Hasta La Gadget!

What do you think of the cloud right now? Sure, cloud computing has definitely made life a whole lot easier and more convenient for everyone involved, especially when you consider that Ultrabooks these days, armed with a decent Internet connection wherever you go, are more than capable of handling whatever simple word processing or spreadsheet documents that you throw at it via the likes of Google Docs. Having said that, LG Electronics and Ubitus Inc., a worldwide technology leader in cloud gaming solutions, made an announcement at the recently concluded E3 2013, that the GameNow cloud gaming service will soon arrive on the latest range of LG Smart TVs.

Yes sir, if you took a look at your 32” LCD TV that has been serving your family faithfully for the past half a decade and feel that you have maximized its potential, along comes this potentially enticing offer from South Korean consumer electronics giant LG, where those who decide to pick up a new LG Smart TV model in the US will be able to enjoy rich library of AAA and massively multiplayer online (MMO) titles right from the get go, now how about that? This definitely caters to the instant gratification crowd that we see are being the norm these days.

How does GameNow benefit you? For starters, it will transform a compatible LG Smart TV into a powerful game console, where consumers are now able to enjoy the video gaming experience that was previously unavailable on home TV units. Even better news would be doing away with the need to load discs, and neither do you have to put up with time-consuming downloads as well as long installation times, since you can now enjoy console-quality video games on demand. Among the blockbuster titles that will be made available include Street Fighter X Tekken and Batman: Arkham City, titles which normally require high-end hardware to play. Those who are interested will be able to pick up a free beta trial of the GameNow service for high-end LG Smart TVs over at LG Smart World, with the full GameNow service for the whole 2013 LG Smart TV range to roll out in the near future.

Press Release
[ LG and Ubitus announces GameNow cloud gaming service copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Just when you thought that the dust had settled at the recently concluded E3 2013 event at Los Angeles, California, along comes Mad Catz’ Android-powered M.O.J.O. micro console which is touted to deliver the mobile Android gaming experience to those of you who have also invested a huge chunk of your spare change to bring home a big-screen TV in order to make your living room keep up with the times. It is said that the M.O.J.O. micro console is capable of packing in the kind of 3D gaming performance that one would not expect in such a tiny box, where it will also establish a direct link to digital storefronts such as Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.

Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc., did share his thoughts on what M.O.J.O. might be able to deliver in the future, “M.O.J.O. is basically a supercharged smart phone with no screen that plugs into your flat screen TV to bring the living room experience to mobile gaming. M.O.J.O. is designed to interact seamlessly with our GameSmart controllers, mice, keyboards and headsets, in fact, the entire eco-system of gaming peripherals. We also want M.O.J.O. to be a truly open platform. People are already comfortable buying games from Google Play, Amazon, TegraZone or any other retailer of their choice. They play those games on their phones and tablets already, and with M.O.J.O., they will be able to play them in the living room at no additional cost. The same approach applies to movies, music and any other digital media. Our focus is on providing the best hardware configured for performance, not forcing people to buy content from us.”

Obviously, it remains to be seen whether the likes of Mad Catz’s efforts in the home console market will bear fruit eventually as the M.O.J.O. rolls out to the targeted markets, considering how the Sony PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One from Microsoft look set to take center stage among high powered consoles in the living room, with Nintendo’s Wii U apparently picking up the scraps from the main table once those two have duked it out with one another in a battle royale.

Press Release
[ Mad Catz M.O.J.O. Android gaming console copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If you are an avid gamer, then you would surely have a decent desktop gaming PC configuration set up right at home, complete with its fair share of futuristic looking gaming keyboard and mouse, accompanied by the state of the art gaming speakers to that you can hear the exact spot where your opponent is in a map, before gunning him or her down with that flick of a wrist and press of the mouse button. Of course, not everyone has the kind of time to just sit at home all day long to indulge in playing computer games – some of us have to go through this thing called “work” so that we can make ends meet at the end of the month. Well, how about bringing gaming on the go with you then? This is where MSI comes in, having unveiled their next generation G Series gaming laptops.

One of these gems from the new G Series gaming laptops include the GT70 Extreme Edition that will come with an Intel 4930MX chipset, in addition to showcasing NVIDIA’s latest GeForce GTX 700M Series graphics, Killer Doubleshot and Intel’s 4th Generation Core i7 processors. All of those ought to pack enough graphical and processing firepower even though you are away from home, to handle the latest games, right? Sure, you might not be able to crank things up like your desktop, but the experience comes pretty close in comparison, I am sure.

Not only that, the new G Series gaming laptops will be able to play 4K video at a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which happens to be quadruple the amount of time of traditional 1080p high-definition video. The next generation GT and GE models will also come with expanded storage, improved cooling and display outputs. The inclusion of Super RAID 2 has increased the amount of SSD storage from the last generation Super RAID with 3 SSD’s in RAID instead of 2, while Cooler Boost 2 delivers an efficient single fan cooling solution that is capable of lowering the average temperature by a whopping 8⁰ C . Last but not least, the new Matrix Display feature would enable you to have a far more productive day at the office, as you can hook up to 3 external displays so that you end up with a total of up to 4 independent displays, the native notebook display included. Sure, it works great when you are gaming, too.

Press Release
[ MSI announces next generation G Series gaming laptops copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

It looks like the next generation video game console war is about to heat up, with the Microsoft Xbox One announced at E3 2013, bringing along with it a whole lot more information compared to what we heard not too long ago when Microsoft presented a glimpse of the next generation console. Here is the quick skinny of things – the Xbox One will be arriving in the US later this November, where it will be accompanied by a $499 price tag which could very well make it a decent holiday season purchase. This also means you have roughly five more months or so to save up for an Xbox One if you desperately want to give its launch titles a go, too.

There is a number of titles that will be released at launch for the Xbox One, and Microsoft kicked off this year’s E3 event with the viewing of the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain trailer, featuring a younger Snake in all sorts of interesting scenarios, including riding on a horse. Revolver Ocelot does not have his eye patch just yet, meaning he is a whole lot younger. Other titles at launch which one can expect would be the surefire sales winner, Halo, as well as Battlefield 4. If you want to play the role of a Roman general leading a garrison into battle against the barbarians, then you will be pleased to know that Ryse: Son of Rome would offer such an opportunity. Perhaps the decline of the Roman Empire was due to the fact that they could not spell “rise”. I jest!

Apart from the Xbox One, folks who prefer to take the tried and tested route would be able to enjoy an updated Xbox 360 model, where the new design has already started to ship today to retailers across the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia, with other Xbox regions receiving the revamped model in the coming months, further extending the life cycle and legacy of the Xbox 360 for a while more. The new Xbox 360 does seem to be a looker regardless of the angle you view it from, and it will not see a pricing tier change as the 4GB, 250GB and 4GB Kinect Bundle will still go for $199.99, $299.99, and $299.99, respectively.

Press Release
[ Microsoft Xbox One priced at $499 for a November 2013 release copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Gamers will be gamers, especially the hardcore ones who will definitely want to have nothing but the very best hardware each time they are out for some digital blood. Having said that, since there is a fair number of gaming hardware manufacturers to choose from in the market, you know for sure that you are spoilt for choice, and this is where brand loyalty steps in to save the day for your company. Roccat of Germany has just announced the availability of the Inferno Orange, Polar Blue and Hellfire Red variations of the limited edition Kone Pure Color, where it is similar to the original Kone Pure in terms of specifications, boasting of a high-end 8,200 DPI Pro-Aim R3 laser sensor as well as high quality Omron switches. Other features that you can find within the Roccat Kone Pure Color would include Easy-Shift[+], Easy-Aim and ROCCAT Talk, turning it into a formidable “weapon” in the hands of gamers fighting for point-streaks, lanes and bases.

In fact, the Roccat Kone Pure Color is one of a series of limited edition products which will be introduced to the masses in the course of this year, as 2013 has been said to mark the “Year of the Kone”, where Roccat is celebrating the five-year anniversary of the Kone range. Those who want the Phantom White variation of the mouse will have to wait until sometime later this year, in addition to a slew of other limited edition devices.

Just some background information so that everyone else is on the same page – the very first Kone was the first product that Roccat developed way back in 2008, as CEO and Founder René Korte reminisced about the early days of Roccat. Korte said, “Early on, I was involved in the professional gaming scene. So, I was aware of the many professional players who were dissatisfied with their gaming devices. Since then our overall mission has been to build high-quality peripherals that satisfy the needs of all ambitious gamers.” Five years down the road and you end up with the Kone series, touted to be one of the most successful gaming devices in the world.

Press Release
[ Roccat announces Kone Pure Color limited edition models copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]