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Boost Your PCs Performance With A RAM Upgrade
Popular Mechanics — PUSH THE LIMITS: When it comes to memory, more is more. Install as much as your machine can accept. A brand-spanking-new turbocharged musclecar of a computer can set you back thousands of dollars. For some users, getting the fastest processor, ...More…
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Wish List 2006 (Dec. 2005 Upgrade Column)
Popular Mechanics — It scratches easily and it has less capacity than the 6GB iPod Mini that it replaces, but we can't help ourselves: We love the At the crossroads of affordability and superior quality lives the Believe it or not, some rooms don't need a ...More…
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Upgrade Wish List: Sonic Boon
Popular Mechanics — According to Creative, its is a digital audio miracle worker, restoring MP3s (which lose data during compression) to better-than-studio-quality sound and delivering rich surround sound for movies. Essentially an external sound card, the Xmod ...More…
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Upgrade Wish List: Media Matchup
Popular Mechanics — Display The Zune's 3-in. screen is tiny-but bigger than the iPod's. We appreciate being able to use photos as wallpaper, and the ability to switch from portrait to landscape modes. Content You can send photos and songs wirelessly from one Zune to ...More…
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Upgrade Wish List: Scanner-Proof Wallet
Popular Mechanics — Is anyone paranoid enough to use a which prevents contactless cards from being scanned by accident, or by hackers? Actually, we are, after discovering how easy it is to pull data from the radio frequency identification (RFID) chips on cards. ...More…
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Upgrade Test Drive: Flying the Familiar Skies
Popular Mechanics — The computer-generated view from an ultralight isn't as exhilarating as the real thing, but seeing this 582SL kite wing in a simulator (below) at all is impressive. For many, the allure of ($70), Microsoft's latest edition of the seminal PC game . ...More…
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Toy Mini Helicopter: Upgrade Wish List
Popular Mechanics — The Micro Mosquito Mini Helicopter ($70) is the smallest (6.5 in. long), lightest (0.7 ounce) radio-controlled chopper you can buy. Meant for indoor use, it's perfect for terrorizing pets and houseguests. It's surprisingly sturdy which is good. ...More…
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Upgrade: Is Lithium-Ion Safe?
Popular Mechanics — RECALLS Here's a breakdown of notebook battery recalls since May 2005, both in the United States and abroad (CPSC estimates). Overall Total 9.7 mil. Since Sony released the first commercial rechargeable lithium-ion (li-ion) battery in 1990, the ...More…
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Mountain Hardwear Ardica Jackets
Popular Mechanics — This line of jackets uses a built-in, wall-chargeable battery pack that infuses the jacket with heat. We've seen heated jackets before, but this one is more than a wearable electric blanket-it packs enough power in its lithium-ion battery to ...More…
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Sleek Audio Wireless Headphones Test
Popular Mechanics — A music-player-docked wireless transmitter (1) broadcasts to a wireless receiver (2), which plugs directly into the headphones (3). We're skeptical of wireless headphones-whatever they add in convenience is usually offset by a loss of sound ...More…
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Old Kindle vs. New Kindle 2: Side-by-Side Comparison
Popular Mechanics — Yes, but it sounds like a "GPS voice", as Stephen King said at the media event. 6-in diagonal E-Ink screen. 600x800 resolution with 16 shades of gray. Touts "20% faster page turns." 6-in diagonal E-Ink screen. 600x800 resolution with 4 ...More…