Crave

(Credit: Microsoft)

Logos and logo stickers are a big deal for companies about to make a big push on a new product, and forgive us for getting this one wrong. Microsoft's Windows 7 Compatible program, which labels qualified products as being Microsoft-approved to work with Windows 7, is designed only for software and peripherals, not the computers themselves. Microsoft plans a separate program for labeling those. Like Apple's "Works with iPhone," it indicates that the device in question works under all conditions that Microsoft deems necessary. That includes being compatible with 64-bit Windows 7 as well as 32-bit, hence the program's focus on that detail.

We previously reported that this might mean Netbooks wouldn't be sticker-slapped, but rest assured that they (and any other Windows 7-compatible or preinstalled laptop) will get their own stickers, most likely that say something quite different but still Windows 7-related.

Needless to say, the landscape can get confusing. But to clarify: Microsoft will let us know more of what to expect on the PC side in the coming weeks, but until then, if you see a gizmo that has the above logo on it, you at least know you'll be able to use it on your Windows 7 computer.

Will this make life easier? As long as we can understand what the stickers stand for, then yes.

I like Japanese artist Mio Lizawa because he's the kind of guy who sits around and thinks, "My, wouldn't it be great if my PC had some sort of pulsating, frightening, brain-like thing hanging out of the side of it?" and then goes out and builds just such a thing.

"Mechanical Tumor" is art. At least I think it is. And it's functional: the more CPU usage his computer is experiencing, the larger the, uh, thing gets. Write a letter to grandma and it sits there rather quietly. Start playing Warcraft and it grows and pulsates and frightens. I can't ascertain exactly what materials Mechanical Tumor is made of, but I suspect it's made of evil and the sins of children.

I'm hoping that Lizawa can find a way to market this blob, maybe as a USB device. But I hope it doesn't get too popular--I want to be able to sit it on the table at my coffee shop whilst I blog, but I don't want everyone to have seen one before.

(Via Register Hardware)

(Credit: Dave Lowensohn)

This week marks the latest release in the Rock Band series (see our hands-on). It features one of the biggest names in music--The Beatles. It also features pack-in instruments that continue to look more and more like their real-life counterparts.

Rock Band was definitely not the first video game to necessitate special hardware, nor will it be the last. Below we've put together a list of some of the most innovative peripherals and hardware that have helped change the way we play games. Some went on to become big, while others failed or were martyrs to future incarnations that proved successful.

In creating this roundup, one thing became clear: Nintendo's made great efforts to bring new ideas to the table every few years. And in that process, the Wii has proven to be one of the company's great successes. But there were also failures along the way. Those, along with winners from Nintendo's competitors and third parties, are all chronicled.

Disclaimer: This list is, of course, neither completely comprehensive nor as far reaching as it could be, but (we think) it does a pretty good job at painting a picture of how far gaming peripherals have come. Feel free to add your own favorites, or ones we missed in the comments.

Photos: Fun with plastic--peripherals that changed gaming

Now just how am I supposed to perform a 360 inward heel flip with this?

(Credit: GameSpot)

The last Tony Hawk game I played was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on the Dreamcast. Getting good enough to pull off trick after trick in succession in that game was close to gaming nirvana for me.

Since then, the series has had its ups and downs and with strong competition from EA's Skate series, and Activision--publisher of all things Tony Hawk--needs to find new ways to get players excited again about the once dominant Tony Hawk brand.

Hopefully for them, they've succeeded. Tony Hawk Ride, the latest entry in the franchise, will be available for the 2009 holiday season for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Also being released is a unique controller for the game that comes in the shape of an actual skateboard deck. According to Gamespot, the board peripheral will use "a combination of accelerometers and motion sensors" and will require no other controller.

Hmmm, I'm assuming that you'll control this with your hands, but then what's the point of shaping it like a skateboard if we can't "ride" it? Update: I assumed incorrectly. You will control the game by riding on the board. Thanks again to the three Cravers that pointed this out to me. Last time I saw something like this was in the arcade games Top Skater and Air Trix.

Each game was controlled via a stationary skateboard attached to the arcade machine. Each time I tried playing, well, let's just say the skateboards didn't function optimally. Probably had something to do with the endless supply of Dave and Buster's clientele straight from a buffalo wings platter trying the game out.

Hopefully the controller for this game will be made from sterner stuff. Look for more information on the official game site on June 2.

No more Heroes.

(Credit: Activision)

Forget new consoles: if game publishers got their wish, we'd stick with the system we have and just buy endless peripherals. Activision's latest announcement in its ever-growing Hero series is DJ Hero, a new game focusing on the joys of being a turntable-spinning club god.

While the idea could be pretty fun--in fact, Konami already semi-explored it in Beatmania--the new turntable accessory, while pretty, is yet another plastic device to tuck under the television and get dusty.

Activision claims that a big part of DJ Hero is the live remixing of popular songs across genres, as would be expected. If that means mashups, then this could get pretty wild.

Regardless, let us reflect for a moment on the plastification of modern gaming. This generation's peripheral count is skyrocketing--DDR mats, cameras, Wii Fit boards, wheels, Wii MotionPlus dongles, big-button game show controllers, and a tremendous plastic band list of guitars, drums, mikes and extra bass pedals. About the only thing we're missing is a synthesizer, a cowbell, and a didgeridoo. Count up the amount you'll spend on old and new versions of all these plastic tzochkes, and it'll make any grown person cry.

No pricing has been announced yet for the game's debut this fall, but it'll obviously cost more than a game that had no peripheral at all.

(Via Kotaku)

The Orbita mouse from Cyber Sport is a wireless puck that rotates, letting you use the whole device for scrolling, zooming, jogging, or object rotation.

It's an uncommon approach to traditional mousing, unless you've used a SpaceNavigator 3D mouse. But it is wireless and it does look cool.

Look for it in January 2009 for about $100.

(Credit: Viewsonic)

This certainly isn't the first time we've seen a monitor with identity issues, but Viewsonic at least gets current HDTV marketing strategies correct by making the VT2430 24-inch LCD monitor HDTV full HD with a 1080p resolution.

Along with the VT2430's 1,920x1,080 resolution you get a 1,000:1 contrast ratio (10,000:1 DCR) and 5ms response time as well as of course an integrated ATSC/QAM TV tuner and connectivity options including a single HDMI 1.3 input with high-definition content protection (HDCP), component, S-video, composite, and RGB analog inputs.

There are 3.5mm mini and RCA stereo audio inputs and an earphone out in case the two, 5-watt built-in speakers don't pump out enough sound for you.

With an MSRP of $399 (it can already be found for less) it's definitely priced right, but I guess the key questions are, do you need 1080p in an HDTV this small, and how much are you paying for the privilege of that resolution?

If clicking multiple buttons is too strenuous an activity, check this mouse out.

(Credit: Qubetrix)

The Z Nano Optical Mouse, which bills itself as the "world's tiniest" optical mouse, is, at 1.65 inches by 0.83 inches by 0.69 inches, barely larger than a human finger tip. It plugs into any PC via a USB cable, and instead of right and left click buttons, the user needs only to roll a finger to the left or right instead. And in the case of scrolling, you click buttons on the mouse's side.

The Z Nano has clear plastic casing and is lit by multicolor LEDs on the inside. Under where the finger goes, there's also a place to insert a tiny image to personalize the device.

It costs $60, and is available on FlipAlbum.com.

(Via TechEBlog)