Sep 24

Final Fantasy XIV PC controller debuts in dazzling white

Posted in: controller, official, Today's Chili

Been itching to wrap your mitts around the latest Final Fantasy chapter? Well, we trust you’ve already obtained the FF XIV-endorsed WiFi router from Planex, so why not complete the set with the official PC controller from Sunflex? Coming in a snowy white enclosure, it doesn’t stray far from the Dual Shock recipe that most PC gamepad makers like to cook from, although it does offer curiously elongated hand grips. Are Final Fantasy players generally larger than the average gamer or is this just a more ergonomic design for those 20-hour grinding sessions in the world that Square Enix built?

Final Fantasy XIV PC controller debuts in dazzling white originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

PSA: Sony says counterfeit PS3 controllers could explode

Posted in: controller, Peripherals, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

We’re not sure why anyone would buy a knock-off DualShock 3 or SIXAXIS gamepad, considering the trouble Sony’s taken to make sure they don’t work, but the PlayStation 3 manufacturer has another reason you might want to steer clear of counterfeit pads — they could be tiny Li-ion bombs poised to explode. Talk about force feedback! Yes, the company that brought us exploding laptop batteries says that third-party products “which are practically identical in appearance to genuine PlayStation(R)3 wireless controllers” may burst into flame, and as you might expect, Sony suggests that you run out to your nearest retailer and purchase the real deal instead.

PSA: Sony says counterfeit PS3 controllers could explode originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 19

PlayStation Move gets broken down — so easy, an end-user could do it

Posted in: controller, gaming, playstation, sensor, sony, teardown, Today's Chili

Another week, another well-detailed tear down from the kids at iFixit. Blessed with an eight out of ten on the repairability index, the PlayStation Move was said to be one of the easiest devices yet to break down and reassemble, so there’s a good chance that any novice DIYer with a steady hand and a Phillips screwdriver could accomplish what’s shown in the link below. No huge surprises were found once the PCB’s clothing was removed, but we were told that the Move controller contains a great many components that are found in today’s modern smartphones: a processor, accelerometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth transmitter, vibrating motor, and even a MEMS compass. The sphere at the top can flash any color thanks to the included LEDs, and the integrated Li-ion battery can be disconnected (and thus, replaced) from the device without any soldering. Hit the source for the nitty-gritty, and hop on past the break for the highlights. Oh, and as a reminder, you can grab your own Move starting today if you call North America home.

Continue reading PlayStation Move gets broken down — so easy, an end-user could do it

PlayStation Move gets broken down — so easy, an end-user could do it originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 22:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 17

Ctrl+S PS3 controller for professionals and burgeoning arthritics

Posted in: controller, impressions, preview, ps3, Today's Chili, video

We really thought we’d seen it all when it comes to handheld video game controllers, but this upcoming “Ctrl+S” model from UNIQ brings a surprising quantity of new ideas. The most basic innovation is the weird “UNIQ wing” that sticks out from the rear edges of the controller, allowing you to passively support the controller with the insides of your index fingers instead of having to “grip” the controller to hold it up. Yeah, that sounds lazy, but the idea is to reduce muscle stress and cramps, which makes sense for people who game a few hours a day. The relaxed posture is also supposed to help improve thumb mobility, though we’ll have to test it out with a game to see if that’s actually the case. Around back are some nicely oversized and easily worked analog triggers, along with a grid of repositioned “face buttons.”

The feel of the prototype we were playing with felt just a little too light and a little too “cheap,” but that’s typical for prototypes, and the promises of improved ergonomics and optimized control placements are certainly compelling. The best news is that the controller will be highly customizable, with tweaks available for the analog sticks, “wings,” and even the force feedback motors. We’ll see how well this impacts gameplay when the controller hits the market in December for $69.99. Check it out on video after the break.

Gallery: Ctrl+S PS3 controller for professionals and burgeoning arthritics

Continue reading Ctrl+S PS3 controller for professionals and burgeoning arthritics

Ctrl+S PS3 controller for professionals and burgeoning arthritics originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 17

Crestron iPanel controller for iPad does twice as much for half the price

Posted in: Apple, case, controller, ipad, Today's Chili

Crestron is a name synonymous with two things in the world of home automation: cost and quality. So it’s always good to the see the company shed its proprietary nature and embrace an off-the-shelf consumer product. Take its new iPanel for example. Instead of dropping a few thousand dollars on a Crestron touch-panel that does just one thing, you can purchase this $500ish snap-on case with thirteen dedicated buttons for home, lights, guide, and info functions. In other words, for the half the price of a typical touchscreen Crestron touchscreen controller you also get a WiFi-connected iPad. Sounds like a winning combination to us. Look for the iPanel to get official at CEDIA next week.

Crestron iPanel controller for iPad does twice as much for half the price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 16

Wii Ping Pong paddle reviewed, loved, unavailable for purchase

Posted in: controller, game, gaming, nintendo, Today's Chili, wii
We’ve seen our share of downright silly controllers for the Wii (we’re looking at you, CTA), and we were expecting more of the same, but we’ll be darned if no less an authority than self-avowed Wii Sports Table Tennis addict Paul Govan (from Gamepeople.co.uk) hasn’t given the Wii Sports Table Tennis Bat high marks all around: it’s weighted like proper paddle, the build quality is decent, comes with a battery and a charger and, most importantly, it “replicates all the features of [the] Wiimote and MotionPlus perfectly.” Unfortunately, the reviewer states that this is a prototype from an as yet unnamed Chinese manufacturer. Way to harsh our buzz, man.

Wii Ping Pong paddle reviewed, loved, unavailable for purchase originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGamepeople.co.uk  | Email this | Comments

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Sep 10

Pink DualShock 3 arriving September 21, who’s manly enough to buy one?

Posted in: availability, controller, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

Should the classy white, or the patriotic red and blue PlayStation controllers not take your fancy, Sony’s rolling out another hue just for you, discerning consumer: pink! The Japanese maker of everything with an electronic pulse has a bit of a tradition with this color and it’s not like the great PS3 hasn’t been licked by a few strokes of red lite before. Pricing is your typical $54.99 for this wireless console commander and GameStop should have them in within a couple of weeks.

Pink DualShock 3 arriving September 21, who’s manly enough to buy one? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceGameStop  | Email this | Comments

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Sep 08

Mad Catz’s Black Ops PrecisionAim gamepads and Stealth mouse hands-on

Posted in: controller, hands-on, Peripherals, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, Today's Chili, xbox 360, Xbox360

Mad Catz’ Modern Warfare 2 peripherals won’t know what hit them when Black Ops debuts this fall — the quality of the company’s gamepads has increased yet again, and of course, this year the Call of Duty-flavored lineup ships with a genuine R.A.T. mouse. We snuck down the streets of San Francisco for a top secret rendezvous to test these controllers out, and discovered a pair of the most comfortable gamepads we’ve tried for our trouble. Read our full impressions after the break — totally declassified.

Gallery: Mad Catz’s Black Ops PrecisionAIM controllers, hands-on

Continue reading Mad Catz’s Black Ops PrecisionAim gamepads and Stealth mouse hands-on

Mad Catz’s Black Ops PrecisionAim gamepads and Stealth mouse hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 07

Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too)

Posted in: controller, hack, mod, Today's Chili, toy, Toys
We thought that our homemade Theremin was difficult to control, but this one is in a different league altogether! The, ahem, brainchild of Apples In Stereo’s Robert Schneider, the Teletron takes a Mattel Mindflex game and uses it as a control voltage source for… well, any piece of musical equipment that has a CV input. In the video below, the musician / producer plugs it into a Moog analog synth and increases / decreases the pitch solely with his mind. At least the thing doesn’t give you an electric shock when you hit the wrong note! But enough jabberjaw out of us — see / hear it in action (and get some instructions, if you’d like to build your own) after the break.

Continue reading Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too)

Apples In Stereo man controls his Moog… with his mind! (and you can too) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 05

‘Classic White’ DualShock 3 appears at e-tail, dreaming of an alabaster console

Posted in: controller, peripheral, sony, Today's Chili

While the white PS3 Slim pictured above decidedly belongs to Japan, the “Classic White” DualShock 3 alongside has just appeared for preorder at e-tailers based in the US. Now, we wouldn’t go so far as to claim that an ivory 160GB game system will follow this controller across the Pacific, but let’s just say we won’t be surprised if Sony reveals one anyhow before these preorders (tentatively) ship on October 15th. After all, Sony already sells a “Ceramic White” controller, and unless you’re attempting to match colors, a single shade of eggshell paint is generally all you need.

[Thanks, William]

‘Classic White’ DualShock 3 appears at e-tail, dreaming of an alabaster console originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAmazon, Buy.com  | Email this | Comments

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