TVs you can talk to; a new controller for Xbox
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Talking to the TV is usually a sign of extreme agitation, mental instability or loneliness.
LG Electronics is set to make it a more rational behavior this year, with a range of TVs that respond to speech.
The company will sell a remote with its high-end flat-panel TVs that contains a microphone. You'll be able to speak into the microphone to enter text on the TV for Twitter updates and Web searches. You won't, however, be able to change the channel or control the volume by yelling at the TV.
TV makers will be showing off many variations of so-called "smart" or Web-connected TVs at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. LG Electronics USA revealed its new TVs Monday, a day ahead of the show's opening.
"Smart" TVs have been around for a few years, but two things are holding them back. One is that the conventional TV remote is a hopeless tool for Web browsing, typing and other PC-like behaviors.
"Anyone who's actually checked email on a 50-inch TV knows it's not a good experience," said Shawn Dubravac, head of research at the Consumer Electronics Association, which puts on the show.
As TVs become increasingly complex, more buttons are popping up on remotes. But that's a trend that can't continue, he said. Last year, LG introduced a "Magic Wand" remote that's motion-sensitive. This year, it's taking another page from Microsoft Corp.'s Kinect game console and introducing a 3D camera that perches on top of a TV and interprets viewers' motions, letting them control the cursor with hand movements.
The other thing holding back "smart" TV: Viewers interact more with the cable or satellite set-top box than they do with the TV itself. The set-top box is where you find shows and change the channel. Cable and satellite companies seem far less interested in revamping how people interact with their boxes.
- Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer
Console gaming occasionally gets a boost from add-ons that can make the standard controller more efficient to hold and operate. A new wireless mouse looks to replace the standard Xbox 360 controller altogether.
The FragFX Shark 360 ($89.99 from SplitFish AG) gives a new feel to popular shooter games such as "Call of Duty," "Halo" and "Gears of War." It features the familiar colored A-B-X-Y control buttons. What's new is a start/pause button just under the scroll wheel to freeze the action when needed.
The package also comes with a USB device that plugs into the Xbox and communicates wirelessly with the controller mouse.
Finally, there's an analog controller stick, dubbed a FragChuck, that is held in the non-mousing hand. The FragChuck has three triggers, various buttons and a thumbstick to walk or run the player's character through the game, while the mouse handles the aiming, shooting and other tasks.
The FragChuck also sports an up-down-left-right directional pad that can quickly toggle the player through an array of weapons in shooter games.
This rethinking of the controller changes the gaming experience like nothing else.
One thing to note, though, is that it's not completely wireless. I discovered that when I tried the Shark 360 for the first time. The USB device that I plugged into the front of my Xbox 360 had to be connected to a standard wired Xbox 360 controller as well. The Shark 360 won't function without that. The rest of the operation is wireless, however, and you are not tethered to the console.
With that slightly cumbersome configuration out of the way, I was soon up and running, blasting my way through a few levels of "Turok." My performance improved once I got accustomed to the sensitivity and speed of the mouse. The bottom of the three trigger buttons on the FragChuck allowed me to zoom in with my rifle scope, while a click on the left mouse button on the other hand took the shot.
It felt a bit more like PC gaming and a little less like the standard console approach. Overall, I noticed improved performance when strafing opponents. It was easier to center on targets by using my entire mousing hand and all of its muscles, rather than just a few in my thumbs with a standard controller.
It's not the best solution for all games, but it's a welcome bit of kit for some titles, particularly the first-person shooters.
- Ron Harris, Associated Press
