NVIDIA Releases Quadro CX GPU - Optimized for Creative Suite 4

We found out weeks ago that a few select applications from Adobe's new Creative Suite 4 would take advantage of the GPU, and from the looks of things, it's NVIDIA who's out to push the message to the public. Although it appears that the new applications will take advantage of any GPU pipeline, ATI has kept mum for the most part - odd to say the least.

Well, for more proof that NVIDIA is taking things seriously, they've launched a new Quadro model that's touted as being the "ultimate" GPU for use with CS4. Compared to the desktop GPUs, the Quadro CX seems most comparable to the GTX 260, with 192 processors, but that's where the similarities end. The new card features 1.5GB of GDDR3 with a 384-bit memory bus (the GTX 260/280 have 448-bit), as well as a smaller TDP of 150W.

How the new card is truly "optimized" for Creative Suite 4 is unknown, and its features and product overview show nothing truly new that previous cards don't have. If anything, it could be the ability to utilize a 30-bit color mode, although finding out which modes the previous cards offer is difficult on NVIDIA's site, so it's hard to say. Regardless, if you want one of these puppies in your workstation, be prepared to part with $1,999. CS4 doesn't seem so expensive now, does it?

Creativity is not just your passion, it's your business. You are always under pressure to deliver more amazing content while working under tight deadlines. Now you can. The NVIDIA Quadro CX is the accelerator for Adobe Creative Suite 4-giving you the ability to create rich, stunning content in a faster, smoother, and more interactive way.

Source: NVIDIA Quadro CX Product Page

PSP-3000 Now Available Across North America

The third revision PSP, coined "PSP Brite" by many, is now available all across North America. Sony doesn't seem too interested in selling the console apart from everything else though, as the only way to currently purchase it is by picking up a $199.99 bundle, but I don't think there will be too many complaints about that (unless you already own a PSP and just want an upgrade).

The Ratchet and Clank pack includes R&C: Size Matters, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets on UMD, a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card, along with a voucher to download Echochrome on the PSN for free. The system also comes in a single color, mystic silver, with "special" editions en route I'm sure, if the previous generations were anything to go by. The only known follow-up is another $199.99 offering that includes a 4GB memory card in place of the 1GB, and a voucher for Everyday Shooter... which is arguably a much less stellar bundle.

Compared to the previous models, the PSP-3000 includes an improved LCD screen with increased color range and also five times the color ratio, and as you'd expect, this will hit battery-life, although apparently not by too much. In addition, it also includes an integrated microphone, minor button changes and the ability to output via composite connection to a TV or monitor.

For new and old PSP users alike, you can now take advantage of the 5.0 firmware which opens up support for the PS Store, removing the need for a PS3 or PC to download a game. You can see a full demo for the new service at the link below.

We wanted to give you a live demo of the PSP’s direct access to PlayStation Store, which will be coming with the 5.00 firmware update. Now whenever your PSP is connected to the Internet over WiFi, you’ll be able to download and enjoy the latest games, demos and trailers on the go without needing to sync up to your PS3 or PC. Here’s a brief walk-through of what you’ll experience.

Source: Playstation Blog, Via: PSP Fanboy

Adobe's Creative Suite 4, Flash 10 Both Released

Adobe announced their latest Creative Suite release just over three weeks ago, and fans sure didn't have to wait long before the "Add to Cart" buttons were enabled on the official site. As always, each new application is available as an individual purchase, although the best values are found with the collections, which offer multiple applications at a nice discount.

For the ultimate in media design, the Master Collection includes pretty-well everything you could ever need for your content creation, for the healthy sum of $2,499 ($899). Seems expensive, but it's not in the grand scheme of things. If you actually have a use for all the applications included, it's a safe bet that the cost eats itself very quickly. For those who don't need quite that many tools, the Web Premium and Design Premium collections are a bit more affordable, at $1,699 and $1,799, respectively.

Prices of the other software hasn't changed much, with Photoshop Extended coming in at $999 ($349 upgrade), and Dreamweaver at $399 ($199 upgrade). For the full list of prices, you can hop over to the official store. In other news, Flash 10 has finally been released as well, for Windows, Apple and Linux. It's not so important for the end-user right now, but could be in the future, when developers begin to take full advantage of all that's new. To grab the latest version, you can go straight to the download page.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family, the highly-anticipated release of industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical breakthroughs in workflow efficiency - and packed with hundreds of innovative, time saving features - the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, interactive, film, video and mobile.

Source: Adobe Press Release

TSA = They'll Steal Anything?

Theft is a huge issue... anywhere. Regardless of where you work, there's sure to be a bad seed employee or a customer who's going to swipe something at some point in time. It's inevitable. But, there are a few places where something like that wouldn't even come to mind. Some place where theft would be highly unlikely, and seemingly impossible. Some place, like the TSA.

If only that sentiment was true. The TSA are comprised of those friendly citizens inside our airports and borders that take it upon themselves to rummage through our stuff, making sure we aren't bringing in any illegal porn. So what's the chances that one of these TSA employees could see something they liked, and get away with taking it? Not that unlikely, it seems.

Gizmodo links us to a story of a Newark TSA agent who, get this, stole over $200,000 worth of people's equipment, from laptops to iPods to cameras. He wasn't shy about what he took, either. He even managed to leave the building with a $50,000 camera that belonged to an HBO employee. What's worse is that the only way this guy was caught was by CNN noticing one of their cameras on eBay, which led to the arrest. What I want to know is... how is this even remotely possible? If he was able to leave with a camera valued at $50K, there's little doubt that theft on a smaller scale happens through all TSA stations... not just Newark's.

When the USPS and local police tracked him down and raided his place, they found they found 66 cameras, 31 laptops, jewelry, camera lenses, GPS devices and more. So yeah, how does a TSA screener systematically walk out of the airport with more gadgets than Best Buy—hell, with some gear you can't even buy there—without a single agent ever noticing?

Source: Gizmodo

Ten "Finger-Licking" Good Linux Themes

It's no secret that I'm "pro-Linux" and that I've been using the OS as my primary for a number of years, but I'm also one of the first to point out a fault if there is one. In this particular case, I find that the default desktops available aren't eye-catching... nothing makes you say "ooh" or "ahh", or somehow pronounce a verbal "!". Luckily, the customization potential is incredible, and like Linux itself, you are able to make your desktop your own.

The folks at the LinuxHaxor blog list ten stellar (or "finger-licking") desktop themes that not only look great, but are completely free. Most are designed for GNOME, and each one will install differently, but it's hard to beat a completely overhauled desktop for the cost of nothing.

I'm no GNOME user, but "BlackWhite GTK" looks spectacular. It's simplistic, but sometimes that works. "Hyo o9o8" is another interesting GNOME theme, and while it's also simplistic, it utilizes cool earth tones to help deliver a theme that's really easy on the eyes. Of course, if none of these particular themes suit your fancy, you can always hit up KDE-Look or GNOME-Look. Just prepare to lose a few hours to it...

Last time when we published such a list on Linux Desktop; we received a lot of flak for showing mockups and not actually showing how the themes can be replicated by users. Anyone can go to gnome-look and go through thousands of available theme, but we have decided to make a list of ten themes that we thought are a cut above the others, with a link to download and you can try them yourself.

Source: LinuxHaxor

Tech Roundup - October 16, 2008

Motherboards & Processors
• ECS GF9300T-A Black Series GeForce 9300 - Big Bruin
• MSI P7NGM Digital - Viper Lair
• nForce 730i MSI P7NGM Digital - Neoseeker

Displays & Video Cards
• Canonical Publishes ATI Catalyst 8.11 Beta - Phoronix
• Gainward HD4850 1024MB Golder Sample - CDR Info
• Inno3D iChiLL 9800GT - CDR Info
• MSI Radeon HD 4850 - Benchmark Reviews
• Palit HD4850 Sonic - Overclockers Club

Memory & Storage
• G.Skill F2 6400 CL4D-4GBPI-B - Overclockers Club
• Kingwin EZ-Dock HDD Dock - Overclocker Cafe
• Norco DS-500 eSata RAID Storage Array - TweakNews

Peripherals & Gadgets
• Altec Lansing Soundbar - Think Computers
• PureAudio USB-SA Sound Card - i4u
• SouthWing SH241 Bluetooth Headset - Legit Reviews

Cooling
• Arctic Cooling Fans - XS Reviews
• LapLogic W800 Aerogel Extreme Notebook Cooler - Hardware Logic
• OCZ Gladiator Max - Bjorn3D
• Scythe Musashi VGA Cooler - Dreamware Computers
• Thermalright T-Rad² Video Card Cooler - Hardware Canucks
• Thermaltake V14Pro CPU Cooler CL-P0471 - Benchmark Reviews
• Vizo Ninja HS NB Cooler - Hardware Bistro

Chassis & Power Supplies
• Lian Li PC-A7010 - Pure Overclock
• NZXT Guardian 921 - Red and Blackness

Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera
• DXG DXG-569V HD Video Camera - TestFreaks
• HTC Touch Diamond & Touch Pro - InsideHW