Recent Comments:
NVIDIA GTX 480 makes benchmarking debut, matches ATI HD 5870 performance (video) {Engadget}
Mar 6th 2010 9:10AM @acabtp You need to re-read the article.
The unigine heavan demo is an independently created software package used to demonstrate and benchmark various 3d technologies. It does not belong to either AMD or NVidia. The article states "Nvidias benchamrking" meaning they ran it, not that they wrote it, you even quoted it that way. Tessellation is a feature of DX11, and the benchmark is demonstrating how much better Nvidia is at it than AMD, using an independent benchmark.
There are times during the benchmark where Nvidia is twice as fast as AMD as someone has already posted.
Tessellation is a way for the hardware (AMD or Nvidia) to create extra detail based on a displacement map. A displacement map is a graphics layer which adds 'bumps' to the image in lieu of using real polygons. Tessellation is a way of giving more definition to those bumps by subdividing the area and adding real geometry. This allows for more detail, greater shadow realism, and more simplified character (or data) sets. In other words you get a greater perceived polygon count that uses less data to begin with. It is a good thing.
ASUS introduces O!Play HD2, first networked media player with USB 3.0 {Engadget}
Mar 3rd 2010 9:28AM The processors used in these boxes (typically sigma designs or realtek) are incapable of maxing out even USB 2. Typical media files (even direct bluray rips) top out at around 5MB/s. While its great to see USB 3 show up on different devices, don't expect that it will impact performance anytime soon on these media players.
3G GSM encryption cracked in less than two hours {Engadget}
Jan 15th 2010 7:22AM This is a related key attack, meaning that you need a related key. This is not a real world implementation. This is more about the weakness of the algorithm than it is about live implementation. It still requires brute force attacking of one key, then, if you happen to find a related key, you can crack this second (or third) key much faster.
Blu-ray's 3D spec isn't what it could be {Engadget}
Jan 8th 2010 8:21AM You are never going to convince film producers to use anything but 24 frame. I have sat in many groups that explored other frame rates for film and the arguements are just too numerous (to them) to ignore.
1. Cost of production goes up
2. Going beyond 24hz moves the experience into the realm of television/documentary style of presentation, in other words it does not put the viewer into 'story' mode as the experience is too real, It ends up not looking like 'film'. Yes, this is an actual arguement used by the film industry. I sat in a screening of a scene that was shot at 24, 30, 60, and 72 fps. It was scanned at 6K and presented digitally side by side (butterfly) against the other frame rate so the audience could vote on which half looked better. Guess what.. 24 fps won. I was one of about 10% of the people who preferred the high frame rates (it was stunning). The 'Film' guys (and these guys make apple fanboys look like sissies) were absolutely emphatic that the 24fps looked better,
3. Too much industry knowledge is tied up in 'FILM' and the act of 'FILMING'. It is hard for most DOPs, cameramen, etc to move to digital even when the digital is at 24 fps much less to anything else. Some of these guys still think in inches and feet of exposure, not frames.
Blu-ray's 3D spec isn't what it could be {Engadget}
Jan 8th 2010 8:11AM Broadcast 3D cameras capture at 30fps, I think that is what the poster was stating. Film cameras of course only capture 24hz.
Blu-ray's 3D spec isn't what it could be {Engadget}
Jan 8th 2010 8:10AM @mentasm
Your Televisions run at multiples of 25hz because of the line frequency (50hz) of your electricity. If your televisions run at anything other than that multiple it creates a beat frequency between the lighting in your room and the television image which is pretty hard to look at when the refresh rate is low and of course depends on lighting conditions. This is largely historical of course. There really was no way for the european HD group to resolve this even though they had the opportunity, it would have meant going to 300hz (least common denominator) in order to find a compromise between PAL and NTSC based television. Their primary concern was both the cost of 300hz and backwards compatibility with legacy television broadcasts.
Foxit's eSlick ereader now supports EPUB, puts Kindle to shame {Engadget}
Nov 6th 2009 7:32AM epub... kindle.. http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/04/savoury-native-kindle-epub-a.html
The kindle is still the best reader out there (I have several). I really don't get the point of the nook as the minimalist approach is what works for me and I would suspect anyone that wants to read. The incorporation of these other elements is simply a distraction from reading. I have about 80 books on my K2 (all read) and all of them are shared with my wife (for free). It works for us. It comes down to access, selection, and convenience, which the kindle does just fine right now. When (if) amazon could open up its library we might see some competition, but until then...
First MoCA 1.1 cable set-top-box gets certified {Engadget HD}
Oct 27th 2009 10:26PM PQoS is not DRM, it is simply traffic prioritization to ensure that your video streams do not starve for bandwidth by raising its priority above your normal traffic.
Gyrobike's Gyrowheel stabilizes a kid's first bike without the training wheels {Engadget}
Oct 4th 2009 9:04AM Get the child a bike that fits first, too many parents get a bike that is way to big thinking they will grow into it. The first bike should be one that allows them to easily reach the ground with both feet (flat footed). Make sure it has HAND brakes, coaster brakes are about the dumbest invention ever, it does more to confuse the new learner than anything else. Then take off the pedals. Let them get the feel for just gliding, and the fact that they can put their feet down to stop. Then concentrate on braking, then turning in circles, then gliding to a stop, when that is under control then put the pedals back on. I have taught many kids to ride, within an hour of their first time on the bike they can usually glide pretty conifidently, some kids get it within a few hours and are pedaling on their own the same afternoon, some take a little longer but always much, much faster than the kids that learn with training wheels.
Sony single lens 240 fps camera is great for 3D (& 2D) sports {Engadget}
Oct 1st 2009 8:12AM While this will create a 3D image it will feel unatural as the perspective is forced by the angle of the mirrors rather than natural through eye separation. This technique has been used in borescope (inspection scopes) to give some sense of perspective but has limited application as the achievable separation is limited. It would for instance probably work better on a basketball court than on football field except in limited situations.
