The Home Server Show 123 Out Now

Dave and the guys over at the Home Server Show have just released show number 123.

home_server_show_small

Here is what Dave has to say about this weeks show:

Windows Home Serve 2011 still has the attention in this weeks news.  Episode 123 is mostly that but I think there is something for everyone in this show.  We talk Add-Ins, Storage, Virtual Machines, Worm Holes, and every other topic we can think of.  There is no set format in this one.  We hit the ground running!

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes(MP3).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast in the Zune Marketplace.

Microsoft Release Windows Internet Explorer 9 RC

It’s been in beta quite a while, but today Microsoft finally pushed out the Release Candidate of Internet Explorer 9.

IE9

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/products/ie-9/home

Installing IE9 RC is simple, you just download the application file.

IE9 RC download

Then you run it and wait while it downloads all the required updates and then installs.

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Then when it’s finished, you have do do a reboot.

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And that’s it – you have the IE9 RC running!

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Have you used it? What do you think?

Android BBC iPlayer App Review – UK Only (For now)

The BBC released their own native android app for BBC iPlayer today so we’ve decided to run it through its paces to see how well it performs.

I should just state now that this is an Android version 2.2 and higher only application as it requires flash to stream the audio/video. So if your android phone only runs 2.1 or below, can I strongly suggest that you visit the forums at XDA Developers and look at rooting + upgrading your phone as 2.2 (or 2.3 if your phone is one of the lucky ones) is well worth the time and effort.

BBC iPlayer has been available to android 2.2 devices for a while now through the included web browser, so why give us a native application?

First off, lets look at the interface.

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The image on the left is from the web version of BBC iPlayer and the one on the right is from the native app.

In the web version, the search, channels and categories function are listed under the section you are viewing, e.g. TV, Radio. In the android app, the search button is on the top right (the magnifying glass) and the menu button is the one next to it (the three straight lines). The TV section is also split into 3 pages, featured, popular and for you, where as the web version is all on the same page. When the menu button is pressed, you get presented with the following menu.

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The categories and the channels choices are the same as the web browser, but the native app gives you the choice of choosing live TV as well. Now this choice is an added bonus over the web version.

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Streaming live seems to work very well and doesn’t take long to load (this is of course dependent on how good your wifi is and how fast your internet connection is) although if you’re having problems, the video quality can be switched from medium (500kbps) to low quality (400kbps) in the settings menu. The video quality can also be increased to high (800kbps), which functioned perfectly fine on my N1.

The categories and channel sections function the same as the web site version of BBC iPlayer.

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The radio section, like the TV section, gives you featured, popular and for you. When the radio menu button is pressed, the option of categories, stations and live radio get presented.

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These three categories act the same as the TV section.

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Windows Home Server 2011 Drive Mirror -Video Edition

Mirror, mirror on the drive. I need my data to stay alive. Windows Home Server 2011 has a built in Drive Mirror feature that will allow you to create a synchronized copy of the drive. While this feature is not new to Microsoft products, the ease of setup from within the Server Manager makes it easy for the WHS 2011 user to create Mirrors. Check out the video!

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

Windows Home Server 2011 Drive Set Up

Before you start the mirror process you want to make sure your data is organized. Best practice would be to mirror before any data is on the the drives to save time, but if they already have data you are still ok.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

Organize your data and decide which drive(s) you will Mirror.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

Windows Home Server 2011 Drive Mirror

To create a Drive Mirror you use the Server Manager. If you do not see the Server Manager in your Task Bar, navigate to Administrative Tools through the Start Menu. You might want to grab your favorite beverage and RAID the cookie jar before you start this process.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

The video will show you how to create a Drive Mirror.

Windows Home Server 2011 Drive Mirror Process

My drives had a lot of data on them when I created the Mirror. I would suggest doing this when they are empty if possible.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

4 1/2 hours into the Mirror process. The drives were half full so I know it was going to take a while.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

6 1/2 hours into the Mirror process. It was ok. I had time to go outside and spray the ants with RAID anyway.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

Disable Backups During Mirror Process

I decided to cancel my backups during the Mirror sync since it was trying to backup C: and F: data while it was also moving D: and E: data. This taxes the CPU and just makes the whole process take longer. I would suggest starting the backup again after the Mirror sync is done and process is completed.

WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

Conclusion

Creating the Mirrors in Windows Home Server 2011 is easy and works great. I feel safe that my data is backed up and am even planning on adding more drives as these start to fill up.WHS 2011 Drive Mirror

Windows Home Server 2011 Release Candidate

You can download Windows Home Server 2011 at:

Download WHS 2011

Windows Home Server 2011

The installation of Windows Home Server 2011 has only a few basic requirements.

Windows Home Server 2011 is a 64-bit only operating system.

You can install the server software either manually or unattended.

System Requirements

  • 1.4 GHz x64 processor
  • 2 GB RAM
  • At least one 160 GB (or larger) hard drive
  • NTFS is the only supported file system

Supported networking configuration:

  1. Your server computer must be connected to a router via a network cable
  2. Windows Home Server works best with a UPnP certified device, but it is not required
  3. The router works best in the 192.168.x.x subnet, but it is not required

Try Windows Home Server 2011 and download from Connect today!

And don’t forget to check out some of our other Windows Home Server 2011 Videos and Walk-throughs

BBC iPlayer Now Available on the Apple iPad and on Android

Today the BBC launched their official Apple iPad version of their iPlayer software here in the UK, so now you can watch BBC programming on your iPad! And it’s also available on Android.

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You can download it now from the Apple AppStore – it is only a 3.6 MB file so it won’t take very long.

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Using iPlayer on the iPad is very simple – you get access to TV:

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Radio:

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And you can even set up your favourites to find things quicker:

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You can easily see what is on:

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And search either by type of programme, or by programme title:

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You can then choose something to watch and you can various details about it, including when it will be available until:

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Then all you need to do is just sit back and enjoy whatever you choose:

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The quality was fantastic and I had no problems at all. Well done BBC!

The BBC have also posted this on their website:

BBC iPlayer is now available on tablet devices within the UK. If you have a tablet bought in the UK, it will not be able to access television programs on BBC iPlayer when abroad. You can access BBC iPlayer by following the BBC iPlayer link on the BBC homepage or by typing http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer into your web browser.

We are currently supporting BBC iPlayer on the Apple iPad. In the future we expect to add support for other tablet devices.

The BBC doesn’t charge for the iPlayer service but your Internet Service Provider may charge you for the bandwidth used.

Always ensure that you have the most up-to-date firmware/operating system installed on your device – please refer to your manufacturer for any help with this – and that you have a strong enough mobile network signal or wi-fi connection. If you lose connectivity while streaming you may need to start again.

You could also try browsing our message boards, which discuss many aspects of the service including common issues and problems. Please note that because this content is not generated by the BBC, it is not searchable via our search tool; however, we suggest typing key words such as BBC iPlayer + your issue into your preferred search engine.

Have you used it yet? What do you think?

Windows Phone’s First Update Available Soon!

Based on the Microsoft KB article 2484484 Troubleshooting problems during software update for Windows Phone 7 which has been released in anticipation of the upcoming update for Windows Phone 7. It’s safe to assume the first WP7 update will be available soon.

Gregg Sullivan, Senior Product Manager for Windows Phone 7, has made recent statements stating the update is not too far away.  According to Sullivan, Microsoft plans to release the first of two updates within the next few months. Obviously, the first update will bring copy and paste, which was announced at launch, as well as bug fixes and better performance when loading applications. The second update, which is planned for release in “the first half” of this year, will bring CDMA support for Sprint and Verizon.

If you read through the article; updating through the Zune Desktop client may not be as smooth as one would think, especially for the people that currently own a WP7 device but have never used the Zune Client.  Hopefully the kinks will be worked out by the time the update is released.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 RTM

Today Microsoft have RTM’d both the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 builds.

Windows7_v_printWindows_Server_2008_v_print

Here is what Microsoft posted on their blog:

Today we officially handed off the final release (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to our OEM partners. On February 16th Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will be available for MSDN and TechNet Subscribers as well as Volume License customers. On February 22nd, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will become generally available for folks to download via the Microsoft Download Center and available on Windows Update.

For Windows 7, SP1 will help keep your PCs well supported by delivering ongoing updates, many of which have been made previously available through Windows Update. It also includes client-side support for RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory which are two new virtualization features enabled in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. Read more about those updates here from the Windows Server Team.

I’ve been using the SP1 beta for a number of months now and haven’t had any problems, so I will be updating to the final release when its available. I wonder how the 2008 R2 SP1 will affect the Windows Home Server 2011 RC?

Unboxing the Tranquil PC ixLS Power PC

Back in January, Tranquil PC announced their next generation ixL PC – the ixLS, powered by Sandy Bridge. Well ours has arrived and we give it the unboxing treatment.

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Here is how Tranquil describe the ixLS range:

Bringing beauty, power, efficiency and reliability to your desktop. Designed from the ground up, to provide a reliable and fan less cooling system for the power user, the ixLS Power PC can process any application with ease. High definition video, complex 3D rendering, or just writing a letter – just do it. Fit your choice of Intel Sandy Bridge CPU- any version delivers stunning performance

With numerous audio / video outputs, high speed GBE LAN – the ixLS can be deployed in almost any environment, for almost any application. With the new Sandy Bridge CPU you can expect the very best performance – for more information on the main board / CPU options / Performance please visit here

You can now run the most demanding applications with ease, knowing that the power is there when you need it, and yet the power consumption is under 30W when you’re just idling along.

With specialised and enhanced cooling technologies, the ixL runs without fans, ensuring long term reliability, and almost zero noise – just like you want.

With the optional Media Centre IR receiver / HMDI output you can also even use the ixL as a Media Centre PC. With 1x 2.5″ and 1x 3.5″ HDD bays – you can mix and match your storage requirements.

Sandy Bridge Problems

As you may have heard, Intel discovered a problem with Sandy Bridge as reported by Tim a few weeks ago.

Tranquil have this posted on their website:

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]The second generation, or Sandy Bridge systems were originally available in January, but Intel discovered a small fault and have announced that the main boards, equipped with the corrected ‘Cougar Point’ chipset will be available from early to mid April. Tranquil will deliver ixLS systems from that time.[/box]

What’s In The Box?

The box itself contains the ixLS and a power supply.

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A Closer Look at the ixLS

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Watch out for our full hands-on review soon.

http://www.tranquilpc-shop.co.uk/acatalog/sandy_bridge.html

Windows Home Server 2011 State of the Union Article in SMB PC Magazine

The January / February 2011 issue of SMB PC magazine is out and in it is an article on Windows Home Server 2011, written by yours truly!

SMB Jan issue

I was honoured to be asked to write a State of the Union style article on Windows Home Server 2011 for SMB PC magazine. The hardest part I has was balancing all the negative comments and feedback about WHS 2011 and with what I could actually talk about that wasn’t under NDA! Watch out for a follow up article soon!

Below is the article – let me know what you think.

GeekSpeak 2011

Download the Jan / Feb 2011 SMB PC Magazine now

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive – Two Minute Review

Ok, so it is another hard drive. What is to review? How about interchangeable interface, USB 3.0 speeds and drive size. Read on to see how it performed.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

I did not need another drive but I found a great deal at Newegg and could not pass this beauty up.Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

It looks pretty even with the protective plastic still on.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

1.5 TB Drive Size

Does this case make me look fat? No, your platters make you look fat. It is about 22mm (.87 in) actually, as you can see compared to my USB 3.0 500GB Toshiba drive.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

GoFlex Cable Upgrades

The cable connector removes easily so you can change the interface. You can purchase different cable upgrades for between $14.99 and $24.99.

FireWire 800

eSATA

USB 2.0

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive STAA1500100

The drive is 1.36 TB after tax. Yummy.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

Seagate FreeAgent® GoFlex™ Ultra–portable Drive Benchmark with USB 3.0

The results are in and not too bad. Heck, my USB 3.0 500GB 5,400 Toshiba gets 70 Read and Write.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB USB 3.0

More information on the FreeAgent® GoFlex™ Ultra–portable Drive can be found at:

http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/external/external-hard-drive/portable-hard-drive

Conclusion

This drive performs great and is still small enough to carry around in your pocket. If you can pick one up for under $120 then I believe it is worth it for this wallet sized beauty. 1.5TB. Seriously.

Plextor Announce Launch of the Fastest M2S Series SSDs with SATA III 6Gb/s Interface

SSDs are becoming more popular, and Plextor have today announced the upcoming launch (due March) of the new fastest M2S Series SSDs with SATA III 6Gb/s Interface.

M2S-01M2S-05M2S-06

The M2S Series is the must-have small and portable device for tech-savvy home or business users who demand consistently high quality, unbeatable speeds, stability and a long product life through day to day use.

Key Features:

* One of the first SSDs to support SATA III 6Gb/s – read speed of up to 480MB/s

* 2.5” Internal SSD in three capacities: 64GB, 128GB and 256GB

* Features the world’s most advanced control chip for high performance

* Exclusive ‘Instant Restore Technology’ for stability

* Generous 128GB DDR3 cache to improve data transfer speeds

* Dynamic Wear Levelling system improves data allocation for longevity

* Latest Windows 7 TRIM command for data-wiping efficiency

* Bundled with Acronis True Image software for easy migration

* Unrivalled 3 year on-site warranty and service support

Pricing, Availability & Specifications:

The M2S will be launching in Europe and UK in March 2011. Further details including pricing on the M2S Series will be announced in March.

More Information Available from the Plextor Wesbite

Here is the full press release:

Plextor to launch the fastest M2S Series SSD with SATA III 6Gb/s Interface

February 7th, 2011 – Plextor are excited to reveal they will be launching their first solid state drive (SSD) in the UK next month – the world-class 2nd generation M2S Series.

Plextor has a deserved, solid reputation for high performance, high quality products, especially in the storage sector. This leap into the SSD sector in the UK and Europe is a new move for the ever-expanding manufacturer, and a demonstration of their continued position as pioneers in a market likely to grow rapidly in future years. SSDs are increasing in popularity as a complement alongside traditional HDDs and the technology may eventually replace the HDD entirely for the OS and working environment.

Available in 3 capacities (64GB, 128GB and 256GB), the perfectly engineered 2.5” internal M2S Series SSD is one of the first of its kind to support the new SATA III 6B/s interface and boasts exclusive technologies to increase speed, stability and lifespan – offering up to 10 years of performance which doesn’t degrade over time as other SSDs might. With read speeds of up to 480MB/s, write speeds of up to 330MB/s and performing significantly highly in benchmark tests, the M2S is currently the fastest SSD available on the market.

The M2S Series is the must-have device for tech-savvy home or business users who demand consistently high quality, unbeatable speeds, stability and a long product life through day to day use.

Key Features:

* One of the first SSDs to support SATA III 6Gb/s – read speed of up to 480MB/s

* 2.5” Internal SSD in three capacities: 64GB, 128GB and 256GB

* Features the world’s most advanced control chip for high performance

* Exclusive ‘Instant Restore Technology’ for stability

* Generous 128GB DDR3 cache to improve data transfer speeds

* Dynamic Wear Levelling system improves data allocation for longevity

* Latest Windows 7 TRIM command for data-wiping efficiency

* Bundled with Acronis True Image software for easy migration

* Unrivalled 3 year on-site warranty and service support

All-new SATA III 6Gb/s Interface for the fastest transfer & writing speeds possible:

With a sequential read speed of up to 480MB/s and a write speed of up to 330MB/s, the MT2 series is exceptionally fast and one of the first products in the market to feature the all-new SATA III 6Gb/s interface. This additionally supports the previous generations including SATA 3GB/s and SATA 1.5GB/s.

Featuring the world’s most advanced control chip for unrivalled performance:

The MT2 series is catapulted into leadership with the inclusion of the server-grade Marvell 88SS9174 control chip – currently the industry’s most advanced and also used in central processors. This pioneering technology gives the MS2 Series the edge, with the fastest read/write speeds, increased stability and an enhanced lifespan.

These benefits are increased further thanks to a generous 128MB DDR3 cache which serves as a temporary storage buffer. Its high speed interface reduces read/write times of the flash memory, particularly with data which is frequently modified, in order to transfer data faster and increase the SSD lifespan.

Exclusive ‘Instant Restore Technology’ for life-long high performance:

Traditionally, SSDs become ‘dirty’ after long periods of use (similar to HDDs becoming defragmented) and as such, suffer a loss in performance over time.

The unique ‘Instant Restore Technology’ developed by Plextor and integrated into the M2S Series is an intelligent solution to prevent this performance loss from occurring and provides unrivalled, long term stability.

The M2S boasts the latest Windows 7 TRIM command, providing more efficient methods of data-wiping, and a ‘Dynamic Wear Levelling’ system which writes data into blocks equally to provide a highly efficient data allocation process, reducing the number of memory wipe-outs.

Such forward-thinking design and technology enables the M2S Series to overcome the problems associated with long term use, maintaining a no-compromise level of performance throughout its use, offering a lifespan of up to 10 years.

No-fuss software to help migrate from HDD to SDD:

The M2S Series bundles Acronis True Image Software, making it quick, easy and fuss-free to migrate data from a traditional HDD to the MS2 Series SSD.

The process clones the entire partition/drive, ensuring no data is lost during the upgrade and even eliminating the need to re-install the operating system.

Exceptional warranty and service to offer complete peace of mind:

Plextor offers phone support across Europe in 11 languages with local phone numbers for users to dial, with additional email and website support.

Unlike many others of its kind, the M2S offers an added level of reassurance with the Plextor ‘Fast Warranty Service’ – a 3 year on-site warranty across the EU, Norway and Switzerland (1 year elsewhere), enabling users to arrange repairs of non-working products directly with Plextor – so users can feel secure in the knowledge that this must-have device is covered for longer, and avoid the hassle of returning goods to the retailer/third party.

Read/Write Performance

64GB  – Read up to 370MBps and Write up to 110MBps

128GB

– Read up to 420MBps and write up to 210MBps256GB

– Read up to 480MBps and write up to 330MBps

XBMC for the Apple iPad, iPhone and AppleTV2 Gets An Update

It’s only been a few weeks since XBMC (Xbox Media Center) was released for the Apple iPad, iPhone and AppleTV2, and today there is an update.

ATV2-small

Here is the update information:

As a result, we have been hard at work fixing bugs and adding missing features from the first release. So here it is, v2 of XBMC for your AppleTV2/iDevices.

Changelog:

  • GUI speedup
  • Webserver enabled
  • RTMP support
  • AC3/DTS Audio Dialogs
  • Rotating for the iPhone and iPad
  • Black and Dim screensavers working
  • Bluetooth Support
  • SMB shares with Windows Live Essentials should work.
  • Sleep timer works
  • Add-on updates now working
  • Decrypted ISO playback works
  • Thumbnail creation fixed

This question of 1080p display has come up very often, so here’s the answer: XBMC can decode 1080p video but for now the ATV2 is limited to display 720p output. Its still unknown whether this is a hardware or software restriction.

For more FAQ see this page.

Update Instructions:

AppleTV2: Connect via SSH in and run “apt-get update && apt-get install org.xbmc.xbmc-atv2′”

iOS: Upgrade through Cydia.

The XBMC developers are hard at work on non-apple related features as well, expect a post in the next day or two outline what else we’ve been doing.

And don’t forget to check out our installation walk-through for the Apple iPad and iPhone.

Windows Home Server 2011 AWIECO RemoteLauncher – Video Edition

AWIECO is the first company to release an Add-In for Windows Home Server 2011. I had a chance to install it over the weekend and it works great. This useful Add-In allows you to manage your WHS 2011 or SBS remotely by enabling more administrative functionality. Check out the short video and article to find out more!

AWIECO RemoteLauncher

The AWIECO RemoteLauncher Add-In for Windows Home Server 2011 is a great way to access applications on your server. The RemoteLauncher is a must have for anyone who manages their server.

AWIECO RemoteLauncher

AWIECO RemoteLauncher

AWIECO RemoteLauncher for Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Home Server 2011 is a great tool for accessing more applications on your server. With the RemoteLauncher Add-In you can access:

  • Explorer
  • Commandline
  • Task Manager
  • Event Viewer
  • Services
  • Control Panel
  • Computer Manager
  • Device Manager
  • Registry Editor
  • Server Manager
Download RemoteLauncher

If you need other tools and applications to run in the Dashboard, you can add them by right mouse clicking on the file.

AWIECO RemoteLauncher

As always, Add-Ins can be monitored and removed from the Add-Ins section of the Dashboard.

AWIECO RemoteLauncher

Windows Home Server 2011 AWIECO RemoteLauncher

Windows Home Server 2011 Release Candidate

You can download Windows Home Server 2011 at:

Download WHS 2011

Windows Home Server 2011

The installation of Windows Home Server 2011 has only a few basic requirements.

Windows Home Server 2011 is a 64-bit only operating system.

You can install the server software either manually or unattended.

System Requirements

  • 1.4 GHz x64 processor
  • 2 GB RAM
  • At least one 160 GB (or larger) hard drive
  • NTFS is the only supported file system

Supported networking configuration:

  1. Your server computer must be connected to a router via a network cable
  2. Windows Home Server works best with a UPnP certified device, but it is not required
  3. The router works best in the 192.168.x.x subnet, but it is not required

Try Windows Home Server 2011 and download from Connect today!

BYOB Episode 31 Out Now

2

The guys over at BYOB, including our very own Tim Daleo, have just released episode 31.

BYOB300

Here’s what they say about this weeks show:

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]Tim and Michael discuss TN vs. IPS Monitor technology and what it means to you. Tim weighs in on an HTPC build. Mike shares his SandyBridge setbacks. Michael gives his opinion on the new nVidia GTX560 Ti[/box]

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes(MP3).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast in the Zune Marketplace.