Let's Roll: Metal Gear Solid 4
Konami Digital Entertainment

Grand Theft Auto IV and Wii Fit have scored headlines for shifting public opinions about videogames by deftly tackling the respective subjects that inspired them: crime and fitness. Now comes Metal Gear Solid 4 ($60; konami.com), whose major themes derive from a most unlikely place: President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address warning against the dangers of the military-industrial complex.

Well before last October’s hearings into possible abuses by real-world contractors like Blackwater, game designers became fascinated with the character of the hired gun, including such pro-mercenary titles as Raven Software’s Soldier of Fortune (2000) and Pandemic’s Mercenaries (2005). The appeal is perhaps obvious, but psychologically telling: placing you in the role of a merc gives you access to all the cool ordnance you’d find in the glut of Army games out there, but without having to deal with the annoying hierarchical command structure that comes with the armed forces.

MGS 4 isn’t the only game looking skeptically at the post-9/11 corporatization of military functions—clips and quotes from Eisenhower’s 1961 speech were prominently featured in the trailers for both Army of Two ($60; ea.com) and Cipher Complex (not yet released; ciphercomplex.com)—but it’s by far the most thoughtful, even if its premise is not particularly original. Yes, a villain from the previous games turns up in the Middle East with yet another plan for global domination and, yes, only your lone hero—the prematurely aging Solid Snake—can stop him. But creator Hideo Kojima clearly has more on his mind than a repeat of the hide-seek-and-shoot mechanics that have made him the master of the genre he calls “tactical stealth action,” which emphasizes patience and strategy over the simple pleasures of run-and-gun.

Walkvest: As you progress in your exercise and weightloss program, it’s harder to improve as quickly. The Walkvest, made famous recently by actress Valerie Bertinelli, who used it to shed pounds, allows you to add half-pound weights, up to eight pounds, to make your walking or running regimen more challenging ($59.90; walkvest.com).

Goody: If you often have to stop mid-workout to adjust your hair band or clip, what good is it? Goody’s StayPut collection really does just that. Its hair bands ($3.99) have 52 percent more holding power than a regular band, and the quarter-inch and half-inch claws ($3.99 to $4.99) grip probably longer than you can on those barbells (goody.com).

Arranging a wedding can be a headache. But a growing number of Web sites are helping to ease the pain by letting couples plan their weddings online. Wedding Web sites allow the bride and groom to post event details, maps and directions; biographies about the couple and wedding party, and links to hotels and gift registries. They also let guests RSVP and vote in customized polls to pick the first song the couple will dance to or which drink to serve at the reception.

The sites offer contracts (for a fee) that can go as long as a year, but JoAnn Gregoli, a New York-based wedding planner, says it’s best to opt for monthly contracts. “You don’t want to sign a year contract for a wedding in six months,” she says.

March 10, 2008 issue 

Star in your own action sports video with a wearable, miniature camcorder. Helmet cams are the latest must-have gizmo for adrenaline junkies, who post their exploits online and e-mail clips to friends. They mount to your head, handlebars, surfboard or kayak, leaving hands free for rip cords or ski poles.

The POV.1 features a lipstick-size camera, a wireless remote, a microphone and editing software that allows you to organize and upload clips to video-sharing sites ($700; vio-pov.com). The Digital Hero 3 has waterproof housing, shoots 56 minutes of video and sound and features a slide-show mode that takes a picture every five seconds ($140 to $180; goprocamera.com). Built for simplicity, the VholdR features aluminum housing, one on-off switch and no cables, and weighs 4.8 ounces ($350; vholdr.com). Already own a camcorder? Hoyttech.com sells lipstick cameras that can attach to your camcorder such as the EconoSport HelmetCam kit ($190). Helmetcameracentral.com sells a variety of brands and includes product reviews. Post images on YouTube or upload them to rip.tv and watch the spills and thrills.

Customer call centers tend to do one thing efficiently: frustrate complaining customers. Beat them at their own game with these tips from “Gotcha Capitalism” by Bob Sullivan (Ballantine Books. $14.95):

Start by checking the Web site gethuman.com for the secret code that will get you to a live rep more quickly. Call during regular business hours, when the best employees are manning the phones. And consider pressing the number for Spanish, as you’re likely to get a bilingual operator faster than you would by waiting for an English-only agent. Or call the sales office instead. Once you get through, jot down the rep’s name or operator number, and then state your case simply. Ask if he or she has the authority to solve the problem for you. If not, ask to be switched to a supervisor who does. Take that, “hold” music!

The fanboy crowd in San Francisco roared loudest at the MacBook Air. A gorgeous three-pound computer with a sleek aluminum skin, so thin that you could slip it under a door, it’s the Kate Moss of laptops. At $1,799 it has limited storage, a nonremovable battery and no DVD drive, but stylish road warriors will love it.

...

...

Photos courtesy of (from left): Belkin, Neonode, Polaroid, iHome*

By N'Gai Croal
Jan. 21, 2008 issue

Even if you factor in the jaded streak that runs through most tech journalists, the oft-exchanged phrase at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show, “More of the same,” was a legitimate assessment of the gadgets on display. That said, we did manage to dig up some products worth highlighting. One was Jook, a hardware add-on for digital audio players that would permit you to broadcast your music wirelessly to other Jook-enabled music devices within 30 feet, or to listen to music being broadcast by other users and tag songs for purchase the next time you dock your player with your PC. Another was Seagate’s D.A.V.E., a Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi-enabled pocket-size hard drive that allows you to access any audio or video files on it from devices as varied as iPhones, laptops, car stereos and more. Here are some other products that caught our eye.

* Belkin Surge Protector, $50: This remote-controlled power strip lets you shut off devices without ducking under your desk.
* Neonode N2 Mobile Phone (price not announced): Its infrared-based touchscreen is more rugged than that of an iPhone or Palm. The device also plays music and movies.
* Polaroid Mobile Photo Printer, $150: Connect phones and cameras via Bluetooth or USB for two- by three-inch prints
* iHome iP47 Clock Radio, $150: iPod players with built in alarm clocks aren’t new, but the speakerphone for iPhones is genius. You can also stream MP3s to the iP47 from any Bluetooth device.

Almost famous: Shoppers play the videogame Rock Band at the MTV Store in midtown Manhattan
Photograph by Timothy Fadek—Polaris for Newsweek.

There are few things that strike fear into the hearts of holiday shoppers as effectively as trying to shop for videogames. Many grown-ups aren’t particularly knowledgeable about games, which means that they regularly run the risk of buying a game that the recipient either doesn’t want or already owns. On top of that, sometimes buying just a stand-alone disc- or cartridge-based game doesn’t feel like a big-enough gesture (the box is so small!). Fortunately, there are a number of hardware-based gaming options that, depending on your budget, definitely make a statement about just how much you care.

Two of the hottest options are the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock bundle ($80 to $100, PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii; redoctane.com) and Rock Band ($170, Xbox 360 and PS3; rockbandstore.com). The original Guitar Hero was a surprise smash in 2005; Guitar Hero III continues the tradition of challenging players to match button presses on the included faux guitar with the matching on-screen icons. Just strapping on the guitar is enough to make you feel like a rock star, but letting your fingers fly across the buttons and tilting the neck up to trigger “star power” and drive your fans wild completes the dream.

Rock Band, however, cranks the fantasy up a notch by adding drums and a microphone to the mix (it also supports a second guitar for that special bassist in your life). The guitarists strum, the drummer drums, the singer warbles—think karaoke, but it detects what key you’re singing in—and it all adds up to one fantastic experience. At first, you’ll probably be using the overdrive power-up to save other band members from failing out and taking your entire band with them. But once you get the hang of it, overdrive becomes the nitrous that boosts your well-oiled machine to arena-rattling heights as you and your mates go on a virtual tour from Boston to Reykjavik and a slew of points in between.

If you’re shopping for someone who’d rather just sing than play mock instruments, consider the Ceramic White PlayStation 2 bundle ($150; gamestop.com). It includes Sony’s ubiquitous seven-year-old console, a pair of microphones and a copy of SingStar Pop, a slick karaoke game that includes both music videos and songs by such performers as Alicia Keys, Rihanna, U2 and Gorillaz. And for those who’d prefer to dance, Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution is available for multiple consoles, including Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party for the darn-near-impossible-to-find Wii ($70, Wii; bestbuy.com). What’s unique about the Wii version is that it not only makes use of the dance pad for your toe-tapping moves, but also the Wii remote and nunchuck for a variety of upper-body gestures.

You may find it next to impossible to persuade the Xbox 360 owner you’re shopping for to put down his or her copy of Halo 3 long enough to open up presents, or even bathe. But when less-trigger-happy friends come over, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action ($60, Xbox 360; amazon.com) should entertain them without any digital bloodletting. Complete with four wireless game-show-style buzzers, it’s the videogame version of the popular DVD trivia series, with this one focusing on movie-related questions. There’s also Buzz! The Mega Quiz ($30, PS2; target.com), whose questions extend beyond movies to music, TV and sports, and Buzz! Junior Jungle Party ($30, PS2), targeted toward kids. And we’ll throw in a final stocking stuffer: the Wii Zapper ($25, Wii; circuitcity.com), a shotgun-shaped housing for a Wii remote and nunchuk that includes Link’s Crossbow Training. If you think of holiday shopping as a game, we hope we’ve given you the cheat codes you need to win.

Nov. 5, 2007 issue 

Thanks to a new wave of handheld, video-friendly devices, it’s never been easier to keep yourself (or the kids) entertained. But before you buy a portable boob tube, there are a few things to consider.

If you plan to eye lots of video, consider a display of at least three inches. In general, expect to squeeze about 20 to 60 hours of video into 16 gigs (most new players come with 8 or 16GB of memory). If that’s not enough, look for a player with a memory-card slot, or consider a hard-drive player. For the video itself, iPod owners can seamlessly download movies and TV shows from Apple’s iTunes Store, while other devices play videos bought from services like Amazon Unbox, CinemaNow and Wal-Mart (though integration isn’t as smooth as Apple’s). Still unsure? Here’s a look at the latest portable video players:

Sept. 10, 2007 issue - Like Nintendo's DS last year, Sony's PlayStation Portable is getting a much-needed nip-and-tuck. The new PSP is only three quarters of an inch thick, down from nine tenths. And thanks in part to a slimmer battery, the device is shedding about 2.5 ounces, down to 6.7. Other upgrades include: