Hasta La Gadget!

If you thought Mad Catz’ LYNX transforming gamepad was the bees knees’, check out the Grifta. It makes the LYNX look like an SNES controller. The Grifta can be used as a normal gamepad or split into two halves. You can even use just one of its halves, paired with a mouse or a mobile device.

Out of the box, the Grifta will work with Windows and Android devices as well as the PS3. Sadly, you’ll need a third party adapter to make it work with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One as well as the PS4. That said, popular adapter makers Xim and ControllerMax have said they will support the Grifta. An iOS-compatible model is supposedly in the works as well.

The Grifta will be released with a plastic bridge that will hold the two halves together like a normal gamepad, though you’re free to keep both halves separate while you play. Later on Grifta will release a magnetic version of the bridge that makes it easier to split and connect the controller’s halves.

Its d-pad and face buttons are mechanical and can be swapped between the two halves, but I don’t think the analog sticks can be swapped with either set of buttons. The controller will also come with three different rubber grip sizes.

Inventor Paul Weatherstone says his company is also working on more accessories for the controller, including different cradles for smartphones and tablets plus a motion controller attachment designed to work with infrared sensors like the PS Eye and the Kinect.

Will the Grifta be the controller that fits all gaming systems? Probably not. It’s lack of built-in support for current gen consoles plus the odd placement of its shoulder buttons will be deal breakers for many gamers. On the other hand, it could be an affordable and versatile controller for some disabled gamers.

Pledge at least about $107 (USD) on Kickstarter to get the Grifta as a reward. You can also pledge half of that to get just the left half of the gamepad.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

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Tori and Lexi Weeks are identical twins in Arkansas, and their looks aren’t the only things that match up. Both girls also excel with their athletic ability.

According to The New York Times, the Cabot High School students hold multiple school records and marks for track and field events.

At a competition in early February, the sisters took the top two spots in the pole vault and long jump. They also contributed to breaking their school’s indoor record in the 4×400-meter relay.

I’m so proud of these girls! We came out tonight and broke our school’s indoor 4×400 record by 20 seconds with a time of 4:01! So lucky to have these sweet girls as my teammates! Plus we won!! #soproud #loveyall #teamwork @tristyn_edgar8 @the_names_bond @alexiss_anne

A photo posted by torilweeks (@torilweeks) on Jan 30, 2015 at 7:10pm PST

As for pole vaulting, the athletes kept the twin trend going at an indoor competition last month with matching (and impressive) 14-feet-1/2-inch jumps. Since then, Lexi cleared a bar raised 14 feet 3 1/4 inches, which means she now holds the national high school indoor record for girls. The previous record holder jumped 14 feet 2 3/4 inches.

So overwhelmed to finally clear 14’3.25″ and become a national indoor record holder #YearOfTheVault

— LexiAnne (@LexiWeeks) February 21, 2015

The Weeks twins shine in more than just athletics. The New York Times reports that they have never gotten a grade below an A and plan on being named co-salutatorians. Both will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall.

Today’s #NationalHugDay @torilynneweeks &@LexiWeeks hugging it out post National record attempt at Arkansas pic.twitter.com/QG7b8Wpb8h

— Texas MileSplit (@TXMileSplit) January 21, 2015

Double the trouble? More like double the talent.

H/T The New York Times

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“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians,” John F. Kennedy, Jr.

This week, President Obama participated in an MSNBC/Telemundo town hall on immigration hosted by José Díaz-Balart at Florida International University. The President made news for slamming the Republicans and their policies. He made it abundantly clear that he would do everything in his power to reform the immigration system, as it is no doubt one of the most important issues facing our nation.

Yet, one crucial issue of the evening was completely ignored by the media. I believe it was one of President Obama’s most important points and the fact that he brought it up was newsworthy. It was his answer to Mr. Balart’s pivotal question, “When is it going to be about people and not politics?”

The President pointed out that two-thirds, yes TWO THIRDS, of the citizens of the United States did not vote in the last election and that the group who had the lowest turnout was young people. He noted that war-torn, impoverished countries have a voter turnout of 60-70% and that if that same percentage of U.S. citizens voted, the state of our politics would be completely different. Mr. Obama went so far as to indicate that even the immigration policies would be different if more of us voted.

If more United States citizens voted in local and national elections, surely our politicians would make it about people and not politics. Our senators, congressmen, assemblymen and public advocates are the people who represent us on Capital Hill. They are our voice in the president’s ear, yet our voter turn out in local and mid-term elections is even lower than in presidential elections.

If 60-70% of U.S. citizens voted, there would be no 1% and the middle class would actually exist. We would be able to send our children to college without incurring debilitating debt. We would not have to tolerate high interest rates, the soaring costs of medical care and government spending that is out of control on the local and national level. We would not be the richest country in the world with children living in poverty and we would not tolerate the abuses of banks and big businesses that fund Capital Hill.

As President Obama rightly noted, there are generations of people who fought and died for our right to vote and yet, two thirds of us stay home. In 2014, The Washington Post reported that, “General election voter turnout for the 2014 midterms was the lowest it’s been in any election cycle since World War II, according to early projections by the United States Election Project.”

We have the power to change the political landscape. But we stay home. We complain about how divisive and ineffective politics and Washington are. But we stay home. We watch while media pundits, reporters, and talk show hosts, on the left and the right, bash each party. But we stay home.

We have become a country of citizens disenfranchised with politics. But that is no excuse. It is unconscionable that we continue to rely on Washington, politicians and the media to make decisions for us without participating. We cannot continue to complain that we are powerless while two thirds of us do not vote. We have all the power when we vote. If we vote en masse and we get involved in politics en masse, then we have the power to make significant changes in our country.

We, the people of the United States, have the power to form a more perfect union if we get out and vote in our local elections and our presidential elections.

Politics is too important to be left to the politicians.