I don’t know how this one slipped by me, so apologies that I’m late to the party on reporting this one, but better late than never. The Xcore86 is an amazing little board because the entire computer is embedded within it. And one of the best features it’s that since it only uses 1.2 watts, it can run without fans. Even better is that a netbook...

I bought a refurbished Dell Dimension 4400 back when Windows XP was brand new in 2001. It was $625 shipped. The only thing I ever did to it was upgrade the processor from 1.6GHz to a 2.4GHz and bumped the RAM from 256MB to 512MB. Other than that, everything in it is original. I used it for a few years then gave it to my father who has been using it ever...

While not as popular as the PC vs. Mac or Windows vs. Linux debates are today, the argument for either leaving your computer on all the time or turning it off at night has certainly had it’s fair share of discussion. So to revisit this subject, I thought I would pass along a few articles which address this very subject:Q/A on HowStuffWorks – This...

If you have cable or satellite television, this doesn’t concern you. But if you receive television over-the-air via a DTV box, it does. Today is the day where analog television transmissions cease and they’re all supposed to be available via your DTV box now. (In case you don’t have a box, one can be purchased from your local department store...

On the PCMech Live show I am asked at least once each broadcast what I use for a headset and why it sounds so good. The answer is simple: It’s a USB-based headset with microphone. Specifically, the Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB (wired, not wireless). The cost for one of these at the time of this writing is between $25 to $35 depending on where you...

It’s an ever-increasing mobile world, and with it comes all the tech stuff we need to get things done. Being mobile means your tech will run off a battery or two. However there are certain items when you should care and other times when you don’t have to. Point-And-Shoot Digital Cameras Should you care? Yes. I won’t buy a point-and-shoot...

A few definitions up front: Most people know what a netbook is, which is a small-form laptop/notebook computer. The nettop is the same thing in a desktop form, meaning a small-form desktop PC. Right now those of us using traditional tower PCs are very used to the ATX or MicroATX form factor motherboard. It allows a fair amount of room to get inside and add or...

As you get older there are certain high frequencies you can no longer hear. One particular frequency is called a "Mosquito Tone", which is near or at 17.4 kHz. Most people over the age of 25 cannot hear this tone. I’m 34, and I can’t hear it. A few years back a device called The Mosquito was introduced specifically to solve teen loitering...

When it comes time to get a new computer, whether you are building your own or purchasing a pre-built, to really get the most bang for your buck you should only pay for the hardware you need. For example, if you are getting a machine for just internet and email, you don’t need a fancy graphics card because you ‘might’ play games on it…...

Wi-fi theft, as in the act of stealing someone’s internet connectivity by breaking into a wireless network, has been around ever since we first started using wireless routers. Before covering the topic of how likely you are for wi-fi theft, I’ll first say that wi-fi security has never been that good. If one is desperate enough to steal your signal,...