Two decades later, the world is a very different place, but the fighting genre hasn’t changed a bit. NetherRealm Studios’ latest, Injustice: Gods Among Us, attempts to bring the competitive magic of the arcade home to consoles, while also lacing the established formula with the introduction of a DC Comics license. Unfortunately, the title’s incessant reliance on conventional genre tropes makes it difficult to justify the sixty-dollar price point. This is the same Mortal Kombat with a new coat of paint.

Injustice: Gods Among Us, when judged outside the scope of NetherRealm’s previous work, is escapist, sleek, repetitive, engaging, tongue-tied, competitive, low-brow, and mechanically deep. It’s the type of game that allows you to ram the batmobile into Aquaman, or smash a Gotham City subway car right through Lex Luthor’s mechanical combat suit. There’s something to be said for a game that exists almost solely as fan service, and NetherRealm’s newest surely fits the bill. If you’ve grown up amongst any of these heroes, it’s hard not to smile at the spectacle provided here. Character models are drop-dead gorgeous, environments are modeled off the comics, there’s some kind of topsy-turvy canon-irrelevant story mode, and the developers have included enough content (albeit exceptionally repetitive) to last you until they release a new Mortal Kombat reboot on PS4 or Xbox One. This all comes together to create an entertaining experience, but it’s not one that isn’t already available elsewhere. After all, the practically identical Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe shipped for the same consoles just a few years ago.

In a recent article published on the media-news-jumble-site Buzzfeed, a staff reporter lamented that fighting games are going extinct. It’s a bold statement, for sure, but not one without a wealth of relevant evidence behind it. Looking at Injustice in comparison to 1992’s Mortal Kombat, the resemblances are as jarring as they are irrefutable. It’s been two decades since the former reigned as king of the arcade, but the title’s underlying mechanics haven’t budged an inch. At this point, it doesn’t seem to matter that Injustice’s heroes and villains are rendered in high-gougingly high definition; nor does it matter that the stages are now slightly more interactive than before. You’re still a muscled champion facing off in hand-to-hand combat along a 2D plane. Even more grating, you’re still eroding the same health bars and mashing the same buttons. Even taking the game’s flawless visual treatment into full consideration, this is an identical experience. If you’ve purchased a 2D fighting game in the past twenty years, you already own Gods Among Us.

Speaking optimistically, we live in a pretty diverse world. There are plenty of gamers that are gratified to buy the same product year after year. From Madden to Call of Duty to Magic: The Gathering, there are limitless industry examples of successful retreads. Shooters tend to add new narratives, new multiplayers options, and most importantly, new servers. Sports titles, despite annual releases, often provide new gameplay mechanics alongside updated rosters and soundtracks. Fighting games, on the other hand, don’t seem to change at all. This might be fine for a niche market of comic collectors and genre zealots, but it crafts a pretty redundant experience for the rest of us.

To be perfectly clear, Injustice: Gods Among Us is a completely passable, acceptable, even polished game. It’s undoubtedly fun, and easily worth a rental. Yet, despite all that, it’s difficult to decipher what the title brings to the table that 2011’s Mortal Kombat reboot didn’t already. Awkwardly enough, the answer seems dangerously close to ‘nothing.’ There’s a half-hearted story mode, online multiplayer, unlockable concept art, and about two decades worth of new combat scenarios to try out. The issue, then, is that NetherRealm’s former title provided all of the same content, with just as many hours of gameplay. In 2013, you can snag it on Amazon for the unassuming price of fifteen dollars, and it even comes with all four of the DLC characters.

So what’s the main selling point for Injustice, anyway? We’re left with new characters, new settings, a new story, and… interactive object prompts. If you were hoping the game’s narrative would be its saving grace, you couldn’t be more wrong. The unbelievably convoluted plot contrives that Joker has duped Superman into killing his wife and unborn child, which then motivates him to institute a totalitarian world government run by superheroes.

In the vein of many contemporary game narratives, Injustice’s cast members are flat, perplexing, and one-dimensional. They seem to be capable of only two moral standpoints: good and evil, and they make sure to flip that switch regularly. If you were hoping the title’s writing and voice-acting could hold together this quivering plot foundation, you guessed it, wrong again. The story takes place in twin dimensions, essentially forcing players to exchange their suspension of disbelief for a mentality grounded in the faith that anything can and will happen. Even more discordant, character motivations are practically nonexistent, and the title features more one-liners than the entirety of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lifetime filmography. This isn’t camp for the sake of satire, this is just poor craftsmanship.

Ultimately, it’s up to players to decide whether or not a fighting game really needs a good story. More importantly, to decide if fighting games will die at the hands of stagnation. Joseph Bernstein, the man behind the Buzzfeed editorial, has proposed that consumers respond to innovation, and the numbers seem to back him up.

Injustice: Gods Among Us doesn’t try to innovate, it doesn’t even manage to improve on an existing formula. When you combine that knowledge with the fact that many of the game’s most entertaining battles are presented in the form of cutscenes, you might start to feel nostalgic for the glory days of downtown arcades. NetherRealm’s 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot did well to revitalize the franchise, but it begs the question of why the characters and stages of Injustice couldn’t have just come in the form of some new downloadable content packs. Instead, the company throws money at advertisers, GameStop stocks their shelves, and we’re told there’s an exciting new fighting game on the market. If we’re to believe that the genre really is slowly dying, then what’s Injustice: Gods Among Us but a violent, well-executed fatality?

Pros:

• The game features gorgeous character models and detailed environments
• There’s a pretty sizable roster of heroes and villains
• You’ll have more content than you have time to finish
• Deathstroke refers to Wonder Woman as “Superman’s rebound girl”

Cons:

• The title’s narrative aspects are laughable, and the writing is downright terrible
• Many of the most entertaining battles take place in cutscenes
• The single-player content gets repetitive pretty quickly
• The game does little to innovate or improve upon past iterations

In fact, I’m no stranger to a sore arm which is analogous, or so I’ve been told, to that of elbow tennis.  It’s effectively a repetitive motion injury that is a result of spending countless hours on a computer and/or smartphone and exacerbated by not stretching before working out.

I’ve worked for the past year to recover from my would be tennis elbow injury and while I’m not 100% I’ve come quite far.  Far enough that I can now perform bicep and tricep exercises.  However, I still suffer from some soreness in my arm after completing the aforementioned exercises, which in turn deters me from repeating them again, at least not for a few week’s time.  That is until I tried out 2XU’s Compression Arm Sleeve.

A single box costs $45 and includes two sleeves that cover your arm from wrist to just below your arm pit.  I wore a size medium which took a bit of force to get it completely on, but hence the nature of compression wear –  it’s designed to be very snug to help promote blood circulation and thus increase recovery and reduce fatigue.

To be candid I’ve long been a skeptic of compression clothing as it’s got a bit of a snake oil like ring to it.  Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from wanting to try it and the results, at least for me – each person’s body is different – were pretty remarkable.

To test it out, I completed a few work outs without the 2XU.  This stirred up a bit of the familiar tennis elbow pain in my right arm – to be completely clear it’s more forearm pain just above the elbow.  On my third work out I started sans 2XU sleeve.  After 20 minutes in I applied it.  The result?  My arm not only hurt less during the workout, but my recovery time was shortened (less pain faster).

There is no doubt that I was able to garner some mental well-being or assurance from the 2XU sleeve, but there is also no disputing that it added just enough support and pressure to keep things in check.  Fold in the blood flow benefits and it’s no wonder my recovery was significantly shortened, or so it would seem.

I know this all sounds too good to be true, and trust me, I went in a none believer.  But compressions clothing, at least in the case of the 2XU Sleeves, does really does work.

Not too many years ago Power Mat blew up the scene at CES with their wireless charging system.  The reality is that it was anything but wireless as you needed to have the Mats plugged into a socket, and the phone had to be placed directly on top.  Moreover, you needed to adhere a specially designed case to the phone to make it work, which in the case of the iPhone added too much bulk to offset the convenience.

Fast forward a number of years and now Powermat faces stiff competition from a variety of manufacturers, including a number of handset makes that are now including their own wireless battery tech directly into the handset, such as Nokia’s Lumia 920 and the Nexus 4.  Contained within these handset are a wireless battery standard that works with any Qi (a Wireless Power Consortium standard for inductive charging) compatible device.

Such a compatible device is Google’s own Nexus 4 wireless charger.  It’s a product I bought over almost two months ago, and not long after stopped holding the phone in place and in turn stopped charging my Nexus 4.  A competing product is Tylt’s Vu wireless charging pad.  It’s a product that I happen to run into at CES this past January and although they lack the spit and polish (and money) of Google, it’s one that I’m far happier with.

Out of the box the Tylt Vu isn’t very impressive – largely because instead of using a microUSB port to connect to the wall, it uses a propriety plug that looks not only cheap, but a bit antiquated.  But for the most part that is the only demoting factor about this wireless charging pad.

Unlike Google’s version, the Tylt VU doesn’t use magnets or a rubber ring in an attempt of giving the illusion that your phone is floating mid air.  You simply drop your phone onto the ledge and charging begins.  You can place it horizontally, vertically, or ever-so slightly off-center and it will grab a charge.

By the very nature of inductive charging it will take longer than plugging your phone into the wall, but since I charge my phone over night it’s a none issue – Tylt says the Vu charges in the same time as plugging in.  I assume many of you will probably do the same.  But note, that if you have a tendency to reach for items on your night stand at night, it’s easy enough to jostle the Tylt Vu and knock your phone off-center enough to result in no charge – this happened to me once in 30 days.   Nevertheless, it’s a caveat I’m willing to accept since I’m no longer damaging the microUSB end of the my cords as a result of picking up my charging handset in the morning and tugging on it to get enough slack to interact with my phone.

Of note, the Tylt Vu comes in a variety of colors, including red, black, a neon like green, and blue.  At the base of the unit is an LED light that indicates when the phone is connected and charging, though it’s not viewable from all angles, especially when standing above it.

The Tylt Vu may not be the most opulent or graceful of wireless chargers, but it works, which is anything but my experience with Google’s Nexus 4 wireless charger.  Furthermore, it’s likely to last the test of time, since it doesn’t use any tricks to hold your phone in place; just a simple ledge.  Just be mindful that the phone must be relatively center to the pad to enable charging.

I’m told the Tylt Vu will soon hit Kickstarter.com and will cost $39 for the first 100 backers, $49 for the first 300 after that, and $59 for all other backers.

An in-ground pool is a luxury few of us will be able to afford.  But there ain’t nothing like taking a dip in one on a hot summer day.  So once you’ve saved up for your personal swimming pool, you can keep on saving if you want a Hidden Water Pool.

The Hidden Water Pool is very much like a traditional in-ground pool, but instead of covering it with a plastic tarp, you simply insert a key into the control box, tap in a pass code, and blamo, the ground rises and the pool disappears replaced by a patio surface.  Repeat the  process and the surface drops and is enveloped by water with depths as much as 6-feet.

It’s a pretty uncanny sight and one that only gets better when you consider that you can add a myriad of features to further enhance the already awe astonishing appearance.  This includes swim jets for in place lap swimming, spa jets for body therapy, a built-in table with adjustable height (in pool), custom lighting and even a fountain.

Sizing ranges from 12-feet in diameter to 18-feet in addition to two rectangular options.

It’s unfortunate that the video is so low-grade, but I think you get the idea, and since you’ll probably never be able to afford one, why bother with the hassle of wondering how much they cost.

So I can’t help but get all nostalgic when I laid eyes on this father and son arcade located in their basement.  Jealous?  A bit.  If not for the mess of retro games, the ambiance – there is a full on stand up bar and neon lights – is enough to make me pine for a single hour in their family cellar.

That all said, I still think I’d prefer the “every console room“.

Google recently updated Google+ with not only a new layout (that I’m not that fond of), but a whole bunch of new photo features.

First up is Auto Enhance.  This feature is much like the auto optimize button in Picasa, which adjusts brightness, contrast, shadowing and also color to create what is hopefully a better looking photo.  It will also reduce noise in the photo, optimize tonal distribution and saturation.  But that’s just child’s play, as it is said to automatically hide blemishes in the skin, which is more akin to Photoshop, and could no doubt go south very fast if it misinterprets a mole for a zit.

Also on the list of enhancement is Auto Awesomeness.  Stupid name aside, this feature looks to also enhance your photo experience through the use of GIF creation (as seen above).  Upload a number of photos at the same time and it will try to string them together in a short animated picture.  Auto Awesomeness is also capable of making auto panoramas and HDR photos if the correct type of pictures are uploaded.

Auto Highlight is another new feature to Google+ Photos.  It negates blurry or duplicate photos from the mix and picks the best one.  This means if you have 100s of photos from a recent trip or party, you won’t have to manually filter out the useless shots.

And last on the list is auto tagging of photos.  While this may seem useless, it will allow you to search for photos just by typing in what you’re looking for.  Android Police ran a test and had overwhelmingly positive results.  Visual recognition can be scary for some users since it’s a bit invasive, but much like the aforementioned features you should be able to disable it.

Word emerged today that the 500GB hard drive is not user replaceable, and since you’re required to install games to play them, such that Microsoft can limit used game sales as well as potentially monetize them, your space will rapidly run out if you play from a rather large library of games.  Fortunately, and according to Geek, there is a USB 3.0 port on the rear of the console that will work with any hard drive of your choosing and offer all the same features as the internal 500GB one.

I know it’s not that big of a deal since in all likelihood your Xbox One will remain stagnant and in a fixed position.  But we all know that consumers, even if they won’t use the option, that they like to have it.  Too many restrictions on what you can do with your hardware, as evidenced by locked smartphones, can seriously damage your brand.

The Asus Taichi isn’t your typical touchscreen Ultrabook. With two 1080p IPS screens, it’s designed to facilitate collaboration. Today the Asus Taichi 21 DH71 dual screen 1080p Ultrabook fell to $1,000 at Rakuten. That makes the lowest price we’ve ever seen on the model by hundreds, and it ties the low we saw recently on the Core i5 base model. The DH71 features a Core i7 processor and a 256GB SSD.

No one appreciates summer more than a pet cooped up inside all winter. While summer officially starts in late June, for most of us it kicks off around Memorial Day. Today Amazon launched a “Summer Essentials” sale on select pet brands. Harnesses, treats, pet doors, etc. are all up to 60% off. Brands include PetSafe, Greenies, and Premier.

If you want to start from scratch in the world of DSLR photography, the popular Canon Rebel line’s a good place to start. Especially with the recent release of the T5i, previous members of the Rebel line are seeing great discounts. Today Canon is selling the refurbished Rebel T3i camera body for only $352, making the lowest price we’ve ever seen by well over $100. Add an inexpensive zoom and you can have a solid entry-level DSLR system for under $500.

	Asus Taichi 21 DH71 Core i7-3517M, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $999.99 with free shipping (next best is $1,207). Cheapest ever by $520.
	PetSafe, Drinkwell, Greenies and Premier Summer Essentials for up to 60% off (normally $0).
	Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera (Refurbished – Body Only) for $351.99 with free shipping (next best is $519). Cheapest ever by $157.

LAPTOP DEALS

If you’re looking for a large-screen desktop replacement laptop that’s capable of running the latest games at high settings, the Alienware M17x r4 gaming laptop boasts a Core i7 processor, 2GB GeForce GTX 660M video card, and 8GB RAM for $1,612 – the cheapest we’ve seen for this config. For a more modest option that’ll do the trick for 95% of computer users, HP’s refurbished Pavilion g7-2269wm comes with 6GB RAM and only costs $350.

	Alienware M17x r4 Core i7-3630QM, 2GB GeForce GTX 660M, 8GB RAM for $1,612 with free shipping (normally $1,749 – use coupon code BHW1L0MX0D?MCX). Cheapest ever by $37.
	HP Pavilion g7-2269wm AMD A6-4400M, 6GB RAM, Radeon HD 7640G (Refurbished) for $349.99 with free shipping (normally $599.99). Cheapest ever by $55.

GAMING DEALS

Want better tactile response and durability from a keyboard? TigerDirect gave a price break to the Cooler Master Storm Mechanical Quick Fire Pro Gaming Keyboard, now only $50 after rebate – a good $25 off the next best price online. CowBoom (Best Buy subsidiary) dropped the price on the Twisted Metal 3 + PS3 Wireless controller bundle from $60 to $35 + $5 shipping. In other gaming news, Amazon has the lowest ever prices on New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS, 007 Legends for the Wii U, and Assassin’s Creed 3 for the Wii U.

	Cooler Master Storm Mechanical Quick Fire Pro Gaming Keyboard for $49.99 with free shipping (next best is $85 – use this form). Cheapest ever by $5.
	Twisted Metal + Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller Bundle for $34.99 plus $5.24 shipping (normally $59.99 – use coupon code Twisted5).
	New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo 3DS) for $29.99 with free shipping (next best is $40). Cheapest ever by $1.
	007 Legends (Wii U) for $24.90 (next best is $43). Cheapest ever by $25.
	Assassin’s Creed 3 (Wii U) for $27.99 with free shipping (next best is $40). Cheapest ever by $10.
	Darksiders 2 (Pre-owned: Xbox 360, PS3) for $12.99 with free shipping (next best is $17). Cheapest ever by $6.
	10000000 Android App for $0 (normally $2.99).

ALL THE OTHER GOOD DEALS

For the handheld touchscreen Windows 8 experience, the Acer Iconia 10-inch Android tablet is down to its lowest ever price of $300. Those searching for a large barebones name-brand HDTV should take a look at the 50-inch LG 120Hz LED set we found for $620. The iOS/Android alternative Lumia 900 unlocked smartphone has been down to $200 before, but never with free shipping before now. Share your sound with a $20 Bluetooth speaker or $50 iPod speaker dock, or keep it to yourself with a $10 pair of colorful earbuds. Finally, you can pick up a portable 10-inch DVD player for $50, the lowest we’ve seen in New condition.

	Acer Iconia W510 10.1″ Atom Z2760, 32GB Windows 8 Tablet for $299.99 with free shipping (next best is $404). Cheapest ever by $50.
	50″ LG 50LS4000 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV for $619.99 with free shipping (next best is $628). Cheapest ever by $10.
	Nokia Lumia 900 16GB Unlocked GSM Windows Smartphone for $199.99 with free shipping (next best is $245). Cheapest ever by $5.
	MEElectronics Air-Fi AFS1 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for $19.99 with free shipping (next best is $37 – use coupon code EMCXRVW89 and this form).
	Philips Fidelio DS8500/37 Speaker Dock for $49.99 plus $5 shipping (next best is $111).
	dB Logic EP-100 Headphones for $9.99 with free shipping (next best is $16). Cheapest ever by $5.
	Insignia 10-inch Portable DVD Player for $49.99 with free shipping (normally $139.99).

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Summer is around the corner and temperatures are only going to rise, which will have you seeking lots of cool down remedies. While many will want to take dips in pools, head to the beach, snatch up all the fans in the house and blast their air conditioners, there are some looking for more unique ways to say cool. For these folks, Thanko’s USB Neck Cooler is just what they need. The company already has a neck cooler in the form of a necktie clip for all the businessman out there, but this one simply wraps around your neck to keep you cool.

Looking more like a futuristic dog collar for humans, the USB Neck Cooler features front left and right arms that are lined with heat conducting metal that also has two internal fans, which suck off the heat off your body and exhausts it out the back of the device via exhaust ports. But the rear also houses two rechargeable AAA batteries and an individual fan speed adjustment controls for the left and right fans, as well as a standard USB port to recharge the batteries. According to Thanko, the Neck Cooler is supposed to make you feel more refreshed for up to 12 hours on a single charge. If you’re brave enough to sport the USB Neck Cooler in public this summer, the company is shipping it from Japan for $20.

Now you can turn your ordinary bike into a smart bike with Helios Bars, a Kickstarter campaign that has created what is said to be is world’s first integrated headlight and blinker system for bikes that utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS to add cool smart features to your two-wheeled toy. The Helios Bars are supposed to revolutionize the biking experience and fits on almost every bike. Plus, installation is meant to be a breeze, allowing for easy installation.

With the Helios Bars, you get a variety of smart features added to your bike that will improve the way you go on bike rides, including: proximity lighting that allows your bike to turn on its headlight when you’re near and off when you’re not; left and right turn signals to keep you safe on the road; GPS tracking via SMS from anywhere in the US; visual speedometer via the rear facing LEDs that change color according to how fast you are going; turn-by-turn navigation to find the fastest route to any destination; and ambient lighting so that you can set the color of the rear lights to any color you desire. You can get a set of Helios Bars in either black or white (drop style or bullhorn style) if you pledge $199 or choose from a variety of colors if you pledge $250 or more.

Here’s what it’s does: process an evenly distributed sound-field that envelops you (immersive); create distinct points of audio (think: a bullet traveling from in front of you past your left shoulder); recreate the original audio so that the listener doesn’t feel there’s some kind of techno-babble going on (i.e., you may hear explosions at your side, but John McLane’s “Yippe-kiya” is as distinct as if listening to Die Hard on an iPod).

Surround Master is about the length of a mini DVD player and about half as wide. Plug the AC plug in for ongoing power last — first set the switch on the front to 2-channel mode. Then attach a pair of RCA stereo cables into the outputs from your audio source and the other end into the 2-channel input. The last step is to connect RCA plugs from the 2-channel output and into the Aux of an amplifier. If you decide to go with 4 speakers, then the switch goes to 4-channel mode and the Left Front/Right Front, Left Rear/Right Rear outputs are used, with their other ends plugged into the appropriate places on the amp. Use of the subwoofer is optional in either case.

Nothing special has to be done to the amp, with the exception that all surround sound simulated modes (like Dolby Pro Logic) have to be turned off so that the sound exiting to the speakers is not being modified (most amps call this “Direct Mode”).

Involve audio who makes Sound Master recommends using the 4-channel mode, so I’ve set it up that way. I’ve a pair of stereo speakers in front of me and a pair to the side and behind (what would normally be called “rear” speakers). My position is at the center so that each speaker’s bulls-eye is my body.

I’ve been given a demo disc to use in which specific scenes are produced that display surround effects. I played the disc first as stereo and verified that the scenes I would use as “test subjects” are just in stereo. Frequency response and other measurements were obviated in favor of my ear — if what I heard sounded right, then I was going to be happy. So I began the test:

* Transformers: Battle sounds come at the listener from multiple locations, not just the front, which was the case when played without the Sound Master. A rocket fired at the end of the sequence “traveled” from the front speakers to the back and was clearly perceived a such — again this did not occur when the scene was played as ordinary stereo.

*Dummyhead Stereo: Both a rear and side sound-field could be clearly heard, but more importantly it was a clean performance that didn’t get “mushed” together (flutes being played demonstrated this fact).

*X-Men: The sequence had Professor Xavier using his mind powers on Wolverine to cause voices to “rotate” around the listener’s head. There was a clear perception of this happening, as opposed to the audio remaining fixed at the front when it was played in stereo. Additionally, the dialogue was not muddied or had any hiss or interference to signify some form of audio modification was in process.

I also tried out the Sound Master with a number of symphonic CDs and videocassette commercial movies. The surround sound on the CDs varied in intensity, in some cases being extremely mild, but at no time did I encounter any degradation in the audio. As to the movies, surround sound effects that were clearly not present when played normally were now evident.

Switching over to the 2-channel mode creates a “virtual surround” effect that functions without such tricks as bouncing audio streams off walls. I’ve never been impressed by any of the modification technologies used to do this and the experience relies heavily on the perception of the person listening. I can say that the Sound Master performs as well as any other technology in this mode and many will find it an appealing  way to enhance their sound-field. But used only in this manner is a waste of what it can do.

The classic mystery Clue board game has just gotten a whole lot cooler…that is if you’re a HUGE Dungeons & Dragons fans! The game plays out just like any ordinary game of Clue would, where you have to guess the murderer, weapon and room, but it now features lots of Dungeons & Dragons elements crammed into it. All the basic playing pieces and standard weapons have been replaced with all-new metal pieces, including 6 player characters and 6 wicked weapons from D&D. And the board is different too, as well as the playing cards, which are made to shake up gameplay even more!

In this D&D game of Clue, you have to find the Archmage’s killer, playing with either Regdar the Fighter, Lidda the Rogue, Mialee the Wizard, Nebin the Gnome, Tordek the Dwarf, or  Ember the Monk. The locations where the murder could have taken place now include The Treasure Chamber, Dragon’s Lair, Wizard’s Tower, Chamber of Tricks & Traps, Dungeon, The Grand Hall, Library of Arcane Tomes, Magical Armory, and Lost Crypt. The murder weapons you can now choose from are a Vorpal Sword, Dagger of Venom, Ring of Magic Missiles, Flaming Battle Axe, Staff of Power, and Mace of Disruption. Get your Dungeons & Dragons Clue set now for only $39.99 at ThinkGeek!

Enter the Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST video card–”tuned for sweet-spot gaming”. The card we have today is a reference card shipped to us directly from Nvidia. This is what EVGA, Asus, Gigabyte and others use to make their own wicked versions with expanded memory and higher clock speeds. The 650 Ti BOOST is a low cost card meant to achieve stable frame rates in today’s most demanding games when playing at a 1080p HD resolution. It’s not a card for the hardcore PC gaming crow–at least not by its lonesome. But I’ll get to that. At a cost that reaches roughly half the price of a modern console, the 650 Ti BOOST could be the perfect baby step into affordable PC gaming.

Let’s look at the specs. This is a current PCI-E video card. It features 768 CUDA cores, a base clock speed of 980Mhz that will “boost” to 1033Mhz. It supports PCI-E 3.0 found on most modern motherboards. It supports 2-Way SLI so two 650 Ti BOOST cards could be installed into a single system and benefit from dual performance. The texture fill rate hits 62.7GT/s and the features 2GB of onboard GDDR5 video memory. The memory clock is a nice 6008Mhz at 0.33ns. Not bad for a sub-$200 card. The is also available in 1GB and 4GB versions.

The 650 Ti BOOST is among the 600 series offerings and is probably the last card to be made before Nvidia begins shipping the high end versions of its 700 series later this week. But this little puppy does all that its other 600 series siblings can. It features support for Microsoft DirectX 11, Nvidia’s SMX engine, GPU boost tech, Adaptive Vertical sync for syncing frames and enabling more stable frame rates. You also have your choice of inputs including DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort connections.

Installation is as easy as you might expect. But for the uninitiated… Power down your computer, and unplug the power supply (450W PSU min required). Remove your current video card and place the 650 Ti BOOST in its place, making sure you are inserting it in a PCI-E 2.0 or 3.0 card slot. Then connect the 6-pin power cable from your power supply. Now close your case and power your rig back on. We are using Nvidia’s most current Beta drivers version 320.14. I download drivers and have them ready upon installing. But you can download them after installation.

The GTX 650 Ti BOOST supports 2560 x 1600 resolution. But even Nvidia states the card’s best use scenario is 1080p gaming. Remember it’s tuned for “sweet-spot” gaming. That’s 1080p! At that resolution I was pleasantly surprised. Even at sub-60 frames per second the 650 maintains very smooth framerates. Let’s take a look.

The big boy on the block is Deep Silver’s recently acquired Metro Last Light. This is the industry’s current trend-setter for visual fidelity. The game supports DirectX 11 features and Nvidia’s PhysX tech for physics calculations and looks absolutely gorgeous throughout. Metro is a bit less finicky than the previous Metro 2033. It seems better optimized for smoother gameplay at sub-60 frames per second. The 650 Ti BOOST handles virtually everything at max settings. Just steer clear of SSAO beyond 0.5. Moving it up to 2.0 or higher will see you FPS cut in half for an uplayable experience.

Beyond that, the 650 Ti BOOST kept gameplay running at a very playable clip. I even found myself repeating levels previously played well afterI had my bench results. All these are great games and the 650 Ti BOOST dresses them up real “purty like…” I prefer playing at 60 frames per second minimum at much higher display resolutions. If you’re the same, then you already know this card is not for you. However, you could pair two of these together in an SLI configuration to game either above 60fps or maintain the same listed results at higher resolutions.

Bottom Line: This is really a great card for the money. Moreover, it does hit a sweet spot, as the marketing hyperbole states. But lets be clear. The “sweet spot” for hardcore gamers is 60 fps minimum. But for more casual gamers, especially those coming from consoles and their 30-ish fps standard, anything above 30 at 1080p is indeed a sweet spot. Padding the list of goodies, there are some great tools available for GeForce users. EVGA Precision and MSI Afterburner allow you overclock your cards speeds thereby gaining a few precious frames per second. Also Nvidia offers their GeForce Experience tool. It analyzes your system to determine and set the most optimal game settings based on your system and video cards. It’s a great tool for those new to computer gaming or those who just want to be more hands-off.

*Enthusiasts take note: Don’t fret, hardcore gamers. We should have day-1 coverage of something special later in the week.

**Nvidia reference card are not available for purchase. They are used by end card partners (Asus, EVGA, Gigabyte et al) as a referential guide when designing their own cooling solutions and expanded memory. When reviewed , they are used to gauge performance of retail solutions.

We figured you’d want to know, so we did the research and the math. Company execs have stated that 15 exclusives are coming to the Xbox One within a year of its launch, and eight of them are new IPs. We’ve got a list of twelve here, but you’ll have to wait until E3 to hear more about the full selection.

1. Assassin’s Creed: IV: Black Flag

Studio: Ubisoft Montreal

2. Battlefield 4

Studio: DICE

3. Call of Duty: Ghosts

Studio: Infinity Ward

4. Destiny

Studio: Bungie

5. FIFA ’14

Studio: EA

6. Forza Motorsport 5

Studio: Turn 10 Studios

7. Madden 25

Studio: EA

8. NBA Live ’14

Studio: EA

9. Quantum Break

Studio: Remedy Games

10. Thief

Studio: Eidos Studios Montreal

11. UFC

Studio: EA

12. Watch Dogs

Studio: Ubisoft

For more news on the console’s launch and next-gen features, strap yourself down to Gadget Review.

Don’t you love it when you’re at a restaurant and you take that first sip of the ice cold beer you love with all the froth on top? Well now you can recreate that froth experience with the Sonic Hour Beer Head Froth Maker. Bet you didn’t know that in Japan, a beer’s froth is an essential part of beer drinking! While some might dislike that extra froth on top of their beer, it actually does make your lager that much more thirst-quenching in hotter summer months!

To create that extra froth, the device uses ultrasonic oscillation to produce fine bubbles to give a refreshing top to your beer. The Sonic Hour Beer Head Froth Maker  is part of their bestselling Beer Hour line, with the word hour a play on the Japanese word awa, which means “bubble,” and should be in every beer lover’s kitchen! The device also features light-up illumination functions to enhance any party atmosphere! It’ll make a great gift for any beer lover and only costs $80 at The Fancy.

Google’s Street View is a remarkable piece of technology that has has significantly influenced how we locate points of interest - heck, it can even help fight parking tickets (trust me, this works).  And while we’ve long known about the Street View cars (I’ve seen one in person) and Street View trikes, little has been talked about when it comes to mapping the ocean’s floor.

That’s right, Google, if you ain’t heard, has been mapping the Earth’s ocean’s for a few years now.  Saying “oceans” is a bit of an overstatement, as there are currently only six locations for underwater viewing, which includes Oahu, Maui and locations around the Great Barrier Reef.  This is because “indexing” underwater, or in this case oceans, isn’t as fastidious of a process as capturing city streets. Each Ocean Street View dive covers about 2km, lasts about an hour, and amasses 3,000-4,000 photos each – Google does up to three dives a day.

Pictured above (and below) is Google Underwater Street View camera.  It has a three lens – one facing down and the others facing left and right – and captures a photo every 3 seconds.  A tablet at the rear of the Seaview rig controls the cameras, while a propeller glides the diver along.  Google is also experimenting with 3D cameras.

Google says they’re working towards developing an underwater Street View camera that can capture photos on its own, which should significantly increase the “index”.  That said, Google expects to bring Underwater Street View to the world’s oceans over the next three years…select locations of course.

LEGO builds will never cease to get old for me.  Be it custom or store bought kits, I can’t but help revel in their coolness.  Case in point is this custom build by Chris Maddison, which shows off Sub Zero performing a fatality.  In addition to the spine, Chris has included droplets of blood at Sub Zero’s feet.

It’s time to wave goodbye to all those rumors. Microsoft has set the record straight, providing details on some of the console’s most controversial features. We’ve got some good news and some bad news: The next-gen Xbox won’t require an internet connection or block used games, but it unfortunately isn’t backwards compatible with all those Xbox 360 gems you’ve accumulated over the years.

Worried about offline play? Reporters at The Verge have you covered:

Luckily for GameStop, The Verge has also reported that used games will still run rampant on Microsoft’s next console.

The biggest drawback seems to be the system’s disregard for backwards compatibility. Since the Xbox One can’t play last-gen games, you might have to hang on to your 360 if you ever want to replay Alan Wake or Arkham City.

For more news on the console’s launch and next-gen features, strap yourself down to Gadget Review.

Slick Controls

Microsoft’s next console is “cloud-powered,” “personal,” and most importantly, “future-proof.” The company showed off an array of new features, and it began with a newly designed controller. It’s pretty similar to the standard Xbox 360 controller, but with added features meant to provide ‘ultimate precision,’ along with the equally important consideration of ergonomics. The device totes impulse triggers, a precision-based direction pad, and an integrated battery compartment. The controller, as pictured below, includes over forty subtle design improvements over the current 360 controller.

A New Look

A revamped dashboard was also part of the announcement. Although the aesthetics of the new homescreen aren’t radically different from the current one, there are a few important changes. If you’re used to the Xbox 360, you’ll instantly notice that the new dash features a similar tile-based layout. What’s new, then, is a slew of innovative social content and personalization features. The Xbox One will remember your most recent content, keep tabs on your favorite media, and show what’s trending amongst both your friends and the citizens of the world.

Live TV

Ever wanted to watch live TV without switching over to a cable box? Now you can, and it’s made even easier with Xbox One support. Not only can you switch directly to traditional television programs, there’s a handy Xbox guide to help you out. The console keeps track of your most watched shows, and can give you suggestions based on the most popular programs that are currently live. On top of all that, the device features extensive multi-tasking support, meaning you can surf the web or shop for games while your favorite episode of Breaking Bad is on commercial.

Update: An HDMI pass through allows cable, satellite and boxes alike to be plugged into the Xbox One and the single passed onto a connect TV.

Multi-tasking

If you’ve even used an iOS device, you’ll quickly understand the Xbox One’s “snap mode,” which allows for lightning-fast application swapping and multi-tasking. As previously hypothesized, the console’s various features will allow users to place a game or application in a “suspended” state. From there, the user can move to a different game or app, interact with it, and then return to the original program when they’re ready. So, if you weren’t already excited, you now have the power to achieve sensory overload by watching two movies at once. If you’re not really a film buff, you could try listening to music while watching TV, or playing a game while reading the news. This a new generation of overconsumption.

Video Chat

All of the multi-tasking features announced today are compatible with Skype, which allows for a new level of social interaction. The company showcased interactive ESPN integration, which allows fantasy leagues to be fused with live TV. What this means for the future of sports, then, is that watching a game at home is no longer watching a game at home. You can can chat with your friends, check up on players stats, get updates, and more – all while actually watching the televised competition.

Tablets & Smartphones

Xbox SmartGlass received a few nods at the event, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much in the way of a comprehensive demonstation. If anything, the company made sure to explain that the technology would be utilized to an even greater extent on Xbox One. Strangely enough, Microsoft’s innovative IllumiRoom technology never managed to make an appearance. We’re still expecting to see it at E3.

16x More Ram

Speaking of the console itself, we got some serious specs today. The Xbox One features 8 gigabytes of RAM, which is an insane improvement over the 360′s 512 megabytes. Other notable bulletpoints include HDMI in & out capabilities, USB 3.0 ports, Blu-ray technology, a more advanced Kinect sensor, and the addition of dedicated in-game DVR.

Update: The original Kinect was sort of a work in progress that in my experience never quite worked right.  The new Kinect has a full HD (1080) camera, and has a 60% wider field of view, meaning it can see more people and needs less space to operate – no more clearing furniture out of the way.  Moreover, it can capture 60fps, works with Skype calls and is so sensitive it can measure your pulse by reading pigmentation in your face.  It’s also better add reading the room’s depth and size using something called time-of-flight technology.

Also, a new 500GB hard drive was built-in house, as was the Blu-ray drive to accomodate better airflow to the much larger engine that has been stuffed inside of the Xbox One.  Housed on a single 40-nanometer chip is both a CPU and GPU – compared to the Xbox 360, which has two dedicated 90-nm chips.

The Complete Experience

In an attempt to create what is being called “a human experience,” the device’s Kinect feature-set has been ramped up, remixed, and improved upon. All of these adjustments are positioned to provide a “lag-free, instant, and complete experience.” With over 300,000 new Xbox Live servers, it seems the company might be interested in keeping their word.

So there you have it, the future of entertainment. Keep your tabs glued to Gadget Review for an upcoming overview of all the games announced at today’s revelatory event.

If you’ve been waiting for the price on the base model Wii U 8GB console to drop, you’re in luck today. Target dropped the price to a new low of $240 (+$6 shipping), beating the current next best by over $50. Other than today and the last lowest price we saw two months ago, we’ve never seen the price on the Wii U 8GB console dip below $269.

Fans of the ER TV series won’t find a better deal than today’s Amazon Gold Box. Today you can snag all fifteen seasons of the popular show for under $150 – hundreds off the current next best price. The one negative review of the set on Amazon complains it’s cheaper to buy the seasons individually than all at once, but that’s certainly not the case today. Buying separately from Amazon, you’d pay basically twice this price.

Don’t pay $30 or more at a big box electronics store for an HDMI cable. You can get an HDMI cable for only the $1.99 shipping after you mail in your rebate. The vast majority of reviews say it works just fine, and why wouldn’t it? It’s basically a bundle of wires, which is why those aforementioned $30 cables are effectively a ripoff and a way to make a greater profit margin because people will always need cables to connect their components. Don’t get suckered by the convenience of pulling it off the wall in-store as an afterthought on the way to the register. Save 90%+ off what you’d normally pay.

	Wii U Console 8GB Basic Set for $239.99 plus $6.55 shipping (next best is $300). Cheapest ever by $3.
	ER: Complete Seasons 1-15 (DVD) for $149.11 with free shipping (next best is $450).
	Ultra Thin 6 foot HDMI Cable with RedMere for $0 plus $1.99 shipping (next best is $14 – use this form).

LAPTOP DEALS

We’ve got a wide range of laptop deals for today’s post. The Lenovo IdeaPad N580 laptop is only $290 and will handle basic computing tasks just fine. If you want to step up performance a bit and don’t mind the absence of an optical drive, a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431 laptop features a Core i5 processor for $552 after coupon. A refurbished Acer Aspire with an i7 and 128GB SSD falls to $600 – a new low by hundreds. And for a unique dual-screen laptop, the Asus Taichi 21-DH51 Core i5 Ultrabook is cheapest ever by $100.

DESKTOP AND PERIPHERAL DEALS

The iMac gets a lot of attention for its sleek form factor and trendy design, but the VIZIO CA27-A0 All-in-one desktop boasts a 27-inch 1080p screen, Core i3 processor, and 1TB HDD for only $550 – basically half the price of the cheapest iMac you’ll find. If you’ve already got a PC tower and need a monitor, you can choose from a 27-inch Hanns-G 2ms LED screen for $200 or 23-inch Asus 1ms LED screen for $160 – both ideal for gaming or fast motion video thanks to their fast panel response. Finally, those searching for a reliable yet reasonably priced current model SSD can pick up a 180GB Intel 335 Series SSD for only $130 – a new low.

	Lenovo IdeaPad N580 Pentium B960, 4GB RAM for $289.99 with free shipping (normally $400).
	Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431 Core i5-3230M, 4GB RAM for $551.65 with free shipping (normally $649 – use coupon code THINKDEAL516).
	Acer Aspire S3-391-9415 Ivy Bridge Core i7-3517U, 128GB SSD (Refurbished) for $599.99 with free shipping (normally $1,000). Cheapest ever by $299.
	Asus Taichi 21-DH51 Convertible Touch Ultrabook Core i5-3317M, 128GB SSD for $999 with free shipping (next best is $1,009). Cheapest ever by $100.

	VIZIO 27-Inch CA27-A0 All-in-One Desktop, Core i3-3110M, 1TB HDD (Refurbished) for $549.99 with free shipping (normally $1,100).
	27″ Hanns-G HL272HPB 1080p 2ms LED Monitor for $199.99 with free shipping (next best is $250).
	23″ Asus VX238H-W 1ms LED Monitor for $159.99 with free shipping (next best is $179 – use coupon code EMCXRVW57).
	Intel 335 Series Jay Crest SSD 2.5″ 180GB SSDSC2CT180A4K5 for $129.99 with free shipping (next best is $173 – use this form). Cheapest ever by $30.

GAMING DEALS

The much-anticipated Call of Duty: Ghosts PC DVD preorder is $10 off list price thanks to a new NewEgg coupon that lasts for the next week. Both Battlefield 4 and Skyrim Legendary Edition have the same $10 discount at NewEgg with separate coupons. On the console front, CoD: Black Ops 2 for Wii U is cheapest ever by $9. Unepic and Dear Esther PC downloads are under $5, and the Spellforce games are 75% off at GamersGate.

	Call of Duty: Ghosts (PC DVD) for $49.99 with free shipping (normally $60 – use coupon code EMCXRVW223).
	Battlefield 4 (PC DVD) for $49.99 with free shipping (normally $60 – use coupon code EMCXRVW224).
	Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition (PC) for $49.99 with free shipping (normally $60 – use coupon code EMCXRVW225).
	Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (Wii U) for $28.99 with free shipping (next best is $42). Cheapest ever by $9.
	Unepic (PC Download) for $4.99 (normally $10).
	Dear Esther (PC Download) for $1.39 (next best is $10 – use coupon code GMG20-LLASD-D8WBQ).
	Spellforce Midweek Sale: Games and DLCs 75% Off (PC Download)

ALL THE OTHER GOOD DEALS

Fans of around-the-house entertainment should take a look at the refurbished 60-inch Vizio E601i-A3 WiFi LED Smart TV that’ll stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, and more for only $723 shipped. If you’ve already got a TV and just need streaming capability added, the award-winning Apple TV is down to $89 – a solid $10 off the usual Apple Store price. For an entirely self-contained point-and-shoot camera solution that’ll stand up to the elements, the waterproof Olympus Tough TG-820 iHS is only $150. Finally, the $6 Philips earbuds we found today have an inline mic, making them just about the cheapest way to make hands-free calls available.

	60″ Vizio E601i-A3 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Refurbished) for $678 plus $44.97 shipping (next best is $998). Cheapest ever by $76.
	Apple TV (3rd Gen.) MD199LL/A for $89 with free shipping (next best is $96).
	Olympus Tough TG-820 iHS 12MP Digital Camera for $149.99 with free shipping (next best is $186). Cheapest ever by $14.
	Philips SHE2675BG/28 In-Ear Headphones for $3.99 plus $1.99 shipping (next best is $14).

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