When Apple announced that Snow Leopard will use the Open CL API, not many analysts or websites had ever heard about it before. things have dramatically changed, and AMD already made demo of GPGPU based on ATi graphic cards via Open CL. If NVidia is heavy relying on its CUDa technology, it recently repeated that it is also supporting this API. It seems that all main players do not want to miss the Open CL train. Technically, ai all graphic card manufacturers/designers consider Open CL as a standard and adopt it, it will make things much easier for all developers and customers. Indeed, any card will be able to interpret instructions and speed some GPGPU processes. Of course, some GPU will remain faster than other, so it should not kill competition, and manufacturers will keep promoting their models based on higher component quality, more VRAM, more shaders, and not necessarily on the support for one API or another (such as support for DirectX 7, 8 ,9 ,etc.).
iPhone Pirating App Attacks Rival Pirate App Store
A new application has been created for the iPhone which is designed to not only get all the latest Apple apps free of charge, but to teach a commercial iPhone pirate a lesson by opening his servers to all.
Electronic Arts Announced that Sims 3 Will Be DRM-Free
We all remember the embarrassing and annoying episode of the unreachable activating servers for the game Spore when it was released. Electronics Arts has decided to add DRM in this game to prevent its illegal distribution on P2 network. At the end it really annoyed people who purchased the game, as pirates quickly found a way to bypass the protection, making it useless. EA even had to use one of the bypass procedure to help customers to activate their legally purchased copy of the game as its serves were not able to deal with the requests.
To avoid any repetition, EA decided that Sim3, whose release date is expected for June 2009, will not include DRMs. It will only be protected by a serial number. this announcement might promote the sale of the game, as some Spore gamers claimed to have downloaded the pirate version of Spore as it was not possible to play with the legal original one.
DirecTV iPhone app provides DVR controls
DirecTV has launched an app that allows customers to control their home DVR systems from an iPhone or iPod touch. A search function can be used to find shows up to 14 days in advance, or the content can be browsed by channel or date and time. The listings include additional information such as show descriptions, length and rating. Users can record single shows, an entire series or Pay Per View con...
 Guantanamo Bay is one of the world's controversial prisons. This may be its final chapter. With unprecedented access, National Geographic has the story you haven't heard. Both sides, told from the inside, before its doors close forever. Click to learn more and go Inside Guantanamo >> natgeotv.com/guantanamo |
Macworld Expo 2010 changes its dates
When Apple announced its intention not to take part more in Macworld Expo, its organizer, IDG, put on a brave face and announced very quickly the dates of the 2010 expo; that is was to be held January 4. They have just changed their minds and have announced that the expo will be held from the 9 to 13 February, a new period for this show.
This reversal tends to confirm that many members in the Mac world will, probably together with Apple, take part in CES at Las Vegas that will be held 7-10 January. It would have been impossible for IDG to take on such a competition, CES being the largest computer expo in the world.
Of course, it remains to be seen if this change of date will be sufficient to convince the exhibitors to go to Macworld.
Macworld Expo moving from January to February
IDG World Expo announced Monday that next year's Macworld Expo -- the first without headliner Apple -- will take place February 9th through the 13th rather than January 4th through the 8th, as was previously announced.
Road Tested: EcoRunner by Marware
Filed under: Accessories, iPod nano, Road Tested
As promised, we're launching a new series called Road Tested where we try out various products for a month or more, see how they hold up to extended "real world" use, and report back our findings. To kick things off we're looking at the EcoRunner from Marware [thanks to our friends at Dr. Bott for the review unit].The EcoRunner is a "green" product in that the primary material is not neoprene, but "a revolutionary environmentally friendly material." I'm not sure what that is, but I can say I like it better than neoprene -- it feels just as soft, but the cells are smaller and thus the material is more supple. The EcoRunner can be worn on the wrist or arm (using an extender strap, included) and is designed for the 4th-gen iPod nano. There's the requisite vinyl window for controlling playback and viewing the screen, plus the case can be used with the Nike+ Sport kit attached (there's a strap to keep everything in).
Does it work? Well, there's one caveat to our test: we used a 1st-gen nano, the white model that was infamous for being easily scratched. It's increasingly tough to find cases for this model, but we found the EcoRunner is stretchy enough to accommodate the slightly thicker model. The side effect of this, possibly due to thickness or the more squarish design: the vinyl window busted (see gallery), leaving the unit exposed and capable of falling out. Call it a "stress test." It's definitely a design challenge to secure the vinyl in a way that won't get too stressed, especially in cases where everything else is so stretchy.
The softness of the case can't be understated. It is really smooth and lightweight and stretchy. I'm partial to wrist straps, because I tend to skip around my playlists depending on my workout. If you find yourself monkeying with your nano during a workout, this is a terrific wrist strap. The extension strap to use it on your arm adds virtually no weight, and holds up well, but bulging biceps might strain that window. The Velcro used is very high quality, but the stitching on the end can sometimes be a little tricky to thread through the grommet -- so I recommend not removing it entirely. Just pull it off your wrist. One upside is that you can charge the nano in the case, so the entire unit becomes home to your nano. If you only use your nano for working out, you'll never have to remove it from the case.
After a month (OK, nearly 2 months) of solid use -- we're talking about near-daily use on the treadmill and at the gym -- the EcoRunner holds up well. As I said, using a 1st-gen nano isn't recommended by us or the manufacturer, so I don't know if the thinner nanos would bust the window after prolonged use. Other than that, there's very little visible wear-and-tear, and I'd recommend this especially if you a) prefer your nano on your wrist, and b) need a case that'll hold the Nike+ Sport kit. Your choices are pretty limited when it comes to both of those criteria, but the EcoRunner is a good bet either way. If you've had experience with this particular model, let us know in the comments.
TUAWRoad Tested: EcoRunner by Marware originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apps: VideoFlash Converter, SlidePad, MacPrivacy
VideoFlash Converter 2.4 ($40) allows the conversion of QuickTime compatible video files to either the Adobe Flash SWF or FLV format. The most popular formats are supported, including AVI, MOV, MPG, DivX and more. Version 2.4 includes a new Preview Pane that is displayed while flash movies are loaded from the web and a new rangebar style. [Download - 16.2MB]...
NVidia Launched New Pro Graphic Cards
NVidia unveiled its new graphic card models dedicated to Pro users: Quadro FX.
The high-end model, aka FW 58000 is quite impressive. It sports 4 GB of VRAM working on a 512 bits bus, offering a theoretical bandwidth of 102 GB/s. Regarding the GPU, we only know that it includes 240 CUDA Parallel Processor Cores. The card remains sober regarding power consumption despite its hardware and should "only" drain 189 W.
We currently do not really understand why Apple did not offer any Pro graphic cards with its new Mac Pro whose prices are rather Pro-oriented. Of course the lack of dedicated drivers might be the explanation, however, Apple and NVidia might be able to work together to make it possible...
LG details specs of GD900, adds multi-touch
First spotted in mid-February at Mobile World Congress, LG's GD900 handset has received more specifications from its maker. The full touchscreen phone is expected to appear at this week's CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas and will feature haptic feedback for its 3-inch touchscreen and signature and unique transparent touchpad. LG also claims the touchpad will support finger-writing recognition rathe...
Open CL to become the new Standard?
When Apple announced that Snow Leopard will use the Open CL API, not many analysts or websites had ever heard about it before. things have dramatically changed, and AMD already made demo of GPGPU based on ATi graphic cards via Open CL. If NVidia is heavy relying on its CUDa technology, it recently repeated that it is also supporting this API. It seems that all main players do not want to miss the Open CL train. Technically, ai all graphic card manufacturers/designers consider Open CL as a standard and adopt it, it will make things much easier for all developers and customers. Indeed, any card will be able to interpret instructions and speed some GPGPU processes. Of course, some GPU will remain faster than other, so it should not kill competition, and manufacturers will keep promoting their models based on higher component quality, more VRAM, more shaders, and not necessarily on the support for one API or another (such as support for DirectX 7, 8 ,9 ,etc.).
iPhone Pirating App Attacks Rival Pirate App Store
A new application has been created for the iPhone which is designed to not only get all the latest Apple apps free of charge, but to teach a commercial iPhone pirate a lesson by opening his servers to all.
Electronic Arts Announced that Sims 3 Will Be DRM-Free
We all remember the embarrassing and annoying episode of the unreachable activating servers for the game Spore when it was released. Electronics Arts has decided to add DRM in this game to prevent its illegal distribution on P2 network. At the end it really annoyed people who purchased the game, as pirates quickly found a way to bypass the protection, making it useless. EA even had to use one of the bypass procedure to help customers to activate their legally purchased copy of the game as its serves were not able to deal with the requests.
To avoid any repetition, EA decided that Sim3, whose release date is expected for June 2009, will not include DRMs. It will only be protected by a serial number. this announcement might promote the sale of the game, as some Spore gamers claimed to have downloaded the pirate version of Spore as it was not possible to play with the legal original one.
DirecTV iPhone app provides DVR controls
DirecTV has launched an app that allows customers to control their home DVR systems from an iPhone or iPod touch. A search function can be used to find shows up to 14 days in advance, or the content can be browsed by channel or date and time. The listings include additional information such as show descriptions, length and rating. Users can record single shows, an entire series or Pay Per View con...
Guantanamo Bay is one of the world's controversial prisons. This may be its final chapter. With unprecedented access, National Geographic has the story you haven't heard. Both sides, told from the inside, before its doors close forever. Click to learn more and go Inside Guantanamo >> natgeotv.com/guantanamo |
Macworld Expo 2010 changes its dates
When Apple announced its intention not to take part more in Macworld Expo, its organizer, IDG, put on a brave face and announced very quickly the dates of the 2010 expo; that is was to be held January 4. They have just changed their minds and have announced that the expo will be held from the 9 to 13 February, a new period for this show.
This reversal tends to confirm that many members in the Mac world will, probably together with Apple, take part in CES at Las Vegas that will be held 7-10 January. It would have been impossible for IDG to take on such a competition, CES being the largest computer expo in the world.
Of course, it remains to be seen if this change of date will be sufficient to convince the exhibitors to go to Macworld.
Macworld Expo moving from January to February
IDG World Expo announced Monday that next year's Macworld Expo -- the first without headliner Apple -- will take place February 9th through the 13th rather than January 4th through the 8th, as was previously announced.
Road Tested: EcoRunner by Marware
Filed under: Accessories, iPod nano, Road Tested
As promised, we're launching a new series called Road Tested where we try out various products for a month or more, see how they hold up to extended "real world" use, and report back our findings. To kick things off we're looking at the EcoRunner from Marware [thanks to our friends at Dr. Bott for the review unit].The EcoRunner is a "green" product in that the primary material is not neoprene, but "a revolutionary environmentally friendly material." I'm not sure what that is, but I can say I like it better than neoprene -- it feels just as soft, but the cells are smaller and thus the material is more supple. The EcoRunner can be worn on the wrist or arm (using an extender strap, included) and is designed for the 4th-gen iPod nano. There's the requisite vinyl window for controlling playback and viewing the screen, plus the case can be used with the Nike+ Sport kit attached (there's a strap to keep everything in).
Does it work? Well, there's one caveat to our test: we used a 1st-gen nano, the white model that was infamous for being easily scratched. It's increasingly tough to find cases for this model, but we found the EcoRunner is stretchy enough to accommodate the slightly thicker model. The side effect of this, possibly due to thickness or the more squarish design: the vinyl window busted (see gallery), leaving the unit exposed and capable of falling out. Call it a "stress test." It's definitely a design challenge to secure the vinyl in a way that won't get too stressed, especially in cases where everything else is so stretchy.
The softness of the case can't be understated. It is really smooth and lightweight and stretchy. I'm partial to wrist straps, because I tend to skip around my playlists depending on my workout. If you find yourself monkeying with your nano during a workout, this is a terrific wrist strap. The extension strap to use it on your arm adds virtually no weight, and holds up well, but bulging biceps might strain that window. The Velcro used is very high quality, but the stitching on the end can sometimes be a little tricky to thread through the grommet -- so I recommend not removing it entirely. Just pull it off your wrist. One upside is that you can charge the nano in the case, so the entire unit becomes home to your nano. If you only use your nano for working out, you'll never have to remove it from the case.
After a month (OK, nearly 2 months) of solid use -- we're talking about near-daily use on the treadmill and at the gym -- the EcoRunner holds up well. As I said, using a 1st-gen nano isn't recommended by us or the manufacturer, so I don't know if the thinner nanos would bust the window after prolonged use. Other than that, there's very little visible wear-and-tear, and I'd recommend this especially if you a) prefer your nano on your wrist, and b) need a case that'll hold the Nike+ Sport kit. Your choices are pretty limited when it comes to both of those criteria, but the EcoRunner is a good bet either way. If you've had experience with this particular model, let us know in the comments.
TUAWRoad Tested: EcoRunner by Marware originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Apps: VideoFlash Converter, SlidePad, MacPrivacy
VideoFlash Converter 2.4 ($40) allows the conversion of QuickTime compatible video files to either the Adobe Flash SWF or FLV format. The most popular formats are supported, including AVI, MOV, MPG, DivX and more. Version 2.4 includes a new Preview Pane that is displayed while flash movies are loaded from the web and a new rangebar style. [Download - 16.2MB]...
NVidia Launched New Pro Graphic Cards
NVidia unveiled its new graphic card models dedicated to Pro users: Quadro FX.
The high-end model, aka FW 58000 is quite impressive. It sports 4 GB of VRAM working on a 512 bits bus, offering a theoretical bandwidth of 102 GB/s. Regarding the GPU, we only know that it includes 240 CUDA Parallel Processor Cores. The card remains sober regarding power consumption despite its hardware and should "only" drain 189 W.
We currently do not really understand why Apple did not offer any Pro graphic cards with its new Mac Pro whose prices are rather Pro-oriented. Of course the lack of dedicated drivers might be the explanation, however, Apple and NVidia might be able to work together to make it possible...
LG details specs of GD900, adds multi-touch
First spotted in mid-February at Mobile World Congress, LG's GD900 handset has received more specifications from its maker. The full touchscreen phone is expected to appear at this week's CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas and will feature haptic feedback for its 3-inch touchscreen and signature and unique transparent touchpad. LG also claims the touchpad will support finger-writing recognition rathe...
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