TechRoar

Game console wars have never been more aggressive. The three top competitors of the seventh generation consoles; The Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo wii are still going at it in 2009.
While Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 focus on gameplay, graphics and the delivery of minor adrenaline rushes, Nintendo prides itself on a unique interface which gives players better access to some old-fashioned arcade fun.

The lowdown on the wii
The wii is cheaper than either the Xbox 360 or PS3 but let’s face the facts; the game selection is lousy. The console is delivered with wii sports – the sort of ‘family fun’ that reduces hardened gamers to competing against their little sisters. Admittedly, Star Wars brought a little variety to the wii but the graphics weren’t up to scratch and a lot of players still complain about the combat system. It
      What it all boils down to is that the wii interface is very popular due to its motion-sensor technology and great advertising campaign, but game time is far lower than that of the PS3 or Xbox 360 because ultimately the wii was not as enjoyed as the two other consoles. The low gaming time also could explain the ‘high reliability’ of the wii. It simply isn’t played (or loved) enough to get broken as often, although plenty of television screens have been smashed by flying wii controls.

Real competition: Playstation 3 vs. Xbox 360.
Hands down, we prefer the Xbox 360. It beats the PS3 on price, performance, game selection and graphics. Its key feature Xbox Live propels it into popularity.
      The PS3, at $499 features a blu-ray player and some juiced up SPU drives which makes it attractive to people that want a cheap blu-ray player. These features aren’t that good for gamers though because it translates to really long loading times and a heap of technical errors.
Sony is quite obviously betting on the blu-ray format while Microsoft’s console supports HD-DVDs. Format wars aren’t full blown yet but even here the Xbox manages to come out on top. Its DVD drive is separated to minimize load on the console whereas the blu-ray player is integrated into the PS3 so watching a lot of movies on the PS3 would tear down the lifespan of the device.
       Is this all just shameless advertising? Not at all. What else happens to be true is the fact that the Xbox 360 has lower reliability than the PS3. The probability of getting a red circle of death is in the high 20s for the Xbox whereas the PS3 failure rate is about 10%. This may or may not be attributed to the fact that game time on the 360 is way higher than on the Playstation. If you scam through a few user comments on gaming sites, you’ll see people moan about how they’ve broken their eight Xbox. Yet they buy their ninth. Now that is a statement.

     Although the PS3 is more ‘powerful’ than the Xbox 360, the latter has the real horsepower when it comes to visual performance. The graphics battle is won by the Xbox 360 due to their choice of memory and great rendition of high definition graphics. It would cost a Playstation a lot more to deliver visually what the Xbox does so you ultimately have to play PS3 games on lower-than-optimal setting.
     Game selection is also greater with the Xbox 360. Store shelves boast rows and rows of Xbox titles, many of them discounted too while the Playstation sells less games and generally at a higher price. Sneaky but smart, Microsoft gives gamers even more incentive to keep buying and button-crunching on the sofa; Xbox Live.

Xbox Live; the marvellous feature that allows gamers all over the world to download games, movies, demos and compete against each other in the games they buy. It has hundreds of thousands of subscribers and also allows players to ‘earn’ some live time as opposed to buying it. Xbox 360 games come with achievements to unlock – unlock enough and you’ll have played your way into a month of Xbox Live. The Playstation 3 also has some online support but if this is the first time you’ve heard of it, that only proves the following point.
Online support for the PS3 is pathetic.

There are too many problems related to water today; chiefly the environmental (and carcinogenic) impact of plastic bottles, wastage of water and lack of access to good drinking water, especially in more deprived areas of the world.
The ‘fountains of life’ of the 21st century are oddly shaped, in comparison to ancient models but here they are.

I. WaterCone
Clean water in the middle of nowhere.
Years ago, a desert-survival guide on television showed how you could use condensation to get drink-safe water in a place where it doesn’t even rain. The WaterCone uses the same process and integrates it into a maximum-efficiency design.

The beauty of using such a simple process, besides the obvious cheapness of the device, is that you could pour the undrinkable salty or brackish water into the black base because only H20 would accumulate in the compartment above. Everything you pour out the top is drinkable.
The cone shape maximizes solar exposure while the black base absorbs as much heat from the sun as possible. We don’t recommend using this for absolutely filthy water because you never know what heat-resistant bacteria could colonise the fresh water above.

II. Zuvo Water Purator
Clean water at home.
It’s a common fact that millions of people don’t like consuming kitchen tap water. It’s a not-so-common fact that a 200ml of Perrier can cost way more than a tank full of petrol.
It removes lead, chlorine, microorganisms and more, but still leaves in the fluoride to keep your teeth healthy. The $200 Water Purator from Zuvo uses UV light, filtration and ozone to treat tap water, creating the same old H2O – just a little purer and tastier. This too makes use of a natural process; that which happens in the earth’s upper atmosphere. Ultraviolet light is beamed onto ozone-rich water from a 27-watt lamp and this releases powerful oxidisers which treat the water. It does the same job as chlorine, just faster and with no chemical residue or aftertaste. After a round of filtration, the process is repeated.
The mechanism sounds foolproof and fancy but you really can’t use this device with filthy water. It’s only meant to work on tap water. Is it a Green Gadget? Yes, if it’s your alternative to plastic bottled and not just an addition to them.

III. The Source Project
Clean water on the road.
We credit Oliver Craig with the idea of coming up with a system (and the technology) to allow people access to instant and pure water refills. The sleek filling stations will stand on the pavements like candy dispensers, only you won’t have to fish for coins for each refill. A one-time purchase of the bottle will do.
They’ve also added the incentive of giving you refill points that can be redeemed at stores that support the Source Project. The positive environmental impact is pretty significant and our only regrets are that this system is still at the prototype stage. Its creators still need to work past the obvious hygiene problems and perhaps reconsider their bottle size to make it more marketable.