Velocity Solo X2 review: Teach an old PC new SATA 6-gbps tricks

del.icio.us Tags: Computers,SSD Drives

Jon L. Jacobi

del.icio.us Tags: SSD,Computers,Hard Drives

If your PC lacks a SATA 6-gigabits-per-second interface, you can't get top performance out of any of the latest consumer-grade solid-state drives. Such drives bump up against the 6-gbps limit of that bus, while the older second-generation SATA interface maxes out at just 3 gbps. Apricorn's Velocity x2 should remove that roadblock for you.

My main system sports a circa-2009 Intel D58SO motherboard. It has a great feature set, but it predates third-generation, 6-gbps SATA. The only way to upgrade such a beast is via a PCIe adapter card with a SATA 6-gbps interface, of which the market has plenty to choose from. I tried installing one of those a couple of years ago, but it gave me blue screens. SSDs at that time weren’t nearly as fast as they are today, so I saw no real reason to upgrade. But with SSD performance now topping 600 MBps, it’s time.

Lo and behold, Apricorn contacted me about its Velocity Solo PCIe cards. These will not only add SATA 6-gbps capability to any system with an available PCIe slot, but they’ll also serve as a caddy for a single SSD. Apricorn sent two cards for me to evaluate: the $50 Velocity x1 and the $99 Velocity x2. I tried both, and recommend one.

Apricorn's Velocity Solo x2 will endow your older computer with two SATA 6-gbps interfaces. You can bolt one 2.5- or 3.5-inch SSD right to the card.

A 6 gbps Kingston HyperX 3K drive attached to my motherboard’s second-generation SATA interface read data at 227 MBps and wrote data at 236 MBps while running the synthetic benchmark CrystalDiskMark 3. Surprisingly enough, a much faster OCZ Vertex 4 SSD mounted on the Velocity x1 delivered slower performance: It read at only 203.3 MBps and wrote at 196.5 MBps.

When I paired the Vertex 4 with Apricorn’s Velocity Solo x2 card, however, the SSD's numbers jumped to 348.1 MBps reading and 323.2 MBps writing—a substantial improvement beyond what is possible with the second-generation SATA interface. Attaching the Kingston HyperX 3K to the Velocity Solo x2, meanwhile, improved its numbers to 322.1 MBps reading and 239.6 MBps writing. That considerably faster read performance made my system feel much more responsive.

The reason for the two cards’ performance disparity is that the x1 uses only a single PCIe 2.0 lane, while the x2 employs two lanes (and must be installed in at least a PCIe 2.0 x2 slot as a result). Since each PCIe 2.0 lane is capable of transferring data at 500 megabytes per second (or 3.9 gigabits per second) in each direction, two PCIe lanes are necessary to satisfy the requirements of the SATA 6-gbps interface. Both Velocity Solo cards are outfitted with a standard female SATA connector for attaching a second drive, and both cards are bundled with Apricorn’s EZ Gig software for cloning your existing hard drive to your new SSD.

I can't recommend the Velocity Solo x1, as the SSDs I mounted to it performed more slowly than they did when connected to my motherboard’s second-generation SATA interface. The Velocity Solo x2, on the other hand, delivered a dramatic improvement, both during testing and subjectively. My only real qualm is the x2's $99 price tag, which is steep compared with the cost of some SATA 6-gbps interface cards (such as the Syba HyperDuo) that don’t have the handy mounting caddy. The lowest street price we could find as of December 18, 2012, was $95.

Note: Don't miss our SSD roundup, where you'll find a detailed explanation of how SSDs work, plus links to reviews of seven new models as of December 18, 2012.

Apricorn Velocity Solo X2 SATA 6Gbps SSD Upgrade Kit

3/5

$95*

COMPARE

View full product specs »

BOTTOM LINE

If your PC doesn't have a SATA 6-gbps interface, this device adds it, caddies one drive, and let's you attach another via a cable.

*Price when rated

$95

PROS

• Adds SATA 6-gbps capability to older desktop motherboards
• Caddies a single SSD
• Includes a second 6-gbps interface to host another drive

CONS

• Expensive
• Requires at least a x2 PCIe slot

How to activate Windows Defender in Windows 8

 

del.icio.us Tags: Windows 8,Windows Defender

Brad Chacos@BradChacos

Like every new Windows release, Windows 8 is more secure than the operating systems that came before it. That's due in large part to three major enhancements: An increased emphasis on UEFI Secure Boot optimizations, the extension of the SmartScreen Filter across the operating system, and the default inclusion of a more robust version of Windows Defender, which now protects against all kinds of malware—not just spyware.

Windows Defender's increased scope doesn't sit well with computer manufacturers, however. OEMs make beaucoup bucks by installing those trial versions of McAfee, Norton and other security suites you'll find bundled on boxed PCs. Windows Defender's default installation threatens that gravy train.

Microsoft tossed its partners a bone by allowing OEMs to deactivate Windows Defender in order to ship boxed PCs with alternative security solutions installed. That's all well and good from a "variety is the spice of life" perspective, but one side-effect that isn't so hot is what happens when you fail to register that third-party security software: Windows 8 doesn't automatically reactivate Windows Defender by default. In other words, your pretty new prepackaged PC is wide open and vulnerable to all the nasties of the 'Net.

Fortunately, activating Windows Defender is a snap. Here's how to do it.

Activate Windows Defender in Windows 8

Windows Defender isn't subtle about being deactivated.

First, head to the modern-style Start screen and type "Windows Defender" to have Windows search for the program, then click on the Windows Defender icon when it appears in the results. A Windows Defender window will appear on the classic desktop. If Microsoft's security software is disabled, you'll seen a lot of scary red tones alongside an "At risk" warning and an image of a computer screen with a big X on it. Subtle, eh?

Next, click on the Settings tab at the top of the window. Make sure "Real-time protection" is selected in the left pane, then check the box next to "Turn on real-time protection (recommended)." Finally, click Save Changes at the bottom of the Window.

How you want your Settings tab to look!

You'll know it worked when the terrifying red "At risk" bar at the top of the Windows turns a much more soothing shade of green and switches to "PC Status: Protected."

Check for leaks

You're not quite done yet. Now it's time to make sure your PC is actually malware-free! Click the Update tab, then click on the big Update button in the middle of the Window to download the latest malware definitions Microsoft has on file.

Next, open the Home tab and select the "Full" radio button in the Scan Options list. All you have to do now is click Scan Now, then sit back and wait while Windows Defender checks the nooks and crannies of your PC for any hidden baddies. Grab a cup of coffee; it may take some time. While you're waiting, we recommend checking out your Windows 8 antivirus options.

Wi-Fi MicroSD Adapter Lets You Swap In As Much Storage As You Need

del.icio.us Tags: WiFi,memory,mobile

Andrew Liszewski

Unlike the Eye-Fi wireless SD cards which lock you into a set amount of storage, PQI's Air Card uses a microSD slot so that as the tiny cards get bigger and bigger, you can easily upgrade the adapter's capacity.

And like the latest generation of the Eye-Ficards, the $50 PQI Air works with mobile devices thanks to an accompanying iOS and Android app. So you can share photos and get your snaps online without the need for a card reader or a USB connection to a PC. It works with three devices at once too, so you can send shots to your phone and tablet at the same time, and according to the PQI site it supports pretty much every popular camera on the market today.

Asus ET2701 INKI Review: A Multipurpose Media Machine

 

del.icio.us Tags: ASUS,desktops,all on one,HTPC

Asus ET2701 INKI Review, by Alex Cocilova July 9, 2012

We get lots of functional, pretty all-in-one desktops through the PCWorld Labs, and the ET2701 INKI is Asus's latest entry. This high-definition, 27-inch system, priced at $1299 (as of 7/9/2012), is equipped with one of Intel's newest and fastest processors plus a discrete Nvidia graphics chip.

The Core i7-3770S CPU runs at a 3.1GHz base clock frequency, with Intel Turbo Technology kicking it all the way up to 3.9GHz when needed. That’s plenty fast for any desktop, let alone an all-in-one machine. Asus coupled that with an abundant 8GB of DDR3-SDRAM, making applications open quickly. I love seeing all-in-one desktops with a discrete graphics chip, even if it's a midrange mobile one. The ET2701 INKI uses the Nvidia GeForce GT 640M GPU with a gigabyte of video memory on board. It ran through our Dirt 3 and Crysis 2 benchmarks on high settings at a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels and scored an average of 41.3 frames per second in Dirt 3 and 19.1 fps in Crysis 2. While Dirt 3 is playable at that rate, the more-demanding Crysis 2 appears choppy and constantly skipped frames.

The holy grail for gamers is the coveted 60 frames per second (or more), and the Asus ET2701 INKI manages to achieve that rate in both games by sacrificing resolution and graphics levels. The frame rate for Dirt 3 jumps to 77.5 fps when lowering the resolution to 1024 by 768 pixels. When we changed the settings to low and kept the resolution at 1920 by 1080, it managed 76.2 fps. For Crysis 2, we had to sacrifice everything, setting the graphics to low and the resolution to 1024 by 768 pixels to achieve 62.4 fps. While the Asus ET2701 INKI may not be designed with gamers in mind--hard-core gamers, at any rate--it still manages to get the job done.

The Asus ET2701 INKI scored 111 on our strenuous WorldBench 7 benchmark suite. This means that it’s 11 percent faster than the baseline test-bed system. It’s impressive anytime a large, thin all-in-one can outperform our full-size desktop test bed. Fitting all those powerful components into a sleek, single package that fits in a chassis the size of an LCD screen is no easy feat.

No Touching

Though the screen is large and crisp with its 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution (making it suited, by definition, to 1080p video), it lacks any touch support, even though the release of Windows 8 is on the horizon. Given that Win 8's Metro interface emphasizes touchscreen features, it’s imperative that new systems take advantage of touch going forward. With touchscreen tablets so popular in the device market and Microsoft's own Surface tablet set to run Windows 8's Metro, desktops must have touchscreens to stay on a par with such competition. Also, a few gimmicky touchscreen games can really pique some consumers' interest.

On the plus side, not being a touchscreen means less cleaning. The black border of the ET2701's screen is a fingerprint magnet and will get smudged as you tilt or move it. The menu and mode-select buttons are touch sensitive, so you don't even need to push them for activation. A slight graze will send your computer searching for HDMI input or will open the menu. The screen itself looks good from most angles (Asus claims 178 degrees of vertical and horizontal viewable angles), but it is very reflective when under direct light.

The system comes with a single 7200-rpm, 2TB hard drive split into two partitions: a small one for the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system and a few programs, and a second partition labeled as a data drive. Such a split feels unnecessary, especially since everything is already on a single drive. Since programs naturally install to the C partition, which quickly fills up and causes low disc space warnings, I anticipate some confusion and frustration for casual PC users.

The ET2701 is well connected all around. It has the typical gigabit ethernet adapter and wireless 802.11n connection. The addition of Bluetooth is nice for connecting applicable devices without having to use up the scarce USB ports.

The system has a total of five USB ports: two USB 3.0 ports and an eSATA/USB 2.0 one on the side, plus two USB 2.0 ports on the back. This is far too few, especially since the dongle for the wireless mouse automatically takes up a slot. Other ports are an SD card reader, VGA (input only), an antenna, and an HDMI-in for hooking up a game console or media device. Including an antenna and an HDMI port is becoming common for many all-in-ones, as it supports the notion that they are not only PCs, but desktop televisions as well. It's great to kill two birds with one stone and get a completely functional television, but the lack of any kind of video output means no support for dual displays. On the other hand, Asus has included a Blu-ray optical drive, a great amenity on these high-definition, media-centric machines. An included wireless mouse and keyboard keeps the desk mess to a minimum. Finally, the all-in-one standard webcam and integrated microphone are included for online calls.

Boosting Bass

Asus throws in its SonicMaster Subwoofer to provide better sound at higher volumes. It has its own special port on the side that is designed especially for the subwoofer, and a removable sticker protects it to make sure you know it’s proprietary. The subwoofer resembles a UFO and is large enough to be a prominent object on any desk. It indeed boosts volume, making even the halfway mark seem loud, and it helps the ET2701 INKI transcend other similar desktops when people are choosing a media-centric PC, because good sound is certainly considered part of the high-definition experience.The 'UFO' at lower left is Asus's SonicMaster Subwoofer.

The HP Omni 27 101-T seems nearly identical to the Asus E2701 INKI in its components. They have the same screen size and same hard-drive capacity, and the graphics card and processor are near-equivalent. The Asus runs a bit stronger with its Core i7 instead of the Core i5 that the HP has; however, the Asus is over $200 cheaper (the HP is priced at $1549). The HP does have an extra USB port and a minimally better Worldbench 7 score at 115 (versus the Asus's above-mentioned 111), due to slightly faster hard-drive processing. But you would miss out on the Blu-ray drive, the extra powerful processor, and the slightly smoother gameplay of the Asus, not to mention a couple of Benjamin Franklins from your wallet. These advantages make the Asus is a home run in comparison.

The Asus's configuration is also similar to that of the Dell XPS One 27, though the Asus is priced lower. The Dell fares a bit better on WorldBench 7, and it ships with 2GB of video memory. What really differentiates the two is the Dell’s higher resolution: 2560 by 1440 pixels, compared with the more-standard 1920 by 1080 pixels of the INKI.

The Asus E2701 INKI is an excellent media machine, especially for such a low list price. You will no doubt get your money’s worth in terms of a computer, a good if less-intensive gaming machine, and a high-definition television. If you are a media maven to whom a touchscreen seems to be an unnecessary gimmick, this Asus may be a great fit.

Netgear adds R6200 router and A6200 USB adapter to its 802.11ac family - WiFi speed of 1200 Mbps!!!

del.icio.us Tags: WiFi,networking,computers,technology

By James Trew posted May 16th 2012 8:38AM

In its ongoing battle against internet bottlenecks -- or let's face it -- techie bragging rights, Netgear has launched two more devices with that sweet, sweet 802.11ac data flow. Joining its recently announced R6300 router, is the R6200 model, which supports a combined WiFi speed of 1200 Mbps, has a USB port for networking devices, and of course also rides the a, b, g and n waves too -- if you don't have any 802.11ac kit just yet. Well, as it happens, Netgear thought of that, and has also announced the A6200 dual band USB WiFi adapter to, literally, bring your existing kit up to speed. If you want in on the action, you'll need to spend $179.99 and $69.99 respectively when they launch in Q3 this year. Full specs in the PR after the break.

Show full PR text

NETGEAR Introduces New Additions To 802.11ac Product Line For Next-Generation Wifi
NETGEAR Dual Band Gigabit Routers and USB Adapter Deliver WiFi Speeds Up To Three Times Faster than 802.11n
NETGEAR LOGO NETGEAR logo. (PRNewsFoto/NETGEAR) SANTA CLARA, CA UNITED STATES
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SAN JOSE, Calif., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, today announced a new line of products that provide access to next-generation high-speed 802.11ac wireless to meet growing customer needs for better and faster wireless on Internet-enabled WiFi devices in the home. The products-two wireless routers and one wireless USB adapter-make 802.11ac WiFi available to laptops and PCs, even before this capability has been built into these systems.

The previously announced NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router is the industry's first 802.11ac router. Following up on the introduction of that product, NETGEAR is pleased to announce that it will be expanding its 11ac range with a second 11ac router and a USB adapter. The NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router supports combined WiFi speeds up to 1750 Mbps, while the NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Router announced today supports approximate combined WiFi speeds up to 1200 Mbps and has a lower price point. Both are backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n to provide optimum interoperability with legacy WiFi devices and maintaining maximum performance on Wireless-n.

NETGEAR is also announcing the NETGEAR A6200 WiFi Adapter, a first-to-market 802.11ac dual band WiFi USB adapter that enables consumers to easily upgrade their existing PC or laptop to 802.11ac performance. The suite of products illustrates that consumers can continue to rely on NETGEAR to provide market-leading solutions that enable them to enjoy the fastest wireless speeds in their home.

The Next-Generation 802.11ac NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router features:

The first 802.11ac dual band gigabit WiFi router enabling fifth-generation WiFi (5G WiFi) at gigabit speeds: 450 Mbps (@ 2.4 Ghz 802.11n) + 1300 Mbps (@ 5 Ghz 802.11ac) Mbps
Ultimate speed and range for mobile devices on the home network
Backward compatibility to 802.11a, b, g and n; perfect for current and future WiFi devices, while maintaining maximum Wireless-n performance
Two USB 2.0 ports to simultaneously access and share a USB hard drive and printer

The NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Router features:

802.11ac dual band gigabit WiFi router enabling fifth-generation WiFi (5G WiFi): approximately 300 Mbps (@ 2.4 Ghz 802.11n) + 900 Mbps[1] (@ 5 Ghz 802.11ac)
Improved speed and range for WiFi mobility
One USB 2.0 port to access and share a USB hard drive or printer
Backward compatibility to 802.11a, b, g and n; perfect for current and future WiFi devices

The NETGEAR A6200 WiFi Adapter features:

Ability to easily upgrade existing PCs or laptops to 802.11ac speed
Backward compatible with 802.11 a, b, g and n WiFi routers
Fast WiFi speeds for HD streaming
Swivel designed antennas ensure ideal antenna positioning for best performance
Flexible placement option with a desktop docking station

Other advanced features of the NETGEAR R6300 and NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Routers include:

NETGEAR Genie®: This free app for PCs, Macs, iOS and Android® smartphones and tablets enables home users to control, monitor, repair and manage their home networks easily through a simple, elegant dashboard. NETGEAR customers can download the utility at http://www.netgear.com/genie or from Google Play or the App Store.
NETGEAR MyMedia™: The NETGEAR genie mobile app provides the ability to find photos, video or music files anywhere on the network and play them on a DLNA media player.
AirPrint™ Support: The NETGEAR Genie app enables users to print on any USB or networked printer directly from an Apple iPad® or Apple iPhone®.
Guest network access: The NETGEAR genie app makes setting up a guest network simple. Guests and visitors can go online through the router without the need for secure login information. The guest network also prevents users from seeing and accessing a household's computers, printers, storage devices and other home network devices.
ReadySHARE® Printer: This feature makes it easy for the router to turn any existing USB printer into a fully functional networked printer that is fully compatible with Macs and PCs.
Media Server-DLNA: The R6300 and R6200 Routers are DLNA-ready and can stream to any DLNA-compatible device in your house, including the latest smart TVs, Blu-ray® players, media players, game consoles, handheld devices, tablets and more.
NETGEAR Live Parental Controls: Centralized, flexible, and reliable parental control solution for all the devices on the network, including Macs, Windows PCs, smartphones and tablets, for a safe online environment for children and teenagers. No subscription is required.
Automatic WiFi Security: The routers come with wireless security turned on out-of-the-box, complete with a pre-configured network name and password, protecting home WiFi networks by default.
Easy Installation: There's no CD required, so users can set the routers up with smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks and even MacBook Air®.
USB ports: Two ports are available to simultaneously support USB storage and a USB printer on the R6300 router. The R6200 Router features one port to support USB storage or a printer.

Easy to Install, Set Up and Use
A simple browser-based installation process for the NETGEAR R6300, R6200 and A6200 802.11ac products makes setup easy. The free NETGEAR genie app enables users to easily manage their home network, while the mobile NETGEAR MyMedia app acts like a remote control for quickly locating and moving media within the network.

"802.11ac, the next generation of Wi-Fi, is expected to ramp up quickly over the next three years," says Peter Cooney, wireless connectivity practice director at ABI Research. "A plethora of different product segments will move to 802.11ac, including routers, smartphones, PCs, media tablets and a range of consumer electronics equipment."

"NETGEAR developed these solutions to offer a complete wireless Internet ecosystem, allowing consumers to take full advantage of next-generation WiFi – even with their existing laptop or PC," says David Henry, vice president of product management, retail products at NETGEAR. "This visionary product line underscores NETGEAR's commitment to giving users everything they need to wirelessly access the Internet and download content at the absolute fastest speeds possible."

The upcoming 802.11ac wireless standard is the world's fastest WiFi, providing gigabit WiFi speeds allowing web content to download faster, and large video or music files to synch more quickly. The increased speed of 802.11ac technology is ideal for mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, by providing three times the performance for a similar amount of battery consumption of devices utilizing the current 802.11n WiFi standard.

Pricing and Availability
The NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router, priced at $199.99, will be available from major retailers and online in May 2012. The NETGEAR R6200 WiFi Router and NETGEAR A6200 WiFi Adapter retail for $179.99 and $69.99, respectively. They will be available in the third quarter of 2012.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bUvU)

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announces cloud-based, virtualized Kepler GPU technology

 

del.icio.us Tags: Kepler,NVidia,desktops,laptops

By Michael Gorman posted May 15th 2012 2:31PM

Breaking News

We're here at NVIDIA's GPU technology conference here in San Jose, California and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang just let loose that his company plans to put Kepler in the cloud. To make it happen, the company has created a virtualized Kepler GPU, meaning no physical connections are needed to render and stream graphics to remote locations. So, as Citrix brought CPU virtualization to the device of your choosing, NVIDIA has brought the power of Kepler to everything from iPads to Windows PCs.

Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits

Technorati Tags: Ivy Bridge,Intel,Digital Storm,CPU,computers,laptops,gaming,technology

By James Trew posted Apr 29th 2012 9:00AM

Digital Storm has announced that its premium-priced (and not so premium-priced) gaming PCs will soon be touting Ivy Bridge processors. This means, going forward, all machines will come with the Intel's third generation Core architecture, with the PC maker already claiming it's managed overclocks at 4.8GHz. Like its machines, Digital Storm is keeping cool on when the systems will find their way from workshop to LAN, or what effect (if any) there'll be on pricing. Keep the cross hairs focused on the source link for more info.

April 29, 2012

Digital Storm Integrates Intel's New 3rd Generation Core Processors into its Award-winning Line of Gaming PCs & Laptops

Fremont, Calif. - (April 29, 2012) – Digital Storm, the predominant name in computer system integration and engineering, is proud to announce integration of Intel's new 3rd generation Core processors into its entire line of gaming PCs and laptops. Now Digital Storm customers can harness the power of the world's most advanced processor in their dream machine.

Digital Storm systems featuring Intel's new 3rd generation Core processors offer gamers and enthusiasts a distinct advantage thanks to the CPUs unique architecture. With the addition of 3D Tri-Gate transistors and a 22nm process, Digital Storm systems will generate less heat and deliver higher performance compared to Sandy Bridge CPUs.

"We've tested Ivy Bridge in every one of our systems and we've measured extraordinary overclocks at 4.8GHz at unbelievably low temperatures across the board," remarked Rajeev
Kuruppu, Digital Storm's Director of Product Development. "With the addition of Intel's latest chipset, our entire line of gaming PCs and laptops offer customers the utmost in computing power."

Killer Wireless-N 1202 and E2200 Ethernet controller launch, aim to squash your ping times

By Darren Murph posted Apr 19th 2012 7:30AM

Technorati Tags: WiFi,Networking,Computers,Technology,Gaming,802.11n

Killer Technology -- formerly known as Bigfoot Networks -- has certainly come a long way from its days as a scrappy startup, and now the outfit's taking one more step towards ping dominationwith the introduction of two new products. Qualcomm Atheros is actually doing the honors, as it formally reveals the Killer Wireless-N 1202 WiFi module with Bluetooth as well as the Killer E2200 gigabit Ethernet controller. Each one is aimed at DIYers and OEMs, enabling machines based on them to automatically classify and prioritizing gaming, video and audio network data -- a bit of behind-the-scenes black magic that's said to "provide a superior, uninterrupted online entertainment experience." As you'd expect, both will include the Killer Network Manager software on associated rigs, giving end users a borderline ridiculous amount of control over how bandwidth is used. We're told that the 1201 will ship next month, while the E2200 is available now; pricing remains a mystery on both, though.

7 Things I Wished Every Computer User Knew

Technorati Tags: computers,tips

1) Keep all your data backed up.

Put it on a disc, external HDD, upload it to a data safe website, another computer, somewhere! One place is NO GOOD, two places is OK, but once one fails, you need to create another second spot! This will save you from 99 to 149 dollars when you bring your computer in to Geek Squad right off the bat. NO manufacturer warranty covers your data, you need to do it yourself. Back up your pictures, contacts, documents, taxes, music and ANY business information you have.

2) Have recovery discs for each computer you have.

This is your licensed copy of your OS. These are specific to your computer's guts (processor, mother board, sound and graphics cards) They have the drivers needed for your computer to use itself. Burn them right away when you get your computer on to DVDs and put them somewhere safe. It will take from 1-3 hours to do. If you loose them you can order them from your manufacturer for between 15 and 50 dollars, depending on the brand. HP is usually cheaper, Sony is wicked expensive. They take about 2 or 3 weeks to get in if you end up needing them when you replace a hard drive or need to fix windows. If you don't get them that way, you can purchase a full copy of snow leopard for about 30 dollars, or windows 7 for about 200.

3) One antivirus at a time, please.

Two at a time is like pushing fat pigs through a dog door, neither can get inside correctly and they block each other from functioning properly. They can tear nasty holes in your operating system depending on which ones you're trying to combine (seen it!) or at least SLOW YOU DOWN TO A CRAWL because two systems are trying to scan your every move as well as each other's moves. More than one is usually LESS protection than one good one. Remove the old ones, even if they're expired they'll get in the way. YOUR COMPUTER CAME WITH A TRIAL OF SOMETHING, take it off if that’s not the one you're gonna use! Most antivirus is 40 dollars for a year, but if you buy 2 or 3 licenses you usually get a deal.

4) Don't install tool bars, they're bloatware that will slow down your internet speeds.

You don't need 5 of them, they take up most of the screen and will end up effecting performance.

5) "Free" stuff can be expensive:

Free games, movies, music taken from torrent sites, as well as pornography sites and even free social networking sites are riddled with viruses. Virus removal is 129-199. Be safe and smart on the internet. If you got a virus, it's your own fault. Viruses are a software issue, and are considered private data, not covered by any warranties.

6) Computers don’t like liquids.

This includes water, coke, beer, soup, bodily fluids and excessive cleaners. Don't spray screen cleaner directly on your screen, spray it on your cleaning cloth and then wipe. A stream of any liquid can cause damage. Computers also don’t like gravity or being punched. This will probably cause lots more damage and not fix a speed issue.

7) No computer is immortal.

Technology changes at an extremely fast rate. Average computer life span is 2-3 years for a laptop or closer to 4 for a desktop. This makes sense, because laptops undergo more stress: movement, impact, temperature changes, and are prone to overheating on a lap. Your computer takes electricity, and circulates through lots of things and gets hot. They burn out sometimes, but if you have your data backed up, you'll be up and ready on a new one in no time.
You wouldn't get mad at your mechanic because you don't know how to change your oil, or your vet because you didn't know how to take care of your dog. BE POLLITE to people in the service industry. They touch your grimy nasty computers full of skin, nicotine, pet hair, dust bunnies... and fix them if you can't.

How to Build a Powerful Home Theater PC for Less Than $500

 

It used to be an expensive and time-consuming task to custom-build a dedicated home theater PC (HTPC). Here's how to build a tiny dedicated HTPC with Blu-Ray drive, 2 GB RAM, 128 GB hard drive and heatsink for less than the price of most off-the-shelf Blu-Ray players.

Technorati Tags: HTPC,Home Theater,entertainment,audio,computers,Blue Ray

A few years ago, I built an enormous home theater PC that cost about $1200. Because it's on most of the time, it runs too hot, and the fans trying to cool it down are loud, which makes the whole thing sound like a jet engine. My new HTPC, built around Nvidia ION graphics, is outperforming my old PC and has been shrunk down to the size of a cigar box. With some new features such as an internal Blu-ray player and a noiseless heatsink (instead of a loud fan) to absorb and dissipate heat, it streams HD multimedia without flickering or stuttering and it cost less than $500 dollars (and could cost as little as $300).
If you don't want to build your own computer, start with either a bare-bones (preassembled) PC like the ASRock ION 330. The computer is missing a Blu-ray drive, but comes with 320 GB HD and 2 GB of memory all wrapped up in a small, glossy black case.
But if you're a real DIYer, start with separate components, tailoring the PC however you want. The entire building process took me less than 30 minutes.
Heres a shopping list: case, motherboard, RAM, wireless remote, Windows OS and a hard drive. NVIDIA's new ION graphics processor is powerful for integrated graphics. Think of it as a supercharger for the PC's visual performance. It excels at handling full 1080p video with 7.1 surround sound and transcodes video up to 10 times faster than an Atom CPU alone. ION can even handle a few games without choking.

The process begins with the motherboard and case. Start with an ION motherboard like the Zotac ION-ITX and a case like the Travla C287 Mini-ITX Case. The essentials, such as a mini-PCIe Wi-Fi card, an HDMI out and a dual-core Intel Atom 330 processor, are already onboard in the motherboard. The only thing left to do is add RAM and turn it on.

Place the Zotac motherboard into the case using the four supplied screws.

Snap in some RAM. I used 2 gigs of Corsair xms2.

I added a Kingston 128 GB SSD hard drive for speed. And an HTPC wouldn't be complete without a Blu-Ray drive. I screwed an internal laptop Blu-ray drive from Panasonic into the case's supplied tray.

Connect the wires (all three!) and close the case. Attach it to a TV with an HDMI cable and power up.

The rest of the time is spent installing Windows 7 and configuring some applications.
I've kept it very light on software. Kaspersky is my favorite virus-protection software; I install this in every PC I build. Pidgin is my choice for IM client; Libre Office for a free alternative to the extremely expensive Microsoft Office. I wanted to make sure ION could handles some games. I installed Spore (perfectly playable), Call of Duty 4 (I changed most of the settings), and Left4Dead (set everything on low) and it works. TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress (with Nvidia's CUDA) is fast and straightforward. Now the best software recipe for playing Multimedia is a combination of Windows Media Center, Cyberlink's PowerDVD 9 and Media Player Classic Home Cinema. Windows Media Center does 95 percent of the work playing movies and music files, while Cyberlink's PowerDVD 9 handles the decoding of Blu-ray discs. And as for streaming 1080p MKV files, I rely on Media Player Classic Home Cinema. From music to movies, surfing the web to streaming Netflix, everything is working perfectly. No hiccups, stuttering, loss of audio or overheating. This is the easiest home theater PC you'll ever put together ... until the next breakthrough product comes along!

D-Link Unveils New Cloud Home Network Products and Services

Technorati Tags: DLink,routers,Cloud Services

D-Link expands its cloud-based services and networking products.

D-Link announced new cloud services that work in tandem with its consumer networking products and also showcased its latest home networking devices.

D-Link's new Cloud Services provide remote sharing and management capabilities through its mydlink portal and mydlink apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

With these cloud services and products, users can share a home network with friends, family, and co-workers via a personal D-Link cloud; share and access content across devices with an app; and remotely control a home network—from determining network users, to how and when the network is used, to email alerts that warn against intrusion attempts.

D-Link's Cloud Services and products feature the same remote convenience and ease-of-use, giving consumers access via mydlink.com to a range of networking devices and capabilities in a few simple taps or clicks.

New products with D-Link's Cloud services capabilities include:

• The Cloud Router (DIR-605L) brings cloud capabilities to the masses, allowing users to utilize the industry-leading mydlink Cloud Services portal and mobile apps to see what websites are being visited in a home network and set alerts for network intrusions from anywhere in the world. The Cloud Router offers speeds of up to 300 Mbps and four fast Ethernet ports for expanded connectivity.

• The D-Link® Cloud Camera 5000 (DCS-5222L) is a surveillance solution for a home or small office offering users remote pan/tilt capabilities to view more of an area, automatic day/night viewing, remote control functionality, and a microSD slot for local recording, allowing consumers to monitor what matters most via a live view through a Web browser or mobile device. With remote control of the camera's view to see up to 340 degrees, 720p high-definition video, and enhanced remote security options, the Cloud Camera 5000 provides live HD video streams.

D-Link's Cloud Services and products are on display at the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, NV from January 10-13, 2012. The Cloud Router (DIR-605L), with an estimated price of $39.99, is now available at select U.S. e-tail outlets and at the company's online store.

Moxi whole-home six tuner DVR on its way to WOW! customers

Technorati Tags: DVR,entertainment

By Ben Drawbaugh posted Feb 25th 2012 11:29AM

Just because Arris found limited success with its Moxi DVR in the consumer space, that doesn't mean it won't continue to seek success providing hardware to cable companies. Ultra TV is what the number 15 TV provider (432k subscribers) in the US, WOW!, will be calling the 6 tuner, 500GB multi-room DVR, with MoCA, VOIP and WiFi -- a deal that seems to be a bit better than the one TiVo offers for the number 16 provider in the US, RCN. The Moxi user interface in the video below looks like the Moxi we know, but we assume the DVR gateway and players will resemble the Shaw counterparts rather than the retail ones. A comment on the WOW Buzz blog indicates that a gateway and two players will set you back $25 a month, while another indicates that installs are already being scheduled.

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

From Michael Tibbs Jr Owner at Mike's Computer Shop - Anderson, Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Area Blogger, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - Michael Confirm that you know Michael You are receiving Invitation to Connect emails. Unsubscribe © 2012, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

From Michael Tibbs Jr Copier Technician at Mike's Computer Shop Indianapolis, Indiana Area Blogger, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. - Michael Confirm that you know Michael You are receiving Invitation to Connect emails. Unsubscribe © 2012, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Windows 7 Pro 64 bit–$139 @ Newegg

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,operating systems

*Use of this OEM System Builder Channel software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale. This OEM System Builder Channel software requires the assembler to provide end user support for the Windows software and cannot be transferred to another computer once it is installed. To acquire Windows software with support provided by Microsoft please see our full package "Retail" product offerings.

pureSilicon announces Kage K1 SATA and USB SSDs, up for pre-order now

By Amar Toor posted Jan 18th 2012 3:05AM

Technorati Tags: SSD,hard drives

It seems like only yesterday that pureSilicon released its new Nitro N2 and Renegade S4 SSDs. Today, the company followed up on that announcement with the Kage K1 USB SSD, and the Kage K1 SATA SSD. The former is a USB 3.0-based SSD drive that measures around 4.5mm in thickness and offers up to 240GB of MLC space. It's available for pre-order now, at a price of $230, with shipments expected to start up sometime during Q1 of this year. As for the Kage K1 SATA SSD, it's more in line with what you'll find with the aforementioned Nitro N2 and Renegade S4 varieties. Capable of delivering up to 6Gb/s, the eMLC NAND flash memory-based SATA SSD promises reading speeds of up to 540 MB / sec, writing speeds of 520 MB / sec, and boasts up to 400 GB of usable eMLC. That'll cost you a bit more, though, with a price tag of $975. It too, is available for pre-order now, with shipments slated for early this year.

Belkin reveals Advance N900 DB router, keeps your MW3 marathon top priority with IntelliStream

Technorati Tags: Belkin,Routers,Networking

By Billy Steele posted Jan 8th 2012 12:00PM

Belkin has added another wireless networking kit to it's N-series lineup here at CES. The company has announced its Advance N900 DB, a dual band WiFi router capable of 450Mbps speeds per band. Featuring six MultiBeam antennas, the tech makes watching Hulu Plus from your basement much easier and looks to cut down on those pesky dead spots. Also outfitted with IntelliStream, the device automatically prioritizes video and gaming streams and houses a 600MHz multi-thread processor that multitasks across all networked devices. For connected storage or wireless printers, the N900 packs two USB 2.0 ports enabling access to those peripherals from workstations other than your desk. If you're looking to take the leap, the router will be available for pre-order this month and at retailers in April, setting you back two Benjamins.

Samsung introduces WiFi SmartCam and video baby monitors

Technorati Tags: WiFi,Web Cam,Samsung

By Dante Cesa posted Jan 8th 2012 7:21PM

For those keen on observing from afar, Samsung's just unveiled two WiFi surveillance cameras. Both can easily be paired with routers that support WPS and offer remote tracking from Sammy's SmartCam website. That feed is 640 x 480 at 30fps and encoded in H.264. Alternatively on the WiFi SmartCam, footage can automatically be uploaded to YouTube based on predefined activity. They'll also survey in complete darkness thanks to built-in infrared. Both will go on sale in March for $149

Rosewill 2-Port USB 3.0 PCI Express Card Model RC-505 - $24.99 Newegg.com

Technorati Tags: Rosewill,USB 3.0,PCIe

Easily add two USB 3.0 ports to your computer. Rosewill’s PCI-e USB 3.0 solution, RC-505, provides ultra-fast data transfers at up to 5Gbps to address the needs of higher performance connections between the PC and increasingly sophisticated peripherals. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.0/1.1/2.0 devices and fully plug-n-play and hot swap compatible. The RC-505 is a great way to take advantage of the latest USB 3.0 data transfer technology.

• PCI EXPRESS USB 3.0 SOLUTIONThe Rosewill RC-505 uses one free PCI Express slot to provide two USB 3.0 ports. With up to 5Gbps maximum transfer rate, the RC-505 offers an ideal connection for digital cameras, scanners, printers, external CD/DVD/Blu-ray writers, hard disk drives, flash memory drives and etc. It is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices. The Rosewill RC-505 supports simultaneous operation of multiple USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices.

 

• EXTERNAL POWER CONNECTORThe RC-505 has built-in 4-pin power connector for added power source to better support power hungry bus-powered devices.

The First Gigabit-Speed Wi-Fi Cards Will Make Streaming Netflix More Awesome

BY KYLE WAGNER

JAN 5, 2012 12:46 PM

Wi-Fi is about to get pretty darn fast. Broadcom's first gigabit Wi-Fi cards are reportedly up to three times faster and six times more efficient than what's out there now.

The new 802.11ac chips are based on 5G WiFi, the next gen Wi-Fi standard. The chips—BCM4360, BCM4352, BCM43526 and BCM43516—use an 80 MHz channel bandwidth that's two times wider than the channel on similar products. That's huge for bandwidth-hungry tasks like downloading HD movies or loading a dozen tabs of horrible offensive pornography at a time.

The chips should have an effect on mobile, too. Content will be downloaded faster, so the chips should let handsets go into low-power mode quicker, which will should actually save battery life to the point that turning on LTE doesn't immediately drop your charge by half.

Technorati Tags: WiFi,Broadcom

Intel Ivy Bridge Chips Launching Early April 2012

 

By Melanie Pinola, PCWorld    Dec 29, 2011 1:24 PM

Intel may unveil its next generation of processors--nicknamed "Ivy Bridge"--in April, according to the latest reports. The Ivy

Technorati Tags: Intel,CPU

Bridge chips for desktops and laptops promise a 37 percent performance increase over the current generation of Sandy Bridge processors.

The new Ivy Bridge CPUs use a 22-nanometer architecture, which makes them almost 30 percents smaller than the current chips, which use a 32nm architecture. Smaller chips mean lower power consumption (which is great for battery life) and more room for the integrated graphics chip. Ivy Bridge will support DirectX 11, Thunderbolt, and USB 3.0.

Taiwan-based trade publication DigiTimes reports that the first Ivy Bridge processors to launch will be quad-core desktop processors: the Core i7-3370 series and the Core i5-3570, 3550, and 3450. Because Ivy Bridge is backward-compatible with existing Sandy Bridge motherboards, desktop users should have an upgrade path available.

The first Ivy Bridge notebook chips to launch, according to DigiTimes, will be the Core i7 chips as well: The Core i7-3920QM, 3820QM, and 3720QM. Core i5 processors will pop up later.

Ivy Bridge will be smaller, more powerful, and more energy-efficient, and should be here in just a few months.

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