The InvisibleShield HD is the perfect combination of clarity and protection. In addition to its Military Grade™ and Nano-Memory Technology™ benefits, it features a powerful shock absorption layer, so your device is in good hands even if it falls out of your hands. And with superior HD clarity that preserves the vibrant colors of your display, you'll get the most from your devices throughout their lives.
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I'm usually a Ghost Armor fan, but I needed my phone protected quick and this was one of the few products available at the time - I had received my phone early through preorders and accessories were scarce. ZAGG seems to promise the same as Ghost Armor: around 30 bucks, replacements available for the life of the phone I gave it a shot.
The fit is not as bad as some of the other screen protectors out there. It seems that a lot of companies were guessing as to the specs of the Galaxy S7 because some of these were available before the phone was even unveiled. I found that it lined up well with the Edge sides and the bottom. Fit was a little, and I mean LITTLE, off around the top. Only a dealbreaker if you're nitpicky about a mm or two.
Application was a nightmare, and I've done a few of these for various gaming devices, phones, and smartwatches. The applicator and squeegee don't match what's on ZAGGs online video tutorials. In fact, they look a little more well-designed than what was in this product. No S7 specific video - they still go with the S6 Edge since it's only slightly smaller than the S7 Edge. It was not the easy-lift screen in the video. This one needs a lot more work to get the bubbles off, and the squeegee doesn't have a thicker end for working out the bubbles like in the videos. The only advice is to give more pressure until they work out. I was only willing to use so much pressure before I decided I would be putting my brand new screen at risk. The result was horrendous considering how clearly everything looked on a new phone. The numerous bubbles stood out on white backgrounds (Facebook users take note) and when the screen is off. Definitely not how a new flagship should look. The bubbles worked out a tiny bit over the next two days, but are still noticeable.
Protection-wise, it seems to be holding up. I still baby the phone, but the few objects that have come into contact with the screen have left little traces they were ever there. There is a small scratch that won't go away. It couldn't have been anything major, so I'm losing confidence in their self-healing technology claim. Colors display very well through it, and it has not interfered in any of my apps or use of the Edge notifications. There was a little lifting on the bottom edge, but that's because I put my Otterbox on 8 hours later before heading to work. After readjusting the case to sit ON the edge of the protector, rather than pushing up on it, there have been no more issues with it lifting off.
Overall, I'm disappointed in the product considering ZAGG has such a good reputation. I would highly recommend going either with Ghost Armor if it's available near you, or paying the 7.99 I hear Geek Squad charges to put this on. It looks like it is protecting well, and you can definitely feel a little more thickness over the paper-thin screen protectors that are out there. For a phone like the Galaxy S7, the 8 bucks are worth saving the frustration over and getting an immaculate display. If anything goes wrong, it would be easier to return it and swap for a different brand as they will claim user error caused the bad installation and give you a hard time getting a replacement if the screen does not install well.
SynopsisWhether you want to learn with your favorite axe from the closet, a guitar sitting in your attic or one that's displayed in the store window down the street, Rocksmith is the first and only music game where you can plug in an actual, real guitar. There's nothing plastic or fake about this gameplay experience. Plug your guitar into your PlayStation 3 console to start developing authentic skills and learning real styles while playing tunes from an amazing library of songs. From skilled musicians to those who have never picked up a guitar, Rocksmith delivers an engaging and innovative experience that gets you ready for the stage.As long as your guitar has a jack, you can play it with Rocksmith on your PlayStation 3 console. Featuring a unique 1/4"-to-USB cable, Rocksmith lets you plug any real guitar with a 1/4" jack directly into your PlayStation 3. Designed exclusively for Rocksmith, this innovative 11.25' cable converts your guitar's signal from analog to digital so it can be recognized and played on your console. Boasting dozens of difficulty levels, Rocksmith automatically adjusts to your personal ability, allowing you to progress from plucking single notes to strumming complex chords without becoming overwhelmed. Play some of your favorite songs from different genres and learn to play them from memory when you're challenged to step away from the on-screen notes. You'll be ready for the limelight in no time.
Customer Rating
4
Not for everybody, but fun if you play guitar
on November 3, 2011
Posted by: MC300
from El Paso, TX
To further explain the Review Summary, it must be explained that this game will appeal to a limited base. Rock Band players who wished they could try Pro Mode but were scared off by the obscene pricing of the Pro gear will find this worthwhile, as will the more persistent Guitar Hero players. In fact, the only negative peripheral will be the guitar they choose - you hook up the guitar YOU provide in order to play. Since the game features the actual chords from the songs, guitarists who scoffed at the fake guitar controls of the past will finally have an excuse to play. I'll try to review the game based on the rating parameters Best Buy uses.
STORYLINE
What story is there? It's the same story used by music games the world over. You start off playing in the boonies as a nobody, and eventually your fame builds to bigger and better venues. I rated it as "Average" because it doesn't seem fair to neg a game for something its genre was never meant to have.
CHALLENGING GAMEPLAY
The game adapts to how well you play. It starts off simplistic, but it carefully watches how well you perform. Each section of the song, called a "phrase" is individually scored. If you do well on that playthrough, the game will add more notes/chords to that section next time you play it. If you're doing really well, notes/chords can sometimes be introduced as the song is playing. It's not like RB/GH where any fret was used just for the sake of playing along. The notes you begin with are the notes you will end up using (either in faster streams or as part of chords) when you eventually master a song. Even as a well-versed guitar player, I found some of the songs challenging. The beauty of Rocksmith is that it adds just enough to get you out of your comfort zone, but tones itself back if you start having too much difficulty, creating a playing field that is both challenging and yet never overwhelming. As a guitarist, I found this part especially neat because I have run into my share of songs that were simply too difficult and I never went back to them.
GRAPHICS
Your attention will be mostly on the notes, so I did not consider graphics too big a selling point for the game and this review. The note highway and hit zone are easy to see and once you become accustomed to the way the notes approach you, it's easy to see what's coming up next, which is a MUST in this game genre. Some of the audience CGs look like they could have been improved for this console generation, but still enough to recognize you're playing on a PS3. I did not rate this as a 5 because of a known issue with lag between the audio and video. Other music games offered Lag Calibration options, Rocksmith does not. It is not so much Ubisoft's fault - this issue is known to happen with HD TVs and gaming. Depending on your TV, you may not notice a lag at all - I didn't on my Samsung. If you have external speakers or headphones, the lag issue goes away. Again, it's not Ubisoft's development, but at least they could have offered an in-game option to compensate for it.
AUDIO
The most critical part of any music game. The audio quality is awesome, even if played through a TVs default speakers. A little more emphasis was given (rightfully) to the guitar tracks which is a great help in learning the song. The song list is not as diverse as other music games, but supposedly Ubisoft is planning to remedy that with Downloadable Content. It's not bad either, but just a few more songs from other genres would have been appreciated. As of this review, Nov. 2nd, there isn't any DLC.
OTHER STUFF
This game does NOT require an Electric guitar. If you have an Acoustic/Electric or an Acoustic with the audio jack, then you can play. If you happen to have a guitar without an audio jack, they are not expensive to have installed on a guitar you may already own.
I have not had the opportunity to try Multiplayer, so I cannot comment on the Multiplayer mode or how it functions other than it is supported in this game provided that the second player has a guitar and the audio cable.
There are several complaints against the price of the game for including the Audio Cable to hook your own guitar up to the console. Considering how much money people threw into the peripherals for RB/GH, a cable is not asking for much. Any guitarist will tell you that the type of cable needed, as well as the length provided, is more than covered by the extra $10-$15. That being said, the game can be expensive for someone without a guitar. True, some copies of the game come with Guitar Center coupons, but I highly recommend that you purchase a decent quality guitar. Any distortion of sound, warped necks, and other common problems with cheap or preowned guitars can cause problems for you in-game. If your guitar cannot make the correct sound by playing the E string, for example, the game (based on the sound you just played) will register that as another note. Therefore, it is extremely important that your guitar is able to produce clean sounds. If you have dull strings or a warped neck, then expect to compensate for those problems as you play.
The minigames are addicting while teaching important skills at the same time. For example, there is a Duck Hunt-like game in which you have to play a string on the correct fret to shoot the duck. If you don't do it within a certain time limit, the duck gets away. Another, Attack of the Chordead, does the same except with chords rather than just a fret. You must play the chord shown on the screen in order to shoot the approaching zombies.
OVERALL
I think that one of the weakest points of Rocksmith may also be its strongest. While it may only appeal to a dedicated base of gamers, the appeal is strong and the game has enough to keep one occupied longer than most games out on the market today. If you were seriously considering getting the Pro gear for another music game, then perhaps investing in a real guitar and a copy of Rocksmith may be worth your money.