It's just in beta at this point, but devs and techies far and wide are now invited to take a stab at coding up some magic for RIM's new touch-based user interface elements, orientation control, accelerometers, and virtual keyboards that are getting proudly shown off for the first time in the Storm. There's stuff in here for regular folk without a single programming bone in their bodies, too -- namely, a full-fledged emulator that appears to have all the features and functionality you'd expect the real thing to have. It's a gas to play with -- even more fun than that semi-functional G1 demo T-Mobile has up and running -- and it's a good way to test-drive the goods without laying out the cash first. Not to say you could even if you wanted to, since the phone's not dropping for another month at a yet-to-be-determined sticker price.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Update: Be sure to select Simulators v4.7.0 to get the goods -- otherwise you're going to go through some ridiculously long download, only to discover that there's no Storm to be found. Wouldn't that just suck?

And you thought using the HIPerSpace wall for GTA IV was overkill. Marksman Training Systems' ST-2 shooting simulator is touted as the "first simulator for shotgun and rifle shooting designed specifically for demanding users such as shooting instructors," and considering that the Russian and Slovakian national clay shooting teams have practiced on this very system in preparation for the Beijing Olympics, we'll be seeing just how effective it is here soon. Furthermore, this system allows hunters / huntresses to use their preferred weapon (via an attachable sensor) rather than some proprietary pistol, and the advanced diagnostics screen ensures that you know exactly why you missed that digital fowl. Looks like you'll have to inquire directly about pricing, but seriously, you don't want this taking the place of your home cinema... or do you?

[Via CrunchGear]

Never mind paying absurd quantities of cash to have some swing analyzer tell you how you'll never be like Tiger -- just pick yourself up one of these concoctions. E Ball's inflatable golf simulator not only consumes your entire backyard, it takes you back to those glory days of frolicking at the fair with your BFF, and it even allows you to practice your game in less-than-flawless weather. The device enables amateurs to work on their driving and putting, all without having to fetch balls afterwards or deal with the embarrassment of completely hacking it up in front of your more seasoned pals. It looks as if you'll have to ring up E Ball in order to get pricing details, but we don't envision this one coming in cheap.

[Via OhGizmo]

Considering that mechanical beings will be fighting our real wars here in just a few years, it's no shock to see more focus placed on the areas where actual humans will still be the ones waging. DARPA is looking to create what it calls a National Cyber Range, which would essentially act as a training ground for cyber warriors. The setup would enable defense gurus to simulate battle against attacks our on nation's most highly prized data, and of course, give victors over virtual phishing scams immense bragging rights. Come to think of it, Estonia could have totally benefited from something like this last year.

[Via Information Week, image courtesy of Sandia]

While most of the cool kids are off whizzing around courses in Mario Kart Wii, the gurus at Force Dynamics are reminiscing about the one that started it all. Apparently the firm has tweaked its 301 motion platform to actually control the kart in the SNES hit, and the rider's chair even leaps up along with Mario, Peach or any other jumping character you choose. Sure, it's missing those absolutely brain-melting Wii graphics (but not by much, if you catch our drift), but we'd probably take a ride in this over an hour with the Wii Wheel any day. Check out the full video waiting after the break.

Wondering just how we mere mortals were going to even give a robot enough smarts to completely overtake our societies? Oddly enough, some of that artificial brain power could come from studying the way fruit flies, um, fly. A completely bizarre flight simulator at Caltech actually plays "scenes" that flys react to, and considering that the fly is constantly held, researchers can closely examine how the insect attempts to navigate away from lines, blobs and all manners of incoming obstacles. Those working with the installation suggest that these studies could one day help autonomous robots function better, potentially taking some of the load off of our human workforce. We know, you've got three bold letters and a question mark running through your noggin right now -- just hit the read link to see what it's all about.

[Thanks, Dave]

Simulators similar to the one recently unveiled to the world by Toyota aren't all that uncommon, but this 4.5-meter high pod is "the first to move laterally and has the longest range of 35-meters front to back and 20-meters from right to left." Reportedly, the automaker plans to use its newest toy to "analyze driving characteristics under various conditions such as drunkenness and drowsiness" and subsequently decide what new safety features should be added to its fleet of motorcars. More specifically, the device enables researchers to "conduct driving tests that would be too dangerous to perform in the real world or that require specific driving conditions," and we're pretty sure the 360-degree concave video screen is quite the draw, too. Unfortunately, we have little faith that you'll ever see a tamed version of this here simulator at your local arcade, but one can hope, we suppose.

[Via Yahoo / Reuters, image courtesy of Tech.co.uk]

You know, most of us who have extra 42-inch plasma screens just kicking around usually spend our spare time watching say, "Battlestar Galactica" or some other big exploding action-packed show. It hadn't occurred to us that what our home entertainment center was missing was a Home Pro Racing Simulator, but then again, what do we know. Costco, a big-box wholesale retailer, is shipping an equally ridiculously-sized $4,000 rig that apparently acts as the perfect cockpit for racing (no, not the actual kind) or flying video games, coming complete with a steering wheel, foot pedals, 10-inch woofer, a handful of tweeters, and of course the optional, but obligatory, joystick. While the Simulator is also advertised as a "movie-going experience", we're not really sure how you're going to cuddle up to your loved one in a single seat while squashed behind a steering wheel -- we're not trying to replicate makeout point in our home theater, ya dig?

[Via Red Ferret]

It seems that a bit of tension, or at least miscommunication, is quite common between pilots in the Air Force and Army soldiers holding it down on the western front. As we can all imagine, if communication during a live combat situation is anything less than flawless, things could turn ugly fairly quick. The Joint Air-Ground Operations Group, better known in military circles as JAGOG, is an outfit that addresses both Army ground patrols and Air Force squads to sync up communication patterns that tend to falter under the pressures of combat. It instructs ground units how to best communicate their current position and status, as well as giving them more effective ways to integrate airborne friendlies into their operations. On the flip side, Air Force units are taught how to best interpret ground commands so they can zero in on the targets at hand, basically ensuring a "Who's on first?" debacle doesn't give the enemy an edge. The newest tool at JAGOG's disposal is a 360-degree dome-shaped simulator, which drops students into a virtual "Iraq-esque scenario" featuring lightning-quick moving targets that leave you little choice but to give accurate and precise instructions to the trigger-happy pilots overhead if you want to evade serious injury. The student is tasked with spotting the target and guiding a fighter pilot in to eradicate the threat, thus putting a sense of urgency on getting this communication gig down that textbooks just don't deliver. Currently the simulator is stationed at the Air Force lab in Mesa, Arizona, but should be making the rounds to other facilities soon -- we figure if the military really needs a new way to recruit these days, a 30 second clip of this in action might help get things moving, or at least do a better job of getting the message across.