Noobenheim News for Nerds 
Bethesda announced at E3 their release for an actual Pip-Boy Model 3000 Mk IV. Yes I’m aware at last year’s E3 they made the same announcement which turned out to be an extremely awkward phone case. This year’s ThinkGeek Pip-Boy model is priced at $350 and doesn’t house your phone; it’s a fully stand-alone device you wear that sports its own screen, speakers, on-board software and hardware. This massive device weighs a whopping two pounds, so you won’t be forgetting it’s on your wrist any time soon. It can pair to your smartphone via Bluetooth which allows you to read (not answer) SMS messages, receive or place phone calls, access your contacts, and allows for audio file streaming. Without smartphone pairing, it still functions as a SPECIAL stats display and an alarm clock.
My personal favorite feature is that the majority of the knobs, dials, and buttons are actually functionable. I’m very glad to hear that since I’d be playing with them anyway, but this way I’ll be a little less crazy for doing so. The Pip-Boy has rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that can either charge on the base or you can be tethered down to charge it while on your arm. Lastly, it also comes with a holotape in the top compartment that doubles as a USB drive.
In my opinion, it looks spectacular and is a good step to start cosplaying in the real world with some functionality. That being said, at least in the pictures, it looks like a cheaper plastic housing and doesn’t look very authentic for the $350 you’d be dishing out. It’s apparently not going to be a touchscreen either, but that’s on the pro side since there’s dials for a reason. The lack of touchscreen is probably why you can’t SMS. The website doesn’t mention anything about a microphone, but it does say you can make calls so I’d assume it has one.
Check out the store to pre-order it. Estimated shipping date is currently November 11th.
