The Feds approve the HTC Magic.
(Credit: Crave U.K.)
Just a couple days after it came into the world at the GSMA World Congress, the Android-powered HTC Magic swept through the Federal Communications Commission. Indeed, it was a busy week at the FCC. Besides the Magic, a CDMA …
Just a few months ago, Mad Catz was known for making generic, mediocre console accessories to undercut companies like Sony and Nintendo. Then they announced their Street Fighter sticks and the gaming world went nuts.
While Matt Buchanan already reviewed Mad Catz’ SFIV FightPad, the company’s two arcade sticks for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, coinciding with the release of SFIV, have had more buzz than any gaming accessory in recent memory.
Street Fighter IV FightStick ($70)
Mad Catz‘ SFIV FightStick was meant to “recreate” the arcade experience, but also offer programmable turbo along with two extra move-assignable buttons. It’s essentially a joystick that’s designed with the Street Fighter button layout and fancy artwork.
Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition ($150)
The Tournament Edition stick’s claim to fame is simple. It uses the exact Sanwa joystick and 30mm buttons found in the SFIV arcade cabinet, not a “recreation” like we see in the standard FightStick. The experience is promised to be 1:1 between home and arcades—though it also includes the turbo and assignable button add-on.
So could I tell a difference between the two? In one word, yes.
Honestly, I’m not skilled enough at Street Fighter to argue that a controller is getting in my way of beating Matt Buchanan. But blindfolded, I could discern the difference between the two controllers…beyond the Tournament Edition’s obvious heftier size.
The TE stick has an ever so slightly shorter range of motion than the SE stick (for pulling off quick maneuvers), but it’s also far smoother. Being picky, I noticed more mechanical scraping in the SE stick that wasn’t present in the TE, which rotated with with ease.
The SE’s buttons, while superficially similar, felt far more like plastic, with a hollow, high clicking that wasn’t as soft on the fingers. Whether or not you have ever heard of semi-legendary Sanwa components doesn’t really matter. You’ll feel the difference.
I can’t say I played any better on the $80 more expensive TE stick, but I did find myself preferring it during testing and unconsciously choosing it for casual play. Then again, if I’d never tasted the caviar-esque Tournament stick, I’d probably be fine with the decent steak-esque standard FightStick. Either stick is immeasurably superior to trying to play with the Xbox 360 controller’s gimpled D-pad.
But that doesn’t mean I’m completely happy with either controller because they both share the same ridiculous flaw—they are both horrid for chatting.
In order to fit an Xbox 360 headset into the FightSticks, you need to utilize a little cord/adapter that’s pretty identical to Rock Band’s guitar chatting solution.
Now I’m pretty good with plugging things in—it’s sort of a job requirement—but I had all sorts of chatting issues on both FightSticks with multiple 360 headsets and two different adapter cables. Sometimes people couldn’t hear me and sometimes I couldn’t hear them.
When we’re talking about a $150 joystick—a peripheral that approaches the cost of a full Xbox 360—I want my headset to connect perfectly every time. Even if Madcatz’ solution worked perfectly, which it doesn’t, it lacks any level of elegance. And it’s absurd considering that the FightStick TE is the size of a small child.
One other important caveat is that many FightStick SE ($70) buyers have complained of joysticks that stick and buttons that crack. I had no issues with my testing, but the problems are out there.
So what’s the point of this review? Both FightSticks have already been a wild success for Mad Catz, and hats off to them for filling a niche that has generally been left to scrounging for Japanese imports.
I guess that it comes down to this: as a gamer and a Street Fighter fan, I’m pleased with both FightSticks. But as a guy who’s seen what $150 can buy you in electronics today, I think we can do better. And wireless connectivity would be nice, too.
The $70 FightStick will satiate most players who want a simple 360/PS3 joystick
The $150 Tournament Edition really is a step up in feel and quality, just like an arcade
If you’re interested, both cases can be opened to swap/upgrade components
Both of these sticks are huge, so it’s a commitment
The poor headset connection option can be extremely annoying
At these prices, I really want something wireless
If you’re a big movie fan and tend to read the reviews of the New York Times, you may have recently seen a different but familiar little ‘add’ button near the top of the review’s summary. The Times has added Netflix’s API to their website, which means you can now automatically add the movies you’re reading about straight to your rental account’s queue.
This is another step in content providers’ attempts to better integrate their online services to home hardware and portable web applications.
It’s true that this is probably far more valuable tool when you’re in transit and reading a review in the city paper than when you’re sitting down at your computer after work (there are a couple of good iPhone apps for the Netflix out there as well). But there are other ways the API could improve in-home entertainment, and not just through the specific integration of streaming services we’ve seen with stand-alone boxes.
The API, which contains the titles of over 100,000 movies, could be better integrated into a TV. It could go way beyond on-screen widgets and actually placed inside a remote control, just like iLuv’s music player that lets you physically choose to ‘heart up‘ a favorite song.
All the TV manufacturers (or the cable companies) would have to do is match up the feed of the program on-screen with the API, and you’d be linked to your movie immediately. Kinda like a more impressive, simpler version of Comcast on Demand.
Netflix’s open API isn’t the only way set-top box providers or movie distributors are putting their imprint on portable devices. Last month, Vudu created an iPhone app that allows customers to remotely order your video box at home to download movies.
Has anyone used the new ‘add to queue’ button at the Times consistently, or at Rotten Tomatoes? Does it improve your queuing efforts, or no?
Filed under: Handhelds
Onyx International to unveil the Boox e-reader at CeBIT originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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(Credit: James Martin/CBS Interactive)Hey, I’m waiting. Are you there? By “you” I’m referring to the LED-based computer monitor revolution. I’ve yet to actually see you in the flesh and I’m starting to have my doubts as to whether you actually exist.
OK, so monitor …
This article was written on May 15, 2008 by CyberNet.
The digital future appears to be one that embraces touch-screen technology, or so Microsoft thinks. Last year they showed off the $10,000 Surface, which is a large touch-screen table that can interact with things that are placed on it. For example, the Surface has started showing up in AT&T stores as a way for users to compare and contrast devices that they sell.
On a relatively cheaper side they are now looking at a way to make whiteboards interactive. All you’ll need is a few hundred dollars worth of equipment including a computer, a screen, projector, an infrared camera, and three infrared lasers. Oh, and an application called Plex that runs on Vista. Put all of that together and you get the Microsoft TouchWall.
According to Crunchgear there are no plans to commercialize the product, but as you can see in the video demonstration there are quite a few practical purposes. Meetings could become more interactive as you flip through documents in front of the attendees, or classes could benefit from being able to draw/annotate on items that appear on the screen. This really brings a whole new level to whiteboards, and offices would surely scoop something like this up if it was only a few hundred dollars.
Here’s a video that shows off some of the touchy-feely goodness:
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Nokia made plenty of folks happy with its decision to include Skype on its new N97 handset, and future N-series devices, but it looks like the usual cadre of UK carriers aren’t among them, and they’re now making their displeasure quite clear. That includes O2 and Orange, who are apparently threatening to refuse stock of the N97 unless Nokia strips out the Skype client, a point they have reportedly made directly to Nokia in “high-level discussions.” Another unnamed “operator source” was apparently even more blunt, saying that this is “another example of them trying to build an ecosystem that is all about Nokia and reduces the operator to a dumb pipe,” adding that, “some people like 3 may be in a position where it could make sense to accept that. But if you spend upwards of £40m per year building your brand, you don’t want to be just a dumb pipe do you?” For its part, Nokia seems to be staying mum on the matter for the time being, though it’s tough to see a handset like the N97 just sitting on the shelf, so it seems like one party or the other will have to give sooner or later.
[Via mocoNews.net]
Filed under: Cellphones
Nokia irks UK carriers with decision to include Skype on N97 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ASUS just unveiled the quad-band P835, a Windows Mobile 6.1-powered smartphone with a 3.5-inch WVGA (800-by-480-pixel) touchscreen and an HSDPA 7.2 data radio.
Engadget Mobile reports that the handset comes with Opera Mobile, a trackball that seems oddly redundant with the touchscreen, a 528MHz Qualcomm 7201A processor, and six to seven hours of talk time on a single charge, according to the company.
There’s also a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, 4GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), and an A-GPS radio. Interestingly, the phone can double as a WiFi access point to share its cellular data connection with up to ten other wireless devices, according to the report. No word yet on a price, carrier support, or release date, but it’s coming.
Start off with a bowl full of Gadgettes, inspired by illuminated electronics. Sprinkle a serving of bling prescribed by our resident doc. And finish it off with a loud new segment that’s been a long time coming.
Listen now:
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 | EPISODE 125 |
OLED Wallpaper: Who needs a window?
Flashlight with assault crown is dangerous lighting
Modern decor for coffee addicts
On call street lamps let you light up the town with your cellphone
Good Vibrations
Vibrator chandelier
What the hell?
Old-timey rotary phone hides Bluetooth secret
Tool Time
Alcohol shotgun will still kill brain cells
Pink Watch
Scar your iPod for life with these shaggy cute-cases
Bling RX (thanks for the name, Eli!)
World’s Most Expensive Crystal and 24k Gold Plated Bike
Voice mail
Anonymous
shark rant!
E-MAIL
…
Originally posted at Gadgettes, the blog
Filed under: Cellphones
Is RIM’s BlackBerry 9630 Niagara headed to Verizon as World Edition? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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