It’s the DXG 589V, the world’s first digital camera that records videos and plays games. Similar in design to the lauded Sanyo Xacti, its compact design is held in your hand vertically with a twist up screen. The lens snaps pics compliments of a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor and records 640 x 480 MPEG-4 video at 30 frames per second.

Perhaps its most unique feature is gaming. Turn the unit sideways and the screen orients itself resembling a Gameboy. There’s a d-pad that rests on the side of the lens barrel and action buttons on the right which by the way look eerily similar to someone else’s design. Gameboy-like or not, it doesn’t play Gameboy games. Instead, the 589V comes with 20 built in games.

If you’re still unsure about it, how about video recording direct from any video source (TV, DVD, VCR) to take on the go? SD card storage and hey, it even works as a digital music player so if you look at the big picture - it’s the convergence device everybody wants right?

$199.99 available now at your local Best Buy and Circuit City.

It’s official. Accompanying the Xbox 360’s summer update will be a QWERTY attachment that will make inputing text in Windows Live Messenger a lot faster. No price or even name for the accessory has been announced but we do know it interfaces with the controller via the headphone jack.

In the between time, Xbox Live users will see Windows Live Messenger integrated into their dashboard this spring with an onscreen keyboard.

So now Microsoft decides to go back to a gigantic controller design that so miserably failed the first Xbox . . . Yay?

More details over at Destructoid.

This week in ridiculous tech

Yeah, in case you may be wondering, I have watched the entire Back to the Future trilogy recently, and may be a little obsessed with the movies, but this will pass in time. In celebration of this event, I would like to release the post of Linux Dood of the Week (inspired by none other than Mac Girl of the Week and thought up by our very own Adam “Stuntman Mike” Kovic). This week’s dood is happily upgrading your ram as we speak, and will soon be in your fridge stealing your food.

Also this week in technology: GameSpy’s contemptible server service that is ruining my online fun with Command and Conquer 3. Please fix this EA. I really do dislike being disconnected from my game or not being able to see a lobby or room in order to start a game. Maybe the Linux Dood can help you guys fix your servers.

More after the jump!
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Oh how blinded we nerds are, we have all become such fanboys, ranters and hypocrites that no one is willing to take our biased opinions seriously anymore. Thank God someone has stepped in to show us the way, plus he boinks a bunch of chicks for money.

“American icon, Ron Jeremy, fresh off of his book tour, New York Times feature story and his second run on the Surreal Life, is teaming with Heavy news and hosting his own technology review show.

Each irreverent, Andy Rooney-style review of technology starts with an informative open, then Ron takes to the street to find out what the people think about cellphones, video games, cars and more-and finally gives his conclusion on the nature of technology in society.”

Cellphones? Video games? Cars?! For the love of all that is holy, please sign me up. Techsmart with Ron Jeremy airs today one Heavy.com, check out the direct link here.

And if just can’t wait to see Ron in action doing something non-penetrating, check out his amazing acting range in classy movies like Charlie’s Death Wish. Seriously, no boinking.

In a recent press release, popular java-based game company Gameloft, most popular for their dominance in the world of cellphone gaming, announced their plans to move over to the ripe market of smartphones, starting with the very popular BlackBerry.

Not only a tool only for working professionals, BlackBerry® smartphones now sport features that are attractive to a broader audience, giving users new entertainment features for play, as well as unmatched business capabilities for work. With a diverse catalogue of 125 plus titles, distributed in over 70 countries worldwide, Gameloft is positioned to provide new gaming experiences for BlackBerry smartphone users.

Indeed. 125 games and counting, not a bad way to out-hip all those yougsters with their Nintendos’ playing Pokemans all day. More press info after the jump.
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[as originally posted on Destructoid]

Remember the Commodore Computer, the definitive computer of the 1980’s? I can see it now: half of our readership is scratching their heads in confusion (or hitting up the wiki) while the rest are grinning as memories of Commando and Blue Max float through their heads.

Next week (March 15th) in Hannover, Germany, CeBIT 2007 will take place, and the Commodore computer will rise from the dead - relaunched as a gaming rig. According to Gamesdog, the new PC will be gaming focues and contain gaming hardware of the highest specifications.

Bala Keilman, CEO for Commodore Gaming said, “25 years ago, Commodore launched the best selling personal computer of the late 20th Century, the C64, and defined the early computer games experience for millions of people worldwide. ”

“We are privileged and excited to bring the Commodore brand back to the gaming community and mark a new chapter in its history with this exceptional machine. We’re sure that it will deliver what gamers need and want.”

If they can even come close to the success of the C64, which sold around 17 million units, then Commodore would become the name in PC gaming.

For those who want to brush up on their Commodore history, check out this page that has Java emulation of many Commodore 64 classics, playable right from your browser.

Most people have come across their share of mediocre products. The things that make a product unsatisfactory are usually common reasons like lack of functionality, poor support, bad design, and outright market failure. But, among the growing amount of commodities that have failed, the amount of innovative features that get borrowed from these goods grows as well.

While I could certainly include every technological improvement that departed from unsuccessful products, this list merely attempts to bring forth some of the more major ones. Any product that is excluded from the list, or for that matter, should not be on the list in the first place, can and should be discussed below in the comments section.

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Ubisoft has released a demo for PC of the teenage mutant ninja turtles game base on the upcoming movie. The demo is time limited but being the mysterious son of a guns they are Ubisoft hasn’t disclosed what the limit actually is. It weighs in at 259 MB so you’ll probably be staring at the download bar for a bit.

The final game will be available March (next month for those without a calendar) for “PC, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance”. Virtually every current console known to man. It’ll be rated E10+ meaning it’s intended for those age 10 and older. Which shouldn’t be a problem since most Nextlust readers are probably over 10, all 4 of you.

[Via Gamespot]

There’s a little known problem with HDTV’s. I’m not going to get into the whole thing here but I’ll just say this. When you’re watching standard def (SD) stuff on your HD set, it’s being upconverted to HD so you can see it. That takes time (usually a few frames). But it can make playing old games difficult, since the video lags a little behind the audio. Newer HDTV’s are much better, but it’s still a case by case basis. Make sure to check into it before dropping the coin on a new TV.

To those that don’t buy it, it’s true. To the people that have been dealing with it, here’s a potential solution.

This little box will take in any component source, and output every resolution up to 1080p over VGA. It’s the perfect way to upconvert your video signal before it gets to the TV. Some older HDTV’s can only take in 1080p over VGA, and this’ll accomodate that too. And if you don’t have a TV, just hook it up to your VGA monitor. If you’re in the market, this one is actually a pretty good deal at only $60.

You may be having fun playing your next-gen console, but did you have fun buying it? Doubtful. No, you probably just strolled into Target and set it down on the counter along with a six-pack of Tab and some deodorant. Pathetic. Buying a console in Japan is a little different. Take the Game-in Cassette Computer, for example. It may not have all the Blue Rays and teraflops of today’s consoles, but you can’t just walk into an electronics retailer and buy it either. You have to win it with a skill crane (which are known in Japan as UFO Catchers). This particular skill crane was found in a Japanese bowling alley.

Sure, the Game-in Cassette Computer looks like the afterbirth of R2-D2 and an eight-track’s lovechild, but it makes up for it by playing eight games and costing up to infinity yen (about $872) depending on how bad you suck at skill cranes. Its Dual-Shockesque controller offers a third shock: a handy sharpened point beneath the start and select buttons for gouging your friend’s eye if he scores on you in pong. The display box also features the following unfortunate “English” catch-phrase:

This is Compatibility Machine. Let’s play the game. Everybody gets off.

Don’t make any promises you can’t keep, little computer.