wheels

If the Prince racquet controller is a boost for the Wii, then the "Porsche 911 Turbo S Wheel" and related accessories will put the Playstation 3 into overdrive. As is fitting for a global racing legend, the branded wireless equipment--complete with gear shifters, pedals and logo-bearing USB dongle, as well as the wheel--is all "fully licensed, to-spec reproduction," according to Gizmodo. At $350 it's certainly not the cheapest gaming gear around, but when you consider the full-size alternatives, it's a bargain.

There's a great line in The Truth About Cats & Dogs, when Janeane Garofalo's character--a veterinarian radio talk-show host--dispenses this advice to a caller: "You can love your cats and not love your cats." That scene came to mind upon viewing this hamster pedometer that actually keeps track of wheel rotations to ensure your pet furball is in peak physical condition.

Sadly, it's not the first such product. As Tokyomango notes, a dog pedometer has been on the market for some time. (And don't get us started on those pet translators.)

If people were … Read more

If the "HyperBike" ever had training wheels, they might look something like the "WheelSurf." Actually we should say training wheel, not wheels, because this contraption is just one giant ring big enough to fit a human being inside.

Hailing from the Netherlands, this $6,900 precarious-looking "mobile circle" runs on a gas-powered Honda engine that can reach more than 18 mph. The scariest-sounding thing of all is how you ride this thing: "The outer wheel revolves around propelling you forward while keeping the center level with the horizon. Steering is accomplished by moving … Read more

Boating enthusiasts, like people in general, come in all types. Some crave speed, others want strength--and then there are those like us, who would just as soon have a boat that drove itself, out of sheer laziness.

That's why we think the "Sealegs" sounds like the perfect seagoing vehicle. Although it's described as "the world's most advanced amphibian," Gizmag says the inflatable boat is just as notable for its ease of use: "The Sealegs takes the entire process of launching and docking a boat out of the equation--just get in, drive … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Microsoft is showing off more than a dozen new phones designed to work with its business telephony software, but the thing that caught my eye was the iPod-like scroll wheel on one of the models.

Microsoft isn't making the hardware itself, though the scroll wheel is on a reference design jointly developed by Microsoft, Polycom and LG-Nortel. The Microsoft representative I talked with couldn't comment on the legal issues around the similarity, but assumes it must have passed muster.

In any case, the scroll wheel appears to work as well for navigating a long list of contacts … Read more

Most new cars come with steering-wheel-mounted buttons to let you control the stereo with just a push of the thumb. But what if you want to replace your factory-installed stereo with a more substantial aftermarket audio system? Usually that has meant that your steering wheel buttons get relegated to the status of mere ornaments. Not any more. AAMP of America's Peripheral Electronics division has devised a steering wheel interface that lets you retain the use of your steering wheel buttons even if you switch out the car's original stereo.

The Croatian-sounding PESWIAKJC is compatible with Alpine, Kenwood, JVC, … Read more

For the nonartistic, color theory is hard to grasp. Each color, hue, shade, and tone has its own complementing and clashing colors. Put complementary colors with each other, and you have a pleasantly fashionable apartment/ensemble/desktop scheme. Put clashing colors together, and people will think you're colorblind.

Now you can keep all those different colors together on your iPod. Gizmodo reported on the Koloroo KolorWheel, an iPod widget that turns your iPod into a color wheel. Spinning the iPod Click Wheel cycles through the color wheel, so you can see exactly how any shade of any color looks … Read more

After posting a recent item about a $150,000 gear shift knob, we didn't think we'd see an automotive accoutrement so egregious for awhile. Only a week later, however, BornRich has given us just that: A set of wheels totaling $2 million.

Like the aforementioned diamond Bentley knob, the Asanti wheels aren't items traditionally featured on a gadget blog but are simply too outrageous to pass up. This 34-inch set--which boasts 26,000 diamonds and 1,200 rubies--is touted as "the world's most expensive custom diamond wheels." We'll take their word for it.… Read more

Hybrid cars? Blah. Three-wheeled-cars? Blah. Three-wheeled hybrid cars? Blah.

Tilting three-wheeled hybrid cars? Now that's worth craving. Venture Vehicles has unveiled plans for its VentureOne, a two-seat plug-in three-wheeler with a glass canopy roof that can out-accelerate a Porsche Boxster, and gets 100 miles to the gallon. If that's not enough to get you reaching for your checkbook (estimated price is less than $20,000), then this might be: The VentureOne's passenger compartment and front wheel tilt when cornering for that authentic motocross experience.

The VentureOne will come with three engine choices: two gasoline-electric hybrids and one … Read more