nVidia to Add PhysX to Geforce 8-Cards

During Nvidia’s fourth-quarter financial results conference call, Nvidia shed a little more light on its acquisition of Ageia and what it plans to do with the firm’s PhysX technology. CEO Jen-Hsun Huang revealed that Nvidia’s strategy is to take the PhysX engine and port it onto CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), a C-like application programming interface Nvidia developed to let programmers write general-purpose applications that can run on GPUs. All of Nvidia’s existing GeForce 8 graphics processors already support CUDA, and Huang confirmed that the cards will be able to run PhysX.

“We’re working toward the physics-engine-to-CUDA port as we speak. And we intend to throw a lot of resources at it. You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if it helps our GPU sales even in advance of [the port's completion]. The reason is, [it's] just gonna be a software download. Every single GPU that is CUDA-enabled will be able to run the physics engine when it comes. . . . Every one of our GeForce 8-series GPUs runs CUDA.”

Nvidia’s Hybrid SLI May Not Be Suitable for Business Users, Serious Gamers.

Nvidia’s Hybrid SLI Graphics Core Cannot Drive High-Resolution Displays – Report

Despite of hype, Nvidia Corp.’s Hybrid SLI technology that can reduce power consumption of high-end multi-GPU systems as well as improve 3D graphics performance on entry-level computers with integrated graphics core (IGP) has several serious drawbacks that are likely to prevent the current implementation from going into systems of serious gamers or professionals.

Nvidia’s new Hybrid SLI technology has two modes that target different applications and usage models. The HybridPower mode switches off discrete graphics core or cores and uses only integrated graphics engine when high performance is not needed, thus, cutting power. The GeForce Boost mode make integrated graphics processor (IGP) assist discrete graphics processing unit (GPU) and boost performance when it is required. In both cases computer monitor has to be plugged to video output of mainboard’s IGP.

Apparently, the first implementation of Hybrid SLI technology not only does not support multi-monitor output capability, but also does not support dual-link DVI output, which means that such a system cannot support 30â€? high-end displays with resolution of 2560×1600.

Multi-monitor support is crucial for business and professional customers, who utilize two or sometimes even more displays to simultaneously access necessary information with their eyes without necessity to switch windows. In fact, multi-GPU SLI technology itself, designed strictly to boost graphics performance for gaming also does not feature multi-monitor capability, but since not many gamers require it, this was hardly a substantial disadvantage.

Perhaps, a more important drawback in the current implementation of Hybrid SLI technology is the lack of support of dual-link DVI output. The latter is needed to transfer data to monitors that have resolution of higher than 1920×1200 at 60Hz, which means that owners of high-end 30â€? monitors are not able to use native 2560×1600 at 60Hz resolution in case they use Nvidia Hybrid SLI system. Given that many gamers who utilize high-end graphics cards or 2-way or 3-way multi-GPU SLI systems also have 30â€? screens, despite of promises, will not be able to reduce power consumption of their systems by using Hybrid SLI technology.

When asked for a comment on the matter, Drew Henry, general manager of media and communication processor business at Nvidia Corp. said that didn’t “see the first generation of this product as an all encompassing solution�, but saw it “as an ongoing development process�, reports Bit-tech web-site. Mr. Henry confirmed that there was still “a hell of a lot of development work to be done on Hybrid SLI� and implied that it might be 24 months before Nvidia is truly happy with this technology. Launching the Hybrid SLI now will allow Nvidia to get additional feedback from end-users and design future implementations without the drawbacks.

Nvidia did not unveil any technology-related reasons that prevented it from implementing multi-monitor support as well as dual-link DVI output.

 

AMD unleashes the New Radeon Cards

 

AMD today announced the introduction and availability of the ATI Radeonâ„¢ HD 3400 and ATI Radeonâ„¢ HD 3600 series, the leading-edge entry-level and mainstream graphics processors (GPU) in the ATI Radeonâ„¢ HD 3000 series.

Ranging in price from USD $49-$65 suggested e-tail pricing for the ATI Radeon HD 3400 series and USD $79-$99 SEP for the ATI Radeon HD 3600 series, the new graphics solutions deliver unmatched value to the consumer.

Both series continue to advance AMD’s leadership by delivering display connectivity through DisplayPort™ integrated into the GPU, allowing AMD to exceed current manufacturing expectations in the industry. As part of the first family of graphics cards built using 55nm process technology, both series provide exceptional performance-per-watt for a quiet and power-efficient experience at unbelievable price points.
Blu-ray or HD DVD disc playback can be enjoyed in full HD glory (1080p)[iv] thanks to AMD’s proprietary unified video decoder (UVD) technology found on the ATI Radeon HD 3400 and ATI Radeon HD 3600 series, ensuring movies play back smoothly and with incredible detail. Immersive home theater environments can be created using the built-in support for six channel (5.1) Dolby Digital® surround audio transmission through HDMI. In addition, the ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 will support fully silent (passive) cooling, delivering the ideal solution for home theater PCs.

“With the ATI Radeon HD 3400 and ATI Radeon HD 3600 series, AMD is delivering outstanding graphics performance to the mainstream,� said Rick Bergman, senior vice president, AMD Graphics Products Group. “AMD is leading the industry by delivering top-to-bottom DirectX® 10.1 support with modular graphics capabilities for easy upgradeability. It’s part of our commitment to deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience™ to more users than ever before.�

AMD continues its display leadership with both series by offering the world’s first GPUs with integrated DisplayPort support. DisplayPort offers twice the bandwidth of DVI, and is poised to deliver low-cost high resolution and bit-depth panels.

“Dell and AMD have been leaders in driving the DisplayPort standard since its inception�, said Bruce Montag, office of the CTO, Dell. “AMD is demonstrating its technology leadership with the introduction of dual integrated DisplayPort capability in the ATI Radeon HD 3400 and ATI Radeon HD 3600 series graphics.�

Gamers looking for graphics processors that allow for further scalability will find that both series boast ATI CrossFireX™, which delivers the option of multi-GPU upgradability. ATI Hybrid Graphics will allow users to combine an ATI Radeon™ HD 3400 GPU with a compatible AMD 7-Series chipset to provide exceptional 3D performance as part of AMD’s upcoming mainstream high-definition desktop platform, adding further value to the gaming experience. With support for Microsoft® DirectX 10.1 support, gamers can play the top HD games with life-like 3D graphics, stunning realism, and great shading effects. Full support for PCI Express® 2.0 technology allows for twice the throughput of current PCI Express cards[v], which means gamers will be ready for demanding graphic applications.

The ATI Radeon HD 3400 and ATI Radeon HD 3600 series have already enjoyed broad customer adoption and are designed into a significant number of major OEM mainstream and entry-level PCs scheduled to be shipped in 2008. The official launch event, highlighting both series in depth, will be held in Beijing, China on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008.

Source : AMD

More than 1bn PCs in use by 2008

More than 1bn PCs will be in use worldwide by the end of 2008, said analyst Forrester, with the number exceeding 2bn by 2015.

The growth is being driven in emerging markets and high-profile programmes to reach previously untapped markets, said the analyst.

While it took 27 years to reach 1bn PCs, Forrester says it will take only around five years to reach the next billion, due to advancing technology, lower prices, and global demand from a technology-aware population.

According to Forrester, emerging markets in Brazil , Russia , India and China will account for more than 775m new PCs by 2015.

Forrester analyst Simon Yates said, “The industry can probably survive selling incrementally better hardware and software to the people who already have technology in their lives, but the vast majority of growth in the PC and related industries will come from emerging markets.”

 

Dating 2.0 Picks Up Speed

By JENNA WORTHAM
Dec. 20, 2007
It’s Friday night, and your date for the evening just appeared on your computer screen. He’s shifting awkwardly in his chair as he adjusts his webcam, and a comment about American Idol makes it immediately clear you haven’t found your soul mate. You promptly click “End date” and — after a few moments — your next date appears, and you’re ready to begin again.

Welcome to Dating 2.0. A bevy of new services is banking on the booming popularity of web video, text messaging and social networking to amp up online matchmaking for the Web 2.0 crowd.

“We’re the antithesis of sites like Match and eHarmony,” says Stephen Stokols, co-founder of speed-dating site WooMe. “It’s instant gratification.”

A handful of next-gen dating services updates the original online-dating sites’ standard mix of exhaustive personality surveys and poring over profiles in search of a potential mate. They’re the latest twists on internet dating, which drew in 22.6 million people this year, according to data collected by comScore.

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It seems like every blog on the internet has one of these, so here’s my picks for the top 20 Linux applications. I’ll be covering programs from all different categories that I think stand out and shine as true wonders of Linux and will be presented in no particular order. I’ll even go over a few that I think could use some work but have potential to be something great.

Audio/Video

1. K3B
K3B is KDE’s cd burning application and it has nearly every feature you’d want. It has an interface similar to Nero and its capabilities are on par with Nero. I use this application for all my burning needs. It is a standard program and should be in all major distributions’ package managers.
2. Audacity
Audacity is an audio editing software that lets you edit audio tracks quickly and easily and gives you a nice selection of default effects to modify your tracks. This is an excellent program for beginners that need to edit some audio for a home movie. It is also excellent for bands with low budgets to get some experience mixing and mastering their own tracks, I’ve heard some excellent sounding cds come as a result of Audacity.

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Electronic Arts to buy BioWare, Pandemic
Deal with parent Elevation Partners is worth up to $860 million

Electronic Arts acquired Pandemic Studios and BioWare, maker of the much-anticipated “Mass Effect” game for the Xbox 360.

The Associated Press
Updated: 1:39 p.m. ET Oct. 12, 2007

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Electronic Arts Inc., the video game developer known for titles such as “Madden NFL” and “The Sims,” said Thursday it will acquire two software studios from Elevation Partners in a deal worth up to $860 million.

The studios, BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios, have a total of 10 games under development. Elevation owns their parent, VG Holding Corp.

Together, the studios employ about 800 people in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, as well as in Canada and Australia.

Under the terms of the deal, EA will pay VG stockholders up to $620 million in cash and issue as much as $155 million in equity to some of the company’s employees. The shares will be subject to certain time and performance-restricted vesting criteria.

In addition, EA will assume outstanding VG Holding Corp. stock options, and has agreed to lend VG up to $35 million until the deal closes.

Microsoft Corp. is planning to publish BioWare’s Mass Effect game next month, and the studio is in the early stages of developing a multiplayer online game, EA said. Pandemic is planning to release “Mercenaries 2: World in Flames” and “Saboteur.”

The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval, is expected to close in January.

EA expects the deal to lower its 2008 earnings by about 30 to 40 cents per share. EA shares fell $1.22, or 2 percent, to close at $58.69 Thursday.

“Halo 3″ launched on XBox 360
By Franklin Paul and Nicole Maestri Reuters - Tuesday, September 25 06:08 am

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft began its midnight sales of “Halo 3″, the acclaimed alien shooter game that it hopes will widen its lead over Sony in the battle for industry dominance.

While some aficionados lined up before dawn at a Best Buy store on New York’s Fifth Avenue to grab a good seat for the launch extravaganza, others took advantage of the retailer’s offer to let them pay for a copy of the game and pick it up at midnight or the next day.

Alex Escobar was the first one at the store’s checkout counter, turning in a receipt to pick up his advance order.

“It is worth it. It is time to finish this fight,” Escobar said, echoing the tagline for a game featuring a futuristic soldier battling to save humanity from an alien onslaught.

What had been a only a modest gathering earlier in the day had swelled to a crowd of about 500 people that cheered as buyers entered the store, resembling other big consumer debuts this year, such as the last “Harry Potter” book and Apple’s iPhone.

“Halo 3″ is seen as the $30 billion (15 billion pound) video game industry’s equivalent of a new Potter book and Microsoft is counting on the game to finally push its money-losing entertainment unit into profitability.

“This is a critical holiday in terms of winning the next-generation console fight versus our competition and nobody has anything to go up and match ‘Halo,’” Shane Kim, vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, told Reuters Television.

Microsoft is backing the game with a marketing blitz that includes celebrity-studded midnight sales events at some 10,000 retailers across the United States.

In New York, someone dressed as the game’s armour-clad hero worked the crowd as music blared, lights flashed and event promoters handed out free goodies such as “Halo” t-shirts.

Gaming retail chain GameStop said the title set a record for advance orders, while Microsoft expects initial demand to surpass that for 2004’s “Halo 2″, which racked up $125 million in its first 24 hours.

SYSTEM SELLER

The first two “Halo” games have sold a combined 15 million copies and cemented Microsoft as a serious player in a video game industry that was dominated by Sony’s PlayStation 2.

“Halo 3″ is targeted firmly at the core Xbox audience of young males, for whom realistic combat games are a staple. It does little to widen the machine’s appeal to a more casual audience that is being courted with tremendous success by Nintendo’s Wii console.

“It’s not necessarily going to move a lot of new systems like the first ‘Halo’ did,” said Dan Hsu, editor-in-chief of EGM, a gaming magazine.

“At the same time, with all the marketing blitz and hype, consumers will be out there,” Hsu said, “and if they are thinking video games, they are thinking one of two things: ‘Halo’ or the Wii.”

Microsoft is certainly betting that the last chapter of the Halo trilogy will give a further boost to its latest console. The Xbox 360, launched in late 2005, has already enjoyed stronger sales than the pricier PlayStation 3, which critics say so far lacks any “system-seller” games.

“I was caught between buying the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but there are certain games like ‘Madden ‘08′ and this one that pushed me to Xbox 360,” said Darnell Jefferson, 25, who was second in line at Best Buy, referring to the hit football game made by Electronic Arts.

“Halo 3″ will enjoy the absence of another blockbuster game, “Grand Theft Auto IV”, whose October debut was delayed by publisher Take-Two Interactive Software until some time between February and April 2008.

The latest “Halo” has drawn wide praise from reviewers for its lush settings, cinematic story and breadth of features, positive buzz that pushed Microsoft shares up as much as 3.35 percent on Monday, their biggest one-day gain since April. The stock ended 1.5 percent higher at $29.08 on Nasdaq.

George Garcia, 32, said he had waited in line for 12 hours and planned to stay up all night playing the game.

“I knew it would deliver,” Garcia said.

(Additional reporting by Scott Hillis in San Francisco and Robert MacMillan in New York)