Take a look at this shocking photo that Sony doesn’t want you to see:

Here’s the story – so I plunk down to play Resistance online, right? (Which is a lot of fun I must say) But the PS3 wireless controller is reading “low battery”… even though it had been plugged into the PS3 via the cord overnight. Apparently it only charges when the console is ON. That’s… interesting, but the cord is quite short so it’s kind of hard to play (corded up) while charging.

Since [the controller] has a standard digital-camera style USB cable I figured the charging must occur via the +5 volt line so I sat my laptop on the coffee table (which was closer to my chair than the PS3) and plugged the SIXAXIS into that. Lo and behold it began charging the controller, and I could play the game wirelessly while it did.

While I am definitely not in the “Sony is doomed!” / “Wii60!” camp, I must say this controller thing is kind of lame. A lot of devices keep a +5 volt supply on the USB rail even when when main power is off, it’s odd that the PS3 doesn’t. Especially since it’s used to charge the controller.

Morale of the story – if you want to charge your PS3 controller overnight, plug it into the Xbox 360 or Wii’s USB ports – they have constant voltage, even in off mode (or “orange LED” standby on the Wii.)Â Even a lot of computers keep +5 volts on the USB hot. Weird. I should do more testing, but off the cuff this looks like another Sony misstep.

I have built a new model single-handed Xbox 360 controller, this time for the right hand:

Xbox 360 right-handed controller. The X “Guide” button is below the d-pad, hidden by my thumb.

This time it has a Velcro strap that goes around your hand to provide built-in leverage. In a normal controller leverage comes from your fingers holding the unit from below, but in this case we need every finger possible to work the buttons. As before the right analog stick is moved by tilting the unit against your leg.

All the action buttons can be reached with your 4 main digits.

For some more photos please visit this page. Unfortunately I have not been able to meet all, or effectively ANY of the requests I get for these things. Emails come in every day about it, and yet this is only the second one I’ve managed to build since December. It’s just too time-consuming, here’s the wiring just on the Xbox controller circuit board alone:

This part (which has its own little box) sits in your lap and is connected to the main controller by ribbon cable. It is the wireless version and has a battery pack.

The problem is, to do these in “prototype form” it costs a person much more than they should have to pay for a controller, and even then with the labor required I go in the hole over it.

Point being, somebody needs to manufacture these, even if Microsoft won’t. MadCatz? Interact? Somebody. Every day emails come in requesting this sort of thing, and it makes me feel sad and a little guilty that I came up with the idea but lack the capacity to help these people. Often times it’s a father with a disability, wishing he could play the games with his son… Or a friend trying to help another friend who was in a car accident. Cerebral palsy comes up a lot too… People just wanting to gain back a part of life most of us take for granted.

On the surface games may not seem as important as things like mobility or kidney dialysis, but in fact it is vital that people are enabled to do the things they enjoy, for without that, what is the point of living? It is not enough to live if you are not given the chance to thrive.

We can continue on our usual path of just throwing money at problems and charities and “calling it a day”, or we can start coming up with some good solid ideas and really make a difference in people’s lives.

Here it is, only the second Atari 2600 portable I’ve made all year:

Click image for a larger version

I had a request to build a new VCSp a few months ago and the person said I could “go nuts” with the design. So I decided to use my long-lost “folding screen” design as sort of seen below.

For whatever reason this was going to be called the “VCSp Liquid” and I did this sketch on my PDA back around the 2001 Classic Gaming Expo in Vegas. Years later (last month) I thought it’d be cool to try and make a small as possible VCSp along these lines.

Top lid of the closed unit.

To see internal photos, read the making of and check out the bonus section click the link below. While this unit was too highly customized to make it “mass produced” I am curious to see if there’s still an interest in the old 2600. All I get these days are emails about Xbox 360.

Article Links:

VCSp Revision 7 – “Making Of”

Check out my 10 input 1 output electronic SCART switcher:

SCART is a type of plug on TV’s and electronics equipment in Europe. It includes audio, composite video and even RGB signals. This device lets you plug in 10 SCART sources and select which one goes to your TV. Internally it actually uses bus switches to bank the signals, instead of mechanical switches as signal switchers often use.

Above is a really good example of why it doesn’t always pay to “go cheap” and not have a circuit board professionally made. A few hours of this and $100 for a board starts looking really nice. Oh well, maybe next time!

Are multiple input switchers like this something people would find useful? Let me know your thoughts (maybe I’ll order PCB’s this time)