Archive for June 22nd, 2005
Nividia has unveiled the GeForce 7800 GTX,its new flagship GeForce GPU.
New features include a brand new programmable shader architecture, with more than twice the shading horsepower of the previous generation and film-quality, high dynamic range lighting.
“With more than 300 million transistors, the GeForce 7800 GTX GPU is the most advanced graphics processor ever built,” stated Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce GPUs at NVIDIA. “With this new graphics architecture, we are able to create a GPU so powerful that game developers can start to make their visions a reality, and real-time gaming can now rival offline film rendering.”
The single-slot GeForce 7800 GTX features measured game application throughput up to 2.3x the dual-slot GeForce 6800 Ultra. A testimony to the breakthrough in GPU architecture, the single-slot 7800 GTX achieves this while consuming 50 percent less power than a single-slot GeForce 6800 Ultra.
The GeForce 7800 GTX’s all-new Microsoft DirectX 9 Shader Model 3.0 engine features a new 128-bit floating point core. This powerful design provides film-quality visual effects, such as high dynamic range (HDR) lighting, at real-time frame rates.
“High dynamic-range lighting and parallax mapping make a huge difference in the way a game will look, and will ultimately bring a whole new level of realism and polish to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,” said Todd Howard, executive producer at Bethesda Softworks. “NVIDIA continues to deliver the caliber of GPUs that support these tech features and more, which is exactly what we need to create true next-generation games today.”
In addition to HDR support, the GeForce 7800 GTX GPU also enables new image quality features such as transparency supersampling and multisample antialiasing. Through these new methods, high-quality antialiasing is applied to entire scenes, not just to the edges of polygons. These new antialiasing modes help improve the image quality of outdoor scenes that make heavy use of transparent or semi-transparent objects such as fences and vegetation. The result is stunning lifelike images and improved realism.
“New antialiasing modes from NVIDIA enable us to deliver even more realism in Battlefield 2,” said John Vifian, senior development director at Electronic Arts. “These new modes provide stunning visual quality without sacrificing performance, and that is a real testament to the new GeForce 7 architecture.”
GeForce 7800 GTX GPUs also support NVIDIA SLI technology, which allows users to combine the power of two GPUs in a single PC system for the absolute highest frame rates and 3D rendering quality attainable today, allowing for superhigh-quality settings in even the most demanding games. With two GeForce 7800 GTX GPUs and SLI technology, gamers can now crank their screen resolutions up to 2560×1600 with 4x antialiasing.
A home theater PC outfitted with a GeForce 7800 GTX GPU featuring NVIDIA PureVideo hardware and software technology offers superb picture clarity and precise, vivid colors across all high-definition (HD) ATSC video formats.
The highest quality 1080p HD-output is made possible through three separate PureVideo engines, support for both 3:2 and 2:2 pull down (inverse telecine), and a host of other features. The advanced scaling and de-interlacing capabilities offered by NVIDIA PureVideo technology allow DVD and other non-HD interlaced content to display incredibly clear, smooth, and artifact-free video on progressive displays, ranging from PC screens to large-screen HDTVs.
June 22nd, 2005
MSN Search is playing catch-up (no change there we hear you cry) and has launched a local search option. The service, which is currently in beta, allows you to specify a location for your search and the results returned will be in the neighbourhood required e.g. pizza, new york returns a set of pizza restaurants in and around Manhatten.
The results are accompanied by “informative maps and aerial images” according to MSN. Each result is shown as a numbered pin on a corresponding map provided through Microsoft MapPoint Web Service, and digital aerial images are supplied by TerraServer-USA when available for a given search result.
The new MSN Local Search functionality is an evolution of the Near Me search feature that debuted on MSN Search in February.
There is very little to distinguish MSN Local Search from similar offerings on Google and Yahoo! - it even looks the same. It’s surprisingly hard to get a result though. We tried to find a bagel restaurant in Miami (this TechSmec.com reporter remembers great one from his childhood), but no joy. Expanding the search to restaurants got the answer “no results for Restaurant in Miami”. Lots of home catering going on in Florida obviously. MSN Local Search has a little way to go yet.
June 22nd, 2005
Motorola has announced the launch of the FOMA M1000, the world’s first-ever WLAN-integrated W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS dual-mode smartphone which they have developed jointly with NTT DoCoMo.
The new handset is modeled on Motorola’s 3G A1000, which won high acclaim from consumers in Europe and Asia. The M1000 will be available in Japan from July 1, 2005 through NTT DoCoMo channels.
“This is a breakthrough for the Japanese market because this goes beyond what was available to consumers here in the past. The fact they can now have 3G, business applications and multi-media functions makes this truly a seamless mobile experience and something Japanese consumers have been waiting for” said Michael Tatelman, Vice President and General Manager of Motorola Mobile Devices Business in North Asia.
The FOMA M1000 is designed to attract today’s increasingly mobile consumers who want connectivity with their workplace, their home, on the road and at play using one device.
Clearly distinct from conventional 3G mobile handsets, the FOMA M1000 provides features such as international roaming, full Internet browsing and high-quality voice and video communications, as well as the capability to send/receive e-mails to multiple addresses with attached files and view major business documents such as Microsoft® Word and Excel documents. The handset is also Bluetooth-enabled and contains Personal Information Manager (PIM) software and a large-capacity memory providing the flexibility to add applications.
“We are positioning FOMA M1000 as a strategic offering to promote “must-have” products in Japan’s sophisticated and highly developed market” commented Tatelman. “Partnering with NTT DoCoMo has been a vital step in Motorola’s re-entry into the Japan mobile device market” he said.
June 22nd, 2005
No more tangles, snags or kinks: Now music lovers can free themselves from the cords tethering them to their iPod and receive high quality sound — wireless headphones for the iPod have arrived.
Logitech has introduced the Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod. People can simply plug in the wireless adapter, set their iPod down, and move as far as 30 feet away — without ever missing a beat.
“Wireless headphones unleash people from their music player and remove the nuisance of cords,” said Ray Weikel, director of product marketing for Logitech´s Audio Business Unit. “No more untangling those earbuds when you pull your iPod out of the bag, or managing the cords while trying to enjoy your music. We believe our wireless headphones will truly be liberating for iPod owners.”
The Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod are the result of Logitech´s combined expertise in wireless technology, award-winning audio products, and innovative industrial design. They feature integrated iPod controls on the side of the headphones, so people can adjust the volume as well as track forward, track backward, play and pause their playlists — while the iPod rests untouched on the counter, in a workout bag or in a pocket. And, the headphones use advanced Bluetooth 1.2 wireless technology, which includes adaptive frequency hopping, for interference-free, crystal-clear digital audio. The 40 mm full-range neodymium drivers provide rich audio and enhanced bass performance.
The Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod are designed for a secure and comfortable fit. The behind-the-head headband is lightweight, flexible and durable — making it ideal for use in a variety of settings. The headphones weigh a mere 3.2 ounces and the wireless adapter, which connects to the iPod through the headphone jack, weighs just over 1 ounce.
The headphones work with any iPod with dock connector on its base, which includes nearly all models sold in the past two years. The headphones and the adapter are paired at the factory, so people can instantly begin using the product with their iPod directly out-of-the-box. The headphones are powered by rechargeable batteries, which play up to eight hours of music per charge. The product can be fully recharged in 2.5 hours. Both the adapter and the headphones can recharge simultaneously with the provided AC adapter, which features two connectors.
Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod are included in the “Made for iPod” program. “Made for iPod” means that an electronic accessory has been designed specifically to connect to iPod and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards.
The Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod will be available in retail stores and online, including Apple stores and www.logitech.com, in July throughout the U.S. and Europe. The suggested retail price for the product is $149.99 in the U.S.
June 22nd, 2005