*Technology

When Technology Fails (Revised & Expanded): A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency
$35.00
This book is interesting and full of very usful information. Weather you like hiking and backpacking or are looking to be more self sufficiant this book has something for you. Its a great guide for how to be prepaired in any circumstance.

Crucial Technology CT25664AC800 2GB 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-6400 Memory Module
$64.99
Matter of snapping in the chip in the bottom compartment secured by one screw. 1G upgraded to 2GB, max allowed for the NC10 netbook.

La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger
$69.95
I bought the La Crosse BC-9009 based on the stellar reviews given here, as well as the in-depth answers given by NLee in his review and comments.

Instead of repeating what others have said, I'll give a real-life case study.

I have a 5-year old set of Panasonic 2100 mAh batteries. For the last 2 years, they've powered the rooftop light of the SnugTop that covers the bed of my truck. They've been drained for the majority of those 2 years because I've never taken the time to swap them out. After receiving the BC-9009, I ran the 4 batteries in TEST mode to establish a baseline, then in REFRESH mode to bring them to optimal capacity.

For those unfamiliar with the modes, I'll give a short explanation.

In TEST mode, the BC-9009 runs through a single charge-discharge-charge cycle, and calculates the battery's capacity based on the first charge-discharge. This makes sense because in real-life use, batteries go from a charged to a discharged state. You'll know that the TEST mode is finished because the display will show "FULL". You can then press the Display button to view the capacity.

In REFRESH mode, the BC-9009 starts with an initial discharge-charge cycle. Then it will repeat the discharge-charge cycle until there's no further increase in the measured capacity. In the end, the display will show "FULL" and you can use the Display button to show the final capacity.

There are 2 other modes: CHARGE (a single charge cycle) and DISCHARGE (a single discharge-charge cycle). I didn't use either of these modes for my case study.

For the various modes, one can select the current used. The current during discharging is always 1/2 of the current during charging. If time isn't a factor, the best practice is to use the lowest setting (200 mA charging/100 mA discharging). For speedier testing, I used the next higher setting (500 mA charging, 250 mA discharging), which is still better than the "fast charge" used by other chargers. Using too high a current can overheat and damage your batteries.

Here are my results.

Battery 1: 36 mAh (TEST), 2040 mAh (REFRESH)
Battery 2: 41 mAh (TEST), 2050 mAh (REFRESH)
Battery 3: 37 mAh (TEST), 2030 mAh (REFRESH)
Battery 4: 51 mAh (TEST), 2020 mAh (REFRESH)

You can tell how poor my batteries were from the initial TEST results and how good a job the REFRESH mode did to restore the batteries to near the 2100 mAh rating. In my case, the REFRESH mode went through about 3 cycles to reach the optimal capacity. The entire case study, both TEST and REFRESH, took about 2 1/2 days. Your mileage may vary.

I find it useful to wrap a piece of tape around each battery and write with a Sharpie marker 1-the battery's rated capacity (since the tape will cover that part) and 2-the date and BC-9009-measured capacity. Then run through the REFRESH mode every 4-6 months.

In conclusion, I highly recommend the BC-9009. It will be my primary charger for AA/AAA batteries from now on.

Mastering Unreal Technology, Volume I: Introduction to Level Design with Unreal Engine 3
$49.99
This book is an excellent resource on Unreal Engine 3. It launches you straight into the engine and gives you a basic overview before devoting individual chapters to specific topics, such as Lighting, Materials, and the Kismet script editor. Everything you need to start building your own levels is included here.

Probably my favorite feature are the in-depth walkthroughs for every lesson. I never felt lost or overwhelmed. If you're just starting out in level design or are transitioning from another engine, this is a wonderful book to get your feet wet. Also take note that you get a free copy of Unreal Tournament 3 with this book, which is a excellent deal considering the price of the book.