Author - Jennifer Paxton

World of Tanks Blitz Celebrates 5th Anniversary

2019/06/19
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, Mac PC News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

June 19, 2019 — World of Tanks Blitz, Wargaming’s premier mobile title, is celebrating two significant milestones this month: 120m+ downloads worldwide and its 5-year anniversary. June 26 is the special date which marks the latter and all players will get special goodies during a week of festivities starting today, June 19.

Released on iOS, World of Tanks Blitz later expanded to four other platforms: Android, MacOS, Steam, and Windows 10. With this expansion, the game has more than 120m downloads worldwide and a daily active audience of 1.5m.

It’s not just the audience which has grown, the game’s content itself has substantially increased. At launch, World of Tanks Blitz offered players 90 historical vehicles from 3 countries. Now, the game’s roster includes over 370 armored vehicles from 8 nations. And, unique to Blitz, a special Hybrid Nation brings alt-history, fantasy, and sci-fi together, featuring machines from Warhammer 40,000 and Valkyria Chronicles, topped with unique tanks created by the Blitz team and vehicle designers like Gundam’s Kunio Okawara and Peter Pound, Principal Vehicle Designer for Mad Max: Fury Road.

“World of Tanks Blitz is a long-running success due to how it’s pushed the boundaries of mobile gaming,” says Andrey Ryabovol, World of Tanks Blitz Product Director. “To win, you need to rely on more than just sheer power or who’s got the ‘best tank’; it’s about thinking and outsmarting your enemies, and our players love that. Without our loyal audience, we wouldn’t be here five years on, so we try and do as much as we can—after all, it’s their game as much as it is ours. A great example, a player from Turkey wanted to propose in-game to his girlfriend he met through Blitz. Our dev team heard about it and organized everything with him!”

To mark Blitz’s fifth birthday, a week of festivities are planned starting June 19. Tankers will be able to battle it out for 75 different types of gift boxes, each containing various rewards from boosters to Premium vehicles. Three of these vehicles are totally new: they’re high-tech (atomic!) variants of three iconic tanks—the T-34, the Sherman Firefly and the ELC bis.

Plus, anyone who logs in during the celebratory week will be rewarded with a special gift box that contains 5 days of Premium, the German Pz. III A and a collection of rare boosters. To top off the event, on the special day, June 26, players will get x5 experience for their first win with each tank!

Sound BlasterX H6 USB Headset Review

2019/03/18
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Creative Labs has released its Sound BlasterX H6 headset with 7.1 virtual surround sound. Connecting to your computer by way of a USB 2.0 cable, the Sound BlasterX H6 headset features good comfort, sound quality, and believable virtual surround sound channel separation.

The design of the Creative Labs Sound BlasterX H6 headset is strong and durable, yet classy. Its sleek lines would fit right in whether being used at an e-sports tournament or just listening to music in your dorm. The controls are mainly located on the left ear cup. You have the volume dial, mic on/off button, and ambient noise button next to one another on the back side. On the front of the ear cup, there’s an EQ profile button that you can use to cycle through some of the game, movie, and music settings. The best thing about this is that the equalizer presets are all usable without installing any software on your computer (and are usable on the consoles too because of it).

While the Sound BlasterX H6 was meant to connect by way of USB cable on the PC and PlayStation 4 platforms, it does come with a 3.5mm jack as well in case you want to use it on your Xbox One or Nintendo Switch. This versatility is welcome and adds a great deal of value to the headset.

In terms of comfort and overall “wearability”, the Sound BlasterX H6 headset features a comfortable padded headband that doesn’t squeeze your head in a negative way – even after a couple hours of gaming fun. Also, its foam ear cups are some of the most comfortable I’ve worn and didn’t get sweaty or cause any pressure points. Also, the foam ear cups are easily removable for cleaning, in case you are into cleaning your ear cups.

[mks_col]

[mks_one_half]
Audio Processing

  • BlasterX Acoustic Engine

Audio Drivers

  • 50mm FullSpectrum

Headset Frequency Response

  • 20Hz ~ 20kHz

Audio Technologies

  • Scout Mode

[/mks_one_half]
[mks_one_half]
Interface

  • USB, 3.5mm Stereo Input

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows® 7, Windows® 8, Windows® Vista, Windows® 8.1, Mac OS X v10.8 and above, Windows® 10

Interface

  • USB, 3.5mm Stereo Input

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows® 7, Windows® 8, Windows® Vista, Windows® 8.1, Mac OS X v10.8 and above, Windows® 10

[/mks_one_half]

[/mks_col]

Communicating with your teammates is smooth as silk thanks to the Sound BlasterX H6’s noise canceling microphone. In my play sessions, my teammates had no trouble understanding me even when things got loud in my gaming office. Additionally, the Creative Labs Sound BlasterX H6 boasts a technology called “Ambient Monitoring”. Ambient Monitoring lets you to listen to your surroundings while keeping the headset on (this does not let your teammates hear the ambient noise, just you).

The Creative Labs Sound BlasterX H6 is out now and retails for $79.99.

Mondo Announces Disney Licensed Products

2019/02/07
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News

Austin, TX – December 7, 2019 – Mondo is thrilled to announce their official license from Disney, with plans to create new products across apparel, collectibles, games, and more. To kick things off, Mondo is excited to unveil their first collectible pins for Mickey Mouse as well as new tiki mugs featuring Sorcerer Mickey from Disney’s Fantasia and Ducktails’ Scrooge McDuck.

“Imagination is often associated with Disney, and rightfully so. Through their films, animated classics, and characters, Disney’s pantheon has inspired generations, old and young, to dream big. For us here at Mondo, it’s no different. We’ve all had our imagination stirred by Disney in one form or another in the work we do- whether it’s to design better, dig deeper for inspiration, or just add more heart. With this in mind, we couldn’t be more proud of what we’re bringing to both Disney and Mondo fans alike. From our pins and tiki mugs, as well as other fun items down the line, we’re taking our queue from Walt himself- ‘If you can dream it, you can do it,” said Mondo Creative Director for Toys/Collectibles Brock Otterbacher.

Disney Pins

Mondo is proud to present an artistic line of Disney enamel pins as part of an ongoing series. There’s no better way to celebrate this exciting assemblage of collectible enamel pins than with the beloved and historical True Original icon, Mickey Mouse.

Seasoned veteran Tom Whalen and design powerhouse DKNG Studios offer up their treatments of Sorcerer Mickey and the classic Mickey, respectively. Each month collectors can expect brand new pin designs encompassing the wide range of Disney’s film and television legacy from vaulted treasures to modern classics.

Disney Tee-ki Mugs

Mondo have re-envisioned an impressive lineup of the most recognizable Disney icons as tiki mugs, and they couldn’t be more ecstatic to take on some of the biggest yet, starting with Mickey Mouse. As seen in the 1940 classic Disney’s Fantasia, Sorcerer Mickey will be the first in their line of Mondo Tee-ki mugs based on various Disney animated and live action gems.

Next will be Scrooge McDuck, who even in mug form is never far from his Money Bin, followed by mugs from Disney’s The Lion King, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and many, many more! Now’s your chance to drink up the magic of Disney!

Visit the Mondo official site & social handles for more information:
Website: MondoTees.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/MondoNews
Facebook: Facebook.com/MondoTees
Instagram: Instagram.com/MondoNews

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Tyranids Launch Trailer

2019/01/15
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

January 15, 2018 – You can’t live on bread alone. Warhammer 40K is a dark universe, but even in such a deadly place, there is one faction of a darker shade of black. The Tyranids are equally feared and hated by all other Warhammer 40K races, and they are ready to unleash their greedy snatch on Gladius. Taken on the planet by the Adeptus Mechanicus for obscure experiments, they soon evade from captivity and turn back to their natural role of merciless killers who will soon eat the planet.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius is a 4X strategy game, but Tyranids change every rule. Their most important resource is the planet biomass: they eat everything, from Orks to humans, their cities and their military equipment, to grow stronger as they devour their enemies wasted corpses. If you want to know more about their unique tactics and abilities, check out this feature.

Knott’s Unveils PEANUTS Celebration 2019

2019/01/03
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News

Buena Park, Calif. – Knott’s Berry Farm is starting 2019 with two additional weekends of the Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, an event uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS Gang. Knott’s invites guests to step into the iconic world of Charles M. Schulz comic strips as the characters take over the entire theme park with special activities for everyone to enjoy. The newly-extended celebration will take place on weekends beginning January 26th through March 10th plus President’s day, February 18th. The limited time event will welcome fans of all ages to join in on the fun by introducing new ways for guests to play and interact with the PEANUTS Gang throughout the park. The celebration includes interactive character experiences, new festive PEANUTS inspired décor, more vibrant comic strip photo opportunities, live shows, festive merchandise, and deliciously themed-treats.

The celebration will have plenty of surprises hidden around every corner. One-of-a-kind photo opportunities will be available throughout the park allowing guests to step inside a PEANUTS comic strip for a unique and shareable memory. The vibrant décor will include full-size comic strip props like Charlie Brown’s kites and his renowned thought bubbles which will adorn the park’s pathways. Guests will have the chance to meet with the beloved PEANUTS characters throughout the day as the characters appear at unexpected locations for personal interactions.

Camp Snoopy Theater will debut the all-new Space Beagle show featuring Charlie Brown and Lucy, as the world’s famous beagle becomes the first dog on the moon. It’s out of this world fun for the whole family. Also in Camp Snoopy, the Grand Sierra Railroad invites kids to celebrate with the PEANUTS Gang as they head to the Beagle Bonanza in this fun ride overlay.

The PEANUTS inspired festivities will continue at the Bird Cage Theatre as the park offers an experience that gives both the young and the young at heart a lesson on how to draw their favorite PEANUTS characters. The PEANUTS Sketch School will include our resident art teacher who will provide step by step instructions on how to draw the perfect PEANUTS masterpiece.

Franklin and Linus are on a Western escapade as they transform into cowboys in the PEANUTS Cowboy Jamboree at Calico Park. The boys are looking to challenge guests with some of the rootiniest, tootinest games in Calico. Also in Ghost Town, everyone’s favorite messy pal, Pig Pen will be joining the rest of the PEANUTS Gang as he hosts a special meetup at the Livery Stables with some of his favorite animal friends. The celebration will also add a brand new overlay to one of the park’s tallest attractions. Sky Cabin will be donning a festive overlay as an homage to the smallest member of the PEANUTS Gang, by transforming into Woodstock’s Bird’s-Eye View. Guests will be seated on Woodstock’s nest as the loveable yellow bird takes those aboard on a breathtaking journey above the entire PEANUTS Celebration.

The celebration continues at the Calico Mine Stage where the PEANUTS characters have two musical surprises for guests. During the day Sally and Schroder will host a retrospect of music in The Music Goes Round and Round where they’ll have the audience dancing in the aisles. At nightfall, the stage will transform into a musical extravaganza as the park hosts Woodstock’s Musical Festival. The musical event will feature the Peanuts Gang joined by the family-friendly indie band The Jelly of the Month Club, performing a high energy rock concert for the whole family. While visiting Fiesta Village guests can uncover an experience that is guaranteed to make everyone dance with the park’s first ever, Discoteca de Silencio or also known as a silent disco. The fun begins with guests strapping on a set of headphones and enjoying some upbeat tunes. The party will be hosted by Snoopy’s brother Spike. It’s the most fun guests can experience while being quiet.

The best way to enjoy every weekend of the all-new Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration and all of the other Seasons of Fun is with a 2019 Season Pass. A Regular Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2019 to Knott’s Berry Farm with no blackout dates, and a Gold Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2019 to both Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Soak City Waterpark with no blackout dates. Regular passes are just $98 or five easy payments of $15.50 after an initial payment and Gold Passes are $118 or five easy payments of just $18.50 after an initial payment. These offers end April 28, 2019. Applicable taxes and fees apply. Payment plans are only available at knotts.com.

For more information about Knott’s Berry Farm please visit knotts.com or download the Knott’s Berry Farm app for your smart phone. For all current Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration assets please visit the event’s electronic press kit. Join the conversation using the hashtag #KnottsPeanutsCelebration

Six Flags Great Adventure Holiday in the Park Review

2018/11/29
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews

From our dear friends and correspondents in New Jersey, here is one family’s thoughts on Six Flags Great Adventure’s Holiday in the Park event!

Dad: We had a blast at Six Flags Holiday in the Park at Great Adventure in New Jersey. This was the first year we were able to attend (and the first time going there for the kiddos), and I would highly recommend it as it’s the perfect time to visit provided you can handle the cold. They do a great job decorating the park with lights and holiday themed items, and because there is a little chill in the air, it isn’t nearly as crowded as the summer and fall.

We dressed in layers and it ended up being about 40 degrees the day we attended. We split our time on outdoor and indoor activities, stopping by some of the fire pits to warm up when needed. There were barely any lines for the rides and coasters, the longest we waited was about 10 minutes for the Ferris wheel. Everything else was just walk up and ride, including all the coasters – many allowing you to just stay on if you wanted to go again (yeah Joker!). It is worth noting that they do have the frontier section closed off, but the rest if all up and running with the exception of a few rides (listed on their site).

They have the holiday feast available to go along with the theme, and everything from the turkey to the mashed potatoes and stuffing and hot chocolate was a treat. The shows were okay, and a nice break if you wanted to get out of the cold. As a family, we loved it, and it is now our preferred time to visit the park since there aren’t major crowds to contend with, the rides are easily accessible with little to no wait and it’s decked out so nicely.

Son (8 years old): Here are some family friendly things to do in the park. Sit near a campfire, go to Wonder (show), do the mirror maze, go on the Ferris wheel, and go on Dark Knight. Some of the park is closed but there not long lines. Next to Poinsettia Peak is where they have all different foods. You get a main meal plus two sides. If you go on The Joker make sure your shoes are on tight. If you go on Justice League, it might have technical difficulties because when my family and I rode on it, it broke (for 5 minutes).

Daughter (11 years old): I absolutely love Six Flags Holiday In The Park. I loved all the decorations, they go all out. There is a huge Christmas Tree to greet you when you walk in. Also there are lights strung everywhere. There are huge ornaments and snowmen too!! From the Ferris wheel you could see all of the lights, it was so pretty especially at night. I loved the Cirque show because there were a variety of amazing acts like a juggler and trampoline artists. The food was so good and so was the hot chocolate. Finally, all the rides were super awesome especially the 4D Justice League ride. I hope you are going because it is so fun.

Corsair HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset Review

2018/11/15
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Recently, we got the chance to check out Corsair’s new HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset for review. In the past, we have looked at a wide variety of wireless headphones, so we were excited to see what Corsair was bringing to the table this time around.

In terms of design, the Corsair HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset looks very similar to other headphone offerings from the company. In fact, we got the chance to review its little brother, the HS60 wired surround sound headset, back in February. The Corsair HS70 features metal construction for durability as well as two memory foam cushions in the ear cups for comfort. The headband was also built for comfort, as it sports a softer padded material that will help avoid those nasty sore sports after several hours of use. On the back of the right ear cup, you’ll find the power button while on the left ear cup, you’ll discover the charging port, mute button, and volume control wheel.

Its microphone has been “Discord Certified” and I have no complaints about its quality. According to people on the other end of my chat, I sounded loud, crisp, and clear. The microphone boom is flexible as well as detachable, which is always a terrific feature to keep it from getting in the way when you are playing something that doesn’t require its use. You’ll probably make a lot of use of this feature as, when the microphone boom is connected, it doesn’t flex out of the way very much.

Its wireless signal is of the 2.4GHz variety, and has a terrific range. In fact, I was able to walk about my entire house and never lost my connection or audio. Its rated at 16 hours of battery life and, while I did not check an exact measurements, have no reason to doubt it. The Corsair HS70 easily lasted through my entire computing day.

The Corsair HS70’s 7.1 virtual surround sound is provided by Corsair’s proprietary control suite, CUE, and can be downloaded for free on their official website. The control suite is used by most, if not all, of their peripherals these days and provides a one stop shop for controlling your tech. The virtual surround is believable and I have no complaints about its function or performance. The HS70 does feature two 50mm Neodymium drivers – one in each ear cup that provides a decent amount of bass as well as high end sound. I was definitely impressed at its performance given its price point. The CUE software will also allow you to adjust the HS70’s equalizer levels, and features some presets for those not pedantic about their sound.

For the design/style conscious, the Corsair HS70 is available in three color varieties: Carbon, White, and SE. The SE variant features black and cream colored accents but all three look nice for a gaming headset. Also, the SE variant does not cost anymore than the Carbon or White models.

Overall, the Corsair HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset is a terrific audio option at about $100 dollars – in fact, it’s one of the best audio options at that price point. The Corsair HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset is available now at various online retailers – including Corsair’s official website.

Anna and the Apocalypse Official Trailer

2018/09/06
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

September 6, 2018 – There’s no such thing as a Hollywood ending in the official trailer and new stills from Orion Pictures’ ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE. When a zombie apocalypse descends upon their small town during Christmas, it’s up to Anna (Ella Hunt) and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to safety. Don’t miss this year’s biggest zombie holiday musical in select theaters November 30th, expanding nationwide December 7th!

Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town Alive 2018

2018/06/17
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos

On Sunday June 10th, we had the pleasure of attending the media event at Knotts Berry Farm for their 2nd annual Ghost Town Alive! This event sees the park’s Ghost Town filled with actors playing various themed characters as well as having tons of interaction with park guests. The main premise of Ghost Town Alive is that the Western town is celebrating its “Founders Day” and having a grand ol’ time of it. However, there is a bandit on the loose named Arkansas Jones who is looking to spoil the fun by bringing plenty of chaos. The town sheriff and deputies are on the look out for Jones, so keep a sharp eye out as you never know where he will pop up.

The actors did their best to stay in character and all seemed well-versed in their backstory and purpose for being there. They all played off each other very well. It all flowed smoothly, down to their dialect. It felt like you were in the Wild West and the kids we witnessed speaking to the various characters were having a terrific time.

I really liked how the town would release newspapers throughout the day, chronicling the events that are unfolding right in front of you. These newspapers also made for fun little souvenirs that guests could keep to commemorate their visit.

So many things happen throughout the day…. We visited the Post Office and were treated to some education as the postmaster taught us how to spell out our names using Morse code! We were subsequently interrupted by a shootout in front of the Sheriff’s office, which was a lot of fun to see. We also enjoyed watching all the guests running around Ghost Town delivering messages and packages to the various storefronts to get the next clues in their various quests. Guests would be tasked with a variety of things: Retrieving objects from other characters, exchanging things for gold at the assayer’s office, witnessing various events then reporting them to someone – just a lot of interesting things to do. It kind of reminded me of a big MMORPG.

Thankfully, on the day we attended, crowds were on the lighter side so we were able to get in the Ghost Town Grille without a wait. This might pick up more as the season goes on, so be sure to get your tickets early. Also, if you are attending this event, I would make sure you stop by the new Beach Blanket Beagle stage show. It’s a fun show at the Charles M. Shulz theatre also acts as an entertaining way for guests to escape the Southern California weather and enjoy the air conditioning.

Ghost Town Alive goes on at Knott’s Berry Farm now through September 3, 2018 on the following schedule:

  • May 26 – August 19 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
  • August 24 – August 26 (Fri, Sat, Sun)
  • August 31 – September 3 (Mon, Fri, Sat, Sun)

Photo Gallery

Porsche Legends Pack for Project CARS 2 Launch Trailer

2018/03/06
Jennifer Paxton
Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

March 6, 2018 – Slightly Mad Studios and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. are excited to announce the official launch of the second expansion pack for Project CARS 2, the Porsche Legends Pack, available now as standalone purchase, or as part of the Season Pass, in the Americas for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs via STEAM.

Experience Porsche’s 70th anniversary with this fully-loaded pack and immerse yourself in a content-rich landscape of thrills, sounds, and pure racing history. Strap yourself in for an enduring journey by racing nine Porsche cars around Porsche’s very own race-track―the FIA-certified ‘Porsche On-road Circuit Leipzig’―a first for any racing simulation game.

These nine Porsches represent 70 years of Porsche’s fastest road- and race-cars. From the “Le Mans” 917K through to the ‘Turbo Panzer’ Porsche 917/10: From the whale-tail ‘Moby Dick’ 935/78 to the 911 Carrera RSR 2.8, whose beauty was matched only by its peerless performance in European GT racing: From the twin-turbo all-wheel drive technological marvel Porsche 959 S to the F1-derived V10-powered 2004 Carrera GT that terrified a generation of enthusiasts, all the way through to Porsche’s current GT warrior, the 2017 Porsche 911 RSR, the Porsche Legends Pack will excite with the fastest, wildest, scariest and loudest Porsche cars in history.

Along with the nine cars and Porsche’s race-track come new Porsche-centric Career events, all designed to bring the spirit of the cars alive in enduring settings where once they were legends, and 11 bespoke eSport liveries.

This second expansion pack for Project CARS 2, rich in pedigree and racing thrills, gives Project CARS 2 Season Pass holders a glimpse into future expansion packs that will include the much-anticipated Spirit of Le Mans, and the Ferrari-themed Expansion Pack 4, both due in 2018.

The Project CARS 2 ‘Porsche Legends Pack’: DLC Content Breakdown:

CARS (9)
– 1971 Porsche 908/03 Spyder
– 1971 Porsche 917K
– 1972 Porsche 917/10
– 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8
– 1978 Porsche 935/78
– 1981 Porsche 935/78-81
– 1987 Porsche 959 S
– 2004 Porsche Carrera GT
– 2017 Porsche 911 RSR

TRACKS (1)
Porsche On-road Circuit Leipzig

ESPORTS LIVERIES FROM THE FOLLOWING FOUR SUPPLIERS (11)
– VP-Gaming.de
– ESPORTS+CARS
– Oscaro eSports by SDL
– Euronics Gaming

CAREER EVENTS (5)
– Carrera Showdown
– California Dream Event
– 2.4 Hours of Nurburg
– Vintage Forest Run
– Icons On Show