Archive

Let’s Play Call of Juarez Gunslinger Episode 2 parts 1 and 2 (PC Version)

Andrew Edney

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May 26, 2013

Call of Juarez Gunslinger is out now and here is Episode 2 of our Let’s Play series. All footage was captured from the PC version on a near final build.

From the dust of a gold mine to the dirt of a saloon, Call of Juarez Gunslinger is a real homage to the Wild West tales and era. Players will live the epic journey of Silas Greaves, a ruthless bounty hunter who spent his life on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws. Now it is Silas’ time to tell his story, which is linked to the history of the Wild West era: a mix of myths and historical facts.

Made of memorable encounters with some of the West’s most notorious names such as Pat Garret, Jesse James and Butch Cassidy, the game blurs the lines between man and myth. Call of Juarez Gunslinger lets players live the greatest legends of the Old West.

Here is Episode 2 – part 1:

Here is Episode 2 – part 2:

You can also check out our complete Let’s Play Call of Juarez video series here.

So what do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The Winners of our Raspberry Pi For Dummies book contest

Andrew Edney

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May 26, 2013

0

For anyone who’s new to the Raspberry Pi and not sure how or where to begin, Raspberry Pi For Dummies is the ideal companion and here are the two winners from our contest.

The Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized computer that, when plugged into a screen and a keyboard, can do many of the things that a desktop PC does, and a whole lot more too. With the Raspberry Pi, you’re free to experiment by connecting up electronics circuits, you can learn to program in Scratch and Python, learn to manage your programs and files with Linux, and build a low cost media centre. Raspberry Pi For Dummies contains everything the reader needs to know to get them up and running – from downloading and installing the Operating System and connecting to other devices, to discovering and installing great free software, and carrying out projects such as editing photos, managing budgets, creating web pages, programming games, and building your first electronics projects.

Although initially intended for schools to help improve computer science skills amongst students, the Raspberry Pi has also been adopted by techies and hobbyists – so much so that when first released, worldwide demand completely outstripped supply.

Written by veteran tech authors Sean McManus and Mike Cook, Raspberry Pi For Dummies will also appeal to those who want to teach programming, basic electronics and Linux Systems Admin skills, guiding beginners as they embrace this exciting new technology.

The two winners, selected at random, were:

George T. from Canada

George wanted to use his Pi to make a cheap Media Center device (this one was a very popular suggestion).

Julia from Coventry

Julia wanted to use her Pi to teach her son to program.

Congratulations guys, the books will be winging their way to you this week, and let us know how you get on with your suggestions.

Keep checking out CDW for more contests and thanks to our friends at Wiley for the books.

Syrian Electronic Army Hacks Sky Apps on Android

Chris Hare

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May 26, 2013

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Syrian Electronic Army Hacks Sky Apps on Android

Sky’s Android apps have been hacked into and replaced by the Syrian Electronic Army. The anonymous group revealed that they had targeted the apps by posting their logo and the words “Syrian Electronic Army was here” in the description box on each app’s page on Google Play.

The Sky Help Team warned users on Sunday (May 26) at 1.25am BST to take precautions if they had downloaded the Sky Go, Sky+, Sky WiFi, Sky News, Sky Sports Football or Sky Sports News apps for Android.

They tweeted: “All Sky’s Android apps were hacked and replaced… please uninstall it, And we will let you know when it will be available.”

Halo Bootcamp Comfirmed by Microsoft

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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May 26, 2013

0

Halo Bootcamp has been confirmed by Microsoft. A listing for Halo Bootcamp was recently discovered on the Korean ratings board.

The listing, which was spotted by Gamefront, refers to Bootcamp as an online third-person shooter for the PC.

Confirming its authenticity, a Microsoft spokesperson said that the mystery title was not part of the current Halo trilogy or an Xbox One project.

“What’s Bootcamp? It is not related to our Xbox One efforts, or the Reclaimer Saga, but rather a project we’re very enthusiastic about and will have more to say about in the near future,” the Microsoft spokesperson explained.

Microsoft announced a new live-action television show based on the Halo series during this week’s Xbox One unveiling.

The programme will be overseen by Halo 4 developer 343 Industries, with Steven Spielberg as the executive producer.

Lacie 5big NAS Pro Review Part Three: UPnP and Media Streaming

Storage & NAS

Jim McCarthy

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May 25, 2013

2

In Part Three of our Lacie 5big NAS Pro review, we look at media streaming capabilities. Read on for details!

In Part Three of our Lacie 5big NAS Pro review, we look at media streaming capabilities. One of the core requirements that I have for NAS units is seamless management of media for streaming to a variety of devices. Let’s see how the 5big NAS Pro does!

In Part One, I looked at general setup and installation.

In Part Two, I looked at Remote Access and Wuala installation.

Apology for the Delay

This review series has been delayed by about a month and I apologize for that. I had to take a trip to Japan for work, and while I was gone, our basement flooded, meaning that I had to dismantle most of my test equipment until that was cleaned up. Now that we’re back up and running, I am back at this review series. Look for good stuff coming soon!

UPnP Streaming

Go ahead and log into your 5big NAS Pro dashboard. You’ll see this:

Now onto UPnP/DLAN. Click Application Services.

Select the Pencil icon for UPnP/DLNA.

Synology Officially Releases the Latest Surveillance Station

Storage & NAS

Jim McCarthy

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May 25, 2013

0

Synology Officially Releases the Latest Surveillance Station

The latest version of Surveillance Station is now out of beta in official release. Read on for details!

The latest version of Surveillance Station is now out of beta in official release. Here are the differences between the beta and final release:

Central Management System (CMS) has been redesigned for large-scale and high level enterprise surveillance projects:

A Synology NVR can act as a “CMS host,” providing a single entry point to manage your entire surveillance system.

Multiple Synology NVR can be designated as “Recording servers” to provide recording storage and resources for IP camera installation.

The camera list can now be quickly filtered by different criteria such as server, camera group, brand, model and more.

Recordings can now be filtered by server, camera, start time and more.

Customised CMS access privileges can be assigned to different users and groups.

Notifications can be managed on the CMS host to provide a CMS level notification centre.

Camera licenses on all recording servers are centralised on the CMS host to simplify management.

Logs from recordings servers are centralized on the CMS host to offer easy access and smart filtering.

Advanced filtering options are now available throughout the CMS user interface, offering a quick and unified search experience.

Tunnelling is now available to stream MPEG4, H264 via RTSP over HTTP.

Digital zoom is now available when live view is paused.

Image quality has been improved when adjusting digital zoom in/out.

Live view performance has been improved.

Notifications can now be sent to VS240HD.

76 new camera models have been added from Axis, ACTi, D-Link, and Edimax, and now supports 1478 camera models in total. Please refer to here for the complete list.

Other minor bug fixes.

And the full press release:

Synology officially release the latest Surveillance Station

More flexibility and interoperability

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom – 23^rd May 2013 – Synology UK Ltd today released the latest edition of their surveillance package: Surveillance Station. The Central Management System (CMS) will be deployed to provide scalable and convenient administration for massive projects.

“This version has been released after 50 days of beta period; it has generated a lot of enthusiasm from our users. Almost 20000 downloads have been recorded. This has helped us to fine-tune our Surveillance Station in order to meet our user’s high standards.” declared Vic Hsu, CEO of Synology Inc.

Watching over a building, a mall, a train station etc. requires a tremendous amount of cameras and recording servers. It’s critical for IT managers to have a reliable, scalable and unified point of control for their architecture. CMS has been designed to specifically answer those needs.

Watching live feeds and playback recordings, intelligent video analysis, user’s privileges, cameras settings and licenses, notifications, e-maps: everything is centralised within the CMS host for efficient management. This unified administration brings many benefits. For instance, cameras can be filtered out by different criteria, offering a quick search experience. They can also be moved seamlessly from server to server.

This latest version of Surveillance Station will be compatible with cloud cameras and other IP cameras. Thanks to the newly acquired ONVIF Profile S certification, a broader range of devices can interoperate with Surveillance Station. The Mobotix MxPEG codec, which enables high quality recording while using less computing power, is also now supported. The compatibility list of Surveillance Station has been extended and now includes over 1,400 IP cameras from 58 brands.

Please check http://www.synology.com/surveillance/index.php?lang=uk for more details.

Availability

Surveillance Station is free to download. It is now available in the Package Centre for DiskStation Manager. Supported models are:

13-series: DS213j, DS213+, DS413, DS213, DS413j, DS213air, DS2413+, DS1513+, DS713+, RS10613xs+, RS3413xs+

12-series: DS712+, DS212, DS212+, DS212j, RS212, RS812, DS1512+, DS1812+, DS3612xs, RS3412xs, RS3412RPxs, DS112j, DS112, DS412+, RS812+, RS812RP+, RS2212+, RS2212RP+, DS112+

11-series: RS3411xs, RS3411RPxs, RS2211+, RS2211RP+, RS411, DS3611xs, DS2411+, DS1511+, DS411+II, DS411+, DS411, DS411j, DS411slim, DS211+, DS211, DS211j, DS111

10-series: RS810+, RS810RP+, DS1010+, DS410, DS410j, DS710+, DS210+, DS210j, DS110+, DS110j

9-series: RS409+, RS409RP+, RS409, DS509+, DS409+, DS409, DS209+II, DS209+, DS209, DS209j, DS109+, DS109, DS409slim

8-series: RS408, RS408RP, DS508, DS408

This looks like a nice, comprehensive release so you should check it out if you are running a Synology with Surveillance Station.

Wicked Audio Evac Headphones Review

Jim McCarthy

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May 25, 2013

0

Wicked Audio sent over a set of Evac on-ear headphones to review. The Evac is a low-priced on-ear option that folds for easy storage and sports a skater-inspired styling. Does it match up with other on-ear options that we’ve reviewed? Read on to find out!

Wicked Audio sent over a set of Evac on-ear headphones to review. The Evac is a low-priced on-ear option that folds for easy storage and sports a skater-inspired styling. Here is how Wicked describes the Evac.

Wicked Audio: Evac
Sleek headphones deliver impressive sound quality and distinguishing aesthetic appeal

Lustrous and comfortable headphones are designed with canvas material headband, soft ear cushions, and chic appearance

Equipped with enhanced bass, noise-isolation feature, and high fidelity sound, delivering top-notch quality

Braided cord, with built-in volume control, offers convenient and flexible operation

Collapsible design makes simple to tote around on-the-go

Available in 3 trendy color combinations: Black/White, Green/Black and White/Black

Available at: Select International Retailers
Price: $49.99
Website: www.wickedheadphones.com

Check out these product pictures:

This video shows how the brand views itself:

Now onto the review!

First Look and Unboxing of the Xtreamer JoyZ (Exclusive in English)

News
Phones

Chris Hare

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May 25, 2013

0

First Look and Unboxing of the Xtreamer JoyZ (Exclusive in English)

Have a First Look and Unboxing of the Xtreamer JoyZ, a android based phone measuring 4.7 inches with a 1280 by 720 display with a 312 ppi. (At this time the Jelly Bean Update has got a few problems, Xtreamer has taking the Jelly Bean Update down at the moment)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEK5RMVK69Y?feature=player_detailpage%5D

Many Thanks To MrRockTech for the Exclusive video of the New Phone from Xtreamer mobile

Xtreamer JoyZ 4,7″ Jelly Bean Smartphone
Samsung Exynos 4412 – 1.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
MALI-400 GPU
1GB Ram, 8GB Rom (part of Rom is required by the operating system)
MicroSD Slot, support for 32GB
Micro SIM

4.7″ HD screen
13 MegaPixel Camera with Flash, Frontcamera with 2 MegaPixel
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Micro USB
3,5mm Audio Jack
10-Point Capacitive touchscreen
Gorilla Glass 2
1280*720 pixel,

16,7M Colours,

312 ppi

Gyrometer, Lightsensor, E-Compass, Proximitysensor
Android Jelly Bean (4.1x)
XTREAMER DECK OS ROM (Rooted)
Google Play Store
Google Maps
Google Chrome Browser
2500 mAh high capacity battery
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Support 2G GSM: 850/900/1800/ 1900 MHz & 3G: 850/2100MHz band
HSDPS max 21 Mbps, HSUPA max 5,76 Mbps
GPS/AGPS
FM Radio
145g
136,8 x 71 x10,8 mm
SAR 0,51 W/KG

Multi-lingual Locale with RTL support: CHINESE, ENGLISH, VIETNAMESE, SPANISH, FRENCH, ITALIAN, HEBREW, DUTCH, PORTUGESE, DANISH, TURKISH, POLISH, KOREAN, RUSSIAN, GERMAN, SLOVENIAN, HUNGARIAN, GREEK, PERSIAN,Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Arabic
Xtreamer Joys (Black Colour)
Battery 2500mAh
Charger 110-230V / 5V 1A
USB Cable
Screen Protection Film
User Manual

Priced at €299 from Xtreamer Mobile

Exclusive first look preview of the Razer Atrox Fight Stick for the Xbox 360

Andrew Edney

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May 25, 2013

0

Yesterday at MCM 2013, we were treated to an exclusive first look preview of the new Atrox Fight Stick from Razer.

Here is how Razer describe the Atrox:

Arcade gaming has come a long way since its glory days age – an era woven into the fabric of gaming history as one that paved the way for innovation, and also one that brought us bittersweet nostalgia. Hours spent at the arcade honed the gamer in you; for every coin you inserted, every combo you executed, every hit you took, and every ultra you unleashed in return – you became a better player. And this is the approach we took when designing the Razer Atrox Arcade Stick.

Years upon years of collective gaming experience from pro-gamers and you, the Razer community, have culminated in the ultimate Arcade Stick for the Xbox 360. Engineered and refined to perfection through countless prototypes and an extensive beta testing phase, the Razer Atrox Arcade Stick is crafted to allow advanced modification – With internals and storage easily accessible at the touch of a button, the joystick, all 10 buttons and the top panel are fully interchangeable for full customizability. And that’s just the beginning.

Featuring genuine Sanwa Denshi hardware and an ergonomically authentic arcade layout, the Razer Atrox represents the pinnacle of precision and reliability and is the definitive Arcade Stick for tournament-grade gaming.

Forged from the fires of an arcade gaming legacy, the Razer Atrox is, in the most primeval sense, Bred to Fight.

And here is Darren Roberts from Razer to tell us more:

Here are some more pictures of the Atrox:

You can learn more about the Razer Atrox Fight Stick from their website.

Parrot Unveils Slow Motion Video of AR Drone 2.0 In Action

Jim McCarthy

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May 24, 2013

0

Parrot released a very interesting slow motion video of their AR Drone 2.0 quadricopter this week. “Filmed in slow motion with a high-speed Phantom Flex HD camera, this movie brings stunning images showing the robustness and power of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 as it faces the elements.” Does it ever! Read on for details!

Parrot released a very interesting slow motion video of their AR Drone 2.0 quadricopter this week. “Filmed in slow motion with a high-speed Phantom Flex HD camera, this movie brings stunning images showing the robustness and power of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 as it faces the elements.” Here is the press release:

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, ‘Built for the elements’

The movie

A blockbuster filmed in slow motion with a high-speed Phantom Flex HD camera.

‘Built for the elements’ is a non-standard movie filmed in slow motion – 1,200 frames per second – with a high speed Phantom Flex camera. A true technical challenge, it offers stunning images that feature the robustness and the power of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, definitely a one-of-a-kind quadricopter!

The film will premiere May 22 on www.youtube.com/ardrone.

The machine faced with the elements

Lighting in chiaroscuro, a black set whose boundaries aren’t visible… The scenery is arranged.

The singular shapes of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 appear in a halo of light…

Its engines pushed to their maximum, the quadricopter throws itself in a mad dash during which it has to brave the elements rising up in front of it, like water or fire…

The extreme slow-motion enabled by the high speed Phantom Flex camera reveal the magical and fascinating spectacle of the sturdiness of the machine, faced with the elements: the flames sucked up by the rotational motion of the propellers; droplets exploding on its blades…

The soundtrack, an astonishing blues rock version of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, highlights the beauty of the images and the power of the flying machine.

Freeze frame

To make such precise images, Parrot used, for the first time, a high-speed HD Phantom Flex camera.

By filming in 1,200 frames per second in 1920X1080 resolution, the camera captured every single detail of a movement, revealing all that was invisible until now.

With this camera, time seems to be suspended; the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 takes on another dimension.

Much more than a movie, ‘Built for the elements’ is a technical feat and a true cinematic experience.

Behind the scenes

Filmed in four days in a 500m² studio near Paris, this one-minute movie required more than four months of preparation!

Parrot surrounded itself with a team of 40 professionals (Parrot engineers, pilots, decorators, lighting engineer, special effects manager…) lead by Director Ben Elia, and Michel Benjamin, head cameraman who worked with noted French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

PS 4 advert in todays Metro newspaper

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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May 24, 2013

0

Sony have a full page advert in today’s Metro newspaper.

Thanks to Chris for spotting it!

Are you going to buy a PS 4? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Infinite Crisis: Shazam profile video released

Andrew Edney

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May 24, 2013

0

Get an extensive look at Shazam in a new Champion Profile video for Infinite Crisis that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released.

Gifted with the strength of ancient gods, Shazam wields amazing magical power to defend the weak. Shazam wants to be in the middle of the fight, disrupting and damaging the enemy team with his lightning, forcing them to deal with him before his more fragile allies.

Check out the new video below, along with the accompanying character bio and key art. Also, encourage your readers to

Here is his profile video:

What do you think of them? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Why not sign-up for the closed beta to be among the first to test you skills in the Infinite Crisis battle arena!

Got £125,000 to spend on a video game then buy GRID 2: Mono Edition

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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May 24, 2013

0

Got £125,000 to spend on a video game then buy GRID 2: Mono Edition

Today Codemasters announced that the world’s most expensive videogame – the GRID 2: Mono Edition – is available for pre-order with a price tag of £125,000. This exclusive edition of the game is available for just one customer and includes the highly-anticipated racing game GRID 2, a PlayStation 3 to play it on, a 170 m.p.h. BAC Mono supercar – sporting a GRID 2 livery – and full driver race wear.

The BAC Mono is a British manufactured, road-legal, ultra-high performance supercar which stars in the game. Created from high-strength carbon fibre, the BAC Mono is an unrivalled example of light-weight performance engineering and its 2.3 litre, 280 bhp four cylinder power plant will propel its driver from 0-60 m.p.h. in just 2.8 seconds.

At £125,000, the GRID 2: Mono Edition has set a new Guinness World Records title for the “Most Expensive Video Game Commercially Available – Special Edition” and will include a range of extras for the buyer to enjoy the ultimate experience of racing the car in-game and driving it in real life.

The GRID 2: Mono Edition includes:
• A copy of GRID 2 for PlayStation 3 featuring bespoke packaging artwork
• BAC Mono supercar in exclusive GRID 2 livery
• A day at the BAC factory, which includes a factory tour and time spent with technicians, to customise the BAC Mono for size and specifications
• A GRID 2: Mono Edition branded Bell Racing helmet
• Race suit, boots & gloves all made to measure in BAC Mono and GRID 2 branding
• A PlayStation 3

The GRID 2: Mono Edition is available to pre-order at http://www.game.co.uk/en/grid-2-bac-mono-edition-228776.

“BAC is immensely proud and excited at the release of GRID 2: Mono Edition; a game which offers an opportunity for one lucky person to own a truly unique supercar,” said Neill Briggs, Project Director, BAC Mono. “Codemasters has developed a stunning game which focuses on delivering the ultimate driving experience and Mono is the ultimate expression of this, in both the real and virtual worlds.”

The game’s record-breaking achievement has been shortlisted for entry into the next Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition.

GRID 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the BAFTA-award winning, critically acclaimed Race Driver: GRID and will invite players race only the world’s most exciting racing cars on city streets, licensed circuits and open-roads. From Paris to Dubai and Barcelona to California, gamers will journey from rookie to racing superstar as they blaze to the top of World Series Racing, a new world of professional motorsport.

While the GRID 2: Mono Edition is a one-off, the standard edition of GRID 2 will race into retail next Friday, May 31st. Fans can keep up with all the latest updates straight from the studio by speeding over to www.gridgame.com

Turtle Beach bringing next generation audio to Xbox One

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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May 24, 2013

0

Turtle Beach is excited to announce that it is working with Microsoft to develop market-leading audio solutions for Xbox One. The two companies will leverage their proprietary technology and experience in gaming to bring advanced audio solutions to consumers.

Earlier this week Microsoft announced the powerful new Xbox One. Under the agreement Turtle Beach will be among the first to market with Microsoft-licensed gaming headsets for the Xbox One.

Turtle Beach designs and markets wireless and wired headsets for video game, personal computer and mobile platforms. The company’s wide range of headsets, which combine quality with audio innovations, are popular with consumers because they make gaming more immersive and provide a competitive advantage. Turtle Beach manufactured 9 of the top 10 best-selling gaming headsets in 2012 when ranked in dollar sales, and 4 of the top 5 best-selling gaming headsets ever, according to the NPD Group. The Ear Force X12 wired headset for the Xbox is the No. 1 best-selling third-party gaming headset ever made.

“In Turtle Beach we have a partner that can help Microsoft deliver world class gaming audio experiences to our customers,” said Branden Powell Director of Strategic Alliances Xbox Hardware Group. “Turtle Beach has consistently innovated in wireless, surround sound, and other features and we are looking forward to working with them.”

Turtle Beach is largely responsible for the growth of the gaming headset category. The company quickly grew sales through a combination of product innovation, distribution, and marketing prowess and now owns more than 50% market share in the U.S. As a result, in less than five years gaming headsets have grown from only 3 percent to 21 percent of all U.S. gaming accessory sales, and now rank second only to gamepads based on NPD sales data.

“Turtle Beach is dedicated to creating audio products that improve players overall game experience,” said Bob Picunko, Chief Marketing Officer at Turtle Beach. “We are very excited about the opportunity to work with the Xbox team to develop new products that support the advanced Xbox platform.

Official products, pricing and release information to be revealed in the coming weeks.