Hasta La Gadget!

It’s no secret that iOS mobile gaming leaves us wanting when it comes to physical controls. Fortunately, at CES 2013, iFrogz is out to fill that void with the Caliber Advantage iPhone case-gone-console. The Caliber Advantage, an iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch accessory, uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to the corresponding enabled application rather than the phone itself. iFrogz mentions that a deal with Epic Games and Chair Entertainment to build the basis for the Caliber software powered by the Unreal Engine is in the works. In fact, later this April the company will host its own developer conference aimed at seriously expanding the platform and hopefully adding support for previously released titles.

Marrying a case with a full-fledged controller certainly adds some bulk, but after handling the prototype, the approximate half inch of added girth honestly didn’t incite any ill feelings. The chassis, while clearly heavy on the plastic, felt more sturdy than anticipated, and fairly natural to our hands. As for the buttons? Crisp and responsive, hard though that may be to believe. The unit is set to retail at $70, and curious iOS gamers can feel free to take a closer look in the gallery below.

Kevin Wong contributed to this report.

Continue reading iFrogz’s Caliber Advantage iPhone 5 gaming case hands-on

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals

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Source: Caliber Series

Earlier at CES, we got our hands on the Rode iXY 30-pin stereo microphone iPhone add-on that left our Lightning users a bit sad. Cheer up! The folks over at Zoom got us over to their booth to take a peek at the company’s new iQ5 professional stereo microphone. The iQ5 is a different beast than its aforementioned competition in that it works in conjunction with native iOS applications. What this means is that you can use it while recording video on your iOS device. The microphone itself rotates for this specific purpose, allowing for both horizontal and vertical audio recording in raw, 90- and 120-degree field positions. The recording resolution is capped at a respectable 16-bit/44.1kHz — though slightly less than we were hoping.

We didn’t get a chance to actually hear an audio sample from the iQ5, but we’re pretty confident it’ll sound better than the standard mic equipped on any of the supported devices. The Zoom iQ5 lacks a bit in customization department as well as build quality — we’re generally not fans of the cheap plastic construction, which is unlike most other Zoom products. The spec sheet certainly leaves us wanting, but it’s a start in the right direction for current-gen iOS devices. The iQ5 will set you back $100 and will start shipping Q2 of this year — until then check out the gallery to hold you over.

Filed under: Peripherals

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You might have forgotten about this guy. It’s been over a year since Jason Giddings put his clear keyboard concept up on Kickstarter. Well, the infrared-based touch board may not have found enough backers to get off the ground, but some other investors saw potential and now Translusense is making its way towards a reality. The company wasn’t quite ready to show off working prototype at CES — there’s still a number of issues to work out with the firmware. But we were able to get a glimpse of what the final hardware will look like. The main platform is a relatively thick piece of glass with a surprisingly pleasant curve, while the base is a heavy chunk of plastic and metal. The smooth surface feels nice, but we are concerned about the effect it’ll have on our touch typing skills.

The keyboard actually starts completely blank. The “keys” you see above are actually a print out that is laid over the glass and can be peeled off, replaced or customized with a piece of software. This will allow users to create custom layouts specifically for use with games or applications like Photoshop. Unfortunately, Translusense hasn’t escaped vaporware status just yet. While we did see what appears to be a nearly production-ready piece of hardware there are still many software issues to work out. To see what this piece of science fiction (nearly) come to life looks like from a few different angles hit up the gallery below.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Perhaps the form factor of PowerA’s previous Moga — a Bluetooth-enabled Android game controller — was too mobile for you? PowerA’s got you covered, showing off its full controller-sized Moga Pro this week at CES 2013. The differences from Moga’s previous iteration are clear and many: a rechargeable battery built in, a d-pad, larger face buttons, full analog sticks with click, and shoulder buttons just above triggers (and a backlight, if you’re into that kinda thing). There’s also a stand included, should you choose to use the Moga Pro with your Bluetooth-enabled Android tablet — the controller’s built in phone holder extends all the way up to the (enormous) Note 2. To call it a big difference seems to be a disservice to a device that is essentially completely different from its forebear.

The Moga Pro is a solidly built, comfortable controller. Where the Moga felt a bit constricting and prone to causing hand cramps over long use, the Moga Pro feels as natural as a regular game console controller. The triggers out back resemble those of the Xbox 360’s gamepad, and the same quality applies to the clickable dual analogs on the face. The d-pad is perfectly serviceable as well. However, as Android games aren’t built with a controller in mind, the experience actually using the controller in-game (we played Dead Trigger) was a bit wonky. A bit of lag — easily perceptible — stood between our button presses and action in the game. This may not make a huge difference to some folks, but to anyone used to console or PC gaming, it’s an unacceptable situation. The folks at PowerA say this issue can be overcome by developers should they choose to invest in a solution, but we’re not so confident that devs will make that investment. Time will tell.

The final addition is a switch for two separate modes: A for the standard Moga Pro mode, and B for an “H.I.D.” mode. What’s H.I.D., you ask? Yeah, we did too — apparently it’s an emerging standard for Bluetooth controller. It’s yet to be solidly accepted across the board by various peripheral manufacturers, but just in case it does, the Moga Pro will be ready. As for when you can get your hands on the Moga Pro, that’s another question altogether. We were given a spring 2013 window and no price point for the device, but we’re anticipating a similar pricing to the $50 that the original Moga cost.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals, Tablets, Mobile

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Amzer was demonstrating its Shatterproof iPhone protective film at CES and while we might not stretch as far as to say it makes your phone shatterproof, we can attest to it being pretty tough. The film is slapped onto the iPhone’s face using nothing but a squeegee and some care and then the 4-layer film is set to save your handset from scratches and wear. Using a drill and then a sander our Daniel — winner of this contest — does some grinding and drilling to see how well it holds up.

Continue reading Amzer Shatterproof iPhone film hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

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