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DescriptionBig news out of the STI camp today, as they finally took the wraps off of the Cell processor that we have heard so much about over the past year as it relates to the Playstation 3. However, what you may not have known is that the Cell will have a major impact on much more than just the videogame industry. You see, the Cell is a major evolution in processor technology, and companies like Intel, AMD, nVidia, ATI are all taking watch. STI just one upped them all in a major way. I have taken the liberty of rounding up some of the more interesting articles from all over the interweb that will help you understand just what the Cell is all about:

Tom’s Hardware
Forbes
PC World
Times Online UK Cell Q&A


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Google Maps Beta


Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Misc. Tech,

DescriptionFor years I have tried a million map services and, more often than not, they all sent me to a dead end where the road I was looking for is across a highway - or just plain didn’t exist. Enter Google’s latest project - Google Maps. I did a few searches on Google Maps where I knew the fastest route like the back of my hand. Most sites like Mapquest and Yahoo Maps would take me a round about way, but Google used all the backroads I take to give me the fastest route. Google appears to be using TeleAtlas for its mapping data. The coolest feature is the ability to drag and zoom around the map, and its pretty darn fast as well, no waiting forever for the page to reload when you hit the zoom button. One negative that I found was that you have to put a street number in, whereas with MapQuest you can put just a street and it will display a range of numbers to pick from. Thats a minor price to pay though for one of most accurate map services I have seen in a while. Remember, all user experiences may not be the same, but for me this is taking a front seat in my favorites folder.

Read More | Google Maps


Anakin Jedi StarFighter  JoeToy.com recently posted photos of some new toy models based on the upcoming Star Wars film: Revenge of the Sith.  Looks like they’re trying to meld the vehicles with Episode IV - VI storylines, but I don’t think it looks all that great.  In any case, in the past few months, there have been all sorts of information leaks about the film, enough to give away the entire plot.    StarWars.com already has pictures of the new villain, General Grievous.  And this image from Rebelscum.com has a listing of major plot points (Spoiler Warning!) as described on the upcoming trading cards. 

See More | Grievous’ Wheel Bike
See More | AT-RT Model


Latest Gear Live Videos

Playstation 3 Alright all you Playstation fanboys - you will not have to wait until E3 to catch a glimpse of Sony’s highly anticipated next generation console. Sony’s Playstation 3 will be unveiled at an unspecified event sometime before May 18, 2005. Sony representatives confirmed that they will have an event planned where they will premier the PS3, but haven’t given the specifics. The race between next generation gaming systems is beginning to heat up and will only continue to do so as we approach E3.

Read More | GameSpot


Windows LonghornMicrosoft plans to release its next operating system, codenamed Longhorn, sometime within the next year or two. This operating system’s beta version will be released in June and includes many improvements since the last time Microsoft showed off their newest addition to the Windows family. Microsoft claims Longhorn will be more stable the the current Windows operating system. New additions include a presentation engine called Avalon,  a Web services architecture called Indigo, and a reworking of the Windows files system known as WinFS (but who knows when this feature will be finished?). Microsoft has not released much information about all the features the beta version will offer, but it is nice to see Longhorn move closer to going gold. Can Microsoft really develop a stable operating system with less security flaws?

Read More | CNet.com


Sony PSP Will Suck  We’ve had a tremendous response to our last article on the PSP…so much so that we had to write about Sony’s upcoming handeld again.  But in the spirit of objectivity, we’re obligated to show you the other side of the coin…the side Sony doesn’t want you to see.  As much as the PSP has been praised, we’re not blind to its faults.  In fact, people may have more reasons to hate it than to love it come March 24th.

By the way, do you have thoughts on whether the DS or PSP is the better platform? If so, chime in on the forums.

Click to continue reading Why Sony’s PSP Will Suck


Nintendo StoreThis one is for all you Nintendo fans out there - it looks like the company is planning to open up a Nintendo branded concept store at Rockeffeller Center, NY. A quick look at Nintendo’s jobs page at their corporate website confirms this, as they are seeking a Retail Store Manager to oversee the new project. Obviously, if this goes well, we may see more NIntendo Stores open across the country similar to the way Apple Stores caught on. This is a bold move by Nintendo, as the company has certainly lost some ground in the United States videogame arena to Microsoft and Sony.

Read More | Nintendo Careers


Transistor ArrayResearchers at Hewlett-Packard have invented a new type of microcomputing technology known as the crossbar latch that could potentially replace the transistor used in computers today. Transistors, which are the basic element of computing, have reached the limit on size that can be fit on a single chip. This new crossbar latch would be mere nanometers in size. If computers are going to get any smaller while still getting faster, new ways such as this need to be found. These new relays could potentially allow computers to be thousands of times faster than today’s computers. “This could someday replace transistors in computers, just as transistors replaced vacuum tubes and vacuum tubes replaced electromagnetic relays before them.” As a student studying Electrical Engineering, it kinda makes me wonder why I’m still taking all these Analog Electronics classes! Luckily, HP says that transistors will still be used for decades to come in silicon embedded chips.

Read More | CNN.com


TextDo we even need to explain how cool this thing is?  Guess so.  As if gunning down your friends in a hail of hard paint pellets wasn’t fun enough, now you can do it Halo-style in a rugged military off-road vehicle.  The Razorback, used by in their simulated missions, is built on the chassis of an actual Israeli reconnassance vehicle.  It features built-in air tanks used for two door gunners, and a low-level rocket launcher for Nerf and shotgun rounds.  It’s not invincible though: the team is gracious enough to mark a “kill zone” for the tank, which can be found on the front passenger fender, marked by an orange bulls eye.  And if you’re lucky enough to win a raffle at one of their skirmishes, you can be eligible for a “tour-of-duty” at the main gunner or side gunner positions.

Read More | Team SpecOps


DescriptionOkay, here is the skinny on the Olympus m:robe 500 that you saw insanely odd commercials for during last nights Superbowl - so you can stop emailing me about it now! Anyway, as you saw, the m:robe is basically a digital camera with an MP3 player built in (or an MP3 player with a camera built in if you prefer it that way). It has a 3.7” touch-screen, which probably isn’t the best interface in the world. The camera is 1.3 megapixels, with no flash or zoom. The supposed draw here is that you can synchronize pictures to your music to create futuristic remixes. It should be PlaysForSure compatible, and the battery lasts for about 12 hours. You can grab the 20 GB m:robe 500 for $499.99 USD or less.


Read More | OlympusGroove Product Page
Compare prices | m:robe 500


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