USB Geek is selling a controller that has both a touchpad and a Blackberry-style keyboard on the bottom. It connects to your PC via wireless USB that has a 30 foot range. The touchpad works like your mouse or the trackpad on your laptop, allowing you to move the cursor on the screen, and the keyboard lets you type just like you would with a full-sized version.

It’s only available for the PC, and it’s available to buy for $62.

Image: USB Geek.

Post from: EveryJoe

A universal remote for your PC

NCSX has the Super Gameboy Commander which bears the likeness of the Gameboy handheld portable. A and B buttons are located on the lower right intentionally. $19.90 for one.

Image: NCSX

Post from: EveryJoe

Super Gameboy Commander Controller

$7 a pop from Digital Chocolates.

Via: Techchee
Image: Digital Chocolates

Post from: EveryJoe

Hungry? Try The Wii Remote Chocolate Bar

Steve III is a 20GB PS3 that was purchased right after the PS3’s launch.

You definitely pay a premium when you buy cutting edge technology while it’s still “cutting edge” and we paid an arm and a leg for the thing. I don’t begrudge paying what we did since I wanted the PS3 NOW [well...then] but I think it’s funny that I can find a 120GB PS3 with a game for less than what I paid for my 2oGB system.

Alas, I digress.

The controller that came with Steve III was a run-of-the-mill Sixaxis controller. Nothin’ fancy, just a cute little charcoal colored controller.

This controller has seen better days.

After spending a couple of years being drooled on by two infants, being dropped numerous times from varying heights and once having a beer spilled on it, I’m surprised that the damn thing still worked.

But, worked it did and I have been playing Flower and Fallout 3 with no issues…until yesterday.

Usually the controller sits somewhere on the couch within easy reach for impromptu gaming sessions. For some reason, the controller had been moved to the top of our entertainment system [about six feet tall]. Tucker [the husband], intended to grab the controller so that he could play Call of Duty4 and instead, hit the controller’s edge and rocketed the poor thing to the floor…the acid stained concrete floor.

Now, we were the proud owners of a controller that kinda-sorta worked but only if you held your mouth in just the right position and didn’t expect the thing to be able to shoot anyone with any sort of accuracy.

How the hell was I supposed to snipe Super Mutants if the controller had a mind of its own?!

We begrudgingly sped made our way to Target and purchased a dual shock Sixaxis controller for the low-low price of $54.99 and though I haven’t used it yet, I doubt that I’ll be disappointed.

The main reason that I wasn’t standing in line to get one of the first PS3s was that I just couldn’t give up the Dual Shock functionality of the PS2 controller. Maybe that sounds stupid to some, but I feel that the “rumble” feature adds a a lot to the gaming experience and I couldn’t part with it.

Obviously, I reconciled that hang-up but I am VERY excited to give this new controller a whirl.

On a related, yet annoying side note, Tucker fixed our original controller. So now we have two controllers and he’s trying to get me to take the new one back.

Ain’t happening.

Image|Sony

Post from: EveryJoe

A Controller Can Only Take So Much

I’m terrible at shooters when using two analog sticks. This is why I resort to using the FragFX, a special PlayStation 3 controller that lets me play console FPSes with mouse-like precision. In theory, it’s supposed to be great. Application however, is another story.

My FragFX never really gave me that PC shooter feel. Granted that it could never really replace a mouse and keyboard, but the controls have generally been iffy. When I press R1 to fire, the action for the triangle button is inexplicably activated as well–even if my thumb was nowhere close to it.

This was when I decided to look to firmware upgrades for answers.

According to the FragFX site, the latest downloadable upgrade is said to address the problem of other buttons “bleeding” into each other. The download was over in no time, but the upgrade process was quite a head scratcher.

The readme instructed that the upgrade files should be decompressed into a folder with a specific name. Fine. It also says that the original FragFX driver should be deleted, and that I should use the one included in the download. Let me tell you—it’s not as simple as it sounds.

When all the hairy stuff was done, I plugged in the controller and ran the upgrade program. Inexplicably, an error popped up and it persisted even if I’ve checked the connections several times. I unplugged the FragFX and tried again. Still no dice.

I went back to the readme for options and here’s what I gleaned: either I contact SplitFish support, or I try upgrading the firmware in another PC.

I was in no mood to email support and list down the system specifications of my PC, including the brand of each part. Luckily, my brother has a rig of his own so I tried upgrading it there. For some strange reason, the upgrade worked in another PC but not in mine. When I tried out the controller, the “bleeding” is gone. For the first time, playing console shooters feel more PC-like without the annoying button malfunction.

Watch out Call of Duty 4, here I come.

Image of FragFX is courtesy of SplitFish.

Post from: EveryJoe

FragFX firmware is a pain to update

Hear yea, hear yea. Microsoft announced the pricing and availability for the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition in Europe. The Halo 3 edition comes with a Spartan green and gold finish, and will carry an estimated retail price of £279.99 when it comes to retail on September 26.

This 360 version is said to come with the following features:

• Halo 3 Special Edition Wireless Controller
• Halo 3 Special Edition 20GB Hard Drive
• Halo 3 Special Edition Wired Headset
• Halo 3 Special Edition Gamer Pics and Theme (via Xbox LIVE)
• Component HD AV Cable
• Ethernet Cable
• HDMI Port
• Play & Charge Kit
• Xbox LIVE Silver Membership
• One-month Xbox LIVE Gold Membership

One thing Microsoft seems to have left out is a decent cooling system that’s causing 25% to 33% of their to units conk out.

Post from: EveryJoe

Halo 3-edition Xbox 360 is priced, dated, and ready for Europe