The Best Graphics Cards of 2013

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

What's the golden rule of building a gaming rig? You don't skimp on the GPU. Processors, RAM, hard drives and accessories can all be sacrificed without sabotaging the experience, but the graphics card is the heart of any gaming PC. 

It doesn't matter if it's a $500 budget machine or a $3,000 powerhouse.

Finding a balance between quality and price is tough. AMD and Nvidia are the two big manufacturers regarding chipsets (Radeon and GeForce), but several third-party companies assemble the actual video cards and add the memory.

Gigabyte GV-N670OC-2GD

Chipset: GeForce GTX 670

Memory: 2GB

Price: $285 on Newegg

This is the perfect card for the budget builder. The 670 is a middle-road chip from Nvidia capable of handling high settings from fan favorites like Skyrim and some GTA IV resolution mods. It's new anti-aliasing mode helps eliminate most of the jagged edges during gameplay without sacrificing frame rate, and you can game on three monitors from a single card (4-way SLI is optional if you want to go crazy).

On top of that, Gigabyte houses 2GB of video RAM on the card, which is standard, and keeps it all cool with three massive fans — all for less than $300.

EVGA 03G-P4-2784-KR

Chipset: GeForce GTX 780

Memory: 3GB

Price: $520 on Amazon

So the GTX 670 doesn't quite wet your whistle. We get it. You want to run that new Battlefield 4 download on ultra-high settings while gaming on several monitors. But at the same time, you're not made of money. The 780 is one of Nvidia's top chipsets and, while the price seems high at $520, it's actually modest in comparison to others (don't worry, we'll get to those).

The extra gigabyte of memory makes a difference too, as games like BF4 list 3GB as the recommended dosage for video memory. Any gaming PC equipped with an i7 and 16GB of RAM should have a card like this.

Sapphire Vapor-X

Chipset: Radeon HD 7970

Memory: 3GB

Price: $385 on Newegg

Nvidia and AMD are a bit like Ford and Chevrolet. Each have loyalists who swear by the product's superiority, but in the end it's really two versions of the same beast. The Radeon HD 7970 is the chipset from AMD that's comparable to a GTX 770 from Nvidia. Both chips can manage high to ultra-high settings on modern games and handle all the shadowing, smoothing and anti-aliasing a game can challenge.

The 3GB of memory is on par with any mid- to high-end card, and the Radeon is capable of 4K resolution if you can actually afford one of the displays.

EVGA 06-P4-2791-KR

Chipset: GeForce GTX Titan

Memory: 6GB

Price: $1,010 on SuperBiiz

Alright, no more child's play. You want the biggest, baddest video card on the market and you don't care what it costs. Nvidia has you covered. The GTX Titan is, by leaps and bounds, the sexiest chipset in gaming graphics. It packs every feature under the sun and is backed with 6GB of memory that could likely handle two games at once. This card doesn't run ultra-high settings on just today's games, but will run top-notch without skipping a frame for any 2014 game as well. It's a clean grand to buy, but this card is a Ferrari among Mustangs.

SEE ALSO: Game-Changing Reasons Why Parents Can Say Yes to Video Games

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*by andreascy*

Record Breaking Wi-Fi

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Instiute at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have set a new Wi-Fi speed record of 40GB per second - by creating new hardware and using higher radio frequencies. 

The Dawning of a New Day

Essentially these researchers are now able to transmit 10 high-definition feature films per second, over a 0.6 mile distance. Their technology could fill a 4TB drive in under 100 seconds (1 min 40 seconds) when running at full speed (well, in theory it could, but currently no SSD or HDD could hope to keep up with it).

This development is excellent news for any gamer or movie addict as entire episodes or games could be downloaded within seconds, as opposed to hours - once it becomes commercially available. The motivation behind the project is to help Germany catch up to its neighbours as it is currently behind in terms of fibre network adoption.

In fact, the research, which was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the tune of €2 million, was conducted to find an alternative to fibre optic cable. It seems that the researchers, at least, believe that they’ve succeeded with project leader, Professor Ingmar Kallfass, reporting that; “We have managed to develop a radio link based on active electronic circuits, which enables similarly high data rates as in fiber-optic systems, therefore allowing seamless integration of the radio link”.

Why it Works

Mashable’s Jesse Emspak explains that what makes this high-speed Wi-Fi possible is a combination of ‘better hardware’ and the use of higher radio frequencies. The “better hardware” is what researchers are calling their transmitter and receiver chips which are quite compact; measuring 4 x 1.5mm2 . Kallfass and his team believe that the set of chips could be integrated into compact ICs.

The second component is the use of higher radio frequencies - 240 gigahertz in this instance. Most Wi-Fi networks operate at either 2.4 or 5GHz and higher frequencies can experience atmospheric interference. It would seem, however, that 240 GHz is not affected and, as such massive amounts of data can be sent over this wavelength. Emspak explains that; “The high frequencies are necessary for moving lots of data - the number of bits that can travel over the airwaves is inversely proportional to the wavelength. The shorter the wavelength, the more data that can go in a given time”.

The technology has already been tested over a distance of one kilometer (linking two skyscrapers) and certainly seems to be quite robust when it comes to bad weather.

Possible Applications

Apart from faster download speeds in central areas, another application for the tech could be use in rural areas where it is too difficult to lay down fibre optic cables; as these transmissions will be able to go much further than a current Wi-Fi router could manage. Should this prove to be the case it would mean a breakthrough for people working between buildings or in the countryside.

At present the technology has not been made available commercially but, once it is it looks set to change the way many people around the world use their computers. Just think of the possibilities; email hosting services could be accessed from more locations, videos could be downloaded in the blink of an eye and people in areas that were traditionally isolated could soon have internet access. It truly is the dawning of a new day. 

 READ ALSO: Search Engines and Web Hosting - The Best Combination

Keep pushing up higher! 💪

*by andreascy*

David C. Brock: The Chemical History of Electronics

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

The rise of semiconductor electronics is one of the most important developments in recent history. The manufacture of semiconductor devices relies fundamentally on chemical processes, equipment, and specially produced materials. 

David C. Brock is a senior research fellow with CHF's Center for Contemporary History and Policy. As a historian of science and technology, he specializes in the history of semiconductor science, technology, and industry; the history of instrumentation; and oral history. He is the author of Understanding Moore's Law: Four Decades of Innovation and, with Christophe Lécuyer, Makers of the Microchip: A Documentary History of Fairchild Semiconductor (Acquired by Onsemi).

In this history of chemistry webisode, David Brock talks about the history of how the microprocessors that power iPads, iPhones and other digital devices came about. An excellent presentation! 

RELATED TOPIC: From Sand to Silicon : The making of Intel microprocessors
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*by andreascy*

TED - Leah Buechley: How to "Sketch" With Electronics

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Designing electronics is generally cumbersome and expensive -- or was, until Leah Buechley and her team at MIT developed tools to treat electronics just like paper and pen. Leah Buechley is an MIT electronics designer who mixes high and low tech to create smart and playful results. Electronics aren't just for experts and engineers. 

Kids and amateurs should be able to play, too, which is why Leah Buechley designs little paper-based electronics for "sketching" and interactive electronic fashion for tinkering. Buechley designs and creates electronic textiles, or e-textiles, like this jacket that can signal which way you're turning on your bike. 

In this talk from TEDYouth 2011, Buechley shows some of her charming designs, like a paper piano you can sketch and then play. The method has to do with being able to draw circuits by hand, on demand, and being able to customize and re-think circuits without having to start a whole new chip and waste material. 

Great talk and cool concept! I love when technology, electronics and art collide, really got my imagination going. Discover even more from TED.

*by andreascy*

Atmel SAM4L Microcontrollers : Redefining Low Power

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

How much better would your designs be if power consumption was no longer a concern? Find out today with the SAM4L family of ARM® Cortex™-M4 processor-based microcontrollers (MCUs), which consume just one-third the power of currently available solutions. 

SAM4L MCUs redefine the power benchmark, delivering the lowest power in both active (90µA/MHz) and sleep modes (1.5µA with full random access memory (RAM) retention and 700nA in back-up mode). 

They are the most efficient MCUs available today, achieving up to 28 CoreMark™/mA using the IAR Embedded Workbench, version 6.40. In SAM4L MCUs, you also get the industry's shortest wake-up time at 1.5µs from deep-sleep mode. Just what you need for portable and battery-powered consumer, industrial and medical applications.

Bringing Atmel picoPower Technology to the ARM Platform :

The SAM4L family integrates Atmel's proprietary picoPower® technology, which is used in hundreds of millions of Atmel® AVR® MCUs in the market today. This patented picoPower ultra-low power technology ensures that devices are developed from the ground up - from transistor design to clocking options - to consume as little power as possible.

Fast wakeup and innovative power-saving features such as multiple regulators reduce the overall consumption even further. In addition, Atmel's SleepWalking technology allows the peripherals to make intelligent decisions and wake up the system upon qualifying events at the peripheral level. It's all about system intelligence and conserving energy. Simply put, the SAM4L MCU is your choice if you're looking for long battery life, without sacrificing performance.

Read the SAM4L Datasheet and check also other interesting topics from Atmel.

*by andreascy*

Microchip Technology : Get ready to see a new world of 8-bit PIC MCUs

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

PIC microcontrollers are finding their way into new applications like Smartphones, Audio Accessories, Video Gaming Peripherals and Advanced Medical Devices. 

Microchip provides solutions for the entire performance range of 8-bit microcontrollers, with easy-to-use development tools, complete technical documentation and post design-in support through a global sales and distribution network.

PIC16F1512/13 MCUs (28-Pin Flash Microcontrollers with XLP Technology) combine eXtreme low-power technology and high digital & analog peripheral integration for use in a wide variety of applications. Check the short presentation below by Primo Castro (Product Marketing Manager at Microchip) and learn about the details on this Data Sheet. 

If you like this article you can discover more about MCUs and DSCs and Microchip Technology.

*by andreascy*

3 Creative Raspberry Pi Projects

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

A Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer i.e. it has a processor, R.A.M, I/O and other features that a computer is required to have on a single circuit board. It does not have a long term memory of its own so instead it uses a SD card for that purpose. 

The Raspberry Pi is extensively used in portable appliances. Moreover, since it is programmable and can control devices, it can be moulded in to some very exciting gadgets. Herein you will find some creative examples of using a raspberry pi in some cool projects.

1. Control Things Around The Home With Remote Control Raspberry Pi

What is better than controlling all the appliances in the house without getting up from your comfortable sofa? Just imagine how annoying it is to wake up in the morning and realise you left the lights and the fan on, or when someone asks you to turn off the water pump in the lawn while you are watching an intense major league baseball match. That hurts big-time! 

Here is the solution to all such ‘getting up and do work’ problems. Thanks to the miniaturized computer, and a simple combo of hardware cum software, you can sit back and relax all day long with your remote control, cleverly avoiding trivial work stuff. For this project items needed are :

       - Raspberry pi

      - Programmable remote control

      - Remote control switches

      - Lego pieces (to make your Raspberry Pi look cool) 

2. Remote Control Raspberry Pi Boat Another interesting idea is a remote control boat 

There’s no need to mention how much fun you can have with a project of this type playing with it in a local pond or swimming pool.This might be considered a project for the big kids, but the reality is that engineers are working on a drone water vessel called FishPi to sail on the Atlantic Ocean and collect data. So it may not be long before there is a prototype model for this project. 

 How a motor can be controlled by a Raspberry Pi? For this purpose a USB controlled motor driver is necessary and it needs to be configured to the projects needs. Other than the controller, two small DC motors are needed; one for the propeller and the other for controlling the direction of the propeller. The wattage of motors depends on how large the vessel is going to be. You can command the direction of the boat using a low-profile Wi-Fi dongle but the key component is of course the Raspberry Pi. 

 3. Physical Gmail Notifier 

Now there’s no need to be in front of the PC to know that a new email has arrived. Get notified about the newly received mail through the physical email notifier. All this cool gadget needs is :

       - An LED

       - A GPIO(General Purpose Input/Output) module 

       - Internet enabled raspberry pi 

       - Software required : Python 

Configure GPIO with one Gmail account using Python, with GPIO-pin status as true if email is received, else status should be false. Connect GPIO output pins with terminals of LED. The LED will glow if a new inbox message has been received. 

 Of course some intricate electronic components are involved in each of these projects but as they say, “Well begun is half done” and projects begin with ideas. It doesn’t end here…you too can think of some creative ideas and with some effort you can achieve something great. Just a little brain storming is needed and you’re off! 

We managed to get a Raspberry Pi computer on its first release in February from Premier Farnell Element 14. This has kicked off an avid obsession into exploring its capabilities and the creativity of others in the Raspberry Pi community.

*by andreascy*

Hyperspectral Imaging at Imec

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Imec is working on a hyperspectral imaging module that enables fast, compact, and low-cost hyperspectral imaging. 

The target applications are machine vision, security, and medical devices. A hyperspectral camera forms a spectral fingerprint of objects. It does so by capturing light in many small wavelength bands.

Such a spectral fingerprint contains detailed information about the object, e.g. about the materials contained in it, or about its state. 

Hyperspectral cameras were first used in geology studies, e.g. to detect oil deposits. 

Today's setups for hyperspectral analysis are bulky, complex, and expensive machines for use in laboratories. But many "in the field" applications would profit from a lightweight, compact and robust camera. 

Think of cameras to inspect crops, or machines to sort food. And a microsized camera would enable a whole new class of applications. Imagine, for example, that you would have a small pen to check your skin for melanoma. 

Read also :
Beat Intel, Get your 14nm Process Development Kit Now
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*by andreascy*