D-pad
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Formlabs makes high-quality, automated 3D printing more affordable
Your basic hobbyist 3D printer (technically known as Fused Deposition Modeling or FDM) is great for rapid prototyping because, while the objects it prints are a bit rough, the system and its associated printing costs are relatively inexpensive. However, if you want a more polished and professional-looking product, selective laser sintering (SLS) is the way to go. Problem with that is, of course, that the average SLS 3D printer is roughly the size of a small car and costs anywhere from $200,000 to $5 million. But, there's now a third option. 3D Printer manufacturer Formlabs announced on Monday that it will begin selling a scaled down SLS system that fits on a tabletop and costs 20 times less than other comparable printers.
A 3D printer gave my Nintendo Switch a real D-pad
Nintendo has a long history of building innovative game controllers -- the company put shoulder buttons on the SNES gamepad, added force feedback to the N64's bizarre controller and made a fad out of motion controls with the Wii. Its most enduring innovation, however, has always been the humble D-Pad: a simple plastic cross that lets players input eight different direction inputs with precision and ease. Strangely, however, this iconic control pad was left out of the Nintendo Switch's default controller design, and I miss it every time I play the system. So, I did what any reasonable tech blogger would do: I used a 3D printer to make my own Nintendo Switch D-pad.
Ringbow Kickstarter project puts a D-pad on your finger
A mobile gaming peripheral by the name of "Ringbow" hit Kickstarter recently. The bluetooth-enabled device features a D-pad on its surface, potentially solving the "pesky touchscreen D-pad" crisis plaguing some mobile games, such as platforming titles.A $45 pledge will put one of these Android and (soon to be) iOS-compatible rings on your finger, along with a small collection of games developed around the peripheral. Pledging $55 grants developers early access to the device's API. Ringbow will go into production if the project meets its $100k goal by July 22.
Ringbow hits Kickstarter, promises directional pad-assisted touch gaming
When we first saw the Ringbow finger peripheral, it was a gangly prototype, tethered to an external battery -- not exactly ideal for a portable tablet accessory. The idea is to strap a D-pad to a user's finger, netting them extra control for touch-based games. Now the duo behind the device is showcasing a self-contained unit on Kickstarter, hoping to garner enough interest to send it off to production. The Bluetooth-compatible band boasts an adjustable one-size-fits-all grip, a nine-way directional nub and a five hour battery life. A $45 contribution buys a standard black Ringbow and a game package, though more generous backers can score additional colors, exclusive hardware and dev kits. Without $100,000 in support, however, the ring won't be minted. Follow the links below if you're compelled to fund the digital circlet.
Thrustmaster's Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On takes you from zero to hero in $200
You may never get the chance to join Ferrari's Formula 1 team, but indulging your imagination is about to get a lot easier, now that Thrustmaster has unveiled its new Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On -- a life-sized replica of the wheel you'd find within the 150° Italia. Announced yesterday, this rubber-textured wheel features a full slate of professional-grade rotary knobs, switches and action buttons -- including two rotary encoder switches, eight push-buttons and a set of "push and pull" sequential shifters that, true to form, are attached directly to the wheel face. Designed to seamlessly attach to your T500 RS, the accessory will be available in two models: a PC- and PS3-compatible mode, with 13 action buttons and three D-Pads, or an advanced PC-compatible mode, with 25 action buttons and one D-Pad. No mention, however, of that And if you look in the upper left corner, you'll even find your very own boost button. The Add-On is slated to start shipping in early October for $200, so buckle up and steer past the break for more details, in the full PR.
Donya wish your touchscreen had buttons like these? (video)
Touchscreen gaming's like cheese pizza -- a generally tasty treat, but significantly improved by an addition or two. Good thing Donya's got some new toppings for your touchy-feely display: a set of physical buttons and D-pads. Available in Japan for ¥999 (about twelve bucks) you get single, dual, and triple button stickers along with two D-pads to bring some much needed physicality to your handheld experience without sacrificing pocketability. We're not sure what marvel of modern science makes these tactile additions cling to your screen, but we do know they make firing off a few Hadoukens quite a bit easier. That plus a few Hurricane Kicks after the break.
Keepin' it real fake: 'iPad phone' is the answer to a question no one asked (video)
The D-Pad and E-Pad are two pint-sized cellphones that are reminiscent of the iPad, except they are telephones, they are much smaller, and they are totally different. Featuring a 3.5-inch resistive touchscreen, 2.5mm headphone jack, 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera and 2 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, you don't even have to get to the dual SIMs, telescoping antenna, or the CMMB mobile TV tuner before you realize this is all Shenzhen, and very little Cupertino. Available now in either pink or white for 550 Chinese yuan (about $70). Get a closer look -- and some video to boot -- after the break.
Evil Controllers summons the Evil D-Pad for Xbox 360
If you want an improvement over the Xbox 360's current D-pad, you can wait until November 9 and pick up one of the new controllers with the twisty directional pads ... or you could get one of these things. Evil Controllers is offering standard wireless or wired Xbox 360 controllers with the addition of the "Evil D-Pad," which replaces the traditional rocker switch with four buttons. Desperate times (including any time you're trying to play a game with the D-pad) call for desperate measures! You can order a wired controller with an Evil D-Pad for $54.99, or a wireless version for $74.99. That is, of course, unless you choose to bundle it with other mods. If you're going to do this to your controller, why stop there?
Xbox 360's transforming D-pad controller gets handled on video
Boy, we've gone from rumor to hands-on experience in just a couple of days with this thing. Microsoft's November 9-bound Xbox 360 controller refresh couldn't escape the clutches of Joystiq, who have put together a neat photo gallery and video overview. That chrometastic new D-pad is clearly the headliner here, and the early feedback is that it works well -- it takes a bit of effort to transform from a flat button to the elevated four-way navigator you see above, but that's apparently a good thing as it means you'll never flip modes by accident in the middle of a hot and heavy gaming session. The analog buttons have also been subjected to some nipping and tucking and there is of course a new desaturated color scheme to explore as well. You'll find a shot of the retail packaging after the break and a lot more at the source. Update: Video now embedded after the break.
Hands-on with the new Xbox 360 controller with transforming D-pad
Well, what do we have here? While visiting lovely and scenic Redmond, WA to spend some time (about two hours, to be exact) with Fable 3, we accepted an invitation to swing by one of the Xbox buildings and check out the new (and, yes, improved) Xbox 360 wireless controller with transforming D-pad. We not only played with a final prototype controller, but also got a first look at the retail packaging, lenticular image and all. First, the obvious attraction: The new "transforming" D-pad. With a not-so-simple twist of the D-pad, the corner quadrants drop out of the way leaving just the cross-shaped D-pad. I say "not-so-simple" because it actually requires a little bit of effort; after all, you don't want to go from cross-shaped to old-fashioned in the middle of a hadouken. Using two thumbs to spin the D-pad improves the process though, when not being twisted deliberately, it remained firmly in place. We were told that engineering the transforming D-pad was no easy feat and the final product is not only the result of several prototypes, but all sorts of stress testing. %Gallery-101212%
New Xbox 360 controller with improved D-pad confirmed, $65 on November 9
Hey, what's this? We just started hearing rumors this morning that Microsoft was planning a new Xbox 360 controller with an improved D-pad, and bang -- Major Nelson just went live with a YouTube video detailing the new piece. The new D-pad is a trick new patented design that's just as we heard from Joystiq: it's a disc in the normal configuration, but a quick twist raises the crossbars about a quarter-inch, making it eminently more usable. (That sound you hear is joyous weeping.) The analog sticks have also been tweaked to be slightly more concave, and -- wonder of wonders -- the ABXY buttons are now translucent monochrome instead of colored. Wild. The new matte silver controller will only come bundled with the Play and Charge kit for $64.99 when it launches on November 9 in the States and replaces the existing wireless controller -- it'll hit Europe around February. Yep, it definitely seems like a major upgrade, but we've got a couple questions: when will it replace the packed-in controller? What about all the people who just bought new Stealthboxes and got the older controller? And, most importantly, when can we have one to try out? We're pressing for answers and we'll let you know -- check the video after the break in the meantime. %Gallery-100796% [Thanks, Bill]
New Xbox 360 controller with twist-up D-pad coming Nov. 9, bundled with charge kit for $65
It's the Xbox controller with a twist! As indicated by our source, Microsoft has announced a redesigned Xbox 360 wireless controller. The new gamepad will debut in a matte silver color with gray-toned face buttons and analog sticks with a more dramatic concave shape. Key to the new design is a "transforming" D-pad that changes from a semi-flush disc to a pop-out plus sign by twisting the D-pad clockwise. (Check out Major Nelson demonstrating the transformation in the video after the break.) Microsoft offers this suggestion for how you might use the two D-pad configurations: "Select the traditional plus for distinct cardinal direction movement in games like Halo: Reach to change weapons and perform complicated combinations and deadly finishing moves in Street Fighter games, or rotate the D-pad to the disc format for sweeping motions in games such as Pro Evolution Soccer 2011." The redesigned controller will only be available with the Play & Charge Kit. The bundle will launch on November 9 for $64.99. %Gallery-100790% [Thanks to AwakePlace, Jas and Lukas!]
Xbox 360 to get fresh controller, better D-pad in time for the holidays?
Microsoft seems to have caught the hardware tinkering bug. Having overhauled its Xbox 360 design, the software giant is now said to be keeping busy in the lab working on the console's controller. Such is the word coming from our buddies over at Joystiq, whose reliable source indicates that Redmond will soon produce a new 360 controller with a redesigned D-pad. As the story goes, when you rotate the directional pad ninety degrees, it'll rise up by about a quarter of an inch, making it more accessible for those that still care to use it (e.g. fighting game fans). No details on what sort of bundled or standalone retail fate this little guy may have, but the holidays are its unsurprising destination. We just hope the Bond-esque mechanism comes with an appropriately futuristic swooshing sound.
Game Gripper puts your Droid's D-pad where it belongs (video)
There's nothing better than a simple solution to a complex problem, and for Droid owners that problem is a keyboard that's not exactly well-suited for gaming. Having a D-pad is great, but having it on the wrong side is a bummer. The Game Gripper moves it over to a more appropriate position on the left and adds another eight buttons to boot, instantly converting one of the best Android handsets on the market into one of the best gaming handsets. From what we can tell the Gripper buttons simply press the keys below on the keyboard and, while we're guessing resulting button feel doesn't live up to professional gamer standards, we're decidedly intrigued -- especially for $15. If you're not convinced, check out the demo video after the break, but be prepared to be humming the Super Mario World theme to yourself all day before clicking that play button.
Nintendo DSi XL review
Since Nintendo first asserted sole domination over the handheld gaming market with the release of the paperback-sized Game Boy in 1989, the company has striven time and again to make its pocket systems smaller, meeting fantastic financial success along the way. Nintendo did it with the Game Boy Pocket, the Advance SP, the Micro, the DS Lite and again ever so slightly with the DSi -- the last even at the expense of backwards compatibility and battery life. Now, for the first time in the company's history, it's made an existing platform bigger, with questionable reasons as to why. Does the Nintendo DSi XL squash its predecessors flat? Or is Nintendo compensating for something? Find out inside. %Gallery-89058%
Rumor: Sony Europe planning PS3 price cut in March, details future games
Sony Europe has declined to comment on a rumor that the PS3 will receive a price cut in March 2009. The whole ball got rolling by website D+Pad, which allegedly had a "source" in attendance at the Sony Computer Entertainment Staff Annual Briefing in London. The source claimed: The PS3 will see a price cut in Europe around March of next year. The PSN has generated £150 million in 2008, will receive more investment and is considered a success. LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm are coming to PSP. Uncharted 2 looks like Uncharted, which isn't a bad thing. God of War 3 was "masterfully shown at the end" and looks really good. (A similar claim made by former GoW honcho David Jaffe.) Now we just wait and see how this "rumour and speculation" pans out.[Via Eurogamer]
Nintendo DSi: The Unboxening and Impressioning
Yes, several other outlets have already posted their unboxing photos and first impressions of the Nintendo DSi, but we've put together our own article documenting the imported system's arrival, as we have a few new things that we can share with you, those things being: Photos of a cat stalking the box while we unearthed the DSi Surprises that we didn't expect with the DSi Video of us trying to load DS Fanboy on the DSi's new Browser Video of DSi Sound's 14 music visualizers Music from a renowned Wu-tang Clan rapper All of that, past the post break!
DS Daily: Fan of the controls
Which DS game (recent release or older title) do you think really has the right stuff in the controls department? Is it a matter of touch-screen controls or plain old use of the d-pad and buttons? Why do you feel it's a great control scheme? Is there an upcoming game you're excited for that looks like the controls are really spot-on? Lay it on us!
Tweaked Xbox 360 controller inexplicably deemed an overseas "promotional item"
Wait, let's get this straight. We understood that the newfangled Xbox 360 controller would be limited in nature (though we never understood why), but now you're telling us that North Americans will have to get lucky on the international second-hand market to obtain one? According to information spilled to Eurogamer, that's the deal. Microsoft is reportedly loosing the pad in Europe, Asia and Latin America as a "promotional item" that ties in with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer. Also, it's very green, and only green. We're still waiting to hear if Microsoft has plans to bring this stateside or use it to replace the existing controller entirely, but who knows, maybe the US edition will boast four analog sticks and a built-in LCD with real-time LIVE! status checking.[Via Joystiq]
Microsoft fesses up to a new, tweaked Xbox 360 controller
According to gamesindustry.biz, Microsoft is confirming a slight revision to its Xbox 360 controller design. Apparently, the new iteration of the gamepad includes enhancements to its d-pad, which admittedly has always been somewhat lacking. In Microsoft's words: "The new limited edition green wireless controller offers enhancements to d-pad functionality, which will add to the experience of playing games where the d-pad is the primary control mechanism." We'd like to think that this d-pad tweak will finally give us an opportunity to level up in COD4 from Corporal to Lieutenant General in no time.
