Energy-aware Internet routing coming soon
August 18th, 2009 | 
Author: Researchers have come up with a new way to route Internet traffic that could save big Internet companies like Google millions on their electricity bills, according to an article published by MIT’s Technology Review.
Researchers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon University and the networking company Akamai recently published results from a study that suggest big Internet companies could save up to 40 percent on their electricity bills by using an algorithm to send Internet traffic to data centers where electricity is less expensive.
Data centers consume a lot of energy, which costs operators like Google and Amazon millions of dollars to run each year. And now as more digital information is “virtualized” and accessed in the cloud, centralized data centers are getting even bigger and are consuming even more energy.
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CNETNews Energy-aware Internet routing coming soon http://bit.ly/4wlbfr
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Sony Announces PlayStation 3 $100 Price Cuts
Well, it’s official. After months of speculation, and persistent denials, Sony has revealed that starting tomorrow the 80GB PlayStation 3 will be available for the low, low price of $299, and the 160GB model will now be $399.
Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai made the announcement during Sony’s GamesCom 2009 press conference, during which Hirai also revealed that that the long rumored and highly anticipated PS3 Slim will also be available for $299 starting the first week of September.
Both announcements are fantastic, and for many gamers out there who have been wanting to pick up a PS3, but weren’t able to commit to the $399 price tag, this news could not be more welcomed. Once again though, the price cut and the PS3 Slim were both totally expected, and having them “officially announced” was really just a formality. Still, it’s good to hear. Then again, I’m not entirely sure why anyone would throw down $299 for an 80GB PS3 when the 120GB PS3 Slim is coming in a few weeks for the exact same price.
While it’s fun to speculate about such things as consumer motivations, I can’t help but wonder what else Sony is up to with this whole price cut business. Sure, it was a necessary business move, but it also seems to suggest a much sharper strategy, especially when considered against the backdrop of Sony’s new iPhone-ish application store. Sony has clearly noticed the skyrocketing popularity of casual gaming, which owes a great deal of thanks to the $1 to $5 model that has made Apple’s iPhone/iPod Touch such a successful mobile gaming platform.
Perhaps Sony believes these new “bite-sized” games will be just the thing to make up the difference caused by shaving off $100 from the PS3. And these are just the games we’re talking about. This doesn’t even take into account the cash Sony will rake in via micro-transactions on the PlayStation Network, thanks to the introduction of new dynamic themes and premium avatars, both of which will be added in the recently announced firmware 3.0 update.
Sony started out this console generation as the big, black behemoth that was a bit overpriced for most gamers. Now though, with the new app store, the new price cut and, especially, with the Slim version, Sony has repositioned the PS3 as a much more consumer friendly, gamer loving console. And there was much rejoicing.
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TheFeed Sony Announces PlayStation 3 $100 Price Cuts http://tinyurl.com/px2cgc
PlayStation 3 Slim Not Backwards Compatible With PlayStation 2 Games
Given that Sony didn’t make a note of it at its GamesCom press conference, most assumed the impending slimmer version of the PlayStation 3 would not have backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 games. In the official press release announcing the new hardware, this suspicion has been confirmed: there is no compatibility.
“Note: This product is not compatible with PlayStation 2 games,” reads the release.
Does this influence your thinking about the new model at all?
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TheFeed PlayStation 3 Slim Not Backwards Compatible With PlayStation 2 Games http://tinyurl.com/ktvfme
Amazon Shows Off PlayStation 3 Slim, Offers It Up For Pre-Order
Out of curiousity, I went to Amazon.com to see if the PlayStation 3 price cuts were in effect (they are). I was surprised to find numerous shots of the PS3 Slim, which is available for pre-order through the site. Some of the shots are different from the official photos sent out by Sony. Check ’em out after the break!
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TheFeed Amazon Shows Off PlayStation 3 Slim, Offers It Up For Pre-Order http://tinyurl.com/okx4qp
Last chance to get legal, free Windows 7
While Microsoft’s Windows 7 will go on sale in just about two months, there is still a little time to get a free copy of the operating system.
Well, at least a free test copy of Windows 7, anyway. Users have until Thursday to download the “release candidate” version of the software–the final test version of the operating system. It’s a good option for those who have a spare machine to try out the software or for Mac users looking to experiment with running Windows either in virtualization software or via Boot Camp.
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