2K and Gearbox Software have released the launch trailer for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!
Author - Jerry Paxton
Creative Labs has been really pushing the personal audio envelope with their “E” series of headphone amplifiers. We got the chance to review their E1 portable headphone amplifier some time ago and loved its performance and the value it brought to our audio listening enjoyment. The Sound Blaster E3 is the mid-level model in the E series lineup, being geared towards gamers as much as people who like high quality audio from their iPhones/music players.
Sound Blaster E3 Official Specifications
- Output
- Stereo
- Connectivity Options (Main)
- microUSB
- Headphone Out: 1 x 3.5mm jack
- Headphone Out / Mic In: 1 x 3.5mm jack
- Line In: 1 x 3.5mm jack (4-pole)
- Headphone Amp
- Up to 600 Ohms
- Max Channel Output Stereo
- Audio Technologies
- SBX Pro Studio, CrystalVoice, Scout Mode
- Supported Operating Systems
- Mac OS X v10.6.8 and above, Windows® 8.1, Windows® 8, Windows® 7, Windows Vista®
The beefier Sound Blaster E3 is about 40% larger than the lower-end E1, but each share a very similar look. The E3 features a dark gray plastic body with connectivity ports on each end and control buttons along each of its sides. While the E3 is visually interesting with a classy design, its functionality is even more impressive. Users can plug the Sound Blaster E3 into their PC or Mac computers and use the unit as a full-fledged external Sound Blaster sound card. Games sound very good while using it for audio – just make sure you download the Sound Blaster E-Series control panel software to set it up properly. The Sound Blaster E3 also acts as a USB digital-analog converter (DAC) so if your tablet or phone happens to have a USB output port, you can make use of it.
Aside from being useful as an external sound card, the Sound Blaster E3 makes for a very handy 600 omh audio amplifier! This is especially handy for playing audio from your smartphone as the audio output of most phones is just inadequate for an engrossing listening experience. With the E3, your smartphone audio becomes much more powerful. One of the more interesting features of the Sound Blaster E3 is its dual heaphone output ports. Because of its powerful amplification, the E3 will let you use two headphones! This means you can share your audio with a friend or whoever else you like and your audio quality will not suffer because of it.
Also of note is that the Sound Blaster E3 can connect to your smartphone via both Bluetooth as well as NFC technologies. These are huge pluses for the E3 that the E1 simply did not have. However, it should be noted that your battery life will suffer while using the wireless modes. You will get about 8 hours of audio when only using the wireless modes. Of course, you can also connect to it via wired 3.5mm input port, so you have a lot of options available to you. That’s a big push for the E series of Sound Blaster products – versatility. These products do a whole lot for their price points and this versatility makes then handy in several situations. Want to make a call when using the Sound Blaster E3 on your smartphone? Well, the E3 has a built-in speaker which picks up clearly and the caller on the other end of the line.
Overall, the Sound Blaster E3 is a very capable audio product for a reasonable $129 dollars. Its 112dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) allows you to really make use of those high-end headphones while its wireless connectivity options increase its usefulness exponentially. The Sound Blaster E3 is available now.
[easyreview title=”Creative Sound Blaster E3 Portable Headphone Amplifier Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]
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After seeing the announcement for Razer’s Chroma line of peripherals, I was very interested in getting my hands on some of them to evaluate. Razer’s new lighting system allows for a possible 16.8 million color combinations and is capable of some really pretty animations. My biggest fear in using the BlackWidow Chroma was that all of the eye candy dancing around my keyboard would distract me from playing my game.
Official Specifications & Features
- Razer™ Mechanical Switches with 50g actuation force
- 60 million keystroke life span
- Chroma backlighting with 16.8 million customizable color options
- Razer Synapse enabled
- 10 key roll-over anti-ghosting
- Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
- 5 additional dedicated macro keys
- Gaming mode option
- Audio-out/mic-in jacks
- USB pass-through
- 1000Hz Ultrapolling
- Braided fiber cable
- Approximate size: 475mm/18.72” (Width) x 171mm/6.74” (Height) x 39mm/1.54” (Depth)
In terms of design, the BlackWidow Chroma is practically identical to the new BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard on which this variant is based. The keyboard cables are of good construction, being of the braided variety, and the keyboard features the same audio ports and USB pass-through as well. The keyboard’s 10 key rollover anti-ghosting capabilities mean that you won’t be able to jam up the keyboard buffer anytime soon, and the additional 5 macro keys allow you to expand the keyboard’s capabilities quite a bit with pre-programmed button sequences recorded into them.
The big draw of this new BlackWidow gaming keyboard is, obviously, its Chroma lighting system. This lighting system is a sight to behold, with a huge array of possible colors. Even better, though, is that you can have the Razer BlackWidow Chroma cycle through these colors in a variety of animation patterns. The most eye-boggling is the Wave animation pattern where cycling colors drift across your keyboard. As beautiful as the BlackWidow Chroma looks, I was concerned it would prove to be too great a distraction while you are using it to focus on the game at hand and I was right. I simply could not keep the wave pattern activated while playing games. Anytime I glanced down at the keyboard to press a button, my eyes had a tough time locating it and then going right back to looking at my computer’s display.
Thankfully, the Wave pattern is not the only animation in the BlackWidow Chroma’s arsenal. The keyboard also gives gamers the options of Static or templatized key lighting configurations. Static is the most widely-used in the backlit keyboard world, being a single color backlight option. This was easily the most user-friendly, without distracting the user. Templatized configurations were very intriguing. The basic templates include options for FPS, RTS, etc. Each of them light up only the most widely-used keys for those kinds of games. Of course, you can also create your own templates, so the system is expandable. They also have a Reactive mode in which the keys you press glow bright for a configurable amount of time, then fade out. While I have seen most of these lighting schemes in other keyboards – I have never seen them all together in one product.
The keyboard has a full number pad as well as Additionally, the Razer BlackWidow Chroma is Synapse 2.0 compatible so your profiles will travel with you without having to set them on each computer you use the keyboard on. The Synapse system is really proving its worth with all of their latest peripherals making full use of it – including their software applications like Razer Surround. The Razer BlackWidow Chroma features a $169.99 MSRP, which is in keeping with the BlackWidow lineup. Of course, being that it is the flagship model, it is the most expensive.
The Razer mechanical keys are excellent and, in the model I reviewed, had a tactile, clicky response. These were the Razer green mechanical keys, and I loved how they felt – whether I was playing a shooter or just typing this review. These new mechanical keys are truly something that have to be felt.
Overall, the Razer Chroma gaming keyboard is welcome addition to Razer’s gaming keyboard lineup. While it shares the same feature set of the BlackWidow Ultimate, its new lighting system makes it a perfect choice for gamers looking to buy a new keyboard. If you already have the BlackWidow Ultimate featuring Razer’s new mechanical key switches, however, I would not run out right away to buy the Chroma unless you absolutely need the 16.8 million backlight colors. The Razer BlackWidow Chroma is out now and is available in both “clicky” green and “stealth” orange mechanical key versions.
[easyreview title=”Razer BlackWidow Chroma Keyboard Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]
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Product Video
Machinima has released the new Dr. 1Up episode – this time, featuring Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard finding out he should not have romanced his crew like that…
Video
Focus Home Interactive has released a new gameplay teaser for their upcoming Farming Simulator 15.
Trailer
Tango Gameworks and Bethesda Softworks have released a new trailer for their upcoming The Evil Within.
Trailer
October 10, 2014 — When the sun goes down on Halloween things will get very dark as EPIX’s “DreadFest” Halloween Marathon presents a series of blood-curdling horror films from 8:00 pm ET Friday, October 31st until 8:00 pm ET Sunday, Nov. 2nd.
The scares begin with the 1976 classic, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, followed by the World Television Premiere of the newest version of the film, from horrormeisters Ryan Murphy (“American Horror Story”) and Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity).
The flicks and treats continue with World War Z, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, I, Frankenstein,Carrie (2013), You’re Next, Texas Chainsaw, The Cabin in the Woods, and many other fan favorites.
Join the conversation about #DreadFest on Twitter (https://twitter.com/epixhd), on Facebook (https://twitter.com/epixhd), and on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/EPIX).
The complete “DreadFest” schedule is:
Friday, October 31st
- 8:00 pm – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
- 9:30 pm – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) – EPIX WORLD TV PREMIERE
- 11:00 pm – Carrie (2013)
- 12:45 am – You’re Next
- 2:30 am – Paranormal Activity 4
- 4:00 am – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
- 5:30 am – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
Saturday, November 1st
- 7:00 am – The Cabin in the Woods
- 8:40 am – The Blair Witch Project
- 10:05 am – Carrie (2013)
- 11:50 am – You’re Next
- 1:30 pm – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
- 3:05 pm – The Cabin in the Woods
- 4:45 pm – Paranormal Activity 4
- 6:15 pm – Carrie (2013)
- 8:00 pm – I, Frankenstein
- 9:45 pm – World War Z
- 11:45 pm – Paranormal Activity 4
- 1:10 am – Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Daylight Savings Time)
- 1:40 am – Texas Chainsaw (2012)
- 3:15 am – The Cabin in the Woods
- 4:50 am – Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
Sunday, November 2nd
- 6:15 am – Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
- 8:15 am – I, Frankenstein
- 9:50 am – World War Z
- 11:50 am – Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
- 1:20 pm – Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
- 2:50 pm – I, Frankenstein
- 4:30 pm – World War Z
- 6:30 pm – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
October 9, 2014 — Today Wargaming, publisher of the game World of Tanks, announced the availability of “FURY Bundles” based on the upcoming Sony Pictures film FURY, which will be released in theaters October 17. In-game bundle packs featuring a FURY-branded iconic M4 Sherman Tank commanded by the film’s lead character, Wardaddy, will be available for purchase in North America beginning October 9 through October 29, 2014.
“With Wargaming’s intense dedication to historical and technical accuracy, it seemed a natural fit to associate World of Tanks with FURY, the most realistic cinematic portrayal of tank combat to date.” said Erik Whiteford, Director of Marketing, Wargaming. “We are extremely proud to team up with Sony Pictures to include this heroic version of the classic Sherman tank to our players.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Wargaming in bringing the FURY tank to their highly engaged audience of tank enthusiasts. FURY provides an intense movie going experience, and World of Tanks will serve as the perfect game extension in the digital space,” said Mark Caplan Vice President of Consumer Products at Sony Pictures.
The FURY Bundle will be available for World of Tanks (PC), World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition and World of Tanks Blitz (iOS). Exclusively tailored missions and items are also be available to tankers for each platform to capture the full cinematic action in-game.
Bundle pricing and information for each platform can be found below:
World of Tanks (PC): http://worldoftanks.com/news/17/fury-special
World of Tanks Blitz iOS: http://wotblitz.com/news/news/fury-special
World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition: http://worldoftanksxbox360edition.com/news/news/fury-special
October 9, 2014, City of Industry, CA – There are very few instances where one product category can leap frog over to another and make a profound impact. Today, iBUYPOWER, makes one such leap.
Introducing the iBUYPOWER SBX Entertainment System, an ultra-simplified system designed to do one thing: entertain. Melding together the simplicity of a traditional game console, but harnessing power usually available to only high-end desktop PCs, iBUYPOWER is able to usher in both performance and content unheard of in the living room space. For more information, please see http://www.ibuypower.com/SBX
Designed in Los Angeles, iBUYPOWER labored to create a highly tuned and optimized system that would deliver a sustainable 60 frames-per second gaming experience at true high-definition resolutions. Powered by a high-performance AMD multi-core processor paired with the latest Radeon HD graphics technology from AMD, customers will be able to jump a full generation ahead of the latest game consoles.
“What we really wanted to do was make an impact in the living room. We wanted to really show the world that the power of desktop gaming machine can be experienced in the living room in a totally seamless way,” said Darren Su, Co-founder and VP of iBUYPOWER. “All preconceptions of what entertainment in the living room should and can be, are out the door.”
Customers can expect an out-of-box experience unlike any other. Every iBUYPOWER SBX comes with a Microsoft Xbox game controller so customers can jump into the action immediately. All aspects of design and hardware are optimized for a gaming experience that sheds away legacy PC overhead. Make no mistake about it; this is not a PC.
Customers will be able to configure their SBX to boot into Steam Big Picture mode, or any other configuration. Games, media, streaming, the SBX handles it all. It’ll even be the perfect system for those who want to enjoy their classic games on emulation on the big screen. SBX is also fully Steam OS ready.
iBUYPOWER’s SBX is available for pre-order immediately 4 and will ship in 3 weeks starting at $399 and is available in matte black.
New York, NY – October 9, 2014 – 2K and Turtle Rock Studios today announced that the “Big Alpha” test for the award-winning 4v1 multiplayer shooter, Evolve™, will be available worldwide* first on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, for 24 hours beginning October 30 through November 2, 2014. Limited access to the closed alpha test will also be available on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system** and Windows PC from October 31 to November 2, 2014. Players can register for priority access and a chance to participate in the alpha test on Xbox One starting today by visiting www.evolvegame.com/
Additionally, as a thank you to Evolve’s biggest fans, those who have already pre-ordered Evolve from participating retailers***, and those who pre-order in the coming weeks, will be guaranteed access to the alpha test on their chosen platform.
“The incredible reactions from early Evolve players have exceeded our highest expectations, but we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us in the coming months,” said Chris Ashton, co-founder and design director at Turtle Rock Studios. “We need to stress test the servers and the matchmaking system, look at balance, unlock rates, etc. The alpha test is not fully representative of the final product, but it’s our chance to see what the game looks like in the real world, and we will test again in the open beta for Evolve exclusively for Xbox One in January 2015. The data gathered in the tests will help make Evolve the best that it can possibly be when it launches on February 10, 2015.”
A limited number of codes will also be made available elsewhere for a chance to enter Big Alpha. Those looking to participate should bookmark the official Evolve blog, and check it frequently for updates on opportunities to enter. Also, follow Evolve on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and join the 2K and Turtle Rock forums to grab codes for a chance to play.
All players that pre-order Evolve will also receive the Monster Expansion Pack, which includes the fourth playable monster for free when it becomes available after launch, as well as the alternate Savage Goliath skin. The Monster Expansion Pack will be available to all those that pre-order Evolve before the game ships. To pre-order now, visit http://evolvegame.com/preorder
*Evolve Big Alpha is not available in the following countries: http://bit.ly/1sfLLGE
** Xbox LIVE® Gold and PlayStation®Plus accounts required to play Evolve’s Big Alpha.
***Participating retailers for those who have pre-ordered Evolve by October 8 include GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Participating retailers for those who pre-order Evolve by October 21 include Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.