CloudComputing
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Pentagon puts $10 billion contract on hold after Trump criticizes Amazon
The Pentagon has temporarily halted its $10 billion cloud-computing competition after President Trump suggested that the bid might be rigged in favor of Amazon. The process will now be reviewed by new Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and a spokesperson said that "no decision will be made on the program until he has completed his examination."
Microsoft’s deep sea data center is now operational
Data centers are hot, noisy and usually inefficiently located. Microsoft's solution? Put them at the bottom of the sea. Following initial prototype testing, the company's years-long Project Natick is finally delivering Microsoft's vision of sustainable, prepackaged and rapidly deployed data centers that operate from the seafloor. Yep. Underwater.
Watch Microsoft's Build day one keynote in under 15 minutes
If you were hoping to hear about the future of Windows at today's Microsoft Build keynote, well, we have some bad news. CEO Satya Nadella and a large cast of Microsoft spokespeople spend much of their time talking about the massive cloud computing power in Azure, which powers the company's AI and machine learning efforts. Of course, there were plenty of interesting tidbits -- like how the Kinect is being repurposed to help with development in both AI and machine learning. And there were a few consumer-focused announcements, as well -- if you've ever wanted to get your Android text messages on a Windows PC, you're in luck. Microsoft will have plenty more announcements tomorrow, but for now, check out what the company showed off on Build 2018, day one. Click here to catch up on the latest news from Microsoft Build 2018!
Shadow virtualizes a high-end gaming PC on your desktop clunker
In the early days of computing, local storage and processing weren't actually a thing. Instead, your individual computer acted as a terminal, pulling data from a central processing server. Well, the French startup Blade likes it that way and has released a similar system but with a 21st-century twist. Its cloud-computing system, dubbed Shadow, can impart the performance of a $2,000 high-end gaming rig onto any internet-connected device with a screen. And now the company is bringing Shadow to California.
Microsoft plans a 75 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030
Microsoft has pledged to slash its carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030, against a 2013 baseline. By pushing its carbon neutrality plans and renewable energy commitments, the target puts the company on track to meet the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement, and of course puts a big tick in its corporate social responsibility box.
Microsoft has a plan to beat Chromebooks at their own game
Microsoft is holding an education-focused event on May 2nd, and speculation has indicated that we might see Windows 10 Cloud for the first time. The software is pegged as a low-resource platform that could compete with Google's Chrome OS, which has been making big inroads in EDU markets recently. The latest indication of Microsoft's plan to take Chromebooks on comes from Windows Central, which published a leaked spec sheet showing Windows 10 Cloud minimum specs and performance requirements as compared to Chromebooks.
Microsoft figured out how cloud servers can swap encrypted data
A team at Microsoft Research has figured out a way to share encrypted information stored in the cloud without compromising security. The example the outfit gives is as follows:
IBM's layoffs may include up to 25 percent of its hardware group
IBM recently sold its x86 server business to Lenovo, and that unfortunately has consequences for the company's workers. The computing pioneer has confirmed to CNET that it's cutting jobs as it concentrates its efforts on "cloud, analytics and cognitive computing." While IBM isn't revealing the scale of the layoffs, a source tells CNET that they include as much as 25 percent of the Systems and Technology division that produces servers. It's a sad day for those affected by the cuts, but there is a silver lining here. Spokesperson Doug Shelton notes that IBM's rapidly growing cloud computing and Watson outfits are creating additional jobs of their own -- one door is opening as another closes.
Rumor: Microsoft plays with cloud-based gaming, demos Halo 4 on a PC
Microsoft company officials demonstrated a prototype cloud streaming service for games during an internal meeting this week, The Verge reports. Unnamed sources who are close to the event confirmed that officials had a streamed version of Halo 4 up and running on Windows PCs and even a Windows Phone (including Xbox 360 controller support via an attached peripheral). The demonstration reportedly ran smoothly, with latency on a Lumia 520 phone dipping as low as 45ms. Sony purchased Gaikai earlier this year in a bid to establish a streaming service for the PlayStation 4. Microsoft previously announced that it would use cloud computing to leverage additional processing power for games like TitanFall, but has not confirmed plans for a cloud-based streaming service.
A look at apps with waiting lists
The way we look at new app launches is changing thanks to the cloud. Rather than a full-scale launch that invites everyone to download and try an app, developers are rolling out their apps slowly, opting for a waiting list that meters access to a service. Several high profile apps recently used this new wait list paradigm and The Verge chatted with them about their experience. The conversation focuses on the challenges of storing data remotely and dealing with the unexpected outliers who push a service beyond its tested limits. "Two hundred and fifty [beta testers] is a decent data set, but when you increase that several orders of magnitude you find edge cases," said Mailbox CEO Gentry Underwood. Underwood notes that Mailbox was not prepared for that one user who tried to transfer 40,000 messages into the service on launch day and caused the Mailbox servers to almost buckle under the load. You can read additional commentary from Loom CEO Jan Senderek and Jonathan Benassaya, CEO of Stream Nation in The Verge article.
Deutsche Borse to open Cloud Exchange, treat computing as a commodity
Bitcoin fans are familiar with using cloud computing to generate a commodity -- but what would happen if cloud computing was the commodity? The Deutsche Börse should find out when it opens its newly-unveiled Cloud Exchange in the first quarter of 2014. The independent market will let organizations buy remote computing and storage in respective 8GB and 1TB blocks, with traders agreeing on when and where the number crunching takes place. Theoretically, this creates a neutral, competitive space for exchanging server power: buyers can easily spot the best value, while sellers can efficiently offload their unused cycles. Whether or not the Cloud Exchange works that way in practice, we're just hoping that it isn't as volatile as an old-fashioned stock exchange. [Image credit: Dontworry, Wikipedia]
Next-gen Halo title announced for Xbox One: runs at 60 fps, available in 2014 (video)
What could be better than a live action Halo TV-series? Why, a fully fledged next-generation sequel, of course. Microsoft has confirmed that a new Halo game is making its way to the Xbox One, calming the doubts of fans who were concerned that the franchise was shifting to less traditional platforms. According to a Microsoft rep, this next-gen Halo (actual name to be determined) will not only "take full advantage of the power and flexibility of Xbox One," but will also be buffered by MS' cloud computing and, in a first for the franchise, run at a "blistering" 60 fps. Look for it to launch sometime in 2014. Update: Ballmer and Co. just published the video online and we've slotted it in right after the break. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Microsoft details how Xbox One cloud servers will tackle processor-intensive gaming chores
One of the Xbox launch's big reveals was that Microsoft added 300,000 servers to Xbox Live, and now GM Matt Booty has detailed to Ars Technica how that'll improve game play. He said the improved cloud architecture will speed up GPU- or CPU-heavy chores that aren't dependent on latency -- like lighting or cloth dynamics -- by pre-calculating them before applying them to a scene. To make that happen, the Xbox One server cloud will provide three virtual devices for "every Xbox one available in your living room." It'll be up to game developers to manage transitions between console-only and cloud assisted graphics, though, since the first few seconds of lighting in a new scene will need to be handled by the console before servers can take over. Of course, that means many titles may look better when you're online, but he added that you'll still be able to play if the internet is cut and "the game is going to have to intelligently handle that."
Netflix Cloud Prize offers over $100,000 in rewards to cloud computing gurus
Netflix has a vested interest in fostering cloud computing -- after all, that's increasingly the company's core business. Accordingly, it's not going to just sit around and wait for a breakthrough. The subscription service is kicking off its Netflix Cloud Prize competition in the hopes that developers can move technology a little faster. Programmers who build upon Netflix's open-source code before September 15th can win from a pool of $100,000 spread equally among 10 categories, ranging from performance improvements to what has to be our automatic favorite: "best new monkey." Each winner also gets $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit, flights to Las Vegas and a spot at Amazon's user conference this November. The challenge won't completely make up for the end to Netflix's public API, but it does show that at least some tinkerers are welcome in the streaming video giant's world.
Hewlett-Packard creates Converged Cloud unit, gets serious about the internet
Nearly a year after HP announced its cloud computing plans, it has finally gotten serious about the internet by creating a specialized business unit around it, according to AllThingsD. Dubbed the Converged Cloud unit, it'll be headed by Saar Gillai who has been promoted to senior VP. The unit will manage all things cloud, from hardware and services to its marketing and networking partners. Judging from its recent financial woes, perhaps this renewed gamble on internet services will push it further into the black.
NVIDIA details the Grid, a card built for powering cloud computing
NVIDIA's CES 2013 press conference is still ongoing, but the chipmaker is already unveiling something we've only seen teased before: the NVIDIA Grid, a card used for cloud computing across PCs, smart TVs, and smartphones. CEO and founder Jen-Hsun Huang detailed the new card on-stage, which you can see above in a rack of 20 grid servers. Huang says the rack pushes out roughly 240 NVIDIA GPUs worth of power, or about 200 teraflops -- equivalent to approximately 700 Xbox 360s. The Grid was given a tease earlier this year; the card will assist in pushing serious horsepower to the cloud, so that gaming over the air, across multiple devices becomes a less complicated reality. During an on-stage demonstration, NVIDIA showed Frozenbyte's Trine running on various devices, all powered by the Grid system. Beyond just looking great, it carried over seamlessly between multiple devices. Huang also detailed NVIDIA's first partners for Grid: Agawi, Cloudunion, Cyber Cloud, G-cluster, Playcast, and Ubitus. Apparently biggies like OnLive and Gaikai are already all set? We'll be sure to get a closer look in the coming days as CES rages on. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Microsoft to provide cloud services for city of Chicago in four year deal
There's a cloud hanging over the second city and it belongs to Microsoft. In a release issued today, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans to migrate the city's 30,000 civil servants to a cloud-based solution for email and all desktop applications. Apart from the $400,000 the four-year deal is projected to save taxpayers annually, the move to Microsoft's cloud computing for government platform will also help to bolster efficiency and streamline communication internally, as the city goes from three conflicting email systems to just one. According to the city's Department of Innovation and Technology, this department-wide transition should reach completion by the end of 2013. It's not the Windy City's first big leap into remote storage -- its hosted Department of Aviation data there for some time -- but it does mark Emanuel's commitment to modernization. Hit up the break for the city's official PR. [Chicago photo credit: Nimesh M / Flickr]
Samsung gives its Series 3 Chromebox a facelift, specs remain the same
Keeping the Chrome OS party going, Samsung released an updated model of last year's Series 3 chromebox. Gracefully named the XE300M22-B01US, this cloud-based workstation features the same 1.9GHz Intel Celeron B849 processor, 4GB of RAM, six USB 2.0 ports and 16GB SSD as its predecessor. The only real change here is the system's appearance, which is now a sterile white plastic shell with a latch covering its front-facing inputs. The computer recently went on sale in the UK for 279 GBP ($453.50) with Samsung remaining mum on stateside release plans. However, if patience isn't your strong suit and you've gotta have this machine now, you can pick up last year's model (virtually the same hardware) for around $329 or less.
Jolicloud Open Platform arrives, lets developers put most any cloud service into one hub
Jolicloud has portrayed itself as a sort of one-stop shop for cloud services and web apps, where a single sign-in keeps us on top of everything. It's mostly been limited to big-league content as a result, but that's changing with the new Jolicloud Open Platform. Developers now just have to build JavaScript-based Node.js components that hook their own apps, media and storage into the same central Jolicloud repository we'd use to manage Instagram and Tumblr. More details and full documentation are forthcoming, although the "open" in Open Platform leads us to think there won't be many technical (or financial) barriers to entry.
Box announces new features: improved search, file editing and a more social UI (video)
Skydrive, iCloud and Amazon Cloud Drive users have all been treated to upgrades recently, and now Box has announced a bunch of improvements are coming to its cloud platform for businesses. The portal header has been redesigned with a focus on searching and navigating quickly, and you can find other users at your company that bit easier, too. Additionally, Box Edit is ready to drop its beta suffix and, as long as you've got the relevant program installed, you can create files, edit them and save right back to the cloud from within the system. And, if you didn't think the whole experience was social enough, an added 'like' feature for files will help you keep up with the latest trending process docs. The updates are due to roll out "over the coming weeks," but until then, why not let an extremely sincere Box rep walk you through them in the video below.
