castledoom.com

[JuntaJoe]

Microchip price war heating up?

AMD is attacking Intel squarely where it hurts the most: the bottom line.

On Tuesday, IDG News Service reported, AMD — Intel's primary competitor — unveiled a new microchip line with six processing cores, just like the Intel Core i7 line, which launched last month.

AMD's Phenom II X6 is designed to compete as closely as possible with the i7 on performance, but no matter what the benchmarks say, it blows Intel out of the water on price.

The Phenom II X6 1090T costs $295 in its most expensive format (and in OEM quantities). Intel's top-of-the-line Core i7-980XM costs a whopping $999.

The chips from both companies are targeted at power users and gamers — but AMD boasts that an entire high-end computer with all the trimmings can be equipped with a Phenom II X6 for the price of a Core i7 chip alone.

How will Intel respond? Even AMD concedes that the Intel chip is going to be faster, but how much faster will have to be sorted out as benchmarks are run and the pros crunch the numbers. A 5 percent speed difference would certainly turn some heads toward AMD, but if Intel has a 20 to 30 percent speed advantage, power users and gamers — notoriously happy to spend more money if it means getting even the slightest edge over players — may stick with what they know: Intel.

In other words, don't expect drastic price cuts from Intel, which is enjoying healthy revenue growth and profitability and has declared the tech recession at its end.

Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Inc.

[JuntaJoe]

“Every one” of HP’s PCs to run WebOS, starting next year

Looks like HP wasn't kidding when it said that its newly acquired, touch-friendly WebOS platform would be making a move beyond tablets and smartphones.

In an interview with Bloomberg News, HP CEO Leo Apotheker said the company is looking to bring WebOS, the touchscreen platform that it acquired along with Palm last year, to its latest PCs starting in 2012.

And we're not just a few of its PCs, Apotheker said. Instead, think "every one" of them, as the Bloomberg story puts it.

The article goes light on the details, with Apotheker telling Bloomberg that bringing WebOS to its upcoming PCs would "create a massive platform" and thereby draw a larger pool of app developers.

Also left unsaid: whether we'd be talking dual-boot Windows/WebOS systems (which may or may not come with WebOS preinstalled) or Windows PCs that would run WebOS simultaneously (more likely). For the record, the Bloomberg story says the plan is for PCs that "include the ability to run WebOS," leaving open the possibility that WebOS would be an optional extra.

If HP's WebOS strategy sounds a little random, well … just consider the upcoming Mac OS X "Lion," which (as The Loop points out) is expected to bring elements of Apple's mobile iOS platform—including the App Store and iPhone-like Launchpad for apps—to the Mac.

And then there's HP's new TouchSmart Windows PCs, including a new model with a 23-inch touch-enabled display (pictured here) that slides down to a 60-degree angle, essentially turning the thing into a giant touch panel.



For now, HP's TouchSmart PC relies on the company's own TouchSmart skin, which adds a touch-friendly layer of apps and functionality atop Windows 7.

So … picture the same TouchSmart PC, except this time running on WebOS rather than the TouchSmart interface—and maybe even capable of syncing with your WebOS-powered TouchPad tablet or smartphone.

It's an interesting strategy, and one that HP badly needs if it wants to stand apart from the crowd and boost its sagging revenue.

But will users actually take to a full-on mobile OS running on a PC—especially those without touchscreens? Good question. Hopefully, we'll get more answers at HP's coming "summit meeting," slated for March 14 in San Francisco.

Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Inc.

[s_stabeler]

for the record, that screen is going to be an absolute bitch to keep clean. I've got an iPod Touch, and that thing requires constant polishing to keep clean. this is likely to be worse.

[JuntaJoe]

It the nature of touch screens that you have to keep cleaning them.

My only worry is that they fall back on the old method of specialty cleaners. Knowing some restaurant managers, they were always pissed about having to replace point terminal touch screens because the crew kept using normal kitchen cleaners and messing up the touch screen finish. So HP had better make a touch screen you can spray a normal kitchen or window cleaner on.

[s_stabeler]

If my iPod Touch is any guide, you donlt actually need anyhting except a soft cloth to clean a touch screen, although you need to be careful doing it. the cloth you get with glasses to clean them with works well. It is very time-consuming to do, though, and I'm not sure it is worth it for a desktop.

[JuntaJoe]

Sorry, but it has to be made to be cleaned like any counter, window, table, or desk. Same speed, pressure, and chemicals.

Because in the end that will be how many will try to clean it.

[s_stabeler]

Oh, i know that, i;m juts syaing you donlt actaully need nay form of cleaner, although for a desktop it might be easier. ( my Ipod touch takes roughly 2 minutes to clean using a cloth, a desktop would take more like an hour, if the time taken is proportional)

[JuntaJoe]

Patience is not an American virtue. We will not keep gently rubbing something for minutes on end. Blast it with Windex and fast wipe down in two passes taking 20 seconds tops.

You can also bet we don't take 2 minutes on our Ipods either. First a rub of a couple swipes on some part of our clothing we care less about. After a few seconds without immediate results we will spit on the screen and go at it again for a couple wipes.

[JuntaJoe]

PCWorld's best list on free pc security software.


Best Free Software for Protecting Your PC and Your Privacy

Worried about security, but unwilling to spend a bundle? No problem. With these 11 free programs, you'll keep your computer--and your wallet--safe.

Want to ensure that your PC and all of your files and data stay safe, secure, and private--without breaking the bank? We've rounded up 11 free security and privacy utilities that shield you against malware, protect your data at Wi-Fi hotspots, encrypt your hard drive, and do everything in between.

Protect Against Malware

Malware is the most dangerous threat you'll come across online. Viruses, Trojan horses, and other types of malware can do immeasurable damage to your PC, steal your private information, and even turn your PC into a zombie that spews spam or carries out an attacker's commands. No need to be a victim, though; these freebies will keep you safe.

Microsoft Security Essentials

About as simple to use as protection software gets, Microsoft Security Essentials sits in the background, scanning the programs you run to determine whether they're malware and then disposing of any that prove to be dangerous. In addition, it regularly scans your system to make sure no infections have gotten through. It's straightforward, clean, and free, a hard combination to beat.

Avast Free Antivirus

This well-designed, speedy antimalware tool is easy to use, and PCWorld rated it as the top free antivirus program. Like Microsoft's freebie, Avast Free Antivirus is a set-and-forget utility. Just run it and set the options, and it handles the rest on its own. Its scans are exceptionally fast, and it uses few system resources, so you won't need to spend much time with it. You probably won't even notice that it's running.

Spybot Search & Destroy

This longtime spyware killer is one of the most popular files in PCWorld's Downloads library, and with good reason. Spybot Search & Destroy, as its name implies, is dedicated to eliminating spyware, and it does a great job. It scans your PC to catch offending spyware, including tracking cookies and spyware apps. It also inoculates your machine against getting infected in the first place.

Comodo Firewall

Every PC needs a good firewall, software that blocks applications on the computer from making unsafe outbound connections. A firewall is especially useful because Trojan horses typically try to make outbound connections; a firewall will also help to prevent your PC from becoming a zombie and doing an attacker's bidding. Comodo Firewall is a very good choice that blocks Trojan horses, stymies hackers attempting to take control of your PC, and wards off other threats. Note that using it takes a bit of work, since you have to let it know which programs are safe and should be allowed to have outbound connections. But setting that up is a small annoyance in light of the protection Comodo offers.

Stay Safe at Hotspots

When you use a Wi-Fi hotspot at a café, airport, or other public location, your PC and your privacy are particularly vulnerable. In such places it's exceptionally easy for anyone in the area to snoop on your activities as you browse the Web, especially since the advent of the free Firesheep extension that allows anyone without coding experience to steal your Facebook and Twitter identities as well as your logins at other sites. Guard your machine and your data with the following free software.

CyberGhost VPN

The CyberGhost VPN utility sets up a virtual private network when you connect to the Internet. Simply install and run the software, and hop online. It hides your true IP address and connects you to anonymous servers. In fact, don't feel limited to using it at hotspots--you can also use it whenever you wish to guard your privacy while you surf the Internet.

Note, however, that CyberGhost VPN has a couple of limitations. First, the free version is good for only a 6-hour session or 1GB of downloads; after that, you'll have to restart the session. Second, it typically connects you to servers in Europe, so you may not be able to connect to, say, the U.S. version of Google. If those restrictions are deal-breakers, you could invest in the for-pay service. But if you're spending 6 hours at a time hunkered over your PC in a coffee shop, you may want to rethink your workflow anyway.

HTTPS Everywhere

The free Firefox add-in HTTPS Everywhere is designed to protect your privacy when you visit specific sites, including Facebook, Google Search, the New York Times, Paypal, Twitter, the Washington Post, and Wikipedia. It's an ideal tool for fending off Firesheep hackers. Note that it protects you only on sites that employ the HTTPS secure protocol, and that it can't help when you're using online services other than Web surfing, such as email and instant messaging. Still, it's a great way to stay safe at certain websites.

Hotspot Shield

This freebie does exactly what its name suggests: Hotspot Shield protects you when you're connected to a hotspot, by encrypting all of your data packets. When you install it, make sure to decline the extra toolbars. And if you don't want your home page and default search engine to change, uncheck those options as well during installation.

TrackMeNot

Every time you perform a Web search, you give up a bit of your privacy. Search engines track your search terms, and they can build profiles about your interests based on what you search for. The free TrackMeNot add-in for Firefox and TrackMeNot add-in for Chrome cleverly thwart such behavior, bombarding search engines with random search terms gleaned from news sites and creating so much "noise" about you that no profile can be created.

Secure Your PC

Finally, you'll want to secure your PC itself--its contents as well as any passwords you've stored on it. The next three freebies will do the work for you.

KeePass

You have plenty of passwords you use every month, for websites, ATMs, email services, and more. Most likely, you've stored them somewhere on your PC--which means that they can be stolen. Lock them away with KeePass, which hides them in an encrypted database so that only you can use them. In addition, the tool will create industrial-strength passwords for you, making it less likely that anyone will be able to break them.

FreeOTFE

Worried that a snoop can walk by your PC when you're not around, and then access all of its files and applications? Concerned about what might happen to your files and data if you lose your laptop? FreeOTFE can encrypt files and folders--or your entire hard disk--and then decrypt the data on the fly as you use it. This utility isn't necessarily the easiest program to use, but it does its job nicely

Secunia PSI

You already know that you should take care of any vulnerabilities in your PC's operating system, but you might be surprised to learn that out-of-date applications can contain security flaws and pose significant problems too. If you have installed applications but neglected to regularly update and patch them, your computer may be at risk. Secunia PSI closes the holes through which malware can slither. The tool scans the software on your system, determines which programs are outdated, and then helps you install patches.

Links to these programs: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/collection/collid,1683/files.html

© 1998-2011, PCWorld Communications, Inc.

[JuntaJoe]

HP decided to shock the pc world with its decision to cancel its tablet and also get out of the pc business. Lot's of fallout from this.

As the biggest US pc vendor who gobbled up everyone, this will leave Dell as the sole American pc producer. Ugh! Dell! :razz2:

When they threw out the bathwater, namely that overpriced tablet, HP also threw out the baby as well, namely WebOS. From what I'm told that Palm creation that HP brought was a real software winner. All the crappy software out there these days and a good product gets tossed simply because the company couldn't handle the hardware side.

Speaking of overpriced tablets, that HP that no one would buy even when the prices dropped from $900 to $300, now they are selling like crazy. When HP canceled the stores dumped them in job lots for $99 and then were being seen on Ebay. Yet a couple days later they are now bidding at over $300! No one wanted a manufacturer supported tablet for $300, but everyone now wants it for more money because it became unsupported and obsoleted? We Americans are officially a bunch of dumbasses now.

The HP pc division is in a bad way now that they mentioned a sale or spinoff. It's a bloated division without much innovation, a weak product line, and a weak economy. It will be likely sold at fire sale pricing or left to whither like Lenovo did until the Chinese finally grabbed them. About the only interested party is Samsung and I'm really hoping they make a play as they do good work.

HP has decided to stick with their peripherals business and venture into the enterprise hardware side. Reading between the lines they are likely wanting to be part of this cloud computing business. A bit late to the party, imo, and their entry can't really help. At best they can bring in a lot of lumbering muscle and money. If they think that being a heavyweight helps then one just needs to look at their pc business model. Buy up everyone and inject bland mediocrity until they kill the domestic market. One can only hope Samsung will be around to buy up all the enterprise businesses that HP will gobble first and then leave fallow to rot.

[JuntaJoe]

Pricing of RAM to Plunge, Analyst Says

The price of DDR3 memory used in laptops, desktops and servers will drop over the next two months as memory companies try to clear out excess inventory in a slowing PC market, IHS iSuppli said on Monday.

The average selling price of DDR3 RAM with a 2-gigabit density will reach US$1.60 later in the third quarter, down from $2.10 today, said IHS iSuppli in a research note. The price of DDR3 DRAM was around $4.70 in the third quarter a year ago, when the market had not saturated and adoption was growing to replace DDR2 memory, its predecessor.

The price could plummet further to $1.25 in the fourth quarter, said Mike Howard, senior analyst for DRAM at iSuppli.

A shortfall in PC demand has softened DDR3 memory pricing this year, and PC makers are unwilling to add more memory to computers as they try to increase profitability in the low-margin PC market, Howard said. Some memory makers will move excess inventory into the market rapidly, which could lead to a price drop.

"It's a double whammy," Howard said. "PC growth has slowed down and users aren't demanding more memory."

The world's top DRAM makers include Samsung, Hynix Semiconductor, Elpida Memory, Micron and Nanya, some of which are having yield and supply issues that are contributing to the price plunge, iSuppli said.

The DRAM market fell apart at the end of 2008 and the oversupply today is a result of the previous down cycle, Howard said. The economic downturn prompted DRAM makers to reduce output at the end of 2008, but as PC demand recovered the following year memory production also increased. The demand for memory went up partly due to the PC refresh cycle and the release of the 64-bit version of Windows 7 in 2009, which allowed for a higher memory ceiling.

But PC shipments started slowing down in the second half last year partly because of the growing demand for tablets and smartphones, which use different memory types such as LP DDR2 memory and nonvolatile NAND flash memory. The DRAM market volatility has prompted memory makers to change business models and increase focus on making memory for tablets and smartphones, Howard said.

PC makers are also considering using mobile memory for a new class of low-power laptops called Ultrabooks, which are being promoted by Intel as an alternative to tablet PCs, Howard said. PC makers are especially considering LP DDR2 as it would fit into the thin and light profile of Ultrabooks, and that could ultimately hurt demand for DDR3 memory.

The continued down cycle for DDR3 could also speed up the development of DDR4, which is a faster and more power-efficient successor. DDR4 memory could reach customers in 2014, which is a year earlier than expected, Howard said. Servers will be the first to adopt DDR4 and play an increased role in driving demand for the memory type. The cloud will encourage solid loading of DDR4 memory in servers, Howard said.

But with the mobile device market growing, focus is also on the development of LP DDR3, the successor to LP DDR2, Howard said. LP DDR3 memory is expected to hit the mainstream market around the same time as DDR4, which is 2014.

"LP DDR3 will become official in JEDEC this fall," and working silicon is expected some time next year, Howard said. JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) is a memory standards-setting organization developing specifications for DDR4 and LP DDR3.

© 1998-2011, PCWorld Communications, Inc.

[JuntaJoe]

Table Salt may Build Heftier Hard Drives

Researchers in Singapore say they've found a way to use common table salt to increase by 5.3 times the density by which bits of data can be stored on a hard disk drive platter.

The discovery, they said, will allow from 1.9 Tbit/in. to 3.3 Tbit/in. or six times what a Seagate 4TB hard drive has today, which is 625Gb/in. Given that today's hard drives can come with as much as 4TB of capacity, theoretically, the new technology would allow more than 21TB of data on a single drive. (See also hard drive reviews.)

The secret of the research lies in the use of an extremely high-resolution e-beam lithography, which is the process by which fine nano-sized circuitry is created.

By adding sodium chloride (salt) to a developer solution used in lithography processes, the researchers were able to produce highly defined nanostructures that were as small as 4.5 nanometers (nm), without the need for expensive equipment upgrades.

A nanometer is equal to one-billionth the size of a meter. Today's NAND flash-based solid-state drives use lithography processes that create circuitry about 25nm in width; a human hair is 3,000 times thicker than 25nm.

An example of how nanopatterning more closely packs bits of data together.

The researchers' "salty developer solution" method was invented by Joel Yang, a scientist at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research. Yang first developed the method when he was a graduate student at MIT. Yang and researchers from the National University of Singapore and the Data Storage Institute, perfected the nanopatterning technique.

In the simplest of terms, nanopatterning more closely packs miniature structures that hold information in the form of bits. "What we have shown is that bits can be patterned more densely together by reducing the number of processing steps," Yang said in a statement. Scientists use the term "grain" to describe the packages of bits deposited on the surface of the platter.

Current technology uses tiny grains, about 7 nanometers or 8 nanometers in size, deposited on the surface of storage media, Yang said. However, a single bit of data is stored in a cluster of these "grains" and not in any single "grain." The researchers' bits are about 10nm in size but store information in a single structure. The researchers are now working to increase the storage density even further.

[JuntaJoe]

Linux Launches a Revolution

Tiny Linux-powered devices debuted this week, kicking off a new era in lower-cost computing.

A quiet revolution is taking place. It's powered by Linux, it costs a fraction of Windows' price, and its first tangible evidence is now available in not just one but several forms.

Like the idea of freedom from the upgrade treadmill and a price that won't put you behind on your rent? Then you may want to check out this new category of computing devices.

The Raspberry Pi



There's been talk about the ARM-based, education-focused $25 Raspberry Pi for quite some time already, but this week the diminutive device made its official debut.

That's been nothing if not exciting to watch, particularly because the launch was so successful that it brought the UK-based project's site to its knees amid overwhelming demand.

Premier Farnell and RS Components have both signed up as licensed manufacturers of the devices, the first run of which apparently sold out within an hour or so.

Raspberry Pi devices include a remix of Fedora Linux. No keyboard, mouse, or monitor are bundled with them, but a raft of other capabilities are included. The $25 Model A has just recently been reworked to include 256MB of RAM while the $35 Raspberry Pi Model B includes an Ethernet port and two USB ports, among other enhancements.

Cotton Candy



Also this week, meanwhile, Norwegian FXI Technologies made its USB-sized Cotton Candy device available for pre-order, with delivery expected later this month.

Priced at $199, Cotton Candy units each include a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU from Samsung, a quad-core, 1.2GHz ARM Mali-400 MP GPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and HDMI output. They can also decode MPEG-4, H.264, and other video formats as well as displaying HD graphics on any HDMI-equipped screen.

Perhaps most interesting of all, however, is that supported operating systems include not just Android Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich but also Ubuntu Linux.

Weighing just 21 grams, the Cotton Candy device aims to give users “a single, secure point of access to all personal cloud services and apps through their favorite operating system, while delivering a consistent experience on any screen,” in the project's own words.

MK802 micro-PC



Featuring a single-core 1.5GHz AllWinner A10 Cortex A8 ARM processor, Android 4.0, 1080p HDMI video output, 512MB of DDR3 high-capacity memory, MALI400 graphics processing unit, 4GB Flash storage, a microSD slot, two USB ports, and WiFi connectivity, the MK802 is now available on Aliexpress for $74 including free shipping to the United States via China Post.

Lower-Cost Computing

There's clearly no shortage of high-priced computing devices for those inclined to spend more.

For the rest of us, though--including all the many businesses and consumers in emerging markets--there's a real need for lower-cost computing. That's just what's launched this week, thanks to free and open source Linux.

Links:
MK802
Raspberry Pi
Cotton Candy

© 1998-2012, PCWorld Communications, Inc.