<![CDATA[Tactical Gamer - Hardware & Software Discussion]]> http://www.tacticalgamer.com/ en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:02:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.tacticalgamer.com/images/tgstyle/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Tactical Gamer - Hardware & Software Discussion]]> http://www.tacticalgamer.com/ Vertical Bars - Display Problem http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151382-vertical-bars-display-problem.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:45:40 GMT Dell XPS 630I
Windows Vista
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
3325 MB RAM
Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT


So here's the deal...

I was playing ArmA2 today and my computer locked up mid-game, with the graphics and colors messing up big time, along with looping sound. I was unable to alt+tab or get the task manager open, so I held the power button and turned it off. When I turned the computer back on, crazy things appeared on my screen as it booted up, including blue dots everywhere, vertical bars of green, overall messed up graphical glitches. When I get to the login screen, there are 5 vertical bars about 1 inch in width each and 3 inches apart, spanning the height of my monitor. The bars themselves are kind of like "screen tears", where the pixels are all different colors of the current window I have up, and they "dance around" whenever I drag a window around or move my cursor. I literally have to drag this window so that the line of text I'm typing falls under one of the 3 inch portions of my screen that still shows up non-blurry.

I've tried multiple times to uninstall and then reinstall my display drivers, with no results - the bars remain. I'm almost completely convinced this has something to do with my drivers or graphics because of many things I've noticed. I no longer have the "Nvidia Control Panel" option when right-clicking on my desktop. Also, my windows have been minimizing and maximizing not smoothly. When my computer was working properly, when I minimized or maximized a window, it would give the appearance of "shrinking" to the task bar or "expanding" from the task bar to my desktop. Now it just disappears and appears without the animations. Also, I used to be able to hover my cursor over a window in the task bar, and a mini-window would pop up, previewing what was on that window. That no longer happens as well. Lastly, when I go to Nvidia's website and use their online tool to check what version of drivers I have, it only shows as "--", meaning it doesn't recognize that I have any drivers installed at all.

I've been using the older 182.50 GeForce drivers because they were the only ones stable with ArmA2 (the other newer drivers I was using caused crash-to-desktops).

After countless restarts, checking the cable to my monitor, and re-installations of my display drivers, I'm all out of ideas folks. Any help or advice would be appreciated more than I could possibly show through the internet.

Hell, I've even tried launching ArmA and other games after reinstalling my drivers, still with these damned bars on my screen, and it gave me this error: "Display Adapter does not support format D24S8 for X8R8G8B8." ]]> MarineSeaknight http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151382-vertical-bars-display-problem.html Links To Keep You Busy This Weekend- 11-20 Edition http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151376-links-keep-you-busy-weekend-11-20-edition.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:16:59 GMT Back just in time to hook you up with all the links you need to keep you busy this weekend.

Remember, you don't have to read them all, but you might want to :icon19:

And don't forget around Tue. or Wed. to start fasting in preparation for Thursday.




Tech Hardware News

Radeon HD 5970 sold out in a day - No surprise there. Fastest card out, and in very short supply equals empty shelves. If this is the first you are hearing about the 5970, we have a thread here: ATI 5970 released and reviews

Asus Introduces Eee Box EB1501 With Ion, Windows 7 - This is looking very good. Now if it was just down to under $400, it would be close to perfect.

Cedar Trail 2011 Atom platform is 32nm

ASUS launches Atom-powered mini Windows Home Server -This is one of many Home Servers that have been mentioned in the last couple of weeks. Best news this one is really cheap. Great way to keep all your media and backups strait.

ASUS' fully fledged Maximus II Extreme takes P55 to a new level - Awesome motherboard, but probably going to cost a paycheck. It has a feature that lets you overclock over bluetooth. I don't have a clue what that means.

Hard Disk Drive Performance Comparison Guide Rev. 3.2 - If you are looking to get a new HD soon, and can't put it off a bit longer till SSD's are cheaper, hopefully this very detailed guide will help you pick one.

NVIDIA Pushes 3D Vision Outside the Gaming Box -News about 3d is all over the tech sites right now. Nvidia is really pushing it, as well as all the TV makers and even Sony is saying they will have a firmware update for the PS3. Engadget has this, playing some L4D :ASUS G51J 3D hands-on

Matrox Powers 8 Displays With A Single Card - Even if you could afford the card, could you afford the 8 monitors?

From Sand to Silicon - How processors are made (Animation) -Just in case you were wondering :D

Powerzoa Internet Connected Outlet Adapters - This is pretty cool. You could turn things off and on from anywhere. Plus you can monitor how much power your stuff is sucking up.




Tech Software/Web News

So the really big news this week was the news of the Google Chrome OS. Here are a few links to help you catch up on what you need to know.
Google's Chrome OS revealed -- with video!
Everything You Need To Know About Chrome OS
Google Chrome OS available as free VMWare download (update: first impressions)
Editorial: Chrome OS is what I want, but not what I need
How-to: run Chrome OS as a virtual machine


Both Nvidia and ATI posted new drivers:
Geforce 195.55 WHQL-candidate drivers released
ATI releases Catalyst 9.11 WHQL

Roundup: 15 Free Must-Install Programs for Your New PC - You will know most of these, but might introduce you to some new ones.

Tech Tip of the Week: Unearth Region-Specific Windows 7 Themes Just in case you have Win7 and want to tweak the look a bit.

CDRoller 8.61 Recovers Lost Files On Discs - Just in case you have some disks laying around that are buggered. Interesting thing is it also works on Flash Memory.

Five Best Online Backup Tools - We have talked about Mozy and Dropbox here in the forums, but here is a roundup where they look at the top five as chosen by readers of Lifehacker.com

Microsoft Office 2010 (Beta) - Polska also has a thread here: MS Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta Beta is good till next Oct.

Trillian Now Available for iPhone, iPod Touch - Trillian is one of the best ways to use a bunch of IM apps in one program. And now it's on the Iphone so you can be in touch on the go. Too bad it is $4.99

Microsoft reveals first Internet Explorer 9 details -IE looks to catch up on Firefox. But MS says they are just now starting work.

Web App of the Week: ScreenToaster - Super easy way to record a screen cast in case you want to show someone how how to do something on the computer. Thinking of using this as a way to people get their ARMA2 addons running right.

This Week's Best iPhone Apps Might find some new apps to play with.

Rumor: Sony to Port Firefox to the PS3 - This is really big news. I tried to use the one on the PS3 now, and it SUCKS. Hope the rumor turns out to be true.

Mozilla's Weave browser sync add-on for Firefox hits beta - I will be using this for sure when I move over to Win7 and when I do reinstalls. It's good to back up your FF anyway, as I have had it loose everything once before (settings and extensions.)

Vitamin D Turns Your Web Cam into a Security Camera and Free Professional Grade Webcam Security Software - Turns a cheap webcam into a great way to monitor your toys :icon_cool. We have talked about programs like this here in the forum before, and this looks like it is a better option then some others out there.

4 Sites to Watch Old & Classic Cartoon TV Shows Online I grew up loving WB and Tom&Jerry cartoons, and now I can watch them online. Sweet :row__523:



How To and Guides

Clicker – The Complete Guide To Online TV & Movie Shows - We talked about this last week, and this is a new in depth article about it. Looks like it should fit in nicely next to Hulu and other sites.

Hard Disk Drive Performance Comparison Guide Rev. 3.2 - If you are looking to get a new HD soon, and can't put it off a bit longer till SSD's are cheaper, hopefully this very detailed guide will help you pick one.

Giz Explains: The Difference Between a $600 TV and a $6000 TV - Great guide from Gizmodo they explains the differences in TV models. I actually got my wife to read it!!! Now she can understand why I want to spend $3500 on a TV :madsmile: They also just posted A Guide To Choosing The HDTV That's Right For You

20 Essential Tips Every Ubuntu User Should Know - If you are thinking of trying Ubuntu, this is a great way to get up to speed quick. Don't forget the great guide on how to dual boot that was posted in last week's thread.

Create Desktop Icons With Simply Icon Somebody that has time should make some TG icons :D

Good karma: an in-depth review of Ubuntu 9.10 - Also on Ubuntu topic, another good article. Might help you decide to give a dual boot a go.

Build a Cheap But Powerful Boxee Media Center Great and detailed guide from Lifehacker.

How to Easily Protect & Encrypt Files with Conceal (Windows) - Just in case you have something to hide. You don't, do you? :D

Consumer Reports: When To Repair, When To Replace - Sometimes it can be hard to decide.

How To Quickly Fix A Phone or MP3 Player With Water Damage - It's bound to happen sometime. Might as well read this now so you'll be ready.

Technology Explained: Open Router Ports & Their Security Implications - Got to say I hate ports. But this guide helps explain them, so hopefully next time I have to fight with them will have a better understanding.

I came across a bunch of good photo and photoshop tutorials this week.
Here are a few good ones.

12 Ideas On How To Take Better Photographs

30 Artistic and Creative Photoshop Poster Tutorials

35 Incredible Digital Painting Tutorials

19 Tutorials for Creating Beautiful HDR (High Dynamic Range) Imagery

The Best Photoshop Tutorials of 2009

45 Explosively Colorful Photoshop Effects- Really awesome site.

40 Amazing Photo Manipulations

20 Amazing Images That Could Be HDR – But are definitely Not.

The Top 30 Photoshop Text Effects Tutorials of 2008



Random and Off-Topic,

Newspaper Tracks Down Anonymous Commenter, Gets Him Fired Just for Fun -Better topic for the Soapbox forum, but I kind of like the idea.

VIDEO: Ten minutes of rally crashes devoid of butt-rock soundtrack -Crazy video. Most times people mix the videos like this with music, but this one you get to listen to crash after crash after awesome crash.

80+ Creative Geek T-Shirts You Can Buy Online -You might want to ask for a few of these for Christmas.

Kongregate - One of the best places to find flash games. Should waste many hours of your time on this site alone.

Wallpaper Roundup: Turkey Time and Pumpkin Pie - In case you want to pimp your desktop in time for turkey day.

A few of the vids I enjoyed this week:

I'm not a MJ fan, but this remix blows me away for some reason.






And finally, a few of the pics I spent time staring at:





]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151376-links-keep-you-busy-weekend-11-20-edition.html <![CDATA[Is there a 'not news' filter for Firefox?]]> http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151345-there-not-news-filter-firefox.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:25:59 GMT I was checking through the add ons for Firefox today for something that has some specific behavior. I would like it to filter out any picture that has a name with a certain text, or links to a page with certain text in the link. I would like it to filter out links completely that have key... I was checking through the add ons for Firefox today for something that has some specific behavior.

I would like it to filter out any picture that has a name with a certain text, or links to a page with certain text in the link.

I would like it to filter out links completely that have key words as part of their name or the link they are going to.

Example: Sarah Palin is not news in my opinion, just like twitter, dancing with the stars and other newsvertisements. I'd like to be able to filter out any mention of them when browsing news sites like BBC and CNN. I've thought about using Adblock but the approach I tried is not working as I had hoped.

Anyone have a suggestion? ]]> snooggums http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151345-there-not-news-filter-firefox.html hitfixer with win 7 64bit http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151322-hitfixer-win-7-64bit.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:37:54 GMT Hi All, I recently upgraded to windows 7 64bit.... cant say how much i love it and thank goodness that PR runs on it. Althought I cant get hit fixer to run. I have installed it, but ingame when i press tilda then the shotcut to enter the ping it doesnt work. Has anyone experienced this and is... Hi All,

I recently upgraded to windows 7 64bit.... cant say how much i love it and thank goodness that PR runs on it. Althought I cant get hit fixer to run. I have installed it, but ingame when i press tilda then the shotcut to enter the ping it doesnt work. Has anyone experienced this and is their a fix?

Cheers

Aus ]]> aus-trooper http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151322-hitfixer-win-7-64bit.html Droid (Andriod) Phone Apps http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151301-droid-andriod-phone-apps.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:30:03 GMT Let's list here the apps that you like and would recommend to others for your Droid (Android) phone.

A few I have installed and like:

Barcode Scanner: Scan a barcode and it will search the web for the best prices.

Radar Now: Gives you current weather condition as well as a weather map.

Fantasy Lockscreen: A nice little widget for locking your phone.

BatteryLife: Gives you the current state of your battery.

Pandora: Great program.

Accuweather: Another great weather program. Uses your GPS location to give you up to date weather info.

Advanced Task Killer: Kills tasks that are running and using up battery life.

Astro: Great little file program.

Google Sky Map: Give you the location of the stars in the night sky.

i Music: Nice little app to download music.

AK Notepad: Good little app for taking and saving notes.

Places Directory: Allows you to browse nearby places in categories such as banks, hotels, etc. Uses your current GPS location. ]]> TG_Bubba http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151301-droid-andriod-phone-apps.html Dropbox http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151300-dropbox.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:59:49 GMT
I don't know if this had been mentioned but I came across this program Dropbox. So it's a host server that can host up to 3 GB of your date you upload for free ! It's so simple, it makes a sharing folder on your computer and what ever you drop in there it sync with Dropbox, and you can access that date on whatever computer you want.

I've been using it and options are endless. I find it very useful for school work ( I need to access my files in classroom to present them-no more USB,pesky mails etc.), as long as you have internet on that computer you can get what is in that folder on your home computer.Of course there are payable options as well, 50 GB for 10 $ and 100 for 20$ per month.

For every friend who joins Dropbox, I'll be given 250 MB of bonus space (up to a limit of 3 GB), as long as you follow this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTMwODI4ODM5

I just thought I should let you guys know.




-Tim ]]> orpal http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151300-dropbox.html MS Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta - Download now http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151256-ms-office-professional-plus-2010-beta-download-now.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:19:02 GMT Came across this today and though some of you may want to give it a whirl. Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta is now available for download. I read that it will work until October 2010, but not from an official source. This link requires you to login and fill out a quick form. You... Came across this today and though some of you may want to give it a whirl.

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta is now available for download. I read that it will work until October 2010, but not from an official source. This link requires you to login and fill out a quick form. You are then given a key and download link.

Download Here ~684Mb (may have to copy link manually) ]]> Polska http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151256-ms-office-professional-plus-2010-beta-download-now.html ATI 5970 released and reviews, and latest Nvidia news http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151224-ati-5970-released-reviews-latest-nvidia-news.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:15:00 GMT The massive 5970 gets released today, and the reviews are poring in. Radeon HD 5970 reviews go online (http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/16479/1/) Bottom line is it the fastest card around, is very long at about 31 centimeters, and sucks lots of power, though supposedly less than the older... The massive 5970 gets released today, and the reviews are poring in.
Radeon HD 5970 reviews go online

Bottom line is it the fastest card around, is very long at about 31 centimeters, and sucks lots of power, though supposedly less than the older 4970.

Anandtech as always has a very good review:
The Radeon HD 5970: Completing AMD's Takeover of the High End GPU Market

Nothing on Newegg yet, but will probably cost more than $500 when it hits.




Fudzilla also has the latest on Nvidia, and says it is looking like January for their next gen cards:

Nvidia Fermi GF100 first working desktop card spotted

Fermi A2 silicon is alive and kicking ]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151224-ati-5970-released-reviews-latest-nvidia-news.html Need benchmarks http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151194-need-benchmarks.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:27:00 GMT I have dual 8800gt's and cannot find any benches stacking them against any of the single cards in the GTX 200 series or the ATI 4000 and 5000 series, looking to upgrade to a single card that outperforms my dual 8800 gt's....any help out there?


Thanks ]]> venman http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151194-need-benchmarks.html 7-Way Intel P55 Motherboard Round-Up http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151166-7-way-intel-p55-motherboard-round-up.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:54:53 GMT Techspot has a pretty good roundup of 7 motherboards running the p55 chipset. I really like the review because they look closely at what each motherboard offers in bells and whistles. The summary pretty much says they are all good boards. 7-Way Intel P55 Motherboard Round-Up... Techspot has a pretty good roundup of 7 motherboards running the p55 chipset. I really like the review because they look closely at what each motherboard offers in bells and whistles. The summary pretty much says they are all good boards.


7-Way Intel P55 Motherboard Round-Up


]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151166-7-way-intel-p55-motherboard-round-up.html Adobe Flash 10.1 beta out--Huge news http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151163-adobe-flash-10-1-beta-out-huge-news.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:12:37 GMT Adobe just put up the beta for Adobe Flash 10.1, and it is huge news because it adds GPU acceleration. Flash video, especially full screen and HD videos on youtube, and extreme CPU hogs, and with the update your graf. card can kick in and give you a boost. Adobe Flash 10.1 and AIR 2.0 Betas... Adobe just put up the beta for Adobe Flash 10.1, and it is huge news because it adds GPU acceleration. Flash video, especially full screen and HD videos on youtube, and extreme CPU hogs, and with the update your graf. card can kick in and give you a boost.

Adobe Flash 10.1 and AIR 2.0 Betas Released: Life Is Better Now

AnandTech just posted a good article with lots of tests showing how huge a boost it is:
AnandTech Tests GPU Accelerated Flash 10.1 Prerelease

Edit:
Downloadsquad.com just posted an article that has actual video reviews to show you how good this looks running on a AsRock nettop with ION. Looks REALLY REALLY good!
Adobe release Flash Player 10.1 with GPU acceleration for HD video



Now for the bad news, and I was pissed when I read it:

Quote:
What Hardware is Supported?

As I just mentioned, Adobe is using DXVA to accelerate Flash video playback, which means you need a GPU that properly supports DXVA2. From NVIDIA that means anything after G80 (sorry, GeForce 8800 GTX, GTS 640/320MB and Ultra owners are out of luck). In other words anything from the GeForce 8 series, 9 series or GeForce GT/GTX series, as well as their mobile equivalents. The only exceptions being those G80 based parts I just mentioned.

Anything based on NVIDIA’s ION chipset is also supported, which will be the foundation of some of our tests today.

AMD supports the following:

- ATI Radeon™ HD 4000, HD 5700 and HD 5800 series graphics
- ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4000 series graphics (and higher)
- ATI Radeon™ HD 3000 integrated graphics (and higher)
- ATI FirePro™ V3750, V5700, V7750, V8700 and V8750 graphics accelerators (and later)
I, like a bunch of other TG folks are still running an 8800, waiting for Nvidia to put out their next gen, so I won't get any boost. :mad::mad::mad:


]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151163-adobe-flash-10-1-beta-out-huge-news.html <![CDATA[$1500 Gaming PC Buyer's Guide -- November 2009]]> http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151139-1500-gaming-pc-buyers-guide-november-2009-a.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:34:03 GMT This was just posted a few mins ago over at Maximum PC, and I figured it was worth posting since a lot of people are probably considering a new year/ Christmas upgrade. Even if you arn't building a whole new rig, maybe some of their suggestions will work for you.

I like most of their suggestions, like the ASUS motherboard and what not.

$1500 Gaming PC Buyer's Guide -- November 2009


]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151139-1500-gaming-pc-buyers-guide-november-2009-a.html RAID Hard Drives http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151109-raid-hard-drives.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:11:03 GMT I'm looking to get some hard drives for a computer I'll have at home that will act as a file server for music, important files, and a backup for any webspace I own/manage.

I was considering either getting 2x500GB or 2x1TB drives and RAID/SATA them together so that if one fails, I have the data on the second.

Does anyone have experience with this and possibly offer a suggestion as to which to purchase? I'd like to stay under 100 per drive, but wouldn't mind cheaper (like 60 per 500GB drive option if I decide I don't need a ton of space). ]]> orion808 http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151109-raid-hard-drives.html Best Keyboard and Mouse? http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151088-best-keyboard-mouse.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:31:42 GMT I'm looking forward to buying a keyboard and mouse. I was wondering what the best kind was. I'm kinda picky about the mouse. I don't like oversized mouses, in fact I've used a lot of netbook mouses and loved them. I kinda didn't like wired mouses because the cord would always get in the way, pull my aim slightly, sometimes even getting snagged, it's a mess. But batteries are annoying as hell. I also don't like those crazy shaped ones. A simple groove for my right hand thumb is fine but if otherwise a lefty couldn't use it it's probably a good indication I won't like it.

As for the keybord, not too picky, right now I have a Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard 1.0a and it's been fine other than the fact that I have to keep pressing the F lock button on startup and the keys have gotten sticky from me drinking and eating around it. Maybe a couple more function keys would be nice?

Anyways any recomendations? I was looking at Logitech's stuff, hopefully nothing too pricey (if anyone says Razor I'm gonna kick them in the shins :row__523: ) ]]> Sirusblk http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151088-best-keyboard-mouse.html newegg vs. amazon http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151074-newegg-vs-amazon.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:20:20 GMT so

i'm on holiday shopping spree (for myself mostly :row__523:)

anyways, i've made my shopping carts with amaszon and newegg

but newegg is more than 100$ more expensive than amazon and even charge shipping on top of that!
have they been so successful all of a sudden that they dont need the cheapest prices anymore?




amazon:


By creepinshadow at 2009-11-15




By creepinshadow at 2009-11-15




just compare at give me your thoughts: ]]> creepin http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151074-newegg-vs-amazon.html Links To Keep You Busy This Weekend- 11-14 Edition http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151019-links-keep-you-busy-weekend-11-14-edition.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:36:20 GMT Welcome back folks to this edition of weekly links, especially designed to occupy all of your free (non-gaming) time. Read the ones you like and bookmark the ones you need. :icon_cool *_Tech Hardware News_* *First Details Regarding AMD Bulldozer Emerge: 8 Cores with Multithreading... Welcome back folks to this edition of weekly links, especially designed to occupy all of your free (non-gaming) time.

Read the ones you like and bookmark the ones you need. :icon_cool


Tech Hardware News

First Details Regarding AMD Bulldozer Emerge: 8 Cores with Multithreading - Interesting news from AMD. Crossing my fingers they beat Intel to keep the competition going.

Razer Announces Abyssus Gaming Mouse Kind of basic without a ton of buttons, but should work pretty good.

Intel Fast Tracking Pine Trail Debut - Really good news, especially for people looking to get a mini HTPC or nettop or netbook soon.

Boxee inks deal with first hardware partner: a 'Boxee Box' is coming and Boxee to Develop Set-Top Box -Boxee has been getting some good attention lately, and lots of people like it the easy to use HTPC interface. If they start putting out hardware and it is powerful enough, should be a really good option.


Dell Zino HD: $230 Mini Home Theater PC - More good news on the mini PC front. These would be really good just for a cheap desktop, but in the future a TV tuner will be offered, making it an awesome cheap and easy HTPC.

Intel to launch low-cost 40GB SSD, new enterprise lineup - These are going to be expensive as hell :row__687:

Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 -"A P55 motherboard that spares no amenity" -Says it has just about every feature possible.

Asus P7P55D Deluxe Motherboard Review - Good review of a p55 motherboard. Final thoughts says it should be on your shortlist when looking for a p55 MB.





Tech Sofware/Web News

Clicker Is a One-Stop Shop for Streaming Television - I haven't had time to more than skim the site so far, but it looks like they have a lot to watch. This along with Hulu, Fancast, Netflix streaming, and a few others is getting much closer to letting us drop the cable TV fees. It says they have "more than 450,000 episodes, from over 6,000 shows, from over 1,200 networks, tens of thousands of movies, and 50,000 music videos from 20,000 artists,".

Comcast TV Everywhere Launching in December, Free to Cable Subscribers - Kind of along the lines of the link above, comcast will start offering streaming through your internet, so you can watch shows on the go or your home PC. I'm interested to see how this goes. I don't have Comcast, but still interesting.

EasyBCD Makes Tweaking Your Windows Bootloader a Snap I was first introduced to this program by Jeepo a while back, and it saved my butt with a bad install. Good program to keep in the back of your mind, especially if you ever try dual boots. Best part is it clean and easy to use, instead of using command prompts and stuff.

This Week's Best iPhone Apps -Bunch of new apps. Only one I grabbed was the Mall Navigation app. I hate going to malls, but with this app it means I can get it done quicker :row__735:

Paint.NET Releases Big Update, Still a Killer Photoshop Alternative - Good news from Paint.net. Everyone should have this program on their PC, even if you have photoshop. It is super quick and easy to use for those minor toughups/tweaks. Way better than MS Paint.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Graduates from Beta, Now Free for Everyone - News about this everywhere. Has anyone ever used Panda? The "cloud" is supposed to "keep a list of malware from the community updated in real time".

CyberLink speeds up photo, video apps with GPUs - More good news about GPU processing, and how it can boost CPU. CyberLink claims "video encoding can speed up by as much as 500%" Anyone who has ever encoded a video knows how awesome that would be.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 2 Released, Fixes 190 Bugs - Good news, but I'm waiting for final release. If you want to just play with it without installing, you can always use Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition 3.6 Beta 2. Install to desktop then delete the folder when your done.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PC to include DirectX 11 support Good news on the DX11 front. Hopefully this game turns out good and can be modded easily, since they have said it will have dedicated servers.

Amazon releases Kindle for PC application - I have tried the Iphone app, and it was interesting. Not sure if I would want to read a whole 1,000 book on a PC screen.

Youtube Goes 1080p and 1080p HD Is Coming to YouTube - Very interesting news. Will allow us to make some killer game videos and show them the way we want, instead of tiny and compressed. Already has me dreaming of some new ARMA2 movies.



How To and Guides

20 Essential Tweaks and Tips Every Firefox User Should Know

Build a Silent, Standalone XBMC Media Center On the Cheap

Build a Dirt Cheap and Powerful Media Center

Building a NAS? Skip the Performance Drives

Totally Texturize Your Taskbar - Can't wait to try this when I get Win7

Add CPU and memory meters to your Windows 7 taskbar

20 Essential Tricks and Skills Every BitTorrent User Should Know

iPhone cellular data not working? Try resetting your network settings

Guide To LED Technology If you are thinking about LED TVs, you need to read this.

100 wonderful photo effects Photoshop tutorials -Awesome roundup. I expect to see a ton of new sigs in the forums soon!! If you see one you like you can usually find a similar one for GIMP.

Protect Your Wi-Fi Connection at Airport Hotspots

Dual-Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu in Perfect Harmony Want something interesting to try this weekend. Go dual boot. This is one of the best guides I have read. He really wanted to make sure everything got along and you could access all your files from either OS.


Kind Of Off Topic, But Still Cool

NASA finds 'significant' water on moon -That is the really big news. And AWESOME NEWS :icon_eek::icon_eek::icon_eek::icon_eek::icon_eek:

US Army Rail Gun Fires for the First Time

SEMA 2009: Mavizen introduces 130-mph TTX02 electric racebike Loving everything about it, except the price. Not much range, but really, how many people drive more than 38 miles to work everyday?

Rev for iPhone reaches 2.0, includes data-logging [w/ VIDEO] -This lets you see everything your car is doing, and in real time. A gearhead's dream toy for tweaking. If I had a bit of extra cash around, I would be buying this right now. Says it will be out for google phones in the future.

Meguiars Wraptivo brings vinyl car wraps to the masses This is awesome! We have talked about this in the General Forum (BMW owner tapes black car to white), but that costs a good bit. If they make it really cheap, this will be a hot item. Think about changing your car color any time you want, or cleaning up a bad paint job you have now. Check out some of the videos at the link in the general forum and there are a ton on Youtube.

Latest auto iPhone app: Augmented reality parked car finder - Never loose your car in the parking lot again.

The coolest CG car vid you'll see today - Really cool CGI video, and was awesome with the Left4Dead bits mixed in.

The 20 Greatest Tech Underdogs of All Time -How many of these have you wanted to own?

Garden Jawa – Utini! - I would take this over a garden gnome any day!

I Don't Want to Come In, I Just Want to Ring This Doorbell - I don't get the connection to Spore, but still the coolest doorbell I have ever seen. Trying to talk the wife into it now.

Download: Assassin's Creed: Lineage Full Movie Really awesome mix of CGI and real footage. You should download the full size version. That site is all about PC gaming and has really fast downloads. Movie is 30 mins. long.

That about does it for this week's edition. See everyone next weekend.


]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/151019-links-keep-you-busy-weekend-11-14-edition.html SSD Question http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150900-ssd-question.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:44:58 GMT Since my new SSD is in the mail I had a question about it and Win7. Will I be able to clone my Win7 partition from my HDD to the SSD and expand the partition, or will I actually have to reinstall Win7 on the SSD to get it to recognize in Win7. The drive being seen as an SSD is very important as... Since my new SSD is in the mail I had a question about it and Win7. Will I be able to clone my Win7 partition from my HDD to the SSD and expand the partition, or will I actually have to reinstall Win7 on the SSD to get it to recognize in Win7.

The drive being seen as an SSD is very important as I don't think Win7 enables TRIM if it doesn't. ]]> Spyder228 http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150900-ssd-question.html moving to new pc http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150899-moving-new-pc.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:20:11 GMT I'm building a new rig and want to move my apps and data to the new rig. The old is Vista64 and the new is Win7. Any advice on how to do this? ]]> kin3 http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150899-moving-new-pc.html HP i7 18.7 laptop $999 shipped http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150847-hp-i7-18-7-laptop-999-shipped.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:15:57 GMT If only I needed a laptop... http://bfads.net/HP-dv8t-Laptop-w-Quad-Core-i7-Processor-999-HP If only I needed a laptop...

http://bfads.net/HP-dv8t-Laptop-w-Qu...ocessor-999-HP ]]> Tempus http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150847-hp-i7-18-7-laptop-999-shipped.html Through the Looking Glass -- 8 Widescreen Monitors Reviewed http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150822-through-looking-glass-8-widescreen-monitors-reviewed.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:13:32 GMT Maximum PC just posted this review, but what I really like is the first couple of pages where they go through each spec and explain what it means and what you should look for, like color depth, Contrast Ratio, etc. Through the Looking Glass -- 8 Widescreen Monitors Reviewed... Maximum PC just posted this review, but what I really like is the first couple of pages where they go through each spec and explain what it means and what you should look for, like color depth, Contrast Ratio, etc.


Through the Looking Glass -- 8 Widescreen Monitors Reviewed

Just remember when you get to the actual monitors, the reviews aren't on the page. You have to click the name of the monitor you want to see a review for to see the info.

Also remember a lot of these "Full HD" monitors have a 1080p resolution, so 1920x1080. They are priced pretty cheap, but you might want to look at the slightly more costly screens that run a 1920 x 1200 resolution. ]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150822-through-looking-glass-8-widescreen-monitors-reviewed.html <![CDATA[Acer laptop, 15", at Best Buy for $250]]> http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150782-acer-laptop-15-best-buy-250-a.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:01:00 GMT Just passing this along in case anyone needs a quick cheap laptop with a full size screen (not a netbook). It's nothing fancy, and won't play games, but at $250 might make a nice Christmas gift for a kid or the parents. I'm thinking I might pick one up for my computer-less mom..........:icon_cool



Best Buy: Acer laptop with Intel Celeron processor, 15.4-inch screen, 2GB memory, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Premium $249 STARTS WED 11/11

Cnet talks about it here:
Intel Celeron chip anchors $249 Acer Windows 7 laptop

The sale starts tomorrow, and they will probably go pretty fast.

As a side note, not sure if they will be for sale online, but turns out Paypal has a promo with $20 off an order of $100 or more if you use Paypal to pay. ]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150782-acer-laptop-15-best-buy-250-a.html iPhone virus http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150720-iphone-virus.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:19:24 GMT First iPhone Worm Discovered: Rickrolls Jailbroken iPhones http://gizmodo.com/5400153/first-iphone-worm-discovered-rickrolls-jailbroken-iphones ---Quote--- Jailbreakers in Australia are being infected by a worm that changes their wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley. And while that sounds... First iPhone Worm Discovered: Rickrolls Jailbroken iPhones
http://gizmodo.com/5400153/first-iph...broken-iphones

Quote:
Jailbreakers in Australia are being infected by a worm that changes their wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley. And while that sounds kinda funny, it's another reminder to make sure you've changed the default password on your jailbroken iPhone.
]]> ScratchMonkey http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150720-iphone-virus.html PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150710-powergenix-nizn-rechargeable-aa-batteries-finally-some-cells-worth-buying.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:50:54 GMT Engadget just posted this, and it looks interesting:

PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: finally, some cells worth buying

Right now I don't use many batteries, but with Christmas coming up, I'm guessing those of you out there with nice cameras and toys like PSP could really use something like this.

]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150710-powergenix-nizn-rechargeable-aa-batteries-finally-some-cells-worth-buying.html Logitech G500 Review http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150674-logitech-g500-review.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:31:43 GMT This just got posted on Maximum PC, and is a review of Logitech's new G500.
It looks like it is a good update to the MX510 and MX518 many of us have and love. I have to agree that there is a bit of overkill on the thumb buttons.

Logitech G500


]]> Bamboo http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150674-logitech-g500-review.html Issues with a hard drive http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150649-issues-hard-drive.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:05:56 GMT I have an old pc that I gave to my dad after I started university. Today he called to tell me that for the last few days, one of the 2 pc's HDs has been making making crunching noises and reading information much slower than before. He also mentioned that sometimes, Firefox and applications upon opening would abruptly freeze and would require ctrl-alt-del to close.

The hard drive that seems to be the problem is a 500GB Seagate that has been purchased in 2007. My initial diagnosis is that the HD itself is dying and would soon need to be replaced.

However it is also the hard drive that has the operating system (WinXP Pro SP3) installed. So before I tell my dad to purchase a new HD, am I right in thinking that it is a failing HD that needs to be replaced?

Thank you in advance. ]]> FL1Pmode http://www.tacticalgamer.com/hardware-software-discussion/150649-issues-hard-drive.html