Genius Ring Mouse 2

When it comes to pointers for the computer there are multiple solutions. Most of them come in the traditional flat on a mouse pad form, but occasionally a company comes up with an innovative way to control the pointer on our screen. Genius has developed a “ring mouse” and I have the pleasure of looking at their second version of this particular design in the Ring Mouse 2. I will look at the device’s versatility and functionality in this review and see how it stacks up not only as a pointer, but also as an alternative solution to our browsing needs.

Asus Maximus V Formula

Let’s be honest, Asus has a whole product line full of good motherboards. So much that it really takes a special motherboard to stand out from the crowd. There has been one specific board that has stuck with me for the past year and a half though, back from when I took a visit to the Asus office and they pulled it out to show me. That motherboard would be the Maximus V Formula. I’m sure you are wondering what made it stand out, especially considering all of the motherboards we have in the office, including boards like the Rampage IV. Well I only have a limited amount of space in the opening; you will have to peek inside our review to find out.

LunchBox 2 Project Build: PSU size DOES matter

Hey guys and girls, if you have been around the site or at some events you may have picked up that I have a thing for small form factor PC builds aka LAN rigs. I’m sure a few of you are laughing thinking about how big of a monster our “Fridge” build is, but that is exactly why it is important to have a rig that you can just grab and go without breaking your back. Last year I put together a rig that we called Lunchbox 2 using a Lian Li PC-TU200. After almost a year I had a few things I was interested in swapping around that I think some of you might be interested in.

Cooler Master N200

One of the biggest down falls to having a smaller form factor case and motherboard has always been lack of room for aftermarket cooling solutions, namely water cooling. Cooler master has released the N series brand of cases, a new line that hopes to tackle the water cooling conundrum that many small form factor users are faced with. The N series is touted as a mainstream computer case aimed at the masses, a simple, cheap solution that will house all of the gaming essentials. And as an enthusiast, it might not be your next rig, but it could very well be a candidate for your next LAN rig or for a budding gamer friend.

Power2U AC/USB wall outlet

As a necessary evil, gadget batteries, require charging from time to time and in this era where gadgets now dominate our everyday life it has become difficult to even find room to even plug them all in. For the most part longer battery life and charging stations have been the answer, but thanks to Newer Technologies there is a much easier solution to this problem and it is as simple as changing the wall outlet you plug everything into already. Follow me as I take a look at the do it yourselfers’ solution to the charging problem, the Power2U AC/USB wall outlet.

01234

2012

Reviews are again light today as CES 2012 rolls ahead, so naturally the news is dominated with what is coming out of Vegas. We do still have a few reviews for you today and a great collection of CES related news from around the web – including a summary of our own LanOC Day 1 coverage. The most interesting news that I heard in the last day was that the Thunderbolt spec is rolling out to a wider audience. It is looking like folks are going to get more creative with the potential that specification offers. Stop by the forums and let us know what you have thought about CES so far or any of the reviews mentioned below.

Mainboard

MSI X79 Big Bang XPower II Review @ Vortez

PSUs

Seasonic X-1050 1050W Power Supply Review @ Tweaktown

Gigabyte Sumo Power Silver 900 W @ techPowerUp

Storage

Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SSD Review @ Neoseeker

Other

Western Digital TV Live Media Player Review @ XSReviews.co.uk

The CES 2012 LanOC Day 1 Coverage:

LanOC @ Crucial

LanOC @ Thrustmaster Booth