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Wii remote enrolled in student-developed CPR training program
Taking a more passive approach with the Wii remote than, say, operating a 15-ton grapple or saving your friends on Tatooine, a team of biomedical engineering undergraduates at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have been developing a companion CPR training program. Using the controller's built-in accelerometer, it tracks hand position as you practice those vital life-saving maneuverings, charting depth and rate of compression to give you a more accurate performance reading than the conventional Resusci Anne mannequin. The American Heart Association is sure impressed: it just pledged a $50,000 fund to UAB for the continuation of the project. The software's expected to be complete early fall 2009, with an open source download being released on the AHA website. No telling what these crazy kids'll accomplish once MotionPlus gets its time to shine.[Via Coolest Gadgets]
Wiimote controls giant claw, brings man and machine closer
When your job is to sit in an office all day, controlling a 15-ton robotic arm, things can get kind of boring. Thankfully, some ingenious operators decided to fool around with the arm at their disposal and managed to implement Wiimote controls. Judging by the YouTube video after the break, taking the thing for a spin with the Wiimote looks like it works quite well, as the gigantic yellow claw pretty much follows the movements of its operator exactly.If we weren't sure the giant claw cost more money than we could ever hope to see, we'd suggest playing the world's largest crane game, or a bit of Let's See How Far We Can Throw This Minivan.[Via Make]
EA announces latest NERF Wii game with new and improved blaster
Thought all your dreams of an all-in-one NERF gun / Wii controller were fulfilled with the original NERF Blaster Controller? Think again. 'Cause EA has now announced its follow-up NERF 2: N-Strike Elite game, which will of course also come bundled with a new and improved NERF Switch Shot EX-3 blaster. As before, this one will house the Wiimote inside to let you use it with the game or let you ditch it to take things outside (or to the office), and it adds a new attachable "NERF decoder scope" that'll let you detect enemy weak spots, decode secret messages, and uncover other hidden gameplay elements. And, well, it's a NERF gun and a Wii controller. Is there anything else you really need to know? No word on a price just yet, but you can look for the bundle to launch sometime this fall.[Thanks, Vincent]
Video: Wiimote controlling a 15-ton grapple
We've seen the Wiimote used to control plenty of wild things, and to be perfectly honest, we're pretty unimpressed with most of what we see these days. This video, however, made by an Australian with a lot of heavy equipment on hand, is truly awesome. The 15-ton grapples themselves are impressive, elegant pieces of machinery, and using Python to link the Wiimote up as controller via Bluetooth is really just icing on the cake. It's got a sweet soundtrack, to boot! Video is after the break.[Via Slashgear]
Official Star Wars lightsaber and blaster accessories for licensed Wii Jedis
Hey, who doesn't have a desire to get down and nerdy with their Wii on occasion -- we respect that. But if you're going to pretend to hold the Wiimote like a lightsaber, you might as well go for the full-on, officially-licensed accessory. Oh, there are plenty of pretenders but nothing can feed your delusions of grandeur better than George Lucas' blessing. Yes, the lightsaber glows, and the cats at Bensussen Deutsch & Associates have plans for a matching blaster too. Unfortunately, the accessories don't make room for MotionPlus which is fine, we guess, since they'll be shipping with Star Wars - The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes -- a game that doesn't support MotionPlus anyway. How wude.
Black Wii, blue controllers on display at World Hobby Fair
During this weekend's World Hobby Fair, both Capcom and Nintendo had booths set up, showing off the new Wii colors and accessories. Capcom's booth had the Monster Hunter 3 bundles as part of its Monster Hunter display, and Nintendo had the blue Wiimote and Nunchuk, of course, to promote Wii Sports Resort -- which, incidentally, was also the inspiration behind a very nice set of giveaway items.The Nunchuk has always been shiny on top and matte on bottom, but it's much more noticeable, and nice-looking, on the black version. Somehow, the Wiimote jacket also looks cool in matte black, despite being a Wiimote jacket. The Classic Controller Pro, as well, looks like much more of an upgrade in shiny black plastic. Head past the break to see the blue Wii Sports controllers.
Nintendo unveils light blue Wii remote with MotionPlus, for select Japanese Wii Sports Resort owners only
Just great, more hue-enhanced Wii hardware that we in North America will very likely never get. After teasing us with that kuro (i.e. jet black) Wii and matching classic controller, Nintendo's announced a light blue sleeved Wii remote, nunchuk, and motion plus set that'll be given out to five thousand members of its Japanese Club Nintendo program who have registered Wii Sports Resort. Historically, Club Nintendo gifts have only made their way stateside via unofficial channels, so if you're desperate for a non-white peripheral and using paint is absolutely out of the question, we suggest you keep a close eye on eBay and hope the House that Mario Built takes a cue from its portable line sooner rather than later. [Via Joystiq]
Johnny Chung Lee joins Project Natal team, puts Wii hacking experience to good use
In this time of economic hardship, it warms the heart just to hear that someone's found any job. But when our main man Johnny Chung Lee lands a position on Microsoft's Project Natal team, it's high fives and handshakes all around. And really, it's a perfect fit -- among the many hacks of his illustrious career, he's put together a VR head tracker (and utilized it in a first-person shooter) for the Wii game console. Apparently, Lee's part of the group that is taking the tech we saw at E3 and getting it ready for prime time. As you'd expect, the man is pretty stoked to have landed his dream job. "The 3D sensor itself is a pretty incredible piece of equipment, he says, "similar to very expensive laser range finding systems but at a tiny fraction of the cost." Congratulations, Johnny! If you should feel the need to leak any product pics, you have our email address. [Via Joystiq]
EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with Wii MotionPlus now shipping
It may not seem quite as impressive now that Microsoft and Sony have shown off their visions of a motion-controlled future, but Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus is still as good as it gets when it comes to consoles today and, as promised, it's now finally shipping alongside the latest Tiger Woods game. That may not be exactly what Nintendo had in mind when it first unveiled MotionPlus way back at last year's E3, but the first-party wares won't be too far behind, with its own Wii Sports Resort title (and requisite bundle) still on track for a launch late next month. If you're up for a little golf in the meantime, however, you can pick up the Tiger Woods game bundled with Wii MotionPlus for $59.99, or the standalone game (still playable with the standard Wiimote) for $49.99.
Video: Wii Nunchuk controls motorized Beancat chair
Nintendo's Wiimote (and the Nunchuk, by extension) have certainly been wired up to control their fair share of oddities, but we honestly can't think of a more suitable use for a spare 'chuk than this right here. The so-called Beancat is nothing more than a motorized beanbag chair that takes direction from a wired Nunchuk, and while we can't exactly speak from experience, it certainly looks thrilling from afar. Have a glance yourself just past the break, and tap the read link if you're eager to see how it all came together. [Via MAKE]
InvenSense gloats about world's first 6-axis MEMS-based motion sensing solution
We tell ya, some proud folks work at InvenSense. After boasting last year about its Wii MotionPlus-powering IDG-600 motion sensor, the company is set to gloat once more at E3 this year. The cause for celebration? Its 6-axis motion processing solution, which it's calling a world's first. Said solution weds its IME-3000 3-axis accelerometer with its IDG dual-axis family of gyros in order to produce a wicked small 6-axis motion sensor. In theory, at least, this creation is small enough to add MotionPlus-like capabilities to smartphones and other ridiculously small devices, with even TV remotes holding the promise of one day letting you "roll through" the EPG. Currently, the only big-name devices utilizing 5- or 6-axis motion functionality is Logitech's MX Air Mouse and the aforementioned MotionPlus accessory, but obviously InvenSense is hungry for more. Too bad that DSi already launched, right?
Rolling stones and cymbals: 505 Games announces Rolling Stone: Drum King
Well, it's been quite some time since we last touched on 505 Games' We Rock: Drum King. The game seems to have spent a majority of its time in the shadows working toward a deal with Rolling Stone magazine, as the music mag and 505 Games just dropped press releases into our inbox introducing Rolling Stone: Drum King. Looks like somebody's been staying awake in their Synergy 101 class!The game is planned for a spring release, and still tasks players with keeping smooth timing by mimicking drumming through use of the Wiimote and Nunchuk. It will also feature local multiplayer support for you and a friend, and has over 30 "top quality cover tracks" inspired by real bands. Head past the break for the full list and a trailer snagged from the Amazon product page for the game.%Gallery-39772%
J Allard's 'Magic Wand' patent application for Microsoft puts Nintendo, sorcerers on notice
It's been awhile since we've heard from J Allard; the man who assumed responsibility for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division (think: Zune and Xbox) in mid 2008 in an effort to unify the experience into a centralized package. Now Microsoft's CTO and CXO (that's, Chief eXperience Office) has co-signed a patent application for a "Magic Wand" first filed in November of 2007 and made public just a few days ago. The patent application reads very much like a Wiimote, hand-held controller,"The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation." It's worth remembering that Microsoft has been rumored to be working on such a controller since at least August 2007. Something they've apparently scrapped for a camera-based solution that will allow gamers to control the action with their bodies and hand-gestures without requiring a hand-held controller -- you know, if current rumors are true. How many days until Microsoft's June 1st E3 press conference again?[Via TechFlash]
Penguin United's new Wii gun doesn't need a Wiimote
Penguin United may be best known for its wonderful 24X Gaming Pouch, which allows you to carry a mess of DS games around without the, well, mess. But if its latest Wii product works well, it could have a new claim to (relative) fame.Penguin's CrossFire Remote Pistol is a Wii Zapper alternative that doesn't require a separate Wiimote. While most Wii guns are merely shells with levers to push the B button, this one is a completely self-contained Wiimote, with an integrated speaker.The final unit probably won't have jaggies -- this is a product render Penguin sent to us. The device will be available for testing at E3 next month.
Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus accessory up for pre-order
With June 8th barely a month away, we're finally seeing Nintendo's long (long!) awaited Wii MotionPlus dongle hit the pre-order stage. Right now at Amazon, eager Wiimote swingers can get in line for $19.99, or if you're feeling frisky, you can also pre-order Wii Sports Resort and / or Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. So, who's down for making their controller the most expensive one on the market when fully equipped?Update: Good news, gamers. EA Sports just announced that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis will now be released on June 8th alongside the Wii MotionPlus dongle.
Resident Evil Archives staggers toward June 23 release
Fans of Resident Evil (and buying the same game multiple times) will be happy to know that Resident Evil Archives -- the official title for the Wii port of a GameCube remake of a PSOne game -- is slated for a June release, Eurogamer reports. Featuring enhanced Wiimote controls and ... enhanced Wiimote controls, the new-for-Wii version of the game will debut in the US on June 23 for $29.99.%Gallery-32896%
Video: surviving Pleo loses remaining autonomy, gets controlled by Wii Nunchuk
Aw, how timely. Shortly after the Pleo lineage fell victim to economic pressures, an all-too-cute video has surfaced showing a remaining creature being controlled by a Wii Nunchuk. In reality, the underlying abuse here is quite sad -- for those unaware, Pleo was designed to be entirely autonomous, and the first step to regaining control over it is to implement a "Pleo Stunner" in order to shock him into silence. From there, an XBee-based solution is used to tap into his control system and override every single instinct the poor sap ever had. If you're into this type of sadistic torture (or you're just an aspiring dictator), check the read link for all the instructions you need to fulfill your own evil desires. For those just interested in a good chuckle, the vid's after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
The evolution of MotionPlus's shape
Thanks to a set of European trademarks, we can get a rare look at the way a peripheral's design has evolved along its development cycle. NeoGAFfer Shiggy found three trademarks for different case designs of the MotionPlus attachment. They appear in chronological order above.It's basically the same throughout, except the bottom corners went from curving inward to curving outward! From the look of the final product, that "lip" is designed to help secure the new jacket in place. Alternate theory: the MotionPlus flares out to reduce the aerodynamic quality of the Wiimote, should it slip out of players' hands.
Video: WiiNxtBalance tools around, doesn't fall down
This little bot-- the NXTway-GS -- is a self-balancer, and he's pretty cute, to boot. Thanks to some clever modifications, he's now controllable via Wiimote. Using the LEGO NXT system, and some custom firmware, the little dude is connected to a computer via Bluetooth. The video of the robot in action is after the break -- but if you want to see full instructions for making one of your very own -- hit the read link. And may we suggest you slap a powdered colonial wig on yours? [Via Hack A Day]
Nintendo not apt to add MotionPlus capabilities to older titles
Hey, you know what would be awesome? If you could actually use the MotionPlus dongle you're going to pick up on June 8th. You see, there's a 1.5 month gap between the US release date of the add-on and the first first-party title (Wii Sports Resort) designed to take advantage of it. 'Course, we fully expect a few third-party games (EA's Grand Slam Tennis, for one) to filter out beforehand, but what we were really hoping was for the Big N to provide patches for a few existing titles. Sadly, Mario has chimed in from the Mushroom Kingdom with this: "The Wii MotionPlus accessory is only for games that are designed to make use of its abilities." Translation? You can forget about seeing MotionPlus support added to Mario Kart Wii... or Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, for that matter.[Via Joystiq]