If you're looking for an awesome, impractical way to make music with your computer (and who isn't?) please direct your attention to the following Kinect hack. Shinect, the brainchild of a YouTube user named Shinyless, uses motion detection to turn you into a MIDI controller! The current implementation gives the operator two virtual pads that can be activated by the old Jersey Shore fist pump -- and if that ain't enough, the sounds can be pitchshifted by raising / lowering the other arm. Pretty sweet, huh? This thing uses OpenNI, and while he's demonstrating it using FruityLoops it should work with any MIDI device. Things are pretty rough'n ready at the moment, although he promises big things in the future.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/03/k...di-controller/ ...

We've heard of the mysterious, still-totally-unofficial PlayStation Phone running Android 2.2 in the past, but we'd also heard it could run 3.0 -- thing is, that was back before we knew Gingerbread would be 2.3, so it's possible that those 3.0 rumors ended up materializing as 2.3. Capiche? Anyhow, this is the first time we're seeing the Xperia Play (or Zeus Z1, or whatever it'll end up being called) running 2.3 in the wild, doing its thing next to a white Xperia X10 to give you an idea of scale. The lucky poster actually has two of the phones available, so they seem to be leaking out of factories in sufficient quantities now to suggest that it'll likely be announced soon -- or so we hope, anyway. CES? MWC? We'll know soon enough. Follow the break for the 2.3 evidence up close.

Also notable: these appear to be new hardware builds that feature refined touch surfaces -- notice the engraved circles -- along with PlayStation-themed and Xperia logos at the bottom (notice the telltale square, triangle, X, and circle shapes). The screen shots call out a model number of R800i, which has previously been associated with the Zeus... so this is definitely lining up nicely.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/04/s...ng-out-with-a/ ...

Seeing that Lucas & Co. already announced that the Star Wars series would be coming to Blu-ray we're not exactly sure what will be announced on Thursday at Panasonic's CES booth -- please, please, please don't say it's another Avatar-style two year pack-in exclusive -- but the invite promises it will be most impressive. Darth Vader and a number of Stormtroopers will be on hand and you know we'll be ready to pass all information revealed onto you (given the parties involved we're leaning towards some news about a home release of the 3D converted flicks), even if it's just that ol' George has decided to release the prequels ahead of the original trilogy.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/04/s...cement-at-ces/ ...

UPDATE: Argos, GAME and Amazon increase some hardware and software prices following overnight VAT hike
Leading UK games retailer GAME has confirmed to MCV that it has increased the price on some of its products as a result of the VAT increase that came into effect in the UK overnight.
However, the chain has pointed out to MCV that it still offers a market-leading price on a number of key products.
Eagle-eyed MCV readers noted that as of this morning many games that were yesterday priced at £39.99 now cost £40.99. In addition, the price of a PS3 Move Stater Pack has increased from £49.99 to £52.99.
Xbox 360 hardware SKUs including the 250GB (now £203.99), 4GB (£152.99) and 250GB with Kinect (£305.99) have also been upped.
"We are working hard with our suppliers to minimise the impact of the VAT rise on product prices but from 4 January 2011, customers will see some increase in our in-store and online prices," an official spokesperson confirmed.

"However every week, customers will also see that we have a wide range of special deals and promotions that offer a greater discount than the VAT rise and offer incredible value for our customers. These will continue in 2011 and we are confident that customers will see that we provide value and expertise that they can not find anywhere else."
Amongst the current deals pointed out to MCV were Xbox 360 shooter Halo Reach for just £24.98 and the PS3 version of Fallout: New Vegas for £19.98, both of which the chain says are the cheapest in the UK.
These prices were introduced as part of the chain's Christmas sale and have not been altered in light of the VAT increase.
UPDATE 1: Catalogue retailer Argos has also upped some of its prices following the VAT increase. It is currently offering the Xbox 360 S 4GB with Kinect for £255.30 and the standalone Kinect accessory for £132.76 via its website. A number of chart titles including Halo Reach, Black Ops, Fallout: New Vegas and Fable III are now priced at £40.84.
UPDATE 2: Amazon has also confirmed that it has upped some prices overnight. "The VAT rate is one of many factors that is considered when we determine our prices," a statement read. "Prices may decrease or increase depending on any of these factors. Amazon.co.uk will be applying the new 20 per cent VAT rate to all orders dispatched after January 4th 2011."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/42368/GAME...rice-increases ...

Nintendo has released internal sales figures revealing that the DS family of consoles has sold more than 47 million units in the US since launch in November 2004.

The Nintendo Wii sold over seven million units in the US during 2010, bringing total sales in the region to 34 million units.

"When we look back at 2010, we see consumers time and again turning to the value and enjoyment of our products," commented Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.

"When we look ahead to 2011, we see new portable technology and more great Wii games that need to be seen to be believed."

The next hardware to be released from Nintendo is the 3DS, due in Japan on February 26, priced ¥25,000 ($298 / £188). A European and US release is set for March, with solid price and date details to be announced on January 19.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-with-47m-sold ...

Hacking team Fail0verflow has released information on how to completely circumvent the security measures of the PlayStation 3, citing the removal of the machine's ability to run a Linux operating system out of the box as its motivation.

The process was revealed by the team at the 27th Chaos Communication Conference (27c3) and marks the end of a four year period of impenetrability for Sony's machine – far longer than most consoles manage in the face of concerted efforts from hacking teams. The Xbox 360 was cracked within a year of release, whilst the Wii lasted just one month.

The key factor in the circumvention, described in detail on Eurogamer's Digital Foundry channel, seems to be the use of a single random number in important encryption equations, rather than the generation of separate numbers each time the equation is run.

The result of this is that the team's methodology has laid the internal architecture of the machine completely bare, allowing external agencies to run any code without security verification and even to program custom firmware for the machine.

Because of the nature of the PS3's security, the hack also means that it will be almost impossible for Sony to rectify the situation, as the massive overhaul the system would need to become secure again would render previous software unplayable. Even if this were overcome by Sony creating a 'whitelist' of accepted software which could bypass these measures – itself an inordinately massive job – hackers would be able to edit these lists to include new code.

Fail0verflow has denied that it intends the process to open the floodgates of piracy, however, instead pointing out that the security of the PS3 has stood inviolate for so long only because it allowed users leeway to run Linux, a compromise which suited both parties.

This feature, the OtherOS option, was removed from the PS3 Slim at production and disabled in older PS3s by Sony – prompting uproar by advanced users who made the point that it had been an advertised feature of the machine at purchase.

Some users even went as far as to instigate a class-action lawsuit against Sony in the US over the removal of the feature, whilst Amazon were reported to have issued some partial refunds to PS3 purchasers.

Only last August, a hack was released for the PS3 which used a dongle to circumvent security measures and allow copied discs to be run on the machine. However, the so-called PSJailbreak hack was soon countered by Sony with firmware update 3.50. This update would appear to be powerless in the face of the new methods unveiled by Fail0verflow's presentation.

Sony has been approached for a response but is currently unwilling to offer comment.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...theros-removal ...

A whopping 63 million console and PC games were bought in the UK last year - that averages at over one game per UK resident.

The UK games market was worth £2.875 billion in 2010, according to official figures from UK trade body UKIE, reported by MCV.

The Xbox 360 was the UK's most lucrative console with hardware revenues of £232 million. The PS3 followed with £229 million. The two platforms combined shifted 2.3 million units.

Xbox 360 game sales amounted to £538 million, PS3 game sales £414 million. 18.2 million Xbox 360 game units and 13.8 million PS3 game units were sold in 2010. In total console software sales hit £1.45 billion.

UKIE did not release sales data for Nintendo products. It did note, however, that only the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles saw growth.

"Despite 2010 being a tough year for the economy, the video games and interactive entertainment industry continues to perform strongly," UKIE director general Mike Rawlinson stated.

2010's £2.875 billion total is down on 2009's £3.3 billion haul. The figures relate to retail/boxed games only, and do not include digital download sales.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-in-uk-in-2010 ...

ASUS, a PC hardware company, has decided to make its very own Kinect.

Far from a shameless rip-off, the device - named the WAVI Xtion - has been co-developed by PrimeSense, the company that provided Microsoft with 3D sensing tech for Kinect.

The WAVI Xtion is poised for a Q2 2011 release, with a worldwide roll-out to be carried out in phases thereafter.

What's more, the duo - PrimeSense and ASUS - have put together a suite of tools called Xtion PRO for developers to create applications and software with. This will be available in February, bizarrely, before the WAVI Xtition - perhaps the tools also work with other devices, cough, Kinect.

What's more, there's the opportunity for enthusiasts and developers alike to sell their creations on an Xtion online store, too. And ASUS clearly has one eye on gaming, if quoted buzz-phrases like "revolutionise users' recreational lives" are to be taken at face value.

"ASUS combines its wireless cross-room solution with PrimeSense's simple, intuitive, gesture-based control technology to allow users to enjoy and share PC content on TV with gestures. WAVI Xtion is the unprecedented living room experience that will revolutionise users' recreational lives," buzzed ASUS general manager Kent Chien.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-of-the-clones ...

Kinect owners may soon be able to interact with each other using their Avatars in a dedicated area.

Website Glimpse Dog (via NeoGAF) published leaked slides it claims will feature in Microsoft's Consumer Electronics Show keynote in Las Vegas on Wednesday night (early Thursday morning UK time).

According to Winrumors.com, "The slides reference Avatar Kinect, which Microsoft is set to introduce at CES. The software update, delivered over Xbox Live, will allow Kinect owners to interact with each other using their Avatars. The Avatars will have a separate area, much like Nintendo's Mii channel, that will allow for users to control them using Kinect and interact to watch content or play games."

Microsoft will stream its CES keynote live on Facebook.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...t-for-xbox-360 ...