3D monitors are still a rarity in the world of PC gaming, even though as of October 2011 over 500,000 pairs of Nvidia’s 3D Vision glasses have been sold, and with each at least one 3D display. Though the likes of Viewsonic, Acer, ASUS and Dell have all taken their go at it – some more successfully than others – this third wave of high-end 3D gaming monitors is looking very well. We’ll have a full review of ASUS’ latest display soon after CES, but at the show BenQ revealed not one, but two 3D-ready displays.

To say that they are two different monitors is almost a lie. The two are identical in all ways but one: the XL2420TX and XL2420T share all of the same specs but one: the TX model has 3D Vision built directly into the display. Both have the same 2ms grey-to-grey response time, the same 120Hz refresh rate, the same 24″ displays, the same specs entirely except for built-in Vision. If you’re confused, I was too, until I looked at the price: the TX model, with Vision, will retail for $500, while the non-Vision model currently retails for $400.

Now that may seem like a big difference for a display, but having tested and used Nvidia’s 3D Vision glasses for possibly longer than anyone outside of the company, I can state as a fact that using 3D Vision with an external IR reader to work with the glasses is a hassle. It’s far more convenient to have it built directly into the monitor for two reasons: first, the IR transmitter is near eye-level (and can be adjusted to point higher or lower), and second, because it doesn’t take up an extra USB port and contribute to your current table clutter.

Of course, anyone who already owns a 3D Vision set with the external IR transmitter can save some money for themselves and buy the display without the built in emitter. The only loss is convenience, though the BenQ representative told me that their current customers in Europe, who have had both displays available, requested a display without 3D Vision built in. And that both models have sold well.

Convenience is a surprisingly important factor, one I always say is perhaps the most important piece to the product puzzle, because it gets right into the users feelings on said product. They create an emotional attachment because hey, it feels like the phone or computer monitor was made with them in mind. The same holds true with the XL2420T models, both of which come with two (yes, everything comes in pairs) unique features available solely for the purpose of convenience. First is a glasses holder attached to the back of the display, as you can see in the image above.

Second is a mouse-like controller that magnetically attaches to the base of the display, on either side, and can be pre-programmed with three different display settings. Three numbered buttons can automatically change the display settings. It may seem silly, especially since the buttons on both XL2420T models are all touch sensitive, similar to the Dell Alienware OptX display, but even with very fluid controls and an intuitive and simply menu system having the ability to automatically change the display settings is huge. Most gaming displays today have a dedicated button to scroll through presets, which are generally defaults made by the manufacturer (and usually prior to someone actively calibrating the display altogether), but even that’s not as convenient as you can get. The button to do so is still attached to the display wherever the buttons are located. With the XL2420T, those preset buttons can be literally wherever you want. They can be magnetically attached to the base on the left or right side, or above your keyboard, by the mouse, or wherever the hell the cable will reach.

Simply put, it’s ingenious. I know for myself that I always change the presets on my display. I have a preset for standard computing (ie typing up articles like this), watching video, playing games, and for editing pictures. Being able to swap between even three of these presets at anytime with a simple extendable control that can at anytime be docked is…it solves a longtime problem that most people didn’t even know existed.

I’ll need some more face time with the XL2420T and XL2420TX to know how good they actually are and the video quality reproduction, but there was one impressive note I made during my hands-on. For 3D gameplay, the image doesn’t move. That means that if you weave and bob your head, in any way, the image won’t move with you. This typically happens on 3D displays (and most people see something similar occur when watching 3D movies), and it’s annoying. I walked around with my 3D glasses on and didn’t see any change, even at weird and extreme angles. I’ll need to test it more in the field, but thus far I haven’t found anywhere that the image moves with the glasses.

The XL2420T is currently available now in the US, for purchase directly from BenQ and some retailers, for $399. The XL2420TX will be available shortly in the US for $499, and is available for pre-order now from BenQ directly.

Projectors aren’t typically impressive to most of us, though that’s due to their high price and, well, our perception of classroom projectors. Those clunky things really are a thing of the past (unless you’re still in school), because today you can just plug your iPhone in and stream movies directly through the projector, no hassle. At CES, BenQ revealed the Joybee GP2 Mini Projector, which not only provides video out for your iPhone, but for any device you can think of. Or, even with nothing plugged in at all.

The Joybee GP2 is is a big step up from the GP1, which acted as an any-device projector utilizing a USB port and iOS 30-pin connector. It wasn’t really an any-device projector unless you had the right cable and had the device on and streaming, which for a projector may sound OK but will kill the battery life of cameras, laptops, and anything else with undue haste. So the GP2 makes one basic change that completely changes the way the projector handles media: it has more ports, including an SD-card slot reader, HDMI, standard USB and a USB-mini port. And, of course, the iPod dock on the top of the GP2.

These extra ports improve on the original not just by making it more accessible, but by releasing many external devices from handling data as intensly as on the GP1. Any computer with work with the GP2, either through HDMI or USB (though as we’ve seen in the past with USB-powered media streaming modules, USB isn’t suited for high-resolution video without a high-performance processor). Devices that use SD cards can remain powered off, and users need only swap the card into the projector. Devices without SD cards can also be plugged directly in using the USB port. If that means your phone, then you don’t have to worry about power, because it’ll charge the phone and stream the data to the projector.

The GP2 is very light and very easy on the eyes. The glossy top has a simple control scheme, and it’s small and weighs just 565g. When we get one in for review, it’s the sort of device I’d take with me on trips to watch TV shows or movies I normally store on my phone, instead of holding the relatively tiny display close to my face.

While the GP2 supports 720p video and recommends 44″ between the projector and a screen or wall, BenQ representatives told me that it’ll hold a solid image up to 160″ (the image can be up to 160″ diagonally). Even at 44″, that’s huge compared to a smartphone screen. BenQ promises 30,000 hours for a single bulb at regular brightness settings, which is about 3.5 years of continuous use.

The GP2 also has 4W speakers, which while minimalist are more powerful than today’s mobile devices. Everything can be controlled either through the dial control on the top of the GP2 or with an included remote. I was impressed with the picture quality on two videos that were playing back in BenQ’s suite at the show, Burn Notice and Moneyball. I’ll need to play with a unit more before I can verify the screen quality, especially indifferent lighting conditions, but from a preliminary look I was satisfied with the video quality.

The BenQ Joybee GP2 Mini-Projector is out now, and can be purchased today for $549 from Amazon, though I’ve already found some lower prices down around $470. It may seem pricey, but for a 720p home projector that can be used for just about any purpose, including business, office, home video, or even travel, the GP2 looks like the kind of projector we should see in classrooms today.

LG has provided details on its Z330 and Z430 Super Ultrabooks even though the Ultrabooks are still pretty new. The Z330 model features a  13.3-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backit display, the choice of Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processors, 4GB of DDR3 memory and HD 3000 graphics, either a 120GB or 256GB SSD, 10/100 ethernet, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0+HS. The LG Z430 is a bit larger than the Z330 and comes with a 14-inch display, 8GB of RAM, and 500GB HDD paired with optional 16GB or 128GB of SSD storage. Both models include: a multi-format memory card reader, single USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 and HDMI, 1.3-megapixel webcam and a 4-cell battery. There’s still no word on pricing yet, but info will probably be released after CES.

Volvo decided against a svelte plug-in hybrid when coming up with its XC60 and opted for a more boxy SUV type as the base for its newest concept. It gutted its XC60 and used a turbocharged gas 4-cylinder engine that pushes out 280hp up-front, and also used a 70hp electric motor that powers the rear. Together they produce 350 hp and can accelerate the concept from0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds. The new concept can also run in pure electric mode by simply pressing a button on the dash that enables it to get 35 miles on its electric juice from its 12kWh battery pack. Taking only three and a half hours to charge via 220V, it will take seven and a half hours when using a 110V plug. More info will be released when it debuts at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.

Fujifilm plans on bringing its latest X-series camera, the X-S1 (which is a DSLR-like superzoom camera) to the States. It first launched in the UK for $1,090 as the XS-1, but will be selling it in the U.S. for only $799 (it’ll be available later this month). The camera features a fixed 26x manual zoom lens with a range of 24-624mm and a variable maximum aperture of f/2.8-5.6, with a 2/3-inch 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor behind.

Its lens allows you to capture photos that are very far away and very close, making it a very versatile option. Like any high-end camera, there’s 1080/30p video capture with stereo sound and H.264 encoding, along with RAW stills and full manual control. Its seven-frames-per-second high-speed mode at full resolution, or 10 fps at six megapixels will excite sports shooters. Although the X-S1 may have DSLR features, its ISO sensitivity isn’t as great because of its smaller image sensor. There’s no word if Fugifilm will feature the camera at their CES press conference, but they might sneak it in!

The Detroit Auto Show is usually the place for all the hottest and newest car debuts, but this year’s show will unveil something a less automotive-based. It’s going to be the launch site for Craftsman’s new CTX-series of lawn tractors. While it may not be inside next to new rides from the likes of Chrysler or GM, it’s still going to pull in a crowd outside of the Cobo center where it’s being stationed.

The CTX series boasts some serious car-like specs, which is probably why Craftsman thought it wise to unveil its monstrous gardening machine at an auto show. All models in the line feature Briggs & Stratton motors that pack 30 HP and has a forward top speed of 8 mph or 3 mph in reverse. Other goodies include 54-inch cutting decks, a hydrostatic automatic transmission, electronic fuel management (goodbye carburetor), electronic cutting height adjustment control, digital instrumentation, tilt steering, cruise control, and automatic traction control that splits power independently between the rear drive wheels. As a bonus, it sports a 2-volt iPod jack and beverage holder (with the higher-end models). With its car-like specs, come its high prices with the new line ranging from $2,999.99 to $6,499.99.

With the chaos of my last weekend, somehow this one slid unnoticed into my inbox.  Now here at GadgetReview, we’re always ready to help out a worthwhile cause, and in my opinion, the folks at Child’s Play have one of the most worthwhile causes I’ve seen.  In case you don’t know what they do by now (have you been living under a rock?), since 2003 Child’s Play has been working on getting toys and games to hospitals worldwide in order to help out sick children.  My own child was in a Children’s Hospital before, and I know how little they had for him to do there (I mean they had a PlayStation one with two games – both were scratched and couldn’t be played).  It’s this charity that makes the stays kids have to go through end up being bearable.

I’m not one to be a schill for anything that I don’t believe in, so what I’m telling you right now comes from the heart – these guys do an amazing amount of good work.  Not only does giving things to hospitals help out children, but it also helps to stem the tide of people thinking that all gamers are nothing but violent and arrogant assholes.  In 2010, they raised almost $2,300,000 (just over five grand short), and it would be great to see those kind of numbers again.  I hope we can get some kind of fundraising event here to help them out, but in the meantime here’s a list of things you can do on your own:

• Host your own fundraising event (childsplaycharity.org/events)
• Buy or donate an item on the Child’s Play Giving Works eBay page
• Donate directly through PayPal
• Become a corporate sponsor (and talk to your bosses about this) – email Kristin Lindsay
• Mail a check to Child’s Play, 123 NW 36th Street Suite 210, Seattle, WA 98107
• Text the keyword GAMERS to 50555 to make a $5 donation

The annual Child’s Play charity auction will take place on Thursday, Dec. 8th, 2011 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.  Tickets can be purchased at www.childsplaycharity.org.   Passes will cost $145 per person and $5,000 for table sponsors.

Just the first level of gameplay. It’s pretty damn good, and each level after (up to the fourth level, where I’m up to now) is even better than the last.

With Sunday coming to an end, it’s time to catch up on the internet while chillaxin’ on the deck. Spice that up with this amazing flash-video musical of the sounds from Super Mario Bros. I can’t think of a better way to end the weekend.

M0ar.org via Reddit

The people at V-MODA always put out headset designs that are sure to blow you away (or at least turn some heads), and just like their last True Blood offering, these new REVAMP ear buds are to die for. From the sweet pendant-style mic, to the Japanese symbols found on the Tru Blood drink, these things look very authentic.  I can’t wait to (ehem) drink the sound in from these.  Full press release after the jump.

Silver Bullet Styling, Supernatural Sound and Immortal Durability Showcases the Music and Style of the Emmy^® Award-Winning HBO^® Series

REVAMP debuting at Comic-Con in San Diego July 21-24 at HBO Store Booth #2643

Los Angeles – July 21, 2011 – V-MODA, the true music lifestyle brand and manufacturer of award-winning headphones, announces the availability of the REVAMP metal in-ear headphones, part of the V-MODA for True Blood line developed in partnership with HBO. The pulse-pounding synthesis of sound, style and comfort is designed for mobile beings whose lives begin at night.

“Our heritage is founded upon true rockers, DJs and producers,” said Val Kolton. “Whether itʼs starting a gig at midnight, hitting the dance floor until break of dawn, or producing all night in a dark studio, when you put on a V-MODA headphone you instantly escape to the pulsating sensations of the night life.”

Elegant nuances added to these headphones make them worthy of the V-MODA for True Blood line. From the aircraft-grade aluminum silver bullet microphone that doubles as a necklace pendant, to the subtle Japanese symbols of the Tru Blood beverage seen on the show that are emblazoned on the headphones, this museum-quality art reflects the iconic imagery of the Emmy award-winning show.

Designed for seductive styling and supernatural sound, REVAMP is a testament to V-MODA’s dedication to quality and innovative designs.  A masterfully tuned 9mm V-MASQUE driver, verified to strict consistency standards delivers vibrant bass, vivid mids, and vivacious highs.  Additionally, the BEATPORT delivers a 3D soundstage, invoking the sense of a live music experience.

After years of research, V-MODA discovered that The Fit is the Sound as everybody’s ear is shaped differently. REVAMP’s re-mastered BLISS 2.0 (Bass Level Isolating Soft Silicone) noise-isolating fittings are precisely shaped to create greater sound, stability and comfort for the greatest amount of people.

Immortal durability was achieved through relentless engineering of every component in REVAMP to pass strict MIL-810-STD test guidelines.  The foundation of this quality is it’s lightweight all-metal construction and Kevlar® reinforced fabric cables. The durable, fabric cable also reduce tangles while the gold-plated steel plug feature a 45-degree extended strain relief to withstand stress. The detachable sport earhooks feature patent-pending ACTIVE FLEX technology, allowing the headphones to adjust independently to each ear and minimize cable noise.

REVAMP features:

• ACTIVE FLEX detachable sport earhooks for a secure fit and consistent sound for gym, running and sport use

• Re-mastered BLISS 2.0 (Bass Level Isolating Soft Silicone) fittings reduce outside noise and enhance stability, sound and comfort.  Includes four pairs of black silicone fittings (XS, S, M, L)

• One-button microphone universally compatible with all iPhone®, iPad®, iPod®, Android^TM, Blackberry^TM, tablets, notebooks, audio devices and smartphones with a 3.5mm port

• Two-year V-MODA premier warranty

• Immortal Life Replacement Program – 50 percent off lifetime discount to replace consumer-damaged headphones

• Carrying pouch

The REVAMP and the entire “V-MODA for True Blood” line is now available at select retailers, V-MODA.com/REVAMP, store.hbo.com, Amazon.com, Newegg.com/trueblood and the HBO Shop^® located at 42nd St. & 6th Ave. in New York.

The MSRP for REVAMP is $120 but will be offered for a discounted price of $99.99 throughout Season 4 of True Blood.

For more information, visit V-MODA.com, twitter.com/VMODA, and facebook.com/VMODA.

ABOUT V-MODA

V-MODA is the true music lifestyle brand that is distinguished by its fashion-forward design, unparalleled quality and unequivocal passion for music and materials. Led by professional DJ and Chief Visionary Officer, Val Kolton, V-MODA products blend the spirit of Italian design, the essence of music, and the charisma of Hollywood. Together with design extraordinaire Joseph Bucknall, the worldʼs most influential producers, musicians and DJs, V-MODA is constantly challenging the norm and forging the remix revolution. For more information, please visit V-MODAʼs website, V-MODA.com.

ABOUT HBO LICENSING & RETAIL

HBO Licensing & Retail officially licenses the HBO^® brand for the development and merchandising of innovative product lines inspired by the network’s award-winning programming.  With products created around classic series like the The Sopranos^® and Sex and the City^® to current hits like True Blood^® and Entourage^®, items include fashion apparel, jewelry, digital and CD soundtracks, games, books as well as exclusive, premium collections in partnership with upscale, designer brands.  Merchandise can be purchased in retail stores nationwide, at http://store.hbo.com, and at the groundbreaking HBO retail hub, the HBO Shop^®, located at 42nd and 6th Avenue in New York City.  HBO Licensing & Retail products are also sold internationally across Europe, Asia and Australia.

You know how you can sometimes just take one quick look at something and go “DAMN SON!” Yeah, when I saw these pictures of the new gamepads from PDP for Marvel vs Capcom 3, that’s exactly what I thought. They put the original Street Fighter 4 Fightpads to shame. I mean, holy hell, look at this thing!

To take a look at the box (art), hit the jump.Here’s a quick look at the box it’ll come in.

Open

And closed

They are available right now for pre-order, for $39.99, from PDP direct.

Update

Official word from Mad Catz is that these are not licensed by Capcom, and that technically no permissions are required for PDP to make the gamepads. What that means is two things: one, they may not be around very long (so if you want one you may want to pre-order it right away), and that Mad Catz may reveal their own licensed gamepads for MvC3 very shortly.

Update: Checkout our Razer Ferox review.

When Razer released the Mako speakers nearly two years ago, most were skeptical about the gaming peripheral maker’s entry into high quality audio. I got the chance to review it way back when, and they are still the best 2.1 speaker system I’ve ever tested…for under $400. I still use them today for all my musical and gaming needs.

This morning, the company announced the Ferox, which was absent at CES. This is a portable 2.0 stereo speaker set offering the same omni-directional audio as the Makos, but in a much smaller size. As you can see in the image above, the speaker itself is on the top, while the bottom helps generate true bass and is intended to keep sound flowing fluidly. Razer has yet to give dimensions for size, instead only saying they’ll last 12 hours of continuous use. Depending on their size, they may be well worth lugging along. The last few months I’ve been carrying a mouse, headphones and keyboard on trips (thanks to a half-decent laptop), so if the size is right, I could see myself bringing a decent set of speakers.

Razer plans to release the Ferox this month, so anytime this week or early next week.

Today is the day you can win enough money on iTunes to last the rest of your life. Or, if you’re one of those people, a few weeks. But then you won’t feel guilty about spending so much, because Apple is giving away $10,000 for spending on iTunes to the person who downloads the 10 billionth app. The company announced the prize last week, but today is the fateful day.

By my calculations (at about 5,000 downloads per 10 seconds), someone will win between 9-10 hours from now, around 7pm pacific time. Of course, it’s still early and I haven’t factored in higher or lower download rates based on times of the day, and added weekend downloads since many around the world are already getting off of work and checking out their phones for new apps. I’d fathom Apple hits their mark closer to 4 or 5pm, and we’ll be watching to see just when it happens.

So get your iPhones, iPod Touchs, iPads and iTunes accounts ready. Just remember that there are only 25 entries per day, so even if you download the 10,000,000,000th app, it has to be one of those first 25 or you won’t win. Or, if you’re not interested in downloading apps, you can register via entry form, but good luck winning that way.

I have my strategy to win. Do you? Watch the countdown clock go on Apple’s website.

Update: The countdown clock may be skewed…the screenshot above was taken at 9:37am PST, and the screenshot below was taken at 9:45am. We’ve reached out to Apple to see why this has happened, but likely won’t hear back before the contest ends.

Update 2: Now it’s at 9,979,000,000. We’re apparently losing downloads…if this keeps up, today will not be the day, though the number does have to stay above 9,975,000,000 this hour to reach 10 billion today. By my calculations, it’s earning around 1,800,000 app downloads hourly, though additional deductions are making it impossible to be sure anymore.

That may be exactly what happens, if Razer’s own website is any indication of the famed product’s release. I’ve loudly been waiting for it since last year, and am sad to not have it in my hands that much later. Perhaps my hope for owning one will be vindicated soon enough.

Razer’s online store lists only the standard edition of the Onza as expected to release on February 28th. A Razer spokesperson couldn’t comment on a strict release date, but they do estimate a release around the end of February. Which, of course, is great news all around. Can’t wait!

That’s right folks, if you own a Playstation 3, might as well just get a copy of that, even if you have no plans on playing the PS3 version. Why? Because if you do, you’ll get a free download off Steam to play Portal 2 on the PC. Then you can give your weak PS3 copy to a friend so they can widdle through the game like an ape while you enjoy the promise of long awaited bliss as it was meant, with a mouse and keyboard. Or, if you’re feeling really wild, you can pick up a set of Razer Hydra’s for some special Portal 2 features not available anywhere else.

This is pretty much the best thing to happen for the PS3…ever. Not only are we actually getting cross-platform play, albeit PS3 to PC, but a free Steam copy with a regular $60 purchase for the PS3? I swear, I thought Valve couldn’t make me love them any more. I was horribly, horribly wrong.

Portal 2 will release this April.

Learning to fly costs a lot of money. A quick Google search reveals that it can be anywhere from $3000-$12,000+, and that’s just learning to fly one type of aircraft. It’s no doubt a costly hobby, and if you want to do it on the cheap, you’ll need to join the Air Force and hope your vision is good enough.

That, or you can drop $5k and learn yourself. Not that any flight school will give you a license from a high score, of course.The Procedure Trainer is, as they call it, a “complete flight training system”, one with comes with everything you’ll ever need to fly a plane, albeit not a fighter jet. It’s essentially a large number of currently available products from Saitek put together and working in tandem on a very sturdy table, with room for a TV or multiple monitors.  And if you buy it, a big truck will come to your home and some smart people will set the whole thing up for you wherever you want it.

I tried it out, and it is absolutely an awesome setup. That was the first time in an impromptu flight sim challenge that I was able to take off and land properly without crashing (editors note- crashing after you land still counts.) Then again, I want to send my kids to college someday. But maybe you don’t. If you’re interested in buying one, you won’t find it on Mad Catz’ online store. Email PR-pro Alex Verrey at averrey [at] madcatz [dot] com.

My first experience driving was when I was seven. It was in a remote parking lot in Northridge, where my father, brother and I would go to play roller hockey on the weekends. We coaxed dad into letting us drive the mini van, a Toyota Previa. My year-and-a-month older brother went first, and then it was my turn. My dad sat me on his lap, I put both hands on the wheel, and slammed on the gas. I nearly flipped the car. Thankfully my dad was quick and turned hard.

That first feeling of flying off into the unknown…that’s what the Thrustmaster T500RS felt like when I first sat down and tried it.

The first licensed Gran Turismo 5 racing wheel, the T500RS is ridiculously powerful. When I first started driving it and previously mentioned memory passed and words began to describe feelings, my first thought was “holy crap.” Racing on an off-road map going 45 MPH was overwhelmingly difficult.

And why not? It should be. Debris littering the road, dirt wreaking havoc to torque, dust kicking up and killing visibility…there’s a good reason off-road driving is so damn tough. But with past racing wheels, I’d never experienced such difficulty with driving. The T500RS wasn’t playing, it was in simulation mode and I was holding on for dear life.

I managed to complete the race in 3:08, compared to the AI’s 2:12. “Not bad,” said the PR rep showing off the wheel. “Most people just give up.” I can see why. Thrustmaster earned the right to develop, manufacture and sell a licensed Gran Turismo 5 racing wheel because they were willing to make the most realistic racing experience for the game, not worrying about cost. And I was blown away by how accurate, and how fast, the wheel feels.

Most racing wheels have the tendency to be too slow, which is critical when maneuvering a fishtailing simulated car back into control. Even Logitech and Fanatec’s more recent racing wheels are slow in this regard. If you drift and allow the wheel to turn, as is done by professional drivers, you will not make the drift. The wheel is just too slow. But with the T500RS, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The reason? “We put a chip directly into the racing wheel to calculate, in real time, how it should behave.” All prior racing wheels relied on the game engine to calculate that, which means play the game, simultaneously calculate how the wheel should turn, send the signal to the wheel, and then the wheel acts. When racing at 145MPH, that takes too much time, so Thrustmaster cut out the middleman. And from what I’ve gathered thus far, it’s working out pretty well.

That, and the motor feels a hell of a lot more powerful. The power brick was practically a foot long. I don’t know what motor it’s using, but no racing wheel I’ve tested was as strong as the T500RS.

What’s great is that the T500RS comes with a full aluminum pedalboard, including gas, brake and clutch. It’s a strong board, though I’m not sure if it’s better than Fanatec’s Clubsport pedals, my personal favorite. At the moment, the T500RS does not ship with a gearbox, nor does it come with a port to support a possible upgrade. I was told that they’re working on it, and that it’ll probably connect to the same USB cable that attaches to the PS3/PC.

The big news is that the T500RS is out now. For just $600, you get the wheel, pedalboard, and the most street cred anyone can get from owning a racing wheel. And possibly the chance to get a real racing – ahem, driving – education.

Blackberry is not a name most people associate with a tablet when it comes up in conversation. Why, I’m not sure. That’s just the way it is. Clearly, it’s time to change that.

The Playbook is marvelous. Ten minutes with it and I forgot about the hording crowds of CES, the shuffle of feet and the overbearing attitudes. It was impressive. So much so that it’s safe to say that if Apple doesn’t bring some significant upgrades to the iPad, it could have it’s first serious competition.The Blackberry Playbook uses a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, which is quite powerful, but undoubtedly going to be the norm for this year’s tablets. I have no reservations that Apple will outline a similar model next month when they show off the updated iPad, and most tablets shown at CES thus far are similarly powered. The Playbook, however, does it with incredible finesse. It’s light at just under a pound, and the 7″ 1024×600 display is sharp and resolute.

It’s performance that was most interesting. I took the Playbook and just started opening applications, one after another, and they all continued to run simultaneously. After the fifth, the 720p video stopped running altogether, but up until then all of the applications continued running. Not just remaining on in a static way like iOS or Android applications, but actually running. One touch gesture allows quick swapping between currently-open Playbook applications, and the all continued working without fuss.

The OS is fluid and, from just 10 minutes, appears very capable. 3D applications run smoothly, video playback is fast, web-browsing works well and gesture controls are intuitive. It’s all quite impressive. The main screen isn’t, however, instead of a list of apps or a live background, it’s simply a background and an option to view apps, or have a partial view, as seen above.

I’m impressed with the Playbook tablet. Blackberry took Apple’s phone-to-tablet integration a step further by going outside the bounds of current devices and making a new UI, but one that isn’t so different that it requires the user to learn. The iPad may feel like a big iPhone, but the Playbook in no way feels like a big Blackberry. It feels like a tablet, and perhaps it’s the first genuinely so.

There’s something to be said for wacky products. Usually they’re weird for the sake of being weird, to garner media attention towards other company products. But the N-Control Avenger is the exact opposite: it’s wacky because that’s how it works best.

The Avenger, as we wrote about a few months back, is an on-the-controller overlay that is designed to make pressing all of the so called intrusive buttons easier to press. That octopus design is actually much, much cleaner than the original build that it’s creator, soon-to-be-former art teacher David Kotkin made (see below). The New Yorker, who had a student with a hand defect which caused his hands to be too small, confided in Kotkin that it made life awful, that he couldn’t even play videogames. Thus, the birth of Avenger.

In theory, the Avenger sounds stupid. It sounds like Microsoft, and for that matter most if not all gamepad makers are doing a poor job at making videogame controllers. The Avenger is a product which seems to say that it’s all wrong. But in practice, the company may be on to something. I played several matches of Black Ops with the Avenger, and I was pleasantly surprised. As much as a mutated octopus as it looks like, the Avenger works pretty darned well.

How it works is simple: leverage. No, not the TV show, think back to physics. Using a system of levers that sit over the face buttons (all but the A button, because as Kotkin told me, it’s not as widely used in FPS games as the rest and is very easy to reach), players can use fingers other than their thumbs to pull on the lever with minimal force to press them. It takes almost no effort to press any of the buttons using a lever. All of the levers are fully adjustable.

Then on the back are two rubberized straps for the triggers, which allows gamers to pull the strings instead of the lever. This means there’s no need to switch between a bumper and trigger, and instead the triggers can be pulled with the middle finger in the back. The straps also allow for faster trigger presses because of a plastic slab that sits over the trigger and pushes it closer to it’s firing point.

It works. It really does. It may not look like much, but the Avenger doesn’t make the controller heavier, I didn’t need more than a minute to adjust to using the lever system, and I was able to shoot much faster. With a few more adjustments to fit my style, I was suddenly reloading faster, switching weapons with my left index finger, and never taking my hand off either analog stick. The Avenger works.

We’ll get one in for further gameplay testing, but it’s clear why Kotkin believes in the product so much. The idea is to make gaming as seamless as possible, which means making the controls in sync with gamers. If you have to worry about how hard to press a button or moving your finger faster enough, then the controller has failed. With Avenger, that can all be adjusted to your liking, and if it works out, it may just make gaming, on the Xbox 360 at least, a whole lot better.

Again, a Razer product I’ve seen twice in the past year that may yet come to fruition. The Hydra, previously known as Sixense by it’s development team of the same name, is a motion-gaming controller that instead of using accelerometers (like the Nintendo Wii) or a camera (like the Sony Playstation Move), uses a magnetic field that, according to Razer and Sixense, is far more accurate than the technology behind the gaming giant’s controllers.

Why? Because using a magnetic field, the base can read the controllers in perfect 1:1 motion within at least a 20 foot radius. It requires no cameras, no accelerometers, and no expensive hardware or software. And from what I’ve seen, for the third time now, it still works great.

But as I found out, the Sixense guys are actually bastards. They’ve been playing Portal 2 for months now, testing their controller out with the game. What the hell, I want to play Portal 2! No, they’re great guys, and Valve has seemingly given them free reign on the PC version to make the game exciting to play with the Hydra. Nobody was allowed to play Portal 2 at CES except for Sixense employees showing off the controllers, but I did get my hands on the Hydra.

The Original Sixense Controllers, as seen at CES 2010

The controllers themselves are wildly different from what they were a year back. As you can see above, they no longer follow the original rounded design, and rid of the glossy surface to give a more striking, sharper aesthetic. The looks please, though the feel is…light. The Hydra is expected to release – at some point – in two models, wired and wireless. Only the wired ones were available on the show floor, and they were far too light, just a tad heavier than the Wii Nunchuk controllers. The wire sticking out of the back gave some finger support, but it was just weird to feel a cable sticking out the back of the controller. That’s not how gamepads are supposed to work.

Thankfully the current model is still in development, so this is by no means a finalized product. And while these controls are pretty unique, I can’t really think of a way that they’ll succeed considering not the competition, but the consumer. Unless they go for a low price, maybe $60 at the most, I can’t see PC gamers picking up a controller like this. Valve doesn’t put out enough games to warrant it, and no other developers have been announced to be interested or working with Razer or Sixense. At the same time, the reason motion controls don’t work on a PC is because PC gaming is a sitting down, bent-over-the-keyboard endeavor, not a get-up-and-move activity.

Assuming the price is right, and Razer actually releases the Hydra sometime soon (since Portal 2 will release in April), the Hydra could be promising. Or it could be a dud and blow up in Razer’s face. Or, like so many new technologies today, it could have a slow start and build on a community of freelance developers who like the technology and create new applications for it. We’ll just have to wait and see.