Tony Hawk's New Game With Skate Board Remote

Tony Hawk has long been a favourite amongst game players and wanna be skateboarding champs. The latest incarnation of the Tony Hawk series of video games comes with a skateboard, like a Wii Fit board, only "way cooler", that allows you to get more than your thumbs into the action. Check out this Wired video in which Tony explains how to maneuver on the board:

The game is yet to be released but will be available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.

Haptic Controller Brings Sense Of Touch To Computing

A new haptic controller developed by Carnegie Mellon professor, Ralph L. Hollis, allows users to manipulate three-dimensional images and explore virtual environments with a feel comes close to the sensitivity of the human hand. The device replicates the response a hand might have to textures and gravitational forces but don't expect to see it on a desk near you anytime soon as the price tag is said to be "much less" than $50,000. The device has made it's way to 6 Universities in the US and Canada thus far and new company, Butterfly Haptics, will begin marketing the device in June or July. Globe and Mail article here.

Belkin's n52te SpeedPad for hardcore gamers

Belkin International, Inc., has announced the new n52te, a hybrid gaming keyboard built for gamers who wish to dominate in "FPS (first-person shooter), MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing games), and RTS (real-time strategy) computer games." Looking like a control from Darth Vader's Tye fighter the n52te is a pretty piece of technology. The controller hits the streets in the US, Europe, Australia, and Korea in November and Canada, Asia, and Latin America in February. The suggested retail is $69.99 US. The device boasts the following features (according to the press release):

• Backlit keypad and scroll wheel for total control in dark conditions
• Enhanced tactile feedback and button responsiveness for rapid key presses
• 15 fully programmable keys built for speed
• Adjustable soft-touch wrist pad for maximum comfort and endurance
• Programmable 8-way thumb pad with removable joystick
• Nonslip rubber pads grip in place for aggressive fragging
• Easily toggle between 3 keymap states
• Razer software provides:
• Personalization of multiple player profiles
• Razer Synapse™ onboard memory enables plug-and-play versatility with no additional software installation
• Unparalleled customization tools for intuitive setup and performance

It sure is pretty!

credit: Belkin