Don’t you just love it when someone fixes a problem that you didn’t even know you had, or at least most likely didn’t know about. A new Kickstarter campaign is set out to fix this problem with a very simple and cheap solution, the Headless Ghost display dummy.
The display-dummy plug simply emulates a high-resolution display so the system thinks that it is present, and thereby releasing the full potential of the hardware.
By using the Headless Ghost and simulating the presence of an attached display, you can use all of the power and available resolutions locked away inside your graphics hardware, which might otherwise be disabled when there is no screen available.
Just plug the dummy into your system in an available HDMI port and it will simulate a 4K display. The dummy will also work with DisplayPort and DVI adapters.
Many computer systems do not enable their GPU hardware when there isn’t any display attached; a well-documented issue amongst the Mac Mini and Intel HD graphics user bases.
Having a dummy plug like the Headless Ghost attached fully enables the GPU which allows for hardware-accelerated remote desktop access at high resolutions as well as fully utilizing the GPU hardware for GPGPU tasks such as crypto currency mining, rendering and simulations.
The thing I like most about this new dummy-adapter, next to its function of course, is the fact that it is manufactured in the UK. This isn’t some pride or fear thing, but with most Kickstarter campaigns I run into the trouble with shipping, import taxes and fees that in return makes the final-price two to three times bigger. With me being located in the EU, this won’t be an issue this time.
The Headless Ghost GPU dummy won’t cost you much to begin with as you can have one for just £10.00, that includes world-wide shipping. Early birds can get it for £8.00, but I doubt the £2 will make any difference for anyone who sees the benefit in this device.
There are multiple other pledges available where you get more units at discounted prices. The funding has almost reached its goal of £2.500 at the time of writing. Just £90 missing and there are 26 days to go.
I’ll do mine to help this project with my pledge as soon as I’m done writing this. This is just too cool a tool to not have.
Specification
Reward Tiers
After this initial run of the Headless Ghost, they will sell for £12 a unit plus shipping. Campaign backers will also have access to two special editions of the Headless Ghost. 50 will be made with custom display identifiers, so they will show up as whatever you like in the operating system and 20 Headless Ghosts will be made with a limited edition Kickstarter case.
Thanks to Kickstarter for providing us with this information
Images courtesy of Kickstarter
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