Content and news by Rob Williams

We’re reaching out to every publisher, frankly every day. I’ll be spending some time later today with the folks over at Take Two to see what type of support they can give our console. … The fact is there will be M-rated content on the Wii console. EA has already announced that they’re bringing ‘The Godfather’ to our console. And we want every single best-selling game to be available on Wii. Whatever that content is”

So here you have it. Of course we’ve already seen M rated games on the Gamecube, but they were few.

Fujifilm gives us a long lead time on its S5 Pro, a DSLR with a 6.17- megapixel CCD that the company has enhanced with what it calls “Super CD double pixel technology,” giving it a claimed 12.34 effective megapixels. Is that anything like double secret probation? Let’s just call it a 6.17-megapixel camera until proven otherwise.

12MP camera that uses a 6.0MP CCD? Unlikely, but this is a great looking camera. Features are similar to the Nikon D80/200, which is hardly a bad thing.

Why not just have the TSA adopt the same check in rules for photographic and video equipment as they do for firearms? All firearms must be in checked baggage, no carry on. All firearms must be transported in a locked, hard sided case using a non-TSA approved lock. This is to prevent anyone from opening the case after its been screened.

This is a smart idea. Though I’ve never lost luggage, it could actually be worth a shot.

The uproar wasn’t so much over the sound itself (which hasn’t yet been finalized, although guitarist Robert Fripp is apparently working on it). Instead, the concern was that Windows would not allow an easy way to change or disable this startup sound. At the time, the “controversy” seemed somewhat overblown, as Microsoft had officially stated that they had not yet decided whether or not to make the startup sound optional. Now, in a more recent (5728) build of Vista, the ability has now appeared to turn off the startup sound in the Control Panel.

It’s funny that something makes the news that shouldn’t even occur in the first place…

Windows XP is turning five years old, but will anybody want to celebrate the occasion? Microsoft’s long-anticipated replacement for “Win 9x” — the series of releases that began with Windows 95 and ended with Windows Millennium Edition –was never supposed to stick around this long. But half a decade after it began shipping on new computers (followed a month later by its retail debut), XP lingers.

I can agree with most of what this guy says. WinXP did bring a lot of problems on board… but damn the userbase is HUGE. Of course there are going to be many problems. However, it’s sad that Vista is not looking so much better…

Cases & Enclosures
• A+ Case Twin Engine / XCLIO A380 – techPowerUp!
• ANTEC Performance One P180B Advanced Super Mid Tower Case – Future Looks
• Icy Dock MB453SPF 3 Bay Hot Swap SATA Hard Drive Enclosure – Big Bruin
• Origen AE X11 HTPC Enclosure – Hexus
• Thermaltake Kandalf LCS – Xtreme Computing
• Thermaltake Armor JR VC3000BWS Midi-Case – HardwareXL
• Zalman HD135 HTPC Case – 3D Gameman

Cooling
• Arctic Fan 8L and 12L – DragonSteelMods
• CoolerMaster Blue Ice Pro Chipset Cooler – OCIA
• Cooler Master Mars HSF – 3D Gameman
• Cooler Master Hyper TX HSF – 3D Gameman
• Thermalright Ultra-120 CPU Cooler – Pro-Clockers
• Titan Amanda TTC-NP04TZ Cooler – Technic3D

Memory & Storage
• Brando 23- in- 1 Card Reader and USB Hub Combo – Overclockers Online
• OCZ PC2-8000 Titanium Alpha VX2 – Red & Blackness
• Revoltec File Protector OTB – Technic 3D
• Vantec eSATA Interface Cards – ClubOC

Motherboards & Processors
• ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition – Bjorn3D
• MSI P965 Platinum – Hardware Info

Peripherals & Power Supplies
• be quiet! Straightpower 700W – techPowerUp!
• DTech Bluetooth & USB 2.0 Hub – Think Computers
• Dolby and DTS Are Fruitful and Multiply – Digital Trends
• SteelSound 5Hv2 Professional Gaming Headset – Think Computers

Displays & Video Cards
• “Choosing an LCD display – Are high contrast and brightness better?” – DV Hardware
• Gainward Bliss 7950 GX2 – Overclock3D
• NVIDIA 1.0-9625 Display Drivers – Phoronix

Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
• LG CU500 – Digital Trends
• Myah OS v2.2 – Phoronix
• Why iPod and Zune could Kill Blu-ray, HD DVD & even The DVD – The Tech Zone
• Xbox To PC (And More) Controller Mod – ASE Labs

Is this comforting or unnatural? We don’t know. On one hand, who wouldn’t like to cozy up under their favorite tech gear, maybe special someone by their side? On the other, gadgets already fill my heart with enough warmth to fend off hypothermia while walking naked in the arctic. Either way, my house will be covered with this stuff in 50 years.

Nothing like a plastic canvas computer ports frame make a home feel like a home.

Starting on October 11th, the prices of weapons and equipment in Counter-Strike: Source will be updated each week based on the global market demand for each item. As more people purchase a certain weapon, the price for that weapon will rise and other weapons will become less expensive.

Depending on how often a weapon is purchased, it’s price will go up or down. They do not say if this amount can be capped though. This could help spice up the game in certain regards, and force people to use different weapons instead of the same ole M4A1 or AK. There is a lot of interesting debate going on over on the official forums you may want to check out also.

Mark Hurd, the chief exec of Hewlett-Packard, acknowledged for the first time Friday that he was closely involved with at least portions of the company’s efforts to spy on board members, employees and reporters. And then he gave himself a promotion.

Its one thing to be involved in the largest company scandal in history, but its another to actually promote yourself during it. What a strange company.

Fremont, CA (September 21, 2006) –Corsair® today announced immediate availability of a new 8GB Flash Voyager USB drive. Encased in the Corsair proprietary all-rubber Flash Voyager housing and boasting water-resistant/ temperature tolerant properties, the new 8GB drive allows users to carry more valuable data and applications without compromise. Equipped with a security application and featuring enhanced dual channel technology, the 8GB Flash Voyager delivers an ideal combination of functionality, capacity and performance.

How much, you might ask? $154USD is the SRP… not bad at all! You could fit so much por… portatoe salad recipes on that thing… I mean damn! You’d think that since the 4GB Voyager was somewhat slow, then it would get increasingly worse with higher densities. Not the case says Corsair. In fact, they promise this to be even faster than OCZ’s Rally solution.

Returns for repair are coming in for a variety reasons and it’s a higher rate than we are satisfied with. We’ve made the decision to comp repairs for consoles manufactured before January 1, 2006, and provide refunds to the small group of customers who have already paid for repairs.

Well, at least Microsoft doesn’t like to wait 8+ months before making this decision. Ok, I am not sure if my sarcasm came out there.. but I just wanted to make sure you knew that it was indeed meant to be a sarcastic remark. I also like to ramble in random news posts just to make them look bigger, since most people will not notice…

Over the last few weeks, we have been testing six different GeForce 7900 GS video cards with a range of features, clock speeds and price tags. BFG Tech, EVGA, Galaxy, Inno3D, Point Of View and XFX all managed to get cards to us in time to complete this roundup.

If you are looking to pick up a 7900GS, look here first. Remember, it’s not just performance that matters. Cooling solution and the included games/software is equally important!

Like the 1987 movie, which parodied well-known science-fiction movies, “Spaceballs: The Animated Series” will spoof current blockbusters as well as every genre of entertainment from movies and reality TV to culture and politics.

If this proves half as funny as the movie, then I am sure it will be a hit. I clearly remember having tears after laughing so hard at various parts. It’s just too bad it will be shown on the appalling G4 network.

Real-time operating systems can respond to external events within a guaranteed time frame, a feature that mainstream business computing doesn’t generally require but that’s necessary for some areas, such as aircraft radar. But in a move that indicates the flexibility of Linux, Novell plans to begin selling the real-time variant of the open-source operating system next month.

This is apparently going to be quite useful to wallstreet traders, but I am sure there are many other potential uses out there. It doesn’t really matter though. The coolest part of the OS is its acronym: SLERT.

Apple on Thursday released a Security and AirPort update for Mac OS X that fixes vulnerabilities found in the company’s wireless drivers. Apple said the issues found were the result of an internal audit of the software drivers and that no known exploits exist for the issues addressed in this update.

This is an unknown exploit as for as Apple is concerned. However, as with all security updates, you should jump in early to make sure you are not left vulnerable. You can use the software update to snag the update.

Besides the graphical improvements, the major news about GT:HD revolves around the online portion of the game. The game starts out with no cars or tracks loaded. Players can purchase cars for ¥50-100 (about $0.45 to $0.85) and courses for ¥200-500 ($1.70 to $4.30). Online race events are defined by the players themselves, and can be held at any time. Initially, over 750 cars and 50 tracks will be made available, with additional releases to come over time. There are also plans for “limited edition” car and track downloads, which will likely be priced higher.

Gran Turismo: HD? There goes Sony wanting to be like Nintendo and throwing the system capabilities in a game title. That aside, this may actually prove better for some, particularly those who don’t want -every- track available.

Cases & Enclosures
• Thermaltake Armor Jr. Mid Tower Case – XYZ Computing

Cooling
• Scythe Infinity Heatpipe CPU Cooler – Big Bruin
• Thermalright HR-05-SLI Chipset Heatsink – PC Modding Malaysia

Memory & Storage
• OCZ 2 GB Dual SD Card – OCIA
• Seagate Barracuda ES – Bjorn3D

Motherboards & Processors
• ASUS Crosshair – TweakTown

Peripherals & Power Supplies
• Saitek Eclipse II Illuminated Keyboard – GameApex

Displays & Video Cards
• Catalyst 6.9 Comparison – Technic 3D
• Inno3D GeForce 7950GT 512MB – Tech Spot
• MSI NX7950GX2-T2D1GE – HotHardware
• MSI NX7950GX2-T2D1GE – Viper Lair

Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
• “Can Blogs be Commercialized?” – OC Modshop
• LG CU500 – Digital Trends
• T-Mobile MDA Vario – UK Gamer
• “Top 10 Worst Portrayals of Technology in Film” – Gideon Tech

With so much competition in the memory market nowadays, it’s increasingly difficult to make the -best- choice when it comes to purchasing a new kit. The Crucial PC2-6400 use the infamous D9GMH chips, but requires a staggering 2.2V! Does its performance make up for it?

Our original opinions about the Draft N products still stand. While the 10 and 40 foot throughput numbers are fairly impressive they do not live up to the marketing hype. Overall, the routers do not offer enough of an advantage over the current Pre-N MIMO products to warrant an upgrade.

Well there you have it! No sense of running out to upgrade apparently. Though, this is sure to mature, but it should already be rockin’ according to the hype.

Unannounced Ubisoft titles revealed via internet has word that the accidental leak of a 2GB file has revealed the development of Far Cry 2. The leaked materials actually included a tech demo for the shooter sequel, as well as artwork, logos, and screenshots for several titles both announced and unannounced. Ubisoft is naturally enough said to be displeased at the leak.

On this list is Far Cry 2… which I thought was basically Crysis. Apparently not! You can check out the full list over at Bluesnews.