Jan 18

Microsoft Creates Colored Barcodes

Posted in: Apple, Microsoft, Screenshots, Today's Chili

This article was written on April 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

Color BarcodeMicrosoft has created a new bar code system that replaces the standard black and white vertical bars with specific patterns of colored triangles. By doing this they are able to pack in more information into such a small space.

The High Capacity Color Bar Code should start appearing on DVD’s already by the end of this year. Once implemented the bar code would be able to store information like URL’s and other information that could be related to the CD/DVD. This would be especially useful when deciding whether to purchase a movie or music CD because it can be attached to a computer at a store so that you can visit the homepage.

This does, of course, require special hardware to scan the bar code so the transition could be costly for companies. It even takes more costly hardware to print the bar codes which is something else that could drive the price of goods up.

Having worked at a retail store I can see real value in such a system. We came across people all of the time who tried to print their own UPC’s for products and place them over an item’s UPC. That way when the cashier rings up the item it is for something else at a much lower cost. Being able to replicate these new color bar codes could spell disaster for scammers utilizing this method of “bar code switching”.

Source: CNet

Thanks for the tip CoryC!

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Jan 12

Speed Comparison: Solid State Disk (SSD) vs. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Posted in: solid state drive, Today's Chili

This article was written on February 02, 2007 by CyberNet.

A few weeks ago there was a conversation going on within our comments regarding the use of solid state drives (SSD) versus hard disk drives (HDD). The big thing about using SSD’s is that they are faster and more energy efficient, especially in the case of the iPhone which is what the comments pertained to. Earlier today I was flipping through YouTube videos (like I do almost everyday) and I came across one that actually demonstrated two systems side-by-side that compared the speed of a SSD and HDD drive:

The solid state drives are still very expensive, and according to the price comparison I have below it would cost $2500 for a 100GB SSD. Distributing these drives with PC’s is still a little out of the question, but we keep inching closer and closer to being able to reap the benefits of solid state drives:

  • Faster startup – Since no spin-up required.
  • Faster boot and application launch time – Result of the faster read and especially seek time.
  • Lower power consumption and heat production – no mechanical parts result in less power consumption.
  • No noise – Lack of mechanical parts makes the SSD completely silent.
  • Better mechanical reliability – Lack of mechanical parts result in less wear and tear as well as the ability to endure extreme shock, vibration and temperatures.
  • Security – Quickly “wipe” of all data stored.
  • Deterministic performance – “Seek” time is constant, and performance does not deteriorate as the media fills up.
  • Lighter and smaller (typically) 

While all of that seems too good to be true, it is in some cases. Here are some of the things that may not be so lovable about solid state drives.

  • Price – Currently around $25 per GB compared to about $0.25 per GB for mechanical drives.
  • Slower write time – Around 18 MB/s compared to over 50 MB/s for hard drives. 
  • Lower recoverability – After an SSD fails it is nearly impossible to recover any of the data.
  • Vulnerable – An abrupt powerloss, magnetic fields and electric/static charges could have more of an effect on an SSD compared to normal HDD’s.

I’m curious how long it will take for PC hard drives to start the transition over to solid state drives, but as limitations become more of a factor I think manufacturers will be looking for alternatives. One of the biggest upsides that I see to having the SSD’s is the extended battery life due to the lack of mechanical parts, but as seen above there are also several other advantages.

The other thing that I’ve been wrestling with in my mind is whether operating systems will ever be shipped directly on computer chips rather than software that gets stored on a drive. All of the necessary configuration files could stored on a drive that is read from, but if the operating system was closer to the processor I think the speed increase would be remarkable. I’ve heard talk about this sort of thing before but it has only been rumors.

It’s always interesting to think about what the future holds for technology…

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Jan 10

Mac Market Share on the Rise

Posted in: Apple, Software, Today's Chili

This article was written on October 23, 2007 by CyberNet.

Apple’s fourth quarter results that were released yesterday confirm that even though Apple dropped “Computer” from their name, computers are still a huge part of who they are and how they profit. We’ll get into those Mac details in just a minute, but first lets talk about their record breaking earnings for the quarter. It was unquestionably a huge quarter for Apple with their overall revenue exceeding $6.22 billion with a profit of $904 million. To compare, last year for the same quarter their revenue was $4.84 billion with a profit of $542 million. They have the sales of computers to thank for a good chunk of that revenue.

The growth in sales of Macintosh computers has been phenomenal.  This year, 2,164,000 Macs were shipped which is 34% growth from the year prior. The sales alone of the Macs made up 62% of Apple’s revenue – more than the iPhone and iPods combined.  It also appears that laptops were more trendy than desktops, making up more than 62% of Macs sold. Looking at the trend of their market share, it’s obvious that sales of Mac computers are on the rise.  The graph below shows just this and while all of the numbers may not be completely accurate (data source), it provides us with an overall picture of where the Mac computer is headed.

Mac Market Share

As Mac sales reach new highs, it leaves me wondering if they’ll hit a wall anytime soon like Windows has.  The Windows Market Share really hasn’t fluctuated over the last year.  If Apple wants to continue the upward trend with the sales of their computers, they’re going to have to tackle the businesses sector and do something to try and get businesses on board.  If they are able to do this, I think we’d see an even sharper increase in their market share.

Obviously it’s been a great quarter and an outstanding year for Apple despite a few bumps in the road.  As you can imagine, these strong numbers have helped Apple’s stock quite a bit.  As of this morning when trading opened, their stock rose $11.54 to $185.90 which is about double of what it was at the start of this year.

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Jan 06

Honeycomb will not require dual-core CPU as minimum hardware spec

Posted in: Android, dual-core, Google, honeycomb, processor, Today's Chili

Oh, never mind then. Google’s ever-informative and ever-knowledgeable Dan Morrill has disabused the world from the bogus belief that Android’s “made for tablets” iteration, aka Honeycomb, will require a dual-core processor as a minimum to run. Dan says there are no specific CPU requirements for aspiring Android 3.0 tablets to meet and we should all sit back, relax, and enjoy our breakfast. That’s reassuring to note, but let’s not read more into it than what’s said — while Honeycomb might not technically require a dual-core beastie to power it, there’s a reason why the Motorola Xoom (which is soon to become the first device to offer Honeycomb onboard) is launching with a Tegra 2 chip inside.

[Thanks, Dean]

Honeycomb will not require dual-core CPU as minimum hardware spec originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  source@morrildl (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

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Jan 06

Apple Acquires Microprocessor Design Company

Posted in: Apple, intel, processor, Today's Chili

This article was written on April 23, 2008 by CyberNet.

PA Semi acquisition.pngWe already know that Steve Jobs is on the verge of being a control freak, so the news coming from Forbes today that Apple has agreed to purchase a microprocessor design company makes sense. The company is P.A. Semi, and it’s rumored that Apple is willing to spend $278 million dollars in cash to acquire them. So what would Apple want with a microprocessor design company? Well considering they’re known for their sophisticated, low-power chips, Apple could use their chips for use in future iPhones or iPods.

Apple confirmed that they had in fact purchased the company but wouldn’t go into any details of what they plan to do with them. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling was quoted as saying, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not comment on our purposes and plans.” With a microprocessor design company in-house, Apple has more control over over the hardware that goes into their devices and ultimately, it could save the some money and give them the opportunity to include the best possible processor with iPhones or iPods.

This buy probably didn’t make Intel or ARM to happy because Apple uses Intel for their Mac computers and ARM currently for the iPhone. The fact that Apple acquired P.A. Semi is pretty big for the company of 150 employees. Regarding the history between the two companies, Gizmodo says:

Historically, P.A. Semi was trying to be the chip provider for Macs around the time they chose to go for Intel, and it is reported that Dobberpuhl was furious when they went x86, thinking the Intel talks were just a bargaining chip. Some think that P.A. Semi lost its chance to be a brand name like AMD or Intel, but clearly, being under the brand name of Apple isn’t half bad.

P.A. Semi says that their chips are “300% more efficient than any comparable chips,” so they just might be a great buy for Apple.

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Jan 04

A Look at Apple’s New MacBook Docking Station?

Posted in: Apple, Today's Chili

This article was written on January 03, 2008 by CyberNet.

With Macworld quickly approaching, there have been a handful of rumors about what Apple is planning to announce.  One of them is that Apple is set to release an ultra thin and light laptop that would weigh in under three pounds. This rumor, should it turn out to be true, helps explain a new Apple Docking Patent filed today. The image below explains it all:

apple docking patent

What you see above looks like a typical Apple iMac screen base in which you would be able to dock one of those ultra thin and light laptops rumored by sliding it in right through the side of the screen. It would presumably fit completely inside of the monitor. The drawing above was put together by Gizmodo, and the actual patent drawings are more vague but still give us a clear idea of what Apple has in-store (patent drawing shown below):

apple docking patent 2

It’s an interesting concept and could potentially be useful for those who use a laptop while traveling, but primarily use a desktop while at work. The obvious downside would be the fact that in order for someone to use this, they’d have to invest in the laptop and the iMac which would could be pretty pricey. Additionally, I think it’s safe to speculate that a good portion of the Mac market owns either a laptop or an iMac and not both which means this new design would benefit a very small portion of the market.

Keep in mind that not everything that Apple files a patent for ends up being produced… this could be one of them.

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Jan 01

The Zune Gets A Pricecut Before It’s Even Released

Posted in: Today's Chili

This article was written on September 20, 2006 by CyberNet.

Zune

Two days ago Wal-Mart had accidentally posted the price of the Zune as $284 but Microsoft is already giving it a pricecut thanks to an inside tip Gizmodo received. The new price, $229, was decided upon to make sure they undercut the iPod by $20 (the 30GB iPod is currently selling for $249). This is definitely a smart move and I’m sure it will help the Zune become successful.

Honestly, if I didn’t already have an iPod I would probably get the Zune. The wireless capability is really nice but my favorite feature is the built-in FM tuner. I would no longer have to record Internet radio just to throw a little mix into the music that I listen to.

The slightly larger screen is also nice along with the ability to rotate it. That way you’ll be able to view movies from the best possible perspective. I’m not sure quite how many movies I would watch because my iPod doesn’t have that ability, but I would probably put a few things on there.

The only bad part about the whole unit is that it lacks an easy-to-use click-wheel that has been made famous by the iPod. The Zune will not have such a feature despite the similar looks. Instead you’ll have to use the buttons to navigate through your library and to adjust your volume. However, I can’t really judge the button implementation because I haven’t had a chance to use it yet. Heck, for all I know they may have done something really clever that is even better than the iPod!

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Dec 28

Intel’s Mobile Metro Notebook Unbelievably Thin

Posted in: intel, Laptops, prototype, Today's Chili

This article was written on May 25, 2007 by CyberNet.

Intel’s newest creation is sure to turn some heads being that it is only 0.7–inches think and a mere 2.25–pounds! Ziba has designed the new laptop that not only looks sleek and fashionable, but it’s also usable!

Intel Mobile Metro Intel Mobile Metro
Click to Enlarge

Note: These prototype images must be pretty old because the one on the right is using a very early version of Vista (I’m guessing from about 2 years ago).

They have taken the liberty of using solid-state drives in the notebook instead of the typical hard drive that is mechanical, which helps boost the notebook’s battery life up to 14–hours! An alternate method for lighting up the keys (MacBook Pro has backlit keys) was used: orange text is used on each key which is capable of glowing in the dark.

Intel Mobile Metro
Click to Enlarge

Oh, and being able to accessorize your laptop with protective colored covers is sure to be a hit. Especially since they only use embedded magnets to stay attached to the computer, thereby making it easy to switch out the cover to match the color of your outfit. Not to mention the fact that it comes with an attachable should strap so that you can carry it like a purse. :)

Intel Mobile Metro
Click to Enlarge

The worth of such a laptop is still up for debate, but you can bet your lucky shorts that this isn’t going to be a budget-priced notebook. People always rave about how great the MacBooks are in terms of build-quality, so maybe this is exactly what the PC market needs to raise the standards?

Source: BusinessWeek [via Slashdot]

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Dec 28

Apple’s iPod To Be An eBook Reader

Posted in: Today's Chili

This article was written on July 22, 2006 by CyberNet.

Apple's iPod To Be An eBook Reader
Engadget has received information from multiple sources stating that there is a good possibility that the next iPod release will have an eBook reader mode built-in. The new iPod is expected to have a large screen display similar to the one pictured to the right and will probably have a reading mode. In the reading mode the contrast would be increased and the display would switch from color to monochrome so that it is easier to read the text.

This isn’t the first time that we have heard of the next iPod having a large display. The last mockup that we saw left a lot of people drooling over the clarity and simplicity that a touchscreen display would bring. Apple will probably do the best they can to keep the features a secret so that Microsoft won’t steal their ideas and put them on the Zune Media Player. The next iPod will probably hit the market in time for the holiday season just like Microsoft plans to do.

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Dec 27

Wi-Fi iPod Finally in Apple’s Future?

Posted in: Apple, Gadgets, ipod, Microsoft, Screenshots, Today's Chili, Wireless

This article was written on April 13, 2007 by CyberNet.

Wifi_ipodAccording to Apple’s primary manufacturer, Apple has plans to release a Wi-Fi iPod sometime in the second half of this year. While Apple hasn’t made an official announcement regarding this, I’d like to think that their manufacturer does have some clue what they’re talking about, and that it’s reliable.

One company (Universal Scientific Industrial) will supply the Wi-Fi chipsets, and Foxconn will build the finished units.  A Wi-Fi iPod has been rumored ever since what seems like the beginning of the iPod. It makes sense on so many levels, and it really does surprise me that Apple hasn’t gone this route already.

Why a Wi-Fi iPod makes complete sense:

  • The demand is there– people want this feature!
  • Competitors have already added wireless.
  • Wi-Fi music downloads (if offered) would be quick and useful.
  • Convenience.

Microsoft has been criticized for the way in which they implemented the wireless, and many have said it’s near worthless. Sure you can search for other Zunes near you, or send songs for the 3×3 trial, but they didn’t go the extra mile. Here’s Apple’s chance to make the most of the wireless capabilities, and learn from the mistakes that Microsoft has made with the Zune’s Wireless to give consumers what they want.

MacNN.com also speculates on whether this new iPod would switch to a touchscreen control mechanism which could certainly be a possibility.

This time, I actually think a Wi-Fi iPod might finally be coming…

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