Here today's reviews roundup with 17 new articles, including Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB Wireless Hard Drive Review, Duke Nukem 3D Code Review, Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T Windows 8 Tablet Review, Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 FM2 Motherboard Review: Overkill for Trinity?, and Fate of AMD's Sea Islands obscured in the fog



Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB Wireless Hard Drive Review @ Bigbruin.com

At CES 2013, Seagate launched a new portable external hard drive which is simply called the Wireless Plus. This new drive, like its predecessor the Satellite, was designed with the mobile world in mind. It features wireless connectivity for smartphones, tablets, consoles, media players, and virtually any wireless device.

While the Seagate Satellite was available with a capacity of 500GB, the new Wireless Plus is currently available as a 1TB drive. In addition to a capacity upgrade, other refinements include improved battery life and software enhancements. One of the most exciting of these enhancements is the ability to write to the Wireless Plus over the wireless connection.

Read more: Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB Wireless Hard Drive Review @ Bigbruin.com

Duke Nukem 3D Code Review @ Fabien Sanglard's Website

Since I left my job at Amazon I have spent a lot of time reading great source code. Having exhausted the insanely good idSoftware pool, the next thing to read was one of the greatest game of all time : Duke Nukem 3D and the engine powering it named "Build".

It turned out to be a difficult experience: The engine delivered great value and ranked high in terms of speed, stability and memory consumption but my enthousiasm met a source code controversial in terms of organization, best practices and comments/documentation. This reading session taught me a lot about code legacy and what helps a software live long.

As usual I cleaned up my notes into an article. I hope it will inspire some of us to read more source code and become better engineers.

Read more: Duke Nukem 3D Code Review @ Fabien Sanglard's Website

Otterbox Defender for Nokia Lumia 920 @ KitGuru

Mobile phones really are so engrained into our daily life now that existing without one seems almost implausible. Buying a mobile phone or entering into a contract is an expensive business. If you are as ham fisted as me then it is always worthwhile contemplating insurance with the network provider, which is in my case Vodafone. How do you go about protecting that investment without spending a fortune however?

Read more: Otterbox Defender for Nokia Lumia 920 @ KitGuru

Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T Windows 8 Tablet Review @ HotHardware

Not long ago, we tested one of Samsung's new Windows 8 tablets to take a close-up look at Intel's Clover Trail Atom Z2760 SoC. Now that we've covered the chip driving the tablet, it's time to take a look at the Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T as a whole. The tablet runs about $650 by itself, which puts the price on par with a similarly-configured iPad. (Well, as similarly as it can be configured.) Throw in the optional keyboard and dock for another $100, and you're still looking at a device that should be able to stand in for your laptop in some situations, at an attainable price.

Read more: Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T Windows 8 Tablet Review @ HotHardware

TYLT vs Antec vs Rosewill Portable USB Battery Pack Shootout @ MEGATech

There’s a price to be paid when it comes to owning high-powered smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S III and the LG Optimus G… and I’m not just talking about those lengthy contracts we have with our cell phone providers. You’ve surely had the experience of being out for the day, doing your thing, only to realize that the battery on your mobile device is about to run dry. You’re nowhere near a charger, nor do you have the time to tether yourself to a wall outlet for an hour to top that thing back up. What can you do?

The good news is that there is an assortment of portable battery packs out there that address this very need, but how can you know which one is the best one? Are they all really the same? In this shootout review, we take a look at three such universal battery solutions, all of which allow you to charge just about anything that takes a USB connection. We have the TYLT PowerPlant, the Antec PowerUp 6000, and the Rosewill External Backup Battery.

Read more: TYLT vs Antec vs Rosewill Portable USB Battery Pack Shootout @ MEGATech

Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

The Triathlor FC is the latest power supply series with the 80 Plus Bronze certification from Enermax, coming to replace the MODU82+ series. So far, three models were released: 550 W, 650 W, and 700 W. Let's see if the 650 W model is a good buy.

Read more: Enermax Triathlor FC 650 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

GIGABYTE Z77X-UP7 Intel Z77 Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews

GIGABYTE has tossed their latest Intel Z77 Express motherboard our way, and we caught it with a grin. The GIGABYTE Z77X-UP7 is the flagship motherboard on the Intel Z77 side and has a number of impressive features! Among them is the 32 phase CPU power delivery, Quad SLI and CrossFireX capabilities. That's not all though, want to find out more? Join us as we put the top dog from GIGABYTE through the paces!

Read more: GIGABYTE Z77X-UP7 Intel Z77 Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews

Logitech T620 Touch Mouse @ Techradar

To say we weren't completely enamoured with Logitech's earlier M600 Touch Mouse would be a bit of an understatement, so it was with a slight hint of trepidation that we opened the packaging for the touch-responsive Logitech T620 Touch Mouse. We liked what Logitech was attempting with the M600, but a muddled design and cheap feel got in the way. But is the Logitech T620 Touch Mouse any better?The good news is that for the most part the Logitech T620 Touch Mouse is a big improvement on its predecessor. Gone is the hollow feel of the M600 that gave it a rather cheap and brittle feel. The new mouse is by no means heavy, but it feels better built.

Read more: Logitech T620 Touch Mouse @ Techradar

OCZ Vector 256GB @ Techradar

Solid-state drive controller chipsets matter. A lot. That's why relatively small outfit OCZ acquired boutique controller manufacturer Indilinx with a view to making its own kit. But controller chipsets are also bloody difficult to get right, which is why Intel was forced to buy Sandforce controllers off the shelf when its own technology had fallen behind. But if Intel, with its bottomless pit of money, can't get it right, what hope for OCZ?

Read more: OCZ Vector 256GB @ Techradar

Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 FM2 Motherboard Review: Overkill for Trinity? @ PC Perspective

FM2 poses an interesting quandary for motherboard manufacturers. AMD provides a very robust and full featured chip for use with their processors (A85X) that would lend itself well to midrange and enthusiast class motherboards. Unfortunately, AMD does not provide a similarly high end CPU as compared to the competition at price ranges that would make sense for a motherboard that would cost between $140 and $250 on the FM2 platform.

So these manufacturers are constrained on price to offer fully featured motherboards that take advantage of all aspects of the A85X FCH (Fusion Controller Hub). Until AMD can deliver a more competitive CPU on the FM2 platform, motherboard manufacturers will be forced to design offerings that can really go no higher than $129 (the current price of the fastest A10 processor from AMD). This is not necessarily a bad thing though, as it has forced these manufacturers to really rethink their designs and to focus their energies on getting the greatest bang-for-the-buck. AMD is selling a decent number of these processors, but the market is constrained as compared to the Intel offerings utilizing the 1155 BGA infrastructure.

Read more: Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 FM2 Motherboard Review: Overkill for Trinity? @ PC Perspective

HighPoint RocketStor 5322 Review @ OCC

When you pair the HighPoint RocketStor 5322 up with the RocketRAID 642L PCIe HBA, it's tough to find an external storage system that will deliver the performance numbers the RocketStor 5322 is capable of. In just about every test the only configuration that would eclipse the numbers by the HighPoint combo is when the storage drives were mounted internally to the native Intel 6Gb/s headers. By delivering a product of this caliber, the end user can significantly reduce the time it takes to run back ups or just move data from an internal drive to one mounted in the RocketStor 5322. In some of the tests the RocketStor 5322 delivered better performance numbers than the internally mounted drive by way of the higher throughput of the dual eSATA connectivity.

Read more: HighPoint RocketStor 5322 Review @ OCC

AZiO Levetron GH808 Gaming Headset Review @ Custom PC Review

After reviewing AZiO’s Levetron Mech 5 mechanical gaming keyboard several months back and coming away quite impressed with the product, AZiO promised us that they were quite focused on the gaming market and hinted that they would be expanding the Levetron line of products in the near future.

Delivering on their promise, today we’ll be reviewing the first gaming headset to grace AZiO’s Levetron line of gaming peripherals, the AZiO Levetron GH808 USB Gaming Headset. The Levetron GH808 features 40mm precision tuned neodymium drivers, bass enhancing vibration modules, circumural earcups, and a swing out noise cancelling microphone. Additionally, it also features the AZiO exclusive SuperBass function, which AZiO claims will dramatically enhance the bass response when enabled.

Read more: AZiO Levetron GH808 Gaming Headset Review @ Custom PC Review

AMD wants to set the record straight on its future GPU strategy @ PC Perspective

Remember that story we posted last week and then discussed on the podcast about AMD not releasing any new GPUs in 2013? Today we had a call with AMD that attempted to answer some questions, clear up some confusion and give us some insight to the company's direction. I say 'attempted' because after a 53 minute discussion, we have some answers, but we also have some interesting questions that remain.

First, some definitions. If you have heard about code names like "Solar System" and "Sea Islands" you might not know what they refer to. Sea Islands is a new line that will fall into the 8000-series of products and will be a refresh, slightly different architecture based heavily on the Southern Islands parts you've come to love in the Radeon HD 7000 parts. Solar System is the name AMD has given to the sub-category of Sea Islands directly related to mobile products, the 8000M.

Read more: AMD wants to set the record straight on its future GPU strategy @ PC Perspective

Brando Power Jacket for Nokia Lumia 920 @ WP Central

Packing a lot of power, the Brando Power Jacket is a nice solution for those who don't mind the extra bulk Back a few weeks ago we reported on Brando bringing their seemingly high quality Power Jacket to market for the Lumia 920. The $37 item features a massive 2200mAh battery that wraps around your precious Nokia phone, allowing you go all day and night all at the price of extra size. Our Jacket showed up yesterday and we've been toying around with it. Verdict? For $37 we think it's a good deal.

Read more: Brando Power Jacket for Nokia Lumia 920 @ WP Central

RHA CA-200 White Headphones Review @ TopReviewShop

Our test unit came in white color and is covered in a glossy plastic finish throughout. A single silver stripe around the headband and ear cups, along with the RHA logo adorned on each side, give the headphones a minimalistic and understated look. Light gray colored leatherette padding is used for the headband and ear cups. They are pretty much the exact opposite of the typical bling and multi-colored fashionista type of headphones that you typically see marketed at this price point. I, for one, appreciate the classic design.

The closed-back CA-200 has one significant design feature --- the detachable braided cable. This is a welcome feature for a budget-priced set. As the cable is often the culprit for faulty headphones, it's nice to know that you can simply replace the cable if it goes bad. The braid of the cable also keeps it from getting tangled which is a welcome feature with any set of headphones.

The 3.5mm cable splits into left and right connections, with color coding used to differentiate the left side from the right side. Directly above the right ear cup is a small graphic showing that the red colored connector is to be used for the right side. I appreciated this small attention to detail as it was quite easy to otherwise use the wrong connector.

Read more: RHA CA-200 White Headphones Review @ TopReviewShop

Nokia Lumia 620 Smartphone with Windows Phone 8 Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Looking to bring the Windows Phone 8 experience to a lower price point than the Lumia 920 is Nokias new Lumia 620. With interchangeable covers, HD camera and expandable storage it may just fit the bill as a great midrange handset.

Read more: Nokia Lumia 620 Smartphone with Windows Phone 8 Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Fate of AMD's Sea Islands obscured in the fog @ The Tech Report

Reports surfaced last weekend that AMD's graphics roadmap for 2013 would keep the Radeon HD 7000 series "stable" throughout the year. Naturally, we had questions, and AMD held a conference call for the press today, in an attempt to clarify matters. As for whether it worked, well, you can decide for yourself

Read more: Fate of AMD's Sea Islands obscured in the fog @ The Tech Report