- Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
- AMD Launches Ryzen PRO 7000 Series Mobile & Desktop Platform
- Intel Launches Sleek Single-Slot Arc Pro A60 Workstation Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Announces Latest Ada Lovelace Additions: GeForce RTX 4060 Ti & RTX 4060
- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
Social & RSS Feeds
Latest Videos
Latest News
Tech News
UberSoldier Review
Games, I love getting them for review, especially first person shooters. I like all sorts of games but FPS games are my favorite next to strategy games like Act of War etc. It is also nice to get good games for review, and UberSoldier falls into that category, I might actually call it a great game. Before I received this for review I read a couple other reviews and one was particularly bad, and I was sort of unhappy about it as I was planning on buying the game. After installing and playing I can’t figure out what they were talking about and how they gave it such a bad review…
Check out the full review over at Think Computers.
Initial Impressions: Cold War
Coincidently, during E3 2006, Linux Game Publishing had
released to its Beta community, the full version of Mindware Studios and
Dreamcatcher’s Cold War title. This game tells the story of Matthew
Carter, an independent journalist that takes on the KGB in the former
USSR at the height of the Cold War. While the game had only been made
available to select Linux gamers just two days ago, we have up some
personal thoughts on this game, as well as a great deal of in-game action.
Check out the full look at Phoronix.
Hardware Roundup for May 15
- ICY DOCK eSATA External 3.5″ Drive Enclosure – Bjorn3D
Cases & Enclosures
- Antec Performance CPU Cooler – Virtual-Hideout
- BlueGears B-ice 120mm Cooling Fan – Pro-Clockers
- Corsair Cool GPU and VGA Water Blocks – Think Computers
- Corsair Nautilus 500 External Water Cooling Kit – ModTheBox
- Scythe MINE CPU Cooler – ModTheBox
Cooling
- Mushkin 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 – 3D Gameman
- OCZ 2x1024MB Platinum XTC Dual Channel PC-3700 – OCIA
Memory & Storage
- ABIT AN8 32X Mainboard – X-Bit Labs
Motherboards & CPU’s
- D-Link DCS-900 Internet Camera – PC Mechanic
- Klipsch Quintet III 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers – CoolTechZone
- Speedlink Medusa 5.1 ProGamer Headset – Red & Blackness
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- Additional members of the GeForce 7 family? – NGOHQ
- Budget cards compared – Tech Report
Video Cards & Monitor
- Dell’s Precision M90 – BIOS Magazine
- LG VX9800 Mobile – Digitial Trends
- Monarch Furia – HardOCP
- Contest: Razer Diamondback and Copperhead – Modders-Inc
- Contest: Silverstone TJ-08 – Virtual-Hideout
Etcetera & Contests
Word 2007 to feature blogging capability?
The blog post itself was generated in a beta version of Word 2007, and Friend encourages everyone to use the “View…Source” menu to see what he is talking about. The HTML still has the feel of a machine-generated algorithm, and comes up with very strange names for some of its class id’s, but it makes full use of CSS and is remarkably clean and readable. This is not your grandfather’s Word HTML.
This is a relief, especially since Word and Frontpage are a few of the most notorious HTML-capable programs on the market. Ars Technica notes that Word 2007 will support many popular blogging applications. Hopefully the final shipped version will support adding your own to the list.
Ready to Test a ‘SmartShirt’?
In a very brief article, Health Data Management reports that Sensatex Inc. is looking for beta testers for its SmartShirt system. These fully washable shirts are using nanotechnology to weave a conductive fiber grid into the cotton fabric to monitor your movements or your heart rate and transmitted wirelessly to a central computer. If the tests are successful, these shirts could be used to remotely check old people living alone, but also soldiers in the field or athletes.
The idea for the SmartShirt is not new, but if it becomes a reality, it could prove to be incredibly helpful for the above mentioned people. You can head over to Slashdot for the full posting, where you can also get links to the companies website.
A Tour of Bon Echo Alpha 2
Released Friday afternoon was Mozilla Firefox Bon Echo Alpha 2
— the second development milestone in the road to Mozilla Firefox 2.0,
which is expected for a release later this year. In this latest Firefox
2.0a2 release, which is targeted solely at developers and testers, are
quite a few prominent changes. Rather than simply providing screenshots
or the release notes for this feature-filled release, we have
independently examined most of the changes, and today at Phoronix we
have some details to share in regards to these newly implement features.
Whatever browser you may be currently using, Mozilla Firefox v2.0 is
suiting up to knock out Internet Explorer 7 and Opera.
There is a lot of changes in this version of the browser, most noteably a good spellchecker. There are other various tweaks that will make your browsing experience even better. The article at Phoronix takes an in-depth look at most of the new features. While they tested the Linux version, the info still applies to it’s Windows version also.
Galaxy GeForce 7600 GS 256 GDDR3 Review
Not only have they laughed in the face of 7600 GS’s reference clock settings, but they’ve thrown out the obnoxious little reference cooler and attached something entirely more attractive in its place. And all while offering you other goodies to aid even more performance to be investigated without fear of breaking or voiding anything.
There’s no greater feeling than throwing a massive Zalman fin cooler on your card to make it look superior to anything else in it’s class! Check out the entire review at Hexus.
Intels Next-Gen. Processor Conroe, Merom & Woodcrest
It is soon so far – with Intels announcement of an architecture change goes the Netburst era finally to end. Current Netburst architecture is replaced from Intel against one the mobile platform similar architecture. The new processors with the code names “Conroe”, “are to proceed currentsaving Merom” & “Woodcrest”, but nevertheless high performance. In this Preview we want to throw a more exact view of coming architecture.
You’ll want to grab your German translator for this read. Intels have never had so much hype surrounding a new launch, and for good reason. PC Masters takes a hard look at the info available and how the chips will compare to one another.
Sony’s Kutaragi Says That PS3 Should Cost Consumers More
Adding more fuel to the PlayStation 3 fire, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) president Ken Kutaragi is not only defending the PS3’s high price of entry, but he says that it’s not expensive enough. The PS3 is priced at $499 for the basic version with a 20GB hard drive, no HDMI output, no WiFi and no media reader. The $599 version comes with a 60GB hard drive and all of the trimmings.
Hmm, now that I think of it, maybe Sony should indeed charge a lot more for the systems. I’m sure everyone will see Kutaragis way of thinking. Check out the full read at DailyTech.
ASUS AM2 Motherboard Lineup
The spearhead of ASUS’s AM2 offerings will be the nForce 590 SLI and Xpress 3200 motherboards, labeled as the M2N32-SLI Deluxe and M2R32-MVP Deluxe respectively. The M2N32-SLI Deluxe features everything you’d expect t find on nForce 590, including dual gigabit LAN ports from the nForce MCP, eight SATA 3.0Gbps (of which one is external SATA) and dual full x16 PCIe graphics interfaces. NVIDIA’s LinkBoost technology will also make an appearance on the M2N32-SLI Deluxe, which ASUS’s box art claims will automatically overclock the PCIe and MCP HyperTransport link by 25% when a GeForce 7900 or 7950 GPU is inserted into both PCIe x16 interfaces. The M2N32-SLI Deluxe will also come in a workstation version dubbed the M2N32-WS.
There will be a good selection of ASUS boards at AM2 launch. The top two nVIDIA boards differ only between the 8x and 16x PCI-E slots in SLi mode. There is also a Crossfire edition for ATi users. You can take a closer look at the boards over at DailyTech.
NVIDIA nForce 500 Series Presentation
This press presentation from NVIDIA talks about the upcoming nForce 500 Series chipsets. One interesting feature is SLI Memory (EPP Memory) which has been developed together with Corsair. Another highlight is the new networking support in nForce500 which offers dual Gigabit with technology that makes you “King of Ping” and also lets you link together two GigE links. You want RAID with 6 SATA drives? That’s possible with nForce 500 too.
This is a very lengthy slide, but chock full of good info. I think the thing I am most looking forward to would have to be EPP memory support. It’s going to be interesting to see just how ‘useful’ that proves out to be. Check out the full slides over at techPowerUp!.
Tuniq 2 Mid Tower Review
Tuniq may be a division of Sunbeamtech, but with the introduction of arguably one of the best coolers around today, the Tuniq Tower 120, they have set themselves apart from the rest. The Tower 120 was put up against the likes of the Thermalright XP120, Thermaltake Big Typhoon, Zalman 9500 and countless others on many review sites and came out on top in some of the cases. But can their latest tower, the Tuniq 2 have the same effect as well? We shall see.
Head on over to Pro-Clockers.
eVGA 7800GS KO Superclocked w/ACS3 Review
The good points of the EVGA 7800GS KO ACS3 Edition Superclocked video card include SM3.0 support, the fastest performance for an AGP card in its class and support for HDR.. There are still a lot of systems out there with an AGP slot, and the 7800GS is the perfect card for that market. For the Athlon 64 user that has an AGP system the 7800GS is an excellent upgrade and one that is sure to satisfy.
Check out the full review over at GamePyre.
Order Alienware SLi laptop now, get in June?
Alienware was among the first to announce its systems and you can go instantly on their web site and try to configure and order one. You can even pay for it up front, but you won’t get one at least until the middle of June. As soon as you choose Mobile SLI in you notebook, you will be warned that it “May delay your order”.
Chances are if you are in ‘bad need’ for an SLi capable laptop, waiting a month won’t be too much of a burden. However, is it even worth it to pay straight out for any piece of computer equipment a month before you will receive it? Read more at The Inquirer.
Casual games get serious
Casual games like “Bejeweled” and “Zuma” still don’t attract much attention at the annual E3 trade show here. While people will wait for half an hour or more just to see a short trailer for big games that in some cases are months from release, casual games are little-mentioned and hard to spot on the show floor. But what casual games lack in hipness, they make up for by being cheap to make, addictive and highly profitable.
It’s not really that difficult to figure out what a huge market casual games can be, because sites like Pogo and MS Gaming Zone have become ultra popular. It looks as though we will see more of a sudden influx of these game types though. Read all about it at News.com.
Graphics Card Buyers Guide 2006, Part II
For this latest graphics card buyer’s guide, we reviewed 27 cards using either ATI Radeon or Nvidia GeForce chips. Of those, two are designed for the AGP interface, while the rest use the PCI Express (PCIe) bus. The guide is split into three installments covering nine cards each. To be eligible for inclusion, the candidates must reach our lab in their retail packages.
Like the first part to the series, they don’t only take the ultra high-end cards for some testing, but midstream and low end cards also. For the very in-depth look, head over to Toms Hardware.
Dance Dance Revolution Spawns TV Show
Get ready…you know you’ve been dying for this to happen. CBS and DIC Entertainment, working in association with Konami, earlier this week unveiled plans for a new televised dance series based on…you guessed it, Dance Revolution. Those wanting to tune in will have to wait until Sept. 16, when this show puts on its dancing shoes as part of CBS’s Saturday morning line up.
This should prove interesting. You know you will watch it. Read all about it at Digital Trends.
MPAA Helping to Train DVD Sniffing Dogs
Lucky and Flo are two recently recruited black Labrador Retrievers that will be used in the evolving battle against illegal piracy. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is backing the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) in training the two dogs to have the ability to sniff packages that have illegally copied movies before they enter the United Kingdom.
Wow.. that’s all that can be said. It’s amazing that the dogs can distinguish between a real CD and a fake one. This is obviously to detract from mass illegal piracy, so the dogs will only detect specific CD’s that are mass produced. Read more about it at DailyTech.
Saitek and Logitech E3 Showfloor Report
Both Saitek and Logitech have announced and shown off some awesome new products at E3 in Los Angeles this week, adding great additions to their already extensive and well-known product lines. ThinkComputers had the chance to make it out to both of their booth’s and check out some of the new products being demoed right on the showfloor.
It looks like there is a lot of peripherals to be looking forward to this year. Who needs a new mouse or keyboard? After you check out Think Computers article.. maybe you :)
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Review
If you are a Xbox-owner that has played Project Gotham Racing 2 you probably recognise the name. In PGR2 you could walk up to an arcade cabinet in the garage and play Geometry Wars. The game was really fun so when the Xbox 360 was being developed it seemed natural for the guys at Bizzare Creations to not only include an updated version in PGR3 but also create a stand-alone version for Xbox Live arcade.
Check out the review over at Bjorn3D.
E3 – Day 1: Mass Chaos & Booth Babes
You could spend as much as two days trying out every video game or console demo at the event. It just takes up so much space and they are so spread out. Its quite easy to zone out and forget which booths you have already visited. Sensory overload starts to set in after day 2 of games, swag, and trying to keep track. The major software, video game, and hardware vendors spend a couple days giving their lectures and promotions of upcoming titles and releases.
Check out the full article at Virtual-Hideout.
E3 Day 1 Coverage @ Hot Hardware
Here I am back for my 10th E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) – unfortunately, I missed out on the very first one in 1995. Hopefully, never again. E3 is many things to many people, but at the end of the day, it’s about the games that are coming to market in the upcoming year(s).
Check out the full report right here.
Novell Ships SUSE Linux 10.1
WALTHAM, Mass. – May 11, 2006 – Novell today announced SUSE® Linux 10.1, the newest version of Novell’s award-winning community Linux* distribution, is now available. SUSE Linux 10.1 is the first version of SUSE Linux created in full partnership with the open source community, and it provides everything a user needs to get started with Linux. Available for free download or in a convenient packaged retail edition, SUSE Linux 10.1 delivers reliability and security at an affordable price.
You can read the full press release here.
Hardware Roundup for May 12
- Akasa AK- NBC01 notebook cooler and Aspire X Qpack Micro ATX – Xtreme Computing
- Aopen G325 Gamer-Cube – Technic3D
- Kingwin Supernova HTPC Case – ModTheBox
- Silverstone TJ-08 – Virtual-Hideout
Cases & Enclosures
- Silverstone Nitrogon NT05 CPU Cooler – Red & Blackness
- Spire VertiCool II and DiamondCool II – Overclockers Online
- Thermaltake Tide Water – Madshrimps
Cooling
- ASUS P5WD2-E Premium 975X – Viper Lair
- Foxconn 975X7AA-8EKRS2H – Ninjalane
- Intel Pentium D805 vs. Pentium 4 630 – Legion Hardware
Motherboards & CPU’s
- eDimensional Audio FX Force Feedback Headphones – Overclockers Club
- Razer Krait – Phoronix
- Saitek Pro Gamer Command Unit – GideonTech
- Xion PowerReal 600w – Driver Heaven
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- Powercolor X1800GTO – techPowerUp!
Video Cards & Monitor
- Lensbaby 2.0 – XYZ Computing
Etcetera & Contests
SUSE 10.1 Goes Gold
Novell’s SUSE Linux 10.1, code-named the “Agama Lizard,” is now available for download in its final form. SUSE Linux developer Andreas Jaeger noted in a March posting to the openSUSE mailing list that the release schedule was revised to “strengthen the quality of SUSE Linux 10.1.” At the time, Jaeger mentioned two areas to be strengthened: virtualization and package management features.
I am hoping to see a few bugs fixed from 10.0 which kept me from even bothering to use it. If SuSE is your flavour, grab the new version over at OpenSuSE and read the posting at Internet News.