Gamertell

MMMM mmmm! Nothing says rock and roll down south like a bucket of fried chicken! Kentucky Fried Chicken y’all!

KFC and Guitar Hero World Tour. I guess its a play on words - finger licking good chicken and fingers licking chords of the guitar. From now until November 24, 2008, KFC has teamed up with Guitar Hero World Tour and partnered with Dave Barley, a top Guitar Hero player, for a KFC Rocks contest. With the recent launch of the newest Guitar Hero game, the contest allows players and non-players alike a chance to earn some cool prizes like a year’s supply of KFC chicken, fully loaded box meals and…

MORE »

At CES this week (January 7-10, 2008), Pyramat is showing off its new gaming chairs. Each chair is well padded, made of washable materials and have speaker system embedded in the chair. The units on display include the PC Gaming Chair 2.1, S5000 Sound Rocker and the PM450-WR Sound Rocker.

Each of the chairs include audio inputs (and sometimes wireless inputs) so they can be connected to any external device including videogames, TVs, DVD players, stereo systems, MP3 players and handheld game systems.

The PC Gaming Chair 2.1 uses a wireless connection to your PC using a built-in receiver. The built-in system includes two powerful speakers, a Powersub subwoofer, MP3 input, and an armrest mounted mouse wheel with touch controls. The PC Gaming Chair 2.1 is currently available for $249.99.

The PM450-WR Sound Rocker utilizes so-called “Premium Digital Wireless Technology” for wireless audio and is also the first Sound Rocker t o be powered by a rechargeable battery. Pyramat promises the battery will work for up to five hours on one charge. The chair also includes a 2.4GHz digital 8-channel wireless transmitter and the 5.5-inch Powersub subwoofer.. The PM450-WR starts at $249.99.

Also on display is Pyramat’s S5000 Sound Rocker which offers increased lumbar support and an adjustable back rest. The least expensive of the three chairs at $169.99, the S5000 includes speakers and a Powersub subwoofer.

My favorite of the three has to be the PC Gaming Chair 2.1, mostly because it is the only chair with legs. Sure, sitting on the floor is pretty great when you are a kid, but the older gamer in my needs the lumbar support and somewhere to hang my legs so they don’t completely lose circulation. Besides, how cool would it be to have that in your office cube?

Read [SlashGear] Also Read [Techpin] Site [Pyramat]

• Internet:  It’s the most important thing in people’s lives
• Gamertell review: The Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray
• Apple and Line6 don’t play well together

Kotaku has just rolled out one of the most impressive holiday buyer’s guides… ever. Instead of stating the obvious by listing the hottest or highest rated titles of the season (i.e. things every gamer already knows), the Kotakuites have compiled a comprehensive list of cool gaming-related items, from kitschy toys to expensive tech to avant-garde art prints. It’s definitely a great resource for any hard-to-shop-for gamers on your holiday gift list.

The guide is organized by price, beginning with “Mandatory Secret Santa” (under $20), to “Relative You Don’t Particularly Care For But Will Probably Bring A Gift For You” ($21 to $50), to “The Sweet Spot - Not too ‘spensive, Not too cheap” ($51 to $100), to “Person You Are Or Hope To Be Sleeping With” ($100 to $500) and finally “Our Prices Are Insane” ($500 and up).

Though everything on here is absolutely gift-worthy, certain items stand out, like the awesome Legacy X Nintendo shoes and the “spirit of the holiday” one laptop per child donation (where you purchase a bare bones laptop and one gets sent to a disadvantaged child as part of the OLPC program).

Read [Kotaku]

• You can help Intel, Asus design a PC online
• Pirates (and non-pirates) beware! The gaming cops are out to get ya.
• Internet:  It’s the most important thing in people’s lives

There’s a different type of console available exclusively for men in Belgium that is essentially a screen mounted over urinals and features a racing game. One word comes to mind on this matter - Ewww! Grossness! (Editor’s Note: That is one noise and one word.)

The game in question is called The Piss-Screen. Seriously that’s the name. If you’re looking for a less vulgar name try A Place to Pee. The urinals were installed in the restrooms of a GamePower Expo in Gent, Belgium. Belgium police did not find the game amusing and the game was banned.

The urinal design was created by Marcel Neundörfer. The basin has a pressure-sensitive screen recessed into it. I’d hate to be the one to clean that in the morning much less think about it. I’m feeling grossed out just typing this at the moment.

Supposedly this game also improves a male’s “aim” as well as add entertainment in the bathroom. It was designed to help intoxicated males at bars to make the decision of choosing a taxi over driving home by engaging them in a racing game displaying over the urinal. If the “driver” swerves too much, crashes or misses then he is too drunk to drive themselves and should call a taxi.

I had no clue a bathroom game existed and, being a girl, I probably never would until I came across this article about a wee game in the men’s room.

But then again, on those long sits in the ladies room I could use a PSP or handheld game to bide my time. Hey, you can only read about who’s being a jerk and who’s a slut in the area or look at lewd and gaudy artwork but so many times on stall door.

Read [Game Politics] Also Read [Shiny Shiny] Site [Yanko Designs] Site [Marcel Neundörfer]

• Study debunks belief that playing with your Wii can lead to aggression
• Your Wii is being held hostage
• How to get your Mac to talk to your Wii

Five teens arrested and charged for the virtual theft of furniture from various residence in Habbo Hotel, a popular virtual networking hang out website for youngsters.

Many people reading this article may not see why Amsterdam police officers and creators of Habbo Hotel are taking this problem way too seriously. The crime committed is that the teen and the virtual furniture and items are paid for with real world money. The arrest of one of the online thief makes this the first ever online law enforcement action.

The thief, a Dutch 17-year-old who has yet to be named, is accused of computer fraud and stealing more than £2,800 (approximately $1,400 in US dollars) of furniture and other from the virtual homes of other members on Habbo Hotel and moving them into their own virtual rooms. The 17-year-old is not alone in this virtual criminal activity, having received help from four 15-year-olds who were traced and called by the Web site’s owners and taken for questioning by the Dutch police.

“We are trying to bring charges of theft. It is a little difficult and new. There has not yet been a judgment in a case like this,” said a spokesman. “The furniture may not be physical objects but because it represents a certain value we think theft is involved.”

Habbo Hotel, which was launched seven years ago by Finnish Internet company Sulake, claims the website has 80 million registered users in 31 countries. The site allows users to create their own characters and decorate their personal hotel rooms using credits which they pay for with real money.

Officials from Sulake believe that the six teens have gained access to other members rooms by tricking the members into giving up their personal login and password information.

“The accused lured victims into handing over their Habbo passwords by creating fake Habbo websites,” explained a Sulake representative. “In Habbo, as in many other virtual worlds, scamming for other people’s personal information such as user names has been problematic for quite a while. We have had much of this scamming going on in many countries but this is the first case where the police have taken legal action.”

This case has already raised concerns over internet security and teenagers having the ability to spend money online.

“We got involved because of an increasing number of sites which are pretending to be Habbo,” the Sulake representative added. “People might then try and log in and get their details stolen.”

Because the trickery wasn’t big enough to warrant full attention by Sulake, users are asked by Sulake to protect themselves by never giving out their passwords, beware of phishing scams and for added security type in the URL by hand to access their accounts instead of using the auto-login function on their PC.

Read [Reuters] Also Read [The Telegraph] Site [Habbo Hotel]

• Yeah Right: Blizzard swears Starcraft II trilogy not an attempt to “stretch it out and milk it”
• Your Wii is being held hostage
• Panasonic confirms Sanyo takeover

Product: X-Arcade Tankstick
Price: $199.95
Rating: 9/10
Pros: Easy to install on pretty much any computer and fun to use. Works on Mac and Windows PCs as well as many game consoles (with separate adapters).
Cons: Programming the buttons can be a little tricky. It’s not compatible with the Xbox 360, the trackball does not work on all consoles and it and might not work perfectly on older computers.
Overall: An impressive controller not just to use but to sow off to all your friends. Definitely a great buy - or gift - for a fan of arcade games or a nostalgic gamer.

Click through for the full review.

MORE »