Hands-on with the smaller, less expensive 7-inch Wikipad

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="text" style="text-align: left;"><div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Handson with the smaller, less expensive 7inch Wikipad" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/wikipad7inchhedimg.jpg" /></div>When the Wikipad went from 10.1-inches to just 7-inches earlier this year, subsequently cutting its price in half alongside the size reduction, the gaming-centric Android tablet went from riskily priced potential failure to affordable item of interest in one swift move. $500 for a 10.1-inch tablet with a proprietary gaming controller peripheral? With a Tegra 3, no less? That already sounds outdated, and at $500, it sounds outright <i>crazy</i>. Though Wikipad promises a 10.-1-inch version is still in the works, the 7-incher is headed for retail in the coming weeks, with the aforementioned Tegra 3 quad-core SoC, a 1,280 x 800 IPS screen, Jellybean 4.1, and that enormous detachable game controller (<i>12</i> buttons in all!). At last week's Game Developers Conference, we had a chance to check out the latest version of the Wikipad just ahead of its retail launch -- for more on that meeting, join us beyond the break.<br /><div class="post-gallery" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title"><b>Wikipad hands-on (7-inch, GDC 2013)</b></h3><br /><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06434_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06398_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06401_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06403_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06404_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc06406_95x95.jpg" /> </div>There is no way to not feel awkward holding the Wikipad when its paired to its controller. With the 7-inches of screen real estate, the Wikipad controller has your hands stretched apart by 8-inches or more -- a real issue if you plan on holding the set for longer than a few minutes. Resultantly, juggling between the controller's many buttons has us worried we'd end up accidentally dropping the handheld.<br />The bulky controller attachment pairs up the 7-inch tablet easily via micro USB plug, and the mapping worked fine on the few games we played. While the buttons aren't what we'd call high-quality, they're workable enough to <i>far surpass</i> the virtual button offerings otherwise employed in many mobile games. That is admittedly a low bar to surpass. The change from black to chrome buttons isn't an aesthetic choice we embrace, but it doesn't heavily affect the already cheap look of the controller.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Wikipad's central thrust -- the 7-inch tablet -- is ... fine? It's a fairly standard 7-inch tablet, from specs to build quality. There's an expandable memory slot for SD cards (up to 64GB, we're told), a single front-facing camera, and the aforementioned 1,280 x 800 IPS screen in the middle (all of which runs Jelly Bean 4.1) -- nothing thrilling, but all the boxes are ticked. The most thrilling aspect of the tablet is its rubberized back with a grippy ridge, meant to both be grabbed and to amplify the device's speakers. We're just glad it won't go sliding off our laps.<br />Based on our brief time with it, the Wikipad is hard to recommend. Both the $250 price and the not-so-exciting set of features are working against it, but we'll give it a full review in the weeks to come.<br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="349" id="viddler-5dc0592f" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="//www.viddler.com/embed/5dc0592f/?f=1&offset=0&autoplay=0&secret=14217561&disablebranding=0&view_secret=14217561" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="545"></iframe> </div></div>

Hands-on with the smaller, less expensive 7-inch Wikipad

When the Wikipad went from 10.1-inches to just 7-inches earlier this year, subsequently cutting its price in half alongside the size reduct...

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AMD Radeon HD 7990 says hello, plays a bit of Battlefield 4 at GDC

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="AMD Radeon HD 7990 says hello, plays a bit of Battlefield 4 at GDC" data-src-height="346" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/7990car678x452.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Gamers were down-right spoiled at this year's GDC with a full 17 minutes of beautiful Battlefield 4 in-game footage. Minds blown, AMD took responsibility for the part it played in the mess, admitting the demo was running on its Radeon HD 7990 graphics card. It's the first time the company's confirmed the existence of the long-fabled card, and went as far as calling the case-busting monster "the world's fastest." All we know is the card combines two of the HD 7970's Tahiti GPUs -- AMD's not sharing the full specs -- but the eagle-eyed folks at <i>AnandTech</i> have plucked a few extra details from the limited pictures available. They note the open-air cooling, which would require a drafty case but mean the fans should run fairly quiet, and that power consumption is likely to be no more than 375 watts. Not much to go on, we know, but we'll be waiting eagerly for AMD's full reveal. Now, your BF4 video awaits. (Warning: the game dialogue contains a few naughty words).</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U8HVQXkeU8U?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

AMD Radeon HD 7990 says hello, plays a bit of Battlefield 4 at GDC

Gamers were down-right spoiled at this year's GDC with a full 17 minutes of beautiful Battlefield 4 in-game footage. Minds blown, AMD t...

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OptiTrack debuts $3,700 PRIME 17W mocap cam for small spaces

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP OptiTrack shows off $3,700 PRIME 17W mocap cam, ideal for small spaces" data-src-height="464" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/optitrack01.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Independent creators keen on motion capture have had affordable solutions like cheaper sensors and Kinect-based implementations for awhile now, but a large space for moving around has usually been required. <span>OptiTrack has come up with an answer to that problem, however, in the form of the PRIME 17W mocap camera that it introduced at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The 1.7-megapixel lens has a 70-degree by 51-degree field of view that promises to capture motion in a relatively small space, which also means you need fewer cameras to get a full 360-degree shot. Other features include a global shutter, high-speed 360 FPS capture and low distortion, enabling UAV and sports tracking. </span><span>At $3,700, it's still not exactly cheap, but it's certainly affordable enough for indie engineers and animators with space constraints to get started in the mocap biz.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><img alt="Gallery Image" height="480" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/optitrack03.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="480" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/optitrack04.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="480" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/optitrack01-1364571285.jpg" width="640" /></div></div>

OptiTrack debuts $3,700 PRIME 17W mocap cam for small spaces

Independent creators keen on motion capture have had affordable solutions like cheaper sensors and Kinect-based implementations for awhile...

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OUYA available at retail on June 4 for $99

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="OUYA available at retail on June 4 for TKTK DNP" data-src-height="427" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/ouyahedimg620x340pxhedimg.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> The Android-powered $99 OUYA game console becomes available at retail on June 4th -- a date which was revealed this week during the Game Developers Conference. OUYA's calling June 4th its "official launch date," despite Kickstarter backers receiving units starting this month. Essentially, the two month waiting period between Kickstarter boxes and retail availability is being used as a consumer beta, giving OUYA time to adjust its software after getting feedback from early adopters.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> It's not clear if bundles will be available, but the game console itself and a controller (as well as power and HDMI cables, plus two AA batteries for the controller) are included in the $99 package. Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and others are on board, so it shouldn't be too hard locating one in June should your interested be piqued -- and yes, pre-orders are available. Of course, it's a pretty small little game console, so it might be a bit tough locating the thing with your eyes.</div></div>

OUYA available at retail on June 4 for $99

The Android-powered $99 OUYA game console becomes available at retail on June 4th -- a date which was revealed this week during the Game D...

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PlayStation 4's Blu-ray drive is 3x as fast as PS3's, PSN friends list cap raised, and other tidbits from Sony's GDC panel

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="text" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/ps4leadimg619pxwmed.jpg" /></div>The PlayStation 4's new DualShock 4 controller can be charged even while the PlayStation 4 is turned off. The PlayStation 4's new Eye motion camera has a tilt sensor so it can tell players when its facing the wrong direction or if it's fallen off your TV stand. The PlayStation 4's Blu-ray disc drive is three times as fast as the PlayStation 3's. In case it weren't clear, Sony's PlayStation 4 panel at this week's Game Developers Conference wasn't chock full of major revelations, but it did provide plenty of interesting little details about the PlayStation 4 and its various hardware companions.<br /> For instance, the console's "True Name" social functionality isn't automatic -- you have to opt-in to who will see your real name versus your PlayStation Network ID. That is, unless you find a friend through Facebook or another social network where your real name is already your main ID; in that instance, the console defaults to displaying your actual name. That's not the only change coming to your friends list, either, as the standing 100 friends cap is being raised to an unknown amount.<br /> Additionally, the Gaikai-powered Remote Play functionality between the Vita and PS4 is said to be "much better," according to Sony senior staff engineer Chris Norden. Not only can it display your PS4 games in the Vita's native resolution (960x544), but it can be activated at any given time rather than having to be preset. And unlike Remote Play on PS3, with PS4 the game being pushed to the Vita is mirrored on your television screen. None of this stuff is what we'd call <em>red hot</em>, but we're hungry for PS4 details and this is what Sony's delivering. Here's hoping the company's more forthcoming at E3.<br /> </div></div>

PlayStation 4's Blu-ray drive is 3x as fast as PS3's, PSN friends list cap raised, and other tidbits from Sony's GDC panel

The PlayStation 4's new DualShock 4 controller can be charged even while the PlayStation 4 is turned off. The PlayStation 4's new ...

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GameStick dev unit found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="GameStick dev unit found at GDC 2013, we go eyeson" data-src-height="412" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/gamestick619pxhedimg.png" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> GameStick is here ... er, sort of. The development units are at least here at GDC 2013, quietly hanging out behind a nondescript computer monitor running a few Android games paired with a Nyko wireless controller. That's right, it wasn't running with the proprietary GameStick controller, but a third-party wireless -- we'll go hands-on with the company's internally built controller later this evening, and thusly we didn't want to offer a half-impression with the third-party units available on the show floor. Stay tuned for more, and take a gander at the gallery below for now.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06301.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06304.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06305.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06311.jpg" width="640" /></div></div>

GameStick dev unit found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

GameStick is here ... er, sort of. The development units are at least here at GDC 2013, quietly hanging out behind a nondescript computer...

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Sony's PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Sony's PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyeson" data-src-height="394" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/ps4leadimg619pxwmed.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Sony's next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, is getting an updated DualShock controller when it arrives at retail this holiday. It's also getting an updated PlayStation Eye camera, which brings the camera much more in line with Microsoft's Kinect than any previous versions. We found the PS4 peripherals trapped under a glass box on the Game Developers Conference show floor, and Sony sadly wouldn't let us free them. We of course snapped a mess of pictures regardless, which you can see just below in the gallery. We anticipate the first hands-on opportunity with the DualShock 4 and PS4 Eye at E3 2013 in June, so hang tight for a few months!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06264.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06276.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06277.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="425" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/dsc06278.jpg" width="640" /></div></div>

Sony's PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

Sony's next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, is getting an updated DualShock controller when it arrives at retail this holiday. It'...

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HP introduces Unreal Engine 4-ready 'turnkey solution' workstations, collaborating with ALT Systems

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="HP introduces Unreal Engine 4ready 'turnkey solution' workstations, collaborating with ALT Systems" data-src-height="383" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/hpworkstationsue4619pxhedimg.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Hewlett-Packard may not be well-known by consumers for creating the machines that power the industries that power the world we live in, but the company's workstation business does just that. From film to oil drilling to medicine, HP's workstations have their hands in a lot of pies -- and today, that expands more directly to yet another major industry: video games. With its Z1, Z820 and Z620 workstations, HP is collaborating with Epic Games, Autodesk, and ALT Systems to create what they're calling a "turnkey solution" to game development workstation woes. The three aforementioned units can be customized to arrive with a variety of variables, including Unreal Engine 4, Autodesk, and NVIDIA GTX-line GPUs.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In so many words, ALT Systems will take the disparate pieces of hardware and software from HP, NVIDIA, Autodesk and Epic Games to provide an all-in-one buying solution for game dev studios. As ALT Systems president Jon Guess laughingly explained, it provides clients "one neck to wring" should things go wrong, rather than dev studios having to suss out hardware issues on their own. The first fruits of the partnership arrive this year in game developer-centric versions of the aforementioned three workstation models. For a full rundown of the various workstation configurations that'll arrive this year, ALT Systems has a site set up just for you.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Gallery Image" height="531" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/z620-workstation.jpg" width="640" /><img alt="Gallery Image" height="455" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/z820-workstation-dualscreen.jpg" width="640" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"></div></div>

HP introduces Unreal Engine 4-ready 'turnkey solution' workstations, collaborating with ALT Systems

Hewlett-Packard may not be well-known by consumers for creating the machines that power the industries that power the world we live in, bu...

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