 NVIDIA has replaced the GeForce 6200 TurboCache with the GeForce 7300 GS. For under $100, the card delivers H.264 hardware acceleration up to 1080p - ideal for low-noise HTPCs, as well as gaming at 1280x1024. The card is available in two flavours: a full-size PCB featuring VGA, DVI and TV-out, and a half-height PCB that drops the aging VGA D-sub and makes do with DVI and TV-out only. The 7300 looks like it could be a great choice for both the budget gamer, and the home theatre enthusiast.
full-size PCB
 
half-height PCB
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A keyboard for composing ringtones
Finger-mounted guitar effects
Retro SynthesizersPress release for the ringtoneKeyboard: "It will fill the gap of the particular hardware for composing cell phone ring, which has the market of billions of dollar... U-Key has build in high 64-polyphony high quality mobile phone sound module, and internal high fidelity speaker..."The Hot Hand finger-mounted wah wah guitar effect can replace the wah pedal a standard bit of guitar gear. Now a startup called Source Audio has replaced the simple, cheap, effective foot pedal with a finger-mounted accelerometer. Wiggle your finger and the sound changes. The sexiest new product at NAMM could be the DSI Mono Evolver Keyboard, a $1199 box with wooden end panels, covered in blue LEDs. Inside, it’s a digital/analog hybrid designed by Dave Smith, who designed the classic Sequential Circuits line in the ‘70s, making it sound like those monophonic synthesizers. Read more..!
How to clean up water-damaged electronics
 Chris J. over at Grynx helpfully recounts the tale of his friend's water-damaged router and the steps he took to get it working again, if not perfectly. Basically this rescue mission involves complete disassembly of the affected device, rather counterintuitively running the circuit boards under more water, and using an alcohol-based cleaning agent (not gasoline, warn several commenters) to brush the remaining rust/calcium residue from the guts. Money quote from the article: "If the substance is already dry, as it was for me, then use your wife’s toothbrush (you don’t want to use your own, right?) to brush off as much as possible."Read more..!
Graphical passwords for Windows
 Some researchers at Rutgers have come up with a solution to the "shoulder-surfing" problem. Their graphical passwords require users to choose in advance a set of "pass-icons" and when they log in to identify three of them on the screen. Rather than clicking on the icons themselves, though, the user has to click inside the triangle formed by the icons. Combined with multiple challenges, the researchers claim it's secure. You can download a demo implementation of graphical passwords or check out screenshots (click on Using the Simulation) at their site, or read more about the technique in The Rutgers Scholar. Read more..!
Neopets Petpet Adventure: The Wand of Wishing new screens
 Yesterday Gamespot put out some fresh screenshots of the virtual pet-inspired game Neopets Petpet Adventure: The Wand of Wishing. The images do a great job of showing off the third-person visuals and what we might be able to expect aesthetically. And speaking of expectations, the title will be shipping on the 28th of next month. Read more..!
 Lately, Prada has been putting their oversized embroidered logo over a lot of their bags. This open top hobo has silver metal hardware & studs and a buckle shoulder strap. The bag sells for $1,550.Read more..!
NookBay: your one stop shop for Animal Crossing goods
 Essentially an online auction house for Animal Crossing DS items, NookBay connects buyers and sellers of the rare and mundane. And once an auction is closed, users simply complete the transaction over Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. Brilliant. Read more..!
Video sharing in iTunes 6.0.2
 Fellow Blogger Frank Steele has uncovered an unexpected feature in the newest version of iTunes: video sharing. Though it isn't advertised anywhere, you can apparently queue up videos in a playlist and share them over your network just like songs. There seems to be some version issues, e.g. some videos purchased in iTunes 6.0.1 can't be shared in 6.0.2, but otherwise it looks pretty smooth. Read more..!
 The watch shown here is Cabestan, a project worked on by Jean-François Ruchonnet and Vianney Halter. The Cabestan has a transversal tourbillon and the indications for hours, minutes, seconds and power reserve appear on the four cylinders of the watch. The watch has an original mechanical movement with manual winding, a fusee and a tourbillon and six ball bearings. The movement is visible from above and the side. The winding stem is a removable “winch” that stores in the buckle of the watch’s bracelet. There will be 135 of these watches made, 15 in yellow gold, 55 in rose gold, 50 in white gold and 15 in platinum and it will sell for around $220,000. Read more..!
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-Lytir1
