Name: Nintendo DSi
Category: portable game console
Price: JPY18,900
Release date in Japan: November 1, 2008

The Nintendo DS, the clamshell game machine with two 3-inch screens, has sold over 80 million units worldwide, making it an unqualified hit for Japan's premier game company. Following the first DS in 2004 and the redesigned DS Lite in 2006, the third generation of the gadget, dubbed the DSi, hits Japan in November. The DSi builds two cameras into the DS Lite and adds a slot for SD memory cards, while improving the speakers and growing the screens' size to 3.25 inches. Yet it manages to shave a few grams off of its body, and loses a few millimeters of bulk in one dimension (while adding a few in the other two).

The DSi places a 3-megapixel camera on the exterior, and a 0.3-megapixel one on the inside of the hinge, facing the user. As with previous models, only the bottom screen is a touch screen. Pick "DSi Camera" from the menu, and start snapping away with either cam. From there, play with software to add goofy effects, twist and combine faces, and even let the DSi assign a rating to how similar two side-by-side faces are. You can save images to an SD card or wirelessly exchange them with other DSi users.

"DSi Sound" is another menu item, letting you play music (AAC format only) from the SD card, add effects, remove vocals, sample sounds, and so on. Then there's "DSi Shop", which looks to be a take on the iPhone's App Store. Download browsers, games, and more; some are free, some will cost Nintendo Points.

The device will take older Nintendo DS software as well as DSi-only software. One feature goes missing, though: the DSi removes the slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges. And in another demerit that you won't see Nintendo playing up, battery life appears to drop significantly: up to 14 hours at lowest screen brightness and 4 hours at highest, compared with 19 hours and 8 hours for the DS Lite.  

The DSi will reach gamers in Japan on November 1, but won't cross to foreign shores until some time in 2009. (Nintendo of America reports that DS Lite sales are still strong in the US, and will remain the branch's focus for a while longer.) Body color choices are white and black.

More info (Japanese):
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/