Firecoresoft’s latest product in the market is their brand new Mac-only SWF convertor. Not only does the Firecoresoft SWF converter quickly convert Flash SWF files quickly into other video formats, but it also has multitude of other features including extracting sound and even attaching watermarks.
The one we’re reviewing the is the Mac version although it’s available for Windows as well along with other neat softwares that can be found on the Firecoresoft Studio website.
The first thing after booting up the Firecoresoft SWF Converter is the interface, which isn’t the most beautiful thing in the world, but it does get the job done. You’ll find most of the shortcuts and buttons for converting on the main page allowing you to get things done quickly. The interface isn’t laggy at all, and performs really well, something which I didn’t expect from a Flash video converter.
The Firecoresoft SWF Converter is able to convert SWF files into AVI, WMV, MP4, MOV, FLV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, 3GP, MKV, RM and DV video formats and BMP, JPG, GIF and PNG image formats making it very versatile. It also provides additional templates with settings optimal for viewing on the smartphones like the iPhone 5, Galaxy S4 and even leading Windows Phone smartphones. The Converter also has templates for Social Media sites like Facebook and YouTube so you don’t have to use multiple softwares to get the job done.
As mentioned before the Firecoresoft SWF Converter features a ton of SWF editing features including crop SWF the ability to add watermarks, change brightness, contrast, cropping and more. Performance wise I didn’t notice any problems on my Core i7 laptop, the end product also didn’t have any broken frames and was of very good quality. Overall the Firecoresoft SWF converter is a great SWF convertor and a necessity for people who work with Flash often.
According to a new report by former Wall Street Journal reporter, Jessica E. Lessin, the long rumored Amazon smartphone will be sold for free whether it’s sold via carrier contract or not. There are whispers of Amazon trying to introduce an Amazon Prime like service but it’s skeptical as Amazon will have to strike difficult deals with both manufacturers and cell phone carriers to make something happen that hasn’t been done before.
Amazon has previously tried something similar to this, their recent Kindle Fire line of tablets were sold at a lower cost which allowed them to make up profit by selling books, apps, videos, etc.
The Amazon smartphone is rumored to run a modified version of Android like the Kindle Fire line of tablets. This version does not include any of Google’s line of apps like the Play Store and are replaced by Amazon’s own services. It’ll be nice to have more competition in the Android space as it can only lead to more innovation, what do you think? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
Intel has finally after months of rumors finally launch the new Sandy Bridge-E series of processors starting with two brand new Core i7 processor. The newly announced Core i7 3960X and Core i7 3930K are both 6-core processors promising and support the LGA 2011 CPU platform which features the X79 PCH Chipset.
The lower end (of the two) Core i7 3930K is a 6-core coupled with 12 threads processor priced at $599. The processor is clocked at 3.2GHz and goes up to 3.8GHz with Intel Turbo Boost. L3 cache comes in at a hefty 12MB and consumes up to 130W of power.
Now on the other hand we have the Core i7 3960X which is also a 6-core, 12 threads processor priced at $1049. Wowzers, that’s a lot, lets see what all that doe gets us. The Core i7 3960X is clocked at 3.33GHz and goes up to 3.9GHz, L3 cache is a massive 15MB while TDP is 130W just like it’s smaller brother.
Both these processors support quad channel DDR3 memory. Although these processor might seem a huge upgrade over the current LGA 115 SB processors, the truth is that they’re not. You might be able to use the extra cores for intense applications which require multi-threading and take advantage of quad channel RAM but they might not come in handy if you’re just planning to get these processors for gaming or daily use.
Wondering about the platforms single core capabilities? Well it’s slower than the current SB processors but faster than the older LGA 1366 processors. Overclocking isn’t much to write home about either but Intel has promised to fix that with it’s upcoming C3 stepping launching sometime in Q1 2012 along with the quad core Core i7 3820 processor. Better cooling will be required if you plan to go above 4.5GHz with these bad boys, Intel has launched two cooling solutions for the SB-E processors: Air and Liquid cooling which are detailed below.
As you can see a cooling solution won’t be included in the box, so better be ready to dish out some moola for a good cooling solution too. The complete list of recent Sandy Bridge-E processor and motherboard reviews are below:
Google recently announced the brand new Nexus 7 tablet ready for 2013, some call it the Nexus 7 2 while others call it the new Nexus 7 but all we know is that it’s a brilliant piece of technology.
I was really looking forward to the new Nexus 7 when Apple announced their iPad Mini last year, although a great piece of hardware itself I was greatly disappointed by the lack of a retina display and the same 4:3 shape which I personally am not a fan of, I find widescreen tablets much easier to use so I was already a huge fan of the Nexus 7.
The older Nexus 7 was a great device for the time and price but it wasn’t build to last a while, my unit’s battery life greatly shortened after a few months of usage and the screen became harder to use as I got used to the new iPad’s Retina Display and 1080p screen of newer smartphones like the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z.
Priced at $229 for the 16GB, $269 for the 32GB and $349 for the 32GB LTE model making it one of the model affordable tablets on the market. Although priced cheaply the new Nexus 7 is no slouch packing the latest and greatest hardware available for the 7-inch form-factor.
New Nexus 7 Specifications
Produced by ASUS once again, hardware wise the Nexus 7 is fully packed unlike the older Nexus 7 which was already outdated when it entered the market. The new Nexus 7 is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 8064 processor with a Adreno 320 chip doing all the graphics work. The multitasking is handled by 2GB of RAM while the storage options include 16GB and 32GB of non expandable memory.
The display is a 1920 x 1200 16:10 7-inch panel with great contrast and crazy viewing angles making the new Nexus 7 the perfect devices for reading books and magazines. The high resolution equals to 323PPI which is Retina Display territory so you know the display is top of the line. The iPad Mini which is the new Nexus 7′s direct competition features a 163 PPI display so the Nexus is the clear winner here.
The new Nexus 7 unlike it’s predecessor also has a back camera which is a 5MP shooter able to shoot 1080p video at 30fps, the back camera on the other hand is a 1.2MP unit which is more than enough for video calls.
Battery life has also been improved with the new Nexus 7 lasting around 10 hours per full charge making it the highest battery life Android tablet available on the market.
New Nexus 7 Software
As expected the new Nexus 7 comes packed with Android 4.3 which is still called Jelly Bean. Most of the changes in this update are low level changes adding functionality and improvements to the OS.
Some of these aforementioned changes include multi user settings with individual app restrictions, Bluetooth Smart which is also known for Bluetooth Low Energy and support for OpenGL ES 3.0 which should result in better games available for the platform.
Want some more user end features? Wait for Key Lime Pie.
New Nexus 7 Compared With iPad Mini
As mentioned before the new Nexus 7′s direct competition is the $329 priced iPad Mini from Apple until an expected refresh is released later this year.
Design-wise the new Nexus 7 has gone away with the leather back and has opted for a plastic finish this time which in my opinion makes it easier to hold and use. The iPad Mini of course has an all metal premium design with the distinct Apple finish. The Nexus due to to it’s plastic build is slightly lighter than the iPad Mini at 290 grams compared to the Mini’s 308 grams but in everyday usage you should not notice this.
Spec wise the Nexus 7 is the clear winner. The 1200p screen is the highest density panel on the market today for a 7-inch device, the iPad Mini has a bigger 7.9-inch screen with a lower resolution of 1024 x 768 so reading books and watching movies will obviously be better on the Nexus. The Nexus also has more RAM, a much faster processor and better graphics chip giving it the clear lead.
The iPad Mini due to it’s larger battery and lower screen resolution has a slightly better battery life of 11.6 hours compared to 10 hours of the Nexus 7 so this one goes to Apple.
The iPad Mini runs on iOS 6 (it is expected to be upgradable to iOS 7 which it releases) which as we all know is super smooth and easy to use but for the more tech savvy user Android 4.3 on the Nexus 7 should be the definitive choice. Both of the Operating Systems have their strengths and weaknesses, like Siri which is slightly better than Google Now and Apple Maps which suck in comparison to Google Maps. Still both the Operating Systems are quite different to each other so in the end the decision depends on the person and their usage. Personally I prefer Android mainly because it gives much more freedom to the user compared to Apple’s offering.
Both the tablets feature WiFi and LTE options in 16GB and 32GB with the iPad Mini also being available in a 64GB model. Unfortunately neither of the tablets’ storage is expandable via MicroSD.
Price wise the Nexus 7 is the clear winner with the 16GB priced at $229 a whole $100 cheaper than the 16GB $329 iPad Mini.
Overall the higher density display, surround speakers, NFC, wireless charging and the aforementioned features make the new Nexus 7 the clear winner. Will the next iPad Mini be able to one up the new Nexus 7? Guess we’ll find out in a few months.
Accessories for the new Nexus 7
Although new accessories for the new Nexus 7 haven’t been announced by Google or ASUS themselves expect many third party manufacturers to deliver awesome accessories.
There are already tons of covers available, I personally like the simple official ASUS Travel Cover but you also have the choice in between hard covers and soft pouches.
There are also other miscellaneous accessories available like wireless chargers, desktop and car charging docks.
New Nexus 7 Availability
The new Nexus 7 is currently available for purchase in the United States from leading retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and also from Google’s own Play Store. The tablet will be officially available in UK, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain, France, Australia, and South Korea at launch while other potential regions are to be announced later.
The tablet will be available in three versions as mentioned earlier; 16GB WiFi for $229, 32GB WiFi for $269 and 32GB LTE for $349.
Will you be getting the new Google Nexus 7 tablet? Let us know in the comments below.
Treyarch has released a brand new patch for Call of Duty Black Ops 2 that nerfed three of the most used guns in the game. The Black Ops 2 July 23rd patch along with the standard bugs and fixes has nerfed the AN94 Assault Rifle, DSR 50 and Ballista sniper rifles.
Check out the full patch notes below:
New Features
6 new Personalization Packs are now available as downloadable content. Each pack comes loaded with 1 camo, 1 themed calling card and 3 unique reticles.
Season Pass holders will now be reminded to download Season Pass content which they haven’t previously downloaded.
Multiplayer Issues Addressed
Improved stability when pressing buttons during a Theater mode screenshot.
Screenshots taken during Theater mode from a match on Uplink will no longer become corrupt.
Multiplayer Game Balancing
AN-94: Damage slightly reduced.
DSR 50: Rate of fire reduced.
Ballista: Rate of fire slightly reduced.
Zombies Issues Addressed
Die Rise
Players are no longer able to access unintended areas using the Trample Steam and the Elevator.
Mob of the Dead
Pack-A-Punch version of the Raygun Mark II now displays the correct skin.
Buried
Players are no longer able to pass over the Mansion fence using invisible collision.
Fixed an issue where Players were able to duplicate candy and booze when in dying in a specific staircase.
Players are no longer able to stand on invisible collision near the Stables and be free from zombie attack.
Fixed an issue where Players were able to hold the top of the Bank for an extended period of time using the Paralyzer and the Vulture-Aid perk.
Players are no longer able to position buildables in the General Store and become free from zombie attack.
Players no longer get stuck at the bottom of the slide when using Dive-To-Prone.
Addressed multiple issues where Players were able to throw themselves into walls using the Trample Steam and become free from zombie attack.
Players are no longer able to reach unintended collision on the 2nd Floor balcony of the Saloon.
Addressed an issue where Players could be free from zombie attack when holding a claymore and looking downward, when standing next to a Mystery Box.
Players are no longer able to launch themselves out of the level near the Saloon using the Paralyzer.
Fixed multiple issues where the Friendly AI would get stuck while holding a crawler zombie when above the General Store, in the Bank, in the Courthouse, in the Mansion, or the 2nd Floor of the Barn.
The Friendly AI no longer gets stuck when bringing the Mystery Box from the Hedge Maze to the Town, and vice versa.
The Friendly AI no longer becomes stuck if a Player gives him Candy and then enters the Fountain.
Fixed an issue where the Friendly AI and zombies were going through a door in the Hedge Maze and getting stuck near a Mystery Box.
The Mystery Box now functions properly when Players give the Friendly AI candy and then activate the box.
Fixed an issue where the Friendly AI would freeze and become unresponsive if he was hit by a high damage weapon while performing a turn animation.
The Friendly AI no longer becomes stuck in the Mansion if the Player has him take the rear entrance to the Mansion, near the Hedge Maze.
The Friendly AI no longer gets stuck on top of the Saloon if the Player shoots him while carrying candy or booze.
Fixed an issue where the Vulture-Aid Mystery Box indicator would permanently remain at box locations if the Player used the Friendly AI to bring the box to that location.
The Friendly AI no longer becomes stuck if he’s hit with a high damage weapon during his flinch animation.
Fixed an issue where the Friendly AI would become stuck when fed candy to retrieve buildables in the Saloon, prior to opening the front door and the debris blocking the staircase.
Zombies no longer get stuck in the ground outside the Mortuary by the Mystery Box location.
Fixed an issue where Players would occasionally spawn under the map in a 4-Player game.
Zombies now path to the correct location when Players stand in Vulture-Aid stink.
Fixed an issue where Players were able to launch themselves on top of ghosts using the Paralyzer and be free from attack for a short period of time.
Players are no longer able to access unintended areas in the Mansion using the Trample Steam and the Paralyzer.
Zombies no longer get stuck on a window in the Sheriff’s building.
Fixed an issue where Players were able to get the Double Points upgrade when withdrawing money from the Bank with Double Points active.
Zombies no longer get stuck behind one of the repairable barriers in the Saloon.
Fixed an issue where Players would die if they jumped into the broken fountain at the same time.
Player’s camera no longer jitters when standing in a specific spot in the Barn.
Fixed an issue where zombies would path away from the Player if they stood in a certain spot just outside the Saloon.
Ghosts can no longer exit the Mansion using the slide, during a non-Ghost round.
Fixed a Solo-play issue where falling down the spiral staircase would occasionally kill the Player, even if they had the Quick Revive perk.
The Time Bomb now functions correctly if the Player has both the Time Bomb and the Monkey Bomb in their inventory.
Fixed multiple issues in Grief, where Players would spawn in Last Stand when respawning in the Stables, Candy Shop, Church, alongside the Saloon, outside the General Store, or on the Mansion-side of the map.
Players are no longer able to use the Paralyzer to get stuck in a tree outside the Mansion.
Fixed an issue with zombies occasionally getting stuck when dropping down to the Gazebo stairs.
The Speed Cola Machine is now properly positioned in the General Store during Grief.
Fixed an issue where Players were able to trigger ghosts without fully dropping down into the Mansion.
Zombies who turn into ghosts now enter the Hedge Maze properly.
Players can no longer trigger Ghosts during a non-Ghost round when entering the Mansion from the rear.
Players can no longer get on top of the General Store purchasable couch using the Paralyzer, and be free from zombie attack.
Fixed an exploit where zombies couldn’t path to Players who stood on the purchasable couch in the Saloon.
Players are no longer able to use the Paralyzer to access the top of a Mansion fence and be free from zombie attack.
Fixed an exploit where Players were able to stand on the cart outside of the Courthouse and be free from zombie attack.
Players are no longer able to access invisible collision in-between the Gun Shop and the Saloon with the Paralyzer.
Players are no longer able to use the Paralyzer to access unintended collision behind the Mansion and be free from zombie attack.
Players are no longer able to launch themselves onto unintended collision in the Courthouse and be free from zombie attack.
Players are no longer able to stand on a scaffolding near the purchasable LSAT and be free from zombie attack.
Fixed an exploit where Players were able to use a combination of the Trample Steam and the Paralyzer inside the Church to become free from zombie attack.
So get on Black Ops 2, download the patch and let us know what you think. Personally I believe the sniper rifles shouldn’t have been patched, they were perfectly fine to begin with plus the DSR 50 already had pretty slow fire rate. The AN 94 is my favorite Assault Rifle in the game so I’m not sure how I feel with it getting a nerf.
Rockstar has finally released the first gameplay trailer for their upcoming blockbuster title – Grand Theft Auto V. The five minute trailer shows gameplay of all three protagonists and how they interact with the game’s huge world. So without further-a-do check out the trailer below:
Did that blow your mind? Because it did mine. There’s just simply so much stuff in the game by the looks of it that it should last us a few months at least.
Grant Theft Auto V hits stores for the Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 17th. Let us know your thoughts on Grand Theft Auto V in the comments below.
Samsung has developed a ton of accessories for it’s latest flagship smartphone the Galaxy S4, we review the Galaxy S4 Smart Dock a few weeks ago and today we have with us the official Samsung Galaxy S4 S-View Cover.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 S-View Cover instead of functioning as just a plain cover for your expensive smartphone includes a touch capable front windows and a sensor making it one of the first of it’s kind. The front touch window is a great idea and reminds me of the old Motorola RAZR flip phone and how it displayed information on the front screen.
Similar to previous flip covers for older Samsung phones, the S-View cover for the Galaxy S4 also replaces your phone’s battery door which is attached to a cover at the front. The front cover though is special as it has a cut out area at the top used to display selected information. The idea here is to enable users to view simple information like the time without flipping open the cover. The overall design of the cover is similar the iPad’s smart covers.
The front window is also touch responsive so you can use some the touchscreen to some extent. Some of the functions include answering calls by sliding to the right.
Overall it’s a much welcomed innovation for smartphone covers that we would love to see in the future. TechDeville gives the Samsung Galaxy S4 S-View Cover 4/5 stars and you can grab one from here.
According to famed smartphone info leaker @evleaks Motorola might be planning something related to their Droid brand on the 8th of August. We still don’t know if the date is indicating an announcement of some sort or a release date for an upcoming Droid handset. A recently released Verizon roadmap which the Droid brand is exclusive to didn’t indicate any Droids to be released in the current season, maybe they changed something up?
Other than the regularly leaked Motorola X which is supposed to be made official any day now, Motorola is working on a few new Droid handsets including the Droid Ultra which should be exciting to see.
What do you think this announcement will be about? Let us know in the comments below.
Google has set out invites for an event schedule for July 24, where the company is supposed to introduce new Android features and possibly new Nexus devices. Although all this is speculation as the invite itself doesn’t contain any information regarding what is to take place at the event.
The speculation regarding these specific topics is because Google hardly talked about the next version of their OS and new Nexus devices at their recently held Google I/O event. Also Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president for Android will be in attendance so he would talk about something relevant.
Although it’s unclear what features will be included in Android 4.3 right this moment but the update should bring significant improvements.
Sony confirmed to Polygon recently at San Diego Comic-Con that the Playstation 4 will indeed support Playstation 3 headsets unlike the Xbox One which will require propriety ones.
Sony also detailed that although the Playstation 4 will ship with a mono earbud inside the box you will be able to quickly setup your older Playstation 3 headsets with a breeze. The Xbox One on the other hand does not include a headset inside the box even though it’s priced $100 higher.
The Sony Playstation 4 is expected to hit stores in November priced at $399 going head to head with Microsoft’s Xbox One priced at $500. Who will win this upcoming console war? Only time will tell.
