Microsoft Asks Intel for a 16-core Atom Server Chip

"The Intel Atom processor line is associated with low power usage in devices such as a netbook or nettop computer. The emphasis is definitely not on performance, it's on pushing up battery life on a device with a small display and mid-range graphics requirements while still managing a decent desktop experience. Microsoft thinks Atom can do more, though, and wants to use it in servers. With that in mind it is calling on Intel to up the cores in an Atom chip to 16, and deploying it as a low power server chip solution." 

That call comes from distinguished engineer Dr. Dileep Bhandarkar, of Microsoft Global Foundation Services, a core part of the team that looks after Microsoft’s data centers. So you can assume he knows what he’s talking about in their server space and that Intel will take his request seriously.

Although not suitable for all server workloads, Bhandarkar believes Atom is better suited than Xeon chips for specific tasks. He thinks the power savings would make Atom servers worth deploying for the overall cost savings they would offer. He also believes the same is true of AMD’s low-power Bobcat chips.  There’s hope for ARM chips appearing in Microsoft data centers in the future too. Windows is going to get support for ARM, and Bhandarkar says ARM just needs to prove its performance worth.  For the moment, Intel says it has no plans for a server version of its low power processor, but with Microsoft executives as enthusiastic as Bhandarkar putting the pressure on, it may just happen in the next few years.

Intel's Chip Issue

Intel's Sandy Bridge chipset Issue

Last week customers started telling Intel that there was an issue in Sandy Bridge's Cougar Point chipset. As intel confirmed, but not in the main Sandy Bridge processor. Most Sandy Bridge systems sold to date are quad-core laptops. Potentially affected systems have been shipping only since January 9.  The issues were Affecting SATA ports 2 through 5, not ports 0 and 1. Most laptops have two SATA devices, such as a hard disk drive and optical drive that would be using the unaffected ports 0 and 1. That said; Sandy Bridge-based systems with more than a couple of SATA devices could potentially be affected.  As Intel stressed the part, then Intel's labs started seeing a failure to access ports 2 through 5. The Intel stress test simulated time passing and it showed that over time this issue could come up.  8 million chips were reported.  But Intel claims relatively few are in customers' hands. Most of those are in the sales channel and will be pulled out of the channel. Intel is supporting PC makers in this effort. Intel has corrected the design issue, and has begun manufacturing a new version of the chipset which will resolve the issue. Intel estimates that the full financial cost of the error will be around $700 million, with $300 million of that incurred during the first quarter due to the production interruption. Intel expects to begin delivering the updated version of the chipset to customers in late February and expects full volume recovery in April.

“It appears like another consumer test at its best.  I believe it affects the consumer more than corporate.  Which is good, being able to catch it at its test stages help to ensure it will be flawless when it’s finally launched?”

Nintendo has blown it...

Nintendo Has Blown It, They Will Never Recover.

Sales of Wii Will Only Continue to Drop, Says Market Observer

With the release of Microsoft Kinect and Sony Move motion-sensing technologies for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 the stir towards Nintendo Wii game console by casual gamers started to decline. Technologies by Microsoft and Sony are not worse than Nintendo's, but Xbox 360 and PS3 have better graphics and a number of other capabilities. An analyst believes that sales of Wii will quickly drop and the company will not be able to recover easily.

Nintendo has been long rumored to release a successor for the Wii game console with high-definition graphics support as well as better quality of content overall. However, Nintendo relied on its Wii - which had exclusive motion-sensing game controller, but had outdated graphics core and underperforming microprocessor - and did not release anything new to offer quality of experience similar to PS3 or Xbox 360. Now that the motion-sensing controllers are available for all three current-generation systems, Nintendo has lost its only trump and naturally sales of its Wii started to decline gradually. Since Kinect and Move were announced over a year ahead of release, Nintendo had a lot of time to finalize a successor for Wii (at the end, it had enough time to develop a decent console) and release it in 2010. But the company failed to do so.

“I think it’s pretty sad when one of the top brand names in gaming begins to lack what it takes to move forward these days, granted Nintendo has been out longer but it has always been simpler too.  2-D graphics, side scrollers, and plat formers, not to mention their lack of storytelling have always been their main craze, but the lack of graphics and low-budget motion sensorsing will be its downfall, especially against Microsoft and Sony whom specialize in blowing today’s gamers away with 3-D CGI, deep storytelling, and first person shooters dominating the scene.  Good luck Nintendo!”

The Hammerhead

Hammerhead takes PC design in new directions

Matthew Kim’s case design takes a page from the Thermaltake Level 10 and the Antec Skeleton chassis, which turn things inside out, exposing the components instead of hiding them in a big box. But it’s less monolithic than the Level 10 and more sculptural than the Skeleton, no surprise given Kim’s training as an architect (busy guy). He’s hand-building each of his Hammerheads and is working on numbers three and four. These will be constructed with black brushed anodize and “quattro carbon” trim. The specs on version HMR98902 included Intel Core i7-860 processor, 4GB of RAM, 40GB SSD and 640GB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 graphics card. The parts are all attached to a central frame that also works as a heatsink, making it unnecessary to have any other case fans.
Of course, it helps that the Hammerhead isn’t equipped with the highest heat-generating parts that you might expect on a system that’s selling for $2,899. On the other hand, you’re getting a unique piece of craftsmanship, one that Kim believes buyers will continue to use over the years, upgrading with new components along the way. It might not help you win any overclocking contests, but it will certainly draw a lot of attention sitting on your desk. You can learn more at the Darwin Machine Website.

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"Today a desktop that looks like it was designed by NASA but hand-crafted by engineer and race car designer; Matthew Kim. That’s the story behind this mean machine. A gaming rig that’s built by a one-man crew,   Then what??, I look forward to seeing the results."

A Device that could revolutionize computer memory

Device could revolutionize computer memory

By: Emma Woollacott

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new device that they say represents a big advance for computer memory, making server farms more energy efficient and allowing computers to start more quickly.  The team has developed a single unified device that can perform both volatile and nonvolatile memory operation and which can be used in the main memory. Traditionally, slow memory - nonvolatile - devices are used in persistent data storage technologies such as flash drives and can save information for extended periods of time.
Fast memory like DRAM allows computers to operate more quickly, but aren’t able to save data when the computers are turned off.  The NC device, though, can perform both volatile and nonvolatile memory operation. The double floating-gate FET could allow computers to start immediately. They wouldn’t have to retrieve start-up data from their hard drive, as it would be stored in main memory.

My ideas are it sound like they are making great process in speeding up the booting process of a computer and utilizing more options for the memory towards the OS. Great job guys!!

3 Secure VPN's

Comuterworld say's "It's a truth universally acknowledged that public Wi-Fi hotspots aren't secure, but they're so convenient that most of us use them anyway. That's why there was something of a panic last year when Eric Butler showed everyone how easy it is to hijack Facebook, Twitter and PayPal accounts on open Wi-Fi networks via his FireSheep, a Firefox add-on."

I say "Finding out that the most common VPN (Virtual Private Network) is no longer safe from its add-on to its source is kind of  troubling even to find these are the more popular places that you would assume would break for the real deal and not what works for them and their pockets. As everyone goes about their day to day at their local coffee shop or other hot spot location with the feeling of being secure, little do we know we’re still at risk.  Three VPN’s have been found that remain secure are; HotSpotVPN, StrongVPN and WiTopia.  Hopefully these companies fix the problem soon and spend an extra buck to keep their customers secure and satisfied.  Hopefully."

Intel's X-Lab

Intel Employees are working on making sure that when you want fast service from your cloud service provider (whether that’s OnLive, Amazon, or Google), the speed is there.  When you want to transfer half of a terabyte over your LAN. thier work is part of why that process doesn’t take several days. Cars, tanks, slot machines, space shuttles, TVs, and others all share the common thread of Ethernet. Which takes place in sever rooms at the facility.  The fact that they are all working on the same hardware shows promise that the project will succeed.,