Australian PC World articles from July 2007

Australian PC World archives from July 2007

Open source furore: software piracy is always in the spotlight, from the brouhaha of the HD-DVD hack and the DIGG postings, to the allegation that open source software violates Microsoft patents.(Editorial)
July 1, 2007... All software developers, big or small, greatly help the rest of us to get on with our day-to-day computing needs, by creating the programs we need to get our tasks done. Whether you design one of the thousands of great, simple-to-use small...

Free Vista drivers?(MISSIVE OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I'm a long time reader of your magazine--thank you fer an excellent publication. I've net written to you before, but your Vista report in the May issue (page 12) has caused me to be a little annoyed. At the end of the article, the author Dan...

E-shopping feedback.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... In the case of Joe Straczek (Readers' Forum, April 2007 issue), we did not respond to his e-mail. This is regrettable, even if unusual for us. Joe did not follow up his first e-mail with a reminder, which one would think reasonable. If Joe...

SlowPond.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... You might be interested in a personal issue I have with BigPond. I was missing a few e-mails per month on my e-mail client, so I use my company's domain name supplier's free Web mail to copy e-mails sent to davidf@prdeadlines.com.au into my...

Lovin' the new look.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Congratulations on the new look of PC World. I've been subscribing to PC World for some time now and I think this is the best format yet. I think you have the mix about right now. It is good to see more tech stuff on other technologies like...

Make your network better: here's help for real-world hassles, from dead spots to security threats to streaming-media hiccups.(REAL-WORLD NETWORKING)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Networks are dandy when they hum along behind the scenes, but all too often they fail. When your printer goes AWOL or your Skype calls break up every time your spouse starts watching YouTube, it's time to get your geek on and learn what makes...

Secure, unless from phishing: ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 7.0.(Broadband & Internet: SECURITY & SAFETY)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Check Point's new ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 7.0 significantly improves on version 6.0 we reviewed almost a year ago. Parent company Check Point has replaced the mediocre CA antivirus engine that it licensed from CA with a much...

Show me the money.(Broadband & Internet: THE PULSE)(data security tips for banks)
July 1, 2007... PC World recently went to a "live hacking" event where representatives from a leading Australian software security firm showed how "easy" it can be to compromise an unsuspecting user's bank account. By saying easy, it should be noted that the...

Portable VoIP for travellers: Freshtel 4030 Stickphone.(Broadband & Internet: NET PHONE ZONE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 The Freshtel 4030 Stickphone is a USB VoIP phone that connects to a PC, and is able to make VoIP calls via the Freshtel service. The package consists of a USB stick, a headset with microphone handset, and a free Freshtel account,...

Net Nanny says no--almost: the Internet can be a dangerous place, but you can't spend all day watching your children use the PC. Here's how to keep your kids safe while they surf.(Broadband & Internet: SECURITY AND SAFETY)
July 1, 2007... The Internet is a great resource for children. They can use it for education entertainment and to keep in touch with friends. But plenty of parents are worried about what their offspring could find online (including pornography or inappropriate...

NEXT not up to speed: Netgear RangeMax NEXT WNR834B.(Broadband & Internet: WIRELESS NETWORKING)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 Offering real-world wireless speeds that are almost twice as fast as 802.11g wireless routers, Netgear's 802.11n-based RangeMax NEXT wireless router is perfect for streaming media files around your home, but it's not as fast as we...

Going Wi-Fi? Secure yourself first: following a few easy steps can ensure that no one intercepts your Wi-Fi traffic.(Broadband & Internet: WIRELESS NETWORKING)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Almost all of us have jumped onto someone else's unsecured Wi-Fi network. There's little harm in that if you're just an honest soul looking for an Internet connection, but if you're the owner of an unsecured network, you should be aware that...

Look into my Spry.(Broadband & Internet: WEB 2.0 TUTORIAL)(Adobe Dreamweaver CS3)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 comes with some handy new scripting tools called Spry and this month we take a closer look at how to create dynamic content using this AJAX equivalent. An exclusive 30-day trial of Adobe's Creative Suite 3 Design...

Searching for results.(Broadband & Internet: SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION)
July 1, 2007... It's a misconception to think that all Web developers know the correct strategies for optimising your Web site for search engines to find. Follow these simple steps to ensure others can find you and your business online. Header tags...

This ain't no cheap porn: an Internet investment company pays $11.4 million for the domain name www.porn.com. (Our reporters thoroughly researched all Web sites to bring you this story.).(Broadband & Internet: DOTCOM)(MXN Ltd., Moniker Inc.)
July 1, 2007... They say that sex sells, and it would seem the dotcom industry wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment. In a recent sale, the Web domain www.porn.com was bought in cash for a cool $US9.5 million ($AUS11.4 million). Or to put it another way,...

Bucks for blogging: blogging is more popular than ever. We all have personal opinions, and now you can get paid to have your say.(Broadband & Internet: WEB 2.0 IN FOCUS)
July 1, 2007... One person who has made a living out of blogging is Darren Rowse. A former church minister. Rowse lives in Melbourne and got into professional blogging almost by accident. "In preparation for an overseas trip (in 2003), I started a photo...

Fantastic freebies.(Broadband & Internet: INTERNET TIPS)(free email and messaging services)
July 1, 2007... Once upon a time you actually had to pay for great software and services --hard to believe, but true. Luckily, we no longer live in that world. The Internet is stuffed with great downloads and Web sites offering free software and services of...

Broadband battle intensifies: the war between Telstra and the Australian Competition and Communications Commission (ACCC) has escalated and there's still no solid vision of a high-speed Australian broadband network or pricing plan.(Broadband & Internet: TELCO WAR)(Telstra Corporation Ltd.)
July 1, 2007... On the day before Australia's competition watchdog launched a public inquiry over the details of a new Fibre to the Node (FttN) network, ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said Telstra was moving "against policies that seek to ensure world-class...

Top 5 charts.(Broadband & Internet: BUYING ADVICE)(mobile broadband equipment, routers, VoIP phones)(voice over internet protcol)(Buyers guide)(Table)
July 1, 2007... Top 5 charts Highest rated MOBILE BROADBAND this month on goodgearguide.com.au and pcworld.idg.com.au PRODUCT CONTACT PRODUCT ID 1 3 Mobile NetConnect Card www.three.com.au ...

Insider expert: your guide to buying advice from industry advisors.(Broadband & Internet: BUYING ADVICE)(mobile broadband)(Brief article)(Column)
July 1, 2007... This month we ask Jerson Yau, Telco analyst with IDC (www.idc.com.au) for his Top 5 tips when selecting a mobile broadband package. 1. Accessibility: It's very important to the business user who must be able to access the Internet from...

Great entry-level handset: Nokia 6300.(Mobile: MOBILE PHONE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** The Nokia 6300 is a stylishly basic handset with a 2-megapixel (Mp) camera, MP3 player and stereo FM radio. The matte, stainless steel finish adds a touch of class to a unit that will serve most users' needs with excellence. ...

Fashionable design, some flaws: LG KU970 Shine.(Mobile: MOBILE PHONE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Following in the footsteps of the famous KG800 Chocolate Phone, LG's latest fashion-oriented mobile is sure to turn some heads. Its sleek, mirror-silver finish is extremely eye catching and the overall design is very stylish, but the unit is...

Smart with GPS: Nokia N95.(Mobile: MOBILE PHONE)(global positioning system)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... The Nokia N95 is the most feature-packed smartphone we've ever reviewed. Unfortunately, the end result could be described as a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. Nevertheless, it remains a solid product. Perhaps the biggest talking...

Hands-free headset: Motorola H800.(Mobile: HEADSET)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Sporting a slim, chic design and a funky pop-out microphone, Motorola's latest flagship hands-free headset, the H800, is a solid entry into the mobile market. It offers good quality audio, an attractively small design and easy operation. The...

Innovative business technology: Fujitsu Lifebook E8410 (Preproduction model).(Mobile: NOTEBOOK)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... The Fujitsu Lifebook E8410 showcases Inters most innovative notebook technology to date, Centrino Pro, codenamed Santa Rosa. It brings a number of fresh enhancements to the market, including faster wireless connectivity (using pre-n 802.11a/g/n...

Cheap and underpowered: Toshiba Tecra A6 (PTA63A-004002).(Mobile: NOTEBOOK)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... The Toshiba Tecra A6 is a run-of-the-mill notebook that performed slightly below average in our tests. However, it did offer reasonable battery life and is quite compact in size, making it a good product for portability. It runs a 1.6GHz...

Affordable, effective results: Acer Aspire 5613AWLMi.(Mobile: NOTEBOOK)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Clad in Acer's age-old silver and black trimmings, the Aspire 5613AWLMi notebook is a simple, but effective unit, which features all the hardware needed for a comfortable notebook experience. There's little that jumps out about this notebook,...

All-purpose, multimedia notebook: 1/2 Sony VAIO VGN-C25G/B.(Mobile: NOTEBOOK)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 The Sony VAIO VGN-C25G/B is an all-purpose notebook with a strong focus on style and ease of use. With a wide 13.3in glossy screen, 1GB of RAM and running the Windows Vista Home Premium operating system, it is ideal for casual...

Masses of storage: Epson P-5000.(Mobile: PORTABLE MULTIMEDIA)(storage devices)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 Epson's P-5000 storage device is a HDD-based media player designed to complement digital cameras. With a massive 80GB capacity, this unit is the ideal companion for a Digital SLR camera and while it is a little chunky, it is...

Affordable street-smarts: gogo CM310.(Mobile: GPS UNIT)(global positioning system)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Combining solid Destinator ND software with an MP3 player, a video player and a picture viewer, the gogo CM310 is a solid multi-purpose entry into the GPS market. The Destinator maps are simple and easy to read with a choice...

Insider expert: your guide to buying advice from industry advisors.(Mobile: BUYING ADVICE)
July 1, 2007... Choosing a portable notebook that's right for you can be a daunting task. We asked Nicholas Lynch, Hewlett-Packard's market development manager for consumer notebooks, to lend a helping hand. These were his top 5 buying tips. 1 Mobility:...

Top 5 charts.(Mobile: BUYING ADVICE)(notebooks, multimedia devices and smart phones)(Buyers guide)(Table)
July 1, 2007... Top 5 charts Highest rated ULTRAPORTABLE NOTEBOOKS this month on goodgearguide.com.au and pcword.idg.com.au PRODUCT CONTACT PRODUCT ID 1 Acer Travelmate 3010 www.isd.acer.com.au ...

Does one size fit all?(Tech@Work: SMB SOFTWARE)(accounting software)(small and medium business)
July 1, 2007... "One size fits all" is one of the biggest lies in clothing. Similarly, the notion U that one accounting application can be suitable for all small businesses is one of the biggest myths in computing. Small-business accounting applications...

Tips to improve your Wi-Fi network: get answers to your questions about boosting the speed and range of your wireless network.(Tech@Work: WI-FI NETWORK)(Column)
July 1, 2007... To extend the range of your home office Wi-Fi network you must first, make sure you are getting the most out of your current Wi-Fi router. Mount it in a central location in your home office, preferably high on a wall; make sure that other...

Pricey mobile VoIP phone: D-Link DPH-540.(Tech@Work: VoIP PHONE)(voice over internet protocol)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... The D-Link DPH-540 is a wireless Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based VoIP telephone, offering users the freedom of wireless connectivity and the benefits of VoIP. The DPH-540 uses 802.11g Wi-Fi technology to connect to a wireless network...

Who owns the code? Microsoft has claimed that open-source software collectively violated more than 200 of its patents. Is this the beginning of a heavy hitting legal stoush?(Tech@Work: OPEN SOURCE)
July 1, 2007... The news shouldn't surprise anyone. Microsoft has not only been building up its patent portfolio and making smaller moves for at least four years. The issue surfaced with the publication of a Fortune article that quoted Microsoft CEO Steve...

The threats you can't see.(Tech@Work: INTERNET ATTACKS)
July 1, 2007... You're no security slouch. You keep your programs up-to-date, and you have antivirus installed. You're careful about where you surf and what you install on your computer. But last September, if you had visited a blog hosted by HostGator, a...

Next-gen storage for SMB.(Tech@Work: STORAGE)(small and medium sized business)
July 1, 2007... Solid-state disk/Flash Technology DEFINITION: Data storage devices that rely on non-volatile memory, such as NAND flash, rather than spinning platters and mechanical magnetic heads found in hard disk drives. Vendors include Adtron, Samsung...

Finding security in Windows Mobile: while experts have long highlighted OS diversity as a major benefit to mobile device security, some business users have actually been waiting to adopt Microsoft's mobile OS, based on concerns for protecting their smartphones.(Tech@Work: MOBILE SECURITY)
July 1, 2007... Without a doubt, the most influential factor driving the current state of IT security is the ubiquitous presence of Microsoft's dominant Windows operating system on a vast majority of the world's PCs. Since an estimated 92 per cent of the...

Palm spruces up Windows Mobile 5: Palm Tree 750.(Tech@Work: SMARTPHONE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Along awaited upgrade to the Palm Tree 680, the Tree 750 adds HSDPA capabilities and is also the first Palm device to run the Windows Mobile 5 operating system, rather than the proprietary Palm OS. The new additions to the Tree make...

Run Windows apps under Linux: Here's one way to get your Windows apps (well, some of them, anyway) running under Linux.(Tech@Work: LINUX HOW-TO)(using IEs4Linux)
July 1, 2007... A couple months back, I was at home, working on some changes to my business Web site. I wanted to see how my work in progress looked in Internet Explorer. On a Windows machine that's as easy as pie, but on my Linux desktop it's not so...

Centrino-powered notebook: Acer TravelMate 6952dlmi.(Tech@Work: NOTEBOOK)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** 1/2 [pc world BEST BUYS] The new Santa Rosa Centrino platform brings a few welcomed improvements to the notebook space, such as the faster Wi-Fi 802.11n, an 800MHz front side bus (FSB), a range of new processors based on the Core...

Desktop PC with all the basics: Lenovo ThinkCentre A55 9640-A11.(Tech@Work: BUSINESS DESKTOP)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 The small form factor business PC is Lenovo's domain, and the ThinkCentre A55 9640-A11 offers all the usual ThinkCentre features, but also comes with Windows Vista Basic (optional to upgrade). Like other Lenovo desktop systems, we...

Swift swivels, noisy image: Philips 190B7.(Tech@Work: 19in LCD MONITOR)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 The 190B7 is a 19in LCD monitor that's aimed at business users. It features a stand that swivels, a built-in USB port and speakers that would come in handy in any office environment: however, we did notice some image noise and...

Secure colour output: Lexmark C534dn.(Tech@Work: LASER PRINTER)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Lexmark's C534dn is a colour laser printer that can be connected either directly to a computer using USB or to a network using its built-in 10/100 Ethernet controller. It's aimed directly at the business market and has many nifty...

Insider expert: your guide to buying advice from industry advisors.(Tech@Work: BUYING ADVICE)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Making a choice about the best notebook for your needs is difficult given the range of products and information available. We asked Dick Smith Electronics' national merchandise manager, Luke Goldsworthy, to tell us what DSE's top 5 best selling...

Top 5 charts.(Tech@Work: BUYING ADVICE)(Buyers guide)
July 1, 2007... Top 5 charts Most popular ALL-PURPOSE NOTEBOOKS this month on goodgearguide.com.au and pcword.idg.com.au PRODUCT CONTACT PRODUCT ID 1 Toshiba Satellite A100 (PSAARA-055007) ...

46in LCD delivers top DVD quality: Grundig Cinemo GLCD4600HD.(Home Entertainment: LCD TELEVISION)(liquid crystal display)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 The Grundig Cinemo GLCD4600HD is a 46in LCD TV with a native resolution of 1366x768. Suitable for displaying both standard and high definition content, it sits comfortably in the mid-range market, not just in price but also in...

Alternative to high-def DVD players: Harman Kardon DVD-47.(Home Entertainment: DVD Player)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** As the current format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray continues to generate a huge influx of new, high-definition screens, consumers often find themselves torn about which format to buy into to get the most out of their latest...

Stylish, with great sound quality: JBL Cinema Sound CS460.(Home Entertainment: HOME THEATRE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** 1/2 [pc world BEST BUYS] For those of you moving beyond an entry-level home theatre system, there's a range of options that offer an excellent mix of quality and affordability. JBL's latest Cinema Sound CS460 5.1 surround sound...

Sound advice: when it comes to home theatre equipment, choosing your speakers is only half the battle. We've identified three things that you can do to help get the most out of your system, regardless of what speakers you're using.(Home Entertainment: TUTORIAL)(Column)
July 1, 2007... So you've just bought your new surround sound system, it's laying there on your living room floor, speakers and screws and cables everywhere. Where do you go from here? Positioning: The first thing you need to do when setting up your home...

Layer upon layer.(HD-DVD vs. BLU-RAY)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Storage capacity is one of the biggest factors in the current Blu-ray and HD-DVD format war. With Blu-ray discs boasting 25GB per layer, compared to HD-DVD's 15GB, most consumers simply assume that Blu-ray wins and don't investigate this any...

Free HD-DVD is easy as O9 F9: how the key to high-def video got out, how the industry tried to stop it and why they failed.(Home Entertainment: NEWS)(Advanced Access Content System Licensing Association)
July 1, 2007... If you happen to be a regular surfer of the Internet, chances are you've stumbled across a hexadecimal code that starts with the digits O9 F9. In fact, with over 1.5 million Web sites currently splashing the code across their pages, it's nearly...

Top 5 charts.(Home Entertainment: BUYING ADVICE)(Buyers guide)
July 1, 2007... Top 5 charts Highest rated LCD TVs this month on goodgearguide.com.au and pcworld.idg.com.au PRODUCT CONTACT PRODUCT ID 1 Sharp LC65G5XSYS www.sharp.net.au 1736 2 Hitachi 32LB960DTA...

Inside expert: your guide to buying advice from industry advisors.(Home Entertainment: BUYING ADVICE)(digital video recorders, liquid crystal displays )
July 1, 2007... Digital video recorders (DVR) are fast becoming an important part of home entertainment setups, This month we asked technology market analysts International Data Corporation (IDC) about upcoming developments in the DVR market. Sophie Lo, IDC's...

Convert video for your iPod.(Digital Image: iPOD TUTORIAL)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Video iPods have changed the way we experience portable media, allowing us to carry around our favourite movies, TV shows and music videos in the palm of our hand. Although the iTunes Store is a great place to stock up on new video content,...

Strong, vibrant colour: Fujifilm FinePix F40fd.(Digital Image: COMPACT CAMERA)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Fujifilm's compact cameras have always been quite impressive, and the F40fd continues this tradition. Its 8.3-megapixel sensor captures stunningly sharp pictures and has some of the best colour reproduction we've ever seen. It does...

Hi-definition video & still image hybrid: Canon PowerShot TX1.(Digital Image: DIGITAL VIDEO)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Pistol-grip cameras are few and far between these days, which makes the Canon PowerShot TX1 something of a novelty. It is an ambitious hybrid device that offers both high-definition video and 7.1-megapixel still images. While it performed...

Best mid-range D-SLR: Nikon D80.(Digital Image: DIGITAL SLR CAMERA)(single lens reflex cameras)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** 1/2 [pc world BEST BUYS] Combining the excellent picture quality of past Nikon units with speedy and accurate focus, the D-SLR remains one of the best buys currently available in the D-SLR market. As expected, it performed...

Photographing your pets: five great tips that cover everything from shutter speeds to posing your animals.(Digital Image: CAMERA TUTORIAL)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Most pet owners consider their animals to be valued members of the family, which is why they appear in so many of our photos. However, capturing that perfect picture for prosperity can sometimes be frustratingly difficult. Here are five simple...

Webcam for vibrancy: Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000.(Digital Image: WEBCAM)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Designed for use with Windows Live Messenger, the LifeCam NX-6000 is a high-quality notebook webcam capable of capturing video at high resolutions with impressive image clarity. It has a 2-megapixel camera that can capture video at a...

Hi-definition at a high price: Sony HDR-HC7E.(Digital Image: DIGITAL VIDEO)(camcorder)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** With so many competing formats in the world of digital video recording, it has become difficult for most consumers to decide what it is exactly that they're looking for. Each format has different advantages and disadvantages, and the...

Good, photo quality prints: Hewlett-Packard Photosmart C7180.(Digital Image: MULTI-FUNCTION DEVICE)(printer)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** 1/2 [pc world BEST BUYS] If you're an imaging enthusiast, the HP Photosmart C7180 should have plenty to tickle your fancy. It's one of the few units we've seen that includes a film adapter so that you can scan in your favourite...

Sharpness issues.(Digital questions & answers)(digital cameras)(Brief article)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Q My wife and I both have the same model of Canon camera, but mine gets used a lot more than hers. I have noticed that my images are not as sharp as I'd like. I was wondering if the sensor is getting dirty? To test my theory, I set a lens on my...

Resize and edit photos for free.(Digital questions & answers)(sending photos through email)(Brief article)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Q I wish to send photos by e-mail but they take ages to dispatch and just as long to open at the other end. Can you recommend a way to make the process easier? ANGELA D A When it comes to making your photos smaller for e-mail, keep in mind...

Saving JPEG files.(Digital questions & answers)(Brief article)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Q This question has been driving me nuts for some time. My digital camera doesn't let me create pictures in any format except JPEG. Once I have uploaded those photos to my hard drive, I obviously want to open them for viewing. I know I should...

Rule of thirds.(Digital questions & answers)(digital photography terms)(Brief article)(Column)
July 1, 2007... Q I've heard the phrase 'rule of thirds' bandied about a lot by photographers. Can you explain what that is? J.L.B. A Sure thing. The rule of thirds is a basic tenet of composition where the frame is divided into an imaginary grid that...

DVD for budget shoppers: Hitachi DZ-GX5060SW.(Digital Image: DIGITAL VIDEO)(camcorder)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 The budget end of the digital camcorder market is a competitive area. There are a slew of products vying for a spot in your household and Hitachi has added another product to this list with the DZ-GX5060SW. While its price tag is...

Top 5 charts.(Digital Image: BUYING ADVICE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Review Finder: The reviews in the Top 5 charts all include a four-digit Product ID. If you'd like to read the full review of the product on www.pcworld.idg.com.au, simply type the product code in the chart into the Product Finder search tool on...

Insider expert: your guide to buying advice from industry advisors.(Digital Image: BUYING ADVICE)(digital single lens reflex cameras market share)(video editing tools)
July 1, 2007... There's a lot more to video editing than adding an occasional star wipe. We asked Paul Caggegi, senior editor at Kfilms, to list his Top 5 editing applications. Kfilms is a full service production company that specialises in advertisement and...

UFO: Extraterrestrials.(PC Pow-R-Tech: HOT GAME)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Developed out of the Czech Republic by Chaos Concept, UFO: Extraterrestrials comes incredibly close to matching its brilliant predecessor, X-COM: UFO Defence. However, the end result is slightly let down by a few unfortunate design...

DirectX 10 for the masses.(PC Pow-R-Tech: GRAPHICS CARDS)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... NVIDIA's GeForce 8800-series GPU (graphics processing unit) was the first on the market to offer support for the DirectX 10 application programming interface (API) (DirectX 10 ships with Windows Vista). DirectX 10 builds upon DirectX 9 and...

AMD 'Phenom': 8-core demo: AMD's new desktop Phenom CPU will be positioned against Inters Core 2 Duo. Plus with new dual-socket motherboards available, the chip giant may be the first to offer an 8-core platform for the mass PC market.(PC Pow-R-Tech: CPU)
July 1, 2007... AMD has finally announced its plans for a quad-core CPU. The company will make a quad-core chip for desktop PCs, replacing its venerable Athlon processor with the new Phenom design in an attempt to better compete with Intel's recent CPU...

StarCraft II: the epic returns: for the fans of the original game it may seem like a far off dream, but StarCraft II has officially been announced. We get the low-down on the new game's development and design details.(PC Pow-R-Tech: GAME)(Blizzard Entertainment)
July 1, 2007... "The long-awaited sequel to the 1998 title StarCraft--considered by many to be the greatest real time strategy game ever--was made public at Blizzard's recent worldwide international games tournament. Although the original game is nearly 10...

World's fastest notebook? Dell XPS M1710.(PC Pow-R-Tech: POWER NOTEBOOK)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** When it comes to Centrino Duo notebooks, the Dell XPS M1710 is certainly among the cream of the crop. There's little more any gamer or enthusiast could ask for in a notebook, except perhaps a jet pack or a built-in lightsaber. ...

Noisy, but powerful gaming rig: Scorptec Stinger.(PC Pow-R-Tech: GAMING PC)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Scorpion Technology's Stinger PC is tasty dish of gaming hardware built to satisfy the palette of gaming enthusiasts. Running Windows Vista Home Premium, as well as a host of powerful hardware, it scored well in our PC and gaming benchmarks. It...

Feature-packed, Vista-ready: ASUS P5B Premium Vista Edition.(PC Pow-R-Tech: INTEL MOTHERBOARD)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... **** Based on Intel's P965 chipset, this board suits any of the current generation Intel LGA775 socket-based CPUs and it can also handle an ATI CrossFire dual graphics card configuration. It's got a lot of features that aren't found on...

Budget price, limited expansion: ASRock ALiveXFire-eSATA2.(PC Pow-R-Tech: AMD MOTHERBOARD)(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** 1/2 This AMD-based board is inexpensive, and while it does have a limited supply of expansion options, it also includes some cool features, namely eSATA and ATI CrossFire support. It's based on the AMD 480X CrossFire chipset and...

Elegant, but awkward access: Lian Li PC-A12.(PC Pow-R-Tech: PC CASE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... *** This all-aluminium mid-tower case has an elegant exterior and can house an adequate amount of components comfortably. However, it does have a couple of quirks, and it's not a case you'd want to use if you're constantly adding and...

Glass panel displays clear image: ASUS LS201.(PC Pow-R-Tech: LCD MONITOR)(liquid crystal display)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... The biggest selling point of ASUS' LS201 20in LCD monitor is its glass panel. It protects the screen beneath it with a scratch-proof layer that can supposedly only be scratched by a diamond. We tried scratching the monitor by using a...

Quick, quiet and cool: Western Digital Caviar SE16 (WD5000AAKS).(PC Pow-R-Tech: HARD DRIVE)(Product/service evaluation)
July 1, 2007... Western Digital's Caviar SE16 range of internal hard drives is built with performance in mind. We reviewed the Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS, which proved to be a great performer while also running cool and very quietly. The specifications of the...

Overclock your CPU: tweaking your computer's settings to make the CPU go faster needn't be fraught with danger; all you need is a little bit of know-how and capable hardware.(PC Pow-R-Tech: PC UPGRADE)(central processing unit)
July 1, 2007... Keeping cool Traditionally, overclocking was a domain that only enthusiasts and gamers ventured into, but today's hardware can make it an easy task for all of us to undertake. Indeed, the overclock-ability of motherboards has now become a...

Building a PC beast: in this section we're slowly working our way towards building a PC Beast. This custom-built system will be an ongoing upgrade project where we will test, review and detail the components that go into building a high-end PC for gaming, video editing, and much more.(PC Pow-R-Tech: UPGRADE)(Column)
July 1, 2007... This month, we've given our PC Beast more performance: it's now got 2GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM, an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 CPU and a GeForce 8800GTX graphics card. The new graphics card means it's now well-equipped for super-high resolution,...

PC renovation: we take a simple PC and transform it to meet burgeoning PC tasks.(PC Pow-R-Tech: UPGRADE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... In recent weeks, Howie has been busy downloading videos, as well as creating his own content using his camcorder; he wants to be able to watch the output on his TV, rather than be confined to his PC. The graphics card in Howie's machine is a...