Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

If you do any kind of computer graphics, animation or design work on a daily basis there’s a good chance you already use a Wacom tablet. But while that Intuos or Cintiq (you lucky bastard) might be ideal for your workstation, their size makes them not so ideal when you’re on the go, working on a laptop, or anywhere with limited space. And it’s those times when Wacom’s more affordable Bamboo line really shines.

Not only does their compact size make them easy to stash in a laptop bag, but they provide similar functionality to their larger counterparts for a lot less money. And they’re the first Wacom tablets that can also be used with your fingers, including multi-touch gestures on a Mac or a PC. As someone who’s used a Wacom tablet pretty much every day for the past 7+ years I was curious how the company’s new Bamboo line stacked up against their more professional models. And if you’re curious too, you can find my full review after the jump.

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Borderlands sets you down on the desolate planet of Pandora. Here is a world that few people would ever want to set foot on, save for the prospect of treasure. It has been rumored that a vault lie hidden somewhere in the vast wasteland which contains riches beyond measure. Treasure hunters, mercenaries  and even large corporations want to get their hands on whatever is contained within.

The world of Pandora seems like a barren wasteland, yet the art styling makes the landscape seem rich and exciting. The prominent black lines and shading remind me very much of a comic book, while at the same time it feels like something entirely different. The overall landscape doesn’t change much from zone to zone, but each has its own characteristics that makes it seem unique.

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If you play PC games with other people online, there’s a good chance that you use some sort of voice chat. When playing WoW, our entire guild would use Ventrilo in order to stay coordinated in raids, or just to chit-chat. I never cared for free-standing mics, so I would always be wearing a headset. Sometimes it can be hard to find one that sounds good, picks up your voice properly and feels comfortable during long-term gaming sessions. This is why I love getting to review new headsets, so you don’t have to figure out the hard way whether or not one is worth buying. Well today I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on the Logitech Gaming Headset G330.

First Look

The G330 headset is of the behind-the-head variety, making it smaller than more traditional headsets. You’ll see that the width is actually adjustable on these, which is a welcome feature not often seen (on behind-the-head styles). The mic extends from the left ear and is adjustable. You will find in-line controls and your choice of standard stereo jacks or a USB adapter for hooking the device to your computer.

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To round out our trio of NZXT cases, I present the Lexa S Mid Tower Chassis. This is the higher-end of NZXT’s case offerings. As such, it bears a premium price over the other two that we’ve reviewed in the last week. Do the extra features justify the extra cost? Read on to find out.

Features

You’re going to see most of the features that were on the Beta EVO and M59 cases here. Bottom-mounted PSU, pre-cut holes for cable management and holes for a liquid cooling system are all present. The SSD bracket and smoke colored window from the M59 are also found here. Not everything is the same, as you’ll find an extra pair of fans, as well as individual controls for the intake and exhaust fans. They also included rubber inserts for the cable management holes. These help keep the cables exactly where you want them, and are certainly appreciated.

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By Andrew Liszewski

It’s no secret that advancements in battery technology have not kept pace with advancements in gadgetry. Smartphones equipped with giant LCD displays that are capable of playing movies, surfing the web, GPS’ing your location, taking photos and even occasionally making calls are great and all, but they’ve made the ugly downside of poor battery life even more of an issue.

Now sure, it would be fantastic if companies like Duracell stumbled across some miraculous solution to the problem in their research labs, but for the moment external backup batteries like their Instant USB Charger are the next best thing. I had a chance to try it out, and you can read my full review after the jump.

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Last week I showed you the M59 chasis from NZXT and promised reviews on a couple of their other new cases. Well you can stop holding your breath, as today I’ll be reviewing the Beta EVO Mid Tower Chassis. This is one of their sub-$50 cases, which makes it more of a budget offering. When you start getting into that price range, many cases tend to be lacking in both features and quality. Lets see if that’s the case here.

Features

Being the budget case that it is, it’s not surprising to see a general lack of extra features. You’ll find punched-out holes for cable management, as well as one beneath the CPU (just as the M59 had) and holes for accommodating a liquid cooling setup. You’ll also find room for 6 fans (only one is included) and a screwless installation solution for your optical and hard drives.

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To say that I’m a fan of rhythm games such as Rock Band would be an understatement. I’ve owned each game, a bunch of instruments and bought tons of DLC. I will however admit that the games are starting to grow a little stale these days. New songs are great, but the excitement just isn’t there like it used to be. I can’t remember the last time someone had a Rock Band/Guitar Hero party, and it’s no longer the staple of my weekly gaming sessions with the gang. So the question is how to renew interest in the genre. Activision has chosen to simply release as many Guitar Hero titles as possible, which proves only to increase the number of discs you must swap to play. Harmonix, on the other hand, has decided that band themed games might just do the trick.

Yes, we’ve seen standalone band-themed games already. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Metallica weren’t exactly a failure in my book, but they just didn’t feel complete. Sure, the models seemed alright, and there was some story included. However, the fact that the games were littered with songs from other artists just turned me off. If I buy a game with a band’s name on it, I really expect to be playing their songs, not stuff from people they toured with.

This isn’t even Harmonix’s first venture in the single-band titles. If GH:Aerosmith didn’t feel complete, then I wouldn’t even call the AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack a game. Hell, they even call it a ‘Track Pack’. This was a standalone title that featured a measly 18 songs from one live performance. There were no new character models, no special venues, no story, nothing. The only reason this was worth buying was because you could then import the music into your Rock Band library and play it without inserting the disc. The music was good, but nothing that couldn’t have easily been DLC.

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Batman. One would think that the rich history and “one man against all villainy” plot of this comic would have lent itself to a gaming classic by now. For one reason or another it just hasn’t happened with most games in the Dark Knight’s vault being shoddy movie adaptations. I’d long since given up hope of a decent Batman game and that’s why I was taken by surprise earlier this year at E3 when I got my hands on a playable demo of Batman: Arkham Asylum. This was the Batman game I’d waited for my whole life.

Immediately when starting the campaign you’re drawn into an engaging story, picking up with Batman just having apprehended the Joker and delivering him back to Arkham Asylum. During the intake procedure the Joker manages an escape and reveal his plot to take over the facility. Inmates are turned loose and the first introduction to combat begins.

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By Andrew Liszewski

Everyone knows they should be backing up their PC or laptop on a regular basis, but it usually requires a devastating loss of data before most users get serious about it. However, even if you have a giant RAID sitting on your desk, backing up your files on an hourly basis with ridiculous levels of redundancy, is your data still safe? Viruses and failed hardware are only a couple of problems a backup drive can protect against, but what about more serious situations like a flood, fire or other natural disasters? Should the worst case scenario occur, the data sitting on a backup drive next to your computer is just as much at risk as the data sitting on the computer itself.

Unless of course your data happens to be backed up on a drive that’s built like a tank. And that’s where the ioSafe Solo disaster proof external hard drive enters the picture. If you’re looking for a drive you can throw in your laptop bag the ioSafe Solo isn’t for you, but if you want a relatively affordable backup solution for your home or business that can withstand most of what mother nature can throw at it, you’ll want to check out my review of the Solo after the jump.

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