Connect Monitors via USB
Newnham Research has developed a technology that lets monitors work over standard USB connections.
The technology originated from the thought that users aren’t buying two or three monitors at once, but adding on, slowly, over time, Ledzion said. Users might start out with a single-headed graphics card, but be forced to upgrade to a multimonitor card if they wanted to add another display, an expensive process, he said. The process becomes more difficult with a laptop, although products like the Matrox DualHead2Go also can split a conventional VGA/DVI signal to two separate displays.
The system, called NIVO, which creates a “virtual graphics card” is great for users who want their displays to span several monitors, but do not want to add additional graphics cards to their systems, or use multi-out graphics cards. The performance is not as good as having a dedicated video card, since USB can only handle so much bandwidth and the CPU would have to take on added load. But this is usable for office applications, where mostly static outputs (i.e. documents, spreadsheets, web browsing) are required.
Kensington has reportedly signed on to use the technology for its universal laptop docking station line.
The Nvidia Geforce 7900 GTX: Everyone wants it!
Or so it seems.
The Inquirer reports that Nvidia seems to be creating an artificially-hyped demand for its latest top-of-the-line graphics cards. The Geforce 7900 GTX is in such a large back-order that it seems everyone wants their hands on one.
Nvidia does have a shortage and that it is shipping a limited number of its high end chips. But, at the same time, it created a massive, unbelievable demand for its products. The chaps explained that the cards are flying off the shelves as Nvidia managed to convince everyone that its product is better.
The marketing people of ATI (Nvidia’s main rival in the graphics card market) had better think up something quick to counter the impression that Nvidia cards are better.
Graphics Card Shootout by Extremetech
Extreme Tech recently featured a graphics card shootout, where the reviewers pitted 17 current models against each other. The results were classified according to price range, from entry-level $80 and ridiculously expensive (for a video card) $600.
Once or twice a year, we try to solve this dilemma with a big video card roundup. This time, we took 17 currently available cards representing the range of price points from $80 up to $600. We’ll show you benchmarks with 3DMark06 and a sample of games that are representative of the graphics-card-stressors of the day. We’ll show you which models deliver high fames-per-second per dollar, and just plain high frames-per-second. Ultimately, we hope to arm you with the information you need to figure out exactly which graphics card is right for you.
The verdict:
On the lower end, the MSI RX1300 Pro was great in the sub-$100 range. For the sub-$200 mark, the reviewers favored the new Nvidia GeForce 7600-powered series, such as eVGA’s passively cooled 7600 GS and the slightly overclocked 7600 GT. For the sub-$350 range, the reviewers went for the highly overclocked XFX GeForce 7600 GT XXX, the GeForce 7900 GT XXX (also from XFX) and the ATI Radeon X1800 GTO.
On the higher end, the review found the ATI Radeon X1900 XT series to be among the best, for the $350 and up price range.
Twin-tuner TV card from Nvidia
The Register previews the latest dual TV card from graphics chipmaker Nvidia. The new dual TV card shall allow for two simultaneous recording or TV viewing sessions at any given time. Nvidia claims that this latest offering bests all other dual TV cards in terms of quality. The card even features a compression system for use with a PVR (personal video recording) software.
The new card will feature S-video, composite video, coaxial and other methods of input and output. The package even contains an FM antenna, for picking up analogue FM broadcasts!
The DualTV card is pitched at Windows XP Media Center Edition systems and users who want to be able to watch one programme while recording another. The board incorporates Nvidia’s PureVideo technology the better, the company claimed, to separate out the colour and brightness information bonded in the broadcast signal and to remove noise from the picture. There’s also an integrated amplifier to boost weak input signals.
Asus EN7600GT review
The Register reviews the Asus EN7600GT graphics card, which is based on Nvidia’s GeForce7600GT. Basically a re-brand (with “Asus” patched and an added little extra with the retail package),
Nvidia’s new GeForce 7600 GT is an incredibly impressive mid-range graphics chip. Asus hasn’t done much with its version, the EN7600GT, apart from re-badging a reference card and bundling a copy of King Kong but heck, what else do you want?
The card’s main plus point is the price, at £140 (VAT inclusive), considering the addition of a game and an HDTV Component cable in the package (well, we could do without the game, thank you). But the card’s fan was found to be too noisy for comfort.
ATI reports record quarter sales
Graphics chipmaker ATI has reported a record growth in its second quarter sales this fiscal year (second quarter ending February 28, 2006).
During the three months to 28 February 2006 - ATI’s second quarter of fiscal 2006 - the graphics chip company realised revenues of $672m, up 13.7 per cent on the previous quarter and 10.5 per cent on Q2 FY2005’s total.
Comparing, however, to the same quarter last year, 2Q 2006 net income declined by 40.4%. Gross margins also declined to 28.2%, compared to 28.7% in 1Q 2006 and 34.2% in 2Q 2005.
Revenues from PC-oriented sales, which accounts for 80% of 2Q revenues went down two percent from the same period in the last year, due to lower demand for discrete desktop graphics processing units. The same trend is seen for notebook computer GPUs.
ATI is still optimistic with 2006 performance, though, as it expects third quarter sales of $640m to $680m (up from last year’s $530m), and gross margins of 30%.
Nvidia out with three new Quadro FX workstation chips
Nvidia has announced three new Quadro FX graphics processing units (GPUs) meant for use with high-end mobile computing, such as with Dell’s higher-end Precision laptop series. The Quadro FX 350M, 1500M and 2500M will each feature power outputs of 15W, 45W and 100W, respectively, with the 2500M outpowering mid-range desktop performance. All would support Shader Model 3.0.
The 350M can take up to 256MB of 400MHz (800MHz effective) DDR 2 video memory connected across a 64-bit bus. The 1500M ups the memory to GDDR 3 and the bus width to 256 bits - it’s clocked to 500MHz (1GHz effective). The 2500 adds support for 512MB of GDDR 3, and is clocked to 600MHz (1.2GHz).
According to Nvidia, the 350M, 1500M and 2500M can process 81 million, 145 million and 181 million vertices per second, respectively, and fill in 1.7 billion, 7.5 billion and 10.8 billion polygons at any given timeframe. while the 350M is limited to standard-definition output, the 1500M and 2500M are capble of HDTV output. All models support DVI and VGA out.
iTheater - wearable display
When the article said “Watch movies, play games in the privacy of your own head,” I was thinking they were crazy for wanting me to buy something that will help me imagine stuff. But I was wrong, since the iTheater was, after all, a wearable type of display. Yes, you wear it on your head, and you don’t have to imagine something in your head. Well, you won’t actually wear it while walking on the street, lest you bump into a signpost or get hit by a speeding bus.
It’s more of a personal entertainment center. It features an amazing 230,000 pixel resolution along with surround sound. Only weighing 3 ounces it fits very comfortably around the head.
The iTheater will work with any device that outputs analog video and audio via standard RCA jacks. It will work on portable DVD players, video iPods, game consoles and computers. the iTheater will give you a field of vision of 24 degress, which makes it equivalent to viewing a 50-inch display at about five to six feet distance. This is good enough for the regular gaming and on-the-go DVD. But the resolution seems too low, at 320×240, since the iTheater is touted to be equivalent to a 50-inch display, you’re likely to be missing on some details.
Here are the specs:
- Resolution: 320×240 (QVGA)
- 230,000 pixels each LCD
- Color configuration: vertical stripe
- Field of view: 24
- Eye relief: 20mm
- Exit pupil diameter: 10mm
- Audio: surround stereo
- NTSC/PAL compatible
- 10 foot A/V cable
- Completely portable
- Battery operated: requires 2 “AA” batteries (not included)
- Weight: 3 ounces
The iTheater retais for $499.00 online.
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