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Visceral Games hears disabled gamer, adding customizable controls to Dead Space 2
Spooky cathedrals, fun technology and lots of slimy necromorphs to dismember at will -- is there anything else you could possibly want in Dead Space 2? Well, Gareth Garratt, a gamer living with cerebral palsy, would like to see customizable controls implemented in the game. Garratt is trying to play the horror sequel on PC, partly by pushing a mouse with his chin, and is unhappy that he can't assign the "walk forward" command to a mouse button. Plenty of games allow for customizable controls, he says, so why can't Dead Space 2? Over 20,000 fellow players agree, and they've signed an online Internet petition asking video game publishers to make sure that all games offer customization for their controls. Here's the good news: Dead Space 2 dev Visceral Games has already heard them loud and clear. Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis tells Joystiq that a patch for the PC version of the game enabling full control remapping is on the way, and that "a number of folks on our team are so passionate about getting this fix done that they are currently working hard" on it. Papoutsis says the patch will fix a few other issues with the PC version, and that a release date will be announced "when the patch is fully tested." You can read his remarks in full after the break.
Visualized: the HP Slate's new job
Wondering where your HP Slate has been all these weeks since you ordered it? Well, at least one of those precious Windows 7 tablets has taken a little detour from its supposedly enterprise-centric destiny to make a cameo appearance... as a dashboard infotainment system. HP, in its inimitable wisdom, has decided to grace the opening of its Vancouver store last month with a customized GMC Yukon Denali truck, which is where we find the company's Slate casually showing off its Acrobat Reader and other big boy OS advantages. We wouldn't really say embedding the Slate into your dash is the worst idea in the world, though the rest of the characterful customizations to this Denali just might be. [Thanks, lmwong]
Sculpted Eers fills ears with silicon, molds custom-molded headphones in four minutes flat (ears-on)
We've actually seen custom fit headphones before, but we figured something cheaper would rise up in the future. Here at CES, we stumbled upon what Sonomax is calling Sculpted Eers. Starting at $199, this one-time-use, do-it-yourself molding kit will create custom fit in-ear headphones -- and the best part, it only takes four minutes. We actually got the chance to get a pair of our own molded for us. Head past the break for some hands, er, ears-on video action! %Gallery-112769%
StarCraft 2 user-created map takes the fight into space
While most of us would consider StarCraft 2 to be a space-themed strategy title, very little of the game actually takes place in the outer parts of space -- you know, the parts where no one can hear you scream. A custom map by the name of Star Battle fixes that oversight, pitting two teams of six players against one another in a massive, DotA-esque encounter. Only, instead of controlling fantasy archetypes, you control gigantic spaceships, which we think we can all agree is way cooler. The map has proven to be the most popular custom gametype on the European Battle.net servers, and is now available on the U.S. servers as well. Check out the tutorial video posted after the jump to learn the rules the game before jumping into it -- a smart move, considering player death in Star Battle is permanent. (BUH BUH BUUHHHHH)
The XToaster360 can be yours, for enough bread
We were tempted to make a joke about avoiding the unnecessary risk of overheating your Xbox 360 when we saw this video for Nick Carouso's "XToaster360" -- a toaster gutted and turned into a custom console -- but that's a little stale. The case mod is currently up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $150 ... so we're assuming there's no Valhalla inside. (There's also no hard drive -- just the ability to use USB thumb drives.) While the XToaster is still pretty neat, what with its blue LEDs and novelty factor, there are a couple of other issues with the design: For one, it doesn't actually make toast. Also, Carouso kept the disc drive horizontal, missing the opportunity to insert a game through one of the toaster's bagel-accommodating slots. Maybe he was worried about it ejecting early -- or worse: jamming?
Fractal Design's Define Mini custom PC case ditches LEDs for style
As anyone who's shopped around for a custom PC case knows, the options are virtually endless -- but it's a bit of a different story if you're looking to keep things as sleek and simple as possible. Thankfully, the folks at Fractal Design have now provided one more option for the more modestly-inclined folks out there in the form of their new Define Mini case, which is a Micro ATX version of their larger Define R2 and R3 cases. As you can see above, it's suitably monolith-like, and it doesn't come with too many compromises in terms of specs -- in fact, you'll actually get a generous six HDD trays among all the usual accommodations. No word on a price just yet, but we're guessing it won't demand too much of a premium if the company's other Define cases are any indication.
Guitar made out of an NES sounds like it's made out of an NES
What to get for the Nintendo fan in your life who already has everything? How about this guitar made out of a Nintendo Entertainment System? GetLoFi.com hacked a working electric guitar together from the body of an NES, and as you can tell from the YouTube video after the break, it sounds ... ok? So it's not great, but then again it's basically a box made out of plastic. The guitar is being sold for $150 on GetLoFi's web shop, and because it's custom made (the neck is a reused oak guitar neck), they've only got one for sale, but they seem game to make more if the demand is there. The NES itself has been hollowed out for all the other electronics, so if you want to play your favorite NES games while strumming their tunes, you'll need your own console for that.
Pentax K-r receives a rainbow paintjob, 35mm prime lens for limited edition kit
Do not adjust your browsers, that really is a Pentax product adorned with a generous helping of the three primary colors and a mech's head attached to its flash hotshoe. Why? In response to customer demand, of course. It'd seem people were so enamored with the way the K-x got abused restyled that they wanted more of that Korejanai magic, and Pentax is kindly obliging them with a limited run of 100 "robotized" K-r sets. The internal specs are unchanged from the original, but you do get a new 35mm prime lens with a wide F2.4 aperture to play with. Pre-orders costing ¥99,800 ($1,187) will start on December 24th for a delivery in early January. Yup, just in time for you to be the coolest blogger at CES.
MacBook Air 2010 meets Colorware, births skinny rainbow children
Not feeling like enough of an individual owning the same ultrathin Apple laptop as everyone else? We feel your pain, you need something more in your status symbol hardware. This is where Colorware enters, asking for (at least) $1,850 in exchange for a MacBook Air -- made in 2010, exactly to your chromatic specifications. Come on, we can mock and we can decry the price, but if this were ever within the disposable income portion of your budget, wouldn't you jump at the opportunity? Alas, there's no option for repainting an Air if you've already bought one, so whether you want the 11.6-inch or 13-inch version, you'll have to buy it directly from Colorware. Update: It originally seemed as if the 11-inch Air wasn't available, but it is, hence the body of the post has been updated accordingly.
Rumor: Apple retail app to offer "check-ins," connect employees and customers
MacStories has heard an interesting rumor: that Apple's recent work in location-based networking and "check-in" software will be used inside of Apple's retail stores, specifically to provide better service from employees there. Not a lot is known yet (and MacStories doesn't reveal the source of the info, though presumably it comes from someone who works in or with Apple retail), but the rumor says that Apple would provide an app that's specifically designed to help coordinate the experience of visiting an Apple Store. A customer could check in and set up appointments directly from the app, get push notifications, and even see photos of employees assigned to help them. Employees could also use the app to track customers in the store and receive information about what they were there for. It all sounds very interesting -- we know for a fact that Apple employees went through some training just recently for the upcoming holiday season, so this app could have been one of the topics discussed. Something like this would definitely streamline things at the Apple Store, and move from the very ad hoc way of splitting up customers and employees to a more directed kind of connection. We'll have to see what Apple reveals as we move closer to this year's holiday sales season.
Caveat emptor: Custom Android handsets all the rage in Germany?
This isn't the first customizable phone we've laid our eyes on, and we've always been a fan of the concept -- even if the execution sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. Apparently there's a small startup residing in Germany called Synapse that will sell you a custom Android 2.2 handset, complete with 4-inch multitouch touchscreen, with prices starting around €434 ($600). We say apparently because, try as we might, we only got the Drupal-powered website to appear once this morning. Indeed, the tipster couldn't even get it to appear more than once himself, which is why he sent us a screen shot. Thanks! What we were able to see, however briefly, was a whole menu of customizable options, including radio (3G and 4G, including LTE and WiMAX), Bluetooth, WiFi, up to a 12 MP camera (with a flash or not), mini-HDMI out, various memory and storage options, and more. Not bad, eh? We don't think we'll be taking a chance on this vaporous website, but if you do, make sure you let us know how it works out. Update: Not that we've been able to access the site again, looks like the thing could be had for a baseline price of €299 (or roughly $410). Thanks to Thomas and everyone else who pointed this out! [Thanks, Christian]
TUAW's Daily App: Texto SMS Favorites
There are a lot of weird texting applications for the iPhone, and some of them are pretty hinky in terms of design or function. But Texto is probably the best looking SMS app I've seen -- it doesn't do any weird non-SMS text messaging or have all kinds of neon graphics running around. All it does is hook up with your iPhone's standard texting service to let you get quick shortcuts to your most commonly used people and messages. Thanks to LA traffic, I'm often running just a little late for meetings, and with Texto, I can just tap a few buttons to send an "I'll be there soon" to my friends and colleagues rather than trying to type the whole thing out as I frantically drive across town. The app's only 99 cents, but I'll admit it's not for everybody. If you don't text a whole lot already, you probably don't need a whole other app to handle your most frequently-sent messages. And obviously, sending a pre-written message is a little impersonal. Your significant other might realize you're blowing them off the fifth time you send a "Sorry, I'm busy, call you soon," message to them. There's one other caveat: you can only use this one in iOS 4.0, due to the way it interacts with the SMS app. For the right user, Texto can be really helpful, and it's got the bonus of having a great and simple interface that's free of ads and clutter.
Iron Man Xbox 360 escapes Stark Industries, heads right to eBay
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Iron_Man_Xbox_360_escapes_Stark_Industries_heads_right_to_e'; Halo-inspired Xbox 360? Check. Xbox 360 laptop? Seen it. Xbox 360 fused with a PS3? Yep. A Tony Stark-approved Xbox 360? Thanks to one Zachariah Perry Cruse, we can now add this beaut to the list. This here design student managed to use his summer vacation for a little more than weekend jaunts to Gary, putting an awful lot of blood, sweat and fear into his very own Iron Man Xbox 360. Naturally, it's the older, less slimmer 360 console, complete with a 120GB hard drive and an HDMI socket. There's a video of the LEDs doing their thing after the break, and that eBay link will get you where you need to be if you're a prospective buyer. And let's be honest here -- you are a prospective buyer.
Colorware freshens up BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Flip UltraHD with bodacious new paintjobs
Say, are you finding your 3G-equipped BlackBerry isn't looking quite so Pearlescent now that the Curve has also gone 3G and BlackBerry 6 seems to have moved things along (a bit)? Maybe it's time you gave that zany bunch at Colorware a call, as they've just started taking orders for repainting Pearl 3G (aka 9100) handsets into whatever shade of awesome you desire. Prices are still ludicrous, starting out at $165 for a respray or $640 for a brand new phone, though if you want some more affordable customization, you can opt to send in your Flip UltraHD for a $50 change of hue (or grab a new one for $260). Sure, none of it makes much fiscal sense, but then blinging out your gear was never about rationality anyway.
Honey, Daryl Brach shrunk the Cray-1 supercomputer
The original Cray supercomputer, the Cray-1, is an iconic piece of computing history, so big it had a ring of padded seats around which engineers could sit and contemplate esoteric questions of life whilst the machine humming behind them answered the more finite ones. This semi-hexadecagon shape has been brought back to life, scaled down quite a bit, by case modder and woodcrafter Daryl Brach. The original 5.5 ton behemoth is now a desktop-friendly size, and though those seats are now too small for human behinds they're still leather-covered and padded, hiding a pair of DVD-ROM drives connected to not one but two motherboards. We're not sure what other hardware Brach populated the thing with internally, but given that original Cray-1 had 8MB of memory to work with we're guessing this modern version would have no problem computationally wiping the floor with its inspiration.
OWC will cut a hole in your new 27-inch iMac, put an eSATA port behind it
Say what you like about Apple, as a company it's not exactly on the forefront when it comes to offering standard connectors for peripherals. Case in point: the latest iMac revisions lack eSATA, something of a bother for companies that make external storage devices. Companies like OWC. So, that particular organization is introducing a service to add that to 27-inch iMacs, cutting a small hole into the bottom-right of the display and sticking an eSATA port behind it. It's a nice idea, the results look flush enough, and 48-hour turn-around time is great -- but $169 is hardly small change. You can, however, take that time to get a 480GB Mercury Extreme Pro SSD stuffed in there as well for a mere $1,649 more.
Mac Mini suffers chromatic maltreatment at hands of Colorware
You didn't seriously think the Mac Mini would be spared, did you? The maniacal customizers over at Colorware have added Apple's latest bit of desktop furniture to their stable of "have it your way" electronics, with a $250 price tag for the paintjob by itself and a $1,000 levy if you want them to procure the hardware as well. Hey, we know that's expensive, but somebody's got to be buying all these crazy-hued gadgets for the company to keep going, right? Anyone willing to own up to it?
Game Boy condom concept helps you level up
Just like the iCade, this is one of those "just for fun" ideas that actually seems to make a great deal of commercial sense. Think about it, Nintendo has sold bajillions of handheld consoles in its time, and it keeps churning out sequels that mean even newer followers are familiar with such classics as Donkey Shlong. And Mario's mushroom-related growth spurts? Marketing gold! So why not capitalize on all that brand awareness with this selection of cheerfully colored condom cases? Designed by Ben Marsh and Julia Roach, they aim to "create a desire to purchase the product for aesthetic reasons," and quite frankly, they do succeed. This certainly puts a whole new spin on the idea of power-ups, though.
iPhone 4 gets a $1 alternative to pricey Bumpers
If you ask us, Apple should be giving away free bumpers, lollipops, and anything else it can think of to keep its otherwise loyal followers from revolting. But the Great Bitten One isn't doing any one of those things, and most of us are stuck either having to pony up $30 for the official salvation from self-inflicted signal harm or looking out to the grey markets. Entering this morose situation with a bit of ingenuity is Oliver Nelson, who alerts us to the fact that rubber wristbands of the sort your favorite cyclist wears are apparently an almost perfect fit when stretched around the 4's antennae. He advises that a 1.125-inch long by 0.125-inch wide incision (into the unstretched band) is necessary to keep the 30-pin port and speakers open, but otherwise it seems like a pretty effortless and dirt cheap way to avoid all this drama.
Gresso gussies up iPhone 4 with rare wooden veneer
From the front it looks like any other iPhone 4, but flip it around and a glint might catch your eye -- that's the doing of Russian technology tailor Gresso, who's embedded Swarovski crystals and an 18-karat golden Apple logo in a sheet of African Blackwood attached to the device. As usual, one wonders why anyone would bother, but honestly we can't complain -- the design is worlds more tasteful than the solid gold and diamond-encrusted contraptions we're used to seeing. Expect the dainty dillantante to arrive in December at a surprisingly reasonable $3,500, or $3,000 for the male-targeted version at right. Of course, if you've got that kind of money to spend, you want one now, right? Good news: the iPhone 3GS gets the same luxurious treatment -- and price -- in July. [Thanks, Bob]
