September 10, 2015 – Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, the new RTS based on Games Workshop’s tabletop game, is for the first time unveiled through pre-alpha gameplay covering the basics of what to expect from Tindalos Interactive’s new game.
Developed on Unreal Engine 4, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is an RTS in which the player takes command of one of these battlefleets composed of the most powerful spaceships from the Imperial, Chaos, Eldar and Ork forces, in a no-quarter given struggle for the control of the Gothic sector of space.
Featuring many different game modes including dramatic battles in both single and multiplayer, against players and the AI, and a full single-player campaign pitting you against Abaddon the Despoiler, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada will have you unlocking and upgrading the ships in your fleet as well as specializing the captains that helm them, each with their own behaviors.
Featuring an ambitious campaign against Abaddon the Despoiler, command the Imperium fleet throughout the Gothic sector, securing systems and making choices that will affect the story along the way. In the campaign, you’ll meet – and perhaps more! – the Eldar, and the enigmatic Space Marines as you try to vanquish the sector of Chaos influence.
Each faction has its own strengths and skills. The Imperium are heavily armored with a lot of torpedoes, powerful macro weapons and harness the awesome nova cannon. The Chaos are fast, with a longer range than the other factions, utilizing powerful lances.
Learn the basics of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada by watching the exciting new gameplay trailer, and look forward to the release in 2016 on PC.
September 10, 2015 — Do you know what makes you S.P.E.C.I.A.L.?
Following total atomic annihilation, the rebuilding of this great nation of ours may fall to you. That’s why we at Vault-Tec have prepared this educational video series for you to better understand the seven defining attributes that make you S.P.E.C.I.A.L.!
Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck – all of these attributes will impact how you survive and thrive aboveground.
Today we’ve released the first video in the series, starting, of course, with Strength. If you would like to share this video with your fellow citizens, we’ve included a YouTube embed below. Study these materials carefully to ensure your survival and to discover what makes you S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
Set to release worldwide on November 10, 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, Fallout 4 is the next generation of open-world gaming where every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours.
Fallout 4 has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information about the game visit www.Fallout4.com.
Should you have any questions please let us know.
All the best,
Your Friends at Vault-Tec
The act of using this Video (either partially or in its entirety) is a binding, non-verbal agreement between all Vault-Dwelling Parties (either Fully Resident or Temporary), Interested Vault-Dwelling Parties, and Vault-Tec Industries stating that Vault-Tec is not liable for any damages, injuries, or mental anguish inflicted during or after the perusal of the Vault-Tec Video Series either in its Full Form or Condensed Version. Use of this Video Series without sufficient understanding of Intelligence may result in death. Always consult your Vault Overseer for guidance on appropriate informational video usage.
SAN FRANCISCO – September 9, 2015 – Apple® today announced iPhone® 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the most advanced iPhones ever, adding a powerful new dimension to iPhone’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface. The new iPhones introduce 3D Touch, which senses force to enable intuitive new ways to access features and interact with content. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus feature Retina® HD displays made from the strongest glass on any smartphone and 7000 series aluminum, the same alloy used in the aerospace industry, in gorgeous metallic finishes that now include rose gold.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also introduce a transformative new approach to photography called Live Photos, bringing still images to life by capturing a moment in motion. Live Photos, 3D Touch and other advancements in the new iPhones are powered by the Apple-designed A9 chip, the most advanced chip ever in a smartphone, delivering faster performance and great battery life.
“The only thing that has changed with iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is everything — 3D Touch lets users interact with iPhone in entirely new and fun ways, and the innovative Live Photos brings your pictures to life,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “These are the most advanced iPhones ever, with 7000 series aluminum, ion-strengthened glass, the new 64-bit A9 chip, 12-megapixel iSight and 5-megapixel FaceTime HD cameras, faster Touch ID, LTE and Wi-Fi. Customers are going to love them.”
3D Touch
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce new ways to navigate and experience iPhone by sensing pressure to enable new gestures — Peek and Pop™ — so you can dip in and out of content without losing your place. Press lightly to Peek at a photo, email, web page or other content, and press a little deeper to Pop into the content itself. With Quick Actions, 3D Touch provides shortcuts to the things you do most, so you can send a message or take a selfie with just a simple press from the Home screen.
Camera Innovations
The world’s most popular camera is even better in the new iPhones with new ways to capture and relive unforgettable moments. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce Live Photos, which go beyond snapshots to capture moments in motion. Live Photos are beautiful 12-megapixel photos that, with just a press, reveal the moments immediately before and after the shot was taken, so you can enjoy a living memory rather than an instant frozen in time.
High-definition video improves with support for 4K — with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, delivering over 8 million pixels — and the expansion of optical image stabilization to video on iPhone 6s Plus, for taking beautiful videos in lower light. After capturing 4K video, you can edit on your Mac®, PC, iPad® and with the latest version of iMovie® on iPhone, you can even edit two simultaneous streams.
Additional camera advancements include:
a new state-of-the-art 12-megapixel sensor with advanced pixel technology and Apple-designed image signal processor, for truer colors and sharper, more detailed photos; and
a new 5-megapixel FaceTime® HD camera and Retina Flash, which momentarily makes the display three times brighter with True Tone® lighting, for wonderfully bright selfies in low light.
Advanced Technology
A9, Apple’s third-generation 64-bit chip powers these innovations with 70 percent faster CPU and 90 percent faster GPU performance than the A8, all with gains in energy efficiency for great battery life. The A9 chip and iOS 9 are architected together for optimal performance where it matters most, in real world usage. M9, Apple’s next-generation motion coprocessor, is embedded into A9, allowing more features to run all the time at lower power, including “Hey Siri,” without iPhone needing to be plugged in.
With advanced wireless technologies including faster Wi-Fi and LTE Advanced, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users can browse, download and stream content even faster.¹ The new iPhones also support up to 23 LTE bands — the most in any smartphone — for better worldwide roaming.
iOS 9, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, brings more intelligence to iPhone with proactive assistance, powerful search and improved Siri® features, all while protecting users’ privacy. Built-in apps become more powerful with a redesigned Notes app, detailed transit information in Maps, and an all-new News app for the best news reading experience on any mobile device.² The foundation of iOS is even stronger with software updates that require less space to install and advanced security features
to further protect your devices.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in gold, silver, space gray and the new rose gold metallic finishes for $0 down with 24 monthly payments starting at $27 (US) and $31 (US), respectively, from Apple’s retail stores in the US, Apple.com, select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers.³
Exclusively at Apple’s retail stores in the US, customers can choose their carrier and get an unlocked iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus with the opportunity to get a new iPhone annually and AppleCare+ on the new iPhone Upgrade Program with monthly payments starting at $32 (US) and $37 (US), respectively.⁴
Both models will be available in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK and the US beginning Friday, September 25, with pre-orders beginning Saturday, September 12.
Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colors and Lightning Docks in color-matched metallic finishes will also be available.
¹ Data plan required. LTE Advanced and LTE are available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds vary based on site conditions and carrier. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see www.apple.com/iphone/LTE.
² Transit information in Maps will be available in select major cities including Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C., as well as over 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. News app availability varies by country.
³ Prices are rounded to nearest dollar and are based on 24 monthly installment payments. Taxes and activation fees may be due at sale. Carrier terms and eligibility may apply.
⁴ The iPhone Upgrade Program is available to qualified customers only with a valid US personal credit card. Requires a 24-month installment loan with Citizens Bank, N.A. and iPhone activation with a national carrier — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon. Full terms apply.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
SAN FRANCISCO – September 9, 2015 – Apple® today introduced the all-new iPad Pro™, featuring a stunning 12.9-inch Retina® display with 5.6 million pixels, the most ever in an iOS device, and groundbreaking performance with the new 64-bit A9X chip, rivaling most portable PCs. The new larger iPad Pro is thin and light and provides all-day battery life. There are more than 850,000 apps in the App Store℠ designed specifically for iPad®, and the new iPad Pro will enable a new generation of advanced apps for everything from productivity, design, illustration, engineering and medical, to education, gaming and entertainment.
Apple today also introduced Apple Pencil™ for iPad Pro, a precision input device available for purchase separately, which makes drawing and sketching feel remarkably fluid and natural. The touch subsystem of the Multi-Touch™ display in iPad Pro has been redesigned to work with Apple Pencil to dramatically reduce latency and deliver incredible accuracy for activities like fine art illustration and detailed 3D design. Advanced sensors in Apple Pencil measure both pressure and tilt for a fast and fluid drawing experience, while a built-in Lightning® connector makes for quick and easy pairing and charging. Apple Pencil also works with popular apps like Mail, Notes, Procreate and Office 365 for iPad, offering new levels of creativity and productivity.
Apple’s new Smart Keyboard further extends the utility of iPad Pro, offering a full-sized keyboard in a thin, durable design so you can take it anywhere. The Smart Keyboard, available for purchase separately, attaches to iPad Pro’s innovative Smart Connector port, eliminating the need for a separate battery, on/off switch or Bluetooth pairing. The Smart Keyboard is covered in custom woven fabric and features keys that provide the accuracy, stability and satisfying key feel of standard keyboards, but is also easily foldable and can transform into a Smart Cover®. The Smart Keyboard also works seamlessly with new QuickType® features in iOS 9 to make typing even faster and easier.
“iPad Pro is the most advanced and powerful iPad we have ever made. Its beautiful and large 12.9-inch Retina display has 5.6 million pixels and provides an immersive experience for content and apps. The iPad Pro is far and away the fastest iOS device we have ever made — its A9X chip beats most portable PCs in both CPU and graphics tasks, but is thin and light enough to hold all day,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The innovative Apple Pencil and new Smart Keyboard enable users to customize their iPad Pro experience to the particular apps they use and the work they do, making iPad Pro ideal for everything from professional productivity to advanced 3D design.”
Innovative Design
iPad Pro’s 12.9-inch Retina display, with 5.6 million pixels and refined Multi-Touch technology, is the most advanced and highest resolution display ever in an iOS device. It delivers greater contrast, more uniform brightness and improved energy efficiency through photo alignment technology, oxide TFT and variable refresh rate. A new four-speaker audio design provides powerful, clear and rich stereo sound, and a refined unibody enclosure of anodized aluminum gives iPad Pro a sturdy feel with a thin and light design that is easy to hold.
Powerful Technology
iPad Pro delivers groundbreaking performance and energy efficiency, so you can tackle the most demanding tasks. Apple’s powerful new 64-bit A9X chip, with third-generation 64-bit architecture, provides desktop-class CPU performance and console-class graphics. Ultra-fast wireless connectivity keeps you connected wherever you go with 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO technology, support for a wide range of LTE bands and other fast cellular network technologies (DC-HSDPA, HSPA+).* All-day 10-hour battery life** delivers the efficiency that users have come to expect from iPad.
iOS 9
iOS 9, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, brings more intelligence to iPad with proactive assistance, powerful search and improved Siri® features, all while protecting users’ privacy. New multitasking features designed specifically for iPad allow users to do more at the same time, while built-in apps become more powerful with a redesigned Notes app, detailed transit information in Maps and an all-new News app*** for the best news reading experience on any mobile device. The foundation of iOS is even stronger with software updates that require less space to install and advanced security features to further protect your device.
Pricing & Availability
iPad Pro starts at $799 (US) for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and $1079 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB model, comes in three gorgeous metallic finishes including silver, gold and space gray and will be available starting in November from Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores, through select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers. For more information, please visit www.apple.com/ipad.
Apple Pencil will be available for $99 (US) and Smart Keyboard will be available in charcoal gray for $169 (US). New polyurethane iPad Pro Smart Covers will be available for $59 (US) in charcoal gray and white. New iPad Pro Silicone Cases will be available for $79 (US) in charcoal gray and white. iPad Pro accessories will be available starting in November.
*Data plan required. LTE is available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds vary based on site conditions. For details on LTE support, contact your carrier and see www.apple.com/ipad/LTE
**Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results may vary.
***Transit information in Maps will be available in select major cities including Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C., as well as over 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. News app availability varies by country.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Last time, we took a look at the stock JG BAR-10 G-Spec airsoft sniper rifle. We found it to be a terrific base platform for pickup games – especially in SoCal where our sniper FPS limits are usually 450 FPS with .20g BBs. Thanks to the folks at AirSplat, we are now going to install some upgrade components into the rifle to see what we can do with it. Again, as we are in Southern California, we have to keep our sniper rifles to 450 FPS or less with .20g BBs, so we were going to focus more on reliability and longevity rather than pure velocity.
Here is a full list of upgrade components that we used in this upgrade:
The first part of our upgrade was the teardown process. This is basically where we take the constituent components out of the JG BAR-10 G-Spec in preparation for the installation of the upgrade components. I HIGHLY recommend that when you remove a part from the rifle, place it in a workspace close to other pieces of the same component (e.g. All hop-up pieces together, all trigger box pieces together, etc). You will be dealing with some super-small screws and springs and it is very easy to lose them – especially when your workspace is covered in rifle parts.
The next tip to pass on to you is that in order to remove the barrel assembly from the body and stock of the rifle, you will need to remove two screws. The first one is easy to find and sits behind the area of the magazine well. The second screw is located next to the magazine release button and also works to hold the front rail into place – you can see it in the photo above. Once those to screws are removed, slowly pull the barrel up from the muzzle end out of the body until it slides out. A little bit of resistance is to be expected – so take heart if it just doesn’t slide out like a hot knife through butter.
This image shows the rifle barrel as it is pulled from the body. As you can see, there is a metal block attached to the barrel under the hop-up as a stabilizer. This is one of the objects that snags a big as you remove it from the rifle body. The rifle body is a polymer so it flexes as the barrel is removed, so be firm but gentle in handling them and the should separate without issue. The next part of the process is removing the rear outer barrel assemble from the inner barrel assembly so we can more easily access our cylinder and other internal components. This is done by removing two small screws where the two pieces come together, then simply unscrewing them.
Now you can remove the trigger box followed by the cylinder assembly. After this is complete, pull the cylinder out of the breach via the bolt handle and you can begin working on replacing the sear and other components of the trigger box. As noted in my review of the stock rifle, the trigger box in this rifle is made from metal, so it already has some reinforcing. Removing the trigger box from the rifle is easy – just unscrew the three screws holding it into the bottom of the barrel. Then carefully pull it out. In order to take the trigger box apart and get to the internal sear, you simply need to unscrew the various screws from the side of the trigger box. You can see some of those screws in the image above.
After you have separated the trigger box, you can remove the existing sear set – just watch for a couple small springs that are to be found within. The replacement set from AirSplat does come with these springs, but they are easy to lose and you can never have enough replacement parts just in case! Upgrading the trigger box was definitely the most daunting part of the process, just because it was something I had not ever tried before. Thankfully, it is a lot easier to figure out than it looks. It should be noted that the cylinder set pin included with the Action Army trigger sear set was too thick to actually fit all the way in the trigger box once it was put back together. So, I had to use the stock set pin – not the worst thing in the world especially with the mild stresses that will be put on the assembly.
Moving onto the cylinder assembly, above you will see a comparison image between the stock JG BAR-10 G-Spec cylinder and the Action Army Teflon-coated one. Well, there were some issues with this part of the upgrade. First, the metal rod which the bolt handle sits on was too thick for the stock rifle bolt handle. I could have bored out the bolt handle but I don’t have the tools required to do so. Instead, I picked up an Angel Custom bolt handle which fits onto the new cylinder without trouble. Internally, the Action Army spring guide and the Action Army piston both fit into the new cylinder without trouble. Something you need to make sure you do is add lubricant inside the cylinder. Now, there are several opinions on what kind of lubrication to use – with options ranging from lithium grease to dry lubricant, etc. Here’s the thing – the rubber gaskets on the piston need to stay lubricated, so I recommend simply using some silicone grease along the inside of the cylinder. Once your cylinder is put back together I also sprayed some silicone spray lubricant inside for added measure. Be careful your silicone spray doesn’t contain any strange additives. It should JUST be the silicone itself.
In case you’re wondering how I opened the cylinder in the first place, not to mention tighten it back on again, I used a Speed Airsoft M24/VSR-10 cylinder tool. This makes the process exceedingly simple to get into the unit and change out pieces. You could also use a couple of Allen wrenches or even needle nose pliers. However, I prefer the Speed Airsoft tool. Be careful when opening and closing up your cylinder that you carefully make sure the previously-mentioned piston gasket doesn’t come loose or get caught on the lip of the cylinder itself. You can google search for the tool – I found mine on eBay.
Above you will see a shot showing off the before and after parts I installed into the cylinder (the new Teflon-coated cylinder is not shown). As you can see, changing out those plastic pieces for metal should add a ton of longevity to the internals of this sniper rifle. The piston is very lightweight for being CNC’d aluminum as is the spring guide. For this upgrade, I used the stock cylinder head.
After I put everything back together, I made a point to slowly pull the bolt back for the first few times in order to move all the lubricant around inside the cylinder. You want maximum lubrication to keep everything sliding as needed. The first thing I noticed was how different the rifle sounded after the upgrade. It actually quieted down a lot once I ran it through a few magazines to break in the parts. I wasn’t after sound, however, I needed results. So, I took the rifle out to the range again and ran it through the same test I ran the stock build through. The differences are very apparent in the tale of the target paper.
Tests at 100feet
Interestingly, once everything was installed we got a slightly lower FPS rating out of the build. In this upgraded rifle, we shot it through our trusty chronograph and got ratings of approximately 397 FPS with .25g BBs. This means the upgraded sniper dropped by roughly 10 FPS over the stock build. This, of course, is because we are using the same spring as in the stock version. This spring now has to stand up against heavier, metal components. Thanks to the upgraded parts, however, we can now put a heavier spring inside of the rifle – pushing the FPS up to high limits – but, again, we still have to observe the Southern California field limit for sniper rifles.
If you would like to watch a great video of these kinds of upgrades being installed, here is one from the master airsoft sniper Novritsch:
Overall, we are very pleased with how the upgraded JG BAR-10 G-Spec build turned out. The rugged internals should last a long while with proper care and maintenance. This also gives us a great setup for when we want to take the rifle out to games with higher sniper rifle FPS limits. The metal piston, spring guide, and sear set will take a much stiffer spring now. Again, we would like to thank AirSplat for sending most of these parts our way for this article.
The Huntington Haunt Experience is coming to Huntington Beach, CA and they are now looking for volunteers to help bring their haunted house to life. Being produced by a large group of haunted attraction veterans, the Huntington Haunt Experience is coming to town for two great causes: First, it will bring some great Halloween-time scares to guests. Second, proceeds from the event will go to building the first “Universally Accessible Playground” for children in Long Beach. It’s community conscious scaring! The event is now looking for volunteers to act as characters, ushers, and more.
Interested In Volunteering?
Be at the Newland House on Thursday, September 17, 2015 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
Newland House 19820 Beach Blvd Huntington Beach, CA 92648
About the Huntington Haunt Experience
(From the event website) The Huntington Haunt Experience is no ordinary haunted house, but an interactive experience where you literally become a part of the story, which can be best described as part haunted house, part theatre, and part interactive ‘moving’ play where the audience becomes involved in the twisted tale! And where else in Hauntington Beach would this chilling wedding take place than at the historic Newland House and Barn, spread among two ‘scare’ acres of haunted thrills and chills. Prior to the experience and awaiting your turn or umm…fate to be called, you can try to relax your bones at our Haunted Carnival with artisans displaying their wares, a Victorian psychic, henna painting and a Costume Contest all while enjoying live entertainment, food, wine and craft beers.
Once your group is called, you will begin the Experience with a spooky candlelight tour of the Newland House itself. Step out of the house, and the spine tingling haunt of fright is in motion! The Experience will last approximately 35 minutes, with new groups being lead in every 10 minutes. Wedding guests are recommended to be 13 years and over. Costumes encouraged, but masks of any kind will not be allowed.
JACKSON, NJ—September 8, 2015 – Six Flags Great Adventure promises its biggest, scariest Fright Fest® in history this fall with 22 Halloween-themed attractions including three new haunts and four new shows. The seven-week festival that features family-friendly Thrills by Day and a zombie-filled Fright by Night begins Sept. 19and runs weekends through Nov. 1 and includes admission to some of the world’s best and most terrifying thrill rides.
“Fright Fest has become the most popular time of the year at Great Adventure, and this year’s event is our largest and scariest yet,” said Park President John Fitzgerald. “Fall is also the perfect time to enjoy our award-winning thrill rides like El Toro, Kingda Ka, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom and the new El Diablo in the crisp night air.”
By day, families can enjoy the new Spooky, Kooky Magic Show featuring the zany Doc Swan, and Just My Rottin’ Luck, a new comedic juggling and magic show. Back by popular demand, children under 12 can gather sweet treats in the Trick-or-Treat Trail and join in the fun at the Spooktacular Street Party. Families can also experience the park’s famous line-up of thrills for all ages, including the Safari Off Road Adventure, SkyScreamer, Skull Mountain and more.
At 6 pm, the festival transitions to Fright by Night as 200 zombies are released into the midways during The Awakening. An array of crazy clowns, mutants and angry flesh eaters mingle among mortals throughout five themed areas known as “scare zones,” three haunted houses and four outdoor terror trails. New this season:
! Big Top Terror 3-D – This new, indoor haunted maze transports guests to a forgotten carnival trapped in the netherworld, where freaks and inbred horrors need fresh, new souls to escape. This 3-D, in-your-face adventure blurs the line between reality and imagination.
! Demon District – Ugly, twisted villains have seized control in this new scare zone. Guests must make their way through a blanket of fog, laser lights and demons running amok.
! Blood Shed – This new terror trail features half-human, half-pig mutants in a backwoods adventure through a gory slaughter farm.
Nighttime shows, known as “monstertainment,” provide thrills, laugher, shock and awe. The iconic Dead Man’s Party, The Awakening and Circus of Thrills return by popular demand. New this season:
! Hypnosteria – Comic hypnotist Denny More takes guests on a journey of the mind into the realm of ridiculous with side-splitting laughter and hilarious antics.
! Doc Swan’s Sideshow of Oddities – Magician, illusionist and freak show master Doc Swan thrills and awes audiences with amazing feats of skill and superhuman strength.
! Bad Bob the Bone Butcher – Guest can journey to the Wild West where a bumbling sheriff and his deputy try to defeat the evil Bad Bob.
All scare zones and monstertainment are included with park admission. Terror trails and haunted houses require an additional fee. Fright by Night is not recommended for children under 12 and those who scare easily.
Spooktacular Events
On Sept. 19, Six Flags hosts the Central Jersey Blood Center for its annual Fright Fest Blood Drive. Guests can donate a pint of blood to earn a free ticket to Fright Fest between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Reservations must be made by visiting www.sixflags.com/greatadventure on the Events tab. Up to 200 donors are needed and will be taken on a first call, first serve basis. Donors must be 16 years of age or older, at least 110 lbs. and in good health to donate.
Six Flags will hold its final Fright Fest zombie audition and technician callSept. 23 at 6 p.m. in the park’s Employment Center. Scare-actors and support staff are needed to fill remaining positions from the undead who roam the midways to terror trail performers and technicians. No prior acting or scare experience is necessary, just individuals with a passion for Halloween and scaring. Auditions include several fun acting exercises in a group setting. If interested, please complete the pre-employment application prior to attending the open audition, or scheduling an interview for technician positions, at www.sixflagsjobs.com
Six Flags Great Adventure will host the 9th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Oct. 4 – New Jersey’s largest 5k run/walk. The day honors breast cancer survivors, those lost, and unites a community in the fight against breast cancer. In 2014, approximately 10,000 participants and spectators turned out to support the Race for the Cure.
We recently got the chance to check out the VOID Wireless Dolby 7.1 gaming headset in the “Yellowjacket” special edition color scheme. This wireless headset retails for $149.99 and is available “soon” for your purchasing enjoyment. Why should you purchase this headset? Because it provides some seriously great wireless audio while also being extremely comfortable. Also, it has some of the most convincing virtual surround sound I have heard to date – which is saying something as, usually, virtual surround sound just sounds weird and not very directional.
Official Specs
[ezcol_1half]
Headphones
Warranty Two years
Frequency Response 20Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance 32 Ohms @ 1 kHz
Drivers 50mm
Connector Wireless USB Receiver
[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]
Microphone
Type Unidirectional noise cancelling
Impedance 2.2k Ohms
Frequency Response 100Hz to 10kHz
Sensitivity -37dB (+/-3dB)
[/ezcol_1half_end]
Featuring a flexible, yet durable frame and a color scheme that reminds me of the Transformer known as “Bumblebee”, I was very pleased when I actually put on the Corsair VOID wireless headphones. They have a very special ear cup shape that, while seeming strange at first, is actually shaped to more accurately conform to the human ear. The memory foam pads are great cushions and I wore them for several hours without experiencing any of the usual long-use headphone symptoms of sweaty ears, sore spots, etc.
While some users have reported issues with this headset if they choose to just “plug and play”, Corsair is advising all customers who purchase this product to first install their Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) software off of their website. We downloaded and installed the CUE software then began installation.
In order to wirelessly communicate with the headset, you will need to use this cool little USB dongle. Now, pictured above is the included extension cable and hub in case you need it, but you could also just plug the USB dongle directly into a USB port on your PC or laptop. I like the idea of this extender and hub. While I didn’t note any interference in either configuration, I just rested easier seeing the dongle on my desktop, as if somehow the 2.4GHz signal couldn’t go through some lightweight office furniture a few feet away – but, I digress.
One interesting feature of this headset is its CUE control knob. On the back side of the left ear cup, you will find a cool little knob that can adjust CUE settings without having to leave your game. Rotating back and forth adjusts the volume while short or long-clicking the knob will adjust the current EQ profile as well as disable or enable Dolby tech! Additionally, the headset uses 50mm drivers in its ear cups to provide audio. A lot of times, 40mm drivers are used but using the 50mm version allows for much fuller sound – especially when in its virtual 7.1 channel sound mode.
I have been playing some serious sessions of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as well as the awesome tactical RPG Pillars of Eternity – not to mention hefty bouts of music and movie enjoyment. At $149.99, it is a pricey headset, but not totally out of the range of headsets in this category, so that shouldn’t be too much of an issue for gamers. Overall, I found the Corsair VOID Wireless Dolby 7.1 Gaming to be a great headset for playing just about any kind of game or simply enjoying your favorite flicks at your computer.
Good optics are a bit of a controversial topic in airsoft. Some hardcore players will purchase an optic that cost two to three times the price of their actual airsoft gun! The question is, do you need it when many players do just fine with iron sights or even sighting down the muzzle of their guns? Obviously, it is a deeply personal choice. For me, I like having an optic on the airsoft rifle I use – especially one with a bit of zoom factor to it. Airsoft is not a very long range hobby, so a 4X zoom is a great option. Not only will it get you in close to see where your BBs are landing, but it will also allow you to still engage closer targets – albeit not as effectively as a dedicated, 1X red dot, etc.
Lucid Optics is a US-based firearms optics company that is known for offering high quality optics for less than high price points. You can find our review of their M7 microdot red dot sight here. While at the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, we got to lay our eyes on their upcoming P7 4X optic, and now it has hit the market. Retailing for $439 dollars, the optic features a rugged, rubberized body with nitrogen purged housing, giving it a 100% fog-proofing. It also features the very cool reticle auto-brightness feature found on other Lucid Optics models, which is great when moving in and out of structures. The P7 has a very clear reticle with an interesting MoA “measuring tape” system. This is for the real steel shooters out there, but it is said to allow the shooter to more easily account for distance in placing their shots. In fact, each part of their P7 reticle has a very specific size, shape, or distance from center, all of which means something. If you are buying this optic for real steel shooting, please take the time to fully understand what it all means.
Being that it is meant to put up with real steel usage, the P7 Weapon Optic is very rugged, with what the company is calling a 100% shockproof design, rated up to a .458 SOCOM! While airsoft does not feature the kind of recoil real steel firearms features, a player’s equipment still needs to put up with running, jumping, and crawling through all manner of rugged terrain. It also needs to put up with the shock that comes with slamming into objects one comes across in the environment. If I had a nickel for every time I accidentally hit my rifle into the side of a wall or tree, I would be sitting on beach at my own private island resort right now. Thankfully, the Lucid Optics P7 4X Weapon Optic puts up with all of this punishment and keeps on ticking. I even attached it to my KWA PTR LM4 gas blowback airsoft rifle, which features a nice little bit of recoil, and the optic never lost its zero.
The one thing I did not get a chance to do was actually take this optic out into the airsoft field and play a game with it. This evaluation is based solely on airsoft firing range time only. We did not take the optic out into the field as we didn’t want it to accidentally get shot out from a BB strike (it is a review item and will have to be sent back). Given the price point of this optic, I would highly recommend that you get a high quality BB shield made from polycarbonate that will avoid unfortunate, and costly, breakage.
Another great “plus” in choosing the Lucid P7 4X Weapon Optic is that it is powered by one AA style battery. Many optics on the market opt for CR123A style batteries. While offering a smaller form factor, these are harder to come by in most places. Using a AA is great choice as they are readily available – even in local super gas station mini-marts. Furthermore, the AA battery life of this optic is advertised at 2500 hours! That is over 104 straight days of use for those of you not wanting to do the math. As my time is limited with this review unit, I can’t guarantee that this rating is correct but Lucid Optics has a history of being honest with their customers and treating them right – I have no reason to doubt them on this point.
Overall, the Lucid Optics P7 4X Weapon Optic is one of the best 4X optics you can buy under $500 dollars. It is at the high end of the optics I would use on an airsoft rifle, but if your airsoft gun already costs $300 to $400 dollars, then it is not a far shot to picking one up. It is probably a bit too much for your $150 dollar Combat Machine, but that’s an entry level rifle and this kind of optic doesn’t fit that demographic. As a final thought on this optic: It is made to stand up to the rigors of real steel shooting – so, if you have an AR platform of your own, you will also be able to use it on that too!
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sept. 4, 2015 – Trendy Entertainment has released the ‘Alpha & Beyond’ patch for Dungeon Defenders II, bringing the action tower defense game to an important new stage of development through Steam Early Access. ‘Alpha & Beyond’ kicks off the process of rolling narrative into Dungeon Defenders II. A gorgeous cinematic sequence introduces players to the story of the game, and two remixed maps – the Happy Throne Room and Ramparts – set up the tragic events coming in the next Adventure Pack.
Dungeon Defenders II now features a Daily Bonus system with growing rewards for the first five maps players tackle each day. An update to Nightmare Mode has reordered Free Play and Nightmare maps into blocks of increasing difficulty to award better experience points and loot. New legendary items, passives and spheres are being added to the game constantly to let players craft unique character builds, and the Skill Sphere UI has been reworked for easier navigation and use in the heat of the moment.
Trendy has also added three costumes to Dungeon Defenders II with today’s patch – the Steampunktress, Volcano Apprentice and Dryad Apprentice – and it is now much easier to unlock accessories for skins. A fresh monthly quest – called The Big Hunt – offers players a new possessed sword pet to obtain, as well.
Dungeon Defenders II is a third-person action-strategy game in which heroes must defend the magical realm of Etheria from the invading hordes of the nefarious Old Ones. It advances the exhilarating combat, tactical and RPG elements of the core Dungeon Defenders experience with new systems, challenges, abilities and loot. Build the ultimate champions and defenses to take on wave after wave of dangerous enemies across the game’s single-player and cooperative online multiplayer modes.
A new Starter Pack of Dungeon Defenders II is out now on PC via Steam Early Access for $14.99. The Defenders Pack and Collector’s Edition, each featuring a variety of in-game exclusives, are also available on Steam. Dungeon Defenders II will launch on PC, Mac, Linux and the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system as a free-to-play title supported by ethical in-game purchases in the future.
