New Flash based products coming to a server near you

Subject: General Tech | April 4, 2013 - 01:40 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: memristor, non-volitle RAM, mlc, PCIe SSD, hitachi, hp, dell

The Register assembled a brief look at the near future of flash storage products from HP, Hitachi, Dell and NetApp.  HP expects to be shipping memristor based storage devices by the end of the year as well as photonic inter-node backplanes which will offer much faster transfer than copper based solutions.  Hitachi Data Systems believes they have made a breakthrough in MLC flash and controller technology which will not only extend the usable life of the memory but they expect price parity with high end SAS HDDs by the end of 2015.  Check out those stories as well as Dell's server plans and NetApp's new OS right here.

"In every minute;

• More than 600 videos are uploaded to YouTube
• More than 13,000 hours of music are streamed via Pandora
• 168 million emails are transmitted
• 695,000 status updates are added to Facebook
• 695,000 Google searches are also made."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Non-Volatile DIMMs To Ship This Year @ Slashdot
• How to Run Linux on ODROID-U2: A Monster of an ARM Machine @ Linux.com
• Customer designed ARM chips will give Intel headaches @ The Inquirer
• Open-Source 3D Support For NVIDIA's Tegra @ Phoronix
• A guide to Windows Blue / Windows 8.1 @ Hardware.info
• How to Install Windows 7 Guide @ OCC

Make your own macros with the Gigabyte Aivia Osmium keyboard

Subject: General Tech | April 3, 2013 - 06:37 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: input, mechanical keyboard, gigabyte, Aivia Osmium, cherry mx red

Gigabyte has added another mechanical keyboard to their family, the Aivia Osmium which uses the quiet Cherry MX Red switches preferred by gamers who don't want a click to slow down their button mashing.  It is definitely aimed at gamers with backlighting, audio in and about and a USB 3.0 port on the side along with sound and brightness wheels at the top.  The Tech Report was very impressed with the macro capability of this keyboard, not bound by a certain set of dedicated keys but instead a full program which allows up to 25 programmed macros which can include both mouse and keyboard input.  Head on over and check out the full review.

"Most high-end keyboards combine mechanical switches with LED backlighting and programmable macro keys. Gigabyte's Aivia Osmium adds a new twist: USB 3.0 connectivity. We take a closer look at this unique keyboard to see what's what."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ Tweaktown
• Cooler Master CM Storm Quick Fire Rapid Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review @ Madshrimps
• SteelSeries APEX Gaming Keyboard @ Tweaktown
• Cooler Master Storm Trigger w/Green Keyswitches @ LanOC Reviews
• AZiO Large Print Tri-Color Backlight Keyboard Review @ OCC
• ROCCAT Isku FX Illuminated Gaming Keyboard Review @ NikKTech
• Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @LanOC Reviews
• Ducky Zero DK2108 Mechanical Keyboard @ eTeknix
• Satechi 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub UH3-10P Review @ Legit Reviews
• Func Surface 1030 XL mousepad @ Rbmods
• Func MS-3 Mouse & 1030XL Mouse Mat @ techPowerUp
• G600 MMO Gaming Mouse @ LanOC Reviews
• Razer Ouroboros Elite Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
• Tt eSPORTS Level 10 M Gaming Mouse @ techPowerUp
• Corsair Vengeance M65 FPS Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Madshrimps
• A4TECH V3 Bloody Gun3 Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
• Corsair Vengeance M65 FPS Laser Gaming Mouse @ eTeknix
• SteelSeries Guild Wars 2 Gaming Mouse Review @ Madshrimps
• Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse Review @ NikKTech
• AZIO GM-2000 Gaming Mouse Review @ Hardware Canucks
• Tesoro SHRIKE HL2 Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ NikKTech
• Func MS-3 Mouse Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Genius Gila GX Series Gaming Mouse Review @ Legit Reviews

Deal for April 3 - Samsung 840 Series 120GB

Subject: General Tech | April 3, 2013 - 04:24 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

One of the best SSDs from a dollar per gigabyte perspective is the Samsung 840 series; you can see it in action here in Allyn's review of the 250GB model.  It uses Triple Level Cell flash, which is what helps keep the cost down, but won't have an effect on the performance for most users. 

Top Deal

Samsung 840 Series 120GB SATA 6Gb/s 7mm 2.5" SSD (MZ-7TD120BW) @ $100

http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/samsung-840-series-mz-7td120bw-ssd/42947.aspx

New Hack Allows Kindle Paperwhites To Be Used As Wireless Display For Rasbperry Pi

Subject: General Tech | April 3, 2013 - 01:43 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: wireless display, Raspberry Pi, paperwhite, mobile, kindle, e-ink

The Raspberry Pi makes for a cheap and low power media PC, file server, or desktop but the lack of a display means that it is not very portable. Recently a hack was posted online by Max Ogden that enables the Rasbperry Pi to be used on the go by pairing it with an Amazon Kindle and its e-ink display. His wireless display setup was actually based on a previous hack that allowed the Pi to be paired with the 3rd-generation Kindle. Ogden's hack takes things a step further by supporting the latest Paperwhite versions as well as no longer requirig a wired connnection between the display and the Raspberry Pi.

By loading the Raspberry Pi with Raspian Linux and adding a terminal emulator to the Kindle, the Kindle connects to the Pi over an SSH session where the Pi console and any keyboard input can be seen on the Kindle's e-ink display. The hardware needed to make the setup work includes a Wi-Fi hotspot, a Wi-Fi USB NIC, The Raspberry Pi, a supported Kindle, and a battery pack with enough juice to power everything. A wired or wireless keyboard and Wi-Fi dongle can be added to the Raspberry Pi Model B, bu Model A users will need to add a USB hub as the $25 model only supports a single USB port on the device itself.

Max Ogden shows off his new portable battery-powered Raspberry Pi with wireless e-ink display.

There are some limitations to this setup. One is a bit of latency between typing and seeing the characters appear on the screen due to the low refresh rate inherent in e-ink displays and the wireless connection. Ogden estimates that this delay is around 200ms, and is noticeably but bearable while typing. The other major limitation is that the display can currently only be used to display the Pi console, and not the GUI of Raspian. For writing code or articles, you could get by with a command-line text editor like nano or vi--at the very least it would be a distraction-free writing environment as you could not procrastinate and browse Reddit or watch videos even if you wanted to (heh).

If you are interested in setting up your own wireless Raspberry Pi display, you should check out Ogdens blog for a list of recommended hardware as well as Rod Vagg's tutorial on configuring the Kindle Paperwhite with the correct software.

This is one of the more-useful Raspberry Pi hacks that I've seen so far. Hopefully, a future hack will come along that will also allow one of these e-ink devices to display the GUI desktop environment and not just the terminal.

Bad news GPU fans, prices may be climbing

Subject: General Tech | April 3, 2013 - 01:21 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gpu, DRAM, ddr3, price increase

It has taken a while but the climbing price of memory is about to have an effect on the price you pay for your next GPU.  DigiTimes does specifically mention DDR3 but as both GDDR4 and GDDR5 are based off of DDR3 they will suffer the same price increases.  You can expect to see the new prices last as part of the reason for the increase in the price of RAM is the decrease in sales volume.  AMD may be hit harder overall than NVIDIA as they tend to put more memory on their cards and buyers of value cards might see the biggest percentage increase as those cards still sport 1GB or more of memory.

"Since DDR3 memory prices have recently risen by more than 10%, the sources believe the graphics cards are unlikely to see their prices return to previous levels within the next six months unless GPU makers decide to offer promotions for specific models or launch next-generation products."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Memory vendors pile on '3D' stacking standard @ The Register
• History of the GPU, Part 2: 3Dfx Voodoo, the game-changer @ Techspot
• Intel releases OpenCL SDK for upcoming Haswell chips @ The Inquirer
• Linux Foundation Training Prepares the International Space Station for Linux Migration @ Linux.com
• Microsoft releases Exchange 2013 update @ The Register
• Canon PowerShot A2600 Review @ TechReviewSource
• AMD Releases Open-Source UVD Video Support @ Phoronix
• Win An Amazing PC Specialist Gaming System @ eTeknix

Futuremark Launches 3DMark Benchmark For Android Devices

Subject: General Tech | April 3, 2013 - 06:53 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: ice storm extreme, ice storm, Futuremark, benchmarking, Android, 3dmark

Futuremark recently unveiled its latest 3DMark benchmarking suite for Android devices. Compatible with over 1,000 devices, the new 3DMark is a free benchmark that incorporates both the  Ice Storm and Ice Storm Extreme tests. The benchmark was developed by Futuremark in cooperation with a number of industry companies including Broadcom, Imagination Technologies, Intel, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm. The Ice Storm Extreme test is also coming to the Windows version of 3DMark, and the tests can be used to compare benchmark scores across platforms.

Both the benchmarking tests are based on OpenGL ES 2.0. Ice Storm runs through two graphical tests to stress the GPU and one physics test to measure CPU performance. The ice Storm Extreme benchmark takes things further by bumping up the resolution to 1080 and swapping in higher quality textures and post processing effects.

The benchmark is compatible with a number of mobile smartphones and tablets running Android 3.1 or higher. It is a free download from the Google Play store.

The iOS and Windows RT versions of 3DMark are still in development. More information can be found in the press release.

Read more about Futuremark's 3DMark benchmarking suite at PC Perspective.

AMD Hosting an Event for Fans In San Francisco on April 6th

Subject: General Tech | April 3, 2013 - 05:57 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: prizes, GCN, fan day, APU, amd

AMD has announced that is will be hosting an event for fans in San Francisco this weekend. The AMD Fan Day is free with registration (register here), and fans will give enthusiasts a chance to go hands-on with the company's 2013 hardware lineup, play several newly released (and some not-yet-released) games, talk with industry experts, check out modded PCs, and have a chance to win free hardware and swag from AMD, Corsair, and Gigabyte.

Gamers will get a chance to speak with the developers for Bioshock Infinite, Far Cry 3, Crysis 3, Devil May Cry (DMC), and Tomb Raider as well as AMD representatives. VIZIO, IGN, Ubisoft, Sapphire, and Logitech will also be attending the AMD fan day to show off their latest products.

The event will held at City View at Metreon (address below) at 5:30pm on Saturday, April 6th. Best of all, the first 1,000 registered attendees in the door will get a free AMD A8 5600K APU. The first 120 attendees will win both an A8 5600K APU and an A85X motherboard.

One of the modded PCs that will be on the event floor.

If you're going to be in the area this weekend and are interested in going, be sure to head over to the AMD site and register. It sounds like it should be a fun time, and the free hardware doesn't hurt!
The AMD Fan Day will be held at the following address:

City View at Metreon
135 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94013

Will you be checking out the AMD fan day to enjoy some gaming and PC hardware?

16nm FinFET ARM processors from TSMC soon

Subject: General Tech | April 2, 2013 - 05:57 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: arm, FinFET, 16nm, TSMC, Cortex-A57

While what DigiTimes is reporting on is only the first tape out, it is still very interesting to see TSMC hitting 16nm process testing and doing it with the 3D transistor technology we have come to know as FinFET.  It was a 64-bit ARM Cortex-A57 chip that was created using this process, unfortunately we did not get much information about what comprised the chip apart from the slide you can see below.

As it can be inferred by the mention that it can run alongside big.LITTLE chips it will not be of the same architecture, nor will it be confined to cellphones.  This does help reinforce TSMC's position in the market for keeping up with the latest fabrication trends and another solid ARM contract will also keep the beancounters occupied.  You can't expect to see these chips immediately but this is a solid step towards an new process being mastered by TSMC.

"The achievement is the first milestone in the collaboration between ARM and TSMC to jointly optimize the 64-bit ARMv8 processor series on TSMC FinFET process technologies, the companies said. The pair has teamed up to produce Cortex-A57 processors and libraries to support early customer implementations on 16nm FinFET for ARM-based SoCs."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Wiping a Smartphone Still Leaves Data Behind @ Slashdot
• ARM processor competition to fire up @ DigiTimes
• Physicists bang the drum for quantum memory @ The Register
• Intel Haswell Socket H Heatsink Requirements and Overclocking Thoughts @ Tweaktown
• Killing Your Internet with Killer Ethernet @ Techgage
• Backdoors Found In Bitlocker, FileVault and TrueCrypt? @ TechARP
• Win ASRock FM2A85X Extreme 6 & Seasonic M12II-850 @ Kitguru
• Win Enermax Goodies From Insomnia i48 @ eTeknix
• NikKTech & Synology Joint Giveaway - One DiskStation DS213+ Up For Grabs
• The TR Podcast 131: News from GDC and FCAT attacks
• Dispatches from the Nexus @ The Tech Report
• AMD touts unified gaming strategy @ The Tech Report
• Intel gets serious about graphics for gaming @ The Tech Report