Recent Comments:
AMD says it'll detail its Atom-challenging plans in November {Engadget}
Jul 22nd 2008 11:52AM This is not exciting.
AMD should take on Atom and Larrabee (next-gen hybrid CPU / GPU, for Nehalem generation) with one chip. This chip would have 4 or 8 cores that would get the advantages of a shared cache.
AMD needs to choose a core that they already have running, so that this project can get to market fast. The Geodes (AMD Geode LX900 @600mhz) in the UMPCs and OLPCs are not that bad, and consume 2-5 watts -- including graphics and chipset. Only a watt or two of that is the core. AMD also was faster then Intel in the 486 and 586 generations.
Good:
If AMD put 4 of these Geode LX cores in a chip and gave them a shared L2 and graphics oriented SIMD instructions, they could match the Atom & 945gs pair. The low-cost Intel Atom with the 945-series chipset is drawing 14 watts (11+ watts are chipset). We will only know if this is a good chip when we know AMD's full platform power draw. This is the total of the chipset (with IDE, sata, pcix, usb, fan control, etc.)
Better:
Or go back further and use an in-order core like the AMD586. Add a vector unit that has SSE and new graphics instructions (remove the 80-bit floating point unit, trap and emulate). If 8 of these cores were to share a memory controller, L2-cache, and a branch prediction unit, the product would be really flexible.
When the chip is addressed as one full x86 core, the memory controller and branch prediction unit could be designed to use speculative execution to appear to be an super-scalar core (Atom competitor). If the processor hits a branch instruction, it issues the "taken" instruction stream to one CPU and the "not taken" instruction stream to the next CPU.
The branch predictor/L2 cache/memory controller would have to keep track of the writes by each core, and what instruction path the core was on. When the real path of the program is known the branch predictor/L2 cache/memory controller would discard the writes of the core that was down the wrong path, and commit the writes of the core that was on the taken path. With 8 cores you can be working on 8 states, or 3 binary branches out. I have no idea how complicated this is, but speculative execution is not a new idea.
The same chip addressed as 8 cores is a Larrabee competitor. In this mode the L2 acts as a normal shared L2. The memory controller also acts like a normal shared memory controller. The branch predictor may not be used at all, or may just be prefetching the instructions and data down the most likely path for each CPU.
Note:
Work on re-thinking the 486 and 586 cores for mobile devices is already a topic of papers.
http://www.cs.washington.edu/research/smt/memoryLogix.pdf
Kinesis makes its keyboards even more ergonomic with new accessories {Engadget}
Jul 21st 2008 3:31PM Why does it cost another $40 to get the 20 inch cable rather then the 8 inch cable?
Otherwise a good idea. But why not combine all that people want into one keyboard: quiet mechanical key switches along with ergonomics?
TSA's Millimeter scanners see through clothes, installed at 10 airports {Engadget}
Jun 6th 2008 7:31PM Small, small numbers of people have died for acts of terrorism, yet we spend huge amounts of money fighting terrorism. We also give up our freedom and privacy for this non-threat.
The point of terrorism appears to be to REPLACE THE COLD WAR. It keeps everyone afraid, and keeps letting our government officials spend our tax money on overpriced equipment from their corporate friends.
Sad truth.
P.S. I would tell you all the things that regularly slip through the checkpoints, but I do not want to get in trouble. The TSA are totally incompetent, and that is proof that we do not need the TSA.
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The TSA is just genuflection to the police state. It is a physical reminder that we are meant to be afraid.
HDD Stage Rack evolves again: now holds twice the hard drives {Engadget}
Jun 6th 2008 12:31PM Get two single drive units for $40.
VANTEC NexStar NST-D100SU Plastic 2.5" or 3.5" USB 2.0 & eSATA Hard Drive Dock
It may not be as cool as two slots in one block, but it is cheaper and flexible.
Mitsubishi (and the world) sue Vizio over MPEG-2 patents {Engadget}
Jun 5th 2008 3:12PM Intellectual property has gone crazy since the mid-90's. We need to reduce IP protection for the benefit of consumers and small and competitive businesses.
Microsoft's Device Manners Policy patent enforces "no-talking zones" and more {Engadget}
Jun 5th 2008 11:55AM I believe that being able to record and photo is part of having a free society (as in freedom). What keeps THE POLICE (not the band) from using a transmitter like this to make sure that people don't see the next time they beat down some kid?
Rodney King (for people over 25)
&
Don't tase me bro! (for people under)
They would have had no traction with out the recordings
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For all you people who think that the masses will not tolerate this, YOU ARE WRONG!
I didn't think that people who tolerate the DVD forcing them to watch and not watch parts of the disk -- but they just get used to having their belongings command them to do things.
People will just get used to anything, if you give them time and no alternative.
LG, AU Optronics said to be prepping 17.3-inch 16:9 LCD panels {Engadget}
Jun 4th 2008 1:37PM 16:10 is better then 16:9 because you can have the on screen controls at the top or bottom without covering any of the movie.
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The shorter the screen, the more scrolling needed. The switch from 4:3 to 16:10 was fine, but we don't want a shorter screen.
ECS' G10IL steps forward at Computex {Engadget}
Jun 4th 2008 12:42PM The screen hinges and the wedge shape look familiar. Looks like the Dell XPS m1330 or XPS m1530 -- only 10 inches and all-white.
Eee PC-like ultraportables - name that product category {Engadget}
May 31st 2008 5:07AM LMIDs:
Laptop/Low-cost Mobile Internet Devices
This acknowledges the fact that many/most of these devices are available with Linux pre-installed. It also is appropriate because the devices are using the same class of processors (Atom/C7/Geode) as the MID-classed devices. The device is also used as a network terminal, just like the MID class.
I like LMIDs -- best name yet. It is informative, simple, and distinct.
I have another idea for a name, but it is not positive (not good for marketing).
-- drum roll -->
CMPCs:
Compromise Mobile PC
They are not usable as a full-time laptop by most, and are not the walk-and-talk form of UMPC. Their features are also often a compromise against the desired price and size.
Asus spills more details on the 9-inch Eee {Engadget}
Mar 9th 2008 9:44PM The Eee can get cheaper w/o going to VIA chips. I bet ASUS is taking a chunk of profit at these prices. While the build quality is OK, the parts are cheap and the screens are low- resolution and about 93 candela per meter squared (a good laptop screen is 200-350 these days).
I bet the price will drop when the NoahPad and CloudBook are out with larger hard disks and cool features.
