Gametel Bluetooth mobile controller lands stateside for $49.99

Gametel Bluetooth mobile controller lands stateside for $4999

We were awash in skepticism when we first heard of Gametel’s Bluetooth controller for Android and iOS, but then we laid our hands on one at CES 2012. At the time, it’d been available in Europe for awhile, and we were told to expect it on the shores of America by Q1. Gametel missed that mark, but the gamepad’s finally for sale in the US and can be had for $50. That half a hundred gets you nine hours of battery life along with a d-pad, four standard buttons and two shoulder triggers for your tactile gaming pleasure. Sound good? You can pick one up at the source below.

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Gametel Bluetooth mobile controller lands stateside for $49.99 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pioneer announces DDJ-WeGO two-channel DJ controller, provides entry-level jams

Pioneer announces DDJWeGO twochannel DJ controller, provides entrylevel jams

Remember that fancy-looking DDJ-AERO we saw from Pioneer recently? Well if that was a bit too “buttony,” or perhaps just too expensive for your beginner DJ pockets, how about that which you see above? Announced today, this is the DDJ-WeGO an (or is that another) all-in-one DJ controller — squarely aimed at the cheaper end of the market. With a suggested retail price of $399, it’s Pioneer’s cheapest controller to date, and comes bundled with Virtual DJ LE software. For your money, you get two platters and a mini-mixer, FX buttons, a choice of five colors (white, black, red, green or the pictured violet), as well as some built-in LED effects that help you learn to mix (the lights get brighter as the pitch of the two songs gets closer, etc.). On a more practical level, the unit is compact, USB-powered, and has a built-in audio-interface (no extra sound card required for headphone monitoring). You can get your spin on from next month, at the aforementioned quad-benjamin price-point, or tease yourself with the PR past the break.

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Pioneer announces DDJ-WeGO two-channel DJ controller, provides entry-level jams originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS Vita 1.8 update brings 9 PSone Classics games to USA, 129 to EU

If you’re living in North America and are excited about getting your first shot at a collection of classic PlayStation games on your PS Vita, you’re in luck. So to speak, that is, as there’s just 9 titles on this list. If you want to play a PSone Classics game, you’ll be choosing from a list of 9 titles. You read that right. There’s also a firmware update for the PS Vita if you like to make sure you’re in the now, also.

This firmware update is version 1.80 and will bring you official support for the PSone Classics lineup of original PlayStation games. Updating your device will also bring you the ability to navigate menues in a variety of new ways, the most important being with the system’s analog sticks and buttons. You’ll be able to make use of your device with Cross Controller functionality once your upgrade is done, and you’ll be able to use your rear touchpad to scroll and zoom in while browsing the web.

This update’s support of PSone Classics is a bit bittersweet here in the USA as only the following collection is available right off the bat. That said, Europe’s book of available games is much larger in the first week, and the video above notes that more games will be popping up each week here in the USA as well. It’s Don Mesa, director of Handheld Consoles Product Planning and Platform Software Innovation at SCEA that you’re listening to, and he confirms “phased rollouts”, however that will work, with games in the future in the PSone Classics ever-growing set of loveliness.

• Arc the Lad
• Cool Boarders 2
• Final Fantasy VII
• Hot Shots Golf 2
• Jet Moto
• Syphon Filter
• Tomb Raider
• Twisted Metal 2
• Wild Arms

Each of these titles will be available in the USA starting this week, while Europe’s initial lineup starts on August 29th (that’s also this week) and includes a massive 129 original PlayStation game lineup. Gotta catch em all! Let us know which games you’re looking forward to if you live in the USA – don’t forget Tony Hawk!


PS Vita 1.8 update brings 9 PSone Classics games to USA, 129 to EU is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Google grabs glove-based input patent, could spell out gesture control

Google grabs glovebased input patent, could spell out gesture control

Google might have already patented some nifty eye-tracking controls, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t considering other sensory input. A recently granted patent hints at a potential glove-based controller, with references to a pair of detectors that record “images” of an environment, and then determine gestures based on the calculated movement between them. The illustrations go on to show a hand drawing out the letter J, indicating it could be used for text input, while another suggests recognition of pinch-to-zoom style gestures. There’s no mention of its fancy glasses in the patent, but we’re thinking a glove to control the Nexus 7 might be a bit overkill.

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Google grabs glove-based input patent, could spell out gesture control originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thrustmaster unveils Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition and Ferrari gamepad for Xbox 360, we go hands-on

Thrustmaster unveils Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition and Ferarri gamepad for Xbox 360, we go hands on

It’s been almost a year since Thrustmaster rolled out its first replica Ferrari 458 Italia racing wheel and pedal set for Xbox 360, and the company’s finally outed its successor: the Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition. Like its elder, the GT Cockpit has an 11.2-inch replica of the Ferrari 458 Italia’s steering wheel, with A,B, X and Y buttons in place of turn signals and an Engine Start button that’s actually a d-pad. It also sports brushed metal paddle shifters and 16-bit resolution to ensure a realistic digital driving experience. However, the new wheel is attached to a base sporting a pair of stamped steel pedals via an adjustable steering column. The whole thing has metal underpinnings and weighs 22 pounds to provide stability as you virtually race around Sebring or Laguna Seca. Plus, it’s foldable, so you can easily stow it out of the way when you’re not doing your best Stig impersonation.

In addition to the GT Cockpit, Thrustmaster has also outed the GPX LightBack Ferrari F1 Edition Gamepad. It largely looks like a standard corded 360 controller, with a Ferrari-style white and red paint job (replete with racing sponsor logos), backlit thumbsticks and two rows of LEDs at the top of the controller. The LEDs are programmed to provide visual indicators for engine speed or braking power, and the thumbsticks have been tweaked to be more precise than those on other available 360 gamepads. The F1 gamepad’s up for pre-order today for $49.99, and the GT Cockpit can be yours in September for $300. Wanna know more? Check out our hands (and feet)-on impressions after the break.

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Thrustmaster unveils Ferrari Vibration GT Cockpit 458 Italia Edition and Ferrari gamepad for Xbox 360, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pioneer XDJ-AERO WiFi-enabled Controller

Pioneer XDJ-AERO WiFi-enabled Controller

Pioneer today introduced the XDJ-AERO, which is known as the industry’s first WiFi-enabled all-in-one DJ system and native rekordbox player. It is compatible with Pioneer’s new mobile apps (Beat Sync5 and Auto Mix), so you can manage your music directly from your gadgets while on-the-go. The XDJ-AERO also creates its own private Wi-Fi network, allowing you to connect to up to four wireless devices simultaneously. What’s more, the Pioneer XDJ-AERO also functions as a 24-bit audio interface, MIDI controller for Traktor and HID controller for Virtual DJ software. The Pioneer XDJ-AERO will be launched later this month for £869 ($1,399). Watch the video after the jump.

[Engadget]

OUYA console pre-order now available for non-backers starting at $109, slated to ship in April

OUYA console now up for preorder for nonbackers, slated to ship in April for $109

Miss out on your chance to snag the Android-based gaming console during OUYA’s Kickstarter tour-de-force? Worry not, friends. The outfit has opened up pre-orders it promised for those who didn’t take the plunge initially via on its website. While you will have to wait another month to get your mitts on a kit of your very own, the second round of advance purchasing will set you back $109 for US customers and $119 for those abroad. Included in the aforementioned price tag is the console, a single controller and the requisite shipping costs. Hit up the source link below to part with your funds and begin the waiting period.

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OUYA console pre-order now available for non-backers starting at $109, slated to ship in April originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OUYA’s Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.59 million raised, starts shipping in March

It’s a wrap! Suffice it to say, it’s a been a relatively short, yet astoundingly fruitful — and initially record-breaking — funding run for OUYA, the hackable, Android-based gaming console. With just 29 days to work with since being announced, the Yves Behar-designed system has raked in over $8.58 million thanks to just under 63,300 backers on Kickstarter as of its official 1AM ET funding deadline today (You’ll find the final tally below).

Those who opted for developer editions will be able to start tinkering with their own units around December, while the majority of backers should receive the console as early as March 2013. Missed the Kickstarter bandwagon? Don’t fret, because OUYA plans to take pre-orders from the general public over the web soon, expecting those units to arrive at doorsteps near April.

The numbers are only part of the picture, of course. If you’ll recall, OUYA swiftly acquired a slew of partnerships from companies like OnLive, Square Enix, XBMC, Vevo, and Robotoki — and as if that wasn’t enough, just yesterday Namco Bandai and Plex officially joined the content-providing party as well. What’s more, we now know that each console will support up to four of those touchpad-equipped controllers for local multiplayer action. Even with all that, this story is far from over, as Joystiq points out that Julie Uhrman and company “promise” to have more updates before its official launch. Naturally, it still remains to be seen how OUYA’s (literally) tiny, Tegra 3-powered footprint will fare against the big three in gaming, but we’re cautiously optimistic.

So, while the final, mass-produced product is still months away, in the meantime you’ll find a recap of all the highlights from OUYA in the nifty saga module below. You can also hit up our friends at Joystiq here for extra insight from the company about its successes so far.

Update (1:15AM): Despite the timer hitting zero, it appears that pledges are still being accepted past the 1AM deadline — better be quick! We’ll be sure to update the numbers again as soon pledging is officially halted.

Update 2 (7:30AM): It took a bit of time, but OUYA’s Kickstarter is officially not accepting any more pledges. The final numbers? 63,416 backers helped to raise a final sum of $8,596,475.

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OUYA’s Kickstarter funding is complete: over $8.59 million raised, starts shipping in March originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Angry Birds USB controller puts the sling back in your shot (video)

Super Angry Birds USB controller puts the sling in your shot video

Yeah. We know. There are pretty much as many ways to play Angry Birds, as there are people who play it. That’s a lot. However, the Super Angry Birds controller you see above speaks to us. Why? Because it’s not just a sling shot, or a fudged use of existing technology. That wooden “sling” hides one of those motorized faders you see in big music studio desks. Using some coding magic (i.e. a force curve stored in a table), the creators were able to give it a realistic resistance feeling, sans elastic. The rest of the hardware is programmed in Max / MSP and Arduino, with a “Music and Motors” microcontroller. It’s not just the sling part, either, with angle and special power triggering available from the same device. A pretty neat solution, we think. Now, we wonder if we could scale this thing up?

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Super Angry Birds USB controller puts the sling back in your shot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Angry Birds USB Controller: Fake Slingshot Adds More Realism

Say what you want about its origins or depth, but Angry Birds is a prime example of touchscreen gaming done right. But what about its PC and Mac versions? Maybe Rovio should’ve included something similar to this USB controller.

super angry birds usb controller by andrew spitz and hideaki matsui

Simply called Super Angry Birds, it’s a force feedback USB controller that makes playing the game even more intuitive. It was made by CIID students Andrew Spitz and Hideaki Matsui for one of their classes. Watch the video to see it in action as well as how it works:

All I want is that itty bitty TNT plunger.

[via Sound+Design via Kotaku]