Sony lowers Playstation 2 price to $99
Sony had claimed it would be making a big announcement this week, but didn't give consumers any hints. Speculators and analysts assumed we'd be seeing a significant decrease in the price of the PlayStation 3. What Sony has now unveiled does not involve the PlayStation 3, but instead the PlayStation 2. The company plans to reduce the consoles price by about 25 percent, down to $99.

Study: Video Gaming May Aid Eyesight

Study: Video Gaming May Aid Eyesight
The free Skype for iPhone app will finally be available to download from the iTunes App Store Tuesday.
'Pride And Prejudice' Heroines Battle The Undead

Jane Austen's original text has been ever so slightly altered to accommodate brand new scenes of the Bennet girls forming "The Pentagram of Death" and taking on hordes of the undead, along with a ninja or two.

OnLive Gaming Heats Up Gamer Conference

You keep your email online with Gmail, and your pictures online with Flickr. Why not play video games that way? Happening this week is the Game Developers Conference, the biggest annual videogame gathering. NPR's Laura Sydell reports on the hottest topic there: the OnLive video game service. Pay a fee, and you have access to console games via the Internet.

How's Your NCAA Bracket Looking?

Four Monster games were played Saturday night, giving us the final teams for the NCAA elite eight. The Kansas-Michigan State game was a real squeaker, and Arizona, the lone double-digit ranked team, lost to No.1-ranked Louisville. Is the hope for a Cinderella team a fairy tale?

Are you prepared to give Wii a mental High Voltage makeover?
If you think the Wii console is just for old people and little brothers, then you're in for a change come June. At least that's the case of a new High Voltage game called Conduit coming out at that time. The game makers promise an action-packed adventure that's more typically found on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Nintendo at GDC 2009: It’s the software, stupid!

Nintendo at GDC 2009: It’s the software, stupid!
There is no doubt that Nintendo is currently dominating the consolegaming world and the company isn’t exactly shy of explaining its rivalswhy that is the case: Software sells hardware, said Nintendo presidentSatoru Iwata during his keynote at GDC 2009. While that is not exactlynews for many people, he gave conference attendees an idea just howmuch effort the company puts into developing entertaining games.
Peter Sagal On The Economy

Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me visits Talk of the Nation guest host Alison Stewart to take a humorous look at how to understand the economy.

Blockbuster unveils OnDemand for TiVo, hints at Apple deal
TiVo is under pressure to deliver more products to consumers to be ableto justify its pricing structure for its subscription-based service.Now the company has landed a deal with Blockbuster, which could set itapart from the less-expensive DVR competitors and is yet another signhow movie content will be delivered to homes in the future.
Dhani Jones Takes His A-Game Across The Globe

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones has another gig away from the gridiron – he stars in the new Travel Channel show, "Dhani Tackles the Globe." Jones travels the world to experience the national sports of ten countries. The NFL player talks about his on-screen adventures.

Are you ready for cloud gaming?

Are you ready for cloud gaming?
There may soon be another option to play video games at home, in a verydifferent way we have been used to so far. Rather than buying a fairlyexpensive console or PC, a small box promises to deliver games throughthe Internet to your TV or PC, no matter how powerful your localhardware is. Will cloud gaming have a chance to break through thebarrier of modern game consoles and high-end PCs?
Video Game Grad Programs Open Up The Industry

By focusing on games as a medium for artistic experimentation and collaboration, graduate programs in video game design are bringing change to an industry once known for its monoculture.

AMD ready to demo Havok physics on its graphics cards
About nine months ago, we learned that AMD was partnering with Intelacquisition Havok to enable physics acceleration on its graphicsprocessors. Now it seems that the company is ready to show what it hasbeen working on. First Havok physics demos on Radeon GPUs are expectedfor GDC 2009, which starts today.

Taking The Northern Scum Out Of A State Song

Fourth grader Antoinette Lee and her classmates at Glen Burnie Park Elementary School aren't fans of their state song, which calls northerners scum and Abraham Lincoln a despot. So her class decided to do something about it.

MLB 09 The Show

MLB 09 The Show
Widely considered the most authentic baseball game available, MLB 09 The Show is set to provide fans with the most realistic baseball experience to date.
Ex-Falcons Player's 'Baseball Great'

Josh, the protagonist of former Atlanta Falcons player Tim Green's book Baseball Great, is a budding and promising baseball player who uncovers disturbing secrets about the youth championship team that he plays on.

First PhysX-enabled games arrive on iPhone
In character, Apple's allowed a different route than other companies like Sony and Nintendo. Rather than licensing Nvidia's PhysX technology and exposing it to developers via theiPhone SDK, they've allowed several independent developers who createdPhysX-enabled iPhone games into their App Store. And while you can't overlook how the advanced physics comes at the expense of graphicsquality, their use does serve as testbed example that iPhone too can run the Nvidia PhysXengine.

Online video game to offer real banking services

Online video game to offer real banking services
The Swedish Finance Supervisory has given preliminary approval in the form of a real banking license to video game maker, MindArk PE AB. Within a year, a person will be able to enter the online sci-fi video game Entropia Universe to conduct some real-world banking business -- forever changing the concept of online banking. Set on planet Calypso, there will be no lines, no hassles, and always the experience you'd expect with a friendly service from virtual bank tellers who...
Web Chat: How Often Should You Shampoo?

The reason for your lackluster locks? You may be washing your hair too much. Ask the experts in a live chat on Thursday, March 19, at noon ET.

Playstation 3 gets physics effects
Sony has signed a license agreement with Nvidia that will enableregistered Playstation 3 (PS3) developers to use the binary version ofthe PhysX SDK in their games.
Circus Elephants Grace Nation's Capital

As congressional committees run a three-ring circus of committee meetings about the budget, health care and education, an annual parade of Ringling Bros. Circus elephants entertains spectators on Capitol Hill.

Guinness World Record: Video game uses F-word 189 times, once per minute
A video game called "House of the Dead: Overkill" has now become the world's most profane ever, according to a Guinness World Records spokesman. It drops the F-bomb an amazing 189 times, accounting for a 3% of the game's overall dialogue, at a rate of about one use per minute.
Johnson Vs. Bird And The Dawn Of March Madness

Thirty years ago this month, millions of viewers watched a basketball game that would change sports forever. Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans took on Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores for the national college basketball championship title. It was, says author Seth Davis, the beginning of March Madness.

Sony leaned on by game publishers: Lower the price of the PS3!

Sony leaned on by game publishers: Lower the price of the PS3!
Sony has launched into defensive mode following the announcement of Nintendo's 100 millionth DS sale after a mere 4 years 3 months on the market. It took Sony a full 5 years 9 months to achieve the same sales record. Analysts say Sony is heading toward a price cut with its PlayStation 3, and it's anticipated that Sony could potentially reduce the price anywhere from $50 to $100 in the next couple months.
Broadcaster Bills Math Whiz Who Died In 1559

Here's a math problem: If you didn't pay your cable bill for 450 years, how much would you owe? German public broadcasting sent an overdue notice to a mathematician, but he hadn't lived at that address since 1559 — the year he died.

Is Your State Magnetic Or Sticky?

You know about red states and blue states. But what about "sticky" states and "magnet" states? Magnet states attract newcomers. Sticky states retain their native-born residents. Recently, the Pew Research Center separated the magnets and the stickies.

Giving Up Technology For Lent

We're now more than two weeks into Lent. For many abiding Roman Catholics, that means nearly another month without chocolate or cigarettes — or text messaging.

Is the Wii about to enter the set-top box arena?

'SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Combined Assault'
Now you and your buddies can take down evil enemies together with a multiplayer online campaign mode. The "SOCOM" series never disappoints.
Is the Wii about to enter the set-top box arena?
Unlike Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation, the Nintendo Wii is both user friendly and family oriented. Nearly anyone can utilize it. The use of the device as a streaming media player would surely not only boost sales, but it could also give other console manufacturers a run for their money. Currently in the United States, there are 16.2 million Wiis. This number compares to 12.8 million Xbox 360s and 6.3 million PS3s. In fact, the Wii has the potential to...

Nintendo DS hits 100 million in unit sales
Nintendo has managed to sell its 100 millionth Nintendo DS portable game console sometime this week. The 100M figure includes cumulative sales of Nintendo DS, DS Lite and DSi since its launch in early 2005. While the growth curve remains consistent, the number of game titles selling above the 1 million mark is increasing, now at 83.

Sony and NBC partner for PlayStation content
As of yesterday, Sony Computer Entertainment America is now offering television programs and movies from NBC Universal. The deal expands content to 1,300 movies and 4,500 TV episodes which can be purchased or rented on Sony's PlayStation network.
Was Magician's Air Cargo Stunt Made Up?

A professional magician claims to have shipped himself by cargo plane from upstate New York to Las Vegas in November, with video to prove it. The Transportation Security Administration and the FBI are investigating; UPS says it may be a hoax.

Netflix to begin offering streaming-only plans
On Wednesday, Netflix announced it will be launching a brand new, stand-alone streaming service. The company will offer customers a fixed monthly fee for accessing the company's DVD categories via web-based streaming only (content/view/41342/98/). There are no specific details as to when the new service will launch or how much it will cost, though many predict it wil be in the third quarter.

StripGenerator: An example of ever changing web technology
The Internet is changing the way in which artists, musicians and writers alike are able to conduct business and publicize their work. StripGenerator is an excellent example of how this changing technology gives writers an opportunity to share their comic musings with the world by creating their own comic strips.

Netflix to begin offering streaming-only plans
On Wednesday, Netflix announced it will be launching a brand new, stand-alone streaming service. The company will offer customers a fixed monthly fee for accessing the company's DVD categories via web-based streaming only (content/view/41342/98/). There are no specific details as to when the new service will launch or how much it will cost, though many predict it wil be in the third quarter.
Once Banned, Monty Python Flick Returns To Town

Life of Brian was banned 30 years ago in the Welsh town of Aberystwyth because church leaders thought it was blasphemous. The town's mayor played a role in getting the film to be screened for the first time later this month, but that's not the only role she's played.

It's Paper. Paper Made Of Wombat Poo

A company in Tasmania has found a way to make paper out of excreta from wombats, those Australian marsupials. The Creative Paper Company in Burnie has already won attention for making "Roo-Poo" paper from kangaroo dung. They are now expanding their line. Host Scott Simon speaks with Darren Simpson, a "paper maker" for Creative Paper, a company that makes its product from poo.

Amazon.com launches video game trade-in store
Have an old video game you want to trade in for a new or different title? You could always stop by your local GameStop retail store and barter away. Or, if you don't like to leave your house (except, of course, to go to the local UPS store and drop off your exchange package) you could turn to Amazon.com's new game trade-in service.

The Beatles go digital with MTV, sorta

The Beatles go digital with MTV, sorta
The Beatles is the last big name in music that has not arrived in thedigital age yet and we recently got word that the organization behindthe Beatles’ music, Apple Corps, are not ready to release their musicto iTunes at this time. But the group will make their music availablein a new video game scheduled for launch later this year. And just incase you wonder: There are more than 46 years between the first Beatlesalbum release and the introduction of this...
Redux: Brian Unger, Free-Falling

Responding to a listener request, we present a classic "Unger Report" from 2004. In this episode, Brian Unger and former Day to Day producer Rob Sachs visit a sky-diving simulator and experience the sense of free-fall without falling at all.

Amazon Video on Demand launches on Roku

Saitek Unveils New Products
Introducing the new line of Saitek peripheral devices launching in the coming months. They including a keyboard, flight-sim equipment and audio devices.
Amazon Video on Demand launches on Roku
On Tuesday, Roku announced it would add over 40,000 movies and television programs to its online video service via Amazon Video on Demand. In May, the company launched its $99 digital video player with Netflix as its initial streaming partner. The deal between Amazon and Roku now allows for the delivery of a larger content library, in addition to new titles.

Maz Jobrani, Playing The 'Axis Of Evil' For Laughs

The Iranian-born stand-up comic attended UC Berkeley and enrolled in a PhD program at UCLA before trying his hand at comedy and acting. Since turning pro, Maz Jobrani has acted in the ABC sitcom The Knights of Prosperity and performed with the Axis of Evil comedy tour.

CBS launches iPhone television application
TV.com has been released by CBS Mobile, the new free mobile application will allow iPhone and iPod touch users to view full episodes of select CBS television shows and other programs via a Wi-Fi or 3G mobile network.
A Merchant, A King And A Shrew Walk Into A Bar ...

Every clue is an anagram for the name of a Shakespeare character. For example, given, "real," the answer would be "Lear."