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Posts Tagged ‘support’

The long anticipated D800 from Nikon has arrived, and while it’s not quite a D4 in a D700 body like many were hoping for, it does sport a humongous 36.3-megapixel full-frame (FX) sensor (15.4 megapixels in DX format). Nikon says it’s the world’s highest effective pixel count among interchangeable lens DSLR cameras equipped with image sensors conforming to the 35-mm film size, and we won’t argue the claim.

Low-light photographers will want to temper their enthusiasm. Nikon limited the standard ISO range from 100-6,400 with additional support for equivalents of ISO 50-25,600 in Hi2 extended mode, enough to the job … [Read More...]

To call HP’s 2560p an “ultraportable” is pushing it. It has a slightly smaller footprint than the Toshiba R830, with a screen size of 12.5 inches, but it’s heavier by more than a pound. With its power brick, you’re looking at more than five pounds, including a battery that protrudes a full inch from the back of the notebook’s body. This is no dainty package.

Of course, it feels like a machine that can take its licks. HP likes to point out that the notebook is designed and tested to meet Mil-Spec standards for drops, temperature shock, and altitude changes, … [Read More...]

Amazon has made small tweaks to its Kindle e-book format over the years, but now the retailer has surprised the industry again by announcing a new HTML5 version of the Kindle format called Format 8. This approach leverages a toolset that already has wide support and allows a richer experience — perfect for magazines and comics.

The new HTML5 Kindle format will essentially make books into webpages, with robust handling of images, fonts, and other adaptable content. Amazon has a full list of supported HTML tags, but video and audio tags are not among them, for now at least. So … [Read More...]

Remember when “Netflix” and “Streaming video” were virtually synonyms? Yeah, those were the days. Then, in the course of three disastrous months, Netflix jacked prices by 60 percent, announced it was splitting off the DVD business, and then announced that, no, actually, it was going to keep DVDs in house after all. The wacky moves sent investors fleeing like rats and confused customers looking for alternatives – alternatives like Amazon Prime Instant Video. The service offers unlimited streaming and Amazon has signed several new content deals since Prime Instant Video’s launch in March. But is it a Netflix killer? Let’s … [Read More...]

A leaked user guide has outed Comcast’s upcoming AnyPlay service, which will let customers stream live TV to assorted mobile devices. On initial offering will be iPad support, but other tablets are expected to be added as well. The service will rely on in-home Wi-Fi, and users will have to get a special Motorola cable box from the cable provider.

Comcast plans to make most channels available to the user for streaming, but some content will be missing. For instance, on-demand and pay-per-view content won’t be available through the AnyPlay service. Comcast’s document did not make mention of any additional … [Read More...]

‘Upgrade’ would be an overstatement

We’ve been recommending Plextor’s B940SA 12x drive on our Best of the Best list for more than a year now, so we were delighted to receive a challenger that could shake things up—even if it was another Plextor drive. Hey, why not build on that good track record?

Our excitement waned, however, when the drive we received—Plextor’s PX-LB950SA—bore the exact same specs as its predecessor. Granted, a BD-R write speed of anything greater than 12x is somewhat pointless given that BD-R media is currently capped at 6x, but still, throw us a bone here. Plextor … [Read More...]

Through a series of BIOS updates, Gigabyte last month announced it added native support for PCI Express Gen. 3 technology on over 40 of its existing motherboards, and along with support for Intel’s 22nm Ivy Bridge processors, it was a solid announcement for system builders looking to future proof. At least it should have been, only MSI is taking Gigabyte to task over its PCI-E Gen. 3 claims.

This isn’t some off-the-cuff remark being blown out of proportion by the media, either. MSI put together a multi-page PDF document filled with marketing slides explaining exactly why it thinks Gigabyte is … [Read More...]

From its humble beginnings as the Netflix box to its current status as one of the pre-eminent media streamers, Roku has come a long way in just two years. And while the new Roku 2 XS doesn’t really move things forward much, it does just enough to retain that title.

If you’re keeping track, the XS usurps the XDS as the new king of the new series, with the XD and HD following in its path. I’ll just go ahead and say it at the outset: Ff you already own a previous gen, 1080p-capable Roku, this is probably not the … [Read More...]

Of the many new features introduced in Windows 7, the humble Problem Steps Recorder was one of the least talked-about. At first glance, the application—which combines an automatic screenshot utility and a sort of low-grade keylogger—appears to be nothing more than a tool to make life a little easier for Microsoft’s legion of support personnel. Upon closer inspection, there’s actually much more to the Problem Steps Recorder.

For one, you don’t have to be a Microsoft support rep to view the files created by the Problem Steps Recorder, which means that if your clueless friend insists that his PC doesn’t … [Read More...]

While Windows updates can be a pain and dealing with issues can be even more painful, Windows updates are essential to running a secure and reliable PC. Due to the vast popularity of Windows, there are many people trying to find vulnerabilities all the time. When you purchase your copy of Windows, you’re not just getting what’s stored on the disc or OEM PC you just purchased; you’re signed up for many years of support from Microsoft via Windows Update.

To make the most of these updates, you should install them when available. We’ve looked at troubleshooting specific Windows Update … [Read More...]

The purpose of this post is to confirm the confidence I have in RAID technology as expressed in the earlier post “RAID“. It is occasioned by my recent plans to write a very different piece.

Background: the Warning Signs

Summers can get pretty hot here in Auckland. The average temperature for this time of year is 24 degrees Celsius (that’s 75 degrees Fahrenheit to North Americans) with 99% humidity so it’s no simple matter to keep a computer cool.

Your computers resources are not infinite and each time a new program is called, a portion of the total resource is … [Read More...]

You don’t need to spend a fortune to take advantage of Intel’s newest platform

Previous builds in this section have tended toward the expensive side, whether they’ve been the $8,600 photo studio or our $1,800 mini-ITX gaming build. While we stand by those choices (this is Maximum PC), we’ve also heard your cries for more affordable options. Often, a budget build means buying parts that are a little past their prime—and don’t get us wrong, you can find great deals there. But for this month’s build, I knew I wanted to explore Intel’s hot new Sandy Bridge architecture—and, if I … [Read More...]

Silverstone’s new TJ11 builds on the illustrious history of the TJ07 by adding XL-ATX board support, an inverted motherboard mount, two power buttons, USB 3.0 ports and is assembled by screw to allow it to be taken apart by modders. Gordon Mah Ung gets a walk through of the TJ11 from Silverstone’s Tony Ou.

This article was written by MaximumPC (Source)… [Read More...]