This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Thermaltake has been branching out from their previous offerings related to PC cases, cooling and power supplies. We’ve already shown you a couple of their gaming peripherals in the Tt eSPORTS line. Today we have a second gaming keyboard, dubbed the Challenger Pro.

The Challenger line of keyboards currently comes in three flavors: regular, pro and Ultimate. We have the middle of the road, which only loses 2 macro keys, audio jacks and the ability to change the color of the backlight. Otherwise the Pro appears to be nearly identical to the Ultimate.

Some of the notable features include an adjustable red backlight, 10 customizable keys, a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a hand fan. That’s right, there is a removable fan that will blow air onto one of your hands. We’ll touch more on that later. Thermaltake also includes the necessary software for customizing your keys, along with a bit of on-board memory to store your profiles.

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By Caitlyn Muncy

There are few alarm apps out there that are worth their salt, but this one seems to hold some interest. Going by the name of A!arm, this iPhone app has a sheep counting game, and an alarm that be shut off by voice command. For those of you out there that love telling the world what you’re doing every moment of the day, you can connect this app to facebook and twitter to tell your friends when you got up.

The animations for this app are absolutely adorable, and the beep for the alarm is almost ear shattering, which is why being able to shout at the phone to turn it off is a plus. Though the sheep counting game is supposed to be for going to sleep, I found it to be a more useful tool for waking me up as it’s two rotating barrels with puzzle-esque figures you have to focus on. The alarm itself has to be kept open, which can drain your phone battery, but most people charge their phones overnight anyway, so that shouldn’t be a huge deal. The beep seemed to be a little sound sensitive, but that is adjustable. You can also set how long you want to snooze. It is available for $.99 in the App Store.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Thermaltake is a very well-known computer hardware company, and although they are most commonly recognized for their computer tower cases, they also have their own line of gaming peripherals for the PC. The company just recently rolled out these new additions to their hardware resume, and we were lucky enough to get a few pieces of this equipment in for review. The first up – the Thermaltake Black Gaming mouse. Let’s see how it performed.

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By Caitlyn Muncy

There are tons of iPhone 4 cases out on the market now, boasting functionality, protection, or just looking snazzy. A big question to ask is what are these cases doing for our environment? We received a TRTL BOT Stand case for the iPhone 4 and it not only has functionality, but also was made from recycled plastic bottles. How many other cases can take that claim?

The TRTL STAND for the iPhone 4 comes in a clear plastic clamshell with the case visible via the front, and cardboard inserts with information about the cases are positioned inside the clamshell to keep the case in place. Cardboard and plastic clamshells are made from recycled materials as well if you were wondering.

The case for the phone is made of plastic (duh) and only comes in black. It measures 4.53” x 2.43” x 0.51” and barely weighs more than half an ounce. Looking down on it there is a large open space where the phone would go, and has a lip to keep the phone in place. (A mighty good grip if you ask me) The tops and bottoms of the case are 90% open as to not impede any plug-ins for the phone. On the left side there is an opening for the volume and sound control switch, and a hole has been cut out on the back of the case for the camera. Starting at the bottom right corner of the back of the case is where the stand resides, which is imprinted with TRTL BOT in big letters, and on the bottom left corner is the logo.

It’s a rather plain looking case, but does its purpose nicely. The snugness of the phone in the case, and my inability to get the phone out of it is a bit annoying, but it does its duty as a case with kickstand abilities. The fact that it’s hard plastic makes me nervous, because I not only have to worry about my phone breaking, but the case as well. Not to mention the fact that the face of the phone is completely exposed. It costs about $34.99, but can be found for cheaper elsewhere.

[ TRTL BOT ]

By Caitlyn Muncy

We all love to doodle on an iPad with our fingers as it brings back memories of the simple times of finger painting and building blocks. However, a stylus can come in super handy when you want a bit more control whilst writing on your fancy tablet. A cumbersome problem upon purchasing said stylus is that you have no way of attaching it to your iPad to keep track of it. This can be a very expensive pencil to lose, as they usually run for about $15 apiece. Ten One’s handy dandy product called the Particle Case solves just such a problem for those of you that want to use a stylus, but fear you might lose it a little too easily.

This rubbery black rectangle keeps the most exposed areas of your iPad safe, and has a little grippy thing for your stylus as well. The open back keeps your iPad nice and cool, and doesn’t add much weight to it. There are four little rubber feet on the bottom to provide some distance from whatever surface you may have it on. It is a bit awkward to store if it’s not in use as it’s not paper-thin and made of rubber, but it’s not as though it takes up much space.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

I was called into the office the other day, and was handed something I’d never laid eyes on before. What was handed to me was the Splitfish FRAGFX SHARK gaming controller for use with the PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac. I looked down in awe of just how cool the thing looked, and I imagine I looked back up with the eyes of the Nintendo kid on Christmas. I immediately rushed down to the gameplay area and set up to start testing the controller. The SHARK is meant to be used with FPS games mainly, and it does its job perfectly. Here’s my review of the Splitfish FRAGFX SHARK gaming controller, for your viewing pleasure.

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By Caitlyn Muncy

After you drop a few hundred dollars on an iPad, one of the most important things you’ll need to take care of it, is a protective case. You can have that special slot in your bag that keeps it stationary, but with everything exposed there’s still a chance of the face cracking or getting scratched from hitting something else that’s tumbling about in your bag.

The lovely people at Booq sent us a Taipan Spacesuit XS case, which can calm your nerves when tossing your iPad into the madness of this and that, that is your backpack, satchel, etc. Though this isn’t any heavy-duty protection, it will take case of screen scratches, and lessen the impact of your precious technology hitting something.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Gaming mice. For years companies have branded specific mice as intended for “gaming.” I’ve gotten my hands on a number of them, and rarely am I impressed enough to continue using them for long periods of time. Honestly, I might use one for a couple of months before reverting back to one of my trusty Logitech mice that isn’t geared toward gamers at all. Why? Most of them just aren’t that comfortable for both gaming and everyday use.

I’m someone that uses my computer for more than 12 hours in a day, thus, comfort is key. If a mouse doesn’t fit my hand, then I couldn’t care less about all of the fancy macro buttons or customizable LEDs. So when the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 showed up on my doorstep, I was intrigued.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

When it comes to your gaming PC, getting the most bang for your buck(explosion out of your dollar) is of the utmost importance. For many, this means overclocking components such as the CPU and video card, to milk every last bit of performance from the hardware without paying anything extra. The downside to this is of course the additional heat generated from pushing your hardware to its limits.

So how do you keep your rig running cool without breaking the bank? Obviously upgrading your stock cooling system is going to be your first line of defense against heat. Now do you go with air cooling, or a liquid cooling setup? These days, I’m all for the latter. For a minimal increase in cost, you can greatly reduce not only the temperature of your components, but the noise as well.

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