Tech News
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How to Hack NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover - Kinda
Published: Thursday, August 9, 2012 | By: DennisThis is an interesting story that looks at what it would take to hack the mars rover.
In other words, a state-backed actor could maybe take over NASA's planetary crawler, but the script kiddies are pretty much SOL here. We are exceedingly unlikely to see "We Are Legion" transmitted by Curiosity as its last act before driving off a cliff while IRC explodes with lulz.
With that said, let's hack the rover!In the end the article concludes that unless you sneak into NASA HQ and use their equipment the venture is cost prohibitive. Of coures, if you had unlimited resources, a buttload of Xena tapes and Hot Pockets you might come close.
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Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 Super Overclock Review
Published: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 | By: DennisWhat are the biggest issue facing high powered video cards in modern computer systems? Power, Fame?? Nay, the biggest issue is how to beat the heat and, lets face it, when you get two or more of these things in close proximity there isn't a lot of room to breathe.
During Computex Gigabyte showed me their new cooler design that appears to address these concerns from the top down. The new cooler uses 5 smaller fans positioned across the top of the heatsink to pull air vertically thru the cooler.
The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 Super Overclock ( WindForce 5x) Graphic Card arrived Technic3D. Technic3D will check the GTX 680 Monster in the following Review with a Resolution from 2560x1600, 1920x1200, 1680x1050, the real Power Consumption, loudness, temperature, Overclocking and many more in new Games against other Graphic Cards.
The biggest concern would be noise. Ts the heatsink loud? Does it use more power than your freshly overclocked toaster? If you can read German then you might be able to find out.
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NL: Review Block - Motherboards and Video Cards
Published: Monday, August 6, 2012 | By: DennisTime for another episode of Review Block goodness. In this posting we'll be looking at some great cards that were recently reviewed by a crack team of hardware guys from around the web. Some may be crackpots while others may crack the whip. Either way they are here for your viewing pleasure.
Video Cards
- HIS HD 7870 IceQ Turbo 2GB Review @ HardwareLOOK
- MSI R7870 HAWK Edition @ Bjorn3D
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 SOC review
- MSI GTX 680 Lightning Review @ Hardware Canucks
- EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified 4GB with EVBOT review
- Sapphire TOXIC 7970 GHz 6GB Graphics Card Review @ HardwareHeaven
- ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP @ Bjorn3D
- KFA GeForce GTX 680 LTD OC 2 GB @ techPowerUp
- HEXUS Review: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified 4GB
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 Video Card Review @ Madshrimps
- Gigabyte HD 7970 Super OC 3 GB @ techPowerUp
Motherboards
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
- ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE Motherboard Review @ Techgage
- ASUS ROG Maximus V Gene (Z77) Review - Ivy Bridge on Phase Change
- Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H WiFi Review @ HardwareLOOK
- Gigabyte B75M-D3H Intel LGA 1155 @ techPowerUp
- MSI Z77A-GD55 Motherboard Review @ Techgage
- ASUS P9X79 Pro Intel X79 Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers
- ASUS Maximus V Extreme review: ultimate Z77 board for overclockersThere are a few products on this list that have already been reviewed on this site. Check out the reviews section for more info.
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Prolimatech PK-2 and PK-3 Thermal Paste @ Pro-Clockers
Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 | By: DennisIts been awhile since I posted anything about thermal paste so it might just be time to do so.
In many PC hardware test the higher the number the better the performance. Well, that is totally not the case when it comes to our next review. When it comes to most thermal testing the lower the better and that is definitely the case when it comes to thermal paste, compound, grease or whatever you want to call it. We know Prolimatech for their remarkable CPU coolers but they are showing their hands to day with a pair of thermal solutions to help theirs as well as all other CPU coolers. Today, we will be taking a look at their PK- and PK-3 compounds.
There are 3 basic things to look for when choosing thermal paste. The first is temperature range. Normally temperature is only a concern if you are going subzero but some compounds react differently when they operate outside the temperature threshold. The next is material, normally a company will focus on the thermal transfer properties but in reality your heatsink will do the hard work and the compound is there to fill the gaps (for which there should be none). The important thing to know here is that some materials spread better than others. This brings me to the third and final thing, consistency. Some compounds are sticky while others are smooth like butter or loose like water. The smooth ones are best for air cooling while sticky compounds tend to work better in high heat / high pressure situations.
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Article: Control Your HTPC With A PS3 Remote Control @ Computing on Demand
Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 | By: DennisOne of the most difficult things about building a HTPC is figuring out how to control it. Yes, you can hook up a wireless keyboard and mouse but those are big and in some cases you don't have the room required to properly use them.
So, what if you could use your game controller? its small and in some cases already available.
Having recently reviewed the SilverStone Grandia GD08 and loving it, I was looking for a way to satisfy the one need SilverStone left me with. The case design didn't allow for a standard 5.25 inch bay device to be used due to the flip down panels incorporated to conceal your optical drives. This, in turn, meant that installing the coveted iMON VFD was out of the question; that means not have the control of my PC from a remote control. In the interest of my budget ($10, set by the soon to be wife) and keeping my Dremel on the shelf, I set out looking for an easy way to incorporate operating my HTPC from a remote control without spending a pile of money, cutting up a beautiful SilverStone Grandia GD08, or having a keyboard and mouse on my coffee table. After much research, I found a way to use the PS3 Remote Control I already had to control XBMC, WMC, or any other application that accepts keyboard input!
Seems like a good thing, assuming you are a follower of Sony.
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Five ways to skip Windows 8 - According to a Linux user?
Published: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 | By: DennisYou just have to love articles like these, especially when they are written by Linux and Open Source authors. The article is good and really just cements the 5 most popular options available.
Many users don't like it, vendors don't like it, and developers don't like it. Windows 8 could be dead even before it arrives. So, what can you do to avoid Windows 8 when the stores start filling up with it in the next few months? Here are your best options:
So what are the options this author says are available to you.
- Stick with Windows 7 or XP
- Go with desktop Linux
- Go with a Mac
- Cloud-based computing
- Time for a tablet
The first option is the one Microsoft is suggesting for the enterprise space and will likely be the one most desktop users select who don't want to switch. The second and third option are obvious considering the author, Linux.
Personally (and this is coming from a web developer) I am flip flopped on the whole Cloud based computing. Yes, there is a benefit since you can get your data anywhere and on any device but it is highly dependent on your internet connection and while people in Asia and Europe get super fast mobile internet access users in the US have to pay for the privilege, and often pay way too much. This leaves you with home network "clouds" and how are those different from a traditional home server/NAS box sitting in a closet?
The last option on this list is a cop out to actually make a fifth option. A tablet?!? seriously? Windows 8 is designed for tablets and they are offering two flavors of hardware to compete at two different price points. One is an "Ultra" style Surface that is powerful and will run desktop software like 3DStudio and Photoshop. There is very little to NO competition in this space short of Notebooks and Desktops. The other is an E(ntertainment)Tablet that closely matched to a high end Android tablet. Saying these are overpriced is naive and shows how generalized the tablet market has become.
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Sapphire PURE Black X79N Mainboard Review on Technic3D
Published: Monday, July 30, 2012 | By: DennisHere is a motherboard that I really wanted to get a firsthand look at but was never given the opportunity before Ivy Bridge took over the scene. Sadly X79 is all but forgotten in the eyes of the enthusiast.
The Sapphire PURE Black X79N Mainboard arrived Technic3D. We check the Mainboard with Intel X79 and NVIDIA nF200 chipset functions and Performance in the following Review with a Intel Core i7 3960X CPU on Windows 7 64 Bit and Linux.
The review is "not" in english but the photos are universal and google translate does a pretty good job so you'll figure it out.
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NL: Review Block - Keeping Chilled
Published: Monday, July 30, 2012 | By: DennisThere is a forum called "Keeping Chilled" in the Ninjalane Message Forum dedicated to all things cool(ing) related. You name it, its there. You want to see what SS cooling is? we gotcha covered. LN2? Boom!, Water? yep, got quite a bit of that.
Reviews from around the web
- Cooler Master TPC 812 CPU Cooler Review @ Custom PC Review
- Thermaltake WATER2.0 Performer CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets
- Noctua NH-L12 CPU Cooler @ TechreactionFor more cooling related news and reviews check out the Cooling section on Ninjalane.com
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New Microsoft Mice Are Crucial for Windows 8 (is it enough?)
Published: Monday, July 30, 2012 | By: DennisThis little device was a little unexpected and seems to fill the void most people were complaining about but still doesn't address the issues related to multi monitor desktops.
Using Windows 8 at your desk may be a problem, though. The Windows 8 Metro interface is great…as long as you’re using a touch-enabled device like a tablet. However, trying to navigate the Metro Start screen, or access some of the unique capabilities of Windows 8 using a traditional keyboard and mouse can be tricky. The hot corners and keyboard shortcuts are frustrating and unintuitive.
The new mouse is a wedge shaped touchpad that enables you to do gestures just like if you were touching the screen directly. Of course this is only beneficial if you are using the Surface in an office environment where its connected to a traditional keyboard, monitor and mouse.
Will it be enough for the power user? I highly doubt it.
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Hackers build private 'Ninja Tel' phone network at Defcon
Published: Saturday, July 28, 2012 | By: DennisA common theme at Defcon is "Ninja" this and "Ninja" that. Its all very interesting and makes you wonder what people would think if Ninja Lane was in attendance.
Network uses phones running the "Ninja OS," which features innovative apps such as "BoozeFone," where people can exchange beverages using what I dubbed "booze networking."
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There are 650 phones on the private network, with people making phone calls, texting, chatting, holding conference calls, and playing a sword-fighting game. There are additional apps being created by people who are using the phone through Android's IDE (Integrated Development Environment).
People choose their own phone number and username and can have their photos taken so that their face shows up in everyone's contact list. Once the customized Ninja SIM card is inserted, a special terms of service written by a Ninja who is a lawyer is displayed and the phone receives a call with a fun welcome message recorded by Pat Fleet, who is the voice of AT&T.Very Cool! Takes some smart people to pull this off. oh, and a few bucks.
