Archive for Computer Components

Kinesis Advantage keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on December 14th, 2009

Kinesis Advantage keyboardTake a look at this keyboard. Do you think that this would be better for your hands than the standard type? To me it looks downright painful to use. But maybe it just looks that way. Maybe it will be ultra comfortable. Priced at $300, you and I will never know.

That’s right, $300. That’s a lot of money to pay for no guarantee that it will be a good keyboard. If any of you have a spare $300 to gamble on this thing, let us know how badly your hands are cramping up while you write us.

Road Mice look like cars and work like a mouse

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

roadmice-sgNovelty mice are all fine and good, but most of them don’t really appeal to me. The typical novelty mouse isn’t very easy to use either. Road Mice has announced a new line of mice that look like popular cars.

You can get the mice in the shape of several really cool cars. You can get a Shelby GT500, Lamborghini, Challenger, Dodge Viper and more. The mice connect to Mac or Windows computers via USB.

WetKeys keyboard is waterproof

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on December 11th, 2009

WetKeys keyboard is waterproofThis washable keyboard is of course waterproof. WetKeys entire range is waterproof in fact. Several of them are also wireless and feature Bluetooth, along with an integrated touchpad so you won’t need a mouse.

Depending on the model you want, the WetKeys keyboards will cost you anywhere from $50 up to nearly $200. If you are in the market for this, you must either spill a lot of drinks or work in a water-sprinkler factory. Or maybe you just want to work while taking a bath.

Cyber Snipa unveils Silencer gaming mouse

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

cybersnipasilencer-sgTis the season to give gamers new peripherals and gear to replace the stuff they wore out during the year. A new mouse is a good gift idea and Cyber Snipa has announced its latest called the Silencer. The Silencer is packed with features.

The Mouse has adjustable sensitivity on the fly of 100 dpi to 5000 dpi. Nine buttons on the mouse are programmable with seven different profiles for 63 total macro combinations. The mouse also features an adjustable weight cartridge and 150 inches per second tracking capability.

Targus launches USB 2.0 docking station

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

targusdock-sgI am not a big notebook fan, I want more power and a bigger screen than the notebook can offer. My wife on the other hand works from a notebook and has to plug and unplug cables when she comes and goes with the machine.

If you work from a notebook too and are tired of moving cables around Targus has a new docking station called the Targus USB 2.0 Docking Station with Video (ACP51US). The dock sells for $159.99 and has lots of features. It has an angled top so you can use it to lift the screen of your notebook up higher.

Everki netbook bag turns into lap desk

Posted in Cases by Shane McGlaun on December 7th, 2009

everkicamber-sgThere isn’t much that sets one laptop case apart from another. Typically, as long as you can cram all your gear inside the bag and it protects your machine all is good. Everki has a new case for netbooks called the Camber that has a cool feature.

The feature isn’t more pockets or flashy colors. The special feature is that the case can double as a lap desk for your machine with an angled lid that holds the screen at a higher level for more comfortable use.

Gboard Gmail Keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on December 4th, 2009

Gboard Gmail KeyboardThis Gboard keyboard might not have all 69 Gmail shortcuts, but the 19 that it does feature are probably the most-used. Search, star, archives, trash, all the important ones are here and even in Google colors.

This isn’t an official Google device, but it is both Mac and Windows-friendly and can also be used for non-Gmail shortcuts. It will cost you only $19.99. Just plug into into your USB port, turn on Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts and make the most out of your mail time.

SteelSeries offers limited edition mouse and mouse pad

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on December 4th, 2009

steelsereisikarimouse-sgIt’s Christmas time and gamers around the world are asking Santa for new gaming gear for their computers. That means it’s a good time of year to offer limited edition items like mice and mouse pads for gamers to drool over.

SteelSeries has announced a limited edition version of the Ikari laser gaming mouse and QcK mouse pad celebrating the Sudden Attack video game. The mouse isn’t really branded with anything from the game; it simply sports a green and black camo pattern on top. The mouse has an LCD for viewing settings and can record macros. Each mouse sold has its own camo pattern.

JBL Creature III speakers for computers debut

Posted in Computer Components by Shane McGlaun on December 3rd, 2009

jblcreature3-sgSome folks like quirky things. These folks eschew the average and normal in favor of something that is different and cool. Personally, I just like things that are cool and the JBL Creature II speakers I used to own were certainly cool. JBL announced its new Creature III speakers today.

The new speakers share a close resemblance to the previous version and look like ghosts from Pac Man. JBL calls them Sci-Fi inspired. The speakers are a 2.1 system with a pair of satellites and a woofer. The sats are 3″ x 3″ x 2-3/4″ with a 40mm driver. The subwoofer is a 3-inch unit measuring 9″ x 9″ x 9″.

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid-Tower PC Case

Posted in Cases by Conner Flynn on November 30th, 2009

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid-Tower PC CaseThermaltake’s latest PC case features a transparent window on the left side panel which will provide a good view of what’s going on inside. So if you are the worryng kind, rest easy and just take a look inside.

The Thermaltake V3 Black Edition mid-tower “Black ‘n Stellar” PC case packs in four 5.25-inch external bays, one 3.5-inch internal bay, four 3.5-inch internal bays, a 2.5-inch internal bay, seven slots for expansion cards, one 120-mm on the rear panel (1,300 rpm, 17 dBA, Blue LED) and three 120-mm optional fans (one on the front panel, one on the top panel and other on the bottom panel).

MaxPoint releases new wireless keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on November 24th, 2009

MaxPoint releases new wireless keyboardMaxPoint just released a new wireless keyboard, the KeySonic KSK-3200 RF. This guy measures 293.5mm x 28mm x 101mm and uses X-Type membrane technology for super silent key strokes. So you can type like a ninja, silent and deadly. Well, maybe not so deadly, but still silent.

Some other features include 2.4GHz RF that works from up to 10 meters away, a built-in opto-mechanical trackball with two mouse buttons, status LEDs and it runs on two AAA batteries. The KeySonic KSK-3200 RF will cost you about $74.

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.