Now that gigabit is a given (even laptops now come with it entry level), why isn't there a flexible Linux distro that I can store on my router? In this respect, I could save lots of cash by eliminating the need for local storage on, say, a media box to stick under the TV.
You'd be insane to risk losing 1-2TB of disk (assuming 4-8 250GB disks) on a raid-0 array!
Once again, a slashdotter forgets that he does not represent Joe User at which a product is targetted.
If you want RAID-5, then go buy your favorite PCI-Express RAID card and do it yourself. There is no since in making this more expensive for the 99.999% that won't be using it.
With Intel having recently backed off on the effort to push clock rates ever higher, is there a plateau in sight for AMD?
There's some information to be realized:
AMD uses IBM's Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology. This reduces power consumption by a very large degree. It is rumored that Intel tried to license the technology but, IBM and their fondness for cross-licensing, wanted too much (probably an x86 license). So Intel has been pushing out chips with standard silicon fabrication techniques at the expense of tremendous power consumption.
My guess is that Intel is coming up with a "massively parallel" architecture that can be applied to mainframes all the way down to handhelds simply by reducing the number of cores on a chip. The cores, will probably be very small and flexible. A mainframe might have a few thousand while a handheld might have a few dozen. They've certainly been hinting at a change in architecture for some time.
And then there was the "Windows Elements" that was supposed to come out with the P5. I'm not sure why that didn't get more press. I'm guessing that it is a version of Windows that will run in local storage on these processors (i.e. - the processor will have enough on-chip storage to hold "Windows Elements").
Instead of being able to fit 2 drives, they can fit 4. It's pretty cool stuff. The drives were slightly more expensive, but it was well worth it to us.
As the article states, you'll need at least three of these little drives to reach the capacity of a single 3.5" drive. That seems to work out in favor of the larger drives, since they are cheaper on a storage/dollar basis.
Here's something that Montavista has contributed to the Linux kernel - PRAMFS. A quote (emphasis mine):
Many embedded systems have a block of non-volatile RAM seperate from normal system memory, i.e. of which the kernel maintains no memory page descriptors. For such systems it would be beneficial to mount a fast read/write filesystem over this "I/O memory", for storing frequently accessed data that must survive system reboots and power cycles. An example usage might be system logs under/var/log, or a user address book in a cell phone or PDA.
[...]
2. If the backing-store RAM is comparable in access speed to system memory, there's really no point in caching the file I/O data in the page cache. Better to move file data directly between the user buffers and the backing store RAM, i.e. use direct I/O.
They've described that they want to use this stuff in a cell phone or PDA, yet have described an NVRAM technology that does not exist (as fast as system memory?). Methinks that they're working with Intel on some new fangled NVRAM, (hint, look for Ovonic). Samsung appears to be working with PRAM as well.
So this MontaVista file system is a PRAM-File System, maybe...
Get a Zero Halliburton case and a set of matching hand cuffs to tie it into your wrist. You'll be surprised as to how many women will sleep with you (and your laptop) based on the "mystery factor" alone.
- The e-brake / parking brake is usually installed on the rear wheels which, due to the pesky laws of physics, only account for about 10 - 20 percent of braking power, depending on the car's configuration.
- At high speeds, it is very possible to over power the brakes. Mind you, auto manufacturers are very careful about sizing the brakes at a much larger power capacity than the engine. This is a no-brainer. However, it is possible to overwhelm the brake materials at very high speeds, causing the braking power to deteriorate. For example, if you ride the brake at 120mph, you'll lose braking capacity. If you then try to stop the car completely, the engine might have more power than what exists in the braking system under its deteriorated state. I had a caliper stick once and it heated everything up so much that I lost braking power on that particular wheel. It wasn't fun.
So the e-brake would definitely not be a choice in this matter. It should be noted that manufacturers have dropped this term and replaced it with "parking brake" for legal and marketing reasons.
Why does everyone keep talking about how important "democracy" is when our goverment is structured as a "republic"? Certainly, the election process is democratic, making us a "democratic republic", but once our representatives are elected, there's really nothing that we can do to make them represent us appropriately. This, combined with the problem with campaign finance and the two-party system, has created a huge problem that everyone knows about, but will never be resolved because those with the power have no vested interest in changing.
The whole situation has me looking for another country to join. Preferably one with less debt per capita. Either that, or I'm going to have to join public office so that I can partake in the benefits that you all enjoy.
Won't more ram eventually become unnecessary with all the bottlenecks computers have?
No... err... rather, something will fundamentally change.
Instead of having a hierarchy of memory (hard drive, ram, cache, etc), you'll see RAM and flash merge into a "universal memory". Everything will come on a single chip - processor and storage. RAM won't be required since the on board storage will be both quick and nonvolatile.
Currently, as much as 75 percent of a processor's area is used for cache memory. This is a number that is increasing, too. This is because RAM is too electrically "distant" from the main processor to be of any high-performance use. The near-term solution has been to pile on lots of cache memory in order to make up for it.
Recently, Ovonyx licensed their phase-change technology to Nanochip. Now, the phase-change technology is the same thing that is currently used in CD/DVD-RWs. With this implementation, they'll be programming and reading the material electronically instead of optically. Since they'll be doing it with MEMS and atomic probes, the density will reach levels of 1 terabit/square inch (125 gigabytes) and will do so very quickly. For more information, see HP's probe storage page. As a side note, HP and Nanochip are just a couple miles apart so it is rumored that Nanochip is hiding the HP plan at this point. Commercialization in 2006 isn't too far off. Also note that Microsoft is an investor in Nanochip as well. Bill Gates mentioned at Cebit that terabit chips will be here "very soon". Something to think about.
Actually, this used to be a valid point. But with XPSP2, IE is configured to disable ActiveX installations (but allows the user to run them, if so inclined).
I support LOTS of PCs on the side and this has eliminated 99 percent of the adware/spyware related issues. If people are no longer prompted with a "yes/no" type choice, then there is no problem.
For those also interested in trying to get rid of their mother-in-laws, check out Nye Thermodynamics. This guy has made turbine engines out of automotive turbochargers, put helicopter engines into boats, and just plain done some cool stuff with turbines.
This is Intel's 65 nanometer process announcement. Right now, they are at 90 nanometers. They always test the process using SRAM cells. This doesn't mean that Intel won't use the process for CPUs and what not.
But as a rule of thumb, the closer you bunch up the transistors, the higher the electrical leakage. This is why the current chips are consuming more power than ever. At 65 nanometers, we'll be 30 percent smaller but also leak 30 percent more. This leakage causes heat.
Intel's paperwork shows that they believe that practical transistors will stop shrinking at approximately 320 watts/cm^2 which is nearing the heat density of a nuclear reactor (500w/cm^2). This will take place at the 45nm level in 2007.
In related news, Intel stated that this new manufacturing process will help their processors more effectively compete with charcoal on a heat density versus cost basis.
They have to make it "sound like a winner" in order to get credibility. If you read on, you'll see that they don't recommend the PC for anyone who isn't a Linux expert because You still need to know a lot more about the inner workings of a computer to excel on a Linux machine.
So, basically, they said that its great but they don't suggest that 99 percent of the Joe Users out there buy the thing. Safe.
But the article does have points. When the hell are we going to see some standards in Linux to sort this out? Here's my list of needs/wants:
1) Standard control panel through EVERY distro & desktop environment. Gnome and KDE need to learn how to play nice. Obviously, this will involve some work at lower levels by others. We need everyone to create some STANDARDS here.
2) An installer. n00b's don't know what the hell a freakin' tar.gz file is and once they do figure it out, they don't know to where they should extract it. If Linux had a standardized software installer (complete with a dedicated file extension that could be "picked up" from a browser click), we'd see a huge Linux section on download.com. Yes - I realize that there are some nice things out there but we need a STANDARD to which every desktop distro can adhere (or else they don't get that fluffy "Desktop Linux Compliant" sticker that the industry also needs to invent).
3) Rules for software companies. Right now, there's no problems with this as there are with Windows because Linux hasn't become mainstream. What am I talking about? Software installs run amok. I hate to see Windows programs putting shortcuts *everywhere* - quick launch, desktop, taskbar, programs menu (and sometimes right even off of the top of the start menu). Some of them even install their own "tool bars". WTF? If Linux doesn't fix this NOW, before it becomes desktop mainstream, we're gonna have to live with it forever. We don't need uninstall icons right off of the program menu if there's another way to do it in the control panel. FORCE companies to put software installs in ONE LOCATION. Put it off of root? Sure, why not? Nobody's stopping me.
Forever.
Hell... its Friday so I'm gonna go now. I really wish there were a place to submit all these suggestions that I've got.
Slashdot Mirror
Now that gigabit is a given (even laptops now come with it entry level), why isn't there a flexible Linux distro that I can store on my router? In this respect, I could save lots of cash by eliminating the need for local storage on, say, a media box to stick under the TV.
HELLO LINUX WORLD?
This is the killer app!
You'd be insane to risk losing 1-2TB of disk (assuming 4-8 250GB disks) on a raid-0 array!
Once again, a slashdotter forgets that he does not represent Joe User at which a product is targetted.
If you want RAID-5, then go buy your favorite PCI-Express RAID card and do it yourself. There is no since in making this more expensive for the 99.999% that won't be using it.
With Intel having recently backed off on the effort to push clock rates ever higher, is there a plateau in sight for AMD?
There's some information to be realized:
AMD uses IBM's Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology. This reduces power consumption by a very large degree. It is rumored that Intel tried to license the technology but, IBM and their fondness for cross-licensing, wanted too much (probably an x86 license). So Intel has been pushing out chips with standard silicon fabrication techniques at the expense of tremendous power consumption.
My guess is that Intel is coming up with a "massively parallel" architecture that can be applied to mainframes all the way down to handhelds simply by reducing the number of cores on a chip. The cores, will probably be very small and flexible. A mainframe might have a few thousand while a handheld might have a few dozen. They've certainly been hinting at a change in architecture for some time.
And then there was the "Windows Elements" that was supposed to come out with the P5. I'm not sure why that didn't get more press. I'm guessing that it is a version of Windows that will run in local storage on these processors (i.e. - the processor will have enough on-chip storage to hold "Windows Elements").
Instead of being able to fit 2 drives, they can fit 4. It's pretty cool stuff. The drives were slightly more expensive, but it was well worth it to us.
As the article states, you'll need at least three of these little drives to reach the capacity of a single 3.5" drive. That seems to work out in favor of the larger drives, since they are cheaper on a storage/dollar basis.
Its the perfect name for the aspiring geek. As in, "ooh, shiny!"
They've figured us out. Who forgot to wear their tinfoil hat?
Here's something that Montavista has contributed to the Linux kernel - PRAMFS. A quote (emphasis mine):
/var/log, or a user address book in a cell phone or PDA.
Many embedded systems have a block of non-volatile RAM seperate from normal system memory, i.e. of which the kernel maintains no memory page descriptors. For such systems it would be beneficial to mount a fast read/write filesystem over this "I/O memory", for storing frequently accessed data that must survive system reboots and power cycles. An example usage might be system logs under
[...]
2. If the backing-store RAM is comparable in access speed to system memory, there's really no point in caching the file I/O data in the page cache. Better to move file data directly between the user buffers and the backing store RAM, i.e. use direct I/O.
They've described that they want to use this stuff in a cell phone or PDA, yet have described an NVRAM technology that does not exist (as fast as system memory?). Methinks that they're working with Intel on some new fangled NVRAM, (hint, look for Ovonic). Samsung appears to be working with PRAM as well.
So this MontaVista file system is a PRAM-File System, maybe...
Sorry about the Windows Media...
It is the Qbert's distant cousin.
Let there be light, ...and there was still nothing but, hell, you could see it.
Get a Zero Halliburton case and a set of matching hand cuffs to tie it into your wrist. You'll be surprised as to how many women will sleep with you (and your laptop) based on the "mystery factor" alone.
Seriously.
Tell them that you are transporting ice skates.
A couple of things to consider:
- The e-brake / parking brake is usually installed on the rear wheels which, due to the pesky laws of physics, only account for about 10 - 20 percent of braking power, depending on the car's configuration.
- At high speeds, it is very possible to over power the brakes. Mind you, auto manufacturers are very careful about sizing the brakes at a much larger power capacity than the engine. This is a no-brainer. However, it is possible to overwhelm the brake materials at very high speeds, causing the braking power to deteriorate. For example, if you ride the brake at 120mph, you'll lose braking capacity. If you then try to stop the car completely, the engine might have more power than what exists in the braking system under its deteriorated state. I had a caliper stick once and it heated everything up so much that I lost braking power on that particular wheel. It wasn't fun.
So the e-brake would definitely not be a choice in this matter. It should be noted that manufacturers have dropped this term and replaced it with "parking brake" for legal and marketing reasons.
The Skittlebrau Project was also mentioned on slashdot some time ago.
Nudge, nudge. Link, link.
This isn't for carb watchers as it has 22 grams in there. Probably all sugar. 6.6 percent alcohol will be chasing the Jager Bomb crowd.
A new definition for "hacking":
Pronunciation: 'hak-ing
Function: verb
The process of removing someone's finger so that you can gain access to their Thinkpad.
I'm just glad it isn't retina scanning. Ouch!
Better yet:
Why does everyone keep talking about how important "democracy" is when our goverment is structured as a "republic"? Certainly, the election process is democratic, making us a "democratic republic", but once our representatives are elected, there's really nothing that we can do to make them represent us appropriately. This, combined with the problem with campaign finance and the two-party system, has created a huge problem that everyone knows about, but will never be resolved because those with the power have no vested interest in changing.
The whole situation has me looking for another country to join. Preferably one with less debt per capita. Either that, or I'm going to have to join public office so that I can partake in the benefits that you all enjoy.
Fuckers.
Won't more ram eventually become unnecessary with all the bottlenecks computers have?
No... err... rather, something will fundamentally change.
Instead of having a hierarchy of memory (hard drive, ram, cache, etc), you'll see RAM and flash merge into a "universal memory". Everything will come on a single chip - processor and storage. RAM won't be required since the on board storage will be both quick and nonvolatile.
Currently, as much as 75 percent of a processor's area is used for cache memory. This is a number that is increasing, too. This is because RAM is too electrically "distant" from the main processor to be of any high-performance use. The near-term solution has been to pile on lots of cache memory in order to make up for it.
Recently, Ovonyx licensed their phase-change technology to Nanochip. Now, the phase-change technology is the same thing that is currently used in CD/DVD-RWs. With this implementation, they'll be programming and reading the material electronically instead of optically. Since they'll be doing it with MEMS and atomic probes, the density will reach levels of 1 terabit/square inch (125 gigabytes) and will do so very quickly. For more information, see HP's probe storage page. As a side note, HP and Nanochip are just a couple miles apart so it is rumored that Nanochip is hiding the HP plan at this point. Commercialization in 2006 isn't too far off. Also note that Microsoft is an investor in Nanochip as well. Bill Gates mentioned at Cebit that terabit chips will be here "very soon". Something to think about.
Actually, this used to be a valid point. But with XPSP2, IE is configured to disable ActiveX installations (but allows the user to run them, if so inclined).
I support LOTS of PCs on the side and this has eliminated 99 percent of the adware/spyware related issues. If people are no longer prompted with a "yes/no" type choice, then there is no problem.
Kudos to Microsloth on this one.
This one talks to the infectee through Windows speech interface. Nice!
Fascinating Read
Exactly,
Come to think of it, I've never received spam on my instant messengers. Why don't they add offline capabilities to IM?
That would work.
this may end up causing a *lot* heavier load on the root DNS servers.
Maybe the guys at bittorrent should start a rogue P2P DNS serving system. If it worked well enough, it would become a defacto standard.
For those also interested in trying to get rid of their mother-in-laws, check out Nye Thermodynamics. This guy has made turbine engines out of automotive turbochargers, put helicopter engines into boats, and just plain done some cool stuff with turbines.
This is Intel's 65 nanometer process announcement. Right now, they are at 90 nanometers. They always test the process using SRAM cells. This doesn't mean that Intel won't use the process for CPUs and what not.
But as a rule of thumb, the closer you bunch up the transistors, the higher the electrical leakage. This is why the current chips are consuming more power than ever. At 65 nanometers, we'll be 30 percent smaller but also leak 30 percent more. This leakage causes heat.
Intel's paperwork shows that they believe that practical transistors will stop shrinking at approximately 320 watts/cm^2 which is nearing the heat density of a nuclear reactor (500w/cm^2). This will take place at the 45nm level in 2007.
In related news, Intel stated that this new manufacturing process will help their processors more effectively compete with charcoal on a heat density versus cost basis.
They have to make it "sound like a winner" in order to get credibility. If you read on, you'll see that they don't recommend the PC for anyone who isn't a Linux expert because You still need to know a lot more about the inner workings of a computer to excel on a Linux machine.
So, basically, they said that its great but they don't suggest that 99 percent of the Joe Users out there buy the thing. Safe.
But the article does have points. When the hell are we going to see some standards in Linux to sort this out? Here's my list of needs/wants:
1) Standard control panel through EVERY distro & desktop environment. Gnome and KDE need to learn how to play nice. Obviously, this will involve some work at lower levels by others. We need everyone to create some STANDARDS here.
2) An installer. n00b's don't know what the hell a freakin' tar.gz file is and once they do figure it out, they don't know to where they should extract it. If Linux had a standardized software installer (complete with a dedicated file extension that could be "picked up" from a browser click), we'd see a huge Linux section on download.com. Yes - I realize that there are some nice things out there but we need a STANDARD to which every desktop distro can adhere (or else they don't get that fluffy "Desktop Linux Compliant" sticker that the industry also needs to invent).
3) Rules for software companies. Right now, there's no problems with this as there are with Windows because Linux hasn't become mainstream. What am I talking about? Software installs run amok. I hate to see Windows programs putting shortcuts *everywhere* - quick launch, desktop, taskbar, programs menu (and sometimes right even off of the top of the start menu). Some of them even install their own "tool bars". WTF? If Linux doesn't fix this NOW, before it becomes desktop mainstream, we're gonna have to live with it forever. We don't need uninstall icons right off of the program menu if there's another way to do it in the control panel. FORCE companies to put software installs in ONE LOCATION. Put it off of root? Sure, why not? Nobody's stopping me.
Forever.
Hell... its Friday so I'm gonna go now. I really wish there were a place to submit all these suggestions that I've got.