The AMD Black Edition CPUs have long been the choice of the budget conscious gamer. Historically they’ve offered a decent processor with some overclocking potential just a bit under Intel prices. Today the struggling CPU manufacturer let loose the AMD X2 7850 Black Edition, a rock solid processor that slides well under the competition at just $69.
Early reports suggest the chip is a good buy. Overclocking is a little tough, but it is possible to push the 7850 up to 1.5x normal operating standards. The processor should make it even easier to build that sub-$500 Crysis machine.
Plenty of rumors have been flying this week concerning Microsoft’s hushed “Project Pink” and the advent of a Microsoft/Verizon iPhone rival project. Of course, all of this came on the heels of even more whispers that Apple and Verizon were in discussions for two new iPhone devices, an “iPhone Lite” and a beefier version that could support HD video playback and so forth. Would Microsoft really enter the mobile manufacturing market to compete, though? And would the product be so iPhone-like as to be a Zunephone (I think we know how the iPod/Zune war ended)?
A Microsoft spokesperson stepped into the fray to set everyone straight…ish. “Microsoft is not going into the phone hardware business. Microsoft is not building a Zune-specific phone.” There you have it, clear as a first-gen iPod screen. Of course, we can gleen plenty of info from a statement like this. If Microsoft won’t make the phone, you can bet your earbuds someone else will. No Zune-specific phone? That’s probably for the best. Windows Mobile is about providing business functionality on a hand-held device. Why turn it into anything less? So Zune will be sitting shotgun on this one. I can think of worse things.
I’ve been looking for an excuse to write about the crazy things people do with a Wiimote for a while now and a recent Ubergizmo post finally tipped the scales. Ubergizmo reports that a team of scientists are working to make the Wiimote usable for radiologists, allowing doctors to flip through patient files and images with gestures instead of the tried-and-sometimes-limiting keyboard and mouse. Personally, I imagine it to be something like the computer from Minority Report, wherein Tom Cruise sends images and video clips flying off screen, pulling others in to be resized, viewed from alternate angles, and relit to solve futuristic crimes.
All of that for $30? With a little programming knowledge, yes. The Wiimote IR camera is remarkably advanced, despite its low cost. Researcher Johnny Chung Lee (pictured in the video below) has devoted loads of time and research into getting the most out of Nintendo’s controller, and he’s made his discoveries public. Armed with a Wiimote and a few infrared dots, Lee has created a digital whiteboard, a multi-point touchscreen, and even a 3D environment capable of sensing a user’s movements and adjusting accordingly.
With researchers like Lee, Wiimote hacks are becoming increasingly complex and remaining completely free, allowing users and researchers to build off the wacky things accomplished with incredibly low-cost hardware. To see Lee’s work in action, check out the video below. The clip comes from TED, a website you should absolutely be watching.
The Palm Pre is supposed to be many things to many people. The iPhone Killer. Palm’s Only Hope. The Best Smartphone Out There. The Crushing Response to Capacitive Keyboards. Whatever the Pre means to you, you might be lucky enough to get it cheap.
Analysts at Credit Suisse believe Sprint network’s smartphone could retail for as low as $150. Sprint and Palm have both stated that the Pre would be priced competitively, and $150 just might be low enough to steal the would-be iPhone converts looking for any network but AT&T. The phone will need to be more than cheap, though. Plenty of people a predicting Palm’s demise by 2010, in which case that $150 sounds like 150 reasons not to buy.
As far as books are concerned, I’m a bit of a luddite. I don’t want a Kindle. I will likely never want a Kindle. I like the feel of books. I like having a shelf for my books. I like to mark up the pages with all sorts of stupid comments. And though I understand the eco-friendly features of ebook readers, I think recycled paper and alternative mediums (hemp, Family Guy fans?) can help assuage some of Mother Earth’s bruises.
Blackwell’s Espresso Book Machine throws digital media to the wind, opting to print hard copies of books from a database including 400,000 titles, right on the spot. The machine is designed around getting out-of-print books into the hands of readers, or keeping up with stock demands on hot sellers. The machine also allows users to come with a CD of their own work and have it printed a bound on the spot – not a bad deal for aspiring authors.
The AMD Black Edition CPUs have long been the choice of the budget conscious gamer. Historically they’ve offered a decent processor with some overclocking potential just a bit under Intel prices. Today the struggling CPU manufacturer let loose the AMD X2 7850 Black Edition, a rock solid processor that slides well under the competition at just $69.
