Cloud Computing: Is The World Ready?

So is the world,  or at least the mainstream business world, ready for "cloud computing?" Google has put a lot of their eggs in this technology basket, while Microsoft tends to dismiss it as a futuristic myth.

So the question is, is anyone really making these types of applications yet? I know people that use the Google apps. I have seen an Open Office online suite as well. It doesn't seem that the concept is too main stream right now.

With hardware costs coming down and storage capacity going through the roof, what is the need of cloud computing?

With cloud computing, you can get back to the good old world or dummy terminals. PC monitors, with no brains and almost no capacity. They hook into a server, and the server does all the work, for all terminals.

That is a cheaper, yet less efficient way to get the software needed (on the servers or Internet) to the employees without buying the hardware and licensing the company doesn't need.

It has an interesting present, and an even more interesting future. But I would agree that the world is not ready for full blown cloud computing.

Google's Possible New Browser?

According to an article on Giz, this is a rendition of what could be Google's new open-sourced desktop browser. The people I have seen use it say it rivals Firefox 3 in speed and features.

Giz reports "..predict a Google Browser soon, maybe as soon as tomorrow, that is open sourced, with an intelligent "omni" search/address bar, a multithreaded javascript engine called v8, and tabs on the top of windows." [Gizmodo]

I am under the impression that this might have a counterpart in the works for Android. It would be sweet if they did a desktop app as well though.

802.11r Standards Completed Before 802.11n

According to an article on Gizmodo, the new standard for 802.11r, for wireless roaming, has been finalized before 802.11n. This is pretty sad considering n has been in the market for at least 2 years now.

Cuil is Google Rival From Ex-Google employees

The new search engine site Cuil opened today. As the pic shows, it has over 121 BILLION pages at your disposal. I searched Google and got several thousand results.

According to Giz, this site was created by former Google employees. The site is pure black and blue loveliness. Simple, yet effective. Just like...Googles'!

Time will tell how well this venture will fly. It can't be any worse than MSN Search!

Anton: 512-Processor Supercomputer Being Built to Simulate Molecules, Drugs

Gizmodo has posted an article on a supercomputer called "Anton." This supercomputer has 512 processors! That's a lot more than your puny dual-core or even your quad-core. Check the link for details.

Pioneer Pushes Blu-Ray Discs to 16 Layers, 400GB Capacity

According to Gizmodos' site, Pioneer (Panasonic?) is working on a 16 layer, 400GB Blu Ray disc. That's a sweet thing if it ever becomes fiscally reasonable for large server backups and what not.

Click here for the link.

Super Computer Sets Processing Record

An IBM Super Computer once again broke the processing record with a recorded 1.026 quadrillion calculations per second.

That's some serious crunching, even for a super computer. IBM also owned the previous record.

The article states that the super computer runs 116,640 processor cores! DAMN!

MIT Scientists Increase Fuel Cell Efficiency 50%

The pic is from the Gizmodo site where I found this article. Click here for the original.

I am all about more efficient and higher output when it comes to fuel sources. Although i am assuming this article is referring to some sort of battery, it is sort of unclear as to what the hell the little baggy is in the pic?

Any ideas?

Iomega unveils 500GB HD multimedia drive

Iomega has been, in the past, at the forefront of storage technology. The zip drive, the jazz drive...all helped to revolutionize the industry of mass media storage.

But when the CD-R came out, it seemed all but over for Iomega...until now.

500 GB is a lot of storage for the average household to use. Backups and finding a place for all your pictures and home movies will be simple with this device. The remote seems to be a nice feature too.

Read the review here.

Scientists Build Worlds Smallest Transistor: Just One Atom Thick

This new transistor is made from Graphene, a form of graphite, and is currently the worlds smallest transistor; only 1 atom thick.

With technology, especially processor dyes, reaching for smaller and smaller dimensions for compact and faster devices, this is a possible marvel in the gadget world.

AMD and Intel are always trying to get the physical dye size smaller and more compact. There are several 65 nm (nanometer) dyes out there and some companies have even started going to a 45 nm dye.

The smaller the dye, the smaller the overall end device can be. This leads to more powerful cell phones and PDAs.

Original link here.

NVIDIA and Ageia: GPU Physics Engine Nearly Complete

For all of you graphics junkies out there, here is some news.

I am not sure how much impact this driver update will have, but it seems important enough for Gizmodo to post it, so here is the link.

'The Grid' Could Soon Make the Internet Obsolete

This is very impressive. The story covers the developers of the original Internet and their achievements in creating a super fast 'Grid' system to capture data at extremely high speeds. The article boasts of speeds surpassing 10,000 times that of typical broadband speeds.

If what is contained in this article is true, then the Internet could get a very large boost in speed in the next five or so years (my speculation.)

The next question would be when the hardware for modems and routing devices will become available to the corporate and government arenas. After these groups get the original hardware and software, the consumer market won't be far behind.

Is this the next Internet? Is this a replacement for the fabled www2? Hopefully we will live long enough to see this system in it's commercial form and be able to judge it's personal worth for ourselves.

LINK

IBM Mixes Water, Chips to Make Supercomputer

This is a very new, cutting edge technology.

Leave it to IBM to help pave the way for brand new processor technology and systems.

Click here for the article