With the App Store breaking over 2,000 apps available for download, we’ve already seen several issues arise from rights holders asking for apps to be removed and way over priced apps being banned. But just recently, Microsoft has made a decision to let developers make apps that integrate with their Xbox Live service under the condition that they do so for free. Right now there are three apps that handle this, and one of them has decided to turn a deaf ear to Microsofts demands. iLive, the worst out of all the Xbox Live iPhone apps is still charging $1.99!

We’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft does about this, considering they’re the ones providing the information for this app to pull from.

The Skypephone S2 is a great example of this. It’s capable of HSDPA data transfer, has a 3.2 megapixel camera, 50mb of built in memory, microSD slot for additional memory, and built in Skype functionality. Just like with regular Skype, all Skype-to-Skype calls are free and it costs as little as $20 to get some decent plans for calling and receiving calls from cell phones and land lines. If you sign up for a monthly plan, you can even get this nifty little phone for free. Plus it works as a pretty decent broadband dongle. Can’t beat that!

The SideWinder X6 is reportedly one of the best designed gaming keyboards to date. The entire keyboard has been redesigned from the ground up and even includes a switchable key pad. You can easily set those additional keys to macros for non-gaming purposes as well.

But you can’t simply by the SideWinder X6 keyboard without at least checking out the 2,000 DPI last tracking engine, six DPI on the fly adjustable, 9 customizable button X5 mouse.

At $79.95 for the X6 keyboard and $59.95 for the X5 mouse, these bad boys are definitely worth it.

Transform With Microsoft’s New SideWinder X6 Keyboard; Industry’s First Switchable Key Pad Moves From Work to Play
SideWinder line expands with first-ever keyboard and new SideWinder X5 Mouse.

LEIPZIG, Germany  Aug. 20, 2008  Today at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Microsoft Hardware debuted the SideWinder X6 Keyboard - the most versatile gaming keyboard on the market with the first-ever switchable key pad that can be attached to the left or right side of the keyboard for ultimate flexibility. To round out the SideWinder line, the Hardware team is also announcing the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge.
The switchable key pad makes the SideWinder X6 Keyboard ideal for gaming as well as productivity, as the key pad functions as a standard num pad in normal keyboard mode, but becomes a programmable macro pad in game mode. Complementing the unique versatility of the keyboard are features specifically designed for gaming, including the capacity to store up to 90 macros per game and backlighting that helps users get immersed in the game.

“We know that consumers don’t want to pull out and set up a second keyboard for a gaming session, so we created a device that was perfect for both gaming and regular computer use,” said Kevin Flick, user researcher for Microsoft Hardware. “With the switchable key pad, gamers will have a fantastic, customizable experience whether they’re playing their favorite game or creating Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentations.”
Powerful Versatility

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard’s switchable key pad allows gamers to program up to 90 macros per game with the help of a set of dedicated macro keys as well as a fully programmable key pad. With mode switching, gamers can instantly go from Microsoft Office Excel to their favorite game - and place the macro pad on whichever side they prefer for gaming. The X6 also offers the following features to take advantage of its adaptability:

• Mode switching lets gamers manually toggle the keyboard from standard mode to either of two gaming modes. LEDs show the selected mode.
• Automatic profile switching detects the application that is running and applies the custom profile.

Designed for Gaming

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is more than a standard keyboard with a few extra bells and whistles - it was built from the ground up with gamers in mind, to give them an edge up on their competition. To complement its versatility, the keyboard has the following additional features to produce the ultimate gaming package:

• New Cruise Control feature continues an action without having to hold down the key or keys assigned to the action. Gamers can use Cruise Control with up to four keys at a time.1
• In-game macro record button lets gamers record any sequence of keystrokes - even standard chat messages. Macros are stored on the PC hard drive and can be easily shared.
• WASD gaming keys, the most commonly used keys for gamers, have front-face lighting for enhanced visibility.
• Quick-Launch key gives one-touch access to Windows Vista Games Explorer, allowing gamers to quickly see the games in their PC’s game library.

Get Immersed

Gamers enjoy a heightened experience when adsorbed in the gaming world. Research shows many gamers like to dim the lights, and the X6’s two-color adjustable backlighting helps set the mood to achieve total immersion. The red backlighting indicates standard keys that are not programmable, while the amber color indicates custom-programmable macro keys in game mode that can be tuned to the gamers’ preference. The X6 also includes full media keys and volume and backlighting control dials to fine-tune the gaming experience.

SideWinder X5 Mouse

Today, Microsoft also announced the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge. The nine-button gaming mouse is designed for handling with vertical side buttons, adjustable sensitivity switching up to 2,000 DPI, five customizable buttons, and a Quick-Launch button that instantly launches the Windows Vista Games Explorer.

SideWinder: It’s Only the Beginning

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is the first keyboard to join the popular SideWinder family of gaming products. Established in 1995 and revived in 2007, the SideWinder line is known for its top-notch PC gaming peripherals, including mice, game pads, joysticks and steering wheels.

Pricing and Availability

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard and SideWinder X5 Mouse will be widely available in September 2008 for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.) and $59.95 (U.S.), respectively.3 The products are available now for pre-sale on Amazon.com and will ship in September when they are widely released. The SideWinder X6 Keyboard and SideWinder X5 Mouse will be backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft Corp. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

First off, it will be completely backwards compatible with USB 2.0 (got a device older than that? Throw it away!) and will be able to offer a transfer rate ten times as fast as USB 2.0. That means that instead of transfering at 480Mbps, you’ll be transferring at 4.8Gbps. Unreal.

The upload and download transfers will actually be kept on separate lanes, making the cables thicker but allowing for these increased speeds and faster charge times over USB for certain devices.

We’ve still got a while to wait, but we’ll keep you posted!

Itching for that new iPhone update? Well the 2.0.2 firmware is now available! This update doesn’t actually provide you with any specific detail as to what it is fixing, but it does seem to be geared towards fixing a lot of issues that specifically 3G iPhone users have been experiencing.

As users find themselves downloading the firmware, we’re receiving reports that it actually decreases/removes the lag associated with browsing through your contacts and a few other places. Download at your own risk, especially those of you who have Pwned your iPhone as this could potentially brick it or at least mess up all those wonderful customizations you spent your time setting up.

To compliment that beautiful Aston Martin DBS that you’ve got parked next to the three dozen other cars in your garage, might we suggest that Jaeger LeCoultre AMVOX2 DBS Transponder? At over $40k, this beauty of a watch actually allows you to unlock and lock your DBS from up to 10 meters away. Originally this device ran into some issues due to the Faraday Cage that the mechanical workings of the watch had created around the transponder. But through a little engineering, a 128mm sapphire and metal antenna was crafted and inserted into the curve of the inner bezel ring.

Who needs key FOBs anyway?

LiveAutographs.com works with stars that may not exactly be shining that bright right now, but instead of having a picture of them on your wall with a signature you can’t exactly verify, you can easily purchase a presonalized video autograph from some major B-listers at a reasonable price. Stars like Carmen Electra, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and even the cast of Lost.

But who’s had a chance to actually take advantage of this? Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, that’s who.

3 months and $150 later, Arrington received the video autographed he purchased of one William Shatner. How can you beat that?

While the software is still in beta, you can get your copy of it right here, but keep in mind that as development software, there is still a chance that downloading and using this program can permanently damage your iPhone or iPod Touch. Quickpwn beta is also only available for the PC at the current time.

The newest line of Sony Walkman’s have hit the New Zealand website, giving us a sneak preview of what’s to come. The three new models (NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436, and NWZ-E438) are all equipped with a 2 inch QVGA LCD screen, FM tuner, and are capable of playing MP3, AAC, WMA, and Linear PCM formats. The device itself is rather small, maxing out at 8.5mm with a total weight of 50g and comes in three different sizes: 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB.

Besides the NWZ-E438 coming in only black, you can have your pick of color variations for the new Sony Walkman line to give your device a bit more of a personalized/customized feel to it. As is normal with the Sony Walkman line, these PMP’s work very well with both Windows Media Player and iTunes, allowing you to easily drag and drop your files onto the device.

No final word has been issued regarding prices and release date as of yet.

For those of you who are new to TheGadgetBlog.net, we want you to know that we’re in love with NZXT and their awesome gaming cases. We have yet to review one so far that didn’t blow us out of the water with it’s style and feel. We have yet to be disappointed by their design and hopefully neither have you. If you haven’t had a chance to try out an NZXT case, now might be the time for you to do so.

The Guardian 921 mid tower case looks like something out of transformers. The styling looks similar to it’s predecessor, the original Guardian, but has been completely tweaked for the more budget conscious gamer. It definitely has a cool sleek feel to it that will make most of the components you fill it with a bit jealous.

The case itself is built from solid .88mm and 1.00mm steel and is very spacious. You won’t run into any problems fitting in the more high end video card models that have been coming out lately. Nor will you have any issues fitting your hard drives inside of it as it has space for up to four internal hard drives.

NZXT doesn’t cut corners when it comes to any of their cases either. Even this more wallet conscious model is equipped with three temperature probes to allow you to keep a constant watch on how hot your system is running. This is definitely a must if you’re considering any form of overclocking or even just stuffing your system full of hardware.

Keeping with the concept of running your system cool, NZXT has included 3 120mm fans that run oh so quiet and manage to keep the temperature down nicely. That’s not to say that your own setup won’t require some additional fans, but what they do include makes quite a bit of difference.

While the blue and purple glow of the system itself may scare many away from touching the system directly, you’ll be sure to notice that it has plenty of multimedia and peripheral inputs. You’re looking at E-SATA, Intel HD audio mic, and two USB inputs, all on the front of the Guardian 921.

This case is a no brainer for anyone looking to build a new system on a tighter budget. If you’ve got a bit more to spend, you may want to check out some of NZXT’s higher end cases, but definitely don’t count the Guardian 921 out of the running. It’s really got everything you need out of a high performance gaming case, especially if you’re going for the badass look. But I have doubts that many people will be swapping out their existing case for the Guardian 921 any time soon.

The Guardian 921 performance gaming case was provided for review by NZXT