Filed under: Desktops

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Filed under: Displays

Remember that Qosmio G55 laptop with gesture control? Yeah, the one with the Cell-based SpursEngine under the hood. Well it looks like Tosh is bringing that so-called “natural” gesture input to its future cell-based televisions. Judging by the latest video alone, the gesture control seems more at home on the big-screen TV than smaller-screened laptops that require a higher degree of precision and closer viewing proximity. Demonstrated on a prototype, Toshiba hints that the tech might come to future Cell-based TVs — interesting what with the cell-based ZF televisions already announced for Europe. While we find pushing buttons on a remote about as natural (and lazy) as it gets, here’s hoping for this arm-flailing gesture control on future Toshiba TVs just for the nerdiness of it. Video of the G55 gesture input as well as the prototype television show at IFA after the break.

[Via AVING]

Continue reading Video: Toshiba’s gesture control coming to its cell-based TVs?

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Filed under: Desktops, Displays

Microsoft had better hurry and get more than one Surface rig out on the market, because there are plenty of other companies working on large-format multitouch hardware — the latest is Finland’s Multitouch Oy, which recently demoed its Cell display for jkkmobile. Just the usual photo pinching demo, but it’s running at an impressively fluid 60fps on desktop hardware, even with multiple users. Multitouch Oy says it’ll run about $7,000 for a 32-inch model when it hits — yeah, we’ll stick with the DIY kit for now. Video after the break.

[Via jkkmobile]

Continue reading Multitouch Oy demos Cell multitouch display

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

As expected, Toshiba is offering a new (supposed) world’s first here at IFA: a true upscaling TV, finally getting rid of the middle man for upconverting those SD sources. The new ZF Series LCDs include Cell processors and Toshiba’s home grown Resolution+ technology, which does similar edge and detail enhancement to Toshiba’s XDE upscaler — sharpening detail, smoothing edges, and leaving the rest of the image alone — but with the added fun of Cell power in the mix. As for the actual displays, Toshiba will be shipping the 40ZF575D (40-inch) and the 46ZF575D (46-inch), both offering 1080p, 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 6ms response times and Active Vision M100 HD 100Hz 5:5 pulldown processing, along with four HDMI plugs, component video, RGB and PC input. Right now this is just a Europe launch, and we don’t have exact ship dates or pricing, but hopefully Toshiba will soon rectify that.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

In the never-ending quest to make even the smallest devices on Earth a touch smaller, a talented team of MIT engineers have developed a method for creating and installing microbatteries, which could eventually power a plethora of diminutive devices including “labs-on-a-chip and implantable medical sensors.” It’s bruited that this is the first time in which “microcontact printing has been used to fabricate and position microbattery electrodes and the first use of virus-based assembly in such a process,” and while you’d likely have to be a colleague to even digest that, the take away is that these gurus are one step closer to generating battery-powered Scrubbing Bubbles. And your shower could use ‘em.

[Via PCMag]

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Filed under: Desktops, HDTV

Not that most of us are on the hunt for 1U server blades to build a rendering farm out of, but it’s always fun to see Sony’s PS3 hardware put to a use that actually earns Sony money. The Cell-based ZEGO BCU-100 includes the PS3’s RSX graphics processor and is designed for processing HD video. Sony plans to work with software developers to take advantage of the unique architecture, and will be launching ‘em later this year in the States. No word on price.

[Via Electronista]

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Filed under: Laptops

Looks like Toshiba’s not too far out from a new Qosmio called the G55, which LAPTOP says is on sale next month for $1,550. Listed among the specs are an 18.4-inch (1680 x 945) display, Centrino 2 CPU, GeForce 9600M GT, 4GB of RAM, dual drives, and the “Quad Core HD processor” (probably the commercial name for the Cell-based SpursEngine), which powers many of the media functions, including its camera-based visual gesture control system. LAPTOP calls the gesture system groundbreaking, but we’re clearly two sides to the same coin: the demo they gave looks cumbersome, inaccurate, and incredibly frustrating. And besides the fact that it requires “steady hands” and “can’t be used by people with wrist problems,” even if the gesture controls were well done, holding your arm in the air for minutes at a time is nowhere near a practical for regular use. Is it sad that we still kind of want it, though?

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Laptops

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Filed under: Gaming

Nikko Citigroup upgraded its rating on Sony this morning in anticipation of it breaking even on PS3 costs earlier than expected. At the moment, Sony sells the PS3 at a loss. The respected group of analysts is now earmarking August as the milestone month. Sony’s CFO recently suggested that the move would occur in the second half of year — a date analysts then pegged at November. No details behind the new upbeat expectations were provided by Nikko CG. However, it’s safe to assume that the PS3’s break-even event will be realized by a switch to a sub-65nm cell processor, sub-90nm RSX graphics chip, or both, since the smaller chips are less-costly to manufacturer.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Toshiba just pushed its SpursEngine co-processor chip out the door for sampling. Derived from the Cell processor at the heart of Sony’s PS3, the SpursEngine SE1000 contains 4 processor cores (not 8 like the Cell) and a hardware codec for encoding and decoding MPEG-2/H.264 video. It’s designed to manhandle real-time graphics processing and video manipulation when used in a potent three-way with your computer’s CPU and GPU. The processor is expected to cost as little as $50 by the time it appears in the first consumer electronics devices — likely graphics cards — early next year. A very good thing if the production experience is anything like the demonstrations we’ve seen.

[Via Impress]

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Filed under: Gaming

We’ve already seen the PlayStation 3 put to use for some non-gaming tasks (other than playing Blu-ray movies), and it now looks like the U.S. Air Force is aiming to get in on the act as well, with it recently putting out a so-called Request for Proposal that is seeking 300 PS3s for a “technology assessment.” Needless to say, their primary interest is in the console’s powerful Cell processor, which they say is the “only brand on the market that utilizes the specific cell processor characteristics needed for this program at an acceptable cost.” Exactly what that program entails is unsurprisingly being kept under wraps, with the RFP only going so far to state that the Air Force Research Laboratory is “conducting a technology assessment of certain cell processors.” Whatever it is, the Air Force certainly seems to be trying to keep costs as low as possible, with them apparently only interested in the 40GB model.

[Via Switched]

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

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Filed under: Gaming

IBM might be lagging slightly behind the likes of Intel and Microsoft in the 45nm department, but rest assured that a 45nm version of Cell is in the works and most certainly headed for the PS3. Microsoft told us that 45nm for Xbox was in the works last year, and Intel is obviously churning out Penryn chips as we speak, but IBM has finally solidified its own 45nm plans for Cell, and will change over production “soon.” The chip will use about 40 percent less power and will be 34 percent smaller than the 65nm version. That means less heat and more reliability, which of course means cost savings for Sony which will (theoretically) be passed on to consumers before too terribly long.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming

Although they inked a 5-year deal back in January 2006, Sony is bailing on at least part of its commitment to the development of chips with 32-nanometer (or less) circuitry. The research required to developed the manufacturing technology now rests squarely on the shoulders of Toshiba and IBM. A move which certainly makes sense now that Tosh has manufacturing responsibility for Sony’s Cell processor. Sony will continue to assist with “the design work” and making post-lunch runs to Starbucks.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

We’d been hearing that Sony’s new 40GB PS3 featured a revised design with a 65nm Cell processor and improved cooling, but sadly it looks like those reports were in error — a Sony spokesperson has told Heise Online that the 40GB model continues to use 90mn processors, but does feature an updated design with a lower power consumption of just 120 to 140 watts, compared to 180 to 200 watts for the older models. Sony says its still planning on moving to 65nm processors in the near future, but for now, it looks like the PS3 is 90nm across the board.

[Thanks, Khattab]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

So much for their earlier denial, eh? An anonymous Sony official has “confirmed” to Japan’s Nikkei that they will sell their advanced computer chip operations to Toshiba in an effort to re-focus on core business. The official announcement is expected later today. The sale gives Toshiba the manufacturing responsibility for the much hyped Cell processor used in Sony’s PS3. Sony, of course, will continue to invest in the Cell chip. Nikkei says the deal is worth some ¥100 billion (about $858 million) and should be completed by March.

Update: it’s official.

[Thanks, Alex]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Craig Venter, a DNA researcher that had a part in deciphering the human genome, has stuck together 580,000 base pairs of genetic code to create an entirely new and alien chromosome. Based around the Mycoplasma genitalium bacterium (pictured in all its primordial glory), the new chromosome is then implanted into a living cell and renamed as Mycoplasma laboratorium — don’t you just love science jokes? The new “life form” is reliant on the host cell for replication and metabolism so it’s not exactly entirely synthetic, but as the DNA is different, it is effectively an artificial form of life. Sounds like the human race’s really doomed now: ultimately, all we’re doing is setting the robots up with a tag team.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Craig Venter, a DNA researcher that had a part in deciphering the human genome, has stuck together 580,000 base pairs of genetic code to create an entirely new and alien chromosome. Based around the Mycoplasma genitalium bacterium (pictured in all its primordial glory), the new chromosome is then implanted into a living cell and renamed as Mycoplasma laboratorium — don’t you just love science jokes? The new “life form” is reliant on the host cell for replication and metabolism so it’s not exactly entirely synthetic, but as the DNA is different, it is effectively an artificial form of life. Sounds like the human race’s really doomed now: ultimately, all we’re doing is setting the robots up with a tag team.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

We’ve certainly seen PlayStation 3s used in academia before, but a “significant gift” by IBM to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County is enabling the institution to further develop its Multicore Computational Center. The facility now utilizes 32 Cell processors, and researchers at the lab are getting set to “develop applications” to harness all that power. Reportedly, the supercomputer will dabble in “visualization and computer modeling applications for aerospace / defense, financial services, healthcare / life sciences industries and weather.” Hit the link below for a video report.

[Thanks, Ryan O.]
Read - IBM, UMBC partnership
Read - Video report

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!