"So, I was digging around in a recently leaked build of Windows 7 Home Premium and ran across a very interesting clause in the Microsoft Software License Terms which hints towards the possibility that Microsoft are going to be offering a family pack licensing plan which covers up to three computers in your household if you purchase a special “family pack” of Windows 7 Home Premium"

"Thermaltake Element G (a.k.a. VL10001W2Z) is based on the same internal design used on Element S – seven internal 3 ½" bays, two internal 2.5" bays, etc –, but externally they are completely different products. Let's see what the differences between the two are and if it is worthwhile buying this case."

"Firefox 3.5 is a major improvement over Firefox 3, though casual users probably won't notice any difference. For many people, the browser wars are all about one thing: speed. There's no doubt that version 3.5 is faster than version 3, thanks to the new JavaScript engine, but it still frequently crashes - at least it does on my Vista machine running Flash-based sites. If you're a Firefox user you should definitely upgrade. Personally, I prefer the simplicity and reliability of Google's Chrome. Considering Mozilla has been working on the browser for a year, it has already announced it will patch the 1-day-old Firefox 3.5 in the next few weeks to stamp out several bugs that went unfixed in the final version. This is typical of open-source software. Firefox 3.5.1, which Mozilla intends to deliver in mid-to-late July, will include fixes for at least three bugs and 'topcrashes,' the term the company uses to describe the frequently-reported crashes. Like many applications, Firefox asks users to report crashes by displaying a prompt after the browser goes down. One of the topcrashes scheduled for a fix involves TraceMonkey, the new, faster JavaScript engine."

"In the past year or so we've seen Samsung make a jump into making all their camcorders flash based and eliminating the older and less convenient miniDV/miniDVD formats. In that time I've reviewed a few of the models in their lineup and even decided to get myself one to replace an old and failing camcorder of mine. In only a few short models I've seen them really build up this camcorder arsenal into a fairly strong product line - something that will go along great with all the new Samsung photo cameras we'll see emerging this year. Their latest flash camcorder, the R10, looks like something straight out of the future. With a compact body size, silver colour and angled front lens, it jumps out as not following the trend of the other Samsung flash camcorders currently on the market. Let's check it out further and see what it's all about!"

"Relatively unknown Maximo recently released their iM-590 earphones. Based on a 9 mm driver and boosting a metal exterior these earphones will undoubtedly turn some heads. The price of just $59 certainly will. "

"Sparkle may not be the first manufacturer that comes to mind if you're considering a new video card from Team Green, but the company is hoping its GeForce GTX 275 series can score it some mindshare in the sub-$250 segment. It's been a few months since the first wave of GTX 275 and ATI 4890 cards hit the market, and more mature drivers may shed a different light on relative performance."

"Back when we reviewed the Kingston X25-M SSDNow Kingston was shipping the drives in the same manner as Intel, a drive in a protective plastic package wrapped in a brown box. Since then the company has given thought to distinguishing their product from the pack and is now shipping a value added retail package.

The Kingston SSDNow Upgrade Kit is a product whose time has come. Not only does the retail kit make it much easier to install a blazing fast SSD into your desktop in less than 30 minutes with your data migrated over, but it also gives desktop users the option to easily install a traditional notebook sized drive into their desktop."

"The In Win Matrix HTPC case is a compact, microATX case with a full array of features. The In Win Matrix has integrated cable management and well designed assembly. The plain, subtle style of the white Matrix is accented nicely through well trimmed out black lines and with innovative doors to optimize concealment of the computer components, leaving the HTPC not looking like a PC"

"Today for review I've got the Eagle Arion ET-AR402IR-BK 2.1 iDock Speakers with Subwoofer, it's an iPod dock, but most any audio source can be hooked up to it. When you first get the Eagle Arion iDock, the first thing you'll notice is that it's heavy and very well made with a nice subtle design to it. The design should fit in with most any decor, it looks very professiona
l with clean lines, and a sleek look. Looks though aren't everything, with an iPod dock, the sound quality is what we really care about, and with the Arion iDock, you'll find the sound is very good with nice crisp highs and deep bass, thanks to the dual three inch full spectrum drivers and four inch subwoofer. It even includes a remote to adjust bass and treble along with controls for your attached iPod, in addition to the controls on the unititself. One last thing is that the Arion iDock can get loud, and I mean very loud, I was very surprised at the volume this little dock can reach."

"For true CPU cooling performance and silence, air cooling is not thought to be the solution. You need water cooling. It seems a scary concept cooling your processor with water which is why many enthusiasts steer clear of the idea. Moreover, it can be costly with an average kit easily topping the 100 mark."

"The computer world has seen a big rise in the demand for all-in-one units, thanks largely to the stellar efforts of ASUS, Dell, and HP. Gone are the days of chunky grey boxes sitting under desks in the home or small office. And now with the AIO-101 we are really tapping in to the fact that more and more people want to use their PCs in their kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. The AIO-101 is a million miles away from being the perfect computer, but it could be just the ticket for someone on a tight budget that's looking for a multi-functional and easy-to-use PC. Combining a range of modest-performing components wrapped up in a transportable package, the AIO-101 is a reasonable - if expensive - effort. The machine also beats most Atom-based systems hands down for performance. As long as you don't expect cutting-edge design or performance you shouldn't be disappointed. If it was my money, I'd look more closely at ASUS' Eee Top range (from $484) or Dell's Studio One 19 (from $699)."

"The computer mouse is one of the most overlooked peripherals, in my opinion. We often upgrade everything inside of a computer but overlook one piece of hardware that is frequently used. Choosing the right mouse is a challenge because you need to balance budget, comfort, and performance. And it's especially true if you are into gaming and want a mouse that has a fast DPI (dot per inch) and is comfortable enough so that you will not feel the pain on your wrist after hours of playing games.

For average users, a mouse is just a pointing device, but for hardcore gamers having a mouse with high DPI and precision is a matter of life and death in the virtual battleground. The reality is that for even average users who are using large displays, they will also benefit from a high dpi mouse because it helps to move around the screen without much need for hand movements. Just try to move across the screen with 500 or 800 DPI mouse if you are using a 22'' display or larger and try to do the same thing with a mouse with 1000 DPI or higher and you will notice how quickly and easily you can move across the screen.

There is no shortage of mouse manufacturers. Name brands such as Logitech, Razer, and Saitek come to mind. Even some big names in computer industry, whose name that are not often associated with mice, are coming out with mice. Names such as Gigabyte, OCZ, and Microsoft. Rosewill is yet another company that has a gaming mouse that is trying to compete for your hand's touch."

"New NAS models are emerging surprisingly fast from Taiwanese manufacturer Synology. The latest is the Disk Station DS409slim. It's a four-bay barebones NAS, which takes 2.5in laptop hard disks rather than the usual 3.5in desktop variety. It isn't the first Disk Station to do so - it's possible to buy sleds for the two-bay DS209, which convert the 3.5in bays to 2.5in."

"Five years ago back in 2004, IBM sold their PC business onto the Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group. Today we're going to be taking a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad T500, a laptop which is said to withhold the qualities the industry has come to expect from the ThinkPad series."

"Today at Tech-Reviews we have the TDD-9000 Nexus Cooling Pad. There are many different types of cooling solutions for notebooks available and each claim to work wonders, but the Nexus Liquid Cooling Pad specifically claims of a whopping 17 Degree drop in laptop temperature (based on their own independent tests). It's now time to find out whether or not their claim is the result of an exaggerated marketing company or reality."

"The average PC user has a dozen or so applications which they completely swear by and rightfully so. What gets the job done is what matters the most. There is, however, a treasure-trove of pint-sized utilities and fully blown applications just waiting to be discovered. We've scoured the Web to provide a list of 11 useful programs which you've probably never heard of.

All of the programs in this article are either absolutely free of charge or have a free alternative, so don't hesitate to give them a shot and see what you've been missing out on. We hope that by the end of this list, you'll have discovered at least one application that fills a void you didn't even knew existed."

"When on the look out for a new case to out fit your rig, you may have a peek over at what NZXT is producing. NZXT is still a young company, only being established in 2004. However, they have produced a fairly decent sized list of computer chassis, some with a very unique design and look. With the NZXT Khaos at hand, one can only speculate as to what NZXT has in mind as a "unique" and "unparalleled design."

"For Maxcube's first case, I must say I am impressed with the features it brings to the table. Not only is the case sleek and stylish, but it has function as well. The case features two more front USB ports than most cases I've seen and is following with the new trend of bring eSATA to the front panel as well. Tool-free cases have been around for a while and Maxcube has integrated this feature into the Amoris. It even introduced a new concept to me, the external CMOS reset switch, which would be useful to any overclocker, as you wouldn't have to open the case to reset CMOS. Having the CMOS reset is nice, but it has been almost standard on high performance motherboard I/O panels for well over a year now. The case did lose some ground in the tests however, probably due to the fact it only runs on two fans. Nevertheless, for only having two fans, it kept up pretty well with the competition, which in the case of open air, had no fans, or with both the X-Fighter and Super Lanboy, had an average of three fans."

"AM3 has never looked so good. With support for both DDR2 and DDR3 on the same CPU, the possibilities with this platform are endless. We have already seen quite a few good boards come out, either supporting one or the other technology and some with both. But one thing remains constant; a good price and a pretty good performing board and CPU combo for the outlay.

Just recently we took a look at the little brother of today’s candidate from GIGABYTE; this new one is based on DDR3 memory and the 790FX chipset. Coning in at 179.99 U.S. Dollars over at Newegg , it’s a bit higher priced than most. But can it handle the pressure? Let’s see how it goes."

"The Evercool Buffalo HPFI7-10025 CPU cooler offers Socket 1366 compatibility in a small form 100mm fan setup. It is a good looking little heatsink that offers stunning value as the least expensive Socket 1366 performance cooler on the market. The question is, however: how well does it cool?"

"We check out low-profile incarnations of the GeForce 9500GT and 9600GT from Albatron and Galaxy... how do they fare compared to their full-sized brethren?"

"Today we'll be looking at a rather unique case with some rather unique dimensions; the NZXT Panzerbox. Named after the German "Panzer" tank used in World War Two, the Panzerbox shares a similar wide tank-like stance and packs a lot of cooling power into a small space."

"Guru3D tests the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 Toxic Vapor-X edition graphics card.

Armed with a nice vapor chamber heatpipe based cooler and with it's clock frequency locked at a steady 960 MHz, this little beast is ready for some serious gaming action. And it doesn't stop there though, even the nice phat 1 GB graphics memory is clocked higher at 4200 MHz.

This is seriously one of the best Radeon HD 4890 cards we ever tested."

"PC's have been creeping into our living rooms for many years now. Recently there is a larger push for smaller form factor machines, but often with a smaller machine your options are limited. The DH101 is a full size HTPC case that is stylish and provides a wide range of options for hardware. The piano black and silver finish should blend with most entertainment centers. With the included Media Labs LCD and remote control you can easily view your media files from the comfort of your couch. "

"Our last SSD round-up caused quite a stir for using an older test system with Windows XP. We've now explored SSD performance on more current hardware with Vista x64 SP2, and you might be surprised by the results."

"CX400W is the simplest power supply offered by Corsair, featuring active PFC, a 120-mm fan on its bottom, single-rail design and costing only around USD 50. Is it a good product? Let's see."

"New for 2009, Kingwin has replaced the RVT-12025 with a newer, updated tower cooler dubbed the XT-1264. Both models retain their machined individual copper heatpipe base with aluminum fin configuration coupled with a 120mm fan. The new cooler design is a few millimeters shorter than the old RVT but nearly 2"cm thicker for increased fin surface area. Heatpipe count has been increased from three to four for better performance and heat dissipation. Support for Intel's socket 1366 is also added."

"There are many components inside a PC which seem to be requiring increasing amounts of power as they seem to require huge wattages to function correctly. This is why the PSU market has advanced massively in recent years with PSU's with wattages up to 1200 watts and beyond not uncommon. Most PC's however will not require such a huge amount of power which is why there are many high performance, lower wattage PSU's currently on offer. With this in mind I introduce the: OCZ Fatal1ty 550w PSU."