Yeah, today’s already my one month anniversary. It’s quite nutty how quickly that month went by. But it was a beautiful month, and I can’t wait for hundreds more.
Today is the launch of Left 4 Dead 2, so I’ll likely be pretty consumed by that as soon as UPS shows up at my door. Hence, your news is here bright and early. Enjoy!
Seagate FreeAgent Go Dock+
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/seagate-freeagent-go-dock/
Recently I reviewed the Seagate FreeAgent Go portable external hard drive. Today I will look at a handy accessory designed specially for this drive that makes transferring data to and from your desktop a breeze. The dock allows the transfer of files across the USB connection but like they say on that infomercial – Wait! There’s more! It also doubles as a USB hub allowing up to three USB 2.0 devices to be connected to one’s PC. It has an AC cable for providing additional power to the hub to charge devices such as iPods, Zunes and PDA’s.
Speck Products Give Away!
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/contest/speck-products-give-away/
Speck Products was kind enough to send me over some over their new products to give away to our readers. Three of them to be exact, two for iPhone and one for the Macbook Pro. For the iPhone we’ve got the CandyShell and the SeeThru cases, and for the Macbook Pro we’ve got a SeeThru Satin case that fits the 13” unibody Mac. In total it’s over a $100 worth of great products for you to protect your iPhone and Macbook.
Speck Products TuckPack Sleeve
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/speck-products-tuckpack-sleeve/
Netbooks and notebooks are great products as we all know, but like anygadget we need to protect them as well. Speck Products has just come out with a new line of sleeves for our smaller sized computers called the TuckPack. The TuckPack Sleeve I have for review today is one that fits up to 13” notebooks or netbooks in size, it’s very well made and features a very well padded compartment for your notebook.
SpongeBob Truth or Square Xbox360
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/spongebob-truth-or-square-xbox360/
I think everyone knows who SpongBob is by now, he’s everywhere, that goofy little undersea animated sponge. What the appeal is to him I’m not sure though, I’ve never quite grasp the whole SpongeBob phenomenon, but he’s spawned a huge following among children and adults alike.
Quick-Gage: AMD’s 125W Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition
http://techgage.com/article/quick-gage_amds_125w_phenom_ii_x4_965_black_edition
When AMD launched its Phenom II X4 965 “Black Edition”, a lot of people questioned the reasons behind it. For the past couple of years, AMD has continually worked at releasing high-clocked parts in order to compete with like-priced Intel processors, but to release a 3.4GHz model mere months after the 3.20GHz 955 Black Edition seemed a bit odd. Of course, pricing was roughly the same, so a free speed boost isn’t much to complain over, right?
AVLabs AVL787 Bedside Companion Speaker System
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3010/avlabs_avl787_bedside_companion_speaker_system/index.html
AVLabs mission statement is to provide “innovative peripherals in world class packaging”, which seems an interesting proposition given the budget nature of this product. Furthermore, they enlist a team of ‘young guns’ to “expand audio/video and PC consumer convergence”, whatever exactly that means; I’m not entirely sure.
Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=405&Itemid=59
Stereo headsets are becoming an essential part of any modern PC and, like keyboard and mice before them, they are finally going wireless. The freedom that a wireless headset provides will appeal to anyone, but with so many 2.4GHz wireless devices in every home, can a wireless headset really match the performance, clarity and comfort of its wired counterparts? Benchmark Reviews examines an impressive entry, the Logitech ClearChat PC Wireless Headset 981-000068, and finds out.
Intel Pentium E6300 2.80 GHz
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Pentium_E6300
After AMD launched its reincarnated Athlon II series of processors, Intel needed to find a quick fix to maintain lower end segment performance leadership, until new generation of LGA 1156 Pentiums and Core i3 processors are ready for the market. While the old Pentium E5x00 models are still good enough to compete with dual core Athlon II X2 models, there was a large price and performance gap between those and higher end Core 2 Duos, a gap that came under heavy attack when AMD launched triple core Athlon II X3 and quad core Athlon II X4 processors.
Antec CP-1000 1000W
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=173
Earlier this year, Antec sought to not only raise our standards, but sought to create new ones in the CPX form factor. Their first product in the new form factor was the CP-850, a unit that proved to be an astounding performer even when compared to Antec’s flagship Signature line. Today, we see that Antec has expanded the CPX form factor line with the brand new CP-1000.
Podcastudio
http://www.techwarelabs.com/podcastudio/
Just recently Techwarelabs we were handed a new product from BEHRINGER to review called the PODCASTUDIO USB. This is a very interesting product for the internet generation. The PC users out there who are looking to put together their own little studio without much coin, read on as by the end of this review, you will probably be ordering one for yourself. The makings of a home studio setup have just been simplifed to your PC and this $99.99 PODCASTUDIO USB from BEHRINGER. Would you like to produce your own Pod cast sessions to be posted on the internet from a weekly sewing circle discussion to a DJ pod cast where your mixing up your own music to be heard later? BEHRINGER has the PODCASTUDIO for a very reasonable price to get you started.
Thecus N0204 miniNAS Pocket RAID Storage Review
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1135/1/
The Thecus N0204 miniNAS is said to be the world’s smallest fully-featured NAS device. Measuring in at just 132 x 88 x 63 mm exterior, one could easily mistake the N0204 as a regular external hard drive. However, look closer and you will see a very capable two-bay NAS device that fits right in the palm of your hand. Thecus manages to make this work by using two 2.5” SATA hard disks, providing up to 1TB of storage. That means that this device uses laptop SATA hard drives or 2.5″ Solid-State Drives (SSDs), which has some pros and cons as you could imagine. At just $149.99 plus shipping, the Thecus N0204 miniNAS also just happens to be the least expensive 2-bay network attached device sold at e-tailers like Newegg.com among others.
Fusion-io ioXtreme PCI Express SSD Review
http://hothardware.com/Articles/Fusionio-ioXtreme-PCI-Express-SSD-Review/
It’s rare we get genuinely excited around here about a product. To be honest, likely we’re spoiled by all the bleeding-edge technology we have the great opportunity to look at week in and week out. Or perhaps it’s just that we’re jaded a bit and have heard one too many marketing pitches, but truth be told it takes a lot to get us fired up about a new product or technology. Sure we can appreciate and will occasionally hand out high praise for a major evolutionary advancement but we honestly can’t remember the last time a product really officially “changed the game” for us, or so to speak.
Arctic Cooling NC Notebook Cooler
http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7890&Itemid=40
Arctic Cooling is no stranger to computer cooling, but they have focused primarily on CPU and GPU cooling in the past. Today we have a look at their first foray into notebook cooling with the Arctic NC. This is a USB powered cooler that uses a slightly different design to accomplish its goal. True to the design and goal of Arctic Cooling, the NC is super quite and has aggressive styling in a color palette that is distinctly unique. Keep on reading as we’ll find out if this cooler is more than a USB hub.
ASUS P7P55D-E Premium Motherboard Review
http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/1974_1.html
ASUS has put out a variety of motherboards based upon the new Intel P55 chipset including the P7P55D Deluxe, the P7P55D Premium and today’s P7P55D-E Premium motherboard. ASUS generally releases several versions of the same motherboard but with differentiations based upon the features, the bundle and the workmanship. Today I’m reviewing the latest ASUS motherboard, the P7P55D-E Premium which is the first P55 motherboard from ASUS to support SATA 6 Gb/second and USB 3.0 which are the latest versions of each standard showing ASUS embracing new technology as it become available.
Sapphire 5870 Vapor X
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1725
Last November we were all amazed at the shear raw power of the Intel Core i7 1366 CPU’s had to offer us, and with this newer CPU came newer capabilities. Then we saw the Introduction of SSD’s (Solid State Drives). These new devices were brought upon consumers, again raising the level of performance we could get from our computers another notch.
BlackBerry Storm 2 Review
http://www.digitaltrends.com/product-reviews/blackberry-storm-2-review/
Yes, the BlackBerry Storm 2 is a vast improvement over the original BlackBerry Storm smartphone. However, that isn’t saying much because, as befitted its name, the latter handset was pretty much a disaster. Worth noting, though: The Storm 2 does have a capacitive touchscreen with software that mimics tactile resistance, unlike the clunky mechanical screen found on its predecessor. Inside, the cell phone also has more features and memory. But even if the Storm 2 steps its game up, so what? If you’re looking for a new Verizon wireless smartphone and your company doesn’t require you to own a BlackBerry, you’re much better off with one of the far superior Motorola Droid phones.
Axus FiT 300
http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/axus-fit-300/
Browsing through the product list on AXUS’s website, it is quite clear that they primarily focus on enterprise solutions – most of us are not going to need a 24 bay SAS RAID device with a 4Gb Fibre connection. We can all dream that would be something to own, but the reality is you’re probably looking for something smaller and more affordable. Enter the FiT Raid Series.
Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB Video Card Review
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/sapphire-radeon-hd-5850-1gb-video-card-review/
Though I am a hardware reviewer, I am in no way an insider in the enthusiast hardware industry. I find out new hardware is coming out at the same time everyone else does. Probably later than those of you that keep up with the latest hardware happenings, as I really don’t have time to. I find out when the previews or reviews start coming out, unless I happen to be among the first of those lucky reviewers to get a new item.
AMD Radeon HD 5870 1GB CrossFire performance review
http://www.elitebastards.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=990&catid=13&Itemid=27
With the Radeon HD 5970 hitting the streets later this week, strapping two “Cypress” GPUs together onto a single physical graphics board, now seems like as good a time as any to take a look at an alternative to such a set-up – Two individual Radeon HD 5870 boards in a CrossFire configuration.
Razer Orochi Mouse & Kabuto Mouse Pad
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1721
Lately Razer has been focusing more on niche products than all around gaming products. Take the Razer Naga which is designed specifically for MMOG, which is an exceptional online game mouse. Now they have ventured into mobile gaming and designed the Orochi Bluetooth and wired mouse. You get the convince of wireless Bluetooth operation and save your batteries for when your truly mobile. The Orochi has a small footprint but packs a big gaming punch for when your on the go. By some cruel twist of fate in our kit we also found a Kabuto mouse pad, and we were scheduled for a trip to California for a vendor meeting and factory tour so we took the Orochi and Kabuto out in the field for testing.
MSI NF980-G65 Mainboard/Motherboard
http://www.techwarelabs.com/msi-nf980-g65/
While your computer may be used for several things, whether work related or for entertainment purposes; usually the components on the inside were aimed for both options. MSI’s new motherboard, the NF980-G65 pushes all other options aside and screams, I was meant for gaming! The NF890 is in every way, a motherboard meant for the gamer enthusiast. Supporting 3-way SLI, the latest AM3 based processors (Phenom II), allowing for an easy overclocking switch and MSI’s Active Phase Switching for those who sometimes may feel the need to go green when they are not fragging (or being fragged).