While its not quite like the headline says, the new Audio Q5 launching in fall 2008 will feature a the latest-generation infotainment system from Harman/Becker Automotive Systems, and it will feature an NVIDIA GPU. 

I'm not saying you can play ETQW in your car quite yet (wait for the hacks!) but this is really cool integration of powerful visual computing GPU that will revolutionize car navigation with full 3D acceleration.

You can read more about it here or visit the Harman/Becker website.

Sorry I have not posted in a few weeks, I have been traveling for NVIDIA on business.  I wanted to share two funny stories from my trip to Seoul, Korea.

#1 Evil Dead The Musical, now playing in Seoul!  I heard about it, but couldn't believe it.  I loved those movies growing up so I was shocked to actually see the sign staring right at me.  Apparently it was a huge hit in Japan, now is big in Korea.  If you go, make sure you buy the "splatter zone" seats.  As the review said, the first three rows of the theater where the audience can count on a good blood-soaking.  Sounds like fun :)

#2 Starcraft is the game everyone plays.  I was walking along Insadong (a cool place to check out if you are ever in Seoul) with my NVIDIA shirt and I must have been stopped five times.  A lot of people speak English over there and when they saw my shirt they would say three words: "NVIDIA," "GeForce," and "Starcraft."  I can't believe peoople still play that game!  Myself, I'm waiting for Stacraft II.  That game is going to be awesome with full 3D accelerated graphics and will bring a new era of gamers into the Starcraft universe.

BFG Technologies recently teamed up with us to create GeForce 9800 GX2 with a limited edition box, featuring the image of Jen-Hsun and honors NVIDIA's selection by Forbes as "Company of the Year". The five boxes that are up for auction are signed by Jen-Hsun and Scott Herkleman, president of BFG.

All proceeds will be donated to Child's Play Charity and matched by NVIDIA. The auction ends on May 1 and is available to everyone. Please help a terrifc cause and place your bid!

As you know, NVIDIA is full of creative people who are passionate about building the world's leading visual computing systems.  One of the latest technologies we have is Hybrid SLI(TM).  Hybrid SLI has two main features, GeForce(R) Boost and HybridPower(TM).  HybridPower is a very interesting technology since it unleashes graphics performance when needed and switches to quiet, low-power quiet operation for everyday computing.  Its a great technology that allows NVIDIA to help contribute to a better world by intelligently managing the power in a PC.

So its not surprising that the same people that help build these same products also apply the same principles to their everday life.  One of those people at NVIDIA, Ross, has been working on converting his Porsche 914 to be an AC electric vehicle.   

The car carries 18 8-volt batteries in the front and rear of the car and as Ross put it, "that's 1,200 pounds of batteries."  The car regenerates energy through a battery charger in his garage and to charge the car entirely takes five hours, and a completely charged car can go approximately 120 miles before needing a fill up.  He drivers his car about about 65 mph, although he said it is capable of doing 90 mph. And now his next project: concerting a Jeep Cherokee to be electric.

Looking at all of the pictures of Ross' website of him tearing apart his car, I'm somehow reminded of all of the modders we have that like to add water blocks, neon lights, and other cases mods to their PC. I'm a huge fan of that, I've just never had the guts to do it. 

But I know a lot of you do so I'd love to see pics of your creations.  Please feel free to comment here and send me your links to pictures you may have posted in the SLI Zone Case Mod forum. or elsewhere.

I joined NVIDIA few weeks ago. Before this I worked for one of the world’s leading developers and publishers of “software entertainment” (a.k.a. video games). My first project was to build my very own SLI enabled gaming rig! The second weekend I was sent to Ontario (CA) to attend Newegg Lanfest 2K7. Every day, my lunch is pretty much free (it’s good and healthy too) and I get to bring my dog to work. Yes, it’s a great job. However, we do have one of those hellish always-jamming-kinda-offline-perhaps-out-of-paper-but-maybe-working-again printers. Thankfully, there are 10 other printers I can use as back up. Days have gone by really fast and I’m keeping busy with numerous projects (including the upcoming GeForce LAN 4 event), taking it all in, learning a lot; especially learning the NVIDIA way, “The Way It’s Meant To Be Played”.