THE FUTURE OF OSs : MICROSOFT VERSION

1. Microsoft's involvement in playing a key role in the field of future operating systems can be gauged from the fact deciphered below in successive paragraphs.

2. So when Microsoft tries working on the futuristic versions of operating systems...the surprise is that windows does not come in the discussion....windows is out...yessss!!!it is terms like MIDORI,SINGULARITY,BARRELFISH,HELEOS.....the names must be sounding french to people like me....just read ahead!!!

MIDORI

3. Midori based on their Singularity operating system research project is an experimental operating system, in which all code, even device drivers, and the kernel itself are written in managed code, making the operating system much safer. The operating system also has a large focus on concurrency.Midori is in incubation, which means it is a little closer to market than most Microsoft Research projects, but not yet close enough to be available in any kind of early preview form to users.

BARRELFISH

4. Barrelfish, an OS written specifically for multicore environments. It hopes to improve the performance of boxes with such chips by creating a network bus and calls itself a multi-kernel operating system. Its focus is on leveraging the increasing number of cores in desktop processors. The mainstream operating systems today, Windows, and Linux, have both been designed for single-core computers, with multi-processing support added on later. 

5. The Barrelfish project instead tries to redefine the entire operating system keeping in mind that multi-core is here is stay. Today we have dual-core, quad-core, and even hexa-core, but given a decade, we may be looking at hecto-, kilo-, or even mega-core computers! These will require a rethinking of the very organization of the operating system.

6. Barrlefish does just that. It treats the multi-core processor environment as a collection of networked processor cores, and applies the concepts used with distributed computing to manage the execution of the computer's processes. This has the effect of making the system much more scalable. An interesting part of this approach is also 

that the processor cores need not be homogeneous! The multiple kernels could all be running on processors of different architectures, one kernel might be executing on an ARM, while another on a x86, and a third on a GPU!

HELEOS

7. Heleos, another research OS in MS labs and their latest revelation, takes the concept of heterogeneous multiprocessing further, and introduces "satellite kernels".It explains that current operating systems are designed with a homogeneous running environments in mind. For this reason, an operating system is written for either an IA64, or an x86, or a PPC, or an ARM platform, however it cannot leverage all of them. Our computers however are no longer homogeneous. We have CPUs and GPUs of different architectures, each with multiple cores. The GPU is highly optimized for a vector processing, and has an architecture which vastly differs from that of the CPU, with a completely different instruction set and performance characteristics. 

8. The Helios project introduces satellite kernels, which essentially presents the developers with a "single,uniform set of OS abstractions across CPUs of disparate architectures and performance characteristics." This satellite kernel is a micro-kernel, and runs all other services and drivers in individual processes.

9. With Singularity and Barrelfish both available as open source releases, it seems Microsoft might just be headed for a more open future. 

10. Thanks DIGIT and Microsoft for the updates.

DUAL SCREEN CAMERA : SAMSUNG ST 550 & ST 500

1. Earlier I had discussed about one dual screen laptop....then we all know about big touch screens on mobiles in so many versions,shapes and sizes.Ever wondered what purpose would a dual screen serve in a typical digital camera.Just scroll down and see the pics to get the concept...i am sure u will appreciate it!!!!

2. Delivering an unrivalled user experience, the 1.5 inch LCD screen located on the front of the camera now allows consumers to take first-rate photos by themselves in addition to the one who is busy clicking.

3. Thanks http://www.samsung.com/sg/news/newsPreviewRead.do?news_seq=14419

SECURITY ESSENTIALS : NO MORE "MORRO"

1. So it has been launched finally after a long wait...a few debates...a few hues and a not so lots of publicity....the microsoft antivirus "SECURITY ESSENTIALS". I downloaded it today and saw thats it is veri light at least as on date and has been able to capture the regular worms and malwares that were present in my desktop.

2. One problem for most of the Hindustani's......it only works on genuine microsoft windows....since prior to installation it checks if you have a genuine windows...if NOT ..then it comes out in between installation without procedding ahead....

MORRO : THE MICROSOFT SIDE OF ANTIVIRUS

1. Impregnable news is coming in that Microsoft is ready to launch its free anti-virus software called Morro for personal computers. This is a huge competition in making for security software leaders like Symantec Norton Antivirus and McAfee Anitvirus software.To address the growing need for a PC security solution tailored to the demands of emerging markets, smaller PC form factors and rapid increases in the incidence of malware, Microsoft Corp. plans to offer this to the new consumer security offering focused on core anti-malware protection.

2. Code-named “Morro,” this streamlined solution will be available in the last quarter of 2009 and is likely to allow comprehensive security from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans. 

3. The surprising news is that Microsoft isn't bundling Morro with Windows.Currently in beta testing, it was available for download to the first 75,000 people in the United States, Israel, People's Republic of China and Brazil.

4. Morro” will take advantage of the same core anti-malware technology that fuels the company’s current line of security products, which have received the VB100 award from Virus Bulletin, Checkmark Certification from West Coast Labs and certification from the International Computer Security Association Labs. 

5. “Morro” will be available as a stand-alone download and offer malware protection for the Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. When used in conjunction with the ongoing security and privacy enhancements of Windows and Internet Explorer, this new solution will offer consumers a robust, no-cost security solution to help protect against the majority of online threats.

6. Microsoft in an open source mooood!!!!!!!!!!

LIGHT PEAK TECHNOLOGY : INTEL

1. Your internet connection at home and office would be happy biting at 10 or 100 Mbps, how about being able to get upgraded to 100Gbps over the decade! yes...INTEL has thrown some light on this vide the new Light Peak technology that uses light instead of electric signals to transmit data, meaning faster speeds, smaller cables, and less signal loss. The subject technology is already in use in data-centers, but has not been able to gate crash into mainstream computing yet. 

2. In the coming year Intel plans to release this technology for use in consumer devices and mainstream computing, for the first time giving people the taste of transfer speeds up to 10Gbps. Light Peak is the code-name for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect electronic devices to each other while allowing high bandwidth starting at 10Gb/s with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade.

3. Light Peak consists of a controller chip and an optical module that would be included in platforms supporting this technology. The optical module performs the conversion from electricity to light and vice versa, using miniature lasers and photo detectors. 

4. Since this as optical technology, multiplexing multiple connections over a single cable will be much simpler, and thus a single cable cold be used to connect your computer to multiple "peripherals, workstations, displays, disk drives, docking stations, and more."

5. Light Peak is designed to be cheap, and in fact claims to be smaller and cheaper than current telecom modules. The Light Peak optical modules are up to 120 times smaller and up to 30 times cheaper than current telecom modules! The optical fibres used in it are in fact nearly as thin as human hair, and use LASER chips called VCSEL (Vertical Cavity, Surface Emmiting LASER) which are a mere 250 microns by 250 microns.

6. Comeeeeeeeeee ON....what r we heading for in next 50 years....our generation is the lucky one to see all this quick transition from files,postman to emails and Light peak transfer rate.No other generation other then the present one would see this difference....kids today are born without seeing a postman in their galiiiii....born with computers and laptops in hands of ma and pa..

7. Thanks DIGIT & www.engadget.com

SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS : IT HAS BEEN TOUGH

1. Ever wondered how the internet and communications right from telgraph days has been working across the globe?Everi one knows the technology behind these terms...but ever wondered how the same has been estabilished.I will not dig deep...the pictures below will make it amply clear...one pic shows the layout of submarine wires in the year 1901 and the other shows the OFC layout in the year 2005.......it would have taken amazing human effort.....salutes to the manpower that had been behind all the tough work.....HATS OFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!

2. Wanna get some light on the cost aspects? Cables with 10Gbps bandwidth were laid at a cost of $27000 per KM...thats right...per KM.....now do the calculations for the approx length.......

EXTERNAL DRIVES : ARE THEY REALLY FAST?

1. When one goes for buying a external hard disk,how important is for him/her to give due importance to speed that is mentioned as spec....like 7200 rpm and 5400 rpm?Does it really matter in this case?

2. Well not much and as a matter of fact the difference is ZERO = NULL = NIL.The faster the hard drive ,the better : this generally stands true for the internal drives that remain connected to IDE/SATA.In most of the cases pertaining to external drives the interface of connectivity is none other then USB which is significantly slower equated to SATA/eSATA/IDE on any day.USB drives at the most support a transfer speed of 33-37 MB/s...and thats all...whether u connect a 5400 rpm or a 7200 rpm..

HOW IS UR FAVORITE USB MADE?

WORTH A DEKKKO

PRINT A BATTERY : PRINTABLE BATTERY

1. Before I get into the meaning lemme tell you that this is again astonishing discovery.you can take a print out of something as shown in figure and use it as a battery..I mean as a source of power.....read ahead to find out.

2. A new type of low-power battery that does not require a case and is thin enough to be printed on paper is all set to venture on ur laps and desktop tables.The power source relies on an undisclosed mixture of chemicals to produce 20 milliamp-hours at a terminal voltage of 1.5 volts for every square centimetre that is printed. The battery material is roughly 0.5 millimetres thick and would, if mass-produced, cost just a few cents per square inch, according to Israeli-based company Power Paper.

3. The subject battery has been developed by a team led by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Baumann of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems.

4. As this is a printable battery so the characteristics of this battery differ significantly from those of conventional batteries. As the name suggest it must have very less weight.It weighs less than one gram on the scales, is not even one millimeter thick and can therefore be integrated into bank cards.It's voltage is 1.5 V, which is general.The battery weighs less than one gram on the scales, is not even one millimeter thick and can therefore be integrated into bank cards, for example. The battery contains no mercury and is in this respect environmentally friendly. Its voltage is 1.5 V, which lies within the normal range. By placing several batteries in a row, voltages of 3 V, 4.5 V and 6 V can also be achieved. 

5. It is composed of different layers: a zinc anode and a manganese cathode, among others. Zinc and manganese react with one another and produce electricity. However, the anode and the cathode layer dissipate gradually during this chemical process. Therefore, the battery is suitable for applications which have a limited life span or a limited power requirement, for instance greeting cards

6. The new battery consists of three different layers. It has conventional zinc manganese-dioxide components as anode and cathode. Sandwiched in between, the cell's chemical power source remains a closely guarded secret.

7. Paper Power claims the material is non-toxic and non-corrosive, making the battery safe to use without casing."Technically it will work like any other battery, but you can cut the battery into any size and shape for your product."

8. Thanks www.newscientist.com,Digit.

SATA 1.0 vs SATA 2.0 vs SATA 3.0 : The hunger for speed

1. Today technology runs faster then u blink. Today when someone has not even come to terms from IDE TO SATA 1.0 and when mostly have not even heard of SATA 2.0,in comes with a bigul siren SATA 3.0.YESSSSS!!!!with a whooping 6 Gb/Sec, and a range of new features for bandwidth intensive users, a much rapider future lies ahead. SATA 3 is bound to increase the interface speed but to fully realize its potential the viscera of a hard drive need to get quicker. 

2.   SATA 3 introduces changes including "a new Native Command Queuing (NCQ) streaming command to enable isochronous data transfers for bandwidth-hungry audio and video applications, better power management, and the connection mechanism for compact devices with connectors designed for the smaller 7mm optical drives in laptops and a Low Insertion Force connector for 1.8-inch drives.

3. Thanks Digit again!!!!