Slashdot Mirror
Domain: iogear.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to iogear.com.
Stories · 3
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Overwatch Director Speaks Out Against Console Mouse/keyboard Adapters (arstechnica.com)
Striek quotes a report from Ars Technica: Regardless of where you fall in the long-running debate between keyboard/mouse and analog stick controls, you could historically be relatively sure that everyone on a single platform would be playing with the same control scheme. Recently, though, third-party adapters have started allowing console players to use a mouse and keyboard effectively on dedicated consoles, throwing off the competitive balance in a way that Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan doesn't appreciate. "The Overwatch team objects to the use of mouse and keyboard on console," Kaplan wrote on the Battle.net forums. "We have contacted both first-party console manufacturers and expressed our concern about the use of mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices. We have lobbied and will continue to lobby for first-party console manufacturers to either disallow mouse and keyboard and input conversion devices or openly and easily support mouse and keyboard for all players," he continued. "I encourage you to reach out to the hardware manufacturers and express your concerns (but please do so in a productive and respectful way)." Kaplan is talking about products like the XIM4, a $125 hub that lets certain USB keyboards and mice work natively with some Xbox One and PS4 games (as well as PS3 and Xbox 360 titles). IoGear's $100 Keymander does much the same thing, claiming to be "compatible with all console games." These devices essentially emulate a standard controller through a combination of hardware and software settings, disguising the keyboard and mouse inputs in a way that makes them hard for a developer to detect. This is a problem in competitive online games like Overwatch, where the quickness and precision of mouse aiming can give a decisive advantage over players using a slower and clunkier analog stick. -
Self Cleaning Mouse
mikesd81 writes "LEWIS Wire is reporting on a self-cleaning mouse that disables the survival of bacteria with an auto-disinfecting surface. From the article: 'According to a recent survey from the University of Arizona, the average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. Despite this, office workers rarely have time to clean their desktops frequently or thoroughly enough to be effective. As a result, the presence of microbes contributes to the spread of pneumonia, the flu, pink eye and strep throat, among other extremely contagious viruses.'" -
Apple Input Devices on x86?
PimpBot asks: "So, after using a Apple G4 Tower, I fell in love with the Apple Pro Keyboard. Unfortunately, being a poor recent college graduate, I can't afford a shiney new QuickSilver Tower. Does anyone know a way of using the Pro keyboard on a x86 box? The keyboard is USB, which hopefully means I can just plug it on an x86, and have it work under Linux and Windows. Of course, I don't really want to blow $60 unless I know it'll work. Anyone out there know the answer?" Unfortunately, Apple's page on the keyboard doesn't address this. Anyone out there using these, or finding glitches?Apple made good keyboards (depending on taste) before anyone thought of USB, too -- It looks like iogear.com sells hardware that will let you attach that old Extended II (search for "ADB") -- but of all the keyboard-sharing hardware and software listed at macwindows.com, nearly all of it goes the other direction (PS/2 --> Mac). The Griffin iMate claims to turn your ADB keyboard into a generic input device under USB-friendly versions of Windows. Can anyone vouch for the effectiveness of going with Mac input devices through such adapters?