Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

A few years ago futurologists predicted that the future led in movement (or gesture) recognition and they have most certainly been proved right. Quite a few major products on the market, such as the wii or iPhone use gesture recognition to manipulate images, text and obviously games. However for the PC, the gesture recognition movement has passed by without any real difference, until a small young company came up with this ingenious piece of software.

Not much is known about the specifics of the software, as the only real information is the video (above) that has been circulating the internet. However the general idea is that the software uses any webcam to locate and select an object (e.g. a colored stick or bottle) which it then monitors for 3D movement. This is then converted into whatever form is necessary, such as that for a mouse, a gun in FPS games or a steering wheel.

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Even though Microsoft has “officially” stated that a Blu-ray drive would be sold for the Xbox 360, this rumor just does not want to die. The latest information is coming courtesy of the Chinese newspaper, Economic Daily News, and it seems to indicate that Microsoft is still interested in utilizing the apparent winner of the HD disc war for their game console.

The Economic Daily News is reporting that Pegatron Technology, a subsidiary of Asus, has orders, from Microsoft, to assemble Xbox 360 consoles that are equipped with a Blu-ray drive. This purported assembly is set to begin in the Q3 of this year. Microsoft has yet to comment on this latest chapter in the Blu-ray/Xbox rumor, so more as it happens.

Read [Digitimes]

Product: Sandio 3D Game O2 mouse (aka 3D Motion Controller with Laser Gaming Mouse)
Price: $79.99
Rating: 5.5/10
Pros: A good core laser mouse, comfortable wrist attachment, programmable mini joysticks and cool lookin’ lights.
Cons: Not as plug-and-play as promised with certain programs. Programming interface is not very intuitive. Some ergonomic issues as well.
Overall: As a regular mouse, this works pretty well but the 3D components are more awkward than necessary. Only consider buying if you have a specific non-gaming 3D need, forgiving hands, a strong wrist and lots of patience.

In a 2D computer screen world, it can really become a pain in the wrist to try and navigate virtual 3D environments. Sure, VRML has pretty much dissolved from the world wide web but videogames, Second Life and even Google World still provide some pretty cool 3D goodness you’ll want to easily navigate.

Enter an innovative take on the computer mouse, Sandio’s 3D Game O2. It relies several mini joysticks that, when used together, are meant to help more naturally navigate through 3D environments. The concept may be great but the execution is a bit lacking especially for gamers.

Read [Gamertell]

We saw the drive change to an officially dead product and now it seems Microsoft is just trying to get rid of them. For anyone still willing to purchase a drive that belongs to the now dead HD DVD format, Best Buy is currently selling the Xbox 360 drive for just $50.

While it may not be a good next generation disc player, for $50 this could still make a nice addition to an Xbox, depending on where the game system lives. In a room with little space such as a college dorm, this could still make a nice replacement to a regular sized DVD player.

Via [Wired]

With the recent demise of HD DVD and all things that surround it, this news from Microsoft comes as no real surprise, they have officially discontinued the Xbox 360 HD DVD player. Current owners need not worry though, because although discontinued the support and warranty will remain in effect.

Actually the only real surprise here is that it took Microsoft this long to make it official. A nice follow up would have been the announcement of a Blu-ray player add-on, but that still has not been mentioned. It would make sense though.

Via [Gizmodo]

SanDisk also announced a larger Memory Stick PRO Duo card, now up to 8GB. Storage options are getting bigger and bigger and SanDisk has a nice set of larger storage options for us at CES. This new PRO Duo card was designed with the PSP in mind, allowing users to store and play digital music, videos and still photos as well as save their game data. It will be available in a translucent green color and is expected to cost $149.99 and should begin shipping within the month.

Read [SanDisk]

The SNES controller was quite possibly one of the greatest gamepads and will be available for the Wii beginning in April 2008. Unfortunately, the controller will only be available for Club Nintendo members in Japan. For those who wish to own the SNES controller but living outside of Japan, you will have to wait until the controller is commercially available or hope to get lucky on eBay. A cool controller, that could have only been better if it was wireless.

Via [Wired Blog]

Be the first on your block to appreciate the sensations of being assassinated and live to tell about it! The 3rd Space FPS (First Person Shooter) Vest created by TN Games, a small gaming hardware company, transports gaming to a new realm; one of feeling and sensation, as the vest distributes ten pounds of force on each of eight contact points, duplicating without need for an intensive care trauma unit or ambulance the feeling of having your body riddled with bullets!

TN Games is currently demonstrating the unit at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The 3rd Space FPS Vest carries the motto: “Get Pounded On Your Own Terms.” Although there may be many words that one could apply to this gaming innovation, certainly versatile comes to mind, as one can opt for any number of self-annihilating options; including: single or multiple bullet wounds and “through and through missile injuries.” Kicks, punches, stabs and body slams have been thrown in at no extra charge. TN Games is working on a sequel, which will be aimed at flight and driving simulations. (If you prefer a death via collision rather than bullets, you may want to hold off because this could be for you. Then again, you may want both units for your gaming ensemble.)

The 3rd Space FPS Vest will be available later this month at a cost of $189.00. It comes in black, camouflage and a special “racing vest” pattern designed to resemble the flame suits worn by pilots and racing drivers. The company is currently taking pre-orders and offering a discounted price of $169.00. Included with shipment will be an air compressor, USB cable, power supply and 3rd Space Incursion PC game.

Don’t just stand there! Go and get shot or stabbed today while the price is better!

Read [iTnews.com]

What’s the art of gaming without a good set of headphones? Very little, it would seem. As far as Turtle Beach is concerned, the quality of surround sound produced is only one of the functions of an effective custom set of headphones. Turtle Beach does that better than most, but these specific headphones have another more humanitarian agenda worthy of mention. The Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA2 is being auctioned off on eBay and all of the proceeds will generously benefit the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

To make them more representative of the gender they will benefit, the usually gray and silver color scheme has been replaced with a more feminine counterpart, a very girly pink topped with a fuzzy something or other that looks user-friendly.

These headphones are up for grabs and they will sell on eBay to the highest bidder on November 12.

If someone you know and love is into the art of gaming, isn’t this the perfect gift? Of course, if the person you have in mind is a guy, that might not be the case in this specific instance, but as long as your heart is in the right place, how could you possibly go wrong? Turtle Beach Custom Ear Force HPA2, here’s looking at you!

Read [Turtle Beach] Via [I4U News]

Want to have better game experience with larger screens? InFocus has announced a projector known as the Play Big IN1 Gaming projector which is designed specifically for console systems such as the Wii, PlayStation and XBox. The unit is ideal for those who have lack of space and are on a budget. The Play Big IN1 features DLP technology and has built-in amplified speakers for users to have better sound experience. Besides that, the unit supports a 640 x 480 resolution, has inputs for S-video/component/composite, 500 ANSI lumens and a 1500:1 contrast ratio. The Play Big IN1 is currently available for $549.

Via [CE Daily]