Nyko's PlayPad and PlayPad Pro Android tablet controllers (hands-on)

There's a great video game land rush happening on the mobile front, as developers and hardware manufacturers work map out precisely how users will play with their smartphones and tablets. We've seen plenty of peripheral makers give it a shot, hoping to transform decidedly clunky touchscreen gameplay into something more akin to devoted consoles. Some, like Ion, have taken a fairly whimsical approach to the process, giving the world the iCade, a tablet controller shaped like a small arcade cabinet.

Nyko's going a much more straight forward route with PlayPad and PlayPad Pro, Bluetooth controllers that intend on bringing console gaming over to the mobile side. The PlayPad is the smaller of the two devices. It ships in a spring loaded eyeglasses-style case. Also inside is a small stand that you can unfold to prop up your Android tablet in portrait or landscape. The controller itself is quite small and fairly light. It has two circle pads on the front, a d-pad, four face buttons, shoulder buttons and a giant home button in the center.




We gave it a whirl on some titles and found it to be pretty responsive. The buttons function well and don't have the cheap feel that plagues so many of these types of devices. The PlayPad's biggest downfall, however, is the fact that thing is just too small for most grownup hands. Nyko gets points for making it quite portable, but the company sacrifices comfort in a big way. The company could learn a bit from PowerA, in terms of ergonomics here. And while the light weight it great when on the go, a little heft would have helped out as well.

The PlayPad Pro, meanwhile, does address some of those problem. A Nyko rep described it as a "fusion" between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers -- and certainly those folks know how to make a controller. The Pro actually feels pretty good in-hand -- we could see ourselves using it for moderately sized gaming marathons. The controller lacks the carrying case and stand of its junior counterpart, however -- Nyko is seeing two very different case usages for these products, with the PlayPad traveling with users and the Pro stepping in for those who tend to hook their tablets up to a TV and essential use them as skinny touchscreen consoles.

Both controllers will run you "less than $50" at launch.

By Engadget

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Nintendo Wii U and games hands-on (video)

Nintendo's pre-E3 media briefing has wrapped up and the doors have opened, doors containing the latest and final revision of the Wii U hardware. Reggie & Co. failed to give us any concrete launch details beyond "holiday" this year, so we can't quite be sure of a date or a price or, really, much of anything. But, we do know about more of the launch titles. NintendoLand is, apparently, the premiere title, a sort of touchscreen-friendly version of Wii Sports that digs up many of the company's storied brands and squeezes them into mini-game format.

How does it play? And, how is the new, refined Wii U controller? Join us after the break to find out!

Hardware

The Wii U controller is subtly different than we saw last year. As unveiled in the pre-show briefing with Iwata-san the hardware's had some subtle tweaks made.

Biggest among them is the change from circle sliders to proper analog joysticks for each thumb, a change that might help to improve precision to some degree, but doesn't result in a drastically different feel. Speaking of feel, the controller is still very light, something we noted last year and immediately noticed this year as well. Since all the controllers are tethered we have to imagine they lack the onboard battery packs that will increase heft, but if you were worried that waving around a giant tablet will get tiring, well, don't sweat it.




Nintendo did confirm that you'll be able to use two of the things with the Wii U console, answering a question that we've had for the past year now and assuaging concerns that wireless bandwidth wouldn't be sufficient to support two wireless displays. How much extra controllers will cost, and how many developers will write games that expect players to have made that extra investment, remains to be seen.

Some of the buttons have been moved as well, notably Select and Start, which previously flanked the Home button. They've now moved to the side, beneath the main face buttons. A "TV" button has been added to the left of the power button and the triggers are slightly wider and more pronounced. The stylus moved too, how situated on the back-right rather than the left.

Like most Nintendo controllers, the Wii U gamepad is comfortable to hold in the hand and feels quite durable. Lengthy gaming sessions should be no problem.

NintendoLand and other software

There will be 12 total games for NintendoLand, but Nintendo's only showing off a subset of them for now. Why? Partly for the intrigue, but we're also guessing that some of them simply aren't done yet. The majority of these games are extremely simple affairs, titles that will entertain immediately but will live or die by their replayability. Again, it's just like Wii Sports, a mish-mash of games that somehow managed to be fresh even after hundreds of playings.

Will these games feel as fresh?

Luigi's Ghost Mansion

This is the game that was given a very, very lengthy demo in Nintendo's briefing and threatened to put nearly everyone in the Nokia Theater asleep. Fear not: it's a heck of a lot more fun to play than it is to watch. It borrows heavily from the Luigi's Mansion games but mixes that with Pac-Man-style gameplay for a multiplayer-match that is fun -- at least for a few minutes.

Up to four players can take Wiimotes and control multi-colored Luigis. These guys have only their flashlights and their wits to find the ghost. The ghost is, naturally, invisible unless illuminated by one of the players' flashlights -- flashlights that, naturally, have crummy batteries that die after about 30 seconds of use.

The players are otherwise blind and have to work together, communicating verbally to chase down the ghost through the maze. Meanwhile, the cunning ghost player, who has a Wii U gamepad, can see the entire board. He's trying to avoid the flashlights and sneak up on the human players to capture them. If he captures them he wins -- if he gets captured, the human players win.

If it sounds like fun, it is, and it doesn't hurt that the ghost is dressed up like Pac-Man. Will it stand up after a couple-dozen plays? That remains to be seen.

PanoramaView

Nintendo was showing off a feature by the name of PanaromaView, as well. Turn it on and the control pad will give you a list of locales you can choose from -- things like a double-decker bus and a tour of the cherry blossom trees of Japan. We opted for the latter, scrolled down with the d-pad and selected with the A button. Once fired up, the controller showed a trip down a river, with cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The key here is that you can move the controller around to get a full 360-degree picture. Imagine the Wii U controller as a window that you're looking through, move it up, down, left or right and you'll get a view of the image in the corresponding place. The video itself was crisp, though there were a few blurry spots, primarily toward the ground -- a similar effect to the one you get from Google Maps stitching. The company's rep was careful to point out that this is an "experience," not a game, which is to say the the company was just showing off the technology's potential, rather than a title the system will actually ship with the console. It's a feature that will be incorporated into titles to give players the full immersive experience.

Donkey Kong's Crash Course

One of the simpler Wii U NintendoLand games on display, Donkey Kong's Crash Course is a simple, physics-based race game in which you try to navigate a little car through a giant, zany maze. It's an entirely 2-D game and the controls are similarly limited -- just tilt the Wii U gamepad left or right to roll left or right, and then use the L or R buttons to raise or lower flippers. You can also rotate the thumbsticks to spin around big, spiraling sections of the course to let your little car through.

The trick, of course, is that if you hit anything too quickly or flip your little car over you crash and have to go back to the last checkpoint. How exactly this has anything to do with Donkey Kong or, indeed, the princess he's trying to race toward escapes us, but the game is reasonably fun. For a minute or two, at least.

Wrap-up

A year later, the Wii U looks and feels much like it did when we played with it last year. Still we've only had time with a selection of mini-games and still we don't know how much it'll cost or when it'll ship. With no proper guidance on those fronts it's hard to make a prediction on just how much of a must-buy the console is this holiday season, but surely by now most Nintendo fans will have already made up their minds on that front.

By Engadget

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Microsoft SmartGlass hands-on

Sure today's Microsoft E3 keynote was jam-packed full of high octane explosions, but the biggest excitement from the hardware-free event was arguably SmartGlass, a new technology from Redmond that promises to help to bring together users' diverse array of screens. When it was initially leaked ahead of the event, SmartGlass looked to largely be a somewhat straightforward AirPlay competitor. Judging by Microsoft's flashy demo video, however, the company is clearly looking to build it into its own beast all together. Thankfully, we got to play with it a bit -- albeit for a very short amount of time, given the fairly early state of the technology.

Let's start thing off by clarifying a big question surrounding the somewhat enigmatic demo that we saw at today's event: yes, SmartGlass gives developers the potential to turn smartphones and tablets into a controller for the Xbox 360. As suspected, it will likely be integrated into more casual games -- after all, we shudder at the thought of controlling, say, Halo 4 using just a touchscreen. As is the nature of the product, the company isn't letting the details flow too freely here, but in a demo we saw of the technology tonight, a Microsoft rep name-dropped a title called Home Run Stars -- a baseball game, as you've likely already gathered from the fairly straightforward name.

We didn't get to see the game in action, but the rep mentioned a gameplay scenario in which one player uses the Kinect to bat and the other pitches with the touchscreen -- again, not too dissimilar from the kind of dual-screen gaming we've seen with the Wii U thus far. And you can also invert that game play, if you so choose, pitching on the Kinect and batting with a tablet or smartphone. Thing is, Microsoft is looking to make this whole process open for developers. As the rep put it, "what we've done is create a platform." In other words, Redmond is putting forward the tools here and letting the content developers play around, to come up with their own functionality based on SmartGlass.

While the baseball title was more in the talking stages tonight, we got the see SmartGlass in action with a couple of demoable titles, including, most notably, Ascend: New Gods. Get the game rolling and the title will pop up on your SmartGlass-enabled device. When it doesn't have tailored information to display, the device goes into "listening mode," essentially awaiting the game to give it its next set of instructions (via WiFi).

The key functionality in this demo was a map. The question of what one does with a SmartGlass device while playing with a standard controller was answered, in this case, with "you put it on the table in front of you," so you can play the game and glance down at the map every time you need to figure out where you're going. Once the player left the cave, the handset switched back into listening mode. When confronted by a boss, it switched gears again, offering up boss stats, so you know whether it's time to fight or to run, based on your own status. Again, this is all about augmenting your gameplay.

Microsoft also showed off an as-of-yet untitled karaoke game, again displaying a whole new set of functionality. Here, the SmartGlass-enabled device essentially gives other players something to do while you're singing your heart out. The device more or less turns into a karaoke remote. You can scan song titles and lyrics, and when you land on a track you like, enter it into the device and it will show up in a queue on the screen -- just like a real karaoke joint, without the two drink minimum.

Naturally, SmartGlass isn't just about gaming. Movies and TV also serve as a key component. Microsoft once again trotted out Game of Thrones as part of tonight's demo. The HBO series does serve as a great example of the technology's potential, helping viewer get insight into the show's fairly complex mythology. You can view a map and get additional content like cast information and commentaries from the directors and writers. You can also check out the detailed character genealogy and episode timelines, in case you get lost.

For the movie, the company gave us the Jack Black vehicle, School of Rock. Here you can get character info based on a given scene. Characters will pop up on your mobile device as they enter and leave. You can also skip ahead with a scrolling layout, picking and choosing scenes based on characters. And, of course, you can watch a video on your tablet and pick up where you left off on the big screen. Oh yeah, and remote control functionality is built in as well, once you move over to the TV.

Again, we're very much in the early stages here. SmartGlass is set to launch at some point in the fall, so we've still got a ways to go. There's lots of other functionality we've yet to see, like Web browsing, in which you use your tablet or phone as a keyboard for the TV-screen-based internet experience. Much of the functionality will also be up to the partners -- after all, Microsoft is trying to keep things open on its end and let the developers go wild coming up with new functionality. As far as partners go, MS says the content demoed is likely indicative of some of the launch partners, and we've seen some pretty high profile ones thus far, including HBO (Game of Thrones) and EA (Madden).

And platforms? Redmond's still promising us the moon, including Windows on the phone and PC (duh), iOS and Android. Asked whether the latter two would be limited in terms of features, Microsoft sort of skirted the question, saying that that would be, "up to the partners." So, who knows on that front. All said, though, we've got what's shaping up to be an awfully compelling product here.

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Samsung demos Series 5 Ultra Touch and Series 5 Ultra Convertible Ultrabooks, we go hands-on

Well, look at what we have here! We just swung by Samsung's booth at Computex, and the outfit is showing off not one, but two touch-enabled variations of its Series 5 Ultrabooks. These include the Ultra Touch, a classic clamshell laptop, along with the Ultra Convertible, whose 13-inch display folds all the way back (not unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga). Both devices are on their way stateside; it's just not clear when or how much they'll cost. Until then, we've got hands-on preview photos below, along with detailed impressions and a pair of walk-through videos. So join us, won't you?

Look and feel

Samsung didn't come all the way to Taipei to show you the great things it can do with metal unibodies and backlit keyboards. No, the real story here are the different form factors that are growing up around Windows 8, so it's not surprising to us that the overarching industrial design has taken a bit of a back seat. These are, more or less, variations on the same Series 5 Ultrabooks we already saw: a mix of metal and plastic, with not-backlit keys and 1366 x 768 displays. Tasteful stuff, but there's also's also a reason Samsung stuck these in its second-to-lowest product tier. (Across Sammy's lineup, Series 7 and 9 are higher-end.)

In terms of ports, you're looking at the same setup across both Ultrabooks: USB 3.0, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, HDMI, a 4-in-1 memory card reader and a combined mic / headphone jack. If you've been following along, you already know USB 3.0 is now a requirement in all Intel-endorsed Ultrabooks, but we still appreciate seeing HDMI and Ethernet on a machine like this.

Keyboard and trackpad

This is the same shallow but well spaced 'board you'll find on Samsung's other Series 5 Ultrabooks. Interestingly, the trackpad differs across the two devices: the clamshell Ultra Touch has a touchpad with discrete buttons, while the Ultra Convertible has a more spacious clickpad. We'll be curious to see if the smaller of the two pads meets Microsoft's requirements for gesture-enabled touchpads, though we have no reason to believe it doesn't.

Display

Zach Honig, the man responsible for those photos you see up there, said it best: "That is one glossy display!" And it is, which is surprising given that Samsung's PC group has a history of using matte screens with wide viewing angles (Sammy does have some panel know-how by way of its TV division, don'tcha know). The thing is also a fingerprint magnet. Our quibbles about the screen glare aside, both screens were exceedingly responsive to taps and swipes, even in prototype form. Just have a cheese cloth nearby to keep it looking pristine.

Form factors

There's not much to say about the clamshell notebook: even a five year-old can latch onto the concept of touching a screen. In the case of the convertible, Samsung seems to have run into the same problem as Lenovo, which is to say that keyboard is exposed when the screen is in tablet mode. As ever, it feels strange to cradle a tablet-type device whose backside is comprised of various keys. We'll also say that the hinge mechanism felt slightly loose, but we're willing to chalk that up to pre-production kinks.

Specs

Samsung is resolutely not talking about processors or RAM today, though we noticed a display card listing a 500GB hard drive. This isn't surprising, since Samsung already puts 500GB HDDs in its entry-level Ultrabooks. (The ones already shipping are coupled with some flash storage for faster boot-ups, though we haven't received confirmation that'll be the case here.) At least one of the units we tested had about 128GB of total storage, which tells us solid-state drives will probably be offered.

via Engadget

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Samsung teases Series 5 Hybrid PC, a Windows 8 tablet with magnetic keyboard dock and pen support

You wanted Windows 8 tablet / laptop mash-ups, you got 'em! On the heels of some rather inventive product launches from Acer and ASUS here at Computex, Samsung is teasing a Win8 device of its own, the Series 5 Hybrid PC. For now, Samsung's not sharing many technical details -- we don't even know the screen size! -- but the concept, at least, is self-explanatory: this is a Transformer-like tablet that slots into an accompanying keyboard dock. In an interesting twist, though, this device doesn't make use of your run-of-the-mill latch mechanism; instead, the slate attaches magnetically.

The Hybrid is rated for 10 hours of battery life and has a pair of 2- and 8-megapixel cameras. It also supports pen input, and will come bundled with the same S-Pen and S-Memo software used on the Galaxy Note 10.1 (but modified for Windows, of course). This might be a good time to clarify that unlike the 10.1 (or any other Galaxy Tab, for that matter), this is not an ARM-based slate, but rather, an X86 PC. This means, of course, that it runs full Windows 8, and not just the RT version. As it happens, Engadget had the chance to check out a prototype in advance of the launch, and it was running a two-watt Intel Clover Trail CPU. At the time, a Samsung rep told us the company was considering an ultra low voltage notebook-grade processor. Other possible specs: a 1080p display option, with some lower, unspecified resolution offered as well. Lastly, the early model we saw had a USIM slot, a microSD reader and a Superspeed USB port. Keep in mind, though, that all these details are subject to change.

Back when we got a sneak peek at the Hybrid, we handled a non-powered unit, and members of the press were not permitted to take photos or video that day. We can't speak to the software experience, then, but we did find the build quality to be solid. If the idea of a magnetic hinge gives you the willies, this one seemed quite sturdy -- we don't see the slate slipping out of its cradle without any effort on the part of the user. At 747 grams (1.65 pounds) and 9mm (0.35 inches) thick, it feels denser than similar-looking products like the ASUS Transformer Prime, but then again, this is a fully functioning PC. Though Samsung won't confirm the screen size, a quick once-over told us it measures between 10 and 11 inches diagonally, matching other Win8 tablets announced this week. For now, this blend of facts and educated guesses will have to suffice, but we'll naturally hit you back with more particulars as we hear them.

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Garmin outs motorcycle-centric zumo 350LM

Garmin's torn the wraps off its zumo 350LM for those of you who prefer to zip around on two wheels. Though its 4.3-inch glove-friendly touchscreen is encased in a waterproof exterior to withstand a beating from the elements and "fuel sprays," it'll happily sit inside your car with an included mount and built-in speaker. Those sticking to motorcycles, however, can pipe turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation through the sunlight-readable device to compatible Bluetooth headsets or helmets. Stat-happy bikers can record their chopper's maintenance work with the service history log feature and use Garmin's Basecamp utility to plan out trips beforehand. The zumo's expected to ring up at $699.99 -- as pricey as its older siblings -- and roll out in the third quarter of 2012.

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