Hot on the heels of NVIDIA's 3-way SLI system hitting all sorts of test benches comes word that the outfit is cranking out its brand new nForce 780i SLI MCP (media and communications processor). That's right kids, the self-proclaimed "must-have gaming platform for Intel Yorkfield CPUs" is finally out in the open, and aside from playing nice with Intel's QX9650, it also supports PCI Express Gen 2.0, 3-way SLI and the new Enthusiast System Architecture specification. Apparently, a number of "motherboard partners" including Asus, Falcon Northwest, HP, Gigabyte, Hypersonic and Voodoo PC are already planning to offer nForce 780i SLI MCP-based products, and judging by NVIDIA's holiday themed press release, we'd wager that you'll see the aforementioned items seeping out sooner rather than later.

[Via HotHardware]

If you're a PC-builder / modder, you've probably noticed that while you're given options for monitoring and controlling your CPUs, GPUs, fan speeds, and voltages, you're typically left high and dry when it comes to overseeing the functionality of your power supply, casing, and cooling accouterments. Well, NVIDIA is endeavoring to solve your problems with a new set of specifications they hope will tie those disparate elements together, called the ESA (or Enthusiast System Architecture). The hope is that through the cooperation of other manufacturers, and the implementation of USB HID (Human Interface Device), those components will get a needed shot of operability and connectedness; in effect, they'll start "talking" to one another. The hope is that the new standard will make full control over your rig much easier to come by, thus allowing you to frag with the confidence that your system probably won't burn the house down.

[Via CRN]

We've seen some pretty wild ideas for space tethers, but it seems like actually executing is a little trickier than people expect -- a joint Russian Space Agency / ESA Young Engineers Satellite 2 mission just screeched to a halt as the deployment of an 18-mile space tether went awry. The project, which was to involve the longest object ever deployed in space, was part of a challenge issued to European university students to safely return an object from space, but failed when the the capsule accidentally released after just 5 miles of tether had unwound. The team thinks the idea still has merit, saying that "they are extremely satisfied and would like to do more mission testing." Here's hoping the next time goes a little smoother.

Read -- NewScientist article on the mishap
Read -- Video of how the mission was supposed to go

The European Space Agency announced this week that its three-armed robot -- affectionately dubbed Eurobot -- recently underwent a Weightless Environment Test (or WET), and passed with flying colors. The bot's three arms are similar in size and strength to their human counterparts, although Eurobot's limbs are jointed in seven places, thus allowing them to move and pivot in ways human arms cannot. The "neutral buoyancy" test was meant to examine whether or not the robot would be able to complete simple tasks such as putting away tools and equipment, or holding objects for workers in a weightless scenario. The hope is that Eurobot will make its way to the ISS, where it will enable astronauts to accomplish repairs and maintenance with greater speed and safety. Needless to say, HAL was unimpressed.

[Via New Scientist]

As if there weren't enough reasons to want to be a kid again, the European Space Agency is holding a contest for children 18-and-under that requires crafting the perfect playlist for astronauts floating around the International Space Station -- and the lucky winner scores a trip to South America to watch an iPod loaded with his/her tunes launched aboard the agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle. In a twist on the old "What would you bring to a desert island" question, the contest -- which is only open to residents of EU countries participating in the ATV program -- asks entrants to envision what ten songs they'd want to listen to (guess they're only sending up a shuffle) as they orbited 400 kilometers above the Earth, and although the rules don't specifically prohibit it, we imagine that entries which include "Major Tom," "Free Fallin'," or "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (not to mention anything by the Beatles) will be immediately disqualified. Now when the 20-tonne vehicle heads off towards the ISS later this year, it certainly won't be carrying the first iPod into orbit -- Anousheh Ansari famously brought hers up last year, among others -- and with the "Gates in Space" story now definitively debunked (tourist Charles Simonyi attributed the rumor to a Russian press "notorious for their fabrications") it looks as though space -- much like many places on Earth -- will remain a decidedly Zune-free zone for the foreseeable future.

[Via FARK, image courtesy of NASA]

While we Americans fight for our satellite radio rights, it looks like the Europeans are getting set to receive a bit of sky high radio entertainment themselves. The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that with the help of a few select partners, it plans to launch the "multimedia car radio of the future," which looks to feature built-in satellite radio and generous timeshifting functionality to boot. The antenna, which will presumably be factory installed on select vehicles, will be a "flattened mobile antenna integrated into the bodywork," and will receive signals in the "Ku" frequency band used by existing communication satellites. Aside from not having to launch an understandably expensive array of equipment to get sat radio to Europe, the service also touts the benefits of timeshifting, noting that a "cache or hard drive-based system" will be included to pause and rewind transmissions, and it would even maintain a connection for short stops (like refueling) so you don't miss a moment of your favorite broadcast. Unfortunately, the ESA isn't spilling any hard release dates for this technology, but we can expect it to hit BMWs at the very least, and the prototype can be seen right now at the Noordwijk Space Expo in the Netherlands if you just happen to be around.

[Via Orbitcast]

Okay, space-loving fans, you'll be happy to know that the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle has just survived three straight weeks of software and hardware testing under simulated space conditions at the European Space Agency's test facilities in The Netherlands. In order to pass the tests, the ATV had to continually operate while going through massive temperature differentials, or as one engineer explained: "It is like putting your computer laptop in the freezer, then exposing it to the Sun in the summer heat and back again to the freezer while you are continually using it." This spacecraft will hook up with the International Space Station this coming summer when it brings supplies and fuel to the outpost. Now when will this space tech reach us lowly terrestrial consumers? We're guessing probably around 2020.