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CTA's translucent Kinect steering wheel, for when you absolutely, positively must see the road
Steering wheels: sure, they're fun and functional, but why do they have to be so opaque? It's like you can't see through them at all! Our friends at CTA Digital -- purveyors of such fine gaming peripherals as the Wii bowling ball and the Nintendo DS/DSi Puppet Pouch -- are thinking outside that particular box with the aptly named Transparent Steering Wheel. Looking like something pulled from the wreckage of Wonder Woman's invisible plane, the TSW is nothing more than a transparent (well, translucent if we're being nitpicky) piece of plastic shaped like a steering wheel, which promises more precise driving on the Kinect racetrack. The company's apparently still perfecting the clear-plastic technology, which will ship June 5th, setting you back $12.99.
Ol' Grumpy's first week with Patch 4.1
Hi, kids. It's me, Ol' Grumpy. You may remember me from my guide to Cataclysm instance protocols or perhaps from when I explained that you'd have to relearn some old bad habits from the previous expansion. This time, I'm here to explain how to adjust to the new realities of patch 4.1, our two new heroic instances Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman, and our Call to Arms feature in the dungeon finder. I've noticed some weeping, some wailing, and some gnashing of teeth over these new introductions with the passing of our first week with patch 4.1, and I'm here to help. First off, calm down already. The Call to Arms feature didn't trap you in a deserted old house outside of town and murder everyone from the camp but you and that cute guy you've always liked from the other camp. It didn't steal your dog, kick your car, or write nasty things about your ma and pa on the back of the barn, either. And while both ZA and ZG provide more challenge than the previous tier of heroics, they didn't steal your cattle or set your grave on fire, either. In short, the level of consternation and yes, even whining about this has been entirely over the top. These instances are puggable with a little luck and some work, and CTA has shortened queue times, which was its only real goal. So what should you do? Well, being an irascible old curmudgeon, I will happily tell you what to do. Especially if it keeps you off of my lawn. My wife just planted roses! Stay off!
CTA's $20 Baby: Ultimate Boxing Gloves for PS Move
Well, it was only a matter of time before CTA started churning out accessories for the PS Move. Not unlike a similar offering for the Wii, the Ultimate Boxing Gloves are meant to add "realism and excitement to boxing and street-fighting games" by providing "fist-clenching ability" and compatibility "with all PS Move boxing game launches, including The Fight: Lights Out." Also on tap for the company are the Triple Port Charging Station (for simultaneously charging your PS Move Controller, Navigation Controller and Sixaxis controller), Dual Port (charging one PS Move Controller / Navigation Controller set) and Quadruple Port Charging Stations (for two sets of controllers). Sounds great, guys -- but we're still holding out for something incorporating wings or a rowing machine. Charging Stations due out in September, while the gloves should be available October 1 for $20. PR after the break.
PS3 Assault Rifle Controller aims for August release
FPS games just aren't realistic enough. Thankfully, CTA Digital -- maker of fine products, like the Wii football accessory -- have come up with a rather elegant solution: a replica plastic rifle, with a trigger and built-in speaker to support the controller's three sound effects!
CTA announces PS3 Assault Rifle, dignity sold separately
CTA may be best known for its endless array of kid-friendly Wii accessories, but it's not forgetting about the grown-up gamers out there -- or, at least, grown-ups who enjoy shooting plastic guns in their living rooms. Its latest product is the $65 Assault Rifle for the PlayStation 3, which promises to add a whole new degree of "realism and excitement" to games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 -- oh, and it also makes sound effects even when you're not playing a game. Head on past the break for the video.
Chicago Transit Authority prevented from banning mature video game ads
The preliminary injunction preventing the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) from banning M- and AO-rated video game ads is now here to stay. GamePolitics has the PDF of US District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer's May 17 ruling that places a "permanent injunction" on CTA ordinance No. 008-147, which banned the mature rated ads. The CTA has agreed not to appeal the decision -- probably because it's already getting stuck with paying the Entertainment Software Association's lawyers' fees on this matter. According to the court document, if the CTA violates the permanent injunction, the ESA has the right to send the CTA a bill for any future attorneys' fees. ESA President Mike Gallagher said in a statement, "We are pleased that the CTA chose not to pursue this further and waste valuable resources on this matter." Meanwhile, California is taking its game bill all the way to the US Supreme Court.
CTA Digital's Inflatable Kart for the Wii: at last you can be the coolest kid on your block
Put down that "rare" Transformers figurine, hide that box of "real" Japanese Anime, and don't even think of showing us your Ninja Turtles costume: we've found the ticket to cool you've been looking for. CTA Digital, who has always excelled in building stunningly superfluous gaming accessories has outdone itself with the new Inflatable Racing Kart. The best news? It'll support up to 300 of your hip-cool-guy pounds. Check out a video after the break in case you're not convinced.
Wii Weighted Gloves turns gamer into virtual badass, actual outcast
We're beginning to encounter an odd psychological effect of too much exposure to CTA's wild and wacky game accessories. It's almost as if we've developed some strange variant of Stockholm Syndrome that's tricked us into believing that the Weighted Gloves for Wii are worth twenty bucks. At least the premise makes sense -- strap your Wiimote and Wii Nunchuk into these weighted gloves and start in on your fave boxing game. The space-age velcro fasteners will hold your controllers tightly in place as you throw punches and dodge jabs with the best of 'em. And if you really want an out-of-this-world experience, try it while wearing wings! Get a closer look after the break.
CTA debuts Wings for Wii, we beg them to stop
Oh, CTA: It was one thing when you wanted us to stuff our Wiimote into a phony bowling ball or rowing machine, but do you really expect us to strap on these wings and flap our arms like a bird? We don't even know anyone who will 'fess up to playing Bird's-Eye Bull's-Eye, let alone buy a useless accessory for it. Besides, as any good rave / goth / cosplay kid knows, people (and their pets) have been sporting much nicer wings for years now. Get a look at some of our faves below. %Gallery-93673%
Finally, a Wii Sports Resort rowing exercise machine
Remember when you first played the Rowing event in Wii Sports Resort, and wished that there was some way you could simulate the tactile feedback associated with dragging a paddle through water? Peripheral manufacturer CTA Digital, which brought us the 8-in-1 Wii Sports Kit, the Wii Remote Dumbell Set and the 9-in-1 Wii Sports Kit, has created a device which fills your very specific need: The Wii Rowing machine, currently available on Amazon for $34.99. Check out a video demonstration of the peripheral after the jump. We know you're probably a little bit dubious, but what you don't know is that you can also use it to do sit-ups. It practically pays for itself, in the sense that having a tight, rippled abdomen counts as its own form of currency.
Wii Rowing Machine aims to sculpt abs, achieves belly laughs (video)
CTA strikes again! The company known for its unorthodox (and rather silly) game controllers is back with a plastic drawbar / foot pedal combo that is supposed to be "very similar to a rowing machine you would find at the gym," although we highly doubt it. Designed for games like Wii Sports Resort and Jillian Michaels' Angry Sports Resort, this is something that would probably only enter your home as an ill-considered Christmas gift before gathering dust in the back of a closet, alongside your Bowling Ball and Football controllers. But we must admit, even if the company's products are dubious, its infomercials are an endless source of entertainment. See for yourself after the break. As for the rowing machine, it's up for pre-order now at Amazon, as if you care.
Was the Siri purchase about search?
Here's an interesting take from Searchblog's John Battelle about the Siri purchase by Apple yesterday: he believes that it's the first step towards the eventual Apple goal of conquering search for the app world. Google is, of course, the king of search on the Internet, but as the iPad 3G releases today, we're spending less and less of our time on these devices actually browsing the web, and more and more of it inside of apps. That's where search needs to go, says Battelle, and Siri could help exactly that happen for Apple. In other words, he gives the example of searching for a phrase like "Chicago rental car" in Siri, and properly configured, Apple's Siri could say back to the user, says Battelle, "Hey, you know what? You don't need to rent a car. You can use the Chicago Transit. Here's an app for it. You can get from the airport to everywhere you want to go without having to rent a car. Plus, you'll save $150 which we know is a goal of yours because you've been interacting with the Mint application," and so on. Siri would become a voice-activated search assistant, not for the Internet at large necessarily, but for all of the apps and functionality on your iPhone or iPad. It's certainly possible, although Apple has so much cash saved up right now that they don't really need good, focused reasons like that to pick up a strong piece of tech like Siri. But yes, Battelle's guess makes sense, especially considering the increased amount of time that people are spending in apps versus the browser on the iPad.
'Soft, realistic' Wii football peripheral about as silly as you'd expect
Look, folks, we'll level with you -- we feel a bit silly writing about this "soft, realistic" football attachment for Wiimotes. How do we adequately introduce CTA's "Soft-football for Wii" when the picture above (it's sold sans attachable MotionPlus, mind you) already says so much? Now, you might be thinking to yourself, "This thing sounds like pure madness, but I feel like I've heard about someone imagining exactly the same thing before." And you'd be right, as Nintendo filed a patent for just such a peripheral last year. Beaten by CTA? Why'd you drop the ball, Nintendo? [Via Gadget Venue]
Wii football controller brought to life by CTA Digital
It wasn't too long ago that we were berating Nintendo for its seemingly silly patent application relating to a football-shaped soft appendage for the Wii Remote controllers. As it turns out, we may have underestimated the consumer interest in just such a product. While Ninty's application is still under review, CTA Digital has taken the opportunity to introduce its own "soft, realistic accessory" for the ballers that just can't get their Madden on without the feel of a rubbery pigskin substitute. It's ambidextrous, it comes with a wrist strap, and it has absolutely no right to exist in a society of right-thinking Homo sapiens. But it does. At least price and availability aren't yet public, so hopefully you'll have forgotten about this abomination by the time of release. Update: Turns out these are already available at Amazon for a precious cent short of $17.
Chicago Transit Authority can't ban game ads, judge rules
The Entertainment Software Association today announced an early victory in its ongoing lawsuit with the Chicago Transit Authority over the banning of game-related ads in April 2008. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has sided with the ESA, granting a preliminary injunction, in turn, allowing video game advertisements to once again be displayed in Chicago's transit system. A "preliminary injunction" in this case means that, for the time being, the CTA can't ban gaming ads. Pending further litigation, the injunction could still be repealed or further solidified. ESA head Michael Gallagher said in the release that he still hopes the CTA wil "see the futility in pursuing this case further," adding that to continue further will only "waste taxpayer money and government resources."
Apple will spend $4 million to renovate Chicago's North/Halsted triangle
Technically, I've now moved away from Chicago and am living in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean I'm not still following the brand new Apple store being built at the intersection of North and Halsted in Chicago -- not only is that my old stomping grounds (I used to be a manager at that Borders), but hearing about and seeing the old place makes me a little nostalgic for that toddlin' town I left only a month and a half or so ago. And there's good news for Chicagoans just south of that Clybourne Corridor neighborhood. Apple will be spending a cool $4 million to redevelop the entire triangle, including that dirty old Red Line station sitting there as well (you can't tell, but the pic above is the old gas station that used to be there, with the train station in the background. In exchange (c'mon, this is Chicago, you didn't think they'd be doing it for free, did you?), Apple gets first naming rights for the station ("iStop" jumps to mind), as well as the chance at advertising in there for 10 years to come, with four more five-year options. But even with those conditions, this is actually great news for that whole area -- it's been on the cusp of getting really busy (it's just a city block north of the old derelict Cabrini Green neighborhood) for a while now, and an Apple store with a brand new El stop certainly won't hurt. I'll have to make sure and take a trip back -- they're saying the triangular store could be open as soon as Fall 2010. There's an excellent Italian place just under the Brown line track across from the Steppenwolf just north on Halsted, too. Ah, memories.
What CTA's iPhone steering wheel lacks in style, it also lacks in convenience
For many users, any game that ends up installed on an iPhone is something of an after-thought: It sits there, quietly, waiting for a spare moment in the dentist's waiting room or on the train. But CTA Digital, a company known for its various game controllers, has a vision of the future that includes people lugging around little plastic steering wheels with an iPhone-sized hole in the middle. We don't know how much this "Basic Steering Wheel for iPhone and iPod Touch" will actually bring the "feel of driving a real vehicle" to Ferrari GT, but the guy in the video sure looks like he's having fun. Allegedly works with most horizontally configured racing games, and includes adapters for the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, and iPod Touch 2G. See for yourself after the break.
CTA's Bowling Ball for Wii comes with giant wrist strap, zero liability
Riiflex Wiimote weights sure look life-threatening, but they're not nearly dangerous enough. To give your Wii Sports nights that little extra bit of risk and intrigue, what you need is a (nearly) full-sized bowling ball. Appearing on what is perhaps the least functional website ever, CTA Digital is showing off an "authentic" bowling accessory, splitting open like Pac-Man to gobble up a controller, then closing up again to form what should be the perfect weapon for knocking down both bedposts -- and giving anyone standing nearby a concussion. There's no mention of how much the thing weighs, but we do know that it has what looks to be an industrial-strength wrist strap on there, and that thoroughly broken website contains not one but two statements indicating the company will not be held liable for what you do with the thing. You know what that means: game on! [Via Switched]
AT&T to provide underground service on Chicago subways
Good news for those of you who live with me here in Chicago and also don't have a car: while AT&T has gotten on the bad side of a lot of iPhone owners lately (seriously, that MMS delay is lame), they're at least doing one good deed for us Chicagoans. They've just announced that they're bringing cellphone service to our underground transit systems. Many's the time I've stood underground out on the Logan Square Blue Line station heading out to O'Hare, bummed that my iPhone isn't pulling up my flight times for one last check, but no more -- with a contract set up this week, AT&T says they'll have service up and running underground by the end of the year. And the deal will generate $3.1 million for the CTA, which could probably use the money.That may do little to soothe the pain of all AT&T has done to us iPhone users. But being able to use my iPhone underground while waiting for the train will definitely be nice.
Take-Two sues Chicago Transit for pulling GTA IV ads
Take-Two has sued the Chicago Transit Authority for violating its free speech and contractual rights after the authority pulled ads for Grand Theft Auto IV on the transit system without explanation. Reuters reports that Take-Two accuses the CTA of violating the contract for the $300,000 ad campaign that involved running GTA IV ads around the transit system for six weeks between April and June.The suit seeks an order for the CTA to run the ads, as well as at least $300,000 in damages. Reuters states the GTA IV posters were removed following a FOX news report on the ads. Now, we're not lawyers (although we do have one writing for us), so we can't say if the CTA violated a basic contract, but Chicago residents should let us know if they see the ads back up and snap a photo.[Thanks to all who sent this in.]
