Intel Shows Its Atom-based Android Smartphone and Tablet Prototypes

By all standards, Intel had a dream year - the company achieved record revenue and record profits. However, there was one dark spot on otherwise, a spotless record: Atom line of products.

Intel Atom was introduced in 2008 as a byproduct of Intel receiving back the P55C core from US Army. The second byproduct of that heavily modified and optimized core was Larrabee graphics core, which got canceled and is now known as a HPC-accelerator Knights Bridge / Knights Corner. Intel Atom enjoyed a lot of success in 2008-2010, with a lot of analysts writing stories about the rise of netbooks and how netbooks will mark the end of PC as we know it. Sounds familiar, right?

Fast forward to third quarter of 2011: Intel posted excellent sales and profit results, but the company also marked a 32% decline in sales of Intel Atom platform. Indeed, when we look at Atom as a whole, the product actually declined by over 60% during 2011 alone - as tablets took over the hearts and minds of consumers, sales of netbooks came to a screeching halt.

Intels answer to tablets is known for quite some time: Intels second SoC design codenamed Medfield (first one being Cedarview, D2x00 Series). Medfield is manufactured in 32nm process node and is consisted out of single Atom core operating up to 1.9GHz clock, integrated graphics subsystem (it is not known which one, but current Atoms utilize PowerVR SGX545), Image Signal Processor, memory controller and chipset features. Do note that SGX545 is more powerful than SGX543MP2 used inside the Apples A5 Dual-core chip.

On IDF Fall 2011, Intel showed its prototypes of smartphone and tablet designs, but the Android operating system was not ready for the limelight. Few months after, Android 2.x and 3.x long gone and the company is optimizing for Android 4.x Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

You can expect the first smartphone and tablet designs coming in the first half of 2012. Second half of 2012 will see the appearance of Windows 8 tablets, where Intel will argue compatibility with full set of applications on Windows 8. Bear in mind that ARM-based tablets wont be able to run software compiled for the X86 instruction set.

Still, Medfield is just the introductionary part and were not surprised ARM vendors are sound asleep at the market acceptance. Real headache for every member of ARM ecosystem is coming on CES 2013, the 22nm Silvermont - completely new Atom architecture, which will go hand in hand with the next-generation 22nm Haswell architecture for high-performance computers.

HP Introduces Advanced Family of Disk Arrays at Entry-level Prices

HP today introduced a new family of entry-level disk arrays with enterprise-class features that can help customers more effectively centralize storage to lower costs, increase administrator efficiency and reduce business downtime.

The HP StorageWorks 2000 Modular Smart Array (MSA2000) family is composed of low-cost Fibre Channel and iSCSI disk arrays for highly available, storage area networks (SAN) that is designed for virtualized server environments.

The easy-to-use, enterprise-class systems are designed for small and mid-size businesses, however, enterprises also will find the MSA2000 is an ideal solution for their remote office, departmental, secondary and tertiary storage needs.

The entry-level external storage market was $2.8 billion in 2006, according to analysts, and HP garnered a market-leading 21 percent market share in this segment in 2007.

“HP’s market strength and experience in the entry-level SAN segment allows them to deliver cost-effective solutions that provide high levels of availability and scalability,” said John Webster, principal IT advisor, Illuminata Inc. “There is a growing demand among customers with smaller storage needs for features to support high-profile data and applications, as well as deployments of virtual servers.”

The MSA2000 arrays are easily deployed in physical or virtual server environments to deliver an available and automated infrastructure. The modular arrays also support a wide range of application deployments, including VMware virtualization software. The MSA2000 enables customers to increase disk utilization by deploying any combination of SAS or SATA drives to achieve an ideal mix of price, reliability and performance to support their business.

New capabilities within the MSA2000 increase application uptime to better ensure that the systems are available for the business. For example, features such as dual power supplies, optional dual controllers and redundant hardware with automatic failover significantly reduce business downtime.

To further minimize the risk of business interruption, the MSA2000 includes optional management software for “snap and clone” capabilities. These new data duplication capabilities are critical in protecting data and streamlining IT processes with rapid backup and recovery operations. This more reliable data protection also features a persistent cache that does not require a battery backup, thus reducing the potential disposal of hazardous material.

Both the iSCSI and Fibre Channel MSA2000 arrays complement the HP BladeSystem and feature a built-in management console to set up and configure the storage without additional hardware and software. This enables HP BladeSystem customers to easily fit the MSA2000 into their current management environment and configure all their blades at once instead of one blade at a time.

The flexible and modular nature of the HP StorageWorks portfolio eases the addition of file services to the MSA2000 family using HP ProLiant Storage Servers or an HP StorageWorks EFS Clustered Gateway. By leveraging familiar ProLiant server configuration and system management tools, minimal training is required for IT managers and administration is simplified.

“Our modular storage arrays are perfect for customers who have a limited IT budget, but need a solution that is quickly scalable for shared storage environments,” said Robin Hensley, vice president of Entry Storage, StorageWorks, HP. “Customers will benefit from consolidating their storage and can take advantage of features like snap and clone to protect their data and deliver value to their business.”

The MSA2000 disk arrays can scale up to 36 terabytes of capacity and support either 4-Gb Fibre Channel (MSA2000fc) or 1-Gb iSCSI (MSA2000i) host connectivity. The arrays can be configured with up to 48 SAS or SATA disk drives for an optimal mix of performance, cost and energy efficiency.

The HP StorageWorks 2000 Modular Smart Array starts at U.S. list price of $4,999 with general availability expected in March.

Source: HP

iPhone 4S gets thumbs up from Consumer Reports

Enlarge

Consumer Reports, the influential magazine for product reviews, gave a thumbs up to Apple's new iPhone on Tuesday after declining to recommend the previous model because of reception problems.

"Apple's newest smartphone (the

Consumer Reports said the iPhone 4 continues to lose

Apple has received some complaints about battery problems with the iPhone 4S but Consumer Reports said the phone "did very well in our standard tests of battery life."

"The iPhone 4S and new samples of the iPhone 4 have displayed no notable battery problems in additional special tests we carried out," it said.

Apple said last week it was working to squash software bugs that have caused some iPhone 4S owners to report lower than expected battery life.

Apple said it would release a software update to address the bugs in a few weeks.

The iPhone 4S has been a hit for Apple. The Cupertino, California-based company sold more than four million of the smartphones in the three days after it hit the market on October 4.

Dell Latitude 100L Value Notebook

Dell today introduced the Latitude(tm) 100L, a desktop replacement notebookcomputer designed for small businesses and institutional customers sensitive topurchase price. Starting at S$ 1,736(1), the Latitude 100L easily handlesessential computing tasks like word processing, e-mail and Internet access, andis ideal for customers who value the flexibility and productivity that comeswith mobile computing.

Weighing slightly more than three kilograms(2), the 100L can be customconfigured with Intel(tm) Celeron(tm) or Mobile Pentium(tm) 4 processors, 14.1-or 15-inch displays, 20GB(3) to 60GB(3) hard drives and a variety of fixedoptical drives. Optional integrated wireless capability is also available.Complete product details can be found at www.dell.com/latitude

Dell supports the Latitude 100L with a portfolio of product lifecycle servicesincluding mobile and security solutions. Smaller IT staffs can focus on internalstrategic initiatives while Dell's award-winning services provide for accidentaldamage coverage, custom software integration, on-site break-fix service,advanced technical support, theft prevention security and asset management.

About Latitude: 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Dell is marking its 10thanniversary of Latitude notebooks this year.
Since 1994, Dell has provided customized mobile solutions and had shipped morethan 13 million Latitude notebooks worldwide. Today, Dell is the leadingsupplier worldwide of notebooks for medium and large businesses(4). Dell'snetwork-optimized notebook products offer long life cycles and cross-familycompatibility, all of which contribute to simplified IT management and lowertotal cost of ownership.

Technical Features of the Latitude 100L include:

* Choice of Intel Celeron processors at 2.40GHz(5) or Mobile Intel Pentium 4processor at 2.66GHz(5) combined with the Intel 852GMV chipset
* Choice of 14.1- or 15-inch XGA (1024 x 768) display
* 128MB to 1GB of DDR266 shared SDRAM(6)
* Choice of 20GB, 30GB, 40GB or 60GB hard drives
* Choice of 8-cell, 65WHr or 12-cel 96WHr Lithium Ion Battery
* Choice of CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-RW combination and DVD+RW/+R(7)opticaldrives
* Integrated 10/100 Etnernet and 56K V92 modem(8)
* Ports include: Two USB 2.0, VGA, Headphone and Microphone
* Optional internal wireless mini-PCI card 802.11b, 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g(9)
* Choice of Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional Operating System
* One Year Service and Support, optional longer terms available(10)

High fashion, high tech intersect at CES confab

Enlarge

The folks who brought you laptop trackpads, voice-activated smartphones and touch-screen tablets are dreaming up new ways for users to interact with technology through wearable, fashionable gadgets.

The high-tech industry used the International

"The nail had to look nice, I didn't want women to have to compromise," said dermatologist Sri Vellanki, founder of the Montana-based company and inventor of the concept, who said she hopes to sell the product in a few months.

SunnyBag, a firm based in Austria, was showing its handbag equipped with

The surge in the use of smartphones which can be used as music players has stimulated the creation of headphones which double as fashion accessories. Some on display at CES are integrated into caps or scarves.

Some headphones were being marketed as fashion items including one from iHip promoted by permatanned reality show star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi with splashes of glittery faux-diamond plastic and leopard print.

Enlarge

The "hi-Call" devices look like ordinary knit gloves, but are equipped with

CES also saw a spate of new wristwatch products, some powered by Android, which can access apps from a smartphone, some with emergency calling capacity.

The crowdfunded Pebble Technology watch can tell users when their bus is arriving, monitor one's sleep and send data back through their smartphones to the Internet.

Italian-based i'm SpA, which last year debuted what it called the world's first smart watch, unveiled a new version along with i'm Here, a GPS tracker that help mark out missing children, adventurers or adults with dementia.

Another wearable device came from US-based Vuzix, which offered a rival to Google Glasses with a device fitting around the forehead with a screen which connects to a smartphone.

But Vuzix's David Lock said another device in the works is a real pair of glasses which also allows users to visualize what is on a smartphone or other mobile device.

"We see that as the holy grail," Lock said.

CES also featured its own high-tech fashion show, with LED and illuminated dresses and corsets and accessories.

"We're about to see an entire new industry take off based on high tech fashion," said Robin Raskin, organizer of the show featured in the CES Living in Digital Times program.

"Fashion is soon to become personalized, elegant and useful and will remain a constant couture."

IBM, HP Look to Small Businesses

Top-tier OEMS continue to push their technology down to the smallest businesses as they try to expand the reach of their portfolios.

IBM on April 10 rolled out two new System i Express servers and a new pricing plan - and highlighted a partner program - as it attempts to carve out space in a market traditionally dominated by Windows-based servers.

The move by the Armonk, N.Y., company came two weeks after rival Hewlett-Packard unveiled its ProLiant ML115, a system powered by Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron processor that starts at $499 and can perform such essential small-business functions as networking, file and print, and shared Web access.

Illuminata analyst Gordon Haff said it makes sense for these companies to turn their attention to smaller businesses, particularly for IBM, which historically has done little business in this arena. "IBM has a very well established medium-business play with System i," Haff said. "Although they've called it SMB - small and midsize business - … it's quite clearly a medium-business play."

At an event here announcing the offerings, IBM officials said they hope their integrated platform - the hardware bundled with such applications as database management, security and job scheduling - combined with the low per-user fee will entice small companies to look at their offerings rather than simply opt for Windows-based solutions.

With the System i 515 - designed for five to 40 users - IBM is targeting small companies with as few as five employees and less than $100 million in annual revenue. Despite having a reputation as a vendor that caters primarily to large enterprises, IBM has a thriving midmarket business, said Steve Solazzo, general manager for IBM's SMB unit. About 20 percent of IBM's overall revenue comes from that segment, Solazzo said. The new System i 525 is more of a midmarket play.

"IBM and the midmarket … is not as much an oxymoron as it may sound," Solazzo said to a small gathering of reporters and analysts here.

Both IBM and HP, of Palo Alto, Calif., view small companies as a potentially lucrative segment of the marketplace, where businesses - and their IT needs - can grow rapidly.

"This is a very broad offering that can fit the needs of an office with 20 employees, 10 employees or four employees," Krista Satterthwaite, a group manager for HP's Industry Standard Servers, said of the ML115. "As these small and midsize businesses continue to grow into bigger and bigger businesses, HP has the ability to offer them products that can take them all the way up the chain. A small business with an entry-level server can turn into an enterprise customer for us."

IBM officials estimated that smaller businesses offer a $50 billion market.

Illuminata's Haff said that for HP, which has had a presence in markets of all sizes, the new server is a "more tailored offering" for smaller companies and is less of a stretch than for IBM. IBM has to battle the perception that it doesn't work with smaller companies, as well as the lack of name recognition for the System i platform, he said. Partners will be the key.

"Integration is clearly a big plus - for IBM - ," Haff said. "The challenge is that you can go into a small business, and they'll say, 'System i? What is that?' And that goes back to partners really being the lead here."

Along with the new servers and per-user pricing model, IBM touted its System i Vertical Industry Program, a partner initiative launched in January and designed to bring the System i platform to SMBs.

Paul Paciello, director of IT for Polar Beverages, said IBM is addressing the key issues with smaller businesses when it comes to technology, particularly with the integrated software stack and management capabilities in the System i platform. "It's not about the technology," Paciello said. "It's about business. All technology does is enable business to do a better job."

Polar Beverages, in Worcester, Mass., for several years has been running a System i5 550 for its more mission-critical applications, and a host of Windows servers for other software, Paciello said. However, he has found it easier to consolidate many of those applications running on Windows systems onto the System i server rather than keep growing his Windows environment.

Copyright 2007 by Ziff Davis Media, Distributed by United Press International

Dell Slapped With Lawsuit Over Intel

Dell is facing an investor lawsuit alleging that it improperly accounted for hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from its long-time partner Intel. Plaintiffs allege that the computer giant was receiving as much as $ 1 billion a year in "secret and likely illegal" kickbacks from Intel to ensure that Dell used no other chipmaker. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, it said. Officials at the law firm could not immediately be reached for comment. A Dell spokesman said the company does not comment on pending litigation. The company has not seen the lawsuit, he added.