by Kaeyi Dream | 21st May 2013
Today Kaeyi Dream takes a look at a pair of Gunnar Optiks named the Intercept. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay on top of all our latest video reviews.
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by Kaeyi Dream | 11th April 2013
Today Kaeyi Dream takes a look at the ViewSonic TD2340 Touch-screen LCD Display. Check it out!
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by James Reed | 4th April 2013
The Gadget Show Live runs April 3rd - 7th 2013 at the Birmingham NEC, England. We headed down to see what all the fuss was about, check out our gallery of the event below.
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by Stuart Davidson | 7th March 2013
This week HardwareHeaven headed over to Germany to attend the annual CeBIT trade event, here we have some interviews conducted by Kaeyi for HardwareHeaven and a gallery of the event. Enjoy!
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by Stuart Davidson | 18th January 2013
A quick look at the Touch Screen Controls from the SteelSeries Free range as well as a glance at the new StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm mouse pad.
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by Stuart Davidson | 3rd January 2013
Now Razer have a second generation of Xbox 360 controller, the Sabertooth, which looks to improve on the impressive start made by the Onza. Today the Sabertooth launches and we have one attached to our system to find out how it compares.
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by Kaeyi Dream | 23rd November 2012
Kaeyi takes a look at the HD PVR2 recorder from Hauppauge.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26th October 2012
Enter the SteelSeries Free, a new bluetooth controller which looks to bring more precise gameplay to Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth... while also being compatible with PC and Mac.
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by Stuart Kerley | 6th August 2012
Today on our test bench we have the SkyVision WS100. With a name that doesn't quite give away its purpose the SkyVision is a nifty little box of tricks that allows us to stream HD video from any HDMI ready device to another, wirelessly. Could this be the answer to many peoples cable jungles?
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by Stuart Davidson | 15th June 2012
Sometimes in the technology industry there can be a real gap between what a product offers and what consumers need... or that until a consumer experiences something it seems like an unnecessary expense, or not worthwhile. Something which it would seem very much falls into one or both of those categories is multi-display gaming, either AMD Eyefinity or NVIDIA Surround.
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by Stuart Davidson | 8th June 2012
Today we will be taking a look at one of Samsung's high end CSC's to see how it differs from a point and shoot style device and the more traditional DSLR it looks to replace.
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by Stuart Davidson | 20th April 2012
Should we rely on our high powered smartphone for those important holiday snaps, or is there still a place for the latest good quality point and shoot cameras in our suitcase or pocket? Enter the Samsung MV800 with flip out touch screen and 16MP sensor vs the Sony Xperia S 12MP Smartphone.
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by Stuart Davidson | 7th March 2012
We headed over to Germany this week to check out the latest tech on offer at Cebit 2012. Check out our coverage.
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by Stuart Davidson | 2nd March 2012
Today we take a look at the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, how to install it, what the basic OS experience is and how it performs, compared to Windows 7 on AMDs latest FX CPU and Radeon 7700 series GPU.
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by Craig Humphreys | 27th February 2012
To many the thought of gaming eyewear may sound like a gimmick, causing an eyebrow or two to be raised. Especially so when See Better, Play Better is found on the box with claims that are nothing short of spectacular. However looking a little closer the product brief explains the eyewears technology will increase contrast, enhance detail, help reduce glare, improve endurance, decrease eye fatigue and dry eyes... Interesting and in theory not entirely unreasonable.
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by Niall Coleman | 20th February 2012
Today we will find out if the Noontec A9 has what it takes to offer a decent upgrade to Smart TV (Android) functionality for those who don't want to move to the latest HDTV with the features built in.
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by Niall Coleman | 5th January 2012
Boxee is marketed as "a new way to think about TV" and is essentially an interface that combines with hardware to create a fully functional, standalone media player/streamer. Today we will be reviewing the Boxee Box (DSM-380) by D-Link which is a set-top box developed in co-operation with D-Link.
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by Stuart Davidson | 20th December 2011
This motion controller was co-designed by champion gamers and Indy 500 racers and is very much aimed at those who play Simraceway... but it also works with games such as F1 2011, Need For Speed, iRacing, GTR2 and DiRT 3. Today we take a look to see if SteelSeries can transfer their success with standard peripherals into the racing genre.
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by Niall Coleman | 23rd November 2011
As a first for AC Ryan the Veolo uses Android 2.2 (Froyo) as the OS, bringing an enhanced experience for apps on a TV, including casual games and social media and we have one on our test bench today to find out if the Veolo lives up to the high standards of previous AC Ryan models.
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by Stuart Davidson | 1st October 2011
Konnet offer a range of devices under the Power Pyramid series which allow us to charge and store multiple controllers, including mixed formats, and today we have their KN-9900 series unit in for review.
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by Stuart Davidson | 28th September 2011
Generally the higher performance mobile systems have a significant power requirement and in order to satisfy this many manufacturers bundle a 100w+ PSU, often referred to as a "power brick" due to the size and weight of the unit. It doesn't have to be like that though and one company looking to offer a desirable alternative to the standard "brick" that we receive with powerful mobile systems is Cooler Master with their Universal Laptop Charger range.
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by Craig Humphreys | 10th August 2011
Today we're taking a look at a product designed to simplify and streamline our console experience. We're taking a look at Vogel's TwistDock for PS3, compatible with both Original and Slim models.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15th July 2011
In 2008 the team behind amBX left Philips to start their own independent business and the technology is making its way into other products, some on a large scale such as lighting in bars and clubs and elsewhere in PC compatible desktop solutions. Today we have the Cyborg amBX Gaming Lights kit attached to our system and will be taking a look at how they affect our desktop experience.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30th April 2011
Today we have one of the first Razer Onza Tournament Edition samples connected to our XBOX 360 (and PC) as we look to see if they have made good on their goal of revolutionising the console eSports and gaming arenas.
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by Stuart Davidson | 1st December 2010
UPDATE April 2011: Details of our experience with the new Essential Wireless Dongle available on page 7.
A.C. Ryan are back with the next model in the Playon!HD family, the Essential. With an all new Realtek processor, improved GUI and feature-set aimed at no-fuss operation can the Essential live up to the high standards of previous models?
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by Stuart Davidson | 30th June 2010
StarTech were founded in 1985 and since then they have been providing a wide range of IT and A/V products to a diverse range of customers from education to industrial and beyond. They claim that their products offer uncompromising quality and workmanship with sales backed by free, live pre and post purchase support. For those who prefer email support StarTech offer guaranteed responses within 2 hours.
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by Danny Moorhead | 15th March 2010
Today we look at the Masscool MP-1371RS media player which is capable of networking the various media stored in computers, external drives and USB storage together and presenting it using a home theatre system.
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by Henry Butt | 20th January 2010
Today we are going to look at two premium Guitar Hero controllers from Logitech - the guitar and drum-kit. They are designed to improve game experience and provide superior quality and aesthetics over the standard Guitar Hero controllers.
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by Henry Butt | 7th December 2009
Today we are going to look at the ROCCAT Apuri Active USB-hub with mouse bungee that is quite unique in design with few similar devices currently available on the market. It carries a somewhat high price tag compared to the vast majority of standard USB-hubs, however, ROCCAT have built-in some unique features to optimise its appeal to gamers and its gaming performance.
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by Danny Moorhead | 25th October 2009
We've already taken a look and the TactX Keyboard and Mouse, today we have on review their OptX HD Monitor and TactX Headset. Is this outside the box thinking from Alienware good enough to match up with components inside the box of many higher end systems? Let's take a look...
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by Stuart Davidson | 6th October 2009
Somewhat surprisingly around the same time as the GC-2 launch Gelid also released another paste, GC-Extreme. Today we take a look at their latest thermal compound to find out how it compares to the GC-2 and market leading MX-3.
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by Nathan Marks | 6th July 2009
Today were going to be looking at the Logitech Harmony 1100, the successor to the popular Harmony 1000. The Harmony 1100 is a universal device allowing you to simplify your entertainment setup by controlling your entire collection of equipment with just one remote. The main feature that sets apart the Harmony 1100 from most universal remotes is the 3.5ā€¯ LCD touch screen interface.
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by Zardon | 19th June 2009
Are you a lazy gamer? Do you like lounging around in your boxers while you frag your buddies online? Then Sumo, the suppliers of 'Urban Lounge Gear' might have something for you to rest your oversized posterior on.
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by Nathan Marks | 14th April 2009
Thrustmaster have been in operation for many years manufacturing PC and video game accessories and today well be looking at their limited edition T.Flight Hotax S joystick supplied with the new Tom Clancy fighter pilot simulation, HAWX. Well be getting the most out of this bundle by powering our machine with the fantastic XFX 4890 which won our highest Heavenly Gold Award in recent testing.
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by Zardon | 16th January 2009
Today we are releasing our newest version of the benchmark (Version 3) which is a higher overhead script for the continually improving computer systems making their impact throughout 2008 and now 2009. We will be making the changeover to this version in all forthcoming hardware reviews and articles and obviously the new results are in no way comparible to the older V1 or V2 script results. We have made it available to public for download and we also have an online comparison database.
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by Zardon | 13th December 2008
The XL30 is undenably aimed at the less price conscious professional editing and design markets such as graphics bureaus, printers and publishers. It is in these markets that colour accuracy is paramount to the end product and this is where the sophisicated LED backlight plays a part. Samsung claim industry leading colour accuracy/range and looking at the statistics we would already assume this to be true.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14th November 2008
QPAD are a company based in Sweden and as their name suggests their product line is essentially based around mouse pads although they do offer a couple of other items such as lanyards and wristbands.
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by Nathan Marks | 15th October 2008
Today were going to look at a product from Gelid Solutions, their GC1, a high performance thermal compound. Gelid are a new company and provide a range of cooling products for the enthusiast.
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by Stuart Davidson | 3rd October 2008
We previously reviewed two items, the Aurora keyboard and Jazz IDE enclosure and came away suitably impressed. Recently each received a revamp with the Jazz moving to the SATA interface and the Aurora receiving some design changes and the addition of enhanced audio functionality. Today we will be taking a look at both to find out if these changes are for the better.
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by Vikingod | 21st May 2008
While we are still a few years from being plugged into a chair and given the ability to be taught virtually the ways of 17th century Shaolin monks, there are products out there which are attempting to bring the VR experience to the everyday gamer. Enter the Vuzix iWear VR920
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by Stuart Davidson | 16th April 2008
Every time a new graphics card is released we hear great claims about how the new video enhancements will improve our viewing experience or that the hardware is as perfect as it can get in the High Definition HQV Benchmark. Unfortunately, for many reasons most end users have to pretty much accept these claims as it is not really possible for the average consumer to set up two identical systems, side by side and see what the differences are. Well we have and the results are fascinating !
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by Grace | 28th March 2008
Today we will take a look at the latest drive from Patriot (PDP systems), the Xporter XT Boost 32GB drive. The 32GB version of the Xporter XT Boost drive is designed for people who do not only need high storage, but a fast and ultra-portable solution.
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by Stuart Davidson | 7th March 2008
In our final Cebit roundup for 2008 we will be taking a look at the Asus, Corsair, and Razer stands as well as some other products we missed on previous days. Let's get started.
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by Stuart Davidson | 6th March 2008
Yesterday we brought you coverage from various companies at Cebit and today we have been trawling the show looking in more detail at a few of the larger manufacturers. Here are some of the highlights.
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by Stuart Davidson | 5th March 2008
Driver Heaven has been out and about at Cebit 08, here are some of the highlights from our wanderings on Day 1. Drop by our forums to let us know what you think looks great or even what you think looks completely pointless!
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by Stuart Davidson | 24th January 2008
Anyone who knows anything about computer history should be aware of the Kingston brand as for the last twenty years they have been producing memory products. Since their inception in 1987 Kingston have continued to expand and develop their product catalogue from including network and storage devices in 1993 to becoming the first memory manufacturer to co-market memory upgrades with a PC-OEM in 1996. In recent years they have launched Value RAM and HyperX. Excellent business decisions mixed with a quality product range have seen Kingston become a very successful manufacturer. Today we have one of their latest products in our test labs, the Media Reader.
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by Grace | 21st December 2007
The increasing demand for high capacity mobile storage solutions drives consumers towards 2.5” HDDs and external enclosures. A 2.5” HDD requires minimal power to operate, while it can also offer the large storage capacity needed for regular back-ups or large file transfers.
Transferring large amounts of data over the USB bus can be a nightmare for many people who need to be on the move quickly. 2.5” drives are considerably larger than flash drives and, in many cases; the enclosures are not sturdy enough to protect the sensitive disk drives. The answer to these problems, according to SilverStone, is the MS05 enclosure. The MS05 is made out of aluminum, comes with a docking bay and offers not only a USB port but an eSATA port as well, which is considerably faster.
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by Dyre Straits | 3rd December 2007
Having gotten pretty well accustomed to the XBOX 360 Controller, it was with great interest that I received a couple of Saitek brand controllers for review. We’ll first look at the Saitek Cyborg as it’s the closest in configuration to the XBOX 360 Controller.
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by Grace | 15th October 2007
Flash memory is a diverse product used everywhere from cell phones to PC storage devices. As it is relatively cheap and the production is abundant, it is no wonder it has became so popular. There are many types of flash memory cards available, but only 4 or 5 are deemed as major. Today we will take a look at the Gaming Edition flash memory cards from Lexar, designed to be totally compatible with gaming consoles and equipment. There are only two Gaming Edition cards which Lexar produce, a Memory Stick Duo Pro card which is commonly present on all Sony hardware and gaming consoles, and a Secure Digital card which is the most widely used flash card available and can also be found on Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii.
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by Dyre Straits | 12th October 2007
How much can one write about a 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card? It would seem that, for all practical purposes, when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. However, we’ve learned that not all SD Memory Cards provide the same speed of transfer. So we could assume that it would only be required that we point out which of them is faster than the others.
That logic disappears when one takes a good look at the A-DATA 2 GB microSD Trio. As you would guess, “Trio” means “three” and that’s exactly the standout point of this product. It’s a “Three-in-One” product that becomes quite flexible in the way it can be used.
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by Grace | 9th October 2007
We have checked several of the Steelseries products in the past and we found them to be of great use to gamers. Today we will check out some of their SteelPad series, high quality mouse pads. Gamers need the most precise and frictionless surfaces for a good gaming experience, so we will find out if SteelSeries deliver.
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by Grace | 1st October 2007
CyberSnipa is one of the few companies exclusively focusing on gaming products. CyberSnipa products are designed and developed by Flexiglow, a Hong Kong based company which is a global supplier of gaming and modding products. Nowadays gaming is considered much more than just a way to kill time as many consider it to be a sport or even a way of life! CyberSnipa designs and makes products which are exceptionally dangerous tools at the hands of those people.
Today we will take a look at two of their products, the Game Pad V2 and the Intelliscope mouse. Although they are designed and produced as different products, when paired together they probably make the ultimate gaming set for FPS genre gamers. Let us have a closer look at them.
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by Dyre Straits | 2nd August 2007
It’s very likely that many of our readers are already familiar with SilverStone products of one kind or another. With a reputation for outstanding quality, I was quite eager to check out a recently released product the SilverStone MFP51. This product is a media center that installs in a vacant 5-¼ inch drive bay on any PC case.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10th July 2007
Arctic Silver have everything to cater for chipset, VGA, Case or CPU cooling. Our most favoured product to date has been their original Freezer 7 CPU cooler which despite being 2 years old still cools our QX6700 Intel CPU without issue and in near silence, 24hours a day. Of course a good cooler can do only so much if a generic thermal compound is applied between the CPU/GPU/Chipset and the heatsink, luckily Arctic Cooling have us covered on this front as their MX-1 paste provides some excellent benefits over standard "gloop". However, the reason we are here is to introduce a new product, the MX-2 High Performance Thermal Compound.
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by Dyre Straits | 13th June 2007
The product I have received for review is the DXG 506V Digital Camcorder. It is a very compact unit about the size of a bar of bath soap. It easily fits in one hand and, for the most part, can be operated single-handedly once the viewer is opened and in position.
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by Grace | 5th June 2007
USB flash drives are perhaps the most convenient mobile storage solution one can get. They are small and require nothing more than a free USB port on any computer running a modern OS. The recent price drops due to the high supply and popularity of flash RAM made high capacity USB drives even more attractive to technology enthusiasts who like to have a few GBs of storage with them wherever they go. When a reputable memory manufacturer gets involved access speeds tend to skyrocket while the drives get smaller and smaller. In this case, the speeds are lightning fast, as the SuperTalent DG series 4GB flash drive boasts with a 200x top rated speed (over 30MB/s). With such a high rating this is theoretically one of the fastest drives available today.
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by WhO_KnOwS | 31st May 2007
OCZ are one of the most highly renowned RAM manufacturers with their products being on the shortlist for almost every enthusiast out there. The SD Trifecta we will be reviewing today is not something you might associate with OCZ, but based on our experience with the device it might as well be, as it follows the same high standard OCZ has for the rest of its lineup.
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by Grace | 11th May 2007
The demand for ultra-mobile storage and the quick development of flash memory during the past few years has led to the high popularity that USB flash drives enjoy today. Flash drives are rarely supplied from companies who manufacture mechanical drives; they are usually built by RAM manufacturers since they are basically flash memory without any moving parts. Perhaps the most reputable RAM manufacturer, Corsair, is no exception as they are one of the first RAM manufacturers which offered USB flash drives and one of the few which designs their drives to be extremely tolerant to abuse. Today we will take a look at their latest, largest and fastest USB 2.0 flash drive, the 8GB Voyager GT.
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by WhO_KnOwS | 5th April 2007
Computer users take a lot of things for granted nowadays. Whereas we were once required to type every command we no longer need to do that. Everything we need can be reached within a few mouse clicks. But what happens when for one reason or another you are unable to use the mouse? An illness or injury can often leave a person unable to use it. We all know that using Windows exclusively with the keyboard is extremely hard, if not impossible.
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by Grace | 18th March 2007
Revoltec is a company based in Germany, well known throughout Europe for their line-up of many gaming and modding products. Revoltec products are competitively priced, which is their main selling point in today’s computer market. Today we will have a look at a new series of Revoltec products, input devices which are designed with the gamer in mind. The Fightboard Advanced is a keyboard designed to aid the hardcore FPS gamer, while the Fightmouse Advanced is a high precision gaming mouse with adjustable sensitivity. Revoltec have also released three new mouse pads, which we will also have a look at today.
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by WhO_KnOwS | 2nd February 2007
Not much point in having one of the latest and greatest graphics cards if you are still using a 14inch CRT circa 1997.
24inch monitors are gaining popularity within the enthusiast gaming community so with that in mind we take a look at Dell's 2407 screen, the follow up to the 2405 which we also reviewed last year. A competitively priced screen with a wide array of inputs. But does it offer high image quality as well?
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by Dyre Straits | 29th January 2007
Q3 Innovations, LLC is a company that exists to aid in personal safety by developing and creating innovative monitoring devices that could help prevent serious injury (or worse) if not monitored properly. One such device is the ThermoHAWK 200 – Touchless Thermometer. It’s a nifty little gadget that can provide the instantaneous temperature of equipment or other items without actually making contact.
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by Sandok | 10th January 2007
ully hydraulic racing seats are readily available for gamers with deep pockets, as are intricate joysticks with integrated LCD screens. Personally, I consider these different accessories as optional extras because they mostly help players with the immersion factor, little else. Apparently, the same can’t be said about a new and pioneering product called TrackIR, which according to its creators NaturalPoint, literally puts your head in the game for unparalleled immersion and playability.
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by Sandok | 8th January 2007
Over a year ago, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 and officially began the next-generation of console gaming. Although many were impressed by the jump from SD (Standard Definition) to HD (High Definition) content, what fascinated me most was the fact that the console was completely wireless. Well, when I say completely, what I actually mean is mostly since you still had a wired headset that attached itself to a controller. While technically speaking, you weren’t physically connected to the console (if you used a wireless controller); you still didn’t have complete freedom of movement. Moreover, as was the case with me, the wire that connected the headset to the controller could get in the way, resulting in a lot of angry cursing.
Thankfully though, Microsoft realized this and thus, they’ve finally decided to render their console 100% “free from wires” by introducing a Wireless Headset as an accessory. So of course, the question is; should you dish out 50$ / 40€ to get one or rather, avoid it and stick with the Wired Headset?
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by Zardon | 6th January 2007
With the UK launch of Sony' Playstation 3 in March, we got a hold of a console as well as an array of games to give the lowdown on how the console performs, via Infocus 5700 Screenplay projector 1080i 100" electric screen.
Has it been worth the year wait since the release of the Xbox 360?
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by Zardon | 4th January 2007
With the recent launch of the Xbox 360 HD-Drive in the UK, Microsoft aim to bring High Definition movies to the masses. With the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive retaiing for a mere £130 it certainly appears to be the ideal "value for money solution". Even when factoring in the additional cost of a Xbox 360 Premium this works out less than many standalone HD players which are currently selling for around the £450 mark.
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by Stuart Davidson | 3rd October 2006
It is amazing how fast things change in the world of PC components. Just 3 years ago I was quite happily running a 17inch screen with an Athlon XP 2600+, Geforce 5800 and 512mb (2x256mb) of memory and even using it as a review system here on DriverHeaven. Now this review system has a dual core CPU and 2Gb of ram, pretty much a standard configuration in the enthusiast community. It is fair to say that many users are still using a CRT with their system, so what exactly can a top of the range TFT bring to the table?
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by Chaos | 31st August 2006
As PC’s become even further engrained into everyday life; our reliance on their convenience continues to increase. An ever increasing number of us have become accustomed to day to day interaction with our friends and family thanks to the internet. Because of this heavy reliance on technology, adding a UPS to your home setup is quickly becoming a choice that many of us would have never considered until now. Ultra who are well known for their modular power supplies have recently expanded their lineup of UPS products. Today we have a chance to take a look at the big daddy of their lineup the 2000VA UPS.
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by Chaos | 21st August 2006
Today we get the chance to look at two different hot swappable/removable hard drive enclosures from ICY DOCK that are designed for use with Serial ATA drives. These types of devices while common for ATA drives are now available for newer Serial ATA drives. Serial ATA drives are available from all the major hard drive manufacturers and provide faster data throughput than a standard ATA drive connected through an IDE interface.
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by Zardon | 18th July 2006
First person shooter games do not often work particularly well on a console as the controller is a poor substitute for a mouse and keyboard. Luckily, www.Lik-Sang.com offer a handy device known as the SmartJoy FRAG Adapter that allows for PS/2 compatible mice and keyboards to hooked up to an Xbox effortlessly. While this adapter will make your PC setup compatible with any Xbox title, the adapter is specifically designed to give FPS gamers an unparalleled amount of precision.
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by Grace | 21st June 2006
Ok, so you are a modder, you bought that shiny acrylic case, filled it with lights, round cables and every other flashing LED goodie that your dealer had listed in the modding section. After all this effort, perhaps your input devices feel a little bit too…mmm ordinary? Don’t fear because Revoltec can do something about that, since they produce all kinds of illuminated desktop devices. Today we will examine some of their products … to be exact, a keyboard, a mouse and a mousepad.
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by Stuart Davidson | 6th May 2006
One of the benefits of owning a PC is that you have a massive choice of peripherals. If you want to buy a steering wheel to play racing games… no problem. If you want a game pad for those consoleish platformers then again, no problem. What if you are into FPS style games in a big way?, is there anything out there which is better suited to gaming than a standard keyboard? Of course there is and today we are going to take a look at one such product. The Devour from Wolf Claw/PD Scientific.
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by Chaos | 17th March 2006
Today we get the chance to look at an accessory item for PC users. What is a Musketeer III you ask? Oddly enough so did I when asked if I would like to review this item. Well where to begin. The Musketeer III is a device that you input your PC audio signal into. Then it will process the audio signal and try to simulate the sound of and old style tube amplifier. If that sounds like a foreign language well then you are far younger than me. A tube amp will provide a very pleasant “warm” sound when compared to a digital sound that can be considered “harsh” by people that consider themselves a true audiophile expert.
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by Zardon | 27th January 2006
While there are “soft” dance mats mad out of cheap foam materials, dancers who wish to play the more difficult songs without an endless bombardment of problems should invest in a metal dance pad. The Afterburner Metal Dance Pad, from the makers who also brought us In the Groove, is prided for its multiplatform capabilities, increased arrow sensitivity and its sturdy metal frame. Purchasing one of these dance pads will cost around $200 plus shipping, so it’s definitely a good idea to make sure if the Afterburner is right for you..
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by Stuart Davidson | 5th January 2006
One of the major benefits of the PSP is that it can play mpeg 4 format movies (albeit with a tedious conversion and some format restrictions) and despite quotes coming from Nintendo that they were happy to focus solely on the gaming potential of their consoles there was a limited release in Japan some months ago of an official video add-on for the Nintendo DS. This official add-on is hard to acquire and is also quite expensive however with some searching on the net it became known to us that you could buy third party players that were compatible with Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS.
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by Zardon | 1st January 2006
The next generation of gaming is finally upon us. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has finally hit store shelves all over the world, but with the hefty price of $300 for a core package and $400 for the premium setup, is it really worth your money? In this review, we’re going to dissect every aspect of the 360 to find out if it truly enters a new era in gaming.
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by Grace | 31st December 2005
It was not long ago that Listan launched its sister company, Revoltec, meant to offer modding products and trendy accessories to computer users. Revoltec is by now a very well known manufacturer of innovative hardware products in Europe and is continuously expanding. They have a vast products list, from cold cathodes and bubble lights to power supply units and notebook coolers. Today we will examine their approach on some very useful devices, the external drive casings. Revoltec offers external drive casings in all sizes available; 2.5”, 3.5” and 5.25” cases are offered by the name Alu Book. The casings are mostly made out of aluminum and resemble the design of a book, hence where they take the name from. Let us take a close look on these.
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by Grace | 17th December 2005
Their flash disk drive product line-up is dubbed ‘Gizmo!’ and they already are counting their 3rd revision. The 3rd revision is even faster and much smaller than the initial revision, plus features much higher capacities of course, as you can guess. Crucial was nice enough to send us a Gizmo! 2GB drive, the largest currently offered. 2GB worth of storage inside a device that is about the size of your thumb certainly sounds nice, so let us see what this little device is capable of
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by Grace | 13th December 2005
“Form and functionality collide with style in the Nexstar 3 External SATA Hard Drive Enclosure from Vantec. With its mirror finish, sleek curves and bold colors, the Vantec Nexstar 3 stands out from the crowd. The sturdy drive cage protects your hard drive while the aluminum case effectively draws away the heat, protecting your drive from overheating. The Nexstar 3 features eSATA (external Serial ATA) and USB 2.0 interfaces offering speeds up to 3Gbps or 480Mbps respectively. This flexibility allows you to use your hard drive at its full performance where eSATA is available and still have the option of using USB where it's not. The Nexstar 3 is an ideal way to store and transfer large amounts of data in an enclosure that matches your style!”
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by Zardon | 11th December 2005
The PS2 has seen some extremely remarkable racing titles, including the painstakingly realistic Gran Turismo 4 to the fast paced action found in Burnout Revenge, but games as captivating as the aforementioned deserve to be played with something more fitting than a measly controller. The Driving Force Pro wheel from Logitech allowed gamers to be immersed into the whole racing experience, but it still possessed a few problems. While the Driving Force Pro is undoubtedly the best wheel available for the PS2, finding a place to properly set it down can be quite a challenge. Luckily, the Sparco Racing Cockpit Pro was created for the truly hardcore driving fanatics.
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by dj_stick | 10th December 2005
So you’ve bought yourself some Arctic Silver 5, and you want to replace the current thermal paste you’re using. But how do you clean it off? There are several methods around, from using methylated spirits to rubbing alcohol, but the Arctic Silver company has created a two-part solution, ArctiClean, designed to completely remove all traces of thermal pads and transfer compounds from the CPU and heatsink. This product is the subject of my review today.
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by Zardon | 4th December 2005
We’ve gone from large bulky vinyls, to the smaller more portable CDs, to the digital age and current dominant music format, MP3s. Combine all of the above, and carrying around your favorite music has never been easier. Unfortunately, with the amount of different music players available right now, making the correct choice is extremely tedious and difficult. Should you buy a Zen Micro from Creative? An iRiver player? Just step into a local electronics shop and you’ll see that there are so many choices the average user will most certainly get confused.
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by Zardon | 13th November 2005
Today I will review two new products, comprising an essentially new type of mousepad, the Razer Mantis Speed and the Everglide Titan mouse surfaces/cloths. Both companies, Razer and Everglide, have a long history of creating great, if not the best mouse pads and mice.
Both products were released this month and I was surprised to hear that both are made out of a fabric and not some type of plastic, alloy, metal or glass.
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by Zardon | 10th November 2005
XtracPads is an American company specialising in making your mouse fly across the best surfaces possible, from mouse pads to accessories, XtracPads makes sure that the gamers out there have all the equipment necessary to win. According to their site logo, they are made for Hard-Core Gamers. Quite a bold claim!
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by dj_stick | 9th November 2005
Although the whole process can take quite some time, the end result is quite rewarding, there’s nothing like seeing hard work paying off, and this simple mod allows for more effective cable management, which overall helps with airflow, and keeping temperatures down for those high performance parts in your computer.
Not to mention with a case window showing off the insides of your pride and joy, having your cables nicely sleeved and tucked away increases the overall appearance of your machine greatly.
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by Kombatant | 28th October 2005
In the past one and a half year, we have seen a radical departure from the “tried and tested” CRT screens, with more and more people considering a TFT monitor instead for their desktop PCs. The advantages are immediately obvious, with TFTs requiring less desktop real-estate, which in many cases is a deciding factor. It is also very nice not to have a bulky monitor that emits heat in front of your eyes all the time, plus TFT screens do tend to look cooler compared to traditional CRTs. So with prices going down all the time, these monitors have become very attractive for many categories of users.
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by Zardon | 18th October 2005
The PS2 has received a plethora of driving games ranging from the rigorous realism of driving simulators to the fast paced action of high speed arcade races. Regardless of the type of driving game you prefer, sometimes the dual analog stick setup just isn’t enough for gamers looking to go beyond the meager default setup. Luckily, Logitech released the Driving Force Pro to create an unparalleled driving experience, no matter what type of racer you are.
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by Zardon | 9th October 2005
Games are continually pushing the envelope with incredible visual and audio effects powering your gameplay. Immersion is high on the list for every developer and in the world of racing games, it’s no different. Whether you play an arcade series like Burnout or a simulation series like Gran Turismo, the end result desired is the same: “immersion”. The lucky thing for us “virtual racers” is that we can go one step further to get our great gaming experience by purchasing a steering wheel, like the Madcatz Universal MC2 for example.
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by Asmoday | 25th September 2005
With the power supply being one of the most important parts of a computer, you cannot afford to install a damaged or defective unit. Corrupted data, blue screens of death, and even severe system damage can result from incorrect power being supplied to your computer.
Encased in sturdy aluminium, the EZ Power Supply Tester allows you to check the power from your 20pin or 24pin motherboard, 8pin, 6pin, 4pin and SATA connections. LED indicators let you know if power is being supplied on each voltage rail and a master PG LED informs you of the overall result.
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by Zardon | 24th September 2005
Flash Memory drives have increased in popularity over the last year and rightly so, they are immensely handy little gadgets giving you the power to transfer files from computer to computer by simple "plug and play" functionality . Originally however this ease of use was hampered by incredibly poor read, write and access times, making anything but the smallest of transfers a painfully slow experience.
OCZ have stepped into this sector with three high speed USB2 drives, a 512MB, a 1GB and a 2GB. Today we are going to be looking at the 512MB and the 2GB models.
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by Zardon | 4th September 2005
Although the PSP’s main purpose is to serve as a handheld gaming system, it also holds the capacity to play UMDs (Universal Media Disk) and an array of music and video files. But due to a diminutive amount of games being released, most people have resorted to using their PSPs for these secondary features. This has led to the discovery of two minor, but yet bothersome flaws of Sony’s handheld ; durability and battery life. To the rescue, Nyko has released a tidy product meant to overcome these issues.
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by Zardon | 23rd August 2005
With an incredible amount of First Person Shooter games available for the PC today, gamers everywhere have been stuck with the standard bulky keyboard in order to maneuver around the battlefield. Thanks to Flexiglow, there is finally a solution with a sleek and effective design. The Cyber Snipa from Flexiglow is a game pad specifically created for FPS games. It contains the most vital keys to gameplay in a relatively small area to increase your gaming performance significantly."
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by Zardon | 10th August 2005
With the European release of Sony’s PSP slowly creeping up, an in-depth analysis of this handheld gaming unit was definitely needed. Gamers are in all probability, filled with questions regarding its worth, how it fares against Nintendo’s DS and how effective is the browser’s special features. In this review, all of your biggest fears regarding the Sony PSP will finally be dismissed!
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by Stuart Davidson | 14th May 2005
Enermax are well known for their high quality power supplies, however some of you wont be aware they also produce a line of gadgets and peripherals such as the unit we have for review today. Just about everything you buy nowadays to connect externally to your PC comes with a USB connector so extra ports are always handy -- enter the Enermax USB hub.
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by Aaron | 2nd May 2005
Since it’s foundation in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, the Bose Corporation has been making breakthrough sound products and changing the way people and companies look at audio. They won international acclaim by setting a new standard for lifelike sound reproduction in 1968 with the introduction of the 901 Direct/Reflecting speaker system. Today they have a diverse household product lineup ranging from speakers and radios to headphones. Today we will be reviewing their Bose Triport headphones and look at the performance, wear and tear after one years use, and our dealings with Bose.
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by Zardon | 9th March 2005
Synonymous with portable hard drive players is the Apple iPod. Although, Creative had their Nomad series of portable hard drive players first, it was the Apple iPod which sent these devices mainstream. It would appear that the Apple iPod was the answer to what people wanted in a music player: tons of storage space in a stylishly designed pocket sized device. With this in mind, Creative counteracts Apple’s iPod with their Zen product line.
A good effort was made by Creative in their Zen product line, however the market was clearly dominated by Apple. In an attempt to broaden the scope of their iPod product line, Apple unleashes the iPod Mini. This was the ideal player for those who wanted more storage than a typical CD player, but did not need the overwhelming space and price of the iPod or Zen Touch/Xtra
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by dj_stick | 12th February 2005
I’m sure every computer user knows how loud CPU, case and PSU fans can be. It can be distracting and downright irritating at times, especially if you are like me and sleep in the same room as your computer. This is where fan controllers, or rheobusses come in.
The fan controller I’m reviewing today the Noise Isolator RH-35SE Rheobus. I picked it up for AUD $25, not expecting too much for a cheaper rheobus.
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by Zardon | 21st January 2005
A while ago we reviewed a USB vacuum cleaner and I was amazed how many emails I received from people asking for more reviews based around "cool gadgets". Today we are continuing this theme with a device which will appeal to the older guys amongst us who remember the Commodore 64 with fond memories. Yes you would be right, I'm one of those people who in their childhood spent many a weekend with games like Ghostbusters, Bruce Lee and Uridium.
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by Zardon | 5th December 2004
Yes, you arent mistaken, Casebuy have developed a new mini USB Vacuum cleaner for all of you with dirty and unhygienic keyboards in need of a good clean ! Quite an unusual little device and worth a look.
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by Zardon | 25th July 2004
Today im looking at a wonderfully innovative product from OCZ which will prove very popular amongst the overclocking community, the OCZ DDR Booster Diagnostic device, which incorporates Powerclean Technology™ and Digital LED Readout. This device allows users to supply a cleaner power feed to their memory modules, which will result in more stable memory.
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