Garnet red PlayStation 3 bundled with God of War: Ascension and 500GB HDD arrives this March for $349
GARNET RED PLAYSTATION®3 COMING SOON TO NORTH AMERICA INSIDE
GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION™ LEGACY BUNDLE
January 31, 2013 – Following the announcement of the availability of the Classic White
PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system in North America, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
(SCEA) today introduced a new Garnet Red PS3 system as part of a limited edition God of
War: Ascension™ Legacy Bundle. The new bundle includes God of War: Ascension, the newest
entry in the critically acclaimed franchise, along with the five previous games in the series,
making it the ultimate collectors' item for God of War fans. The limited edition bundle will hit
stores on March 12, 2013, day-and-date with the standalone game, for $349 (MSRP).
The Garnet Red PS3, boldly colored in recognition of Kratos' distinctive tattoo, comes with a
500GB hard disk drive (HDD), providing more than enough room for consumers to download
games, movies, and TV shows from PlayStation®Network, and store their personal media files,
including music, photos, and videos. A 30-day PlayStation®Plus trial membership is also
included, enabling purchasers to check out the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection along
with other benefits such as deep discounts, online storage for game saves, and exclusive access
to select demos and game betas.
"We're excited to introduce this stunning Garnet Red PS3 that pays homage to one of the best
franchises ever launched on PlayStation platforms," said John Koller, vice president of platforms
marketing, SCEA. "We wanted to give our fans a complete collection of the series in this bundle
so they can relive nostalgic memories of their first God of War adventure or experience the
adventure for the first time if they are new to the series."
The complete God of War collection comes with the highly anticipated release, God of War:
Ascension. A prequel to the epic series, Ascension takes fans back to where Kratos' journey
began, with sophisticated gameplay mechanics and combat systems that truly enhance the singleplayer experience. Also, for the first time in franchise history, a new multiplayer combat mode
has been added for fans to compete among their fellow warriors. The God of War Saga
completes the collection, with God of War, God of War II, God of War III, and God of War:
Origins Collection, which consists of God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of
Sparta.
Since the franchise first launched in March 2005, the series has sold over 21 million units
worldwide*. The God of War series is one of SCEA's most successful franchises of all time and
has been acknowledged as one of the most critically-acclaimed franchises by key industry
publications and influencers.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/garnet-red-playstation-3/
Which T-Mobile smartphones will support LTE?
It's no secret that T-Mobile is on the cusp of lighting up its first LTE network in Las Vegas, but with Kansas City soon to follow -- and ambitions of extending LTE coverage to 100 million Americans by mid-year -- it's time to start factoring this consideration into your next smartphone purchase. While the carrier's HSPA+ 42 network is certainly speedy, there's no point in saddling yourself with a device that's rooted in the past. Want to make sure you're ready for what comes next? Read on for everything you need to know.
As it stands, T-Mobile currently sells three smartphones that'll support its nascent LTE network. The first two are the Galaxy Note II and the Lumia 810 -- both of which must receive a software update to enable the functionality. We recently spoke with T-Mobile about the matter, and while representatives confirmed the pair would be updated, the company isn't ready to discuss a timeline. The third smartphone that's known to support LTE over Band 4 (1700MHz AWS) is the Nexus 4, and while it's completely possible to enable this dormant feature, the phone has yet to receive FCC certification for this purpose. We're cautiously hopeful that the Nexus 4 will be certified for LTE Band 4, but until this happens, operation in this mode is illegal and comes at your own risk.
Beyond this trio, T-Mobile has revealed two forthcoming smartphones that'll support its flavor of LTE: the BlackBerry Z10 and a revised Galaxy S III. Both devices will offer LTE connectivity out of the box, but T-Mobile has yet to nail down a specific release date for either handset. In the case of the BlackBerry Z10, it won't hit store shelves until mid-March at the very earliest.
All things told, the Galaxy Note II, Lumia 810 and Nexus 4 are each worthwhile purchases. If you're looking to buy a T-Mobile smartphone today, we recommend you choose among these three. If you're less than thrilled with the bunch (and you're willing to wait), the BlackBerry Z10 or the retooled Galaxy S III each merit consideration. Beyond that, we've no doubt that T-Mobile has many other juicy, LTE-enabled smartphones in the pipeline. Just remember to shop smart, folks.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/t-mobile-lte-smartphones/
Splashtop’s Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad feature lets tablet users create virtual controls and more
#1 Remote Desktop Leader Splashtop Introduces Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad -- Ability to Create Keyboard Shortcuts, Mouse Controls and Virtual Joysticks, Optimizing for Your Favorite Apps
Built-in Remote App Profiles include Microsoft Office, Media Players, Browser, and Games; Easily Extensible to Support Others
• Built-in game and work profiles expand ease and speed of work and play
• Featured as Macworld First Look
• Being previewed at Macworld, Booth 758
MACWORLD-SAN FRANCISCO and SAN JOSE, Calif. - January 31, 2013- Splashtop Inc., the worldwide leader in cross-device collaboration and remote access, announced the Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad add-on for its Splashtop 2 app for iPad and Google Play tablets. Splashtop 2 business and personal users will be able to customize their tablet experience by creating keyboard shortcuts, virtual joysticks, mouse controls for faster and more seamless remote access with their Macs and PCs. Splashtop 2 with Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad is being previewed in booth 758 at MacWorld (booth 758) and can be purchased by Splashtop 2 tablet users directly from within the app.
According to a recent survey of Splashtop users, people are by and large using Splashtop to remotely access a wide range of apps including office applications, browsers, gaming and media apps. With this in mind, Splashtop created the Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad add-on to give people a better and easier way to control and use their apps on their mobile devices.
"Over 12 million people already appreciate superior remote access performance with Splashtop 2 and Splashtop for Business," said Mark Lee, president and co-founder of Splashtop, Inc. "With the Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad add-on, we're not only bridging any device, anywhere, but also enabling users to customize the way they access and interact with their favorite apps, entertainment and data - creating even greater convenience."
Professional workers, students, teachers and essentially anyone on the go will appreciate how Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad enables the ability to create on-screen virtual shortcuts to the most frequently used functions and also virtual mouse controls to make their work go even faster. Profiles are built in for popular apps such as Microsoft Office, Media Player, QuickTime Player, browsers and Mac OS X. Key Features
• Ability to create customized virtual joy stick with buttons for gamepads
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for most frequently used apps
• Built-in productivity profiles for Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint slideshows),
Media Player, QuickTime Player, browsers, Mac OS X and Windows 8
• Built-in game profiles for Diablo III, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012, with more coming soon
Pricing and Availability
The Configurable Shortcuts Gamepad add-on for Splashtop 2 is available for $0.99/month or $9.99/year subscription and is available for purchase from within the Splashtop 2 app for iPad and Google Play tablets.
For more information on Splashtop 2, visit http://www.splashtop.com/splashtop2. For more information on Splashtop, please visit http://www.splashtop.com; follow the company blog athttp://www.splashtop.com/blog, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Splashtop and on Twitter at @Splashtop.
Supporting Resources:
Splashtop home: http://www.splashtop.com Splashtop 2: http://www.splashtop.com/splashtop2 Splashtop for Business: http://www.splashtop.com/business Splashtop Whiteboard: http://www.splashtop.com/whiteboard Download Splashtop Streamer: http://www.splashtop.com/streamer Benchmarking videos: http://www.splashtop.com/splashtop2#performance-tab
About Splashtop
Splashtop Inc. delivers the best-in-class cross-screen productivity and collaboration experience, bridging smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and cloud. Today, over 12 million users enjoy the convenience of Splashtop Remote Desktop, named to Apple App Store's Top 25 Best Selling iPad Apps of All-Time. Splashtop provides superior performance and ease of use for iOS, Android, RIM, Windows and MAC users who want to remote access their desktops, apps and data anytime, anywhere. Capitalizing on the BYOD/CYOD trends, Splashtop for Business is a secure, high-performance remote desktop solution designed to mobilize workforces in minutes, with full compliance to company IT policies. It provides an on-premise centralized console to monitor, manage, activate/deactivate and audit employee remote access of applications and data across computers and clouds. Many organizations are adopting Splashtop for Business as a faster, more cost effective way to address mobile VPN compatibility issues and RDP over WAN performance challenges, as well as to scale and accelerate existing VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) to mobile knowledge workforces. Splashtop also partners with mobile device management (MDM) vendors, system integrators, security networking vendors, and service providers to deliver flexible SaaS and on-premise solutions for businesses.
Splashtop Whiteboard allows teachers and students to turn their iPad, Android tablet, BN NOOK or Amazon Kindle Fire into a mobile interactive whiteboard at a fraction of the cost of a traditional IWB. Teachers can collaborate, annotate, and share curriculum and content in many formats, including Flash, with all the students while walking around the classroom. Anywhere Access Pack is a Splashtop 2 add-on that allows users to seamlessly access their computers across 3G/4G, Internet and firewalls, using our Splashtop Bridging Cloud(tm), a global relay server infrastructure across US, Europe and Asia. Splashtop Bridging Cloud delivers best-in-class security, reliability and global performance.
Invested in by Storm Ventures, DFJ, NEA, and SAP Ventures, Splashtop is leading the wave of mobility and cloud computing - delivering enhanced productivity and collaboration by bridging users to apps, data and services on any device. For more information on Splashtop, please visithttp://www.splashtop.com.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/splashtop-configurable-shortcuts-and-gamepad/
Olympus Stylus XZ-10 packs control ring and PEN-like AF, we go hands-on at CP+ (video)
We have to say, Olympus has a very compelling point-and-shoot to show off at CP+. The Stylus XZ-10, which launched just this week, includes a small arsenal of features that you wouldn't normally find on a pocketable cam, including incredibly fast autofocus, a control ring around the lens, a dedicated mode dial and a very sharp (920k-dot) 3-inch LCD. The autofocus is the standout here, however -- Olympus describes it as being on-par with its PEN Micro Four Thirds models, and as compacts go, it feels just about as speedy as Sony's RX100. The 5x, 26-130mm lens offers a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-2.7, which should have you covered in most lighting situations. There's a 12-megapixel CMOS chip on board, with sensor-shift image stabilization, and support for 1080/30p video as well.
The camera itself feels very much like a premium device, and it's attractive to boot. There's no built-in WiFi, which we've been seeing embedded with quite a few pocketable models this year, but you can take advantage of some smartphone sharing and editing features if you add on an optional Toshiba FlashAir card. Sadly, there's still no US pricing to speak of, but Olympus reps here in Japan quoted a retail price of ¥40,000 (about $440), plus tax, when the camera hits stores beginning in February. Take a closer look in our hands-on after the break.
Olympus Stylus XZ-10 hands-on
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/olympus-stylus-xz-10-hands-on/
Samsung buys five percent stake in stylus-maker Wacom, strikes manufacturing deal
You don't have to look much further than the millions of Galaxy Notes sold to realize that Samsung is serious about the stylus, but the company's now made that commitment clearer than ever by buying a piece of Wacom. It's not the biggest of investments for a company of Samsung's size, but the $58.9 million it's laid out will give it a five percent voting stake in the company, and a further in with what is one of the world's leading stylus makers. According to Wacom, its share of the global pen tablet market stands at a whopping 85 percent, and its sales of its components for use in smartphones and tablets have nearly doubled from 2011 to 2012.
As for where the new cash infusion will be put to use, Wacom says that by March of 2014 the entire net amount raised from the sale of shares will be invested in "product development and manufacturing and supply system enhancements for products to be supplied to Samsung Electronics," adding that it aims to "expand its relationship" with Samsung even further.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/samsung-buys-five-percent-stake-in-stylus-maker-wacom-strikes-m/
Acer intros Liquid C1 smartphone packing Intel Lexington, low price to match
Remember that unnamed Acer phone we caught skulking about Intel's CES event? It's been given a proper launch: meet the Liquid C1. True to form, the fully revealed device centers around a Lexington-based, 1.2GHz Atom Z2420 processor. The chip gives the C1 enough grunt to power an 8-megapixel camera with burst shooting while keeping the price in check, at about 9,990 baht ($335) off-contract for the inaugural Thailand release in February. Locals will otherwise get a solid Android 4.0 smartphone with a 4.3-inch display, HSPA+ 3G and a battery that lasts for nine hours of 3G talk. Other countries in southeast Asia are next on the list to get Acer's turn at an Intel-powered handset, although we wouldn't expect to see it everywhere -- Intel's Uday Marty warns ZDNet that the absence of LTE will keep phones like the C1 away from markets where the faster data is commonplace.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/acer-intros-liquid-c1-smartphone-packing-intel-lexington/
Slickdeals’ best in tech for January 31st: 42-inch LG 3D HDTV, Dell XPS 8500 and Klipsch S4 in-ears
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long.
In a special Thursday edition of our gadget deals roundup, we offer some of the internet's best buys as we begin to look the weekend's direction. There's a pretty diverse group this time around too, as a Dell desktop, ASUS laptop, Klipsch in-ears, 42-inch LG 3D HDTV and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds digital camera all make the cut. Take a quick jaunt past the break to examine all of the offerings, and be mindful of any coupon codes that may be required in order to cash in.
Grab one of these from Dell.
Snag a pair of these from World Wide Stereo.
This deal is available from BH Photo.
This offer is available over at Newegg.
Grab one of these from Fry's.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/slickdeals-best-in-tech-for-january-31st/
Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 HS and 115 IS hands-on (video)
In Japan, they've been coined the IXUS 255 HS and IXUS 132, but folks in the US will probably recognize them as the ELPH 330 HS and 115 IS. By any name, they're Canon's two mid-range point-and-shoots for CP+, and while they were joined by the A2500 during this week's announcements, that latter model didn't seem to make it to the company's booth here in Yokohama. In any case, if you've handled an ELPH model in recent years, you know what to expect here -- Canon's design hasn't changed much, but we're not complaining. The 330 HS includes a 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, compared to a 16-megapixel CCD in the slightly smaller 115 IS.
Cosmetically, the biggest difference between the two is the powerful 10x optical zoom lens on the 330 HS, compared to a still-respectable 8x optic on the lower-end model. Both cameras offer the same familiar PowerShot UI, and they look nearly identical with the lens retracted. Zoomed in, however, it's clear which camera is the more capable of the bunch. Both performed very well during our hands-on at Canon's booth, though we'd definitely opt for the 330 HS, which offers a superior sensor and extended lens, not to mention built-in WiFi -- it's definitely worth spending an extra 60 bucks to snag the $230 HS model. Both cameras are set to ship beginning in March, but you can check them out in our walkthrough today, embedded just past the break.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 HS and 115 IS hands-on
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/canon-330-hs-115-is-hands-on/
Facebook introduces ‘a new type of gift card,’ is a lot like the old types
If you're still desperate to get that Facebook acquaintance something for their birthday or some kind of anniversary, the Social Network has instituted a new way to take your money give. You'll be able to pick up gift credit for the likes of Jamba Juice, Olive Garden, Sephora and Target, plucking what you'd like from the gift cards and digital category, and stating an amount and the name of the lucky gift-getter. The friend will get a notification and a lovingly Facebook-branded card will be sent to their residence. The card can then be used immediately, reused and even hold multiple balances for the differing providers -- ideal for the times you need fragrances, electronics and ... olives. Balances can be monitored direct from your Facebook page or app, even updating and sending notifications when credit is being used. Facebook says the cards will roll-out gradually across the US, though wasn't specific on any launch regions. Expect to hear more in the next few days.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/facebook-introduces-new-gift-card/
Google delivers Grand Canyon panoramas to less-than-patient tourists
Google must take as long to sift through vacation photos as everyone else. A few months after it sent its Trekker cameras to sweep the Grand Canyon, the resulting panoramas are at last showing on Google Maps. The expansion gives us 360-degree views from paths spanning roughly 75 miles, including tougher routes like the South Kaibab Trail. The views won't fully convey the majesty of standing on the canyon's edge, but they're quicker than booking a hiking expedition in Arizona -- and certainly easier on the legs.
Article source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/google-delivers-grand-canyon-panoramas/