ASUS and Sennheiser Deliver World's First Total Audio Solution Optimized for First Person Shooters -

The new ASUS Xonar Xense One and Sennheiser PC350 Xense Edition package is the result of cooperation between ASUS and premier personal audio maker Sennheiser. Xonar Xense is a perfectly matched combination of cutting edge audio card and superior quality headphones that reinvents immersive sound for serious gamers. The gaming audio set creates unbeatable sonic experiences in PC gaming that are sure to be appreciated by hardcore gamers keen on competitive online play.

Working Together to Produce Immersive Acoustics

The Xonar Xense audio card from ASUS and the Sennheiser PC350 headphones were co-developed and tuned to augment each other’s strong suits. During the year-long tuning period for Xonar Xense, ASUS engineers tried some 1,000 headphone combinations in pursuing the best match for the new audio component, and the Sennheiser PC350 proved perfect. Unlike random audio card/headphone combinations, Xonar Xense features a holistic design from the ground up, crafting a balance of the two components. There is no quality gap between audio card and headphones, so no quality is lost in transition.

Spatial Awareness with Precision Sound

Gamers experienced in first person shooters know the importance of accuracy, as auditory cues are vital in getting the jump on opponents. This is something Xonar Xense addresses with first person shooter-optimized surround that amplifies even minor ambient effects. Xonar Xense provides listeners with excellent noise reduction and accurate positioning of audio, and these advantages can make or break a successful play session.

Geared for Action with Uncompromised Quality

Xonar Xense boasts meticulous EMI shielding that protects the audio card from nearby PC components and other electronic devices. Sound remains consistent and full-bodied. Likewise, the heavy duty 6.5mm studio jacks offer better conveyance than standard 3.5mm plugs, further ensuring gamers get full spectrum audio. Both card and headphones offer complete support for Dolby Headphone 5.1 as well as ASUS’ own Xonar GX2.5 audio engine. On top of that, the ergonomically-designed headphones allow gamers to fight to the end without experiencing any fatigue.

No longer do PC gamers interested in privacy and considering the peace and quiet of others need to compromise their enjoyment — Xonar Xense makes personal game audio exciting.

ATi R600 Help Ease IC Substrate Oversupply

The upcoming R600, which is made on 80nm, is helping ease the oversupply of IC substrates, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report, which noted that the chip is expected to be officially announced on either March 8 or 9. The paper said that orders for IC substrates started to be released in late January and the ramp up in demand was evident in the January sales record of major substrate makers, including Nanya Printed Circuit Board (NPC), Phoenix Precision Technology (PPT) and Kinsus Interconnect Technology.

Asus' Maximus V Formula to be available in two SKUs

So far Asus has been very secretive about one feature of its upcoming Maximums V Formula R.O.G. motherboard and even covered up part of the motherboard when showing off the board at various events. VR-Zone can now exclusively reveal what the hidden feature is and weve also found out that Asus will be offering two slightly different SKUs of the motherboard in question.

Beyond what we reported back in March, not that much appear to have change with the board itself, but it looks like Asus will be bundling a dual band mini PCI Express 802.1a/b/g/n Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 4.0 card with the board, something that wasnt clear at the press event.

Sadly this is the best picture weve managed to dig up of the two SKUs

The big secret that Asus was hiding on the boards with a small cardboard cover with an R.O.G. logo on it is a headphone amplifier. Sadly we dont have a picture of it, but its using a Texas Instruments 6120A2 amplifier, an amplifier Asus has used in some of its higher-end sound cards like the Xonar Essence STX. Were still not sure about the audio codec for this motherboard, so well have to wait and see, as Asus is simply using its SupremeFX IV branding which doesnt really give away a lot of details, as the company has used various audio controllers with the SupremeFX branding.

As we mentioned, Asus will be offering two SKUs of the Maximus V Formula, one with and one without the ThunderFX USB sound card and amplifier. Were still not sure we get the point of the ThunderFX as a motherboard bundle, as this C-Media 6631 powered USB sound card appears to have been designed more for console use as a headset amplifier and noise cancelling solution. Wed rather have had the noise cancelling built into the motherboard audio in this case via some external microphone array, but then again, a pair of noise cancelling headphones ought to do the job just as well.

Asus should be unveiling the Maximus V Formula at Computex next week, alongside a range of other new R.O.G. products at a special press event. We would expect the Maximus V Formula to be yet another expensive model from Asus, but it should be less than the P8Z77-V Premium at least.

Apple Users Unlikely To Switch

One analyst, Bill Shope at Goldman Sachs, has estimated the value of loyal Apple users, which are unlikely to switch to another platform, at nearly $295 billion. In a note to investors on Friday, the analyst said that he believes the average iOS customer is worth $1,053, assuming the average selling price of an iOS device is $535 with an erosion of 5%, a gross margin of 45%, and annual defections of 5%. Sharpe wrote that, without considering content, services, peripherals or growth potential, his valuation implies a value of nearly $295 billion for the current install base. That represents roughly 55% of Apple’s current market cap, before including the $110 billion cash balance the company has, a continuously growing install base or the Mac and iPod businesses.

Goldman Sachs also conducted a survey of 1,000 iOS users, which found that 21% of respondents would never defect from Apple’s platform, regardless of discounts. More than half of those who would switch, however, said they would need a discount of greater than 30% in order to do so. 71% of respondents said they were “highly likely” to choose Apple for their next tablet or smartphone; only 1% were “unlikely” to stick with Apple.

ASUS Unveils All-in-one PC ET2400 Series

ASUShas unveiled their latestET2400 series All-in-one PC that combines powerful computing performance,superior audio from ASUS SonicMaster Technology ona 23.6-inch Full HD widescreen.

The proprietary ASUSSonicMaster Technologyis a hardware and software audio solution that utilizes codecs designed to minimize distortions and deliver crystal clear sound. The results isa richer and more distinct vocals at a wider frequency range, as well as deeper bass at the lower ranges.

TheAll-in-one PC ET2400 models come with a 23.6-inchwidescreen Full HD display and withNVIDIA 3D Vision technology, you can enjoy your movies and gamesin 3D.

Other options includebuilt-in TV tuner, Blu-ray drive, and HDMI-in, compatibility with devices like game consoles, cameras and notebooks.

Source: ASUS

Scribblenauts Unlimited débarque sur PC !

Alors que l'on pensait que la série se limitait aux plateformes Nintendo de par son gameplay atypique et parfaitement adapté à la détection de mouvements ou à l'écran tactile, voilà que 5th Cell annonce la mise en chantier d'une version PC de Scribblenauts Unlimited.

Vous avez bien lu. Le prochain épisode de la série Scribblenauts aura droit à sa version PC car, d'après les développeurs, le clavier et la souris sont des outils idéals pour prendre en main leur jeu. Cette version sera disponible via Steam et profitera du Steam Workshop. Comment ? Tout simplement en publiant les puzzles créés par les joueurs qui pourront ainsi partager leur création à l'envie.

Avec plus de 100 000 mots et adjectifs reconnus, cet opus promet d'être varié et profond. Aucune date de sortie n'a encore été avancée, la faute à la version WiiU qui sortira, sans doute, en même temps que la console.

NB : L'image illustrant cette news est tirée de la version 3DS du jeu.

· Forum Scribblenauts Unlimited

christmas with the psychopaths “silent night, deadly night 4 initiation”

And now we go way off the rails. Which is not necessarily such a bad thing. Into the Silent Night, Deadly Night picture comes one Brian Yuzna, best known for producing cult horror favorites like Re-Animator, but by no means a slouch as a director himself. Figuring (quite rightly) that the whole Billy/Ricky -as-killer-Santa thing had run out of gas, the producers of the now straight-to-video Silent Night series figured that Yuzna could give their flagging franchise a shot in the arm, and that he certainly did, even if the end result was, shall we say, mixed at best.

Look, I’m not going to kid you here — 1990′s Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 : Initiation isn’t a very good movie. Storywise, it’s a bit of a mess, and that’s me being polite. The acting takes OTT to ludicrous extremes. And the Christmas connection is tenuous at best (indeed, you could just as easily have set this story around Halloween, thanksgiving, Easter, or even the 4th of July). However, I’m willing to give Yuzna and co. points for trying something different here.

The first thing you need to know is that this movie has nothing to do with the previous three — the whole sordid history of the brothers Caldwell is just that, history. The Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise at this point is just a label for DTV Christmas-themed (again, in this case only vaguely) horror films. Our story this time revolves around an intrepid young reporter named Kim (Neith Hunter) who is investigating a bizarre death that occurs around Christmastime (and that’s the extent of the holiday connection here — told you it was shaky at best). A woman on fire leapt to her death from the top of a building and our gal Kim wants answers, damnit! The answers she finds, though, just lead to more questions —

First she learns that the woman dies from spontaneous internal combustion. Don’t see that every day. Then she learns that the mystery lady had something to do with a modern-day ultra-feminist (to put it kindly) cult dedicated to the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. Then she meets the cult’s beautitful leader, Fima (Maud Adams of Octopussy fame). Then she learns the cult has selected her to become the host for a reincarnated Isis, and she’s gonna be their new queen!

Oh, and along the way we’ve got giant maggots and the one and only Clint Howard as a guy named Ricky (not Caldwell and nothing to do with the first three flicks) in a comically evil scenery-chewing turn as a lecherous creep helping the ladies out.

Look, this isn’t Yuzna’s finest hour by any stretch, but it’s okay. It’s hard not not like, at least on some level, any movie with Clint Howard and giant maggots. But it’s a confused, jumbled mess of a film, even if it has its heart in the right place. It was certainly time (heck, well past time) for the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise as a whole to move in a new direction. I’m just not sure this was the way to go.

Again, as with the last flick, this one’s available on DVD as part of Lionsgate’s three-disc Silent Night, Deadly Night Collection. There are no extras whatsoever but the digitally remastered?full-frame transfer and?2.o Dolby stereo?sound are both of very?solid quality.

And so the post-Santa-slasher chapter of the saga begins on a bizarre and unique, if uneven, front. In a way this movie is almost a reverse image of part three — that was a standard, even dull, flick approached with competence and consummate professionalism. This was an attempt to do something utterly, weirdly different that fails in the execution. On to the next (and last) movie in the series, then, where weird is only the beginning!