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CES 2013: Crapgadget roundup
For every big name present at CES, there are literally hundreds of smaller companies littered throughout the show's many halls and venues. We make it our mission to walk every aisle in search of hidden gems. However, that treasure hunt sometimes leads us to the most useless of products, otherwise known as Crapgadgets. While there was plenty of shameless branding in Vegas this year, we didn't find nearly as many pointless novelties as we expected. Nevertheless, it just made the ones we did spot all the more special, so head past the break to see what took top honors as this year's "worst in show."
Crapgadget CES, round one: the iPotty iPad dock
Compatible with children aged 3 years and under. Kevin Wong contributed too much to this report.
CTA Digital unlocks your Nintendo 3DS's inflatable race car potential
Forget about Sony and Microsoft. The Wii U? Ha! Everyone knows inflatable race car add-ons are what E3 2012 is all about. CTA Digital is leading the way, doing for the 3DS what it did for the Wii before it, letting players clip their portable console into the giant peripheral's steering wheel. The Inflatable Sports Car is also Wii compatible, for those who are bi-console. You can pick one up for $40 on Amazon, foot pump included. Shoes, clearly, are optional.
CTA Digital unleashes official US Army gaming peripherals, gets your adrenaline pumping
Although this time it isn't the inflatable Wii accessory you fell deeply in love with, CTA Digital's bringing you something a bit more on the rugged and wild side -- à la Rambo. In a partnership with the US Army, the company's unveiling a flood of official gaming accessories to make you feel like you're part of our nation's bravest. The arsenal of peripherals -- which cover PC and console gamers -- will include a US Army Elite Force Assault Rifle, Sniper Action Rifle, Commando Assault Rifle and a Universal Gaming Headset for all your smack talking, just to mention a few. There's no word on how much damage the shooters and co. will do, and retailer availability will be coming "soon." Full game compatibility and other deets can be found in the PR below.
Deluxe Power Grip bulks up your 3DS with extended battery life, charges over USB
The Nyko Power Pak+ does an admirable job of keeping Nintendo's 3DS out of the red, but what if you want an extended battery that won't fit in your pocket? Look no further than CTA Digital's Deluxe Power Grip, the 3DS cradle that doubles your console's bulk to match its newly extended battery life. The grip's form mimics that of an Xbox 360 controller, replete with a 2600mAh battery pack and a game-card storing kickstand. The peripheral's grips seem to lend better access to the handheld's awkwardly positioned D-pad, but its real triumph comes in the option to charge the unit via USB; folks looking for a standardized charging solution can kick Nintendo's official AC adapter to the curb. Comfy grips and USB compatibility will set you back about $30. Not convinced? Barrel roll past the break for the official PR and a cheesy overview video.
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.
PS Move SMG accessory is not a rifle, it is a gun, it is not for fighting, it is for fun
When Sony announced its PlayStation Move it went ahead and threw out a bunch of accessories at the same time -- a charging stand and even a cheesy light gun attachment. The intent was obvious, trying to get ahead of those third parties who've filled whole aisles at your local Target and Walmart with cheap plastic Wii clip-ons, but you just had to know they'd catch up. CTA Digital, who earlier brought us the classy Wii bowling ball controller, is coming out shooting with a submachine gun peripheral that it aptly calls "Submachine Gun." Clip your glowy Move baton up front, slide the nunchuck thing in the grip, and start huntin' Helgath. The stock and scope are removable (shown after the break), in case you're fighting in the close confines of a dorm or studio apartment, while the "quasi-futuristic styling" is perfect for your faux-military tastes. Shipping in late November, this can be yours for $29.99. Oh, and don't worry, we won't cover every junky Move accessory that comes along. We predict a flood of the things.
PlayStation Move accessories charge controllers, keep your pesky imagination in check
If there's anything Microsoft's Kinect has over the PlayStation Move -- neither seem to have a killer app -- it's that peripheral manufacturers (hopefully) won't be able to generate wave after wave of cheap plastic junk to wave in front of a camera. As you can imagine, PlayStation Move peripheral purveyors have no such problem, and Nyko, Mad Catz, Interworks, CTA Digital, PDP and more are pumping out plenty of plastic shells and chargers for those ball-tipped motion controllers. Hit the links below to just see how far we haven't come. Read - GamingBits Read - IGN Read - Amazon
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.
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%
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.
Puppet Pouch puts fur on your DS / DSi, smiles on people's faces
As jaded as we are, we just can't bring ourselves to criticize this. Produced by CTA Digital, authors of other questionable gaming accessories, the Puppet Pouch acts as a superfurry (and annoyingly cute) case for your Nintendo portable console. Coming with a felt interior and elastic straps to keep your Ninty nice and minty, it also offers a zipped compartment for storing games and accessories, as well as "puppet functionality." That last bit means you can shove your hand inside it and use the little fella as part of your awesome ventriloquist act. Priced at $19.99, it's available now, but we've just got one oustanding question -- what animal is this supposed to be?
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.
Wii Fit push up bars make sense, but this one isn't worth dollars
Push-up bars for the Wii Balance Board? Now that sounds like a fantastic idea -- just the thing broad-shouldered individuals need to play Wii Fit without backstrain. Too bad this particular set of bars isn't worth the plastic it's printed from. The latest and greatest from the minds in the chintzy plastic peripheral industry, the $25 CTA Digital Wii Push Up Bar is held in place by only your weight and a few foam strips without reinforcement of any kind, meaning it could detach itself with any significant exertion. The only good that comes out of all this is an embarrassing video demonstration after the break, which features a pair of smiling humans pretending to have fun with the contraption. QVC, eat your heart out.
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]
