Archive - 2018

Mad Catz Returns Under New Management

2018/01/04
Jerry Paxton
CES, Geek News, News, Peripherals News, Trailers / Videos

Kowloon, Hong Kong – January 4th 2018, – Mad Catz Global Limited, the legendary brand, leading innovation in gaming hardware for almost three decades, announced today a surprise return to the international gaming scene.

Less than a year after the much-loved brand disappeared from the gaming landscape, Mad Catz is back: under new management, with new ideas, new attitude and most importantly, an entire range of new, high-quality gaming products!

Known for their award-winning range of R.A.T.™ gaming mice, arcade FightSticks, gaming headsets and much more besides, the new Mad Catz will focus first on quality, committed to producing innovative gaming products, designed and engineered in-house to stand out amongst the competition and deliver superlative performance for gamers of all abilities.

At CES 2018, Mad Catz will be previewing the first products in the new range, a line of all-new PC gaming hardware including new R.A.T. mice, S.T.R.I.K.E.™ keyboards, F.R.E.Q.™ gaming headsets and G.L.I.D.E.™ gaming surfaces.

Key products in the new range include the R.A.T.AIR™ an-all new version of the iconic, fully-adjustable gaming mouse, now with a state-of-the-art wireless power system. The R.A.T.AIR requires no unreliable battery pack to operate, instead drawing power via the wireless activation gaming surface, included in pack. For gamers preferring to use their own gaming surface, the R.A.T.AIR also includes a robust USB cable in pack, instantly converting the R.A.T. to a wired mouse.

The S.T.R.I.K.E.4 gaming keyboard features a fully mechanical key bed, aluminum frame and RGB lighting, and the F.R.E.Q.4 gaming headset, utilizes high-quality 40mm neodymium drivers and a metal plated frame. Further details of new products in the range are expected to be announced shortly.

“We couldn’t be more excited than to begin 2018 by announcing the return of Mad Catz to the global gaming arena. Mad Catz has been a permanent fixture in gaming for almost three decades and we firmly believe it’s best days lie ahead,” said Selena Chang, Director of Sales and Operations for Mad Catz Global Limited. “Through listening to gamers worldwide, we plan to once again forge a path of innovation in the gaming hardware community, and we’re already working on delivering products which we believe will enhance gamers’ abilities and do justice to the Mad Catz name. We can’t wait to unveil a little more at CES 2018 and in the months to come.’

Mad Catz Global Limited will be demonstrating new products in the range through invitation only at CES 2018, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 9th through 12th, 2018.

Additional information available at: www.madcatz.com

Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration Announced for Knott’s Berry Farm

2018/01/03
boothby
Geek News, News

Buena Park, Calif. – The Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, an all-new Seasons of Fun event uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS characters, invites guests to step inside the pages of a Charles M. Schulz comic strip as the characters take over the entire theme park for the very first time. The newly introduced event will take place on weekends beginning January 27th through February 25th plus President’s day, February 19th. The limited time celebration invites fans of all ages to join in on the fun by introducing new ways for guests to play and interact with the PEANUTS Gang throughout the park. The event will feature special PEANUTS inspired décor, new social media worthy comic strip photo ops, new character experiences, live shows, exclusive merchandise and deliciously themed treats to complete this whimsical celebration.

The celebration will have plenty of surprises hidden around every corner. One-of-a-kind photo opportunities will be available throughout the park allowing guests to pose alongside their favorite characters or step into a PEANUTS comic strip to create a unique and lifetime memory. The vibrant décor will include full size comic strip props like Charlie Brown’s kites and the iconic kite eating trees which will adorn the park’s pathways. Guests will have the chance to meet with the beloved PEANUTS characters throughout the day as the characters appear at unexpected locations for special interactions.

Camp Snoopy Theater presents an all-new show where Lucy and Charlie put their talents to the test in Lucy and Charlie’s Balancing Act. Also in Camp Snoopy, the Grand Sierra Railroad invites kids to celebrate with the PEANUTS Gang as they head to the Beagle Bonanza in this new ride overlay.

The PEANUTS inspired festivities continue at the Birdcage Theatre as the park introduces an experience that gives both the young and the young at heart a lesson on how to draw their favorite PEANUTS character. The PEANUTS Sketch School will include our resident art teacher who will provide step by step instructions on how to draw the perfect PEANUTS masterpiece. After class is dismissed, a special showing of a classic PEANUTS television special will be shown in the theatre.

Franklin and Linus are on a Western escapade as they transform into cowboys in the new PEANUTS Cowboy Jamboree at Calico Park. The boys are looking to challenge guests with some of the rootinest, tootinest games in Calico. Also in Ghost Town, everyone’s favorite messy pal, Pig Pen will be making his Knott’s Berry Farm debut as he hosts a special meetup at the Livery Stables with some of his favorite animal friends.

The celebration continues at the Calico Mine Stage where the PEANUTS characters have two all-new musical surprises for guests. During the day Sally and Schroder will host a retrospect of music in The Music Goes Round and Round where they’ll have the audience dancing in the aisles. At nightfall the stage will transform into a musical extravaganza as the park presents the first ever Woodstock’s Musical Festival. The musical event will feature the Peanuts Gang joined by the family-friendly indie band The Jelly of the Month Club, performing a high energy rock concert for the whole family. Guests will also uncover hidden fun as they venture into Fiesta Village were Lucy and Sally have taken a journey south of the border as they have been introduced to the colorful dancing of Mexico. Lucy and Sally’s Fiesta Fantasy will bring lively music, traditional costumes and live performances to the Fiesta Village stage.

The best way to enjoy every weekend of the all-new Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration and all of the other Seasons of Fun is with a 2018 Season Pass. A Regular Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2018 to Knott’s Berry Farm with no blackout dates, and a Gold Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2018 to both Knott’s Berry Farm and the newly expanded Knott’s Soak City Waterpark with no blackout dates. Regular passes are just $94 or six easy payments of $15.66 and Gold Passes are $113 or six payments of just $18.83. These offers end April 8, 2018. Applicable taxes and fees apply online. Payment plans are only available at knotts.com.

COMET TV Unveils The Craft and More for January 2018

2018/01/03
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

COMET TV has released its lineup of programming and specials for January 2018! On this month’s lineup is The Craft, Labyrinth, Bubba Ho-Tep, and a whole lot more! See it all after the following sizzle trailer.

The Craft (1996)

Teen movies might want you to believe that high school was all about keggers and beautiful cheerleaders, but we prefer The Craft’s version of events. Featuring a quartet of angsty teens who turn to witchcraft in the face of personal high school horrors, The Craft casts a spell that leaves you wishing you had an occult stor on your local main street.

  • Friday, January 12 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 13 at 8P/7C
  • Sunday, January 21 at 6P/5C
  • Monday, January 22 at 8P/7C

FILMS ON COMET IN JANUARY

Labyrinth (1986)

January will mark the second anniversary of the day we lost pop culture legend David Bowie, so this month’s COMET is honoring his memory in the best way we coul think of ….  by screening one of the most iconic roles of his career. Back in 1986, Bowie stole the show as the Goblin King in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from the music to the costumes, this was Bowie at his best.

  • Friday, January 19 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 20 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 27 at 5:30P/6:30C
  • Tuesday, January 30 at 6P/7C

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Could there be a better way to shake off the post-holiday blues than with the adventures of Elvis in all his hip shaking and breaking glory? Of course not, which is exactly why you should be tuning in to watch Bubba Ho-Tep on COMET this January.

  • Friday, January 26 at 8P/7C
  • Saturday, January 27 at 8P/7C
  • Sunday, January 28 at 2P/1C

Edgar Allan Poe DOUBLE FEATURES

Need to warm up on the cold Winter Wednesdays? Look no further than COMET’s brand new 2-hour block of Edgar Allan Poe programming. Each Wednesday evening at 6P/5C, catch the Tomahawk Man’s most beloved creations, including The Raven and Tales of Terror.

Airing Wednesday Nights at 6P/5C throughout January, check schedule at CometTV.com

Premature Burial (1962)

Wednesday, January 10 at 6P/5C

Tales of Terror (1962)

Wednesday, January 10 at 8P/7C

The Raven (1963)

Wednesday, January 17 at 6P/5C

The Haunted Place (1963)

Wednesday, January 17 at 8P/7C

Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Wednesday, January 24 at 6P/5C

The Tomb of Ligeia (1965)

Wednesday, January 24 at 8P/7C

The Oblong Box (1969)

Wednesday, January 31 at 6P/5C

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)

Wednesday, January 31 at 8P/7C

January Theme Weeks

Airing weekdays at 4P/3C throughout January, check schedule at CometTV.com

Killer Creature Movies (1/1 – 1/5)

Outer Space Movies (1/8 – 1/12)

Rubber-Suit Monster Movies (1/15 – 1/19)

Dystopian Movies (1/22 – 1/26)

January Friday Night Movies

Friday Primetime Movie 8P/7C

Saturday Encore Presentation 8P/7C

The Dark Half (1993)

Friday, January 5 at 8P/7C

The Craft (1996)

Friday, January 12 at 8P/7C

Labyrinth (1986)

Friday, January 19 at 8P/7C

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Friday, January 26 at 8P/7C

SERIES ON COMET IN January 2018

Andromeda

Classic Space Opera is coming to COMET! Based on materials from sci-fi legend Gene Roddenberry, Andromeda stars all action hero Kevin Sorbo as the Captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, a highly advanced ship whose crew is charged with restoring power and stability to the Systems Commonwealth. But, to succeed the Andromeda crew must battle one of sci-fi’s weirdest looking bad guys….the sinister Magog!

  • Weekdays at 2P/1C and 10P/9C

Stargate: Atlantis

If you thought gate-hopping action was fun in the Milky Way, just wait until you see what it’s like in the Pegasus Galaxy. Stargate: Atlantis sees a team of international scientists unlocking the secrets of a legendary ancient city, discovering a whole new stargate network in a whole new galaxy, and bringing them face to face with the Wraith, a powerful enemy who are best summed up with the term ‘Evil Space Vampires’!

  • Weekdays at 3P/2C and 11P/10C

BenQ Unveils the ZOWIE XL2740 eSports Monitor

2018/01/03
boothby
Geek News, News, Tech News

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Jan. 3, 2018 — BenQ today announced the ZOWIE XL2740 monitor. The XL2740 is a 27” PC eSports monitor with native 240hz refresh rate providing gamers with another option to suit their personal preference. It has the same features as the smaller 24.5” XL2540. In order to experience the benefits in-game, users should make sure their computer is able to consistently generate over 240 frames per second (fps).

Please stay tuned to our social media for information regarding availability in North America.

Slender Man Official Trailer

2018/01/03
boothby
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Directed by Sylvain White, Slender Man is set in a small town in Massachusetts where four high school girls perform a ritual in an attempt to debunk the lore of SLENDER MAN. When one of the girls goes mysteriously missing, they begin to suspect that she is, in fact, HIS latest victim. Slender Man is due out on May 18, 2018.

Star Wars: Rogue One Graphic Novel Adaptation Out Now

2018/01/03
boothby
Comics News, Geek News, News

San Diego, CA (January 3, 2018) – IDW Publishing continues to expand its Star Wars graphic novel line with another beautifully realized Star Wars adaptation as Star Wars: Rogue One Graphic Novel Adaptation has officially arrived.

Fans of the Star Wars blockbuster can re-live the adventure in a new art style appealing to fans of Disney’s animation. The mission to steal the Death Star plans has never looked so good! Return to the adventure with the ragtag crew of Jyn, Cassian, K-2SO, Chirrut, and Baze in a galaxy far, far away. See the sands of Scarif, Vader’s castle on Mustafar, or even the kyber rich desert moon of Jedha as you flip through this 80-page book.

Star Wars: Rogue One Graphic Novel Adaptationfeatures the creative talent of Star Wars veterans, including author Alessandro Ferrari (Star Wars Saga graphic novel adaptations, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), along with illustrators and artists Andrew Parisi, Igor Chimisso (Star Wars Saga), Matteo Piana (Star Wars Saga, The Ring of the Seven Worlds), and a brand-new cover by artist Eric Jones (Tron: Ghost in the Machine, Star Wars Adventures).

The Star Wars: Rogue One Graphic Novel Adaptation trade paperback collection is available for $9.99 in comic shops and book stores everywhere. The time to fight is now!

Star Wars: Rogue One Graphic Novel Adaptation
by Alessandro Ferrari
ISBN 978-1-68405-220-2
$9.99 (US)
80-page, full-color softcover graphic novel, 6 3/4” x 9”

Civilization VI: Rise and Fall First Look at Cree Nation Trailer

2018/01/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

January 2, 2018 – 2K and F4iraxis Games today revealed that Poundmaker will lead the Cree in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall. Poundmaker was a highly skilled bison caller – a man who drew bison into pounds – and greatly respected among his people. He was also recognized as an outstanding orator and went on to become a great leader.

His commitment to a lasting, just peace between the Cree and the government was born of foresight and dignity. During his life he had served as a personal agent of peace to end war between First Nations. His legacy is now honored among both the Cree and Canadians today.

For more information, please see 2K’s official Civilization blog: https://civilization.com/news/entries#civilization-vi-rise-and-fall-poundmaker-leads-the-cree-nation

HP Omen X 35-inch Curved Gaming Display Review

2018/01/02
Jerry Paxton
Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

HP’s Omen gaming line of computers and peripherals has become quite the conversation piece thanks to its sleek, dark future design ideology. Recently, we got to check out their Omen X 35-inch curved gaming monitor, and I was simply amazed. We have gotten our hands on some other curved displays in the past and been very pleased – however, just looking at the Omen X 35 once unboxed and setup on our desk was impressive.

It features a thin, black bezel, classy OMEN text at the bottom center of the monitor, and an understated Nvidia G-Sync logo at the bottom right. Its control buttons are located along the bottom right edge of the display and are fairly easy to navigate – especially with the on-screen prompts which pop up as you press the side buttons. On the back of the Omen X 35, you’ll find HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 3.0, and USB 3.0 upstream ports, all fairly easy to reach when setting it all up. The bottom of the monitor features an RGB lighting system that can be adjusted via the control buttons on the right, and features something I have not seen yet on a gaming display. Aside from the usual cycle and solid color modes, you can set the Omen X 35’s light to whatever the ambient color on the screen is at the time! I have seen lighting systems like this on large TV displays, but never on a PC gaming monitor – it is a pretty cool effect! They also have a “work light” mode which simply displays a low-lumen white light which is nice for working at your desk without a large desk lamp available.

In terms of adjusting the display itself, the Omen X 35 is somewhat rigid in that area. You can easily adjust the height of the monitor up and down, but it does not feature a swivel left or ride range of motion. This is because of how the monitor stand is constructed. Going for that sleek, dark-future look, the monitor stand is very thin, being only a half and inch thick when looking at it straight-on. Of course, it is thicker than that when viewed from the side as it has to support the weighty display, but its minimal cross section allows for less distraction and more of a “floating display” appearance from the front. Unfortunately, this does not allow for the previously-mentioned swivel. Thankfully, swiveling the entire monitor is not difficult thanks to the distribution of weight on the monitor base.

Being the Fallout fan I am, I first tried the monitor out with Fallout 4. I have downloaded many of the HD texture and lighting mods for the game, so I was extremely impressed with how it ran. Next up on my list was a faster game – Battlefront II, which was also very impressive, and the ultra wide resolution and screen real estate felt like having two regular displays side by side, but without that annoying center bezel that multi-monitor gamers are all too familiar with. Also a bonus is that you can get better performance with one ultra wide monitor instead of two or three regular displays as you can set your video card to single display performance mode – an added bonus. Another feature of the Omen X 35 that gets overlooked in many reviews I have seen is that its 2500:1 contrast ratio – an impressive ratio.

Specifications

  • 35.03 Inches Screen (Curved)
  • 3440×1440 Resolution
  • 8-bit VA Panel (AMVA+) with 178° Viewing Angles
  • 21:9 Aspect Ratio
  • 4ms Response Time
  • 100Hz
  • Nvidia G-Sync
  • Ports: DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4
  • Other Ports: 3x USB3.0, Audio Line-Out
  • Brightness: 300cd/m2
  • Static Contrast: 2,500:1
  • Dynamic Contrast: 10,000,000:1
  • Pixel Pitch: 0.2382mm

Overall, the Omen X 35-inch curved display is a gamer’s dream. Not only is its 100Hz refresh rate blazing fast but, when coupled with Nvidia’s G-SYNC technology you will not be subject to any discernible ghosting or trails as you jump around the battlefield. Also, it has a reasonable price point (in this display category) of a little more than $900 dollars in most online retailers. If you have the money to spend, you will not be disappointed with the Omen X 35-inch curved gaming monitor.

January TV Premiere Dates 2018

2018/01/01
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News

We have compiled a list of TV premiere dates for the new year. Here are the January dates for your viewing entertainment:

Monday, Jan. 1
Lovesick (Netflix)
8 p.m.: The Bachelor (ABC), The Wall (NBC, midseason)
9 p.m.: Valor (The CW, midseason), Better Late Than Never (NBC)
10 p.m.: The Brave (NBC, midseason)

Tuesday, Jan. 2
8 p.m.: Ellen’s Game of Games (NBC), NCIS (CBS, midseason), Lethal Weapon (Fox, midseason)
9 p.m.: L.A. to Vegas (Fox), Bull (CBS, midseason)
9:30 p.m.: The Mick (Fox, midseason)
10 p.m.: Chicago Med (NBC, midseason), NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, midseason)

Wednesday, Jan. 3
8 p.m.: Grown-ish (Freeform), The Blacklist (NBC, midseason), The X-Files (Fox), The Amazing Race (CBS), The Goldbergs (ABC, midseason)
8:30 p.m.: Speechless (ABC, midseason)
9 p.m.: Law & Order: SVU (NBC, midseason), 911 (Fox), Modern Family (ABC, midseason), SEAL Team (CBS, midseason)
9:30 p.m.: American Housewife (ABC, midseason)
10 p.m.: Chicago P.D. (NBC, midseason), Match Game (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS, midseason)

Thursday, Jan. 4
8 p.m.: Superstore (NBC, midseason), The Four (Fox), Big Bang Theory (CBS, midseason)
8:30 p.m.: The Good Place (NBC, midseason), Young Sheldon (CBS, midseason)
9 p.m.: Will & Grace (NBC, midseason), Nashville (CMT), Mom (CBS, midseason)
9:30 p.m.: Great News (NBC, midseason), Life in Pieces (CBS, midseason)
10 p.m.: Chicago Fire (NBC, midseason), SWAT (CBS, midseason)

Friday, Jan. 5
The End of the F***ing World (Netflix)
8 p.m.: Child Support (ABC), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, midseason)
9 p.m.: Agents of SHIELD (ABC, midseason)

Sunday, Jan. 7
5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET: Golden Globes (NBC)
5:30 p.m.: Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access, midseason)
7:30 p.m.: Bob’s Burgers (Fox, midseason)
8 p.m.: Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, midseason), The Simpsons (Fox, midseason)
8:30 p.m.: Ghosted (Fox, midseason)
9 p.m.: NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, midseason), Family Guy (Fox, midseason)
9:30 p.m.: The Last Man on Earth (fox, midseason)
10 p.m.: The Chi (Showtime), Madam Secretary (CBS, midseason)

Monday, Jan. 8
10 p.m.: The Good Doctor (ABC, midseason), The Brave (NBC, midseason)

Tuesday, Jan. 9
8 p.m.: The Fosters (Freeform)
9 p.m.: This Is Us (NBC, midseason), The Haves and the Have Nots (OWN)

Wednesday, Jan. 10
8:30 p.m.: Alone Together (Freeform)
9 p.m.: The Magicians (Syfy)
10 p.m.: If Loving You Is Wrong (OWN)

Friday, Jan. 12
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (Amazon), Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix), Disjointed (Netflix)
8 p.m.: Blindspot (NBC, midseason)
9 p.m.: Taken (NBC)
10 p.m.: Dateline (NBC, midseason)

Sunday, Jan. 14
10 p.m.: Divorce (HBO)
10:30 p.m.: Crashing (HBO)

Monday, Jan. 15
8 p.m.: Supergirl (The CW, midseason), The Gifted (Fox, season finale), Kevin Can Wait (CBS, midseason)
8:30 p.m.: 9JKL (CBS, midseason)
9 p.m.: Man WIth a Plan (CBS, midseason)
9:30 p.m.: Superior Donuts (CBS, midseason)
10 p.m.: Scorpion (CBS, midseason)

Tuesday, Jan. 16
9 p.m.: The Flash (The CW, midseason)
9 p.m.: Black Lightning (The CW)
10 p.m.: The Paynes (OWN)

Wednesday, Jan. 17
The Path (Hulu)
8 p.m.: Riverdale (The CW, midseason)
9 p.m.: Dynasty (The CW, midseason)
10 p.m.: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX), Corporate (Comedy Central)

Thursday, Jan. 18
8 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, midseason), Supernatural (The CW, midseason), Beyond (Freeform)
9 p.m.: Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network launches), Scandal (ABC, midseason), Arrow (The CW, midseason)
10 p.m.: Portlandia (IFC), How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, midseason)

Friday, Jan. 19
Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
10 p.m.: Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)
11 p.m.: High Maintenance (HBO)

Saturday, Jan. 20
9 p.m.: The Paynes (OWN, time slot premiere), Planet Earth: Blue Planet II (BBC America, IFC, AMC, WEtv, Sundance TV)

Sunday, Jan. 21
8 p.m.: Counterpart (Starz)
9 p.m.: The Resident (Fox, after the NFC Championship Game)

Monday, Jan. 22
8 p.m.: Mosaic (HBO)
9 p.m.: The Resident (Fox, time slot premiere), The Alienist (TNT)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
10 p.m.: Drunk History (Comedy Central), Baskets (FX)
10:30 p.m.: The Detour (TBS), Another Period (Comedy Central)

Wednesday, Jan. 24
8 p.m.: Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
8:30 p.m.: Let’s Get Physical (Pop)
9 p.m.: Waco (Paramount Network)

Thursday, Jan. 25
8 p.m.: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (VH1)

Friday, Jan. 26
One Day at a Time (Netflix)
9 p.m.: Jane the Virgin (The CW, midseason)

Sunday, Jan. 28
4:30 p.m. PT: Grammy Awards (CBS)

Monday, Jan. 29
9 p.m.: Valor (The CW, season finale)

Sunday, Jan. 31
Step Up: High Water (YouTube Red)