Tech News Updates

There are mechanical keyboards , and then there’s Razer ’s newest duo. For the past three years, the gaming accessory company has been toiling in a back room trying to figure out how to really get mechanical keyboards right; according to it, the vast majority of the options today “feature stiff keys that cause key actuation fatigue,” and it has sought to remedy said issue with the BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate. Launched today over at Gamescom, these two keyboards offer key actuation that feels much like a mouse click, with an actuation point that’s actually halfway through the full travel distance. The company claims that its power-packin’ pair has one of the lightest actuation forces for all keyboards, making it ideal for hardcore gamers who can’t be bothered with missing a single keystroke. The standard BlackWidow offers up fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording as well as five additional gaming keys, while the Ultimate edition adds individually backlit keys with five levels of lighting, 3.5-inch audio and microphone out jacks as well as an additional USB port. Both ‘boards are due out next month for $79.99 / $129.99, respectively, and you can peek the full specs list in the press release just past the break. Gallery: Razer BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate keyboards Continue reading Razer BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical keyboard offers backlit, programmable keys Razer BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical keyboard offers backlit, programmable keys originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

KIRFing isn’t just for cellphones, friends. Anything with good design is in danger of being knocked off, and Razer sent word that it too has fallen victim. Meet the Imouse MI-092, a peripheral that couldn’t look any more like the Razer DeathAdder if it came in a DeathAdder box — which it pretty much does, as the company copied the packaging design, too. Imouse even ripped off the Razer website, but did at least come up with its own charming slogan, which translates to “Mine, I’m the boss.” Sadly, not even Tony Danza can get any respect from these guys. Keepin’ it real fake: Imouse MI-092 is one dull Razer ripoff originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

We know who the daddy is when it comes to single-card graphics performance, and we’ve even witnessed NVIDIA and ATI duking it out with multiple cards before, but this here roundup is what you might call comprehensive . Comparing a mind-boggling 23 different configurations, the Tech Report guys set out to determine the best bang for your DirectX 11 buck. Their conclusion won’t shock those of you who’ve been following the recent love affair between reviewers and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 460 : a pair of these eminently affordable cards regularly outpaced the best single-GPU solutions out there. Slightly more intriguing, however, was the discovery that its elder siblings, the GTX 470 and 480 , have improved in performance to the point of being markedly ahead of ATI’s Radeon HD 5870 , with the blame for this shift being put squarely on the shoulders of NVIDIA’s driver update team. Hurry up and give the source a read while it’s still fresh, we can’t imagine ATI letting this be the status quo for too much longer. ATI CrossFireX versus NVIDIA SLI: performance scaling showdown originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

We don’t have the foggiest idea whether Tron: Legacy will serve to reboot Disney’s venerable light cycling franchise, but it’s certainly got peripheral vendors in high gear — you’ll be able to hack the ENCOM Digitizing Molecular Laser with a genuine Tron keyboard and mouse or toss virtual light discs with an Tron-themed Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii controller this holiday season. Gaming favorite Razer crafted this $130 laser-etched keyboard with swappable numpad and programmable macros; it will ship alongside a $100, 5600dpi laser mouse in October, and PDP will provide the console controllers for $50 at an unspecified date. We were bummed to hear that the Xbox 360 and PS3 pads are wired, but in retrospect that might be a good thing — by comparison, Razer’s detachable keypad is just begging to be thrown at an MCP-generated foe. See all the new Tron toys lit up in a video after the break. (Caution: video loads automatically.) Gallery: Tron Legacy gaming peripheral press shots Continue reading Tron gaming peripherals soothe your nostalgia with calming blue light (video) Tron gaming peripherals soothe your nostalgia with calming blue light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

If Steve Ballmer’s still pumped eight months later, there’s a good reason — Windows 7 has reportedly sold its 150 millionth copy, just two months after crossing the 100 million mark . If you run the numbers — and we have — that translates to roughly seven licenses sold per second since launch, a very convenient number for Microsoft to tout in their marketing communications from here on out. Perhaps execs can celebrate with a nice Windows 7 Whopper , topped with a fresh .dll pickle . Windows 7 hits 150 million licenses: that’s seven copies a second originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Yes, yes, we know you’d rather get Eclair or Froyo — but sometimes you’ve got to be happy with what you’ve got, and this is one of those times. As far as we can tell, Samsung hasn’t budged on its commitment to sunset the Behold II’s upgrade path with Donut , but at least 1.6 is finally trickling into the hands of owners this week via a rolling over-the-air update that should wrap up on the 25th. There are a few bug fixes in the mix, too — so unless you’ve got a rooted Behold II running 2.2 already, you probably want in on this action. Or… you know, dump this inadequately-supported piece for something running 2.1 out of the box. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Samsung Behold II finally gets Android 1.6 update originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Razer has been teasing these for months , but it’s just now given us our first look at its new Starcraft II series of gaming peripherals. Those include the Razer Spectre gaming mouse, the Razer Marauder gaming keyboard, and the Razer Banshee gaming headset, which all boast the same Starcraft-themed designs complete with blue LEDs, and all the gamer-friendly touches you’d expect from Razer — 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response on the keyboard, 5600 dpi resolution and button force adjustment on the mouse, and a detachable mic on the headset, to name just a few features. Of course, they’ll also demand a bit of a premium price — look for the Spectre mouse to run $80, and the Marauder keyboard and Banshee headset to each set you back $120 when they roll out sometime in the third quarter of this year (presumably alongside Starcraft II). Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the whole lot. Gallery: Razer Starcraft II peripherals Continue reading Razer shows off Starcraft II series of gaming peripherals Razer shows off Starcraft II series of gaming peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Razer just rolled out its basic Abyssus gaming mouse in November of last year, but it’s now already back with a followup: the Abyssus Mirror Special Edition. This one packs the same 3.5G 3500dpi infrared sensor and other internals as before, but adds a new black chrome mirror finish to the exterior of the mouse that Razer says “adds a certain stylistic sensibility to the desktop.” It also hangs on to the same $50 price tag as the standard Abyssus, and it’s available in the US directly from Razer right now — a worldwide release is promised “soon.” Hit up the gallery below for a closer look. Gallery: Razer Abyssus Mirror Special Edition gaming mouse Razer rolls out Abyssus Mirror Special Edition gaming mouse originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 06:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Aww, HP, so nice of you guys to think of the little guys amidst your massive unleash of mainstream laptops. While the Mini 210 was just released at CES, the 10-inch netbook will be available starting June 15th for a couple extra bucks — $355 to be exact — with some “fashionable” new lids. We definitely prefer the “crystal white” to “preppy pink” covering, but both use a pretty cool in-mold layering technique — when you look closely at the lid and matching underside there’s a 3D-like effect where some colors and shades appear above or below others. HP’s also expanding its netbook line with the Mini 110, which at $280 buys you a six-cell battery and standard Atom parts. The netbooks don’t get any internal updates — nope, all the new performance parts go to the 11.6-inch Pavilion dm1 . Though it still sports the same chassis as the Mini 311 , the dm1 will grab AMD’s newest Turion II Neo dual core and Athlon Neo processors, which promise improved performance and battery life over the previous generation. We’re hoping that’s the case, because our experience with those chips haven’t exactly been peaches and cream. That’s all we got for you, but if you are in a pink mood head on down below for some hands-on pics, or after the break for the sort of “Pretty in Pink” we don’t mind rocking. Gallery: HP Mini 210 preppy pink, crystal press shots Gallery: HP Mini 210 preppy pink hands-on Continue reading HP Mini 210 updated with trippy lids, Pavilion dm1 with new AMD processors HP Mini 210 updated with trippy lids, Pavilion dm1 with new AMD processors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 06:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Razer already provides full Mac support for a few of its gaming peripherals — including the Naga and DeathAdder — and basic support for others, but it’s now taken avantage of GDC to “reaffirm” its commitment to Mac users. That apparently means that “all upcoming” Razer products — including the company’s line of StarCraft II peripherals — will boast full Mac support out of the box, and that the company will be rolling out updates to some of its existing products “later this year,” including the Orochi , Mamba , and Imperator gaming mice. First Steam , now Razer peripherals — dare we say it’s a good time to be a Mac gamer? Razer promises Mac support for all upcoming products originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink