Halo
for PC: Beta Preview
Some of you might have heard of a game called Halo, widely regarded
as one of the best games ever made. Gamers worldwide have long
lamented that it was an Xbox only game. Well, Halo PC is due
for release in mid-October, and for the past week I have had
the great pleasure to taking a beta of Halo PC for a test drive.
The
State of "Broadband" in New Zealand: Telecom, xDSL, and The Petition As most of you know, New Zealand's largest Telecommunications provider,
Telecom, recently announced some new xDSL plans apparently designed to entice
more residential users to jump onto the "broadband" (term used
loosely) bandwagon. These plans were promptly met with a large backlash
from consumers, who rightfully felt insulted at the proposed offerings.
Telecom quickly responded with a statement basically saying "there's
more, honest!". Here's our take on the current situation and what we
would like to see.
CoolerMaster
Aero7 Heatsink For many years now, desktop computers have been cooled by heatsinks
mounted with axial fans. The obvious problem with axial fans is that they
have a motor hub in the middle of the fan, which creates a deadspot in the
center of the heatsink it is trying to cool. Today we will be taking a look
at the Aero7, which breaks HSF tradition and comes armed with a squirrel
cage fan.
Microsoft
Wireless Optical Blue Mouse Today we take a look at one of the newest products in the Microsoft
mouse range; the Microsoft Wireless Optical Blue. The Wireless Optical Blue
is not a contoured mouse so it will fit nicely into either the left or right
hand, meaning you lefties are no longer left in the lurch.
Is your PC running slowly? maybe the RAM memory you Solution
April 7, 2016 @ 12:42 pm | Posted by Geek4life
Your computer slows down or running slowly ? It has been a while since you bought it and you’ve never stopped to take a look at the status of your memory ? If you read this you feel identified with any of the situations discussed, your computer may need to renew the RAM .Memory is a key component in any self – respecting team therefore must pay adequate attention to avoid unpleasant unforeseen and ensure proper and efficient operation. There are many brands available in the market memories RAM computer, although it should be noted that, when deciding on one, it is convenient that you consider the reliability of the manufacturer. Kingston , one of the reference marks in the manufacture of computer memories, offering the user different memories designed for each system.
RAM
If you are looking to improve the performance of your computer, Kingston has thought about it designing memories created for a specific brand systems , calls ‘branded memories’ . Before continuing, you’re probably wondering what kind of memory is that use your computer . To choose correctly RAM do not forget to note the motherboard (if you have technology DDR3 or DDR4 ) as well as the tasks soles perform with your computer because memory is available in different models and speeds.Well, Kingston make available to its clients a finder memory for the user to know which is exactly what you need.
Whether you’re a handyman with the components of your PC as if you’ve never dared to replace one of them and if you want to have an idea of how the memory of your computer would be replaced, Kingston shows an example of installation both on a computer desktop and on a laptop in a brand concreta.Las benefits of memories branded they will not wait because, by opting for a Kingston memory card designed exclusively for the brand of your equipment, you are guaranteed a full compatibility and quality assurance and of course improved performance in both your laptop and your desktop PC.
End of an era: Logitech stopped making other peripherals
February 7, 2016 @ 12:39 pm | Posted by Geek4life
End of an era: Logitech stopped making other peripherals
One of the memories of many of us to buy a computer for our home was to come with a keyboard and mouse Logitech brand. They lasted years working correctly , were comfortable and also cheap to replace in case of an accident.
Logitech became synonymous with quality at a good price , a mouse yours could last you a decade of clicks, double clicks and right clicks, bumps and falls.While you bought pad after pad, the mouse remained the same. Logitech mice and U96 will be missed by many.
The “gamer” market is much more beneficial for Logitech.
But this is over. The Swiss manufacturer announced it will manufacture affordable for manufacturers of PC peripherals , and will focus on the marketpremium in the environment players and end – user sales. The announcement came in March, and in the last quarter of 2015 Logitech sent its last shipment .
The segment was responsible for fewer percentage of revenue from the manufacturer, and with few margins and recognition, there was no point in him more. Possibly for years it has been economically reasonable to have abandoned him. With the continuation of mice and keyboards for gamers,Logitech better margins, more benefits and more loyal audience who appreciates ensures brand .
The definitive keyboard?
January 11, 2016 @ 12:37 pm | Posted by Geek4life
Mechanical, compact, ergonomic, programmable, with additives that attach… The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard wants to be the most complete keyboard that exists.
When someone test a mechanical keyboard, likes and begins to be interested in them enters a new world. A huge community of users including without numerical block keyboards, ergonomic and programmable keys of colors.
Since they are a product of niche, with the exception of the rise of the mechanical gaming keyboard, many of them are designed and manufactured through crowdfunding. Ultimate Hacking Keyboard stands out as one of the most ambitious thing to remember.
What is a mechanical keyboard?
Gubz, of overclock.net
Mechanical keyboards are robust, his touch does not degrade with use (something that happens in all membrane keyboards/keypads use) nor are the keys jammed or less sensitive than others. Most importantly: is great to write on them.
Mechanical keyboards are built entirely by a plaque on which are mounted themechanisms of pulseswitches under each key. All have the same activation force and ensures its functioning after more than 50 million keystrokes. These mechanisms are designed in the best possible way by and to write, so unlike other keyboards, his touch and response is much better.
Mechanical keyboards provide the best experience when writingThese mechanisms and their keys have a long run, as opposed to the keyboard type “laptop”, so the performance of the key answer is ideal and you won’t have to press down or you force your fingers being placed in a position and angle much more natural. There are linear mechanisms where the force is constant and the key turns to half of the journey, and others with tactile sensation where the mechanism down its force or emits a click to activate the key, causing many people to write significantly faster to detect fingers activation while they write.
This offers endless possibilities. All these possibilities have been taken into account in the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard project.
The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard
The keyboard focuses primarily on programmers and writers, making our hands (which should not abandon the central row of keys) are in a position as comfortable and natural as possible. That is why to split in two to have that perfect angle.
It is configurable in the type of mechanisms we wantboth distribution (ANSI or ISO). There are linear and tactile and different actuating force. Enthusiasts tend to end up with many keyboards in their homes for this reason: try and enjoy the variants offered by the German manufacturer Cherry.
Being very Compact is ideal to take to the office in the backpack and have the mouse near: less movement of hands and better position. These designs are very common on mechanical keyboards since those who know typing tend not to need the numeric block except in leaves of calculation.
It’s programmable hardware, so it will work as you like on any computer. For those who write in COLEMAK or DVORAK is ideal, but programmers can choose to change the Esc by the lock. Shift. or Ctrl for the lock. Shift to have it in a more comfortable position for example. Something also common in the world of keyboards.
It also has additives that attached to the keyboard when it is divided into two such as a trackball or extra buttons so no need, if you want to, mouse. They are aimed at managers of systems and programmers who use much the terminal, a very specific niche.
I have spent years immersed in the world of keyboards, and I had never seen a project so ambitious and full.
Crowdfunding period ends on December 14. It has already reached its target and keyboards will reach consumers in July 2016. Still can be book one, with the settings you want for $200.
First Nano-ITX Cases @ Epiacenter.com
23.03.2004 @ 10:46.28 | Posted by Geek4life
"Friday, 19th of March 2004 will be a day to be remembered for a long time. Well,
let's say so...;-) As most of you know VIA presented their new Nano-ITX form factor at their Press Conference on Friday at CeBit. EPIACENTER was there to get all the latest information and to provide you with photos from the first Nano-ITX cases which were shown."
"I have yet to see any product put a smile on as many faces and induce as many questions as this monitor did. 3 co-workers bought these screens just from what they'd seen on my desk and are all currently running them on cross Linux/2k setup using Synergy. "
"The question of "which power supply is the best?" comes up quite often. The
PC power supply can sometimes be the culprit behind system instability; the pc won't boot, has to be restarted two or three times to completely boot, crashes, freezes or spontaneously reboots. Which PC power supply is the best? Zalman, FSP, Enermax and SilenX are four more that are put to the test so you can find out."
"And once again it's time for another SFF article. The last one was well accepted by you readers and since there is a lot going on in the barebone front at the moment, much more than on the conventional mainboard front, we thought of blessing you with another SFF roundup. The competitors this time is AOen's newly released EY65 XCube, EPoX' EX5-300S Mini Me and Shuttle's two latest creations ST62K and ST61G4. The two first mentioned are based on Intel's trusted i865G chipset while the last two are based on ATi's RS300 chipset also known as Radeon 9100 IGP."
SFF roundupATI Radeon 9800 XT @ Viper Lair
04.02.2004 @ 19:43.51 | Posted by Geek4life
"ATI has finally put a thermal probe somewhere in their card but doesn't offer a built-in temperature monitor. My suggestion to both ATI and nVidia is to have this integrated in one of the best temperature monitoring programs out there, Motherboard Monitor. OverDrive is another automatic overclocker, which does just that overclocks the card a little bit."
Shuttle traditionally catered to the OEM and system builder crowd with very stable and solid motherboard solutions. Then came the XPC, and suddenly Shuttle was in the mainstream enthusiast limelight. Coupling an innovative all in one SFF (small form factor) design with some of the most powerful chipsets on the planet, Shuttle quickly won over the hearts and minds of enthusiasts and LAN gamers everywhere.
The Entertainer is a great soundcard with a good price, solid performance and extreme compatibility. You can plug every audio toy you have into this card and enjoy them all in heart-pounding 8 point surround sound. The Entertainer does everything a soundcard should do and more, which makes it an exceptional product that I would recommend to anyone who....
Simply enough "CMOS Reloaded" as DFI has dubbed it, is a back up for your commonly used BIOS settings. So if you wish to set it up a particular way, or change the settings a lot and are a tweaker, the next time you reset your CMOS you can simply load up your old settings and start from there.
Since everyone is jumping the NVIDIA ship, some people are doing both, and some people are dropping out of the market. We thought we would take the ASUS NVIDIA product for a spin. Using the latest 5950U GPU how does it perform? Are ASUS putting more weight behind the ATi solutions than the NVIDIA ones?
"With a mediocre game bundle that needs a revamp, a utility set that borders on the weird (you want to use a �372 games accelerator to provide security on your house?), high price and a cooler that screams out for fan adjust, the ASUS is underwhelming. It's a shame that despite strong performance, the bundle contents, cooler and price conspire to make its rivals look that bit more attractive."
Read more Albatron GeForceFX 5950 Ultra Videocard Review
06.01.2004 @ 21:23.45 | Posted by Geek4life
"nVIDIA has been working very hard and their new mainstream GeForceFX 5700 Ultra just beats the Radeon 9600XT in most benchmarks or applications. nVIDIA have realized that there's very little brand loyalty out there when it all comes down to price, and the ability to deliver a superior product to ATi's offering. Meet those two requirements and consumers will come right back. The FX5900 Ultra gave the Radeon 9800 Pro a good run for its money, but the question we are now facing is if the revised FX5950 Ultra be able to dethrone the Radeon 9800XT? The Albatron GeForceFX 5950 UV videocard packs a full 256MB of Hynix BGA DRAM, and is fully VIVO compatible. Albatron equip the FX5950UV with the "Wise Fan HSF" which we saw on their FX 5900 PV a while back. Two of the three 40mm fans spin by default, however if one fan should fail, or the temperature rises above 56 degrees Celsius, the third backup fan will kick in automatically."
"I took it upon myself to find out the answer to my most pertinent question over the past month or so: if I had a really fast set of hardware, and a choice between the most popular CPU and chipset solutions available, which would be the fastest for me? The best way to do this of course would be to take a screaming fast hard drive like the Hitachi 7k250 250gb SATA drive, some of the industry leading Corsair Pro 4000, and a Radeon 9800 XT and finally an Asetek complete Waterchill unit and then mate them in an unholy union between the top dogs from each company. This was to include an i875 based p4 2.4c, then with the help of DFI a 3.2GHz P4 Extreme Edition in the same mainboard, and finally hrough the generosity of AMD an Athlon 64 3200 on a K8T800 chipset based mainboard. What I did was keep the guts hardware (memory, HDD, VGA), keep the same driver set and everything else except for the mainboard and CPU. Doing so would isolate the effect on CPU performance on the one thing we are all really concerned about here: FRAMERATES! What I found was both surprising and obvious: all of them were VERY fast, including the 2.4c when overclocked�and the rest you will need to discover as you click through the next few pages."
"Over the last six months, I have reviewed several monitors, including the Samsung 192T, which I even ended up buying for myself. There has however been one problem with all the LCD displays I have reviewed so far � they only go up to 1280x1024 in resolution. Since I review many video cards, I really need to be able to go up to at least 1600x1200, and so far I have been forced to use my six year old, trusty Samsung 900P to do this duty. Today, I am happy to give you my thoughts on the new Samsung 975MB. I have been using this monitor for about a month and am ready to give you my opinion of it."
"With Christmas only just around the corner, there may be no better time than now to look into PC water cooling as an interesting gift to spice up a computer for friends or family. Today we've taken a look at the Thermaltake Aquarius III water cooling system. Read on and find out if this is the right gift or not!"
"Don't be fooled, the Athlon XP processor is still going strong despite the release of the expensive and not yet mainstream Athlon 64 processor by AMD. Today we've got the Soyo KT600 Dragon Ultra Platinum motherboard on the test bed which is based on VIA's KT600 chipset for the Athlon XP. If you cannot afford the Athlon 64 platform, pay very close attention to this motherboard!"
"Gainward (or rather Envy24) impresses in its simplicity. The values which we have gotten from the card are actually really impressive for such a cheap card. It is nothing that can blow Creative's latest soundcards away but in the meantime most of them do not fight in the same price range."
"The secret of the Cooljag CJC66IC-A heatsink does not reveal itself until the fans' intake air reaches elevated temperatures, and once that happens, the full speed of the fan kicks in and rapidly adds extra airflow to cool the copper skived fins below. With the aid of a thermistor sticking out the side of the fans' motor, the Everflow fan can ramp up in speed from a whisper-quiet 1300RPM to a rather loud 6000RPM. At full blast, vibration can start to be an issue. The fully copper skived heatsink features fins of 0.6mm thickness, on a 2mm pitch, but what really makes the CoolJag CJC66IC-A stand out is the copper base. Machined in four places are relief cuts which have removed a 17mm x 26mm swath in each of the four corners. The reason for this?"