Turtle Beach Earforce X2 Headphones Review
Boost Mobile Gaming takes a look at the Turtle Beach Earforce X2 Headphones

The term 'hard core gamer' is synonymous with things like ordering pizza, dilated eyeballs, and late night gaming sessions. For those gamers that live with their parents, or in a dorm room with a roommate, or even got married somehow along the way (and are amongst the 3% of gamers to actually have kissed a person of the opposite sex), late night gaming sessions can be a nuisance to those you cohabitate with. Tragically, gamers are forced to make a decision - either turn off the sound, or annoy everyone and keep the sound on (is there really a decision to be made here folks? OF COURSE we keep the sound on). Fortunately enough, Turtle Beach has released a product specifically designed for Xbox and Xbox 360 users with the Ear Force Wireless Xbox Headphones that solve this age-old problem.

Turtle Beach Earforce X2 Headphones Review

Datacolor SpyderTV Pro Review
XYZ Computing posted a new review on the Datacolor SpyderTV Pro

A few month ago I reviewed the SpyderTV home theater calibration system from Datacolor. While the software was easy to use it seemed overly simplistic and in the end I was not sold on the final product. This was especially true after I had a chance to work with Datacolor's Colorfacts
kit which showed me just how much this company could do when they put some work into their software. (All of the kit's use the same USB colorimeter so the difference is purely in the software.)

The SpyderTV Pro is an upgrade from the standard SpyderTV product. Rather
than being for home users and enthusiasts it is aimed at installers and high-end enthusiasts, where the Colorfacts is for professional calibraters. The price difference from the SpyderTV to the Pro is $249 compared to $649 but there are a number of upgrades that some demanding users may be interested, though you still won't get the complete kit until moving to the Colorfacts which has a MSRP of $2400.

Datacolor SpyderTV Pro Review



SteelSecurity Internet Security Suite Review
APH Networks takes a look at the SteelSecurity Internet Security Suite

Here at APH, we don't usually review software -- especially those related to internet security. The reason is simple: limited resources, and of course, I don't play around with them as much as I do with hardware (Especially in the peripherals and consumer electronics area) -- so a second contributing factor is probably my limited knowledge. But when the DHL man handed me my copy of SteelSecurity from SteelSeries (You see, I said to Thomas at SteelSeries because I probably can't write a good review on this product quite a while back, but the real encouragement came in when they sent it to me anyway), I know that this would be something that I had to try out one day. Well, to be honest, again with limited resources there's only a several things that I can cover today: Features (Including ease of use), and performance (Scan speed, resource usage). What I can't do is detection rate and heuristics -- which is what I really regret because even with my limited knowledge, I know that's one of the main points of internet security software. But anyway, let's see what I can come up with today.

SteelSecurity Internet Security Suite Review

Dell Precision 390 Review
BIOS Magazine reviewed the Dell Precision 390

As expected from Dell, the company has pushed the performance and scalability envelope for industry-standard professional workstations. The Precision 390 was designed as the ideal complement to the company's desktop line as it balances advanced performance and scalability with
exceptional value, all while providing relatively high-end application performance. Not surprisingly, the system blew the doors off every machine we've ever tested on almost every benchmark, especially processor-intensive programs consisting of animations, video, and multi-track audio.

Dell Precision 390 Review

PC Power & Cooling 750w Silencer S75EPS PSU Review
Overclock3D posted a review on the PC Power & Cooling 750w Silencer S75EPS PSU

PC Power & Cooling are often regarded as the Creme de la Creme of the power supply world. Today I'll be putting their 750w Silencer through its paces to see if it lives up to their reputation.

PC Power & Cooling 750w Silencer S75EPS PSU Review

OCZ Gold XTC PC2-8800 DDR2 2gb Kit Review
Overclock3D posted a review on the OCZ Gold XTC PC2-8800 DDR2 2gb Kit

Just when you thought that PC2-8500 was impressive, OCZ go and take things one step further by releasing a 2gb kit rated at 1.1ghz (PC2-8800). Lets see what these babies are capable of...

OCZ Gold XTC PC2-8800 DDR2 2gb Kit Review

CoolerMaster Blue Ice Pro Chipset Cooler Review
OCIA.net takes a look at the CoolerMaster Blue Ice Pro Chipset in their latest review.

The thin copper fins are skived, meaning they're actually sliced from the base during the manufacturing process. Because the fins are still attached at the bottom there is better heat transfer than if the fins were soldered. It appears that this heatsink has a missing fin at the far left, there is a ridge on the base as if there was once a fin there, and there is certainly room for one. The fan bracket also appears slightly bent.

CoolerMaster Blue Ice Pro Chipset Cooler Review

Cooler Master iTower 930 Case Review
Hardware Review posted a review on the Cooler Master iTower 930 Case

Companies with racks upon racks of servers have enjoyed “hot swapping” hard drives for many years now, but Cooler Master has brought this technology right into the user’s home with the ITower 930. This super duty, mid-tower case is an absolute beast that includes a tool-less design, four front panel hot swap hard drive racks, and a very unique cooling system.

Cooler Master iTower 930 Case Review

Zalman CNPS9500 AM2 Cooler Review
BCC Hardware checked out the Zalman CNPS9500 AM2 Cooler

We are extremely impressed with how well this cooler performed when the heat was turned up. With ambient temperature being equal, this cooler just blew the stock cooler away when we turned up the CPU heat. Even at low fan speed we are seeing about 17C between the stock cooler and the Zalman CNPS9500 AM2. I retested and checked ambient temperature to make sure these results are accurate - and I assure you they are. Wow.

Zalman CNPS9500 AM2 Cooler Review

Parrot Bluetooth Speakers Review
TrustedReviews reviewed a set of Parrot Bluetooth Speakers

If there's one thing that both regular Jo's and techies will agree on, it's the fact that wires are rubbish. They get in the way, they take up too much space and there's always too many of them. Basically, they're a pain. It's no surprise really that wireless technologies have really been taken to heart by the general public. Many people now have Wi-Fi routers at home and most people are familiar with, or at least aware that their mobile phones can beam things over the air via Bluetooth.

Parrot Bluetooth Speakers Review

Shuttle XPC SN27P2 Review
TrustedReviews reviewed the Shuttle XPC SN27P2 Small Form Factor Barebone for AMD

For some time now we've been telling people that when it comes to
computers small is the new big. By now, Small Form Factor (SFF) systems were supposed to have replaced the towering behemoths that currently take up space in most people's offices. Shuttle was the first to introduce these type of systems with its XPS line but they haven't managed to attain the widespread popularity expected of them.

Shuttle XPC SN27P2 Review

OCZ PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite 2GB Kit Review
PC Modding Malaysia posted a review on the OCZ PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite 2GB Kit

The PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite kit is a pretty impressive DDR2-800 kit from OCZ. The heatspreaders looked sleek and it would certainly add a touch of uniqueness to your rig. It was originally rated at 400MHz with 4-4-3 latencies but we had no issues running them over 500MHz. With a maximum warranted VDIMM of up to 2.3V with EVP, we managed to achieve 475MHz with 4-4-4 timings, which was not too shabby. In fact, these Urban Elite modules currently hold the fastest records in our labs and were faster than other expensive DDR2 modules we have tested here. Although it required higher voltages to overclock, it allowed us to overclock to 565MHz (DDR1130 - PC2-9040) at 5-5-5 timings and the system was rock stable even after 8 hours of "Prime" torture test. This overclock was the fastest we have seen on any Micron D9GMH based modules...

OCZ PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite 2GB Kit Review

Thermaltake Aqua RX R-1 Review
techPowerUp! posted a review on the Thermaltake Aqua RX R-1

Thermaltake's Aqua RX R-1 is a waterblock for memory modules. Overclocking the memory, in most cases, is unavoidable when you want to reach a higher CPU speed. Sometimes, the memory might limit your CPU overclock, and that's when you start thinking about cooling your memory, to achieve even higher clocks. Watercooling memory is still in its infancy, but products capable of cooling the memory well are slowly making their way to the market.

Thermaltake Aqua RX R-1 Review

OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite Memory Review
Pro-Clockers posted a review on the OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite Memory

Once again we have a new memory product from OCZ. It seems that these people never rest. I guess if they aren't in the forums helping people that are in the labs cooking up some new products to satisfy our overclocking appetites. Well we were fortunate enough to be sent the latest creation from OCZ. The SOE Urban Elite Series of DDR2 boast another colorful set of heat spreaders. Camouflage anybody? We all know that looks are one thing but how is the performance.

OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite Memory Review

Sapphire PURE CrossFire PC-AM2RD580 Review
bit-tech.net posted a review on the Sapphire PURE CrossFire PC-AM2RD580

Sapphire's PC-AM2RD580 is an incredibly solid motherboard that deserves recommendation for those who aren't worried by the lack of expansion options on both the I/O panel and on the board itself. There is still some work to do on the BIOS before the full potential of this board is unlocked; hopefully Sapphire will address these problems directly and we should see this board reach another level altogether on the overclocking front.

Sapphire PURE CrossFire PC-AM2RD580 Review

Corsair 620W Modular Power Supply Review
3D Game Man posted a review on the Corsair 620W Modular Power Supply

Modular power supplies are fantastic because they enable you to use only the leads necessary for your particular setup. This means a reduction in the amount of cables inside the case which not only looks great, but also increases airflow. The Corsair 620 watt power supply meets today's standards, protections, has Active PFC, and has 80%+ efficiency. It also comes with a quiet 120mm fan and is NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFire ready. Watch the Video to find out more...

Corsair 620W Modular Power Supply Review

XG Magnum 600 EX Review
techFEAR has posted a new product evaluation on the XG Magnum 600 EX PSU

XG takes the utility of a 600 watt power supply, puts it in an anodized aluminum external case, and names it the Magnum 600 EX. techFEAR puts this external eight pound PSU on the test bench and finds out what's on the inside.

XG Magnum 600 EX Review

VIZO UFO USB 2.0 4 port high speed HUB Review
OCW posted a review on the VIZO UFO USB 2.0 4 port high speed HUB

USB 4 port hubs are plenty in the market. Most of them looks similar to one another, either in a box enclosure or in the form of a stick. While it serves the purpose, it is troublesome to get a few more ports out from your notebook or PC.

The VIZO UFO 4 port high speed USB 2.0 hub aims to solve this issue with a round shape designed like a UFO. The "UFO" rotates along its axis allowing the exposed USB ports to be kept within the circular enclosure when not in use. This helps to clear off dust. The Round shape design prevents interference between each device on the hub too according to VIZO.

VIZO UFO USB 2.0 4 port high speed HUB Review

Little Laptop Museum at IDF Fall 2006
Hardware Secrets reports that Intel set up a little Laptop museum at IDF Fall 2006

Even though IDF Fall 2006 only starts tomorrow, we had the chance to walk around at the Moscone Convention Center, where we could see a small laptop museum set by Intel, presenting, among others, an Osborne computer, the famous Compaq Portable and world’s first true laptop, Toshiba T1000.

Little Laptop Museum at IDF Fall 2006

Apple iPod Battery Secrets
Futurelooks dives into the sinister world of the iPod

There have been documented issues of iPod battery problems throughout the life of the product line. However, we've uncovered something a bit controversial about battery life and how to extend it.

Apple iPod Battery Secrets

ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition Review
Bjorn3D posted a review on the ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition

While ASUS of course offer lower end solutions, it is the high-end motherboards that we look at today and more specifically the ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition. This motherboard uses the latest nForce 590 chipset for AM2 from NVIDIA and is chockfull with cool solutions and goodies in the box.

>> ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition Review

22” LCD monitors: the new size that will take over!
BeHardware posted a review of the Acer AL2216W 22" display

Even if manufacturers often predict future price raises (with great aspirations), they actually continue to drop regularly. In September, it’s even worse. A new size of diagonal has showed up, the 22 inch, which will may make quite an impact because of its very aggressive price. How can the smaller sizes survive? 22" LCD newcomers are cheaper than most of the current 19 and 20" monitors. Behardware.com has tested the first of them, the Acer AL2216W.

22” LCD monitors: the new size that will take over!

ATI Catalyst 6.9 performance analysis
Elite Bastards put up an ATI Catalyst 6.9 performance analysis

As we've done in the past, today we'll be looking at ATI's latest driver release with a specific focus on the applications cited in the performance improvements section of their release notes. Our original plan was to take in parts from ATI's entire range of boards from low to high, until we stumbled upon one rather disappointing fact - That their latest Radeon X1650 and X1950 are still not support in Catalyst 6.9. A shocking oversight if you ask me. Thus, that means we dropped the Radeon X1650 PRO we were planning on using from our analysis, leaving our focus on the low end (represented by the Radeon X1300 PRO) and the high-end (thanks to the Radeon X1800 XT and X1900 XTX). Throughout our testing, we'll be using resolutions and settings in line with those used in real-world gaming on these boards, while also remaining mindful of the scenarios ATI predict will see these performance gains.

ATI Catalyst 6.9 performance analysis

Gigabyte G-PAD notebook cooler Review
OCW posted a review on the Gigabyte G-PAD notebook cooler

What is G-PAD ? Well it is Gigabyte's Fanless Notebook Cooling Pad. As we all know, notebooks usually generate lots of heat. This is especially in the areas of the Hard Disk and Chipset. Normally, we will place a notebook a table and you would easier feel the heat trapped between the notebook and the table top.

G-PAD aims to improve on air flow to your notebook by introducing a foldable heatsink like riser for your 14"/15" notebook that sits on top. It is made of aluminum structure for superior cooling performance. Instead of placing the notebook on your desk, the notebook is now placed on top of the G-PAD.

Gigabyte G-PAD notebook cooler Review

Kubuntu 6.06 LTS Installation Walkthrough with Screenshots
Debian Admin published a Kubuntu 6.06 LTS installation walkthrough with screenshots

Kubuntu is a user friendly operating system based on KDE, the K Desktop Environment. With a predictable 6 month release cycle and part of the Ubuntu project, Kubuntu is the GNU/Linux distribution for everyone.

Kubuntu 6.06 LTS Installation Walkthrough with Screenshots

LaCie Two Big 1TB DAS enclosure Review
HEXUS posted a review on LaCie Two Big 1TB DAS enclosure

We've had some fun with eSATA before, thanks to the Thecus N2050. Today we have a similar product from LaCie on test. We've got 1TB worth of storage to try out, so let's get on with it...

LaCie Two Big 1TB DAS enclosure Review