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BenHeck posts

The NCube: probably the best portable Gamecube of all time (video)

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2009 at 10:18AM

Oh sure, we've seen a few "portable" Gamecube systems over the years, but we've yet to set our eyes on anything as glorious as this. Not surprisingly, the NCube's creator is yet another Ben Heck apprentice, with the case being a heavily modded Datamax Kid's Delight and the display an unmodded Zenith PSone. There's a 2-way switch for running off of batteries or the AC outlet, a relocated memory card slot and a rear-mounted disc drive that's just begging to be broken. Hit the read link for a look at 90 grueling hours of work, or just jump past the break for a celebratory video.

[Thanks, Jonathan]

Continue reading The NCube: probably the best portable Gamecube of all time (video)

The Engadget Show: Inside Ben Heck's magic kingdom

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 19th 2009 at 12:22PM

If you're a reader of Engadget (and let's be honest -- you're reading this, right?) then you surely know Ben Heck's work. The master modder has been the source of some of our favorite tweaks, hacks, and flat-out crazy gadget manipulations over the years. We recently had a chance to take a peek inside his workshop and hear straight from Ben about what drives him to create the madness we've see on our pages. It's a phantasmagoric adventure you won't likely forget -- so sit back, crack a cold one, and enjoy the ride!

Note: Don't forget, our next full length Engadget Show is happening this Thursday, and our guest is Steve Ballmer!

Update: Video is now live! Sorry about that!

Host: Nilay Patel
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm
Edited by: Michael Slavens
Music by: Bit Shifter
Titles by: Julien Nantiec

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Video: Ben Heck's 17-inch PS3 Slim laptop makes hearts race

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 1st 2009 at 4:14AM

Is it us or has Ben Heck outdone himself with the minimal clean design of his latest gaming mod? This laptop sees Sony's PS3 Slim stuffed into a monochromatic chassis with 17-inch Gateway 1775w LCD throwing a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. There's even space inside to tuck away the power cord when traveling. The pinstriped result is nothing short of elegant, sporty even, especially when compared to his PS3 laptop from 2008. Not much in the way of detail yet, but really, this one's meant to stimulate the heart, not the frontal cortex. See it throb to life in the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Ben Heck's 17-inch PS3 Slim laptop makes hearts race

Ben Heck throws together one-handed Xbox 360 controller, probably with one hand

by Darren Murph posted Sep 25th 2009 at 2:48AM

Ben Heck. Just the mere mention of the name brings chills to the spines of all who mod, and if today's the first day you've ever come into contact with those seven letters, prepare to be changed. Forever. The Great Modder's latest gig involved the creation of a one-handed Xbox 360 controller, but the catch was that it required completion within a ridiculously short period of time. Essentially, the left analog stick was repositioned to fit on the underside of the controller, enabling the user to operate that with his / her leg while handling the right side of the pad as usual. Check out a video of the admittedly raw looking final product after the break, and feel free to grab some inspiration while you're there.

[Via HackADay]

Continue reading Ben Heck throws together one-handed Xbox 360 controller, probably with one hand

Ben Heck moves PS3 shoulder buttons to the front, spins us right round, baby, right round

by Tim Stevens posted Sep 18th 2009 at 8:31AM

Ben Heck moves shoulder buttons to PS3 the front, spins us right round, baby, right round

If you've ever wished that those buttons on your videogame controller were over here instead of over there, you know who to call. Master modder Ben Heck's latest creation isn't his most amazing, but it fulfills a need for one gamer, that is to "make the shoulder buttons easier to get at." The result is a somewhat inelegant mod (by Heck's standards), bringing the L and R buttons to the fore, ditching the "last generation" rumble motors in the process. No loss, right Phil Harrison? Video demonstration after the break.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Ben Heck moves PS3 shoulder buttons to the front, spins us right round, baby, right round

Video: Ben Heck amazes with Atari 800 laptop -- again

by Tim Stevens posted Sep 14th 2009 at 8:34AM

Video: Ben Heck amazes with upgraded Atari 800 laptop -- again

Of all the legacy platforms that have been massaged by modder extraordinaire Ben Heck, it seems the Atari 800 is his favorite. One got the portable treatment back in November of 2005, and he then re-worked it in late 2006. He's done it again, creating the third revision of the 8-bit luggable, completely overhauling the mod in period brownish/beige plastics, with old-school LED lights and an authentic keyboard that even pops up after the laptop is opened. Inside things are a bit more modern, with a 2.5-inch HDD serving the games (no more pressing PLAY on the cassette drive) and a GameCube power supply, of all things. It's a lovely creation that Ben himself rather enthusiastically demonstrates after the break and we, like him, wish we could add one to our collection.

[Via technabob]

Continue reading Video: Ben Heck amazes with Atari 800 laptop -- again

Ben Heck realigns Xbox 360 pad for improved awesomeness

by Vladislav Savov posted Sep 2nd 2009 at 10:34AM

If you've spent any time on Engadget before, you'll be aware that we're big fans of Ben Heck and his tireless modding, tweaking and hacking (or is it Hecking?) of console hardware. The latest feather to his cap comes in the form of a customized Xbox 360 controller, which sees its D-pad and action buttons swapping places in an effort to help a handicapped gamer get his proverbial groove on. The trigger buttons are also flipped, but the pièce de résistance is the inclusion of four extra action buttons along the bottom of the controller that make one-handed gaming totally feasible. Check 'em out after the break.

Continue reading Ben Heck realigns Xbox 360 pad for improved awesomeness

Ben Heck's latest portable Xbox 360 adds sleek white finish, Jasper motherboard

by Ross Miller posted Jul 5th 2009 at 6:33PM

Even after five iterations, Ben Heck's portable Xbox 360 models are still a spectacle to behold -- he seems to keep outdoing himself every time, both in functionality and style. This latest model has the appearance of an oversized plastic polycarbonate Macbook when closed, and packs a 17-inch Gateway LCD panel. The big improvements here include the Jasper motherboard, a flush-mount DVD door and side panels, digital potentiometer / button volume controls, and an ethernet port in addition to WiFi. Not everything's been kept, as Heck says he ditched the camera, not seeing a point for it -- but hey, there's still two USB ports if any of his (already spoken for) customers want to add it. Impressive work, indeed. See it for yourself in the video after the break.

[Via TechEBlog]

Continue reading Ben Heck's latest portable Xbox 360 adds sleek white finish, Jasper motherboard

SUPERTENDO portable SNES hack elevates an artform to something impressively commercial

by Paul Miller posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 10:06AM

Yeah, we're all been-there-done-that with portable SNESs these days, but we've never seen it done like this. Marshall posted his creation, dubbed the "SUPERTENDO," to Ben Heck's forums, which seems to imply (along with the looks) that he took some queues from similar designs already floating around those parts. What really sets this one apart, however, is the vacuum-formed chassis and the instant "make me an offer" move to a sale -- being owned by a major faceless media conglomerate ourselves, we like to see a guy who's out for a buck. A quick hands-on Video is after the break.

[Via benheck.com]

Continue reading SUPERTENDO portable SNES hack elevates an artform to something impressively commercial

Nintendo handheld packs 76 old games behind one tiny screen

by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 29th 2009 at 12:44PM

Ben Heck forum member Brian has built us a sweet little Nintendo-on-a-chip handheld that puts a Super Joy III KIRF TV game, a 2.5-inch display, a controller, and 4 AA batteries under the same roof. This bad boy not only allows you to play 76 games on the go (though, sadly, not at the same time), but it looks great doing it as well. Hit up that video after the read link and see for yourself.

[Via Nowhere Else]

Continue reading Nintendo handheld packs 76 old games behind one tiny screen

Ben Heck's Commodore 64 laptop mod: like 1982 without the feathered hair

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 6th 2009 at 4:56AM

Benjamin J. Heckendorn seems unusually enthused by his latest hack'n mod, calling the Commodore 64 laptop "probably one of, if not my favorite project I have done." That's saying something from the man who brought the "Benheck" finesse hammer down upon just about every modern and classic PC / game console and accessory you can think of. The C64 lappie features a C64C motherboard, a Gamecube power supply, and special 1541-III DTV device that emulates a floppy drive using a FAT-32 formatted SD card -- all while keeping true to the beige 8-bit spirit of the original. And if we're not mistaken, he's controlling it with an Atari joystick seen in the video posted after the break. Then again, there could be an Xbox 360 controller hiding in that joystick knowing Ben.

[Via Nowhereelse]

Continue reading Ben Heck's Commodore 64 laptop mod: like 1982 without the feathered hair

Ben Heck's Xbox 360 Controller Monitor lights up your latency

by Ross Miller posted Mar 26th 2009 at 7:54PM

Ben Heck's latest device isn't gonna help you take your next-gen gaming on the go, nor will it let you play with one hand. Instead, the Xbox 360 Controller Monitor is designed to test gamepad latency using a data cable hooked up directly to each button and fed into a 8 x 8 inch display board. Each action lights up the corresponding indicator, and it includes three levels of sensitivity for each cardinal direction of the joysticks and shoulder triggers. At $600 (controller and AA batteries included), it's not exactly something for the hobbyists out there, but already this thing's got some major gaming street cred: it's currently being used for playtesting on Mass Effect 2, the new Wolfenstein, and the just announced Modern Warfare 2.

Continue reading Ben Heck's Xbox 360 Controller Monitor lights up your latency

Ben Heck fashions breath-controlled kick pedal for Guitar Hero

by Laura June posted Mar 3rd 2009 at 11:53PM

Ben Heck's at it again, and this time, he's cobbled together a breath-controlled kick pedal for use with Guitar Hero (or Rock Band, if that's your flavor) meant for people in wheelchairs, or who don't have use of their legs, but still want to get in on the rocking action. After tearing apart the kick pedal to expose its piezoelectric sensor, he mods it so that, rather than reacting to physical pressure, it'll react to air pressure. To get the job done, you'll need some PVC piping, a hot glue gun, and a drill. Hit the read link for full instructions and video of Ben himself testing out the device!

[Via Hack a Day]

Portable Wii mod renders this Wii portable, modded

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jan 26th 2009 at 1:03PM

Better keep an eye out, Mr. Heckendorn -- we know that the modding community is pretty cut throat -- just like the Ice Pirates in that movie, uh, Ice Pirates -- and now it looks like there's another young hotshot on the scene. Fifteen year old modista Xteaphn (that's pronounced Steven, folks) has a little sideline going on custom-made portable hardware, with several mods to his name -- including this pint-sized, battery-powered Wii. The thing is tiny -- it's dwarfed by a 13-inch notebook -- and a full charge will give it about an hour of play. Stunning video after the break.

Continue reading Portable Wii mod renders this Wii portable, modded

Ben Heck crams Xbox 360 controller into Atari 2600 joystick

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 9th 2009 at 4:52PM

As we've seen, a little Atari 2600 is a sure way to liven almost anything -- cakes, candles, landfills -- and it looks like the Xbox 360 is no exception, as none other than Ben Heck has proved with his new so-called 3600 controller. As you might expect, Ben didn't exactly take the expected route to wind up at this creation, instead opting to use the guts of a Guitar Hero 3 controller, which he somehow managed to squeeze into the base of everyone's favorite one-button controller (even leaving room for a guide button and ring of light on the underside). Be sure to hit up the link below for a must-see video of the controller in action and, of course, plenty more pics.

[Via Xbox-Scene]