Tech News November 2005

 

Sony VAIO FJ Series Notebook @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Tuesday, November 15, 2005
“Sony has recently introduced a new series of notebooks, codenamed FJ series, that offer the latest in mobile technologies, but don’t cost as much as the ultra portable or ultra performance counterparts. The FJ series of notebooks come in five colors that all look sleek and classic.”

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Razer Discusses Laser Technology in Gaming Mice @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Tuesday, November 15, 2005
“If you’ve read our interview with Logitech, you’ll realize that Razer remedied much of the surface tracking problems by issuing a firmware upgrade, which is currently not possible with Logitech mice due to quality assurance issues, according to Logitech. However, the world’s most influential peripherals maker could look at this solution down the road.”

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OCZ High Grade Memory – PC4800 DDR and PC5400 DDR-2
TweakTown :: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

QUOTE: “Today we are taking a look at some of OCZ’s fastest memory on the market. First off we have the AMD Athlon 64’s pride and joy, PC4800 DDR SDRAM with the branding “EL Platinum Limited Edition”. After this we also have the Pentium 4’s ultimate companion – low latency DDR-2 SDRAM at 667MHz with the branding “EL Gold Edition”.”

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Antec Super Lanboy Aluminum ATX Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Tweaknews.net has released yet another review onto the internet. I was wondering if you could please post it in today’s news for me.

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AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Review
AMDboard :: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

With the latest stepping of the dual core processor series, AMD dishes up the Manchester core to set new standards in energy efficiency and price/performance ratio. Taking advantage of the proverbial excellent gaming and floating point performance and stripping the dual cores of 50% of their hard-earned cache in combination with a frequency sweet spot of 2.0 GHz results in a killer CPU at a reasonable price tag. Arguably, there are cheaper processors on the market, there are faster cores out there (as measured in clock frequency) and there are “the others” but after wrapping up this review, there is nothing out there that combines that many positive features as the Manchester running at 2.0 GHz, using the moniker Athlon X2 3800+.

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Metapo/Egen Power 150Watt Power Can Inverter @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Quote: “Today I have another product from Metapo, under the brand name EgenPower. It is something I found interesting and quite useful, it is a power inverter for you car. I’m sure you are wondering what’s so interesting about a power inverter, those can be purchased anywhere. The Metapo/EgenPower Power Can Inverter is shaped like a soda can and is made to fit into most cup holders of cars. It not only has one outlet for power, but it also has a powered USB port as well. I think it is just plain cool, and considering it’s size, something that everyone can and should have, especially in emergencies. Despite emergency uses, todays world has become very mobile, and having power on the go is pretty much essential, some cars today even feature outlets in them for just such purposes. If you don’t have a car with built in outlets, you need to go and buy one of those square and cumbersome inverters, well not anymore. The Power Can Inverter is small and very portable, and comes in varying wattages for varying uses. I have for review the 150Watt version, more than enough for most things including a 19” TV if you brought one along.”

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Antec Notebook Cooler Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Monday, November 14, 2005

“The Notebook Cooler is designed to keep a constant airflow underneath your laptop which in most cases is where it will be drawing air from which will help the laptop’s cooling to work as efficient as possible. Laptop computers are not cheap so you might as well have it running as cool as possible.”

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News: NVIDIA’s GeForce 7800 GTX 512 graphics processor
The Tech Report :: Monday, November 14, 2005
This new 512MB version of the GeForce 7800 GTX, you see, doesn’t run at the 430MHz GPU and 1.2GHz memory clocks that the standard version does. Oh, no. This card is intended to compete with–nay, embarrass–ATI’s ultra-high-end Radeon X1800 XT, the recently crowned king of single-card graphics performance. NVIDIA’s not calling it an Ultra, but they might as well be, with clock speeds of 550MHz for the GPU and 1.7GHz for the memory. That, my friend, is fast. We’re talking about 13.2 gigatexels per second of fill rate and over 54GB per second of memory bandwidth. Those towering specifications could allow this Bugatti Veyron of the graphics world to lay the freaking smack down on the Radeon X1800 XT. And the prospect of running a couple of these monsters in SLI captures the geek’s imagination like a wayward pair of Carolina Panthers cheerleaders.

We have, of course, subjected the GeForce 7800 GTX 512 to a grueling battery of performance tests using the latest games at a range of resolutions, including the sick and disturbing 2048×1536, just because we could. Can NVIDIA’s new $649 beast show up ATI’s Radeon X1800 XT? Will a pair of these in running in tandem cause the lights to dim in Damage Labs? We’re about to find out.

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Powering Up A Standalone PSU Guide Posted!
Tech ARP :: Monday, November 14, 2005

Quote – “If you need to test some fans or cold cathode tubes, it can be a hassle hooking them up to a case. Why not use a standalone PSU?

This quick guide will show you just how to power up a standalone PSU for quick and easy tests of accessories and other components that require electrical power. ”

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Shuttle XPC SD31P Review @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Monday, November 14, 2005

Today, we get a chance to look at Shuttle’s latest, the SD31P. This new Shuttle XPC features all of their latest innovations in cooling and chassis design including the latest Intel Chipset, Dual Core CPU support and 64 bit hardware and software support. Can the Shuttle SD31P really take over the job of my big honking desktop system?

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Kyocera K500 Gamepad for Mobile Phones @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Monday, November 14, 2005
“We’ve all heard of gamepads and racing wheels for computers and gaming consoles, but it’s not everyday that you hear about gamepads that are designed specifically for mobile phones. Yes, that’s right, a gamepad for your mobile phone. Kyocera, a maker of gaming mobile phones and accessories, has partnered with Alienware, a custom PC builder, to design an ergonomically friendly gamepad for the mobile gaming user.”

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How to Share Folders and Printers on Your Network
Designtechnica :: Monday, November 14, 2005
Here is a snippet: “After you have built your own network, you may want to share files and printers between your computers. In this tutorial we will show you how this is done. We are assuming that you already have built your network. If that is not the case, read our tutorial How to Build a Small Network Using a Broadband Router, where we also explain how to share your Internet connection.”

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Evaluation: Sony DRU-810A Optical Storage Drive
Designtechnica :: Monday, November 14, 2005
‘The Sony DRU-810A is the company’s follow-up to their first Dual Layer DVD writer, the DRU-800A. As you can imagine, not a whole lot has changed between the two models. You get updated software, faster read/write times and hopefully better media compatibility. The DRU-810A can be found from various manufacturers for around $100 dollars. The Sony DRU-810A comes with a software package provided by Nero and two faceplates, one in gray and another in black.’

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Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Intel Cooler @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, November 14, 2005

Quote: Last week we reviewed the Arctic Cooling Silencer 64 Ultra TC. A good little cooler with some great potential for the AMD platform. Today we have Arctic Cooling’s newest cooler for the Intel platform. The Freezer 7 Pro. Equipped with another Arctic Cooling patent pending fan and copper heat pipes. We all know that A. C. is known for quiet and well performing cooling solutions. Let’s see if the Freezer 7 Pro lives up to the reputation.

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Kingwin Nighthawk USB/SATA External Rack Review
Overclocker Café :: Monday, November 14, 2005

The thing about thumb drives is that no matter how hip your unit is, you still won’t be packing a movie or other large unit of data in it just yet. Anything over a gig and you should be looking for another way to haul your data around. One way to do this is with a USB external drive rack. USB drive racks were the original portable storage devices. Sure, you can’t exactly put one in your pocket but where else can you find portable storage limited only by the size of the hard drive you can afford?

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Enermax Liberty 620 Watt PSU @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Monday, November 14, 2005

Quote: “I have done quite a few power supply reviews, and have purchased quite a few, I have never owned an Enermax power supply, so I was more than happy to get this for review. Enermax has a great reputation for top quality products, when people ask for a PSU recommendation, Enermax is usually one of the names on the list. They have come out with a new line of power supplies called the Liberty. So today I have the Enermax Liberty 620Watt power supply for review, it is a powerful beast, sporting a very nice paint job and modular cables, but can it perform? Let’s find out.”

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VPNs and Internet Connection Security
PCStats :: Sunday, November 13, 2005
“This article is intended to deal with creating Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to connect a home network with the outside world. In the course of this slightly more advanced PCstats guide we will discuss the nature of VPNs, the dangers of the Internet, and the encryption methods involved in securing yourself from them. It is assumed that you have a basic knowledge of the meaning behind networking terms such as IP addresses, Local and wide area networks, firewalls, etc. A VPN incorporates two features, encryption and tunneling , to ensure that the data is delivered safely and privately across the public space.”

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X-Micro Mini DisGo Video Review #617
3dgameman :: Sunday, November 13, 2005

“It’s important to backup your vital data. Well, this unit makes it very easy to do so because it’s USB2. This results in quick setup and fast transfers. Also, it has a large storage capacity ranging from 5 to 40GB in size. This puts flash drives to shame! Additional, this extremely compact unit makes transport a breeze. All this and it’s reasonably priced. Now there’s no excuse not to backup your vital data, get at least one! Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

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Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 Rev. 3 @ Techgage
Techgage :: Sunday, November 13, 2005

Quote: Arctic Cooling has just updated their popular NV Silencer to support the 7800GT, and that’s exactly how we are going to test it! The cooler still uses the proven design of blowing hot air out the back, and looks great while doing it. Is it better than stock though, and possibly water cooling?

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Data Recovery Myths
Hardware Secrets :: Sunday, November 13, 2005
Have you ever heard about freezing the hard drive, opening it on a bathroom full of steam or swapping its logic board in order to revive a dead hard drive? These are just a few of the several data recovery myths we have debunked in this tutorial.

Here is a snippet: “Some are users who are desperate because they’ve lost their data, and others are maintenance technicians who aren’t specialized in data recovery, but all face situations when every attempt to recover their data or their clients’ data failed. Some don’t put up with the fact that they were absent-minded enough to invert the polarity when connecting the HD power cable, others keep looking at the dark screen, thinking at how could that happened: the night before the PC was turned off as usual after having worked all day long without a single crash and, when turned on in the morning, the HD is solemnly ignored during setup, the computer doesn’t boot, and the worst: no backup has been done!”

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Corsair XMS2 5400UL 1Gb Kit DDR2 Review @ Madshrimps
Madshrimps :: Sunday, November 13, 2005
Quote: “Corsair originally designed their XMS2 5400UL for optimum performance on the nVIDIA C19 chipset. Unfortunately there have been some problems innate to the C19 and it seems there’s a Pink Elephant in nVidia’s living room. Today we not only test Corsair’s Twin2X-5400UL,, but in the process discuss the Pachyderm stepping on motherboard maker’s toes.”

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Holiday 2005 Memory Buyers Guide @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, November 13, 2005

“Tis the season for you to go and spend your hard earned money on things you most likely don’t need, or the person you are getting it for doesn’t need either, but we still do it anyway. So in the spirit of the Holidays we decided to make your gift giving and maybe receiving a bit more painless and easier. We’ve come up with, a Memory buyers guide, featuring 4 of the top Ram manufacturers out there today. There are many companies out there that make ram now, but these four are in my opinion the top 4 manufacturers. We will be looking at 3 offering from each company, High End, Low End and DDR2. The companies are Corsair, Crucial, OCZ and GEIL, the companies are in no particular order of preference just an order. Since the new shift is toward 2 gigabytes of ram, that is what we will be focusing on, but some choices will be 1 gig sets.”

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Enermax Liberty EL500AWT 500W @ InsaneTek
InsaneTek :: Sunday, November 13, 2005
“Enermax has always been a reputable power supply provider. It took them a while, but they finally released a modular power supply. The Liberty 500W shows that Enermax is serious about their power supplies.”

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PCLinuxOS v0.92 Test 3 @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Sunday, November 13, 2005

Summary: “PCLinuxOS, a start-up KDE engineered distribution, has recently released their v0.92 Test 3 build that contains an updated Unionfs stable version as well as fixes largely when it comes to the livecd-installer. Bundled with PCLinuxOS v0.92 is everything from the LimeWire P2P application to a scientific calculator. Even though PCLinuxOS hasn’t yet gained much momentum from the desktop Linux community, its intentions are definitely in the right direction and we look forward to seeing how this distribution “shapes up” after passing its development stages.”

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Thermaltake PowerStation 520W @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Saturday, November 12, 2005
Power supplies play a crucial part in how our computers operate. Number of Watts a power box has will not make your computer more stable — as long as you don’t overload your system. What many motherboard manufacturers require now are stricter voltage / Amps requirements on all rails rather than exuberant Wattage.

Today I will be looking at Thermaltake’s Pure Power PowerStation 520W modular PSU. This is a new product from the company, designed mainly with flexibility in mind.

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Case Window How-to Guide @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Saturday, November 12, 2005

Quote: Nowadays, there are countless numbers of computer cases available with panels that have been pre-fabricated with windows. Two of the most popular methods of window mounting are gluing and riveting, both of which work quite well but leave something to be desired aesthetically. Today we will look at the professional finish and industrial look of an H-locked window.

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Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000KD 400GB SATA Hard Drive @ PCSTATS.com
PCStats :: Saturday, November 12, 2005
“PCSTATS has already seen what the Western Digital Raptor brings to the table, and now we’ll take one of the largest hard drives on the market for a spin. Meet Western Digital’s 400GB Caviar SE16 hard drive, model number: WD4000KD. Be sure to check out the Experts Tips on how to ensure the best possible performance from the Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000KD hard drive, a little later in the review. The Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000KD supports the 150MB/s Serial ATA I standard, and sports a mammoth 16MB onboard cache buffer.”

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Thermaltake Polo735 Athlon64 Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Saturday, November 12, 2005
“Essentially identical to the Venus 12 heatsink, the Thermaltake Polo735 offers up a broader variety of compatible sockets along with the high-powered fan and fan speed controllers. The heatsink is completely made of copper fin and baseplate components, and utilizes 2000-5500RPM Everflow fan which moves upwards of 26-72CFM depending on its speed. The 732 gram heatsink is heavy, so care should be taken when installing it onto the processor; be that AMD Athlon64, AthlonXP or Intel Pentium 4. The Thermaltake Polo735 heatsink comes with two different fan speed controllers, one on a PCI slot bracket and the other in a silver aluminum 3.5″ drive bay bracket.”

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Google to Launch a Travel Site Soon @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, November 12, 2005

“Let’s face it; Google is perhaps the most happening company in the IT industry right now. It’s witnessing tremendous growth and it’s competitors are biting their nails and pulling out their hair while they spend sleepless nights as the worst is yet to come.”

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Antec Overture 2 ATX Desktop Case (Update) @ TheTechLounge
The Tech Lounge :: Saturday, November 12, 2005

“When I originally reviewed the Overture 2, one of my complaints was of an unusually noisy power supply fan. I thought this was an important point to note in my review in part because this is the sort of case people consider for an HTPC enclosure. Since the review went up I have received several emails from readers reporting the same problem, and a couple of emails from readers suggesting a simple fix. In the update I will discuss some of the feedback I received, some of the questions I asked Antec about this problem, and finally, the resolution to the problem.”

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