Philips' amBX system promises to bring your gaming environment into the "real world." While that sound like a bad pitch for a sequel to Tron, the amBX is actually a bit more low-tech, aiming to make the space in your game room "immersive" by affecting things like ambient lighting. The idea is if you were playing a game where your character was, say, on the bridge of a submarine, lights on the top of the system's surround speakers would glow red. The amBX even includes four mini fans that'll blow some air at you when the game calls for a gust of wind (or a bad guy breathing down your neck). It honestly sounds kind of cool if you were playing something creepy like one of the many iterations of Doom or Resident Evil. On the other hand, adding these kind of "multisensory" enhancements to TV and other media has never paid off (anyone remember Smell-o-Vision?), and it's not like Philips' Ambilight TVs are flying off the shelves. But I guess those researchers chained up in the Philips Simplicity science pits have to do something. You may see the amBX in a few U.S. stores — in a "sneak preview" of the technology — by Christmas. If you do, try to be cool, okay? — Peter Pachal

Philips, via The Cool Hunter