Clutch
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Razer's FPS-oriented mouse comes with a thumb 'clutch'
Razer's Basilisk, a high-DPI mouse meant for first-person shooter gaming, has an interesting new gimmick: a clutch. Positioned for your thumb, it lets you press and hold it to do tasks like change the DPI for more speed (the default setting), pick up items or push-to-talk. That should let you multitask a bit better while still firing a weapon or maneuvering.
ICYMI: Holograms you can touch, holiday light tech and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372305{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372305, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372305{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-372305").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: In hologram innovation that has nothing to do with Tupac, some Japanese scientists created a "Fairy Lights" system that can be manipulated with your fingers in a so-far subtle way. Holiday light warriors will want to hear about this Kickstarter campaign for a more permanent light solution that can be hung just once, then controlled with an app to adjust lights all year long for special events. And in case you can't get enough light news, you'll also want to see this LED clutch that's on Kickstarter now. It comes with a host of potential pixel art in its app and is ready for you to take on the town.
Shopping app lets you beam payments to old-fashioned cash registers
Remember Mobeam's barcode scanning trick? It looks like it just found a new home: the Clutch app. The digital shopping app can now beam credit card loyalty card numbers, ticket info, coupons and gift card data to the regular laser scanners used at most retailers. The catch is, of course, that this feature only works on the few devices that support Mobeam -- namely the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the Note 3. Although the feature is limited by device, it's unique because it puts the burden on the customer, unlike options like Square that require retailers to abandon traditional payment systems for new technology. Mobeam actually released a similar app of its own sometime ago, but hey, when your technology is supported by just a couple of phones, even partnering with the competition is a good way to reach more people. Update: Mobeam does not support payments or beaming credit card numbers at point-of-sale.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Performing under pressure in League of Legends
"Clutch" is one of those universal skills that I never really developed. In ranked or tournament play or any time when the outcome of a League of Legends match "matters," the ability to perform under fire can make a huge difference. But I am not one of those people who can claim mastery in this skill. I mostly rely on improving my overall play level, which naturally improves my ability to play under stress. However, coping with stress in tough situations is important. If I'm in a bad situation and my play gets worse, that's no good even if my skill level is high. I want to step up when the chips are down, not struggle.
Joe Flacco is the only new clutch player in Madden 25
EA Tiburon introduced its "clutch trait" for in-game athletes in Madden 12 as a means of providing a boost in players' ratings when the right circumstances were in place, namely when the game is on the line in the 4th quarter or overtime. That trait will carry over to Madden 25, and oddly enough, the list of players that will start the game out with the clutch trait is nearly identical to the one announced for Madden 13 last year. One name is new to the list: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco certainly earned the trait, given his stellar playoff performance and Super Bowl win. Only two other names are missing from last year's list, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, and that's because those linebackers retired during the offseason. EA Tiburon's Donny Moore, the "Ratings Czar" for the Madden series, tells Joystiq the team "decided when we added these traits that we wanted it to be a special thing, very unique, there wouldn't be a clutch player on every team necessarily, so we sort of stuck to that mantra when we assigned the traits." %Gallery-186852%
Twitter acquires Clutch.io, service essentially getting open sourced
Clutch.io is a service that allows iOS and mobile developers to easily and quickly do app testing, which helps them track just how customers use their apps. The service has been helpful in the past for a number of app developers and their products, but Clutch has now flipped over to just one client: The company has been acquired by Twitter. Clutch says it will work on the same type of work at Twitter, aiming to grow the company on a worldwide scale. As for developers using Clutch now, there's both good and bad news. The bad news is that the service is getting shut down -- it will be supported until November 1, and after that Clutch's servers will no longer work. But the good news is that Clutch is basically open sourcing the whole thing. The company says it will release all of the necessary documentation and software for devs to continue to run the testing service on their own servers. And any currently running tests are designed to "fail gracefully" should Clutch's servers go down, so there shouldn't be any issues with end users at all. All in all, it sounds like a good move for Clutch, and that developers who might be affected will at least have a way to deal with that. As for us Twitter users, I'm curious to see how this affects Twitter's mobile experience going forward. Twitter's one of my most-used services, so anything that makes it even better sounds good to me.
Fanatec's Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)
Around these parts, we're generally suckers for all things related to racing simulators. As such, we're excited to learn that Fanatec has unveiled its next generation of the Clubsport pedals that we reviewed over a year ago. Dubbed as the Clubsport pedals V2, the company refers to the peripheral as an "evolutionary" update to original, offering a trio of improvements. The clutch has been retooled to have a "regressive feel" that's said to be similar to a real automobile, while the brake is now of the hydraulic variety, featuring user replaceable synthetic oil -- naturally, it still has an adjustable spring and load cell pressure sensor for the utmost customizability. The final touch is merely some visual spice in the way of black anodization. Notably, there won't be any tuning kit available initially, and V1 owners might be disappointed to know that the company has opted not to offer an upgrade kit, citing costs and potentially complicated installation. Fanatec is aiming to have the Clubsport pedals V2 out by June, bundled alongside its Clubsport wheel, with pricing set at $250 for the US (€250 in the UK). Pre-orders won't begin until May, so in the meantime, shift over to the source link below and the video past the break for all the details.
Former Marine marches from battlefield to Apple accessory market
Devon Read spent five years in the Marines, serving in both Iraq and Africa. Now, the Golden, Colorado resident is a successful Apple accessory maker. He's a self-admitted Apple fan who wanted a protective case for his Apple devices, but couldn't find products that were fashionable, functional and affordable. Instead of waiting for that perfect product to hit the market, he and two of his friends decided to make their own. Read and his friends came up with the idea for Happy Owl Studios, after the iPad announcement and quickly designed their signature Wallet and Clutch bag. The Wallet is a slim bag that has room for your pocket change, credit cards, and mobile phone. The Clutch is a slightly bigger bag, designed primarily for the ladies. It'll replace your purse and has a larger pocket that'll hold lip gloss, sunglasses, keys and more. Read was recently interviewed by the Denver Post and shared his company's biggest advantage over their larger rivals like Griffin which makes a variety of cases for the iPhone and iPad. Read says, "To compete in that same world as the huge accessory makers, we need to take advantage of what we have but they don't have: the ability to turn on a dime."
Maingear Clutch-15 gets upgraded with NVIDIA Optimus graphics switching
It's been a while since we last laid eyes on Maingear's fine looking Clutch-15, and while it's still rocking that sexy exterior, the latest iteration has a little surprise for you under the hood. With the recent addition of NVIDIA's graphics switching Optimus technology, this portable's bringing the juice -- battery juice, that is. Aside from that, things look mostly the same, inside and out; you've still got your pick of Intel Core i3 or i5 CPUs, a 750GB HDD or 512GB SSD, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and the same (still disappointing) WXGA display. This go 'round, however, the dedicated graphics have been bumped up a touch with NVIDIA's GeForce GT 525M GPU (1GB). If automated graphics switching is your thing, you can get your custom laptop on at the source link starting at $1,030. Full PR after the break.
Maingear slides out Clutch-13 and Clutch-15 laptops
If we didn't know any better, we'd easily mistake Maingear's newest duo as the sexiest portable duo we've seen today. And maybe it is. The up-and-coming pre-fab PC builder has just unleashed a new pair of laptops, the Clutch-13 and Clutch-15. Predictably, the former is a 13.3-incher while the latter clocks in at a more usual 15.6-inches, and both feature Intel's newest Core 2010 CPUs and looks that (almost) kill. The smaller guys is equipped with a WXGA (1366 x 768) resolution panel, 1.2GHz Core 330UM, integrated Intel graphics, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 750GB HDD (or 512GB SSD if you're feeling whimsical), 802.11g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, an HDMI output, eSATA, ExpressCard slot and compatibility with an optional docking station that adds an ODD among other useful niceties. The Clutch-15 sticks with the same WXGA resolution (disappointingly, might we add), but offers up a choice of Core i3/i5/i7 CPU, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 330M GPU (1GB), WiDi support and a full-size keyboard with number pad. They're available as we speak starting at $1,099 and $899 in order of mention, so feel free to gloss over the next hour of work while configuring your own.
Encrypted Text: Vanish fix in the alpha
Every Wednesday, Chase Christian of Encrypted Text invites you to enter the world of shadows, as we explore the secrets and mechanics of the rogue class. This week, we discuss the possible fixes for Vanish that Blizzard is testing. I am not in the Cataclysm alpha. I'm fine with waiting until the official release date to experience the goblin and worgen races first hand and to see the destruction that Deathwing's arrival has wrought upon the world. However, that hasn't stopped me from reading up on any alpha information I can get my hands on. A prepared rogue is a successful rogue, knowledge is power, knowing is half the battle, etc. My curiosity gets the best of me, and I can't help but speculate about the tentative changes that are coming our way. There is one upcoming item in particular that has me incredibly excited: a possible fix for Vanish. The best part is that's there's even more to it than that: a possible "clutch" ability to replace the old Vanish immunity windows. I can't imagine rogues asking for anything more, considering that guaranteed restealths through Vanish are required for Vanish to remain a powerful cooldown. Let's be honest here -- who has seen a video of a rogue vanishing a Death Coil and not immediately wanted to go try it out? I can tell you that I called my warlock friend up that minute and had him outside of Durotar testing the technique with me. All rogues need is an instant of protection mixed with fast reflexes to get the job done.
Raid Rx: Don't be a hero
Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poobah of World of Matticus and a founder of No Stock UI, a WoW blog for all things UI, macro, and addon related. Ah, the hero healer. It reminds me of me. Have you been in a situation where it always seems to be that one same healer which steals the spotlight raid after raid? Its as if raiding groups can't take down bosses without that one specific healer there. It gets progressively worse when that healer starts rubbing it in the faces of other healers whether directly or indirectly. Now don't get me wrong. A healer should be proud of what they are capable of doing. But there are a few problems when it comes to being a hero.
Boost's Motorola i465 Clutch getting redone in graphite, available next Tuesday
If you're feeling the need to text your face off on Boost Mobile but the original i465 Clutch's maroon shade wasn't your cup of tea, fret not -- there's a new shade in town. "Graphite," which is really just a fancy way of saying "black," is going to end up being the second color option for Motorola's first QWERTY iDEN set when it launches next Tuesday for $129.99. Sounds expensive, but when you consider that Boost is commitment-free, it's not that bad.
Sprint follows Boost, gets Motorola Clutch i465 this summer
Sprint subsidiary Boost Mobile got first dibs, but now it's the parent's turn -- which means Sprint proper will be taking delivery of the Motorola Clutch i465 for its Direct Connect iDEN network this summer. No exact release date was given, but interest parties are welcome to sign up now to be informed when they can drop the cash -- $39.99 on contract, to be exact, after the application of a total of $70 in rebates on a new two-year agreement. The little beast gives you full QWERTY (a Motorola first for iDEN), mil-spec 810F compliance for withstanding the worst you can throw at it, Bluetooth, GPS, and a VGA camera that isn't likely to win you any photography awards. Of course, if you want it that badly, you could just make the leap to Boost today -- but otherwise, stay tuned.
Motorola Clutch now on sale at Boost
It's not the prettiest handset in the world -- nor the fanciest -- but it's not designed to be. Instead, Moto's i465 Clutch has but one purpose in life, and that's to bring QWERTY power to the iDEN masses (that is, those who can't be bothered to lug around a BlackBerry). We opined that it'd be cheap when Motorola announced it, and indeed, it's running just $129.99 now on Boost Mobile -- expensive by contractual standards, but like all Boost offerings, this price is agreement-free. The phone's available immediately -- so assuming all those messaging issues are ironed out, we should be good to go.[Via Phone Scoop]
Motorola's i465 Clutch coming to Mike in Canada
Boost Mobile won't be the only iDEN network to launch Motorola's first QWERTY iDEN set -- according to a leaked screenshot, it looks like Telus Mobility's Mike wants in on the action north of the border, too. The i465 Clutch is a low-end device that concentrates on messaging capabilities -- a common theme across carriers and network technologies these days -- and we're not terribly surprised to see Mike make a play for it. Of course, here's the million-dollar question for you, Mike users: how's texting for you? Fast? Slow? Unbearable? Intermittent?
Motorola intros i465 Clutch, company's first QWERTY iDEN device
Following the seemingly unstoppable trend toward QWERTY and heavy texting in the low end of the market, Motorola has announced its very first iDEN device to ever feature a full keyboard. The rumored i465 looks just a little better in glamorous press shots than it did before, and it's picked up a name along the way -- Clutch. Naturally, Boost Mobile is a perfect fit for the thing, and the Sprint division looks to be launching this quarter. Specs include Bluetooth 1.2, a 160 x 128 display, video capture via a VGA cam (hey, it's low-end, what did you expect?), and mil-spec compliance for shock, vibration, and all that good stuff that you might need when your phone hits the pavement. Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but we don't expect it to break the bank.
Clutch provides browser control of torrents
Just yesterday, we told you about the new GUI version of Transmission. For those who prefer remote control, there's also a web UI for the Transmission daemon, called (cleverly enough) Clutch, just updated to version 0.2. Clutch is an easy way to manage your BitTorrent downloads from anywhere you can access the internet. Clutch is a front-end for the Transmission torrent engine; it doesn't require the GUI version of Transmission, and the two tools don't show each others' download results. but if you use both you may see download results from one tool in the other's list, say our commenters. Clutch uses the web server that's built into Mac OS X, along with AJAX and PHP for the web interface. The app is a self-contained package that has all of the software needed to run the web interface; just open, set a few preferences, and then -- boom -- you're done!If you do not have a static IP address, or use a dynamic DNS service (such as DynDNS), then Clutch will give you a link to your current external IP address, so you can find and connect to your computer over the internet. You might ask "Why would I want to do that?" The answer is time management: BitTorrent downloads can take a while, much too long for you to wait around, and with this tool you can manage your downloads from work, school, or at the local Starbucks. Using this software means that you will have to open a port in your firewall (the default port is 9091, however, you may set it to use any inactive port above 1024 that you wish). Clutch 0.2 is open source and is available as a free download from the Clutch website.
