Author - Jerry Paxton

Zoom Unveils H5 Handy Recorder

2014/05/22
Jerry Paxton
News, Tech News

zoomh5b

Ronkonkoma, New York, May 22, 2014 — Zoom North America has announced the debut of the all-new H5 Handy Recorder. Like the company’s flagship H6, the H5 employs a system of interchangeable input capsules, allowing the best microphone to be used for every recording situation. In addition to being fully compatible with all Zoom input capsules, the H5 comes with a new X/Y stereo capsule, featuring extended signal capacity—up to 140 dB SPL—and shockmounted microphones for reduced handling noise.

The H5 allows four tracks of simultaneous recording directly to SD cards up to 32 gigabytes in a variety of MP3 and BWF-compliant WAV file formats, including 24-bit / 96k high-resolution audio. With the use of an optional adapter, it can be mounted directly to a DSLR or camcorder and requires just 2 AA batteries for power, with alkaline battery life of more than 15 hours. Dual XLR/TRS combo jacks enable the connection of external microphones or line-level devices. Each input has its own dedicated gain control and pad, as well as phantom power in three different voltages.

Additional features include a stereo Line Out for connection to camcorders; a headphone jack and built-in speaker; onboard effects, metronome and chromatic tuner; adjustable playback speed and pitch correction; and Pre-record, Auto-record and Backup-record functions. A USB port enables data transfer to and from editing software and allows the H5 to serve as a multichannel audio interface for computers and iPads.

“Our products are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the creators who use them,” said Scott Goodman, Zoom North America CEO. “The H5 continues that tradition, providing everything needed to do professional-quality multitrack recording in the field and capture pristine audio for video, broadcast and podcast.”

The Zoom H5 will be available June 2014, at a MAP of $269.99 at Amazon.com, B&H Photo and Video, Best Buy, Sweetwater and other fine retailers nationwide.

Crytek Reveals Arena of Fate

2014/05/22
Jerry Paxton
News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

AOF_LOGO

Frankfurt am Main (Germany), Sofia (Bulgaria), May 22, 2014 – Step into the shoes of legendary heroes from history and fantasy and lock horns in “Arena of Fate”; an action-packed online multiplayer game coming to PC and consoles soon from Crytek.

Featuring fast-paced 5 vs. 5 battles, Arena of Fate expands Crytek’s range of Games-as-a-Service, and will be playable for the first time at this year’s E3 expo in Los Angeles. Players will be free to choose from a huge roster of famous characters before engaging in star-studded skirmishes with fresh gameplay twists.

Among the iconic figures in Arena of Fate are the likes of Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper and Baron Münchhausen. Tap into their famed traits in battle as you bring Frankenstein back from the dead, use Jack’s cleavers to gruesome effect, and launch across the map on Baron Münchhausen’s cannonball!

Managing Director of Crytek Black Sea and Game Director of Arena of Fate, Vesselin Handjiev, said: “Imagine Joan of Arc and Robin Hood cooperating to hunt down Little Red Riding Hood – Wouldn’t that be terrific? But besides the game’s iconic heroes, which everyone in the team really loves, we are also challenging ourselves to carefully craft a streamlined player experience that allows for both greater accessibility, and rich, deep, action-packed gameplay. We are very excited to meet the first wave of players in the arena this summer, and will be listening carefully to the feedback we receive and making the community’s contribution a key part of our efforts to perfect the fun.”

The game is being developed by Crytek’s Sofia studio, which was established in 2008 following Crytek’s acquisition of Black Sea Studios. Originally founded in 2001, Black Sea

Studios made their name with critically acclaimed real-time strategy game “Knights of Honor” and sci-fi online RTS/RPG hybrid, “WorldShift”.

Arena of Fate is scheduled to enter Early Access Beta testing on PC this Summer, and players can sign up for a chance to get in on the action at http://www.arenaoffate.com. E3 attendees are invited to go hands-on with the PC version of the game from June 10-12 by visiting Crytek at booth 4500 in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Everyone can catch a first glimpse of Arena of Fate right now by checking out a new teaser trailer here.

Trailer

First Space Hulk: Deathwing Screenshots

2014/05/22
Jerry Paxton
News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

spacehulk_deathwing-04 copy

MAY 22, 2014 — Space Hulk®: Deathwing™, the first-person shooter set in Games Workshop’s famous Warhammer 40,000 universe, today unveils its first screenshots!

Developed by StreumOn Studio (E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy) on Unreal Engine 4, Space Hulk: Deathwing puts players at the head of a squad of Space Marine Terminators, as they venture within the claustrophobic, and Genestealer-infested, entrails of a Space Hulk. Today’s pictures show the hero of the game, a Deathwing Librarian, delving deeper and deeper into the Space Hulk, and confronting the awakening hordes of Genestealers.

The Genestealers represent a serious threat even for a squad of Terminators, but they are just the vanguard of the forces players will fight inside the Space Hulk. From Genestealer Hybrids equipped with heavy weapons, through many sub-species of Genestealers, to huge Bloodlords, the enemies of the Deathwing are varied, versatile, and terrifying.

Space Hulk®: Deathwing™ is a First-Person Shooter experience of Games Workshop’s classic Space Hulk boardgame set in the universe of Warhammer 40,000, developed on Unreal Engine 4 by Streum On Studio, the team behind E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy. Published by Focus Home Interactive and co-produced by Cyanide Studio, Space Hulk: Deathwing offers players the chance to experience a desperate battle against Genestealers in the claustrophobic tunnels of a Space Hulk, as they will gain skills, new abilities and new equipment thanks to experience earned during perilous missions.

Space Hulks drift along the currents of the Warp, the immaterial dimension of Chaos. Made up of gigantic mangled asteroids, derelict ship wrecks and other spatial debris, they sometimes grow to the size of a moon and often contain treasured and ancient lost technologies. However, they are ripe with danger including infestations of the lethal Genestealers.

Players take on the role of a Space Marine from one of the most secret and most feared Space Marine Companies: the Deathwing from the Dark Angels. Strap on your Terminator armour and equip the emblematic weaponry of the Space Marines to overcome the threats awaiting you in the Space Hulk. As a Librarian, you will also master the destructive powers of the Psykers. Your skills and performance in battle grant you Fervor Points, to spend on 4 skill trees allowing you to improve your abilities, unlock new powers, access powerful relics and devastating new weapons.

Screenshots

Blackhawk! Nylon Ωmega VI Improved Holster Review (Airsoft)

2014/05/21
Jerry Paxton
Action Sports, Airsoft News, Airsoft Reviews, Articles, News, Reviews
WE Tech G35 Gen 4 inside the holster.

WE Tech G35 Gen 4 inside the holster.

Blackhawk! has been making holsters and other assorted tactical gear for a large number of years now. Pouches, chest rigs, boots – the list is endless. While their Kydex, “SERPA” holsters have been all the rage of late, we thought it would be a great idea to take a look at their Ωmega VI Improved Holster. The first big difference in this holster model Vs. the Kydex range is that the Ωmega VI Improved Holster is made from high quality nylon. Why does nylon matter? Kydex holsters like the SERPA are great when being used with the firearm they are molded for. The problem comes when trying to use a different model of firearm in them. Being solid Kydex molds, they cannot accommodate firearms of different designs.

We tested out the Ωmega VI Improved Holster with three different gun designs to see just how versatile it is – a WE Tech G35 Gen4 gas blowback airsoft gun (same dimensions as a real steel Glock 35), a KWA M226 gas blowback airsoft gun (same dimensions as the SIG SAUER P226 MK25), and a real steel Glock 21. I was most skeptical about fitting the WE Tech G35 Gen4 as it is a very long pistol design, but the results surprised me. While the holster acted as though it was simply made for the KWA M226 gas blowback pistol, the WE Tech G35 Gen4 actually fit beautifully. I had to loosen the sizing straps a bit, but it fit like a glove. The real issue came while trying to size the Ωmega VI Improved Holster with my real steel Glock 21.

Glock 21 inside the holster.

Glock 21 inside the holster.

Now, this is the Glock 21 – not the Glock 21 SF, so the pistol is just damn huge – way wider than the two airsoft pistols I also tested the holster with. In order to get the Glock 21 to fit, I had to loosen the top sizing strap so much, the strap’s Velcro could not close on itself to lock it in place. You can see how the strap will no longer Velcro lock closed in the above image. If the strap had longer strips of Velcro, this might have been okay but, as it stands not, it would not adjust to fit. I am interested in testing this holster with a real steel Glock 21 SF – my theory is that that model of Glock handgun would fit without issue as it is not quite as large, but I can’t promise anything, of course.

The Ωmega VI Improved Holster is sewn onto a thigh rig of excellent quality – also being made of high strength elastic Nylon. Two of our team members (of varying sizes) tried the holster on and both managed to adjust it to fit without trouble. For my own usage of the Ωmega VI Improved Holster, I attached it to both a 5.11 Tactical 1.5″ inch duty belt and a 5.11 Tactical APEX belt and neither proved any trouble. The holster’s belt attachment straps are not quite long enough to reach around a big, padded TAC belt, but who really does that anyway? Most airsoft players attach this rigs to their underside belts – at least I do.

KWA P226 inside the holster.

KWA M226 inside the holster.

Overall, the Ωmega VI Improved Holster is another great showing from Blackhawk!. Not only does it accommodate a large number of mid to full-size semi-automatic pistols, but it also provides great build quality and customization. If you are an airsoft player or real steel shooter looking for a versatile, thigh rig mounted holster, you can’t go wrong with the Blackhawk! Ωmega VI Improved Holster. It retails for an MSRP of $85.99 and is well worth its weight in durability and functionality. If you have a very large framed pistol, however, you may experience some issues getting it to fit properly.

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Zenimax Files Lawsuit Against Oculus

2014/05/21
Jerry Paxton
Industry News, News

oculus-vr

May 21, 2014 (Rockville, MD) — ZeniMax Media Inc. and its subsidiary, id Software LLC, filed suit today against Oculus VR, Inc. and its founder, Palmer Luckey, for illegally misappropriating ZeniMax trade secrets relating to virtual reality technology, and infringing ZeniMax copyrights and trademarks. ZeniMax is also asserting claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and unfair competition against the defendants. The suit was filed in federal court in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The suit arises from the defendants’ unlawful exploitation of intellectual property, including trade secrets, copyrighted computer code, and technical know-how relating to virtual reality technology that was developed by ZeniMax after years of research and investment. ZeniMax provided this valuable intellectual property to defendants under a binding Non-Disclosure Agreement that specifies such intellectual property is owned exclusively by ZeniMax and cannot be used, disclosed, or transferred to third parties without ZeniMax’s approval. ZeniMax’s intellectual property has provided the fundamental technology driving the Oculus Rift since its inception. Nevertheless, the defendants refused all requests from ZeniMax for reasonable compensation and continue to use ZeniMax’s intellectual property without authorization.

All efforts by ZeniMax to resolve this matter amicably have been unsuccessful. Oculus has recently issued a public statement remarkably claiming that “ZeniMax has never contributed IP or technology to Oculus.” Meanwhile, Luckey has held himself out to the public as the visionary developer of virtual reality technology, when in fact the key technology Luckey used to establish Oculus was developed by ZeniMax.

“Intellectual property forms the foundation of our business,” said Robert Altman, Chairman & CEO of ZeniMax. “We cannot ignore the unlawful exploitation of intellectual property that we develop and own, nor will we allow misappropriation and infringement to go unaddressed.”

“ZeniMax and id Software take their intellectual property rights seriously,” said P. Anthony Sammi, a Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP which represents ZeniMax and id in this matter. “We now look to the federal courts and will pursue all appropriate measures available under the law to rectify defendants’ egregious conduct,” he added.

Tropico 5 Sees Company Pre-Sales Record

2014/05/21
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

Tropico5_Screens_April_2nd_2014_12 copy

Ridgewood, NJ – May 21st, 2014 – Ahead of the global release of the PC version of Tropico 5 on May 23rd, the Kalypso Media Group is thrilled to announce that the game has set new internal pre-sale records for the entire company. Not only has the title topped the Amazon pre-sale charts for many weeks in several countries, but Kalypso can also reveal that the Digital distribution pre-orders on Steam have exceeded expectations. Tropico 5 has achieved four times the number of orders secured over its predecessor Tropico 4, which was released in 2011.

“We have put great passion and almost all available resources into the development and marketing of Tropico 5 and the pre-sales success once again demonstrates the talent and ability of our great teams in Germany, the UK and the USA. We are constantly working to expand our franchises internationally and these figures for Tropico 5 are testament to this” commented Simon Hellwig, Global Managing Director of Kalypso Media.Tropico 5 will be available for PC globally on May 23rd (US retail 3rd June). Xbox 360® and Mac will be available this summer – with a version for the PlayStation®4 platform following in autumn. For more information on Tropico 5 don’t forget to visit the official Tropico 5 website at www.tropico5.com.

I-MEGO Introduces MAZE Studio Headphones

2014/05/21
Jerry Paxton
News, Tech News

imego

Miami, FL – May 21, 2014 – I-MEGO Infinity Ltd. today announced the availability of the MAZE on-ear studio headphones. Celebrated for their innovative, ingenious, and world class design, I-MEGO’s MAZE headphones received both the 2014 Red Dot: Product Design Award & the Platinum A’Design Award. Its slender on-ear construction features a soft memory foam cushion and semi-transparent vinyl record-like deco plate with an integrated metal slider. Inspired by a phonograph cylinder, the MAZE utilizes a patent-pending design that serves to enhance acoustics and provide larger-than-life sound.

The MAZE studio headphones feature the brand’s characteristic stellar sound provided by two high performance neodymium 40mm drivers, designed 30% thinner than a normal speaker, maximizing the air cabinet volume and resulting in better low end response. Constructed with a titanium diagram, the balanced drivers deliver an extraordinarily natural, lifelike sound with extremely low distortion.

The lightweight, collapsible headphones are made up of a premium blend of aluminum, leather and plastic providing maximum comfort for long listening sessions.  For added convenience, the MAZE headphones include a soft carrying pouch, completely detachable volume and microphone control, and adapters to accommodate any audio resource.

MAZE Technical Specifications

•    Driver Diameter: 2 x 40mm
•    Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
•    Sensitivity: 102 ± 3dB
•    Impedance: 32O
•    Cable Length: 120cm
•    Connector: 3.5mm stereo gold plug
•    Controller: Detachable music volume and microphone control

Created for the hardcore music fan, professional and amateur DJs, and audiophiles, the MAZE headphones harmonize with any music or style. MAZE headphones are now available at www.I-MEGO.com and retail for $139.99.

Iceberg Interactive Celebrates 5th Anniversary

2014/05/21
Jerry Paxton
News, Windows PC News

StarDrive2_5

Haarlem, The Netherlands – May 21, 2014 – During the past five years and through one of the toughest periods in recent economic history, Iceberg Interactive has strived to become a major force in PC game publishing by striking a rich vein of gold in the dark reaches of space and fantasy. By concentrating on a small number of niche genres that continue to grow in popularity including space and fantasy worlds, 4X, strategy, and simulation, Iceberg Interactive is celebrating its fifth year of growth with its biggest, most impressive line-up to date.

Headlining the five-game 2014 roster is Amplitude Studios’ fantasy-based 4X game Endless Legend, the 4X space strategy title StarDrive 2, the space sim Starpoint Gemini 2, the 4X space strategy title Lords of the Black Sun, and the arcade combat flight game, Vector Thrust, the majority of which are currently in Steam’s Early Access program.

Since its inception in 2009, Iceberg Interactive has carved out a unique niche as a resilient, resourceful, and fleet-footed indie publisher. By taking risks with rookie developers, managing its costs wisely, and investing in genres that big publishers have left for dead, Iceberg has positioned itself as a leader in the 4X, sci-fi, and strategy genres.

“Iceberg’s progress to date stems from the fact that we are all gamers, and we like to play the games we publish – this gives us a certain affinity with our customers – we are all about games, and it reflects in the deep, rich games we publish,” says Erik Schreuder, CEO of Iceberg Interactive. “The demand for strategy, 4X, and space games never stops. It’s just that most of the larger publishers feel that, because these games aren’t multi-million unit sellers, they are not commercially viable. This is where we see our opportunity. PC gamers are a very vocal lot, and have responded in kind by letting us know how much they love our games and consistently ask us to keep them coming.”

Among the 70-plus titles published and distributed since 2009, Iceberg has created a name for itself with standout titles Killing Floor, Wings of Prey, Armada 2526, Starpoint Gemini, APB Reloaded and Dark Fall: Lost Souls. More recent hits include Horizon, Gas Guzzlers Extreme, Endless Space, and StarDrive.

Erik Schreuder is available for interviews to reveal how Iceberg’s strategies and approaches to the indie PC market, its knowledge of Steam, and its passionate embrace of the 4X strategy genre, have buoyed the company and carved out a reliable niche for growth.

For more on Iceberg Interactive, visit its Website, www.iceberg-games.com, YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/channel/UCZVeEavzrEZvLazxwKKTRiQ, Twitter page, twitter.com/Iceberg_Int, and Twitch channel, www.twitch.tv/iceberg_interactive/.