Saturday, February 23, 2013

2013 Latest Tech News Update: 64 Raspberry Pis + Legos = Supercomputer (Dr Mobiles Limited, 095515344)

Computer engineers combine 64 Raspberry Pis and a Lego-built framework to create a DIY supercomputer.

Raspberry-
Earlier this year, Raspberry Pi lured the world in with the scent of a $35, linux-powered mini-PC. Since its release, the device has been used for a number of creative purposes. But one team of engineers at the University of Southampton has decided one Raspberry Pi just isn't enough. Instead, the group gathered up a whopping 64 mini-computers and combined them to create one gigantic, super Raspberry Pi.
Raspberry-pi-supercomputer9-i-352854-13

Taking good notice of Moore's Law, the team realized the cost of creating a supercomputer has dropped exponentially over the years, allowing them to create one for as little as £2,500. (approx. $4,000 USD) Combining 64 Raspberry Pi devices, 64 16GB SD cards and a modular framework made of Legos, the team was able to make a system with 11 GHz of processing power and 1TB of memory.

Led by professor Simon Cox, the team has kindly created a detailed guide for anybody looking to create their own Raspberry Pi supercomputer. Head on over to the Southampton page to check it out!


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Want to activate GodMode in Windows 7? (Computer repair and services, Dr Mobiles Limited)

Godmode_icon_capture

Want to activate GodMode in Windows 7?

Windows 7 users are all abuzz about the OS and its GodMode. If you haven't heard of it, GodMode is a feature that was revealed by CNet's Microsoft Correspondent, Ina Fried. GodMode is a folder that brings together a long list of customization settings allowing you to change all your settings from one place. Neat huh? It's very easy to enable and damn useful if you tweak things around a lot.

Follow the super easy five-step process to avoid confusion:

Step 1: Right click.

Step 2: Click create folder.

Step 3: Name your sparkly, new folder this (copy the line below, exclude the quotes),
"GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}"
and press enter.

Step 4: Blink as the folder changes form to look like the control panel.

Step 5: Open the folder and bask in all your godly, control panel-y power.

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2013 Tech News & Report: iPhone 6 'about to enter production, packs 4.8" screen' (Dr Mobiles Limited)

Iphone_5_liquidmetal

The iPhone 6 is preparing to enter production ahead of its mooted launch date in June, reports indicate, as the start of a new year brings a slew of new rumours around Apple’s plans for 2013.

In a note to investors, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claims that Apple is already undertaking trials of the next iteration of the iPhone and the fabled iPhone Mini, presumably in the environs of its Cupertino campus, before they enter production in March.

Misek also corroborated persistent rumours that the iPhone 6, also informally dubbed the iPhone 5S, will be home to a 4.8-inch screen, up from the four-inch display that debuted on the iPhone 5.

That tallies with a separate report from the China Times, also claiming that Apple will enter the fast-growing phablet market this year with a device that teams smartphone functionality with dimensions that verge on tablet territory.

The industry expert also backs conjecture that the handset will be equipped with a super HD camera, Near Field Communications technology to up the handset’s credentials as a digital wallet, improved battery life and 128GB of storage.

Apple is also thought likely to make its seventh-generation handset available in a host of new colour options, including pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver, red and slate.

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Monday, February 18, 2013

News and Rumours: iPad mini 2 release date for 2013?

The iPad mini has been on sale for a few months now, so when will we get the iPad mini 2?

It seems like Apple has been surprised by the iPad mini demand, although there are no real sales numbers for the device from Apple as yet

iPad mini 2 specs
The story goes that the iPad mini 2 will have an even sharper display of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels packed into the same 7.9-inch space.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman - who was in China visiting chip companies in mid-December 2012 said: "iPad Mini Gen-2: Apple's gen-2 iPad mini is getting pulled-in, and is likely to have several new suppliers, with TXN gaining content."

.Could the iPad mini 2 also have the A5X processor under the hood?

iPad mini 2 release date
It seems like Apple might have to do a little more than pump up the screen resolution to get consumers excited for the next pint-sized iPad.

With production of the sharper screens projected to start by the later half of 2013, the iPad mini 2 release date could be mid to late 2013? And could March be the release date for a revised version?

Ming-Chi Kuo, a financial analyst with KGI Securities, has published what is believed to be a leaked roadmap of Apple products for 2013. That points at an iPad mini 2 being released late in the year.

iPad Mini 2 display
The grown up iPad 4 has a Retina display, and the next mini should either have that Retina tech or something similar.

Since the mini is much smaller, it means even more pixels can be cramped into every inch; the mini 2 is said to have a crisp 324 ppi density.

Upping the screen resolution isn't the most surprising upgrade for the potential iPad mini 2.

The biggest criticism of the current iPad mini so far is its 1,024 x 768 resolution. Critics wonder why a Retina display wasn't incorporated into the first iPad mini to begin with.

Cynics will say Apple went with a lower resolution so it had some low hanging fruit to grab for the next upgrade. Production problems surrounding the iPad mini might also be the culprit.

Anand Lal Shimpi and Vivek Gowri of Anandtech suggest that there are three things Apple has to do to bring a retina display to the iPad mini.

Reports in February 2013 suggested the iPad mini 2 retina display was already being manufactured. It's suggested that it will have a pixel density of 324ppi.

iPad mini 2 price
When the iPad mini was first released, reports said the steep price point of $329/£269/AU$369 was due to manufacturing difficulties. Indeed, well into early 2013, iPad minis were not shipping quickly.

The new GF DITO touchscreen technology that helps make the mini so small is reportedly one of many production hurdles.

AU Optronics (AUO), the company that produces the current iPad mini LCD panels, was also having yield issues with the mini screens at first, so a Retina-like display could have caused additional production headaches.

However, AUO claims it smoothed out production problems surrounding the current panels, already resolving the light leak issues that held up fabrication.

Ipadmini-press-3
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