Nokia N900 gamepad hack dispenses with beauty, sidles up to sore thumbs (video)

Know what’s kicking and screaming its way into obsolescence? If you guessed the N900, pat yourself on the back with this hack. Nokia’s internetting tablet that simply refuses to quit has already run the multi-purpose gamut, standing in as a brain scanner / replacement, OS dual-booter and Ice Cream Sandwich biter — just to name a few. Now, a homebrew mod from Polish hacker Emeryth, has that soon-to-be retro QWERTY slider sporting a custom gamepad to make those long hours logged into video game emulation that much more thumb-friendly. The exposed overlay is based on an ATmega8A microcontroller and plugs directly into the device’s USB port, giving gamers an eight button solution, plus a PSP-like analog stick. It’s a handy, albeit ugly, add-on that’ll help get your gaming heros of old through well trodden enemy lines. Video demo lies in wait after the break.

Continue reading Nokia N900 gamepad hack dispenses with beauty, sidles up to sore thumbs (video)

Nokia N900 gamepad hack dispenses with beauty, sidles up to sore thumbs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hack a Day  |  sourceEmerytHacks  | Email this | Comments

GameStop’s Android gaming tablets get official at 200 stores in soft launch

Android slates gussied up with pre-installed video games? We must be talking Sony here, right? Wrong. Turns out, this is what GameStop’s prexy had in mind when he spilled the beans about the company’s plans for a certified gaming tab. Making good on that word, but falling short of actually producing a new device, 200 of the retailer’s brick-and-mortar shops are now home to an array of tablets from the likes of Acer, ASUS, Samsung and Motorola — all members of Google’s tablet OS brigade. These familiar Honeycomb faces carry their same retail prices, but come customized with seven free games and, in the case of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Iconia Tab A100, the company’s proprietary Bluetooth controller. You can always snag that last bit separately, although if you’re already committed to shelling out this much cash, what’s another $39? While the verdict’s still out on whether this move is a hit or miss, it sure is no wonder why PlayStation Suite’s eyeing greener hardware pastures.

GameStop’s Android gaming tablets get official at 200 stores in soft launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998

Datel’s latest controller for the Xbox 360 is inducing waves of nostalgia, with a curious LCD display channeling the ghost of the Sega Dreamcast’s VMU. The Turbofire EVO also packs in button mapping and fine-tune rumble options alongside third-party controller staples like turbo button settings. These can all be tweaked through the 1.7-inch screen, with extra custom profiles available if you connect the proudly unofficial controller to a PC. Check the video after the break and if a baked-in display presses your buttons, it’s available now direct from Datel.

Continue reading New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998

New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceCodejunkies  | Email this | Comments

Splitfish FragFX Shark 360 starts shipping for your first-person shooting pleasure

What better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Halo than the release of a new way to first-person shoot people on the Xbox 360? Splitfish today announced that its FragFX Shark mouse / analog stick hybrid controller device thingie is finally hitting the Microsoft console. The peripheral offers in-controller setup, customizable precision and should give you around 50 hours of play time on two AA batteries. The $80 device uses 2.4GHz wireless, but, as outlined before, requires a wired controller to get in on the action. More info in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Splitfish FragFX Shark 360 starts shipping for your first-person shooting pleasure

Splitfish FragFX Shark 360 starts shipping for your first-person shooting pleasure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop to bring Android-based gaming tablet to market

No surprises here. GameStop, which announced its intentions to become a technology company earlier this spring, has officially selected Google’s Android OS for its upcoming tablet-based “certified gaming platform.” The video game retailer’s prexy Tony Bartel relayed the news to GamesIndustry.biz, and plans to sell the slate alongside offerings from industry heavyweights. The news comes on the heels of the company’s spring acquisition of developer Spawn Labs and Impulse, with a pre-production model design already selected for the tab. Expect the hardware to come pre-loaded with a handful of games, and to have a focus on an OnLive-like, cloud-based gaming platform. Consumers in Dallas were the first to get a hands-on with the beta device that should sport a custom designed inbuilt controller at launch. According to Bartel, “It’s hard to imagine how to stream a game – let’ say Modern Warfare 3 – onto a tablet and then play it with your finger.” The GameStop-made tab could also see third-party exclusives head to the platform, crafted with its controller interface in mind. Bartel made no mention of a release window, but it’s clear the company’s adapting to the industry’s digital download future. Hit up the source below for the full interview.

GameStop to bring Android-based gaming tablet to market originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceGamesIndustry.biz  | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs’ Scoop Pointer is decidedly less loopy than its predecessor

Remember the ringtastic Loop that motion control manufacturer Hillcrest Labs introed back in 2009? The Scoop Pointer is its more straightforward followup, an in-air mouse with six-axis control, nine programmable buttons, and souped up hardware and firmware. The pointer will be dropping in Q4, likely carrying a non-Hillcrest brand name.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs’ Scoop Pointer is decidedly less loopy than its predecessor

Hillcrest Labs’ Scoop Pointer is decidedly less loopy than its predecessor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SUFFER ’11 farming robot plays a multitude of roles, takes commands via Wiimote (video)

So much for stereotypes, eh? The future of farming is being painted in a far different light here at NEXT Aarhus, where a team from the University of Southern Denmark brought in the largest Wiimote-controlled robot that we’ve ever seen. The heretofore unnamed beast (going by SUFFER ’11 for the time being) is a farming-centric machine that’s designed to take the load off of the landowners (while providing a bit of enjoyment all the while). Put simply, this modular bot can have various apparatuses swapped into its midsection — one pop-in attachment could pick potatoes, while another could disperse pesticide, for example. There’s even a module that’ll enable it to detect rows and plow down the obvious routes, making it that much easier for farmers of the next millennium to take time off. Of course, the standout feature from our perspective was the inbuilt Bluetooth and WiFi, which allowed the demonstrator to operate the ‘bot with a standard Wii remote. Per usual, the vid’s after the break.

Continue reading SUFFER ’11 farming robot plays a multitude of roles, takes commands via Wiimote (video)

SUFFER ’11 farming robot plays a multitude of roles, takes commands via Wiimote (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switchblade Adroit controller for gamers with disabilities

The Razer-sharp “Switchblade” was first pulled on us at CES, and since then we’ve been prodded by a new product under the same sharp name from Evil Controllers and AbleGamers. Released as part of the “Adroit” line for gamers with disabilities, the 19-port controller comes standard with two joysticks and allows for personal positioning of sticks, buttons and rumble packs dependent on individual need. Originally designed for Xbox 360, it can be adapted for playing on PCs and PS3s, as well. Although there’s no official launch date or price, Thrifty Nerd says the device will set you back “a few hundred dollars” — probably a value compared to calling Hack-King Ben Heck.

Switchblade Adroit controller for gamers with disabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceThrifty Nerd  | Email this | Comments

N-Control’s Avenger for PS3 begins pre-sale, officially debuts November 8th

Been just a teensy bit jealous of your 360-owning, Avenger-toting friends? Well, Playstation owner, that resentment ends now — sort of. Having promised a DualShock 3 version by the end of 2011, N-Control’s gone and soft launched its controller appendage with a limited production run before it officially goes on-sale. Apparently only 5,000 of the $48.99 extras will available early, which means you’ll have to act quick to get one. Those of you missing the pre-sale will have to wait until November 8th, when it’ll hit retailers alongside the release of Modern Warfare 3. In the interim, hit up our review of its Redmond-friendly relative to see the gaming greatness that awaits you.

Continue reading N-Control’s Avenger for PS3 begins pre-sale, officially debuts November 8th

N-Control’s Avenger for PS3 begins pre-sale, officially debuts November 8th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Catz Major League Gaming controllers offer swappable thumbstick layouts, fancy arcade buttons

Mad Catz Major League Gaming controllers offer swappable thumbstick layouts, fancy arcade buttons
If we didn’t already know those cats were mad about customizable controllers, we just got a reminder: the Mad Catz Major League Gaming Pro-Circuit Controllers. These professional-grade PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers allow competitive gamers to adjust the gamepad’s weight and swap out key components — such as exchanging the controller’s analog stick for a D-pad. Want your PS3 controller to have a Xbox 360 layout? No problem. If the insane kitty’s ambitious Onza competitor isn’t your thing, check out the MLG Tournament Edition Fightstick, featuring the same Sanwa Denshi components used in Japanese arcade cabinets. It may not have its sibling’s stick-swapping action, but its 13-foot controller cable, classic layout, and left-right stick toggle mode (for emulating the missing analog thumbstick) still aims to please. The Arcade Fightstick can be had now at the GameShark store to the tune of $160, but the Pro-Circuit gamepads aren’t due out until closer to the end of the year. Hit the break for a pair of extra pictures and the standard PR.

Continue reading Mad Catz Major League Gaming controllers offer swappable thumbstick layouts, fancy arcade buttons

Mad Catz Major League Gaming controllers offer swappable thumbstick layouts, fancy arcade buttons originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMad Catz  | Email this | Comments