Comment Re:HotHardware Test (Score 2, Informative) 201
DX9 systems can only go to High. the ultra mode is only for the latest dx hardware.
DX11 Tested Against DX9 With Dirt 2 Demo 201
MojoKid writes "The PC demo for Codemasters' upcoming DirectX 11 racing title, Dirt 2, has just hit the web and is available for download. Dirt 2 is a highly-anticipated racing sim that also happens to feature leading-edge graphic effects. In addition to a DirectX 9 code path, Dirt 2 also utilizes a number of DirectX 11 features, like hardware-tessellated dynamic water, an animated crowd and dynamic cloth effects, in addition to DirectCompute 11-accelerated high-definition ambient occlusion (HADO), full floating-point high dynamic range (HDR) lighting, and full-screen resolution post processing. Performance-wise, DX11 didn't take its toll as much as you'd expect this early on in its adoption cycle."
Bit-tech also took a look at the graphical differences, arriving at this conclusion: "You'd need a seriously keen eye and brown paper envelope full of cash from one of the creators of Dirt 2 to notice any real difference between textures in the two versions of DirectX."
Comment Re:As long as you love cut-scenes... (Score 1) 452
The game has an intro story and game play period that lasts about an hour or so depending on how you play. I'm guessing you played this game very little. I'm about 15 hours in and it is an awesome world with many options and little cut-scenes once they cut the umbilical cord and let you play the game. This by far my favorite game of this genre this year...and maybe for the last few years.
Comment Hiren Boot CD (Score 1) 274
Hiren Boot cd 10.0. Has lots of hardware testing programs that you can boot to and run. http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd. I use it often.
Comment Re:About time (Score 1) 195
the difference is this presents the "six" displays as one resolution to the computer. so any game can display on all the screens at once. Given that you have 6 identical screens positioned correctly. Also, your third display on the 4850 has to be a clone. I don't think you can run a third independent display. I may be wrong.
Comment Re:Department of Orwellian Reasoning (Score 2, Informative) 630
What is their problem with the G20 meetings?
Losing national sovereignty to world political bodies that circumvent individual country's political systems and constitutions by setting policy that directly affects the lives of citizens without being directly accountable (ie:voting).
That is my personal problem with these meetings. The EU is an example of countries losing national sovereignty in this manner. It starts out with trade agreements like NAFTA and progresses from there.
The punks that get the media attention you speak of are generally provocateurs. They are planted to give a rational for the excessive force the police exercise on protesters.
That is my opinion though. Honestly, if the protesters want to express their opinion, they should be allowed to irrespective of the validity of their arguments or what they want to accomplish. Basic human rights are being violated, and everyone is debating on whether the protester's viewpoint is credible.
Comment Re:What is the net effect? (Score 3, Insightful) 245
Irrespective of humanity's perceived impact, does this not happen throughout history in a cyclical fashion? I would look at this type of activity as the main source of evolutionary change. The species that are equipped to survive the conditions will prevail.
Comment Re:Not so fun (Score 2, Informative) 60
I did the "anysat" set and they became very complex after several levels. the first ones may just be "tutorial" levels.
Submission + - AMD - Open-Source APL - Framewave
psyph3r writes: "AMD just announced that their AMD Performance Library is now available to the open-source community.They are dropping the proprietary APL in favor of the new open-source offshoot called Framewave."
Feed Macworld: Yahoo protects employees in case of Microsoft takeover (macworld.com)
Submission + - China's Online Game Industry Deals Paralyzed? (eeo.com.cn)
xiao_da writes: China's Economic Observer is reporting that Shanda Interactive, one of China's top online game companies, has deliberately stunted consolidation in the industry by paying "a massive premium" for an online gaming outfit last year. The article says smaller Chinese gaming companies are now quoting exorbitant prices in acquisition negotiations. Referring to these sky high-quotes, an anonymous source close to Shanda is quoted in the article as saying: "Maybe they hit the wrong button on the calculator."
Submission + - Bill Gates: Internet censorship just won't work (networkworld.com)
BobB writes: Efforts by countries like China to restrict the exchange of information on the Internet are ultimately doomed to failure, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told an audience of Stanford University students Tuesday. "I don't see any risk in the world at large that someone will restrict free content flow on the Internet," he said. "You cannot control the Internet."
Submission + - DVD Saves Firefighter's Life (live5news.com) 1
Dan East writes: "Fire Chief Barry McRoy credits a DVD with saving his life — literally. McRoy was trying to leave a restaurant when two men, fighting over a gun, entered. During the fray the gun went off, and Chief McRoy's stomach started hurting. At first he thought the pain was from the percussion of the shot, since he was so close to the men and they were all enclosed in the small glass foyer together. However, upon reaching into his pocket he found, amongst the shattered DVD pieces, the bullet that had just been fired. In the video still it is clear the disc is a DVD-R, but the brand is not visible."
Submission + - Toshiba Releases Official Word On HD DVD (bhfo.org)
psyph3r writes: "It is official. Toshiba will cease operation of its HD DVD business. Blu-ray is the winner of the HD format war."
Submission + - NZ Stock Exchange moves to Linux (computerworld.co.nz)
Rob O'Neill writes: "Hot on the tale of the NYSE, the NZX embraces Linux.
"NZX decided to develop new technology primarily because of the limitations the legacy system, the Fully Automated Screen Trading and Electronic Registration system (FASTER), put on the organisation. FASTER can only clear and settle equities and debt products, and is unable to do, for example, carbon trading, says Turner. There are also other problems, typical for legacy systems, such as expensive hardware and expensive system software, ha adds.""
