Electronics manufacturer Neuros, the same company that made the brilliant MPEG recorder 2, have announced a new product today that plans to become the MPEG recorder 2's successor.

The product is called the Neuros OSD (Open Source Device) and uses a linux-based distro to turn the device into a fully-blown media center. The new bundle of Neuros kit has been built on the new Neuros Open source platform, and features a brand new chipset (TI-320), a USB host, and an Ethernet connection. This device has all the features the MPEG4 Recorder has, but with the experience gained from the MPEG4 Recorder, Neuros have created an even better package.

The best thing about this recorder is that the down-to-earth people from Neuros actually encourage you to 'hack' the device, it's what it's been designed to allow. Being linux-based this device enables you to watch and listen to all your content where and when you want without the hassle of compatibility or DRM issues. The OSD Beta also features a super-fast dual core multi-media processor, the ability to record from any source and in a file format that suits you.

The OSD beta offers much more than this. More details on the product, where to get it, and a reminder on how you can win a Neuros MPEG Recorder 2 after the jump!

The good press is slowly starting to trickle in for the PS3. We had earlier reported that Sony had submitted their PlayStation 3 for FCC approval. The picture is the proof that the PlayStation 3 has been approved by FCC.

Now for a few juicy details. The clock speed of the Cell processor has been rumored to have been downgraded. These reports are completely false since Sony will make sure that your PS3's Cell processor runs at its originally advertised 3.2 GHz. Secondly, since the console has been approved by the FCC, Sony should be able to honor the launch date (November 11th in Japan, November 17th in North America)

There is a whole lot of info available in the FCC documents; though that doesn't mean that it's useful for us. Although the FCC testing was just a part of the formalities, it goes to show that Sony is really serious of getting the PS3 on the shelves, as soon as they can.

Not everyone actually listens to the makers about the tech involved in making a console so much as the end result. When Hideo Kojima references IBM's Cell Processor in a version of his Guns of the Patriots trailer, however, then you kinda want to shift focus a bit and keep your eyes peeled for news, if only because Kojima makes non-ninja stealth assassination cool.

So here's the next update on the Cell Processor, and this time, it has very little to do with the PS3 (though it may just be good PR for the darned thing).

In addition to using the Cell as one of the processing chips for the Roadrunner supercomputer, IBM has decided to find another use for their Cell by making it a component in a new model of their blade servers. Dubbed the BladeCenter QS20, it's being marketed as a high-end graphics server.

Currently, BladeCenter QS20 is being used in academic fields, some of which require such heavy-duty servers to take the weight of their projects. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics in Germany, for example, will be using it to improve their in-house visual applications, while Britain's University of Manchester intend to use it for their computing needs as it eats up less space and power while upgrading their overall computing performance.

What do you think? Will this be good PR for Sony and the PS3 as well as the IBM, or is it bad news for Sony?

At the Austin Game Conference, EVE Online developer CCP yesterday revealed that in order to keep up with the rapid growth rate of their highly successful MMORPG, they have launched the supposedly "largest supercomputer cluster in the history of the gaming industry". The hardware consists of dual-processor 64-bit AMD Opteron-based IBM BladeCenter LS20 blade servers, with additional enhancements made to the cluster's internet backbone.

This cluster manages over 150 million database transactions per day on a 64-bit hardware architecture. Instead of running on regular hard drives, the database servers are using Solid State Disks (SSD), the fastest mass storage devices available today. Having broken the record of 30,000 concurrent users on a server, CCP is looking forward to testing their cluster's capabilities by supporting over 50,000 players simultaneously.

Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, commented: "Our goal was to implement a scalable solution that could accommodate the influx of new subscribers and gracefully manage the steadily increasing demand put on our infrastructure. IBM provided us with optimized hardware that improved overall game performance and increased capacity, especially during peak server usage timeframes."

EVE Online players will most probably notice no differences when logging on to their favourite game, but it's always great to see MMO technology evolve - with this beast of a machine going at it, you'll realize how big MMO games have become over the years.

The September 12 opening of the Paris Expo and that little surprise event in San Francisco is only a few days away, yet apparently the new iMac can't wait. Apple's gone and announced the up-gunned iMac earlier than expected - media outlets and professional Apple watchers, including us, were guessing the lineup would be announced during either September 12 event. So "12" won't be a number to associate with the iMac.

But two numbers to associate with the iMac are "2" - the Core 2 Duo processor - and 24 - a new 24" screen that caps the high-end version of this latest lineup (And isn't it curious that 2 x 12 = 24? But enough of the math). Apple claims that 64bit Core 2 Duo iMac outpaces its Core Duo predecessor by up to 50%. No need to specify the benefits of the larger screen.

Besides 2 and 24 (and 64 and 50%), here are the other numbers on the upgraded iMac, all involving dollar signs:

• $999 - 17" / 1.83GHz / 512MB RAM / 160GB HD / Combo / Intel GMA 950
• $1,199 - 17" / 2.0GHz / 1GB RAM / 250GB HD / SuperDrive / Radeon X1600
• $1,499 - 20" / 2.16GHz / 1GB RAM / 250GB HD / SuperDrive / Radeon X1600
• $1,999 - 24" / 2.16GHz / 1GB RAM / 250GB HD / SuperDrive / GeForce 7300GT

All versions will include the AirPort Extreme, and versions that cost $1,999 and up will also feature Bluetooth 2.0. However, there's no word on whether Apple will also upgrade the education iMacs.

Reports say that they also decided to upgrade the last of the Core Solo Mini's heart to the 2 Duo as well, eliminating the Core Solo sales lineup and throwing in a new 1.83GHz Core Duo Mini into the mix. Them Cupertino boys do know how to surprise us.

Dell is now offering their Inspiron E1405 with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile (Merom) processor at their store. According to Dell, their E1405 is currently the cheapest Core 2 Duo notebook in the market that can also be configured with Intel Core Duo Mobile (Yenoh) processor.

The E1405 sports a 14-inch screen and has a memory of up to 2GB, a SATA hard drive with 60-100GB capacity or 120GB PATA hard disc. Users can choose between Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1300 with 128MB of video memory, RADEON X1400 with 256MB or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 with 256MB memory.

The E1405 also has the next generation WLAN 802.11n standard that has 5x the speed and twice the range of the 11g that most notebooks currently use. It also has Bluetooth and supports 802.11b and g wireless networks. Aside from the T5500 CPU, you also have the choice of having your E1405 configured with Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (speed of 2GHz and 4MB cache), or T7400 (speed of 2.16GHz and 4MB cache) processor. The notebook's flexibility in its processor gives you the option of customizing your processor and not just settle for the one the laptop comes with.

Dell's E1405 comes with a T5500 processor, a CD/DVD burner, and a DVD combo drive and sells for $779.

A few days ago, HP revealed the iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion. While it certainly looked impressive, the public couldn't get much from HP regarding the rx4000's features and capabilities. HP decided to throw a force field around this baby after they took the wraps off, but just recently that force field has been breached.

According to reports, the rx4000 will use a 400MHz processor by Samsung. RAM is said to be at 64MB, and it will have 128MB of ROM. This upcoming handheld will also have a 2.8-inch screen with 240x320px QVGA resolution. The rx4000 will also have both Wi-Fi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0.

Now the biggest thing here is that there have been references to 1GB of ROM. It seems like HP will be releasing at least one version of the rx4000 which will offer this much internal storage. The rx4000 is a multimedia device after all, so 1GB of internal storage is good news.

The iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion is set to be introduced some time next month. Prices will start at $299. If you're interested in other HP products, check out this earlier QJ article.

Many gamers out there have chosen the PC as their weapon of choice. Afterall, its difference from a console is undeniable: customizable controls, better graphics, faster loading times, and exciting multiplayer gaming. But then if that's the case, then why do console games still outsell PC games by 5:1? Bill Selles of DPAD tries to answer this question.

In his analysis, he has pointed out many factors that may have contributed to the popularity of console games over the years. For example, the fact that a console cannot be upgraded may be seen as a hindrance by some, but as a blessing by others. A PC can be configured with a powerful processor, gigabytes worth of RAM and a stunning video card, but then again, not a few have experienced the time when a new game is released and you discover that compared to its system requirements, your PC build which once seemed top-of-the-line, now looks prehistoric. So we trek off to the PC shop for that ultimate gaming video card. However, with console games, one doesn't have to worry about this since the game has been especially developed for the console that you already own. There's no need to cross your fingers that its graphics engine doesn't eat up all your memory and freeze your system. No more fiddling with the settings just so your game would run sans lag.

This is a video of a Macbook Pro making odd hissing/whirring noises. The video was submitted by boloncats, commenting "My Macbook Pro has been making a sound I've never heard before in my life. I recommend you watch the last 20 seconds. It's not the hard drive. I sent it once to Apple, they said they fixed it. But the noise came back."

Aside from boloncats, other Macbook Pro users have complained similar problems that include hissing sounds from the LCD, the hard drive squealing , the processor whining when the PC is idle, and the fan engaging in random vacuum-like bursts. In addition to these weird noises, others reported having an incredibly noticeable white strip along the bottom of the LCD, making the bottom significantly brighter than the rest of the display.

Apple have already issued a recall for their defective lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sony. Would they acknowledge these issues too and fix the manufacturing problems?

Artificial Intelligence in any program connotes the ability to make decisions from partial information. Many believers agree that graphics don't count as much as AI anymore and one of them is Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) UK boss, Ray Maguire, who lets out a quip on how powerful the PS3's CELL processor is.

"The CELL chip is so powerful it can do 256 million calculations per second...That means one thing for us in the videogames industry: artificial intelligence."

True enough, in games like chess and poker, this revelation is apparent, but we're a bit wary of this, since video games are so difficult to program that building an impressive AI system seems to take the backseat as compared to making drop-dead gorgeous graphics.

However, Maguire says to forget the graphics as the future of video games depend on convincing and competent AI, something that the PS3's GPU can handle. Advancements in this field have been continually progressing, and the ultimate goal is to be able to program game AI that can act like humans, as well as develop gameplays that are as intuitive as human-populated games could be.

A point of interest would be the question of how long reaching this goal will take, as Jonathan Schaeffer, head of the University of Alberta's Computer Science Department have once told us that AI can be a real guesswork. Still, if fantastic graphics no longer pose much of a challenge to programmers and designers, then the next field to turn to is already obvious.