As the photo clearly states, this is only for the original PSP 1000s, but it’s still a pretty cool idea. The idea of a handheld is to be able to bring it with you wherever you go, but once you start factoring in bringing multiple games (and, in the case of the PSP, extra memory sticks) it all falls apart – for me, at least. Now assuming you can sacrifice the UMD slot in your PSP, then UMEMD is the perfect solution: it lets you carry around four extra memory sticks with a UMD-shaped holder.

The pricing has been announced on this Team Xecuter-developer accessory, but a post on their official forums states that they’ll be shipping in two weeks.

I’d definitely pick one up if they were designed for the PSP 2000, so hopefully something like that is in the works.

via PSP Fanboy

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If you fall into the demographic of “people who want HDMI output from an HDMI port-less Xbox 360 that still works,” Mad Catz has got your back. They’ve released a conversion kit that allows you to get HDMI output from your 360 even if you don’t have the newer model 360 systems that sport an HDMI port.

HDMI port on your HDTV or receiver but not on your Xbox 360? Problem solved with the Mad Catz HDMI Conversion Kit. Now you can finally play your 360 games the way they were meant to be experienced: in true 1080p HD. Simply plug the adapter into the A/V port on the back of your 360 and run the included HDMI cable from the adapter to your HDTV and you’re ready to play. The optical audio port provides an alternative setup solution and everything you need to get full HD output from your Xbox 360 is right inside the box. Convenient, simplified HDMI connectivity makes the Mad Catz HDMI Conversion Kit the ideal choice for getting the most from what your console has to offer. Mad Catz promises innovative, quality products for all your gaming needs.

Now, I can’t speak to the quality of the converter or if this would inherently suffer from any sort of quality loss. (Readers, if you’re more tech savvy than me, please share in the comments.) But the ability to get HDMI output is a nice feature, especially when the package comes packed with HDMI and optical cables for your HD pleasures.

The asking price? $89.

That seems fairly steep, and early adopters who desperately want HDMI output are really getting shafted here. But, that’s one of the setbacks to being an early adopter; oftentimes you’re going to miss out on features that come along down the road. (See: PSP Phat owners being unable to use Skype.)

via Evil Avatar

Awhile back, we heard tales of a forthcoming RockBand Stage Kit that promised an “interactive light and smoke stage show.” Well, now pre-order boxes have been appearing at various stores finally revealing just what the the Stage Kit actually is. And it’s…exactly what it sounds like. Namely, it looks like a couple of lights and a smoke machine; all for the ridiculous price of $100. Look, RockBand is fun, but let’s imagine this scene for a moment: Four people — anyone really — sitting in a room using fake plastic instruments while a smoke machine runs and a couple lights pulse rhythmically to the music. It’s either a bizarre cult or someone who just spent a hundred bucks on something to emphasize their nerdiness; maybe even both.

Via Xbox 360 Fanboy

Earlier today, a new gaming product was leaked in the usual way: by having a retailer accidentally list it for sale. GameStop.com put up an image for the “RockBand Stage Kit” which shows the box describing it as an “Interactive Light and Smoke Stage Show.” The image has since vanished, but the listing remains with a shipping date of 6/23/08 and a price of $99.99. Rumor also has it that the “light show” will synchronized with the music. No word on the smoke yet, but this probably means you’ll soon be playing the game with the windows open. That and you mightneed to find a fifth person to be the lighting guy.
Via Gamestop

All sorts of fun gadgets always make their way out of CES, and this one might be of particular interest to gamers. SoundTech’s Ediface is an audio peripheral that, when attached to a real guitar, will convert the instrument’s sound into digital MIDI format. SoundTech is claiming that using this, you could use a real guitar in Rock Band or Guitar Hero III.

That’s definitely really cool for those with the ability to play, and if you’ve got some skills and a guitar lying around, that might be your only option for a second guitar controller in Rock Band for now.

Or maybe a turntable is more up your alley?

Gizmodo via 1UP

As if Skype weren’t enough, Sony has been demonstrating the PlayStation Portable’s GPS accessory, indicating that the Japan-only device will likely be released Stateside. It was released last year for a modest $43, so it seems like an affordable option for anyone who already has a PSP.

Sony’s CES website has a news tidbit that reads:

Explore the world with GPS on your PSP. Utilizing the GPS peripheral and the latest mapping software on UMD, your PSP will provide 2D/3D locations, driving directions, POI’s, and even downloadable city guides. With an easy search feature and customizable settings, GPS on PSP is the easiest way to navigate new areas and cities. Your world has now become portable.

There are no further details currently available, but CES is far from over, so a release date and price may still be forthcoming.

To compensate for the lack of any official charge kit for the Sixaxis, Nyko will be releasing the Charge Base 2. It’ll feature the ability to quickly charge two controllers – either DualShock 3 or Sixaxis – at once and will save you the hassle of having to charge your PS3 controllers via USB.

It’s not a who lot unlike the Xbox 360’s Quick Charge kit which anyone who owns knows is insanely useful and convenient.

The Charge Base 2 will have charge indicators to let you know the status of your controllers which will be charged by plugging the unit into an AC outlet.

It’ll be available this month for $29.99.

If you’ve been waiting to pick up a second wireless guitar for use with Guitar Hero III, we’ve got some good news for you – starting early next year, all platforms will see the release of the wireless Gibson controller that currently only comes bundled with Guitar Hero III.

By now, those of you who picked up Rock Band will haven notice that RB’s included guitar isn’t compatible with GHIII, so this is the best option available.

Of course, if you’re like me and have picked up Rock Band and Guitar Hero III recently, you don’t want to think about spending any more money on music videogame instruments. The amount of money you have to spend to get the complete experience between these two games is just insane.

via Joystiq

The disgusting-looking DS peripheral you see above is the Familator, a new accessory that’s being developed for the DS by CYBER Gadget, which plugs into the DS’ GBA slot and allows for you to play Famicom games. With an included TV out option, you could essentially have a portable Famicom to take with you, and then plug in at any convenient TV.

No pricing on this bad boy just yet, which releases next month in Japan. Compatibility with the DS Phat is unknown, but don’t count on it. Chances are it won’t see a US release, either, but one can certainly hope.

And should hope fail, import.

via DS Fanboy

Some good news and some bad news was spotted by Game|Life in today’s press release about Rock Band going gold. PS2 and PS3 owners will want to read on, as you may have missed these tidbits in Stephany’s news story earlier today.

If you buy the PlayStation 2 version of the game, you’ll be able to use the wireless guitar with a PlayStation 3, should you ever opt to upgrade. And while it isn’t stated explicitly, it seems likely that the drum and microphone should also be compatible, as they run on a standard USB connection.

The unfortunate bit of news is for those who may have just recently picked up the 40 GB PlayStation 3. As the system is only equipped with two USB ports, you’ll need to pick up your own USB hub, as the game won’t ship with one (as the Xbox 360 version does, since every version of the system requires more USB ports than are provided.) The PS2 version, on the other hand, will ship with the hub.

Editor’s Note: The PS3 version of Rock Band will not require a hub on any version of the PS3, as it ships with wireless guitars that do not need ports. This only applies to carrying the PS2 version over to the PS3.

If you’re planning on picking up Rock Band next month, you’ve no doubt wondered how much room it was going to take up and where to put it away. Another question that’s just as pertinent is how are you going to plug all of it in – while PS3 owners are in the clear with the four USB ports on the system (and a wireless guitar), Xbox 360 systems only have three USB ports (and a wired guitar). That’s even more of a problem if you’re using a wireless adapter to get online with your Xbox 360, since that’s one of your precious USB ports used up.

But that’s why Rock Band comes with a USB hub. Made by ViPowER (who?), you’ll need to plug its short cable into the wall to supply power. That’s going to be a real pain if your setup isn’t a convenient one.

Between the wireless guitar, free online play and no need for a USB hub, the PS3 seems like the definitive version of Rock Band right now.

Photo courtesy of 1UP

Rumors circulated earlier this month that a TV tuner peripheral for the DS would be released. And by rumor, I mean some scans made their way onto NeoGAF. But it turns out that this is indeed the case – the TV tuner has been officially announced and dated for Japan, according to Evil Avatar. On November 20 it will be released for the modest sum of $59.

Not the most practical thing in the world, but for the collectors out there or for the people dying to watch TV on their DS, this will be right up their alley.

While I can’t go into much detail – the site is in Japanese, after all – it does appear that you’ll have bunny ears attached to your DS. If Google’s translation can be believed, the touch screen can be used for changing channels, closed captions, and you can write memos.

I don’t imagine this will be coming to the US, but if you’re interested in importing and are worried about the bunny ears looking silly, don’t worry – “Unused time is a retractable antenna, collapse like to be characterized by compact organized.”

You can’t beat that.

With the PlayStation Eye’s release this week, Sony has posted an FAQ answering various questions people have had about the EyeToy successor. A few notable items include the fact that the EyeToy will only work on PlayStation 3s, you can share photos while you video chat, and you can save photos and videos to your hard drive so that you can later send them to your PC.

An SCEA staff member will also be keeping tabs on this blog post at PlayStation.Blog for any questions that may have been missed. So if you’ve got any questions about what seems to be a really sweet accessory, now’s a good time to ask ‘em.