Welcome to PPV

The information in this article applies to the following configuration(s):

• Radeon™ HD2900 series
  
• Radeon™ HD2600 series
  
• Radeon™ HD2400 series
  
• Radeon™ X1950 series
  
• Radeon™ X1900 series
  
• Radeon™ X1800 series
  
• Radeon™ X1650 series
  
• Radeon™ X1600 series
  
• Radeon™ X1550 series
  
• Radeon™ X1300 series
  
• Radeon™ X1050 series
  
• Radeon™ X850 series
  
• Radeon™ X800 series
  
• Radeon™ X700 series
  
• Radeon™ X600 series
  
• Radeon™ X550 series
  
• Radeon™ X300 series
  
• Windows Vista 32-bit Edition
  
• Windows Vista 64-bit Edition
  
• Windows XP Professional
  
• Windows XP Home Edition
  
• Windows XP Media Center Edition
  
• Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
  

This hotfix resolves the following issues:

• Fix for problems with DirectX and Radeon AGP Graphics cards.
  
• Crysis: DirectX 10 Performance optimizations using Crossfire

Download: XP Pro/Home, XP 64-bit, Vista 32-bit, Vista 64-bit
AMD/ATi Support Page: here

Remember my post titled AMD beats Intel on power efficiency? In that post, research firm Neal Nelson reports that AMD Beats Intel in 36 of 57 Power Efficiency Tests.

Now the same research firm conducted another test, but this time on servers using quad core processors from AMD and Intel. Neal Nelson’s Power Efficiency Benchmark used 4GB, 8GB and 16GB memory for their test.

It is interesting to note that FB-DIMM which is used by Quad-Core Intel Xeon consumes more power compared to DDR-II modules which is used on Quad-Core AMD Opteron servers. So this I think is one of the factors why the Intel Server consumed more power.

These new test results were collected with Neal Nelson's Power Efficiency Benchmark which is a client server test where up to 500 world wide web users from 32 separate computers submit individual transactions to a server running the Apache2 web server software, the MySQL relational database and Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating system. The benchmark has a complex multi-user load with a large memory footprint, a high volume of context switches, significant network traffic and substantial amounts of physical disk I/O.

"I am certain that these test results are correct," Nelson said. He added, "I am so certain that I have begun to offer my customers a money back guarantee if their real world experiences do not agree with my benchmark data."

But ZDNet sees it the other way. Read their blog titled Beware of rigged CPU efficiency study.

Very similar in my country where two Giant TV Network wars on TV ratings. lol. It's very hard to tell who's telling the truth.

White paper with detail test results: here

Game performance may be poor on a Windows XP-based computer that is using a dual-core processor especially on AMD dual-core computers.

If you have the following, then download the fix at the bottom of this post:

• Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)-based computer.
  
• The Windows XP SP2-based computer has multiple processors.
  
• The multiple processors support processor power management features. For example, the multiple processors support Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) processor performance states.
  
• The Windows XP SP2-based computer requires Windows XP SP2 to use the processor power management features.

Download fix: here
More info: here

Is this the end of toothbrush? Not really. Scientist have found a way to make cavity causing bacteria to self-destruct.

The ability of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) to survive in acid is one reason that the species is the main driver of tooth decay worldwide. Past research has shown that this ability has several components including a bacterial enzyme called fatty acid biosynthase M (FabM), which when shut down, makes S. mutans almost precisely 10,000 times more vulnerable to acid damage.

A new type of super-efficient household light bulb is being developed which is brighter and uses less power than energy efficient light bulbs currently on the market.



Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are used in gadgets like cellphones and computers previously are not powerful enough compared to regular bulbs used for lighting.

But Glasgow University scientists said they had resolved the problem by making microscopic holes in the surface of LEDs to increase the level of light they give off.

The process is known as nano-imprint lithography and as of now is time consuming and very expensive. But this means the days of the humble light-bulb could soon be over.

An Australian company named Walletex has created an MP3 player which is as thin as an ATM or credit card. What's more, this player is also waterproof. This 4GB music player costs $100.



Gadgets are getting smarter and smaller these days. :)

The Inquirer's Martin Veitch created a list of what's going to happen in 2008. Let's see if one or two will happen this year. If more than that, I suggest that Martin Veitch take another career. :)

10 - Ruiz out at AMD.
9 - Apple interested in Palm purchase.
8 - Apple debuts 3G iPhone.
7 - Black days for tech as US stocks take a tumble.
6 - Fujitsu mulls Sun buy.
5 - Scott McNealy to lead startup.
4 - Bloggers give up the ghost (slowly go away).
3 - Yahoo caves in and sells out to Microsoft.
2 - Flash notebooks go mainstream.
1 - Apple to use AMD.

You can read more the full details of it here.