Alienware X51 launched
January 19, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
Dell’s Alienware brand is one that targets gamers, and I for one, am extremely glad that Dell did not water down the Alienware brand after they acquired it many years back. Alienware continued to maintain their own range of high powered, high quality gaming PCs, although those tend to veer towards the bulky side. It would be very rare for someone to lug their Alienware machines to another’s house for a LAN party – but all of that might eventually change as of today, thanks to the release of the Alienware X51.
This is the company’s smallest gaming desktop to date, but do not let its small size fool you. Capable of high performance capability, the Alienware X51 was specially designed to deliver an exhilarating 1080p high definition and 3D gaming experience, cramming in high class performance in a smaller chassis design that will be able to look perfect in just about any room (except maybe for being in the kitchen).
The Alienware X51 boasts a dual-orientation chassis that supports 7.1 surround-sound audio, in addition to an optional Blu-Ray disc drive just in case you want to enjoy your collection of Blu-ray discs on this instead of on your PS3 or dedicated Blu-ray player. Running on Intel’s second generation Core i processors, the X51 will also be equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce GT or optional GTX class graphics cards, Wireless-N technology for easy Internet access, HDMI 1.4 for connecting to 3D TVs and watching 3D Blu-ray movies, a couple of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio and GDDR5 graphics memory.
Even the entry-level configuration is something that will drop your jaws – we are looking at a Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 graphics, and a 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive, enabling it to yield an average 34 frames per second in Battlefield 3 – at high settings, and in a resolution of 1080p. Is that jaw dropping or what? To top it all off, the starting price of $699 is definitely a deal clincher for many, I believe. Will you be getting the Alienware X51 as your primary gaming rig now?
Ubuntu TV making its debut at CES
January 9, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
Canonical’s Mark Shuttleworth promised that Ubuntu would come to TVs eventually, but we never expected it would arrive so quickly. A concept preview is here at CES for convention goers to get their eyeballs on and we’ll be swinging through the company’s booth to get some hands-on. For now it’s largely a technical demo and concept, but there are already some neat features on display like a 3D dash, searchable guide and streaming video apps. The goal, the company says, is to “uncomplicate television” by removing as much of the paraphernalia that accompanies it — primarily the boxes and cables.
LG Cinema Screen
January 9, 2012 by admin · Leave a Comment
CES 2012 will be the place where LG Electronics introduces their latest LG Cinema Screen Design that will see action in a range of new Cinema 3D Smart TVs that are headed your way this year. The bezel of this Cinema Screen has been reduced to a mere 1mm, resulting in a more optimal and comfortable environment especially for immersive 3D viewing. According to Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company, “The 3D experience is still evolving and we at LG intend to push the limits of what 3D can deliver. With our 2012 CINEMA 3D Smart TVs, we have been able to take a significant step forward, thanks to a series of new and upgraded 3D features led by the CINEMA SCREEN Design.”
A bezel of just 1mm is certainly something interesting to look at – if you can see it, that is, considering how slim it is. The removal of such physical obstructions will pave the way for a greater immersion of 3D effects, making you think back of how watching a 3D movie in the cinema felt like for the first time. LG will make sure their new Cinema Screen Design is accompanied by the new Cinema 3D glasses that are being slated for a 2012 release as well, where the latter will feature a trio of elegant-looking models that are 20% lighter compared to its predecessors, increasing the comfort level so that you can enjoy 3D movies longer than ever before.
This kind of optimal setting is perfect for immersive 3D viewing, and when one applies the theory of 3D TV technology, Dual Play has been slated to be the suitable solution for an ultimate gaming experience. The introduction of LG’s Dual Play function and the special Dual Play glasses will enable players to view two entirely different full images, compared to the traditional split screen display where you only have halve the screen to focus on. In addition to that, 3D Sound Zooming will generate audio output so that it will be synchronized with the location and movement of the various on-screen objects, enabling immersive sound to complement immersive visuals.
Needless to say, the new Cinema 3D Smart TVs will be equipped with LG’s Smart TV function that sports over 1,200 apps, while you are also able to enjoy premium content services like 3D World, immersing yourself in an abundance of 3D content – as long as you are willing to fork out the dough, that is.
Ubislate 7: India Gets Second Low-Cost Tablet – For US$57
December 23, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
India is getting a second government-sponsored tablet. The first model (the so-called Aakash) sold out in just a few days after it was launched online last week, but maker DataWind has already followed up with another 7-inch model, the Ubislate 7. It was actually announced a few weeks back, but is now available for pre-order, priced at US$57 (US$10 more than the original Aakash), and features much better specs.
The Ubislate 7 comes with the following features:
* Android 2.3 (Aakash: Android 2.2)
* 7-inch touchscreen with 800×480 resolution
* Cortex A8 – 700 MHz CPU (Aakash: Arm11 – 366MHz)
* 3 hours battery life – thanks to the new 3200 mAh battery (Aakash: 2100 mAh)
* Wi-Fi and GPRS connectivity (the Aakash was Wi-Fi only)
* HD video playback
* 256 MB RAM
* one USB 2.0 port
* 2GB internal storage, which can be expanded to 32GB via microSD
Customers in India can expect to lay their hands on the Ubislate next month. DataWind will produce, via QUAD Electronics in Hyderabad, about 1,000 units daily.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus available in the U.S.
December 15, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
It took a while but it’s finally here. The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be available in the U.S. starting TODAY (Thursday).
The smartphone — the first device to run Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system — will be sold at Verizon for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. It will run on Verizon’s 4G LTE network.
Here are some of the phone’s highlights:
– Redesigned user interface: Software navigation buttons, a first for Android smartphones, and a dedicated recent apps button to make multitasking easy.
– Face unlock: Use state-of-the-art facial recognition to unlock the Galaxy Nexus.
– Android Beam: Share Web pages, apps, contacts and YouTube videos with friends by tapping two compatible phones together.
– Redesigned camera: Introduces panorama mode, 1080p video capture, zero-shutter lag for instant photo capturing and effects such as silly faces and background replacement.
– People application: Browse friends, family and co-workers, see their photos in high-resolution and check their latest status updates from Google+ and other social networks.
– Cloud services: Keep email, contacts, photos, music, browser bookmarks and other data synced to the cloud, available across multiple devices so customers never lose important data.
– Google Music: Upload up to 20,000 songs to the cloud and stream it instantly on Galaxy Nexus and from the Web for free.
If you want the phone you will have to get Verizon Wireless’ Nationwide Talk plans beginning at $39.99 monthly and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly for 2 GB of data.
You want it?
MLB 12 The Show Video Game Update
December 9, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Video game baseball is about to get a little – check that: a heckuva lot – more realistic. And it has Sony’s PS Move to thank for it.
For years, gamers have spent inning after inning perfecting their timing, learning to pick out pitches, then jamming on a button to hit fastball into right field seats.
But in “MLB 12: The Show,” everyone will have another incredibly enticing option. The Move controller, that horrible magic wand of a gadget that’s been collecting dust on many a shelf for the last few months, can now serve as a baseball bat, meaning you can take every at-bat in every inning of your 162-game franchise.
The System Update checked the game out on Wednesday, and we came away impressed. Sure, we played the Move-enabled Home Run Derby in “MLB 11: The Show,” but could developer SCEA San Diego take that element to the next level?
It does, featuring the fluid hitting throughout the game. The Move handles responsively as a baseball bat, and there’s nothing more engaging than hammering a CC Sabathia slider into the cheap seats.
Sony’s Move can differentiate various swings, and it does it with relative accuracy. If you pull your shoulder back and “load,” it reads that as a power swing, and if you attempt to check your swing, the game can read that, too. It’s all instantly immersive, and it easily adds tremendous drama to each and every at-bat.
It’s also incredibly difficult. I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly headed for next year’s MLB Draft, and if not for pitch-guessing and quick button-pressing reflexes, my virtual Albert Pujols would never smack a single home run, so the idea of stepping into the batter’s box against a pixelated Jared Weaver is not a pleasant thought. You don’t have much time to recognize pitches in this game, and while each and every at-bat is exhilarating in its realism, it’s also frustrating once you realize that you’re, well, not anywhere close to MLB-ready.
SCEA San Diego realizes this, though, and they’ll do their best to help you along. Miss a fat fastball, and the game tells you if your timing was too early or too late, if your swing was on track to connect with the ball, and the like. It all helps you along, and, in theory, it will eventually help you hone your timing.
Timing is of the essence, too. Foul balls happen with great frequency because by the time you recognize a pitch – and figure out where it’s going – it’s right on you, and, like an aging MLB veteran, you’re swinging defensively to just keep your at-bat alive.
But the final game will include a bit more margin for error than, say, Derek Jeter vs. David Price. Devs told me that there would be serious difficulty tweaks before the game ships. SCEA San Diego realizes that few couch potato gamers sport Griffey-sweet swings, so simpler difficulties will provide a greater margin for error. Expect a rookie difficulty that has a huge sweet spot and lets you drive the ball as long as your timing is adequate.
Pitch-guessing will not disappear, either. You will still be able to get what one dev called “contact bonuses” and “contract deductions” by guessing pitches, but don’t be surprised if you forget all about that once you fall into the regular rhythm of hitting.
At the moment, though, fielding and pitching leave much to be desired. It’s admirable – necessary, actually – that Sony remaps both features for Move usage, because it keeps the Move in your hands and keeps you immersed. But throwing to bases involves a rather foreign point-at-the-base interface that seems like it belongs in the next “Dance Dance Revolution.” Pitching, meanwhile, is still partly button-driven, so don’t expect to be getting into your windup and tossing your Move at the big screen.
“The Show 12’s” Move functionality could certainly use a few tweaks, but from what we’ve seen, it’s no gimmick. Instead, it’s a far more natural way to play the game, and it’s fluid enough to bigtime baseball fans with only a casual interest in video games. Think about it: It’s light years easier to pick up a Move and hit than it is to choose your swing style and guess pitches and do all the other insanity that now proliferates in baseball video games.
It also highlights one of the few uses in which the Move is superior to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect. For all its no-hands potential and amazing motion-sensing capabilities, I have yet to find a baseball video game that plays well with the Kinect. I need – nay, want – a baseball bat in my hands when I get ready to hit, and the Move is the perfect size and weight to function as imaginary lumber.
It’s realistic, and it seems like incredible fun.
If, of course, it’s not too hard.
‘TIS THE SEASON FOR . . . GIFT GUIDES
Christmas shopping for video games isn’t easy, and the System Update knows that well. That’s exactly why, starting on Monday, we’ll provide you with a series of gift guides, stepping you through the best, worst, even quirkiest gaming selections in a variety of different categories. Just because we’re nice like that. So make sure to check back next week, so we can help you with your shopping.
CONTEST: READY TO STEP INTO “RAAM’S SHADOW”?
Yes, “Gears of War 3” had a great ending. But no, it’s not all over. On Tuesday, Microsoft will release “RAAM’s Shadow,” the second DLC for the landmark Xbox 360 game. The DLC promises to tell an entirely new three-chapter tale, and – even better – it will let gamers step into the shoes of Locust General RAAM, the final boss from the original game.
Best part? We’re going to help hook you up with the DLC, and the rest of Microsoft’s “Gears 3” Season Pass. That means you get “RAAM’s Shadow” as well as the already-released Horde Command pack, and two other future “Gears 3” DLCs.
To win, just retweet this week’s System Update and put @ebenezersamuel somewhere in the tweet. Feel free to rave about the System Update in your tweet, too. You’ll be giving us a little bit of publicity, you’ll tell everyone how much you love us, and best of all, you’ll be entered to win one of three Season Pass codes, courtesy of our friends at Microsoft.
Happy tweeting!
TURBO BOOST
All that “MLB 12: The Show” goodness, and here’s one more thing to get you excited: You’ll be able to save a game on your PlayStation 3, then continue it on the go on your PS Vita. If, that is, you can get ahold of a Vita when it’s released in late February . . . Speaking of the Vita, Sony refuted those nasty rumors that you can only store one PS account on your Vita. PS accounts will be locked to your memory cards, not your Vita unit itself. And yes, that sound you hear is every prospective Vita owner heaving a sigh of relief . . . The iPad version of EA’s “Dead Space” is currently 50% off on iTunes. Grab it, before it’s too late . . . Even better deal? The Android version of “Age of Zombies” will run you all of 10 cents on Saturday . . .
LG Nitro HD Review
December 4, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
To start, I want to say that this isn’t an awful phone and I want to applaud the fact that I think LG is moving in the right direction in terms of design. However, the LG Nitro HD simply isn’t the fastest, nor is it the most visually appealing phone on the market. LG made about as many good design choices as it did poor ones, in my opinion, and the software just doesn’t do anything to help it out.
The real shining star here is AT&T’s 4G LTE network, and unfortunately I’ve only been able to access that for a few minutes. That said, it seems to be rock solid showing download speeds between 17 and 20 megabits per second. Then again, there are only so many people playing on that network right now so it’s hard to make judgements.
Hardware:
The Nitro HD hardware shines in a few select spaces: the screen, the shape, and the textured back panel. Obviously the 4.5-inch 720p display can be considered the left cheek of this phone’s moneymaker (LTE being the right), and it does a good job at living up to the hype. We’re seeing great real-life color reproduction, and little to no differentiation between pixels.
The shape of the phone feels great in the hand, and this coming from someone who prefers boxier builds like the Droid RAZR. It has rounded corners and a flat face and back, which makes such a large phone a tad easier to grip. The top edge the phone has squared edges, and then curves off around the sides and on the bottom. It’s 10.4mm thick, which is the exact midway point between the HTC Rezound and the Droid RAZR. Not thick, but not anorexic by any means.
Then there’s the back panel. LG seems insistent on building plastic phones, which tend to feel a bit cheaper and less sturdy than phones made of metal. That said, the textured finish along the backside of the Nitro HD definitely makes the phone feel more solid and high-end than it actually is. Unfortunately, the majority of the phone, including that back panel, doesn’t take prints well at all.
But for all the good, there’s plenty of bad. The micro-USB port along the top has a plastic covering which will no doubt break off at some point. Plus, I’m not all that fond of placing a micro-USB port square in the middle of the top or bottom of a phone, as it makes it hard to do anything in landscape when the phone’s plugged in.
I’m also not all that thrilled with this strip of grey plastic connecting the black bezel to the rest of the phone. It simply works against all the work that textured back panel did to make this phone feel more high-end. In terms of sturdiness, I’m not all that convinced that the Nitro HD has the most solid build quality either.
It creaks quite a bit when stressed, and if you put any pressure on the back panel you can feel it move around a bit, like it’s not securely latched on.
Software:
When speaking on software I must first do some back-peddling when it comes to earlier statements. I do, in fact, have some complaints when it comes to software performance on the Nitro HD. I didn’t notice when doing preliminary tasks just how much Android lags and stutters when switching between home screens and scrolling. Web surfing wasn’t any better, with the entire screen freezing up and then jumping into position during any form of pinch-to-zoom.
LG’s Optimus overlay isn’t all that bad, to my surprise. The weather and social networking integration baked right into the UI are actually quite pleasant and seem to function quite well. The UI itself isn’t terribly obtrusive, but I fear that it may be contributing to the annoying lag I’m steadily growing impatient with.
You’ll find a handful of AT&T bloatware-style apps, along with Amazon Kindle, Qik Lite, MOG Music and Zynga Poker HD pre-loaded.
Camera:
I’m actually pretty enthusiastic about the Nitro’s 8-megapixel camera. While it is a test in patience getting from home screen to snapped picture, the end product is exactly what you hoped it’d be. We saw really clear color reproduction, though the pictures do stray into greenish/greyish territory when using flash in low-light situations.
The video capture capabilities performed well, too. It normally takes a second for a mobile camcorder to adjust from a sunny scene to indoors, but the Nitro HD’s camera did it quite quickly.
Performance/Battery Life:
To start I have to say that the speaker (lower-right portion of the back panel) on this phone is pretty underwhelming. Watching YouTube videos and talking on speakerphone was a struggle. Even with the volume all the way up, it makes you wonder what the point of a 4.5-inch HD screen is when you’re constantly holding the phone up to your ear.
When you can hear it, watching video on the screen is a joy, as is playing games. The same lag that plagues the OS in general — from multi-tasking to opening/closing apps — doesn’t seem to be present during gaming or video playback. A nice change of pace.
I’m also impressed with the battery life on the Nitro HD. I got a solid eight hours out of it (around five hours of setup, browsing, talking on the phone, gaming, taking pictures and watching video; the rest was standby). This may not sound like enough, but the truth is that most 4G LTE-capable phones suck wind in the battery department and eight hours is saying a lot. It’s also worth noting that I had the screen brightness turned all the way up.
Conclusion:
The Nitro HD is like a box of chocolates, you don’t know what you’re going to get. While watching video and playing games was a great experience, doing simple things like browsing the web or scrolling through the phone book was tedious. Some design choices (like that micro-USB mess) we could’ve done without, while others (like that back panel) are a great step in the right direction for LG.
At $249 on a two-year contract, I’d say a lot is riding on whether or not you live in one of AT&T’s LTE markets and just how well AT&T’s LTE network performs. So far, things are looking pretty good on that front so I’d suggest doing a little research on whether you’re covered and perhaps picking up a Nitro HD (or a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket or HTC Vivid) and seeing how you feel about AT&T’s new network.
BookBook for iPhone
November 15, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Twelve South BookBook for iPhone 4/4S
We’ve all been there – arriving at work with a spring in our step, only to discover we’ve completely forgotten to wear anything below the waist. Nightmare! Come to think of it, that was just a nightmare… but it’s all too easy to leave your house in a morning and forget your important stuff. Thankfully, at least when it comes to remembering your wallet and mobile phone, life just got a little bit easier.
The BookBook for iPhone is a genuine leather case that not only protects your iPhone, but serves as a wallet too. With sections for credit cards, a clear window for your photo ID, and space to hold notes it has everything you need when you’re out and about.
Your iPhone slots snugly into the specially-designed pouch, with the BookBook’s oversized hardback covers protecting it on both sides. Thanks to this classic design, all of your iPhone’s essential ports remain accessible. So you can use all of the iPhone’s functions and discreetly listen to your music with earphones.
True to its name; when closed, the discreet case looks like a leather pocketbook – easy for would-be thieves to overlook and harking back to the days when we’d carry something similar for telephone numbers, addresses, notes and birthday reminders. Ah, how times change! Or not, as the case may be.
With the classic looks of a well-thumbed tome and the functionality of a wallet and iPhone case combined; the BookBook is essential for those of us prone to leaving our lives in our other trousers. Now all you have to remember are your keys.
Atari Arcade for iPad Review
October 27, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
By now you may have seen ThinkGeek’s iCade, the cabinet that transforms your iPad into a legitimate arcade. Well, Discovery Bay Games has just produced a new take on the “iPad Arcade”. The Atari Arcade for iPad 1 and iPad 2 is not an entire cabinet, but rather a more practical and affordable arcade board for iPad to pop into. It features a joystick, four arcade buttons, and a clean retro design. Download Atari’s Greatest Hits app and you can enjoy all of the classics like Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command.
The Atari Arcade for iPad is passive and doesn’t require it’s own power source; it’s powered by iPad. The only downside to this is that it uses a little extra iPad battery and there’s no way to charge iPad while it’s attached. Just like the classic arcades, there’s a nice sized joy stick and four big buttons with good spring back action. There’s a regular 30-pin connector for iPad to dock into. On both sides is a slide lock to secure iPad into place. While the Atari Arcade would be best played on a flat surface, it’s portable and light enough to play it on your lap, or even your stomach if you’re laying down. There are rubber grips on the bottom so it won’t slide around a surface during intense game play.
The Atari Arcade relies on the Atari Greatest Hits app. Outside of this app, the joystick and buttons don’t do anything. The Greatest Hits apps brings you 100 classic Atari games, with Mission Command for free. All 100 games costs $14.99, or you can buy any of the 25 game packs for $1.00.
The arcade games include: Asteroids, Battlezone, Black Widow, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Liberator, Lunar Lander, Major Havoc, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, Red Baron, Space Duel, Super Breakout, Tempest, Warlords. Then there is also all sorts of Atari 2600 games like Backgammon, BlackJack, Bowling, Casino, Codebreaker, Golf, Gravitar, Hangman, Home Run, Math Gran Prix, Chess, Pinball, and more.
Nokia Lumia 710
October 27, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Nokia Lumia 800 might be the flagship Windows Phone handset for Nokia when it rolls out, but if you are on a tight budget and want to give Windows Phone a chance and yet do not know where to start, who do you turn to? Some say that you need not look elsewhere, as Nokia also has a more affordable model for those curious about Windows Phone, where Nokia World 2011 saw the announcement of the Nokia Lumia 710.
The Nokia Lumia 710 takes on a more youthful appearance, where it has the ability to exchange back covers in different colors to suit your mood and fashion sense for that particular day – bringing back memories of those Xpress On covers in the past. Well, enough about history – the Nokia Lumia 710 is clearly future forward in terms of software, which we will cover in greater detail after the jump.
Too bad it comes only in black and white colors, but at least the back covers have a far wider range to choose from – black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow. In front lies a 3.7″ display at 800 x 480 pixel resolution with a ClearBlack TFT which is touted to deliver great looking colors as well as readability in bright sunlight. When you flip the Lumia 710 over like a burger patty, you will find a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with an LED flash that also does HD video recording at 30 frames-per-second.
Since nearly everyone and their dog has a social network these days, you will find the Nokia Lumia 710 accommodating in this aspect, boasting full integration of Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In, letting you share your freshly snapped photos with but a couple of taps on the screen. Internet Explorer 9 will be the mobile browser of choice, where it will also play nice with a gamut of modern HTML5 web apps.
Opening up the Lumia 710′s chassis will reveal the same 1.4GHz processor, hardware acceleration and graphics processor that is found on the Nokia Lumia 800, accompanied by 8GB of internal memory and 512MB RAM. Connectivity options include quadband radio reception, 3G up to HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Expect the Nokia Lumia 710 to hit Europe first for around $270, followed by other parts of the world later in the year and early 2012.