360 DEGREES Weblog

Betcha didn’t think this day would come, but it finally has. Sony has just come clean with its next-generation PlayStation Portable. It’s actually codenamed NGP and will revolve around five key concepts: Revolutionary User Interface, Social Connectivity, Location-based Entertainment, Converging Real and Virtual (augmented) Reality. It will be compatible with the PlayStation Suite, and is backwards-compatible with downloadable PSP games and content from Sony’s PlayStation Store.

Specs include a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 5-inch touchscreen OLED display with 960 x 544 resolution, dual analog sticks (not nubs as on the current generation), 3G, WiFi, GPS, a rear-mounted touchpad, the same accelerometer / gyroscope motion sensing as in the PlayStation Move, an electronic compass, and cameras on both the front and back.

Nintendo has officially announced the launch date and pricing on the Nintendo 3DS at their special event today. The Nintendo 3DS will go on sale in the US on March the 27th 2011 and it will retail for $249.99.
There will be around 30 different games available at launch, which will include Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, and Super Street Fighther IV: 3D Edition.

Freecom has launched a new portable hard drive designed for Apple Mac’s, the Freecom Mobile Drive Mg, and it is constructed for an ultra-lightweight and strong magnesium enclosure.
The FreecomMobile Drive Mg measures just 10mm thick, which according to the manufacturer makes it the worlds thinnest portable hard drive.

This new portable hard drive for Mac’s comes with a USB 3.0 connection and it is also compatible with USB 2.0, it will be available in three different models, the first one with 320GB of storage which will retail for £69.95.
There will also be two separate 750GB models available, one with a USB connection which will retail for £109.95 and one with a USB 3.0 connection and a FireWire connection which will retail for £119.95.

Much has been made of Nintendo’s 3DS warning that the six-and-under crowd should probably stick to 2D mode, and while CEO Iwata has consented that “being proactive about informing our customer…. may not necessarily be positive for our sales,” the American Optometric Association has put an interesting spin on all this. The group released a statement last week — yes, during CES madness — asserting that 3D viewing “may actually help uncover subtle disorders that, left uncorrected, often result in learning difficulties.” Not only that, but the 36,000-strong group suggested “children younger than six can use the 3DS in 3D mode if their visual system is developing normally.” So yeah, Little Timmy’s Christmas 2011 isn’t ruined just yet, but that leaves plenty of time for a competing study to come out confusing everyone even further.

Ok girls, not really my cup of tea but for all of you loving bling and stones. Our friends at Juicy Couture just keep churning out the hits! Between pink teddy bear speakers, a wireless keyboard, and a blinged-out mouse, Juicy’s line of techy accessories is perfect for the over-the-top geek.
The Dazzle Speakers ($88) available through NeimanMarcus are no exception. The portable speakers are completely blinged-out and covered in rhinestones. They’re made to work with any MP3 player or even your computer.

With a clear nod to the iconic ghetto-blasters of the 80′s TDK is bringing the classic back with their new line of sleek boomboxes updated for today’s technology.

Currently there are two models, the 3 Speaker Boombox and the 2 Speaker Boombox. Apart from size, the primary difference is that the 3 Speaker model has a dedicated subwoofer in the center, which produces a fantastic vibration sure to get booties shaking. The 2 Speaker boombox features the same pair of 6-inch direct drive units from its big brother that solidify the classic look while offering crystal-clear sound, but adds a leather shoulder strap to the fixed, solid handle. Both stereos strike a balance between old and new with glossy finishes, touch screen control panels and the classic retro rectangular shape.

The analog switches typical of old-school blasters have been swapped out for touch sensitive buttons embedded into the front of the device, similar to those found on many smart phones. While all of the information displayed is digital, it has a decidedly analog feel, even including a retro-styled EQ. Controls include a left knob for controlling the power and volume and one on the right for toggling through radio stations or adjusting the settings. Both models have USB, 3.5mm and RCA auxiliary ports to connect a huge variety of music sources. There is also a larger auxiliary port that allows you to connect a guitar or microphone in case you want to join in the music magic.

The TDK boomboxes are an awesome reinvention of the classic portable device, both aesthetically and technically. They retain the character and size of shoulder-mounted music players but fit as nicely in a living room as they would on a stoop. And yes, they can be battery-powered in addition to being plugged in. The boomboxes will be available online starting January 2011 and at retail locations in February 2011 at $399 for the two speaker version and $499 for the three speaker one.

The actual offer of pico projectors still fail to convince you, well then share a moment and examine the brightest projector that has been built yet, Microvision’s overhauled SHOWWX+. At the size of a regular iPhone, this pocket-sized projector emits 15 laser lumens of industry leading, 5.000:1 native contrast featuring pictures. Not the common projector, a laser class 2 device able to spread a 848 x 480-px resolution up to 100-inches of mobile movie experience sourced from your iPod, iPhone, iPad or any device with a Video-out.

$449

Anyone is somehow obsessed with music, however those that want to get the best out of their Grados or B&O cinema-blasting home theater system need the best source they can get. Fortunately, the masters of high-end music servers, Olive, introduces a new flagship that meets the requirements of any audiophile around. In the O6HD’s core work the 24-bit/192 kHz Burr-Brown PCM1792 modules that guarantee the most natural playback of high quality audio in digital format you’ve ever experienced. Under the sleek aluminum shell, which doubles in functionality as cooling system, hides an in 8 layers of noise-canceling cushioning padded 2TB hard drive, a Gigabit Ethernet port, WiFi capability, XLR/HDMI/RCA out and a huge 10.1-inch touch-sensitive control panel.

$5.000

Sure, the odds are against you already having a 3D HDTV setup at home. But why not start recording everything in 3D right now, just in case? The ViewSonic Show’n Go 3DV5 3D HD Camcorder ($180) makes this futuristic dream possible thanks to its diminutive size, twin sensors, 720p video recording, 3D still image capture, SD storage, HDMI output, and autosterescopic 2.4″ screen. Because you haven’t seen your kid eating his/her own boogers until you’ve seen it in 3D.

Hitachi reclaims the title “world’s thinnest 2.5-inch external hard drive” with their new and recently unveiled accomplishment, the G-Drive slim. This lightweight hdd comes encased in an aluminum enclosure that is just 128.6 x 82 x 9.9mm in size and tips the scales at 144 grams. Inside the USB 2.0 enclosure beeps a customized Travelstar Z5K320 with 320GB capacity and 5.200 rpm ready for your demanding mobile needs.

$99