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E-On Software Announces Finalist

It truly is amazing to see what artist are able to create whether on an easel or now on a Digital platform. E-on Software has announced the Finalist of the companies 3D Character Rendering Challenge 2010 and is showcasing the artist work on its website at
http://www.e-onsoftware.com/showcase/competition/character_2010/  The winner to the competition will be announced on October 15th

The Vue Product Line from E-On Software
Vue Product Line

To give you an idea on what the companies products can do, they have been used to create digital environments and characters in such movies as  “Avatar”, “Clash of The Titans”, “The Wolf Man”, “2012”, “GI Joe – The Rise of The Cobra”, “Terminator 4, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, to name a handful along with many TV creations such as “Battlestar Gallactica” and  “Stargate Atlantis”

E-on Software does this with it’s popular Vue series software, a new version will be arriving soon to the company. The Vue 8 product which is available now is capable of taking the artist visualization and providing the tools to create stunning worlds and natural looking 3D Scenery. The software provides full artistic control to the creator with tools for building the ecosystem and terrain. We’re excited to see who E-On Software will select for its winning entry but in the meantime, you can take a look yourself at the website listed earlier. You can also try out the software with a free trial download available on the site.  

Read more on these stories in e-on software’s Spotlights section: www.e-onsoftware.com/spotlight.

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No-noise headphones from Sennheiser

TechtalkRadio took the opportunity to take a look at the latest Sennheiser Portable headset, the PXC 250-II which featured the companies acclaimed Noise Cancelling Technology.

Personal Travel Headphones
The Sennheiser PXC 2500 II

The Phones themselves are foldable and fit  nicely in a handy carrying pouch which is provided in the box.  The pouch is multi-function and includes a couple of pockets for storage, the largest area for the folded Sennheiser PXC 250-II.   There’s a smaller pocket (3×7 inches) where an included in-flight audio adapter and spare batteries for powering the Noise Cancelling can be held.  For those carrying many different items, they may enjoy the designers inclusion of a belt loop to carry the pouch.

Carrying the headset is one way to get them from point A to point B, the other is to wear them! As the Sennheiser PXC 250-II rest on the ear, users will note that the headphones are very light and comfortable, great for those on long flights or train rides. We also found that if you are laying in bed, and your head is on a pillow, the pillow should not interfere with them (as can happen with headphones that have larger cups).

Total cable length is 4.9 feet:  2 feet of cord from the plug to the battery compartment, and 2 feet 8 inches of cord from the battery compartment to the headphones.  The plug is 1/8 inch (3.5mm).  An in-flight audio adapter (dual 1/8 inch, 3.5mm mono plug) is included for use on some airplanes.

Optimized for portable media players and in-flight entertainment systems, using one AAA battery, the NoiseGard technology can cancel up to 80% of noise.  Without NoiseGard activated, the headphones also function well.

On the in-line volume control, which houses the battery, is a belt clip.  The headphones, and the volume control, will function without a battery inserted into the unit…when the switch in the “on” position the headphones will mute.  With a battery installed, and when powered-on, the red light will glow on the switch.  I noticed that the audio quality improved with Noisegard:  there was more bass.  The frequency response is 10 to 21,000 Hz. We were impressed with the quality of the sound and comfort level of these Portable headphones. The MSRP for the phones is currently $259.95 and more information can be found at http://www.sennheiserusa.com/private_headphones_noise-cancelling-headphones_502818

 <Update> Sennheiser has announced new Gaming Headsets – visit http://www.techtalkradio.com/hardware/sennheiser.html for the latest

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CyberSecurity month


This month, October, is the 7th Annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month.  It is to remind us that we need to focus on improving online safety and security awareness.

Some of the ways to do so is to:
regularly back-up files and data…
update software (operating systems, programs, drivers, etcetera)…
use anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, and anti-spam software…
and use connections that are secure (those that require passwords, and use passwords that are very strong).

For more information on the campaign go to http://StaySafeOnline.org

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Kingston Technology 32GB USB 3.0

DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 USB 3.0
Kingston DTU30 USB 3.0

We received the Kingston Technology 32GB DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Drive today. For those that aren’t to familiar to what USB 3.0 is all about, best explanation would be speed. Technology companies are always looking at ways to make data transfer  faster, more efficiently and with less chances for errors. If you were to take a look at even USB 1.1 vs the older standard of saving and transferring files, 1.44 Floppy Disk – USB 1.1 offered not only faster speeds but also saving with less errors, unless of course you pulled out the USB Stick before the writing was completed.

To explain where USB 3.0 is taking us, it is the next major revision to the Universal Serial Bus which offers Plug and Play as with previous incarnations but also with an estimated 10X performance gain over the still “happy with” USB 2.0. Users will also find a performance increase through SuperSpeed technology which allows for multiple streams of Data Transfer.

We also like the fact that USB 3.0 Devices such as this 32GB Data Traveler are compatible with USB 2.0. The DTU30 is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacity and will find support in Windows XP (SP3), Vista (SP1 and SP2) and Windows 7. We will test this out and give your our results with Windows 7 64.  Kingston Technology is packaging a Y Cable for USB 2.0 Ports to adequately power this device which is a little thicker then usual USB Flash drives due to the extra chip technology currently needed within the device.

In test from Kingston Technology, During internal testing, a 1 hour 44 minute movie (3.9GB) was written to the drive in 1 minute 13 seconds. Similarly, a 2 hour 23 minute DVD (4.4GB) transferred to the drive at a fast 1 minute 23 seconds. This can be great for working with HD Video and transferring files, AutoCad or even large audio files for presentations. With the proper USB 3.0 Connection,  According to Kingston Technology, The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 has a read speed of 80MB/sec. and a write speed of 60MB/sec. We’ll let you know what we come up with

For More Information, Take a look at http://www.kingston.com

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Carry C3PO on your Back!

Andy Taylor from TechtalkRadio talked with PR manager Shane Peterman of  the website ThinkGeek.Com  about a couple of new products which are based on items with the Star Wars Empire Strikes Back theme. Fully Licensed and guaranteed to get some laughs, Shoppers at Think Geek can choose from a Wampa Rug or a C3PO Backpack.

The Wampa Rug can provide a large area to rest and stay warm inside next to a fireplace after a cold day on the Ice Planet of Hoth. In one of the press photos for the Wampa Rug, a model in a Leia looking Metal Bikini was seen lounging on the rug. It looks a lot better then lounging around on Jabba’s Gut. The Rug itself measures 62″ and 32″ wide. The Site, which is in tune with Geeks wants and Tech Needs is quick to add on the item description

“Important Note:
Unfortunately you only get the Wampa rug. Slave Leia is NOT included and we double-dare you to make any comments about how she isn’t featured until the next movie.  “

A Smart note considering the passion for accuracy from Star Wars “Experts.” 

 

A Photo of the C3PO Backpack
C3PO BackPack from ThinkGeek

Andy Taylor also talked with Shane about the C3PO Backpack which can be worn and used to carry netbooks, iPads and other Mobile Devices. The scene is reminiscent of Star Wars Empire Strikes Back when C3PO is found by Chewbacca before the golden droid hits the trash compactor. Chewbacca straps the Droid to his back and hilarity ensues!  Andy Taylor commented that “George Lucas is a marketing genius, but I don’t even think he imagined this as a backpack!” Fans of C3PO will be happy to know that when you’re not strapping him to your back, you can even reassemble the plush leatherette droid and sit him up to watch reruns of the Star Wars series on Cable!

Shane Peterman of ThinkGeek shared some information on the process from Thought to Sale and what some of the most recent biggest sellers have been. The question is also answered – Star Wars or Star Trek!? Listen in at http://www.techtalkradio.com/internet/thinkgeek.html