This great custom R2-D2 PC case modification is set to rock the worlds of all Star Wars fans. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be information regarding this particular mod, except that it could possibly have been made from the original R2 chassis.

The original R2-D2 chassis used in the movies was precision made to a high standard by an Australian firm called Petric Engineering. A closer look at this R2-D2 PC case reveals slight imperfections in the build quality but considering the thing looks this much like R2-D2, I don’t see many people complaining, just asking where on earth they might be able to pick one up.

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Whether or not the creator actually wanted to keep his name quiet is unclear but one thing is for sure, he has sparked off a lot of interest regarding R2 mods. There seems to be a bunch of R2 case mods popping up here and there, and one of the better ones we found actually had some information.

This R2-D2 case was created by Ken “TGS” Kirby for ExtremeTech’s Science Fiction Case Mod Contest. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to complete the mod in time for the competition deadline so didn’t make rank, however many have reported that R2 would of certainly taken the 1st prize had it been entered.

The idea started when Ken salvaged two R2-D2 legs from an old R2-D2 Pepsi cooler. The after a long search he managed to find a white plastic barrel for R2’s body and a weber grill for R2’s head, then the chassis was ready.

Ken’s finished mod comes complete with:

• ABIT IC7-G
• P4 3.2Ghz w/HT @ 3.71Ghz
• 2GB (4 x 512MB) of DDR400 RAM
• 120GB Hard drive
• Radeon 9800XT 256MB Graphics Card
• Creative 7.1 surround sound
• Asetek Vapochill Phase Change cooling @ -38C

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As the trend for R2-D2 mod’s catches on and begins to grow, perhaps it won’t be long before a large company patents the idea and sets up for mass production.

Following on from our previous post about Datamancer’s custom laptops, PC’s and steampunk devices, we’ve come across another handmade custom mod we thought was worth a mention.

Ukrainian, Valerie Beetle has spent countless hours’ hand carving this Gothic looking PC Tower. No word on what exactly was his inspiration but it seems like this guy must have some dark thoughts! Click On Image To Enlarge

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Benjamin Heckendorn aka Ben Heck is known for modifying gaming consoles into custom laptops, some of his previous creations include various portable Xbox 360’s, a portable Atari 2600, a Commodore 64 laptop and numerous other modified devices. Mr. Heck seems to be at it again with yet another portable Xbox 360 Elite, this time with a Halo 3 theme.

The modded Xbox comes complete with the new 65nm CPU, a 120 GB Elite Hard Drive, HDMI-to-DVI video connection for digital picture, Xbox Live Vision camera and a 17 inch widescreen Gateway LCD with a 1280×720 pixel resolution (this allows a pixel-perfect ratio when using the 720p HDMI connection).

Some more pictures and a video after the jump!

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In the world of custom laptops and PC’s, steampunk specialist Richard R. Nagy aka Datamancer is on a level of his very own…… Know for creating some of the most original steampunk modifications his newest creation, the steampunk laptop is no exception.

Based on a Victorian music box made from brass copper and wood, the design is extremely intricate. Inside the elaborate display of clockworks under glass, engraved brass accents and antiqued copper keyboard and mouse lies a Hewlett-Packard ZT1000 laptop. Other features include leather wrist pads, a customized network card, a power on switch that works by winding an antique key and a hidden power down switch.

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From Nov. 1 until Nov. 31, 2007 we are offering FREE iPod Shuffles with every order! All orders must be made no later than Nov. 31, 2007 to receive an iPod.

Starting today and going on until Sept. 30, 2007; we are running a special sale on the Toshiba Tecra A8 Britebook Series that we have customized. These Toshiba notebooks feature the latest Intel Duo Core 2 processor and we packed in as much as we could. If that wasn’t enough we decided today to slash the price and reduce the monthly payments on the laptops as well. This is only for a limited time, so if he have been thinking of getting a new laptop - NOW IS THE TIME!

800 Tru BriteBook - $89 a month

• 15″ (1280 x 800) Widescreen XGA TruBrite TFT
• Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 CPU 1.66 GHz
• Intel 945GM Express Chipset
• 1024 MB PC-4200 DDR2
• 80GB 5400rpm SATA-150 Hard Drive
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 8x DVD RW+- Combo Optical Drive
• Intel Wireless ABG
• Finger Print Reader Security
• Microsoft Vista Business Edition
• Carrying Case

Photo Gallery >>>
Technical Specifications >>>

800 Tru BriteBook PRO - $109 a month

• 15″ (1280 x 800) Widescreen XGA TruBrite TFT
• Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 CPU 2.0 GHz
• Intel 945GM Express Chipset
• 1024 MB PC-4200 DDR2
• 120GB 5400rpm SATA-150 Hard Drive
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 8x DVD RW+- Combo Optical Drive
• Intel Wireless ABG
• Finger Print Reader Security
• Microsoft XP Professional Edition
• Carrying Case

Photo Gallery >>>
Technical Specifications >>>

If the previous post about the Airborne Laser Weapon got you thinking, check out the video below which runs through steps on how to make your own high powered laser.

Careful where you point the thing and don’t forget, UN protocol outlaws permanent blinding as a combat tactic!!!!

Transformers are amongst us and they are battling to be Number 1. Well they aren’t actually The Transformers, but from the previous post this is a good follow-up with actual combat robots. Welcome to the future of ultimate fighting. K1 was a popular fight club in Japan, but Robot battles are quickly sweeping the popularity and gaining support from fans (nerds like me). Check out the video to see what I am talking about

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Recently added to our arsenal of computers and laptops are two lightweight powerful laptop notebooks customized for the budget buyer and deployed/travels often. The new custom laptops are from the Acer notebook line-up. These two laptops are very capable PC and have a 14.1-Inch WXGA Widescreen LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that incorporates Acer’s CrystalBrite technology for a much better picture. It can achieve a picture resolution of 1280×800, and can display widescreen materials in original 16:9 formatting. And that’s just the screen! I’ll touch on CrystalBrite a little later.

Staying within your budget doesn’t mean forsaking performance. The Brite Star notebooks come equipped with everything you need to work, study or play, at a price that is sure to please. Equipped with a powerful flows seamlessly from the office to your home. Plus, with its built in stereo speakers and wireless LAN antenna, these completely mobile units are capable of handling any duty from here to there. Get all of the performance and features you need to satisfy your office, home office, and personal needs with the Brite Star notebooks.

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Many notebooks have tried to claim the title of being the world’s fastest or the world’s most powerful laptop or even a desktop replacement laptop, but the Stealth Series is the true holder of this title. The Stealth Series Notebooks are a 17-inch extreme laptop notebook that packs quite a wallop under the hood, including a Intel’s Core 2 Duo desktop processor, Dual NVIDIA 7950GTX, up to 4GB of RAM, up to three hard drives in a RAID 0/1/5 array, 7.1-channel audio, built-in stereo speakers, the ability to house dual optical drives, integrated TV tuner, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a flash card reader to boot. You’ll also find an array of ports and connectivity options, including WiFi, Bluetooth, FireWire, 56k modem, USB 2.0, and DVI / S-video outputs. All these components require the 11.9 pound laptop to have a 12-cell Li-ion will last much over an hour under full strain. We know you’re wondering, so if you’ve been eying a mobile gaming rig - this is it!

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Well for openers we are not implying General Patton would advise you to buy a computer from 800HighTech. When he was planning battles they didn’t even have computers. BUT I am quite sure what he would advise to assure you make a wise decision on anything would be gather all the good intelligence available and verify that it is accurate. Then taking all the important factors into consideration and weighing the importance of each, make a decision and act on your decision! In battle as in life sometimes timing is everything.

Many great men in history when faced with a decision would take an ordinary piece of paper and draw a line top to bottom. On one side of the line they would write the reasons for a certain decision and on the other the reasons against. They would look at the pluses & minuses, weigh the facts, make a decision and then they would act! I suggest you do the same on this and when faced with any big decision. It may help you to crystallize your thinking, I know it helps me.

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Deciding on computer memory for most of us doesn’t mean much. For those who do understand, they know that selecting the right computer memory can mean a world of difference in performance of your computer. It’s been said that you can never have enough money, and the same holds true for RAM, especially if you do a lot of graphics-intensive work or gaming. Next to the CPU itself, RAM is the most important factor in computer performance. If you don’t have enough, adding RAM can make more of a difference than getting a new CPU!

RAM is the best known form of computer memory. RAM is considered “random access” because you can access any memory cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell. When you think about it, it’s amazing how many different types of electronic memory you encounter in daily life. Many of them have become an integral part of our vocabulary: RAM, ROM, Cache, Dynamic RAM, Static RAM, Flash memory, Memory Sticks, Virtual memory, Video memory, and BIOS.

If your system responds slowly or accesses the hard drive constantly, then you need to add more RAM. If you are running Windows XP, Microsoft recommends 128MB as the minimum RAM requirement. At 64MB, you may experience frequent application problems. For optimal performance with standard desktop applications, 256MB is recommended. If you are running Windows 95/98, you need a bare minimum of 32 MB, and your computer will work much better with 64 MB. Windows NT/2000 needs at least 64 MB, and it will take everything you can throw at it, so you’ll probably want 128 MB or more.

We will discuss the benefits of memory and how to decide how much memory your custom computer or custom laptop should have. You can always upgrade later, but it is best to get the right memory first.

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Build a Custom Laptop Notebook to the exact specifications you want. Laptops to many people were seen as what you see is what you get, but now this has all changed. 800HighTech is now offering a laptop custom configuration form to allow you to select the laptop components that you desire and mean most to you. Not sure what to select? Have no fear. Build a custom notebook pc has never been easier.

You can view a complete list of laptop components and learn which components are compatible if you would like to research your options first. Otherwise you can begin by selecting your desired laptop display and move down the custom notebook configuration form each will display the components compatible with the previous selections you have made. You do not need to be a computer guru to build your custom notebook.

Building your own custom built notebook allows you to weight in all the factors that are important to you. Obviously the laptops performance and budget is everyone’s concern, but now you can also factor in the laptop specific features, the laptop’s size and ease of portability, and finally the battery life. Considering all these factors will ensure you have the laptop that best fits your needs.

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