PC gamers rely on headphones to eliminate distracting noise around them, so they can concentrate on their game play and hear every nuance of the game audio. Stereo headphones with an integrated PC microphone are incompatible with the Xbox 360, so gamers are forced to choose between using standard headphones and talking online. Conventional Xbox communicator headsets cover one ear for chat, leaving only a single ear for hearing game audio from the speakers. The Ear Force X3 overcome this problem by pumping game audio AND online chat through high-fidelity headphones to deliver the privacy, clarity, and competitive edge of PC headphones on the Xbox 360 platform. They're also designed to enhance the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming experience by enabling the user to independently control volume of amplified chat and game audio - a first for wireless headphones. Designed for premium sound, the X3s feature 40mm drivers in each ear cup and are powered by low distortion DC-coupled amplifiers for deep, rich bass sound. Engineered for long-gaming sessions, the headphones incorporate a soft, cushioned, adjustable headband, deep ear pads and tilting ear cups to fit the contours of the gamer's head. No matter if your priority is physical comfort, headset options or audio clarity, the Ear Force X3 wireless Xbox headphones will hold up to the test. Headset usable with other gaming systems (mic for Xbox 360 only)Customer Review: BE VERY CAUSIOS
When I frist got these head phones they where great. I got them for Christmas 2008 and they worked well...until February 2009. The mike according to my friends on live "sounded like I was mumbling every word" and when I switch back to my 15 dollar mike they could hear me better. Maybe it is just mine, maybe I broke it but this is a Major Issue for a set of 100 dollar headphones. I recommend them but if you buy them, keep your old mike.
Customer Review: Best. Headset. EVER!
Well... Let me start off with saying that I have been gaming my whole life, I have owned everything from PS2's to Xbox originals, to the latest Xbox 360. When the Xbox 360 launched it was created to be the leader in console gaming both for hardcore and casual gamers. I am a Hardcore gamer, I game A LOT! I know my way around when it comes to consoles, and I know my hardware and Accessories... So, I purchased this headset a couple months back, and from the date I purchased this I have not put it down! The Sound quality is amazing! and I really have not noticed a SINGLE problem with it! I will list some pros that I haven't seen posted on here thus far: Pros: - The Headsets Sound quality is amazing, I play a lot of shooter games (CoD4, Halo , BF-BC etc) and I have never been able to hear what I hear when I am wearing this Unit! The Things you hear are - rain, Footsteps, long distance firing, and much more - with the recent Music games that have started to dominate the video game market (rockband / Guitar Hero) I play in my living room and my family gets very annoyed to hear the "annoying" songs that I play in those games broadcast through the house and these headphones have completely eliminated that FOREVER!!!! - WIRELESS - I have used several Wireless headsets that cause "Fuzz" and "Distortion" but I have NO problem with these at all! :) - You can change anything, if the volume of the game is to loud you can turn it down, or if you need more chat volume you can turn that up, it is a very easy method right on the headphones themselves! - Overall I find NO real problem with these headsets... I love them to death, I tried to go back to a garbage MS mic after I got the Turtle Beach X3 just to see how different it was... and I could not stand it! These Headsets are by far the best I have ever used! and I have used a lot!!! Cons: - The only con that I find in this item is that they don't come with rechargeable batteries... (they come with batteries but not rechargeable ones) so I went to best but, and bought a 4pack of rechargeable batteries ($5.00) and everything from there on out has been perfect!!! Overall I would rate this Item with a 10/10! I have used it for awhile now, and have had no problems, and the quality is incredible! I always go by the saying "you get what you pay for" well that is the case here, I had 3 Microsoft Mics break on me last year alone, that's $60.00 a year, at that rate... so I invested in this and have had no problems for about 7-8months!!! I would suggest this item to anyone looking to get a good quality, superbly designed headset, and get the best bang for your buck!
Criticality of Training in Today's Organizations
Like every successful organization, your strategy needs to include recruiting and retaining the best quality employee possible. In an expanding economy with a tightening job market, higher performing companies recognize the challenge of retaining staff. With multiple generations present in today's workplaces, providing customized and targeted training is key.
A convergence of multiple environmental, socioeconomic, and technological influences present you with the challenge of retaining staff. You need to ramp up your training and development efforts. Training plays a critical role in your employee's ability to actively contribute to operational, strategic and financial goals for the company.
Through training, an employee learns the company's vision and strategies. He also learns how he can add skills, knowledge and abilities to his resume in order to assume different and growing roles within your organization. The employee understands that he's an integral part of the whole. He sees just how critical his participation is in achieving business objectives and goals.
An employee needs consistent and repetitive messages over time about your company's core values and expectations for individual and team-based performance. Then, synergies of compounded performance develop to enhance your organization's overall productivity and achievement. The employee buys into the vision. He begins to actively participate in his own self-development. His loyalty to the company increases. In this model of a high performing organization, your challenge becomes building a training organization within the human resource function that will stimulate, inform and help to retain your employees.
How Training Is Changing
The evolution of technology and daily use of computers in the workplace has already impacted how employees receive training. Many e-learning providers are responding to workplace needs or legal mandates to provide specific training to employees. In 2006, in the state of California, AB 1825 went into effect, mandating that sexual harassment prevention training must be conducted for supervisors at least once every two years. Many law firms and e-training providers have jumped on the bandwagon to develop "interactive" e-learning programs that can satisfy a portion of the mandated new training requirement. Employees can use self-paced, technology-based training to learn course content, ask "on-line editors" questions, and take a test at the end of the section to show what they learned. Programs like this can also track participants and generate hard copy reports to demonstrate a company's compliance with the mandated training.
The Department of Homeland Security is uses new simulation and modeling software to conduct homeland security training in a cost-effective manner. Trainees use reality based simulations to learn critical information. New recruits learn their success and failures before they experience them firsthand in live combat. Wired magazine's article, "The War Room" describes how f/x artists, research scientists, Pentagon experts, and videogame developers came together to create the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), a research and development group at the University of Southern California. ICT's virtual training uses an old forum to teach soldiers how to best navigate difficult combat situations involving tiers of decisions for reacting: storytelling.
The New Training Paradigm
Professors from Indiana and Warwick universities (Kim et al.) titled, "Surveying the Future of the Workplace: E-Learning: The Rise of Blending, Interactivity, and Authentic Learning." Companies answered 49 questions related to e-learning. Their responses were overwhelmingly optimistic, indicating they support and embrace e-learning or blended learning. Blended learning is a marriage of traditional, face-to-face lectures and and online training. Today's conventional wisdom on workplace training says that blended learning presents alternative venues for companies to train employees. It reinforces key messages and reaches people with different learning styles through a variety of learning opportunities.
Companies were asked what technology-based applications and instructional methods would be used in the future. They indicated " ...authentic cases and scenario learning, simulations or gaming, virtual team collaboration and problem solving, and problem-based learning would be more widely used in the coming decade." (Kim et al.) Distributed learning environments can be represented by virtual communities, blogging, instant messaging, and computer-supported group collaboration and problem solving (Bonk & Graham). Predictions of "environments that simultaneously facilitate both distributed environments and face-to-face interactions are on the horizon requiring that e-training facilitators assume broader and varied roles."
E-learning facilitators "wear four pairs of shoes," according to e-learning experts Ed Hootstein and Zane Berge. They assume the roles of instructor, social director, program manager and technical assistant. E-learning facilitators can create examples for situational and authentic learning in addition to traditional instruction through a variety of e-technology applications. These include e-mail, groupware, audio and video conferencing. "The vast array of electronic tolls available for analysis, design, planning, problem solving, and giving presentations enable learners to perform sophisticated and complex tasks and solve problems in creative ways." (Hootstein)
The ultimate goal in developing technology based training according to Berge is "to make the technology transparent." Because of advancements over time in the availability and economy of technology in today's workplace, the e-learning facilitator can focus on the content and delivery of the materials to teach key learnings.
Authentic, or experiential learning has also come into vogue. We draw upon our knowledge and life experiences to learn and understand, and personal behavior can be changed as a result. This learning is based upon "consciousness, experience, and reflection." (Grimmett) It's about making a connection, bringing home the example at hand to resonate with the participant in a meaningful way to change a person's perception and belief system.
Next Steps and Summary
Major corporations such as Sun Microsystems, Cisco, Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft already use blended, authentic learning in their training systems (Bonk & Graham). This emergence of blended learning provides the next generation of training application and delivery systems. It teaches employees key lessons in a variety of ways. It provides a greater opportunity for learning through technology, face-to face situations and authentic learning experiences.
E-learning will need to be evaluated to determine " ...online learners' achievement and satisfaction, followed by clearer reward systems and incentives for e-learning completion, and training that helps learners self-regulate their learning." (Kim et al.). These thoughts reflect the next steps for companies to develop to encourage employee's participation in blended learning programs. Even so, blended learning using authentic situations now represents an opportunity for companies to build their own training and development function and take advantage of the myriad of resources that are available through this new and evolving training paradigm.
2007- Regan HR, Inc.
Becky Regan, M.A., CCP began her own consulting practice in 1995, Regan HR, Inc. to provide human resources consulting services to businesses in California. She has been successful in growing her business through reputation and client referrals. Her work as a consultant includes the full spectrum of HR technical expertise, including C-level recruitment, compensation studies (design, market and executive pay studies, sales compensation plans), training & teaching, interim assignments as a HR Director for organizations, and employee relations, including workplace investigations and written responses to formal complaints.
For more HR tips and to receive my FREE "The Top 5 Secrets to Building a Better Organization that Every HR Pro Must Know" report go to http://www.ReganHR.com
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