Razer Goes Mobile with Junglecat iOS Gaming Controller

Razer, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, today announced its much-anticipated Razer Junglecat gamepad for iOS devices. Leveraging its significant experience developing high-performance gaming controllers for console and PC, Razer’s entrée into mobile phone hardware offers consumers a combination of gaming-grade control and customizability with unimpeded phone access.

The Razer Junglecat’s engineering team shaved every millimeter possible in the controller’s design to ensure it molds seamlessly with the sleek profile of the iPhone. The result is an ultra-durable slider that reveals or hides the gamepad as desired. With a full set of gaming functions resident in the Razer Junglecat’s AXBY pressure-sensitive buttons, D-pad and bumpers, on screen controls are eliminated, leaving valuable screen real estate free.

Users can leave the Razer Junglecat attached, as all buttons and ports remain available in its pocket-ready compact form. At only 20 mm thin, the controller feels like a standard protective case.

The Razer Junglecat comes with a downloadable iOS app that lets users remap and define all of its button functions, as well as adjust pressure sensitivity according to preference. Up to 20 personalized profiles can be stored on the app, allowing users to select a corresponding profile for their favorite games. Whether it is custom sensitivity for an adrenaline-pumping racing game or an array of programmed keybinds for an intense adventure game, the Razer Junglecat iOS companion app will allow users to tailor their gaming experiences.

As an MFi product, the Razer Junglecat is enabled for the latest features of Apple devices recently announced at WWDC. Game Controller Forwarding, for instance, will allow the Razer Junglecat and iPhone 5/5s to act as a wireless controller for larger-screen Apple products.

The chore of finding games for iOS controllers is made easy with the Razer Junglecat iOS companion app, as well. The software keeps gamers up-to-date on the latest titles optimized for controller play, scouring the entire App Store for titles that are perfect for a player and his or her iOS controller—whether it is a Razer Junglecat or another brand’s iOS compatible controller.

“Game development is cascading into mobile with incredible production values and at a record pace, and the crossover of console gamers playing on their iOS and other mobile devices is growing in stride,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “The opportunity to design a sleek, high-performance gamepad controller for the iPhone was an exciting proposition that we can’t wait to share with our community and the world.”

The Razer Junglecat is the latest console-style controller from Razer and is the Company’s first interface for mobile phones. Its other controllers include the Razer Sabertooth and Razer Atrox, as well as the Razer Gamepad Controller for the Razer Edge gaming tablet, the CNET 2013 Consumer Electronics Show “Best of Show,” “People’s Voice” and “Best Gaming” award winner.

The Razer Junglecat companion app is the latest software in a long line of developments from Razer, building upon its Razer Synapse cloud configurator and following the recent release of Razer Comms VoIP for mobile devices. Razer currently has more than 8 million user accounts registered across its software platform.

Price: USD99.99 / €99.99

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Razer Re-invents Gaming Desktops with Project Christine

Razer, the world leader in entertainment devices and software, today announced a concept of what promises to be the world’s most modular gaming system, Project Christine.

The PC has traditionally been one of the most open platforms in all of technology. However, given the technical complexities of PC hardware, only the most hardcore enthusiasts have been able to take advantage of this openness to build, customize and continuously upgrade their PC desktop systems. The tremendous promise of the PC has remained underexploited by the vast majority of general consumers for more than 30 years, largely due to the convoluted hardware – knowing what does what, what works with what, and how to connect the pieces.

Project Christine is a revolutionary new concept design that will change the way users view PCs. It will allow any user to build and customize his or her PC in any configuration without any prior technical knowledge. Further, as new upgrades come to the market, the same PC can be easily and quickly upgraded without additional technical assistance and without the fear of incompatibility or obsolescence.

Project Christine’s modular design allows users to easily build their PCs by allowing them to select and install modules on-the-fly, whether it’s a CPU, GPU, or memory and storage configuration. The PCI-Express architecture of Project Christine automatically syncs components. Need more graphics processing power or storage? Easy – a user can slot-in additional graphics modules and add more storage by either swapping-out the existing storage drives or adding more modules. Equally exciting, Project Christine is able to run multiple operating systems that the user may require.

The modularity of Project Christine make it perpetually customizable, offering plug-and-play upgradability as new and improved technology evolves, ostensibly eliminating the need to replace entire systems. Modules connected to the PCI-Express backbone can be added in any order or combination, featuring up to quad-SLI graphics, multiple SSD and RAID storage components, I/O and even power supplies, ensuring maximum flexibility.

The cable-less design of each sealed module is entirely self-contained and features active liquid cooling and noise cancelation, which allows Razer to factory overclock components without voiding warranties, safely and quietly. The system also features a touch-screen LCD display that indicates control and maintenance information.

“Project Christine is a new concept design that will revolutionize the way users view the traditional PC. This is the first gaming system that is able to keep pace with technology and could allow consumers to never buy another PC, or gaming system, again,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “We have a history of bringing incredibly innovative concept systems to market and it’s fair to say that Project Christine is a very exciting new prospect for future development.”

For more information, check out www.razerzone.com.

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Razer Announces the Nabu SmartBand

Razer, the world leader in devices and software for its globally connected community of gamers, announces the launch of the world’s smartest wristband, the Razer Nabu.

The Razer Nabu is a revolutionary wearable technology that delivers notifications from a smartphone right to one’s wrist and tracks selected personal information. More impressively, it is also an open platform that third-party applications can exploit to create novel experiences for users, applying personal, physical and geographical opt-in data.

1. Notifications on Your Wrist 

The Razer Nabu has two OLED notification screens – a Public Icon Screen and a Private Message Screen. The Public icon screen – located on the top of the wrist – notifies users of incoming calls, texts, emails and app updates via notification icons. The Private message screen – located on the inside of the wrist – provides detailed information of texts, emails, bio data and other updates that can only be viewed by the user.

2. Advanced Sensors to Track Data for Self Analysis 

The Razer Nabu has advanced sensors for data tracking, including location information, bio data feedback (steps walked, distance traveled, stairs climbed, etc.), sleep data, band-to-band communication and much more, collected on an opt-in basis for users to better understand and adjust their daily activity. An included utility app can customize the type of data collected and can set permissions for the data to be shared.

3. The First Truly Social Wearable 

The Razer Nabu’s band-to-band communication abilities allows for social discovery. Find nearby friends, mutual acquaintances and more based on user-defined settings.

The collected data as well as pre-configured capabilities and gestures on the Razer Nabu will be available on an open development platform to allow first- and third-party developers to update existing apps or build new ones to create new types of personal and social experiences for Razer Nabu wearers and third-party app users.

 “Smart watches in their current form are too bulky and fitness trackers are easily forgotten after the initial novelty wears off—we have fixed all of that,” notes Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “The Razer Nabu provides a revolutionary new platform that bridges the divide between so-called smart watches and fitness bands. It delivers only the information you need, collects data that you want, and deepens your social interactions. Most excitingly, with our open platform, developers can utilize data collected by the Nabu to deliver incredible experiences to individuals via mobile or desktop apps—social or otherwise.”

The Razer Nabu comes with a downloadable utility app available on both iOS and Android devices—a one-stop destination for band settings, profile ID, notifications received, opt-in data, app synchronization and more.

 The Razer Nabu will be available for sale worldwide in late Q1 2014 (retail price, TBD), while developers can sign-up now and get the band at the developer’s price of $49.

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