News for July 23rd 2010

Kristofer Brozio | July 23, 2010 | Xbox | No Comments

hey, hey.. happy Friday to you all! it’s time for the news once again from all over the world, read it and news enjoy it…

I’m working on several reviews for here, hopefully I’ll get one up tonight, if not it will be tomorrow.. It’s just a little one of a Phillips portable DVD player, but then next week I’ll have a couple reviews of Motorola stuff for you.. Then another GPS, a 802.11n router and something else that I totally forget what it is.. I’ve just got too much stuff floating around here to even keep track anymore..

I do have the Samsung Captivate for AT&T for review, but not for here though.. still though it’s the first decent Android phone on AT&T, but from my time with it you still can’t install anything but approved apps, but of course there are workarounds for that..

Storage Related:

Vizo Luxon Super SD and Traveler3 Hard Drive Enclosure Review on Technic3D

Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-1095,1-vizo-luxon-super-sd-und-traveler3-im-test.htm

Translation: http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3a%2F%2fwww.technic3d.com%2Farticle-1095%2C1-vizo-luxon-super-sd-und-traveler3-im-test.htm&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8
Quote: "The Vizo Luxon Super SD and Traveler3 External Hard Drive Enclosure arrived Technic3D. We will check the Luxon and Traveler3 with connectivity Speed USB 2.0 vs. USB 3.0 and eSATA vs. USB 3.0 and more in the following Review."

OCZ Vertex 2 Extended SSD Review
Teaser: OCZ offers, like G.Skill, a new SSD with SandForce-Controller and higher capacity. We took a look at the 120 GByte model with 50K
IOPS 4K Random Write Performance.
Link: http://www.tweakpc.de/hardware/tests/ssd/ocz_vertex_2_extended/s01.php

Synology Diskstation DS210+ 2-Bay NAS Review @ Tweaknews
Article Url: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/synology_diskstation_ds210+/
Article Snippet:"I already knew that Synology made quality home NAS units, and now I can say they make good business grade NAS units as well. Fast performance is a must for a NAS in an office environment, and the DS210+ did not disappoint."

OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 120GB Solid State Drive.

Article URL: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/34028-owc-mercury-extreme-pro-120gb-solid-state-drive-review.html

Quote: Having cut their teeth with the Apple crowd, OWC isn’t a company that is well known to most PC users. However, with the Mercury Extreme Pro series of SandForce-based SSDs, they’re trying to break into the enthusiast PC market in a big way. In this review we look at the 120GB version to see if it measures up to the competition

QNAP TS-559 Pro Turbo NAS Review at CCE Reviews
Link: http://www.ccereviews.com/reviews/qnap-ts-559-pro-turbo-nas/
Quote: If the last many pages haven’t said it enough, the TS-559 Pro is fast, and to date the fastest NAS unit we’ve looked at. I don’t mean to be all Forest Gump ‘. and that’s all I have to say about that’, but there really is no disputing the ‘the fastest NAS unit we’ve looked at’- so far. And believe me, we’ve seen quite a number of network attached storage units

G.Skill Phoenix Pro 120 SSD Review
Teaser: With the G.Skill Phoenix Pro the G.Skill presents the newest SSD with SandForce-Controller and a higher capacity. And the Phoenix Pro is offering 0K IOPS 4K Random Write Performance.
Link: http://www.tweakpc.de/hardware/tests/ssd/gskill_phoenix_pro/s01.php

SilverStone HDDBoost Review @ BURNED iN
LINK: http://www.burnedin.com/review/silverstone-hddboost-review

QUOTE: "System builders are at a crossroads of sorts when it comes time to choose a storage solution. Do you go for balls-to-the-wall performance and slap your wallet silly by investing in a high performance solid state drive (SSD), or are you better off picking up a high capacity, yet slower performing hard drive for a fraction of the cost? There isn’t a clear cut answer, but thanks to SilverStone, there might be an alternative. What if you could have both performance and capacity, and not have to spend a fortune to get them?

OCZ Agility 2 SandForce-based 60GB Solid State Drive @ Pro-Clockers

Review link: http://pro-clockers.com/storage/1550-ocz-agility-2-sandforce-based-60gb-solid-state-drive.html

Then there is many of us that aren’t content with what we have and need to buy something to make us appreciate that rig sitting underneath the desk. There is currently no better upgrade, again in our opinion, than going with a new Solid State Drive (SSD). The technology behind solid state drives has come a long way, no longer do we have to worry about stuttering data transfers or slow read and write speeds. Especially when we have companies like OCZ releasing SSD based on newer controllers or providing an updated firmware.

Today we will be taking a hard long look at one of OCZ’s newest solid state drives based on the Sandforce 1200 controller. The Sandforce controller has lately been getting its fair share of reviews and good press due to it’s impressive read and write numbers. According to Sandforce, both of which can be as high as 260MB/s! The new OCZ Agility 2 60GB model advertises even better read and write of 285MB/s and 275MB/s, respectively. With the asking price of about $170, performance and cost is fast becoming affordable.

Crucial C300 256GB SSD
Many of the new performance units feature the SandForce controller however the model are looking at today from Crucial features a Marvell 88SS9174 BJP2 controller – thanks to an exclusive partnership between the companies.

Read the review over here: http://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/zardon/crucial-realssd-c300-256gb-review/

OCZ Agility2 60GB SSD review
Review URL:
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=28126
"..The SandForce-1200 controller seems to have a great potential offering solid sequential throughput and very fast random access times across a range of transfer sizes. You may experience reading and writing speeds that reach the 250MB/sec. The SF-1200 also showed a great performance when the SSD handled random writes with larger transfer sizes, and this was proved in our IOMeter workloads that contained a mix of read and write operations… "

Mobile Related:

Choiix Power Fort Portable Battery Pack
Teaser: Choiix, a Cooler Master daughter, presents the Power Fort Portable Battery Pack. It is a USB Backup Accu to charge every product that can be charged via USB – for all intents and purposes.
Link: http://www.tweakpc.de/hardware/tests/netzteile/choiix_power_fort/s01.php

MEGATech Reviews – Devotec Solar Sound 2 Bluetooth Stereo Speaker

Do you remember the first Devotec Solar Sound from late last year? As it turns out, Devotec already has a follow-up to that product, attempting to improve on the Bluetooth speaker in just about every way. It still serves the same fundamental purpose, receiving a stereo Bluetooth signal from your music phone, but the new Devotec Solar Sound 2 does appear to be better than its predecessor. Let’s find out if it really is!

Direct Link:http://www.megatechnews.com/megatech-reviews-devotec-solar-sound-2-bluetooth-stereo-speaker/

Choiix Power Fort Portable Charger review @ APH Networks

* Description: More and more people are becoming reliant of many different technological devices in everyday life. Some people may include businessmen, who run around with their Blackberries and HTCs all day. Others may be cell phone enthusiasts with their Nokias, Samsungs, Motorolas, or LGs and over 200 applications on their phones (Okay maybe not THAT many, but you get the idea). And of course, those Apple fanboys have their iPhones, iPads, and iPods, boasting over 225,000 available applications at the App Store at press time. But imagine this: What would you do if you were one of the many that came across a battery-dead cell phone in the middle of the road? Well, Choiix, by Cooler Master, has a trick up its sleeves to bring your electronics back to life in just about anywhere. Under the name of Power Fort (No, it’s not Power Fart, I know what the 8-year-old inside of you is thinking haha), arrives to the delight and joy of many electronics users. This portable device is not only useful to many people, but is also the consumer’s best partner in the battlefield of technological devices. Its 2700 mAh Li-Po battery is sufficiently large to change many devices over. It also has an auxiliary flashlight just in case. Its slim and stylish design won’t make it a chore to carry out the door in the morning. Simply put, this little bugger proves to be surprisingly useful, from somewhere as close as a walk to your friend’s house, to somewhere as far as going to camp with no power outlets. Read on to find out more about this life saver!

* Link: http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/choiix_power_fort

Choiix Power Fort Portable Battery Pack Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/choiix-power-fort-portable-battery-pack-review/

Quote: “Sometimes when you’re on the go, electric outlets are either impossible to find or rarely available. Moreover, it’s dreadfully inconvenient to have to plug in when you could be moving, all because your power-hungry smartphone has a battery that lasts what seems like minutes. Enter mobile power packs, such as the Choiix Power Fort battery pack. It’s a small black box which has two purposes: charge your small electronics and double as a flashlight. ThinkComputers has the review."

Motorola Droid X Cell Phone Review
Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Motorola-Droid-X-Cell-Phone-Review/1051
Summary: Review of the Motorola Droid X with Verizon service, the latest smart phone from Motorola based on Google’s Android operating system.

Audio / Video:

Quick Review: Samsung BD-C6500 Blu-ray Player
QUOTE: "The Samsung BD-C6500 Blu-ray player is the midrange model in their product line, offering built-in wireless support, but no 3D playback. In a market crowded with set-top players, console systems and even HTPCs, how does the C6500 compare? – The C6500 also supports a wired Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi over 802.11g/n. 802.11g-based routers work just fine, but N-based routers are a bit faster in establishing a connection. Typing out any kind of complicated wireless passcode can be a pain using the remote, but you only have to do it once until you reset the player.
In our modern world, media comes in all kinds of different formats. There’s DVD, Xvid, Blu-ray, MKV, WMV, iTunes, Netflix and so on. It’s not like the VHS days, where you basically watched your entertainment on that format and that’s all there was. Anything capable of playing digital media in 2010 (and beyond) needs to support a wide variety of formats. This is where the C6500 does an admirable job. Plugging in a 1 TB external hard drive (using the NTFS file system), I was able to play a remarkable number of different file formats with ease, including the ubiquitous Xvid and MKV formats."

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/3415/quick_review_samsung_bd_c6500_blu_ray_player/index.html

Hauppauge HD-PVR.
SNIP:For years, I have been trying to find a HD recorder that can not only record any Cable/Satellite show, but also one that would allow me to record my dad’s old VCR movies onto the computer so that we can optimize them to today’s standards. I am always on the lookout to try new things, to review the unique or unusual devices that can or will make our lives a whole lot easier.The Hauppauge HD-PVR is such a device that can make our daily movie/show watching lives a lot easier.
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1881

Accell UltraAV DisplayPort to DVI Multi-Monitor Adapter Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Review URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/accell-ultraav-displayport-to-dvi-multi-monitor-adapter-review/

Quote: “I’m a multi-display guy and I have been for a long time. It is very hard for me to work with just one display. I really like to have my work on one screen and other things like instant messenger, iTunes, and Twitter on the other screen. This is pretty easy to do when you have a desktop system, but what about a laptop. Many people are moving away from desktops and going to a laptop as their main system. I would love to do the same, but I cannot work on a small laptop screen. Well Accell has just the thing for me the UltraAV DisplayPort to DVI Multi-Monitor adapter. This little device will allow you to enjoy multiple monitors from a single DisplayPort output, let’s take a look…"

Rode Podcaster Microphone @ GeekInvaders.com

DESCRIPTION: “The name Rode means quality to me. That is what you get with the Rode Podcaster Microphone! This is not a cheap USB microphone you find at the big-retail stores. This is a pure 100% broadcast, pro audio microphone. If you’re looking for the best of the best to make your podcast, broadcast or studio sound like a pro, Then look no further then the Rode Podcaster Microphone.”
ARTICLE URL: http://www.geekinvaders.com/?p=1907

Sony PiiQ Marqii Review
"The trend of merging high style and high tech continues to be outrageously popular and it seems like electronics mega giant Sony thinks it is about time they got a piece of the action. With the new PiiQ series of headphone products, Sony offers their take on stylish headgear. The new line offers everything from tiny earbuds to full sized headphones and in some absolutely outrageous colors and designs. Here, we review Sony’s Marqii headphone, the top of the new PiiQ line, to see how they stack up against the likes of Monster Beats, SkullCandy and Phiaton."
Link to the review: http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/sony-piiq-marqii-review/

AirLink101 SkyIPCam777W
Quote: " Most people don’t think about securing their homes or small businesses with the added piece of mind of a camera system. It could be due to the cost and time consuming setup of a full DVR solution. The SkyIPCam777W changes all that with an all-in-one package that is easy to setup and just works. It could be the IP camera solution for the masses. "
Link: http://www.aselabs.com/articles.php?id=9955

Assorted Stuffs:

Which Is Faster: Debian Linux or FreeBSD? @ Phoronix
Direct Link: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=15137
Summary: "Back in January, we published the first benchmarks of Debian GNU/kFreeBSD: the spin of Debian that replaces the Linux kernel with the FreeBSD kernel while retaining most of the same GNU user-land and it uses the GNU C library. With those original tests comparing Debian GNU/Linux to Debian GNU/kFreeBSD, the Linux version ended up winning in 18 of the 27 tests. However, over the past six months, the Debian GNU/kFreeBSD port has matured and it’s also moved to using the FreeBSD 7.3 kernel by default (compared to 7.2 back in January) and the FreeBSD 8.0 kernel is also emerging as a viable option that can be obtained using Debian’s package management system. Today we have updated test numbers looking at the performance of Debian with the FreeBSD kernel using two different notebooks where we ran the latest Debian GNU/kFreeBSD packages with both the FreeBSD 7.3 and 8.0 kernels, Debian GNU/Linux with the Linux 2.6.32 kernel, and then finally we tested the pure FreeBSD 7.3 and FreeBSD 8.0 operating systems."

InsideHW.com has compared two powerline AV network starter kits: D-link DHP-307AV & Devolo dLAN 200 AVplus. Here is a quote from this review:
“The short definition of a computer network could be put this way – the magical term that will be understood by most people as a bunch of unknown terms related to settings and a mystical image of an incomprehensible forest of cables. This wasn’t that far from the truth until recently, but the definition has changed along with new solutions appearing on the market, especially by the rise in wireless popularity. Another solution which shatters this prejudice, to a greater or lesser extent of success, is networking using the already existing electrical installations. This time around, we’ve taken up DHP-307AV, D-Link’s Powerline AV Network Starter Kit, as well as Devolo’s dLan 200 AVplus Starter Kit, for testing purposes…”
Summary:
The most realistic judgement of this solution could be as follows – as much as this sort of network solution seems attractive and neat, this is hardly a desirable one for business applications.
Article link: http://www.insidehw.com/Reviews/Peripherals/Powerline-AV-Kits-Using-Electricity-Installations-for-Networking.html