30th May 2011 Archive

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Lockheed-Martin signs on for D-Wave ~~prototype~~ computer

A quantum leap in sales, from zero to one

Controversial Canadian company D-Wave, which has long made press claims about “commercial” quantum computing, can now claim to have sold a machine. Even while debate still rages over whether its technology truly constitutes quantum computing, the company says that Lockheed-Martin is going to buy its D-Wave One machine for a …

Physics 30 May 00:57
Intel's future Sandy Bridge Xeons exposed

Exclusive x64 iron choices galore

The ongoing x64 server chip war is going to heat up considerably in the third quarter, with both Intel and AMD firing off new processors for midrange server buyers. And we now have a few more details about Intel's future "Sandy Bridge" Xeon platforms and the chipsets that drive them. Processor socket and chipset transitions …

Servers 30 May 03:00
Boffins grow brains in petri dish

Manmade rat neurons with memories

For a chunk of the 20th century, SF writers played around with various “brain in a jar” scenarios, and now, it’s come true. Well, only a little bit: it’s not a complete brain, and it’s a petri dish rather than a jar, but according to University of Pittsburgh researchers, they’ve managed to culture rat hippocampus cells, …

Biology 30 May 04:49
Rampaging Android takes over Main Street America

This is not the theme park you were looking for

The latest Texan tourist attraction is a residential street, but one that invites visitors to tap an Android tablet against anything in the "neighbourhood" to be shown more details about the object, as well as its price. Main Street America isn't your typical theme park; instead of featuring rollercoasters or showgirls, the …

Wireless 30 May 06:00
Part flash, all flash or dedicated flash?

Location, location, location

Flash memory is rarely out of the news these days as recent announcements from Texas Memory Systems and EMC show. We're now seeing a proliferation of flash across the enterprise, from PCI-E solid state drives (SSDs) in servers to solid state arrays. The options seem overwhelming and the boundaries between the different storage …

Storage 30 May 07:00
BT to embrace IPTV as it upgrades broadband network to multicast

BT's network about to become very video-friendly

British Telecom will change the bulk of its broadband network to use multicast routers as from next year – this will mean that full IPTV services, using quality of service protocols, could then be launched for the first time on the BT network. BT has always said that it didn't see the point of building out its network with …

Telecoms 30 May 08:00
Ball games: the latest sports releases

Review Action for the armchair athlete

Here at Vulture Central, we love a challenge. And they don't come more challenging than reviewing three sports games in three days. So all warmed up and ready to play, with club, racket and cue in hand, I head onto the course and court and into the Crucible to give you the lowdown on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2012 Masters, Virtua …

reghardware 30 May 08:00
Rumbled benefits cheats offer sensational excuses

'It wasn't me working, it was my identical twin'

Government ministers have revealed a top ten list of improbable and entertaining excuses offered by rumbled benefits cheats, including the defence of one perp who insisted: "It wasn't me working, it was my identical twin." Another brilliantly claimed: "I wasn't aware my wife was working because her hours of work coincided with …

Bootnotes 30 May 08:12
Endeavour bids adios to ISS

Undocks ahead of final homecoming

Space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 03:55 GMT this morning, marking its last departure from the orbiting outpost ahead of its return to terra firma on Wednesday. Before waving a final goodbye, the venerable vehicle had a couple of last duties to perform on its swansong STS-134 mission. …

Space 30 May 08:46
Think PCs will drop in price? Think again, warns Intel

Selling chips better biz than selling drugs

The Golden Age of ever-decreasing PC prices is over, at least as far as Intel is concerned. Speaking to investors in London last week, the chip giant's CFO Stacy Smith boasted how the vendor had broken the pricing death spiral that has bedevilled the PC industry for most of its history. This has been achieved by a combination …

Channel Register 30 May 11:00
Of Windows patch management

Stay in control of updates

If there's a new patch available for Windows, you probably want it applied as soon as possible. It is unlikely, though, that you will want to roll out that update to users automatically because whether they contain new features, fix bugs or plug security holes, patches can break applications. It makes more sense for IT to use …

Desktop Strategy 30 May 12:00
Easing the pain of applications delivery

Desktop Gain time and control with virtualisation

Application virtualisation separates the application not just from the underlying hardware but also from the operating system. That means, for example, that you can run applications side by side in separate virtualised spaces without fear of clashes between them or with the operating system. Application virtualisation is …

Desktop Strategy 30 May 12:00
Reg hack applauds asinine augmentation

Vulture Central expands donkey portfolio

I'm delighted to announce that the El Reg Iberian bureau this morning celebrated the second happy new addition to its donkey portfolio, in the shape of a perfectly-formed jenny. Those of you who've been following the fortunes of our resolutely non-IT-related attempts to preserve Spain's donkey stocks will doubtless remember …

Bootnotes 30 May 20:17
Personal jetpacks and solar-powered ships

Kiwis demonstrate how to save and waste fuel

In a weekend of contradictions, New Zealanders have demonstrated technologies showing off the best and worst in fuel efficiency: a petrol powered personal jetpack joined the mile-high club, while a solar-powered ship made an unassisted trip from Monaco to Brisbane. A crash test dummy has returned unharmed after riding a Martin …

Odds and Sods 30 May 23:54
Aus govt gets cracking on cyber threats

Government listens, now that the big end of town is scared

Australians might not have decent security disclosure laws or privacy protection, but the government has finally noticed that its agencies might need guidelines about secure storage of citizens’ data. Launching the government’s National Cyber Security Awareness Week , federal attorney-general Robert McClelland said new …

Security 30 May 23:57