Storage Related:

Patriot 4GB PC3-19200 2400MHz DDR3 @ Rbmods

Quote:  Memory is getting faster and faster and Patriot has released a very fast memory kit lately. We are going to look at a 4GB Pc3-19200 2400MHz memory kit from Patriot today. How well does it perform, and how fast is it really compared to 1600MHz memory that alot of people use these days?

English link:  http://www.rbmods.com/content/26228/patriot-4gb-pc319200-specifications.aspx
Swedish link:  http://www.rbmods.se/content/14996/patriot-4gb-pc319200–specifikationer.aspx

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Mushkin Callisto Deluxe 60 GB SSD

Link: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Mushkin/Callisto_60_GB

Brief: Mushkin’s Callisto 60 GB comes at a very affordable $145 which makes it the cheapest 60 GB Sandforce-driven SSD on the market today. With a capacity of 60 GB it is a great choice for a Windows 7 boot drive. TRIM is also supported, so you get the maximum out of your SSD even after it’s aged a bit.

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OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SSD @ Phoronix
Direct Link: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=15251
Summary: "As solid-state drives are becoming very popular with enthusiasts and a common choice for those interested in high-performance data storage, at Phoronix we have reviewed many SSDs from OCZ Technology including the Agility, Agility EX, Vertex, and Solid 2. Today we are reviewing the next-generation Vertex SSD, which is the Vertex 2, and it promises to offer much faster reads and writes, is rated to last an extra 500,000 hours beyond the 1.5 million hour MTBF of the original Vertex, and is available in capacities up to 480GB."

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Audio / Video:

Logitech Revue: Hands-On Impressions
"Having conquered online search, webmail, and even online video, Google now wants to stick a blue, red, yellow and green flag in your 42-inch TV. Last spring, the company announced Google TV, a competitor to the likes of Apple TV, Windows Media Center and even free software like Boxee. The first hardware company to pick up Google’s latest experiment? Logitech, with its Revue set-top box."
Link to the article: http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/logitech-revue-google-tv-hands-on-impressions/

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Compro VideoMate C200 Plus review

Chances are high that you have lots of old camcorder tapes or VHS tapes tucked away somewhere with memories if your childhood, favorite holidays, your wedding, your children of perhaps even grandchildren. Wouldn’t it be great if you could convert this old media to a more secure storage medium? Look no further, the Compro VideoMate C200 Plus promises to be up to the job, this product is an USB video/audio capture stick that enables you to transfer video and audio to your PC without any hassle.

http://www.dvhardware.net/review170_compro_c200_plus.html

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WD TV Live Plus Media Player @ Techgage

Link: http://techgage.com/article/wd_tv_live_plus_media_player/

Quote: We took a look at ASUS’ O!Play media player a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re checking out WD’s spin on things, with its TV Live Plus. In addition to the fact that it supports a multitude of media formats, it has a great design, dual USB ports, HDMI and Component connectivity, and in our testing, also offered great performance.

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Mobile Related:

Mobility Digest Review – Naztech Ultima 5 Horizontal Case

http://windowsmobile.mobilitydigest.com/mobility-digest-review-naztech-ultima-5-leather-horizontal-case/

In my continued quest for cases large enough to handle an extended battery Tilt2, I picked up a Naztech Ultima 5  Horizontal Case and it has turned out to be an almost perfect solution. As a point of information, I stretch (train) my cases using a block of wood cut slightly larger than my phone. The blocks stay in the cases when not in use, so they are always ready when I need them. I would rather my case be slightly loose than too tight.

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‘LG Optimus GT540 Mobile Phone review’
The LG Optimus GT540 is a sleek feel without the exuberant price tag.
The Full Article can be viewed at http://tbreak.com/tech/2010/09/lg-optimus-gt540-mobile-phone-review/

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Funky Kit Leaked Screenshots – Notebook with ATOM D525 + Nvidia ION + Blu-Ray + USB3.0

We’ve just received some interesting screenshots and photos on Intel’s new Dual Core ATOM D525 processor running at 1.8Ghz. The BIOS screenshots looks like it was taken from a notebook … meaning that this new Dual Core ATOM D525 is powerful enough to be classed as notebook processor, rather than just for netbooks. Notice the notebook features USB3.0 and a Nvidia ION based graphics with 512Mb DDR3 ram onboard. What’s interesting is that the notebook also comes with a blu-ray drive too !!

Read the rest of the article here … http://www.funkykit.com/whats-funky/computers/3333-intel-dual-core-atom-d525-leaked-screenshots.html

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Thermaltake Massive23 LX Notebook Cooler
URL: http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=9037&Itemid=40
Quote:

This cooler doesn’t have a variable speed fan.  It is either on or off and this would be a big deal if the fan was noisy at full speed.  It isn’t.  The 23cm fan is very quiet and still provides decent cooling.  To liven things up, Thermaltake has included a switch that lets you turn the LEDs in the fan on or off as well. . .

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Can a Barrage of Android Tablets Endanger the iPad?
"At the IFA show this week in Berlin, Samsung announced its 7-inch Galaxy Tab, and Toshiba its Folio 100 (which won’t be coming to the U.S. for a while, if at all). Back in the U.S., Archos unveiled not one but five tablets – actually three small Android multimedia players and two tablets, with 7- and 10.1-inch screens."
Link to the article: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/can-a-barrage-of-android-tablets-endanger-the-ipad/

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Arctic Sound S111 Portable Speakers and C1 Mobile USB Charger Review @ TopReviewShop 
"Priced at under $20, the Arctic Sound S111 is meant to be a small and convenient replacement for the less-than-impressive speakers found in most notebooks and netbooks. Coupled with the Arctic C1 Mobile solar-powered USB charger, the S111 can also be used as a set of iPod speakers while out and about. Is the Arctic Sound S111 the cheap-and-cheerful remedy for notebook audio blues? Let’s find out."

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Thermaltake Massive23 LX Laptop Cooler @ Pro-Clockers

Review link: http://pro-clockers.com/cooling/1616-thermaltake-massive23-lx-laptop-cooler.html

Laptop coolers are one of those accessories that you tend to pick up when you purchase that new laptop. Just like a laptop bags its one of the items that you need in order to keep your laptop in perfect working order. Yes, there are many to choose from so how do you determine which one to buy. You can read one review after another telling you how well a particular cooler performed but most of the time it comes down to cost and personal preference.
Thermaltake is one of those companies that take cooling serious. Don’t believe me? That a short trip over to their website and you will see everything from CPU cooling to personal cooling to laptop cooling. One very successful laptop cooler series from them would be the Massive line up. The Massive series is aimed at persons with larger higher performing laptops like the Sony F series I currently have. Today, we will be taking a look at the Massive23 LX. Does it have what it takes to cool beast like the Sony F series I currently have? We will see. Read on.

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Dell Streak Android Tablet Review:
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Dell-Streak-Android-Tablet-Review/

When it comes to Android devices, there are two inevitabilities. The first is that its popularity is unstoppable. Twice as many Android smartphones are sold now than were only two months earlier. The second given is that an onslaught of Android tablets are about to descend upon us. Major manufacturers, such as Asus, LG, Motorola, and Samsung have their devices in the pipeline for later this summer, the fall, or early next year.

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Choiix Power Fort Backup Battery Review @ Ninjalane
URL: http://www.ninjalane.com/reviews/power_supply/cm-powerfort
Quote: Power is a fundamental problem when using our portable devices and often dictates how often that device is used. Talk time on your cell phone, or play time on a portable gaming console limit their effectiveness. While the battery life is designed to accommodate the majority of scenarios between charging you always find yourself holding back to conserve the battery life or running out of power when you might need it most.

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Assorted Stuffs:

The Ultimate CPU Round-up: Summer 2010 @ InsideHW

Summary: The critical thing is to pick an appropriate motherboard to go with the new CPU, which will contain all the features you may need now and in the foreseeable future.
Article link: http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/CPU/The-Ultimate-CPU-Round-up-Summer-2010.html

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PC Partner prepares to float on stock exchange? – KitGuru breaking news

Floating a company onto the stock exchange is a great way to evolve. Not only does it bring in a huge amount of investment, it also ensures that the original founders finally get paid for all their initial work. China is full of massive companies that are privately owned. One of the biggest and most famous of these privately held companies is PC Partner. KitGuru wonders if that might change soon. Pension fund managers prepare your wallets for the possibility that PC Partner might float.

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SoundRacer V10 Engine Sound Effects Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1380/1/

"Have you ever said to yourself, "Hey, I wish my quiet family car sounded like a formula one race car"? I know I haven’t. Well, if you are one of the people that answered yes to that question boy do you need to keep reading this article because the SoundRacer V10 is just what you have been looking for. Not only does the V10 make your car sound like a super sports car, it also doubles as an audio device connection in your car just in case it didn’t come with one and you want to listen to some music from your IPod or Zune or whatever it is you use."

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PAX 2010 DAy 1 Coverage @ Hardware Canucks

Quick Intro:  http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/news/games-news/pax-2010-day-begins/

Portal 2 Gameplay Impressions:  http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/news/games-news/game-news/portal-2-coop-gameplay-demo/

The Technologies Behind Guild Wars 2:  http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/news/games-news/guild-wars-2-technologies/

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Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: The Collosus Treasure Hunt!.
Quote: Fancy winning a BitFenix Collosus chassis…way before its even been released? You better get your reading glasses on then for our latest treasure hunt.
Link: http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/cases_cooling/the_collosus_treasure_hunt/1

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Win a ThermalTake LEVEL 10 Case worth over £500 with KitGuru !

KitGuru has some of the best prizes on the net, bar none. We have given away thousands of pounds of hardware in our short time opening and today we have something REALLY special that be pride of place in your bedroom.

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Cisco Valet Plus M20 Wireless Router Video Review

What happens when you get the networking experts from Linksys into the same room as the ease of use experts that produced the Flip UltraHD pocket camcorder? Well, it seems that this marriage has birthed its first offspring: the Valet line of routers from Cisco. Like with the Flip which is credited for making videos easy, the idea here is to provide wireless networking to people who may have otherwise been intimidated by the world of routers. In fact, the Cisco Valet Plus M20 that we’re reviewing today isn’t even called a router; it’s a wireless hotspot.

Direct Link: http://www.futurelooks.com/cisco-valet-plus-m20-wireless-router-video-review/

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Contest: Win a Samsung Gravity T or Samsung Flight II Cell Phone

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/contest/contest-win-a-samsung-gravity-t-or-samsung-flight-ii-cell-phone/

Are you a T-Mobile or AT&T Customer in need of a new phone? If so then I’ve got a a nice one for you for free. Samsung was kind enough to give me five phones to give away to our faithful readers, three for T-Mobile and two for AT&T. The first giveaway will be for the Samsung Gravity T for T-Mobile and it’s going to be easy to win it. The contest will run from today, Friday September 3rd, until Thursday September 9th. The second phone will be the Samsung Flight II for AT&T, and that contest will run until September 30th. So read on to learn what you need to do to win one of these phones.

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Gaming Related:

Indie Review: Jump’n Bounce @ Xbox360Digest

Indie Review: Blox @ Xbox360Digest

Mafia II – Gangster-Shooter Review

Storm Inferno Gaming Mouse @ LanOC Reviews

Thermaltake Tt eSPORTS Black Gaming Mouse and Dominator Mouse Pad Review @ KitGuru

Tom Clancy H.A.W.X. 2 Review (Xbox 360) @ KitGuru Gaming

Logitech Wireless G700 Gaming Mouse Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Genius HS-03U USB Gaming Headset @ Benchmark Reviews

UMLan Article Release: Valve Alien Swarm – Video Review

Razer Carcharias Headset Review on Technic3D

Quick Links:

Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W

Cooler Master Sileo 500 Mid Tower Chassis

Thermaltake Armor A60 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

Asus Crosshair IV Formula AM3 Motherboard Video Review @ eTeknix.com

Point of View GTX 460 Beast Edition Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Palit GTX 460 Sonic Platinum 1GB @ PureOverclock

Corsair AX850W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

ECS P55H-AK LGA1156 Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps

Lian Li Pitstop PC-T60 Open Air Test Bench Review @ Legit Reviews

Funky Kit Review: CoolIT ECO ALC – Advanced Liquid Cooler

OC3D: Biostar TPower i55 Review

NZXT HALE90 750W PSU

PNY GeForce GTX 460 OC XLR8 Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews

XFX HD5970 Black Edition – The world’s fastest video card? @ Bjorn3D

Siig Wireless Multi-Touchpad Mini Keyboard

Link: http://www.bonafidereviews.com/review-of-the-last-airbender-wii/

Quote:
"Today for review THQ has sent me over The Last Airbender for the Wii. The game is based upon the movie of the same name. The game follows through the view of Prince Zuko whereas the movie followed Aaang, so in the game you get a different perspective on things than the movie offers. It’s something new really and not exactly a game based on a movie as one might think of when you think of movie based games. That’s a good thing as most movie based games don’t work well usually. So I’ve got a ton of screen shots and a rather long game play movie for you, along with my thoughts and impressions of the game…  "

Happy Friday to you all! Time fo the news..

Storage Related:

OCZ Vertex 2 100GB @ PureOverclock

Review URL:  http://www.pureoverclock.com/article983.html

“OCZ has an extensive SSD lineup that’s impressed us in the past. Today we look at the SandForce-based OCZ Vertex 2, in what appears to be a promising successor to the popular Vertex. But how fast is it? Oh, it’s fast alright. Looks like there’s a new king on the dragstrip.”

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Samsung SATA Blu-ray Player/DVD Burner Combo Drive @ Barry’s Review Blog

Review Link:http://tinyurl.com/23l7ltl

Quote:Sometimes reviews are born out of necessity rather than requirements or desire. After years of reliable service, my old DVD burner in my gaming rig (which I am, ironically about to rebuild) finally gave up the ghost. So it was time for a more up-to-date replacement. Which brings us to the subject of my latest review—the Samsung SATA Blu-ray Player/DVD Burner Combo Drive.

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iStarUSA BPU-2535V2 2 x 2.5" SATA Hot-Swap Drive Cage Review

Today for review I’ve got a drive cage from iStarUSA called the BPU-2535V2 that holds two 2.5” SATA hard drives, in the space of a single 3.5” bay. Each bay of the cage locks individually, and you can use either one or both or just swap drives as needed. I swap a lot of drives in and out of my computer for testing and I found this to be a very useful product to have in my computer. So read on to learn more..

Links: http://www.dragonsteelmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16278&Itemid=1

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Crucial RealSSD C300 128GB Solid State Drive
QUOTE: "Last week Crucial released a firmware update that fixed the issues with TRIM and even though Crucial spent many hours testing the software, a compatibility issue popped up with some popular enthusiast motherboards and the firmware update tool, so the new update was pulled from Crucial’s website. With V2 firmware now out of reach for consumers, Crucial is working feverously to get a new update tool ready. At anytime the firmware and new update tool will be released and it appears that Crucial is going to be able to escape heavy criticism from both the tech media and consumers. We will cover this topic more in our next installment of The State of Solid State coming just after Computex.

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G.Skill DDR3-1600 CL7 6GB PI Series DDR3 Memory Kit Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1302/1/

"A few weeks back we took a look at G.Skill’s ECO series of DDR3 memory. The kit we reviewed, the G.Skill DDR3-1600C7 ECO Series, were binned for low voltage operation while running high frequencies and tight timings. Today’s kit are the DDR3-1600C7 Pi Series with part number F3-12800CL7T-6GBPI and are part of the PI Series. Counter to the ECO series, the PI Series is marketed towards the other end of the spectrum with performance in mind…"

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Unitek USB 3.0 TO SATA ADAPTER Review

Today for review I’ve got an SATA to USB 3.0 adapter from Unitek, it was provided by USBFever.com for our review today. This adapter is like others that utilize USB 2.0 on the market, but this one of course uses the USB 3.0 specification and connection. It’s simple to use, it works and works well… Read on…

Link: http://www.dragonsteelmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16290&Itemid=1

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Crucial Ballistix 4GB Kit DDR3-1600 CL8 BL2KIT25664BN1608 Memory Review
Link: http://www.ocinside.de/html/results/crucial_ballistix_4gb_pc3_12800.html

After the recently tested DDR3 Triple Channel memory kit without heatspreader, a new ocinside.de review of a Dual Channel kit with heatsink and higher clock rates is now published.
The Crucial Ballistix PC3-12800 CL8 4GB DDR3 RAM kit contains two 2GB modules, which just needs a little voltage increasement to operate at DDR3-1600 CL8.
In the current review we will see, how far the memory modules can be overclocked and how the kit performs against other memory modules.

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Intel X25-V 40GB Value Performance SATA Solid-State Drive Review

While SSDs are still a fairly new technology, it has certainly come a long way in the last couple of years. The choices in SSDs are increasing and the prices are also decreasing making it possible to own one without a second mortgage. Though SSDs are getting cheaper, they still aren’t cheap, with larger ones still hitting some heavy figures. But even a smaller drive can make your system faster and INTEL has responded with the introduction of their 40GB Value Performance X25-V SATA Solid-State Drive (SSD).

Direct Link: http://www.futurelooks.com/intel-x25-v-40gb-value-performance-sata-solid-state-drive-review/

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ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 Media Player @ PureOverclock

Review URL:  http://www.pureoverclock.com/article982.html

“The O!Play Air HDP-R3 HD media player enables users to access all their digital content from various sources for the most convenient multimedia entertainment experience. The O!Play Air HDP-R3 streams a wide variety of audio, photo, and high-definition video formats from PCs, NAS, card readers and other USB or eSATA-connected devices.”

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Rosewill USB 3.0 Add-on Card and External Enclosure.
SNIP:USB 3.0, aka SuperSpeed USB, is poised to take over the current USB 2.0 and becomes the de facto standard in the computer peripheral connection. With the theoretical transfer speed 10 times of the speed of the USB 2.0, it is not hard to see why manufacturers are excited with the USB 3.0. The good news is that USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 so your existing peripherals such as printer, digital camera and flash drives will still work. Of course, your devices will still only operate at USB 2.0 speed.
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1850

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Asus SBC-06D1S-U External Bluray drive:
English link:  http://www.rbmods.com/content/22683/asus-sbc06d1su-external-bluray-drive.aspx
Swedish link:   http://www.rbmods.se/content/14585/asus-sbc06d1su-extern-bluray-drive.aspx
Quote:  Bluray has started taking over the market since late 2009 and more and more Bluray products have entered the market. Asus has kept up with the demand and released an external Bluray player/writer for computers. We are going to test this new model out and see what we can get out of it both noise and quality wise.

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Corsair Flash Survivor GTR 32GB USB Flash Drive Review at CCE Reviews
Link:http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/corsair-flash-survivor-gtr-32gb-usb-flash-drive/
Quote: There is no denying that Corsair has made some significant improvements to the Survivor  family. The latest GTR spanks the competition in speed and still manages to provide water resistance to a very durable enclosure.

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Audio / Video:

Everything USB is pleased to announced our latest review on Creative Sound Blaster Arena Surround Gaming Headset.

Surround sound is a tricky business when it comes to USB headsets. With a siren’s call that promises unadulterated sound and 7.1 performance without the need to dish out for an expensive sound card, these headsets can are often sought after by budget and laptop gamers alike, only to be plagued with in-game compatibility problems. Will Creative’s Sound Blaster Arena Surround be the sub-$100 white knight to free us from our stereo confines? Read my in-depth review of this virtual 7.1 gaming headset to find out.

http://www.everythingusb.com/creative-sound-blaster-arena-gaming-headset-19034.html

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Epson PowerLite Presenter Projector/DVD Player Combo Review
Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Epson-PowerLite-Presenter-Projector-DVD-Player-Combo-Review/1002
Summary: Review of the Epson PowerLite Presenter, a 2500-lumen, 1280×800 video projector that comes with a build-in DVD player.
==

Hercules XPS 2.1 40 Slim Speakers Review

Up on the review block today I’ve got a rather inexpensive set of speakers from Hercules called the XPS 2.1 40 Slim. The name comes from the fact that they’re 2.1 of course, 2 speakers and a sub woofer, but also because the satellite speakers are thin and they should fit on most any desk or any other place where space is limited. The cost is about $40, and for that price they are well worth it I think, the sound is very good especially considering the price. Included is an in-line remote for volume control, but it also has a headphone jack on it and an input jack as well so you can hook up an MP3 player  or whatever and use the speakers for sound from that device. So read on to learn more..

Link: http://www.dragonsteelmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16277&Itemid=1

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‘Intel Showcases Wireless Display at DCC’
Throw 1080p Full HD display wirelessly to any device from your Intel based Notebook
The Full Article can be viewed at http://tech.tbreak.com/2010/05/intel-showcases-wireless-dis/

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OCIA.net has posted their review of the Ozone Gaming Oxid Headset. 

"Less than two months ago I had the opportunity to check out the Strato 5.1 Surround Sound Headphones from Ozone Gaming. If you happened to read that review, you already know that the Strato performed pretty well in every aspect except perhaps the most important: comfort. The Strato headphones use on-ear ear cups which put pressure on the pinna (outer ear) that causes discomfort even after moderate use. After our review, Ozone agreed to send over a different gaming headset for evaluation, the Ozone Oxid. The Oxid are a bit different than the Strato in multiple categories but perhaps the most important is the ear cup design as these use over-the-ear cups. If the Oxid is indeed more comfortable than the Strato and scores high in some of the same areas the Strato did, this could prove to be a quality headset. Read on as we put them to the test."

Direct Link:  http://www.ocia.net/reviews/ozoneoxid/page1.shtml

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Sleek Audio SA1 Earphones
http://www.topreviewshop.com/sleek_audio_sa1_earphones
Here is a snippet that can be used for the review:
"Sleek Audio has packed a number of features into the SA1 that you normally don’t find on sub-$100 earphones. The first is the tunable acoustics "VQ" system, the second is a Siam rosewood finish for the housings and the third is the seamless Kleer wireless integration. How does the first sub-$100 offering from Sleek Audio compare in the crowded earphones market?"

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Arctic Cooling E361-WM In-Ear Phone Review

Arctic Cooling is known for their highly efficient and affordable CPU and VGA heat sinks, but now this cooling giant is introducing a new product on the audio segment, the in-ear ARCTIC SOUND E361 headphones. Let us turn on the music and find out if these will chill my ears.
http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=985

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Mobile / Notebooks etc:

Marware Eco-Vue for iPad Review @ Virtual-Hideout

Review link: http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Marware_Eco-Vue_iPad/index.shtml

Quote: “Today I have for review the new Eco-Vue case from Marware for the Apple iPad. It’s a leather folio style case designed for maximum protection. The exploding success of the Apple iPad is driving accessory manufacturers to hurry up and get their products on the market. Many of them are rushed and poorly designed. The folio style case is one of the most popular designs on the market with not two being the exact same. It seems they are as unique as fingerprints. Will the Marware Eco-Vue rise above the endless masses of subpar products? Read on to find out.”

==

Speck ShieldView for iPod Touch/iPhone Review

The exposed faces of the iPhone and iPod Touch are ripe for scratches and smudges. There are numerous screen films to protect these devices and today we will look at the offering from Speck. As a reviewer I have looked at several Speck products  and found them to make quality Apple related accessories. Today’s review item keeps this tradition going.

Link:http://www.dragonsteelmods.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16306&Itemid=1

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Paradigm SHIFT: MainGear’s Unique Gaming Rig:
http://hothardware.com/articles/Paradigm-SHIFT-MainGears-Unique-Enclosure-GTX-480-SLI-Powerhouse-Reviewed/

Fortunately, MainGear is. While they’ve not been around as long as Alienware or Falcon-Northwest, the company has six solid years of experience in building custom PCs. MainGear recently sent us a high-end system built around its unique SHIFT chassis. When it designed the Shift, Maingear took a standard ATX configuration and literally turned it 90′. Add a hybrid aluminum/steel frame, custom detailing, and a cable mount system that turns what might’ve been a ghettoish kludge into a gorgeous surface, and you’ve got the Shift. It’s a unique blend of style and practicality that manages to improve system

==

Antec Notebook Cooler Designer Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/antec-notebook-cooler-designer-review/

Quote: “Antec is a company I usually don’t associate with cooling products, when I think of Antec I think of quality cases and power supplies. This year at CES Antec showed us a lot of new cases, but they were very excited about a new notebook cooler that they had developed. The Notebook Cooler Designer is a notebook cooler made for laptops up to 15-inches and features a 110mm fan that blows at a quiet 800RPM. The notebook cooler also has a very stylish design hence the name designer. Let’s take a look and see if the Notebook Cooler Designer is perfect for your laptop."

==

Samsung NB30 Netbook Review at CCE Reviews
Link: http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/samsung-nb30-netbook/

Quote: So, here we are at the end. Is the NB30 a decent netbook? Well, yes. Is it a pretty damn good netbook? Yes as well. As far as netbooks go, the NB30 is exactly as I would expect: Intel Atom, 10″ screen, light, small, and it’s packing some serious battery life. What separated the Samsung NB30 from being just another netbook is the protective finish, free fall sensor and semi- water resistance which as I said before, just make a lot of sense. Samsung also gets big points for the keyboard and screen.

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HTC HD Mini

URL: http://www.businesscomputingworld.co.uk/review-htc-hd-mini/

Snippet: “As a component of an enterprise IT structure, HTC’s HD mini should slot in easily with the suite of existing devices. Its small size may appeal to those who don’t like the idea of carrying a large smartphone. However, the trade-off of a small screen needs to be considered carefully. Stubby fingers and poor eyesight are two reasons it may not be practical. And with Windows Phone 7 due to launch before the end of the year, businesses may consider it prudent to wait and see what that has to offer.”

==

Zotac ZBox HD-ID11 and Next Gen ION:
http://hothardware.com/articles/Zotac-ZBox-HDID11-and-Next-Gen-ION/

Today we’re going to be looking at a product that incorporates not only Intel’s new generation of dual-core Atom D510 processor but also NVIDIA’s latest Ion graphics core into what could very well be a capable machine for a myriad of small form-factor computing requirements, including possibly taking residence in your living room entertainment center.  The Zotac Zbox is here.  It’s a little over 7 inches square and a little over 1.5-inches thick but don’t let its diminutive size fool you…

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This latest Eee PC defies convention, with AMD guts and no operating system in the box. Is it the perfect ultraportable for Linux geeks, or does it fall short?
http://techreport.com/articles.x/18883

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Asus EeeBox EB1501 Review
"Like the netbook, the nettop PC has a cute look to it that makes it easy to envision sitting anywhere from sitting on a desk to next to an HDTV. Asus, the manufacturer that inadvertently started the netbook craze, is betting that there is some longer-term viability to these diminutive PCs. The Asus Eee Box 1501 is one of the few nettops that doubles as a DVD player, but it’s the way it handles all other video that makes it a bit of a conflicted device."
Link to the review: http://www.digitaltrends.com/desktop-computer-reviews/asus-eeebox-eb1501-review/

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Cooler Master Notepal ErgoStand Review
Summary: Laptops have become a necessity even for overclockers and benchers – to tabulate results, record live benching video or even chat with buddies on the forums while taking your CPU to the max. For me, it has become a way of life. Mobility was a necessity during school and having a notebook computer allows for complete flexibility. Despite that, my laptop remained powered on resting on my desk almost exclusively. While a hard, flat surface is preferable to a bed, lap or carpeted floor, it is by no means the ideal environment for a notebook, especially when it’s on 24/7.
SOURCE: http://www.overclockers.com/cooler-master-notepal-ergostand/

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HP Pavilion All-in-One 200-5020 Desktop PC

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/review-of-hp-pavilion-all-in-one-200-5020-desktop-pc/

Today for review I have a first, at least for me, it’s a desktop PC yes, but it’s an all-in-one style meaning that there’s no ‘tower’ section like a regular computer might have, the kind most of us are accustomed to. An all-in-one PC is a fairly new style of PC meant to save space and actually save you some money too. This type of PC has everything built-into the monitor itself, and then you have your keyboard and mouse and that’s it. The PC I have today is from HP and it’s the new Pavilion All-In-One 200-5020 that features the Intel E5400 Dual Core Processor, along with 4 gigs of ram, a 500 gig hard drive that’s all basically encased inside of a 21.5” HD 1080P LCD monitor. Yes it’s not exactly a high spec machine, but it’s not meant to be, it’s meant to be a moderately priced PC with a good set of features, and it is.

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Sanyo Mirro SCP3810 -Boost Mobile

Today I’ve got another cell phone for review, the Sanyo Mirro which is a pre-paid phone on the Boost Mobile network which is part of Sprint basically. The Mirro is your basic flip phone, but it’s well made and I’ve found that the Boost Mobile network is very reliable and works well, at least for phone calls. The data usage on the network is a bit slow, and the browser doesn’t exactly render web pages that great. The phone itself is easy to use, and call quality is excellent along with battery life. Read on to learn more…

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/review-of-sanyo-mirro-scp3810-boost-mobile/

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Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go USB Modem

Today for review I’ve got the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go  USB Modem that works on the Virgin Mobile wireless network offering you the ability to stay connected quickly and easily by just plugging in what resembles  USB thumbdrive into you laptop or netbook. It’s very simple to use, it’s plug and play really, and the Modem doubles as a microSD card reader so you can transport data with you or even read the card from you phone. The speeds I got are decent, but not blazingly fast, then again I’m accustomed to 20/30 FIOS, so pretty much everything seems slow to me, but they’re what you’d expect from a wireless cell phone provider in terms of speed. So read on to learn more..

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/review-of-virgin-mobile-broadband2go-usb-modem/

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Pantech Impact

Today for review I’ve got another phone from Pantech for AT&T called the Impact. This phone is very unique and I’ve grown fond of it, it’s a candy bar style phone but with a twist, it opens sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The front of the Impact looks rather plain until you press a button and then the display lights up along with the number buttons which are touch sensitive. Call quality is decent, battery life though isn’t that great, and the camera is rather poor for being a 2mp camera. So read on to learn more…

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/review-of-pantech-impact/

Assorted Stuffs:

Stuart Hughes’ Solid Gold iPad

If you’re in to ostentatious displays of wealth – and aren’t burdened by anything as old-fashioned as taste or common sense – or simply don’t think that Apple’s iPad is quite expensive enough, check out the gold-plated and diamond-encrusted edition from Stuart Hughes.

==

Channel Expo 2010 @ Vortez.co.uk
DESCRIPTION:
"The Channel Expo is an annual event targeted primarily at IT resellers, retailers and system builders. This year, it was being held at the National Hall, Olympia in London lasting two days, the 12-13th May. The Expo is host to over 100 companies ranging from hardware manufacturers to software and security providers, as well as vendors and distributors hoping to get the attention of the public. Of course, here at Vortez we are more interested in the hardware manufacturers and this year’s show didn’t disappoint."
LINK: http://www.vortez.co.uk/review.php?id=167

==

NZXT Johnny Hue Interview  @ XSReviews

Review Link: http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/editorial/hardware/NZXT-Johnny-Hue-Interview/
Quote: "NZXT are known as one of the most creative case design firms in the world, but nobody really knows how the designing process works. Fortunately for those wondering about this, today XSR has sat down with co-founder and one of the case designers at NZXT, Johnny Hue, to ask him what is involved with the case designing process and how he got into this field."

==

How to Optimize Windows 7 on Your Netbook @ InsideHW

http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Notebooks/How-to-Optimize-Windows-7-on-Your-Netbook.html

“Bridging the gap between tiny and not too functional smartphones and sizeable notebook computers, netbooks have suddenly turned interesting to those that needed full multimedia capabilities of a PC in a smaller packaging. It’s been nearly three years since the first netbooks appeared, with 60 million being sold since. Modest hardware, the need for the best autonomy possible and a lower price of the final product all cried for the familiar (and cheap) Windows XP. Although it’s more than capable to satisfy the needs of users, the ten-year-old XP is, nevertheless, an ugly detail on the screens of modern netbooks. Microsoft became aware of that, and decided to offer netbook users a special version of Windows 7, optimized for their PCs…”

==

A Look at Valve’s Mac Steam Client @ Techgage
Link: http://techgage.com/article/a_look_at_valves_mac_steam_client/
Quote: With the release of Valve’s Steam client for the Mac last week, Apple gamers all over found themselves with renewed hope that their gaming lives were about to get a lot better. We’ve been using the client since launch and have lots to say about it, so join us in figuring out if Valve’s latest release has lived up to all the hype.

==

Quick Links:

Intel Core i7-980X Review – Benchmarks vs. AMD Phenom II X6 1090T

Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 2GB Vapor- X Video Card

Asus EAH5870 (Asus 5870v2) Voltage Tweak @ Bjorn3D

Inno3D GTX 480 iChill Review: Water-Cooled Fermi

Red Dead Redemption (X360 & PS3) Review @ KitGuru

Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X 2GB @ Techgage

NZXT Premium Cables Review

OC3D: Corsair H50 Review

CoolIT ECO A.L.C. Review

Zotac NM10-DTX Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 3.20 GHz @ techPowerUp

Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 1GB Review @ KitGuru

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler Review on Technic3D

Microcool Banchetto 101 Open Air Modular Chassis Review @ Legit Reviews

In Win Ironclad Case @ TechwareLabs

Intel DBX-B CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

Antec CP-1000 Power Supply Review @ HardwareLook.com

Asrock P55 Extreme 1156 Motherboard @ Pro-Clockers

AMD 6 Core 1090T CPU Overclocked with LN2 and Benchmarked @ Madshrimps

Galaxy GeForce GTX 470 GC Overclocking

ATI Catalyst 10.4 Driver Performance Review @ Vortez.co.uk

Four-way Gaming Mouse Roundup: G9X, XAI, Abyssus and SideWinder X8

Thermalright T-Rad2 GTX & VRM R3 Video Card Heatsink Review @ Ninjalane

Gigabyte HD5870 Super Over Clock @ Benchmark Reviews

Diamond Multimedia HD5770 @ LanOC Reviews

Corsair Obsidian 700D Full Tower Case Video Review @ Hardware Canucks

Thermaltake Toughpower XT 775W Modular Power Supply Review @ ThinkComputers.org

AquaComputer AquagratiX 5870 GPU Water Block @ PureOverclock

GMC H-80 – Silent Gaming Case TweakPC.de

GIGABYTE Radeon HD 5870 1GB Super Overclock Video Card Overclocked Higher

Noctua NH-C12P SE14 @ techPowerUp

Metronic Zapbox T2 Freeview HD Review @ XSReviews

AMD Athlon II X4 960T OEM CPU Review

Alan Wake (X360) Review @ GamingHeaven.net

Thermaltake Armor A90 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

NZXT Premium Cables at Modders-Inc

Cooler Master GX750 -750W PSU Preview @ XtremeComputing

Accessory kits for the Wii are interesting, there’s quite a few of them out there and many are rather specialized, like specifically for gaming.Today I’ve got a kit that is more of a general purpose accessory kit, it’s one that includes a little bit of everything..

Today for review I’ve got another accessory kit, but this one is not exactly just for gaming, it’s a kit that  has a little bit of everything in it.  In this kit from CTA Digital you’ll find a components cable, three different controller covers, an accessory box, replacement straps, fan filters, a clear skin for your Wii and even a cleaning cloth. There’s quite a few things in this kit, but the best part of it is the price it’s about $18, so for under $20 you can get many different and useful accessories for your Wii. So read on to see everything and learn a bit about each part…

Info:

Product Name: 15 in 1 Accessory Kit

Supplier: CTA Digital

MSRP: $17.99

UPC:: 656777002312

15 in 1 Accessory Kit

PART # WI-15K

With this ultimate accessory package for your Wii, you will satisfy all of your gaming needs in one pack.

A Rubber Grip Controller Handle, so you can enjoy your gaming experience with complete control and never have to worry about your controller slipping out of your hands.

Rechargeable Batteries for your controller that you can charge while your Wii is idle and can enjoy uninterrupted play upon resuming your gaming, a USB Cable DC .07 that charges the batteries.

Two Silicone Sleeves for your controllers to protect them from dust, scratches and minor bumps that will surely happen with intense gaming.

Three Belt Handles that connects to the controller and secures around your wrist to avoid damaging the controller if it should slip from your hands.

Two Air Filters for the Wii console that protect it from dust and other harmful micro organisms.

Adhesive Film that you can apply to the Wii console that protect the exterior from dust and scratches.

Micro-fiber Towel for wiping down your Wii Console.

Control Holder to store your controllers.

Cable Components to connect your Wii to your television and other entertainment devices.

With the plethora of items to choose from, what more could Wii owners ask for?

Package includes:
* Control Holder
* Rechargeable Batteries for Controllers
* Adhesive Film
* 2 Air Filters
* Micro-Fiber Towel
* Cable Holder
* Rubber Controller Handle
* 2 Silicone Sleeves for Controllers
* Cable Components
* USB Cable for Batteries
* 3 Belt Handles for Controller

The Review::

There’s a bunch of stuff in this kit, the kit comes in a sealed plastic clamshell style package:

Here’s a group shot, then we’ll take a look at each piece individually:

So we’ll start with one of the most useful things in this kit the Component cable, this item alone is probably worth the cost of the kit. Sure you can get them for cheaper, the quality is not bad overall. There are really only a couple thing in this kit that I like and think make the kit worth the cost, and this is one of them.

Next up is the silicone controller covers, they just slip right onto the Wiimote and Nunchuk. They are nice to have, and I like the fact they are very thin and add virtually no bulk to the controller, but yet they provide protection and a non-slip grip.

Next up are the fan filters, two of them, but I’m not too sure about these. Are they really needed? And I have to question if they’ll actually do more harm than good over the long term. It’s a filter, pulling the air though will make the fans work harder, and of course if you don’t keep them clean the fans will work even hard possibly shortening the lifespan of the fan and thus your Wii.

Three straps are included, two of the are the nylon cloth and the last is a leather like. These aren’t bad I guess, the cloth ones are a bit thicker than the ones that comes with the controllers, and they’re softer.

Here are the straps compared to the ‘real’ Wii strap:

Next up there’s a cleaning cloth included in the kit, not much to say about this, it works fine I guess…

Included as well is a battery pack and charging cable, it works well and can save you some money on batteries in the long run..

The next thing is actually one of my favorite parts in this kit and one that I’ve used quite a bit, the Wiimote cover so you can use it like a game controller. It’s a clear thick soft rubber and it seems well made.

Also included in the kit is a clear protective cover for your Wii. It’s adhesive so you can apply it like other covers of this kind fairly easily. I did not use it though as I have the MusicSkins Skin on my Wii. I figure i can save it and cut it as need be to use as screen protectors for other devices I’ve got on hand.

There’s also an accessory box included, or actually a box to transport you Wiimote and Nunchuk. it’s a hard plastic box, it’s a nice idea I guess but you can barely get the controller in it and when you do the lid is hard to close.

There’s also a goofy little wire management thing included in the kit, kinda pointless I think…

As far as actually using these things, well there’s not much to say that I haven’t already said when looking at each part.

The quality of most of the stuff is not bad, about what you’d expect for the price, but overall better than I expected it to be.

Conclusion:

For about $18 you can get quite a few things, some of which can be worthwhile and useful and some of which are rather pointless and stupid.

The useful does outweigh the useless though, and in terms of price it’s well worth it.

I use the little storage box, not for it’s intended purpose, but I took out the insert and now use it for other things like batteries, covers, cables etc, so it can be useful.

Overall it’s not a bad kit, yes some of the stuff you might already have like the straps, but it’s nice to have extras isn’t it?

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Scores::
Overall:
Aesthetic:
Price:
Quality:
Usability:

Disclosure:This product was given to Wii Digest for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products. This product may have also been bought by us for review purposes and does not influence the review.

Today for review I’ve got the Thrustmaster Sports Pack + NW which is a nice all around pack of accessories for people who like playing sports on the Wii. It works especially well with Wii Sports Resort as it includes Jet Ski like grips, a sword attachment, a ping paddle, a tennis racket and a gold club too. You can of course use these attachments with many games for the Wii, like you could use the sword with Red Steel 2. It’s all compatible with the MotionPlus so you’ll be able to fully take advantage or it with the accessories. So read on to check it out…

Info:

Product Name: Sports Pack + NW

Supplier: Thrustmaster

MSRP: $34.99

UPC:: 663296414915

Sports Pack + NW

The pack includes:
-The universal grip, featuring multiple extensions for the Wii Remote Controller
-1 "jet ski"-style silicone skin for the Wii Remote Controller and 1 skin for the Nunchuk
-1 sword extension
-1 tennis racket extension
-1 golf club extension
-1 ping pong bat extension

Plug & Play: simply insert your Wii Remote Controller in the grip then add the selected extension according to the selected game or mini-game.

Wii MotionPlus compatible

Ideal for sports games, including the new releases using the Wii MotionPlus feature (Wii Sport Resort, Grand Slam Tennis, Tiger Woods etc.)

The Review::
So I guess we can start off with an unboxing video for you to see:

Then we can move on to the pictures:

In the pack is a semi-hard plastic handle that’s to be used with the accessories to attach them to your remote. The back or bottom is rubberized for grip. On the top is a hole with screw thread inside, that’s how you attach the accessories.

Here’s my remote in the handle:

The bottom of the handle is open so you can attach the MotionPlus to your controller.

The Ping Pong paddle is actually rather heavy and it does look and feel like the real thing:

There is also an extension that is to be used with both the golf club attachment and the sword attachment, they’re threaded so they just screw on of off.

The golf club attachment is just a head basically, and it screws onto the extension:

The sword accessory is just a pointy piece of plastic, the tips though is a soft rubber to prevent injuries.

There are also two rubber grips for the remote and  nunchuck, they’re supposed to simulate the grips on a Jet Ski. They can be used for that type of game or just as a cover for your controller. They’re nice thick rubber and they seem very durable and they’re comfortable as well.

It should be noted that the MotionPlus fits inside of the rubber cover for the remote.

For testing this stuff I played games, how else would I test it right?

I played Wii Sports Resort and Tiger Woods Golf along with Red Steel 2, and it’s fun really. The accessories truly add a new dimension of enjoyment to game play.

As I mentioned in the intro I like stuff like this a lot, but I like quality accessories and not junk like a lot of the stuff out there, and Thrustmaster knows how to make a quality product. I own other Thrustmaster products and have never had a problem with them.

The tennis racket and ping pong paddle are nicely made. The tennis racket is a semi-soft plastic so it’s a little flexible, it’s made this way of course so that if you have an errant swing and smack into something it won’t break, or it won’t hurt the person you’re hitting too much..

The shaft that goes with the sword and golf club is a semi-flexible plastic as well, it’s hollow and I’ve sure if you hit something hard enough with it you’ll damage it, but you’re not supposed to be hitting things with it, and it’s not supposed to be weapons grade material either.

The rubber grips are great really, you can use them in place of the regular Wii covers, and you’ll have a nice matching set, so you don’t have to just use it for any single game. it’s a great multi-purpose cover really.

All in all if you’re into accessories then you might want to grab this kit.

The only drawback I can see with this kit is that it only includes one of each accessory and most of us have at least two controllers, so you’ll probably have to buy two of these kits to get the maximum enjoyment out of these accessories.

The price for this kit is about $35, and I think that’s just a little high, especially considering you’ll probably need two of these kits. I’d say $25 would be a good price really for this kit, but that’s just my humble opinion…

Conclusion:
The Thrustmaster Sports Pack + NW is an accessory that I think is a must have for Wii sports title fans, it’s very well made, and it will add a new depth to your gaming.

The overall quality is nice, and the assortment that’s included in the kit is one that will work with many games.

The included remote and nunchuk cover is a nice addition, not only for sports games but just for all around use.

Thrustmaster knows how to make a quality product truly, if you’re looking for accessories for the Wii then check them out first really. They do have several accessories and accessory packs for the Wii available.

PROS	CONS
+Works with MotionPlus +Lots of uses for the accessories +Quality made products, they should last quite a while with care +Covers can be left on for use with any games	-You’ll need more than one set really -Personally I think the price is a bit high

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Scores::
Overall:
Aesthetic:
Price:
Quality:
Usability:

Disclosure:This product was given to Wii Digest for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products. This product may have also been bought by us for review purposes and does not influence the review.

Today for review I’ve got an inexpensive product from CTA Digital called the Double Charge Station. What  it entails is two battery packs for your Wii Remotes and a charging base to charge them while they are in your remotes. The Charge Station retails for about $15, and that’s not bad considering how much batteries cost and how much you could save using rechargeable batteries. The charge station is compatible with the Wii MotionPlus too, so you can charge the batteries with it on, but you can’t charge with the rubber covers on the controllers. So read on to learn more about this product…

Info:

Product Name: Double Charge Station for Wii

Supplier: CTA Digital

MSRP: $14.99

UPC:: 656777000004

Double Charge Station for Wii

PART # WI-DDC

Recharge two Wii Remotes simultaneously with the Dual Charger Station from CTA Digital. This charge station contains a two-space cradle that allows you to charge and rest two remotes, with or without Wii MotionPlus adapters connected, in an upright position.  Also included are two sets of rechargeable 1800 mAh batteries, which are enclosed in a mold that you can attach to the back of your Wii Remote™. The Dual Charger Station is powered by a USB cable that attaches from the AC adaptor connection (located on the back of the device) to a USB port on the Wii Console.

Features:
-Charges one or two Wii Remotes
-LED charge indicator light
-Wii MotionPlus compatible

Specs:
-Capacity: 1800 mAh
-Game play after charge: approximately 13-20 hours
-Charging time: 7 hours

Pack includes:
-30 inch USB cable included
-Two 1800 mAh Rechargeable Batteries
-One base Station to recharge one or two Wii Remotes

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The Review::

The Charge Station comes in a sealed plastic clamshell style case that you’ll need to fight to get open.

Once open you’ll find a brief instruction page, along with the base, two batteries and a USB charging cable.

The USB cable is nice and long at 30 inches so it should reach most anywhere you need to put it.

The Charge Base itself is plastic and lightweight but it feels well made and sturdy. On the front you’ll find two places for your Wii Remotes, which both have two sets of charging contacts. There’s also two LEDs between the charge spaces to indicate charging and charged status.

On the back you’ll find the power connection for the USB cable and an on/off switch.

The batteries are actually battery packs basically, they are incorporated into the battery compartment cover. This is nice as you don’t have to worry about losing them, but you can’t replace the batteries either.

Here’s a couple examples of the batteries and the Wii Remote with and with the MotionPlus attachment:

And here are my remotes in the stand itself, again with and without the MotionPlus:

Using the Charge Station is simple, just plug it into your Wii, turn both the Wii and the Charge Station on then put your remotes into it to charge. of course you’ll have to put the batteries into the remotes though..

When the remotes are charging the LEDs are red, once they are complete the LEDs will turn blue:

As you can see from all of the pictures my remotes are not in their rubber cases, yes you must remove the Wii remotes from the cases to charge. Is it worth the hassle? maybe, maybe not as the batteries don’t seem to last very long.

I use my Wii maybe once, twice per week and I found that usually, if left alone, the batteries will be dead if you don’t use them for a week. If you leave them on the charger that’s not an issue but you’ll need to leave your Wi on or in standby mode to keep power to the remotes.

Yes this will work in most situations as most people will just leave their Wii in standby mode, but I don’t. I use a power saving device called the the TV TrickleSaver and how it works is that you connect you TV to one part of it, then connect a power strip or other devices to the other port, it senses when you turn you TV off and fully cuts the power to the other devices, then when you turn your TV on it turns the power back on. What it does is kill ‘energy vampires’ and not let your devices go into standby mode thus saving power. So essentially my Wii does not go into standby mode, it just fully powers off and won’t be charging the Wii remotes.

As far as charge time, it takes about 7 hours for a charge from a dead battery, and I got about 15 hours play time, which is right in the middle of the 13-20 hours that they claim you should get. You can just put it back on the charger when you’re done playing and it will just re-charge, basically a maintenance charge so you’ll always have a full remote battery, but again you need to leave power on to the Wii and cannot turn it off fully.

That time i got though for playing was without the MotionPlus, you can cut it down by about 3 hours if you’re using the the MotionPlus attachment. Still though you should get about 12 hours of play, which is most likely more than enough, not many people play the Wii for 12 hours straight or over that I’m sure.

So it depends on your usage and how you use your Wii if this is  a product that might be good for you.

For about $15 though, I think this could save you quite a bit of money in batteries in the long run though.

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Conclusion:
So is this product worth it?  For the price I’d have to most certainly say yes. For $15 you can get the two batteries and the bas station and you should be able to save yourself quite a bit of money in batteries in the process.

The downside though is that you can’t charge with the rubber sleeves on the remotes, and you must leaver power on to the Wii to charge the batteries and to make sure they keep their charge.
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Scores::
Overall:
Aesthetic:
Quality:
Usability:

Disclosure:This product was given to Wii Digest for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products. This product may have also been bought by us for review purposes and does not influence the review.

Using Netflix on the Wii is obviously not going to be in HD, but still the quality is very good, though I am running via component connection at 720×480 resolution on an HDTV so most everything looks good for me. If you don’t have the component cable for the Wii I highly suggest you grab it as it does make a difference in the quality of the picture for both games and videos.

I do use Netflix on my Xbox360 and on my PC, but now I’ve got another option, options are nice to have I guess, but I’m not sure I’ll be using the Wii that much for Netflix. The interface is quite a bit different than that of the Xbox360, it’s made for the Wii of course and it works for what it is.

So here’s the ‘box shots’, on the inside of the envelope if the instructions.

Inside the envelope is the DVD in it’s own sleeve with the instructions on it. Yes you must use the disc every time you want to watch Netflix, it would be nice if we could add a Netflix channel to the Wii so we don’t have to use it every time though.

All the screenshots below are done in actual size, so you can click on them for the full 720×480 view.

Just put your disc in the WIi and go to your computer to access you Netflix account to activate it with the code the Wii shows you on the screen, in about 2 minutes your synced and ready to start watching your favorite movies and TV.

Clicking on it gives you the familiar start screen, and then the Netflix loading screen. Load time is about 30 seconds, until the second screen appears with the Wiimote on it and then it loads for about another 30 seconds. It’s at least a minute before you hit the actual Netflix screen with you Instant Queue. For me that’s not too bad really. Just so you know I do have a nice fast 20/30 FIOS internet connection.

When it loads you’re greeted with your Instant Queue. I tossed some stuff in there and yes I’m watching Weeds…

Netflix gives you many categories including the ‘Like’ suggestions which personally I don’t care for too much. Just because I watched ‘The Big Lebowski’ again, Netflix thinks I want to watch more movies like it!?!

The categories besides Instant Queue that I’ve got listed on my dashboard are these, of course yours might differ from mine:

Foreign:

Documentary:

Horror:

Children & Family:

Television:

Thrillers:

Romance:

Independent:

Sci-Fi & Fantasy:

Drama:

Action & Adventure:

Comedy:

New Arrivals: TV:

New Arrivals: Movies:

There’s three ‘Like’ categories listed for me:

British Movies:

Gritty Movies:

Exciting Movies:

Scary Psychological Thrillers:

Recently Watched:

You can click on the movies to see more about them with the option to add or play.

Here’s what it looks like when I watched Weeds, since it’s a series you can continue watching or select another episode, remove or play from beginning.

Selecting another episode brings up the list of episodes with little descriptions under them:

After you select which you want, just go back and hit play:

After hitting play you’ll have the load screen, it only took a matter of seconds before the show was playing for me.

The quality for me was actually very good, no stuttering, or pixels floating around.

If you move the Wiimote the on-screen navigation will appear with slider bar, play/pause and times and up in the right corner is the back button.

Well that’s about it, it works and works well.

Yes it isn’t HD, but it looks very good nonetheless!

Having Netflix on the Wii is nice addition to add more functionality to your Wii and truly make it part of your family entertainment.

Time for the news!

Storage Related:

Corsair Nova Series V128 128GB Solid State Disk
QUOTE: "Since CES Marvell and SandForce has been making big headlines and getting a lot of attention, but their controller introductions have brought an old favorite into a new price category. For the last year we have been singing the praises of the Indilinx Barefoot controller for its perfect mix of high performance, data capacity and low cost. Even though it is highly debatable, when given the choice between an Intel X25-M 80GB and an Indilinx Barefoot 128GB drive, we would choose the Barefoot each time.
Indilinx has made things easy for SSD manufacturers to produce lower cost drives. Their latest version of the Barefoot called ECO was introduced several months ago and we first took a look at one when we reviewed the G.Skill Falcon II. The ECO allows manufacturers to use NAND flash from the joint Intel Micron group that costs less than most other flash on the market. The lower cost trickles down to the consumer and we are already able to buy the 128GB Corsair Nova for 339.99 USD. This is quite a bit less than other standard Barefoot drives that still sell for 400+ USD."

==

SilverStone DS221 2.5" HDD Enclosure
Review  Link : http://www.bayreviews.com/computers/2118-silverstone-ds221-enclosure
Quote : "A little while ago we tested the Thermaltake BlacX Duet eSATA & USB Docking station and now we can compare it to this DS221 2.5" HDD Enclosure by SilverStone Technology. It has two bays that support 2.5" SATA drives that are hot swappable. Let’s see how it compares to the Thermaltake BlacX Duet."

==

OCZ Platinum DDR3-1600 4GB Low Voltage Dual Channel Memory Kit Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/ocz-platinum-ddr3-1600-4gb-low-voltage-dual-channel-memory-kit-review/

Quote: “Keep in mind that though most of us in the PC Hardware website realm generally fall in or near what I call the “extreme enthusiast”, more interested in overclocking, high-end gaming, or just owning powerful rigs…pretty much what you would have considered “an enthusiast” just a few years ago. But the term “enthusiast” has changed, encompassing a large number of new “enthusiasts”…the HTPC crowd, and those with high-end workstations. So rather than purchasing the upper end memory which will generally be purchased by the extreme enthusiast or o verclocker, it is more likely that the buyer will get DDR3-1600 or DDR3-1333 memory. Today I will be looking at OCZ’s Platinum DDR3-1600 Low Voltage Dual Channel 4GB Memory Kit. It sports some tight timings of 7-7-7, and meets Intel’s requirement of doing its thing at a max of 1.65 volts. An has those beautiful platinum-plated OCZ Platinum heatspreaders. Will it live up to the expectations we have for OCZ memory? Read on to see!"

==

ASUS DRW-24B1ST DVD-RW Optical Drive.
SNIP:Rewritable DVD drives are a basic necessity in almost every modern day computer. Either it be a typical laptop or desktop machine, its bound to have a DVD-RW drive. Picking an optical drive when building the next computer may be as simple as sorting by price and clicking ‘Add to Cart’. The fact is, there is plenty to reconsider when buying an optical drive other than cost. Quality should be the main priority, no one wants to replace a DVD drive within a couple months due to failure. Features & software is another thing to consider and with most companies focusing on going ‘green’, you should consider that as well.
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1824

==

OCIA.net has posted their review of the Icy Dock 2.5" to 3.5" SATA SSD HDD Converters. 

"With the ever increasing speeds obtainable from modern solid state drives, more and more enthusiasts are switching to using them as their primary system drive in desktop machines. Since most SSDs are designed in the 2½" notebook format however, which many desktop computer cases are not equipped to handle, this leaves users with a quandary over how to mount their new drive. Use only one or two screws to hold it? Double-sided tape? Or maybe just leave it dangling at the end of the SATA cable? For those who want something a little more secure and a cleaner looking installation, Icy Dock has the perfect solution."

Direct Link:  http://www.ocia.net/reviews/icydockssd/page1.shtml

==

LaCie Rikiki Review
"If James Bond carried a portable hard drive, it would be LaCie’s Rikiki. Sure, his version would fire harpoons and self-destruct with the press of a button, but it would look – and function – a lot like this little wonder. The Rikiki, which means "tiny" in French, is among the smallest and subsequently most portable hard drives on the market and it doesn’t sacrifice speed or jack up the price to get there."
Link to the review:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/product-reviews/hard- drive-dvd-blu-ray-burner-reviews/hard-drive-external- reviews/lacie-rikiki-review/

==

AXUS FiT500E : External HDD-Drive with up to 10 Terabyte
If you are often doing backups and need much of space, then you should take a look at the AXUS FiT500E.
Link:http://www.tweakpc.de/hardware/tests/datenspeicher/axus_fit500e/s01.php

==

ASUS BC-08B1ST Bu-Ray Combo Drive Review

Blu-ray Combo drives are popular among PC enthusiasts today as they can both play back the latest Blu-ray Disks and burn a DVD for Data Storage or other uses. The BC-08B1ST has 8x speed which is one of the fastest currently available drive on the market today. Blu-ray media when needing to transfer files requires a fast speed and there are hardly 8x Blu-ray media to take advantage of this drive yet. This drive has a 2MB cache and works right out of the box with the included ASUS BD Suite which consists of CyberLink’s BD Suite of software version 7.3.

Review Link: http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/hardware/2034_1.html

==

Tsunami Ultimate II 3500 USB2 Enclosure Review @ Vortez.co.uk
DESCRIPTION:
"But what do you do with your old drive? I have several collecting dust which could be put to use, but I don’t want to have lots of external caddies lying around nor the hassle of constantly swapping the drives inside them. Enter the Tsunami Ultimate II 3500 USB2 Enclosure."
LINK:http://www.vortez.co.uk/review.php?id=146

==

Plextor PX-128M1S 128GB Solid State Drive / SSD Review

"Plextor, best known for manufacturing optical drives, has finally stepped into the SSD market with the PX-128M1S, a 128GB drive that uses multilevel cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. The PX-128M1S is a 2.5", SATA 3Gb/s drive, which makes it compatible with most notebooks. It can also be installed into a desktop computer with use of a mounting bracket (not included). With a capacity of 128GB, the Plextor PX-128M1S is well-suited as a boot drive. Unlike 64GB drives which can be a little tight in that regard, you’ll have enough space to install Windows, everyday applications like Microsoft Office."

URL:  http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2510

==

Transcend aXeRAM 4GB DDR3-2000 @ PureOverclock

Review URL:  http://www.pureoverclock.com/article941.html

“If you’re looking for some high performance memory modules to satisfy your enthusiast cravings that aren’t fussy, look great, and run fast, then today’s product will certainly interest you. We’re looking at a set of Transcend aXeRAM 4GB DDR3-2000 CAS9 modules that have some promise from what we’ve been told. Forgive us if we don’t take Transcend’s word for it though, we prefer to see for ourselves.”

==

Vantec NexStar 3 SuperSpeed USB 3.0

Link:http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Vantec/NexStar_3_SuperSpeed

Brief:USB 3.0 has slowly been gaining market share over the last months. Vantec is one of the first companies to offer a USB 3.0 compatible external 3.5" enclosure. We take the NexStar 3 for a spin to see if the USB 3 promise holds up to the test.

==

Patriot Viper II Sector 5 2000MHz 4GB Memory Kit Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1232/1/

In the need for some more memory bandwidth? Overclocking like a madman but running out of overhead with your DDR? Patriot thinks they have the answer with their Viper II Sector 5 2000MHz kit. This kit is designed to give you some room to squeeze every ounce of performance from your system. We take a look at it to see if it does just that!

==

QNAP TS-459 Pro NAS Server @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: Network storage has become the convenient answer to centralized data for corporate enterprise environments. The QNAP TS-459 Pro NAS server uses the energy-efficient 1.66GHz Intel Atom D512 processor with 1GB of DDR2 system memory to enable VMware Ready iSCSI for virtualization deployments. Dual Gigabit Ethernet network interfaces allow failover safety, while four SATA drives deliver basic-disk or RAID configurations. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests performance of the QNAP TS-459 Pro against several other network attached storage servers.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=489&Itemid=70

==

Corsair Force Series F100 100GB SSD Featuring the SandForce 1200
QUOTE: "We knew going into last week that the first SandForce controlled drive for the consumer market would be in our hands before the weekend. Things got a little sketchy when the drive we were counting on arriving ended up being shipped from Taiwan with a three day service instead of the next day option that a situation like this deserves. How could such a thing happen when no one has performance numbers of the SandForce SF-1200 online and retail products are on the way to e-tail locations as I type? Just when all hope had faded, a lonely delivery driver came knocking to the door like Superman coming to the rescue of Lois Lane. Superman this time was wearing a brown uniform and was empowered by Corsair, not the sun.
We have all known that Corsair was planning a flagship product around the SandForce SF-1200 for a few weeks now. The press release has already been issued and the buzz already started. What we haven’t known is how the consumer controller was going to perform or if it was even comparable to the enterprise SF-1500 products we have already seen. At the time of writing no one has really commented on the performance of the new upper to high end consumer drive that when merged with existing product lines will force the Indilinx Barefoot products into budget to mainstream SSD category. The SF-1200 was designed to displace the Barefoot from its price category and at a time when Indilinx made it possible to produce lower cost drives."

==

Imation Pro WX 1.5TB Wireless USB
Quote: Remember when Bluetooth came out? No one bothered to care for a long time until an explosion happened a few years ago. We believe that Wireless USB is in the same boat. The technology solves a problem that people need; the ability to connect peripherals to their computer without a wire. It is just that we are suffering on the implementation and faced without market saturation, the Wireless USB field seems to be stagnating. There are glimmers of hope and Imation brings the first Wireless USB enclosure to the table.
Link: http://www.aselabs.com/articles.php?id=5632

==

Corsair Padlock 2 8 GB

Link:http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Corsair/Padlock_2_8GB
Corsair’s latest Padlock revision brings about more changes than just a new look. Data is now secured with a 256-bit AES encryption, unlike the original Padlock 1, which just cut off power to the flash drive unless the correct PIN was entered. We drill the Padlock 2 to see if it holds up or snitches under pressure.

==

Audio / Video:

Arctic Sound E352 Wooden Earphones
URL: http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8420&Itemid=40
Quote:The E352 earphones that we received don’t have a microphone and therefore come with a standard 1/8" stereo plug, but the big feature on these is the wooden construction of the earbuds.  Of course the internals and the part on which the silicon earpieces attach is aluminum, but the main sound chamber is actually made of wood. . .

==

JayBird SB1 Sportsband Bluetooth Stereo Headphones Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1244/1/

"Many people with mobile phones and other devices that are Bluetooth capable want to be able to use that feature. That is where the JayBird SB1 Sportsband comes in. These headphones are designed to let you enjoy a rich sound experience and let you be wireless at the same time using the Bluetooth connection of your device. The JayBird SB1 Sportsband is also targeted to those that live an active lifestyle (hence the name "Sportsband"). Today we take a look at these to see if they are the solution to listening to your tunes as they were meant to be heard, and if they are really built for those that do more than just sit and listen to their music…"

==

Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD sound card @ APH Networks

The Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD incorporates elements that made the X-Fi Prelude such a success, as well as new technologies such as the ability to output bitstreams of high-definition, multichannel audio from Blu-ray Discs with no downsampling. Is the Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD the new ultimate in high end PC audio? We composed this 12 page review for you today, so read on to find out!
* Link: http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/auzentech_x_fi_hometheater_hd

==

HDMI – An Evolving Standard
QUOTE: "The design brief of HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) was to create a connector to provide digital high definition content, in one simple, easy to understand cable. Eschewing analog legacy cabling such as composite, S-Video and Component did indeed make things easier for consumers. For a time, things were less confusing than they had been in the past. Unfortunately, as malleable technology goes, it is increasingly easy to build on a standard. However, this mentality seems to have rebelled against the very basics of why the cable was created.
The latest iteration of the technology; 1.4 was standardised in the middle of 2009 and will soon be seen in the latest crop of 2010 consumer electronics, including LCD and Plasma Televisions, Blu-ray players, Amplifiers and Set-top Boxes. But what does this latest technology really offer? This is what we shall look at today."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/3197/hdmi_an_evolving_standard/index.html

==

Arctic Cooling Arctic Sound E361-WM Earphones @ PCShopTalk
Quote:
"The Arctic Sound E361-WM Earphones from Arctic Cooling that I will cover more in-depth in this review, have a nice aluminium chassis a special shape and large drivers to deliver deep bass, precise highs right into the ear canal. They are also shipped with a little box to carry them easy and 3 different sized silicone cups, to fit all ear sizes."
Link: http://www.pcshoptalk.com/content.php?284-Arctic-Cooling-Arctic-Sound-E361-WM-Earphones

==

Kidz Gear Wired and Wireless Headphones
Link: http://www.bigbruin.com/content/kidzgear_1
Quote:  Both the wired and wireless Kidz Gear headphones were given to several kids to test out. On a three hour trip, none of them took the headphones off. At the final destination, they all stated the headphones were more comfortable than the ones that came with the vehicle. The parents of the kids now have to buy new headphones!

==

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: SteelSeries Siberia V2.
Quote: SteelSeries have updated their popular Siberia headset. Does it improve on the already great Siberia?
Link: http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/audio/steelseries_siberia_v2/1

==

Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP Foldable Headset Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1254/1/

The Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP headset is a foldable USB 2.0 powered stereo headset that offers digital signal processing to enhance the sound quality. The noise canceling microphone uses a wideband acoustic echo cancellation to get natural sounding voice audio. Read on to find out how the Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP headset handled our day to day grind.

==

Sennheiser PMX-680 Adidas Sport Headphones
http://www.topreviewshop.com/sennheiser_pmx_680_adidas_sport_headphones
"Sennheiser has teamed up with Adidas to design their latest sports-headphone offering for runners and exercise enthusiasts – the PMX680 Sports Neckband Headphones. Retailing at $79.95, they aim to provide a comfortable, durable and secure fitting set of sports-headphones without sacrificing a sweet-sounding listening experience. Let’s take a look to see if they’ve succeeded."

==

Mobile / Notebooks / Netbooks:

Nokia N97 Mobile Phone

Review  Link : http://www.bayreviews.com/electronics/3367-nokia-n97-mobile-phone
Quote : "The Nokia N97 mobile phone is a compact phone with a slide out full QWERTY keyboard and a huge 3.5" touch screen with tilt. I would mostly use this as a personal phone to get all my emails, surf the web, take pictures and videos and of course store them in the huge 32 GB storage space. So I tested it for about two weeks and these are my results."

==

Speck PixelSkin iPhone Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/speck-pixelskin-iphone-case-review/

Quote: “Last month we took a look at our first iPhone case from Speck, the Fitted Case. It proved that Speck is not one of those companies creating garbage cases just to jump on the popularity of the iPhone. They were nice enough to send us another case, the PixelSkin which is a rubber case with a textured tile pattern that provides a comfortable, tactile sensation in your hand and a no-slip grip. The case offers openings to all ports, controls and sensors for convenient accessibility. Let’s take a look at the PixelSkin iPhone case!"

==

‘Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15′
The ThinkPad Edge tries to update the classic ThinkPad design with rounded corners and a new keyboard. We take a look at the 15" model and find out if its worthy.
The Full Article can be viewed at
http://tech.tbreak.com/2010/03/lenovo-thinkpad-edge-15/

==

ASUS G73Jh DX11 Gaming Notebook Review – ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1248/1/

Today we take an in-depth look at the ASUS G73Jh. Featuring the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 mobile GPU, mobile gamers once again have an offering of top-of-the-line graphics performance in a notebook. Paired with an Intel Core i7 720QM mobile CPU, the G73Jh offers some serious performance both for gamers and video encoders. Throw in a 17.3" Full HD display and you are probably wondering what the price tag is… That’s the best part!

==

Dell Alienware Area-51 Core i7-980 X Infused Gaming PC:
http://hothardware.com/Articles/Alienware-Area51-6Core-Infused-Gaming-PC-Review/

Dell recently afforded their Alienware division the inside track on Intel’s benchmark crushing Core i7-980X Gulftown 6-core processor and the resources to get it validated for delivery to market quickly.  We’ve had the new Dell Alienware Area-51 in for testing for a week now and have spent some quality time with the machine, helping it break its first sweat, globally we might add…

==

Technocel T360 Bluetooth Headset Review at CCEReviews
Link: http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/technocel-t360-bluetooth-headset/
Quote: While there may be a couple things for Technocel to improve on, the T360 is still a winner as an affordable and reliable Bluetooth headset for your phone.

==

Assorted Stuffs:

When more cores are just not enough
QUOTE: "The CPU market is now flooded with multi-core and multi-threaded CPUs. We see them in everything from smartphones (with Dual Core Cortex A9 from ARM) to the highest end notebooks and desktops where the Core i7-980X is now king. But the question many people are asking is; what will more cores give me? – So let’s take a brief look at why even with 6 and 12 core CPUs in the channel we do not see better multi-thread and multi-tasking support in our applications and operating systems.
The question of what does more cores get me is an important one and one that needs to be answered by the big software companies. If you go back a few years (like around 10), you will see that it was not until very recently that even the big names like Microsoft began to seriously consider multiple CPUs or cores in their products. True, you had Windows NT that would support more than one CPU, but the scheduler that handled the tasks was very basic, though it still achieved the end result and allowed you to use more than one CPU through the OS." 

==

Building Your Own Home Theater PC: What You Need to Know @ TechwareLabs

Quote: Today’s growing technology makes it easy for us to build PC to do anything. So why not make one to control your whole media environment. Easily done and can be done for the same price you would have paid for any number of a combination of media equipment.
LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/building-a-home-theater-pc/

==

NVIDIA Drops Their Open-Source Driver @ Phoronix
Direct Link: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=14714
Summary: "NVIDIA’s open-source Linux efforts as it concerns their GPU support have historically been minimal. The xf86-video-nv driver has been around that provides very basic 2D acceleration and a crippled set of features besides that (no proper RandR 1.2/1.3, KMS, power management, etc) while the code has also been obfuscated to try to protect their intellectual property. However, NVIDIA has decided to deprecate this open-source driver of theirs. No, NVIDIA is not working on a new driver. No, NVIDIA is not going to support the Nouveau project. Instead, NVIDIA now just recommends its users use the X.Org VESA driver to get to NVIDIA.com when installing Linux so they can install their proprietary driver."

==

Samsung ML-2525W Workgroup Monochrome Wireless Laser Printer Review @ Modsynergy.com

Quote: "Incorporating a printer within a home network or a small business can be quite a task if you don’t know what you’re doing.  There a number of steps to follow such as putting every computer you own on the same workgroup, allow file sharing/printer sharing, assigning an IP address to the printer, and much more.  Frankly all this adds up in the time department and means wasted productivity.

Link: http://www.modsynergy.com/review216.html

==

Change Your Wallpaper on Windows 7 Starter
http://www.techspot.com/guides/264-change-wallpaper-on-windows-7-starter/

Few people would argue that Windows 7 is a great step forward for the platform — but those folks probably don’t use the Starter edition. Anyone who is stuck with it will know that this entry-level variant of Microsoft’s operating system is swathed in red tape, and is a real bummer to use beyond browsing the Web or checking your email.

==

Windows 7 Tuning: Maintenance for better performance @ TweakPC.de
Windows 7 got a new looking GUI, it is comfortable and fast. But there is a lot of older stuff runnning in the background and you will have to take care for Windows 7 keeping fast.
Link: http://www.tweakpc.de/tweaking/windows_7_tuning_und_pflege/s01.php

==

Nvidia Fermi Coverage:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480: Has The Waiting Paid Off? @ InsideHW

GeForce GTX 480 – GF100 Fermi Review: A new Performance- and Benchmark-Highlight? @ TweakPC.de

Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 Review: Fermi Arrives @ TechSpot

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Fermi Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 GF100 DX11 Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480: GF100 Has Landed @ HotHardware.com

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 Video Card Tested @ TweakTown

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Geforce GTX 480 and GTX 470 reviewed: Fermi performance benchmarks @ PCGameshardware

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 400 Series – What you need to know @ TweakTown

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Video Card Review @ Ninjalane

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Fermi @ techPowerUp

NVIDIA Geforce GTX 480 Review @ Hardware Canucks

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 400 series preview @ Elite Bastards

GeForce GTX 480 PCI-Express Scaling @ techPowerUp

Nvidia GTX-480 (Fermi, GF100) @ Bjorn3D

NVIDIA Geforce GTX 470 Review @ Hardware Canucks

Gaming Related:

Microsoft SideWinder X4 Keyboard Review @ DragonSteelMods

Assassin’s Creed 2 (PC) Game Review on Technic3D.

Nintendo DSi XL Review @ Digital Trends

Cyber Snipa Silencer @ LanOC Reviews

Razer Imperator @ LanOC Reviews

Just Cause 2 (PC) @ GamingHeaven.net

NZXT Avatar Gaming Mouse @ LanOC Reviews

Metro 2033 Shooter (PC) @ TweakPC

Mionix Naos 5000 Mouse @ Rbmods

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight (PC) – The end of an era review @ TweakPC.de

Heavy Rain Complete Walkthrough @ [OC]ModShop

Ozone Smog @ LanOC Reviews

Mionix Naos 5000 @ LanOC Reviews

Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse Review

Quick Links:

SPARKLE Geforce GTS250 Series SXS2501024D3L-NM Video Card @ PCShopTalk

iPhone 4G Release Date Likely for Summer 2010 After Job Posting Appears for LTE Technology Expert?

XFX Radeon HD5830 DX11 Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Review @ ITShootOut.com

Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler Review @ Tweaknews

Gigabyte X58A-UD3 @ Bjorn3D

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 Review

Unigine’s Heaven 2.0 Benchmark Introduces Linux Support @ Techgage

Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Intel Core i7 980X Extreme Review: An Overall Look at the Core i7 Family

High End Radeons – Then and Now

Sapphire Radeon 5850 Toxic 2GB @ PureOverclock

Microsoft Arc Wireless Compact Keyboard @ Benchmark Reviews

iXBT Labs Review: Intel Xeon X5680 Processor

Thermaltake Element S ATX Mid Tower Case Review @ BayReviews.com

ASUS EAH5770 CuCore/2DI/1GD5/A Radeon HD 5770 Videocard Review @ PCSTATS.com

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Processor Review @ Vortez.co.uk

Maxcube Vortex 3620 – a modern old school case Review @ TweakPC.de

Microcool It Banchetto 101 Case Review @ OCIA.net

Enermax PRO87+ 500W Review @ Dirkvader.de

Xclio A380Color Plus @ PureOverclock

OC3D: ASUS Rampage III Extreme Review World First

ASUS Maximus III Extreme @ PureOverclock

be quiet! Silent Wings PWM 120mm Fan Review on Technic3D

iXBT Labs Review: ASUS ITX-220 Motherboard

MSI 890GXM-G65 Review Featuring AMD Latest 890GX Chipset @ Madshrimps

Thermaltake Level 10 Gaming Station Review @ HotHardware.com

Neuigkeiten auf DeXgo | Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced

NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller @ Pro-Clockers

Zalman CNPS10X Performa CPU Cooler

Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 Toxic 1GB Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews

Thermaltake Silent 1156 Heatsink

I-Rocks KR-6401-BK Slim Keyboard Review @ Tweaknews

Jetway NC94-510-LF IPC Motherboard @ PCShopTalk

Intel Core i7 980X Gulftown CPU  Review on Technic3D

Thermaltake Level 10 Super Gaming Case Review @ Legit Reviews

ASUS Maximus III Extreme (P55 Express) Motherboard

Foxconn A9DA-S (AMD 890GX) Motherboard

ASUS P7P55D Deluxe Intel P55 Express Motherboard Review  @ PCSTATS.com

Gigabyte Radeon HD5770 Video Card Review @ Ninjalane

HIS Radeon HD 5570 1GB Graphics Card Unboxing Video @ eTeknix.com

iXBT Labs Review: Graphics Card + CPU in Professional Software and Games

Today for review I’m taking a look at a Custom Skin for the Wii. MusciSkin offers a wide variety of pre-made, top quality skins but they also offer a way to create your own. The skin not only offers a bit of protection for your Wii but also adds a personal touch with your own designs. The skin is actually several parts for the Wii, the Wii base and for one controller as well so things will match up nicely. it’s not a bad product overall especially if you’re bored with the plain white of the Wii. I went and created one for my Wii, so read on to learn about the design process and see the finished result…

Info:

Product Name: MusicSkins Custom Wii Skin

MFG: MusicSkins

MSRP: $35

Our durable skins are made of premium vinyl, which will defend your device from the harshest scratches. The special adhesive is completely removable and leaves no residue so you can easily switch your MusicSkins for the latest release. MusicSkins add almost zero bulk so your device will still integrate perfectly with almost any case, bag, dock, iTrip or armband.

No Scratches
MusicSkins protect your precious device with a durable anti-scratch, anti-UV coating.    

Easy On… Easy off
3M Adhesive technology prevents bubbles and allows easy application and clean removal.
Premium Materials
MusicSkins are Made In The USA. Ultra Premium vinyl sets us apart from all other skin products.    

No Bulk
Ultra-low profile means flawless integration with all accessories including docks, iTrip, cases, bags, and armbands.

The Review::
We’ll start with the designer on the MusicSkins website.

Open up the program and you’ll select what you want a skin for, in my case it’s for the Wii.

I wanted my Wii to be black, so I changed the color of the skin to black, you can pick from virtually any color though. There are two sheets to the skin so you could make them be separate colors, but I chose all black.

Then you can upload images or even add test with the buttons at the top. I wanted mine to be custom for me so I used my logo from DragonSteelMods and the Wii digest logo as well. It’s minimalistic, but that’s the way I want it, you can of course add anything you want really and fill it up.

Once you’d uploaded the images just add them to your design. You can rotate and resize them as need be.

The customizer works well but it has no identification on it, you really can’t tell which way is up and which way is down unless of course you know your Wii by heart. For me I had to actually grab my Wii and figure out which skins part went where and which way on my Wii. We wouldn’t want thing to be upside down right? it would be nice if the template were labeled, or maybe even if they included an exploded diagram so you’d know exactly which piece of the skin goes where on your Wii and which way they go.

I’ve dealt with MusicSkins before and I got my order within 3 days of placing it, but for this order there were some issues with shipping and it took almost two weeks to get to me. That’s not normal though, and because of the problem they actually shipped my order Fedex to me instead of regular mail, they upgraded the shipping basically.

As I said I’ve gotten orders form them before and I learned that you need to use very high quality images or they don’t look that good. So if you’re thinking about it, make sure the pictures you use are very high resolution, or they will be fuzzy especially if you make them larger. It’s best to use the large image and make it smaller to fit.

The skin arrives in a plastic bag or envelope.

MusicSkins uses 3M Controltac paper for the skins:

The Wii skin is two pages so when you open it up you can see them both of course.

As I mentioned I used two images only, my dragon and the Wii digest logo on the left and right sides of the Wii.

Time to get started applying it. The first thing I did was apply the two large side pieces, I found that using a credit card helped to smooth it out. It’s not bad but I quickly found out that it doesn’t actually cover the entire Wii, white will be showing through.

Next was the top, front and back parts. The top is in two pieces actually. It was fairly easy to apply, but it takes time and patience especially the back and front where you’ve got to line it up just right around the button and ports. I also cut out the Nintendo logo just for the heck of it…

The next part was the base. There are four parts to it, and they don’t exactly line up perfectly, but you can get it to work by stretching it and moving it around.

Next was the controller, this was pretty easy, but again you really have to be careful to get the buttons lined up correctly. I found that even if you get most of them lined up, it seems they all won’t be centered no matter what you do.

Here’s a bunch of pictures of everything with the skin on:

Overall it’s not bad, but the white does show through and I’m not quite sure if I like that or not just yet…

It will protect your Wii from scratches etc, and it does add a bit or personality to it. Once you get your custom skin on there it’s yours, you’ve got the only one like it in the world.

Conclusion:
The MusicSkins Custom Wii Skin is pretty good overall, but the actual designer program needs a bit of improvement. it would be nice if they showed you exactly where each part fo the skin goes on your Wii and which way they are positioned.

For $35 you get a truly custom skin for your Wii, your Wii will not look like any other out there and it will be protected as well.

it’s not a bad choice to add a bit of color and customization to your Wii truly.

PROS	CONS
- Protects your Wii - Truly customize your Wii to your own personality - Skin is well made, tough and durable	- Only one controller skin - Installation takes time and patience - Hard to figure out what goes where in the designer

-

-

Scores::
Overall:
Aesthetic:
Quality:
Usability:

Disclosure:This product was given to Wii Digest for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products. This product may have also been bought by us for review purposes and does not influence the review.

Quick Links:

PowerColor HD 5750 Go Green @ techPowerUp

Altitude – PC @ LanOC Reviews

NZXT Panzerbox @ LanOC Reviews

InWin Diva MITX Case @ TechwareLabs

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Mionix NAOS 5000 Review

Antec P183 Advanced Mid Tower Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse

Lian Li PC-T1R Spider @ techPowerUp

Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1GB Review  @ XSReviews

CoolerMaster GX Series 750 Watt ATX Power Supply Review

Thermaltake SpinQ VT CPU Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews

CeBIT 2010 Coverage with more than 100 pictures on 11 pages

Enermax MODU 87+ 600W PSU Review on Technic3D

NZXT Hades @ techPowerUp

ASUS HD 5870 Matrix 2GB & ASUS HD 5870 "V2" Sneak Peek @ Hardware Canucks

iXBT Labs Review: AMD Athlon II X2 215 Processor

Zalman CNPS10X Performa CPU Cooler Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Win a Dell XPS Laptop with OC3D and Dell Outlet.

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Mionix KEID 20 Review

Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse @ TechwareLabs

COGAGE TRUE Spirit LGA1366 Heatsink Review

iXBT Labs Review: MSI 770-C35 Motherboard

akasa NeroS heatpipe CPU cooler Review @ XtremeComputing

Jetway NC96 NC96-510-LF @ Phoronix

MSI HD 5870 Lightning @ techPowerUp

ASUS Crosshair IV Formula AM3 890FX Motherboard Sneak Peak @ Hardware Canucks

Razer Imperator Gaming Mouse and Vespula Mouse Mat Video Review

AZZA Helios 910R Case Review

Radeon HD5830 DirectX-11 Gaming Performance @ Benchmark Reviews

CoolerMaster 690 II Advanced vs. CoolerMaster 690 @ Ninjalane

Asus Maximus 3 Extreme @ Bjorn3D

Enhancing Your Dual Boot System @ TechwareLabs

Cooler Master HAF 932 AMD Edition Full Tower Case Review @ Legit Reviews

Silverstone Fortress FT02 90 Degree Motherboard Case at Modders-Inc

Logitech Wireless Keyboard K350 Review on Technic3D

Zaward Golf Fan II Review @ Tech-Reviews.co.uk

Prolimatech MK-13 VGA cooler

Noctua NF-P14 FLX 140mm Fan @ Rbmods

iXBT Labs Review: 59 CPU Roundup

Axle GeForce G210 512MB Review at Overclockers Online

Intel H55/H57 Round-up: Full coverage for Core i3 and i5 @ InsideHW

Facebook launches payments between friends service

Storage Related:

Imation M-Class 128GB SSD
Quote: With SSDs becoming more popular and with newer operating systems finally offering native support, it is only natural that more and more companies would be stepping into the ring with products. Today, HardwareLogic has the Imation M-Class 128GB SSD for review, and is one of Imation’s many entries into the SSD market.
Link: http://www.hardwarelogic.com/articles.php?id=5629

==

Title: Ineo Technologies I-NA314Ue – Review
Article Clip: Being a computer enthusiast, i often use accessories to get my work done. I have a lot of files which i keep on about 20 hard drives and sometimes it takes me a while to find the right hard drive with the right files. There are few accessories on the market which will let you to plug your hard drive in and browse the files with in. Those accessories are very much valuable in the geek world. Today we are going to take a look at one of these accessories, I-NA314Ue by Ineo Technologies.
Article Link: http://umlan.com/reviews/hardware/h113.html

==

Everything USB is pleased to announce our in-depth review on Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive review.
Storage is critical in today’s technologically advanced home and business. Some would say more storage is better, others would say performance is king, but what would you say if you could have both performance, capacity and portability in one simple and attractive kit at a generous price? Today we’ll review Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 – the world’s first truly portable USB 3.0 hard drive – over the fastest consumer storage interface available.
http://www.everythingusb.com/seagate-blackarmor-ps-110-usb-3.0-performance-kit-18298.html

==

G.Skill PC3-18400 (2300MHz) PI Series 4GB Kit
QUOTE: "When I think of memory companies that want nothing but speed, only a few really come to mind and one of them would have to be G.Skill. While so many companies these days produce high end memory, we only really see a few leading the pack and when I say that I mean we see the same few companies ahead of everyone with most other companies playing catch up when it comes to speed.
While most companies are sitting around the PC3-17600 mark these days, G.Skill as always has kicked it up a notch with a PC3-19200 kit and a PC3-18400 one which we have on hand today. Like most high performance memory kits at the moment, the modules are aimed at P55 platforms due to them coming in dual-channel packets."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3175/g_skill_pc3_18400_2300mhz_pi_series_4gb_kit/index.html

==

Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB Solid State Drive
Link: http://www.bigbruin.com/content/kingstonvplus_1
Quote:  The Performance Upgrade Kit is a great way to purchase the Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB SSD. Not only do you get the drive, but you get an external enclosure, mounting rails, and additional cables to allow you to connect your new SSD to just about any system. You might not need all of these extras, but for the difference in price you might as well get the bundle.

==

Asus TS Mini Home Server Review @ Tweaknews
Article Url: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/asus_ts_mini_home_server_review/
Article Snippet:
"Today I’m going to take the Asus TS Mini home server for a test run and see how it performs when integrated into a typical home network. Since this is a product designed for the home market, it should be easy to setup and maintain, operate quietly, and be small enough to not be in the way of other electronic equipment."

==

A-DATA PC3-17600 (2200MHz) Gaming Series 4GB Kit
QUOTE: "There doesn’t seem to be a single memory company standing still at the moment; every week we’re getting a press release from someone that they’ve released a new high speed kit. PC3-16000 seems so last year all of a sudden as PC3-17600 has become the number high end users want.
Today we’ll be looking at an A-DATA kit which is part of the Gaming series. While we haven’t seen anything from the Gaming series before, hopefully the modules follow the same winning formula that we’ve seen on previous kits of A-DATA memory."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3181/a_data_pc3_17600_2200mhz_gaming_series_4gb_kit/index.html

==

Axus FiT RAID 500 Storage Device Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/axus-fit-raid-500-storage-device-review/

Quote: “I myself have not played around with a RAID setup as I’ve never had more than 1 of the same hard drive kicking around to try it out. I have seen RAID in action and some of my buddies love to have RAID setups, but I’ve never really looked into it until now. When asked what I wanted to look at next in terms of product reviews, I wanted to look at a storage system with redundant capabilities. In my head I thought some sort of RAID system. Bob got back to me and asked if I wanted to look at a RAID enclosure made by a company called Axus. I got to choose between a 3-disk setup and a 5-disk setu p, naturally I choose the 5-disk setup known as the FiT 500."

==

Tsunami Ultimate II 3500 Review  @ XSReviews

Review Link: http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/tsunami-ultimate-ii-3500/
Quote: "While we’re reviewed some pretty expensive and feature heavy hard drive enclosures and NAS drives in recent weeks here at XSR, not everyone wants something so complicated and all encompassing. What of those that want something that’s far more plug and play, far more simple and most importantly far cheaper. For those perhaps the Tsunami-Tech Ultimate II 3500 is what you’re after. Let’s find out."

Mobile Related:

BELKIN Iphone 3G/3GS Leather Folio Case @ PCShopTalk
Quote:
"For the Iphone 3G and 3GS there are a lot of cases on the market, from different materials; not all of them offer complete protection: for example, some of the cases do not cover the main Iphone button which can become damaged after a while because of dust accumulation. In this review I will take a look upon the Belkin Iphone 3G/3GS Leather Folio case made from leather, which offers complete protection to your phone and looks extremely well when it is closed."
Link: http://www.pcshoptalk.com/content.php?280-BELKIN-Iphone-3G-3GS-Leather-Folio-Case

==

X2 Snowboarding –iPhone Game Review

Even though the Winter Olympics are over you can still become a virtual Shaun White with today reviewed  iPhone game – X2 Snowboarding. This digital snowboarding game comes from X2 games and combines impressive game play with graphics are on par with those found on PSP games.

Link: http://www.mobilitydigest.com/x2-snowboarding-iphone-game-review/

==

Lenovo ThinkPad T410 Review:
http://hothardware.com/Articles/Lenovo-ThinkPad-T410-Review/

Lenovo proved at the Consumer Electronics Show in January that it wasn’t messing around when it comes to latest generation of notebook technologies. The company has a vast array of options, from tiny to huge, and they span the gamut from casual road warriors to hardcore business users. There’s also a machine or two in there for the gaming and multimedia crowd, though you probably wouldn’t guess that the ThinkPad T410 was in that category at first glance. This machine, along with the T410s, T510 and W510, received notable upgrades just last month, with Intel’s latest Core i5 and Core i7 processors hopping on board to give the classically tough and plain ThinkPad line a much-needed breath of life.

The T410 that we’re reviewing today is a ThinkPad through and through. From top to bottom, side to side, there’s no mistaking that this is a member of the iconic ThinkPad family…

==

Top 10 Essential (And Not So Essential) Car Gadgets

If there are two things that we guys really like, it’s cars and gadgets. And when you combine the two and give us gadgets for our cars, well, that’s Heaven on four wheels.

Link: http://www.thebachelorguy.com/top-10-essential-and-not-so-essential-car-gadgets.html

==

Review: Destinator 9 for iPhone

The iPhone version of the application brings a rich, featured filled GPS client complete with real time traffic updates, on-board maps, voice guided directions, extended POIs and more.

link: http://www.geardiary.com/2010/03/12/review-destinator-9-for-iphone/

==

This Week’s Best iPhone Apps

In this week’s bipolar app roundup: Foursquare, squared! Slow ISPs, tattled on! Videos, easily streamed! Street Fighter fans’ high standards, met! Twitter apps, set free! Your entire life, documented! Your every plan, shared! And more…

link: http://gizmodo.com/5492332/this-weeks-best-iphone-apps

==

Audio / Video:

QNAP NMP-1000 NETWORK MEDIA PLAYER REVIEW @ APH NETWORKS

Description: When I started to plan the upcoming review schedule for APH Networks early last month, the influx of new network media players onto the market really caught my attention. Providing more digital media integration
with your living room audio/video equipment than ever before, long gone are the days when we were restricted to watching certain videos on our computers only, or swapping a bunch of CDs every time you wanted to listen to those songs on the big system. Last month, we reviewed the Patriot Box Office network media player, which delivered excellent media compatibility for a very low price of admission, but failed to provide the kind of experience users would come to expect for a home entertainment device. Inevitably, there are compromises due to its cost. At the same time, I also began testing QNAP’s NMP-1000 network media player. QNAP is known for making absolutely brilliant network appliances in both performance and reliability, such as the QNAP TS-439 Pro network attached storage system we examined back in September last year. But here’s the thing: The QNAP NMP-1000 retails for $400 at press time — effectively four times the price of products such as Asus’ O!Play and the Patriot Box Office as aforementioned. It is probably no surprise that you are wondering at this point what makes the NMP-1000 so much more expensive than other products that carry out pretty much the same tasks. And you know what? I was asking the same question before I got my hands on these products as well, haha. Is the QNAP NMP-1000 truly the ultimate, no compromise, fully featured high performance network appliance with multimedia features for the home user to justify its price tag, or will it fail to hold its own against the competition? To answer all these questions and address everything else in a detailed and thorough manner, well, let me present to you this week’s review!

* Link: http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/qnap_nmp_1000

==

Plantronics Gamecom 777 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review on Technic3D

Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-1044,1-plantronics-gamecom-777-surround-sound-fuer-gamerohren.htm

Translation Link: http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3a%2F%2fwww.technic3d.com%2Farticle-1044%2C1-plantronics-gamecom-777-surround-sound-fuer-gamerohren.htm&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Quote: "The Plantronics Gamecom 777 Surround Sound Gaming Headset arrived Technic3D. With full 5.1 Dolby surround sound capabilities, the GameCom 777 Stereo Headset will let you hear your opponents before you actually see them, so you can fire off crisp, clear orders during your next line of attack? The GameCom 777′s 5.1 Dolby technology gives you the surround sound effects of a five-speaker setup by using digital signal processing that electronically simulates five speakers in a virtual room. This and more see you in the following Rewiew."

==

Title: Patriot Box Office Media Player
URL: http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8335&Itemid=40
Quote:

I must admit that I am kind of spoiled. My primary media box is a full PC running XBMC and so I have come to have high expectations from my media device. I don’t think I am alone though in my expectations. However the Box Office does definitely have price in its favor, and if you can overlook some of its UI shortcomings you will get an inexpensive device that is well built, quiet as a mouse (even after playing 1080P video), power friendly and very small. . .

==

Arctic Sound E361 Earphones and the link to the review is:
http://www.topreviewshop.com/arctic_sound_e361_earphones
"The Arctic Sound E361 earphones are advertised to work equally well with mobile phones, digital music players and computers. Let’s find out if these Swiss earphones live up to the reputation Arctic Cooling has earned in other markets."

==

Arctic Cooling E361-BM Earphone
Review  Link : http://www.bayreviews.com/electronics/2445-arctic-cooling-e361bm-earphone
Quote : "I recently had a chance to check out these head phones by Arctic Cooling and I have to say, they are awesome. If you like bass, this is a must have. It also has outside noise cancellation so you can enjoy your music even more."

==

Assorted Stuffs:

‘So did you order an iPad yet?’
Yesterday Apple started accepting pre-orders for the iPad to be delivered in the US on April 3. Did you pre-order an iPad yesterday? If so, which one did you go for?
The Full Article can be viewed at http://tech.tbreak.com/2010/03/so-did-you-order-an-ipad-yet/

==

Gaj-it Weekly Round Up of Gadget News and Reviews

1. iPad UK Launch Date: April 2010 – But How Can You Buy the iPad Earlier in the UK?

2. Street Fighter 4 iPhone/iPod Touch App Released & Available to Buy!

3. YouTube Switches On Mobile Advertising

==

WIN the perfect formula – ASUS Crosshair III Formula Motherboard
DESCRIPTION:
"It’s competition time again. We have teamed up with ASUS UK to give one lucky reader the chance of winning an ASUS Crosshair III Formula Motherboard worth over £150."
LINK: http://www.vortez.co.uk/contentteller/content_page/win_the_perfect_formula_asus_crosshair_iii_formula_motherboard.html

==

A List of PC Game Classics Available Free of Charge
http://www.techspot.com/guides/258-free-pc-game-classics-list/
Major game companies don’t hesitate to charge an arm and a leg for new releases, with most launching around $60 these days. As much as you enjoy lining up outside the local GameStop at 3AM to embrace the latest shooter, parting with 60 big ones hurts a little inside. It doesn’t help that many developers rub salt in the wound by lacing titles with DRM mechanisms — but let’s not go there.
Alternatively, there are tons of free games online, but very few are worth playing (yeah, we’re looking at you Obama Alien Defense). What you may not be aware of however, is the wealth of older commercial titles freely available, just waiting to be discovered.
Dozens of old school favorites like Doom and GTA can be had at no cost. We’ve compiled a brief list of popular titles from yesteryear that you can download absolutely free of charge — and that’s something to appreciate in an age of hidden fees and fine print.

==

Proluma Deluxe Triple LCD Stand
QUOTE: "Since the release of Eyefinity, we’ve seen a larger push for multi screen setups. Sure, the technology has been around for years and years; I was using a dual 17" CRT setup back in the day myself which was always fun. But what ATI have done is make the technology a bit more mainstream. Sure, Matrox did it a few years ago with the TripleHead2Go, but they don’t have the same weight as a company like ATI.
Eyefinity has brought with it a more mainstream push for multi screen setups. What we’re seeing is companies working on getting bezels thinner and other ways to make the technology simply better. Something that was lacking was high quality monitor stands for three-monitor setups. Having a look around eBay we found some cheap ones that promised support for 24" monitors, but didn’t actually support them. You can find a few floating around the U.S. market, but they’re extremely expensive and it doesn’t help people in other parts of the world."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3176/proluma_deluxe_triple_lcd_stand/index.html

==

, ‘Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 Review’
Top notch features at a reasonable price.
The Full Article can be viewed at
http://tbreak.com/tech/2010/03/kaspersky-internet-security-2010-review/

==

DIY Guides: Exploring CPU Performance in Windows Vista vs. Win 7

"Stuck with an older PC that runs slow in Vista? Upgrading to Windows 7 might breath new life into that PC and extend its useful life. In this DIY Guide PCSTATS is going to compare the performance of a handful of AMD and Intel processors running under Windows Vista to Windows 7, with an eye towards answering this question; "Will upgrading to Windows 7 breath new life into older PC hardware previously sluggish under Windows Vista?"

URL:  http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2507

==

Core i7 Six Core CPU Coverage:

Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Intel 980x Gulftown.

Quote: Intels Gulftown is the tock to the i7 tick. Have we got unlimited power within our grasp?
Link: http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/intel_980x_gulftown/1

==

PC Games Hardware has reviewed the Core i7-980X, Intel’s first 6-core Gulftown. We ran benchmarks in applications and games to check the performance of the new processor. Furthermore we took a look at the overclocking capabilities as well as the new Boxed Cooler.

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,699873/Core-i7-980X-aka-Core-i9-Review-of-the-six-core-Gulftown/Reviews/

==

Intel I7-980X Gulftown Six Core Processor Review @ Tweaknews
Article Url: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/intel_i7-980x_gulftown_processor_review/
Article Snippet:
"The Intel I7-980x being reviewed today is one of those products coming onto the market that you know know is more of a 32nm victory lap rather than a product that is trying to leap-frog the competition. With nothing in sight that could even touch the Nehalem in terms of performance, the Gulftown adds to an impressive performance market lead that will not be superceded by anyone but themselves for some time to come."

==

Intel Core i7 980X 6 Core Gulftown CPU Review

Without a doubt, the Core i7-980X is a fast CPU, the fastest out of the box CPU available. The 980X has a retail price of $999, meaning it will replace the 975X in Intel’s lineup. In terms of applications that will take advantage of the 6 cores, there are many game manufacturers working on optimization for multiple cores and with the support for DirectX 11 multithreaded rendering speeding up performance in games that support it, the Core i7-980X CPU to the next level, allowing for higher level of detail and more animations in games that support multi-threading. . The new CPU cooler allows the retail purchaser to overclock the CPU more than the traditional Intel cooler that doesn’t provide much leeway due to thermal margins.

Review Link: http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/2024_15.html

==

Intel’s new Gulftown Six Core CPU meets LN2 Extreme Cooling
QUOTE: "I’ve been chomping at the bit to have an opportunity to torture this latest offering. With whispers of massive headroom for overclocking, more tolerance for extreme cooling and performance to die for, it’s enough to get any tech-head excited.
For this article we will be torturing this latest offering from Intel over a variety of multi-threaded applications at pre-determined speeds as well as seeing how much further we can push the cooling before we start hitting cold bugs (most Bloomfields stopped operating around -90 to -100 degrees celcius)."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/3178/intel_s_new_gulftown_six_core_cpu_meets_ln2_extreme_cooling/index.html

==

Intel’s Core i7-980X Extreme Edition – Ready for Sick Scores? @ Techgage
Link: http://techgage.com/article/intels_core_i7-980x_extreme_edition_-_ready_for_sick_scores/
Quote: It’s official. We’re now entering the six-core realm, thanks to Intel’s Gulftown. The first model, Core i7-980X, is more than capable of delivering the sick scores that our title suggests, and along with it, we can begin to see some major benefits of the 32nm process. To sweeten the deal further, Intel even includes an effective new CPU cooler.

==

Intel Core i7-980X 32nm LGA-1366 Six Core CPU
QUOTE: "In the current market our CPUs are multi-core. It is almost unheard of to have a CPU with a single core, unless you are buying a netbook or a very low-end system. Starting at the mainstream level the dual core is king. You find them in all shapes and sizes. Moving up, AMD has their tri cores. From there both AMD and Intel have quads and finally Intel has the quad with Hyper Threading; the 8 thread monster called the Core i7.
Well, Intel is looking to add a new level at the very top. This is a 6 core, 12 thread behemoth called Gulftown. Once it hits the retail channels it will be the Core i7-980X. But Gulftown is more than just 6 cores on a CPU die. Intel has moved to 32nm and also stuffed in some new instructions (including AES encryption)."
For more information, please visit – http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3177/intel_core_i7_980x_32nm_lga_1366_six_core_cpu/index.html

==

Intel Core i7-980X Extreme 6-Core Processor:
http://hothardware.com/articles/Intel-Core-i7980X-Extreme-6Core-Processor/

The new Core i7-980X Extreme is an interesting animal, however, that requires much explanation. Although its branding implies that it may be just a simple speed-bump over the previous flagship Core i7-975 Extreme, the 980X is actually a totally different beast. Come on by and take a look…

==

Intel Core i7 980X Extreme 6 Core Gulftown Desktop CPU Video Review

Well Intel Has done it again folks and they now bring to the table the first Six-Core CPU to the desktop market. The Core i7-980X is codenamed Gulftown and replaces the Core i7-975X CPU in Intel’s lineup as their top of the line CPU. Gulftown is their first 6-core consumer CPU to hit the market. This also marks the separation from the mainstream i7 CPUs as the new CPU requires the X58 chipset and won’t work on the LGA-1156 CPU Socket found on the P55/H55/H57 etc chipsets. This CPU is also an Extreme Edition CPU, meaning that it is unlocked and can be overclocked higher by changing the multiplier as well as the BCLK upwards. This CPU will become publicaly available in a few weekes from the release of this review. Want to see the fastest CPU available? Check out the review.

Review Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDpMHB4bI4

==

Today Intel launched a new CPU based on their newest 32nm process technology codenamed "Gulftown". It is an "Extreme" CPU both in name and price – weighing in at 3.33 GHz (base, Turbo hits up to 3.60 GHz) with six individual cores (and thanks to HyperThreading that means twelve threads) and 12MB of shared L3 cache, the Core i7 980X Extreme Edition will set you back a bit over $1000 when it hits e-store e-shelves this week.

We put it to the test against the identically clocked (and nearly identically priced) Core i7 975 Extreme, and a handful of other $500+ processors to see how it competes in today’s applications (we threw in a Phenom II for good measure, too).

So how does this beast perform today? Read on to find out!

http://www.hardcoreware.net/intel-core-i7-980x-extreme-six-core-cpu-review/

==

TITLE: Intel Core i7-980X Gulftown Processor Review @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: Intel offers something for everyone, as their extensive product line can prove. The chipmaker produces desktop, notebook, server, and personal digital appliance CPUs, Ethernet and WiFi network processors, and countless co-processor units. Keep this in mind as Benchmark Reviews presents the Intel Core i7-980X processor, a six-core Westmere 32nm CPU. Codenamed Gulftown, this 3.33GHz Extreme Edition processor features an unlocked clock speed multiplier with twelve computing threads and a 12MB cache. Built for the Intel X58-Express enthusiast platform, Benchmark Reviews tests the BX80613I7980X retail part in gaming, computing, and overclocking performance.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=475&Itemid=63

==

Hardware Canucks is pleased to present our review of the new Intel Core i7-980X Gulftown Six-Core 32nm processor.

Article URL: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/29632-intel-core-i7-980x-gulftown-six-core-32nm-processor-review.html

Quote: It has been a long time coming.  Intel’s six core processors have been talked about since the Nehalem architecture was first introduced and with the Core i7 980X, Gulftown has finally seen the light of day.  Naturally, this new processor is expensive but with six physical cores and 12 threads, can it perform up to everyone’s expectations?

==

Intel i7 980x (Extreme).
SNIP:
With the Intel Core i7 980x in hand benchmarks have been humming along. Strictly business gaming sessions (that’s our story), photo editing, and general computing have been eye popping. Some things have been flying by so fast that we had to re-check them just to make sure they actually happened.
With six cores (32nm) and 12 threads pushing the Westmere processors, 1.17 billion transistors sitting on a 248mm square die data isn’t the only thing pumping along. Once in a great while you get your hands on a game changing product that sets your blood pumping and the mind careening wildly along possibility paths previously unexplored. The Intel Core i7 980x is one of those products.
When the Core i7 965x hit the bench it was a thrilling day even for seasoned reviewers. At that time it meant upgrading your motherboard to LGA 1366, upgrading to (then) expensive DDR3 triple channel RAM, and purchasing a top end i7 965 that ran (at release) $1200. The thought of sitting on a cutting edge i7 965 was a daunting proposal. The i7 980x is an LGA 1366 drop in upgrade. If you’re sitting on a LGA 1366 platform already, simply flash to the latest BIOS, pop out the old processor and drop in the i7 980x and you will be running the top desktop processor on the planet.
In the short time we’ve had the Core i7 980x we’ve been flooded with benchmarks and fielding a lot of inquiries. We couldn’t comment on the i7 980x because of Non-Disclosure Agreements but one question we get asked almost daily is: ‘What’s the fastest desktop computer on the planet?’ All we could do under those conditions was point to the test bench and say with certainty, ‘That one.’
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1801

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Intel’s dominance with the Nehalem Core i7s has been nearly complete, and yet a replacement will soon arrive in the form of Gulftown, a 32-nm, six-core monster with 12MB of cache.  How good is it?  Should it replace your Pentium 4?  Your Core 2 Quad Q6600?  We investigate.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/18581

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Intel Core i7-980XE Gulftown 6-Core 32nm Processor Review

Today’s processor technology is the result of years of innovative thinking put to action. For instance, Intel’s microprocessor architecture has proven that we’ve taken the first steps into an era where computers are capable of doing far more than just calculating a few spread sheets or playing video games.

There is a lot more unlocked potential from Intel and if you love your Quad-Core i7, then you’re going to love this! How about a 6-core Intel Core i7-980XE Gulftown 32nm Processor? That’s right! We’ve got Hexa-Core!

Direct Link: http://www.futurelooks.com/intel-core-i7-980xe-gulftown-6-core-32nm-processor-review/

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Article Title: Intel Core i7-980X Processor Extreme Edition Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1245/1/

Quote: "The Intel Core i7-980X Desktop Processor Extreme Edition was found to exceed our exceed our initial expectations, which says a ton. Having six physical processing cores created an amazing user experience when running multi-threaded applications. The enormous growth of HD media content in the home is driving the demand for computer systems that have the horse power to deliver an enjoyable user experience for the consumer. If you have ever tried to create a Blu-ray movie or just tried to transcode some HD movies you know how much time it takes to work on a project and that can be frustrating for those that do it often. With the new Intel Core i7-980X Processor you can improve productivity, save power and the best part is that it can be a drop-in replacement for those with existing socket LGA1366 motherboard. Anybody that runs multi-thread applications is sure to appreciate a six-core processor…"

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