Best computer news

Audio without wires might be a good thing for some gamers, but anyone who suspects that there might be the merest possibility of wireless interference will run for the hills before bringing a wireless headset to battle. If nothing else, the HS-1000 shows that Creative knows their market: the headset shares many of the features of its HS-1200 wireless sibling – including the use of X-Fi technology as its sound processor – while soothing the fears of the hardcore by using a wired connection (and obtaining the endorsement of Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel). However, the two headsets are not the exact same product – today, we’ll be looking at (and comparing) the differences.
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The notebooks are increasingly becoming the preferred choice when it comes to buying a new computer. As powerful as laptops are, they also inherently produce heat that may get uncomfortably warm. This can lead to notebooks that don’t offer all the performance they could and machines running too hot to work with actually on your lap.

Antec’s latest solution to this is called the Notebook Cooler 200. One monster 200mm fan handles the actual cooling duties and is powered by a single USB port. Blue LEDs inside the fan offer a bit of bling for the cooler and can be turned off with a built-in switch. The fan measures 0.9″ x 13″ x 11.2″. The most shocking thing about the cooler is its price. Antec is asking $89 for the Notebook Cooler 200 – too much if you ask us considering the current state of the economy. You can get something like the NZXT Cryo LX or the Belkin USB cooler for less money, though they don’t look as cool as the Antec offering.
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There is something about flash storage and USB drives that draws designers to make some strange products. From food shaped drives to Star Wars figures, everything is a target for flash drive makers. Many companies are looking to integrate flash storage with jewelry to make keeping a flash drive on you at all times a more attractive, and a less geeky proposition. The Enigma Constellation is the latest jewelry flash drive to make the attempt at becoming a fashion accessory.

The Constellation appears to be made of a dark wood with a triangle in the middle and three triangular shaped flash drives that plug into its sides. When all the drives are docked, the entire product has the look of a star. The wood is actual Africa Blackwood and diamonds adorn the drives as well as 18K gold in yellow or white. The total storage space is 192GB with each of the three flash drives contributing 64GB. Pricing is unsurprisingly high for the Constellation at about $7360 making it appropriate only for well-heeled geeks.
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Most webcams are plainly designed gadgets that don’t look particularly cool or interesting, but they do get the job done. One of the biggest issues with many of them is low light performance, meaning that the user needs to be in a brightly lit room to get the best video quality. The USB Hollywood Film Kit is an interesting set that includes an old school movie camera looking webcam and a separate spotlight. The webcam reminds me a lot of the Retro webcam we have talked about before.

Both the webcam and the USB spotlight are mounted on individual flexible arms and each requires their own USB port for connectivity. All of the power the spotlight needs comes from the USB port and it includes barn door-style flaps to control the light that don’t look as if they actually move. The webcam itself has no light and there is no mention of the resolution of the camera. That likely means the resolution is not good, so figure basic recording capability. Compatibility is with Windows XP SP2, Vista, and Mac OS 10.4.8 and up. These gadgets are not available in the US.
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