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Silicon Micro ST1080 glasses are augmented reality now

If you can’t want for Google’s Project Glass, these beauties will give you your fix, but they’re not exactly comparable. A company called Silicon Micro wants to get on the augmented reality game before Google does. Project Glass is an ambitious idea that will most likely define the augmented reality industry. It’s a very niche market right now but Google wants to bring it to the mainstream.

There are other augmented reality glasses out there, but they all look incredibly bulky and don’t belong out on the streets. Right now, the “wearable tech” market is pretty much dominated by glasses that are supposed to let users watch a movie with total immersion. And that’s what Silicon Micro’s new ST1080 glasses are mostly designed for. You wear them, load up a movie, and then it’s just you and the video content.

The device is capable of playing back both 2D and 3D content, and works with a variety of video formats. But inspired by Project Glass, it also lets users interact with augmented reality applications. So you can go out on the streets and see little icons and other forms of content in your peripheral vision. The ST1080 glasses have a retail price of $799.

Silicon Micro ST1080 glasses are augmented reality now is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Epic Mickey 2 gets behind-the-scenes video

If you were curious about what the sequel to Disney’s captivating dark-sided Mickey Mouse game will be like, you’re in luck. The newest video for Epic Mickey 2 takes players behind-the-scenes and shows them waht they can expect when the intoxicating mix of cute and innocent Disney characters meets a dark, mysterious world.

Epic Mickey was one of the big holiday titles of 2010, and at the time everyone looked at it as a Wii exclusive. But the people behind the game never said it was tied exclusively to the Nintendo console. In fact, they even went on record saying they would want to bring it to other platforms if they were asked.

Well, it looks like other companies asked because Epic Mickey 2 is coming to the Xbox 360 and PS3 as well as the Wii. The new game’s official title will be Disney Epic Mickey: The Power of Two. As you might expect from that title, multiplayer gaming will be encouraged, with a full cooperative gameplay mechanic. There is no confirmed release window yet for the new game title, but it will be on display at next month’s E3 trade show.

Epic Mickey 2 gets behind-the-scenes video is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: May 18, 2012

Happy Friday, everyone! We’re wrapping up yet another work week, so let’s take a look at all the stories that made news as we head into the weekend. So the biggest thing of course is Facebook’s IPO, and lucky for you we have a very concise Facebook IPO wrap-up. Moving on to the world of gaming, Diablo III real-money auction house second launch date set. And finally, going to mobile news for this Friday – Nokia Lumia 900 gets hammer and nails stress tested.

Featured: So in the category of featured articles, we have a couple things to highlight today, both of which are product reviews. First up is – Plantronics Bluetooth headset review. And the other is something that might set you back just a little bit more dough – HP Z420 Workstation review. So there are a couple things in case you were thinking of going on a shopping spree this weekend.

Xbox, Galaxy S III, & Halo 4: So as we finish up the final evening wrap-up for the week, we’ll move on to something exciting for consumers – Buy a Windows PC get an Xbox deal stars this weekend. Oh, and here’s something for you mobile fans – Galaxy S III rooted before release. And finally…Halo 4 release promises next-level multiplayer action.

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: May 18, 2012 is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Facebook IPO Wrap-up

The numbers are in and Facebook’s IPO has without a doubt made its mark on the history of the US stock exchange. What we’ve got here is Facebook making a record or two as it goes public for the first time ever, ringing in the NASDAQ bell this morning with its founder Mark Zuckerberg and sitting in at right below $40 a share the whole day through. Have a peek at the finer points of the day here and let us know how much of the big blue social network you bought here on its first big day!

At the start of the day, Facebook’s offering price had it set at almost double that of the previous largest company to complete an IPO, that being the United Parcel Service Inc. at $60 billion USD back in 1999 – this according to Bloomberg through the SFGate. Facebook’s IPO has raised $16 billion, this number very possible set to be enlarged to $18.4 billion should its underwriters buy an additional 63.2 million shares at the IPO price: this sets Facebook between Visa and General Motors for largest IPO offering of all time.

Have a peek at the rest of the statistics through our full day’s offering starting with our first update listing NASDAQ’s live stream alongside Facebooks 3rd place IPO price – again, upgraded to 2nd as the day passed by. One of Facebook’s co-founders made the news in congratulating Zuckerberg for taking the company so far since they invented the social network together in college – high five buddies!

Mid-way through the day Facebook was sued for $15 billion dollars in what can only be seen as a bit of attention-grab here on IPO day by a group claiming privacy violations. We got some insight into one of the only new devices to pop up in this whole situation throughout the day via Facebook developers in the NASDAQ Facebook opening bell “hack.” Finally it was revealed the Facebook broke the all-time record for IPO volume and is now well ahead of General Motors, the previous record holder.

Stay tuned for more Facebook IPO action as after-hours trading and all that good stuff takes place over the next few weeks. The day is over, but Facebook’s public persona has just begun to take shape. Expect a whole new world expanding starting now.

Facebook IPO Wrap-up is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Plantronics M55 Bluetooth Headset Review

We’ve got a brand new Bluetooth earpiece on the review bench today by the name of Plantronics M55, ladies and gentlemen, and this little beast is rather well put together. This is one of many reviews we’ve done of Plantronics Bluetooth devices, this certainly not the least of the pack – the M55, in other words, is a perfect example of how well Plantronics is evolving in the Bluetooth headset game, taking here a stylish minimalistic form and pairing it up with next-level abilities and a rather inexpensive price point.

You’ve got two simple ways to wear this earpiece, one of them being a hook which holds the piece down over your ear, another being a brand new clear ear tip which Plantronics lets us know is their newest concentration for getting this piece to stay in your ear with finesse. This little clear ear tip is extremely flexible and yet holds the earpiece in your ear securely as it fits comfortably right in the side of your head. The photo you see above shows how nice the piece looks and fits in the ear and on the head with just the ear tip in, no hook necessary.

In testing the device, I had no trouble going through the simple pairing operation required to connect to any and all Bluetooth devices I had on hand, be they the iPad, several Android handsets, or a notebook computer. To pair this device to any of your Bluetooth-capable devices, you’ve just to hold down the Call button for several seconds until the indicator light flashes red and white – you’ll be pair-ready from there.

The Call button on this device is unmistakable as it’s essentially the entire side of the hardware, it requiring just a series of taps and holds to activate any of its many numerous functions. For the most part, you’ll be using this device to make and take calls and conferences, and you will be satisfied by the quality on both ends. The little notches on the sides of the device are there for noise cancellation, and they certainly do work well – much better, in fact, than most of the budget-level Bluetooth earpieces we’ve ever laid eardrums on.

Speaking with people through the earpiece resulted in clear, nearly perfect quality on the other end, with exceptions being of course when you’re in intensely crowded areas. This sort of situation is always going to result in you not having the most fantastic voice quality unless you’re going for a much, much higher cost headset – at the price you’re paying for the M55, the quality is excellent.

This device has such fantastic battery life that you’ll more than likely not have to charge it more than once or twice a year. We’ve not gotten to hold on to the device and use it for more than a year quite yet, but according to Plantronics, this device’s new DeepSleep mode will have your headset into such a deep sleep that its using up next to no battery life at all when its not being used. This DeepSleep function is activated automatically if 90 minutes have passed since you last been in-range of a paired Bluetooth device. NOTE here that the photos we’ve got are of the pre-production model – the final model will look and function exactly the same or NEARLY exactly the same as this unit, so says Plantronics.

Another fabulous function you get with this device is voice activation in the form of being able to say “Answer” when you get a call on a paired smartphone device. This device can also pair with up to two smartphones in the same area at once, both of them then hooked up with this same voice-activated call-answering ability. The M55 comes with a free full year of Vocalyst Basic, this being a service which can give you voice email, news, weather, and reminders right to your ear, this service normally $2.49 a month or $24.99 a year with this headset. As a bit of a bonus, this service can automatically upload audio clips at your request just so long as you’re paired with an internet-connected device at the time – fun for everyone, without a doubt!

This device is certainly worth the cash you’re going to spend on it at just $50, coming to the Plantronics online store soon! Have a peek at our timeline of Plantronics reviews below to see their full line of Bluetooth-capable audio devices and let us know what you think when you’ve got them in-ear!

Plantronics M55 Bluetooth Headset Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

HP Z420 Workstation review

Workstation computers are strange beasts: it’s rare that someone more used to a traditional laptop or desktop will need them, or indeed, will be able to justify the extra expense. But for those who need massive amounts of performance for specific tasks, there’s no way to beat them. In contrast with their consumer products, HP’s workstations have earned a reputation as some of the best in the business, and we were thrilled to put the new Z420 Workstation through its paces.

Hardware

The Z420 Workstation is on the low end of HP’s full-sized Z-class, with only the even newer Z220 and the all-in-one Z1 below it. That said, it still gives you all the functionality of a full-sized workstation, and makes great effort to deliver first-class performance with a relatively economical price.

Our test unit came equipped with an eight-core Intel Xeon E5-1620 CPU clocked at 3.6Ghz, a relatively modest 8GB of memory and 1TB 7200RPM hard drive, and an AMD FirePro V5900 professional graphics card. Other additions include a multi-card reader and an extra guide and fan assembly for the graphics card. For these parts the total comes to $2762, up from the base price of $1169. A maxxed-out Z420 with the top end processor and graphics, an NVIIDA Quadro 5000 graphics card, 64GB of memory, huge SSDs and hard drives, integrated carrying handles and the like pushes towards $12,000.

For those interested in the Z420 or one of its bigger brothers in an IT environment, you really shouldn’t pay attention to the components. These are staggeringly configurable and in any case, the tower form factor is designed for replacements and upgrades. The case itself is of some interest to us here. HP’s workstations are renowned for being tough, and indeed this is the case: steel and hard plastic are hard to mess up. But what caught my eye is just how easy it is to add and remove parts, thanks to an ingenious system of tabs, handles, slides and slots.

When I cracked the case (which is itself quite easy thanks to a handled access panel) I found that every single component could be removed by hand, with the notable exception of the motherboard, processor and power supply. Since these are generally the components that are left alone, it seems just about right. The only problem I encountered was with the graphics card brace, which achieved a tool-less design with an unfortunately flimsy plastic lip. Have a gander at a true “unboxing” video below:

The outside of the case is just as important. The front of the case has three USB ports, two of which use the much faster USB 3.0 standard. You’ll also find FireWire and audio in/out. Around the back you’ll find another two USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, an extra FireWire port, the audio and Ethernet ports embedded on the motherboard, and two PS/2 ports (for you die-hard Model M users). A locking mechanism keeps your expensive interior safe, and a rear-mounted power button (identical in function to the front button, not just a switch) completes the build.

While not as pretty as a standard desktop, and indeed not as stylish as the new Z620 and Z820 monster machines, the Z420 clearly means business. Upgradeable components include three optical drive bays and 3.5-inch hard drive bays, two PCIe-16X slots, and a 600-watt power supply. Even the most demanding of users could keep this machine up to date for years.

Software

It’s rare that we see Windows 7 unencumbered by extra software, but naturally workstation-class users aren’t interested in bloatware. HP doesn’t disappoint: the only non-essential programs that came with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit were the Bing Bar (sigh), a Corel DVD viewer, Roxio Creator Business and HP’s proprietary Remote Graphics Software (RGS).

RGS deserves a special note here. In many ways it reproduces the functionality of Windows’ own RDP, but is tuned to the exacting demands of graphics professionals. Demonstrations showed the software keeping up with some rather amazing CAD visuals in real-time. RGS is free for use with any HP computer.

Needless to say, Windows users who are tired of bloatware will find a lot to love here. While many users and IT managers prefer to install Windows from scratch, this is the first machine I’ve seen in perhaps a decade where I didn’t feel the need. Performance is smooth and screaming fast, as you would expect with these components. Other pre-installed OS options include Red Hat Linux, and you can order recovery media for an extra $10.

Performance

Components with this kind of power are, quite frankly, far beyond our usual fare. While not exactly ideal for gamers thanks to the OpenGL-specific graphics cards, those whose work demands incredible amounts of power won’t be disappointed. Graphic design, CAD, medical imaging, financial tracking… there’s enough power and options here to satisfy everyone.

In my own personal usage, Photoshop and Premiere are about the toughest programs that I put my machines through. The Z420, as expected, put the other Windows laptops and desktops I’ve used lately (all of which had second-generation Core-series processors) to shame with its combination of an 8-core Xeon E5 processor and fast memory. For those with the inclination, even faster processor and storage options are available.

Benchmarks aren’t all that relevant on a machine as configurable as this one. Needless to say the Z420 has far outpaced any consumer-focused Windows machine we’ve ever tested, and only the latest revision of the Mac Pro comes close. PCMark 7 gives this configuration a score of 3168 – you can see the full test in the gallery section.

An important note about all that screaming horsepower: it doesn’t, in fact, scream. During extensive uses I never once heard the Z420 make noise that surpassed the ambient volume of my home, with the exception of some extremely fast disk writes. If it weren’t for the LED status lights I might never know it was on. There’s some incredible engineering that’s been put into airflow, heat, vibration and noise management, and it shows. This thing makes my home-built desktop (with some pretty high-end cooling components itself) sound like a sputtering B-52.

Wrap-Up

There aren’t many reading this that need massive amounts of power for specific and often crucial tasks. But for those who do, and can afford the premium that a workstation demands, the Z420 is an excellent choice. While not as flashy as the machines above it or as compact as those below it in HP’s line, it strikes a happy medium while keeping a wide variety of initial configuration and upgrade options.

When it comes to desktops, I nearly always advocate building from the ground up for those with the skills to do so. the Z420 is the first machine that’s made me reconsider. The sheer ease of replacing components along with a truly amazing level of sound suppression make me wish my own computers were half as user-friendly. If you need a full-size workstation, the Z420′s combination of features and price (depending upon your configuration) is very, very hard to beat.

HP Z420 Workstation review is written by Michael Crider & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Diablo III Real-Money Auction House second launch date set

Its official: Blizzard and Battle.NET have announced that Diablo III’s new Real-Money Auction House will be launching on the 29th of May. This comes after a bit of a delay in which the auction house was going to be launched on the 22nd of this month but was pushed back due to unforeseen circumstances. Due to the extremely volatile nature of a real-money set of exchanges here in the next-level auction house for Diablo III in-game items, Blizzard has let the world know that they’re sparing no expense making sure the launch goes smoothly.

This in-game online auction house is set to have users inserting real cash with credit cards and PayPal for which they receive currency which essentially work like game tokens at an arcade. This currency lives inside the auction house only and is not carried in-game by characters so as to keep the whole system as controlled as humanly possible. This system was created in reaction to player requests during Diablo II that the system of trading items back and forth between players be streamlined.

Have a look at what underground “Greatest Paladin in the World” gamer Athene has to say about the Real-Money Auction House to gain a greater understanding of what’s going on here – NSFW for a couple of swear words, btw:

Players from the age of Diablo II will remember hacks, duplication techniques, and evil in many forms when it came to trading items between players. In Diablo III no such evil shall exist, or so Blizzard hopes. The success of the Real-Money Auction House will rely heavily on how hardcore the players of the game become, of course. If Diablo II is any indication, Blizzard can expect playing and trading straight through the next 15 years when they release another installment – Diablo IV on the way!

Diablo III Real-Money Auction House second launch date set is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Facebook breaks IPO volume record

In a day that’s had Facebook making history in more ways than one, the social network has broken the first day IPO Trading Volume record with more than 460 million shares traded throughout the day. This record beats the previous top spot holder General Motors which had 458 million shares traded its first day going public in 2010. Trading will end at 4 PM EDT at which time we’ll know whether or not Facebook has broken any other records for an IPO – it currently also in contention with Visa for largest ever about of cash raised from and IPO with Visa’s 2008 number sitting at $17.9 billion USD while Facebook runs around $16 billion USD throughout the day.

This IPO is having several effects on those investment groups that got in on the business early, with such groups as Elevation Partners – associated with U2′s Bono holding a 2.3 percent stake in the company and raking in what may be $1.5 billion USD by the end of the day according to MTV. By Sarah Kessler of Mashable’s count, Mark Zuckerberg has jumped between the number 29th and 24th wealthiest people on earth today with a prospective $19.1 billion USD sitting in his pocket today via his 503.6 million shares and options in Facebook. This puts Zuckerberg in contention with Amazon’s own Jeff Bezos who currently sits in the number 23 spot on Bloomberg’s Billionairs Index.

For those of you counting, Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin sit at numbers 30 and 31 on the index today. As for the stock trends today for Facebook, the social network has thus far (at 3 PM EDT, specifically) accounted for a massive 6.9% of the total US stock market volume for the day, that also being 22% of the trading done in the entire NASDAQ composite. Have a peek in our timeline below to stay in-tune with everything that’s happened surrounding Facebook’s IPO today and stick with us as we wind up the end here in just a bit.

Facebook breaks IPO volume record is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.