Gadgets: Make-it-yourself 'Mario,' Siri on the move

If you have ever played the first "Super Mario Bros.," the influential video game from the '80s, you have probably also ventured into the many subsequent games and levels for Mario created by Nintendo.

Now, about 30 years after the franchise began, Nintendo is offering a new "Mario" game that can hypothetically be played forever on levels created by gamers themselves.

At the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, Nintendo announced "Mario Maker," a new game that allows people to build and play unique courses on the Nintendo Wii U. The gameplay looks just like its predecessors, including showing off the gold coins, brown bricks and green pipes that are a staple of "Mario" games.

With the announcement of "Mario Maker," Nintendo takes on "LittleBigPlanet" by Sony and "Project Spark" by Microsoft Studios, both competing products that allow players to customize a game and build unique and complex worlds.

Nintendo will be able to stand apart from its competitors by standing on the shoulders of Mario and his brother, Luigi, the stars of the "Super Mario" franchise.

Nintendo said "Mario Maker" will be available for consumers sometime in 2015.

NICK BILTON

Mobile Home is a small but very useful device for truly keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

The 3-inch device clips onto your sun visor and connects Siri from your iPhone to your vehicle's sound system via Bluetooth. Once your connection is made, you have a simple way to make calls, get directions or even have a text or e-mail read to you.

With the device positioned in a convenient and reachable position, just hit the home button, which activates Siri on your iPhone.

The home button is the only control on the gadget, which has no display. The internal lithium button battery should last about six months before a replacement is needed.

There is no microphone on the Mobile Home, so you'll have to use the one built into your car or on the iPhone. Vehicles without a hands-free Bluetooth system already built into the vehicles won't be able to use Mobile Home.