Hasta La Gadget!

Turtle Beach Xbox Chat Adapter gets the hands-on treatment, admirably untethers talkative gamers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Etymotic specializes in putting inexpensive moving coil drivers inside noise-isolating buds that can, as an optional upgrade, be individually molded via the company’s international “Custom-fit” program. Previous models have been iDevice only, at least in terms of their microphone function and button controls, but the new mc2 should also get along happily with Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, WebOS and Symbian smartphones and tablets. It’s due for release by the end of the week for $99, which will buy you noise isolation up to a claimed market-beating 42dB, 8mm (0.3-inch) dual-magnet neodymium drivers, an all-important mic and an assortment of ear tips — Custom-fit costs extra, and substantially so. Listen carefully and you might just hear the PR after the break squeaking for your attention.

Continue reading $99 Etymotic mc2 earbuds claim market-beating noise isolation, full platform ambivalence

$99 Etymotic mc2 earbuds claim market-beating noise isolation, full platform ambivalence originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been fully six months since Nox Audio’s everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Admiral Touch headset prototype wowed us at CES 2011, and boy, have things changed. That ugly metal band is gone, replaced by a handsome black and silver rig, with a neatly integrated adjusting strap for a comfortable noggin squeeze. Both sides of the Admiral Touch now sport buttons, including one to add the T-Pain Effect (we kid you not). More after the break.

Continue reading Nox Audio Admiral Touch prototype preview redux: now with more clever ideas and some bass

Nox Audio Admiral Touch prototype preview redux: now with more clever ideas and some bass originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A long time ago, in a boardroom far, far away… a designer (flanked by marketing execs) pitched an idea for a set of Star Wars: The Old Republic branded peripherals, and the CEO of Razer told his troopers to “make it so.” Or, at least that’s how we imagine it happened. In addition to mixing up his sci-fi references, whoever approved this gaming keyboard, mouse, and headset also abandoned any notion of subtlety. All three are slathered in interchangeable Sith or Jedi insignias, bright LEDs, and a texture not unlike the exterior of a Star Destroyer. The most ostentatious is easily the keyboard, which sports both a multitouch screen and two rows of adaptive buttons over an LCD (à la the Switchblade handheld). The keyboard will run you $200, while the mouse or headset will cost $130 when they launch alongside The Old Republic later this year. Check out the gallery below and the PR after the break.

Update: We just got our first glimpse of the new peripherals, and it sounds like Razer actually put some thought into the keyboard and headphones here — while the mouse is just a jagged, Imperial-flavored wireless Naga MMO rodent, the headsets look fairly sweet, and Razer tells us their garish LED lighting apparently syncs with The Old Republic to throw signals on your shoulders to warn you of approaching enemies. Razer also has grand plans for that LCD-equipped keyboard, telling us those adaptive keys will automatically switch function based on signals from the game itself, and that multitouch LCD trackpad can display a variety of things and be used to program macros. Last but not least, you’ll get some serious geek cred when you switch the keyboard’s backlight off, because the only thing physically printed on each key are the letters of Star Wars’ Aurebesh alphabet.

Continue reading Star Wars: The Old Republic scores Razer promotional peripherals (update: eyes-on)

Star Wars: The Old Republic scores Razer promotional peripherals (update: eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You don’t nab the exclusive rights to create Xbox 360 branded headphones and not put some theoretical hutzpah into it: at E3 this week, Mad Catz is showing off a trio of co-branded Tritton / Xbox 360 cans, or at least a trio of fragile plastic facsimiles. These three mock-ups the Catz crew showed us represent the physical design of the Warhead, Devastator, and Detonator models of the co-branded line of headsets — sporting wireless Dobly 7.1 surround sound, wireless analog, and USB connectivity, respectively. While all three models promise a slew of special sound features, the two wireless models have an exclusive shine: Xbox 360 microphone support without tethering themselves to the console’s controller. Not that we got to hear for ourselves; the mock-ups were non-functional, and fragile enough that show staff wasn’t feeling our enthusiasm for an ears-on demo. Still, we could dig ditching headset-to-controller leashes. Check out the gallery below to see all the bells, whistles, and switches, or hit the break for some meaty PR.

Continue reading Mad Catz co-branded Xbox 360 / Tritton headsets: eyes-on, ears-off

Mad Catz co-branded Xbox 360 / Tritton headsets: eyes-on, ears-off originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 22:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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