We’ve been scouring the internet for good Cyber Monday deals, and we weren’t particularly impressed with TigerDirect’s nor Newegg’s Cyber Monday deals. Newegg’s deals are merely an extension of their Black Friday deals, some of which were very good deals, but the best deals are simply sold out. Getting beyond that, we’ve been looking for some hidden good deals and I think we’ve hit the jackpot.

Performance PCs is an enthusiast PC website, generally for buying cooling products and cases, however they have expanded their offerings over the past few years and now offer virtually everything you might want to buy for a PC. The real great thing about this deal is that it covers virtually everything they sell on the website with the exception of cases, processors, motherboards and Clearance items. This offer is only available today and offers either 75% off most items on the site or 8% off any order over $50 (not stackable).

For example, if you were to go and buy a Razer Goliathus Fragged Speed Edition in Alpha Large size, then you will pay $6.25 (already sold out) compared to $23 on Amazon. The deals they have are really quite good and span across Bitspower, Antec, Roccat, Enermax, Magicool, Koolance, Razer, Icy Dock, Noctua, Xigmatek, Thermaltake, StarTech, Nexus, Kingwin, Azio, Bytecc and Spire. You will very likely see the best deals on Razer products, which is why they are disappearing so quickly, so act fast.

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Thanksgiving is a day for turkey. Black Friday is a day for statistics. Traffic on Thanksgiving from mobile devices edged just over 52 percent of all online traffic, while Black Friday mobile traffic dipped just below 50 percent. According to 24/7 Wall St, sales from mobile devices on Black Friday were about 30 percent higher than last year, accounting for 28 percent of that day’s online sales. Thanksgiving Day sales were below those of the widely hyped day that follows indigestion.Those online shoppers live mostly on the East Coast with Los Angeles wedged in the middle of New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Chicago. Smartphones accounted for 35 percent of all on-line traffic, but tablets led the charge in sales numbers and dollars spent by $18.95.

The Apple platform outdistanced that of Google with Apple products typically being higher priced than Google’s. IBM Data reports as Average Order Value: ”iOS users averaged $121.86 per order compared to $98.07 for Android users, a difference 24.3 percent.” The data shows as Online Sales: “iOS sales accounted for 21.9 percent of total online sales, nearly quadruple that of Android, which drove 5.8 percent of all online sales.” According to comScore, Apple has 42 percent of the market, and Android has 52 percent. However, Android’s market share advantage pales beside iOS popularity.

In general, all online sales were higher than those of last year. Department stores sold an average of just over $143. Health and beauty’s average order was just under $73. Apparel’s average ticket online sale slide to just under $115, while home goods had the highest average order – $238.46.

We’ll have to wait to see what Cyber Monday brings after all the online sales that have already taken place over the weekend.

The post Black Friday Mobile Sales Top Online Traffic appeared first on VR World.

If you were hoping to save $100 on an Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi-Gold with its 9.7 inch Retina display, 8MP iSight camera, and 64GB of storage, you’re too late. Best Buy has posted it as Sold Out on line. It was priced at $499.99. It’s still available at Fry`s for full price.

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi-Gold is selling out fast.

If you are willing to settle for a 7.9 inch LED display and a 5MP iSight camera and only 16GB of storage, you can save $75 at Best Buy on the Apple iPad mini with Wi-Fi – 16GB, Space Gray/Black.
Not wanting to restrict bargain shoppers to a single day, Walmart has been having Cyber Week. They are offering a slightly better discount amount of $79 for the same tablet.

Best Buy and Walmart sell the Apple Mini iPad 16GB for $249.99 and $219.99 respectively.

Now here is the curious part: Walmart is quoting the list price as $299.00 which they are discounting to $219.99. Best Buy shows only their regular price is $249.99 or refurbished for $10 less. Now you decide which is the “best buy.” Seems like a simple mathematical problem at first glance. But Oh No. Let’s look closely. The Devil is in the Details. Both have the same Model Number: #MF432LL/A. Both tablets carry the same exact name with the only exception being the color. Best Buy lists Apple iPad mini with Wi-Fi-16GB, Space Gray/Black. Walmart has Apple iPad mini 16GB Wi-Fi, Space Gray or White. You can do your own comparisons from the data taken directly from their respective websites.

Amazon offers several choices on the same tablet: New from $229.99, Used from $203.95, and Refurbished from $199.99. Clicking on the Used or on the Refurbished category, you come to NYC Electronic Warehouse Storefront. A search of their site did not find the refurbished model. It must have been sold leaving Amazon out of sync with their reseller. Radio Shack offers what they refer to as Refreshed for $229.99 with free shipping.

The Apple Store itself is selling the tablet, Space Gray or Silver “beginning at” $249. . Extras they suggest you add to your purchase include: Lightening to USB camera adapter for $29, an Apple Wireless keyboard for $69, or Apple EarPods with remote and mic for $29. It is ready to ship in one day and you might have in store pick up possible. However, the site warns: “Quantities are limited and availability can change quickly. Items will not be reserved for in-store pick up until you’ve completed checkout.”

As a bonus, Apple offers 6, 12, or 18 months special financing. And they’ll laser engrave up to two lines on the back of your iPad for free. If you click that it’s a gift, you can add an Apple Gift Package for another $5 and a free gift message. One more plus, you can Live Chat with a specialist before purchase. Apple is the only company offering Chat help.

Best Buy provides free shipping if you want it by December 11. If you want it sooner, you’ll pay an escalating shipping fee. The company offers a 1-year Protection Plan from the Geek Squad for $49.99. They say “We Fix It Or Replace It” covering a No-Lemon Policy, Normal Wear & Tear, Power Surges, Screen Issues.

Walmart offers a 2-year Care Plan for $47, but they don’t try to sell you additional accessories other than a $25 savings if you open a Walmart credit card. The Plan indicates: “Drop, Spill and Cracked Screen Problems – We’ll repair or replace it. We cover 100% of the repair costs. There are no deductibles or hidden fees.” Hummm, so you should look for Catch 22’s when considering a protection plan.

A quick look at other on-line retailers showed that Target offers the tablet for $249. MacMall will save you $5 at $244. PC Connection wants you to login or call for pricing. MicroCenter an Authorized Apple Reseller is listing the tablet at $229, but you have to search their site for your local store and drive to the brick and mortar building, because they don’t offer shipping. And purchases are restricted to one tablet per household. Of course, there’s always eBay hawking a new tablet for $299.99 with a money back guarantee.

So, the old adage “Buyer Beware” holds true on Cyber Monday as at any time of the year. Don’t get enamored by a low price. Check out the details. If it sounds too good to be true … it’s worth making comparisons.

The post Online iPad Deals Require Detailed Comparisons appeared first on VR World.

UPDATE: Microsoft has officially revealed the pricing and selection of Xbox One games that are discounted on the Microsoft Store.

The deals include Wolfenstein, Watch Dogs, The Evil Within, Metro Redux and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for $25, with Shadow of Mordor and Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition priced at $40.

Starting Nov. 27, the following games will be available at a reduced cost.

• Call of Duty: Ghosts – $14.99
• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition – $19.99
• Thief – $19.99
• Lego Movie: The Video Game – $19.99
• Lego: Marvel Super Heroes – $19.99
• Sniper Elite III – $19.99
• Watch Dogs – $24.99
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – $24.99
• The Evil Within – $24.99
• Wolfenstein: The New Order – $24.99
• Metro Redux – $24.99
• Murdered: Soul Suspect – $24.99
• Duck Dynasty – $24.99
• Ryse: Son of Rome – $29.99
• Dead Rising 3 – $29.99
• Kinect Sports Rivals – $29.99
• Forza Horizon 2 – $29.99
• Sunset Overdrive – $39.99
• Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition – $39.99
• Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor – $39.99

Original story is as follows.

In order to prepare gamers for the busy Black Friday holiday season, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has put together a handy list of all of the Black Friday deals on everything Xbox, including console bundles, games, accessories and LIVE memberships.

Below we have a full breakdown on the online and in-store deals that will be available on the Microsoft Store as well as retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Toys R’ Us and more.

Xbox One Console Deals

• $329 Xbox One Bundle with an extra Free Game (Titanfall, Forza Motorsport 5 or Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare) – Microsoft Store (Nov. 27 –  29)

• Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle for $329 – Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R’ Us, GameStop, Amazon (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Xbox One Assassin’s Creed: Unity Bundle for $329 + $50 Gift Card – Target (Nov. 27 –  29)

• Xbox One Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle (Halo: MCC + 12 Months Xbox LIVE + Xbox One + free game of your choice) for $379 – Walmart exclusive, online only (Nov. 27 only)

• Xbox One Assassin’s Creed: Unity Kinect Bundle for $429 – GameStop, Amazon, Target, Toys R’ Us, Walmart (Nov. 27 –  29)

• Xbox One Assassin’s Creed: Unity Kinect Bundle + Free Controller for $429 – Best Buy exclusive (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Xbox One Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 1TB Bundle for $429 – GameStop, Amazon, Toys R’ Us, Walmart

Xbox One Game Deals

Microsoft has released the games that will be available on the Microsoft Store, and for a complete listing, be sure to check above.

• Save $20 – $40 on select Xbox One Games – Best Buy, GameStop, Target (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1)
• Buy one Xbox One Game get the other -40% off – Toys R’ Us exclusive (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1)
• $15 Gift Card when purchasing the Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Target exclusive (Nov. 27 – 29)
• Forza: Game of the Year Edition for $25 – Target (Nov. 27 – 29),Walmart (Nov. 27 only)
• Dead Rising 3 for $25 – Target exclusive (Nov. 27 – 29)
• Madden NFL 15 for $35 – Walmart (Nov. 27 – 29)
• FIFA 15 for $35 – Walmart (Nov. 27 only)

Xbox Store Digital Deals are available from Nov. 25 – Dec. 1 and include discounts on the following games:

• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 -  $24.99 (-60% off)
• Angry Birds: Star Wars - $12.49 (-75% off)
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – $34.99 (-30% off)
• Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition - $34.99 (-40% off)
• Forza Motorsport 5 Car Pass - $29.99 (-25% off)
• Forza Motorsport 5: Game of the Year Edition – $29.99 (-40% off)
• Killer Instinct Ultra Edition Season 1 – $19.99 (-50% off)
• Rayman Legends – $19.99 (-50% off)
• Sniper Elite III – $29.99 (-4o% off)
• UFC - $13.20 (-67% off)
• Valiant Hearts - $7.49 (-50% off)
• Warframe: 75 Platinum – $3.49 (-33% off)
• Warframe: 170 Platinum – $6.49 (-33% off)
• Warframe: 370 Platinum – $13.49 (-33% off)
• Warframe: 1000 Platinum+Mods – $33.49 (-33% off)
• Warframe: 2100 Platinum + Mods – $66.99 (-33% off)
• Warframe: 3210 Platinum + Mods – $99.99 (-33% off)

(Photo via: Sharq Controllers)

Xbox One Controller Deals

• Save $10 on any wireless Xbox One controller – Microsoft Store (Nov. 27 – Dec. 3)

• Save $15 on any wireless Xbox One controller – GameStop (Nov. 27 – Dec.1 )

• Xbox One Wireless Controller for $39 – Walmart (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1), Best Buy, Target (Nov. 27 – 29)

Xbox 360 Console Deals

• Xbox 360 console for $129 + Forza Horizon 2 or Titanfall for free – Microsoft Store (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect Bundle for $179.99 – Target (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Xbox 360 500GB Call of Duty Bundle for $199 (Call of Duty: Ghosts & Black Ops II) – GameStop (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Xbox 360 4GB console for $99 – Walmart (Nov. 27 only)

Xbox 360 Game Deals

The following Xbox 360 games are discounted on the Xbox Games Store until further notice:

• Max Payne 3 – $4.99
• Max Payne 3 Rockstar Pass – $3.74
• Soul Calibur V – $3.74
• Borderlands – $4.99
• Borderlands 2 – $4.99
• Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition – $19.99
• L.A. Noire – $7.49
• Red Dead Redemption – $7.49
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – $19.99
• Titanfall Season Pass – $6.24
• Brothers – $4.94
• Gears of War 3 – $4.99
• Gears of War 2 – $4.99
• Battleblock Theater – $7.49
• State of Decay – $6.59
• Batman Arkham City – $4.99
• Injustice: Gods Among Us – $4.99
• Skyrim – $9.99
• Sniper Elite 3 – $23.99
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning – $2.99
• Hitman: Absolution – $4.99
• Mirror’s Edge – $2.99
• Crysis – $2.99
• Ultra Street Fighter IV – $9.99
• DBZ: Battle of Z – $15.99
• Valiant Hearts – $7.49
• Trials Fusion – $9.99
• P4A – $14.99
• Magic 2015 – $4.99
• Gears of War – $4.94
• Gears of War 3: RAAm’s Shadow: Pack 2 – $4.99
• Gears of War 3: Season Pass – $7.49
• Gears of War 3: Lancer Complete Launch Collection Skin – $4.99
• Gears of War 3: Weapon Skin Collection – $9.98
• Prototype 2 – $9.99
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $14.99
• Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad – $3.29
• Bullestorm – $2.99
• Burnout Paradise – $2.99
• Fight Night Champion – $2.99
• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit – $2.99
• Skate. – $2.99
• Skate 2 – $2.99
• Skate 3 – $3.99
• Hitman HD Pack – $4.99
• Just Cause 2 – $4.94
• Bully Scholarship Edition – $3.74
• Midnight Club: LA – $3.74

Gold Membership Deals

• 12 Months Gold for $49.99, 3 Months of Gold for $14.99* – Microsoft Store (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1), *Best Buy (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Save $10 on 12-Month Xbox LIVE Gold membership – GameStop (Nov. 27 – 29)

• Save 50% on 3-Month Xbox LIVE Gold (digital code) – Walmart, Target (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1)

The post Black Friday 2014: Xbox Deals, Sales And Discounts appeared first on VR World.

Yes, you heard that right. Newegg’s Black November (because Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t enough) has given us a pretty awesome deal. This deal is for an Acer B286HK 28″ 4K monitor that can display 4K video at 60 FPS and does it over DisplayPort 1.2. This monitor’s original price was $699, which isn’t that bad for a 4K monitor, but there are others out there with arguably better panels and design than the Acer at that price.

However, at $349, there is no monitor on earth that can compete with a 28″ 4K monitor at that price. In fact, someone recently pointed out that 4K monitors are starting to sell at lower prices than 1440P monitors and for some reason they are easier to find as well. We can partially thank the Chinese panel manufacturers for that, and we can also thank the fact that 4K gaming is finally starting to take off and people just aren’t interested in 1440P as much as 4K.

The other great thing about this monitor is the plethora of connectivity that it supports, which includes DVI (DVI w/HDCP), MHL, Displayport(v1.2) and MiniDP. It also tilts, swivels and adjusts the height. So you could theoretically have three 4K monitors in portrait mode and not even spend $1,000 which is something that was unheard of until today’s Acer deal. In fact, the reality is that you can have 4K surround gaming with these monitors for under a grand and that’s about as much as it’ll cost you to run three Nvidia G-Sync monitors together.

It does only have a viewing angle of 170 (H) and 160 (V) which clearly indicates that it is not an IPS panel, very likely a TN, but at $349 nobody is going to complain about a 4K TN panel. There are plenty of people out there that would happily buy a TN 4K planel for $349 and I suspect that this monitor will very likely not last until Cyber Monday unless Newegg has some ridiculous amount on hand.

The post Get an Acer 4K Monitor for $349 appeared first on VR World.

We’ve made up a list of our favorite Android phones of 2014 and they are all some of the best phones that money can buy in 2014. Now that all of the major phones have launched for the year and the holiday shopping season is upon us, there is no reason not to help you find the right phone for you or a loved one.

LG G3

LG’s G3 is probably one of our favorite Android phones of this year for multiple reasons. This is because The LG G3 has a fantastic 5.5″ 2560 x 1440 display and a laser fast 13 MP (literally uses a laser for focus) camera that grabs fantastic photos in both light and dark scenarios. Any camera that can take great photos in the dark is going to be a great all around camera as a rule of thumb. The thing that makes the LG G3 so great is also the fact that the phone itself has almost no bezel on the sides of the phone which makes it feel like there is almost no phone and all screen. As such, the LG G3 has the same screen size as the iPhone 6+ but a much much smaller body and as a result is more comfortable to hold. In addition to having one of the highest resolution displays of any phone to date, LG also gives the LG G3 expandable memory and a removable battery which is a big deal to a lot of users.

The LG G3 also has a Snapdragon 801 and great battery life thanks to the 3000 mAh battery even though it does have a fairly large and power consuming display. On Verizon’s network the LG G3 easily lasts over a day of normal usage and with Wi-Fi could last you up to 2 days. The only drawback of the LG G3 is the fact that it lacks a good speaker or front-facing speakers like the HTC One M8, one of its competitors. However, the G3’s biggest weapon is also price… even though Samsung and HTC launched before LG did with the LG G3, LG’s pricing was so competitive (both on and off contract) that it forced Samsung and HTC to drop their prices in order to compete which immediately resulted in lower prices for consumers regardless of their choice.

The post Top 5 Android Phones of 2014 appeared first on VR World.

We’ve scoured the internet for Black Friday deals and we’ve found some of the best deals that you should consider before you go out and buy. Some of these deals are already live and others will become deals on Black Friday. Check the company’s own Black Friday deal page for when their deals start.
Best Buy – Samsung 55″ 4K 60Hz Smart LED HD TV (UN55HU6830FXZA) – $899 (appears to be Best Buy exclusive, Black Friday special deal, compare against others to see if features are missing).
Best Buy – Samsung Gear Fit – $99.99
Best Buy – Pebble Steel – $149.99
Best Buy – NETGEAR AC1200 Dual-Band Wireless-AC Router – $59.99
Newegg – Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SSD – $359
Newegg – Samsung U28D590D Black 28″ UHD Monitor
Microcenter – Core i7 4970K – $249 (In Store Only)
Microcenter – Core i7 5960X – $899 (In Store Only)

Save an additional $40 when you bundle Intel CPUs with X99 and Z97 Motherboards (In Store Only)

Microcenter and Newegg – AMD FX 8350 – $149.99

Microcenter offers an additional $50 when you bundle AMD CPU with motherboard (In Store Only)

Microcenter – NZXT Phantom Full Tower – $99
Microcenter – Kingston SSDNow V300 240GB SSD – $99
TigerDirect – APC 5000 mAh Power Pack – $14.99
TigerDirect – Tt eSports Shock Gaming Headset – $19.99
Fry’s Electronics – LifeCharge Juicy Pack 16,800 mAh battery pack – $25
Fry’s Electronics – Sony 128GB SDXC Memory Card UHS-1 – $79

From what we saw, Microcenter had probably the biggest Black Friday deals, which makes sense because their online presence is not as significant as their retail in-store presence. They are the masters of the cheap Intel CPU in-store only deal. However, if you wish to find component deals on Black Friday, Microcenter (if there’s one around you) is probably your best bet. I have a strong feeling that Newegg is still holding back a lot of their best deals for Cyber Monday, as is TigerDirect. Fry’s Electronics is shielding most of their Black Friday deals, so we’re only able to look at what they’ve posted publicly so far. Most of their deals will be in store, but could possibly be found online as well.

Don’t forget that after Black Friday there is going to be Cyber Monday, where websites like Newegg, Amazon and TigerDirect really push their biggest sales to snap up all the people waiting to buy things on Cyber Monday.

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Verizon (NYSE:VZ) is trying to get on the softer side of consumers. You could either consider this the more emotional side, or the software side, either would be applicable here. Verizon is deeming the day before Thanksgiving, November 26th, one of the busiest travel days of the year Connection Day. Connection Day is Verizon’s way of saying thanks to their customers and anyone that might need some help while they’re traveling home for the holiday.

The first thing they’re doing is that they’re giving existing Verizon More Everything plan customers a free, one-time gift of 1GB of data and another 1GB of data for the next billing cycle. In addition to Verizon’s own customers anyone and everyone can get in on Verizon’s Connection Day ‘gifts’ or ‘free offers’ by simply heading over to the Connection Day page.

Verizon FIOS is offering free mobile access to their popular movies and TV Shows on November 26th via their FIOS Preview mobile app.

Verizon has partnered with Amazon to offer a selection of 10 free/discounted apps, plus two free Audible.com book downloads (for new members) or $10 in Audible credit (current members). You will also get 10 free songs from Amazon Music and 10 curated playlists with Amazon Prime Music.

Apple has also joined the Connection Day gifting craze by offering a ‘special offer’ which will be revealed on November 26th, Connection Day.

Verizon also partnered with Condé Nast to offer free digital edition downloads of all 17 of the company’s publications which include Wired, Vanity Fair and GQ.

Verizon has also partnered with Boingo and GoGo to offer half an hour of free internet service in airports and planes on November 26th, Connection Day. And if you’re flying on Jet Blue, there will be free in-flight Wi-Fi for all flights between November 26th and December 31st.

Last but not least, Verizon partnered with Pandora to offer a free seven-day trial of Pandora One (Pandora’s premium subscription music service).

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There have been some fantastic graphics cards released this year, many with varying price points and performance levels. We are going to take a look at the best of all the GPUs available in 2014 and give you our explanation why. Do keep in mind, that some of these cards may have been released in late 2013, but remained relevant for most of 2014 and still are to this day. And without further ado, we give you the five best graphics cards of 2014. They are going to be listed in descending order from most expensive to least expensive and hopefully they will help you pick the right card for your budget. You can click on the image of the card below to find the card at the posted price on Amazon.

AMD Radeon R9 295X2 – $799

The AMD Radeon R9 295X2 was specifically designed for 4K gaming and to this day remains the best card for 4K gaming for a lot of reasons. In our review of the R9 295X2 graphics card, we found it to be one of the best cards for 4K with a single graphics card. One of the other things that made the R9 295X2 so fantastic and worthy of this list is that the liquid system that cooled this card is probably the most effective cooling solution that has ever cooled a graphics card, ever. The AMD R9 295X2 is also a great card because instead of bringing down the level of the 290X in order to be thermally manageable they actually clocked it even higher and gave you a card that was faster than two R9 290Xs. Currently, you can find the R9 295X2 selling at retailers for around $799 which is a great deal when you consider it launched earlier this year for $1,500 and the price has dropped all the way down to $799. There are some places selling a VisionTek R9 295X2 for $779, but that’s just one card at one store and $799 is a much more realistic price because the Visiontek card is likely to sell out. But why, you may ask, is AMD’s card that launched back in April at $1,500 now selling at $799 in November, only 7 months later? That would be because of the competition from the next card on our list.

The post Top Five Graphics Cards of 2014 appeared first on VR World.

There have been some fantastic graphics cards released this year, many with varying price points and performance levels. We are going to take a look at the best of all the GPUs available in 2014 and give you our explanation why. Do keep in mind, that some of these cards may have been released in late 2013, but remained relevant for most of 2014 and still are to this day. And without further ado, we give you the five best graphics cards of 2014. They are going to be listed in descending order from most expensive to least expensive and hopefully they will help you pick the right card for your budget. You can click on the image of the card below to find the card at the posted price on Amazon.

AMD Radeon R9 295X2 – $799

The AMD Radeon R9 295X2 was specifically designed for 4K gaming and to this day remains the best card for 4K gaming for a lot of reasons. In our review of the R9 295X2 graphics card, we found it to be one of the best cards for 4K with a single graphics card. One of the other things that made the R9 295X2 so fantastic and worthy of this list is that the liquid system that cooled this card is probably the most effective cooling solution that has ever cooled a graphics card, ever. The AMD R9 295X2 is also a great card because instead of bringing down the level of the 290X in order to be thermally manageable they actually clocked it even higher and gave you a card that was faster than two R9 290Xs. Currently, you can find the R9 295X2 selling at retailers for around $799 which is a great deal when you consider it launched earlier this year for $1,500 and the price has dropped all the way down to $799. There are some places selling a VisionTek R9 295X2 for $779, but that’s just one card at one store and $799 is a much more realistic price because the Visiontek card is likely to sell out. But why, you may ask, is AMD’s card that launched back in April at $1,500 now selling at $799 in November, only 7 months later? That would be because of the competition from the next card on our list.

The post Top Five Graphics Cards of 2014 appeared first on VR World.

GameStop’s Black Friday circular has been leaked ahead of schedule, revealing a swath of savings across console bundles, games and accessories.

Notable deals include a $399 PlayStation 4 bundle with GTA V and The Last of Us; Remastered, and an Assassin’s Creed: Unity Xbox One bundle for $329. If you’ve scaned other Black Friday deals you’ll notice these offers aren’t much different, but GameStop does have some great deals on games.

Destiny has been price-slashed to $49.99, and you can pick up Monolith’s fantastically-fun fantasy slasher Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor for just $30.

The Evil Within and Sleeping Dogs on Xbox One are also $30, along with Battlefield 4 on PS4 and Xbox One.

SEGA’s immensely creepy Alien: Isolation can be had for $40, with Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, and Infamous: Second Son discounted to $21.99.

Polk Audio’s 4Shot Headphones for Xbox One have been reduced by a whopping $100, selling for just $59.99 during the promo. Xbox One and PS4 controllers are $15 off at $44.99, and Xbox LIVE Gold is just $49.99.

Other hardware includes Sony’s PlayStation Camera peripheral for just $39.99. All Mc Farlane Toys–those loveable ultra-realistic poseables–will be discounted to $9.99, so stock up some Master Chiefs with you can!

There’s a catch to these savings, though: the offers appear to be all doorbusters. According to the ad, the sales are only available from Nov. 28 – 30, so you should probably expect picked-through inventory and lines of people.

So far H.H. Gregg’s Black Friday deal is the best for Xbox One’s and PS4’s; using the online code OVERNIGHT11, you can snag an Xbox One AC: Unity bundle for just $312, or the limited edition Destiny PS4 bundle with The Last of Us: Remastered for just $444.

Thanks, BF Ads.

The post GameStop's Black Friday Sale Ads Leaked appeared first on VR World.

With the hectic craziness of Black Friday around the corner, shopper’s are readying their lists and checking them twice. Most of the really good deals are the dreaded doorbusters, meaning you’ll have to camp outside the store for a good while the day after Thanksgiving.

But some retailers like H.H. Gregg are offering pre-Black Friday sales that let you bypass the rush by picking up goodies online.

With H.H. Gregg’s Black Friday Overnight Sale you can pick up an Assassin’s Creed: Unity Xbox One bundle for just $312 using the online promo code OVERNIGHT11.

The code discounts all items $299 and up by 11% and even throws in free shipping to boot.

This discount applies to the retailer’s entire stock, provided it’s at least $299. You can also nab a limited edition Destiny PlayStation 4 bundled with The Last of Us: Remastered for only $444 compared to its $499 retail, or the basic PS4 for just $355.

Drop by the site and do some browsing to pick the bundle that’s right for you–the store has a variety to choose from, including an NBA 2K15 bundle that includes a year of PlayStation Plus as well as the limited edition Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Xbox One bundle.

Be sure to jump on this deal ASAP, as it’ll most likely sell out like hotcakes. The cheapest price we’ve seen so far on the Xbox One is Target’s doorbuster $329 AC: Unity bundle that comes with a $50 gift card, but of course you’ll have to wait in line for quite some time.

As someone who’s waited outside of Target for eight hours to snag a 50” HDTV, I advise just opting for online shopping instead. Things get crazy out there.

Thanks, Cheap Ass Gamer and Destructoid.

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These days, tablets are offered in several sizes and configurations that cost anywhere between $150 and $2,000. With such a wide variety of devices, it is easy to find one that suits your needs. These are the best tablets of 2014:

Nvidia Shield tablet

Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) Shield tablet is its second foray into the world of portable devices after the Shield handheld, and this time around Nvidia is looking to attract a wider audience. The Shield is targeted at users looking to play games on their tablet (a burgeoning segment thanks to the availability of visually striking games on mobile), and the hardware under the hood highlights the tablet’s pedigree: The Shield comes with Nvidia’s Tegra K1 chip with a 192 core GPU that can hold its own against anything in the world of mobile GPUs. The CPU features four Cortex A15 cores clocked at 2.2 GHz.

The 8-inch form factor tablet comes with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200, which means a pixel density of 283 ppi. Also included is 2GB RAM, 5 MP front and back cameras, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac connectivity and Bluetooth 4.0 LE. The frontal stereo speakers look similar to what HTC (TPE:2498) offers in the One M7, and they deliver where it matters; with sound coming out crisp and clear. Also available with the tablet is a DirectStylus 2 stylus that allows you to take notes on the tablet among other things.

This being a gaming-oriented slate, Nvidia is rolling out what it is calling Shield-optimized titles that are tweaked for the tablet. The list of games is continually growing as Nvidia brings more publishers on-board. Nvidia also recently announced its GRID service, which allows Shield users to access 20 blockbuster titles for free. It is clear that Nvidia is looking to build an ecosystem of content around the Shield tablet, which is encouraging. Users with a GeForce GTX card can also utilize Nvidia’s GameStream technology to stream games to the Shield tablet. The tablet is set to receive the latest version of Android this month, which will bring a whole host of new features.

The Shield tablet is available for $299, which is the 16GB Wi-Fi only model. The 32GB version, which also features LTE connectivity, is available for $399. For consumers looking for a more affordable solution to the Shield, Xiaomi’s Mi Pad offers the same hardware in a distinctly iPad-esque design for around $199. While Xiaomi’s offering may be marginally more affordable, it lacks the Nvidia-specific utilities included in the Shield.

HTC Nexus 9

The wait for a larger tablet in the Nexus series is over, with Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) deciding to go with HTC this time around. The motive for doing so was to not give preference to one vendor over others, which is great as consumers get to benefit from different design philosophies. The Nexus 9 is being billed as a premium tablet, and is positioned closer to the high-end segment. The 16GB Wi-Fi only version costs $399, with the 32GB model available for $499. There’s a 32GB variant that offers LTE connectivity, which will retail later this year for $599.

The pricing for the tablet is justified considering the hardware it features. The Nexus 9 comes with an 8.9-inch IPS LCD screen that offers a resolution of 2048 x 1536 in a 4:3 that is more reminiscent of the iPad that an Android tablet. The tablet comes with a coating of Gorilla Glass 3 that offers a layer of resistance to scratches. Under the hood, there’s a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 chip that features the 64-bit Denver CPU clocked at 2.3 GHz along with a 192 core GPU. At this stage, the inclusion of a 64-bit CPU is more future proofing than anything, and the weird 4:3 ratio means that certain utilities do not scale as well (for good reason). The 2GB of RAM may be a bit of a concern for some, and while the tablet can currently handle anything available in the world of Android with ease, memory may become the bottleneck in the future.

Other specs include an 8 MP camera at the back, 1.6 MP front shooter, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connectivity, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, A2DP, apt-X and microUSB 2.0. The Nexus 9 comes with a 6,700 mAh battery and is available in three color variants: Indigo Black, Lunar White and Sand. One of the more interesting features of the tablet is the frontal speakers. These are not stereo BoomSound speakers like the ones on the One M8, but they still provide a much better sound that what is considered common in this segment.

In terms of build quality, the Nexus 9 loses points as it just isn’t near the level of what other tablets in this category cost. There is a lot of flex, particularly at the back of the tablet, when you press down on it. There also seem to be issues with build quality as a whole, which is not too dissimilar to what we’ve seen when Asus launched the Nexus 7 2013 last year. These issues were resolved within a month, but if you are buying the Nexus 9 as soon as it launches in your territory, be sure to check the device for build quality issues.

Apple iPad Air

Sure, the new iPad Air 2 comes with the faster A8X SoC, which as it turns out, comes with a semi-custom GPU along with the custom CPU design in the “Cyclone” architecture. The new processor has visible gains when playing games, but that doesn’t mean that last year’s iPad Air is obsolete. Far from it, and aside from the lack of Touch ID, there isn’t much to differentiate between this year’s tablet and last year’s offering. Combine that with the fact that the original iPad Air is now available for a discount, and the tablet from 2013 sounds like a much more enticing prospect.

In terms of the hardware, the iPad Air features the A7 SoC with a dual-core ARM v8-based CPU clocked at 1.2 GHz. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) was the first manufacturer to kickstart the 64-bit revolution for mobile devices, mainly due to its ability to control hardware and software. The iPad Air comes with a screen size of 9.7 inches and a resolution of 2048 x 1536, which comes out to a pixel density of 264 ppi. There’s not much to say about the iPad Air, as it is often considered to be the benchmark for judging tablets against. With the discounted price, the iPad Air Wi-Fi only 16GB version is now available for as low as $399, with the 32GB costing $449. The LTE models have also seen discounts, and are now available for $529 for the 16GB version and $579 for the 32GB variant.

Surface Pro 3

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is positioning the Surface Pro 3 against the MacBook Air, touting several benefits like a kickstand, touchscreen and stylus. Clearly, the tablet is intended for work, but it excels at being a portable tablet as well. One of the standout features of the Surface Pro 3 is the hinged kickstand, which allows you to position the tablet at several angles.

Designed for power users, the Surface Pro 3 is available in configurations starting from $799, for which you’ll get a 64GB SSD and an Intel’s (NASDAQ:INTC) Core i3 CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz. The Core i5 CPU clocked at 1.9 GHz is available for $999 for a 128GB SSD, and for $1,299 when paired with a 256GB SSD. The 1.7 GHz Core i7 variations are also available for $1,549 and $1,949, which feature a 256GB and 512GB SSD. Judging by the price points targeted by Microsoft, the Surface Pro 3 is more an Ultrabook-style notebook than a mere tablet.

The pricing may seem like a lot for a tablet, but the Surface Pro 3 is unlike anything else that is available in the world of computing today. The touchscreen responsiveness is at par with what you find in other tablets, and the performance figures are in line with that of Ultrabooks that feature Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Microsoft has successfully managed to cram incredibly powerful hardware in a lightweight form factor.

The build quality offered by the tablet is outstanding, the 12-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1440 is one of the best available and the optional keyboard docking stand adds to the functionality of the Surface Pro 3. With a full version of Windows 8.1 Pro, the tablet’s main area of focus is productivity, but that does not mean that it cannot be utilized for multimedia consumption. The kickstand makes it ideal to prop up the tablet in various configurations, and the hinge is built to last.

Other hardware features of the Surface Pro 3 include 5 MP cameras at the front and back, full-size USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity along with stereo speakers the feature Dolby Audio-enhanced sound. Also included is a stylus that offers various levels of pressure sensitivity. The ability to run a full-fledged version of Windows enables users to install and run intensive games like League of Legends, Civilization V, and The Elder Scrolls Online. The tablet can also connect with an Xbox 360 controller for Windows.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S

Samsung (KRX:005935) is known to make a lot of tablets on a yearly basis. For those looking for entry-level slates, there’s the Galaxy Tab series. The Galaxy Tab S series is targeted at the mid-tier and high-end markets, with three variants on offer. All three versions are available in Wi-Fi only and LTE editions, with the non-cellular models featuring Samsung’s Exynos 5420 hardware, while the LTE variants come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.

The design of the tablets in the Galaxy Tab S series are a notch above what you’d find in the Galaxy Tab series, and the screens similarly offer higher resolutions. All three tablets come with a 2560 x 1600 resolution AMOLED display that Samsung claims is the best display on a tablet. The AMOLED panel does make colors stand out, but it does tend to over-saturate. The tablets are available in storage variations of 16 or 32 GB, come with 3 GB RAM as standard, 8 MP camera at the back, 2.1 MP shooter at the front, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connectivity and microSD slots that can accommodate 128GB cards.

With prices starting as low as $399 for the 8.4-inch variant, the Galaxy Tab S series is a viable contender if you’re looking to buy a tablet that offers a high-resolution screen and high-end hardware.

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With the holidays approaching fast and the sales that come with it many people will be getting new notebooks this holiday season.  Researching what the best notebooks out there are takes time and we though we could help out by giving you our choices in five different categories of notebooks.  They are gaming, ultraportable, Chromebook, business, and Apple MacBook.  With the latest computer parts in these notebooks it will be certain that they will be able to earn there keep for quite some time.  There are many things to consider when looking for a notebook and budget is a big one.  Most of these choices are going to be in the higher end range since they perform better.

Gaming Notebook: MSI Computer GT72  Dominator Pro with GTX 980M – $2,299

This gaming notebook is the top of the line from MSI, and it does not disappoint.  Equipped with Intel i7-4710HQ, 16GB of DDR3-1600, a 128GB SSD, and a Nvidia GTX 980M 8GB, this will tear through any recent and upcoming game.  The best thing about the GT72 Dominator Pro is that MSI has taken steps to ensure that you can update the graphics down the line when new and better GPUs come out.  This means that the investment made in this computer will last a lot longer than comparable notebooks that are stuck with their graphics for the life of the product. If you are wanting some more speed from the notebook then throw in four identical M.2 SSDs inside and put them in RAID 0 for read/write speeds of up to 1600MB/s.  From experience with MSI’s SuperRAID as it is called I can attest to how massive of an improvement that speeds like this can be, it makes using the notebook just so much more enjoyable.  You can even attach three monitors to the notebook with two mini-displayport and one HDMI outputs.  The keyboard feels like no other notebook keyboard and is made by the gaming company SteelSeries. Bottom line is that if this is in your budget and you are a gamer or even a power user, I have little doubt that you will love this notebook.

Apple Notebook: 15″ 2.5GHz MacBook Pro with Retina display – $2,374.99

There is no denying it, Apple makes good notebooks and they are arguably the best notebooks for running Windows on as well.  The Retina display will allow for better multi-tasking with various windows as the resolution gives lots of screen real estate.  The Retina display will be great for those who edit photos or video as the display will reproduce colors very well. The construction of the MacBook Pro is amazing and the fit and finish are things that other companies could learn a thing or two from.  The choice with the 2.5GHz Intel i7 was made for what would be the most capable and powerful option with a reasonable price.  At Apple you can customize the MacBook Pro with up to a 1TB SSD and a 2.8GHz Intel i7.

Ultraportable Notebook: Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro – $1,382.99

The 2-in-1 Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is the latest model in the Yoga line and features an amazing watchband style hinge.  The hinge is made up of hundreds of individual pieces that allows the notebook to flex like no other and fold to use it in different positions.  The screen is a high resolution (3200×1800) IPS touchscreen that will reproduce colors very well and look much better than lower quality panels.  If needing something very light, portable, and a long battery life then this notebook should be on your list of ones to check out.  The stylish Yoga 3 Pro is one of the most stunning designs out now and is powered by the brand new Intel Core M processor.

 Chromebook – Toshiba Chromebook 2 1080p $329.99

Chromebooks are a new breed of notebook, and people are really loving them.  Chromebooks generally are affordable, light, and have long battery life making it an easy choice for those who need something portable.  The best thing about this model is likely the 1080p IPS panel that will look much better than panels that are in other models.  Powering the notebook is an Intel Celeron processor, and while not very powerful it will get the job done and sip power giving longer battery life.  The battery should be good for up to 8 hours and 45 minutes.  The audio has been fine-tuned by Skullcandy meaning that it should deliver much nicer sound than the standard Chromebook.  This will be useful if you enjoy listening to streaming music while you surf the web or do work.  The 802.11ac Wi-Fi is blazing fast and will allow you to get better coverage over other Chromebooks.

Business Notebook: Lenovo X1 Carbon – $1,619

When looking for a business notebook it is wise to choose something that is portable and light so you can easily get work done no matter where you are working.  The X1 Carbon also offers great battery life allowing up to 9 hours from a single charge.  Lenovo is the the most used PC maker for businesses and they sure do know what they are doing with its lineup that is geared for productivity.  The keyboard is surprisingly good and has back-lighting making it easier to get work done while on that red-eye to an important meeting or at home in the evening.  The integrated fingerprint reader should help simplify secure login by allowing you to simply swipe a finger over it.  When it comes to a business notebook, choosing Lenovo is a wise choice that millions have made before.

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Although the growth of the high-end segment has declined of late, there have been some truly remarkable devices launched over the course of the year. Here are the five best smartphones of 2014:

New Moto X

The new Moto X is larger, wider and more feature-filled when compared to last year’s version. While the first-generation Moto X was highly regarded for its in-hand feel and comfort, this year’s models eschews ergonomics for a larger screen, a trend that is becoming more and more common among high-end devices of late. That doesn’t mean that the new Moto X is too unwieldy to use one-handed; far from it. The thin bezels and curved edges mean that the device fits in your hand better than others that also feature large screens. Also, the aluminium frame around the device adds to its premium nature and highlights the overall design.

While offering a near-stock UI, Motorola has baked in enough custom features that serves to differentiate the Moto X from devices running vanilla Android. The Active Display feature is so intuitive that it should be offered as standard across all devices. With this feature, the device lights up whenever a notification arrives, allowing you to quickly look at it without having to unlock the screen. Active Display combined with an always-on listening mode – which sees a dedicated digital signal processor actively listening for the hotword – are the two best features to be included in a device of late. While the first-gen Moto X had this feature through a middle-man service, Android 5.0 natively allows this functionality, which gives quicker access to voice-enabled actions.

The Moto X from 2013 did not feature the latest hardware available at the time, but this time around Motorola has included the latest available specs with the new Moto X. Under the hood, there’s a 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 SoC, 2 GB RAM, 13 MP camera, 2 MP front shooter and Wi-Fi ac connectivity along with a 2,300 mAh battery. The battery life was a major concern in last year’s handset, and while the 2014 Moto X does not fare much better in this segment, at least there is the ability to charge the device quickly due to Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology, which is leveraged through a unique charger.

The 16GB version of the smartphone is available for $499, and can be customized heavily through Moto Maker. Should you wish to do so, you can get a leather or wooden back variant for $25 more. The sheer number of customization options combined with the exclusive features like Active Display make the new Moto X one of the best devices available today.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The Galaxy Note 4 is unlike any Samsung (KRX:005935) flagship smartphone thus far in that it actually looks like a premium handset. Samsung has finally decided to use metal in the construction of their devices, and in the case of the Galaxy Note 4, this is in the form of a metal frame that runs around the sides of the device, adding rigidity to the structure as whole while providing aesthetic value.

Another first is the 16MP camera sensor, which now comes with OIS, a feature that has been long-requested by loyal fans. The imaging sensor is from Sony (NYSE:SNE), and comes with Samsung’s customizations on the software side of things. The 5.7-inch QuadHD AMOLED screen is outstanding, and is one of the best displays on a Samsung handset yet.

TouchWiz, long criticized as one of the worst manufacturer skins, has also received a facelift. However, Samsung has not cut down on the gimmicky features, and in fact found new “health-oriented” utilities that will allow you to track your daily activities better. The result is that a device with a quad-core 2.7 GHz Snapdragon 805 SoC (octa-core Exynos 5422 in some markets) stutters during the loading animations. Turning off animations entirely makes things better, but if there is a single drawback to the Galaxy Note 4, it is the software. Samsung needs to re-evaluate its stance of software design and focus on things that matter to users instead of just bundling every single utility it has made over the course of the last five years into its devices.

That being said, there are a few features that stand out, and serve to distinguish the Galaxy Note series from other phablets out there. The most useful is Multi Window mode, which as the name suggests allows you to run two utilities side by side simultaneously. There’s also a similar mode for video as well that allows you to run two videos side by side, but that once again falls into the realm of gimmicks. The stylus has also been tweaked to offer better sensitivity, and comes a lot of features that boost its functionality. For instance, Photo Note is a utility that scans images and lets you make changes to them using the stylus.

Overall, the Galaxy Note 4 is a move in the right direction for Samsung. The device is easily the best-looking Samsung flagship we’ve seen, and the stellar hardware means that you will not be encountering any lag (barring those caused by TouchWiz, of course). With carrier subsidies in effect, the device comes down to $199, although the off-contract pricing of $800 is not astronomical considering the features you’ll be getting. There’s also the Galaxy Gifts promotion, through which you stand to get over $300 worth of digital services for free from Samsung.

OnePlus One

If there is one device that can be categorized as the best of 2014, it would be the OnePlus One. Nothing comes close to the device in the sheer number of features it offers for the price. Sure, novel utilities like double tap to wake, ambient display and camera software tweaks are missing, but when it comes to the basics, the OnePlus One smartphone gets everything right. Though the device features a 5.5-inch 1080p display, non-existent bezels and a clever design – which sees the display slightly raised from the rest of the device – lends to a form factor that allows you to use the device one-handed.

The OnePlus One has hardware that is often found in devices twice as costly: there’s that 5.5-inch full-HD display, 3GB RAM, 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 SoC, 13 MP camera at the back with a Sony MIX214 sensor (the same that’s used in devices like the LG G3), 5 MP front shooter, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connectivity and a 3,100 mAh battery.

The device features a custom CyanogenMod skin, and the differences from stock Android are immediately noticeable. The theme engine, which allows you to modify all facets of the UI, is a great feature to have for users looking to customize the handset to their liking, and the settings feature the most comprehensive list of options we’ve seen on an Android device. Another point of differentiation is the quick rollout of updates, with the OnePlus community constantly listening to consumer feedback and providing quick fixes for commonly found issues.

Talking about issues, the only major drawback with the device is availability, although getting hold of an invite has gotten relatively easier over the last few months. Retailing at $349 for the 64GB Sandstone back version, and just $299 for the 16GB variant, there are few devices that match up to their billing. The OnePlus One is one of the few devices that manages to do so successfully.

iPhone 6 Plus

After years of making snide comments about phablets, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has decided to join the game with the iPhone 6 Plus. The device is not being called a phablet, but a handset that allows you to do more. The more is in reference to the screen size, which at 5.5 inches is larger than most Android flagship devices out there today. The resolution has been increased to 1080p, and the hardware has also gotten a boost.

Powering the iPhone 6 Plus is the Apple A8 SoC, which has a dual-core version of a Cyclone architecture CPU clocked at 1.4 GHz along with a PowerVR GX6450 GPU. Other specs do not matter much, connectivity as the software is tuned to run on whatever hardware is current-gen. With the iPhone, it has always been about the experience, and this time around it is no different. The iPhone 6 Plus comes with a new design that is being heralded as the best ever, is thinner and has a more premium look to it, and runs iOS 8 out of the box. That is one of the things it is meant to do well: get going out of the box without having to fiddle around with a bunch of settings (or as Android users like to call it, customization).

Of note is the 8 MP camera at the back that now comes with OIS, which is in fact one of the reasons to go with the iPhone 6 Plus instead of its smaller sibling, the iPhone 6. The device is available in memory variations of 16, 64 and 128GB, with each increment costing $100 (on-contract) more. The cost of the device varies based on the territory, but the entry-level handset is in the vicinity of $800.

One of the major talking points during the launch of the iPhone 6 Plus smartphone was the introduction of NFC, which allows customers to pay for services using their mobile devices using a digital payment system called Apple Pay. Currently available in the US but facing backlash from a variety of retailers including CVS and Walmart (who are in the process of introducing their own digital payments service called CurrentC), Apple is looking to launch the service in additional countries. If you’re looking to go with iOS, the iPhone 6 Plus is the handset to get.

Lumia 930

The Lumia 930 is the last flagship device to bear the iconic Nokia (NYSE:NOK) name, at least for this decade. Now that the Finnish manufacturer’s acquisition to Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is finalized, the Redmond giant’s logo will be used on future Lumia models, like the Lumia 535 that was announced last week. For now, Microsoft seems to be content targeting the entry-level and mid-tier segments with its latest device launches, as evidenced by the announcement of the Lumia 730, Lumia 830 and now the Lumia 535.

What this means is that for this year, the Lumia 930 smartphone is your only real choice if you’re looking to get a Windows Phone in the high-end segment. There is the 6-inch Lumia 1520 that was announced last November, but considering we’re already more than 12 months into the life cycle of the device, it is not being recommended. Also, the form factor of the Lumia 1520 does not make it a comfortable device to use on a day-to-day basis.

Ever since the Lumia 1520 was announced, fans of Windows Phone have been clamoring for a device with similar hardware in a 5-inch form factor, and the answer is the Lumia 930. The device comes in color variations of white, black, green and orange, and carriers on Nokia’s ethos that is clearly visible in all Lumia handsets. The build quality is excellent, there is a camera shutter key on the right side, and the camera itself, a 20 MP PureView sensor, is one of the best imaging sensors you can get in a handset.

Furthermore, Nokia’s exclusive utilities like HERE navigation services (which Microsoft is now licensing for the Lumia series) are a standout in this category thanks to features like offline turn-by-turn routing. Then there are the host of camera-centric utilities, as well as the music and video services. But the best feature of all has to be Cortana. It may not be as accurate as Google Now, but it is the most fun to use among all voice-based assistants available today.

The list of features that can be handled by Cortana is increasing on a weekly basis, and the assistant excels at getting the basics right, which can be said of the platform itself as a whole. With Windows Phone, you may not get Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) services, but Microsoft is starting to add enough functionality that you don’t have to.

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This year’s holiday season is huge for gaming, with a swath of AAA blockbuster titles hitting the market within the same two-month launch window. Now the PS4 and Xbox One have an expansive selection of multi-genre titles–from fantasy RPG’s to intergalactic shooters and story-driven parodies–ensuring there’s something for everyone.

With our buying guide we’ll help you navigate the labyrinth of games and select the best games to put under the tree this year, all while balancing your pocketbook–because let’s face it, who has the cash to pick up every game?

Our selection of the top 5 games ranges from a plethora of tastes, making for a positively satisfying brew of varying gameplay dynamics and memorable experiences.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Genre: Fantasy RPG
MSRP: $59.99

Dragon Age: Inqusition is BioWare’s triumphant return to the mystical fantasy realm of Thedas, and takes players on a dynamic journey to the heart of adventure itself. The game goes lengths to reinvent the franchise with a host of new features, keeping the same party system along with enthralling combat and a winding, branching storyline.

Players can choose the heroic path they take in the game, and their decisions will resonate throughout the world itself, helping shape the ultimate outcome of their experience.

Inqusition is for the avid and novice RPG fan alike, featuring an expansive webwork of deep roleplaying mechanics that build off of the series’ distinct action-RPG formula. Featuring a plethora of classes, players can build their ultimate team of heroes and deck them out with armor and specifically-tailored skill trees befit any grand role-playing adventure.

With a positively huge singleplayer mode, gamers have their work cut out for them, but the online co-op mode lets players go dungeon crawling with a team of their friends.

The stories are always eye-opening and cinematic in detail and presentation, with a myriad of NPC’s–take Varric, for example–that actually have substance and personality; you actually care if they live or die, and want to know more about them.

All in all Dragon Age: Inquisition is a solid bet for any gamer, as it has such prestigious scope that spans and marries medieval fantasy with tactical RPG action.

It’s the quintessential hero’s journey that’s filled with strategic action and breathtaking vistas befit any otherworldly game of myth and legend, and it looks to be one of the year’s best games.

2. Destiny

Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Shooter, Sci-Fi
MSRP: $59.99

Destiny is a prime example of an over-hyped shooter that faltered under its own weight. The game was supposed to be Bungie’s magnum opus, a game that transcends the realms of online FPS and MMO-style RPG elements. While it’s failed to live up to its dynamic potential, the game is masterfully addictive in all the right ways–but sometimes for the wrong reasons.

The content may be limited in terms of end-game, but Destiny is an action-packed sci-fi romp that’ll take you across the stars and back. The story is weak, but the FPS mechanics are incredibly refined–it’s here that Bungie’s Halo prowess shines forth with light almost brighter than the sun.

Essentially Destiny is an online-only shooter wherein players can team up with random Guardians–that is supersoldiers powered by the Light, a mysterious energy not unlike the Force in Star Wars–to tackle a swath of missions and co-operative content.

There’s also a distinct RPG element in the game that affords for a unique spin on Borderlands-style shoot-and-loot action, complete with a sophisticated style and grace that almost matches Halo in its fluid grace. There are three main classes–Hunter, Warlock and Titan–each with their own varying skill trees that can be tactically used in conjunction with specific gear.

PVP is stellar and proves to be a delightful mix of sentiments old and new, with competitive content rolling out as the weeks go by.

Bungie is committed to making Destiny an expansive playground for would-be Guardians, but don’t expect anything free: the biggest updates will be hidden behind paywalls via Season Passes. Even still, the game offers a smorgasboard of content that’s rich with shooter elements that empower gamers, giving them the tools and arsenal they need to take on dreadful foes like the Hive and the cruel machines of the Vex.

Destiny has proven to be a must-have yearly release despite its shortcomings, and has proven to rank up there with the highest and most popular of games due to its immensely addictive nature. Be sure to check out our official Destiny review for more info on the game.

3. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: RPG, Fantasy
MSRP: $59.99

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor may look like you’r average hack-and-slash action-adventure game, but Monolith has created a fluid dynamism that marries the worlds of stealthy assassinations with all-out sword-slashing bravado.

Set in Tolkien’s landmark eponymous Middle-Earth, this game carries players across a journey through the shadowy realms of Mordor and explores the expansive mythos of the landmark fantasy series.

The game’s combat system perfectly matches skill with suave tactical strategy, making for enthralling and empowering fights. Talion, the game’s protagonist, is infused with the power of the dreaded Wraiths, giving him a substantial edge against the hordes of Uruks spread throughout Mordor.

Talion has a huge armament of abilities and skills at his disposal, encompassing a webwork of talent trees that players can customize to tailor their own otherworldly hero.

Using a combination of weapons like bow and arrow, daggers and swords, Talion channels his inner Wraith–an Elven lord by the name of Celebrimbor–to dispatch evil and use a range of useful abilities.

Shadow of Mordor essentially feels like a cross between Assassin’s Creed and Dynasty Warriors, with a hefty does of RPG aspects like skills and upgradable weapons. But the game it sets itself apart from these games with a truly intuitive and unique mechanic called the Nemesis System.

The Nemesis System allows Talion to mark targets among the massive ranks of Sauron’s army. These marks are bosses of sorts that get harder and rank up if they defeat you in battle, becoming stronger along the way. It’s a sort of predator-vs-prey hunting scheme wherein players can find helpful intel to identify weak points of a boss, which is essential for those higher-tiered baddies.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor combines a huge offering of fantastic elements together to make a satisfying brew of fantasy fun, complimented with a perfect blend of RPG and action mechanics to keep things fresh and exciting.

4. Far Cry 4

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Action, Shooter
MSRP: $59.99

Far Cry 4 expands on series’ already-tremendous formula of action-packed chaos. Set in the frosty Himalayan peaks of Kyrat, players are treated to one of the most exotic, sprawling gameworlds of the series to date.

Kyrat is a truly massive open-world achievement in terms of scale and variety, with highlands, lowlands and everything in between, featuring engaging wildlife like snow leopards, stampeding elephants, crashing rhinos, and snarling tigers.

As per tradition, the game’s story pits Ajay Ghale (the specialist badass protagonist) in a region gripped in turmoil and revolution. A terrifyingly cruel–and rather humorously psychotic–dictator named Pagan Min is at the center of the havoc, erupting the region in a brutal and bloody civil war.

The game’s FPS combat is as dynamic as ever, with a smattering of new features like being able to hire mercenaries to fight alongside you. Vehicles have always been an important part of Far Cry, and in the fourth chapter we have the brilliant mini-skycopter to soar the peaks of Kyrat and blast baddies to smithereens.

You can also drive snowmobiles while shooting at rebels and dodging deadly rifts and flying over precipitous cliffs

Then there’s the skysuit. Few games have captured the heart-pounding excitement of gracefully piercing the heavens like a human bullet, but Far Cry 4 hits this mark perfectly.

Ajay also has two skill trees: the Tiger and the Elephant, both of which have a retinue of passive and active abilities to aid in battle. You get to customize Ajay as you see fit–want him to focus more on stealth and defensive measures? Go with the Elephant.

Want him to be a one-man army that shoots first and asks questions later? Then the Tiger tree is right for you.

All in all Far Cry 4 has something for everyone, and packs in pop culture themes from all over. Players feel like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones when they explore exotic ruins for treasures, and channel Rambo when gunning down hordes of baddies.

James Bond makes an appearance when Ajay does some fantastic death-defying stunt in his wingsuit, and Bear Grylls takes down a tiger in the jungle wilderness.

With a truly breathtaking and dynamic open-world environment like Kyrat, the game is a startling reminder of how far video games have come over the years.

You can get lost in the snow-capped mountains or the deep, dense canopies of the jungle, marveling at the cascading waterfalls and crashing elephants–and that’s exactly why this game is a must-buy.

5. Grand Theft Auto V

Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4
Genre: Action, Shooter
MSRP: $59.99

The next-gen port of Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar’s masterpiece. It’s something that gamers have been looking forward to for a while now, and is seen as the true definitive version of the game. If you’ve already played it on last-generation like most of the gaming world, then it might be wise to pass this up unless you want to give it another spin.

Essentially the new GTA V isn’t really new; it’s a re-mastered port. Even still the graphical differences between the old and new release are like night and day, with the next-gen flavor has Los Santos blazing with vivid life.

What makes GTA V so incredible is its cast of characters, the cops-and-robbers heists, and the game’s immersive environments. In terms of scale, accuracy, representation and graphical fidelity, Rockstar has captured lightning in a bottle. The in-game world is so resplendent with photo-realism that it’s uncanny, making it look almost better than real life.

GTA V features a three-man crew rather than the traditional silent one-man protagonist: Michael, the savvy, rich ex-bankrobber who’s having a mid-life crisis of boredom; Franklin, the young gang-banger looking for bigger and better things outside of the hood; and Trevor, a truly unique specimen of pure psychotic brilliance who easily steals the show from the very beginning.

Apart from the main characters and the namesakes of GTA, the game introduces a series of innovative full-scale heists that recreate some pretty impressive robberies. In this respect the game feels like a movie in terms of its scope, and players can choose how they want to pull off the score as well as which heists to take part in.

Then there’s the smattering of side-quests and extras that’ll pull you right in and never let go. While the heists are the main part of the game, each character has their own unique missions and questlines.

Franklin, for example, can invest in the stock market to earn big bucks, and Trevor, an entrepreneur in methamphetamine sales, wreaks havoc on the competition for his trade.

Being able to switch between Michael, Franklin and Trevor on the fly gives gamers the freedom to tackle whatever mission they want in the style they want. You can also beef up each character’s stats via a RPG-like progression system that’s somewhat like GTA: San Andreas.

The next-gen port also brings a first-person mode to combat, transforming Grand Theft Auto into a bona-fide action FPS game for the first time on consoles. This is a pretty heavy transition and affords a whole new style of play, especially for the game’s online component.

Grand Theft Auto Online deserves a nod as well. It’s essentially Rockstar’s open-world MMO-style online adventure where players can join a gang and combat rival gangs in a series of online playlists. These range from deathmatch-style combat to racing and heists, and characters earn points as well as stats to boost their reputation and abilities.

Grand Theft Auto V is a solid choice as capitalizes on fun.

It brings an amazingly entertaining campaign, a host of  side-missions, a trio of unforgettable characters and an engaging online component. The game’s environments are truly remarkable and bring a sense of realism unlike any other GTA game, and paves the way forward for the franchise itself.

Conclusion

These five games are sure-fire winners for the holiday season, and will bring festive delight for any gamer for weeks to come. With a slew of Black Friday deals you can snag any or all of these games at discounted rates, so be sure to check out the deals before you head to the stores.

As for platform choice, most of the games are the same across all consoles, with higher-end PC’s having considerable graphical and performance boosts. In the case of Far Cry 4, though, you should stick with the PS4 variant as it allows friends to try out the game for free.

Then there’s PS4’s exclusive Share Play feature which essentially lets your friends try out your games across the PlayStation Network. Something to keep in mind if you want to try out a game before you buy it, or let a friend do the same.

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