Archive for Computers

Averatec announces new all-in-one PC with HD video capability

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on March 16th, 2009

averatecallinone-sbAveratec offers a full line of all-in-one computers that stuff all the goodies a modern PC needs inside the display like the iMac line. Averatec is mostly known as a maker of cheap laptops, but its all-in-one line is interesting and the latest addition offers the ability to stream HD video.

Averatec calls the new model the D1133 AIO and it features an 18.4-inch LCD with a resolution of 1680 x 945. Storage for the computer is to a 250GB HDD and it has 2GB of DDR2 RAM along with an 8x SuperMulti DVD burner.

SmartNav units control PCs with your brain

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on March 10th, 2009

SmartNav units control PCs with your brainThere have been plenty of conceptual gadgets that claim to control computers with just the brain, but the difficulty is getting them ready for the commercial market. That’s where NaturalPoint comes in. They are serving up a new pair of SmartNav 4 human-computer interface devices that will let users control all basic tasks with just by using their noggin.

The AT and EG models are designed so that physically handicapped individuals can control their PCs like a Jedi, moving the mouse around by with head movements and selecting commands and phrases on a virtual keyboard. Like Stephen Hawking for instance.

Six new desktops from Mouse Computer’s MDV Advance ST Series

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on March 9th, 2009

Six new desktops from Mouse Computer’s MDV Advance ST SeriesThose looking for a powerful PC with an affordable price tag can choose from one of six new versions of this desktop from Mouse Computer. For around €800, you can get a MDV Advance ST 6300B with a Core i7 920 CPU running at 2.66GHz clock speed, 3GB of PC3-10600 RAM, 1TB of HDD, X58 Chipset, DVD Super Multi, 512MB of GeForce 9800GT and a choice of Windows XP or Vista 32bit.

You can also spend around €2000 on the MDV Advance ST 7200X with a 3.2GHz Core i7-965 CPU, 12GB of PC3-10600 RAM, 1TB of HDD, X58 Chipset, Blu-Ray burner and player, GeForce GTX 285 with 1GB of VRAM and Vista 64bit. The LCD screen is not included.

Steampunk Frankenstein computer case mod

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on February 19th, 2009

Steampunk Frankenstein computer case modThere are case mods, then there are case mods. This 8 foot tall monstrosity looks like it was actually part of Frankenstein’s lab. Looks like the only thing missing is the lightning. It was created by D. Mattocks, who must have shouted “It’s alive” during completion. This thing is just bursting with Steampunk goodness.

It has all kinds of copper piping, vintage gauges and glass indicator lights from an old navy ship. Seriously HG Wells should have been buried in this thing. Everything is backlight with green cold-cathode tubes, which makes it look even more Frankenstein-like. The whole thing probably runs off of an abbey-normal brain.

Most consumers view netbooks as secondary computers says survey

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on February 2nd, 2009

Acer Aspire OneThe netbook category is posting record growth and leading the computer industry in terms of sales. Many consumers are going with a netbook when shopping for a new computer thanks to the low price most netbooks sale for.

Price isn’t everything though and many buy without realizing the performance difference between a netbook and a notebook or desktop computer. According to a new study from ABI Research, a whopping 79% of consumers believe that netbooks are secondary devices to a more powerful notebook or desktop computer.

CrunchPad from TechCrunch prototype unveiled

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on January 21st, 2009

CrunchPad PrototypeThose of us who work in the technology industry are used to writing stories about new products, testing new products and seeing early prototypes of gadgets before they debut. What isn’t common is for these prototype products to actually come from the same publications that write about them.

Michael Arrington from TechCrunch has been hard at work trying to bring a device called the CrunchPad to market. The CrunchPad is a tablet computer that runs on a Via Nano netbook CPU and has 1GB of RAM.

Four Second Instant Boot PC from Faith Japan

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on December 15th, 2008

Four Second Instant Boot PC from Faith JapanSome of you probably know Faith Japan, the famous store in Akihabara. They recently introduced the Fortission Q96500XN DVR-4S, which is a desktop computer that boots up in just four seconds thanks to it’s S3 Instant Boot mode.

The ultra fast booter is powered by a Core 2 Quad Q9650 CPU with a P45TS Intel motherboard, 2GB of DDR2, 500GB of SATA II HDD, and nVidia GeForce with 512MB of VRAM. The Fortission Q96500XN DVR-4S retails for 119,800 Yen in Akihabara, or you can purchase it online in Japan for around €990.

Jeffrey Stephenson’s awesome retro casemod

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on December 3rd, 2008

Jeffrey Stephenson’s awesome retro casemodJeffrey Stephenson is no stranger to awesome casemods. He’s outdone himself this time however, with this one, dedicated to the Ingraham Cabinet Co., creator of radio cases in the WWII era. The Ingraham case mod is walnut-clad (though veneered) just like the originals he was inspired by, featuring a hand-built basswood frame layered on a mini-ITX SilverStone case.

Check out the polished chrome knob on the front from an Arlen Ness catalog, perched atop a final retro flourish: a Firewire 400 port. under the hood, things are less art deco and more modern: a VIA VB8001 motherboard, a 1.6GHz Nano processor, 4GB of DDR2 memory, and a 64GB SSD.

Mgestyk Gesture Control System will put your mouse and keyboard out of business

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on November 6th, 2008


Mgestyk Technologies wants to bring gesture control to your home PC. They want to do it by using just a 3D camera and proprietary software. The Mgestyk gesture control system is can capture small hand movements and then translate them into commands. The commands can be applied to nearly all windows applications, but more importantly video games. It looks like it works pretty nice, but it looks like there’s some lag. It’s also a bit dorky looking shooting a gun. Pricing is expected to be around $150. No details on availability just yet, but you can sign up on their mailing list to get updates.

Lenovo announces new ThinkCenter models with Power Manager

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on October 30th, 2008

Lenovo ThinkCenter DesktopNotebook computers outsold desktops for the first time ever recently, but the desktop is still alive and kicking. The desktop is especially popular in the corporate world when mobility isn’t needed for workers. Companies that deploy hundreds of computers across the enterprise also want systems that are power efficient.

Lenovo has announced new ThinkCenter desktop computers called the M58 and M58p. The two systems feature Power Manager and are the first Lenovo systems to do so. Power Manager allows administrators to program the machines to turn off automatically at set intervals like holidays and weekends.

USB Laptop KVM lets users control two PCs

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on October 30th, 2008

ATEN Laptop USB KVMA KVM switch is a necessity in some environments, like the sever room. In other places, a KVM switch can simply make things less cluttered and less complex. This is especially true when you need two computers, but don’t have room for two keyboards, displays, and mice.

For the laptop user looking for a way to control another local laptop or desktop computer ATEN Technologies has introduced the Laptop USB KVM. The device connects to both computers via a single USB port and offers plug-and-play functionality that requires no software installation.

Hardcore Computer Reactor is liquid filled

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on October 24th, 2008

Hardcore Computer ReactorMy gaming PC is liquid cooled and when people come into my office it blows their mind that you can have a computer cooled by water like a car. Liquid cooling if far from the most exotic cooling method serious enthusiasts use to keep their CPU frosty, but it’s still impressive to the non-enthusiast.

Hardcore Computer has taken liquid cooling to an entirely different level with its new Reactor gaming PC. The reactor is the first commercially available PC that uses full liquid submersion for cooling. All of the heat generating components are submerged in a dielectric fluid called Core Coolant.

eMachines EL 1200 Series is the size of a dictionary

Posted in Computers, Desktop PCs by Shane McGlaun on October 13th, 2008

eMachines EL 1200 SeriesDesktop computers were once the computer of choice for the majority of users. Improvements in technology making notebooks cheaper and mobile Internet connections have turned the majority of users today to notebooks. However, there is still a market for the desktop PC, though it is shrinking literally and figuratively.

Many desktop computers today are shrinking in size into small form factor systems. The latest SFF desktop to hit retail shelves is the eMachines EL 1200 series. The series includes two computers — the EL 1200-05w and the EL 1210-01e. eMachines says the computers are about the size of a dictionary.

The Linux Space Cube, apple-sized computer

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on August 28th, 2008

The Linux Space Cube, apple-sized computerThis thing looks like it’s alien in origin, but it’s made right here on Earth. It’s the future people! It’s the size of a small apple. And they crammed a lot inside. A 300 MHz processor, 16MB of onboard flash memory, 64MB of SDRAM, and a 1GB CompactFlash card loaded with Red Hat Linux. On the outside, it’s got a single USB port, VGA, Ethernet port, RS232 port, and mic and speaker plugs.

The entire deal is powered by a 5V plug. But that’s not all. It’s also got a “Space Wire” port, which is a proprietary interface used by people like the ESA, NASA and JAXA, for when the Cube actually goes into space. Get it? Space cube. But it’s not just for space, you can get your own soon, “once a few technical issues have been ironed out”. They will retail for as much as $2,769.

Tangent Evergreen 17 touch screen computer for the green brigade

Posted in Computers by Shane McGlaun on August 27th, 2008

Tangent Evergreen 17Many computer makers and experts believe that the future of computing will be touch screen devices. Some even feel that the mouse is the bottleneck for input to our current PCs. Several PC makers, including HP and other major PC firms, are already offering touch screen computers.

Tangent announced its new all-in-one touch screen computer called the Evergreen 17. The system uses a 17-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 1024. The computer uses a VIA Eden 1GHz fan-less processor, but can be optioned with a VIA C7 at 1.5GHz using a low-noise fan. Storage can be up to 160GB with a traditional HDD.





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