While trolling the net  for a web streamer I cam across the Roku.  This device is a Techie’s wet steaming dream.  Compact, Reliable, and best of all cheap (Starting price is $59 for the Roku HD).  There are 3 different versions… obviously the more features, the bigger the price tag.  Check out the links… I’m drooling already!  Look at that AWESOME purple!!!

http://gizmodo.com/5848475/the-new-roku-lt-only-costs-50-

http://shop.roku.com/

Neil has embarked on another great adventure in his life and I have been asked to come aboard to SS Jewish Guilt to bring some of my useless knowledge and witty banter.  How you all enjoy.  I will do my best.

Cheer!

If your lifelong dream was to watch 128×128 video on a watch like the one you had in 8th grade, well, now you can die happy. The same watch as sold on Brando, but about $10 cheaper for the 2GB version and ships from inside the US. Of course, the thing uses an OLED display, which means it’s going to be a bit harder to watch outdoors. But if you buy the watch, what are the chances you’ll be going outdoors?

Besides the 128×128 pixel, 1.5-inch screen, the thing can display the time and date (how does it do that?), plays back MP3/WMA, and even has voice recording. Great for surrupticiously recording yourself being fleeced by the local mechanic. What do you mean it costs $79.99 for an oil change?

The rumorhounds over at ThinkSecret have some more juicy details about which next-gen DVD format Apple will be adapting to. ThinkSecret’s anonymous sources say that Apple will be receiving Blu-ray drives in February that will end up being included in their range of computers and laptops. No word on pricing or availability, but expect the drive to add at least $500 to the cost of the desktop or laptop.

Once we woke up, we took the trip to Midtown, parked the bike about a block away from the Nintendo World Store, and joined the line of people waiting for their chance to purchase Wii. As time passed, us pre-orders were slowly plucked from the line, and brought into the store. There, we waited on the final line, as the walk-ins were also processed in a separate line. I’d honestly figure that most people on the line had an excellent shot at walking away with a system, accessories, and some games.

A quick survey of the available games led us to hit multiple genres. We purchased a Wii Remote, a Nunchuk Attachment, and the Classic Controller add on, along with 2000 Wii Points, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Excite Truck, and Red Steel. A quick walk for some hot cider, and we were ready to head home.

(Interesting fact: The Wii box is just narrow enough to fit in a Vespa GT/GTS top case.)

Hooking up the Wii proved to be quite simple. It ships with component cables, most likely to ensure that just about anyone can make it work with their TV, and the sensor bar is adequate for any setup which places your game console near your screen. Projector owners may not be so lucky, depending on your wiring.

Internet setup took no time at all, once I added the Wii’s MAC address to my access point’s whitelist. After poking around with settings, we started the fun of the prep process: Making Mii.

A Mii is basically an avatar for any game which supports it. They’re primitive, comicky, and can be transferred to your own Wii Remote’s internal memory. We made one for each of us, stored them on our Wii Remotes, and now we’re ready to play at anyone else’s home with our own Mii ready to go. Next up: Wii Sports.

Wii Sports is a little thin, being a package of five sports games. Wii Boxing is a bit of a workout, using the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk as boxing gloves. Cross, jab, or block, and your Mii will do the same. Needless to say, you should give yourself some room to move. Wii Tennis is harder, using just the Wii Remote as a tennis racket. While the controls feel solid, it certainly takes a little time to get used to it. Wii Baseball is an exercise in frustration, giving you a three-inning game with some odd approximations. (I hit a few grounders, and didn’t even have a chance to run for first base.) Wii Golf is, quite simply, hard. It feels like golf, being utterly unforgiving when you use too much power, too little, or swinging at the wrong angle. Finally, there’s Wii Bowling. It’s also hard, but it lets you set your position and angle, and spin control is very intuitive.

Once that was out of the way, we moved on to Excite Truck. Jenny didn’t like it much at all. You hold the controller like an NES control pad, and much like Excitebike, too much turbo will burn out your engine. Crashes are expected, and just result in you starting off back on the track, and the truck itself is controlled by tilting the (now sideways) Wii Remote. The drawback of the game is that you have to go through a tutorial before you can play anything, including Versus mode. Compared to Wii Sports, which simply explained your options as you played, this felt like a chore.

Saving the most addictive for last, we loaded up Red Steel. The controls aren’t bad, but you *must* point the Wii Remote at the screen at all times. It determines where you look on the screen, so this is pretty important, or else you’ll end up looking at the ceiling while people shoot you. All in all, it does have the best controls I’ve ever used on a console FPS, and the swordplay adds a nice touch. In a firefight, you spend a lot of time crouching, focusing mostly on finding a target, popping up, and hoping that you’re a good enough shot to get him before you have to crouch again. It’s a neat game for me, but it’s not for everyone.

Finally, Zelda. This is a far cry from Wind Waker, both graphically and plotwise. You’re no longer a kid, you’re not just trying to save a little girl, and the graphics are eerily beautiful. As usual, you’re not a hero when you start off. You take on the role of the legendary hero from the past, just like in Wind Waker, Minish Cap, etc., but you’re a whole new Link. The controls are smooth, the Nunchuk feels like it belongs in your hand the whole time, and the swordplay/slingshot controls just feel perfect. Z-targeting is still there, but it’s nowhere near as important now as it used to be.

All in all, this tiny console packs a decent punch, being effectively a Gamecube on steroids, with probably the best controllers I’ve ever used. The fit is perfect, the button placement is perfect, and everything about the system just feels natural. It’s definitely lacking in the graphics department compared to the PS3 and the XBox 360, but I just haven’t been able to let that bother me in the slightest.

Bungie and Microsoft announce multiplayer testing plans

To coincide with the fifth anniversary of Xbox and Halo, Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie have announced that beta testing for the third instalment in the series will begin next year.

The Halo 3 beta test, which is scheduled to start in the spring, will allow gamers to try out the game’s multiplayer mode via Xbox Live – a first for the franchise. Bungie will use the feedback from players to refine the full game, which is due out later in the year.

Microsoft also announced that new maps for Halo 2 will be available via Xbox Live Marketplace around the same time, and that a new 60 second teaser trailer for Halo 3 is on the way.

It will be broadcast on North America’s ESPN channel on December 4, and will simultaneously be shown on Xbox.com – allowing European gamers to watch too.

“Since its original release, Halo 2 has redefined online play, delivering superior multiplayer capabilities in addition to an incredible social experience, and nurturing a constantly growing community through Xbox Live,” said Shane Kim, corporate VP of Microsoft Game Studios.

“After five years of rabid fan interest in the Halo franchise and with more than 4 million users and counting on Xbox Live worldwide, this is the perfect time to invite fans to join the global Halo phenomenon.”

The Beatles are coming to an online music store near you “soon.” So says EMI’s head suit David Munns. Why should you care? Well, besides the fact that, you know, the Beatles pretty much invented the modern concept of a rock band, we could see an interesting battle between Apple and Microsoft. Will iTunes or the Zune Marketplace claim such hits as “Yesterday” and “Twist and Shout”? Will you be jamming out to “Day Tripper” on your iPod or Zune?

As we all know, the Beatles are pretty much the only band not available on any of the legitimate online music stores. (I’m sorry, but allofmp3 doesn’t count.) I can’t wait to (possibly) 3 plays/3 days share such obscure hits as “Penny Lane” with random young ladies on the street. “Hey there, hot mama, have you heard of the Beatles? They’re this totally cool band…” (Cue mace to the face.)

Product Page

In case your dual-core desktop was starting to show its age, Dell is now letting you cram a quad-core processor inside its top of the line XPS desktop. The new XPS 710 packs Intel’s Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core CPU, letting you throw any multi-threaded app you can find its way. For expansion, the desktop has four memory slots and seven expansion slots comfortably fitting as many video cards as you can afford. Dell’s 30-inch LCD also got a few upgrades. Click through for the update and pricing.

The new UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC now has a 92 percent color gamut, which Dell claims will deliver brighter, crisper colors. It also has a faster 8ms grey-to-grey response time (vs 11ms on the old panel). All this goodness is gonna cost you though. The XPS (available today) will start at $3,699 while the monitor (which will be out the 21st) will go for $1,699. We’re particulary excited about the LCD, as there’s few multi-threaded apps in our library to justify splurging close to $4 grand on a desktop.

Dell’s Press Release

If you’re cool you’ve already picked up the Xbox 360′s HD-DVD drive to watch all those high quality Hollywood movies in stunning high definition. What’s even better is that, with some potentially illegal software, you can plug the Xbox 360′s HD-DVD drive right into your Windows-based PC and enjoy high def movies on your computer! Literally, all one needs to do is install the (illegal?) drivers then plug the drive in the drive and you’re all set for a night of movie watching.

File this under, why would anyone want to do that? Because they can.

Product Page

Paramount Pictures has revealed the winning lines for the Transformers Optimus Prime contest on the official website. The first place winner will become a line in the movie as voiced by Peter Cullen, while the other lines will also be spoken by Cullen and appear as ringtones and on the official site.

Opening July 4, 2007, Transformers is directed by Michael Bay and stars Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight, Bernie Mac, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Amaury Nolasco, Kevin Dunn, Ronnie Sperling and Dane Cook.