Ask Engadget: best gaming mouse for first-person shooters?

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 inquiry is coming to us from Alex, who seems to be sick and tired (but mostly sick) of doing poorly in deathmatches due to a troublesome mouse. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m thinking about getting an Alienware M14x. What’s the best gaming mouse for first person shooters?”

That’s about as brief as they come, folks. We’re guessing he wants something on the portable side given his machine of choice, and while we’d personally recommend the Orochi, we’re sure the hivemind has a few answers, too. Spill ’em in comments below!

Ask Engadget: best gaming mouse for first-person shooters? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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appBlaster iPhone accessory lets you kick AR alien butt, bubblegum not included

AppBlaster

Gun accessories for your Wiimote or Move wands are old hat but, we can’t help but be at least a little intrigued by this rifle-like dock for the iPhone. The appBlaster is an accessory from apptoyz designed specifically for use with the company’s Alien Attack iOS game. Slide in your iDevice and fire up the AR shooter and you’ll be treated to a bit of Piper-vision, exposing the invisible aliens in our midst. Pull the triggers and two capacitive pads touch the screen to fire at the invaders that only you can see. The appBlaster is available for pre-order now at RED5 for £19.99 (about $32) and will official hit shelves on July 7. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading appBlaster iPhone accessory lets you kick AR alien butt, bubblegum not included

appBlaster iPhone accessory lets you kick AR alien butt, bubblegum not included originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung reveals ‘premium accessory suite’ for Galaxy Tab 10.1, includes premium prices

Loving your Galaxy Tab 10.1 but just itching for some accessories? Samsung knows you are, and today helpfully unveiled a “premium accessory suite” to soothe your jones for both add-ons and premium prices. The collection (parts of which appeared earlier on Sammy’s German site) includes a full-size keyboard dock ($70) and a multimedia dock ($35) enabling HDMI pass-through – you can have Tab video on your TV, as long as you buy the separate HDTV adapter ($30). You have your choice of cases, as well: a book cover model ($60) you can leave on while using the tablet, or a leather pouch edition ($30) that is, you guessed it, a leather pouch. A few miscellaneous items round out the collection, including various chargers, a conductive stylus and the already-released USB adapter. The company also promises a Bluetooth keyboard and SD card adapter to come “mid-summer,” just in time to ease your next bout of premium-accessory fever.

[Update: Replaced keyboard image. Thanks for the feedback, everyone.]

Continue reading Samsung reveals ‘premium accessory suite’ for Galaxy Tab 10.1, includes premium prices

Samsung reveals ‘premium accessory suite’ for Galaxy Tab 10.1, includes premium prices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video)

KeyWorx SoftStep

The SoftStep KeyWorx is primarily being sold by music shops and, while the PC pedal board certainly has a number of uses when it comes to music production, Keith McMillen Instruments has grander visions — like aiding amputees and RSI sufferers. The 10 pressure-sensitive buttons and directional pad can be used to control almost any function on a computer, and it can store up to 100 customized commands for everything from launching apps, to strafing opponents while getting your deathmatch on. The foot control peripheral is available now for $290 and you’ll find both a demo video and some PR after the break. Now, someone get Rick Allen one so we can challenge him to a round of Call of Duty.

Continue reading SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video)

SoftStep KeyWorx controls your PC with your feet, turns browsing into DDR (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USB-IF releases extensions to USB video class 1.1, offloading compression is a go

For those unaware, a USB video class describes a device that’s capable of streaming video — you know, things like webcams, camcorders, TV tuners and even still-image cameras. For the longest time, you needed to rely on your machine to do the grunt work associated with encoding video, but new extensions to the USB video class 1.1 have enabled those very devices to support H.264. In other words, H.264 encoding can now be offloaded to the device itself, and furthermore, the compression provides more bandwidth for additional USB devices. We’re told that the H.264 Payload specification is compatible with drivers based upon the USB-IF’s UVC 1.0 and 1.1 specifications and relies on proper support of the MJPG and/or Stream Based payload format, and if you’re an engineer looking to integrate, the goods you need are stocked away in the source link below.

Continue reading USB-IF releases extensions to USB video class 1.1, offloading compression is a go

USB-IF releases extensions to USB video class 1.1, offloading compression is a go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iCard ECG brings heart monitoring to the iOS device of your choice (video)

iCard ECG

AliveCor’s iPhoneECG case was pretty sweet but, being a case, could only be strapped to an iPhone 4. Doctors content with their 3GS or patients who prefer to hug an iPad to their chest will be elated to hear the company is working on a more hardware-agnostic option for your iOS heart monitoring needs. The business card-sized iCard ECG mounts to the back of your iDevice using velcro and wirelessly feeds data from its electrodes to the AliveECG app. The app automatically records 30 seconds of your heart’s rhythmic pulse before uploading it to AliveCor’s servers for sharing with your doctors. The bad news? They’re still awaiting FDA approval, so you can’t run out and pick one up just yet. But, when it does hit shelves, it looks like you’ll have a choice of red or black — so you can make sure your medical accessories match your scrubs. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading iCard ECG brings heart monitoring to the iOS device of your choice (video)

iCard ECG brings heart monitoring to the iOS device of your choice (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Withings Blood Pressure Monitor for iOS hands-on (video)


Withings users not satisfied with only being able to share their weight with the world can now add blood pressure and heart rate to the mix. This iPhone-connected blood pressure monitor made its first appearance at CES, but you’ll finally be able to order one of your own today. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, the $129 accessory costs three to four times as much as off-the-shelf blood pressure monitors, but integrates well if you’re looking to pair it with your Withings scale for a complete vitals management solution. Results can be sent to health sites like Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, or directly to your doctor. Care to see how it works? Join us past the break for a hands-on look at the monitor, including a video comparison with the in-store vitals machine at our neighborhood Kmart.

Update: Withings wrote in to let us know that the blood pressure readings in the video below were likely inflated because we were talking, though we do appreciate the concern you’ve already expressed in the comments.

Continue reading Withings Blood Pressure Monitor for iOS hands-on (video)

Withings Blood Pressure Monitor for iOS hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Razer ships $80 Orochi Black Chrome Edition mobile gaming mouse

It’s an Orochi, but with 100 percent more gloss. Typically, a new hue on an old critter wouldn’t do much for us, but given that Razer’s oh-so-diminutive Orochi still remains our favorite travel mouse to date (for gaming, at least), we couldn’t help but notice the striking young fellow above. The Orochi Black Chrome Edition is the exact same mouse that shipped last fall, but with a much more vivacious set of duds. Aside from being fully capable of sneaking into either of your front pockets, this Bluetooth-enabled unit also touts an ambidextrous design, a 4000DPI laser sensor (with tracking at up to 100 inches per second), on-the-fly sensitivity adjustments and a gold-plated USB connector for those who’d prefer to roll wired. If you’ve been looking to treat yourself, she’s in stock now for $79.99.

Razer ships $80 Orochi Black Chrome Edition mobile gaming mouse originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei

It’s safe to say that most of our readers are accustomed to phone shops that are well lit, fairly spacious, and not peppered with KIRF products. But if you’re feeling adventurous and want to take a dip in the deep end of the pool, then Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei district should satisfy your strange curiosity. As we’ve shown you in our previous trip, our gadget paradise covers an extensive range of products, including phones, computers, cameras, all the way down to circuitry components like LEDs, chips, and resistors. Our latest discovery, however, is an entire building dedicated to mostly mobile phone products. Read on to find out what this madness is all about — a video tour awaits after the break.

Continue reading Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei

Shenzhen mobile phone market: going deeper inside Huaqiangbei originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video)

N-Control Avenger makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video)

At first glance, the N-Control Avenger looks like the fevered dream of a quirky lunatic, destined for fame and failure as a legendary crapgadget. When one showed up on our doorstep, we were admittedly skeptical. Could a lever- and pulley-laden Xbox 360 controller clamshell really give us a competitive edge? Wouldn’t all the extra bits and pieces only result in a cumbersome mess? Is this doodad really worth the $50 asking price? We went hands-on to find out, and boy howdy, were we surprised.

Continue reading N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video)

N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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