There's a new bit of emulation currently being developed for the Wii, and this time, it's for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. The name of the emulator is called FUSE, short for Free Unix Spectrum Emulator, and its being developed by Bg. Learn more about it after the jump!

Download: FUSE Preview Release

Talk about wanting the best of both worlds: gamer mmmonkey wasn't getting along with his PlayStation 3 controller because his thumbs kept slipping off the thumbsticks. The solution? He got a donor original Xbox controller and replaced its joysticks with the PS3's (pictured left).

Read more in the full article.

Like a much-needed power-up in a time of desperation, Arcade-In-A-Box, LLC. comes rushing in to satisfy the occasional but all-too-powerful retrogaming urges of players all over with its recently-unveiled line of arcade controllers for the Microsoft Xbox 360.

While this generation's wireless controllers are designed for ergonomics and convenience, there's no denying the appeal of an old-fashioned joystick-and-button layout that Arcade-In-A-Box's line of peripherals provides.

The joysticks in particular look quite durable and ready to stand up to some heavy-duty punishment - not to mention the buttons look almost inviting, as if they want you to repeatedly hammer upon them in your quest for video game victory.

And before you ask, yes, Arcade-In-A-Box not only has models for two players, but also solo ones for those with a budget (or if you simply want to keep the arcade experience for yourself).

Of course, this luxury comes at a price, but one easily affordable. The Dual 360 Controller model costs about US$ 299, while the Solo Controller model will run you for about US$ 149. And for those of us who really have a lot of money lying around, the Arcade-In-A-Box Arcade Console that comes with 100 arcade games, sells for about US$ 2000. A hefty price, but as we all know, reliving the past through some sweet arcade gameplay is priceless.

Interested in grabbing one of these beauties? Then check out the read link below for a peek at the official website, which includes a full list of models, prices, and ways on how to purchase them.

A jet-powered, joystick-controlled, eco-friendly car may seem like something from a sci-fi movie, but the reality of it is that a car like this does exist. Well, in the world of concept cars, at least. We're talking about the Giugiaro Vadho from Italdesign Giugiaro. Check it out below.

  

This tandem two-seater is powered by the same V-12 that powers the BMW Hydrogen 7 and mated to BMW's seven-speed SMG. The Vadho's powertrain is positioned on the center right of the car adjacent to the passengers. The closed cockpit uses two adjustable joysticks to pilot the vehicle, and drivers can even change from left to right hand drive drive by-wire tech. The driver can even sit in the center.

The Vadho will be making its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show, which runs from March 6-7.

Hydrapinion's Seamus Byrne decided to follow up the claim of Sony's SIXAXIS controller bagging an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Science (NATAS), and he's apparently found a rather large discrepancy.

The winner of the Emmy for Technology and Engineering isn't the SIXAXIS. It isn't even the Wiimote-Nunchuk combination.

It's the DUALSHOCK (or Dual Shock, if you prefer).

At first, Byrne was somewhat annoyed with the original announcement because the SIXAXIS didn't really have an original design, since it's an adaptation of Dual Shock controller and all, minus Immersion's rumble technology. Imagine his, and our, surprise when Christine Chin from NATAS sent a follow-up message. She writes,

I understand you had contacted Cheryl Daly, Director of Communications at NATAS to confirm if Sony won for their PS3 controller. This is incorrect, Sony won for their dual shock analog controller. The award is from the Video Game Technology Group. It was nominated by our internal group and considered along with the Nintendo D-Pad both of which were considered Emmy worthy for the development of the generation of controllers that followed the classic joysticks.

I would like to confirm that Sony did not win for their PS3 controller, they won for their Dual Shock Analog controller.

All we can say is, this really isn't the best way to start the year. Still, props to Sony for the Dual Shock win.

  

This writer has one of those Logitech Extreme 3D Pro USB joysticks where the throttle is inexplicably in the center of the unit base, and not to the left of it. Dang it, do you know how hard it is to coordinate a three-point landing in Flight Simulator when when that throttle tab is in the worst possible place it could be, in the way of your right arm (see above-left picture)?

Well, the Afroman of Afrotechmods was feeling quite the same way (with a ton of jive, sucka). And with the best alternative - a flight control set with a properly-mounted throttle slider - being way too expensive for this brother's tastes, he decided to get all ghetto and create a Ghetto Throttle Slider for his Logitech 3D Pro - much the same way as Joe Stranger patched up a detachable PS2 joystick for his PSP.

And the same principles, too. You just have to properly connect the potentiometers (the doohickeys that govern the way a slider tells a computer where it is) of the throttle slider with the potentiometers of another slider - in Afroman's case, the volume slider of an old Sony cassette deck. You'll be looking for those three-wire ribbon cables. Easy-to-follow instructions at the source, with maximum illustration... and minimum of jive.

  

How does a classic compare to a classic? Interesting query, eh? We won't be giving you some philosophical take on that, but rather, we'll let you decide through these pictures we harvested from engadget.

These are images of the Wii Classic controller being compared to its forebear, the classic SNES controller. Apparently, the Wii controller is thicker than the SNES controller, and sports a more pristine design, with its all-white theme. While the SNES controller's purple buttons scream retro, the translucent ones of the Wii reeks of modern design.

Of course, with today's games having more demands in terms of control, there's now more than just the basic d-pad, select start, X, Y, A, B buttons. On the Wii controller, there are those joysticks added in, as well as those shoulder pads. More buttons equal to better functionalities? You tell us.

At the end of the day, it's not really about making comparisons to determine which is better. But actually, it's more of paying tribute to the history of gaming, and how it's evolved to the one we know now, by letting the controllers tell the story. Anyway, either way, they're still both classics.

More pics after the jump!

The Wifi Controller turns the PSP into a controller for PC (Windows). When the WiFi Controller program is launched it will establish a wireless network connection. As soon as a connection is established it obtains an IP address that will connect to a server running on your PC. Once it has connected to a PC, the PSP will act just like a regular joystick.

Developed by David Rudie, the WiFi Controller was inspired by an earlier program called PPjoy written by Mikko Monroe. PPJoy had a few kinks and David wanted a more detailed application, so he wrote WiFi Controller from scratch and used a small portion of PPJoy codes. David thanks Mikko for that.

If you already have David's app, he just released the latest update WiFi Controller v0.3 and here's the changelog:

• Cleaned up and added more detailed instructions
• Fixed up on-screen display some
• Added some more detailed battery information
• Cleaned up the connection code some
• Moved some text strings to a new file
• Cleaned up code overall

David's To-Do list includes:

• Finish Apple Mac OS X driver support
• Add WiFi connection selection
• Add AdHoc mode
• Add Greater sleep support and maybe automatically re-establish the wireless connection
• Add support for using a combination of buttons to act as one separate button
• Volume up and down mappable for v1.0 and v1.5 and a separate version without these buttons for v2.x
• Check why people get disconnected after so-and-so minutes.

Download: [WiFi Controller v0.3 for PSP]


Check out the installation procedure after the jump!

Inspired by the work of Mikko Monone, who wrote the original controller program, David Rudie decided to give this program his own mark. The WiFi Controller program basically turns your PSP into a controller for your PC. A few of the things he noticed that's a little amiss with the original was that the start button exited the program and select didn't work plus he wanted some more details on the display.

He borrowed a tiny bit of the original codes as a starting point and the rest was all his. Also, we have to give it up for PPJoy for helping out. Rudie writes a detailed how-to in the Read Me file included in the downloaded, which I'm going to put here for everyone's convenience.

• Open the PSP directory and edit the proper wifi.cfg for your PSP version and set the IP of the computer you are going to use this on.
• Copy the correct director(y|ies) to your PSP depending on whether you have a 1.0 or 1.5 PSP.  If you use a custom firmware mod that allows the use of single EBOOT.PBP files on a 1.5 PSP then you can use the 1.0 directory.
• Download and install PPJoy. http://www.geocities.com/deonvdw/Docs/PPJoyMain.htm
• After it is installed open up your Control Panel and run Parallel Port Joysticks.
• When the window comes up click Add... at the bottom and then Add on the next screen.
• It will want to install some drivers so either have it scan automatically or point it to the directory you install PPJoy to.
• After it is done installing, click the PPJoy Virtual joystick 1 in the menu and click Mapping...
• Choose "Set a custom mapping for this controller" and click Next.

• Axes = 2 (X Axis and Y Axis)

    Buttons = 8
    POV hats = 1

• X Axis = Analog 0

       Y Axis = Analog 1

• These buttons are up to you to set. I left them all default but changed Button 7 and Button 8 to be correct because they ARE WRONG default.

    Button 1 = Digital 0
    Button 2 = Digital 1
    Button 3 = Digital 2
    Button 4 = Digital 3
    Button 5 = Digital 4
    Button 6 = Digital 5
    Button 7 = Digital 11
    Button 8 = Digital 10

• Directional button POV

    North = Digital 6
    East = Digital 7
    West = Digital 9
    South = Digital 8

• Run the SocketText.exe program.  It will open a Command Prompt window. Just minimize it and forget about it.  If it just opens and closes, something went wrong.  Good luck.
• Now start the program no your PSP and it should connect to your computer and basically be working.  You'll find out in the next step.
• Go back to your control panel and go to Game Controllers.  Click on the PPJoy Virtual joystick 1 and choose Properties.  On the screen that comes up you should be able to press buttons on the PSP and have them show as working on the screen. I recommend calibrating the Analog Stick too.
• Enjoy!

Thanks imk for this one. Hopefully this won't be the last.

Download: [WiFi Controller v0.1]
                  [WiFi Controller v0.2]

You're looking at a giant joystick commissioned for Game/Play, "a networked national touring exhibition focusing on the rhetorical constructs of game and play". A collaboration between Q Arts, Derby and HTTP Gallery, London, Game/Play provides a basis for exchange and interaction between audiences, artists, curators and writers through exhibitions and networked activities.

Artist Mary Flanagan built the 9-foot high controller, modelling it after the one used for the 1980 Atari 2600. To use it, players have to work together in order to move and control the game. One or two guys steer, another controls the fire button. Kinda like a pilot/gunner combo. A very good idea to promote camaraderie and teamwork, but for super-super-SUPER-competitive people (read: me and my friends), we may not even get to start playing at all. We'd all be arguing about who's better at controlling, who's better at shooting, etc.

If you're in the UK, you can check out the giant joystick (of doom?) at the following galleries:

Q Arts - Gallery, Derby (22 July - 10 September 2006)

HTTP Gallery, London (22 July - 3 September 2006)