30th March 2007 Archive

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AMD updates Catalyst graphics software

AMD has posted the latest version of its ATI Catalyst graphics chip driver package. The new release, 7.3, allows OpenGL applications to run in CrossFire mode under Windows Vista whatever ATI Radeon X1000-series graphics cards they're working with. AMD claimed that would yield "significant performance gains in a number of …

Bits 'n' Chips 30 Mar 2007, 06:02
Sony hints at 80GB PS3

No future for the 20GB model?

Sony is to introduce an 80GB version of the PlayStation 3, documents filed earlier this month with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reveal. The single-page letter is a request that Sony be allowed to retain the wireless certification already obtained for the PS3 despite the addition of an alternative Bluetooth …

Consoles 30 Mar 2007, 09:21
Bluetooth 2.1 promises painless pairing

Power savings too

A new version of the Bluetooth short-range wireless connectivity standard has been published. The update promises to boost battery life and make pairing gadgets a doddle. Bluetooth 2.1 improves pairing in two ways: better security and automatic pairing. Devices like headsets that simply extend the capabilities of a phone, say …

Phones 30 Mar 2007, 09:50
In-car iPod handling hinders driving ability - study

Impacts driver performance as much as phones do

A US university has proved what most of us realised already: using an iPod while driving makes you more likely to have an accident. According to a study conducted by Philadelphia's Drexel University, it's as dangerous as handling a mobile phone. Computer science professor Dario Salvucci put 12 people into driving simulators, …

Media players 30 Mar 2007, 10:18
Asus auctions unique red laptop for Comic Relief

Red nosebook?

There's literally only one red Asus S6F laptop on the planet, and if you want to avail yourself of the opportunity to win it - and do some good into the bargain - visit eBay or Harrods this weekend. Asus is offering the machine for auction, with bidding taking place online at ebay.co.uk and at retailer MicroAnvika's store- …

PCs 30 Mar 2007, 11:35
Show me the way to go home: GPS on test

Group Test Ten gadgets to get you from A to B

Gone are the days of thumbing through your dog-eared 1988 AA route map while trying to navigate the fast lane of the M25 in search of your pal's new London pad. For now is the time of satellite navigation. Over the past three years, the market has been flooded with a vast array of navigation units employing the Global …

GPS and Satnav 30 Mar 2007, 12:05
Brits pay 73% more for a PS3 than Hong Kong buyers do

Tax and spend

Where's the best place to purchase a PlayStation 3? Hong Kong, according to the Wall Street Journal. No prizes for guessing the worst: London. In Hong Kong, the PS3 retails for an average price of HKD3,780 - or €363. In London, the local price is £425 - or €627. In short, Brits have to pay almost twice as much for the next- …

Consoles 30 Mar 2007, 15:06
Solar-powered cell phones are on the horizon

TI step-up chip can drive electronics on as little as 0.3v

TI has developed an ultra-low-voltage DC/DC booster chip that could lead to mobile phones and other electronic devices that never need recharging. The TPS61200 step-up chip can work with input voltages as low as 0.3v at over 90 percent efficiency, TI claimed. That means it can run directly off low power energy sources such as …

Phones 30 Mar 2007, 17:16