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Shift makes buying a car as easy as ordering a pizza
Buying a car is a pain. Especially if you're looking to save some cash by purchasing something used. You end up scouring tons of random Craigslist listings and dreading the moment a used car dealer sits you down with the hyper-aggressive loan officer. Fortunately, there's a new way to buy a vehicle that doesn't even involve you leaving the house.
Shift is a debit card for your bitcoin wallet
Even though the banking industry and US regulators are getting on board the bitcoin train, actually spending your hard-mined bitcoins can be a bit tricky. Luckily, Coinbase debuted a solution on Friday: the Shift debit card. It's the first such bitcoin-based debit card issued in the US and is backed by VISA. With it, bitcoin users will be able to shop at both on- and offline stores -- basically anywhere that VISA is accepted. The card is linked to your Signing up for the card simply requires filling out this form and paying the $10 issuance fee (in bitcoin of course).
Freedom Wars does battle in NA, Europe on October 29
Freedom Wars is coming to the PlayStation Vita on October 29 in North America and Europe and on October 31 in the UK. The action role-playing game is a collaboration between God Eater creators Shift, Street Fighter X Tekken co-developer Dimps and Sony's Japanese Studio. Participating retailers are offering "the same pre-order DLC as the original Japan release," a post on the PlayStation Blog announced. Ordering the game gives players access to a limited edition costume, powerful starter weapons, limited edition in-game sticker set and a combat pack item. Digital purchases between October 28 and November 11 will include the bonuses. When Freedom Wars found its way to stores in Japan this past June, the game climbed to the second-highest debut for the PlayStation Vita in the region, selling over 188,000 copies. Not a complete shock for a Monster Hunter-style game in the region where Capcom's franchise is king. Freedom Wars is priced at $29.99/ €29.99/ £24.99.
Shift's debit card lets you pay with both real and virtual money
Part of the challenge of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies has simply been the need to juggle different apps and cards to use every payment option at your disposal. Wouldn't it be nice if one card could handle everything? You might just get your wish. Shift Payments is testing a new debit card that can switch between real and virtual money on the spot, such as through an app; you could pay for morning coffee with Bitcoin and after-work groceries using real cash. Loyalty card support is in the works, too.
Europeans free to buy physical copies of Vita's Freedom Wars
Sony Europe U-turned on its decision to only release Freedom Wars online, and now the Vita action game will be available on European retail shelves. In one of those all too rare cases of publishers listening to consumers, Sony says it gave in to demand for a physical edition. The game's already confirmed to hit retail in North America. To recap, Freedom Wars isn't a recreation of Braveheart, but a futuristic online multiplayer game in the vein of Vita entries Soul Sacrifice and Toukiden: The Age of Demons. In the game's totalitarian landscape, you play as one of a world of prisoners who are born into million-year sentences. Since a million years is pretty dang long, you'll want to reduce your incarceration by completing missions for your "Panopticon" penal community.
Vita action game Freedom Wars offers Japanese audio only
The Western version of Freedom Wars features Japanese audio with subtitles in multiple languages, but no English dubs, says Producer Nick Accordino, who also revealed a physical edition of the sci-fi Vita game is "definitely planned" for North America. Sony's also published a new subtitled story trailer, which you'll find below the break. Freedom Wars is set in a dystopian future where players are born into penal communities called Panopticons and have to fight to earn their freedom. Completing the game's action-RPG, Monster Hunter-like missions helps to reduce your incarceration, but - and it's a but big enough to please Sir Mix-a-Lot - your sentence begins at 1 million years. Bit harsh. From a gameplay perspective, there is an interesting regional difference to do with the Panopticons. In Japan, where the game just released, there are 47 Panopticons based on the country's real-life 47 prefectures. According to Accordino (possible sitcom?), the West's Freedom Wars features 50 Panopticons based on cities across the globe, and players can choose which one they'd like to be placed in.
Vita online combat game Freedom Wars makes a break for the West
A year after being announced for Japan, multiplayer action game Freedom Wars gets a surprise confirmation that it's coming to North America and Europe later this year. Co-developed by Devil Dice and God Eater 2 studio Shift and Sonic veteran Dimps, Freedom Wars blends unusual sci-fi with fast-paced combat for up to four players ad-hoc and eight players online. Players take on the role of people suffering a dystopian totalitarianism, where the world is depleted of resources and population growth. These people are born into a sorry life of imprisonment and a rather harsh, somewhat impossible 1 million year sentence. They are doomed to spend their lives in penal communities called Panopticons, which as they sound are filled to the brim with surveillance. To become free of their lengthy incarceration, players complete rescue missions with their friends to reduce their sentences, bit by bit. Maybe not the most well-thought out regime, but it makes for an interesting-sounding game. Freedom Wars is due to hit Japan on June 26, while today's news didn't bring word of a concrete date for the West. Today Sony also confirmed suspicions it's bringing Soul Sacrifice Delta to the West - May 13 in North America, May 14 in Europe - and that it's also ferrying RPG Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke 2 to Western shores at some point as Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines. The Vita game is a follow-up to the 1999 PlayStation game, and it's based around yet another set of cursed individuals, this time a Japanese clan of people who only get to live for 2 years each. So, if you're in a Japanese Vita game you either get 1 million years in prison or 2 years of living - good deal. [Image: Sony]
Maingear rolls out Battlefield 4-themed gaming PCs with Radeon R9 graphics
Do you like Battlefield so much that you bleed blue and orange? You'll like Maingear's new Battlefield 4-branded Shift (pictured at left) and F131 (right) gaming PCs, then. Both special editions will ship with BF4-themed case artwork, desktop wallpaper and codes to download the game itself. They'll also have performance that does justice to EA's military shooter, as Maingear is equipping the two desktops with AMD's just-launched Radeon R9 290X video cards. Pre-orders for the BF4 systems start today; the F131 will set you back $2,199 with one R9 290X inside, while the Shift carries two cards and a heftier $3,789 base price.
Maingear fits 3-way GTX Titan graphics into (un-priced) gaming PC
If you're a high-end gaming PC manufacturer, why not just time your desktop launches for when the latest pixel-blasting GPUs come out? That's exactly how Maingear rolls, so it's just announced three new machines based on NVIDIA's freshly launched GeForce GTX Titan. The new flagship graphics card borrows its name (and some of its tech) from the Kepler-based Titan supercomputer and packs 2,688 CUDA cores and 7.1 billion transistors, along with 6GB of GDDR5 RAM and a 384-bit interface. That lends it 4,500 Gigaflops of horsepower, displacing the company's GTX 690 model at the top while letting modders overclock and overvolt the cards with "higher limits than ever," according to NVIDIA. Maingear will ship three units armed with the Titan: the SHIFT, which will be available in dual or three-way GTX Titan configurations, the F131 with one or two cards and the single-card only Potenza. All feature a 90 degree rotated motherboard design to vent hot air out the top for better cooling, along with with AMD or Intel processors up to the Core i7-3960X six-core model, SATA 6G, USB 3.0 and up to 64GB of RAM. You'll also get 4K max resolution on four simultaneous displays, thanks to two dual-link DVI, HDMI and Display Port 1.2 connectors. There's no word yet on pricing, but for a three-way SLI SHIFT PC? Think big.
Maingear outfits desktops with GeForce GTX 650 and 660, drops prices to lure us in
Whenever there's a new video card or processor, Maingear is almost always on the scene with an upgrade -- sometimes within seconds of its hardware partners. A plan to use NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 650 and 660 graphics chips from day one proves that rule in style, although Maingear is going the distance with some incentives beyond just shiny parts. Along with making the mid-tier GeForce technology an option for every desktop, the PC builder is offering special GTX 650 and 660 versions of its F131 and Potenza gaming rigs that knock as much as $150 off the price. The base prices of $949 for the limited-run Potenza and $1,199 for the F131 keep either system in serious gamer territory and preclude us from calling them tremendous bargains. Nonetheless, it's difficult to grouse very loudly: it's not often that a price drop and a hardware upgrade walk hand in hand.
Hands-on: Maingear Shift running Saitek flight-simulation hardware (video)
Custom PC builder Maingear had something pretty nifty up its sleeve at Pepcom tonight: versions of its desktops configured to run Saitek's flight-simulation hardware -- in this case, with a full cockpit setup. In partnership with Mad Catz, the company developed configurations of its Potenza, F131 and Shift desktops optimized to work with the Saitek line of flight-sim systems. Tonight we saw the Shift paired with some pretty heavy-duty hardware: we're talking 18 USB connections for the full Saitek cockpit. Maingear's pro-certified system packs a Core i7 CPU clocked at up to 3.9GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 graphics (with four GPUs), and with an experienced pilot behind the wheel, that translated into a smooth landing in Flight Simulator X. Maingear says the whole setup -- hardware controls plus the Shift desktop -- will go for $5,500 starting tomorrow. That's the top-of-the-line configuration, mind you; if your piloting aspirations are more modest, you could opt for the more affordable Potenza, which starts at $1,000. Check out a video demo below.%Gallery-158862%
Maingear reveals more heat-dissipating desktops, keeps those new Ivy Bridge internals cool
Maingear gave us a quick nudge to say something was coming. Now it can reveal that -- alongside Intel's third-generation processors inside all of its desktops and laptops -- it's further updated two of its tower models. The F131 ($1,049), the middleweight option, now houses the same vertical heat-dissipating design found on Maingear's Shift model, alongside hot-swappable storage. It's followed by the Potenza ($899), the company's "mini-ITX gaming solution." It's 45 percent smaller than the F131 with the same heat dissipation design, but still capable of squeezing in NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 and support for a liquid cooling setup on the side. Phew. So pick your size, pick your processor and hit up the source for all the custom desktop options.
Maingear teases incoming desktop line, promises smaller towers and Ivy Bridge CPUs
Maingear's Shift is a force to be feared, but it generally requires an entire wing of one's home to be assembled and configured. Hyperbole aside, there's no question that Maingear's aiming to branch out somewhat after the aforesaid rig's successful run, today teasing an "all new line of desktops." We're told to expect smaller designs with "clean" aesthetics, Vertical Exhaust cooling technology and third-generation Intel Core processors (with factory overclocked options, naturally). Prices are slated to start at $899, though there's no real clue as to when we'll see these things up for pre-order. Here's hoping you didn't plop down an order last week, huh?
Maingear says it will offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970 in its Shift, F131 and Vybe desktops
When AMD announced its latest flagship, the Radeon HD 7970, we knew it was fast and efficient (because reviewers said so!), but gamers were told they'd have to wait until the new year to try it themselves. Now, precisely on schedule, the card is available for purchase, and we're starting to hear word of systems that will be refreshed to include the 28nm card. Maingear just said that it will offer the 7970 inside its Shift and F131 desktops, followed by the Vybe at some later date. If you recall, the card has a 925MHz engine that can be overclocked to 1.1GHz, 2,048 stream processors and an unusual 384-bit memory bus serving 3GB of GDDR5 -- not to mention, it's capable of a mere 3W power draw in "long idle" mode. Need even more of a recap on how awesome this card is? Find the full PR after the break.
'Shifting World' brings world-flipping puzzle platforming to 3DS
The Shift browser game series is being ... transferred to another platform. Aksys Games has announced a 3DS game based on the puzzle platformers, called Shifting World. Like the browser originals from Armor Games, Shifting World works by letting you switch between "black" and "white" mode at will, flipping gravity and altering which parts of the level are the floor, and which are the background. Aksys and developer Fishing Cactus add a literal extra dimension of play by also putting "2D" and "3D" switching in the levels. There's also a "level generator of awesomeness" that makes levels from DataMatrix barcodes -- the same barcodes that appear to be the visual inspiration for the game. Despite its windowed origins, Shifting World is making a move up to retail. Aksys is planning a 2012 release.
Maingear brings Intel i7-3960X Extreme Edition chip, Epic Audio Engine to desktops, extreme gamers
Looking to add a dash of extremity to your gaming existence? Maingear's got you covered, now that it's added a second generation Intel Core i7 CPU to a handful of its desktop offerings. Today, the company announced yet another upgrade to its SHIFT, Quantum SHIFT and F131 desktops, with the addition of the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor. According to Maingear, this extra horsepower will provide gamers with a 34 percent improvement in performance at normal speeds, while offering similar enhancements in video editing and 3D rendering capabilities. That's all thanks to the fact that the i7-3960X can be overclocked at a handsome 5.2GHz, with a quad-channel memory structure that brings even more bandwidth to the table. On top of that, the company has also added its own EPIC Audio Engine to this troika of rigs, using Aphex's processing technology to offer audio that, according to Maingear, is "more balanced, more articulated, and simply put, better sounding." The revamped desktops are on sale now, so hit up the source link for more information, or check out the full PR, after the break.
Maingear and Origin PC shove Intel's Core i7 2700K into gaming rigs, overclock it beyond 5GHz
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were both unavailable for comment, but we're guessing the pair would be quite pleased to see that the tech world's Need For Speed is hardly fading. Maingear and Origin PC have both announced this week that their high-end gaming desktops are now available with Intel's Core i7 2700K -- a beast of a processor that's clocked from the factory at 3.5GHz. Maingear's shoving this guy into its SHIFT (starting at $1,985) and F131 (starting at $1,228) rigs, with factory overclocking options pushing it beyond 5GHz. Origin is hawking its Genesis desktop with a factory speed of 5.2GHz, and yes, gratis warranties are thrown in for the paranoid. Hit the links below to give your wallet the dent it's been asking for.
Install Windows 8 onto your HTC Shift today, give it a reason to wake up in the morning (video)
If you've got an HTC Shift sitting around that's collecting dust and not doing much else, it could find a new lease on life with the revelation of its (very unofficial) support for Windows 8. Like they did for Mac OS X previously, the folks at xda-developers have shoehorned Microsoft's latest Developer Preview OS onto the dejected UMPC, and so long as you've got a bit of spare time, the right equipment and are good at following instructions, you can too. All the basic driver support appears to be in order, including support for video acceleration, the touchscreen and WiFi. Granted, you should keep in mind you'll be installing pre-release software on unsupported hardware, but isn't that half the fun? There's a video after the break (heads-up: it's in French), and if you're looking to get started right away, you'll find a full list of instructions in the source below. [Thanks, M.]
Sprint EVO Shift 4G shows up on Walmart's website, HTC teases big in Vegas
"It's not your dream phone. It's the one after that," coming January 6th. Catchy teaser from HTC, as seen displayed across the side of an entire building for all the CES attendees to see. We can't say for sure what device it's referencing, but we wouldn't be entirely surprised if it ended up being the oft-leaked sequel to its Evo 4G, aptly titled the Evo Shift 4G. Walmart's got a page up for the device, and while the listed specs are heavily contradictory (a 3.7-inch screen that's also a 4.3-inch display? Android 2.2 but no threaded messaging?), the gallery of crisp press shots are definitely a sight to see, Sprint logo and all. Enjoy those below, and stay tuned for your next dream phone (does that mean we won't want it until we sign a two-year contract for something else?) this Thursday -- picture of the teaser after the break. [Thanks, David M] %Gallery-112382%
Mac 101: The wonderful magical Shift key
Oh that Shift key. So normal, so overlooked, so simple ... and yet so magical. TUAW reader Karan recently dropped us a note, reminding us about its slow-speed enchantment. "I don't think a lot of Mac users know this," he wrote, "but the Shift key has a very cool (although obviously just for extra eye-candy) feature on the Mac." When depressed, the Shift key will slow down certain on-screen animations, giving an extra long visual boost to window transitions. For example, you can shift in the following scenarios: while minimizing an application window to the Dock while clicking the Full Screen button in QuickTime X (or while using a pinch to zoom to full screen) while sliding four fingers down to invoke Exposé while sliding those same four fingers up to "Show the Desktop" while selecting a minimized Dock or Exposé window Karan adds, "The above are the main areas I've found that I can use this neat little Shift trick, and I think it would be fitting of the 'Mac 101' title since I've encountered veteran Mac-users who are unaware of this." TUAW agrees, and here you are. Thanks, Karan
