Mercenaries is a 2005 action game by Lucasarts and Pandemic Studios.  It is available on PS2 and Xbox, although this review will specifically refer to the PS2 version.Mercenaries puts you into the shoes of one of three mercenaries dropped into the middle of a fictional near-future war between the Koreas.  You then run missions for the various factions, gaining intel to capture the &qu...

The Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse is a standard USB mouse that has been on the market for several years now.  I originally bought it when I bought a notebook, as I was tired of dealing with the wires.This is, overall, a very good product.  The most attractive feature of this mouse is the battery life.  It uses a single AA battery, and I have gone months without needin...

The Sony MDR-V150 Dynamic Stereo Headphones are relatively inexpensive headphones purchased when looking for an alternative to the iPod-style earbuds.  They are a standard over-the-head shape.The sound quality on these headphones is quite good, especially after being used to cheap earbuds.  You are immersed much more in the sound, and stereo channels are much easier to ditinguish than...

Lovesacs are an interesting product.  They are, in essence, large cubes of memory foam that fill the role of a large beanbag chair or lounger.  They come in several sizes, from single-child up to multiple-adult, but the one specifically reviewed here is the GameSac.The line seems to have changed since this was bought, but the Gamesac was the size meant for one adult.  These thing...

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, released on the Nintendo Gamecube, is a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid.  This remake includes improved graphics, re-recordings of many of the game's voice parts, and upgrades the gameplay with elements found in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty.The Twin Snakes is fundamentally the same game as the original.  It includes the same locati...

The Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP is a redesign of Nintendo's original Game Boy Advance handheld game console.The major changes in this version of the hardware are the reduced size and weight of the system, the change to a clamshell design and the addition of a rechargeable battery and built-in screen light.  The screen light is an absolute godsend in this system: almost everyone who pl...

The Lexmark Z715 is a fairly run-of-the-mill inkjet printer.  This printer was bought looking for a dorm room printer for college.  For what it advertises, it works pretty well.  It has a decent print speed, fairly good print quality, and relatively few hassles once it's properly set up.However, there's nothing really remarkable about this printer.  The price is righ...

The Nintendo Wii is Nintendo's newest home console, which was released in November of 2006.  It was the first console to use motion-sensing controllers as its primary method of control. In my experience, this motion control is well-implemented, especially in the A games.  I've found that even ports, like Resident Evil 4, function well with the motion control.  The control...

The Playstation 2 is Sony's last-generation home console, released in 2000.  It was re-released in 2004 in a super-slim case, which makes it excellent for portability.  The PS2 is the most successful video game console of all time, and for good reason.The PS2 has a vast selection of games, including a number of high-profile exclusives, like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, and God...

Simcity 4 is the most recent game in the Simcity series, developed by Maxis.  Simcity 4 is a major overhaul from the previous game, Simcity 3000.  Simcity 4 moves the series into full 3D, abandoning the isometric 2D of the previous installments.The biggest change in Simcity 4 is the addition of region play.  Region play replaces the neighbor connection dynamic from the previous g...

Timbuk2 is a San Fransico-based manufacturer of backpacks and messenger bags.  This particular review is about their line of classic messenger bags, in the medium size.  The medium size can hold quite a bit.  It can comfortably carry my laptop and textbooks, with room left over for some smaller items.  I've never had a problem with the bag's size. The best feature of...

The Logitech Cordless Action controller is Logitech's second attempt at a wireless controller for the Playstation 2 console.  This controller is a fantastic design, and I prefer it to the official Dual Shock 2, a feat when considering the high quality of Sony's controllers.The controller has fantastic battery life, and will last months without needing a battery change.  You ca...

The Nintendo Wavebird is a first-party wireless controller for the Nintendo Gamecube.  It is the first official wireless controller from any of the major console manufacturers.The best feature of this controller is its remarkable battery life.  The controller will last for months on end without needing fresh batteries.  Unfortunately, in order to gain this battery life, Nintendo ...

Philips In-Ear Headphones are a fairly standard pair of earbud headphones.  This particular pair was bought to replace a pair of broken Apple iPod earbuds, as they come in iPod-matching white.The sound quality is, in my opinion, better than the Apple earbuds.  They use a technology that they call something like "simulated surround sound."  As I understand it, the speake...

In case you've been living under a rock for the last few years, the iPod is Apple's wildly successful digital music player, currently in the sixth generation of the main model.  This review is for the now-outdated 5th generation iPod video.The iPod's biggest advantage is its ease of use.  iTunes is built to be as easy to use as possible, although if you're an experienc...

The Canon Powershot S410 is, by now, a fairly obsolete camera.  I recieved it several years ago as a gift, so I'm not sure of the original price.This camera is fairly average.  It was one of the smallest cameras available when it was bought, but is fairly bulky compared to some of the new cameras.  The same applies to its resolution.  It's a 4 megapixel camera, which...

Rise of Nations Gold is a real-time-strategy game for the PC.  The Gold edition includes both the original game and the expansion: Thrones and Patriots at a budget price.This game could be best described as a real-time version of the Civilization series.  The game allows you to advance through a number of historical eras in order to gain the edge on your opponent.  I'm not no...

The Sony Microvault USB drive is a fairly standard USB flash drive.  It comes in a number of capacities, up to, I believe, 4 GB.  The increased capacities come with corresponding price increases.  I believe I paid $25 for my 1 GB model.The 1 GB model, although it's not the largest available, almost has more space than I know what to do with.  I have my entire My Pictures...

RE4- Wii Edition is the 3rd version of the popular game, originally released for the Gamecube.  The Wii Edition might be called the definitive version of the game, since it includes the better graphics and progressive-scan of the Gamecube edition and the extras and widescreen support of the PS2 remake.  This version also adds a new set of Wii-specific controls which make full use of t...

This particular LCD TV was bought a couple of years ago while looking for a small, lightweight TV for a dorm room.  This is a role it fulfills quite well.  Its biggest advantages are its size and weight, although this is an obvious trade-off, since it is only a 15-inch TV.This TV has a pretty good picture.  It supports 480p, or progressive scan, but no true hi-def resolutions, bu...