Deals for October 15th - RC Photo Helicopter for $85

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | October 15, 2012 - 01:33 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: deals, deal of the day

Top deal

Sharper Image Video Photo Chopper for $84.99 @ Sharper Image (normally $99.99 - use $15 coupon code ENT2010).

Laptops

13.3" Dell Inspiron 13z Core i5 Ivy Bridge Laptop for $629.24 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $838.99 - use $150 coupon code ?$QNC1?HSKNR9F).

Desktops

Dell Vostro 270 Core i5 Ivy Bridge Desktop for $499.00 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $849.00 - use $50 coupon code W9D06J14FX10WM).

Computer Components

27" Planar PX2710MW 1080p 2ms LCD Monitor for $209.99 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $469.00).

27" LG E2742V-BN 1080p LED-Backlit Monitor for $260 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $370 - use coupon code EMCYTZT2353)

OCZ Agility 4 512GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $340 @ Tiger Direct (normally $360 - Use this form).

Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $160 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $200 - use coupon code EMCYTZT2359).

OCZ Agility 4 128GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $80 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $220 Use this form).

XFX Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card + Free PC Game for $142 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $180 - Use coupon code HARDOCP1X1XC and Use this form).

Accessories

Canon PowerShot A1300 16MP Black Digital Camera for $109 with shipping @ Abt (normally $200)

Canon PIXMA MG2120 Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer for $29.00 @ Walmart (normally $38).

Deals for October 12th - OCZ Agility 4 256GB SSD for $140

Subject: Editorial | October 12, 2012 - 03:34 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: deals, deal of the day

Top deal

256GB OCZ Agility 4 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5" SSD for $140 @ TigerDirect | Originally $199 | Use this form.

Laptops

15.6" Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition 1080p Core i7 Laptop for $849.99 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $1,139.99 - use $150 coupon code QH3XW509GT$BBL).

13.3" HP ENVY Spectre XT 13t-2000 Core i5 "Ivy Bridge" Ultrabook for $849.99 with free shipping @ HP (normally $1,000.00 - use $150 coupon code NB9301).

Desktops

Toshiba All-in-One LX830-ST2N01 23" Core i3 Desktop for $699.99 with free shipping @ Toshiba Direct (normally $900).

Dell Vostro 470 "Ivy Bridge" Core i5 Desktop for $499.00 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $599.00 - use $50 coupon code W9D06J14FX10WM).

Computer Components

WD My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive (WDBY8L0020BBK-NESN) for $164.00 with free shipping @ B&H (normally $179.00).

Moneual MU230ED 23" LED-Backlight Monitor for $129.99 with free shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $139.99).

TRENDnet TEW-652BRP 300Mbps Wireless-N Home Router for $19.99 with $2.99 shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $49.99).

Actiontec 500Mbps Powerline Network Adapter Kit (PWR511K01) for $49.99 @ TigerDirect (normally $89.99).

Accessories

Cisco WVC210 Wireless-G Security IP Camera for $123.49 @ Cisco (normally $299.99 - use 5% coupon code HSDISH5).

Roku HD Wireless Media Player for $59.97 with Free Shipping @ PC Richard & Son (normally $79.97).

Deals for October 11th - Linksys N600 Dual-Band Gigabit Router $42

Subject: Editorial | October 11, 2012 - 02:53 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: deals, deal of the day

Top deal

Linksys App-Enabled Wireless N600 Dual-Band Gigabit Router Refurbished (EA2700) for $42.74 with Free Shipping@ Cisco (normally $120 - use coupon code HSDISH5).

Laptops

14" Dell Alienware m14x r2 Core i7 Ivy Bridge Gaming Laptop for $1,049.00 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $1,100.00 - use $50 coupon code 9Q057LWVMPGG41).

Desktops

Alienware X51 Core i7 "Ivy Bridge" mini Gaming PC w/ 2TB Hard Drive, GeForce GTX 555 for $1,049.00 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $1,200.00 - use $50 coupon code 9Q057LWVMPGG41).

Dell Inspiron 660s Dual-core Slim Tower w/ Logitech MK550 Wireless Keyboard + Mouse for $336.75 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $449.00 - use 25% coupon code ?$QNC1?HSKNR9F).

Computer Components

Corsair Force Series 3 240GB SSD for $140 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $200 - Use this form).

Samsung 830 Series 512GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $509 with free shipping @ BuyDig (normally $600).

Crucial M4 2.5" 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $189 with free shipping @ B&H Photo (normally $250).

OCZ Vertex 4 2.5" 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $184.99 with free shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $220).

Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel Computer Case for $70 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $120 - Use coupon code EMCYTZT2330 and Use this form).

XFX Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card + Free PC Game for $142 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $180 - Use coupon code HARDOCP1X1XC and Use this form)..

Portables

Red Beam Laser Pointer Keychain for $0.99 plus free shipping @ Meritline (normally $2.99 – use coupon codeMLCK110RNL1).

Logitech H800 Wireless Headset for $30 plus shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $100 - Use this form).

Deals for October 10th - Intel 520 Series 240GB SSD for $169

Subject: Editorial | October 10, 2012 - 02:45 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: deals, deal of the day

Top deal

Intel 520 Series 2.5" SATA III 240GB SSD for $169.99 with Free Shipping@ TigerDirect (normally $240 - use $30 mail-in rebate).

Laptops

15.6" Asus A54C-TB91 Pentium Dual-Core Laptop for $349.99 @ TigerDirect (normally $369.99).

14" Toshiba Satellite L840-BT2N22 Core i3 Laptop (Customizable) for $449.99 with free shipping @ Toshiba Direct (normally $769.99).

14" Dell Inspiron 14z Core i7 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook w/ 8GB RAM, 32GB SSD for $897.74 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $1,188.99 - use 25% coupon code ?$QNC1?HSKNR9F).

HP ENVY 17t-3200 3D 1080p Core i7 "Ivy Bridge" Quad-core Laptop w/ Blu-ray for $1,049.99 with free shipping @ HP (normally $1,849.99 - use $50 coupon code SAVE50LOGIC).

Desktops

Dell XPS 8500 Core i7 "Ivy Bridge" Desktop (White Chassis) w/ 12GB RAM, 32GB SSD, Radeon HD 7770 for $999.99 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $1,299.99).

Dell Optiplex 3010 Core i5 Mini Tower + 24" U2412M UltraSharp LCD Monitor for $749.99 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $1,259.00).

Computer Components

D-Link DIR-615 Wireless-N Router for $30 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $60 - Use coupon code EMCJNNF39).

Western Digital 500GB My Passport Edge USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive for $90 @ TigerDirect (normally $99.99).

Crucial v4 SATA 3Gb/s 64GB 2.5" SSD for $55 with shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $70).

Entertainment

50" Toshiba 50L2200 1080p LED HDTV for $674.00 with free shipping @ Beach Camera(normally $1000 - Use coupon code BCSurfnSave25).

60" Panasonic Viera TC-P60U50 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV for $898 @ Walmart (normally $1,200).

Yamaha RX-V373BL Digital A/V Receiver + Sony SAVS310 5.1 Speaker Package Bundle for $259.99 with free shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $559 - Use $100 mail-in rebate).

Portables

Ematic EGLXL102B 4GB 10" Android 4.0 Tablet for $89.99 with $0.97 shipping @ Walmart (normally $149.98).

Sony HDR-PJ200 5.3MP HD Flash Memory Camcorder for $389.00 plus free shipping @ BuyDig (normally $449.99).

RoboCop Trilogy Blu-ray for $21.49 @ Amazon (normally $59.99).

Deals for October 9th - Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD for $199

Subject: Editorial | October 9, 2012 - 12:56 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals, deal of the day

Top deal

Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s SSD (MZ-7PC256B) for $199.99 @ CompUSA (normally $240).

Laptops

15.6" Asus A54C-TB31 Core i3 Laptop for $379.99 with $8.96 shipping @ CompUSA (normally $449.99).

17.3" Toshiba Satellite C870-BT2N11 Dual-core Laptop for $412.49 with shipping based on location @ Toshiba Direct (normally $640).

13.3" Dell Inspiron 13z Core i5 Ivy Bridge Laptop for $629.24 with free shipping @ Dell (normally $838.99 - use 25% coupon code ?$QNC1?HSKNR9F).

Monitors

24" LG 5ms HDMI LED-Backlit Monitor (E2442V-BN) for $179.99 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $249.99 - use $20 coupon code EMCJNNA28).

Computer Components

Linksys E2500 Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless-N Router (refurbished) for $33.24 with free shipping @ Cisco (normally $89.99 - use coupon code: HSDISH5).

Linksys WET610N Wireless-N Ethernet Bridge with Dual-Band for $56.99 with free shipping @ Cisco (normally $89.99 - use coupon code: HSDISH5).

Kingston HyperX 3K 2.5" 240GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $199.99 with free shipping @ NewEgg (normally $249.99).

Entertainment

46" Samsung UN46EH5300 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV + $150 Gift Card for $799.99 with free shipping @ Dell(normally $880 with no gift card).

51" Samsung PN51E550 3D 600Hz 1080p Plasma HDTV for $847.99 with free shipping @ Abt (normally $950).

Slingbox SOLO SB260-100 Internet TV Broadcaster for $99.99 with free shipping @ Best Buy (normally $179).

Jamo S426HCS3 5pcs Home Theater Speaker System for $249 with free shipping @ TigerDirect (normally $500 - use coupon code FXQ72652).

Portables

Ematic EGL25BL 4GB 7" Android 4.0 Tablet for $69.99 with $0.97 shipping @ Walmart (normally $99.98).

Sharper Image Pocket Breathalyzer for $79.99 plus free shipping@ Sharper Image (normally $99.99 – use with coupon code AFFRSHP for free shipping).

Choken Bako Coin Eating Dog Piggy Bank for $9.99 plus free shipping @ Meritline (normally $14.99 – use coupon code MLCK108PNL1).

RoboCop Trilogy Blu-ray for $21.49 @ Amazon (normally $59.99).

Happy Fun Time with Electronic Arts

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | October 1, 2012 - 01:36 PM | Chris Barbere
Tagged: editorial, ea, battlefield 3

You know, I used to love Electronic Arts.  There was a time in my younger days where seeing their name emblazoned on a PC game box as I wandered the aisles of Electronics Boutique was all I needed to see to buy it.  I can still remember the scrolling colors through the big "E C A" on my Commodore 64 as I anxiously waited for Bards Tale or Racing Destruction set to load.  Ah...the good old days.

Sadly, that warm and fuzzy feeling is long gone, and over the years I've come to dislike just about everything about EA and what they've become.  My most recent foray into the mess that is EA has killed any nostalgia I had for them.  Let's walk through the fun.

I love the BattleField series of games, and have been an avid fan of them ever since the days of BF 1942.  Some of my best memories of LAN parties were BF 1942.  Whether it was driving like mad in a Jeep from one end of Wake Island to the other to try to stop a flag capture, or jumping into a T-34 in Kursk, it was about as much fun as I can recall having with a video game.  Over the years I've picked up most of the BF incarnations and when Battlefield 3 came out, I picked up a copy on release day for my XBox.  I generally like playing games on PC's over consoles, especially First Person Shooters, but I had a few friends that were playing on XBox and we all wanted to jump in and play together.  Even though I'm awful using the controller to play, we had a blast, but after a few months we stopped playing.

Fast forward to the other day and the PcPer crew decides they want to play BF3 after the recent podcast.  I definitely can't pass up the option to get in on some Battlefield goodness, so even though I've already forked over $60 for the game and another $20 for the first expansion pack to EA on my XBox, I'm stuck with having to buy another copy of the game, just so I can play on a different platform.  Off to Amazon and another $35 funnels into EA's coffers.  Two hours and a 10 GB download later the install starts and up comes...

Ugh...Origin...really?  I can understand why EA wants its own online game distribution system, but c'mon!  I already have a ton of games through Steam and everything works without a hitch.  Origin is a mess and I've had nothing but problems with it in the past.  I dislike using it so much that I won't buy a game if I know I have to install and use Origin to play.

But I digress.  I've already thrown another $35 at EA and we're going to play tonight, so I guess I'll just deal with it.  Hoping to fire it up and get my keybindings setup and a little bit of practice in I double click on the BF3 icon and a browser window opens.  What in the heck?  A browser?  Where's the game?  I close the browser figuring something is wrong, double click on the game icon again and up pops the browser.  Jeezalou.  I struggle for a few minutes trying to remember my ID and password for EA's site and when I finally do get in I'm looking at my stats page for my soldier.  My soldier on the XBox.  Clicking through the menus I vainly try to find a button that will let me launch the game when I notice a little drop down arrow under my Soldier name that says "BF3 XBOX".  Click on that and there's "BF3 PC".  Seriously?  I have to start over and lose all my unlocks?  My google-fu finds that there's no way to merge the two, because apparently EA doesn't understand the concept of a shared database.

Regardless, I eventually find a button labeled "Quick Match" and here we go...

<Click>

Holy batsnots, seriously?  In this day and age, I can't play a AAA title video game on my PC because my default browser is 64-bit?  Good lord!  I really don't want to change my default browser just to play this game, so I end up having to fire up a 32 bit version of Internet Explorer, copy and paste the link into that just so I can try to launch the game.  Error message doesn't pop up, but now I apparently need a few plugins.  At this point I had to replace my keyboard as the head bashing knocked a few keys off.  Once I get all the plugins installed I click on the "Quick Match" button again and...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Still waiting...

Continue reading our editorial on the pains of Battlefield 3 on the PC...

Minecraft Creator Takes a Notch Out of Microsoft

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Systems, Mobile | September 29, 2012 - 11:33 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Windows Store, windows 8, censorship

And by the way -- Windows Store will censor apps. More on that later.

So around the same time as my future of Windows editorial became published PC Mag published a related piece: Notch from Mojang outrages over certification for Windows Store. Mojang voiced his concerns for the platform and its attempts to “ruin the PC as an open platform.”

I have, and continue to, claim that Microsoft appears to want to close the Windows platform in a near-future revision of the platform. Once there is enough software available through Windows Update and Windows Store it seems highly likely that Microsoft will remove all other ways on to your device -- as they have done with Windows RT. The concept of a cross-device, controlled, and secure platform is just too tempting.

Loyal, but not stupid.

But backwards compatibility is not the only concern with going metro. Everything must be certified.

Indeed - as of the latest July 2012 certification requirements for Windows Store - Microsoft will predictably be censoring applications just as they do with the Xbox. Section 5.8 and 6.2 of the aforementioned certification requirements clearly state: applications must not contain excess or gratuitous profanity and applications must also not contain adult content. Of course this is aimed squarely at the various niches of adult graphic novels (correction: I apparently meant visual novels, not graphic novels - but I'm sure those would not be let on the Windows Store either) and similarly themed interactive content and the message is clear: get out and stay out.

I can think of a couple of countries where that will not fly.

To be fair Microsoft has addressed the issue in the very same section with the following clause:

We understand that in some cases, apps provide a gateway to retail content, user generated content, or web based content. We classify those apps as either Storefront apps, whose primary function is to aggregate and sell third party media or apps, or Streaming apps, whose primary function is to aggregate and stream web-based images, music, video or other media content. In some cases, it may be acceptable for a Storefront or Streaming app to include some content that might otherwise be prohibited in a single purpose app.

The clause functionally means: “Yeah we know web browsers cannot prevent themselves from surfing to the wrong side of the internet’s metaphorical tracks. This is not an excuse to ban them.” It also does not limit the censorship that Microsoft is clearly imposing.

And frankly the issue is not even with adult content; the issue is with the certification itself. We are at a point where Microsoft seems to want us to accept and migrate to their closed platform where everything is certified.

But what if future certification seriously limits or disables 3rd party modifications to software like attempted with Games for Windows Live? What if Microsoft decides to charge developers tens of thousands of dollars just to certify a patch? These are all serious issues to think about.

While you are thinking - consider a plan to simply ditch the Windows platform altogether and go with an open platform we can actually trust.