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NewsGaming Round-Up 6/27/08: E3 Exciting and Irrelevant, Valve Says PC Gaming is the Future

Posted 06/27/08 at 08:07:10 PM by Nathan Grayson

Today, I had an epiphany: E3 is going to be a snooze-fest. Blizzard is making their big announcement tomorrow, most every PC game at the show will just be a high-res console port, and apparently Half-Life 2 Episode 3 won't even have a presence. Soon after, however, I stumbled over a piece that lightly patted me on the shoulder and assuaged all of my fears. Jump past the break for said piece and its bionic arm -- plus more!

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TAGS: gaming, microsoft, Software, news, Valve, roundup, Crytek, 3D Realms

FeaturesHands-On Reviews of 12 Hands-Free Bluetooth Devices

Posted 06/26/08 at 05:21:28 PM by Steve Klett

Do yourself a favor: make sure your car is up to code by this July—no broken headlamps or taillights, up-to-date registration, etc. – and, oh yeah, make sure you pick up a hands-free Bluetooth device for your cell phone. On July 1st a new law will go into effect in California making it illegal to talk on a wireless phone while operating a motor vehicle. If you are 18 or older, and you want to use your phone while driving, you will need to use a hands-free device – no “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts” about it—and there will be no grace period either.

We put a dozen of the newest Bluetooth devices through the wringer to help you find the right one for your car-talking habits. All of the devices were tested with one phone along the same stretch of highway at the same time of day, and call clarity was compared via voicemail recordings.

Read on to find out which ones made the grade.

Comments: 1
TAGS: cell phone, Bluetooth, car, roundup, consumer electronics, feature, reviews, headsets, speakerphone

FeaturesIntel Core-Logic Cagematch: Motherboard Roundup!

Posted 06/26/08 at 03:24:56 PM by Gordon Mah Ung

It pays to be an Intel fan these days. You have not only the supremely powerful Penryn CPU in your corner, but also a host of performance-oriented, feature-packed motherboards to choose from. Contributing to the bounty are two recently released enthusiast core-logic chipsets—Intel’s own X48 and Nvidia’s nForce 790i Ultra SLI—which represent the pinnacle of LGA775 computing. But which should you choose? Even two chipsets that offer similar features can differ markedly in performance. And the variations even persist within different mobos using the same chipset. That’s why we’ve called in four of the hottest Intel-based motherboards currently available, two representing X48 and two representing 790i. We’ll put these boards through their paces to determine a winner in each camp—and ultimately, the superior chipset.

The complete feature, including links to reviews, benchmarks, and more after the jump!

Comments: 2
TAGS: intel, evga, asus, sli, gigabyte, motherboards, roundup, hardware, crossfirex, features, reviews, build a pc, 790i, x48

NewsGaming Round-Up 6/19/08: Spore Creature Creator's Massive Success, Top-Selling PC Titles for May

Posted 06/19/08 at 09:41:02 PM by Nathan Grayson

Welcome, guys and gals, to the inaugural edition of the Gaming Roundup. The aim of this little column? Well, if you can’t deduce that from reading the title, then Lord bless you, at least you’re trying. Regardless, I implore you to sit back, relax, and enjoy some gaming news in tiny, fun-sized pieces. And if that doesn’t work, you can just read this article.