Games and gear

49 iPhone games that would rock with a controller

Apple's opening up iOS 7 like nothing before it, allowing and even encouraging the use of game controller hardware that will finally bring physical buttons to iPhones, iPods and iPads.

This has been done before, of course, but not with Apple backing those efforts. Companies like ION Audio and its iCade have brought hardware add-ons, though they required developers to tweak their games in order make those things work. This new option from Apple also requires that, but aims for a standardized set of controls that developers can plug into their software, and that come baked into Apple's … Read more

The 404 1286: Where we're tired of zombies (podcast)

On today's show we're welcoming Dan Chiappini from GameSpot Australia along with 404 veteran Scott Stein. We'll briefly recap Scott's time down at WWDC but then get right into some more E3 talk where we make Scott feel jealous about missing what was probably the biggest E3 in something like seven years. Dan think he knows why Nintendo refuses to open its "vault" of games and we all wonder how the company can rebound from a bleak E3 showing.

We're also chatting about the mundane abundance of shooters at E3, the lack of innovation, and which games actually piqued our interest.

And be sure to enter CNET's awesome "From Old School to Tech Cool" contest that's currently underway on our Facebook page!

- Follow our new buddy Dan Chiappini on Twitter.

- Make sure to do the same for 404 veteran Scott Stein.

- Catch up on Scott's and the rest of CNET's WWDC coverage.

- Give CNET's E3 2013 page one last skim.… Read more

PIP biosensor makes you relax to win games

I don't generally consider gaming to be a relaxing activity. If I'm taking out zombies in Resident Evil, I'm on the edge of my seat. But it doesn't have to be that way. The PIP biosensor on Kickstarter wants gaming to be the road to relaxation.

There are two parts to this system. The first is the bionsensor that you hold between your thumb and forefinger. It communicates via Bluetooth to your Android or iOS device. A suite of game apps is available that works with the bionsensor.

Relax & Race, for example, lets you control … Read more

The 404 1285: Where E3 is no place for fanboys (podcast)

I don't get it. I'm gone an entire week and there's not one show. I get back, Justin's gone, but I still have to do one. What's up with that? Luckily it's a non-issue. Today we've got CNET HDTV editor Ty Pendlebury on the program to help me wrap up the chaos that was E3 2013 and filter out some of the new-found disgust I have for videogame fanboys. You know, the worst kind of fanboy.

- Check out Jeff's slideshow showing the most exciting games of E3.

- Play catch-up by looking back at the rest of CNET's E3 2013 coverage.

- Follow Ty on Twitter.

- ESPN drops 3D, four years after the rest of world has already given up on it. … Read more

iOS 7-ready game controller hardware spotted

Apple quietly announced upcoming support for game controller accessories at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference last week, though missing was any sort of hardware from Apple or third parties.

Shortly thereafter, Logitech and PowerA confirmed to CNET that they would, in fact, be releasing iOS game controllers, though neither tipped its hand as to what those controllers would look like.

Game site Kotaku now posts a blurry shot of what it says is Logitech's effort -- a gamepad with four action buttons, a D-pad, and a slot with a Lightning port for an iPhone 5 or fifth-generation iPod Touch. … Read more

Explore 360-degree 3D models of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4

Even if you've seen a plethora of images and videos showing the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 from every possible angle, the following high-quality 3D renders, with 360-degree pan and zoom, give you a fuller impression of each console.

Using modeling programs like Blender and Maya, designers JC Volumic and Sylvain Bernard created very accurate 3D renders of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The interactive experience, hosted on Sketchfab, lets you check out just about every conceivable angle of the two highly anticipated gaming devices. Most modern smartphones should be able to view these renders, too.… Read more

Friday Poll: Are traditional gaming consoles on their way out?

The gaming world is all aflutter with the impending debut of the latest and greatest gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony. It's been fun debating their strengths and weaknesses and design aesthetics, but this could potentially be the last go-round for the dedicated living room gaming console.

CNET Senior Editor Dan Ackerman talks about why he thinks the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 may be the last of their kind. One major factor is the move away from gaming on discs and the shift of entertainment consumption over to streaming services like Netflix.… Read more

Crave giveaway: Travel gear aplenty from accessory maker Kanex

Got any summer trips planned? This week's prize would like to join you. We're giving away a package of travel-friendly gear from Kanex, maker of connectivity products for Apple gadgets.

Here's what the winner gets:

A DualRole, which adds to your laptop three USB 3.0 ports and a connection to a secure wired network using gigabit ethernet. A mySpot travel-size wireless access point that lets you set up your own private, secure Wi-Fi network. A DoubleUp dual USB wall charger that lets you power two mobile devices at once.… Read more

Video gamers outperform nongamers in vision test

Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present your deep thought of the day: People who play video games are better at playing video games than people who don't play video games.

OK, new findings out of Duke may be a bit more complex than that, but there's not much of a spoiler alert to this one. Hours spent at a gaming console seem to translate directly to a test, taken at a computer, of how the brain tracks visual stimuli, according to a new study at the Duke School of Medicine.… Read more