Tag Archives: steering wheel

Smack Attack Steering Wheel Drum Kit: Drum & Drive

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Do you love drumming your fingers on your car’s steering wheel while you drive? If Gregor “G-Man” Hanuschak has his way, soon you can actually make drum sounds when you tap on your steering wheel. G-Man invented Smack Attack, a steering wheel cover with 8 touch sensitive sensors.

smack attack steering wheel drum kit

The Smack Attack needs to be connected to an iOS device to work. From its mobile app you can set what samples will be triggered for each sensor. You can download more samples as they become available from the Smack Attack website or you can load your own sounds. You can play along with music, play solo or – get this – play together with other Smack Attack users.

While its maker suggests that using the Smack Attack could help you from falling asleep at the wheel, it could also just distract you from the task at hand – driving.

Ready to go on tour? Pledge at least $149 (USD) on Kickstarter and you’ll qualify for one of the first Smack Attack units if it gets funded.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

Kolos iPad Steering Wheel Turns Tablets into Racers

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If you have an iPad other than the first-generation device or the new iPad mini and you want a steering-wheel shaped holder that you can put the iPad into for your racing games, then the Kolos might be for you. While they claim it’s the “First iPad Gaming Wheel”, Cideko actually holds that title.

kolos ipad wheel

The Kolos wheel is designed primarily for racing games, but also works with flying and other games that depend on you turning the tablet for control. The wheel’s main feature is a 12.3″ diameter steering wheel with an anti-perspirant rubber coating. When placed into the stand, it puts your iPad at a 70-degree angle and the wheel can be tured a full 180-degrees when its base is mounted to a desk or tabletop.

koloswheel

The Kolos can be had in two different versions, one including the steering wheel holder only for $50 (USD). The more expensive version includes that steering wheel holder and the base for $85. Both versions fit the iPad 2 and newer models.

The Kolos is on indiegogo seeking funding right now, though its future is far from certain. The project is seeking $150,000, and so far has raised a tiny portion of that amount. With 28 days to go, Kolos has only raised $750 – though in fairness, the project just launched. The project lists only four backers so far that each pledged $85. That adds up to less than half the pledged amount, so I’m not sure where the remainder of the money came from. The developers of the product expect to deliver in May of 2013. If you’re a hardcore racing game player on your iPad, this project might be worth backing.


Nokia patent filing uses steering wheel touch for media controls, turns your radio on with that lovin’ feeling

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Nokia patent application uses steering wheel touch for center stack controls, turns your radio on with that lovin' feeling

Nokia has only ever had a fleeting involvement with cars, but if it brings a just-published patent application to fruition, the Lumia maker could be front and center for drivers. The technology it wants would detect vibrations in the steering wheel to let the driver control music, GPS and other components of the car's center stack just by touching particular spots on the wheel itself -- no overabundance of buttons here. Underneath, it would use temporal sensing to register input, and filtering would prevent the wheel from interpreting speed bumps as cues to turn on the stereo. Nokia's mobile know-how mostly comes into play through the option of using a mobile device like a smartphone to handle tasks rather than having to build something directly into the wheel. Given that the company is currently cutting everything back, it's more likely to license the patent out rather than trying to build anything itself, if anything happens at all. Should the patent eventually come to use, you could end up tenderly caressing the wheel for all your in-car media controls... just be sure to buy it some chocolate and roses first.

Nokia patent filing uses steering wheel touch for media controls, turns your radio on with that lovin' feeling originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saginomiya driving simulator steers real car, isn’t quite Avatar on wheels (video)

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Most simulators act in isolation from the real world, so when we see one that breaks out of its virtual shell, we're more than a little intrigued. Saginomiya has designed a driving simulator that's directly linked to an actual car's components sitting on a six-axis motion system. The whole affair works as a form of virtuous circle for testing, where the real parts feed on the simulator and vice versa: since the simulator is based on the internal model of the car, it can translate road results directly to the suspension and steering of the physical components, which promptly loop around and dictate force feedback in the simulator through actuators in the steering wheel. Apart from creating what amounts to the real real driving simulator, Saginomiya's invention is a huge boon to automakers, which can test how key components work without having to build the whole vehicle first. Sadly, the simulator likely won't reach full-on Avatar levels and steer a car on a real road anytime soon, but it's engaging enough that we can see more than a few test drivers putting in overtime just for kicks.

Continue reading Saginomiya driving simulator steers real car, isn't quite Avatar on wheels (video)

Saginomiya driving simulator steers real car, isn't quite Avatar on wheels (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 00:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dads and Grads Gift Ideas 2012: The Steering Wheel Bluetooth Speakerphone

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The Steering Wheel Bluetooth Speakerphone is available at Hammacher Schlemmer for $79.95. Now that the end of the school year is approaching it is time to start thinking about what to get the...

Fanatec’s Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)

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Fanatec's Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)

Around these parts, we're generally suckers for all things related to racing simulators. As such, we're excited to learn that Fanatec has unveiled its next generation of the Clubsport pedals that we reviewed over a year ago. Dubbed as the Clubsport pedals V2, the company refers to the peripheral as an "evolutionary" update to original, offering a trio of improvements. The clutch has been retooled to have a "regressive feel" that's said to be similar to a real automobile, while the brake is now of the hydraulic variety, featuring user replaceable synthetic oil -- naturally, it still has an adjustable spring and load cell pressure sensor for the utmost customizability. The final touch is merely some visual spice in the way of black anodization. Notably, there won't be any tuning kit available initially, and V1 owners might be disappointed to know that the company has opted not to offer an upgrade kit, citing costs and potentially complicated installation. Fanatec is aiming to have the Clubsport pedals V2 out by June, bundled alongside its Clubsport wheel, with pricing set at $250 for the US (€250 in the UK). Pre-orders won't begin until May, so in the meantime, shift over to the source link below and the video past the break for all the details.

Gallery: Fanatec Clubsport pedals V2

Continue reading Fanatec's Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video)

Fanatec's Clubsport pedals V2 bring improved brake and clutch feel to the virtual speedway (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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