Overclockers UK announces new series of mean-sounding gaming PCs
With
names like Karambit, Tanto, Katana, Scythe, Sabre, Rapier, Dagger,
Scimitar and Machete, Overclockers UK's new custom-made PCs sure do pack
a punch.
With
the cheapest model listed at $475, there are plenty of options to chose
from ranging from simple air-cooled setups to complete custom-looped
water cooling beasts. Assembled and overclocked on site by Overclocker
UK's system builders, each PC comes with a 3-year warranty and
labor-free upgrades.
Complete with Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, the Blade Line of gaming
desktops is a continuation of Overclockers UK's Atomic and special
edition Project CARS models.
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Chroma is everywhere with Razer's Tartarus Gaming Keypad
If
you're looking for something to add to your complete gamer collection
or mobile laptop gaming station, Razer has just announced its new Chroma
version of the Tartarus Gaming Keypad - set to provide users with extra
functionality and frags in their favorite games.
Complete
with 25 programmable keys and a Chroma 16.8 million color lighting
setup, there's the addition of an 8-way directional thumb-pad and
ergonomic wrist-rest to round out the whole package.
Personalized lighting, macros and more can all be set up through Razer's Synapse.
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Europol trying to combat Islamic State social media recruiting efforts
Europol
wants to combat the Islamic State online, trying to keep track of
almost 50,000 Twitter accounts with suspected ties to the terrorist
organization. The United States seems to doubt its own
ability to fight IS online, and the group continues to recruit new fighters and young women into its ranks in Iraq and Syria.
If
all goes according to plan, the new efforts would be able to shutdown
Twitter accounts within two hours of creation - and is designed to be an
"effective way of combating the problem," said Rob Wainright, director of Europol, in a statement to BBC.
However, trying to identify and track all social media accounts with suspected IS
ties is not feasible.
"We
will have to combine what we see online, with our own intelligence and
that is shared with us by European police services, so we can be a bit
more targeted and identify who the key user accounts are... and
concentrate on closing them down."
There seem to be no easy answers in the global fight against IS, both on the battlefield and on the Internet.
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Project Cars 2 announced, will be bigger and better than the first
Slightly
Mad Studios has officially announced a sequel to Project Cars is
entering development, with Project Cars 2 to follow its predecessor in
being crowdfunded. Project Cars 2 will hit the Xbox One, PS4, PC and
Steam OS. You can check out all the details, and fund Project Cars 2
right here.
Project
Cars 2 will be much bigger and better than the original, with 50 unique
locations, 200+ courses, dynamic time of day and weather, 40+ different
vehicle classes and a cooperative career. Slightly Mad Studios teases:
"Building
upon the huge success of Project CARS being one of the highest-rated
and fastest-selling racing games of this generation, Project CARS 2
continues to expand, innovate, and dominate with:"
- THE LARGEST TRACK ROSTER EVER - 50
unique locations and 200+ courses including 'loose surface racing' on
dirt, gravel, mud, and snow. All will have dynamic time of day and
weather allowing you to play anytime, anywhere
- THE WIDEST VARIETY OF MOTORSPORTS with 8 different
disciplines now including Rallycross, Hillclimbs, and Touge. 200+ cars
from over 40 different vehicle classes including never-before-seen
Concepts and Banned Race Cars
- CO-OP CAREER - Play as the Teammate Driver, Spotter, Driver
Swap, or Co-Pilot. More choices, more opportunities, more strategy,
greater risks and greater rewards
- SEAMLESSLY CONNECTED - Socialize and compete via Online Track
Days, have players from around the world take the place of
AI-controlled drivers in your solo play, and get news updates on the
Driver Network around you
- PRO ESPORTS RACING - Skill & Behavioural-based
matchmaking, create your own Online Racing Seasons, and Live Broadcast
and Spectator functionality
- YOUR HOME FOR RACING - Your own personal, customisable Test
Track to tune and test your cars. Invite others to showcase your passion
for racing and learn race craft and engineering with the Project CARS
Academy
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EUROCOM adds another beast laptop to the market, the P5 Pro Extreme
Complete
with an Intel Core i7-4790K or i7-5775C desktop processor, an
upgradable NVIDIA Quadro of GTX 900 series graphics chip, 32GB of RAM
and with capacity for up to 5.2TB of total storage, Eurocom has come out
of the blocks swinging once again with this amazing piece of
technology.
There's
also the option throw in an AMD Radeon R9-M290X if that is what you're
more interested in. Set to power the highest available models 15.6-inch
4K QFHD screen, it will certainly look amazing either way.
With two M.2. SSD slots on hand to solve all of your storage
needs, PCIe SSDs are further supported for optimal performance. If
you're interested in more information, head to the official announcement
here.
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CS:GO sells big in Steam Summer Sales, followed by The Witcher 2
Taking a look at the
Steam Spy summary of Steam's recent Summer Sales thanks to
Games On Net,
you'll come to notice that Valve's Counter Strike: Global Offensive
sold up big this time around - netting 606,696 sales, marking a 4.46%
increase in owners, $4.5 million in revenue and selling at a discount of
50%.
Bringing
up second place was the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition,
selling through 394,961 copies, marking a 12% increase in total players
at an 85% discounted price of $2.99.
A special mention goes out to
Deeponia.
Being listed as the most heavily discounted game in the whole sale,
this indie adventure game by Daedalic Entertainment was listed at a
massive 95% off price of 99 cents and saw just shy of 70,000 total
sales.
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Samsung announces AMD FreeSync support with two UHD monitors
The
U24E590D and U28E590D models are Samsung's first foray into pairing UHD
with AMD FreeSync technology, pushing these products with HDMI 2.0
support, 60Hz refresh rates and UHD 3840x2160 resolution.
With
the panels measuring 24" and 28" respectively, Samsung has bundled its
Game Mode technology within, claiming to offer rapidly changing colors
and brightness, enabling gamers to see clearly no mater how dull the
lighting may be - possible similar to BenQ's Black Equalizer technology.
Set for release on the 26th of July, the 24" U24E590D will debut at $399.99 with the 28" U28E590D at $599.99.
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MSI has released its Premium GAMING SLI Bridge with 4K in mind
With
4K gaming starting to gain traction, MSI has released its new premium
LED-laden GAMING SLI Bridge, complete with support for 2-way SLI on
NVIDIA GTX 900 series video cards.
This
metal shrouded bridge brandishes the MSI GAMING logo and looks like it
will suit most red and black color scheme case layouts, marketed as best
for use with MSI's own GAMING series of NVIDIA GTX 900 video cards.
Unfortunately, there was no announcement in the press release of
3-way or 4-way SLI bridges just yet, hopefully we'll have an update for
you soon on upcoming products and the pricing of this handy tool.
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North Korea blacklists Instagram, denying access to residents
The
small number of Instagram users in North Korea reportedly can no longer
access the website, after the service has been blacklisted. The
government blamed the site for sharing harmful content - and mobile
users connected to Koryolink cannot upload, share or view images.
"Warning! You can't connect to this website because it's in blacklist site,"
reads an English prompt when a Koryolink subscriber tries to access the
social networking site. Company officials reported they haven't been
updated by new policy changes - and no official government statements
have been released.
Users trying to access Instagram via traditional Internet
connection also are blocked from accessing Instagram. North Korea
heavily restricts Internet and mobile access inside of the country for
its citizens, though foreign visitors can use mobile 3G connections.
Earlier in the month, North Korea vowed to launch a
crackdown on uncensored mobile Internet access.
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Apple bows to Taylor Swift, will pay artists during Apple Music trial
Well,
it didn't take long before Apple bowed to public pressure from Taylor
Swift regarding Apple Music and its free three-month trial period. The
company also heard complaints from additional artists, and it was a
decision made to help win over musicians to support the music service
launching at the end of June.
"Apple will make sure that artists are paid," said Eddy Cue, SVP at Apple, in a Tweet.
"Apple
Music will pay artists for streaming even during customers' free trial
period. We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple."
Swift, after announcing she would
pull her music from Apple Music in defense of the indie artists, celebrated Apple's announcement:
Swift pulled her music from Spotify, and it had nothing to do
with indie artists. This seems to just be the latest round of fighting
as artists try to resist against streaming music - Swift has significant
leverage, as she is one of the most popular artists in the world.
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Bethesda: Fallout 4 on consoles: 1080p/30fps, no PC restraints for PC
When
Fallout 4 hits the market later this year, Microsoft Xbox One and Sony
PlayStation 4 gamers can expect to play it at 1080p and 30 fps,
according to Bethesda. There was initial confusion - and a bit of panic -
when it sounded like PC gamers would also have to endure restrictions,
but that has been clarified by Bethesda.
The game studio also noted that gameplay on the PC will not be limited:
Bethesda
has a huge following of PC gamers, and hasn't restricted resolution or
FPS for its PC gamers before, so this should be relatively comforting
news.
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US Navy interested in artificial intelligence for warfighting, support
It looks like the United States military wants to find ways to
adopt forms of artificial intelligence
and robotics. It won't just be for non-combat support operations, as
the Navy wants to evaluate possible warfighting scenarios - and is
reportedly looking for feedback from advisers.
The
Navy is currently looking for realistic methods to deploy artificial
intelligence and robotics into its operational support procedures. It
seems highly likely future wars will heavily rely on robots and drones
as a way to augment human military personnel.
A recent memo acknowledged the private sector is researching AI
and robotics to see how private sector advancements can be used to
further naval applications.
"When I see this memo, what I see is a demand signal from the
very top to more heavily leverage what ONR (the Office of Naval
Research) is already doing," said Lawrence Schuette, director of research at the ONR, in a statement to USNI News.
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Gaming world seems to like virtual reality, but we need the content
There is no question that virtual reality headsets could
drastically change the gaming world
- but if the Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus, and other products want
instant success, there must be appealing content to win us over.
"You're in a store and you're looking at a display, and here's all the head-mounted displays and then it costs $200 or $300," said Tony Christopher, CEO of Landmark Entertainment Group, in a statement published by NPR.
"Why would you ever buy it when you don't know why you're buying it? You wouldn't."
I've tested the Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2 in a number of different games, and the
potential is clearly there.
Playing a game like Skyrim, and walking through the towns - or engaging
a bandit with a melee character - is spectacular. I've played a few
racing games and flight simulators using DK1, and there is just so much
potential here.
However, we need to see a migration from working tech demos to
finished products that consumers can actually use. With VR expected to
hit the consumer market by the end of 2015, and future product launches
throughout 2016, software developers need to get things moving.
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Activision discusses news that Call of Duty is now 'home' with Sony
Microsoft wasn't shocked when Activision announced Sony would become
the new 'home' of Call of Duty, giving PlayStation 4 gamers the chance to receive all content first.
Not
surprisingly, Activision wants to make sure its games have a good
playing experience, regardless if a gamer is using a PC, Microsoft Xbox
One or PS4 - however, now is the time to partner with Sony, as the
company has "a lot of momentum" with the PS4.
"Maybe Sony's the one that made an interesting switch? The
thing behind it, it was the right partnership at the right time, for the
right reasons, for all parties involved," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision, in a statement to GamesBeat.
"I'd
rather not talk about the inside baseball stuff. Both platforms matter
to us. We want to create great experiences on both platforms. We're
going to do that. No matter where you play Call of Duty or Destiny or
any of our games, we'll deliver the best possible experience on each
platform as we always have. In the case of Call of Duty, everyone gets
all the content as well."
Hirshberg noted that Call of Duty has enjoyed a great run when it
was home on the Xbox, and catered to many Call of Duty gamers who've
only played on the Xbox platform.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will launch on November 6 for the PS4,
Xbox One and PC. Activision will also release Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
versions of the game.
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Treyarch actually made #AI in Black Ops 3 too good, had to limit it
Call
of Duty: Black Ops 3 will feature extremely developed artificial
intelligence, so gamers will get to enjoy a more unique playing
experience.
Ideally,
AI is able to pose a challenge to gamers, and be a bit more dynamic -
but the studio had to be careful not to make the AI too difficult to
overcome:
"The enemies make a reasonable, intelligent choice at all times," said Jason Blundell, Black Ops 3 campaign director at Treyarch, in the latest issue of Edge magazine.
"One
soldier may have an SMG, but his mentality could be 'I want to keep my
distance,' 'I want to protect this point' or 'I need to flank.' The
problem was reining that system in so the AI agents weren't too good."
Call of Duty: Black Ops III is scheduled to launch on November 6
on the PC, Sony PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox 360 and
Xbox One.
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Linksys AC1200 Amplify RE6700 Wi-Fi Range Extender Review
Wireless
range extenders are solutions that enable us to extend our wireless
networks to new lengths. With that said, we have seen a number of
extenders come through, but none to this date have used such a unique
design as the latest from Linksys.
The Linksys RE6700 is a dual-band range extender featuring 300
Mbps peak operation on the 2.4GHz band and 866 Mbps on the 5GHz.
Additional features include SpotFinder technology which aides during
setup in finding the best possible location for users to extend their
network. Wi-Fi Audio is something we have seen in the past on many other
solutions and that too has been included on the latest from Linksys.
Marketing information from Linksys says the RE6700 is capable of
extending you wireless coverage by up to 10,000 sq. ft. and can work
with any router.
MSRP of the Linksys RE6700 is listed at $119.99 with a one-year warranty.
Packaging for the RE6700 includes an image and marketing information on the front.
Scope of delivery is rather simple with just the extender and reading materials.
The front of the extender houses a secondary power receptacle, along with a LED along the bottom for status.
The side of the adapter houses each of the extenders antennas. On the housing, you will find the WPS and reset buttons.
Initial
setup of the RE6700 is quite simple, after plugging into the unit, you
will be greeted by several screens before the one above is presented.
This is the SpotFinder setup allowing you to see whether your extender
placement is allowing you the full extension of your network.
A few menus after the previous, you will land here where your range extender is setup and ready to go.
Testing
for the RE6700 was done with a 2013 MacBook Pro approximately fifty
feet away from the base router, the range extender as seen in previous
images was placed at an optimal position to extend our network the
furthest. In the image above, we are looking at the performance data
from the 2.4GHz network. The first section is our base station router
where we have a rate just over 200 Mbps, but with a pretty low signal
rate. The RE6700 cuts in about half way through the chart and while our
rate drops to 150 Mbps, we gained a good amount of signal quality.
Next,
we have the same base configuration, but now switching over to the 5GHz
network. The first part is our base station router and as you can see
once we are out a good distance our data rate is very near 0 and the
same for quality. After switching over to the RE6700, our data rate
jumped to 200 Mbps with quality and signal rate moving up significantly.
The RE6700 is the first range extender I have seen that includes a
great many of features, along with its standard capabilities as a
wireless device. This solution along with its range extending abilities
to still use the receptacle along with being a Wi-Fi audio receiver
where you can plug in any 3.5mm jack right into the device.
Build quality of the Linksys RE6700 is superb, we found no issues
when using the unit with full rotation of the antennas and plastics
that fit well and look good at the same time.
Performance of the extender was quite good, and while we could
have hoped for more performance, at the distance we tested, the RE6700
results are more than acceptable. With help from SpotFinder, we were
able to place our extender in a solid location that enabled us to extend
our wireless network to places we previously struggled to get any sort
of reception. Peak 2.4GHz results were around 150 Mbps, while 5GHz
touched near 200 Mbps again nearly 25 feet away.
...
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Introducing the CliqueFieMini, Minimalist Chic Design and Ultra-portable
CliqueFie,
makers of the game changing and stylish selfie stick is proud to
announce its ultra-portable member of the selfie stick clan, the
CliqueFieMini. CliqueFie That's a mini CliqueFie (if you look close
enough). Bad jokes aside CliqueFieMini is a serious product. Seriously
awesome. The CliqueFieMini is everything you want in a selfie stick but
packed into small, portable, and stylish.
When not in use the CliqueFieMini measures surprisingly small at 9
inches long (23cm) and weighing only 5oz (138g) which is roughly the
size of an iphone. However when the CliqueFieMini is in "selfie mode" it
can go as far as 30 inches (72cm), which is literally 2 and a half
feet, so you can be sure that everyone can get into the shot. Also to
make sure that your pictures stay "intact" the phone mount that is on
the CliqueFieMini features 40 Newtons of locking force.
The CliqueFieMini is currently available in six colors - white, black, blue, yellow, green and pink
CliqueFie expects a full product release as early as June of 2015
and right now you can get two for the price of one. That's right it's
buy one get one free! Simply order one CliqueFieMini and we will send
you the second CliqueFieMini of the same color at no additional charge!
The MSRP of the CliqueFieMini is $24.99 USD
See the CliqueFieMini in action here:
https://vimeo.com/127918693
Learn more and pre-order at:
http://www.cliquefie.com
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Overclockers UK Announces the Blade Line of Gaming Desktops
Overclockers
UK, NewcastleUnder-Lyme, one of the UKs largest gaming PC system
builders took a step back to review their current line-up of gaming
systems and are revamping the ranges into an easy to understand category
system, following on from the Atomic and the special edition Project
CARS PCs, Overclockers UK are proud to announce their main gaming range,
the Blade range.
The
systems have been tailored to the current markets needs but will still
feature a wide selection of options to allow the customer to optimise
the system for their own requirements. Introducing the nine high
performance gaming PCs into the Blade range: The Titan Karambit, Tanto,
Katana, Scythe, Sabre, Rapier, Dagger, Scimitar and the Machete.
Starting from £419.99 the range of systems are suitable for all
gamers, from casual to professionals. The PCs are assembled, configured,
overclocked and tested by overclockers UK's experienced and
professional system builders, supporting it with a standard 3 year
warranty and labour-free upgrade service for total peace of mind.
The Blade range is fully Windows 10 ready, with Windows 7 and 8.1
users able to take advantage of Microsoft's free upgrade offer.
Packed with high-end hardware, with configurable options and an
extensive range of cases to choose from, options for adding secondary
hard drives, SSDs, video cards and also custom colour lighting for those
who want a PC themed to how they want it.
These
are ideal for those who want an out of the box solution, or for those
who want to make further changes to make the system their own.
The mid to full-tower gaming systems are designed to play the
current and latest games at mid-high resolutions at with a good high
frame per second. All of these systems are available to purchase through
finance, allowing you to buy now and pay in 6 or 12 months, or pay over
monthly payment for 36 or 48 months.
For more details, visit
this page.
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Razer Tartarus Chroma Gaming Keypad Now Available for Purchase
The
Razer Tartarus Chroma gaming keypad comes with 25 anti-ghosted, fully
programmable keys, including an 8-way thumb-pad for complete control and
manoeuvrability.
Now
with Chroma customizable lighting, the latest version of this gaming
keypad has access to the full spectrum of 16.8 million color options. As
a gaming keypad, the Razer Tartarus Chroma provides a comfortable and
efficient alternative to keyboards for PC gaming, especially real-time
strategy MMOs and other key-intensive games where left- and right-hand
independence is useful.
The Razer Tartarus Chroma offers infinite commands with its 25
fully programmable keys allowing users to bind all their preferred
skills, macros and hotkeys for a personalized gaming experience. The
precise 8-way directional thumb-pad can also act as modifier keys. The
Razer Tartarus Chroma features advanced ergonomics with its adjustable
wrist-rest that can be angled to maximize comfort. Now featuring Chroma
lighting with 16.8 million color options, the keypad opens up a world of
practically limitless personalization possibilities and preloaded
lighting effects, all easily programmed through Razer Synapse.
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Eurocom
ships fully unlocked gaming powerhouse laptops with socket based Intel
Core i7-5775C unlocked processor and high performance, upgradeable MXM
3.0b GPUs
Eurocom is shipping high performance gaming laptops
with unlocked socket based Intel Core i7-5775C desktop processors and
top of the line, upgradeable NVIDIA GeForce, AMD Radeon and NVIDIA
Quadro MXM 3.0b graphics.
The
EUROCOM P5 Pro Extreme closes the gap between laptops and high
performance desktop computers by bringing home a full-fledged Intel Core
i7-4790K or I7-5775C with overclocking and no compromises. The EUROCOM
P5 Pro is a hig performance, desktop gaming and workstation in
disguise.
The Intel Core i7-5775C is a socketed desktop processor with
Intel's most advanced on-die graphics engine, Iris Pro Graphics 6200, it
is compatible with the LGA 1150 interface, and they're also
multiplier-unlocked, allowing users the ability of overclocking it for
additional performance.
Eurocom provides an optional unlocked BIOS to allow customers to
take full advantage of overclocking capabilities within unlocked Intel
processors. These 14nm Intel Broadwell CPUs advance power efficiency
over previous offerings by specifying 65W TDPs for unlocked quad-core
models p to 95W for overclocking and maximum performance.
Memory is fully upgradeable and configurable with four SO-DIMM sockets able to support up to 32 GB of memory.
The EUROCOM P5 Pro supports both Haswell and Broadwell
Processors. The EUROCOM P5 laptop offer serious CPU socket scalability
and upgradeability with support for 4th and 5th generation processors in
the form of Intel Core i5, i7, i7 Extreme and Xeon processors. Being
fully upgradeable and configurable, customers can now come to Eurocom
for a variety of Enthusiast and Professional processors.
The EUROCOM P5 Pro support a full line of professional grade
NVIDIA Quadro K5100M, K3100M and K1100M graphics, along with graphics
from NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 970M, 965M and AMD Radeon R9-M290X
allowing customers to get the mobile graphics processing power they
need.
The P5 Pro is prewired for 3G/4G module support, through an M.2
slot, so users can have a reliable internet connection on the go for
mobile gaming or professional use.
Storage comes from an optional four drive bays, two M.2. SSD
slots and 2 standard drive bays for up to 5.2 TB of RAIDable storage.
PCIe Solid State drives are supported for enhanced storage performance.
RAID 0,1,5 and 10 are offered for maximum performance or redundancy.
EUROCOM P5 Pro Specifications:
- Display: 15.6-inch 4K QFHD 3840-by-2160, 3K WQHD+ 2880-by-1620 or FHD IPS 1920-by-1080 pixels; 60Hz; eDP interface; LED Backlit
- Chipset: High Performance Intel Z97 Express Chipset
- Overclocking: supported with i7 4790K Processor; O/C BIOS available.
- Processor: Socket based; LGA1150; up to 90W TDP; choice of Core i7, i5, i3 and Xeon E3 series.
- VGA Technology: MXM 3.0b; NVIDIA GeForce: GTX 980M, 970M or 965M; Quadro: K5100M, K3100M or K1100M; AMD: R9 290X
- Cooling: High performance, high quality copper integrated dual 5-pipes GPU/CPU heat sink
- Memory: Four 204-pin SO-DIMM sockets; DDR3L-1600, 1866 or 2133; 1.35V; up to 32GB
- Storage: up to 4 physical drives: 2x M.2 2280 PCIe or SATA SSD and
2x HDD/SSD (9.5mm) SATA3 6Gb/s and with Intel Rapid Start Technology;
Intel Smart Response Technology and RAID 0/1/5/10
- Card Reader: 6-in-1: UHS-II interface; MMC/RSMMC/SD/mini SD/SDHC/SDXC; Push-Push
- Keyboard and Touchpad: Anti-ghosting backlit keyboard with seperate
numeric keypad; TouchPad with multi-gesture and scrolling; W/A/S/D
Gaming key
- Ports: 4x USB 3.0 (1x powered USB port, AC/DC); 1x eSATA/USB 3.0
Combo port; 2x DP 1.2; 1x HDMI 2.0; 1x Headphone; 1x Microphone-in; 1x
S/PDIF (digital); 1x Line-in; 1x RJ-45 LAN; 1x DC-in
- Audio: High Definition Audio; S/PDIF Digital Output; Built in array
microphone; Built in two 2W speakers; Sound Blaster X-FI MB3; External
7.1CH output (headphone, mic, line-in and S/PDIF); ANSP 3D Sound
Technology (headphone output)
- Display Support: Supports up to 4 active displays including internal LCD; up to 3840x2160 @ 60Hz
- Security: Kensington Lock and Embedded TPM 2.0
- Battery: 8cells 82Wh Li-Ion; up to 120 minutes
- Weight: 3.4kg / 7.48lbs w/ battery
- Dimensions: 386x262x35mm / 15.4x10.48x1.4-inch
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Creative Unveils the ROAR 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Creative
Technology Ltd., today announced the launch of a brand new variant of
the critically acclaimed Sound Blaster Roar portable Bluetooth wireless
speaker − the smaller, lighter, sexier Sound Blaster Roar 2. The all new
Sound Blaster Roar 2 portable Bluetooth wireless speaker retains the
same 5 speaker drivers, electrical design, and battery life as the
Classic Sound Blaster Roar − but is now 20% smaller and 10% lighter. And
it is available in black or white. Encased in a stylish sleek housing
that exudes the understated sophistication of a well-designed audio
instrument, the smaller-lighter-sexier Sound Blaster Roar 2 continues to
impress, whether it is used at the office, in a designer home, or at a
party.
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 also comes with two all new features not found on the original Sound Blaster Roar:
Increased flexibility with additional placement and acoustic
options: Users can choose between placing the speaker horizontally for
room-filling and balanced audio, or vertically for louder and more
directed audio.
Beautifully machine-finished pulsating passive bass radiators:
The Sound Blaster Roar 2's passive bass radiators are unobstructed and
beautifully machine-finished. They pulsate mesmerizingly − users can now
not only hear the bass, but they can actually feel and see the powerful
bass in action.
"The original Classic Sound Blaster Roar was an amazing feat of
audio engineering. It was truly a speaker that defied the laws of
acoustic engineering. We razed through countless designs and overcame
seemingly impossible design obstacles. In the end we created a portable
Bluetooth wireless speaker with powerful killer audio and kickass
thumping bass in a size no larger than a booklet." said Mr Wong Hoo Sim,
Creator of the Sound Blaster and CEO of Creative Technology Ltd.
"But that was just the beginning. With the all new Sound Blaster
Roar 2, we have upped our game and taken the feat of speaker
miniaturization to the next level. The main design intent of the Sound
Blaster Roar 2 was to create a smaller-lighter-sexier version of the
Classic Sound Blaster Roar while retaining its sonic DNA. This is even
more daunting than the designing of the original Sound Blaster Roar,
because by the law of physics, great audio simply requires a larger
enclosure. By further pushing the envelope of high-powered portable
speaker design, we have again achieved a new 'impossible'.
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 retains the same mind-blowing 5 drivers,
the same electrical design, and the same battery as the Classic Roar,
but is now 20% smaller. Not only smaller and lighter, we have made it
sexier. By revealing the pulsating machine-finished bass radiators, your
music now becomes an aurally, visually and sensually appealing
experience. And by re-orienting the speaker in a vertical position, you
can get a new audio profile that is louder and more directed − great for
a noisy party or an outdoor environment."
Like the Classic Sound Blaster Roar, the Sound Blaster Roar 2 comes packed with a whole host of useful features:
Integrated MicroSD WMA and MP3 player
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 features an integrated MicroSD WMA and
MP3 player that allows users to play audio directly from a MicroSD card,
so users do not need to always commit their smartphone to play music.
The player even allows users to skip music folders so that they can
navigate to their songs faster without having to tediously cycle through
all their individual tracks.
Speakerphone Teleconferencing
With its built-in high quality microphone providing for clear
360° voice pickup, the Sound Blaster Roar 2 is able to take calls when
connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Integrated Voice Recorder
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 features an Integrated Voice Recorder
that utilises the speaker's built-in microphone, allowing for versatile
one-touch recording of all kinds of audio − calls, external voices, or
streamed music − directly to an insertable MicroSD card. The feature is
ideal for recording voice memos, lectures, interviews, teleconferencing
sessions, and business/corporate meetings.
NFC-Enabled Bluetooth with Multipoint and HD Audio Codec Support
The speaker is able to connect wirelessly via Bluetooth, and
utilises the aptX and AAC codecs for the highest quality audio and
lowest possible latency. The sound booklet also features the latest
Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, allowing users to quickly and
easily connect to Bluetooth devices, requiring only a simple tap from
an NFC-enabled smart device to the speaker to pair and establish a
connection. Users can also connect two Bluetooth devices to the Sound
Blaster Roar 2 simultaneously.
Bedtime Mode
In Bedtime Mode, the Sound Blaster Roar 2 gradually reduces its
volume before automatically shutting down. The feature allows users to
be gently and gradually lulled to sleep, and at the same time preserves
the speaker's battery by turning it off after a predetermined time,
instead of leaving it switched on for the whole night. Parents of young
children would also appreciate the feature − they can record themselves
reading out a bedtime story, and play the recording back to their
children as they are falling asleep.
USB Audio With Sound Blaster Enhancement
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 is not just a wireless speaker for smart
devices. Users can connect it to their PCs or Macs via USB to enjoy
clear digital audio for their desktops or laptops. Connecting the
speaker via USB enables advanced PC audio processing via the
downloadable software, Sound Blaster Control Panel, and full access to
the SBX Pro Studio suite of technologies that intelligently enhance
audio in real time.
Dual Purpose Battery
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 also features a Dual Purpose Battery.
The large, built-in 6000 mAh Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery can be
used to charge smartphones and tablets, beyond providing up to 8 hours**
of audio playback.
SBX Pro Studio Features:
- SBX Crystalizer − Restores the
"highs" and "lows" that are compromised during audio compression to
create and audio experience as the original artist intended
- SBX Smart Volume − Intelligently minimises abrupt volume changes by automatically adjusting the loudness of audio playback
- SBX Dialog Plus − Intelligently enhances voices in music and movies for drastically clearer vocal range
- SBX Bass − Dramatically improves the sound experience by expanding the low frequency tones
- SBX Surround − Creates unprecedented levels of audio realism by
producing virtual speakers around, above and below the listener
* Sound Blaster Roar 2 functions as an external Sound Blaster sound card when connected to a PC/Mac via USB.
Pricing and Availability
The Sound Blaster Roar 2 portable Bluetooth wireless speaker, priced at GBP199.99.
Read More ...
Samsung Launches First Monitors in UHD Line to Deploy AMD's FreeSync Technology
Samsung
Electronics Co., Ltd., announced the introduction of the U24E590D and
U28E590D, the first Samsung UHD monitors with AMD's FreeSync technology.
These UHD monitors offer unprecedented picture quality for gaming,
entertainment and multi-tasking activities.
The
U24E590D and U28E590D are the first UHD Samsung monitors with AMD
FreeSync capabilities. FreeSync synchronizes the monitors' refresh rates
to eliminate large jumps in frame time for noticeably smoother
multimedia use. The integration of AMD FreeSync is especially beneficial
for gamers, who will notice an immediate increase in responsiveness and
the elimination of screen tearing and shuttering.
Flawless Display and Multimedia Experience
The U24E590D and U28E590D's UHD display (3840x2160) offers users
discernably sharper text, images and video content. Previously
uncaptured content and a brightness level of 370cd/m2 that further
enhances the visual experience with incredibly rich and vibrant colors,
all on a flicker-free screen. Both monitors also use HDMI 2.0, which
supports a 60 Hz frequency to view content smoothly, while the 28" has a
1ms response time.
With Samsung's Game Mode technology, the visual experience is
intensified by rapid response to changing colors and brightness, which
enables users to see more vivid images even in darker scenes. The
U28E590D monitor also supports 1 billion unique colors which is 64 times
greater than the conventional monitor.
Enhanced Productivity, Connectivity and Usability
Both monitors offer powerful multi-tasking tools; with
Picture-in-Picture technology, users can watch their favorite movie in
one window while working on a spreadsheet in another and the
Picture-by-Picture feature allows users to connect two PCs to the same
monitor. Additionally, DP and HDMI ports means that there are no limits
in connectivity as two different devices can be synced to the same
monitor.
The crystal-like clarity of the UHD display reduces strain on the
eyes, allowing users to play and work more efficiently on their screen
for extended periods of time.
The U24E590D is priced at $399.99 and will be available beginning July 26, 2015. The U28E590D is $599.99 and available now.
For more information, visit the product pages of the
U28E590D and
U24E590D.
Read More ...
MSI Launches Premium GAMING SLI Bridge
As
game developers continue to push the boundaries of epic in-game
graphics, the popularity of 4K gaming is also on the rise. To fully
enjoy this spectacular gaming experience, hardware requirements are also
pushed higher than ever. Gamers running multiple powerful video cards
in SLI are enjoying ever more benefits. As the leading brand in Gaming,
MSI is excited to unveil a brand new premium GAMING SLI bridge which
forms the perfect link for any MSI GAMING SLI setup.
The
bridge features a premium LED illuminated GAMING logo that can be
controlled by the exclusive MSI Gaming App and is forged out of high
quality materials. It supports 2-Way SLI for NVIDIA GTX 900 series video
cards. The carefully engineered metal shroud on the SLI connectors
gives the new GAMING SLI Bridge a solid look & feel while also
enabling higher conductivity. Optimized for 4K+ resolutions and 144Hz+
refresh rates, the MSI GAMING SLI bridge is ready for next generation
gaming.
- Size (L x W x H): 9.6 x 3.5 x 2.1 cm
- Weight: 50 g
- SLI connector spacing: 60 mm (4 slots)
Read More ...
BIOSTAR Releases N3150NH - A Mini-ATX Board with Embedded Value
BIOSTAR
is offering the N3150NH motherboard with the on-board Intel® N3150 1.6G
Quad-core processor, using a Mini-ATX form factor with a size of
17x17cm, builders are able to make creative designs for many different
uses that fit into small enclosures.
The
N3150NH boards comes with the Intel® Celeron N3150 1.6G Quad-core
processor with turbo boost up to 2.08G already installed and it supports
up to 8GB Memory for DDR3L-1600 OR 16GB Memory for DDR3L-1066. With the
integrated GPU, watching HD content and playing games is no sweat.
Expansion includes 1 PCI-E 2.0 slot. Indeed, the N3150NH board is ready
for building all kinds of multimedia systems with its HDMI and analog
VGA-out, and high definition audio with the Realtek ALC662 6 Channel HD
Audio chip.
LAN networking is covered by the Realtek RTL8111H - 10/100/1000
controller and being a BIOSTAR board it has the Smart Speed LAN feature.
SmartSpeedLAN is a free software application which monitors and manages
your PC's network behavior. With user-friendly GUI, it allows you to
select and prioritize different types of network traffic, including
gaming, media streaming, communications or web surfing. You can also set
any specific applications, choosing to prioritize or block accordingly.
SmartSpeedLAN can feature automatic management options that use
adaptive networking intelligence to ensure that you are getting the best
online experience possible.
Hooking up content from hard drives or other USB devices is no
problem with 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 header and 4 USB 2.0 ports.
The X.D.C (eXtreme Durable Capacitors) is quality solid
capacitors to help make sure the board remains rock solid and stable.
These are low ESR and high ripple conductive solid state capacitors that
provide a stable power supply to the CPU. The lifespan can also be more
than 6.25 times that of ordinary liquid caps.
Not only that, this board features "Moistureproof" PCB design.
That means that you can setup an outside kiosk or signage and even in
rural or coastal areas with high humidity the board will be robust.
The boards feature the latest BIOSTAR technologies such as BIOS
Flasher and BIOS Online Update for easy updating and restoration of the
BIOS, as well as BIO-Remote2 for remote control of the system via
Android and Apple devices.
BIO-Remote2 Technology gives users a better Home Theater
environment. Users who own either Android or Apple mobile devices are
able to access and control the PC remotely. You're smart device can
become an intelligent and functional remote control. Moreover,
BIO-Remote2 also includes both the function of mouse pad and power point
presentation modes.
The N3150NH also features the Charger Booster function. It is a
high powered charging solution for Apple or Android devices such as
iPad, iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Charger Booster Technology
is able to boost the charging time to be more efficiency and faster once
any mobile device is connected to the motherboard. With Charger Booster
technology, you are able to charge your devices up to 42 % faster.
The N3150NH fully meets the requirements for systems running under the Windows 7 and Windows 8 and 8.1.
Lastly, the N3150NH features ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)
protection where the board is protected from accidental electricity
charges from user's touching areas of the board or when devices are
connected or disconnected.
The N3150NH will have an MSRP of $69 USD. For more information please visit:
http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=804
Check out BIOSTAR's latest Gaming video:
Read More ...
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The etailer is offering pre-made systems based on three recent triple-A titles
Fera 3, Spartan 3 LT, and Spartan 3 Pro.
See if your rig is up to the job.
Meccano for PC geeks.
The beta for Blizzard's Overwatch returns with a new progression system and some extra tweaks. But is it any good?
