Posted 10/20/09 at 12:00:00 PM by Loyd Case

Windows 7 is almost upon us.

It’s odd to write those words, because most of the tech press has been using, commenting and reviewing Microsoft’s new progeny for months now. Maximum PC proclaimed it to be “unquestionably the best version of Windows that Microsoft has ever released, and is the true successor to Windows XP.” I’d certainly agree with Will Smith’s assessment.

Given all the hoopla, Windows 7 almost seems like old hat. (When’s Windows 8 coming out again?) But for normal humans who don’t travel at Internet speeds, Windows 7 arrives on October 22nd. And for Microsoft, Windows 7 is something of a missed opportunity.

Wait, what?

To understand what I mean, we have to go back in time.

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Posted 10/13/09 at 11:30:00 AM by Veronica Belmont

What is it that makes single-serving sites (a webpage with a dedicated domain name that exists on this planet to serve only one purpose) so damned appealing?  Whatever the secret sauce may be, single-serving sites have been around longer than you may realize -- since the inception of the  web, even -- although it’s only been in the past couple of years that netophiles (like Jason Kottke) have placed them into a genus all their own.

While there could be some argument about what exactly constitutes a “single-serving site,” a few facts remain true across the board: the user’s “need” (and I use this word loosely) must be met without requiring them to click to any other page or website for more information on the subject at hand. Personally, my favorite sites include nothing more than single word or phrase, which usually directly relates to the URL: examples include Is Twitter Down? and Going To Rain. The less effort one puts into getting the answers to these questions, the better.

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Posted 01/12/09 at 02:22:02 PM by Will Smith

Nvidia stands at a crossroads, with two closed, proprietary APIs that have mainstream potential: the general-purpose computing CUDA API, and the PhysX physics-acceleration API, which sits on top of CUDA. These are both promising technologies, but only owners of Nvidia hardware can harness their power. Meanwhile, there are two emerging open standards that mirror what Nvidia is doing with its proprietary development. One is OpenCL 1.0, and the other is a general-purpose GPU computing API, which Microsoft will include in DirectX 11. There are a relatively small number of consumer applications that use CUDA, PhysX, or OpenCL right now, but the possible applications for the tech are endless—grossly simplified, these APIs let graphics chips perform CPU-like functions.

The question Nvidia needs to be asking is simple: Will developers write their general-purpose GPU computing apps using a proprietary API that works on only a subset of PCs—those stuffed with Nvidia hardware—or will they use an open API that will work on every PC on the market?

More after the break. 

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Posted 03/17/06 at 04:34:56 PM by Thomas McDonald

Prison is a very serious subject of intense public scrutiny and opinion. But criminals have all the fun in games!

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