Unlocking the GeForce 6800
Some video card hacking…Firingsquad is running a story on how to unlock all 16 pipelines in nVidia’s GeForce 6800. By default the card only ships with 12 pixel pipelines enabled, but with a tool and a few mouse clicks, the card can be unlocked to run with all 16 pipes. Performance improvements are seen everywhere, so it’s a pretty nice free upgrade. These cards are currently selling for $200 online, so a 16-pipe GeForce 6800 delivers great bang for the buck. [via] Link.
MAKE pals over at iFabricate have a project I didn’t notice until now– Create your own super hi-tech 3-D laser scanner. Using just a laser pointer, wine glass, rotating platform, and a digital video camera, you can make accurate 3-D models of a object or person. Convert the video to an avi. Use an edge detection algorithm to find the location of the laser line. Reconstruct your 3-D model. 
Great art project on display in NYC- The goal is to stimulate users to rethink spending patterns, view consumption with a different perspective, and explore issues of material possessions and consumption. The vending machine, not only supports the function of an automated, self-contained system for swapping, but also frames the interaction in the problematic cultural context which it comments, insinuating notions of the immediacy, instant-gratification, and convenience, values often associated with vending machines. [