creative labs
Latest
Weekends with Engadget: the Moto E, futuristic Army helmets and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more action, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Creative HanZpad hurdles FCC, will deliver ICS and quad-core goodness to China
Creative Labs might want to get some white gloves, because we recognized its fingerprints on the HanZPad, a Chinese tablet platform which just landed at the FCC. Using its own ZiiLABS division's ZMS-40 ICS optimized SoC (system on chip), the thinnish 7.95mm tab looks to have meaty specs with a quad-core ARM 1.5GHz processor, 1280 x 800 10-inch IPS display, 1GB RAM and microSD slot allowing up to 64GB of external storage. On top of Android 4.0 support, Creative will be developing its own OS for the device, which will be distributed through OEMs and its own channels. While currently tapped for the Chinese market, Creative's weighty US presence may suggest it'll eventually reach across the Pacific -- if it does, let's just hope it leaves the smudges behind.
Creative teases Sound Blaster Axx with the most forced puns we've ever seen
It's been a long, long while since Creative spruced up its Sound Blaster audio hardware, so a teaser for something new certainly has us intrigued. The page mentions little beyond an Axx name and that there will be a "whole new generation" of the technology uncovered on May 30th. There's a contest to win whatever the device might be if you're astute enough to predict the future name, but this may be a softball question given the not-so-subtle hints. Between terrible puns about the "axx-traterestrial" coming and winners getting to "axx-perience" the technology first, we have a feeling that any name that doesn't put "Axx" front and center is out of the running.
Creative's 7-inch ZiiO tablet gets Froyo this Friday, 10-inch model to follow suit
If you happen to be one of the handful of Creative ZiiO tablet users, then we have good news for you: come Friday, the 7-incher will be the first of the Ziio duo to receive its Froyo update, whereas its 10-inch sibling's expected to follow suit by April. So what's new? Well, the list includes greater language support, new passcode options, the ability to install apps onto external storage, and a text-to-speech engine. Once available, you can obtain the update from either Creative's website or the tablets' ZiiO Space portal; but by all means, feel free to butter up the folks over at xda-developers to slap some Honeycomb onto these ZiiOs instead.
Blizzard announces Memories of Blizzard video contest
Blizzard has just announced the Memories of Blizzard video contest as part of the company's 20th anniversary celebration. Fans can capture their favorite Blizzard memories on camera and submit them for a chance to win loads of prizes from Razer, Steelseries, Creative Labs, TavernCraft, DC Direct, PrintWarcraft, and even an all-expenses-paid trip to BlizzCon. Fire up your video cameras and get creating. Check out the official details here. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega headphones have a long name, connect to PC and game consoles wirelessly
We still haven't been able to evaluate Creative's original claim that the Sound Blaster Tactic 3D series can tell up from down, but the company's already got a third set of virtual surround sound headphones. The Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega (whew) adds wireless to what looks like a nearly identical set of cans, and connects to PCs, game consoles, and other home audio components with a base station on the other end. At $200, they're not cheap, so we hope Creative's increased the quality of its materials and construction quite a bit -- the original sets were fairly flimsy, as we recall. PR after the break.
Creative Ziio 7- and 10-inch Android tablets say 'me too'
Somewhere in the world, Creative just announced a pair of 7-inch (480 x 800) and 10-inch (1024 x 768) Ziio tablets running the Android 2.1 OS. Both feature a ZiiLabs ZMS-08 processor, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, WiFi 802.11b/g, and microSD expansion. They're slated to ship in December with the 7-incher costing €229 (8GB) or €259 (16GB) and the 10-incher demanding €289 (8GB) or €319 (16GB). And somewhere, somebody must be jonesin' for these resistive touchscreen tablets (China?), just not here. [Thanks, Yutaka]
Creative's new gaming headset can tell up from down
Creative's latest cans may not have the pizazz of a wireless World of Warcraft rig, but they've got one feature guaranteed to make hardcore PC gamers swoon -- they claim to be the very first to offer truly three-dimensional surround sound. Embued with the latest revision of Creative's THX software collaboration (dubbed THX TruStudio Pro) the Sound Blaster Tactic 3D series "delivers a 360 degree surround sound gaming experience so gamers can hear sounds clearly from the front, back, above and below." There's also a set of customizable audio profiles so you can tune all the other presumably-more-powerful TruStudio algorithms just the way you like, though it's not clear whether Creative's included on-board memory or just has a desktop app. In terms of hardware, the $60 Tactic 3D Alpha comes with 40mm drivers, a USB audio adapter and a detachable noise-canceling microphone, while $90 buys you the Tactic 3D Sigma with larger 50mm drivers and a steel headband as well when both debut later this month. We have to admit, we're curious to hear for ourselves whether they work as advertised -- they sound like just the thing for a nice, relaxing Portal speedrun. Full PR after the break.
Creative's Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD gets audiophile preview
Remember when Creative just made sound cards? Those were the days. The company has lost its way (and its market share) since then, but is trying to trump the competition again with the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD soundcard. It's a PCIe powerhouse, an upgrade from the previous Fatal1ty-branded model thanks to its golden connectors and better onboard circuitry. What kind of circuitry? There's a NJM4556A dual op-amp, the same used by Grado's headphone amps, two National LME49710 op-amps, and a Burr-Brown PCM1794 DAC. If that's all a meaningless stream of letters and brands to you, don't worry: your on-board audio outputs will continue to do just fine. For those looking for a little more, all that remains to be seen is how Creative's HD offering will stack up against other audiophile-grade soundcards. We hope to be hearing about that very soon. [Thanks, Wayne]
Creative's new headset keeps WoW gamers engrossed in all-night raids
It's a little late to be jumping on the World of Warcraft bandwagon, but it's safe to say that there are still quite a few addicted dedicated players out there in dire need of a headset. You know, to keep their roommates from going batty as they stay up all night congregating with digital friends and "leveling up." Anywho, Creative Labs has just put its latest headset up for pre-order on Amazon, with a wired version listed at $119.99 and a wireless rendition priced at $40 more. According to the product listing, the latter relies on a 2.4GHz signal, and both of 'em utilize THX TruStudio PC technology in order to split your mind wide open with pure aural bliss. There's nary a mention of a ship date just yet, but you know you're fixing to get your pre-order in now to avoid missing out. Er, you will right after you slay one... more... enemy....
Creative WoW headsets now available for pre-order
Creative unveiled an official licensed World of Warcraft gaming headset back in last year's BlizzCon, and we even got a quick look at the product prototypes when they stopped by the annual WoW.com reader meet-up as well as when they invited us to their booth to check it out. Readers also got a chance to win a pair when we ran contests all throughout the last quarter of 2009. if you've been slathering over one of these fancy peripherals but never lucked out in one of our contests, you might be pleased to learn that the Sound Blaster World of Warcraft headsets are finally available for pre-order from Amazon starting today, February 1. The headsets we previewed back in August were mere prototypes, and the finished product looks far more refined. The headsets follow the same design principle as the Steelseries WoW mouse, with a faux metallic finish and etched runes. The headsets also have interchangeable 'headset lenses' which feature either the Alliance or Horde logo to show your allegiance. Creative also says that they'll be releasing additional lenses in the future, the first set of which will feature the ten classes of the game. As with the official World of Warcraft mouse, the headsets also have a dazzling 16 million programmable color illumination options. The fully customizable headset comes in wireless or wired versions, with THX TruStudio PC technology for a more immersive gaming experience. The wireless version reportedly carries up to 9 hours of battery charge as well as a standard, detachable USB connector that can also be used to charge it. The headset microphone is detachable to allow the use of the headphone for communication or merely for listening. The World of Warcraft headset can also be configured to match different character profiles, accessible through what appears to be an in-game menu. The Sound Blaster World of Warcraft wireless headset retails for $159.99 while the tethered version is available for $119.99. Creative is also offering a complementary accessory called VoiceTap which allows players to program their push-to-talk key or even a macro to it instead of to their keyboard or mouse, allowing full hands-free communication. %Gallery-84346%
Your fourth chance to pick up a Creative World of Warcraft wireless headset
Time once again to give away one of Creative's World of Warcraft wireless gaming headsets. These things are so new they're not even out yet -- they'll be released to stores in November, but we're giving away one right here today, to one lucky commenter on this post before next Thursday at midnight. Tell us what music genre and/or band you'd like to hear playing music through this thing, and we'll choose one lucky winner to pick up a headset for free.The contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), and everyone who enters must be 13 or older. To enter, leave a comment on this post before Wednesday, October 14th at midnight eastern, and please be sure to use a real email that you check often to enter, so we can contact the winners when we choose them. You may enter only once, and each winner will get a Creative World of Warcraft Wireless Gaming Headset, with a retail value of $150. Click here to read our official contest rules.Good luck to everyone who enters! And of course, just in case you haven't heard yet, stay tuned, as we've got more of these contests planned every single week until November.
Enter to win a Creative WoW wireless headset
Above is the very first picture of the Creative World of Warcraft wireless headset in action -- it's now past the prototype stage and well into production (you can notice the brighter LEDs on the earcups, as well as more detail around the glyphs and a more final finishing). It's not quite out yet, but you lucky readers get a third chance to win one right here today, by entering a comment on this post before next Wednesday at midnight. We'll choose one winner to win this baby even before they're released to the public -- you'll never miss hearing a trinket proc again.The contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), and everyone who enters must be 13 or older. To enter, leave a comment on this post before Wednesday, October 7th, at midnight eastern, and please be sure to use a real email that you check often to enter, so we can contact the winners when we choose them. You may enter only once, and each winner will get a Creative World of Warcraft Wireless Gaming Headset, with a retail value of $150. Please note: winners will not receive the headset until it is released later this year. Click here to read the official contest rules.Good luck to everyone who enters! And again, even if you don't walk away with a headset this week, don't worry: we've got lots more chances coming up each and every week to pick up one of these awesome headsets soon to be released from Creative.
Zii EGG SDK roadmap revealed, some important features not coming until end of year
Remember back when Sony introduced Rolly to stunned silence followed by a protracted effort to determine exactly what the hell it was, an effort that arguably continues to this very day? Yep, that's kind of where we're at right now with the Zii EGG, and nothing in the SDK documentation we've received today -- the same documentation paying developers are just now getting -- is helping us flesh that out. We can tell you that it's well-equipped -- there are proximity sensors and accelerometers on board, it's got native support for Flash Lite, voice recognition, and 3D acceleration and it'll eventually have support for Creative's X-Fi audio tech -- but really, that's like saying "the Rolly is well-equipped." What does it mean? Here's what we do know: out of the gate, it seems the EGG will only be running Creative's homegrown Plaszma OS, though Android support is forthcoming. The Plaszma SDK is being rolled out in three phases spanning the rest of 2009, and some pretty important stuff -- Bluetooth support, for example -- won't even be available to developers until the third phase, which is a pretty strong indication that Zii-powered products intended for consumer consumption probably won't be around in time for the holidays. For the moment, there isn't any indication on when devs will have access to Android support libraries, which we think might be where Zii's true value lies, because let's be honest -- the world realistically doesn't need another target platform for mobile. Interestingly, Creative is using Zii to actively target China-based devs that it says "may not have brands but have an insatiable appetite for ready-to-go technologies, and can adapt these technologies very quickly to new market opportunities" (in other words, KIRFers) through its "Shanzai program," a mix of prototype boards and support packages that it says will help small businesses bring products to market faster. If that means we can get the next great N97 clone running Android in record time, we're all for it. Check out the full Plaszma SDK roadmap in the gallery below. [Thanks, Joe]
Sound Blaster site may hint at expansion details
Creative Labs posted a teaser flash video on their Sound Blaster site today; though to what they're announcing or counting down is currently unknown, we can definitely see that it's WoW-related, given the Horde crest in the center of the screen, and the Lament of the Highborne playing in the background.Now, normally this wouldn't be very interesting, but when brightness and contrast are adjusted on the image's background, two distinct maps appear. The first is what is clearly Azshara on the left side of the image, and the second is the peninsula of Gilneas on the right side.So why is this interesting? Well, those are the starting zones that the leaked Cataclysm information states are for the new races coming with the expansion. It seems that the zones are in the spotlight a bit too much for it to be a coincidence. It very well could be an announcement meant to be timed with BlizzCon, or it could just be that the maps typically surround the Maelstrom and thus their positioning makes sense with the swirling Maelstrom graphic in the center. We'll see what Creative has to say when the teaser ticks down some more!
Creative posts World of Warcraft teaser
Computer audio manufacturer Creative Labs sent us a note that their Soundblaster page has a brand new teaser on it, which appears to be hinting at... something. Something World of Warcraft-related, apparently: the Lament of the Highborne song plays in the background while an image of the Maelstrom and some circular hardware gives way to a glowing Horde symbol and the message "to be continued..."What is it? Given that Creative makes audio equipment, it's probably something audio-related, and given that BlizzCon is later this week, it's probably something released in partnership with Blizzard. But other than that, the guessing is up to you. A new WoW-branded sound card? Something music-related? It's anyone's guess. Stay tuned to WoW.com to find out more soon.
Creative Zii and Zii EGG touchscreen players with HD cameras served up by FCC
Guess who's back? Creative. Hard to believe, we know, but the company we've all but forgotten looks ready to make a comeback in the portable audio / video game. Creative Labs Zii and Zii EGG just made their first appearance at the FCC. Can't say that we're too enthused by the "EGG" moniker but we're definitely liking the looks of that "HD Camera" module along the backside of these "MP4 players with touchscreens" in addition to the Bluetooth and 802.11b/g WiFi radios. That "developer edition" is also a good sign that Creative is looking to make this a software platform a la the ol' iPod touch only with Creative's Zii system-on-chip architecture secret sauce. In fact, these devices could very well be running Android atop Creative's ZMS-05 chipset as we saw back in February. Welcome back Creative, you've got until September or so before Apple adds a camera to its own iPod touch... best get to work.
Creative's Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset MkII hands-on, and news of its sequel
Cans are so hot right now; the bigger and gaudier the better, because nothing says "Don't talk to me" like giant domes covering your ears. Creative's latest set, Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset MkII, don't really have much to offer in the flash category and certainly aren't excessively sized, but for serious gamers they seem to be a solid option and just the thing to keep your mom from interrupting your session. Shipping next week for $99, they offer an over-ear design with memory-foam surrounds and a sophisticated but not particularly flashy look that says "I want to look cool while wearing these, but I'll leave the chrome to my CPU fan, thanks." They sport a detachable boom that has not one but two microphones in it and some apparently fancy-schmantsy processing that can discern your howl of war from your dog's howl of neglect, meaning your CS teammates hear only the former. Unfortunately we weren't able to try that out for ourselves, so we'll have to see how well that pans out in the real world. The set uses the standard jumble of 3.5mm audio jacks to connect to your machine, but a Creative rep was kind enough to disclose plans for a USB version that'll work sans-soundcard. That model is due sometime next month for a $30 premium.
Creative could pay class-action settlement over exaggerated MP3 capacities
Couldn't fit those last two Oingo Boingo albums on your Zen when you thought you had enough space? Get ready for payback, because if you own a Creative Labs MP3 player made between May 5, 2001 and April 30, 2008, you could be entitled to a class-action settlement over this very issue. The proposed settlement -- not the first of its kind -- will force Creative to "make certain disclosures regarding the storage capacity of its hard disc drive MP3 players" and give a 50% discount on a new 1GB player or 20% off any item purchased at Creative's online store, if it's approved by the court. For its part, Creative denies any wrongdoing, but it looks like it's offering up the settlement to smooth thing over with consumers -- but you know it's going to fight the $900,000 requested by plaintiffs' attorneys in fees. Applications are due by August 7, 2008, so start digging up those serial numbers.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Creative-built TAG Heuer USB headset outed by FCC
We have no idea why luxury watch and occasional cellphone maker TAG Heuer would be getting into the PC peripherals game, yet according to an FCC filing we got our hands on, the 150-year-old Swiss watchmaker has a Creative Labs-built USB headset in the pipeline. And although this wireless unit is branded TAG and developed by Creative, the actual cans themselves will likely be sold by Listen To Believe (LTB) Audio, another accessories company with very similar products. Either way, what you're getting here is reportedly "the world [sic] first digital wireless headset that delivers high-quality 2.0-channel stereo audio with extra sound clarity and soft, deep bass effects," according to the manual. That's certainly a lot of caveats, so we'll have to wait for an actual product launch to really see what's what.
