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Lenovo intros the ThinkStation S10 and D10 workstations
Lenovo, a company which appears to be inching out from under the thumb of parent IBM, today announced two new desktops christened with the ThinkStation moniker aimed at the enterprise market. On the more "conservative" side, the ThinkStation S10 offers either an Intel Core 2 or Core 2 Extreme processor, an NVIDIA graphics chipset, plus "multiple slots, bays and USB ports." Big brother ThinkStation D10 ups the ante on the CPU-side by adding an Intel Quad Core Xeon processor, which should warm your lab nicely. The systems are aimed at users engaged in "graphically and computationally-intensive" tasks, though the workstations also meet Energy Star 4.0 requirements, and contain more than 50-percent recycled plastics content. The new PCs will be available in January, with the S10 starting at $1,199, and the D10 at $1,739.[Via Reuters]
IBM develops greener method for recycling silicon
IBM is looking to save around $1.5 million per year and be a kinder citizen to the environment by instituting a greener method for recycling silicon. Previously, IBM would sandblast defunct wafers to make sure no trade secrets left the premises when they were sold off to solar-panel outfits or used as "monitors." The new process, however, involves defacing the circuitry with an abrasive pad and water, which saves a few bills and leaves the silicon in much better shape for reuse. Reportedly, Big Blue has already implemented the new approach in its Essex Junction, Vermont facility, and the East Fishkill, New York plant is all set to follow suit shortly.
IBM and MediaTek team up on uber-fast chipsets for HD streaming
IBM ain't the first big fish to dabble in the wireless HD chipset realm, and while we'd heard that the outfit was looking into the matter a year ago, things are seemingly now moving forward. Big Blue has joined hands with MediaTek in a "joint initiative to develop ultra fast chipsets that can wirelessly transmit a full-length high definition movie to and from a home PC, handheld device, retail kiosk or television set nearly as fast as a viewer can push their remote control." Apparently, the happy couple will both utilize their knowledge of millimeter wave (mmWave) radio technology in order to construct chipsets that allow end users to fling a 10GB file to its destination in just "five seconds" -- all without wires, of course. Visions of uncompressed HD streaming, syncing entire music libraries in seconds and giant bonfires fueled entirely by cabling (we kid, we kid) immediately come to mind.[Via Slashdot]
IBM rolls out "Mainframe Gas Gauge" for servers
Continuing its push into greener computing, IBM today announced the launch of its so-called "Mainframe Gas Gauge," which promises to let its server customers monitor their exact energy consumption in real time. What's more, IBM also announced that it'll begin publishing typical energy consumption figures for its z9 mainframe systems, following a recent EPA report that advised server makers to do just that. That data will be collected from some 1,000 servers around the world (a process that actually began in May), each of which employ sensors to monitor actual energy and cooling statistics, giving IBM enough info to determine the average watts per hour consumed and the total watts per unit. Individual server users will also get weekly reports on their machines' energy consumption in addition to the real time data, and they'll be able to make use of a new "Power Estimator Tool" to help them determine the most efficient means of expanding their server farms.[Via Slashdot]
RFID, robots aim to handle luggage more effectively
RFID and luggage have certainly been used in the same sentence before, but IBM and Vanderlande Industries are hoping that their efforts will "cut down on the amount of baggage lost as it is being transferred between connecting flights." Truth be told, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is likely most concerned with travelers' baggage, as it has allowed the aforementioned firms to implement a "baggage management system to control and track each bag using robot handling software." Reportedly, a half dozen bots will manage the bags, which will purportedly "improve the working conditions of the people" -- the people who've yet to be replaced by machines, that is.[Via InformationWeek]
Toshiba to use Cell-based chip in PCs
When Sony, Toshiba and IBM began development on the Cell processor, they had bigger plans for it than just running PS3s, and it looks like Toshiba has been hard at work to put it to more use. Daily Tech reports that Toshiba plans to take the Cell processor out of the PS3 and extend it for use as a graphics chip in its notebook PCs. Toshiba has coined the new technology SpursEngine and should unveil its first laptop using the graphics chip at the CEATEC JAPAN 2007 conference in early October. However, the truly interesting piece is DailyTech's speculation that Toshiba may have even more plans for the SpursEngine beyond just PCs. It could look to eventually implement the technology in other consumer electronics, including its line of HD DVD players. Now how dastardly, would that be?[via FiringSquad]
UMBC, IBM team up to create Cell-based supercomputer
We've certainly seen PlayStation 3s used in academia before, but a "significant gift" by IBM to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County is enabling the institution to further develop its Multicore Computational Center. The facility now utilizes 32 Cell processors, and researchers at the lab are getting set to "develop applications" to harness all that power. Reportedly, the supercomputer will dabble in "visualization and computer modeling applications for aerospace / defense, financial services, healthcare / life sciences industries and weather." Hit the link below for a video report.[Thanks, Ryan O.]Read - IBM, UMBC partnership Read - Video report
Toshiba's Cell-derived SpursEngine chip to process video
Toshiba's newfangled SpursEngine chip could soon be used to "work alongside a microprocessor to process video streams, recognize and process images, and tackle other multimedia chores," and while we're not exactly sure what kind of hit this will take on battery life, the prototype version is said to consume 10 to 20-watts of juice. Nevertheless, Tosh's new device "uses cores derived from the Cell microprocessor" and is being "aimed at multimedia applications" in particular. At CEATEC, the firm hopes to showcase its power by demonstrating the 1.5GHz unit in a number of laptops, and while Toshiba itself has "already started developing products using the processors," it will also be selling the chips to other interested outfits for use in their products.
IBM's SiSi virtually translates speech to sign language
We've seen a wide array of devices designed to help the deaf communicate and experience life more fully, and IBM is hoping to make yet another advancement in the field with its SiSi (Say It Sign It) system. Developed at an IBM research center in Hursley, England, the technology works "by using speech recognition to convert a conversation into text," after which SiSi "translates the text into the gestures used in sign language and animates a customizable avatar that carries them out." Currently, the system is still labeled a prototype and only works with British sign language, but there's already plans to commercialize the invention in due time. For a better look at exactly what SiSi can do, take a peek at the video demonstration waiting after the jump.
IBM uses nanotechnology to craft miniscule art
It's not like we haven't seen art on silicon before, nor is IBM any stranger to the more bizarre world of design, but the firm is nevertheless "touting one of the tiniest pieces of art ever made." The project, which consists of an "image of the sun made from 20,000 microscopic particles of gold," was reportedly "etched on a silicon chip wafer" with a process that managed particles some 60-nanometers in diameter. Of course, IBM isn't planning on entering the abstract art business anytime soon, but the achievement could purportedly pave the way for "high-performance transistors in molecular-scale chips" while "leading to a nanotech race inside IBM and rival companies."[Image courtesy of BBC, thanks ssuk]
Lenovo celebrates 15 years of Thinkpad, "uncorks" Reserve Edition
When Lenovo throws a party for the ThinkPad, does IBM get invited? We'd certainly hope so, considering it was the venerable US computing giant which first released the 700C back in 1992, and only gave up its claim to the name a mere two years ago with the completion of its PC division sale -- but don't worry Big Blue, even if the new guys forgot, we still sent you a card. For its part, Lenovo once again trotted out the limited-run Reserve Editions laptops -- those 5,000 French leather-clad X61s's -- and reiterated its commitment to post-sale doting over the select few folks willing to throw down five grand for the privilege. Well you won't find us standing in line to pick up such a luxury item, but we do have to give Lenovo credit for avoiding the obvious temptation to go with a traditional 15th anniversary theme, and unleashing a crystal-studded monstrosity that would make IBM execs cringe with horror and regret every time they saw one being flaunted by a colleague. Got any fond memories of your ThinkPads? Feel free to share 'em in the comments...[Thanks Sourabh, headline wordplay courtesy of Lenovo PR]
IBM researchers get closer to nanotech hard drives
We're not going to front like we understand exactly how it works, but two IBM researchers in California have announced that they've gotten closer to controlling the orientation and magnetic spin of individual iron atoms on a copper surface, which would have huge implications for nanotech storage -- imagine the basic tech in your hard drive shrunk down the molecular level. At the same time, a different set of IBM researchers in Switzerland have discovered a way to make individual molecules act like "switches" without altering the framework of the molecule, which could lead to molecular logic circuits. IBM is reluctant to even hypothesize ways these discoveries could be applied -- Andreas Heinrich, one of the California scientists, compared such speculation to asking the same question to "people in the '70s, where they had a roomful of computing equipment that could basically do what you can do nowadays on your cell phone" -- but we're not so shy: this obviously means we're closer to a 1TB flash iPhone. You heard it here first.[Via Yahoo!]
$1.4 million IBM server falls off forklift, finger pointing ensues
Yeah, we've seen our fair share of pricey accidents, but this one is just brimming with ridiculousness. Reportedly, a mysterious IBM server that was headed to the US Patent and Trademark Office managed to fall off of a forklift managed by federal contractor T.R. Systems. The firm claims that the mishap occurred after the forklift "hit the raised surface at the entry door of the warehouse," but rather than taking the fall for the incident, it's seeking damages in excess of $1.4 million from IBM for Big Blue's shoddy packaging. Not surprisingly, IBM has stated that it will "defend itself vigorously" in the case, but there's no word on whether the traditional shipping cartons will be replaced with armored iterations in the future.
IBM's next gen flash storage to feature spinning electrons
You don't usually think of IBM in the context of flash memory innovation, but all those processors Big Blue cranks out require some kind of cache , and the company's new joint venture with TDK is designed to create the next-gen of flash, using a technology called "spin torque transfer" that will allow scaling beyond 65nm. STT-RAM, as it's called, uses a current to "spin-polarize" electrons and align their magnetic fields to represent 1s and 0s. Intel and others have invested heavily in a rival next-gen tech called phase change, but IBM says STT is faster and may last longer. Obscure system-on-a-chip next-gen flash memory format war, here we come!
IBM launches RFID-based ePedigree drug tracking system
IBM's own anti-counterfeiting technology that was unveiled last year for use in the drug industry is finally launching. The electronic pedigree system (ePedigree for short) aims to "help drug companies create electronic certificates of authenticity for medications -- down to the individual bottle -- as they move from manufacturers and distributors to pharmacies and hospitals." It was also noted that some states, particularly California in 2009, are looking to pass a law that will require "any medication distributed in the state have its life history attached to it," so until then, make sure you don't procure any sketchy brown bottles from the nearest street vendor, cool?[Image courtesy of SpyChips]
Massive WiFi network to cover 37 cities in Silicon Valley
Granted, we've seen some sizable WiFi networks in our day, and while an entire country has claimed to have nationwide internet on the brain, the largest we've seen implemented here in the states span a city or so at most. Reportedly, a group of firms (including IBM and Cisco) are looking to build a $85- to $150-million outdoor WiFi network that could connect up 37 cities in Silicon Valley. The initiative will not only provide basic, free internet to those willing to deal with the ad-supported service, but it will also dish out subscriber-based signals to residents, high-speed service to businesses, and uber-secure communications to police / firefighters. As of now, the companies plan to erect test networks in Palo Alto and San Carlos later this year, with constructions of the final network to potentially begin in 2008. Just make sure Utah doesn't get a whiff of it, capiche?[Thanks, Charlie]
IBM ThinkPad celebrates 15th birthday
If you were looking for any reason whatsoever to hop into a celebratory mood, why not join IBM (or would it be Lenovo these days?) in celebrating the 15th birthday of the ThinkPad. Of course, tech historians are likely to bicker over the ThinkPad's true day of emergence, but reportedly, the IBM 2521 (later renamed the 700T) ThinkPad holds the honors of being the first of its kind to ship in July of 1992. Interestingly enough, one could argue that this very machine was actually more akin to a tablet PC than a bonafide laptop, but it proudly donned the ThinkPad logo nevertheless. So, ThinkPad owners, today's your day to gift that oh-so-industrious machine of yours with a few extra moments of rest, but before you do, why not let us know what model you're partying with if you're in the club?[Via jkOnThRun]
MMO players make great leaders
Do you think that playing World of Warcraft has given you leadership skills? A study done by IBM and Seriosity claims:Hundreds of thousands of players -- sometimes millions -- interact daily in highly complex virtual environments. These players self-organize, develop skills, and settle into various roles. Leaders emerge that are capable of recruiting, organizing, motivating, and directing large groups of players towards a common goal.Of course, IBM and Seriosity are attempting to sell MMO-inspired business solutions, but the study itself is interesting even to those of us who aren't in the market. In it, IBM and Seriosity suggest that within MMOs, players need to organize in order to accomplish goals -- and the skills of the player who organizes your guild's raids are no different from a manager in a traditional office environment.
IBM researching intelligent, reflexive vehicles
Count IBM in as one of the many companies looking to skyrocket the cost of our future cars, er, protect our lives by developing must-have active safety systems that are sure to become the standard fare in vehicles of the future. Dubbed a research initiative to "equip cars with technologies that can help reduce traffic congestion and prevent accidents," IBM is looking into driver assist technologies that "exchange information with other cars and with the road infrastructure, take corrective action where appropriate, and provide essential feedback to the drivers to help avoid dangerous situations." These electronic reflexes are said to be much quicker than those possessed by humans, and while the team is not trying to replace the need for driver judgment entirely, it is hoping to provide adequate feedback to help the motorist avoid potential perils. No word on when IBM plans on ushering its marketing team into automakers' headquarters, but we'd enjoy the feel of personally steering and accelerating while you still can.[Via Physorg]
IBM unveils one-petaflop Blue Gene/P supercomputer
It was but two years ago that we all sat in awe of IBM's beautiful 280.6-teraflop masterpiece, and it's finally safe to call that workhorse a thing of the past. Today, Big Blue announced the second-generation of its famed supercomputer (dubbed Blue Gene/P), which reportedly comes close to "tripling the performance of its predecessor." In an attempt to showcase its might, IBM suggested that 27 million clinical trials could be computed "in just one afternoon using a sliver of its full power." Additionally, the engineers went the extra mile by crafting a highly scalable system that comes in "at least seven times more energy efficient than any other supercomputer," but we're sure those 294,912 processors (each touting four PowerPC 450 CPUs) can churn through some energy when utilizing the whole petaflop. And just think, Sun probably thought the 500 or so teraflop production from its forthcoming Ranger would be the (momentary) top dog.Read - IBM's Blue Gene/P, via CNETRead - Sun's Ranger, via Wired
