Review: Otone VTXSound Headphones

Chris Hare

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Jun 30, 2014

You may not of heard of the company called Otone Audio if not why not, the company as based in the UK with a range of Bluetooth Docks, Soundbars, portable speakers and computer speakers tailor-made for the UK market.

The new VTXsound advanced noise cancelling headphones from Otone that’s uses the 40mm Vortex Drive sound technology that adds high dynamic range to your audio, comes in a beautiful designed box, that shows of the design of the headphones, priced at £149.99.

Inside the box you get the VTXSound headphones and a carrying case for the headphones and two audio leads one will a remote on the lead and one without one. Also you get two AA batteries that will give you about 20 hours from them and two audio jacks.

The remote on the audio lead has the all the usual abilities you would expect for listening to music, it also has a built in mic and the ability to be used to make and receive phone calls. It can be used with any Apple device and some Android devices.

Battery compartment for the two AA batteries that give you 20 hours of noise cancelling and audio lead jack.

The Vortex drive in the headphones gives a whole new dimension by intelligently boosting audio whilst turned on. The headphones feel lovely in your hands and very light to hold, due to the light weight neodymium speaker drivers.

The VTXSound headphone have three modes you can use it with, OFF, ANC (Advanced Noise Cancelling) and VTX for bass boost. I really the ANC and it really does work, as I tested them outside in my garden when my next door neighbour was outside using an electric saw and it reduced the outside noise by about 85% of the total background sound.
Features

Vortex Sound Technology
Active Noise Cancellation
Light Weight Neodymium Speaker Drivers
High Grade Metal Construction
Inline Remote Control

Specification

40mm Dynamic Driver
20 Hours Battery Life while using Active Noise Cancellation

With the recent heat we have had here in the UK having a material that is breathable certainly helps the comfort factor, as there is nothing worse than having the ear pads stick to your ears!

Inside the case there is also a pocket to store your spare cable or anything else small, the headphones fold up perfectly inside.

With a carbon like print on the main headphones.

Final Thoughts

If you want a good-looking, practical high quality pair of headphones then you should definitely take a look, and a listen, to the Otone VTXSound headphones, you won’t be disappointed.

The Otone VTXSound headphones are priced at a very reasonable £149.99, the sound from the headphones are so good that I will be buying my own pair when I send my sample of the VTXSound headphones back to Otone.

Having a really good quality pair of headphones is really important to me. But they must have great sound but also be comfortable as I can often wear them for many hours at a time while writing.

If you want good quality noise cancelling headphone but without breaking the bank then you can’t go wrong with a pair from Otone.

Win the spectacular Russian epic STALINGRAD on Blu-ray/DVD

Andrew Edney

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Jun 29, 2014

0

Acclaimed Russian director Fedor Bondarchuk’s action epic STALINGRAD exploded onto Blu-ray and DVD on June 23^rd and to celebrate we’ve got 3 copies of the Blu-ray/DVD to give-away completely free!

Starring Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, upcoming The Avengers: Age of Ultron) “Stalingrad” is an epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II. A band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected to two Russian women who have been living there. The film is directed by acclaimed Russian filmmaker Fedor Bondarchuk (9th Company), who was introduced to the world of cinema at an early age as the son of actress Irina Skobtseva and internationally acclaimed film actor and an Academy Award^®-winning director Sergei Bondarchuk. The film stars an ensemble cast including Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Petr Fedorov, Sergey Bondarchuk, Mariya Smolnikova and Yanina Studilina.

To be in with a chance of winning simply watch the above trailer and answer the following question. What year did the Battle of Stalingrad commence?

a) 1942

b) 1842

c) 1742

To be in with a chance of winning, click on the Contact Us link here or at the top of the page and let us know the answer, along with your name and address and preferred format (Blu-Ray or DVD) – simple!

The contest will run until Friday 4th July 2014.

STALINGRAD is out on Blu-ray (with 3D), DVD and digital download now. You can order your copy now here: http://amzn.to/1jzJmOr

Samsung Galaxy S5 two minute review

Andrew Edney

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Jun 29, 2014

1

Recently I had the opportunity to test out the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone for a week, and here is my two minute review.

The Galaxy S5 is the next in a long line of Android based smartphone’s from Samsung.

Specifications

A Closer Look

And you can replace the battery easily on the S5 (which also means you can carry a replacement with you for those times you really need it):

It is larger than my usual iPhone 5.

Using the Samsung Galaxy S5

As you would expect from an Android phone you have all the usual Android apps (the S5 comes with Android 4.4.2 out of the box), along with a number of Samsung specific apps, including S Health and Galaxy Essentials.

Here are some of the screens:

Final Thoughts

The biggest improvements over the Galaxy S4 are the screen and the camera. The screen is a lovely 5.1 inch 1080p super AMOLED screen and it looks great, really making anything you look at stand out with a very clear and sharp image, even in daylight.

The camera is a 16MP camera, and Samsung are pushing is that the S5 can autofocus on your subject in the blink of an eye. I found the camera to be really good, certainly meaning that I was happy only having the S5 with me for when I wanted to take the odd snap here and there.

The battery life was great, I was constantly getting a full day’s use out of it during the week I had it for test, and because the battery is removable you could always carry a spare with you, although there shouldn’t be too many times you would actually need one!

Samsung say that the S5 is water-resistant, you are reminded of this when removing the cover. I didn’t have any issues but then to be honest, I really didn’t want to have it out in the rain too much anyway.

The S5 also has a built-in fingerprint scanner, although I found this to be a little fiddly at times, and I can easily see some people getting frustrated with it and leaving it disabled.

I really liked the Samsung Galaxy S5. It looks and feels like a premium smartphone (which it is), although I am still not sure about what Samsung have done with the back of the phone, but that really is a matter of personal taste rather than something problematic with the phone.

You can get the Samsung Galaxy S5 from Dialaphone from as little as £27.99 per month.

Win a soundtrack from Jon Favreau’s CHEF

Andrew Edney

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Jun 29, 2014

0

To celebrate the release of Chef in cinemas now, we are giving away 2 movie soundtracks.

When Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his friend (John Leguizamo) and his son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love.

Chef features an all-star cast including Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, Robert Downey Jr. and young actor Emjay Anthony.

Follow the foodie fun on Facebook facebook.com/ChefTheMovie and Twitter twitter.com/LionsgateUK #ChefMovie.

To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the question below:

Jon Favreau is the Director of which of the following Action franchise films?

a) Spider-Man

b) Batman

c) Iron Man

To be in with a chance of winning, click on the Contact Us link here or at the top of the page and let us know the answer, along with your name and address – simple!

The contest will run until Friday 4th July 2014.

CHEF IS OUT IN CINEMAS NOW!

TERMS & CONDITIONS

· The winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.

· Lionsgate and Connected Digital World do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes.

· No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.

· Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is not open to employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s).

· This competition is a game promoted by Connected Digital World decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into.

· Connected Digital Worldreserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.

· Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition.

Naomi Kyle Interview at E3 2014

Andrew Edney

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Jun 29, 2014

0

At E3 I had the chance to talk with Naomi Kyle, face of IGN’s The Daily Fix show.

Naomi Kyle is an actor and gamer. She is the current on-air host for IGN Entertainment’s video productions including its award-winning news show “The Daily Fix” garnering over 40 million viewers a year.

Naomi grew up playing video games and indulging in movies during her spare time. Little did she know this would result in her being one of the faces in gaming and new media/entertainment, the things she loves most.

Naomi has acted in indie features, worked in a new series for Geek and Sundry, is in pre-production on her own media content and has recently completed shooting on a soon to be released documentary with Zak Penn about Atari!

In the interview we talk about IGN, that Atari dig, her work with BAFTA and why she wants to be in Game of Thrones.

So over to Naomi (and apologies about the sound, we were recording near the Activision Call of Duty theatre and it was LOUD):

It was great talking with Naomi, and I look forward to talking more with her soon.

Once Upon a Time and Intelligence Interview at MCM Comic Con London

Andrew Edney

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Jun 29, 2014

0

In this interview shot at MCM Comic Con London, I talk with Once Upon a Time and Intelligence star Meghan Ory and Once Upon a Time star Beverley Elliott.

Meghan stars in Once Upon a Time as Ruby / Red Riding Hood, and Beverley plays Granny, and Meghan also stared as Rily Neal in Intelligence with Josh Holloway.

Over to them:

Do you watch Once Upon a Time or Intelligence? Let us know by leave a comment below.

Alien: Isolation Exclusive Interview with Al Hope at E3

Andrew Edney

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Jun 28, 2014

0

At E3 I got to speak to Al Hope, the creative lead on Alien: Isolation.

Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival horror game capturing the fear and tension evoked by Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic film. Players find themselves in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger as an unpredictable, ruthless Xenomorph is stalking and killing deep in the shadows. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.

Over to Al:

Alien: Isolation will be available from October 7, 2014, for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows PC.

What do you think of Alien: Isolation? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Dead Island 2 Exclusive Interview with Michael Kempson of Yager at E3

Andrew Edney

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Jun 28, 2014

3

At E3 I sat down with Michael Kempson from Yager about Dead Island 2.

The zombie apocalypse has hit the iconic, sunny realms of California. Building on the strengths of the multi-million best-selling hit Dead Island, Dead Island 2 delivers a shared survival, open-world zombie experience set in a clash of natural beauty and bloody horror and violence: paradise meets hell once again! Developed by award-winning studio Yager, Dead Island 2 is scheduled for release in spring 2015 on Xbox One, PlayStation4 and PC.

Several months after the events on Banoi, the United States military has put the Golden State under full quarantine. Now a restricted zone, California has become a bloody paradise for those who refuse to leave their homes and an action-packed playground for renegades who seek adventure, glory and a fresh start. Combining the classic Dead Island elements of immersive close combat, action and role-playing, Dead Island 2 features crazy, never-before-seen handcrafted weapons and over-the-top characters in taking players from the iconic Golden Gate to the celebrated beachfront boardwalk of southern California’s Venice Beach.

Developed in Unreal Engine 4, Dead Island 2 brings back its acclaimed, seamless multiplayer for up to eight players who cooperate, compete or simply coexist in a truly social, new-gen multiplayer experience. Dedicated classes offer a variety of gameplay: From the action-oriented berserker to the stealthy hunter, every character offers a different style of play. An in-depth skill system allows the player to handcraft their own heroes and weapons.

Over to Michael:

What do you think of Dead Island 2? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The Winner of our The Art of Watch Dogs book from Titan Books contest

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jun 28, 2014

1

Watch Dogs was released recently and Titan Books released an amazing Art of Watch Dogs book, and we had a copy of the book to give away – here is the winner.

The official art book explores the technology-enabled world of Watch Dogs, taking readers on a visual guide through Aiden Pearce’s quest of turning the city of Chicago into his ultimate weapon and exacting revenge against his enemies. The Art of Watch Dogs provides fans with a deeper experience as well as creating a new entry point for people to discover the thrilling new brand.

The Winner

And the winner of the book is:

Sarah Spencer

Well done! Your book will be on it’s way to you shortly.

TETRIS Exclusive Interview with Alexey Pajitnov at E3

Andrew Edney

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Jun 28, 2014

0

In this interview shot at E3, I talk with Alexey Pajitnov the creator or TETRIS on the 30th anniversary of him writing the game.

A lifelong love of puzzles and strategy gaming has led Moscow-born Alexey Pajitnov to worldwide recognition as one of the computer game industry’s most renowned game designers. He is best known as the creator of the Tetris game, which on its 30th anniversary has sold hundreds of millions of copies on over 50 gaming platforms as one of the world’s most popular electronic games. Today, Alexey spends much of his time working with Blue Planet Software, the sole agent for the Tetris franchise, to continue making Tetris branded products exciting and fun for its millions of fans.

In the past 30 years, Alexey has won numerous accolades for game design and his creation of Tetris, including the International Game Developers Association’s First Penguin Award in 2007 for “pioneering the casual games market.” In 2009, Tetris was named the #2 Top Console Game of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Over to Alexey:

Do you still play TETRIS? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

One Piece Unlimited World Red is out Now

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Jun 27, 2014

0

One Piece Unlimited World Red is out Now

BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe S.A.S announced today that ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red is available in Europe and Australasia! This new game is playable on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U! ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red is an action-adventure RPG game developed by Ganbarion Co., Ltd., based on the widely popular and praised ONE PIECE manga created by the renowned mangaka Eiichiro Oda.

Boasting amazing and exclusive content, this new game offers hours of exciting gameplay where the players’ will happily discover two brand new characters –Red and his follower Pato– through an epic original storyline! Topping that; an all-new mode called Battle Coliseum mode, inspired by the Dressrosa story arc, the characters compete in a tourney to test their battle abilities. During this tournament, the fighters contest in five different battle types:

In Battle Royal, the players fight against two mighty opponents or against one mighty foe supported by a swarm of enemies
In Duel gamers fight one-on-one against one tough enemy.
In Scramble, the contenders compete against a swarm of weaker enemies,
The heroes battle against the most dangerous bosses of the ONE PIECE universe in Boss Rush
Try the Special Match to challenge your battle skills using preselected characters to win in battles that cannot be witnessed in the One Piece storyline!

“Our association with Ganbarion Co. Ltd has been successful for years, yet we prove it again with the release of a high quality ONE PIECE game on 4 different platforms! Having tons of new first-class content to fulfil all fans’ desires is a true honour and an objective to us, and we are sure that our most enthusiastic followers will enjoy it!” Herve Hoerdt, Vice President of IP Strategy at BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe.

For all the fans eager to have exclusive items, the Straw Hat Edition offers 10 outfits (Luffy Strong World Adventure outfit and the Anniversary Pack with 9 outfits commemorating Japan’s 15^th Anniversary of the One Piece Animated series – this item won’t be sold later!) and a unique quest where the 2 brothers are re-united: “Flame Fist & Straw Hat”.

The Straw Hat Edition can be purchased from leading retailers, including Amazon.

Surprises aren’t stopping here as BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe created a special Chopper Edition with all of the above items, plus a Key Holder of Chopper, 10 stickers of the Straw Hat Crew members and the game logo, Wall scroll of Chopper, lanyard with Chopper, Artbook and the Takoyaki DLC Pack (3 costumes & 1 quest)!

The Chopper Edition will be available for PS3 only and is only available to purchases from GAME. To pre-order your Chopper Edition.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn Out Now for PS3

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Jun 27, 2014

0

Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn Out Now for PS3

Tecmo Koei Europe today launched DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM Reborn on retailers across Europe and digitally through the PlayStation Network exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game takes the Gundam metaseries to a whole new level of futuristic action with the largest number of missions and roster of playable Mobile Suits in any Gundam video game to date. The game utilizes the Dynasty Warriors game engine to express the frenetic action of Gundam warfare.

Players will experience the best moments from the Gundam series in its majestic glory as they play through 37 areas in the game’s Official Mode and more than 150 scenarios in Ultimate Mode, all taken straight from the Mobile Suit Gundam movies and animations, including Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn™ and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. With over 100 different Mobile Suits playable, players will feel the immense thrill of piloting these powerful machines of war and pulverize hundreds of on-screen enemies in electrifying Dynasty Warriors gameplay style. Players will enter the battle fray either solo or with a friend in either local or online co-op play to experience the Gundam excitement.

As the Mobile Suits engage in intense warfare across land, sea, air and space, players will be able to utilize the “Burst System” mechanic to activate a powered up form of their chosen Mobile Suit and combine with another Mobile Suit to unleash maximum damage and destruction upon the relentless waves of enemy units.

Visual enhancements bring the battle rampage to new heights with more brilliant graphics and lighting effects that will reflect a vivid, war-torn Gundam galaxy.

Amazon Appstore’s Bundle worth over £100 free today

Andrew Edney

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Jun 27, 2014

0

Amazon.co.uk today announced that on Friday 27^thand Saturday 28^th June, as part of the Free App of the Day programme, Amazon Appstore is giving away 30 of the most popular paid apps worth over £100, for free! As the summer hots up, this sizzling deal is one customers shouldn’t miss.

The Amazon Appstore app bundles are a great package for families planning holiday trips this summer, providing gaming, travel and remote office apps for your every need. A selection of top puzzles, brainteasers and games include the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to keep kids and adults entertained on-the-go. Meanwhile, travel tools such as MobiLearn, the talking phrasebook, will help keep the family up to speed with the local lingo. Lastly, just in case you need to access that all important file when you’re away, the package includes premium remote office tools and resources such as Splashtop Remote Desktop HD.

More details about the summer bundle:

Game on!

Whether you’re in a departure lounge or the back of a caravan, keep the kids amused with app adventures and puzzles. The bundle includes famed classic Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (worth £1.83), as well as other favourites Dr Panda’s Bus Driver (worth £1.79) and Dungeon Village (worth £2.80).

Parlez-vous Kindle?

The key to any successful trip is planning in advance. This bundle can help with everything from organising a family itinerary (try 2Do: TodoList | Task List worth £4.41), brushing up on your European vocab with MobiLearn Talking Phrasebook (worth £6.37) to checking the weather (AccuWeather Platinum, worth £1.95, will help you avoid the rain!).

A remote office in your pocket – just in case!

Just in case you do need to keep connected while away, these tools will ensure you’re never out of reach or away from the critical files that you need. For instance, with Splashtop Remote Desktop HD (worth £5.56) you can enjoy a Windows and Mac HD experience on your tablet, easily accessing and editing files from afar.

Full information on the free apps included in the Amazon Appstore bundle can be found at www.amazon.co.uk/appstore-bundle and include:

Fun & Games Apps

Plex (£2.98)
Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek (£0.99)
League of Heroes Premium (£1.98)
The Room Two (Kindle Tablet Edition – £1.98)
Pho.to Lab PRO (£1.91)
PUZZINGO Puzzles (Pro Edition – £9.32)
Root Explorer (£3.00)
Loco Motors (£1.19)
CrossMe (£3.15)
CLARC (£2.99)
Dr. Panda’s Bus Driver (£1.79)
Pinball Deluxe Premium (£1.87)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (£1.83)
Card Wars – Adventure Time (£2.38)
Wedding Dash Deluxe (£0.62)
Dungeon Village (£2.80)
Ravensword: Shadowlands (£4.25)

Holiday Planning Apps

AccuWeather Platinum (£1.95)
Travel Interpreter (£5.99)
MobiLearn Talking Phrasebook, English-French-German-Italian-Spanish (£6.37)

Remote Office Apps

EZ Money Manager (£6.34)
acalendar+ (£2.49)
Jump Desktop (RDP & VNC – £6.37)
Notepad+ (£0.99)
Business Calendar (£3.99)
Splashtop Remote Desktop HD (£5.56)
2Do: Todo List | Task List (£4.41)
OfficeSuite Professional 7 (£9.36)
MyBackup Pro (£3.01)
Pocket Informant 3 (£5.95)

To download the Amazon Appstore to your Android device go to www.amazon.co.uk/getappstore.

Download these and thousands of other apps and games at www.amazon.co.uk/appstore.

Alien Isolation E3 2014 Accolades Trailer

Andrew Edney

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Jun 26, 2014

0

Sega have released a trailer for Alien Isolation that includes some of the accolades it received at E3.

I even got a quote in there:

Check out the full video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v8F8IPsxCE

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

MOVIES, GAMES AND TECHMOVIES, GAMES AND TECH

MOVIES, GAMES AND TECHFashion Trends and Culture

Review: Otone VTXSound Headphones

Win the spectacular Russian epic STALINGRAD on Blu-ray/DVD

Samsung Galaxy S5 two minute review

Specifications

A Closer Look

Using the Samsung Galaxy S5

Final Thoughts

Win a soundtrack from Jon Favreau’s CHEF

To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the question below:

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Naomi Kyle Interview at E3 2014

Once Upon a Time and Intelligence Interview at MCM Comic Con London

Alien: Isolation Exclusive Interview with Al Hope at E3

Dead Island 2 Exclusive Interview with Michael Kempson of Yager at E3

The Winner of our The Art of Watch Dogs book from Titan Books contest

The Winner

Sarah Spencer

TETRIS Exclusive Interview with Alexey Pajitnov at E3

One Piece Unlimited World Red is out Now

Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn Out Now for PS3

Amazon Appstore’s Bundle worth over £100 free today

Alien Isolation E3 2014 Accolades Trailer