Tag: PERIPHERALS

It may not receive as much attention as Repetitive Stress Injury or other tech-related modern maladies, but Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) can be a painful, debilitating affliction. The symptoms -- which result from continuously staring at a monitor -- include blurred vision, light sensitivity, headaches and fatigue. While CVS is easily preventable, taking a screen-break while absorbed with work ...

LEGO bricks make everything better, including zoo animals and Star Wars, but the little colored bricks have been conspicuously absent from the world of gaming peripherals and accessories. That all changes this week when the LEGO-branded Wii remote goes on sale at Toys "R" Us for $40. The colorful Wii-mote is far from subtle, but there is a certain childish charm to its multi-hued, blocky design. ...

At a quarter of a century, Nintendo's illustrious history of entertaining, ridiculous and useless peripherals shouldn't need recounting. The arrival of motion-sensor technology for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 finally allows non-Nintendo gamers to share in that awesome and absurd add-on action, and various peripheral offerings are beginning to hit the market. Atomic Accessories (which seems to be ...

Share Here's the first Moleskine iPad cover, for all of you snobby accessories fiends. (Joke! We love us some 'skines. They make writing on paper still seem important, somehow.) The iPad case, nay, "tablet cover" for "contemporary nomads," features a black leather exterior and a tan suede lining, as well as a blank notebook. Moleskine is also debuting a new iPhone case in the same style, but it's ...

Nintendo, of course, pioneered light gun gaming with the epochal 'Duck Hunt' and the somewhat forgettable Super Scope. In the '90s, though, Sony adapted the addictive 'Time Crisis' arcade series for the PlayStation, giving birth to a new generation of light guns and gaming. That franchise and its Guncon armament remain with the PlayStation 3, but the advent of Move technology has quickly ...

If you're not particularly observant and are more than a tad stubborn, we can easily see the following scenario playing out: trying to plug your iPod, camera or flash drive into your computer's USB port, while the plug is upside-down. Rather than check why the cable isn't simply sliding into the port, you force it harder and harder until eventually the port, the plug or both are broken. You might ...

For those who miss (and can still remember) the quaint thrill of receiving honest-to-goodness snail mail in their mailbox, manufacturer Brando, known for what may be the world's smallest mouse, has made the USB Mailbox Friends Alert. The miniaturized plastic mailbox connects via USB to a user's computer, syncing via software to a variety of common e-mail programs (Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook and POP3 ...

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2010/07/04/any-usb-peripheral-is-now-a-potential-threat/'; A group of Canadian hackers have identified and learned to exploit a flaw that allows them to turn any USB peripheral into a sort of hardware trojan horse. Plug-and-play USB devices follow a consistent rule, the device identifies itself to the PC. The computer, by rule, will believe that a UB device ...

Some time ago, Sony colorfully burst onto the console peripheral scene with its geeky, indispensable sci-fi raygun, but envious Wii and Xbox 360 owners will soon gain access to their own fantasy accoutrement. Performance Designed Products aims to enliven legions of sci-fi deprived gamers with vibrant 'Tron Legacy' controllers for all three major systems. The sleek controllers apparently adhere to ...

It's nearly impossible to exaggerate the supreme and unequivocal command that Nintendo holds over the ridiculous, abysmal and periodically awesome add-on market. The company's dominance began decades ago with 'Duck Hunt,' the Power Glove and the Roll & Rocker, and the Wii's motion controllers have only bolstered Nintendo's preeminent peripheral standing. Now that both Sony and Microsoft ...

Back in May, we reported on rumors that 'Rock Band 3' might include a keytar peripheral and a mysterious new "Pro Mode." Today's official announcement clarified details on the next generation of everyone's favorite party game, arriving later this year. Pro gamers willing to shell out $150 can get a Mad Catz Fender Mustang peripheral loaded up with 102 buttons, 17 frets and six pluckable nylon ...

'Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock' looks to be the most ridiculous installment of the rhythm-based game, which is saying an awful lot. The cartoonish, but otherwise humanoid characters are getting booted in favor of pig-beasts, demons and what appears to be Storm's little sister. To accompany the new epic story mode and over-the-top characters, Activision is packing in a new guitar that players can ...

NHL legend Wayne Gretzky is making a comeback, but, this time, it's in video games. According to Joystiq, Gretzky is endorsing EA's 'NHL Slapshot' game for the Nintendo Wii, and that means he's also supporting the latest in a long line of weird Wii peripherals -- a plastic hockey stick. The scaled-down stick comes packaged with the game, which features Gretzky on the cover and as a playable ...

No matter how much we wish and hope, the renewed interest in '80s pop culture just won't go away. According to Ars Technica, a plastic keytar will be included in some forthcoming 'Rock Band 3' bundles. You can strap on the controller, which is being manufactured by Mad Catz, and "play along" to your favorite keytar-infused hair metal and New Wave hits. There's no word on what songs will appear in ...

For real? What the hell, CTA? What was once an incredibly entertaining enterprise -- discovering, trying and ridiculing absurd console peripherals -- has just become an exasperating chore. We laughed heartily at your Wii bowling ball, and eagerly anticipated the inevitable living room destruction. We chortled at the somewhat amusing Wiimote football and its possibilities for foolishness. Then, ...