"What Hardware Upgrade Will Best Speed Up My PC (If I Can Only Afford One)?"

What hardware upgrade is your best bang for the buck if you can only choose one? Of course this there is no definitive answer as PCs vary in configurations and it also assumes you are able to make upgrades to begin with. Many people are moving from desktops to laptops at home so this question will depend on your equipment.

If you are running a laptop, your hardware upgrade options are typically limited to RAM or storage. If you have a desktop, your options are wider and range from video cards, processors, RAM and storage. So, the first step is to examine your system. If your PC has 512MB to 2GB of RAM, a upgrade to 4GB will be the cheapest way to get a performance boost. However, if your PC already has 4GB, another few extra gigs won't give you the same boost and therefore your money many be better spent else where. If you have a laptop, your other option is converting from a HDD to a SSD. If you can swing the money on a SSD, you will not only see performance gains but noticeable gains in run time as SSDs use much less energy.

If you have a desktop, you have a few additional options. If you game, you may want to take a look at your video card. If you run multiple intensive process at once, you may want to take a look at upgrading to a multi-core processor.

Tags: hdd, processor, ram, ssd, video card, hardware upgrade options

"The X51 is basically the size of an Xbox 360, but the insides are pure PC: Alienware employs a Mini-ITX motherboard, desktop-level Sandy Bridge Intel processors, and a full-sized double-slot graphics card (rotated ninety degrees and connected via a riser card to the PCIe 2.1 x16 slot)."

The gaming industry has seen a lot of changes over the past few years. While gaming consoles have traditionally dominated the market, the rise of casual games on the iPhone and Android have gained a lot of attention lately. PC gaming, though, is like that that kid you see at the school dance, standing in a corner, all alone, trying to look inconspicuous. He may have a lot to offer, and really is a great person, but no one wants to even talk to him because he does not quite fit in with the rest of the crowd. Despite all the love that other gaming platforms get, there is still a great market for PC gaming and the success of Steam suggests that it is not going to die anytime soon. The Alienware X51 looks like a good stab at helping to create more interest in the platform.

The biggest problem I see with the PC platform is its complexity. Performance varies widely, depending on what hardware you have, and with most games being 3D, a lot of computers that use integrated graphics find the experience less than stellar. Distribution services like Steam go a long way to simplifying the distribution chain, but until games can offer a much more stable platform like that which you see with a console, or a mobile device, I am certain that many people will remain put off by the whole thing.

Tags: hardware, reviews, alienware, x51

"Kodak has announced that it is ceasing production of digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames."

Kodak has been a real mess for the past 20 years, with management trying to keep a hold on a lucrative but dwindling core business. As Kodak exits a market it never really could compete in against the Japanese, I wonder what the post-bankruptcy future it has? Paper? More film? Licensing the name is only going to go so far without some innovations from the parent company. In the end, I think this pretty much confirms Kodak as a has-been.

Tags: hardware, , kodak, digital camera

"With the Logitech Touch Mouse M600, things are set to improve, making mousing feel like second nature. You are able to scroll, swipe and surf regardless of where your fingertips rest on the mouse, and it does not matter whether you are a southpaw or not."

There are Touch people, Touchpad people and there are Mice people. Okay, there are probably some TrackBall people around, and TrackPoint/AccuPoint people too. Having grown up in front of desktops, I find mice the most efficient way of navigating my computing. For tablets and phones, sure, touch is great, but it is the mouse I crave when I want to deal with lots of information. But with Logitech's latest creation, why not get the best of both worlds? Touch mice have been around for a few years in several incarnations. I remember one of Logitech's earliest attempts 8 years ago with the v500, though that did not support multi-touch. The only problem is that I do not know if I will feel comfortable looking like I'm fondling my mouse while I whisk through all that data.

Tags: hardware, logitech, mouse, m600

The big news of the past 24 hours is Olympus's E-M5 camera, which is part of the OM-D line. For the uninitiated, Olympus used to make small and very well-made film SLRs back in the day, under the OM moniker. I myself started photography using dad's OM-1 almost two decades ago. Ah, the memories!

Well, while Olympus is trying to stir feelings of nostalgia, I can say that the OM-1 and this E-M5 are quite different beasts once you get past the superficial. The E-M5 is a digital camera through and through, with the controls pretty much geared towards an electronically-controlled lens mount, unlike say, the Fuji X100. Still, it does look good, and the accessory battery grip is really retro; I have not seen something like that since the old motor winders back in the days of manual focus SLRs.

The camera itself is made from the best Micro Four Thirds has to offer. Highlights include a sensor that is the 16 megapixel Live MOS affair that goes from ISO 200 to 25,600 (presumably from Panasonic; about time Olympus ditched that old 12 megapixel sensor), a contrast-detect system that Olympus promises to be world's fastest (challenging cameras like the mighty Nikon D3S and Canon EOS 1DIV), an improved sensor-shift stabilisation system that promises to keep track and correct movement in five different axis, 1080i video at up to 60 FPS, continuous shooting at 9 FPS with single AF, 4.2 with continuous AF, 3" tilting VGA (presumably using a Pentile arrangement) OLED screen, a great SVGA EVF and a weather-proofed body that offers complete weather-proof capabilities when used with the right lenses. Despite that faux pentaprism hump (it is its successor, the EVF hump), there is no built-in flash, just like the old OM cameras.

Other niceties include things like a Live Bulb mode, so you can keep track of the exposure when it is progress. Ever shot in bulb and have no idea how long to open the shutter for, especially in conditions where the light level is rapidly changing? This is the crutch. There is also a tone curve overlay for finer control over how the camera handles shadows and highlights, though I suspect that is more for JPEG shooters.

All that nice stuff does not come cheap. The camera will ship in April for US$1000 for just the body, $1100 with a 14-42mm kit lens, and $1300 with the new 12-50 powerzoom lens (which is weather-proof). Along with the camera, Olympus also announced a 75mm f/1.8 lens, a 60mm f/2.8 macro, and a new flash with an LED for video work, the FL-600R. The FL-600R will ship in April for US$300, while pricing information for the lenses are not available.

More details and photos at the link, along with a preview! Be sure to see the grip, it just so old school!

Tags: hardware, , olympus, digital camera, micro four thirds, micro 4/3s, m4/3s, zuiko, m43, om-d, om, e-m5, e m5, em5

Olympus has two compact cameras for show today as well. First is the SZ-31MR, which Olympus calls a compact superzoom. I am not sure what the difference between a compact superzoom and a travelzoom is now any more, since everyone is going crazy with the zoom ranges, but I digress. The camera has a 16 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a 24x 25-600mm equivalent f/3.0-6.9 (!) zoom lens, sensor shift stabilisation, a 3" VGA touchscreen LCD, 1080p video in h.264, 10 FPS continuous shooting mode, and of course, what Olympus camera would be without the Art Filters. Ships in late April for US$400.

Next up is the rugged TG-820. The camera packs a 12 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/3.9-5.9 zoom lens, sensor shift stabilisation, a 3" 720x480 LCD screen, 1080p video, a rugged body rated to be waterproof to 33 feet (10 metres), shockproof to 6.6 feet (2 metres), freezeproof to 14F (-10C), and dustproof. Ships in March for US$300. More photos and details of the two cameras at the links below.

DPReview: Olympus SZ-31MR

DPReview: Olympus TG-820

Tags: hardware, olympus, digital camera, sz-31mr, sz31, sz-31, tg-820, tg 820, tg820

Pentax has updated their line of rugged compacts again with the WG-2. Strangely the press release makes a claim that this is the 13th generation. I thought superstitions would mean people tend to not talk about such things. Oh well! The camera itself has some updates, with a new 16 megapixel sensor (backlit CMOS, so hopefully it is not too terrible), a 3" HVGA LCD, and 1080p videos at 30 FPS in h.264. The lens seems to be the same unit as the WG-1, a 5x 28-140mm equivalent f/3.5-5.5 lens which does not appear to be stabilised. Also carried forward are the six LED lights surrounding the lens to act as lighting for close-up shots. Pretty neat. The camera is rated to be waterproof to 40 feet (12 metres), shockproof from 5 feet (1.5 metres), freezeproof to 14F (-10C) and dustproof. Ships in March for US$400 for the GPS version, and US$350 for the one without. More photos and details at the read link.

Tags: hardware, , pentax, digital camera, optio, wg-2, wg2

So the parade of compacts continues. Canon yesterday announced a bunch, and I will start with the more interesting ones. The Powershot ELPH 320 HS and ELPH 530 HS (IXUS 240 HS and IXUS 510 HS respectively outside of North America) are the latest additions to the ELPH/IXUS line up. The 320 HS features a 16 megapixel sensor with a 5x optically stabilised 24-120mm equivalent f/2.7-5.9 zoom lens, while the 530 HS features a 10 megapixel sensor with a 12x optically stabilised 28-336mm equivalent f/3.4-5.6 zoom lens. This uses folded optics to get fit into the small body. The two ELPHs share a lot of features otherwise, with a 3.2" HVGA touchscreen LCD and very little physical controls, 1080p video at 24 FPS, still shooting at up to 5.2 FPS, and new here, built-in wifi that in addition to uploading to various services, also allows transferring files to a smartphone, with an app coming for iOS and Android. The 530 HS also uses microSD cards instead of the usual SD cards for storing its photos. I sense many cameras will switch to the smaller form factor as time goes by; this is the third camera announced in 2012 utilising the smaller format. The two cameras will ship in late March, with the 530 HS going for US$350, and the 320 HS going for US$280. More cameras after the break!

DCResource: Powershot ELPH 320 HS / ELPH 530 HS

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Tags: hardware, , canon, elph, powershot, digital camera, ixus, 510 hs, 320 hs, 530 hs, 240 hs, sx 260 hs, sx260 hs, d20, sx 240 hs, sx240 hs, a810, a1300, a2400 is, a3400 is, a4000 is

Product Category: HDR Software

Manufacturer: Oloneo SAS

Where to Buy: Oloneo's Website

Price: US$149

System Requirements: OS:Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit)

Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit) Hard disk: 200MB of available space CPU: 1.6 GHz Intel or AMD with SSE2, dual-core recommended RAM: 1.5GB Screen: 1280 x 720.

Specifications: Complete Feature List

Pros:

• Great-looking and pleasing HDR images in just a few clicks;
• Fast rendering live preview of changes;
• Offers a high level of control for the advanced user.

Cons:

• Auto-alignment for handheld HDR shots not perfect;
• Active noise reduction controls not present.

Summary: Oloneo's PhotoEngine may be the most expensive, but it is easily the best HDR software available in the market currently. Its ease of use with beautiful and natural results makes it hard to beat. It also has an additional neat trick in the form of HDR ReLight. There are a few minor issues, but for a 1.0 product, they do not overshadow the positives as a whole.

[Editor's Note: Today we bring a special review, written by a top professional photographer with well over a decade of experience. Jed Wee will be reviewing Oloneo's PhotoEngine, which made a splash when the beta was first released back in 2010. Now that the product is shipping, how well does it live up to the early promise? Join Jed as he puts the software through its paces!]

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Tags: software, reviews, photography, hdr, digital camera, oloneo, photoengine

"Most modern smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, and other gadgets rely on USB-based chargers. Some of these come with their own AC wall adapters, while others include nothing more than a USB cable-meaning you have to plug them into your computer to get them charged."

The nice thing about this thing is that you just plug it into the existing outlet, so it's basically a cover. No need to replace the current outlet so you don't have to worry about shocking yourself silly. And it goes for the small sum of $15.00 USD at