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Archive for February, 2009

AMD’s “Istanbul” processor will be targeted at server computers. With the release, AMD will be playing catch up to Intel, which began offering its six-core “Dunnington” processor for servers last fall. Intel’s first Nehalem-architecture server processor is also due soon, which, on a per-core basis, is expected to offer better performance than Dunnington.

“The silicon is healthy and we’re targeting a launch in 2H09,” AMD spokesperson Jake Whitman said Tuesday.

“The new 6-core version of the AMD Opteron processor is…everything we had hoped for–and more,” John Fruehe, director of business development for server/workstation products at AMD, wrote in a blog.

Read the entire article on cnet.

Since I don’t own a Kindle 2 I don’t really have room to complain but I was surprised to see that the new version removed the ability to add external memory. This article from betanews shows that there certainly was enough room for it…

Amazon’s Kindle 2 has not been in consumer hands for 24 hours, and already it’s been torn apart to show every conceivable mystery that could be contained under the e-ink display.

iFixit disassembled the device and found an empty outline of a SIM card on the left side of the logic board. Also identified among the guts of the Kindle 2 was its 532 MHz ARM-11 processor, 32MB of Samsung DDR, and the 2GB Samsung moviNAND flash memory. A SIM reader will likely be included in Kindle 2 builds destined for overseas markets, where it will simplify wireless connectivity.

I couldn’t pass up sharing this costume that gives the appearance that you have a hole in your midisection. Originally posted on dvice.com.

At last, technology has evolved enough to accommodate our dream costume. Evan Booth built this Gaping Hole sweatshirt in late 2006, using a portable DVD player’s LCD in front, connected to the camera in back by shoulder straps.

Brilliant! Now that video cameras are smaller, cheaper and higher quality, and screens are flatter and have longer battery life, imagine what you could do next Halloween with an all-HD setup. You have eight months.

makeuseof.com posted an article that shared some insight on the following multi-search engines.

Search Hacker (NSFW!)

SearchHacker hosts 15 different custom search engines from its homepage: Real Estate, Baby Names, Webcams, Audio Files, Jobs, Video, Wallpaper, Free Stuff, Questions & Answers, Product Prices, File Search (with filetype filter), Passwords, and BitTorrent.

Unfortunately, the first of the engines listed is an adult image search, featured prominently on the homepage alongside a troubling image of a Disney Princess character (!), so I cannot suggest using this site.

Yahoo! Glue

Yahoo’s Glue returns multiple types of search results, such as videos, news, images, and biography, on one page. The odd thing is that many of these results come from non-Yahoo sites like YouTube and Last.FM. There’s no plain-vanilla Web search with Glue, but there is a handy Yahoo search box in the upper right.

Serchilo

Serchilo can be thought of as a command-line interface for Web search. For example, type “g keyword” for a Google search, or “g! keyword” for an “I’m Feeling Lucky” search. If you’re shopping, try “a keyword” for Amazon or “e keyword” for eBay.

Once you’ve memorized the commands, a search plugin is available for your browser. If you register, you can create your own commands.

Katapulco

Katapulco wins the multi-search game hands-down because of its quick and simple interface and availabilty of over 90 search engines from a single command line. It uses a shortcut system much like Serchilo, but allows for its users to create custom commands without signing up for an account. Use of more than one shortcut at a time is possible, and such results appear in a tabbed interface.

The European Commission appears to be a few steps closer to forcing Microsoft to provide customers with a choice of web browsers as part of an antitrust measure. European regulators took similar measures a while back by requiring Microsoft to offer a version of Windows sans Windows Media Player.

A spokesperson for the European Commission says that it’s likely regulators will require Microsoft to offer customers a choice of competing web browsers in addition to Internet Explorer. So basically, when you run Windows for the first time, you may be asked if you want to install Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Google Chrome, or another browser as part of the setup process. Presumably the browsers you don’t install would be erased from your storage or wouldn’t be downloaded in the first place, which is a much better solution than installing each 5 browsers when most users will only need one.

It’s also possible that the decision could be left to computer makers. For example, Dell could decide to install Firefox, while Lenovo goes with Internet Explorer.

There’s still another round or two of negotiations to go, but it sounds like the European Commission is already pretty close to requiring Microsoft to do something to make it easier for customers to use competing web browsers.

What do you do with 4,000 decommissioned oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico? Instead of blowing them up—costing millions and killing aquatic life—Morris Architects’ Hotelier At Sea project turns them into Dubai-esque luxury hotels.

According to BldgBlog, approximately 4,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico will be decommissioned within the next century. Morris proposed to convert this space into exclusive, self-sufficient eco-friendly, high-end resort islands off the Gulf of Mexico, dubbing it our very own American Dubai.

Read the entire article and see more pictures at Gizmodo.

A service launched this week unblocks Caller ID information that the caller thinks is blocked, causing concern among those who help abused women.

TrapCall.com lets people rig some AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA phones so that if a call comes in with blocked Caller ID and is rejected, it rings again, this time displaying the number of the caller.

The basic service if free. The Web site charges for plans with more advanced services, like call recording and Caller ID with name.

The Web site said the service can be useful for people who get harassing phone calls.

But Becky Moreno, victim assistance coordinator at the Warsaw, Ind., police department, said TrapCall could be troublesome for victims of abuse. They, or their representatives, often block Caller ID when reaching out to abusers. Victim centers sometimes block their IDs when they call victims as well, so abusive partners won’t know who’s calling.

Read the entire MSNBC article.

The biker boys at Amen Design have come up with a unique bike that runs on spokeless wheels. Inspired by Franco Sbarro’s hubless wheels, the raked out chopper comes with reduced weight and structural stress that trims down the vibration and steers the bike smoothly. The monster motorcycle is all about looks and design, don’t expect high performance or efficiency. Enjoy the images.

The Kindle Store currently carries more than 230,000 books, and sorting through those books can be a huge hassle. Jungle-Search.com has just made your life easier.

Jungle-Search allows you to search the Kindle Store by price range, percent off and more. You select the category you would like to search, specify your additional criteria and click on “Search Kindle” to be redirected to Amazon.com in a new browser window where you’ll be met with the same Amazon shopping experience you’re used to. Check back often as Amazon.com is adding new titles every day.

Check out Jungle-Search.com.