PCRides launches Dodge Charger SRT8 desktop computer

It would be understandable, should you be lucky enough to occupy your driveway with a Dodge Charger SRT8, that the car would occupy your thoughts more often than something more bland. For high-style computing, many turn to the folks at Apple, but that's just one design direction. PC Rides has an altogether different number cruncher for those of you with a browsing history full of automotive websites.


No, it doesn't have a Hemi, but the PC Rides Charger SRT8 computer uses an Intel Core2Duo processor packed inside a unique form factor. The front bumper hides the tray for the optical drive, and out back are all the gozintas and gosoutas, which cover most bases with DVI, HDMI, six USB ports, audio, network, and VGA.


As you'd hope, appropriate SRT colors are available – no beige box here – and prices range from $1850 to $2495, depending on the level of performance you desire. The headlights fire up when the computer is on, and when the hard drive is moving data, the taillights flash, which might get annoying fast.


Call it silly, but since it's an official Dodge licensed product, Chrysler calls it cash flow. Head on over to PC Rides to check out all the details, or check out the company's Facebook page instead. Gallery below, official press release posted after the jump.

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Disable the log-on screen in Windows XP and Vista

My previous post described how to add information to and otherwise customize Windows' Welcome screen. But maybe you just want to get your PC going without having to log into an account. You can bypass Windows' log-on screen by changing settings in the Windows Registry, as described in a tutorial on the Computer Performance site, but I find it much simpler to use a free Windows-tweaking utility to do the same thing.

The program I used to customize the Windows Welcome screen—TweakNow PowerPack 2009—is the same tool I used to disable the log-on screen on my Vista laptop. Click Windows Secret in the utility's left pane and choose User Accounts. Click "Enable auto log-on," select the account you want to log into automatically, enter the account's password and domain name (if necessary), and click Save. The next time you start the PC, Windows will start and open that account automatically.


Set Windows to start logged into a specific account—without having to enter a password—via this setting in TweakNow PowerPack 2009.
(Credit: TweakNow)

TweakNow PowerPack 2009 works with XP, Vista, and Windows 7, but I tested it only with Vista. I didn't need to download the program to my XP test machine because that system already has Tweak UI, Microsoft's free XP-reconfiguration utility that lacks a Vista version.

To set XP to start a specific account without requiring a log-on, open Tweak UI and click Logon > Autologon in the left pane, check "Log on automatically at system startup" in the right window, enter the account's user name and domain (if necessary), and click the Set Password button.


The free Tweak UI utility makes it easy to start Windows without having to log into an account.
(Credit: Microsoft)

In the Set Autologon Password dialog box, enter the account's password in each of the two text boxes and click OK.

Add the account's password twice and click OK to
start Windows without having to log in.

Why bypassing the Windows log-on is dangerous
Setting Windows to open an administrator account automatically is risky, period. Even starting a standard account without requiring a password is dangerous, though less so. There are many very good reasons why Windows accounts are password-protected, and far fewer good reasons for doing without passwords.

That's why I recommend against allowing automatic log-ons in general. But far be it from me to tell you how to use your PC, so if you want to save a few seconds each time you start your system—and you're not worried about somebody doing serious mischief after gaining easy access to your account—it's okay by me.

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Five new Alienware PCs invade the gaming market with aggressive looks and specs

Demanding PC gamers could soon see their wildest dreams come true with the five new Alienware gaming rigs — a laptop and four desktop PCs — recently presented by Dell. From overclocked, liquid-cooled Intel Core i7 processors to the latest-generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics, these machines combine the very best of the industry for blazing fast performance and an unprecedented gaming experience.

The devices were jointly developed by Alienware and its parent company Dell, and feature aggressive design and great customization possibilities, which means that users will be able to find the right settings to accommodate nearly any budget.


Alienware M15x laptop

The Alienware M15x is the M17x's younger brother and was described by Dell as the most powerful 15-inch gaming laptop ever built. It is indeed quite an impressive machine: in its standard configuration it features an Intel mobile Core i7 720QM processor, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M GPU, 3GB DDR3 @ 1.066 GHz, personalized plaque and real "badass" looks for USD$1,499.

However, the M15x also offers a myriad of configuration options including, among other things, 8BG RAM, a 256GB solid state drive, a 9-cell Li-ion battery for greater autonomy, dual layer Blu-ray burner, a 15.6-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 WLED display (the standard option being a "mere" 1600x900 WLED), and an even faster i7 920XM processor.

When those accessories are added to the package the price quickly skyrockets to USD$4,449 which — needless to say — is more than the average gamer can afford. But the standard configuration is arguably more than enough to satisfy performance-hungry gamers which, of all the additions listed above, will probably find the USD$100 9-cell battery upgrade (the default choice for the M17x) the most useful.


One last thing of note is the M15x's Stealth Mode, which can be turned on by pressing a simple button located directly above the keyboard and reduces CPU and GPU output to achieve a 65W power limit for decreased noise and improved battery life.


The Alienware desktop lineup

If performance-to-cost ratio is what you're looking for, the obvious choice is to opt for a desktop computer. Dell knows this very well and decided to develop not one, but four high-performance, liquid-cooled and overclocked desktop PCs aimed at extremely demanding gamers, professional video editors and 3D animators.

The Aurora and its "big brother" Aurora ALX are again high-performance, highly configurable machines featuring the latest Intel Core i7 processor. Optional features include an Extreme Edition i7 processor overclocked to 3.6GHz, up to 24GB DDR3 @ 1.33GHz memory or 12GB DDR3 @ 1.6GHz memory for a price tag starting at USD$1,299.

Finally, the Area-51 and Area-51 ALX represent the very best of the gamut and are designed for extremely powerful performance. The Intel Core i7 was overclocked to 3.86GHz, while the package includes the quad-GPU dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 graphic card, up to 24GB of memory, and six hard drive bays that support 7,200 and 10,000RPM drives for prices beginning at USD$1,999.

Full specifications for the M15x and the Auroras can be found on Alienware's website, where they can already be ordered, while order forms and complete specs for the Area-51 will become available over the course of the next few weeks.

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Innespace's Seabreacher: cross between a dolphin and a PWC

Gizmag covered this amazing dolphin-like watercraft almost three years ago. At that stage, the Seabreacher - a unique submersible vessel - was just a prototype. Now, you can own your own, make like Flipper, and dive, roll and jump while staying warm and dry in the comfort of the sealed cockpit. Oh, that is, if you have a cool USD$50,000 burning a hole in your wallet.


The two-seater Seabreacher can reach cruising speeds of 40mph and underwater speeds of 20mph and can dive to approximately 5ft for brief periods. However, the vessel mostly needs to stay a few feet below the surface in order for the snorkel to stay above water. If you happen to go too deep, the engine will lose power and, due to its buoyancy, the vessel will return to the surface. There is also the chance that it will pop up backwards if you have attempted to dive too deeply and too steeply.


Designed to be operated both in fresh and salt water, the Seabreacher can be launched easily from a conventional boat ramp using a custom-built trailer.

If you tend to be a little claustrophobic, the vessel can be operated with the canopy opened and still maintain full speed above the water. Otherwise, you can be secure in the knowledge that the cockpit and engine area are kept completely watertight due to the pneumatic aircraft seals that are inflated by the pilot. If any water happens to enter, it is automatically pumped out by bilge pumps.

The Seabreacher was designed by Innespace, a California-based watercraft design company.


“After over ten years of prototyping, we have really developed a design that is very intuitive to drive, safe, and easy to service,” said company co-owner and designer Rob Innes. “We want our customers, many of whom live overseas, to feel comfortable purchasing our vessels.”


Innespace is currently selling custom-built Seabreachers with prices starting at USD$48,000. A more expensive customized version could include a tinted canopy, underwater viewports, electronics and instrumentation package and customized upholstery and will set you back approximately USD$68,000. You will also need to add from USD$3,000-$6,000 for shipping costs.

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THE IDIOT TEST GAME

THE IDIOT TEST GAME DESCRIPTION

How smart are you? More importantly, how dumb are your friends? Take the super-scientific Idiot Test and find out once and for all!

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A guy weighed 630 lbs Incredibly slimming down

A guy weighed 630 lbs and that’s what he has become. He lost a whopping 29 stone and had more than 30lbs of excess skin removed. To do it he had to do a lot of exercises. For this you should have a strong will.


His fitness instructor Chris Powell says “At the start of the training program, David was so fat that he had to be weighed at a local garage on scales normally used for cars and trucks.”

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Get It Up, Your Heart Rate, That Is: Hill Repeats

Love it or avoid it, running hills is simply great conditioning. After exerting yourself to climb hills, running in the flats will feel easy. Once you begin tackling hills, they will be less intimidating.Find a hill in your area, and use map my run to figure out the percentage of the grade by clicking on the "show elevation" button. Find a hill with a medium grade of about five to six percent.


* Warm up at an easy jog for five minutes, then pick up the pace and keep running for five more. Use this time to wend your way to your designated hill.
* Maintain your comfortable running pace, and climb the hill for 30 seconds. Slowly jog or walk to starting point and repeat four more times. On the last two reps, pick up your pace for the last 15 seconds.
* Now run uphill, maintaining your moderate running pace for three 60-second runs. Slowly jog or walk back to your starting point.
* Run fast for 15 seconds uphill twice, slowly jogging or walking to return to your starting point.
* Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

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Serpentine Pavilion 2009 : Architecture Information + Images

Describing the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion structure SANAA architects said: ‘The Pavilion is floating aluminium, drifting freely between the trees like smoke. The reflective canopy undulates across the site, expanding the park and sky. Its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings.


It works as a field of activity with no walls, allowing uninterrupted view across the park and encouraging access from all sides. It is a sheltered extension of the park where people can read, relax and enjoy lovely summer days.’


Sejima and Nishizawa have created a stunning Pavilion that resembles a reflective cloud or a floating pool of water, sitting atop a series of delicate columns. The metal roof structure varies in height, wrapping itself around the trees in the park, reaching up towards the sky and sweeping down almost to the ground in various places.


Open and ephemeral in structure, its reflective materials make it sit seamlessly within the natural environment, reflecting both the park and sky around it.
The Serpentine Pavilion will be SANAA Architects’ first built structure in the UK and the ninth commission in the Gallery’s annual series of Pavilions, the world’s first and most ambitious architectural programme of its kind that annually gives preeminent architects their debut in this country and brings the best of contemporary architecture to London for everyone to enjoy.

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