Unfortunately, the guys at Maximum PC didn't have any USB 3.0 devices to run the card through it's paces. All we know is that Windows 7 boots fine while once it's installed, and it gets similar USB 2.0 transfer rates to other controllers out there.

That said, we all know that USB 3.0 is going to be blazing. As long as the card performs anywhere near as fast as we expect from USB 3.0, the fact that it'll be out "soon" and won't cost much is good enough for me. [Maximum PC via CrunchGear]

Really, this controller-gone-bug is the work of Industrial Design student James Killinger. Using just three screws from an external source, he rearranged and reattached the joystick's parts to create this completely new form. (There's not even much fudging with mass since 70% of the joystick's original components are seen in the recreation.)

Now if only Sega had released the gruesome robo-insect controller in the first place instead of the typical version directly above, we might all be playing Sega Siis right now, and it would be Sony/Nintendo releasing all the Sonic games...somehow or other. [coroflot]

First, a little history, so you know why we're writing about this upside-down-looking controller that never got released. Before the PlayStation, Sony and Nintendo teamed up to create a CD-ROM add-on to compete with Sega, who was experimenting with their own (destined for failure) add-on. This would have been the controller to that system. Unfortunately for Nintendo (and Sega, really), the partnership broke up and Sony went and created the PlayStation, which promptly conquered the world.

I love seeing this kind of remnant of how things might have been, even though I'm glad Nintendo and Sony didn't release a likely-disastrous Sega CD competitor. The last eBay auction of this controller ended at over $3,000, so the reserve is probably pretty high. Still, this would be a prize item for any game collector. [Thanks, Ben!]

The camera is manufactured with a Sony 3-megapixel CMOS sensor by Point Grey, and will be presented at the Intel Developers Forum this week. The USB-IF—which controls the SuperSpeed USB certification process—says that they expect USB 3.0 devices to arrive to the market at the beginning of 2010. [Engadget and Electronista]

• Zeemote's JS1 Wii nunchuk mobile phone game controller that's been bundled with Sony Ericsson phones for a while now is finally available individually. In theory, it should be able to pair with any Bluetooth enabled phone, but for now RIM, Sony Ericsson and Nokia are the only manufacturers to really support the device. Blackberry developers have had access to the SDK since October of 2008 to add Zeemote functionality to their games. As a result, Gameloft's entire catalog of Blackberry games are compatible with the Zeemote, and many more titles are likely to come now that the controller is widely available. You can grab one today from RIM's online store for $39.99. [Mobilecrunch via Crunchgear]

• Iomega has a new NAS out that's aimed at small and home business owners. The ix4-200d comes with four user-replaceable SATA II hard drives in 2, 4 and 8TB capacities. It also comes with a pretty healthy list of features, like selectable RAID 5, RAID 10 or JBOD drive configurations, Time Machine support, and device-to-device replication so the entire contents of the NAS can be easily transfered to another unit. If you're looking to get something for home use, there are less expensive solutions out there, and certainly more fun options in the form of DIY NAS projects. If you just need something that's ready to go out of the box, though, the ix4-200d looks like a solid contender. Starts at $699 for the 2TB, but the maxed-out 8TB will run you a cool $1,900. [Digital Trends]

The CR200 is available by itself for $350 and as part of the Sonos 250 Bundle for $1000. You save a little bit on the bundle since the ZonePlayer 120 and ZonePlayer 90 are $500 and $350, respectively. If you're not familiar with Sonos, it's basically a very fancy (and expandable) Airport Express-like unit to get music throughout your house. Our previous review of the last gen ZP80 was good, but the ZP90 and ZP120—this gen—are much better. They're both capable of streaming music either over your network, or wirelessly through a $100 ZoneBridge unit.

The main competitor to the Sonos controller isn't actually the last-generation Sonos controller, it's the free iPhone/iPod Touch app. With an iPod Touch coming in at $230 ($120 less than the CR200), using that to manage your music or internet radio and piping that through different rooms in your house seems like the natural (and cheaper) choice, seeing as the thing also doubles as an iPod Touch when not controlling your rig. Why would someone want to use the CR200? Because it's good.

Somehow Sonos managed to get the multitouch as responsive and as usable as the iPhone. Scrolling, flicking and even typing are taken directly from Apple's user interface designs, and thus, should be instantly familiar to just about everyone now. The screen is bright, and the blue theme throughout the controller is classy—unlike the blue iPhone app, which is just slightly tacky looking.

Click for gallery

But that's not why it's better. It's better because it's got a better user interface. You can arrange songs, adjust volume, configure zones, jump back into the Zones menu, adjust your queue, and do just about everything faster than you can on the iPhone app. Getting where you want to go takes fewer clicks. Sonos decided to put more effort into the CR200 (probably because it's not free in the app store) in order to drive sales of the controller, and it shows. It's not as if you can't do the same things on the iPhone app, you just can't do them as well or as fast.

The downside to the CR200 is that its battery doesn't last all that long, so you need to remember to dock it whenever you're done using it. You can leave it in your living room or your bedroom or wherever and it'll sync wirelessly to any ZonePlayers or ZoneBridges you have around your house. The range is fantastic, and has no problems penetrating three stories-worth of floors and walls to control music.

Basically, the CR200 controller is exactly what you'd expect from Sonos. The whole full-house music streaming still has that distinct taste of being futuristic, even though the prices are down to somewhat reasonable levels now. Given a few more years for prices to drop and for these things to be integrated at the builder and installer level for new homes, it'll become as ubiquitous as CAT5 wiring is now.

The Sonos CR200 is great at what it does and it's super easy to use, but it's still pretty damn pricey at $350. Sonos knows what kinda customers they're looking for: people with the extra money to outfit their house, Bill Gates style, with music in every room. No mere Airport Express would be enough for them, they want quality and they're not afraid to spend a little bit more for it. And that's the CR200. [Sonos]

Bright, very usable touchscreen

Better UI than the free iPhone/iPod Touch app

Good range, battery life

Costs $350

$31 will get you the pretty case with fake buttons, and two compartments: One for your business cards, the other one for the cards you collect. Or, alternatively, one for rolling paper, and the other one for papers with a lot of small funny pictures on them. See, I'm full of good ideas. [Geek Stuff 4 U via Akihabara News]

First of all, games would have to be compatible with the controller, and given that so many games are dependent on the accelerometer (hell, the "looka that!" sensation of the accelerometer is the driving force behind a ton of these games), the Gamebone wouldn't work with a lot of the most popular games in the App Store. Plus, the Gamebone doesn't physically attach to the iPhone itself; it probably connects via Bluetooth. The makers say they'll supply a vertical and horizontal stand for the iPhone, but that's still sort of awkward for what's supposed to be a handheld device.

But these guys have a great grassroots feel: They're asking users to suggest a price point for the Gamebone's hopeful release in September, and we're all for expanding the iPhone's gaming capabilities. Let's hope they quell some of our concerns before then. [Kotaku]

After being asked about the motion controller's relevance compared to the Dual Shock and PS Eye, John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing for Sony responded:

It won't be a new Dual Shock. The Dual Shock is the defacto and it always will be. This will be a component that can be used for a variety of games.

Indeed, even when we question Koller as to whether or not we could expect a PS3 motion controller bundle at its release, he hedged, explaining that bundling motion with every PS3 "might not make sense."

In other words, motion controls may be in the PS3's future, but they aren't the future of the PS3—a somewhat different perspective than Microsoft has of their motion control peripheral, Project Natal.

[Etsy]

Created by BenHeck.com forum member Hifeno, this slick little operator is perfectly suited for playing fighting games such as Street Fighter IV, but would probably get you iced pretty quickly in a game of, say, Call of Duty.

Not that you've got a shot at using this thing. It's a one-of-a-kind creation, not for sale, only for drooling over. [BenHeck.com via Technabob]

According to the WSJ's sources, the new technology will give players "more accurate control over games" than earlier z-depth cameras. Apparently, it may debut as early as next June at E3 but it won't be released until 2010. [WSJ]

Microsoft showed off a "Write in the Air" system developed in China. You can write with a gyro controller or in thin air, using a camera. Is it next for the Xbox?

You can't help but notice the giant Xbox logo there on the screen, and the researcher I talked to said that it would be a great system for the Xbox or for Microsoft interactive TV. Still, when I pressed him, he said he didn't know of any immediate plans. Whatever, it makes sense, except maybe the part where he grabs an orange and uses it as a stylus.

If the rumors are true, the orange makes a lot more sense now, don't it? Not that I'm any less skeptical of these kind of controls actually working for gamers in the real world. PSEye, anyone? [Giz@Microsoft TechFest]

The picture looks a little weird—the Xbox and sensor bar do seem a bit Photoshoppy to us—but it definitely sounds intriguing. The sensor bar supposedly has a built-in camera and mic, though Engadget's tipster has "no idea" how it works.

The deal is that you'd have full-body and hand gesture controls—it'll pick up "small gestures" like pinching and grabbing on top of punching and kicking—more video conferencing in games, and you can "move" objects. I kind of hope you won't control fighting games by actually fighting, 'cause then I'd never pull off a piledriver with Zangief in Street Fighter IV. Yes, it does sound like a more evolved version of the PS Eye in some ways.

The whole thing seems a bit too advanced to be true, but maybe Microsoft really has cracked the key to perfect motion controls. E3's in June, so the mystery won't stay one for long. Update: Actually, Microsoft gave us a clue at Techfest in February showing off "writing in the air" with an Xbox logo that makes this seem more likely: [Engadget]

This tiny machine measures about 4" x 11" and is less than 0.5-inches thick. The OP-1 features color-coded and user-friendly design and an OLED display. Connect the OP-1 to your laptop to control your software sequencer or use it as stand-alone synth. Transfer recorded music from your computer via the USB 2.0 port or sample beats from the handy built-in FM radio. You can also record tunes into the built-in microphone and share your work through the built-in speaker or connect external devices. Check out a sound test posted on Boing Boing. 100 pre-release OP-1's will be sent for beta-testing "when the time is right." Soon, we hope. [Teenage Engineering via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Doesn't look like there's any water in the pipe, and there's no way it's still functional, but any and all McGuyvering of marginally illegal substances must be championed. So, um, champion! [Thanks, Brian!]

Disney Star Guitarist, made with help from Washburn Guitars, uses the same style of "falling notes" that Guitar Hero and Rock Band use so well. But instead of cheap plastic buttons that mock my years of slaving over a sweaty fretboard, trying to learn some shitty Dave Mathews Band song so girls at college would sleep with me, Star Guitarist makes use of a real guitar. The special strings are included with the $200 game, and can be strung onto any standard guitar. Disney Star Guitarist, along with similar versions for keyboards and vocals, will be released for both PC and Mac this summer. [Wired]