Thermaltake Hardcano 14 Review on Technic3D
OCModshop :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Quote: “With the Thermaltake Hardcano 14 comes a further HDD-Cooling into the trade. Technic3D looked at itself it more exactly”
Camera Phone VS Digital Camera
OCModshop :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Cell phones with cameras are everywhere nowadays. It really makes us think whether we now have a mobile phone with camera or a camera with telephone capability. In this article, we’ll take a look at camera cell phones and see who they stack up against today’s digital cameras.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted Review (Xbox 360)
Monday, January 30, 2006
If waking up to the smell of burnt rubber is your idea of a perfect day, then Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the game for you. This game is classic arcade-racing fun, in addition to many car customization and upgrade options, an interesting (although un-stimulating) career path, and high speed escapes from the cops.
The plot for this game is simple: to become the biggest bad-ass in the city. Basically this means three things: raising the price on your head by running from the cops and demolishing federal and public property, climbing up the blacklist by systematically beating other opponents, and winning drag and other kind of races against AI opponents.
You have the Need? (for speed)
Backup4all Version 2.3.4, build 761
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Quote – When I got Softland’s BackU4all I was a sceptic. This a back up utility, but I back up anyway? Now the problem for me is, I am very used to backing things up. I run websites, I have music, I beta test and format all the time. So I back up possibly twice a month, onto DVD, and I cross files, so one back up will have some of anothers files backed up! Simple… I wish.
Tomb Raider Legend Preview @ OCmodshop
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Crystal Dynamics has been working on the highly anticipated Tomb Raider Legend for the Xbox 360 and other platforms. They have created a totally new graphics system to exploit the power available on the Xbox 360, with support for real-time per pixel lighting, shadows and normal-mapping. These graphical enhancements make the game very photo-realistic and lifelike: environments feel more organic and detailed, and are even part of the gameplay as many puzzles are physics-based. In addition to Lara’s new photo-realistic body and hair, she has intricately animated expressions and fluid movement. Alot of attention has been paid to her hair, as it sways and reacts to her movements.
OCmodshop’s preview of Tom Raider: Legend provides a glimpse of the gaming goddess in all her pixellated glory. The new model for Lara features more polygons, realistic skin and hair, and even facial expressions. Lara’s motion is more fluid and acrobatic. The environement is also highly detailed with bump maps, per-pixel shading and other next-gen rendering techniques. This video also shows how Lara has evolved, while gameplay has retained much of the puzzle-driven platforming that made the previous games instant hits.
Digital Zoom Versus Optical Zoom
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
The digital camera is but a technological advancement of the conventional analog camera. And thus every component of the analog camera must have been upgraded or changed to bring in some improvisations. This discussion is an effort to unravel alteration and make one comparison between what was and what is! This discussion is thereby focused upon a very critical component of a camera (analog as well as digital), the zoom!
Icemat Siberia USB Combo Headset @ VelocityReviews.com
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Quote: “A relatively new entry into the PC audio scene, Icemat brings over its gaming know-how into the Siberia Headsets, and over to the professional gamer.”
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Xbox 360) Review @ OCmodshop
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
If waking up to the smell of burnt rubber is your idea of a perfect day, then Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the game for you. This game is classic arcade-racing fun, in addition to many car customization and upgrade options, an interesting (although un-stimulating) career path, and high speed escapes from the cops.
The plot for this game is simple: to become the biggest bad-ass in the city. Basically this means three things: raising the price on your head by running from the cops and demolishing federal and public property, climbing up the blacklist by systematically beating other opponents, and winning drag and other kind of races against AI opponents.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted Review (Xbox 360)
OCmodshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
If waking up to the smell of burnt rubber is your idea of a perfect day, then Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the game for you. This game is classic arcade-racing fun, in addition to many car customization and upgrade options, an interesting (although un-stimulating) career path, and high speed escapes from the cops.
The plot for this game is simple: to become the biggest bad-ass in the city. Basically this means three things: raising the price on your head by running from the cops and demolishing federal and public property, climbing up the blacklist by systematically beating other opponents, and winning drag and other kind of races against AI opponents.
You have the Need? (for speed)
Thermalright V1-Ultra
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Madbox PC has a review of the Thermalright V1-Ultra heatsink
Thermaltake Muse eSATA
OCModshop :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Quote: “Are you in the need for an External SATA HDD Enclosure? Do you also fancy some bling bling? check out the new Thermaltake Muse eSATA.”
Tomb Raider Legend Preview for the Xbox 360
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Crystal Dynamics has been working on the highly anticipated Tomb Raider Legend for the Xbox 360 and other platforms. They have created a totally new graphics system to exploit the power available on the Xbox 360, with support for real-time per pixel lighting, shadows and normal-mapping. These graphical enhancements make the game very photo-realistic and lifelike: environments feel more organic and detailed, and are even part of the gameplay as many puzzles are physics-based. In addition to Lara’s new photo-realistic body and hair, she has intricately animated expressions and fluid movement. Alot of attention has been paid to her hair, as it sways and reacts to her movements.
OCmodshop’s preview of Tom Raider: Legend provides a glimpse of the gaming goddess in all her pixellated glory. The new model for Lara features more polygons, realistic skin and hair, and even facial expressions. Lara’s motion is more fluid and acrobatic. The environement is also highly detailed with bump maps, per-pixel shading and other next-gen rendering techniques. This video also shows how Lara has evolved, while gameplay has retained much of the puzzle-driven platforming that made the previous games instant hits.
Xilence X2 Case Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Quote: “Technic3D takes itself exclusively the Newcomer in the following Review more exactly under the magnifying glass”
Customer Service Rant
OCModshop :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
snip: In my travels through the retail/service world, I have come to realize that a great reform is needed. I have begun to realize that Customer Service is almost extinct. This is true of almost every aspect of my world (New Jersey/Florida). My theory is that a lot of these people that work or own these businesses feel that my money isn’t important and they don’t need my business.
Tomb Raider Legend Preview for the Xbox 360
OCmodshop :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Crystal Dynamics has been working on the highly anticipated Tomb Raider Legend for the Xbox 360 and other platforms. They have created a totally new graphics system to exploit the power available on the Xbox 360, with support for real-time per pixel lighting, shadows and normal-mapping. These graphical enhancements make the game very photo-realistic and lifelike: environments feel more organic and detailed, and are even part of the gameplay as many puzzles are physics-based. In addition to Lara’s new photo-realistic body and hair, she has intricately animated expressions and fluid movement. Alot of attention has been paid to her hair, as it sways and reacts to her movements.
OCmodshop’s preview of Tom Raider: Legend provides a glimpse of the gaming goddess in all her pixellated glory. The new model for Lara features more polygons, realistic skin and hair, and even facial expressions. Lara’s motion is more fluid and acrobatic. The environement is also highly detailed with bump maps, per-pixel shading and other next-gen rendering techniques. This video also shows how Lara has evolved, while gameplay has retained much of the puzzle-driven platforming that made the previous games instant hits.
PCToys System Maxx Fan Controller
Friday, January 27, 2006
If you have more than 4 fans (or have some obnoxiously loud fans), then most likely a fan controler could do you some good. Fan controllers are available in many different sizes and shapes, and feature different lights and goodies. PCToy’s System Maxx 4-channel fan controller promises to downgrade these hurricane winds into a gentle summer breeze.
The fan controller itself is rather nice to look at. The main plate is aluminum and has been anodized wither silver or black. The four knobs are of decent size are are spaced apart enough to so they are easily gripped. The unit’s circuit board is powered by a standard 4-pin molex connector. Each knob has its own dedicated set of power filtering electronics and has a blue LED on either side of the knob. Four 3-pin fan connectors are clearly marked on the circuit board.
PCToys System Maxx Fan Controller
OCmodshop :: Friday, January 27, 2006
If you have more than 4 fans (or have some obnoxiously loud fans), then most likely a fan controler could do you some good. Fan controllers are available in many different sizes and shapes, and feature different lights and goodies. PCToy’s System Maxx 4-channel fan controller promises to downgrade these hurricane winds into a gentle summer breeze.
The fan controller itself is rather nice to look at. The main plate is aluminum and has been anodized wither silver or black. The four knobs are of decent size are are spaced apart enough to so they are easily gripped. The unit’s circuit board is powered by a standard 4-pin molex connector. Each knob has its own dedicated set of power filtering electronics and has a blue LED on either side of the knob. Four 3-pin fan connectors are clearly marked on the circuit board.
Tame the beast within your case
3200+ Venice, Ramsinks and a long ramble!
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
It’s kinda a long ramble about some things that have happened recently, covering the performance of a 3200+ Venice, some issues with DFI Nf4 motherbaords, some ramsinks, and a quick hint of what’s coming. While it’s not a review in a normal sense, there is a lot of stuff covered. If your readers would be interested, I would appreicate it a lot if you could post this in the news :)
Roundup: ASUS and GB Geforce 7300GS
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
“As we can see from the photos, both cards differ considerably from first appearances. The ASUS model, if it weren’t for the VGA connector’s back sticking out, is almost a low profile design with an active fan. The Gigabyte model, on the other hand, is far closer to a full card design, but it features a passive cooling solution, meaning there is no fan to speak of. In reality, vertical height of a videocard is not a huge factor for most systems, so neither card really has the better design per se, just two different approaches that both work well.”
Thanks, a news post if possible would be great. Please send your news to news@hardavenue.com for us to return the favor. At times we may accidentally or unintentionally stumble across an email address which does not represent a news box for any technology news website – If this is the case, or for any other reason, and you wish to be removed from this news send out list, please reply to this email with the address you want removed and I’ll get on it right away.
XCM360 “Ocean Blue” Faceplate Revealed!
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
In the long standing tradition of quality and innovation that the Xbox Gaming and Modding community has come to expect from TeamXtender.com and it’s leading and unchallenged line of products including the original XCM Xbox Cases for the original Xbox, TeamXtender has been working feverishly towards the release of the New XCM360 products mentioned a few days ago.
The XCM360 Faceplate will be the first product launched. As previously stated, it will come in 10 launch colors, with many more to follow. Here at team Xtender we are listening to our customers, and to the scene in general to bring you the products you actually want, use, and need. The first 10 launch faceplates will all be translucent. A modder’s dream to be sure. In colors you want, you’ll now be able to light up the front of your 360 to completely customize the look and feel of the Xbox360. Finally.. make the 360 your own.
Demand is already incredible.. and we thank you for your interest, and patience while we work hard to answer all of your questions. We are working to get the faceplates into the hands of our trusted shops and affiliates within the next 30-45 days. As Always, you can order them from our affiliates and trust that you are getting the best quality products from Shops you can trust, with a history of being there for the customer. While we’ve got your attention, we still have some of the original Xbox XCM cases in various popular and attractive colors for sale at www.Modchipworld.com; www.Decalgirll.com; www.Modchipman.com; www.Divineo.com
The best gaming mouse: Logitech G5 vs. Razer Copperhead
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
In our last gaming mice showdown, the Logitech MX518 came on top of both the Razer Diamondback and Razer Viper. Since then however, new products have been released by both companies, and we are glad to inform you we have had several weeks to test them and report back to you. The contenders: the Logitech G5 and the Razer Copperhead, both considered the companies’ flagship gaming products, both corded mice, and both tracking at an impressive 2000dpi. This is a head-to-head showdown to see which company has the best gaming mouse currently available.
The Power of the Xbox 360 GPU
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
Back in 2003, ATI Technologies and Microsoft announced a technology development agreement under which ATI would develop custom, leading-edge graphics technologies for use in the Xbox successor. This broke the previous relationship Microsoft had with nVIDIA and saw a new contractor taking care of the Xbox graphics.
Fast forward to 2005, Microsoft revealed that the Xbox 360 will feature a custom ATI graphics processor that clocks in at a blistering 500 MHz, with 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines and 10 MB of embedded RAM. Do all those numbers mean nothing to you? Don’t worry.
Xbox 360 Controller (for Windows) Review
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
I’ve been looking for the perfect gamepad ever since I had a PC, which was way before the original Doom debuted. Back then, the Super Nintendo presented its revolutionary controller, and many companies like Gravis tried to create knock-off solutions for the PC gamer. They were quite innovative at the time and had several improvements over Nintendo’s controller: supported left or right-handed orientation, 4 colorful buttons, and a mountable joystick for the D-pad, all with the ugly 15-pin PC gameport connector. Somehow these products never reached the same acceptance as console controllers, whose innovation and simplicity fueled the booming gaming industry.
Microsoft has solved all the problems by introducing a gamepad that works on both its popular Xbox 360 system and PCs. Microsoft adorned the Xbox 360 with standard USB ports for cross-platform compatibility with nearly any device, and the Xbox 360 controller for Windows is the fruit of this forethought.
Check out one of the best PC gamepads
NEWS: AMD Hits Market Share of Over 20%
OCModshop :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
For the first time, Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) has surpassed 20% in processor market share. Next week Mercury Research will announce the new market share results, which may come as a surprise to many. AMD’s share of the processor market was 17.7% in the third quarter and surged up 20% to give AMD a 21.4% market share.
Scythe Ninja Plus CPU Cooling Review on Technic3D
OCModshop :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“Expectations of the Technic3D editorship are corresponding high and we compare the High-End Cooler with 37 others.”
Xbox 360 Controller (for Windows) Review
OCmodshop :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
I’ve been looking for the perfect gamepad ever since I had a PC, which was way before the original Doom debuted. Back then, the Super Nintendo presented its revolutionary controller, and many companies like Gravis tried to create knock-off solutions for the PC gamer. They were quite innovative at the time and had several improvements over Nintendo’s controller: supported left or right-handed orientation, 4 colorful buttons, and a mountable joystick for the D-pad, all with the ugly 15-pin PC gameport connector. Somehow these products never reached the same acceptance as console controllers, whose innovation and simplicity fueled the booming gaming industry.
Microsoft has solved all the problems by introducing a gamepad that works on both its popular Xbox 360 system and PCs. Microsoft adorned the Xbox 360 with standard USB ports for cross-platform compatibility with nearly any device, and the Xbox 360 controller for Windows is the fruit of this forethought.
Check out one of the best PC gamepads
Quake 4 Review (Xbox 360)
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Taking place after the events in the second installment, Quake 4 picks up in the full-on fray of battle against the Strogg. You, Mathew Kane are a member of Rhino squad, an elite group of marines distpatched to the Strogg homeworld in order take the fight to “them”. But that certainly won’t be an easy undertaking; tons of Strogg footsoldiers are everywhere as are all sorts of other Strogg beasties, all there to shut you down.
But, through an otherwise undesirable series of events you are captured and subjected to torture and the eventual transformation into a Strogg. Lucky for you (cool scene) you are spared the full transformation and are now one ugly, mean son-of-a-gun looking Strogg/human hybrid: Stroggification if you will. It’s a painfull and grotesque process that isn’t fit for a rabid dog and you sadly go through 90% of it. You’re as tough as they are, but in you still beats the heart of a human, and a heroic one at that.
There’s also a downloadable video demonstrating gameplay at the end of the article.
Read about Quake part Quatro
BlueTake BT510 Bluetooth Mini Mouse & BT009Si Bluetooth USB Adapter Review
OCModshop :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
When I was approached by Bluetake to review some new products, I was like: “Umm… Okay… Who the heck are you?” Well, apparently, Bluetake has been making the rounds trying to drum up publicity for their line of Bluetooth powered products and have been doing a pretty good job. All of their products are based on Bluetooth technology, and their goal is to unwire you in every way they can. Today, they unwire our mouse with their latest combo: BlueTake BT510 Bluetooth Mini Mouse & BT009Si Bluetooth USB Adapter. Let’s see how the stuff works in the real world!
Quake 4 Review (Xbox 360)
OCmodshop :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Taking place after the events in the second installment, Quake 4 picks up in the full-on fray of battle against the Strogg. You, Mathew Kane are a member of Rhino squad, an elite group of marines distpatched to the Strogg homeworld in order take the fight to “them”. But that certainly won’t be an easy undertaking; tons of Strogg footsoldiers are everywhere as are all sorts of other Strogg beasties, all there to shut you down.
But, through an otherwise undesirable series of events you are captured and subjected to torture and the eventual transformation into a Strogg. Lucky for you (cool scene) you are spared the full transformation and are now one ugly, mean son-of-a-gun looking Strogg/human hybrid: Stroggification if you will. It’s a painfull and grotesque process that isn’t fit for a rabid dog and you sadly go through 90% of it. You’re as tough as they are, but in you still beats the heart of a human, and a heroic one at that.
There’s also a downloadable video demonstrating gameplay at the end of the article.
The Creative Zen of Digital Media Players
OCModshop :: Monday, January 23, 2006
In my decades long experience in the technology field I have found that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, better for producing exciting, innovative and quality new products than a major rivalry between two big companies.
Sure it may mean that not everybody will play nice all of the time, a la Microsoft and Netscape or AMD and Intel, but is that really a bad thing? Generally speaking, when there is a technology arms race, the real winners are consumers. More innovation as well as price wars tend to keep the players on their feet and the consumer happy.
In parallel with the browser and chip wars, two opposing titans of the business, Apple and Creative, drive innovation in the field of handheld multimedia players. Creative originally entered the MP3 space before Apple, but it was the iPod that really exploded the multimedia market and brought it into the mainstream.
Are 32″ LCD TVs Ready For Prime Time?
OCModshop :: Monday, January 23, 2006
Finally, there are some 32″ LCD TVs worth testing. We found six from the usual suspects, but in addition to wares from Sony, LG, Philips and Sharp, there were a couple of newcomers that decided to brave this cutthroat market. The end results are some great sets, but prices remain unsurprisingly steep.
“Low-definition” media like broadcast television, DTV or even standard DVD are the norm as HDTV broadcasts slowly become available. Unfortunately, available panels have trouble rescaling these low-definition sources to display them on an LCD with much higher resolution – 1366×768 or 1280×720. The 30″ and 32″ sets have had mediocre interpolation that most often showed up as violent jaggedness of the picture, or else a “Vaseline-lens” softness of the contours in wares offered by less-scrupulous manufacturers. But finally, we’ve found some 32″ sets that make the grade. It wasn’t easy, but some of the sets we tested offer performance worthy of the Toshiba 27WL56P or the Samsung LT-P266W.
OCMS Models Contratulate Seahawks!
OCmodshop :: Monday, January 23, 2006
The Seattle Seahawks will try to make it to the Super Bowl for the first time Sunday afternoon when they face the Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship game at Qwest Field. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. The Seahawks came close to the Superbowl in 1984 when they lost to the Raiders in Los Angeles 30 to 14 in the AFC title game.
The Seahawks are unbeaten at home this season, 8 and 0 during the regular season and 1 and 0 in the playoffs. The winner of Sunday’s game in Seattle will face the AFC champion, either Denver or Pittsburgh, in Detroit on February 5th in the Super Bowl!
OCmodshop salutes the Seahawks whether they make it to the Super Bowl or not! The lovely OCMS models would like to show their support with these photos.
Go Seahawks!
check out the NFL-themed photos!
OCMS Models Contratulate Seahawks!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
The Seattle Seahawks will try to make it to the Super Bowl for the first time Sunday afternoon when they face the Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship game at Qwest Field. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. The Seahawks came close to the Superbowl in 1984 when they lost to the Raiders in Los Angeles 30 to 14 in the AFC title game.
The Seahawks are unbeaten at home this season, 8 and 0 during the regular season and 1 and 0 in the playoffs. The winner of Sunday’s game in Seattle will face the AFC champion, either Denver or Pittsburgh, in Detroit on February 5th in the Super Bowl!
OCmodshop salutes the Seahawks whether they make it to the Super Bowl or not! The lovely OCMS models would like to show their support with these photos.
Go Seahawks!
Spy Sheriff @ MHW
OCModshop :: Sunday, January 22, 2006
“Although I am sure no one from Spy Sheriff would admit it, what is going on here is actually virtual kidnapping. Pay us 30 usd if you ever want to see your PC again. Even if you are flush with cash you should NEVER do this. After all, if this racket they have going here is financially successful for the makers of Spy Sheriff, you can bet that will encourage them to distribute more garbage like this onto the internet.”
Thermaltake ThoughPower 550W PSU Review on Technic3D
OCModshop :: Sunday, January 22, 2006
Quote: “The new Thermaltake ThoughPower 550W PSU as one of the first editorships to the review. Extremely Power and high-quality”
OCZ PC2-5400 EL Gold Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, January 22, 2006
OCZ’s line of gaming enthusiast memory is full of products that will enhance your gaming experience. Today we look at their Enhanced Latency (EL) Gold Series 1 gigabyte (2×512) dual channel set. It’s a very nice set of memory for a gamer and a light overclocker. With a price at around 100bucks it’s hard to beat. 4x 512mb of this stuff would make for a very nice gaming rig and still would allow for some overclocking. Check out the review over at Link Force Corner.
Xbox Games Grew 77% Over System Life-Cycle, Suggests 360 DVDs Are (Mostly) Big Enough for Next-Gener
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Since the Xbox 360 uses the same DVD9 media format as the original Xbox, Microsoft has been accused by some of being left behind.
Without the additional storage capacity of new formats like HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs, some gamers have been concerned that game developers will have troubles making next generation games on the Xbox 360.
Even if the first generation of 360 games are able to fit on the DVD9 format, people argue, there is little room for games to grow over time.
But is DVD9 really too small?
Geometry Wars Leads Xbox 360 Arcade Downloads
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
In an official statement to consumer website IGN, Microsoft has revealed details of the most popular downloads on the Xbox Live Arcade service for the Xbox 360 console. Although exact sales figures for the titles have not been announced, the top ten most popular worldwide Xbox 360 downloadable titles have been ranked in order:
- Geometry Wars: Retro evolved
- Gauntlet
- Smash TV
- Bejeweled II
- Zuma
Putting this in some kind of numerical perspective, specific recent reports have revealed over 200,000 trial downloads of Geometry Wars and 45,000 paid downloads since Xbox 360 launch, an impressive tally.
bf Unpacker
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Another technical/research tool has been released by th0mas on xboxhacker.net. It’s an unpacker for Xbox360 .bf files. It should unpack files such as “KingKongTheGame_clean.bf”. The .bf files are some sort of archive format (not compressed) used on the Xbox 360, or atleast in the game King Kong
OXM Interview with Bill Gates
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
* OXM: Xbox 360 appears to be a definite step towards your vision of the digital entertainment home and lifestyle. Any hints on what we can expect in our digital entertainment future?
* Bill Gates: Xbox 360 is the fusion of raw technological power and elegant design at an affordable price. There’s a lot of talk about killer apps, but as far as I’m concerned, Xbox 360 is the killer app for any HDTV setup.
* OXM: What single feature of the Xbox 360 hardware excites you most?
* Bill Gates: I’m really excited about the three processor cores that IBM developed for Xbox 360. It enables game developers to create amazing, sweeping environments, lifelike AI, realistic physics, richer worlds and stunning visual clarity. Then there’s Xbox Live, which is more than just about games – it’s about all the people who power new and exciting gameplay experiences.
CES 2006 Time Out: Cars, Car Audio and Booth Babes!
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Almost four years since its conception in 2002, Xbox Live is still uncontested as the king of console online services. Xbox 360 took the service to the next level with extensive integration and new features, but as expected Microsoft have a lot in store for the maturing service.
According to internet reports from Norwegian website IT Avisen, Microsoft are currently finalising a large Xbox Live Update. Along with useful bug fixes and tweaks – such as the ability to perform downloads in the menu background – the update is said to contain support for the console’s elusive webcam, rumoured to be hitting stores soon.
We’re not sure if we want to stare at our bellowing competitors as well as hear them, and we fear for the inevitable ‘naked Halo’, but any update to the service can only be welcomed.
News: iRiver H10 Review
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“iRiver has been attempting to make an iPod killer for years, but has always seemed to be a few steps behind the Apple juggernaut. I did a review of the iRiver H320 a few months back and found it to be a very good MP3 player, yet something was missing. Ease of use is a main factor in any gadget, and iRiver has always disappointed in this facet. I purchased the iRiver H10 hoping that it would improve on the flaws prevalent in their older models — and I have to say I was surprised at how much they have changed since my last encounter with them.”
Unique 16 bytes in Xbox 360 DVD Firmware
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Some new firmware facts! A little birdie told me some information about a second dump of a Toshiba/Samsung TS-H943 DVD-ROM drive. In comparison with the dump made by darkfly, only 16 bytes are different. The difference is at offset 0x401A – 0x4029. Thanks little birdie for your great effort! A 16 byte difference was also the case with the GDR-3120 dumps.
All clues indicate that each Xbox 360 DVD-rom firmware contains an unique key. I couldn’t match the key to a console id / serial or drive serial. It’s probably an unique key used in the AES routine to encrypt/decrypt communication between console and drive. Something which is new for the Xbox 360.
Interview with Peter Moore
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
EGM (via 1up) posted a new interesting and pretty ‘aggresive’ interview with Peter Moore, the Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Retail Sales and Marketing for Microsoft’s Home and Entertainment Division (translation: He has to make Xbox 360 the #1 console in the world). Here’s an excerpt:
* EGM: Wouldn’t you be pissed if you paid $400 for a new console and many of its games looked only marginally better than their current-gen equivalents? * PM: You wanna call out some games? Because I’m not gonna call out any games.
Microsoft pledges to protect young Xbox Live users
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“Safety and security, specifically child online safety, are a top priority for Microsoft, and we insure that Xbox Live is equipped with the tools that allow parents to monitor the activities of their children during online game play, including disabling voice communications,” Microsoft said.
“Xbox Live is regulated by our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct which prohibit all illegal activities. We work closely with law enforcement around the world on child safety issues on the Internet and will provide any and all help to the authorities investigating this case.”
Chinese Analyst Says The Xbox 360 Will Fail
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
President of Shanda Interactive Entertainment in China, Jun Tang, has expressed his grim impressions of the Xbox360’s future release in the Chinese market. If you thought the Japanese release was bad, Tang thinks it’ll be worse in China.
Tang says that it’s for two reasons. The first reason being that the Xbox360 has little diversity in games.
While FPSs and popular sports titles sell like hotcakes in North America, they won’t fare so well in China.
The second reason is that the Xbox360 is extremely expensive and consumers in China won’t want to purchase such an expensive device if they aren’t promised great games for it. As a result, Tang says, the market for the Xbox360 won’t be good in China for a timespan of about 2 to 3 years.
News: AMD Athlon X2 4800+ paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB in SLI
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
We’ve just completed an upgrade article, which features the AMD Athlon X2 4800+ paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB in SLI.
Blacklisted411 ICE ModChip Research
OCModshop :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
We[Blacklisted411.net] have recently finished our work on icemodchip (A supposed Xbox 360 modchip). With this release, you will provide an in-depth look into icemodchip and their past. This article is intended to provide NEW information and does not include the recent “fake” modchip pictures that have been found to be fraudulent by multiple parties. With this information, the Xbox modding community can now make their own decision based on 48+ hours of research and documentation. Please understand, this is only about 40% of our original research. The other research was not included for several reasons. In addition, we will combat any subsequent video and/or news releases with an analysis into their validity.
I-Star Nitro AX Super Cooling Tower Case
Friday, January 20, 2006
It strikes you when the case is first removed from the box: this is one sleek tower with a hefty 5mm aluminum front plate decoration. This case could easily mesh with audio equipment in the living room. If black bores you, then try out this case in their red, yellow and blue varieties of the Nitro AX.
There is room for five 3.5″ hard disk drives, two 3.5″ disk drives, and a whopping five slots for larger 5.25″ drives! The harddrive brackets itself has rubber grommet inlay to minimize drive any vibration transferred to the case, which reduces noise. These brackets are secured on the bottom of the case with special screws.
Hardware Overdrive opens it’s doors with it’s first article
OCModshop :: Friday, January 20, 2006
Quote: “For the past year custom fab cases have reigned king in our little world. All you have to do is look at Crimson’s “Doom 3” mod, or DGephri’s Lubic “Zen Feng” these things are works of art, but the best thing about them is that they house high end computers.”
moddin.net reviews the Thermaltake ToughPower 550W
OCModshop :: Friday, January 20, 2006
Quote: ” My first review of the year is for a power supply by our friends at Thermaltake and it’s their brand new ToughPower 550W. It may not have the snappiest of names but it certainly tells you for what intention they have designed this for – power. ”
I-Star Nitro AX Super Cooling Tower Case
OCmodshop :: Friday, January 20, 2006
It strikes you when the case is first removed from the box: this is one sleek tower with a hefty 5mm aluminum front plate decoration. This case could easily mesh with audio equipment in the living room. If black bores you, then try out this case in their red, yellow and blue varieties of the Nitro AX.
There is room for five 3.5″ hard disk drives, two 3.5″ disk drives, and a whopping five slots for larger 5.25″ drives! The harddrive brackets itself has rubber grommet inlay to minimize drive any vibration transferred to the case, which reduces noise. These brackets are secured on the bottom of the case with special screws.
AMD vs. Intel : The Gloves Come Off
OCModshop :: Friday, January 20, 2006
It’s amazing how much the landscape of the processor market can change in a rather short period of time — two years ago AMD was faltering as Intel was steam-rolling over it. Even with the successful introduction of numerous chips, you would be hard pressed to find many top-tier OEM’s supporting their processors — let alone finding their chips inside enterprise class workstations. How quickly the times have changed. A few years later, AMD has been eating away at Intel’s high margins business with their Opteron processors, and slowly but surely they have been eroding Intel’s consumer processor lead. The anti-trust allegations filed against Intel have put them in the limelight, and as such they have been toning down aggressive marketing campaigns aimed at stores, manufacturers, and HIV’s. AMD had made tremendous inroads in the processor market in the last year, and it does not seem to be letting up, and Intel seems to be watching the train come straight for them.
Final CES 2006 Coverage@TargetPC.COM
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
We had quite a blast this year. While we thought that last year was good, let us tell you that this year was even better. It looks like CES keeps getting stronger and stronger every time. We would like to applaud all of the CES staff members for an outstanding management. The industry is looking to be stronger than ever. Expect some very interesting technology innovations in 2006.
How To Prevent Laptop Computer Theft
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Laptops are lovely. They are convenient, mobile, powerful and prestigious. They are also thief magnets. Over 400,000 laptops disappear each year, leaving their owners wondering where they went, what is happening with their data and what to do next.
Brando SOS Rotary Torch@pc-base.net
OCModshop :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“The SOS is another handy little rechargeable Flashlight. There are some neat features on the SOS.I like the compass a lot perfect for throwing in your camping gear. The torch has a single LED that is quite bright for such a small light.”
SanDisk miniSD 1GB Memory Card Review
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
SanDisk has been a manufacturer of flash cards and portable media for many years. They produce flash memory in every form factor, the latest being mini-SD. There are currently many different form factors, and have reduced in size over the years. They have become pretty standardized, as 6-in-1 and even 8-in-1 card readers are widely available for PCs and laptops. These readers allow access to your flash memory, no matter what type you have. So why introduce a new standard?
SanDisk claims the miniSD card offers significant savings in card area and volume, which are two critical design parameters as mobile phones grow more miniaturized. The miniSD card saves more than 40% of the printed circuit board over standard SD cards in less than 60% of the space. Windows SmartPhones use this memory format, and more miniaturized phones with multimedia features.
Thermaltake Eclipse DV VC6000 case review
OCModshop :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
DV Hardware has taken a look at the Eclipse DV VC6000 mid-tower case from ThermalTake. The special things about this cases are the integrated DVD combo drive and the LED sound indicator. Both are integrated into the front bezel, making it quite heavy but it looks kinda cool as you can see your CD and DVD disks spinning.
Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 @ TechFreaks
OCModshop :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“When it comes to purchasing a keyboard, especially an ergonomic one, people are looking for comfort. Sure, price and fancy buttons may play a role, but it all falls back to the feel of the keyboard. This is where Microsoft Natural keyboards excel. Naturals have always had, as their name would suggest, a more natural feel over regular keyboards. Microsoft’s latest edition to their Natural line, the Natural Elite 4000, takes comfort to an entirely new level.”
Title: Techsolo TT-15 Gehäuse Case Review on Technic3D
OCModshop :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote: “The TT-15 Case has a throughout elegant appearance and adapts the provided accessories such as keyboard, mouse and 2.0 stereo boxes in red color”
