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A Cluster Of Pocket PCs

Posted by timothy on from the can-this-really-be-the-first dept.

Don Stratton writes "This is the coolest thing I have seen anyone do with a Pocket PC... ever! Well-known Pocket PC developers SPB Software House, located in Russia, have come up with a very interesting spin on computing clusters. The short version is they connected 12 Pocket PCs together in the first known 'supercomputer cluster' of its type and had it calculate the old '3n + 1' problem. It was just done for fun, and not intended to seriously compete with desktop computers, but it does point out some interesting possiblilities for the future of handhelds with wireless connectivity working in ad-hoc computing clusters."

9 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Happy, aren't you? by gooru · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is that a beowulf cluster in your pants, or are you happy to see me?

  2. omg by blake8087 · · Score: 5, Funny

    in soviet russia... i mean... imagine a beowulf... um... no comment

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  3. Wow! by inteller · · Score: 4, Funny

    now I can open up my contacts with blazing speed!
    ...if I just didn't need a backpack to carry it all around with me.
    Chalk up another nerdgasm that got posted to /.

  4. Break out the mini racks by antimith · · Score: 5, Funny

    IBM is introducing their lates server line, the IBM ButterKnife series, featuring a fully hot swappable cluster of up to 200 MS Pocket PC's. On good days you'll get the output of a screaming 386!

    --
    "Oh... There it goes... my brain stopped" - Ed from Ed, Edd, and Eddy.
  5. The "3n + 1" Problem by LittleGuy · · Score: 4, Informative

    The "3n + 1" problem involves starting with a particular integer n, and repeatedly performing the following operation:

    If (n is even) divide n by 2;
    Else multiply n by 3, and add 1.

    For example, starting with the number 6, we get the following series:

    6, 3, 10, 5, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1...

    The 4,2,1 loop repeats over and over, so it's usually convenient to terminate the process once it is entered. All numbers tested so far eventually hit this loop, although it has not been proven that all numbers do.

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  6. they must read /. by PhiberOptix · · Score: 5, Funny

    building a cluster of pocket pcs is fun and all, but I bet that the most fun part of the project was posting about it here on /. just to see the flood of beowulf cluster in soviet russia jokes.

  7. Re:How do you? by Ass,+Ltd.+Ho! · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The answer to your question is really kind of interesting. I came across it while searching through some japanese documents at the university of Nagasaki.

    instead of taking the "multiple-serializing" approach you suggest, you begin by using the output of your first transform filter as a sort of "seed" to feed groups of parallel "second-tier" transform filters. Once you've done that, you can see how it is easy to fan those outputs out and iterate into third or fourth-tier (obviously, that's a LOT of pocket PC's!) transform filters. As the filters each work their way through seed data, they each begin to converge toward (notice i didn't say TO) a solution. You then use what the japanese called a "recompositing Reimann filter" to sort of sift your way from the multi-tiered parallel seed results back into a final solution.

    It's very elegant, IMHO.

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    HO
  8. I'd like to get my hands out of my pants, but ... by burgburgburg · · Score: 4, Funny
    I'm manipulating my pocket cluster.

    Wait, put down the phone. Stop dialing 911. Wait, stop!

  9. It's been done before by smartin · · Score: 4, Informative

    Information here, pics here.

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