Light Peak promises to move data at 10Gb/s-- fast enough to transfer a full blu-ray movie in less than 30 seconds.

However, no existing data transfer technologies support those speeds yet. The technology adapts optical cable technology (used in data centers and telecom communications) for the mainstream computing and CE markets.

Intel, Sony and Apple back the technology, and Intel expects it to be in PCs and peripherals by 2011. Rumours currently go on Apple adopting Light Peak by 2011's first Continue reading...

Zotac claims its GeForce GTX 580 is the fastest DirectX 11 video card on the market. NVidia's Fermi architecture powers the card.

The GTX 580 consits of a new graphics processor with 512 unified shaders. A 384-bit memory interface connects a 1536MB frame buffer.

It is also NVidia 3D Vision ready and HDMI 1.4a compliant to connect to 3DTV displays for hardware accelerated 3D Blu-ray playback, x.v. colour, deepcolour and 8-channel digital surround sound (when paired with compatible software).

The Continue reading...

Gartner reports Q3 2010 PC shipments total 27.3 million. This is an increase of 7.3% over Q3 2009.

This single-digit growth shows consumers and business are delaying PC purchases as choice broadens. Ranjit Atwal, Gartner research director says consumers are also waiting attractive seasonal offerings in Q4.

Tablet media hype makes consumers consider tablets as a complementary purchase, if not a replacement.

PC market cannibalization due to tablets is minimal, but PC purchase delays increase Continue reading...

HP joins forces with Hynix Semiconductors to bring memristor to market. HP is just 3 years away from bringing the memristor to market as a new product called ReRAM.

ReRaMs' first application will be as an alternative to flash memory, since memristors consume less power and potentially more reliable.

The memristor, or 'memory resistor' is a new circuit element. Memristors require less energy, are faster than present storage technologies and retain information even when the power is off. Continue reading...

Digital computer chips think in 2 ways - yes or no. Lyric Semiconductor's "probability processor" adds "quite often" and "very rarely" - meaning it potentially does a much better job than Intel or AMD's products.

Lyric claims its LEC specialised flash memory processor offers 30X reduction in size and a 12X improvement in power consumption. It is based on 10 years' worth of research by MIT and Lyric.

Today's world requires more predictions based on behaviour changes, from traffic route Continue reading...

DRAM makers trying to recover from the downturn last year can now face a shortage in second half, sending DRAM prices higher, warns iSuppli.

DRAM makers face an inability to obtain needed production equipment and problems implementing sub-50-nanometer technology, according to iSuppli.

The three DRAM makers in the best position to benefit from rising chip prices are Samsung, Hynix and Micron, (iSuppli suggests they've already upgraded tolatest technology).

Gartner says Samsung maintains Continue reading...

Toshiba's new hard disk drive features a data wipe just after powering down.

Toshiba's SED (Self-Encrypting Drives) will allow for deletion of secure data prior to disposing or repurposing hard drives.The technology revolves around invalidating a hard-drive security key when a system's power supply is turned off.

The new Wipe capability will go into future versions of the drives but Toshiba wants to put this feature on storage devices in copiers and printers, which handle secure documents in Continue reading...

Remember the Y2K, the Year 2000 processor problem that stampeded the IT industry? Now a modernization of HDD formats could create a real hard drive snafu…

Hard disk drive (HDD) processing will shift from the historical sector lengths of 512 to 520 byte increments to increments of 4096 bytes per sector using Advanced Format technology.

The transition to 4096 byte sectors (or 4K) will affect all software and hardware components that interact with the HDD.

When properly optimized, Advanced Format Continue reading...