Mad Catz has designed a wireless QWERTY keyboard for the PS3 Sixaxis controllers, but who are you going to talk to, cancer? I can see this becoming much more popular once PlayStation Home comes out, or, you know, more games. Its plug and play technology is compatible with Web browsing for up to 61 different keyboard characters, leaving all the PS3 buttons still accessible while in use. Even once more games are out I still won't be buying this though, clipping into the top of a controller is a terrible idea, but hey, it's Mad Catz, what did you expect? Microsoft wins by default. Wait, nevermind, they both lose.

The PlayStation 3 Firmware 1.7 update is now available, here's what you can finally do with your PS3:

• The ability to play PS1 games on your PS3 (you can download from the PS store and play the games on the PS3 as opposed to having to play on the PSP).
• You can plug in any PS1/PS2 accessory and it will work and work with rumble. This means that you can plug in a PS2 controller if you happen to have a PS2 USB adapter, and it will rumble in PS2 games. You also can use steering wheels and any other vibrating accessory.
• You can transfer your PS1 data to a PSP memory stick, and play on there. So you can copy your PS1 data to your PS3 through the memory card adapter, and then copy it onto a memory stick so you can have your PS1 saves for the PSP games you have.
• PAL backwards compatibility has been greatly improved (according to NeoGAF). One user reports GT4, Devil May Cry 3, MGS2 works, Gradius V, Jak 3, Soul Calibur 3, Ratchet and Clank 1 and 2, all are outputting at 576p as well.
• If you press triangle on your login (if you have multiple logins) you can set which one you want to auto-login.

Is this "this is living" yet? Because I'm ready to start living, I'm just waiting for the official word from you, Sony. Take your time.

Lots of updates are coming to Xbox 360 on May 7th for the spring update. The Achievement notices will now be more detailed, showing which achievements were unlocked, as well as its corresponding gamerscore value. You'll also have more family settings available for Xbox Live video and voice chat. And there's also going to be more Xbox Live Arcade download options, and low-power downloading options that will shut the system off once they're finished. 

Ok, that's the small stuff, now for the eye opener. Windows Live Messenger will launch on the 360, letting gamers type and talk to others on their 360s, PCs, or mobile phones. How are you going to chat with up to six others from your contact list? Not the shitty 360 interface keyboard, check out the pictures below for the first look at the Xbox 360 QWERTY keyboard that connects into the bottom of the controllers. No price for the keyboard has been mentioned yet, but you can also just plug in a USB keyboard. Looks only moderately lame, not nearly as bad as this. For all the specifics on the dashboard updates, you can watch this video.

Long time TheLastBoss readers will remember the "stripper sized NES" from months ago. Looks like someone finally tracked down the stripper that fits inside, here she is trying to play old school games with buttons the size of her hands. It's cool seeing a giant NES and NES controller, but what I really want to see is a two story NES light gun. This controller isn't really functional, but if it was I'd try to use it like a DDR pad. We've seen someone beat Super Mario Bros. using their feet, but if it took a whole foot just to run and another just to jump, could you speed run the game and manage a triple A rating? I'd go straight for Paranoia World 8-2 and start stomping.

No new pictures of the odd third party Wii controllers, just new release date and price information. The "Wand Remote Controller" will retail for $49 in America, and be released on September 28th. And the "Funchuk Controller" will be out on June 29th for $20. If that's too expensive for a more fancy vibrator, then Amazon UK is offering them for $39 and $18. You either love or hate Mad Catz controllers, and in the past it's almost always been the majority of gamers hating them - we've all had multiplayer nights of "winner of one round has to play with the Mad Catz controller next round." The Nintendo 64 controller with no handles was the most annoying gameplay devices I can remember, but now that the vertical layout design is the Wii's style, a more curved "wand" might be a nice Christmas gift for people still in need of more Wiimotes.

Urban Retro found this old school gamer bag, and you can check out the tutorial on how to make one of your own here. This accessory screams for strangers to come up and play with it. If you actually used the "NES Pad" you'd have to put up with false alarm theft threats all day long as mischievous gamers came up and pressed your buttons. If Jack Thompson Wears Prada, then what hell are we supposed to wear? Where's our Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo fashion lines? I don't go out of my way to let people know I'm a gamer, but if mall brands are going to overcharge me no matter where I shop, I might as well spend my money on something I'm proud of. Like official NES kicks and Xbox 360 wheels. Sony "we own your balls" boxer shorts would be nice too. And for a limited time it's buy one get one free if you shit yourself when you see the price tag.

Yesterday Shigeru Miyamoto talked about a few rejected Wiimotes that, thankfully, didn't make the cut. Here's the video that was being played behind him during that portion of the  keynote speech. The first one they show is a squished octagonal wreck that has a lot of wasted space, and the one that follows it has got to be a joke - it looks more like a gamer girl scout's merit badge for having sex with a controller. The next one resembles the new cameras with spinning screens, but it doesn't look very useful as a controller. And finally, with the last one you can see how the Wiimote design progression began. All they had to do was get rid of some buttons and figure out the nunchuk would be a better way to make money and piss off parents.

The Sony news continues this week as their ongoing law suits finally play out in court and agreements are made. Back in 2002 Immersion sued Sony for using their patented technology in their PlayStation and PlayStation 2 controllers. Asking for $299 million dollars in reparations, Immersion Corp.'s court advancements in 2004 threatened to halt American sales of PS1 and PS2 consoles, controllers, and any games that use their "vibro-tactile" technology. Years later, the two have finally compromised and settled the case. Yesterday they came to an agreement:

"Sony will pay San Jose-based Immersion $97.2 million in damages and interest . . . Sony will also pay $22.5 million in licensing payments through 2009 plus an unspecified amount of fees and royalties."

When you factor in the amount Sony already paid, the total amount reaches a little over $150 million dollars. Quite the setback when you've just put so much money into your PS3 launch, and still have yet to go public in Europe, but the benefits should outweigh the costs in the long run: 

"In return, Sony will get unspecified rights to some of Immersion's patents and will explore ways to include the technology in future PlayStation products. No further details of the business arrangement or terms of the deal were disclosed."

Sony doesn't think the money transfer will affect their latest earnings forecasts, but stock market traders in Tokyo noticed the news and in after hours trading Sony's stock fell 6.2% to 5,830 yen ($49.36), while Immersion's shares jumped 32%. It's good to see this court case finally come to an end so that Sony can move on with their PS3. Kaz Hirai and the rest of the Sony crew were obviously happy to put this in the past, but no new Sixaxis controller news has been announced yet.

Crap! I missed my exit on the highway and the airport runway plane noises are growing softer - I can't miss my trip to Vegas! I'll get us there one way or another, gotta keep this article quick while I make a U-turn.

Just in case you missed it, Sony recently tried to pull a fast one over on us. We might have been able to convince them to get rid of the ugly boomerang controller seen to the left, but they refuse to be forced into using force feedback. Right now I'm on the highway headed back to the airport and can feel a flat tire underneath me as I type - this can't be good start to my trip to Vegas, but at least I've got my steering wheel's force feedback to enjoy. See yuh later Gran Turismo suckers, Sony just left you in the dust.

The Guitar Hero charity event came and went, and after everyone sobered up they could all agree on one thing - JMillerid's 2 custom made Guitar Hero controllers were the coolest thing at the show. You can check out his step by step construction of his custom controllers here. As cool as it looks, I can barely play songs on expert - his spread out keys would make the game impossible for me.