Nintendo 3DS Takes Manhattan Early

New Yorkers get an early peek at Nintendo 3DS at the South Street Seaport.

You can't buy it until Sunday, but dozens of New Yorkers have been getting their hands on the hotly awaited Nintendo 3DS portable game console thanks to a roving band of Nintendo representatives.

At Manhattan's South Street Seaport Thursday, a group of white-clad Nintendo product demonstrators showed off the dual-screened 3DS, which can display 3D images without the need for 3D glasses, to whoever cared for a short demo. From there the Nintendo team headed to Union Square, which will be the site of one of ten 3DS launch parties at Best Buy stores nationwide Saturday night.

Want more information and more pictures? See my piece for PC World.

Text and photo Copyright 2011 Stadium Circle Features

Panasonic Serves Up First Consumer 3D Camcorder at U.S. Open

If you've been ducking and weaving virtual tennis balls in your living room for the past week, chances are good that you've been watching the U.S. Open tennis tourney on a 3D HDTV. Panasonic is providing the high-end, commercial-grade gear that's being used at courtside to render Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal and the other tennis stars into almost-live participants in your living room, but for those who want to try 3D video for themselves, Panasonic has a solution: a new consumer-grade, handheld 3D camcorder.

Panasonic announced the $1,400 HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder a few months ago, but gave the press a chance to give it a little exercise at the U.S. Open in New York last week. The unit proved as easy to use as any other camcorder and felt balanced despite its 3D lens. The camera can take standard 2D video in full 1,080p HD resolution (1,920 by 1,080-pixels), but connect its stereo lens adapter and the unit can shoot 3D video at 960 by 1,080 pixels. You can pre-order the unit now, but it won't ship until mid-October.

Want to know more? See my piece in PC World.

Text and images Copyright 2010 Stadium Circle Features