Monday Tech Reading-DirectX9 no good for physics - tech
(hx) 01:08 AM CEST - Jul,18 2006
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- DirectX 9 no good for physics on GPU -
As DirectX 9 cannot support a lot
of objects it is definitely not the perfect answer for running physics on
your GPU.
- Intel prepping two new Xeon lineups -
There are four Intel Xeon 3000
model planned as following: Xeon 3040 (1.86GHz/2MB L2/1066MHz FSB), 3050
(2.13GHz/2MB L2/1066MHz FSB), 3060 (2.4GHz/4MB L2/1066MHz FSB) and 3070
(2.67GHz/4MB L2/1066MHz FSB), priced at US$188, US$224, US $316, and US $530
respectively, share the similar price with Core 2 Duo.
- AMD Mobile Price Cuts, New CPUs -
AMD is expected to announce price
cuts on October 23rd, 2006 for its complete mobile processor lineup.
- No Single-Thread Boosters for Dual-Core Chips from AMD -
One source close to AMD said that he has not heard of any technology that
could boost single-threaded applications performance on the dual-core chips by
combining the resources of the two execution engines. Another one, polled by
The Inquirer web-site, also said that the technology does not exist.
- Leadtek 7950 €521 card kicks ATI's X1900XTX butt -
It runs at least twenty percent faster than ATI, it rises to forty percent
advantage and in Doom 3 it runs even seventy percent faster. Performance
wise Leadtek 7950 GX2 is the fastest non overclocked card around. The only
disadvantage is lack of HDR and FSAA capability which is a shame but if you
want the performance this is the card for you.
- A-DATA Football Disk 512MB -
techPowerUp! posted a new review on the A-DATA Football Disk 512MB.
Included with the package is a little plastic football guy which can be
attached to the USB stick with the included chain.
- Everglide g-1000 Professional Gaming Mouse and Mouse Glidez -
Bigbruin.com posted a review on
the Everglide
g-1000 Professional Gaming Mouse and Mouse Glidez
- AlphaShield X2 Professional Firewall -
The only possible downfalls with
the unit is the lack of possible user adjustments, it is expensive at $99+
USD, and it is a firewall only -- no Internet connection sharing or other
network abilities.
- HP announces grain-size wireless memory chip -
Prototypes of the Memory Spot chip developed by HP Labs contain 256Kbit to
4Mbit of memory and can transfer data wirelessly at speeds of as much as
10Mbit/sec. This amount of storage allows the chips to hold a short video
clip, digital pictures or "dozens of pages" of text, HP said. The chips do not
require a battery.
- Lite-On IT to offer 20x DVD burners in 4Q - Lite-On IT, given the
fact that several global leading brands will follow Japan-based Plextor and
unveil 18x DVD burner models this quarter or early next quarter,
is
preparing to offer 20x DVD burners in the fourth quarter to enhance its
competitiveness, according to industry sources.
- Build 5472: New Vista Test Releases Keep on Rolling -
The new Vista build, 5472, includes primarily bug fixes and stability
improvements. Microsoft said it remains on target to ship the first release
candidate of Windows Vista, RC1, by the end of this quarter
- Windows Movie Maker 6 reviewed -
Paul Thurrott posted a review on Windows Movie Maker 6.
- Microsoft closes Private Folder 1.0 - Responding to pressure from
corporate users,
Microsoft Friday pulled free software from the Web that allowed users
sharing Windows PCs to shield information from other users in a private
folder.
- Skype Protocol Has Been Cracked -
Chinese programmers write their
own Skype client, able to call directly to Skype.
- Trojan downloader uses Zidane lure - Nefarious virus writers are
using continued interest in
Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbut in the World Cup final in order
to distribute malware via a malicious website that poses as an official
FIFA World Cup 2006 website. Surfers straying on the site are exposed to a
Trojan horse downloader, which uses Windows exploits in a bid to install
malware on vulnerable PCs. If successful, additional malware payloads are
downloaded on to victimised machines. According to web security firm WebSense,
the US-based site uses the underground "Web Attacker" toolkit, a malware
package available from a Russian website at anywhere between $20 and $300.
- British government to outlaw standby buttons -
The British government is expected to outlaw standby switches on
televisions, video devices and DVD players to cut electricity waste in the
home.
- Laser defense for airports -
Northrop Grumman has developed the
Skyguard laser-based air defense system for U.S. government agencies and
allies that require near-term defense against short-range ballistic missiles,
short- and long-range rockets, artillery shells, mortars, unmanned aerial
vehicles and cruise missiles.
- U.S. Miltary Plans Shape-Shifting Supersonic Bomber -
When completed (target date:
2020), it will cruise with its 200-foot-long wing perpendicular to its
engines like a normal airplane. But just before the craft breaks the sound
barrier, its single wing will swivel around 60 degrees (hence the name) so
that one end points forward and the other back
- Plasma bubble could protect astronauts on Mars trip -
A bubble of plasma could shield astronauts from radiation during long journeys
through space, researchers are suggesting. If the idea proves viable, it means
heavy metal protective panels could be replaced by a plasma shield of just a
few grams.
- Virtual reality puts telepathy to the test -
Scientists
at The University of Manchester have created a virtual computer world
designed to test telepathic ability. The system, which immerses an individual
in what looks like a life-size computer game, has been created as part of a
joint project between The University's School of Computer Science and School
of Psychological Sciences.
- The Joy of Sucking - Recently, a team of psychologists led by
Niklas Ravaja at MIND Labs in Helsinki, Finland,
decided to study precisely what sort of emotions people experience while
playing games. So they took a bunch of gamers in their 20s and while they
played, the gamers were wired up to a bunch of biosensors -- including
skin-conductance meters, cardiac monitors and facial electromyographs.
- The CW Announces Its 06-07 Schedule - The new fifth broadcast
network, targeting young adults 18-34,
will roll-out its premiere season schedule over the course of a two-week
period
- Spielberg on Indy 4 and Jurassic Park 4 -
Spielberg
mentioned that David Koepp is still working on finishing the Indiana Jones 4
script, that Jurassic Park III director Joe Johnston is standing by to
direct Jurassic Park IV, and gives updates on his Abraham Lincoln project and
his upcoming space travel film, which he reveals the name for.
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