X-bit Watch: Computer Chips Coming to Brains

by Yaroslav Lyssenko
10/23/2004 | 11:34 PM

Graphics cards

TrustedReviews has posted a comparison of NVIDIA GeForce 6800 graphics cards. Five GeForce 6800 products in this roundup have core speed in the range of 325-350MHz, four graphics cards – from Galaxy, Leadtek, MSI and XFX – models have 128MB of DDR memory that runs at effective speed of 700-750MHz. The notable exception is ASUSTeK’s with its 256MB of GDDR3 which is clocked at 1000MHz, or 1GHz if you prefer.

Viperlair.com has reviewed ASUS Extreme N5900 graphics card. Based on NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 GPU clocked at 375MHz with 700MHz memory, designed with AGP-to-PCI Express bridge to allow PEG x16 connectivity, this graphics card is not a high end product, but it still boasts with ASUS’s rich product bundle.

FiringSquad has reviewed Sapphire Hybrid RADEON X700 PRO graphics card. The product features a 420MHz clock-speed, while its 256MB of GDDR3 memory operates at 864MHz. Besides, Sapphire has included a bundle and equipped the graphics card with a special cooling system.

Chips Coming to Brains

In the era of high-tech memory management, next in line to get that memory upgrade is not your computer, but it is you, says a new article at Wired. Professor Theodore W. Berger, director of the Center for Neural Engineering at the University of Southern California, is creating a silicon chip implant that mimics the hippocampus, an area of the brain known for creating memories. If successful, the artificial brain prosthesis could replace its biological counterpart, enabling people who suffer from memory disorders to regain the ability to store new memories. 

Berners-Lee Expect’s The Web’s Re-Invention

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the current World Wide Web, is working on the “Semantic Web,” with its richer information links that unlock the power of “unplanned reuse of data”.

Tim Berners-Lee now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., where he holds the 3Com Founders chair at the Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. His recent work concerns development of the “Semantic Web,” a scheme that could someday put virtually all the data in the world online. Instead of just linking static pages, as with today’s Internet, the Semantic Web will join together vast repositories of information now locked up in corporate or public databases, linking it all together through intelligent recognition of patterns and intersections among disparate information sources. BusinessWeek has spoken with Tim Berners-Lee and posted some more information on “Semantic Web”.

PC Barebones

Gamers-depot.com has reviewed FIC Condor P4 barebone. Condor is designed to house a Socket 478 Pentium 4 CPU and uses Intel’s i865P chipset. It’s a formidable solution that still offers a total of six USB 2.0 ports, six-channel audio with SPDIF Optical out, keyboard/mouse PS2 ports, 10/100 Ethernet Port and integrated video, a 200Watt power supply unit. This case design allows you to use video cards that take up two slots. The contrasting gray/black color as well as its ultra-compact size would not spoil your work place.

Modding

SystemCooling.com has reviewed Jetart AquaCool AK1000 liquid cooling solution. This is a small external cooling designed to cool AMD Athlon XP CPUs and Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 CPUs. This product is made of full copper pump and radiator as for the aluminum case, it comes with a blue light LCD monitor which allows easy to read instant temperature & fan speed.

Modthebox.com has reviewed Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R power supply unit. This PSU offers solid construction balanced with an assortment of unique features such as Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP) and Short Current Protection (OPP). Users concerned with cable clutter will appreciate the professionally sleeved cables as well as the "EZ Grip" Female Molex connectors. The painted blue chassis combined with the blue 120mm exhaust fan adds several benefits in terms of maximizing cooling levels. The blue illuminated power switch is also nice touch that adds to the overall aesthetics of the product.

A True Review has posted a small article about Thermaltake TrueLight memory heat spreader. Termaltakes’ cooling solution is a black aluminum RAM sink that is equipped with 5 blue LEDs. With 8 different flash modes, there is bound to be at least one that suits your style or mood.

Pointing devices

Bona Fide Reviers.com has taken a look at Logitech diNovo media desktop. This is an excellent combination of three pointing devices: a keyboard, a separate numeric pad with tons of extra features called the MediaPad and the MX900 mouse. The best part about this trio is that all three units use Bluetooth, eliminating the need for even more wires.