PlayStation 3: Tower of powerA sleek new lookWith the wireless, motion-sensitive controllerBlu-Ray is the New Way Sony's PlayStation 3 games are encoded onto the Blu-Ray disc media format, which can hold six times as much data as traditional DVDs. This increase in capacity-combined with the awesome power of its processor and graphics card-promises mind-blowing games once developers have learned how to fully harness the new console's power. The PS3 will also support CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R formats. In addition, PlayStation 3 system software update version 2. 20 and up includes BD Live support. With this you can now play discs that support Blu-ray Disc Profile 2. 0 (BD-LIVE) and you can also connect to the Internet while playing discs that support this format so that you can obtain additional features. Features that are available vary depending on the software in use. Sensational ControllerNew gamers intuitively move the controller while playing, even though that movement has traditionally had no relation to what's going on in the game. Sony has picked up on this tendency and is using it to bring a new level of control into the PS3. Inside the controller is a high-precision six-axis sensing system that accurately detects fine movements in pitch, roll, and yaw, as well as three dimensions of movement, to control games. This means that future PS3 games will be controlled by the movements of your hands rather than just your thumbs. For example, you might be able to steer a car by holding the controller like a steering wheel. While the PS3 controller looks much like its Dual Shock predecessors, it will lack the force-feedback vibration since that would only interfere with the sensing system. It uses Bluetooth 2. 0 wireless technology and can support up to seven wireless controllers at a time. It's a hot-swappable system, so if your controller is running low on power, just pause your game and connect a USB 2. 0 cable. You can continue playing while your controller recharges automatically. Plays All PlayStation Games The PlayStation 3 will be backward compatible with PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, which means you'll be able to play all your favorite games without keeping all the old systems. The console will have slots for Memory Stick Duo, an SD slot and a Compact Flash memory slot. It comes with a pre-installed hard disc drive, which allows you to save games as well as download content from the Internet. Gran Turismo HDResistance: Fall of ManA Slew of New GamesA whole host of game publishers are already backing the PS3 and several have even confirmed games for the console. At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), more than 30 titles were displayed for the system, including Gran Turismo HD, Resistance: Fall of Man, and Final Fantasy XIII. Previously announced titles include Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4 and Tekken 6. OnlineSony has stated that the PS3 will have similar online connectivity and services as the next generation of Xbox Live. Calling it "an always on, always connected device," SCEI's chief technical officer Masa Chatani said the PS3 would be constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network "fundamentally based on community, communication commerce, and content. " Technically, the infrastructure is there to make that connection. The PS3 supports 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, as well as IEEE 802. 11 b/g wireless networking protocols.

Moving the software to disc media generally means lower development costs for the publishers, which, in turn, trickles down to the consumer not only in price, but also in availability and quality, as it's then easier to try out untested game ideas (Pikmin, anyone?). While most other systems likewise have their games stored on discs, the GameCube's 3-inch format is smaller than everyone else's, and is so designed to fit in a shirt pocket as much as to deter would-be software pirates. Of course, the main advantage of the GameCube is that it's the home field of one of the world's premier game designers: Nintendo. While powerhouses Electronic Arts and Sega make games for all systems (including this one), you can play Nintendo games only on a Nintendo system. And Nintendo, you might recall, has been hitting them out of the park since it started with Donkey Kong. In fact, here's a roll call of characters and series you won't find on the other consoles: Mario, Legend of Zelda, Perfect Dark, Metroid, Kirby, and, of course, Pokémon. A few names that the GameCube will share with the other guys: Madden, Tony Hawk, Sonic, Batman, and Star Wars. The system also comes with four built-in controller ports, so you can easily plug in extra controllers and let friends join in for the multiplayer games-it's even got a built-in handle so you can easily move it to a friend's house. It comes with two memory card slots for saving your progress through games, and there's the capacity for future expansion into the world of online gaming. In short, the GameCube isn't an all-in-one entertainment system, and neither is it the most powerful of the modern video game consoles. But for video game enthusiasts who want to stick with their favorite characters, its value cannot be beat. -Porter B. Hall Unit Specifications MPU (Microprocessor Unit): 485 MHz custom IBM PowerPC Gekko Graphics Processor: 162 MHz custom ATI/Nintendo Flipper Texture-Read Bandwidth: 10. 4 GB per second (peak) Main Memory Bandwidth: 2. 6 GB per second (peak) Pixel Depth: 24-bit color, 24-bit Z buffer Sound Processor: 81 MHz custom Macronix 16-bit DSP Sound Performance: 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding Polygon Performance: 6 to 12 million polygons per second (peak) System Memory: 40 MB Main Memory: 24 MB MoSys 1T-SRAM Disc Drive: 128 ms CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system Data Transfer Speed: 16 Mbps to 25 Mbps Media: 3-inch, 1. 5 GB capacity disc Controller Ports: Four Memory Card Slots: Two Audio-Video Output: Analog and digital Dimensions: 4. 3 by 5. 9 by 6. 3 inches (height by width by depth).

callout { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -12px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1. 5em; } h5. callout { text-align: center; } The Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum set can be customized to fit your drumming style. View larger. Professional-grade design allows you to unleash your inner rockstar. View larger. The Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set Features: Completely customized set-up. Ultra-quiet velocity-sensitive drum pads. Sturdy, all-metal kick drum pedal. Professional design from Alesis, one of the largest electronic drum manufacturers in the world. Game Critics Awards Winner Rockband, which took the gaming world by storm in late 2007, was followed by the highly-anticipated sequel, Rockband 2 that was released in September of 2008. With Rockband 2 came Ion's Drum Rocker Set, which quickly took the Game Critics Awards top spot in 2008's Best Peripheral/Hardware category. Professional-Grade Aluminum Rack and Pads While other drum controllers force you to use their configuration with a pre-molded, plastic array, the Drum Rocker's professional-grade aluminum rack lets you position your snare, tom and cymbal pads the way you want. Not only can you play your hi-hat with a right-hand crossover by placing your cymbals anywhere around your kit, but by mounting your pads to the drum rack with the included metal L-arm and clamp system, you can tilt, swivel, raise and lower the cymbals to whatever position you want. Drum Rocker's velocity-sensitive drum pads feature an ultra-quiet playing surface and a more natural and consistent stick rebound than your average pad. The pad housing is made of a hi-impact plastic, which means that no matter how much you punish them night after night, they will always be ready for more. The Drum Rocker's all-metal kick drum pedal is also designed to take abuse. It offers the perfect amount of tension to replicate the feeling of a real drum pedal. And keeping in line with its set-up flexibility, the kick drum pedal comes with Velcro and retractable spikes, allowing you to place it in the most comfortable position. Go Beyond Gaming into Real Music Built by the engineers at Alesis, one of the largest manufacturers of professional electronic drums in the world, the Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set delivers the most realistic drumming experience available to a gamer. But when you're ready to move from playing the game to playing in a real life, you can swap the game controller module with one of the professional drum brains made by Alesis, such as their DM5 drum module, or any other drum brain that accepts a quarter-inch output. (Drum modules are sold separately. ) And with the option of purchasing a third cymbal, you can round out your kit and move beyond gaming and onto the stage. The Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set is compatible with both Rockband and Rockband 2 for the PlayStation 3. The Drum Rocker comes with cymbals, kick pedal, and drum pads. View cymbal, kick pedal, and drum pad. What's in the Box: Aluminum drum rack, 4 drum pads, 2 cymbals, drum pedal, all mounting hardware and connecting cords, and 2 drumsticks.