New Handheld Console Announced

Representatives from Gametrac, a subsidiary company of Tiger Telematics, have revealed plans for a new handheld console aimed at the UK market, to retail for as little as £60 ($101). The unusual device lists a GPS system, to keep parents apprised of their children’s locations, as one of the key features. Bluetooth technology is also incorporated, to enable wireless gaming, as well as a built-in camera, a removable SD/MMC card and a 4.2 x 3.5cm, 16-bit color, 320 x 200 LCD screen. The operating system is built on WindowsCE and will allow texting, multimedia messaging, WAP and e-mail - but not voice communication – as well as MP3 and MPEG 4 playback. The machine will also use Synergenix’s Mophun technology for its games, although crucially there has been no details concerning which games will be released or launched for the system except for a vague claim of “up to 100 different Java games”. The system is tentatively scheduled for a Q2 2004 launch in the UK, with pricing thought to be around £126 ($214) for the basic system without a SIM and as low as £60 (£101) with network provider discounts. More information can be found at http://www.gametrac.com/ogilvy/index.html