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Not too long ago, David Finland built a device capable of communicating with just about any model of iPod via the dock connector using an Arduino Nano, PodGizmo breakout board, an old USB iPod connector, and a momentary switch. While it may not sound like a big deal, there is more to it than one might think: namely programming a device (in this case the Arduino Nano) to be able to receive, interpret, and respond to messages sent from an iPod. 

This means teaching it to speak Apple Accessory Protocol and, although proprietary in nature, it has been fairly well documented around the Internet. Finland slung some code so that his iPod touch was hooked up to one of the famous Staples Easy buttons in his car. Now he could easily play and pause his iPod touch without having to fiddle with the on-screen controls.

Fast-forward several months and Finland had all but forgotten about the project when he was asked by the folks that run Make magazine to talk about it. In particular, they wanted him to talk about the library he created for communicating with Apple’s portable audio players. He said yes, and decided to dive back into the project and attempt to add additional functionality to the project. 

Finland's first go around only involved tackling the the Simple Remote portion of the Apple Remote Protocol, which handles things like mute, next playlist, skip, and turning the device on and off. With newfound interest, however, he has now tackled the Advanced Remote portion, which opens up a bevy of new functionality, including getting names of songs, albums, artists, and track time; toggling shuffle and repeat mode; and all the other neat functionality that iPods have.

This newly released library of code will surely appeal to the do-it-yourself hackers who love tinkering, soldering, and programming. Someone could theoretically even build his or her own iPod speaker solution with a plethora of different options and feedback. The more daring could hard-wire a solution to a car’s in-wheel audio controls. Personally, I envision some sort of bicycle solution that docks the iPod on the handlebars but allows riders to control the device without taking their hands off the handlebars. An even more enterprising individual could rig something like this up to a sudden motion sensor so that when someone enters a room, the iPod begins to play.

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Sony uses its GDC 2010 press conference to name its PS3 motion controller and demonstrate a variety of upcoming motion-related games.

The U.S. Federal Appeals Court again upheld a ruling against Microsoft in the i4i case.

It's not every day that you see a major tech company being called a "jealous and arbitrary feudal lord." Today, Apple holds that distinction.

SAN FRANCISCO — At a GDC event today, Sony showed off its new PlayStation Move controller, along with a number of games. The audience response was positive, but the demos shown, including sports games and sword-and-shield-style battles, seemed both inspired and informed by what the Wii has done before.

In fact, while Sony claimed that for under $100 you'll be able to get the PlayStation Eye, a motion controller, and a game, almost all the demos were played with two motion controllers. There is also a second controller, much like the nunchuk, used during the SOCOM beta. Sony, it seems, will require you to have two Moves, and the secondary controller. 

The demos included archery, boxing, and golf, all of which are things we've seen on the Wii, and which will be bundled together in a game called, as of now, "Sports Champions." The other demo game looked very much like Eyetoy, but with augmented reality. You hold the controller, but on the screen you see a paintbrush or a tennis racket. It's very impressive technology, and seems very solid. Another game turns the controller into a fan you use to blow chicks into bird nests. Very cute.

LittleBigPlanet is another Move demo; the player with the PlayStation Move helps the Sackboy get to the next area. "Motion Fighters," which is, again, a working title, is a fighting game. You can lean to make the fighter move, and you have to actually punch. The Move Subcontroller is the nunchuk, so you'll need one of those as well. (This is getting expensive.)

SOCOM 4 is coming to the PS3, and you'll be able to play with the Move and the Subcontroller. It looks just like Wii first- and third-person shooters, at least in terms of controls. The technology was integrated "very quickly, with very little overhead."

We'll have a chance to go hands-on with these games at the event's conclusion, so expect impressions and photos later. The technology looks solid, it's real, but it all looks like things we're already used to from the Wii. Sony is banking on consumers buying these products to get a motion-controlled experience with high-definition graphics. A risky gamble.

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