custom
Latest
Bacteria returns with IntoPlay, the expectant looking portable PSone mod
We've seen plenty of semi-portable mashups from modder extraordinaire Bacteria, and now he's back with another luggable system that turns a PSone into a fully integrated handheld. The system is naturally made from a PSone console itself as well as a travel screen, a third-party controller, custom case, and, most importantly, a lot of skill and patience -- roughly 100 hours worth. You cay buy the tangible bits in a kit on eBay for £49.99 (about $70 US), then follow Bacteria's stupendously comprehensive instructions to build your own. Or, you can just watch the video below and live vicariously. [Via benheck.com Forums]
Figureprints lottery is over
Blizzard has posted on the official WoW site that the Figureprints lottery is over, and though there are no big news items over on the Figureprints site, all mentions of the lottery have disappeared also, so it looks like if you've been waiting for demand to clear up over there to order your figure, now's your chance. Figureprints is a company we've covered extensively here at WoW Insider - they'll make little custom statues of your character with a 3D printer. A print will run you $129.95, but if you're willing to pay for it, you can have a custom-made real-life souvenir of the toon you've spent so much time playing in game.The last time we talked to the guys over there they were working on all kinds of ways to make printing the figures easier and better, and it looks like they've found a few: Blizzard says that better methods have led to increased production, so even if you haven't heard from your lottery entry yet, odds are that you will soon. Unfortunately, they still haven't landed on a way to print out Hunter and Warlock pets to go along with those figures (their site still says they're working out how best to do it), so if you want Battlecatlol to go with your Hunter, Hemanlol, you'll have to wait a while longer.Of course, like Rossi, you might still be saying to yourself, "what's the point?" But if you do want one, now's apparently the time to come and get it.
Enter to win one of two giftpacks from SwagDog and WoW Insider
The holidays are upon us, and what better gift to give the Warcraft player in your life than a customized t-shirt from Warcraft.SwagDog.com? You may have seen them right there on our gift guide, but we're making it even easier for you to give one away, by giving two lucky readers a gift certficate of their own (and if you want to use it for yourself, we won't tell anybody).Yes, we're giving away two different prizes from SwagDog -- a hoodie gift pack (retail value $65, includes a customized hoodie and free shipping), and a t-shirt gift pack (retail value $30, includes a t-shirt and free shipping). To enter, just leave a comment on this post between right now and Friday, December 12th at 6:00pm Eastern, and we'll choose two random winners then to get the gift packs. One comment per person, please, and make sure to use a real email so we can contact the winners easily. Must be 18 or older and live in the United States to win (Canadians can enter, but they may have to pay a few bucks extra for shipping, as the codes only pay for free shipping to the US). Click here for complete Official Rules.And if you don't win, don't worry -- SwagDog offers gift certificates of all kinds, and we're told that anything ordered from the site by December 16th should show up before the 25th. Good luck to everyone who enters the contest, and let us be the first to wish you a happy Winter's Veil! That's right, it starts next week!
Nokia Build website lets your dream 7310 Supernova come alive
Nokia's 7310 Supernova isn't a half bad looking handset straight from the factory, but you know you're champing at the bit to destroy any and all resell value by slapping a pixelated image of your mum and pop on there. Regardless of how wild, tacky or fashionable your ideas, users in France with the requisite coin can order up a 7310 Supernova with practically any design they want. For the less imaginative, there are a few templates that should still do the trick, but we wouldn't let the opportunity of being able to upload your own JPEG pass you by. The whole Nokia Build concept is still in beta at the moment, so we're anxiously hoping to see it hit other markets in short order.[Via UnwiredView]
PS3 gamer overcomes disability with custom controller, triumphs in l33t3st way imaginable
Yeah, we here at Engadget are hardened cynics -- our cold, black hearts have closed off to all but the most extraordinary tech-related stories, and we don't talk about the triumph of the human spirit a lot, but PlayStation 3 forum user KitsuneYume has us stepping outside our usual box today. With the help of an engineer, he made an "adaptive controller" that allows him to game with the pros despite serious disabilities. 20 out of 25 functions are accounted for by the system, and he uses his fingers, toes, and even his tongue to play -- your regular, everyday controller mod it ain't. The creator said he uploaded the pictures to make sure folks who might need it are aware the technology exists, as he contacted Sony a while back and they weren't able to tell him where to look. We hope this helps gets the word out, because we think everyone should have and chance to lie, cheat, and steal their way through Fallout 3.[Thanks, Jason]
Changes to custom alliance logos in EVE Online
One of the nicer aspects of establishing an alliance identity in EVE Online is that you're not stuck with the standard mix-and-match of graphics to create a logo. You can submit your own custom image which then becomes your alliance logo, viewable in-game. EVE dev CCP Loktofeit stated that there are now going to be changes with the Alliance Logo System which should cut down on the time between submission and when your logo is visible in-game.Unfortunately, as this new submission process goes into effect, any alliance that has submitted their logos but have not yet received approval will need to re-submit. Loktofeit said, "All previous submissions have been purged form the database in preparation for the new system." If this situation affects you or your alliance, you'll need to review the updated submission criteria, and read up a bit on the new submission/review/acceptance processes as well, which are detailed in CCP Loktofeit's dev blog and being discussed on the forums.
Australia gets their own awesome Lock's Quest DS and more
To promote the release of 5th Cell's strategy/action game Lock's Quest, THQ Australia is giving away a custom DS Lite, much like THQ is doing here. However, the Australian giveaway item is different from the US one -- and it comes with more stuff! In addition to the custom airbrushed DS seen here (if you squint), one winner will receive a $2500 gift certificate to the Bunnings hardware store, a "giant-size adjustable spanner/wrench set," a backpack with a solar panel, and copies of The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Great Castle Search. Two more winners will get all that stuff minus the Bunnings money. The method of entry is different, too: instead of playing a Flash game, contestants must describe a new turret for the game in 50 words or less. Here's an example off the top of our heads: "This turret fires a projectile that, upon contact with the ground, causes me to win contests." %Gallery-19901% [Via Vooks]
Show and Tell: We salute you, Game Boys
We've said goodbye to the GBA, but it's not dead yet, and never will be if these people have a say. Modders and artists keep systems alive and relevant even after everyone else has forgotten about them. The Game Boy name and changing face has been a favorite of modders for some time, and today for Show and Tell, we're going to celebrate a small part of that. Jump right into the gallery below if you're so inclined, or take the guided tour.%Gallery-34424% Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.
38 Studios acquires MMO newsletter tailored to player characters
As time moves on, we're slowly getting more information about MMO developer 38 Studios and their plans. 38 Studios, which brings together Red Sox pitcher (and MMO fan) Curt Schilling, comic book creator Todd McFarlane, and author R.A. Salvatore, is known to be developing a fantasy-MMO codenamed "Copernicus." When it comes to news regarding this game studio, we're primarily interested in Copernicus here at Massively, but our sister site WoW Insider turned up something else interesting involving 38 Studios. It turns out that they've acquired Mentor Media, creators of a custom World of Warcraft newsletter called Azeroth Advisor, which offers personalized information about WoW as it pertains to your own character. Could this be a sign of what's to come with Copernicus, and would you appreciate a customized newsletter offered in tandem with your MMO of choice?
38 Studios buys WoW newsletter
Here's a strange little story -- 38 Studios is the MMO/entertainment company owned by baseball player Curt Schilling (who is himself a very big WoW fan). They're working on a secret project codenamed Copernicus (which our sister site Massively has been covering closely), but apparently they have other interests as well -- they've picked up a company called Mentor Media, whose main product is the Azeroth Advisor, a custom newsletter about World of Warcraft.I don't know if we've ever mentioned Azeroth Advisor on the site before -- they claim to send you a custom newsletter (for a fee) built around your own personal character, but most of the information and guides you can actually get from them are pretty much equivalent to what you'd find here on WoW Insider (or less helpful, if we may say so ourselves see update below*). Still, for casual players who just can't get enough information (and who don't want to browse our WoW insider Directory to find guides for your specific class), it might give you something else to read.But what's strangest about this is why 38 Studios, a company working on its own MMO, has chosen to pick up a company that produces an unofficial newsletter about World of Warcraft. It's like Bioware buying World of Matticus (not that Matt is for sale or anything like that). Maybe they eventually have plans to have Mentor Media start producing content about Copernicus, or maybe Curt Schilling just found the guides really helpful and figured he'd like to own the company that made them. Stay tuned for a possible interview with 38 Studios to see if we can figure out the reasons behind the purchase.Update: I let my obvious bias for our site show a little too much there -- Azeroth Advisor provides a valuable service to some players, and they work hard to do so. I apologize for hinting otherwise. Stay tuned for an interview to learn more about the site and the people behind it.Update2: The guys at The Instance actually asked Curt about all of this (including this very post), and he told them a lot of the reasons why they picked Mentor Media up, including that the newsletter is going free within the week, that they see the platform of delivering customizable newsletters as expanding even beyond the gaming market, and that Mentor is seeking writers for all kinds of content, including even other games.
Show and Tell: For the love of a character
A big part of Nintendo (and gaming) fandom seems to be linked to the appreciation -- nay, love -- of certain characters, and that's what we're exploring in this week's edition of Show and Tell. It's all about characters and the things we do in honor of them. Take the guided tour, or jump all willy-nilly into the gallery below.%Gallery-31978% Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.
Mac 101: Create Custom Email Stationery
Have you used Mail's stationery and thought that it was too limiting or did not appeal to your tastes? With a simple save button, you can create your own stationery to be exactly the way you want it. Just create a new Mail message, filling in the body as you see fit -- use special formatting, colors, even filler text. When you have completed your stationery template, click File > Save As Stationery. A dialog box will prompt you to name your new creation. Enter a descriptive title and click "Save." Your new stationery will appear under "Custom" whenever you click the "Show Stationery" button in a new mail message. Clicking your template name will automatically recreate your template in the body of the new message. This is handy for businesses or individuals who need to have custom formatted emails, and need them to be uniform each time they send them.Like this tip? Want more? Just visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.
Fan offers custom-made BlizzCon badges
That Blizzard-issued BlizzCon badge not enough for you? Want something a little more customized for your character? Of course, if this year is anything like last year, Blizzard's badges will have some custom art on there (that's why they asked your character, realm, and favorite Blizzard game when you bought tickets), but just in case you want to go the extra mile, Shyka's got you covered.She's offering custom art of your character to wear around at BlizzCon in October -- for $40 and a screenshot or two, she'll make a piece of custom art that she'll print laminate, and clasp right up for you just in time to show it off at the Anahiem Convention Center. Her art looks great -- no matter what your character is like, odds are that she can come up with something cool for you. Her schedule's way open as of this writing, too, so while the price may be a little steep (it is a custom, ready-made piece of art), you can probably jump right in and be sure to get one.We'll tell you right now, also, that our WoW Insider folks will also be custom badged, so consider this your first invitation: if you see us walking around wearing a custom-made official WoW Insider badge (in addition to our standard BlizzCon passes), feel free to walk right up and say hello. We'd love to meet you.
Fuel for the PetEmote addon
David B covered the PetEmote addon way back in the beginning of this year, and now the Great Green Hunter has posted some really great ideas for custom pet emotes, for a few different families of Hunter pets. PetEmote lets your pet automatically show up in your emote text randomly, and is really good for giving your pets a little more personality of their own -- instead of just doing what you say all the time (and eating all of the food you've got to buy), PetEmote can make it seem like your pets are doing their own thing: chasing a stray bug that passes by, flicking their tails, or "giving you a sly look."GGH's descriptions are really great, but of course whatever goes in the "Localization LUA file" in the PetEmote addon folder is what shows up in the game, so you can customize it as necessary. If you want to say your cat "waggles his butt, ready to pounce," you can do it.Of course, if you think of your pet as just a DoT you have to feed, you might not be so interested. But having a pet and keeping track of where it is is such a huge part of the Hunter class (though PetEmote works for Warlocks as well) that giving your pets a little more personality goes a long way in game.[via Mania]
DIYer builds his own drive-in theater, brings back the retro
It's one thing to craft a home theater that keeps guests coming back weekend after weekend, but it's another to create one that keeps them rolling (literally) in by the dozens. Kevin Van fulfilled what we can only imagine was a mid-20s fantasy by building his very own backyard theater, complete with an Epson 77c projector, homemade 6-foot retractable screen and 8 vintage drive-in speakers rigged up to deliver 5.1 surround sound on his deck and 2-channel stereo around the pool. There's also a concession stand, a homegrown outdoor subwoofer being pushed by 1,100 watts and a whole slew of other audio / video components. Those cruising through Fraser, Michigan should seriously look this guy up -- sounds like a great way to spend a few hours.[Via UberReview]
SwagDog and Blizzard team up to offer custom t-shirts with guild and toon info
The BlizzCon tickets are slowly (and unsurely) being sold, and the first few lucky buyers have been linked to a "BlizzCon Exclusive" from SwagDog.com -- apparently they've teamed up with Blizzard to offer real-life versions of your guild tabard on a t-shirt, and folks who attend BlizzCon will get their pick of the first shirts off the presses.Note to Blizzard and SwagDog: feel free to send the royalty checks over to me whenever you want. The bad news is that they've eschewed the idea of "t-shirt as tabard", and instead it looks like they're making a custom-printed shirt for everyone, so it'll have not just your tabard on their shirt, but your guild's name, and your character's name and realm, race, class and faction as well.As neat as these are, I think I'd like something a little more subtle -- all that text and the icons muddy it up a bit. But otherwise, definitely seems like (assuming the prices and shirt quality are respectable) a fun way to show off a little guild and toon pride.
Axiom Audio serves up speakers in more than 2,000 finishes
Sure, getting some premium in-wall speakers is one way to maximize your speakers' sonics while minimizing their visual impact, but for many rooms just getting a different finish on the cabinets and grills is all that's needed. To that end, online speaker retailer Axiom Audio has launched a custom service that can churn out any of its speakers in one of more than 2,000 styles. If you order one of the six real wood veneers you get your choice of: six stains, three gloss levels, three feet/logo metals and six grill colors. Those who order one of the 16 matte vinyl finishes get to choose from six grill colors. Surely, you should be able to find something that will fit your fashion sensibilities, right? Pricing is (obviously) variable, but Axiom has made a name for itself when it comes to value, so don't be afraid to check out the website to configure that next speaker of yours.
Pangea updates Enigmo for iPhone to 1.1.1, adds downloadable content
Over the past day, Pangea Software has issued two updates for their Enigmo physics game for the iPhone/iPod touch. The updates in question (1.1 and 1.1.1) allow you to download custom levels from Pangea's website via the application.Be sure to sync your iPhone and complete the backup process before updating Engimo, as the saved game deletion issues continue to be a concern. Pangea has officially acknowledged the issue, and offers backups as a solution. You can download/buy Enigmo from the App Store (iTunes link).%Gallery-29190%
First-time modder wings it, produces classy DS mod
Kudos to Flickr user Obajoo, who went and did what none of us are brave enough to do: despite having no previous experience, she added this classy design of two silhouetted birds to her Metallic Rose DS. Writing about the process on her blog, Obajoo makes it sound reasonably straightforward -- so much so that we're even beginning to think about contemplating whether or not to maybe consider customizing our DS. Hit up Obajoo's Flickr for more photos. Not all custom paint jobs end up looking quite as nice as Obajoo's. Take, for example, Elyssa's Marth tribute, viper640_0's misguided Triforce design, or this frankly frightening custom GBA. On second thoughts, we might leave ours as it is.
TUAW Tip: Make iPhone ringtones with GarageBand
An earlier post about PocketMac Ringtone Studio for iPhone reminded me of how I put together ringtones for my iPhone. I just fire up GarageBand and iTunes, do a little quick magic, and out come the ringtones I want.This doesn't work with protected files such as those you've purchased from the iTunes Store -- hell, Apple wants you to spend $0.99 for the tune and another $0.99 to turn it into a ringtone. The method described here works very well turning those CD snippets that you've ripped into iTunes into ringtones. Follow along after the break for the step-by-step.
