Tech Stuff round up

• Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 SLI Performance Review - If you stick two of them together they become a high-end combination, especially in terms of value. In the dozen games that they tested the GeForce GTX 460 SLI graphics cards were on average 16% faster than the GeForce GTX 480,
• GTX 480 SLI PCIe Bandwidth Perf. - x16/x16 vs. x4/x4 - If you are on an aging PCIe 1.X system at x8/x8 mode (equivalent to PCIe 2.0 x4/x4) on a single display fear not, you are not holding back the performance of GTX 480 SLI!
• Windows Live Sync upgrades to 5GB and rebrands to Live Mesh -  Microsoft launched the beta of Windows Live Sync along with Windows Live Essentials 2011, allowing users to sync files and data between PC and PC, and between your PC and the cloud. After the most recent beta refresh, Microsoft will be rebranding Sync to Windows Live Mesh.
• Google Confirms Chrome 7 GPU Acceleration - The foundation of the GPU acceleration in Chrome is a new (modified) sandbox process called the GPU process. Via this process, Chrome can take graphics commands from the renderer process and send them to OpenGL or Direct3D. This approach enabled Google to separate the rendering of a web page into different independent layers, such as CSS, images, videos, and WebGL or 2D canvases.
• iTunes Hacked, PayPal Accounts Drained? - Reports are appearing this morning about a major security hole in iTunes accounts linked to PayPal. At least one group of scammers has found a way to charge thousands of dollars to iTunes accounts through PayPal. One targeted customer told us, 'My account was charged over $4700. I called security at PayPal and was told a large number of iTunes store accounts were compromised.' His email was filled with nearly 50 receipts from PayPall for $99.99 each. (Update: they were for 'CastleCraft, Dragon Crystals (10000 Pack), Seller: Freeverse, Inc'). He was able to catch it before his bank disbursed funds to PayPal.
• YouTube to get rental movies by end of 2010 - The YouTube rental service will enable you to stream a rented film for $5 or less, depending on the age and popularity of the movie. Negotiations have been underway for a few months, but with the Apple event scheduled for September 1st they are pushing ever harder. This deal would make Google a major digital distributor, competing with Amazon.com, Netflix, and Apple.
• Want an iPad alternative? Wait for Android 3.0 - Gingerbread, Android 3.0's codename, is rumored to have minimum requirements similar to those of Windows Phone 7 (1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM), but will also introduce support for larger screens/resolutions (possibly up to 1366x768) which will be perfectly sized for Android tablets along with a revamped UI
• Voltaic's new standalone mobile solar chargers generate 4 watts -Voltaic has just released the Amp, Fuse and Switch, standalone chargers with solar panels that can produce up to 4 Watts of Power. With 4-5 hours of sun, or a day at the beach, their Lithium Polymer batteries can be fully powered and then used at anytime to charge a handheld device. The Amp cases are waterproof, UV resistant, and even made from recycled soda bottles (PET). When no sun is in sight, the battery packs can also be recharged by connecting to your computers USB port, and an AC or DC charger. Each come with 9 adapters and are selling for $99, $129, and $129 from Voltaic.
• Bad Universe - Asteroid Impact Simulation - Phil Plait, the man behind the Bad Astronomy blog, has a new show on Discovery. The first episode involves imitating an asteroid impact using explosives.
• Make and Receive Calls in Gmail -
• Heico Sportiv adds aggression to new Volvo S60 - Under the hood is where the real oomph resides, with power outputs hitting the 297 horsepower and 258 pound-feet in the 2.0T, and 330 hp and 339 lb-ft. in the T6. In the T6 model, that will get you from naught to 62 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds.
• Red Dead Redemption Movie Starring Brad Pitt? - ShowBizSpy.com claims. that Brad Pitt is a likely candidate to play the role of John Marston in an upcoming movie based on the Red Dead Redemption videogame.
• Official Trailer for Kaare Andrews' Thriller Altitude - After a malfunction sends their small plane climbing out of control, a rookie pilot (Jessica Lowndes) and her four teenage friends find themselves in a showdown with malevolent, supernatural forces in the sky. The film is being developed by the Escape Factory and is being distributed in the US by Anchor Bay Films. Altitude will be landing on DVD/Blu-Ray starting on October 26th if interested.
• Full Trailer for Del Toro Produced Horror 'Julia's Eyes' - Julia's Eyes, or Los ojos de Julia, was written and directed by up-and-coming Spanish filmmaker Guillem Morales, of the feature The Uncertain Guest and numerous short films previously.
• Creepy Mexican Sci-Fi Film 'Seres: Genesis' Trailer - Here's a Mexican sci-fi film called Seres: Genesis that's becoming a cult hit but no one has heard of it up in the US. Seres: Genesis is only the first film in a sci-fi series based on a Mexican graphic novel series that has everything from flying saucers to mysticism to archaeologists in action to UFO hunters, and lots of (low budget) special effects. That actually doesnt look that bad! :-)
• Paris Hilton in US cocaine arrest - American socialite Paris Hilton is arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine after police stop her car, reports say.
• Behind the Scenes with Jessica Alba (video) - Jessica's been keeping quiet for a couple of years, but now she's back in a big way with the film 'Machete' coming out next week.
• Cristina's Caliente in Calzedonia - Summer may be winding to a close, but this Spanish supermodel sizzles in swimsuits!
• Olga Kurylenko - Maxim Photoshoot - check it out!