buttons
Latest
Brightening up your buttons
Rocky's ultra-modded DS Lite has gotten to the point where you can literally station it on the coastline, its LED beacons guiding ships to safe harbor. His latest hack installs LEDs under the ABXY buttons, sticking them in place with hot glue. We're not sure if the mod has any functional purpose -- save serving as a navigational aid to sailors at sea -- but it's certainly something we haven't seen done before with the handheld. Float your boat past the post break for larger photos of the DS lighthouse.
Trigger happy LED mod
Wii remote modders won't rest until they've installed fluorescent lighting on every button and pad, decorating the controller like some kind of rectangular christmas tree. Today's DIY project adds an LED to the usually unseen B button behind the remote. WiiCade forumer Loki has instructions and a photo tutorial on how to plant an LED under your own Wiimote's trigger. You can set the button to light up all the time or when the controller rumbles, whichever your fancy. Check past the post break for video of the glowing mod.[Via Digg]
DS Daily: Arcade on the go
We've talked a bit about classic remakes before, but today we want to focus the discussion on ports. Specifically, arcade games. Arcade fans demand faithful translations of their games, which is why we applaud Konami's effort to preserve the original aspect ratio of the arcade Contra even as we wonder how to play it. But the display is only part of the arcade experience.Crazy arcade types tend to build custom joysticks to play their fighting games. Obviously we aren't going to do that with the DS (but if you have, let us know!), and the controls on the DS are not exactly identical to those found on your average arcade cabinet. But do they get the job done for most arcade games? The touch screen can simulate dial and trackball controllers okay, but what about a joystick? We want to hear your two tokens. Are there any classic arcade games that you'd like to see on the DS, other than the obvious Punch-Out!!? And would a D-pad and four face buttons compromise the experience?
DS Daily: Buttons
One hears so much hubbub regarding the various input capturing systems of the DS (touch-screen, microphone) that one forgets the damn thing has buttons. Eight plus a D-pad, to be precise. The DS is, in fact, Nintendo's first handheld to feature more than two standard face buttons at all, a la the SNES.Are you happy with the buttons? Are there too many, too few? Are they hard to reach, and are they too clicky? We like the clicks. (Our parents communicated to us exclusively in Morse Code.) Expound upon thy ministrations!
DS Daily: Technical difficulties
Reader Katotetu wrote in about his shoulder button woes -- repeated use seems to have killed them on his Phat -- and we thought that might be an excellent topic to bring to the table. Have you have any problems with your DS? Have your shoulder buttons suffered like Katotetu's? Were you a victim of a hinge crack? Or has it been all clear waters and smoothing sailing on the SV DS?
DS Fanboy contest: Sumo Omni
Interested in enjoying the comforts of your very own Sumo Omni beanbag chair? Now you can, and without footing the hefty price tag -- if you've got the skills, that is. Here's the challenge: what could a Sumo Omni be in bizarro world? Design a completely different product with the same name and find a creative way to present it (bonus points if it's related to the DS). Make a poster or write a jingle. Create a flyer. It's all in your hands, and for once, you don't have to be a video wiz or a 'chopping expert to win. Humor is your weapon in this war. Make us laugh, make us wish for your imagined product, and we'll ship a charcoal Sumo Omni to your door. Second prize will walk away with a handful of shiny new DS buttons and the affirmation that they were almost good enough. Due to the holidays, and the wide-open nature of the competition, we're giving you two weeks to work on this one. The winner will be announced Wednesday, December 27, so entries received after midnight, Eastern time, December 27, will not be considered. Submissions should be sent to dsfanboy [dot] contests [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject Sumo Omni Contest. One entry per person only. Failing to follow the rules, or submitting something pornographic, is an automatic disqualification. Keep it clean, make it funny, and win that chair. If you have questions, they'll be addressed in the comments. Now get to work!
Show the world you love the DS!
Sure, if you want a solid group of individuals with whom to play on Tuesdays, our Game Night has you covered. But what about the rest of the week? What to do when the Kefkas and Metal_Links aren't available? Have you ever found yourself standing around on campus or at the subway, studying bags for the telltale outline of a DS case? Well, the helpful folks at Left Bracket have come up with a clever solution -- DS buttons! Select buttons for the games you want to play online, apply to jacket, backpack, etc., and let the WiFi hookups roll in. Sets of five buttons are available for $12, and you can create a custom set that coincides with games you own.
Intel stumbles while stepping to Apple's 6 button remote
Honestly: I'm always down for some competition; it keeps (some) companies innovating and (hopefully) on their toes. But wow... if you're going to openly take on a device like Apple's beautiful and simple 6-button Remote, it might be a good idea to make sure you're firing on all cylinders.Check out this video at CNET of Don McDonald, Intel's VP and general manager of their digital home group, demoing a voice-activated remote for Windows Media Center. Mr. McDonald brags that the remote has absolutely no buttons, but forgets to mention it has almost no functionality either. Watch, as he tries not once, not twice, not thrice - but a whopping four times (with some serious lag on his last attempt) to ask the remote "what time is Family Guy on TV." Also, note how much they trust the abilities of their 'zero button remote'... with all the buttons it actually contains.I'd say you and your team earned an A for effort Don, but you might have to whip out those tablet PCs and get back to the drawing board on the voice-activation bit. Just be careful the next time you try using it to dictate your product design notes.[via digg]
Interactive display of iPod commands
Command-Tab has put together a really handy interactive display of button sequences for the 5 major generations of iPod models. The available sequences are Hard Reset, Diagnostic Mode and Disk Mode, so if you've ever wondered how to partake in some of those iPod troubleshooting tutorials or you're just curious as to what your little while music player can do, head over to Command-Tab for the only button resource you need for getting under your iPod's hood.
