Shake It, Baby

D-BOX Technologies introduced its new GPH-120 Hybrid Motion System today at CES, and if the number of people lining up for their chance to try one out is any indication, this less-complicated, less-expensive take on the company’s classic motion control technology is going to be a hit.

Don’t call it a home theater in a box—SE2 Labs’ ITC One packs a lot of functionality into one sleek package, and does so with style to spare

Within ten minutes of unpacking and installing SE2 Labs’ long-awaited all-in-one device, the ITC One, I realize that something is seriously wrong. Most of my video outputs aren’t working and one speaker isn’t getting sound. I’m seriously dreading having to lug this behemoth back to my front door to send it back.

Not a very flattering intro, I know, but this unfortunate incident ends up being key to my realizing what an amazing product SE2 Labs has created.

I’m used to providing tech support for friends, especially those new to the world of home theater and high-definition video. But never have my phone lines been as busy as in the days after Sony’s PlayStation 3 hit the stores. "What’s the difference between 720p and 1080i?" "Should I rip my CDs in AAC, MP3, or ATRAC?" "Why am I not getting sound from this SACD I bought?" "Why won’t this Blu-ray movie that came with the PS3 play on my DVD player?"

Ready for another rousing round of Donkey Kong, I dig the game cartridge from a box and pull the Nintendo Entertainment System out of the closet. Then the console goes onto the coffee table. Its power cord must reach the wall, its A/V cable the television, and its wired controllers the couch. This means moving the coffee table 7 inches closer to my 25-inch Zenith.

While Ben Franklin’s famous quip that “nothing is certain but death and taxes” still has a nice ring to it, in today’s world we can count on at least one more certainty: Every five years or so, with unfailing regularity, the video gaming world will go through a major metamorphosis. Each of these successive half-decade generations sees new game consoles take the market by storm, old platforms begin their decline toward obsolescence, and a further blurring of the line between game machines and other forms of home entertainment.

Although my friend Robbie generally maintains an aloof attitude toward my line of work, he is kind enough to feign interest. On the day Sparco’s Racing Cockpit Pro arrives, though, his interest seems sincere. “Have you put it together yet?” he asks me over the phone, sounding a little breathless.

“There is no reason why anyone would want a computer in the home.” Despite being one of the world’s foremost computer pioneers, poor Ken Olsen will forever be known for this unfortunate 1977 prediction.