Liquidware ships DIY tablet for visionaries, bored enthusiasts

If you're the type of person who enjoys getting their hands dirty (and we're betting you are), then feast your eyes on Liquidware's DIY tablet. The open source hardware company is now selling its Beagle Embedded Starter Kit, which is mostly aimed at embedded developers, but there's nothing to stop you "average folk" from picking one up for a weekend project.

The kit contains everything you need to get your homebrewed tablet off the ground: a 4.3-inch 480x272 OLED resistive touchscreen, a mainboard with a 720MHz ARM-Cortex A8 processor (the same chip found in the Droid and Pre smartphones), 2GB of NAND and an SD card slot with a 4GB card containing Angstrom Linux, and a 2600mAh battery module that can sustain the mainboard for "at least" 6.5 hours.

Sure, it isn't the most attractive slate around, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? At $393.61 (or $413.61 preassembled), the Beagle DIY tablet is well within the reach of anyone looking to break out the elbow grease – although there are some cheaper development kits around.

Extension sync, built-in PDF viewer coming to Chrome

Google has pushed out new versions of Chrome to the web browser's developer channel. The update addresses a number of bugs like the typical run-of-the-mill release, but it also packs a couple of interesting new features, including the long sought-after ability to synchronize extensions across multiple computers. Just like with bookmarks or preferences, now any copy of Chrome on which you are logged into your Google Account will have the same extensions as your other machines.

The feature is not enabled by default and we hear it's still a little buggy, but that's something to expect when running the dev build. To enable extension sync, right click on Chrome's shortcut, choose Properties, and at the end of the Target field add the following command line switch: "--enable-sync-extensions" (minus the quotes).

The other big new feature in Chrome's latest dev release is the built-in PDF viewer. In its current implementation the feature is fairly limited and appears to be based on the same technology that powers 'View as HTML' in Gmail. This means users are not required to have Adobe Reader installed, which could provide safer experience for those who often drag their feet when it comes to installing new versions of the plug-in. Google will still allow Acrobat Reader -- or any other PDF reader -- to be launched directly from Chrome in case you need more advanced capabilities.

If you are interested in trying out the new features just head over to the download page for Google Chrome's dev channel builds. If you don't want potentially unstable software running on your machine, though, it might be better to wait for these features to trickle down to the beta and then the stable release channels.

Acer intros new Intel and AMD-based netbooks

Acer launched a pair of updated Aspire One netbooks yesterday to include better graphics and -- for the first time -- AMD processors. The 10.1-inch AO521 and 11.6-inch AO721 both use the 1.7GHz Athlon II Neo K125, a single core chip with 1MB of Level 2 cache and an 800MHz bus, as well as the Radeon HD 4225 integrated chipset with 384MB of dedicated memory and a 250GB 5,400RPM hard drive to store data on.

Either should be about under an inch thick and weight around 3 pounds with the six-cell battery installed. The main difference, besides screen size obviously, is with the installed operating system and included memory. Whereas the 10.1-inch AO521 is limited to 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Starter, the larger model packs 2GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. It also includes a standard full-size keyboard rather than a 93-percent sized keyboard on the former.

In terms of connectivity, both netbooks will get you 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Ethernet LAN and Bluetooth, as well as a webcam and digital microphone for video conferencing, and an HDMI-out port for connecting to an HDTV. These AMD-powered netbooks will reportedly start shipping today ship today at prices of $350 for the AOD521 and $430 for the AOD721.

For those Intel fans out there Acer also announced the Aspire One AOD260 and Aspire One AO533 with Intel Atom processors. The first is a slim model with a patterned look and a just over 2.4-pound weight. It carries the 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, while the AO533 is just a bit heavier and features the newer 1.83GHz Atom N475. Both will be available later in the month, priced at just $298 for the AOD260 and $330 for the AOD533.

Toshiba intros new NB250 netbook, updates the NB305

Toshiba's really cranking out the hardware this week, now launching the new 10.1-inch Mini NB250 netbook as well as updating the NB305's firepower. The company says it designed the NB250 to be "as easy on the budget as it is to carry" – and at $299, it is quite wallet-friendly.

Key specs don't drift far from the norm, and both clamshells pack a similar kit: an LED-backlit 1024x600 display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455, up to a gig of DDR3 RAM, up to a 250GB HDD, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, a couple USB 2.0 ports, and a three or six-cell battery. Both ship with the Windows 7 Starter, although it appears XP is also an option for the NB305.

Priced at $379, the NB305 has a few niceties absent on the NB250. For instance, one of its USB ports supports Sleep-and-Charge, it has Bluetooth 2.1 and mobile broadband connectivity, a 3D impact sensor for data protection, and stereo speakers. It's also more efficient, boasting 11 hours of life on a six-cell battery versus the NB250's 8.5 hours.

The NB250 will be available this summer in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but a release date for North America isn't clear.

Shuttle releases new compact gaming rig, J3-5800G

Although E3 news is overwhelmingly comprised of console updates, accessories and software titles, the year's biggest video game conference inevitably calls PC makers and peripheral companies out to play. As such, Shuttle has taken the opportunity to roll out a new gaming rig, which supposedly already has enthusiasts, scientists, and corporate execs lining up.

The J3-5800G can be filled with your choice of a quad or hexa-core Intel Core i7 processor, GPUs ranging from the GeForce 9500GT to the GTX 480, and 4GB or 8GB of DDR3 RAM (16GB is supported but not sold by Shuttle it seems). You can add up to two storage drives with several mechanical and solid-state options available, as well as a DVD burner, Blu-ray reader or writer.

I/O includes dual gigabit Ethernet, 10 USB 2.0 ports (one eSATA combo), a 4-in-1 card reader, and an optional wireless antenna. All of that and more is packed into a chassis measuring 8.5 x 7.5 x 13.1 inches. By comparison, the popular full tower HAF 932 is 21.5 x 9 x 22.5 inches, and the mid-tower HAF 922 is 19.7 x 10 x 22.2 inches.

The J3-5800G is currently listed on Shuttle's online store with a starting price of $1,900 – and the luxuries add up quick. For example, a GTX 470 or 480 tacks on $480-$700.

Samsung reveals new 512GB toggle-mode NAND SSD

Samsung is preparing to unleash its first solid-state drive that makes use of its toggle-mode DDR NAND flash memory. Aimed at the premium notebook segment, the new entrant parades both high speed and capacity. The 512GB drive is rated for a maximum read speed of 250MB/s, while sequential writes max out at 220MB/s – quick enough to store two DVDs in just a minute.

Internally, the drive is comprised of 30nm 32Gb chips that can run at 3.3V or 1.8V, and it features a new low-power controller designed specifically for toggle-mode NAND. Samsung says the controller analyzes frequency of use along with user preferences to activate a low-power mode, which could give notebooks an extra hour of battery life or more.

Additionally, the drive makes use of 256-bit AES encryption so you can lockdown your data with peace of mind. Volume production is planned to kick off next month, but there's no information regarding a retail launch date or price – presumably because the drive will mostly ship to system builders.

OnLive debuts with 23 titles, free membership offered

It's been a long time coming but OnLive is finally ready to try and silence its critics as the on-demand gaming service makes its official debut today. To celebrate the launch, the company announced a partnership with AT&T to offer U.S. customers a free first-year membership, with an optional second year at $4.95/mo. -- down from the regular price of $14.95. Those interested can sign up to the Founding Member Program until July 15; they'll pick people on a first-come first-serve basis.

This won't get you complete and total access to their whole library, though, but rather access to the community, free demos and other content. Full games will cost from $9.99 to $49.99, depending on the title, while for those who don't want to pay for something they don't 'really' own, three or five-day rentals for five dollars will be available as well.

If you haven't been following the news, the idea behind OnLive is that instead of running a video game locally, players connect via broadband to a gaming system that runs and stores their data and the entire game itself. The service hopes to mark a big shift in the way gaming works. Not only it promises a fluid and lag-free experience on Windows and Mac OS X systems with very low hardware requirements, it also gets rids of downloads, patches and physical discs.

The service is launching today with over 20 titles available, including Prince of Persia, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and Mass Effect 2. A "MicroConsole" that can be attached directly to HDTVs will be arriving later this year.

Lenovo intros 3D-equipped IdeaPad Y560d

On the brink of 3D mania, Lenovo is hoping to ride the wave of consumers looking to invest in extra-dimensional visuals with the launch of its first 3D laptop. The 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560d has a 1366x768 display capable of churning out 3D imagery (requires glasses, which are included) and hardware options include up to an Intel Core i7-940QM processor, a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, and 250GB to 750GB of storage.

A range of other Core i3 and i5 CPUs are also listed, you can toss in a 32GB or 64GB SSD boot drive alongside the standard HDD, and the Y560d can be configured with a Blu-ray drive. Other specs include a 6-in-1 card reader, a 34mm ExpressCard slot, three Mini PCIe slots, three USB 2.0 ports (one eSATA combo), VGA and HDMI-out, gigabit Ethernet, wireless n, a 1.3MP webcam, a six-cell battery, and your choice of Windows 7 Basic, Premium or Professional.

The IdeaPad Y560d will be available through Lenovo's website by the end of the month with a base price of $1,200.

Toshiba announces industry's first 128GB NAND flash memory module

Toshiba has launched a new 128GB embedded NAND flash memory module said to be the industry's highest capacity to date. Using 32-nanometer fabrication, it crams 16 8GB NAND chips along with a dedicated controller into a tiny 17x22x1.4-milimeter package. Toshiba says it applied various chip thinning and layering technologies to accomplish such a feat, with the individual chips being only 30 micrometers thick.

For comparison, WolframAlpha states that the average strand of human hair is 80 micrometers thick, while a US dollar bill is over 100 micrometers – so they're some mighty slim chips to say the least.

The new NAND memory is aimed at a wide range of consumer goods, such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and digital video cameras. No buyers have been named, but you can expect Apple to make it to that list at some point, being the largest customer of flash memory.

Samples of the 128GB product are expected ship by September and full-blown production should begin in the fourth quarter. A 64GB chip built with the same technology will begin sampling a bit earlier in August, but it will enter mass production along with the 128GB variant.

YouTube intros simple, cloud-based video editor

Further embracing cloud-based services, Google has released a basic Web-based video editor to YouTube, adding to the recent acquisition of online photo editor Picnik. The YouTube Video Editor is being rolled out today and its humble toolset is enough to transform the world's most prevalent video sharing into a one-stop-shop for folks who only need to make simple tweaks to their content.

Entering the editor presents users with the clips uploaded to their account, but you can't edit others' videos (though, you might be able to download a video and reupload it to your account). Currently, the tools mostly revolve around the ability to stitch together clips in any desired order to create a single video, and you can also watch the current progress of your mash-up with an included video player.

YouTube also provides thousands music tracks that you can drag onto your video to overwrite the existing audio. Unfortunately, by using the songs you grant YouTube the right to display ads in your video, but if you need an audio clip for your video, it's a small "price" to pay. The existing library will grow as YouTube signs more deals with copyright holders.

The editor is rudimentary to say the least, but it's only just been added to YouTube's "TestTube" – the company's sandbox, if you will. If a large number of users flock to the service, you can bet that more features such as video transitions, effects and titles will be added.

Eurocom ships 18.4" Fermi-equipped X8100 Leopard laptop

If you have deep pockets and a fondness for speedy mobile silicon, Eurocom began shipping its X8100 Leopard gaming/workstation-grade notebook earlier this week. We mentioned the Leopard along with several of its siblings back in early May when it was discovered that they (optionally) employed a mobile iteration Nvidia's Fermi GPU.

The Leopard is highly configurable and the base machine starts at $2,299, which nets you an 18.4-inch 1680x945 display, a 1.60GHz Intel Core i7-720QM, a 1GB GeForce GTX 280M or Radeon Mobility HD 5870, 4GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM, 250GB of storage, and a DVD burner. Naturally, 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, HDMI output (and input, interestingly), DVI, USB 2.0 and eSATA are also present.

The premium menu consists of a 1080p display, a 2.13GHz i7-940XM, a 2GB GeForce GTX 480M (Fermi) and dual-GPUs with the GTX 280M or HD 5870, 8GB of RAM, up to 2.6TB of storage via quad-HDDs (not to mention various SSD and RAID options), and a Blu-ray burner. A maxed-out X8100 breaks $10k barrier, and the machine truly beckons those with an insatiable thirst for all things "extreme."

We're all aware of Fermi's appetite for electricity, and the X8100 ships with a measly four-cell battery, which ought to give you just enough time to scramble for the wall outlet should the Leopard ever come unplugged. Also, the system weighs over 12lbs (or more than half a dozen Sony VAIO X notebooks). Hop on over to the product page for more information.

Opera 10.60 beta boasts even faster browsing, new features

A new beta version of Opera is available and along with various new features, it flaunts the usual speed improvements. Build 10.60 of the "world's fastest browser" is said to be 50% quicker on select JavaScript tests than the recently launched Opera 10.50 – which is already quite speedy, so we're unsure how an isolated 50% improvement translates to real world performance. But faster is always better right?

Added features include geolocation, which can detect your location on a map and is useful for localizing search results, support for the open video format WebM, custom thumbnails for tabs, and overall visual improvements on Speed Dial, tab previews, and the Opera menu button.

There's also talk of "search suggestions for selected partners in the Speed Dial and search box," while HTML5 Appcache lets you use apps like a word processor or image editor in your browser, and developers can use Web Workers for heavy calculations without slowing down the browser.

You can download Opera 10.60b1 for Windows here.

Razer intros StarCraft II-branded gaming peripherals

With StarCraft's sequel just around the bend, Razer has expressed its love for the franchise by whipping up three new gaming peripherals. Hardcore SC fans will be able to Zerg rush unsuspecting combatants with a StarCraft II-emblazoned Spectre mouse, Marauder keyboard, and Banshee headset – all of which have lighting accents and an overall style inspired by the StarCraft universe.

Razer says the Spectre mouse is tournament-ready for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, featuring a lightweight five-button construction designed to "provide precision control for RTS gamers." Core specs include a 5600DPI Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor, a 1ms response time, and a gold-plated USB head. It's priced at $80 in the US, €80 in Europe, and 94,800 WON in Korea.

Carrying identically-targeted features, the Marauder keyboard boasts elevated laser-etched keys optimized for rapid command input and improved gaming performance and a dedicated on-the-fly macro recording system. The Banshee headset is, well, a headset – albeit one decked out in StarCraft baubles. Both are priced at $120, €120, and 142,800 WON.

If that's not enough to satisfy your inner-RTS nerd, you can tote your StarCraft II-branded peripherals around in a "Zerg Edition Messenger Bag," which features a tear-resistant, weather-proof 1680D ballistic nylon outer shell, a laptop compartment, and a protective shock absorbent lining. That'll set you back $90/€90/10,880 WON. All mentioned products will ship worldwide Q3 2010.

PlayStation Move priced, Valve announces Portal 2 for PS3

Sony has finally divulged the launch plans for its PlayStation Move motion controller, including firm release dates and pricing. Folks in Europe will be first lay hands on the Move, which is expected to reach stores on September 15. Meanwhile, Americans will have to wait another four days until September 19 to take the plunge.

As expected, many packages are planned, but pricing for the standalone controller is a fairly reasonable $39.99, while the analog navigation controller will cost $29.99. Additionally, you can purchase the PlayStation Eye, PlayStation Move and the Stick for a flat $100, the PS Eye, Move and Sports Champions for $100, or a standard 120GB PS3 console, the Move, and Sports Champion for $400.

While we're talking about the PlayStation 3, it's worth noting that Valve's Gabe Newell dropped major news during Sony's E3 press conference: Portal 2 is coming for the PlayStation 3, and it'll be the "best version on any console." This is possibly the Portal 2-related secret we've all heard so much about.

Nintendo unveils 3DS with 3D camera at E3

If you had any doubts about the existence of Nintendo's glasses-free 3D-ready portable console, let the record show that it's very real. During its E3 press conference today, the company officially unwrapped its 3DS handheld, touting "a solution that lets you take 3D gaming along with you wherever you go." The device is known to come in two colors, red and blue, and features a 3.5-inch 3D display on top, which you can adjust (or disable) with a hardware slider.

The bottom half of the 3DS is populated with a touchscreen display (not 3D-capable), what appears to be an analog stick that Nintendo is calling a "Slide Pad," as well as a standard directional pad and action buttons. There's also a gyro, a motion sensor, two camera lenses for taking 3D pictures, and the new console compatible with DS games. Wi-Fi features were emphasized during the event, such as the ability to automatically seek out hotspots or other 3DS systems.

Software partners are aplenty, with Activision, Atlus, Capcom, EA, Harmonix, Konami, Sega, T2, and Ubisoft all supposedly working on projects. Games and franchises include Kingdom Hearts, Saints Row, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Madden, FIFA Soccer, Ninja Gaiden, Resident Evil Revelations, The Sims 3, Batman, DJ Hero 3D, Assassin's Creed, Ridge Racer, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles, Samurai Warriors, Battle Giants: Dinosaur Strike, and Hollywood 61.

Toshiba refreshes notebook lineup, ships 3D model to US

Toshiba refreshed its notebook lineup this morning, adding various new models as well as polishing some existing offerings. Most of the new units are standard fare, but a few stand out: the 3D-capable Satellite A665 and the Optimus-equipped M645.

Packing a 15.6-inch 120Hz display, the A665 can handle stereoscopic 3D via Nvidia's 3D Vision kit and features an Intel Core i7-740QM processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTS 350M graphics chip, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB HDD, a Blu-ray player, and a 12-cell battery. Pricing starts at about $1,600 for the 3D iteration, but if you've already dismissed 3D media as a fad, other A66x-series notebooks start as low as $799.

The 14-inch M645 is a scaled down build of the A665 with a wide range of CPU options, including Core i3, i5 and i7 chips as well as AMD's Phenom II Quad Core processors. It uses Nvidia's Optimus GPU switching technology to auto-toggle between the GeForce 310M or 330M and the IGP. Other specs include a Blu-ray drive, a 7200RPM HDD, and the connectivity we've all come to expect.

The M645 has a base MSRP of $730 and both above-mentioned notebooks are expected to be available through retailers, e-tailers and Toshiba's own online store come June 20.

RIM testing BlackBerry companion tablet, readies OS 6

The Wall Street Journal is adding fuel to rumors that BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is quietly developing a slate device. In line with previous reports, the paper suggests that the tablet won't have its own 3G modem; instead it will function as a companion to BlackBerry phones and rely on tethering for internet access on the go. According to "people familiar with RIM's plans," the tablet is in an early stage of development and could be available by the end of 2010.

The device is expected to run RIM's latest operating system, version 6.0, which will have multi-touch functionality, allowing users to swipe through different screens loaded with icons for their applications and pinch to zoom images. There's also a new browser which renders pages much faster than the current version and supports tabs, as well as an universal search bar that allows users to look up everything on the device -- a la Google's Android. Little other details have been revealed other than the new software is aimed at addressing many of the complaints users have with BlackBerry devices.

A phone running OS 6.0 is expected by the end of September 2010, at the earliest. The new smartphone, which is currently in testing, will have a QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the bottom of the touch screen, a software keyboard in landscape mode, four gigabytes of storage space and a five megapixel camera.

Apple updates Mac mini with unibody case, better graphics

Just as it started taking pre-orders for the new iPhone 4, Apple has quietly rolled out a redesigned Mac mini featuring up to twice the graphics performance of the previous model, a new HDMI port and an SD card slot. Taking a cue from the MacBook Pro line, the new Mac mini rocks a unibody aluminum enclosure that is only 1.4-inches tall and 7.7 inches square, with a removable panel on the bottom to access the computer's RAM for upgrading.

A new integrated power supply eliminates the need for an external power adapter, reducing overall system volume by 20 percent and keeping cable clutter to a minimum. Apple also says that the mini is the most power-efficient computer around, using less than 10 watts when idle.

There are two models: The first costs $699 and comes with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The other model goes for $999 and is pre-loaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, dropping the slot-loading SuperDrive in favor of 4GB RAM, two 500GB hard drives, and a 2.66GHz processor. Both models now come with Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, which is the same integrated GPU that comes in the current MacBook.

In terms of connectivity, besides the new HDMI port the system sports a mini DisplayPort connector that supports up to 2560 by 1600 pixels and ships with a HDMI to DVI adapter. There's also a FireWire 800 port and four USB 2.0 connectors, Gigabit Ethernet
, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and built-in Wi-Fi (including 802.11n).

OCZ launches new enterprise Deneva SSDs

Discontent with the plethora of solid-state drives it already has on the market, OCZ has pushed out a new enterprise line based on SandForce's SF-1000 family. The Deneva SSD series makes use of the SF-1500 controller and are said to be "the first to deliver Tier-0/1 Enterprise level reliability using a range of lower cost flash technologies including eMLC and MLC in processes as low as 3xnm." The use of MLC NAND is interesting, considering that most enterprise-grade SSDs rely on SLC flash memory.

OCZ says its Deneva drives offer customers a high degree of flexibility because they can be designed to use a variety of interfaces, including SATA, SAS, FC, and PCIe, along with an assortment of form factors and custom firmware. Other enterprise-specific features include emergency power loss protection with supercap, best-in-class endurance, as well as top-notch encryption and ECC protection. Drives in the series have a max read/write of 285MB/s and 275MB/s with 4KB random writes up to 50,000 IOPS.

EA launches "Gun Club" for shooter fans

During its E3 media briefing today, EA opened a new "Gun Club" for fans of shooter games. On the service's official website, EA says the Gun Club is a way of thanking its loyal shooter community by rewarding them for "doing what they love best" – purchasing EA shooters. Members of the Gun Club will be privileged with in-game content, early access to beta programs and demos, as well as exclusive access to events, information and development teams.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Medal of Honor are already connected to the Gun Club. Players who own BC2 or preorder MoH will get advanced beta access to the forthcoming reboot, as well as early access to the M24 sniper rifle when the game launches this holiday season. More titles are set to join the Gun Club, such as Dead Space 2 (due early next year), Battlefield Heroes, and the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 "digital expansion" Vietnam.

MSI intros 14-inch AMD Vision-based notebook, CX410

MSI has added the CX410, a new AMD-based machine, to its Classic notebook series. The matte black 14-incher carries a 1366x768 LED-backlit display, and it's powered by AMD's Vision (Danube) platform, complete with an unspecified Athlon II dual-core processor and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 545v graphics chip with 512MB of GDDR3 VRAM.

The notebook supports up to 8GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM spread across two slots, but there's no mention of how much comes preinstalled. Inside, you'll also find a 250GB, 320GB or 500GB hard drive, a 4-in-1 (MS, SD, MMC, MS Pro) card reader, HDMI and VGA outputs, three USB 2.0 ports, audio jacks, wired and wireless network connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and a 0.3-megapixel webcam.

Total system weight amounts to less than 2.2kg (under 5lbs) with a six-cell battery, and the CX410 features MSI's "exclusive ECO engine power saving technology" with five power profiles: Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office, and Turbo Battery. Word is mum on pricing and availability.

New Xbox 360 shipping with 250GB HDD, Wi-Fi for $299, Kinect due Nov. 4 for $150

Microsoft today ended its E3 keynote with a bang, unveiling a leaner, meaner Xbox 360. The redesigned model occupies less space, runs "whisper-quiet," and gets some heavily upgraded accessories. We haven't spotted a specific name for the new iteration, but it's supposedly already shipping out to retailers and it should be on store shelves near you by next week.

Pricing will be the same as the old 120GB Elite model ($299), but the revamped unit has a built-in 250GB hard drive as well as 802.11n connectivity. Microsoft plans to keep selling the existing Elite Xbox 360 at a reduced fee of $199, while the basic Arcade system will sell for $149. It's unclear whether this pricing is permanent or if the company is just trying to gut remaining stock.

Additionally, Redmond has slapped a price tag and ship date on its motion controller. Kinect (formerly Project Natal) will hit stores on November 4 with a stand-alone cost of $150, which is in tune with previous rumors. It will be accompanied by at least 15 games when it launches, and you can take a look at that list after the break.

Crytek announces 360 exclusive title 'Codename: Kingdoms'

A rumor broke earlier this month which suggested that Crytek might have been secretly creating an MMO. The hearsay was partly provoked by the fact that Crytek recently began securing many "Kingdoms"-related website domains as well as a trademark for "Kingdoms" covering video games. As it turns out, the company isn't hording domains and trademarks for no good reason – they're working on a new title.

During Microsoft's E3 keynote, the company revealed that Crytek is whipping up a new game that will be exclusive to the Xbox 360. At this point, the title is being called Codename: Kingdoms and it appears to be set in some classical Roman/Greek period, featuring 300-style soldiers. According to folks onsite, the game is highly redolent of the PlayStation's popular God of War franchise, which is based on Greek mythology.

The folks on stage didn't mention what genre Codename: Kingdoms belongs to, but it seems unlikely to be an MMORPG if it's exclusive to the Xbox 360. No launch window was mentioned either, but it's said that no gameplay footage was shown, which suggests that the project isn't too far along yet, but we're excited nonetheless. After all, how bad can a Crytek-developed 300-like title be?

Project Natal to launch as Kinect, slimmer Xbox 360 possible

Microsoft has officially baptized its Xbox 360 motion-sensing system as Kinect, in a very unique press event yesterday night which included a jungle theme, Xbox Avatars wandering around on displays above attendees wearing white poncho throw-overs, and a Cirque du Soleil presentation. Using virtually no words, as usual, the French-Canadian circus troupe showed off the add-on formerly known as Project Natal and several titles through videos and live performances.

Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, told that Sunday was all about entertainment, but they are prepared to give out more concrete details about Kinect at their E3 conference later today. Some of the news has already leaked early, with a list of games including Kinectimals (a virtual big-cat training sim), Kinect Sports (Microsoft's answer to Wii Sports with table tennis, boxing, bowling, soccer and more), Joyride (a kart-style racer), Kinect Adventures (a river-raft simulator), and dancing game Dance Central.

Other titles shown at the live presentation included a yoga trainer and a Star Wars game in which you play a light saber-wielding Jedi. If motion-controlled gaming is not your thing, though, don't fret. Microsoft also promised its conference will have a large emphasis on "core games" such as Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3, and Fable III.

Video chat is also on the menu, and it will apparently have support for up to four users at once. Perhaps more interestingly, rumors are abuzz that a slimmer Xbox 360 design might be announced at E3, with leaked ads and pictures of a new motherboard doing the rounds. The unit is expected to feature a 250GB hard drive and have built-in Wi-Fi.