Author - Jerry Paxton

Bracketron Launches New Line of In-Vehicle Mounting Solutions

2013/01/07

Minneapolis, MN – January 7, 2013– Bracketron, the leading manufacturer of mounting solutions and accessories for mobile devices, unveils its powerful new line of suction mounts that are ideal for in-vehicle use and offer secure and convenient viewing of mobile devices for hands-free applications. The Mi-T Grip Dash Mount’s patented Temporbond technology allows it to adhere to any hard surface in your car, boat or home for easy viewing and accessibility. The Universal Tablet Window Mount provides a sturdy, low-profile way to secure an iPad mini or tablet to your windshield for safe, hands-free navigation. These heavy duty mounts come with a one-year warranty and are a simple-to-use and effective solution for your mounting needs.

Mi-T Grip Mount

The Mi-T Grip Mount is the one of the most innovative mounting solutions for portable devices on the market today with its patented, breakthrough Temporbond technology that allows it to be mounted to both the dash and window. It features a unique grip with rotating head that holds devices with or without a case in portrait and landscape modes, and allows full access to device controls. The suction mount is infused with a patented polyurethane ring that allows it to attach to most hard or textured surfaces in your home or vehicle.

Universal Tablet Window Mount

The Universal Tablet Window Mount offers the perfect remedy for mounting your iPad or tablet when you are on the go. It features a reinforced articulating arm and 360-degree rotation for easy angle adjustments and precise positioning. The universal design allows full access to all device controls and allows you to mount your iPad or tablet for front seat navigation as well as front passenger entertainment.

“Our latest line of accessories provides an ideal alternative for consumers who rely on their mobile devices for GPS and navigation,” said Christian Johnson, Vice President of Marketing at Bracketron. “Their non-intrusive designs deliver the security consumers have come to expect from Bracketron, while allowing safe and convenient access to people on the move.”

Withings Announces Smart Body Analyzer

2013/01/07

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Tech News

LAS VEGAS– January 6, 2013 – Withings, creators of the first Internet connected scale, announces today its Smart Body Analyzer- the first smart scale to monitor health and environment through heart rate measurement and air quality monitoring, in addition to rich weight analysis in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle. This breakthrough health-monitoring device awarded with a 2013 CES Innovation Award, combines wireless connectivity, over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, with unprecedented body analysis capabilities.

By simply stepping on the scale, the Smart Body Analyzer provides users with a quick and comprehensive health snapshot that shows highly accurate weight, body fat & heart rate readings. With the addition of heart rate measurement, users can monitor the evolution of their resting heart rate, a powerful indicator of their overall fitness level. The readings are then transmitted to the Withings Health Mate mobile application via the built-in internet connection. The results are stored and can be shared with a physician, dietician, support group or motivational team via Twitter or Facebook.

Designed to be placed in a user’s bedroom, the Smart Body Analyzer can also monitor the air quality of its surrounding environment through temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) metering. Carbon dioxide is a gas formed by metabolic activity that builds up to excessive levels in confined spaces, like bedrooms, when an insufficient amount of fresh air is being delivered. High levels of CO2 can produce a variety of health effects that can affect sleep, like headaches, dizziness, restlessness, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate and sweating. By monitoring and managing indoor air quality, people can live and sleep in a healthier environment.

Withings CEO Cédric Hutchings said: “We’ve challenged ourselves to once again reinvent the smart scale, a segment we pioneered three years ago with our Wi-Fi Body Scale. We have added functionalities that have never been seen before on a home scale, which are both useful and necessary to living an overall healthy lifestyle.”

The advanced body analytic features of the Smart Body Analyzer are hidden within its high-end, aesthetically pleasing and sleek chassis. The scale’s main sensors and ITO-coated electrodes are designed to form a pattern on the scale that becomes the product’s unique aesthetic signature design.

Like other Withings scales, the Smart Body Analyzer features the company’s Position Control™ technology. This exceptional engineering achievement allows for best-in-class weighing accuracy due to the on-screen guidance for users to properly position their body on the scale.

Also, the Smart Body Analyzer is extremely easy to use and set up without the need of a personal computer as it pairs seamlessly with an iOS or Android device, over with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. All measurements are instantly recorded and synced with the Withings Health Mate iOS and/or Android apps.

The Withings Health Mate app is an open platform that aggregates measurements not only from Withings devices, but also third party sensors and apps. This gives users a synchronized at-a-glance dashboard of all their health data. A large number of compatible apps and services, such as LoseIt!, Runkeeper, DailyBurn, and MyFitnessPal can also retrieve data captured by the Smart Body Analyzer.

Key features of the Smart Body Analyzer include:

Position Control™ technology: best-in-class weighing technology to insure accuracy
Fat mass measurement: available in athlete and non-athlete modes
Heart rate measurement: this feature is for the first time introduced on a scale, and allows tracking of the resting heart rate while just stepping on a scale. Like all other measurements, heart rate readings are automatically transmitted and rendered on the Withings Health Mate mobile app
Air quality measurement: CO2 and temperature monitoring to better monitor and manage the bedroom air quality
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart and Wi-Fi for easy setup and hassle-free data upload
Unbeaten Battery life: four standard AAA alkaline batteries provide more than one year of daily measurements
The Smart Body Analyzer is slated for a Q1 2013 release date at a suggested retail price of $149.95. For more information, visit http://www.withings.com/bodyanalyzer/

Westinghouse Unveils Roku Integrated TVs

2013/01/04

Jerry Paxton

CES, News

Las Vegas, NV — Westinghouse Digital, one of the leading LED TV manufacturers in the U.S., announced a new line of LED TVs for 2013 that are Roku Ready® for an unmatched combination of entertainment choices, convenience and value. The new line will be introduced at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV, January 8-11 in the Las Vegas Hotel, Hospitality Suite 360.

The Westinghouse Digital Roku Ready line of LED TVs feature the Mobile High Definition Link (MHL), which allows users to simply plug in a Roku Streaming Stick™, a flash-stick sized device that features the popular Roku streaming platform. Within moments, the TV is recognized by the consumer’s home Wi-Fi network allowing the user to connect to the world of content provided by Roku.

“The new Westinghouse TVs with Roku are designed to be future-proof,” said Rey Roque, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Westinghouse Digital. “Westinghouse Digital believes MHL-Compliant displays are the future of the connected TV market. Consumers are no longer forced to buy a smart TV only to have it become outdated two years later when new technology is released. With The Roku Streaming Stick, the consumer can simply upgrade a fairly inexpensive piece of hardware instead of being forced to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a new HDTV in order to gain the latest and greatest streaming options.”

In addition to the 60-inch IPTV introduction, Westinghouse Digital will also introduce a full line of edge-lit LED TVs for 2013 at CES, with models ranging from 28 to 60-inches, as well as a new series of 4K UHDTV models.

Razer Partners with KT Rolster

2013/01/04

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Jan. 4th, 2013 – Razer™, one of the world’s pioneering supporters of e-Sports, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with KT Rolster, one of the most accomplished and longstanding organizations in e-Sports, whose League of Legends teams will represent Razer in 2013.

Home to some of the world’s most illustrious Starcraft champions, KT Rolster has a history in South Korea dating back to 1999, making it one of the most recognizable brands in Asian e-Sports. With their League of Legends squads, KT Rolster A and KT Rolster B, the team intends to create a legacy not unlike the one made during KT Rolster’s decade of competing in Brood War.

Although the two crews were only put together in October, they’ve already shown a remarkable amount of promise. In November, KTR A were the runners-up in the “Enter the Dragon” tournament, while KTR B are currently dominating their “The Champions: Winter” group, having already beat MVP Blue, NaJin Sword and former champions Azubu Blaze.

“KT Rolster is undoubtedly one of the most successful teams in e-Sports history and we’re very excited to be able to associate the Razer brand with such a well-respected name,” said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “We’re also very excited to see how these new League of Legends teams, whose players were scouted by the best in the business, will improve over the coming months.”

Kim-sungjong, manager of KT Rolster, had this to say about the new partnership: “We are honored to have a partnership agreement with Razer, the global, No.1 gaming gear company. We will be rewarded with a win.”

GameStick Makes Kickstarter Goal in 30 Hours

2013/01/04

Jerry Paxton

News, Tech News

London & San Francisco; January 4th, 2013; The team behind the GameStick raised a glass yesterday evening in thanks to the 1000+ Kickstarter backers that pushed them over their $100,000 funding goal in just 30 hours.

“The response from the Kickstarter community has been truly overwhelming. We are confident in our product and what we hope it will mean for gaming but we were taken aback at how quickly the message was adopted,” says Anthony Johnson, CMO, PlayJam.“There is no better feeling than having hundreds if not thousands of people endorse your idea.”

The team has been busy keeping up with the hundreds of questions and requests that continue to come through the Kickstarter message boards and in response have today announced support for XBMC & DNLA, two of the most sought after features.

“While we are shipping as a dedicated games console, we are keen to ensure that users have the ability to hack the device if they so wish and will be providing support for XBMC & DNLA via an optional firmware update in September. We encourage users to hack the device – the time for closed, proprietary systems is ending which bodes well for true innovation”, concluded Johnson.

GameStick is described as ´The Most Portable TV games Console Ever Created´. The team behind the project are passionate about accelerating the race to change the face of big screen gaming with a product that will now, as promised, launch in April of this Year.

Supporters flooded to the Kickstarter page just moments after the campaign launched and began pledging. The ´Early Bird´ pledge tier, giving backers the chance to grab themselves a GameStick at a discounted rate, proved so popular that it sold out in a matter of hours resulting in people moving in droves to the next tier. At the time of writing, the average pledge towards GameStick was $98.

Interest from the developer community has been extremely strong with over 300 registrations on thewww.gamestick.tv website and a new tier offering early access to the SDK and 30 days premium positioning within the games store having been added for $500.

GameStick will feature a purpose-built game store through which users will be able to browse and download content. The proposition will be powered by PlayJam´s existing Games Network for Smart TV which currently supports developers such as Relentless Software, First Star Software, and Disney.

To visit the Kickstarter page and pledge your support, please visit: http://kck.st/12SSvMO

To visit the GameStick website for more information or to apply for an SDK please go to: www.gamestick.tv

To follow GameStick news, join the conversation and give your opinion on Facebook or Twitter please go:www.facebook.com/GameStickNews and www.twitter.com/Game_Stick / @Game_Stick

To see new videos published throughout the campaign on YouTube please subscribe to: www.youtube.com/GameStickVideos

ROCCAT Debuts 2013 Lineup of PC Gaming Peripherals

2013/01/04

Jerry Paxton

CES, News, Peripherals News, Tech News

Hamburg – January 4, 2013 – ROCCAT will be showing its new product developments in gaming peripherals and software at CES in Las Vegas on January 8 – 11, 2013. Some of the ROCCAT highlights at this year’s show will include the brand’s first-ever mechanical keyboard and the first software project for the company from Hamburg, Germany – the Power-Grid app, which has now passed Beta testing. In addition, several ROCCAT products at CES are newly available to US gamers, including the gaming mice Kone XTD and Kone Pure along with the multicolor gaming
keyboard Isku FX.

ROCCAT founder and CEO, René Korte, on the significance of CES for the company: “We announced ROCCAT’s entrance to the American market here exactly 12 months ago. The feedback from gamers and media worldwide has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re here again to prove that ROCCAT sets the rules when it comes to gaming peripherals.”

ROCCAT™ Ryos – Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Series with unique per-key illumination

With Ryos, ROCCAT has succeeded in defining a new standard for mechanical gaming keyboards. The Ryos is the first gaming keyboard ever that features per-key lighting and up to two 32-bit ARM cortex processors. The keyboard can display key functions, macros and even health or mana bars thanks to this technology. The included SDK makes what’s possible limited only by the player’s imagination. 2 MB internal Flash storage makes the Ryos ultra responsive. The ROCCAT Ryos Keyboard Series comes with up to four different CHERRY MX key switches (black, brown, red, and blue). The release is planned for the first quarter of 2013. For more information, please view the teaser trailer.

ROCCAT™ Power-Grid – PC control via smartphone passes beta

The ROCCAT Power-Grid turns a smartphone into a fully customizable remote control for the PC. Users can set up different grids to control, for example custom settings for Windows, Skype, Media Player or games. The app provides pre-set grids for several games, e.g. Starcraft 2, Skyrim and League of Legends. But it also lets users set up their own grids that fit their individual needs. And not only does the Power-Grid control the PC – it works in reverse as well. The app can provide the user with additional information on his smartphone touchscreen. For instance, maps or high scores can be displayed. The user can call up the central news feeds from different hardware and gaming sites via the now standard integrated Media-Grid. ROCCAT has also completed the development of an accompanying SDK, which will provide developers with the opportunity to code unique features that benefits their users. One example is the integration of Born Ready Games’ long-awaited space shooter, “Strike Suite Zero”. At a glance, gamers will be able to see in-game statistics about their accuracy, the number of missiles fired, and much more. This information isn’t available anywhere else in the game, and it provides additional advantages to the user: if you increase your accuracy, for example, you’ll get more points.

New ROCCAT hardware for the American market

With the gaming mice ROCCAT Kone XTD and Kone Pure and the gaming keyboard
ROCCAT Isku FX, the gaming peripherals manufacturer from Hamburg is launching all of its new products onto the American market. Now US gamers can enjoy the latest ROCCAT hardware, too. ROCCAT will also be presenting these products again for interested visitors at the CES 2013 in LVH #2065.

BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition Announced

2013/01/04

Jerry Paxton

News, PlayStation 3 News, Xbox 360 News

New York, NY – January 4, 2013 – 2K Games, Irrational Games and 2K Marin announced today that before exploring the world of Columbia in the upcoming release of BioShock Infinite on March 26, 2013 in North America, fans of the franchise and newcomers alike can experience everything that Rapture has to offer with the BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition. Available in North America on January 14, 2013, BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition will carry a MSRP of $29.99 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition will be available in some international territories at a later date. The BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition includes the critically-acclaimed BioShock, BioShock 2 and add-on content for both games valued at more than $40. It also includes a trip to the never-before-seen Museum of Orphaned Concepts, providing a rare look at early concept art and character models that never made it into BioShock.

In addition to BioShock and BioShock 2, the BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition includes more than $40 of add-on content for both games:

Museum of Orphaned Concepts: Take a tour of a never-before-seen BioShock museum and view early concept art, character models and more set within the halls of Rapture.
Plasmids Pack: Includes four additional Plasmids and Gene Tonics – Sonic Boom, EVE Saver, Vending Expert and Machine Buster – for use in BioShock.
Challenge Rooms Pack: Previously exclusive to PS3™ and now available for Xbox 360 for the first time, the pack tests the player’s mettle by requiring them to utilize the skills learned while traversing the halls of Rapture to survive three separate puzzle rooms in BioShock.
Sinclair Solutions Tester: Contains a number of customization features that allow players to further their character’s development in BioShock 2 multiplayer modes and provides a deeper multiplayer experience.
Rapture Metro: Includes six additional multiplayer maps, an additional multiplayer gameplay mode and a rank increase to level 50 for BioShock 2 multiplayer.
The Protector Trials: Features frantic combat and fast-paced action designed to push players’ mastery of weapons and Plasmids in a BioShock 2 single-player experience spread across six maps.
Minerva’s Den: A substantial narrative experience that puts players in the role Subject Sigma and introduces new characters, locations and mystery to the world of Rapture in BioShock 2. Set in a new environment, Rapture Central Computing, Minerva’s Den adds a gripping new storyline to extend the BioShock 2 experience.
Also included, is an exclusive collectable sticker pack from BioShock Infinite’s world of Columbia to get gamers ready for the next chapter in the BioShock universe.

Originally released in 2007 and winner of multiple Game of the Year awards, BioShock is a “genetically enhanced” first-person shooter set in Rapture, a decaying art deco underwater utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified “splicers” and deadly security systems, players have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology, fascinating characters and morality defining choices. To make it to the end, players can turn everything they encounter into a weapon, biologically modify their body with Plasmids, hack devices and security systems, upgrade weapons, craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques. No encounter ever plays out the same and no two gamers will play BioShock the same way.Originally released in 2010, BioShock 2 features an unsettling storyline, dazzling visual design and the evolution of the genetically enhanced shooter gameplay. Set almost a decade after a grueling civil war consumed the once magnificent city of Rapture, evil reverberates through the halls and a wickedness once thought gone forever returns along the Atlantic seaboard. An unspeakable series of kidnappings from local seaside communities by an unseen monster leads to the repopulation of Little Sisters in Rapture’s failed utopia under the ocean. Players must step into the boots of one of gaming’s most iconic characters, the Big Daddy, as they traverse the fallen city, fending off attacks from an army of genetically modified Splicers, while searching for escape and the key to their survival.

BioShock 2 also features multiplayer modes that provide fans with an engrossing prequel experience that expands upon the fiction of Rapture’s origins. Set during the year before Rapture’s descent into chaos, players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a key provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city that was first explored in BioShock. Players will enter into areas from the original title as they struggle to gain superiority and fight for survival in franticly paced battles.

BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

For more information, please visit http://www.bioshockgame.com/ultimaterapture. For the latest news and information on the BioShock franchise, become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bioshock.

Irrational Games and 2K Marin are both 2K Games studios. 2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Cruise Control App Adjusts Music Rhythm in Real-Time

2013/01/04

Jerry Paxton

Mobile News, News

Burnaby, B.C. Canada – January 4, 2013 – By adjusting the tempo of your music in real-time, Cruise Control uses songs from your favorite playlists to control your running pace and heart rate. Simply plug in your target pace or rate and start running. By matching your footsteps to the music’s tempo, you can be confident you’re hitting your pace or heart rate goal. The Cruise Control App is available today in the Apple App Store for $4.99.

Get ready to rock your run! Part coach and part dance partner, Cruise Control produces a magical running experience – Download here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cruise-control-run/id586453280?mt=8

Cruise Control is the brainchild of biomechanics researchers Mark Snaterse and Dr. Max Donelan. “Cruise Control is based on our recent scientific discovery,” says Dr. Max Donelan, biomechanics professor at Simon Fraser University. “We found that it is possible to accurately and rapidly control people’s running speed or heart rate using auditory feedback. To turn this esoteric, scientific finding into a compelling user experience, we worked with some excellent App developers to build a full-featured music playing running app for the iPhone. Imagine flying down the trail at exactly the speed you want, with every beat of every song on your playlist synchronized to your footfalls. It feels like your favorite band is right there with you, timing their kick drum to drive you faster and further.”

The Experience

It’s called Cruise Control because it works like the cruise control in your car. Set your target and the App will automatically begin adjusting the music’s tempo, just like a car adjusts the throttle. As the music tempo increases, so does your pace, quickly pushing you to your target speed and then keeping you there. You can forget about how fast you’re running and just listen to the music, matching your foot strikes to the beat. Cruise Control automatically pulls good running songs from the music already on your phone into the app. As the tempo increases and decreases, the music’s sound and pitch remain unchanged, keeping the songs sounding like the music you’ve grown to love.

The Control

There are four ways to Cruise Control your run:
Pace Mode – Pick a target speed and go. Simply match your foot strike with the music and let the rhythm take you to your target pace. Lab tests show that with a little practice this is extremely accurate at reaching and maintaining your targeted pace, with an average error of less than 2%.
Heart Rate Mode – Similar to the Pace Mode, just match your steps to the beat and let the music guide you to your target heart rate and keep you there. Lab tests show that this mode is also very accurate, with an average error of about 2 beats per minute (BPM) of the target heart rate (heart rate monitor required).
Cadence Mode – Plug in your goal strides per minute (SPM) and the let the music tempo take you there.
Free Run Mode – Just head out for a run while listening to your tunes. Cruise Control will automatically match the music to your running rhythm.

The Science

Dr. Max Donelan and PhD candidate Mark Snaterse from the Locomotion Lab at Simon Fraser University used a combination of human experiments and control theory to develop algorithms that control your running speed and intensity in real-time. While the App may seem like magic, under the hood is strong scientific theory backed by careful experimentation and solid engineering. The result is an App that will repeatedly deliver accurate results and help runners meet their running goals.

The Extra Sauce – Cruise Control’s additional features include:

• Easily select your favorite songs into epic running specific playlists.
• Switch songs, change playlists or use the thumb-up and thumb-down feature to keep track of those great and not-so-great tunes.
• Accurately measure running pace and cadence using the iPhone’s built-in sensors.
• Pair with ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart heart rate monitors and stride sensors for even more running data. Check out our favorites from our friends at Wahoo Fitness (www.WahooFitness.com).
• View your pace, cadence, heart rate and route map as you run including current, average and maximum values.
• Review your running history including mileage, distance, map, pace, cadence and heart rate.
• Share your runs via Facebook, Twitter and Google+ or email your runs including all your data for uploading to your favorite training website (including MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, Nike+, TrainingPeaks, GarminConnect, MapMyTracks, 2Peak, dailymile, Strava, or Dropbox).

Cruise Control is compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.

Follow Cruise Control on Twitter @CruiseCtrlRun, to receive running song recommendations or check www.cruisecontrolrun.com for run-tested playlists.

Warm Bodies Movie Trailer

2013/01/03

Jerry Paxton

Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Here is a new trailer for the upcoming zombie flick, Warm Bodies, which is set to release on February 1st. The film seems to have a cool take on the zombie movie genre, we will see how the full movie is soon enough. Enjoy!

Trailer

Sexiest CES Product Ad?

2013/01/03

Jerry Paxton

CES, Geek News, News, Tech News

VOCO, a company that is premiering some streaming audio & video products at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, has sent out two provocative and head-turning product showcase ads featuring their… products. While they may have won some CES Innovations awards already, we are giving them the “Sexiest CES Product Ad” award. Basically, when I see these two images, technology is the last thing on my mind – 🙂 Enjoy!

Oh, here is the second one…