You have to love the latest graphics card technologies. On one hand, we’re hearing all about power-saving processors and super-efficient power supplies intended to cut energy costs. On the other, we’re seeing new video cards suck down somewhere between 160W and 240W under load. Both AMD and NVIDIA support multi-card configurations, too. The former certifies up to four boards in a single gaming PC while the latter enables as many as three. That’s nearly 750W of consumption, just in graphics cards.

Most power supplies can’t cope with that much draw—not to mention all of the auxiliary PCI Express connectors you’d need in order to support four Radeon HD 4870s, for instance (that’d be eight six-pin cables). Rather than buying the largest power supply you can find and employing a handful of adapters to get the needed PCIe connectors, check out Thermaltake’s Power Express 450W. The secondary power supply sits in an available 5.25” drive bay and delivers its load through two eight-pin PCIe cables and two six-pin connectors. Used in conjunction with your primary PSU of choice, the Thermaltake solution will actually save power users from having to buy the priciest supply out there just to spin up their graphics cards. Simply connect the Power Express to a wall socket and tap into the motherboard’s 24-pin ATX connector with an adapter for power on/off signals.

Nearly everyone, from enthusiasts down to the mainstream, knows Nero and the software the company creates. But over the years, Nero’s popular software has become so much more than a burning application. In fact, the latest version of the company’s complete suite, Nero 8 Ultra Edition, includes 24 separate applications covering everything from backup to label design to media management and playback. A quick glance at the entire list will give you a clearer indication of just how much software Nero includes for less than $100.

The basic system requirements for running Nero 8 Ultra are minimal: 1 GHz Pentium III, 512MB of memory under Vista, 1.2GB of disk space, and a DVD drive for the installation. Each application has more granular requirements, though, so you’ll want to cross-check those too. For instance, Nero MediaHome, the management software, wants an analog or digital TV card and certified UPnP devices for communicating with the MediaHome server. The Burning ROM, perhaps Nero’s most popular title, needs a LightScribe drive for labeling discs, a Blu-ray recorder for writing to that particular media type, and a SecurDisc-capable drive if a customer is looking to lock down his PDF files.

Nero 8 Ultra Edition goes well with higher-end machines able to use all of the extra codecs included in the package. Nero even offers volume licensing if you want to make the software a standard component in your PCs.

On July 1st, 2008, California joined the list of states already requiring drivers to use a hands-free kit with their mobile device. But even if you’re in a state where it isn’t yet illegal to drive with a cell phone up to your ear, encouraging customers to make an investment into their own safety is a good idea.

Of course, a hands-free headset is only good if it’s actually charged up and ready to go. The Iqua Sun is a no-brainer because it can actually charge itself as long as it’s catching direct sunlight. A single charge is good for roughly 12 hours of talk time. And if your customer keeps the Iqua headset under enough sunlight, it’ll theoretically deliver infinite standby time too. The headset itself can answer, end, and reject calls using a multi-function button. Customers with phones supporting the feature can also use voice dialing with the Sun.

Because Bluetooth connectivity is practically ubiquitous at this point, interfacing with Iqua’s Sun is a piece of cake. In fact, the company says its headset is compatible with any brand of phone. Although it doesn’t sport the most ergonomic design we’ve seen, the Sun’s dimensions are understandably dictated by a need for plenty of solar surface area. The device’s solid voice performance and convenient use of solar power more than make up for its average looks.

It’s ridiculously easy to get a TiVo communicating over a customer’s network and transferring content to his PC. It’s even fairly easy to edit out commercials and save programming—uninterrupted—for viewing later. But it isn’t always convenient to sit down at a PC or even at the television where they were first recorded to watch those files. That’s where IOGEAR’s Portable Media Player steps in to help.

The compact player is just slightly larger than a notebook hard drive, which is exactly what’s housed inside. Featuring 120GB of capacity, IOGEAR claims enough room for 50 hours of DVD-quality video or 30,000 MP3s. Hooking everything up is easy enough. USB 2.0 provides a 480 Mb/s link between the Portable Media Player and your customer’s PC, while RCA stereo connectors, plus an analog component output, connect the player to almost any TV.

IOGEAR is specific about the GMD2025U120 being intended for standard-definition content. And it’ll only output at resolutions up to 720p on an HDTV. However, it’ll also upscale SD content so that programming looks better on a higher-res display. Format support includes MPEG-1, MPEG-2, XviD, DivX, MP3, WAV, and JPEG, meaning you can watch videos, listen to music, or look at pictures with the player.

Controlling the device is easy, too. An included remote controls every aspect of its output, from volume to angle to zoom. The hardware also comes bundled with a DC adapter and a protective carrying case to protect the package in transit.