Logitech ready to rumble with three more gaming controllers

Logitech has had its fair share of quality gaming peripherals in the past, and this time we have three more models in the form of controllers which are ready to enhance your gaming experience in the living room. We’re talking about the Logitech Gamepad F310, Logitech Rumble Gamepad F510 and Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710. First of all, the Logitech Gamepad F310 will definitely feel familiar with most gamers, since it boasts a comfortable control layout as well as a special floating D-pad design which will deliver exceptional accuracy in all eight directions. Incorporating both XInput and DirectInput technology, this allows it to play nice (pun intended) with just about any game that supports a gamepad, even on emulators like MAME. Of course, if you happen to want to have a go at games that do not support gamepads, you can always install the included Profiler software while configuring the gamepad to emulate keyboard and mouse actions.


Up next would be the Logitech Rumble Gamepad F510 that comes with all the same features as the Gamepad F310, although this one adds more oomph during your action moments, as it boasts dual vibration motors. Basically, this allows those who want to enjoy vibration feedback get the whole works, feeling every hit, crash and explosion. Just in case you wonder whether your hands are able to take it or not, it will throw in comfortable rubber grips and a soft-touch bottom case that makes it perfect for long gameplay sessions. Of course, it won’t do much for those suffering from sweaty palms, of course.

Last but not least would be the Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710, where it will again be just like the Rumble Gamepad F510, albeit coming with the freedom of 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. All you need to do plug in Logitech’s plug-and-forget Nano receiver into any USB port and you’re good to go. It won’t simply break off whenever your device is traveling with you simply because it is so small. The Logitech Gamepad F310, Logitech Rumble Gamepad F510 and Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710 will retail for $24.99, $34.99 and $49.99, respectively.

Press Release

Textminator an arcade game for today’s youth

I realize that stand-up video games are practically a thing of the past, and there has not been a decent one since Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). Since home versions of the game along with Guitar Hero/Rock Band has pretty much eclipsed stand-up video game glory, its nice to see someone trying to renew it with Textminator.

As you can see, someone has even used the safety bars on the DDR game, but made the subject matter of the competition not dancing, but texting, something that the teens these days are really, really good at.

So why not make an arcade game where players must “face-off” with each other on stainless steel phone-like keypads? It sort of reminds me of MasterType, a very old-school computer program that helped me learn to type. In that game, the player had to save a spaceship by typing in the correct sequence of letters to shoot the guns to destroy the aliens. I am assuming the player does a similar sort of game in Textminator.

What makes this game unique is that not only can the high-scoring player enter in their initials, but the Textminator has a built-in camera so the player can snap a pic of themselves for a virtual wall of fame.

Berlin Brain Computer Interface lets you play pinball, with your mind

This is an odd way to play pinball, don’t you think? Shouldn’t this man be standing in front of the machine? And what’s with that wired bathing cap?

This is probably what I would have said if I was at CeBIT 2010 and passed by this display of the Berlin Brain-Computer Interface. As it turns out, this man is playing this game of pinball with his brain. I’m not saying that he’s really getting his head into the game, but his head is playing the game.

You can watch a video of the setup of this person in action after the jump. I really have no idea if this man is just some visitor to CeBIT or someone who works for the company, but you can watch him as they set him up to play pinball on this Addams Family themed pinball machine. Yeah, I would have chosen a different theme, but the multiple flippers does make it interesting.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really an explanation about how this works on the video, which has absolutely no voiceover narration. I have no idea if you have to think: “Left flipper, right flipper” to get it to work. I notice that this user has to manually start the ball rolling, and I’m guessing that mentally tilting is not an option.

I suppose we are probably looking at an age where arcade games make a comeback, and the players are jacked into them mentally. That, or come up with a console version of this mental controls. I suppose that this could be the next version of Project Natal.