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Alienware M17x the fastest gaming laptop ever, but do we still need big PC gaming rigs?

After a steady stream of Netbooks and entry-level laptops, it's nice to slip behind the seat of a deluxe mobile powerhouse for a change. Alienware's new M17x laptop jams pretty much any high-end component you can think of into an imposing, matte, black chassis, including an Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300 CPU, dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs, and 1TB of hard-drive space.

While the system starts at a reasonable $1,799, you'll need to configure something closer to our $4,849 review unit to really get the benefit of Alienware's years of experience making high-end gaming PCs.

While playing around with the M17x was a blast, and we especially enjoyed creating wacky color combinations with the customizable backlit keyboard (this new version has four separate color zones under the keyboard tray), we're left wondering if the era of the extreme gaming rig is over--replaced by a mix of 10-inch Netbooks and console games.

It's an argument some have been making for years (or rebutting), but the oft-reported "Death of PC Games" really does seem closer than ever.… Read more

Space Ace is pretty ace on iPhone

One of the first games I got for my Amiga was Space Ace. Although most of the original game from the arcade was missing and the graphics were made from actual 2D sprites and not an actual cel-animated cartoon, I still played the hell out of it until I could beat it in less than fives minutes in my sleep.

Space Ace was originally released for arcades in 1984, following the huge success of Dragon's Lair. Both games were Laser Disc-based and were essentially controllable cartoons. Well, at least that the was illusion they so successfully cast.

Former Disney animator Don Bluth created the art and animation for the games and each featured gameplay in which at certain points during the animation, the player was required to press a single button or move the joystick in a single direction to progress.

Basically, the animation was playing and you had to make the right choice, with the right timing, to keep it playing.

Although I always preferred Dragon's Lair, Space Ace added the ability to transform your character from a meek wimpy wimp into the huge, musclebound hero archetype. Changing your character in this way usually added a new puzzle to whatever sequence you were in the middle of. Given the game some added replay value.

On Thursday, Digital Leisure announced Space Ace's availability on the iPhone app store for $4.99. I never played the original arcade game to the very end, but as far as I can tell, the whole game is here. … Read more

AMD introduces faster Phenom II X4 chips

AMD's new quad-core Phenom II X4 945 and 955 Black Edition desktop chips hit retail stores and enthusiast review sites this morning. With higher clock speeds than previous models, aggressive pricing, and support for fast DDR3 memory, these chips compete with Intel's Core 2 Quad CPUs as mainstream performance processors.

Each chip has the same architecture as the original Phenom II X4's that came out a few months ago at CES. The $225 945 has a 3.0GHz clock speed, and the $245 955 Black Edition comes in at 3.2GHZ, but with an unlocked clock multiplier … Read more

First impressions: Dragon Age: Origins

One of the more interesting games we saw at the recent Game Developer's Conference was a large-scale RPG called Dragon Age: Origins, combining well-trod sword-and-sorcery clichés with an inventively twisting plot and an advanced branching dialog engine (where the main character often affects the story by deciding what to say to other characters).

If all that sounds too "hardcore gamer" for you, that's a shame, although understandable considering the dangerously nerdy Dungeons & Dragons vibe of the game's marketing pitch to date.

Despite the elves, dwarves, and renaissance faire outcasts that populate the … Read more

AMD's new Phenom II chips take on Intel

Updated on February 9 at 12:10 a.m. PST with corrected Intel pricing.

Advanced Micro Devices added new Phenom II desktop models on Monday, including triple-core processors, in its continued attempt to outdo Intel desktop price-performance.

The Phenom II "Dragon" line of desktop processors uses AMD's new 45-nanometer technology and comprises both quad-core (X4) and triple-core (X3) parts.

The triple-core Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition processor is priced at $145, which AMD compares with Intel's Core 2 Duo (dual-core) E8400 processor, priced at $163. The quad-core X4 810 processor (2.6GHz) is priced at $… Read more

Gadgettes 121: The Re-Episode

This show starts out as the Recycle, Reduce, Re-Use Episode. Shortly into the show, we realize how poorly thought out a theme that was. Wow, it's been a long break.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 121

Pee-powered battery (that technically runs on water or juice too) (Thanks Cianna!)

Sega robo-cat will meow, won’t catch mice

Quit smoking or be forced to wear these clothes made from cigarette butts

Breathalyzer key chain lets you see if you’re drunk while on the highway

Recycled condoms used on hair bands??? Snopes confirms this as legit! ACK!

Facebook spoils the free Whopper fun

Microchip Cufflinks… Read more

Nothing But Software has the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred - ( v.9 ) - complete package for $74.95, after $110.04 savings and $15 mail-in rebate (Expires 1/11/2009).

Save $125.04 on the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred - ( v.9 ) - complete package from Nothing But Software >> Regular price is $199.99 >> Sale price is $74.95 >> Savings $125.04 (62.52%) >> Click here for deal

Featured Freeware: Password Dragon

Organizing log-in information is a painless process with this easy-to-use password manager. Novices will especially appreciate its straightforward user interface. Password Dragon opens with an intuitive interface that isn't overwhelming.

Menu and toolbar items run across the top, and individual log-in information is displayed in the main window. To help users, the program activates only the buttons necessary for the task at hand to avoid any confusion. Click on the New File button to see the Add Record button, which then creates a new entry. The input fields are all self-explanatory, and there are no cumbersome slowdowns to entering … Read more

SkiTech review: Tecnica Dragon 120 Ski Boots

I have skied since I was 12-years old, and over the years have cycled through just about every make of boot available: San Marco, Dalbello, Tecnica, Lange, Dolomite, Rossignol, etc. Over the past few months, however, I have fallen in love with the Tecnica Dragon 120 HiPerFit ski boot. It is by far the best boot I have ever worn.

Though Tecnica was kind enough to let me use its Dragon 120 ski boot for the second half of the 2008 ski season, it wasn't until I put the boot through its paces in Las Lenas, Argentina, that I fully discovered just how pliant and powerful the boot is. The Tecnica Dragon 120 HiPerFit ski boot is flexible when you need to flex, and stiff when you need it stiff. By simply rolling my ankles into a turn, the Dragons seemed to fuse with my skis (both Volkl AC4s and K2 Apache Recons).

I've never found it as easy to ski blistering hard with my boots catering to my whims, rather than fighting them. Such are the Tecnica Dragon 120 ski boots. They are amazing.

It wasn't always this way. I've skied Tecnicas before (including the Diablos last year) and, while I found them enjoyable, they weren't nearly as comfortable and high performance as the Dragons. This is the best boot Tecnica has made in many years, and puts the company ahead of Lange, Salomon, and other boot manufacturers that had surpassed Tecnica in recent years.

The secret? It's in the technology, as Tecnica boasts:… Read more