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Imagination Technologies will give its 'Raspberry Pi on steroids' away for free
Grab someone in the street and ask them about Imagination Technologies and they're more likely to run away than tell you that it's the company that designs the graphics chips for Apple's mobile devices. The company is more than just the home of PowerVR, however, and bought MIPS in order to become a direct rival to ARM, its more famous UK chip-design neighbor. Now, the company has decided to produce a Raspberry Pi-style development board in the hope of taking MIPS mainstream, describing it as "Raspberry Pi on steroids." Aside from the differences in hardware and chip architecture between the two devices, there's one big change in approach: Imagination Technologies is giving its board away for free.
Raspberry Pi launches Model B+ with extra USB ports, microSD support
When you've got more than a few upstarts gunning for your throne, it seems wise to keep ahead of the game. That's why the Raspberry Pi foundation has announced an upgraded version of its Model B, the, uh, Model B+ -- which is described as the "final evolution" of the first-generation Raspberry Pi. The tweaked hardware now offers two more USB 2.0 ports, a microSD card reader and 14 more GPIO pins, making a total of 40 on the board. In order to achieve this, however, some sacrifices had to be made, including a new layout which promises to be both "neater," but may not fit your current cases. The outfit has also merged the composite video and audio ports into one and promises better audio, which is good, because Wolfson's audio card may no longer be supported. Thankfully, despite all of the changes, the foundation has pledged to keep the price the same both in the US and the UK. Fans of the older hardware need not worry either, as Eben Upton has pledged that the model B will continue to be manufactured for as long as the public demands it.
Silicon nanoscoops to combine Li-ion's energy with supercapacitor power, make your electric car go vroom
Look, we don't know much about "science." We know it's a controversial subject, and we always try to steer clear of that sort of hot-button-issue stuff. Still, "science" can do some good in the world, you know, now and then. Some "scientists" at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have happened upon a "strain-graded carbon-aluminum-silicon nan oscoop anode" (whatever that means) that basically combines the advantages of long-lasting Lithium-ion with a supercapacitor's rapid fire oomph -- a common theme, but undoubtedly a noble one. Specifically, Li-ion's superb (and ever-improving) Wh/kg and supercapacitor's great W/kg. Now, don't ask us how -- again, "science" -- but the upshot should be faster charging and better performing electric cars, that can still manage a good amount of mileage. Hopefully we get more spectacular exploding laptops as a side bonus.
Researchers develop higher-efficiency LEDs
Terrific-looking LED-backlit HD displays were all over CES this year, and it sounds like they're only going to get better -- scientists from Renssalaer Polytechnic Insitute and Samsung have developed a new polarization-matched LED that cranks out 18 percent more light while being 22 percent more efficient than traditional LEDs. The improved performance is due to a reduction in "efficiency droop," which causes regular LEDs to turn less power into light when fed higher currents -- the team replaced the traditional active layer of the LEDs with a new specially matched layer. No word on when any of this is coming to market, but we're holding out hope for CES 2010.
Virtual Jihadi art exhibit expelled from RPI
A political art exhibit at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute (RPI) utilizing a modded version of Quest for Saddam, which caused a stir last week, has been booted from the campus by administrators. GamePolitics continues to track the story of the exhibit, which went from "little random thing" to pariah in a week. RPI's VP, William Walker, stated in a press release, "As stewards of a private university, we have the right and, indeed, the responsibility to ensure that university resources are used in ways that are in the overall best interests of the institution."The exhibit is currently being housed at the Sanctuary for Independent Media where protesters, led by the county's Republican majority leader, believe the game to be "un-American and destructive" and "beyond the bounds of what is decent or acceptable." A counter-protest is already underway.
Virtual Jihadi mod causing tension at New York school
A political art exhibit at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute (RPI) utilizing a modded version of Quest for Saddam is causing a stir with RPI's College Republicans. The installation, which opens tomorrow night, called "The Night of Bush Capturing: A Virtual Jihadi," takes an al-Qaeda mod of the Saddam game and gives it a more nuanced feel according to the artist. In the mod, created by Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal, players are cast in the role of a suicide bomber recruited by al-Qaeda.Bilal says, "This work is meant to bring attention to the vulnerability of Iraqi civilians to the travesties of the current war." The College Republicans say that the RPI Arts Department is "a terrorist safehaven." If people are interested in checking this out for themselves, the exhibit starts tomorrow night (Wednesday, March 5) at 7PM in RPI's West Hall Auditorium in Troy, NY.[Via GamePolitics]
