Daily News Brief: Make Way for Multi-Core Memory

Posted 01/17/2008 at 5:47pm | by Paul Lilly

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Multi-Core Memory

We now have dual and quad-core processors, so why not apply the same technology to system memory? That's the question cryptographer Joseph Ashwood asked himself when he came up with a new memory architecture he's dubbed Ashwood Architecture. The new design purports to integrate smart controller circuitry next to the memory array on a single chip, which provides parallel access for hundreds of concurrent processes. So far the concept remains paper-based, though researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have verified the design.

One ID to Rule Them All

Yahoo plans to implement OpenID, a digital identity framework that allows users to sign on to different websites with the same login information. There are currently almost 10,000 sites that support OpenID, and Yahoo's move will add 248 million active registered users to OpenID's ranks, in essence tripling their current membership. Yahoo's OpenID service will debut in beta form on January 30.

Dell and HP Play Leapfrog

According to figures from analyst firms Gartner and IDC, Dell remains the largest PC vendor in the US, extending its lead over Hewlett-Packard. Dell's switch from a direct sales model to selling PCs in the retail channel (think Best Buy and Wal-Mart) helped them sell about 5.5 million units in Q4 2007, compared to HP's 4.5 million. But in International sales, HP still reigns supreme with worldwide sales around 14.7 million units, compared to Dell's 11.3 million units shipped.

Time Warner Mulls Usage Based Billing

Time Warner, the second largest US cable operator in the US, has said they plan to trial usage-based billing for high speed internet access as opposed to the industry standard flat-fee model. The trial will take place in Beaumont, Texas sometime later this year. Time Warner's goal is to reduce network congestion, and they believe the billing system will only impact heavy users, who account for about 5 percent of all subscribers. If successful, the trial could be extended nationwide.

Vista Gaining Traction?

According to a poll by IT services firm CDW, almost half of all IT decision makers in the US are either using or evaluating Windows Vista for deployment. This ranks as CDW's third Vista poll since October 2006, and the latest survey shows a 19 percentage-point increase in adoption since February 2007. The survey, which queried 772 IT decision makers, also showed an increase in Microsoft Office 2007 adoption.

China to Issue New Online Gaming Rules to Curb Internet Addiction

According to the Xinhua news agency, China harbors 40.17 million online game players, representing a 23 percent increase over last year. The sheer number of players has driven online game sales up a whopping 61.5 percent in 2007, settling at 10.57 billion yuan ($1.46 billion). But while the game industry is booming, China said it would issue new rules cracking down on "undesirable" elements of online games to fight internet addiction. The as-of-yet unpublicized rules will join a growing list of measures in China to limit extensive game play, such as enforcing time restrictions in internet cafes and banning underage gamers altogether.