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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.
EVE Online player creativity -- Ship fitting edition
Two months ago, CCP started a new series of monthly EVE Online devblogs showcasing the game community's creative efforts. The EVE community is known for its artwork and incredible fan-made videos, but through CCP Fallout's monthly blog series, we've come to see some of the community's other creative endeavours. In previous editions, Fallout looked at in-game news and politics website EVE News 24, question and answer site Skill Training Complete, an impressive minecraft video of a scale Gallente shuttle, and a collection of EVE podcasts. In the latest issue, CCP looks at some of the latest developments that have drawn attention during December. There's an impressive video showing off the new EVE character creator that will be going live with Incursion 1.1 later this month. The video shows off both male and female avatars. Also covered is the Python Fitting Assistant, a cross-platform offline ship fitting tool similar to the very popular EVE Fitting Tool. The highlight of this month's blog has to be LOLFITS, a website where players can post some of the monumentally bad ship setups they've seen players use. If you think your ship setups are poor, I guarantee they're spectacular compared to some of the hilarious setups on LOLFITS.
Creative Zen Touch 2 passes FCC, adds yet another new button arrangement to Android world
Oh Android, is there any device you won't grace for the cheap thrill of adding to your army of followers? Creative's Zen Touch 2 served up most of its specs a couple of months back, including a resistive touchscreen and the use of Android 2.1 as its OS, but today it's formalized its US intentions with a bit of FCC certification action. The 3.2-inch PMP's 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless transceivers all checked out okay, though the exhaustive teardown also revealed a "vibrator" module and an 1150mAh battery contained within its plasticky walls. Another note of import was that two variants, one equipped with GPS and one without, were offered to the FCC, in line with the company segmenting the Zen Touch 2 into "standard" and "enhanced" editions. If you're in the UK, you can have one of these music players shipped to you tomorrow, but the US online store only lists it by name and doesn't yet have a full page for it. Shouldn't be long now.
Creative's 7-inch ZiiO Android 2.1 tablet now on sale for $250
C'mon now, don't act all surprised. This one followed the picture perfect path to shipping: announcement, hands-on, a stop by the FCC's database and now, a formal portal in Creative's webstore. If the Galaxy Tab, eLocity A7, G Tablet and Advent Vega haven't exactly tickled your fancy, there's hardly a chance the 7-inch ZiiO will have what it takes. That said, it's now up for grabs at $249.99, with that sum getting you 8GB of storage ($20 more doubles it to 16GB), an 800x400 resolution display, Android 2.1, a ZiiLABS ZMS-08 HD processor, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a front-facing VGA camera. Unfortunately, this thing has a zero percent chance of revolutionizing your life in the way that the ZiiEagle already has, but perhaps it'll bring you joy in some smaller, less meaningful way. [Thanks, Terrence]
Creative ZiiEagle Movie Box promises 3,000 years of Chinese culture in one sleek burgundy package
So just what is the Creative ZiiEagle Movie Box? What exactly do you get from this? Here's what we've gathered: A set-top box featuring 668 movies from Celestial's Shaw Brothers Film Collection. "3,000 years of Chinese culture and secrets of the much elusive 'Confucian thing.'" A price tag -- 888 Singapore dollars ($676 in US currency) -- that "solves the perennial video piracy problem in one stroke." The reason for that awesome picture above to exist. Singapore, consider yourself enlightened, and consider your days of video piracy officially numbered.
EVE Online player creativity -- Gallente shuttle in Minecraft and more
Over the years, the EVE Online community has produced some stunning creative works. From epic videos that have been years in the making to fictional stories or artwork, EVE has inspired some fantastic creative efforts. Last month, CCP posted the first of a new monthly series of devblogs highlighting the creative efforts of people in the EVE community. In last month's installment, CCP Fallout looked at two of her favourite fan-run websites -- EVE News 24 and Skill Training Complete. In this month's second part of the series, Fallout is joined by CCP Zymurgist to discuss some of the awesome things players have done throughout November. The report kicks off with some videos of the awesome new Incursion character generator in action, produced by players on the EVE test server. Also in the news is a list of player-run podcasts called the EVE Pod Pack, maintained in a similar manner to CrazyKinux's EVE Blog Pack. The highlight of this month's piece, however, is undeniably the video of a full scale Gallente shuttle faithfully reproduced in Minecraft.
Creative's 7-inch ZiiO tablet hits the FCC, ripped into component circuitry
Creative hasn't gone public with a US release window for its Ziio tablets, but it's probably only a matter of time -- the 7-inch model arrived at the FCC this week, complete with user manual and lovely snapshots of its innards all laid out. There's no mistaking that ZiiLABS ZMS-08 system-on-a-chip front and center, flanked by four slabs of NAND flash from Hynix Semiconductor, and in the upper left-hand corner you can even see the AzureWave chip responsible for its 802.11 b/g WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth functions. None of this simple beauty can make up for the fact that a resistive touchscreen is calling all the shots, but battery life should be relatively long -- FCC documentation describes a chunky 5,000mAh lithium-ion cell, images of which are below. Also pictured: the FCC squishing the poor device into copious amounts of styrofoam. %Gallery-108254%
Creative hits 1080p with its Live! Cam Socialize HD webcam, launches 720p models too
Today, if your webcam can't do HD it might as well not even power up its sensor in the morning, and Creative is latest to join the full HD crowd with the $89 Live! Cam Socialize HD 1080 -- an excessive title for the latest 1080p webcam to grace your USB ports. It joins the Microsoft LifeCam Studio and Logitech C910 in terms of resolution, but adds some interesting features, perhaps most notably being a dual-microphone array that can be adjusted to provide a field of 20 to 180 degrees, allowing you to control the amount of environmental sound that gets through. Also interesting is a cradle that "scans" in business cards, though we're not sure you really need 1080p for that. Meanwhile, for those who don't necessarily live life 1,920 pixels at a time, there's the $69 Live! Cam Socialize HD AF model, which features a similar design but a 720p sensor, and the $39 Live! Cam Chat HD, which still does 720p but loses much of the other accoutrement. The 720p Socialize model looks to be available now, but no word on when the others will be perching themselves atop your display. %Gallery-107515%
Creative's 7- and 10-inch ZiiO Android tablets get the hands-on treatment
They're cheap, they can't access the Android Market and they're rocking resistive touchscreens. They're the two newest devices from the lairs at Creative, and the folks over at PCPro were able to spend a few quality minutes with both the 7- and 10-inch ZiiO slates. They noted that the ZiiLabs ZMS-08 processor managed to handle the Android 2.1 load quite well, and while they definitely would've preferred a capacitive, multitouch display, they... managed without one. Hit the source link for a few more impressions and glamor shots, but don't go in expecting a Galaxy Tab killer or anything.
Creative gets official with Android-based Zen Touch 2 PMP
Hard to say if this is the direct (or indirect) replacement to the Creative X-Fi2 we toyed with 13 months ago, but the new Zen Touch 2 has snuck out behind the cover of two ZiiO touch tablets. This here PMP sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen, Android 2.1 underneath, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an accelerometer, inbuilt speaker, two megapixel camera, microSD card slot, GPS, digital compass, FM radio tuner and a run-of-the-mill plastic enclosure. That last bit is according to Pocket-lint's brief hands-on with the device, noting that the touch panel is of the resistive variety and the user interface was jumpy and problematic to say the least. It'll be landing soon in 8GB and 16GB sizes for S$279 ($216 in Greenbacks) and up, but we get the impression that price and availability may not matter much in the grand scheme of things.
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]
CCP showcases the EVE community's creativity in a new monthly devblog
Whether you like EVE Online or hate it, it's hard to deny that the game's community produces some incredible creative works. We've seen examples of the community's creative output in a myriad of forms, from impressive videos and fiction to useful tools and websites. In recognition of the community's ongoing efforts, EVE Online's Associate Community Manager CCP Fallout has started a new monthly devblog series highlighting the community's creative accomplishments. In the first installment of this new blog series, CCP Fallout discusses two of her favourite EVE websites -- EVE News 24 and Skill Training Complete. Covering all the recent goings-on in the world of EVE politics, EVE News 24 is a great way to keep up-to-date with what's happening in New Eden. Skill Training Complete is an innovative tool that allows players to ask and answer questions about EVE Online, giving newer players a great new way to shortcut the game's infamously steep learning curve. Fallout makes a special note about the EVE Blog Pack, an invaluable community resource maintained by social media guru and long-time EVE player CrazyKinux. Visit the EVE devblog page to read more about the new monthly blog series, and stay tuned for next month's installment when CCP will be looking at the amazing artwork EVE players create that blows them away.
Anti-Aliased: How I mine for craft
This column was bound to come sometime. We've had legions of people asking us, "Why don't you cover Minecraft? It's totally an MMO!" The email barrage was so constant that I had nightmarish fits in my sleep, where I was drowning in oddly block-shaped emails pouring out of my ceiling. Now, after I've finally played Minecraft, my nightmarish fits have turned into scenes in which I'm being attacked by giant block-shaped spiders, but that's neither here nor there. I can see why people have fallen in love with this game, and they have every reason to. Minecraft may not be an MMO by our standards, but it is an example of gaming done right. It's the purest form of everything we love about gaming, and it's a game that could teach MMO makers a lot about design, should they care to listen.
Creative Sound Blaster Wireless MultiPlay System untethered from FCC
Here we go again. Another FCC filing of an unannounced product, this time in the form of Creative's Sound Blaster Wireless MultiPlay system. We're looking at a trio of new products including the MultiPlay Transmitter with its USB extension dock, a rather clunky looking Touch Controller (that we've seen before) resembling an old Sonos CR100, and Wireless Receiver. The idea here is to attach the transmitter to your PC and install the Creative Music Server software, connect the receiver to a pair of amplified speakers and then control the whole kit with the supplied controller. You can even push the audio out to Creative's existing wireless speakers or headphones as long as you don't exceed four devices in total. The transmitter and receivers pair automatically when turned on and you can attach additional audio devices (like an old CD player) for broadcast via a 3.5-mm stereo cable. Creative's pitching this as a multi-room solution with the ability to setup and then control zones of music throughout your house over a 2.4GHz connection. In other words, don't expect it to be very robust -- not when the user manual explicitly warns: "Refrain from doing large file transfers via the wireless internet or Bluetooth connection while you are streaming music." Expect it to be cheap though.%Gallery-101466%
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.
Hardware photography contest unearths a treasure trove of geeky creativity
Who'd have thunk it, setting geeks loose with their cameras can actually produce some outstanding results. A recent photography contest held by the Tech Report fellas has come up with a wideranging selection of ultra-geeky imagery; whether you want humorous compositions like the metallic soap opera above, arty monochromatic mood shots, or intimate closeups of classic chips, it's all in there. Our personal favorite has to be the dramatic interplay between a desperate Ethernet card and a CAT5 cable -- you can see it after the break, but we recommend feasting your eyes on the full set at the source link.
World of Warcraft Tap Chat now available
The World of Warcraft Tap Chat, or The Gaming Peripheral Formerly Known As Voice Tap, is now available. Essentially, it's a hotkey for your foot -- or some other appendage other than your fingers. Designed primarily as a push-to-talk button to pair with the Sound Blaster World of Warcraft headset to allow players to devote their hands to the game, this USB device can just as easily be assigned a macro or as a hotkey. This means players can actually assign the Tap Chat to an ability like Hammer of Justice, to add a realistic feeling of crushing your opponents underfoot. Players willing to spring $29.99 for the edge of one additional button -- notably a non-hand-activated one -- can head over to the Creative or Blizzard online stores, where the World of Warcraft Tap Chat is exclusively available. Although sold out at the Blizzard store as of this writing (barely a week after it was made available), players who manage to get their hands (or foot) on the product also get exclusive World of Warcraft logo lenses that can be used to customize their matching World of Warcraft headset.
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 goes wild! with Bluetooth speakers for a wide range of budgets
Creative has a message for all you docking speakers out there: your days are numbered. The company's just announced additions to its line of Bluetooth speakers, which it hopes will "usher in a new era in pure music listening," according to VP (and avowed enemy of cables and docks) Joseph Liow. In addition to the ZiiSound D5 ($290), a one-piece system and recent Red Dot design award winner, and the Inspire S2 ($145) 2.1 speaker system, budget-minded consumers can get their hands on the D200 for $110 (essentially ZiiSound D5's cheaper sibling) or the D100 ($65), which is being billed as a "wireless boombox" due to its ability to be powered by either mains or four AA batteries. All but the D100 support the apt-X high performance stereo Bluetooth codec, and all have aux audio input. (You can't expect us to do away with wires that quickly, can you?) ZiiSound D5 and Inspire S2 Wireless are currently available in Singapore, while the D200 and D100 will be available there in July. PR after the break.
Creative Sound Blaster SB1250 wireless touch controller hits the FCC
There's not a lot to go on with this one, unfortunately, but it looks like Creative could be about to add a "wireless touch controller" to its array of Sound Blaster products. As revealed by our friends at the FCC, the Sound Blaster SB1250 (codenamed "Lories") apparently packs a touchscreen of unspecified size, along with a couple of basic media playback keys, a headphone jack and, judging from the test reports, 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. What's not at all clear, however, is what the controller will actually control, although Creative's Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes seems like one possibility -- or, potentially, a follow-up of some sort to that device.