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How to stop the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con from losing sync
It seems as if your left Nintendo Switch Joy-Con hasn't lost sync with the console yet, it's only a matter of time before that could happen. As we saw in iFixit's teardown of the console, the pair are almost identical save for a few things like antenna placement. And that's where the problem resides according to YouTube user Spawn Wave.
Modder merges Bose headphones with inline Apple remote, shows you how (video)
Everybody knows that Apple's default headphones aren't the best, and while many would argue that those from Bose aren't exactly top-notch either, they're surely a step up. What if you want Cupertino's inline controls and some over-the-ear isolation from Framingham's most famous foreign-sounding speaker company? That's what Freddy Deeble wanted, and that's what he achieved. What seems like a challenging feat is actually a reasonably straightforward mod if you have some soldering skills -- and a general disregard for warranties. The whole process is described in a thoroughly helpful video after the break but, as always, don't call us if you wind up with a set of severed wires and a smoldering pile of rosin. [Thanks, Freddy]
Datel tries its hand at Wii mods
Nevermind the product's name -- Datel's Wii Drive Doctor isn't a tool meant for diagnosing and remedying your console's ailments. There should be laws regulating these misleading medical monikers. How many have suffered the embarrassment of consulting Dr. Dre about their disorders, only to find that the gangsta rapper prescribes phat beats, and not actual medicine? The Drive Doctor is pitched as a "straightforward way for amateur programmers and techie tinkerers to get inside the game." With the mod in place, users can hook their Wii to a PC with a USB cable, allowing them to monitor the system's status and add data to running software. Homebrew applications and games are also playable through the $34.95 device.Datel's homebrew and cheat tools usually boast low barriers to entry, making them accessible to even the most inexperienced users, but installing the Drive Doctor will require soldering. We've never been too keen on voiding our consoles' warranties, so hearing that requirement was enough to scare us away. Until something cheap and hassle-free comes along, we're going to live a boring, risk-free life with our unmodded Wiis.
Solderless Wii modchips on the way?
If you've been curious about fixing your Wii to dabble with homebrew or play titles from other regions, but don't trust your abilities enough to mess with the console's innards, there might be a solution in the works for you. WiiNewz forum member Takrin recently posted photos of his hardware project in progress, a prototype modchip that requires no soldering to install. With nothing to attach the modchip to though, how does it stay in place? Takrin suggests "double sided tape on one side" and "foam which presses it to your drive on the other." That doesn't sound like a very stable setup, but we hope to see this development spawn more sophisticated and accessible mods in the future. To be honest, if a monkey can't install it, we probably wouldn't be able to either. [Via MaxConsole]
Wii circuitry changed to thwart modchips?
Reports are coming in from Taiwan and Germany that Nintendo has updated the Wii's motherboard with its latest shipments of the console. According to MaxConsole, one of the solder points has been removed from the altered board, shutting out quicksolder modification chips like WiiKey. Other similar tools that don't use the missing solder point should not be affected. DigiTimes suggests that these changes to the circuit layout were made with the sole intent of preventing piracy by blocking these warranty-voiding installations. If that's the case however, why did Nintendo only take steps to block just the WiiKey, a modchip that was released only several weeks ago?There were similar concerns in the past about Mario Kart DS updating the Nintendo DS' firmware as an anti-piracy measure, but it was quickly discovered that the handheld was only saving its WiFi settings. It seems far more likely that Nintendo has had the Wii's revised motherboard planned for months, and that locking out any modification methods was an unintended result.
Wiinja modchip enables Wii / GameCube backups to function
We've seen plenty of Wii hacks since its November release, and we've even seen a completely uninspiring "hack" to run backup discs, but this time, we're thinking it's for real. The Wiinja modchip is on the loose, and apparently it requires soldering to the Wii innards in order to function, but it purportedly allows for Wii and GameCube backups to be played back on the console. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of information beyond that, and there's just a single photo to instruct forthcoming owners how to correctly attach it, but if there's one thing that helps its case, it's the video. So go on, click on through for the YouTube demonstration, and start saving up those €40 ($52) it'll run you when this hits "commercialization."[Via Engadget Spanish]
Morph a McDonald's iZ toy into an IR repeater
Apparently this is the season to give IR-less, inanimate objects a bit of infrared love, as we've now got yet another IR installation duty for you handle once you've mastered the chore of getting the connectivity in your PlayStation 3. For those mums and pops who frequent McDonald's all too frequently, you've probably got a satisfactory stash of iZ toys laying around like landmines in the kitchen floor. If you've already got a (partial) multiroom IR channeling setup going, there's always the need for more coverage, so that's where the relatively useless "orange iZ" comes in, along with an IR receiver, soldering gun, and a dash of DIY prowess. This engineering dad cracked open the critter, carefully inserted the repeater, and made sure to clean up the mess by routing the cables through a rear opening, producing an impressively clean result. So if you're looking to make something worthwhile out of those otherwise ineffectual Happy Meal toys, be sure to hit the read link for all your instructions, and click on through for the repeatin' in action.[Via MAKE]
