""If that light intensity value exceeds a predetermined threshold we know we need to hold down that key and actuate the strum bar after a predetermined delay," explains Ivan Gagne, "while the note travels down the screen to the bottom play line."

The pneumatic fingers hover over the Guitar Hero peripheral, which is housed in an aluminum box frame. The guitar peripheral has also been modified to include a Wiimote inside it.

The idea was to demonstrate Cyth Systems' expertise in integrati..."

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[Eric] Really put some care into this. You can see that he wanted this to be something he could actually use and show off. The integration of the FM transmitter into the unit was very well done. The transmitter is controlled through the controller's start and select buttons and powered from the controller's battery compartment. He mounted the transmitter's display into the controller as well.

This modification fits nicely in the Guitar Hero hacking tradition. We've seen several before ..."

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We've seen a lot of Guitar Hero bots in our time, but we're pretty certain that Mechanized Rock's take on shredding automatons is something special. The system -- dubbed DeepNote -- actually watches the on-screen action with "eyes" that it uses to analyze notes, which the bot then plays in real-time. Using photodiodes aimed at the screen, the components pick up changes in light within eight nanoseconds, then convert that information to brazen, parent-shocking, full-throttle rock n' roll. ..."

"I’m not going to defend Guitar Hero: On Tour as a stand-alone: if you want the absolute Guitar Hero experience you really should grab the real deal for whatever console you may have. It’s a lot cooler and more social to jam out with full-sized guitars. But even though Guitar Hero: On Tour might not feel like playing guitar, it definitely feels like playing Guitar Hero: it’s an excellent portable representation of the full experience, and it’s incredibly hard to think of any way to do it bette..."