Australian PC World articles from November 2006

Australian PC World archives from November 2006

Crash test dummies: ever been an early adopter? Sure it's great to be the envy of all your friends, but does this offset the higher technology costs and upgrade headaches? Frequently staying a step behind the main game is the best bet, and let other people be the test bed for a cutting-edge idea. Better yet, let us do it for you!
November 1, 2006... The PC World Test Centre team pulls out all stops to bring you reviews of the latest gear, as soon as it hits our shores. Their quest for "hot button" tech gear starts the minute it's on our radar. It's important to bring you in-depth reviews...

Imprecise mouse marketing.(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... In your September "Quicktakes" (page 16), you preview a precision gaming mouse by A4TECH. I recently purchased a fairly competent computer system from a local OEM and, being very impressed by the equipment, I decided to go wireless and...

Cabling rules.(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... In reference to the article Here's How Networking--Get Wired (July 2006 edition), please be advised that under ACMA regulations, which includes network cabling, all cabling work must be carried out by a Registered Cabler and I quote; "All...

Core confusion.(Core Duo chips supports for motherboards)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... I recently read the Sweet Spot article "Intel's Core 2 Duo Blazes Ahead" (September issue, page 12). I have purchased a Gigabyte GA-954P-S3 motherboard with a Core 2 duo E6600 2.4GHz CPU. My problem is that on page 12 under the picture of the...

Missive of the month.(READER'S FORUM)
November 1, 2006... Congratulations to John Matthews! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to Australian PC World magazine--that's 12 months of all the best PC news, reviews, tutorials and opinions from Australia's leading magazine for PC...

Stop Bill bashing!(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I take exception to Stephen Conn's "View not so grand" and even greater exception to PC World's support of his complaints. If Stephen Conn and others like him want to moan about Bill Gates and the money he has made through being the intelligent...

Microsoft releases Vista RC1.
November 1, 2006... Microsoft took a big stride towards finalising Windows Vista by issuing a first release candidate for its next-generation operating system early September. A release candidate is a near-final version of the OS that is supposed to be...

Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune.(music player)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Microsoft has confirmed that Toshiba will manufacture its Zune music player, a product the company aims to compete with Apple Computer's successful iPod. The confirmation follows reports of a regulatory filing Toshiba made to the US First...

Intel unveils chip for notebooks.(Merom chips)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Intel formally announced its "Merom" chip for notebooks in August, as vendors announced new models built around the processor. Intel will use the chip to upgrade its keystone Centrino package of power-efficient, wireless-enabled...

Eye on the future: plan ahead to extend the life of your hardware, plus latest details on dram and LCD price movements.(SWEET SPOT)
November 1, 2006... Computers are in transition: technologies such as the PCI Express bus and all-digital video connectors are supplanting their predecessors. More importantly, Microsoft's new Windows Vista is right around the corner. Anyone who's thinking of...

Nokia tops eco-friendly list.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Nokia scored highly in Greenpeace's Green Electronic Guide for eliminating its use of polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs), which are widely used but are difficult-to-recycle plastics that cause the release of dioxin, another toxin, when manufactured....

Google unveils Office rival.(Web-based office products)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... With Microsoft Office clearly in its long-range sites, Google has launched a package of Web-based productivity apps. Google Apps for Your Domain (https://www.goegle.com/a/) comprises the Google services Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar...

LCD prices on the rise.(liquid crystal display)
November 1, 2006... Users looking for a new LCD (liquid crystal display) TV or desktop display could face higher prices in the coming months due to a recent sharp rise in demand. The price of popular 17in LCD panels, the screen part of a monitor, rose 5.8 per...

True surround sound.(Tritton Audio Extreme 360 headphones)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Targeted at gamers, but equally useful to movie buffs, the Tritton Audio Extreme 360 (AX360) headphones deliver true 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound and Pro Logic audio direct to your ears. The digital signal is obtained using either an...

Hybrid help.(3M Integrated Keypad/optical mouse)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Combining the functionality of a USB keypad (number pad) with an optical mouse, this ingenious fusion might leave one wondering why no one had thought of it before. Although seemingly uncomfortable, the mouse is surprisingly manageable and the...

Improve your sound.(Altec Lansing XT2 portable computer speakers)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... If you're happy with your notebook, but still want better sound, the XT2 portable speakers from Altec Lansing are a convenient solution for travellers and home users alike. Movies and music all sound good, beating most integrated notebook...

Small eSATA.(Thermaltake Muse One Touch Backup system)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... As more motherboards with eSATA come onto the market, those of you looking to take advantage of the extra speed that this interface offers may want to take note of Thermaltake's Muse One Touch Backup (OTB) eSATA/USB 2.0 enclosure. With eSATA...

Record sales highlight DRAM price rise.(SWEET SPOT)
November 1, 2006... Some of Taiwan's DRAM makers have reported record monthly sales for August, highlighting an increase in DRAM prices that could continue in the months ahead. The higher prices are unlikely to affect PC prices thanks to the stiff competition...

Creative's Zen V Plus rivals iPod Nano: Creative Zen V Plus.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Say what you will about the patent dispute between Creative and Apple, both companies make some really good MP3 players. Creative's latest effort--the Zen V series of flash-based players--is aimed directly at Apple's popular iPod Nano line. And...

Bookshelf hard drive: Western Digital My Book Premium Edition 500GB.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Western Digital's My Book Premium Edition is designed to make the storage and archival of music, videos, photos and documents, quick and easy. It provides 465GB of formatted space via a 7200rpm hard drive with a 16MB cache buffer and it can be...

Gaming in double-time: Innovision GeForce 7950GX2.(Graphics adapter)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Innovision's latest frame pusher, the GeForce 7950GX2 is actually two slightly modified NVIDIA 7900s sandwiched together in an SLI configuration, but only takes up as much space as a GeForce 7900GTX. Not only that, the SLI bridge is built-in,...

Space-saving PC: Altech Nano Box-VX Mini PC.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Altech's Nano Box-VX harnesses AOpen's MP945-VX Mini PC Duo enclosure to provide a PC that's not only small, but also capable of doling out plenty of speed to keep you productive. AOpen's enclosure, which measures 16.5cm deep, 16.5cm wide...

Entry-level widescreen: Chi Mei CMV938D.(LCD computer monitor)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Not a major name in retail, Chi Mei is building a reputation as a producer of inexpensive, entry-level displays. The CMV938D is no exception, though you should give careful thought to what you're sacrificing for the price. The monitor...

Versatile NAS solution: QNAP TS-101.(network attached storage device)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... QNAP's TS-101 is a network attached storage (NAS) device that can house any Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive. It's capable of serving files over your home or office network and, furthermore, it has good connectivity options that allow you to share...

Feature-packed photo printer: Canon PIXMA iP6700D.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Canon's new PIXMA iP6700D photo printer is the successor to the company's iP6600D, one of the best products of 2006. The $349 iP6700D is first and foremost a photo printer. In our tests, it produced high-quality prints on photo paper; images...

Colour laser for office: HP Laserjet 2605DTN.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... HP's latest 2605dtn colour laser printer is slightly tall, which means you don't need a very deep desk to accommodate it, but definitely a sturdy one, and you still need to make accommodations for the power cable that protrudes from the rear....

Off line Internet search tool: Webaroo Wikipedia.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Back in the August 06 issue, we told you about an exciting program that aimed to bring you the power of the Web without the need to be online. You simply download the free application and add "Web packs" to your hard drive. These packs...

FileMaker adds a Web viewer: FileMaker Pro 8.5.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... More and more, the data we care about--maps, prices, pictures, definitions lives on the Web. The new version of FileMaker Pro gives your databases a Web viewer, which places a live Web browser window on that information. Aside from that big...

Speedy Lamborghini: Asus VX1 Lamborghini.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... The VX1 is ASUS' luxury sports-car answer to the Acer Ferrari we reviewed in our May issue earlier this year, and it turned in some results that prove it's not all for show. Externally it's all Lamborghini. It even has an automobile style...

Something for everyone: BenQ S73G V41.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... A jack of all trades, the BenQ $73G has decent performance, some multimedia functionality, is light and portable, and doesn't cost a bank-load. Using the remote and the QMedia software that is shipped with the notebook, it's a simple matter of...

Sub-$1500 dual-core PC: PC West Elite.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... PC West's first submission to the PC World Test Centre is a solid dual-core PC that would suit a home or business user with basic computing needs. The PC West Elite is based on a Gigabyte GA-M51GM-S2G motherboard, which houses an AM2...

No fuss home PC: Compaq Presario SR1990AN.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... The Compaq Presario SR1990AN is a good proposition if you're looking for a current-generation, no-fuss PC for the home. It is a tidy unit that doesn't consume a large amount of desk space and it has the latest CPU technology installed, which...

Spreadsheets on the Web: Google Spreadsheets, iRows and Num Sum online spreadsheets.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Let's face it--Microsoft Excel is way more spreadsheet application than most of us will ever need. That is part of the appeal of a new breed of Web-based spreadsheet services: they have fewer features, which can make them easier to use for some...

Superthin projector: Casio Super Slim Projector XJ-S35.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Road warriors, take heed: Casio's $3495 Cassiopeia Pro Super Slim XJ-S35 is the thinnest business projector we've reviewed. A scant 32mm at its thinnest point, this 1.8kg, 1024x768-resolution (XGA) model is the size of a laptop. The...

Budget and functional ADSL 2+: ZyXel P-660HW.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... The P-660HW may be at the budget end of ZyXEL's fairly extensive range of ADSL 2+ broadband routers, but it doesn't skimp on features. Supplying everything you need to set up your PC with a wireless broadband connection, its $199 price tag is...

IRIS is fast and accurate: IRIS Readiris Pro 11.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The new IRIS Readiris Pro 11 optical character recognition software makes fast work of turning paper documents into electronic text files that keep the original formatting and design elements intact. IRIS has improved the app's OCR engine, and...

Dragon dictates voice recognition: Dragon NaturallySpeaking.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Over the years, Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice-recognition software has helped disabled users as well as those in dictation-heavy fields. We looked at the $400 Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred, which includes features for command...

Mobile Core 2 Duo notebooks: notebooks based on the new chips deliver only slightly better performance than portables based on Intel's first dual-core mobile CPUs.(EXCLUSIVE TEST REPORT)
November 1, 2006... Eight months ago, Intel rocked the mobile processor world with its first dual-core CPUs, which boosted the speed of a notebook performing two tasks simultaneously by 30 per cent. Now comes Core Duo's successor, Core 2 Duo, accompanied by Intel...

The ultimate PC power boost: is your system dragging? It may just need an upgrade to new technology. From dual-core CPUs to the latest in graphics, memory and hard drives, we'll show you, step-by-step, how to get more from any machine.
November 1, 2006... The right upgrade can have a big payoff, whether you want the best components for your power PC or another year of productive life from your wheezing workhorse. The key is to know what upgrades you can make, how to do them--and whether they're...

Motherboard mania! With support for the newest processors, today's motherboards pack more power than ever. The PC World Test Centre's evaluations of eight AMD and Intel models will help you find the best platform for your computer.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Now that the hype about AMD's and Intel's latest CPU releases has subsided, it's time to take stock of the platforms that will form the cornerstones of our computers for the next few years. Which chipsets should you look out for? What sort of...

The truth about superfast Wi-Fi: new wireless networking equipment promises big speed and coverage improvements. But our lab tests show that the new products have drawbacks--and that older ones are still the best performers.(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... "Twelve times the speed!" "Four times the range!" "Faster than wired!" Like barkers at a showground, home-network equipment vendors are touting the revolutionary performance of the latest and greatest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n. And yes, its...

Avoid tech travel hell: worried that security issues will prevent you from carrying your notebook onto a plane? Here's our advice on how to cope.
November 1, 2006... Call it the tech-savvy traveller's nightmare: when you arrive at the airport for your flight, you're told that, for security reasons, you must check your usual carry-on bag--including all of the sensitive electronics it contains. Even if...

Store it on the Web: these 16 free and low-cost services make it easier than ever to back up and share your files online.
November 1, 2006... All your important files--text documents, spreadsheets, music and videos, you name it--may start out sitting safe and snug on your PC's hard drive. But what if the drive goes belly up or runs out of room? And what if you'd like an easy way to...

Broadband power! Can't get ADSL or cable? Broadband over power lines may be the answer for fast Internet access.
November 1, 2006... Most people think of power lines as having the sole purpose of providing electricity to their homes. But they are more sophisticated than what you think. The latest buzz in many parts of the world, including Australia, is the delivery of...

Two better than one?(BEST BUYS: TOP HARDWARE, REVIEWED AND RATED)
November 1, 2006... Don't you hate it when you've just bought something and then everyone starts touting the latest, greatest thing and it seems like you've missed out? If you've bought a notebook recently with a Core Duo CPU you might be feeling just this way,...

PCs.(BEST BUYS)(Table)
November 1, 2006... [pc world TEST CENTRE] $1500-$3000 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Altech GameForce X2 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ CPU; AM2 Price: $1999 CPU Socket; Abit KN9 SLI mother-...

Media centre PCs & PC cases.(BEST BUYS)(Table)
November 1, 2006... MEDIA CENTRE PCs & PC CASES [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Claritas CLT-302 * Intel (1.83GHz T2400 Core Duo Price: $2999 ...

Notebooks.(BEST BUYS)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... NOTEBOOKS [pc world TEST CENTRE] SUB-$2500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Pioneer DreamnBook Light 822 Intel Core Duo (2GHz) T2500; Price: $2299 1GB 533MHz RAM...

Wireless routers.(BEST BUYS)(Table)
November 1, 2006... WIRELESS ROUTERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] WI-FI SPEEDS MIMO ROUTERS WI-FI SECURITY 1 Netgear RangeMax WPN824 11Mbps, 54Mbps, 108Mbps ...

ADSL2 modems.(BEST BUYS)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... ADSL2 MODEMS [pc world TEST Centre] ADSL2 MODEMS ADSL STANDARDS 1 Dynalink RTAID25W ADSL; ADSL2; ADSL2+ Price: $179 Phone: 1300 269 927 URL: www.anyware.com.au; www.dynalink.com.au ...

19in LCD monitors.(BEST BUYS)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... 19in LCD MONITORS [pc world TEST CENTRE] PANEL TECHNOLOGY RESPONSE TIME INPUT MODEL DOT PITCH SPEAKERS...

Graphics cards.(BEST BUYS)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... GRAPHICS CARDS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MID-RANGE GRAPHICS CARDS SPECIFICATIONS 1 Gainward GeForce 7600GT PCX GeForce 7600GT chipset; 12 pixel Price: $249 pipelines; 5...

TV tuners.(BEST BUYS)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... TV TUNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 DViCO FusionHDTV PCI; USB 2.0; HDTV; SDTV; dual DVB- DVB-T Dual Digital 2 T tuners; PIP;...

DVD burners.(BEST BUYS)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... DVD BURNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL CD SPEEDS DVD SPEEDS BUFFER 1 Pioneer DVR-A11XLA CD-ROM 40x DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-R 2MB Price: $99 CD-RW 32x 16x,...

Corrupt DLLS.(Windows XP)
November 1, 2006... Q While running the Disk Cleanup Wizard on my Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop, the computer switched itself off--probably due to overheating. Now Windows will not start, not even in Safe Mode or Last Known Good Configuration. If I try Safe...

MBR error.(Windows XP)
November 1, 2006... Q For a long time, my computer displays the message "MBR Error 3" during bootup. It doesn't seem to do any harm.--Brian Smith A Your hard drive has a corrupt master boot record, but your best bet is probably to ignore it. There is a command...

Iinstaller error.(Windows XP)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q Whenever I try to install or uninstall a program, I receive an error message that says: "Windows Installer could not be accessed". I'm using Windows XP Service Pack 2.--Peter Lekarski A The Windows Installer is part of XP SP2. This error...

Ride the WorldWind.(TOP TIP)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... NASA WorldWind(http://worldwind.arc.nasa. gov) is a fantastic piece of software, but the level of detail available for countries outside the US is a bit disappointing. However, there's currently a plug-in by Casey Chestnut that enables MSN...

Broken chain.(HARDWARE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q Before I got my new PC, I was running Windows 98 SE with an Epson C62 printer, Genius scanner and Iomega Zip 100 drive daisy-chained to the parallel port. My new system won't accept this arrangement. Fortunately, the Epson has a USB...

Converting fat.(HARDWARE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q I installed a 320GB external hard drive and found that the file system is FAT32. I wish to convert it to NTFS. Windows Help directs me to open a command prompt and run the command "help convert". I do not fully understand. Can you...

Never-ending conflict.(SECURITY)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q I ran System Mechanic and it immediately found and fixed two flaws. Then WinPatrol asked if it was okay to transfer control of .reg files from regedit.exe to Notepad and .SCR files from Co.name%1/s to Notepad. I agreed. Later, I ran...

Unreasoned restriction.(SECURITY)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q Internet Explorer has started issuing a warning when I try to access Internet Options via the menu. It tells me that "This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator."...

Desktop organiser.(APPLICATIONS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q Several years ago I divided my desktop into several windows, into which I placed different categories of work such as photography, Internet and so on. I can't remember how I achieved this, but I would like to do it again.--Ron Braggins A...

Walkthroughs.(TOP TIP)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... If you didn't spot them last month, here's a quick reminder that we're gradually building a library of video walkthroughs for common tasks in Windows. You'll find five new ones on the Cover Disc each month. When these match up to articles...

E-mail hang-ups: find old e-mail messages quickly, supercharge Outlook searches and stop annoying printer pop-ups.(HERE'S HOW: HASSLE-FREE PC)
November 1, 2006... The Hassle: I hang on to valuable messages--sometimes for years. The problem is, the subject lines are often worthless. That makes it difficult for me to remember what the e-mail was about. The Fix: I have the same pack rat mentality, but I...

Slicker searching in Outlook.(TOP TIP)
November 1, 2006... Got messages you know are around but can't find? Use Lookout, a freebie from, of all companies, Microsoft (download it at www.lookoutsoft.com/ Lookout/download.html, or get it off the Cover Disc). Lookout is quicker to access than separate...

PowerPoint solutions: hackers get busy with PowerPoint, Flash Player gets patched and thumb drives get hot under the collar.(HERE'S HOW: BUGS & FIXES)
November 1, 2006... A few months ago it was Microsoft Word. Last month it was Excel. Now PowerPoint is under attack through a critical hole. Why so many Office flaws so quickly? Part of the reason is that "black hat" hackers now have cracking tools called...

Critical Flash Player bug fix.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Adobe just patched a critical bug in its incredibly popular Macromedia Flash Player. Exploitation of the flaw could leave your PC completely compromised via memory corruption, according to security researcher Fortinet. When you visit a Web site...

OpenOffice patched.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Office apps of all types are feeling the pain: Open Office.org has just patched three critical bugs in its free competitor to Microsoft Office. All three holes were discovered by internal audits of Open Office, and none have resulted in active...

Jumpdrive recall.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Lexar is recalling 66,000 flash drives--among them all models of its JumpDrive FireFly, with 256KB to 2GB of memory, as well as its 1GB Secure II drives--due to a risk of overheating. No incidents or injuries have been reported. The affected...

Protect yourself: sharing your PC with others means you share the troubles they create. Give 'em their own account and make it their problem.(HERE'S HOW: WINDOWS)
November 1, 2006... Is what's good for the goose always good for the gander? If you're referring to computer security, the answer is a firm "no". Software companies are always reiterating how important it is to limit users' privileges to stop them from...

Zip it! tips to keep your files safe, save space and work well with others by picking the best file format. And when you use office 2007, that means compressed.(HERE'S HOW: OFFICE)
November 1, 2006... Switching to a different Office file format is always painful. You probably won't want to jump head first into the XML file formats that come with Office 2007, but it does have big advantages. For one thing the files take up less room...

No great loss: JPEG has long been the popular format for digital photographers, but Microsoft is hoping to steal the crown for its own.(HERE'S HOW: IMAGING)
November 1, 2006... The JPEG image format has been the staple diet of digital cameras for years. Its efficient compression levels make it the ideal space saver for those with less-than-generous memory cards. But it's not just digital cameras which have reaped...

(More) cheap tricks: video equipment doesn't need to cost the earth. Laurence Grayson shows you how some unlikely tools can help you get that perfect shot.(HERE'S HOW: DIGITAL VIDEO)
November 1, 2006... Anyone who's been faced with a looming deadline and a dwindling budget on a video shoot knows how improvisation and ingenuity can be pushed to extremes. Sometimes, solutions can be found in the most unlikely of places, so here's a collection of...

Back to basics: getting your head around networking can be hard. Let Roger Gann show you the difference between your hubs, switches and routers.(HERE'S HOW: NETWORKING)
November 1, 2006... If you were to line up a hub, a switch and a router next to one another, at first glance you might think they look pretty much the same. While they do have some basic functionality in common, they are in fact very different beasts. If you can't...

Dabble with dapper: we let our resident Linux specialist out of the basement for five minutes and he's straight back to his old tricks--spruiking Ubuntu.(HERE'S HOW: LINUX)
November 1, 2006... 1Here I am, at long last, back to my Linux column--sorry, but I've been locked away in a dungeon with PC World's Applications Development team for the last few months. While I was away, the Linux landscape changed. Ubuntu loosed its latest...

Titan Quest.(PC)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Reviving the "rapidly click on the monsters until they die" game mechanic, Titan Quest is probably the most convincing challenger to the Diablo 11 legacy we've seen to date, showcasing a very impressive graphics engine, thoughtful world design...

Jaws: unleashed.(PC/PS2/Xbox)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... The concept of a sand box non-linear game, based on the classic Jaws films, where the player assumes control of the most deadly predator on the face of our planet seems like it would be a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want to play as a Great White...

Easy access.(BACKBYTES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Quickly gaining access to a hard drive or optical drive that hasn't been installed into a computer can be cumbersome, regardless of how user friendly the case might be. So rather than trying to negotiate the mayhem of power supply cables or...

Defcon.(PC)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Independent UK-based developer, Introversion, hit the game scene last year with the surprise hit, Darwinia. It was a quirky, imaginative, and (most importantly) innovative title that deserved all the attention it received. Just like...

A sound feeling.(BACKBYTES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Feeling the music takes on a whole new meaning when you plant yourself into the S20O0 Sound Rocker from Pyramat. With two integrated speakers and a 5.5in sub-woofer, this chair pumps a deep resonating bass into the small of your hack while you...

Lego Star Wars II.(PC/PS2/Xbox/GC/Xbox360)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Few reviews warrant the barrage of cliched quotes that this deserves. Not only because this classic fusion of two globally celebrated phenomena stays true to its origins, but because it pokes fun at them at the same time, so why shouldn't I?...

Fingers and thumbs.(BACKBYTES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A lot of people are coming round to the idea that protecting your data is a good idea, particularly the kind of information that you carry around with you all the time. Those of an especially protective nature should consider the MyFlash FP1...

Bytesback: in which the good doctor receives a phishing e-mail and decides to pay a house call.(BACKBYTES)
November 1, 2006... As you already know, there are many things in life that annoy me. Like people who repeatedly press the buttons on lifts or pedestrian crossings in the mistaken belief that this will cause the lift to appear faster, or the lights to change...