Tech News October 2004

Professional Headphone & Audio Accessory Roundup Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“While many people in the world find wearing headphones a ‘Necessary Evil’ that comes with portable music listening, HeadRoom Corporation knows about and caters to the large segment of the population that enjoy listening to music through the wonderful world of headphones. Some unsavvy consumers will find 15 dollar headphones that come with portable music players acceptable, however, many music connoisseurs have found listening to music using traditional means is lacking in quality. HeadRoom has an extensive product line that will accommodate any music buff that desires increased performance from personal audio equipment. Whether the consumer wishes to own the most extravagant audio headphones and accessories, or simply wants quality audio with a small budget, HeadRoom has the product line to meet the needs of the customer.”

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Vantec NexStar NST-350UF External HD Enclosure Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“The NexStar NST-350UF is a first generation external hard drive enclosure and is available in two different models. The NST-350UF is a dual combination enclosure that supports both USB and Firewire technologies. The premise behind this product is that it has been designed for home networks, offices, and small to medium businesses.”

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WireWeight Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Sunday, October 10, 2004

“It doesn’t matter whether you are a gamer or not. If you have a mouse wire weight problem, WireWeight is a good solution for you. The price is acceptable at only USD11.59. Besides the efficiency of WireWeight, it is stylish, portable, and easy to install. Now with this WireWeight, you can finally gain back the control over your mouse wire and once again feel the return of the freedom on mouse movement.”

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Logisys UV Molex Sleeve Kit Review @ Mikhailtech
Mikhailtech :: Sunday, October 10, 2004

“The rations struck me as odd. Generally UV sleeving kits are meant for PSU mods so it makes sense to have the ATX, AUX, P4 12V, floppy, and 4-pin female molex connectors. However, there are no power supplies that make direct use of male 4-pin molex connectors. I’m assuming these extras were included for swapping out connectors of other components that hook up to the PSU (such as fans). There are also no SATA ones present. Another oddity is the UV sleeve length: only 5ft. This may seem like a lot, but unless you have a generic PSU with few, short cables, you’ll run out before you cover even half the wires, meaning you’ll need to purchase at least two of these kits for a complete overhaul. Finally, there’s no heatshrink so you’ll need either buy your own or use tape cover up the tips of your cable mesh to prevent parting. On a brighter note, the female Molex connectors have grips on both sides for easier removal once they’re hooked up to a device.”

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SilverStone Temjin TJ-05 Case Review @ 3dXtreme
3dXtreme :: Sunday, October 10, 2004
“The SilverStone TJ05 is just a monster of a Case, it’s spacious and rigid. The quality behind this Case was never and will never be questioned. If you are looking for a LAN Party Case, look elsewhere. If you are looking for something to last a lifetime – this is it!”

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Value Gaming PC Buyer’s Guide @ Sharky Extreme
Sharky Extreme :: Sunday, October 10, 2004
“Our October Value Gaming PC Buyer’s Guide has been posted, and once again we’re armed with $1,000 in cash and are looking for performance Intel and AMD gaming systems.”

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CoolerMaster AquaGate Watercooling System @ AusPCWorld
AusPCWorld :: Sunday, October 10, 2004
“WaterCooling has been around for a while, but has always been either too expensive, too complex or the thought of running a liquid throughout your PC has put many PC users off using a kit of this nature. However companies such as Coolermaster have invested time and money into developing a kit that is not only simple to install, but does the job it is supposed to do – Cooling your CPU with Liquid. Today we take a look at the Coolermaster Aquagate Liquid Cooling Kit.”

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GeIL Ultra-X PC3200 Memory Review @ PCStats
PCStats :: Saturday, October 09, 2004
“As usual we started with the Athlon64 overclocking first, and without much fan fare the GeIL DDR reached timings of 2-2-2-5 on an Asus K8V motherboard with absolutely no problems. After raising the motherboard clock speed a few MHz at a time, we ran into a few stability problems at the 210 MHz mark. Increasing the DIMM voltage to 2.8V solved this issue and we continued on to 227 MHz. Unfortunately, any speeds higher would cause instability, but 227 MHz is certainly not too bad for PC3200 memory!”

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CoolerMaster X-Dream III Review @ OCIA
OCIA :: Saturday, October 09, 2004

“Well, I’m still trying to lower the noise level of that noisy rig that sits about 2 feet from my head while I’m at my desk. I’ve installed an Ultra-Quiet PSU, a nice, quiet cooler for the video card, and even added some acoustic foam. Each time I’ve added “silent” hardware, everything else sounds louder. Now I’m going to try to lose some decibels from the CPU cooler, with the ACC-L81, also known as the Cooler Master X Dream III CPU Cooler”

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Antec NeoPower 480 PSU Review @ GruntvillE
GruntvillE :: Saturday, October 09, 2004

“Since then, I have run up to 10 Laser LEDs, 6 CCFL’s, 15 fans (8 LED and 7 non-LED), 3 HDs, a CD writer, DVD writer, various video cards, etc, etc. Get the point? Not once, have I had an issue with power. Until today, I have been running my Antec TrueBlue non-stop, pushing the max at times. With all the new products, come new innovations. Power Supplies today have lights, fans, and are modular. What? Modular, meaning the cables can be added according to the users needs. No more silly floppy connector if you aren’t using a floppy.”

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Wisetech ATA 100/133 Round IDE Cables @ GideonTech
GideonTech :: Saturday, October 09, 2004
“These days most everyone in the modding community runs round IDE cables in their computers. What was once a time consuming and risky process of rounding your own cables has now been replaced by manufactured cables that are round right out of the box. Wisetech has sent us some samples of their new ATA 100/133 round cables for us to take a look at.”

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CoolMax Xtreme Files F1 @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Saturday, October 09, 2004

“CoolMax, a company which was founded in 1992 with an ambition for manufacturing AC and DC voltage fans, but had later diversified its outlook and began developing an entirely new assortment of products, has recently released the Xtreme Files (F1): The “OS” Ultimate 5-in-1 External Enclosure for HDD. This device can backup/restore your operating system or selected files at the touch of a button.”

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Abit IC7-MAX3 Motherboard Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Friday, October 08, 2004

“The IC7-MAX3 comes with a hefty price tag but considering the amount of features and functions you get, it’s worth the price. The OTES cooling system not only looked great, but it serves a good purpose in keeping the MOSFETs cool. The Softmenu functions in the BIOS makes overclocking a breeze thus giving unlimited access to the user to various voltage, speed and ratio settings on their system.”

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Asetek WaterChill Antarctica (Socket T) @ Overclockers Online
Overclockers Online :: Friday, October 08, 2004
“With Intel’s new socket T platform, asetek had to redesign their waterblock’s cover for compatibility. In this look, we compare the performance of this new cover to that of the stock cooler Intel provides.”

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Gigabyte GO-U0128B USB Flash Drive Review @ PCStats
PCStats :: Friday, October 08, 2004
“Gigabyte’s entry into the world of Hi-Speed USB flash drives is the aptly named GO-U0128B, and it has to be one of the most compact flash drives we have ever tested. The whole device measures 45 x 20 x 9mm when the USB jack is retracted into its protective case. The GO-U0128B flash drive comes encased in an aluminum and plastic shell, and a small thumb catch allows users to extend the USB jack out (click to lock it!) when they want to use the device. No cap? Wonderful!”

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Case Modding Contest – One week left @ InsaneTek
InsaneTek :: Friday, October 08, 2004
“There is exactly one week left before the contest ends. Hurry and submit your beautiful projects before it’s too late!”

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Cable-Safe Cable Manager @ PimpRig
PimpRig :: Friday, October 08, 2004

“This review was brought to you by a couple of guys that had a rat’s nest of cables behind seven systems. I have a hard enough time with two to three systems let alone seven of them! They figured that there has to be a better way. With serious conviction of thought, research, and creativity, they developed the Cable Manager.”

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Logisys Dracula Special Edition @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Friday, October 08, 2004
“When we first came across the Logisys Dracula ATX case, we were startled by its appearance. Whilst the majority of the case is mid-night blue there is a good amount of chrome, making the Logisys Dracula one of the most unique looking cases we have seen to date!”

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LIS 2 Indicator VFD Display Device Review @ Short-Media
Short-Media :: Friday, October 08, 2004
“The L.I.S. 2 Indicator is more than a pretty face. It’s a fan controller too. Virtual Lab System took the VFD display device one step further by incorporating a 4-channel fan controller. The L.I.S. 2 Indicator surpasses other units in aesthetics, price and features but there are areas that didn’t quite measure up.”

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Coping with a Serious Data Loss @ The Tech Zone
The Tech Zone :: Friday, October 08, 2004
“Data loss is an expensive reality. It’s a hard fact that it happens more often then users like to admit. A recent study by the accounting firm McGladrey and Pullen estimates that one out of every 500 data centers will experience a severe computer disaster this year. As a result, almost half of those companies will go out of business. At the very least, a data loss disaster can mean lost income and missed business opportunities. ”

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Antec Sonata @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Thursday, October 07, 2004

Summary: “Antec, a name common in the computer industry for manufacturing reputable power supplies and cases, recently gave us an opportunity to examine the Antec Sonata, which is dubbed the quietest case available, but is it really worth your hard-earned paycheck?.”

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The Paperless Office Editorial @ The Tech Zone
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, October 07, 2004
While predictions of the paperless office began over 10 years ago, statistics show that 90% of the world’s information is still on paper. Can this change? Will it? After spending more than 20 years in offices of all sizes, from one-person home-based businesses to the offices of the largest corporations in the world, I contend that a more important question is “Can you find the information you need when you need it — regardless of the form it takes?” I have yet to find a company that was able to manage its electronic information effectively without first learning to manage the paper? Why? Because we haven’t addressed four fundamental questions of information management.

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Professional Headphone and Audio Accessory Roundup Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Thursday, October 07, 2004

“While many people in the world find wearing headphones a ‘Necessary Evil’ that comes with portable music listening, HeadRoom Corporation knows about and caters to the large segment of the population that enjoy listening to music through the wonderful world of headphones. Some unsavvy consumers will find 15 dollar headphones that come with portable music players acceptable, however, many music connoisseurs have found listening to music using traditional means is lacking in quality. HeadRoom has an extensive product line that will accommodate any music buff that desires increased performance from personal audio equipment. Whether the consumer wishes to own the most extravagant audio headphones and accessories, or simply wants quality audio with a small budget, HeadRoom has the product line to meet the needs of the customer.”

check it out

DawG PounD Giveaway, 2 TrackIR 3 Pros @ GruntvillE.com
GruntvillE :: Thursday, October 07, 2004

“Natural Point is working hard to get all of the game developers to include support for the unit and is having quite a bit of success in doing so. We all know what success means, no not just hot chicks and nice cars, it means more development on the unit. Who knows, in a few years, it might not be fun to play a First Person Shooter without one! ”

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TweakTown New Content Alert! (4th October 2004 – DDR vs. DDR-2)
TweakTown :: Thursday, October 07, 2004
“Today we have posted an article for you which investigates the current state of DDR vs. DDR-2 memory in the industry. We have included in-depth information about what is different about the two technologies, possible adoption problems for AMD with Athlon 64 and benchmarks comparing both on an MSI motherboard which supports both memory standards. If you’re wondering what we are to make of it all… Read on!”

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ARP Editor’s Choice Award Winner Steelpad S&S Professional Gaming Mouse Pad Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Thursday, October 07, 2004

“The professional gaming gear manufacturer Steel co-developed the Steelpad S&S gaming mouse pad with members of Clan Shroet Kommandos. As such, it’s no wonder the Steelpad S&S has won the favour of many professional gaming clans out there like 4-Kings and Team 3D.

But is it really as good as gamers say it is? Today, we will take a close look at this professional gaming mouse pad. Let’s see if it lives up to its reputation!”

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Designtechnica Reviews the Uniden EXAI 5180 Cordless Phone
Designtechnica :: Thursday, October 07, 2004
“Following hot on the trail of our Motorola MA560 phone review, we get a chance to review one of Unidens newest 5.8GHz phones, the EXAI 5180. Where the Motorola MA560 we reviewed last month was lacking in style, it made up for its bad looks with solid features and good reception. Unidens EXAI 5180 certainly is attractive, but we will have to see how it compares to the Motorola MA560’s performance.

While Motorola is relatively new to cordless phones in the consumer market, Uniden has thrived here for several years. The EXAI 5180 is priced around $80 and can be found at most office and consumer electronics stores. ”

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Geil Ultra Platinum PC3200 Memory @ PCstats.com
PCStats :: Wednesday, October 06, 2004
“In this review PCstats is testing something a little more mainstream, but no less interesting; a pair of GeIL’s Ultra Platinum PC3200 512MB DDR RAM DIMM’s. Each DDR memory module has a liquid crystal thermal monitoring sticker attached, which shows the temperature in both Celsius and Farenheit. Each stick of Ultra Platinum PC3200 DDR is rated to run at 200 MHz, while keeping memory timings of 2-2-2-5 at a voltage of just 2.55V. To help protect the memory from physical damage, tin coated copper heatspreaders are utilized.”

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Coolmax Xtreme Files HDD Enclosure @ SystemCooling
SystemCooling :: Wednesday, October 06, 2004

“Performing backups is probably one of the most overlooked yet vital tasks one can do. Whether it’s important documents, family pictures, music or movies, a back up can prove to be a lifesaver. But unfortunately backing up can seem to many like a tedious and daunting task. Others may think that they need expensive hardware and software or simply the entire process seems too overwhelming. Today we’ll be taking a look at an external hard drive enclosure the Coolmax Xtreme Files “4-in-1″ that will take the mystery and hassle out of backing up and restoring.”

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OCZ Technology Group and Inphi Corporation Introduce ZB-DDR
OCZ Technology :: Wednesday, October 06, 2004
OCZ Technology Group, a world leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high-reliability memory, in a collaborative effort with Inphi Corporation (www.inphi-corp.com), a leader in precision timing and high-speed electronic components, announced the release of Zero-Buffer DDR (ZB-DDR) technology (patent pending) for unbuffered memory modules.

“Using discreet zero-delay clock buffers, ZB-DDR technology combines the robustness of server class memory with the low latency of unbuffered modules, resulting in better data integrity, lower noise, and lower susceptibility to interference over a wider frequency spectrum while still remaining fully compatible with all current motherboards.”

Please follow this link for more information.