It might seem like the Playstation 2 is going the way of the dodo, but it’s not even close to burning out. That’s because Sony Europe’s developer relations manager George Bain announced that it’s no longer necessary for developers to submit upcoming titles to Sony for content approval. This makes the Playstation 2 officially an open platform, allowing indie developers to make their own games without having to pay licensing fees.

You’ll still have to purchase a development kit if you want to create anything worth playing, but with a little persuasion and charm, you can get Sony to lend you one. You’ve also got a better chance of kicking Chuck Norris’ ass.

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Here’s a new take on the classic Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots toy everyone remembers from when they were young. Tamiya’s Robocraft boxing robots are very much like the classic game, except you build the bots yourself. Sure, they might not look like “Bolt Crusher Bob” and “Gear Grinder Greg” but they’re just as fun.

Each robot operates on a wired remote, not a joystick at the base of the platform. With just a simple adjustment, you can switch between two punch types: upper-cut and straight jab. You know you’re going to be using the upper-cut. After all, it’s what JCVD* would use.

* - Jean-Claude Van Damme

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Stuart was in the market for a more comfortable controller for his rover platform. Unfortunately, all R/C controllers are flimsy and not so conforming to one’s hands. So instead, Stuart used a PlayStation 2 gamepad and totally DIY’ed himself a new controller for the rover. Operating wirelessly, the PlayStation controller controls the rover in such a way that you feel like you’re playing a video game. Could it be because this controller is a gamepad? We’ll never truly know.

Nintendo may have been the pioneers of the D-pad, but Sony perfected it. You wouldn’t want to control your rover with anything else.

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Hot damn! Believe it or not, the above display and handsets are for a new platform from Open Peak called Open Frame. It lets IP-based devices talk to each other over the network and acts as an entertainment hub. Built-in WiFi and Ethernet will let you check your calendar, YouTube, text messages, address book, email and more. All powered by a new Intel Atom processor, which helps keep the design small. It looks like a beautiful interface. Here’s to 2009, hoping that some company will use Open Frame wisely.

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Apparently, NXT STEP blog reader DTAAX’s watch must have broke, which would explain why he designed this LEGO sundial. This DIY finds a new way to tell time the old way. It was built using the LEGO NTX platform (plus a PDA for trigonometric functions) using a slew of light and touch sensors, allowing the sundial to perform like any other sundial save that it’s powered by three motors.

After the LEGO set rotates for some time, Bluetooth communications are sent out which detail the exact magnetic point in which the maximum level of light had been seen. It is accurate within fifteen minutes of actual time, so don’t go using it for your next dentist appointment despite it having a better track record than traditional sundials. Unfortunately, it will not fit in your LEGO backpack like a normal watch or clock would.

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We’ve seen a lot of neat stuff made with the Arduino processor, like that Mad Hatter top hat or the gigantic keyboard. With the infinite possibilities the Arduino offers, where are all the games made for this development platform?

Enter the ArduGame, a hand held device that runs a small game that has yet to be named. Using an OLED display and the controls of an old Sony PSP, the folks at BricoGeek have crafted a fine piece of gaming hardware that could potentially put the portable Atari 2600 to shame. It finally proves that the Arduino is a fun and flexible tool for game programming.

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Seems acrylic bongs weren’t enough. Now acrylic case mods are all the rage. Of course, this also makes your computer easily modifiable and upgradeable because everything isn’t packed away in some wheel of cheese. Adding and removing cards, memory and storage has never been easier.

The acrylic cases were designed by Digital Cowboy who are calling it the Acrylic Cowboy. Several different styles are available, ranging from the standard orange platform, to the bad ass smoke gray design which places your motherboard at a special 25-degree angle, ensuring without any doubt that you’re one extreme dude. Now, if you put your PC in a black box case mod, you’ll be anything but extreme. They’re available in Japan from $37 to $101, but be warned, these case mods are not water-proof. Take a flight, don’t swim, or you’ll be drinking your own urine for hydration.

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For a software platform that was discontinued 14 years ago, the Commodore 64’s legacy and fan base is still going strong. The Cincinnati Commodore Computer Club’s held its 2008 C=4 Expo at the Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky from June 28-29.

In celebration of the LAN party status at C=4, a new Commodore 64 game was unveiled, called NetRacer. Up to eight players can race together, either over the internet or they can LAN it up with some ethernet cartridges. A little late on its release, don’t ya’ think?

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Unless you have a pre-teen daughter, this YOUniverse Funk Fone should never been seen in your posession. So what part is the “Fone”? The shoe. Just lift it off of the massive platform base, and you have a fully functioning phone that belongs more in a “gentlemen’s club” than your daughters bedroom. So apart from the major problem of a company called YOUniverse (can we get more self-centered?), this Funk Fone only costs $20. Please don’t let this low cost peak your interest. It is not worth it. Oh yeah, it’s close to a foot tall! And about the title, please don’t take that seriously either. — Nik Gomez

YOUniverse Funk Fone [via UberGizmo]