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Remember that disassembly friendly, unnamed Xbox 360 arcade stick Razer trotted out at TGS last year? It's back, and while it hasn't gained any traction in the moniker category, it's received a few notable hardware tweaks. Razer's TGS team told us the stick has been through a total of thirteen revisions since it entered closed beta last year, and is now entering its final beta before production. Leveraging feedback from over 200 enthusiasts, Razer has made a number of tweaks to the controller, including alternative joystick tops, an included miniature screwdriver and a honeycomb screw-mount bottom so modders can install custom PCBs.

The new unit also wears an acrylic cover, allowing perspective buyers to swap Razer's default artwork for a custom inlay. Just like last year, this unit features Sanwa Denshi components -- but picky players will be able to swap them out for their preferred parts without fear of voiding their warranty. Razer couldn't tell us how long the final beta phase would last, and only said that the stick would be released once it was "perfect." Our host did hazard a guess, however, that it would be out by early next year. Want to see more? Relive our TGS booth visit after the break.

Razer Arcade Stick beta hands-on

Last week Valve showed off an impressive Portal turret replica, but didn't mention where the thing came from, or why. Now it's posted another video of the original unboxing, and mentions that like its earlier TF2 turret, this is a Weta Workshop project complete with motion sensor for tracking. Those flashing lights appear to be just for show, but with both of those monoliths patrolling the lobby we'll probably wait for an invitation before stopping by.

In addition to unveiling all those laptops, HP just announced a boatload of peripherals. Of the bunch, the most compelling might be the NFC-enabled Touch to Pair Mouse, which, as the name suggests, can be paired with another device simply through tapping. (Good thing lots of computers currently have NFC, right?) If, by chance, you don't have NFC on your laptop -- and you probably don't -- the mouse will function just fine as a regular old Bluetooth device. Look for it in November for $39. Elsewhere on the wireless mouse front, HP announced the X6000 (pictured), which has four-way tilt scrolling and can be used on most surfaces, including glass. That arrives this month for $59. Finally, if your tastes are a bit simpler, there's also the Wireless Mouse X4500 and X5500, which will be available this month for $29 and $39, respectively.

Beyond mice, HP also trotted out the $29 Wireless Classic Desktop keyboard, along with the $49 Wireless Elite v2. For audio lovers, there's the HP Portable Bluetooth Speaker, which will go on sale next month for a cool $79. Eighty bucks (or thereabouts) will also get you a 90W universal power adapter that claims to be compatible with most notebooks. It also has a built-in USB port, allowing you to charge a mobile device at the same time. Rounding out the list is the Webcam HD 4310, an $89 shooter capable of 1080p video, autofocus, autoexposure and three-way video calling. All that in more digestible form in the PR after the break.

It was just a few months ago that HP refreshed its Envy Phoenix h9 desktop tower with Ivy Bridge processors, and now it's gone back to the drawing board to re-tool the design itself. In its latest incarnation, it has an "armor-plated" design and toolless hard disk bays that can support up to three drives. HP says it also fine-tuned the cable dressing to improve airflow and cooling performance. As ever, the machine will be offered with third-generation Intel Core processors and your choice of NVIDIA or AMD graphics. Solid-state drives are also an option. Curious? You'll have to wait until the Windows 8 launch on October 28th to get one. An odd move, if you ask us, since the h9 isn't a Win 8-optimized system, and the changes here appear to be purely hardware-related.

HP Envy Phoenix h9

Remember the Pavilion m6? It was one of many, many lightweight laptops HP announced last spring. To recap, it didn't technically fit Intel's Ultrabook specifications, but it was still quite thin, and offered features not normally found on ultraportables -- things like discrete graphics and a subwoofer. In any case, HP is expanding that particular line: it just announced the Envy m4, a 14-inch companion to the 15-inch m6 that went on sale this summer.

Like the m6, it has an aluminum design, along with Beats Audio and a subwoofer. Spec-wise, it'll be offered with Core i3 and i5 processors, up to 8GB of RAM and either a solid-state drive or up to 1TB of HDD storage. The display resolution is fixed at 1,366 x 768 -- typical for mid-range laptops. (Note: only one configuration will be available in the US, though additional variants will be offered in other countries.) Intel Wireless Display is standard, and the battery promises up to eight hours of runtime. It also has a fingerprint reader, which you can use with HP's SimplePass technology to log into the PC and as well as websites.

Meanwhile, HP added two models to its growing line of Sleekbooks (read: thin-and-light laptops that for whatever reason don't meet Intel's Ultrabook requirements). These new models include the Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15, which look like the company's entry-level G series, but are significantly trimmer. The laptops, available in black and red, will be offered with Ivy Bridge chips, optional discrete graphics, 1080p displays, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of HDD storage. In both cases, the battery life is said to max out at six hours -- less than the m4 or most Ultrabooks, but still decent.

Last thing -- and this really is apropos of nothing -- HP also mentioned in its press release that the existing 11-inch Pavilion dm1 will be offered with an HSPA+ radio capable of running on T-Mobile's network. HP says it will offer up to 200MB of free data per month, for two years. That deal is effective next month, on October 26th.

The Envy m4 will start at $900 while the Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15 will go for $500 and $560, respectively. These, too, will arrive on the 26th, the day Windows 8 launches. For now help yourself to photos galore past the break.

Nintendo may be MIA at TGS this year (as usual), but that hasn't stopped Turtle Beach -- it brought a pair of Wii U headsets to the show anyway. We dropped by the outfit's booth to take a peek, finding seemingly empty boxes in lieu of product. Turns out they weren't so empty -- the Ear Force N11 and NLa headsets are so lightweight, we didn't even notice they were there. After a brief unboxing, this editor wrapped each set around his head, finding the headband tension of both the over-ear N11 and the on-ear NLa to be just as light as the accessories themselves, squeezing my skull with only the gentlest of pressure. The sets' earmuffs seemed built for comfort as well, soft, and not the least bit irritating. Staff on hand told us that the internals weren't quite final, but sound quality aside, we could easily see settling in with either of these products for a long, comfortable gaming session. Both sets arrive later this year -- $35 for the white, on-ear Ear Force NLa cans, and $50 for its black over-ear cousin. See our impressions for yourself in the video after the break.

Turtle Beach Ear Force NLa and N11 stereo Wii U headsets hands-on

After breaking from cover at yesterday's pre-TGS presser, the two new PlayStation Vita color variants have gotten cozy at the Sony booth on the show floor. Unlike the quick photo opp that we snagged a few hours ago, we were able to actually fondle the "sapphire blue" model in all its metallic-hued glory. Speaking of shiny exteriors, both the blue and red schemes feature a bit of sparkle along with the slathering of new paint. The duo look quite glittery, giving the two some added flair over the regular ol' black and white versions in addition to the color change. The hardware is the same as the existing models and the key difference is strictly visual. As you can see in the gallery below, the backsides of these Vitas is also covered with the same shimmering color as their facades. The pair will arrive in Japan in November and we're keeping a close watch on availability elsewhere.

Sony PlayStation Vita Sapphire Blue hands-on

These days, just about every Apple product is defined by a non-removable battery. It's with no small hint of irony, then, that Apple just received a US patent for a universal removable battery system. As proposed, the technique would let Apple cut batteries from lithium-polymer or similar materials into commonly sized packs that could then be swapped between devices, providing all the benefits of removable, rechargeable batteries with a longer lifespan than an old set of AAs. Batteries could have serviceable cores for when they finally give up the ghost, and computers could even alternate between charging the batteries (when plugged in) or using them to extend the runtime of MacBooks. We'd recommend against basing any purchasing strategy around Apple's filing, though. The Cupertino team originally applied for the patent in 2010, and in turn broke out the technology from a patent it had filed in 2007 -- there's no guarantees Apple is still interested in replacing those disposables, let alone any sealed-in batteries. That won't stop us from yearning for the day when a Magic Mouse lasts for more than a week of heavy use.

HTC and Microsoft have been cautious about what they'll let us see of the software on the Windows Phone 8X and its 8S counterpart. Apparently, they don't have any such compunctions about leaving the phones' naked components hanging in the breeze. Along with outlining the essentialist, Metro-inspired philosophy behind the Windows Phone 8 devices' design, HTC's new behind-the-scenes video (after the break) shows the internals without that extra-colorful shell getting in the way. The exposé is more about the sheer demand for customized hardware to match those distinctive enclosures than anything too scandalous -- that tapered shape requires some finessing on the inside, we're told. Whatever you think of HTC's guided tour, the company has at least learned its lesson and decided against including any unexpected prototypes this time around.

While Google Maps may have found itself on the outside looking in on the just-released iOS 6, it's got a fresh update for Android devices that makes sure any locations you've searched are right at your fingertips. Rolling out now in Google Play, it includes results from your search and directions history (whether on your phone or on a PC that you were logged in to) whenever you start a new search, and in the search or directions tab under My Places. The other tweak noted in the changelog is the ability to zoom with just one finger -- double tap the map then hold down your finger and slide. There's no word specifically on what's in store for Apple's hardware but the final line of the blog post mentions improving the Google Maps experience across all devices -- draw your own conclusions from that.

Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.

I think I figured out why we love to argue about technology. It came to me via the wisdom of my mom, not surprisingly.

It started last Sunday, when I was at her house to mooch some lunch while helping her get photos off of her digital camera and onto a sharing site so she could, ahem, share them. She was complaining that younger generations won't have photo albums, those lovely, physical relics of days gone by that mother and son can pore over and share memories.

"But, we'll have Facebook Timelines," I replied, sheepishly.

She glared.

I glared back.

After the news-filled event MakerBot held, just down the street from the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, we found a fleet of cars ready to ferry us back to Manhattan. The cars weren't there to return the press to their various offices, instead they shuttled us en-masse to the brand new MakerBot Store that opened today in NOHO. The small shop sits on Mulberry St., just half a block north of Houston -- number 298 to be specific. Out front is a small discreet sign that reads "MakerBot." What will really draw people inside is the six-foot tall 3D-printed track that guides giant ball bearings through a maze of curves and spirals in the window. Step inside and the sculpture becomes interactive. You spin a large wheel (also printed) and a magnet slowly moves the orbs up the wall before depositing them at the starting point and sending them hurtling through the multi-track course (video after the break). Almost everything in the shop, down to the posts and locks on the display cases, is also printed out on the company's flagship product, the Replicator 2. In addition to buying the printers and compatible spools of plastic, you can also pick up trinkets created with them, such as the MixTape. If you want a less expensive example of the Replicator's wares, there's a gumball-style vending machine that dispenses toys when you insert a $5 token and give the knob a satisfying twist. For more, check out the gallery below.

MakerBot Store photo tour

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Earlier today we had a nice sit-down with Kobo, where we got some quality hands-on time with the company's Arc Android tablet. As you can imagine, that was the marquee product on display, but we also had the chance to handle the outfit's newest e-readers: the Glo ComfortLight, which has built-in frontlighting, and the Mini, which is exactly what it sounds like. Both will be available October 1st, with the 6-inch Glo going for $129 and the 5-inch Mini priced at $79. Neither will have ads, which might be one of the biggest differentiators between these and some of Amazon's offerings. If you're short on time, we've got some hands-on photos below, but if you've got a few minutes to spare, a walk-through video awaits after the break.

Kobo Glo and Kobo Mini hands-on

Unity Engine is best known for supporting mobile and digital games, but Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason sees his company's game development engine as more flexible than that. Nintendo apparently does as well, partnering with Unity on a worldwide licensing agreement that offers first- and third-party developers Pro level engine access to Unity's tools for Wii U development. The partnership also grandfathers in the existing 1.2 million Unity licensees to the Wii U platform, which Helgason tells us is, "extremely easy" to port to -- Unity's calling the partnership an "excellent opportunity" to port existing Unity games from "thousands of studios currently developing mobile and social games." The partnership's effects aren't immediate, however, as Unity Engine's Wii U support won't go live until 2013, which tells us that we won't see any fruit from the collaboration until some point in 2013 at the earliest.

When pushed, Helgason wouldn't out any potential games headed to the Wii U via Unity, nor would he offer up names of studios interested in working with Nintendo's next console. It's not hard to imagine big Unity games like Slender and Rochard ending up ported to the Wii U, of course, but it sounds like we'll have to wait a bit longer before we hear which games will benefit from the partnership first.

Look, up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's... a lifeguard? Aiming to keep a robotic eye out for distressed swimmers and dangerous marine life, Surf Life Saving Australia will soon deploy flying safety drones across beaches in Queensland, Australia. Starting off on a trial basis, the unmanned bots have a wingspan of one meter (about three feet) and will feature detachable safety buoys and alert sirens. While it could be the next thing in oceanside safety, we'd image that some folks won't be too fond of being watched sans any say in the matter. That said, we'd be remiss not to mention to that SLS head Brett Williamson frankly stated to ABC that "at the end of the day this is about public safety." Big brother conspiracy aside, we're sure some folks could be swayed if these bad boys play Flight of the Valkyries while in formation.

[Image credit: Kim Powell]

Over the summer, Microsoft took a break from showing off Windows 8 hybrids and turned its attention to unleashing a bunch of portable mice and keyboards. Turns out, Redmond wasn't quite done refreshing its accessories collection: the company just announced the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, a full-size desktop model meant to complement all those mobile products announced back in July. Like some of Microsoft's older keyboards, it makes use of the company's ergonomically friendly Comfort Curve layout. In this case, though, there's a split space bar, whose left end can be programmed as a backspace key (Microsoft's rationale is that your fingers are constantly near the space bar anyway). Additionally, there's a padded palm rest, which you can detach if for some reason the extra cushioning isn't doing anything for your wrists. And, being a Microsoft-made keyboard, you'll find Windows hotkeys -- specifically, keys that correspond to new features in Win 8, like the Charm Bar. Speaking of the sort, you can use the keyboard with Windows 7, 8 and Vista, meaning those of you still using XP are out of luck. It will be available "soon," according to Microsoft, at which point it'll sell for $60.

Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard

The Replicator may have just been pushed off this writer's Christmas list. (Note to self: send updated letter to Santa.) But, this isn't a loss for MakerBot Industries, because it's being replaced by the Replicator 2, the newest model of 3D printer from the company. This is a big boy version of its previous devices that were aimed more at tinkerers than serious designers, and that's reflected in the $2,199 price. The build plate is significantly bigger, with the ability to spit out creations that measure 11.2 x 6.1 x 6.0 inches (410 cubic inches). That's a full 37 percent larger than the original Replicator, but the machine itself is the same exact size. The frame is no longer assembled from laser-etched wood, instead there's a powder-coated steel frame with PVC plastic sides to help shield the various moving parts and lend an air of professionalism to the affair. The extruder is designed specifically for use with MakerBot PLA, a new plastic material based on corn, that Bri Pettis claims wont expand when exposed to the heat -- which means it wont contract when it cools, leading to smoother printed objects and less cracking. The new printer has a resolution of 100 microns, by comparison, the original Replicator had a layer resolution of 270 microns. Now each layer of plastic is as thin as a sheet of copy paper, resulting in smooth printed prototypes.

MakerBot Replicator 2 eyes-on

In a departure from previous models, the Replicator 2 is shipped fully assembled. You need only lift it out of the box and plug it in to get started. And one of our biggest complaints about the setup process, leveling the build plate, has been addressed. The new model now has a simplified three-point leveling system, what should eliminate some of the opportunity for error in the four-point system of its predecessor. The Replicator 2 even comes in an experimental dual-extrusion model for those that like life on the cutting edge, called the Replicator 2X, that retails for $2,799.

To run all this there's a new software tool, called MakerWare that greatly simplifies the act of printing objects. You can even drag and drop multiple models into a virtual build platform, scale them and tweak them (either independently or simultaneously) before sending them to the Replicator 2. Perhaps, most interesting of todays announcements is the MakerBot Store -- an actual physical shop -- in NOLA NOHO. The company believes this will help expose people to 3D printing who might otherwise be confused by the concept. You can order the Replicator 2 now direct from MakerBot. But, be warned, there's a four to six week lead time on deliveries.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

SD cards and their many variants may be the memory card format of choice in most cameras these days, but there's still plenty of instances where nothing but a larger CompactFlash card will suffice. Now the organization behind the format has announced its latest revision, the CFast2.0 specification, which it hopes will find its way into future digital cameras and other professional video devices. The big news with it is a promised "theoretical" performance of up to 600MB/sec, which is about four times faster than today's CompactFlash cards, as well as a new sleep mode that promises to help conserve battery life when the card is not in use. What's more, while the cards themselves are still a ways off, SanDisk has announced today that it has begun development of them, and medium format camera manufacturer Phase One has also confirmed that it intends to support the new specification.