Nvidia Releases 512 MB 8800 GTS

Hot on the heels of their 8800 GT launch, Nvidia has launched a brand new version of the GeForce 8800GTS series – The GeForce 8800GTS 512MB. This new graphics card has a completely new graphics core (code named G92), 128 stream processors, has 512 MB of Memory and is NVIDIA SLI ready along with support for Purevideo HD for HD quality video playback.

Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop GPUs at NVIDIA said, "If you want the best experience on the PC games coming out right now, then buying a new GPU should be top on your list of upgrades. GeForce 8800 GTS 512 is a fantastic option that we are providing gamers in time for the holiday season. With games such as Crysis and Hellgate: London pushing PC gaming graphics, gamers need a powerful GPU to get the best experience. GeForce 8800 GTS 512 supports DirectX 10, offers killer performance, and does it all for around $299-349."

The card is retailing in India at Rs. 19,999.

HP Introduces Blackbird 002 Alpha Desktop

HP has introduced a new enthusiast level machine; the Blackbird 002 Alpha. This powerful new desktop is based on Intel’s Penryn Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quadcore processor. Graphics processing is handled by a pair of Radeon X2900 video cards with 1GB of video RAM. The system also packs in 2GB of system memory, a 160GB 10,000 rpm hard drive, a 16× combo drive, a 15-in-1 memory card reader, and a 16× DVD-RW drive.


The system also features an Ageia PhysX 100 Series PCI-E accelerator card to boost hardware acceleration in supported games. The system CPU is cooled with a liquid-cooling solution that comes factory-sealed to prevent leakage.

"We're thrilled to offer gamers the speed and strength of the new Intel architecture," said Rahul Sood, CTO of HP's global gaming unit, in a statement. "The HP Blackbird 002 was designed to redefine the gaming experience and delight even the hardest-core user. Intel's new technology helps us to continue to deliver on that promise."

The Blackbird 002 Alpha comes with Microsoft Vista Home Premium and sells for a starting price of $5,499 (for the base model).

Amazing Moto U9

Motorola - is not only RAZR. This is a PEBL, ROKR. U9, finally. The model is not assigned to any of the series, and stands alone in the market - a stylish and powerful music-middle-class background - a potential bestseller? ..

Dynamics of the American Motorola sales in recent months not inspired optimism. It’s no secret that this brand even yielded second line world ranking Korean Samsung. However, since the end of this year, the situation promises to ????????????. I need hardly expect a sharp jump, but for a smooth growth at Motorola have all the prerequisites, namely a number of interesting products. Already entered the RAZR2 sale, which, with a loyal pricing policies will certainly be a buyer. And a month and expected product even more remarkable - U9. In fact, it is a musical extra bed medium price range, and that led to a model in which to its lineup ROKR. But novelty is not so simple. This is at the same time and continued PEBL traditions, as well as a new platform on the Linux kernel, as does the same RAZR2. Combined with an affordable price and the felicitous style decoration, which might make the model hit sales in its class. Moreover, the competition from U9 not at all.

Design news and the truth to succeed, the tube looks very impressive, especially given features like animated flames on the external screen in standby mode. Two color options - black and pink (in reality closer to fuksii than pink) - respectively, sexual division of the audience. Above applied glossy plastic used at the rear of soft-touch. No Metall, which, incidentally, has had a positive impact on the weight of the device. Generally, the size and weight U9 perfectly balanced - is the best way to phone in his hand. Waiver of Power PEBL U6 is a controversial step, but it is not without purpose - thickness decreased markedly. The keyboard is made of sheets of corrugated plastic coating, which is playing “light” - another detail the image charge U9. It is convenient to similar elements in the same or PEBL RAZR. Buttons have sufficient speed, well segmented, illumination comfortable.

Elements of the management U9 bit, but still there is the most important. Kachelka There is a volume control and choice of the sound profile, in the presence of the browser and call key / lock, and the right button is for voice functions - dictaphone / set. The main keyboard is a separate hot key player - yet another indication U9 musicality. As with the RAZR2, manage them using the touch strips on the external screen. It is also the basic functionality - SMS read (full, with scrolling), the sound profile Change, etc. Available independent management certification, is a good set of animated screen savers. In general, even funktsionalnee RAZR2 get a good response and Nokia. Returning to the elements U9, turn your attention to the interface connector - so long as malorasprostranenny microUSB. Given the activity, which develops the standard Nokia and Motorola in the new models can be regarded as a temporary disadvantage. But on the case of a lack of access to 3.5 mm - less serious for a musical apparatus.

Inside the novelty is most notable for software platform - is MOTOMAGX (formerly Linux Java), as in the more expensive RAZR2. But unlike older brother, is the updated version - 6.3 to 6.1. This is one of the most powerful interfaces on the market today par with Nokia S40 5th Edition FP1 and Sony Ericsson A200. The decision actually much more functional and convenient than P2K, which was used previously Motorola, and is now used in models of low price segment. Especially highlight player. This is a pleasant background application on analogs of other brands, but after Sony Ericsson Motorola software company is not largely emphasizes his musical decisions - U9 this is similar to the RAZR2. There is a convenient sorting, background, the accidental reproduction and repetition, even search for the name of the file. Of settings stereoeffekty celebrate the rich. Supported formats in abundance - MP3, WMA9/10/11, RA10, AAC, AAC + / Enhanced, AMR NB / WB, XMF. The quality of sound at altitudes, and this is true for A2DP. There is a universal 3.5 mm on the withdrawal complete headset wires, and gigabaytnaya card (again in the staffing supply), and does makes U9-fledged music background. The speed is not satisfactory, it is at a good level (see table Jbenchmark testing), although neidealno.

HD DVD Boss: The Format War is Far From Over

HD DVD still believes that there is still much territory to be claimed

Even with the tide apparently shifting in Blu-ray Disc’s favor, the HD DVD camp isn’t about to relent in the on-going high-definition format war. HD DVD still commands a significant portion of exclusive content and the most affordable hardware, giving the format a fighting chance – and nobody believes in HD DVD more than Universal Studios executive vice president Ken Graffeo, who also serves as the co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.

The HD DVD Group was rather mum on Warner’s surprise announcement right before CES to go Blu-ray Disc exclusive and cancelled its Sunday press conference. Graffeo, speaking to BetaNews, explains, “We heard about the whole move when everyone else did – when a lot of us were on planes flying to CES in Las Vegas ... If we had our press event on Monday, it would have been different, but because it was right there on Sunday and we heard Friday afternoon we couldn't even get to everybody ... The entire flow of the presentation would have had to been changed. When we found out at the last minute, we had to regroup and say ‘Toshiba, what are you doing?’ and we didn't have any answers.”

With HD DVD losing movie releases from Warner Bros. starting June, the HD DVD landscape could change drastically – something that the Promotional Group doesn’t yet have an answer for. “To be very honest with you, we have not addressed that yet,” Graffeo admitted. “Warner is still releasing HD DVD titles up until May. Warner has always been in two formats, and prior to Paramount's switch, they had been in two formats, so now that Warner is exclusive... we just haven't addressed it yet.”

One of the first rumors from Daily Variety to hit following Warner’s move was that Universal and Paramount were both poised to make the switch to Blu-ray Disc, but Graffeo refutes such reports. “I want to say that none of those rumors were substantiated. Nobody ever talked to us. I know nobody talked to Paramount ... This is business as usual for us and there are no plans to make any changes.”

One part of HD DVD’s new strategy is on lower prices and selling the hardware’s ability to upscale regular DVD movies. Graffeo explained the logic behind the new push, “Consumers right now are buying upconverting players – they are outselling the next-gen players combined by 10 to 1 every month. They are affordable because they are under $200 – the average price is $85 – and consumers want to see their movies better. So pricing is very important.”

As part of Toshiba’s new promotional plan, HD DVD hardware across the board dropped in price. Introduced on January 13, the price of the entry-model HD-A3 is $149.99, the HD-A30, with 1080p output, $199.99, and the high-end HD-A35, $299.99. Graffeo, along with the entire HD DVD Group, hopes that the entry-level HD-A3 will entice a whole new group of consumers.

“We saw that on DVD: as soon as price point went under $200 and as soon as it started getting close to $100 players really started taking off because you're hitting very consumer-friendly prices,” he said. “If you want to hit the mass market, you have to be consumer-friendly in price. If you want to be a niche electronic, you're going to be high priced.”

It is the HD DVD Promotional Group’s belief and hope that sales of its players and software will grow exponentially as the mainstream consumer experiences high-definition movies. “1 million units starts word of mouth – people get exposed, people see it. When you're dealing with 200,000, you're at the early adopters and that's not really going to spread.”

Even with the latest sales numbers leaning in Blu-ray Disc’s favor, the overall high-definition market is still insignificant compared to standard DVD sales. According to Graffeo, 35 percent of households have HDTVs, but only 12 percent receive HD programming, and an even smaller percentage have a high-definition movie player. For this reason, Graffeo feels that HD DVD still has a lot of potential.

The Group most recently announced that it has sold over 750,000 HD DVD players total just after Thanksgiving shopping week. With holiday sales added, current day numbers could be near 1 million, giving Graffeo a reason to expect a spike in HD DVD uptake.

“That's why HDTVs finally started taking off, because consumers walked into their neighbors' houses and said ‘Look at that flat thing on the wall,’ that's great. You saw in November and December, everyone was aggressive with pricing. You could see how consumers are willing to buy HD movies when you get to an affordable price,” he said. “Most people are very happy with their DVD, but when they see a 1080p movie, it blows them away.”

Sony Introduces Cyber-shot T300

Sony has launched the 10.1 megapixel Cyber-shot T300. This digicam boasts the Sony Bionz image processing engine that improves the speed and accuracy of autofocus, exposure control, white balance, color adjustment and other functions. It also boosts sensitivity to a maximum ISO 3200 for successful low-noise shots without flash indoors or in dim lighting conditions.

Improved Face Detection technology can now distinguish automatically between children and adults, adjusting exposure, skin tone and red-eye reduction for great portraits with quick subject tracking.

For even more fun when you’re shooting, Smile Shutter waits until the subject smiles before automatically firing the shutter. It’s great for capturing relaxed portraits of young children who won’t always smile on demand. Used in conjunction with Face Detection, it can be primed to fire the shutter when either a child or adult smiles.

In a Cyber-shot first, the T300 now features Intelligent Scene Recognition that takes the guesswork out of selecting the right camera settings in a range of common shooting situations. In Advanced mode, the camera takes two shots – one with standard automatic settings and the other with optimized settings – so you can pick your favorite.

Other features include the large, widescreen 3.5-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus touchscreen. There’s also a high quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a powerful 5x zoom range that brings distant subjects closer.

The DSC-T300 camera replaces the DSC-T200 model, and is expected to be available in March. It will ship in red, black and silver finishes, and retail for about $400.

Nokia N81 & N81 8 Gb

N-Gage is now a new generation is not limited to one device, it is an entire platform, which is available to multiple smartphones Nseries (already N81, N73, N93, N93i, N95). No particular component is clearly manifested in the game fresh N81 and N81 8GB.


The first N-Gage has become an interesting decision, but the mass of the product prevented a number of gaps. It was easier to freeze idea, as amended and supplemented it. Now, Nokia is ready to implement the conceived anew, but in a completely different manner. The second generation of N-Gage is no longer a single machine or more. This is a full-fledged platform for smartphones Nseries. In particular for the N81 and N81 8GB, which in most explicitly positioned game. Already aware that many European operators refused to sales of these new products because of their home support services. This is not surprising, because profitable to promote their services, otherwise lost revenues. The result of such a conflict is likely to become the focus should Nokia to markets where sales of camera tubes does not developed or are secondary. In this case, Russia has become one of the priority regions for the N81 and N81 8GB. It is expected that it will be realized in our largest number of these vehicles.

New product is available in two versions, which differ memory and cost. Elder is changed by about 2500 rubles. expensive and has built an array of flash memory 8 Gb volume, but denied microSD slots for the cards, which is a junior. The two met in the smartphone form factor slider in the same classic design. Registration pleasant apparatus that combines rigour and style. But size and weight are not chosen the best possible way. For example, the thickness of the shell is a great deal of 17.9 mm, and the greater the average weight - 140 g. As a result, models like lovers massive smartphones, although the brink reasonable N81 perestupayut not. Indirectly calculation on male audience confirms the availability of only one solution to the front panel color - black, the same as Sony Ericsson K850i. However, this is the correct option for Russia, but because the choice of Nokia are successful.

Seitz Launches 160 Megapixel Digicam

Nope, that’s not a typo in the headline! Swiss company Seitz Phototechnik has just launched a whopping 160 megapixel digital camera. While most high-end D-SLRs can shoot images that size up to 24 x 36 mm, this monster can go up to 60 x 170 mm, which frankly is a helluva lot more. But you kind of guessed that when we mentioned the 160 megapixels, didn’t you?


You need to be really serious about the kind of pictures you’d want to shoot with the Seitz 6x17, since it’s around 18 inches wide and weighs close to 10 pounds. Oh, and it also costs $44,414.
The 6x17 Digital employs a digital scanning back made by Dalsa. Scanning cameras employ a linear light sensor detector similar to that used in flatbed scanners; it moves across the field of view to take the photo rather than using a two-dimensional sensor that captures the entire scene simultaneously. It's a good way to get high resolution, but it comes at a cost: it takes a single second to take a full-resolution 7,500x21,500-pixel image.
The official site also gives you the option of buying a tablet PC with the Seitz 6x17, which makes sense considering the size of each full-res image would be close to 900 MB.

As for me, I’m gonna wait till this comes in an ultra-compact model.