AMD's newfangled ATI Radeon E4690 may not be the next Crysis killer, but it should do just fine in next-gen arcade and slot machines. All kidding aside (sort of...), this new embedded graphics set is said to triple the performance of AMD's prior offerings in the field, bringing with it 512MB of GDDR3 RAM, DirectX 10.1 / OpenGL 3.0 support and hardware acceleration of H.264 and VC-1 high-definition video. The 35mm chip also differentiates itself by integrating directly onto motherboards and taking on many of the tasks that are currently assigned to the CPU, but alas, it doesn't sound as if we'll be seeing this in any nettops / netbooks anytime soon ever. Video after the break.

Usually, it's Apple who has the problem with a potential app. Now, it's The Man taking issue with one that Cupertino deemed fit for distribution. Nevada gaming officials have been tipped off a card counting application that can be installed on the iPhone and iPod touch, which would obviously give Blackjack gamers an upper-hand over the system. According to control board member Randy Sayre, using a device to "aid in the counting of cards is considered a felony under Nevada laws governing cheating," and considering that the program can even be used in "stealth mode," it could be easy to miss unless you're really on the lookout. Of course, it's up to individual casinos to determine their policies on cellphones, but if you were planning to counter this recession by racking up on ten straight 21s this weekend, you might want to seriously consider the consequences first.

[Via TUAW]

When PureDepth said its Multi-Layer Display technology would be "shipping soon," it meant "really soon." Nary two months after the company made said assertion, we're now hearing that IGT (a global computerized game machine company) has secured the aforesaid technology for a number of slot machines and other casino-bound systems. The REELdepth family of games, which includes around 70 of IGT's classics as well as a few new AVP (Advanced Video Platform) themes, should be luring vacationers and gamblers alike in the not-too-distant future, but sadly, we're not given a clue as to what casinos will be adopting said machines.

We know, you've got a zillion ways to get your Pong on whilst lounging around in your geeked-out crib, but how in the world will you deal with the withdrawals on this year's trip to Vegas? Thanks to Bally, you may not have to suffer at all, as Nevada gambling regulators recently approved the concept behind Bally Pong, a "slot machine that would for the first time allow hand-eye coordination to affect payout." Put simply, the machine would enter a 45-second round of Pong if three bonus icons line up on the five-reel video slot machine, and regardless of one's skill, a minimum award would be doled out simply for reaching the bonus. Oh, it gets better -- Bally also said that this was just "the first in a series of skill games (including Breakout!) it had planned," so those looking to see a hint of vintage when they hit the casino floor should be very pleased if everything goes as planned over the next few months.

[Via The Raw Feed]

We normally stick to drooling over microchip-laden gadget internals, but that doesn't mean there isn't a place in our hearts for the mechanical variety of sexy. The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon casino watch, which was recently unveiled at this year's Geneva SIHH show for unrepentant watch nerds, manages full-on mechanical slot machine action, including chiming gongs for that classic casino experience. Of course, there's no room for dropping change into this thing, but we're pretty sure you'll get chance to blow cash aplenty on the purchase, so no worries there.

[Via Boing Boing]

It looks like the glory days of walking into a casino, hacking a slot machine, and leaving a wealthy individual is over, as not only are "software glitches" leading to rewards being revoked, but now you'll have devious dutiful system administrators watching (and potentially controlling, you never know) everything that happens to your machine. PureDepth, Inc. has inked a deal with International Game Technology to provide a "realistic digital video display" to add a new level of control to vanilla slot machines. On the nifty side, programmers can change the typical cherries and numbers to baseball bats, for instance, if they know the Red Sox are taking a field trip to their casino, but on the disappointing end, you can now rest assured that folks behind the scenes now have complete control over "cost, payout, and nearly every other aspect of the game." Darn, looks like we're stuck with ATM-jacking from here on out, eh?

We're fully aware that getting too clever while in a casino is likely to land you behind bars, but a Pennsylvania man is now crying foul after he got the short end of the stick in an unfortunate "mishap." The retired carpenter, who had visited the Philadelphia Park casino before, dropped his two quarters into a Wheel of Fortune slot machine only to win $102,000 -- or so he thought. The machine proudly conveyed his winnings right alongside his actual name, sending his emotions into a jovial whirlwind, but apparently the machine wasn't exactly supposed to, you know, let people hit the jackpot, and now he's fighting just to get his due reward. A spokesperson for the venue stated that it "was just an error in the communication system," but added the mistake seems to have originated in the in-house computing system, not within the machine itself. The man was offered "two tickets to the buffet" (saywha?) and advised to read the disclaimer on the machine, nullifying any awards if the machine malfunctions, but he still feels that this "fault" is illegitimate. So if you're the next person to strike it rich in a questionable casino, try not to get your hopes up too high, alright?

[Via TechDirt]

Joining the ever-growing list of folks using technology to unlawfully beat the odds is a group of British gurus who claimed nearly £250,000 ($487,400) before being sniffed out by curious officials at the Mint Casino in Cromwell Road. As with so many other high-rolling hijinks, the trio seemed to doing just fine, pulling in £38,000 ($74,084) during a single week at one point, but greed ended up getting the best of them, as you're bound to get scrutinized after winning 34 out of 44 matches in a row. The average joes-turned-poker-sharks utilized sleeve-mounted cameras to beam card deals to a completely wired up van waiting outside, which then rolled the footage in slow motion and passed along the top secret information to the actual table sitter, who listened intently via a hidden speaker. Their method illegally snagged massive chunks of coin from an estimated six of the capital's 25 gambling locales, and now they each face nine months behind bars, coupled with 150 hours of unpaid community service. Of course, one may argue the ethics behind stealing from a venue which thrives on suckering people in that stand little chance at walking out with any profit at all, but regardless, you won't see these folks in any gambling parlor for two full years after their stint, which should be ample time for RFID-infused playing cards to hit the underground market.

[Via Fark]

We've always said, the more Pong the better, so we're the last folks you'll find knocking Moritz Waldemeyer for upping the ante (quite literally) on the previous iterations. Utilizing a fancy Corian-based table, the savvy designer incorporated a series of "LEDs and touchpad sensors" into the otherwise plainly-styled piece of furniture in order to provide a fresh rendition of a heralded classic. Pushing the technology a bit further, he also crafted a LED-based roulette table, which sports an electroluminescent map and an overhead lamp that work in conjunction to provide the rolling ball action casino dwellers know and love. While there's no official word on when these will land in Harrah's (or ultra-mod game rooms), both designs were recently showcased at the Rabih Hage Gallery in London, and we're told "white 28" was the hot ticket on table number two (pictured after the jump).

[Via Techie Diva]