Skateboard
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Man improves, adds a dose of trademark infringement to single-wheeled skateboard concept
Did you like the idea of Ben Smither's single-wheeled, self-balancing scooter but wished the thing looked a little less... utilitarian? Check out John Dingley's one wheeled self-balancing skateboard project, aka "The No Snowboard," aka "The Hot Wheel." It was inspired by Smither's earlier creation and likewise relies on a single go cart racing slick in the center spun by a (slightly more powerful) 420W electric motor, but adds a lovely wooden surface and racing decals to the top, improving the look immensely. The rider leans in either direction to get the thing going (as demonstrated in motion below) and the slight curvature of the tire allows for turning just like you would with a normal skateboard. Right now maximum speed is a somewhat pedestrian 7 mph, but Dingley estimates that a Segway-matching 12 mph is possible with better gearing. We can't wait for the inevitable self-balancing scooter racing series.[Via Instructables]
Touchgrind in the App Store
I remain a complete non-fan of "fingerboarding," or skateboarding on a miniature skateboard with your fingers, but on the other hand (so to speak), I'm a huge fan of physics, especially on a touchscreen, so I'm torn about the release of Touchgrind, which has now made its way into the App Store for $4.99. Playing with a tiny skateboard in real-life seems kind of silly. But playing with a virtual skateboard that responds realistically to your fingers flipping and tapping on a multitouch screen could be really, really awesome -- like a skating game with the best controls ever.Unfortunately, there's no free demos here -- either you jump in for $5 or you don't. But if you do, there's actually a lot on offer -- 3 game modes, 12 different boards each with their own abilities, and a set of tutorials to get you started. I'm intrigued: I'm not quite sure a mini skateboard will keep my attention for all that long, but it might be worth $5 just to see the physics in action.
Skate It: Build your career on it
Skate It kicks off in a destroyed city, and as the driving force for the game, you'll be building your skating career on the rubble of San Vanelona. It's important to exploit "virgin territory," as your cameraman says, for your own gains ... at least, in a video game. Wii owners will finally get their own chance to Skate (It) late next month, just in time for the big holiday season.%Gallery-22799%
Balancing it in Skate It video
These videos for Skate It -- today's and others -- beg one major question: how long is it going to be before people start busting their Balance Boards? A week after the game's fall release? A day? The one thing we're sure of is that it's going to happen. Boards will be busted. People will cry. But in the meantime, we're going to lean into lots of fun, and all without having to brave the prospect of introducing various body parts to the rough, hard asphalt. Gallery: Skate It
DS Daily: Tilting through Tony Hawk
Did you play Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for Wii? If so, it may help determine how you feel about the latest handheld Tony Hawk title, which will include an accelerometer add-on for the GBA slot. We don't know much else about Tony Hawk's Motion other than a) it's a skateboarding game (mostly) and b) there'll be tilt controls. Having played the aforementioned Wii game, however, this blogger, at least, is somewhat intrigued. How are you feeling? Did you play Downhill Jam, and does that make a difference? It must be said that I skipped Proving Ground, but did have a blast with Downhill Jam, though I didn't think I would, at all. Gallery: Tony Hawk's Motion
Skate It: read a preview of it
IGN's Daemon Hatfield spent some time with EA's Skate It, playing with both the Wiimote control scheme and the more novel Balance Board-based scheme. Getting real (non-demo/tutorial) gameplay for the first time, Hatfield described the setup that motivates your character to find things and skate them. The character Reda from Skate returns with a camera to document all your tricks, promising a shot at a skating career outside of the destroyed San Vanelona if you have the goods. To this end, the game contains "photo" and "film" challenges in which you must pull off specific tricks for the camera after finding a location appropriate for the prescribed chains of tricks. Other challenges specify the location as well. You can earn enough points in a challenge to "own it" or exceed that minimum to "kill it," which earns you more gear, game modes, and other bonuses.Check out the new screens that IGN obtained along with this preview, as well as (obviously) a new trailer.
Qmotions bringing skate controllers to the 360
Qmotions has been hawking various specialty sports controllers for a while now, but it looks like the company is about to take the next-gen plunge with an upcoming skateboard controller called the Qmotions Big Air for the Xbox 360 -- and best of all, Microsoft is going to let the company build official wireless peripherals. That's an honor Microsoft is pretty hesitant to dole out, but it seems like the ability to wirelessly rip up some Tony Hawk swayed J Allard and co. (We hear Ballmer is a monster in the pipe.) No word on price or game compatibility other than "skateboard games currently on the market," but look for this one to ollie into your heart sometime later this year. Amazing 1992-style animated GIF of Qmotions' PS2 XBoard controller, pictured above, after the break.[Via Engadget Spanish]
Diagrams for wacky Wii remote peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Diagrams_for_Wacky_Wii_remote_Peripherals'; Third-party accessory manufacturers aren't the only ones coming up with ridiculous things to attach your Wii remote onto! A recent patent application posted at the European Patent Office's site reveals some of the crazy peripherals Nintendo dreamed up to explain the controller's potential, like the goggles shown above. ThinkGeek's Wii Helm seems like a respectable, thought-out product, compared to this silly idea. Wouldn't that unbalanced weight give you a sore neck after a minute of wearing this headpiece?And there are much zanier diagrams in the application document -- Wii remotes in racing helmets, bike pedals, skateboard wheels, and teddy bears! How would this stuff even work? There are also drafts for a docking station and the old shotgun-design Zapper (the GameCube and wireless receiver demonstrating the Zapper shows the artwork's age). You can check them all out in our gallery below!%Gallery-14911%[Via 22Hundred]
Photon Light Boards smothers your skateboard in LEDs
Sure, hoverboards may be all the rage in a decade or so, but for now, we're going to have to give some serious kudos to these bad boys. Designed, created and sold by Photon Light Boards, these LED-covered skateboards are sure to light up the night (and the streets). Each board can be customized to the hilt and features an on / off switch, a thin Li-ion battery / charger and a protective metal plate along the bottom. Instantly interested in ditching your boring deck for one of these creatures? Hit the read link for all the details and a plethora of photos to boot.[Via BeSportier]
GroundSurf electric skateboard is guided by your phone
We know what you're pondering this fine Thursday morning: how can I most effectively put my body in danger while sustaining full dorkiness? All those "action sports" like flipping motorcycles and skiing through avalanches are just way too glamorous. Well, your answer has arrived in the GroundSurf board from Ratleads. The three-wheeled board has an electric motor, and a unique control scheme that allows you to speed and slow the board using touch controls on an HTC phone over Bluetooth. What could possibly go wrong? The board will be out "soon" for somewhere in the neighborhood of two grand. [Via Pocket-lint]
Tony Hawk talks Wii Fit board as a controller
Tony Hawk knows a trick or two on them there wheelie boards. That's probably why he got a whole line of games bearing his name. And, following the release of his latest title, Tony conducted an interview with Eurogamer to discuss the new game and, more interesting to us Wii-loving folk, the new Wii Fit peripheral and Channel coming from Nintendo. As if you didn't think about its use for skateboarding titles yourself ...So, Tony thinks it could be done, using the Wii Fit board as a control device for his game. "I think it's possible to incorporate the Wii Fit board into one of our games, but it would change the control scheme dramatically and we'd have to figure out how to make that work," he comments, further adding "So I don't know yet."While we'd argue that performing ollies and navigating a skater's route in the environment could easily be done with the device, we wonder if we would have the ability to successfully bust big chains using the Wiimote in combination with the board, as we can easily do so with a more traditional controller setup.
WRUP: Busting phat grinds edition
How good does it feel to have a traditional Tony Hawk game finally release on the Wii? It feels good to us, or, rather, it will feel good when we give the game a rental this weekend. We're fairly certain that should the title lack any kind of engaging controls that maximize the use of the Wiimote and nunchuk, the Tony Hawk formula itself is something that will make up for it, as we enjoy it in and of itself (sheesh, we've bought almost all of them). Since we can't skate well like Eric Koston above or any other professional skater, we like pretending we can in video games, at least.Any of you checking out Proving Ground or one of the other releases this week? What are you going to play?
Rok It Science intros improved Boom 2 Borda electric skateboard
While Rok It Science's original Boom Borda electric skateboard somehow slipped under our radar, the company follow-up Boom 2 Borda board has thankfully been brought to our attention, courtesy of the folks at T3. Among the improvements this time around is a new 600 watt motor and a beefier 36 volt battery, which ups the boards range to a full 30 miles on a single charge, not to mention a new interchangeable drive wheel that'll let you take the thing off-road (somewhat). The one thing not getting an upgrade, it seems, is the top speed, which stays at 25 mph, although that may well be for the best. If that's enough to tide you over until the hoverboards come along, you can order one now £449, or just over $900.[Via T3]
iSlide: the skateboard / Segway hybrid
Granted, the whole Segway-esque skateboard idea has been tossed around (and patented) before, but Tal Ofir decided to conjure up his own design, anyway. Dubbed a "motorized skateboard for an urban environment," this transporter touts a centrally placed wheel and a "computerized weight balance unit" to keep you upright, and it seems that it would be constructed primarily from epoxy and fiberglass. Reportedly, Ofir is fielding interest from potential investors who'd like to make this thing the next Razer scooter, but attaching any sort of hip factor to it will not be a simple task. Click on for another glimpse.[Via Gizmag]
EA Playground, home of spitballs and skateboards
We haven't seen too much of the DS version of next month's EA Playground until now, and we think we know why. While the game certainly doesn't look bad, we're seeing some repetitive aspects in the minigames that seem less than appealing. Can't we shoot spitballs from another location or something? Only time -- and the final game -- will tell. One thing's for certain, though: the skateboarding looks like it could be fun. We may prefer getting our dodge ball fix elsewhere, however ....%Gallery-7376%
The other Wii Balance Board
The appropriately-named Black Market Skateboards is set to release an infringe-alicious skateboard design based on a certain input device that we obsess over constantly: the U-Force Wiimote. We see it as kind of an alternate-universe version of the Wii Balance Board (or, as we like to call it, the Bumble Board)-- it's a Wii controller that you stand on, and your success in operating it is based on your balance. The major differences between this and the actual Bumble Board are that it's much easier to gleam the cube on this board, and also much easier to die.
Friday Video: Who needs a fancy balance board?
Okay, we (and by we, I'm pretty sure here I only mean me) may be fans of Wii Fit, but we still have to offer up some props to this guy for sliding in a humorous reference to the balance board and the forthcoming fitness title in naming his altered-Pong video and homemade controller. But we still laugh when he falls off. No idea what we're talking about? Then hit the break and check out this week's hilarious featured video! Now we just have to work on convincing our wonderful columnist Mike Sylvester to try out something similar (and film it for our pleasure).
Wii Warm Up: Surfin, skatin, potential heartbreakin with the balance board
Yesterday, the air was filled with wanton speculation about potential uses for the Wii Balance Board that will be packaged with Wii Fit. Now we're looking to get all those ideas down in one place -- specifically, here. We've heard some things already, like surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding sims, and maybe for boxing games, but what else can you think of? Feel free to be both outrageous and creative. Also, are you interested in trying out something like surfing with an interface like this?
Buy Tony Hawk's board-burdened GH guitar, help starving musicians
Here's a charity item we guarantee no one has ever auctioned off before: a Guitar Hero controller bonded to a skateboard fragment -- with Tony Hawk's siggy, no less. Bidding starts at $100 and proceeds go to the MusiCares organization, which catches panhandling musicians in a delicate safety net and provides them with "critical assistance" (read: not a record deal). Some 29 other celeb- and rocker-decorated GH controllers are also up on eBay to support the cause.For anyone hoping for more than just a geeky display piece, please note the fine print: "Owing to customization, the controller is offered solely as an art object and is not guaranteed to have retained any functionality; buyers who choose to connect the controller to a console do so at their own risk." (Ever seen a skate-guitar asplode...?)[Via IGN]
Meet the one wheel balancing scooter: suck it, Segway
A guy called Ben Smither from Norwich in the UK has put together a hot-as-the-sun personal scooter / skateboard that takes the totally scalable motorized gyroscopic stabilization concept from Segway, and does it with only a single wheel. In all, the project cost about £300 (~$580) in parts, although Ben didn't elaborate on how long it took to put together. You'll also need to have some level of expertise in electronics if you want to build your own -- test yourself: can you say what a H-Bridge driver is without Googling it? -- although we're sure that before long Ben or someone else will use their capitalist prerogative and start selling flat-pack kits for a premium (if they do, then they better watch out for Sony and their Segway-esque skateboard patent application). Until then, we'll have to keep traveling to places using our legs: oh, what a bore.[Via hackaday]
