Syber announce three new Vapor Mini-PC models as a PC console line
CES 2015 - CyberPowerPC's new brand-offshoot is named Syber and they've just announced their new range of Windows-Based PC gaming consoles, set function in Steam's Big Picture mode and through a Windows 8.1 OS.
Soon-to-be-released Steam machines will run SteamOS, based on the Ubuntu Linux platform produced by Valve themselves - enabling gamers to play games only with Linux support and downloaded directly through SteamOS. Syber have set out to jump the gun, releasing their Steambox system before their competition by adding Windows 8.1 into the mix and launching games in Steam's Big Picture Mode.
What is the point of these products? Eric Cheung, CyberPowerPC's CEO commented in their latest press release, "for gamers who want to break out of the bedroom and into the comfort of the living room, the Syber Vapor PC gaming console series offers the best performance at an affordable price," followed by a statement from their VP of Product, Eddie Vong, who commented "we created the Syber Vapor PC gaming console to give gamers more power and more customization than the standard video game consoles like Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox."
Continue reading: Syber announce three new Vapor Mini-PC models as a PC console line (full post)
Patriot want to increase your iPhone 6 battery life with the FUEL iON
In this day-and-age, almost everyone will run out of juice before the day's end. Facebook notifications, Instagram updates, Messenger going off 24/7, Google Maps running and a myriad of quirky games to keep you satisfied all amount to the demise of your much-hated battery bar located at the top of any smart-device. When you've finally reached a USB port and you're exhausted from all the walking you've done around the shopping center, you thrust your charging cable in, only to find you've done it awkwardly and now broken your phones charging port and the expensive $30 Apple officially licensed cable.
"And my axe!" announces Patriot, rushing to your aide - given you own an iPhone 6. They've just announced the release of their new FUEL iON case for Apple's latest smartphone. In the past, this case supported only Apple's iPhone 5 and a range of Android offerings - the iPhone 6 compatible model is the only new part of this offering.
So what makes Patriot's product so special? Their press release states: "setting themselves apart from other competing charging technologies, Patriot has developed a way to conductivity charge a smartphone using neodymium magnets. The incredibly strong magnetic pad on both the FUEL iON phone cases and the charging bases create a direct connection between the two devices and snaps the phone into place; this allows for charging that is comparable to directly plugging into a wall outlet."
Continue reading: Patriot want to increase your iPhone 6 battery life with the FUEL iON (full post)
Thermaltake's LUXA2 launches power banks, audio and holder accessories
CES 2015 - LUXA2 is a sub-brand of the well-known case, cooler and power supply company Thermaltake. They're all about releasing highly-priced, high-quality mobile accessories and are often seen going the extra mile to offer users extra nice touches with their products like leather exteriors, plush carry bags and sleek finishes. We've rated their audio devices highly in the past, can they keep up the good work?
The new products on offer here are their 5,000 and 10,000 mAh EnerG Slim power banks, the Groovy Duo Live Wireless Speakers and the Clip Series Universal Car Mount Holder. I've had some personal experience with pre-release editions of the Groovy Duo wireless and its been quite promising - I'm interested to see what the final product can bring to the table. This speaker uses Bluetooth technology to connect your phone to one speaker, then push it from this to another satellite speaker - which can be placed a few meters away. This means that if you're taking it traveling, you can set up your sound experience as you see fit, allowing for a better experience.
LUXA2 are also pushing the wireless charging game strongly, providing their TX-100 ultra slim portable wireless charging pad to the public. This product uses NFC technology to charge your phone without the need for any messy cable connections. Unfortunately for some devices (like my Samsung Galaxy S4), NFC charging is very up and down - sometimes not working for no real reason. Maybe LUXA2 has fixed these issues, we will have to wait and see.
Continue reading: Thermaltake's LUXA2 launches power banks, audio and holder accessories (full post)
OWC releases their Aura SSD upgrade and Thunderbolt 2 dock
CES 2015 - Other World Computing (OWC) has just announced the release of their Aura SSD upgrade for any 2013 Mac Pro and a self-made OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock system.
As one of the very few companies offering upgrades, advanced technology and support for Apple products, OWC's Aura SSD upgrade has been custom-engineered to deliver consumers a much higher capacity and performance than seen with the production release models. Available in 1TB and 2TB packages, expect the 1TB to set you back $899 and its big brother will cost you a whopping $1479.
It's certainly not cheap, but that's what you get when you go down the Apple Mac route - so you should expect it by now. These kits come with all tools needed for a DIY upgrade, with a step-by-step installation video provided alongside U.S-based 24/7 technical support. If you are to compare this price to a general PC offering, you can expect a 1TB SSD to set you back around $470 when purchased through Amazon.
Continue reading: OWC releases their Aura SSD upgrade and Thunderbolt 2 dock (full post)
The Livescribe 3 Smartpen is coming to Android
CES 2015 - Smartphone, smartwatch, smartring, smartpen - everything is smart these days. Giving users the ability to share, store and create information like never before. Smartpen manufacturer Livescribe inc. has just announced they will be supporting Android OS as of this Autumn, using their new Livescribe 3 product as the launching platform.
The Livescribe+ app was designed with Android in mind, supporting Android KitKat 4.4 and above and Bluetooth Low Energy capable devices. Gilles Bouchard, Livescribe's CEO, explained in their recent press release about the partnerships and lead-up to this release, stating that "since launch, we've been adding new features to Livescribe+ for iOS and also introducing expanded functionality through partnerships with Moleskine, Evernote, Microsoft and Fluid Touch. Now we can start to bring those innovations to Android devices this spring and combine the physical world of pen and paper with Android smartphones and tablets."
The Android edition will feature the key points included within the iOS version of this app, including handy features such as the ability to transfer notes from Livescribe 3 pens and search your handwriting and convert it to digital text.
Continue reading: The Livescribe 3 Smartpen is coming to Android (full post)
OWC announce updates to their Mercury Helios PCIe Thunderbolt chassis
OWC's Mercury Helios PCIe Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis has been released for some time now, however to ensure they keep up with the latest in technology, an updated Thunderbolt 2 capable chassis has been released.
Thanks to this advancement, a 20 Gb/s throughput can be handled, doubling on the old 10Gb/s available with the original Thunderbolt offering. This expansion chassis is described by OWC as "the ideal solution for using half-length professional-level PCIe 2.0 cards with Apple's entire line of Thunderbolt enabled Macs that do not have PCIe slots due to size or design limitations" as according to their newly issued press release.
Coming in at a price of $299.00, the full list of features reads:
Continue reading: OWC announce updates to their Mercury Helios PCIe Thunderbolt chassis (full post)
Patriot extend their UHS-II EP PRO-II SDXC Card series
Being one of the few companies to support UHS-II capable devices, Patriot have expanded their line of flash storage cards, adding a new range of storage solutions to their series ranging from 16GB to 64GB.
Featuring a read speed of up to 270 MB/s and a write speed of up to 250 MB/s, these cards can record video in 4K UHD and capture photos instantly on any supportive device, meaning it's suitable for both professional and amateur users.
Patriot's Flash product Manager, Meng Jay Choo, explained the use for this new technology in Patriots recent press release, stating "the new EP PRO-II SDXC is the latest, highest-performing SD card available today, meeting the new SD 4.0 specifications and a growing demand for higher performance with faster speeds."
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'Star Wars' Episodes I, II & III 3D versions see once-off presentation
Back in 2010, Lucasfilm announced that the entire 'Star Wars' saga was being converted to 3D for theatrical re-release, but after the reasonably successful release of 'The Phantom Menace', Walt Disney put a halt to the plans in order to focus audience hunger on 'The Force Awakens'. Despite that, Lucasfilm and ILM continued the conversion efforts on both prequel sequels 'Attack of the Clones' and 'Revenge of the Sith' and shelved them for a later re-release.
Now, the official 'Star Wars' site has announced that all three 3D films, along with 2D versions of the original trilogy will be presented at the next 'Star Wars' celebration in Anaheim, California in April this year.
Whilst Disney have not yet announced a wider theatrical or Blu-ray release, I'd be willing to bet these will come in advance of the release of 'The Force Awakens' in December.
Continue reading: 'Star Wars' Episodes I, II & III 3D versions see once-off presentation (full post)
Samsung unveils its new SUHD TV, the next-generation of its 4K TVs
CES 2015 - One of the things I was looking forward to seeing Samsung unveil at CES 2015 this year were 4K TVs, and I was not disappointed at all. The company unveiled its super impressive new SUHD range of 4K TVs, which look and perform delicious from what we saw.
The new SUHD TVs use 'nano-crystal semiconductor' technology, which provide the "highest color purity and light efficiency" according to Samsung.
The company was also comparing Ridley Scott's still fresh Exodus: Gods and Kings movie. With the original colors and detail on the right on Samsung's previous generation 4K TV, and on the right, the new SUHD panel. There wasn't much we could see, but up close on the horse there were improved detail, and the colors of the wave were definitely more vibrant.
Continue reading: Samsung unveils its new SUHD TV, the next-generation of its 4K TVs (full post)
Sony tease their new Walkman - the ZX2
CES 2015 - Featuring a sleek matte black finish, the Sony Walkman ZX2 is a very real and very cool looking device. Said to be developed with audiophiles in mind, this new offering has been quoted by Sony themselves as "the fruit of continuous refinement in high audio quality technologies."
Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean from 2012, this product can actually support apps downloaded from Google Play - although this isn't its original purpose, so don't expect it to run them like any latest phone release would. As we explained earlier, Sony have developed this device for those who are lovers of sound, supporting a wide range of files including DSD, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, Apple Lossless and more.
The ZX2 also includes support for Bluetooth streaming and NFC, enabling various connections to work with ease. If you stop and think for a second, Sony has actually beaten Apple in the NFC race through an 'MP3 player' type device - that's a little sad, isn't it?
Continue reading: Sony tease their new Walkman - the ZX2 (full post)