Archive for September, 2009
Will Intel and USB make fiber optics mainstream?
September 28th, 2009 | 
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Intel’s Light Peak technology uses lasers and fiber optics to transfer data to and from PCs and other devices.
(Credit: Intel)
SAN FRANCISCO–You’ve probably heard about fiber optics for years–some kind of exotic technology used to carry gargantuan quantities of data across continents. But in the not-too-distant future, you might be plugging these tiny glass strands straight into your computer.
That’s if Intel gets its way. At its Intel Developer Forum last week, the chipmaker demonstrated fiber-optic technology called Light Peak for connecting many devices to PCs with fiber optic lines. Intel secured major Light Peak endorsement from Sony and now it’s has begun trying to make it into an industry standard.
But bringing optical technology to the masses will require more than Intel Chief Technology Officer Justin Rattner taking the stage to connect a thin white Light Peak cable into the back of a prototype PC. According to sources familiar with the situation, the most likely mechanism to carry Light Peak out of the R&D lab to the edge of your laptop will be the venerable Universal Serial Bus, and Intel has begun pounding the pavement to try to make that happen.
“Now all the pieces are in place,” Rattner said. “We need to get a standard established to turn on the entire ecosystem to Light Peak.”
Even technophobes are familiar with USB. The plug-and-play technology started its journey in PCs and has spread to handsets, consumer electronics devices, digital cameras, and more. And new developments from the group behind the standard, the USB Implementers Forum, could expand adoption more, with a new faster, more power-efficient version and with technology to make it better for charging devices plugged into a computer or power outlet.
The new “SuperSpeed” USB 3.0 has 5 gigabit-per-second data transfer rate, more than 10 times that of the USB 2.0 version that prevails today, and the first USB 3.0 device achieved certification last week. A separate new USB feature increases the amount of power that USB devices can use from 0.5 amps to 0.9 amps while adding another 1.5 amps specifically for charging batteries, making USB for tasks besides just transferring data.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10362246-264.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Posted in Intel, Tech | 
Tags: Fiber Optics, Intel, Light Peak, SuperSpeed, USB 3.0 | 
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Is N. Arizona the new Napa?
When you think fine wine, what comes to mind?
Napa Valley in California, or maybe somewhere in France. Well, now there’s a growing movement to make high end wines right here in Arizona.
The frontman for the movement is very familiar to many as a leader of a very different kind of group.
Maynard James Keenan is the lead singer of the rock band “Tool”. But there is another side of Keenan that’s 180-degrees different than his rock and roll persona.
Keenan is on a mission to have Northern Arizona recognized as wine country.
FOX 10’s John Hook has more.
“Only On Fox – Extra”
Some wonder whether the movement to make fine wines in the Arizona Desert is catching on?
According to Keenan, Yavapai Community College is now offering courses in viticulture and oenology, which is the science of wine making.
If you would like to know more about Keenan’s winery and tasting room.
You can visit his websites:
Caduceus Cellars
https://vino.caduceus.org/
Merkin Vineyards
http://www.caduceus.org/
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/video/video/oof_tool_winery_092409
Posted in wine |
Tags: Caduceus Cellars, Maynard James Keenan, Merkin Vineyards, wine |
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Intel’s Moblin 2.1 to compete with Windows
Could Intel’s new Moblin 2.1 OS make a dent against Windows in the mobile and desktop markets?
At this week’s Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, the chipmaker debuted a beta version of its Moblin 2.1 open-source operating system targeted to run on a variety of devices, including smartphones, Netbooks, nettops, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), and in-car systems.
Moblin 2.1 will compete with other open-source operating systems like Google’s Android and bump up against Microsoft in the burgeoning nettop arena.
Originally developed for Netbooks, Moblin 2.1 (short for mobile Linux) will come in three flavors–one for handhelds, another for Netbooks, and a third for nettops.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10361563-1.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Posted in Intel, Microsoft, Windows, Windows Mobile |
Tags: Intel, Microsoft, MIDa, mobile, Moblin 2.1, Windows |
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Global broadband connections on the rise
One in five households worldwide will be wired up to the Internet by year’s end, according to new estimates from Gartner.
The number of households with fixed broadband connections is expected to reach 422 million across the globe this year, a jump of 10.5 percent over 382 million in 2008, the analyst firm said Friday. This number will further swell to an estimated 580 million by 2013.
Over the next four years, global broadband services revenue will also help offset declining voice revenue and account for 40 percent of the consumer fixed voice, Internet, and broadband services market worldwide, which is estimated to be worth $347 billion.
At the end of 2008, 21 countries had broadband connections in at least 50 percent of homes, Gartner reported. The disparity in broadband adoption was significant in Asia, where the region was home to both the world’s highest penetration of 86 percent in South Korea and the lowest at 1 percent in Indonesia.
Asian households, according to Gartner, will remain among the world’s most connected over the next four years. Broadband penetration for South Korea is forecast to reach 93 percent in 2013, while Hong Kong and Singapore will see 80 percent and 78 percent, respectively, of their households wired up to the Web.
Outside of the region, the Netherlands, Canada, and Denmark are expected to boast high broadband penetration rates of 88 percent, 81 percent and 78 percent, respectively.
In terms of growth, however, Brazil, Russia, India, and China will account for nearly half, or 47 percent, of the increase in consumer broadband connections over the next several years, Gartner said. China, alone, is expected to contribute 31 percent toward the total worldwide increase.
According to Gartner, fiber-based services will grow steadily over the next few years, with FTTH (fiber-to-the-home), FTTP (fiber-to-the-premises) and Ethernet connections accounting for about 20 percent of the global consumer broadband market by 2013.
Much of the growth will take place in developed markets such as Japan, South Korea and the United States. An exception to this is China, which is expected to account for the most number of new FTTH/FTTP/Ethernet connections, Gartner noted.
DSL connections, on the other hand, will remain the major contributor to worldwide household broadband connections. Traditional DSL access is expected to drop a few percentage points to just under 60 percent of all connections by 2013. DSL connections will see a 98 million increase within four years, led mostly by growth in emerging markets, according to Gartner.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10361744-94.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Posted in broadband, Communication, Internet |
Tags: broadband, communications, Internet |
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Twitter confirms new round of funding
Yes, Twitter’s mega-cash infusion is real. CEO Evan Williams confirmed on the company blog Friday that Twitter has raised a new round of investment from Insight Venture Partners, T. Rowe Price, and existing investors Institutional Venture Partners, Spark Capital and Benchmark Capital.
Williams says it’s “a significant round.” He didn’t say just how close it was to the roughly $100 million that the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Nor did he say whether this values Twitter at $1 billion.
“It was important to us that we find investment partners who share our vision for building a company of enduring value,” Williams wrote in the blog post. “Twitter’s journey has just begun and we are committed to building the best product, technology, and company possible. I’m proud of the team we’ve built so far and I’m confident in the future we’ll build together.”
Before the end of the year, Twitter is expected to start rolling out paid corporate accounts to businesses who see use the service for marketing, promotion, and customer service.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10361763-36.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
