding 40gig drives to Nintendo DS units, he'd probably be fitting dragster engines into snow blowers.

Essentially, Natrium exploits the IDE interface of CompactFlash for the hack, which was cool enough to pull me out of retirement for at least one more post. His step-by-step is very clearly assembled for anyone interested in giving up a lot of their time. My favorite part was Natrium's melancholy acceptance of success: "And that's the end of this hack. Now I need to find something useful to do with my 40GB NDS system." – Mark Wilson

Instructions [via makemag]

HP iPAQ hw6940 hits retail channels, finally

Has HP come through in the clutch -- or is it too little, too late? That's the question Pocket PC-hungry consumers will be answering in the next few weeks now that the long... nay, long-rumored hw6940 Mobile Messenger is finally shipping stateside. We were sorta excited about this thing, like, nine months ago, but at this point we're not sure how we feel about Bluetooth 1.2, a pedestrian 64MB of RAM, and the lack of 802.11g -- not to mention that the inclusion of AKU2 doesn't command the same respect it did just a few short months back. Add to that the $600 this thing will set you back, and needless to say we're hoping Cingular's going to bless it with a hefty subsidy when it finally drops in their neck of the woods.

[Via MobilitySite]

Bandai's Ant's Life Studio Virtual Ant Farm

Bandai is set to release Ant's Life Studio this November in Japan, a virtual ant farm simulator that could very well become the next Tamagotchi. It's apparently being aimed at the hordes of Japanese men who do nothing but slave away at a tiny desk all day, working until their eyes fall out. Maybe Bandai's making some sort of social justice metaphor here, but, then again, they could just be wanting to cash in on a fun idea.

Like real-world ant farms, people simply watch the virtual ants go on with their lives, moving dirt, making tunnels, getting nervous when approaching the queen to ask for a favor, etc. Up to 100 different nests can be built by the ants, ensuring that no matter how dull and meaningless your work day is, you can always watch your pets toil away.

Look for Ant's Life Studio (in Japan, at least initially) in November for around $69. – Nicholas Deleon

Salary Man Sims [Tokyo Times]

Marimekko Texture Mouse

The arty-looking Marimekko Texture Mouse brings high-touch to your tech, and might just cheer up one or two of your more-naive colleagues. Good luck getting one in the United States, though—they're only sold in Japan at this point but that could change soon. – Charlie White Product Page [Kokuyo, via Red House Design]

Xbox 360 HD DVD drive to drop for £199 in the UK?

Nothing official or anything, but the folks at GamesIndustry.biz are catching wind from their retail pals that Microsoft is prepping to drop their HD DVD drive in the UK this November for £199. Added to the current price of an Xbox 360 Premium in the UK the total price comes to £478, compared to the PS3's £425 asking price in the UK. The good news is that sources also suggest Microsoft is planning on selling a bundle of the HD DVD drive and Premium 360 for £400 or even possibly $375, so folks who haven't yet jumped into the next-gen console fray could save money and still get HD movie capability by purchasing a 360/HD DVD bundle. Microsoft is also purportedly throwing in a pair of HD DVD movies to sweeten the deal, so there's also that to consider. What this all means for US pricing is hard to say, since both the Xbox 360 and PS3 prices are priced considerably higher in the UK than just a direct currency conversion would suggest. What we hope it means is that if you purchase an HD DVD drive all by its lonesome you'll wind up with a pair of movies for it and a $50-$100 "total cost of ownership" premium over a straight PS3 purchase, but if you buy a console/drive bundle you could end up saving just that much in comparison to the PS3. Or the whole rumor could be bunk and we could go about our normal lives, which is just as likely.

i’m Phone. Are you?

Yes, here ends the era of all electronic devices named “iSomething”, now comes the new glorious time where all gadgets will be called “i-Something-Something”. Maybe.

In this case, this new voIP mini phone device could easily have been named the iPhone, but I “AM” Phone sounds so much cooler, and prevents the cease-and-desist letter from Apple’s lawyers. Smart move. I AM sold. But what convinces me better than the name, is the device itself. Taro, over at 3Yen News talks about this “World’s smallest IP-based phone” and sums it all up eloquently with:

K-kool! It just slips into the USB port of sub-notebook computer and I can say bye-bye to vile DoCoMo and NTT forever!

This new cool device is expected to launch this August in Japan by Anyuser Global. It uses a USB memory with the IP phone software system already in. The IP phone software works automatically when plugged into a computer connected to the Net. I think it is time for Skype to come up with a nice USB wireless/Bluetooth plug-and-play headset now… (Everyone here using Skype yet?)

Holographic Card. Better than Blu Ray and HD DVD?

Nobody knows who is going to win the Blu Ray vs. HD DVD war, and nobody knows if Optware’s newly announced 30GB Holographic Card is gonna trump them all. Well, it is cheap and small: 100 Yen ($1) for a 30GB card that is a bit smaller than a credit card (and could be reduced to the size of a memory card). Not bad he?

Now the drawback is that nobody will be using them for a while, after it is released in the end of 2006, because the card reader is expected to sell for about ¥200,000 ($2,000) and the card reader/writer device should be around 1 million of yen ($10,000)! Of course prices will drop when the technology becomes a standard, but with the Blu Ray / HD DVD story going on and on, who is to say Optware’s Holographic Card will ever become a standard…? Call me pessimistic, but I think you should expect to see them used in libraries and by your nerdy neighbor (who will buy one to back up his collection of vintage laserdiscs).

Via Tech-On!

USB Gadgety Goodness

PingMag recently wrote an article about 10 of the bizarre USB objects you can buy these days, both in Japan and around the world.
From the list, my favourite would probably be the USB food drives, which you can find easily in Japan. As it is, Japan is famous for having very life-like plastic food on display in the windows of restaurants everywhere! It would only be a small jump to turn these plastic food models to portable USB memory sticks.

All of the objects are functional, even if they are just a gimmick and can actually be bought now or in the future. But there are a few things missing from that list. Maybe I’ll write up a list one day…

Link:
PingMag - 10 Unusual USB Objects

Virtual Piano

A Japanese company called Digital Information Development (DID) have developed a portable virtual piano. A small black box shoots lasers beams of light that shape the keyboard on any surface (except blacks ones, since they absorb the light). A CMOS camera in the box watches your fingers play on the projected keys and a speaker plays the notes you “hit”. The box only weighs 100 grams so it’s much easier to carry around than any electronic keyboard.

This model only displays 25 keys (two octaves) but it could be increased to the size of a grand piano if the box size is increased. The speaker will play organ, pipe organ and harpsichord sounds along with piano sounds.

Another Day, Another Hello Kitty Knock-off

Actually, I’m not very familiar with the Hello Kitty franchise. It’s quite possible that this is a legitimate Sanrio product, but I personally have never seen Hello Kitty with furry edges and an actually cat-like body, so I call Bootleg. The fact that it says “Charmmy (sic) Kitty” rather than Hello Kitty also rings alarm bells.

Either way, here is an MP3 player for the Hello Kitty loving masses. It’s screen-less, which might further advertise it’s cheap knock-off-ness, but then again, so is the iPod Shuffle. The technical details, according to Akihabara News:

20 Hz - 20 KHz
L 20 mW + R 20 mW 32Ω
Audio MP3 / WMA
MP3 : 8-320 kbps / WMA : 64-320 kbps
USB 2.0
Dimensions : 14.0×35.0×75.0 mm
Weight : 35g

Personalizing with Creative U-CLIQUE

Want to add butterflies or diamonds to your Creative MP3 player to stand out from the crowd ? Now you can with the Creative U-CLIQUE feature that does it at 10 Singapore Dollars extra. Quite a bargain if you ask me. Some vendors charge more for their unique stickers. The thing is…what happens if you get tired of sparkling butterflies.

Make your new MP3 player unique with U-CLIQUE, the latest feature at The Creative Online Store. When purchasing online, simply jazz up your new ZEN V or ZEN Nano Plus with butterflies or diamonds - two fancy motifs from the Debut Collection. Add a Unique Style to your player for $10 now!

Sony Pink PSP Pulled Out

After putting up the Pink Sony PSP for all to see, it seems Sony has Sony pulled the official release back…Now this is not a good PR stunt….They have really bad skills.

I wouldn’t mind getting my wife this P!nk Limited Edition PSP with headphones, remote, and the paltry 32MB Memory Stick if it does come out at all……Females love pink stuff..

Anywho, from what we understand Sony pulled the official release, so they’re apparently not yet prepped to discuss the ramifications of the PSP getting femmed out even though we now know it will run you €229 or £169 when it debuts October 27th.

Butterfly Harmon Kardon/JBL Spyro Speakers

At first glance, this Harmon Kardon/JBL Spyro Speakers looks like pink butterflies and will suit any female desk or setup. It’s the ultimate speakers for females looking to match their dress up. If this “floweresque forms along with a mushroom-shaped subwoofer” speakers don’t put you in the mood, then nothing will. I suggest Rihanna’s Unfaithful for a romantic climate to dance the night away. Check out the other JBL offerings at Gizmodo.

Philips 100-inch Ambilight HD FlatTV

Philips unveiled its 100-inch Ambilight HD FlatTV recently at IFA 2006 in Germany. Its a monstrous TV that won’t fit into my condo. What a waste.

IFA visitors will be able to see Philips’ latest FlatTV innovation - a prototype 100-inch (245cm) LCD TV with Ambilight Full Surround – the new, four-sided version of Philips’ totally unique ambient lighting technology. Ambilight brings a completely new, transformational dimension to watching TV, creating an immersive viewing experience through a unique technique which matches the colour and brightness in the images being displayed on the television’s screen.

This year Philips is adding two new versions of Ambilight – Ambilight Full surround, which projects ambient light on all four sides of the set, and Ambilight Surround which features lighting units on three sides. Both variants of Ambilight will be demonstrated on the Philips stand at IFA, where visitors will be able to see up close the flagship Philips Cineos 42PF9831D FlatTV with Ambilight Full Surround and the Philips Cineos 37PF9731D FlatTV, recently named High-End LCD TV of the Year by the European Imaging & Sound Association (EISA).