Microsoft announced on Monday that it will be launching its Xbox Live online gaming and content service in nine additional countries, including South Africa. The service was first launched in the USA in 2002 and was made available on the Xbox 360 in 2005. Like the iTunes Music Store, Xbox Live has eluded South Africans. Until now. (more…)

On the eve of the World Cup 2010 kickoff in South Africa Leo Laporte and I discussed technology at the tournament and how South Africa has been upgraded for the biggest event in human history. We talked about 3D television, stadium bandwidth, Google StreetView, social media and gigapixel image technology, amongst other things. Check out the video above for our full discussion.

The Playstation Move is a new motion controller for the PS3 that Sony has developed to rival the Nintendo Wii controller and Microsoft’s controller-less Project Natal system for the Xbox 360. The Move has been ridiculed by some for the way it looks, but Sony’s first ad for the product turns the silly onto Nintendo and Microsoft with subtle mockery of Sony’s rivals. That said, the gameplay demonstrations in the ad look awesome – although I really prefer to be flat on my back on the couch when playing console games, so they whole… movement… is lost on me.

As a kid I had a burning desire to own a portable gaming console as awesome as my Sega Mega Drive (called ‘Genesis’ in the US). There was something enormously appealing to me about being able to move around unhindered, with the ability to express my infatuation for gaming wherever I was. Sega played to this desire with a product it launched in 1995 called the Nomad. Not only was it the coolest thing I bought in the 90s, but in my opinion remains the most awesome portable gaming platform ever invented. The Nintendos and Sonys of the world would do well to consider what made the Nomad great – because, frankly, it kicks the DS and PSP for unmitigated awesomeness.

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