Hasta La Gadget!

In case it somehow snuck in under your radar, E3 just happened. The LA-based gaming extravaganza is where Nintendo introduced its next generation of home console, the Wii U, also served as the location where our buddies from Joystiq caught up with Hideki Konno, the company’s 3DS hardware chief. When queried as to why the 3DS uses the same, nowadays archaic, resistive touch technology as in the original DS, Mr. Konno answered candidly that “it’s all about the backwards compatibility. We have to play DS games on this and we want to make sure they work.” Not an unreasonable assertion by any means, however those same Joystiq sleuths also determined pretty conclusively that the Wii U’s bodacious 6.2-inch controller also uses a resistive touchscreen — could the primeval tech be getting recycled again for similar reasons? Nintendo’s made no announcements about game compatibility on the Wii U beyond confirming that it’ll play all Wii titles, but this at least it gives us some extra food for rumination (and speculation) while we wait for the new console’s 2012 release.

Nintendo 3DS has resistive touchscreen for backwards compatibility, what’s the Wii U’s excuse? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whoa! The rumors turned out to be true: a 6.2-inch screen will be built into the controller for Nintendo’s next-generation Wii U console. It’ll also feature a microphone, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons and two triggers, a front-facing camera, a stylus, and yes, it’s a touchscreen, too! Satoru Iwata was careful to forewarn that the Wii U’s controller was “not designed to be a portable game machine,” even if it shares some characteristics with handhelds. You will, however, be able to game and video chat even without a TV. Screen resolution isn’t given yet, but the display ratio is stated as 16:9, matching every other widescreen in your living room. Check the video after the break while we go try to hunt down some hands-on time with this multifunctional new beast of a controller.

Continue reading The Wii U controller, revealed! (video)

The Wii U controller, revealed! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need more stuff to attach to your smartphone? Good news: Ten One Design managed to shrink down those stick-on iPad joysticks we played with back at CES, bringing the Fling’s screen-cluttering gaming action to the iPhone, iPod touch, and Android devices. The new Fling Mini monopolizes a good deal of its designated phone’s display real estate — and then some — pushing its way well into the bezel of many handsets. You can pre-order the suction cup controllers now at $24.95 for a pack of two — five bucks less than their older siblings. They’re set to start shipping next month and will no doubt get some good, slightly-obscured face time at E3.

Continue reading Ten One Design’s iPad joysticks set to have a mini Fling with your smartphone

Ten One Design’s iPad joysticks set to have a mini Fling with your smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier this week the Eee Pad Transformer scored itself a sweet upgrade in the form of Android 3.1, and with it came USB host support. When we did our hands-on with the Honeycomb update we couldn’t demo the feature because, well, the Xoom doesn’t have any USB ports. But that Transformer keyboard dock has a pair of 2.0 jacks and someone was kind enough to post a YouTube vid of a PS3 controller and the ASUS tablet getting their game on. Theoretically, this should work with any USB gamepad, including those for the Xbox 360. The only drawback? You’ve got to be wired in — no Bluetooth support here. Follow the break to see it in action and satisfy your Android-loving curiosity.

[Thanks, Ben]

Update: We managed to have a quick go on the same setup at Computex, and the tethered PS3 controller worked perfectly. Unsurprisingly though, we had no luck with the Bluetooth connection. Quick hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading Eee Pad Transformer caught playing nice with PS3 controller (update: hands-on video)

Eee Pad Transformer caught playing nice with PS3 controller (update: hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We told you that OnLive was coming to tablets, TVs, and other devices a while back, but perhaps you were vexed by the thought of controlling Duke Nukem via touchscreen or IR remote. Well, worry no more, as OnLive’s made a Universal Wireless Controller to give you console controls on any OnLive-compatible device. The company’s secret sauce lets it connect directly to your slate or smartphone, and there’s also a USB dongle for use with PCs and non-Vizio TVs. We asked company CEO Steve Perlman what was in his wireless witches’ brew, but all he would tell us is that the black magic isn’t Bluetooth. We got to see the new controller in person, and there’s no discernible difference between it and the one that comes with the MicroConsole — they look the same and they play the same, plus the new gamepad has an 802.15.4 radio for backwards-compatiblity with the MicroConsole, too. Unfortunately, that dongle’s not yet ready for prime time, but we’re that it’ll be a “little bit bigger” than Logitech’s tiny Unifying Receiver.

When we went hands-on with the new controller, it was paired with the HTC Flyer. We’d been waiting to see OnLive’s service on HTC’s new tablet, and the experience didn’t disappoint — in our brief time with the device, gaming was as good on the Flyer as it is on a PC, with little lag and the same quality graphics. In addition to the Flyer and Vizio’s VIA hardware, many more devices are set to join the OnLive family this year, though Steve wouldn’t tell us who’s manufacturing them. He did say that no matter what brand-name is on the front of the box, the company hopes to have 50 million Blu-ray players and 25 million internet TVs shipped with the service on board by the end of the year. To hit that goal, the company has partnered with Intel to bring streaming gameplay to devices with Atom CE4100 silicon starting this fall.

Hot hardware not getting your gaming juices flowing? Well, how about some seamless integration with The Social Network? That’s right, OnLive’s been playing footsie with Facebook and will let users launch games directly from their profile pages. There’s also automatic “Brag Clip” video uploads (to share your greatest gaming hits) and wall posts to let folks know when you start playing — with accompanying links so they can watch or join in. All these new goodies will be on display at E3 next week, but if you’re starving for more details right now, video and PR are after the break.

Update: By the by, OnLive also revealed that it’s launching in the UK this fall, and in about four days, you can get a signup code.

Continue reading OnLive outs universal wireless controller, seamless Facebook integration and more — we test the tablet experience on an HTC Flyer (video)

OnLive outs universal wireless controller, seamless Facebook integration and more — we test the tablet experience on an HTC Flyer (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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