The Acer Predator is hot, in more ways than one

The Acer Predator desktop is probably one of the most recognizable PCs in the market. With a sliding front panel and striking design, it is the gaming machine for keyboard warriors who engages in virtual warfare.

But a couple of users have toyed with danger in the real sense. According to a report by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, two models of the Acer Predator, the ASG7200 and ASG7700, short-circuited, which resulted in internal and external damage. Apparently, this may potentially occur with 215 units sold between May and December 2008. The commission did not mention where the incidents occurred, except that the incidents did not occur on US soil.

As this recall also affects units in Asia, check out the article on Acer's support site for more information on how to keep your Predator from melting.

A zap a day keeps your keyboard germ-free

Here's what the doctor would prescribe for a sick keyboard: The Vioguard Keyboard. Though not cheap at US$499 to US$599 when it rolls out later this year, this contraption may be worth looking into if you consider the fact that the keyboard may have even more germs than a toilet seat.

Setting that image aside, the Vioguard system is an idiot-proof one-button process. Once initiated, a motorized drawer will retract the keyboard into an enclosure and put it through a bath of germicidal ultraviolet light. That's some powerful medicine. Now if only this'll zap our hands clean of bacteria at the same time.
Read more »

Google Street View arrives in UK, Netherlands

Google has brought its driver's-eye view of the world to more parts of Europe, releasing Street View imagery for the UK and the Netherlands.

As with the United States and other countries that have Street View, not all areas are photographed, but major cities have some coverage. Google Blogoscoped had this list of cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Southampton, and York in England; Belfast in Northern Ireland; Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland; and Cardiff and Swansea in Wales.

For the virtual tourist, Google Maps Mania has a nice gallery of images, too.

Via CNET's Webware blog and the unofficial Google Operating System blog.

Look through Microsoft's Telescope online

Last year, Microsoft introduced its answer to Google Earth's Sky mode, Stellarium, and other celestial mapping programs with WorldWide Telescope, and it's now making it available via any browser that's been bolstered by Silverlight. The basic features of the downloadable program have been ported to the Web, though some of the higher-end renderings didn't make the cut.

As in the desktop version, users can whip around the galaxy using their mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in and out, and hold down the left mouse button to drag the sky from one position to another.
Read more »

Acer Predator desktops recalled for overheating problem

Two owners of Acer Predator gaming PCs reported recently that the desktops got so hot the external casing melted. Accordingly, Acer issued a voluntary recall Thursday.

The recall affects approximately 215 Predator desktops sold by Acer between May and December 2008, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

There have been at least two reported incidents of the PCs short-circuiting, causing both internal components and the exterior casing to melt. Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result, according to Acer.

Acer says the problem is caused by the insulation on the PCs' internal wiring, which can "become bent or stripped," leading the wires to overheat.

Anyone who bought one of these Predators during the period listed above can call Acer for a free repair. See the CPSC Web site for more details.

Via CNET Crave

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