Having a good quality keyboard can make or break  your performance, whether is just typing a long blog post or even just playing one competitive match of your favorite FPS game. Some of the factors for a good quality keyboard are better performance on your activity, being comfortable on your hands and additional functions. One of the popular keyboards today is the mechanical keyboards, it is becoming a niche nowadays  to gamers due to its very responsive controls. Cooler Master, one of the leading brand in PC casing and peripherals released a mechanical keyboard to cater the ever hungry gamers for a good quality keyboards. The CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is CM Storm’s (a subsidiary of Cooler Master) a first keyboard product. Will this give gamers a reason to choose their keyboard or walk away?

The package of the Quickfire Rapid includes the user manual, USB cable, a USB to PS/2 adapter, extra keycaps, a keypuller and the keyboard itself. One first glance at the Quickfire Rapid and you will notice that the size quite smaller than your usual keyboard (I made a size comparison with my A4tech 9300F wireless keyboard), scaling at 14 inches in length, 5 inches wide and a eight of around an inch. Since the keyboard is mechanical, it is a bit heavy as it weight around 1 kilo (approx. 940 grams). There are two color variants of the Quickfire Rapid; the silver version (the version we are reviewing, although it looks more gray) and the black version, the silver uses black, blue and brown Cherry MX switches (we are using the blue) while the black version uses the red Cherry MX switch.

The Quickfire Rapid’s design is rather simple, no flashy led backlights, no mini LCD screen and additional features like macro functions, despite the lack of fancy features, the overall build of the keyboard was pretty good as it makes it feel more sturdy. The keycap’s texts are laser-marked so the text will not wear out after several uses, the rubber-coated surface makes it more stable when in intense game matches, I also like the font of the keys; it is very easy to read and it has that futuristic feel. One of the nice feature in the Quickfire Rapid is the removable USB cable, you can adjust the cable to where it is attached for easy routing, you can place it sideways or the usual front route, it is useful for players on the go. And with the USB to PS/2 adapter; you can opt to connect your computer to the PS/2 port or to the USB port with ease Despite lacking the macro functions, the Quickfire Rapid has multimedia keys like volume control and media player functions. You will also notice that there is no numpad, yes no numpad for this keyboard, although some people might get disappointed with the lack of the numeric pad as some use it for their passwords, account info, etc. The Cherry MX Switch is quite impressive, every press on the keys makes a clicky sound that makes you feel that your inputted keys are accurately registered. The Quickfire Rapid also disables the Windows key when you are playing; this is really helpful for players as there are certain times where they accidentally press the Windows key while playing. There are also some replaceable keycaps for the W S A D keys as well as the Windows key, the keys can be handy for FPS players and it is easy to replace the keys with the keypuller.

I tried testing this keyboard by playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Battlefield 3, I like how the keyboard feels on my hands, it is very responsive, you will definitely know  if your inputted keys are registered through the clicking sound. I also like the simplistic design of the Quickfire Rapid, it is even easier to bring on a LAN party due to its small size and since there’s no numpad, I have more space in maneuvering my mouse during an intense game. I also enjoy using the keyboard when typing thanks to the mechanical switches, the clicky sound makes me feel like I’m typing a really long document.

Overall the CM Storm Quickfire Rapid is one good keyboard because of its simplistic design, although some gamers might not be too happy with the lack of additional features like macro functions, but despite without the special features, it is still a well built gaming keyboard. And because the keyboard is rather small, it is a lot easier to bring it anywhere for the gaming on the go. The Quickfire Rapid is also affordable (SRP is around PhP 3,300 to 3,700) for a mechanical keyboard as some cost around PhP 4,500 or more .

So if you are looking a good gaming keyboard without burning a lot of cash, you should pick CM Storm Quickfire Rapid. It is now available on your favorite PC retail stores.

SNK Playmore is planning to release a new portable gaming console, dubbing it as Neo Geo Portable or Neo Geo Keitai. This was revealed by a Japanese gaming blog Famicom Plaza and it is possible that this was a leaked information before SNK Playmore can announce it’s existence.

The Neo Geo was originally a home console system as well as an arcade system during the 90′s  and was manufactured by SNK, their last console release was the Neo Geo Pocket last 1999 and the production ceased on 2001.

According to Famicom Plaza, the Neo Geo Pocket has a dimension of 170x72x15mm which is a bit larger than an iPhone or a current gen smartphone. It also has a 4.3 inch LCD screen and 2 GB of onboard memory, and instead of using cartridges for their games, they will be using SD cards.

The controls feature four face buttons, four shoulder buttons, a d-pad, menu and start button, volume and brightness control button. It also has ports for the headphones, AV and for the SD cards.

The unit will include 20 classic SNK games, and here is the list:

• World Heroes
• Ultimate 11
• Top Player’s Golf
• Sengoku
• Nam-1975
• Mutation Nation
• Last Resort
• King of Monsters
• Frenzy
• Cyber Lip
• Fatal Fury Special
• Art of Fighting
• Super Sidekicks
• League Bowling
• Metal Slug
• Magical Lord
• Baseball Stars Professional
• Samurai Shodown
• King of Fighters ’94
• Fatal Fury

There is still a possibility that the specs of the device can change as this still may be just a prototype. There is still no news on the pricing and also the expected release schedule of the Neo Geo Portable, up to now, SNK Playmore still has not made any comments regarding to the device.

On the Judiciary Committee’s website, you will be able to find an interesting document that’s posted publicly: the Motion Picture Association of Amercia’s (MPAA) letter to them in which they made their economic reasons that SOPA has to pass. It was a point that is largely used to justify its passing, but woefully a point that’s under-researched.

The letter claims that “Over 2 million Americans across all 50 states earn a living and support their families and jobs connected to the making of motion pictures.” This is way out of line as against the figures generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which declares that there are only 361,900 wage and salary jobs in the motion picture industry.

Which brings up the question: What actually compelled Lamar Smith (Republican-Texas) to think that this bill is urgently needed to protect millions of jobs in America?

Read the original post at The Best Page In the Universe.

As 2012 celebrates the year of the dragon, and to celebrate that, ArenaNet announced that the open beta for the highly anticipated MMORPG Guild Wars 2 will be scheduled this year. Here is the press release posted on their official blog by ArenaNet Founder and President Mike O’Brien.

Today is Lunar New Year’s Day, and according to the Asian zodiac system, the first day of the Year of the Dragon. It’s an auspicious omen for all of us at ArenaNet, as we get ready to make this our own Year of the Dragon.

According to tradition, the dragon embodies passion, independence, and ambition. We think it’s a perfect analogy for what we’re trying to accomplish with Guild Wars 2. We’re a company full of MMO and RPG fans, and we’ve set out to fundamentally rethink how you deliver an RPG experience online. So this year, the Year of the Dragon, let’s usher out old thinking – the tired old quest model, stiff repetitive combat, and monthly fees – and usher in the new.

Guild Wars 2 has captured the imagination of gamers and media all over the world with its action-oriented combat, its living world full of dynamic events, its highly personalized role-playing experience, and the handcrafted artistry that suffuses every element of the game. Last year, thousands of you joined us at shows and events all over the world to try Guild Wars 2 for yourself. This year, you’ll finally be able to immerse yourself in the vast, diverse world of Tyria.

We recently finished our first closed beta test, and we’re now ready to hold progressively larger events. In February we’ll invite select press to participate in beta testing, and in March and April we’ll aggressively ramp up the size of our beta test events so that many of you will have a chance to participate. And of course, this all leads to the release of Guild Wars 2 later this year.

So stay tuned to our official Guild Wars 2 website, our Facebook page, and this blog for more information about how to participate in an upcoming beta event.

It’s been an incredible adventure over the past five years, working with our community and our team of dedicated artists, designers, and programmers to realize this vision. This year, the seeds of that work come to fruition. We can’t wait to play the game with you.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the hottest games of 2011, heck it is popular up to this day (the game was release last November). Skyrim has a vast world where you can choose to do anything you want, you can even ditch the main quest and just focus on the side quests.

You can create your own style for your character, but here’s one cool guide that can make you become a badass unarmed Dragonborn.

This video was created by Robbas, where he will give you a walk-through on how to deal large amount of damage when using your bare fists. On his video, the main focus is to level your Smiting skill to 100 and also learn the Fists of Steel perk from Heavy Armor skill (level 30).

For the full details on the guide, you can check out the video:

Look what we have here, stay tuned for our gadget review on this cool gaming keyboard…

We will be posting the review in the coming days as we are still fixing the problems on our website.

Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware is bringing its cloud-based unified driver and peripherals management software, Razer Synapse 2.0 out of beta.

Razer Synapse 2.0 is now available for download to the public and currently supports the Star Wars: The Old Republic gaming peripherals by Razer, the Razer Blade gaming laptop, Razer Naga HEX action-RPG/MOBA gaming mouse, and the award-winning Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse. Razer Synapse 2.0 is designed as a unified driver, so settings for Razer products are conveniently accessible through one single program instead of through separate and multiple drivers. Razer will continue to add support for more of Razer’s legacy and upcoming products.

“I’m proud of what we’ve done with Razer Synapse 2.0 – its value added for gamers who use Razer products. We’ve made it easier for them to have the custom settings for their Razer peripherals stored in a cloud so they spend less time setting up and more time doing what they should be doing, gaming,” said Robert ‘RazerGuy’ Krakoff, President, Razer USA.

The new Razer Synapse 2.0 software is built on next-gen, cloud-based technology to give gamers full access to all their peripheral hardware settings, anytime, anywhere at tournaments, LAN centers, at home and at the office. Gamers will be able to take their Razer Naga HEX and any other supported peripherals to a LAN center and instantly sync their personalized custom settings simply by logging into Razer Synapse 2.0. Pro-gamers will be able to access custom settings while using Razer peripherals provided by a tournament host; so they spend less time setting up controls and more time gaming. As a unified driver for all upcoming Razer products, Razer Synapse 2.0 also automatically downloads game add-ons, and firmware updates as they become available, ensuring Razer devices are always updated and in optimum condition for winning.

Availability:

For more information on product compatibility and the launch of Razer Synapse 2.0 please visit: http://www.razerzone.com/synapse2.

Razer™, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, is proud to announce its newest gaming concept design – the Project Fiona PC Gaming Tablet. Unlike other tablets designed for general use and casual gaming, Project Fiona is a tablet concept designed to play the most popular PC games of today with an intuitive control setup for a phenomenal on-the-go gaming experience.

Powered by Intel® Core™ i7

Razer worked closely with Intel to harness the power of its third generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor in Project Fiona. As a result, Razer’s tablet is more akin to a fully functioning PC; and yet in a form factor and platform highly familiar to everybody.

Instead of relying on developers to work on a suite of brand new applications for Project Fiona, many PC games today run natively on the tablet concept without the need to be ported, optimized, or developed from scratch.

Moreover, Project Fiona will feature one of the most powerful processors integrated in a tablet form factor. Instead of the casual and mobile-only games that run on under-powered tablets, Project Fiona will run full-fledged PC games that have never run on a tablet form factor before until today.

“Project Fiona’s combination of high performance Intel-based gaming hardware and innovative tablet design is specifically focused for PC gamers. It will unleash the PC gamer to play their existing and future high-end games in one of the most exciting new form factors – a tablet,” said Brad Graff, Director of Partner Marketing, Netbook & Tablet Group, Intel.

PC Gaming User Interface Designed For a Tablet Form Factor

Razer’s multi-award winning user interface and ergonomics team have developed an all-new hybrid user interface scheme for Project Fiona. Featuring integrated dual game controllers with ultra-precise analog sticks, Project Fiona runs gamepad-enabled PC games right out of the box.

Along with the game controllers, Project Fiona is also designed with ultra-precise accelerometers and a highly sensitive multi-touch screen. This provides game developers with new game experiential opportunities to develop around the hybrid game control experience offered by Project Fiona. It also ensures current-generation PC games run on the tablet concept, as well as any existing games optimized for the touchscreen interface of a tablet.

Future games developed for Fiona are expected to take advantage of not just the integrated gamepad controls but also integrate core game functionality controls for the touchscreen and accelerometer-based controls.

“While multi-touch screens have become the de facto user interface for tablets, they are not the right interface for serious PC gaming,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO, Razer. “The user interface we have designed for Project Fiona allows all existing PC games to be played right out of the box and also provides game developers new opportunities as they develop next-gen games on a highly-intuitive platform. Both developers and gamers are going to love the new user interface that combines the best of a gamepad, multi-touch screen and accelerometers for an all-new gaming experience on-the-go.”

The Most Immersive Gaming Experience on a Tablet

To further intensify the gaming experience with Project Fiona, Razer’s integrated dual controllers deliver full force feedback, so every explosion or gun recoil can be felt in the gamer’s hands.

THX® Ltd., which works with many of the world’s most innovative audio and video home entertainment manufacturers, agrees that the tablet adds tremendous flexibility to a gamer’s lifestyle. “Video games, music and entertainment that previously were mainly enjoyed within the home can now be enjoyed anywhere through tablets such as the Razer Concept PC Gaming Tablet,” said Chris Golson, Senior Director, Business Development, THX.

Developer units of the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet will be made available soon. Interested parties should email developer@razerzone.com for more information. Project Fiona will be on display at Razer’s booth in South Hall 3, #31473.

Videos

About the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet

Project Fiona is the only tablet in the world designed for PC gaming. 

Price: Estimated below US$1,000 

Availability: Actual product shipping Q4 2012

For more information about the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet, please visit www.razerzone.com/projectfiona

Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, is taking your intense arena battling and frenzied hack and slash gaming to the next level with the Razer Naga Hex MOBA/action-RPG gaming mouse. Inspired by the award-winning Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse’s 12-button thumb grid, the Razer Naga Hex features six large thumb buttons optimized for the user interfaces found in action-RPG and MOBA games.

Excitement in the world of gaming is heating up with the rise of the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre, with games like critically acclaimed League of Legends. Games that throw champions into a ring to arm themselves, level up, and duke it out against one another while defending massive super structures.

Six mechanical buttons optimized for MOBA/action-RPGs

Enter the Razer Naga Hex, designed with six mechanical buttons to specifically bind the spells, abilities, items, and other invaluable commands in MOBA games like League of Legends for faster and easier actuation. With a mechanical key infrastructure that requires less force to actuate, you gain the edge in speed over enemies, attacking before they can react. The Razer Naga Hex is also perfect for obsessive clicking in hack and slash games.

High performance buttons up to 250 clicks a minute

Since both the RPG and MOBA game genres require intensive clicking, the Razer Naga Hex’s buttons are constructed with special switches for a performance of up to 250 clicks per minute – perfect for pro-gamers with lightning fast reflexes. Don’t worry about hyper-clicking though, as the Razer Naga Hex utilizes switches that are good for up to a whopping 10 million clicks.

Ergonomic shape and interchangeable thumb rests

The Razer Naga Hex is designed with an ergonomic curvature that fits your hand comfortably. The placement of the six thumb buttons has also been perfected over countless design reiterations, and validated by MOBA pro-gamers to ensure you’re getting the best game control and grip. 3 interchangeable thumb rests of different heights are included so you get the best comfort and grip that suits you. This is especially important for reducing strain during lengthy gaming sessions at home or at highly competitive tournaments.

Synapse 2.0 enabled

The Razer Naga Hex will also be Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled – this means the mouse is installed with the world’s first cloud-based storage software that automatically saves all user custom mouse settings and profiles to a cloud server. These settings can then be accessed from any computer, with any Razer Naga Hex, ensuring that the mouse is ready for use instantly, and setup just the way you like it.

“I love RPG and MOBA games. And I believe that having the right abilities available is the difference between slaying enemies and winning, or dying a miserable death and having your character wiped in hardcore mode,” said Robert ‘RazerGuy’ Krakoff, President, Razer USA. “That’s why we designed the Razer Naga Hex – we believe that the six mechanical thumb buttons are going to help gamers stay ahead of the competition with the best ergonomic control.”

About the Razer Naga Hex Gaming Mouse

The Razer Naga Hex is perfectly suited for pro-gamers and fans of the MOBA/action-RPG game genres. It is primed with six mechanical thumb buttons for the exact number of controls necessary to suit the user interfaces of those games. Bind your skill-bar or inventory grid to the six buttons for faster, more comfortably efficient access to your full range of powers as you take the competition down.

Price: US$79.99

Availability

Razerzone.com : 10 January Pre-orders open, Ship End January

Worldwide : In stores March 2012

Product features:

6 MOBA/action-RPG optimized mechanical thumb buttons

11 total programmable buttons

Special switches in buttons for up to 250 clicks per minute

10 million click life cycle

Ergonomic curved design

Razer Synapse 2.0

5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor

1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response time

Approximate Size : 116mm/4.57” (Length) x 78mm/3.07” (Width) x 42mm/1.65” (Height)

Approximate Weight: 134g/0.30lbs

For more information about the Razer Naga Hex, please visit www.razerzone.com/hex

In its 20^th year of service, Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, power supply, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, today announced the successor to a world renowned chassis line, the Cosmos II. Incomparable in design and specifications, the Cosmos II comes in as among the first of its type. It is an Ultra Tower; a benchmark for all enclosures that exist and all that follow.

Perfection in Design

Inspired by luxurious supercars, the exterior of the Cosmos II melds aluminum, steel, and mesh into an elegant artistic piece. It utilizes a high-grade aluminum for its primary construction and form. This is supplemented by steel and mesh to add to strength, stability, and overall appeal. It maintains its trademark Cosmos profile and outlook with its reinforced aluminum rails while being further refined for today’s advancements in air/water cooling, peripheral support, and styling. Following the supercar feel, the large aluminum side panels swing wide open with a small press of a button. Aluminum sliding doors adorn the well equipped fan and LED control and I/O ports function panel on the top of the case along with the front drive bays. These serve to obscure unsightly cabling and protect drive bays and devices.

Extreme Water cooling Potential

A stock Cosmos II supports a 360mm radiator in the top. Removal of the bottom hard drive cages results in space for a 240mm radiator placed on its side; having direct access to cold air from the exterior of the case. Mounting support will vary based on the radiator manufacturer. Large single 120mm or 140mm All-in-one (AIO) water cooling units are supported on the rear exhaust fan port.

Hardware Support

A full twenty percent larger than its predecessor, Cosmos II can effortlessly hold up to 13 HDDs or SSDs (2 X-docks, mid-cage 5, bottom cages 6) and multiple water cooling radiators. The Cosmos II has 10+1 expansion slots that enable users to install systems from the highest end that include of up to 4-way SLI / Crossfire builds. The +1 expansion slot allows users to install add-on cards via PCI extensions, or install other function panels for CCFL / Cold Cathode lighting control, additional cooling, and much more. Users looking to build the most extreme systems will enjoy the fact that the Cosmos II motherboard tray easily accommodates up to a XL-ATX motherboard.

Cable Management & Storage

A professional cable management look is possible with little effort. This is thanks to high quality grommets on the cable management holes and utilizing the many available cable tie zones. Smarter, and larger, placements of these areas allow for efficiently routing cables. A wide array of hardware can be mounted tool-free via the use of the included locking mechanisms, trays, and thumb screws. A very large CPU heat sink retention hole has been placed in the motherboard tray to allow it to be compatible with most types of CPU and motherboard layouts (Current LGA2011 and AMD FM1 sockets are supported).

The included front panel connections and controls provide a user with the ability to make on-the-fly changes to fan speed and case LEDs while USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, and audio connections are also provided as an added means of convenience. This is topped off by two HDD/SSD X-docks in two 5.25” bays. These make mounting extra drives as easy as loading a Blu-ray/DVD/CD.

The Cosmos II will be available for $349.99 in early January, 2012. It will be available at retail and online locations that carry your favorite Cooler Master products.

For more information about the Cosmos II, head out to their offical website: http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6792