Shuttle's XS35 nettop is 3.3cm thin, too nice to hide behind your HDTV

Nettops keep getting better, and thinner too if Shuttle's latest is anything to go by. It's the XS35, a 3.3cm thin affair packing a a dual-core Intel Atom D510 at 1.6GHz and Ion 2 graphics with HDMI output for easy connectivity to your high definition display of choice. Somehow the company has also found room for five USB ports, VGA and discrete audio outputs, an Ethernet jack, and a card reader. It's passively cooled, so the only noise you'll hear will be the spinning platters of its 2.5-inch hard disk or the spinning of an optical disc, which yes somehow fits in there too (making it perfect for watching your Thunderbirds DVD collection). No price yet but it'll be on display at CeBIT in just a few days and shipping sometime in the second quarter of this year.

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MoProUSA shows off fully integrated Wiimote pistols, tempts investors

As a Nintendo Wii owner, you've certainly got a smattering of options when it comes time to fire up the light gun, but even Nintendo's Wii Zapper can't hold a candle to this. Moishe Levison of MoProUSA has given us an inside look at what he's been working on for the past few years, and while everything is obviously still in prototype form, we can't help but be impressed. In short, he's looking to create a new range of free gaming pistols, including one that requires no additional Wiimote and Nunchuk to operate. His flagship gun, the Duel Pro, is actually modeled from a replica pistol, and it tucks the guts of a Wii controller and Nunchuk entirely inside of its casing. There's also an analog nub on both sides, enabling gamers to switch from one hand to the other should the action get too intense with the simple press of a toggle switch. Moreover, a color-changing LED is positioned on the rear in order to give instant feedback when an input is recognized, and did we mention that this thing looks stupendously realistic?




Another option is the Duel Eagle, which does require a separate Wiimote to be inserted in the top (much like Nyko's Perfect Shot), but places the 'C' and 'Z' buttons within grasping range on the gun's handle. The Duel Agent works similarly, but provides a more compact design for those who like to pack their heat in a more lightweight fashion. In both of these, the motion controls are integrated into the grip. The company actually has no plans to manufacture these on its own, but instead hopes to find an investor or two to buy the utility patent and turn the light gun market upside-down. We asked Moishe if this kind of technology could be applied on weaponry for Sony's PS3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360, and while he did confess that it was feasible, he's keeping his focus firmly fixed on the Wii for now. Feel free to poke around in the prototype gallery below, but don't leave this post without tapping that 'Read More' link and seeing the lineup handled on video. Seriously, you'll score +5 macho points just from watching.

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Desktop PC components get rated for power efficiency, Intel rules the roost

With all the antitrust noise, threats to AMD, and conflicts with NVIDIA, it's hard to feel too charmed with Intel at the moment. But, if you're looking for the best combination of performance and power consumption possible, you'll have to swallow any animosity and put an Intel inside, with an efficiency piece at bit-tech.net finding that chips from that manufacturer were, on average, considerably more efficient than their AMD counterparts. That's just part of the story, the site testing everything from memory to power supplies and finding the best compromise of performance and efficiency. It's perhaps no surprise that high-efficiency PSUs trump older, hotter ones, but you might not expect to learn that desktop SSDs offer barely any improvement over their 5,400RPM platter-based brethren. Follow the article's advice and you can shed 104 watts without losing a single 3DMark point -- though you may shed quite a few dollars in the process.

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Microsoft offers three new BlueTrack mice on the cheap

Microsoft's BlueTrack technology may have led to some pretty impressive mice, but they so far haven't dipped much under the $50 mark. That's now changed with the company's new Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500, Wireless Mouse 2000 and Comfort Mouse 4500, however, which all come in at less than $30, and promise many of the same advantages as Microsoft's pricier mice. As you can probably figure out, the three mice cover the cordless, portable, and corded bases and, with the exception of the gray-only Wireless Mouse 2000, are each available in a couple of different colors. All three are also available for pre-order starting today, with the Wireless Mouse 2000 and Comfort Mouse 4500 set to roll out next month, and the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 on track to ship in April.

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