Archive for Computer Components

Apricorn SATA Wire upgrade kit makes adding a new drive easy

Posted in Hard Drives by Shane McGlaun on November 19th, 2009

satawire-sgOver the last few months, there have been several new upgrade hard drives and SSDs that have been announced for notebooks and netbooks. One of the common issues for computer users wanting a larger hard drive is getting the data from their computer over to the new drive.

Apricorn has announced a new upgrade kit called the SATA Wire that is a cable that connects to the SATA SSD or HDD and to your PC USB port. The kit also includes software for Mac and Windows machines to migrate data to the new drive.

Cooler Master unveils AMD edition HAF 932 case

Posted in Cases by Shane McGlaun on November 16th, 2009

coolermasteramdhafOne of my all time favorite PC cases from Cooler Master was the Stacker wearing the NVIDIA green color for the trim. The special edition case was great for NVIDIA fans. Cooler Master has now unveiled a new case aimed at the AMD fan called the HAF 932 AMD edition.

The case has black with red trim and a clear side window with a frosted AMD dragon and AMD Fusion logo. The chassis also has red LED lights inside. Other features of the case are the same as the original HAF 932 chassis. The drive bays are tooless and the case has a removable HDD rack.

ZiiLABS unveils ZMS-08 media processor for handhelds

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on November 10th, 2009

ziilabsprocessorEach time I watch YouTube or other video on my iPhone I wish the thing had better video quality. ZiiLABS, a Creative subsidiary, has announced a new media processor aimed at portable devices like netbooks, media hubs, web tablets and more called the ZMS-08.

The media processor promises full 1080p Blu-ray quality video for low-power handheld devices. The chip supports 1080p encode and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics. X-Fi audio is also supported by the processor.

Global CPU shipments grow significantly for Q3 2009

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on November 9th, 2009

idc-logoAccording to research firm IDC, the global shipments of CPUs for Q3 2009 have grown at more than double the normal quarter to quarter rate. The latest figures are in and the global CPU market grew 23% for Q3 2009 compared to Q2 2009.

The most growth of any CPU segment was in the netbook CPU category where shipments grew 35.7% over the quarter. Desktop CPU shipments grew 11.4% and x86 server processors grew 12.2%. The global CPU market revenue was over $7.4 billion, a growth of 14% from the previous quarter.

Asus delays Eee Keyboard again, adds capacitive touchscreen

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on November 5th, 2009

Asus delays Eee Keyboard again, adds capacitive touchscreenAsus must be toying with us, but we don’t think it’s very funny. We’ve all been drooling over their entertainment-PC-in-a-keyboard with wireless HDMI for months. But where is it? They said we would see it in October, but now it’s delayed until early next year. What the holy f’ing hell? At least they’re making the 5-inch touchscreen a capacitive panel now.

Apparently the Wi-Fi/Ultra Wide Band aerial has been made into an external dongle, because the keyboard’s metallic body reduced the signal. A planned non-metallic version will still integrate the wireless receiver.

IPEVO unveils new P2V point of view webcam

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on November 2nd, 2009

ipevopovcameraWebcams are pretty much the same today. Some of them have better optics and more megapixels than the others have, but design wise they all pretty much sit on top of your monitor to capture video. IPEVO has announced a new webcam called the IPEVO P2V USB CAM.

The new camera is on an articulating arm that looks more like a desk lamp than a webcam. The camera itself is a pen-style camera with a resolution of 2-megapixels. The cam features a macro mode for shooting items as close as 2-inches away.

KeyScan Keyboard with Integrated Scanner

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on October 29th, 2009

KeyScan Keyboard with Integrated ScannerDo you do a lot of typing and scanning? If you do than the KeyScan Keyboard Scanner with an integrated document scanner may be just the thing you’ve been waiting for. This sheet fed scanner can scan at 24/48bits high quality (Color) or 8/16bits gray level and black & white.

It will scan flat documents up to 8.5″x30″ along with business card size 2″x3″ and even laminated cards. KeyScan offers a true optical resolution of 600 dpi and has an auto-scan feature that automatically starts scanning when you insert a document.

Vioguard keyboard kills swine flu with UV light

Posted in Keyboards by Shane McGlaun on October 26th, 2009

vioguardkeyboardThe keyboard is one of those places where germs lurk in the home and office. This is due to the fact that many people’s hands touch the keyboard each day and the typical keyboard is very hard to clean and disinfect without damaging it. A new keyboard called the Vioguard UVKB50 Self-Sanitizing keyboard has been unveiled that promises to kill many of the germs in the office or home.

The keyboard has a 50W UV light source that can kill all sorts of viruses and bacteria in seconds. The germs that can be killed include those that cause swine flu, MRSA and more. Vioguard claims the light can kill 99.99% of viruses and bacteria.

Cooler Master unveils new universal notebook power adapters

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on October 21st, 2009

cmnbpsuAt one point four different friends called me up all hoping that I had an extra power adapter for a notebook when theirs went out. It’s not all that uncommon a thing to happen it seems, despite the fact that it has never happened to me personally. If your notebook power adapter is on the fritz, Cooler Master has a pair of new adapters just for you.

Cooler Master may be better known for its line of computer cases, but these power supplies seem pretty cool. The devices are the NA 65 and NA 90 high-efficiency power adapters. They each come with nine different tips to allow them to work with most notebooks on the market.

Logitech announces G110 gaming keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on October 15th, 2009

Logitech announces G110 gaming keyboardThe freshly announced Logitech G110 gaming keyboard is the followup to the G11 keyboard. This one features customizable red and blue backlighting LEDs, 12 programmable G keys, and three M keys.

It also boasts automatic game detection so that you can create custom profiles for your games, as well as integrated headset support and a USB 2.0 port. No word on pricing or availability for the G110 yet, but we’ll let you know when we know.

Das Keyboard unveils new Model S keyboard

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on October 14th, 2009

daskeyboardmodelsI can tell you as a person who types all day that a good keyboard can make all the difference in your productivity. A bad keyboard slows you down and makes you inaccurate. One of the coolest and most liked keyboards for heavy-duty typists out there is the Das Keyboard.

The first version of the keyboard lacked any labels on the keys, but later versions added the labels back. Today the new Das Keyboard Model S debuted with features that had been missing from previous versions of the device.

Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on October 12th, 2009

Vioguard Self-Sanitizing KeyboardGerms. They’re everywhere. They make us sick. So we don’t blame you if you’re overly worried about the little buggers and find yourself washing your keyboard. What concerns us is that you do it ten times a day. Get a grip man.

Vioguard’s new UVKB50 self-sanitizing keyboard should help you feel better about the cleanliness of your keyboard. It sports a proximity detector which lets the freshly sanitized keys slide out for your use. It slides back in once you are done, to get sterilized with anti-bacterial ultraviolet light.

Cables To Go offers wireless USB connectivity up to 150 feet

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on September 30th, 2009

wirelessusbsuperboosterWireless USB is a great bit of tech that allows us to cut some of the wires from our computer to peripherals like scanners and printers. Typically, wireless USB devices need to be within line of site of your computer and in the same room to work. Cables To Go has announced a new Wireless USB Superbooster Extender that will boost the transmission range up to 150 feet.

The Superbooster can provide connectivity for devices like scanners and printers up to 150 feet away from your computer and you don’t need line of site. That means that you can access devices in other rooms or even on other floors.

CrestaTech unveils programmable broadband chip for HDTV

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on September 23rd, 2009

crestatech-sbThe problem with TV tuner cards for computers when it comes to traveling the globe is that in different countries and regions you need a different type of tuner. The turners that work in America won’t work in Europe for example.

CrestaTech unveiled its new HDTV Anywhere chip today at IDF. The chip integrates a programmable RF IC and software that allows PCs to receive live analog or digital TV broadcasts, radio, and GPS in any city, region, or country.

Chocolate bar SATA hard drive case

Posted in Hard Drives by Conner Flynn on September 14th, 2009

Chocolate bar SATA hard drive caseMmmm chocolate. Whether you like a silky smooth chocolate bar mouse or a creamy chocolate DS case, nothing says sugar addiction like a chocolate case for your gadgets.

Here’s one for your SATA Hard drives. These silicon cases will hold your 2.5″ SATA hard drives and protect them from scratches and shocks. They come in Chocolate Brown, White Chocolate or Strawberry flavors. Each has a standard USB connector that lets you connect to a PC or Mac for delicious data transfer.





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