XyroX - Digital Lifestyle Magazine

Nintendo Wii-Remote patented years ago

Thomas Fruetel — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:19:09 +0000

Seems like Nintendo’s Wiimote controller has been in the works way longer than most people would believe. Ryan of CyberNet News found a patent from 1993 on Google Patent Search, which describes a device looking strikingly similar to the ingenious remote controller. The patent even mentions the device to be used specifically for a Nintendo console.

Fur for your notebook

Thomas Fruetel — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:53:25 +0000

I’m usually not into fluffy, furry gadgets, but the fur skins from Lapstyle look pretty decent. My favorite so far is the Mad Cow design:

I just wonder if the cooling will work as intented with a cover like this, but it is sure a way to get noticed in the subway or at starbucks.

Mouse with iPod style scrolling controlls

Thomas Fruetel — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:35:22 +0000

Japanese company Buffalo has created a mouse with scrolling controlls similar to that of an iPod:

The mouse looks quite cool as well, although I am not sure that the flat shape is all that great for a device you want to rest your hand on. I wonder if this is going to hit the international market, or if it will be available for Japanese only.

[via Forever Geek]

Mouse Phone

Thomas Fruetel — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 12:54:55 +0000

Remember the legendary scene from Star Trek III where Scotty takes up the mouse of a desk top PC and talks into it »Hello Computer«? Well, with this invention by Sony and expected advance in voice recognition, a scene like that might soon appear rather normal. This mouse doubles as a microphone and is intended for use with VoIP software like Skype.
[via Akihabara News]

Why the iPod sucks

Thomas Fruetel — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 05:10:30 +0000

Some guy or girl tries to explain, why nobody needs an iPod.

Instead of continuing to question your values, I’m going to flat out say it - you don’t need an iPod. They are a waste of your (parents’) money. You don’t need one, and you should be ashamed of yourself for being naive enough to think that you do.

While the text is entertaining, I do think he just didn’t get the idea of gadgetery. The same logic could be applied to the PSP, smartphones, tablet PCs, whatever. Or maybe he’s just jealous because I have the better toys.

PSP Open Source Shell

Thomas Fruetel — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 07:28:08 +0000

The PSP-OSS project got some good blog coverage recently. While I don’t think Sony’s UI is all that bad, the screenshots that have been published on the projects blog look very promising. I guess this shall will be a must have for every customization fan. The project is scheduled for release on December 23, 2005, so if you expect to find a PSP under your christmas tree, it might be just in time.

One for the ladies

Thomas Fruetel — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:23:29 +0000

Here is another fascinating USB gadget: Akihabaranews has some pictures of a pair of USB powered heated slippers to prevent cold feet. And their even is a pair of USB gloves too. Unfortunately, there is not much information on these, not even a vendor link. My girlfriend might just love these.

USB Turntable

Thomas Fruetel — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 11:31:03 +0000

Still got a bunch of vinyls around and now idea how to put those to your iPod? Maybe this gadget could be to your rescue then. It is a real turntable with a USB output, allowing to directly record to a hard disk. It features 33 1/3 and 45 RPM, adjustable Anti-Skating control for increased stereo balancing, as well as »High speed vinyl recording«, which sounds like it’s not recommendable if you care about audio quality (I still remember those Double Speed tape recorders… Urgh). The package also includes Audacity software for Mac/PC for recording as well as a trial of Bias Soundsoap 2 for cleaning and restoring vinyl.

Zen Vision: Creative attacks the video market

Thomas Fruetel — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 10:02:48 +0000

Creative is about to release a mobile video player that just seems to target the iPod Video market niche, with a design very closely resembling Apple’s players.
The device is said to hit the stores in Japan from mid December. Here are some specs: 30GB storage, 3.7″ screen with a 320×240 resolution, and 166g, being around 30 grams heavier than the iPOD Video. Supported video formats are MP3/WMA audio compatibility and MPEG-1/2/4, WMV9, MotionJPEG, DivX 4/5 and XviD.
[via Akihabara News]

Casemod for XBox 360

Thomas Fruetel — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 12:05:06 +0000

Llama.com has a feature on an XBox 360 Mod, that also involves some serious case modding. I consider this a very well done mod, as it looks a lot cooler than the original device. Aparently they also managed to bring the fan voltage up to 12V, resulting in better airflow and a cooler system, as well as implanting a 60GB notebook hard drive.
[via Wonderland]