Update: Congratulations to @ercankazaz and @makahli for each winning a Steam code for Paradox Interactive’s March of the Eagles! I will be sending you DMs via Twitter, so look sharp!
We would like to thank the good people at Paradox Interactive for sending over two Steam codes of their new strategy title, March of the Eagles, so that we may give them to two random winners. The contest will end on Friday, March 8th, 2013 @ 11:59pm Pacific. You can checkout more on March of the Eagles over at the official website. More importantly, I would imagine, is how you enter this giveaway?
How to Enter:
This will be a Twitter-based contest. To enter, simply FOLLOW our Twitter account and tweet the following message:
I just entered the @GamingShogun March of the Eagles PC game code giveaway — http://goo.gl/FgL3R
*This contest is open to anyone with a Steam account able to redeem the code. Each winner will receive one code for redemption. There will be two randomly-drawn winners. Winners will be announced on this post and on Twitter. If a winner does not respond within two business days, a new winner will be chosen.
At CES, I saw all kinds of new tech and gadgets. Among all the tech I saw, some of my favorites were the robotics and toys, two things very close and dear to my heart. There is probably something Freud would say about that, but he is dead and CES is once a year. So, when I got some chance, free time, I wandered around taking in the sights. One booth that stuck out in my mind featured a line of cute animals dancing on their hind legs to music emanating from within them. Down the table from them was this bunny…
What are you lookin at?!?
He seemed to glare at everyone passing by as if saying they weren’t worthy to see him dance. There were all kinds of the “Party Animals” dancing robots around, some even Halloween themed (anyone who knows me knows I am an absolute sucker for Halloween stuff). But Russell The Rabbit, as I would discover his name was, looked like a bad ass. Sure, he may dance to cute little tunes for your kid if they wanted but he would also rock out hard at a beer pong party. He would blast music that party goers may forget but through their next, hangover-ridden day, they would remember those eyes glaring at them. I had to possess it….
Features:
These adorable plush animal speakers dance slow to slow music, fast to fast music, and stop when your music stops. All you need is a laptop, MP3 player, or other music device with an audio input to make them play your music and dance to the beat!
Soft plush material
Built-in speaker
Dance ON/OFF button
Audio cord included
Takes 3 AA batteries
Robotic movement sensor
Velcro backing
Power ON/OFF switch
Hands-On:
When Russell the Rabbit arrived, he looked no less angry, much to my delight. This product line is great for kids of all ages, and most are extremely cute and cuddly. Russell is for those who don’t do cute and cuddly so much and his expression practically demanded that I release him from his packaging.
Let me out. Now.
I released him at once and, like a kid carrying a well-earned trophy (I did bug my EiC to request him), I proudly took him to my laptop and plugged him in. The speaker reproduced the music, loud and clear, with no dampening or distortion If I didn’t know the music was coming from the rabbit I would have thought it was just my laptop speakers. The Party Animals are designed to be completely portable and self-sufficient, so they run on AA batteries and have a standard audio plug for your computer, smartphone, MP3 player, etc. In fact, let Russell the Rabbit loose on all those devices with great success. I chose the laptop first though because I could go on different websites trying out all different forms of music to see what his dancing seem to match up best with.
Country worked fine, though that was probably one of the weaker genres. Classical, on the other hand, just looked plain silly. Give him anything with a rockin’ beat such as alternative, classic rock, hip-hop or dance and he seemed right at home. I found myself on YouTube and, yes he does the Harlem Shake pretty darn well. There is a sensor in Russell and the other Party Animals that senses the tempo of the music and adjusts accordingly. So, if you put on easy listening he will sway to the music while rave stylings will make him shake his bunny tail furiously – which nicely fits, since he doesn’t look happy about it. He danced fine to children’s tunes too, which I could see encouraging rhythm in younger developing children as well, though probably the other cutesy Party Animals might be more to the kiddies’ tastes.
When the volume is low, the motors can be heard whirring so I tried the off dance button at those times so as to still get the music without the distraction of the mechanics. For some, this might not be a distraction since this is a mechanical rabbit dancing on its hind legs – sci-fi machinery noise is kind of a plus. Once you crank up the music or stand a few feet away, the whirring noise is generally drowned out.
Great Sound And A Good Cause:
Russell the Rabbit and rest of the Party Animals also support good causes. With each purchase, donations are made to PAWS Chicago, The Anti-Cruelty Society and PETA and small flyers with information on the organizations in a family friendly manner are in the box. They aren’t like those Sarah McLaughlin tracked commercials that make you cry like you just shot “Old Yeller”.
Last Call:
I now possess Russell The Rabbit and he sits next to my computer glaring at me for typing instead of playing music right now. I can feel him staring when I look away and, for me, that is a great thing. The other Party Animals are great, cute and there is one for just about every personality, even seasonal ones which would work great at a Halloween or Christmas party, for example. For the older crowd who like a fun toy, but are not so into the cutesy kind, get one of Russell’s brothers, I think they are named Russell too.
When I first came across Absolute Software’s booth at CES and saw the Computrace Lojack For Laptops information, I was immediately interested. Being an editor for GamingShogun.com, I always travel with at least one laptop and that laptop has everything I need to help run the website, often including NDA-locked titles and information like sensitive contact lists. This makes me a bit hyper-paranoid about what could happen to it in the car or sitting in a hotel room. Honestly, it even makes me a bit nervous having it in our locked house when I go somewhere. During October, I lost my cellphone on a hayride and was frantic about the contact information stored on it. We had one of the “find my phone” apps that GPS tracked it and, though we were able to find it quickly, that scenario has made me more conscious of losing control of information. Of course, this doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of replacing a gaming laptop or smartphone. When Absolute Software offered us the opportunity to try out Lojack For Laptops, I jumped at it.
Official Features:
Lock: You may not have your computer with you, but you can still feel safe from prying eyes. Use Device Lock to block your computer remotely, denying potential identity thieves access to your computer and personal data. You can also choose to display a customized lock-out message onscreen. You could, for instance, display contact information that would help a good Samaritan return your computer to you.
Delete: The contents of your hard drive might be worth more to you — and a thief — than the laptop itself. But our Data Delete feature helps you prevent costly and traumatic identity theft. With it, you can remotely and selectively erase sensitive files and applications, personal photos, financial data, and stored passwords. So you stay safe and in control.
Locate: Is your laptop really stolen? Or did you leave it on a business trip? Using GPS or Wi-Fi geolocation, LoJack for Laptops can map and display your laptop’s current and past whereabouts. So you’ll know whether it’s simply left behind, or something more serious. Even when your laptop is safe and sound, you can see that LoJack for Laptops is on the job. Note: Standard edition does not include location history.
Recover: For most people, the odds of recovering a stolen laptop aren’t encouraging. But every year, thousands of people get their stolen laptops back, thanks to our patented technology and experienced Theft Recovery Team. If your protected computer is stolen, the team can use our technology to track it, and work with local law enforcement to get it back in your hands. Get LoJack for Laptops and flip the odds in your favour.
Guaranteed: With our leading technology and experienced Theft Recovery Team, LoJack for Laptops gives you unsurpassed theft recovery service, plus device and data protection. Choose our Premium edition and get our Service Guarantee. If we don’t recover your stolen computer or enable the Data Delete service, you could be eligible for a Service Guarantee payment of up to $1000.
Hands-On:
This was the tricky part, how do I go about testing the software? The first parts are easy, you just log into your account and you can check a map to see where your laptop is and check to see if it is moving (if it is moving and you aren’t with it, that is generally a bad sign). You can lock it, post display information, and delete non-essential pictures or documents to test that. All these are easy, effective tools which is VITAL in the event that your laptop is stolen and you may have only minutes to keep a contract or contact from being compromised.
But, how do you go about testing recovery? I toyed with the idea of contacting them and having a fake loss setup so we could see the process of tracking it down, but that isn’t the same as the real thing. I was tempted to go over their protocol, step by step, to see how they do it but reporting that or a fake recovery could actually compromise the process, giving would-be thieves ideas on how to thwart the process. Then it struck me, none of that was necessary, because none of that was what truly mattered about this. What really mattered is how knowing they have an actual recovery team that prides itself on its recovery ability to the point of providing a payment guarantee and how that makes me feel now when I travel. I still travel safe and smart with my laptop but I don’t feel nervous like a did before when it is out of my sight. If it is in the car while I am perusing the snack aisle at the gas station or in a hotel room while I am out on a convention floor, I feel secure knowing that if a problem should arise not only are their remote steps I can take to insure the safety of my information. Additionally, there is a good chance I will get my computer back thanks to an actual, human recovery team.
Last Call:
This software is subscription-based but is very affordable and kind of a no-brainer for the business man who travels with his life’s work in a little electronic box. Computrace Lojack For Laptops should be considered by anyone who takes their computer on the road for business or pleasure and should be a requirement for businesses as part of their insurance policies. Computrace Lojack is an insurance policy on information as well as electronics and that feeling of security is hard to put a price tag on.
[easyreview title=”Lojack For Laptops Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]
I think I would make most phone owners cringe with my phone-handling clumsiness. I know for a fact that I make my wife cringe when I start testing out cases. I have made her friends scream, my friends dive on the ground in an attempt to break my phone’s fall, I have sent phones skittering across asphalt, gravel, concrete and any other hard surface imaginable. So, it wasn’t such a surprise when I got sent a series of videos where a case gets dropped from hundreds of feet from a wind turbine and survives. The surprise came from the fact that it looked, for all intents and purposes, like a regular plastic phone case – not a gigantic, suit of phone armor. Surprise gave way to intrigue as I waited for it to arrive so I could test it out.
Description:
Unlike common military-impact test grade iPhone case materials, the NuGuard KX uses state-of-the-art X-Orbing gel technology to absorb and evenly distribute kinetic energy, protecting your iPhone from accidental drops or scratching. This Hyper-Advanced gel is then engineered into a hard outer shell with a soft interior, bonded together into a stylish one-piece design. The NuGuard KX has been Mil-Spec drop test certified by Quanta Laboratories to MIL-STD-810G U.S. Military Standard for elite protection. Yet, the KX only measures slightly over 1/2″ thick so it can still easily fit in your pocket. Its Edge Guard over-molding provides enhanced iPhone screen edge protection without interfering edge-to-edge touch finger accessibility to ensure hassle-free touch keyboarding and ability to drag and organize app icons from screen to screen. With its precision cutouts, the NuGuard KX allows for full access to all of the iPhone’s ports and buttons. The KX features a unique cross hatch texture design on backside for added grip that won’t make it hard to remove from pockets like other texturized cases. And installation and removal of your iPhone from the KX is easy, taking only seconds.
What is MIL-STD-810G U.S. Military Standard?
Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests is a United States Military Standard that emphasizes tailoring an equipment’s environmental design and test limits to the conditions that it will experience throughout its service life, and establishing chamber test methods that replicate the effects of environments on the equipment rather than imitating the environments themselves. The MIL-STD-810 test series are approved for use by all departments and agencies of the United States Department Of Defense (DoD). Although prepared specifically for military applications, the standard is often used for commercial products as well.
MIL-STD-810 addresses a broad range of environmental conditions that include: low pressure for altitude testing; exposure to high and low temperatures plus temperature shock (both operating and in storage); rain (including wind blown and freezing rain); humidity, fungus, salt fog for rust testing; sand and dust exposure; explosive atmosphere; leakage; acceleration; shock and transport shock; gunfire vibration; and random vibration . The standard describes environmental management and engineering processes that can be of enormous value to generate confidence in the environmental worthiness and overall durability of a system design.
Hands On:
The case looks unassuming to say the least. It features a nice, understated style with spirals and patterns on it which help to grip the phone. It isn’t made of squishy rubber or composed of interlocking pieces. It has a felt interior that seems to have a slight softness beneath but the shell, feeling solid and unyielding, not what you would expect from a phone case advertised to be so protective. On the front was a sticker with the above “Military Drop Tested” and certified statement which I admit sounded impressive but I had to look up so I provided the definition. It still made me think it was a bit of gobbledygook, so I went and watched the videos that had my friend so excited. That was when I got excited and started putting a lot more trust into this case. I quickly learned that bulk and difficult to connect pieces aren’t necessary for a solid phone case, and started testing it the way I do best: making myself and everyone else cringe.
What surprised me probably the most was how resistant it was to scratching. Most of the time, these cases are design to take a hit and prevent the phone from scratches by being damaged itself. There are some exceptions but usually those have built in things to prevent it such as rubber bumpers. This case resisted scratching and has a raised lip to help resist scratches on the phone’s face. The case slides in and out of the pocket easier than most protection cases thanks to the lack of squishy rubber and it’s hard outer shell, a lot of protective cases come with hip clips because of their difficulty going in and out of the pocket.
Last Call:
This case survived the DoD’s tests, my tests, lots of video tests and probably most tests you put it through. NuGuard KX Kinetic will take care of you and your phone , whether you are a phone-handling klutz or just have to deal with everyday things that life has a habit of throwing at you.
[easyreview title=”NuGuard KX Phone Case Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]
I have found myself trying out a lot of cell phone cases lately – most of them designed for maximum protection while in some cases at the cost of style and, in other cases, at the cost of weight. So it was a great pleasure to check out Griffin’s limited edition Designer Series case that is made of quality but really designed to be a showpiece. In this case series, they picked some of their favorite artists and let them come up with their own masterpieces. The standout art piece I fell for immediately was Derrick Castle’s “Bandito” design.
About The Artist:
Derrick Castle is an illustrator based in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to illustrations, Castle also works in the medium of traditional block printing, a primitive form of relief printing where images are created using a hand carved block, usually wood or linoleum. Inspired by the ghosts of Americana, Castle’s work is filled with skulls, animals and lost relics from a tribal America.
“Bandito”:
A limited-edition hard shell for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4 created by artist Derrick Castle.
Case Print: Printing process uses ink-dye sublimation and a heat-cured gallery gloss finish. Choose from a shell for iPhone 5 or iPhone 4, or a silicone-lined, layered shell for iPhone 4.
Part of the Griffin Designer Series. Original art recreated on cases for iPhone, printed locally in small batches. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Hands On:
Rarely does a product appear better in person than it did in pictures. I debated a long time between which of the Castle works to choose from, “Lincoln” with it’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter design came a really close second but I decided “Bandito” with it’s beautiful detail and deep imagery kept bringing my eye back to it. The interior of the case is felt lined to allow it to be easily slipped on and the design which wraps around the side of the case is vividly printed and stands out extremely well. This case will serve its function nicely – keeping your phone from getting scratched up. More importantly, this case is a limited edition work of art that you can proudly show off.
Last Call:
This case is a collectible piece of art that also serves its core function well. It is a great piece to show off with a design process that makes for great conversation. It is so nice that my wife has already chosen it as her new case, so my phone is slipping back into one of the others I have. I wonder if “Lincoln” is still available, though with such great works of art these Griffin Designer series pieces won’t be around for long.
[easyreview title=”Griffin Designer Cell Phone Case Bandito Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]
On occasion, we do a review of a digital book here on GamingShogun.com. Usually, they involve some geekdom our readers and team have a particular fondness for. In this case, the book I recently read was “Infected” by James Schannep and it combined two great ideas: choose your own adventure in a digital format and zombies.
Description:
3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question… Will YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?
Here’s how it works: You, Dear Reader, are the main character of this story. Live, die, and rise again based solely on the merit of your own choices. Each link represents a choice, and there’s no going back, so choose wisely.
Everyone has their plan; what they’d do to survive if and when the zombie apocalypse happens. Now you can see how you’d hold up against the legions of undead—without needing to call the CDC because crazed bath salts users are trying to eat your face off.
Giving It A Read:
Back when I was growing up the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series were at their height of popularity and covered just about every genre you could think of – targeted at all ages and genders. There were literally hundreds of them and I tore through tons of them and kind of missed them when they went by the way. They now seem to be making a comeback thanks to the technology of Kindle books enabling you to follow the links to the next chapter and as long as you remember the name of the previous chapter it lets you go back in case you don’t fair so well in your choices. It also stops you from cheating and peeking at the pages in between or reading the first line and picking the other choice instead. I used to have a solid photographic memory so I would spoil the books for myself sometimes by glancing the pages in between. So thanks to technology, an old idea is getting new life breathed into it.
What better choice for a subject than zombies? Who doesn’t think of their own survival plans if an apocalypse were to break out? I have already picked out a Super Walmart on a hill above the snowline less than ten minutes from my house to make my stand. James Schannep chose this great topic to make one of his Click Your Poison Kindle books and he rides the nice line between comedic and realistic scenarios really well. He does a great job with dialogue, which is one of the most surprisingly difficult things to work out for most writers. Schannep also makes sure to not go too stereotypical in his character descriptions and actions and what sounds like a great plan without too much thought will show you that even the simplest move can turn fatal in a zombie apocalypse.
Infected is definitely a multiple read book not just because of the different possible choices but because of how well each one is written. If you wind up picking it up make sure to read the chapter titles too, not only are they usually funny and punny but they give you a hint of what to expect in the pages to come. If you happen to become zombie food remembering your previous chapter also helps prevent you from having to start from scratch, which I did a couple times just for the fun of it.
Last Call:
James Schannep embraces the old tradition of the choose your adventure and the newer technology of the Kindle and makes a zombie book for all ages. The humor is fun and sometimes sick definitely fitting the subject matter and the audience. Do yourself a favor and pick up Infected to see how well you will REALLY do in the zombie apocalypse.
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 22, 2013) – Square Enix, Inc., the publishers of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced that TOMB RAIDER®developer, Crystal Dynamics, has released the system requirements for the PC version of the eagerly anticipated game; scheduled for release on March 5, 2013 in line with Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
The PC version of TOMB RAIDER has been developed in tandem between Crystal Dynamics and long-time partner Nixxes; a collaboration that has spanned over a dozen PC titles and dates back fifteen years.
Jurjen Katsman, director of Nixxes stated, “The team at Crystal intended to make the game of their careers and we are extremely proud of the part we have played in the project’s development.”
TOMB RAIDER for PCs has been extensively optimized to heighten the gameplay experience; with the goal of taking advantage of the PC platform. Enhanced features include: full integration with Steamworks, increased detail tessellation, improved SSAO and post-filter effects, and very high resolution textures, shadows and cloths.
“AMD graphics and Crystal Dynamics have partnered to capture the realism of one of video gaming’s most iconic characters, Lara Croft of the TOMB RAIDER franchise,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics. “By leveraging the power of AMD Radeon™ and Graphics Core Next, Lara and her environment have come to life like never before.”
Additionally, for PCs that are capable, the game will support AMD HD3D and AMD Eyefinity technologies, the latter of which allows up to six simultaneous displays off a single graphics card.
The game’s enhanced features on the PC version include:
General
Full integration with Steamworks to offer cloud storage for saves, multiplayer matchmaking, achievements, as well as automatic updates and new content.
Support for Steam Big Picture Mode.
Configurable mouse and keyboard support.
Gamepad support.
High-end graphics
Very high resolution textures with up to 16x the amount of data
Detail Tessellation to enhance the detail on many surfaces in the game
Higher quality shadows
High quality bokeh depth of field with near-blur
Tessellation algorithms used to smooth out geometry
Improved cloth, SSAO, quality wetness effects, and post-filter effects.
LOD quality is adjustable for better quality on higher-end machines.
Low-end graphics
Crystal care about TR fans being able to run on older systems, unlike many other games they still support Windows XP.
A lot of scalability options to suit a range of machines.
Darrell Gallagher, studio head of Crystal Dynamics commented: “With over a decade of experience working alongside AMD and Nixxes at Crystal Dynamics alone, we had rock solid partners on board to create a superb TOMB RAIDER experience for PC gamers around the world. At Crystal we approach each of our projects with the sole intention of creating the best possible consumer experience for that format, and we are proud to have worked alongside two great partners who hold the very same values.”
The full list of PC minimum and recommended system requirements is listed below:
Minimum system requirements for PC
Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista,7,8 (32bit/64bit)
Sunnyvale, Calif. (February 22, 2013)- Leading online game publisher GamesCampus (www.GamesCampus.com), today announced the official closed beta launch date for its first browser title, the tactical MMORPG, Ecol Tactics Online. The turn-based browser strategy game, inspired by time-honored tactical role playing games, will enter closed beta on March 7th. A select group of players can start getting their hands on the highly-anticipated keys beginning February 28th. Players can sign up now for an account at http://EcolTactics.GamesCampus.com
“We are excited to get to the stage where our growing community can finally play the game-they have been waiting to find out when they could finally jump in and test it out,” said Elliott Coward, Project Lead for Ecol Tactics Online. “Ecol Tactics takes the browser-based MMO to a whole new level with a breadth and depth players aren’t use to seeing in easy to jump into browser games. We’re confident our players will be very happy with the experience when they login March 7th.”
Selected players will get to experience a full tactical MMORPG event right in their browser without any downloads. With a deep storyline and customization not usually found in most browser games, players will control their characters as they see fit; there’s no set class to get locked into. Stuck on a quest? No problem: just switch to a different class and try again, with absolutely no penalties. No more staring at spreadsheets or watching a stamina cool-down renew; it’s all about playing the game at your pace.
Players can find out where to scoop up a closed beta key on the official Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ecoltacticsus or Twitter at @EcolTactics, along with daily hints and tips, with plenty of screen shots, videos and more.
SAN JOSE, Calif., (February 22, 2013) – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that it will be bringing ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY to PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft to the Americas during Summer 2013. The world has been thrown into chaos. Important natural resources needed for the survival of competing factions are scavenged and fought across the world with deadly Armored Core mechs. A strong trigger finger, innovative customization and strategic teamwork will be all that stand between survival and complete annihilation.
Renowned Japanese game developer FromSoftware returns to its hardcore mech action franchise with ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY. Command a squadron of advanced Armored Core mechs in a dystopian future ravaged by war and stripped of natural resources. Players will form squads of up to 20 members and enlist into one of the various in-game factions to wrestle control of territories away from other players in the game’s persistent multiplayer mode. New gameplay features will be implemented into ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY to ensure that players who choose to play alone will be able to recruit a squad of A.I. controlled mechs and enjoy the robust feature sets of co-op and multiplayer modes, while new matchmaking system ensures that players will always find battles at a moment’s notice.
Operator Mode returns to ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY with new upgrades, allowing players to tactically command a full squad of Armored Core mechs from a tactical top-down point-of-view. Operators will be able to set rally points, mark targets and receive real-time in-cockpit views from other players and computer-controlled squad mates to achieve real-time strategic command of the battlefield.
ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY will allow fans of ARMORED CORE V to carry over their save data to experience brand new content with their customized Armored Core from the previous title. Players will be able to further customize their Armored Core mechs with hundreds of parts ranging from guns, armor pieces, shields and boosters. The new robust customization options will help players synchronize their mech loadouts with teammates to deliver maximum destruction on the battlefield.
“The ARMORED CORE series has continually found itself a deep and dedicated fanbase,” said Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY expands the level of immersion with more advanced customization fine tuning and streamlined multiplayer modes.”
Zen Studios and Lucasarts have released a new trailer showing off the Boba Fett table for the upcoming Star Wars Pinball. The game is due out next week on the Apple App Store, Google Play, XBLA, PSN, Mac App Store platforms.
