http://www.ecoustics.com/latest/links Latest links, updated every five minutes http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/520526.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:44:00 -0400 http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/520510.html Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:17:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/18121 Acer—now the parent company of Gateway—is hoping to find a sweet spot in consumers end-of-year holiday buying plans with its new Aspire X3200 desktop—especially if they're looking for a compact PC that can handle high-definition video. And the company is pairing it with the new Acer P244W LCd display that handles 1080p content with a native 1,920 by 1,080 resolution."The Aspire X3200 pacRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/18016 PC maker Dell looks to be trying to ratchet up competition for the hearts and minds of entertainment-centric computer users: the company has inked a deal with Paramount to offer its recent superhero flick Iron Man as a pre-loaded option on its Inspiron, Studio, and XPS notebook and desktop lines. Adding the movie to a new computer's configuration costs $20, and comes with bonus content in addition to the film itself. The content is protected by Microsoft Windows Media digital rights management, although customers will be able to burn one copy to DVD and push the movie to a television using Windows Media Center extenders. (Oh, but high-def fans will be disappointed: Dell's $20 Iron Man oRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:15:00 -0400 http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/517218.html Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:18:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/HP_Pavilion_Slimline_s3500f_Athlon_64_X2_5400_2_8_GHz/4505-3118_7-33109494.html?part=ecoustics-cnet As opposed to previous Slimline models, the HP Pavilion Slimline s3500f tosses aside home theater aspirations and targets budget buyers looking for a compact, cheap PC. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:03:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17877 Ordinary PC speakers work great in situations where you can jam a computer in the corner and only worry about sound travelling in one direction, but if your room setup is a little more complicated, that might leave one side of the room woefully quiet. Logitech set out to fix this problem by creating a pair that throw sound equally in all directions: its new Z-5 desktop speakers, introdRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:40:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17871 Hewlett-Packard has been working on trying to re-imagine the PC so it fits better into everyday life: sure, there will always be people who need notebook PCs, there will always be video nuts or programmers who need serious desktop power, and even netbooks (maybe) have their place. But none of those systems really excel in, say, kitchens, dens, or living rooms, where they need to look good, they need to be able to quickly tap into news, calendars, photos, media, and other family stuff…and be usable when you're just walking past.To that end, HP has introduced a new system in its TouchSmart line of large, touchscreen-enabled PCs, theRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:15:00 -0400 http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/515541.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:58:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/reviews/5568 AVA Direct shows off their craftsmanship with this high-end gaming PC workstation. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:22:09 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17833 Audio gear maker Altec Lansing is in the process of rebranding itself, rolling out a new logo and Web site to convey the company's "rich history of groundbreaking audio innovation." We're sure that's what everyone's' going to pick out of black, white, grey, and gold…but in the meantime, the company has also unveiled a new desktop speaker system with a integrated subwoofers and three new iPod speaker systems.First up, the new eye-catching Expressionist BASS desktop speaker system look like black cones that sit on your desktop—but the bottom of those black cRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:10:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17795 Technology giant Hewlet Packard has taken the wraps off a new collection of point-of-sale systems and a new dc7900 desktop PC that, normally, are exacty the sort of hardware we can't wait to scuttle past in order to see something…well, cooler. But under the hood of that dc7900 desktop lies something interesting: the HP-Firefox Web browser. Instead of running as a normal desktop application, this version of FireFox runs in its own virtualized sandbox, meaning all downloads, cookies, and add-ons get saved in their own secured area. Something goes wrong—poof!—users can immediately reset their browser to a kRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17793 According to reports in The Wall Street Journal and elsewhere, computer maker Dell may be looking to sell some or all of its computer manufacturing factories around the world to contract computer makers, in a bid to improve its bottom line. The Journal quotes one source briefed on the plan that dell may sell most or all of its manufacturing facilities within the next year and a half.Dell's manufacturing facilities were originally built around the idea of filling orders for large enterprise and organizational customers that required large volumes of essentially identical desktop PCs. However, over time the PC market has shifted towards notebooRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/Velocity_Micro_Edge_Z15/4505-3118_7-32853292.html?part=ecoustics-cnet Velocity Micro's Edge Z15 represents one of the best deal's we've seen this year in midrange gaming PCs. It has all the power necessary to play current games (even Crysis) at smooth frame rates, and its clean, spacious interior gives you plenty of upgrade room. We recommend this system to any PC gamer looking for a sub-$2,000 desktop. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:26:00 -0400 http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/512227.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17753 Peripheral and accessories maker LaCie has introduced a USB, bus-powered version of its Neil Poulton-designs external speakers for desktop and notebook PCs. Previously available as a FireWire device, the USB Speakers are designed to be portable, offer decent low-level sound quality, and they work with either Macs or PCs without any additional software."The new USB Speakers provide universal flexibility to all USB-enabled computers without the need for additional power cables, electrical sockets, or batteries," said LaCie accessories product manager AlRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/Acer_Aspire_X1200_U1520A/4505-3118_7-33229227.html?part=ecoustics-cnet The Acer Aspire X1200-U1520A is a speedy, compact low-end desktop powerful enough capability to serve as a light-duty home theater PC. Expansion is limited by an especially cramped interior (even for a small PC), but the total package is worthwhile for PC shoppers on a budget. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:29:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/reviews/150208 While not a world-beater, the Force Recon BT offers good performance at a reasonable price. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/news/17702 China's Lenovo is setting it sites on corporate desktops, announcing its new ThinkCentre A62 desktop PC that's designed to be easy on enterprise power bills with low energy consumption, easy on IT administrators with remote management capabilities, and easy on the pocketbook by being dirt cheap."IT departments, especially in the business world, don't like change," said Lenovo's executive director for global desktop marketing, in a statement. "The new ThinRead | Permalink | Linking Blogs Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/reviews/150206 Alienware's latest desktop is a gaming powerhouse, but its power comes at a steep price. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0400 http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/8301-1001_3-10026957-92.html?part=ecoustics-cnet PC maker continues its international push with notebooks and desktops made for such countries as China and India. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:31:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/reviews/150207 The MicroFlex 82B gives you plenty of horsepower without draining your savings. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:55:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/reviews/149920 Customizable desktop system provides affordable performance in a stylish package. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/reviews/149919 Nicely expandable system has blue-LED bling, gaming muscle, and bundled Logitech peripherals. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/reviews/149918 This fairly well-priced PC is good-looking, but it doesn't feel particularly sturdy. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:15:00 -0400