Lian Li Case Dressup!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Lian Li cases are extremely popular these days, and it’s easy to see why. Many high-end computer systems call Lian Li their home because of the innovative designs, working space, light weight, and sheer workmanship of their cases. There are many optional add-ons for Lian Li cases, and CoolerGuys.com was kind enough to send over some accessories so we can play a little Lian Li dressup!
Some of Lian Li’s more popular cases are the PC-V1000 and PC-V2000, but many people won’t risk cutting a window themselves. For one, the aluminum is very thick and would eat Dremel wheels for breakfast; and why cut a window when you can buy a professionally cut pre-fabbed window direct from Lian Li themselves?
Rice out your Lian Li
Screen on 4 wheels
OCModshop :: Friday, March 31, 2006
Lian Li Case Dressup!
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 31, 2006
Lian Li cases are extremely popular these days, and it’s easy to see why. Many high-end computer systems call Lian Li their home because of the innovative designs, working space, light weight, and sheer workmanship of their cases. There are many optional add-ons for Lian Li cases, and CoolerGuys.com was kind enough to send over some accessories so we can play a little Lian Li dressup!
Some of Lian Li’s more popular cases are the PC-V1000 and PC-V2000, but many people won’t risk cutting a window themselves. For one, the aluminum is very thick and would eat Dremel wheels for breakfast; and why cut a window when you can buy a professionally cut pre-fabbed window direct from Lian Li themselves?
Rice out your Lian Li
Windows Vista and F.E.A.R. : friends or enemies
OCModshop :: Friday, March 31, 2006
To find out the answer, I’ve just installed today F.E.A.R. on a Vista (Build 5308) testing plateform, ie my all brand new gamer computer with an Amd Athlon 64 3200+ @ 2.4Ghz, a 1 GB of OCZ memory and a Sapphire X800GTO² card.
Here is a shot of Windows Task Manager, running with F.E.A.R., 7 (seven) instances of Internet Explorer 7, Paint (useful with prt scr key !), Windows Explorer, and Windows Photo Gallery.
check it out
Plexi Bending Tutorial at Modders-Inc.com
OCModshop :: Friday, March 31, 2006
Summary: Master Modders Sheldog23 show us one of his secerts for making a custom modded case. Quote: I get asked all the time “How did you bend the Plex for your UTMod?”. After trying to explain it to people and describe what a heating element was, I finally decided to write this handy How-to.
check it out
uCLinux: An Overview
OCModshop :: Friday, March 31, 2006
“I got to know about this Linux kernel when I was talking to one of my friends who’s doing internship at Analog Devices, Bangalore and trying to do something with this kernel and blackfin processor. In the past few years, Linux has become an increasingly popular operating system choice in the embedded devices development sector – especially with consumer products, telecommunications routers and switches, Internet appliances, and industrial and automotive applications.”
StuffGeek Flash Synchronizer@pc-base.net
OCModshop :: Friday, March 31, 2006
Quote: “The flash Synchronizer will really improve your photos, by allowing you to use a second flash. The extra flash can reduce shadows and give you more light.”
Jetart VC-2000 VGA Heatsink Cools, Confuses Elderly
Thursday, March 30, 2006
For all the aftermarket equipment out there, your average consumer could easily be swallowed with all of the flashing lights and bright sound of the third party computer hardware industry. Sure to the average computer user, adding on nifty new peripherals or replacing parts that in their eyes they have no need to replace. My father is a prime example of this, he buys a computer once every couple of years and has the things he wants put on it right then and there. His equipment is good for a while, but when his graphics card becomes to slow to run the games he would like to play, he just guts it out until he’s ready to buy another computer, rather then going out and buying a new graphics card. The same could be said for darn near everything else on his system.
So when I told him that I was reviewing a new fan that goes on my graphics card, he seemed a little perplexed?
Read on, true believer…
Jetart VC-2000 VGA Heatsink Cools, Confuses Elderly
OCmodshop :: Thursday, March 30, 2006
For all the aftermarket equipment out there, your average consumer could easily be swallowed with all of the flashing lights and bright sound of the third party computer hardware industry. Sure to the average computer user, adding on nifty new peripherals or replacing parts that in their eyes they have no need to replace. My father is a prime example of this, he buys a computer once every couple of years and has the things he wants put on it right then and there. His equipment is good for a while, but when his graphics card becomes to slow to run the games he would like to play, he just guts it out until he’s ready to buy another computer, rather then going out and buying a new graphics card. The same could be said for darn near everything else on his system.
So when I told him that I was reviewing a new fan that goes on my graphics card, he seemed a little perplexed?
Sea Sonic S12 Power Supply Rides the Clean Power Wave
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Sea Sonic is a rising competitor in the consumer power supply market, dedicated to developing and manufacturing green and silent power supplies. To keep with their promise, the Sea Sonic S12-430W, contains numerous features to keep no only their power supply, but your computer running silent. The following is a list of some of the general features included with the S12:
The back of the power supply is a nice honey comb design to allow for maximum ventilation and to keep with Sea Sonics’ idea of having a silent product. Unlike most power supplies, these units do not have a switch to go from 115v to 220v; they have Universal Free AC input, which allows the unit to select the voltage on its own. This is a very handy feature to prevent any problems that may be caused by having the switch set wrong. The S12 comes with pre-twisted wires on all the cables, which allows for better cable control and cooling in the computer. Also, the ATX motherboard connector can be switch from 20-pin to 24-pin depending on the application. Also shown is a serial ATA connector, the dual CPU power connector, and the connector to monitor the units fans through the motherboard.
Sea Sonic S12 Power Supply Rides the Clean Power Wave
OCmodshop :: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Sea Sonic is a rising competitor in the consumer power supply market, dedicated to developing and manufacturing green and silent power supplies. To keep with their promise, the Sea Sonic S12-430W, contains numerous features to keep no only their power supply, but your computer running silent. The following is a list of some of the general features included with the S12:
The back of the power supply is a nice honey comb design to allow for maximum ventilation and to keep with Sea Sonics’ idea of having a silent product. Unlike most power supplies, these units do not have a switch to go from 115v to 220v; they have Universal Free AC input, which allows the unit to select the voltage on its own. This is a very handy feature to prevent any problems that may be caused by having the switch set wrong. The S12 comes with pre-twisted wires on all the cables, which allows for better cable control and cooling in the computer. Also, the ATX motherboard connector can be switch from 20-pin to 24-pin depending on the application. Also shown is a serial ATA connector, the dual CPU power connector, and the connector to monitor the units fans through the motherboard.
Z-RAM, a Breakthrough in Memory Technology – Interview with Jeff Lewis at ISi (LostCircuits)
OCModshop :: Monday, March 27, 2006
Conventional DRAMs are made of capacitors and transistors where the capacitor stores the data and the transistor opens or closes the passgate for the data to enter the system. Innovative Silicon Inc (ISi) have turned the difficulties of manufacturing this standard memory type on an SOI process into a feature by leaving out the capacitor – and guess what, it still works.
We had the chance to grill Jeff Lewis, VP of Worldwide Marketing at ISi regarding the technology, the corporate profile and the potential applications of Z-RAM and got more than a mouthful….
Yamaha Sound Projector YSP-1000 Review
OCModshop :: Monday, March 27, 2006
“The Yamaha Sound Projector YSP-1000 promises full physical 5 channel surround sound from one single box. This was the solution for me to be able to install a home theater in my new living room without wiring up the whole place and risking divorce. The secret behind the Yamaha Sound Projection technology is the use of walls to reflect sound. The Yamaha YSP-1000 is one of those gadgets that increased my heart-rate when I opened the box. Read the full review to find out if the surround sound performance from a single box can replace the typical 5 loudspeaker setup. ”
MSI GeForce 7800 GT SLI Investigation at nVnews
OCModshop :: Monday, March 27, 2006
Quote: “To switch things up a bit, we will examine SLI on the Intel platform with MSI’s P4N Diamond motherboard paired up with a couple of NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT’s, one of which is a reference model and the other an MSI NX7800GT-VT2D256E .”
Possible Spam: Gaming System Specs Guide for the Casual Gamer
OCModshop :: Monday, March 27, 2006
Quote: “Hardcore gamers generally know what they need to run the latest and greatest games on the market. However, many casual gamers don’t have time to invest in gaining this knowledge. For people in this category, I have pulled info from all over the net to identify what will run the hottest games on the market.
I know there are many, many less intense games on the market that won’t require high-end specs and can still run on 900MHz processors. This guide is for the hardcore and casual gamers who want to play games like Counter Strike Source, Half Life 2, Battlefield 2, Empire at War, Age of Empires 3, World of Warcraft, Quake 4, Doom 3, and other demanding games like them.”
Actiontec VoSKY Call Center Review
OCModshop :: Monday, March 27, 2006
“Founded in 1993, Actiontec Electronics is dedicated to enriching consumers’ lives with great connectivity solutions. Over the years, Actiontec has developed numerous products in broadband, entertainment, home networking and communications categories. Their latest product, VoSKY Call Center has become one of the leading products in IP telephony marked. To be more precise, VoSKY Call Center enables Skype subscribers to use their telephones (cells and landlines) to talk to their Skype friends for free or anywhere else in the world for a small fee.”
Sony Delays, Microsoft Plays
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 24, 2006
Sony’s decision to delay the launch of the Playstation 3 console from spring to November has given Microsoft’s Xbox 360 time to gain a bigger foothold in the gaming market.
Microsoft knows when it rules the roost, and they know how to play for keeps. They have publicly stated that the third installment of their most profitable franchise, Halo, will be strategically released to compete with the Playstation 3. Industry insiders have confirmed that Halo 3 is already completed and ready to ship, but Microsoft was holding off until spring. Now it appears that Halo 3 may as well be vaporware, because in all likelihood Microsoft will delay its release until November.
Read about Sony’s Great Mistake
Sony Delays, Microsoft Plays
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Sony’s decision to delay the launch of the Playstation 3 console from spring to November has given Microsoft’s Xbox 360 time to gain a bigger foothold in the gaming market.
Microsoft knows when it rules the roost, and they know how to play for keeps. They have publicly stated that the third installment of their most profitable franchise, Halo, will be strategically released to compete with the Playstation 3. Industry insiders have confirmed that Halo 3 is already completed and ready to ship, but Microsoft was holding off until spring. Now it appears that Halo 3 may as well be vaporware, because in all likelihood Microsoft will delay its release until November.
Read about Sony’s Great Mistake
Scythe Kama Bay: Silent But Deadly
Thursday, March 23, 2006
The Kama is simply a silent 120mm fan encased in a steel painted housing and additional mounting hardware. The paint has a nice matte finish and looks very durable. The front of the unit is made of a mesh that allows 60% airflow and a filter. The Kama can be mounted horizontally (laying flat) into a single drive bay, or can be mounted vertically (standing up) to blow air directly into the case, but takes up three drive bays.
The fan is extremely quiet, rotating at 800rpm, with a noise level of 12 dBA! An average room is usually 16-18dBA, so this fan is definately quieter than the computer that hosts it. The fan still manages to push out 30 cubic feet of air per minute, which is quite impressive for a silent fan.
Vantec EZ-Swap2 makes SATA swaps fun!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
One of the most useful server features is a hot-swappable drive bay. Some entry-level servers do not include this feature, or you may have a PC configuration that makes uninstalling hard drives a time-consuming process. Vantec has answered the call with their EZ-Swap2 hot-swappable drive bay. It supports SATA and SATA 2 drives. These can be useful for the desktop user who wants to physically swap out their boot drives, take data with you, or can be used in a RAID array to support hot-swapping of naughty drives.
The EZ-Swap 2 Serial ATA version is as convenient as a mobile rack can get. It allows hard drives to be directly connected without going through additional circuits, thereby reducing the potential for performance loss. The drive is secured inside a cartridge, which is then inserted into a bay chasis. The EZ-Swap 2 SATA also features a clever keylock mechanism to safeguard the drive physically and electronically. Since it uses SATA technology, the EZ-Swap 2 SATA is also hot swappable.
Read how Vantec lets you stick it in the Van!
Vantec EZ-Swap2 makes SATA swaps fun!
OCmodshop :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
One of the most useful server features is a hot-swappable drive bay. Some entry-level servers do not include this feature, or you may have a PC configuration that makes uninstalling hard drives a time-consuming process. Vantec has answered the call with their EZ-Swap2 hot-swappable drive bay. It supports SATA and SATA 2 drives. These can be useful for the desktop user who wants to physically swap out their boot drives, take data with you, or can be used in a RAID array to support hot-swapping of naughty drives.
The EZ-Swap 2 Serial ATA version is as convenient as a mobile rack can get. It allows hard drives to be directly connected without going through additional circuits, thereby reducing the potential for performance loss. The drive is secured inside a cartridge, which is then inserted into a bay chasis. The EZ-Swap 2 SATA also features a clever keylock mechanism to safeguard the drive physically and electronically. Since it uses SATA technology, the EZ-Swap 2 SATA is also hot swappable.
Read how Vantec lets you stick it in the Van!
Thermaltake Tide Water All in One VGA Liquid Cooling Module Review
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
“Water cooling has come a long way in the past few years. With Intel’s recent innovation it could become more maintenance free and mainstream than ever before. In that same vein of relative maintenance-free liquid cooling, Thermaltake brings us the Tide Water All in One VGA Liquid Cooling Module. My first reaction to this was “neat, but probably too good to be true. Was my hunch correct?”
Scythe Kama Bay: Silent But Deadly @ OCmodshop
OCmodshop :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
The Kama is simply a silent 120mm fan encased in a steel painted housing and additional mounting hardware. The paint has a nice matte finish and looks very durable. The front of the unit is made of a mesh that allows 60% airflow and a filter. The Kama can be mounted horizontally (laying flat) into a single drive bay, or can be mounted vertically (standing up) to blow air directly into the case, but takes up three drive bays.
The fan is extremely quiet, rotating at 800rpm, with a noise level of 12 dBA! An average room is usually 16-18dBA, so this fan is definately quieter than the computer that hosts it. The fan still manages to push out 30 cubic feet of air per minute, which is quite impressive for a silent fan.
Google Office: A Failure Compared to Microsoft Office
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
“After much speculation, Google has lastly released an online word processor, and assuming Google continues to dominate in the near future, I suspect an online version of Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher is on the horizon. While Google’s attempt to dominate its presence continues, it would have a troubling time succeeding with an online office suite for good many reasons.”
High-end Memory comparison
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
“GEIL, Kingston, Corsair, Teamgroup, Crucial or OCZ Who to choose when going for high-end (overclock) memory? See our tests and deside for yourself. Few our tests and information on these really kick ass memory kits.”
Antispyware: HitmanPro 2.4 is released!
OCModshop :: Monday, March 20, 2006
Quote: “Developer Mark Loman has worked hard on a new interface and fixed some important issues. After Hitman Pro is installed and the desired instruction/configurations have been carried out, several antispywareprograms will be downloaded of the Internet and Hitman Pro will install the (chosen) programs and will run these independently. Programs such as Ad-Aware, Spy Sweeper, Spybot, SpywareBlaster, CWShredder and the recent developed Micro Sysclean will by means of the automatic update provide you with the latest antispywaredefinitions. After the programmes have scanned the computer on viruses and spy-, ad- and malware a report is generated so you can check what it did and what it found. Please note that you are still in control you decide if you want to delete something or not ;-) ”
Shuttle SN25P review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
These last few years of developing more power consuming hardware, especially video cards would let us to believe that the barebone market still targets the customer who doesn’t require top-notch performance. Shuttle has a barebone in its XPC-series who provides what picky gamers are looking for. We have looked at this barebone.
Ballmer: Xbox will capitalize on PS3 delay
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) – After Sony announced on Tuesday that the Playstation 3 won’t launch until November, the Xbox 360 is in a better position to become the top gaming console, says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
“In every other generation, the first guy to 10 million consoles was the number one seller in the generation,” Ballmer told FORTUNE in an interview on Thursday afternoon. “Did we just get an even better opportunity to be the first guy to 10 million? Yeah, of course we did.”
Xbox 360 Bios HACKED!
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
What is this? A bit more info…
The hack is a modified firmware of the Xbox 360 Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L DVD-ROM drive (the security in the Toshiba/Samsung TS-H943 is said to be similar, so it’s probably also possible with this drive … but it does require it’s own hacked firmware of course). As you (should) know, all Xbox 360 executables (XEX files) are signed by Microsoft (with a private key only MS has). This means that if you try to change anything to the XEX file, the signature will be wrong and the file will not boot.
Now … to protect from booting an exact copy of a game from a DVD-R or other recordable media, microsoft gave each XEX file a ‘mediaflag’. This mediaflag tells the Xbox 360 from which media (cd-r, dvd-r, dvd+r, dvd-rw, hdd, dvdxbox, dvdxbox360, …) the XEX is allowed to boot. Changing this mediaflag in the XEX header is not an option as it’ll break the signature of the file (see above), so … what’s done in this firmware hack is ‘break’ the detection of the disc.
Retail games usually get a mediaflag where they only allow ‘dvdxbox360’ (Xbox 360 discs – different than a normal DVD because it has some specific bad sectors and special info in lead-in/out that can’t be written with a standard dvd burner). The modified firmware will trick the DVD drive into reporting a DVD-R (or other) as a DVDXBOX360 to the Xbox 360.
Free Xbox Live Weekend Confirmed
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
Microsoft today announced the first Free Xbox Live Gold Weekend, presented courtesy of Verizon. From March 31 through April 2, Xbox 360 gamers are invited to connect to Xbox Live and enjoy an action-packed weekend of multiplayer gaming in a community of 2 million players, free of charge.
The Verizon-sponsored Free Xbox Live Gold Weekend will feature 72 hours of nonstop events, constituting the largest programming effort of online Xbox multiplayer games ever. Events will include the following:
- A 72-hour multiplayer schedule of the most exciting games on Xbox 360
- Xbox Live Arcade leaderboard tournaments
- Xbox Live Play and Win contests
Xbox Live veterans hosting new gamers on Xbox Live
Analyst: Halo 3 Back in the Frame
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
Last year, Bill Gates famously stated that Halo 3 would be lying in wait for PlayStation 3’s spring launch. But Microsoft then distanced itself from these remarks, as it became clear that the game would not be ready. But PlayStation 3’s delay is bound to have put the prospect of spoiling Sony’s party back on the agenda.
Microsoft and Epic to Offer Ongoing Exclusive Entertainment Content
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
Microsoft Corp. and music giant Epic Records today announced an agreement to make available a full year of exclusive artist content and high-definition music video downloads free for all Xbox 360 gamers. Over the next year, Xbox 360 and Epic Records will showcase 12 up-and-coming artists through the Artist of the Month (AOM) program via the Xbox Live service, the first and only unified global online entertainment network. Through the alliance, millions of Xbox Live members can enter a monthly sweepstakes with a prize of gaming against some of the hottest musicians through the Xbox Live Game with Fame program.
Kicking off the AOM program on Xbox Live is British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield, who recently captured her second top 10 hit in the U.S. with the smash single “Unwritten,” the follow-up to last year’s top 10 hit, “These Words.” “Unwritten,” which currently holds the No. 4 spot on the Top 40 Mainstream Airplay chart, is also exploding on iTunes, making Bedingfield the No. 3 artist overall and making the single the No. 1 most downloaded pop song.
ECS PA1-Extreme Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
Needs Crossfire, but need to stay within a budget? Still want to overclock a bit? ECS may have exactly what your looking for. ECS hasn’t been the most common name heard for building overclocking setups, but they’re making great progress with their Extreme motherboards. While they don’t have DFI’s infinite timings and settings to adjust, they’re certainly not bad. For around $120, it’s hard to beat.
Team Xtender Delux Chrome XCM 360 FacePlate
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
A picture speaks a thousand words . If you are interested in reselling this product please email us at sales@teamxtender.com. Please leave comments if you are interested purchasing one of these bad boys for your own personal use
No 100 GB Xbox 360 HD Yet
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
To answer this rumor getting a lot of steam: during April, will Xbox 360 will come bundled with a 100 gig hard drive? No. Not true. False. Here’s the official statement:
We haven’t announced any additional hard drives for the Xbox 360 beyond the 20GB version available today.
Transcode 360 Next Build Info
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Sorry for the lack of updates people. I am busy with a new release and plan on holding onto it for a bit longer until I can add a couple more features. At the moment the new build mostly consists of improvements in the install process and stuff to help folks with network access and codec problems.
Are there any features you’d like to see added?
In related news, I have in the meantime established a good rappor with the author of My Movies, and once folks are happy with the ease of install for T360, I’m pretty sure I will have the go ahead to implement integration with My Movies.
nXZEN Plus Bluetooth Headset Review
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Quote: The nXZEN Headset was selected by the 2005 American Music Awards for their celebrity gift bag. The gift bag was given to around 110 celebrity presenters, performers, and award recipients including the Rolling Stones. Having a product selected as a gift to be given to famous celebrities is not an easy task, and any such product must be something special.
XSPC X20 Water cooling kit
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
“Over the last few years XSPC have produced some products that even the top water cooling companies in the world have taken notice of. However they have always been very much part of the single components crowd, that is until they came up with the X20 kit near the end of last summer. The guys at XSPC have been kind enough to let me road test this kit, and needless to say for such a simple kit I have been very impressed, read on to find out why.”
Kinc reach 43377 with 3Dmark 03 using air cooled 7900 GTX
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
With a completely air cooled system, from processor to video cards, the final score achieved was 43377 with 3Dmark03. That’s third place overall, no matter what cooling and can even measure up to systems cooled with liquid nitrogen running GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB cards.
Scythe Katana Cu CPU Cooler Slices up Competition!
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 10, 2006
The PC air cooling market is getting some stiff competition from liquid cooling products.. Liquid cooling products are becoming more and more inexpensive while shrinking in size, which is giving air coolers a run for their money.
The heatsink and fan feels fairly light, but both of the heat pipes are positioned ¼ of the way out off center. Heat pipes are apparently the latest buzzword these days, but the presentation of them is also important. All four ends of the heat pipes are professionally covered with cap nuts. The base is also one of the best finishes that I have ever seen on an air cooling heat sink. The smooth surface is flawless and reflects like a magical bronze mirror! Even most water-cooling blocks still have some sort of machining marks in them, but this air cooler’s finish is almost perfect. We should see some good results!
Check out the Ninja Modder’s weapon of Choice!
Scythe Katana Cu CPU Cooler Slices up Competition!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
The PC air cooling market is getting some stiff competition from liquid cooling products.. Liquid cooling products are becoming more and more inexpensive while shrinking in size, which is giving air coolers a run for their money.
The heatsink and fan feels fairly light, but both of the heat pipes are positioned ¼ of the way out off center. Heat pipes are apparently the latest buzzword these days, but the presentation of them is also important. All four ends of the heat pipes are professionally covered with cap nuts. The base is also one of the best finishes that I have ever seen on an air cooling heat sink. The smooth surface is flawless and reflects like a magical bronze mirror! Even most water-cooling blocks still have some sort of machining marks in them, but this air cooler’s finish is almost perfect. We should see some good results!
Check out the Ninja Modder’s weapon of Choice!
Thermalright V-1 Ultra VGA Cooler Review
Thursday, March 09, 2006
After many years of producing some of the top-performing CPU heatsinks in the world, Thermalright has entered the video card cooling arena. The manufacturer has previously released the V1 and V1-Ultra, designed to handle the latest pixel-crunchers form nVidia and ATI. Companies like Zalman and ThermalTake have been conquering the PC enthusiast market with innovative products to conquer the flaming beast in the newest graphics cards. ThermalRight has introduced their ThermalRight V1-Ultra heatsink to stake a claim in this territory.
The V1-Ultra is similar to the SI-120 CPU heatsink in terms of design and technology, using a combination of aluminum and copper joined by heatpipes. The main base is all copper, but is coated with nickel so it matches the aluminum and chromed heatpipes. The base contact point is beautifully lapped and mirror smooth, providing optimal surface coneact with the graphics core. A slim, 80mm fan silently moves air through the aluminum fins, and mounting for an additional 80mm fan increases the possible cooling power.
Read how to get ‘cho V-1 on!
GSKILL 2GB F1-4000USU2-2GBHZ PC4000 Reviewed at HardwareXL
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 09, 2006
Quote: “G.Skill is becoming a big name in the overclocking scene, I had the pleasure of playing with 2GB (2x1024Mb) modules from GSKILL, the F1-4000USU2-2GBHZ. PC4000 HZ. Some people managed to do more than 280Mhz at 2,6 volts. We’ll do some benchmarks and answer the ethical question, why the hell 2GB? ”
Vantec LapCool 4 Notebook Cooler
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 09, 2006
“Looking over the LapCool 4 initially I noticed two things right away; the compact size and how lightweight it is. The weight of the whole package on arrival was 3lbs. Most of that was packaging and the power supply, because the LapCool 4 itself only weighs 14 ounces.”
Thermalright V-1 Ultra VGA Heatsink Review
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 09, 2006
The V1-Ultra is similar to the SI-120 CPU heatsink in terms of design and technology, using a combination of aluminum and copper joined by heatpipes. The main base is all copper, but is coated with nickel so it matches the aluminum and chromed heatpipes. The base contact point is beautifully lapped and mirror smooth, providing optimal surface coneact with the graphics core. A slim, 80mm fan silently moves air through the aluminum fins, and mounting for an additional 80mm fan increases the possible cooling power.
Thermalright V-1 Ultra VGA Cooler Review
OCmodshop :: Thursday, March 09, 2006
After many years of producing some of the top-performing CPU heatsinks in the world, Thermalright has entered the video card cooling arena. The manufacturer has previously released the V1 and V1-Ultra, designed to handle the latest pixel-crunchers form nVidia and ATI. Companies like Zalman and ThermalTake have been conquering the PC enthusiast market with innovative products to conquer the flaming beast in the newest graphics cards. ThermalRight has introduced their ThermalRight V1-Ultra heatsink to stake a claim in this territory.
The V1-Ultra is similar to the SI-120 CPU heatsink in terms of design and technology, using a combination of aluminum and copper joined by heatpipes. The main base is all copper, but is coated with nickel so it matches the aluminum and chromed heatpipes. The base contact point is beautifully lapped and mirror smooth, providing optimal surface coneact with the graphics core. A slim, 80mm fan silently moves air through the aluminum fins, and mounting for an additional 80mm fan increases the possible cooling power.
Sansun Bat Case
OCModshop :: Thursday, March 09, 2006
“A quick Google search will find several reviews of this case, as well a link to the company’s website itself. However, I couldn’t find this case for sale at the normal internet outlets such as Newegg.com, Directron.com, Xoxide.com, or Tigerdirect.com at the time this review was written. It appears that this case is being marketed directly to retail stores themselves or others in the distribution channel, as the SanSun’s information on this case will tell you how many will fit in a shipping container (390 for a 20′ container in case you were wondering.) So if you just have to have it; unless you happen to see this case at your local store, you will have to contact them directly.”
Double your XTC! OCZ XTC DDR2 PC2-4200 Dual Channel
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
We got more acronymns than you can shake a stick at!
PC gamers have always been on the bleeding edge of technology. As a matter of fact, PC gamers have been the driving economic force creating the need for monster video cards faster processors, and PC evolution in general. DDR2 memory is the latest offspring of the PC evolution, providing more memory bandwidth per cycle than its older DDR brother. This new memory is very versatile and should fulfill the needs of gamers, as well as the server crowd for more serious applications.
OCZ has an extensive lineup of DDR2 memory modules, with each line optimized for particular tasks. The new OCZ PC2-4200 Gold GX was designed with low latencies for the gamer. This new memory features OCZ’s latest heatspreader design, dubbed XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) to allow for increased ventilation and heat disspitation due to its honeycomb design.
Check out how OCZ brings you XTC
Microsoft says better than Google soon
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
PARIS (Reuters) – Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT – news) will introduce a search engine better than Google (Nasdaq:GOOG – news) in six months in the United States and Britain followed by Europe, its European president said on Wednesday.
“What we’re saying is that in six months’ time we’ll be more relevant in the U.S. market place than Google,” said Neil Holloway, Microsoft president for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“The quality of our search and the relevance of our search from a solution perspective to the consumer will be more relevant,” he told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit.
Computer Roll-ups?
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
One day you may roll up your computer and toss it in your bag — no more rugged titanium cases. Today’s visionaries are planning a world of flexible electronics that will make even your svelte new laptop look clunky.
The secret is in the silicon: the stuff electronic components are made of. Although silicon is a rigid and brittle material, scientists have discovered that when it is made into ultra-thin ribbons and wires — 100 nanometers, or one-thousandth the diameter of a human hair — the silicon becomes bendable. What’s more, under the right conditions, it can even stretch.
The bendable silicon wires have been used in flexible computer displays and e-paper. Thin, lightweight and flexible components allow the displays to be larger, and at the same time more portable and less likely to be damaged. But for some applications, bendable isn’t enough. The circuits must also expand and contract and conform to complex shapes.
Crucial Value RAM DDR400 2x512MB Review @ CACHE-Community
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Quote: Whilst there seem to be many memory brands offering blistering speeds and low latency timings, these are normally aimed at (and designed for) enthusiasts and overclockers. The vast majority of computer users though, are not overclockers, and simply want their computers to run at the speed it is intended to do so, so standard speed memory is normally used. Many of these general computer users however make the mistake of using cheap generic memory either to save a bit of money, or because they simply don’t know any better. Crucial has the answer to this in the form of it’s Value RAM series, which is good quality memory, at budget prices, from one of the most respected names in the memory industry.
Dave Chappelle spars with old bosses
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Comedian Dave Chappelle says he may never return to his hit Comedy Central show if the cable network goes through with plans to air new episodes culled from material he filmed before leaving the series.
“I feel like it’s kind of a bully move,” Chappelle told the Dayton Daily News in a telephone interview for a story Wednesday. “That’s just how I feel about it. I don’t know if that’s the case. But if people don’t watch it, then I’d be more than happy.”
DOJ opens probe into online music pricing: sources
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into online music pricing at the world’s major music labels, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The DOJ probe closely tracks a similar investigation by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer into the pricing of digital music downloads, the sources said.
One music industry source said some subpoenas may have been issued already in connection with the probe, while other labels had been tipped off that subpoenas would likely be coming in the next few days.
It appeared that Sony BMG had already received a subpoena, the second industry source said.
‘Charmed’ a Casualty of WB-UPN Change
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
A WB spokesman confirmed a TV Guide report on Friday that said the supernatural series, which stars Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs, will end after eight seasons in May.
With “7th Heaven” having already announced its exit, it means that two WB long-running series won’t move to the CW. The WB and UPN will both shut down in September.
The final episode of “Charmed” will air on May 21, TV Guide said.
“It’s been a hell of a run,” Brad Kern, executive producer, told the magazine. “But all good things must come to an end.”
AOL thinks people will pay for email…
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
A variety of interest groups have joined forces to fight a proposed bulk e-mailing fee they claim strikes at the heart of online communication a level playing field for rich and poor.
America Online plans to introduce a service that would charge businesses and other bulk e-mailers a fee to route their e-mail directly to a user’s mailbox without first passing through junk mail filters.
The 60 inch Subwoofer
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
The 60-inch subwoofer absolutely has the capability to produce SPL levels well above 180 dB. It is simple math and the laws of physics.
Actually, before designing it, we looked at a comparison between a large number of conventional subwoofers, or a single giant one. After we did the math, the obvious choice was the one giant woofer. It’s output displacement is comparable to 160+ ten inch woofers. It can move a lot of air!
Top 10 Strangest Lego Creations
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
It’s time for our weekly Top 10 list and this week our editors bring you the “Top 10 Strangest (or Coolest…) Lego Creations”. Leave us a comment with your own favorites.
Entries include Lego computer case, iPod, Han Solo in Carbonite, cars, Nintendo, Harpsichord, and many others!
Study finds one in 10 telecommuters works naked
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 5 (UPI) — Some 10 percent of worldwide telecommuters wear nothing at all while working at home, finds a survey by the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based SonicWALL.
About 39 percent of respondents of both sexes said they wear sweats while working from home, but 12 percent of males and 7 percent of females wear nothing at all, according to a survey of 941 remote and mobile workers worldwide conducted by Insight Express and SonicWALL, a provider of integrated network security and productivity solutions.
Forty-four percent of women surveyed said they showered on work-at-home days, as opposed to 30 percent of men.
Seventy-six percent of the employees surveyed believe that working remotely from home is an aid to productivity and 61 percent are convinced that their managers agree with them.
More than half of the survey’s respondents accessed the corporate network from home on a daily basis, with 86 percent logging in remotely several times a week.
Neither Firefox nor IE are perfect (well, duh!)
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
MARCH 07, 2006 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) – A report issued today by Symantec Corp. seeks to satisfy users of both Mozilla Corp.’s Firefox browser and Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer.
In its latest Internet Security Threat Report, covering the last six months of 2005, the company now features two different ways of counting browser bugs: one that finds that Internet Explorer has the most vulnerabilities, and a second that reveals Firefox as the bug leader.
Firefox had the highest number of “vendor-confirmed” vulnerabilities, with 13 bugs reported during the six months covered by the report, compared with Internet Explorer’s 12, said Dave Cole, a director of Symantec Security Response.
64-bit Hauppauge PVR card drivers!
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
I got this bit of info from Hauppauge themselves!
Hello, at the present time we are working on a 64 bit driver and application for the PVR 150 & PVR 500. We do not have 64 bit software available for any other WinTV devices at the present time. We are currently working with the chipset manufacturers for updates and should have a 64 bit driver available for other PVR products fairly soon, by the end of the first Quarter.
So, all you 64-bit fans hold tight! You might be able to find more at their site.
Double your XTC! OCZ XTC DDR2 PC2-4200 Dual Channel Memory Review!
OCmodshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
PC gamers have always been on the bleeding edge of technology. As a matter of fact, PC gamers have been the driving economic force creating the need for monster video cards faster processors, and PC evolution in general. DDR2 memory is the latest offspring of the PC evolution, providing more memory bandwidth per cycle than its older DDR brother. This new memory is very versatile and should fulfill the needs of gamers, as well as the server crowd for more serious applications.
OCZ has an extensive lineup of DDR2 memory modules, with each line optimized for particular tasks. The new OCZ PC2-4200 Gold GX was designed with low latencies for the gamer. This new memory features OCZ’s latest heatspreader design, dubbed XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) to allow for increased ventilation and heat disspitation due to its honeycomb design.
Check out how OCZ brings you XTC
Penny Arcade strip makes scatological donut joke about Sony Online.
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
I can read an entire comic book without really looking at the art. This is a process that horrifies Gabriel – imagine his eyes growing wider as, with each swift turn of the page, his craft is obliterated. By contrast, my cohort holds strong opinions on the topic of visual stimuli. I imagine this is part of the reason we’re able to maintain our chaste union: like the gods of old, we keep to our dominions.
I gather that “Jim Lee” is something of a “man about town” in the world of… drawing things, whatever their people call it. I’m told that young aspirants to the comic arts must traverse a Jim Lee Phase before they emerge from Plagiara – “The Valley Of The Shadow Of Theft,” tempered thus by his iconic renderings. I have seen pictures that he has drawn, and I was able to tell which ones were and which ones were not Batman. That’s pretty much all I’m looking for.
MySpace.com Joke Leads to Sex Arrest
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
FONTANA, Calif. — A group of boys who posed as a 15-year-old girl for an Internet prank ended up helping police arrest a 48-year-old man who tried to meet the fictitious teenager for sex, authorities said.
The five boys had created a fake profile of a girl on MySpace.com — a social networking Web site — to cheer up a friend who had recently broken up with his girlfriend.
But soon, a man began sending messages to the “girl” and their conversations began to have sexual overtones, said Fontana police Sgt. William Megenney.
Star Wars: Empire at War
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
“Star Wars: Empire at War is LucasArts latest attempt at a Real-Time Strategy game set in the Star Wars universe, and let me tell you as a SW junkie I was sure excited. I had epic Homeworld-esque space battle in my mind, huge ground assaults riddled with quick Rebel strikes, and an in-depth planetary conquest mode much like one of my favorite games of all time Imperium Galactica 2.”
Complexity causes 50% of product returns
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Half of all malfunctioning products returned to stores by consumers are in full working order, but customers can’t figure out how to operate the devices, a scientist said on Monday.
Product complaints and returns are often caused by poor design, but companies frequently dismiss them as “nuisance calls,” Elke den Ouden found in her thesis at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands.
A wave of versatile electronics gadgets has flooded the market in recent years, ranging from MP3 players and home cinema sets to media centers and wireless audio systems, but consumers still find it hard to install and use them, she found.
The average consumer in the United States will struggle for 20 minutes to get a device working, before giving up, the study found.
Microsoft Works on Computer Foot Pad
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Computer scientists in Microsoft Corp.’s research division have developed a color-coded “dance pad” with buttons you can tap with your feet – or jump on – to scroll through electronic files.
It may never make it to store shelves, but that’s no concern to Microsoft, which spends billions of dollars a year researching far-out technologies without worrying about whether the gizmos will ever make it to store shelves
Solo’s Errant Spell-Check Causes ‘Sea Sponge’ Invasion
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Spell-checking on his computer is never going to be the same for Santa Cruz solo practitioner Arthur Dudley.
In an opening brief to San Francisco’s 1st District Court of Appeal, a search-and-replace command by Dudley inexplicably inserted the words “sea sponge” instead of the legal term “sua sponte,” which is Latin for “on its own motion.”
“Spell check did not have sua sponte in it,” said Dudley, who, not noticing the error, shipped the brief to court.
That left the justices reading — and probably laughing at — such classic statements as: “An appropriate instruction limiting the judge’s criminal liability in such a prosecution must be given sea sponge explaining that certain acts or omissions by themselves are not sufficient to support a conviction.”
Many companies plan more outsourcing
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
BOSTON, March 4 (UPI) — Eighty-nine percent of U.S., British and Asian corporate technology decision makers plan to increase their outsourcing budget over the next 12 months.
A survey conducted at the Patni Computer Systems annual conference PatniConnect, found that 39 percent said they expect to increase outsourcing spending by up to 20 percent over current spending, while 11 percent plan a 50 percent or more increase.
Pricing is not the most important factor in selecting an outsourcing partner, the survey found.
Twenty-four percent said cultural fit is the top factor for incorporating outsourcing strategies, and 24 percent said the most important factor is quality of service. Fourteen percent of respondents said price is their single most important factor in selecting an outsourcer.
ButtKicker Giveaway Contest!
OCmodshop :: Monday, March 06, 2006
The rules for this contest are pretty simple. Much like many video game villians, I have taken 5 pieces, shattered them, and thrown them to the five corners of OCmodshop. Your galliant quest is to find these five pieces! You journey will be perilous, and your strength and wit will be tested! Those that prevail shall be rewarded with a brand new booty-shaking ButtKicker Gamer!
This contest is a “scavenger hunt” of sorts. Five promo images of the ButtKicker have been placed in various areas of the OCmodshop website. To enter the contest you must locate these 5 images. We have clues to help guide you, young adventurer!
The Clues
- You will need ninety sinks to equal one ‘windows’.
- Ancient tomes. Jump her bones.
- A hose, 2 barbs, and H2Os.
- This State has a 3-letter abbreviation.
- We help you calm your noisy ‘antecs’.
ButtKicker Giveaway Contest!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
The rules for this contest are pretty simple. Much like many video game villians, I have taken 5 pieces, shattered them, and thrown them to the five corners of OCmodshop. Your galliant quest is to find these five pieces! You journey will be perilous, and your strength and wit will be tested! Those that prevail shall be rewarded with a brand new booty-shaking ButtKicker Gamer!
This contest is a “scavenger hunt” of sorts. Five promo images of the ButtKicker have been placed in various areas of the OCmodshop website. To enter the contest you must locate these 5 images. We have clues to help guide you, young adventurer!
The Clues
You will need ninety sinks to equal one ‘windows’. Ancient tomes. Jump her bones. A hose, 2 barbs, and H2Os. This State has a 3-letter abbreviation. We help you calm your noisy ‘antecs’.
LG 1730B review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Last time, we looked at a monitor from Sony that belonged to a different price category than the monitor we’ll be reviewing today. This monitor belongs to a more common segment, namely the average 17″ category, where the market is experiencing a saturation of competitors. So how will this LG monitor stand up against the competition, and more importantly, should you buy it? This is what we aim to find out.
Possible Details on Microsoft’s Origami
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
We have learned from a reliable source about some possible exciting new features concerning Microsoft’s rumored Origami portable tech device… including the fact that all of the video and screens we’ve seen of the unit are real (though not final). But there’s one very important detail that no one has touched on yet – Xbox 360 compatibility. So don’t wait until March 9 for http://www.origamiproject.com to reveal the system like all those other chumps. Catch all of the juicy information right here, right now.
HDA X-Plosion 7.1 Sound Card Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
“Overall, this card is an excellent alternative to the Creative Labs Audigy 2ZS that I was using. It was missing some features that made usability easier like a connector for the front ports, but the card makes up for that in versatility of the Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect features.”
New Xbox 360 Faceplates!
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Samsung HR-720 DVD
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
“There are a multitude of inputs available on the HR720. There are two sets of AV inputs and one DV input as well as an S-video input and a connection to an antenna to record over the air broadcasts.”
Atari 2600 10-in-1 Joystick Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
The unit comes completely intact: everything you need to play is in one piece. The reset, select, and start buttons are integrated into the base, as well as a power switch and red power LED. The video and mono audio cable are also permanently attached to the joystick’s base. The game system is powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included), which are inserted into a compartment on the bottom of the base. The batteries make the base a little deeper and the weight a little heavier than an original Atari joystick. Other than that, this has the same nostalgic ergonomics of the original Atari joystick (horrible though they may be).
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter for Xbox 360 Gone Gold
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter has gone gold on Xbox360 will be available March 9 worldwide. For the Xbox it will be shipping March 9 in the U.S. and March 16 in Europe. The PC version will hit the store shelves in May 2006. New screenshots from the PC, Xbox and Xbox 360 versions have been inserted in our gallery.
AP: ‘Origami’ Not Handheld Xbox
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
60 Feet to High Speed
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Quote: “I live in a small town and was stuck with a 56k modem for nine years. I learned of a new high-speed service provider that put a transmitting tower in my town, but there could be absolutely no interference between the transmitting tower and my house. Herein lay the problem: there was a very large church in the way. Eventually, I came up with a plan. I would build a sixty-plus foot tower so I could intercept the signal! This is the story of how one man got the Internet access he craved, and how others can follow in his footsteps (just in case you ever need to build a sixty-foot tower in your backyard).”
Editorial: Why the Whole World Should Use Firefox
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
…and welcome to the internet the way it was supposed to be! Needless to say I’m totally hyped about Firefox; else I wouldn’t write this rant nor would I still be using it to this day. The best part is that I didn’t have 500 leaks that needed constant patching, it doesn’t install trojan downloaders behind my back and effectively stops popups!
Xplorer360 Beta 4
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Here is Beta 4 of the Xplorer360 software. Lots of bugfixes and a few new features in this build. Thanks to everyone who has reported bugs to our forums. Everything that has been reported, has been fixed. So if you were having any trouble with previous builds, give this one a go.
Editorial: Why the entire world should stop whining and just download Firefox.
Friday, March 03, 2006
“GO DOWNLOAD FIREFOX!” That’s what I’ve been screaming to people in my personal surroundings. “Why?”, one might ask? Well, I’m Dutch, and the Dutch are notoriously cheap bastards. I heard that the phenomena they call Firefox is free and more importantly free of spyware and popups.
…and welcome to the internet the way it was supposed to be! Needless to say I’m totally hyped about Firefox; else I wouldn’t write this rant nor would I still be using it to this day. The best part is that I didn’t have 500 leaks that needed constant patching, it doesn’t install trojan downloaders behind my back and effectively stops popups!
Read why every man, woman, and child should use Firefox
Atari Lives Again on Your Local TV!
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 03, 2006
Atari has had some financial troubles in the past years – the company trademark sold from company to company over the years until it was finally snatched up by Infogrames, which has used the Atari license to publish many games, including the Unreal franchise. Infogrames set up a licensing agreement with Jakk’s Pacific, makers of several toy electronics, to publish a nostalgic Atari 2600 game system, ready for any standard TV.
The unit comes completely intact: everything you need to play is in one piece. The reset, select, and start buttons are integrated into the base, as well as a power switch and red power LED. The video and mono audio cable are also permanently attached to the joystick’s base. The game system is powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included), which are inserted into a compartment on the bottom of the base. The batteries make the base a little deeper and the weight a little heavier than an original Atari joystick. Other than that, this has the same nostalgic ergonomics of the original Atari joystick (horrible though they may be).
Too young to remember the Atari 2600? Too old to forget? Read on!
Editorial: Why the entire world should stop whining and just download Firefox.
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 03, 2006
“GO DOWNLOAD FIREFOX!” That’s what I’ve been screaming to people in my personal surroundings. “Why?”, one might ask? Well, I’m Dutch, and the Dutch are notoriously cheap bastards. I heard that the phenomena they call Firefox is free and more importantly free of spyware and popups.
…and welcome to the internet the way it was supposed to be! Needless to say I’m totally hyped about Firefox; else I wouldn’t write this rant nor would I still be using it to this day. The best part is that I didn’t have 500 leaks that needed constant patching, it doesn’t install trojan downloaders behind my back and effectively stops popups!
Read why every man, woman, and child should use Firefox
Atari Lives Again on Your Local TV!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Atari has had some financial troubles in the past years – the company trademark sold from company to company over the years until it was finally snatched up by Infogrames, which has used the Atari license to publish many games, including the Unreal franchise. Infogrames set up a licensing agreement with Jakk’s Pacific, makers of several toy electronics, to publish a nostalgic Atari 2600 game system, ready for any standard TV.
The unit comes completely intact: everything you need to play is in one piece. The reset, select, and start buttons are integrated into the base, as well as a power switch and red power LED. The video and mono audio cable are also permanently attached to the joystick’s base. The game system is powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included), which are inserted into a compartment on the bottom of the base. The batteries make the base a little deeper and the weight a little heavier than an original Atari joystick. Other than that, this has the same nostalgic ergonomics of the original Atari joystick (horrible though they may be).
Too young to remember the Atari 2600? Too old to forget? Read on!
Connect360 v1.5 public beta
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Another update of Connect360, the tool to stream your music and images from your Mac OSX to your Xbox 360 console, has been released. What’s new/fixed:
* Shoutcast streaming: Connect360 now supports streaming of live Internet radio broadcasts to your Xbox360! Simply add any station to a playlist and enjoy the live tunes from your Xbox!
* Networking: It gets even easier, Connect360 can now automatically configure your built-in Mac OS X firewall with a single click!
Infineon to Blame for 360 Shortages?
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Although a low chip yield has been named as a culprit in the past, it’s the first time a specific supplier and component have been named. Unnamed sources told the Mercury News that Infineon wasn’t able to produce enough quality GDDR3 memory chips. Xbox 360 contract manufacturers Wistron and Flextronics reportedly had to sort through Infineon chip shipments, separating the good from the bad, which wasted both time and components.
Rejected chips couldn’t keep up with the Xbox 360’s 700 megahertz speed, and could noticeably affect the performance of the console if installed. Currently, Samsung is the only supplier other than Infineon that supplies Microsoft with the GDDR3 memory, a fact that increases the plausibility of such a component issue.
Detailed Tech Info of Headers and Connectors on Xbox 360 Motherboard
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Most of the information was based on the top and bottom layers of a dechipped 360 motherboard and decapped chips, I will update the information once I gain full knowledge of the inner layers of the motherboard. For reference, I have also included some information I have gathered from images of Development Hardware and XDK hardware found on the net. Please double-check my information, I am human and I do make mistakes. I have also attempted to give credit where credit was due. If you find any errors or omissions, please let me know so that I can correct it on future versions. Like most, I am doing this as a hobby in my spare time, so I will do my best to keep the information up to date but I can not make any guarantees.
Halo Performance from Video Games Live concert
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall sent around a link to a great video featuring a behind the scenes look at their popular “Video Games Live” concert. You can watch the show live if you’ll be attending GDC in March.
From Tommy and Jack:
“We thought you may all enjoy a little sampling of Video Games Live so we put together a video from our Halo rehearsals. The video also includes interviews with Halo composers Marty O’Donnell & Michael Salvatori who give a little insight on how they created the Halo soundtrack and what Video Games Live means to the industry and pop culture.
Xbox360 Wireless Controller 11usd to Manufacture
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Bill-of-material estimates for the wireless controller come in at around $11, or 22 percent of the retail price for the product–a far cry from the negative margin of the console itself.
Takashi Sensui Replaces Maruyama at Xbox Japan
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Yoshihiro Maruyama became familiar to gamers as the face of Xbox Japan, the counterpart to J Allard in North America; just as a recent re-organization moved J Allard and other key Xbox executives, Maruyama has now been moved to a “strategic position” in Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division (known as E&D).
Succeeding him will be Takashi Sensui, formerly director of the marketing department and game content group for Xbox Japan. He has worked closely with Maruyama for the Xbox 360 launch. Sensui is expected to lead Xbox 360, which is off to a rocky start in Japan. But as more games become available on the system, Sensui expressed confidence that adoption of the system will grow. Indeed, that will be his primary responsibility.
Recovering From the Xbox 360’s Big Mistakes
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Two pieces up in the media right now talking about problems with the Xbox 360. Games.net has an overdramatically title piece, Five Ways to Save the Xbox 360. The article lays out ways in which Microsoft should revamp the console and its games in order to truly dominate the next-gen war. Meanwhile, a 1up editorial asks the question Is the Xbox 360 Hurting the Games Industry? The article looks at the ways in which Microsoft’s console was rushed out the door, and the negative consequences that may have on the industry as a whole. From that article: “More important, though less remarked upon, is that the Xbox 360 was also launched before the industry was ready. If you pay attention to companies’ end-of-year financial reports, which I’m sad to say my job requires me to do, one thing that stands out in the postholiday reckoning was the statement, again and again, that the Xbox 360 launch had hurt sales across the industry.”
Report: Swearing in Online Games
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
An online games player has conducted a limited study into swearing on Xbox Live. In a period of about 30 hours of play on Xbox Live, blogger Josh Smith heard cussing, an average 20 times an hour; once every three minutes. The word ‘fuck’ was the most common swearword, rating 8.11 uses per hour. Highly offensive racist, homophobic and sexist language also featured prominently.
DirecTV blade to bring HD TV and flicks to Xbox 360 Dashboard?
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
During CES in January, Microsoft and DirecTV announced a “long-term agreement to expand the reach of digital content throughout the home and on the go.” Part of that agreement involved extending “the DirecTV experience to the Xbox 360 system.”
A scan of the March 2006 issue of Official Xbox Magazine reveals “that a DirecTV blade might be added to your Xbox 360 Dashboard to accompany the Xbox Live, Games, Media, and System blades. In that blade, you could download TV episodes in high definition, HD movies on demand, and standard-definition streaming DVR (i.e., TiVo) functions.”
The Hitch Hikers guide to the mouse
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Quote: “/This guide will tell you everything you need to know about a mouse, and even how to mod yours! Make your rodent look all pretty and stuff./”
XLink One Development News: New Features
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz this week, Guild Wars developer Arena.net co-founder Jeff Strain has said that the business model used by Microsoft’s Xbox Live service needs to be overhauled before the service will be attractive to MMOG developers.
Strain, who was a senior developer at Blizzard before leaving to set up Arena.net, believes that the business model used by Xbox Live is fundamentally not designed for the close relationships MMOG operators require with their players and community. “Their whole goal is to encourage people to go and buy games on the shelf, then there’s an online component for it,” he explained. “But for us, when you buy it on the shelf, that’s just the beginning of our relationship with you – and we want a direct connection with our customer so that we’re always giving you new content, always supporting you directly. Xbox Live just wasn’t really built, from a business standpoint, to support that.”
Strain acknowledged that seeking to take the customer relationship away from the platform holder and back into the hands of the publisher or developer would be a difficult thing to negotiate, but he remains optimistic that both Microsoft and Sony will embrace the opportunity represented by the MMO market.
No plans for free Xbox Live Gold weekend in Europe
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The free trial event, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in April, will offer all Xbox Live Silver subscribers the same access as Xbox Live Gold users for 72 hours – providing they live in the States.
“This is an American only event sponsored by Verizon,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz. “There are no current plans for the same event in Europe and we do not have any announcements to make at the moment.”
Interview with ABIT about USI’s purchase
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
We are looking into the prospects of extending our product range further into the mainstream and budget segments. USI’s experience and economy of scale would clearly facilitate such a move, but we will never forget, nor leave, what has always been our main focus throughout the years. In the short-term we will continue to focus our resources on our core business, which is making enthusiast-level motherboards. When it comes down to it, it’s only through the support of the enthusiast community that ABIT has managed to become such a household name in performance hardware.
EA Confirms 39usd Price Point For Current-Gen Releases
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Following yesterday’s announcement that the current-gen (PlayStation 2 and Xbox) versions of its flagship boxing title Fight Night Round 3 would debut for $39.95 in the North American market, compared to $59.95 for the Xbox 360 version, an Electronic Arts spokesperson has confirmed to Reuters that high-budget titles Black and The Godfather will debut at that same current-gen price point.
Datel Xbox 360 Transfer Kit
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
These are pictures of the Xbox 360 Transfer Kit that will be released soon by Datel at an expected retail price around $14.99. It allows to easily connect an Xbox 360 memorycard to a PC USB port for those who don’t want to mod the memcard themselves (see how here or here). The device comes with software called Xchange360 … that (at this moment) can only backup and restore the whole memory card image (basicly a GUI version of Xbox Dumper(info)). You’ll need to use homebrew software like Xplorer360(info), wxHdd(info), wxPirs(info) and wxTheme(info) to fully access and modify the files on your memcard.
Official Features:
* Transfer gamesaves, downloads, user data and related files.
* Share your great gamesaves, themes and gamer pics on a globabl scale.
* Effectively use your PC as a huge memory unit.
* Super easy to use, just plug the memory unit into the docking port and connect it to any USB enabled PC.
Microsoft Evaluating Xbox 360 Launch in China
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Microsoft is slowly evaluating the possibility of launching the Xbox 360 in China. “It’s a very controlled environment,” Alan Bowman, Microsoft’s general manager of entertainment and devices for Asia Pacific and Greater China, told the Associated Press. “We’re going to make sure that we make the right moves, develop the right content, have the right partnerships in place. It’s not something you want to rush in and do.” Console manufacturers are often wary of launching product in mainland China, due to the region’s relatively low per-capita salary and issues regarding piracy.
XSR Review – Corepad Deskpad Moustmat
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
“I recently reviewed the huge XtracPads RipperXL, and that was pretty impressive to say the least. But now there is a new big boy on the block; the Corepad Deskpad. That’s right; it’s a mouse pad that actually just covers your desk. It’s big, but does it perform? I aim to find out.”
Analyst: 10-12mln 360s by Year-End
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Analyst P.J. McNealy with Amtech Research said in a report today that Microsoft is on track to sell 6 million Xbox 360s by the end of June, and 10-12 million by year-end. The mid-year forecast is greater than Xbox boss Peter Moore’s January predictions of 4-5.5 million sold by the end of June.
Amtech and McNealy also conducted a survey involving 125 retailers last week. Twenty-six of them had Xbox 360 units in stock, although all but five of them only had the non-hard drive Core units. Stores that did have the $400 Premium Packs late last week sold out of units very quickly. The report still said that stores with consoles in stock only had a paltry 1-3 units each, with only two of the surveyed stores having decent stock; one with 10 Premiums, and one with seven Premiums and six Cores.
Microsoft Sees Positive Outlook for Xbox 360 in Korea
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
To Microsoft’s surprise, the initial batch of pre-order units in Korea sold out in only nine hours. Alan Bowman, general manager of Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division in Asia Pacific and Greater China Region, Microsoft is confident the Xbox 360 will perform in Korea better than in Japan.
Microsoft Korea officials explained that given the taxes, the price of Xbox 360 in Korea is highly competitive compared with pricing elsewhere in Asia. The retail price for the Xbox 360 Premium Edition will be 419,000 Won (~433usd or ~363eur). The Core package is priced at 339,000 Won (~351usd or ~294eur). Bowman also explained they have already learned a few lessons after the unfortunate Japanese launch. “We will make more games in Korean, and the important part of our success is to have Korean developers localize games,” Bowman said.
Microsoft Releases New Xbox 360 Stats
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The company has reiterated that it is on track to meet its shipment goal of 4.5-5.5 million units by June, and assembly will be further boosted by third manufacturing partner Celestica, joining manufacturers Flextronics and Wistron – though it made no official comment on recent reports that Infineon Technologies’ memory chips were the particular constricting factor in the slow Xbox 360 roll-out to date.
A particularly interesting area reported by Microsoft were selected highlights from yesterday’s January NPD report for North American hardware and software sales. These include news that Xbox 360’s software attach rate is 3.7 games per console. This apparently remains the highest attach rate ever for the first three months of a console launch in the U.S., but is obviously positively affected by the supply problems of the console. In addition, Xbox 360’s accessory attach rate is 2.9 accessory units sold per console with a wireless controllers attaching to almost every console.
Activision ordered not to show ‘misleading’ Call of Duty 2 ads again
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints from three television viewers that adverts depicting scenes from Activision title Call of Duty 2 and its current generation console counterpart CoD2: Big Red One were misleading, and declared that they must not be shown again in their present forms.
The adjudication, published today, is likely to send shockwaves through the industry as it focuses on the question of whether pre-rendered footage is an acceptable representation of a computer game – in its defence, Activision didn’t argue that it was, but rather that using pre-rendered footage was “common practice”. In this case, the ASA received three complaints – two concerning Call of Duty 2 (PC, Xbox 360) and one concerning Big Red One (PS2, Xbox, Cube), both of which argued that the graphics used in the advert were superior to that of the game itself, and that viewers were being misled on those grounds.