While we've already seen one particular Engadget HD reader reach out for assistance with finding a niche HDTV, this particular question just screams mainstream. Today's gamer is likely looking for a set that's multifaceted, and Sir Matthew here is no different:

"I'm considering purchasing a 1080p HDTV in the 40- to 50-inch range for use with console gaming and possibly as a PC monitor. I've got about $2,500 to spend, but would prefer to keep it well under that if possible. I'm partial to LCD HDTVs, and whatever set I get must have a couple of HDMI ports and VGA / PC audio inputs."

Picking a TV that plays nice with PC resolutions (or PowerStrip) is crucial, so we'll go ahead and assume this fellow thinks overscan is simply unacceptable. If this here question reminded you of your own quandary, send over an email to ask at engadget dawt com with your inquiry enclosed -- if the robotic overlords manning our email systems deem it worthy, it'll show up in this space in due time.

We're beginning to lose count of how many times we've been around this carousel, but just in case you thought yet another rumor would bring the Blu-ray-infused Xbox 360 any closer to reality, Microsoft's out to put the kibosh on your wildest hopes and dreams. Following up on the latest round of whispers that surfaced last Friday, Redmond proclaimed to GamePro: "As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360." The statement also noted that "games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available." Right -- which totally explains your prior relationship with HD DVD.

Vigor, a PC-maker not known for its subtlety or underpowered systems, has just launched two new desktop powerhouses destined to shake you to your very core. The Force Recon SP and Force Recon BT will undoubtedly leave you in existence-questioning bafflement as you experience the sheer neck-breaking speed of their CPUs and accompanying graphics chipsets. The former tears enemies asunder with AMD's Phenom quad-core processors coupled with dual ATI Radeon HD3870 graphics -- capable of driving XHD displays at 2560 x 1600. The latter sports Intel's quad-core mind-destroyer, the QX9650 Core 2 Extreme (which trots along at 3.0GHz), utilizes the new SSE4 instructions, and supports a slew of options which blend into what Vigor refers to as the "juiced" configuration. Both models are available now, with the SP starting at $2,319, and the BT clocking in at $2,869 -- though both of those numbers can escalate quickly.

[Via Yahoo!]

We're not gonna read too much into this just yet, but when everyone's favorite fruit-flavored consumer electronics company files to protect its trademark as it relates to a wide range of gaming devices, well, we feel you'd want to know. The USPTO sleuths over at Trademork just gave us the heads up on this recently-filed application from Cupertino, which requests protection of the word "APPLE" for products that classify as "toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games." And come to think of it, we did see Apple file for a videogame-related patent not too long ago, so who knows: perhaps the iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV will soon have even more friends among the company's ever-expanding non-PC ecosystem. Then again, we've heard this rumor in one form or another countless times before, and right now pining for a resurrected Gizmondo is already giving us enough headaches.

[Via Trademork]

The delayed, revamped N-Gage client still isn't ready for prime time, but the First Access preview service -- which is just a little bit more functional than the preview shipping on some Nseries devices already -- has finally launched. The service introduces a full suite of social gaming tools (though with compatibility officially limited to N81s for the moment, that's a very small social circle indeed) and lets users download several game demos; Nokia promises that the service will evolve and expand as it ramps up for a full-scale release, so don't get too down on the lack of content and community just yet. Oh, and just a word of warning, downloaders: your data will get reset prior to the full-scale launch, so don't get too attached to your high scores, k?

[Via All About Symbian]

Proving that children and the elderly are not the only groups seeing benefits from Nintendo's Wii, a study on a small group of surgeons who had practiced gaming with a modified controller showed them to achieve significantly more improvement on a standard simulator procedure than did a corresponding group of control subjects. Study author Kanav Kahol worked with Dr. Marshall Smith of the Banner Health hospital chain to build a special Wiimote attachment (read: broken golf club add on + laparoscopic probe) that eight surgical residents used to play Marble Mania and the full suite of Wii Play games. The gamers were then pitted against eight of their less-fortunate colleagues in a computer-simulated laparoscopic procedure, and managed to attain 48% higher scores, on average, than the non-gamers. Unfortunately, games involving broader motions such as tennis or boxing are said to be less suitable for this sort of training, make a total liar out of your doctor the next time you catch him "honing up on the latest techniques" by playing Wii Golf.

[Image courtesy of The Wall Street Journal]

As if playing Rock Band wasn't one of the greatest group gaming experiences to come along in years, it appears that a new accessory is set to amp up the fun even more by bringing an "interactive light and smoke stage show" to your already thrashing performances. Apparently you can already pre-order this so-called Rock Band Stage Kit from GameStop for 100 bucks, although they've since pulled the box image from the product page, so you'll have to rely on the screencap above to see what you're paying all that money for. Ships on June 23rd, according to the retailer's site, giving us plenty of time to install a proper stage and stadium seating in our game room.

[Via Technabob]

Let's be honest, gaming chairs in all flavors of "enhancement" from vibration to sound to cup holders and beyond are quickly becoming a dime a dozen -- but the ButtKicker not only takes a different approach to vibration enhancement than other options but also wins the "most notable name" award in the arena. For one thing, it's not a chair -- it's a device you can install on any office chair to add vibration experience to not just gaming but anything producing sound on your computer including music and other media players. There are also two other versions of the device for use in home theater and auto installations (you can retrofit pretty much any old Lazy-boy in your living room). At $99 the gaming-focused version of the ButtKicker is cheaper than a lot of all-in-one gaming chair solutions as well. Oh, and how does the thing feel? Let's just say it tickled us in many nuanced ways.

You've already had a chance to see the DLP DualView technology in action, but just in case you needed an official word that it was here to stay (for now, at least), Texas Instruments has doled out just that. Essentially, the system enables two viewers to see two completely different images on the same screen so long as they're both rockin' a set of specialized glasses. Reportedly, TI hopes to make multiplayer gaming a whole lot more fun (and fair, we suppose), but you will need "a compatible source," a 3D-ready DLP TV and a pair of DualView glasses to get things up and running. 'Course, we've no idea how soon this stuff will hit the mainstream, but hey, there's nothing like fraggin' it up with a set of specs that just reek of 1980, right?

Dell is planning to show off the latest desktop in its XPS line, the 630i, at CES, which the company is positioning as an entry-level gaming machine to complement the larger, more powerful XPS 720 (pictured above). Although no specs or images have been posted yet, Dell's teaser release calls this new model a "middleweight contender with heavyweight power," promising that while it's "more compact than the powerhouse XPS 720 family, it won't compromise on performance." Expect the XPS 630i to be announced this spring, along with the requisite pricing and configuration deets.

Apparently, Nokia just hasn't swallowed the fact that the world doesn't seem ready (or interested, whatever the case may be) in a handheld gaming system / cellphone hybrid. 'Course, with all that PSP phone chatter going on, we guess the times could be a-changin', and Nokia definitely doesn't want to miss its shot at redemption. A fresh patent application from the outfit details a handheld device that acts as a phone, multimedia player and gaming machine, but rather than forcing users to feel as if they're handling an NES controller, this concoction provides two wings that slip down for added comfort. Whether or not this thing would double as an acceptable boomerang remains to be seen.

[Via UnwiredView]

Apple's always had less-than-enthusiastic stance towards gaming, so the company's latest patent filing seems a bit out of character, seeing as it details a multitasking touchscreen that would allow games to be played while still controlling other applications like media players. The system works be categorizing touch inputs and routing the data to the appropriate application -- a simple tap might go to the game, while a longer press might be sent to the media player. According to Apple, "the invention allows various applications to be integrated and used on devices that are not readily suitable for supporting multiple applications at the same time." Of course, there's no word on when we might see this make its way into an actual product, but if this means we might see games on the iPod touch and iPhone, bring it on.

[Thanks, Mark]

So last night at midnight Harmonix -- former developers of the Guitar Hero series -- and MTV's new rock and roll simulator, Rock Band, had its first ever gigs. Of course, Guitar Hero 3 fans have been shredding for weeks, and probably aren't about to sell one faux guitar for another (especially if it's not even guaranteed to work). So which are you buying (or asking for)? What's that, you want our take? Ok, well, since you asked, when the talent (Harmonix) left the Guitar Hero series, we thought the new game suffered big time. Plus we're WAY more into the tracks on Rock Band -- c'mon, they've got Bowie and The Clash! -- but we kind of think the Guitar Hero Les Paul is better than the Rock Band Fender. Vote below in the battle of the bands, and may the rockingest win.

Ugh, more bad news for Nokia. They just announced the delay of their revamped N-Gage service to December. Apparently, they've run out of Go-Go juice and Headshot bars for their developers as "software testing" is taking a bit longer than expected. It's not that bad though, we're only talking a few weeks delay and with any luck, they'll be up and running in time for the holiday gift-giving gaming season.

Since we tend to concentrate on hardware on this little blog, you may not have realized that there's a rather seminal event occurring on the software side of things that has gamers pretty giddy, namely the release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. And what better way to display your fandom than with a Master Chief Mimobot USB 2.0 flash drive from Mimoco, a 1GB ($50), 2GB ($70), or 4GB ($110) piece limited to 5,000 units (3,000 each for the Red and Blue Spartan editions, pictured after the break) and pre-loaded with all sorts of swag sure to fill the emptiness in your life once you've completed the trilogy. Pre-orders have already started, so if you missed out on the last batch of space odyssey-themed paraphernalia, you'll probably wanna reserve one well before the official October 18th release at E for All.

[Via Gearlog]