Owners of original Mac Pro systems can now upgrade their video graphics capabilities by installing the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT for Mac. This video card has a core speed of 600 MHz, with 512MB of memory. The card is available directly from NVIDIA for a suggested price of $279. For the record, I have this card installed in my Windows XP system, and the performance is striking! Highly recommended.

Technorati Tags: apple, mac pro, NVIDIA

International environmental watchdog Greenpeace has given low marks to Apple, Motorola and Acer on their environmental policies. The survey released August 25 cites Nokia, Dell and HP as taking positive steps to recycle obsolete equipment and reduce the most harmful chemicals present in their products. According to Greenpeace, the 'Guide To Greener Electronics', updated every three months, "aims to clean up the electronics sector and get manufacturers to take responsibility for the full life cycle of their products, including the electronic waste that their products generate."

Detailed reports on each of the companies surveyed can be found on the Greenpeace website.

Working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Hewlett-Packard on Friday initiated a product recall for certain lithium ion batteries powering a number of their laptops; these batteries have been reported to overheat, melt, and in some cases, damage property.  The affected models include the HP Pavilion, the Compaq Presario, the HP Compaq and the Compaq Evo; HP is offering free replacements for their customers.  While it is safe to use the computer without the battery pack installed, HP recommends immediately removing affected battery packs from affected system immediately. From the FAQ: "To reduce the likelihood that a battery pack failure will cause damage, HP strongly encourages all customers to immediately cease use of the affected battery packs. You must ship the original battery pack back to HP in the prepaid return package, using the authorization label you receive upon receipt of a replacement battery pack."

Dell, the Texas-based computer manufacturer, has initiated a voluntary recall of millions of laptop AC adapters sold between 1998 and February 2002.  The adapters have been recalled due to their potential for overheating and were sold with the Latitude, Precision and Inspiron notebook lines.  Consumers have been advised to visit Dell's Adapter Recall Program page for more information and the specific details of the program.

Tom's Hardware Guide today has a review of several high end 24-bit audio cards; these offerings from Creative and Terratec are crucial if you want to hear all the sounds on your 5.1-encoded DVD.

HP is on target for releasing 100 products by the end of 2003. The first cache of geeky products released centers around digital cameras and the devices needed to print the photos... CNET has detailed the products, along with intended ship dates.

Acer and EMachines have both released low-cost notebook systems this week; Acer sticking to the 802.11b, while EMachines went with the higher speed 802.11g wi-fi option. PCWorld has a quick rundown on them both.