On the latest episode of The Ben Heck Show, the famous modder made a spring-loaded container for Hot Pockets that mounts onto the Charge-and-Play port of an Xbox 360 controller. You could do what he did in the beginning and just duct tape your food on your controller, but this ridiculous invention has one practical feature – its base can be raised so that you can still reach the food easily even as it decreases in height without taking your hands off of the controller.

Initially, Ben tried to make the base electrically-powered by using parts from a Charge-and-Play adapter. But the adapter didn’t provide enough power to do the job, so he settled with the spring-loaded mechanism instead. You can skip to about 13:00 in the video to see the final product:

Combine this with a beer hat and you’re good to go. Go be a personification of the perils of convenience.

[Ben Heck Show via Kotaku]

The massive controller measures approximately 12ft (w) x 5 ft (d) 3 in x 1ft 8 in (h), and weighs in at a whopping 265 pounds. It was built by Ben Allen, along with Stephen van ‘t Hof and Michel Verhulst.

The controller cost over $6,000 (USD) to construct, and yes – it does play games. The thing is so big that it takes at least two people to play a game with it, as the armspan required to use the D-Pad at the same time as the A/B buttons is too wide for even the likes of Yao Ming. Hence, my comment about Co-Op mode in the title above.

The controller was shown off at London, England’s Liverpool Street Station in celebration of the release of Guiness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2012. And no, you can’t have it in your living room.

[via EGM]

While there are plenty of dedicated music-making apps for the iPad, the Akai MPC Fly Pad Controller for iPad 2 is an interesting addition to any musician’s arsenal, since it adds tactile pads, while taking advantage of the iPad 2′s powerful brains. It’s especially cool if you want to you to create music on the go.

The controller/case features a double hinge which docks with the iPad, allowing it to sit upright, lie flat, or close – clamshell-style, protecting your iPad for travel.

It features 16 MPC pads and works with the accompanying MPC app, which has a 4-track mixer that comes preloaded with samples and drums. It allows for sampling and composing with sounds using the iPad’s mike, line-in, or from your iTunes library. The app even allows for Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud sharing. Users will also be able to export tracks onto their computers.

The controller is also compatible with pretty much any Core MIDI app, and acts as a charging dock for your iPad when plugged in. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability, but I’m hopeful it will be reasonably priced.

Available for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, the controllers even come with two sets of D-Pads – one PS3-style and one Xbox 360-style – for further customization. Aside from the removable analog sticks and d-pads, the controller also has removable face plates on the top and the sides – expect a barrage of face plates with various themes and designs –  and a detachable cord. Yep, it’s wireless, but MLG probably insisted on that to reduce input lag. At least it’s detachable so it’s easy to transport.

The PS3 version of the Pro Circuit Controller also has a “Reverse Trigger Mode”, letting users swap the L1/R1 and L2/R2 buttons on the hardware itself. What I like most about this idea is that if one of the removable parts break, you don’t have to buy a brand new controller because Mad Catz will sell spare parts separately. I’m also intrigued by the possibility of having a right D-Pad instead of a right analog stick.

Head to Amazon or GameShark to order the Pro Circuit Controller for $99 (USD). No Wiimote included.

[Mad Catz via Dvice]

For starters, there’s the new iCade Mobile, which enshrouds your iPhone 4, 4S or iPod Touch with a proper D-pad and gaming buttons. This should be great for playing arcade games on the go, especially ones better suited to a gamepad than a touchscreen. ION expects about 100 games to be compatible with iCade Mobile by the time it launches.

It adds about 1-1/2″ inches on each side of your iPhone, so it is a bit wide, but those added sections provide ergonomic gripping areas which seem make sense. The gadget works in either landscape or portrait modes too, although it does look a little funky in portrait mode.

If you’re thinking more about classic arcade gaming, then check out the iCade Jr., a miniature version of the popular iCade arcade cabinet, stuck in the shrinker ray for your iPhone or iPod Touch. It’s basically a mini version of the iCade, though it only has four buttons on front, instead of eight. It also has four “rear trigger buttons,” though I’m not sure what those look like or what purpose they serve.

Last, but not least is the iPad-compatible iCade Core, which takes the same arcade quality joystick and eight buttons found on the original iCade, and does away with the cabinet. Sure, it doesn’t look as cool as the iCade, but it’ll likely sell for quite a bit less than the $100 original. ION also announced that Namco’s Pac-Man for iPad is now compatible with iCade – and I can’t think of a more perfect game for it.

All three devices use Bluetooth to communicate with their respective iOS devices. ION Audio is showing off all three at this week’s CES show, and expects to release them sometime in 2012. The iCade Mobile will retail for $79.99 (USD). Prices haven’t been announced yet for the other models.

When placed on your desk, the wireless Cube controller lets you control your cursor much like you would your smartphone’s touchscreen. They don’t describe it as a multitouch trackpad, though it sounds sort of like one to me. When you get up to give a presentation, just lift the Cube up off of your desktop, and it switches into presentation mode.

In this mode, it appears to use a motion sensor to determine which direction you want to navigate in your presentation. Clicking the top of the Cube advances slides, while flipping the mouse over goes back a slide. Keep in mind that it doesn’t function as pointer once you lift it from the desk like some of they gyroscopic mice out there, it only navigates between slides.

The Cube is compatible with both PCs and Macs too, and connects using their tiny, proprietary USB Unifying Receiver technology. The Logitech Cube will be available in both black and white, and is expected to be released sometime this month, and will retail for $69.99 (USD).

This Chameleon X-1 Mouse will be available in two different colors, ‘Altair white’ and ‘Ezio grey’. You see what they did there? Very clever. It features antique decorated leather on the mouse buttons and the same specs as the original mouse, including a hidden gamepad on the bottom, 16 buttons and a 1600 dpi optical sensor.

Assassins Creed fans will be happy to know that this mouse will be officially launched at CES 2012 later this month.

[via Engadget]

The simply-named GamePad by 60beat looks a lot like a PS3 controller – down to the button layout– except with odd smudges on the case. It works with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and requires no battery because it’s plugged into the headphone jack.

I’m sorry sir, but this is a classic controller. Now, the GamePad seems like a decent peripheral for the dedicated iOS gamer right? Not really. Or not yet, at least. The video didn’t mention two of the GamePad’s weaknesses. First of all, it’s currently only compatible with two games. TWO. If you’re not into Aftermath or Bugdom 2, the GamePad is not for you. That’s a niche of a niche of a niche market right there. And even if you were into those two games, you still have to justify the controller’s price – 60beat is selling it for $50 (USD). It’s a great idea but I think we should all pass on this one until more games support it.

[via Joystiq]

Logic Consulting has released a simple way for non-hackers to try this thanks to their Drone Station app for Mac. Simply install the app, connect a joystick, and you can control your AR.Drone from your laptop or desktop Mac. It works with a wide variety of game controllers including those from the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii too.

The higher signal strength of the Wi-Fi from a computer versus the one from an iPhone allows the pilot to control the drone over greater distances. There’s app also provides supplemental info on screen, such as altitude, attitude, direction, and battery gauges.

If you have a Parrot AR.drone, you can get the Drone Station app here for $9.99(USD). I guess if you already spent $300 on the drone, this app will be worth it.

[via Ubergizmo]

Europeans have had this arcade stick for a little while, and now it’s our turn here in the States. As you can see it features several characters from the Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 game on the base of the controller itself. Each one has an arcade-quality joystick, eight gaming buttons, and a turbo function. The Xbox 360 version also has a connector for newer headsets.

The Hori Fight Stick for Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $149.99(USD). You can get one from Hori’s US website. It’s a bit late for Christmas, but hell, you deserve one last gift.

[via Capcom and Ubergizmo]

With each controller, you get a pearl color finish with mist grey handles and crystal white glowing accents. The Xbox 360 version has vibration support, with “performance enhancing contours and design,” whatever that means. It also has rubber-grips with a soft-touch finish for that extra grip while using it.

Each will be sold in a limited edition of just 800 pieces, so if you want one, you can pre-order the TRON Siren controllers through PDP’s website, for $50(USD) each.

[via Ubergizmo]

The QuNeo is a multitouch controller, designed by Keith McMillen Instruments, who has been a pioneer in the electronic music world for over 30 years, so this isn’t just some fly-by-night project either. The controller is loaded with input methods, including 16 square pads, 2 rotary sensors, 9 sliders, and 17 switches. But the really cool thing is that the pads are capable of sensing velocity and position of your fingertips. The square triggers sense 127 levels of velocity, X/Y location, and pressure. Each rotary sensor can detect angle, pressure and distance from its center. The sliders support multitouch, so you can set a bottom and top range. This means that each input trigger can provide an insane amount of nuance and creative control.

Underneath the pads are 251 individual multi-color LEDs, which can provide visual feedback as you play. It’s compatible with MIDI, USB and OSC protocols, and can be used with popular music software like Ableton Live. Plus, there’s an open source SDK for the QuNeo, so you can use its sensor date to control just about anything you want – heck, you could even use it as a game or a robotics controller if you’re clever with software development.

Another cool thing is that they designed it to be the same dimensions as an iPad 2, so many iPad stands and mounts work to hold it. And while you might wonder if you could do the same thing on the screen on an iPad itself, there’s still nothing better than actual tactile feedback when playing an instrument. Just like typing on a touchscreen, playing music on one isn’t the most natural thing to do.

The QuNeo is currently raising funds over on Kickstarter to ramp up production, and has already blown through its initial $15,000 goal by over 400%. So it’s definitely being funded. A pledge of $200(USD) will get you one of the first QuNeo controllers, and $240 will get you a QuNeo along with a MIDI expander box if you need to connect it to 5-pin MIDI DIN inputs.

The idea is that this new Gamepad API will allow developers to make better games using the Firefox browser. Check out the video to watch some guy lovingly play with his controller as he watches the results onscreen. Riveting stuff.

Now you can play browser-based games with a real controller, not just your keyboard and mouse. This could change online web gaming for good. For more info hit up the Mozilla website.

[via Ubergizmo via Geeky-Gadgets]

As you can see in the picture above, the Funtendo is designed to be used with a NES controller, a Nintendo 64 controller and a Wii controller. Sorry Gamecube fans. It also has a 2GB flash drive that you can fill with emulators and ROMs, which we all know you legally acquired. Just plug Funtendo into a USB port on your PC, and go. One neat feature of the Funtendo is that it lets you use the three controllers at once, so you can use the Wii controller to play an N64 game – or any other game with gamepad support – if you want.

Take a warp pipe to Gadget Gangster’s website or to Instructables to find out how you can build your own Funtendo box.

[via Hack A Day]

The MIDI-Moov is a new device from TangibleFX. Currently in the prototyping stages, it’s a small box you can attach to your body or musical instrument to detect motions and use them to control effects. The wireless device acts as a full MIDI controller, allowing you to attach an effect to each X, Y and Z axes of movement. So for instance, leaning forward or backwards could trigger an increase or decrease in the intensity of an effect or sound. The transmitter would then send these signals directly to a remote computer running software like Logic Pro, Cubase or Ableton Live to manipulate sounds in real time. Here’s a demo video of the current prototype in action:

Currently, the guys at TangibleFX are in the early stages of fundraising over on IndieGoGo for production of the MIDI-Moov, but haven’t really nailed down retail pricing for the gadget at this point. A $500 contribution will get you a handmade beta unit, but that seems like a whole lot of coin – especially on a musician’s budget. Still, the idea is cool, and I hope they figure out a way to get the costs down or to apply the same idea to an iOS or Android app at some point.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can get the SRW-S1 controller right now for $119.99(USD) from SteelSeries.

[via Kotaku]

While not as drastic or complex as the Cthulhutastic N-Control Avenger mod, KontrolFreek swears that their clip-on kits do have significant benefits. The one that increases length is called the FPS Freek. I don’t have exact measurements but judging from the pictures I think it almost doubles the length of the thumbsticks. The increased length offers a greater range of motion – and in effect a slight increase in sensitivity. The SpeedFreek, on the other hand ensures that your thumb won’t slip off of the stick, even if you have sweaty thumbs or if you quickly nudge or hold the sticks towards the edges.

KontrolFreek has variations of these two mods, but they all work the same. The notable exception is the SpeedFreak Apex (the black SpeedFreak below) although the normal SpeedFreak shown here in white also comes in black). It’s the combination of both mods, adding both height and horns.

You can order the KontrolFreek clip-on mods from Firebox for £12 (~$19 USD) each or directly from KontrolFreek, where you can browse all of the models. Prices range from $10 to $14 on the official store, but only because they’re on sale as of this writing, so now’s the time to get hats for your thumbsticks if you’re interested.

[via Coolest Gadgets]

According to one anonymous developer, there is evidence that Nintendo is prepping the console to support two of its touchscreen tablet controllers. The unnamed source says there are “numerous indications” in the Wii U code base that suggest this.

We know that the touchscreen controllers will combine tablet functions with the original Wii‘s set of motion controls. The developer says that Nintendo almost has the kinks worked out to get two tablet controllers to work with the console. If you were hoping for more, for four player games, you can forget it. Some horsepower may need to be sacrificed just to get two to work.

[via Develop via Geek]

In the video, you can see Vicas3 grabbing every star in a level without using his hands at all. The only time he can touch the controller with his hands is so that his feet can reach the Z button.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You’ll also notice that he plays with his socks on, so you won’t have to worry too much if you are playing right after him.

[via DVice]

The Batman: Arkham City game was just released on Oct. 18th, so the time is right to pick up one of these babies and talk in Christian Bale’s gravelly voice while you play. What, I’m the only one planning on doing that?

Grab either the Xbox 360 or PS3 version for $49.99 (USD) each.

[via Devicemag]