It's no secret that Steam is the alpha dog in the pack when it comes to the digital download gaming scene. But success breeds contempt in the business world, and there are several outlets that are openly blaming Steam for their woes and taking steps to retaliate.

According to an unnamed director of a "fledgling Steam rival," Steam is "killing the PC market and it is no wonder digital retailers are failing" as well as "locking down the market." You can take your pick of the competitors like Direct2Drive and Impulse for the possible people taking shots, but even retailers are considering action. Two major retailers are considering not stocking games that feature and/or require Steam integration due to customers being taken to a rival and losing them.

While it's obvious that Steam has a pretty firm stranglehold on the digital download market, it's also not hard to see why. As someone who's tried several of their competitors when picking up games on sale, Steam is leaps and bounds ahead when it comes to game access, chat, shopping, and selection. It's hard to believe that I once refused to use Steam due to the popular sentiment of "Why are they charging me full price without any physical media?" The convenience and features are well worth it.

One of the major downsides facing a Mac computer user is that Macs tend to not be as upgradable by the user as PCs are. That means that often what you get from the factory is what you have to live with and if you do try to upgrade your warranty might be toast. If you are a user of the Mac Pro desktop computer, Apricorn has a new upgrade that will leave you with some serious geek lust. The new device is called the Mac Array.

The Mac Array is an internal SSD array that is mounted to an x4 PCI Express card that fits into one of the two PCIs slots inside the Mac Pro. The card includes a quartet of 128GB SSDs for a total of 512GB. Apricorn says that the Mac Array is designed to bridge the gap between your Mac Pro's slow HDD and RAM to act as virtual memory. The Mac Array promises to increase performance up to ten times the performance of the same machine without the Mac Array.

Apricorn tested the Mac Array with Disktester, claims that read rates were 10x faster, and that write speeds increased by 6.8 x compared to the same machine with the7200rpm HDD only. For even more performance, a pair of the Mac Array cards can be put inside the computer. The extra memory space can also be used as a scratch disc by graphic artists for much faster performance. Each of the Mac Array's comes with the four SSDs and sells for $1499.

Good ol' Super Talent is always at it tossing new and flashionable flash drives onto the market in an attempt to part geeks with their hard-earned money. Most of the flash drives that the firm makes put as much focus on looking good as they do working well. That's not a bad thing at all; our tech gear can look good and work. The latest offerings from the company are a coupe new flash drives in the USB Pico Mini line.

There are two drives in the line with one of them called the Pico Mini C and the other the Pico Mini D. The two versions both lack caps and use other methods of protecting the USB connector. The C drive has a retractable USB connector while the D drive has a sliding case that hides the connector. Both of the flash drives are very small.

Physically they are about the height of a quarter, which will make them very portable. For me that small size also makes them easy to lose as well. They will be offered in capacities from 2GB up to 32GB and should be available soon at an undisclosed price. "The Pico Mini C&D are an exciting addition to our wildly successful Pico series. Our customers love the convenience and durability of these designs. Now we have two more industrial designs to meet the needs of these customers", said CH Lee COO of Super Talent.

I don't think that any of us will be surprised that "sources" are saying that the AMD HD 6970 will beat the new NVIDIA GTX 580 in performance. What else would AMD say after all? It's not as if they can say, "our next card will suck." I like it when these two companies get to goading and competing with each other for the performance crown, and so should you.

Competition like this is when we get new cards with even more performance as they trade the world's fastest title back and forth. The only downside is that the new cards seem to get more expensive each time they launch. The upside is a new faster card means price cuts on older hardware. Kit Guru cites sources that claim the HD 6970.

The sources really don't quantify "beats GTX 580" so we can take this with a massive amount of salt until the cards land and we can see how they work in the real world. We all know that these companies tend to use the benchmarks that make them look the best. Still, the sources claim that the AMD card beat the GTX 580 in a "majority of benchmarks." We shall see.

Along with the announcement of the iOS 4.2 update coming Friday, Apple was hard at work helping out Mac users as well. The OS X 10.6.5 update was made available for download today and brings a fairly long list of improvements. Included are fixes for printing issues, graphics and game performance improvements, as well as several security improvements. Check your updates for the download today; a full list of improvements is listed after the break.

Full list of improvements: (courtesy of Gizmodo)

• Improves reliability with Microsoft Exchange servers.

Many AMD partners are wondering why they have not gotten AMD Radeon 6970 boards yet - but, it seems to stem from a shortage of a particular component from Texas Instruments, and now the yield issues that people are running around crying about.

This Texas Instruments component is an integrated driver-MOSFET (DrMOS) that was first introduced and used on the AMD Radeon 6800 series. The part is SO new that there is literally no information on the web about it, nor from the manufacturer itself.

Since the supply of this DrMOS is so limited - and since the Radeon 6800 and upcoming 6900 series share the same VRM design, any delay in supply from Texas Instruments is going to affect both ranges of Radeon's. This has lead to an obvious delay in HD 6970 manufacturing - with partners receiving their final boards late as well.

Microsoft's Surface made a big splash when it was announced and shown off, but it's size and price kept it from being your next coffee table. But one of the software developers for the Microsoft Surface is indicating that the next-generation is "imminent" and will supposedly make the platform far more versatile.

Iain McDonald of agency Amnesia Razorfish, owned by Microsoft until late 2009 and now part of the Publicis Groupe are saying that the next-gen Surface will be a flat surface concept, not the entire coffee table system with cameras and projectors underneath.

The next-gen Surface is touted to include high resolution cameras so that special codes will no longer be needed to identify objects - it's also meant to sit around the $8000 mark, whether that's AUD or USD, isn't specified - but with the AUD playing the balancing act on parity, it shouldn't be far off in either country.

For those Firefox that are tired of swimming through all of the tiny sharing links to share articles and other web info via their social networks, Mozilla has heard your cries and may just have the answer to streamlining the webpage sharing experience. Mozilla has released F1, a plugin that turbocharges the page sharing experience. Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail are the first three supported entities due to their popularity, but Mozilla plans to expand this as they keep working on the plugin.

The concept is pretty simple: click on the F1 icon, choose how you want to share the current page, confirm your credentials, and your Gmail, tweet, or Facebook post is away. While there are other sharing toolbars out there, this seems to be a very nice one that doesn't clutter up your browser unless you want to use it which is really nice. As F1 gathers more sites to share with, I an only see it becoming more popular for those who like their browser simple and streamlined. Check out the demo video at the Source Link.

With the release of NVIDIA's new flagship GPU - the GeForce GTX580 - they've been kind enough to release some WHQL drivers to go with it, enter 262.99 Forceware drivers.

The 262.99 release is available for Windows XP, Vista and 7 based systems in both 32 and 64-bit flavors.

Release notes for this set of drivers are:

Of all the online stores where you can find cool tech gear one of my favorites is ThinkGeek. It has all sorts of gadgets and some of the coolest geek toys on the planet. ThinkGeek has a bunch of stuff that is designed to work with Apple products and the latest offering is a new case for the iPad that has a Bluetooth keyboard inside. If you want to use your iPad like a netbook on the go, this is the perfect case for you.

The case is covered in black leather and it has a BT keyboard that is specifically designed to work with the iPad. The keyboard has a number of keys specifically linked to iPad functions like home, volume, search, and iPod functions. The only downside I can think of is that the keys look small. That said, they are sure to be better for lots of typing than the on screen keyboard.

The leather case has a magnetic flap closure and can be used to prop the iPad up in various angles for working or watching video. The case with the iPad inside weighs 2.75 pounds, the keyboard is powered by an internal battery that charges via USB, and the charge cable is included. The battery is good for up to 90 hours of continuous use so you should be able to go a long time on a single charge. You can order the thing for $59.99 right now.

Very few of the people I know wear a watch any more. Most of us just use a mobile phone to tell what time it is when we need to. I do know a few folks that wear a wristwatch, but these guys are the fancy types that like fashion watches to show off. You have probably heard of E-Ink displays before, the tech is huge in the eReader market and other markets as well.

The big benefit of E-ink tech is that the screens are very easy to read in direct sunlight and use very little power. I have had one of the Phosphor E-Ink watches in my hands before and the coolest thing about them is that you can choose the way the screen looks with different arrangements for the time and either black or white backgrounds. The numbers are easy to read the watches are really cool.

Phosphor has unveiled a new watch for geeks that need to know what time it is all around the world. The watch is called the World Time and it has a curved E-ink display. The display of the watch is only 9.3mm thick and the thing can keep time in all 24 time zones. It can also show two of those zones on the face at one time. You can get the thing with black or white plastic bands for $150, a black leather band is $165, and a version with a stainless band is $195.

When it comes to gaming, some genres simply aren't good for use with game pads and controllers like the Xbox 360 uses from the perspective of PC gamers. Sure console gamers will argue that the gamepad on their Xbox 360 rocks for Call of Duty and some will even claim they will pwn PC gamers using a mouse and keyboard. The PC gamers out there know the score though.

That said there are some games that many PC gamers like to play that plain suck on the keyboard and mouse control system. Games like racing sims and flying games are perfect examples. If you have one of the new Xbox 360 wireless controllers and you have a hankering to play a game on your Windows 7 PC that needs a controller you can use the Xbox wireless controller on your rig.

The new controller is dubbed the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller with Transforming D-Pad. It comes only with the new play and charge kit for $64.99 and will be in the same old stores other Xbox 360 gear is sold in. You will need an Xbox 360 wireless receiver to plug into your PC and then you can use the new one for PC gaming action. The new controller appears to be silver and it looks pretty cool.

Each year there are a number of tech shows that go on all around the world to highlight specific types of gear. We all tend to focus on CES mostly here in the states, but over in Japan, one of the more interesting shows is usually FPD and this year's show is going now. The FPD show focuses on display tech and Samsung had some interesting displays inside its booth as the show.

The Samsung booth had a 7-inch AMOLED screen that is expected to land in a table next year. The thing has a 1024 x 600 resolution with 16.7M colors and lots more. A dual screen clamshell device was spied in the booth that looks interesting with a couple 4.5-inch AMOLED screens inside with high contrast at 100K:1 and 300CD/m2 brightness. One of the coolest screens was the foldable display measuring 5.3-inches that folds in the middle and still packs nice specs.

Samsung also showed off a couple color screens that were flexible allowing for some out there designs. The flexible screens measured 4.3-inches. Samsung also has a transparent AMOLED screen that you could see though. It was on a 14-inch netbook and had a resolution of 960 x 540. Lots more stuff was shown off in the booth and you can hit up the source for more details and check out the video below.

Not all keyboards are up to the rigors of gaming. If you have ever tried to play a FPS or other game with a junk keyboard that shipped with a cheap PC you have seen more ghosting than most haunted houses and know exactly what I mean. When it comes to gaming keyboards, not all of them are created equal either. Many gamers lust after a gaming keyboard with mechanical keys more than one packed with macros and other features many won't use.

A company called Zowie Gear has unveiled a new gaming keyboard with mechanical keys called the Celeritas. The company says that the keyboard is the perfect weapon for competition where response time and the ability to move freely are essential. The Celeritas is designed specifically for competitive gamers. The keyboard has 18K gold plated brown mechanical switched for increased durability and better feel.

The key caps are nylon, the keyboard has a simple black design, and the keys are not backlit like many gaming keyboards. The keyboard also has a Zowie RTR technology built-in that lets the user define a repeat response of a key press for 1x to 8x when connected via a PS/2 connector. The response time of the keyboard is 0.2 seconds, which is the fastest of any mechanical keyboard on the market and it has anti-ghosting tech. The keyboard will ship in Europe this December for 119,90 euros.

TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces the availability of the world's smallest 150Mbps Micro Wireless N USB Adapter, model TEW-648UBM. The ultra compact form factor measures a remarkable 0.59 x 0.74 x 0.28 inches (1.5 x 1.9 x 0.7 cm).

When plugged into a USB port, the adapter extends a scant 0.3 inches (0.8 cm) from the edge of the computer. The adapter is so small that users can stow a laptop with the adapter plugged in, without worrying about damaging the laptop or the adapter.

This adapter is also the only product in its class that features a convenient WPS button. One-touch Wi-Fi Protected Setup, or WPS technology, eliminates the hassle of entering complicated codes in order to connect to a wireless network. Simply press the WPS button on a compatible router (most TRENDnet routers feature a WPS button), then press the WPS button on TRENDnet's 150Mbps Micro Wireless N USB Adapter, confirm that you want to connect, and you're connected.

Kingston makes a ton of different products that are used inside computers all around the world. The company has tons of RAM for enthusiasts, flash drives, and a full line of SSDs for any user group. Kingston announced today that it has added a new family of SSDs to its line called the SSDNow V100. The new SSDs are offered in several capacities and come in OEM or retail kits.

The SSD can be had in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. All of them use NAND flash memory and have a 2.5-inch form factor. The SSD comes in a retail box kit that includes the SSD, cloning software, mounting brackets and more. A notebook bundle is also offered that includes a 2.5-inch external housing that lets you reuse the drive you replace for external storage.

The drives all support TRIM on windows 7 and the drives have no moving parts and sip power. In sleep mode, they need 1W and in active mode, they need 6.4W of power. Kingston promises sequential write speeds of up to 250MB/s and reads up to 230MB/s on the two larger drives with the 64GB drive getting a rating of 145MB/s on write. The retail bundles sell for $129.99 in 64GB flavor, $234.99 in 128GB, and $499.99 in 256GB. The OEM versions with the SSD only will save about $10.

Having technology in the classroom can make learning more effective and more fun for kids all around the world. The problem with giving kids tech is that they often don't understand just how careful they have to be with the hardware to prevent any damage so stuff for the classroom has to be designed just for kids and be durable. A new tablet specifically designed for kids will be hitting the market soon called the Fable.

The tablet is made by Isabella Products and it has an intuitive interface and a 7-inch high-resolution screen. The screen is touch sensitive and the Fable has a patent pending interface called the carousel navigation interface. The device will also come pre-loaded with children's content from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The Fable tablet will allow the users to do a bunch of different tasks.

The Fable will have an integrated eReader and it will have an artistic toolset as well. These tools will let the kids draw on blank pages on the reader and color pages and other content. The tablet will also have gaming features with interactive games for learning and the student will be able to share photos from other users using the Fable gallery. The Fable will have an integrated camera. Isabella Products expects to ship the Fable tablet in mid-2011.

Android powered tablets and eReaders are something that there are lots of folks looking forward to out there. You might recognize the Entourage name as the company that offered up the dual screen Edge tablet earlier this year. That thing has an e-ink screen on one side and a LCD on the other. The big issue for some users was that the thing was so large and bulky.

The company has come back with another product called the Entourage Pocket Edge. The new Pocket version has the same dual screen and runs the Android OS, but it is smaller. The left side of the tablet has a 6-inch e-ink screen and the right has a 7-inch resistive touch LCD. That LCD has a resolution of 800 x 480. The smaller screens will make the device easier to handle for many users and make it more portable.

It also has WiFi, Bluetooth, and USB ports for sync and hosting. A microSD card slot allows for expansion of the 3GB of internal memory. The machine also has a mic, 2MP webcam and more. The new Pocket Edge is about half an inch think when open and an inch thick closed making it more bulky that any other readers on the market. Entourage also says that the device is not aimed at educational use for students and teachers due to the small size of the screens that make for issues looking at some documents.

Lenovo has been making computers for a long time and after years of making sturdy looking machines that were little changed visually from when the IBM name was on the lid, the company has finally taken to making their machines look good over the last year or so. The latest new notebook from Lenovo is the new IdeaPad U260. The machine has quietly been added to the IdeaPad line and while we are short of the full specs at this time, we do have enough to know that the little ultraportable sounds good.

The machine has a 12.5-inch matte finish HD resolution LCD. I loathe the glossy and glare prone screens most notebooks so the matte screen is a great feature for me and other folks that need to work in bright environments. The notebook lacks an optical drive, which is common in the ultraportable market today and it has no ExpressCard slot either. The machine will offer both ULV Intel Core i3 and i5 processors and has a 4-cell battery.

Other features of the little notebook include Bluetooth and WiFi. The machine has 4GB of RAM and a 320GB HDD. It will ship in either mocha brown or clementine orange colors. Outputs will also include VGA and HDMI outputs. The chassis of the machine is made from magnesium and considering the hardware inside and lacking official pricing, we will have to assume this will be an expensive machine.

Gigabyte provides some of the most important pieces of hardware inside your computer system. The company is huge in the mainboard and video card markets with parts covering the range from high to low priced and everything in between. Gigabyte has today announced that it is set to toss a new NVIDIA video card onto the market.

The new card is the NVIDIA GTX 580 and with this card, NVIDIA lays claim to the title of world's fastest DirectX 11 GPU. The Gigabyte card is part number GV-N580D5-15I-B and naturally has the GTX 580 GPU onboard with GDDR5 RAM. This is the new video card that uses the NVIDIA vapor chamber cooling tech that surfaced last week. The cooling tech promises to cool better and produce less noise, which is a win/win for gamers and enthusiasts.

The GTX 580 Gigabyte is offering up has 512 CUDA cores and is based on the Fermi architecture. The card has support for high-speed 32x AA for smooth edges and it supports 3D Vision Surround for 3D gaming across multiple screens. The card also supports PhysX and native HDMI with 7.1 channel audio. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.