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Ford adds race-ready TracKey to Mustang Boss 302, leaves no doubt about who's in charge
The use of a second key to unlock extra potential in a vehicle isn't exactly new: Bugatti's mind-blowing Veyron has a special tumbler-tickler that will let it hit 253mph; the Segway PT offers different fobs for different speeds. But such high-tech foppery on a Mustang? Yes, Ford continues to impress as the domestic marque with the techiest toys, announcing that buyers of next year's Boss 302 can purchase an optional TracKey package, shown after the break. Take the standard black key and you'll have a rip-roaring, 444hp monster. Take the red key, though, and you'll see how fast that pony can run down the rabbit hole. The car detects a different RFID chip in the fob and loads a secondary, track-specific engine tune, tweaking 200 ECM parameters to boost everything from throttle response to engine braking. It'll turn a semi-civilized muscle car into a completely track-ready beast, including launch control. When it's time for a more leisurely cruise users can just switch back to the black key, return to daily driver status, and leave Wonderland -- for a little while, at least.
Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar review
Next week's Rock Band 3 launch marks a giant step for the franchise, with the pro mode edging its gameplay closer to actual musicianship. The keyboards and drums are easier transitions to make, given what's essentially one-to-one mapping for notes and logical input solutions. But what about a guitar, arguably the genre's flagship instrument? We've seen and tried two solutions to the pro guitar input conundrum: the Squier Stratocaster, an actual guitar that's still not ready for primetime, and the Mad Catz Fender Mustang, a 102-button replica more reminiscent of peripheral than instrument. Still, with a mid-November release date, the latter's likely to be your only official option for pro guitar rocking this holiday. So, how does it fare? Read on to find out! P.S. For all your other Rock Band 3 queries, check out Joystiq's exhaustive review! %Gallery-105735%
Rock Band 3 Pro guitar preview: the guitarist vs. the guitar hero
Since our brief glimpses at E3, we've managed to pick up Rock Band 3's new Pro guitars a few times -- both live on the Engadget Show and otherwise -- and have gotten a better feel for how both the Squier Stratocaster (a.k.a. the "real guitar") and Mad Catz's 102-buttoned Fender Mustang replica play. We'll save the in-depth coverage for the final review, but what follows is two separate impressions coming from two different perspectives: one from Ross Miller, a former guitar instructor with 12 years playing experience, and one from Sean Hollister, a Guitar Hero player with no musical background whatsoever. Head on after the break for our full impressions. %Gallery-101752%
Rock Band 3 Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller and MIDI-Pro adapter eyes-on
We still can't get time with the Fender Mustang Pro guitar controller while actually playing Rock Band 3, but the gang at the Mad Catz booth were fine enough with us letting us toy around on its own, sans game. So, how does it feel just silently going through chords and scales? Sturdy as can be, sure, and the 100-plus buttons for the neck feel like they'll stand up for a good bit of time. That said, it felt harder than a real guitar locating the strings and frets -- especially a pain for faster chord changing. Also a burden? No ability to bend strings -- not that you'll be able to bend on the Squier Stratocaster either, as it turns out, but that's a whole 'nother issue. We also got some eyes on the MIDI Pro Adapter for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii; there isn't much to look at for now, but if you get your kicks from plastic dongles, hey, we've got all the photos you need below. %Gallery-95481% %Gallery-95483%
Rock Band 3's gear priced: keytar and Pro guitar sport MIDI out, adapter lets you use any keyboard / electronic drum set
Has your head cooled from all that rock news this morning? Nope? Well, we'd hate to rile you up again, but Mad Catz -- now the official provider of all Rock Band 3 equipment -- has priced its latest arsenal for the upcoming rhythm revival title. There's also a few new details on each instrument, so without further ado: Wireless Keyboard: That MIDI port many of you spotted is for output, letting you plug the two-octave (C3 to C5) velocity-sensitive keytar directly into MIDI sequencers for non-gaming use. It'll set you back $80, with an optional stand to be sold separately (no price given) alongside the game's launch. Buying the keyboard / game bundle will be $130, or about $10 off individual purchases. Oh, and if you want to feel a bit more techno, this puppy can be used as the guitar / bass input. MIDI PRO-Adapter: Want to use your own keyboard or electronic drum set? Here's the mediator you need, from MIDI to USB to console, and it sports the D-pad and other necessary gamepad buttons as well as velocity sensitivity adjustment controls. Asking price is $40. Pro Cymbals Expansion kit: three cymbals, apparently rejiggered from RB2's offerings for quieter play and a pre-defined 10 degree angle. It's $40 for this hi-hat, crash, and ride pack. Wireless Fender Mustang Pro Guitar Controller: Not the Squier hybrid we saw, this one actually sports a multitude of buttons for each string, spanning 17 frets (102 buttons in all). Actual strings are used for the plucking and strumming, and here's something interesting -- the axe has a MIDI output for software sequencers. This behemoth is $150, or approximately 1.5 Benjamins in your local currency. Pictures of each instrument -- and the yet-to-be-priced Squier -- in the gallery below, as well as a few screen caps of Pro mode so you can get an idea how exactly it'll "correct you" on proper Bohemian Rhapsody finger picking. %Gallery-94999%
See Sonic 4's Splash Hill Zone, Eggman
For those of you who have yet to decide to boycott Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sega has released some new media of the downloadable rodent-racing platformer. Including ... the second known character to appear in the game. Okay, before more of you start boycotting, it's just Eggman (or Dr. Robotnik, or whatever). And he's shown in one of his spheroid flying vehicles, implying that he's in the game in boss capacity only. The site also features a few screens, music and a description of Splash Hill Zone, which can be summed up as "Green Hill Zone in HD." And that's a good thing, right?
Man your download stations for Battlestations: Pacific DLC
Click image to fire a volley of screens at your eyeballs Eidos just fired off a press release, scoring a direct hit on our inbox, informing that Battlestations: Pacific will receive two resupply convoys in the form of the Mustang Pack and the Carrier Battle Map Pack. The first pack is available for download today and offers six new units (including the P-51 Mustang bomber, US Navy Alaska Class battleship, and Japanese Yamato Class battleship), along with 18 different pieces of nose art to be used online or off, and will set players back a cool 160 ($2). A more substantial DLC offering will come with the Carrier Battle Map Pack, a collection of four new maps that will be playable across all five multiplayer modes. These maps consist of locales such as the Philippine Islands, the Leyte Gulf, and Aleutian Islands, and will fetch a premium price of 800 ($10) when the pack releases on July 23.%Gallery-67288%
Sigma Motorworks developing EV based on Ford Mustang
With Tesla struggling to make ends meet -- let alone become a thriving, profitable automaker during a time when all people want are non-gas-powered vehicles -- we have to say that Sigma Motorworks has its work cut out for it here. According to head of operations Matias Gorfinkiel, the Sigma GTE is "a test bed for a commercial high performance sports model that [it] will bring to market by early 2010." Autoblog reports that most of the vehicle is based on Ford's storied Mustang, with its front and rear differentials coming directly from Ford and the GTE cockpit ripped straight from an older model Pony car. If all goes well (which isn't likely, honestly), it'll provide around 100 miles per charge and could hit upwards of 145 miles per hour; of course, finding the funding to put this thing together is another matter entirely, so don't go placing a pre-order via some Nigerian-based sister site just yet.[Image courtesy of AutoblogGreen]
Ford Racing Mustang Challenge coming to Discovery HD Theater
If NASCAR and Indy aren't giving you enough HD racing this season, there's always the Ford Mustang Challenge. Discovery HD Theater is planning a three-part series to follow the eight race series, beginning with testing this month to its conclusion in September. The now standard in-car HD cameras will be a part of the action as professional racers ranging from rookies to vets hit the track in their identically-spec'd Ford Mustang FR500S. An air date is still TBD, but pony car fans can check after the jump for more details.[Via Autoblog]
Pantech C810, AT&T's homage to the Helio Ocean
What would you get if you crossed a Helio Ocean, Windows Mobile 6 Standard, and UMTS? This here Pantech C810, naturally. Boy Genius Report has pictures of the AT&T-branded device being called "Mustang" and "Duo" internally, though it's not known whether either of those names will make it to production; features are said to include a 3G radio of some sort (either UMTS or UMTS / HSDPA), microSD expansion, that wild dual-slide action with a numeric keypad in one direction and a full QWERTY deal in the other, and a 65,000-color display -- but other than that, we're in the dark. It's rumored to be hitting as soon as next month for $250 on contract, and if this all checks out, we suspect AT&T may have a difficult time keeping 'em stocked.Update: We've heard from several folks that this device may actually be the C810, which would be more in line with Pantech's naming convention for AT&T devices. We'll keep you updated.
