Les pc Aienware de Dell est reconnue pour être LA bête de course pour les gamers, seront désormais fournis avec la plateforme de téléchargement  de Steam (Valve) déjà pré-installée, et en cadeau bonus une version du jeu Portal.

Voilà de quoi faciliter la vie des joueurs mais surtout de créer un monopole.

Dell has announced that their subsidiary company, Alienware, supplier of  gaming computers that both look and cost as if they’ve been manufactured by Greys will be shipping their PC’s and laptops with Steam, the digital distribution platform developed by Valve Corporation, pre-installed. As an added bonus, after they’ve beamed the cash from your wallet, you will receive the critically acclaimed game, Portal, absolutely free!

Steam is fast becoming the symbol for PC gaming with more developers opting to release their games on the digital distribution platform. And why wouldn’t they, Steam streamlines the whole process for gamers and both major and indie developers, providing an easier way to distribute their games and also functioning as an effective anti-piracy tool.

While some out there look to it as the devil incarnate, I suspect it’s just a bit of nostalgia from them. Digital distribution is the future of gaming on the PC and with this recent agreement with a major PC supplier, Valve is firmly in the driving seat with their Steam platform.

We first saw Ostendo’s crazy CRVD monitor at CES 2008 with Alienware branding, and then again at Macworld 2009 with an NEC label, but it looks like those were just flirtations: the monster 2880 x 900 quad-DLP display has been quietly on sale directly from the mothership since late August. Ostendo tell us most of the units sold have been for defense simulation and training, but there are apparently some gamers out there hardcore enough to stomach the $6,499 price tag — including the crown prince of Dubai, who’s purchased “multiple units.” We’re also told that multi-monitor CRVD applications are forthcoming, which sounds insane — and is even wilder on video. Check it after the break.

found @ www.endgadget.com

Ostendo

Last updated: Weds Nov 25 10:05pm PST
(Page updated daily)

Welcome to e3vL Video Game News, your hub for the week’s video game industries news and releases. Bookmark the site if you find it helpful and would you kindly refer a friend?? Hope you enjoy your stay and happy gaming!

For Black Friday Deals Click here **updated Mon Nov 23 06:55pm PST

~VIDEO GAME NEWS~

Sony posts Playstation Black Friday deals
details click here

Analyst: Review scores don’t equate to purchase
details click here

Free Chocobo avatar on XBL
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Now over 1000 songs on Rock Band
details click here

Iwata asks: New Super Mario Bros
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Dead Space 2 releases Dec 22 2010
details click here

Uncharted 2 new multiplayer teaser
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Mass Effect 2 PC requirements
details click here

Famitsu gives New Super Mario Bros Wii perfect 40
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Miyamoto on Wario Fart Attacks
details click here

Level 5 announce new Professor Layton
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Scivelation = new Xbox 360 Q3 2010 exclusive
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New York test PSA on Xbox Live
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WOW lawsuit
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Alienware computers now preloaded with steam and portal
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Far Cry 3 in works
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Square Enix Providing Deus Ex 3 cinematics
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Lego indi 2 co-op patch
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Modern Warfare 2 classification appealed in Austraila
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Microsoft patents xbox super guide
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Famitsu: cody, adon and guy in SSFIV
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Tekken 6 DLC
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EA Montreal re focusing on HD quality products
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Millions using social media features on XBL
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Final 2 Star Wars MMO classes revealed
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New Project Natal Design details at Gamefest
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Miyamoto: Nintendo wouldn’t hire me today
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Official Playstation Magazine on Dead Space 2
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Antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft
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Bayonetta demo for North America on Dec 3
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No Resident Evil 5 DLC planned for PC
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Limited edition Black Friday DSi bundles
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Miyamoto: 3d isn’t everything
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Bioware thinking about new original ip
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Bioware promises Mass Effect 2 surprise next week
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Uwe Boll new film: Bloodrayne 3: Warhammer
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Free Digital Comic promo for PSP
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Saboteur goes Gold, Pandemic still behind game
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Super Mario Kart coming to Wii VC
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Microsoft’s response to Banned Xbox360
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Alienware is known primarily for their gaming technology, always pushing what we can do with PC gaming to the edge and their new TactX gaming mouse and keyboard are no different. For hardcore gamers out there, having the best mouse and keyboard can be the difference in smoking your competition or getting powned like a noob. Alienware wants to help you on your road to gaming greatness and offers you two new tools to assist you in your efforts with the TactX gaming mouse and TactX gaming keyboard.

The TactX gaming keyboard is a full-size keyboard that comes with 6 customizable macro keys and all 6 keys have three different modes giving you up to 18 different keys. Each key can be programmed to replicate individual keys, launch applications or even perform multi-key macros. On top of that, the keyboard features a game mode switch which disables your windows and context menu keys. Along with the 6 customizable keys, the TactX features WASD gaming cluster and anti-ghosting technology. Customization is a big thing with Alienware so its not a surprise to see some customization options on the TactX. The keyboard comes with removable palm rests and color lighting options for two different zones on the keyboard with 20 different color choices thanks to AlienFX.

The TactX gaming mouse has just as many features as the keyboard. It comes with FTM features which help to enhance your MMORPG games and also a differentiator for Alienware gaming systems. The mouse comes with an on-board memory which allows you to setup, customize and save macros to your liking. The mouse has a dual mode scroll wheel allowing for both vertical and horizontal scrolling. The TactX also gives you the option of storing up to 5 different mouse settings profiles to the on-board memory. On the bottom of the mouse is a Profile Selection button which allows you to easily switch between profiles. This mouse also has a 5000 DPI Laser Engine complete with on-the-fly DPI switching as well as 9 customizable buttons. Like the TactX keyboard, the TactX mouse also comes with AlienFX, allowing you to fully customize it with a multitude of colors and effects.

To get a truly unique gaming experience on your PC, check out the new TactX gaming mouse and keyboard from Alienware. You can also make it a full package by adding on the TactX gaming headset for the full on TactX experience. Both the mouse and the keyboard come with a 6-foot USB cable and both support USB 2.0 and have Windows 7 compatibility. You can pick both of these great gaming tools for $100 a piece.

By: Zack Duncan

From/De: AMD

SUNNYVALE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Nov 18, 2009 AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the flagship installment in the award-winning line of graphics cards, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, the fastest card ever created.¹ The new ultra high-end model joins a growing list of the world’s first and only graphics cards to fully support Microsoft DirectX^® 11 technology and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology.

Designed to support the most demanding PC games at ultra-high resolutions and image quality settings, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 has unlocked overclocking potential, granting access to every bit of power the card has to offer through ATI Overdrive™ technology.² Now shipping from retailers and available in the channel, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 also launches today in new Alienware Area-51, Area-51 ALX and Aurora desktop PCs.

Record-breaking overclocking capabilities take Dragon Platform technology to the forefront for users that demand the utmost control in performance tuning. The unrivaled overclocking capabilities of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 are enabled by the unique design of the card, which features advanced fan and vapor chamber technologies and a fully vented exhaust to keep the card cool and ensure overclocking headroom using ATI Overdrive™ technology.² The formidable combination of AMD Phenom II processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets, and ATI Radeon HD graphics deliver comprehensive tuning, immersive entertainment, and outstanding value.

Enthusiasts can expand their field of view, ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, driving up to three displays at once, delivering an unmatched maximum resolution of 7680×1600 and creating an unparalleled game play experience.³ For the first time ever, ATI CrossFireX™ technology leverages the power of multiple graphics processors to deliver even more game performance in 20 of today’s popular titles when using ATI Eyefinity technology, with more to come.

The ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card delivers nearly 5 TeraFLOPS of compute power, ensuring superior performance in the latest DirectX^® 11 games, as well as in previous versions of DirectX^® and OpenGL titles. With the world’s most powerful graphics core built on 40nm process technology harnessing up to 3,200 stream processors, gamers can enjoy DirectX^® 11 games now, such as EA Phenomic’s BattleForge™ and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:Call of Pripyat from GSC Game World, with many more titles on the way, including:

• Battlefield Bad Company 2 from EA DICE
• DiRT™ 2 from Codemasters, arriving December 1, 2009,
• Aliens vs. Predator™ from Rebellion,
• Update to The Lord of the Rings Online™ from Turbine,
• Update to Dungeons and Dragons Online® Eberron Unlimited™ from Turbine.

New features and functionality of ATI Stream technology allow users to harness the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card to enhance their computing experience, helping to improve the performance of enabled media, entertainment and productivity applications.⁴ ATI Stream technology and the HD 5970 support both Direct Compute 11 and OpenCL industry standards for application acceleration.

Delivering full-fledged performance when needed, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 also leads in power efficiency by automatically powering down unused GPU resources when not in use, resulting in idle desktop power consumption as low as 42 watts.⁵

The ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 is supported by a wide range of add-in-board companies, including ASK, Asus, Club 3D, Diamond, Gigabyte, High Tech, MSI, Sapphire, Tul/Power Color, Visiontek and XFX.

To celebrate the launch of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 and to conclude a series of contests created to celebrate AMD’s 40^th anniversary year, AMD is announcing the third and final contest designed to give back to AMD fans and supporters. Starting today, fans of AMD on Facebook will be able to enter to win one of 10 Microsoft Xbox 360s or one of 10 Wiis from Nintendo. One gaming system will be given away every weekday for four weeks. Full contest rules and details available online: www.amd.com/40years

“With the arrival of the ATI Radeon HD 5970, the fastest graphics card in the world, we’ve cemented AMD as the unquestioned graphics leader,” said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Group. “With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, the new card, coupled with the awesome power of ATI Eyefinity technology, is the ultimate setup for serious gamers.”

“The extraordinary performance of the ATI Radeon HD 5970 is a perfect match for the Alienware Area-51, Area-51 ALX and Aurora desktops,” said Frank Azor, senior product planning manager, Dell Gaming. “By offering this level of graphics capability as well as the visual and performance enhancements made possible by DirectX 11 hardware, gamers will benefit from enhanced image quality enabling an incredibly intense gaming experience.”

Supporting Resources

• Pictures: See photos of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 series graphics cards on Flickr

• Press kit: More information on the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 series of graphics cards
• Product page: ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 series product information
• Contest: Enter the third and final contest in AMD’s 40^th anniversary celebration for a chance to win one of 20 Wiis from Nintendo or Microsoft Xbox 360s. More information available online: www.amd.com/40years, or enter to win on Facebook.
• Twitter: Follow AMD graphics news on Twitter at @ATIGraphics
• Facebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

1. As of November 18, 2009, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5790 scores X12011.1 in 3DMark Vantage Extreme preset, which is the highest recorded single-card score. System configuration: Intel Core i7 965 processor @ 3.33GHz, Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard, Corsair XMS 6GB memory (3×2GB) at 1600MHz (8-8-8-24 timings), Windows 7 RTM x64, ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 1GB GDDR5, Drivers: ATI Catalyst™ 9.10 Beta (8.663.1) / NVIDIA ForceWare 191.07WHQL

2. AMD product warranty does not cover damage caused by overclocking, even when enabled by AMD software. Unlike previous generations of ATI Radeon™ graphics cards, the overclocking potential of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card has been left uncapped. You control the amount of overclocking to which you subject your card. Please use discretion and caution when overclocking.

3. To enable a third display on an ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics card you require one panel with a DisplayPort connector.

4. Requires application support for ATI Stream technology.

5. Average idle power of the ATI Radeon HD 5970, as measured by AMD on a typical board in a typical use-case

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, Radeon, Overdrive and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

A nook filled with The Dresden Files series would be a great present for TechStuff writers! (Courtesy Spencer Platt, AP Images)

It’s that time of the year again! Lazy radio stations are already playing Christmas music even though there should be a federal law prohibiting such behavior until after Thanksgiving. Web sites are releasing details of crazy Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals designed to get your butt in the store (online or otherwise) to buy your loved ones some happiness. And each and every one of you out there are faced with the daunting question: What sort of gifts should I buy the awesome guys at TechStuff?

Hold on a second, my editor wishes to speak with me.

Rats! As it turns out, we can’t beg for suggest gifts for ourselves — apparently it goes against our code of ethics. But I’m happy to list some geeky presents you can pick up for that special nerd in your life. If that nerd happens to co-host a popular technology podcast, so be it.

The Barnes and Noble Nook is a device I have my eye on. At $259, it’s a bit expensive for a casual gift. But with its cool touch screen and separate e-ink display, it presents an intriguing digital reading experience.

At E3, I got a chance to check out Tony Hawk: Ride. It’s not just another skateboard video game — it uses a cutting-edge controller that behaves in many ways like a skateboard. Finally I can attempt an Ollie without killing myself (though I’m sure I’ll still be the object of amusement for anyone in the room). G4TV created a pretty cool video package focusing on the ride and controller:

If you really want to go crazy, you can splurge on an Alienware gaming laptop computer:

For a stocking stuffer, how about a Rubik’s Cube that can solve itself?

Finally, we have the Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt from ThinkGeek:

That gives a nice start for the holiday season. If you’re really stumped, you can always just send money (Editor’s note: Do not send money).

Learn more about gifts and gadgets at HowStuffWorks.com:

How Laptops Work
How Electronic Ink Works
How Skateboarding Works

The M15x is Alienware’s latest gaming notebook, featuring an Intel Core i7 processor, 15.6-inch screen, and Nvidia GTX 260M graphics. Is this monster worth its asking price? Read NotebookReview article to find out.

NotebookReview’s Alienware M15x has the following specifications:

15.6-inch 1080p (1920×1080) display with LED backlighting
Intel Core i7 920XM processor (2.0GHz/3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB L3 cache)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M 1GB graphics card
4GB DDR3-1333 RAM (2x 2GB)
500GB 7200RPM hard drive (Seagate Momentus 7200.4/ST9500420AS)
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5300AGN
Slot-loading Blu-ray Reader/DVD burner drive
9-cell Li-ion battery (85Wh)
Weight: 9 lbs (4 kg)
MSRP: $3,274 USD ($3,456 CAD)

The M15x starts at $1,499 as of writing; it is available in three colors: Cosmic Black, Nebula Red, and Lunar Shadow (silver). NotebookReview test unit’s price is sky-high mainly due to the Core i7 920XM Extreme processor, which commands a $900 premium over the base Core i7 720QM processor.
The M15x has a 15.6” LED-backlit screen available in two resolutions: 1600×900 and 1920×1080; NotebookReview’s test unit had the latter. This display was positively gorgeous; it was extremely vivid and had excellent contrast and brightness. Backlighting was impressively even and viewing angles are well above average; this display had near-perfect horizontal viewing and a generous vertical range. The display’s surface is covered with a single piece of “edge-to-edge” glass, which means a lot of reflections but a seamless look.

Thanks to notebookreview.com!

Néha elgondolkozom azon, hogy megéri-e apple terméket venni. Természetesen miután bemegy az ember egy apple boltba, nem nagyon akar kijönni anélkül, hogy vásárolna vmit. Persze nem mindenki engedheti meg magának, hogy vegyen magának egy fél milliós laptopot, de játszunk el a gondolattal, hogy pont most szakadt ránk az OTP, vagy nyertünk a lottón. Akkor is az apple győzne ha azért az árért egy sokkal jobb teljesítményű gépet kapnánk? Barangoltam az interneten és rátaláltam egy gyönyörű és elég erős ellenfélre a MacBook Pro számára.

Alienware M17x

Ő, egy Dell gyártmány, csak kicsit erősebb meg kicsit jobb is mint márkatársai. Próbáltam azonos paraméterekkel összeállítani a 2 laptopot.

Mindkettőnek 17″ full HD kijelzője van, 2.8 GHz-es Core 2 Duo processzor, 8GB ram, 256Gb SSD (kis érdekesség: 500GB-os sata merevlemezről upgradelni applenél 650$, alienware-nél pont a fele 325$ – pedig ugyanazt rakják bele),3év garanciakiterjesztés, és a többi finomság…mondjuk az alienwarenél még az avatarodat illetve a háttérképedet is kiválaszthatod, SŐŐŐT: ha játékot veszel, még azt is feltelepítik…

Ami az árcédulát illet: apple macbook pro 4098$

az alienware pedig 3773$

Szumma szummárum, az M17x egy gamer gép amit még lehet turbózni plusz vga kártyával, meg minden olyannal ami egy WoW megszállottnak vagy NFS őrültnek kell. A Macbook Pro ezzel szemben nem néz úgy ki mint aki most lépett ki egy predator filmből, ellenben szép,kecses és vékony.

Ti melyiket választanátok és miért?

PC World’s Top 100 Products
8 November 2009

PC World has announced its top 100 products of 2009, including websites, hardware, and software:

PC World – 100 Best Products of 2009

It’s quite an extensive list, and if you only care about one specific type of product, then it’ll take a while to siphon through.  Here are my favourite products from the list, that aren’t obvious like Facebook and the App store:

Websites:
95. NinjaVideo (video-playing service, free)
- I’ve used this service for a couple years now, and it’s absolutely amazing.  Fast, high-quality streaming, and impeccably organised.  It has every range of shows, documentaries, movies, and even high profile events and an extensive archive of seasons per show.

89. Wordnik (online reference, free)
- Move over Dictionary.com, this site offers more relevant and practical application of dictionary words, with a Twitter feed showcasing modern usage of the searched word.  The only problem is that if you put in a typo, it still shows you examples of typo-usages…  So make sure you know how to spell the word first, or type it right.  Screw it, maybe I’ll go back to Dictionary.com.

62. Google Books (online service, free)
- It depends what you’re looking for, but Project Gutenberg is also a great book resource for novels.  Google Books has definitely saved me hundreds of trips to the library, however, with it’s previews and scans.  So what if I miss the main argument… I can infer that from the previous passage, right?

Hardware:
61. RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630
- I’ll give it to Jim Balsillie here, this one’s a beauty.  But as they say, beauty is only skin deep.  When my stone-age Sony Ericsson has WiFi capabilities and this baby doesn’t?  Not impressed. That’s a lie, I’m still impressed.

50. Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1TB (portable storage drive, $199)
- Anyone who owns a computer and uses it for more than web browsing and e-mail should probably own an external-hard drive… One terabyte for $199?  What.A.Steal.

41. Canon Vixia HF S10 (digital camcorder, $1300), 8. Canon PowerShot SX200 IS (digital camera, $350)
- I’d sell my first born for Canon camera and camcorder products.

37. 3M MPro120 (digital projector, $349)
- If you’re a poor student, pretty much forget about buying a TV, watch your movies and TV shows through NinjaVideo, and project it onto your bare, poster-less wall.

32. Alienware M15x (laptop, base price $1499)
- Cool designs… But I wouldn’t sacrifice my computer for one with a huge buzzing from the fan due to Alienware’s overheating problem.  The day Alienware figures out how to eliminate wasteful heat energy…well…  they’ll probably win a Nobel Prize.  But it’s also the day I’ll buy Alienware computers!

20. Kodak Zi8 (digital camcorder, $180)
- I may be a Canon fan, but this camcorder is so sleek and compact, it deserves mention.

15. Amazon Kindle 2 (e-book reader, $259)
- Call me old fashioned, but I still like the idea of real books.  There’s something unsettling about sitting in your hot tub with your chlorine-wet hands clutching your Kindle.  I also like having a pretentious book shelf filled with books I’ve read books I intend to read to showcase to all visitors.  But, to each their own…  I think it’d be sick for news papers and magazines because I recycle those.

Software:
58. Google Chrome (browser, free)
- Yet another fantastic programme coming out of Google with the only problem being… it’s a product from Google.  So to hide all the information feeding through Chrome to the Google Empire, make sure you install a privacy guard.

42. Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (browser, free)
- I’m partial to Firefox, mostly for privacy and aesthetic reasons.  I like the browser to have some extra space between the top header and URL bar, and I’m not a fan of tabbing at the top.

11. Microsoft Windows 7 (operating system, prices vary)
- I know I said nothing too obvious, but I’m liking this too much.  I’m a Mac user, but  I had always intended to put Windows on my Mac…  and then Vista happened.  So now here’s Microsoft round 2.  Fingers crossed!

Great work PC World!  Pretty much the hardware section can double be your Holiday shopping list.

But here are some other products that missed the list, which I frequently use and feel are very useful:

Other products

1. Video2MP3 (http://www.video2mp3.net/)
- Changes YouTube videos to MP3 files, but can also convert other video files like MySpace and DailyMotion among others.

2.  The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/)
- Former Editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker Tina Brown tells you what’s important today.  Very American news focused, but has everything you need to know now.

3.  Media Converter (http://media-convert.com/)
- Fairly self-explanatory, but it converts most of your files into whatever you want it to be.  Word to PDF?  No problem.  Random sound file to MP3?  You got it.  The only problem is changing .docx files to .doc files, but that’s easily solved by uploading it to GoogleDocs.

4.  Online Banking
- Anyone?  Well, I think paying my Visa charge the day after it happens is marvellous.

5. VLC Media Player
- If you’re on a Macbook (Pro), it fully utilises your speakers and makes movies that much louder.  It also plays .divx files from NinjaVideo.

6.  Sony Vaio X Series (http://www.sonystyle.com)
- My room-mate has possibly the most portable computer of life.  While I truck around what feels like a semi truck in my backpack, my room mate carries this ultra-light Vaio.  One major problem is the heat issue, but when your battery life is realistically 9 hours playing movies and it’s lighter than a bottle of water?  Sign me up.

With a new laptop in hand (Alienware m15x with 64-bit Windows 7 , Intel i7 quad core running 2.8GHz, nVidia GTX 260M with 1Gb of ram, 4Gb of DDR3 system ram running at 1333MHz, a 1600×900 glossy display and 320 Gb of disk space running 7200 rpm) and most of my software installed, it is now time for me to return to the battle lines of the digital fronts. Not surprisingly, the new hardware has swayed my preferences as to which games are garnering the most of my attention. Unreal Tournament 3 is gorgeous and *blazing* quick. Far Cry 2 and Crysis are absolutely poetic in their graphics. Quake Wars: Enemy Territory runs like it has hellhounds on its trail.

Granted, I have yet to finish installing Counterstrike: Source and The Orange Box. Also, Gears of War won’t patch correctly and crashes due to the digital certificate error (and Microsoft support was quick to respond to my emails, but only offered the same, generic responses of “uninstall, reboot, reinstall”). Perhaps converting my retail box to a Steam download will alleviate the issues.

But soon enough (perhaps starting this weekend), I will begin my tales from the front lines.

i got this amazing Alienware M17x gaming laptop computer as a gift from a loved one *Thanks Again*

here are the Specs:

Year 2009 has been an interesting time for trends in laptops and smaller portable computers. Going for smaller size seems to be the most popular pursuit at the moment, especially with the mass pumpage of tiny, low-cost netbooks into the market after ASUS’s success with its vast ”EEE” line of netbooks. Also, some more or less normal-sized laptops are even sacrificing optical drives to achieve better performance in a smaller package (mostly in the 12″ to 14″ range), though this is something I personally dislike. Dell/Alienware manages to cover all bases, with laptops ranging from 10″ all the way to hulking 17″ desktop-replacement beasts (namely the Alienware M17x).

To me a netbook makes a lot of sense for most people’s situations. I would say that the vast majority of everyday computer users probably just want to be able to send e-mail, browse the net, listen to music and even a little bit of basic work. A netbook can basically do most of this just fine despite its naturally more limited hardware and smaller size, though if one wishes to use any sort of optical disc (CD, DVD, etc.), an external drive must be used. Battery life and prices are getting better and better in this genre, and we will surely see many great features added to these miniature windows into the cyber world during the years to come. The tiny size can get old though in some applications, so probably the ones who benefit most from netbooks are those constantly on the move who need to perform basic tasks.

Most traditional laptops fall into the 13″-16″ range of screen/form size. Essentially portable and infinitely useful, a solid mid-size laptop can do almost anything that needs to be accomplished on-the-go. The only time this size suffers is with huge tasks such as professional video editing or high-end gaming (although there are some notable exceptions in this regard, as Alienware and other performance PC builders have shown). As far as I am concerned, an optical drive is essential for this form factor, because there really isn’t a huge excuse for not including one just to gain a little bit more RAM or what not. If I am going to carry around a 15″ piece of hardware, I might as well be able to use it to watch a movie on the plane without external equipment.

Desktop replacements in the 17″-21″ range are a rarer beast, but are certainly nicer than having to use up all of that desk space for a separate monitor, keyboard, and box. Hardcore laptop users might have a larger external screen and even keyboard to use when desk-bound, but these are unecessary luxuries for most. These machines are typically thick and cumbersome, which lends them to be most useful at home on the desk, except for the occasional excursion. The flexibility and potential for serious hardware power in this size is most attractive to power users.

Specific models:

In October Alienware announced its new M15x and M17x laptop models, which both offer serious power in relatively mobile solutions. I must say though that I am somewhat disappointed with the newest M15x and its move toward a large, more bulky format, but supposedly its build quality and reliability are improved from its previous and slightly smaller iteration, the m15x.

I am in the market for a solid 15-ish” laptop, but I am inclined to wait for the introduction of USB3 (hopefully early in 2010) so as to get the most future-proofing for the buck.

Sorry, blog!  I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been busy catching up with everything I missed this week while sick.  As a gesture of apology, the next post will focus entirely on scantily clad women.

This was the first year for Pennsylvania’s new gaming affair, GameX.  Held in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center near Valley Forge National Park, it was a bit out of the way for convention-goers more accustomed to metropolitan travel, but the expo still managed to attract a large number of attendees.  This may be due in part to GameX’s attempt to appeal to multiple crowds within gaming culture.

For the casual gamers who love to play with friends, there was a large Bring Your Own Computer area, the Alienware Arena, a bay of 98 Alienware PCs loaded with games and open to everyone, and as well as a ring of Xbox 360s and Playstation 3 running mostly fighting games hosted by the GXL team.

Competitive PC players had three gauntlets to run in the Alienware Arena in Team Fortress 2, Flash Point: Dragon Rising, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Unreal Tournament 3.  Console fans could duke it out in Street Fighter 4, Halo 3, BlazBlue, and more at the GXL booth or try their hands at Smash Brothers and Rock Band 2 on the main stage with the ladies of PMS Clan.  Prizes ranged from t-shirts and cases of energy drinks to hundreds of dollars and three real Epiphone guitars!

Just interested in looking around?  GameX has you covered there too!  Industry panels and exclusive screenings ran all weekend in the theatre room and the Artists’ Alley and Steampunk Gallery both had some amazing and funny pieces on display (and for sale!).  Gaming celebrities like The Escapists’ famous fast-talking Aussie critic Ben “Yahtzee” Crowshaw from Zero Punctuation and several cast members of the popular web show The Guild were on-hand to chat and sign autographs in the red carpet section.

Interactive booths from Ubisoft, MSI, Hi-Rez Studios, Dante’s Inferno and Warhammer Online, Turtle Beach,  and more ringed the walls and dotted the showcase floor, offering attendees lots of free swag and exclusive gameplay opportunities.  Other companies like RockyBid.com, Dust-Off, Bawls, and Steel Series offered great deals on products and services.  There were displays from local robotics teams and local Jedi teams. And just when you thought the day was over, live bands took over the main stage to serenade the attendees with game-inspired ballads and mash-ups of well-known game soundtracks.

As a special treat for industry insiders and the hard-working volunteers, there were several VIP parties once the doors closed on the convention hall each night.  While many enjoyed the upscale wine and cheese soiree on Friday night, I loved the bouncing between the GameX and The Escapists’ parties at Arnold’s Family Fun Center on Saturday.  Laser tag, bumper cars, beer, and Bawls: everything a gamer could ask for to unwind!

GameX has already posted their 2010 date (October 22^nd-24^th for those wondering) so I hope it’s safe to say this event will be around to enjoy again.  I look forward to seeing how the convention grows, if it changes spaces, and what it has in store for the future!

Finally recieved netbook for using during my course, typing this in on it as i speak, found it very useful already in its one day of working, however the 15.4″ screen size carry case that came with it is annoying kinda, but going to get protective slip case and use normal bag  hehe, got it up to how i wanted my previous xp computer, different boot screen, log in screen, alienware gui , rocketdock, aswell as a vista style note pad widget, the only useful thing id miss about vista is the notepad you have. pictures up soon.

Denne uken dumpet et brev fra lånekassen ned i postkassa. Der sto det at lånet var nedskrevet med 22 400 kr. Flyttingen til Øst-Finnmark begynner nå virkelig å lønne seg -og godt er det. Betingelsene på studielånet var en av grunnene til at vi valgte å flytte opp hit, langt vekk fra familie og venner. Fast jobb kunne vi fått nesten hvor som helst utenfor de store byene, så derfor er det herlig å få en godtgjørelse for å ha tatt den lange turen. Jeg skjønner godt at denne ordningen finnes. Vi ville aldri i verden flyttet opp hit om vi ikke hadde tjent på det økonomisk. Jeg er sikker på at mange som jobber innen helse, økonomi og administrasjon hadde de samme tankene før de flyttet. Det er mangel på kvalifisert arbeidskraft i disse sektorene og det gjør ordningen enda viktigere. For det første ville Finnmark vært fraflyttet, for det andre kunne det blitt en negativ spiral og i verste fall ført til sosiale problemer.  Denne diskusjonen husker jeg bak et tåkete teppe av whisky, pils og ehm…cider fra jakta. Vi ble vel strengt tatt enig om å være uenig. Det er jo til syvende og sist et politisk spørsmål.

Alienware Area-51 ALX

Hva trenger en for å overleve her oppe?  Noen vil si snøskuter. Ulf Lundell mener at en fetisj for öppna landskap gjør susen. Jeg sier: Et monster av en datamaskin! For noen måneder siden fikk min kjære Dell et illebefinnende og spiller nå i de evige arcadehaller. Nå er det snart på tide med noe nytt. Jeg sikler etter den nyeste maskinen fra Alienware, men 32 000,- blir nok i høyeste laget. Jeg nøyer meg gjerne med en modell under den prisen. Siden PC`en skal stå i stua kan det være greit med væskekjøling og uten alt for mange flashy farger og effekter. Jeg gleder meg! Nå er det ikke lenge igjen før  Tuba, Rottulf og Evison får rundjuling i Team Fortress!

Κρύψτε για Πάντα τα Facebook Quiz | Newsbytes.gr

Όποιος χρησιμοποιεί έστω και ελάχιστα το Facebook είναι σίγουρο ότι έχει δει στο News Feed του κάποιο από τα εκατοντάδες quiz που υπάρχουν και δημοσιεύονται από τα μέλη που τα χρησιμοποιούν.
Η γελοιότητα των περισσότερων από αυτά είναι φανερή με μια ματιά και καθημερινά ακούμε και διαβάζουμε για μέλη του Facebook που δυσανασχετούν από αυτά.[next]