A free bonus package has been released by Store Stacker Plus, which adds a LOT of value. If you are buying Store Stacker, it looks like there is nothing to lose by heading over to Store Stacker Plus - where if you buy Store Stacker via them they will give you loads of free bonuses to make sure you make the most of Store Stacker.

They include a MaxBook from £668, iPod nanos for £92, iPod shuffles from £41, iPod classics from £148, and lots of other great savings

Acer Aspire 5720

Acer Aspire 5720 Review

Here are the specifications for the Acer Aspire 5720:

• Processor: Intel Pentium dual-core processor T2310 1.4GHz
• Memory:2GB
• HD Capacity: 80 Gb
• Display: 15.4″
• Graphics Card: Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
• Operating System: Vista Home Premium
• Optical Drive: DVD Super-Multi
• Networking: GLAN, WiFi
• Size (WxDxH): 366 (W) x 274 (D) x 33.6/42.6 (H) mm
• Weight: 2.8kg
• Full Specifications:
• Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
• Chipset: Mobile Intel GL960 Express Chipset
• CPU Section:
• Microprocessor Full Name:Intel Pentium dual-core processor T2310
• Microprocessor Manufacturer:Intel
• Microprocessor Speed (GHz):1.46
• L2 Cache (KB):1Mb
• Frontside Bus (MHz):533
• Memory:
• Memory Speed (MHz):667
• Memory Type:DDR2
• Memory Size (MB):2048 Mb
• Max Memory Size:2Gb
• Hard Disk Drive:
• Hard Drive Capacity (GB):80 Gb
• Hard Drive Type:S-ATA
• Optical Drive:
• Optical Drive Type:8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive
• Optical Drive Fitting:Built In
• Optical Drive Speed Read:24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-ROM DL (double-layer), 6X DVD-R DL (double-layer), 6X DVD+R DL (double-layer), 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM
• Optical Drive Speed Write:24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R DL (double-layer), 4X DVD+R DL (double-layer), 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM
• Display:
• Display Type:Acer Crystalbrite
• Diagonal Size (in):15.4″
• Resolution Format:1280 x 800
• Resolution Type:WXGA
• Graphics:
• Graphic Card Full Name:Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
• Memory:Upto 358MB
• Interfaces:
• 4 Pin i.LINK (IEEE1394), 400 Mbps:YES
• DC in:YES
• Card reader:5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)
• Audio out:YES
• Audio out Type:Headphone/speaker/line-out jack
• Microphone Jack:YES
• RJ-11 Direct Port (Modem):YES
• RJ-45 Direct Port (Network):YES
• USB Port (quantity):4
• VGA Connector for Monitor:YES
• Express Card Slot:YES
• Express Card Type:ExpressCard/54
• Battery:
• Battery Type:53.3 W 4800 mAh Li-ion battery pack (6-cell) - 2 hour battery life
• Connectivity
• Built-in Modem: YES, 56K ITU V.92 with PTT approval8, Wake-on-Ring ready
• Integrated Wireless LAN:YES, InviLink 802.11b/g
• Ethernet network:Gigabit Ethernet, Wake-on-LAN ready
• Multimedia:
• Intel High Definition Audio compatible:YES
• Built-in Stereo Speakers:YES
• 3D Surround:Dolby Digital Live
• Windows Sound System Compatible:YES
• Features:
• Special Buttons:Easy Launch Buttons: WLAN, Internet, Email, Acer Arcade, Empowering Key, Volume Wheel
• Supplied Accessories
• AC Adaptor:Yes
• Battery:Yes
• Power Cord:Yes

Click here to continue

Acer have brought out the Acer Aspire 5920G, a Core 2 Duo based glossy black with white interior sleek laptop. This laptop is based on the very popular 5920 series of laptops, but has nice extras such as a HD DVD drive and a very nice (for a laptop) 256mb nvidia geforce 8600M graphics card. The Acer 5920G is marketed as “probably the best home users laptop currently available” and it does certainly have very good specs. So lets take a look at it.

The Acer Aspire 5920G is very pretty. It has all the basic things you would expect to find on a modern laptop. 15.4″ display, 5-in-1 card reader, 56k modem and RJ45 ports, 4 USB ports, VGA output, 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N wifi, and what they call “Intel High Definition Audio”.

Cheapest place to get it from in the UK? Buy it from Play.com.

Click read more to find out more.

The first thing to do when trying to get rid of the unwanted excess kilograms is to take a look at your diet. This is the first step on your journey. Are you relying heavily on chips, soda and fast food to make it through the day? Are you eating enough vegetables and fruits? While hamburgers, fries and soda is a tasty and satisfying combination, it is also a deadly proposition to your health. If you want to stay fit, you must quit eating high-powered food that provides too much energy.

Your body doesn’t like to waste things it can use later on and energy is one of the most important things that can be stored. Eating hamburgers and chips while leading a largely sedentary lifestyle gives your body much more energy than it normally uses. This energy is not thrown away, but converted to fat and put into storage. Therefore, you must cut down on this type of food and turn to the humbler fruits and vegetables to keep hunger in check without putting your health at risk.

The second part of the system is exercising. While a sound diet makes sure your body doesn’t get more energy than it needs, exercising is here to help use up energy already stored. Taking brisk walks after meals is OK, exercising half an hour per day is good, going to a gym for an hour or so five days a week is perfect. There’s no need to starve or exhaust yourself. Diet and exercising can be fun with a bit of thinking and a positive attitude.

20 Food - further weight loss tips

by Michael Messner

The one problem that most single men have is, they never have a well stocked pantry. This can cause major problems. If you don’t have a stocked pantry, you are more likely to fill up on snack food or even worse, fast food. You need to make sure that you have a well stocked pantry so that you can cook healthy meals without much effort. Don’t know what kinds of things that you should always have on hand? Well, no need to worry about it anymore. We will give you a list of 20 items that are must haves for you pantry.

1. Water his might sound silly, but always have some cold water on hand. Get yourself a pitcher or something that you can keep water in the ice box.

2. Milk.  You should always have some low fat milk on hand. Cereal in the morning is a great way to get a good easy meal.

3. Fruit. Always have some fruit on hand. It is great for snacking. You can eat fruit and instead of potato chips.

4. Carrots.  These are great for snacking. Just add some low fat dip and you have a snack that will rival any deep fried snacks.

5. Peanut butter.  This is a great way to get some protein without having to worry about the fat. Use it on your toast for breakfast instead of butter.

6. Eggs. You need these for baking and other specialties. Also they are great for a protein filled breakfast.

7. Yogurt.  This is great for hot summer days. You can make tons of drinks out of this. Also, it is great with chicken. You should learn a bit about Indian cooking for more ways to use yogurt. Indians love yogurt and eat it often.

8. Butter.  You shouldn’t suck on butter like you do a lollipop. But, butter is a must for baked goods. Also, fried eggs taste great cooked in butter.

9. Lemons.  These are a must if you eat a lot of seafood. Also, a cold glass of lemonade is great after a hard days work.

10. Mayo.  Don’t use this stuff every day. But, you do need to use some if you make tuna or chicken salad. It can also be great on low fat cuts of chicken and such. It is good on items that are dry. Make sure to buy the low fat kind and to use as little as possible.

11. Mustard. I like to use this instead of mayo on sandwiches. It is a great way to knock out the fat.

12. Cheese.  This is a must have. Don’t eat too much of it. But, cheese is the beauty of life. It can make a dull dish come alive.

13. Drinks.  Always have some drinks on hand. Have some fruit juice, beer and sodas in the ice box. Don’t go over board with them, but have a beer from time to time as a treat.

14. Fresh ginger.  This will keep for a long time in your ice box. Don’t cover it or anything like that. Keep it whole in your ice box for best keeping.

15. Bread. You should always have some bread on hand. Don’t go hog wild here on the carbs. A good sandwich is great from time to time. I would suggest that you find a local bakery and buy your bread there. Don’t buy that awful white stuff that has been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long.

16. Canned veggies and fruits.  When in a pinch, canned is better than none at all. Even though I suggest that you always eat fresh fruits and veggies, you should have some canned ones on hand. How do you know when you will have a craving for corn and not have any fresh on hand? Canned food can last a very long time, so you don’t have to eat it right away.

17. Pasta.  Want a meal in a minute? Pasta is the way to go. It cooks quickly and easily.

18. Rice. Same as pasta.

19. Spices and herbs.  Always keep some of these on hand. Go to a place where you can buy them in bulk. Don’t buy those little containers in the store. Not only are they too expensive, but you don’t know how long they have been sitting there. When you buy from a place that sells bulk, you know that you will be getting fresh items.

20. Cereal.  Great for that last minute breakfast. Have some of this on hand so you don’t have to wait in line at the fast food joint to get your heart attack on a muffin.

Title: Things to avoid when trying to lose weight

Dieting is not always easy. In fact, it can prove a tough challenge for many people. So here’s a little guide to avoiding things that could make you lose control and start eating. Avoid them like plague if you wish to succeed.

1. Don’t rush into the toughest diet you can find.
This is a common mistake. Many people decide in a moment of desperation to follow a super-strict diet and fail. Don’t rush into a diet that may be too strict for you. If you don’t have any dieting experience and are not 100 percent sure you can stick with the diet, then choose something else.

2. Don’t lose touch with reality.
You can’t realistically expect things to happen over night. When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go far. If you hear someone saying that he lost a large number of pounds in a short time, don’t make it your goal to match his performance. Diet results are different from one person to another.

3. Don’t go to the gym too often
Another common mistake is to use the enthusiasm of the first days to hit the gym every day. This won’t help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscle mass after each training session and going to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. Besides, a week of non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of couch potato lifestyle.

4. Don’t get hard on calories.
We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the building blocks of all diets, but you have to be careful about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good way to lose weight.

5. Don’t skip meals.
Some people think that skipping one or two meals could help them lose weight faster. They don’t understand that dieting is all about eating the right food and not starving yourself.

6. Don’t check the bathroom scales everyday.
Everybody is eager to see the confirmation of his or her efforts in the shape of lost pounds, but you should not let this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily fluctuations of your weight will soon have you depressed and ready to quit dieting. And this is something you want to avoid.

7. Don’t let emotions drive you.
Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their weight every day, there are other emotions that influence dieting. If you know you’re used to reaching out for ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry, then you should deal with these issues and not allow them to come between you and your purpose.

8. Don’t refuse to seek help.
Not everyone was born with iron will and nerves of steel. If you need advice or help, don’t hesitate to ask it from your friends or from professionals. Don’t try to solve all problems by yourself.

9. Don’t deny yourself your favourite foods.
Treats are a great way of raising your willpower and determination. Diets are just food control methods, not prisons. So what if you eat something forbidden once in a while, especially if that food is a favourite of yours? If such treats are not frequent, then they will make no difference in the long run.

10. Don’t rely on your willpower alone
Use your head as well. If you wish to know how much you eat, then write everything down and analyze the list for things that should not be there. Sometimes hunger creeps up on you and make you eat something you shouldn’t. Be honest with yourself and keep a clear head.

Everything now a days is going wireless. It is just so much more convenitent than being tied down with unnecessary wires. This wireless keyboard and integrated touchpad is a new offering by KeySonic that provides a very small and handy solution for anyone needing to control their computer while not at a desk. It runs on the 2.4GHz wireless frequency, and contains all they keys that you would expect to find (minus any media keys). But how well does it perform? We take a look

The box is very colourful and strong enough to ensure nothing inside will get damaged.

The back of the box has some details and specifications about the keyboard in six languages. Inside the box you find the keyboard itself, Energizer batteries, the usb reciever, some simple instructions and a “declaration of conformity”.

The first thing I noticed when getting it out of the box is just how small it really is. Here are the supplied specifications:

• Product Description: Keysonic ACK-540 RF - keyboard , touchpad
• Device Type: Keyboard
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 cm x 21 cm x 2.1 cm
• Connectivity Technology: Wireless - RF
• Wireless Receiver: USB wireless receiver
• Buttons Qty: 12
• Pointing Device / Manipulator: Touchpad
• Battery: AAA type
• OS Required: Microsoft Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP

It is also very light to pick up however thanks to some rubber feet, on a desk it won’t be sliding around the place.

It was nice to see when I opened the box that Keysonic hadn’t tried to cut costs by putting in a non major brand set of batteries (as said, they provided Energizer ones).

Installing the keyboard is very simple. It requires no drivers (tested on Xp professional, however it claims in its instructions that “All state-of-the-art operating systems with Plug & Play support will recognize your keyboard automatically and lead the required drivers” and should work on any Windows system from 98SE onwards), just plug the USB reciever in, press its tiny button, and press the FN key on the keyboard and it worked first time.

Once I had started using it (for this review, actually), I started to realise how annoying the Fn keys placement is. It is in the exact place that CTRL normally would be (and has pushed CTRL one place to the right) - which when using shortcuts means typos being made. Over time I am sure you would get used to it, however I only intend to use this keyboard occasionally (for home theatre PC purposes) and have no intention of doing much typing on it.

However when typing on it the keys are very easy to push on, very much like most laptop keyboards.

The touchpad is very responsive, however i have found the scrolling part too responsive for my liking (it seems to scroll far too fast, however I’ve just left everything on default settings as I plan to use my normal keyboard/mouse for 99% of the time anyway)

If you are getting this for occasional use (such as for a home cinema pc set up) I would highly recommend it. However I do not think it is suitable for those who expect to write a novel in Word using this. Overall rating: 8/10

Prices: Amazon.co.uk who sell it for £25.99. I have been told that there is a chance Play.com may be getting some in soon, so you may want to check them out.

XTracPads have released a new desktop mouse surface, similar to their Ripper product. However this mat is aimed more at the (even more) professional gamer, with a larger surface area, making it ideal for those gamers who always seem to end up sliding over the edge of their mouse mats in a middle of a game. Today we take a look at it and see how it performs.

The XTracPads Fat Mat comes in a cylinder tube, and has minimal packaging and no instructions. But then again, what would you expect from a mouse mat.

It does however have a “warning” on the side:

Once taken out of its packaging inside the mat itself and a XTracPads sticker is inside.

Once unrolled you really get to see just how big this gaming mouse mat is:

The manufacturer list the specifications as:

12″ X 16″ x 1/4″ (305mm x 406mm x 6.35mm)
Sure Grip rubber backing
Nanofiber™ textile surface

And they also boast of its “Whisper quiet nanofiber textile, which I have to admit it is quiet - but i’ve never found a mouse mat to make much noise anyway.

The underside is very grippy, much like the Ripper mat, and there is no chance of the mat itself sliding across your desk. It requires an impressive amount of force when trying to slide it across a desk.

When using it you do start to appreciate the extra room that the Fat Mat gives you, and you can be sure that once on your desk it is going to stay in that exact position. Mice glide across the top surface of it very easily.

Overall if you are a gamer it is a fantastic mat and I would definitely recommend it for anyone serious about gaming. It is a little expensive ($28.95 USD), however does have a great benefit for gamers. However, compared to their Ripper xxl mat I personally can’t see any difference.

9/10

For more information, please visit xtracpads.com.

Although Jetart products aren’t widely available in the western part of the world, they have produced some great coolers in the past, among them some interesting notebook solutions. Today I am testing out their newest laptop cooler, the X Cool NP8000. It’s designed to be lightweight and portable, but will it be effective?

Read it here

“Even though CPU’s are getting more and more powerful, with a large percent left idle, there are more dedicated add-in cards than ever. With physics processing units (PPU’s), GPU’s, it isn’t so strange that there is a NPU (network processing unit). That’s exactly what BigFoot have brought to the table with their Killer NIC which has a fairly hefty price tag, and hopefully performance to warrant the expense.”

Read it here