Warcom Blog

Warcom Q1 Update – 2012

Angelo Stamboulakis | COO — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:11:27 +0000

Hello all, I thought that it was time to share with you some of the exiting developments here at Warcom.

You may not know that Warcom is entering its 12th year in business; a milestone for us personally and also a great track record for an Australian e-business. Let me put that into perspective for you – we have been in business as long as PayPal – Wow!

And, not unlike PayPal, we are seeing amazing growth in our business. Let me share some of the facts with you:

Sales Revenue has grown 61% from 2010 to 2011, and
The quantity of item shipped has grown 42%, in the same period

The figures are even more amazing if you look at the figures for 2012, even thought it still early February:

a 57% increase in Sales Revenues comparing Jan 2011 and Jan 2012, and
a 61% increase in quantities shipped over the same period.
February 2012 look on track to continue this great success story

I ‘m sure you’ll all agree that these are amazing growth figures but let’s see what that means for you, our valued customers, and our staff.

From our customers perspective we are actively seeking out new and exciting products and new ways to communicate with you and to offer you fantastic limited time offers. To this end, we are trying to connect to you via Blog, OzBargains.com.au, Facebook, Twitter, OCAU, flyers and many other ways. So, please, let us know how you want to hear from us, we value your thoughts and opinions.

All this growth has also meant that we have had to increase our staff numbers to cope with the exponential growth in our business. That’s good news for me personally, as I started working for Warcom in November 2011, and also for the many other new Warcom employees.

Our philosophy has always been a simple one; provide our customers with the latest quality products at our renowned great prices, but most importantly always maintaining the highest levels of customer service, that we have always prided ourselves on.

So, I’d like to close with a BIG THANK YOU to all our loyal customers and a promise that we will continue to server you in the same great manner for the next 12 years, even as our business grows in leaps and bounds.

Angelo Stamboulakis.
Chief Operating Officer.

Latest and greatest iPhone accessories

Cameron Sibeijn — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:25:40 +0000

Needing a New phone cover?

90% of phone covers are to bulky, old looking, and don’t protect your phone enough. You don’t need to settle for second best anymore, Warcom have some great deals on stylish iPhone accessories that won’t only save your iPhone but your budget as well.
You need a cover that will last that’s not made from cheap plastics, one that has a stylish look and thin so it won’t bulk up your pocket. A cover that doesn’t hide the controls yet protects the phone.

HEX Code Wallet iPhone 4
The HEX Code Wallet Case for iPhone 4 makes a strong statement with its inviting design and winning practicality. Wrapped in genuine leather, its slim profile provides plenty of room for your iPhone 4 and three credit cards.
- Genuine leather
- Quick-release custom bed for iPhone 4
- Three credit card slots
- Snugly fit elastic-secured cover

Energizer AP1201 Iphone 4 Powerskin
This powerskin has a buit-in rechargeable battery that features a smart battery technology. Through LED indicator on the back of the case, it clearly shows the power status.
This case is made from recycled silicone rubber. And this kind of material can effectively protect your iPhone 4 from external shocks and scratches. The extra 31 hours for listening to music will surely keep you entertained.

Standby time: up to 233 extra hours
Video time: up to 7 extra hours
Internet time: up to 5 extra hours

- Low profile, lightweight and flexible silicone rubber
- Protection, one-piece, durable and non-slip grip
- Battery check smart LEDs monitor power status
- Reliable longest industry 3 year limited warranty

Snap On – Racing Series – 3 Blue on White – iPhone 4
The smell of genuine leather handcrafted stitching, and just two stripes perfectly parallel, perfectly spaced, bringing back memories of racing enthusiasts and their machines, or provoking your life-long dream of being the enthusiast.

- Made of genuine leather and real stitching
-Thin hard-shell protection
- Soft touch interior
- Full access to all controls
- Safe face-down placement with elevated corners

Corsair K90 Mechanical Keyboard: Type Hard With a Vengeance

Bob B. - Guest Blogger — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:04:09 +0000

When I first heard about the Corsair Vengeance K90 Mechanical Keyboard, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Corsair have a long history of supporting the gaming community with a wide range of parts and peripherals aimed squarely at the PC enthusiast. So when Corsair announced the addition of gaming mice and keyboards to their existing Vengeance line of hardware, I was immediately interested. After some lengthy delays with the products reaching retail, I’m very happy to discover that my interest was completely warranted. The Corsair Vengeance K90 Mechanical Keyboard is quite simply the most comfortable keyboard I have ever had the pleasure of using.

To begin with, let’s take a look at some of the specifications that make up the Corsair Vengeance K90 Mechanical Keyboard.

Cherry MX Red Mechanical Switches
18 Customisable Macro (“G”) keys
Full anti-ghosting and 20 Key rollover on USB
Attractive brushed aluminium finish with laser etched, backlit keys.

So why Cherry Red switches? Red switches, like the Black switches before them are a linear switch. That means there is no tactile or audible feedback at the actuation point. For anybody doing even the tiniest amount of typing, this is a great thing. Having tried Cherry Blue switches, the sound is like a rapid fire machine gun, with each keystroke blasting its way out of the keyboard. Unlike Cherry Black switches however, the Cherry MX Red switch only require 45g of force to actuate, and a minuscule 2mm from resting to actuation, and a further 2mm to ‘bottoming out.’ There’s a steep learning curve when typing with these keys, if you want to avoid bottoming out but the end result is completely worth the effort.

The result is that you end up with a key that is nearly silent, and requires only a feather touch to activate. When gaming, I merely apply the lightest pressure to the keyboard and find my actions replicated in the game. Combined with a full-sized wrist rest, this makes the Corsair Vengeance K90 Mechanical Keyboard the most comfortable keyboard I have ever used. For a run-down of some of the other Cherry MX switches out there, don’t forget to check out Kenny’s previous blog!

A lot has been written in the press about the lack of Cherry MX Red switches on every key, however. Many feel this was a cost cutting exercise, and I’m not here to analyse that. The question that was on my mind from the moment I saw the design was “will this make any difference to how I use the keyboard?”

Do I notice the difference in key “feel” on the rubber dome keys? Yes, absolutely I can tell which keys use rubber domes. Does it make any difference to my enjoyment of the keyboard? Not in the slightest. Each rubber-dome key is just as easy to type on, and the tactile difference can actually be quite beneficial for an experienced touch typist. I can tell by feel which keys are mechanical, which prevents any missed keystrokes while typing or gaming. This is a great thing in my opinion, and for an informed consumer should play no part in your decision to pick up this fantastic keyboard.

If you’re in the market for a stylish, comfortable and all-round fantastic mechanical keyboard; whether it’s your first or fortieth mechanical keyboard, look no further than the Corsair Vengeance K90 Mechanical Keyboard. For those who don’t require the 18 “G” keys, or back-lighting, why not consider the Corsair Vengeance K60 Mechanical Keyboard? Warcom carry a full range of Corsair gaming products.

This blog was entirely typed on a Corsair K90 keyboard, purchased from Warcom. No promotional considerations were given.

Top Five Gaming Computer Cases

Cameron Sibeijn — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:45:57 +0000

Here are our top five computer cases at great low prices without compromising the quality or the aesthetic aspect. Perfect for the everyday office or the experienced gamer, modern looks with vibrant colours will make you stand out at any LAN. All of these great computer cases and more are just one click away on our website or you can call our friendly team today and order your new case.

1) Thermaltake Level 10 GT Computer case - $300.90

With multiple intake and exhaust fans that run quietly and hinged side panel to create easy access to hard drives and cables this is quiet possibly the best case for gamers. There are three LED lights with multiple modes and a panel on the front for LED and fan control. Key features include,

Five hot-swappable hard drive bays, each with its dedicated backplane to support hot-swap. Hard drive mounting supports both 2.5″ or 3.5″ drives.
Connectivity array. Four USB 2.0 ports are conveniently located on the front bezel including a pair of audio ports. Two USB 3.0 ports and one eSATA port located on the top.
Water cooling ready – 120mm or 240mm radiators can be easily attached to the top side of the chassis (top 200m fan needs to be removed)

2) Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 gaming case - $194.08

The see through gaming case that will make a killer rig with lockable sides for security, four cooling fans with two LED fans in the rear, washable fan filters perfect for the gamers running the computers constantly.

Bottom-mounted power supply isolates heat
Mounts either a standard size power supply or an Antec exclusive CP Series power supply
CPU cutout allows for easy installation of CPU coolers
14 drive bays: Up to 9 x internal 3.5″, 3 x external 5.25″, 4 x internal 3.5″ Fleet-Swap drives (position changeable), 1 x external top 2.5″ hot-swap SATA drive bay, 1 x internal bottom-mounted 2.5″ SSD drive
7 expansion slots to support multiple graphics cards
Windowed side panel
1 x USB 3.0, 3 x USB 2.0

3) Gigabyte iSOLO 230 - $96.60

Perfect case for the office, stylish black seamless aluminium frame with mesh sides to keep it cool, ready for the liquid cooling upgrade making it a silent and vibration free case. The tool-less entry case is perfect for the office, no need to run around looking for the right screwdriver.

5 x 5.25″, 5 x 3.5″ Drive bays
2 x USB 2.0
Audio port
1x 120mm silent front fan, 1x 120mm silent rear fan

4) Cooler Master HAF942 - $247.55

Stylish Cool Master case with the red LED glow at the front makes this a gamers dream case, the rugged black coated interior with the latest cable management rubber grommets makes this a clean and smarter inside. Four internal cooling fans with a spacious interior for large components.

SATA Dock for easy installation without the need of removing side panel
Internal USB 3.0 on front I/O panel
9 slots support triple VGA cards
Adjustable VGA card holder to support heavier GPU cards
Power supply partition to conceal cables

5) Silverstone Fortress series FT02B-W - $262.98

Slim line black aluminium case with side windows, stylish fresh look makes this a great case for the office.

Mid towerwith 90° M/B mounting
W/O PSU, ATX,SSI-CEB
Side window, 5×5.25″, 5×3.5″ (hot-swap capable)
3x180mm fan and 1x120mm fan, USB 2.0 x 2, Audio x 1, Mic x 1

The Biggest Brother Printer Give Away Yet

Braden Goodes — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:47:18 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS to the winner of last weeks Brother printer give away Alana Ashford!

Due to the massive success of the last printer challenge, the team has decided to run the competition again!

For your chance to win the Brother HL-2130 Mono Laser Printer just head over to the Warcom Facebook page, “like” the link and “share” it and you will automatically go into the draw to win.

Pink Apple Accessories

Steph — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:35:44 +0000

Here’s a blog for all the girls out there about the Pink Apple Accessories we have to offer! We’ve got a wide range of pink Apple accessories that you can get you’re hands on including iPhone, iPad, Laptop cases, iPod Nano watches, Portable speakers and heaps more!

Laser Nature Series Leather – Snap On -Pink -iPhone 4 - $34.07

Impact resistant with a thin hard shell protection. A soft touch interior Screen Protector and cleaning cloth included. Full accessibility to all controls With every Trexta Product, a cord manager is included.

The Laser Series is available in Flower and Weave. Features.

Genuine Leather Laser Etched Design
Stylish touch for your iPhone 4
Impact resistant with a thin hard shell protection but soft touch interior
Screen Protector and cleaning cloth included
Full accessibility to all controls With every Trexta Product, a cord manager is included.

Moshi iGlaze 4 Skin shell case for iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S-Chanpagne Pink - $37.21

The Moshi iGlaze is a simple styled Ultra slim fit case with an hardened surface treatment for enhanced scratch and shock protection.

Features:

Ultra slim fit with iPhone 4/4S (0.8mm thickness)
Hardened surface treatment for enhanced scratch protection.
Designed and tested to be ‘flash-friendly’; no interference to iPhone 4/4S built-in flash which causes unwanted flare in photos.
All iPhone buttons are easily accessible while resting in iGlaze shell casing

Enki Wave iPad TPU Shell Pink with 1 Gloss Screen Protecto r - $30.98

The Wave provides lightweight, durable protection for your iPad without adding bulk. The soft touch feel of the second skin protects your iPad from scratches, dings, dust and moisture.

Maintains full access to all the controls on the iPad.

Made of 100% TPU material (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), hi tech material.
Similar in wear resistance to hard plastic cases,
Custom fit, smooth feel .
Flexible and tough it will never stretch out of shape like silicone.
Resists dirt and stains, washable.
Custom designed wave pattern with many colours available .

Gumdrop Drop Series – iPhone 4G – Pink – $39.74

The Drop Series iPad 2 case specifically conforms to the shape of the Apple iPad 2 and offers multi-layer protection, making it one of toughest and most durable cases on the market. This iPad 2 case features a uniquely replaceable, snap-on integrated screen for maximum protection. Gumdrop cases also available for iPhones.

Features

Complete security for the iPhone 4, including screen and port covers
Dual material construction for multiple layers of shock absorption
Reinforced rubber bumpers on the corners
Includes a replaceable integrated screen cover and a belt clip
Fits both the Verizon iPhone 4 and AT&T iPhone 4

HEX Slim watch band for iPod Nano Gen 6 (Pink) – $32.69

The Hex Watch is a premium silicone strap with an easy pop in pop out design. The HEX watch band is also seen as the choice for the active lifestyle due to its audio port cover with inline orientation, It’s traditional watch styling and buckle closure as well as its sport look and is also available nine different colors.

Features

Custom premium silicone strap
Pop-in pop-out design
Integrated control buttons
Audio port cover with inline orientation
Improves protection
Way cool.

Head over to our website and check out more of our Apple Products!

I nearly forgot! Have you seen our AMAZING Pink Bottle Openers? They’re Only $5 for a limited time! Head over to www.warcom.com.au to grab yours today!

-Steph

Brother Printer Give Away!

Paul Warren — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:32:48 +0000

Our good friends over at Brother Printers Australia have very generously given us THREE x Brother HL-2130 Mono Laser Printers to give away to our wonderful customers!

For your chance to win one of these great printers, head over to our facebook Fan page and “Like” the page.

Good Luck!

Warcom, Warcom Logistics & Insiteful.

Website - More Posts

DIY Monitor Stand Build Off!

Paul Warren — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:28:38 +0000

We’re super excited to announce the first Warcom “DIY” Monitor Stand Build Off!

Being Australia’s Monitor Stand specialists, we’re all about being able to give our customers the best prices, best service and more importantly – the best products.

However – ever now and then we do like to go back to our geek roots and build things ourselves! Sometimes with great success and other times with epic failure.

I was talking to Byron about a new monitor stand that I was looking at building last night and thought hey, why not open this up to the whole community? Surely the more of us get involved with this the more creative the final product will get.

So How Do I Enter?

Register a free account on our community forums here: http://www.warcom.com.au/forum
Start your own thread in our worklog thread: http://www.warcom.com.au/forum
Post your worklog / photos in this thread.
Keep your thread updated as you work on your project.

Competition Rules:

The Monitor Stand can be built out of anything you want.
The Monitor Stand can hold as many monitors as you like.
Must be built in your garage or geek-cave.
A build log must be kept (as in, take photos along the way and document the process).
All images and content will become the property of Warcom.

Here are a few concepts that I found online, just to get the creative juices running:

Check out this cool Dual Vertical monitor stand made using some scaffold pipe and some metal straps.

This guy even has a plank of wood in there! cool space saving design though!

Or try this one, nice simple design but looks great!

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Houston we are go!

Braden Goodes — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:55:54 +0000

Well it looks like Samsung have finally got the green light to release the ~~new~~ Samsung Galaxy 10.1″ Tablet down under after Apple’s efforts to block the release failed.

After months of Apple’s senior staff calling Samsung engineers copy cats, the Sydney High Court denied Apples request to block the tablet hitting stores. In the end this turned out to be some free publicity for the guys over at Samsung who are about as popular among the iSheep crowd as Microsoft.

Many claims that this tablet is an iPad killer are yet to be put to the test. My personal opinion is that even though mac iOS is more “restricted” in use than Android it is simply a better platform for the average user. Many people complain that Apple restricts use of the tablet and for this reason Android is better, but in reality what doesn’t the iPad do that you need it to?

Anyway lets take a look into the specs of the Galaxy 10.1″ Tablet.

Platform	Band	GSM&EDGE Band	850 / 900 / 1,800 / 1,900MHz (3G variant only)
	Band	3G Band	850 / 900 / 1,900 / 2,100MHz (3G variant only)
	Network&Data	GPRS	Class 12 (3G variant only)
		EDGE	Class 10 (3G variant only)
		3G	HSPA+ 21Mbps, HSUPA5.76Mbps (3G variant only)
	Operation System	Android Honeycomb 3.1
	Browser	Google Browser (Supports Adobe Flash 10)
Design	Form Factor	Tablet
Physical Specification	Dimension (HxWxD)	175.3 x 256.7 x 8.6mm
Physical Specification	Weight	565g (3G variant), 560g (WiFi-Only variant)
Display	Internal	Technology	TFT LCD
		Resolution	1,280 x 800 (WXGA), 16M Colours
		Size	10.1″ Widescreen
Battery	Standard	Capacity	7,000mAh
Battery	Standard	Stand-by Time	Up to 9 hours – video playing Up to 1,800 hours – standby (3G variant) Up to 2,000 hours (WiFi-Only variant)
Camera	Camera Resolution	3MP (Rear), 2MP (Front)
	Flash	Yes (Rear)
	Auto Focus	Yes (Rear)
	Shot Mode	Smile / Panorama / Action / Auto / Macro
	Photo Effects	Grayscale/ Sepia / Negative
	White Balance	Yes
	ISO	Auto
Video	Video Player	H.263 / MPEG4 / H.264 / DivX / WMV Note: Full HD encoded content cannot be viewed in Full HD resolution on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 screen. All compatible content may only be viewed on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 screen at a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 800.
	Video Recording	Yes – 1,280 x 720 / 640 x 480
	Video Messaging	Yes
	Video Streaming	Yes – H.263 / MPEG4 / H.264
	Video Telephony	Yes – Google Talk Video. Other Video Chat and Conferencing apps via Android Market
	Input Device	Touchscreen

The battery life of the unit is sufficient, not amazing, but OK. You should be able to check your emails while 0n the toilet and still have enough power to check how much flour to use when making pancake batter. As you can see, with specs like this you shouldn’t see any lag during a fast paced game of solitaire or catapulting birds into wooden structures containing pigs.

One of the things I won’t fault with this unit is the video playback. The large screen on the unit is nice, it is large and videos look good on it. I’d recommend using it for Youtube videos or watching Tv series on the train, don’t go replacing your home theatre system in place of this tablet as you won’t exactly be thrilled sitting on the couch huddled around a 10.1″ tablet with your family.

The end result is a wildly mediocre “competitor” to the iPad. Think of it as a bigger, faster and better version of the bargain basement Optus (ZTE) tablet. Hardware comparable to iPad? Yes. Software? No it’s not iOS…

… Might as well buy a kindle.

Mechanical Keyboard: It’s time to switch to a Cherry switch

Kenny Telford. - Guest Blogger — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:01:26 +0000

It seems technology is moving forward in great leaps and bounds with new processors, graphics cards, hard drives, etc. coming out all the time, so it’s easy to miss something that was right in front of you the whole time, your keyboard. The most common being a rubber dome keyboard which are very cheap to produce and ‘do the job’. Problem is even most ‘high end’ keyboards have these cheap rubber domes which are only intended to last a couple of years. So why a mechanical keyboard?

The mechanical keyboard uses mechanical switches, currently the more common being Cherry switches, but there are other types. Unlike the rubber dome which pops the key back up after it is pressed the Cherry switch uses a spring (rubber vs. metal in other words). This means a longer, more accurate and consistent life for the keyboard and your hands. The spring is combined with a metal (normally gold plated) contact to create the switch and increase their accuracy. There are different kinds of Cherry switches and these are denoted by a colour (black, brown, blue, etc.). Each colour has different characteristics to suit different users as below.

Black: These Cherry switches range of forces required to press them from lighter to stiffer than a rubber dome and don’t click on the way down – good for gaming
Brown: A slightly lighter press than rubber domes and make a click sound half way down to let you know the key stroke has been registered – good all rounder
Blue: The press on these Cherry switches uses a similar force as a rubber dome and they also make the click sound half way down – good for typing
Clear: Much rarer than the other three listed here, these switches have a stiffer feel than a rubber dome and also click on the way down – good all rounder

From research it seems the first mechanical keyboard was made by none other than Apple (Steve Jobs strikes again) and is still used today by some. Dating back to the late 1980’s this is a true testament to the durability of the mechanical keyboard. The difference between these and the newer models on the market is the mechanical part of the switch which is said to last even longer.

Obviously since the 1980’s there have been other advances that make the modern keyboard what it is today and these are now becoming available on the mechanical keyboard. Backlighting, usb ports, headphone ports and macro keys are just some of the features currently on the market. With these features and the multiple choices of Cherry switches all that is left to decide is which one should replace those old rubber dome keyboards that ‘do the job’, well less accurately anyway.

As the major piece of input hardware on more than 99% of the worlds computers are keyboards it would seem the keyboard is also one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment. My only advise to you, the reader, is to go and try one, even just tap on the keys the next time you see one in a shop (keeping in mind the different switches and feels). If you find one you like you won’t ever go back to those rubber domes.

This message is brought to you by my fingers and a mechanical keyboard

- Kenny.