Monday, 30 July 2012

15 Hot New Technologies That Will Change Everything

The Future of Your PC's Hardware


Memristor: A Groundbreaking New Circuit
 
What is it? As its name implies, the memristor can "remember" how much current has passed through it. And by alternating the amount of current that passes through it, a memristor can also become a one-element circuit component with unique properties. Most notably, it can save its electronic state even when the current is turned off, making it a great candidate to replace today's flash memory.
Memristors will theoretically be cheaper and far faster than flash memory, and allow far greater memory densities. They could also replace RAM chips as we know them, so that, after you turn off your computer, it will remember exactly what it was doing when you turn it back on, and return to work instantly. This lowering of cost and consolidating of components may lead to affordable, solid-state computers that fit in your pocket and run many times faster than today's PCs.
Someday the memristor could spawn a whole new type of computer, thanks to its ability to remember a range of electrical states rather than the simplistic "on" and "off" states that today's digital processors recognize. By working with a dynamic range of data states in an analog mode, memristor-based computers could be capable of far more complex tasks than just shuttling ones and zeroes around.
When is it coming? Researchers say that no real barrier prevents implementing the memristor in circuitry immediately. But it's up to the business side to push products through to commercial reality. Memristors made to replace flash memory (at a lower cost and lower power consumption) will likely appear first; HP's goal is to offer them by 2012. Beyond that, memristors will likely replace both DRAM and hard disks in the 2014-to-2016 time frame. As for memristor-based analog computers, that step may take 20-plus years.

32-Core CPUs From Intel and AMD
Click here to view full-size image.Photograph: Courtesy of IntelIf your CPU has only a single core, it's officially a dinosaur. In fact,quad-core computing is now commonplace; you can even get laptop computers with four cores today. But we're really just at the beginning of the core wars: Leadership in the CPU market will soon be decided by who has the most cores, not who has the fastest clock speed.
What is it? With the gigahertz race largely abandoned, both AMD and Intel are trying to pack more cores onto a die in order to continue to improve processing power and aid with multitasking operations. Miniaturizing chips further will be key to fitting these cores and other components into a limited space. Intel will roll out 32-nanometer processors (down from today's 45nm chips) in 2009.
When is it coming? Intel has been very good about sticking to its road map. A six-core CPU based on the Itanium design should be out imminently, when Intel then shifts focus to a brand-new architecture called Nehalem, to be marketed as Core i7. Core i7 will feature up to eight cores, with eight-core systems available in 2009 or 2010. (And an eight-core AMD project called Montreal is reportedly on tap for 2009.)
After that, the timeline gets fuzzy. Intel reportedly canceled a 32-core project called Keifer, slated for 2010, possibly because of its complexity (the company won't confirm this, though). That many cores requires a new way of dealing with memory; apparently you can't have 32 brains pulling out of one central pool of RAM. But we still expect cores to proliferate when the kinks are ironed out: 16 cores by 2011 or 2012 is plausible (when transistors are predicted to drop again in size to 22nm), with 32 cores by 2013 or 2014 easily within reach. Intel says "hundreds" of cores may come even farther down the line.

Friday, 27 July 2012

VMware Partner Exchange 2012 conference coverage


VMware Partner Exchange 2012 will bring VMware channel partners together to learn about the company’s upcoming releases and how to build a business around its existing product line.When the first VMware Partner Exchange took place, in 2008, the company’s sole focus was server virtualization. VMware View was brand new, “cloud” was little more than a buzzword and the mobile enterprise revolved around BlackBerry. But today, VMware is heavily involved in desktop virtualizationcloud computing and the consumerization of IT. This expansion presents new opportunities for VMware channel partners, but also some challenges. With all these products and technologies, it can be hard to keep up.VMware channel partners will be looking for direction at VMware Partner Exchange 2012, which takes place Feb. 13-16 in Las Vegas, and we’re bringing you all the news from the show right here. Check back often for the latest updates on VMware technologies, products and channel programs.VMware SMB appeal still lags Microsoft, VARs sayDespite a reorganized sales force and additional channel incentives for partners, VMware still faces an uphill battle against Microsoft for the SMB market, say VARs at the VMware Partner Exchange conference. VARs want VMware to focus more effort on educating customers about VMware, as well as look at the pricing for SMB customers.VMware partners eye new channel incentivesVMware announced new solution competencies for VARs in specific areas. Some partners liked the program, as it would give them a competitive advantage over other partners. But smaller partners with limited resources will be forced to pick their battles.

Intel Tri-Gate 3D processor aims to beat the heat, boost performance

Infrastructure VARs excited about the speed improvements and energy savings of Intel’s latest processors have even more advancements to look forward to as the company moves to a three-dimensional processor design.The shift to a 3D processor (called Intel Tri-Gate) is necessary for future performance and efficiency gains. It has enormous implications for reducing the heat produced by systems and for compressing the amount of space that components need in the typical data center chassis, according to custom system builders.The technology isn’t likely to show up in client hardware for three to four years, but it will be a big deal earlier on for the server market. As data centers become more dense, many IT managers are struggling to balance performance gains with limitations in power distribution and cooling infrastructure. “How much equipment can be deployed is often not as limited by space as it is limited by power,” said Chuck Orcutt, product manager for Nexlink, the product line made by system builder Seneca Data Distributors Inc. in North Syracuse, N.Y. “In some cases, it comes down to the design of the board or the chassis; it is really important to design the exact correct solution for the client’s application.”
The Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 product portfolio (codenamed Sandy Bridge) rolled out earlier this month and is designed to increase server performance by up to 80%. It also improves energy efficiency by up to 50%, according the benchmarks Intel uses in its introduction materials. A major server refresh wave includes line updates from all the usual top-tier OEM suspects, which could be good news for technology providers that want to sell to customers that have been postponing refreshes.
Intel Tri-Gate (codenamed Ivy Bridge), the 3D processor line, will be at the center of the next wave of updates. A new 22-nanometer manufacturing process makes it all possible, and Intel is putting it in place throughout 2012. Intel will eventually use the design across its entire chip portfolio, from chips for tiny mobile gadgets up to those in high-end servers. The design moves electrons across three dimensions (instead of the two dimensions found in current chips) and enables them to operate at lower voltages without sacrificing performance, according to Intel.
“The reason for 3D from Intel’s standpoint is to keep Moore’s Law consistent,” said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies Inc., the Campbell, Calif.-based analyst firm. “From a pure consumer standpoint, at the processor level that means you can have much faster chips at a lower power draw.”
Charles Liang, chairman, CEO and president of Super Micro Computer Inc., a systems builder based in San Jose, Calif., said his organization anticipates an additional 30% to 50% improvement in server performance as a result of the Intel Tri-Gate 3D processor approach. At the same time, he expects that it will reduce power consumption by 30% to 40%.
“For sure, this will make IT more green,” he said. “For really high-performance systems, which includes lots of our architecture, this will be a way to better address the heat issues.”
About the expert
Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist in the New York City area with more than 20 years’ experience. Her articles have appeared in Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times. Clancy was previously editor at Computer Reseller News, a B2B trade publication covering news and trends about the high-tech channel.



Mobility rewrites the rules for POS system services

Mobile technology is rewriting the rules for point-of-sale system services. This is creating opportunities for solution providers with security, wireless and broad e-commerce skills.Tablet computers have accelerated adoption of open system point-of-sale (POS) solutions that integrate multiple transaction methods, including mobile and traditional fixed in-store sales terminals as well as e-commerce sites. This shift means systems are less tied to specific proprietary POS system hardware than in the past.one motivation is generational: Entrepreneurs are opting for systems that can "follow" clients and support better tableside service. Rather than adopting fixed POS system terminals, small-business owners that have grown up with PCs and the Web are opting for mobile computers that can run POS applications served up via an Internet connection, Stewart said."There is a paradigm shift happening in POS," said Jim Stewart, general manager for Advanced Data Systems, a POS system service provider in Midlothian, Ill. "The iPad has made a certain dent in our space."To amplify his point, sales of handheld POS system devices reached $1.1 billion in 2011 and are projected to hit $3.1 billion by 2018, according to a forecast from Winter Green Research.The shift toward mobile devices and other open system hardware has inspired Advanced Data Systems to shift toward a subscription-based model for the POS system services and software applications it represents, Stewart said.In addition, the solution provider increasingly is being called upon to create solutions that combine customer loyalty systems with social networks. "The line is blurring quite a bit with loyalty and credit-card integration and online ordering applications," Stewart said.
If you have security or wireless skills, the adoption of mobile solutions could help solution providers get their foot in the door of this vertical market, said Hillel Sackstein, president ofVirtual Graffiti Inc., a $30 million POS system services and solution provider in Irvine, Calif.
As retailers, restaurants and hospitality companies incorporate mobile devices into their POS workflow, more of them require security and wireless experts to bring discipline and better management to their network infrastructure, Sackstein said.
Case in point: Virtual Graffiti was tapped to help retailer Cathy Jean Shoes centralize its order and reporting process and then create a secure conduit for data to be shared among its 46 retail locations. It used a secure VPN tunnel and firewalls to comply with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards.
Retailers are motivated both by an interest in rolling out internal mobile applications, such as personal shopping solutions, and by an interest in encouraging store visitors to use their mobile devices to consider in-store promotions and other marketing offers.
Forrester Research Inc. reported in January 2012 that almost half of all tablet computer users are actually completing some sort of shopping transaction on their devices. A similar number of consumers use smartphones to research or search for information on products while they are in a store.
"Retailers have realized that every person is carrying around at least one wireless device that might be able to connect to their network, so their needs for this infrastructure have significantly increased," Sackstein said.
About the expert
Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist in the New York City area with more than 20 years’ experience. Her articles have appeared in Entrepreneur, Fortune Small Business, the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times. Clancy was previously editor at Computer Reseller News, a B2B trade publication covering news and trends about the high-tech channel.

Restaurant, hospitality and retail industries using mobile POS system services

Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Stun Gun iPhone Case

Stun Gun iPhone Case



Stun Gun iPhone Case







   


The Yellow Jacket iPhone case will protect more than your phone; it can also deliver 650,000 volts of electricity to an attacker.

Developed by Seth Froom and currently seeking funding on indiegogo, the Yellow Jacket stun gun case features a built in battery that can add an extra 20 hours of battery life. The battery also powers the zap of electricity, which is enough to bring down a grown man. The stun gun can be deployed with one hand and features a safety switch to prevent it from being deployed accidentally.






Sunday, 22 July 2012

private cloud orchestration



With a private cloud, IT managers can borrow technologies pioneered by public cloud providers and apply them to their own data center. These clouds have many moving parts -- virtualization management, chargeback systems, self-service provisioning -- hence the need for orchestration.Open source project OpenStack has gained considerable momentum offering a core set of cloud orchestration services. Eucalyptus is another alternative, offering essentially a private cloud implementation of Amazon Web Services.
It may be easy to be cynical about any technology attached to the term "cloud," but no one questions the benefits of pooling resources for greater economies of scale. Paradigm changes demand new ways of working -- and the emerging collection of cloud orchestration software supplies the means.

software-define network



Data center networks have grown calcified over time. While servers and storage have benefited from software abstractions, networks have remained hardware-bound and static, making them a major roadblock to cloud computing. Enter SDN (software-defined networking), which drapes a software layer over switch and router hardware to serve as both a centrally managed control plane and a platform for innovation.
SDN isn't network virtualization; rather it is a way to "program the network" -- that is, it allows cloud providers and ISVs to build new networking capabilities the rest of us can draw on. The leading example of SDN today is OpenFlow, the brainchild of university researchers who wanted to experiment with new network protocols on large production networks.