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monitor

Dell's new monitors are small (ish) and cheap

I'll be honest. It's difficult to get excited about monitors without IPS screens, super-high resolutions, and multiple HD video inputs. Still, people do buy budget monitors. Lots of them. Why? Because they're cheap, simple, and usually get the job done. That job being delivering images to your optics.

Today Dell announced new entries into its P and E lines of displays. These fall under Dell's budgets lines, so I was surprised by the inclusion of DisplayPort in the P series.

Anyway, these go on sale today, so check them out at Dell.com if you're … Read more

Nvidia 3D Vision 2 review: Great performance, slim availability

A few years back, Nvidia released its 3D Vision Kit active 3D solution. At the time, it was the only real choice for 3D PC gaming, but its crushingly dark images and abundant crosstalk were, let's say, problematic.

The Nvidia 3D Vision 2 glasses, along with Lightboost technology, attempts to address those issues. Check out my full review now.

Lightboost makes a big difference in performance, but aside from the Asus VG278H, the monitors compatible with the technology are really difficult to find.

It's too bad too. Even for a 3D disliker, like me, Lightboost makes the best … Read more

MIT video tech could be a remote pulsometer -- or a lie detector

In the Fox TV show "Lie to Me," Dr. Cal Lightman was able to tell whether someone was lying by observing what he called "micro expressions" on their faces. The twitch of an eye, the quickening of a pulse, the beads of sweat on a brow -- he looked for clues too subtle for most of us to catch.

Now, researchers out of MIT are developing a video technology they call Eulerian Video Magnification that could do that and more -- by amplifying the motion in a standard video sequence to detect information not visible to … Read more

Top DisplayPort monitors under $400

DisplayPort has yet to supplant DVI as the premiere PC monitor connection standard. In fact, if the monitors I've reviewed over the past two years are any indication, HDMI is still far more ubiquitous than DisplayPort.

With a higher maximum bandwidth, a built-in cable retention feature, and multiple monitor (over one cable) support, I'm still scratching my head as to why DisplayPort isn't more popular than it is, at the consumer level at least.

It's a high-bandwidth input that (unlike HDMI) I've yet to have any technical problems with. Here's hoping more monitors take a cue from the following five.… Read more

Track Android data usage with Onavo Count

As more wireless carriers switch to tiered, capped, and throttled data plans, it's becoming more important to be aware of your data consumption. By knowing just how much data you need when mobile it becomes easier to select a plan that fits your needs. After all, the prices of unlimited data plans have gone up, and even the medium tier plans can cost a pretty penny. So how can you find out which apps are eating all your data and ultimately pick the right plan?

Onavo, mostly known for its work in data compression on iOS, offers an … Read more

Add an extra monitor to your computer

I hesitated writing this How To. Compared with the olden days of installing and configuring video cards and giant CRT displays, the process of adding a secondary monitor to any modern computer is practically plug-and-play.

But when I sat down to write a tutorial on this that included both Mac and PC, I realized there's still a surprising amount of variables to the process, and plenty of details that I hadn't considered before.

"Is VGA video quality inherently worse than HDMI?"

"Will generic Mini DisplayPort cables work in a Mac's Thunderbolt port?"

I … Read more

Get a 22-inch AOC monitor for $99.99

Looking for a second monitor? Or perhaps even a third? How about a replacement for that old CRT you bought when Bill Clinton was still in office?

Smart move, waiting until today. While supplies last, Woot spin-off Moofi has the refurbished AOC E2243 22-inch LCD monitor for $99.99, plus $5 for shipping. That's one of the lowest prices I've ever seen for a monitor of this size.

By the way, like all Woot-related deals, this one's available today only. Update: My mistake. This deal is available for another six days, or until supplies run out. However, … Read more

Asus VG23AH review: A passive 3D fail

With an In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen, a useful assortment of connections and ergo options, and a price at around $300, the VG23AH might sound like a monitor worthy of praise.

However, once you experience the monitor's sorry excuse for 3D, you may find yourself singing a different tune.

Check out the full review to see why you wouldn't want this as your first 3D monitor.

More reviews can be easily accessed from the monitor hub.

The 404 1,061: Where we're in too deep (podcast)

Stupid Andy helps us round out the week before the three-day holiday, and our favorite way to pay tribute to the soldiers is by getting choked up at YouTube videos of soldiers reuniting with their dogs. The ones with their families are pretty good, too.… Read more

HP 2311xi review: When price and performance make all the difference

Most 23-inch, LED-based monitors are very basic, general-purpose devices that likely won't impress you with their viewing angles. That's because most monitors feature Twisted Nematic (TN) panels, which are cheap (hence their ubiquity), but usually suffer in terms of viewing angle.

Simply put, when viewed from any angle other than directly in front, images on TN panels become more difficult to see.

The HP 2311xi, however, houses an in-plane switching (IPS) panel. IPS panels enjoy much wider viewing angles than TN panels, but are usually more expensive.

The catch here is that the 2311xi isn't expensive. In … Read more