It’s hard to talk about the forthcoming Nintendo/Tecmo release Metroid: Other M without reflecting back on the history of the franchise. While this latest chapter isn’t afraid to switch up the age-old Metroid formula both by giving long-silent protagonist Samus a true voice and by focusing the storytelling more clearly on her own unique history, it is very much a love letter to the many adventures we have shared with our iconic heroine in ages past. Metroid: Other M goes out of its way to mine the best that the franchise has to offer, especially with regard to its much touted marriage of the classic 2D series- and Metroid Prime -style controls. Because of this alone the title has easily been at the top of my wish list during this, the annual summer video game doldrums. Having spent ample time with the retail build of the title, however, I seem to find many of my expectations exceeded, but not without some noticeable disappointments. The plot of the game unfolds at a time after the destruction of Zebes and the supposed extinction of the Metroids. Following the events of Super Metroid , our blonde bounty hunter picks up a distress signal commonly known as the “Baby’s Cry” that appears to be emanating from an abandoned space station known as the “Bottle Ship.” The game goes to great lengths to drive home the personal significance of this pseudo-military jargon as it further reveals, upon meeting a squad of Galactic Federation soldiers, that Samus herself was once a member of the Federation Army. As fate would have it, this squad includes both Higgs, an old military friend who refers to Samus as “Princess,” and Malkovich, her former commanding officer. The tension between Samus and her old CO opens the door for the first in a series of cut-scene flashbacks in which she reveals much about her time with the Army and hints at her reasons for leaving that structure and camaraderie for the life of a solitary bounty hunter. This powers the narrative of this full-blown space opera as we delve deeper into Samus’s past while simultaneously attempting to unravel the mysteries of the Bottle Ship. What follows is an exhilarating adventure that pushes the series to new heights, but also shows some unfortunate seams. Both the cut-scenes and the in-game graphics are beautiful, and I won’t damn with faint praise by using the old it-looks-good-for-a-Wii-game routine. Metroid: Other M finally reminds you that the Wii, underpowered as it may be, is a current generation system. Likewise, the title’s use of music, sound effects and voice acting is nearly perfect. I say nearly because, while the plot and dialog are allowed an extra helping of melodrama due to the game’s very Japanese writing style, the delivery of principle voice actress Jessica Martin could be described as a bit grating. While I’ve heard rumblings from the fan community concerning the fact that Martin approaches the role with a younger and softer intonation than anticipated, my major complaint is the flat, stoic nature of her delivery. I understand that this was an intentional decision made for the sake of the plot and in keeping with the characterization of Samus as a disassociated loner, but it’s not the only time the producers of Metroid: Other M make noticeable sacrifices in the name of their artistic vision. As I said, my primary interest in Metroid: Other M had more to do with its unique control scheme than even the considerable strength of the property itself. Using a variation of the horizontal controller/vertical controller system honed in the development of Super Paper Mario , Metroid: Other M uses the elegant simplicity of the Wii remote to great effect. The principle gameplay is handled by holding the remote sideways like the classic NES controller. Despite a bit of anxiety concerning using such a distinctly two-dimensional controller style in an obviously three-dimensional environment, the system truly works beautifully. Navigating the height, length and breadth of the world that unfolds as Samus explores, powers up and retreads the various game zones is handled flawlessly. The title also side-steps a related sticking point, combat, in a number of exciting ways. First, it uses an auto-targeting feature to make sure the bulk of your blasts meet their mark on the all-too familiar enemies, and, second, it uses a series of innovative button press events to spice things up. Tapping the d-pad before an enemy’s attack connects executes the “Sense Move” function, which allows Samus to glide effortlessly out of harm’s way. Likewise, Metroid: Other M adds a pair of similarly executed offensive moves allowing you to use simple button presses to waylay downed enemies or jump on the backs of this game’s equivalent of the classic Hoppers to deliver… well, massive damage . At practically any time during regular gameplay you can also point the Wii remote directly at the screen to shift to first-person mode. With the help of her trusty in-helmet HUD , this mode affords Samus the opportunity to scan items and fire missiles. Again, this control scheme works incredibly well and the transition from FPS to side-scroller and back is effortless. There are, however, occasions when this first-person mode can be a bit of a drag. Sometimes you will find yourself ripped from the action and pulled into a sienna-tinted first-person perspective. At this point the game expects you to examine your surroundings, and scan a certain object or item to activate the next cut-scene. Sadly, this is sometimes easier said than done. Whether it was a Galactic Federation logo on a downed enemy or a distant slime trail, I spent much of the early game haphazardly scoping my surroundings just hoping to luck across the right area of the environment so I could perform my scan and get back to the action. This belabored first-person perspective is bad, but the occasional shift to the over-the-shoulder third-person view is far worse. As you delve deeper into a sordid tale of space politics and bio-weapons, Metroid: Other M even manages to take on the slightest hint of survival horror. This is due less to the onslaught of ravenous enemies – which are present, of course, but you have the ammo to deal with them – and more to do with what I have come to think of as “investigation mode.” In this mode of play, the camera shifts behind Samus’s shoulders ( Resident Evil -style), and she is forced to clumsily stomp around cramped rooms and empty hallways. It represents the worst kind of “walking tank” controls, and it does nothing more than make the player long for the tight response of the primary control scheme. It is yet another unfortunate example of the lengths the game goes to in a foolhardy effort to propel the plot. Yes, I understand that it is important that suspense build between events and that exploring a derelict space craft is a great way to do it (just ask the guys behind Dead Space ), but the regular running and jumping and shooting is so damn tight in Metroid: Other M that these interstitial periods can’t help but feel like letdowns. It’s really a good thing that the bulk of the game’s controls are so highly polished, because Metroid: Other M is hard. Brutally so at times. As you work your way through familiar locales fighting freshly-skinned but familiar enemies to discover familiar power-ups (bombs, missiles, energy tanks, suit upgrades, etc.), it’s hard not to realize how genuinely unfamiliar the level of difficulty truly is. In the absence of even the vaguest of hyperbole, I have to say that this is the most difficult game I have ever played on the Wii. Though I suppose it does bear mentioning that outlandish difficulty is the very hallmark of a Team Ninja production . Between swarms of enemies, regularly scripted mini-boss battles, environmental hazards and that good, old fashioned jump-puzzle mechanic, the game can be downright vicious. In its defense, navigation booths, the game’s save points, are properly spaced, and additional in-mission restart points prevent you from having to re-traverse already conquered terrain in almost every instance. The game even goes so far as to include a “concentration” feature that’s sole purpose is to allow Samus to regain a modicum of energy and restore her missile supply after having her butt handed to her in a tough fight. It is a feature that provides much needed succor throughout the gaming experience, but, sadly, leaves Samus completely open to attack in the process. In spite of the above enumerated concessions you will get frustrated by Metroid: Other M . You will swear and scowl when trying to access that just-out-of-reach power-up. You will be confounded while pondering exactly what sort of parkour hoodoo one needs to execute involving Morph Ball, bombs and wall-jumps to reach that particular ledge. And, if you’re anything like me, you will die. A lot. Unlike many third-party Wii titles I’ve reviewed in the recent past, Metroid: Other M completely understands the audience to which it is slanted. However, said audience is a tad narrow. Longtime fans of the series will likely appreciate the story, the fact that the enigmatic Samus becomes slightly less so, but might be put off by the game’s difficulty. Likewise, teens – as this is a T-rated title – who may feel their gaming palate a bit too refined for many of the system’s other landmark titles will dig the hardcore challenge, but might not care to penetrate the distinctly eastern style of oddly convoluted storytelling. And so I am left with no other option but to give a highly qualified recommendation to Metroid: Other M . At its best the game combines all that is great about the Metroid franchise with shades of other acclaimed series – like the sweeping, almost too-lifelike worlds of Mass Effect and the sense of impending doom so often associated with the Resident Evil series. At its worst it is a quick, cheap death or, worse yet, a sluggish, sometimes tortuous crawl toward whatever comes next. If you are willing to deal with the pain of the latter, then you will be amply rewarded by the genuine glory of the former. If, however, you’re not willing to take a few lumps for the sake of the ride, perhaps your money is better spent on other endeavors . WIRED: Beautiful graphics, great use of music and ambient sound, fantastic core control mechanic, amazing action and in-game suspense, genuinely supplements series canon with a truly original story, irrefutably brings hardcore gaming to the Wii. TIRED: Strange writing with even stranger dialog, poor secondary control mechanic, occasionally frustrating level of difficulty. Review materials provided by Nintendo Read the rest of this entry »

Asus is working on a 3G Eee Pad tablet computer, and it will run on Google’s Android operating system. Our friends from the German site Netbook News headed over to Asus HQ and got the details. The Eee Pad was originally slated to use Windows CE, but has dropped that in favor of whichever flavor of Android will be available at launch. And talking of launch dates, we’re looking at the beginning of next year, by which time Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) should be ready. And the 3G part? Asus will be handing off testing units to telcos in December, so if all goes to plan a Q1 Eee Pad looks good. Android is likely to be the OS of choice amongst tablet-makers (apart from HP, with its newly acquired webOS and Apple, of course). It’s free, it is designed for mobile devices and above all it doesn’t have to fight against an incumbent Windows market. One of the problems with the first wave of Linux netbooks was their lack of familiarity: people buying cheap computers were used to Windows. This problem doesn’t yet exist with tablets, so Android may in fact become the next Windows. ASUS EP101TC Now Shipping with Android [Netbooks News. Thanks, Sascha!] Image: Netbooks News See Also: Asus Eee Pad Tablet 'Inspired by Rumors' Asus, MSI Tablets Lead the Charge Against the iPad Read the rest of this entry »

The 3-D PC trend is gathering steam with Lenovo set to debut its latest laptop featuring a 3-D display. The notebook, called IdeaPad Y560dw, will have a 15.6-inch screen and include 3-D glasses so users can add another dimension to movies, games and photos. It will be available by the end of June through the company’s website  and will start at $1,200. The Lenovo notebook comes on the heels of similar 3-D PCs announced by Acer and MSI at the Computex trade show earlier this month. 3-D technology has become a major consumer electronics buzzword this year. Hollywood’s success in films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland has spurred other gadget makers to look at ways of offering 3-D products to consumers. Almost every major TV maker, including Sony, LG, Panasonic and Mitsubishi, has started selling big-screen 3-D TVs. On Tuesday, Nintendo announced it 3DS portable that allows viewers to watch 3-D content on a 3.5-inch screen without glasses. Lenovo, along with other PC makers, hopes to tap into this buzz. Lenovo’s laptop will have a 16:9 high-def widescreen. It will come with just one pair of polarized glasses. The laptop includes a media player called TriDefMedia that can simulate a 3-D experience from 2-D movies and photos. The device will run the Windows 7 operating system, says Lenovo, and can be configured with up to 8 GB memory, and up to 750 GB of hard disk drive storage. The machine will run Intel’s Core i7 processor, ATI Radeon HD5730 1GB graphics card, and have an optional Blu-ray Disc drive. “While 3-D technology has been around for ages, it has not been readily accessible to consumers within the home,” says Dion Weisler, vice president of business operations for Lenovo. “Lenovo is helping bridge this gap by delivering a 3D experience on a PC.” See Also: 3-D Goes DIY With Amateur Photos, Videos 3-D Tabletop Display Gets Rid of the Glasses 4 Things That Could Keep 3-D TV Out of Your Living Room Why 3-D Gaming’s Future Is Still Blurry Wired Explains: How 3-D Television Works Photo: Lenovo Read the rest of this entry »

Summer vacation is almost here; have you figured out where you’re taking the family this year? What are some fun, geeky places to take your geeklets? Even better, what are some fun, geeky places that kids and adults will all enjoy? I was sitting down making some plans for my geeklets this summer. The list of places we wanted to go kept getting longer, and eventually turned into a wishlist, which I then put up for the GeekDads to add to. But this list is by no means complete. Please feel free to add your favorite places in the comments, and we’ll try to add them to the map, too. The list is alphabetical so you can search by name and see if your favorite places are included. If you want to browse geographically, there is an interactive map embedded at the end of the post. Here is my list of geeky places to bring your geeklets this summer: Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum – Chicago. Inspiring the next generation of explorers and celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 during the month of July. American Museum of Natural History – New York, NY. One of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world, comprised of 25 interconnected buildings that house 46 permanent exhibition halls. Ames Exploration Center – Moffett Field, California. Experience NASA technology and missions first hand. Arizona Science Center – Phoenix. See Jenny Williams’ prior GeekDad post: To Boldly Go… to the Arizona Science Center . Atomium – Brussels. The Belgium response to the Eiffel Tower at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 is a tower in the shape of an iron crystal. Austin Children’s Museum – Texas. Even adults have fun at the Austin Children’s Museum. Belgian Comic Strip Museum – Brussels. It brings together everything related to the comic strip, from its prestigious beginnings to its most recent developments, on more than 4,000 square meters of museum floors. Bletchley Park – UK. A museum dedicated to the World War II code breakers. California Academy of Sciences – San Francisco. See Thomas Hawk’s GeekDad post: 10 Great Places to Take Your Kids in the San Francisco Bay Area . Chabot Space and Science Center – Oakland, California. See Thomas Hawk’s GeekDad post: 10 Great Places to Take Your Kids in the San Francisco Bay Area . Champs-Élysées – Paris, July 26. Watch the Tour de France riders blur past in a frenzy for 10 laps to win the last stage of the race. (You did read the Top Ten Reasons That Geeks Should Love the Tour de France .) Children’s Discovery Museum – San Jose, California. The Museum’s exhibit philosophy is for children to learn through concrete interactions — touching, exploring, manipulating and experimenting. Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal – Cincinnati, Ohio. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: A Family Visit to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal City Museum – St. Louis, Missouri. See Chris Anderson’s Places to take your kids: St Louis . Clark Planetarium – Salt Lake City, Utah. The Clark Planetarium features 15,000 square feet of free exhibits. Colonial Williamsburg – Williamsburg, Virginia. “That the future may learn from the past.” Comic-Con – San Diego. Comic Book collectors who feel they just haven’t quite finished their collections will want to be in Southern California July 23-26. Computer History Museum – Mountain View, California. Where computer history lives. Connecticut Science Center – Hartford, Connecticut. The East Coast’s largest new attraction opened in June, with 150 interactive exhibits in 10 galleries, plus a 206-seat 3-D theater. Corpus – Amsterdam. Journey through the human body. Crayola Factory – Easton, Pennsylvania. You’ll be immersed in color and creativity. DeCordova Museum – Lincoln, Massachusetts. Adults can feel artsy and kids say “look at this funny thing!” Design Museum – London. Covering all aspects of design from graphic to furniture. Dragon*Con – Atlanta, Georgia, September 4 – 7. It’s the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. EdVenture – Columbia, South Carolina – An interactive children’s museum dedicated to creating new generations of lifelong learners. Evergreen Aviation Museum – McMinnville , Oregon. Home of the Spruce Goose. Exploratorium – San Francisco. The museum of science, art and human perception. Fan Expo – Toronto, August 28-30. This event brings together an array of celebrities, exhibitors, retailers and visitors with five pop culture focuses: Comic Books, Anime, Science Fiction, Horror and Gaming. Fiske Planetarium and Science Center – Boulder, Colorado. The largest of its kind between Chicago and Los Angeles. Franklin Institute – Philadelphia. Founded in honor of Benjamin Franklin, it’s comprised of three centers, The Science Center, The Franklin Center, and The Center for Innovation in Science Learning. It also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Gamescom – Cologne, Germany, August 19-23. A new trade fair for interactive entertainment. Georgia Aquarium – Atlanta. Currently the world’s largest aquarium, with over 8 million gallons of water. Glasgow Science Centre – Glasgow, UK. One of Scotland’s must-see visitor attractions and home of Nina and The Neurons. Glenn Research Center – Cleveland, Ohio. Learn about John Glenn, the Apollo Era, space flight and the solar system. Herstmonceux Science Centre – UK. See Nathan Barry’s GeekDad post: GeekDad goes to The Observatory in Herstmonceux . Hiller Aviation Museum – San Carlos, California. Dedicated to the dreams of flight – looking back into aviation’s history while exploring its future. July 22 is the Kid’s Air Faire . Houston Museum of Natural Science – Texas. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: A Family Visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center – Hutchinson, Kansas . It takes visitors on a journey from the Earth to the Moon…and beyond, through a combination of artifacts, films, and replicas, to capture the story of the U.S./Soviet Space Race. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: A Space Museum in KANSAS?!? Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral, Florida. On August 18 the Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch on STS-128 to the International Space Station. Le Bourget Air and Space Museum – Paris. See the GeekDad post: Two GeekDad Attractions in Paris . LEGOLand – San Diego, London, Denmark and Germany. Thrilling rides, shows and attractions, all themed around LEGO. Liberty Science Center – Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ. It is dedicated to offering exceptional science learning experiences and to engage learners of all ages in science excitement. Lincoln Park Zoo – Chicago. The wildest spot in Chicago in the shadow of skyscrapers has been a natural, free oasis for generations of animal lovers. Mammoth Caves – Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Spend the day underground. Mark Twain House & Museum – Hartford, Connecticut. It offers offers a wide range of educational programs including lectures by major authors and artists, symposia, dramatic performances, concerts and family friendly activities. Mauna Kea Observatory – Hawaii. Free nightly stargazing programs are conducted at the Visitor Station every night of the year, so you too can experience the amazing skies for which Mauna Kea is famous. McWane Science Discovery Center – Birmingham, Alabama. It features four floors of interactive exhibits, celebrating science and wonder – from an amazing collection of dinosaurs to innovative environmental showcases, imaginative early childhood playgrounds, and an awe-inspiring aquarium. Monterrey Bay Aquarium – Monterey, California. See Bruce Stewart’s GeekDad post: Monterey Bay is a Great Place to Play . Museum of Science – Boston. A New England classic, with special exhibits on the Crittercam and Black Holes this summer. Museum of Transportation – St. Louis, Missouri. See Chris Anderson’s Places to take your kids: St Louis . Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration – Mystic, Connecticut. Get face to face with New England’s only beluga whales. National Air and Space Museum – Washington, DC (National Mall Building) It has hundreds of artifacts on display including the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock sample that visitors can touch. National Aquarium – Baltimore, MD. The Aquarium features hundreds of exhibits with more than 16,500 animals. National Building Museum – Washington, DC. The museum offers insight into the history and future of the world we create for ourselves, with lots of things for kids and adults to do. National Center for the History of Electronic Games – Rochester, New York. It collects, studies, and interprets electronic games and related material and the ways in which electronic games are changing how people play, learn, and connect with each other. National Cryptologic Museum – Fort Meade, MD. Tours are provided allowing students of all ages the chance to learn about cryptology’s impact on history. National Museum of Health and Medicine – Washington, DC. Peek down the halls of medical history with the collections and you’ll come across some curious medical instruments, see unusual anatomical artifacts, and learn about the first microscopes and the scientists who made history with them. National Museum of Natural History – Washington, DC. The green-domed museum on the National Mall contains 325,000 square feet of exhibition and public space. National Railway Museum – York, UK. The largest railway museum in the world. New England Aquarium – Boston, Massachusetts. A classic that still entertains kids and adults, located right on Boston’s waterfront. New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science – Albuquerque. The Museum’s permanent exhibit halls illustrate a “journey through time.” New York Hall of Science – Queens, NY. A hands-on science and technology center with more than 400 exhibits to explore the wonder of biology, chemistry and physics. Newseum – Washington, D.C. An experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. Old Sturbridge Village – Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Experience early New England life at one of the largest living history museums, with a large staff of historians in costume, 59 historic buildings on 200 acres. Omaha Children’s Museum – Nebraska. A place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play. Ontario Science Center – Ontario, Canada. See Brad Moon’s GeekDad post: A Night at The Science Center. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry – Portland. See Ken Denmead’s GeekDad post: Places to Take Your Kids in Portland . Parc Asterix – France. The second biggest theme park in France (after EuroDisney) and just 30 km north of Paris Penny Arcade Expo – Seattle, September 4-6. A three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers. Please Touch Museum – Philadelphia. Dedicated to children 7 and younger. Plimoth Plantation – Plymouth, Massachusetts. It’s a bicultural museum, offering encounters with the Wampanoag People and the Colonial English community in the 1600s. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center – San Diego, California. The Fleet is known for its hands-on science exhibits on subjects like vision, time, aging, and space technology. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: Geeky Place to Take Your Kids: San Diego . Remington Nature Center – St. Joseph, Missouri. Where history and nature collide. (More about this place in a future post.) RideMakerZ – Multiple retail locations. Build your own customized model car or truck. San Diego Air & Space Museum – California. It’s jam-packed with airplanes, spaceships, memorabilia, and history. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: Geeky Place to Take Your Kids: San Diego . San Diego Model Railroad Museum – California. San Diego’s model railroading clubs put together this expansive set of O-scale, HO-scale, N-scale, and toy layouts depicting Southern California locales. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: Geeky Place to Take Your Kids: San Diego . San Diego Natural History Museum – California. Dinosaurs. Mammoths. Giant cats. What more is there to say? See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: Geeky Place to Take Your Kids: San Diego . San Diego Zoo – California. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: Geeky Place to Take Your Kids: San Diego . Science City at Union Station – Kansas City, Missouri. Let curiosity be your guide through more than 50 interactive areas, providing some real hands-on fun. See Mark Dye’s GeekDad post: ToddlerGeek Field Trip: Science City . Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame – Seattle. Through August 16, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World offers a peek into the imagination and creative genius of this multitalented innovator and creator of Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and other beloved characters, with 100 original artworks. Science Museum , London. The Science Museum was founded in 1857 with objects shown at the Great Exhibition held in the Crystal Palace. Science Museum of Minnesota – St. Paul. See John Baichtal’s GeekDad post: Make: Day at the Science Museum of Minnesota Science World at TELUS World of Science – Vancouver. Look for the big geodesic dome and explore the interactive exhibits. Shedd Aquarium – Chicago. It contains 2,100 species of fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects. Six Flags – Various locations. A theme park with Superman and Batman rides. Skara Brae and Maeshowe – Orkney, UK. Europe’s most complete Neolithic village and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Space and Rocket Museum – Huntsville, Alabama. Artifacts of our nation’s space program, hands-on interactive exhibits and space travel simulators. Space Center Houston – Texas. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: Houston, We Have a Play Place! Spy Museum – Washington, DC. It features the largest collection of international spy-related artifacts ever placed on public display. Star Trek Convention – Las Vegas, August 6-9. An enormous gathering of all things Star Trek. Stepping Stones Museum for Children – Norwalk, Connecticut. With four main galleries, a toddlers-only gallery and more than 100 hands-on activities, Stepping Stones offers children ages ten and under plenty to explore and discover. StoryLand – Glen, New Hampshire. A great amusement park for younger geeklets with all the rides themed around children’s stories. Tech Museum of Innovation – San Jose, California. Focused on inspiring the innovator in everyone it reaches, with truly hands-on and interactive exhibits, divided among themed galleries. Udvar-Hazy Center – Northern Virginia. This branch of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has the Space Shuttle Enterprise and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Universal Studios Islands of Adventure – Orlando, Florida. Marvel comic themed rides for the adults and older kids and Seuss Landing for the smaller kids. Vancouver Aquarium – British Columbia. The aquarium has a total 9.5 million litres (2.5 million gallons) of water in 166 aquatic displays. Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum – Bangalore, India. Each floor of this museum is dedicated to a scientific discipline, with plenty of interactive exhibits. Wisconsin Maritime Museum – Manitowoc, Wisconsin. See Ken Denmead’s GeekDad post: GeekDad Wayback Machine: Wisconsin Day Trip . Woods Hole Science Aquarium – Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Voted “best rainy day activity on the upper cape.” Your local library – There are always great adventures in those book stacks. How many of these have you visited? Thanks to my fellow GeekDad Contributors for their additions to the list, as well as ideas from the Twitterverse by: @ danielschwartz , @dougbailey , @edhaskin , @eicdocket , @jackvinson , @JeffCutler , @jeffrey_brandt , @jennsteele , @neilrichards , @retheauditors and @Tami Schiller . View Geeky Places to Bring Your Kids This Summer in a larger map [This post originally ran in July, 2009] Read the rest of this entry »

Apple is set to face some competition as Taiwanese PC makers get their iPad challengers ready. Companies such as Asus and MSI are showing Android- and Windows-based tablets that they say will be cheaper than the iPad. At the ongoing Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, Asus announced its first tablet, called the Eee Pad. The Eee Pad has a 12-inch touchscreen display and is a “full-featured slate computer that serves as a multimedia player, e-reader, compact PC and internet device,” says the company. The Eee Pad has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Windows 7 operating system. The company offers a 10-inch display version of the Eee Pad. Asus rival MSI is fieldng two tablets: One features the Windows 7 operating system and the other is powered by Google’s Android OS. The tablets, called Wind-Pad , have 10-inch screens, 2 GB of RAM and a 1.6-GHz Atom processor. The tablets will offer 3G and Wi-Fi capability. Both are expected to be available in the third quarter of the year. “We understand that people are only willing to pay less than $500 for a tablet,” Andy Tung, vice-president of sales for MSI told Wired.com. “And because the OS is one of the biggest costs in the device, our Android tablet will be at least 20 percent cheaper than the Windows version.” Separately, Korean company Yukyung Tech has demoed an Android tablet under the brand name Viliv. It has a 10-inch capacitive touchscreen and claims to beat the iPad at display quality . The Viliv X10 tablet has an ARM-based processor, USB port, SD card reader, Wi-Fi and 3G capability. The company hasn’t offered detailed specs or pricing for the device. We haven’t heard about Viliv before, but it’s apparently big in Korea. The company has not said whether its X10 tablet would be available outside the country. MSI 'Wind-Pad' Tablet Apple’s iPad has jumpstarted the tablets category. Since it went on sale in April, at least 2 million iPads have been sold, Apple says. Not surprisingly, other PC makers have taken notice of the demand and the hype. Dell says its 5-inch Android tablet will go on sale in the U.K. starting June 4. The Dell Streak will be free on a $36 (25 pounds) a month data contract with O2, or you’ll be able to buy it outright for $630 (429 pounds). Consumers that buy these new crop of tablets will consider factors such as mobility and applications, says Tung. “If you are looking at netbook-like super mobility then a Windows device will be important because you will want to do more than just surf with the tablet,” says Tung. “But if you just want a portable web device, then Android is a better choice.” At a time when HP has reportedly given up on its Windows-powered Slate in favor of a Palm webOS-based tablet, the arrival of Windows-based tablets should be good news for Microsoft and its fans. But Microsoft’s vision for a tablet could fall short of consumer expectations, says Michael Cherry, vice-president of research for operating systems at independent research firm Directions on Microsoft. “Microsoft’s vision for the tablet is an extension of the laptop family,” he says. “So things you can do on a tablet are the same as what you can do on a PC. But the downside is the battery life doesn’t last beyond four hours and the device boots slowly — both of which are becoming negative attributes.” Tung says that MSI has extended the battery life on its tablets to up to eight hours. Ultimately, Tung says flexibility and options are what will drive tablet sales. “Apple has a very strong app store, which helps the iPad,” he says. “But there are enough Windows- and Android-based apps out there to make our tablets attractive to consumers.” Photos: ( Masaru Kamikawa/Flick r) See Also: Tablet Rumors Multiply as iPad Sales Soar Dell’s Tablet Aims to Stick It to Apple’s iPad Gallery: 8 Tablets That Aren’t Made by Apple E-Readers Will Survive the Onslaught of Tablets Photo: Read the rest of this entry »

After 3-D movies and 3-D TVs, it’s time for computers to go into the third dimension. Companies such as MSI and Asus will be showing 3-D PCs at Computex, a huge trade show for manufacturers of PCs and PC components held every year in Taipei, Taiwan. This year, Computex runs from June 1 to 5. MSI plans to introduce a 24-inch 3-D net-top: a desktop computer with its internals built into the display case, similar to an iMac. “We can run 3-D movies, games, photos and TV,” says Clifford Chun, product manager for all-in-ones and desktops at MSI, “and by just pressing a button you can switch between 2-D and 3-D modes.” MSI’s rival Asus will debut a 3-D laptop with a 15.6-inch display and desktop similar in screen size to that from MSI. The 3-D PCs are expected to be available in the third quarter of the year. “People may choose a 3-D PC because it is a less expensive way to get 3-D content,” says Rob Csongor, vice president of marketing for Nvidia, which makes graphics cards that power the 3-D PCs. “Companies are coming out with some beautiful devices that are going to be a higher-end product initially but they will be very attractive to consumers.” With Hollywood’s success in films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland , the 3-D format has made a big comeback. And it’s not confined to just the big screen. The 3-D TV was one of the biggest stars of the Consumer Electronics Show this year. Almost every major TV maker, including Sony, LG, Panasonic and Mitsubishi, plans to offer big-screen 3-D TVs, while broadcasters such as ESPN and Discovery have promised 3-D channels by the end of the year or early next year. Meanwhile, amateur 3-D content is taking off as consumers use 3-D cameras or homemade 3-D rigs to shoot photos. In a sign that homemade 3-D videos could soon be ready to hit mainstream, YouTube has started offering a 3-D display option. Makers of 3-D PCs hope to step into this world. “3-D PCs are for consumers who see the 3-D stuff everywhere and wonder, ‘How can I get this home?’” says Csongor. Close to a million 3-D PCs will ship in 2010, predicts Jon Peddie Research, and annual sales could reach 75 million by 2014 as 3-D PCs become ubiquitous. With a powerful graphics card, most PCs are 3-D capable — in principle. But critical to the 3-D experience is a 120-Hz monitor and special glasses. PCs with 3-D have stereoscopic displays, which means their screens can present a rapidly alternating set of images for the right and the left eye so the brain can fuse them together into a single image that includes depth. MSI’s 3-D desktop, called ‘Ripple,’ has an Intel Core i7 860 processor, an ATI Radeon HD 5730 graphics chip, 4 GB of memory, a 1-terabyte disk drive, a Blu-ray player, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and Wi-Fi capability. The 24-inch multitouch display has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and will come with its own pair of active-shutter glasses. “With active-shutter glasses you don’t lose transparency or contrast as you do with the polarized versions,” says Chun. “We think its the best way to experience the 3-D feeling.” If you are wondering what you will use your 3-D PC for, there’s plenty of 3-D content already out there, assures Nvidia’s Csongor. Nvidia’s graphics chips, which are embedded in Asus machines, can support any of 400 3-D-enabled video games already on the market. Of course, they can also show 3-D photos, streaming video from sports such as golf tournaments, and Blu-ray 3-D movies. And if you get tired of all that 3-D, just switch the display back to the old-fashioned PC mode, suggest MSI’s Chun. “Since we can move between 2-D and 3-D, you can see clear images even if you don’t wear the glasses,” says Chun. “No blurring or fuzzy images in 2-D.” The 24-inch MSI desktop will cost $2,200 — not exactly cheap, but just a little more than what most users would pay for a high-end multimedia machine. For many, it will also be easier to buy a 3-D PC rather than a 3-D TV. “Not everyone wants a 3-D TV when they are ready to buy their next TV,” says Csongor. “But a 3-D PC for their next laptop or desktop is something that may be willing to go for.” See Also: 3-D Goes DIY With Amateur Photos, Videos 3-D Tabletop Display Gets Rid of the Glasses 4 Things That Could Keep 3-D TV Out of Your Living Room Why 3-D Gaming’s Future Is Still Blurry Wired Explains: How 3-D Television Works Photo: ( bigchus/Flickr ) Read the rest of this entry »

Well, it looks like MSI isn't waiting for Computex to show off some of its wild, new concept devices -- it's just unveiled this so-called "SketchBook" at an event in Amsterdam. Offering a new twist on the convertible laptop, this one doesn't actually convert into a tablet, but rather features a rotating base that has a keyboard on one side and a full-size graphics tablet on the other -- hence the name. Unfortunately, MSI is staying mum on any other details at the moment -- let alone pricing or availability -- but our counterparts at Engadget Spanish did get a chance to check out an early, non-functioning prototype of the device. Check out a shot of it after the break, and hit up the source link below for the complete hands-on. Continue reading MSI shows off convertible 'SketchBook' laptop concept MSI shows off convertible 'SketchBook' laptop concept originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 14:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink Read the rest of this entry »

It may have taken a long time for the competition to respond to Apple’s iPod and iPhone. Not so with the iPad: All sorts of companies — Google, Sony and Research in Motion, to name a few — are sitting up and taking notice of the iPad, thanks to Apple’s claim that it sold one million of its tablets in less than a month. Since then, rumors of half a dozen new tablets have leaked out. Tablets haven’t been this hot since Moses came down from Mt. Sinai. But with all the news, there’s a lot of confusion. And, so far, none of the tablets are available for purchase, and most haven’t even been officially announced — it’s all vaporware at this point. That said, here’s an overview of some interesting upcoming tablets we expect — or hope — to see this year. And don’t miss our earlier story for a roundup of even more non-Apple tablets . Verizon, Google Working On a Tablet Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed last week that Verizon has been “ working on tablets ” with Google, combining hardware and Google’s services “to make it a great experience.” Google hasn’t commented on this, but a few months ago it released a video of what a Google tablet might look like. Considering the company’s dominant position in services like search, e-mail, maps and calendars, it could be an extremely powerful rival to the iPad. On the other hand, Google doesn’t have a lot of experience designing hardware. Its smartphone, the Nexus One (developed in conjunction with HTC) is far from becoming a smash hit. Photo: nDevilTV /Flickr Acer’s Tablet To Launch in Two Weeks Acer is rumored to be presenting a tablet device in less than 2 weeks . Numerous sources suggest the hardware giant would be unveiling a Chrome OS-based device at the Computex show in early June. That would make it the first device to run Google’s operating system tailored for netbooks. Yet, there have been rumors that Chrome OS might not be ready for primetime until later this year. That doesn’t necessarily mean Acer won’t be unveiling the tablet next month — it’s still unclear whether Google sees Android or Chrome as the ideal platform for tablets. Eric Schmidt said the two operating systems might eventually merge , but right now, Android’s popularity and multitouch capabilities might make it a more likely candidate for Acer’s tablet. Dell Tablet Coming On AT&T, In Late Summer Dell’s Mini 5 — also known as Streak –  will be coming this summer (in Europe first, the U.S. a bit later). It takes a different approach than most wannabe iPad killers: It’s significantly smaller, with a 5-inch display, and features a powerful 5-megapixel front-facing camera, 3G connectivity and a 1Gz processor. The Mini 5 will be coming on AT&T, running the Android OS. Smaller than a tablet but bigger than a smartphone, it’s an open question whether anyone actually needs a device this size. Photo: Dell Mini 5 by nDevilTV /Flickr HP Kills Tablet Project. HP Resurrects Tablet Project First, Steve Ballmer appeared with a mysterious HP Slate at CES 2010 in January. Then, two months later, Hewlett Packard released a video of the device. Soon after we got some neat-sounding specs: a 1024 x 600 widescreen display, 1GB RAM, USB port, a 3-megapixel camera. However, a leaked prototype was slow and buggy , and HP was rumored to have murdered the project entirely . A new report says HP, which recently acquired Palm for $1.2 billion, simply opted to murder Windows 7 as the tablet’s operating system, and that it might go with Palm’s WebOS instead. The project is now code-named HP Hurricane, and, according to an HP insider , could be released in the third quarter of this year. Photo: HP Slate (HP) Sony: Still Looking at the Opportunity Consumer electronics giant Sony must be working on its own tablet, right? Guess again: The company refuses to commit. “We have been taking a deep look at developing a tablet for a number of years, not just because of Apple but because it creates some interesting opportunities,” Mike Abary, vice president of Sony’s IT Products unit, told Bloomberg last week . If it does decide to join the grand tablet wars, Sony, with its popular PSP platform, could curb Apple’s advantage when it comes to mobile gaming. But so far, all talk of a Sony tablet is just so much hot air. Blackberry “Companion” Tablet BlackBerry is looking to copy Apple’s “smartphone first, tablet later” formula, preparing a tablet-like device with an 8.9-inch display , according to reports. Not a lot is known about it at this point. It is supposed to launch in December, and will serve as a “companion” device, which might mean you’d using Bluetooth to connect it to your BlackBerry and get online wherever Wi-Fi isn’t available. MSI Tegra-Powered Tablet Micro-Systems International is launching a tablet powered by the powerful Nvidia Tegra chip, to be presented in June . The device will likely appear in stores this summer. Users will be able to chose between 8.9 and 10-inch models, and between Android and Windows 7 ones. The pricing, according to Engadget’s report. will be “extremely aggressive.” Read the rest of this entry »

Nah, it's no Core i5 ULV-powered X series , but MSI's latest does use a Core i5 processor and does have an X in the model name. Mind-blowing, right? The outfit's latest 15.6-incher is a multimedia powerhouse, humming along with a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce 310M GPU, twin DDR3 RAM slots (plenty of space for 4GB), a 1,366 x 768 resolution display, six-cell battery, 1.3 megapixel webcam and a pair of stereo speakers. There's also a 320GB or 500GB SATA hard drive, 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI / VGA outputs, twin USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA socket, audio in / out, Ethernet and a "film print coating" over the palm rest area to minimize wear. Mum's the word on a price and release date, but we suspect we'll know a bit more on both of those points when we touch down at Computex in a fortnight. Continue reading MSI brings Core i5, GeForce 310M to 15.6-inch CX623 multimedia laptop MSI brings Core i5, GeForce 310M to 15.6-inch CX623 multimedia laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 05:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink Read the rest of this entry »

Not down with piecing together a gaming rig for yourself, eh? We'll forgive you... this time . Thankfully for you, Digital Storm forgives eternally in situations such as this, with the pre-fab PC builder today cranking out one of its most beastly rigs to date. The Black | OPS Assassin is hailed as the planet's "most advanced vertically cooled PC," boasting an Intel Core i7-930 that's factory overclocked to 4.4GHz. Other specs include 6GB of DDR3 RAM, an EVGA X58 motherboard, 750 watt power supply, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and your choice of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 (1.2GB), ATI Radeon HD 5870 (1GB) or GeForce GTX 480 (1.5GB). Go on, wade over and start customizing -- that $2,387 base price won't sting too badly. Continue reading Digital Storm tempts with 4.4GHz Black|OPS Assassin gaming desktop Digital Storm tempts with 4.4GHz Black|OPS Assassin gaming desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 04:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink Read the rest of this entry »