You are no stranger to the Fold@Home set up, I presume. If you are a proud owner of a PlayStation 3, then you are probably participating in this awesome project right now. Even if you do not have a PS3, you might have heard of this project, which makes use of spare computing power of individuals who have PS3s. The project’s aim is to utilize all the computing power that researchers can lay their hands on. When PS3s are running online, they can be hooked up to the network and be used to continuously do research on cures for diseases such as cancer.

Now how about taking this concept one step further, and actually throwing in human brain power into the equation? This is the idea that the people behind the video game Foldit have in mind. On the surface, Foldit is just like any other 3D puzzle game. Video game players have to work out these puzzles to score points. The more complex the puzzles and the faster you solve them, the more points you get.

But it doesn’t stop there! Underneath the surface, you can get so much more; say, a cure to cancer? Or maybe AIDS? That explanation is simplified to the bare essentials, but that is the main idea. By working out these puzzles, scientists may be able to gain more insight on protein folding, which is essential to understanding how diseases such as cancer and AIDS work. And if they actually glean these insights, a cure may be on the horizon. Exciting, to say the least, eh?

What made the Wii so popular? Before Nintendo came out with this gaming console, the “war” was practically between Sony’s PlayStation units and Microsoft’s Xbox units. Then the Wii came into the picture. Now, it is undoubtedly at the head of the race. So what made it so popular? There are probably a lot of answers to this question but the Wii-mote is definitely going to be one of the most common answers. To make the long story short, the Wii-mote has made revolutionary changes in the way we play games.

Now what would happen if the PlayStation or the Xbox had a controller much like the Wii-mote? Would it boost the sales of either gaming console? I cannot give a definitive answer BUT I am pretty sure that the people at Sony have thought about it. A lot.

In fact, the rumor is that they are releasing a PS3 controller which bears a striking resemblance to the Wii-mote, but with new developments. Yahoo Games has the story:

While Sony’s current Sixaxis PS3 controller already detects motion, its functionality is severely limited compared to the Nintendo Wii remote. According to the article, the new device will one-up the Wii controller by using tiny LED lights and a small webcam to track movement, which will apparently make for much more accurate motion-detection. This bears a striking similarity to a patent application filed by Sony in 2006, lending an air of credibility to the claim.

Can you imagine playing God of War 3 using this controller? Now all we need are 3D effects….

How long have you waited for a game to arrive since you preordered it? A month? Several months? A year? Truth be told, I hate preordering games. Perhaps I am an impatient person, more than most, but I would rather buy the game the moment it comes out. This way, I am not bound by expectations, which are most probably going to be unmet. Let’s face it, game developers have a way of not meeting first, or even second, deadlines.

The story of Slash000 is something else, however. Way back in 2001, he placed a preorder for the first-person shooter game Duke Nukem Forever. Back then, it was slated to be one of the biggest games in the history of video gaming. Slash000, self-proclaimed to be one of the most patient people in the world, placed his order while the game was still in development.

Eight years later, Slash000’s wait has come to an end, but not in the way he envisioned it. Last week, 3D Realms, the company behind the game folded. Yes, it ran out of money and has declared bankruptcy, bringing down with it the dreams of people like Slash000.

This is story is ridiculous at best. While Slash000 only paid $10 for his deposit, the mental and emotional stress that he has been put through is probably indescribable! I cannot imagine waiting for a game for more than a year, much less almost 10 years! Incompetence is the word that keeps running in my mind…the people at 3D Realms should never be allowed to work in the video game industry again. Ever.

Apple is a company whose name has graced the lips of many technophiles. Indeed, there are countless people who would swear by Apple products. Who could ignore the craze that they started with the iPod? How about the iPhone? Not to mention the constant stream of new computing machines that are released in the market?

But have you ever thought of Apple being part of the gaming world? It is true that mobile gaming has already felt the influence of Apple. After all, a lot of mobile games can be played on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. In fact, a lot of what people download on a regular basis include mobile games.

The rumor that has been circulating is somewhat of a different nature, however. Someone has released news that Apple is out to get its hands on Electronic Arts, the second biggest game development company today. EA is known to gamers for bringing forth games such as the Madden Franchise, Need For Speed, Skate, Fight Night, and many more. There is no doubt about it, EA is big fish in the gaming world.

Now why in the world would Apple want to buy EA, aside from the fact that it is BIG? It seems that Apple has already started to move in on the gaming industry. In the recent weeks, they have hired a major Xbox strategist – luring him away from the other tech giant.

There are so many possibilities here, the least of which is that Apple will start developing games. Ever thought of an Apple gaming console?