[Review] Logitech HD C310 720p Webcam ($46 USD)

I’ve never really had a good quality webcam before, most of them were way too grainy and only supported tiny video resolutions. So when I saw the Logitech HD C310 720p webcam for only $46, I had to buy it.

                Logitech has 2 different value-level 720p webcams; the HD C310 with 720p at 15 frames per second, with 5 megapixels for about $46 USD, and another one with 8 megapixels, 720p at 15 frames per second. They also have a 1080p webcam, but the framerate is so low that I knew I would not like it. So I went with the HD C310, just for the price.

                The HD C310 is only 5 megapixels, so there’s a small amount of noticeable noise on the video produced by the HD C310, but it still has amazing quality, being 720p and 15 frames per second, especially for only $46 USD. The recording software allows you to record at smaller video sizes (both standard and widescreen) at higher framerates. The overall video quality is perfect for video chat, YouTube videos, FaceBook photos, or just about anything!

                The HD C310 webcam connects to your PC or Mac via USB 2.0, and has a perfect size cable so that it is sure to reach from your computer to your monitor. The webcam looks very sleek and nice on any monitor. The HD C310 has a clip set up on it so it will fit comfortably on top of your flat screen monitor or TV and allows you to adjust the angle without the risk of falling.

                The Logitech Webcam Software that comes with the HD C310 is very nice as well, the software is quick and easy to install and automatically updates for you. The LWS allows you to capture video clips or photos or view the ones you’ve already taken. There are plenty of goofy effects for the videos or photos included as well. Logitech also provides you with their own video chat program, simply named Logitech HD. Unlike most software, there’s really no pressure into using Logitech’s chat program, and you can disable it easily.

                Overall, the HD C310 is the perfect webcam for anyone looking to record HD webcam videos without burning a hole in their wallet. It has amazing quality, great software and support, and is just simple and easy to use. I’d definitely recommend anyone looking to upgrade their webcam to check into this one!

Plain Sight Review [PC - $10]

Suicidal robot ninjas, need I say more? In case that wasn’t enough to pull you in, I’ll continue. Plain sight is an indie multiplayer game that only costs about $10 on Steam. This is a very fun and original game that will certainly cure any amount of boredom.

In Plain Sight, you play as a robot ninja whose primary goal is to kill yourself. To do this you must explode. But you can’t just randomly explode yourself as soon as you spawn, you have to kill other robot ninjas first and build up energy. Once you’re satisfied with your energy level, you can commit suicide by exploding and aim to take someone else out with you. The trick, however is that you must build up enough energy and commit suicide before you get killed by someone else or you lose any energy you had built up. When you explode after building up energy, that energy count can be used to buy upgrades such as speed, shields, and better notification of when an enemy is aiming at you.

All of this certainly promises fun and engaging gameplay, and is one of the most original games I have seen in a long time.

Price: $10

Platform: PC

Rank: Great

Rating: 7.5/10

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Adam Taylor (D3M0L1SH3R)

http://youtube.com/user/mindfreaks13

Second Thoughts on the AfterGlow AP.1 PS3 Wired Controller

No, I’m not changing my original statement that this controller is awesome, it most certainly is. I would just like to point out a couple differences that kind of get at my more nit-picky side when it comes to being comfortable during multiplayer gaming.

I don’t know if it’s because the controller is wired, because it is made by a third party, or just because it has the XBOX thumbsticks, but the AfterGlow AP.1 PS3 controller is a bit more sensitive than controllers I am used to using. It’s not really noticeable for movement or in non-FPS games, but when looking around in FPS games, especially while aiming down the sights, the sensitivity on the AP.1 is much higher than the standard PS3 controllers. This would probably not be a problem for most users who would be using the AP.1 exclusively and could grow comfortable with the new sensitivity, but I have been doing some switching between the AP.1 and the PS3 controller that came with my console and the sensitivity difference is quite damaging to my gameplay.

Like I said, it’s still a great controller, I just thought I’d give some second thoughts on it after having used it for a while.
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Adam Taylor (D3M0L1SH3R)

http://youtube.com/user/mindfreaks13

Dead Space 2 [Preview]

Visceral Games, EA. http://deadspace.ea.com/

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By now the first thing that comes to mind when people think about Dead Space is dismemberment. It’s not necessarily something someone would want to think about much, but Dead Space certainly fits the bill. It was a fun experience and Dead Space 2 is certainly going to bring more of that same, gruesome enjoyment, right? Well, yes, but with a bit more.

In a few months from now, the new method of killing that Dead Space (well, 2 at least) will bring to mind is impalement. If reanimated babies, named “crawlers” won’t be enough to keep you up at night, impaling them in slow motion stasis mode certainly will.

Dead Space 2 still remains a steady sci-fi game, but you can now kill the same, and some new, nasty things in the dark in more gruesome ways.

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Dead Space 2 is dues out Winter 2010.

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Adam Taylor (D3M0L1$H3R)

http://youtube.com/user/mindfreaks13

[Review] Logitech Dual-Action USB Controller (Accessory)

                The Logitech Dual-Action USB game controller provides a great bang for the buck. Chap, portable, and customizable, this controller stands out from other wired PC controllers. It’s certainly not the most attractive device, but what it lacks in appearance, it gains in performance. Black or dark blue in color, this controller is shaped to almost ergonomic perfection for fitting in any gamer’s hands, and won’t fall out due to the nice rubber grips lining the outer sides of the controller. The layout of the controller uses the polished layout of the PlayStation 2-style controllers that almost every gamer has grown used to.

                This controller doesn’t connect through the old, giant joystick ports, but instead through USB 2.0, so there is no noticeable lag between a button being pressed and the assigned command being executed in-game, so you don’t have to worry about getting killed while you’re waiting for your character to shoot, and you are guaranteed to have a port for the controller, since all computers now have USB ports. The USB cable from the controller is just long enough that you don’t have to worry about pulling it out of your PC while playing, but not too long to have extra slack to catch on corners or chair legs.

                For most games, you need to have Logitech’s lightweight “WingMan” program running for the games to recognize the controller. This program has excellent options for various game profiles and support for multiple controllers. The program even auto-detects a large amount of games and assigns the default controller layout for you! If you wish to assign your own control scheme, you have quite a few options to go about doing it, you just have to figure out what works best for you.

                Overall, this controller is comfortable, reliable, easy-to-use, and affordable. I recommend that any PC gamer looking for a controller pick this one up from their local store (similar to Wal-Mart or Best Buy) immediately!
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Adam Taylor
http://youtube.com/user/mindfreaks13

[Console] Xbox 360 PRO 60GB

The Good:

• Extremely well thought out online marketplace with Netflix, Facebook, Last.fm, twitter, and game marketplace.
  
• Good online gameplay (Xbox LIVE)
  
• The insane amount of games and exclusives like Halo, Gears of War, Saints Row, PGR, Left For Dead 1 and 2, and the Fable series.
  
• Other timed exclusives. Since Microsoft is such a big company, they have the power to ask companies for "timed exclusives" This happened with Modern Warfare 2 where Microsoft made a deal with Activision to have the map packs release on the Xbox first. The same thing is expected to happen with Call of Duty: Black Ops.
  
• More ergonomically hand fitting controller and layout (Opinionated, but many people with agree).
  
• Processor and GPU combo chip named "Jasper chip" allows for better cooling and eliminates the RROD.
  
• Integrated cross game chat, where a person playing one game can talk with someone playing another game.
  
• Better dashboard layout (Once again, opinionated)
  
• In game dashboard, if you're saying "The PS3 has that as well," I'd say you're correct, however, the Xbox had it first and it hasn't changed since it was made.
  
• Adding friends. I know some people who complain about this. If you want to add friends you met in a game you actually have to close your game and then go to your friends list add friends etc etc. This is not the same in the Xbox. For the Xbox you press the home button, go to recently players press A over their name, and push A on "Send Friend Request" and then you can press the home button and continue your game.
  
• Kinect or "project Natal" some people like it, some don't. I think it would be awesome to play Halo with it.
  

 

The Bad:

• Failure rate. Hopefully this changes with the "Slim" 360
  
• No Blu-Ray
  
• PS3 has some exclusives that even the most 360 fan boy's want.
  
• Loud. This is one of the major problems with the Xbox. If you have an original one you know what I'm saying. That thing can sound like a jet engine sometimes.
  
• No wi-fi. This doesn't bother me as I prefer a hardline connection for better internet. If you're a serious game you should never want a wireless console, as it can affect your online play.
  
• Massive power brick. They improved it a little bit with the new Xbox.
  
• Huge! This thing is thick and long as hell! (Note: No, that's what she said jokes allowed :P)
  
• Some people have found that the DVD-Rom drive scratches the disk but if you have a newer model I don't believe this does it anymore.
  

The Rating:

I would highly recommend this console if not for anything the exclusives and Kinect (If you're into that sorta stuff). This console has a lot to offer from intense online play, HD graphics, and most of all the online experience. This gets a 9/10. The reason it gets a 9/10 is because of no Blu-Ray. It is said that the new Xbox (720) will have a Blu-Ray drive. This is good because it allows for more intense graphical situations and bigger games.

• Price: $150-250 USD
  
• Score: 9/10
  
• 100% Kickass product
  

  
   

  
   

 

[Keyboard] Saitek Cyborg V.5

The Good:

This keyboard comes with some really neat features that you would only find on an expensive Logitech G19 keyboard. This includes 12 programmable macro keys that the keyboard will remember for that specific game, and will do so with every game you play. Another kickass feature of this keyboard is the touch sensitive control panel it has at the top which allows you to change your backlight to multiple different colors ranging from red, to amber, and to green (and in between) Like my rhyme? Yeah, I thought so. It has different areas you can change to color of, so, let's say you want your main QWERTY setup to be red, you can do that and have your number pad set to green and your arrow keys set to an amber color. You can also change the color of the programmable buttons to one color. Yet, another good feature of this board is the "Cyborg mode" this mode allows you to turn off the windows button so you don't accidently press it. Although, while in cyborg mode your whole keyboard can only be one color, but when you turn cyborg mode back on your main color scheme that you set earlier will return. Also, the keyboard comes with a separate USB hub in the back so you can plug your mouse into your keyboard, which I though was really awesome. It has an adjustable wrist rest, headphone and microphone jack in the back. And its connectors are gold plated so you get the highest speed possible. Finally, Metal plated keys for extended use. These are only covering the space bar, WASD and the arrow keys. This is so those keys will last longer than the other ones.

The Bad:

There are only a few bad things I've found about this Keyboard and that is the SST program it comes with. It's very difficult to use and doesn't come with any instructions on how to use it. I still haven't found out how to do this, and I've had it for two years. Another bad thing about this keyboard is that when not in cyborg mode it doesn't retain your unique color set, and can only be changed to one color. If you have both of your keyboards USB cables plugged in it uses two slots which if you're on a laptop this can be quite bad if you use a lot of your USB ports.

The Rank:

Overall this is a great keyboard I would definitely recommend this gaming gadget to all of my nerdy friends, Yes Adam, I mean you. I would rate this as an 8/10. The reason I took off two points, is for one the SST program, and secondly it's cyborg mode color scheme.

100% kickass product

8/10

Pricing around $50-60 USD

If you have any questions email techexprtz@gmail.com or contact me here. Hope you enjoyed this week's latest installment of some random review! Have a nice day everybody.

[Console] PS3 Slim 120GB Review ($299 USD)

I have to say, at the start of the next-gen console wars, I was on the XBOX 360’s side and I never expected that to change. However, I eventually felt the need to accommodate my PS3-Fanboy friends and wanted some access to PS3-Exclusive games and features (like BluRay) so I got a 120GB PS3 Slim when they first went on sale. I have been seriously impressed by this console every time I use it.

                Whenever I would play on a friend’s fat PS3, it always seemed that there was some sort of problem to worry about. There were constantly minor annoyances like the paint and finish being a fingerprint magnet, or some BlueTooth headsets not working properly with the console, but sometimes there were bigger problems like overheating or the BluRay laser going out.

Oh. And it was also loud and fat.

Combined, these factors are what kept me from shelling out sooner, but so far I haven’t experienced a single one of those problems with my PS3 Slim. While it does get a little warm, it never reaches the point of overheating and it stays quiet. The new material and paint doesn’t attract fingerprints at all or even dust, and is a lot smaller than the original PS3.

                There are a few things that come free with the PS3 that almost double the cost of buying a 360: online play, wireless internet connectivity, and wireless headsets. PSN (PlayStation Network) is the PS3 equivalent of XBOX Live for playing online and downloading content, and it’s absolutely free! Anyone can sign up and play games like Call of Duty or BattleField Bad Company 2 online for free, whereas on the XBOX 360, XBOX Live costs $50 a year. The PS3 also has built in wifi and BlueTooth connectivity so that you can connect to your PS3 to your wireless network without having to buy a $100 wifi adapter. While you still have to pay for a wireless headset for the PS3, the BlueTooth connection for it is much more reliable than the controller-synced wireless headsets on the XBOX 360.

                The large 120GB HDD (to match my 120GB XBOX 360 Elite HDD) definitely has enough space for all of my games and downloads with plenty to spare, but while a 250GB HDD would be nice, it’s really not worth paying an extra $100 for.

                Of course, I could mention the amazing BluRay quality, but I’d rather not start a flame war =P …

                Overall, the PS3 Slim is a great console. It’s fun to play, and a great improvement from it’s fat predecessor. I’d consider it the best buy price-wise when compared with the XBOX 360 and the Wii.

[Game Review] Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction (XBOX 360)

As you may know, I am a huge fan of shooters. I’ve often thought the ability to sneak around tactfully is far underused in the genre, but I’ve never had the patience for full-on stealth games like Metal Gear Solid. Ubisoft has hit the perfect middle ground with Splinter Cell: Conviction. With a short but intriguing story, great graphics, fun game modes, and well-polished gameplay, SC:C redefines stealth gaming and has me sneaking like a pro.

                I actually haven’t played any of the previous Splinter Cell games, so I was hesitant to start in the middle of the series because I don’t like missing large chunks of back-story from games. Luckily, with Splinter Cell: Conviction, it didn’t matter that I hadn’t played its predecessors; I was told all the information that I needed to know and was instantly engaged once the first cinematic started.

As has been said many times before, nothing is original anymore in terms of story-driven entertainment. While Splinter Cell: Conviction’s story seemed somewhat familiar, the game managed to make it pretty convincing that this was one story that I haven’t heard (or at least heard told in this way) before. I was also convinced to try the other Splinter Cell games, if for no other reason than to see how the characters got into the situations they were in Conviction.

Splinter Cell: Conviction’s graphics are very appealing. There are very detailed characters and environments, and real-time damage to the walls and room furniture – but then, running on Unreal Engine, how could the graphics not be great? While amount of detail in SC:C is great, there is something in the graphics that is missing: emotion. The game’s story is an emotional one, but it’s hard to actually understand the emotional impact of a cinematic when the characters’ faces are frozen. Fisher, the main character, has a perpetual expression of anger, but other than that, it’s as if all of the characters in the game got way too much Botox before filming – the only muscles that ever move on characters’ faces are the ones controlling their mouths.

Fisher’s story isn’t the only one you get to play in Splinter Cell: Conviction. In the co-op mode, there’s a completely different story that you get to play, one of two other agents. This story takes place before that of the single player campaign and requires teamwork to survive. On top of the single player and co-op campaign modes, SC:C on offers a variety of other 2-player modes such as face-off and Deniable Ops. Before you decide that you’re “finished” with the game, trying out each game mode at least once is a must.

The variety of game modes are only fun if the gameplay is polished, and the gameplay in Splinter Cell: Conviction is extremely polished and smooth. I’m not usually one to have much patience for sneaking games, but I find the stealth in this game very enjoyable. You don’t have to sit there and wait for NPCs to walk by, you can just bust in, hide in the shadows and take people out one by one. I have to say, the cover system in Conviction is the best cover system I’ve ever had the pleasure of using in a video game. There’s completely smooth transitions from cover to cover, it actually works and feels great to use it. When you are behind cover or in shadows, the screen turns black and white to show that the enemies cannot see you, which just makes everything easier for the player.

Overall, Splinter Cell: Conviction is an awesome game, and I’d recommend it to any shooter or sneaking game fan that wants something a little more up-to-date.

[Game Review] Lost Planet 2 (XBOX 360)

                {To start, I’d like to state that I never really played much of the first Lost Planet.}

Lost Planet 2 has seemed to get a complete makeover with graphics and gameplay, at least ideally. While the “fresh coat of paint” certainly looks impressive, it’s merely a cover up for the lack of good, polished gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, the graphics are very nice, but this is one of those situations where it doesn’t really matter how nice the game looks.

The gameplay aspects almost seem to want to make the player fail. If you thought Halo’s Marine AI were bad for just shooting dead grunts or the AI partner in Army of Two was bad, you haven’t seen anything. Lost Planet 2 is only ever good if you have 3 friends to do 4-player online co-op with, otherwise the AI’s inability to help you do things that require at least 3 people and their general inability to function autonomously will just ruin the whole experience.

The levels look impressive and are very large, but the minimap is utterly useless. The voice acting isn’t that great, but the soundtrack is very nice. The poor mission direction and design mixed with a crappy save and checkpoint system which sometimes forces the players to repeat missions that take an hour or longer to complete, leaves me wondering why the regular campaign mode even exists.

Overall, I’d rate Lost Planet 2 as 6.5 out of 10, putting it in my “Average” category. I just cannot recommend this game to anyone as a full-priced regular game, but it would certainly be something to get from the bargain bin just for the multiplayer.

Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $50

Rank: Average or Less

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Adam Taylor (D3M0L1$H3R)

http://youtube.com/user/mindfreaks13

PDP AfterGlow AP.1 PL-6302 -Review- PS3 Controller

                The AfterGlow AP.1 is a wired PS3 controller from Performance Designed Products (PDP) that costs about $25 at Best Buy, or if you get the 2-year Geek Squad warranty (for buttons sticking, normal wear and tear, which I thought was a nice option to have) it costs a bit closer to $40.

                There’s quite a few unique features of this controller, all of which I’ve found to be quite amazing. First of all, the case for the controller is transparent, so you can see the internal circuitry. I got the green controller (it comes in green or red) so all of the circuit boards are green as well as a few green LEDs scattered throughout. There is a button on the back of the controller that allows you to control the LEDs with 3 modes. The modes are ON, which just has the green lights always on, Vibration, where the lights only come on when the controller vibrates, and Off, clearly where there’s no lights. The LEDs are quite bright and will certainly stand out amongst other controllers at any gamer gathering.

                The button and thumbstick layout of the controller is perfect for any hardcore gamer. The thumbsticks are positioned as they would be on an XBOX 360 controller, where the left thumbstick is up above the D-Pad. The thumbstcks are also indented for better grip than the standard PS3 thumbsticks, so it’s much more comfortable than the standard controllers. While all of the buttons feel much more comfortable to use, the best change in the buttons would have to be the L2/R2 triggers. On the standard PS3 controller, L2/R2 was simply buttons below R1/L1 that were quite difficult to quickly press, as you had to press the button awkwardly up against the controller. On the AP.1, however, there are nice triggers for L2/R2 that have indentations so your finger fits perfectly. The triggers are extremely easy to press compared to the pseudo-triggers on the standard PS3 controllers.

                Overall, with the LED-lighted circuit boards, the sleek style, comfortable buttons and layout, and hand-molded side grips, the AP.1 has got to be the best controller I have ever used for any console. I definitely think this controller is well worth the money and would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little bit different than the standard PS3 controller.

                                (Note: PDP also has a few AfterGlow WiiMotes, as well as the PS3 controllers.)

Rating: 9.5/10

Price: $25-$40

Rank: Amazing?

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Adam Taylor (D3M0L1$H3R)

http://youtube.com/user/mindfreaks13

Cooler Master Storm Scout Review Mid-Tower case $73-110 USD

Hey all, its Austin here back with another review this time it's the first one written to the blog site. Some of you may be wondering "Hey, If this is Austin why does it say Charles Frazier at the top?" Well, there's a simple answer to that. It's my actual name and Austin is simply my middle name, I just prefer it as my alias. Now as many of you don't know I'm currently building a computer for gaming and such. I will post videos and reviews to the products I buy so you can get a better look and feeling at the products (if you decide to buy them) before you buy them.

So, without further ado let's begin the review. The very first thing I Notice about this case is that "Wow this thing is huge for only a mid-tower case!" This case will fit approx. 10-10.5'' video cards and an ATX motherboard as well as all of your other stuffins'. At the front of the case you have a Power button, Reset button, headphone and microphone jack, as well as 2 USB connections. As we move the case around to its side, you will notice a rather large side panel window. This is excellent for showing off all of your l33t hardware that you spent so much money on. The side panel also holds an area for you to add another 120mm fan (the front also has one with a removable dust filter as well as red LED's), anyway back to the side panel window. It also has a light automotive tinting so you don't get glares when looking into it or taking a camera to it. It also looks nicer than a standard clear window. As we head to the back you would notice that there's not much there. All that's there is another 120mm Red LED fan set as an out fan. There's also the place where your motherboard I/O shield plate gets installed. (One doesn't come with the case so if there's not one, don't worry). Also on the back is 5 or 7 expansion slots for sound cards, video cards, SATA controllers, you get the idea. There's also another grill where hot air gets expelled this also doubles as a good place to tie cables down (that's what I did). Yet another "cool" thing on the back of this case is an area where you would loop your USB cables through so your peripherals don't get snatched up on your way to a LAN. As we take our journey to the top we don't really notice much other than the traditional storm series branding as well as a nifty handle that can help you carry your rig to LAN parties. Secondly there's also a large 230mm fan set as exhaust. This handle is pretty sturdy and will support as much weight as you can fit in it. (Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for anything that happens to your case or components because we have different experiences with them and the outcome could be different). The front of this case is very easily removable and grants access to the 5.25'' drive bays and a 3.5'' drive bay.

The inside is easily accessible with four thumbscrews that are conveniently placed on both side panels. Simply unscrew the side you wish to access and you're in. Once inside you'll notice that there isn't a tremendous amount of room for cable management only a couple holes, that really isn't that big. I found it quite a hassle to route my 24 pin motherboard connector through as well as all of my other cables. On the motherboard tray you'll notice that there's a relatively big hole for the motherboards retention plate to install. This comes in handy greatly! The case is a completely tool less design from the outside in, apart from the fans. The case comes with HDD rails and a 3.5'' to 2.5'' mount.

Altogether, I would rate this product 7/10 the reason I deducted three points is for 1) No removable motherboard tray. 2) It can get a little bit crowded if you have a big graphics card, a big CPU fan, or a lot of stuff in general. 3) I felt that they could have added better air circulation. There's only 1 120mm fan on the back, one in the front and a 230mm fan on the top. They added places for you to install them yourself but it would've been better if they added them into the price. I would've paid for it. It's more of a convenience issue I guess.

After all of the scoring I would defiantly recommend this to all of my friends or as Rodney Reynolds would say a "Great Product."

Rating: 7/10

Price: Depending on where you get it $73-110 USD

Rank: Great