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ARK: Survival Evolved lets you play with handcuffs, and a giant beaver

Jeff Williams | Gaming | Feb 24, 2016 8:02 AM CST

Have you ever had the inclination to ride a beaver? Perhaps even tame and mount a giant beaver to help do your bidding to survive a hostile and difficult environment? Studio Wildcard thinks you do and they've added the Castoroides Feliconcisor into the now massive catalog of species in the game.

ARK: Survival Evolved lets you play with handcuffs, and a giant beaver

The Giant Beaver of the real-world grew up to 2.2m in length and weighed about 90Kg according to fossil records. And they've modeled it near perfectly here, complete with the snarling, pointed teeth used to carve out their dam habitats. And they'll actually go about building those in-game as well, which you can come across while hunting for the mighty giant beaver. The cuddly beaver also acts as a sort-of mobile crafting station.

Train and make the beaver your friend, and mount, so it can be used as a wood gatherer, which it's fantastic at. And if you ever happen to come across any pesky destructive humans that want to steal your beavers, that you just must take captive, you can actually do it the right way, with the new in-game handcuffs. I'm sure these will be used for more "creative" diversions, but that's what makes this game so fascinating. All the wonderful different ways in which you c an approach the game.

Continue reading: ARK: Survival Evolved lets you play with handcuffs, and a giant beaver (full post)

Corsair unleashes wired Dolby 7.1 VOID surround-sound headset

Chris Smith | Audio | Feb 24, 2016 7:31 AM CST

Suitable for those wanting to game on a Microsoft Windows PC, Sony PlayStation 4, or Xbox One, Corsair has today announced its VOID Surround headset - adding a wired version to the previously all-wireless product range.

Corsair unleashes wired Dolby 7.1 VOID surround-sound headset

"Most gamers don't play on just one platform, so we wanted to build a headset that can be used anywhere" said Corsair's headset product manager, Joshua LaTendresse, with this headset adding the same sound quality and comfort enjoyed in our VOID 7.1 RGB wireless review. Made with a cast aluminum construction and microfiber ear cups, lovers of leather should look elsewhere.

This headset functions with Dolby 7.1 functions only when plugged in through USB, as we're not being offered a 'true surround-sound' experience here - but as my reviews go to show, that's not really a bad thing. Being released with an MSRP of $79.99 compared to the newly-announced wireless RGB white model at $129.99, this product is available for purchase immediately.

Continue reading: Corsair unleashes wired Dolby 7.1 VOID surround-sound headset (full post)

Activision Blizzard finalizes Candy Crush app game maker buyout

Chris Smith | Gaming | Feb 24, 2016 6:29 AM CST

For the cool price of $18.00 per share for a total equity value of $5.9 billion, Activision Blizzard has completely acquired the makers of Candy Crush Saga, King.

With this takeover comes a massive influx of users, with CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, stating that "We now reach over 500 million users across almost every country, making us the largest game network in the world. We see great opportunities to create new ways for audiences to experience their favorite franchises." This massive user base comes partly thanks to the relatively new addition of Battle.net and the continued long-term service of World of WarCraft.

This takeover means that King will still be lead by the original team, with a recently issued press release stating that Candy Crush and other king games will be commanded by "Chief Executive Officer Riccardo Zacconi, Chief Creative Officer Sebastian Knutsson, and Chief Operating Officer Stephane Kurgan and operate as an independent unit of Activision Blizzard."

Continue reading: Activision Blizzard finalizes Candy Crush app game maker buyout (full post)

R-rated 'Batman v Superman' director's cut coming to Blu-ray

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Feb 24, 2016 4:00 AM CST

Comic book fans have waited for years to witness Batman and Superman duke it out, and there's only one thing that could make it even better - see the comic book violence truly come to life. Now, later this year they'll get their wish.

While the PG-13 theatrical cut is due to hit screens in just a few weeks, the MPAA have confirmed that Warner Bros. have submitted an 'ultimate cut' of the film for classification, which the board has granted a restricted rating. The board have even specifically made note that this is an "EDITED VERSION. CONTENT IS DIFFERENT FROM PG-13 VERSION".

For mainstream fans who want to see it as soon as possible, 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' will be released in 3D and 2D cinemas as well as IMAX screens on March 25th 2016 worldwide.

Continue reading: R-rated 'Batman v Superman' director's cut coming to Blu-ray (full post)

Half-Life 3 teased in SteamVR Performance Tool files

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Feb 24, 2016 3:30 AM CST

Here we go again... Half-Life 3 is being teased by Valve, with the game showing up in their new SteamVR Performance Tool that was released just a couple of days ago. Half-Life 3 is referenced multiple times, as you can see below:

But the Half-Life 3 fun doesn't stop there, as Reddit member 'DuckyDays' took a peek inside the SteamVR Performance Tool, and found the following mentions from Half-Life 3:

Continue reading: Half-Life 3 teased in SteamVR Performance Tool files (full post)

Oppo says it can charge a 2500mAh battery in less than 15 minutes

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Feb 24, 2016 2:15 AM CST

MWC 2016 - Most high-end smartphones can have their 2500-3000mAh batteries charged in around 1-1.5 hours, but how about 15 minutes? That's what Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo is teasing at Mobile World Congress.

The new technology is called Super VOOC, and can charge an empty smartphone battery in only 15 minutes. Oppo's impressive technology is still in the prototyping stage, but the company says that its smartphones coming out later this year and early 2017 will feature the super fast-charging batteries. At MWC 2016, Oppo showed off a reference smartphone with a 2500mAh battery that went from empty to 85% charge in just 7 minutes, which is damn impressive.

Qualcomm's competing technology, Quick Charge 3.0, can get a smartphone from 0-80% in around 35 minutes, so Oppo has something impressive right now - but is only at the prototype stage. While Qualcomm's QC3.0 is slower, it's here right now.

Continue reading: Oppo says it can charge a 2500mAh battery in less than 15 minutes (full post)

NVIDIA Shield finally receives its new Android 6.0 update

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Feb 23, 2016 11:07 PM CST

After promising it earlier and delays because of issues with the update, Android 6.0 has arrived on the Tegra X1-powered NVIDIA Shield. NVIDIA Shield is the company's 4K-capable Android TV-based device, which you can read all about here in our review.

The new update doesn't just include Google's latest mobile OS, but it also includes the next generation Vulkan API. With support for Vulkan, the NVIDIA Shield becomes the first consumer product based on Android to support the next-gen API. The new Android 6.0 update for Shield doesn't just include Android 6.0 and Vulkan, here's the full update log:

Continue reading: NVIDIA Shield finally receives its new Android 6.0 update (full post)

Want more Mulder and Scully? So does the Fox Network

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Feb 23, 2016 10:40 PM CST

With the final episode in the much hyped 'X-Files' revival airing yesterday in the United States, to what can only be described as a cliffhanger, speculation has naturally moved to whether or not there'll be more 'X-Files' episodes in the future. And according to creator Chris Carter, there probably will be.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Carter confirmed that while there isn't any current plans to return, he's waiting for the call from Fox to assemble the gang. "They're going to ask for more. The ratings were very good. They were happy with the show. I talked to Dana Walden [Fox TV CEO] today. She said they'd very much like more, but nothing's being negotiated yet ... there's an appetite for more in the future, it's just a matter of figuring out how to get it done. The last negotiations took about five months, so it could be a while before we figure out how to do this." Carter has also previously revealed he has a third 'X-Files' movie script ready to go.

The six episode limited run returned to very mixed reviews, with most agreeing that the third, comedic episode was the highlight - and the opening and closing episodes the most disappointing.

Continue reading: Want more Mulder and Scully? So does the Fox Network (full post)

PlayStation VR pricing and launch may be announced at GDC

Sony is holding a special invite-only press event at GDC 2016 where it may reveal the release date of its PlayStation VR headset.

PlayStation VR pricing and launch may be announced at GDC

Now that we know the Oculus Rift is $599 and ships in March and HTC's Vive is $799 for a release in April, there's only one missing link to the VR puzzle: Sony's PlayStation VR. The Japanese console-maker is expected to follow its competitors by announcing pricing and launch info at its exclusive GDC event next month.

Past speculation hints the PlayStation VR could cost anywhere from $400-600, with Sony saying that the PSVR will be "priced as a new gaming platform". Gamers are hoping that the PSVR will be as low as $299, but that seems like an especially low estimate, especially considering the headset's cutting-edge OLED displays.

Continue reading: PlayStation VR pricing and launch may be announced at GDC (full post)

SanDisk's new microSD UHS-II card is capable of 275MB/sec

Anthony Garreffa | Storage | Feb 23, 2016 9:38 PM CST

MWC 2016 - SanDisk has just unveiled their latest microSD UHS-II card, with SanDisk's new Extreme PRO microSD card capable of read speeds of 275MB/sec.

The new UHS-II capable microSD card is considerably faster than its predecessor, which could only transfer data at 90MB/sec. The write speeds on the new microSD card hit around 100MB/sec, and don't let its size deceive you - as this new microSD card is capable of 275MB/sec, while the full-sized Extreme PRO SD cards tap out at 280MB/sec.

SanDisk is pushing their new Extreme Pro microSD UHS-II card is shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof and even X-ray-proof. These new class 10 cards only arrive in two capacities: 64GB and 128GB. SanDisk is aiming these new cards at the professionals, with the 64GB version priced at $179.99 and the 128GB priced at $299.99.

Continue reading: SanDisk's new microSD UHS-II card is capable of 275MB/sec (full post)

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