Here is my collection of trends and predictions for year 2014:
It seems that PC market is not recovering in 2014. IDC is forecasting that the technology channel will buy in around 34 million fewer PCs this year than last. It seem that things aren’t going to improve any time soon (down, down, down until 2017?). There will be no let-up on any front, with desktops and portables predicted to decline in both the mature and emerging markets. Perhaps the chief concern for future PC demand is a lack of reasons to replace an older system: PC usage has not moved significantly beyond consumption and productivity tasks to differentiate PCs from other devices. As a result, PC lifespan continue to increase. Death of the Desktop article says that sadly for the traditional desktop, this is only a matter of time before its purpose expires and that it would be inevitable it will happen within this decade. (I expect that it will not completely disappear).
When the PC business is slowly decreasing, smartphone and table business will increase quickly. Some time in the next six months, the number of smartphones on earth will pass the number of PCs. This shouldn’t really surprise anyone: the mobile business is much bigger than the computer industry. There are now perhaps 3.5-4 billion mobile phones, replaced every two years, versus 1.7-1.8 billion PCs replaced every 5 years. Smartphones broke down that wall between those industries few years ago – suddenly tech companies could sell to an industry with $1.2 trillion annual revenue. Now you can sell more phones in a quarter than the PC industry sells in a year.
After some years we will end up with somewhere over 3bn smartphones in use on earth, almost double the number of PCs. There are perhaps 900m consumer PCs on earth, and maybe 800m corporate PCs. The consumer PCs are mostly shared and the corporate PCs locked down, and neither are really mobile. Those 3 billion smartphones will all be personal, and all mobile. Mobile browsing is set to overtake traditional desktop browsing in 2015. The smartphone revolution is changing how consumers use the Internet. This will influence web design.
The only PC sector that seems to have some growth is server side. Microservers & Cloud Computing to Drive Server Growth article says that increased demand for cloud computing and high-density microserver systems has brought the server market back from a state of decline. We’re seeing fairly significant change in the server market. According to the 2014 IC Market Drivers report, server unit shipment growth will increase in the next several years, thanks to purchases of new, cheaper microservers. The total server IC market is projected to rise by 3% in 2014 to $14.4 billion: multicore MPU segment for microservers and NAND flash memories for solid state drives are expected to see better numbers.
Spinning rust and tape are DEAD. The future’s flash, cache and cloud article tells that the flash is the tier for primary data; the stuff christened tier 0. Data that needs to be written out to a slower response store goes across a local network link to a cloud storage gateway and that holds the tier 1 nearline data in its cache. Never mind software-defined HYPE, 2014 will be the year of storage FRANKENPLIANCES article tells that more hype around Software-Defined-Everything will keep the marketeers and the marchitecture specialists well employed for the next twelve months but don’t expect anything radical. The only innovation is going to be around pricing and consumption models as vendors try to maintain margins. FCoE will continue to be a side-show and FC, like tape, will soldier on happily. NAS will continue to eat away at the block storage market and perhaps 2014 will be the year that object storage finally takes off.
IT managers are increasingly replacing servers with SaaS article says that cloud providers take on a bigger share of the servers as overall market starts declining. An in-house system is no longer the default for many companies. IT managers want to cut the number of servers they manage, or at least slow the growth, and they may be succeeding. IDC expects that anywhere from 25% to 30% of all the servers shipped next year will be delivered to cloud services providers. In three years, 2017, nearly 45% of all the servers leaving manufacturers will be bought by cloud providers. The shift will slow the purchase of server sales to enterprise IT. Big cloud providers are more and more using their own designs instead of servers from big manufacturers. Data center consolidations are eliminating servers as well. For sure, IT managers are going to be managing physical servers for years to come. But, the number will be declining.
I hope that the IT business will start to grow this year as predicted. Information technology spends to increase next financial year according to N Chandrasekaran, chief executive and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest information technology (IT) services company. IDC predicts that IT consumption will increase next year to 5 per cent worldwide to $ 2.14 trillion. It is expected that the biggest opportunity will lie in the digital space: social, mobility, cloud and analytics. The gradual recovery of the economy in Europe will restore faith in business. Companies are re-imaging their business, keeping in mind changing digital trends.
The death of Windows XP will be on the new many times on the spring. There will be companies try to cash in with death of Windows XP: Microsoft’s plan for Windows XP support to end next spring, has received IT services providers as well as competitors to invest in their own services marketing. HP is peddling their customers Connected Backup 8.8 service to prevent data loss during migration. VMware is selling cloud desktop service. Google is wooing users to switch to ChromeOS system by making Chrome’s user interface familiar to wider audiences. The most effective way XP exploiting is the European defense giant EADS subsidiary of Arkoon, which promises support for XP users who do not want to or can not upgrade their systems.
There will be talk on what will be coming from Microsoft next year. Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a series of updates in 2015 that could see major revisions for the Windows, Xbox, and Windows RT platforms. Microsoft’s wave of spring 2015 updates to its various Windows-based platforms has a codename: Threshold. If all goes according to early plans, Threshold will include updates to all three OS platforms (Xbox One, Windows and Windows Phone).
Amateur programmers are becoming increasingly more prevalent in the IT landscape. A new IDC study has found that of the 18.5 million software developers in the world, about 7.5 million (roughly 40 percent) are “hobbyist developers,” which is what IDC calls people who write code even though it is not their primary occupation. The boom in hobbyist programmers should cheer computer literacy advocates.IDC estimates there are almost 29 million ICT-skilled workers in the world as we enter 2014, including 11 million professional developers.
The Challenge of Cross-language Interoperability will be more and more talked. Interfacing between languages will be increasingly important. You can no longer expect a nontrivial application to be written in a single language. With software becoming ever more complex and hardware less homogeneous, the likelihood of a single language being the correct tool for an entire program is lower than ever. The trend toward increased complexity in software shows no sign of abating, and modern hardware creates new challenges. Now, mobile phones are starting to appear with eight cores with the same ISA (instruction set architecture) but different speeds, some other streaming processors optimized for different workloads (DSPs, GPUs), and other specialized cores.
Just another new USB connector type will be pushed to market. Lightning strikes USB bosses: Next-gen ‘type C’ jacks will be reversible article tells that USB is to get a new, smaller connector that, like Apple’s proprietary Lightning jack, will be reversible. Designed to support both USB 3.1 and USB 2.0, the new connector, dubbed “Type C”, will be the same size as an existing micro USB 2.0 plug.
2,130 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
PC Plus Packs Windows and Android Into Same Machine
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/12/30/0154256/pc-plus-packs-windows-and-android-into-same-machine
“At the mammoth Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in early January, it is expected that multiple computer makers will unveil systems that simultaneously run two different operating systems, both Windows and Android, two different analysts said recently. The new devices will introduce a new marketing buzzword called PC Plus, explained Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies. ‘A PC Plus machine will run Windows 8.1 but will also run Android apps as well’,
Robert- key says:
Smart phones are ruling the world already. I think the time is near when pcs
are going to vanish and smart_phones are going to rock.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Speaking in Tech: The Snowden Effect… Why 2014 will be the year of PRIVATE cloud
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/25/speaking_in_tech_episode_90/
Tomi Engdahl says:
HP clampdown on ‘unauthorised’ server fixing to start in January
‘Budget-conscious’ IT types, no more cheap deals for you…
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/23/hewlett_packard_support_clampdown/
Hewlett-Packard will start restricting who is allowed to fix its ProLiant servers starting in the new year.
HP is changing the way it delivers firmware updates for ProLiant systems from January, The Reg had learned, so only HP or HP-authorised partners are allowed to receive and install the patches.
According to a leaked internal email seen by The Reg, HP will only release updates in return for an in-warranty product serial number or an active Service Agreement ID.
That restricts updates to customers or authorised partners, and is designed to cut out those providing discounted support services.
It means customers will need to be on a full-blown support contract as that’ll be the only way they’ll be able to received a service agreement ID in the first place.
The ProLiant policy begins in January 2014The ProLiant policy begins in January 2014
Tomi Engdahl says:
Predictions for 2014: Computing Technologies In The Age Of The Customer
Posted by JP Gownder on December 30, 2013
http://blogs.forrester.com/jp_gownder/13-12-30-predictions_for_2014_computing_technologies_in_the_age_of_the_customer?evar1=51174:1014876&cmpid=pr:soc:tw:IO_Gownder_12-30-2013
Computing is a critical technology element in the age of the customer: The use of tablets by sales professionals creates richer experiences for prospects and customers, even as the use of wearable technologies by health professionals helps phlebotomists find the vein in a patient’s arm more quickly. Computing is a front-line, customer facing experience that helps companies win and serve customers more effectively.
With that context in mind, I present six meta-trends that will be critical for computing in 2014
Mobility: Look for a sustained mobile mind shift. Customers and employees are beginning to expect that the information, services, social networks, and customer service will all be available to them in context on any device at their exact moment of need.
Fragmentation: Watch device proliferation and fragmentation continue. Fragmentation is already a way of life as we end 2013. In 2014, we’ll see a continuation of that trend, as people trade off between multiple devices and find ways to thrive across operating systems. All those articles about Android becoming the Windows of the mobile world? Not quite. Android remains internally fragmented, with inexpensive, often forked, versions of Android inflating global numbers through non-standard devices in the Chinese market. Loyalty won’t be achieved within ecosystems in 2014, though numerous players (Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft) will be trying to create stickiness across devices.
Wearables: Expect accelerated innovation in wearable devices and business models. Sure, wearables are facing a hype bubble. So did the Internet; that didn’t make it any less significant in the long run. Wearables are just taking off and have a bright future ahead of them.
Intelligent assistants: Anticipate their rise to prominence.
Gestural computing: Plan on seeing new applications and scenarios. With XBox Kinect in tens of millions of households, Leap Motion now commercially available
Channel: Time for discontinuous innovation. 2014 will be the year in which you walk into a store and it “knows you” and customizes your visit.
In terms of device vendors, I expect to see a number of market dynamics taking shape:
Apple will reveal its new innovations…
…while making slow and steady improvements to retain its market leading status.
Microsoft and its partners will make progress on operating systems. Don’t look now, but Windows Phone is now the clear #3 smartphone operating system. Although its market share globally remains under 5%, the platform now enjoys over 10% market share in Europe’s five biggest markets, and has sured up its app base to 200,000+.
Chromebooks will consolidate their market gains…
…even as Google attempts to converge Chrome OS and Android. In 2013, Google united its Chrome OS and Android teams under one leader, Sundar Pichai. Although Google management has endeavored to deny it, expect 2014 to be the year when Google tries to unite the two platforms (or at least lay out a timeframe for doing so). If QNX could emulate Android apps, why not Chrome OS?
Chinese vendors will make a play for top-tier status. In 2013, Xiaomi, Lenovo, ZTE, and Huawei all made significant strides into the mobile handset arena.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft tries to trademark ‘Mod’ in the US
50 shades of Metro No-tro
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/02/microsoft_mod/
Microsoft is attempting to trademark the phrase “Microsoft Mod” in a move being interpreted as step towards renaming the Windows 8/8.1 interface.
The software giant in December lodged a wordmark filing with the US Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) to claim “Microsoft Mod” and “Microsoft Office Mod.”
As ever on such filings, details on potential use are non-existent, but some believe “Mod” could become the new “Metro” – the name for the Windows 8/8.1 interface that had to be dropped shortly before Windows 8 launched in October 2012.
Since then, Microsoft types have employed a variety of names to describe the interface, including “Metro-style”, while some continue to use Metro.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HP will cull 5,000 more staff in 2014
Takes total jobs axed to 34,000
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2320695/hp-will-cull-5-000-more-staff-in-2014
PC MAKER HP hasn’t made a strong start in 2014, having announced plans to lay off 5,000 more staff this year.
“Due to continued market and business pressures, as of October 31, 2013, HP expects to eliminate an additional 15 [percent] of those 29,000 positions, or a total of approximately 34,000 positions, and to record an additional 15 [percent] of that $3.6 billion in total costs, or approximately $4.1 billion in aggregate charges,” the company said in its annual report.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Play two games of Tetris and call me in the morning: 13 medical conditions that are being treated with video games
From lazy eye to Type 1 Diabetes, there’s probably a video game for what ails ya
http://www.itworld.com/slideshow/133697/play-two-games-tetris-and-call-me-morning-13-medical-conditions-are-being-treated-video-games-397496
Video games have long been considered for entertainment purposes only. They’re usually viewed (by non-gamers, at least) as nothing more than a way to kill time or something played only by kids or antisocial adults. Turns out, though, that video games are increasingly being used as effective ways to treat or manage a wide variety of illnesses, diseases or other medical conditions. Researchers across the globe are finding evidence that people suffering from conditions ranging from traumatic brain injuries to fear of public speaking can get some relief through video games. Here are 13 medical conditions for which video games are – or may soon be – prescribed as part of a treatment plan.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8.x breaks 10 percent, Internet Explorer 11 makes a splash
Chrome for Android was 2013′s big winner.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/01/windows-8-x-breaks-10-percent-internet-explorer-11-makes-a-splash/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung launches DDR4 memory modules
Thanks for the memory
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2320780/samsung-launches-ddr4-memory-modules
KOREAN CHIP MAKER Samsung has announced its first memory chips to comply with the DDR4 standard.
DDR4 is said to offer twice the speed of DDR3, but because it works at lower voltages DDR4 can significantly reduce the power consumption of devices. This is significant because it can lead to increased battery life, which remains the holy grail of handheld equipment designers.
Samsung VP for memory sales Young-Hyun Jun predicted that the new LPDDR4 parts will spur growth of the global mobile DRAM market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ennustuksia uudelle vuodelle:
Linux-junnaa, Microsoft kirii
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/blogit/tekninen_analyysi/linux_junnaa_microsoft_kirii
Tomi Engdahl says:
EmoSPARK: An “artificial intelligence console” that wants to make you happy
http://www.gizmag.com/aritificial-intelligence-emospark-cube/30168/
EmoSpark console Patrick Rosenthal, who aims to bring artificial intelligence to consumers in the form of a cube small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
The EmoSpark console is a 90 x 90 x 90 mm (3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 in) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled cube that interacts with a user’s emotions using a combination of content analysis and face-tracking software.
“While the technology behind face-tracking is well established, what we’ve done differently is use it to track and process different emotions,” Rosenthal tells Gizmag.
Initially, the cube works to improve your mood and overall happiness by connecting to and recommending particular songs and videos or content on sites such as Facebook and YouTube.
The EmoSpark cube also doubles as an e-learning tool. It comes connected to Freebase, a collection of online knowledge owned by Google, which Rosenthal says enables it to answer questions on over 39 million topics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 pass 10% market share, Windows XP falls below 30% (Updated)
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/01/01/windows-8-windows-8-1-pass-10-market-share-windows-7-still-gains-windows-xp-falls-30/#!rduSP
Tomi Engdahl says:
Global IT investments are slowly going up.
In 2013, the growth occurred in only 1.6 per cent. By 2015, growth is expected to accelerate to 8.1 per cent. Act as an engine for growth in mobile , as well as cloud services.
Growth is taking place in the United States , which generates 40 per cent of total IT spending.
According to Forrester Western Europe is only starting to recovers from the economic crisis.
The large economies, such as Brazil, China, Russia and India, are going through a time of slow growth.
Most of the IT investments are being made in software , second place will outsourcing services , third- Forrester predicts be located in the IT consulting and integration services , and only the fourth hardware.
“Software is currently at the forefront of technological innovation”
Software will tow consulting sector, which helps its clients to use the new software applications.
Source:
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/italalla+ei+viela+hihkuta+riemusta/a957420
Tomi Engdahl says:
Small businesses succeed by embracing modern technology
http://blogs.technet.com/b/firehose/archive/2013/12/12/small-businesses-succeed-by-embracing-modern-technology.aspx
Did you know that businesses in need of a technology facelift have a whole new world of device options and capabilities at their fingertips?
Many small businesses know technology can make them more productive, but new research shows technology also can have a significant impact on a company’s reputation and customer satisfaction.
About 60 percent of consumers consider operating systems and desktop computers that are five-to-10 years old to be outdated. That means that the estimated 30 percent of small businesses that are still running the 12-year-old Windows XP operating system fall into the category of “outdated” in consumers’ minds. In the case of Windows XP, there are more than just reputational considerations for businesses still using it. After April 8, 2014, businesses running Windows XP will no longer receive security updates or technical support for the system, meaning their systems may become more vulnerable to security threats.
In fact, 68 percent of consumers think the use of modern technology is critical to the success of a business, and more than 60 percent said they are likely to become a repeat customer of a business using modern technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Surface, Kindle Fire are likely holiday winners, but iPad still rules the web surfing roost
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/02/surface-kindle-fire-are-likely-holiday-winners-but-ipad-still-rules-the-web-surfing-roost/
With new devices and time off from work, did people in the U.S. and Canada surf more on mobile devices? Probably, but which ones did they use? Based on Chitika’s ad network, not the ones you might expect.
On the phone side, only Apple’s iPhone saw a holiday surge of web surfing traffic, which suggests that a few new iPhone 5c and 5s handsets may have been under the Christmas tree.
While the handset data isn’t that surprising, the tablet information is when you consider that Microsoft’s Surface products got a small holiday surfing bump and account for 2.3 percent of all web surfing based on Chitika’s data. That may not sound like much, but the data also shows that Google Nexus tablet owners hold only 2 percent of the surfing usage. Microsoft appears to be catching up to web usage on Samsung tablets as well, which Chitika pegs at 5.9 percent.
Among the Android devices, Amazon’s Kindle Fire is still hot. It saw a small 0.6 percent bump in holiday web surfing and holds nearly 10 percent of web traffic.
(Grand Theft Auto 5) says:
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Rap Genius is Back on Google
http://news.rapgenius.com/Rap-genius-founders-rap-genius-is-back-on-google-lyrics
In this post we give more details about our misguided SEO strategies and how we got there. We also explain our process and the tools we used to fix the problem and return to Google. Finally, we apologize to Google and our fans for being such morons.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cairo 2D Graphics May Become Part of ISO C++
http://developers.slashdot.org/story/14/01/04/2115249/cairo-2d-graphics-may-become-part-of-iso-c
“The C++ standards committee is looking at adopting a Cairo C++ interface as part of a future revision to the ISO C++ standard to provide 2D drawing. Herb Sutter, the chair of the ISO C++ standards committee, sent out a message to the Cairo developers this week about their pursuit to potentially standardize a basic 2D drawing library for ISO C++. “
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel’s Knights Landing — 72 Cores, 3 Teraflops
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/14/01/04/218248/intels-knights-landing-72-cores-3-teraflops
Knights Landing Details
http://www.realworldtech.com/knights-landing-details/
Knights Landing is Intel’s first clean sheet design for throughput computing, and will continue to scale across several process nodes. The existing ring-based fabric in Knights Corner is realistically at the end of its useful life. While the ring scaled to 64 cores, that design point was certainly outside of the sweet spot and cannot be extended further. Since Intel will scale Knights Landing derivatives down to 10nm and 7nm, a new fabric is a necessity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
International Obfuscated C Code Contest Winners Posted
http://hackaday.com/2014/01/04/international-obfuscated-c-code-contest-winners-posted/
The International Obfuscated C Contest – the contest to create the most useful, useless, or unique program in absolutely unreadable C code – has just posted the winners of the 2013 contest.
One of the most impressive entries for this (last?) year’s contest is a tiny 8086 PC emulator/virtual machine written in only 4043 bytes of code. It’s a fully functional 80s-era PC emulator that can run vintage copies of AutoCAD, Windows, Lotus 1-2-3, and SimCity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nvidia debuts 192-core Tegra K1 processor
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/5/5278206/nvidia-debuts-tegra-k1-192-core-processor
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, after nearly a year of promising outsized computing power for so-called future “superphones,” took the stage at CES today to unveil the company’s latest mobile processor for Android. The 192 CUDA-core Tegra K1, demonstrated onstage on Android, is designed not only for smartphones and tablets, but for 4K televisions, consoles, and cars, as well.
The 192 cores (a number that should not be confused with dual- and quad-core nomenclature) in the Kepler Mobile GPU is a small chunk of power taken from a laptop- or desktop-class computer, but outstrips the 72 cores of the Tegra 4.
According to the official release, the K1 is offered in two versions: the first is a 32-bit quad-core ARM Cortex A15 processor, similar to the Tegra 4: the second variant is a long-awaited custom 64-bit dual-core “Denver” ARM CPU, the first CPU Nvidia has ever developed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HP ships an Android all-in-one PC, plus several business laptops and desktops
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2083989/hp-ships-an-android-all-in-one-pc-plus-several-business-laptops-and-desktops.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lenovo announces new consumer desktop PCs at CES, including an Android all-in-one
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2082970/lenovo-announces-new-consumer-desktop-pcs-at-ces-including-an-android-all-in-one.html
Lenovo announced several new desktop PCs at CES. And in a move that’s sure to give Microsoft heartburn, one of these new machines is an all-in-one that runs the Android operating system, not Windows. This is sure to add to Microsoft’s stress level, because the company is already facing a surge in new Chromebook announcements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm already able to produce arm-server chips, the company’s CEO, Steve Mollenkopf said on Monday in Las Vegas at CES trade show.
ARM processors are used in particular for smart phones and tablets. Recently, Hewlett-Packard and Dell are, however, interested in the chip with current application servers.
The server use, aimed at arm-chips are currently developing AMD and AppliedMicro.
Pioneer Calxeda recently was forced to close its doors. Analysts believe that Calxeda was a good product for which the market does not, however, have been prepared.
Source:
Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/qualcomm+saattaa+alkaa+valmistaa+armpalvelinsiruja/a957642
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel hopes the new Edison’s computer to open the doors on wearable technology market. Edison has a size of only a sd memory card class and is designed for use in small, flexible devices that can wrap around the body.
The computer has Intel’s ultra-low-power processor Quark as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, which allow computer to communicate with other devices.
Intel introduced the computer to the Las Vegas International CES technology fair.
“Wearable technology is not about carrying a camera attached to the wrist. Technique is to be natural, and the chip must be invisible, “Intel’s new equipment Director Mike Bell commented Idgns news agency in an interview.
CES showcases the latest technological applications: Mimo company Baby-Rest Devices baby clothes. Edison’s help, the child’s pulse, body temperature, and motion of sleeping position, for example, are transmitted directly to the smartphone.
Edison is based on Intel’s x86 architecture, and a line width of 22 nanometers. It is running Linux OS.
Mini Computer introduced a do-it-yourself computer enthusiasts available as an independent package, in the summer, probably in June or July. The price is still unknown.
Source:
Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/intel+laittaa+tietokoneet+vauvojen+poksyihin/a957620
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart data tiering boosts healthcare, video surveillance networks
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/hitachi-data-tiering.html
A June 2013 technical white paper by Hitachi Data Systems and Crossroads Systems, Inc. contends that for industries with diverse file formats such as media, entertainment, healthcare, government, video surveillance and logistics, the growth of unstructured data is quickly becoming a major data center challenge. The analysis explains how unstructured data cannot be categorized into relational databases, and thus needs to be stored in a file-system structure for seamless access.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Slideshow: Mac Pro Late 2013 Teardown
http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=270760&cid=nl.dn14
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mozilla partners with Panasonic to bring Firefox OS to the TV, details progress on tablet and desktop versions
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/01/06/mozilla-partners-panasonic-bring-firefox-os-tv-details-work-tablet-desktop-versions/#!rCjIf
At CES 2014 in Las Vegas today, Mozilla announced its plans for Firefox OS this year. Having launched Firefox OS for smartphones in 2013, the company has now partnered with Panasonic to bring its operating system to TVs, and also detailed the progress that has been made around the tablet and desktop versions.
Panasonic will be the first to release next-generation smart TVs powered by Firefox OS. Mozilla and Panasonic will work together to promote Firefox OS and its open ecosystem on the big screen.
The fact that Mozilla only managed to get Panasonic on board as a TV partner is telling. Firefox OS for TVs is clearly still very immature.
Mozilla is working on a Firefox OS contribution program aimed at accelerating the development of Firefox OS for tablets. The company plans to provide dedicated contributors with access to resources and reference hardware.
Mozilla is working on a Firefox OS contribution program aimed at accelerating the development of Firefox OS for tablets. The company plans to provide dedicated contributors with access to resources and reference hardware.
Furthermore, VIA today announced the availability of APC Paper and Rock, two new devices that offer a preview of Firefox OS running in a desktop environment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel announces Edison: a 22nm dual-core PC the size of an SD card
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/intel-edison/
Four months ago, Intel unveiled its Quark SoC at IDF. Today at CES 2014, company CEO Brian Krzanich wants to introduce you to Edison, a miniature computer based on the same technology condensed into the form factor of an SD card. The tiny computer is built on the company’s 22nm transistor technology, runs Linux and has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth modules. What’s more, the tiny machine can connect to its own app store. Naturally, the device is aimed at developers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel confirms it will power devices that run both Windows and Android
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2014/01/07/intel-confirms-it-will-power-devices-that-run-both-windows-and-android/#!rCuas
Intel hasn’t elaborated much on the topic of dual OS platforms, but it got a mention at CEO Brian Krzanich’s CES keynote — when he confirmed the company will power devices that run both Windows and Android.
This means simply pressing a button on a device such as a laptop will see it switch operating systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel announces that every processor released in 2014 will be conflict mineral free
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5282608/intel-announces-that-every-processor-released-in-2014-will-be
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android on Windows gets another supporter in AMD
It’s not just Intel
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/5278548/amd-will-also-put-windows-and-android-in-the-same-computer
Last week, we told you about Intel’s plans to join Windows and Android at the hip, possibly launching a new brand of computer at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that can run both operating systems simultaneously. As it turns out, Intel is not alone. Chipmaker AMD has just announced a partnership with BlueStacks to do the same thing — and perhaps do it even better than its rival.
Similarly to what we’ve heard about Intel’s solution, BlueStacks will run Android within Windows, and in a way that’s more or less seamless to the end user. In this case you’ll be able to launch individual Android apps from the Windows 8 Start Screen just like they were native Windows programs and search for new apps using Microsoft’s own Windows 8 search charm in conjunction with any app stores you install.
But according to BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma, AMD has a secret weapon that could make its combined Android and Windows devices more efficient. AMD’s latest processors will include an ARM chip inside — the same CPU architecture that Android apps normally use.
While earlier downloadable versions of BlueStacks would run Android apps on Windows by virtualizing their ARM code to run on x86 processors, the version that will ship with some new AMD computers could run code natively on the ARM components. “AMD is in a very unique position that they can do hybrid designs which are x86 and ARM, which I think unlocks the space completely and puts them in a leadership position,” Sharma says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nuance, Intel build speech commands into PCs — finally
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2084063/nuance-intel-build-speech-commands-into-pcs-finally.html
PCs from Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo will soon include Nuance’s Dragon Assistant, the speech giant’s technology for tweeting, Facebooking, and playing music using voice commands.
Nuance announced the partnerships here at CES, for both PCs and tablets running the Intel Core and Atom processors.
”Our objective working with Intel was to bring the PC into the era that tablets have been enjoying with the launch of [Apple’s] Siri over the past few years,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft reportedly considers letting consumers pick a device and then its OS: Windows Phone or Android
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2014/01/06/microsoft-reportedly-considered-letting-consumers-pick-device-os-windows-phone-android/#!rCurl
We’ve already heard rumors that Microsoft has courted smartphone OEMs to offer dual-boot options for Windows Phone and Android, as well as looked at cutting the licensing fees that it normally charges device makers. Another tactic the company has reportedly considered is letting consumers pick one or the other after they select a given device in store, according to internal documents obtained by The Information.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel: Inside, Upon, Within, Around
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/intel-inside-upon-within-around/?_r=0
Intel is trying to make good on its promises, fast.
Speaking at the preshow keynote of the International Consumer Electronics Show, Brian Krzanich, Intel’s chief executive, showed devices with Intel semiconductors that included wearable health and biometric devices, a small wireless computer for developers to put inside other devices such as appliances, and a wireless phone charger that looked like a stylish bowl.
It was an impressive speech, especially in terms of the number of products displayed. What it did not spend too much time on was whether, or how, Intel could reach its old level of profitability with so many devices in so many markets.
For a company that has spent years trying to demonstrate the perennial beauty and utility of the personal computer (a very focused and profitable product for Intel), it was a big change of gears. But then, for a couple of years now PC sales have been feeling pressure from increased sales of smartphones and tablets.
Intel seems to have gotten that message
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flexibility will make tomorrow’s data center
The research house Gartner forecasts the data center’s physical location is losing relevance.
New, more effective networks and mobile operations emergence of cloud services are revolutionizing the data center business, executive vice president David Cappuccio says.
“Alongside this development, data center maintenance of the importance of the business to grow. New data center companies acquire a competitive advantage and are investing more and more in information security,” Gartner Research infrastructure Capuccio to predict.
“Software driven networks and related storage dominate the discussion. All of the new data centers are designed in accordance with the concepts of software.”
“Organizations are studying alternative locations where the risk can be reduced, and manage workloads more efficiently,” Cappuccio says.
It goes without saying that the shared resources effectively increase productivity, enhance the competitive advantage of IT services.
Gartner believes that data centers related to the new way of thinking also requires the transformation of organizations, IT strategies.
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/cio/notkeus+tekee+huomisen+konesalin/a955327
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel outs PC-on-SD: Tiny computer for Internet of Things and wearables
Edison is x86 giant’s latest attempt to cope with an ARM world
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/07/intel_demos_pconsd_tiny_computer_for_internet_of_things_and_wearables/
While Edison is based on the established SD card form-factor, Intel hasn’t confirmed the card uses the storage format’s electrical interface. We assume it does: there would be little point in adopting the SD card size and shape if developers couldn’t fit a low-cost SD card slot onto their project boards to take the Intel card.
Intel’s approach is identical to that of Anglo-American Internet of Things startup Electric Imp, which has been offering an SD card-sized device for almost a year. Unlike Edison, the ARM-based Imp, in either its slot-in SD card or solder-on form, lacks Bluetooth Smart for device-to-device connectivity. Instead, it uses Wi-Fi to connect code running on the card to web- or app-based user interfaces via the firm’s servers.
Indeed, that’s a key aspect Edison lacks: a dedicated server infrastructure developers – be they individual makers, small startups or even major OEMs – can leverage to link IoT hardware embedded in their products to apps on users’ phones, tablets or traditional computers.
To be fair, Edison is aimed more at the wearables market than IoT applications, though its form-factor makes it suitable for both. In any case, Imp is available now; Edison won’t be available, Intel said, until the summer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Globally, the IT investment will grow by 3.1 per cent from 2013 to 2014, mainly driven by the software company. A year earlier the IT spending growth of 0.4 per cent was left sitting, the research house Gartner report says.
The combined IT and telecoms investment volumes will rise this year by 3.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Growth will come from the software company whose investments will increase this year by 6.8 per cent to $ 320 billion.
Last January, Gartner predicted it, the spending of 4.2 per cent growth. However, investment growth fell to 0.4 per cent in 2013,
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/cio/gartner+povaa+itinvestoinneille+hidasta+kasvua/a957688
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gartner: Global IT spending will grow slightly in 2014
http://www.cio.com/article/745393/Gartner_Global_IT_spending_will_grow_slightly_in_2014?taxonomyId=1375
Enterprise software spending will drive the growth in spending, while telecom spending is a drag
Worldwide spending for IT and telecom will total US$3.8 trillion, with enterprise software spending driving the growth, Gartner said Monday. Enterprise software spending will total $320 billion, growing 6.8 percent in 2014, the research firm said.
In January 2013, Gartner predicted IT spending growth of 4.2 percent for the year, but growth ended up at 0.4 percent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android will ship more than ONE BILLION mobes+slabs in 2014
‘OS of choice’ to leave Apple for dust, say stats bods
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2014/01/07/gartner_2014_android_growth/
Android will break the one billion sales barrier this year as low-priced tabs become ever more popular while PC shipments continue to fall.
Number-crunching house Gartner has predicted 1.1 billion Android devices will be sold during 2014, a 26 per cent increase over 2013.
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Android will continue to be the “OS of choice across all devices,” Gartner said in its PC, Ultramobiles and Mobile Phones Worldwide 2010-2017 4Q3 Update on Tuesday.
However, Apple’s iOS and Mac will grow the fastest of all – but only just.
Apple’s combined operating systems will see 344m units sold, a 29 per cent increase over last year.
Microsoft’s Windows will be slightly ahead of Apple on total numbers, with 359 million units sold, but will lag on growth – going up 9.7 over 2013.
Not helping Microsoft will be the ongoing drop in sales of traditional PCs. Gartner forecast these would fall seven per cent to 278 million.
The number tablets shipped is expected grow by nearly half this year, by 47 per cent to 263 million.
Gartner reckoned 1.8bn mobile phones will be sold this year, an increase of 4.9 per cent. But Ultramobiles – which includes tablets – will take over as the main driver of growth, increasing by 54 per cent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Red Hat and CentOS become Voltron, build free operating system together
Ostensible rivals embrace, pledge to create a “new CentOS.”
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/01/red-hat-and-centos-become-voltron-build-free-operating-system-together/
Red Hat and the CentOS Project today said they will team up to build what they called “a new CentOS” in a bid to accelerate adoption of the free operating system.
CentOS is a clone of Red Hat’s most important product, compiled from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It could be seen as taking paying customers away from Red Hat. The two organizations could also be bitter rivals, but today they showed that they think working together can benefit both the customers who pay Red Hat gobs of money for enterprise-class Linux and those who use CentOS for free.
Although Red Hat gives away all of its source code, it makes more than a billion dollars a year. Software subscription prices guarantee updates, patches, bug fixes, support, training, compatibility with mission-critical applications, and legal protection from patent trolls that target open source users.
Red Hat guards that revenue stream in part by making sure rivals have to make at least some effort to profit off its open source contributions. In 2011, the company took action in response to Oracle building a Red Hat clone and selling cheaper support.
Although Oracle was the target, the move affected CentOS too.
With today’s announcement, CentOS is part of the Red Hat family. Fedora, another Red Hat-sponsored community project and operating system, will continue to provide the code future RHEL and CentOS releases are based upon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fedora upgrades ARM support, now treats it as x86’s equal
by Jon Brodkin – Dec 17 2013, 7:20pm FLEST
No future Fedora release gets out the door without fixes to ARM bugs.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/12/fedora-upgrades-arm-support-now-treats-it-as-x86s-equal/
Fedora 20 was released today, with support for ARM as a primary architecture. While x86 will still be the default for most Fedora users, classifying ARM as a primary architecture means that “it receives the same amount of attention that the x86 and x86-64 releases get,” Fedora Project release notes say.
When ARM was treated as a secondary architecture, new versions of Fedora could be released if there were problems with ARM but not x86.
“Build failures on [primary] architectures are fatal: no packages push to the repositories if they fail to build for a primary architecture,” the Fedora Project notes. “To put it simply: These are the architectures for which Fedora will delay a release if they are not functional. Fedora package maintainers are required to make sure that their package builds properly for this architecture (or is properly ExcludeArch’d).”
Tomi Engdahl says:
From Linux-powered warships to robot bears, the year in Ars Tech Lab
Ars Technology Lab editors look at readers’ favorite stories of 2013.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/12/from-linux-powered-warships-to-robot-bears-the-year-in-ars-tech-lab/
While Windows 8′s launch last year had been proclaimed as a huge opportunity for Linux, there wasn’t exactly a stampede away from Microsoft’s OS on desktops and notebooks. That’s not from a lack of evangelism and effort, though: as Jon Brodkin reported in August, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth is still shoveling millions of his own dollars into Canonical and Ubuntu to keep them going.
However, Linux is getting plenty of traction on desktops of another sort—the sort that shoots guns and missiles. The US Navy has been using Linux in many of its systems for the past four years, but a new ship joining the fleet is practically powered stem to stern by Linux—the USS Zumwalt, DDG-1000. The all-electric ship’s systems are all controlled through a combination of embedded real-time Linux clients, Red Hat Linux servers, and messaging middleware.
While Linux has long since established open source software’s beachhead in most data centers, 2013 saw open source hardware in various forms starting to stake claims all over the enterprise. While the “open source” of these hardware platforms may not necessarily include their CPUs, they use commodity components in open designs anyone can manufacture.
Transitioning from big computers to tiny, the Raspberry Pi celebrated its first birthday earlier this year.
While 2013 was in many ways the year of the Raspberry Pi, the Arduino may still be the king of single-board computers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Dual OS: Stuffing Android and Windows Into the Same PC
http://gizmodo.com/intel-dualos-stuffing-android-and-windows-into-the-sam-1496006962
Anyone who’s tried it can tell you that cohabitation is hard. But Intel’s hoping that those Odd Couple hiccups can be overcome with its Dual OS project, which puts Android and Windows in the same, dual-booting PC. Felix, meet Oscar.
Here’s what Intel is promising: the ability, with the push of a button, to switch between Windows and Android. It’s supposed to be a seamless experience, and a secure one, thanks to Intel’s commitment to device protection.
It’s not the first time this has been done—in fact, Asus announced its dual-booting Transformer Book Duet at CES just an hour before Intel’s announcement—but putting both Android and Windows on one chip is a distinct improvement
Tomi Engdahl says:
Steam Machine: 13 models priced & detailed, 250 games running on SteamOS
Valve brought 13 Steam machine models to show to press at CES 2014
http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/07/steam-machine-13-models-shown-off-250-games-tunning/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chromebook sales gaining momentum
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20140103PD202.html
Sales of Chromebooks have started gaining momentum recently, with first-tier notebook brand vendors gearing up to introduce new models in 2014, according to industry sources.
The sources pointed out that increased demand for Chromebooks has helped the devices acquire a 25% share in the sub-US$300 notebook market in the US and brand vendors have also seen orders for the devices from the enterprise market rise recently.
In addition to existing players such as Acer, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Samsung Electronics, Asustek Computer and Toshiba will join the Chromebook market in 2014, the sources said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES: Sony outs Playstation Now as PS4 sales surpass four million
Cloud-based service will allow gamers to play Playstation titles on smartphones and tablets
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2321515/ces-sony-outs-playstation-now-as-ps4-sales-surpass-four-million
JAPANESE HARDWARE MAKER Sony unveiled Playstation Now at CES on Tuesday, a service that will allow gamers to play Playstation titles on a smartphone, tablet or smart TV device.
“It will also introduce the world of Playstation to non-console owners, via Sony smartphone and tablet devices. We are paving the way for gamers to play wherever, whenever.”
Sony also announced on Tuesday that it will launch a cloud-based TV service in the US this year
Tomi Engdahl says:
Thought the toilet camera was weird? Try actual thumb flash drives from tech’s supershow
LaCie’s weighted, rounded bottom was a big hit
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/08/ces_flash_thumb_drives/
CES wouldn’t be CES without thumbdrive nonsense and it doesn’t disappoint this year, with one device modelled after a rocking toy and another whose USB stick has no cap for you to lose.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bitcoin me: How to make your own digital currency
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/07/bitcoin-me-how-to-make-your-own-digital-currency
Move over Dogecoin: the Herncoin is here. But what can making your own currency teach you about the world of bitcoin?