Viral Video: $300 Game Console Blown Up in Fireworks “Teardown” … And Then Again, in Slow Motion

“I guess I gotta go buy a new one.” Smooth!
nvidia explosion feature

News Byte

NPD: Nintendo 3DS Was the Best-Selling Video Game System in the U.S. in June

Nintendo sold 225,000 units of its portable game console, the Nintendo 3DS, in June. That’s according to market research firm NPD, which called the 3DS the best-selling video game system in the U.S. that month. Its main competitor in gaming-specific handhelds is Sony’s PlayStation Vita, which has historically lagged behind the 3DS in sales. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sold 140,000 units in June, while Sony has not disclosed how many PS3s it moved.

Logitech Offers Sweet Sound with Bluetooth “Boombox”

Logitech’s UE Mobile Boombox offers solid sound for $50 less than the Jambox.

U.S. Videogame Sales Sank Deeper in February

The videogame industry continues to see year-over-year declines, according to the latest NPD data.

Xbox Accounted for 40 Percent of All Videogame Sales in 2011

Despite sales declines bringing down the overall game industry last year, Microsoft dominated the market, with the Xbox capturing nearly half of all consumer spending from physical sales.

News Byte

Complaints About Sony PlayStation Vita Arise After Japan Launch

Sony issued an apologetic statement and posted a system update on Monday, after complaints emerged about its new handheld device, the Sony PlayStation Vita. The portable gaming system launched in Japan this past weekend; 321,400 units were sold in two days. Some users are reporting that the Vita has been freezing and crashing in early use of the device.

Will New Games and Pink Hues Give Nintendo 3DS a Needed Boost?

Nintendo is hoping more Mario — and pretty colors — will help the gaming giant’s 3-D device.

Exclusive: Kno Student Tablet Start-Up in Talks to Sell Off Tablet Part of Its Business

Kno–the much-funded and high-profile Silicon Valley start-up aimed at making tablet computers focused at students–is considering selling off the entire hardware part of the business and is in talks with two major consumer electronics manufacturers to do so, according to sources close to the situation. But, if a deal is struck, the move would be a dramatic shift for the company, which has yet to ship significant numbers of the touchscreen device as it has long touted.

It’s Hard to Cut the Charging Cords

A pad to charge all your mobile devices sounds like a great idea, and yet most people are still fumbling with jumbles of power cords. Katie looks at the different technologies involved and why charging pads aren’t more commonplace.

Game Changer? Sony Uncrates Next Generation Portable

Sony stepped up its game in the mobile gaming market this morning by uncrating the Next Generation Portable, the successor to the dusty PlayStation Portable. A radical redesign of the PSP, the device promises a PlayStation 3-level gaming experience in a handheld form factor.