[Update] Creative Store MS to re-open in April

This is due to some renovation work which the contractor were not able to complete on time for the March 13 date. The Creative Store Marina Square will re-open on 1st April (no, it's not a joke) with new promotions. Look out for it!

Creative ALchemy 1.25.10

Creative ALchemy
Creative ALchemy restores 3D audio and EAX® effects for certain DirectSound®3D games in Windows Vista. With Creative ALchemy, you can:
-enable the DirectSound3D game audio to be processed by your Sound Blaster audio device to deliver EAX effects, 3D audio spatialization, sample rate conversion and hardware audio mixing. Without this, most DirectSound3D games will be reduced to stereo output without any EAX effects.
-improve 3D audio processing for host-based Sound Blaster audio devices.

[DOWNLOAD Creative ALchemy 1.25.10]

Creative Console Launcher 2.61.09

This download supports the following devices only:
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty® Champion Series
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Professional Audio
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series
Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Champion Series
Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro
Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1
Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Karaoke
Sound Blaster X-Fi

Added Features or Enhancements:
Added Microphone Reverb effect.
Added controls for Silencer settings (for certain audio devices only).
Improved controls for Wireless Music settings (for certain audio devices only).

Fixes:Resolves the following issues:
-Display for X-Fi CMSS-3D settings is not synchronized.
-Display for mixer settings is not synchronized.
-Custom EQ option does not appear when adjusting EQ values.
-Text is truncated in certain menus.
-Error message does not appear when hot-plugging a 'Plug and Play' device.
-Error in VoiceFX presets selection.
-Unable to restore default volume settings.
-Unable to select the external decoder option automatically while Dolby Digital Live or DTS -Connect is enabled in the encoder settings.
-Noise can be heard when enabling 'Use Built-in Decoder' and 'Dolby Digital Live' or 'DTS Connect'.

[DOWNLOAD Creative Console Launcher 2.61.09]

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Driver 2.17.0006

This download supports the following audio devices only:
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty® Champion Series
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Professional Audio
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium

Added Features or Enhancements:
Enables the 'What U Hear' recording device for Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium in Windows Vista.

Fixes:
Resolves the following issues:
-Unable to launch Audio Control Panel after installing drivers on a system using Windows XP Service Pack 3.
-X-Fi Crystalizer resets to the default value after restarting system.
-X-Fi Crystalizer resets to the default value in all modes instead of the current selected mode only after pressing the default button.
-No sound output occasionally while Dolby® Digital Live is enabled.
-BSOD when disabling audio drivers on certain systems.
-Game Mode LED on X-Fi I/O Drive does not light up when Game Mode was the current selected mode after system has awakened from hibernation.

[DOWNLOAD Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Driver 2.17.0006]

Creative cuts 300 jobs

Creative has announced on Friday night that it will be laying off 300 more workers mostly from its US and Europe subsidiaries. In the course, the company will incur restructuring charges of about US$10million for its fiscal 3rd quarter, the three months ending 31 March 2009. The $10million will include severance payments to the workers and facilities costs from consolidation of certain international offices. This would most likely means that jobs or services which have been used to be provided by the US and Europe arm will now be transferred to Singapore. Despite this new round of job cuts, Creative says that its Singapore workforce will not see a significant change and that the company is still hiring R&D engineers.

It seems that Creative is drastically cutting its head count and that can be seen as a good thing as it gives the company more freedom financially for this difficult period of time. This is not to say that the Creative Labs in the US and UK has been doing a bad job. Instead I feel that in terms of embracing the social media and reaching out to the customers, they are way better than their Singapore counterparts. However, the fact remains that they are more expensive to employ and being far away from the HQ doesn't help. So regretfully, its yet another tough business decision to make. I do feel that 2009 would be a good year for Creative to turn around as all the cost cutting measures that it have implemented should show significant results. What it needs now is to lower the price of its older products and release its new range of products soon. Honestly, it has been a long time since the ZEN X-Fi and I can really do with some new product excitement. But no, I do not want a VoiceOver ZEN Stone thank you very much.

Creative pulled out of IT Show 2009 [SG]

As I navigate my way through the crowd the moment the doors of IT Show 2009 open (trust me, early afternoon is the best time for this), I faithfully went in search of the Creative booth. But after almost an hour of futile searching and the lack of any indications of its presence on the floor plan, it suddenly dawn upon me that Creative is not at the show. This has to be the first time Creative has missed a computer exhibition in Singapore (there are 4 in a year) and considering that I have been to every one of them since the ZEN Micro days, that says alot. If you remember my previous post on Creative's booth at COMEX 2008, we knew for a fact that Creative has been cutting its budget for such shows drastically. I hope that they are simply gearing for something big in the coming months and would rather save all the money they can to launch the new product with a bang than to spend it on the computer show which might or might not generate alot of sales. Anyways, if you happen to go to the show tomorrow (it's at suntec city btw), do drop by the Creative Store at Marina Square which is due to re-open tomorrow.

Creative iPod docking stations now available in SG

Once again, Creative has used its proprietary Silencer technology and lunched the iPod Docking Station D-10 and X-30 silently. Though these ain't any new products, it was only available in the US in the past. iPod owners can get the Docking Station D-10 for $79 which allows you to hook up your iPod to a speaker system or the Docking Station X-30 for $119 which allows you to enhance your songs with X-Fi and hook your iPod up to a TV. The only disappointment here again is the lack of support for the iPhone. Get your docking stations now at the Creative Stores at Plaza Singapura and International Business Park Creative HQ!

Creative Gaming Headset Driver 01.01.0003

This download supports the following devices only:
Creative Digital Wireless Gaming Headset HS-1200
Creative Fatal1ty® USB Gaming Headset HS-1000
Creative USB Gaming Headset HS-950

Fixes:
Resolves microphone related issues when using the above USB headsets with certain voice communication applications and games under Windows Vista® and Windows® XP. These include:

-Low microphone volume level when used in voice communications applications
-Audio distortion when microphone monitoring and X-Fi™ CMSS®-3D are enabled.
-Restoring microphone default volume level.
-Relative difference in volume level when USB Headset is plugged into different USB ports.
-Installation issues that include Creative drivers not being installed when the USB Headset is plugged into another USB port, other than the port used during installation.

[DOWNLOAD]

Creative Store to re-open in March

News of the closure of Creative's first lifestyle store in the heart of Singapore's shopping district broke out last week, leading to speculations that Creative might be facing a financial crisis too big for it to handle. When we visited the store two weeks ago, the place was already vacant and Creative confirmed that it has closed down the Marina Square branch. Although Creative did not give an official reason for its closure, people familiar with the case cited rising rent prices as one of the main reason for the closure. "It's simply a business decision. Nobody pays this sort of rent anymore, especially in this kind of climate." Creative's decision to re-open the branch lies mainly with the mall's decision to give in and reduce the rent substantially. The store is expected to re-open in "one or two weeks" time, so in the meantime, you can also give in to temptation and shop at the Creative online store. Promotions going on now include really great refurbish deals (ZEN V Plus 2GB - $39 or ZEN Vision: M 30GB - $169) and new combo deals, check it out here.

Update: Creative store Marina Square will officially re-open on the 13th of March.