Here are a few highlights we should expect this year:

Phones: There is a lot of noise about Windows smartphones this year, we can expect something big out of HTC, Samsung and Nokia. This year should bring us Quad-Core processors, LTE and higher spec camera’s and screens.

Ultrabooks: Gone are the days of big bulky power hungry laptop’s, we can expect a few big names launching some sleek energy efficient machines running the latest Intel Sandy Bridge processors and I am sure all geared for Windows 8.

Home Entertainment / Automation: I don’t think we can expect any new TV technology this year but we will certainly find bigger ones.  Keep an eye on Google with their living room OS. There will be the usual household appliance guys there too with I am sure something that will connect to your home network and even the cloud.

Gaming: We will probably not hear anything major from the big three console manufacturers this year but will definitely be showing off their new toys launched at E3 last year, however keep a look out for something on the accessory side from the independents.

Cars: CES is not a car show, but more and more technology is being included in cars and year after year we have seen the car side of things growing. We won’t expect flash looking cars with the latest body kits and mags, but inside is where we can see some big things.

We are sure to see some changes in the Tablet/E-reader, Photography and Audio markets too, I will be popping in a few posts to keep you updated.

The new version of Sony’s beloved PS3 comes with a few extra tricks up its stylish sleeve – just in case you were thinking of brushing it off as nothing but a white version of its original counterpart. The new version is not only being served up in a super stylish white jacket it also comes with two white Dualshock controllers to match as well as a 320GB HDD.

The PlayStation 3 has also gone on an extreme diet and emerged as a super sleek and svelte shadow of its former self. The PS3 Slim is significantly thinner and narrower than the original PS3 and it’s bound to be a perfect addition to your living room. The device also comes with a slimmed down price tag so it’s also more affordable than its older sibling.

Press the power button and you’ll also notice that the Slim is slightly quieter than the original PS3 as well. This is quite an achievement, as the PS3′s fan has always been whisper-quiet and it’s never suffered from noisy disc-loading mechanisms. Sony was able to reduce the console’s noise level by completely re-engineering the internal components. Both the main Cell CPU and Nvidia graphics processor have been switched to a smaller manufacturing process, which means they run cooler and so don’t need such aggressive fans. This also helps the console to be greener, drawing slightly less power both when in standby mode and when running games or playing movies.

As a gaming device, little has changed, but the console now comes with the Sony DualShock 3 controller, rather than the older version that lacked rumble feedback. The Slim is still an incredibly good gaming machine with many excellent exclusive titles.

Sony’s PS3 Slim is set to put a smile on many a face this Festive Season. It’s smaller, quieter and cheaper than previous versions making it a must-have under the Christmas tree.

The Sony PlayStation 3 320GB White Console and additional controller is available from Incredible Connection for R3699.95!

Besides the added features the dashboard has also received a new look and feel (codenamed “Metro”) that Microsoft promises will make for a more open, inviting and intuitive experience. It’s also slightly faster than the previous dashboard. Here’s what else you can look forward to in terms of updates:

Beacons are a new way to alert Xbox LIVE and Facebook friends of games that you want to play online. It will also alert you when an Xbox LIVE friend plays a game that you’ve tagged, making it easier to party up for a good multiplayer session. With the new Cloud Profile you can log into any Xbox 360 and access your games saves, friends lists and your Gold membership, including your Microsoft Points balance to make purchases.

The new dashboard also adds voice search, powered by Bing, which allows you to easily find games, movies or TV shows by just saying the search term. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work in South Africa, as voice support still isn’t available locally, but, if you have a UK or US account or don’t mind using your controller, you’re good to go.

In addition to rolling out the new Xbox Live Dashboard, Microsoft also released an Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone users. The app works as a virtual remote for navigating through your Xbox menus – even while someone else is playing a game or watching a video. Use the Companion to find games, TV shows, movies, and music. If you own a Windows Phone and an Xbox 360, this app is a must-download and the best bit is, it’s free.

Gamers will not be disappointed with this new addition as the game looks great and handles excellently. The first-person mode with tilt steering is a great feature that will have you struggling to put the game down.

Have any of you played Mario Kart 3DS yet? What are your thoughts?

Contrary to popular belief girls love games too so why not spoil the female gamer in your life with Kirby’s Adventure Wii. Transform your living room into Dream Land with Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and Waddle Dee in Kirby’s Adventure Wii. In this side-scrolling platform game, you can play on your own or with up to three of your friends. The game retails for R499.Fitness gurus will love Wii Fit Plus: it’s a fun and convenient way to tone up these summer holidays. The Wii Fit Plus comes with the software and a black Wii Balance Board and retails for R999.

The man in your life will love you forever if you buy him The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. This highly anticipated game has taken the gaming world by storm recently and will be the perfect gift for any gamer. Experience immersive sword combat like nothing you’ve played before thanks to the power of Wii MotionPlus. This hit game retails for R499. If you’re looking for some family fun this Christmas grab the Wii Family Edition bundle. Featuring more than 80 hilarious minigames and 5 exciting sports, the Wii Family Edition comes bundled with Wii Party, Wii Sports, and a white Wii console. The bundle retails for R1599.

Modern Warfare 3 is a direct sequel to the previous game in the series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The game will continue the campaign storyline in which the US forces struggle against an invasion by the Russian Federation following the framing of an undercover US agent in a terrorist attack on Moscow. Not only does the game contain classic Call of Duty multi-character control, but Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 contains deep multiplayer support, including two-player co-op Survival mode. The game will also contain all-new kill streak categories and customizable strike packages that offer you more options to find the style that fits you best.

Along with the launch of MW3, we are running a promotion where if you buy any copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3, XBOX, PC, NDS) at full price, you can get ANY of the following items for R99.95!

• Duke Nukem Forever
• Bulletstorm
• PES 2011
• WWE All Stars
• Click here to download the full list of R99.95 games.

Please call the call centre for stock in your area as stock is limited!

This promotion is valid from the 8 – 13 November 2011.

Featuring 7.1 virtual surround sound, the Wireless Stereo Headset lets you hear all the minor in-game audio clues with super clarity. Connecting the Wireless Stereo Headset with PS3 is made easy with the included USB Wireless Adapter. The adapter is about the size of a strip of gum, a thin blue LED light on the USB, blinks as it searches for the headset and glows solid while it’s connected. Set up is pretty simple and won’t see you having to deal with multiple cable connections and frustrating setups – just plug it into your PS3, turn on the headset and that’s it. You’re ready to play. The headset is also a bit of greenie at heart as it automatically turns off if it doesn’t receive a signal from the USB stick for a few minutes. That means more battery for actual game play time.

Precise volume controls and accessible microphone mute make sure you never have to interrupt gameplay to fumble for buttons. You can easily stay informed about battery status, sound controls, etc. with on-screen headset status updates.

Tucked at the back of the left ear cup panel you’ll find a mini USB port for charging the headset’s internal Lithium-ion battery. The overall design and control layout is geared for long gaming sessions and as a result you’ll find the fit pretty comfortable.

The Sony PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset retails for around R1000.

id’s long awaited shooter RAGE has finally been released, and it is an absolute visual feast. After 5 years of work, (really it’s been that long), id have managed to create a game engine that powers an incredibly detailed world. With rich environments that surround you as you explore the game, just don’t get caught admiring the post apocalyptic scenery with a horde of mutants bearing down on you.

But beautiful graphics aren’t everything in a good game, and there is more to id’s first game since DOOM III. As I hinted at above, RAGE is a sci-fi first person shooter set on a post apocalyptic Earth, with survivors, bandits and mutants. Which may seem like pretty standard fare for a modern FPS, but RAGE does a lot with that premise and manages to make it all thoroughly entertaining. Perhaps one of the biggest standout points of RAGE are it’s wonderfully animated characters, with detailed expressions and great voice acting. Enemies are engaging and challenging with the AI often running circles around you. Bandits leap, dodge, climb, swing and duck for cover behind objects and one another, making RAGE much more than a point and click shooter.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A lot of fuss has been made about RAGE’s apparent open ‘sandbox’ environments that you can’t actually explore. While the game isn’t Fallout 3, and you can’t go everywhere you can see, this isn’t such a bad thing. You are on a set path, but that path is wide and littered with pit stops and distractions. This is definitely an FPS and not an RPG, and it plays like that. But at the same time id have pushed their boundaries and given the gameplay more depth with some great RPG elements.

You rumble around the wastelands from town to missions in a variety of upgradable vehicles, with vehicular combat a mainstay on your journeys. In town you will find vendors, mini-games and side quests. Everything from racing your buggy for prizes to collectible card games. There are only 5 weapon types available in the game, and an interesting ‘boomerang’ type weapon. But then there is the best part, constructable weapon upgrades. On your tours through enemy territory you will pick up various odds and ends that, when combined with a recipe, give you some great and interesting extras. From mind controlling crossbow arrows, to spider bots.

Expectations for RAGE were high, and perhaps there was some confusion about what id were making, leaving some people feeling a bit disappointed. But as what it is, an FPS, it does really well. At times you may find yourself wishing for more, and maybe that’s exactly what we will get, sometime later. But right now, RAGE is a beautiful game with some incredible technology behind it, and while it isn’t perfect, as no game is, it is a great ride.

Click here to view the embedded video.

*As a side note, for anyone buying the PC version, please be aware of the unfortunate buggy graphics and other problems people have been having. It’s a horrible blemish on an otherwise wonderful game, but you may need to put in a little effort to get the game running smoothly on the PC. You should upgrade you graphics drivers as a first step, if you’re still experiencing graphical glitches check these links for help:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/10/06/sweet-desert-fixing-rages-texture-problems/
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU121AMDCatRagePerfDriver.aspx
http://www.nvidia.com/object/win7-winvista-64bit-285.38-beta-driver.html

The story picks up 4 years after Resistance 2 and you play as Joseph Capelli – whom you might remember from Resistance 2. Capelli was dishonourably discharged and is now living and hiding with his wife, Susan, and son, Jack, along other survivors in the town of Haven, Oklahoma. Dr. Malikov arrives with an opportunity to deliver a blow to the Chimera and Capelli embarks on a road trip to New York City to lead the resistance.

This latest version offers top quality gameplay throughout the game. This is evident in the arsenal made available to you – every gun has a secondary function which makes for some exciting gameplay. The standard magnum pistol, for example, packs bullets that can be manually detonated after lodging themselves in an enemy, further damaging them and everything around them. Add to this a healthy selection of grenade types and other variations on the shotgun, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, assault rifle, and even a clumsy-but-effective sledgehammer and there’s little to complain about when it comes to the weaponry.

Combat is also enhanced through the use of health packs over an automatic health regeneration system. By making you pick up these types of items to stay alive, the game forces a slightly slower, more well-thought-out pace than the majority of its peers.
This time round the Chimera have also evolved into two distinct groups. Feral Chimera, which are wild and un-organised and then there are the militarized Chimera, which follow ranks and orders between each other.

For all fans of the Resistance franchise as well as new comers Resistance 3 will not disappoint.

This year gamers can experience the unique style that established the Driver series as the quintessential car chase experience. With its timeless setting and unique car handling Driver: San Francisco is set to revitalize the classic free-roaming, cinematic car chase experience for the current generation of gaming platforms. The game will see you throttling through 20 challenging races and test out your handling skills in 80 dares spread all across the city in additional game-play modes.

Assume the role of Driver protagonist, Detective John Tanner as you drive down highways at break neck speeds, perform Hollywood-style jumps across intersections as you attempt to chase down the infamous Chris Jericho.

This time round game play has been dramatically changed with a great new feature that allows you to seamlessly and instantly shift to the exact car you need during any car chase.  Choose between 130 licensed cars and instantly shift to a more powerful car to make a faster getaway, deploying a civilian vehicle to destroy your enemies or even taking control of your opponent’s car. The game also features six online multiplayer modes, as well as various split-screen multiplayer modes.

The game has been released in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms. All-in-all Driver: San Francisco will wow you with its beautiful visuals, incredible soundtrack, highly enjoyable multiplayer modes, and over the top story.