Soulutions Radio

It’s 2008 and the gaming world has never looked better. Technological advancements are rapidly changing the way video games are played and experienced. With bold innovation, game developers are channeling the best in hi-tech electronics to deliver mind-blowing video game titles. In addition to the games, video game consoles are now a platform for entertainment in its many forms. Social networking and home theater technology has changed gaming consoles. As a result, video game consoles also come with a host of video game accessories that are not only important for chatting, watching movies or viewing photographs but also enhance game play.

Home theater entertainment is about hi-def and nothing less. HDMI is the new video game cable standard, set by Sony’s Play Station 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360. Characterized by astounding picture quality, high definition games truly introduce virtual reality. Systems using older technology, like the Wii cables, aren’t really able to match the quality of a high definition signal. Nevertheless S-video cables, component cables and composite cables, which have all been used in the past, are integral to many video game consoles.

With the advent of multiplayer gaming through Xbox Live and, more recently, the Play Station Network, the need for gamer communication was heightened. A good gaming headset is essential for a hardcore gamer when battling through a multiplayer environment. Keeping in touch with team-mates scattered across the globe is made much easier with a Bluetooth headset. The wireless advantage is obvious – clutter-free convenience. Handheld systems have long relied on headsets to provide the audio output to gamers. The Nintendo DS headsets and PSP headsets are sleek earphones with a microphone for social networking.

As games become longer and infinitely more complex, the need for a storage medium, that is, video game memory, has been felt. The early 8 MB memory cards for the Sony Play Station One have been replaced by 80 GB hard drives that use high speed SATA 2 technology. Multiple flash card readers that support a variety of formats are now the standard for video game consoles. The advantage of a built-in card reader is that the gamer can choose the best memory card, rather than be forced to use a proprietary one. Another advantage of removable storage is the expanded ability of the console to handle videos, photos and music. A memory card can be quickly and easily loaded from a computer, and the multimedia accessed anytime, anywhere. A variety of memory cards for various consoles e.g. GameCube memory card, PSP memory etc. are readily available in the market now-a-days.

The video game console market basically consists of three consoles: Microsoft’s xbox 360, Sony’s PS3 and finally the Nintendo Wii. That’s pretty much it and if you are thinking to buy one the latest sales records will tell you to get the Nintendo Wii.

Even though this console became famous a year ago when launching interactive sports games aligned with a massive TV promotion, it was first introduced in December 2006. However, this console has always been a huge success for Nintendo and historically overtakes the sales figures of the major competitor month by month. This might be mainly traced back to the product price which is below the retail price of the xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Further it is the not only the smallest but also lightest console. In contrast to other video consoles, the Nintendo Wii additionally offers a more family-oriented entertainment and provides fun for the entire family.

The latest release of Wii games is the Wii Fit on April 25th 2008 which was again heavily supported by a TV campaign. This new invention of a video game providing a proper workout manifests Nintendo’s position in the world of interactive gaming. The Japanese company obviously targets the active customer as well as those who need to exercise but don’t want to join a gym. A lately published survey conducted by the John Moores University in Liverpool gave further proof that playing Wii Games such as Wii Sports uses significantly more energy than only playing video games. However, it should be bared in mind that even the most interactive computer game can never replace any exercising and sport activities. So there’s no excuse anymore for all video game addicts to keep being lazy as a hippopotamus and not burning calories with interactive video gaming. Especially boxing and tennis are proven to use more energy than other games and are therefore a serious alternative to a regular gym workout. You might not be able to bounce a tennis ball on the court like in real life but with the special joystick technology you can easily play volleys, long balls or challenge your rival at the net.

As over two million British citizens have already bought a Nintendo Wii console since its’ launch in 2007 the success of Wii Fit in Britain is no real surprise. Even though this new game is not a guaranteed way of weight loss, it surely helps to counteract obesity problems effectively. Depending on the specific exercise about 40 muscles of the players’ bodies are used and it’s proven that the overall flexibility and agility can be improved as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Ah gadgets, I love them, take something that can be done in a number of ways, find the most pointless way of doing it and there you have the making of a good gadget. Why for example would you want to open a bottle of wine with a bottle opener that will cost you 2pounds when you can also do it with one that costs 50 times as much, or maybe one that’s built into your sandal or belt buckle.

But gadgets aren’t just about helping you get your bottle of wine open. They come in all shapes and sizes and some would say that the term covers the entire consumer electronics field. I am a gadget lover, ie to love all things gadgety.

Here are some of my more favourite pointless gadgets at the moment.

Glow Tap

This little gizmo fits onto taps and has an internal switch that lights up a set of LEDs when you turn on your tap transforming the stream of water into a waterfall of light. Rather than just as aesthetic effect, there’s a temperature sensor within the unit that can tell whether the water is cold or hot, and changes the colour of the light accordingly.Complete with a set of universal adaptors for most size taps, the glow flow tap is available now for 14.99 pounds.

Moixa USBCELL batteries

The USBCELL as an environmentally-friendly alternative to normal AA batteries. The top of one side flips up to reveal a USB connector, and the battery simply plugs into an open port. It takes five hours to charge one of the cells if it was fully discharged; each battery has a capacity of 1300mAH. The USBCELL cost around 12.99 pounds for two AA batteries.

Ion iED05 USB drum kit

Aimed at both beginners and experienced drummers, the Ion iED05 drum kit is a digital set-up that connects to your PC via USB. All you have to do is simply connect the adjustable drum kit to your USB port and you will have access to over 200 drum sounds that will work with the velocity-sensitive drum pads and cymbals, which react accurately to every hit. The kit even includes video tutorial software and a drumming game to allow you to play along to music to improve your performance. The Ion iED05 costs 129.99 pounds. Read the rest of this entry »

The most important thing to understand when choosing a radio is that all CBs, regardless of their price, are limited to 4 watts of transmission power by the FCC. This means that a $50 bare-bones CB radio and a $200 chrome plated CB radio with every feature imaginable will have exactly the same transmission power. While a radio can be “peaked and tuned”, a process that increase a CB’s performance, all CB radios will have the same transmission power out of the box.

What primarily differentiates CB radios from each other is their features, not their output strength. CB radios come with a number of features, the most popular of which we’ve outlined below:

Squelch Control – This control sets the break-point at which a CB radio outputs a signal. In effect, it keeps the operator from constantly having to listen to static and only activates the speaker when a transmission is received. This is a standard feature and is included with nearly every CB radio sold.

RF Gain – Allows the operator to filter the type of transmission a CB radio receives based on signal strength. It’s useful to block out faint transmissions to eliminate background noise when talking with someone with a strong signal. This feature can also be used to pull-in and better hear weak signals.

PA Capability – Allows use of the CB radio and microphone as a transmitter for a public address system. This requires a PA horn (usually not included) that can be mounted under the hood or on top of the vehicle.

Automatic Noise Limited (ANL) – Filters out static, engine noise and other interference from the reception signal to improve reception sound quality.

Weather Capabilities -CB radios with this feature have the ability to access local NOAA radio stations for real-time weather reports and updates.

Instant Channel 9 & 19 – The ability to quickly jump to two of the most popular channels: Channel 9 (Emergency) and Channel 19 (Highway / Truckers).

Nightwatch and/or Backlit Displays – A number of higher priced models include a backlit radio display for convenient operation at night. This is an invaluable feature if a radio will be used extensively at night or in dark conditions. ?

When choosing a CB radio and its corresponding features, it’s important to focus on how and where the CB will be used. Specific vehicle owners tend to want different features in a CB radio:

Tractor Trailers & Large Trucks: Professional drivers tend to want full-featured CB radio as they are a crucial communication tool on the road. As such, a good after-market radio “peak and tune” to boost performance is often important. The Cobra 29 LTD series is one of the most popular CB radios among professional drivers. Read the rest of this entry »