 Razer Lycosa Gaming Keyboard Review
Saturday, May 10, 2008
PC keyboard technology has remained pretty much the same in its 30-year existance, so why is it that there are scores of new models coming out every year? I personally have gone through the rise and fall of the first IBM "tank" keyboards, quiet keyboards, ergonomic keyboards, media keyboards, and the latest gaming keyboards.
What is is about a gaming keyboard that makes it stand out from any old "generic" QWERTY panel? Razer thinks they have the answer, as they have released the latest elite gaming keyboard, the Razer Lycossa.
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 Growing Up with Violent Video Games
Friday, May 09, 2008
Pity the poor, impressionable kid who's psyche and view of life will be forever warped because of violent, no redeeming value video games. Take Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV. Blood, guts, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll. Take-Two's Rockstar dropped a cool $100 million to develop this horrific game. If only the kids could wrestle the controls away from the Atari generation dudes and dudettes.
That's right. The game may have racked up more than $500 Mil sales in a week but don't worry about the kids skipping school to play. Instead they better
check to make certain mom and dad go to work because adult players are more prevalent than you might guess. The computer, game console, software and MMOG companies are major product categories in the CE industry. Success here drives the need for faster, more powerful processors; higher quality graphic chips/cards; better viewing screens; surround speakers and more. Here's our views on how the industry will grow.
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 Bawls Guarana Exxtra 16oz.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Bawls' guarana beverages have been an underground favorite for LAN gamers for many years. Their highly-caffeinated beverages have been rather successful, despite their limited distribution channels. Previously you had to order a case online, but now Bawls is now starting to show up in convenience stores and major department stores like Target.
If you've read our other Bawls Guarana articles, then you know a little bit about the interesting taste of guarana, and how the ingredient is starting to show up in energy drinks targeted towards today's hip young whipper-snappers. Even gamers need to watch their figures (we don't just get the chicks with our M4D 5KiLL5), so there is increasing demand for a sugar-free energy drink that still lets you game all night.
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 Viking: Battle for Asgard Review (PS3, Xbox 360)
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Viking: Battle for Asgard is an interesting combination of a third-person Oblivion and God of War. As an avid fan of both of these games, Viking is a welcome alternative to all of the lame horror and action games released lately. Add into the mix a bit of Age of Empires, and woah….can I have a minute alone?
It’s hard for me not to be excited over Viking: Battle for Asgard. The story is great, graphics are amazing, battle system is awesome, and soundtrack is to die for. It is rare that I pick up a game and am this easily impressed. Viking takes place in Midgard, which is at the mercy of a fight between two Norse Gods: Odin and Hel. Hel has defied Odin, and as punishment, has been banished.
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 How to Recover Windows that Disappear
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
David Copperfield may be able to make an entire house disappear, but missing windows are an event that nearly everyone has encountered. This occurs more frequently with laptops, as they frequently change profiles that have different video outputs (especially if you use a docking station). Some programs save their last window positions, so if you opened a program when you were docked, then the program may open off-screen when you are undocked.
Your program windows are still on your desktop; but you just can't see them. Most people have gotten so dependant on their OS's graphic user interface, that they can't understand how to interact with something that cannot be seen. Never fear, because I am here to gift you with second sight: how to see what cannot be seen.
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NZXT Tempest Mid-tower case Review
Metku Mods ::
"NZXT, the US-based manufacturer has come up with a new case model - Tempest - which they advertise to be the new
airflow king. Cooling seems to work but the build quality leaves a lot to be desired..."
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AMD K10 Architecture Review
Inside HW ::
..." A few months ago, the American company Advanced Micro Devices -
AMD, as the second biggest manufacturer in the processor market, launched
the new K10 microarchitecture onto the market, in the form of a server
solution codenamed Barcelona. Barcelona is the new Opteron which brings many
novelties in the fields of virtualization, multi-socket scaling, as well as
many improvements in multithread software synchronization. As far as desktop
computers are concerned, the K10 architecture also brings along an entirely
new platform, which should unify all vital system components under a single
brand - Spider."...
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Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler Review
RB Mods ::
Noctua, makers of some of the best case fans on the market, has branched out into the CPU cooler market, which is a move that makes sense since they already dominate the high-end fan market. They sent us one of their new CPU coolers, the Noctua NH-U9B, to test out. Will this be a natural expansion of their product line or will we find growing pains? Read on to find out.
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MSI X48C Platinum
t-break ::
Upgrading your rig is never an easy task- especially when you have to replace the motherboard. Generally speaking, when you upgrade your motherboard, chances are that you’re also looking at a new CPU and sometimes RAM. With their X48 chipset based motherboard, MSI tries to make things a little easy by providing DDR2 as well as DDR3 support which can certainly reduce the size of dent to you account.
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Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80R Spider Edition
techPowerUp ::
In our CES 2008 coverage of Lian-Li you saw the awesome Lian Li PC-P80 R AMD Spider Edition case. These cases are just now coming through manufacturing, and TPU is one of the first sites in the world to bring you a detailed look at this new case. It features nearly everything an enthusiast could want, but is it truly the dream of an ADM/ATI fan?
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NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler Review
Think Computers ::
“Laptops are really becoming popular, especially when it comes to desktop replacements. Many laptops now are just as powerful as desktop computers if not more powerful. A lot of people now prefer laptops over desktop because they can easily take the laptop with them and they take up less space on their desk. One thing about laptops is they easily overheat, especially gaming laptops. That is where notebook coolers come in. Today we will be looking at the Cryo LX notebook cooler from NZXT, which looks like a pretty extreme notebook cooler.”
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Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock Review
OCIA ::
"The problem with all earlier forms of removable media is capacity. Even a 16 or 32 gig flash drive can be a little small for some uses, and they are pretty expensive. Think about it, you can pick up a 500 gig HDD for the price of a 16 gig thumb drive, or a 750 gig for the price of a 32 gig thumb drive. For that matter, you could get a RaptorX for the price of the 32 gig flash drive. Today, we will be taking a look at the Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock, an external solution for simple swapping of hard drives."
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Mushkin Ascent XP3 16000 2 x 1 GB Review
Overclockers Club ::
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Razer/THX Mako 2.1-Channel Speaker System
Techgage ::
Razer is well-known for producing high-quality peripherals, but audio can be an entirely different bag. Our concerns over their new found venture can be set aside though, as the tag team effort between them and THX helped build an amazing 2.1 system that's actually worth its $400 price tag.
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Western Digital 1 TB Caviar GP Serial ATA Hard Drive Review
Tech ARP ::
"The Western Digital 1 TB Caviar GP delivers a terabyte of storage capacity with low power consumption at a relatively low cost. If large, affordable storage capacity in a single drive is what you are looking for, then this is the drive you are looking for."
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Watch Netflix Downloads On Your Xbox 360
Xbox Scene ::
From gizmodo.com :
[QUOTE]
By installing the vmcNetflix plug-in to a Vista Premium Media Center computer, you can watch streamed Netflix content on an Xbox 360. It's buggy, but it's a lot better than watching Netflix on a laptop screen.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gizmodo.com (http://gizmodo.com/389185/watch-netflix-downloads-on-your-xbox-360 )
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MS: Sony Has Failed to Deliver on Promises
Xbox Scene ::
From next-gen.biz :
[QUOTE]
Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg says "the days of Sony snowing the consumers and the press are over," that the company has failed to deliver on numerous promises, and challenges Sony's latest European PS3 sales figures.
"We have been fighting Sony's promises from the day we entered the market," Greenberg told Destructoid. "Three years ago at E3 they showed what PS3 games would supposedly look like with the Killzone 2 video, that we are now learning will ship four years later. That means that we will have shipped Gears of War and Gears of War 2 before they can even get Killzone out the door.
"Think back to GDC 2007 when Sony promised to leap ahead in online with the Sony Home unveil. Here we are two years later and multiple delays for a product that appears to have little to no buzz. Where are the achievements? The friends list integration across all games? Where is the long-promised video store? Where are all the other products using and networking with their CELL chip? How come Blu-ray did not result in better games? What happened with Sixaxis and rumble? Where is the complete 1080p game library we were promised? If Blu-ray as they said would be such a catalyst to PS3 console sales, then why have PS3 sales over the past couple of months not seen any lift since the format victory?"
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10388&Itemid=2 )
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Valhalla Xbox360 Will Come in New Slim Case?
Xbox Scene ::
From tgdaily.com :
[QUOTE]
A more dramatic and perhaps visible change will happen next year: TSMC plans to begin producing the Valhalla chip, which will be the foundation of the mid-cycle refresh of the Xbox 360, thus called 'Xbox 2.5' or simply 'Xbox 540' (360+180), in fall of 2009. We learned that this new chip is apparently much more than a die-shrink and end up as a system-on-a-chip design. This change is likely to enable to redesign the Xbox 360 casing and go towards a slim-design, much like what Sony did with the Gen1 and Gen2 PS2. We believe that TSMC will use a 45 nm process for this Multi-Chip-Module package (CPU+GPU+eDRAM).
There are also some interesting pieces of information that Microsoft is shopping for a more efficient cooling solution - efficient in more ways than just one: Several people close to the cooling industry told us that Microsoft approached them and asked for better and cheaper cooling than what is used in the Xbox 360 right now. Some may claim that the current Xbox 360 cooler design is already as cheap as it gets, but we have no doubts that Microsoft will find a way to drop the cost once again.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: tgdaily.com (http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37376/135/ )
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Microsoft Appeals 899 Million Euro Fine to EU Court
Xbox Scene ::
From bloomberg.com :
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, asked a court to overturn or reduce a record 899 million-euro ($1.4 billion) European Union fine for failing to comply with an antitrust ruling.
The appeal was filed today at the European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, Microsoft spokesman Jesse Verstraete said in an e-mailed statement. The company is attempting to seek clarity from the court, he said.
The European Commission, the EU's antitrust authority, fined the company on Feb. 27 for failing to comply with a 2004 antitrust order. Under that decision, in which Microsoft was fined 497 million euros, the EU ordered the software maker to provide data to rivals to allow servers to connect to the Windows platform. Microsoft was required to charge reasonable royalties for the network data technology.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: bloomberg.com (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aFpXl7.5U_a4&refer=home )
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Microsoft surpasses 2 million Zunes sold
Xbox Scene ::
From thestandard.com :
[QUOTE]
It has been known for a while that Microsoft's Zune is the number two digital music player in the United States. However, just how far behind the number one device, Apple iPod, has not always clear since Microsoft has been slow to release its sales numbers. Now we have some.
Since its launch in November 2006, the Zune has sold 2 million units. For comparison, Apple sold 10.6 million iPods last quarter. That equates to right around 2.65 million iPods sold a month. Since its launch in 2001, the iPod has sold, get ready: 140 million units. For the Zune, the phrase "distant second" comes to mind.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: thestandard.com (http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/05/09/microsoft-surpasses-2-million-zunes-sold-apple-sells-2-65-million-ipods-month )
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Release This: Narnia Sequel Premieres Stateside, Luminous Arc 2 Hits Japan
Gamasutra Columns ::
Gamasutra's latest "Release This!" examines a week that brings the U.S. release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Castle of Shikigami III, while Japan prepares for Luminous Arc 2: Will and its localized version of Battalion Wars 2.
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uxrip360 0.2a
Xbox Scene ::
Klewan released a new version of uxrip360 - a Linux based Xbox 360 game dumper.
What's new/fixed:
+ tested on an exploitable kernel xbox using a H934A drive (thx zouzzz)
*http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=zzTxfes5fDo
*also verify that H934A drive work's :)
+ read errors from disc will get retried, and after 10 fail's you have the choice
+ detects now max blocks per IO automaticly (again a fix for another USB enclosure)
+ now most USB encluseres should work, as my cheap and my expensive one work now ;)
+ splitVid Conversion (-a convert-splitvid)
+ extract/inject stealth files from/to an iso: DMI, PFI, SS
+ ETA and MB/s are displayed on all progressbar's
+ -a test display's a few parts of Kreon's Feature List (if kreon drive)
+ major code housekeeping, split up clean up etc......
+ auto discover drive if "-D" is not specified (requires libHAL, on ubuntu atleast its standard)
*initial by klewan
*more asskicking version by f0rk
+ verify function:
*gives you CRC of following components: SS-CRC, SS-RAW-CRC, PFI-CRC, Video/L0/L1 - CRC, DMI-CRC, GAME-CRC, XEX-Hash, Region-Flags, XEXMediaID, checks if image is splitvid (if splitvid verif's CRC of L1 part is same as expected part of L0, if not present displays fat warning that only IX14 should be used), Checks if DMI matches SS, Checks if MediaID matches DMI, Checks PFI start LBA is correct, Checks if XBOX (string) is in DMI
+ progressbar from hell (tm)
+ f0rk all-around cleanup 1001 patches ;)
+ PFI decode by f0rk based on redline + wolfieNUKE code on Xboxhacker
+ f0rk tried hard to explain me the difference between "long" and "long long" - atleast mine is the largest ;)
+ alot a code cleanup and small patches by "f0rk"
Official Site: n/a (IRC: #uxrip360 on EFNET)
Download (fixed version): here (http://dwl.xbox-scene.com/xbox360pc/isotools/uxrip360-0.2.tar.bz2 )
Full NFO/Readme: xbins.org (http://www.xbins.org/nfo.php?file=xboxnfo1664.nfo )
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Gears of War 2 Trailer
Xbox Scene ::
The first Gears of War 2 trailer has been released:
"Get your first glimpse into Gears of War 2's stunning campaign in this clip with introduction by lead designer Cliff Bleszinski"
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Strategic Command 2 Patton Drives East - Out Now!
The second expansion in the acclaimed Strategic Command 2 grand strategy series, Patton Drives East has just been released for sale! It is only available from http://www.battlefront.com/, starting at $25, and not sold in stores.
Available in three delivery formats (Download, Mail Delivery and joint Download+Mail Delivery), Patton Drives East explores the "what ifs" of a post WWII conflict between the Allies and USSR as well as including various hypothetical revisions of classic WWII campaigns.
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Xbox LIVE HD Game Nights Comes to iGames, May 14–June 29
Rainbow Six® Vegas 2, Halo 3, Call of Duty® 4: Modern WarfareTM, along with HD Versions of popular movies and TV shows" To Be Included in Ongoing Series
Series to Showcase Xbox LIVE as a premium HD entertainment destination for the best in games, TV shows, music videos, and movies
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LapLogic G800 & W800 Aerogel Extreme LapDesks
Dragonsteel Mods ::
LapLogic (http://laplogic.com/) . The G800 Aerogel Extreme LapDesk W800 Aerogel Extreme LapDesk are the newest members of the LapLogic family and these pads have some impressive technology behind them. These LapDesks incorporate Aspen Aerogels, which is a company that uses nano-technology for their insulation. This technology allows their insulation to provide protection from even the most extreme temperature ranges, just check out their demo involving a blow torch and dry ice. Don’t believe me, check out their video! http://www.aerogel.com (http://www.aerogel.com) Now, I know we will never be using a blow torch or placing our laptops on a block of dry ice, but having that type of protection available is definitely nice! Aerogel insulation holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for best thermal insulation known to man, besides the Aerogel used, LapLogic has some other tricks up their sleeve to make these some of the best lapdesks in the market. Other key features include integrated ½” standoffs with a special no slip material and C²R Thermal Technology to block most forms of heat transfer. The G800 is the smaller, more portable model while the W800 provides extra space to use as a mouse pad, storage surface or even as a drink holder. The extra space on the W800 is composed of a 10x8” Scotch Guard coated nylon mouse pad. So let’s find out if space age technology truly makes the best lapdesk in the world. Let’s get started…..
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Gateway C-141x Convertable Tablet Notebook Review
i4u ::
"Today we are checking out one very nice convertible tablet notebook from Gateway called the Gateway C-141x. This notebook retails for under $1000 and has great performance as a tablet and a notebook.
Overall, the Gateway C-141X is a great tablet convertible that works equally well as a tablet and as a notebook. The bargain price of the machine makes up for its general large size and heavy weight making it a great option in the sub-$1000 category."
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XtremeMac Tango X2 Review
Digital Trends ::
"Audiophiles, listen up! XtremeMac has just introduced its next-generation Tango, the new X2, offering a high-fidelity three-way speaker system designed for use with your iPod. It contains two full-range speakers, two tweeters and a subwoofer. The question is simply as follows: Does it offer better performance than its big brother, the original Tango?"
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Canon IXUS 80 IS Review
Inside HW ::
..." Canon has finally offered compact digital camera with 8
megapixels. This point-and-shoot camera gives impression of reliability and
well built product. Canon IXUS 80 IS has all standard and expected functions
without unnecessary "fancy" stuff that some manufacturers implement with
intention to attract customers. Canon intended this model for users who
desire modern, reliable and quality photo camera without any unusual
functions (with limited usability)."...
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USB 2.0 Computer Copy Cable Review
OCIA ::
"For most computer savvy users, transferring data between two computers is relatively easy. If you have a network set up, you can share data between two computers. Alternatively, you can simply use a flash drive... but that might not be very efficient if you are transferring a large amount of data. But, for those users who aren't as "skilled" with computers, this can present quite a problem. I have seen countless people burn CD after CD of data to transfer to their laptop, which of course is time-consuming and wasteful."
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Diamond Radeon HD3650 1GB Review
Motherboards.org ::
The Diamond HD3650 1GB is not a bad card as it does support DirectX 10.1 features, meaning that you can play the latest and greatest games on the computer with full visual fidelity. The problem becomes, when price comes into play along with the performance of the card, the card just doesn't cut the mustard. Another review of this card states that at $95 USD, this card is an ok buy and I would agree with that statement. At $130 online from various sources (Newegg, ZipZoomFly etc.) the card is not a good buy as there are better choices for your money.
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Sapphire 780G Motherboard and Hybrid CrossFire
BIOS Level ::
"Sapphire sent us its PURE-series PI-AM2RS780G motherboard
featuring the 780G chipset. This chipset is capable of handling 125W
Phenom processors—something of which other 780G motherboards are
incapable. On-board is a Radeon HD3200 integrated graphics solution,
which may not seem overly powerful on its own, but Hybrid Crossfire
promises to raise the bar."
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Foxconn 9600GT-512NOC Video Card Review
Futurelooks ::
Sure the NVIDIA 9800 series of video cards are the current crème de la
crème of gaming performance but what if you don’t have the scratch to
afford such a beast? Well that’s where the NVIDIA 9600 series comes in.
Foxconn sent us over their pre-overclocked 9600GT. As an overclocked
card, it should give us a bit more kick than your standard garden
variety card. Let’s check it out!
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Diamond Viper HD 3650 1GB at Overclockers Online
Overclockers Online ::
Much like other 3650 cards, you get a pretty good performer packed
with features for a low price. The inclusion of native HDMI-out is a big
plus for anyone running a home theater PC setup, but others are not left
out with VGA and DVI connections as well.
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ASUS Xonar DX PCI Express 7.1 Audio Card
Hot Hardware ::
A few months ago, ASUS jumped into the audio card market with both feet with the introduction of their Xonar product line. One of the first models to market was the premium Xonar D2 Ultra Fidelity 7.1 sound card. The D2 boasted a superb retail package with all of the cabling, software and extras one would need thrown in, along with a slick, eye-catching design, for around $180. Not only did the Xonar D2 Ultra Fidelity 7.1 deliver on all fronts, but it also proved to be solid competition for Creative, who still has somewhat of a stranglehold on add-in audio card market.
To further infuse themselves into the audio card market though, ASUS didn't stop with the Xonar D2 Ultra Fidelity 7.1. They have since developed several other model to meet the needs of consumers of all budgets. Today, we take a look at ASUS' latest offering which targets the mainstream market, the more affordable Xonar DX PCI Express 7.1 Audio Card. Head on over to the site and check it out:
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