Can Auzentech's new 7.1 card blow your mind?

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2006 - 04:00 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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Elite Bastards has posted the first review of the new Auzentech X-Plosion 7.1 PCI card.  It claims to bear the first real DTS Connect logo, and should be able to turn any 2 channel audio into 7.1 surround.  According to thier tests, the card uses 2% of the CPU at a constant rate, which would put it well below the Audigy's peak usage.

"The big addition to the X-Plosion along those same lines is support for DTS' equivalent to Dolby

Digital Live, n

The Walt Disney Company, Cisco Systems and Intel Corporation Invest in MovieBeam, Inc.

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2006 - 01:15 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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Burbank, Calif., San Jose, Calif. and Santa Clara, Calif., February 14, 2006 — The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), Cisco Systems and Intel Corporation, through its leading investment arm Intel Capital, today announced they have invested in MovieBeam, Inc., a newly formed digital entertainment venture. The series A financing round, worth a total of $48.5 million, includes additional investment from tier-one venture capital firms the Mayfield Fund, Norwest Venture Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners.

Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo Delivered to Embedded Market

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2006 - 01:15 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2006 — Intel Corporation today provided extended lifecycle support for the Intel® Core™ Duo processor used by developers of embedded solutions, such as industrial control, test and instrumentation, aerospace, defense and medical imaging systems.

Embedded system designers increasingly wrestle with two challenges: balancing performance with power efficiency and supporting general purpose and special purpose functionality in embedded applications.

FreeGeek.com, recycling and reusing old PCs

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2006 - 12:30 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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If you have a bunch of old PC components around, and you have come to the realization that you really aren't going to be rebuilding that K6-2 system, or find a use for that old Matrox PCI video card, get in touch with FreeGeek, and they will rebuild or properly recycle it.  Read more info about them at Designtechnica.

"Free Geek, a nonprofit company in Portland, Oregon takes unwanted computers and gizmos, rebuilds

them and gives them away or breaks them down for proper recyclying."

Here is some more

I am so jealous, Transformers never did that when I was a kid!

Subject: General Tech | February 13, 2006 - 12:00 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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Kids these days get the best toys.  Take this working transformer that goes from functional model car to walking robot and back that MAKE: Blog has linked to.  Probably not too long before that is the basis for the next perfect holiday gift for your kids.

"This little robot car from Nakamura-san at Himeji Soft Works in Japan drives around then it

transforms into a real robot and walks around."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

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Reinventing the mouse

Subject: General Tech | February 10, 2006 - 04:03 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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The Evoluent VerticalMouse 2 reviewed at Extremetech is exactly what it sounds like.  A mouse that sits on it's side, so that while you use it, your hand is in the "handshake" position.  Find out how well it worked, and if it will help with that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome you managed to get after the 7 day LAN party.

"Unfortunately, Evoluent's VerticalMouse 2, which we review today, doesn't win any crazy and kooky

awards.

So ya wanna be famous?

Subject: General Tech | February 10, 2006 - 11:50 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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See your name in lights with The Movies, the newest sim game.  Pamper your starlets, keep your leading men interested, and remember, the only bad publicity is no publicity.  Check out the full review at GamePyre.

"Overall, the movies game was one of the first games to have me looking at the time in shock —

it's been a while.

Where's the heat?

Subject: General Tech | February 10, 2006 - 11:39 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
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The ThermoHawk 200 Infrared Thermometer is a $60 dollar tool that you may never get bored of playing with.  Sure, it is handy for figuring out which capacitor or chip is running really hot and needs a heatsink, or where the hot air gathers in your case.  But think, now you will never need to sip a beer to figure out if it is cold, or if the water in the lake is warm enough for a swim, or just how hot your coffee is.  Check it out at Think Computers.

'Today I have for review somethi