Dell’s Alienware Aurora Delivers Extreme Gaming Performance and Experience as Game Developers Intended in Most Advanced Desktop Ever

From Dell:

Competitive gamers asked for the ultimate gaming pc and Dell’s new Alienware Aurora gaming desktop computer, unveiled today, delivers. It is the company’s most advanced desktop ever delivering the extreme gaming performance and experience game developers intended for their players. With the latest technology and intelligent design, gamers can envelop themselves in the action, experience blazing fast performance and immersive
graphics.

*The Aurora desktop delivers the pure, raw power that gamers crave. The systems come loaded with the new 2nd generation Intel(r) Core(tm) i7-3000 series six-core CPUs, factory overclocked1 and liquid cooled, with the Intel X79 Express Chipset (Dell’s first consumer system to offer this chipset), Quad Channel DDR32 memory and the latest SATA technology.

*Gamers can literally “see” all that power firsthand. Dual graphics cards and beyond 1080p gaming with immersive multi-display and 3D HD3 capabilities allow gamers to experience any game at its best – as intended by the game developers.

*And the gaming desktops are intelligently designed for unparalleled customization. In addition to raw power, an innovative chassis design and intuitive internal component layout allows for user-friendly upgrades and optimized thermal
management.

Purposeful Cool Design
Designed from the inside out with performance, function and style in mind, Alienware Aurora’s chassis delivers a purposeful internal layout in a sleek, beautiful and compact form factor.

The desktop’s maintenance-free, high performance CPU Liquid Cooling replaces the standard heat sink and fan that comes with most PCs, and its Active Venting system provides additional heat dissipation during heavy gaming. This unique design increases component longevity and allows Aurora to stay nearly twice as quiet as competitors with traditional heat sink and fan layouts. Additionally, all core components inside the Aurora are purposefully compartmentalized in chambers that provide clean, clear and easy tool-less access for upgrades, maintenance or showing off.

Supporting AMD
CrossFireX technology, Alienware Aurora is capable of housing two graphics cards for maximum performance and extreme graphics power. All Aurora graphics cards use GDDR5 graphics memory2, the most advanced offering available. With Microsoft’s DirectX 11 graphics API, complex virtual worlds will come alive.

“The PC gaming industry continues to grow rapidly, and our customers are demanding systems that can keep up with the most graphic-intensive games on the market,” said Arthur Lewis, vice president, Alienware and Product Management for Consumer, Small and Medium Business. “Alienware Aurora, our most advanced gaming desktop ever, delivers an experience that will exceed the expectations of any serious gamer.”

Complete Control
All Alienware laptops and desktops come complete with the Alienware Command Center, which provides intuitive, user?friendly access to exclusive applications and controls, including AlienFX lighting effects, Thermal Controls and AlienFusion power management system. AlienFX allows users to customize the exterior lighting zones on the chassis with over 25 billion color combinations for a one-of-a-kind personalized experience. Updates and new releases download directly into Command Center, creating a constantly evolving tool for users to modify and personalize their gaming computer.

Gaming Supremacy
Alienware is recognized throughout the industry and with customers alike for performance, functionality and design. The Alienware M17x gaming laptop with Intel Sandy Bridge processors recently won Gold in the Gaming category for “The Best Products of 2011” from PC Magazine , and the Alienware M11x R3 laptop won Silver. As new technology is released, look for Alienware to continually offer the latest in PC gaming hardware, partnering with other industry leaders to deliver an optimized gaming experience.

Detailed Information:

*2nd Generation 3000 series Intel Core i7 Six Core Processor Options

*New Intel X79 Express Chipset with Unlocked BIOS for Overclocking1

*Single and Dual Graphics Options:

o 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 68702

o 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 69502

o 1.25GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti2

o 1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 5802

o 3GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 5902

o Dual 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6870 – AMD CrossFireX2

o Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6950 – AMD CrossFireX2

* 8GB or 16GB Quad Channel 1600MHz DDR3 Memory Options2

* Fast 7,200RPM Hard Drive Options up to 2TB; 256GB and 512GB SSD Options4

* Single and Dual Optical Drive Options; Including Blu-ray Disc Reader and Burner

* High Quality Audio Options:

o Internal High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio with Waves MAXX Audio Software (Standard)
o Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio (Optional)
o Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium (Optional)

* System Dimensions: height: 16.77” (426mm), depth: 25.39” (645mm), width: 9.85” (250mm); weight: starting at 45lbs (20.41kg)

Availability and Pricing:
Alienware Aurora is available now on dell.com and dell.ca with a starting price of $2,199.99.

ThinkGeek Loves Han. (He Knows.)

from ThinkGeek:

Last holiday ever?

We had to chuckle when a spam email reminded us that the Mayans predicted we’ll be outta here before the holly daze of 2012. If that’s the case, ThinkGeek is prepared! We’re ready to rock your under-tree zone with gifts for fans of Star Wars, Portal, and bonsai kitties.

And zombie fans, don’t fret. The Walking Dead is gone until February, but we have plenty of undead for you here.

Star Wars Han Solo in Carbonite Chocolate Bar
Taste the rich chocolate bounty. Getting these Han Solo in Carbonite Chocolate Bars shipped in from a galaxy far, far, away took a long, long time, but they’re finally here! Enjoy this rich chocolate bounty from Tatooine’s Tasty Treats. It’s the ultimate delight for Star Wars fans — or anyone who has ever wanted to eat Han Solo, for that matter.

Take $10 Off – Happy Blue Beanie Day!
We hope you used the Thanksgiving break to upgrade the browsers on the computers of your not-so-tech-savvy relations. If you didn’t, please do it next month and make the web designers and code monkeys of the world super duper happy! In honor of Blue Beanie day and web standards, we offer $5 off $30 or $10 off $50 by using the code BLUEBEANIE, good through 11:59pm ET on 12/02/11.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

ThinkGeek’s Free Shirt, While the Hull Holds!

from ThinkGeek:

Has it been that long?

We love bringing you snippets of geek history as part of our newsletters, but sometimes it makes us feel old. Can you believe that the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released exactly ten years ago today? ThinkGeek was just a wee handful of geeks and products back then.

But like young Harry, we’ve only grown more magical as the years have passed. Geeks don’t get old — we get awesome.

Free Shirt with $25 Order!
Deck the Hulls. GET THIS SHIRT FREE NOW! How much would you pay for a shirt that combines the holidays and our favorite low-earth orbit vehicle? $16.99? $17.99? But wait… there’s more! No, actually, there isn’t. Except for the fact that it’s FREE with $25 purchase.

Take $10 Off – It’s-a coupon code!
Happy birthday to Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind some of our most treasured video games! Without him, we wouldn’t have Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, or Star Fox. Celebrate his genius by picking up some old school gaming goodies with code MIYAMOTO for $5 off $25+ orders or $10 off $50+ orders, good through 11:59pm ET 11/19/11.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

“Fossil Fighters: Champions” for Nintendo DS Packs a Prehistoric Punch

from Nintendo of Canada:

As consumers dig into their holiday shopping this season, they can discover a way to dig for fascinating fossils and encounter some extraordinary virtual creatures. The Fossil Fighters: Champions game launches today exclusively for the Nintendo DS family of hand-held systems. The game asks players to use precision to clean ancient fossils, skill to assemble fantasy teams of revived dinosaurs called vivosaurs and strategy to battle those vivosaurs in a grand tournament.

Fossil Fighters: Champions turns players of all ages into budding paleontologists,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Up to four players can dig in and have fun.”

Fossil Fighters: Champions requires players to excavate and carefully clean ancient dinosaur fossils using the Nintendo DS stylus as a hammer and drill. The more effectively the fossils are cleaned, the more powerful the resulting revived vivosaurs will be in battles. Giant fossil rocks containing complete dinosaur fossils and two-sided fossil rocks are new to the franchise. Players can discover more than 140 vivosaurs. By finding rare golden fossils, they can even transform certain vivosaurs into powerful new “Super Evolver” forms.

Once players have successfully cleaned a fossil skull, they can revive a vivosaur and prepare it for battle. Players then command a team of three vivosaurs in turn-based battles, using their vivosaurs’ unique skills and special attacks. Players can also rotate their vivosaur formations during battle to give them an edge over opponents.

The game contains a number of wireless features as well. Players can compete in matchmaking battles or upload their best team to see how it fares against others. Players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to download additional vivosaurs and events that offer unique challenges and surprises, including a number of vivosaurs that cannot be found elsewhere in the game. Using DS Download Play, one player who has the game can connect wirelessly with up to three other Nintendo DS owners within range and cooperate to expertly clean fossils together.

For more information about Fossil Fighters: Champions, visit fossilfighterschampions.nintendo.com.

ThinkGeek Sends Santa a Special Message

from ThinkGeek:

Did you see it?

“We are star stuff contemplating star stuff.” So said today’s birthday boy, Carl Sagan, who was born today in 1934.

We were definitely contemplating star stuff when 1,300-foot wide Asteroid 2005 YU55 passed overhead last night and this morning just 0.85 lunar distances from Earth. And we thanked our lucky stars that it won’t collide with the Earth for at least another 100 years, which oddly enough, will be about the next time we have a binary day. Coincidence?

Gingerdead Men Cookie Cutters
Send a message to Santa: You’re next.

Take $10 Off – 01110011011000010111011001100101
Did you know 11/11/11 will be the last binary day of the century? We’ll have to wait until January 1, 2100 for the next one and we’ll probably all be time travelers, zombies, or slain by Skynet by that point. So let’s live for the moment! Use the code BINARYDAY to save $5 off $25+ orders or $10 off $50+ orders, good through 11:59pm ET on 11/11/11.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

ThinkGeek Boldly Goes to Nomnom Quadrant

from ThinkGeek:

Party plans are in full swing!

Costumes are chosen, candy is stashed out of sight so we don’t eat it before trick-or-treaters arrive, and we’re just about done decorating the outside of our houses with zombies and more zombies. Now it’s time to plan our party food! We’re thinking Cthulhu cocktail wieners, NOMskull cupcakes, brainless Ninjabread Men (post zombie attack, of course), homemade pink chocolate brains, and Jimmy in a Wonder Woman apron. Don’t ask.

We’re prepared to ingest a ton of sugar, in short, but that’s not so unusual. Happy Halloweening!

Star Trek Light-Up Feeding System
Boldly go where no pureed peas have gone before! Airplanes are out, starships are in. Introducing the Star Trek Light-Up Feeding System, with starship spoon and motion sensitive light-up bib. The spoon is a replica of The Original Series USS Enterprise NCC-1701, captained by James T. Kirk himself. Flashing LEDs on the nacelles keep baby aligned for mess-free docking at
the face station. Dinnertime won’t be this fun again until we get replicators!

Take $10.23 Off – Happy Mole Day!
Mole Day celebrating Avogadro’s Number (6.02 x 10^23) is coming up this Sunday 10/23 at 6:02pm — or 6:02am, if you’re willing to wake up early for science. So we thought we’d hook you up with a discount, but $6.02 off orders seemed like too little while $6.02 x 10^23 would be a little too much. So use code MOLARMOLE for $5 off orders of $25 or more or $10.23 off orders of $50 or more, good through 11:59pm ET 10/21/11.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

ThinkGeek <3s Your Tasty Brains

from ThinkGeek:

Picked a costume yet?

It’s about that time when our friendly local procrastinators start wondering if they should attempt a costume this year or carry a towel and shamble around in a bathrobe. (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was published today in 1979, you know.) Whether your plans are big or small for this Halloween, we’ve collected some pretty awesome swag for you. Skulls, zombies, and Jack Skellington, oh my!

So don’t panic; put on your robe and wizard hat and join us.

Plush Zombie Hat
Ever have a feeling that your brain is empty when you’re sitting at your desk, staring at your monitor? Maybe it’s because there’s a zombie chewing on your head. The Plush Zombie Hat is a soft and warm beanie that will warm your noggin while looking quite stylish. If you consider having one of the walking dead munching on your head to be stylish, that is. ThinkGeek is not responsible if wearing the Plush Zombie Hat leads to loss of neural pathways.

Take $10 Off – We found a ghost!
The robot order-filler monkeys have been hearing mysterious noises in the dark corners of the warehouse. Upon further investigation, they found a monkey ghost busy flinging poo into outgoing shipments. (Sorry, guys!) He even managed to get into our computers and set up his own discount code. Use code GHOSTPOO for $5 off orders of $25 or more or $10 off orders of $50 or more, good until the ghost poo disappears at 11:59pm ET on 10/14/2011.

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Eviltron – Free. Evil. Freevil.
Want to spice up your Halloween party? What if there was the ghost of an evil little girl giggling in your bathroom? A mysterious scratching sound coming from behind the beer fridge? The ThinkGeek Eviltron has 5 evil sound effects to freak out your guests. Turn it on, hide it, and watch the freakouts commence. Add 1 Eviltron to your cart and watch the second magically appear — for free! Get spooky soon, though; this offer is for a limited time only.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

ThinkGeek’s BuckyCubes are Awesome^3

from ThinkGeek:

Good afternoon!

Sorry to have kept you waiting, but we’re afraid our silly walk has become rather sillier recently, and so it takes us rather longer to get to work. Perhaps it has something to do with today being the 42nd anniversary of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Hopefully it won’t make us drop the cake we’re bringing in for Ada Lovelace Day on Friday.

Oops! Gotta go! We’re late to Self Defense Against Fruit class so we’ll just leave you here with these goodies.

BuckyCubes Magnetic Building Cubes
Magnetic fun to the power of three! BuckyBalls are fun. Everyone knows that. But what happens when you take BuckyBalls and send them through a multidimensional spacetime warp? That’s right: they become cubed! Literally. BuckyCubes are 125 (that’s 5 cubed) super-strong, rare earth magnets. What makes them so great (apart from their magnetic attraction) are their flat sides. Because these BuckyCubes fit perfectly next to each other, they can slide and glide around. You can build shapes, structures, skylines, and anything else you can imagine. BuckyCubes are so much fun you’ll never stop playing with them. And if you can figure out how to pass BuckyCubes through a rip in spacetime, maybe you’ll get BuckyHyperCubes?

Buy 2 Get 1 Free Buckyballs Sidekicks – The ultimate bored-at-work toy
Buckyballs seem silly until you get your hands on them. Then you’ll wonder how you lived without these fascinating little magnets. Have to see to believe? Add two chrome Buckyball Sidekicks to your cart and a third one will be added for FREE — but hurry, this offer is only for a limited time. Still not convinced? Check the Action Shots to see how other geeks are using Buckyballs!

Take $10 off – Need some beautiful plumage?
In honor of the anniversary of the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, we are pining for the fjords. No really, we’re not sleeping, or stunned, or bereft of life. But if you’re feeling that way, you can use the code EXPARROT to save $5 on orders of $25 or more and $10 on orders of $50 or more, good through 11:59pm ET 10/7/11.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

J!NX: New Contest – Win a Kindle Fire

from J!NX:

Some of you have reported receiving the BlizzCon contest newsletter after it ended. We want to make it up to everyone with a different contest we conjured up. We’re giving you a chance to walk away with something pretty kickass: two lucky winners will receive a brand-spanking new Kindle Fire. Not just that, we’re hooking you up with a $100 Amazon Gift Card so you can load it up with your favorite movies, music, and apps on Day 1.

So, we’re bringing you a shiny new J!NX Quest: Win a Kindle Fire. This is maybe the easiest Quest we’ve ever done, as all you have to do is tell us what your favorite book is and why.

There is, of course, some legal involved, so be sure to check out the contest page for all details.

VIZ Media Welcomes Fall with New Digital Releases for VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media opens the Fall season with a bevy of new manga (graphic novels) titles that will be available on VIZManga.com and for digital download on the VIZ Manga App for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

October first half of the month updates are highlighted by new additions to 16 top VIZ Media manga series. The update includes the continuation of a manga “speed up” for Bleach and One Piece that will bring both series up to date with their North American print counterparts by December. Two other notable releases — Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Vol. 5 and Hyde & Closer Vol. 6 — are also scheduled to launch digitally a day ahead of their print counterparts.

Additional new VIZ Media manga volumes launching include:

October 3rd:

Bleach Vol. 26
Dengeki Daisy Vol. 5
Kekkaishi Vol. 14
Neon Genesis Evangelion Ch. 9
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Vol. 5 — Debuts A Day Ahead Of Print!
Oishinbo Vol. 3
One Piece Vol. 46
Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 11
Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 23

October 10th:

Bakuman Vol. 7
Bleach Vol. 27
Blue Exorcist Vol. 4
Fushigi Yûgi Genbu Kaiden Vol. 7
Grand Guignol Orchestra Vol. 4
Hyde & Closer Vol. 6 — Debuts A Day Ahead Of Print!
Neon Genesis Evangelion Ch. 10
One Piece Vol. 47
Rosario + Vampire II Vol. 6
Saturn Apartments Vol. 3

VIZ Media’s digital manga platforms allow for universal access to read manga from an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and now, VIZManga.com for desktop/laptop computers and Android-powered devices with built-in web browsers. With one account, registered users may access their purchases across even more devices than ever.

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top app for reading manga on iOS devices and features a rapidly growing library of the most popular manga series in the world, currently offering over 40 series and 400+ volumes, with new additions and free Chapter 1 previews added weekly.

For more information, please visit VIZManga.com.

J!NX: $10 off when you spend $50

from J!NX:

New winner from the J!NX Design Arcade
This is a set of keys you DO NOT want to mess with. The Computer Mafia has been terrorizing unresponsive programs since the late nineteenth century. This band of misfits known only as Tommy Control, Guy Alt and Danny Delete will lock down your computer faster than a bank heist in Brooklyn. So long as you keep your nose out of the family business, you can call on Ctrl+Alt+Del next time your computer finds trouble. MEKAZOO brings us this fancy new design, and walks away with tons of loot from the Design Arcade.

Save $10 when you spend $50 or more
Use Promotion Code: TOP10
This offer expires Monday, October 03, 2011 at 11:59PM PDT, so don’t wait!
*can’t be combined with any other offers, sale prices, or discounts

ThinkGeek Launches 32 Items (But Not to the Moon)

from ThinkGeek:

To the moon, Timmy! To the moon!

For a bunch of overgrown monkeys, we’ve come a long way. On this day in 1959, the Soviet Union smacked the side of the moon with the Luna 2 probe, the first man-made object to touch the moon’s surface. 52 years later, we have the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (or GRAIL) heading up to study its interior and gravitational field.

So what’s next? Don’t know about you, but we’re prepping our spacesuits for a Moon Cruise.

Light Up LED Iron Man Shirt
Officially licensed by Marvel. This may look like a standard t-shirt, but it’s actually the Iron Man Mark IX suit. This latest version is much lighter than all previous versions, featuring a flexible interior with knitted cotton exterior. The Iron Man Arc Reactor Shirt has three components: the t-shirt, a light panel with a long cable, and a battery box. When fresh batteries are in the battery box and the unit is switched on, the arc reactor shines brightly. So this particular arc reactor isn’t going to keep shrapnel from working its way into your heart or power your repulsor beams. What do you expect for under $30? A shirt that glows? That, we can provide.

Take $10 off with ZEROCOOL — Hop in the wayback machine!
It’s been nearly 16 years since the movie Hackers was released. That makes some of us feel pretty old. Reminisce about that time in the mid-90s when Macs ran on P6 Intel chips — oh wait, that never actually happened — and use code ZEROCOOL to save $10 off $40+ orders until 11:59pm ET on 9/16/11.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!