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Zicplay EWOO remote boasts LCD for iPod / iTunes menus
There's been more than a few iPod docking stations / speaker systems released here in the past few, um, hours, but even if the one you're eying sports a wireless remote, chances are it'll arrive sans a built-in screen. If you'd rather control your iPod's speaker system without actually squinting from 20 feet away trying to read that cluttered playlist from afar, Zicplay's oddly-titled EWOO can probably help. Similar in nature (and design) to Keyspan's TuneView and Alive Style's Popalive, this presumably Bluetooth-enabled remote comes with its own proprietary docking station that holds your iPod and transmits the menus directly to your EWOO remote. The dock outputs out via optical digital or analog stereo, and channels video via S-Video, while the remote weighs in at 60 grams and sports a battery life of "about 10 days." So if you're not a proud owner already of one of the two aforementioned alternatives, you can pick this flavor up for $129 next month.[Via MobileWhack]
Nyko announces wireless Zero controllers for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
If you were lucky enough to snag a new console (or better yet, unwrap a free one) this holiday season, you're probably winging it with just one or two controllers until you can start hacking away at that towering December credit card bill and pick up a few extras. If so, Nyko's got its aim on you, hoping to snag those would-be first-party controller sales away from Sony and Microsoft and get a big fat Zero between the cusp of your hands. The 2.4GHz wireless controller already available on the PS2 (pictured) will soon be available on the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, giving users another option if you aren't too fond of the ones already out there. These Zeroes will reportedly feature "heat-dissipating aluminum panels, backlit buttons, and a unique ergonomic design," but unfortunately, won't save you any cash in the process, as each of these (along with an apparently less important PC flavor) will be available for $49.99 when they land shortly after CES.[Via Xbox360Fanboy]
Bluetrek unveils twistable ST1 Bluetooth headphones
It looks like Bluetrek is hopping into the Bluetooth headphone game, and while it faces some stiff competition, the ST1 sports a design entirely more pleasing to the eye than Etymotic's ety8 or Koss' Cobalt. Expected to make a showing at CES, these Korean-bound headphones feature a slim, bendable frame made to fit the heads of runners / commuters without gangly adornments cramping your style. It also boasts a trendy black / snow white color motif, Bluetooth v1.2 support, USB connectivity, operates "about nine hours" before its Li-ion needs recharging, and can supposedly last 400 hours in standby mode. Additionally, the play / pause, track direction, and volume controls are handily included on the earpieces, so you can control your playlists (on supported devices) without ever looking down. While we're not sure how much Bluetrek plans on charging for these snazzy wraparounds, we'll hopefully be getting a listen of our own before too long.[Via Engadget Chinese]
Battery-free pacemaker on the horizon
Having one surgery is plenty, and having some foreign object implanted in your being is really pushing things, but knowing you're going to be under the knife every ten years or so to get a new battery is just absurd. Thankfully, a group of researchers in the UK feel the same way, and are well on their way to developing a battery-free pacemaker. Reportedly, the device would use a microgenerator producing electricity every time the patient moves, effectively eliminating the need for an internal battery. The cost of the £1 million ($1.96 million) project is being shared by the Department of Trade and Industry and private companies, one being Zarlink Semiconductor who has a large role in the device's development. Other teams around the globe are also seeking to create such a unit, with ideas spanning from tiny generators that receive power from heat right onto "biological pacemakers" that would correct heart problems without the need for a mechanical device. While there's no estimate as to when these gizmos will even hit the testing and approval phase, it seems that things are moving along quite well, but we have to stop and wonder how well a pacemaker powered by motion will function when you, well, cease moving.[Via MedGadget]
Wii-chargable batt....no. No, never mind.
If you're like us, you've essentially forestalled any and all social responsibilities as of November 19th, 2006. That also means that, if you're like us, you've spent an additional bazillion dollars on those accursed double-A alkaline batteries. Where, Nintendo, are our rechargeables?Well, it seems as if Nintendo won't man up and get the job done, another company is gonna step up to the plate. Joytech, perpetual manufacturer of all things accessory, will release a recharging/docking station for two Wiimotes sometime early next year. Just insert the included rechargeable pack into the Wiimote, and place them into the vertical dock ... we prefer to think of them as thrones of power ... and you'll be ready for another 25ish hours of gaming.It's about time.
JoyTech announces Wii PowerStation to keep your Wiimotes juiced
JoyTech's no stranger to the Wii accessory scene, and the firm is hitting us up once more with its Wii PowerStation. As the title implies, this docking unit can safely house two Hattori Hanzo swords potentially dangerous Wiimotes, and comes stocked with twin rechargeable battery packs to save you those late night trips to the battery department. Additionally, there's a pull-out cradle on each side to place your nunchuck, and while there's nothing to prove (or disprove) the theory, it looks as if the charging station can receive power from any USB port. So if the days on end of Wii Sportin' it are chewing through the Engergizers at an unacceptable rate, you can pick this up in late January for £19.97 ($39).[Via VideoGamesBlogger, thanks Mark]
PS3 controllers: play and toss [update 1]
A report from the Japanese site Broadband Watch has new details about the PlayStation 3 controllers (if you can read Japanese, check out the link). The report states that the PS3 controller has to be connected via an included USB cable in order to pair it with the console. Okay, no big deal right? However, the report goes on to say that this might have to happen every time the controller loses power -- read is turned off or the charge dies. This is a larger pain, having to find the cable, haul it out, reconnect, pair the controller, and then disconnect the cable and put it away. So, it might be a hassle, but it won't kill you.Oh, one more tiny thing. According to the report, the rechargeable battery inside the PS3 controller can't be replaced once it reaches the end of its recharge life-cycle. That means you have to toss it out and get a new one, like the iPod (although third-party battery replacement units have popped up on the iPod so those aren't totally trash once they go). Surely similar solutions will pop up for the PS3 controllers at some point, or else that landfill in New Mexico will find a ton of dead PS3 controllers next to the thousands of E.T. Atari 2600 cartridges.[Via Gaming Edge][Update: A contact at Sony let us know that the controller does not need to be paired to the console with the USB charging cable; you can pair it by simply pressing the red PlayStation button. They did confirm that the battery would not be replaceable, much like the iPod's; however, how many of us can't remove a couple of screws and get a new battery off eBay?]
