When it comes to HTPC and nettop computers, most people look for the smallest machines they can find that offer the most performance. A small HTPC that supports 1080p HD video is what many consumers are looking for and with the ION 2 packing machines on the market the number of options is growing all the time. Habey has unveiled a new mini ITX mainboard called the MITX-6564 that is aimed directly at nettop and HTPC use.

The mainboard is called the MITX-6564. The machine is a low profile mini-ITX mainboard with ION 2 Graphics and an Intel Atom D510 dual-core processor inside. The thin mainboard is under an inch thick and is designed to be very quiet during operation. The ION 2 GPU has 16 CUDA cores and supports resolution up to 2560 x 1600 and full 1080p HD video. Connectivity includes VGA and HDMI.

The mainboard has dual RAM slots supporting up to 4GB of RAM and has a pair of SATA ports for up to a pair of storage drives. Other features include four internal USB ports and tow external ports. The board has a pair of mini-PCIe slots for WiFi and TV tuner options. The little board supports multiple Windows flavors and Linux.

The ACCC is taking more bits out of Apple, finds it a bit sour.

The ACCC's continuing investigation against Apple regarding it's warranty is still going on, but with Apple refusing to budge on it's policies, the result might be an increase in mobile plan fees. Apple are refusing to let Telco's (like Telstra, Optus, etc) to offer repair services for the Apple iPhone.

Last week, I posted about Telstra now offering 24 months warranty on their handsets, with Apple's iPhone excluded. The ACCC is still pushing for 24 month contracts to have 24 month warranty included.

Telstra has named their new CIO today.

Meet, Patrick Eltridge:

Former Seek and Westpac CIO, Patrick Eltridge has stepped up to the plate of chief information officer, replacing former CIO John McInerney who resigned in June of this year.

Could it be? Only 11 days until the world knows what's under the hood of AMD's new 6k range of graphics cards.

NDA paperwork is starting to come through and it looks like the 22nd is cemented into history as the launch of the AMD 6000 range of graphic cards. While we don't have exact model numbers, our understanding is that the PRO and XT flavours will be coming in, which should carry the 6850 and 6870 names.

While these names seem like a "replacement" of the current HD 5850 and 5870 parts, initial speculation with the name changes suggest these products could fall into the $200 - $250 segment.

Development of the Cell processor that powers the PlayStation 3 has not stalled, IBM are continuing to develop chips and supply hardware for future gaming consoles, a company executive said.

IBM is working with Nintendo and Sony, CTO of IBM's Systems and Technology Group, Jai Menon said.

The Cell processor which was developed by IBM with the involvement of Sony and Toshiba, first appeared in Sony's PlayStation 3 in 2005. It was a hybrid chip, including processor cores from IBM's Power architecture. But, lately there have been doubts about Cell's future and it's use in upcoming next-generation gaming consoles.

Are you ready?

The first picture of AMD's reference built Radeon HD 6870 has been leaked ahead of it's launch later this month, it reveals some outputs on the card.

It is the first GPU to no longer hold the ATI name, bearing an AMD Radeon branding in it's place.

I often work from my netbook when I travel and the worst thing about the little machine is that it lacks an optical drive. I still get handed CDs and DVDs with information on them that I can't access on the little machine. There are also many ultraportable notebooks on the market that lack optical drives as well. This is an issue for many users who want to watch movies and be able to access software and other content on discs.

Samsung has unveiled a new and very portable external DVD drive that can burn to CD and DVD media at fast speeds, and is small enough to fit in most any laptop bag or briefcase. The little optical drive is called the SE-S084F DVD Writer. It has WriteMaster technology for multitasking on the PC and high-speed media writing on slower computers. The machine also has Buffer Under Run Tech to prevent errors.

The optical drive will work with Mac or PC computers and has special Tilt Actuator Compensation Technology to use all the disc area. The little drive is so power efficient that it can get the connectivity it needs and power from a single USB cable. The burner is available to purchase right now with an MSRP of $59.99. I did see the thing online for $49.99 today making it a very good deal if you really need an optical drive that is easy to take with you.

It's been a while since I saw a new PMP launch with a traditional HDD for storage rather than flash. Flash is generally used in portable devices because it needs less power and can survive the drops and bumps that come with life on the road better than a HDD can. The downside is that you get less storage with flash for the same money than you would with a HDD. Cowon has unveiled the X7 PMP in Korea and it uses a HDD for storage.

The HDD is available in 80GB, 100GB, and 160GB varieties. We have the large 4.3-inch screen to thank in part for the high storage capacity and space to fit in a HDD. Just be sure you don't drop it or you might find your new PMP no longer works. That big 4.3-inch screen is touch capable and the resolution is a mystery for now.

The maker claims the thing is good for 103 hours of music playback per charge or 10 hours of video per charge. Other features include Bluetooth, a radio tuner, support for DivX video, and an integrated RSS reader .Cowon says the thing comes with a web browser, which would suggest WiFi is featured as well. A basic 160GB model will sell for 339,000 won with a version with integrated dictionaries selling for 379,000 won.

No one will deny that the iPad is very expensive with the base version selling for nearly $500. Despite the high cost, Apple is selling as many of them as it can make. There are a number of people interested in a tablet though that simply can't afford the iPad. A company called Cherry Pal has a new Android tablet that is coming to market called the CherryPad specifically aimed at these folks looking to buy a tablet in the sub-iPad price range.

The CherryPad is a 7-inch tablet with Android 2.1 as the OS. An update for Android 2.2 will be offered later in the year. The little tablet has a Samsung ARM11 CPU at 800MHz and supports all Android apps. The screen is resistive touch capable and has a resolution of 800 x 480 and an integrated gravity sensor. Other features include WiFi, a microSD card slot, 256MB of DDRII RAM, and 2GB of flash storage.

If you want, the thing with 3G coverage an optional 3G modem is available to purchase. The CherryPad has a pair of USB ports, integrated speakers and a mic along with a headphone jack. The internal battery is a 3200mAh unit good for up to eight hours of use per charge. The tablet weighs 1.1 pounds and has an aluminum case. The best feature is the price; you can buy the CherryPad America for $188 plus $18 shipping.

There are many categories of video games that spawn some very hard core gamers. There are hard core MMO gamers, hard core FPS gamers, and hard core flight simulation fans. Perhaps the group that has the most expensive hobby are the flight sim fans where controllers and systems can run hundreds of dollars each.

Thrustmaster has launched what may be the coolest flight simulation controller ever called the HOTAS Warthog. The Warthog is an exact replica of the joystick and throttle from the A-10C fighter jet. The joystick has a heavy metal base and uses construction that is mostly metal. The base can be removed and the joystick can be placed into a cockpit. The controller uses magnetic sensors for accuracy and has 19 action buttons with a 4-way POV switch.

The buttons on the joystick take the exact same pressure to operate as the buttons on a real airplane. The throttle is a dual throttle system and also uses magnetic sensor tech. The throttles have a push and pull system with detents for idle and afterburner. The detents can be disengaged as well for aircraft without afterburners. The throttle has 17 action buttons and its own POV controller. A control panel is also built onto the throttle with multiple toggles and the whole works is backlit. Warthog will ship this month for $499.99.