DJ Hero is available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii at $119.99. The standard bundle comes with the game and the turntable. Don’t forget about the Renegade Edition. For $199.99 you get the game, a sleeker premium turntable, a carrying case and stand, and a 2-CD pack containing Jay-Z and Eminem tracks. Look after the break for a video featuring Eminem talking about the product.
Still on the fence about this pricey purchase? Head on over to IGN and read their rave review. They awarded DJ Hero a 9.0/10 and say “In an overcrowded genre of music games, DJ Hero resides at the very top with the best of ’em. The original mixes are stunning and scratching the turntable is just as fun as it seems.” “…DJ Hero is already the most exciting music game around and is guaranteed to get the party started.”
And if that’s not enough for you, IGN has recently reported that downloadable tracks will be making their way to DJ Hero starting tomorrow. Joining the original 93 songs are “All Of Me” by 50 Cent featuring Mary J. Blige vs. “Radio Ga Ga” by Queen and “DARE” by Gorillaz vs. “Can’t Truss It” by Public Enemy. A David Guetta Mix Pack is also on its way, coming November 24.
Bret McKenzie & Jemaine Clement, the comedic folksy duo that comprise Flight of the Conchords, have released their second studio album with I Told You I Was Freaky. This follows their hilariously successful first hit, their self-titled Flight of the Conchords. Just like their first album, I Told You I Was Freaky contains all of their songs performed during the second season of the hit HBO series Flight of the Conchords. Some stand-out, personal favorites include “Hurt Feelings,” “Sugalumps,” “Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor),” and “You Don’t Have to be a Prostitute.” You can purchase the new album at Amazon or on iTunes. While the iTunes version contains a bonus track with “Pencils in the Wind,” the hard copy version packs a poster and a songbook that features the lyrics and chords to each song. (Read: get the hard copy version.)
If you haven’t heard of Flight of the Conchords, do yourself a BIG favor and watch the first two seasons. Get Season 1 here and Season 2 here. The New Zealander’s perfect blend of comedy and music takes you on fun, stupid, and sometimes trippy worthwhile ventures. Bret and Jemaine are laugh-out-loud hilarious. But please, don’t take my word for it. Check out Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD. And once you become fans of these relevant off-beat musicians, go ahead and enjoy their CDs. It’s a riot.
Though the duo has gone on the record of saying that this is the end of the road for the Flight of the Conchord HBO series, they do leave room for a possibility. Check out an old but good interview that took place during the production of Season 2 after the break. Good news is that Flight of the Conchords was a “folk” music group before it was a TV series. So even if the show does not air a third season, there is much hope for another studio album or tour. Also, we can’t forget that a few FOTC tracks will be making their way to Rock Band soon!
The day has finally come. Windows 7, Microsoft’s next major operating system, is out today. Will it turn out to be the “Vista fix” and live up to its positive initial reviews? Only time will tell.
Alongside the release there has been a handful of Windows-related news to peruse. First there’s a slew of new Windows commercials featuring a new tagline; “I’m a PC, and Windows 7 was my idea.” Heck, it works. Check out one commercial here, and look after the break for two others.
Next up is the grand opening of the Microsoft Store. The first MS retail store opened in Scottsdale, AZ today, exciting hundreds of Windows fanboys (and girls) who camped outside the mall overnight. The first four people on-line received free Zune HDs and other early customers received some other freebies. From some YouTube video footage and in-store images the Microsoft Store looks very much like an Apple Store, except with more vibrant colors and, obviously, Windows-related products such as Surface tables and Xbox 360s. The video below is the fascinating countdown of the store’s morning launch; the countdown starts (so appropriately and to the glee of the rabid fans) at 7. For a glimpse at the inside of the store, look after the break for a video featuring the welcoming colorful staff and see the gallery below for some stills. [Also noteworthy is that the online Microsoft Store is up and running, too. It offers MS and third party products and services to purchase online.]
Two more less significant but equally relevant newsbits. Today in Paris a “Microsoft Cafe” opened its doors to the public. Besides it being the onlyofficial Windows-themed cafe in the world, there isn’t much else to say about it. It offers free WiFi service to its customers and there are a myriad of Windows products for customers to play with as they sip their coffee and eat their pastries. See the gallery below for some stills of the Windows Cafe.
This last bit of news is quite freaky, actually. In Japan, Burger King introduced the “Windows 7 Whopper,” a 5-inch tall beast of a burger that packs (you guessed it) seven patties. Customers are forced to pay a premium for this…unique treat (777 yen/$8.53).
Oh, one more thing. Remember that over-the-top awesomely awkward “How to throw a Windows 7 party” ad Microsoft made some time ago? Well the good patrons at Funny or Die have created the ultimate parody of it. Check it out in the video below.
And that’s a wrap. Now that Windows 7 is out…what are you waiting for?! If you are a Vista user or looking to purchase a new PC, upgrading/adopting is a no-brainer. If you are still using XP, hesitance is natural (thanks, Vista) but you should definitely consider jumping into the next generation OS. If you’re that skeptical about it, it doesn’t hurt to wait for Service Pack 1. If you’re a Mac user–I’ll just shut up. Windows 7 is finally here. PARTAY…or don’t.
Step aside Amazon Kindle 1, 2, DX and make way for the most innovative and stylish e-reader yet. Barnes & Noble invites us to indulge in what they are calling the Nook, a 11.2 ounce (7.7- x 4.9- x 0.5-inches) e-reader device that will surely change the game in the e-reader realm. Priced at a competitive $259, the Nook features two displays, a top 6 inch e-ink display from Vizplex and a 3.5 inch LCD touchscreen below it. It includes 2GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot for expandable storage (you can load up pictures, music, and personal PDF documents), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port for charging. B&N claims the Nook will run for up ten days before it needs a recharge (which takes 3.5 hours). And oh yeah, it runs Google’s Android OS.
The Nook allows you to browse the B&N e-book store and choose from over one million titles. Browsing can be done cable-free via Wi-Fi (for free at Barnes & Noble stores, and onlyat B&N stores at launch) and over AT&T’s 3G data service. All books can be previewed for free and most bestsellers and new releases cost $9.99. You can also keep updated with the latest news by receiving newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Nook’s LendMe technology allows you to share your purchased books with others by wirelessly “lending” a copy of your book to their e-reader, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, select Blackberry and Motorola phones, and soon Windows Mobile phones. All you need is the eReader Software (free) installed on your particular device. A lent copy of a book expires after 14 days.
B&N is taking preorders for the Nook today and the expected ship date is November 30. Look after the break for a video demo; see the Nook in action.
Barnes & Noble deserves a round of applause. After waiting in the shadows as companies like Amazon and Sony pumped out e-reader devices year after year, B&N has gone and surprised us all and rocked the e-reader industry with its latest creation in the Nook. Its dual-screen format looks like a winner; easy touchscreen navigation on the bottom and clear, glare-free reading on the top. It’s simple yet efficient design makes B&N’s Nook a new and worthy competitor in my book (pun intended).
Guess who’s back, back again? Steve Jobs graciously owned the stage in San Fransisco on Thursday during the latest Apple keynote presentation. There was lots of discussion and reveals on the iTunes and iPod front. Let’s not waste any time and get right to it. Read on for all the juicy details of the keynote.
iPhone OS 3.1
Genius will now “automatically make recommendations from the App Store based on the applications you own.” Think of it as iTunes Genius for your music, but now for your purchased apps.
Ringtones – over 30,000 ringtones available to purchase at $1.29 each. All four major record labels are on-board.
3.1 firmware update is a free download available now for iPhone and iPod touch owners (there is a $5 upgrade price for those iPod touch users who have not upgraded to 3.0)
iTunes 9
Features a cleaner, easier-to-navigate UI with a redesigned store
Genius Mixes – Think of this as your own personal DJ spinning your favorite songs continuously. Genius Mixes takes your current music library and groups songs/artists/genres together for you to listen to; it’s like listening to your preferred radio station.
Improved syncing – Now you have the option to manually sync exactly what you want (for example, you can sync specific artists, genres, albums, etc.)
App organization – You can arrange your apps in iTunes. Plug in your iPhone or iPod touch and you get a visual copy of your home screen and your multiple pages; you simply drag and drop 1 or more apps at a time. This couldn’t be any simpler.
Home Sharing – Allows you to “manage your family’s iTunes collection between computers in your home.” You can copy songs, movies, TV shows, etc. with up to 5 computers. For example, say you have 5 family members each with their own computer and iTunes accounts. Now you can all easily share your iTunes content by dragging and dropping other family members’ songs into your library. The files copy right over and viola–you now have songs in your library that originally resided in your brother’s music library.
iTunes LP – Tools are now given to record labels and artists to create and distribute many album extras in their digital music albums. These extras include behind-the-scenes videos, photos, liner notes, lyrics, chronology of albums, credits, animations, and more. Although digital downloads will never be the same as buying a physical CD or record in a retail store, iTunes LP is a step in the right direction for those who have switched to digital music and who miss receiving the entire “album experience” you get when you purchase your favorite artist’s latest album.
iTunes Extras (for movies) – Think of the extras you would find on a DVD; they will now be included when you purchase a movie from the iTunes Store
Facebook and Twitter integration – You now have the option to share your favorite songs and artists with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. There is an embedded option that allows you to link a song, artist, or album information to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
iTunes 9 is available today as a free download
iPod
iPod touch
Lineup: $199 (8GB); $299 (32GB); $399 (64GB)
cheaper and new storage capacity
up to 50% faster; OpenGL|ES Version 2.0 (adds more realism in games)
Publishers discuss upcoming games for the App Store – Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II Discovery; Tapulous’s Riddim Ribbon (an awesome music game that incorporates racing and DJ control); Gameloft’s Nova; EA’s Madden NFL 10
iPod classic
Lineup: $250 (160GB) (holds 40,000 songs)
Same price, capacity upgrade from 120GB
iPod shuffle
Lineup: $59 (2GB); $79 (4GB); $99 (4GB Special Edition in stainless steel, Apple Store exclusive)
all new shiny colors: black, silver, pink, green, blue
expand range of headphones with an adapter that will allow you to change volume/tracks
new VoiceOver features ( reads statuses, like battery level)
iPod nano
Lineup: $149 (8GB) and $179 (16GB)
all new colors in polished anodized aluminium: green, blue, purple, black, silver, pink, red, orange, yellow
larger 2.2 inch display
new included apps: FM radio, Voice Recorder, pedometer (syncs with Nike +)
VIDEO CAMERA (the one more thing) – Integrated video camera; only shoots videos (no picture stills); VGA resolution (640×480); includes microphone and speaker
Note: When asked why Apple did not include a video camera in the new iPod touch, Jobs responded: “Originally, we weren’t exactly sure how to market the Touch. Was it an iPhone without the phone? Was it a pocket computer? What happened was, what customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine. We started to market it that way, and it just took off. And now what we really see is it’s the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that’s the big draw. So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don’t need to add new stuff. We need to get the price down where everyone can afford it.”
Check out the gallery below for some official press shots of the new products and services.
So what are you waiting for?? Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6) goes for $29. That’s a steal for an OS upgrade. Dontcha agree, Microsoft?
YouTube user Mr. Hogg created a puppet version of The Wall Journal’s tech anaylist Walt Mossberg. Gizmodo has so appropriately named him ‘Walt Mosspuppet.’ Check out more Mosspuppet videos at his YouTube site.
32% smaller, 36% lighter, 34% less power than its chunkier brother, the original PS3
Boasts all the same features of the bulkier PS3, so still no backwards compatability with PS2 games
Adds one feature: BRAVIA Sync – you can browse the PS3 XMB with your Sony TV remote, PS3 will power down when TV shuts off (if both devices are connected via HDMI)
Removes one feature: The ability to install an operating system (like Linux) is gone.
Matte finish
120GB HDD
2 USB ports (down from 4)
Price- $299; release date – early September
UPDATE: According to Engadget, the power and eject buttons on the front of the console are physical buttons that press down now; the HDD is swappable; the PS3 logo does not rotate; feels siginifcantly lighter in hands compared to the old PS3. Also, according to Gizmodo, Sony plans to change the PS3 logo and reformat the PS brand name from PLAYSTATION 3 to Playstation 3. That’s better!
Arriving concurrently with the PS3 Slim hardware is the 3.0 firmware update:
XMB redesigned
Information Board replaced with “What’s New” – populated with news and information from the world of Playstation (latest and greatest games, videos, etc); you can launch immediately from recently played games
Playstation Store game and video sections placed under the Games and Video icons in the XMB, respectively
Animated themes are available in the PS Store (themes can change with time of day, etc.)
Upper right hand corner – space for avatar, friend icon w/ # of friends online, mail
More avatar selections available through the PS Store (free and premium)
Available via a free download on September 1
At the GamesCon in Germany, Sony had additional announcements concerning PS3, PSP, and the Playstation Network (PSN):
Effective today, all PS3 systems will cost $299; that is a $100 price drop. Once the PS3 Slim releases in early September it will take the place of its thicker older brother.
Sony introduced Minis; they are “bite-sized” games that will be made for the PSP & PSP go! and will sell as digital downloads only in the PS Store. The titles will have a 100MB size limit. The first bunch of Minis will be made available on October 1, the same day as the release of the PSP go! Sony has planned to release 15 Minis for launch, and about 50 games for the remainder of 2009. Some of these games include Tetris, Field Runners, Hero of Sparta and Minigore.
PSN video store and PSN cards will be available to access and sell, respectively, in Europe this fall. The video store will initially sell movies only, and will expand its library from there. The PSN cards will sell in 20 and 50 euros demoninations.
Sony announced the PSP Digital Reader; the plan is to digitize a bunch of comics, sell them in the PS Store, and make them available to read on the PSP. Sony’s first major partner is Marvel and they plan to have “hundreds available, including the Marvel Comics stable.”
Three new PSP color variations will be sold in Europe this November: “Turquoise” blue, “Lilac” purple, and “Blossom” pink.
See the galleries below for: (1) official PS3 Slim shots; (2) Engadget’s PS3 Slim unboxing shots
Look after the break for: (1) a video tour of the PS3 3.0 software; (2) firmware 3.0 full details; (3) a video of PS President Jack Tretton talking about the new announcements; (4) PS3 Slim spec sheet
Kanye West recently teamed up with Louis Vuitton to create a modern, stylish collection of sneakers for thr rich and famous. Each sneaker is named after an influencial player in Kanye’s life. For example, the shoe pictured above is called the “Don,” after Kanye’s manager. Others include “Mr Hudson’s” and “Jaspers.” Prices range from $840 to $1140. This collaboration with LV happens to be Kanye’s second creative venture with a major shoe company. He previously worked with Nike to create the “Air Yeezy,” which sold for $220 and quickly sold out of Nike stores around the nation. The LV shoes are also flying off the shelves. I recently ventured into a Louis Vuitton store and tried on the Dons in grey and saw the Dons in red and white and the Jaspers in black. Most common shoe sizes were sold out. The Mr Hudson’s have yet to ship. See below for three picture galleries; one contains official press shots of all the colorways, the second is personal spy shots of the Dons and Jaspers, and the third includes German photographer Daniela Muller-Brunke’s mesh of the press shots and a custom LV background. After the break, check out a slideshow video of the sneakers played over “Say You Will.”
