Aug 22

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

Posted in: controller, gaming, peripheral, Peripherals, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, Today's Chili, video games, VideoGames, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

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.

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Aug 20

Ask Engadget: best wireless keyboard for tablet use?

Posted in: accessories, AskEngadget, ASUS, keyboard, peripheral, Peripherals, tablet, Today's Chili

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Pete, who reckons a tablet + keyboard combo will be best for his future note-taking. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I will be attending college next year and figured that getting a tablet + keyboard combination to take to class instead of a netbook or small laptop would be a better idea. I was looking into getting the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, but my grandparents gave me an iPad 2 as a graduation present. A friend of mine is considering getting the Transformer, but doesn’t want to pay $150 for a keyboard dock. Both of us will be using our tablets for essentially the same purpose and we were both wondering what the best wireless keyboard was for a tablet. Thanks!”

We’ve definitely tested our fair share of tablet-focused keyboards, but none of ’em have actually struck us as ideal. The newly-released Lenovo Folio case is a gem, but alas, only functions with the ThinkPad Tablet. So, bright minds — any ideas for Pete and his pal? Drop ’em in comments below.

Ask Engadget: best wireless keyboard for tablet use? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video)

Posted in: camera, concept, monitor, peripheral, prototype, screen, Today's Chili, video, Windows

A guy named Ben Wu sent us this video recently and it sort of blew our minds. Wu, an engineer and self-described dreamer, has spent the past year developing a program he calls Quantum Phantom — an Iron Man-inspired system that allows users to control a computer’s cursor using only an ordinary webcam. With his Windows software onboard, Wu can draw, write and move onscreen icons or widgets, simply by waving his camera in front of a set of dual monitors. The prototype is even sophisticated enough to recognize his own webcam-produced handwriting and automatically convert it to rich text. In most cases, the sensor relies upon an ordinary cursor to navigate a screen, but Wu has also developed a pointer-free solution, as demonstrated toward the end of the above, three-part video. Be sure to check it out for yourself and get lost in the magic.

[Thanks, Ben]

Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

SteelSeries Sensei mouse points at the moon, we concentrate on its finger

Posted in: arm, game, mouse, PC, peripheral, processor, Today's Chili, usb
It’s been more than two years since SteelSeries unveiled its Xai and Kinzu gaming mice, but the peripheral maker has now returned with a brand new sword in hand — the sleek and presumably sage Sensei. The device, unveiled yesterday, is powered by a 32-bit ARM processor that can digest images at up to 12,000 frames per second and rocks up to 5,700 CPI, with a Double CPI option that extends to 11,400 DCPI, for users gaming across multiple screens. The ambidextrous controller also comes outfitted in a metal coating that won’t slip from your hands and connects to computers via a gold-plated USB. Best of all, PC gamers can use SteelSeries’ Engine software to customize their experience even further, with pre-set configurations and user profiles. The Sensei is slated for release next month, when it will retail for $90 (or €90). Click past the break for more details in the full press release.

Continue reading SteelSeries Sensei mouse points at the moon, we concentrate on its finger

SteelSeries Sensei mouse points at the moon, we concentrate on its finger originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 09

Microsoft Touch Mouse to take center stage at UIST Student Innovation Contest

Posted in: contest, Microsoft, mouse, multitouch, peripheral, science, Today's Chili, video
It’s August, and that can only mean three things: vacations, back to school shopping, and another UIST Student Innovation Contest. Taking center stage this year is Microsoft’s Touch Mouse — a multitouch gesture-based peripheral that we first saw earlier this year. UIST contestants will have to come up with cool new ways to interact with the mouse, with the winning innovator receiving $1500, and $500 going to the runner-up (trophies are apparently involved, as well). All entries will be demoed on October 17th in Santa Barbara, and the winners will be announced on the following day. Hit the source link for information on registration, or squeeze past the break for a video from UIST chair Kayur Patel, along with a clip on the Touch Mouse.

Continue reading Microsoft Touch Mouse to take center stage at UIST Student Innovation Contest

Microsoft Touch Mouse to take center stage at UIST Student Innovation Contest originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 06

Spyro peripheral goes on FCC adventure

Posted in: peripheral, Today's Chili

Spyro has seen a lot of action in his day, but few, if any, of his adventures have been quite so trying as his recent trip to the FCC. The commission took a close look at the Portal of Power peripheral for the upcoming Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure title. The circular device lets users store game information across platforms using plastic figures, so progress made on, say, the 3DS version of the game will transfer over when they boot up the PS3 version. The plucky dragon and his pie-like Portal of Power are due to arrive in October.

Gallery: Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure on the FCC

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure on the FCC

Spyro peripheral goes on FCC adventure originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

Brando’s USB optical mouse doubles as a digital scale, for when you really need it

Posted in: mouse, peripheral, Today's Chili, usb
That shady character on the corner just sold you a plastic skull keychain with fiery orange eyes. He assured you it weighed 25 grams, but how do you know you’re not being ripped off? Fortunately, Brando has come out with a USB optical mouse that has a built-in digital scale, designed, apparently, for this precise situation. Just lift up the cover, calibrate the reader and weigh away. Pencils, lint, small animals — the list of measurable items is endless, as long as your goods don’t exceed 500 grams. To get the good times rolling, hit the source link, where you can grab one for $22.

Brando’s USB optical mouse doubles as a digital scale, for when you really need it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 07:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

SnapX lets your Macs share a single Cinema Display

Posted in: accessories, Apple, Mac, peripheral, Peripherals, thunderbolt, Today's Chili

SnapX

Got a pair of Macs laying around, but don’t want to shell out for two Apple Cinema Displays? We don’t blame you, those things are expensive. A little company called Kanex has a solution for you though, the SnapX. SnapX is, at it’s heart, simply a port switcher that lets you connect two DisplayPort-equipped Macs to a single Cinema Display. But, the glossy $70 adapter does have a few neat features, like USB pass through for firing up the iSight camera and a clip for securing it to the base of the monitor. The SnapX is available for pre-order now and starts shipping to Apple devotees in September. One more pic and some PR await after the break.

Continue reading SnapX lets your Macs share a single Cinema Display

SnapX lets your Macs share a single Cinema Display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 26

New Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset unlocks business casual achievement (video)

Posted in: headset, Microsoft, peripheral, Today's Chili, video, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

The new Xbox 360 wireless headset has a form factor that ought prove familiar to anyone who has ever watched a businessman chew out his secretary while ordering at latte at Starbucks. The peripheral connects wirelessly to the console via its standard radio frequencies — its similarities to a non-gaming Bluetooth headset are more than just skin deep, however, with the earpiece doubling as just that, making it compatible with Bluetooth-ready phones and PCs. This one says “Xbox 360” on it, however, to help you avoid accidentally being mistaken for a stock trader. The headset will go on sale in November for $60. Also newly announced is the Xbox 360 Media Remote, which controls streaming content, CD / DVD playback, and live TV viewed through the console. The remote will be available for $20 around the same time as the headset.

[Thanks, Jason]

Continue reading New Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset unlocks business casual achievement (video)

New Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset unlocks business casual achievement (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 23

CD-shaped mouse is perfect for our physical media-free future

Posted in: accessories, concept, mouse, peripheral, Peripherals, Retro, Today's Chili
disk+Mouse

Unless you’ve got a penchant for going the ultralight route, chances are you’ve got a DVD or other optical drive in your laptop that you rarely, if ever, actually stick a disk in it. This concept, dubbed disk+Mouse plans to put that space to good use holding a pointer that stores flat, but pops up in a conical shape when needed. Of course, by this time next year we’ll all probably be looking at physical media the same way we did floppies in the post iMac world and this will be nothing but a cutesy throwback with no place to go — just like those cassette-shaped USB drives.

CD-shaped mouse is perfect for our physical media-free future originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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