Rift: Planes of Telara

One of the newest entrants to the MMO market – RIFT: Places of Telara is opening its servers for the Head Start to players who have pre-ordered today – with the official launch taking place on March 1 (NA servers) and 4 March (EU servers) – full details of the Head Start is available here.

RIFT throws players into the world of Telara – which after a recent magic war is experiencing rifts which appear – seemingly at random – these rifts connect to other planes, allowing the denizens of those planes to invade Telara, putting the inhabitants and lands at risk of destruction.

Stepping into the breach to protect the world are two factions – the Defiant and the Guardians – who from the get go are at odds about how exactly to go about saving the world. Clever of them. So the players will be spending a fair bit of time fighting each other along with the invaders. No lack of targets then

RIFT features a dynamic world, two factions, and a host of different races and four base classes – each of these classes have a number of specialisations, granting the players a greatly varying experience. The races included in the game are, on the Guardian side: Dwarves, High Elves and Mathosians – and on the Defiant side the Bahmi, Eth and Kelari. Immediately you can see the light/dark contrast – and while 2 of the races are familiar to most people, the addition of 4 different races give the players something to explore.

The four base classes are: the Warrior, the Mage, the Cleric and the Rogue. As classes go, these are very familiar to most RPG players – but, each of these classes have 7 different specialisations, and it looks like Trion have left space to add more at a later date.

I’d love to go into the detail, but there is simply too much – so I suggest visiting the classes page itself to get an overview.

RIFT has all the ingredients to become an epic MMO title – while it may not be a WoW killer (it’s really too early to say), it may leech some players away, and if it lives up to its promise, it may very well put NCSoft’s Aion in some trouble – with Aion having had difficulty in retaining it’s players; while NCSoft has been getting progressively better at keeping their players happy – RIFT seems to contain features that may make it appealing to players of both the aforementioned games.

RIFT is a subscription-based game – with a monthly subscription of US$14.99 – although it becomes somewhat less if you opt for the 3-month or 6-month payment plans. However, you have until the 15th of March to subscribe on one of the Founder’s Subscription Plans – which will save you some additional dosh … you can end up paying as little as $9.99/month – and you keep that price for as long as you maintain an active subscription.

For those wanting to up their game and get ahead – Xerxes has released their Ultimate Rift Mastery Guide – featuring a Beginners’ Guide, a Comprehensive Leveling guide for both factions, Skills Builds Guides for both PvP and PvE – and it will be constantly updated with new tips and information. Ordering grants immediate access to the members’ area on the site – there are no monthly membership fees for this access; you get lifetime access to all the content.

For more details -Click Here!

One, perhaps two, smart gadgets to rule them all

I can’t remember when I had last used my camera. Somehow it just happened that I used my camera less and less. It’s a great camera but it feels a bit bulky, yes, even when it isn’t in its case. And I’ll admit that the batteries – Lithium, of course – do not last long.

The Wall Street Journal wrote a story about consumers who, just like me, are consolidating devices; they’re using their smart phones instead of a multitude of other gadgets.

Here is my compelling case for making the switch to one or two devices:

•    You’ll charge fewer batteries every day

Does charging batteries nearly every time you want to use a particular appliance irritate you as much as it irritates me? And it creates a mess, too: cables galore and you have to spend even more money on a USB connector for the extra connections every electronic device needs.

If you only have one or two devices, you need to charge only one or two batteries. That’s awesome, right? And you’ll do your bit for the environment, too.

•    Your pockets and handbags will be lighter

At one stage I used to carry nearly all my gadgets around in my handbag. Oh, and the boyfriend’s gadgets, too. I didn’t feel safe walking around with gadgets that were equal – back then – to at least two months’ salary.

So these days I only carry the cellphone with me. My handbag does still bulge but that’s from the books I carry around.

•    You will save money

You’re not rushing out to buy the latest must-have anymore so that should save you enough money to buy next year’s best gadget that will rival the Kindle – the Papyrus. And then your hands or your handbag will love you because you’re no longer carrying the slightly bulky War and Peace with you.

•    Your life will be simpler

Simple is good. And you don’t need to read inspirational and productivity blogs to know that; do you need 25 to 45 gadgets?

•    You do not need professional products

So you’re not a professional photographer but you use a 10-megapixel camera. Your car has a CD-player, you do not gym, and your colleagues entertain you so much that you never notice how fast the time flies. Then why do you insist on buying an iPod?

Do we buy the products because of their status, or do we buy because they are useful?

So which smart phone is it, then? There are many to choose from but the smart phone that wins will be the one with the features you’re looking for. Or it has the potential to hold all those features.

There is no one definition of a smart phone but there are a few criteria that can help you spot such a phone: powerful processors, abundant memories, large screens and open operating systems.

Intel and AMD square up once more

Intel recently launched their new i7 chip, and claims that it is the fastest chip in the world. There is quite a bit of truth to this statement, but with AMD now starting production on their brand new Phenom II, it looks like Intel may be facing some serious competition again for the first time in a few years.

Intel’s dominance in the market has been attributed to the fact that their CPUs are running on the 45nm standard, while AMD offerings are still running on the 65nm standard – something which is now changing, since the Phenom II will also be switching to the 45nm process.

The problem from AMD’s point of view would be the fact that Intel have been running with the 45nm standard for a little more than a year now – meaning that AMD is still left playing catch-up. However, given AMD CPUs’ lack of competitiveness in recent times, this move should give them a firmer foothold in the consumer market once more.

For the time being – AMD’s only advantage lies in their lower price offerings, but the margin compared to Intel’s pricing is fairly narrow.

More details on the Intel chip can be found on the Intel site, with some reviews of the AMD Phenom II and what we can expect on this site. The anandtech article gets pretty technical – so keep your thinking hats on.

Thanko Media Player Sunglasses

Imagine a pair of stylish sunglasses which allows you to watch and listen to various media files, while still offering protection from the sun. Sound crazy? Well Thanko, a leading Japanese gadget maker, has introduced another ingenious concept to their already original collection – the Thanko Media Player Sunglasses.

What is it? The Thanko Media Player Sunglasses is a nifty little gadget which allows you to play videos in MP4, AVI, and ASF formats, all through the lenses. These glasses are believed to be designed for viewing videos at about 50-inches in comparison, at about 423 x 240.

The material used for viewing the audio, video, or photo files is stored on a mini SD card. The sunglasses also allow you to connect to your computer via USB 2.0 for downloading more files. You will receive a lithium ion-battery, and four equalizer presents with your glasses.

The whole package includes the sunglasses, a remote control, an AC adaptor, ear phones, as well as a USB cable and carrying case. And if you don’t like the added features, at least you will look cool this summer.

This product is not available at the Deals Direct Online Shopping Portal, but you can find various other Media Players at their store.

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Zero Gravity Micro R/C Car

Zero Gravity Micro R/C Car

With Christmas just a couple of months away, it is now time to start wondering about gifts and gadgets for the kids. Are you thinking about a Playstation 3, XBOX, MP4 player, or maybe even a funky laptop? With all these new and modern gadgets on the markets, you wouldn’t blame parents for completely loosing their minds this time of the year. Well, worry no more, because the coolest gadget has finally arrived. The Zero Gravity Micro R/C Car is an innovative and funky remote controlled car, which boasts the ability to perform gravity-defying moves along the wall.

Still not convinced? Well, the Micro features an advanced Venturi suction system, working similar to a vacuum cleaner. Special fans create a powerful down-force, allowing the car to stay glued to the wall. Flexible skirts around the chassis ensure that the vacuum remains sealed while performing its impressive stunts. You control the Micro using a stylish twin toggle infra-red transmitter. The vehicle itself is powered by a rechargeable battery. So all you have to do is recharge the battery and off you go.

Cars are available in red and black, with four frequencies to choose from. The Micro is a great product which allows you to have fun with fellow racers. Just remember, you may want to invest in a neck brace as well, because looking up at the ceiling all day long can become a bit strenuous.

Unfortunately this gadget is not sold at Deals Direct, but you can buy other cool gadgets straight from their website!

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