Note: The white-colored prototype referred to in this post is a one-of-a-kind built for a customer that requested it. A custom configurably production model, shown directly below, called the Access Controller and described in this post, is forthcoming and will available for mass market purchase from eDimensional. Stay tuned to Benheck.com for further information…

The prototype of the forthcoming production model Access Controller..

Now, back to today’s custom controller…

Recently I was asked to build another one of the right-handed controllers, and I thought I’d talk about it on the site a bit.

A single-handed controller with a swell bank of LED’s. Large version.

This isn’t the production model that I’ve been working on with eDimensional, you can read more about that here. But this is a refinement of a right-hand only design, similar to one I did last year.

Main trigger area. It swivels a bit to accomodate the fingers. Large version.

As before the right analog stick is actuated by setting this controller against a leg or table. An elastic strap/Velco attaches everything to your hand. For more photos, check the rest of the story.

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Continue reading New single-handed controller →

Last month we did a shoot here in Verona for a segment on G4’s X-Play. You can take a look at it using the link below. Enjoy!

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/20666/Will_Work_For_Games_Custom_Console_Creator.html

Today’s Hack Pick of the Week is a really well-done Super Nintendo portable by Brian Henderson.

Using a stock case from Polycase.com and a lot of good old fashioned elbow grease he created the slick SNES portable you see above. I think it’s quite well done. For more photos and information you can check out his “Making Of”, contained in our very own forums.

Making Of

Finished Photos

Xbox 360 Elite-based laptop. Click here for a larger version.

Well after a long process my new Halo 3-inspired Xbox 360 laptop is complete. It has some new features compared to past units:

• 120 gig Elite hard drive.
• HDMI-to-DVI video connection for digitial picture on the LCD (versus VGA on past mods)
• Uses an Xbox with the new 65nm processor die.

In a departure from my usual design asthetic, this one has a lot of surface detail. Click here for a larger version.

Click here to view the Demonstration Video, large and small.
This unit, like all of them, was done by request and thus already spoken for. I do not plan to build any new Xbox 360 laptops in the near future, since they tend to be quite time consuming and I’d like a bit more variety in my life. That said, for the making-of story click below. Enjoy!

Note: Though I am tired of Xbox 360 laptops I am always up for other design consultation or custom jobs – email me.

Continue reading Xbox 360 Elite Laptop →

For the last year or so talk of the new, fabled 65nm Xbox 360’s have circulated the interwebs. Now – in this brave year 2008 – I have installed one of these newer  360’s in a laptop-type enviroment, to replace a Zephyr Elite I had been using.

What will Ben find? And at what temperature?

For a temperate-difference breakdown – done in an incredibly scientific manner as usual – see the rest of this article.

Continue reading Testing a new 65nm Xbox 360 in a laptop configuration →