News

I left half of the review emails at school, so here is a partial list of them. I'm heading to PC Expo today, and I don't plan on staying for very long. I'll have coverage of the event regardless.

Leadtek NF2 @ VL.
CM Wavemaster @ Hexus.
Akura 8T Heatsink @ Frostytech.
AVS Sunflower heatsink @ Ohls.
Heatsink shootout @ TT.

Yeah, yeah... CCC Vol 2 is coming this week. I just need to finalize some things.

Abit IC7-Max3 @ OCA.
Lian Li PC6077 # OCIA.
Silverstone 360W PSU @ HCW.
Gigabyte Radeon 9600 Pro @ TT.
USB Thumbdrive shootout @ Ascully.
Corsair PC4000 @ PCStats.
MSI KT600 @ Hexus.
Monarch barebones @ Monkeyreview.

If you don't know, I work on the weekends which leaves little time for me to update the news over the weekend. Have no fear, got a rather large review post for you to get your review fix!

Hardware and case hardware:
1GB OCZ PC4000 @ ClubOC.
Albatron Springdale @ Metku.
Silverstone 400w PSU @ Tweaktown.

Cooling:
Verax Silent P4 heatsink @ Cooling.
Zalman CNPS7000A @ Ohls.
Dangerden Maze 4 @ RB.
Another Zalman @ Short-Media.
Zalman VGA cooler @ Bigbruin.

Other stuff:
Overclocking 103 @ MTB.
MP3 Flash drive @ TTZ.
Matrix LCD @ PC-A.
CM Alloy KB @ Madshrimps.

Hey everyone, Yes you! You are the one I'm talking to, the readers of this site. ASE Labs and Dealtime have started a new site dedicated to providing you, the reader, a service to compare the best prices on basically anything you want.

This is an absolutely free service to the readers of ASE Labs. I'm sure you all want to see what it looks like. Take a look at the new and improved ASE.Dealtime.com!

In every article that permits a price comparison, we will give you a link to use so you can find the best prices on the product you are reading! This is all transparent, and it'll be no different that it is currently.

Let me hear what you think about it.

This weekend is the weekend of work... and site work. Next week is PC Expo! What a boring day that'll be. Read my Icemat review.

Xoxide Tachometer @ Crazymodders.
CM Musketter @ LWD.
Apple G4 Mod @ Hexus.
Athlon XP Overclocking @ VL.
DFI KT400a @ HCW.
Coolmax USB 2 HDD Enclosure @ OCA.
Zalman VGA cooler @ RB.

Life moves on, so get on with your life. Don't let the events of the past ruin you life. Time moves on. So should you.

Regardless, I put up a mousepad Review!



Read the whole thing here. I actually use this pad. So it is awesome. When I use something, that means it is good.

Two years ago, the Twin Towers fell. Now we are in the begining stages of rebuilding. Let us not be feared of what may happen, just live your lives.

We will not be terrored into submission, we live on, and so should you.

I just put up that Icemat mousepad review. Check it out.

Hardware:
Chaintech FX71 @ Legitreviews.
Sapphire 9600 @ RB.
Creative FX5900 @ NVNews.
Gainward FX5600 @ Ninjalane.

Cases and Cooling, Mods:
Xport Etching @ PCA.
CASE4U ITX @ Tweaknews.
Super Silent 4 @ Frostytech.
COOLINK waterblock @ Madshrimps.
SLK 947U @ ClubOC.
Asetek WAtercooling kit @ ipKonfig.
Lian Li PC60H3 @ Tweaknews.
Speeze something @ Ohls.

Etc:
80GB NAS @ Designtechnica.
FPS truth @ VL.

The Icemat is another mousepad begging for your hard earned money. It is made of glass, but does it have the goods for you to buy it? Read on...Next Page »

Get another patch for your windows box this week. Another RPC problem this week. What's next week?

Quote

The third is a denial-of-service flaw that affects a component known as the remote procedure call (RPC) process. The RPC process facilitates activities such as sharing files and allowing others to use a computer's printer. By sending too much data to the RPC process, an attacker can cause the system to grant full access to its resources. By using the flaws in tandem, a hacker could load unwanted programs onto computers through the buffer overrun flaws and then use the infected computers to launch a denial-of-service attack.

Windows Storage Server 2003 will be coming out specifically for NAS. Now, I think this could be an upgrade to Windows CE, after all, it is an embedded OS.

Quote

As part of Microsoft's announcement, HP is unveiling the HP StorageWorks NAS 2000s, which runs Storage Server 2003. The product can handle up to 24 terabytes of data and is geared toward customers that have storage and server consolidation needs at the departmental or remote office level, according to HP. A version of the NAS 2000s with 580GB will cost $8,295, said Harry Baeverstad, director of HP's NAS business segment.

Some dude in Romania is charged with creating two variants of the Blaster worm. Boy is he screwed. The one is America faces up to 10 years in jail and a $250K fine.

Quote

American teenager Jeffrey Lee Parson was arrested last month on charges he created and distributed another toned-down MSBlast variant, known as MSBlast.B. He faces imprisonment of 10 years and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

I've got all day tomorrow to put up the second mousepad review at ASE Labs. This one is a good one! I use it actually.

Silverstone 360w PSU @ ClubOC.
XP 2600+ Barton @ AthlonXP.
Albatron FX5200 @ Lanaddict.
TT some cooler @ Bigbruin.
Zalman waterblock @ OCA.
SLK 947U @ ipKonfig.
DFI Lanpart nf2 @ Tweaktown.
Epox Springdale @ PCStats.

Finally! Good news comes from the offices of Comcast. They are going to up the download cap to 3mbits again. Again, because when Comcast was with @Home, we had 3mbits down. Then they cut it back. Bastards.

Quote

Indeed Comcast is not the only company that offers higher than average speeds. Cablevision Systems Corp. CVC.N users are reporting download speeds of up to 4.3 megabits per second, according to a Broadbandreports.com, which tracks the industry. Comcast users reported speeds of about 1.6 megabits per second.

And it sucks, Cablevision rocks!

Yes, it is official. Windows is cheaper in the long run than Linux, so says a study paid for by Microsoft. A grain of salt, or truth?

Quote

Microsoft plans to use the study's findings in its effort to convince customers that Linux is not necessarily a cheaper alternative to Windows, once all costs have been taken into account.

I've got two things coming out this week, so make sure you stick around.

Soyo KT600 @ AMDZone.
Vantec Stealth fan @ Piratesoftware.
Alienware mousepad @ Bigbruin.
Athenatech case @ Monkeyreview.
80GB Netdrive @ MHW.
Samsung 17" thing @ Tweaknews.
Raidmax case @ Ascully.

Damn, I'm tired... Sooo tired. Seriously. I went Iron Man today. After I post this, I'm going off to bed. Check out the test sites.

ATI AIW 9800P @ Viperlair.
Spire P4 Heatsink @ Frostytech.
TR SLK900u @ ClubOC.
Zalman CNPS7000 @ Voidedwarranty.
Buffalo PC3200 @ FastlaneHW.
Nanotherm paste @ Madshrimps.
Asrock K7S8XE @ Ripnet.

I'm beat.

Want to see what we employees at the tech shop have to work on? And I remind you, there is no suger coating here. Story, pictures, its all here. If you like to read about crummy computers, Volumn 1 is here.



Volumn 2 is coming next week. These will be weekly columns, and if you want to participate, let me know!

Microsoft is going ahead and updating Media Center Edition. They are going to update the update from XP Pro. If you didn't know, MCE is just a minor edit to XP Pro. (The OEM installer says XP Professional anyway)

Quote

The specialized version of the Windows XP operating system provides an extra interface to make it easy for people to view photos, listen to music and watch videos on a television hooked up to the PC.

The first of many weekly stories of my happenings at work. See what I have to go through.Next Page »

Another week, another flaw. If you run MS Office instead of Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org), you'll want to get the new patch. There is patch for a critical flaw. An Office program has a critical flaw.

Quote

Several other alerts also involve Office applications. A vulnerability in recent versions of Word could allow hackers to automatically run macros, which are mini-programs typically used to automate routine tasks. The flaw--classified as "important"--requires opening a maliciously crafted document, according to the security bulletin. Customers using Word 2002, 2000, 98 or 97 or Works Suite 2003, 2002 or 2001 are urged to apply the patch, as described in the bulletin.

Gaa, I'm tired... not to mention behind. I've got a funny article coming out. Hopefully, I'll put it up today.

Budget Shark Cutout @ Madshrimps.
MSI CDRW @ VL.
Albatron NF2 U @ PCStats.
Kingwin case @ ClubOC.
MSI KT600 @ 3DV.
FSP 460w PSU @ MTB.

Since my email has been back, I've been getting more and more emails with SoBig in them. How about some of you start running a virus scanner (and update it as well), or practice safe internet browsing.

To all those that know what I'm talking about already, please disregard this message. For everyone else... look into it.

When will this BS ever end? SCO is now sending out invoices to companies that use Linux to pay a large free. Are they nuts?

Quote

SCO argues that Linux contains intellectual property from Unix, an operating system to which SCO holds copyrights and which it licenses to companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems. SCO argues that some Linux source code was copied directly from Unix. It also claims that other Linux source code stems from improvements made to Unix by IBM and others, which then illegally moved the changes to Linux.

I seem to be back on track with email and stuff. Now you can send me more SoBig and whatever other spam that you want.

DFI NF2 U @ Cluboc.
PC-A @ PC-A. (I'm not joking)
Swiftech waterblock @ VL.
CM Aero 7+ @ Overclockersclub.
OCZ PC4000 @ Legitreviews.
Aopen KT600 @ AMDZone.

Another piece of hardware crosses the desk at ASE Labs. This time, Gigabyte steps up to the plate with their Springdale board offering. Can this board shine in a market full of top performers?



You'll have to read to find out! Ohh and while you're here, check out this funny ad from Visiontek.

I didn't notice this anywhere, but Windowsupdate has SP4 for Win2k listed.

Anyway, here is the download location for the full thing. I'm going to update all my computers in the following weeks. I'm also ashamed to say that two of my computers use XP. I'll be switching one back to 2000 soon, and the other is the HTPC. Doh!

I've been moving into college over the weekend and still going to work. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, bummer. Regardless, I just put up a Gigabyte Springdale motherboard review, so check that out.

CM HTPC case @ VL.
Another case @ VL.
Alien case @ Hardcoreware.
Biostar SFF PC @ OCA.
Silverstone 360w PSU @ MTB.
Gigabyte R9800P with DDR2 @ Tweaktown.
Kingwin 450w PSU @ Furioustech.
OCZ PC4000 @ ClubOC.
Maxtop case @ 3dv.

The Springdale boards are in full force and Gigabyte isn't one to stay out of the same. Let's see what this Springdale board can offer that others can't.Next Page »

Well, I'm going to try to write up this motherboard review after this news post. Maybe I'll get it up tonight... maybe not. If not, tomorrow. We're also compiling a list of some stuff... stuff, you'll want to check it out.

Hardware:
Gigabyte KT600 @ PCStats.
Soltek KT600 @ AMDZone.
Kingston HyperX 3500 @ VL.
Gigabyte 648FX @ Legitreviews.
Aopen KT600 @ PCStats.

Cooling, cases, whatever:
Fan @ Ripnet.
Maxpoint AL case @ ClubOC.
Zalman VGA cooler @ OCA.
Silverstone 350W PSU @ DVH.