strid3r

Yep, back in December: techPowerUp! News :: Seagate Lowers Warranty Period from 5 to 3 Years on Some Desktop Hard Drives

I've used emulators on and off for a long time. My favorites for each system: SNES: ZSNES Genesis: GENS Saturn: SSF Playstation: ePSXe Playstation 2: PCSX2 Some of the latter ones take a little more effort to configure (the Playstation ones especially, which use a plug-in system). I usually visit NGEmu to keep up with news.

Thanks for the impressions. Did you listen to any particular kind of music or just a little bit of everything? The DAC also fits quite well with your avatar.

On that note, I was able to install Avira on my machine without any problems. I also installed the CCCP codec pack and connected to my existing network share on an XP machine and streamed video just fine. The file transfer did seem a little slow however, but I have not really looked into it.

I just finished installing it on my Vostro 1500 without a hitch. Wireless card was detected during installation and the rest of the drivers were updated through Automatic Update (8600GT, Ricoh card reader). I've only done a little browsing and installing some programs, but it feels pretty snappy. The new wireless connection utility is very convenient and a nice improvement over Vista.

I just finished downloading the RC off of TechNet. It'll be cool to see how it has evolved from the earlier builds.

Although Spybot used to be a great program, I think it has been going downhill for the past couple years. Although it has a corny name, I've had a really good experience using SuperAntiSpyware: SUPERAntiSpyware.com - AntiAdware, AntiSpyware, AntiMalware! For antivirus, I would recommend Avast or Avira AntiVir.

"Music is Life" on Woot Shirt: Woot Shirt : One Shirt, No Shoes, No Service (SM)

I'm not aware of any docks that have both SATA and IDE. The ones I've seen are all enclosures like this: Newegg.com - acomdata SMBXXXU2E-Blk Aluminum 3.5" Obsidian Black USB 2.0 Samba Enclosure Kit - External Enclosures

I was lucky enough to get an early version of the ever-popular WRT54G. I flashed it with DD-WRT and it's been up and running for 6 months straight now. If you are interested in using third-party firmware such as DD-WRT or Tomato, I believe the WRT54GL is the model to go with (the WRT54G2 has less memory, so it can only use the "Micro" version of DD-WRT). If you do not intend to do any firmware flashing, some of the D-Link models might be worth looking at (DIR-625 comes to mind).

Here's the Thermaltake BlacX dock again for $22.99 after a $15 rebate. This one comes with both eSATA and USB 2.0. THERMALTAKE ST0005U Blac X Plastic 2.5in & 3.5in External Hard Drive Enclosure Retail at ZipZoomfly

As a consolation deal, here's some Nong Shim noodles on sale on Amazon: Nong Shim Shin Noodle Ramyun, Gourmet Spicy Picante, 4.2-Ounce Packages (Pack of 20): Amazon.com: Grocery Nong Shim Neoguri Spicy Seafood Noodle Ramyun, 4.2-Ounce Packages (Pack of 20): Amazon.com: Grocery I prefer the Neoguri myself.

The latter...I've tried looking for some reviews but other than a handful on Amazon, there's not much to go on. Edit: And looks like it's sold out now.

Just bought a pair of these (Altec Lansing UHP306): Altec Lansing Upgrader UHP306 Stereo Earphone - UHP306 - Buy.com

I own a gamma-1, but only have a Lite DAC-38 to compare. It sounds very musical and has good detail. It definitely does not sound like its size, that is for sure.

No parts or DIY skills here, but I'd like to donate some cash.

If you don't mind using USPS (Priority), they deliver the flat-rate boxes to your house for free.

This is not aimed at you, but one of the big problems with diets that I've seen is that most people just think of them as temporary periods of eating "healthy". When a dieter reaches their target weight, they tend to go back to old habits and regain all the old weight. It really needs to become a lifestyle/lifestyle change for it to be effective in the long-term. Personally, it was the fast food and sugary drinks that got me. Nonetheless, congrats on your progress LFF.

^^^ All good advice. I would add that be careful of some prepared/canned foods, as they can be fairly high in sodium. Generally, I try to stay away from anything that has been processed and stick with food that is as "natural" as possible. If you have not already, I would try and incorporate some sort of exercise into your overall diet plan.

I downsized my rig a bit. I went from: Lite DAC-38 -> PPX3 Slam to Gamma-1 -> PPAv2 I regained so much desk space. I also picked up a Lambda along the way (thanks Deepak!). For 2009, I'm hoping to explore some other Stax cans or even some Ortho's. I would also like to upgrade my bookshelf setup at one point, but who knows when that will be.

I bought mine a couple weeks ago when Newegg had a $20 rebate for the eSATA model. The discounts for them seem to be on and off every couple of weeks.

Gone.

Purchased it when it came out and bought it again when I got the Orange Box, so I have an extra copy. First PM gets it.

Have you tried calling them to lower your bill? I gave them a call saying how I would like to quit and they instantly transferred me to the retention department. I told them that I was thinking about switching to Direct TV who was offering better plans/channels/prices/etc. The lady instantly offered me a cable plan upgrade for free. I ended up getting a cable TV upgrade (went from standard-def to HD with over twice as many channels) for a little less then the price before. As always, YMMV with these kinds of things.

Might want to check out the fans from Scythe (S-Flex), Noctua and Nexus. Here's a good 120mm quiet fan round-up: SPCR's Fan Round-Up #2: 120mm Fans | silentpcreview.com