News for July 11th 2010

Kristofer Brozio | July 11, 2010 | Xbox | No Comments

A new week has begun, yes it’s Sunday once again.. So I figured I’d start the week with the news from sites around the world! I’ve got a few things on the way for review like a wireless router, a 10.4” digital photo frame, a Philips 7” portable DVD player and another GPS unit. The GPS unit is another from RightWay, but this one is the Dale Jr Edition with a 4.3” touch screen. I think I’ve got some other things on the way as well, but we’ll see what happens there.. you never know, things just appear on my doorstep all of the time.. (it’s good to be me, I think..).

Inside you’ll find a link to my BlackBerry Bold 9650 review that I just posted yesterday over at TestFreaks, later today I’ll be posting my Droid X review over there as well.. and I don’t want to send the phone back, I love it, it’s just a great phone really. The large screen is just awesome, just I’m still not too sure about not having a hardware keyboard, but I think I could live without with this phone.. it takes great pictures, I actually took it with me yesterday when I took my son to his friends birthday party at the Build-A-Bear workshop and I used it to take pictures, they came out pretty good overall.

Storage Related:

Title: G.Skill Phoenix Pro SSD 60GB Review on Technic3D

Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-1101,1-g.skill-phoenix-pro-ssd-60gb.htm

Quote: "The G.Skill Phoenix Pro SSD 60GB with SandForce SF-1200 controller arrived Technic3D. New available in 60GB, 120GB and 240GB configurations. Results in extreme performance with up to 285MB/s sequential read and 275MB/s sequential write speeds? We will check this against other SSDs from Intel, Corsair and Western Digital in Windows 7."

QNAP TS-859 Pro

Link: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/QNAP/TS-859_Pro

Brief: The Turbo Station or TS-859 Pro from QNAP is the largest such unit in their NAS line-up, able to take in eight hard drives. Its comes with an Intel Atom CPU and 1 GB memory within the compact chassis, offering much more than just acting as a network accessible storage device.

Everything USB is pleased to announced our latest review on Asus U3S6 SATA 6 & USB 3.0 Card.

Not everyone can justify the cost and hassle associated with upgrading their motherboard to get USB 3.0; however many are ready and willing to invest the couple moments and few dollars it takes to plug in a frugally priced PCI-E USB 3.0 card and upgrade their system. One such option for consumers is the Asus U3S6, which boasts not only two USB 3.0 ports but also ups the ante with a pair of SATA 6GB/s ports. Is its reasonable asking price and potential power a combination worthy of your time? Let’s find out!

Asus U3S6 SATA 6 & USB 3.0 Card Review

Corsair Force F120 SSD @ PureOverclock

Review URL: http://www.pureoverclock.com/article1017.html

“The new SandForce drives offer killer performance, even leaving the Indilinx drives in the dust. Normally such performance boosts come with a stiff premium, but in the case of the Corsair Force F120, that’s simply not happening. We have a drive here that is crazy fast and a pretty darn good deal when you look at the competition; frankly, it’s a standout.”

Fractal Design Array

Link:http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Fractal_Design/Array

Brief:The Fractal Design Array manages to swallow a whole six 3.5 inch drives and a single 2.5 inch one without the usual dimensions of a mid or full tower case. This makes the ITX chassis a great DIY NAS or server chassis. We dive into the Array to see how they manage to stuff so much hardware into a chassis of this size.

Thecus N2200 Review – Your ideal home NAS?

Network attached RAID 0-1 and JBOD, iTunes server, photo server, media server (uPnP), USB/IP webcam support, ftp/bt/eMule support, hotswap and autorebuild functions, all that you can get in one solution which is easy to use and requires only a minimum of knowledge to set up properly. The Thecus N2200 also comes at a very respectable price, could it be the ideal home NAS? We find out for you, read along.
http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=987

LiteOn iHES208 Blu-Ray Combo Drive Review @ Vortez.co.uk
DESCRIPTION:
"At VH this is an area that we have only recently begun delving into and our 2nd review today is occupied by another LiteOn drive. This time it’s the turn of the iHES208 – an internal drive with X8 Blu Ray functionality as well as offering a ‘combo’ DVD-RW and CD-RW. Whilst we appreciate that DVD media is still holding the crown of popularity, Blu Ray is slowly gathering attention. Part of the fact that DVD remains the default media choice is due to Blu Ray devices still costing a premium. Just like most new technological advancements, the cost to start with is always going to be high. SSD’s are a great example of that. But there is good news, Blu Ray devices are beginning to drop in price as the market embraces such technology which is great news for consumers."
LINK: http://www.vortez.co.uk/review.php?id=185

OCIA.net has posted their review of the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 500GB Portable Hard Drive.

"USB 2.0 is most popular due to wide compatibility but transfer speeds are slow in today’s standard. Other options like FireWire, eSATA and the recently introduced USB 3.0 offer much more bandwidth but of course many computers don’t support these various interfaces. Until now, the tradeoff has been speed versus compatibility. But with Seagate’s new FreeAgent GoFlex portable hard drive, you can get the best of both worlds. The GoFlex drive ships with a standard USB 2.0 interface but what makes this drive unique is the ability to remove the interface and replace it with a complete different interface."

Direct Link: http://www.ocia.net/reviews/freeagentgoflex/page1.shtml

OCZ Technology 50GB Vertex 2 Solid State Drive
Link: http://www.bigbruin.com/content/oczvertex2_1
Quote: Even though this was our first test of an SSD featuring a SandForce controller, our expectations were high given the buzz seen elsewhere on the web. OCZ Technology’s 50GB Vertex 2 solid state drive featuring an optimized SandForce SF-1200 controller did not let us down, with testing presenting results close to the impressive published specifications.

Are SSDs worth the extra scratch versus hard drives? Which one is the best value? Our scatter plots have returned to tackle the SSD value proposition.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/19162

G.Skill Phoenix Pro SandForce SSD Test @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: Solid State Drive storage devices have become the hot ticket for high-performance computer enthusiasts. Impartial towards either PC, Linux, or Apple platforms, SSDs have the power to transform slow computers into blazing-fast speed machines. The SandForce SF-1200 has quickly become the de facto SSD controller for companies seeking recognition, and for good reason. The G.Skill Phoenix Pro embraces the SF-1222TA3-SBH processor to produce up to 50,000 IOPS with only 7% over-provisioning to generate maximum performance with optimal capacity. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 60GB G.Skill Phoenix Pro SSD FM-25S2S-60GBP2 against some of the fastest storage solutions on the market.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=551

Title: Kingston SNV425-S2 128GB Desktop

Link: http://www.chw.net/2010/07/kingston-snv425-s2-128gb-desktop/

Bottomline: The best SSD in performance, silence, reliability, innovative and guaranty of the V Series of Kingston Technology

Thermaltake BlacX Duet
Quote: " A few years ago, Thermaltake released the BlacX. It was one of the first (if not the first) hard drive docking stations for sale. Thermaltake was the company to really push the product to market. Now, Thermaltake is upping the ante by supporting two drives at once. "
Link: http://www.aselabs.com/articles.php?id=8652

Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB SATA2 HDS721010CLA332 HDD Review
Link: http://www.ocinside.de/html/results/hitachi_hds721010cla332_hdd.html

This review is not about an SSD, but about the current Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB HDD with a very good cost-performance ratio.
Sure, many PC or Mac owners save already their money for a fast Solid State Drive, however the price difference between HDD and SSD with the same capacity is so enormously high, that most SSD buyers will need an additional hard disk drive for their PC or Mac.
Let us have a closer look at the results of the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB SATA2 drive with 7200 rpm and 32 MB cache and let us compare them with some benchmark programs.

Buffalo Drive Station Combo 4 Hard Drive Enclosure Review on Technic3D

Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-1096,1-buffalo-drive-station-combo-4.htm

Translation: http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3a%2F%2fwww.technic3d.com%2Farticle-1096%2C1-buffalo-drive-station-combo-4.htm&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8
Quote: "The Buffalo Drive Station Combo 4 External Hard Drive Enclosure arrived Technic3D. The DriveStation Combo4 comes with a choice of interfaces types – eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. All connectivity Speed see you in the following Review."

Audio / Video:

InsideHW.com has compared 6 underwater cameras.

Summary: If you’re into diving, you’ve probably always had the desire to capture the beautiful underwater landscapes and their vibrant fauna in form of photography.
Article link: http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Digital-cameras/A-Diving-Mate-Waterproof-Cameras-to-Bring-on-Your-Vacation.html

Toshiba 55UX600 Review
"While folks are chomping at the bit for 3D HDTVs-or so the industry would have you believe-Internet-connected sets are real and arriving at a rapid clip. Everyone has them including Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, LG, Sharp and now Toshiba. The net-connected UX600 lets you access YouTube videos, download VUDU movies, check out photos on Flickr, listen to Internet radio, access news streams and lots more. Competing models offer similar features. Along with dancing soldiers on YouTube you can also check out traditional HDTV programs and Blu-ray movies to round out your entertainment buffet. Let’s see if the 55UX600 satisfied our appetites."
Link to the review: http://www.digitaltrends.com/tv-reviews/toshiba-55ux600-review/

ASUS Cine5 5-Channel Speaker Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/asus-cine5-5-channel-speaker-review/

Quote: “There are many different computer speaker systems out there, ranging from a 2.1 to a 5.1 setup. That makes it hard to choose what is best for your individual needs. As a gamer, finding a decent surround setup with easy controls is pretty difficult and one that doesn’t take up your whole desk or room is even harder. Problem solved! SoundBar setups is a new style of speakers, in which all of the speakers are built into a bar format that can be easily mounted or placed on stands or desks. In this review let’s see if the ASUS Cine5 is going to be your next speaker purchase."

SoundGraph FingerVU 706 Auxiliary Touch Screen Review

FingerVU series from SoundGraph are auxiliary monitors with touch screen capabilities and we can work on them independently from the main monitor, when the FingerUI included application is used. Through FingerUI, the user can play music, video, watch photo slideshows or access widgets as World Weather, World Time, Memo or even an Internet browser.
http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=1038

Mobile Related:

Monster iCarPlay Portable 300 FM Transmitter

Monster is known for their premium quality products, along with their premium price tags of course. It comes as a surprise then, that their iCarPlay 300 FM Transmitter for the iPhone & iPod is such a sub-par product.
Link: http://tbreak.com/tech/2010/07/monster-icarplay-portable-300-fm-transmitter/

OCIA.net has posted their review of the Cooler Master NotePal U2 Notebook Stand.

"The NotePal U2 comes equipped with a pair of 80mm low profile fans measuring only 10mm thick. They also have a grill on the intake side to prevent injury from the fan blades. The unique advantage this unit has over many competitors is the ability to move the fans to a more advantageous position like under an inlet vent or where a hot hard drive sits. Worth considering is that many notebook manufacturers pay little to the cooling of the hard drive which can significantly shorten its lifespan. The ability to cool this area of the notebook could increase its life."

Direct Link: http://www.ocia.net/reviews/cmnotepalu2/page1.shtml

Logitech HD C510 Webcam:
English link: http://www.rbmods.com/content/24785/hd-c510-features.aspx
Swedish link: http://www.rbmods.se/content/14812/c510hdspecifikationer.aspx
Quote: Logitech has released their new HD webcams with the Logitech Vid webcam software so you can make HD calls to each other. Today we are going to try out the new C510 model that they sent us, we are going to see what type of picture quality we can expect and also what it actually requires of our computers.

LapWorks Recliner iPad/eReader Accessory @ TechwareLabs

Quote: If you are one of the growing population of iPad (Over 3 Million since April 3, 2010) users then you have probably bought or are looking for an iPad case. The next most useful accessory for the iPad is a stand. Likewise eReader users quickly realize the need for an eReader stand making consumption of ebooks much easier. Hands free you can now accomplish multitasking and use of your eReader or iPad at the same time. Today we will take a look at the LapWorks Recliner, a device aimed at improving and easing your use of an iPad or eReader.
LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/lapworks-recliner-ipad-ereader/

Android 2.2 Review: A Deep, Delicious Dive Into Froyo:
http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Android-22-Review-A-Deep-Delicious-Dive-Into-Froyo/

Android 2.2 was introduced at Google’s I/O conference in San Francisco this past May. It promised to add a number of much-wanted changes and additions to the mobile OS, and even a few things that Apple’s iOS does not offer. We’ve recently acquired the final gold build of Android 2.2, or "Froyo," on our in-house Nexus One, and we’ll be detailing the changes and performance tweaks in the pages ahead. Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of Android 2.2, Google’s latest and greatest mobile OS…

Cooler Master Choiix Comforter – Review
Article Clip: Like to be comfortable? Who doesn’t! I personally have a hard time with my notebook. Typing papers or just simply using it could be a pain. I usually end up working on the table or something straight. We all know that the best place to use a notebook is on the couch or a really comfy chair. The problem comes with notebooks overheating or becoming extremely hot and there is a risk of getting burned of course. There are plenty of gadgets out there which are designed to work with you while you are on the couch and we are privileged to review today a newest member of Cooler Master, Choiix Comforter.
Article Link: http://umlan.com/reviews/miscellaneous/m19.html

BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/review-of-blackberry-bold-9650-smartphone/

Verizon has sent me over the BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone for review today, and for me it’s treat, it’s my first BlackBerry ever, popped my berry as it were! Seriously though the Bold 9650 is a world phone, so inside you’ll also find a sim card, something which you don’t find on many Verizon phones, but in this case it’s necessary. Included with the phone you’ll find a power adapter with tips for several parts of the world and a nice carrying case, along with a wired headset. The phone itself is interesting to use, and as a first time user I feel it’s decent, it’s a phone for business people, so it doesn’t exactly feel friendly for the average person., but then again it’s not meant to be a phone for the average person is it?

Canon imageFORMULA P-150 Scan-tini Personal Document Scanner

http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/review-of-canon-imageformula-p-150-scan-tini-personal-document-scanner/

Up for review today I’ve got another Canon product, but not a camera or anything like that it’s a scanner from their office or business line of products. The scanner is small and meant to be portable and easy to use, it’s called the imageFormula P-150 or Scan-tini. The scanner can be used with the power of just your USB port, and it’s rather small so you can toss it in your bag for scanning on the go. One of my favorite features of this scanner is the fact that it has the software built into it, you don’t even have to install anything to use it. The Scan-tini is quiet and fast and produces very good results, so read on to learn more..

Philips 5.6 Inch Digital PhotoFrame 6FF3FPW @ iGadget Life

Link: http://igadgetlife.com/reviews/review-of-philips-5.6-inch-digital-photoframe-6ff3fpw/

Quote:
"Digital photo frames are one of those things that are nice to have really. These days when everything is pretty much digital and printing all of your pictures can get costly, photo frames offer a quick and easy way to show off your pictures quickly and easily. Today for review our friends at MobileFun have sent me over the Philips 6FF3FPW 5.6” digital photo frame for review. This frame is a fairly basic one, but it gets the job done and it does have some decent features like the ability to use it as a clock and calendar while viewing your photos. To use it you can just pop one of many supported types of memory cards in it or even just use a regular USB drive, so read on to learn more… "

Assorted Stuffs:

Geeks.com Prize-A-Day Giveaway Sweepstakes
15 – $100 Geeks virtual gift certificates
Grand Prize: $500 Geeks virtual gift certificate

Title: Ozone Ultimate Gamer Pack Competition @ XSReviews

Review Link: http://forums.xsreviews.co.uk/showthread.php?tid=7205
Quote: "Today we have a new competition for you hardware fans, the Ultimate Gamer Pack from Ozone thanks to our partners at Powerdrive-Computers.com.
We’re giving away some great peripherals that will without doubt improve your gaming experience. One lucky winner chosen at random will be sent free of charge:
    * Ozone Radon 3K
    * Ozone Attack Headset
    * Ozone Exposure Mat"

LanOC Reviews Summer Case Mod Contest

With prizes from ATI/AMD, Cooler Master, Crucial, Gigabyte, and Steel Series we are hoping to attract some of the most creative modders to show off their builds on our forums. We will be accepting entry’s until August 1^st and will start voting from August 3^rd until the 10^th.

You can find more details on our rules and how to enter HERE. Even if you are not interested in entering you should visit the forums and check out and discus everyone’s entry’s. To those on the fence, take a look at the prize listing below, it should be enough to get you excited. You don’t have to have any experience to put together an entry, all you have to do is put a little effort into it.

Can Cisco and HP Compete with Apple’s iPad?
"The fun part about talking about products that aren’t out yet is that you can paint them the way you think they should be or paint them the way you’d like them to be if you are a fan of the current winning offering. I’m going to pick choice number 3 though and paint them the way I think they will be and see how they might do against the current generation iPad. We’ll first outline the devices based on what we know so far and speculate what we think they might be able to do."
Link to the talk back: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/can-cisco-and-hp-compete-with-apples-ipad/

NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700 Review

The WNDR3700 Wireless N router from NETGEAR packs up a lot of power, has a very customizable graphical interface and can be connected to an external USB storage device like HDD/Flash Drive/SSD, turning it instantly into a NAS solution.
http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=1044

New Forums Giveaway! @ ThinkComputers.org

Contest URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/our-new-forums-giveaway/

Quote: “We announced our new Forums last week and when we did we told you we would be having a giveaway. We really want people to join the forums and be active and we will be rewarding members that contribute to the ThinkComputers community. Our good friends at Antec were nice enough to provide 3 great prizes for us to give away to new forum members. Those prizes include the brand new Dark Fleet DF-85 Full Tower Case, the Dark Fleet DF-35 Mid Tower Case and the TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W power supply. Read on for all of the details on how you can win these awesome prizes!

Actiontec Ethernet over Coax MoCA Network Adapter Review @ MissingRemote.com

DESCRIPTION: Have you ever been in that situation where wifi just doesn’t cut it, forcing you to try other network solutions such as Ethernet over power line and wanted tear your hair out in frustration? Whether you have a HTPC, a network media tank, or a video game console system you’ve been to that point where you just wish you could run an Ethernet cable, however due to constraints in your living situation you just can’t hard wire that Ethernet cable like you want to. Today we look at the Actiontec Ethernet over Coax MoCA network adapter and run it through the paces to see if this adapter is just the answer to all your hard wired woes.

ARTICLE URL: http://www.missingremote.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4901&Itemid=1