Aura
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Spracht Aura EQ Bluetooth headset boasts dual mics, equalizer and capacitive volume control
Spracht. It's probably not a company name you're intimately familiar with, but as with Jawbone, we're fully expecting it to become a mainstay in the Bluetooth earpiece sector after this unveiling. The Aura EQ earset is one of the wildest BT devices we've seen to date, boasting a slick, almost futuristic design and a smattering of features that are startlingly unique. For starters, it ships with twin switchable, focusable microphones, and if its ability to pair with up to eight phones doesn't bowl you over, maybe the built-in six-band equalizer will. Essentially, this headset will amplify and equalize the voice of whoever is speaking, which compensates for volume loss in certain ranges when communicating on a windy day or over a lackluster connection. Finally, exterior touts a capacitive volume control: simply slide your finger up or down the base, and the volume increases or decreases. No knobs or minuscule rocker switches to fuddle with. You'll be able to check this out worldwide in March for around $79 (estimated street price).
Motorola Ivory E18 luxury phone developed, scrapped
If you're considering a luxury cellphone, you've probably given some thought to the Aura -- either as an object of unattainable techno-lust, or as a way to lighten your wallet by a grand or two (don't even get us started in Vertu). According to Mobile Review, Motorola wasn't planning on stopping there: The Ivory E18 (a name which either evokes elegance or animal cruelty, depending on your POV) featured a slider with two movements (a short slide for function keys, and a longer for the T9 keypad), a small footprint, and a 3 megapixel camera. The price? Well, for the stainless steel chassis you were looking at about €2,000 (about $2,821 at the moment). Also planned were phones with gold and platinum chassis, which would take the purchase price up to "several tens of thousands" of Euros. If Motorola wasn't aware of the sheer silliness of such an extravagant phone, at least the carriers were -- apparently it was lack of interest on their part that caused Moto to sack the project. Make sure you hit that read link for the whole story -- in Bulgarian.[Via Unwired View]
Motorola's Aura Celestial Edition soon taking "giant leaps" for "mankind"
Here's a fact: the world really doesn't need another mildly tweaked Aura. Sorry, it just doesn't. That being true and all, we're still pretty jazzed to see Motorola giving the ultra-luxurious handset another go with the moon-themed Celestial Edition. Word on the street has it that this here handset won't deviate much from the predecessor, but it will come pre-loaded with multimedia from the original moon landing mission, a laser etched quote honoring the 40th anniversary of the journey and a price tag that's far, far beyond stratospheric. We're told that it's all set to go on sale next month, but good luck finding one.[Via phoneArena]
An angle on EVE's New Player Experience and the game's harsh realities
There are few MMOs on the market today that can seem as intimidating to a new player as EVE Online. Some of this comes from the infamous things people have heard about the game, tales of deception and betrayal, but there is a fair amount of complexity to EVE as well and no shortage of digital villains prowling New Eden's thousands of solar systems injecting risk into the game. The first days and weeks of gameplay experienced by many pilots has led to more than a few descriptions of the experience as an initiation of sorts, conjuring up images of hazings, an analogy that actually holds true in many respects. Anyone who sticks with the game learns through trial and error that the setting of New Eden, by design, can be quite harsh. Even if you're not into PvP, it pervades EVE Online; at the very least players who are to succeed in the game must ultimately learn to adapt and evade the more malevolent players, if not defend themselves from attackers directly.While EVE will likely never be as easy to get a handle on as some other MMOs out there -- the game's depth and complexity actually being a major draw for its subscribers -- CCP Games has taken steps to better ease new players into New Eden with the New Player Experience (NPE) which was part of the Apocrypha expansion launch. But is EVE's New Player Experience, which does not separate rookie pilots into a safe zone to learn the ropes, the right way to introduce players to the game? This is the focus of a WarCry article by Steven Croop titled "Aura is Aura by Any Other Name".
David Beckham bends it like a Terminator for Motorola's Aura
Never before in the history of humankind has a company that's been doing so badly had such an enormous amount of money to waste. Enter Motorola, and, consequently, their new Aura advertisement featuring megahunk David Beckham doing what he does best: absolutely nothing. There's not much that we can say that the Terminator-inspired ad won't say for us, so putter on after the break and catch the ad itself, plus Beckster beefcaking it up like a pro and sharing his innermost insights on Moto's $2,000 phone. [Thanks, ugotamesij]
Amosu hands-on: pink, pricey, and plenty of diamonds
While scavenging for pricey handsets to hang on the gilded walls at the Mansion, we luckily bumped into one Alexander Amosu, of Amosu fame. The Amosu brand is synonymous with gold, encrusted and dripping with gemstones, and most of all, pricey. In his bag of tricks we found three fully-kitted BlackBerry Bolds, a pink iPhone, and an iced Motorola Aura. If you lined them up on a table -- which, of course, we did -- you'd be looking at some 12 plus carats and a price tag somewhere up around 50k. Sure, we're normally harsh on these types of things, but seeing them up close, we could almost kinda get it. Huge sparkling gallery after the break, so if you have shades, now's the time to don them.%Gallery-45070%
Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXIX: AURA clone loses a vowel and a lot of class
Despite finding it incredibly luscious to behold, we realize not everyone can afford to drop $2,000 on a piece of pocket jewelery like the Motorola AURA -- ourselves sadly included. Regardless, we would never advise anyone to go the KIRF route, and that includes the RicT-007 AVRA. It looks to offer something of the etched beauty of Moto's choice handset but lacks the exclusivity, cherry wood packaging, and, we presume, the solid feel of the real thing. Yes that ¥750 price (about $100) is mighty tempting, but resist, fair readers, resist. [Via Engadget Chinese]
Video: Motorola Aura in action
After we got done drooling over that hands-on gallery with the Aura, we thought we'd take the thing for a quick spin on video. It's really impossible to convey how sharp and choice this thing looks and feels in person, but we did our best. Video after the break.
Motorola Aura hands-on
OK, the Motorola Aura isn't new at CES this year, but honestly, how could you expect us to pass up an opportunity to check it out? So yeah, we might have been harsh on it when we were talking price, but up close this is an amazing little phone. The housing material, build quality, keys, assisted-opening blade mechanism, and sapphire crystal lens are all perfectly done, the display -- while admittedly tiny -- is nothing short of completely stunning. This is without a doubt one of the nicer phones we've handled, though the jury's still out on functionality. Follow on to see a gallery loaded with pics that we're hoping show just how beautiful this thing really is. End of gush.%Gallery-41529%
Motorola Aura gets unboxed
We've seen it up close and even knocked-off already, but when it comes to a $2,000 phone, we're guessing that a proper unboxing is as high on your list of must-sees as it is on ours. Thankfully, the folks at T3 have come through and done the honors and, as far as unboxings go, this one certainly doesn't disappoint. As you can see above, the phone comes packed in a rather stylish and sturdy box that likely won't be seeing too many trash cans any time soon and, of course, the phone itself is looking as envy-inducing as ever. Hit up the link below for plenty more shots, and keep an eye on T3 for a complete review that's promised to be coming soon.
AURA in stock at Motorola store, still fiercely expensive
So the moment you and your second mortgage have been dreaming about is here -- though sadly, the price cut you might have wished for is not. For all those clamoring for the $2,000 AURA, Moto's store has it listed as in-stock and we've a sneaking suspicion that unlike the BlackBerry Storm, these aren't going to sell through in hours. So take your time, ponder just how many Xbox 360s, PS3s, or robots you could get instead, then, like we know you will, buy it and start showing it off.[Via phoneArena]
Keepin' it real fake, part CLXVIII: Motorola Aura clone is everything we ever wanted in a knockoff
If there was ever a phone worth cutting down to size with a completely shoddy but not actually completely unattractive fake edition, it's the Motorola Aura. What we have here is the Wingtech D20, which shares the swivel form factor of the Aura, mocks the round LCD with a perfectly boring square one in a round hole, and boasts a surprisingly weak complement of features, even for a "fake" phone. Oh how you suffer for fashion, Motorola.[Thanks, Chris]
Motorola to prevent secondhand AURA sales on eBay?
We'll be completely straight-up with you: we don't believe this for a second. Okay, maybe for a nanosecond, but not a full-on second. An unnamed source close to Motorola has reportedly informed Register Hardware that in order to maintain the AURA's appearance of exclusivity, buyers will be required to "sign into a contract that states they can't sell it on eBay." As if that wasn't preposterous enough, this so-called "source" also added that "if an AURA owner wants to sell their phone after they've bought it then they'll only have one option: to sell it back to the manufacturer." Even if this does miraculously prove true, we can't imagine Moto actually doing anything should someone decide to sell, and besides, there's always Yahoo! Auctions the flea market, right?
Motorola's production AURA gets delicate hands-on treatment
Yeah, you've seen the pre-production units, but that whole "Your Name - S/N xxxx" kind of tarnished the whole experience a bit. After all, when you're looking at images of a $2,000 phone, you expect flawlessness. Boy Genius himself has managed to procure a real deal production AURA, and rather than just sitting around gawking at the gorgeous circular LCD for hours on end, he had the heart to snap a few photos so we could all live a little vicariously. Hit the read link to have a look at what you're probably definitely missing out on.
Motorola's nearly unattainable AURA gets gobs of hands-on photos
When we hear "hands-on," we generally expect a smattering of images detailing the highlights -- you know, about as many as a fidgety PR person will allow, or about as many as one can take before they succumb to self-indulgence. In this "first look" of Motorola's ridiculously luxurious $2,000 AURA, however, the author not only took the time to detail his first impressions, but to also upload dozens of snapshots to show you exactly what this here handset looks like in just about every possible light. And that's a good thing too, because the chances of any of us simpletons actually seeing one in the flesh is slim to none.[Thanks, Drei Drei]
Motorola intros avant-garde $2,000 AURA, markets it like a Rolex
We can't remember the last time we purchased a phone because it possessed 700+ individual components, a stainless steel housing or a front plate that takes a fortnight to create, but Motorola's hoping you start to care about that kind of minutiae right about now. The admittedly gorgeous AURA (previously coined V70) is the world's first handset with a 16-million color circular display, and aside from making / receiving calls with the utmost clarity, it also boasts a Swiss-made main bearing, 62-carat sapphire crystal lens, a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, microUSB port, quad-band GSM connectivity, a microSD card slot, multimedia player and up to 7.3-hours of talk time (400-hours in standby). The 4.97-ounce handset is available exclusively from the MOTO STORE for $1,999.99, with pre-orders shipping out beginning December 4th. Who's in?[Thanks, Paulo and Jake]Read - Dedicated AURA websiteRead - Motorola AURA press release%Gallery-34989%
Ten things every new player should know about EVE Online
There are some valuable lessons learned as you progress in EVE Online, lessons which get pounded into you when making mistakes. There are so many things you wish someone had told you before you went out and made a noobish ass of yourself. Even with the much-improved Aura tutorial that's been implemented in EVE, there are lots of things that still cause players to scream something to the effect of, "Why didn't anyone warn me?!" This is often accompanied by frantically warping away from one's obliterated ship in an escape pod with a liberal amount of cursing. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way.
Samsung unveils Aura and Eclipse Montevina-based laptops
Montevina-based laptops are slowly but surely starting to trickle out, and Samsung's the latest to joint the party with a new Aura machine and the entirely new Eclipse line. The new R510 Aura sports a 15.4-inch screen, 2.53GHz T9400 Core 2 Duo on Montevina's 1066MHz bus with integrated X4500 graphics, 4GB of RAM, a dual-layer burner and a 320GB drive in a five-pound package, while the new Eclipse R710 17-inch desktop replacement sports a 2.53GHz P9500 Core 2 Duo and 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics in a new case design with colorful accents. Rounding out the Eclipse line are the 12.1-inch Q210 and 13.3-inch Q310 (pictured), which are being billed as ultraportables. Both feature NVIDIA 256MB GeForce 9200M GS, 4GB of RAM, 320GB drives, and dual-layer burners in the new Eclipse case design, but the Q210 makes do with a 2.26GHz P8400 Core 2 Duo, while the larger Q310 gets a 2.4GHz chip. No pricing information is available yet, but scroll past the break for pictures of the other machines.Read - Eclipse Q210 and Q310Read - Eclipse R710Read - Aura R510
The Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings and Auras part III
Alright, so much for Wrath of the Lich King. Everything looks cool so far and it's shaping up to be one heck of an expansion. Maybe somewhere in between Levels 70 and 80, Blizzard will throw in more creative Seals, Blessings, and Auras for the Paladin to play with. With the revelation that Death Knights will be sporting a Paladin-like ability called Presence, it's time for us to take a look at the Paladin's third core ability, the Aura. In many respects, Auras are the most defining ability of a Paladin because it's something that cannot be taken away from them. It is a Holy spell applied as a Physical buff, so it cannot be dispelled or stolen. Only the ridiculously overpowered Cyclone (you can quote me on that) removes it temporarily (it used to be permanent prior to Patch 2.2). But more on that later.Auras are an important part of a Paladin's arsenal but are also the most underrated. If I had 1 Copper for each Paladin I've seen rush headlong into battle with Crusader Aura on, I would probably have enough Gold to train for Artisan Riding all over again. Auras are passive area-of-effect buffs that affect the Paladin and her party and cost nothing to cast. Because it is a party-wide buff, it helps to get the Holy talent Aura Mastery for more group utility. Auras can also be toggled in between eating and drinking or while mounted, but not while casting spells. As good as Auras are, however, it suffers from one major shortcoming: it activates the Global Cooldown.
The Light and How to Swing It: Seals, Blessings, and Auras part I
In the Burning Crusade intro cinematic, we see an extremely cool sight with a Draenei Paladin reading from a libram, casting a spell, and walking dramatically away with his Hammer of the Naaru over his shoulder. That spell that he cast was a Seal, one of the core features around which the class is designed. A Seal lasts thirty seconds (which makes you wonder why the Draenei in the video cast it, seeing as how he'll probably need to refresh it once he's out of the building) and can be unleashed through a Judgement for a particular effect. Seals are self-affecting magic effects while Blessings, the other core class mechanic, can be cast on others and often have longer durations. Auras are an area-of-effect buff and the third core class feature that rounds out the Paladin's playing mechanics. Although other classes have persistent area-of-effect buffs such as a Shaman's totems or a Druid's 41-point talents, only Paladins have passive, permanent aura. Understanding and mastering the use of these three core features are key to playing the Paladin class.
