If Microsoft’s Surface PC has you dreaming about the future of computing, but the $12,000 price tag has brought you back to reality, then check out Maximum PC’s build of a multitouch surface computer that uses just $350 in parts and a bit of creative hacking.
The whole thing achieves the Surface like interface through the use of some infrared LEDs, a PS3 Eye camera, a projector, and some acrylic, and the wood cabinet gives it some class, though that would be purely optional if you wanted to keep it geek-tastic.
The computer itself is just a common Core 2 Duo, 2 gig RAM machine, and the software is all open source, so you could technically build one of your own if you were so inclined.
Just don’t let on to the price when your friends wonder where the spare Clevelands came from.
The following is a sponsored (though unbiased) post: Cryo Performance Computing makes custom gaming PC’s and high performance desktop computers for a number of different users, including gamers, professionals, audio, video & multimedia creators, and home theater buffs.
Each computer that Cryo makes is specially designed to perform at the peak of its potential, and they utilize a number of different tools and techniques to reach that potential, including a process called blueprinting and “Cryo Boost”.
Blueprinting is when they design a system by looking at each of the components to make sure there is no ‘least common denominator’ holding everything else back. For instance, if you buy the top of the line video card, but your processor can’t handle it, then you’re not getting the full capability out of your video card. To prevent that from happening, Cryo “carefully selects individual components that [they] know will all compliment each other and work well together”.
Cryo Boost is a process that Cryo uses to go beyond just overclocking and performance tuning into a whole new and revolutionary way of designing, building and testing a PC. This “end-to-end lifecycle of innovative idea to end product” includes:
User requirement driven design
Reference to a huge knowledgebase of component experience
Experienced industry professionals
Disciplined and thorough testing and verification
Just-in-time building and fulfillment
Technology and delivery partners
Participation in Web 2.0, blogs and forums
Which results in:
30-50% better performance over any mainstream manufacturer
30% longer product lifecycle
Reduced obsolescence
Over-engineered key components
Personal and individual service
One thing to note is that Cryo is based in the UK, so you’ll need to take things like warranty and shipping into consideration before making your purchase (for instance, they do their pricing in Pounds) but considering the fact that they’ve been “architecting, designing and building PC technology hardware and software for over 20 years”, I don’t think you should have any problems with their products.
Plus, if you need even more convincing that they know their stuff, just check out their ‘Free Stuff’ area, where they’ve posted a number of technical articles, useful tools and useful links, as well as their ‘Cryo Benchmarks’, where they show off various performance reports that have been done on their system, including the Custom PC Benchmark record that they set with the Velox in December of 2008.
Liquid cooling your PC has been around for some time now, and what started as a skill that only hard-core hackers and tinkerers could master is now offered in off-the-shelf Dell computers, so what’s a modder to do if he wants to stand out from the crowd at the next LAN party?
How about submerging the entire computer in a fish tank filled with mineral oil?
The computer, which was originally built by Puget Systems, is now available in a DIY kit that includes everything from the aquarium tank and SSD hard drive to the motherboard and power cords, so all you have to do is add components (and a lighting system if you want to be totally L33t). Plus, if you’re worried about voiding your warranty (because this will definitely do that) then rest assured knowing Puget Systems has been running theirs for over a year with no ill effects.
Spelunky is a fantastic indie game from Derek Yu that puts you in charge of a spelunking adventurer that must make his way through an always varied cave to collect treasure, fend off spiders, and save damsels in distress that will reward your efforts with a health-restoring kiss if you can survive.
According to Derek, the levels are procedurally-generated, so that each time you play, the levels, items, monsters and so forth are all new and in different places than they were before. In addition, all the terrain is destructible, and there are quite a few ways in which the various game elements can interact with one another, so you’re always guaranteed a unique experience, and plenty of re-playability.
It’s not quite ready for a full release just yet, but it’s free, so you’re really not risking anything to download the beta (PC only) and give it a try.
Just don’t blame me if Spelunky takes up a good part of your otherwise productive weekend!
The Plush Department PURE*ZENDER Art PC is a design computer with a ceramic casing that looks even better than it performs. (And that’s not to say that it performs poorly, with its Intel Core 2 Duo processor and all the bells and whistles of a modern computer, but just that it looks so damn good!)
I [...]
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