Events

CES2013: Yale Locks Announces Updates to Deadbolt Products

Jim McCarthy

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Jan 18, 2013

The venerable brand Yale Locks and Hardware announced several updates to their deadbolt line for home automation. Read on for details.

The venerable brand Yale Locks and Hardware announced several updates to their deadbolt line for home automation, using the tagline Keyless Entry Made Easy. First off, they announced the first home deadbolt lock system to use Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities to lock and unlock the deadbolt. This means that you can use your NFC-equipped mobile phone in place of that key that you tend to leave in your purse or briefcase and is a very convenient feature. They demoed it using a Samsung Galaxy S3 phone in the booth during CES, and it worked flawlessly.

Second, they announced that their system is now compatible 2GIG’s Go!Control panel. Go!Control relies on Alarm.Com as the backend service, and now Go!Control users can use Alarm.Com to remotely lock and unlock the door over the internet using the very good Alarm.Com mobile app. I’ve used that app on Android and iOS to remotely arm and disarm my home alarm system, and it works very well.

Third, they announced that their lock solutions will now work with Honeywell’s new 6280i Tuxedo Touch Center. This integration allows Honeywell’s system to add a very well-executed lock solution to their current control system, rounding out the selection for the discerning home owner looking to implement a home automation solution. My alarm company uses Honeywell controllers, so this new product would likely be compatible with my controller and could be available through my alarm company.

Lastly, Yale announced a new distribution deal with ADI, North America’s leading wholesale distributor of security and low-voltage products. ADI will distribute the complete line of Yale Real Living™ locks, including both the keypad and touchscreen versions, as well as the new lever-lock version.

Check out these product photos of the new products that Yale announced:

Here are excerpts from the press releases that Yale Locks issued:

YALE TO DEMONSTRATE FIRST RESIDENTIAL LOCKS

WITH NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY

First Residential Locks to Use Mobile Phones as Keys

NEW HAVEN, CT January 8, 2013 – Yale Locks & Hardware (www.yalelocks.com), an ASSA ABLOY Group company and a world leader in door hardware for residential and commercial applications, will demonstrate a version of its Yale Real Living locks with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The Yale Real Living line is the company’s first category of locks specifically designed to integrate seamlessly into the digital home.

In adding NFC capability, Yale expects to be the first US brand to offer residential locks with this technology. What’s more, this Yale Real Living line will be compatible with the ASSA ABLOY Mobile Keys platform. A scalable secure delivery infrastructure for distribution and management of mobile keys, the ASSA ABLOY Mobile Keys platform allows credentials to be distributed securely through NFC-enabled mobile phones as an alternative to mechanical keys and physical access cards. Consequently, this will be the first line of residential locks that can be unlocked directly using an NFC-enabled mobile phone.

At present, at least 12 cellphone models are being equipped with NFC antennas. Additional models from the major cellphone brands are expected in early 2013.

NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology standard that enables the exchange of data between devices up to a 10-centimeter distance. Applications include contactless transactions such as payment and transit ticketing, keys, data transfers including electronic business cards, and access to online digital content.

The mobile keys platform enabled by the NFC technology has already been introduced to the hospitality industry by Yale’s parent company, ASSA ABLOY. In fact, this past summer, ASSA ABLOY completed the first-ever trial of the mobile keys platform at the Clarion Hotel in Stockholm, in which 28 frequent hotel guests were invited to use the technology over an eight-month period. Reaction to the mobile keys platform was overwhelmingly positive.

“From a residential perspective, the mobile phone is ubiquitous,” said Jason Williams, General Manager of Yale Residential. “We use it to make reservations, schedule our day, everything. By incorporating NFC technology into our Yale Real Living locks, we’ve extended the functionality of the mobile phone even further. What’s more, we’ve created a highly secure product that capitalizes on ASSA ABLOY technology that is being extremely well-received in other end-user markets.”

Available with either a sleek capacitive touchscreen or pushbutton key pad, Yale’s new platform of intelligent locks supports both Z-Wave® and ZigBee®, allowing them to integrate seamlessly into a wide range of home control and security systems, including Control4, the Vera Z-Wave® home control system by Mi Casa Verde, and Alarm.com’s emPower™, among others.

Register for the beta of SimCity

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

Would you like to be involved in the beta for the new SimCity? Well now you can apply.

With its return in 2013, SimCity will engage an entirely new generation of PC and Mac gamers as they become mayors of their own unique and specialized cities to build a world that co-exists alongside friends. Built from the ground up to be an online, connected experience, SimCity is a fully connected world where each decision has a rippling effect that affects other players within the same region.

This is what Maxis posted:

The team at Maxis is hard at work rebooting the king of city-simulation games, SimCity! We are extremely excited with our progress so far and would especially like to thank you the fans for your continued participation and support. We are humbled by your passion, it fuels us to work even harder to make the game we’ve been dreaming of, and deliver the SimCity you’ve always wanted.

Register for the beta here

The four-day beta begins on January 25 and ends on January 28 – so hurry.

SimCity will be released in February 2013 for the PC and Mac.

So are you interested in the new SimCity? If so let us know by leaving a comment below.

Check out our interview with George Pigula about SimCity

SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny gets more DLC

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

Nordic Games have released the second SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny DLC, The Golden Fool for the PC.

Set before SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny, The Golden Fool remains true to the RPG and RTS genre. Delving deeper into the SpellForce world, the DLC explores the story of the game of stones, Drakkar.

In the second of three DLC’s, players can now join in the bitter battle as Carla, one of the non-playable characters from the main game with the aim to win back the legendary “Golden Fool” stone. The stone, of which there is only one in existence, defeats every other stone and ensures the holder will forever be the Drakkar champion.

Set in the Tuscari Desert, the game has a genuine SpellForce feel where the thirst for power is now greater than ever. The Golden Fool is the most precious stone in Amun Kar’s game of stones where players must risk everything to regain it along with Carla’s reputation as the game of stones champion.

This DLC pack is available to purchase on Steam for just £3.49.

CES2013: Ingersoll Rand Showcases Nexia Home Intelligence

Jim McCarthy

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Jan 18, 2013

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Ingersoll Rand was showcasing their home automation solution: Nexia Home Intelligence. With the ability to control deadbolts, thermostats, cameras, and blinds, and with analytical capabilities to help you control your energy costs, Nexia Home Intelligence is a well-rounded entry in the home automation space. Read on for details.

Ingersoll Rand was showcasing their home automation solution: Nexia Home Intelligence. With the ability to control deadbolts, thermostats, cameras, and blinds, and with analytical capabilities to help you control your energy costs, Nexia Home Intelligence is a well-rounded entry in the home automation space. The Nexia booth showcased deadbolt, camera and blind controls, with hands-on demonstrations of all of these products. In the past when I have looked at home automation solutions, I concluded that there were too many systems and pieces from too many vendors to make it practical. Nexia looks to be a significant step forward in a whole-home automation solution, bringing together a single-branded solution that can be installed by their dealers in the field. Here is what they announced:

Nexia™ Home Intelligence Continues its Innovation Leadership in Home Automation

New Nexia-compatible deadbolt lock and energy management solution by Schlage^® and Trane are unveiled at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show

LAS VEGAS (Jan. 7, 2013) — NexiaTM Home Intelligence, a brand of Ingersoll Rand, brings a bigger and better-than-ever home automation system to the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featuring an array of compatible products and technologies to create a total connected solution for today’s homeowner.

Innovations showcased in the Nexia Home Intelligence CES booth No. 20830 include several Nexia-compatible products from home industry leaders—Trane® and Schlage^®, also brands of Ingersoll Rand. Today, homeowners can remotely manage multiple features and functions of their home—including door locks, heating and cooling systems, video surveillance, lights, shades and energy usage—via any web-enabled computer or smartphone from anywhere in the world. Among Nexia’s most recent product expansions is the new Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt; the new Trane Energy Management Solution powered by eMonitor^TM; and new zoning capabilities with the Trane ComfortLink^TM II Control.

“Homeowners’ needs are continuously evolving, particularly when it comes to technology. In fact, a recent study from Forrester shows that 84 percent of U.S. adults now use the web on a daily basis, 50 percent own a smartphone and tablet ownership doubled in 2012 alone,” said John Evans, president, Residential Security Solutions at Ingersoll Rand. “Nexia offers a total home solution that meets homeowners’ increasingly mobile lifestyle needs and gives them the flexibility to manage their home from wherever they happen to be in the world.”

Redefining Home Safety: Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt

The Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt, a 2013 Electronic House Product of the Year award winner, is fully loaded with the highest grade of security and technology. The strong, multi-function lock is a first for Schlage in combining the connectivity of Nexia Home Intelligence, the convenience of keyless entry and the protection of built-in alarm technology to create a lock like no other. It delivers an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Grade 1 security rating, the highest residential rating awarded on the market, as certified by the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA).

Nexia compatibility gives homeowners control of their home’s safety from wherever they are. If they can’t be at home to access the touchscreen deadbolt, they can unlock a door from work to let a dog walker inside, manage distinctive key codes and settings from the airport, or receive text alerts if a lock is activated or an alarm is triggered while on vacation.

The fully loaded Touchscreen Deadbolt offers keyless control using simple access codes so homeowners never have to worry about losing, hiding, carrying or forgetting their house keys again. It can hold up to 30 unique codes and is designed to build temporary codes for someone such as a housekeeper who needs access only on certain days and times of the week. The built-in alarm system also alerts homeowners instantly if someone goes in and out, tampers with the lock or tries to break into the home.

Home Energy Management Solutions

Trane introduces an easy, efficient way for homeowners to monitor and manage their home energy usage to lower costs with the introduction of Trane Energy Management powered by eMonitor. Trane Energy Management tracks usage data 24/7 and reports how much is being spent on electricity throughout the home. Using the program, homeowners can monitor and control gadgets and appliances in the home that use electricity, affecting the home’s overall energy usage and costs before they see the bill each month.

Trane Energy Management also sends owners real-time alerts and notifications of various situations such as circuit overloads or if the refrigerator or freezer door is left open. The eMonitor interface delivers detailed energy usage information and analytics to the user’s web-enabled computer or smart phone.

App Update: Shazam for iOS updated to version 5.5.2

Apple

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

The very cool music identification app Shazam has been updated to version 5.5.2.

Having tried some different music, I cant honestly say it find’s the song in a matter of seconds, in some cases, only two or three words had been sung. I was very impressed!

This is how Shazam is described:

Lightning fast tagging. Now discover, explore and share more music, TV shows and brands you love in as little as one second.

With unlimited tagging use Shazam as much as you want, and experience more of what you like, faster.

You can also:
○ Save & listen again (30 sec preview)
○ Buy tracks easily on iTunes & find more by tagged artists
○ View extra content as you watch TV
○ Watch music videos & concerts from YouTube
○ Share on Facebook, Twitter & email
○ See streaming lyrics in time to the music
○ Discover new music in Shazam Friends & Charts
○ See when an artist is touring
○ Use it when you don’t have a signal

What’s New in Version 5.5.2

Bug Fixes:
○ Fixes ordering of tag lists jumbled in the last update. Tags will re-sort when My Tags is opened.
○ Notifications of Friends’ tagging now opens the app on their track so you can preview and learn more

Download now from the Apple App Store

All Skyrim DLC coming to PlayStation in February

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

PlayStation 3 Skyrim fans rejoice – all Skyrim DLC is coming to the PlayStation Store in February, and with a 50% discount!

The 1.8 title update will also release just prior to the launch of Dragonborn. We’ll keep you posted as release dates get finalised. Last but not least, each add-on will be 50% off during its launch week on PSN.

Will you be getting it? If so leave is a comment below.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale DLC available February 12th

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

The first DLC for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royal will be out in early February.

Kat graces PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale with her presence, as an up-close melee fighter who utilizes her ability to manipulate gravity to turn the tide in battle. Players who enjoyed Gravity Rush on PS Vita know that Kat loves to bend gravity to allow her to dash, slide, and fly from one place to another, and her All-Stars incarnation is no exception. Those who enjoy AP burst combos and varied mobility will definitely gravitate towards Kat.

Emmett Graves from Starhawk joins the fray! He brings his signature “Build & Battle” style from Starhawk, calling down different structures to aid him in battle, including Rift Extractors for AP and Flak Turrets that fire at will. Aside from his default rifle and pistol, Emmett can also call for additional weaponry in the form of shotgun and rocket launcher loadouts, allowing him to adapt to any situation. These loadouts will also change his level 1 super, giving him a total of five supers to choose from!

Kat and Emmett will be available to download February 12th, and will be free for the first two weeks, so mark your calendar and get them as soon as possible!

There will be more DLC coming in March, so watch this space.

Trials Evolution : Gold Edition arrives on PC March 22nd

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

Ubisoft revealed that Trials Evolution: Gold Edition, the definitive PC edition of its best-selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games Trials Evolution and Trials HD, will be available in both digital and retail channels on March 22^nd.

Meanwhile the ‘Trials’ franchise passed 4 million units sold. Trials Evolution: Gold Edition is developed by Ubisoft Shanghai under the supervision of RedLynx, a Ubisoft studio.

Trials Evolution: Gold Edition will include the complete, critically acclaimed game Trials Evolution, specially enhanced for PC, plus all of the tracks from Trials HD, recreated using Trials Evolution’s graphics and physics engine. All the features that are the foundation of the unique Trials experience will be included in the game:

· Global Leader Boards

· Local and Online 4-Player Multiplayer

· Robust and Powerful Track Editor

· Indoor and Outdoor environments

· Bike and Rider customizations

· More than 129 Tracks in all!

As developer RedLynx’s signature franchise, the Trials series first made its mark in gaming with the 2008 release of Trials 2 SE for the PC. That breakout indie success led to further success on the Xbox, but ever since then PC gamers have been asking for more Trials. The Gold Edition is their reward.

Check out the new trailer below:

Are you going to get it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Capcom to release Resident Evil 6 title update two next week

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

Capcom have announced that they plan to update Resident Evil 6 again next week.

This is what they posted:

Just about a month after title update one comes (wait for it) title update two, which brings even more subtle tweaks to the game on January 22.

Agent Hunt mode

-Now available without completing the game first
-Selectable criteria before joining a session: Stage, Region, other settings like Infinite Ammo and Friendly Fire

Stage Selection

-Individual stages within chapters can be accessed any time once completed

General updates

-QTE assist: Players can optionally activate QTE assist from Amateur difficulty inside any other difficulty level (handy for fighting a certain boss at the end of Leon’s campaign on Professional…)

-Some areas have had their difficulty adjusted based on feedback

So what do you think of Resi 6? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

AMD Catalyst Software Suite Version 13.1 Released

Andrew Edney

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Jan 18, 2013

0

This morning my computer told me about an update for the AMD Catalyst Software Suite – taking it to version 13.1.

Version 13.1 contains the following:

AMD Catalyst Control Center: New 3D settings and profile management user interface:

AMD Catalyst 13.1 features a newly designed 3D application settings page, designed to allow users to more easily adjust and control their 3D settings on a per application basis.

Performance Highlights of AMD Catalyst 13.1 (vs. AMD Catalyst 12.10): Includes all of the performance improvements found in AMD Catalyst 12.11 Beta 11

Performance gains seen on the entire AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series:
All game were tested at high / extreme / ultra levels
- Enhanced performance in Far Cry 3 (up to 25% with 8xMSAA, SSAO enabled @ 1600p, and up to 15% with 8xMSAA, HDAO enabled @1600p) (AMD Catalyst 12.11 CAP2 must also be installed)
- Enhanced AMD CrossFire™ scaling performance in Call of Duty Black Ops 2
- Up to 10%-15% more performance in Battlefield 3 in most cases
  - • More than 20% in certain missions and sequences (Comrades)
- Up to 7% more performance in Metro 2033
- Up to 10% more performance in DiRT Showdown
- Up to 8% more performance in Sleeping Dogs
- Up to 12% more performance in Civilization V
- Up to 10% more performance in StarCraft II
- Up to 8% more performance in Sniper Elite: V2
- Up to 5% more performance in Max Payne 3
AMD Catalyst Mobility 7970M performance for AMD Enduro™ technology supported platforms has been improved for DirectX® 9, DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 applications:
- 3DMark® 06 – Up to 6%
- 3DMark Vantage – Up to 15%
- 3DMark 11 – Up to 12%
- AvP – Up to 11%
- Battlefield 3 – Up to 25%
- Call of Duty: Black Ops – Up to 13%
- Crysis 2: Up to 45%
- DiRT Showdown – Up to 62%
- ETQW – Up to 8%
- Hard Reset – Up to 8%
- Just Cause 2 – Up to 90%
- Mafia 2 – Up to 40%
- The Chronicles of Riddick – Up to 4%
- Shogun 2 – Up to 56%
- StarCraft 2 – Up to 25%
- Skyrim – Up to 45%
- Sniper Elite V2 – Up to 60%
- Tom Clancy’s HAWX – Up to 56%
- Unigine Heaven – Up to 33%
- Wolfenstein – Up to 9%

Resolved Issues for the Windows 8 / Windows 7 Operating Systems:

This section provides information on resolved known issues in this release of the AMD Catalyst 13.1 software suite.

A sporadic system hang encountered with a single AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series GPU seen on X58 and X79 chipsets.
An intermittent hang encountered with AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series GPUs in an AMD CrossFire + Eyefinity setup.
Missing fonts in XBMC
No video found in Media Player Classic Home Cinema when using full or half floating point processing
Skyrim lighting (missing a lighting pass) for the AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series
Skyrim cloud corruption experience in various in game locations
A hang playing Dishonored on the AMD Radeon HD 6000 and AMD Radeon HD 5000 Series
Engine and memory clocks running too high when the GPU is idle.
GPU activity runs at lower values than expected seen on the AMD Radeon HD 7870.
Corruption seen in Darkness 2 and Carrier Command when using AMD CrossFire configurations
Adobe Premier Pro CS6 may fail to launch
Hang experienced with AMD Crossfire and Eyefinity enabled on X58 and X78 chipsets
Corel PaintShop Pro X3 – Hangs at the “Initializing Command Manager” window
Company of Heroes 2 – display corruption experienced when AA is enabled in the AMD Catalyst Control Center
Cyberlink Powerdirector 10 crashes intermittently.
Company of Heroes : Tales of Valor – Flickering experienced when AA is disabled
Max Payne 3 – Flickering experienced in DirectX 9 mode with forced AA enabled
Cyberlink PoweDVD 10 – crashes intermittently
VLC – Green texture corruption seen in 720p MPEG2 video clips
Black screen encountered when “Alternate DVI mode” is enabled in the AMD Catalyst Control Center
Green display corruption seen in Skype webcam video

Known Issues

The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced with the AMD Catalyst 13.1 software suite.

Known issues under the Windows 8 Operating System.

Sleeping Dogs – game may fail to launch in certain configurations

Known issues under the Windows 7 Operating System.

Shogun 2 – Total War : flickering experienced when game is run in medium quality mode

Download the lastest drivers from here