samsung-furot_ii_robovac

Roomba not sucking the way it used to? Samsung sure hopes not, as it has just recently pushed out a robotic vacuum cleaner of its very own. Quietly showcased during IFA earlier this month, the Furot II packs an oh-so-familiar design and sports an integrated camera and mapping system that enables it to find its way, remember its course and clean your floors with practically no human assistance. There’s also an array of sensors that keep it from slamming into this and that, and the rechargeable battery keeps it humming for around 1.5 hours before petering out and making a beeline for its charging station. We get the impression that it’ll be available in both black and refulgent red, though no price and release date is currently available.

The folks at Konami have been trolling the forums again, kids, and this time they’re fighting back. Reps from the game-maker have issued a statement on the company forum addressing the furor over the inflated cost of the forthcoming, limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle. According to Konami, the bumped up price ($600 for a 40GB version of the PS3, plus Dual Shock controller and MGS4 game) is due to the special material used to create the gunmetal gray system and controller casing. The company seems to take issue with the fact that some are calling it simply a “paint job,” and points out that the run of units is only 10,000, and the package also includes a version of the game with an extra disc of additional content. To put it another way: this is the deal of a lifetime!

[Via Wired]

Yeah, that fancy press shot has a certain beauty to it, but there’s just nothing like spotting a highly coveted console in the wild. Thanks to our cameraphone toting tipster in Belgium, we’re presented with the first image of the GTA IV bundle sitting on a shelf just waiting for someone to trade their €450 in and take it home. Oh, and if you’re wondering what type of shop places a sweet PS3 beside an assortment of blank media, a coffee mug and what appears to be a CRT television circa 1990, it’s Free Record Shop in Antwerp, sucka.

[Thanks, Yannick]

Just in case a cameo on some Swedish e-tailer’s site wasn’t enough proof for you, Sony has confirmed that all of our hopes and dreams are coming true… in Europe. Yep, the blokes and dames across the pond will be able to snag a special edition PlayStation 3 bundle with Grand Theft Auto IV (and a SIXAXIS wireless controller) bundled in for €439 ($696). Beyond that (and the way cool box), everything else looks to be the standard fare — pick one up if you wish on April 29th.

[Via Joystiq]

Sony, you tease! You go and finally put the 80 GB PS3 / Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle up at SonyStyle, complete with a SKU and price point, but you’re not taking pre-orders? We just get to look at the thing? Can we touch it? Just for a second? We won’t tell. Anyway, as expected, the PS3 / MGS4 bundle will be available in June at $499.99 complete with a DUALSHOCK3 wireless controller. Let’s hope that “notify me” button says “add to cart” some time soon.

[Thanks, David]

It’s been the story from day one: the Novint Falcon is great and all, but without games there’s just no point. That’s about to change, however, as Novint has committed itself to developing Falcon integration for some big-name games, including a sizable number of EA blockbusters. Novint is buying up what it calls “3D Touch Rights” to games from the publisher, a no-risk revenue stream for the them and a license for Novint to sell games at a small profit with Falcon functionality built-in. The games will sell for $30, and you can get the haptics update for an existing game for $10. Of course, the $190-ish controller puts it all in perspective, but this is certainly a promising move for PC gamers and immersion freaks alike.

If you’re still licking your lips while gazing at that limited edition GTA IV Xbox 360 Elite, you may have the opportunity to make your GTA-branded console ownership dreams come true in a slightly different manner. Out of seemingly nowhere, a Grand Theft Auto IV PlayStation 3 bundle has popped up on a Swedish retailer’s website, offering a 40GB PS3, a copy of the game, a decorated box and little else (DualShock 3?). Judging by the package art, we’re guessing there’s no suave paint job waiting on either side, and Webhallen has the unit priced at 4,499 SEK (or about $755). Before you ask — there’s no telling whether this thing is headed stateside or not, but surely Sony / Rockstar Games wouldn’t let such a moneymaker swim around the US of A, right?

[Via N4G, thanks John]

Sony, we know you’re trying hard, which is why we think it must sting all the worse when you wake up to sales figures like this. According to a report, the Wii outsold PS3s in Japan 4-to-1 in the month of February, and its games dominated bestseller lists. What does that look like in cold, hard numbers? Nintendo moved 331,627 consoles over the month, while Sony only managed 89,131 units in the same time. But wait, there’s more: in January, the ratio was 3-to-1, which means that Nintendo’s lead seems to be growing as the year moves forward. Still, Sony could have it worse, the Xbox 360 only scraped up a paltry 14,079 Xbox 360 sales in that same span of time.

When I think about it, I spend more time playing with the NintendoDS than all the other consoles in my apartment. (As is evident by the newly discovered crack in one of the hinges.) I think it’s mostly because it’s the easiest system to just pick up and play, so I’m fairly intrigued by this piece of software called XtenDS which allows anyone to design their own ‘homebrew’ game thanks to an easy to use GUI interface.

The software includes support for sound effects, music, sprites, backgrounds, menu and option screens and even has more advanced functionality like a fully working collision system and an advanced scripting language. Just keep in mind you’ll need to have a homebrew cart like the CycloDS in order to load your creations onto your DS. (Or an emulator on your PC.) And there’s a good chance if you already have one of these carts, you’ve probably already found a way to get cheap games. But if you’ve had an idea brewing in the back of your head for the next great DS title, but lack the necessary programming skills to bring it to fruition, XtenDS could help make it a reality.

[ XtenDS ] VIA [ ALBOTAS ]

GT gives us a first look at Far Cry 2′s incredible “debut engine”, which allows its developers to “create a truly open world of 50sq/km, and also features a new animation system called LivePosture.” Video after the break.