Virtual Spring Cleaning for your PC

Subject: General Tech | February 28, 2006 - 11:43 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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The Tech Zone takes you through an easy process to clean and speed up your PC.  Call it WinRot or senility, as an OS install ages, it begins to develop idiosyncrasies and will slow down in some tasks, follow this guide and it will be running like the day you first got it.

"It seems that the longer you own your computer, the slower it gets! It isn't getting slower just

because it is older.

5.1 surround headphones ... midnight gamers best friend

Subject: General Tech | February 27, 2006 - 02:10 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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I find it hard to believe that headphones can duplicate 6 discrete channels directly into your ears.  However, TECHGAGE reviews the Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA Headset, and they have found that it can be done, within limits.  Along with very comfortable ear peices, the headphones come with a amp/equalizer that lets you switch between channel settings, from regular 2 channel to 5.1.

"Can't set up a 5.1 speaker setup, but want true surround sound?

Does playability outweigh prettification?

Subject: General Tech | February 24, 2006 - 11:42 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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The Moditory has published a review of Darwinia, a very unconventional game.  While the RTS and tech tree basis of the game will be familiar, and the graphics will take you back about 10 years, the game play is king in this game.  There is much to explore in how they have set this game up, and you can get it very easily if you use Steam.

"Gameplay is sometimes overlooked in the gaming industry. Today a lot of stress is put on graphics

and now sound.

Quantum Weirdness for your computer

Subject: General Tech | February 24, 2006 - 11:29 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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Quantum Computing seems to get weirder the more is learned about it.  While the idea that a quantum computer could go arrive at an answer without hitting the intermediate steps needed for normal processing, the idea that it can answer a question not even asked is definately new.   Try Boing Boing's quick run down, and if you want to know more, there are links everywhere.

"Utilizing two coupled optical interferometers, nested within a third, Kwiat's team succeeded in

counterfactually

Win a Centurion 532 from CoolerMaster & PC Perspective - 3 days left to enter

Subject: General Tech | February 24, 2006 - 08:02 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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Here's the hard part:

1. Be a member of the PC Perspective Forums - join if you are not already!


2. Send an email to cmcontest@pcper.com with your name, address, phone number and forum account name


3. Post a reply in this thread that you have sent in an email (Important, only those users who BOTH send an email and reply at least once in this thread will be ent

In honour of Turin, put your mouse on Skatez

Subject: General Tech | February 23, 2006 - 02:19 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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Corepad Mouse Skatez are replacment pads for the bottom of your mouse.  Some are made specifically for the MX series of mice, and others are simply teflon strips to be applied overtop of the existing pads on other mice.  Read the review at Think Computers.

'Mice are becoming more and more expensive, and with lots more features packed into them. One

thing I noticed is that the standard feet of these so-called professional gaming mice or high-end

mice are a bit lacking.

The dangers of using your clipboard as short term memory

Subject: General Tech | February 23, 2006 - 11:56 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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The Inquirer has posted a combined clipboard and Internet Explorer vulnerablilty, and they have also posted a way to avoid the problem.  The contents of your clipboard can be grabbed, via scripting, and displayed on the web.  This little trick will only work in IE, not Firefox, and if you visit the link from the Inquirer that shows the problem, there is at least one pop-up window to greet you.

"A WARNING RECEIVED highlights what appears to be a real Explorer danger that text copied onto the

clipboar

X-Mystique is an upgradable audio card

Subject: General Tech | February 22, 2006 - 03:15 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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PenStar Systems has posted a how and why on upgrading the OPAMPS on the new X-Mystique audio card.  If you do go ahead and mod it, you may be very impressed by the quality of sound you can get from the analog outputs.

"The X-Mystique's primary claim to fame is that it is the first add-in soundcard that can encode a

Dolby Digital 5.1 signal.