New PS3 and PSP Firmware Detailed

Sony to add new and notable features this month.

PDP Stage Kit Coming October 26

Rock Band effects kit releasing later this month.

SteelSeries Introduces MMO Gaming Mouse

A mouse that features 15 programmable buttons.

PSP Plus Enables DualShock Control for PSP

New control integration via Resistance: Retribution.

PDP Stage Kit Coming October 26

October 14, 2008 - When we first got wind of the PDP Stage Kit for Rock Band and Rock Band 2, we knew that it was a product worth checking out. One of the most ambitious and promising peripherals for the Rock Band series, the PDP Stage Kit caters to the inner rockstar, and brings strobe, LED, and fog effects to any gaming experience. In our full review we found that the system lived up to and exceeded our expectations, performing exceptionally in most environments, with impressive effects programming taken from in-game cues. More »

Rumor Roundup: Apple's New Notebooks

October 13, 2008 - Tomorrow morning at their headquarters in Cupertino, California, Apple will formally announce the latest hardware updates, revisions, and additions to their notebook series. With the event, Apple will either prove or disprove months of rumors, which have ranged from the introduction of a sub-$1,000 model to Blu-ray support. In less than 24 hours all will be revealed, but in the meantime let's reflect on what has been churning in the rumor mill up until now. More »

New PS3 and PSP Firmware Updates Detailed

October 13, 2008 - This morning Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) revealed the details of the upcoming firmware updates for PlayStation 3 and PSP. The two updates will launch this month and bring some long awaited features to both systems. First off, the PlayStation 3 2.50 update will bring support for the official SCEA Bluetooth headset, an in-game screenshot capture tool, and voice chat along with a few other minor updates. The support for the official Bluetooth headset brings graphical indicators for volume, battery life, mute functions, and high quality mode, which enables the headset's dual-microphone design for fuller voice communications. More »

SteelSeries Introduces MMO Gaming Mouse

October 11, 2008 - As part of their presence at the Blizzcon 2008, SteelSeries, developers of all types of PC gaming hardware announced their latest gaming mouse offering—a mouse designed specifically for World of Warcraft. Plainly yet appropriately dubbed The World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse, the mouse features macros up to 160 characters, 15 programmable buttons, 130 predefined commands for drag-and-drop macro creation, and an impressive illumination array. The MMO Gaming Mouse integrates seamlessly with World of Warcraft via a partnership with Blizzard, and allows users to use an intuitive in-game GUI for programming macros on the fly. More »

HDTV Buyer's Guide

October 10, 2008 - High definition content is everywhere, whether it be from your Xbox 360 or your set-top HD DVR. As the various manifestations of the entertainment industry shift more and more to exclusively HD media, the necessity for a high-definition display grows greater. But the HDTV market is also inundated with hundreds of models that would rightfully be filed under the "waste of money" categorization, so consumer education and awareness is key. Fortunately, IGN Gear has compiled the following buyer's guide for both new or seasoned HDTV buyers. More »

Spotlight: Zombie Gear

October 10, 2008 - There are no truer words to live by than "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," especially when the worst involves flesh-hungry zombies. The subject of many a' B-horror flick and a theme beloved by he nerdy underground, the zombie apocalypse has manifested itself in nearly every way possible, including home d?cor. But now, the designers at online clothing outlet FearWerx have taken it upon themselves to bring zombie love to a new medium—clothing. More »

Weapons Locker: The Beam Katana

October 09, 2008 - The story of No More Heroes is simple: boy meets sword, boy becomes assassin, boy kills lots of people. And really, what more do you need from a game? Well, if the wild success of the title is any indication, not much. With the sequel, No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, announced this week we felt it would be appropriate to give Travis Touchdown's Beam Katana the attention it deserves by spotlighting it on our new Weapons Locker feature. So, without any further ado, we present the Beam Katana. More »

PSP Plus Enables DualShock Control for PSP

October 09, 2008 - In an announcement at Tokyo Game Show this week, Sony has confirmed that they will be integrating support for DualShock controllers on the PSP in certain titles. The DualShock support comes in the form of a new feature called PSP Plus, which will first be available with Resistance: Retribution. More »

Apple Notebook Event Set for Next Week

October 09, 2008 - After a solid month of rumor and speculation, Apple has finally issued invitations to a press-only event in Cupertino, California next week that will focus on the latest additions to its notebook line. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 14 at 10:00am PST. Unfortunately there is little to be known about the upcoming event beyond a deliberately teasing invitation, which states "the spotlight turns to notebooks." More »

Tech Fetish Podcast, Episode 31

October 09, 2008 - Tune in this week for episode 31 of IGN Gear's Tech Fetish podcast, where Gear Editor Scott Lowe, IGN Nintendo's Bozon, and IGN Comic's Rich George discuss and dissect the latest in tech and gaming hardware news. Topics include the new DS, Apple rumors, iPhone stealing customers from other wireless carriers, and more! More »

Ghostbusters Cadillac Now on Ebay

October 08, 2008 - While Ebay can be useful for getting games and other necessities at a reasonable price, it can also be an invaluable resource for non-essential items--for instance, the Ecto-1 Cadillac from Ghostbusters. That's right, one of the three 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteors produced for use in Universal Studios theme parks and Ghostbusters film series is now up on Ebay, taking bids in excess of $45,000. More »

This Week In Apps - October 6, 2008

October 08, 2008 - Welcome to "This Week In Apps," a new weekly feature column that spotlights the latest and greatest from Apple's iTunes App Store. In order to effectively delineate the useful from the rubbish, IGN Gear will pick several of our favorites from the week's releases. Our criterion for how we select the apps will vary from week to week; some apps may be interesting and helpful, others might be completely nonsensical yet hilarious. This week's highlights include: sushi databases, police speed trap maps, election maps, and more! More »