Video unboxing per Crysis 2 Maximum Graphics Edition (Video)

In questi giorni siamo consapevoli di essere un po’ monotematici ma l’arrivo di un videogioco dall’altissimo impatto mediatico come Crysis 2 non può di certo essere messo in secondo piano. Molto probabilmente questo sarà il gioco del 2011 e ci sembra giusto dedicare ad esso lo spazio che merita.Sebbene in Europa il titolo non arriverà prima di venerdì 25 marzo, negli USA questo è già disponibile dalla giornata di ieri. Normale dunque assistere ai primi unboxing e il più particolare tra tutti ci è sembrato quello della Maximum Graphics Edition.

Questo speciale bundle del videogioco, oltre al disco, contiene anche una T-Shirt, un poster e — soprattutto — una scheda grafica GeForce GTX 560 Ti di EVGA, perfetta per giocare al massimo dettaglio grafico offerto da Crysis 2.

PlayStation 3: circa 30 titoli 3D entro la fine del 2011

Il 3D è senza ombra di dubbio una delle tecnologie su cui tutti i maggiori produttori mondiali stanno puntando moltissimo. Il segmento dei videogame non è certo da meno e con la sempre più vasta diffusione di televisori 3D, questa tecnologia sta prendendo piede anche nel mondo delle console da salotto.

Sony, che proprio in questi giorni ha annunciato la sospensione della produzione a causa del terremoto/tsunami che ha colpito il Giappone, ha ufficializzato l’intenzione di proporre – entro la fine del 2011 – ben 30 videogiochi 3D.

Trailer di lancio per Crysis 2

Crytek ha rilasciato il trailer di lancio per Crysis 2, titolo in vendita da oggi negli USA e che si appresta ad arrivare sugli scaffali dei negozi europei venerdi 25 marzo.

Nel trailer notiamo le prime impressioni dei siti e delle riviste più importanti e possiamo vedere come la New York distrutta sia stata ricreata fantasticamente. Non mancano infine scene di gameplay e video ripresi dai filmati visti fino ad oggi.

A seguire il trailer!

Firefox 4 Superati i 14 Milioni di Download

Il successo era “nell’aria” tuttavia il numero di download per Firefox 4 sta toccando numeri da record. La nuova versione del browser di Mozilla infatti ha superato quota 14.000.000 di download, cifra in continua crescita. Se nei giorni scorsi si era “parlato” dei quasi 3 milioni di download di Internert Explorer 9 in un giorno, il risultato di Firefox 4 è a dir poco impressionante visto che non ha neanche 48 ore di vita. Un dato preoccupante per Microsoft che ricordiamo ha voluto escludere Windows XP dalla lista dei Sistemi Operativi compatibili.

Sony's NXCAM HD is the NEX-FS100, brings Super 35mm sensor pricetag down to $5,850 (Video)

Sony may have discontinued the NEX-3, but the future of those interchangeable E-mount lenses seems downright secure — after all, they’ll fit quite nicely on this new NEX-FS100. The NXCAM HD that Sony teased last November is what you’re gawking at right now, which is either the pro alternative to the NEX-VG10 or the far-more-affordable PMW-F3, depending on whether you typically tote camcorders or tend to shoot professional film. Either way, $5,850 buys you a Super 35mm sensor that shoots 1080p60 content at up to 28Mbps to SD, Memory Stick (or an optional 128GB SSD) or output uncompressed 4:2:2 footage over HDMI, monitoring the lot on a swiveling 3.5-inch LCD display. The package doesn’t include the 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 lens pictured above — that’s an extra $700 on top of the price — but Sony will throw in that viewfinder tube and shotgun mic. While we all look forward to online availability and some thorough reviews, why not join us after the break for video? Then, scoot on over to F-Stop Academy for the very first footage shot with the unit.

The Focusrite Scarlett 18i6 is an 18 in / 6 out USB 2.0 audio interface

The Focusrite Scarlett 18i6 is an 18 in / 6 out USB 2.0 audio interface designed to make home multitrack recording a breeze. Alongside two award-winning Focusrite preamps, six high-quality analogue inputs allow you to simultaneously record guitar, bass, vocals and keys. You don’t need to stop there either – pop in the ADAT optical cable from an outboard eight-channel mic pre unit such as the Focusrite OctoPre MkII and you can track the drums at the same time.

The Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP is a 16 in / 8 out FireWire audio interface

The Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 DSP is a 16 in / 8 out FireWire audio interface, featuring real-time DSP-powered tracking and mixing solutions tailor-made for the modern home studio environment.

Focusrite unveils Scarlett 8i6 audio interface

PRESS RELEASE: The Scarlett 8i6 is an eight-input, six-output USB 2.0 audio interface with legendary sonic performance and unmatched flexibility at a truly affordable price. Two award-winning Focusrite preamps and a host of other I/O combine with the latest in mix control software to deliver seamless integration, excellent routing flexibility and rock-solid driver stability.

Sharp LE830 series HDTVs now shipping: edge-lit LED, WiFi, no 3D (Video)

Add another to your list of new HDTVs to keep an eye out for, as Sharp has announced its new LE830 series LCDs are shipping this month from its 10th generation plant. This lineup doesn’t include any slick 3D features or the size of its 70-inch behemoth from CES, but they are embued with Quattron quad pixel tech, 120Hz refresh rates, edge LED lighting and built in WiFi. The jury’s still out about whether the extra yellow pixel is a positive influence, but included wireless internet access is unfortunately still not a given for all new HDTVs and it will come in handy if you plan to use the included Netflix, Vudu and CinemaNow movie streaming apps. The line ranges in size from 40- to 60-inches, and the MSRPs are between $1,299 and $2,799. Check after the break for the rest of the details and price breakdown, plus a video of their CES presentation.

Samsung sees a Retina Display in your tablet future, and perhaps glasses-free 3D

Samsung gazed into its crystal ball today, and what did it see? The pixel density of tablet screens drastically increasing. Yes, while Apple may not have managed to cram a screen into the iPad 2 worthy of the Retina moniker, it sounds like Samsung may be working on just such a thing, as the company projects that it will have tablet displays with 300 to 400 pixel-per-inch resolutions by 2015. Presently, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has a seven-inch, 1024 x 600 panel, which translates to only about 170ppi, but Samsung suggests that tablets of the exact same size might stretch well beyond 1080p desktop resolutions as pixel density increases, and yet still manage a respectable 8 to 10 hours of battery life. Samsung also said that while it’s still waiting to see if consumers adopt stereoscopic 3D, it might be interested in joining the throng, perhaps bringing a glasses-free tablet display to market in the years to come. Curious what else the future might hold, according to Samsung? Take a peek at our gallery below.

Samsung Display Strategy 2011

 

 

 

TeleNav bringing hybrid navigation to GPS apps, eases reliance on data connection

If there’s two things the world needs, it’s a complete lack of international roaming charges, and GPS signals that never fade. Oh, and for Slash to not play the last Super Bowl with the Black Eyed Peas — we suppose that makes three. At any rate, at least we’re moving somewhat closer to a reality that solves the middle issue, with TeleNav announcing this week that it’ll be implementing “hybrid navigation technology” into its apps (including the new iOS version) in the very near future. Post-implementation, TeleNav software will automatically cache maps and directions for routes you look up, and if you drop your mobile connection or GPS signal en route, you’ll still be able to have a look at the original plan. ‘Course, any deviations from the prescribed route will lead to endless frustration, but if you (or your 63 year old father) are familiar with following a paper map, you ought to be just fine. The company asserts that the new addition will be rolling out to “select applications” that it develops for carrier partners “in the near future,” and you won’t be ask to pay a dime more for the added convenience. Sometimes life’s just too kind, eh?

Apple could be licensing AirPlay for video streaming, HDTV integration seems imminent

There’s nothing concrete to sink your teeth into just yet, but a couple of people “familiar with the matter” have informed Bloomberg that Apple could be taking AirPlay to the next level. Up until now, companies have been shelling out $4 per device to add AirPlay audio streaming into their products, but there’s a very real demand for video to be included in that as well. According to sources, the video streaming protocol is already baked in, but not enabled / allowed under the current licensing agreement. It’s bruited that the folks in Cupertino could soon expand the AirPlay license program to include video streaming from iPhones and iPads, with integration into HDTVs being the most obvious application. Specifically, the new plan would enable electronics makers to “use [AirPlay] in devices for streaming movies, TV shows and other video content,” but there’s no clear time table as to when any of this would go down. Will CEDIA 2011 be the launchpad for AirPlay-enabled televisions? If so, don’t ever say we didn’t see it coming.

 

 

 

ASUS' K53E laptop gets reviewed, 2.53GHz Core i5-2520M CPU gets praised

Never mind the fact that Intel’s outing a mid-range laptop CPU long after the highest of high-end — the 2.53GHz Core i5-2520M is shaping up to be a lovely option for those who’d prefer a budget choice with plenty of horsepower for churning through HD video. The benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware recently grabbed hold of the new silicon, and they noticed an “unmatched performance-per-watt profile for mobile CPUs,” not to mention a robust graphics core, “ridiculously low idle power consumption,” a respectable price point and plenty of power for any software title not named Crysis 2. ASUS’ 15.6-inch K53E was the test machine, and with a starting tag of just $899, it’s definitely a compelling package. Based on their testing, this particular CPU was around 15 to 25 percent faster across the board compared to its previous generation 2.5GHz Arrandale counterpart, and that’s with around the same power draw, too. Hit the source link for more charts than you’d care to see on an average workday, and be on the lookout for this chip to hit a whole slew of new rigs in the coming weeks.

Chrome 11 goes beta with speech-to-text capabilities

Well, it looks like Google is unsurprisingly adding more than just a new logo to the latest version of its Chrome browser — the just-released beta of Chrome 11 also now boasts speech-to-text capabilities. That comes in the form of support for the HTML5 speech input API, which web developers will be able to take advantage of to let folks simply talk to websites and have their speech magically transcribed to text. Also making a first appearance in the beta is support for GPU-accelerated 3D CSS, which will let developers apply all sorts of 3D effects to websites — Blingee will never be the same, surely. Hit up the link below to try it out for yourself.