SCIENTISTS HAVE unveiled a new generation of supercomputers, including a £30m machine with the memory of 200,000 home computers and a hard disk hefty enough to hold the entire Google index of the Internet.
The huge devices, each costing tens of millions of pounds, will compete against each other this year for the title of the planet's biggest electronic brains.
The first contender, Constellation, has been built by Sun Microsystems at a cost of $59m and boasts a 1.7 petabytes hard disk. It was unveiled at the International Supercomputer conference in Dresden, Germany.
The machine - which will go live later this year - can operate at speeds of 421 teraflops, or 421 trillion calculations a second. This will outstrip IBM's 280 Teraflop Blue Gene/L, currently ranked as the world's fastest computer, by some distance. But operating at such levels will be a significant power drain, requiring the same amount of power to run as a high-speed intercity train.
Despite the immense cost, officials said that high-powered computers were now more powerful and less expensive than ever before. "We have reached unprecedented cost performance for scientific computing," said Andreas Bechtolsheim, chief archi- tect and co-founder of Sun.
The first Constellation computer, called Ranger, will be installed at the University of Texas in order to assist scientists and engineers with running incredibly complex calculations. But although Constellation will put Sun back at the top table of hitech computing along with names such as Cray and IBM, its reign as the most powerful machine on the planet is likely to be short-lived.
IBM also took the stage in Dresden to announce its forthcoming plan to build the latest Blue Gene computer, dubbed "P". It is expected to be almost three times more powerful than its predecessor.
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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Microsoft logs on to Google complaint, to alter Vista
MICROSOFT agreed to make changes to its Windows Vista operating system in response to a complaint by Google that a feature of Vista is anticompetitive, lawyers involved in the case said.
The settlement, reached in recent days by state prosecutors, the Justice Department and Microsoft, averted the prospect of litigation over a complaint by Google that Vista had been designed to frustrate computer users who want to use software other than Microsoft's to search through files on their hard drives. Google had made its complaint confidentially as part of the consent decree proceedings set up to monitor Microsoft for any anticompetitive conduct after it settled a landmark antitrust lawsuit five years ago that had been brought by the states and the Clinton administration.
The federal government and the states were planning to file a joint status report by midnight on Tuesday in the consent decree proceedings that outlined the changes Microsoft would be making to Vista. State and federal lawyers were exchanging drafts of the report.
They said they had reached agreement on a remedy, al- though there was still some disagreement over the report's language. The disagreement reflected tensions between the Justice Department, which initially sided with Microsoft in the dispute, and some of the states, which have supported Goog1e and advocated a more aggressive stance.
Google has sought to keep a low profile in the dispute, in part because the Federal Trade Commission has recently opened a preliminary antitrust investigation into Google's proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, an online advertising company.
Lawyers involved in the proceeding said the changes to Vista would allow consumers to decide which desktop search program they want to use, and that selecting software from Google or some other company would no longer slow down the computer as it does now. They said that as part of the settlement, Microsoft would let Vista users know how to change their desktop search program. But the settlement would not require Microsoft to make all the changes that Google had sought.
Google maintained that its desktop search program was slowed by an equivalent feature that is built into Vista. When the Google and Microsoft search programs run simultaneously, their indexing programs slow the operating system considerably, Google contends. As a result, Google has said that Vista violated Microsoft's 2002 antitrust settlement, which prohibits Microsoft from designing operating systems that limit the choices of consumers.
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The settlement, reached in recent days by state prosecutors, the Justice Department and Microsoft, averted the prospect of litigation over a complaint by Google that Vista had been designed to frustrate computer users who want to use software other than Microsoft's to search through files on their hard drives. Google had made its complaint confidentially as part of the consent decree proceedings set up to monitor Microsoft for any anticompetitive conduct after it settled a landmark antitrust lawsuit five years ago that had been brought by the states and the Clinton administration.
The federal government and the states were planning to file a joint status report by midnight on Tuesday in the consent decree proceedings that outlined the changes Microsoft would be making to Vista. State and federal lawyers were exchanging drafts of the report.
They said they had reached agreement on a remedy, al- though there was still some disagreement over the report's language. The disagreement reflected tensions between the Justice Department, which initially sided with Microsoft in the dispute, and some of the states, which have supported Goog1e and advocated a more aggressive stance.
Google has sought to keep a low profile in the dispute, in part because the Federal Trade Commission has recently opened a preliminary antitrust investigation into Google's proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, an online advertising company.
Lawyers involved in the proceeding said the changes to Vista would allow consumers to decide which desktop search program they want to use, and that selecting software from Google or some other company would no longer slow down the computer as it does now. They said that as part of the settlement, Microsoft would let Vista users know how to change their desktop search program. But the settlement would not require Microsoft to make all the changes that Google had sought.
Google maintained that its desktop search program was slowed by an equivalent feature that is built into Vista. When the Google and Microsoft search programs run simultaneously, their indexing programs slow the operating system considerably, Google contends. As a result, Google has said that Vista violated Microsoft's 2002 antitrust settlement, which prohibits Microsoft from designing operating systems that limit the choices of consumers.
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
How to Choose a Cell Phone
Cellular phones have revolutionalized the way that we communicate with each other. Instant access to people, text messaging, picture taking, and game playing are all features that have changed the way that people use the cell phone.
Whether you're in the market for your first cell phone or your ninth, it is still a good idea to look at cell phone comparisons and do as much research as possible. After using several different brands of cellular phones, people tend to prefer one manufacturer over another. However, with so many new manufacturers entering the market, it is important to keep your options open. Usually, one company will beat the rest when marketing new features.read more...
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Whether you're in the market for your first cell phone or your ninth, it is still a good idea to look at cell phone comparisons and do as much research as possible. After using several different brands of cellular phones, people tend to prefer one manufacturer over another. However, with so many new manufacturers entering the market, it is important to keep your options open. Usually, one company will beat the rest when marketing new features.read more...
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A virtual PC without a PC
IN A move to make PC usage simpler and to rid maintenance-related issues for users, Switzerland-based software company Nivio, a subsidiary of iNet Global Services, has launched a Windows operating system-based on online desktop service.
With this, a user can remotely access a Windows desktop from any web browser such as Internet Explorer without having to own a PC. "It is for users who do not want to be bothered with costs, constant technology changes and upgrades - whether it is a new operating system or security patches to combat PC viruses,"
Companies like Nivio, Novatium, Wyse, Sun Microsystems and PC manufacturers like HP are eying this space with ‘thin clients' - a small box that does not contain any software or computing power and can be accessed whenever required through the Internet or on a local area network.
"The advantage is that a user can use even a 486 PC, an obsolete model that is still used in many places in India," says Duggal. He explains that this is possible because computing happens in a central server through software that they have developed unlike normal PCs where the computing happens in the sys tem that the user is working on. This he reckons could resolve the issue of slow Internet speeds, which has been one of the hindrances in uptake of ‘thin client' devices in India.
With private equity backing from investment bankers from Duetche Bank, Unicredit Group and Goldman Sachs to the tune of $6 million, the company is targeting second tier cities and the vast student population in India. According to industry observers, about 60 per cent of students in India access internet or other computer programs from cyber cafes. This does not deter Duggal who has currently signed up 2,500 users and has plans to acquire one-lakh customers by the end of 2007.
EASY COMPUTING Companies like Nivio, Novatium, Wyse, Sun Microsystems and PC manufacturers like HP are eying this space with ‘thin clients' Thin clients is a small box that does not contain any software or computing power and can be accessed.
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With this, a user can remotely access a Windows desktop from any web browser such as Internet Explorer without having to own a PC. "It is for users who do not want to be bothered with costs, constant technology changes and upgrades - whether it is a new operating system or security patches to combat PC viruses,"
Companies like Nivio, Novatium, Wyse, Sun Microsystems and PC manufacturers like HP are eying this space with ‘thin clients' - a small box that does not contain any software or computing power and can be accessed whenever required through the Internet or on a local area network.
"The advantage is that a user can use even a 486 PC, an obsolete model that is still used in many places in India," says Duggal. He explains that this is possible because computing happens in a central server through software that they have developed unlike normal PCs where the computing happens in the sys tem that the user is working on. This he reckons could resolve the issue of slow Internet speeds, which has been one of the hindrances in uptake of ‘thin client' devices in India.
With private equity backing from investment bankers from Duetche Bank, Unicredit Group and Goldman Sachs to the tune of $6 million, the company is targeting second tier cities and the vast student population in India. According to industry observers, about 60 per cent of students in India access internet or other computer programs from cyber cafes. This does not deter Duggal who has currently signed up 2,500 users and has plans to acquire one-lakh customers by the end of 2007.
EASY COMPUTING Companies like Nivio, Novatium, Wyse, Sun Microsystems and PC manufacturers like HP are eying this space with ‘thin clients' Thin clients is a small box that does not contain any software or computing power and can be accessed.
For more details on Virtual PC visit www.halfvalue.com and www.halfvalue.co.uk
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Thursday, May 17, 2007
Amazon Launch Digital Music Store
Amazon.com plans to open an online music store offering only songs that are free of copy-protection technology and can be played on anything from PCs to portable gadgets such as Apple's iPod or Microsoft's Zune.
The Internet retailer decided to steer clear of digital-rights management technology because consumers want to be able to listen to their music on any device they choose, executives said.
The market-leading iPod, for instance, can't play copy-protected music purchased from Napster or RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody store. A Zune can't play tunes bought on iTunes. All players support music in the MP3 format.
Amazon's strategy "is helping to pave the way for a much better, much more customer-centric experience in digital music," said Bill Carr, Amazon's vice president of digital media.
Shares of Amazon rose $2.64, or more than 4 percent, to $63.22 Wednesday, toward the high end of the company's stock price over the past year.
Amazon's music store wasn't unexpected, and the company is tearing a page out of Apple Inc.'s songbook by offering music that's not locked down by digital-rights management technology.
Like Apple's iTunes Store, Amazon will offer DRM-free songs from Britain's EMI Music Group PLC. Amazon also said it will offer millions of tunes from 12,000 unnamed labels. Apple, however, will continue to sell copy-protected tunes.
Amazon said it would announce more labels when the service goes live later this year, but it did not identify a specific date.
Songs will be sold by the track or album, without a subscription option. Amazon didn't provide prices. Apple plans to charge $1.29 for tracks without DRM -- 30 cents more than copy-protected songs. It also said the pricier tunes would feature enhanced sound quality.
Carr said Amazon has always focused on giving customers good bargains and hinted that music will be offered at various prices. read more.....
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The Internet retailer decided to steer clear of digital-rights management technology because consumers want to be able to listen to their music on any device they choose, executives said.
The market-leading iPod, for instance, can't play copy-protected music purchased from Napster or RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody store. A Zune can't play tunes bought on iTunes. All players support music in the MP3 format.
Amazon's strategy "is helping to pave the way for a much better, much more customer-centric experience in digital music," said Bill Carr, Amazon's vice president of digital media.
Shares of Amazon rose $2.64, or more than 4 percent, to $63.22 Wednesday, toward the high end of the company's stock price over the past year.
Amazon's music store wasn't unexpected, and the company is tearing a page out of Apple Inc.'s songbook by offering music that's not locked down by digital-rights management technology.
Like Apple's iTunes Store, Amazon will offer DRM-free songs from Britain's EMI Music Group PLC. Amazon also said it will offer millions of tunes from 12,000 unnamed labels. Apple, however, will continue to sell copy-protected tunes.
Amazon said it would announce more labels when the service goes live later this year, but it did not identify a specific date.
Songs will be sold by the track or album, without a subscription option. Amazon didn't provide prices. Apple plans to charge $1.29 for tracks without DRM -- 30 cents more than copy-protected songs. It also said the pricier tunes would feature enhanced sound quality.
Carr said Amazon has always focused on giving customers good bargains and hinted that music will be offered at various prices. read more.....
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Monday, April 23, 2007
AS/400(Application System/400)
The System i (formerly known as iSeries, AS/400, and Application System/400) is a type of computer produced by IBM. It was first produced in 1988. It was then renamed to the eServer iSeries in 2000 as part of IBM's e-Server branding initiative. Now with the global move of the server and storage brands to the System brand with the Systems Agenda, the family has been renamed to System i in 2006, with the POWER5-based members of the series being called the System i5.
Features
The AS/400 is an object-based system with an integrated DB2 database that was designed to implement E. F. Codd's relational database model, which is based on Codd's 12 rules, in the operating system and hardware. read more…
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Features
The AS/400 is an object-based system with an integrated DB2 database that was designed to implement E. F. Codd's relational database model, which is based on Codd's 12 rules, in the operating system and hardware. read more…
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Computer Hacking
Hacker is a term applied often to computer software or computer hardware programmers, designers and administrators, and especially those who are perceived as experts or highly accomplished. A hacker is also someone who modifies electronics, for example, ham radio transceivers, printers or even home sprinkler systems for extra functionality or performance. The term usually bears strong connotations, but may be either favorable or denigrating depending on cultural context .
Computer programming, a hacker is a software designer and programmer who builds programs and systems that garner the respect of one's peers. A hacker can also be a programmer who hacks or reaches a goal by employing a series of modifications to exploit or extend existing code or resources. For some, "hacker" has a negative connotation and refers to a person who "hacks" or uses kludges to accomplish programming tasks that are ugly, inelegant, and inefficient. This pejorative form of the noun "hack" is even used among users of the positive sense of "hacker" In computer security, a hacker is a person who specializes in work with the security mechanisms for computer and network systems. While including those who endeavor to strengthen such mechanisms, it is more often used by the mass media and popular culture to refer to those who seek access despite them. read more........
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Computer programming, a hacker is a software designer and programmer who builds programs and systems that garner the respect of one's peers. A hacker can also be a programmer who hacks or reaches a goal by employing a series of modifications to exploit or extend existing code or resources. For some, "hacker" has a negative connotation and refers to a person who "hacks" or uses kludges to accomplish programming tasks that are ugly, inelegant, and inefficient. This pejorative form of the noun "hack" is even used among users of the positive sense of "hacker" In computer security, a hacker is a person who specializes in work with the security mechanisms for computer and network systems. While including those who endeavor to strengthen such mechanisms, it is more often used by the mass media and popular culture to refer to those who seek access despite them. read more........
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The Data disaster recovery
Tap Delete key, click empty Recycle Bin, stop breathing, hit panic button... Sounds familiar? And then, have you felt that supreme feeling of futility and vacuousness well up when you learn that your hard disk has packed up? Well, despair not. And heed not the hardware engineer when he tells you all is lost. Until you have tried out these freeware remedies. They may just save your skin/sanity/soul even after a trigger-happy finger has found the delete key... Or the dark forces of digitaria have dealt death blows to your hard disk's partition tables...
Before you say your prayers and attempt data recovery, here are some points you should keep in mind: If you have deleted a file/directory inadvertently and want to get it back, avoid using your system/concerned media till you have managed to retrieve your data. The more the activity on the disk/media, the greater the chances of your deleted data being overwritten. So do not copy any files to the disk containing your lost data. Avoid Web browsing; a browser's cache files could obliterate your deleted files. Avoid launching unnecessary programmes; agam, a programme's temp file writes to the disk. In fact, delete as many more files as you can to create more free space as there are chances of overwriting lost files with new one. So empty the Recycle Bin. Clear your browser's cache. Install a recovery programme, but not on the disk where your deleted data is located. read more……..
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Before you say your prayers and attempt data recovery, here are some points you should keep in mind: If you have deleted a file/directory inadvertently and want to get it back, avoid using your system/concerned media till you have managed to retrieve your data. The more the activity on the disk/media, the greater the chances of your deleted data being overwritten. So do not copy any files to the disk containing your lost data. Avoid Web browsing; a browser's cache files could obliterate your deleted files. Avoid launching unnecessary programmes; agam, a programme's temp file writes to the disk. In fact, delete as many more files as you can to create more free space as there are chances of overwriting lost files with new one. So empty the Recycle Bin. Clear your browser's cache. Install a recovery programme, but not on the disk where your deleted data is located. read more……..
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Monday, April 16, 2007
Microsoft Office 2007
The 2007 Microsoft Office System (also called Microsoft Office 2007) is the most recent version of Microsoft's productivity suite. Formerly known as Office 12 in the initial stages of its beta cycle, it was released to business customers on November 30, 2006 and was made available to retail customers on January 30, 2007 which was the same day of the formal launch to retail customers of Windows Vista. Office 2007 contains a number of new features, the most notable of which is the entirely new graphical user interface called the Ribbon, replacing the menus and toolbars that have been the cornerstone of Office since its inception.
The 2007 Office system provides many of the fundamental components required to support compliance regulations, such as auditing, records management, and data security. However, some degree of development and customization is necessary to tailor regulation-compliant solutions for particular organizations and environments. This paper provides examples of extending the platform to build custom compliance solutions for the financial services, healthcare, and accounting fields. The new software will be considerably different than the current MS Office product. The look and the menu/directory views will have a new look, more like Macromedia's Dreamweaver product. read more…
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The 2007 Office system provides many of the fundamental components required to support compliance regulations, such as auditing, records management, and data security. However, some degree of development and customization is necessary to tailor regulation-compliant solutions for particular organizations and environments. This paper provides examples of extending the platform to build custom compliance solutions for the financial services, healthcare, and accounting fields. The new software will be considerably different than the current MS Office product. The look and the menu/directory views will have a new look, more like Macromedia's Dreamweaver product. read more…
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