The Gadgets Page

Tech Digest has released the twenty strangest gadgets of 2006. Some of them were featured here, like the Beer Belly, but others are new to even me.

• Tech Digest: The 20 strangest gadgets of 2006

I had no idea that there were so many useless gadgets being created. I usually reserve this kind of amazement for a visit to Brookstone. My favorite of all is the luminescent clothing. Sure, it might be superficial if you’re using it at a disco, but if you could buy a glowing jacket for when you’re jogging in the dark, wouldn’t you?

Via: Meriblog: Meri Williams’ Weblog » links for 2006-12-28

Last year at CES, I was able to test all the games for the Xavix console. Now that Nintendo has released Wii, it seems that active games are all the rage. How does the Xavix console compare to the Nintendo Wii?

• They both work: Unlike the Sony Eye Toy, the Xavix console and its games work. When you pitch the Xavix ball, it really does something on the screen. When you throw a punch with the boxing gloves, the character on your screen lands its fist into the jaw of your opponent. Both the Nintendo Wii and the Xavix console work pretty well. If I had to choose, I’d say the Xavix console is more accurate than the Wii, but they both work well enough that the controls of the game are unnoticed.

• The Wii has better graphics: There has been a lot of talk about how low-res the Nintendo Wii graphics are compared to the PS3 and the Xbox 360, but they are stellar compared to the Xavix console. Sadly the games on Xavix look like the simplistic graphics of five to ten years ago.

• Priced Similarly: At first glance, you might think that Xavix beats the Wii on price because their console is only $79, but after looking at the price of each game, you realize that Wii is actually a better deal. It comes with Wii Sports, which is similar to several of the Xavix games that are each sold separately for $45-$80 apiece. Nintendo did an excellent job of creating a controller that can be a steering wheel, a baseball bat, a tennis racket, boxing gloves and a golf club all in one. Since you don’t have to buy anything more than the controller and nunchuck, the Xavix console and the Nintendo Wii are on a similar pricing field.

In the end, I would choose the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo has a long track record for creating games for their consoles and many other companies are jumping at the chance to create interesting games for the Wii. Unfortunately, it looks like Xavix is a dead end. If you invest in their console now, you’ll probably find nothing more than the games that are currently available. They are an exciting company with great ideas and if Sony or Microsoft were smart, they would buy their technology and incorporate it into their new console systems. As it is, your best best is still the Nintendo Wii.

Sony got the jump on Nintendo on the active video game market, but no one noticed. Sony released a slew of games that worked with Eye Toy: Kinetic, Groove, Antigrav, Operation Spy, Play and Play 2. Play 2 is strikingly similar to Wii Sports, allowing you to box by punching the air with your fists, hit homeruns, and play table tennis.

Why did no one really notice Eye Toy? Why is Nintendo Wii getting so much attention?

Because Eye Toy DOESN’T WORK!

I thought I would do a head-to-head battle between Nintendo Wii Sports and the Sony Eye Toy, but all of that was cut horribly short by the fact that I couldn’t get Eye Toy to work well enough to even try to play the games. There are very detailed instructions on how to get the Eye Toy to work, but even with extra lighting in the room and the sensitivity turned up to the maximum, Eye Toy was a frustrating experience.

Additionally, the software required that we navigate through tons of menus and even try to input personal data before we could even adjust the Eye Toy. Bad programming and even worse execution makes Eye Toy worse than just a toy. It’s a disappointing and frustrating atrocity that isn’t worth the money.

If your kids are clamoring for a Wii and they already have a Playstation 2, don’t think that you will satisfy their hunger by buying an Eye Toy for the console that they already have. It will only be a pathetic letdown compared to the Nintendo Wii.

Here are some quotes from the reviews of the products on Amazon.com that explain the frustration level that comes with Eye Toy:

“I was so excited when I received this game. However, I had to clear out my entire basement and put in a floodlight for it to work with the eye toy. I can’t get far enough back from the screen and the annoying cartoon guy keeps telling me every minute or so to step back. If it wasn’t for that, it would be a lot of fun.”

“Some of the games are more frustrating than challenging, and the instrutions in the booklet aren’t very clear. Like most Eye Toy games, you have to turn on all the lights nearby and open the curtains to get decent enough lighting. Even when the camera is set to Dim Room. The video messaging is terrible.”

“This game is the best and worst of the eyetoy. When it works well it is an awesome game. When it doesn’t respond, which is way too often, then it sucks. I’ve tried lots of light, little light, freaking spotlights even. The problem is that when the camera craps out it totally removes all the enjoyment of the game. Say for example you are racing and all of the sudden the eyetoy thinks you are moving to the left (but you are standing up straight). So you try to compensate and end up crashing into a wall. You then pause the game and try to recalibrate. It works ok for a while and then it thinks you are ducking or you hand is your face or something. By this point you have lost the race and are cursing furiously. Repeat as necessary. It totally pulls you out of the game.”

Sure, Sony got the jump on Nintendo with active games that let you get off the couch and control the game with your body, but the execution was so poor that it ends up more frustrating for the player than helpful. Nintendo did things exactly right with the Wii. They waited until they had a system that worked with a light bar, gyroscopes and accelerometers. With all of that data, the accuracy rate on the Nintendo Wii is good enough that gameplay is seamless and enjoyable instead of infuriating.