Computer Shopper articles from October 2006

Computer Shopper archives from October 2006

Editor's note.(Editorial)
October 1, 2006... I USED TO THINK THE ONLY REASON I needed a compact computer was because I lived in a tiny Manhattan apartment in which space was at a premium. But after moving to the 'burbs last year, where I now have plenty of elbow room, I'm discovering that...

Praise for "Power Parts".(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I'm writing to express my appreciation for the "Power Parts" feature from the August issue (p. 72). I subscribe to Computer Shopper and other PC magazines to stay abreast of evolving technology concepts and buzzwords. I also build my own...

Dell stores are a dumb idea.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I read in your August issue that Dell plans to open retail stores without any inventory in stock ("Dell Goes Shopping at Upscale Malls," p. 16). What an incredible concept: You go to a mall, find a Dell store, find the PC you want, tell the...

Extra antivirus advice.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I enjoy reading the antivirus-software recommendations in Computer Shopper, but I want to pass on some information I haven't seen published in your magazine. I recently discovered that my ISP (my local cable company) offers McAfee antivirus,...

Microsoft to challenge iPod with new Zune music player, software.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AFTER YEARS of attempts to defeat the iPod/iTunes juggernaut through various partners, Microsoft plans to go up against Apple with an independent line of digital entertainment devices. Microsoft says it will launch music software and players...

Trendspotting.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Nathan Harrington)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... It's hard resisting the temptation to take a whack at your laptop when it isn't working right, but Nathan Harrington, an IBM programmer, has devised a way to knock on your notebook to make it do what you want. Harrington's technique uses...

Magnetic RAM looks to attract device makers.(TRENDS: UPCOMING TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS)(Freescale Semiconductor )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Freescale Semiconductor has won the race to get a magnetic form of computer memory to market, but the RAM's high cost could keep it from appearing in machines and devices in the near future. The company recently released its MR2A16A chip,...

HP's Memory Spot puts video, audio anywhere.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Hewlett-Packard Laboratories)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... HEWLETT-PACKARD Laboratories has managed to squeeze a computer onto a sticker smaller than a grain of rice. Memory Spot, a technology devised by HP's research division, is a tiny self-contained data-storage device, complete with a built-in...

High-definition video add-on coming to iPod.(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)(Advanced Technology Office)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THIS FALL, the Advanced Technology Office (ATO) plans to introduce an accessory that will turn any Apple iPod, whether it's video-capable or not, into a portable high-definition (HD) video player. The as-yet-unnamed device is essentially a...

Does Wi-Fi security matter?(TRENDS: TECH NEWS)
October 1, 2006... A large percentage of Wi-Fi networks are "horribly insecure," according to researchers at Indiana University. But some experts argue that an unsecured network is not necessarily a had thing, as long as the devices on them are secure. In a...

The great communicator.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)($350 Mylo)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Sony's $350 Mylo is a master multitasker. The 5.3-ounce device features a microphone and speaker for making mobile Skype calls, plus built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity and an Opera Web browser. For easy instant messaging, the 2.4-inch color...

Crystal-clear cam.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2006... The $129.99 Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision may be bigger than your average Webcam, but it packs more than enough features to justify its size. The chrome-plated camera has a 1.3-megapixel sensor that, when combined with the unit's glass lens,...

Juice on the loose.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2006... No electricity? No problem. Charge up your mobile devices with the wire-free Motorola Portable Power P790. With the same slick, rounded-corners design as Motorola's Pebl handset, this $49.99 rechargeable battery pack can power your cell phone...

Rockin' iPod box.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)(Altec Lansing Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Not only does the $199.95 Altec Lansing M602 rock the house, this elegant speaker also looks great in any room. The integrated dock fits all iPods (except the Shuffle), and you can connect other players with the included cable. Feel like...

Cool fusion.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2006... Build a Media Center PC that's fit for your living room with the $219 Antec Fusion case. The stylish enclosure's brushed-aluminum front bezel is adorned with a high-contrast vacuum-fluorescent display and a volume knob that works with Windows...

Power perfection.(GEAR: NEW PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2006... To keep your PC running quiet and cool, Titan's Infinity Power power supply has two internal fans that automatically adjust speed to regulate temperature and help prevent your internal components from overheating. The supply supports Scalable...

Dell XPS 700: Intel's latest CPU finally pushes XPS line to gaming excellence.(REVIEWS: THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2006... DELL'S Core 2 Duo-based XPS 700 performance desktop revitalizes the company's line of boutique-class PCs, as it goes up against the likes of Falcon Northwest and Velocity Micro. It's not perfect, but the PC wins Dell some gaming-desktop...

Samsung BD-P1000: Blu-ray DVD player will appeal to well-heeled early adopters.(REVIEWS: THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2006... THE FIRST CONSUMER UNIT to play Blu-ray high-definition DVDs, the costly Samsung BD-P1000 will appeal to you only if you're willing to risk $999.99 on a first-generation player in the middle of a format war. Nonetheless, its impressive image...

Velocity Micro Vector GX Campus Edition: near-perfect budget system is as capable as it is attractive.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AT $999 for a full configuration--complete with a 17-inch AOpen LCD and three-piece speakers--Velocity Micro's Vector GX Campus Edition offers strong performance compared with similarly priced pre-Core 2 Duo systems. It features the lowest-end...

Cyberpower Back to School Super Value: dual-core CPU makes budget PC worth buying.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... CYBERPOWER offers a wide variety of both preconfigured and totally customizable PCs. The company's aptly named Back to School Super Value model ushers in a new era of budget PCs by serving up a dual-core processor. Our test model came in a...

Maingear X-Cube: great gaming desktop for on-the-road fragging.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE X-CUBE features the same strong craftsmanship we're accustomed to from Maingear, as well as an excellent feature set, all in a compact, luggable, and striking small-form-factor (SFF) case. Our $3,172 review unit arrived coated in Speed...

Shuttle XPC P2 2700: a power-packed little Media Center.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WITH THE XPC P2 2700, Shuttle offers few configuration choices, but you do get a strong-performing small-form-factor (SFF) PC at a better price than competitors such as Falcon Northwest. The P2 2700 is a bit big compared with the SFF PCs in...

Polywell Poly 430AM2: midrange PC offers respectable config, speed.(DESKTOPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE POLYWELL Poly 430AM2 won't win any design awards, and, at $1,350 (including a 19-inch LCD monitor and six-piece speakers), our test unit cost more than other budget-minded PCs of late. For the additional investment, however, you get decent...

Fujitsu LifeBook Q2010: a powerful ultraportable slim in size, not price.(NOTEBOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2006... THE DIMINUTIVE FUJITSU LifeBook Q2010 is small enough to use in even the most cramped coach seat--but, considering its price in our tested configuration ($3,498), anyone who can afford it is probably flying first-class. This slender...

Micro Express EL80: weak performance overshadows impressive specs.(NOTEBOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... DESPITE ITS IMPRESSIVE spec list, which includes a fast Intel Core Duo processor and a discrete nVidia graphics processor, the Micro Express EL80 failed to impress us. This 7-pound laptop ($1,848 in our test configuration) suffers from one too...

Alienware Aurora m9700: desktop replacement doubles up on components.(NOTEBOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2006... ALIENWARE'S AURORA m9700 isn't your typical notebook. It packs two graphics cams, two hard drives, a TV tuner, and a 17inch wide-screen display. Though its performance is very good, it failed to set records. Still, mobile garners with deep...

Panasonic ToughBook 74: rugged notebook is long-lasting but pricey.(NOTEBOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2006... WITH THE TOUGHBOOK 74, Panasonic has created a tough-as-nails consumer notebook that can withstand a bit more than ordinary, day-to-day punishment. But given the size and price penalties exacted by making it ruggedized, we recommend it only for...

Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800: hail the new king of desktop CPUs.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE ATHLON 64 FX has worn the desktop-CPU crown for over a year, but AMD's pride and joy has finally met its match: Intel's 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800. This new CPU surpasses the AMD chip on all of our benchmark tests. The $999 X6800...

ATI Theater 650 Pro: TV-tuner chip offers better video processing.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... ATI'S NEW video-processing chip, the Theater 650 Pro, offers TV-on-your-PC fans a serious boost in image quality. TV-tuner cards featuring the new chip are available from manufacturers such as MSI Computer and Sapphire Technology for...

Plextor PX-SPO8U Shock Proof Portable Hard Drive: resilient drive lacks only backup software.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... PLEXTOR'S PX-SP08U Shock Proof Portable Hard Drive has everything you could want from a compact external hard drive--except backup software. That simple addition would've made this $169 product a knockout. The 80GB drive comes housed in a...

nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2: dual-GPU card with SLI-like speeds.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... NVIDIA'S GEFORCE 7950 GX2 should be a PC gamer's dream. For approximately $600 to $650, cards based on this dual-GPU chipset deliver nearly the same performance as two GeForce 7900 GTX cards at little more than half the cost. And because nVidia...

Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse: wireless mouse gets a secondary scroll wheel.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WITH THE $99.99 MX Revolution, Logitech has redesigned the wireless mouse, giving it a one-touch search button and a secondary side-mounted scroll wheel. The extra scroll wheel is buried within the Revolution's cavernous thumb rest; a...

Iomega StorCenter Wireless Network Storage 1TB: massive network storage at a reasonable price.(COMPONENTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... PRICED AT $799.99, Iomega's StorCenter Wireless Network Storage 1TB is a 1-terabyte network-attached drive array that will have you sharing everything from printers to high-definition video pronto. The StorCenter includes a Gigabit Ethernet...

Multifunction lasers lock horns: two network-ready MFPs battle for the budget crown.(PRINTERS)
October 1, 2006... KEEPING A SEPARATE fax, printer, and scanner can quickly become a drain on your budget. With well-known brands such as Dell and Lexmark turning out affordable laser multifunction printers (MFPs), however, more companies can now afford to ditch...

Belkin N1 Wireless Router: a solid Draft N device, but still needs work.(HOME NETWORKING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WITH ITS INTUITIVE status icons, up-to-date security options, and stellar support, the $149.99 Belkin N1 Wireless Router is on the path to 802.11n wireless networking stardom, but, like other Draft N devices, its performance fails to impress....

Panasonic HD-PLC Ethernet Adapter Starter Pack: power-line kit offers a solid, but wired, alternative to Wi-Fi networking.(HOME NETWORKING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... REMEMBER HOW "power-line networking" let you establish a wired home network via everyday electrical outlets? The first generation of products fizzled out when they couldn't offer data-transfer rates approaching wireless-network speeds. Now,...

RIM BlackBerry 7130c: well-designed smartphone delivers advanced connectivity.(MOBILE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2006... [check] EDITORS CHOICE RIM BLACKBERRY 7130c is an excellent phone and e-mail device for consumers and professionals alike. It's also one of the best-designed BlackBerrys we've seen to date. It's available through Cingular for $249.99...

Navman iCN 750: unique GPS navigator includes built-in camera.(MOBILE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE $799.95 Navman iCN 750 is an innovative, if costly, GPS navigation system with a first-class feature: a built-in camera that lets you create and save your favorite destination points, complete with pictures. Measuring 5.4x3x1.2 inches,...

Sony Alpha DSLR-A100: feature-packed 10.2-megapixel dSLR.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE ALPHA DSLR-A100, Sony's first digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) camera, marks the company's foray into the big leagues of digital still imaging. After Sony purchased Konica Minolta's digital-camera division, Sony appears to have spiffed up...

Kodak EasyShare C643: budget camera skimps on image quality.(MOBILE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... DESPITE ITS low price, 6.1-megapixel resolution, and 2.4-inch LCD, the Kodak EasyShare C643 delivers mediocre images that should make you hesitate before buying. The $199.95 camera also feels cheaply built, though it does offer an optical...

Casio Exilim EX-Z1000: tiny shooter delivers mediocre images.(MOBILE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A 10.1-MEGAPIXEL ultracompact cam, the $399.99 Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 lacks an optical viewfinder and manual-exposure controls, but it offers a 16-to-9 wide-screen shooting option, a roomy 2.8-inch LCD, and an intuitive interface. Slightly...

Creative Zen V Plus: tiny, feature-loaded flash player is a top performer.(DIGITAL AUDIO)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... [check] EDITOR'S CHOICE THE CUTE, pocket-friendly Creative Zen V Plus is feature-packed and an impressive performer, making it an excellent option if you're looking for a lower-capacity solid-state MP3 player. You can pick up the 1GB model...

Bose QuietComfort 3: standard-setting headphones aren't cheap.(DIGITAL AUDIO)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THEY'RE COSTLY, but Bose's $349 QuietComfort 3 (QC3) headphones have set the standard for premium noise-canceling headsets. The QC3 model is significantly smaller than Bose's still-available $299 QuietComfort 2 (QC2), and it features an...

Archos 104: a dated but able mini-hard-drive player.(DIGITAL AUDIO)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... THE $159.99 Archos 104 is fine for buyers looking for a basic, inexpensive digital audio player and photo viewer, but its technology and feature set make it feel a little behind the times. Available in black, gray, or pink, the 4GB player's...

Samsung HL-S5687W: an impressive 1080p DLP set.(DIGITAL LIVING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WITH A SLICK DESIGN, well-rounded features, and solid performance, the Samsung HL-S5687W is a top choice for those seeking a 1080p high-definition television (HDTV) at a reasonable price for its screen size. The $3,199 display is a 56-inch...

HP LC3760N: LCD HDTV displays mixed performance.(DIGITAL LIVING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AT $1,899, Hewlett-Packard's LCD-based LC3760N high-definition television (HDTV) outclasses most budget LCD sets with its solid black levels and extensive connectivity, but it doesn't have the most accurate color we've seen. The 37-inch...

Sony STR-DG800: A/V receiver is a feature-filled bargain.(DIGITAL LIVING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AN IMPRESSIVE spread of features, including High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) switching and XM Satellite Radio capability, makes Sony's STR-DG800 A/V receiver a bargain at $399.99. The unit, which offers seven channels at 100...

Altiris Software Virtualization Solution: install software without fear of conflicts.(SOFTWARE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... ALTIRIS SOFTWARE VIRTUALIZATION SOLUTION (SVS) is a free program that creates virtualized installations of files and Registry entries. Because the changes are virtual, you can instantly delete programs without leaving Registry keys--or any of...

CyberLink PowerDVD 7 Max: full-featured video player with a few minor quirks.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... LOADING AND RUNNING a DVD on your PC is easy, but if you want more control over your video--color, sound configuration, aspect ratios--you'll want a dedicated DVD-viewer program, such as CyberLink's $59.95 PowerDVD 7 Max. Although we found...

Eudora 7: mail-management, searching functions one-up Outlook.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... IF YOU WANT to manage your e-mail better, Eudora 7's simple, clean interface and highly capable search engine make it worth the $49. Version 7 of Qualcomm's popular desktop email application includes the comprehensive X1 search tool, which has...

PodMediaCreator: easy editing of video, music, photos for iPods.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AVANQUEST'S $29.95 Pod-MediaCreator (PMC) is an affordable one-stop method for painlessly editing and creating video, audio, and digital-image projects for your iPod--or simply just for sharing them on a PC. Those new to media-file editing...

Ovation: instantly give better presentations.(SOFTWARE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... SERIOUS MAGIC'S $99.95 Ovation spices up dreary Microsoft PowerPoint presentations while also making you a better presenter. Ovation works hand in hand with PowerPoint. Once you've imported an existing presentation (a one-click process),...

Top 25: this month's best desktops, notebooks, prosumer digital SLR cameras, input devices, and music-download services.
October 1, 2006... Top 25 This month's best desktops, notebooks, prosumer digital SLR cameras, input devices, and music-download services. MAINSTREAM DESKTOPS well-configured PCs that won't empty your wallet. PRODUCT PRICE ...

Go micro: new space-saving desktops are irresistibly attractive and affordable. Is going compact right for you?
October 1, 2006... WITH MORE PEOPLE LOOKING for simple, space-saving computing solutions, the laptop industry has boomed in the past couple of years. But the inflexible ergonomics and high cost of notebooks don't fit everyone's needs. If you want something...

Trick out your tech: get the most from your laptop and gadgets with these 28 multitalented accessories.(Buyers guide)
October 1, 2006... You've got the latest notebook, and you're carrying the best MP3 player. Sure, they're great on their own, but couple them with the right accessories, and suddenly you've got the best-dressed--and most capable--tech on the block. From a...

Belkin TuneTalk stereo for iPod with video.(iPOD ADD-ONs)
October 1, 2006... A little-known fact about the iPod is that, with a little help, it can record audio. The TuneTalk Stereo accessory (available in black or white) attaches to your iPod's dock connector and uses two built-in microphones to record audio in stereo....

Griffin TuneCenter.(iPOD ADD-ONs)
October 1, 2006... Make your iPod the star of your home theater with Griffin's TuneCenter. The $149.99 docking station connects to a television or stereo receiver using S-Video or composite cables. You can then send video, photos, or music from your iPod. It can...

Targus RemoteTunes TX.(iPOD ADD-ONs)
October 1, 2006... (not pictured) Too lazy to walk to your iPod Nano to play your songs? Use this remote control to activate it from afar. The $79.99 RemoteTunes works as a radio-frequency remote and an FM transmitter. From as much as 100 feet away, you can...

Kensington RDS FM transmitter/car charger for iPod.(iPOD ADD-ONs)
October 1, 2006... FM transmitters are a dime a dozen, which is why Kensington added extra functionality to its RDS FM Transmitter. In addition to transmitting tunes, the $89.99 unit beams song-title and artist info from your iPod to any Radio Data...

Logitech AudioStation Express.(iPOD ADD-ONs)
October 1, 2006... The AudioStation Express works just as well outdoors as indoors. Designed for iPods with a dock connector, the $99.99 speakers run on AA batteries or can plug directly into an outlet. (When connected to an outlet, the AudioStation can also...

AWS Backup-Pal.(CALLING COMPANIONS)
October 1, 2006... Losing your phone is aggravating, but losing the contact data stored on it is the real nightmare. The hockey-puck-shaped Backup-Pal saves your phone's address book, allowing you to restore all of your contacts to a new phone easily. It connects...

Plantronics Voyager 510-USB.(CALLING COMPANIONS)
October 1, 2006... Users of Skype, or of Internet telephony services from Yahoo or AOL, now have a Bluetooth headset to call their own. The $199 Voyager 510-USB includes a wireless headset and USB Bluetooth adapter that connects to your laptop and works...

Jabra BT325s.(CALLING COMPANIONS)
October 1, 2006... We're fans of accessories that do double duty, and Jabra's $89 BT325s is one of our favorites. The earbuds work with both your MP3 player and your Bluetooth phone. Connect the corded earbuds to your MP3 player, then pair it your phone; when a...

U.S. modulator Stik & Stor.(CALLING COMPANIONS)
October 1, 2006... (not pictured) Because today's cell phones can be home to photos, custom ringtones, and even digital audio files, you'll want additional storage. We recommend Stik & Stor, a small flash-memory module that plugs into any phone with a...

Vonage V-Phone.(CALLING COMPANIONS)
October 1, 2006... Turn any Windows PC into a Vonage-ready call center with the $39.99 V-Phone. This compact drive plugs into your PC's USB port and automatically launches Vonage's SoftPhone PC software for making and receiving VoIP calls. (A broadband connection...

Targus Desktop Security Lock for iPod.(THE CASE OF SECURITY)
October 1, 2006... You spent $400 on your new iPod-might as well spend another $29 to secure it. The Desktop Security Lock for iPod uses a galvanized-steel cable to prevent your iPod from becoming someone else's bundle of joy. To secure your iPod, you attach a...

DataDots pesonal i.d. kit.(THE CASE OF SECURITY)
October 1, 2006... DataDots won't prevent your laptop from being stolen in the first place, but should it turn up in one piece, they could help law enforcement reunite you with it. The $24.95 kit lets you tag your notebook by "painting" on tiny dots etched with a...

Kensington MicroSaver DS notebook lock.(THE CASE OF SECURITY)(Kensington Computer Products Group)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... When it comes to tech theft, notebooks are a prime target. The $54.99 MicroSaver DS is a simple way to lock down your notebook, no matter where you are. The lock is made with three layers of steel: a carbon-steel core, an aircraft-grade steel...

APC Mobile Power Pack.(POWER TO THE PORTABLES)
October 1, 2006... (not pictured) Extend your gadgets' running times with APC's $69.99 Mobile Power Pack. The slim, piano-black battery adds as much as 50 hours of power to a digital audio player such as the iPod Nano or up to 10 hours of talk time to a...

APC Power Ready Messenger Bag with Universal Power Adapter.(POWER TO THE PORTABLES)
October 1, 2006... Laptop bags are a dime a dozen, but the $39.99 Power Ready Messenger Bag rises above the rest by letting you charge laptops and gadgets without removing them from your bag. Use the bag in conjunction with the Universal Power Adapter ($99.99),...

Turbo Charge.(POWER TO THE PORTABLES)
October 1, 2006... (not pictured) If you're the type of person who forgets to recharge your cell phone, the $29.95 Turbo Charge is a quick, easy way to keep it juiced while you're on the go. The thumb-size charger uses a single AA battery to provide an...

Brunton SolarRoll 14.(POWER TO THE PORTABLES)
October 1, 2006... Can't find an electrical outlet? Let the sun recharge your gear. Designed for outdoorsy travelers, the 12-volt SolarRoll 14 can pull in enough solar power to charge a cell phone, laptop, or video camera. Give it enough sunlight, and the $399...

Brave new web: an explosion of fun and practical new "Web 2.0" sites proves that innovation is just warming up on the Internet.(NOW IN BETA!)(Website list)
October 1, 2006... Like a teenager hitting a growth spurt, the Web is changing fast. In recent months, new and innovative services such as Flickr (www.flickr.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com), and YouTube (www.youtube.com) have captured national attention, leading...

Computer cures.(HELP & HOW-TO: TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER)
October 1, 2006... BUY A BIOS UPGRADE? I just purchased a new hard drive for an old machine that has an Award Modular BIOS from 2001. I've been told that I need to pay $49.99 for a BIOS upgrade. Isn't this available for free online? Nicholas Conway ...

Tip of the month: check the power first.(HELP & HOW-TO: TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE TECH EASIER)
October 1, 2006... In troubleshooting your PC, it's best to follow Occam's razor, the principle that states you should assume the simplest cause for a problem until you can prove something else is responsible. The difficult part is that some PC symptoms are...

Power up with a new PSU: rejuvenate your PC and accommodate new components with a power-supply upgrade.(HELPS & HOW-TO: WEEKEND PROJECT)
October 1, 2006... LET'S FACE IT: The power-supply unit (PSU) is not your PC's most glamorous feature. But it's clearly essential--without a PSU, all your high-end components would be just a pile of parts. And because today's components demand more watts than...

RSS to the rescue: stay on top of the latest Web news and blogs with a dedicated RSS reader.(HELP & HOW-TO: WEEKEND PROJECT)(Really Simple Syndication)
October 1, 2006... KEEPING CURRENT with your favorite blogs and Web sites is a time-consuming proposition. Sure, you could hunt down fresh content by visiting each site individually, but we suggest a simpler, faster way It's called Really Simple Syndication...

Performance desktops ($1,500 and higher).(TECHMARKET: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)
October 1, 2006... NEED TO KNOW PROCESSOR Power users need the best. Go with a top-notch Intel or AMD processor, such as the AMD Athlon 64 FX or X2 series, or Intel's Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Extreme. You'll have maximum power and the best protection possible...

Budget notebooks (less than $1,000).(TECHMARKET: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING)
October 1, 2006... NEED TO KNOW PROCESSOR Most budget notebooks ship with a low-powered Intel Celeron or AMD Sempron processor. If you're lucky, you'll find a notebook running a robust Intel Pentium M, Core Solo, or Core Duo. These mobile chips have a full...

Budget and midrange 3D-graphics cards (less than $300).(TECHMARKET: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)
October 1, 2006... NEE TO KNOW MEMORY When it comes to graphics memory, you can never have too much, especially if you're a hard-core garner. More RAM means better performance, improved 3D texturing, and higher display resolutions. If you're an avid garner...

External hard drives.(TECHMARKET: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING)
October 1, 2006... NEED TO KNOW FORM FACTOR External hard drives come in all shapes and sizes, and most can even be rested vertically to save space on your desk. Some externals are small enough to fit inside your shirt pocket, but these tend to be more...

Home and small-office laser printers.(TECHMARKET: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)
October 1, 2006... NEED TO KNOW COLOR OR MONOCHROME With a few color laser models priced under $500, some small businesses might find a color model worth the splurge to add some extra pop to their printed materials. For the most part, however, monochrome...

Mainstream flat-panel displays (17 to 19 inches).(TECHMARKET: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMART TECHNOLOGY SHOPPING)
October 1, 2006... NEED TO KNOW ASPECT RATIO The standard proportion of width to height for a computer monitor is 4-to-3, although some monitors that double as televisions have a wider format of 16-to-9, designed for viewing movies or high-definition...

Tech products.(WEB BUYER: THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE SHOPPING)
October 1, 2006... allstarshop.com When you wish upon Allstarshop, you'll find low prices on a twinkling collection of graphics cards, motherboards, and peripherals. You'll get free shipping on many items and plenty of information about each product. ...