OCZ's DIY gaming laptop now available

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/306246481/

Filed under: Laptops

OCZ wasn't exactly forthcoming about pricing or release details when it announced its DIY gaming laptop last month, but it looks like those intrigued by the idea of (partly) building their own system can now get their hands on one courtesy of Buy.com, which is offering up the barebones system for $670 (after a $50 rebate). That'll get you the base 15.4-inch laptop complete with an Intel PM965 chipset, a 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics card and a DVD burner, but you'll have to supply your own processor (any Core 2 Duo is supported), memory (up to 4GB of DDR2-667), and hard drive, not to mention an OS and other "options" like WiFi or Bluetooth.

[Via Laptoping]

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Philips debuts 22-inch auto-stereoscopic 3D monitor

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/306282461/

Filed under: Displays

Philips only just took the wraps off its 52-inch 3D display, but it looks like it's not stopping there, as it's now also showing off a new 22-inch model for those that prefer something a little more desk-friendly. This one boasts the same WOWvx "2D-plus-Depth" technology that its larger counterpart uses, but takes the resolution down to 1680 x 1050, and the contrast and brightness down to 1,000:1 and 300cd/m2, with a 5ms response time rounding out the basic specs. No word on the port situation just yet, nor is there any word of a price, but you can apparently look for this one to be available commercially sometime in the fourth quarter of this year.

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Gmail Right Click Menu Speeds Up Navigation [Featured Greasemonkey User Script]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/304903206/gmail-right-click-menu-speeds-up-navigation

Firefox with Greasemonkey: The Gmail Right Click Menu adds a custom right-click menu to your Gmail inbox to take you to common Gmail navigation points. Currently that includes most of the links in the default Gmail sidebar, like your inbox, starred email, and drafts, along with a quick compose link. The script is still very new, but the developer has plans to incorporate labels and keyboard shortcuts, making this one very cool and promising script. Gmail Right Click Menu is free, requires Firefox with Greasemonkey.

Greasemonkey Script for Right Click Menu in Gmail [Room 117]

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Wikia Search Offers User-Edited Results [Search Engines]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/305332860/wikia-search-offers-user+edited-results

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is trying out the technique that succeeded in putting together an online encyclopedia—opening it up so that anyone can edit it—to improving search results. Wales' user-edited search engine Wikia Search is now out of alpha and open to the public for edits. Search for a term on Wikia Search and rate the results to change their ranking, edit link titles and descriptions, and add links to results. To see what's perhaps Wikia Search's best feature, click the Annotate link. This lets you select a section of text on the web page to clip and add to the result.

For example, in a search for "Lifehacker," the Lifehacker Wikipedia page came up first and the actual web site second, so ranking Lifehacker.com high moved it up to the first position. Then clicking annotate (which loaded the Lifehacker.com front page in a separate frame), and selecting "Tech tricks, tips and downloads for getting things done" added that text to the result itself. The obvious problem here is the very real possibility of spammers and evil SEO-types running amok. Only time will tell if the Wikipedia approach will actually make for better or worse search results.

Wikia Search [via PC World]

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Five Best Antivirus Applications [Hive Five]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/305424126/five-best-antivirus-applications

The internet is a glorious and exciting world, but unless you're properly protected with a good antivirus application, it can also be a dangerous one. We've come a long way since the days of Norton, with handfuls of excellent freeware software that can keep your computer safe from malware just as well as their bloated, more expensive counterparts. On Tuesday we asked you to share your favorite antivirus application, and today we're rounding up the five most popular answers. Hit the jump for an overview of the five best antivirus applications and to cast your ballot for the best antivirus app of the group.

AVG Anti-Virus (Freeware and Shareware)

The lightweight AVG Free provides protection against the various nasties floating around the internet. Like many of the options in the Hive Five, AVG provides freeware (with limitations) and commercial versions of their software, but most users find AVG Free is all they need—though many users prefer versions prior to the most recent 8.0 release.

NOD32 (Shareware)

NOD32 is best known for its speed and small system footprint, but users also swear by NOD32 as a comprehensive and bulletproof solution. At $40/year for a home license, it's not free, but NOD32 die-hards claim the pricetag is well worth it.

Avast Antivirus (Freeware and Shareware)

Available in both freeware (Home) and shareware (Professional) flavors, Avast Antivirus is the happy home of many an AVG-switcher. Avast is slightly heavier on system resources, but users argue its excellent protection more than makes up for the increased footprint. The freeware version will cost you an email address to get a free registration code from their website.

Avira AntiVir (Freeware and Shareware)

According to many of its users, Avira is the go-to freeware app for detecting viruses and other malware that other antivirus apps miss. Like several of its peers, Avira is available in both freeware (Personal) and shareware (Premium) versions, and most people find the freeware alternative plenty to suit their needs. One downside to Avira on install is pop-up ads enabled by default (adware, anyone?), but you can disable the ads with a couple of clicks.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus (Shareware)

Fans of shareware antivirus app Kaspersky point out its consistently strong ratings in malware protection as well worth the $60 license. Kaspersky also boasts an extremely quick response time to new viruses, earning it a special place in the hearts and system trays of its users.

Now that you've seen the best, it's time to vote:

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

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This week's honorable mention goes out to ClamWin, the only open-source option featured in the bunch.

If you've got more to share, whether your antivirus-app of choice made the list or not, let's hear more about your favorite in the comments. If you give a new antivirus app after reading through some of your other options, you may want to check out the harmless EICAR virus test to see what your new antivirus tool looks like when it catches a new virus.

Adam Pash is a senior editor for Lifehacker who loves a good antivirus app. His special feature Hive Five appears every Thursday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Hive Five RSS feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

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