Intel's 80-core musclechip (and TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE)

14 February 2007

Intel's 80-core musclechip (and TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE)Computerworld, MA - Feb 12, 2007
Faster than a speeding IT Blogwatch: in which Intel crows about its new 80-core CPU prototype. Not to mention a new Boolean constant...

Ben Ames reports:
Following their march from standard processors to dual-core and quad-core designs in 2006, Intel Corp. researchers have built an 80-core chip that performs more than a trillion floating-point operations per second (TFLOPS) while using less electricity than a modern desktop PC chip ... 80 cores [on] a 275-square-millimeter, fingernail-size chip ... Intel ... [is] using the chip to explore new forms of tera-scale computing, in which future users could process terabytes of data on their desktops to perform real-time speech recognition, conduct multimedia data mining, play photorealistic games and interact with artificial intelligence.

Intel Prototype May Herald a New Age of ProcessingNew York Times, NY - Feb 12, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11 — Intel will demonstrate on Monday an experimental computer chip with 80 separate processing engines, or cores, that company executives say provides a model for commercial chips that will be used widely in standard desktop, laptop and server computers within five years.


AMD licenses graphics technology for mobile devicesInfoWorld, CA - 20 hours ago

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday made its graphics technology available for licensing by handheld device makers, and announced plans to step up its development of graphics technology for mobile applications.

AMD Launches Three Chips For Mobile DevicesInformationWeek, NY - Feb 12, 2007

Advanced Micro Devices on Monday unveiled three microprocessors for mobile devices focused on video, audio, and high-resolution photos.
The AMD Imageon 2298, 2294, and 2192 media processors can support camera functions up to 12 megapixels, and DVD-quality video playback and recording, the Sunnyvale, Calif., chipmaker said. The chips also support TV output, video telephony, and other functions.

Microsoft, Novell Detail Their Linux-Windows RoadmapInformationWeek, NY - 13 February 2007

Three months after they first announced their intention to jointly develop enterprise solutions that combine Windows and Linux, Microsoft and Novell released details about specific projects they plan to tackle.

The companies said they will focus their joint efforts on building more efficient, cost-effective products for facilitating server virtualization, Web services implementations, directory and identity interoperability, and document format compatibility
Microsoft/Novell to allow reciprocal virtualizationInfoWorld, CA - 13 February 2007

The latest from the MS/Novell deal is that Windows Server will allow SUSE Linux to run virtualized. More importantly, Microsoft will allow SUSE to host Windows as a paravirtualized guest on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, using the Xen virtualization technology embedded in the Linux operating system.

One interesting fact is that Microsoft licensing terms forbid Vista to be run in virtual instances. I wonder if they will allow it run under SUSE now that this deal has been struck?

Google, Vodafone to develop mapsBusinessWeek - Feb 12, 2007.

Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile phone network operator, said Monday it agreed with Google to develop maps for mobile telephones.

The company said it will, in conjunction with Google Maps, provide easy-to-use maps and local listings, as well as local search and navigation capabilities.


Google, Vodafone Agree to Develop MapsForbes, NY - Feb 12, 2007
Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile phone network operator, said Monday it agreed with Internet search leader Google Inc. to develop maps for mobile telephones.

Vodafone (nyse: VOD - news - people ) said it will, in conjunction with Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) Maps, provide easy-to-use maps, local listings and search and navigation capabilities.