Jaguar
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MapleStory invites you to join the Resistance
If you thought that MapleStory's Big Bang update a week ago was impressive, just you wait. In a few days the dev team is going to roll out the second part of the game's overhaul, introducing a lot of new content: two classes, a faction and a zone. As the Black Wings cult rises in power, players will travel to the tech-savvy mining town of Edelstein to see what they can do on behalf of the Resistance. There they'll be able to try out one of the new classes to the game, either the Battle Mage or the Wild Hunter. Both are ranged fighters -- the Battle Mage flings long-range spells that hit multiple foes while the Wild Hunter fires arrows from the back of a jaguar mount. Don't mess with someone riding a jaguar, our momma always told us. Big Bang Part 2 is scheduled to hit MapleStory's servers on December 20th. Now it's time for you to make a choice: Do you want to read more about this update (head on over to MapleStory's site if so), or do you want to watch the promo video for it (hit the jump)?
China's Tianhe-1A is world's fastest supercomputer, plans to usurp the West now complete
It happened. China just passed the US and the world with the reveal of the world's fastest supercomputer. The fully operational Tianhe-1A, located at the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin, scored 2.507 petaflops as measured by the LINPACK benchmark. That moves it past Cray's 2.3 petaflops Jaguar located at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. Tianhe-1A achieved the record using 7,168 NVIDIA Tesla M2050 GPUs and 14,336 Intel Xeon CPUs consuming 4.04 megawatts. Knowing that 10 petaflops is within reach by 2012, we'll see if Tianhe-1A can maintain its title when the new Top500 supercomputers list is released next week.
Jaguar C-X75 is the 780bhp electric supercar we've all been waiting for, likely to keep us waiting (video)
Ouch! It really stings to see the curvaceous spectacles that car designers can come up with, only to then find out the resulting electric speedsters are either far too expensive or nowhere near becoming a reality. Latest in this group of four-wheeled objects of desire is Jaguar's C-X75, which roars from 0 to 60mph in 3.4 seconds, cranks out 780bhp courtesy of a quartet of electric motors and a pair of micro gas turbines, and reaches a screaming 205mph at its absolute zenith. You can go for 68 miles just on electric juice or 560 if you let the gasworks recharge the Li-ion battery pack on the go. So it's gorgeous inside and out, it comes with swan doors, high-res LCD screens and an aluminum body, and it has less chance of being on sale than a dodo sandwich. Yep, it's an electric supercar alright. See the C-X75 on video after the break.
Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on
Intel Atom processors, capacitive touchscreens, NVIDIA Tegra 2 graphics, Moblin installs... sounds like a suite of hot next-gen ultra-portables, right? Think again. Those are just some of the technologies used in the dashboards of cars that will be appearing on showrooms in the coming months and years, dashes that were largely on display at CES -- minus the cars themselves, usually. There we were treated to mobile glimpses of Google Earth, Pandora, and Slacker Radio on the go, plus the ability to lock and unlock your car via Ye Olde Internets. It's the future, and it's coming soon, so click on through already and get a sneak peek.
HP leaks forthcoming Radeon GPUs, Core i3 CPUs, Hulu and Netflix software integration
We've come across a bonanza of information about HP's Spring 2010 plans for North America. Kicking off the new year in style will be Pavilion desktops featuring a choice between ATI's Radeon HD 5350 (code named Evora Cedar), which will have HDMI, DVI and VGA ports along with 1GB of onboard memory, or the juicier Radeon HD 5570 (aka Jaguar), which bids adieu to VGA in favor of DisplayPort and bumps up the memory allowance to 2GB. Core i3-5xx and Core i5-6xx machines are also slated for the early part of 2010, based on that energy-conscious Clarkdale core we've already seen, with the difference being that Turbo Boost and higher L3 cache (4MB versus 3MB) will be available on the higher numbered chips. Arrandale fans need not despair either, as HP's TouchSmart 600 all-in-ones will be getting upgrades to Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs based on that architecture. Finally, on the software side, HP is introducing native Hulu and Netflix to its MediaSmart software suite. Check out the gallery below for more, and let the waiting begin! %Gallery-79908%
Cray Jaguar leaps past IBM Roadrunner as world's fastest supercomputer and pun generator (video)
Cray has finally clawed IBM back from the lead position on the Top500 Supercomputer chip-measuring contest. After just missing out on the title to IBM's Roadrunner last year, Cray's XT5 supercomputer (aka, Jaguar) at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee received an update from quad- to six-core Opteron processors to boast a 2.3 petaflop per second performance peak (theoretical) and 1.75 petaflops as measured by the Linpack benchmark; a feat requiring almost a quarter million AMD cores. IBM's Roadrunner, the very first supercomputer to race past the petaflop per second threshold, managed just 1.042 petaflops by comparison. Remember, one petaflop per second is equivalent to one quadrillion calculations per second. Of course, chip makers put their own spins on the list by noting that 4 of the top 5 systems depend on AMD for performance while Intel can be found powering 402 of the Top500. Video of the AMD processor upgrade procedure can be found after the break.
Video: Jaguar's 2010 XJ cockpit is a dual-view, 7.1 surround sound lovers' paradise
While our greasy, monkey-knuckled sisters over at Autoblog are getting themselves into a twist over Jaguar's recent resurgence, our eyes remain firmly focused on the cockpit of Coventry's new 2010 XJ. At the center of the console is an 8-inch dual-view touchscreen that allows you, the driver, to monitor the on-board navigation maps while your passenger simultaneously watches a TV or a DVD -- in silence, if they choose, with the aid of headphones. There's also a large driver-side virtual instrument cluster that, for better or worse, replaces the physical speedometer, rev counter, and fuel and temperature gauges. As a 12.3-inch "high-definition" display it dynamically morphs into warning messages, menus, and colors (red for fast!) that provide the driver with the most relevant information required at the time. The XJ also packs a Bowers & Wilkins 1200W audio system with 20 B&W speakers pumped through 15 channels of audio processing. The XJ is also the first automotive application of Dolby Pro Logic IIx tech with choice of DTS Neo:6 to enjoy 7.1 surround sound with your films. When you're in park of course. See the dashboard in action after the break.[Via Engadget Spanish]
EU automaker loan may lead to fuel-sipping hybrid Jag XJ
Don't call it a bailout. The European Union has agreed to fund a £307 million loan to the newly minted Jaguar Land Rover conglomeration, known as JLR by those on the inside -- like Tata who owns it. However, unlike the US's rather open-ended (and dire-looking) cash infusions, this offer was made specifically to help the company up its eco-cred. JLR pledges to start with a so-called "Limo Green" version of the next generation XJ luxury sedan (that's the current, decidedly dark one pictured above). The model will use a Volt-like series hybrid drive train, in which the electric motor (or motors) powers the wheels and an onboard gasoline engine serves only to recharge on the go, a combination that should deliver 57 mpg -- three times the current machine's 19 mpg combined figure. The only question now is whether this future-Jag will still smell like leather and tweed smoking jackets, or will the whole thing reek of ozone and patchouli.[Via GM-VOLT]
Cray supercomputer is world's fastest (that we're allowed to know about)
Seattle-based Cray has been wowing us with massive, ridiculously fast supercomputers since the '70s, establishing a position for its machines high on every geek's most wanted list -- despite never publishing a Doom benchmark. In recent years the title of "world's fastest" supercomputer had been lost by the company, ping-ponging from Wako, Japan to Armonk, NY, but is now back in Cray's hands with the implementation of the XT Jaguar. It's comprised of over 45,000 quad-core Opteron processors, 362GBTB of memory, and has a 10PB (petabyte) storage array, able to perform calculations at a massive 1.64 petaflops. That's over one and a half quadrillion operations per second and more than 50 percent faster than IBM's previous heavyweight. Mind you, Cray is quick to point out that this is the fastest machine being used for non-classified research, a caveat that just makes us even more curious about what's keeping the Pentagon's server rooms warm and loud... and apparently orange. Update: That should be 362 terabytes of memory, not mere gigabytes.[Via UPI.com]
AlphaGrip Handheld Computer concept mimics Atari Jaguar controller
You never really know what you're going to get when peering through entries in Microsoft's Next-Gen PC Design Competition, and the above pictured device is definitely evidence of that. The AlphaGrip Handheld Computer (or AlphaGrip HC, for short), boasts full-size rocker keys on the front along with a flip-up display and a keypad made specifically for thumb-typing. There's also a trackball for mousing about and a slew of buttons to handle "sophisticated PC games" while standing on a crowded subway. Still, we can't help but notice just how much this thing reminds us of our days tinkering with the defunct-from-birth Atari Jaguar, and we also can't imagine anyone with a shred of dignity ever pulling this abomination out in public. Kudos for imagination, though.[Via OhGizmo]
2009 Jaguar XKR to come with Bowers & Wilkins sound system
It's not like anyone 'round these parts will be parking their keister in a 2009 Jaguar XKR, but now we've got one more reason to envy those who will. The motorcar, which is set to debut at the New York Auto Show later this month, will come standard with a lavish Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system. More specifically, those with an eye on this car can start dreaming of the Kevlar-injected mid-range drivers, aluminum tweeters and lots of longing looks from those cruising by. No idea what effect this system will have on the sticker price (being that it's included and all), but seriously, if you're making space in your garage for this, you and your Centurion Card ain't sweatin' a thing. %Gallery-18295%
Apple rumor-roundup for September 5th event
Check your pulse Apple fanatics, "the beat goes on" September 5th... now just two days away. Unusual for Apple rumors, this event has pretty much all the analysts and so-called insiders in sync with their predictions. Mass disillusion or divine soothsaying, we don't know. Certainly everyone's been expecting this to be a big quarter for product transitions. While we wait, we figured you might as well get up to speed on all the predictions for Wednesday's big show: iPod Touch with flash-memory, WiFi and OS X-based Cover Flow user interface iPod nano "phatty" Wireless iTunes store sales for iPhone and wireless iPod(s) (PRODUCT) Red iPod shuffle iTunes ringtone service Beatles on iTunes -- yes, again While not necessarily rumored for Wednesday, there's always a chance that we'll hear a bit more about Apple's automotive collaborations with Volkswagen and Jaguar. Just sayin's all.
Jaguar and Apple collaborate on car design
Maybe there's something to those Apple / Volkswagen rumors we've been hearing after all. According to an interview with one of Jaguar's designers in CAR Magazine, the high-end car-maker has been collaborating with Apple on designs for its control interfaces in at least one upcoming vehicle, called the XF. Says designer Ian Callum, "We have been working with Apple on control interfaces," which really doesn't leave much to the imagination... unless Ian Callum is a pathological liar -- which we very much doubt. Apparently, the boys in Cupertino helped design a feature called the JaguarDrive Selector, which replaces the gearstick with a circular, metallic wheel which rises when you turn the car on. The device is twisted to switch between P, R, N and D, and apparently its action is "pleasant and seamless" -- though we understand that the battery dies after a year of use, and has to be sent back to Jaguar for replacement.[Via Autoblog]
Apple also working with Jaguar
We just mentioned the rumors about Apple being in talks with VW and now comes word from CAR magazine that Apple has already been working with Jaguar on control interfaces. According to Ian Callum, Jaguar's design director, the interior of the new Jaguar XF has design cues that are a direct result of work with Apple. Apparently, the start button pulses and buttons are in general kept to a minimum. It increasingly sounds like Apple is almost becoming an industrial design consultant. Though it would be interesting to know if Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive are involved in any of this stuff, because it is their direction that gives actual Apple products so much of their characteristic elan.Thanks John![via Autoblog]
Today's most failure-prone video: Console duds
In today's video pick, GameTrailers counts down its list of the top ten console failures, including the Jaguar, Virtual Boy, and 3DO. We were tortured by watching footage of these console failures, yet we couldn't turn away, wishing that the hardware had succeeded while laughing about all the obvious reasons the systems bombed. The list covers the systems we expected; would you have added others?See the video after the break.
Console evolution in pictures
By Knuttz's count, it's taken 70 steps, including many retreads, to get from Odyssey to Wii. You can view each of these steps -- all 71 consoles -- in this scrolling gallery. (Note: handhelds have been omitted.)
Ben Heckendorn's fully portable Atari Jaguar
Benjamin Heckerdorn -- that oh-so-crafy modding guru we love to love -- is at it again with his console-morphing antics, and this time the victim is the ill-fated "64-bit" Atari Jaguar. The mission? To create a portable, all-in-one, battery-powered version of Atari's flailing attempt to make it in the ever-competitive console market. Putting his blue-ribbon mod skills to the test, Ben rearranged the console innards into a 1-inch thick game board, connecting circuitry at will via his trusty soldering iron. He noticed a few oddities while dissecting the machine (aside from the controller's keypad overlay circa 1985), including a 32-bit main bus and a striking similarity between the cartridge input and your average PCI slot. Nevertheless, he was able to cram the entire system, a svelte LCD panel, and a set of stereo speakers into a homegrown enclosure that pays its dutiful respects to the Jaguar motif. Keep reading to peep another angle, and those itching for a bit of post-modern gaming nirvana should hit the read link for the full skinny...
Top 10 custom-built consoles
TechEBlog has assembled a list of the "Top 10 Strangest Custom Gaming Systems." It should come as no surprise that more than one of their selections was created by console hacker-extraordinaire Ben Heckendorn. In addition to variants of popular consoles like the NES and Genesis, the list includes portable versions of famous flops like Atari's Jaguar, and Sega's Genesis add-on, the SegaCD. We're hoping these aren't ranked in order 'cause that portable Colecovision totally houses that NESPlusSega monolith![Via VH1's new game blog, Game Break]
Games that pushed the limits, parts 2 and 3
Racketboy has returned, as promised, with the second and third installments of his look at games that pushed the limits. We're not talking about games that pushed the limits of decency, like Sega's Night Trap, or the limits of human patience, like any version of last year's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but pushed the technical limits of their respective platforms.The platforms in part two are (arguably) the redheaded stepchildren of console gaming. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're not considered to be successes. Atari's Jaguar (and the super-popular Jaguar CD add-on), the ill-fated 3DO, Sega's x-citing 32X add-on, and Sega's "sneak-attack" Saturn. Part three includes big boys like Sony's party-crashing PlayStation, the cartridge'd Nintendo 64, and the Dreamcast, the console that history has--and will--remember kindly.Part four will cover portable gaming and--based on the release schedule of the earlier installments--should be up any day now.
