Microsoft adds twist to handhelds with force-sensing technology
[Via BBC, thanks Joe]
Posts with tag control
Although wearables that control your iPod are far from new, Korean-based JWin is hoping to lure in the beach goers by developing an iPod-friendly bikini top. Reportedly, the tops come with the play / pause, track, and volume controls sewn right in and communicate with a wireless dongle that you insert into your iPod. Interestingly, it's not stated whether the tops (and more importantly, the electronics) are waterproof, but we're sure those addicted to tanning won't mind either way.
While it must be nice to own a home that's completely controlled by your voice, a clap, or a simple remote, getting this stuff up and running isn't always easy, and the INSTEON-compatible RemoteLinc doesn't seen to make things any less complicated. Sure, controlling your garage door, fireplace, kitchen appliances, home theater components, and six or so lighting schemes throughout the house may sound novel, but considering the extras required to make it happen with the RemoteLinc, you may want to look elsewhere for your home automation needs. The control only dictates items that are first connected to an RF-capable AccessPoint, which acts as a bridge between the item and the RemoteLinc, but hooking up a multitude of devices can get quite pricey when buying a SwitchLinc, LampLinc, or ApplianceLinc for every single unit. Still, it does boast of "Plug and Tap" ease when setting things up, and the remote itself will only set you back $49.99, but we'd be well aware of the necessary add-ons you'll need to make the magic happen before diving on in.
The Wiimote blaster love just keeps on comin', as cranking out third-party steering wheels, Wii Sports apparatuses, and full-fledged Link suits apparently isn't good enough. We all know the Zapper holds a dear place in most every gamer's heart, and judging by the variety set to be released for the Wii, accessory manufacturers are keenly aware. The latest Wii gun has popped up at GameStop, and aside from a smallish photograph and "Core Gamer" listed as the developer, we're not too sure about anything else. Of course, there's not too much to understand about how this here device will eventually work, but on or around June 26th, you can plop down your $19.99 and find out once and for all.
Man, hasn't this one been a rollercoaster? After months in the courtroom, large sums of money being resentfully exchanged, and Immersion laughing all the way to the bank, it seems like the two firms have finally got over their beef with one another and are ready to make things happen -- officially. This slowly developing friendship has been waiting in the works for some time now, but according to a reported blurb by Sony's US PR head honcho Dave Karraker, the company is "currently in discussions with Immersion on how it can incorporate their technologies into Sony's products," but unfortunately, he concluded by informing us that "no timetable was set." Still, the inclusion of rumble features on PSOne and PS2 dual shock controllers in the latest PS3 firmware all but substantiate the post-lawsuit relationship, so we can't imagine (okay, so we can) this debacle dragging out too much longer.
You already know that Sony's PlayStation 3 can be dictated via IR, and even your iPod can be manhandled by an umbrella, but the latest discovery in controlling gizmos in unorthodox ways involves Microsoft's Xbox 360 and your universal DirecTV remote. Thanks to a little bit of trickery, you can save yourself the hassle (and expenditure) of buying an Xbox 360 remote by just using the one you've already received with your DirecTV service, and thankfully, the steps to completion are far from difficult. Simply switch the remote to AV1 and hold down the mute / select buttons until AV1 blinks twice. Then, key in 991, followed by 2, and finally tag the Power button; once you've worked off a few calories doing all this, just cycle Up a few dozen times until your console powers up, and once it does, just mash Select to complete the (essentially painless) process. If you're still holding tight to your doubts, be sure to hit the links below for a bit more proof, and click on through for a live action video showing the two (very) distant relatives playing nice together.
If you were lucky enough to snag a new console (or better yet, unwrap a free one) this holiday season, you're probably winging it with just one or two controllers until you can start hacking away at that towering December credit card bill and pick up a few extras. If so, Nyko's got its aim on you, hoping to snag those would-be first-party controller sales away from Sony and Microsoft and get a big fat Zero between the cusp of your hands. The 2.4GHz wireless controller already available on the PS2 (pictured) will soon be available on the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, giving users another option if you aren't too fond of the ones already out there. These Zeroes will reportedly feature "heat-dissipating aluminum panels, backlit buttons, and a unique ergonomic design," but unfortunately, won't save you any cash in the process, as each of these (along with an apparently less important PC flavor) will be available for $49.99 when they land shortly after CES.
For those of you who've just unboxed (or already snagged) a Nintendo Wii, and are more interested in casing out the innards or hacking it up, we've got yet another challenge for you and your console. While we've seen how to control the functions of your home with a PSP, there's just something special about flinging your Wiimote up and down to lower and raise the lighting conditions around your crib. Aside from a Wii, Wiimote, and a good bit of spare time, you'll also need the Smarthome Insteon lights w/ ControlLinc, an Aurora Multimedia WACI NX, a Linux-based PC, and if you wish, an optional AXIS PTZ IP Security Camera and Proliphix IP Thermostat. Once you've got your hardware in order, you'll need to get your palms on a PHP script that directs the IP traffic and forwards the appropriate information. This home automation mod has the potential to control "lights, thermostat, cameras, jukeboxes, DVRs, TiVos," and basically anything you can dictate via IP information. So if you're looking for a great way to spend your hours off, and don't mind getting dirty with a little coding, be sure to hit the read link for the full rundown, and click on through for a YouTube demonstration.
Ok, so the PS3 certainly has its strengths (like the built in Blu-ray player, for instance), but there's definitely a few gripes following it around as well. A (very understandable) complaint from AV freaks has been how the home-theater-centric console strangely lacks an IR receiver, and instead, Sony opted to offer up its proprietary Bluetooth remote to control the BD movie action from afar. Those looking to dictate your PS3 with that (presumably costly) universal IR remote, take heart, as the clever folks at Remote Central have whipped up a way to add infrared functionality to your IR-less machine. Aside from a PlayStation 3 and a desire to further integrate it into your home theater setup, you'll need a PSX/PS2 Controller-to-USB adapter as well as an original Sony DVD remote for the PS2 (model SCPH-10172) with external IR receiver (model SCPH-10160). Of course, the aforementioned remote should prove trickiest to find, as the current models lack that crucial external receiver to account for the built-in version found in the slim PS2 units. By connecting the external IR receiver to the adapter box, and then plugging the resulting combination into a USB port, you've created an unsightly way to talk to your PS3 via infrared. So if you've got integration on the brain, or just don't feel like shelling out the funds for that newfangled Bluetooth remote, be sure to hit the read link for the full skinny, and give yourself something productive to do over the relaxing holiday vacation.
If you think playing tennis (or pwning your television) with a Wiimote is revolutionary, how'd you feel about wheeling through downtown sidewalks without ever moving your fingers, hands, or arms? Doctors and researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Pisa have crafted a sensor-laden shirt "that could help seriously paralyzed individuals steer their wheelchairs." The garment is printed with "52 flexible, piezoresistive sensors made of electroactive polymers that change voltage depending on the angle at which they are stretched." By dynamically sensing the direction and intentions of the user, it can channel the signals to motorized chairs in order to perspicaciously propel severely handicapped individuals who have lost the use of their arms. The team has tested the unit on a paralyzed individual (pictured) in a virtual training maze, where the shirt "learned and adapted" to his specific notions to guide him successfully through the course. While the team envisions the shirt becoming even more useful by possibly adding shoulder sensors for other types of disabilities, they haven't ruled out its use in "other applications" -- and hey, we've got no digs with adding even more motion-sensing goodness to our games.








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