SteelSeries is known for their high performance gaming gear used by professional gamers worldwide. They provide gaming keyboards, mice, headsets and other accessories which may be vital to the gamer’s arsenal. SteelSeries was kind enough to send us one of their best headsets in the market, The Siberia v2.

The box is full of information you need to know about the Siberia v2. It also has a window for you to check out what it looks like. The Siberia v2 has a 1m cord with 3.5mm jack for audio input and output. SteelSeries also provided a 2m extension cord if the 1m cord doesn’t cut it.

Based on the name, one can tell that this is a revamped version of a previous Siberia headset. This is not just some minor overhaul; this is a complete redesign from aesthetics to the innards of the headset. I haven’t tried the v1 but these headsets are so comfortable you can fall asleep with them on (assuming you sleep in supine). The headband is great and fits almost all head sizes with its flexible design. It comes in a wide variety of colors too which you can check out on their website.

The v2s have a closed design, which means the soundstage wouldn’t be that big but they’re pretty accurate when listening to directional audio. I used this while playing Batman: Arkham City and the direction in which you can hear the voices are very accurate. Positional audio is very useful for playing online shooters. The retractable mic design is also useful when you’re just out for a walk. According to players on the other side, they hear me perfectly fine without any hisses and what-not.

Boasting 50mm drivers as opposed the v1’s 40mm, Siberia v2 produces a more accurate sound reproduction at higher levels. The Siberia v2 sounds good, although I’m not convinced about the “Crystal clear high, low and mid-tones” on the packaging. Bassheads might be disappointed because it lacks booming bass, but for me it has just the right amount of bass I need when gaming. Listening to my FLAC collection, I’m just feeling that the highs are just not cutting through. Mid-tones are good as the vocals really shine. Then again, this was advertised as a gaming headset and audiophiles might be in the wrong section if they’re looking at this headset.

Did I mention that they are comfortable? They sit well on your head although I’m not a fan of the circular earcups because I have slightly large ears and sometimes it puts pressure on the cartilage making them uncomfortable if worn for very long periods. The earcups does a good job of keeping outside noise out and makes you focus more on what you’re listening to.

Overall, the Siberia v2 delivers one of the best performances in its price range of gaming headsets. Since audio is subjective, I suggest that you audition these ‘phones first before buying them. The SteelSeries Siberia v2 retails for Php4,999.

SteelSeries Siberia v2 Specifications:

Headphones

• Frequency response: 18 – 28.000 Hz
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 112 dB
• Cable length: 1 + 2 = 3 m (9,8 ft.)
• Jacks: 3,5 mm

Microphone

• Frequency response: 50 – 16.000 Hz
• Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
• Sensitivity: -38 dB

Following the footsteps of Angry Birds, the popular Cut the Rope game made the transition from mobile devices to your web browser. Now you can feed the cute, candy-gobbling monster, Om Nom straight from your browser simply by going to http://www.cuttherope.ie/.

The game, which has been downloaded over 60 million times on the iOS and Android platform is converted to HTML5 and optimized for Internet Explorer 9 (although Chrome, Firefox and other modern web browser users can also play). This web version is developed by a partnership between Microsoft, web design agency Pixel Lab and ZeptoLab’s lead creative team to showcase the rich interactive capabilities of the HTML5 web standard.

IE9 users get more fun though. Aside from being able to pin the game to your Windows 7 task bar for one-click access, you will also unlock 7 unique levels that’s not available to other browsers. I just wonder how it will reflect those levels where you need two fingers to swipe at the same instant when all you have here is a mouse.

Go check Cut the Rope now on your web browser.

Razer is taking gaming to a whole new level, again.  Inspired by the Razer Naga MMO’s 12-button thumb grid, the Naga Hex concentrates on action-RPG and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games, which is optimized for the user interfaces found in these games.

The six mechanical buttons is specially designed to specifically bind the spells, abilities, items and other invaluable commands in MOBA games like DotA, League of Legends, HoN and the likes for faster and easier execution.

MOBA games require highly intensive clicking, that’s why the Razer Naga Hex is constructed with special switches that offer performance of up to 250 clicks/minute – perfect for gamers with lightning fast reflexes.  Razer rated the switches are good for up to 10 million clicks.

I’ve always loved Razer mice for their ergonomic shapes.  The Naga Hex’s curvature fits your hand comfortably.  The placement of the 6-button thumb grid is validated by MOBA pro-gamers to ensure you’re getting the optimum design.

Razer Naga Hex also features the newest technology in cloud-based storage software.  The Razer Synapse 2.0 saves all user custom mouse settings and profiles to a cloud server which can be accessed from any computer.

Specifications:

• 6 MOBA/action-RPG optimized mechanical thumb buttons
• Total of 11 programmable buttons
• Special switches for up to 250 clicks per minute
• 10 million clicks life cycle
• Ergonomic curved design
• Razer Synapse 2.0
• 5600dpi 3.5g Laser Sensor
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response time

Availability:

• Pre-orders starts January 10, 2012, Ships End of January (razerzone.com)
• In stores March 2012 (Worldwide)

Price: USD79.99

Razer presented its latest gaming concept design in the International CES, which is currently held at Las Vegas, Nevada.  As Matt Buchanan, a writer in gizmodo.com, would put it, “I just held the future of PC gaming in my hands”.

Project Fiona is a tablet created solely for PC gaming. You read that right, PC gaming.  Razer worked with Intel to be able to utilize the power of its third generation Intel Core i7 processor in Project Fiona.  Razer’s tablet will run PC games the way they’re meant to be. Essentially redefining portable gaming I might say.

What makes this a vastly superior tablet for gaming compared to other tablet devices? You don’t need to wait for your favourite PC games to be released/ported to Project Fiona, as it can run full pledged PC games right out of the box.

“Project Fiona’s combination of high performance Intel-based gaming hardware and innovative tablet design is specifically focused for PC gamers.  It will unleash the PC gamer to play their existing and future high-end games in one of the most exciting new form factors – a tablet.” – Brad Graff, Director of Partner Marketing, Netbook & Tablet Group, Intel.

Fiona’s design will feature integrated dual game controllers with analog sticks, which runs gamepad-enabled PC games right out of the box.  It’ll also feature accelerometers and a multi-touch screen, which will provide gamers and developers a box load of experimental opportunities with up and coming games.

The world won’t end in 2012, we still have this bad boy to look forward to.

Price: TBA (Estimated below US$1,000)

Availability: Q4 2012

You can learn more about Project Fiona, by visiting http://www.razerzone.com/projectfiona/.

Razer is known for their gaming accessories.  Following their mantra “For Gamers, By Gamers” here’s an accessory which both PC and XBOX360 users will love.

Introducing the Razer Onza Tournament Edition.

If you’ve ever used an Original Xbox 360 controller, then the Onza is not that much different.  I have both and use it for the PC, and I actually like the Onza’s shape better.  This one is the Battlefield 3™ Tournament Edition, as you can see from the design.  It also sports a rubberized finish which is good for intense gaming or if you have sweaty hands.  It’s connected to the PC/Xbox360 via a 15-foot braided cable which is bad news for fans of wireless controllers.

The Onza has 2 analog buttons; 6 shoulder buttons in which you can map the other two to any button you want; LED-lit face buttons and the D-pad.  Razer knew what gamers need so they made the analog buttons adjustable.  Whenever you need a heavy analog for more precision like when playing an FPS game, just turn the dial clockwise; and when you need a lighter analog for quick combos in fighting games, do otherwise.  The face buttons are lit for players who like to play in the dark.

The face buttons are unlike other gamepads since this one has a mechanical switch, and you can actually hear the buttons click, as opposed to rubber dome gamepads.  One thing though, the Start and Back buttons are situated near the bottom which feels kind of awkward to press.  Also, if you’re not a fan of analogs in fighting games, the D-pad is not an option.  If only the D-pad has the responsiveness of the face buttons, then this would be THE perfect gamepad for any gamer.

There are 2 extra shoulder buttons for gamers who need, well, two extra shoulder buttons.  It’s not configurable via software, as the Onza uses the same driver as the original Microsoft Xbox 360 Gamepad. You have to press the Remap button and assign any key from the gamepad.

All in all, the Razer Onza Battlefield 3™ Tournament Edition is well worth your money.  There are minor flaws but I’m sure the pros of this product outweigh any of it.  If you’re looking for a gamepad and the Original Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller doesn’t cut it, then the Onza is for you.  You can pick up the Razer Onza Battlefield 3™ Tournament Edition for around Php2,500 and the Non-Tournament Edition for around Php2,000.

If you’re a hardcore PC gamer then you would probably know by now that December is a great month for gaming. Most A-list gaming titles announced for the year are already released and you probably have the extra cash or clout from your parents to upgrade your gaming rig. Most of all, you will be having a lot of free time where you can sink those gaming hours on.

So is your rig ready to handle the games the way it should be experienced? We’re talking about premium DirectX 11 titles that we have today such as Batman: Arkham City, Rage, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (which I personally recommend) and there’s also the upcoming ones like Blizzard’s highly-anticipated Diablo III.

In order to play these titles without at the highest quality possible without your system bogging down, you need to invest on a really good (and expensive) GPU. Such is the life of a gamer. And a smart gamer knows that following a game’s recommended system requirements is not enough. You need to go a notch higher for future use. Batman: Arkham City recommends an NVIDIA GeForce GTX460, Skyrim wants GTX550Ti and the technically advanced title Battlefield 3 will force you to upgrade to a GTX560!

Now let’s talk about Battlefield 3 for a bit. This is probably the most anticipated game of the 2011 and is truly a DirectX 11 game. DICE, the developer, uses its industry-leading Frostbite engine v2.0 to give the game an unprecedented graphical realism that would definitely wow you. If you played or seen the game in a console, that’s just a scaled back version of what the game can offer on a souped-up PC, especially those with dual GPUs installed.

Here’s a benchmark of different NVIDIA cards when using the High settings on Battlefield 3 on its demanding sixty-four player Caspian Border multiplayer map. The frame rate that you want should be in the 40FPS… anything below 30FPS is bad for smooth gaming.

This clearly shows that the recommended GTX560 offers the sweet spot of 40FPS in high setting. Of course if you want Ultra settings then go for a higher card or use dual GPUs (2x GTX580) in SLI instead.

If you’re going for the GTX560, get more bang for your buck with the GTX560Ti. Or better yet skip to the GTX580 if you have some more cash to burn. It’s more powerful with 512 CUDA cores and also quieter. Or if you’re the type who must always have the best and the latest, go with the GTX590 which has twice the number of CUDA cores as the 580 and watch your friends turn green with envy on your next LAN party.

In choosing your NVIDIA Geforce GPU, I suggest not to skimp with the brand. Cheaper brands can make your high-end GPU purchase attainable but with such price, you might want to stick to the trusted ones like MSI, one of the global leaders when it comes to graphics cards and motherboards. Here’s their lineup of GeForce GPUs to help you in your game.

MSI N590GTX-P3D3GD5

The N590GTX-P3D3GD5 is MSIs most powerful graphics card to date. It’s made up of dual GeForce GTX 500 GPUs with 1024 CUDA cores and 3GB GDDR5 memory. You can effectively overclock it up to 38% thanks to Afterburner’s GPU Overvoltage and you can also do 3D gaming using up to 3 displays. It is just that powerful.

MSI N580GTX Lightning Xtreme Edition

Overclockers out there should already be familiar with the MSI Lightning series GPUs. The N580GTX Lightning Xtreme Edition is the latest in the series and comes with a massive 3GB GDDR5 memory. It is equipped with dual Propeller Blade fan with “Smart Temp Sensor” and “Dust Removal” technologies as well as support for Afterburner’s “Triple Temp Monitor”.

MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr III Power Edition/OC

Moving down the lineup is the MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr III Power Edition. It features the Twin Frozr III dual fan cooling module and MSI’s Propeller Blade technology for 20% more airflow. You can’t run on a hot GPU when gaming and these technologies can reduce the GPU temp by 18˚C and fan noise by 7.7dB. It also has a Triple Overclocking support that increases its overclocking potential by 22%. It’s a really one balanced graphics card by MSI.

MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk

Not as high-end as the Lightning series but the HAWK series is still part of their enthusiasts’ graphics cards at a more affordable price. It also features the Twin Frozr III cooling system which allows this card to be overclocked past 1GHz safely, something enthusiasts would want from their GPU. If you want something serious but not ready to go past GTX560, this card would be in the sweet spot for you.

N560GTX Twin Frozr II/O

Another GPU card that features the custom designed Twin Frozr heatsink and cooler is the MSI N560GTX Twin Frozr II. This card will make sure that even the newbie overclocker can tweak this while keeping it cool and stable. It’s one of the most affordable graphics card in its class and should be a nice starting point for gamers.

I’m sure you would agree with me that in most small Christmas party you’ve attended, or even teambuilding sessions, there’s always a Pinoy Henyo activity. Why not? It’s fun, every Pinoy knows it and it’s easy to set up.

Well Pinoy Henyo which is brought to us by kaizenbrew arrived in the Android Market so you don’t have to prepare your cardboard/paper answers. The app is quite simple in nature programming-wise but it would be a lot of help in organizing your next Pinoy Henyo party.

Pinoy Henyo can be played in 4 modes. First is guess the word in under 2 minutes. Or guess as many as you can in 2 minutes or 3 minutes. Finally, the app allows you to enter your own words to create your dictionary if you’re working on a theme or just want to add specific words. If you leave it to the app, some words are quite challenging (larynx anyone?) and is a mixture of Filipino and English terms. What’s missing is you can’t use your dictionary and randomize the order or play as much as you can in a given time.

The word and timer will appear in big bold letters and will scroll sideways so you can view long words. I guess you need a phone with a big screen so that the audience won’t have to squint to see the word. It would also be nice if the scrolling is smooth or if you can set how fast or slow the text would scroll. It’s a bit annoying as it is if viewed for a long time.

Pinoy Henyo is a free app and runs on mobile advertisements that appear at the bottom of the screen when playing. You can always turn data or WiFi off so that these ads won’t show. Go and visit the Market on your Android phone to download Pinoy Henyo.

So what are you waiting for? Download it now and use it on your next party.

Here’s a big and merry Christmas from GetJar to all the Android users out there. GetJar is one of the popular third-party marketplace for Android apps and games. Yeah, if you don’t know, unlike Apple’s App Store, there are lots of marketplace out there for Android apps.

Anyway, GetJar is offering tons of their Gold apps and games for free for a limited time. I already downloaded games like Super K.O. Boxing 2, Guerilla Bob, and Age of Zombies. These are legit apps folks and free for now and they also have versions of games for Android tablets.

What you want to do is install the GetJar app first to easily browse their site.

1. Using your Android device, head to http://m.getjar.com and it will prompt you to download the GetJar apk. Make sure that you have Unknown Source checked in your Settings > Applications menu so you would be able to install it. 
2. Once installed, run the GetJar app and it will load their site.
3. Go to the Apps > Gold section to see premium apps and games available for free.
4. Finally, download and install to your heart’s content and enjoy your new apps.

Do check every week because GetJar will be adding more free stuff every week.

If you want to see the catalog of their Gold apps, head over to http://mktg.getjar.com/getjargoldcatalogue.html. Scroll right to view the apps and games being offered for free.

[RedmondPie]

If you’re done or tired with Need For Speed on your BlackBerry PlayBook, you might be happy to learn that everybody’s favorite birds and pigs are now available in the App World for PlayBook users.

For those who cannot wait for the Android sandbox app for the PlayBook, the Angry Birds trio (Original, Rio and Seasons) will have to satisfy your cravings for Android apps. Unlike in the Android Market though, these games aren’t free and each costs $4.99. If you can’t afford it maybe you can use the “Gift Request” feature of the new App World.

As the PC gaming industry gets bigger and bigger with new games being released every month, your mouse must be getting unresponsive and might act up on you in the middle of a game. Cooler Master introduces another weapon for the battlefield, The CM Storm Spawn. Cooler Master was kind enough to send us one to try out for all the gamers hunting for a new gaming mouse.

Packaging

The CM Storm Spawn comes in a tiny neat packaging which details the specifications of the mouse and also has a window where you can see how the mouse actually looks like. There’s a promo when you buy a CM Storm Spawn, it includes a free gaming pad. The CS-S Battle Pad H2 compliments the Spawn pretty well, better hurry though while supplies last.

Design

The first thing I noticed with the Spawn is its shape. It’s definitely designed for Claw grip users (It’s on the box too “Claw-Style Ergonomic Design”). Being a palm grip user myself, I find it a bit awkward, but still I got used to it in no time. People with small hands might like it too as everything sits comfortably even if you’re using the palm grip. It also features a heavy-duty USB wire which can certainly handle your occasional tugs.

Features

The Spawn features 7 fully programmable buttons; two thumb buttons, left and right click, scroll click and two On-the-fly DPI adjustment buttons. The On-the-fly adjustment buttons seems placed too close to the scroll wheel, and you might accidentally up your sensitivity while switching weapons in most games. The anti-slip rubberized grip and the dotted rubberized side grips are very comfortable for long hours of gaming. The Ultra Swift Teflon Feet glides smoothly across the included CS-S Battle Pad H2, suffice to say, it glides along any surface smoothly.

The Spawn packs a 3500 DPI Optical sensor and is very precise in tracking your movements. I tried playing with Starcraft II and the joy of using a 3500DPI sensor is unmatched. You can scan the map with ease and when the time comes when you need to micro your units, you can adjust it on-the-fly and switch between 800, 1800 or 3500 DPI. It also sports the Sentinel-X on-board memory which means you can bring your mouse and your settings with you anywhere you go. The clickable buttons use Omron Micro Switches which provides excellent tactile feedback and boasts a guarantee of 5 million clicks.

Software

The one that was sent to us didn’t include a CD with the drivers. Alternatively, you can download the Spawn drivers at their website – http://www.cmstorm.com/en/products/peripherals/Spawn/.

There are 4 Tabs in the Spawn’s software.

Main Control – You can see the assignment of buttons, control the speed of the scroll, and double-click rate and pointer acceleration.

Macro – The macro tab has everything you need macro related. Create, save or delete macro data.

Custom – Custom tab is where you can set the DPI settings for your on-the-fly DPI switching. This is where you can control the acceleration of the pointer too.

Support/Update – Where you can find support for the product and update your driver/firmware

Verdict

The CM Storm Spawn is definitely a gaming mouse to consider especially for Claw grip gamers on a budget out there. If you use palm grip, I advise you to check out the mouse if you’re comfortable with the shape. The CM Storm Spawn is already available for Php1,500.

CM Storm Spawn Specifications:

• Dimensions: 75.5mm[W] x 110mm[H] x 35mm[L]
• Sensor: 3500 DPI
• Maximum Tracking Speed: 60 Inches/sec
• Speed measurement: 6400 FPS
• Buttons: 7 Fully Programmable
• Feet: Ultra Swift Teflon
• Wire: 2-meter gold plated USB connector

Editor’s note: This post is contributed by Andrei Lim with some slight revisions by the editor. Andrei was born with a game controller in his hand, started gaming at the age of 6 when he first got his NES and SNES. He has beaten a lot of games and continues this legacy with his gaming rig.