September 4 Carl Nelson
We have just published our review of OCZ’s low-latency ReaperX 4GB memory kit. It has a long name, and huge heatsinks to match!
This is our first review of a 4GB kit, so we weren’t sure exactly what to expect. In the end, I can say that we were very surprized! Was is a pleasant surprize, or not so much? Read the review to find out ;)
OCZ ReaperX PC2-6400 4GB Kit Review
Filed under: HCW, PC Hardware
September 3 Trevor Flynn
[Insert Creepy Electronic Voice Here]
*Hello Welcome to [Generic Large Corporation]. For Service in English Press 1
[Continue Ad Infinitum]
Automated phone tree navigation, is there anything more frustrating? I personally refuse to call any type of technical support line unless absolutely necessary specifically to avoid these maddening systems. The only thing worse are the one with voice recognition! When I am forced to call I simply continually mash 0 until I’m forwarded to an operator, but then of course I either end up sitting on hold for inhumane lengths of time or am unceremoniously disconnected.
*What can we help you with today?
“My Internet Service is Dead”
*I think you said ‘Sales’, is that correct?
“Noooo….please shoot me in the head”
*I think you said your internet service is dead…I’ll connect you to tech support”
Sound familiar? Enter Fonolo, sanity saviors for a million customers waiting on hold. Based in Toronto, Fonolo has come up with the best idea for a service I’ve come across in a very long time.
Essentially what Fonolo is offering is pretty basic:
1) Easy phone tree navigation using transcribed trees posted online and then the ability to deep dial right to the spot you want.
2) The ability to log your conversation both in terms of time and number called, but also an audio record of the phone conversation itself.
If there’s a better use for Voip technology I can’t think of it. And here’s the best part, the service is absolutely FREE!! (well at least for the forseable future anyway, I’m sure at some point there will be premium features added for a cost).
Currently in closed BETA, there is a video on the Fonolo website of their EComm 2008 presentation which goes over the service in detail if you’d like more info.
Filed under: Websites
Tags: cool technology, fonolo, phone tree, voip
August 14 Carl Nelson
Remember Lian Li? They made some pretty nice PC cases back in the day (our first review of a Lian Li chassis was back in 2001). In fact, you could say that they revolutionized aftermarket PC chassis design. Before Lian Li came along, full aluminum towers were nowhere to be seen. And for the longest time, nobody could touch their build quality (or price).
After a few quiet years, Lian Li are back and ready to make a splace. Their latest announcement is the PC-XB01 - an aftermarket replacement chassis for the XBOX 360.
The case is a gorgeous black aluminum design, and looks much more like a PC than a gaming console (which suits the XBOX 360’s roots just fine). It has several design advantages over the XBOX 360, including sound dampening and superior cooling.
Take a look at the product pages for more details - it really looks like a great case, let alone a replacement chassis for a console. This is of course for more of the hardcore DIY types, and is definitely not warranty friendly. If your XBOX 360 survives past its extended warranty, this might be worth considering to help fend off the dreaded ring.
Filed under: Video Game Hardware
August 10 Carl Nelson
Intel has officially announced the new name for their upcoming desktop processors which will replace current Penryn-based Core 2 products. The new processors will be called “Core i7″ and there will in fact be an “Extreme Edition” as well, which should have an unlocked multiplier.
Unfortunately, that’s all they’re officially saying for now. Here is a list of Nehalem’s specs, based on what we know from recent showings at IDF and Computex.
Nothing is official yet, of course. For that, be sure to stay tuned, as we will certainly be covering this launch very closely.
Filed under: PC Hardware
Tags: Intel, Nehalem, New Products
August 7 Carl Nelson
If you’ve been dying to find out what Playstation Home is going to be like (it was one pushed by Sony as The Next Big Thing, but was all but ignored at E3), your chances just got a bit better. Simply by downloading the custom Home theme on PSN, your account will automatically be entered into consideration to join a closed beta test.
However, doing so does not guarantee that you’ll be a beta tester. According to PlayStation.Blog, Sony “will be using a variety of criteria including activity on the PLAYSTATION Network to determine eligibility for the Beta community.” In other words, you will probably want to play more games that will be featured on Home. This likely includes all the first-party SCEA games, as well as those commonly featured on PlayStation.Blog (such as Burnout Paradise, Resistance, Ratchet & Clank, etc).
So head on over to the newly updated PSN Store and grab that theme! Hopefully you’ll be included in the beta (this only applies to the US market by the way; Europe will have their own closed beta promo, and there’s no word at all on the Asian market).
Filed under: Video Games
July 10 Carl Nelson
If the latest 1000 Gig hard drives just don’t seem like enough to you, you may want to wait until August before upgrading. That is when Seagate’s newly announced 1.5 terabyte desktop drives will be available in stores. The Barracuda 7200.11 will feature four platters, SATA 300 connectivity, NCQ, and of course a 7200 RPM spindle speed. Cache size hasn’t been announced, but it is very likely to have the same 32MB cache as the 1 TB that preceeds it.
So notebook users don’t feel left out, Seagate also announced new Momentus drives for those users. Both the 5400 and 7200 RPM lineups have been upgraded with models reaching up to 500 GB. The Momentus 7200.4 will be available in 250-500 GB sizes with the spindles spinning at 7200 RPM, and carrying a 16 MB cache. The Momentus 5400.6 will be available in 120-500 MB with an 8 MB cache. Both drives feature “fall sensors” which will park the heads if you drop the notebook, and can handle up to 1000 G’s non-operating shock and 350 G’s of operating shock. The new notebook drives will be available in 4th quarter 2008.
Filed under: Mobile Computing, PC Hardware
Tags: hard drives, New Products
June 12 Carl Nelson
Metal Gear Solid 4 is here, in a big way. Last month, it was announced that there would be several cross-promotions occuring during the game’s launch. These include a special energy drink, and an alarm clock found in the game. Also part of this promotion are 12 shirts from Uniqlo, which is basically Japan’s version of Gap or Old Navy.
Each shirt has a secondary design
The designs go far beyond just a basic “Metal Gear Solid 4 Copyright 2008″ logo or anything like that. Instead, Konami and Uniqlo hired today’s best graphics designers from all over the world. This includes megastar Manga artist Kusano Tsuyoshi, Los Angeles-based music video producers Logan Media, and the Tokyo graphics design studio Power Graphixx. The results are some avant-garde designs that do not scream “video game geek” or even “Metal Gear fanboy”.
Head to a Uniqlo near you (if you live in Japan) to pick one up, or find one on ebay for about $20.
Picture of myself modelling a shirt after the jump!
Filed under: Video Games
