Hard to believe this month is already coming to an end. I hate when the date hits the 20s – it means there are far too many bills to pay within the next 10 days. Who likes bills? Not me, Jack. Not me.
Today’s news is everything we’ve received over the past two days, so have a good time fishing through. It’s a pretty good variety today, which is nice. Some go so far as to say it’s the spice of life. You be the judge.
Speck TwoZip HDD Case
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/speck-twozip-hdd-case/
Today I’ve got a brief review for you of another product from Speck, it’s called the TwoZip and it’s made to be a case for carrying you 2.5” hard drive around, but it can be used for anything really. The TwoZip gets it’s name because it has two zippers on it for the two compartments, one large one for the hard drive and one for the cable basically. It’s nicely made of durable cloth, with two compartments that are slightly padded and lined with a soft material, and it features heavy duty zippers as well. So read on to learn more about a useful little product from Speck…
Windows 7 Was My Idea
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/information/windows-7-was-my-idea/
The recent battle was put into full swing with Apple’s “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercials that started a few years ago, making Macs look way cool and forever staining Justin Long’s acting career. Since then we’ve had a lot of ideas that have led us to current times. While many of these ads, on both Apple and Microsoft’s fronts, have been attacked as useless, ineffective, or childish, it is my opinion (and yes, it’s an opinion) that the new “My Idea” commercials is one of the more successful campaigns in a while.
Things Mac / Things iPhone / iPod Touch
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/things-mac-things-iphone-ipod-touch/
A few years ago I was amazed out how my forty year old boss had such a poor memory. Now that I am, cough, cough, a little older with two kids running around at home and working around the clock I see how errands and to dos can be easily overlooked or forgotten.
20 Gift Ideas For The Hard To Buy For In Your Life
http://igadgetlife.com/other/20-gift-ideas-for-the-hard-to-buy-for-in-your-life/
My favorite holiday of the year is Christmas. The sounds of holiday music in the air. The smells of Christmas cookies baking in the oven. All the festive decorations to behold and the malls and shops with their hustle and bustle of shoppers looking for that special gift… how could you not get in the holiday spirit?
Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit – Solar Edition
http://www.bonafidereviews.com/blog/clip-and-talk-bluetooth-car-kit-solar-edition/
Today for review I’ve got a neat little product from MobileFun, it’s called the Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit. It’s a essentially a speaker or speakerphone that connects via Bluetooth to your mobile. What makes this product special though is that it features a solar panel for charging the battery. It comes with a mount that has two suction cups on it, you stick it to your car windshield and then use it to make calls, but it’s charging as long as the sun is up. It features 13 hours of talk time and 33 days of standby time as well. So read on to learn more…
Popcorn Hour C200 Networked Media Tank/HTPC
http://www.techwarelabs.com/popcorn-hour-c200-networked-media-tank/
One of the best way to save money and still get a kick ass home theater set up has always been three words, “build it yourself”. Now the company Saybas is changing that and hopefully for the better with the Popcorn Hour C200. The Popcorn Hour C200 is a Network Media Tank that promises to pack a wallop when it comes to home theater set up’s. Thanks to Saybas you now have the option to purchase one of their sleek looking Popcorn Hour C200 units and still have enough in your budget to purchase a few of the latest blockbusters. Ladies and gentleman follow me as I review Saybas’s Network Media Tank, the Popcorn Hour C200.
Mac OS X 10.6.2 vs. Ubuntu 9.10 Benchmarks
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=macosx106_ubuntu910_final&num=1
Back in August upon the launch of Apple’s Snow Leopard we delivered benchmarks comparing Mac OS X 10.5 and Mac OS X 10.6 along with initial benchmarks of how Ubuntu 9.10 was running against Mac OS X 10.6. Since that time though Ubuntu 9.10 has been officially released with various changes since last August and Apple has issued two point releases for Snow Leopard, now putting it at version 10.6.2. As we await the release of FreeBSD 8.0 to deliver a larger operating system comparison, we have carried out a fresh round of tests comparing Mac OS X 10.6.2 and Ubuntu 9.10 (both x86 and x86_64 editions) under a variety of tests.
ZOWIE GEAR Hammer Headset
http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7902&Itemid=40
Are you a gamer, music fanatic, and or video type of person? If so, have we got an article for you! If you’re the type that likes to come home at the end of the day and relax to some tunes, a movie or just shoot up some people – in a game of course – then the Zowie Hammer headset is something to be looking for if it fits within your budget! Keep reading to find out more about the ZOWIE GEAR Hammer headset.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 Review
http://www.digitaltrends.com/product-reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fp8-review/
If Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-FP8 looks a lot like the rugged TS1 the company launched earlier this year, it’s because the two cameras have a lot in common. Although the FP8 won’t survive a dip in the drink or a drop to the floor like its brawnier brother, both use a unique folding-optic design that eliminates moving parts outside the camera. And priced at $300, this stripped-down, classed-up model is $80 cheaper. Does the basic camera design hold up when deprived of its tank-like cladding? We found out.
Thecus N0503 ComboNAS Review
http://www.hi-techreviews.com/index.php/review-links-mainmenu-80/9816-thecus-n0503-combonas-review
When it comes to Network Attached Storage devices there is no need to look any further than Thecus® Technology. In their rather short history they have not only been the go-to company for NAS devices, they have also become a true innovator with a number of firsts under their belt. In 2005 they introduced the world’s first DAS device with eSATA support, enabling file transfers of up to 3Gb/s. Then in 2007 they came up with the design for the N3200, which was the first device that brought the security of RAID 5 to a home NAS.
Patriot Box Office HD Media Player Review
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1136/1/
Over the past year, we have really seen a boom in home media appliances. These devices make it easier for you to share the multimedia that is on your computer with the rest of your house or office. In the past, the best devices have been those that can access the internet, a local drive, or a network attached storage device easily so that you can play or view your content in any room of your home. Most enthusiasts choose to build their own do-it-yourself devices or Home Theater Personal Computers (HTPC).
ASUS P7P55D Pro
http://techgage.com/article/asus_p7p55d_pro/
When I began testing Intel’s Lynnfield-based processors a couple of months ago, there were two motherboards that kept my attention during the process. Of those, one was Gigabyte’s P55-UD5, already reviewed, and ASUS’ P7P55D Pro, also known as the one being discussed here. The reason for delay for this review isn’t too important, but it comes down to the fact that after the initial Lynnfield content was finished, our CPU cooler’s mounting bracket was rendered useless.
Antec Notebook Cooler 200
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=418&Itemid=66
Convection is when moving air transfers heat to or from a surface. This is the method used by most laptop coolers to keep your CPU, GPU and other critical components from overheating. There are three major factors to effective cooling (or heating), namely temperature difference, surface area, and air flow. Any differences in these factors will lead to differences in performance, even for the same cooler. The Benchmark Reviews team tries hard to provide you with fair and repeatable testing. The Antec Notebook Cooler 200 uses all three factors to achieve effective cooling with minimal power. Our tests show which of those factors makes the biggest difference.
Samsung SyncMaster LD190G 19-inch Lapfit USB LCD Monitor Review
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/samsung-syncmaster-ld190g-19-inch-lapfit-usb-lcd-monitor-review/
So you have yourself a nifty laptop, working away diligently when you start to realize you might need more desktop space. Using a laptop, you find yourself locked into that 15-inch monitor but you need more room, what do you do? Well Samsung might have the perfect solution for you, if you have the extra space; the Samsung LD190G USB Monitor.
ASUS Maximus III Formula LGA1156 Motherboard Review?
With the launch of the Intel Lynnfield LGA1156 processors and P55 chipset, motherboard manufacturers have been given a new opportunity to woo those who viewed the Bloomfield/X58 platform as too pricey. And boy have they stepped up to the plate with a wide range of offerings. From $110CDN to over $390CDN, there are P55 motherboards for every taste and budget with over three dozen models released and another dozen on the way.
Western Digital WD TV Media Player
http://www.bigbruin.com/content/wdtv_1
The increased number of competitively priced media players also has to be considered a factor, as many new players have entered this corner of the market. Seagate and Western Digital, two heavy weights in the hard drive market, have both released more than one media player in the past year. Companies like this are not only able to put their vast resources in to developing a quality product, but they can also expect to sell more USB hard drives in the process.
Elixir 6 GB 1600 MHz CL9 Tri-Channel
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Elixir/6GB_Tri_Channel_1600
We did not receive the memory in a retail package. Elixir shipped the three DIMMs in a plastic tray with a clear plastic cover. Expect to see the memory ship in a yellow colored cardboard box. At least this is what we have seen them use at various trade shows. You will not get any special accessories with the memory – just the kit itself.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Walkthrough
http://www.ocmodshop.com/ocmodshop.aspx?a=1701
The only thing worth talking about is the mission “No Russian”, which you are heavily warned by the game itself. I do think it was put in for pure shock value. Aside from possible anti-terrorism criticisms on the US, it just seems too easy to sit back and let the event unfold. I actually haven’t been too fond on these “extreme” first person events from this series lately, it’s becoming a lame gimmick.
Thermaltake BlacX Duet eSATA / USB Docking Station
http://www.bayreviews.com/computers/393-thermaltake-blacx-duet-harddrive-dock
I do want to point out that these are similar but also different in a sense that the StarTech is mainly a duplicator with dock capability but the Thermaltake is a dock only. With this Thermaltake docking station, you don’t need to slave an internal hard drive or even connect using a USB cable anymore. This will save a lot of precious time for anyone. This hard drive docking station usually retails for $69.99 but you can probably find great deals if you search sites like Amason.com or Bestbuy.com (the lowest I found it for was $48.36). Use the Price Comparison! link above to find the current lowest price.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
http://techgage.com/article/call_of_duty_modern_warfare_2/
Not too long ago, debates of whether or not the game industry would ever overtake the movie industry in terms of profit were common. But things have sure changed since then, as the game industry has proven itself that it has what it takes to not only match some of the revenue figures from Hollywood blockbusters, but in many cases, surpass them. Modern Warfare 2 is exactly the kind of game that contributes to such success.
ZOWIE GEAR G-TF Mousepad
http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7893&Itemid=40
Today we have a mouse pad from ZOWIE GEAR. Since I wasn’t aware of ZOWIE GEAR before I’m going to assume many of you haven’t either. The ZOWIE GEAR G-TF mouse pad is a monster pad with water proof cloth and anti-fray edges. It is quite an impressive mouse pad when you think about it, but a little about ZOWIE GEAR and then we will take a closer look.
HTC Hero
http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Gadgets/HTC-Hero.html
HTC Hero touch screen Android smartphone has arrived in our test lab and first feature that we noticed was its unusual design. We got white version that has brushed aluminum frame around display which is rather unusual combination. We made a brief survey among innocent bystanders and their first impressions were contradictory, up to the point when they unlocked the device. Right after unlock impressions became irrelevant.
CoolerMaster Sileo 500 Case Review
http://www.ninjalane.com/reviews/cases/cm-sileo500
Computer cases are one of those things that do not change much over time. They all serve a single basic purpose and are often times only modified slightly to accommodate different tasks. For instance server cases tend to have more places for storage devices and high powered cooling while OEM and mainstream cases tend to be smaller and give up storage flexibility for a lower cost. Very rarely does a case focus on making things quiet.
Leadtek GT 220
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1728
There are many video cards out there to satisfy gamers, multimedia users and other 3D work related users, however there are not many video cards out there that can be used in low profile system. Not only that, but some low profile video cards are also weak in performance. It is getting hard to find a decent card which will give excellent performance while watching your HD movies or just playing some games. But there might be some good news. The new Leadtek GT220 video card is a small standard or low-profile video card that will allow you to watch your favorite HD movies at home as well as put on some mild gaming every now and then.
AXUS FiT 500E Five-Bay RAID DAS Server
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3011/axus_fit_500e_five_bay_raid_das_server/index.html
The Promise DS4600 review was quite popular and even I was surprised at the number of people talking about it. Up until now we focused primarily on Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers, but Direct Attached Storage (DAS) seems to be a level that consumers are more eager to venture. There could be many reasons for this. DAS products cost less while offering many of the benefits of NAS servers. In this economy disposable income for many has been reduced, but the problems still remain; how is one supposed to keep all their digital files safe from mechanical failure?
Palit GeForce GT 240 Sonic 1 GB
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Palit/GeForce_GT_240_Sonic
Currently NVIDIA is releasing new versions of their lower end graphics card series. All new cards are based on NVIDIA’s first 40 nm graphics processors. The GeForce GT 220 uses the GT216 GPU, while the G 210 uses the GT218 processor. This week marks the release of the GeForce GT 240 – NVIDIA’s first GDDR5 memory card. It uses the GT215 GPU which is made in a 40 nm process at TSMC Taiwan. While the G 210 and GT 220 were positioned in the low-end segment, the GT 240 will offer performance similar to the GeForce 9600 GT, yet considerably below the aging GeForce 9800 GT.
