Please Read! RabidHardware has been in archival status since 2006. We've moved on but some of us not too far. Check out our new site, Web Surfs You!, our new central repository for news, articles, howtos and related geekery in the world of technology. For our previous words of parting (when we shut this site down), check out this post. Thanks for stopping by! - Doc

All good things...0 comment(s) posted Oct 10 2006 @ 7:01pm by Doc

Well, had to happen sometime. In the wake of stale content, we've decided not to drag things on further here. As of October 2006, RabidHardware is now officially closed. While we're keeping the site itself going as an archive, links and email addresses may not work anymore. You also won't be able to login. Given the atrocious amount of spam we've accumulated via e-mail, we no longer have any working rabidhardware.net e-mail addresses. If you're looking to get a hold of us, you can find a new e-mail address for me (Ben) at MindsMostBroken. I'll forward the e-mail along to it's intended recipient. Thanks to everybody who's followed and supported the site these past 4.5 years. We couldn't have done it without ya. Here are some words (and phrases) of parting from the staff... So I've recently been informed that RH is being shut down for good. While I haven't contributed to the site in a very very long time, when I look back it still puts a smile on my face. Various friendships were created (and at least as many destroyed) just through the existence of this site. Getting feedback on articles, and scoring sponsorships with companies are only a small part of the highlights of writing for this website. When I look back I think about staying up late, drinking beer, and artistically destroying computer cases with the rest of the RabidHardware gang. I think about electrocuting a computer and throwing it off the back of a moving truck for the sake of science (also known as the strong hatred for a particularly shit computer brand). I chuckle when I think about the ridiculous articles written by Ben, using peanut butter for better thermal transfer. Unfortunately, all good things must come to and end, or something. RH has been a hell of a ride, and at the very least left me with 2 great friendships. I had a riot writing articles for the site, and appreciate all the support and criticism we received for writing about a hobby the three of us shared. Thanks! Niels AKA Profezzor BoB This is going to be the sixth time that I've attempted to write something about RH being shutdown and the second time that I've opened with this line. What does that tell you? A serious lack of motivation? Perhaps, or maybe it solidifies the decision that RH should be put into a permanent state of archive. Either way, the long, exciting, but somewhat tumultuous ride is over. With that said there are definitely no regrets with the direction we took RH and the things that we did. I had the chance to make many great friends over the five yearsish that we had this site going and while some of those friendships have faded with my interest in computing others(Ben, Niels) have grown into relationships that I'm sure will last a lifetime. I will fondly remember the time spent in IRC with the entire RH gang arguing about who was going to fold more protein units this week and/or if a blue led looks prettier than a red led. I will also remember the many fantastic death threats that Ben's articles tended to invite, whether it be for the thermal paste article, or the keyboard and mouse watercooling adventure he seemed to have that knack for encouraging homicidal computer geeks to send him e-mail. Other fantastic memories include the first time an RH article got slashdotted and effectively brought our poor host to a screeching halt. Various drunken debacles including Frag 2k2 and being late for my sister's wedding (sorry Tara! haha), destroying the once great Acer case, and most importantly the many Boston Pizza team pitcher adventures that Niels, Ben and I embarked upon. God bless those giant containers of goodness. I believe it's time to close this rant off, so although you likely won't see activity from RH again I'd like to thank all involved for the good times and the bad. Take it easy, and always remember that beer is proof that god loves you and wants you to be happy. Matt AKA Rabbitfacedkilla Well, here we are. RH is history and I'm writing this little piece to reflect on my time here. All I can say is I'm glad to have been a part of RabidHardware. While this site and it's readers have been a most tolerant outlet for my nonsensical creations, it has also allowed me to make some great friendships along the way, both on line and off. At the risk of sounding geeky, my trip out west for Fragapalooza 2002 was a major turning point for me at the time, though not so much for the event itself so much as it gave me an opportunity to see many new places, as well as meet the rest of the RabidHardware staff in the flesh. For me, writing for RH wasn't about the occasional free stuff you'd get for reviewing, but the feedback I got on articles as well as the people I connected with made this site more enjoyable then anything else I've previously been involved with online. Now this doesn't have to be farewell, so much as until we me meet again. Matt and I are working on a new site that allows us to move in new directions without the restrictions of an affiliated tech site. If you've enjoyed our brand of humour here, you may want to check out idle thoughts from minds most broken as well. (Isn't that terrible, dropping a semi-plug into a farewell note?) At any rate, I've had a wicked time here. Thanks for these last few years. Cheers, Ben AKA Doc

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More falling debris?0 comment(s) posted Sep 10 2006 @ 8:01pm by Doc

Hey folks. Once again we're mangling the site's CMS, so if you see anything out of ordinary (error messages may qualify ), lemme know! Also, as we've started integrating the new forum system, Private Messaging is now available! Of course, you need to have an account to use them, so register already! And now, the news....

HyperKore System Giveaway Modders-Inc.com Time is running out on the awesome giveaway we are running! HyperKore, CPU Magazine and Modders-Inc are giving you a chance to win a custom built gaming system. All you have to do is go to the contest page, read about the system, read the rules, and enter the contest. What are you waiting for, GO DO IT NOW!

Altec Lansing M602 Mobile Audio System For iPod @ ThinkComputers.org Altec Lansing has been around since 1928 and they are an industry leader in the design, manufacture, marketing and support for most audio systems. They are also a household name for most consumer audio like PC Speakers and headphones. You may remember that in the middle of the summer we reviewed the Altec Lansing inMotion iM500, which was a mobile speaker solution designed for the iPod Nano. Today we will be taking a look at the Altec Lansing M602 Mobile Audio System for the Apple iPod.

Samsung SPH-A640 Camera Phone @ BonaFideReviews Today in the BFR labs we have the Samsung SPH-A640 cell phone. The A640 is one of Samsung's newest phones on the market and belongs to service provider Sprint. The A640's form is a flip-phone where the front cover flips upwards to expose the keypad. It features Sprint's ReadyLink walkie-talkie technology, web browsing capability, SMS messaging, text messaging, Bluetooth connectivity, and a built-in camera.

How To Make Windows XP Run Faster @ Digital Grabber A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be taking a long time. And when the hard disk finally stops churning, everything just seems slower than when it was new. Can you suggest any maintenance tips to reduce the startup time and make Windows run faster?" I have this theory that sludge builds up inside a computer over time, much like an automobile engine. After a while, it doesn't start right up like when it was new, it stalls unexpectedly, and performance is sluggish on the (information) highway. Is there something like engine cleaner we can pour into our personal computer to restore that "like new" performance? Actually, yes!

What To Look For In A Gaming LCD Monitor @ Laptop Gamers You have probably heard it before, but it bears repeating...the best way to know if a computer monitor is right for you is to view it in person. Specs are a great tool for narrowing down your choices, but they are no replacement for hands-on experience. Plenty of large resellers stock a wide range of monitors and some are on display. Go down to every shop you can and see if you can find the monitor you are thinking of buying. You never know, that slightly low spec one you shunned in favour of that extra inch of screen may beat everything else hands down in ?real world? performance. This is a check list of things to consider when shopping for a new LCD for gaming.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS Digital Camera Review @ The TechZone The PowerShot S3 IS digital camera's 12x zoom lens has an equivalent film focal length of 36-432 mm (f/2.7 at wide angle and f/3.5 at telephoto). Despite the extraordinary range of the zoom lens, it retracts securely into the camera when it is powered down. The optical zoom can be augmented by the camera's 4x digital zoom raising the maximum (35mm equivalent) focal length to that of a 1728mm lens. What's more, this UD lens features a high-speed silent zoom function powered by a micro motor USM drive, increasing ease of quiet, non-intrusive image capture. For extreme close-ups, the camera's macro and super macro mode permit shooting a subject as close as zero inches from the end of the lens barrel.

Das Keyboard II @ techFEAR When is what isn't there almost more important than what is? The Das Keyboard II is a quality mechanical switch keyboard without key labels. Its creator contends that the design will improve typing speed and accuracy. techFEAR determines if the keyboard holds true to that promise.

Abit AW9D-MAX overclocking review @ NordicHardware Today we have the honor as one of the absolute first hardware sites to seriously test Abit's coming AW9D-MAX motherboard. The sample we've received is one out of very few engineering samples and doesn't come with all the features of the retail package. We've been informed that the differences are only cosmetic though, the function remains the same. Waiting for a full review of the board, with all of its accessories, we will start by investigating how this motherboard overclocks.

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MeeboMe IM Widget0 comment(s) posted Sep 6 2006 @ 8:45am by matt

If you haven't heard of meebo then you've likely been living under a rock for quite some time. It's the new revolution in interfering with office productivity! This little widget lets you talk to me while I'm signed on, figured I'd give it a try.

posted in Matt's Blog | permalink | back to top

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