Be honest here, GoLive2's Stix didn't stand a chance at being taken seriously, and even when one reviewer attempted to have fun with the unashamed Wiimote knockoff, he failed epically. The Stix 200 looks strikingly like Nintendo's accelerometer-packin' controller, though this 2D-only rip was seen as "a set of slightly unresponsive, highly inconvenient arrow keys" rather than an exciting new controller. The PC games that can be played with the device are equally dreadful, and while the 3D-capable Stix 400 might be able to make up for some of the 200's shortcomings, we can't wholeheartedly say it's even worth the effort to check out after reading this review.

[Thanks, Robert]

Oh, that's right -- the Wiimote! For the second time in as many months we've got ourselves a bona fide Wiimote wannabe, except for the PC. GoLive2's Stix collection (200 / 400) are wireless motion-sensing controllers designed to play PC and internet-based games, with Games for Windows titles and "thousands of free web-based games" called out in particular. According to Brian Zheng, the president of Plahut, Stix will "completely change the way people experience online and PC gaming," though we definitely have our reservations about that. The Stix 200 will supposedly be compatible with just 2D games, while the Stix 400 gets down with 3D titles; pricing has yet to be disclosed, but feel free to waste your time check these out in August.

[Via I4U News]

Sure, your average PlayStation 3 controller is functional... but is it super ugly? Enter the dreamGEAR Lava Glow wireless controller -- a peripheral so heinous looking it can likely be used to visually stun your opponents. The liquid-filled, glowing controller transmits on the lovable 2.4GHz RF band, and is said to be the "most comfortable controller ever created," according to the company's modest PR. The Lava Glow is also jam-packed with "motion sensing gyroscopes," which somehow provide you with "complete latency free game play," though we're not sure how. The controller comes in red or blue, and is available now for $34.99 -- just be sure you don't spike it against a wall and get lava juice on your carpet.

For all you fashion plates and bon vivants (and also little boys and girls), we don't want you to forget that Microsoft is introducing two new colors into its multi-hued, wireless, Xbox 360 controller-world on October 2nd: blue and pastel pink. The weird thing here is that in Japan, a baby blue version of the controller will be available (as pictured), but apparently the Xbox team doesn't seem to think the market in the States is ready for such a bold color choice. Regardless, if you really need to get the lighter color, you can plan for the Japanese release date of November 1st.

[Via Joystiq]

It seems like this one's been building steam for quite some time, but it's reached a point where "user error" just seems unlikely. Judging by the seemingly widespread outcry on a variety of forums and review sites, a substantial amount of Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows customers have essentially ended up with an unexpected paperweight. Put simply, it seems that a number of customers have found this very device to suck the life out of their USB ports, meaning that all other USB peripherals kick the bucket when this power-hungry gizmo gets plugged in. To make matters worse, these same users are also reporting that Microsoft's tech support has been anything but helpful in solving the issue, and while you can always shell out even more dough for a powered USB hub, where's the fun (or justice) in that? So, what's the deal here, folks? Has anyone else been pulling their hair (and subsequently, their other USB devices) out over this thing?

[Thanks, Jamie P.]
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Fresh off its acquisition of Infrant Technologies, Netgear is unloading a bevy of new RAID NAS products, a host of small to mid-size business networking gear, and a newfound partnership with Avaya to provide VoIP to SMB customers. On the storage front, the four-bay ReadyNAS NV+ (desktop) and ReadyNAS 1100 (rackmount) devices support RAID 0/1/5 and X-RAID, automated backups and alerting, gigabit Ethernet, UPnP AV multimedia access, a number of USB ports, and room for up to four SATA drives. As for networking gear, the company is busting out its new WFS709TP ProSafe Smart Wireless Switch, WGL102 ProSafe 802.11g Light WAP, WAGL102 ProSafe Dual Band Light WAP, eight-port GS108T Gigabit Ethernet Smart Switch, 24-port GS724TP Smart PoE Switch, and a monstrous 48-port GS748TP Smart PoE Switch to finish things off. As if that wasn't enough to digest, Netgear is also partnering up with Avaya to provide "an IP telephony solution for small businesses with 20 users or less." The newfangled lineups will be available at varying times and prices, so be sure to visit the read link for specifics on each individual model.

[Via SmallNetBuilder]