Author - Jerry Paxton

Amiigo Fitness Band Available for Pre-Order

2013/01/30
Jerry Paxton
News, Tech News

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SALT LAKE CITY- January 30, 2013- From conception to execution, Utah-based entrepreneurs,Amiigo, developed a Bluetooth low-energy fitness device that will take an ordinary workout experience to the next level.  Amiigo, a sweat-proof fitness bracelet and shoe-clip, identifies what exercise is being performed, and details your body’s physiological response.  Amiigo soared past its initial funding goal on the crowd-funding site, Indiegogo, and is available for preorder now.

“Athletes are always working to enhance and elevate their workout experience.  We wanted to develop an easy-to-use device that helps people personalize their workouts, share data, and even compete with friends,” says Dave Scott, co-founder of Amiigo.  “Our fitness bracelet and shoe-clip does it all, and we’re confident you’ll work out better and harder with it.  Push yourself and be great with Amiigo.”

Unlike other fitness trackers on the market, Amiigo actually knows what exercise is being performed.  For example, it can differentiate between running on a treadmill and using an elliptical.  Sensors in the bracelet correlate with upper body exercises and sensors in the shoe-clip focuses on the lower body.  Together, these two devices link up via Bluetooth with the Amiigo app on an iOS or Android device, and record more than 100 different exercises and movements.  Users can even create and record their own exercise to be recognized in future workouts.

Athletes can utilize this full-body tracking experience to study their results, and figure out ways to get the most out of their workouts.  Using accelerometers and machine learning algorithms, Amiigo tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature and calories burned.  You can share this information with friends on your social networks to spark a little friendly competition or simply to announce milestones in your workout goals!

Using thermoplastic elastomers and stainless steel, Amiigo is built for comfort and durability even through the most strenuous workouts.  The sleek and stylish bracelet is micro-adjustable for a snug, secure fit every time. The battery in the Amiigo lasts 2+ days of active use on a full charge.

The Amiigo is available for preorder now on Indiegogo, and is expected to begin shipping in June.

For a full list of pledges, please head to Amiigo’s page on Indiegogo.

Specifications
•    Quality: Composed of thermoplastic elastomers and stainless steel
•    Compatibility: iPhone 4S and newer. Select Android devices supporting BLE
•    Connection: Bluetooth Low Energy
•    Size/Fit: Micro adjustable. Amiigo will fit perfectly on just about any wrist.

About Amiigo

Based in Salt Lake City, a team of six entrepreneurs came together with one goal in mind: to create a fitness device that goes beyond overall activity tracking, and truly enhances a workout experience in a simple and engaging way.  Each member of the team brings their own unique skills and knowledge to this project from app development, manufacturing, design and more.

RaceRoom Racing Experience Open Beta Released

2013/01/30
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

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SWEDEN, Lidköping, January 30, 2013 RaceRoom Racing Experience is a Free2Race concept where a high end racing game is provided for free via Valves digital game distribution platform, Steam.

The game connects fans of racing around a racing game and a motorsports portal, all combined and seamlessly built into one platform making it More Than a Game™.

RaceRoom Racing Experience features a brand new graphical engine, new 7.1 sound engine and unmatched physics and handling. The game is skill based and the only thing that can make you more competitive is the skill and talent that comes through practice.

NEW FREE CONTENT

As part of the Free2Race concept, all registered users are given free access to a wide selection of cars and tracks. The free-to-play content in this release consists of the famous 134 Judd car driven by the late Georg Plasa, Canhard R52, Saleen S7R, Aquila CR1 Sports GT and the DMD P20 together with the RaceRoom Raceway circuit and the scenic Lakeview Hillclimb which is based on a forest road in Sweden.

THE STORE IS OPEN

With this release the store has been opened and additional content is sold using Virtual Race Points (vRP), the store allows users to build personalized race experiences by adding content, game modes, and features.

“We are no longer developing just games; we have created a concept which brings motorsport enthusiasts, virtual racers and gamers together to form one large community. With an ear to the ground we are developing a constant feed of content and features tailored to our fan’s demands.“ – Chris Speed, COO SimBin Studios.

Inside the RaceRoom Racing Experience store today are a selection of race cars from iconic manufacturers like McLaren, RUF, BMW, and Chevrolet. Our store also features world renowned tracks reaching from Europe to Australia and back again.

A BONUS GIFT

During the first two weeks from release, SimBin is giving away the Get Real™ game mode, and the learning tool, Apex Hunt™ as a tribute and a thank you to the members of the closed beta.
See the latest video here featuring highlights from the game while presenting the people that brought it all to you – The SimBin team!
Download RaceRoom Racing Experience, strap into your favorite car and get ready to share your passion for real and digital racing with others.

ArmA Tactics Announced for NVidia Project Shield

2013/01/30
Jerry Paxton
News, Project Shield News

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Prague, Czech Republic January 30, 2013 – Bohemia Interactive, the award-winning independent Czech development studio, proudly announces the development of a turn-based close-combat strategy game entitled Arma Tactics; planned for a Q2 2013 release for NVIDIA Tegra devices.

Arma Tactics is a turn-based close-combat strategy game, where the player takes control of a four-member Special Forces team. There are no given strategies, rails to move on, or paths to follow; it‘s up to the player to decide how he will play through both the story-driven missions and generated missions with randomized objectives. Whether using stealth or a more direct approach, players will need to use their strategic thinking and use both basic and advanced weaponry while facing many different opponents – ranging from unorganized local militia to smart and skilled mercenaries

Arma Tactics is coming to mobile, taking the best from games like Jagged Alliance™ and X-COM™.  The finest assets used in the critically acclaimed Arma™ series on PC now come to life on Tegra devices in one of the best looking mobile games to date.

Arma Tactics takes full advantage of Project SHIELD’s console-grade controller, and when connected to a television, the game utilizes Project SHIELD’s unique multi-screen gaming, allowing the audience to experience entertaining vantage points that differ from the player’s. Optimizations for NVIDIA Tegra 4, the world’s fastest mobile processor, include enhanced physics simulation, bloom post-processing effects and increased objects and geometry.

With highly replayable missions, achievements, weapons to unlock and whole campaigns to be regularly added, Arma Tactics offers many hours of intense ever-changing action.

Arma Tactics Key Features:

  • Exclusive launch title for the upcoming NVIDIA Tegra 4, Project SHIELD

  • Developed in close cooperation with NVIDIA

  • Explore highly detailed environments that come to life with sophisticated particle systems and post-process effects

  • See your men come to life with animations captured by a powerful motion-capture solution

  • Lead them through a single player campaign or improve your skills in generated missions

  • Gather experience points to level up your characters, upgrade weapons and unlock special equipment

  • Choose your difficulty – we make sure the game is fun to play for both casual players and hardcore gamers

  • Play as you like – by touching your screen or by using gamepad controls

  • Potential future platform iOS, Android, PC, MAC, Linux expecting released date Q3 2013

Screenshots

Sennheiser PC 350 Special Edition Review (Tech)

2013/01/29
Jerry Paxton
News, Reviews, seal of excellence, Tech News, Tech Review

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Sennheiser recently loaned us one of their newly-revised PC 350 Special Edition gaming headphones. Sennheiser is known for high-end audio products, and I was hoping that these headphones would prove worthy of their $249.95 dollar price point. So, when the loaner unit arrived, I gleefully un-boxed it and found a very nice carrying case. The case is black, with the Sennheiser logo tastefully displayed. Best part? It has a carrying handle! The PC 350 SE is geared for pro/tournament gamers, so the portability is very important. The case is also firm enough to protect it from moderate impacts, which is nice (form and function, as they say). Opening the case, I got my first up-close glimpse at the PC 350 SE headphones. They were folded up for travel (another nice feature), and I promptly removed them from the case.

…the earcups completely surround your ears…

When unfolded, the Sennheiser PC 350 SE gaming headphones are very impressive. The unit exudes gunmetal grays and silver accents and has a hard plastic body save for its metal, inner headband. Its cable is of the sturdy and braided variety, and measures an impressive 3 meters in length. This is so your headphones can connect to the console or PC while at a tournament or LAN event, no matter how far away it is from you. If you don’t need that much cable length, it does come with an attached cable wrap to take up some of the slack. While the design looks classy and sleek for a pair of “cans”, the most distinguishing feature of the headphones are the strangely angled earcups. The earcups are rotated back slightly from what you usually see on a pair of headphones. This rotation allows the earcups be larger and more naturally-fitting than more conventional designs. Putting the headphones on, the earcups completely surround your ears – not touching them, mind you, but comfortably encompassing them. The earcup padding is very comfortable and the cans gently squeeze the sides of your head in order block out as much external noise as possible. Connecting the headphones to your PC or PlayStation 3 is as simple as plugging in the headphone and microphone jacks into appropriate 3.5mm ports.

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My first experience with the headphones was in playing some simply podcasts from my iPhone – not exactly the aim of these headphones (which is pro-level gaming). Even before pressing play to start the podcast, I was very pleased with just how much external noise the headphones block out. Sitting in my office, typing away on some stories, the headphones brought me into my own little intimate “cone of silence”. Usually with gaming headphones, the maker attempts to pump up the bass levels as much as possible to make up for lower-quality speaker drivers. With the Sennheiser PC 350 SE headphones, however, fragile voices were delivered perfectly, and without distortion, into my ears. The whole experience was very impressive. Moving on to music, it was more of the same – the speaker drivers are very good at delivering both the highs and the lows without distortion. Their quality is very apparent. Adjusting the headphone’s volume is accomplished by an embedded rotary control on the side of the right ear cup.

The isolating effect of the headphones is just incredible…

To start using these cans in a gaming situation, I lowered the lights a bit in my office after everyone else had left and fired up Born Ready Games new Strike Suite Zero. The isolating effect of the headphones is just incredible – it almost feels like you are in a soundbooth. This isolation lets you experience the game audio a lot more clearly than normal headphones allow. After a while, I switched over and began playing some Skyrim. Talk about engrossing! I coupled the headphones with Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z sound card as the higher end hardware would be more noticeable on these headphones thanks to their quality. There were so many moments that I actually jumped in my chair slightly when rounding a corner in a cave system only to find a big spider descending from the ceiling.

Now, private gaming in my office is one thing but the Sennheiser PC 350 SE headphones are geared for tournament/pro level play. So, I plugged in the microphone port and fired up Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II Multiplayer. Setting the microphone input to play through the earcups (so I could hear myself), the headphones performed excellently over about two hours of game sessions. Muting my audio could easily be accomplished by simply rotating the microphone boom into a vertical position. Swinging the microphone boom down un-mutes it.

Overall, the Sennheiser PC 350 SE headphones are my new favorite PC gaming headphones thanks to their fine sound clarity and ability to keep out external sound, leaving you to concentrate only on the game at hand. I am rating the Sennheiser PC 350 SE headphones a 5 out of 5 stars and granting them our first seal of excellence. Frankly, my only regret is having to send them back. 🙂

Sennheiser PC 350 SE Review Score

5 out of 5 Stars (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Our rating Scores Explained

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Official Sennheiser PC 350 SE headphones product page.

Official Specs

  • Headphones
    • Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 26,000 Hz
    • Impedance: 150 Ohms
    • Sound Pressure Level: 108 dB
    • Total Harmonic Distortion: < 0.1%
    • Speaker Type: Dynamic, 38 mm, Nd magnet
  • Microphone
    • Speaker Type: Noise Cancelling
    • Frequency Response: 50 Hz – 16,000 Hz
    • Sensitivity: -38 dBV at 94 dBSPL

Wargaming to Move Into Console Gaming

2013/01/29
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News, PlayStation 3 News, Xbox 360 News

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Berlin, January 29, 2013 — Wargaming, the leading free-to-play massively multiplayer online (MMO) developer and publisher behind the award-winning World of Tanks, today announced its acquisition of Chicago-based Day 1 Studios for $20 million. Following the acquisition, the newly formed studio will focus exclusively on the development of an unannounced console title.

The acquisition is a key milestone for Wargaming’s strategy of expanding into compelling console-focused gaming experiences, and further reinforces the company’s goal of multiplatform game development. In 2012, Wargaming acquired Australia-based Big World Party Ltd., which provided the company with streamlined development and server middleware tools.

“The move into console game development is a huge step for Wargaming, as we begin to expand our presence into new platforms,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming. “We are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor soon.”

“Wargaming is a clear leader in the free-to-play space and helps set the standard on which all other games in the genre strive for,” said Denny Thorley, new Head of Wargaming’s Chicago-based studio. “Our team is extremely excited to start the first console project for Wargaming.”

In the wake of today’s announcement, the newly opened studio is welcoming skilled professionals from around the globe to join its development ranks.

More Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus Details Revealed

2013/01/29
Jerry Paxton
News, PS Vita News

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January 29th, 2013 — Team NINJA today unveiled new details for  NINJA GAIDEN® SIGMA 2 PLUS, the highly anticipated sequel to its PlayStation®Vita launch title which is set for a February 26, 2013 release. Faster, bloodier, and more beautiful than ever, NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS takes the legendary action game to the next level with the all new “Ninja Race” mode, tag missions involving any combination of two characters, potent new weapons for Ryu Hyabusa, and a variety of pre-order offerings including limited edition female costumes. To premier these new game elements, Team NINJA has released an all-new trailer and images highlighting the modes, weapons and costumes.

In “Ninja Race” mode, a slow ninja is a dead ninja as players race through dynamic courses to beat the clock. After choosing a character, level, and costume, players can strategically choose to dash through the course or viciously kill as many enemies as possible to earn boosts and points. The mode’s Combo Kill counter increases as foes are dispatched in sequence—the higher the counter, the more damage is dealt as long as the gauge stays filled. Three special essences, exclusive to the Ninja Race mode, boost the player’s chance of a successful mission: Green Essence adds time to the clock, White Essence boosts the Combo Kill counter for added damage, and Purple Essence grants Ninja Speed.

NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS now includes “Tag Missions” providing an exciting new way to combine the complementary strengths of any two characters. Players can switch between team members in real time as they try to complete challenges, with the other team member under AI control. With each fighter having different strengths and weaknesses, players can strategically tag back and forth when facing different opponents and situations by pressing down on the directional pad.

Ryu’s attacks can be enhanced with powerful weapons including “Emma’s Fang”, a massive sword that can decimate foes with slow but powerful swings. Legendary tales say the fearsome blade grows even stronger when it becomes bloodied. Worn on the hands and feet, “Falcon’s Talons” can quickly cut enemies to pieces with special attacks including the Izuna Drop and the sliding, leg-cutting Thunderous Attack. Steel-reinforced hardwood “Tonfas”, which can be swung from both hands to brutally crush enemies with their special Heavenly Justice combo, provide another option for mass destruction.

Last but not least, those who pre-order NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS at GameStop will receive exclusive, limited edition costumes for the female warriors Ayane, Rachel, and Momiji. Ranging from Ayane’s light armor to Rachel’s seductively spiky dress revealing her demon blood, the costumes are designed for both action and style.

NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS brings the most intense, action-packed ninja adventure to PS Vita with stunning graphics, new modes, and plenty of blood. In the game, iconic super ninja Ryu Hayabusa returns to the Sigma series to prevent the resurrection of the evil Archfiend by hunting down the Demon Statue stolen by the wicked Black Spider Ninja Clan. Players will battle from Tokyo to New York as Ryu encounters vicious enemies while building an awesome arsenal of ninja weaponry. The action lights up the Vita’s impressive OLED screen with upgraded graphics and the game features an all-star cast featuring signature characters from previous installments. An intuitive control system uses the front and rear touch screens and motion controls of the PS Vita to give players full control and the powerful “Hero” play style automatically engages when the player is low on health.

NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2 PLUS is developed by Team NINJA and published by Tecmo Koei, is ESRB rated “M” (Mature) and will be available for an MSRP of $39.99.

Cities in Motion 2 Gameplay Trailer

2013/01/29
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

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NEW YORK – January 28, 2013 – Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games and everyday user of public transit, today revealed the first-ever trailer with in-game footage for upcoming transportation simulator Cities in Motion 2, the follow-up to developer Colossal Order Ltd.’s inaugural title from 2011. The detailed and intricate transit builder will be available in Q2 2013.

Cities in Motion 2 gives players full control of their own transit empire as they utilize a wide variety of transportation vehicles to create the most effective transit system possible. Offering a bus load of new features, including day and night cycles and multiplayer modes, Cities in Motion 2 also introduces dynamic cities—as transit is built, urban sprawl will expand or depreciate based on the affordability of transit and the needs of each unique city’s inhabitants. From the scheduling of timetables to the adjustment of fares, transportation enthusiasts will be able to tweak a wide variety of options to provide for the demands of their population. Just remember: if transit is running late, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Trailer