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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.

[via Engadget]

WallyIsland is a mega yacht with all the comforts and amenities to live onboard full time, that is completely independent and self-sufficient, and features improved nautical characteristics compared to those of similar size yachts.

The fully customizable main deck can house tennis courts, a lush green oasis, a deep swimming pool, a heliport, and more. Jay-Z is gonna be ecstatic when he sees this!

AgfaPhoto — you know, the company that used to just make really high-end gear, but now lends its name to lame sauce stuff built by plawa — has a new camera on display at PMA, the DV-5000G. In addition to the regular 5 megapixel camera duties, this thing works overtime as a 720 x 480 video camera — there’s 64MB of built-in memory, but we’re guessing you’ll want to hop to SD or SDHC in a hurry. Of course, most cameras do full-res video, but AgfaPhoto is also pulling a page out of DXG’s book and packing in video games, playable on the 3-inch “960 x 240″ screen (we’re guessing that’s a typo, and this thing is standard 320 x 240 QVGA). Unfortunately, the games are super weak, and there are no emulators in sight. We don’t think PMP or webcam functionality is going to save this one either, and the $260 pricetag seems a bit silly for what you’re getting. Let’s catch up at next year’s PMA, huh Agfa?

[via Engadget]

s is the custom in these matters, Dell has flatly denied the existence of any product to announce at MWC, and went further on to state that the company doesn’t even plan on attending the show. Rumors of a “Gphone” were probably greatly exaggerated to begin with, and now at least the venue has been firmly shot down. That said, there was no explicit denial of an Android-related product (there never is), so the optimistic ones out there can go on hoping for a Dell phone to solve all their problems. Hey, if Garmin can do it, what’s stopping them?

[Via Electronista]

Microsoft just announced what has been rumored forever: a formal offer for Yahoo. Microsoft’s proposal to Yahoo’s board of directors represents $31 per share (a 62% premium over yesterday’s closing price) or about $44.6 Billion. Steve Ballmer, CEO and big fan of developers, says, “We have great respect for Yahoo!, and together we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market.” Apparently, the deal was laid out in a letter sent by Ballmer to Yahoo’s board just yesterday. Seriously. The letter confirms that the two giants have been discussing the topic since late 2006. It also appears to be a direct response to the Google threat as outlined in the following paragraph:

“Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers.”

The deal, of course, rests with the two coming to a “merger agreement” and Microsoft (and Yahoo to a limited degree) having the time to conduct the required due diligence. Microsoft is ready to begin immediate discussions and have a draft merger agreement ready for consideration. So Yahoo, ball’s in your court. The world is wondering… what will you do?

[via Engadget]

Last up for Nikon this morning is their L18 compact point and shoot camera. Pretty decent, but standard specs here: 8 megapixel sensor, 3x Zoom-NIKKOR lens, 3.0-inch LCD, anti-shake AE (adjusts shutter speeds and ISO), face detection, and automatic red-eye correction. It also boasts a “TV quality” movie mode which we’re assuming means VGA. Available this March for $140 in ruby red or navy blue.

[via Engadget]

Details continue to trickle out about Panasonic’s PMA 2008 lineup of digital cameras. Panasonic’s UK site has announced one of their new FS-series shooters, the DMC-FS3. No picture, unfortunately — that’s its DMC-FS2 little sis to the right. Nothing spectacular to report on this point and shoot: 8.1 megapixel CCD, 3x Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT optical zoom lens, 2.5-inch LCD, and 21 scene modes. At least it features some proper optical image stabilization to keep things steady. Perhaps the most interesting thing here is the “pukweb04-dyn-news-onthemove-toyota” nonsense in the camera’s URL. Come on Panny, get it together, PMA opens in just two more days.

[Via I4U]

Check out these sweet slap bracelets designed by the Chocolate Agency. The thin bracelet is designed using E-paper technology that’s rather high in contrast. No need to worry about batteries either, the E-Paper Slap Bracelet is powered by kinetic energy, so movement from your wrist is all it needs.

Retro design with a tech twist!

(Source Yanko Design)