Kinect used to control Super Mario on a PC, redefine convergence (video)

If, like us, you’ve been waiting to see Kinect in control of a truly marquee game, your wait has now come to an end. The same fella that brought us the Kinect lightsaber has returned with a hack enabling eager nostalgics to enjoy a bout of Super Mario controlled only by their body contortions. OpenKinect was used to get the motion-sensing peripheral — originally intended exclusively for use with an Xbox 360 — to communicate with his PC, while a simple NES emulator took care of bringing the 25-year old plumber to life. The video awaits after the break.

Continue reading Kinect used to control Super Mario on a PC, redefine convergence (video)

Kinect used to control Super Mario on a PC, redefine convergence (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Movea turns your iPod touch or iPhone into an Air Mouse for just $2

Not so keen on plopping down a Benjamin for Movea’s Air Mouse? A full two years after the introduction of that very product, there’s now an acceptable, bargain-bin alternative: the Air Mouse. Er, the Air Mouse app for iPod touch / iPhone. This here nugget of code, which is selling for just $1.99 in the App Store, taps into your iDevice’s inbuilt gyroscopes as well as the company’s own MotionSense technology in order to convert your handheld into a mouse. No need to fish for a surface, though — simply wave your iPhone around in order to take advantage of in-air cursor control and gesture recognition. It’s a dream come true for HTPC owners (Macs and PCs are supported), though critics are suggesting that Mobile Mouse may actually be superior. If you’ve already parted ways with your buck-ninety-nine, let us know how things are panning out in comments below.

Continue reading Movea turns your iPod touch or iPhone into an Air Mouse for just $2

Movea turns your iPod touch or iPhone into an Air Mouse for just $2 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashgear  |  sourceMovea, iTunes  | Email this | Comments

SuONOIO synth takes soundgeeks from zero to tweaking in fewer than 60 cycles (video)

We’ll admit that sometimes it doesn’t take much to get our engines running here at Engadget HQ. If you can throw a couple of knobs, exposed circuitry, a 9v battery, and a sense of adventure into a semi-coherent package, we’ll be pleased as punch. The SuONIO synthesizer, therefore, makes us very happy indeed.

SuONOIO is the band of former Nine Inch Nails keyboardist Alessandro Cortini, and SuONOIO is a pint-sized slab of silicon that comes bundled with a digital copy of the band’s latest album. Delivered bubble-wrapped in a hand-stamped cardboard box — if you’ve ever had the pleasure of unboxing an Arduino kit, you’ll know the feeling — it’s pre-loaded with two banks of samples that were used to create the album.

Although it’s a sample-based instrument, it’s the user’s job to create new noise using an array of jumper-activated effects and mixing techniques. It’s not quite as expansive as an MPC, but as any good experimentalist knows, there’s a lot to be gleaned from limitations and new interface paradigms.

Read on for our impressions of the noisebox and a tour of its inner workings!

Gallery: SuONOIO

Continue reading SuONOIO synth takes soundgeeks from zero to tweaking in fewer than 60 cycles (video)

SuONOIO synth takes soundgeeks from zero to tweaking in fewer than 60 cycles (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shocker! GameStop expects Kinect and Move to be in short supply this holiday season

Are you prepared to be blown away? Have your mind flipped inside-out? Experience a revelation to end all revelations? Tough luck, bubs. During an earnings call yesterday, GameStop president Tony Bartel was cited as saying that both Microsoft’s Kinect and Sony’s PlayStation Move would both be difficult to find this holiday season, noting that the Kinect would be “a hot item through the holiday season and the key opportunity will be just to continue to keep them in stock.” He also stated that the Move would be “in short supply,” and even went so far as to predict that consumers would be “following the UPS truck to our stores to pick up that product as soon as they can find it.” Naturally, GameStop’s in-stock guarantee won’t apply to the two things it actually should (read: Kinect and Move), and Tony stopped short of providing hard evidence that this so-called shortage would in fact occur. But hey, no one ever said that drumming up demand for a product your store hawks was a bad business move, you know? And on the real, we’re guessing that Santa will actually have the hots for these things, and if you’re considering one, it’s always wise to be proactive. Or spend countless nights attempting to snipe Johnny Doe on eBay — your call.

[Image courtesy of Geek In Heels]

Shocker! GameStop expects Kinect and Move to be in short supply this holiday season originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceSeeking Alpha  | Email this | Comments

Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin’s n52te Speedpad, does it proud

Think you’ve been gaming on the PC for awhile? If you can’t vividly remember gushing over this thing (and scrounging up pennies from under the couch in order to finance one), move along. If, however, you’re still the proud owner of an attic-bound Belkin Nostromo n52, you can definitely prepare yourself for a healthy dose of nostalgia here. After co-developing Belkin’s n52te Speedpad a few years ago, it looks as if Razer has now fully taken over the gamepad by today introducing the Nostromo. Yeah, just Nostromo. The design is certainly a familiar one, boasting a 16-button keypad, a soft-touch rubberized wrist pad, 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse gaming buttons and an eight-way directional thumb pad. As for improvements, you’ll get the ability to switch instantly between eight keymaps (up from three), and the flexibility of storing up to twenty gaming profiles (up from the previous limit of ten). It’s available to order now for $69.99 / €69.99, with an estimated ship date of November 29th worldwide. You know, in plenty of time to stuff your own stocking.

Continue reading Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin’s n52te Speedpad, does it proud

Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin’s n52te Speedpad, does it proud originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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N-Control Avenger gives your Xbox 360 controller hair triggers (video)

We happen to like our existing Xbox 360 controller, squeaky triggers and all, and though we’re eagerly awaiting an improved D-pad it hadn’t really occurred to us that some might prefer an overhaul. N-Control, however, has done just that with this insane lever-filled shell, which wraps around the gamepad to provide simultaneous control over a host of inputs at once. The idea is that you’ll never need to take your thumbs off the analog sticks to swap weapons or reload, because you’ll just flick one of those weighted levers instead. You’ll also apparently gain a split-second advantage over opponents on the draw since the contraption constantly applies tension to each of the controller’s triggers, making them easier to press. For $60, the Avenger even comes with a tripod, which could be a good move on the company’s part — it looks like you might need one to hold the beast up. Video after the break.

Continue reading N-Control Avenger gives your Xbox 360 controller hair triggers (video)

N-Control Avenger gives your Xbox 360 controller hair triggers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink DVICE, Kotaku  |  sourceN-Control  | Email this | Comments

Logitech Mini Controller for Google TV now available

You may have been lucky and able to find one floating around before now, but Logitech has just officially announced that its Mini Controller for Google TV is now widely available for purchase. As you’ll recall, the controller is basically just a Google TV-friendly version of Logitech’s classic diNovo Mini controller, and a decidedly smaller alternative to the standard keyboard that comes with the Logitech Revue. At $130, though, it’s not exactly a cheap alternative — head on past the break for a brief video of the controller courtesy of Logitech, and don’t forget to check out our hands-on with it right here.

Continue reading Logitech Mini Controller for Google TV now available

Logitech Mini Controller for Google TV now available originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Streak gets SNES controller dock, navigates owner through Yoshi’s Island (video)

Dell Streak gets SNES controller dock, navigates owner through Yoshi's Island (video)

Who’d have thought that a little thing like the inclusion of USB Host capabilities could open the door to such wonders as an SNES controller dock? That’s exactly what we have here. The Dell Streak‘s ability to work with standard USB keyboards has enabled it to also work with a suitably modified SNES controller, having had a cablectomy and the addition of a PDMI connector on top. That, with the addition of a USB board, turns the controller into a keyboard and, hey presto, it’s Super Mario World time. Modder 0TheRain0 did the handiwork here, which you can watch him demonstrate after the break.

Continue reading Dell Streak gets SNES controller dock, navigates owner through Yoshi’s Island (video)

Dell Streak gets SNES controller dock, navigates owner through Yoshi’s Island (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceStreak Smart  | Email this | Comments

Xbox 360 Transforming Controller Review: I’ve Got Blisters on Me Fingers [Video]

The Xbox 360 controller’s biggest flaw is the craptastic directional pad plunked in the middle of it. Five years later, Microsoft’s come up with a better way: a transforming controller. More »

EFO’s iPazzPort grows a touchpad and laser pointer, tickles our fancy

What exactly is a fancy, anyway? As we ponder that, and other far-fetched meanings of life, we’re forced to take a look a yet another mystery of our planet: EFO. Who are these guys? Where do they spend quality time? Did they ever consider that the iPazzPort would become a worldwide phenomenon? Merely months after rolling out a minuscule Bluetooth keyboard for controlling HTPCs and other doodads, the company is now outing a slightly larger version — one with a multitouch trackpad on top of the keys. Oddly enough, it also saw fit to throw a laser pointer into the mix, though this version will rely on those tried-and-true RF frequencies for wireless communication. Check out a downright exhilarating video of it in action past the break, and tap that source link if you’re eager to drop $55 (including shipping) on one.

Continue reading EFO’s iPazzPort grows a touchpad and laser pointer, tickles our fancy

EFO’s iPazzPort grows a touchpad and laser pointer, tickles our fancy originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 10:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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