The game first came out in 1976, offering players a blue paddle and gray ball with which they would slowly destroy multiple brick layers. Such is the same in Google’s version of the game, with one small difference (playing it on a modern device aside) – the bricks are especially small thumbnail versions of the Google Image results that show up upon searching for “Atari Breakout,” the same search that pulls up the game. If it doesn’t show up for you immediately, be patient – it will.

Not surprisingly, you get a chance to pit your brick-shattering skills against other Google users, with a Google+ “Share Your Score” link being offered at the end of your game. There’s audio just like you’d find with the original game, as well as the ability to pause, which helps guarantee that your procrastination will hit a whole new score of its own.

This nicely augments the Pong game iOS users were blessed with back on November 29 via Atari, which released the free app as a way to celebrate its fourth decade. Of course, quite a few Pong games were already available for iOS users, but none had the honor of being titled “official.” That release was in addition to a contest for an Xbox 360 with an integrated LCD made to look like an Atari console.

This isn’t the first time Google has recreated a classic game online. Back in 2010, for example, the Internet giant celebrated the 30th anniversary of Pacman with an in-logo game complete with a two-player mode, audio, and all the little yellow dots you could eat. Even better, the game featured a “coin slot” via a transformation of the I’m Feeling Lucky button into an Insert Coin button.

SOURCE: Tech Radar

While the free Pong World download is really quite excellent – the fact that it’s a great game in and of itself doesn’t hurt either – it’s the customized portable Xbox 360 system with built-in LCD display that we’re freaking out about. It’s made to resemble a classic Atari console and it works – it really works! This undeniably awesome gem is available only through a contest being run through a selection of partner sites with Atari – so good luck!

We must expect though that if enough interest is generated in this beast of a mod that we’ll see a production model in the future. No matter how much they say a product is limited edition, folks, there’s always a way. Thus was the birth of the game you’re going to download for free today, too. It was part of the Pong Indie Developer Challenge that took place earlier this year – now you see it before you!

Be sure to let us know how you’re enjoying the new Pong World game and tell some excellent stories about your first encounter with the most classic video game of all. As for your humble narrator: we had one at the local sports cards shop back when I was but a youngster – pull-sticks and all. How about you?

“We’ve spent this year focused on developing mobile games based on some of Atari’s most iconic and enduring franchises,” CEO Jim Wilson said of the ported titles. “Our upcoming lineup should make clear Atari’s strategy to work with the strengths of our key franchises and offer our expanding global audience of mobile gamers a collection of accessible and fun consumer experiences.”

Exactly how RollerCoaster Tycoon will be modified for mobile play hasn’t been revealed, though since it’s not expected to arrive on Apple and Android devices until Q1 2013, Atari has plenty of time to decide. For those who managed to miss the game first time around, the 1999 classic puts the player in charge of a virtual theme park, giving them control over the rides as well as maintenance.

The original allowed for both pre-configured rides and user-created rides to be created and deployed, but it’s unclear whether that will follow on in the new mobile versions. Meanwhile, Outlaw will feature hand-drawn graphics and Western-themed gameplay, and will be a free download in November.

Atari Casino will also be free, and available later in 2012, with slot machines, blackjack, and other games to play. Finally, Centipede: Origins will be updated with new maps, gadgets, items, and new challenges that can be played against friends. It will be released in November.

[via Pocket Tactics; Image via RCTGo]

Though these games can be played in your browser, it seems that Atari is attempting to make the Windows 8 version of Atari Arcade really stick out. The arcade was built with Internet Explorer 10′s touch-based interface in mind, and the legendary Nolan Bushnell says that Microsoft was a “natural partner” for a project like this. While the announcement of these remakes is cool enough, there’s even more: developers can make games for Atari Arcade, and can earn money by displaying ads in their games or by offering in-game purchases.

It’s definitely nice to see classic Atari games Combat, Pong, and Asteroids get updated visuals, but the idea of another developer-friendly platform is even more exciting. Naturally, since Atari Arcade just launched, there aren’t any indie dev-made games available yet, but hopefully those are coming soon. The brains behind this project have come together to give users a behind-the-scenes look at Atari Arcade, which you can check out below.

In all, there are 8 games that can be played in the Atari Arcade right this very minute: Pong, Asteroids, Yar’s Revenge, Combat, Missle Command, Lunar Lander, Centipede, and Super Breakout. With Windows 8 just around the corner and a slew of new Windows 8 tablets announced at IFA 2012 this week, expect to hear more about Atari Arcade soon. In the meantime, you can always head over to the Arcade and play these games in your browser. Stay tuned.

With the 8-bit graphic universe shown in the original Mario Bros. game now transferred down, down, and down some more into a much more basic environment, one thing shines through the brightest: Mario was a breakthrough game. Not just because it was fun, but because the gameplay and the environments in the game were so advanced that they look good even when you strip the whole thing down to its most basic components.

In the video above you’ll see a gleefully old-school looking demonstration of the game with what should be some rather recognizable elements all around. The game has right around 16 levels re-created right this minute, and more are on the way. This game also currently exists entirely in a 32k file – amazing!

If you want to try the game out for yourself, you’ll need first to get yourself a Harmony Cartridge. This bit of hardware will plug in to your original Atari 2600 and allow you to play hundreds of pre-made games and classics without the hassle of actually going out and finding the games (which of course, are no longer produced today) themselves. And new games are being made here in 2012 as well – as evidenced by Mario!

The game is being shared right now by Sprybug so that you can tell him how awesome it is. Music and sound effects are included – and yes, you will be able to fire fireballs if you do become FireMario.

[via DVice]

I recently found myself bored and decided to break out some of those old hardware devices. And as I combed my way through all of those products, I couldn’t help but wonder: what if we had a single console to rule them all? A device that was universally supported and acted as the only console we needed for the generation.

The excitement was palpable. I started thinking up ways in which the console would work and the chances of every developer – from Nintendo to Electronic Arts – supporting it for the good of the community. Surely, it would be possible, right?

Then I started thinking about the reality of the gaming industry. We have three companies right now offering hardware, and not one of them looks to be willing to change their strategies. What’s worse, none of them like each other.

As if that’s not enough, we’ve come to a place in the gaming community where some people would just not play titles from their favored company on another console. Nintendo fans, for example, curse at the thought of being able to play their beloved Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda games on a console designed by another company.

But perhaps a universal console is where the industry should be headed. In a world where people have less money to spend, wouldn’t it be nice to pay for one $300 or $400 console, and not worry about buying two or three for that price? And by reducing hardware-acquisition costs, it’s possible that developers and publishers can make far more on the backside, since customers will have more to spend.

In a perfect world, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and perhaps other members of the gaming community would collaborate on the universal game console, offering up their own two cents on what should be included and what shouldn’t. The result? A device that would likely deliver high-quality graphics, unique concepts, and a design that would make people across the globe quite happy.

Combining the strengths of all gaming companies delivers the very best results, if you ask me.

But unfortunately, no one is asking me. The game industry has become big business. And whether we old school gamers, who desire the old days of innovation, like it or not, the chances of the industry changing are slim and none.

We’re stuck with multiple consoles, games that are exclusive to some products, and a community that can’t quite get itself to accept major change.

It’s unfortunate, isn’t it? I think a world where a universal game console was the norm would be a better place. But maybe I’m alone.

Let us know in the comments below how you would feel if a universal game console ever hit store shelves.

The 100 games are based on the classic versions made for the Atari 2600. They are arranged in alphabetical order and by category along with their original cabinet and box art. Each game is downloaded separately from within the app and is unlocked across all your iOS devices. Popular titles include Asteroids, Centipede, and Pong.

Some of the games, such as Warlords and Tempest, feature Bluetooth multiplayer capability, while others can be played using the Atari’s Arcade Duo Powered joystick, sold separately. However, the games only remain free if you do not uninstall the app. Once you do so and have to reinstall, you will have to pay for the app.

The memo is addressed to Jobs’ supervisor at the time, Stephen Bristow, who would later work on the Atari 2600. It describes how Atari could make changes to its World Cup Soccer arcade game for improved fun and functionality. The memo is titled All-One Farm Design, a name associated with a commune that Jobs frequented, and the address of Jobs’ parents in Palo Alto.

Working at Atari is where Jobs employed Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to help develop the hardware for a prototype single-player version of Pong that would become Breakout. Jobs left Atari that summer for a trip to India, after which he returned to live in a commune.

With Jobs’ passing last October, items associated with the life of the Apple visionary are sure to be highly valued. The memo is expected to fetch between $10,000 to $15,000.

[via CNET]

Between typewriters, calculators, and gaming systems like the Atari many might not known Jack Tramiel’s name, but he was a legend that produced some iconic products like the Commodore 64 back in the 80′s. Here’s a great quote by Martin Goldberg, a writer on the Atari brand:

Jack Tramiel was an immense influence in the consumer electronics and computing industries. A name once uttered in the same vein as Steve Jobs is today, his journey from concentration camp survivor to captain of industry is the stuff of legends.”

Jack’s love for technology and his aggressive business practices we can thank for driving down the price of personal computers during the 80′s, and made them what they are today. His legacy will continue forever. Tramiel is survived by his wife, three sons, and their families.

[via The Verge]

Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition seems to essentially be a reworking of the original Baldur’s Gate with new updated graphics. Beamdog’s Overhaul Games division created the updated and enhanced version, a move similar to what was done to MDK2 last year with MDK2 HD. Additional details on the game have yet to be announced

Baldur’s Gate, again, is a series of games that comes from the most famous role playing game of all time: Dungeons and Dragons. The Dungeons and Dragons legacy is one that reverberates through not only the physical world of gaming outside the computer, but inside the massively multiplayer online role playing game world as well. The most popular games here in the present are MMORPGS and they all started with the first Baldur’s Gate game.

Why not stock up on your cement-laden Atari controllers for the low low price of only $65 USD apiece? Truly this is the dream you’ve been dreaming of ever since your auntie Agnes told you that your glass case full of calculators was terrible to behold. Also included in this series is an Opympus 35mm still camera, a Technics turntable for all your stone records, and a 16mm movie camera without a brand — can you identify it?

Each of these will cost you a pretty penny to ship, but what price can you put on a cementified version of your favorite gadget? For a great trick, pick one of these up and switch it out with your best buddies still-functional version. You’ll have a great laugh and a memory both of you can enjoy until your gadgets really do turn into stone in the distant future. That’s what happens to plastic and metal when it gets old, right? It turns to cement, correct?

[via Unplggd]

So far, the only thing for the iPad like this is the cool Ion iCade arcade cabinet we have seen before. It appears that Atari is planning on offering its own controller for the iPad called the Atari Arcade Duo Powered joystick. As of this moment, the controller hasn’t been made official, but there is a photo of what the thing might look like.

While we don’t have any specs on the device, I would assume that the controller uses Bluetooth to connect. One thing that I like better about the Atari device than the Ion iCade is that the Atari controller will let you do portrait and landscape. The design of the iCade means you can do portrait mode only.

[via TUAW]

The first IBM trumped the 8-bit processors the competition was toting with its then-monstrous 16-bit processor. It utilized a 160k floppy disk drive, had a monochrome adapter for a graphics card, it’s display showed green on black, and ran PC-DOS. This system PC-DOS was later to be known as MS-DOS of course once Microsoft had it licensed to 3rd party vendors. Memory inside this first IBM PC was fabulous at 40K ROM, 64K RAM expandable to 256K with the cost of each 64K being $495 USD.

The total cost of a full IMB PC at launch was $3,005, and in the entirety of 1981, exactly 671,537 units were sold. All of this is according to Michael Miller’s 20th anniversary post on PCMag back in 2001. This $3,005 unit included memory of 64,000 bytes, a single diskette drive and its own display. You could also buy a bare-bones unit for home use attached to an audio tape cassette player and a television set would sell for approximately $1,565.

C.B. Rogers, Jr., IBM vice president and group executive, General Business Group said of the IMB PC at launch:

“This is the computer for just about everyone who has ever wanted a personal system at the office, on the university campus, or at home. We believe its performance, reliability, and ease of use make it the most advanced, affordable personal computer in the marketplace.”

What a blockbuster! What was your first computer? Mine was certainly the lovely Macintosh Color Classic, a fully color console/display in one unit, starting with 4 MB memory and having a sweet Motorola 16 MHz processor running System 7.1 – Mac OS 7.6.1. Of course I quickly got wise in those days as to what having a Mac VS having a PC really meant – artwork and design OR games. By the time Diablo II came out I couldn’t stand it anymore – PC it certainly was. Were there any IBM components in my first PC? I haven’t a clue. Did I look like the little guy in the photo above? You bet!

It is the old-school Atari 2600 console covered in gold. I think Goldmemeber would approve because the joysticks are rather phallic. The company behind this gold console is Urchin Associated from Australia. The console and all the accessories are plated in 24k gold. With all that gold on the console, it must be the most expensive Atari ever.

I am going to assume since it appears every surface is covered in gold that the console no longer works. This is cool; I would like to know how much gold was used. The gold console was created as part of a project called “Gold mine, All mine.” The group also plated a skateboard and a bike as well.

[via Dvice]

Priced at $99.99, ThinkGeek’s version of the iCADE will have the same retro “April Fools” graphics as the original prank. Bluetooth is used to hook up to your iPad, which slots into the screen section, giving you a proper arcade joystick and controls to use.

It’s all ideal for Atari’s “Greatest Hits” gaming collection, released into the App Store earlier this month. Later on, ThinkGeek intends to release an iCADE API so that developers can use the controls in their own titles. Best order quickly, though; the first batch has apparently already been sold, so anybody pre-ordering now will be getting units from the second batch.

The game is on Xbox 360 Arcade right now for 800 Microsoft Points. The game is not a straight up reissue of the original game. It has anime inspired art and a narrative story to it that expands on the story from the original back in the 80′s. The game also supports co-op play local.

The player plays as Yar who has been brainwashed by the Qotile empire to do their bidding. Yar gets shot down and rescued by Bar Yarglar and then sets off to get revenge on her master and his assassins. This sounds like a pretty cool game.

The core Atari Greatest Hits app is a free download, and then you have a choice of in-app purchases covering the 100 games. Twenty-five individual packs of four titles can be bought for $0.99 each, or you can have the lot for $14.99.

The full list of packs and individual titles is below, along with indications as to whether Atari has updated them to support Bluetooth multiplayer modes with other iOS device owners. There’s even original cabinet and box art.

[via TouchArcade]

Asteroid Pack
1. Asteroid
2. Asteroid Deluxe
3. Asteroids 2600
4. Canyon Bomber – Bluetooth Multiplayer
Battlezone Pack
1. Battlezone
2. Red Baron
3. Air-Sea Battle – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Submarine Commander
Centipede Pack
1. Centipede
2. Millipede
3. Centipede 2600
4. Millipede 2600
Black Widow Pack
1. Black Widow
2. Space Duel – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Desert Falcon
4. Space War
Crystal Castles Pack
1. Crystal Castles
2. Crystal Castls 2600
3. Surround – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Maze Craze
Gravitar Pack
1. Gravitar
2. Gravitar 2600
3. Radar Lock
4. Demons to Diamonds – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Star Raiders Pack
1. Star Raiders
2. Liberator
3. Star Ship – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Human Cannonball
Missile Command Pack
1. Missile Command
2. Missile Command 2600
3. Fun with Numbers
4. Flag Capture – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Lunar Lader Pack
1. Lunar Lander
2. Sky diver – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Video Pinball
4. Code Breaker
Super Breakout Pack
1. Super Breakout
2. Breakout – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Off – the – Wall
4. Circus Atari – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Tempest Pack
1. Tempest – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Tempest 2600 – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Outlaw
4. Atari Video Cube
Majar Havoc Pack
1. Major Havoc
2. Secret Quest
3. Sentinel
4. Yars Revenge – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Warlords Pack
1. Warlords – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Warlords 2600
3. Combat – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Combat 2 – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Adventure Pack
1. Adventure
2. Haunted House
3. Return to Haunted House
4. Save Mary
Tic-Tac-Toe Pack
1. 3d Tic-Tac-Toe
2. A game of concentration
3. Backgammon
4. Brain Games
Fatal Run Pack
1. Fatal Run
2. Dodge ‘Em
3. Night Driver
4. Street Racer – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Quadrun Pack
1. Quadrun
2. Slot Racers – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Stellar Track
4. Math Gran Prix
Casino Pack
1. Casino – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Slot Machine
3. Video Checkers
4. Video Chess
Sword Quest Pack
1. Swordquest Earthworld
2. Swordquest Fireworld
3. Swordquest Waterworld
4. Sprintmaster
Championship Soccer Pack
1. Championship Soccer – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Golf
3. Double Dunk
4. Basketball
Football Pack
1. Football – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Home Run
3. Miniature Golf
4. Bowling
Real Sports Basketball Pack
1. Realsports Basketball – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Realsports Boxing – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Realsports Tennis – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Realsports Baseball – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Real Sports Football Pack
1. Realsports Football – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Realsports Soccer – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Realsports Vollyball – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Video Olympics – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
Battlezone Pack
1. Battlezone 2600
2. Super Breakout 2600
3. Super Baseball
4. Super Football
Hangman Pack
1. Hangman
2. Black Jack
3. Steeplechase

Atari was in with Heck for this build combing vintage old school gaming with the latest Microsoft game console. The finished product is a portable device with its own LCD and all. The custom enclosure was made with wood paneling and classic metal switches that any gamer around in the early days of the console will remember fondly.

“I was excited when Atari approached me to build this gaming system – it’s the most ‘Ben Heck’ type project I could possibly build,” said Ben. “It was a great experience taking consoles from two completely different eras and combining them. That’s what art’s all about!”

[Image credit: AtariAge]

My wife and I have kept our son away from the television for as long as possible. He’s turning 2 years old next month, and he’s never sat through an entire half hour of a TV show. As a tech journalist, though, my office is little with phones and gadgets that light up and make noise, and it’s been hard to keep his hands off. He knows how to navigate an iPod touch. He knows which phones have a slide-out keyboard, and how to check out the pictures on a point-and-shoot camera. He even plays simple, educational games on our iPad. Educational, of course, is any game that involved letters and or children’s music, no matter how surreal and inane the rest of the game might be.

He’s not ready for console gaming, yet, and I’m in no rush to introduce him to the wonderful world of controllers and couch surfing for hours at a time. I was delighted to find that the toy he received for the holiday that elicited the most enthusiastic reaction, a genuine “Wow!,” was a LEGO set. He loves LEGO bricks. He likes building and then playing with his constructions. None of it lights up or makes noises or does much work for him. It all comes from his imagination, which is why I don’t worry when the little horse rides the bus he built, or the construction worker sits on a giant flower all day long.

For myself this holiday, though, I bought a PlayStation 3. Obviously I’m not getting my child involved in playing God of War, a game I myself might not even be mature enough to play. But the video games are in the same room as his little wooden train set. The trains can occupy him for quite some time, so the other night, while he was engrossed in the “Woo-Woo” and the “Ding-Ding-Ding,” I surreptitiously snuck around to the other side of the couch to make another attempt at killing Hades. From where he sat, he couldn’t see the screen.

When my wife came upstairs to check on us, she was mortified. Not that I wasn’t playing with him. We spend a lot of time playing with him and guiding his tasks. It’s healthy for him to have some time alone to be independent and come up with his own games. But it was clear she was upset.

I apologized for the content on screen and offered to play Wipeout HD, instead. Wipeout is a bright, colorful and futuristic racing game. There is some missile action, but no blood or even people visible. It’s not a game I would call violent.

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t want him to see you playing. I don’t want him to want to do that when he’s older.”

We had never discussed this idea. She didn’t want him playing video games. If not ever, at least as long as she could keep him from gaming. I was stunned, and a little hurt. My first reaction was to think she was insulting something I enjoy. If she doesn’t want our son playing video games, and I love playing, then she’s saying that something I love is not good enough for our son. I took it as a personal affront.

There are obvious things you should never do in front of your kids. Drinking. Smoking. Fighting. Drugs. None of those would be a problem for us. My wife doesn’t like my son watching The Simpsons, but she tolerates a few minutes (except for the Treehouse of Horror episodes). Family Guy? No chance. Some things she’s tried to forbid for no good reason. A childhood spent in religious Jewish education has her now swearing off pork, though we don’t keep kosher in any way. There were a few minutes when she said our son wouldn’t eat pork products himself, but I won that battle with no trouble. No pepperoni pizza? Not my child.

Was she right about video games? Certainly I don’t want him becoming sedentary. I don’t want him to wake up in the morning and hit the controller first thing, the way he asks for the iPad when I wake him up. I’ve tried to make sure that we develop plenty of good habits in him that I never had as a child. I never ate fruits and vegetables as a kid, but my son prefers fruit to cookies, and he’s never had a sip of soda. My parents weren’t strict about keeping my playroom clean, but cleaning up is so enjoyable and ingrained in my son’s head that on trips to the mall, he has to stop into the LEGO store to make sure the bulk bins in the back are straightened and properly organized.

I’ve always battled weight problems, too. While I don’t think video games caused my problems, I can say that if I exercised for every minute that I spent playing games, I would probably be in much better shape. My son gets plenty of outdoor exercise, and I’m in better shape because of the time I spend with him. But if he sees me having as much fun on the couch as we have on the playground, that could spell trouble in his future.

I would prefer to beat my son on a real basketball court with a ball that is inflated and round than beat him on the virtual court with a ball made out of pixels.

As always, I don’t think there’s an easy answer. If I simply keep him away from games, he’ll find friends who have gaming systems and play while he’s out of my sight. The answer isn’t to deprive him of the games, it’s to set a better example, so that he can see that playing in the real world can be more fun than playing in a virtual (and completely incorrect) version of ancient Greece.

So, I’ve cut my gaming time significantly. Kratos will have to wait for vengeance. Commander Shepard will have to defeat Harbinger some other day. I’ll spend more time chasing my toddler than the other mag-lev racers. And best of all, I’ll have ammunition against my wife and her incessant love of General Hospital. After all, for our son’s sake, she should really spend more time outside, and less time living in Port Charles.

R3 Media Network

Editor’s Choice
Brand New Android Marketplace User Interface Available NOW (via ripped APK) [SHINY]
Atari and Cryptic Studios launch Star Trek Online Season Three: Genesis contest [DIY SHIP]
A Week With the L1 v2 Laser Pico Projector : Hands-on and Unboxing [GON BE FUN]
Clark Griswold has nothing on the Faucher’s Christmas light show [IS YOUR HOUSE ON FIRE?]
Verizon’s Motorola Android Honeycomb tablet leaks [LEAKY LEAKY]

SlashPhone
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Android Community
Galaxy Tab Luxury Edition to cost about $1000
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Pantech P8000 surfaces with Android onboard
Nexus S UK pre-orders open ahead of “end of Dec” delivery
$100 Dell Streak as Best Buy crank up the subsidies
Maps 5.0 on the Nexus S Demoed by Google
Unofficial Gingerbread Port for Droid X Available Now
LG Star Unofficially Previewed
Huawei Australia Unveils IDEOS X5, X6 Android Smartphones
Brand New Android Marketplace User Interface Available NOW (via ripped APK)
Nexus S Questions Answered by Best Buy
Twidroyd Now Ad Free And Available In The Android Market

SlashGear
Roku add 1080p HD to XR streamers with 2.9 firmware update
KIN Studio shutting down as Verizon pulls plug in January 2011
LED Christmas lights hacked into huge IM status display [Video]
Intel pricing Huron River out of the game as Calpalla stocks won’t shift?
Clark Griswold has nothing on the Faucher’s Christmas light show
Google Latitude hits App Store again
Gogo and SkyMall offer free store access on flights
Tamron debuts world’s lightest and smallest 15x DSLR zoom lens
Gear4 offers Angry Birds cases for iPhone 4
PS3 gamers get exclusive playable Kratos character on Mortal Kombat
Kaleidescape reveals Modular Disc Vault for Blu-ray movies
Atari and Cryptic Studios launch Star Trek Online Season Three: Genesis contest
HP and Rossignol team up for special edition notebooks
Mini iPad rumors reignite as half-size model tipped
Justbeats headphones launch as Best Buy exclusive
VW rocks out with Fender Premium audio in select models
Amazon deny hack attack as Euro sites go offline over weekend
Nexus S UK pre-orders open ahead of late-December delivery
Paul Allen patent case against Google, Apple, Facebook & more thrown out
PS3 ITV Player and Channel 4 4oD streaming due this week
Cydia Mac App Store alternative due in just a few weeks time
MacBook Air USB Ethernet adapter glitch prompts network headaches
ASUS Eee Note EA800 gets video unboxing; user-guide goes live
Verizon’s Motorola Android Honeycomb tablet leaks
LG VL600 LTE modem [REVIEW]
Nexus S unboxing and hands-on [FEATURED]
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To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

The contest allows players of the game to design what could be the next edition of the famous Enterprise starship. The contest goes along with the latest expansion update for the game called Season Three: Genesis. The new expansion pack adds some interesting new features to the MMO.

Among the features is the public beta of the player-created content system called The Foundry Beta. Players can now replay episodes and some even offer new rewards. Borg tech can be integrated into the player’s star ship and Sector Space is revamped. The player who designs the winning Enterprise ship will win a grand prize package with a new M11x laptop from Alienware, a collector’s edition of the Star Trek online fames, a lifetime subscription to the game, a 3D model of the winning ship design and the winning ship will be used in the game.

If you still have your Atari 2600 stash, you could be sitting on enough loot for a new car. A gamer in Austin, Texas named Tanner Sandlin read a story on CNN about rare video games and realized that he owned one of the games in the story called Air Raid for the Atari 2600.

He tossed the game on eBay and the thing sold for a whopping $31,600. The reason that the game bought so much money was that it was only the 13 known copy of the game and the first complete copy that had the original packaging.

[via Mental Flossa]

The reason for the burial? There was little to no quality control over Atari 2600 video games and any vendor could put out what they wanted to for the system. The result was a glut of mediocre cartridges that no one wanted to purchase and the next result was that the 2600 died as a result of too much content. Too much mediocre and crappy content, that is.

That brings us to last week’s news that Apple was in the process of purging titles from the app store. Most, it seems, had to do with scantily clad men and women basically doing nothing but being scantily clad. Through the miracle of science one could even arrange some of the “models” to remove their clothes and even perhaps jiggle with near realistic fidelity. Of course, this led to a mini-backlash of cries of censorship, first amendment rights and in general another round of Apple bashing, especially as some of these titles appeared to be selling.

With the caveat that I’m not a lawyer, I fail to see where any arguments of First Amendment rights might remotely come into play here. The Apple store is privately owned. Apple can put whatever is wishes into the store or remove what it wishes and there’s no legal argument against it, to the best of my knowledge. Apple is no different than a religious school that chooses to teach creationism alongside evolution, of even a website choosing to close comments when things get out of hand. You might not like any of those things and of course, you have the right not to patronize those institutions or organizations. (perhaps my most amusing email last week was from a reporter claiming that Apple was banning tech site apps and therefore censoring the news). From now on, before we toss around words like “censorship” and “first amendment rights”, let’s at least know what we’re talking about.

I have not spoken with Apple on this issue but let’s go back to Atari and that buried ET game. It’s good to have to have content for your platform. It’s also a double edged sword. Too much bad content hurts that platform as well. In fact, in the post Atari 2600 world game vendors simply don’t let anyone make games for their consoles. Third parties needed to get their content approved, the first party would actually create the cart or disk and then sell them back to the game vendor who was then free to sell them as they wished. It was one way to make sure there wouldn’t be glut of mediocrity killing the platform.

The truth is, while Apple’s system is far from perfect, no supervision sucks. Just look at what’s happening to the quality of other mobile platforms such as Android, where apps can pretty much run amok, including phishing scams, until they’re user reported, vetted and finally pulled. I can’t speak for Apple but it appears many apps were passing through the guidelines but were as a whole bringing down the quality of the experience of the whole ecosystem. Apple needed to take action, especially in light of the iPad close to shipping. Now, it’s unfortunate that developers who have had apps approved had seen them removed but I also understand that when these types of apps start taking over the store shelves, it’s not unreasonable for the manager to make a clean sweep, especially if catering to an family audience. At the same time, it would be good for Apple to come up with a better plan of approving and segregating these apps to make sure this situation doesn’t happen again.

Having said that, and perhaps it’s a subjective view but I do think there’s a difference between Dirty Fingers Sexy Screen Wash and a digital edition of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition that goes beyond cleavage. In the end, the market will agree and support Apple’s move or find elsewhere to buy. One way or another, the free market (if there really is one for these type of apps) will prevail.

Video demo after the cut

There’s also a 2.5-inch PATA hard-drive from which you can load ROMs without needing to mess about with a tape deck, a 15-inch LCD display and an Atari XEGS motherboard.  Ben even made sure the buttons on his laptop mod matched the colors of the original console.

The whole thing is around 3-inches thick when closed, and uses a Nintendo GameCube power-supply.  Best of all, if you’ve sufficient cash you can buy it and spend your days retro-gaming to your heart’s content.

[via technabob]

Take the Atari for instance, what is one that the world these days seems to need in just about every device? A touchscreen, that’s why the Atari Touch Tablet has been created. The Atari Light Pen package Coupled with the new Atari Artist software users can manipulate the size, color and shape of the lines displayed. The Atari Artist software comes in two different versions, a four color version for users with 16k RAM and a 16 color version for those with 24K powerhouse workstations.

Now users can create beautiful graphics without all the complex overbearing controls and effects. The Atari Touch Tablet will cost you a very modern price of $89.85 with the Atari Light Pen running you $99.95. If you get bored after five or ten minutes don’t come complaining to us.

If you grew up with these movies, then this game will no doubt make you very happy. The game was written by Harold Remus and Dan Akroyd, which sounds very promising. Plus, the trailer shows the guys dancing around, Bill Murray being sarcastic and more.

I think the best part of the trailer is a great addition from the first movie. Well, I don’t want to give away too much, but it’s a certain monster that would go quite nicely with a cup of hot cocoa. Yes! Check out the trailer for yourself below:

Ghostbusters: The Video Game was written by the same people that wrote the first Ghostbusters movie, including Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd and their team. The really cool part is that the original cast members are involved this time around and they will all lend their voices and appearances to the game’s final product. Yes, that means Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson will be in the game. Sweet!

The game falls in line sequentially after Ghostbusters II. It seems Manhattan will have been taken over by ghosts once again. No word on an exact release date yet, but it’s good to know we can expect this one next year. It’s been a long time coming!

Slightly larger (but only just), Lenovo finally came clean with the X200t Tablet PC and X200s.  Hard to be too surprised when they’ve been the subject of leaks and rumors for months.  If the touchscreen of the X200t appeals, but you’ve got a size-complex, how about HP’s TouchSmart IQ800 Media PC?  Check out our demo video here.

In cellphones, HTC officially announced the Touch HD smartphone everybody drooled over last week, while we unboxed the new Sprint HTC Touch Diamond.  More details spilt out about Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm, but T-Mobile USA have pretty much stolen everybody’s thunder with news of their Android event on Tuesday September 23rd.  Don’t forget, we’ll be Live Blogging the whole announcement at http://Live.AndroidCommunity.com/

Retro gaming got the most page views this week, with a mashup of modern titles and classic Atari box artwork proving geekily appealing.  Don’t expect to see them on shelves, however; unlike the Canon 5D mark II (yes, I know, that was an awful segue) which has thrilled DSLR fans just by virtue of finally arriving.

Finally, could it be that tightening belts are finally reaching the big tech companies?  Both NVIDIA and Dell announced job cuts this week, citing tough financial quarters and the need to streamline for the road ahead.  It seems likely that they won’t be the only ones.

Then, you’d get the line up of artistry created by the people over at The -Minus World. All the new favorites have been represented. Everything from Resident Evil 5 to Portal are captured in pixelated goodness, the latter of which boldly states “The Cake is a Lie,” amongst several circles and lines and general mayhem.

But I think my favorite is the Bioshock cover. Yes, that is a Big Daddy. Yes, that is a Little Sister. Yes, that is awesome.

[via The -Minus World]

Where were you when Atari announced their 800 model home computer? Or what about when the Commodore 64 burst onto the scene?

Regardless of the model, now you can see all your favorite ads from the very beginning days of computing right up through the 1980’s. Well, 101 of them, at least. Check out the full list. If you ever doubted that tech has come a long way, this should confirm it for you.

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Rather than using step-on board like Wii Fit, the Family Trainer uses floor mat similar to DDR pad which I personally dislike due to its sliding when you are on hardwood floor or marble.

As for the game itself, Family Trainer features several virtual outdoor challenges such as river rafting, log jumping, and etc. Atari plans to release Family Trainer in Europe this September. No information on pricing yet.

[via reghardware]