SlickGeek Slicker than slick.

AMD’s newest R680 graphics processor might look a whole lot like the ill-fated R600 GPU, but the reality couldn’t be more bizarre.  Instead of one 80nm behemoth-of-a-GPU, the R680 consists of two 55nm processor cores.

Representatives from AMD would not confirm that the R680 is essentially two RV670 GPU cores on the same board, though the company did confirm that each core has the same specifications of an RV670 processor.

The RV670 graphics core, announced last November with the Phenom processor, is the first 55nm desktop graphics adaptor.  AMD does not target this card as a high-end adaptor, though reviewers were quick to herald the RV670 as AMD’s best product of 2007.

The company also made quick mention of the RV620 and RV635 GPU cores.  These cores are nearly identical to the previous RV610 and RV630 processors, but will be produced on the 55nm node instead. 

All three of AMD’s new GPUs are scheduled to launch next month. 

Dual-GPU technology is not new.  3dfx’s flagship Voodoo 5 family also resorted to multiple processors to achieve its relatively high performance.  ASUS, Gigabyte, Sapphire, HIS and PowerColor all introduced dual-GPU configurations of just about every graphics processor on the market, though these were never “sanctioned” ATI or NVIDIA projects.  Ultimately, all of these projects were canned due to long development times and low demand.

Cross-state rival NVIDIA isn’t sitting on idle hands though, either.   The company publicly announced plans to replace all 90nm G80 graphics cores with G92 derivatives by the end of the year.  G92′s debut introduction, GeForce 8800 GT, met wild support from reviewers and analysts alike.  G92′s second introduce, GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB, was met with similar but less enthusiastic acceptance during Tuesday’s launch.

NVIDIA’s newest roadmap claims the DirectX 10.1 family of 65nm processors will also hit store shelves this Spring.  The chipsets — codenamed D9E, D9M and D9P — are architecturally different from the G80/G92 family.

 Viewsonic recently announced its Precision Pro8100, a 1080p LCD projector, claiming it position in one of the most affordable 1080p LCD projector category with price of $4,995 (MSRP) with its Epson’s C2Fine™ panel and Silicon’s optic Hollywood Quality Video (HQV) technology. The projector uses ViewSonic’s proprietary Precision Color System (PCS), an image enhancement technology that renders natural colors with extensive tuning capabilities and Silicon Optic best in line VX-210 to achieve finest image reproduction, with the specification of 1000 lumens and dynamic contrast ratio 13000:1. The Precision Pro8100 will be showed at the International CES 2008 in Las Vegas.

What this means for us is another glorify 1080p LCD projector that is somewhat affordable but most importantly, competitions will be fierce in this market. This will hopefully draw the prices of LCD projectors and as well as LCD TVs to a new lower prices.

In recent years, consumers electronics and telecommunication companies had been trying to bring gamers into their mobile phone business. This was done either by implementing games into their mobile devices. Here is a twist to that old convention, Sony had teamed up with Ebay’s Skype division to bring you VOIP on your PSP. It is confirmed that mobiles gamers can now transform their PSP into mobile communication device. PSP owners can download the firmware update as well as an application that allow them to make free PSP to PSP and PSP to PC calls via wifi; or they could sign up for Skype VOIP service to make it their own landline. The application will allows users to ultilize Skype’s service as well as other new features on a PSP.

This is great news for gamers since now they can just carry one essential device on the go and still be able to connect with their family and friends. As a down side with most VOIP, the signal strength will be limited by their connection bandwidth, this might be a drag since you need a wifi hotspot in order to make a phonecall. Hopefully, Sony will partner with various other telecommunication companies to allow users to use their PSP just like a mobile phone. Until then, making a call is as essential as finding a good wifi hotspot.

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In a move that surprises noone, China is cracking down on video hosting websites. Under new regulation, effective Jan 31st, sites that provide video programming or allow users to upload video must have a permit and be either state-owned or state-controlled. Permits for video hosting sites will be subject to renewal every three years and operators who commit violations may be banned for up to 5 years.

China claims the new censorship is to control the country’s “social stability” and “reputation”. Words are Youtube has been blocked, and its chinese clones such as Youku and Tudou will be restricted soon, if not closed down completely. These new regularations are simpliar to the previous ones imposed on websites (Wikipedia is blocked since last year) and news portals. More regulations are likely to come as the communist country trying hard to plug the holes in the bucket that is the Internet.

According to BusinessWeek, Sony BMG Music Entertainment is finalizing plans to sell songs without the copyright protection software that has long restricted the use of music downloaded from the Internet. With the last of the big labels on board, it looks like that DRMed music’s days are numbered.  By partnering with online retailers such as Amazon and social networks such as Myspace and Facebook, the labels want to take a bite out of Apple’s monopolizing market shares.

The move by Sony BMG is especially noteworthy because back in 2005, in an effort to regulate the transfering of music, their CDs were came bundled with rootkits, which besides taking over your pc, also leave it vulnerable to virus attacks.

This is certainly good news, if it sticks. Besides the fact that those who bought DRMed music are now forced to buy them again, there is nothing that will stop the music industry from taking the second pass at the DRM scheme. Until then, enjoy the music the way it meant to be. Next stop … the movie industry.

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