Agam Shah
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Nvidia’s new Pascal GPUs can give smart answers
Autonomous cars need a new kind of horsepower to identify objects, avoid obstacles and change lanes. There's a good chance that will come from graphics processors in data centers or even the trunks of cars.With this scenario in mind, Nvidia has built two new GPUs -- the Tesla P4 and P40 -- based on the Pascal architecture and designed for servers or computers that will help drive autonomous cars. In recent years, Tesla GPUs have been targeted at supercomputing, but they are now being tweaked for deep-learning systems that aid in correlation and classification of data."Deep learning" typically refers to a class of algorithmic techniques based on highly connected neural networks -- systems of nodes with weighted interconnections among them.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Faster, longer-range Bluetooth 5 to reach devices soon
A new version of the Bluetooth wireless spec will be coming to devices soon, giving users faster connectivity among devices over longer distances.The new version, Bluetooth 5, is a big upgrade over Bluetooth 4.2, the current specification. In a clear line of sight, the range of Bluetooth 5 could stretch to 400 meters, said analysts at The Linley Group in a research note this week. That means users could connect a smartphone to a Bluetooth speaker that may not even be visible.Final Bluetooth 5 specifications will be disclosed by the end of this year or early next year, the Linley analysts said.In a typical, realistic setting, Bluetooth 5 will offer a range of up to 120 meters, which is four times that of Bluetooth 4.2, and be two times faster, with data transfer rates of 2Mbps, said Chuck Sabin, director for business strategy at the Bluetooth-Special Interest Group, which sets the standards for Bluetooth.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Faster, longer-range Bluetooth 5 to reach devices soon
A new version of the Bluetooth wireless spec will be coming to devices soon, giving users faster connectivity among devices over longer distances.The new version, Bluetooth 5, is a big upgrade over Bluetooth 4.2, the current specification. In a clear line of sight, the range of Bluetooth 5 could stretch to 400 meters, said analysts at The Linley Group in a research note this week. That means users could connect a smartphone to a Bluetooth speaker that may not even be visible.Final Bluetooth 5 specifications will be disclosed by the end of this year or early next year, the Linley analysts said.In a typical, realistic setting, Bluetooth 5 will offer a range of up to 120 meters, which is four times that of Bluetooth 4.2, and be two times faster, with data transfer rates of 2Mbps, said Chuck Sabin, director for business strategy at the Bluetooth-Special Interest Group, which sets the standards for Bluetooth.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Intel’s siloed business units unify around IoT and connectivity
Intel has many disparate business units doing their own thing. The challenging task of tethering them is a top priority for Intel's second-in-command, Venkata Renduchintala.Renduchintala, known as Murthy, was appointed last November to run Intel's PC, client, and internet of things businesses. He's made his presence felt: Within six months of his appointment, Intel cut struggling products like mobile CPUs and sharpened its focus on growth areas of IoT, servers, and connectivity.One common thread in all the areas of growth is connectivity, with modems and wireless products now as important to Intel as its CPUs. Intel needed a serious kick in its modem development efforts, which is why CEO Brian Krzanich poached Renduchintala from Qualcomm, a bitter Intel rival, where he was in charge of connectivity offerings. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Intel may make chips specially for mixed reality headsets
Intel believes untethered headsets could be a new class of PCs in the future, and the company may develop chips dedicated to those devices.The chipmaker previewed its virtual and augmented reality plans last month with Project Alloy, a Microsoft HoloLens-type headset that can mix images from real and virtual worlds. Project Alloy will be available for PC makers to replicate, but Intel may also see a market for mixed reality headset chips.Project Alloy is a prototype headset running on Microsoft's Windows Holographic platform, and it could support other VR and AR platforms in the future.The Alloy design and specifications will be open-sourced early next year. PC makers have expressed interest in making headsets based on the design.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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IBM’s new Power8 server packs in Nvidia’s speedy NVLink interconnect
IBM is making headlines with its quantum computing research and brain-like chip called TrueNorth, but it also is bringing interesting technologies to its current Power server lineup.Inside IBM's new S822LC server for high-performance computing is a new interconnect that gives a five-fold speed boost to communication between a CPU and graphics processor.The interconnect is based on Nvidia's homegrown NVLink technology, which has been in the works for years. IBM's two-socket server, which is based on Power8 CPUs, is among the first available with the interconnect.NVLink is essentially an upgrade to PCI-Express 3.0, which has been used for communication between a GPU and other components in a system.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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The new Dell Technologies: 6 things you need to know
Dell and EMC have completed their US$67 billion merger to create Dell Technologies, the world's largest privately held technology company. It's a historic day, far from the PC company that sponsored the "Dude, I've bought a Dell" campaign.The new company will sell PCs, servers, storage, networking and software products. It has an impressive list of assets including Dell's PC and servers, EMC storage, VMWare, RSA, Wyse, Force10, and the Pivotal software and Boomi cloud services.Work has started for the autonomous units to work in unison, but there are also new priorities for the company. Here's what you need to know.Dell Technologies is thinking like Alphabet/Google Dell Technologies will be a mix of independent units tethered to each other. That's similar to Alphabet, which has a bunch of independent units led by Google working closely with each other. The Dell Technologies units will continue to function independently, but also work together to offer integrated products like hyperconverged systems that mix Dell's servers, EMC's storage, VMWare virtualization, and private-public cloud assets.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Microsoft’s new kit makes gadget development with Raspberry Pi easier
If developing a cool gadget using the Raspberry Pi 3 seems like an insurmountable challenge, Microsoft's got your back.Microsoft's IoT Grove Kit has the ingredients needed to make the development of gadgets with Raspberry Pi boards much easier. The kit is a small collection of must-have components and connectors commonly used in making smart devices, drones, or robots.It doesn't come with the Raspberry Pi 3 board, which can be acquired separately for US$35.The kit is listed for $154.99 on the websites of online retailer Digi-Key and Seeed Studios, with which Microsoft co-developed the product. A shipment date wasn't immediately available.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Dell believes VR will be as important as gaming to PCs
Twenty years ago, Frank Azor and three other Alienware founders built and sold their first gaming PCs. Gaming was a niche market at the time, but two decades later, it's booming.Virtual reality occupies a similar space as gaming for Azor, who is general manager for Alienware and XPS products at Dell. For him, VR is the future of PCs and will be as hot as gaming. Though full of promise, VR is still raw, however.VR is important for Dell, but Azor doesn't want to rush in and then regret it. He's taking a measured approach to evaluating VR because problems with headsets and user experiences have yet to be resolved."There's so much to learn still. We don't want to be haphazard about jumping in and doing something careless and making some mistake," Azor said.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Take a look at the cool 2-in-1s and laptops from IFA
See the cool laptops and 2-in-1s introduced at IFAAn impressive array of 2-and-1s and laptops were shown at this year's IFA show in Berlin. A common thread was innovation; devices with boom-or-bust features stood out. Sleeker laptops and 2-in-1s used Intel's latest Kaby Lake chips, which were launched just ahead of the show. Feast your eyes on our selection of IFA's best PCs.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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HP’s Elite Slice mini-PC stacks up features with snap-on modules
Building a tricked-out PC from scratch can be a satisfying experience. But it's not for everyone, which is why we have modular desktops like HP's new Elite Slice.The Elite Slice is a mini-PC that lets users add features just by snapping external modules onto the main box. No more unscrewing the chassis just to add a component.The modules stack up underneath the base unit. A proprietary connector based on the USB 3.1 protocol binds the PC with the modules.Snapping modules onto the Elite Slice is as easy as joining two Lego parts. For HP, the modular desktop eases PC customization and reduces cable clutter.The Elite Slice is targeted at business users who wants a desktop that's stylish. The mini-PC is priced starting at $699 and will ship this month. Audio, optical-drive and VESA mounting-plate modules will be sold separately for between $35 and $110.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Lenovo will ditch hard keyboards in planned Chromebook and 2-in-1s
Lenovo's new Yoga Book will be a sleek folding laptop with stunning secrets inside.Opening up the device reveals a big surprise: It has no hard keyboard. The keyboard area instead has a versatile touch panel that turns into a smartphone-like virtual keyboard, a draw pad, or a digital notepad.The new touch input panel, which has a back-lit virtual keyboard, is a big deal for Lenovo. It will be featured in a new line of 2-and-1s and laptops and is Lenovo's ambitious attempt to break a decades-old habit of using one-dimensional hard keyboards.The Yoga Book will be the company's first product with a touch panel replacing a hard keyboard to type, draw, or take notes. Its price will start at US$499, and come with Windows or Android. Lenovo hasn't provided a shipment date for the device.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Asus may be planning Microsoft HoloLens competitor in its VR push
Virtual reality headsets are considered the hot new PC devices, and Asus is planning to stake a claim of its own. Asus on Wednesday said it intends to release VR headsets. VR headsets can be versatile 3D PCs that make 2D laptops and desktops look pale in comparison, Asus said at the IFA trade show in Berlin. "Asus has a few VR options coming up really soon. Once that happens, you will be free from devices and immersed in 360 degrees of pure entertainment that will blow you away," said Jen Chuang, Asus' design center director. Asus didn't provide further details, but the company seems to want to focus on untethered VR headsets, or perhaps even mixed-reality headsets like Microsoft's HoloLens. It could tap into a few technologies to do so.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Acer’s new Chromebook is designed to welcome Android apps
Acer's versatile Chromebook R 13 is one good device to run Android apps because it can function as a laptop or tablet.The 2-in-1 has a rotating 13-inch full HD screen that gives it dual functionality. The touchscreen gives it a mobile-like interface to run Android apps.The device has Chrome OS, but Google is making it possible to run Android apps from Google Play store on newer Chromebooks. Acer will add Android app support to the new Chromebook, the company said.Android app support adds to the versatility of Chromebooks, which are popular as cheap and low-cost laptops. The shipments of 2-in-1s are growing, and Chrome OS is better suited for those devices than Android.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Intel’s new Kaby Lake chips for PC: Here’s the company’s vision
New chips can be a reason to upgrade PCs. But does Intel's latest 7th Generation Core chip, code-named Kaby Lake, have enough bite to trigger replacements of old PCs?Intel hopes so. The company is framing Kaby Lake PCs as go-to devices for productivity, virtual reality, and 4K gaming and video.So far, Kaby Lake is off to a good start. About 100 laptops, 2-in-1s, and tablets with Kaby Lake installed will be available from PC makers by the end of this year.On paper, Kaby Lake's launch comes at an inopportune time. PC shipments are slumping, the replacement cycle has slowed to six years, and consumers are instead using smartphones and phablets for computing. Many older PCs are powerful enough to run Windows 10.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Microsoft’s new Catapult v2 server design is targeted at AI
For years, Microsoft has been delivering speedy and accurate Bing results with experimental servers called Project Catapult, which have now received an architectural upgrade.The Catapult servers use reprogrammable chips called FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), which are central to delivering better Bing results. FPGAs can quickly score, filter, rank, and measure the relevancy of text and image queries on Bing.Microsoft has now redesigned the original Catapult server, which is used to investigate the role of FPGAs in speeding up servers. The proposed Catapult v2 design is more flexible in circumventing traditional data-center structures for machine learning and expands the role of FPGAs as accelerators.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Intel spreads 3D NAND to inexpensive consumer and enterprise SSDs
Intel is expanding its lineup of SSDs with its 3D NAND chips with more affordable consumer and enterprise drives.The 3D NAND chips have a structure that makes SSDs durable and fast but was only available in a handful of drives. The new SSDs support the NVMe protocol, which offers faster throughput than the SATA controller originally designed for hard drives.The new SSDs include entry-level consumer drives starting under US$100. Gamers may want to wait, however, until Intel releases its crazy-fast Optane SSDs, which the chip maker claims will be up to 10 times faster than regular SSDs.The consumer SSD 600p series for PCs starts at $69 for a 128GB drive and ranges to $359 for a 1TB drive.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Intel spreads 3D NAND to inexpensive consumer and enterprise SSDs
Intel is expanding its lineup of SSDs with its 3D NAND chips with more affordable consumer and enterprise drives.The 3D NAND chips have a structure that makes SSDs durable and fast but was only available in a handful of drives. The new SSDs support the NVMe protocol, which offers faster throughput than the SATA controller originally designed for hard drives.The new SSDs include entry-level consumer drives starting under US$100. Gamers may want to wait, however, until Intel releases its crazy-fast Optane SSDs, which the chip maker claims will be up to 10 times faster than regular SSDs.The consumer SSD 600p series for PCs starts at $69 for a 128GB drive and ranges to $359 for a 1TB drive.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Inside AMD’s development of the Zen CPU
AMD knew it needed to make radical changes in its Zen CPU chip to become a force in the PC and server markets again.So when the chip designers sat down four years ago to etch out the Zen design, they had two things in mind: to drive up CPU performance as much as possible and to keep power efficiency stable.The company ultimately settled for a 40 percent improvement in Zen over its predecessor, Excavator."We had a hard time convincing the team we were going for 40 percent," said Mike Clark, a senior fellow at AMD. "It was a very aggressive goal, and we knew we had to do it to be competitive."AMD first promoted the 40 percent CPU improvement goal when it introduced Zen in 2015 during an overhaul of its chip roadmap. The company recently demonstrated chips to prove it has achieved the goal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Inside AMD’s development of the Zen CPU
AMD knew it needed to make radical changes in its Zen CPU chip to become a force in the PC and server markets again.So when the chip designers sat down four years ago to etch out the Zen design, they had two things in mind: to drive up CPU performance as much as possible and to keep power efficiency stable.The company ultimately settled for a 40 percent improvement in Zen over its predecessor, Excavator."We had a hard time convincing the team we were going for 40 percent," said Mike Clark, a senior fellow at AMD. "It was a very aggressive goal, and we knew we had to do it to be competitive."AMD first promoted the 40 percent CPU improvement goal when it introduced Zen in 2015 during an overhaul of its chip roadmap. The company recently demonstrated chips to prove it has achieved the goal.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here