A former Border Patrol agent who was paralyzed in a rollover accident several years ago has come up with a brilliant invention -- and it all started because Luis Peña wanted to get back to playing video games.
When Peña was an agent, he was pursuing drug smugglers when his car rolled over. He was in a coma for a month and when he woke up, he discovered he couldn't move anything below his shoulders -- but he wasn't about to let that stop him.
Peña loves video games, but after his accident, how could he possibly play them again? Then it came to him.
"..I need to learn how to play this, get back to playing this..I needed some interaction," he said.
The remote for the Xbox is small. Luis can't move his fingers to use it, but he can move his arms and wrists, so he came up with an much larger remote.
"The RT which are the trigger buttons are right here and the bumper buttons are in the center so all the buttons that remote has for the Xbox are right here and then in my chin stick," explained Peña.
The buttons are very sensitive. If Luis brushes against them, they work! There's an oversize joystick and a chin stick for up and down movements. Using the technology he developed, Luis plays video games like a pro.
This unit has been for sale since just after Halloween and already they have sold 20 of them -- some to folks in Europe.
Luis says he's not in this for the money.
"I am not after the dollar signs. I am about helping other guys."
The LP pad costs $399. Luis hopes as he manufactures more of them, he can bring the price down.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 11:01 PM EDT2013-06-19 03:01:57 GMT
Photo courtesy of @N42_21_W71_04)
Riders should anticipate some changes but "near normal" service on the Long Island Rail Road for the Wednesday morning rush.
Riders should anticipate some changes but "near normal" service on the Long Island Rail Road for the Wednesday morning rush. Crews have bee working to repair tracks and switches after Monday's derailment.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 9:50 PM EDT2013-06-19 01:50:52 GMT
FDNY photo via Twitter
Emergency responders rescued a worker who was trapped when a trench collapsed Tuesday evening at a Queens construction site that was supposed to be closed.
Emergency responders rescued a worker who was trapped when a trench collapsed Tuesday evening at a Queens construction site that was supposed to be closed.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 8:34 PM EDT2013-06-19 00:34:07 GMT
It's a sight that can trigger dread. The low-battery message appears on your cell phone when there's no charger around.
It's a sight that can trigger dread. The low-battery message appears on your cell phone when there's no charger around. Now New York City has teamed up with AT&T to install 25 solar powered charging stations over the summer.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 4:55 PM EDT2013-06-18 20:55:38 GMT
A man accused of fatally shooting a gay man walking with a companion in New York City's Greenwich Village pleaded not guilty.
A man accused of fatally shooting a gay man walking with a companion in New York City's Greenwich Village afterward claimed that he opened fire because the victim "thought he was tough in front of his bitch," prosecutors said in court papers Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 3:32 PM EDT2013-06-18 19:32:12 GMT
NYC
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers' homes are now in evacuation zones that cover more than a third of the city's population, under new maps released Tuesday.
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers' homes are now in evacuation zones that cover more than a third of the city's population, under new maps released Tuesday.In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, officials said last month, the number of zones would double and encompass about 600,000 more residents.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 3:05 PM EDT2013-06-18 19:05:09 GMT
Police are looking for a man who stabbed another man in Times Square Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.The victim was stabbed in the chest, the NYPD and FDNY said.
Police are looking for a man who stabbed another man in Times Square Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.The victim was stabbed in the chest, the NYPD and FDNY said.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 12:20 PM EDT2013-06-18 16:20:04 GMT
The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange.
The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange.
