In lieu of the new Captivate.com Gamer's Edge video game blog (debuting soon!), I'm ecstatic to share the news that Microsoft is letting people play with Project Natal (pronounced na-'tahl).

Wait: What is Project Natal?

A few months back at E3, Microsoft's XBox division debuted this unbelievable new technology that lets you play video games and interact with them in a way never possible before ... *without a controller*. Yeah, it's totally, completely hands-free. Hell, there aren't even body sensors or strap-on pads for the machine to find.

Using motion capture technology from a concealed sensor mounted on your TV (that's how the Wii does it, too), the XBox recognizes your head, arms, hands, etc., and translates them into a digital signature of your body that interacts with the game.

I've seen demonstrations of this, and I swear it's fake. I mean, I know it's not, but the idea that I can stand in front of my TV, or sit on my couch with a bunch of people and steer a car without anyone else's movements interfering ... well, that just blows my mind. It knows and remembers your body and can tell your hand from someone else's.

Think of it like this: Remember how LONG it took for the developers to create technology for Lord of the Rings' character Golem? With all those green screens and ping-pong balls taped to the actor's body? (The balls were used as points of reference for developers animating his body.) Think of Project Natal like that -- only in your living in real time. Yeah, it's that impressive.

Labels: project natal, XBox

It's been a week of HUGE news coming out of the E3 conference in LA, so let's get you a run-down of all the news!

There is a god, and his name is Miyamoto: In the biggest news of the day, gaming genius and Nintendo visionary Shigeru Miyamoto has announced the development of a new Zelda game. Can you even stand it? A moment of revered awe is totally appropriate.

Tony Hawk is hawking a skateboard-shaped controller for the XBox game RIDE. Anyone interested in shredding carpet?

The new Star Wars game, 'Old Republic,' is stuffed full of meaningful dialogue, NPCs and tons of Jedi-on-Jedi action. And by that, we mean action sequences and light-sabers. And by that, we mean Bring It On!

Fan of the LEGO games? Good news -- everyone's favorite boy-wizard is hitting the blocks from Sorcerer's Stone through Goblet of Fire. Def. one to check out.

Nintendo debuted a new Wii Fit to help get us all trim. Look for it to not be on a single self as soon as it's released. If you see it, buy it!

No more Xbox controllers??

Altair has competition in the 'ultra hot bad-boy hero' category: Fresh from Ubisoft Montreal is the next chapter in the Assassin's Creed story -- this one takes place on the maze-like streets of Venice in the 15th century.

Whoa. 'Mass Effect 2'?? I have no words except: Welcome back, Commander Shepherd -- you've been missed! This game was totally awesome in its scope. I had to actually take pages of written notes on the different planetary systems ... I'm so excited!

And, in all, who was the winner of E3? Our friends over at CNet have the titillating answer...

Labels: E3 conference, Legend of Zelda, LEGO, Nintendo DS, Tony Hawk, Wii Fit Plus, XBox

Morning, everyone! I'm laid out at home with a wrenched back, but I'm still basking in the sweet holiday after-glow! Did you pop out to get the Wal-Mart iPhone yesterday? Send me a line and let me know that and you most geektastic holiday gift! Now, on to the headlines...

According to a new report, there are roughly 4 billion mobile connections in the world, which, after our friends at Digital Trends applied some basic logic, equates to about 60% of all the people on the planet. Can you believe that? Of course, it's not exactly true -- the logic doesn't take into account the crazies of the world who operate more than one mobile device.

Amazon.com is reporting it had its best holiday shopping season ever -- but hasn't released sales figured to back it up quite yet. According to a spokesman, the site sold 6.3 M items on Dec. 15, or 73 items per second. That's a lot of goods -- made especially impressive since Amazon also claims more than 99% of items arrived in time for Christmas.

Check out this Forbes list of the most stolen electronics. It's kind-of vague, but the stats are interesting.

Congrats to this college student who kept his wits about him after realizing that his Xbox 360 was stolen out of his dorm room -- he used the left-behind controller to locate the console (still in the dorm) and used it to prove the pilfered Xbox was his. Kudos to him for knowing how things work!

** Have a great week, everyone! I'm off from now until Friday, so stay safe and have a wonderful new year's celebration! On a personal note, thank you for making Byte-Sized such a grand success in its first 6 months. I enjoy keeping each and every one of you up to date and informed on the biggest tech stories of the day, and I sincerely hope you all tune in for a fab 2009!

Coming up in the next few weeks: We are placing a roving reporter on the floor of CES to blog on the hottest trends at the show, plus we'll have a Valentine's Day guide to impressing your geeky sweetie!

Labels: Amazon.com, forbes.com, XBox

I don't like playing video games. I know, I'd be shocked, too -- but I just don't have the muscle memory or the dexterity to move a head and body separately, as is needed in first-person shooters like Halo and Call of Duty, nor do I have the patience and physical calm to deal with facing bosses or tough levels, like in the mind-bending Mario Galaxy. And, don't even get me started on timed sequences and countdowns.

But, make no mistake about it, I am a huge video-game fan and proponent. There are few things more fun that curling up on the couch with a notebook, pen and a hot cup of fair-trade coffee and being the RPG navigator while Husband and I discover the latest Zelda chapter, blast through galaxies in Mass Effect or scaring ourselves silly in the beautiful depths of Bioshock. And, in my house, I am the master of solving puzzles. I love Orange Box add-on Portal, and I am absolutely amazing at free XBox-download Hexic, a hexagonal puzzle game similar to Tetris but infinitely cooler.

Alas, every once in a while, it's nice to interact with a game on more than just the intellectual level. Enter the Nintendo Wii -- which, unless you've been living in a hole for the past 2 years, you know as the first system to truly get you up off your butt. The system is currently so popular that its makers can't even guarantee would-be fans will be able to buy a Wii this Christmas -- more than a year after its release -- due to overwhelming U.S. demand. And, now, Nintendo has upped the ante even further with the Wii Fit.

I was one of the first adopters of this completely innovative exercise program, and, though it will surely end up on lost under a couch somewhere gathering dust as it basks in the legacy of being a cool gadgety toy indicative of early 21st century technology -- much like Pong or Pacman -- it's pretty neat right now.

The floor board and a typically Nintendo-cartoony animation leads you through various 2- to 3-minute prop-free activities -- hula-hooping, ski-jumping, jogging beach-side and walking a tight-rope are examples -- made to improve your strength, flexibility, balance and stamina. And, you will break a sweat. It's great to get you or the kids off the couch, and it tracks weight shifts, BMI and goal weight using your predesigned avatar Mii. Granted it's not very good at any of these things aside form the animation and the activities -- according to my Fit, my weight shifted 17 lbs. over 24 hours then back in another 24.

A good fast walk, Sweatin' to the Oldies or a swim will always be better for exercise purposes -- and nothing will ever take the place of a quiet night at home, staying up 'til dawn and blasting aliens on the XBox -- but the Wii Fit is an interesting incarnation of video games that is worth a try if you have the extra cash.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go research the Fall '08-Spring '09 video game releases. We're coming up on the best time of year, and I'll be sure to keep you posted on the best new games as they come out.

Labels: Bioshock, Call of Duty, Halo, Hexic, Legend of Zelda, Mario Galaxy, Mass Effect, Nintendo Wii Fit, Orange Box, Portal, XBox

With tomorrow's highly anticipated release of the iPhone 3G, that well-reviewed sleek sequel of Apple's ingenious smartphone will as surely fly off the shelves as I will skip it. Not that it isn't enticing -- the web at your command, always being connected, one step shy of a wire in your brain -- but I'm waiting to spend my cash on a Microsoft version.

'Gasp!' you cry, 'but surely every tech blogger must be an open-source-loving, Redmond-hating nonconformist!'

Nah. Not that I really have a strong opinion either way -- if it works, why break it? -- but, I just haven't had the horrifically overblown problems with my Microsoft toys that others report:

My Vista has never crashed. My Zune is 1,000x better than an iPod, if only because I don't have to suffer those stupid white headphone wires. My original Xbox (which I camped out overnight in the freezing cold to buy) still works, and my Xbox 360 -- complete with HD-DVD player -- is bar-none the best game system I've ever bought.

So yes, I like Microsoft more than Apple. There I said it. Though the Mac/PC commercials are pretty funny.

But, if you are one of the many technogeeks -- and there are many -- already camped outside the flagship Apple Store in Times Square, waiting anxiously on lawn chairs or the hot pavement for your new Apple iPhone 3G, good luck! Snap a pic with your 1st-gen model and send it to me :)

Labels: iPhone 3g, iPod, Microsoft, Reviews, XBox, Zune