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  • Interested in Losing Yourself in Another World? Check out our Favorite VR Laptops

    Interested in Losing Yourself in Another World? Check out our Favorite VR Laptops

    Since VR-capable computers tend to be very hefty machines, they are commonly desktops. However, what’s the fun of a VR set-up if you can’t show it off to your friends? Nothing’s quite as cool as showing up to a friend’s house and letting them try out VR. Parties were people can try the tech out are super fun! You can even take it on a plane ride to help pass the time while waiting to arrive at your destination. Which laptops are the best for VR, though? It’s pretty resource-heavy, so you have to pick the right one! 

    Dell Inspiron 15 7000 

    Dell’s Inspiron line carries some pretty hefty graphics, which is great for VR! It’s also at a great price point, coming in at $800, which makes it the most budget-conscious pick on this list. The main drawback to this laptop is the display, which is suboptimal. But if you’re looking to have a VR headset on while using it, it’s actually not as big a drawback! It also sports a great battery life, helping you get the most time out of your virtual reality fun! 

    Origin PC EVO15-S 

    The Origin is a very, very slim machine with a lot of power under the hood. It boasts an impressive Max-Q GTX 1070 graphics card that manages to be small, quiet and powerful all at once. You’ll be able to throw this laptop in a bag and still have plenty of room for your VR headset’s carrying case! The origin also has a great amount of storage, so you can download tons of games, and it offers great battery performance. All of this can be yours for around $1,600, which, considering how great of a laptop this is, is a great price. 

    Asus ROG Zephyrus 

    Asus, known for their high-quality builds and rock-solid durability, has a great laptop for VR. The Zephyrus also boasts an N-Vidia Max Q graphics chip, which helps it to be a thin, powerful machine like the Origin. The drawbacks to this laptop are a bit more noticeable, though. For one, it has a relatively short battery life, which somewhat negates the purpose of having a laptop instead of a desktop. It also has this weird, small, right-aligned track pad that is just… It’s bad. The 1080p screen isn’t as much of an issue if you mean to spend more time with the VR headset on, though. If you can get over those drawbacks, and the $2,700 price point, this Asus is awesome for VR. 

    The Strongest Laptop For VR: Alienware 17 R4 

    The Alienware 17 R4 is one of the strongest gaming laptops on the market. It sports a ton of options for configuration, allowing you to customize your experience. VR enthusiasts won’t be disappointed: framerate, graphics and response time will all be top-notch with this laptop. It has Nvida GTX 1080 graphics, putting some serious power in your hands.  This one gets our nod because of its wide array of options. If you’re a VR enthusiast, you can customize it to suit all your needs. As such, the price will reflect that. For comparison, a high-end model of this laptop would run around $3,000, but you can outfit it to your tastes. 

  • Fortnite For Switch! Get Ready to Battle on the Go!

    Fortnite For Switch! Get Ready to Battle on the Go!

    Fortnite, the astronomically popular battle royale shooter, is coming to Switch! The Korean ratings board posted their rating for the Switch version, confirming that the game is being ported. This news, ahead of E3, shows that Epic likely planned to announce the port at the large game conference.  

    Fortnite and Switch: A Match Made in Heaven 

    Fortnite, with its cartoony graphics and fast-paced action seems to be a perfect match for Nintendo’s hybrid console. Getting to battle and build while in handheld mode is sure to be hours of fun! Additionally, the Switch has very little in the way of free-to-play games, meaning the game will have little competition on the system. Children are likely to download it, thanks to its free-to-play model and bright graphics. Those same children will certainly then pester their parents for a few bucks to spend on in-game items, thus securing a great revenue stream for Epic.  

    While the demographics of the system make it a natural fit, this move also makes sense from another perspective. Fortnite had already been ported to every other modern console! The Xbox One and PS4 both have versions of the game, as does PC, of course, and even mobile! If the popularity of the game on mobile is any indication, demand for a handheld battle royale game is quite high. 

    Epic in the Headlines 

    Epic has been in the headlines recently thanks to more than just their mega-popular game. PUGB Corporation, the Korean company that makes rival game PUBG, has accused Epic of copyright infringement. To that end, PUBG Corp has sued Epic in Korea. Given just how much money both games make, it seems likely that if a case materializes, it will be incredibly high stakes.  

    In the meantime, though, both games continue to host millions and millions of players every day, all vying for the number one spot. If you’re interested in checking out Fortnite today, it’s free to download and on (nearly) every system! 

  • Luke Cage Season 2: What’s in Store for the Unbreakable Man?

    Luke Cage Season 2: What’s in Store for the Unbreakable Man?

    If you’re still reeling from Avengers: Infinity War and looking for some more Marvel to whet your appetite before Ant Man and the Wasp swoop in, I have good news for you! Luke Cage Season 2 hits Netflix on June 22nd. If you’ve been following the man with unbreakable skin, you’ll remember that after the events of the first season, he was jailed for crimes he didn’t commit. In Defenders, Foggy Nelson was able to help Luke earn his freedom back. Now that you’ve had a brief refresher, let’s get into what to expect from season 2! 

    Returning Characters 

    You can expect all the villains who survived the first season to make another appearance. In the official trailers we see both Mariah Dillard and Shades, the two primary non-Cottonmouth villains from season one. Additionally, Netflix series stable Claire Temple makes another appearance. In this season it looks like she’s still dating Luke, as the trailers show them living together.  

    Misty Knight, who had her arm severed by villain Bakuto in the Defenders, returns with a prosthetic arm. In the original comics Misty’s prosthetic arm came courtesy of Tony Stark, but it seems this time it was made by the Rand Corporation. Speaking of Rand, that company’s CEO, Danny, will be making an appearance this season as well… 

    Luke Cage and Danny Rand: Heroes for Hire? 

    Danny, who is also known as the Immortal Iron Fist, will be returning this season to help Luke train in the martial arts. This could set up for a potential crossover for the two heroes. In the comics, Luke and Danny are the two main members of the Heroes for Hire. The for-profit super-heroics of that group often entice heroes like Daredevil, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing to join the fray. 

    And while we’re talking about Colleen Wing, it’s worth noting that Danny’s presence could suggest she’ll make an appearance too. Colleen and Misty hit it off in the Defenders, so maybe we’ll see a hint of their team-up as the Daughters of the Dragon. 

    New Villains: Nightshade and Bushmaster 

    The trailers heavily focus on a dangerous new entity in Harlem: Bushmaster. John McIver, AKA Bushmaster, is a Caribbean supervillain with enhanced strength and durability like Luke’s. In the comics, Bushmaster forced the scientist who experimented on Luke to repeat those same experiments on him. This gave McIver the same powers as Luke and allowed him to fight the Heroes for Hire with his bare hands. It’s unclear where McIver has acquired his powers in the show, though. Some scenes in the trailer make look like he may even be using a mystical source, such as voodoo. 

    Also appearing this season is Tilda Johnson, a villain also known as Nightshade. In the comics Nightshade is primarily depicted as being a manipulator of werewolves. It seems unlikely that the relatively grounded Netflix Marvel universe will be using her in that capacity. We’re looking forward to seeing what she brings to the table when Luke Cage premieres on June 22nd! 

    Feature Image Credit: Next Episode

  • A Battle Royale Battle: Fortnite Being Sued by PUBG

    A Battle Royale Battle: Fortnite Being Sued by PUBG

    This one’s gonna be big. PUBG’s (short for Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds) parent company PUBG Corporation has filed suit against Epic Games. Epic, who creates and operates Fortnite, is accused of copyright infringement. The stakes here are pretty astronomical, so this is going to be a rather high-profile case. 

    High Profile? It’s Just Some Video Game Companies, Right? 

    Fortnite sported a record-breaking 3.4 million players online at one time in February of this year. The previous record? 3.3 million players, held by PUBG. Both games represent upwards of a billion dollars in revenue for their parent companies.  

    Those mind-boggling numbers are further augmented by the tremendous success of streamers, gamers who air their gameplay for entertainment. Both PUBG and Fortnite streamers can pull in thousands upon thousands of viewers while playing the battle royale games.If judges agree to look at the Korean company’s suit, it could be on the same scale as the recent Samsung and Apple case. Ironically, that case featured an American company suing a Korean one over patent claims. 

    Complications for the Suit 

    This case will be an odd one. For one thing, while PUBG went live before Fortnite in March of 2017, Fortnite is much older. It entered development seven years ago, in 2011, as a zombie survival game. However, after being released in July of 2017, Fortnite wasn’t performing as well as Epic had hoped. To bolster the player numbers, they introduced a free-to-play battle royale mode that proved immensely popular. 

    What’s more, Epic games created the Unreal Engine, the game engine PUBG runs in. This isn’t contentious in and of itself and is quite typical of the gaming industry. It is, however, an interesting wrinkle.  

    PUBG’s Claims 

    It does seem, however, that the plaintiff has some valid points. Both games feature a large map where 100 players are dropped from an airplane. Those players then scavenge for weapons and attempt to remain alive until they are the last man standing. They have somewhat similar user interfaces, although PUBG tries to appear quite realistic. Fortnite, by contrast, is cartoony and whimsical.  

    The only problem? Battle royale, as a genre, might not be an easy copyright to defend. To wit, PUBG itself is clearly based entirely on Koushun Takami’s 1999 dystopian novel Battle Royale. Takami’s novel quite literally lays the groundwork for the moment-to-moment gameplay of PUBG, down to the random locations of weapons and the ever-shrinking battleground. Any serious attempts by PUBG Corporation to defend their game as a wholly original work are thus a bit humorous.  

    Takami, for his part, has been rather influential in pop culture. The Hunger Games series, for instance, also bore striking resemblances to his novel. Takami himself was rather gracious about the other series’ success, stating “every novel has something to offer.” This leads one to believe he would have a similar attitude with regards to the battle royale video game craze. However, the point still stands: PUBG Corporation accusing someone else of copyright infringement is a bit ironic. 

  • Top Ten Xbox 360 Games with Backwards Compatibility you Have to Play Again

    Top Ten Xbox 360 Games with Backwards Compatibility you Have to Play Again

    When regarding your backlog of old games, you usually think: “man, I wish I didn’t have to dig out my old console to play that awesome old game.” Thankfully, Microsoft has been implementing backwards compatibility with select Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One. If you’re wondering which of your favorite 360 games are playable on your modern-day system, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our ten favorite 360 games with backwards compatibility! 

    10. Braid 

    Photo Credit: Top Best Alternatives 

    This trippy, time-bending puzzling platformer is a great adventure to relive. If you missed it the first time, its new lease on life on the Xbox One is a great chance to replay it. Braid features a crazy story told in reverse and quaint, charming graphics. If you always wanted a more mature, thought-provoking take on Mario, Braid is for you. 

    9. Mirror’s Edge 

    Photo Credit: Cro Hasit 

    Mirror’s Edge is a slick, polished action game with a sweet “fight-the-power” narrative. If you’ve ever been interested in parkour or free running, check this one out. Mirror’s Edge features a unique first-person perspective, making the action feel very immediate and pressing. What’s more, the game’s protagonist is an empowering and believable bad-ass lady! Those are in short supply in the gaming world, so it’s worth mentioning! 

    8. Gears of War 3 

    Photo Credit: Gamers Heroes 

    Where the first entry in the series defined action games for a few years, Gears of War 3 set a new benchmark for horde modes in action shooting games. The series’ signature chainsaw guns and muscular protagonists are here, front and center. While the series has stumbled in recent years, GoW 3 is a great reminder of just how awesome the series once was. The action is pulse-pounding and white-knuckle, rewarding smart use of cover and good aim. If you’re looking for a blast from the past of shooting games, Gears of War is for you.  

    7. Super Meat Boy 

    Photo Credit: Threadless Blog 

    Super Meat Boy defined the indie formula for blistering difficulty balanced with rewarding gameplay. Allowing the player to respawn instantly saves this game from being mind-numbingly frustrating. The influence of SMB can’t be overstated: indie platformers have been taking inspiration from this masterpiece for a little under a decade. Notably, 2018’s breakout hit Celeste follows in the footsteps of SMB’s balanced, thumb-breaking gameplay. If you want to relive the meat grinder, give this one another shot. You won’t regret it… but the Meat Boy will.  

    6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution 

    Photo Credit: Square Enix 

    The sleek, sexy and thought-provoking reboot of the legendary Deus Ex series is as fresh today as it was seven years ago. With a surprisingly deep story and rewarding, branching gameplay, Human Revolution never fails to engage the player in the action. If you’ve ever wanted to be a super-powered assassin with robot arms, this is your game.  After you’ve enjoyed Human Revolution’s backwards compatibility, check out the sequel, Mankind Divided, which released in 2016. 

    5. Fable II 

    Photo Credit: YouTube 

    Remember when Fable was awesome? Before some seriously awful spin-offs, the name Fable signaled excellence in western-style RPGs. If you want to experience the magic again, Fable II, arguably the best of the series, has backwards compatibility. Fable features a beautiful, storybook world made with loving attention to detail. The gameplay and combat are both tight and satisfying, and progression is always rewarding. It almost hurts to wonder what might have been in store for this series in they hadn’t made that awful Kinect spin off… 

    4. Portal: Still Alive 

    Photo Credit: Know Your Meme 

    What can I say about this seminal first-person puzzler that hasn’t been said? It’s amazing. The writing is consistently hilarious, the puzzles are mind-bending, and the portal gun is awesome. You play as a test subject being tormented by an all-powerful, rampant AI. Your captor forces your through a series of increasingly deadly puzzles, outfitting you only with a portal gun. The portal gun can open a two-way portal on certain surfaces, testing your spatial knowledge and challenging you to think outside the box. 

    3. Dark Souls 

    Photo Credit: Bandai-Namco 

    Haunting, oblique and unapproachable, Dark Souls is a game that refuses to be easily engaged with. You’ve doubtless heard all the talk about “hardest game ever,” but that’s only part of the story. Dark Souls is difficult in the way watching Begotten is difficult. It’s so grand, so epic, so utterly alien, that you have to change the way you approach it to appreciate it. The game is art in the true sense of the word: it makes you feel. Feel alone, outnumbered, isolated, up against positively absurd odds. 

    When you first cross swords with a screen-filling demon, your heart fills with dread. How could you possibly fell such an imposing monster, an engine of raw destruction? But you persevere, you learn, and dodge and you kill the beast. And then you face another monster, this one even tougher and meaner. Then you face a dragon. Then you face gods. It’s hard to really describe the feeling of growing power, the satisfaction of winning in a world so bleak. But do yourself a favor: play this ugly, mean, triumphant game. And prepare to die. 

    2. Red Dead Redemption 

    Photo Credit: The Verge 

    Red Dead Redemption tasks you with bringing in the members of your old gang to save your family from a corrupt FBI agent. In the Old West. Yeah, it’s as awesome as it sounds. Rockstar’s magnum opus, Red Dead Redemption climbs into your heart and lives there. The voice acting, and world building, are absolutely top-class, unmatched before or since, and give the game a sense of place unseen in the medium. If you missed this one the first time around, it sports backwards compatibility now, so you owe it to yourself to experience it again. If you missed it (shame on you) try it out now: it hasn’t aged a day since it was released. 

    The Best Xbox 360 Game with Backwards Compatibility: Halo Reach 

    Photo Credit: Halo Waypoint 

    Legendary developer Bungie’s swan song to their incredible Halo series, Reach is a triumpant achievement. While both Bungie and the Halo series would stumble along into the 2010’s with middling-to-awful entries, Reach stands head and shoulders above all first-person shooters that have come after. With the possible exception of Overwatch, no competitive first-person shooter has matched the raw fun and intensity of Reach.  

    Sporting a storyline that ties into the original and adds great depth to the universe, Reach delights on all fronts. It also features the return of the excellent Firefight mode from ODST. If you never caught this one and have always wondered what Bungie did before they made a disastrous deal with Activision, it’s available now with backwards compatibility. Go forth, and enjoy a reminder of how awesome the series once was. 

  • 5 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Summer

    5 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Summer

    As my old buddy Brad used to say, Its summer time and we’re living easy. I’m sure you all have great summers plans in place,  with boats and beaches, golf, good friends, great times and noodle salad, but have you accessed what you are going to use for music during all this fun in sun? I didn’t think so and that is why I’m here, to tell you about the 5 best portable Bluetooth speakers you can take with you anywhere you go this summer. To make this list they will need a few requirement, for one they have to be IP water resistant. The second is they need to have full 360° sound.

     

    5. TREBLAB HD55

    Wonderful sound, With HD55, you’ll feel as if you’re at a live concert, with clear high notes, deep bass and 360° true HD sound. This advanced Bluetooth speaker has the latest state-of-the-art double 12W drivers and double bass radiators. Great for the  Office, traveling & late nite LA gangsta style pool parties. IT is waterproof with a rating IPX4.  Amazon pricing of only $69.97

     

    4. Soundcore Flare Portable Bluetooth 360° Speaker

    Much like the HD55, the SoundCore Flare has the 360° and is IPX7 waterproof. This has great mid range sound, great acoustics and will keep the singing going on all night. It secured the number 4 position for one terrific reason, its $10 cheaper at $59.99.

     

    3. JBL Xtreme 2 Portable Bluetooth Speakers

    The JBL Xtreame is know for delivering earth-shaking powerful stereo sound. The speaker is armed with four drivers, two JBL Bass Radiators, a rechargeable 10,000mAh Li-ion battery supporting up to 15 hours of playtime. Its also IPX7 certified waterproof.  At $299 it starts off our top 3 Portable Bluetooth Speakers for summer. 

    2. Bose SoundLink Revolve+

    You can never go wrong with Bose. They have mastered commercial sound. And this is the best-performing portable speaker from Bose. It ultimately delivers Deep, loud, jaw-dropping sound with True 360-degree coverage. Ipx certified and fits beautifully in the golf cart.  At $299 its a steal. 

     

    1. Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST

    And the winner is…UE’s most powerful speaker with 360° intensely rich sound, stunning clarity, and heart-pounding bass. With up to 12 hours of battery, it brings your music to life wherever the summer leads you. With  Amazon Alexa hands-free voice control you can now just ask Alexa to blast tunes from Spotify. It is waterproof and virtually indestructible: Never worry about going easy on it, your music will always be on point. The speaker is IP67 rated and can be immersed in water for up to 30 minutes. Yes I tried it. It is by far the loudest on this list, the most durable and at $190 the best value Portable Bluetooth Speakers for your summertime listening pleasure.

     

    The Final Thought

    This is going to be the best sounding summer ever. Get me  my speedos and a REM playlist!!

  • It’s Happening! Pokemon coming to Nintendo Switch!

    It’s Happening! Pokemon coming to Nintendo Switch!

    Nintendo and the Pokemon Company have finally unveiled some details for their new Pokemon games. Pokemon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Pokemon Let’s Go! Eevee are slated for release on Nintendo Switch on November 16th, 2018. What are the details? What can we expect to see? And does it live up to the hype? 

    A New Look for an Old Adventure 

    For a certain generation, the first few Pokemon games mean a lot. If you’re like me, you have fond memories of Pikachu and the gang running around on your GameBoy screen. Gamers in that camp will be delighted to hear that this new game is a reimagining of Yellow Version, the enhanced GameBoy Color port of the original Red and Blue. 

    Yellow version is fondly remembered for introducing elements from the anime, such as the starter being Pikachu. The new games are set to feature the original 151 Pokemon and the original setting, the Kanto region.  

    Let’s Go! 

    The new games take a cue from the mega-popular Pokemon Go app. Let’s Go! seems to adapt the capture mechanic from the smartphone entry. It seems the new Switch games are set to appeal to the more casual crowd pulled in by the surprise success of Go.  

    Additionally, it seems random encounters in the wild will not be featured in this game. Instead, encounters will be visible in the overworld. Battling wild monsters also seems to be skipping this entry, much like the smartphone-friendly Go. However, the game does feature trainer battles! Though at this time it’s unclear how big a role training and battling will play. 

    Pokeball Plus 

    Nintendo also announced a new controller for the Switch called the Pokeball Plus. The ball-shaped controller is adorable, and also offers new functionality for Let’s Go! The Pokeball Plus allows you to store a Pokemon from the console game and take it for a stroll with you. This functionality echoes the Pokewalker from HeartGold and SoulSilver.  

    What’s more, Let’s Go! promises connectivity with Pokemon Go, allowing you to transfer monsters from your phone to your Switch. Nintendo seems to be viewing these games as onboarding for smartphone-only players. Those who were introduced to the series via Go will have the chance to transfer their faovrite Pokes to their consoles. This could entice them to check out next year’s core entry. What’s that? Oh yeah, there’s more. 

    More Pokemon to Come 

    The best news of all? This isn’t the only Pokemon coming to Switch. While Let’s Go! is aiming to appeal to the more casual crowd, Nintendo promises a new “core” entry in the series in 2019. In the meantime, those craving a fun adventure with their favorite Pocket Monsters have a treat in store for them! 

  • Beau’s Number 1 App Review: Jurassic World Alive

    Beau’s Number 1 App Review: Jurassic World Alive

    Beau’s App series. Each week, I install whatever is the No. 1 bestselling app on the iOS or Android store and review it, to save you the effort in case it’s total waste of life. This week a game called Jurassic World Alive is not in the top spot but Im taking it on anyways. Why isn’t it No. 1? It’s so new its just out of beta and instantly the Alpha of AR games. I could wait a week,  but Im way too excited. Also because it’s free, because it just came out for phones, and because it’s  really cool.

    In the key of Pokemon Go, Jurassic World Alive is the AR game we have been waiting for. This game is set to explode in the same way Pokemon Go took over the summer of 2016. Alive is the latest  franchise to try their hand on the Pokémon Go formula. Yes, we finally we get dinosaurs unleashed around our local neighborhood.

    The Dinosaur Hunt

    Jurassic World Alive puts players in the role of a new recruit in the Dinosaur Protection Group (DPG). Players are tasked with saving dinosaurs from another extinction by tracking them, collecting DNA samples and creating new hybrid species in a lab. Those man-made dinosaurs can be assembled into a team and fight in player-versus-player arena battles, which kind of seems counterproductive to the whole dinosaur protection thing.

    You walk around the real world to “fly” a drone and collect dinosaur DNA from the terrible, augmented reality thunder-lizards that’ve infested your neighborhood (think: capturing a creature in Go); create your own hybrid creatures; battle your dino “strike team” against other players and, well, probably drain your smartphone’s battery very quickly in the process.

    Claire, the same character from the Jurassic World movie series, introduces you to the basic concept of the game. Dinosaurs will pop up on your screen, once you’re in range you can click on it, and then launch and pilot a drone to collect DNA samples from the dinosaur so you can create it yourself in the lab. You can only create a specific dinosaur type once you’ve collected the required amount of DNA from that species, which will often require walking around your neighborhood to find more of that dinosaur.

    Jurassic World Alive Map and Advantages

    Dinosaurs smashed with Pokemon Go is an accurate summation rather than a reductive statement. The map is almost the same but with less out of the way stops. Jurassic World Alive keeps its drop-boxes close to the road and at stop lights making it much more convenient to get to the walking back behind the church. There also happens to be one at the end of my drive way so that is also cool.

    The Drone is a little harder then just throwing a pokeball. you have to launch a dart multiple times to a small target on the reptile. The closer you get to bulls-eye the more DNA points you accrue to unlocking that dinosaur. You have a set amount of time to pull as many DNA points as you can, my max is 60 so far.

     

    The Final Thought

    Ive been waiting for a less kiddy Pokemon Go game. I loved they hype, the comradery and community the first month of Pokemon go brought us. Im hoping we get close to that magic moment with this game as well. Kids and Adult gathered around community centers, parks and churches trying to find another Eevee, it was a glorious summer. So lets all download this and go on a hunt together, get some exercise and mutate some dinosaurs into monstrocitys.

  • Sony 4K Projector Redefining 4K Displays

    Sony 4K Projector Redefining 4K Displays

    4K TVs are limited in what they can display, size-wise, by their very nature. If you’ve been shopping around for an affordable 4K TV, you’ve probably noticed this. Panels can only get so big. What if you want a 4K image on an 85-inch display? What if you want the 4K quality without the same energy draw? Surely a 4K projector would be the right way to go. Enter Sony’s Ultra Short Throw Projector LSPX-A1.  

    Is It a Coffee Table? 

    No, it’s not just a piece of furniture, though it may look like one. The coffee-table sized projector housing is very slick, fitting right in with modern décor. It sports an incredible array of speakers in its stylish housing: the legs conceal tweeters, the body houses a subwoofer and three mid-level speakers are hidden in the front panel. The Ultra Short Throw LSPX-A1 is a tremendously stylish piece of technology. 

    Is it a Good 4K Projector, Though? 

    Impressions from attendees at CES 2018 point to this being one of the most impressive projectors they had ever seen. When flush with a surface, the Ultra Short Throw produces an 85-inch image. If you pull it back a bit, it can scale all the way up to a 125-inch image, which is downright massive. This dwarfs any conventional panel TV and takes up far less space than said panels. While traditional TVs are often seen as a status symbol, there’s a lot to be said for the clean simplicity of a room without one.  

    The only downside to this incredibly impressive projector? It’s impressive price tag. If you want to outfit your living room with this gorgeous projector, you’ll have to shell out $30,000. No joke, it actually costs that much. Maybe that Samsung 4K TV doesn’t look so pricey after all… 

    Bottom Line 

    Jokes aside, this is a gorgeous centerpiece for a room. If you’re in the market for a luxury 4K display, this is the item for you. Maybe someday stylish furniture pieces like this will be the norm! In the meantime, if you have one of these, expect to be the envy of your social circle. 

  • Razer Blade 2018: Worth the Hype?

    Razer Blade 2018: Worth the Hype?

    Razer’s name is synonymous with computer gaming. Despite some diversions, like the Razer phone, the company is still dedicated to delivering top-notch gaming experiences. The new line of Razer Blade gaming laptops is no exception. What are some early impressions of the new line? Is it worth all the hype? And, more to the point, are these laptops worth all the money? 

    Speaking of Price… 

    How much value you get out of your computer really depends on how much you’re willing to spend. The Razer line certainly will have you spending: the cheapest of them, a 1080p-equipped rig, runs for $1,900. A 4K-enabled version is at market for even more, retailing for $2,900. These are some high numbers, so it’s a good thing Razer’s name is attached. How do they stack up, though? 

    How Does it Look? 

    It looks great. The screen is crisp and luminous, and a great companion for modern games. The laptop itself has an angular, industrial look akin to the Razer Phone line. The iconic Razer logo glows a neon green on the back of the laptop, glistening like the eyes of a hidden snake. In short, the machine looks mean. It looks like it means business, and the powerful processors within certainly deliver on that promise. 

    A Razer Blade for Any Problem 

    Performance-wise, this laptop is a beast. Silky smooth graphics and impressive heat management in this laptop rival modern-day home consoles. Performance rarely slows down or overheats the machine. Razer’s Synapse software lets you customize your cooling profile, helping ensure the best perfomance from your computer. 

    Even better, the keyboard is (of course) a Razer Chroma, which looks awesome in any light. The keys have great travel time, they’re super responsive and offer great feedback. If you’ve ever used a Chroma keyboard and loved it, you’re in for a treat with this laptop. 

    Bottom Line 

    If you’re looking for 4K gaming on the go and don’t mind spending a bit of money, this Razer Blade line is a fantastic choice. It’ll set you back nearly $3,000 to pick up the 4K-ready laptop, but it’s a fine investment. The Razer Blade models offer upgradeable RAM, ensuring they’ll stay relevant for a number of years. This is money well-spent, and a great consideration for any serious gamer.