Controller

According to a patent recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Sony is working on a universal game controller that could be used with competitor consoles from Microsoft and Nintendo. The proposed controller would see an LCD touch screen positioned on the front of the controller to replace the controller's face buttons, directional pad and thumb-sticks.  Read More

Wii Fit-ness fanatics looking for a way to add a bit of weight training to their Wii cardio workout that doesn’t involve dipping a Wii-mote in gold need look no further than these Riiflex Dumbbells. The dumbbells slide over the Wii-mote and Nunchuk controller to put an extra 2-pounds (1kg) in each hand and provide some extra calorie-burning resistance while playing.  Read More

The adage “less is more” rings true when discussing energy usage - as energy costs rise, using less saves you more money each year. And studies have shown that householders who know how much energy they use on a daily basis tend to use significantly less. A new device called the Wattbox - a smart control unit for central heating and hot water heaters that learns householders' energy habits and provide immediate feedback on consumption - could deliver home energy savings of up to 20 percent without compromising comfort say UK researchers. A great feature of the Wattbox is that it is retrofittable, meaning it’s suitable for all houses, not just new ones.  Read More

A software engineer based in Sydney, Australia has created a digital guitar controlled by open source software which he hopes will see musicians play electronic music in a live environment. Players control the pitch, speed and volume of notes produced by the Misa Digital Guitar via a 24 'fret' neck and touchscreen interface.  Read More

Just a few weeks ago Swimman announced that it had waterproofed the in-line controller on Apple's proprietary earphones for the 3rd generation iPod Shuffle. Now the company has turned its attention to the device itself, protecting it from water damage to a depth of 25 feet without adding weight or bulk.  Read More

Sonos is shortly to add a powerful new member to its digital music streaming family in the shape of the ZonePlayer S5. This new all-in-one device can be controlled by iPhone or a Sonos controller, supports numerous audio formats, offers free access to thousands of online music services and benefits from each audio driver being powered by its own amplifier.  Read More

Sony might want to pull the lead out with European video game accessory maker, Blaze, announcing its very own motion-sensing controller for the PS3. The Blaze PS3 Motion Freedom Controller sports more than a passing resemblance to a Wiimote and promises to bring Wii-like motion sensing capabilities to any PS3.  Read More

Atmel has just announced that its highly anticipated maXTouch mXT224 capacitive touchscreen controller chip is now ready for production release. Atmel representatives are positively bubbling with excitement about this product, which supports an unlimited number of simultaneous screen touches, looks out for unintentional touches and delivers smooth visuals with refresh rates of up to 250Hz - all on one tough, tiny, low-power chip.  Read More

When it comes to over-saturated markets in gadget circles, the iPod Dock surely wins hands-down. The massive range of varied designs for a product that’s primarily intended to port audio or video to another source is staggering, but Elonex is about to buck this trend with something truly innovative. Its iGAME dock may not look too inspiring at first glance and, indeed, it's capable of handling music, videos, podcasts and video podcasts in the usual way. What makes it special is that it’s primarily a games console, or more specifically a TV Games Dock, designed to utilise the advantages of Apple’s newest players.  Read More