GRID 2 was recently announced and it was great timing after the disappointment that was Forza Horizon. So this latest video shows off the European circuit and what to expect from one of the three available continents that will be providing both cars and tracks to the action. A sample of the cars that will be provided by the eastern continent to the pavement are as follows with more to be announced.

Dead or Alive 5 Plus was a great game for the Vita, much like those of DOA past, there is a lot of content to unlock, game modes to experience, and is exactly what I have come to expect from the franchise. Even though the online multiplayer is lacking either a functional matchmaking system or the community is dead, there is plenty to do throughout the single player side until the next big portable portable comes out. DOA5+ is supposed to support cross-saving between the Vita and the PS3, at this time the feature is not functional, but when available you will be able to access your save file and DLC from both PS platforms.

The Scuderia R300 are a status symbol and an incredible pair of headphones stuffed into one stylish set of art. The Active Noise Cancelling is a must have for any traveler or someone in need of a cone of silence or looking for a musical experience the way it was meant for, with no interruptions. These headphones are built with quality products all the way down to the fine woven fabric cables and carbon fiber carrying case. While the R300’s come equipped with a slightly smaller price tag and sound as good as the T350’s, but in terms comfort, they take a close second. The Ferrari Scuderia R300 by Logic 3 is available now for the price of 436 dollars at the Ferrari Store, just be sure to keep spare batteries on hand.

The Astro A40’s are a superior gaming headset for those that want to audibly immerse themselves in gaming and movie experiences via headset. I felt this was a great fit for those that would be primarily using from a desk. While the abundance of cables was I let down for my usage, 10 feet from console to couch. These are as good looking as they are great sounding, the A40 has a tough look and a durable feel, while still standing out with custom caps for each side. This edition is a throwback to Hideo Kojima fans and while Revengeance was not a traditional styled game but one that I had a great time playing. I found myself watching movies and listening with this headset more than I was utilizing my soundbar.

This review is a bit different than the rest, the product is a battery case that we have seen a plenty with the iPhone 4/4S, but still have a small variety for the 5. The fun part being that this is still a Kickstarter project with a week and a half left. The iKit NuCharge is an interchangeable battery and case cover for the iPhone 5. The battery pack at hand holds a strong 1900 mAh battery, kickstand, button, and 4 LED light battery indicator.

This is a sleek little case, I really liked how thin it was in comparison to previous battery cases in which I have reviewed. Especially how it doesn’t make the phone any longer that it already is. If the battery pack is in fact too much bulk you can slide it off and keep with you while replacing it with a slim cover. We all know I like when my case has a kickstand and the NuCharge comes equipped with a small, flush stand that snaps into place. When you need to charge your phone, you just slide the Lightning adapter into the phone and when done, unplug and back into the battery pack.

There were a couple items in which I would have liked to see changed. The first would be a more stable kickstand as the stand equipped feels like it could snap rather easily. According to the Kickstarter project this will be addressed with an unbreakable Aluminum reinforced stand. A small gripe is the closed loop around the volume buttons, mine hadn’t snapped yet, but is always the first to go previously reviewed cases. Lastly, it is a bit difficult to get the case and cover off. The battery pack is easier due to being thicker but the thin cover can be a tad frustrating.

An exciting part of the Kickstarter is that the fifteen thousand dollar goal has been met and surpassed their goal, but there’s an additional rewards program. If the project meets eighty thousand dollars, additional color options will become available based on community feedback. While this battery case is the slimmest I have come across and does not extend the size of the phone from the top or bottom and packs a strong 1900 mAh battery pack. The NuCharge is already an iLounge recommended product and I for one am a huge fan and look forward to the options to come. Pledge now and you will receive rewards at a significant discount of what the products will later retail, likely in April. What the package includes is a plastic snap on case, usb charging cable, battery pack and interchangeable cover.    

The Kickstarter project can be found and pledged HERE.

It is those iPad peripherals and accessories that are really getting creative and provide a unique way to use the tablet device of choice. What we have here is the Sensu Brush, and as a simple person can likely deduce, a brush and stylus for your tablet. The Brush is a great tool for the creative mind for sketching and illustrating ideas through a number of drawing and painting apps such as but not limited to ArtRage, Sketchbook Pro, Paper by Studio 53, Procreate, Auryn Ink, and SketchTime.

We have reviewed quite a few styli on MashButtons and the Sensu Brush is unique and multifunctional. While the cap is over the brush, the short,rubber tipped stylus can be used for writing or more accurate lines. Remove the cap and you you get a longer brush with a comfort grip for painting apps on most any touchscreen device. The Sensu brush feels nice and works without fail, after my family and I have all been using the brush for the past week, it still has a fine tip with no loose strands. The build is nice with a chrome look and is equipped with a very comfortable rubber grip but I wish it was a bit heavier and had a finer tipped rubber nub. It is also fits nicely in most laptop bags, I tested in three different bags, and didn’t fit in only one pen slot by being too short.

If you do not have a stylus for your tablet yet, I would highly suggest the Sensu Brush, especially for the designers that do a lot of work on the device. I had used both Adobe Ideas and SketchBook and enjoyed how it worked with both. I think having a cap for the brush was a nice touch to get the most use, if it had been just a little bit longer with the cap and shorter with the cap on the back I would be damn sure this would be the stylus to rule them all. The Sensu Brush is available now online for the price of $39.99.

What better time to get and review a Bluetooth speakerphone thingy than on a road trip to California, where you are unable to be on a phone while driving without a headset. The item at hand is the Supertooth HD Voice and what the Voice can do is pretty impressive with an equally impressive compatible list of devices. This hands free device supports the driver to answer calls, call previously dialed numbers, check battery status, and my favorite, GPS directions. After a road trip to San Diego and a lot of time with the HD Voice, it is time to see what this safe for driving in California device can do.
 
The build is strong and stable, equipped with a metal clip that holds the HD Voice in place by magnets. Strongly in place at that, even driving down a dirt washboard road didn’t send the Voice at my forehead. The pairing of the device is fast and painless by voice instructions in twelve different languages. Once paired, I just left the device powered on and was alerted when the two paired and with 12 total hours on the road, using GPS voice instructions the entire way and taking a handful of calls, I have yet to have to recharge the battery. The volume gets rather loud and even with music playing, you can still hear instructions, incoming calls and alerts. With all the great features and capabilities, the sound quality was that of any typical Bluetooth devices, muffled and was asked to repeat myself with moderate background noise.

After a half a days worth of driving and trying to get around southern California without getting lost, the HD Voice was more handy than I thought it would be. It is easy to set up, I never turned it off as it will connect when in range and alert me when successfully connected. Living in Arizona, we don’t have the no phone use law but when using navigation, taking a conference call on the road, and when I am being asked to pick up last minute groceries without needing to access my phone and easily accessible at a push of a button. This is a great Bluetooth item for the car or truck to have on hand with its list of abilities, however if you car already has a Bluetooth system in it like some models, you probably aren’t see a whole lot that you don’t have already.

We are going back to our roots with a franchise I have been playing for for over two decades now across a handful of gaming consoles. The game at hand is Castlevania Lord of Shadows Mirror of Fate for the 3DS, and the whip wielding vampire slayer is back, this time 25 years later than where Lord of Shadows left off, focusing on Gabriel’s descendants and their fates. We are talking serious family showdown here and not the Family Feud kind, with the obligatory Belmont family history lessons and uncovering why those cursed Belmont’s must atone the sins of the father. In Lord of Shadows Mirror of Fate, throughout the story, you will play as numerous characters, Simon and Trevor being just a couple. Along with playing as multiple Belmont’s, skills are also passed through the lineage onto the next descendant, on top of new moves and combos with each level increase.

I have always been a huge fan of Symphony of the Night and all of the portable entries that followed. When the 3DS version was announced with a storyline the follows the surprisingly great Lord of Shadows, I was plain giddy. In terms of what stands out most to me, it is a tough call, as a fan of the majority of Castlevania titles, I loved the story. On top of a good story though, we also got a good looking and fluid gameplay, similar to that of the recent console version. It was not like the previous GBA and DS versions of Castlevania past, but looked more like Lord of Shadows on a 2D platformer and had the action elements to match. Lastly, the 3D looks great, while most games on the multidimensional handheld add little depth with the visual features, this title was a superb fit to show off the visual feature in the many environments.

While I did thoroughly enjoy playing Mirror of Fate, it was also not the Castlevania I was hoping for. I was so greatly looking forward to the action RPG platformer Konami has previously provided to Gameboys of generations past. The quick time events did a spectacular job of frustrating me throughout gameplay by occurring far too often. There just was not that need to explore every inch of this game’s castle, making playthrough faster than I would have preferred. Lastly, it is a bit short, between 15 and 20 hours, with the numerous times I died.

While Lord of Shadows Mirror of Fate was not exactly the title I was hoping to play, it was a game I enjoyed playing from start to finish. The gameplay was fast and responsive for the technical combo user and button mashers alike. This was a great execution of the 3D, although it did provide eye strain after about fifteen minutes and I often times just turned it off instead of taking a break. As a huge fan of the series, the story was entertaining and flowed well from start to finish. It was about time to get my Belmont fix but next time can we please have the action RPG that takes a lot longer to play through?

No pun intended. I thought GRID was a great racer, up there with DiRT 2, but the DiRT series has gone a little stale, and Forza Horizons just couldn't do it for me. So what better time to put out GRID 2, than on May 28th.

Irrational Games has provided us with the new trailer for Bioshock Infinite and as a fan of the series, yes that even includes Bioshock 2, I am now as anxious as ever for the Journey to Columbia. It is also a pretty good grasp of what to expect in a Bioshock title to newcomers. Expect to pick up your copy on March 26th.

 I've had an iPhone since the 3G came out in 2007.  I've worn a case on said phone(s) for approximately 2 weeks, so you will understand when I tell you that I'm not a case-fan when it comes to covering up my beautiful glass and aluminum devices.  That being said, however, I can really appreciate a case that actually serves a larger purpose; truly protecting your phone from any and all of the elements.

Enter the Seido OBEX Waterproof case for iPhone.  With an upcoming trip to Disneyland with my family, I always fear getting my phone wet on rides such as Splash Mountain or the like, so I actually had a chance to try out the OBEX case for the last 7 days and it stood up to grueling 12+ hour days, falling a few times, and even getting wet on some rides...and I was resting easy during the whole ordeal.

Now, I wasn't immediately convinced to be honest.  Having been my first case that was meant for protecting my device from not only water, but dust, shock, etc, I was a little taken aback by the seemingly "plastic-y" feel of the case.  I worried that it may not really hold up to the task.  Of course, I sealed it all up without my phone in first, and submerged it in water, (as suggested in the packaging) holding it under water with some weight to keep it from floating.  I left it in the pool for a few hours, and it came out without a trace of moisture in the internals...a good sign.

Now for the real test...I placed my iPhone 5 in, very carefully, (it's a very tight fit, which suppose makes a lot of sense).  There are little rubber stoppers for the mute switch, as well as the bottom of the phone where the lightning port and the headphone jack are located.  I did have to adjust the red rubber strip and make sure the phone and case were properly sealed...but once I did, it looked nice, and the "cheap feel" worry I had before was gone.  Here was a case that added very little in terms of bulk to the thin svelte iPhone 5 design, and not a lot of weight either.  I could get behind that.  I used it for a full week, and found it to truly fulfill all of it's promises, and though, I suppose, I don't live in an area of the country susceptible to much snow, (Phoenix, AZ) I imagine it would do just fine.

Included are a few extra rubber silicone stoppers in case you lose them, as well as an old-school belt clip that if you wear, you must be working in the field someplace, otherwise, you lose all credibility (I kid, but kinda not).

Here's the official video from Seido themselves


The Seido OBEX iPhone 5 Water Proof case can be ordered here


Mashbuttons would definitely recommend this case if you are prone to dropping your phone, or want to protect it from the elements. 

The Mamba isn’t the only collection named after a snake that booq is showing off, as we also received the Boa Courier to beat up on and make sure my laptop is always with me...thanks? Where the Mamba was more of a professional bag, the Boa feels as if it is more for the person on the go, due to the stabilizer strap for a more secure fit. There is also a low-light reflective tubing in the main flap for visibility for when you are on the road riding to work or skateboarding around campus. After sporting the Mamba Courier and loving it, which will become my preference?

To start, the lack of zipper to get to my laptop is much preferred. The Boa courier’s interior is just a smidgen larger than the Mamba’s but it is definitely noticeable for storage and easy to access it’s contents. It is very comfortable for the longer more physical commutes due to the interesting strap that holds the bag flat against your back. The reason in which I saw awkward is because it isn’t like putting on a backpack, it took me a couple days of use to finally get it down. On the plus side, it is pretty entertaining to see colleagues try to figure out where the strap goes. Lastly, where the Mamba has the Boa beat in spades, is the hooks that keep the flap closed, as they are plastic and don’t feel anywhere near as solid.

In the end, I still preferred the Mamba for my daily commute as it is less casual and doesn’t go very far. However, when it does get a bit warmer and I can commute to work by bicycle, the Boa will easily become the go to. With the plush padding to keep your laptop safe, nylon herringbone line to stay scratch-free, and lightweight for extended use, the Boa is a great bag. With all the thought that went into making a well rounded bag, and after getting used to the highly effective stabilizer strap, it is hard to believe booq went with the buckles that they did as they are flexible and unlike the rest of the bag, do not feel up to the challenge. If you're interested in the Booq - you can order yours here Boa courier

We have another laptop bag review and this time around, the bag is provided by booq. The bag at hand is part of the Mamba line and is a courier built to hold up to a 15 Macbook Pro or PC with similar dimensions. Along with your trusty laptop, the Mamba Courier is built to also hold all the tech toys, chargers and accessories in a fashionable style. The bag is fashionable along with functional, as it uses natural fiber,waterproof, and organically dried developed exclusively for the lineup. It is time to see how the bag holds up for a daily commute.

My favorite part of the Mamba is the material used, it is thick and rugged, without feeling stiff. The hooks are not the typical clip, but a solid hook in which you slip through the loops to keep the flap shut. While I was a bit worried about the bag being bulky after my time spent with the Python Courier, this bag provided a good amount of storage for the daily commute and some essentials. My least favorite part of the the bag has got to be the main opening. When unzipped, you have to roll open the top to locate and access your storage. Only other item that I wish were different would be the hooks to close the flap, I would have preferred they be adjustable to vary depending on the amount of content in tow.

The Mamba is a sexy bag, from the fabric used to the bright red lining. As a day bag, there was no question I loved it. It was unique and made a statement without calling for attention while at the same time having a solid feel and resting assured that my precious cargo was safe.  It is a bit snug in there, so anything more than a laptop, charger, camera, and hard drive gets difficult to close and secure the flap. The Mamba Collection by booq are available now in three colors in the forms backpack, messenger bag, or sleeve built to fit laptop sizes 11, 13, and 15.

It seems as though it is the year of go anywhere Bluetooth speakers, as we have another review for you in this category and the contender is Nuu and their Splash. The Splash is a compact Bluetooth speaker that is built to withstand the elements while sporting an elegant look that would be at home in most any room in the house. A microphone is also packed into this aluminum speaker making it easy to conduct business when you have to or just need to take a quick call without having to dig for your phone. The reason that this portable speaker is dubbed Splash is because it has an IP55 rating, which means it is resistant to both dust and water, so you don’t have to worry about being overly careful with it like most other electronics.
 
I have spent a lot of time with a number of Bluetooth speakers and after seeing a lot of companies are going the more compact route, with around 10-12 hours of playtime, and making them sturdy. So what sets one apart from the other? The answer would be price and features. Some have microphones and rugged standards, others have charging capabilities, and the Splash has a pretty solid trifecta going for itself, but what really makes it stand out in a saturated market? The Splash’s price point. Sure it does a lot of things in which the others can do well, but the price is my selling point. At a price of 99 dollars, it does everything the others can do just as well at a much lower price point.
 
I could see where Nuu was going when they designed the Splash, it tries to offer everything but kitchen sink with the lower price point, I would like to think I can tell where where corners had to be cut to offer at the hundred dollar price. The first would be the battery, as it does not last quite as long as most others and drops significantly at high volumes. While it does claim to be tough and rugged, it definitely does not look the part with the aluminum body and glossy top, as it looks like a small drop will scratch or crack the top and body.
 
I am hard pressed to say anything bad about this little speaker. While it does not do much to stand out above the rest. It does a great job of performing as well, if not better than those out there at almost half the price. While I am not one that puts a lot of faith in newer electronics companies as many come and go, but few companies and products stand out to me during a review and shockingly, the Splash is a diamond in the rough. Not for being extraordinary, but for doing what they do well, only at a more affordable price tag.