My goodness, a mid-day news update. Someone’s late (me). Let’s get to it!
My Make-Up for Nintendo DS
Link: http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/my-make-up-for-nintendo-ds/
Review Blurb: “I’m not the target market for My Make-Up. I’m not a nine year-old girl bored to death with no other means of entertainment and no method of social interaction. That doesn’t prevent me from knowing what does and doesn’t make for a good video game. If you read my recent review of this game’s counterpart, My Dress-Up, you’ll already know the verdict. It’s the exact same bit of slag, but on a face instead of on the body.”
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My Secret Diary – Nintendo DS
Link: http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/my-secret-diary-nintendo-ds/
Review Blurb: “My Secret Diary is the seventh O-Games title I’ve had the ability to review. While I haven’t been impressed whatsoever by the other two titles in the My Games series (My Dress-Up and My Make-Up), My Secret Diary offers a little bit more substance and is the first game in the series that may actually have a justifiable existence. While the other My games offer little to do and no reason to do it, My Secret Diary has some hint of a purpose and reason for a young girl to give it a few moments of their time. I’m not saying it’s the next Final Fantasy, but at least it’s something.”
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Zowie Hammer Gaming Headset
Link: http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/zowie-hammer-gaming-headset/
Review Blurb: “Up on the review block today I’ve got a gaming headset from Zowie Gear called the Hammer. The Hammer is made for gaming specifically, and for gaming it works well, but if you’re looking for a headset that you can use for music and movies as well you might want to look elsewhere. The headset is nicely made with a large boom style microphone, long cables and even two types of ear pads are included.”
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Windows 7 Part 2: Throwing the Switch
Link: http://www.eteknix.com/news/windows-7-part-2-throwing-the-switch/
Article Blurb: “Welcome to Part 2 of my Windows 7 series. In this article you will learn if you can upgrade to Windows 7, and how to custom install Windows 7. You will also learn of some general benchmarks of Windows 7 through time it takes to install, shutdown, and reboot versus Windows Vista SP2 and Windows XP SP3. Through this article you will learn how to put the evil Vista dragon of Microsoft to bed with Windows 7.”
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VidaBox Wireless HTPC Media Keyboard with Laser Trackball
Link: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1115/1/
Review Blurb: “Today we are looking at the VidaBox Premium Wireless Keyboard with Integrated Laser Trackball. This keyboard was designed to work with your Home Theater PC (HTPC) for media use, but it also works great for every day web surfing. The keyboard was made by VidaBox, a company that was started back in 2005, and makes everything from home surveillance equipment to custom-made windows-based media centers that include this particular keyboard. This keyboard in particular is the fourth generation of this model and features a compact, but functional keyboard and trackball combo. This keyboard utilized an RF connection, meaning you do not need to maintain line-of-sight with your PC all the time. This is ideal for media PCs and they are usually not in direct line-of-sight with where you are sitting with the keyboard. Let’s get to it and start unboxing the VidaBox Premium Wireless Keyboard.”
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Acer Aspire 7738
Link: http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Notebooks/Acer-Aspire-7738.html
Review Blurb: “Netbooks are small and cute, but what happens when you really need something bigger and more powerful? No problemo! We present you Acer Aspire 7738G – laptop with great multimedia features that can easily replace your home desktop configuration. If laptop from the pictures bring some déjà vu feelings, it absolutely normal reaction, since we already reviewed very similar model 8730G six months ago. Are there some more differences or is this simply smaller version of old model you will find out shortly.”
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Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 CrossfireX
Link: http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?/gpu_displays/sapphire_radeon_hd_5850_crossfirex/1
Review Blurb: “Over one month on since the launch of ATi’s latest generation of DirectX 11 solutions, the reign of the mighty Radeon HD 5870 remains prominent. As the fastest single gpu graphics card on the market, it hasn’t got a lot of competition at it’s retail price of around £300-320.”
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Gigabyte GA-P55 UD3R Review
Link: http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/gigabyte_ga_p55_ud3r/
Review Blurb: “Intel’s Socket 1156 processors, the Core i5 and Core i7 8 series, were released just short of two months ago, as a way to offer the Nehalem architecture at a lower price point than the socket 1366 offerings, that offer substantial performance advantages over AMD’s offering.”
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Samsung UN55B7100 55" 120Hz LED HDTV Review
Review Blurb: “Up for review today we have one of the latest and greatest HDTVs from Samsung which also sports an LED-based LCD panel: the UN55B7100. LED backlights are a relatively new feature on consumer-grade televisions but have begun showing up in greater numbers over the past few months.”
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QNAP TS-419P Four-Bay Turbo NAS Server
Link: http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2989/qnap_ts_419p_four_bay_turbo_nas_server/index.html
Review Blurb: “Until now consumer NAS servers have been stuck in the past. Last year we reviewed the Thecus N4100 Pro NAS server and found that its 500 MHz AMD processor was really holding the transfer speeds back. After looking around it was clear that most consumers NAS servers were all in the same boat, great specifications for the entire NAS except for the processor. QNAP has taken note and has just released the new TS-419P Turbo NAS with a 1.2 GHz processor that is bound to perform better than the slower offerings from others.”
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Blackberry Curve 8520 Smartphone
Link: http://tech.tbreak.com/2009/11/blackberry-curve-8520-smartphone/
Review Blurb: “The Blackberry Curve 8520 launched by RIM recently is probably the best Blackberry for someone looking to get into the Smartphone/Blackberry market. Its small in size, low in price and yet manages to provide an excellent Blackberry experience.”
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Ultra X4 1050 watt PSU
Link: http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1692
Review Blurb: “Ultra has quickly made a name for themselves in the PSU market with the introduction of their X3 series. It has been quite awhile since the introduction of the X3 series, so now Ultra is ready to launch their new X4 series of PSU’s. One of the big issues with the X3 series was its efficiency. Under a full load the PSU would fall to 78% efficiency. While this isn’t really bad, its not enough to be certified for 80+. This time around Ultra has went all the way, and obtained the 80+ certification”
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ASUS G51VX-A1 15.6-inch Gaming Notebook
Link: http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/2990/asus_g51vx_a1_15_6_inch_gaming_notebook/index.html
Review Blurb: “Back again with a new notebook and this time we are checking out the ASUS G51VX gaming notebook. It is a very nice change of pace to see a full on gaming notebook sitting on my desk rather than another netbook. ASUS is certainly more known for its netbooks than anything else, but the company knows how to build a nice gaming notebook, too.”
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AMD Athlon II X2 240e Processor
Link: http://www.techwarelabs.com/amd-athlon-ii-240e/
Review Blurb: “Home Theater PCs have been all the rage in recent years. As people turn more and more to internet-based services like Hulu and NetFlix to get their entertainment, the demand for devices that can handle all that media and stream it to your TV has shot up dramatically. While many pre-built set-top boxes exist to fill this niche, they often leave much to be desired. Limited format support, limited storage space, limited choice of media services; too many of these boxes leave you wanting more. Also, none of these boxes allow for gaming, beyond trivial games like Peggle or Bejeweled.”
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Western Digital WD TV Live HD Media Player
Link: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1118/1/
Review Blurb: “Today we look at what could easily become one of the must have devices for home entertainment. People are now creating and compiling more and more home multimedia than ever before. These files are typically stored on your personal computer’s hard drive or some external storage device waiting for you to call it up to view it or play. Too many times however, we have this data in more than one place making it inconvenient to share with others. Lately, we have seen an influx of new devices designed for you to share your multimedia throughout your home.”
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Cooler Master Sentinel Advance Gaming Mouse
Link: http://www.modders-inc.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=301
Review Blurb: “This technological marvel utilizes the latest innovations in cutting-edge technology: 5600 DPI twin laser, rapid fire mode, internal Sentinel-X™ memory and our patented security, Storm Guard™. The Sentinel Advance is designed for one purpose and one purpose only – to search and destroy. Overpower your enemies with speed and precision beyond their imagination. Conquest is at your fingertips – Sentinel Advance.”
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MSI 785GM-E65 Motherboard
Link: http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/mainboard/msi-785gm-e65-785g-p1.html
Review Blurb: “Chipsets with integrated graphics from AMD are definitely an inspiration for motherboard manufacturers, who try new exotic combinations of formats and bundles. With the rollout of 780G we noticed expansion of microATX motherboards, relatively inexpensive, their functionality looking practically complete. Their sets of peripheral interfaces on the rear panel are much better than on many full-size models. They allow to plug two monitors and offer basic 3D acceleration, sufficient for most quiet and casual games. This combination of features apparently satisfies a lot of home users, so these motherboards are quite successful. Gigabyte MA78GM-UD2H is a typical example.”
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HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web Review
Link: http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review/6746/hp-photosmart-premium-touchsmart-web-review
Review Blurb: “HP already builds awesome all-in-one PCs featuring integrated touchscreens and custom programs designed to take advantage of that user interface. Now, the company is bringing that same expertise to its printer business with the Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web.”
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How To Score Free Stuff On The Internet
Link: http://www.digitaltrends.com/trash/how-to-score-free-stuff-on-the-internet/
Article Blurb: “Whoever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch just didn’t have the Internet. Besides the plethora of free articles, videos, tutorials, manuals, software and other unmentionables the Web can serve up through your monitor, you can actually find an amazing selection of absolutely free real stuff. From magazines and toothpaste to cars and hot tubs, you can find it for free via the Internet… if you know where to look, and what to avoid. With that in mind, we’ve broken down the different major types of free offerings on the Web to give you taste for what’s out there and how to get it.”
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MP4Nation Beta Brainwavz In-ears
Link: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MP4Nation/Beta_Brainwavz
Review Blurb: “MP4Nation’s Betas ship in a neat looking black cardboard box. The box is absolutely stuffed with both essential accessories and goodies that you might find use for along the way. Besides the earphones”