Intel’s Nehalem, Super Computing in a PC ?

The microprocessor giant Intel has declared their new processor architecture using 45nm fabrication process and a revamped interconnection method between multiple cores instead of legacy Front Side Bus (FSB).

After the much acclaimed architectural design of FSB in Pentium Pro back in 1995, the new Nehalem is going to change the picture at all. According to Intel’s official news, the new microprocessor will include a new Memory Controller in the same die with the cores that will sync to DDR3 memories with a new ‘Intel Quickpath Interconnect’ replacing the age old FSB. This new architecture will ensure the faster connection between multiple cores in the process.

Intel stated that this new line of processors will include 8+ cores, but there will be also dual core and quad core variants. The quad core variant is already known to have 731 million transistors and currently not known amount of L2 Cache. A new performance enhanced dynamic power management is going to be introduced in this processors that will allow a the processor to only use the number of processor cores necessary for optimal performance and should allow CPUs with 8 cores to power down to just 2 or 4 in situations only needing those levels of performance. Also now announced Hafnium based technology will be included that will significantly reduce the power leakage problem.

Nehalem will also introduce the first multi-level shared cache architecture that will allow the different cores on a processor to share data at the L1 and possibly L3 cache levels in addition to the current L2 cache sharing implemented on the Core architecture. The quad core models will have 8MB of shared L3 Cache (Penryn has 12MB of semi-shared L2 cache), and the high-end models will have a 130W TDP, compared to 136W for high-end Penryns. This can allow for better data sharing between cores and increase performance for highly threaded applications.

I think that when the processor will ship in the market, it will have two major variants. For high performance computing, the processor should have 8+ cores for full CPU performance with integrated new memory controller. And for budget machines, there should be some dual or quad cores with new high-performance integrated graphics on the same die.

According to Intel’s business strategies, they may introduce the Nehalem processors in late 2008 after this years launch of their Penryn processors. Intel will use their new Israel manufacturing plant in Fab-28, Kiryat Gat (it is currently under construction) to produce Nehalem. Intel is already well into the development process for Nehalem, a working system with two Nehalem processors was shown at IDF Fall 2007.

Also, as suggested by Intel future roadmaps, a 32nm shrink of Nehalem, named Westmere, should be ready for release in 2009. It will come in at least two variants, possibly Whitefield & Dunnington. The successor of Westmere will be Sandy Bridge, slated to release in 2010.

After Leopard : Seeking the Ultimate

Well now, it is going to 1 months after MAC OS X 10.5 Leopard id released finally, and already we have 10.5.1 update on Nov 15. Leopard is doing well except some security and compatibility glitches. Apple still supports Tiger and released it's 10.4.11 update this month. By the start of the following year, we should have a great number of Leopard users, but unlike the estimated Windows 7 (codenamed Vienna) from Microsoft stable, Apple did not announce the future of MAC OS.

Though some state of the art hardware features and capabilities are well implemented in Leopard, making itself more easier to use, Apple is yet to use the rising newer technologies like Multi touch etc in their new OS. Where iPhone uses this technology to get an edge, I should except the touch as the future of GUI as well as a descendant of Mouse. Indeed mouse is easy to use in many accuracy based application like CAD, Photoshop, High performance Gaming etc. but touch is the future way to go because, it adds pretty easiness in day to day use. Also, Microsoft's Readyboost and future use of NAND flash drive based hybrid HDDs should be implemented on the next edition of MAC OS. A database based filesystem is better to be implemented as Microsoft is coming with their WinFS, a SQL based file system.

With rising of DDR3 and DDR4 memories, Intel's Nehalem architecture based 8 to 16 core processors and Terabyte HDDs, Apple should use the great hardware resource to add boons in their OS. There is a rumor that MAC OS X 10.6 will be only Intel- based. So, we should expect a prettier (it must be, it's an Apple), firmer (security), more stable OS in 2009 or 2010. Get on Microsoft, you already got a real challenger.

Nokia AEON : Wanna Touch?

The most amazing gadget brought to us this year is undoubtedly the iPhone. The newer technology of multi-touch, not so new but greatly implemented accelomotor, motion sensor, light sensor etc. made this shiny black device lustrously must-have. But the greatest phone that reinvented the cellphone according to Apple CEO, is not alone to be touched. Finnish mobile phone manufacture, the greatest and the biggest of them all Nokia is also coming with it's AEON in probably next year. Though it is a concept phone but I think it should be present in the market.

Frankly. AEON is a two part phone as seen, but physically

it is one parted. The huge touchscreen, when compared to iPhone is not a lacking one, but will rise the oomph factor when released. It has a divider between it and that has written AEON clearly on it with a matte finish. The other parts are glossy and the touchscreen is unified. The device is amazingly thin to beat the iPhone. The concept phone will feature a full surface touch screen display that replaces the traditional keypad. Its unique design gives this concept phone an extremely sleek and sexy look. Nokia should use some perfected material that doesn’t leave fingerprints on Aeon’s touch screen display.

Dance Mela, Want to Dance?

Dance Mela is a multiplayer game from Kreeda. It was given on the Digit magazine's November 2007 DVD. Now after tinkering with it for few minutes, I made my mind to review it.

Well, at first I want to ask that if anyone who is reading this post is aware of Bollywood dance. If so, then you probably can make it out what could be inside this game. Installing is easy and the game can run in most PCs bought after 2003 that runs either Windows XP or 2000 SP4.

When I fired up the game, it asked me to enter my choice for server in a menu where the only option was India. Selecting India, it went full screen and displayed a window that asks me to enter login info or to register. I registered and noticed a good thing that if someone want to woo his/her opposite sex with some se*y username, stop here. You are not allowed to enter anything that is abusive.

After login in, I was given a default avatar and a home with just a single room filled with high tech LCD tv, wardrobe, Laptop and even a iPod for listening to Hindi songs. Back in the game options, everybody has two options, one is to practice dancing and the other is getting involved in direct dancing. I have to say to future gamers (well dancers) that you should practice the game first before directly involving in it.

Controls are basically easy and the game has only four directional keys to play.A sherwani clad boy and a salwar-kamij clad girl tell you the instructions regarding gameplay. Initially it is too easy but after passing the two practice levels, comes the difficult part. The timings are essential to play on. After passing the practice levels, you can join the dance rooms (just like chat rooms). Here you can see the other players as well in a complete 3D environment. Hit Ready and you are presented a dance room in which after a notification, a random hindi dance track plays according to your level. You have to dance with the song using your directional keys. Actually, in a panel on left side, some arrows appears in rhythm with the song. You have to press right keys according those arrows. If your timings are correct continuously, then you have combo points coming in your account. Also these increase the coolness factor of your avatar.

If you managed to get some hard earned points after serious button mashing, your level increases. Also you will got credits in your account. You can then buy some really cool outfits with them (Alas for hardcores, you cannot wear a bikini). Even u can make friends and chat with them through your laptop, and in a later stage you can also choose your life partner. Yes there is also a marriage option to check out.

In the end, I want to say that Dance Mela is just a Second Life look alike with mainly focusing on dance with bolly tunes. English tracks are not available as of now. So hardcore computer dancing lovers, go and give it a try. Although keyboard control is rather dizzy, you should opt for a dancepad if you are serious into playing this. Search for dancepad at Kreeda.com. It makes the whole dancing stuff easy. So, dance freaks, ready for a boogy woogy event in your PC, show your dance skills and do your own ‘Jhalak Dikhla ja’.

Tough Time for Apple Softwares

The renowned master of great asthetics and simplicity, that is Apple Inc. is going through tough times supporting it's new OS Leopard and media player Quicktime. With a new Trojan horse in the territory of MAC OS X and a Highly critical Quictime vulnerability, Apple's claim of rock solid security is on the verge of question mark.

After the proven trojan horse that shaken the Apple camp, today security firm Secunia has reported that a 'highly critical' vulnerability in Quicktime that can bypass security, expose sensitive information and hackers can be able to access a system remotely. An error in the handling of image description atoms can be exploited to cause a memory corruption when a user is enticed to open a specially crafted movie file. Those movie files are spreading steadily through several pornographic sites. When a user opens a specially created video file, a boundary error in the handling of Sample Table Sample Descriptor (STSD) atoms can be exploited to cause a heap-based buffer overflow. Also there is multiple errors in Java for Quicktime as some untrusted Java applets can disclose sensitive information or can execute arbitrary code with escalated privileges when a user visits a web page containing a malicious Java applet.

There exists a boundary error in proccessing of panorama sample atoms in QTVR (QuickTime Virtual Reality) movie files, which can be exploited to cause a heap-based buffer overflow when a user is enticed to open a specially crafted movie file. Same type of boundary error in the processing of PICT image files can be exploited to cause a stack-based buffer overflow when a user opens a specially crafted PICT image file containing an invalid length for the "UncompressedQuickTimeData" opcode.

Errors exist when parsing the Poly type opcodes (opcodes 0x0070-74) and the PackBitsRgn field (Opcode 0x0099) when processing PICT image files. These can be exploited to cause a heap corruption when a user opens a specially crafted PICT image file. Also an error in the parsing of CTAB atoms can be exploited to cause a heap-based buffer overflow when a user opens a specially crafted movie file containing an invalid color table.

If this vulnerabilities are successfully exploited, they allow to execute arbitary codes in a vulnerable computer.The only solution is the recent update to Quicktime 7.3 for Windows or MAC OS.

The First Breed of XO Laptops will be Shiped to Uruguay

The Government of Uruguay has officially ordered the XO Laptops, touted as the "$100" Laptops. This south american country has ordered 0.1 million laptops initially to help it's students. They have plans to buy another 0.2 million to equip every child with a PC in 2009.

What is the thing?



The XO Laptops were devoloped for the childrens aged 6 to 12 keeping the devoloping countries in mind. A durable, waterproof green-white colored machine that is a XO Lappy has a sunlight readable display with no moving parts. It uses a NAND flash memory to store DATA that is being used as HDD. The alternet power solution is depended on solar-charging/foot-pumping/pull-string method. Learn more about the XO in http://laptop.org/en/laptop/

The price aggregator

OLPC (One Laptop per Child) Organization aims to sell the Laptop for $100 or less but over the previous year, it's price constantly increases and presently is $188. The aggregate price can be calculated from the following chart,




Uruguay's order

Initially the XO laptops will be distributed in eight to nine of the country's 19 regions. A further 300,000 machines will provide machines for all of the country's children. "We will also cover the rest of the country later in 2008 and Montevideo in 2009," said Miguel Brechner, president of the organisation. Uruguay's state-run Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay (Latu) which runs a huge scale education and communication project known as Ceibal, ordered the Laptops. They also reviewed the Intel Classmate PC which is a bit costlier but more powerful. In this scheme, all school involved will be connected wirelessly.

Overall. this product is indeed a boon to the OLPC which previously admitted difficulties getting concrete orders."I have to some degree underestimated the difference between shaking the hand of a head of state and having a cheque written," Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the organisation, recently told the New York Times. However, he said he was "delighted" with the first deal. "We commend Uruguay for being the first country to take concrete actions to provide laptops to all its children and teachers and look forward to other countries following this example," he said.

Leopard - Very Important Feline for Apple

After 7 days of releasing, the latest MAC OS X down the line, Leopard is an important asset for Apple. After the shacking 90's, Apple firmed his grip only after releasing the much sought after iPod and then declaring an update to MAC OS X through Tiger. Though iPod is a mass hystiria & the greatest thing happened in PMP world, cell phone is likely to be reinvented through iPhone, Apple's wonder GUI that is Macintosh steadily lost it's glamour through the days with the invent of Windows.

So amidst all the latest activites, where does the Leopard stand? Do not be fooled by Apple's growing buisness interests through new products, MAC OS X is still their greatest asset to survive in market. And, why not? Beside iPod, every Apple products like iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iPhone even run MAC OS X under the hood. Apple's standing in the PC market greatly implies on MAC OS besides their asthetics.

"Mac OS X is key to Apple's message of the integration of hardware, software and services," said Ross Rubin, director of analysis at market-research firm NPD. "Given the focus of integration it's easy to lose track of the components of that strategy. Without the Mac OS, the computer is just a pretty Windows machine."

Leopards financial success is not yet approved. Though Apple said they sold 2 million copies of Leopard within it's opening weekend, not everyone is going to the Leopard way all at once. That's because system and software compatibility issues. Also, the financial success is depended on Apple's strategy to ship every new MAC with Leopard.

Many user along with clearly stated that Leopard is not either a great performer over Tiger. It just manages to cut one or two second from the booting time and application performances are moreover same. Even with the Mac games, Leopard merely increase the Frame Rate with 1 or 2 FPS.

Vista comes in the way of Leopard in the OS market and remebering Steve Jobs' Keynote presentation, they say Leopard has many new features that Vista lacks. But in reality, when Leopard finally releases, I was not surprised by their so called 'New features'. They said there is 'Time Machine' which is not a great and revolutionary program over Vista's Backup & Restore. Anyway those programs are visual treats with core animation but in productivity, they are moreover same.

Apple's switch over the Intel Proccessor clearly demonstrates their fear for Windows. They are now, being second within two, follows the idiom "When you cannot defeat the enemy, join them." Many people, having installed Bootcamp, just enjoys Windows over Mac OS in their Intel MACs.

Leopard's thumbs ups are only that no MAC user ever asked to have Tiger switching Leopard, when they got Leopard in their new MACs."We are not going to see users getting a new Mac and asking if they can downgrade like we saw with Vista users," said Jupiter Research's Gartenberg. The opinion of individual users will be an important driver for Leopard's success, according to one industry analyst. While Forrester Research shows many people don't know that much about operating systems, the typical Mac user is different.

"In the case of the Mac, the user community is very influential," said Forrester Research analyst J.P. Gownder. "The reception of Apple enthusiasts will help determine the buzz."

Funny peoples, I wonder what are they doing?

Many people do some weird things do gain fame for thereselves. Like Mark David Chapman shot Beatles singer John Lennon and after that just said "I have shot John Lennon".

But in the picture below, what the two men are doing? Any comments?