Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X OC Edition Review
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NVIDIA Announces GeForce GRID - New Game Streaming Service
NVIDIA is looking to expand in a huge way with the announcement of GeForce GRID. No, this is not a new type of video card but rather a game streaming service that will let you play any game on any device. GeForce GRID will work with computers, TVs, phones, and tablets, so if you have access to the Internet, you can game no matter where you are located. NVIDIA says this technology will seek to bridge the gap between PC and console gamers, since you are not dependent on having the greatest hardware to run the latest games. GeForce GRID refines cloud gaming by reducing the latency compared to first-gen streaming and even console gaming. NVIDIA compares the latency of PCs, consoles, first-gen streaming, and GeForce GRID, and while a dedicated PC still wins out, there is no question between a console and GeForce GRID.
A console and a TV have a combined latency of 166ms (according to NVIDIA) from command to result in a game. You have the 100ms render time to display the content at 30 frames per second and then another 66ms added by the HDMI display. All in all that is not the best solution, but it can get the job done. GeForce GRID cuts the render time from 100ms to 50ms, which is acheived by jumping up to 60fps. This means a lower latency time and smoother gameplay, but then NVIDIA decreases the encoding and decoding time thanks to several technologies. NVIDIA then decreases the network latency by having more powerful servers running four Kepler GPUs each compared to one in other cloud gaming servers. All of this works down to a latency time of 161ms, which is lower than a console and TV that does not need all that network access.
NVIDIA does not intend for GeForce GRID to replace a tradtional PC setup, especially since that is still the best option for the highest-quality picture. However, when you compare GeForce GRID to console gaming, NVIDIA sees a new future taking shape. GeForce GRID is not ready to launch just yet, but once it does, I can certainly see the gaming landscape shift. Maybe not for hardcore PC gamers, but definitely for the console crowd. You can read more about GeForce GRID here.
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Watching Electrons Escape from Their Atoms
In electronics there are, in a very basic sense, two kinds of electrons; conducting and non-conducting. Electrons of one flavor can become the other just by losing or absorbing energy. In fact this is part of how solar panels work, because the energy from light causes non-conducting electrons to become conducting, and they then travel through a circuit before losing enough energy to become non-conducting again. Researchers are curious about the transition from one state to the other and those at the Vienna University of Technology have finally watched it happen.
To observe this the researchers had to use very precise lasers and make collect information with a resolution of just 10 attoseconds (10*10-18 seconds, compared to 10-9 for nanoseconds). When the laser interacts with the atom, some of its energy is imparted to the electron, which leads to the electron leaving the atom. Of course, this is on the quantum scale, so we cannot expect things to be just that simple.
The electron leaves its atom in a superposition, so it does not appear to leave the atom once, but multiple times. While this does complicate the situation, it is actually what the researchers used to observe the electrons. Electrons, like just about every other subatomic particle you can think of, exist as both particles and waves. Even though it is only one electron being moved, the superposition allows the waves to interfere with each other as though there were multiple electrons. This creates a complex wave pattern, which the researchers are able to interpret well enough to identify the position of the electron before interacting with the laser.
While this research may not immediately lead to the next thing in computing, it should open more interesting doors. Electronics rely on electrons changing from non-conducting to conducting, so understanding how this happens may lead to enhanced devices in the future.
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Mirror's Edge 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 3 on the Way?
Game leaks can come in the strangest of places, from stores to slip of the tongues and everything else. Today we have some possible leaks concerning two different EA franchises. The folks over at GamerZines have uncovered some clues that Battlefield: Bad Company 3 and Mirror's Edge 2 could be on the way. Some profiles at LinkedIn show people having worked on the titles, with one as having "provided video game prototype, design and demo feedback" on several titles, including Battlefield: Bad Company 3. Two other profiles show work on Mirror's Edge 2, including implementing "the wandering crowd system of Unreal3 engine" and working on new features for the game. One of the features is a mini-game (with leaderboards) embedded into the story of Mirror's Edge 2, which could provide for some replayability.
All of this is just rumor for now as neither game has been officially unveiled by EA or DICE. Both game has been talked about as being in development for quite some time, especially when you consider these LinkedIn profile updates have dates between 2009 and 2011. E3 is just around the corner, so perhaps we will get some official news soon.
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Getting Dendrites Out and Zinc Anode Batteries In
There is a question in science to find the cheapest, most efficient, and safest battery possible. Unfortunately these three characteristics do not often go together, but researchers at City College of New York have taken an important step towards such a battery; at least for industry-sized batteries.
Several installations require batteries, such as server farms and systems with large starter motors. Currently they rely on nickel cadmium batteries which are not always that cheap and the compounds used are not safe for the environment. An alternative is zinc anode batteries which are considerably safer to use, but have one fatal flaw. It is possible for crystalline structures called dendrites to form within the zinc anode batteries, and cause a short. The researchers developed an advanced battery management system (BMS) to work with flow-assisted batteries. This should prevent the dendrites from forming, thereby allowing the batteries to last for an expected 10 years.
To prove these batteries are capable, a 36 KWh array was set up in the basement of one of the college's buildings. While that is not enough energy to completely power the facility, it balances the load throughout the day. The batteries charge during off-peak hours and discharge during peak hours, so less power needs to be drawn from the electrical grid. By the end of the year the system will be upgrade to 300 KWh, at which point it should save the college roughly $6000 a month, or more.
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New Crysis 3 Artwork Emerges; Shows Off Environments and Bow
Crysis 3 is about a year away from release, but that is not stopping EA and Crytek from showing off parts of the game. Today we have some new Crysis 3 artwork that shows off Prophet, the environment, and that new compound bow you will be using. Now, all of these are not actually screenshots but rather drawn or rendered art. Some of the rendered scenes are easier to spot than others, but all of them (aside from the bow model shot) are not in-game shots. The action depicted may appear in the game itself, plus some is from the trailer, but everything seen here essentially appears to the work of game artists. Still, that being said, the environments do look impressive and we get to see some of the enemies we will face in Crysis 3. The giant mech-type thing with a flamethrower in the front should prove for an interesting fight, especially if you can use parts of the environment to your advantage.
Crysis 3 will release next spring for the PC, PS3, and 360.
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Tuning Wireless Power Receivers for Maximum Efficiency
Most people like everything around them being well ordered, because it looks better, so a multitude of devices are going wireless to get rid of messy cables. Wireless phones and wireless networks are two well-known examples, but wireless power is the next thing people are looking for. Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) systems are not easy to maintain though because temperature changes and magnetic fields can cause the transmitter and receiver to shift out of tune.
These WPT systems work by creating a magnetic field with a specific frequency. When the field interacts with the receiver an electric current is created. If the receiver is in tune with the transmitter though the resonance is amplified greatly, and actually makes the system viable, compared to the current created without resonance. Keeping in tune is very difficult though because of how much can affect the system, but researchers at North Carolina State University have found a way to correct this.
The researchers added circuitry to the receiver to keep it in tune by adding some power to it. This will keep the receiver at its original frequency and allow it to adapt to changes in the transmitter's frequency. By keeping the power output at their maximum, this may allow wireless charging for electric vehicles, as well as other devices.
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Darksiders II Dated for August 14 - New Trailer Launches
It was right around a month ago that THQ announced Darksiders II would be pushed back to August, but did not give a solid release date. Fast forward to today and we have news that Darksiders II will arrive on August 14th. This means we have just a few short months to go to experience gameplay as Death - the most feared member of the Four Horsemen. Events in Darksiders II happen at the same time as those in the first game, so it looks like War was not alone in his descent to Earth. THQ assures us the extra development time is being well spent, as Vigil Games can further refine the gameplay elements in Darksiders II. A delay from the start of summer to the end of summer is not all that bad, however it could interfere with those heading back to school.
THQ wants to make sure fans are well and ready for the game, as a new Darksiders II trailer was also released to coincide with the release date announcement. The folks over at GameSpot were lucky enough to receive the new CG trailer, and in it you can see Death doing what he does best. Try to contain yourself while watching it, but I know many people will be marking off the days until August 14th.
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Viral Power for Future Electronics
Researchers are looking everywhere to find wasted energy they may be able to tap into and use. This has spurred the development of thermoelectric devices, which convert heat into electricity, and piezoelectric devices, which convert mechanical strain into electricity. Often the best performing piezoelectric materials are made of materials that are not particularly safe for humans to work with, or are expensive to make. Researchers at Berkeley Lab have found a new material though and not only is it safe for humans to work with but it will actually replicate and self-assembly, just like many other viruses.
Viruses are very often just simple strands of what most would recognize as DNA. When a virus infects a cell, it will insert itself into the cell's system, causing it to replicate the virus until the cell ultimately dies. Fortunately the virus in question, M13, is a bacteriophage, which means it only attack bacteria, not human cells.
Though the virus is naturally piezoelectric, the researchers used some genetic engineering to enhance this characteristic by adding some negatively charged amino acid. Thanks to the shape of the M13 virus, straight rods, it naturally forms thin films, which the researchers used to make generators to power a simple LCD screen. Though the generators only put out about six nanoamps and 400 mV, they were still able to make the 1 on the screen appear and disappear.
This is the first time a virus has been used as a piezoelectric material but will likely not be the last. While the power output was somewhat low, this was a proof-of-concept experiment and should lead to additional research. Maybe we will see virus power being used to charge phones and other electronics with the wasted energy from walking.
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