Author - Jerry Paxton

Dog & Bone Unveil Rugged Wireless Charging Case

2014/01/09

January 8th, 2014 — On the back of mounting demand for wireless technology, an Australian brand is showcasing the world’s first rugged wireless charging case at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

With an estimated 150,000–plus attending this week’s CES, mobile accessory innovator, Dog & Bone, the brand that released the world’s first topless direct touchscreen waterproof mobile case last year, is now unveiling their new patent pending, rugged Backbone wireless charging case at CES.

The Backbone wireless charging case is merely 12.2 mm slim, enjoys a slightly raised rim around the front edge to help protect the touchscreen, meets military specifications to handle knocks and drops from one metre, is Made for iPhone (MFi) pending, shuts off once device is fully charged, and enjoys direct access to charging port for traditional charging.

The two-piece Backbone case is cleverly designed for interchanging with a Backbone battery (sold separately) for added power.

Dog & Bone Founder, Mr Lee Ranchod, who is in Las Vegas this week for CES, said Backbone is a direct response to a consumer push towards smart wireless technology.

“More and more so consumers demand technology that not only works, but also works with our lifestyle,” Mr Ranchod said.

“Wireless charging has started to take off in the last twelve months because consumers love the convenience of charging without plugging in and plugging out.

“But what consumers say they don’t like is that existing wireless case options are too flimsy, are breaking way too easily, or simply not user friendly.

“What current wireless charging cases miss is that that we look to a case as a way to also protect and style our phones, and we want something that is not an inconvenience to use.

“We don’t want to have to remove our wireless charging case to protect our phones from day to day wear and tear, nor do we want the hassle of removing our case to simply use our car charger as has reported to be the issue on existing case options.

“The Backbone wireless charging case combines all four key features demanded by consumers – wireless charging, protection, usability and style.”

Backbone’s unique over-molded exterior, made from thermoplastic elastomer, provides a soft protective touch, and the hardness is offered from the polycarbonate interior.

Mr Ranchod said Dog & Bone’s Backbone reflects the brand’s mission to innovate and be at the forefront of mobile phone technology.

“Dog & Bone pushes the boundaries of what has been traditionally offered in mobile technology, allowing mobile phones to increasingly become an extension of our day to day lifestyle, without compromise on protection and usability,” Mr Ranchod said.

“This is what we did when we released the world’s first topless mobile case, Wetsuit, with an optimum direct touchscreen, and when we released the first of its kind with touch ID compatibility.

“And this is what we have done with Backbone – produce a slim, user friendly and rugged wireless charging case combining both smart wireless technology and a smart, rugged design.”

The Backbone wireless charging case for iPhone 5s/5 is expected to be released for sale in March/April this year, as well as the interchangeable Backbone battery.

The Backbone wireless charging case is compatible with most existing Qi charge pads as well as the Dog & Bone Backbone charge pad, expected to also be released in March/April.

The Backbone wireless charging case offers three bespoke patterns – Tread, Trilobe and Diamond – across a total of five colour combinations.

Dog & Bone is exhibiting at CES Las Vegas from 7 – 10 January 2014 at North Hall, Booth # 5617.

Images

Deep Silver Announces NASCAR ’14 Release Date

2014/01/09

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 3 News, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News

Larkspur, Calif., January 9, 2014 – Deep Silver announced today that the racing game NASCAR ’14, developed by Eutechnyx, will launch in North America on February 18, 2014 on the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC for the suggested retail price of $49.99. Pre-order offers at Walmart, Gamestop, Best Buy, Target and Amazon may include diecast cars, exclusive paint schemes and more.

Fueled by high-octane intensity and the opportunity to relive the best NASCAR moments from both the 2013 season packed into the game plus regular downloadable content updates as the upcoming season progresses, NASCAR ’14 offers fans the most complete NASCAR® experience yet.

Recently NASCAR revealed that more than 700,000 votes were cast worldwide in the “Drive for the Cover” contest as fans voted Tony Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion to appear onto the cover of NASCAR ’14. The injury that kept Stewart off the track didn’t stop fans of the driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing from beating another fan favorite, four-time champion Jeff Gordon. Stewart plans to return to the track for the Daytona 500 race in February, the same month NASCAR ’14 hits store shelves.

For a first look at the game and Stewart on the cover, watch the trailer here: YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrJPUh8yMzo

“Deep Silver is releasing the best NASCAR racing experience yet to hit video game consoles,” said Deep Silver Inc. COO, Geoff Mulligan. “Fans will soon be able to compete in recent high profile races, experiencing the exact same conditions the real drivers faced. With an aggressive post-release content plan, NASCAR ’14 is a game NASCAR fans can enjoy all year long.”

“With a February launch date, NASCAR ’14 will make a great racing season companion for NASCAR fans,” said Blake Davidson, NASCAR vice president of licensing and consumer products. “If history repeats itself, the new cover recognition for Tony Stewart will serve as a good luck charm as he heads back on the track and Smoke rises again.”

Hands-On with Oculus Rift: Crystal Cove Prototype at CES

2014/01/09

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Previews, Tech News, Tech Preview

One of my favorite moments from the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo was getting to try out CCP Games EVE: Valkyrie (then titled “EVE VR”) on the 720p version of the Oculus Rift VR headset. Despite it being somewhat pixelated, the tracking was smooth and the immersion it offered was light years beyond previous attempts at a virtual reality headset. Earlier today, I got the chance to demo the latest prototype of the Oculus Rift, codenamed: “Crystal Cove”. What was so special about this iteration? First thing was it features a 1080p AMOLED screen with much smaller pixels than before – even on the previous 1080p version. It also features some new technology tweaks to smooth out how it presents motion to your eyes, making things much more natural and less blurry. Finally, the Crystal Cove features positional tracking of head as it moves through space – not just from a fixed position. These new degrees of freedom allow the user to lean forward and backwards, side to side, and even to look behind them (almost)!

The first demo we got to look at was one created by the talented folks at EPIC Games and featured us across the table from a giant demon lord as he looked to be playing some type of tower defense game with small orcs, demons, and other assorted creatures. Looking down on the board, it was neat to see just how realistic this “fake” game appeared before my eyes. I could lean over and turn my head almost parallel to the table and see the small creatures move directly towards my face. The effect was incredible.

The second demo we got to try was a new build of CCP Games EVE: Valkyrie! The new headset really upped the feeling of sitting inside the cockpit of a space fighter and my favorite moment was learning forward towards the fighter’s holographic instrument panels. You could actually read the text on them and it took everything I had not to reach my hand out to push the “buttons”.

Overall, the Crystal Cove iteration of the Oculus Rift takes everything we loved about the previous version and injects it with virtual reality steroids. The Oculus reps on-hand assured us that even this was not the level of quality they hoped to achieve by its retail version – whenever that might be released (they are very tight-lipped on dates). As far as release dates go – rumors abound that we will see a retail Oculus by the end of the year. Please keep in mind that this is, again, all rumor mill stuff. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the guys over at Cloud Imperium games will have Oculus Rift support built into Star Citizen!

Activision Announces Call of Duty Championship for March

2014/01/09

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Santa Monica, CA – January 9, 2014 – Gamers prepare for the ultimate Call of Duty® competition where victory is determined in the blink of an eye. From Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq:ATVI), Infinity Ward and Xbox, in partnership with Major League Gaming (MLG) and other international eSports partners, the second annual Call of Duty® Championship, presented by Xbox tournament will play host to 32 of the best Call of Duty teams from around the world as they compete for rights to the Call of Duty“World Champions” title and lion’s share of the tournament’s $1 million prize purse this March 28 – 30, in Los Angeles.

“Last year’s championship came down to the final minute of the final match with everyone holding their breath to see who would win. The skill, passion and energy brought by these teams and the crowd looking-on showed just what makes our community the best in the world,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “Call of Duty is more than a video game. It’s a pastime shared by millions. It’s exciting to play and fun to watch, and we can’t wait to see what this year’s event has in store.”

This year’s tournament will also serve as the first official competitive Call of Dutyevent played on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, where prize money will be awarded. Programming covering the weekend’s non-stop excitement and hard fought matches will be live streamed on the Xbox Live online entertainment network and MLG.tv for the world to experience.

Call of Duty teams from six continents covering North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia will contend for their place at the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox tournament in a range of qualifying events hosted by eSports organizations. Qualifying for the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox will be handled through online tournaments played on the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and broadcasted on MLG.tv, with select live regional finals taking place late February through early March in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The live regional finals will be played on Xbox One and will also be broadcasted live on MLG.tv and other broadcast partners.

The Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox tournament is open to all qualified players, whether professional gamers or not, provided they meet the requirements of the official rules and regulations. Further details on the 2014 Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox, including full rules and regulations,Call of Duty®: Ghosts maps and modes for the tournament, prizing distribution, travel accommodations and more can be found athttp://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/qualify-for-the-call-of-duty-championship/.

Additional tournament information will be made available athttps://callofduty.com/esports.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is rated “M” (Mature – Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, and Strong Language – content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older) by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com/ghosts,www.facebook.com/CODGhosts, or follow on Twitter @InfinityWard.

Sennheiser Launches New Gaming Headsets for CES

2014/01/08

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Tech News

Las Vegas, NV, January 8, 2014 – Sennheiser unveils two new high-end PC gaming headsets – G4ME™ ZERO and G4ME™ ONE and announces a unique alliance with one of the world’s leading game developers – Io-Interactive. In the perfect match of game creation and gameplay experience, Io-Interactive is using the audio specialist’s equipment when developing and recording game sound. This perfect match ensures that gamers using Sennheiser gaming headsets will get an authentic sound experience that’s optimized to be exactly as the developers at Io-Interactive intended.

Io-Interactive, part of the Square Enix group and the creator of blockbuster games such as the Hitman and Kane & Lynch franchises, has used Sennheiser recording equipment and headsets in crafting the audio for several games including Hitman Absolution. Having been impressed with the results, the new alliance sees Io-Interactive committing to use Sennheiser technology for future game development.

Frans Galschiøt Quaade, Lead Sound Designer, Io-Interactive explains the unique partnership: “Sennheiser equipment makes our games sound better – both for us and the gamer. Not only are these great gaming headsets for both producing and playing games, but using Sennheiser equipment during development ensures a great and consistent audio experience all the way from the production to end consumer.”

Game developers put great effort into creating complex and realistic soundscapes for games. “By collaborating with Io-Interactive and by launching the new PC gaming headsets G4ME™ ZERO and G4ME™ ONE, Sennheiser takes pride in making sure that gamers get to hear the high-level of acoustic quality and details that the developers intended you to hear,” says Christian Ern, Director Product Management at Sennheiser Communications. “The incredible comfort and convenience of our new headsets means that there is virtually nothing between you and the game.”

G4ME™ ZERO and G4ME™ ONE represent a new era in professional gaming headset design. Increased emphasis has been placed on ergonomics and supreme comfort for even long periods of gaming. Meanwhile, top-of-the-line noise cancellation technologies in the built in microphones ensure clear communication during online or multi player gaming. By using Sennheiser’s PCV 05 Combo audio adaptor, G4ME™ ZERO and G4ME™ ONE can also be connected to the new PS4™ as well as Mac computers.

Naturally, the new PC gaming headsets benefit from Sennheiser’s 70 years of experience as a leader in audio and deliver incredible sound quality. The company remains the only gaming headset company in the world to manufacture its own transducers, with the components powering the G4ME™ ZERO and G4ME™ ONE specifically optimized to deliver an extremely accurate reproduction of gaming audio. And in the heat of the action, smart features such as intuitive volume controls integrated into the ear cup and the ability to instantly mute the mic simply by lifting the mic boom, mean that there are fewer distractions so that you can stay focused on the game experience.

G4ME™ ONE – Feel the game, not the headset
Offering exceptionally natural and accurate sound quality, the new G4ME™ ONE is built to be the ultimate headset for home gaming. The open design delivers hi-fi sound exactly as the game developers intended, while letting air through to help keep ears cool during hours of gameplay. XXL-sized, plush velvet earpads, a cushioned headband and the lightweight design give the ultimate comfort.

G4ME™ ZERO – Supreme comfort for immersive gaming
Designed to be the most comfortable and best sounding closed headset on the market, the G4ME™ ZERO features a new earpad design that makes it the perfect choice for immersive gaming. Drawing on Sennheiser’s experience in creating professional headsets for aviation, layers of padding and memory foam are shaped to effectively shield the user from external sound and prevent gaming sound from disturbing others. Letting you hear every detail of the game, its still Sennheiser’s most quiet gaming headset yet. G4ME™ ZERO is also perfect for the gamer on the move with a unique foldable design and supplied hard carry case.

VisionTek Unveils Liquid Cooled R9 290 GPU at CES

2014/01/08

Jerry Paxton

CES, Hardware News, News

January 8, 2014, Las Vegas, NV – VisionTek Products LLC, (VisionTek®) http://www.visiontekproducts.com<http://www.visiontekproducts.com/>, a leading manufacturer of award-winning, high-performance upgrades and accessories for PC and Apple Macintosh® computers, announced today its CryoVenom R9 290 as the industry’s first and fastest custom-built liquid cooled AMD Radeon(tm) R9 290 graphics card on the market and available for immediate shipping. The hand-built card delivers lower temperature, near silent operation, and higher performance compared to VisionTek’s stock R9 290 card; as well as better benchmark performance and a $150 lower price than the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX(tm) 780 Ti.

Because VisionTek feels the “coolest” computer hardware product introduction at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show deserves the “coolest” launch event, the $550 MSRP card will be demonstrated during a media invite only event January 8 at the Minus5 Ice Bar<http://www.minus5experience.com/>.

How The Best Gets Better
The Radeon R9 290 series of graphics cards are rated by many sources as the best graphics cards available today. However, VisionTek engineers discovered that when its R9 290 graphics card was 100% utilized in the testing lab under conditions such as extended game play – the card’s temperature could climb to 201°F. Even with very efficient fan cooling and the latest AMD Catalyst driver that provides a 100% fan speed operation, the card’s built-in thermal safety feature would downclock the GPU from the factory 947MHz speed to as low as 662MHz. Combined with this performance reduction of 30%, the increase in fan noise was measured at 71dB, a sound level considered louder than a normal conversation.

38% Cooler Operation That’s As Quiet As A Pin Drop
To make sure multimedia professionals and gaming enthusiasts would experience maximum performance potential, VisionTek created the CryoVenom R9 290 graphics card. By utilizing a custom designed water block and backplate solution, the CryoVenom R9 290 can run up to 38% cooler (125°F) while being overclocked up to 24% (1.1GHz) all while registering under 10dB1 of noise, which is the sound level of a pin drop.

Overclock Certified and “Custom Shop” Built
To assure stable overclocked performance, the FurMark GPU stress utility is employed to put a 100% load on each CryoVenom R9 290’s GPU for an extended time period to determine the optimum overclock setting with a 5% safe “headroom”. Those unique, certified overclock specifications are entered onto a build sheet that is personally signed by the VisionTek’s “Custom Shop” team member that built and tested the CryoVenom card. Each card is then extensively pressure tested to ensure leak-free cooling reliability.

Up to 24% Faster Performance Without Voiding Warranty
Obtaining maximum performance from the CryoVenom R9 290 couldn’t be easier. Just enter the specifications from the included build sheet in the Catalyst(tm) Control Center and in less than a minute, the CryoVenom R9 290 can safely deliver up to 1175MHz GPU speed…a 24% increase from the stock setting of 947MHz. The memory clock speed is also increased up to 1450MHz… 16% faster than the 1250MHz stock setting. And unlike standard cards in which overclocking voids the warranty, the CryoVenom R9 290 comes backed by a one year warranty.

Faster Than EVGA NVIDIA GTX 780 Ti, Yet Costs $150 Less
Not content to just increase its stock R9 290 card performance, VisionTek’s goal was to create the industry’s fastest single GPU graphics card at a lower price than the competition’s fastest comparable card2. In the 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme setting testing, the $550 MSRP CryoVenom R9 290 scored 9330 while the $700 street price NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti recorded an 8816 score.

Highest Quality Components Offer Highest Reliability
The CryoVenom R9 290’s water block provides maximum cooling performance for the GPU, RAM, and Voltage Regulation Module (VRM) even when low power water pumps are utilized. The block’s electrolytic copper base is clad with a chrome appearance-like nickel plating to prevent corrosion while the precision cut acrylic top provides effective and quiet fluid flow. The CNC machined black anodized aluminum backplate protects the card’s sensitive circuit board components during installation handling while also providing additional passive cooling for the VRM.

Better Value Than DIY
Even seasoned, hands-on system builders will find the certified ready-to-run3 and fully warrantied CryoVenom R9 290 can save over $100, time, and stress compared to creating a comparable liquid cooled non-warrantied solution for a R9 290 graphics card:

Certified Ready-to-Run CryoVenom R9 290

· Assembly and Overclocking Verification: none required

· Total Cost: $550

· Warranty: One year

· Hassle Factor: Low

Do-It-Yourself Liquid Cooled R9 290

· R9 290 card $400.00, Waterblock $140.00, Backplate $36.00

· Assembly, Pressure Testing, and Overclocking Verification: estimated three hours at a value of $75.00

· Total cost: $651.00

· Warranty: None

· Hassle Factor: High

“The CryoVenom R9 290 is truly a remarkable feat of creative product development that draws upon our two decades of graphics card development experience,” said Mark Bilson, Executive Vice President of VisionTek. “It solves any speed and noise concerns, eliminates overclocking guesswork, sets a new standard in performance, and costs less than the previous fastest Radeon graphics card available. Then, add in that we back its reliability with a one year warranty and we hope our fans will recognize our commitment to their ultimate performance and user experience satisfaction.”

Specifications, Pricing and Availability
The CryoVenom R9 290 is available for immediate ordering at $550 MSRP directly from VisionTek’s graphics card product category<http://www.visiontekproducts.com/index.php/products/graphics-cards> at their ecommerce portal,www.visiontekproducts.com<http://www.visiontekproducts.com>. The complete specifications are as follows:

Graphics Engine: RADEON R9 290
Video Memory: 4GB GDDR5
Memory Interface: 512-bit
DirectX® Support: 11.2
Bus Standard: PCI Express 3.0
GPU Core Speed: Up to 1175MHz (stock is 947MHz)
Memory Speed: Up to 1450MHz (stock is 1250MHz)
DVI Output: 2 x Dual Link DVI
HDMI Output:1 x HDMI (video/audio)
DisplayPort Output: 1 x DisplayPort
About VisionTek Products LLC
Since 1995, VisionTek Products LLC (VisionTek) has been recognized as a leading developer of performance memory, graphics cards, power supplies, and Solid State Drives for Macintosh and PC computers. Its products can be found at leading retailers, distributors, PC system builders and e-commerce sites. VisionTek is headquartered in East Dundee, Illinois, and can be contacted by calling 866-883-5411 or by emailing sales@visiontek.com<mailto:sales@visiontek.com>.
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1. 10dB represents sound level of liquid cooling operation of the CryoVenom R9 290 card only. Additional components required for liquid cooling system such as radiator cooling fan can add additional noise level depending on part selected.

2. CryoVenom R9 290 compared to the EVGA® NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti model 03G-P4-2881-KR

3. To complete the CryoVenom R9 290’s liquid cooling system, a reservoir tank, pump, radiator fan, coolant, and coolant tubing must be purchased separately.

Follow VisionTek on Twitter<https://twitter.com/visiontekprod> and Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/VisionTekProducts>
VisionTek is a registered trademark of VisionTek Products LLC.
Apple, Macintosh, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
AMD, Radeon, and Catalyst Control Center are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

NVIDIA, GeForce, and GTX are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries.
EVGA is a registered trademark of EVGA Corporation.

Razer Unveils Nabu Smartband

2014/01/08

Jerry Paxton

CES, Geek News, News, Tech News

LAS VEGAS (CES 2014) – Razer, the world leader in devices and software for its globally connected community of gamers, announces the launch of the world’s smartest wristband, the Razer Nabu.

The Razer Nabu is a revolutionary wearable technology that delivers notifications from a smartphone right to one’s wrist and tracks selected personal information. More impressively, it is also an open platform that third-party applications can exploit to create novel experiences for users, applying personal, physical and geographical opt-in data.

The Razer Nabu has three core features:

1. Notifications on Your Wrist

The Razer Nabu has two OLED notification screens – a Public Icon Screen and a Private Message Screen. The Public icon screen – located on the top of the wrist – notifies users of incoming calls, texts, emails and app updates via notification icons. The Private message screen – located on the inside of the wrist – provides detailed information of texts, emails, bio data and other updates that can only be viewed by the user.

2. Advanced Sensors to Track Data for Self Analysis

The Razer Nabu has advanced sensors for data tracking, including location information, bio data feedback (steps walked, distance traveled, stairs climbed, etc.), sleep data, band-to-band communication and much more, collected on an opt-in basis for users to better understand and adjust their daily activity. An included utility app can customize the type of data collected and can set permissions for the data to be shared.

3. The First Truly Social Wearable

The Razer Nabu’s band-to-band communication abilities allows for social discovery. Find nearby friends, mutual acquaintances and more based on user-defined settings.

The collected data as well as pre-configured capabilities and gestures on the Razer Nabu will be available on an open development platform to allow first- and third-party developers to update existing apps or build new ones to create new types of personal and social experiences for Razer Nabu wearers and third-party app users.

“Smart watches in their current form are too bulky and fitness trackers are easily forgotten after the initial novelty wears off—we have fixed all of that,” notes Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “The Razer Nabu provides a revolutionary new platform that bridges the divide between so-called smart watches and fitness bands. It delivers only the information you need, collects data that you want, and deepens your social interactions. Most excitingly, with our open platform, developers can utilize data collected by the Nabu to deliver incredible experiences to individuals via mobile or desktop apps—social or otherwise.”

The Razer Nabu comes with a downloadable utility app available on both iOS and Android devices—a one-stop destination for band settings, profile ID, notifications received, opt-in data, app synchronization and more.

The Razer Nabu will be available for sale worldwide in late Q1 2014 (retail price, TBD), while developers can sign-up now and get the band at the developer’s price of $49.

For more information on the Razer Nabu, interested parties may visit www.razerzone.com/nabu, and the product launch video is available here: http://youtu.be/s2Fp8XqKWfM

Razer Unveils Project Christine Modular PC at CES

2014/01/08

Jerry Paxton

CES, Hardware News, News, Tech News

LAS VEGAS (CES 2014) – Razer, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, today announced a concept of what promises to be the world’s most modular gaming system, Project Christine.

The PC has traditionally been one of the most open platforms in all of technology. However, given the technical complexities of PC hardware, only the most hardcore enthusiasts have been able to take advantage of this openness to build, customize and continuously upgrade their PC desktop systems. The tremendous promise of the PC has remained underexploited by the vast majority of general consumers for more than 30 years, largely due to the convoluted hardware – knowing what does what, what works with what, and how to connect the pieces.

Project Christine is a revolutionary new concept design that will change the way users view PCs. It will allow any user to build and customize his or her PC in any configuration without any prior technical knowledge. Further, as new upgrades come to the market, the same PC can be easily and quickly upgraded without additional technical assistance and without the fear of incompatibility or obsolescence.

Project Christine’s modular design allows users to easily build their PCs by allowing them to select and install modules on-the-fly, whether it’s a CPU, GPU, or memory and storage configuration. The PCI-Express architecture of Project Christine automatically syncs components. Need more graphics processing power or storage? Easy – a user can slot-in additional graphics modules and add more storage by either swapping-out the existing storage drives or adding more modules. Equally exciting, Project Christine is able to run multiple operating systems that the user may require.

The modularity of Project Christine make it perpetually customizable, offering plug-and-play upgradability as new and improved technology evolves, ostensibly eliminating the need to replace entire systems. Modules connected to the PCI-Express backbone can be added in any order or combination, featuring up to quad-SLI graphics, multiple SSD and RAID storage components, I/O and even power supplies, ensuring maximum flexibility.

The cable-less design of each sealed module is entirely self-contained and features active liquid cooling and noise cancelation, which allows Razer to factory overclock components without voiding warranties, safely and quietly. The system also features a touch-screen LED display that indicates control and maintenance information.

“Project Christine is a new concept design that will revolutionize the way users view the traditional PC. This is the first gaming system that is able to keep pace with technology and could allow consumers to never buy another PC, or gaming system, again,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “We have a history of bringing incredibly innovative concept systems to market and it’s fair to say that Project Christine is a very exciting new prospect for future development.”

For more information, check out www.razerzone.com.

Product features:

Fully modular design for perpetual, cable-less customization
PCI-Express architecture
Open operating system platform
Factory overclocked components
Self-contained modules with active liquid cooling and noise cancelation
Quad SLI capable
SSD + RAID 5 HDD Array
LED touchscreen control display

For more information about Project Christine, please visit www.razerzone.com/christine.

Mad Catz Unveils R.A.T. TE Gaming Mouse for PC and Mac

2014/01/08

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Peripherals News

San Diego – January 7, 2014 – Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (NYSE MKT/TSX: MCZ) announced today the R.A.T.^TE(Tournament Edition), a new mouse designed for the professional and competitive gaming community.

Expected to ship early 2014 for PC and Mac, the R.A.T.^TEhas been designed to appeal to the e-sports professional. With a newly developed Phillips^®Doppler-laser sensor, the R.A.T.^TE provides reference quality tracking with speeds up to 8200 DPI.

Each feature of the R.A.T.^TEhas been engineered for mobility, performance and precision. Weight has been reduced to decrease inertia; speed and resolution have been radically improved for faster reaction times, and programmable button mapping has been optimized for popular e-sports games. In addition, customizable attributes such as ‘Lift-Off’ height calibration and dynamic surface detection have been added to create the ideal mouse for professional gamers.

“We launched our original R.A.T. line of gaming mice four years ago, and we’re pleased to continue expanding this highly successful range with the announcement of the Tournament Edition model,” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “The R.A.T.^TE is another example of our ongoing commitment to building high performance hardware for the passionate gaming community.”

SEGA Unveils Alien: Isolation

2014/01/08

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 3 News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox 360 News, Xbox One News

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON – Jan. 7, 2014 – SEGA® of America, Inc., SEGA® Europe, Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products today announced Alien: Isolation™, a thrilling first-person survival horror experience that will focus on capturing the horror and tension evoked by Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic film. Developed by Creative Assembly, Alien: Isolation is due for release in late 2014 on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

On a decommissioned trading station in the fringes of space, fear and panic have gripped the inhabitants. Players find themselves in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger as an unpredictable, ruthless Xenomorph is stalking and killing deep in the shadows. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.

“In Alien: Isolation, we have taken the series back to the roots of Ridley Scott’s 1979 movie, the original survival horror,” said Alistair Hope, Creative Lead at Creative Assembly. “Our Alien is a truly terrifying creature, as intelligent as he is hostile, relentless, brutal and unstoppable. This is the Alien game fans of the series have always wanted.”

“Creative Assembly has created a truly incredible gaming experience, capturing perfectly the very core of what has made the Alien franchise remain relevant after 35 years,” said Jeffrey Godsick, president of Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products. “This partnership has led to the creation of a game that is simply outstanding and sets the tone for what is to come this year for the 35^th anniversary of Alien.

Alien: Isolation will be available in late 2014 for PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One, PlayStation®3 system, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. Throughout 2014, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products will be honoring the milestone 35^th anniversary with a yearlong celebration marking the beginnings of the Alien legacy by releasing commemorative and fan-favorite products.

For more information and to keep ahead with the latest news, find us at www.alienisolation.com, follow us on facebook.com/alienisolation and join the conversation on twitter.com/alienisolation.

Developer Diary

About Alien: Isolation

It’s one of the most storied film franchises in history with a rich legacy in gaming and today SEGA announces it will return to its Alien roots with the release of Alien: Isolation. This thrilling first-person survival horror experience will focus on capturing the tension evoked by Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic film in this edge-of-your seat adaptation

Developed by Creative Assembly, creator of the award-winning Total War strategy series, Alien: Isolation pits players against the deadliest killer in the Universe 15 years after the events of Alien™. Set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger, the game focuses on Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, who enters a desperate battle for survival as she tries to unravel the truth behind her mother’s disappearance.

As Amanda, you will navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.

More information on the game can be found below my signature along with a link to assets within the press release. There was an error in reporting earlier today about a feature of the game stating multiplayer and co-op features for Alien: Isolation. There will be no help, no solace, no escape from the Universe’s deadliest killer. Please let us know if you’d like to discuss further.