Whenever a serious gamer can see their favorite software game as a Hollywood movie, it means that that game has pieced together sensational visuals and audio, top-notch grand settings, and a great storyline. "Need for Speed: Undercover (NFS)" for the PS3 does not make that niche. Positives: When driving a car, the sense of speed felt very realistic. The game audios were very good. Negatives: The open world design of the game seemed contrived and slightly confusing at times. There was no cross traffic, gameplay was too easy, the production was average, and overall the environment was not realistic enough. The graphics are fair and at times the game will "hang" for a second in the middle of a race. That hang motion can be distracting in terms of losing one’s momentum. Some of my associates felt that the quality of the overall production was average. The Bottom Line: In terms of visuals and audio, the technical foundation of the game is good. After considering the negatives, the game is average at its best. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. However, I am sure the next version would be better. For the time being, this game would not make it as ...

With recent economic indicators all pointing south, we thought we'd focus on items that give the electronic consumer more bang for the buck. Today, we're taking a look at the Plantronics Voyager 520, a Bluetooth headset that works well in general and can tackle noisy places. The All-in-One Easy Button enables you to place calls, answer calls, and adjust the volume all -- as you might guess -- with one convenient button. Its multipoint technology allows you to stay connected with two Bluetooth mobile phones Its QuickPair technology lets you easily pair the headset with your Bluetooth mobile phone Good battery support. You can get up to 8 hours of talk time and 180 hours of standby time from a single charge Technology: Bluetooth 2.0, supporting devices with headset and hands-free profiles Range: Up to 33 feet (10 meters) Controls: Volume, call answer/end, last number redial, voice-activated dialing (requires compatible handset) Positives: * Good sound quality * Comfortable for the ear Negatives: * Adequate Noise Canceling feature needs to be better but is decent for the price. The Bottom Line: This headset is the best value for the user who needs basic Bluetooth usage.

Little Big Planet (LBP) -- a PlayStation 3 exclusive game -- revolves around the player's control of small avatars, known as Sackboys. When you see their appearance, you will understand. The game features a set of pre-built levels for players to explore, but game's customizable nature is where it really shines: from altering the player's character and personal space, to building entirely new objects and levels, and then sharing and playing them online as part of the Little Big Planet community. The LBP experience begins with players learning about their character's powers to interact physically with the environment. The players learn by exploring places, collecting creative resources and solving puzzles. This game has no real creativity constraints. If you see something, you can enhance it. If you can't see it, you can invent it. And you can also make your world as revealing or as private to outsiders as you'd like. Positives Developing creativity from a non-competitive setting is a great plus. Negatives It's not available on all platforms. The Bottom line This PlayStation exclusive app is unbearably cute and loaded with fun. If you want your kids to develop a positive constructive foundation of creativity, Little Big Planet is the tool that ...

If you are a gamer who loves cyber racing, check out Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel. The Wii Wheel transforms the Wii Remote controller into a steering wheel that feels natural in anyone's hands -- and offers a classic control style for the Mario Kart veteran. Regardless of the configuration, you can perform speed-boosting tricks with a shake of the Wii Remote. The Mario Kart game is very easy to learn for beginners and is fun for the more experienced gamer. Some of the racing courses that you can play are from the following games: Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart, Super Circuit, Mario Kart and Double Dash. If you have your heart set on your favorite Nintendo character, you can choose to race as him or her, or even as yourself. If competition is in your DNA, you can compete with up to three friends in your playroom or challenge up to eleven opponents via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in the biggest Mario Kart race yet. All tracks and modes of play are available via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. You can visit the Mario Kart Channel to compete in tournaments, check rankings, see when your friends are playing and ...

If you are an iPod user who wants to hear the “real soul” of your collection of digitized music, check out the SRS Labs’ iWoW for iPod Adapter. It restores the “pow and wow” back into your music. You'll hear a noticeable difference in your music, videos and podcasts. The immersive 3D audio, ultra-clear high-frequency definition, and deep, rich bass, will make you say "WOW!" after just one listen. First plug the device into the iPod's bottom 30-pin connector, push the button and your music problem is solved. iWOW for iPod will work with all iPods including the iPod classic and iPod nano 3G. It will be available in November for $100. The Bottom Line: The iWoW will put the “wow” in your iPod.

BlueAnt's V1 is the world's first voice-controlled Bluetooth headset, allowing you to control most phone functions from the headset thanks to its integrated BlueGenie Voice Interface. When you talk to it, it will reply. Ask for assistance and it will deliver the correct function. The one activation button provides you with total control of the V1's entire function menu system via an easy-to-use voice interface. You will no longer have to deal with lengthy or confusing button pressing to access functionality on your cell phone. It eliminates the combination of button pushes, button holds and flashing lights synonymous with advanced Bluetooth devices. The V1 features Bluetooth 2.1, Multi-function car and desk charger, USB Charger, up to 6 hrs talk-time or 200 hrs standby, and a two-year replacement warrant. The V1 can be controlled with simple phrases like "pair headset," "call home," "volume up" and "accept call." The BlueGenie's voice synthesis lets the V1 talk back to you, letting you know the device's settings including successful pairing of the headset, battery power level, and more. With voice dial and call answering capabilities, drivers can keep their hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. The Blue Ant V1 is ...

Google's iPhone app with voice search has finally arrived. What is so great about it? This app makes it possible for you to do a Google web search using only your voice. Just hold the phone to your ear. Wait for the beep. Articulate your search. That's all. Once the App is running, you don't have to push any buttons to search. It can also decipher a full sentence and then transcribe it in the search bar so you can see what it thought it heard. It works for longer sentences such as: "Where are the Chinese restaurants in San Francisco" or "What is the price of gold in dollars? While Google’s Mobile App is far from perfect, it returned some queries as gibberish but mostly it's answers were good. To get the latest version of Google’s Mobile App for iPhone or iPod touch, go to the App Store and look for "Google Mobile App." Note that the voice search feature is currently available only in U.S. English and for the iPhone. Technologically, Google Mobile team did a good job in the integration of iPhone's best attributes (motion-sensing accelerometer, voice and Web) and Google search.While there is room for ...

Social Gaming Network, a Palo Alto-based company recently announced the release of the first video game that wirelessly connects a personal computer to an iPhone or iPod Touch, allowing players to wave the mobile devices like a motion-based controller a la the Nintendo Wii. In their line of new, free cross-platform games, they use the motion-sensing accelerometer in the iPhone or iPod Touch along with its broadband connection - either Wi-Fi or 3G - to turn it into a Wii-like controller for a PC-based Web game. The game uses the motion-sensing accelerometer in the iPhone or iPod Touch along with its broadband connection - either Wi-Fi or 3G - to turn it into a Wii-like controller for a PC-based Web game. The company's first game iFun's iGolf is available for free download in the Apple iPhone App Store now. iTennis will be release later this year. SGN has plans to take the concept to other accelerometer-equipped phones such as the G1 from T-Mobile and Google.

Tired of playing Tetris, Bejeweled and Pac-Man on your iPhone? Check out Trism -- a casual gem-style puzzle game that is highly addicted. It's similar in style to the popular Bejeweled game. Instead of shifting pieces up and down, you use the iPhone's six-axis accelerometer to shift them more at an angle to incorporate the triangles. The objective is to match the sides of 3 pieces of the same color. When those pieces disappear the rows above slide down, no matter which way you have the iPhone or iPod Touch turned. Whenever you rotate the phone, the triangles rearrange themselves depending on the direction of the rotation. Does it sound simple? This app has many game modes that will challenge you. Trism is available at the iPhone App Store for $4.99. It is developed by Demiforce and was introduced as one of the applications released on the initial launch of the Apple App Store. Demiforce currently has five games in development and will be launching two by Christmas. This includes a spin off to "Trism" called "Trismology." The Positives: Clear graphics, fun sounds, and challenging and engaging gameplay. The Negatives: Like Tetris, it's perhaps too addictive. The Bottom Line: As one of the best puzzle ...

If you are a gamer who loves World War II and/or cooperative gameplay, check out Call of Duty: World at War (CoD). <!--[if supportFields]>ADVANCE \d 4<![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><![endif]-->This game is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for MS Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. <!--[if supportFields]>ADVANCE \d 4<![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><![endif]-->The story focuses on the final battles of World War II in the Pacific and Eastern Europe involving the United States, the Empire of Japan, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. It is told from the perspectives of a Marine Raider and a Red Army soldier, and is based on several historical battles, including the Makin Island raid, the Battle of Peleliu, and the Battle of Berlin. The multi-player portion of the game contains various game modes, as well as a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons and rewards as they progress, which was originally implemented in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. A new feature to the Call of Duty series is the co-op mode, which can support up to four players online and two offline. <!--[if supportFields]>ADVANCE \d 4<![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><![endif]-->The game also includes traditional multi-player components such as ...