Testing A New VPS Provider - IPXcore

I was surfing the web today and I found, what I think, was a great deal. It was a VPS with 4 Virtual CPUs and around 300MB of RAM for just 1.75 a month at a host called IPXcore. So I thought, yea sure, why not. I purchased the package to give it a try.

I wish I could tell you more. The interface and management looked nice but I wasn't able to try the server out. The company's data center was having an outage just when I got this new VPS. Now this isn't IPXcore's fault as they don't have too much control over troubles in their data center but it was kind of annoying not being able to start using my new VPS. I had plans to get a debian LAMP server up and maybe a VPN as well.

One thing that was nice was the support. I was able to live chat with a techi about the issue. He was always there and gave quit, ENGLISH HUMAN responses within seconds. Also note that all of this was on a Sunday.

Ohh well, I don't mind too much. Hopefully they will get things fixed and I will be on my way setting up my new VPS. If not, it was just a buck seventy-five.

I'll update if once they come back and let you know what I think of their services. 

Want to give them a try? Click this link and use promotion code MTTechBlog to get 15% off every payment you make for their services!

Update 7/31/2012: Sorry I didn't update this earlier, I was too busy playing with my new VPS. First of all they had their problems sorted out at the data center by the end of that very same day and I've been using my VPS every since then. I like the thing so much that I even purchased a second one! I would HIGHLY recommend this company!

G.Skill Ares Review

A few weeks ago I came to realize that I needed some more RAM. 4 GB just wasn't enough to play some Battlefield 3 at the end of the day. So here the easy solution would be to just purchase some extra RAM for my tower and stop complaining. Well the actual solution was a little different. My Thermaltake Frio cooler covered the two DIMMs closest to the processor. I needed to find some RAM that would just fit under it. That is where the new G. Skill Ares came in to play.

I saw these mentioned on a blog somewhere so I hopped onto Newegg and ordered an 8GB orange kit. Installing them was simple, just like any other RAM. I just had to remove one of the fans on the heat sync temporarily while I installed the RAM. Once installed I had about half a centimeter of clearance!

Here are some pictures of the great stuff!

Once installed I had just a narrow gap between the top of the modules and the bottom of the Thermaltake fan. 

 Below is a screen shot form CPU-Z.

 Ohh and this little sticker made the deal all so much better!

Overall this stiff is great and my computer has been running wonderfully. If you want a little more in depth review of this new series of RAM check out the review on Overclock3D!

Thermaltake Frio Instalation - Temps & Review

For the past year I have been running the stock AMD Phenom x6 cooler and that thing was horrible. It was load under load and wouldn't do a great job keeping my rig cool. I would peak around 50C under full load with that old thing. Recently one of my friends went water cooled and he sold me his frio. Now that I have it installed I was able to overclock and still achieve lower temps on full load than I did with the stock cooler.

Find your lost, stolen, or misplaced phone! - Find My Phone

Have you ever lost your phone? I have. It happens. With this neat app I just installed from the Android app store you can send your lost cell phone a text message and it will automatically respond with its location and a link to a relative location in Google Maps.

MSI 870A-G55 Gaming Series Motherboard Review

My new computer had this great motherboard inside of it. So far I have had no problems with it. It provides fast speeds, easy overclocking, and some neat features. The board was also not very expensive. I only spent about $90 at Newegg and it also had a rebate but I didn't want to go and star ripping the UPC off of the box.

LG Optimus V - Pre-Paid Virgin Mobile Android Smartphone Review

LG Optimus V

I recently purchased the Virgin Mobile LG Optimus V Android Smart phone. Overall I am enjoying it very much. It's a good solid smart phone. Especially considering that it's a pre-paid phone. I am under the age of 18 which means that I can not get a contract phone. Yes I know I could ask my parents but this is just easier and simpler for all of us.

 
So this phone is running Android 2.2 which, as my first Android device, is AMAZING! I have only owned it for about a week and I already know that it's a much better platform then iOS on my iPod Touch. It just has more customization. Also, it's Google, so you know it's good.

7-ZIP The Best Open Source Archive Manager!

Today I bring to you 7-Zip! I recently, about a month ago, started to use 7-Zip as my archive manager. I am always downloading ".RAR" ".ZIP" ".GZ" ".TAR" ".ETC" and I use to have a program for just about each of those. Now I use 7-Zip. It allows me to manage all of those different types of file archives from one piece of software.

What's interesting about 7-Zip is that it doesn't really have a GUI or a program launcher. It has a file manager but that isn't very effective. What it does have is a right click or shell menu. I can right click on anything and send it to an archive! I love it!

So if you need a good free open source archive manager I would recommended that you take a look into 7-Zip! If you want to grab a copy right now you can use the links below!

Download 7-ZIP

• 7-ZIP 32bit (Mirror)
• 7-ZIP 64bit (Mirror)

Review of the AMD Phenom II x6 1055T 2.86GHz

Today I have a hex-core 2.86 GHz CPU review from AMD. I recently bought this for my new computer build. The chip has six real cores built into it which in turn gives me a lot of power. I am currently using the stock heat sink and to be honest, it cools but its way to loud. I never have temperatures above 42*C on full load with Prime95. The only problem is that on full load the CPU fan runs extremely hot. I believe that eventually I will have to get another heat sink.

AMD Phenom II x6 1055T 2.86GHz

Now I have a few friends that were able to get an entire 1GHz over clock with this chip, but obviously they had a better heat sink.

Pros

• Fast and Powerful.
• Fairly prices. I bought mine off of Newegg for about $175.
• Runs cool.
• Can be over clocked.

Cons

• Loud stock heat sync.

In conclusion it's a solid processor. I enjoy having all of the power under the hood. Even though I seldom have to run all the cores at full load unless I am rendering video, I still like having some overhead.

Star Trek: The Next Generation; Thine Own Self - Episode Review & Summery

So the other day I watched the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Thine Own Self." This was actually a good episode, most likely because it featured data as the main character though-out the story. Diana Troi, Enterprise counselor, is also battling her way to try to become promoted to Commander. She must pass her Bridge Offers Test in order to become promoted. As she is testing she goes though a test on the holodeck that she continues to fail. The test is one of engineering. There was no way she could solve the problem and save the enterprise unless she ordered Jordi to find a conduit although it was an order to death due to a radiation leak.

Aside from all of this commotion with "Commander Troi" the main conflict in the episode is with Data. He had gone in a shuttle craft to clean up the remains of a small ship that is now releasing radiation. In his efforts to clean up the mess and recover the parts he is some how damaged and crashes on a stranded planet with a pre-industrial society. He also suffers a memory loss.

Data examining a pendent that was made from the metal that he brought down to the planet along with him.

Data greets the people of the town with an unknown object in his hands. The towns people and Data are curious as to what could be inside so they open it up and to their surprise it was some metal. So the blacksmith of the town buys it off of Data and he create some fine jewelry out of it. So the metal gets spread around this town.

People begin to feel sick in the town. Data attempts to figure out what is causing the outbreaks of illness. The only problem is that the towns people believe that it is Data himself that has brought the plague.

Data soon discovers that their were particles emitting from the metal that he had brought with him. He soon develops a cure for the, later to be found out, radiation poising. He was able to dump some of it into the towns water well so they would all be cured but the towns people thought that he was doing something bad. One of them stabs Data rendering Data immobile and severely damaged. Days later Will and Beverly transport down and find that Data has been buried. He is beamed back aboard the Enterprise and repaired.

Overall it was a great episode. I myself enjoy the episodes that involve Data as he is my favorite character! Hopefully you enjoyed my summary and review of this episode! Subscribe (Use subscription box in right column at the top of the page) to my blog to receive updates when I write more reviews on Star Trek: The Next Generation!