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Most Popular Firefox Add-ons

[All levels] This article gives an overview of the top seven most downloaded Firefox Add-ons and what they can do to enhance your browsing experience.


A Guide to Understanding USB Technology

[All Levels] This article explains the difference between the older USB 1.1 standard and the current USB 2.0 standard, as well as how to add USB 2.0 ports to an older PC. USB 3.0 is also explored.


Mozilla Thunderbird: Free Email Client
[All Levels] Mozilla Thunderbird is a free open source email client that also features an RSS reader, easy gmail account setup and newsgroup feature. This piece is both an article about Thunderbird and a guide on how to configure its main features for use.
 
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It's on it's way!
Monday, April 30, 2007

Some time tomorrow I should be playing around with a brand new OQO model 02 UMPC! I just got email confirmation that it's shipped from the distributor, Tegatech.com.au. I have been dying to get my hands on one of these units ever since they were announced at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier in the year. It will be the first UMPC with a slide out qwerty keyboard that I've tried. My unit is also coming with the docking station so that I will be able to use it as a mobile device but then also plug it into the docking station with a regular monitor and keyboard. I just bought a new handbag on the weekend and I'm sure it's more than big enough to fit the OQO. Does it come with a carry case to protect the screen? I'll find out tomorrow when I unpack it. Get ready for an unpacking video...
    
VIA’s ultra mobile platform is definitely something manufacturers should consider [for the] ultra mobile market
Monday, April 30, 2007

Tech-Gear.org have put together an impressive detailed review of the Samsung Q1b UMPC which also turns out to review VIA C7-M processor which is awarded five gold stars. "The device certainly doesn’t get hot. I have tried to watch high resolution videos and listen to music in an attempt to raise the temperature of the device enough for me to call uncomfortable but failed. This is quite stunning for such a tightly packed device and all comes down to VIA’s ultra mobile platform. The device is also quite quick for a 1GHZ processor especially when operating under Windows Vista it’s quite impressive. Working with frequent documents is a breeze thanks to the “StepAhead Advanced Branch Prediction” which is neighboured by the fetching and decoding unit on the C7 processor." Read the full review here.

    
See the difference with DirectX 10
Monday, April 30, 2007

"Wondering what DirectX 10 means to you as a gamer and what kind of difference you can expect to see in the first few titles? We take glance at one of the first DirectX 10 titles that will hit the market, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures! Age of Conan is the first MMO to be released with DirectX 10 technology, which is significant for those that want to use their DXirectX 10 graphics cards for the first time. Read on to compare DX9 and DX10 screen shots from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures!" Take a look at the pictures in the article which are in DirectX 9 and then hover your mouse over them to see the difference between DirectX 9 and 10. Direct X 10 has more depth and more accurate and realistic lighting.
    
Case news
Monday, April 30, 2007

One of our favorite case manufacturers, NZXT, has issued a Press Release about a new silent case for gamers: "The HUSH is equipped with two 120 mm fans running at low speeds while still achieving high levels of air flow. We’ve installed sound damping foam rubber padding near the power supply, fans, and hard drives to further reduce the sound level. Built to achieve higher standard of your business and gaming experience, with our new HUSH chassis, you can finally play in peace." Here it is:

In other case news:
Thermaltake Soprano DX Case @ XYZComputing.com
Thermaltake Bach VX @ XYZComputing.com
Gigabyte Aurora 570 Black Tower ATX Case @ Tweaknews.net
XClio 188 Super Tower @ OverclockersOnline.com
NZXT Adamas Classic Series ATX Case @ Madshrimps.be

    
RuggedPCReview.com takes a look at the eo TufTab v7112XT
Monday, April 30, 2007

"TabletKiosk describes the eo TufTab v7112XT as a lightweight ultra-mobile computing solution designed for business on the go and built tough enough for professionals who are constantly on the road or in non-traditional working environments. And, in fact, the device, available in back and white, uses tough, reinforced plastic and a rubberized casing to provide a sturdy and balanced package for engaging in fieldwork, warehousing, mobile point of sale, data collection and other professions that take place in a tougher-than-usual working environment." Read the full preview here.
    
Storage news
Monday, April 30, 2007

Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB @ Techgage.com
Five Extraordinary USB Flash Drives @ DigitalTrends.com
Geeks 500GB USB2 External HDD Kit @ 3dGameMan.com
eam 16GB 2.5-inch IDE Solid State Drive @ Tweaktown.com
Antec MX-1 Hard Drive Enclosure @ XYZComputing.com
    
The ultimate geek's weekend project
Monday, April 30, 2007

"I'm sure that we all have a mess of wires inside of our computer case at sometime or another. Personally I like to try and keep my case looking nice and clean, it gives it more of a professional look to it. So we are going to take a look into a case and see how we can make it look clean and professional. Cable Management can not only clean up your computer but it also make your computer easier to work on and improves airflow. This guide will show you the simple tools you need and simple methods to tidy up the inside of your case." Find out at Techwarelabs.com.
    
Extended blog: brushing up on HD basics
Friday, April 27, 2007

A little while ago we got a sample of VIA's latest EPIA motherboard model, the EPIA EX15000G. I did a pretty standard sort of overview article while John salivated in the background at the potential for a high definition (HD) capable multimedia box. The model features a HD encoder and also a C7 processor, so it's pretty quick and capable of running any video you throw at it. Sadly we didn't have a HDTV or monitor to test it out with. The sample has gone off to media now so we'll have to beg (or buy) another one because we're both eager to really test out HD.

I first saw HD about 3 years ago in the US electronics chain store Frys. Some sort of surf show was playing on a HD plasma. Somehow the surfi dude being interviewed, out of breath with beads of water dripping down his brow, stood out in an almost three dimensional allusion against the far reaching background of the ocean behind him. The picture quality had a depth that I hadn't seen before. Read on...

    
Video card news
Friday, April 27, 2007

XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB XXX Edition @ BenchmarkReviews.com
Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS review @ bit-tech.net
XFX GeForce 8600GTS XXX @ motherboards.org
GeForce 8 Streams to the Mainstream: Asus GeForce 8600 GTS @ XBitLabs.com
How to Overclock the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Series @ BenchmarkReviews.com
Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro Dual @ HotHardware.com
The Invincibles: GeForce 8800 GTX Roundup @ XBitLabs.com
    
The Best Extensions for Thunderbird 2.0
Friday, April 27, 2007

I have been using the alternative email client from Mozilla, Thunderbird, for several years now. I really do prefer to the layout and navigation compared with Outlook. Like Firefox, the Internet browser that's also by Mozilla, you can download extensions for Thunderbird - little add-ons for calendars, keyboard shortcuts etc. XYZComputing reports: "The recent upgrade to Thunderbird 2.0 marked a nice evolution of the client and while it did not bring a lot of major changes it did include a few much needed tweaks. Between these changes and my general requirement of using as few extensions as possible I have found that Thunderbird does not need many extensions to get it set up properly. There are a few excellent ones out there that everyone should know about." Maybe I should take a look!
    

 
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