FutureLooks reviews the update to the original Antec Sonata case - the Antec Sonata II ATX PC Case here. The case has the following features:
* Advanced Chassis Air Duct to cool the latest CPU and graphics cards on the market
* Improved overall air intake for better and quieter cooling
* Specially designed low-noise SmartPower 2.0 450W ATX12V v2.01 power supply
* Front mounted USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire®,i.Link®) & Audio ports
* 9 Drive Bays:
- 3 x 5.25″ external drive bays
- 2 x 3.5″ external drive bays
- 4 x 3.5″ internal drive bays in individual trays with rubber grommets to absorb hard drive vibrations
* Cooling System:
- 1 rear 120mm Tricool fan (standard) with 3-speed control to balance quiet with cooling
- 1 front 120mm case fan (optional) 25mm thick
- 1 92mm fan (optional) in the air duct to cool the CPU
- 1 80mm fan (optional) for graphics cards
* Double hinge door design: allows the door to open up to 270º
* Made with 0.8mm SECC Steel
* Built-in washable air filter keeps harmful dust out of your case

The verdict?

Overall, the case was excellent. All the drives were simple to manipulate and install as well as uninstall; those features were just fantastic all by themselves. Cabling was hardly a mess.

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Dell has announced a new mid range line of PCs called the Dell Dimension 5100C. These systems run Microsoft Windows Media Center 2005 and come in a new cool silver BTX chassis. Here are the specs:

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 Processor
Graphics: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 or PCI Express graphics up to 128MB ATI® RadeonTM X600 SE
Networking: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet.
Ports: USB 2.0 technology (8 ports - 2 front, 5 back, 1 internal).
Memory: Up to 4 GB1 of shared2 Dual Channel DDR2 400MHz or 533MHz SDRAM
Storage: Up to 250 GB3 SATA hard drives.
New Arctic Silver and Alpine White industry standard BTX chassis

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Apple has merged the iPod and the iPod photo product lines into one product line called the iPod. Now all iPods will feature color screens and will support viewing of photographs. There are now two iPod models - the 20 GB going for $299 and the 60GB for $399. Hmm.. 100 dollars buys you an extra 40GB of space - I think the choice is clear.

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DigitalCameraReview reviews the Casio EX-Z750 Exilim here. The camera features:
* Super-life battery enables up to 325 shots on a single charge
* Powered by Lithium-ion rechargeable battery (included, with charger); stores images on SD cards (camera features 8.3MB of internal memory)
* 7-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
* 3x optical zoom; large 2.5-inch LCD display
* High-speed start-up enables shooting approximately 0.9 seconds after the power is turned on

The verdict?

The EX Z750 is the best choice for Photographers looking for an ultra-compact digicam that performs like a full sized camera.

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Now THIS is the alarm clock for me - the Neverlate 7 day alarm clock lets you program 7 different alarms, one for each day of the week. It’s targeted to college kids that have a need for different daily alarm schedules but I definitely know working people who would love this gadget (including myself).

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It looks like Purina is really embracing technology. You can download ringtones, wallpapers, and weekly pet tips on your mobile phone from the Purine website. There’s even Purina Animal Advice Podcasts that you can download for your iPod.

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Oh Gizmo has an interesting blog entry on lineriders - a modification made to hotwheel toys that let it follow lines drawn by individuals. The cars could speed up and slow down based on special annotations drawn by the user. Interesting stuff if you ask me.

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DesignTechnica reviews the portable XM Radio player - Pioneer AirWare XM2Go. What does this device feature?
* The home docking station and antenna, RCA cables, wireless remote and AC adaptor bring satellite radio into your living room
* The vehicle docking station, antenna and 12-Volt DC power converter provides easy use while on the road.
* With the stereo headphones, rechargeable battery and belt clip, you can tune in just about anywhere.
* Record and store up to five hours of broadcasts effortlessly.
* Enables your AirWare radio to play through any car stereo, home stereo or boom box.
The verdict from DesignTechnica?

The Pioneer AirWare is a cool accessory for an XM junkie..

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Get your own theremin inside a Star Wars lunchbox created by a person named Chuck Collins in Milwaukee. Perfect for that Star Wars geek in you.

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Thomas Hawk reviews the Empire Series Media Center PC in his blog entry here. The unit he tested comprised of:
* Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz processor
* 1GB of RAM
* 200GB HDD
* NVIDIA GeForce 6600 256MB graphics card
It doesn’t come cheap since the unit costs around $2999.. ouch. The verdict?

It rocks. Literally. With a 1000 Watt built in amplifier, integrated 5.1 playback and 110 db signal to noise ratio, this Media Center PC sounded better than any computer I’ve ever heard in my life.

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