If your mother ever tells you to stick cotton into the holes of your discman or mp3 player or some such to keep the dust out, do not listen to her. Personal experience: You WILL end up with a lit fuse when you try to charge it, and will know by the smoke that comes from burning cotton.

If you really wanted to keep all that nasty dirt and grime (or oil and cheese from those nachos you just ate) away from your precious techie toys, making a small investment would probably save you from a ton of heartache.

The DS Lite, for example, is one of those fragile techie toys. Imagine you got the latest Pokemon game, and you were just about to hit an important point when you decide to charge the battery. Suddenly, instead of the squeals of Pokemon victory, you hear the cries of burning Pokemon and the curse that comes out of your mouth when your DS Lite catches fire in your hands. All because you wanted to save a few bucks by sticking some cotton into the darned thing.

Seriously though, keeping the dust out can extend the life of your DS, so a little investment can go a long way. For 4 dollars, you could pick up Hori's Dust Cap DS Lite, which should keep those pesky bits of dirt from the all-important ports of your DS Lite. Don't hesitate to check this or other caps out at your favorite online store or gaming shop, alright?

So you don't end up with a DS Lite as burnt as my old Discman.

So. Let's say that you've already studded your DS Lite with Swarovski crystals. And you want it to look prettier (and less like a brick). What can a distraught Nintendo gamer like you do?

Well, if you think pink is the new blue, then you might want to purchase this pink semi-hard case from Play-Asia. It can be shipped to you within 24 hours, and it costs $8.90.

It's as simple as any handheld case is. And the fact that it's semi-hard makes it easy to carry around: it's durable and can absorb shock damage, and at the same time, not hard enough to be bulky.

This hard case also comes in black, if you're not into the whole pink-revolution. But see, we think that pink would match your eyes better (and the Swarovski crystals on your DS Lite).

The Nintendo DS Lite Pink is the most recent edition to the DS Lite line-up, along with the Black version. The Black version is already available in Japan, and the Pink will be available in Japan too as of July 20th. As you may have read in our previous article, the shameful thing about the DS Lite Pink is that the release date for US version hasn't been announced yet.

Well, I'm here to wipe that frown off your face, because Play-Asia have the DS Lite in Noble Pink listed in their online store for $179.90 US + $20 for shipping via airmail. If you order a Noble Pink DS Lite, it will be shipped as soon as they come in stock, and you can pretty much guarantee to be the envy of your DS friends when you have something that hasn't even been released yet in the US.

Play Asia also has the DS Lite Black (which is supposed to be exclusively European) up for grabs at $199.90. The first shipment of the Black DS Lite's have already been been snapped up, so be sure to get your order in ready for the next shipment, expected on Monday July 3rd.

Link: [DS Lite Noble Pink via Play-Asia]
Link: [DS Lite Black via Play-Asia]

The launch of the DS browser being made by Opera is upon us. Play Asia have listed the application on their website with the price of $49.99 + $2.60 for international shipping. The Opera DS browser software is stored on the Nintendo DS cartridge, whilst a memory expansion will be inserted into the GBA slot.

The great thing about this browser is that you can enter text via two different modes: handwriting recognition or by an on-screen keyboard using the stylus. Also, parents can keep their children safe by using the Parental control facilities to disable the Internet access. Also, the DS Opera browser does not support PDF viewing, sounds or Flash.

This browser is a welcome addition to the range of accessories available for the DS, and is one of those things that although pricey for what it is, will sell out quickly. No US release date has been mentioned yet, so make sure you get your pre-orders in at Play Asia! Remember, it will be shipped next month and if you don't pre-order you can't guarantee yourself a copy.