Acidmods -- Engadget

acidmods posts

PSP and 360 Chatpad hacked into laptop (albeit for very small laps)

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 12:45PM

We've seen our share of PSP mods in the past -- it sure seems like everyone has an opinion on how to improve the thing. Acidmods.com member Folklord36's innovation has been to place the device in a clamshell scrounged from a Joytech Visor. But the pièce de résistance? The working keyboard, which once belonged to an Xbox 360 Chatpad. This is a hack in progress, so we can expect to see this guy become even more refined in the near future. That said, there's been lots of work done here: speakers moved, LEDs installed in speaker holes and triggers, and of course the case itself. Kudos, our man. Kudos.

[Thanks, Robin]

Wiimote trackball mod probably won't improve your Golden Tee score

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Nov 12th 2008 at 11:40AM

The folks at Acid Mods refuse to leave their Wiimotes alone. We thought the rapid fire switch was useful (if bloodthirsty) enough, but the trackball has a certain retro charm that all too often gets lost in these days of high body counts. This time they've modded in a trackball, which functions as D-pad and A button -- placing them both under your thumb at the same time -- for easier game play and convenient web browsing. Installation requires some soldering and sanding, and of course you'll have to crack the controller open (pretty typical for a mod of this type). An order page and instructions for adding the trackball to other various controllers (including PSP, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 and PS3) should be available in the not too distant future -- in the meantime, we've provided a dynamic action video of the trackball after the break.

[Thanks, Mark]

Continue reading Wiimote trackball mod probably won't improve your Golden Tee score

Wiimote RapidFire mod makes it easier to act on your pixel-based bloodlust

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Nov 3rd 2008 at 11:27AM

Call it Nintendo Darwinism: the evolution of the Wiimote over time due to survival pressures (or the simple desire to kick increasing amounts of undead ass). As a further example of the phenomenon, AcidMods' Wii RapidFire kit adds full-auto functionality to either your A or B button, courtesy of a solitary chip and some pretty straightforward soldering. To sweeten the deal, they've added an on / off switch, and the old A button lights up to let you know when you're in business. For some enticing photos and ordering info hit that read link, and be sure to check out some red hot video of the device in action after the break.

[Thanks, Mark]

Continue reading Wiimote RapidFire mod makes it easier to act on your pixel-based bloodlust

Cyberpyrot's Xbox 360 voice recognition controller mod

by Paul Miller, posted Jan 31st 2008 at 11:56AM

Usually we spot console modders adding a few LEDs to their boxen, squeezing in some extra memory or perhaps even changing a form factor altogether, but it's rare to see these hackers actually hack in some original functionality. Cyberpyrot over at Acid Mods is taking this whole modding business to a whole new level with his voice recognition controller for the Xbox 360, which involves some heavy hacking and a bit of hardware kit wizardry to let you control teh Halos with merely the silky smooth sound of your voice. The mod is ostensibly designed to help out the mobility impaired, but we all know it's going to be primarily used by slothful nerds (you know, those "purists" that didn't pick up a Wii) who have decided that even repetitive finger motions are too much of an effort. The current mod can handle 10 different voice commands, check out a video of it in action after the break.

[Thanks, GrandpaSmurf]

Bizarre PSP mod adds a cooling fan, utility in question

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 7th 2007 at 5:37PM

The overheating syndrome has struck just about every area of consumer electronics possible, and while spinning that UMD might get your fingertips ever-so-toasty, we haven't heard any mass outcries of PSPs getting hot enough to cook breakfast on, but apparently none of that matters. In a rare case of besting an already questionable mod just days ago, this DIY installation is a real head scratcher, as Acidmods details how to install an actual cooling fan onto the rear of your Sony handheld. Your guess is as good as ours as to why this hack-job is actually beneifical, but if your only alternative is obliterating your PSP with a sword, we guess we'll have to recommend you hop on over and get your hot gluing on -- but only after you've mastered the art of stuffing three AAA cells into its battery pack, cool?

[Via Joystiq]

Power your PSP with a trio of AAA batteries

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 5th 2007 at 12:02AM

For those of you who just can't get enough playtime with your ever lovin' PlayStation Portable, and have a knack for running low on juice while not even remotely close to an AC outlet or recharging venue, here's a mod that can offer you some battery powered backup for your handheld Sony. Not at all for the faint of heart or the novices in the house, this battery hack joins the incredibly long list of hackerations that we've seen come the PSP's way, and while it takes a bit more effort than just picking up the X2, we're sure the bragging rights alone make it worthwhile. The crafty gurus over at Acidmods have apparently found a way to gut, re-wire, and completely transform your average PSP battery pack into a vessel that can hold a trio of AAA cells in order to power your bantam machine. Admittedly, this ranks pretty far right on the DIY difficulty scale, so we wouldn't recommend risking your life on this one unless you know quite a few tricks of the trade, but if you've nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than create a battery pack out of a battery pack, the read link is waiting for your attention.

[Via PSPFanboy]