Hasta La Gadget!

What, our ultra-special Droid dock‘s not enough for you? There’s now another way to avoid buying Motorola’s official accessories, though this one’s a bit more blasphemous. Thijs Bosschert over in the Netherlands has put together a fully fledged adapter for his Milestone (aka Droid European Edition), which allows it to interface with docks designed for iPods and iPhones. He’s done it using mostly parts he had lying around — and a well-placed magnet, of course — though he had to resort to using the 3.5mm headphone jack to extract audio from the device. The result might not look like a million bucks, but then it didn’t cost that much either. See more pictures and Thijs’ full how-to guide at the source.

Droid made to work with iPod docks using unholy homemade adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Believe it or not, this isn’t the first hockey stick accessory for the Wiimote — the folks from CTA naturally have you covered there as well — but it is the first to be bundled with a game, and garner the glowing recommendation of Wayne Gretzky himself. The game in question here is EA’s forthcoming NHL Slapshot, which comes with the pint-sized hockey stick pictured above (just one, it seems) that holds both the Wiimote and nunchuck — it also thankfully has a foam blade that should prevent any TV disasters. Just a gimmick, you say? Not according to Gretzky, who says that it’s actually “very realistic” and “almost like playing in the NHL” — yes, really. Interestingly, the game’s creator also seems to have hinted at future versions for Natal and PlayStation Move, saying that the Wii version is “going to be a really good test.” Look for it to be available on September 7th.

EA’s ‘NHL Slapshot’ packs Gretzky-approved Wiimote hockey stick originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Eric, who is just about ready to ship off to the “best years of his life.” If he can find a backpack, that is. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I am going to be attending college in the fall and am l looking for a good backpack that not only provides protection for my 15-inch laptop but also has space for accessories and books. I don’t care about brand; I want something that will last and I don’t have to replace for a while. Thanks for your suggestions!”

Look, this guy doesn’t need yet another thing on his plate when it comes time to get ready for college. The least you can do is provide him a name and model of a solid backpack for carrying around his LAN party rig and [Insert Course Here] 101 books. Bone throwing is encouraged in comments below.

Ask Engadget: best backpack for holding a laptop and textbooks? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here we go with those trusted sources again. Edge has it on good authority that Microsoft’s midlife rejuvenator for the Xbox 360, Project Natal, will cost a cool 149 bucks when purchased as a standalone accessory, or $100 when bundled together with the $199 Xbox 360 Arcade console. That’s a mighty steep hill for early adopters to climb, but Microsoft did warn us that Natal will not be an impulse buy. An October 26 date is also proffered for the official launch, but that might shift, leaving us with the same window of expectation as before. Interestingly, the Natal name is expected to definitely change for the final retail product, which we should be learning a lot more about at E3 in a couple of weeks.

Project Natal to cost $149 by itself, $299 with 360 Arcade, according to latest rumors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 18:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And you thought your Driving Force GT was pricey. Thrustmaster is today introducing its newest gaming accessory, a startlingly expensive new racing wheel designed to give PlayStation 3 and PC gamers the chance to feel as if they truly are screaming ahead in hopes of being first to fly under the checkered flag. The Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition is a complete wireless cockpit ensemble, requiring far more space than an NYC studio apartment affords to completely unfold, and given that it weighs 23 pounds, you may need to bust out your Ricky Bobby uniform to make sure you aren’t roughed up when leaning hard into turns. The wheel itself measures 11-inches in diameter, and it’s said to be an exact replica of that found on the Ferrari 430 Scuderia (“down to the smallest details,” we’re told), and the all-metal pedals should provide quite the sensation to those who prefer to roll shoeless. Check it this June if you’re having trouble ridding yourself of disposable income.

Continue reading Thrustmaster gets fancy with Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition racing wheel

Thrustmaster gets fancy with Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition racing wheel originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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