HARDWARE SPOTLIGHT: Caanoo, the greatest console with repeating vowels in its name since the Wii

You've likely never heard of the Caanoo, a Linux-based handheld video game system. That's because its creator, an ambitious South Korean startup called GamePark, has seen some trouble since its foundation in 1996. Due to protectionist trade regulations, South Korea does not import technology products from China, so the vast majority of its video game market is in PC games. GamePark was founded with the help of the South Korean government to help create an indigenous game industry, and it released several portable consoles between 2000 and 2005. Despite critical success, however, the consoles were a commercial disappointment, and the company went belly-up in 2005. Several former employees, however, have re-formed GamePark and purchased the former company's trademarks. Their resulting product may be one of the most pleasant surprises I've come across in the video game industry for some time.

Creepy disembodied hands love the Caanoo!

GamePark says the Caanoo is not intended to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy Advance or DS, but one look at the device's front panel certainly invites comparisons with the more famous machines. The Caanoo's operating system, however, is what really sets it apart from other portables in its price range. Not only does it have an SD card slot, 6 hours of battery life, and aspeedy processor with impressive 3D rendering, but it also features an Linux-based open source operating system that can be modified, hacked, and upgraded to your heart's content. Plus, in addition to games officially released by GamePark, there are dozens of compatible emulators for nearly every console under the sun available online thanks to the GamePark's robust online community of users. With just a USB cable and a few minutes, the Caanoo can be your personal, portable, arcade paradise.

Unfortunately, the Caanoo is only available in North America via importers, and instructions are only availble in Korean. However, user-generated forums, like GP32x.com and Caanoo News, make it easy for anglos to get set up. It can currently be found on online auction sites for about $200. Anyone who knows a more reliable way to get your hands on a Caanoo, please leave a comment and let me know!

Homebrew Handhelds (or, Hillbilly Industrial Design)

You don't see this every day. Sure, anyone can write a boring ol' NES game in a few weeks. But to whip up a console right there in your bedroom? That takes way more skill and patience than I will ever have.

To be fair, this article isn't about creating an entirely new video game system from scratch; that is more power than we mere mortals have. But it is possible (not easy, but possible) to hack apart your old Atari, Nintendo, or Sega machine, slap it together with an LCD screen and a few buttons, and create a portable version of your favorite childhood timewaster. Success! You'll never be productive again!

I've always thought it'd be a smart investment for Nintendo or Sony to create an officially licensed version of one of these. It's happened before; Sega released the Nomad, a portable verson of the Sega Genesis, in 1995, but it was a commercial failure due to its blurry screen and pitfully short battery life. Thankfully, modern technology (better screens, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries) enable you to enjoy classic games the way they were intended to be played: on a bus, plane, subway, jury duty, prison cell, or wherever else boredom strikes.

The most famous, and by far most productive, console hacker is Benjamin Heckendorn, an amateur industrial designer whose creations look like they come from an alternate world where the 80s happened in the future. Since 2000, he's created dozens of sideshow-like weird portable consoles, like portable versions of the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Neo Geo, and Dreamcast. But that's all child's play when compared to my personal favorite: the Commodore 64 laptop...

Can you imagine what would happen if I tried to pull this out in class? The techno-geeks would swarm me like a pack of wild dogs! I'd finally be able to get a date! Score one for the sexy beige plastic of 80s computers...

Compare the Commodore 64 laptop to the actual portable Commodore 64 that was manufactured in 1982, and you'll see just how much of an upgrade it is:

Any cheap Chinese bootleg electronics manufacturers (I know they're out there), take note - there's a market out there for laptop updates of outdated computers. Stop making those worthless iPads and get crackin' on one of these!

Of course, if you aren't a Chinese bootleg electronics manufacturer, or if you don't have a degree in electrical engineering from MIT, making your own portable homebrew console is... hard. Luckily, Ben has written a fantastic book to walk you through making one of these machines, called Hacking Videogame Consoles. Pick it up at Amazon and crack out that TurboGrafX16 from your closet!