Nvidia today announced pricing and a release window for its hand-held console system, Project SHIELD (now called simply SHIELD), this morning. The system will cost almost as much as the Wii U, which is surprising given that its other Android-based competitors like the GameStick and the Ouya are priced at right around $100.

A source speaking to The Wall Street Journal today tells the publication that Microsoft's long-rumored "Xbox TV" set-top streaming device is struggling, with Microsoft not sure how or if it will move forward with the device.

The unnamed sources claims that the device has gone through several redesigns - including a recent design that integrated the Kinect - but Microsoft is not satisfied with it.

Bluestacks wants its new console system, the Android-based GamePop, to be "Netflix for games." Pre-orders have launched for the device, which won't cost consumers more than a monthly commitment to sign up to its games services and to pay around $10 for shipping and handling. For a $6.99 monthly fee, customers get access to a library of over 500 Android-based games, the GamePop console, a controller, the power supply and HDMI cable.

Signifi Solutions has launched a new video game vending kiosk called the 'Gamer Spot Shop' that allows consumers to rent and purchase video games, going head-to-head with other companies that provide similar services such as Redbox.

Signifi says that most retailers spend a lot of resources to sell video games, but with its kiosk solution retailers can automate the process, have better control over inventory and reduce manpower.

This really shouldn't come as any shock to anyone that has spent even a little bit of time at a real casino in America, but it looks like some folks in Las Vegas, Nevada don't like Google Glass.

Even as the makers of the Ouya console (seem to) struggle to fill the orders of those individuals who backed them in their successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign (to the tune of $8.3 million), the company behind the Android-based console announces that they have secured $15 million in venture capital financing and that it will move its retail release from early to late June. The $15 million in funding is from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), the Mayfield Fund, Nvidia, Shasta Ventures and Occam Partners.

While the Senate is likely to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act being rammed through the Senate past the red tape of committees and onto the floor for a vote later today or by the end of this week by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NEV.), House Republicans face a roadblock that they put in place themselves when it comes time to vote for their Internet tax bill: a pledge.

Middleware game engine technology company Unity announced this week that it will no longer support Adobe's Flash, saying that the company has all but given up on its technology. In a blog post, the company said that Adobe has moved on to other projects and has basically abandoned Flash at this point:

The $99 Android-based home console Ouya, has signed 10,000 developers worldwide that have signed on to produce content for the system, according to what head of developer relations Kellee Santiago told GamesIndustry.biz this week. Santiago, who co-founded Journey developer thatgamecompany and this year moved to OUYA, said that partnerships with larger companies will be announced in the coming months as well.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) this week began the process of pushing the Marketplace Fairness Act before the full Senate without making its way through the Senate Finance Committee (mostly because many of the leaders in the committee don't like the bill and would stall it), according to Politico.

Back when OnLive was launched in 2010, cloud gaming was seen as a leviathan rising from the deep. On paper, the concept was not only pretty watertight, but it was a strong contender to traditional gaming models (especially the console market).

Cloud gaming was going to happen. It was just a question of logistics.

California state regulators want video games and other devices to be more energy efficient and are making some moves towards creating regulations, according to an LA Times report. The state has in the past put strict regulations in place for household appliances, furnaces, air conditioners and big-screen televisions to use less energy.

Nvidia's Senior vice president of content and technology, Tony Tamasi says that the next wave of mobile devices (we assume using Nvidia technology) will outperform current generation consoles. He goes so far as to say that current generation systems like the Xbox 360 and PS3 can barely hold an edge over today's Tegra 4 powered devices.

"The PS3 and Xbox 360 are barely more powerful than mobile devices," he told Bit-tech. "The next click of mobile phones will outperform [them]."

Popular crowd-funded Android-based micro gaming console GameStick will have full support for the XBMC platform. This means that you can watch various types of entertainment via the game device. This new feature is the result of a partnership with PlayJam and Pivos Technology Group. XBMC is a free and open source (GPL) software media player and entertainment hub for digital media. XBMC is available for Linux, OSX, Windows, and many other platforms.

Oculus VR announced today that those who purchase the Oculus Rift development kit will get a free Oculus-ready version of Epic Games' Unreal Development Kit (UDK) as well. The makers of the "virtual reality headset that allows users to step into the game" worked closely with Epic Games to make sure that the UDK works very well with the headset so that those developers that want to create games for it will have an easier time doing so.

A Kickstarter campaign is underway for a Kinect add-on device that supposedly enables consumers to control their computers using eye tracking. The add-on technology is called the NUIA eyeCharm and it is the creation of Munich, Germany-based firm 4tiitoo. The creators of this technology claim that it will allow users to select items on your computer screen "just by looking at them," control games and even "automatically scroll" windows to adjust while reading.

The top executives of over 100 U.S.-based tech companies have sent a letter to President Barack Obama and U.S. lawmakers imploring them to reform immigration and address skill shortages by issuing more special visas so that talented individuals outside the U.S. can come here to work.

If you own a smart phone, an Android or iOS-based device or even a hand-held gaming system or a laptop, you no longer have to worry about having the device searched by a border patrol officer when entering the United States without some sort of reasonable cause. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that allowing border agents to search such devices violates Fourth Amendment protections.

The first Raspberry Pi game jam was recently held in Manchester, according to Develop. Using the affordable computing devices, the event offered 336 teachers and educators who attended the basic skills needed to apply their knowledge and teach coding in the classroom.

As part of an interview with NowGamer, TT Fusion’s lead dev on Lego City Undercover, Loz Doyle, says that the company has no interest in creating a Skylanders-style Lego game that uses toys and the Wii U GamePad’s NFC chip. The Wii U controller has a built-in NFC chip which allows toys and cards to be scanned into a game. Skylanders uses the same technology with its mini figures and its portal peripheral.

If you need a laugh to end your Friday on then this story over at The Verge will probably do the trick. In it a Time Warner Cable executive responded to a question about Google's impressive broadband speeds on its new Kansas City broadband fiber network by saying that its customers don't want the blazingly fast speeds that a gigabit internet could provide. Wait, what?

Ouya announced that its $99 Android based console of the same name will begin shipping to backers of its Kickstarter crowd funding campaign on March 28. Consumers who were not involved in early funding will have to wait until June when the system hits retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon, among others.

Nintendo is the target of a patent infringement case that claims its use of 3D technology in the 3DS violates the patents held by 58-year-old inventor Seijiro Tomita. Opening arguments in the case began today, according to Destructoid. Tomita claims that he presented his glasses-free 3D technology to seven Nintendo officials at their Kyoto headquarters in 2003. At the time, claims Tomita, he was looking for licensing partners as he awaited his patent application to be approved.

Speaking to MCV India, Eidos life president Ian Livingstone threw some gasoline on an old rumor: that the Xbox 720 might block used games. Livingstone also said the next-gen consoles weren't prepared to go fully digital quite yet as its only method for selling and delivering content.

If you are one of the many thousands that backed the Ouya Kickstarter or plan on getting one of the tiny Android based home console systems when it hits retail in June then you should be happy to hear that Double Fine and the Word With Friends co-creator are working on games for it.

An update to the OUYA Kickstarter page reveals that the tiny little Android-based console that raised millions in crowd-funding will be available in select retail stores, with some even offering pre-orders.

"We have some good news today," the update reads. "Because of the support for OUYA you showed, some of our favorite stores are going to carry OUYA when it officially launches to the public in June."

Yesterday USA Today published an editorial by CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro, who sharply criticized CBS's interference in the editorial independence of CNET, noting that the technology web site has lost its credibility as a result. The editorial is in response to CBS not allowing CNET to award the Dish Hopper with Sling DVR the "Best of Show" award at CES 2013 because of an ongoing legal battle between the parent company and Dish.

According to GamesIndustry International, computer and console peripheral and accessories giant Logitech will stop manufacturing and selling video game console accessories. The exit out of the market is the result of a 14 percent drop in sales to $615 million for Q3 FY 2013.

As a result the company will sharpen its focus on PC and mobile accessories.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a proposal to make it illegal for pilots and flight attendants to use wireless electronics during flight operations including mobile and hand-held devices and laptops. The proposal is meant to conform to guidelines established last year in the Modernization and Reform Act. The proposed rule change does not apply to electronic devices directly related to flight operations, communications devices used for safety, or devices used during an emergency.

Ars Technica is reporting that AMD has filed a lawsuit alleging that four former employees who went to work for NVIDIA engaged in industrial espionage and violated no-solicitation of employees agreement.