Software Review
Use Your Head Plus CD ROM
by T. R. Cardwell
Ok, we all know I like to game and spend a lot more time doing it than I should.
I had heard about Use Your Head Plus, but have not read or seen any reviews
on it. I jumped at the chance to try it out when Rick offered it to me.
When I got the box, I did not have a clue what to expect. Would it be an attachment
worn on the head, would it be a 3-D viewer or would it end up being one of those
"virtual" gizmos?
The product contains a CD-ROM and a camera that has a USB plug. The instructions
are to install the CD and plug the camera in the port. They also give you the
option to use a camera already installed.
The whole concept is that the camera follows your head movements and becomes
an additional "controller" in games. Either up and down or right and
left are the axis movements.
It is killer using it in First-Person Shooters. I almost reached the same levels
as my daughter using it in Tomb Raider II. In Quake, I could find the baddies
and blast them away. You can customize settings for different games and alter
sensitivity. A word of caution: it doesn't work real well with NASCAR III. If
you move your head even with the slightest of motion, you bang into other cars.
It works extremely well with a lot of my flight SIMS.
I use a Saitek Cyborg game stick with programmable settings for over 8 different
movements. Use Your Head Plus does NOT replace a game pad or joystick. Rather,
it enhances game play and your attention can remain on the screen. This comes
in super handy playing Death Matches.
I tried using the camera for other things, but was unable to find drivers for
it anywhere on the NET. I ended up using my present camera and setting Use Your
Head Plus to work with it. It works great. I had some installation problems
initially, but after sending e-mail to CyberNet I received an answer in less
than 10 hours apologizing that the CD got gimped up by an outside contractor,
and was given the installation code.
The product works well and performs better than I expected. Installation is
easy and the instructions are simple to follow. Support is great, too.
Use Your Head Plus is produced by CyberNet and distributed by Macmillan USA,
Inc. 201 West 103rd Street Indianapolis, IN 46290
www.macmillansoftware.com
www.useyourheadsw.com