You think you’re a hardcore gamer? Really? If you’ve been looking for the latest piece of hardware to give yourself the one-up, Bigfoot’s got you covered. The aptly named Killer Network Interface card just might be the most unique gamer-centric component we’ve seen; this amped up gigabit NIC has its own 400Mhz network processing unit, 64MB of dedicated DDR RAM, a USB 2.0 port, and touts itself as one of the first consumer uses of Corporate Network Acceleration Technology. So these CAT6-melting specs have to amount to something, right? Gamers can supposedly expect to see noticeable improvements in first-person shooters as well as consistently lower ping times as the self-proclaimed “LLR Technology” offloads network tasks from the CPU to the Killer’s NPU. Although pricing is currently unavailable, the tricked-out NIC will be available starting August 16th; for now we’ll reserve judgment about how this thing just screams “overkill” on one of the more basic functions of any computer, and bask in its extravagant frivolity.
[Via Crowdedbrain]

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Just get a shiny new hard drive and need to transfer your files over? Or maybe you’re just doing your duty and backing up information on a regular basis; whatever the reasons, and we’re sure there’s more, getting files onto your bare drive gets simple with this driver-less USB to SATA/IDE Universal Kit with One Touch Backup. This kit works its magic by providing the best of both worlds: portability and one-touch simplicity are wrapped into one marvel of functionality. You’ll get support for 3.5-inch SATA/SATA II drives up to 750GB and all IDE/EIDE drives up to 500GB — a fancy “bisynchronous mode” copies data onto two drives simultaneously. Just plug it in, give the button a press, and you’re set — and although time is money, be aware that this modern-day convenience will run you $42.

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The British government is fed up with standby mode; according to a recent energy review, devices left in standby account for 8% of their annual energy usage. In an attempt to curb waste, combat rising energy costs, and apparently annoy citizens, the government is set to outlaw switches that allow TVs, DVD players, and who knows what else to go on hiatus — mandatory redesigns to remove sleep functions from numerous devices are supposedly on the docket. Whatever comes of this, keep a close eye on the next Windows Update: you might just reboot to find your precious “Stand By” option MIA.?

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The reign of Core Duo has dominated 2006, but now is the time for a line of desktop processors to take the stand for justice. Or something like that. Announced in June, Intel’s Core 2 Duo is officially “out” today — though you can’t buy ‘em just yet — and bit-tech.net has given the Conroe and Allendale lines (4MB vs. 2MB L2 cache) an incredibly thorough rundown. We’re not total chip nuts, so some of the architecture notes went a bit over our heads, but it’s clear that the Intel’s Core architecture has the makings of a champ. While sharing a misleadingly similar name, Intel’s Core Duo mobile line isn’t actually built on Intel’s “Core” chip design, notably lacking 64 bit compatibility. However, the breakthroughs made in the “Yonah” Core Duo chips really shine through in the Core Duo 2, and the chip thoroughly trounced AMD’s offerings in bit-tech.net’s benchmark tests. Of course, at $999 in the high end (the 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800), and with AMD timing price cuts for Intel’s July 24th release party, you might not be quite getting the performance-per-dollar for your desktop that the Athlon has been boasting of lately. Luckily, even faster chips are on the way, and AMD and Intel are charging into a price war that should give us some of the best valued chips we’ve seen in a while.

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Being an early-adopter is risky business — especially when the product in question costs $1,000 and is embroiled in a so-called format war — so the opinions of experienced reviewers are key in helping folks to decide whether or not to take the Blu-ray plunge, and whether Samsung’s BD-P1000 is the machine to do it with. Luckily PCMag has a thorough write-up which not only discusses the merits and detriments of the player itself, but looks at the format as a whole to determine what type of consumer would actually benefit from next-gen optical devices in the first place. The review basically boils down to this: if you have a high definition TV larger than 42-inches, then you’ll definitely notice a difference between Blu-ray and standard or upscaled DVDs, and the Samsung does a good job delivering the picture quality that Blu-ray is capable of. However, this particular reviewer also feels that Toshiba’s HD-A1 HD DVD player — at half the price — has a slight edge in the picture department, although the P1000’s uncompressed audio and ease-of-setup are judged to be superior. Ultimately the decision comes down to personal preferences, so you’ll probably want to give both devices a thorough going-over at the store (even if you’re buying online); as for us, we’re just hoping that Ricoh gets that dual format laser out the door poste haste, so we never have to make a choice at all.

[Via Digital Media Thoughts]

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Always one to ensure that our soldiers are equipped with the latest and greatest killing tools battlefield technology, military contractor Northrop Grumman has just unveiled a mobile defense system that creates a virtual bubble of protection against flying artillery over anything located within a five kilometer radius. Based on the Tactical High Energy Laser testbed that’s been in development since 1996, the so-called Skyguard system employs target-acquisition radar and a deuterium fluoride laser to detect and shoot down a variety of airborne projectiles, including rockets, mortars, and short-range munitions. Northrop is promoting the weapon as a way for countries to defend deployed troops or critical infrastructure such as airports, and not surprisingly, Israel was one of the first foreign nations given a product pitch. Initially the system is said to cost between $150 and $200 million per installation, though mass adoption could see prices plummet to less than $30 million- and someday it may even be affordable enough to install at your very own house, providing the neighborhood kids with some not-so-subtle encouragement to keep their baseballs and frisbees out of your damn yard.

[Via Gizmag and Laser Focus World]

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Next week, three Atlanta families will begin an eight-week trial put on by the Internet Home Alliance in which they face off against Internet connected washers and dryers in a battle of laziness and sanity. The technology in question comes courtesy of Microsoft, HP, Panasonic, Proctor & Gamble and Whirlpool, whose combined efforts have resulted in appliances that can contact you via your TV, PC, or cellphone — letting you know when a load is finished, if there’s a problem, or if you forgot to turn them on in the first place. Unfortunately, the Alliance seems to have overlooked the much-needed robotic component, which is vital for picking up your dirty laundry and hauling it down to the basement; so, as is often the case around here: no robots, no sale.

[Via Slashdot]

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